1882.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



139 



where this year than last, and leads one to sus- 

 pect that even in the hands of good gardeners, 

 greenhouse flowers have their seasons. The 

 Phajus is popular as a cut-flower, as indeed 

 most orchids are. 



The Harris Lily. — This very beautiful va- 

 riety of the Japan Lilium longiflorum proves its 

 popularity by the number of new names it is 

 receiving. Among the latest seems to be " The 

 New Bermuda Lily." Though a native of Japan 

 it seems to have become partially naturalized in 

 Bermuda, and some having had their stock 

 direct from Bermuda, is the reason perhaps for 

 the creation of so many names. However, the 

 number of names will not be of much conse- 

 quence so long as all understand they belong to 

 one thing. 



Steam Heating. — This promises to be the 

 greatest blessing to floriculture ever introduced. 

 There are thousands of people who would 

 gladly have small conservatories attached to 

 their dwelling houses if only the heating trou- 

 bles could be gotten over. When a dwelling 

 house is steam-heated, it is the easiest possible 

 thing to extend a few steam pipes to the con- 

 servatory. 



Bridal Bouquets. — The London Journal of 

 Horticulture tells how these are made in Eng- 

 land : " It should be nine to ten inches in diame 

 ter, the surface slightly convex, broken occa 

 sionally by a raised flower or spray of Maiden- 

 hair Fern, Selaginella fsesia, or Pelargonium 

 filicifolium odoratum. Three or four stems may 

 be left long enough to reach to the bottom of the 

 bouquet-holder, but all the others should be 

 shortened to an inch or two, enveloped in damp 

 cotton wool, which is bound on securely with 

 fine brass wire, enough wire being left on to form 

 an artificial stem. Prepare sufficient flowers 

 and spray beforehand, and also have ready a 

 handful of damp cotton wool ; then proceed 

 from the centre outwards, not with formal cir- 

 cles, each of one kind of flower, but with a skil- 

 ful, tasteful blending of form with form suffi- 

 ciently to impart relief and variety. Or there 

 may be a grouping of three or four flowers of 

 each sort without any approach to heaviness. 

 Prevent crowding and confusion by pads of the 

 damp cotton wool between the flowers, drawing 

 out the wool of each pad at the bottom suffi- 

 ciently to enable you to twist it two or three 

 times around one of the wire stems, so that there 

 may be no risk of any being shaken out while 



the bouquet is being used. The damp wool also 

 serves to kpep the flowers fresh and unwithered. 

 If the bouquet has to be made some hours before 

 it is used, avoid all flowers that shed easily — 

 white .Jasmine is very prone to shed its flowers 

 soon after they are cut. Twist the wire stems 

 securely together so that no flower can be dis- 

 placed, and make the bottom of the bouquet 

 lerel, so that the bouquet paper may easily be 

 slipped up close under the flowers and kept 

 there by sewing it to them with a needle and 

 white cotton." 



NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 



Croton recurvifolius (see illustration). — The 

 English people never seem to tire of new Cro- 

 tons. They are among the gayest of their hot- 

 house plants. In our country there is the 

 additional advantage that they thrive admira- 

 bly in the open air during the summer season. 

 No one has yet thougtit to have beds of the 

 different varieties, as we have of coleus, but 

 such a bed would be charming if judiciously 

 arranged. We give with this one of the newest, 

 an introduction of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, of 

 Chelsea, near London. It is thus described : 

 A very fine and distinct broad-leaved va- 

 riety of dense habit and with recurred foliage 

 far superior to the well-known C. volutus. The 

 midribs and veins, which are crimson bordered 

 with yellow, are much sunk, giving the upper 

 surface of the leaves a ridged and waved appear- 

 ance. The variegation is well-marked and the 

 contrast of the different tints to the deep olive 

 green ground color is very pleasing. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



IsoTOMA longiflora. — John G. Eisele says : 

 " In regard to what Mr. DeNiedman volunteered 

 to state in the February number of the Garden- 

 er's Monthly, concerning I. longiflora: First, 

 I received the seed from which I raised the 

 plants from a friend at Tampico, Mexico. There, 

 I was told, the flower is a favorite, and bears the 

 poetical name of " Estrella del Mer." To be sure, 

 Tampico lies pretty well south — below the Tropic 

 of Cancer— and has consequently rather a warm 

 climate; but nevertheless, especially in the be- 

 ginning of winter, it is not seldom severely expos- 

 ' edto the cold northern winds, sweeping down from 



