l82 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[June, 



not the difference in soil and climate most likely 

 produce this result or difference ? These grown 

 here are found in a stiff clay subsoil, overlaid by 

 stiff, sticky black soil, whilst those obtained in 

 lower South Carolina in sandy soil (much like that 

 of Florida) are smaller both in bulb and flower. 

 1 do not agree with those that claim for this bulb 

 any difference at all. Like the Crispa clematis 

 offered this season as a novelty by several florists, 

 it may be new to most, but it is claimed by Josiah 

 Salter that it has been known since 1569 — a native 

 of North America and of the Viticella type ; page 

 131, May number Gardeners' Monthly. Also 

 Canna Ehemanni. Curtis in his Botanical Magazine, 

 number 1968 in 1823, gives the first illustration of 

 it, and both are now claimed as novelties. What 

 are novelties anyhow ? I thought entire new plants 

 raised from hybridizing, cross fertilization, seedlings 

 from old plants, &c., not old, but well-known but 

 forgotten varieties introduced under a new name, 

 such as I believe is A. Treatas so-called now. 



[The Amaryllis Treatise must on no account be 

 confounded with the Atamasco lily. It has been 

 decided by such high authority as Prof. Sargent 

 and Mr. Sereno Watson, to be an entirely distinct 

 species; and was named by them, and not by any 

 florist in honor of the discover, Mrs. Mary Treat, 

 of Vineland, New Jersey, herself an excellent 

 botanist, and one well able to tell the difference 

 between the two. In the letter of the Editor, 

 referred to by our correspondent, the reference to 

 the flower was but an off-hand remark. We give 

 the exact description of both from Chapman's new 

 edition of the " Flora of the Southern States:" 



Amary/Zis A/a>nasco (oi Unnieus). — Scape terete, 

 somewhat lateral ; one-flowered; leaves hnear, con- 

 cave, fleshy ; spathe, one-leaved, two-cleft ; peri- 

 anth short, bell-shaped, white tinged with purple; 

 style longer than the stamens ; seeds angled. March 

 and April. Scape 6 to 12 inches high, commonly 

 shorter than the glossy leaves. Flower 2 to 3 

 inches long. 



Amaryllis Treatia (Watson). — Bulb small; 

 leaves very narrow, only a line and a half wide, 

 semi-terete with rounded margins, not shining; 

 scape four to twelve inches high ; flowers three 

 inches long ; its peduncle three to nine lines long. 

 April and May. 



The plants are most readily distinguished by 

 the florist, in the rush-like leaves of Mrs. Treat's 

 Fairy Lily. This species we believe has only been 

 found in Florida. In beauty we think the old 

 Atamasco the prettier. — Ed. G. M.] 



CYPRIPEDIUM INSIGNE. 



BY E. N. 



I see by an article in the April number of the 

 G.'VRDENERs' MONTHLY that you mention about 

 Cypripedium insigne having two flowers on a 

 spike. I wish to say I find that a common 

 occurrence. We had several that way here in 

 Mr. De Witt Smith's garden at Lee. We never 

 took much notice of them, as I always put it down 

 to the plants being in good condition. Some of 

 our plants are three feet through, and have from 

 80 to 100 blooms each flower, and being 5^ to 6 

 inches across. I think if some gardeners knew the 

 true value of old C. insigne we should hear a 

 great deal more of spikes having two flowers on 

 them. How often do we see plants of that orchid 

 look as if they wanted to die, the leaves all dried 

 up, and with two or three flowers only on the 

 plant ; and as soon as they are cut the plants are 

 thrown out of sight. I myself consider that in- 

 signe is one of the best old friends we have, and 

 they ought not to be forgotten for the sake of new. 



Lee, Mass. 

 [It is very interesting to know that this pecu- 

 liarity occurs so often, and the person who first 

 gites a true explanation ol the cause, will render a 

 great service to science. The supposition that the 

 [ " plants are in good condition " does not explam 

 I the process by which the change comes. Thou- 

 I sands of plants in good condition never exhibit 

 i the peculiarity. There must be something else in 

 addition, and, if this " something else " should 

 ! be always present, — always producing this effect, 

 we should have a new species. — Ed. G. M.] 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



How TO Produce Variegation. — Just what 



induces a plant to become variegated is still a 



mystery. Mr. Rupp, the famous improver of the 



Chinese Primrose, tried in vain everything he 



could think of to produce variegation in the 



leaves At length, noting a variegated plant of 



the common clover in the fields, the thought 



' struck him that possibly there might be some 



I condition of the soil which induced it. He took 



the soil about this clover plant, put some in a pot 



with a seedling primrose, and got his long desired 



variegation. " One swallow does not make a 



summer." Perhaps so, but it is worth looking out 



i for more when we see one. 



Botanic Garden in Montreal. — The people 

 of Montreal are moving with great prospects of 



