t888. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



lOI 



writes under date of November 25. " I note but 

 few references to this State in Popular (iAii- 

 DENINO. It is a su rprise that it should be so little 

 understood in the East that the oliraate of the 

 coast comities for a distance of six hundred raUes 

 is almost iniiffirm and one of the finest in the 

 world. Not sufficient frost to kill hardy plants. 

 The thernioiueter now ranges from 4H at sunrise 

 to ti,5 at midday in the sliade. In my garden to- 

 day I find the following flowers in bloom: Ager- 

 aturas, Alyssums, Japan Anem<^nes, Uegonias, 

 t'allas, Chrysanthemums, Cosmos, Abutilons, 

 Acacias, Jiusmines, Roses, 15 varieties, mostly 

 Tea, Heliotropes, Geraniums, Laurestinus, Mar- 

 guerites, Marigolds, Morning Glories, Sweet Peas, 

 second crop, Nasturtiums, Pansies, Pinks, Fuch- 

 sias in varict.\'. Lemon Verbenas, Violets,Vcrbena 

 and Zinnias. 



Nelombium Luteom. W. C. Steele, Switzer- 

 land, Fla., writes to this journal as follows: This 

 plant is by no means so rare as is generally sui>- 

 posed. My home formerly was La Porte, Ind., 

 and there in a small lake about three miles from 

 the city the Nelumbium was ^ery abundant. 

 One t>f its peculjarities I have not seen men- 

 tioned is that while part of the leaves are sup- 

 ported clear of the water by stilf stems, a large 

 proportion lie flat on the water, with small slen- 

 der stems like those of the white Water Lilies. 

 (iVj/niph(ra). The latter class of leaves often 

 grow very large — over thirty inches across. The 

 plant is found far south of Philadeliihia. Dr. 

 A. W. Chapman, in his Southern Flora repoi-ts it 

 as lieing found in lakes and ponds near Talla- 

 hassee, Fla. I have good authority that it is 

 found in the St. John's river. The still rarer 

 Yellow Water Lily, (iVj/oip/Kra ftava), a true 

 Nymphiva, is very similar to the common white 

 Water Lily of the North, except in size and color, 

 the first being quite small and the last light 

 lemon; common in the St. Johns river, Florida. 



A Fine Bulbous Plant. The subject of our en- 

 graring on this page is a comparatively rare but 

 easily grown summer flowering bulb, Galtonia 

 (or as some class it, Hyacinthus) candicans. It 

 was first brought to the conspicuous attention of 

 Americans at tlie Philadelphia Centennial Expo- 

 sition, where a lot had been planted in the open 

 ground by Krelage & Co., of Haarlem, Holland. 

 These flowered finely and were much admired, 

 receiving also the award of a medal. In general 

 character the Galtonia is a noble bulbous plant, 

 haring, in late summer, flower spikes from four 

 to six feet high furnished with waxy-white bell- 

 like blossoms 1)4 inches long. Its native habitat 

 is the Cape of Good Hope, a region to which we 

 are Indebted for so many choice bulbous plants. 

 The cultui-e of the bulb Is easy, being similar to 

 that of the Caiuia, which it more than equals in 

 hardiness. We have known young ones to live 

 over without protection In light soil. The proper 

 winter treatment is to keep them in dry soil in 

 the cellar or greenhouse, or they might safely 

 be trusted in a dry cold frame. The plant is 

 increased by otfsets frttm the bulbs or from seeds, 

 which flower about the fourth year. The distinct 

 and strong-featured habit of this plant makes it 

 valuable for the flower garden. When a group 

 is well grown in deep soil it is striking and novel 

 in the late summer garden. A group lisiug from 

 a bed of dwarf shrubs tells well, as indeed the 

 plant does In almost any position when well 

 grown. The bulbs may be procured from a num- 

 ber of American florists, who pay special atten- 

 tion U) keeiiiug up a stock of choice bulbs. 



Charles H. Marot, whose name has long been 

 familiar to Horticulturists as proprietor and 

 publisher of the Gardener's Monthly, died in Phil- 

 adelphia, after a brief illness, from pneumonia, 

 on the 21st of December, in his 63d year. The 

 Gardener's Monthly started in 1W9, by Dr. Rodney 

 King, of Philadelphia, and continuously edited 

 ever since by the able Thomas Meehan, jiassed, in 

 1881, into the hands of W. P. C. Brlnkloe, who had 

 hitherto only printed it. C. H. Marot came into 

 the firm subsequently, and on the dissolution 

 of the partnci-shi|i, 17 years ago, the Gardener's 

 Monthly fell to his share. Through his wife's 

 connections, of whom the lamous old nursery 

 firm of David Griscom, of Woodbury, N. J., was 

 one, he acquired a great fondness for gardening, 

 and took a great pride In the Gardener's Monthly. 

 He was the soul of honor and integrity in all his 

 dealings. His father was one of the early settlers 

 In West Philadelphia, and among those who did 

 much to make it what it is to-day ; and the son 

 took the same civic pride in the progress of 

 things. He leaves a family comprising a widow, 

 three daughtei-s, and a young son of about IB. 

 It is gratifying to learn, as we do from a reli- 



able source, that under Mr. Marot's management 

 the Gardener's Monthly was in sucli good shai)e 

 a;t the time of his death, that the family were at 

 first disposed to contliuie its publication them- 

 selves, but a fair olfei* for its purcha.'Je coming, 

 and onlj' one month <d' the new year being broken 

 into, it was thought best to let it go. It will now 

 lie merged with the American Garden, pulilished 

 in New Ynvk City. 



Geraniums. To ha\"e good stocky plants Jen- 

 nie Spencer of Marion Co., 111., writes that she 

 starts cuttings in May and June, in good leaf 

 mold well mixed with fine sand. " As soon as 



Galtonia (Hyacinthus) Candicans. 



they are well i-ooted I place them In small pots, 

 label them and sink to the rim In shallow boxes 

 of sawdust. This is the best of anything I ever 

 tried to sink pots in: it is good to root cuttings 

 in also if weU-rotted. As soon as the plants are 

 root-bound I repot to a size larger, and leave the 

 plants to bloom in them until they are wanted 

 for specimen plants, when they are otherwise 

 treated. In my south windows are some grand 

 Geraniums, a few of which I will notice: Little 

 Fred, dark crimson, large white eye; this is a 

 seedling from Jean Slsley and is a valuable win- 

 ter bloomer; Dr. Jacoby, clear salmon; Jean Sis- 

 ley, light red, white eye; La Constitution, double, 

 salmon; Asa Gray, salmon; Peachblossora, light 

 pink; Clipper, dazzling crimson— the best Geran- 

 ium I grow, always in bloom; Little Harry, 

 dwarf zonale, beautiful leaf with dark z<me, 

 constant bloomer. I would not consider a col- 

 lection complete without a few General Grant. 

 Young plants are p<:n)i- bloomers but at three 

 years old they are grand. Then I would add 

 Master Clirlstlne, Queen of the West, Robert 

 George and others, all good. Then I have two 

 low, wide window shelves that are filled with 

 tricolors ne.xt to the glass, where they revel in 

 the warm rays of the sun. These are the delight 

 of all lovers of the beautiful. I feast my eyes on 

 them every day, and I think they grow more 

 beautiful as the days grow warmer. Among the 

 best of these are: Bijou, Lady CuUum, Africa, 

 Marshal McMahon, Crystal Palace Gem, Black 

 Douglas, Happy Thought and others. These of 

 them.selves would fill a window with brilliant 

 colors, and very fine to use wherever a touch 

 of color is needed, lighting up the dark green 

 Geraniums with magic rays. I find them easy to 

 cultivate, constant bloomei-s, and not much sub- 

 ject to insects. 



Random Floral Notes by our New 

 York Correspondent. 



There was a " new " Carnation on the market 

 at Christmas; white fringed and flecked with 

 bright emerald green. Of course the color was 

 artificial, being ingeniously produced by allowing 

 the cut flowers to absorb sulphate of copper. It 

 was " pretty," just as a ehromo might be pretty, 

 but it could hardly be admired from an artistic 

 standpoint. Made up in a basket with Adlantum, 

 these fiowers were much admired by the unbo- 

 tanical public. 



Balls of fiowers are much admired and much 

 used now in decorations. They are suspended In 

 doorways, or hung in front of mirrors. At the 

 recent Patriarch's ball thcj'e were balls of ('alias 

 suspended at various points of vantage. The 

 favors were hung on screens, as is usually the 

 case dviring the pre.sent season. 



Some of the loveliest baskets for New Year's 

 gifts were made of Orchids; Siebrecht & Wad- 

 ley are specialists in this particular. Some lovely 

 effects are produced with Calanthe Veitchii; its 

 lively Kose-color shows off to great efl'ect when 

 combined with paler flowers. 



We see a good deal in the society columns of 

 the daily papers about the use of the Puritan 

 Hose in every social e\'ent, but in jjointoffact 

 this flower does not tiikcatall; it is a great dis- 

 appointment to the growers. Few of the new 

 Koses of the past j'ear seem likely to amount to 

 anything of importance, and the growers who 

 Invested largely in them are feeling more than 

 sore on the subject. 



Pink is still the favorite color for dinner dee- 

 orations. A centre strip of pink plush is laid an 

 the white damask cloth; entire cloths of plush or 

 satin is a vulgarism now eschewed by people of 

 good taste. The decoration is laid on this center 

 strip: and must be of harmonizing cloths. Grace 

 Wilder Carnations and Mermet Hoses are much 

 atlmired for such work. 



Arovmd the holidays Holly and Mistletoe were 

 very largely used in big decorations. These 

 greens were very plentiful; after ( 'hristmas there 

 were crates of Mistletoe knocking around the 

 markets unsold, chiefly owing, no doubt, to the 

 fact that several t)f the steamei-s bringing it in 

 were overdue, so that it did not arrive until after 

 the :2.5th. Some of the lai'ge florists who do not 

 have a very large stock of decorating plants use 

 a lot of this sort of stufl', and also dried Palm 

 leaves, when decorating a large and empty place. 



Those little glass bubble vases, recently intro- 

 duced by Klunder, are a charming innovation in 

 table decorations. They take the place of the 

 fairy lamps, now out of date. 



The fa.shion of giving bridesmaids a floral slip- 

 per. Instead of the stereotyped nosegay, has 

 reached this country, after some months' popu- 

 larity abroad. The slipper is filled with flowers, 

 harmonizing or contrasting with the dress, and 

 slung over the arm with ribbon of the same color. 

 For most occasions, the hand bouquet is a simple 

 looking affair, though put together with con- 

 sumate art. It is always a loose-looking bunch, 

 sashed with ribbon. 



Elaborate corsage bunches are rarely displayed 

 on the street by fashionable women. A bunch 

 of Violets or a .single Beauty Rose is the favorite, 

 or sometimes a single spray of (Orchids is seen. 



At an elaborate wedding at Delmonicos In the 

 middle of January the decorations largely con- 

 sisted of fine foliage plants, which are, after all, 

 more desirable and effective in every way than 

 cut flowers. The ceremony was performed under 

 an arch of choice flt)wers, which is now preferred 

 to the more familiar canopy; this supported a 

 large bell. 



A wider range of choice is allowed in general 

 flowei-s; colored blossoms of all sorts are used, 

 even to glowing Jacqueminots. The prevailing 

 taste seems to tend towards simpler styles. Cer- 

 tainly, what are called " symbolical designs are 

 often painfully ugly. 



Florists, and a good many other business people, 

 are not altogether pleased with the present cus- 

 tom of leaving town for New Year's Day, which 

 prevails among fashionable people. It diverts a 

 good many doUai'S from the florists' pockets, in- 

 asmuch as it does away with many social events 

 on that date. 



A funeral design illustrated in an English 

 journal recently, and credited to the States, con- 

 sisted of a rustic five-barred gate, draped in 

 flowere. It is hard to explain Just where Its ap- 

 propriateness came in. 



Simple plateaus of choice flowers are beautiful 

 and appropriate for laying on a funeral casket, 

 or banks of delicate Ferns mixed with Orchids. 

 soft mauve Cattleyas and Laelias are especially 

 lovely in this form. It is an Idea now growing 

 in favor to have funeral fiowers chiefly consist- 

 ing of those most admired by the deceased in life. 

 The idea of decorating the room in which the 

 casket lies is a very desirable one, more to be ad- 

 mired than a profusion of designs. The use of 

 Ferns in such work Is much to be commended. 

 Indeed these charming but too-long-neglected 

 plants are coming into greater favor now; people 

 are beginning to realize more fully the beauty of 

 a parlor Fern case. 



The Langtry cup, won by John Trim at the late 

 flower show, has resolved Itself into a handsome 

 toddy set, which is certainly of more use than a 

 meaningless cu|i or vase. It was presented by 

 the officers of the horticultural society at a 

 pleasant little dinner given by the association. 

 Emily Louise Taplin. 



