June IS, 1910 



HORTICULTURE, 



913 



Notes From the Arnold Arboretum 



The great mass of visitors to the Orchid Show held a 

 few weeks ago here at Boston did not perhaps pay much 

 attention to the extensive and interesting collection of 

 trees and shrubs introduced from China by the Arnold 

 Arboretum and shown by B. & J. Farquhar & Co. These 

 plants mostly in a young state and not or only imper- 

 fectly in bloom could of course not compete with the 

 gorgeous flowers of the orchids, but to the initiated they 

 promise more for the future and will be of greater value 

 to the nurseryman and florist than these splendid or- 

 chids, for many of them will finally find their way in 

 every park and garden. Apparently the most attention 

 was directed to some of the vines and particularly Am- 

 pelopsis or Parthenocissxis Henryana with its beautifully 

 marked foliage. In habit and foliage this plant much 

 resembles the Virginia creeper but in regard to the color 

 of its foliage it may be compared with the favorite 

 greenhouse climber Cissus discolor. The leaves are dark 

 velvety green on the upper surface with silvery markings 

 along the midrib and the veins, the under side being 

 more or less purple, particularly while the leaves are still 

 young; in autumn the foliage changes to various shades 

 of red with the silvery markings still preserved. It may 

 also be used as a basket plant in the greenhouse or con- 

 servatory, as the Boston Ivy sometimes is, than which it 

 is doubtless much more beautiful with its handsomely 

 colored foliage. 



Of another vahiable new climber. Clematis Armandi, 

 unfortunately only an inferior form was shown in bloom 

 in the same exhibit and it should be understood that the 

 species ought not be judged by that plant. A much 

 finer form was exhibited early in spring, also by Messrs. 

 Farquhar, at one of the smaller shows at Horticultural 

 Hall. Clematis Armandi varies greatly in the size of 

 its flowers which may attain two and a half inches in 

 diameter and resemble in color, shape and time of flower- 

 ing those of C. montana, but the foliage is evergi'een, a 

 new feature among our hardy Clematis, which makes C. 

 Armandi a very desirable introduction. An illustration 

 of this Clematis will be found in the issue of Hoeticul- 

 TURE, March 13, on page 368. 



Another exhibit at the Orchid Show which probably 

 did not attract the attention it deserved, was the Cedars 

 of Lebanon of which two fine plants about six feet high 

 were shown by the Arnold Arboretum. These plants 

 were raised from seed procured about six years ago by 

 the Arnold Arboretum from the high mountains of Asia 

 Minor, snow-clad during a large part of the year, the 

 highest altitude where Cedrus Libani is known to exist. 

 The plants have now stood without the slightest injury 

 the last five winters in various exposures at the Arbor- 

 etum, which gives us the assurance that we at last pos- 

 sess a race of that famous tree hardy in this latitude. 

 Before this introduction, for which we are indebted to 

 Prof. Sargent, Cedrus Libani could not be grown suc- 

 cessfully in the northern Atlantic States. Every one 

 who has admired the stately old Cedars in England or 

 the climatically more favored regions of continental 

 Europe, will rejoice in the thought that we shall in 

 future be able to see this beautiful tree, to which its his- 

 toric and religious associations lend an additional charm, 

 growing in our parks. 



A broad-leaved evergreen which ought to be better 

 known is the Japanese Box-tree, Buxus japonica. It 



has proved perfectly hardy at the Arboretum, hardier 

 thail the common Box and has the advantage of a hand- 

 somer foliage. The leaves are broader and of a bright 

 pleasing green. As we have not too many broad-leaved 

 evergreens hardy in this latitude and the shrub is easily 

 propagated by cuttings, there is no reason why it should 

 not be found in trade where it is at present hardly 

 known. 



It did not need a very trained eye to pick out among 

 the Bush Honeysuckles flowering at the Arboretum the 

 Lonicera amoena var. Arnoldiana as one of the handsom- 

 est and most graceful of all. It is a hybrid of L. tatar- 

 ica and L. Korolkowii and originated only a few years 

 ago at the Arboretum. When the slender branches, 

 clothed with bluish green, rather small and narrow foli- 

 age, are covered with a multitude of light pink flowers 

 borne on slender stalks well above the foliage, the shrub 

 presents an exceedingly light and graceful appearance, 

 which will make it one of the most favorite Honeysuckles 

 when it is better known. 



Trans-Atlantic Notes 



THE NETHERLANDS UNION FOE BULB GEOWEES IN HAAB- 



LEM 



Certificates of merit were awarded at the last meeting 

 of the committees for narcissus and tulips to the follow- 

 ing, viz. : Narcissus Glory of Wassenaar, a large yel- 

 low flower, wide when fully expanded, the perianth pale 

 yellow, and darker corona ; Narcissus Glory of Haarlem, 

 having an erect golden yellow corona ; Narcissus Chanti- 

 cler with a large citron corona of a light tint ; and single 

 flowering Tulip Oranjeboven, an early flowering variety 

 of a deep reddish orange color, resembling Prince von 

 Oesterreich. 



HAEMANTHUS LESCRAUWABTU 



This bulbous plant, obtained by the Botanic Garden at 

 Brussels from the Congo region a few years ago is one 

 of the easiest to cultivate and flower. Even the smallest 

 bulbs produce flowers. The color of the latter, their 

 form and flower shaft have a similarity to H. Kather- 

 inee — a Natal species. From the readiness of the spe- 

 cies to produce its flowers it is probable that by cross- 

 ings with other species which flower but rarely under cul- 

 tivation, varieties that flower with greater freedom will 

 be obtained. To cultivate the plant, which does not 

 become leafless, in the resting period, it will require a 

 strong, rich soil, and a place in the temperate house. 

 Thus writes B. Vogtlander in "Die Gartenwelt" for May 

 21st last. 



Dr. E. Thiele who has recently returned from a sci- 

 entific visit to East Africa of considerable duration, has 

 succeeded Prof. Fesca in the school for Tropical plant 

 culture at Witzenhausen on the Werra. 



LIEGNITZ 



A great Eose Show is to be held from June 25 to 28, 

 at this town, and the Society of Eose Amateurs has 

 issued the program for the sections, "Cut Blooms of 

 Eoses," and "Florists' Art witli the Eose." One flower 

 only of a variety may be shown in an exhibit, and it must 

 be shown with its leaves. There are 46 competitive 

 classes. 



