July 18, 190S 



HORTICULTURE 



71 



AQUATICS AT RIVERTON. 



The use of aquatics in general gar- 

 dening has been rapidly extending 

 during the past decade. The general 

 impression used to be that most of the 

 rarer and showiest of the family were 

 hard to cultivate and many of them 

 far too tender for our northern lati- 

 tudes, but thanks to the efforts of 

 firms like Dreer's and the better class 

 of horticultural papers, a fuller knowl- 

 edge of them is now widely dis- 

 seminated. 



A recent visit to Riverton empha- 

 sized the truth of this, as here can be 

 sen in the ponds out-of-doors almost 

 every known species of value, every 

 one of them grown without artificial 

 heat, except the Victorias, which aro 

 given about a month at the start. 

 Given sunshine, water and plenty of 

 rich soil, theie are few masses of 

 plants that will bloom so freely and 

 continuously during the whole season 

 as the aquatics. Under cultural prac- 

 tice in northern latitudes the family 

 is divided into two classes, hardy and 

 tender. The hardy varieties are 

 treated the same as the native water 

 lily (Nymphae odorataj. The tender 

 ones are grown indoors in pots or tubs 

 until the water is warm outside, their 

 after cultivation being the same as 

 for the hardy sorts. 



In the hardy group premier place 

 is taken by the nelumbiums. These 

 are perfectly, hardy in the northern 

 states and can be grown under the 

 same conditions as the hardy nym- 

 phaes. Pekinensis rubrum was in fine 

 shape at the time of our visit (July 

 fjth), bearing aloft its magnificent blos- 

 soms of rosy carmine which when fully 

 expanded measured 10 to 12 inches 

 across. To our mind this is the finest 

 of the dark-colored nelumbi*ims. The 

 outer petals are well reflexed, the foli- 

 age large and handsome. Kinshiren 

 is a white variety, shaded pink, an 

 early bloomer and flowers freely 

 throughout the season. Osiris is a rich 

 deep rose, the flower globular in form 

 and it is also among the earliest and 

 freest floweiing. 



The commoner varieties of the 

 hardy nymphaes are so well known 

 that comment on them is superfluous 

 liHie. Among the newer and choicer 

 sorts W. B. Shaw is conspicuous. This 

 variety has rosy pink flowers and is 

 undoubtedly the finest of the odorata 

 section. James Rtydon is another su- 

 perb variety, rosy crimson, with the 

 reverse of the petals silvery. Marlia- 

 cea ignea, flowers bright carmine, for 

 size and substance is one of the best. 

 Pygmen Helvola is a little gem: while 

 the flowers are only about an inch or 

 *o in diameter they are of the purest 

 and deepest yellow, swaying on the 

 bosom of the blue water like flakes 

 of virgin gold. It is exceedingly free 

 flowering and altogether a most desir- 

 able thing. For a larger flowered good 

 one there is cdorata sulphurea with 

 blossoms four to five inches in diame- 

 ter. Lneiana is a good self pink and 

 keeps its coloi right through th 

 son. Among the white varieties noth- 

 ing shows up better than tuberosa 

 Riehardsc.ni. It is pure white and 

 quite double and beats immense glo- 

 bular flowers 8 inches in diameter. 



The tender nymphaes were as yet 

 but sparingly in bloom, O'Marana 

 and George Huster being the only ones 



we particularly noted. Both these are 

 fine — the latter deeper in color and 

 perhaps the best of the two. I 

 are the two fine reds. Victoria regia 

 and Victoria Trickeri are promising 

 well for a grand show later. 



G. C. WATSON. 



NOTES FROM THE FRANCO-BRIT- 

 ISH EXHIBITION. 



In brilliant weather a very success- 

 ful show was held in the Palace of 

 Music, London, on June 24, 25, 26, 

 under the auspices of the Horticul- 

 tural section with Colonel Prain, di- 

 rector of Kew Gardens, president, and 

 J. A. Alexander, secretary. It is sel- 

 dom that a floral exhibition is favored 

 with such a suitable setting; within 

 and without the effect was extremely 



pleasing. It was a popular event and 

 the building was crowded with visi- 

 tors from all parts of the world. No 

 extra charge was made and the flower 

 show is one of a number of variations 

 which will give the season ticket 

 holder full value and interesting 

 change. It was said that application 

 for space was four times in excess of 

 that available. A fair number of 

 French growers were showing but it 



Groan of Japanese Maples by W. Fromow 

 & So 



could not be regarded as a competi- 

 tive test between the two count lies: 

 a number of prominent French horti- 

 culturists with their ladies were en- 

 tertained by the Royal Horticultural 

 Society on the 22nd. The spirit of 

 the "Entente Cordiale" which this 

 unique exhibition so happily illus- 

 trates had opportunity to show itself 

 as a real binding force, linking to- 

 gether in social fraternity men who 

 have mutual interests and aims. Or- 

 Ciiias were not largely shown: no 

 doubt they were being held in reserve 

 for the Holland House show. A very 

 fine exhibit, staged in striking and 

 original fashion was shown by Sir J. 

 Lolman, arranged in pyramid form 

 which was boldly arresting, with the 



advantage of a clear view of every 

 individual specimen. It is a design 

 well worth imitating, and well de- 

 d the gold lin-dal awarded. Car- 

 nations w re a leading feature, Amer- 

 ican and Malmaison being represented 

 in great array. Begonia Lady Cromer 

 is worth a note as to the perfection 

 of size and form; flowers a shaded 

 pink. Messrs. W. Fromow &. Sons' 

 four groups of Japanese maples on 

 either side of the entrance and exit 

 doors were awarded a gold medal, the 

 light character of the building show- 

 ing up the colored foliage with good 

 effect. The visitor to the exhibition 

 itself will find much to please in floral 

 designs. The sub-tropical and ordinary 

 bedding has been well carried out by 

 Messrs. Sutton and Carter & Co., 

 French roses in immense quantities 

 are bedded out and showing well for 

 a bright display in a month's time. 

 The Australian Court is rich in palms 

 and native plants and a very fine 

 rockwork effect is well constructed of 

 native ferns. Another horticultural 

 show here is proposed for September 

 30, October 1, 2, 3, of an open char- 

 acter largely devoted to fruit anu 

 vegetables. EDGAR ELVIX. 



PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. 



The Sugar Beet Seed Breeding Sta- 

 tion of Wohanka & Co., Prague, Aus- 

 tria, have sent out through their 

 American agent, Chas. W. de Rekow- 

 ski of Detroit a very comprehensive 

 volume of 45 pages and eight full- 

 page plates on the improvement and 

 culture of the "Perennial Seed Beet." 



Bulletin 117, issued June 1 by the 

 West Virginia Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station is devoted to the 

 tomato. It contains notes upon the 

 history of the tomato, the develop- 

 ment of modern forms, breeding new 

 varieties, field culture, winter cul- 

 ture, and financial returns. Two full- 

 page illustrations show the system of 

 growing under glass and single-stem 

 training. 



The Report of the Secretary of Ag- 

 riculture on the Southern Appalachian 

 and White Mountain Watersheds re- 

 cently issued treats on their commer- 

 cial importance, area, condition, ad- 

 visability of their purchase for na- 

 tional forests and probable cost. Two 

 large maps accompany the report. 

 The arguments presented in favor of 

 protection of these mountain forests 

 are very convincing and present facts 

 that every citizen should know 

 whether he lives in the territory un- 

 der consideration or elsewhere. 



Louisiana State Horticultural So- 

 ciety; Proceedings of the Fifth An- 

 nul I .Meeting held at Minden, La., 

 February 20, 21 and 22, 1908. Among 

 the interesting contents of this vol- 

 ume are addresses by J. E. Halligan 

 on Fertilizers, Jas. A. Hearn on 

 Transportation and Co-operation, Prof. 

 iiiiy L. Stewart on Southern Horti- 

 culture, Wilmon Xewell on Insects 

 Injurious to Truck Crops (illustrated), 

 A. H. Rosenfeld on Insects Injurious 

 to Louisiana Fruits (illustrated), and 

 C. \V. Eichling on Cut Flowers for 

 Profit in the South. The secretary's 

 address is F. H. Burnette. Baton 

 , La. 



