THE GARDENER'S MONTHL Y 



[January, 



exutics. J^ratn'MMs mi; a specially, and besides 

 the elite of such kinds as may he seen elsewhere 

 there is a house well-nip;h filled with Wellesley 

 seedling plants, at once remarkable for their ex- 

 ceptional beauty, substance and vigorous consti- 

 tution. A bold, sturd}"- nature seems to pervade 

 the whole race, and their coloring is deep and 

 well defined. Some are named Mrs. Hunnewell, 

 Waban, Bella and Harrisi, and others deserve 

 countenance. When Phyllota?nium Lindeni and 

 Alocasia crystallina were sent from Wellesley to 

 the Boston exhibition they were declared the 

 finest examples of cultural skill that had been 

 seen anywhere, and now Mr. Harris points out 

 to me Alocasia Thibautiana, a young plant with 

 leaves 16 to 20 inches long, deep crimson on the 

 back, and broadly marked with silver on the 

 front, and tells me this is the coming king. 

 Aralia spinulosa is another novelty. Berto- 

 lonias glitter inside cases; Hibiscus schizopeta- 

 lus is in bloom, so are Dipladenias fastened to 

 tlie rafters, and many other seasonable plants. 

 But for a winter show of blossoms what can be 

 brighter or better than Zonal pelargoniums? 

 Wonderful, New Life and C H. Wagner are 

 among the many in a greenhouse here; the 

 others have too hard names in French for my 

 remembrance. 



Orchids.— My. Hunnewell has gathered to- 

 gether a large namber of these, especially the 

 freer blooming and more serviceable sorts. 

 There are large pans of Cypripedium Doyanum, 

 a handsome leaved as well as a pretty flowering 

 plant, but more decided in the variegation of 

 its foliage, is a companion specimen of C. Law- 

 renceanum. Several other species are in bloom, 

 and on one plant of insigne I counted forty-three 

 flowers. A very fine lot of Phalaenopsis grandi- 

 flora, amabilis and Schilleriana were growing in 

 a dark corner, and far away from the glass. The 

 pots containing them were set upon empty pots 

 that were standing in saucers filled with water; 

 these act as evaporating pans, and at the same 

 time prevent the approach of wood-lice, cock- 

 roaches, slugs and other insects that might in- 

 jure the flower-spikes or roots. Mr. Harris ex- 

 pressed himself as averse to growing the mass of 

 orchids up close to the glass, and quoted his 

 Phalaenopsis as an example of shadier treat- 

 ment. We also remembered the splendid Mas 

 devalleas at Albany, and which were the biggest 

 and thriftiest specimens I ever saw, and they 

 were grown right by the floor of a high green- 

 house with apparently as little concern as if 



they were palms or club-mosses. But notwith- 

 standing these exceptional examples, I am in 

 favor of nearer the glass. 



The Dendrobiunis were gathered together in a 

 cool house to ripen their shoots. D. Goldii with 

 terminal spikes of purple flowers, and Formosum 

 giganteum, white and yellow, were beautifully in 

 bloom. And in a little basket overhead I beheld 

 D. Brymerianum with two shoots about eight 

 inches and thirteen inches long — ten guineas 

 worth ; and near by the almost equally choice 

 Laelia anceps alba with four flowers. It would 

 take too much space to wander through the host 

 of Cattleyas, Calanthes, Odontoglossums, On- 

 cidiums, and other genera, but their uncommon 

 thrift and vigor are well worth critical examina- 

 tion. 



IPOM/EA CRANDIFLORA. 



BY P. D. BARNHART, BANKSVILLE, PA. 



On page 269, September number of Garden- 

 er's Monthly, you ask for some information 

 about Ipomsea grandiflora. In reply, will say 

 that I have cultivated it for the past five years 

 and find it to be a very desirable plant for cover- 

 ing trellises, summer houses or verandas, it 

 being a rapid grower, with large heart-shaped 

 leaves, and the flowers, which are very large^ 

 seven inches in diameter — of the purest white 

 and delightfully fragrant, expanding only at 

 night. They begin to open — a curious sight to 

 see — about 6 o'clock p. m., and close the next 

 morning, to be succeeded by a new flower the 

 following evening. It seldom seeds, but is a 

 tender perennial of the easiest propagation. 

 There is one peculiarity about its flowering stem 

 that I have never seen in any other plant. The 

 stems start from the axil of a leaf and continue 

 to grow and produce blossoms the entire season. 

 I have had them grow ten inches long, with uo 

 signs of stopping, when the cold weather cut it 

 short I may say that on that stem were pro- 

 duced twelve flowers. It thrives well in hot, dry 

 situations. 



On page 280, the question is asked whether 

 any one Paiows where Teasel is cultivated in 

 the United States. In our section of the State 

 it is so much of a pest that it is with diffi- 

 culty we get it exterminated. It crowds out 

 grass, and the stems while in bloom are as hard 

 as young hickory trees, and if cut before bloom- 

 ing they throw out a multitude of smaller heads 

 later in the season, which necessitates two cut- 

 tings in a season. 



