1877.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



1 



out-of-doors at this season of the year its flowers 

 iire but very short-lived. What is now cultivated 

 as Crocus speciosus is supposed to be a garden 

 seedling; the flowers are of a deep blue-like 

 color, brightest on the interior, where it is also 

 handsomely pencilled with dark lines. 



Ampelopsis japonica. — This is a Virginian 

 creeper that does not creep, and belongs more 

 properly to the class of furnishing plants than 

 climbers. Its growth is that of a diffuse wiry 

 bush, and at any time wnile it is in leaf it is well 

 adapted for enriching with bright foliage large 

 vases on terraces and in entrance halls and con- 

 servatories. At the present time it is in brilliant 

 color, the prevailing tone being fiery orange-red, 

 shading one way to yellow and another way to 

 purple. It is a grand plant for the front line of 

 the shrubbery, and might even be used in large 

 beds and borders, for the knife would keep it 

 within bounds, and it does not run as other spe- 

 cies of ampelopsis do. — Gardener's Magazine. 



MoR^A (iris) FiMBRiATA.-^This is a very re- 

 markable plant, which well deserves to be much 

 more generally cultivated than it is. Brought 

 from China to England about the beginning of 

 the present century, it found its way to Paris, 

 and was figured in that magnificent work, " Le 

 Jardin de Cels," in the eighth year of the Repub- 

 lic; also in Curtis' Botanical Magazine under the 

 name of Iris chinensis. It was likewise called 

 Evansia chinensis, in compliment to Mr. Evans, 

 who introduced it ; it then went out of fashion. 

 It is found for the last time in Lee's catalogue,in 

 1830, and we look for it in vain in the French, 

 Belgian, German, and English catalogues of our 

 time. Notwithstanding this neglect, it well de- 

 serves the attention of amateurs for its beauty 

 and elegance. It difFere from other Irises in 

 having fringed petals, and might well rival many 

 of our Orchids in the brilliancy of its colors (pale 

 blue striped with bright j^ellow), its lovely trusses 

 of bloom, delicate odor, and the long period of 

 time during which it is in flower. It succeeds 

 best when grown in rather small pots ; when the 

 spring frosts are over these must be plunged into 

 the ground in a warm situation ; they will re- 

 quire plenty of water. About the end of October 

 they should be taken up and placed in a green- 

 house, or even in a cold frame, care having been 

 taken to pot off the young shoots. Thus treated, 

 the Mora^a will bloom for nionths. Peat mould 

 suits it best, but it will flower and thrive in al- 

 most any kind of soil. — Garden. 



Saxifraga japonica. — There are many hand- 

 some autumnal flowers, but few excel the Japanese 

 Saxifrage in beauty and grace. It succeeds best 

 as a pot plant, left undisturbed for two years. It 

 has large, glossy, dark green leaves which remind 

 one of those of Dondia epipactis, out of which 

 spring many tall and branching stems of feathery 

 white flowers. The four upper petals are short 

 and nearly even in length, but the lower one is 

 lengthened out into a tail-like appendage, which 

 gives the flowers the appearance of a bird of 

 paradise in full flight. A pot of it with seven 

 spikes of bloom has been in great beauty in nij'- 

 room for the last three weeks. — H. Harpur Crewe 

 in the Garden. 



QUERIES. 



White Berry Pyracantha. — A correspondent 

 speaks of failure with this in transplanting. 

 When set deeper than it grew before, it never 

 fails. It makes no difference though half the 

 plant be buried. 



Name of Plant. — " Subscriber," Columbus, 0. 

 — Your plant is Viburnum suspensum. We 

 should like to know if quite hardj^ with you ? 

 We suppose not. 



Lawn Grass for Oregon. — INI. S. B., Portland, 

 Oregon, asks : "Would you kindly advise me of 

 the best grass seed for lawns in Oregon ? climate 

 quite wet a portion of the year and quite dry in 

 smnmer. How would Rhode Island Bent grass 

 do, or would your Pennsylvania grass or Blue 

 grass be better, in your judgment ? 



[As a general thing rye grass does well in Ore- 

 gon, and makes a splendid lawn grass. Poa 

 campestris, the Blue grass, also makes a good 

 lawn grass there. Perhaps on a place "wet in 

 winter and dry in summer," Bent grass (Agros- 

 tis) would do better, but this is a matter wholly 

 for experiment. — Ed. G. M.] 



Akebia quinata Seeding. — Mr. Galloway C. 

 Morris, Philadelphia, writes : — "I notice in the 

 November Gardener's Monthly that the Akebia 

 quinata has fruited for the first time, so far as 

 you know, with Mr. Wm. Canby this year. I 

 have had fruit on mine for at least three years. 

 As the fruit gets a little over ripe it bursts open 

 showing multitude of seeds in the pulp. I think 

 that it has no fruit on it this year." 



