December 19, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
multiply, ami replenish the earth, and there is an 
abundance of evidence that the horticulturist—and I 
may say pertinently in this matter the florist—the art 
has now become so disseminated, the various products 
brought to such great perfection, that it is only requisite 
to purchase a good packet of seed of any florist flower, 
and the result will invariably be that you have a good 
collection of choice sorts , so that now many of those 
that were deemed worthy at one time of being per¬ 
petuated and distinguished by some popular name can 
be produced from seed with facility, and treated almost 
as annuals. Take the Pansy, for instance. What 
a fine variety, with first-class flowers, may be obtained 
if the seed is secured from a well-known firm. Car¬ 
nations, &c., in the same way. You may from a 
packet of seed (as I have done) raise some grand flowers 
of nearly all the cardinal colours—scarlet, rose, white 
and yellow, &c. All kinds of seeds are now produced 
on an extensive scale, and competition is strong in 
trying to excel in the raising of them. Thus a grower 
holds his connection and extends his trade, well knowing 
that this is the great secret of success. We are very 
much indebted to the continental growers for pure 
strains of choice Seeds of nearly every description, as 
every confidence, as a rule, can be placed in them, 
both as to the quality and germinating power of their 
seeds, and as producing something at once novel and 
distinct, and although novelties in a pecuniary sense, are 
not so valuable to the raiser now as at one time, there 
is the same interest taken and pleasure afforded in pro¬ 
ducing them. No one cares to cultivate a worthless 
variety, let them be whom they may ; consequently, 
the pleasure of sowing and growing is enhanced by 
anticipating satisfactory results. 
During my long career 1 have at all times taken 
great interest in the hybridization of plants, and have 
been amply rewarded for the pains taken in so interest¬ 
ing an occupation. It must be a very bad batch of 
seedlings now-a-days that does not contain some that 
are worth adding to existing collections, however select. 
The facilities at hand in the present day are so immea¬ 
surably superior to those of the olden times, that 
were some of our forefathers in gardening permitted to 
take a peep at what is being done, they would, I have 
no doubt, be astonished beyond measure ; the old flued 
greenhouses and hothouses, the fermenting dung and 
tan beds, pits and garden frames that had to be em¬ 
ployed because no better system was then known, 
would be sorry adjuncts to the garden and gardening 
operations, and the skilled cultivator of the present 
day. Theoretical knowledge, with a practical bear¬ 
ing, has expanded, and brought a corresponding develop¬ 
ment advantageous alike to all interested .—George Fry, 
Lewisham. 
-- 
THE BRACKEN FERN IN 
AUSTRALIA. 
The Common Bracken Fern seems to be as great 
a nuisance to the agriculturists of these parts as 
the rabbits are to the squatter. The rich volcanic 
soils feed it well, and it spreads and developes itself 
accordingly. It costs a good deal, both in trouble and 
money, to keep it down. Burning the Fern only seems 
to make it grow more luxuriantly next year ; chopping 
the roots apparently tends to spread it. The so-called 
root of the bracken is in reality an underground stem, 
or rhizome, the same part which in the Tree Fern we 
regard as the trunk. Within this stem, underground 
or above ground, there is stored each year a supply of 
starch and other plant food. Every year’s fronds con¬ 
tribute to the supply. The young opening fronds draw 
upon the vegetable banking account until they are fully 
developed, and then they repay the parent by contri¬ 
buting towards the store-up supply in the stem. It is 
evident, therefore, that if we cut or mow down the 
young, half-coiled fronds of the bracken, just at the 
time when they are developing, and when they have 
been abstracting the nourishment from the stem, the 
latter will be impoverished. If we mow them down 
year by year the stems must wither and die. This 
may seem a rather tedious process, but in a few years 
it would prove an effective one.— J. E. Taylor, in 
Colonial paper. 
_ 
Onions. —The number of bushels of Onions imported 
into the United Kingdom in 1884 was 3,037,406 of the 
value of £532,007. 
A NEW CALIFORNIAN SPRUCE. 
Mr. Sereno Watson thus describes a new Cali¬ 
fornian Conifer, Picea Breweriana, in The Proceedings 
of the American Academy : —“ Branches slender, often 
elongated and pendent, puberulent; leaves 5 to 12 lines 
long, £ to nearly 1 line wide, strictly sessile upon the 
slender base, obtuse, smooth and rounded or slightly 
carinate above, stomatose beneath on each side of the 
slightly prominent mid-nerve ; cones 3 ins. long, nar¬ 
rowly' cylindrical, attenuate at base ; bracts linear- 
oblong (2 ins. long), a fourth of the length of the 
puberulent scale, which is obovate, with the rounded 
thickish summit entire ; seed 1 \ lines long, the wing 
4 lines long by 2J broad. This unusually distinct 
species has been found (by Thomas Howell, in June, 
1884), only at high elevations in the Siskiyow Moun¬ 
tains, California, and on the head waters of the Illinois 
river, in rather dry rocky ground. It grows to a 
height of from 100 ft. to 150 ft., and a diameter of 1 ft. 
to 3 ft. Bark reddish. The specific name is given in 
compliment to Professor W. H. Brewer, who in con¬ 
nection with the California State Geological Survey 
had so much to do with the botany of the State, both 
in the field, and in the after disposal of the collections 
of the Survey. As he took special interest in the trees 
of the coast, and collected a large amount of material 
for their study, it is fitting thus to connect his name 
with the forest trees of California. 
--- 
HORTICULTURE IN AMERICA. 
At the time our story begins, 1837, Philadelphia 
was considered the headquarters of horticulture ; here 
were to be found the Landreths and Maupays, as nur¬ 
serymen, or dealers in fruit and ornamental trees ; 
while Buist, Sherwood and Dryburg, Ritchie and Dick, 
McKenzie and Buchanan, with D. Fetters, were florists 
of good repute, and the few private collections of any 
note were Pratt, of Lemon Hill; J. B. Smith, of 
Moyamensing ; General R. Patterson, and Mr. Pepper, 
the brewer, whose greenhouses occupied a building on 
Chestnut Street, second and third stories. 
The principal kinds of plants then in demand con¬ 
sisted of Camellias, Roses, Pelargoniums, and Chinese 
Primroses. Of hard-wooded New Holland and Cape of 
Good Hope plants, were Acacias, Pimeleas, Chorozemas 
and Leschenaultias, with a sparse sprinkling of Cactus, 
etc., etc. Ferns were not known in those days by florists. 
In making up bouquets, which were not much in 
demand, the flowers used were mostly Camellias, 
Roses, single Chinese Primroses and also Carnations; 
and, as green to set these off, Chinese Arbor-Vi tie, 
with Rose Geranium leaves, were the steady stand-by. 
Plants in pots, for the decoration of private rooms or 
public halls, were seldom called for; in fact, the 
articles wanted, as Palms, Gum Elastic, etc., did not 
find a place with florists. 
In New York, Thorburn, Hogg, Dunlap and Boll 
were the leading flower growers, while as tree nursery¬ 
men, the Downings at Newburg and Wm. Prince, 
Flushing, were the only notable cultivators. Mr. Prince, 
though eccentric in character, was notable for his zeal 
in introducing new and valuable fruit and ornamental 
trees into the country, and among these new things, 
which, be it said, proved of little account, was the 
Chinese Yam, about which, for a time, he bored the 
country, but after giving it a fair trial, it was found 
that half a day’s work of a man was necessary to dig 
as many roots as would make him a dinner. 
Boston then contained one horticultural establish¬ 
ment of merit, that of Hovey & Co. ; one of the firm, 
C. M. Hovey, conducted the Horticultural Magazine, 
the only monthly periodical of the kind in the coun¬ 
try. It was ably managed, and gave much valuable 
information on fruits, among which Mr. Hovey is an 
expert even at the present day. He it was who, against 
much opposition, advocated the merits of the Concord 
Grape, and it has nobly sustained the estimate he then 
formed of it. Boston people ought to be thankful that 
they have had a Hovey and a Wilder to educate them 
up to the high standard of horticulture which they now 
enjoy, and in which work my old friend. Dr. Asa Gray, 
has given valuable aid. 
In the year 1837, such plants as are suitable for 
ribbon and carpet bedding out were almost unknown, 
but we then formed groups of Roses, Double Dahlias, 
Heliotropes, mixed with Fish Geraniums—as they were 
called—but the effect produced was anything but 
2 53 
artistic. But about this time a scarlet, a white, and a 
lilac Verbena were introduced by me (not by R. Buist, 
as published), and florists, by crossing these, in a few 
years numerous varieties were raised of almost all 
shades of colour save yellow ; and just let me say here, 
parenthetically that I grew a yellow Verbena in 
Scotland in the year 1832 (Verbena sulphurea), 
introduced from South America by Dr. Gillis ; unfor¬ 
tunately, it never has found its way into the United 
States, so far as I know. 
A few years previous, Petunia phcenicea had made 
its appearance, and by crossing this with P. nyctagini- 
flora, a white species, many beautiful varieties, both 
single and double flowered, were the result. Now 
began fancy grouping of these, aided by the new 
varieties of Fish or scarlet Geraniums of various shades 
of colour ; but people were not contented with brilliant 
flowers ; they sought after plants with gaudy foliage, 
which they found in Coleus, Achyranthes, Alternan- 
theras and Centaureas ; so, at the present day, it is no 
uncommon thing to find a bed filled with flowers 
and foliage of as many colours as that which made 
Jacob’s coat so remarkable, and we would here 
remark that it takes no inconsiderable amount of 
taste to have the colours harmonise in arranging such 
beds, be the style either the ribbon, carpet or mixed 
type. Ladies, as a general thing, excel in this kind of 
work. 
In Baltimore, where the taste for floriculture of late 
years has made rapid strides, credit is due to the Feasts, 
the Pentlands and the Hallidays for the aid they have 
rendered, while we think that the Maryland Horticul¬ 
tural Society, by its exhibitions, has exercised a more 
powerful influence than any other agent in bringing 
about the present pleasing state of things. Hundreds of 
florists have of very recent years sprung up in the city 
and its suburbs, yet these cannot supply all the demand 
for bridal parties, funerals, public feasts and private 
parties, so that quantities have to be procured from 
the northern establishments. 
Then look at our public parks and squares in the 
city. What kind of aspect do they now present during 
the summer months from what they were a few years 
ago ? They are found bright and beautiful, fit emblems 
of an advanced state of civilization. 
About twenty years ago, one of the commissioners of 
the squares flanking the Washington monument asked 
me what ought to be done to improve those grass plats. 
I replied, remove the unsightly railings, and adorn the 
surface with groups of shrubs and beds of flowers. His 
answer was : “ Oh ! that would never do, as people 
would pull them up root and branch. My answer to 
this was, only give the thing a fair trial, and that it 
was his duty as a progressive man to educate and re¬ 
fine public taste. 
In the same space of time that floriculture has ad¬ 
vanced so rapidly pomologists have not been idle. 
The ancient list of native grape vines, which embraced 
little more than the Catawba, Isabella, and Lenoir, is 
now supplemented by new and superior kinds that 
would stand counting by the scores. From many, 
wines are made equal in bouquet to any foreign 
brand, thanks to the late N. Longworth, of Cincinnati, 
as the forerunner in this laudable enterprise. 
The State of Ohio gave us a J. P. Kirkland, who 
raised some of the finest cherries now under cultiva 
tion. 
Of pears numerous sorts have been introduced from 
abroad, but among these, if we except the Bartlett, it 
will be found that the finest and most profitable sorts 
are of native origin, having sprung up in hedge rows 
and waste places, to which have been added some fine 
sorts by Mr. Clapp and Mr. Danna. We do not ven¬ 
ture to say much about the notorious kind known as 
Kieffer ; the last we ate were not very mellow, and the 
tree is not proof against blight as reported. Pears do 
not bring such high prices as they used to do, but 
that wholesome and desirable fruit, the apple, still 
receives valuable additions to its number of kinds, 
and the quantity grown is immense. The quality of 
such as are grown in the Middle and Northern States 
does not compare well with those grown in the Western 
States in size and smoothness of skin, so that in the 
market the growers in the State of New York will 
scarcely be able to hold their own. 
In the state of Delaware, and lands bordering both 
shores of Chesapeake Bay, there are car loads of peaches 
grown now for bushels that were raised fifty years ago, 
