March 31, 1906 



HORTICULTU RE 



395 



Strepto carpus Wendlandii 



Streptocarpus Wendlandii introduced from South 

 Africa in 1890, is not as familiar as its beauty deserves. 

 Its pleasing blue flowers so freely produced from the 

 axil of the leaf, make it one of the most desirable 

 winter plants for the conservatory, and its odd habit of 

 producing only a single leaf, makes it a unique and 

 interesting specimen, with a charm all its own. XTnlike 

 the other varieties of Streptocarpus usually met with 

 S. Wendlandii has flower-stems eighteen inches or more 

 in height, and makes a fine flower for cutting for dec- 

 orative purposes, its keeping qualities being especially 

 commendable, as it will keep good for ten days after 

 being cut, and will mature the undeveloped buds. These 

 flowers follow each other in very precise succession, as 

 the illustration shows, until four or five have started 

 up, then it commences from behind the first flower, 

 and sends up numerous spikes, which continue in flower 

 for a long time, each plant lasting many weeks. Its 

 pleasing pale blue color is very desirable, and it should 

 become a general favorite for cut flowers. 



They are easily produced from seed, the only diffi- 

 culty being their tendency to damp off in the early 

 stages of their development, but once they are pricked 

 off they should be grown along with liberal treatment, 

 in a temperature of about 65 deg. in a light position, 

 shading from bright sunshine, and liberally treated 

 from the first potting. Seed sown in January should 

 flower about November until after Christmas if the 

 plants are kept busy, and not allowed to rest. A 

 house of these in bloom at the present moment is a very 

 pleasing sight, having started to flower in December, 

 the same spikes continuing to flower profusely and 



apparently will do so for some time yet. 

 pods should be picked off as they appear. 



The seed 



Echoes from England 



SCLVIK NEW PLANTS 



A distinct and beautiful new freesia was shown 

 before the Royal Horticultural Society March 7. It 

 was raised and exhibited by ('. van Tubergen, Jr. It is 

 distinct and attracted much attention. Its parents 

 were the well-known Freesia refracta alba and the rarer 

 Freesia Armstrong] witli pale pink or lilac-pink flowers. 

 The new freesia is really a much improved form of 

 Armstrongi; the flowers are larger and are more freely 

 produced. Some of the stems exhibited bore as many 

 as ten and eleven flowers: in fact ten may be said to be 

 the average number. The prevailing color of the 

 blooms is lilac or lilac purple, while white shows 

 through here and there. The flower stems are long 

 and the plant is a vigorous grower and blooms very 

 freely. The flowers ought to prove very useful for 

 decorative purposes. An award of merit was granted to 

 this novelty. 



Carnation Nelson Fisher also obtained an award of 

 merit as a valuable novelty. It was exhibited by A. P. 

 Dutton, one of the largest growers of American varie- 

 ties of the carnation. The flowers are large and full, 

 with the usual fringe,! edge; the color is rich cerise and 

 very showy. The blooms are produced on good stalks 

 and it appears in e . way to be worthy of the honor 

 bestowed upon it. j, > 



-rOtSKj 



