rather plough the ground into narrow ridges, on In regard to grapes we have a great partiality VEGETABLE GARDEN. There is nothing so much relished in early spring as the first vegetables-it hardly matters what they are. Many of these things can be forwarded several weeks by the use of glass, and considering how cheaply this may be had, it is a wonder that more hot bed vegetation is not in sown. dulged in. Radishes, lettuce, asparagus, straw- In getting ready for spring vegetables do not narrow strip, space could be left for the plough to turn. The walk perhaps may be all of grass, made level, and kept neatly mown. During the year, as the successive crops are to be put in, the digging fork will easily prepare the ground once ploughed in spring, even in those neater kept gardens where the plough does not enter, the digging fork will be found to do fourfold the work of the spade in the same time. But whether the plough or spade be used, and in whatever way the garden be laid out, we should recommend the greatest care to have everything neat and in order. It annoys us considerably when asked to look at some friend's garden, to see things slovenly and untidy. When we hint as much for we never hesitate to say in as kindly a way as possible, just what we think of such neglect, we are often reminded that it may be all very well for fine people to have fine gardens, and things kept nice, but they have a living to get, and such work "don't pay." We get out of patience with such people. As a general rule it will be found that it takes no more time to do things neatly than untidily. There never was a truer saying than that lazy people take the most trouble. There is no more excuse for a dirty, untidy garden, than for going with one's clothes torn, or flesh unwashed. COMMUNICATIONS. NOTES FROM WESTERN PENNSYL VANIA. BY A. HUIDEKOPER, MEADVILLE, PA. PROGRESS. As the evenings grow longer I find it pleasant to bring the " old and new" face to face, by looking over the back numbers of the Garden er's Monthly, noting the characteristic diffuseness of young theorists, the compactness of experienced scientists, the change of opinions, and the origin and development of new fruits. One meets with a great many articles passed over hastily at the time of publication, which are interesting now in the light of a wider experience. Then amid the suggestiveness of its pages I wish to say that one cannot but be impressed with the real character and dignity of the Monthly, with its mild but firm criticisms and general spirit of fairness. I am sure its readers must feel and catch its generous inspiration. WHITE WASHING TREES. If I had not already obtruded on its pages more than my share of horticultural matter, I would like to suggest that when you admitted you saw nothing but bad taste to be urged against white washing trees that it might have been well to add that though a gray wash of soot and sulphur might destroy lichens and mosses, yet there is this superior advantage in white wash, that it reflects and wards off the sunshine, often detrimental to the trunks of trees alike in summer and winter. SPECIFIC HEAT IN PLANTS. There was an article in the volume of 1870, page 47, "on specific heat of plants," by Dr. L. Fritsche, based upon observation in the Canadian forests, in which he attributes the interval of an inch or two between the trunks of trees and the snow, to vegetable heat, upon which I intended at the time to express a doubt, but it escaped me before I did so. I have often noticed the same phenomena in our western forests, but the cause of it was twofold, and neither the one in that article assigned for it. When the wind is blowing strongly at the time the snow is falling it will drive a current of air around the tree that forces the snow away from it. An other cause is the happening of a bright sunny day in the winter time, when the solar heat reflected from the bark, or absorbed by it melts the snow from about it; I do not wish to controvert the theory that there may be such a thing as some vegetable heat, but take away the agencies I have stated, and you will find snow rest against trees all winter without thawing or separating from their trunks as indicated. I should be glad, as winter is at hand, to have the observations made which the writer of that article in the true spirit of research calls for. ROOT ATTRACTION TO MANURES. I had occasion last week to tear down an old vinery and to give away the vines. On digging up the latter we turned up many an old bone, but failed to find that "historical" tendency of the grape roots to interlace and fill up the interstices with spongioles; on the contrary, the roots had rambled free and far, apparently pay ing no attention to the bones. I am beginning to think there is something in the doctrine, not to make borders too rich, but to let the vines do something towards "working for a living." COVERING GRAPE. I trim and cover my vines always by the first of November, as I think they are better covered than to be exposed to the great changes of late autumnal weather. If there is any objection to this course I fail to discover it. PRECOCIOUS BEARING OF VINES. and having had some experience in both ways of heating mentioned in the said article, would like to ask you some questions and give you some of my experience in both ways of heating by hot water and flues. I would like to know what kind of a boiler your correspondent used; but I think it must have been a very inferior one, that had to have a clear bright fire to keep up a circulation. Now the question as to which is the best and most economical boiler, is of interest to every greenhouse man, more especially new beginners, and I would like to see it more fully discussed in all our agricultural papers. But I do know that he must have had a miserable affair of a boiler if it would not keep up a circulation with as much heat as he says it took to do it, if he could keep his flue warm enough by banking his fire; why did not the boiler do the same? Then again, I ask you how water can absorb heat when it is contained inside of cast iron pipes? would the pipe absorb more heat with water inside than it would if it was heated with hot air to the same degree? Now if the water takes the heat from the coal as you say in the first place, why did it not do so in the second case and not heat the chimney so hot? Then a heating apparatus must be very small, or the heat would not get up and then I send in a small box herewith, following cool so soon. I have used a flue two winters, specimens: and am now using hot water (one of Hitching's The precocity of bearing (in following season) attributed to early pruning by an English journal some years ago, Gardener's Monthly, 1867, page 368, may possibly be owing to the vine, with surplus sap, doing some of its spring work in the fall, may it not, instead of its being an effort of enfeebled vitality. I would that you were more accessible that I might send you some specimens of fruit; perhaps if I cannot do this the next best thing will be not to trouble you with a surplus of individu al speculations. PECULIARITIES OF FRUIT. A medium sized Winter Nelis Pear, to show Corrugated, No. 15, boilers,) and if your correshow early they will ripen with us, notwithstand-pondent wishes to hear my experience, I will ing being wrapped in paper and kept in a mod-give it him cheerfully, and am positive that with erately cool room. A few berries of Muscat of Alexandria grapes to show how near they will ripen in a cold grapery without fire heat. A few berries of Gros Maroc, ripened in cold grapery. I believe Mr. Buist considers this the same as Black Morocco, but catalogues place them as distinct. [The fruits were very fine. In regard to the ripening of fruits there is evidently something more than latitude to be taken into account. Early in October, Major Freas, of the Germantown Telegraph, sent us some Glout Morceau pears, which in size and quality, including perfect ripening, rivalled anything California could produce.] HOT WATER BOILERS. BY A. P. JONES, FOND DU LAC, WIS. I have been reading an article on page 336, Gardener's Monthly, on heating greenhouses, the coal that he used in one winter, I could heat my house twelve winters. House, 54x15. [We know nothing of the facts of our former correspondent's failure with his boilers, beyond what was given in his communication. We feel that we can answer for our correspondent as well as for our other readers, that they will be very glad to have Mr. Jones' experience as offered.] flowers, as well as the owner of the best cared genus of plants, so interesting in many respects, for greenhouse. as complete as it can be made. What increases the importance of this work, but surprises no body, is the impartiality shown by the author; the numerous researches he had to make to give each his proper share of merit of showing the successive increase of species introduced. It is not necessary to add that the scientific part has not been forgotten or that the citations made by Mr. Duchartre are the results of close studies of the best sources. We consider it, therefore, a good thing, and intend to make known this valuable work by increasing its publicity. The genus lily, (Lilium of Tournefort) of the family lilia ceæ, from which it has its name, is not only one of the prettiest of the branches of Monocotyledonous plants, but of all the phaenogameous or flowering plants. The species forming it have an elegant port, their flowers combine graceful For spring flowering the seeds should be sown in August, in a seed pan or small box filled with a soil of equal parts of loam, leaf mould and sand, watering well before sowing the seeds, covering them lightly with fine sifted soil, and then cover the top of the pan or box with a piece of wood which retains the moisture, and hastens germination; as soon as they germinate, remove the covering and shade for a few days. When the plants are large enough for handling, put them singly into thumb pots, afterwards shifting into three inch pots, and finally into six inch pots, with a soil composed of loam, leaf mould and well rotted manure. For winter flowering most people sow the seeds in March; but I practice the following method, deeming it more satisfactory. In October I sow the seeds and treat as previously de-ness and distinction of form, with a variety of scribed, only I keep them in the three inch pots until they flower. I then choose those worth growing, pick off all the flowers, pot them into six inch pots, and towards the end of May put them out doors, plunging them in some place well exposed to the sun, and give a liberal sup-ed against frost and dampness during winter. ply of water during summer; by fall they make excellent plants, and commence blooming as soon as taken into the house, continuing so all winter. As double ones cannot be increased by seeds, they have to be propagated by cuttings, treating otherwise the same. I have sown a good many packets of seeds advertised by nurserymen as saved from the finest double flowers," etc., not expecting to raise any double varieties, but supposing them to be saved from some superior strain I might get some excellent single varieties; I am sorry to say, however, I was always extremely disappointed. colors; fulness of dimensions, and are nearly always sweet scented. Besides this, the culture of most of them is very simple, on account of their hardiness under the climate of Paris; and the more tender ones require only to be shelter Notwithstanding that all these good qualities are seldom found combined, the lilies have not yet found in gardens the prominent place occupied by other kinds of plants, certainly beautiful, but in total, of less value. Besides the White Lily, (candidum), which is the widest spread of all, the Martagon, bulbiferum and umbellatum, already less common, nothing is found but three or four fine species of Japan origin, while the rest of the genus is only to be met with in some botanical gardens, collections of amateurs, and a small number of large commercial horticultural establishments, such as Messrs. Van Houtte, in Ghent, Belgium; Krelage, in Harlem, Holland; Laurentius, in Leipzig, Haage & Schmidt, Erfurt, Prussia, (mem. of translator.) Translated from the "Revue Horticole" of July 1st, 1871, for It is hard to explain what is the reason of this AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE LILIES. the Gardener's Monthly. In one of our former numbers we have spoken of an article about the Lilies, published by M. Duchartre, member of the Institute, in the Annals of the Central Society of Horticulture of France. An account, as short as the one given by us or even a much larger one, would be insufficient to do justice to the important work in question, whose modest title, "Observations about the genus Lily," does not indicate its value. It is, one may say, the history of this so little justified neglect; perhaps we must look for the motives in the slowness by which these plants increase, giving very few offsets of bulbs, and through seeds, very limited resources. In the high prices asked for most of them, by the large number, one is exposed to loss even with an extended experience; the difficulty to get them even at high prices, and mostly in the incontestable fact that they are little or badly known. It is therefore of the first importance to get acquainted with them, and then to make ed horticultural establishments, and then how largely and splendidly the genus lilies can be represented in the gardens. But as this list is only a show of the actual state of science of horticulture in this regard, I think it would be interesting to accompany it by details, particular their acquisition easier than it has been so far. Concerning the necessity to get perfectly acquainted with them, we must collect for that purpose as largely as possible, species and varieties, in order to bring forward large quantities, and in that way to see and make our study on the live plant, to be in the end enabled to pub-ly historical, in order to show the gradual exlish the result of our observations. Concerning the second point, it is important to make out of this a collection-in the first instance got up for personal gratification and study-a centre of diffusion, which could be reached without too many difficulties by those who would like to follow so laudable an example. This is the double object acted on by Mr. Max Leichtlin, distinguished horticultural amateur, who is at the head of a large industrial establishment in Carlsruhe, Baden, Germany. Passionate amateur of the lilies, he has tried for several years to get together the species and varieties of this fine genus, has for this end made us one of his commercial correspondents, has set himself n relation not only with foreign countries, but also with travelers and collectors of plants. The botanical gardens of Kew and St. Petersburg have assisted him from their rich stores-even from their latest acquisitions, or given him the means to extend the circle of his acquaintances; besides this, money was no object to him, and it is known that he has spent large amounts to get hold of some lots of species very rare or new in Europe. By these means he has succeeded in bringing together the largest collection of species and varieties of lilies existing anywhere, and is enabled to make a perfect study of these plants; besides this, being very obliging, he helps others in their studies. I, who am myself several times under his obligations, am glad to find this opportunity to express to him herewith my best thanks. This first point gained, Mr. Max Leichtlin has sought to obtain the other. In possession of his marvelous collection, he has come to the decision to let others, who love these beautiful, profit by it, by disposing of a part of the samples he has succeeded in collecting by great perseverence and numberless ways and steps. We consider this good news for the amateurs. Mr. Max Leichtlib has lately communicated to me the list of species and varieties of lilies he possesses, and on my request, has given the allowance to publish it. In consequence, I profit by his consent, and reproduce the list such as I received it. By perusal, it will be seen how far my correspondent has outrun the most renown pansion of the knowledge of this genus lilium from Linne to our time. By so doing I give a rapid view of the geographical distribution of the species of this genus over the globe, but at the same time I must observe that I have not the pretention to say that my recital is complete. I often take species as they are published, without trying vigorously to investigate its value. A discussion to obtain such a result could only be reached by a more graphic exactitude, for which I feel myself far from being competent. Herewith is first the list of the collection of Mr. Max Leichtlin, such as I have received it; the historical details of the successive increase of the species of lilies as they became known, will follow afterwards as explanations and complement of these first indications. My correspondent has added to the names of the plants, the following signs of great utility : The sign(!)placed before a name shows that the decision of the specie is regarded by him as certain. On 'he contrary, the sign (?) following a name, snows that the determination of the specie or variety should not be regarded as certain. Withal that the name in question may be often found in gardens, it does not guarantee the scientific appellation. The names accompanied by an (N) are new, either for the gardens or entirely. Mr. L. has an (R) behind the names of lilies of particular beauty of form or color Sometimes the name of plants are accompanied by the designation of the locality where they came from. In that case it is to be presumed that a close scrutiny will show in them as many forms or distinct varieties. List of species and varieties of lilies, representing the collection of Mr Max Leichtlin, in Carlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany: Lilium abchasicum, ? alternans, Sieb. and Ve |