1883.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



.291 



The same laws apply to indoor plants as to outside 

 ones. 



Men will inquire sometimes to what country the 

 plant belongs ; if from a tropical one they apply 

 strong heat, neglecting moisture in the air, but 

 never fail to give plenty of water at the root, and then 

 they wonder why they don't succeed. We should 

 remember that in tropical countries, mountain and 

 swamp, high land and flat abound, as in more 

 temperate countries. But the cause of much un- 

 successful cultivation of plants, 1 do not hesitate to 

 say, is imperfect drainage. A recommendation to 

 drain well is always affixed to instructions given 

 about plant culture, and it cannot be too strongly 

 urged. Men have been found to argue that this 

 great care about careful drainage is only a second- 

 ary consideration. Perhaps it may be, in so far as 

 the cultivation of small plants for market is con- 

 cerned, when only very small pots are used, with 

 a clear sky above. But in less favored countries, 

 such as the British Islands, drainage is a neces- 

 sity in the earlier stages of growth. Perfect drain- 

 age hurts nothing, but imperfect does; and with 

 all the warnings given about this, more attention 

 is still needed before we see plants in general 

 health. It would be better if persons handling 

 plants were more observant of their natural re- 

 quirements based on the characters of roots. 



There is no doubt but that the great element in 

 the growth of plants is sufficient moisture for their 

 wants, and no more. Nature either sows or plants 

 where proper degrees of moisture and heat are 

 found. What a diversity in this may be noticed 

 in seeds! One sort requiring months, even years 

 to germinate, others will do so in a few hours. 

 The inexperienced often lose many seeds for the 

 want of knowledge of this. There are roots 

 that must be continually submerged in water, and 

 those that must be suspended in the air. A knowl- 

 edge of the nature of roots will be found of great 

 benefit to plant cultivators. 



This has been the case in numberless instances, 

 ever since its introduction. Sometimes it does 

 very well, but in most cases the flowers open 

 badly, and they are so seedy in appearance as to 

 be unfit for any purpose whatever. So true is this 

 that many growers have found it to their advantage 

 to go back to the original, which, but for its oc- 

 casional reversion to the single state, serves their 

 purpose fully as well. The flowers of this sort 

 may not be quite as large as those of the Pearl, 

 but this difference is more than made up by their 

 superior elegance of form and purity of color, 

 under all conditions when growing out of doors. 



THE PEARL TUBEROSE. 



BY A. VEITCH, NEW HAVEN, CONN. 



Ever since the Pearl Tuberose was introduced it 

 has been spoken of in catalogues as superior in 

 every respect to the old variety, and we readily 

 admit that for flowering under glass, too much has 

 not been said in its behalf; but it is possible that in 

 extolling its good qualities many of its admirers 

 have either overlooked or ignored its bad ones. 



The charge we bring against it is that when 

 planted out of doors it is not to be relied upon. 



NOTES ON THE SEPTEMBER NUMBER. 



BY W. F. BASSETT, HAMMONTON, N. J. 



Is Gynura aurantiaca really a hardy plant ? I 

 had supposed it to be something like the Coleus, 

 in this i-espect. What a wonderful effect these 

 violet hairs produce. The stem and leaves remind 

 me strongly of the common Fireweed, Erecthites 

 hieracifolia, yet these hairs give it a peculiar 

 changeable color which is very beautiiul. In like 

 manner, the old Coleus Verschaffeltii always re- 

 minds me of the common catnip, and its beauty is 

 due to its colors alone. 



In the article on " Yellow Flowers for July," 

 should not Rudbeckia trifolia read R. triloba .'' In 

 my collection of native flowers I have several 

 yellow ones that bloom in August and September, 

 which are really beautiful, 



Helianthus giganteus has a very leafy stem, five 

 to six feet high branching freely at top, and pro- 

 duces great numbers of floweis of a delicate light 

 yellow, with center of yellowish green. Helianthus 

 angustifolius is not so tall, growing three to four 

 feet and loosely branched from the ground up. 

 Its flowers are much deeper yellow with black 

 centers, and where several plants grow near each 

 other make a blaze of "sunshine." 



Helenium autumnale is quite interesting from its 

 winged stems, even when not in bloom, and the 

 notches in its light yellow petals give the flowers a 

 fringe-like appearance. This grows from two to 

 three feet. 



Among the Solidagos we have some fine yellow 

 flowers. Solidago virgata growing from two to 

 four feet with its wand-like stem and brush of 

 flowers, not unlike some of the herbaceous Spireas 

 in form, and the individual blooms quite large, is 

 a very elegant species and quite showy. 



There is another very showy late blooming 

 yellow flower, which I have never tried to trans- 



