1882.1 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



295 



There are but few things in the greenhouse 

 that will require special treatment at this time. 

 Camellias and Azaleas, as they cease to grow, 

 will require less water; but it is now so well 

 known that moisture is favorable to growth, and 

 comparative dryness fiivorable to flowering, that 

 we need do no more than refer to the fact. 



Bulbs for flowering in pots should be placed at 

 once. Four or five inch pots are suitable. One 

 Hyacinth and about three Tulips are sufficient 

 for each. After potting, plunge the pots over 

 their rims in sand under the greenhouse stage, 

 letting them remain there until the pots have 

 become well filled with roots, before bringing 

 them on to the shelves to force. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



CELOSIA CLARKII. 



BY MR. VL. DE NIEDMANN, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Last j-ear I had the pleasure of sending you 

 some flowers of Celosia Clarkii, calling your at- 

 tention at the same time to the pretty habit of 

 this plant, suggesting also tbat it probably might 

 make a nice addition to our winter flowers. But 

 little I expected at the time that the plant 

 would, in this brief period, become such a gen- 

 eral favorite among our floricultural friends, 

 both as bedder and winter flowerer, that I think, 

 I am justified in relating now a few facts and 

 experiences with this Celosia in order that some 

 others may also have the pleasure of learning 

 something about this new pretty stranger, who 

 already claims to have gained so many friends and 

 admirers. Among a collection of Chinese seed 

 received from Scotland in 1879 there was a 

 package of Celosia— of which the Celosia Clarkii 

 originated ; the young plants were potted off" 

 and planted out on a flower-border after the 

 usual manner, but attention was soon called to 

 the above variety by its fine, strong branching 

 habit and the multitude of bright unusual shaped 

 flowers ; and about September, when in full 

 bloom, it could be seen from a great distance, 

 the pinkish-red flowers, when close, resembling 

 a densely furnished miniature fir-tree. Seed was 

 anxiously looked for, but upon a most careful 

 examination there was not a single seed to be 

 found and the only chance of perpetuating was 

 lelt from cuttings, which were mighty scarce, as 

 all seemed to be flower wood. A few of the 

 most likely pieces were taken just before frost; 

 they rooted freely, and commenced, as soon as 



they were established in pots, to throw up flower 

 shoots over flower-shoots, nothing but flower- 

 shoots — and so on all winter. In May, 1880, all 

 the old plants were set out in a fine sunny 

 exposure, and about July they were on a fair 

 way to equal, if not to supersede the parent 

 plant. This little experience of the preceding 

 winter demonstrated the fact, that it would make 

 one of the most prolific winter flowering plants. 

 The culture is quite simple; cuttings made early 

 in August of young growths just showing flower- 

 heads will root as easily as Coleus ; pinched back, 

 and shifted on in five-inch pots, put out of doors 

 along with Stevia, Eupatorium, Bauvardia, Poin- 

 settia, and other winter-flowering plants. They 

 will be by the end of September in a splendid 

 condition for winter, and which they are to my 

 utmost satisfaction in a Bouvardia house, the 

 contrast between the Bouvardia and the Celosia 

 flowers being a most pleasing one. 



FERTILIZING MOSS. 



BY PETER HENDERSON. 



I notice in the September number of the Gar- 

 dener's Monthly that the subject of the French 

 fertilizing moss is again discussed, more claims 

 being made for its utility ; and as my name has 

 again been drawn into the matter allow me to 

 briefly state what is known about it. No doubt 

 many of the readers of the Gardener's Monthly 

 may remember that a Mr. Chamberlain, a gar- 

 dener of Newport, R. I., and subsequently of 

 Brooklyn, L. I., made some twenty or twenty- 

 five years ago a considerable sensation by grow- 

 ing and fruiting grapes and peaches and growing 

 many flowering and ornamental plants in bas- 

 kets in prepared fertilized moss. The subject 

 was thoroughly discussed at that time in the New 

 York Horticulturist and I think also in the Gar- 

 dener's Monthly, but was soon dropped as it 

 was found that it was not practical to shift plants 

 so grown, so that when the supply of plant food 

 became exhausted a fresh supply could not be 

 as conveniently given as when the plants were 

 grown in soil in the usual way. Mr. Chamber- 

 lain like the Frenchman was very mysterious 

 about the ingredients he mixed with the moss 

 and talked glibly about the " chemical combina- 

 tions " he had discovered to cause such wonder- 

 ful results. What the ingredients he used were 

 I do not know any more than I know what is in 

 the Dumesnil moss, but few professional horti- 

 culturists of any experience could be found gul- 



