266 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[September, 



specimen of T. superba has leaves 3 feet long, and 

 the plant is about $)4 feet through. Some leaves 

 of T. pellucida measure nearly 31^ feet in length, 

 and the plant is about 5 •/< feet across ; its drooping 

 habit is very graceful. T. plumosa resembles T. 

 pellucida, but it is more finely cut and a of darker 

 green shade, more like that of T. superba. Though 

 still a young plant, it is one of great beauty. T. 

 Fraseri has leaves over 3'/^ feet long. Smaller 

 plants of this fern are grown in a wall of Filmy 

 Ferns, which extends the full length of one side 

 of the house. The position shows to advantage 

 the large drooping feather-like leaves of this Todea. 

 T. barbara (T. Africana) differs entirely from these 

 Filmy Todeas, it much more resembles a Lastrea 

 in habit. The leaves are by no means filmy, nor 

 has it the beautiful coloring of the other Todeas. 

 The two plants of it are grown in different houses, 

 and probably in a higher temperature than that of 

 the Filmy Fern-house. — C. M. Owen, in Garden- 

 ers' Chronicle. 



A High-priced Rose Coming to Philadel- 

 phia. — In a late number of the Gardeners' Chroni- 

 cle is the following reference to a purchase of a new 

 rose by a Philadelphia florist. We presume Mr. 

 Evans, of Rowlandville, Phila., to be the purchaser 

 referred to. 



"Some of our rose loving readers may be inter- 

 ested to know that one of Mr. Bennett's seedlings 

 has recently been the subject of a trade bargain, 

 which in magnitude we imagine has not before 

 been exceeded in this, if in any other country 

 where a rose has been the subject bartered. We 

 believe we are divulging no secret when we state 

 that an enterprising Philadelphia plant merchant, 

 Mr. Evans, has bought half Mr. Bennett's stock 

 of the crimson tea rose, William Francis Bennett, 

 for ^750, and has legally bound himself not to 

 sell or otherwise dispose of any bud, cutting, or 

 scion, but only the flowers, for a term of four 

 years. The rose in question is not much known, 

 except to those who have visited Mr. Bennett's 

 rose nursery at Shepperton, or previously at Staple- 

 ford, but it has made its mark in Covent Garden 

 and other markets, many thousands of its bloom- 

 buds having been sold at highly remunerative 

 prices. As we have before stated, it is one of the 

 most persistent of winter bloomers. As with Wel- 

 lington's soldiers at Waterloo, so it is with this rose 

 — when one bud is cut off another quickly takes 

 its place. It partakes largely of the Niphetos form, 

 and is a glowing crimson in color. When we re- 

 member that in America, roses in winter realise 

 sums that make the English grower's mouth water, 

 it needs no great stretch of imagination to convince 

 us that Mr. Evans' speculation must soon prove a 

 profitable investment." 



It is called "William Francis Bennett." 



Double Flowers.— In order to obtain double 



flowers, it has been thought advisable to make use 

 of the pollen from double flowers, where it is pos- 

 sible to obtain it, and to apply it to the stigma of 

 single flowers from which it is desired to procure 

 double-flowered seedlings. M. Lemoine, desirous 

 of experimenting with lilacs, found that the only 

 double-flowered lilac then known had no stamens, 

 and consequently no pollen. He therefore de- 

 cided to reverse the process, and to fertilize the 

 stigmas of certain double-flowered lilacs with th'e 

 pollen from some of the best single varieties. The 

 experiment was so far a success, that out of forty 

 seedlings thirty at least yielded semi-double or 

 double-flowers, one of them being very remark- 

 able for its beauty. — Florist. 



Insects. — Dr. H. P. Walcott tells the Massachu- 

 setts Horticultural Society : The insect enemies of 

 the chrysanthemum are the green aphis through the 

 season, the black aphis later, the grasshopper and 

 a root louse. The aphides can be destroyed with 

 tobacco water ; the grasshoppers must be picked 

 off by the hand, but no remedy is known for the 

 root louse. The formation of the plants is effected 

 by pinching ; but to obtain perfection of flower, 

 the Japanese should not be pinched more than 

 once, or the large flowei'ed more than twice, 

 while the pompons may be pinched with safety to 

 any extent up to the middle of August. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Stigmaphyllum ciliatum. — "J. A. T.," New 

 York, writes: " Will you be kind enough to tell 

 me the name of the enclosed specimen ? It blooms 

 profusely every summer, and, although I have 

 had it for some years and many have seen it, I 

 have not been able to get its name. The flowers 

 are yellow, as you will see, and are quite pretty, I 

 think." 



[The plant is Stigmaphyllum ciliatum, a lovely 

 climber, which, though long in cultivation, is 

 found in but few collections. It is from Brazil. — 

 Ed. G. M.] 



Seedling Coleus. — W. S. Johnston, Greenville, 

 Pa., writes : " I send you a sample of seedling 

 coleus raised here. They are all good bedders. 

 What do you think of them? I also enclose a 

 bloom of a double Bouvardia. It is a sport from 

 a double white. Is it worth anything ?" 



[The specimens came in good condition. It is 

 quite impossible to say whether they are valuable 

 or not. There are some pretty colors among 

 them. Coleus are chiefly valuable for bedding 



