1877.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



325 



in dense terminal and axillary heads and corymbs 

 at every joint from the ground upwards, in one 

 crowded terminal head. Alone I counted 137 

 flowers, expanded blooms and unopened buds. 

 The lateral branches, mostly in pairs, are often 

 but long-jointed flower-stems, the blooms being 

 gracefully disposed in whorls around the joints, 

 which are closer near the end ; and these branch- 

 lets are admirably suited as cut flowers. Its 

 blooming period lasts from the end of July till 

 about the 20th of August. We regard it as one 

 of, if not the very best hardy herbaceous orna- 

 mental plant of its season. It seems to be con- 

 stitutionally strong and vigorous. — W. F. 



Clematis tubulosa. — This species has been in 

 cultivation for upwards of thirty years, never- 

 theless it is very rarely met with. It is a native 

 of Northern China, 2 to 3 feet high, herbaceous, 

 or nearly so, quite hardy, a good grower, profuse 

 bloomer, and withal a commendable garden 

 flower. Its blooming season is from about the 

 20th of August till the 10th or middle of Sep- 

 tember. It has erect, slightly branched stems ; 

 opposite, long-petioled, trisected leaves, the leaf- 

 lots rhombeo-ovate, fiiintly lobed and toothed. 

 The flowers are bluish-purple, with narrow re- 

 flexed sepals, 1 to IJ inches across, and produced 

 in loose, terminal and axillary cluster-corymbs. 

 — W. F. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Gas-killed Trees. — I have, unfortunately, lost 

 two fine trees in consequence of the esca^je of 

 gas in the street ; and in regulating my front 

 pavement, have had to cut down three others. 

 Speaking with Mr. Paul, a short time since, he 

 stated that there was a species of Poplar tree, — 

 he could not give me the name, but the kind of 

 tree could be seen growing on the corner of a 

 small street running north from Vine, be- 

 tween Eighth and Ninth streets, — which he 

 understood the gas would not affect. I think he 

 said you were aware of it; and my object in 

 writing is to inquire if you could furnish me 

 with its proper name, or the name of any tree 

 the gas will not kill. 



[Ihe roots of any tree whatever, will be killed 

 by the gas escaping from the mains. It is no use 

 to plant anything where trees have been thus 

 killed, till the leak has been stopped. Notify 

 the gas company of the leak, and they will stop 



it. Then plant. In equity the gas corporation 

 should be held responsible for damages. There 

 is little excuse for these leaks. It is' as possible 

 to make a pipe tight below as above ground. — 

 Ed. G. M.] 



Night Blooming Cereus. — Mrs. Harriet Beech- 

 er Scoville, Norwich, Chenango county, N. Y., 

 writes: — Reading, this evening, an article or 

 note in the September number of Gardener's 

 Monthly on Night Blooming Cereus, alluding 

 to it not always being night-blooming, I am 

 tempted to give my experience on the same 

 topic. I have a large plant of the flat thornless- 

 leaved variety. I know' no name for it. But it has 

 a large white exquisitely fragrant and beautiful 

 blossom. Mine flowered this season for the third 

 time or year. The first in June, it had three 

 large blossoms open at one time. The flower 

 began to open before dark, was wide open before 

 10 o'clock P. M., and was wide open in the 

 morning. I cut two flowers and sent out, and 

 heard that they did not close until full noon, the 

 third I kept on the plant, and it also remained 

 open until between 12 and 12.30 midday, when I 

 removed it from my greenhouse, facing south, 

 into my darkened dining-room, thinking to keep 

 it longer, but it closed directly after. A friend has 

 one of the same variety, which once opened 

 during her absence at church one Sabbath morn- 

 ing, and I believe remained open all that day and 

 I think closed at night, — of that I cannot speak 

 with certainty. There are a number of the 

 plants in our town, and there are generally a 

 dozen or more blossoms seen each Summer. 

 One friend had ten open at once. Some time I 

 may be tempted to give an account of my green- 

 house, which I heat bj'^ a coal base-burning stove 

 in the greenhouse, unless this is so long that you 

 are wearied. 



[Cereus crenatus, C. latifrons, and C. triangu- 

 laris, as well as the night-blooming Cereus, C. 

 grandiflorus, open at night, and some, especially 

 the last, continue to about noon next day. The 

 true night-blooming Cereus has round, rope-like 

 stems ; C. triangularis is three cornered ; C. cre- 

 natus has flat stems with pretty notched edges, 

 and latifrons has stems so thin that they seem 

 like leaves. We should very much value the 

 experience on heating the small greenhouse. It 

 is a subject of interest to a large number of our 

 readers.— Ed. G. M.] 



Irish Junipers, &c. — W. W., Hillsboro, Md., 

 writes : — Although not a subscriber to the 



