130 



HOETICULTUKE 



July 31, 1915 



Two Little Known Perennials of Sterling Merit 



Salvia virgata nemorosa is a plant all too little known 

 in the catalogues of the nurseries of this country. Most 

 of the stock used here is imported each year from Europe 

 and as a result the supply is inadequate. It is hard 

 to find a reason for this with a plant of such ease of 

 propagation. It can be very easily raised from cuttings 

 given the same treatment as those of any herbaceous 

 perennial plant. These cuttings root readily in heat 

 if they are rather soft and in a growing state. After 

 well rooted the plants should be potted up and kept in 

 pots until sold or until permanently planted out. The 

 flower is one of the most delightful of the whole Sage 

 family being a beautiful soft blue, and it is a deplorable 

 fact that its use in American gardens should be limited 

 by the supply, as is evidently the case. 



Another perennial of value, often overlooked by 

 planters is Nepeta Mussiui, which flowers light blue 

 during May and June. It will thrive in any ordinary 

 light sandy soil and is easily propagated from seed or 

 by division. It is a rapid grower and very soon covers 

 the ground. Those plants which one finds in the market 

 are ordinarily of a rather high price, even at wholesale, 

 a fact for which I can see no reason, when it is so easy 

 to procure a good stock of plants. 



Here again I would recommend that the plants be 

 grown in pots, for with all herbaceous plants, excepting 



perhaps peonies and the like, a potted plant suffers less 

 of a set back wlien transplanted, ships in better condi- 

 tion over greater distances, and is more convenient to 

 handle than the ordinary nursery clump. By this 

 method the shipping season may be prolonged with 

 gi-eater safety and incidentally the gi'oss receipts from 

 sales are materially increased. Plants when sent out 

 from pots should be as well pot-bound as possible to 

 insure their holding their ball of soil which is essential 

 to successful transplanting and the use of the now 

 cheap and serviceable paper pot is of great advantage 

 when the plants are to be shipped by freight or express. 

 Potted plants ship over reasonable distances by freight 

 as safely as liy express, provided a little wet moss is placed 

 among the pots to retain moisture. In packing the 

 plants the open slatted crate seems to be the best way, 

 for the expressman sees at a glance that carelessness 

 on his part means a job to pick up the pieces and the 

 weak top of the crate indicates that no weight can be put 

 on top of the box. Hence the plants receive proper 

 treatment and plenty of air and less rot and burning 

 up will be found in such a shipment. 



•^J/iUtAA % 



Janiaira Plain. Mass. 



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Miltonia vexillaria 



See Cover Illustration. 



^Miltonia vexillaria is well known and it certainly is 

 one of the best spray orchids for either commercial or 

 private use. Its flowering season extends from early 

 April until the later part of July. The flowers, if kept 

 cool and dry will keep in good condition four weeks 

 and longer. The color varies in different plants from 

 nearly white with a touch of pink in the center of the 

 sepals and petals to deep pink and rose. Some varieties 

 have a deep carmine blotch on the lip, others only a 

 few radiating lines of a dark rose color in addition to 

 the usual yellow blotch which surrounds the yellow 

 crest. However, all of them are beautiful and well 

 worth the little trouble it takes to grow them. They 

 don't seem to care what compost they grow in, for I 

 have seen excellent plants grown in osmunda filjre. others 

 in peat and moss and others in moss alone. For the 

 last few years I have used nothing but clean live sphag- 

 num moss, which is kept growing and is replaced with 

 fresh as soon as it shows signs of decay. 



Miltonias are nearly always active and, therefore, re- 

 quire no special resting season. The only time they 

 rest is when in full bloom and then less water is given 

 at the root and the plants arc kept in a cool, dry place 

 where no damping down is done. Each plant is then 



allowed to get quite dry before water is again applied. 

 x\t all other times the plants require an abundant supply 

 of water and once a week or ten days an application 

 of weak liquid manure. As the bulbs commence to 

 swell and the flower spikes push forth this may be in- 

 creased to double the usual strength until the flowers 

 begin to expand. After that no more feeding is done 

 until the new growths, which will push forth soon after 

 the flowers are past, are well under way. Any dividing 

 or repotting should be done at that time as then the 

 roots are most active and will quickly take hold of the 

 new compost. 



Miltonia vexillaria is not over particular as to tem- 

 perature. Some grow them cool, some warm and some 

 in intermediate temperature. I prefer the latter with 

 partial shade in summer and plenty of fresh air at all 

 times. The atmosphere is kept damp during the grow- 

 ing season by frequent damping of the floors and be- 

 tween the pots. 



Miltonia Roezlii requires a little more heat, but M. 

 Bleuiana, a cross between the two, will do well under 

 the treatment advised for M. vexillaria. 



