May 19, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



647 



AFTER ADJOURNMENT. 

 The new decorative material from 

 the South offered as "gaylussacia," is 

 proving deservedly popular. It is 

 used in the same manner and pro- 

 duces effect similar to the well-known 

 southern smilax, coming in in beauti- 

 ful condition at this season when 

 southern smilax is not to be had. In 

 some respects it is superior to the 

 smilax. Robinson & Co. are handling 

 it for the Boston market this spring 

 for the first time and are disposing of 

 large quantities of this as well as 

 southern ferns of the present year's 

 crop. 



gems of the rock garden being prob- 

 ably the best in this country. At tni 

 present time the hardy primroses are 

 a gorgeous sight. Some of the newer 

 varieties are blue, with yellow eyi 

 and make a striking effect anions the 

 more familiar yellows, oranges- and 

 reds. 



Dahlias are discussed by Messrs. 

 Engelman and Deegan in a recent issue 

 of Moller's Deutsche Gartner-Zeitung, 

 dahlia specialists. Both writers give 

 their opinion as regards future 

 dahlias, and predict a return to the 

 pompon (liliput) dahlia and the old- 

 fashioned varieties: the new large 

 decorative danlias are also recom- 

 mended, but the Edel-dahlias (show- 

 dahlias I. so-called, are bound to dis- 

 appear as quickly as the money which 

 was paid for same. "Back to the old 

 varieties, if we want more flowers 

 than bush!" 



The city of Lewiston. Me., recently 

 made the generous offer of five cents 

 for each browntail moth nest collected 

 in the vicinity and brought in to the 

 city marshal's office. After paying out 

 over $500, there now is "weeping and 

 wailing and gnashing of teeth" in ex- 

 ecutive circles, caused by the dis- 

 covery that most of the nests captured 

 were not those of the brown-tail but 

 the comparatively harmless native fall 

 web worm. Other towns and indivi- 

 duals have been victims of the same 

 mistake not infrequently. Whether 

 the joke is on Lewiston or on her offi- 

 cials who were so simple is not yet 

 settled, but they'll all know better 

 next time. 



We took occasion in our issue of 

 last week to refer to the very gratify- 

 ing revival in the demand for bedding 

 plants, so-called. One of the most 

 convincing instances of enterprise in 

 this direction, in the west, is the es- 

 tablishment of Ludvig Mosbaek at 

 Onarga, 111., illustrations of which ap- 

 peared in the issue above mentioned. 

 Mr. Mosbaek is enjoying the legiti- 

 mate fruits of liberal advertising, sup- 

 plemented by well-managed shipping 

 methods, calls coming from nearly 

 every state in the Union, we are in- 

 formed. When florists in New Eng- 

 land send west nearly a thousand 

 miles there are reasons. One of these 

 reasons is advertising in HORTI- 

 CULTURE. 



We availed ourselves of the wel- 

 come oportunity, a few days ago, to 

 call upon one of the most talented and 

 successful gardeners of our times, 

 J. F. Huss, of Hartford. Conn. We 

 found him affectionately inspecting a 

 lot of pans containing a few hundred 

 thousand, more or less, seedling ferns 

 of rare origin and glorious promise. 

 Unlimited patience and skill were also 

 evident in the new plantations of al- 

 pines. Mr. Huss' collection of these 



OUT OF THE GINGER JAR. 



Uncle John Thorpe's logic on the 

 mechanical watering question is all 

 right except that he does not tell how 

 to mix brains and mechanism. That 

 is the point the whole problem hinges 

 on, and the Natick sage has been 

 clever enough to keep to the point. 

 Nevertheless, the subject is a worthy 

 one. Theory is often knocked out by 

 experience; but there must be a theory 

 first if there is to be any progress. 



The seedsmen and other opponents 

 of the free seed graft are taking com- 

 fort out of the increased majority 

 against this hoary abuse as shown by 

 the recent vote in Congress. The 

 leaven is working. The opposition 

 have the best of it now as to quality, 

 and it is only a question of time when 

 they will have the quantity of votes 

 on their side also. Let them keep 

 ahammering! 



The Hon. South Trimble is the name 

 of the southern congressman who pre- 

 cipitated the uproar in Washington 

 during the recent free seed debate l>\ 

 calling the seedsmen scoundrels and 

 frauds and other choice names. The 

 best we have heard of the Hon. South 

 Trimble is that he has a long grej 

 beard! Is it possible that appendages 

 of that kind are to be taken in inverse 

 ratio to the amount of grey matter be- 

 hind them? If so we anticipate a rush 

 lo the barber shops. There will be no 

 glory in having them "cover the ground 

 for miles around" hereafter. 



The "Wilderness of Millionaire 

 seedsmen" referred to by the Hon. 

 Jno. Wesley Gaines has not, up to 

 latest reports, been located. Lieuten- 

 ant Peary, Rear Admiral Melville and 

 other intrepid explorers will doubtless 

 take up a quest worthy of their 

 prowess in the near future. The loca- 

 tion is probably somewhere about the 

 back of Balfuff! We have heard of 

 several millionaires going into the 

 seed business but never of one coming 

 out of it. G. C. W. 



REHMANNIA ANGULATA, HEMSL. 



This Serophulariaceae is now given 

 out by some large firms here and 

 abroad; a native of China, this plant 

 was re-discovered by Wilson in 1903 

 and introduced by Veitch to the trade 

 again. The plant grows 3 1-2 ft. high, 

 making a small column. On the upper 

 part of the plant numerous nodding 

 flowers are produced; their form is 

 throatlike with an opening :! inches 

 across, the upper two petals being 

 widely bent backwards: in appear- 

 ance they are similar to the beautiful 

 Incarvillea Delavayi. The color is a 

 very pretty winerose. with yellow 

 striped throat spotted with brown 



Rehmannia is only half hardy, for 

 which reason it will perhaps make a 

 better annual pot plant for winter 

 decoration; or it may be planted in 

 spring time in a sheltered bed; it is 

 very easily propagated by seed and by 

 layers made in September and carried 

 over winter. — Gartenflora. 



WHOLESOME CHESTNUTS. 



Mow the grass on the lawn early 

 and often; it is hard and slow work 

 mowing when the grass is long, and 

 tedious work raking the grass after 

 it is mowed, with the additional an- 

 noyance of having to begin mowing 

 over again almost immediately. If 

 every bit of turf has not been rolled, 

 delay the process no longer; rolling 

 helps the grass and the appearance of 

 the lawn wonderfully, besides making 

 mowing a pleasant task comparatively. 

 If a newly sown lawn shows very 

 many worm casts, run a light roller 

 over it. It will do the grass no harm; 

 it. may do it some good, and it will 

 Batten the worm casts. After rain, 

 pound down the grass edges to where 

 you want them, then do the edging. 

 This work can be done much better 

 anil with more ease when the grass is 

 moderately damp. Don't throw away 

 the edgings or clippings of sod; in- 

 stead, collect all of them into a heap, 

 and by and by it will make some good 

 stuff for potting or for some other 

 purpose. This is only one wrinkle in 

 garden economy out of many thou- 

 sands which a gardener should know. 

 Dust gooseberry and currant bushes 

 with helebore powder, thoroughly and 

 frequently; gooseberries and currants 

 will not mature if the foliage on the 

 bushes happens to be destroyed. 



Keep on sowing radishes every 

 week for successive crops; the same 

 with peas, lettuce, and beans; beets, 

 too. should be sown at different times, 

 in order to have them tender. 



Carnations should be planted out 

 now in rows wide enough apart to 

 allow hoeing freely. 



By and by there will be four-inch 

 pots in abundance lying around 

 empty; why not think of something to 

 inn in them that will later on bring in 

 enough to pay for the pots. 



Cannas are very effective when used 

 for backgrounds for dwarfer plants, 

 but they are more pleasing when 

 planted in large masses by themselves, 

 and on exposed places near the sea- 

 shore they are almost indispensable, 

 because nothing else so effective will 

 stand as well. 



On large places, little bits of flower 

 beds, here and there, seem altogether 

 out of place; borders are all right 

 where their existence answers some 

 purpose and their contents and out- 

 lines harmonize with the surround- 

 ings, but small, isolated patches of 

 color often offend the eye. 



IN THE WOODS IN MAY. 



i h ii- the wind flower blowing; the crocus 

 too is crowing; 

 The snowdrop has ceased snowing, and 

 tin' lily geins the lake; 

 The crowfoot dances lightly, the starwort 

 twinkles brightly, 

 Ami the shepherd's purse is open in the 

 tangle of the brake. 



The en hill i .is no paying, for we 



only maying, 

 And with tin- flowers playing in the glory 

 nt the sun; 

 The spiderwort is spinning, the bishop 

 Bowers are sinning, 

 I'm' thus since tin- beginning have their 

 human namesakes done. 



Come eid. Tlie woods are ringing, with 

 birds and tl"\\ ers sinuim: 

 Km ii one ;i messs ge bringing to gladdi n 

 you and me. 

 There is a blue flag flying aud Dutchman's 

 breeches drying 

 'Tis very satisfying to bave studied 

 botany. 

 i 'la lice w. Rilej . in Boston r 



