48G 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
November  26,  1903. 
Hardy  Coniferous  Trees. 
Conifers  for  Window  Boxes. 
Tliis  is  tlie  tiiae  wlien  .every  effort  sliould  loe  made  to 
encourage  a  more  extensive  use  of  Conifers  in  exterior  window- 
boxes  and  vases.  Get  as  much  of  this  work  done  now  as  you 
possibly  c^n.  It  is  next  to  madness,  nay.  even  barbarous,  to 
have  tliis  work  delayed  until  the  soil  is  frozen,  when  shrubs  are 
dug  up  with  pickaxes,  roots  broken  and  the  soil  shaken  away, 
and  the  work  otherwise  carelessly  done,  with  the  inevitable 
result  that  the  work  must  be  done  over  and  you  possibly  lose 
a  customer.  Ivy  seems  to  have  done  remarkably  well  this  year. 
You  need  not  disturb  those  growing  in  the  vases  or  boxes,  and 
when  you  order  your  Conifers,  insist  that  the  roots  be  kept 
moist. 
Picea  pungens— Koster’s  Blue. 
Picea  pungens,  or  Abies  pungens,  as  some  nurserymen  list  it, 
is  one  of  the  most  valuable  of  our  native  ornamental  evergreens 
tsays  Mr.  J.  Meehan,  of  New-  Y’ork  State).  In  the  first  place, 
it  is  one  that  is  hardy  over  the  whole  of  our  countiy,  practi¬ 
cally,  being  a  native  of  the  mountains  of  Colorado.  As  it  exists 
in  its  native  home,  great  valuations  are  found  in  the  colour  of 
the  foliage.  There  are  some  of  the  typical  green  as  displayed 
by  most  evergreens,  and  from  this  there  are  forms  running  to 
those  of  a  most  lovely  silvery  blue.  It  has  been  the  aim  of  all 
growers  to  select  for  propagation  the  kinds  of  deepest  blue 
colour,  and  it  is  because  of  this  that  it  has  become  known  every¬ 
where  as  the  Colorado  Blue  Spruce.  Collectors  aim  to  select 
seeds  from  the  bluest  trees,  which  reproduce  their  kind  fairly 
well.  Many  nurserymen  here  and  abroad  have  selected  a  par¬ 
ticularly  blue  one,  and  have  propagated  from  this  particular 
tree.  Koster  has  done  so,  and  because  of  this  the  beautiful 
silvery  blue  foliage  of  his  stock  has  made  Koster’s  Blue  a  well- 
known  type  of  the  best.  In  June,  when  the  young  growth  is  in 
perfection,  the  beauty  of  these  trees  is  very  great.  [We  might 
add  that  in  England  it  is  one  of  the  most  ornamental  Conifers 
here  grown. — Ed.] 
The  Planting  Size  of  Evergreens. 
In  conversation  with  a  fellow  nurseryman  recently  (observes 
Mr.  Meehan  in  an  American  contemporarvd,  on  my  remarking 
that  there  was  a  dearth  of  large  evergreens,  he  said  he  was  very 
glad  there  was,  and  he  then  went  on  to  relate  how'  the  large 
evergreen  and  the  large  deciduous  tree  were  each  a  menace  to 
the  good  feeling  which  should  prevail  between  the  nurseryman 
and  his  customer.  These  large  trees  tvere  hard  to  dig  success¬ 
fully,  hard  to  deliver  and  hard  to  grow,  he  said ;  and  for  all 
concerned  the  smaller-sized  tree  was  much  the  better.  There 
is  a  great  deal  of  truth  in  what  this  friend  stated.  When  advice 
is  asked  me  I  invariably  urge  the  selection  of  a  medium-sized 
tree.  It  is  surer  to  grow',  and  will  overtake  a  larger  one  in 
almost  all  cases,  as  its  roots  are  not  injured  in  transplanting  to 
the  extent  those  of  larger  ones  are.  And  then  there  is  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  the  smaller  one  gain  stature  and  thrive! 
An  evergreen  of  three  feet  and  a  deciduous  tree  of  eight  feet 
make  an  appearance  at  once,  and  in  a  very  short  time  double 
their  height.  The  nurserjmian  is  safe,  and  so  is  the  customer, 
when  such  trees  as  these  are  planted.  In  the  case  of  a  dw’elling 
with  no  trees  about  it,  it  is  proper  to  set  large  trees,  to  be  in 
character  with  their  surroundings,  even  if  they  do  stand  still 
for  a  year  or  two  ;  but,  as  a  fact,  smaller  trees  w-ill  usually 
outstrip  them  in  growth. 
The  Beautiful  Nordmann  Fir. 
The  unwonted  sight  of  .some  Nordmann  Firs  being  used  for 
Christmas  trees  in  the  way  of  decorative  plants  in  tubs,  leads  me 
to  say  a  few'  words  in  favour  of  this  lovely  evergreen.  The  fact 
of  its  being  used  denoted  progress  in  the  way  of  .spending  money 
at  least,  for  a  Nordmann  Fir  costs  cash,  and  the  plants  seen, 
being  not  less  than  three  feet  in  height,  Avere  such  as  sell  at 
12s.  6d.  to  20s.  6d.  each.  HaA'ing  a  broad  .spread  and  such  hand¬ 
some  green  foliage,  it  could  not  be  bettered  by  any  other  kind 
for  certain  positions,  such  as  a  centrepiece  for  a  table,  where  a 
green  tree  is  Avanted,  not  for  the  hanging  of  pre.sents.  Such 
ti'ees  as  this  are  for  the  AA  ealthy  ;  the  mass  of  the  people  W'ill  be 
satisfied  Avith  a  Balsam  Fir,  NorAvay  or  White  Spruce.  The 
Nordmann  Fir  is  reall.y  the  king  of  Firs  in  the  northern  States 
of  America.  It  is  ahvays  of  luxuriant  appearance,  even  though 
it  has  ju.st  pas.sed  through  a  hard  AA'inter;  and  this  can  be  .said 
of  but  feAV  other  evergreens  in  the  family  of  Firs.  In  the 
matter  of  transplanting  (says  Mr.  Meehan),  it  is  not  a  difficult 
case.  With  a  little  care,  seeing  to  it  that  the  roots  do  not 
become  dry,  transplanting  is  usually  .successful.  One  cause  for 
the  reason  of  this  beautiful  evergreen  being  higher-priced  than 
some  others  is  its  exceedingly  .slow  groAvth  for  the  early  years 
of  its  .seedling  life.  For  a  year  or  tAvo  the  little  plants  are 
barely  out  of  the  ground.  Every  year  thereafter  their  adA’ance- 
inent  is  le.ss  sIoav  until,  when  of  a  three-foot  size,  six  to  ten 
inches  a  year  AA'ill  be  added  to  their  height. 
Clirvsanthemum  ShoAW  Dates. 
Y’ork  shoAV  Avill  be  held  on  NoAmmber  IG,  17,  and  18,  1904, 
not  November  11,  12,  and  13,  as  credited  by  us  to  Mr.  Moly- 
neux  on  page  463.  Hull  shoAV  Avill  be  held  on  November  16  and 
17,  1904. 
Edinburgh  Chrysanthemum  ShOAW. 
There  Avere  over  800  entries.  The  number  of  cut  Chrysanthe¬ 
mum  blooms  in  competing  stands  was  2,224,  besides  those  in 
groups  and  non-competitive  exhibits.  In  plant  competing  classes 
there  were  220  Chrysanthemum  plants.  The  money  taken  at 
turnstiles  during  three  days  Ava.s  £1,069,  being  £110  ahead  of 
last  year’s  draAvings.  Over  40,000  persons  A'isited  the  show. 
Irish  Gardeners. 
The  first  conversazione  of  the  Irish  Gardenei's’  Society  was 
held  recently  in  the  XL  Cafe,  Grafton  Street,  Dublin.  The 
chair  AA’as  taken  bj'  Mr.  F.  W^.  Burbidge.  M.A.,  and  a  choice 
musical  programme  Avas  given.  Mr.  F.  W'.  Moore,  of  Glasnevin 
Botanic  Garden,  discoursed  on  the  Avealth  of  colouration  in 
foliage,  and  referred  to  the  glories  of  the  autumn  garden  and  the 
rich  dh'ersity  of  colour.  Mr.  F.  W.  Gunn  had  an  instructive 
array  of  microscopes  and  botanical  .slides.  He  di.splayed  the 
rotation  of  the  protoplasm  in  Valisneria  spiralis. 
Br.  Masters  on  the  Classification  of  Conifers. 
W^e  are  informed  that  Dr.  MaxAvell  T.  Masters,  F.R.S.,  lec¬ 
tured  before  the  FelloAvs  of  the  Linnean  Society  at  their  meeting 
on  Thursday,  NoA'ember  20.  The  Doctor,  Avho  has  had  an 
accident  to  his  arm  and  carried  it  in  a  .sling,  proposes  to  place 
Conifers  into  tAvo  great  groups:  one  Avith  thick  foliage  leaves 
and  thick  scale  leaves  in  the  cones  (the  floAvers),  the  other  re¬ 
presented  by  those  AA’ith  thin  foliage  leaves  and  scale  leaves. 
Dr.  Masters  has  specialised  in  Coniferte  for  many  years,  and  is  a 
noted  authority  on  the  Order. 
Birmingham  UniYersity  and  Plant  Diseases. 
The  lecturer  on  Botany  of  the  Eniversity  of  Birmingham, 
Mr.  A.  H.  Reginald  Buller,  D.Sc.,  Ph.D.,  has  instituted  a  course 
of  lectures  on  plant  diseases,  AAhich  it  is  hoped  may  result,  in 
the  foundation  of  a  neAV  sub-department  of  vegetable  pathology. 
The  department  Avould  concern  itself  Avith  the  economic  aspect 
of  disease  in  cultivated  plants  and  timber.  The  present  course 
of  lectures  Avill  have  an  important  bearing  on  the  neAvest 
methods  of  treatment  of  plants  by  .spraying  with  chemical  solu¬ 
tions,  Avhich  has  been  shoAvn  by  official  returns  to  give  an 
increase  in  the  Aveight  of  crops  amounting  to  about  30  per  cent. 
The  importance  of  vegetable  pathology  may  be  gauged  from  the 
fact  that  the  great  Potato  famine  Avhich  is  reputed  to  have 
reduced  the  population  of  Ii’eland  by  about  tAvo  millions  was 
brought  about  by  the  ravages  of  Potato  mildcAV.  The  lecturer 
has  been  engaged  in  research  work  for  four  years  in  Germany 
into  the  subject  of  plant  and  timber  diseases. 
Lecture  on  Heating  and  Ventilating. 
On  Friday  la.st  Mr.  AV.  J.  Simpson  (late  of  Falkland  Park 
Gardens,  NorAvood)  gave  a  lecture  before  the  Beckenham  gar¬ 
deners  on  “  Heating  and  A^’entilating  Horticultural  Structures.” 
The  lecturer  favours  the  upright  tubular  boilers,  and  would 
recommend  tAvo  medium  boilers  rather  than  one  larger  one. 
Pipes  should  be  distributed  over  the  houses  to  better  ec^ualise 
the  temperature.  Rubber  rings  for  joints  were  faA'oured,  also 
Portland  cement.  Of  course,  simultaneous  ventilators  with  lever 
arrangements  Avere  recommended,  but  hoAV  many  of  us  have  yet 
to  drag  aAvay  at  the  clumsy  top  sliding  light  and  casement  front 
sash!  Mr.  E.  R.  Palmer,  sanitary  and  hot-Avater  engineer, 
Beckenham,  Avho  presided,  gave  some  t'ery  practical  remarks  as 
to  dealing  with  damp  stokeholes,  etc.  He  also  claimed  that 
first-rate  results  may  be  obtained  from  the  plain  saddle  boiler, 
Avell  set.  Mr.  Robert. son,  of  AA’interdyne,  secured  a  certificate 
of  merit  for  a  vase  of  Japanese  Chrysanthemums. — T.  C. 
