3G0 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[ December, 



enialk'st bouquet oost.s $0, aud $L'r» for a little 

 bouquet is not rare. Plateaus of flowers bring 

 $120 to lloO, and $250 for Mowers to decorate a 

 grave. 



During the Winter, for a single rose-bud, with 

 a dozen vit>lels, a piece of Mignonette and Helio- 

 trope, you pay one dollar. The cut flower busi- 

 ness of New York florists alone, in a single year, 

 amounts to twelve million dollars. 



It would not be fair to say that such prices 

 never were paid in the four cities named ; but 

 we arc sure they were quite exceptional, and 

 only paid under some peculiar stress of circum- 

 stances, but it is not true of the average prices of 

 cut flowers, and it gives an exaggerated view of 

 the whole business. We much doubt whether 

 the receipts for cut flowers in New York reach 

 one million dollars a year, to say nothing of 

 twelve! If any one who knows, will give us in 

 detail the figures, we shall gladly stand cor- 

 rected. 



Pampas Grass. — We note that there is an in- 

 creasing demand for the spikes of PAinpas Grass 

 for decorating. First-class spikes, properly dried, 

 are worth about $25 per 100, but they have to be 

 truly first-class to bring these prices. 



Thomas Hogg Hydrangea. — This is already 

 getting so abundant as to find its way to the auc- 

 tion block. 1,000 went ofl" this way recently in 

 New Y''ork. 



Curious Effects of Grafting Coleuses. — The 

 novel and interesting paper on this subject, on 

 page 298, was credited to R. H. B., in Gardener's 

 Magazine. As a stray disease will strike the 

 healthiest, so these troubles will now and then 

 fall on the most wide-awake editor. In this in- 

 stance the Garden should have had the credit. 



Popular A.ppreciation of Cheap Flowers. — 

 The Jownal of Horticulture tells us Dahlias have 

 been sold in the streets of London in immense 

 quantities within the past few weeks. The 

 costers' barrows, heaped with them, have made 

 an unwonted display of color in the streets, and 

 the low price charged for them has caused a 

 quick distribution of the bunches to windows 

 and sideboards. 



The Tritoma in Decoration. — A friend in- 

 forms us that the Hall in which a recent confer- 

 ence of Unitarians was held in, at Springfield, 

 Mass., was decorated wholly with flowers of Tri- 

 toma uvaria, and that the effect was unique and 

 pleasing. She also asks for the meaiing of Tri- 



toma. Tnc word is from the Greek, and is eup- 

 ]iosed to have reference to the three edged upper 

 portion of the leaves. 



Si'RiNc Bulbs. — Among the bulbs we note as 

 offered by the dealers this year at rather lower 

 prices — which show they are getting commoner 

 than they were— are Pancratium Illyricum and 

 Scilla Peruviana. They are hardly hardy enough 

 for out-door work, but are fine cool greenhouse 

 things. 



Flower of Fourcroya.— Under the name of 

 Fourcroya cubensc, Mr. Chas. P. Hayes, of Mil- 

 ler & Hayes, places on our table a few very in- 

 teresting flowers. The sharply three-angled ova- 

 rium and the thick bases of the stamens will 

 interest those who like to look into structure, 

 and even those who can see no beauty in a 

 green flower, will be pleased with the delicate 

 fragrance. The plant does not flower often, re- 

 sembling in this the Century plant, and probably 

 as in the case of the Century plant, will die down 

 after flowering. 



NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 



Stenocarpus Cunningham!. — This beautiful 

 exotic is now in bloom in the greenhouses of 

 F. L. Ames, Esq., at North Easton, Mass. It be- 

 longs to Proteaceaj, is a native of New Holland, 

 and after it attains a considerable age, bears 

 candelabrum-like umbels of orange-scarlet flow- 

 ers that are vividly colored, curiously shaped, 

 and very pretty. The leaves are leathery, ever- 

 green, entire or sinuate, quite ornamental, and * 

 somewhat resemble those of an oak. In 1828, 

 this species w^as discovered b}' the late Allan 

 Cunningham, on the banks of Brisbane River, 

 Moreton Bay, and who, without seeing the flow- 

 ers, describes it thus: "A slender tree of most 

 remarkable habit, with large leaves from the ex- 

 tremities of the branches, glossy and lobed, or 

 laciniated." More recent travelers describe it aa 

 a lofty tree bearing terminal and axillary um- 

 bels of deep orange flowers. 



It is, however, seldom met with in cultivation, 

 and much less frequently seen in blossom in 

 greenliouses, owing no doubt to the fact that the 

 trees must attain a goodly age and size before 

 they blossom. 



A few days ago Mr. Alfred J. Edmonds, Mr. 

 Ames' gardener, sent to us an umbel and leaves 



