464 



hokticulture: 



November 3, ISOC 



tant, but when big it is a majestic tree. There are a 

 few forms of it, A. pect. columnaris, which grows in 

 narrow pillar shape, A. pect. pendula, a good weeping 

 tree, A. pect. nana of compact growth, A. pect. brevi- 

 folia, with short needles ; they are all very hardy. 



From Spain comes A. Pinsapo, very interesting and 

 very different from all the other firs, not quite hardy 

 when young. It is hard to get a good specimen. The 

 needles are short, thick and pointed, set thickly all 

 around the shoots. It has the way of -growth of an 

 araucaria, but the young shoots are often killed by the 

 frost, thus destroying the symmetry of the tre^.-, and 

 we never can get a leader to stand. It is the only 

 European fir that has both blue and yellow forms. 



A. Numidica or baborensis is from the Atlas moun- 

 tains, where it grows with Cedrus atlantica. Like the 

 preceding it is not hardy enough when young. It looks 

 like a Nordmann fir with short needles. 



A. cephalonica, from Greece, is hardy in a sheltered 

 situation. Like Pinsapo it has pointed needles, but 

 they are longer, more flat, and of dark green color. It 

 makes a nice bushy tree. There are a few forms from 

 it with longer, shorter or larger coarse needles; Apal- 

 linis, Peleponnesica, Eeginae Amaliae are some of them. 

 They are all large, spreading pyramid in form, some 

 more compact than others. Hybrids are very =eldom 

 found among conifers. There is one fir, A. Vilraoriana, 

 which comes from Pinsapo and cephalonica. It is not 

 any more hardy than either of the two. 



A. Nordmanniana, from Caucasus, is well known for 

 its dark green, glossy, hardy growth; a beautiful tree, 

 but not always hardy everywhere. 



A. cilicica from the Taurus mountain resembles 

 Nordmann fir, of a lighter green color, the needles 

 somewhat straighter, more narrow and just as hardy; 

 where one stands the other will. The young shoots are 

 sometimes injured by late frost in spring. It is a very 

 nice regular growing tree. 



From Siberia comes A. Pichta or Sibirica. Like all 

 the trees from far north or high situations, they do not 

 grow well near the seashore or on level lowland. They 

 make their growth early in spring and are often hit by 

 late frost. In higher altitude they do very well, 

 while here they grow slowly. It makes a nice compact 

 tree of small size, of a very dark green color; the nee- 

 dles are narrow and crowded. 



A. sachalinensis, from Sachalin Island and northern 

 Japan, has the same characteristics as Pichta, being a 

 very vigorous grower and, near the seashore where they 

 make their growth early, when hit by late frost the 

 buds which are left grow to a great size, thus making 

 the tree look unsymmetrical ; it has the appearance of 

 a big Pichta ; the same kind of narrow needles, but long 

 and recurved. These two trees would do well in the 

 mountains. - 



From Japan we have a fe^/ good firs which are 

 hardy. A. firma or bifida is the only one that has the 

 same failing as sachalinensis. It must be one of the 

 most distinct firs when perfect in growth. Its long, 

 flat, rigid needles make it look quite different from any 

 other. It is a very robust grower and in a suitable sit- 

 uation must be a fine tree. 



A. Veitchii is of all the firs the one which has its 

 needles the most distinctly white colored underneath; 

 the branches are flat and regular. It is one of the best 

 of the Japanese firs. When planted on a hill the white 

 coloring on the under surface of the needles is exceed- 

 ingly effective. 



A. brachyphylla or homolepis, is a noble tree, per- 

 haps more vigorous than Veitchii. The needles are 

 more rigid, and not so white on the under surface; it 



grows to a large compact pyramid, the branches a lit- 

 tle erect. 



A. umbillicata is something between the two last 

 named. In the firs that are imported from Japan un- 

 der different names more or less correct there is a gra- 

 dation of forms between firma, brachyphylla and 

 Veitchii. It is very hard to tell which is one or the 

 other. Although they are all very nice trees the differ- 

 ence is not sufficiently accentuated to regard tliem as 

 forms worthy of names. 



A. Mariesii has short dark green needles not unlike 

 the hemlock, but more crowded. It is also a good 

 hardy tree but a slow grower. 



From Himalaya we have A. Webbiana and Pindrow, 

 both having long, flat glossy needles, the first-named 

 white underneath. Both are beautiful trees but will 

 stand only where Cedrus Deodara will stand. There 

 are also a few recently introduced from Central Asia 

 which will have to be tested before their hardiness can 

 he established. 



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(To be conttnued.) 



The Dahlia Under Glass 



The possibilities of the dahlia as a commercial cut 

 flower for the Boston market, has been 'given quite care- 

 ful attention by W. C. Ward of Wollaston, for a number 

 of years. This season he has in his new house a block 

 (if Storm King and another of Kriemhilde. Plants are 

 grown from cuttings taken from his own stock in the 

 field in August. From the propagating bench they are 

 placed in 3 1-2 in. pots and planted in the bench from 

 the pots. Storm King is one of the older varieties of 

 dahlias and evidently has some very desirable character- 

 istics for forcing. Under glass it does not draw and is 

 fully as dwarf and stocky as in the open. It is flower- 

 ing finely at the present time, being cut every other 

 day, producing from one to three large, full, well devel- 

 oped bloojiis on nearly every plant in that time. Kriem- 

 hilde, which ranks as one of the choicest of the newer 

 cactus varieties, is later, just making buds now and 

 will be in full flower after the rush of chrysanthemums 

 is over. The plants of both varieties are thrifty and 

 healthy and promise easy adaptation to forcing con- 

 ditions. Fumigation is necessary and a temperature of 

 4.5 degrees to 50 degrees at night is considered the proper 

 degree to be maintained, with plenty of air during the 

 day. 



A system of disbudding is practised which will give 

 a sufficient length of stem without cutting too close to 

 the roots. Mr. Ward's deductions, drawn from observa- 

 tion and reasoning are that the dahlia in the open had 

 only begun to draw on its flowering power when it is 

 cut off by frost, and that it reaches its best development 

 under cool, damp, climatic conditions. That the plant 

 therefore would take kindly to the artificial conditions 

 available in an ordinary greenhouse seemed a reasonable 

 conclusion and that there will be a demand for a large 

 showy fiower to follow the chrysanthemum, may be 

 fairly assumed. • ■ .' 



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