1887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



31 



them in the way of removing runners, de- 

 cayed leaves, etc., has something to do veith 

 the progress and effects of the disease. 



About a Certain Water Plant.— Ne- 

 lumbium Luteum. 



T. T. LYON, SOCTH HAVEN, MICH. 



This somewhat rare aquatic plant, some- 

 times known as Water Ciiinquapiu, Water 

 Bean, Lotus, etc. ; and which was originally 

 supposed to exist only in the waters of the 

 Schuylkill near Philadelpliia, but was sub- 

 sequently discovered at Sandusky bay. La 

 Plaisance bay, and in the shallow waters at 

 the mouth of the river Raisin, all near the 

 western end of Lake Erie, proves not to be 

 as rare as was formerly sup- 

 posed; since, on the authority 

 of Prof. T. H. Lewis, a Min- 

 nesota paper states that it is 

 found also in Lake Ontario, 

 and at several points along 

 the upper waters of the Miss- 

 issippi river, as at the head of 

 the Rock Island rapids, just 

 above La Crosse, and at the 

 head of Lake Pepin; also in 

 the Minnesota river near 

 Mendota; and in Halstead's 

 bay, at the west end of Lake 

 Minnetonka, a noted summer 

 resort a few miles west of 

 St. Paul and Minneapolis. 



In popular parlance it is 

 usually called a Water Lily, 

 although botanically it be- 

 longs to a distinct order. It 

 is, by many, supposed to be 

 the sacred Lotus of the 

 Egyptians, from which, how- 

 ever, it differs in the color of 

 the flower, which is greenish 

 yellow, while that of the 

 Egyptian is pink. 



Philadelphia, in latitude 

 40°, would seem to be its limit 

 southward, and Lake Minnetonka, in lati- 

 tude 4.5°, its northern extreme, although the 

 fact that it is indigenous in this land of 

 frost and blizzards seems to indicate the 

 possibility that it may yet be discovered 

 even farther north. 



The Egyptian Lotus (NeluTnhitim speei- 

 oHuin) was shown in a tank, along with Vic- 

 toria Regia, at the recent joint exhibition of 

 the Massachusetts Horticultural and Amer- 

 ican Pomological Societies at Boston, both 

 said to have been grown in the open ground, 

 although doubtless, both being tropical 

 plants, will require thorough protection 

 against frost, and possibly against a near 

 approach to it during the winter. 



the most striking plants in a mixed border 

 that is known, tlie color being very conspicu- 

 ous, and it is a very valual)le accjuisition to 

 the herbaceous border. 



The most striking difference noted by the 

 editor of the Chronicle is in the inflores- 

 euce, tor tlie shape of the leaves and the 

 color of the flowers are so variable in differ- 

 ent specimens of a Mullein Pink, judging 

 from those growing in our garden, that no 

 great dependence can be placed upon them. 

 Speaking generally, however, the leaves of 

 the Mullein Pink, L. ri>ninaria, are broadly 

 ovate, while those of L. flus-jniUK are lance- 

 olate, and those of the hybrid are ovate 

 lanceolate. 



In the hybrid the central flowerstalk is 



Fig. 1. The Mullein Pink, 

 Lychnis coronaria. 



Fig. 2. Floirer of Jove, Fig. 3. The Hybrid. 



Lychnis flos-Jovis. 



NEW HYBRID LYNCHNIS: THE PARENTS AND THE HYBRID ILLUSTRATED. 



THE SINGLE FLOWERS NATURAL SIZE. 



A Beautiful New Hybrid Lychnis. 



We are enabled this month to figure a 

 new Hybrid Lychnis of recent origin in En- 

 gland, and with it figures of its parents, 

 altogether forming an interesting group. 

 For the drawings of these engravings and 

 also for our information concerning this in- 

 teresting new plant we are indebted to the 

 Gardeners' Chronicle, of London, England. 



That this hybrid, coming from two such 

 showy garden flowers as the Mullein Pink, 

 Ljichnin coronarid (Figure 1) having deep 

 crimson, velvety flowers, and the Flower of 

 .Jove, L. flos-joviif (Figure 3) with clusters 

 of reddish, purple flowers, should prove to 

 be both handsome and desirable is no matter 

 for surprise. It is descriljed by its originator, 

 Mr. Alfred O. Walker, as l)eing very superior 

 as a decorative plant to either parent. The 

 habit resembles L. ftus-jovi.'^, though the 

 plant is larger. The flowers are almost as 

 large as those of L. comudriii. but are far 

 more brilliant in color, being of a lighter 

 and more rosy-purple. In fact it is one of 



only about two inches long, and the two side 

 branches (see Figure '-i) are about of equal 

 length, each bearing a group of flowers of 

 which the central one is open and not far 

 behind the primary flower. So that, as a 

 matter of fact, where in the Mullein Pink we 

 should have only one flower open at a time, 

 there are in the hybrid certainly two equally 

 developed at the same time, and perhaps 

 three. This is of itself an advantage. 



In the Flower .Jove the central flowerstalk 

 is exceedingly short, and the two side 

 branches are of equal length, each bearing 

 densely packed groups of flowers, arranged 

 precisely on the same genaral plan, though 

 more numerous. Hence the infloresence of 

 the hybrid is quite intermediate between 

 that of its parents. 



So far no good seed has been raised from 

 the hybrid as might have been expected, but 

 it is said that no difficulty is experienced in 

 propagating the plants by division. 



The Roman Hyacinth. 



The Roman Hyacinth of commerce, the 

 kind to be noticed here, is not, according 

 to the Gardening World of England, the 

 true Roman Hyacinth. The latter is Hya- 

 cinthus RninaiiHS (first introduced as Scilhi 

 Romana) and having small pale blue flowers 

 fading to white at the margins, Ijlooming in 

 May out-of-<loors, but of no service as a forc- 

 ing bulb for cut flowers. What now p<iss 

 for the Roman Hyacinths are varieties of 

 Hya(:inthu,s P/yrco.r and H. nUMdus, being 

 really forms of the common garden Hya- 

 cinth, H. orientalis. 



Of several forms of so-called Roman Hya- 

 cinths the best and earliest of all to torce is 

 the White Roman, H. orientalix alhulux. 

 If it is the smallest form of all it is also the 



purest white, and so early that it can be had 

 in flower by December 1st. It is as hardy 

 as the ordinary Hyacinth. The best bulbs 

 are imported, being obtained from the South 

 of France and Italy. Next in earliness is 

 what is known as the Double White Italian, 

 the flowers of which, however, are not white 

 but pale rose and sometimes of a pale creamy 

 tint. The Single White Italian lias larger 

 flowers than the foregoing and more num- 

 erously produced, but these two are not ex- 

 actly white. The Blue Roman variety has 

 smaller flowers than the two last named, 

 and these are of a pronounced deep purplish 

 hue, quite desirable for variety. 



In the forcing of Roman Hyacinths, as in 

 the case of all similar bulbs, it is of the ut- 

 most importance that the 

 bulbs' have; proper time to 

 develop roots after they are 

 placed in the soil before bring- 

 ing them into heat. 



In pot culture five-inch 

 pots constitute a very suitable 

 size,and the bulbs being small 

 and the leafage proportion- 

 ate, three to five equal-sized 

 bulbs may be inserted in each. 

 Drain the pots well, fin them 

 loosely with soil, and press 

 the requi.site number of bulbs 

 firmly in the compost, so that 

 when finished they may be 

 just beneath the surface. 

 When finished, stand the pots 

 on a bed of ashes behind a 

 north wall, or where they 

 will not be affected by 

 drought, or subject to undue 

 excitement. Cover them over 

 with several inches of ashes 

 or earth, and allow them to 

 stand there till new roots 

 have penetrated the compost. 

 Then transfer in batches as 

 desired to the window or 

 forcing house. 

 Cultivators who grow Romans in large 

 quantities for market insert them thicldy 

 in boxes, growing them on until the spikes 

 are well advanced, and the flowers almost 

 ready to expand. By this method space is 

 economized and the plants themselves can be 

 better regulated or sorted into sizes. Dis- 

 turbance of roots at this period does not ap- 

 preciably affect the size of the flowers, while 

 the bulbs— early forced ones especially— are 

 worthless for the same purpose a second 

 time, unless they have been recuperated by 

 growing them naturally a season or two 

 previously; but seeing that lietter imported 

 bulbs can be bought cheaply, old ones are 

 not wortli the trouble of growing. 



A rich compost consisting of turfy or 

 fibrous loam, and well rotted manure in 

 equal quantities, with an admbcture of sliarp 

 sand to keep the whole open, is tlie choice 

 of the best cultivators. We ourselves have 

 never objected to the addition of some old 

 leaf soil to the above. 



4.56. Effect of Leaf Fall on Fruit. If the trees 

 have lost most of their lea\-es the fruit will not 

 be good. If it is lu-arly or quite grown, and 

 would soon have been ripe if the leaves had re- 

 mained on, it is posiiihle that some of it may be 

 eatable, but probably poor. If the trees so 

 affected are winter \arieties the fruit will be of 

 little or no \'alue. 



•413. Grapes and Currants. I consider making 

 cuttings the best plan of propagating, selecting 

 good thrifty plants and taking pains to get good 

 branches or limbs; cutting to reasonably snoi-t 

 lengths, setting out carefully; see that the soil is 



Sacked carefully around them, and after the first 

 ght freeze mulching well.— IV. J. Shephekd. 



318. Yarrow in Lawn. We have but one 

 remedy for all weed.s in grass plats, it is to root 

 them out. Be sure you cut at least below the 

 crown in every instance— even at that some kinds 

 will throw up shoots from the roots, hence we 

 say, as far as po.ssihle root them up. This costs 

 labor; it saves trouble in the end.— A. H. E. 



