November 27, 1909 



nORTlCULTURt 



743 



ing summer this variety should stand on the bare boards 



or on inverted pots. Indeed all adiimtunis are better in 

 summer on the bare wood than on ashes. A. giganteum 

 is a variety that ought to be in more common use. So 

 far as the writer knows, it is found only in one of the 

 Bahama Islands and in Hernando County, Florida. In 

 the latter place it grows on the sides of a deep pit or 

 cave which always has lots of water at the bottom. The 

 fronds gi'ow to an immense size and the stems measure 

 from 21/^ to 3 ft. It grows very easily, stands quite a 

 lot of sun and with liberal treatment makes a very fine 

 specimen. 



A good potting material is made by adding about one- 

 third of leaf mould to the soil and also a small percent- 

 age of sand or charcoal screenings. Where leaf mould 

 can not be obtained add enough sand and charcoal to 

 make the mixture light. Provide plenty of drainage and 

 pot firmly taking care not to bury the crowns. When 

 planted out for cutting a good friable loam with the 

 addition of a little old manure will answer very well. 



Adiantums, with the exception probably of A. Farley- 

 ense and A. magnificum, require a long rest in summer 

 and it is useless to try to make them grow then. The 

 old fronds should be cut off, the pots placed close 

 together on the bare boards and just enough water given 

 to keep the crowns alive. In September they can be re- 

 potted or shook out and put back in the old pots. Water 

 sparingly until they are well started. When well estab- 

 lished a watering with liquid manure once a week will be 

 beneficial. A night temperature of 55 degrees is suf- 

 ficient except for A. Farleyense which should be a few 

 degrees warmer. 



Snails, shot bugs or wood lice, mealy bugs and the 

 larvae of a night-prowling moth or butterfly are the 

 chief insect pests and all have to be guarded against. A 

 little air-slacked lime scattered on the benches between 

 the pots will generally be sufiBcient to banish the snails, 

 and bran mixed with enough paris green to change the 

 color and spread on the benches will soon finish the shot 

 bugs. Mealy t)ug generally attacks only the large speci- 

 mens. Turn the plants on their side and syringe with 

 a fine spray but good pressure and do it early in the day. 

 The larvae of the' moth are the hardest problem and the 

 amount of damage they do in the south is incalculable. 

 The plants, too, should be dusted regularly with pyreth- 

 rum powder or slug shot at least once a week, but the 

 slug shot must be used sparingly or it will burn the ten- 

 der foliage. Keep this up until cold weather sets in. 



New Orleans, La. 



Water Scenery In the Garden 



The treatment of the banks of sheets of water in a 

 garden is of so varied a character that a brief descrip- 

 tion of the subject is beyond the scope of a gardening 

 journal, and I propose only to take the one to be com- 

 monly met with in gardens on level land, and to leave 

 rock work, formed of Alpine gardening and subtropical 

 gardening to some future time. 



The water scenery is, or should be, something apart 

 from the rest of the garden, and for that reason it ought 

 to be differentiated in its nature. Few owners of gar- 

 dens desire to have the ornate work of the flower gar- 

 dener to extend over the whole of the so-called "pleasure 

 ground," but they do enjoy the repose afforded by the 

 fresh green of smooth turf, relieved here and there, per- 

 haps, by small groups of not too obtrusive flowering 



plants and shrubs, and of the more ornamental trees of 

 moderate growth. A considerable amount of restraint 

 is therefore a necessity on the part of the planter, and 

 the natural, rather than the artificial, should be the pre- 

 dominating character. 



Assuming that the area of water is of small extent, 

 low growing plants should be those chiefly employed 

 more especially on the south, southwest and southeast 

 sides, otherwise the surface of the water would be de- 

 prived of its main feature — its brightness, under the 

 sun's rays. There are numerous plants, perennial for 

 the most part, which might be selected for enlivening 

 the immediate surroundings, if a plain sward be not pre- 

 ferred. 1 may mention a few of these, viz.. Aster 

 amellus in variety, and especially Perry's Favorite, of a 

 pleasing red tint, the only one yet raised ; A. Fremonti, 

 excellent for early flowering ; hardy, very floriferous, 

 and not particular as to the nature of the soil, providing 

 it is not too moist. The plant forms caespitose tufts of 

 dark green leaves, from which stems arise about 10 

 inches high, surmounted with blossoms 3 inches in diam- 

 eter, violet with a yellow disc ; Astilbe Davidii, a plant 

 having erect stems 3-4 feet in height bearing panicles of 

 purplish red flowers. It does well in partial shade and 

 a moist soil. The Aubrietias are capital plants of pleas- 

 ing tints for forming masses ; and A. tauricola alba is a 

 compact growing variety with white flowers. The 

 campanulas offer many beautiful plants for planting in 

 masses, and C. glomerata acaulis is one of the best. 

 C. hybrida Fergusoni is an excellent variety, said to be 

 a cross with C. pyramidalis. It possesses tall slender 

 stems that are furnished with closely set flowers of a 

 light blue tint. The varieties of C. persicifolia with 

 blue or white flowers, are very desirable. The newer 

 delphiniums make grand masses of color. Dielytra 

 spectabilis and its variety alba. Gaillardias, invaluable 

 plants for grouping, having large flowers, brilliant in 

 coloring, of which the variety Beauty is one of the best; 

 but there are many others worth planting; as are also 

 the Incarvilleas, Delavayi, compacta and grandiflora — 

 all quite hardy in temperate climates, and bearing hand- 

 some flowers. The N. American Lithospermums 

 Tweedii, L. canescens and L. Gastoni ; the second having 

 clusters of tubular flowers of a deep orange, tint, are 

 very decorative. Pentstemons in variety, especially P. 

 heterophyllus— a very floriferous plant, with blue flow- 

 ers. Phlox Laphami, a superior variety of P. cana- 

 densis, much finer than the" type, and having flowers of 

 the color of Plumbago capensis. The tritomas are cap- 

 ital waterside plants, handsome in flower and leaf. 



The above list offers a number of uncommon species 

 and varieties of an ornamental character, which are 

 adapted for planting in irregular masses — small or 

 large, according to space and taste ; and coming into 

 bloom at different seasons. They differ in various 

 points from the ordinary class of bedding plants, and 

 for that reason they are desirable for this special garden 

 feature — the decoration of the banks of lakes and 

 streams. The list of such hardy perennials is very 

 extensive, but some of those named are among the most 

 recent introductions to gardens on this side of the At- 

 lantic, and are being eagerly sought for. 



Deciduous and evergreen species of trees and shrubs 

 of suitable dimensions are to be found in any good 

 nursery list, and no useful purpose would be served in 

 giving names here. 



London, Eng. 



