108 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[April, 



spider, but this may always be prevented by 

 keeping the plants well supplied, when necessary, 

 with water, as it is invariably over-dry ness, either 

 in the atmosphere or at the roots, that favors the 

 existence of this pest; both may, therefore, be 

 guarded against by sprinkling the plants over- 

 head two or three times a week, or as often as 

 the weather renders such a course necessary or 

 desirable for the health and well-being of the 

 plants. If treated in this way, they will be found 

 to produce flower-spikes early in October, when 

 they may be taken up and placed in pots accord- 

 ing to the size and strength of the tufts. They 

 should then be placed in a close, mois^t frame for 

 a week or so, to give them a chance of becoming 

 established before being placed in the compara- 

 tively dry atmosphere of a greenhouse or con- 

 servatorv." 



NEW PLANTS. 



RoMNEYA CouLTERi.— A new and peculiar flow- 

 er, belonging to the Poppy family, wliich wo did 

 not meet in California, but of which we often 

 heard. The plant was represented to us as two 

 feet or more in height, with white, fragrant flow- 

 ers quite five inches in diameter. The petals are 

 pure white, stamens bright yellow, foliage pale 

 green, somewhat glaucus. Flowers fragrant, and 

 often from forty to fifty adorning the plant at one 

 time. — J. Vick. 



[We believe this plant has somewhat the face 

 of the well known Argemone Mexicana, or Mex- 

 ican Poppy.— Ed. G. M.] 



Delphinium nudicaule.— Mr. ^'ick .says of 

 this : " Among the beautiful flowers that adorn 

 the California mountains, we saw nothing reallv 

 more decorative than the bright scarlet Larkspur, 

 Delphinium, nudicaule. Every moiuitaiii-top, es- 

 pecially in the neighborhood of the Geysers 

 seemed covered with these brilliant little flowers! 

 We filled our hands with the flowers, and 

 our pockets with the seeds; and though 

 often warned that rattle-snakes abounded, we .saw 

 nothing more formidable than the pretty little 

 lizards, that seemed as lively as crickets." 



Brodlea Californica.— Of all the ])retty flow- 

 ers that abound in California, we know of noth- 

 ing prettier than the twining Hyacinth. The 

 flowers are a very fine pink, or deep rose. It 

 grows in the mountains and twines over every 

 bush it can reach, and the flower-stem goes to 



the top of the bush to which it is attached, no 

 matter if it is five or ten feet. After it gets to the 

 top of the bush and rests awhile to be sure it haa 

 got a good hold, it lets go of the earth and goes 

 on blooming and seeding for weeks and monthsi 

 regardless of the burning sun by day or the cool 

 mountain air by night. The leaves are long, 

 narrow and grass-like. The roots are very deep, 

 and being entangled with the roots of shrubs and 

 bushes, it is next to impossible to get them up. 

 This plant is in flower at all times from May to 

 September. The flower-stem breaks oS" near the 

 ground, and the flowers are left swinging in the 

 air without any connection with earth or root, 

 supported by the bash about which it twines. — 

 James Vick. 



Spir.i=:a palmata. — In a description of this 

 plant given in the Botanical Magazine, No. 285, 

 Dr. Hooker says : " By far the handsomest spe- 

 cies of the genus hitherto imported, and cer- 

 tainly one of the most beautiful hardy plants in 

 cultivation ; the deep purple red of the stems 

 and branches, passing into the crimson purple 

 of the glorious broad corymbs of flowers, con- 

 trasts more exquisitely with the foliage, which in 

 autunni assumes beautiful tints of brown and 

 golden yellow." It is a native of Japan, and 

 was discovered and introduced by Mr. Fortune. 

 — W. Bull. 



QUERIES. 



CR.A.T.KGrsPYR.A.CANTHA HEDGES. — A Kentucky 

 correspondent writes : " I take the liberty of 

 writing you regarding Crataegus Pyracantha, 

 which i.s now exciting a good deal of attention 

 in these parts, though very little is known of ita 

 merits as a hedge plant. Do you believe it 

 would l)e hardy down here? That is, hardy to 

 the extent of carrying its foliage throughout the 

 winter. I am glad your Monthly is getting 

 along finely." 



[The common Pyracantha is a rather strag- 

 gling l)usli, and has to be kept in order by the 

 shears. The White-Berried Pyracantha is a dense 

 close grower, and makes a beautiful close hedge 

 without trimming. It is rather a slow grower, 

 but as there is nothing lost by cutting back, as in 

 most fast growing things, it comes up in about 

 the same time. The white-berried kind is very 

 much the hardiest, and keeps green all win- 

 ter. It must be raised from cuttings. — Ed. G. M.] 



