March 25, 1911 



HORTICULTURE 



Aconitum 



391 



Among flowering perennials 

 which, regardless of fads and fash- 

 ions in garden planting, have per- 

 manently held their own we must 

 count the aconitums. They are 

 generally known to represent a 

 genus rich on distinct species, still 

 notwithstanding the many varied 

 forms and colors, the old common 

 monkshood, Aconitum napellus, 

 seems to lead in public favor. 

 Always occupying its space in some 

 corner of our ancestors' gardens, it 

 lays claim upon the same space 

 today. Here in the north it does 

 best in the open sunny exposure, 

 while in the middle states a half- 

 shady location is apt to prove of bet- 

 ter advantage. 



Aconitums thrive well in a rather 

 light sandy loam, richly manured. 

 To bring out their full beauty 

 means to leave the plants ~ undis- 

 turbed for a number of years. The 

 result of transplanting is low 

 growth ; the stately height of 6 to 8 feet is only attained 

 by old plantations with plenty of fibre roots. Once 

 established their large terminal racemes of quaintly 

 shaped flowers become a distinct feature of the mid- 

 summer aspect of a garden. The dark glossy green of 

 the foliage also adds to the good general effect of plants. 

 The color of the blossoms of Aconitum napellus is a deep 

 blue; var. album is nearly white, while bicolor and 

 versicolor show a very attractive blue and white. All 

 aconitums represent an excellent material for filling tall 

 vases. 



Botanists divide aconitums into two sections : tuber- 

 ous and fibrous rooted. The species napellus belongs to 

 the former. The roots of nearly all monkshoods are 

 poisonous, consequently all plantings should be left out 

 of kitchen gardens. A more thorough study of the dif- 

 ferent garden varieties cannot be too strongly advocated 

 in all cases where herbaceous borders of liberal extent 

 are planned. The acquaintance of a great majority of 

 gardeners and garden owners with aconitums appears 

 to be limited to the napellus forms. Still there is a 



L.JBRARY 

 NEW YORR 

 BOTANICAL 



oakobh 



ACONITCM NAPELLUS VAU BICOLOK 



numljer of less known species in cultivation which will 

 prove very desirable acquisitions for the flower garden. 

 Aconitum autumnale, of medium height, blue, broadly 

 helmeted, flowers during September and October. A. 

 Cammarum, rich deep purple, is a fine mid-summer 

 species. The same may be said of A. chinense, bearing 

 its intense bright blue blossoms in large compound 

 racemes. A. Fischeri flowers pale blue; A. lycoctonum 

 livid violet and A. Wilsoni light intense blue. Of the 

 yellow shades I mention A. barbatus producing dense 

 racemes of cream color, and A. Anthora, and A. pyre- 

 naicum. Interesting and, when rightly employed, highly 

 effective, is the climbing monkshood A. Hemsleyanum, a 

 very pretty violet blue introduction from China. This 

 small selection of meritorious garden forms may suffice 

 to show how great an opportunity aconitums offer to en- 

 rich and brighten our floral outdoor displays. 



-^djcJvCULXi-^</tA^ 



/ 



Northeast Harbor, Maine. 



Gladiolus Notes 



In trying out new varieties of gladioli, there are 

 various things that have to be considered before passing 

 final judgment. The change of climate and soil; the 

 manner of fertilizing and cultivation — all have their 

 influence in developing or retarding the blooming quali- 

 ties. Then there are varieties that do not bloom at 

 their best, only every other year. This is characteristic 

 of many varieties after they have been grown from divi- 

 sions for a few years. So it is much better, when pos- 

 sible, to get bulbs that are grown to blooming size from 

 hulblets. These young bulbs are much stronger and 

 nearly always produce good flowers under changed con- 

 ditions of planting. 



Two years ago I obtained in a collection from Vil- 

 morin & Co., Paris, their variety Parure. It produced 

 that year a rather weak plant with a short spike of in- 

 significant pink flowers poorly set on the spike, but they 



were a very pretty shade of pink and for that reason I 

 saved the bulb and planted it last season, and when it 

 came into bloom again I had the surprise of my life, for 

 I can truly say that I beheld the most beautiful pink 

 gladiolus I have ever seen. The flowers set perfectly on 

 a splendid spike, very large, soft pink, daintily penciled 

 on the edge with carmine, with a large pure white 

 throat. Le Triomphe— a lilac pink variety, and M. A. 

 Brouginart, a large orange pink sort, are two other very 

 fine Gandavensis varieties offered by this firm. 



I received from Wilhelm Pfitzer, Stuttgart, Germany, 

 about sixty varieties, a very excellent collection. Of 

 these the following were particularly fine : Jungfrau — 

 a very delicate pink with a most distinctive lavender 

 tint. Margot von Quaita — a variety resembling May, 

 but nearly double the size. Helios — a very large dark 

 canary yellow, almost solid color, and Fran Senger Bet- 



