August 10. 191S 



HORTICULTURE 



137 



The shortage of imported evergreens such as box- 

 woods, laurels and bay trees, \'. hich have liitherto been 

 hirgeh" used for decorative piu|ioses during the winter 

 time for the embellishment of balconies, cool conserva- 

 tories, etc.. should Ijriug to our notice the many good 

 and suitalile evergreens we h-ne in this cotintry, which 

 are equally beautiful and answer the purpose fully as 

 well as the imported stock, ilany of the coniferous 

 evergreens which may be utilized are also mttch more 

 easily maintained in good condition than those received 

 li'om tlie milder European climates. For those who 

 have to provide such decoration in boxes, tubs or pots it 

 is a good time now to get the receptacles ready and those 

 shrubs which are to occupy them marked ready for lift- 

 ing. Any time during this month is suitable for lifting 

 coniferous evergreens but advantage should lie taken, if 

 ]iossible. of dull showery weather or immediately after 

 a good rain when the ground j^ moist, but otherwise, if 

 dry weatlier prevails one must resort to artificial water- 

 ing. The larger specimens should have the branches 

 carefully tied up first and in lifting every precaution 

 taken to retain as many of the fine roots as possible with 

 a good liall of soil. 



An important point is the drainage of the receptacles 

 wliich must be ample and thorough so that water may 

 pass freely through as no jjlants mil remain long in 

 good condition in pots or tubs if they become waterlogged 

 and the soil sour. As the plants are potted they should 

 receive a good soaking of water and stood in a shady. 

 >lieltered position until the roots have well started again. 

 Shrul)s grown under restricted root conditions naturally 

 Jieed frequent applications of water but this should only 

 be given when necessary and ir warm weather it is of 

 the utmost importance that one spray them frequently 

 • overhead. 



Some of the most attractive \arieties for the purpose 

 are enumerated but the selection will have to be governed 

 by the positions the plants are to occupy and individual 

 tastes. Among the most iiseful for larger specimens are 

 Picea allia. P. Englemanni and the green and blue forms 

 of P. ]mnirens, the Colorado spruce; Pinus Strobus. the 

 white pine: Pseudotsuga Douglasii, the Pouglas fir; 

 Tsuga canadensis and Tsuga ca'xdiniana; the hemlocks; 

 Juniiieru- viriiiniana : the red cedar and Sciadopitys 



PhctobyA L. Miller. 

 Table Xtirwa.v Spnu-e fi»r Christmas t'se 



verticillata, the beautiful umbrella pine from Japan. 

 For smaller growing specimens the following can be 

 recommended: Thuja occidentalis and its varieties, 

 compacta, Hoveyi and pyramidalis ; Retinospora filifera 

 and E. Veitchii ; Taxus euspidata : Juniperus com- 

 munis and Pinus montana. 



m. Desert, Me. 



FORDHOOK HYBRID GLADIOLI. 



I StH.' r.ivHi- Itlustiati^>n I 

 The trial grounds at Fordhook are 

 now brilliant with Buri:ee"s new strain 

 of gladioli on which their expert, 

 George W. Kerr, has been working 

 for the past ten years. There are 

 some two hundred varieties now un- 

 der label that have survived from 

 year to year from hundreds of thou- 

 sands that had to go in the discard as 

 superior merit' developed in the fa-' 

 vored few. The foundation of the new 

 strain was the early flowering prae- 

 cox crossed with gandavensis. Le- 

 moinei. Xancianus, and various other 

 types. All colors are represented 

 from the purest white to the deepest 

 crimson, with wonderful varieg-.tions 



in splashing and marginatlons in the 

 intermediate shades. In addition to 

 their early flowering qualities — fall 

 flowers from spring sown seed — the 

 size and form of the blossoms are of 

 the finest, many of them fully equal 

 to that of such fine varieties as Mrs. 

 FYancis King, America and others of 

 that class. The Kunderdi blood has 

 also been introduced recently and sev- 

 eral of the new crosses with that fine 

 novelty begin already to show good 

 promise. Mr. Kerr says that while 

 most of the spring sown will bloom 

 the first season all the corms should 

 be saved and stored over for next 

 spring's planting, showing their addi- 

 tional delightful surprises over the 

 first season's wonders. 



A BOTANICAL HIGHWAY. 



Thi Christian Science Monitor, Bos- 

 ton, is authority for the • statement 

 that the Pacific Highway, designed to 

 extend from British Columbia to Mex- 

 ico, will be developed on either side 

 as a continuous botanic garden and 

 arboretum. Portions of this interna- 

 tional roadway were constructed be- 

 fore the United States entered the 

 war. According to the Monitor the 

 movement to develop the highway 

 alonu botanical lines was started in 

 Santa Barbara, Cal., by the WorldV 

 Botai ical Garden Association. It is 

 stated that the central garden and 

 nursery for southern species will be 

 located at Santa Barbara. 



