February 24, 1906 



HORTICULTURE 



•.'17 



A pretty dwarf type is ericoides, resembling squar- 

 rosa but of finer foliage and more like tbe heath. In 

 the winter the silver blue color changes to violet red. 



One of the prettiest retinisporas for green foliage is 

 obtusa. Its leave- are a (lark green and fern-like in 

 form. Its habit is open and it is a good strong grower of 

 pyramidal habit. Tbe dwarf variety obtusa nana and 

 its golden form aurea are excellent for dwarf specimens. 

 Tbe Japanese have used these two dwarf types for rais- 

 ing in pots, baying trees only a foot or so in height that 

 are hundreds of years old. They are excellent fur plant - 

 ing in jardinieres and pots. There are other varieties 

 and forms but those mentioned are the ones commonly 

 used. 



It is a common complaint that all the varieties, espe- 

 cially those Laving- soft, feathery foliage such as squar- 

 rosa, etc.. have a tendency to die out in spots, destroy- 

 ing their appearance. This is true and the cause m the 

 majority of eases is the lack of care. It is seldom 

 thought accessary to do more than occasionally shear 

 them ami mulch as winter approaches. This is all right 

 as far as it goes. One thing that can be noted in a 

 plant that has been treated in this manner is that the 

 continual shearing has induced a strong growth making 

 the plant compact. This compactness naturally causes 

 the inner foliage to die through a lack of light and air. 

 The red spider linds this an excellent refuge. The 

 collecting of this dead foliage also prevents a free i ireu- 

 lation of air amongst the branches and saps a certain 

 amount of vitality from the plant. 



If the plants are carefully gone over in May and all 

 the dead wood removed, it allows light and air to the 

 eeiil re of the plant and young growth is at once made. 

 As an illustration of such treatment the writer recalls 

 seeing a beautiful specimen of E. squarrosa standing 

 fully thirty-five feet high and yet this variety, some 

 contend, never reaches even a fair size. The treatment 

 recommended can be likened to the pruning given all 

 deciduous trees and which is known to be of great benefit. 

 Anyone familiar with fruit raising knows the value of 

 thinning out branches on trees that have made too strong 

 a growth. 



%tU^^^^\ 



Some New Plants 



Several remarkable new plants were exhibited before 

 the Royal Horticultural Society al their last meeting. 

 The most striking was a chrysanthemum named Winter 

 Cheer. This name was aptly chosen for one could 

 wish for nothing brighter or more cheering among 

 winter flowers than the rich warm rose coloring of the 

 blooms of this variety. It will most probably become a 

 favorite late market variety for it has all the qualities 

 thai go to make a popular flower. Some colors seem to 

 show more brightly on a dull winter's day than when the 

 sun is shining brightly and the same may !»■ -aid of 

 the warm tints of this flower. The bli is are pro- 

 duced on long stout steins; the foliage is abundant and 

 attractive. Coming so late as it docs, being at its best 

 in the middle of January, it is a worthy addition to the 

 list of late flowering chrysanthemums of which we have 

 none too many good ones. A silver medal was awarded 

 to a small group of this new variety exhibited by Mr. 

 J. E. Lowe. This group of flowers was one of the 

 brightest displays in the hall on a particularly dull da\ 



and every one 1 agreed that Winter Cheer was a praise- 

 worthy novelty ami thoroughly deserved its name. 



Another new plant shown on the same occasion was 

 Freesia Chapmanni, raised by an enthusiastic amateur 

 gardener. .Mr. 11. F. Chapman. The common Freesia 

 refracta is one of our most valuable winter-flowering 

 greenhouse plants. This new freesia was raised in 1904 

 and is the result of a cross between Freesia refracta alba 

 and Freesia aurea ; it partakes largely of the coloring of 

 aurea, but is much more robust in growth and also 

 forms larger bulbs. It is more free flowering than re- 

 fracta alba, the average number of blooms on a stem 

 being at least eight. The segments of the flower are 

 primrose colored while the throat is blotched with yel- 

 low. The outside of the corolla is yellow, in fact this 

 is the predominating color of the whole flower. The 

 blooms are produced on long and slender stems; in fact 

 the stems are so long thai they require a good deal of 

 support. If, however, they were u^-<] for decoration 

 when cut this might he rather advantageous than other- 

 wise, especially in those forms of decoration where 

 flowers with long semi-pendant stems are necessary. 

 The exhibitor is to he congratulated upon having 

 raised such a distinct and beautiful flower which may in 

 time become as valuable as refracta and its white 

 variety. 



The beautiful tobacco plants sent out under the name 

 of Nieotiana Sanderse last year caused more discussion 

 than any new plant sent out during recent years. Only 

 the rose-colored variety was sent out last year but this 

 must have had an enormous sale, for it was grown in 

 gardens throughout the country. Many and conflicting 

 opinions were expressed as to its merits but the majority 

 regarded it as a valuable garden plant-. This year not 

 only the rose-colored variety, but others in purple 

 shades and in red and while are being distributed. Be- 

 fore Nieotiana Sanderse was sent out the only tobacco 

 grown largely in English gardens "as the white-flow- 

 ered, sweet-scented officinale; this is one of the most 

 popular hardy plain- we have and its popularity is 

 largely due. no doubt, to its powerful fragrance at the 

 close of day. One of the drawbacks to Nieotiana San- 

 derse was its lack of scent. The tobacco seems to have 

 been largely worked upon by the hybridist during the 

 last few years, for nov Messrs. Sutton & Sons are offer- 

 ing hybrids of officinale that are said to be obtainable 

 in several richly-colored varieties which also are sweet- 

 ly scented. Thus, while the chief feature of the old 

 officinale lias not beer lost, the flowers have the addi- 

 tional advantage of color. 



I should like to draw your attention to a winter 

 dowering cool house plan! called Moschosma riparium; 

 it is only within the last year or two that this lias been 

 generally grown here in English gardens and it has 

 already found many admirers. Plants raised from cut- 

 tings, rooted in late spring, form very handsome objects 

 by December. By judiciously stopping the shoots, the 

 plant branches freely and in December bears its elegant 

 arching racemes of small while flowers. The plants [ as \ 

 in flower for quite two months, and make a most de- 

 lightful display in the warm greenhouse. I know of 

 no more effective assoi ation under glass at this time 

 of year than a group o VIoschosma and the rich blue 

 flowers of Coleus thyrsoideus, another invaluable plant 

 for winter flowering, i ' i hese plants are not generally 

 known in the United Si tes, they certainly deserve to be. 



/jhrti/K- ff • /lL<r-n^A. $ 



London, Eng. 



