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GARDE^ERS^ CHRONICLE 



S. trifiircata, S. Cainposii and many others from their 

 foliage alone in case of necessity. 



Leaving the "mossies" we come to the Diptera. Tnis 

 comparatively small section contains at least two species 

 suitable for rock garden planting which demand nothing 

 out-of-the-way in their culture. 5". Forlunei, the Fall 

 blooming kind, which has already been mentioned, thrives 

 in woodsy soil in half-shade and gives abundant flowers 

 at a time when flowers are scarce in the rock garden. 

 This easy doer ought to be in every collection. The other 

 species is the well-known Mother of Thousands, or 

 Strawberry Geranium S. sarmentosa. This is usually 

 looked upon as a greenhouse plant ; but it survives mild 

 Winter out-of-doors here in Brooklyn, and in any case 

 it propagates so rapidly, that it is an easy matter to work 

 a new stock should it happen to Winter kill. 



The section Euaisoonia, which includes such species as 

 S. Cotyledon, S. Macnabiana, and i". lantoscana, among 

 the handsomest in the genus, contains many that are quite 

 complacent imder cultivation. Porous soil, with broken 

 limestone, and a sunny crevice in a position where they 

 do not suiTer from lack of moisture at the root, fulfills 

 their requirements. S. Cotyledon possesses potentialities 

 as a pot plant in the cool house for it freely produces its 

 pyramidal panicles of white blossoms when grown in five 

 or six-inch pots. These panicles on well-grown speci- 

 mens attain a length of two feet or more and it is 

 easily the best of the larger Saxifrages. Some claim this 

 distinction for S. lungifolia, often called the "Queen of 

 the silver Saxifrages," but this species is much less tract- 

 able, and, under cultivation, is usually a particularly shy 

 bloomer. It is, however, worthy of a place in the rock 

 garden if only for its lovely rosettes, made up of innum- 

 erable narrow leaves of a silvery hue. Saxifraga Aizoon 

 and its varieties, of which there are over a score, are 

 quite tolerant of our conditions. When planted in well- 

 drained soil most of these Aisoon forms soon develop into 

 sizable tufts of silvery rosettes. Not all of them may be 

 expected to produce an inflorescence, but this does not 

 seem to be a matter of great importance when we con- 

 sider the beauty of their distinctive foliage at all seasons 

 of the year. Few plant species exhibit greater variation 

 than this, and the differences in the size of rosette, habit 

 of growth, and color of flowers, cause one to w'onder if 

 the taxonomists are correct in grouping these unlike 

 forms together under ^. Alzoon. 



The plants in this and a few other sections,, have their 

 leaves encrusted with lime which gives the foliage a dis- 

 tinctive appearance, especially when, as often happens, 

 these chalky exudations are concentrated on the margins. 

 This peculiarity is a great help to the gardener as it indi- 

 cates at once, so far as my experience goes, that the plant 

 is a lime lover, and he can take measures accordingly. 



The Kahschia section contains some of the most strik- 

 ing members of the genus, and, some of the meanest to 

 handle from the cultural standpoint. Many of them, such 

 as S. Griscbachii and S. media, can only be considered as 

 plants for the connoisseur and must be passed by, regret- 

 fully, by those who lack specialized knowledge and the 

 time to minister to their capricious demands. Several 

 species, however, have been grown successfully in Eastern 

 North America, notably -S". Bitrseriatia — one of the best. 

 There are many garden forms of this species, some of 

 which may be considered improvements on the type. The 

 variety "Gloria" is all that the name implies and the 

 variety "major" is also desirable. 



Charming hvbrids have been made between many of 

 the species of this group. A good example is the diminu- 

 tive gem known as 5". Boydii which forms tiny tufts of 

 spiny foliage topped with clear yellow flowers about an 

 inch in diameter, arising to a height of only two inches 



above the ground level. This delightful product of a 

 cross between S. Biirscriana and ,5". aretioidcs makes one 

 sigh with regret that it does not properly appreciate the 

 beauties of our chmate. Farrar, having in mind English 

 conditions, describes it as "a plant of evil and uncertain 

 habits." One can scarcely hope that these exacting little 

 alpines will ever become plants for the millions, but one 

 may be permitted to hope that their cultivation will not 

 present insuperable diiificulties to those who are sufficient- 

 ly interested to cater to their somewhat exacting require- 

 ments. The greatest chances for success with these diffi- 

 cult subjects seem to be in raising them from seeds. 



The Pophyrion section includes 6". oppositifolia and S. 

 rcfiisa. The former makes a dense caq:>et of dark green 

 foliage covered in Spring with rosy purple blossoms. We 

 will be glad to liear from anyone who has made a success 

 of it in America. It must be admitted that all our at- 

 tempts, both from plants and from seeds, have resulted 

 in ignominous failure. What an addition to our rock 

 garden this, and its varieties, would be if they could 

 only be persuaded to overcome the nostalgia that they 

 seem to experience when confronted with our torrid 

 Summers ! 



There are still many other sections that must be passed 

 by on this occasion with but scant notice. The section 

 Bergenia, for example, which includes the leathery 

 leaved S. cordifolia, contains plants of value, and Miscope- 

 talum whose most noteworthy members are S. rotiindi- 

 folia, a strong growing species with clouds of white 

 flowers in airy panicles, and 6". taygctea, a dwarfer kind 

 more in keeping with the general aspect of the 'rock 

 garden. 



The number of species belonging to Saxifraga is large. 

 The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture says : "About 

 400 species from horticultural view-point, or approximate- 

 ly 250 botanically speaking." 



Many possess great merit as garden plants and almost 

 all of these can with propriety be used in the rock garden 

 as they fulfill Farrar's definition of a rock garden plant — - 

 one that does not look out of place there — even though 

 all of them are not alpine or saxatile in nature. 



* '^ :i^ 



When glancing over the Things and Thoughts of the 

 Garden article as it appeared in last month's Chroxicle, 

 a severe shock was experienced when the words Aster 

 A^ovce Eboracca came into view masquerading as the sci- 

 entific name of the New York Aster. A guilty feeling at 

 once possessed us as we came to the conclusion that the 

 typist had been misled by our faulty caligraphy and then 

 the error carelessly allowed to slip by. But. on referring 

 to carbon copy of typescript the name in question was 

 there seen to be correctly typed — Aster Noz'i-Belgii — 

 and .=o the blame for the mistake must be passed on to 

 the individual who is usually, and sometimes unjustly, 

 made the goat for such errors — the printer. In this case, 

 however, there seems to be but little doubt that he mu,st 

 justly be called upon to shoulder the blame. We are 

 anxious to make this correction lest by chance any reader 

 should think we are trying to inaugurate a new system 

 of naming plants. As one who suffers in the endeavor 

 to keep track of the latest developments in botanical 

 nomenclature, we earnestly disclaim any such intention. 



We are still perplexed and totally rmable to understand 

 how Nozn^-Belgil, plainly typewritten, could be trans- 

 formed into Noi'ce Eboracea! Is it possible that some one 

 had in mind the New York Fern. Aspidiinii noz'cbora- 

 ccnsc? 



Harbor no thought, neither do any act, you would be 

 unwilling the whole world should know. 



— Albert Matthcxes. 



