338 



HORTICULTURE 



November 25, 1920 



RAMBLING OBSERVATIONS OF 

 A ROVING GARDENER 



In England Dorothy Perkins, Minne- 

 haha and some other American roses 

 make a fine showing in August, I wish 

 that were true here. Rambler roses in 

 bloom through August and into Sep- 

 tember would be a wonderful acquisi- 

 tion, and no doubt they will come. Mr. 

 Thomas has been working for some 

 time in that direction. Dorothy Per- 

 kins is naturally rather a late bloomer, 

 however, and very persistent, so that 

 it is one of the best where a late sea- 

 son of flowering is described. Lady 

 Gay is very much like it. In fact, 

 even rosarians are often unable to dis- 

 tinguish between them, but it seems to 

 lose its flowers a little earlier. The 

 English growers are fond of Minne- 

 haha, which was given to the world by 

 Mr. Walsh, of Woods Hole, in 1905. 



They like its large, open bunches of 

 flowers, and find it well adapted to 

 arches or pergolas. As one writer de- 

 scribes it: "The pendent flowers 

 when one looks up produce a dla- 

 phonous effect which is sometimes 

 very pleasing." Babette is another 

 Walsh production which is seen very 

 often in America and yet is popular 

 in England. 



According to a recent number of the 

 Kew Bulletin a specimen of heather 

 (Calluna vulgaris) has been reported 

 to the editor, which bears both purple 

 and white inflorescences on the same 

 plant. It is not uncommon for cases 

 of albinism to appear in many spe- 

 cies, but it is more rare for a single 

 plant to produce both albino and nor- 



mal flowers. It would be interesting 

 to learn if any of the gardeners in this 

 country who are growing heather have 

 noticed any instances of this sort. It 

 wouldn't be strange if they appeared 

 here. 



The editor of the American Botanist 

 shows that such cases are known in 

 other families. He cites the fact that 

 a cross between the purple flowered 

 alfalfa, Medicago sativa and the yel- 

 low flowered Medicago falcata results 

 in individuals that may bear yellowish 

 white, deep yellow, lilac and greenish 

 violet flowers. 



The English papers continue to 

 make many valuable comments on the 

 Allwoodi carnation which was origi- 

 nated on a famous nursery across the 

 water several years ago. This plant 

 has been introduced into the United 

 States, although so far it is very rare 

 in gardens. I am fortunate to have 

 several varieties, and though they have 

 not become very well established as 



Forced Darwin Tnlips 



