1876. 



AND HOB TIG UL Turns T, 



11 



Nursery, and now have the pleasure of givhig 

 our readers an illustration of the same. 



New Variegated Fern: — Dictyogramma ja- 

 ■PONICA. — Variegated ferns are very rare. Mr. 

 Williams of England has introduced this. The 

 yellowish green variegation is " herring boned " 

 along the centre of each leaflet as in some of the 

 marantas. There is a wood cut of it in January 

 Florist and Pomologisf. It is a hardy greenhouse 

 kind. 



DzVHLiA Maximilliana. — This is a new species 

 from Mexico, with flower of a peach-blossom 

 color, seeds of which are being offered by Amer- 

 ican seedsmen. It may be the parent of a new 

 race. 



ZoxALE Pelargonium, Distinction. — Mr. Chitty 

 says this is a very interesting variegated leaved 

 novelty. The leaves are dark green, having a 

 narrow band of jet black near the margin. There 

 is a cut of it in the advertising columns. 



Clematis ligusticifolia. — This is a remarka- 

 bly strong and vigorous growing, hardy clematis. 

 A neighbor to the well known C. Virginiana of 

 the Eastern states, and will at least be as popular. 

 We note that it is now being offered in several of 

 our seedsmen's catalogues. It grows from Colo- 

 rado westward. A good thing for covering walls 

 of houses or outbuildings. 



Alocasia odorata. — The common Caladium 

 esculentum is well known. Some years ago we 

 noted a fine plant in the garden of Mr. Mitchell, 

 of Milwaukee, as stated in our columns at the 

 time. Since then we have noted it of immense 

 size in Southern gardens; for which it is a very 

 striking object. Mr. Hanford thus speaks of it: 



" This noble plant while young, slightly resem- 

 bles the well known Caladium esculentum, but 

 grows to really gigantic dimensions as it attains 

 age, and while the latter dies down annually to 

 the bulb, this grows into a stem or trunk, which 

 retains some of the foliage through the winter, if 

 kept in the conservatory or sitting room. The 

 leaves are of enormous size, of a bright glossy 

 green, with thick fleshy mid ribs and nerves, 

 standing stiff and upright on a stout stem. 

 Plants under good culture frequently attain eight 

 and twelve feet in height. 



A remarkable plant and well worthy of a place 

 in every collection of plants, for garden, conser- 

 vatory, or sitting room decoration. 



QUERIES. 



RuBrs ROSiEFOLius. — S. D., Oxford, Pa. — The 

 above is the plant referred to in the following : I 

 send you by mail a box with a flower of a seed- 

 ling that came of itself in one of our pots. It is 

 new to me, although it may be an old flower. Is 

 it a raspberry rose ? — or what is it ? 



[It is commonly known as the Bramble Rose. 

 It produces no seeds, but propagates by pieces of 

 the root. A piece was in the soil of your pot. — 

 Ed. G. M.] 



Disease in Violets. — J. McB., Boston, Mass. 

 says : " Would you be so kind as to let me know 

 through the columns of your valuable periodical 

 what has caused the failure of a bed of Neapoli- 

 tan violets, which I had planted last fall in a 

 compost of maiden loam, decomposed manure, 

 one-fourth leaf mould, and a small proportion of 

 sand? 



" The house in which I planted them is a span 

 roof running east and west. Parallel and to the 

 south of this house runs another house of the same 

 size and shape. So it was always partially shaded 

 by the house south of it, thereby preventing ex- 

 cessive heat from the sun. When I brought the 

 plants in from the open ground, they appeared 

 to be in a very healthy condition, and continued 

 to appear so for a few weeks afterwards. 



" Some time in December I discovered they 

 had. become sickly, and, upon examination, I 

 found formed on the fibrous roots small tubercles 

 resembling diminutive Gladioli bulbs. Now, sad 

 to relate, my violets are all dead. I am at a loss 

 to know the cause of their death. Enclosed I 

 send you a sample of their roots. 



" What I should like to know is, have the tuber- 

 cles caused death ? If so, what caused the tuber- 

 cles? Relying on your authority, I trust you 

 will give your opinion in the next number, as 

 you would confer a favor upon me as well as per- 

 haps others who may have similar experience." 



[We have never seen this disease before. It is 

 evidently caused by an insect similar to the 

 Phylloxera in the grape vine. Send a few fresh 

 specimens in damp moss to Prof. C. V. Riley, 

 St. Louis, Mo. Tliey will be of great interest to 

 him.— Ed. G. M.] 



Propagating Begonlis. — T. H., Bridgeport, 0. 

 — The dwarf kinds are raised from leaves, or 

 portions of the leaves, from any portion of which 

 buds will push. Many people divide the nerves 



