284 



GARDEISERS' CHRONICLE 



sary Summer rest. The color of A. belladonna is so 

 much more pleasing than that of the Hippeastrums that 

 it surprising that more are not grown. The flowers fur- 

 thermore are produced in Autumn, a iieriod when really 

 nice blooms are none too abundant. 



In Cape Colony Mr. \\'ilson found .1. belladonna wild, 

 in great abundance and a ])oint he mentioned was that 

 residents there informed him that the plants always 

 bloomed far more profusely after a fire had swept over 

 the land where they were growing. Whether this cleans 

 out various plants likely to smother them in some measure, 

 or whether the potash from the fire gives the plants a 

 necessary plant food. I am not prepared to say, most 

 probably the potash does the trick. 



Nerines are most useful and beautiful Fall flowering 

 bulbs, and they are rapidly growing in favor on private 

 estates. Some wideawake commercial men are also taking 

 up their culture. Thomas Roland, of Xahant, Alass., 

 one of the most expert plantsmen in America, grows a 

 large quantity and annually raises many thousands of 

 seedlings. Charles Sander, superintendent to Prof. C. S. 

 Sargent, of Brookline, has for many years been a large 

 and successful cultivator and has flowered thousands of 

 hybrids. H. J. Elwes in England is a great specialist 

 with nerines and has raised many fine varieties. At one 

 time .V. Fotlicrgilli major was about the only sort grown, 

 it is still probably the best and most vigorous variety, but 

 in addition to the scarlet forms, there is a wide range of 

 colors, varying from deep rose, ]Mnk, salmon, and mauve 

 to pure white. Fothcrgilli produces much the largest 

 bulbs but the smaller bulbed varieties bloom more pro- 

 fusely and usually somewhat later. 1 have had as many 

 as fifteen spikes on a six-inch pan of A'. cxccUcns. 



Points to remember in the culture of nerines are, thai 

 while growing, they require a good water supply and 

 some feeding, also a cold house. When growth is cnm- 

 pleted. plants should be gradually dried off and as leaves 

 tiecome discolored, cease watering entirely and during the 

 resting period, they should be given a tliorough baking 

 in the sun, preferably under glass. Nerines furthermore 

 will flower only sparsely until pot bound, and for that 

 reason, thev should be kept in the same pots for several 

 vears. until crowded ludbs make a shift necessary. 



Owing to the long spell of warm dry weather in Sep- 

 tember and October, Autumn tints are this season un- 

 usually brilliant and the fruits on all berried trees and 

 shrubs have an intensity of color which make them ex- 

 tremely attractive. Amongst the berried shrubs, the Sym- 

 plocos are particularly striking on account of their bright 

 blue berries. .S". panicniata, also called crata-goidcs is the 

 best known species and a native of the Himalayas. It is 

 hardy as far north as New Hampshire and any one 

 desiring to possess a striking berried plant of unusual 

 color should procure one. As it is a robust grower, it 

 should be given a location where it can have space to 

 develop and show its individuality. While there arc 

 nearly three hundred species of Symplocos, only pani- 

 citlata is hardy for our cold states. S. tinctoria requires 

 a warmer clime and about all other species are tropical or 



semi-tropical. 



* * * 



Fall fruiting strawberries and raspberries make a wel- 

 come addition to our desserts. The everbearing straw- 

 berries have becoine quite popular and in October they 

 are bearing abundantly fruits of excellent flavor. Lucky 

 Bov one of the newer varieties is the best I have yet 

 come across. Among rasplierries. La France now carries 

 quantities of fine fruit and the flavor is very good. This 

 is the finest acquisition among raspberries for many years. 

 It is not quite as hardy as Cuthbert, St. Regis and other 

 better known varieties, but given a little Winter covering. 

 it comes through in good shajje. Raspberries and cream 

 in mid-October are very welcome, even though there is at 

 that time an abundance of other fruits. 



■:■ -■:-- * 



I'oultrv vards are not usually associated with flower 

 culture. 1 was therefore very much interested and pleased 

 to note hiiw a thrifty and neat Swedish family screened, 

 shaded, and at the same time, adorned their yards. From 

 a distance no wire fences were discernible, outside of 

 tbem such plants as lioltonias. asteroids, and Latisquaina ; 

 I Iclianthiis ''Miss Mellish" and Hclcmum autumnalc su- 

 pcrbuni were planted. As these grew \\\), a stout string 

 w as run around them and at intervals fastened to the fence 

 to hold them erect and the cft'ect was certainly very good. 

 All these plants are of sim|)le culture and as the bulk of 

 |;rivate estates now have poultry yards, here is a way 

 to screen them and also beautify them. Clematis pani- 

 culata I have seen used on one occasion for ;i sinii'ar 

 screening ])urpose. 



Flowering Plant Novelties 



FRANK B. MEYER 



THE objects of this little essay are two. The first is 

 to ])oint out a way in which amateurs may. even with 

 but com])aratively small means, have enjoyment of 

 the rarest novelties among the flowering plants of special 

 favor in their eyes and even have i)ossessi()n of treasures 

 too costly for their individual i)urses. The second object 

 is to try to maintain the thesis that by ])rofessional garden- 

 ers and their eni[)loyers the rare and the most lieautiful 

 among several flowering jilants fif great recent imprdvc- 

 ment are ai)preciated too little. 



The first object may perhaps be attained sufficiently b\ 

 teilmg of a plan naturally evolved liy five lovers of flowers 

 m a small town of the Central West. In that town a 

 dentist used to find fresh air atvl relief from a profession 

 that, more than most people think, wrecks the nerves of 



the practitioner as well as those of his patient, in his 

 garden. .\ visiting friend, a lawyer who had risen to the 

 dignity of a judgeship, was attracted by a bed of flaming 

 r:riental poppies, and soon was himself also .sowing seeds 

 and setting plants. The ]U'rsuasion to go and do likewise 

 came to a neighboring manufacturer in the form n\ ;in 

 armful of beatiliful gladiolus blooms presented at the 

 "l)sychological mnment." In the time of ijic loved wife's 

 illness a second lawyer and judge was brought to realize 

 what flowers can say when the symiialhctic dentist brought 

 tci the door an armful of big peony blooms. .\ retired 

 business man. whose modest competency was acfiuired 

 without his having accumul;itcd nincb tn retire to. was 

 interested by the evangelizing friend, one (i]i]i(irnnie day in 

 {Ci'iilinnrd on page 286) 



