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GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



Didisciis cierulea, pink L'larkia. Gypsophila elegans, pink 

 Sajxjnaria. Statice Suworowi, Leptosyne niaritima, Arc- 

 totis trrandi?, blue and white Lupines. Larkspur, Nemesia, 

 Scliizanthus. Stocks single. Sweet t'eas. and Centaurea 

 cyanus, all of which are also excellent outdoors. Uullwus 

 flowers apart from Narcissi consisted mainly of Dutch 

 and Spanish Iris. Ranunculus. Lxias, Sparaxis, and col- 

 ored Freesias. A vase of White Watsonias was noted 

 also a few of the large flowered Gladioli, which looked 

 as thou.gh they mig'ht have been grown in Florida. Since 

 the advent of Quarantine 37 we see comparatively few 

 of tlie mis-eraneor.s Dutch bulbs such as Babianas, Tri- 

 tonias. lxias. Ranunculus. Anemones, and Sparaxis. bulb- 

 ous Iris, and the small flowered Gladioli are also cmnpara- 

 tively scarce and high priced. 



:■! >;: ^ 



Speaking" of \\"atsonias. these lovely South African 

 bulbous plants have been tremendously improved liy 

 hybridization of late years in Florida. California, and 

 Australia. E. H. Wilson during his recent world tour 

 found a wonderful race of hybrids in Melbourne, plants 

 growing six feet m height and including about every 

 -.maginable color. Splendid hybrids have also been pro- 

 duced in the warmer parts of our ow^n country. I have 

 found that \Vatsonias flower splendidly in pots, and will 

 also succeed quite well outdoors. I think they should 

 do finely in benches, and are well worth careful considera- 

 tion from commercial growers. In Spring groups of 

 ]>lants they should prove extremely useful, and seeing 

 that a goodly supply of bulbs is availalile in both Morida 

 and California those who want something new in their 

 gardens nught well try them. The colors most in evi- 

 dence are pure white and ]>each pink. These have well 

 branched spikes carrying fifty to seventy-five flowers each, 



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It seems strange that so ma.ny amateurs and not a few 

 practical gardeners are still of the opinion that members 

 of the Primula family are of doubtful hardiness in our 

 northern Atlantic states. If given conditions at all con- 

 genial they are among the most dei>endal>le and cliarmin'^ 

 of hardy plants. They will grow and flower well in full 

 siin.shine. but are most at home under the shade of trees, 

 (elms excepted). In shady situations the white, yellow, 

 and gold laced Polyanthus thrive amazingly as do the 

 English primroses. At the late Xew York show I was 

 interested to find in one of the gardens Polyanthus la- 

 belled "English Primroses.'' and in the same lovely gar- 

 den "St. Brid.get" in lieu of St. Bri,gid Anemones. In 

 addition to the Polyanthus and En.glish Primrose there 

 are many other hardy Primulas. The following have 

 done e.speciallv well in the vicinity of F)Oston : P. frondosa 

 a lovely little .sort with silvery foliage and rosy lilac 

 (lowers. P. puhcrulcnta, a vigorous sort succeeding par- 

 ticularly well in moist locations where its rich, ruby crim- 

 ,son spikes are verv effective ; in suitable locations it will 

 reproduce, itself from seed very abundantly. P. Jai>onica 

 is a good rock ])lant, it comes in a wide range of colors, 

 and is very much at home along the margin of jwods 

 or streams. P. IJeesiana is a strong grower with varying 

 shades of purple flowers and a yellow eye. P. Piulleyana 

 produces buff, orange, and apricot colored flowers, very 

 distinct from all other Primulas and is the latest bloomer 

 in the whole familv. A pretty little dwarf growing va- 

 riety is P. rosea florilmnda. flowers are bright ro.se in 

 color. P. Sikkimensis is conuuonly called the "Himalayan 

 Cow.slip" the primrose yellf)w flowers are pnKluced in 

 clusters on long scapes. P. Cashmeriana and P. denticu- 

 lata have always been the first of our Prinmlas to flower, 

 not infref|uently as early as the middle nf .\pril near 

 Ho.ston. The)' grow ei.ghteen inches in height and their 

 globe shaped heads of flowers vary in color from |>ure 



white to jnn-ple and violet. The foregoing Prinmlas 

 have proven quite hardy, and but few have died out. It 

 IS ab\ays a good plan to raise seedlings of one or more 

 varieties each Spring and while Primulas will withstand 

 \ery low temperaUires. they should be gi\'en a mulch 

 of leaves as \\ inter sets in and it is well not to remove 

 this '.00 hastily in .Spring. 



Lilacs are unquestionably the finest of all uur tlower- 

 ing shrubs. They flower early and aliundantlv each year; 

 liold their foliage late; are alxsolutely hardy, and are 

 '■lean subjects, as with the e.vception of scale, they are 

 practically immune from insect attacks. The San Jose 

 and cither scales are easily conti"olled by a dormant spray- 

 (if either lime-sulphur, or one of the several soluble 

 (lils. For the wonderful im])rovement in, and ix>pularity 

 of lilacs, we are indebted to one of the world's greatest 

 horticultural hybridizers. Lemoine of Nancy in France. 

 M. LeiiKiine's nursery was close to the firing line and 

 was fref|uent!y shelled hy the Germans, hut terribly crip- 

 ji'cil and ham]iered as he was. he continued tiie work 

 of hybridization, only to be met at the close of the world 

 war by that cruel and utterly unjustifiable embargo, the 

 notorious Quarantine 37. 



There are two hundred or more varieties of Lilacs in 

 cultivation in .\merica today, the bulk oi them raised 

 by Lemoine. We are devoutly grateful that we had 

 ihem 'before the F. H. B. started to function. ( Hit nf a 

 \'ery long list of hybrid Lilacs I would recommend the 

 following as excellent : Alarie Le Graye, still the best 

 single white; Mme. Lemoine, a supenb double white: an- 

 other lovely doitble white is Alme. Casimir Perier. In 

 the dark pur]>le chiss .Souvenir de L. .S])aeth is still hard 

 to heat. The most exquisite pink of all is un(|uestionably 

 Macrostachya : another good pink is Mme. Francisque 

 .Morel. A grand single blue is President (irevy; Michael 

 lUichner is a good double pale lilac colored variety. Lucie 

 lialtet is a fine single, with old rose colored flowers. 

 Seiiator \'oland has big trusses of sing'le reddish color. 

 .\ striking deep red double is Charles Joly. 



-\part from the named Inb'rids of Syringa vulgaris al- 

 ready listed allxive. ever}'one should plant some of the 

 species. S. F^othomagensis the Rouen lilac. S. Per.sica 

 aind S. Persica alJ>a, the graceful p'Uri>le and white l^er- 

 sian lilacs, the very graceful S. pul)escens are all valuable; 

 also S. Josiksea, the Hun,garian lilac, is avluahle as a late 

 bloomer. Latest of all comes S. Japonica, the Jajmnese 

 tree lilac of tree-like form with handsome ,gk)ssy leaves 

 and big plumes of creamv white flowers pniduced after 

 all other lilacs have passed. 



It is most encouraging to learn that an extensive and 

 comiprehensive investigation of the methods and activities 

 of the Federal Horticultural Board, including their effi- 

 ciency and general methods, and the best methods to 

 adopt 111 efl^ect anv necessary changes will be uiwlertaken 

 l>y the Chanrlver of Commerce of the I'nited States, if 

 a request addressed to it by the Merchants' .\ssnciation 

 of New York receives favorable consideration. Several 

 iiinnths' stud\- of the autocratic l'. II. B. and its methods, 

 by a special committee of nine gentlemen has made pos- 

 sible this most refreshing rejKirt. Every true lover of 

 horticulture in its truest and broadest sense will fervently 

 hope that the conmiittee's recommendations may be fa- 

 vorablv received, and that the comprehensive study aske<l 

 for may materialize. I have long thought that if we had 

 onlv pos.scssed a great Central Chamber of ITnrticullure. 

 such as Great Britain jKissesses, the scientific theorists 

 comprising the I'Vderal 1 lorlicultural Board would never 

 have dared 1o altem])t to p'lt intci force a virtual embargo 

 again.st jiractically all plant products. 



