298 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



YOc1obei\ 



recollect ever seeing pear trees looking so 

 healthy and bearing so abundantly. 



ABSORPTION OF MOISTURE THROUGH 

 THE LEAVES. 



BY L. H. WHITE, ZANKSVILLE, OHIO. 



I have in my plant-yard a branch of geranium, 

 broken off from an old plant over two months 

 ago. It has laid on the ground in nearly the 

 same spot since, in a shady place. The end 

 where it is broken off is as dry and hard as a 

 piece of wood. It has grown and bloomed con- 

 tinually ever since. I often pick it up and show 

 it to customers. If it does not receive life 

 through foliage, where does it? 



[The scientific point involved in these prac- 

 tical illustrations, and wliich has brought out the 

 many papers we have recently received, is this : 

 If a plant can absorb water or vapor through 

 its tissues, why may it not absorb gases — nitro- 

 gen, for instance — and in this sense be "carniv- 

 orous?"— Ed. G. M.] 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



New Coleus. — Some friend, whose name 

 does not appear, sends some leaves of Seedling 

 Coleus which are very beautiful. They are 

 named Fantasia, Starlight, Queen of May, 

 Zebra, Sensation, Eidgewood Gem, and Sunfish. 

 These are very different to the crenate-leaved 

 kinds recently raised by Bunyard in England, 

 and belong to the fringed or cut-leaved class of 

 which pictus and multicolor are types. In some 

 there are four distinct colors. It is a fortunate 

 hit in the new plant way. 



RONDOLETIA ANOMALA. — This plant, which 

 is one of the most beautiful of all Summer 

 flowering plants for American flower gardens, 

 Mr. N. B. Hemisley identifies as the Bouvardia 

 strigosa of Flantce Hartwegiana, or, as Mr. 

 Hemisley now calls it, Rondoletia strigosa. 



Lantana, Hakkett's Perfection. — "We 

 saw some plants of this growing out of doors 

 this year, and could not help feeling that if it 

 had been an introduction from Europe, instead 

 of an American seedling, it would be in great 

 request for bedding purposes. Its peculiar yel- 

 low green tint of foliage would harmonize well 

 with many bright colors in a mosaic bed. As a 

 greenhouse plant it is not a success. In early 

 Spring especially, when among other plants, it 



has a sort of red-spidery look, which may ex- 

 cuse one in passing it over; but out of doors, as 

 we saw it the past summer, it passes out of this 

 defect and becomes a perfect gem. The whole 

 race of Lantanas are excellent for Ameri- 

 can flower gardens, and we are surprised that 

 they are not in more general use. The bright 

 colored varieties are very beautiful as Spring- 

 flowering, greenhouse, or room plants. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Double Zonale Geranium, Mrs. Corbin. 

 C. N. Stewart, of "Washington, Iowa, writes: 

 "I send you a flower from my new geranium, 

 Mrs. Corbin, grown from seed here last year, 

 which is considered here as great a novelty as 

 New Life. It is a good grower and a very free 

 bloomer ; color crimson ; reverse of petals sil- 

 very rose, having the appearance of a double 

 variegated rose and quilled like an aster. I send 

 you a few individual flowers, as the tree is not 

 fully open yet. As a patron of your paper, I 

 see you mention new plants in each issue, and if 

 the flowers reach you perfect, please give your 

 opinion of them." 



[The Gardener's Monthly is always glad 

 to receive and report on the value of novelties 

 to the best of its ability. The present geranium 

 is a very beautiful one. It must be remembered, 

 however, that the number of varieties now in 

 existence is so great that however good a seed- 

 ling may be, it runs the chance of being very 

 like some one already named; and this one we 

 fear will be too near to Le Negre to be desir- 

 able.— Ed. G. M.] 



Treatment of an India Rubber Tree. 

 S. M., New York, says : " Our India Rubber tree 

 has been put out into the yard on the border and 

 sunk about three inches in the ground. In con- 

 sequence the roots came through, and we had to 

 cut them off to lift the tree and get it ready to 

 take into the house. I fear it has now too 

 few roots for the fine growth of leaves and 

 branches made during its summer out, and 

 may lose a good many of these now during win- 

 ter. "What do you recommend to prevent that 

 calamity ? Shall we, next century, have H. D.'s — 

 Doctors of Horticulture ? Of course, in that case, 

 they will have otfices, hours, and get fees." 



[In taking up plants in this condition, they 

 should be placed for a few days in a cool, shady, 



