187Y.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



109 



commonly called, making it most desirable for 

 much of the cut flower work. In many parts 

 of England the Callas are grown in the basins 

 of fountains, remaining there Winter and Sum- 

 mer, the water not freezing to the roots. Under 

 this " take care of themselves " plan the flowers 

 are unusually fine, and their great beauty and 

 attractiveness when in flower can readily be 

 imagined. It is customary here, so far as ob- 

 served, to force a rest on the plants, by drying 

 them off after flowering. For those who want 

 fine large flowers, we think this is wrong, as 

 larger ones could be had by keeping up a con- 

 tinuous growth. Florists argue, and correctly, 

 that they do not want large flowers of it, but 

 smaller ones rather, as being suited to a greater 

 variety of work; and so, in their case, the dry- 

 ing off" is reasonable. But to those who wish to 

 grow it to perfection, I would advise that they 

 keep it continually growing. 



VERBENA RUST. 



BY MR. CHAS. HENDERSON, JERSEY CITY HEIGHTS, N. J. 



I send you to-day specimens of Fuchsia leaves 

 aff'ected by " Verbena rust." I would have sent 

 you Verbenas also, but I am glad to say that I 

 can't find a single plant so affected. If j'ou will 

 place the leaves under a microscope of any 

 average power, — say 200 or 300 diameters, you 

 will see the " mite " or insect. We have exam- 

 ined scores of different kinds of plants, with the 

 leaves having this rusty appearance, and have 

 rarely failed to find the insect. It requires but 

 little experience to determine at a glance the 

 difference in the ravages of the " Aphis" or the 

 "red spider" on plants and the "Verbena 

 rust," for neither of the former are nearly so 

 fatal to healthy growth, and are both more under 

 control ; tobacco in almost any form being fatal 

 to the "Aphis," while a moist atmosphere charged 

 with sulphur from the pipes will subdue the 

 "spider"; but neither of these, or any other 

 remedy we have yet tried, seems to check the 

 " rust," if it once gets a foothold. The only 

 salvation, as far as we know, is prevention by 

 the means stated in my communication in the 

 January number of the 3Ionthly. We observed 

 also in the case of Fuchsias, Penstemons, 

 Phlox, and plants of a more hardy nature, 

 that they are more subject to rust when grown 

 in a high temperature than in a low one. For ex- 

 ample, in endeavoring to propagate rapidly the 



new Fuchsia " Racemosa," it was placed in a 

 temperature of 65° at night, when it began to 

 assume the rusted appearance, and an examina- 

 tion by the microscope showed it to be covered 

 as was to be expected, by the " mite," similar to 

 that to be found on Verbenas when rusted ; 

 but on removal to a cooler house, where the 

 temperature was 45° at night, in two weeks they 

 became comparatively free from the disease. 

 Thus it would seem (though in no way resem- 

 bling the red spider, either in appearance or in 

 its ravages,) its ravages like that of the red 

 spider is lessened when at a low temperature- 

 This assuming that the mite or insect is the 

 primary cause of the rust. But this matter 

 seems not yet finally settled. 



[Examining Mr. Henderson's specimens, we 

 fail to see any connection between the " mite " 

 and the disease. The parenchymatous masses 

 are in many cases blackened, apparently by 

 fungoid action, without any puncture of the 

 epiderm, which would have been the case if an 

 insect had operated just there. The appearance 

 in this Fuchsia case is scarcely the same as in 

 the Verbena, and we should not be surprised if 

 it was caused by. another fungus. Only those 

 skilled in these matters can decide on this 

 matter, however. Prof. Farlow, of Boston, is the 

 best investigator we have in this country and it 

 would be well to send fresh specimens to him. — 

 Ed. G. M.] 



STREPTOCARPUS RHEXII, 



BY BENJ. GREY, DEDHAM, MASS. 



A beautiful little Gesneraceous plant from the 

 Cape of Good Hope, and although not of late 

 introduction, well deserves general cultivation. 

 The leaves are radical, a few inches in length, 

 rough, and of a fresh green color. The flowers, 

 which are produced singly on stems four or five 

 inches high, are of a light blue, with stripes of 

 a deeper shade; each flower forms a twisted 

 seed vessel, from whence the name, streptos, 

 twisted, and karpos, fruit. The seed pods are 

 four or five inches in length, of a brownish 

 green color, and with the flowers and leaves the 

 contrast is pretty, and the appearance of the 

 whole decidedly neat. The plant is herbaceous, 

 and therefore requires to be grown, and will 

 flower all the year. It likes heat and moisture, 

 and should h6 potted in a rich, sandy compost. 

 Propagated from seed, which it produces in 

 abundance. 



