March 5, 1910 



HORTICULTU R t 



331 



block, especially if the plants are small or me- 

 dium sized. The flower is fine but rather soft. 

 Odontoglossum grande, the baby orchid, easy to grow. 

 These are all natives of this continent found from 

 Mexico to Brazil and are eminently suited for culture 

 here. The two varieties next mentioned, Dendrobium 

 formosum and C. Wardianum, while stove orchids, 

 are easily grown in the Soutli. They make their 

 growth in the summer and when completed will do 

 well in an ordinary greenhouse temperature. 



A sight never to be forgotten by the writer, was a 

 ground bed 40 x 75 feet, the top of which contained 

 about 2 inches of sphagnum and charcoal dust, planted 

 thickly with Cattleya Bowringiana by a New Orleans 

 grower. The effect when the plants were in bloom was 

 simply dazzling. I have not mentioned any of the 

 Cypripediums as they are rather an uncertain quantity 

 here at best. The variety Spicerianum is probably the 

 surest one of the lot to give satisfaction in this section. 



(j(ji}M ^O^JhxScj^ 



Louisiana. 



Standard Lilacs 



Bauera 



This small genus of evergreen greenhouse shrubs, 

 deserves to be better known by the trade. They make 

 excellent spring flowering plants; in fact, flowers may 



be seen on them the whole year round. They deserve a 

 place along side the Boronia, which has been largely 

 grown of late by florists for spring use. Bauera rubi- 

 oides would be an excellent exhibition plant. The cul- 

 tural treatment given to Boronias suits these plants 

 admirably. Select cuttings of half-ripened wood, and 

 insert in silver sand, in a temperature from fifty to 

 sixty degrees. They root more quickly if kept in a 

 tight case, and when this is accomplished they may be 

 potted singly in small pots, in equal parts of peat and 

 loam, adding about a fifth of sharp sand and a little 

 finely broken charcoal. I think it is a good plan to 

 sift the whole compost rather fine, as hard-wooded 

 plants do not like to have an air space about the roots ; 

 also pot them firmly, having the pots well drained. 



As they are shifted along into larger pots, pinching 

 must be attended to, keeping the plants evenly balanced 

 by cutting the stronger shoots, allowing the weaker 

 ones to grow out until they attain more vigor before 

 stopping them. From June until September, they may 

 be placed outdoors, plunging the pots in a bed of ashes. 

 A cool greenhouse with a temperature from forty-five to 

 fifty during the night, is the best place to winter them 

 in. Bauera humilis has red flowers. Bauera rubioides 

 has flowers pale red or pink. It grows twice as large 

 as the former and the flower is also larger ; this variety 

 is also known as B. rubijefolia. Both are from New 

 South Wales. 



^ecTQ^ 



Lilacs have always been and always will be regarded 

 as one of the most beautiful classes of flowering shrubs, 

 and as improved new varieties continue to be added to 

 the already extensive list they will grow in public esti- 

 mation. It may not be necessary in this case, as with 

 some flowers, to solve new sorts to retain admiration for 

 them but anyone who has seen the wonderful collection 

 in the Arnold Arboretum or in the Rochester Public 

 Parks realizes that the newer varieties are greatly in 

 advance of older ones and to many who have limited 

 space it is important that the best be selected. 



It is not often that one sees lilacs grown in any other 

 way than as bushes but it is possible, as the accompany- 

 ing picture illustrates, to grow them very successfully as 

 standards, and for many positions in the garden where 

 specimen shrubs are desirable they can be used with 

 equal if not more pleasing results than standard Roses. 

 Whether grafted plants or those on their own roots are 

 employed, and of course, the later are to be preferred, it 

 is easy to make standard plants of them by pinching out 

 the lower buds till the desired height is reached and then 

 by careful pruning very fine round headed specimens 

 may be formed. It is advisable to have a clear stem of 

 fully four feet. 



West Medford, Mass. 



