1883.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



67 



rim, which was two inches high), and filled the 

 tank from end to end, crowding upon the side 

 walls, for the tank was too narrow to allow the 

 plant to spread properly. 



The first flower bud was discovered in the crown 

 of the plant on the 21st of August. This opened 

 on the evening of the 3d of September, and pro- 

 duced a flower twelve inches across, and so power- 

 ful was the fragrance that it could be perceived 

 several rods distant. During the hottest weather 

 of summer no artificial heat whatever was given to 

 the plant, but during September and October, a 

 fire was kept up. A fresh flower was produced 

 every three or four days. As cool nights came on 

 it became more difficult for the buds to expand. 

 The last days of October were quite warm for the 

 season. On the first day of November a fine bud 

 (with the help of loosening a few of the petals, 

 which stuck together at their points), expanded 

 into as large and perfect a flower as any preceding 

 it. About the same time a quantity of perfectly 

 ripened seed was gathered, being the product of 

 the first flower which opened. 



The plant was then allowed to perish. At this 

 writing (January i6th), I have a young plant 

 started and hope to flower the " Queen Lily " much 

 earlier next summer than I did last. I have been 

 informed that a gentleman residing near Boston, 

 once spent ^9,000 in growing this famous plant 

 under glass. I am confident that if it were more 

 generally known with what little trouble and at 

 what comparatively small expense it can be grown 

 in perfection in the open air, its culture would be- 

 come more common. 



For my own part I consider myself amply re- 

 paid for my trouble in the results obtained. A 

 gentleman in Georgia writes me that he grew the 

 Victoria to great perfection of leaf, flower and 

 ripened seed in a carp pond last summer, first 

 having a strong plant to start with. 



SUMMER ROSE CULTURE. 

 BY C. E. PARNELL, QUEENS, L. I. 



In the Gardeners' Monthly for August, 1882, 

 page 231, Miss M. W. says: "I have some fifty 

 roses, many of them choice varieties, mostly month- 

 lies, and I would like to so manage them as not to 

 lose one, which if I do will be contrary to my past 

 experience. They grow and bloom well nearly all 

 the summer, yet I think there must be some fault 

 in potting in the fall, as many die during the win- 

 ter and some after they are brought up from the 

 cellar in the spring." 



I infer from the above query that the roses are 

 intended for summer and autumn blooming, and 

 if their growth is vigorous I would, ask why take 

 them up at all ; why not protect them well during 

 the wintei season and thus obtain larger and 

 stronger plants, and more abundant bloom ? 



In order to protect tender roses properly during 

 the winter season, they should be pegged down to 

 the ground as close as possible, and covered up 

 with six or eight inches of leaves or rough litter ; 

 over this place some evergreen branches, in order 

 to prevent the leaves from being blown away. 

 This covering should not be applied too early, not 

 until hard freezing weather sets in, say from De- 

 cember 1st to 8th. In this latitude it is soon 

 enough, for if the covering is applied sooner the 

 shoots may be smothered and destroyed by decay, 

 a certain result of too early covering. In the 

 spring this covering must be gradually removed, 

 a portion about the middle or end of March, and 

 the remainder about the loth of April, according 

 to the season. If the roses are well established 

 and are strong healthy plants, they will survive the 

 winter, and if Miss M. W. will adopt this method 

 she will obtain more satisfactory results than by 

 taking the plants up and potting them. I hope 

 she will try this plan and report the result. 



SUMMER FLOWERING VINES. 

 BY MR. A. THORPE, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Noticing an article by Mr. Parnell on Ipomaea 

 Learii being valuable as an out-door summer flow- 

 ering climber, I thought that mentioning a few 

 others which like I. Learii are grown in England, 

 as stove and greenhouse climbers, but whose mis- 

 sion in this country is to embellish our rural and 

 city gardens with their beautiful foliage and lovely 

 flowers, might interest some of your readers, as 1 

 believe they are not generally known. I refer to 

 the following : 



Ipomcea insis^nis. — This species has purplish, 

 rose-colored flowers, which are produced abun- 

 dantly ; the leaves are five-lobed, the buds before 

 opening resembling a small bunch of grapes ; has 

 tuberous roots, and propagates freely from cut- 

 tings made at a joint ; when touched by frost can 

 be cut back and kept dormant during the winter 

 months in a cellar or greenhouse. 



Ipomcea Horsfallia. — This beautiful species is 

 very similar in appearance to the preceding, with 

 this difference, that the leaves and buds have a 

 bright glossy look as if varnished, and the flowers 

 are a fine crimson ; is also very hard to propagate 



