March 7, 1914. 



HOKTICULTURB 



327 



Dictamnus 



One of the characteristics of the plant material of 

 the herbaceous garden is the marked diversity in specific 

 treatment. Generalization in regard to culture is 

 simply out of question. The absence of rules to go by 

 necessitates close study and the growing intimacy witla 

 our subjects deepens our interest. Phlox paniculata, if 

 left longer than three years without enriching the soil, 

 dividing and transplanting, begins deteriorating; the 

 flowers become smaller and the color lacks the original 

 brightness. It is much the same with heleniums, helian- 

 thus and rudbeckias. An attempt to treat peonies, 

 funkias, oriental poppies or yuccas in a similar way 

 would result in the opposite. We would never be able 

 to enjoy the stately specimens in which many old gar- 

 dens take pride. Spirea aruncus, as a rule, is twice as 

 beautiful in its eighth year as a four-year-old plant and 

 I shall never forget the wonderful sight of a gigantic 

 specimen of Heraeleum barbatum, about 20 years old, 

 bearing its immense white umbrella-shaped flowers 

 on thick stalks nearly 6 feet high. 



The subject of today's notes, Dictamnus fraxinella, 

 also belongs to those species improving with age. 

 Habitual growth as well as the ornamental character of 

 foliage and flower spikes are shown by our illustration, 

 a reproduction of a photograph taken by your corre- 

 respondent in the hardy plant section of Henry A. 

 Dreer, in ,Eiverton, N. J. The specimen, I judge 

 is at least 10 years old. Dictamnus fraxinella is in 

 bloom during June and July. The blossoms are of a 

 very desiralile rosy pink, while those of the variety 

 fraxinella alba appear in clear white. Dictamnus frax- 

 inella caucasicus is a form of considerable larger dimen- 

 sion but in color similar to the well known fraxinella; 

 average height from 2| to 3 feet. As a curious pecu- 

 liarity, we notice the foliage and flowers during hot 

 weather giving off a fragrant volatile oil, which ignites 

 when a match is applied to it, hence the popular name, 

 "gas plant." 



Dictamnus fraxinella. 



Being highly ornamental border perennials the reason 

 for the present comparative rarity of strong specimens 

 in gardens, I fear, is attributable to frequent transplant- 

 ing or other detrimental disturbing of their develop- 

 ment. The value of matured specimen plants of spe- 

 cies distinguished by longevity is self-evident, for they 

 represent treasures well worthy to- take pride in. For 

 permanent position the dictamnus varieties require a 

 rich and rather heavy soil and an open sunny ex- 

 posure. They may be raised from seed or propagated 

 by divisions. For winter protection I have used leaves, 

 the thickness of covering being governed by the climatic 

 conditions. 



Riverton, N. J. 



-^ccAx:iAx(. -i^cMyC/ 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL 

 COLLEGE. 



The short course in floriculture at 

 the Massachusetts Agricultural Col- 

 lege has been in progress since the first 

 week in January. Twenty-three stu- 

 dents are enrolled, this being the 

 largest registration since the estab- 

 lishment of the course. Other states 

 as well as Massachusetts are repre- 

 sented, two of the students coming 

 from Vermont and one from Ohio. 

 Several members of the class have had 

 considerable experience in greenhouse 

 work while others are beginners. Clark 

 L. Thayer, a graduate of M. A. C, and 

 assistant in the Department of Flori- 

 culture, is in charge of the work. Par- 

 ticular attention is given to the chief 

 florists' crops such as roses, carnations, 

 violets, and chrysanthemums. Other 

 subjects which are taken up are green- 

 house construction, heating, glazing, 

 and as far as possible practical work is 

 given along with the lectures, includ- 

 ing propagation by cuttings, rose 

 grafting, etc. Field trips which are 

 taken to commercial greenhouse estab- 

 lishments of which there are so many 

 In the vicinity of Amherst form one 

 of the features of the course; a few of 

 the ranges which have been visited 

 are those of A. N. Pierson Company 

 of Cromwell, Conn.; Butler & Ullman 

 of Northampton, Mass., and the Mont- 



gomery Brothers of Hadley. An an- 

 nual trip is also taken to Boston to 

 visit markets, stores, commercial 

 ranges, and private estates in that 

 vicinity. 



INJURIOUS MULCHING. 



Referring to the communication on 

 page 143, in our Jan. 31 issue, wherein 

 a grower admits having top-dressed 

 his roses with a mixture of wood 

 ashes and Clay's fertilizer, and Mr. 

 Ruzicka's comments thereon, Gustav 

 Olson writes as follows: 



"It ought to be apparent to anyone 

 qualified to answer such a question 

 that wood ashes (caustic potash) or 

 lime (caustic lime), with any organic 

 fertilizer or manure, as that liberates 

 the ammonia and turns it into gas 

 that burns the roots and if applied 

 as a top-dressing will even burn the 

 foliage." 



In a recent issue of the Rural New 

 Yorker, Charles E. Thome, of the 

 Ohio Experiment Station, writes as 

 follows: 



"If manure and lime are mixed and 

 at once plowed under the earth will 

 probably arrest most of the ammonia 

 that may be formed; but if the mix- 

 ture of manure and lime is exposed to 

 the air there will be considerable es- 



cape of ammonia into the atmosphere. 

 "In the case of ashes, the lime is 

 first in the form of oxide or quick- 

 lime, which reverts to the carbonate 

 form on exposure to the atmosphere, 

 so that fresh ashes would have the 

 same effect as quicklime in liberating 

 ammonia. Ground limestone would 

 have less tendency in this direction, 

 but we think the safest plan is to 

 apply all kinds of lime or limestone 

 separately from manure or fertilizers." 



BOSTON PARK DEPARTMENT. 



One of the first acts of Boston's new 

 executive. Mayor Curley, was to dis- 

 miss D. Henry Sullivan, as chairman 

 of the Boston Park and Recreation 

 Commission, and appoint John M. Min- 

 ton to fill the office until a permanent 

 successor should be appointed and con- 

 firmed. The mayor has now named 

 John H. Dillon for the position. Mr. 

 Dillon has been long connected with 

 the department as foreman of the 

 Public Garden. Confirmation by the 

 Civil Service Board is required before 

 Mr. Dillon can assume his position as 

 Chairman of the Commission. 



O March that blu.sters and March that 



blows 

 What color under your footsteps clows! 

 Reauty you summon from winter snows, 

 .\nd you are the pathway that leads to 



the rose. — Celia Thaxter. 



