May 12, 1900 



HORTICULTURE 



613 



and the male ones among the root hairs of the lower 

 part, the prothalhis can be cut horizontally in two 

 with a very thin, sharp knife and the upper part of one 

 planted close to the lower part of another so that the 

 cuts touch; this graft — so to speak — has to be made be- 

 fore complete development of the prothalhis. This i> 

 the most certain way to some tangible result, but is very 

 tedious work. A more practical way and one that is 

 much used is to seed together the spores of two or three 

 different ferns one desires to cross — not too thickly, but 

 thick enough so that the prothallus when grown overlap 

 one another; experience will indicate when the time is 

 near for fecundation. Then at intervals of a few days 

 for a week or two submerge for one quar- 

 ter of an hour the seed pans with the sur- 

 face of the soil all green with the prothallus, in a pail 

 of warm water, shaking it slowly to assist the little an- 

 therozoids to move around, and if one or more find their 

 way to another archegonia than thetone to which they 

 naturally belong, then hybridization has occurred and 

 a new fern will be the result. 



Marica Northiana 



Calathea (Maranta) zebrina 



(See Frontispiece.) 



This genus furnishes the arrowroot of commerce and 

 is therefore useful as well as ornamental. The species 

 of this note is one of the oldest and most familiar 

 denizens of our store-greenhouses. It is an inhabitant 

 of tropical America, in which region most of the genus 

 finds their abode. While not the gem amongst its fel- 

 lows, from a purely beautiful and picturesque stand- 

 point, it is withal one of the most imposing foliaged 

 species when well done, and is the most easily grown 

 under any and all circumstances, having the stoutest 

 constitution of any of the species, maintaining a re- 

 spectable appearance in lower temperatures and under 

 adverse conditions. It makes a capital lawn-plant in a 

 shaded and sheltered position, but this mode of culture 

 is not conducive to exhibition plants. 



Marantas like high and moist temperatures; a good 

 shade is also essential, especially in the summer and 

 autumn seasons. Syringing the foliage in the growing 

 season is beneficial, but this can be easily overdone with 

 marantas, even if they like — figuratively speaking — 

 somewhat moist feet. As the blade of the leaves of 

 many of them are comparatively large, frequent heavy 

 syringings in other than skilled hands is likely to be 

 more detrimental than otherwise, as the water thrown 

 against the leaves is largely conducted down the stems 

 into the sheath and finally to the potting material 

 which naturally tends to conditions the reverse of 

 healthy. As they possess soft and stout roots, the pot- 

 ting material should be porous in character. Fibrous 

 loam chopped up lumpy, with a liberal proportion of 

 good leaf-mould, semi-decayed, with sand and charcoal 

 nodules in plenty, constitutes a good potting medium. 

 In order to maintain them in good order, annual repot- 

 ting in fresh soil, other tilings being equal, is an impor- 

 tant factor. 



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The subject of the above illustration is not bj 

 any means a new plant, being introduced from 

 Brazil as early as 1789; still it will be new to a good 

 many readers of IIokticultuke for the plant is seldom 

 seen in cultivation outside of Botanical Gardens. 



It is a member of the Iris family as can be seen at 

 once by looking at the flowers shown in the photograph 

 The picture represents a plant in a 5-inch pot and it 

 would make a line plant for the dwelling house. Un- 

 fortun'ateh the beautiful flowers are very short lived., 

 lasting but one day. However, they will keep on devel- 

 oping new flowers for some time at intervals of from 

 one tn five or six days; each scape producing from three 

 to five more flowers. Their flowering season is March, 

 but where they are grown in any quantity the season of 

 flowering is much longer, as some plants will start to 

 flower as earl} as the middle of February while othern 

 will wait until the latter part of April. The flowers, 

 although short lived, are beautiful, and for color would 

 set many an orchid ih the background. The outer 

 segments of (he perianth are of the purest white, at the 

 base elegantly mottled or striped with chestnut-brown 

 on a greenish-yellow ground; the inner segments are 

 neatly curved, the upper part barred with deep blue on 

 a white ground : the lower part veined with white and 

 brown. The stamens are united, pure white with light 

 green pollen masses. The flower measures three inches 



