NOTICE OF SOME FLOWERING SHRUBS NEW TO FLORICULTURE Prepared from "Descriptions in the Proceedings of the Californian Academy of Natural Science," vol. ii., by JOHN L. RUSSELL.

The fine new species of plants, of all the different sections of phenogamous and cryptogamous alike, brought to light by researches into the botany of California, have rendered the flora of the Western coast of great interest to horticulturists. Through the studies of Dr. Kellogg, of San Francisco, on plants brought to him by collectors and by his own herborizations, we are made acquainted with many exceedingly interesting specimens, described and figured in the magazine quoted above; and the labors of H. N. Bolander have given, to the scientific world, treasures in lichens, mosses, and kindred plants, scarcely conceived of before in our North-American flora. The forest-trees of that State have also passed under his observation; he being, in fact, indefatigable and devoted in his regard to the vegetable productions of the country, and one to whom botany will be greatly indebted for his laborious researches.

The plan of this present paper was simply a passing notice of some facts in the shrubs of California, brief, and of little value perhaps, except as a record of, or reference to, subjects which properly belong to a journal of horticulture and botany.

The fly-honeysuckles are already well known as among our most common as well as most popular hardy shrubs, beautiful alike in their clustered flowers and different-tinted berries. Two new ones are here introduced to us; viz., Lonicera conjugialis (Kellogg); nat. ord., Caprifoliacea. This shrub belongs to the Xylosteums, and is closely allied to the L. cœrulea (L.); its flowers dark purple, gibbous at base, on the outside glabrous, deeply bilabiate. The flowers are quite small; the stem erect, branching; branches four-angled; buds sharp and quadrangular, elongated; the leaves short, petioled, obtuse, soft, velvety throughout.

L. intermedia (K.), Xylosteum (Jussieu). Resembles L. involucrata if seen without the flower, and having a curved, tubular, rather irregular, corolla; deciduous, opposite, elliptical, acuminate leaves; the fruit small; purple, distinct

berries.

A new flowering currant is Ribes balsamifera (K.), or balsamic currant. Nat. ord., Saxifragaceae (Gray); Ribesiaceae (Endlicher).

Glandularly villous and viscid or resinous throughout; leaves sub-reniform, cordate, three to eight lobed, incisely toothed, pale glaucous; flowers bright yellow (appearing with the leaves), in a condensed raceme; fruit round, villous. The entire plant exhales the odor of Populus balsamifera (Balm-of-Gilead tree); from which circumstance the specific name was applied.

Lipochate hastata (K.). Nat. ord., Compositæ; sub-tribe Heliantheæ. Stem two to three feet high, branches opposite, striate; leaves opposite, oblong, hastate, triangular, acute, entire, or mucronate-toothed below, rigid coriaceous; flowers orange-color, with five to thirteen rays; disk flat, yellowish; anthers dark brown. The peculiar foliage and terminal golden flowers must render this an interesting shrub, of an order little seen in the suffruticose state.

Ceanothus cordulatus (K.), Rhamnaceæ. A shrub four or five feet high, with erect, flexuous branches, and numerous very short branchlets, small, ovate-cor

date, entire, reticulate, hirsute leaves on short petioles; flowers white, in thyrsoid panicles, which are sometimes leafy at base. Near to C. hirsutus of Nuttall.

C. Nevadensis (K.). Stem bright green, warted; leaves ovate, sub-acute, entire, sub-coriaceous; petules very slender; flowers on elongated panicles five to six inches in length, white, small. Found in the Yo-Semite Valley.

These two interesting species are additions to at least a dozen North-western and Californian ones noticed by Torrey and Gray. They can be understood in their general characteristics by our native and rather common species in dry soils, called New-Jersey Tea.

Trixis (P., Br.). Nat. ord., Compositæ ; sub-order, Labiatifloræ (Endlicher). Stem shrubby, with spreading branches and purplish branchlets; the bark of a light-ashy hue; leaves sessile, lanceolate and ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, mucronate; heads few, small, campanulate, in loose, paniculoid corymbs; flowers yellow; outer florets expanded; external ligula three-toothed; central florets erect, often unexpanded; pistil purplish; anthers yellow.

Enothera arborea (K.), Onagracea. This is a singular and beautiful shrub, found growing on open, sterile rocks and clayey soils, from six hundred to two thousand feet above sea-level. Its stem is woody, erect, six to eight feet high, about three inches diameter; the branches short; the twigs scarlet or maddercolor; the leaves linear-lanceolate, entire, undulate, sessile, villous, alternate, small; the apex glandular, tipped with scarlet; flowers in dense spikes, with roundish, obovate petals, shorter than the stamens; diurnal, purplish.

ALTON (ILL.) HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. We have received several reports of the meetings of this flourishing society, all showing that our Western friends are wide awake in horticultural matters. We give brief extracts from the reports of some of the special committees of this society, appointed to investigate the subjects reported upon by them.

The Special Committee on Protection of Vines, &c., presented the following report:

Your committee, to whom was assigned the duty of examining the vineyards in this vicinity, with the special view to observe the effects of cold, and the consequent want of winter-protection, beg leave to report that they have visited several vineyards, and given the subject such attention as was in their power.

We do not feel authorized, from what we saw and heard, to say, that, in this latitude, such protection is generally needed. We have seen excellent growth, foliage, and fruit, both upon protected and unprotected vines; and do not think, that in a season like this, following such a winter as last winter, any perceptible difference is shown. We are aware, that, since 1854, there have been two seasons when it would have proved highly beneficial to have had our vines laid down and covered, and especially to those who send their grapes to market; for they would then have had grapes when they were scarce, and the crop would equal in value, perhaps, two ordinary crops. Still further: it is found, that, after such a severe winter as that of 1864, the growth of the vine is generally injured, and it thus entails a loss even to the second year. Whether it will pay our vine-growers to lay down their vines and cover in winter, rather than risk the consequences of

some severe cold snap that may not come at all, is a question that will be answered variously by various men; depending, of course, somewhat upon the facilities each one has for doing the work when the season comes. We cannot from our limited knowledge of the facts, decide this part of the question.

Respectfully submitted.

JOHN M. PEARSON,
D. E. BROWN,
W. C. FLAGG,

Committee.

J. Huggins. Chairman of the Committee on Entomology, presented the honeybee and the following:

Your Committee on Entomology find before them three specimens of the honey-bee; to wit, the queen, the drone, and the worker.

Every swarm of bees is composed of three classes; viz., a queen, drones, and workers.

The queen is the mother of the entire increase of every family of bees, and is longer than either drones or workers, and larger than the worker, but not so large as the drone. The worker-bees are the smallest of the family. They construct the cells, and are the laborers of the family. They gather the honey, and upon their labor and skill depends the prosperity of the colony. The drones are the largest bees of the family, being twice the size of the workers. They have no sting, and may be handled with perfect impunity. They collect no honey, and are never seen to alight on any flowers, or doing any thing to aid the prosperity of the colony. To one not acquainted with the natural history of the honey-bee, these lazy drones appear perfectly useless; but, should they be banished from our hives, depopulation would speedily follow.

Mr. William E. Smith presented the following Report on Ornithology: Mr. President, - Your committee would respectfully report that the prevailing opinions with reference to birds are conflicting, and appear to be peculiarly suggestive on several important points connected with horticulture.

The present season will long be remembered for the excessively long-continued drought, the effects of which have been clearly distinct. A question arose with your committee, in the impression on tree, plant, vine, and fruit, whether the drought has not driven away a large number of birds before the usual time of departure. Our individual experience is, that birds in general have been very scarce this season; but the experience of the members seems to warrant the assertion, that birds have never been so plenty.

So far as your committee can learn, the swallows left their summer haunts as early as the 20th of August, orioles Sept. 10, blue-birds Sept. 26, the blue-jays Sept. 15, the catbirds Sept. 20; while a few birds still remain —jays, catbirds, and robins to take the later peaches, grapes, and pears. Further particulars on the time of departure of our various birds will be gratefully received by your committee.

The depredations of birds on the peach and grape have been severe; some estimating the daily injury as high as fifteen dollars a day. As usual, the oriole has been the greatest pest, preying chiefly on the Delaware and Concord. In every locality where fruit has been in near proximity to woods, there has been

considerable damage, varying from total destruction to all degrees of preservation. Your committee have seen rows of Catawba next to forests completely denuded of fruit, while all rows of the vineyard were more or less preyed upon.

Individual experience has shown, that, where peaches and grapes are side by side, the birds prefer the peaches to the grapes. A question arises, whether we may not keep the birds from our finer varieties of fruit by planting what will give them abundant food at less expense. We all wish to keep the birds, provided they will not do us too much harm: that they do us service admits of little doubt. For instance, may we not protect our early cherries by planting by their side the mulberry?

In all orchards, a large proportion of apples is dropping, many of which are found to be harboring insect eggs. May it not be, in part, that some of our feathered friends have been driven away by the drought, and left us to the mercy of our insect enemies?

VINE-EXTENSION.- Mr. W. Thomson, in the fifth edition of his "Treatise on Vine-Culture," recently published, has the following remarks on the extension-system, as it is called, which has lately excited so much interest in the garden-newspapers: -

"Theoretically, it must at once be admitted that the one-vine or extension system stands on vantage-ground. No one can deny that a tree which is largely developed, with its roots ranging over what I may term an extensive pasturefield, is likely to maintain its health and vigor for a much greater length of time than one that is, by the force of circumstances, restricted in its growth. But there are practical difficulties in the way of the general adoption of the former mode of culture. In the first place, all experience goes to prove that the vine is what may be termed a rambling rooter. If the border is not carefully made, and of such materials as to induce the formation of a numerous progeny of fine, branching, fibry roots, the width of an ordinary vine-border will soon be traversed by them. This takes place even when the restrictive system is adopted; and it takes place with infinitely greater rapidity under the other. To meet this difficulty, the roots have been walled in: but this only aggravates the evil; for, the moment the roots touch the wall, they descend to the bottom of the border, where they are far from the genial influences of heat and air. Another objection brought against this system is, that one vine takes much longer to furnish a house with fruit than a number do; but this can be met by planting supernumeraries, to be removed as the permanent one advances. A third objection is, that variety of grapes is desirable in a vinery; and this cannot be had where only one is grown. Grafting or inarching will meet this objection; and it is well known that many delicate sorts of vines grow better on other than on their own roots. Thus it appears that the only serious objection to the one-vine system is the difficulty of getting a border of sufficient scope for the roots of a vine of such proportion as will fill a good-sized vinery with fruit-bearing wood; but, where such can be had, I fully approve of the 'extension-system.” — Florist and Pomologist.

-

MULCHING STRAWBERRIES. In the North, strawberries should be covered to protect them from alternate freezing and thawing. If not done before, it may even be done quite late in winter, as the principal injury is often done in early spring, when the ground freezes up at night, and thaws out in the middle of the day. If the vines are covered before the ground is frozen up in the fall, unless the covering is very light, they are quite likely to be smothered. Better not cover until the ground is frozen up; and perhaps December or January is just as good a time as earlier. If straw or hay is used, it may be put on loosely, about six inches deep; and indeed, if late, and the ground is frozen up solid, it may be put on still deeper; for the deep mulching does no harm so long as the ground is frozen, but only by smothering the plants when they are not frozen. No matter how deep the mulching is between the rows, provided it is left shallow over the crown of the plants. In the spring, the mulching must be raked entirely off the plants, and left between the rows. If sufficiently heavy, it will prevent the growth of all weeds, and keep the ground moist at the time of the ripening of the berries, when, usually, the weather is rather dry, and the berries do not attain their full size for want of moisture. At such times, it is hardly practicable to water, unless it be a very small bed; and, although constant stirring of the ground will prevent the ill effects of drought, it makes the berries dirty. Indeed, one of the objects of mulching is to keep the berries clean. Some cultivators cover very lightly through the winter, and in the spring fill up heavily with mulch between the rows. On high, dry ground, there is not so much danger of winterkilling as on that which is low and wet; and on such dry ground the plants will come out strong in the spring: but, even then, the blossom-buds seem to be stronger for a slight winter-protection. A few days' difference will occur in the time of ripening between those which are left uncovered, or uncovered early, and those which are uncovered late; thus prolonging the season by leaving some covered late.

Sorghum bagasse or refuse and corn-stalks are considered by some as the best material for mulching. Leaves gathered up in the forest make a fine covering; and, if weil rotted before applied, the plants will come out as green in the spring as when they were covered. If no other material be at hand, a furrow of soil, thrown upon the row immediately before the freezing-up of the ground, makes a good winter-protection. Some recommend sowing the ground with oats at the time of the last cultivation, say in August. This will grow up, and make a capital winter-protection, with no possibility of smothering the plants. The same result can be attained in most soils by allowing a growth of autumnal weeds.

Of course, in the warmer localities, winter-protection is not necessary; but the mulch will be a benefit during the summer, whether the climate be cold or warm. MARENGO, ILL. C. C. Miller.

PEACHES AT THE WEST. At a recent meeting of the Alton Horticultural Society, Dr. Hull remarked that he had noticed that peaches with the reniform gland, such as Bergen's Yellow, Barnard's Yellow, Columbia Smock, and Lagrange, have been unusually fine during the past season, which has been a remarkably dry one; while those with globose glands, with the exception of Old Mixon, have suffered. The large Early York and many others rotted badly.