October 10, 1914 



HORTICULTUBB 



51; 



Vitex Agnus-castus 



One of our best small trees for late flowering is to be 

 found in Vitex Agnus-castus, tbe Chaste-tree, or Monk's 

 Pepper-tree. While it is not quite hardy north it will be 

 found an excellent plant for locations near Philadelphia 

 and Baltimore. 



The Vitex is a native of Southern Europe from 

 whence it was introduced into England in 1670 and has 

 since found its way to this country where it may some- 

 times be found in nurseries whose collection is varied. 

 It forms a large shrub or small tree with wide-spreading 

 branches and foliage which suggests, possibly, bamboo. 

 The foliage is borne on long petioles and is mostly five- 

 foliate. The leaflets are mostly entire or very finely 

 serrate and whitish beneath. 



The flowers of the Chaste-tree are lilac or violet pur- 

 ple in color and are borne in a terminal or axillary 

 panicle from July to September. The individual flowers 

 of the panicle are formed in cymes, subsessile, and in 

 glomerate whorls giving a distinctive appearance to the 

 plant. 



Vitex incisa, a native of north China, will be found 

 to be a substitute for V. Agmes-castus in the colder 

 northern latitudes and is also a late bloomer. It is at 

 present flowering in the Arnold Arboretum. This shrub 

 has been found to kill back from the cold winters, but 

 the damage done is so slight as to become unnoticeable, 

 as the plant soon makes up for it and appears benefited 

 by this natural pruning. Vitex incisa is not as showy 

 as its warmer-blooded relative but is, nevertheless, a 

 valuable addition to a garden or shrub planting. 



The Vitex loves a rather dry and sunny situation and 

 when so placed they seem to thrive with very little care. 

 A little peat added to the soil is good for them. To pro- 

 pagate the best metliod is to place cuttings in a similar 

 soil under glass in the autumn. 



An agreeable aromatic odor is exhaled from all parts 

 of the Vitex when bruised or crushed. In England, 

 where protected, Vitex Agnus-castus is often employed 

 as a wall plant with great success as it gives an efEect not 

 unlike wistaria but more striking on account of its spike- 

 shaped flowers wliich stand out well away from the wall 

 and do not droop. 



( — --—^ — V 



Jamaica Plain, Mass. 



Convention Garden Notes 



Editor HoRTicuLTDBE : 



Dear Sir: — I thought it wouldn't be amiss to pen a 

 few impressions as brought home to myself as to the 

 merits of some of tlie exhibits in the Convention Garden, 

 and under my personal care. 



In this note I will confine myself briefly to the cannas, 

 and the splendid display they have made. Ever since the 

 latter end of the last week in August up to the 26th of 

 September when an unusual cold snap destroyed their 

 luster, they were simply grand, 75 to 80 per cent better 

 than at convention time. What may be said of the 

 cannas can be said of many otjier exhibits as to superior 

 excellence after convention time, though the percentage 

 could not justifiably be put so high as in the case of the 

 cannas. In this connection and in another note which 

 I fear would unduly lengthen this note I will describe 

 briefly some of those varieties that impressed me as 

 being Al in their respective characteristics. In this 

 way I may render a service to my professional brethren 

 and others, in putting them on the track of good material 

 should they yet not be acquainted with these. I am not 

 unmindful, however, that tastes differ, and it is well 

 thus — otherwise there would be a terrible if not a hide- 

 ous sameness. 



The public, as well as professional gardeners, have 

 repeatedly declared to me that they have never seen 

 any better or as good flowering cannas before, and I 

 must say that they impressed me more tliau favorably as 

 being eminently fitted for floral landscape decoration 

 purposes. In large masses of self colors there are few 

 subjects that surpass them for effective coloration 

 schemes, provided the better kinds are employed. I can- 

 not conceive of a more effective means of advertising 

 goods of this nature than the "Convention Garden," inas- 

 much as it is under the public-eye inspection for a length 

 of time, where merits or demerits, as the case may be. 

 can be plainly beheld. Certainly, no catalogue or mag- 

 azine advertisement, however adroitly or captivatingly 

 put together, can stimulate the desire to possess like the 

 visular advertisement— that is, when you can see by your 

 own two eyes that which you like best. Hence I wonder 

 myself that so few participated in these exhibits. En- 

 tliusiasm should run riot in this business to make it the 

 success it should be. I am perfectly satisfied by what 

 has come under mv observation that the participants in 

 those exliibits must necessarily directly or indirectly 

 benefit pecuniarly for their labors. 



I am pleased to say that all classes of men and 

 women have expressed themselves with much pleasure 

 at what has been accomplished in this garden in so short 

 a time, and without exception, trust that the Convention 

 Garden will be kept as a permanent feature for Bos- 



GLADIOLUS GOLDEN KING. 



This new yellow seedling was 

 offered for sale for the first time in 

 1913. It has been well distributed and 

 tested and has already won a certifi- 

 cate of merit in Europe and prizes and 

 distinction in America. 



Golden King resembles its parent, 

 Golden Queen, but is much larger in 

 flower and habit of growth. The color 

 is a bright glistening yellow with a 

 striking crimson blotch in the throat. 

 Many good judges say that the dark 



center makes the flower more beauti- 

 ful than if it were all yellow. Golden 

 King produces a large spike from ma- 

 ture bulbs and from 21 to 23 flowers 

 are common. From six to eight of 

 these are aften open at one time. The 

 flowers are large, round and broadly 

 expanded and are well arranged on a 

 strong spike. 



Golden King is inclined to develop 

 crooked stems during extremely warm 

 weather, but many growers think that 

 this is an advantage for display and 

 decoration. If straight stems are de- 



sired, the crooked one may be broken 

 off when one of the lateral branches 

 will usually develop a straight stem 

 with large flowers. 



There are very few varieties indeed, 

 that are as vigorous in growth as 

 Golden King and small bulbs will 

 throw a large flower spike and bulblets 

 flower freely the first year if planted 

 early. 



Golden King was originated and in- 

 troduced by G. D. Black & Co., Inde- 

 pendence, Iowa. 



—The Modern Gladiolus Groicer. 



