October 30, 1909 



HORTICULTURE 



601 



Notes from the Arnold Arboretum 



Some very handsome and interesting novelties are 

 foimd among the Chinese Brambles of which more than 

 a dozen have been introduced during recent years. 

 Some of them differ in foliage and general appearance 

 so much from our native species that at first sight one 

 would hardly believe that they belong to the same genus. 

 Those with long trailing shoots are well adapted for 

 covering rocky slopes or sandy banks, also for planting 

 on walls, trellises, pillars and the like; they keep their 

 foliage unchanged until late in fall unaffected by early 

 frosts and some are even half evergreen. Their leaves vary 

 greatly in shape; in some species they are undivided or 

 only slightly lobed, in some palmately lobed or palmately 

 divided and in some pinnate. 



One of the handsomest is Ruhus bambtisarum with 

 trailing shoots from ten to twelve feet long, furnished 

 with scattered small spines and covered while young 

 with a white floccose tomentum. The leaves are trifo- 

 liolate with narrow lance-shaped serrate leaflets from 

 three to four inches long, glabrous and dark green on 

 the upper surface and covered beneath with a white or 

 later dun-colored tomentum. The flowers appear in 

 terminal racemes from two to three inches long and are 

 followed by black edible fruits. 



Similar to the preceding species is Rubus Henryi, but 

 the leaves are only lobed, not divided into leaflets, usu- 

 ally with five ovate serrate lobes or sometimes with three 

 narrower lobes, covered on the under surface with a dun- 

 colored tomentum. The flowers appear in short termi- 

 nal racemes. 



Another handsome species is Rubus flagelliflorus with 

 long prostrate shoots from six to eight feet long and root- 

 ing at the tips, glabrous and furnished with a few spines. 

 The half evergreen leaves are ovate to ovate-oblong, cor- 

 date at the base, unequally serrate and from four to five 

 inches in length; the upper surface of the leaves has a 

 metallic appearance and in shade they are sometimes 

 beautifully marbled as in certain forms of Eex Begonia, 

 tlie under surface is covered with a cream or dun- 

 colored tomentum. The white flowers appear in small 

 axillary clusters near the tips of the shoots. This 

 species like the two preceding ones are valued for their 

 ornamental foliage. 



Chiefly for its ornamental fruit Rubus innominatus 

 is to be recommended, resembling in habit and foliage 

 the Raspberry. It is a strong growing shrub from six 

 to eight feet high, the stems covered with a short vel- 

 vety pubescence and furnished with a few scattered 

 spines. The leaves are trifoliolate with broadly ovate 

 leaflets up to four inches in length, bright green and 

 glabrous on the upper surface and white tomentose be- 

 neath. The showy drooping panicles of bright orange- 

 scarlet fruits are from four to eight inches long or some- 

 times even longer and appear in September; they are 

 edible and resemble in flavor those of the Blackberry. 



Very distinct in foliage is Rubus ichangensis with 

 long and slender shoots furnished with a few prickles. 



The glabrous slender-stalked leaves are oblong-ovate, 

 deeply cordate at the base, acuminate, with rather few 

 large angular teeth and from three to five inches long. 

 The small flowers appear in slender terminal and axil- 

 lary panicles and are followed by small red fruits. Sim- 

 ilar in the shape of the foliage is Rubus Parkeri, but the 

 leaves are short-stalked and like the stems densely pubes- 

 cent. The panicles are larger and looser and very 

 glandular. Likewise similar to R. ichangensis is RubiLS 

 Lanibertianus, but the leaves are broader, more deeply 

 lobed and at the same time serrate and the panicles are 

 larger and looser. 



A very distinct species is Rubus irenaeus with long- 

 stalked roundish, slightly lobed and serrate leaves from 

 four to six inches in diameter, dark green on the upper 

 surface, dun-colored with darker veins beneath. The 

 flowers appear in axillary and terminal umbel-like 

 clusters. 



There are still other noteworthy species, as Rubus 

 chrooscpalus with leaves resembling those of Tilia alba; 

 R. conduplicatiis similar to R. Henryi; Rubus coreanus 

 and R. hypargyrus with pinnate leaves white beneath; 

 Rubus Wilsoni and R. leucocarpus also with pinnate 

 leaves and other species not yet determined. 



Oncidium varicosum Rogersii 



(See Cover Illustration.) 



This very useful as Well as beautiful orchid is at its 

 best now and its lovely sprays of pure yellow flowers 

 have made the house in which they are growing here 

 look bright and cheerful for the past three or four 

 weeks and they will stay in good condition for another 

 few weeks. 



For general usefulness there are few orchids which 

 can beat this lovely oncidium. It is of comparatively 

 easy cultivation, once its requirements are understood. 



Here they grow splendid in the coolest and at the 

 same time lightest house of the establishment. Plenty 

 of fresh air and light at all times are the main essen- 

 tials to look out for. In winter they are kept at from 

 45 to 50 degrees at night with an increase of a few de- 

 grees during the day. Very little water is given 

 throughout the winter, a syringing on bright days being 

 sufficient until towards spring when the new growths 

 are fairly well rooted ; from that time on the amount of 

 water is gradually increased until the plants are in fuU 

 growth, when they are soaked once or twice a day, with 

 an additional dip in weak manure water once or twice 

 a week until the flowers begin to open; then water is 

 gradually withheld until by the time the flowers have 

 faded or have been cut, the plants are again ready for 

 their long dry winter's rest. Here the plants are grown 

 suspended from the roof near the ventilator, which as- 

 sures an abundant supply of fresh air and light. 



Naugaiuck, Conn. 



{^.j^a^ 



