March 19, 1910 



HORTICULTURE 



435 



in autumn its strikingly handsome and altogether re- 

 markable foliage makes it one of the most desirable of 

 all climbers for pillar work. 



V. Thomsoni is a small growing species six to eight 

 feet tall with digitately five-foliolate leaves greenish- 

 purple above, bright claret color below. In autumn the 

 foliage changes to lovely shades of reddish purple and 

 is then frequently glaucescent below. 



V. Henryana is another small growing species and is 

 perhaps the most attractive of its set. The foliage is 

 digitately five-foliolate with lanceolate-ovate to obovate, 

 toothed leaflets, dark, velvety green with midrib and 

 secondary veins silvery white. This variegation is more 

 pronounced in the fall when the gi'ound color of the 

 leaves changes to varying shades of red whilst the veins 

 retain their silvery appearance. In its adult (fruiting) 

 stage this plant loses its variegation to a large extent 

 and presents quite a difEerent appearance in general. 



v. Henryana is a self-clinging species and though not 

 so hardy as the more vigorous growing kinds should be 

 cultivated by all. It is a splendid subject for pot-cul- 

 ture or a cold gi'eenhouse when it retains its brilliantly 

 colored foliage practically throughout the winter. 



^^ 



CCf-^^-v., 



Calceolaria 



In a recent number of Horticulture there was pub- 

 lished a Preliminary Schedule of Prizes for the National 

 Show to be held, I believe, in the latter part of March, 

 1911, and among the many excellent classes provided 

 Calceolarias were included. March as a rule is con- 

 sidered early to have these useful and beautiful plants 

 in flower, but if the herbaceous hybrids are sown early, 

 say the end of that month or early in April, they can 

 be flowered in the latter part of the following March. I 

 may here say that plants raised from cuttings will flower 

 earlier than those produced from seeds, but this method 

 of reproduction is not often practiced in this section, 

 although we have raised excellent plants from cuttings. 

 We have experimented a little with early and late sown 

 batches and have invariably found that those sown the 

 last week in March or early in April, will give better 

 results than those sown later in the season. The early 

 sown ones being stronger when the hot months arrive, 

 give less trouble to coax them through that period, and 

 when flowering time arrives a much larger plant, if 

 desired, can be secured. A good plan to prevent damp- 

 ing oS during the hot months is when watering the 

 plants to do it thoroughly and immediately dust them 

 oyer with powdered charcoal and not to water again 

 until the soil begins to have a dusty appearance, which 

 can be found out by rubbing the surface of a pot or two 

 with the finger, or a piece of pointed stick. 



The shrubby calceolarias commonly grown for pot 

 plants around here are varieties of, or hybrids obtained 

 from C. rugosa (syn. with C. integrifolia) . Golden 

 Gem is probably the best known in this section. Cut- 

 tings are the easiest way to raise them, which can be 



secured from plants that are pinched into shape during 

 the fall and early spring. These plants are generally 

 flowered by the trade for Memorial Day, but they can 

 be had in iDloom the last of March, if desired for Easter 

 use, by growing spring-rooted cuttings right along until 

 August, giving them their last pinching in that month, 

 and if Easter is to be in April the last stopping may be 

 done in September. This section of calceolaria is large- 

 ly used as bedding plants in Europe, but they are not 

 a success around Boston as far as I have seen. I am 

 told, however, they do well at Bar Harbor, Me. 



For seedlings a good compost is equal parts of os- 

 munda fibre, sharp sand and charcoal, ground through a 

 fine sieve. Put about an inch of this material in a well- 

 crocked seed pan, level the surface, scatter the seeds 

 thinly and evenly and cover them as lightly as possible 

 with finely sifted sphagnum moss. Water by dipping 

 tlie seed pan in a tank of water, allowing it to soak 

 through the holes in the bottom of the pan. A temper- 

 ature of sixty degrees will germinate the seeds, but do 

 not allow the sun to get at them until the cool nights in 

 the fall. From the end of September until March they 

 will stand the full sun, and should be grown in a tem- 

 perature of 40 degree? at night and 50 to 65 degrees 



Photo hy H. K. WcrdmilUr 



House of Calceolarias 



during the day. Through the summer, a house facing 

 north is the best place for them, giving all the air pos- 

 sible. 



For a first potting the same mixture as the seeds were 

 sown in is the best, and as the plants are shifted into 

 larger pots equal parts of fibry loam, fern root, sand, 

 leaf mold and dried cow manure may be used always 

 having the compost as rough as can be packed equally 

 aroiinil the plant. When the plants are well established 

 in their flowering pots and begin to show signs of set- 

 ting for flowering, they may be watered with manure 

 water until the blooms begin to show color. A good 

 mixture is a half bucket of green cow manure, and a 

 half pail of soft coal soot to fifty gallons of water 

 applied alternately with clean water. To keep 

 green and white fly in check use the formula described in 

 my article on Cineraria, always taking care that the 

 foliage is perfectly dry, and in the hot months of sum- 

 mer an hour's exposure to the gas is long enough. 



Vvest Medford, Mass. 



