146 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



April, 



A Neglected Old Favorite.— Rein- 

 wardtia (Linum) Trigynum. 

 Sometimes the chase for novelty in orna- 

 mental plants leads the pursuers from that 

 which is old and meritorious to new things 

 of really less intrinsic worth. Among the 

 good old plants which to a certain extent 

 have thus been displaced the subject of the 

 annexed handsome engraving, Reinwardtia 

 (or as it is more commonly known I>inum) 

 trigynum. stand conspicuous. 



This plant is a handsome shrub of free 

 growth, but dwarf in stature, with smooth 

 entire leaves and large bright yellow flowers 

 disposed of in racemes. It is a native of the 

 mountains of the East Indies. It is suited 

 to greenhouse culture for the period sub- 

 .iect to cold and frosts, but dur- 

 ing the summer it may with 

 advantage be grown out-of- 

 doors in the border lifting the 

 plants in September. 



But to those having a green- 

 house ranging in temperature 

 from about .50 to (ill" at night 

 in the winter, this plant will 

 be found to reach its highest 

 degree of usefulness when 

 treated as a winter flowering 

 plant. Thus employed, and if 

 grown into good thrifty speci- 

 mens, the plants yield a contin- 

 uance of their exceedingly gay 

 blossoms from Fall throughout 

 the winter months. 



For this purpose either old 

 plants or young ones raised 

 from cuttings the spring pre\ 1 

 ous should be tised. Thecin- 

 tings for the latter .should bi 

 taken from the strongest poin 1 -^ 

 of old plants, and inserted in .1 

 close fi-ame in April for root 

 ing. When rooted they should 

 promptly go into pots and be 

 brought along in a moderately 

 warm house until established 

 in five or six inch pots. When 

 the plants are designed to be 

 grown to their best for wintei' 

 flowering they must be brought 

 along continuously in pots. 



The most suitable place for winter bloom- 

 ing plants during the summer is in a frame 

 where air can be freely admitted. The plants 

 like sunshine in plenty, but if they can have 

 shade at midday from the more intense rays 

 of the sun it is an advantage. During the 

 time of growth in young plants, and in fact 

 at all other times, pinching should be fre- 

 quently done to induce a compact shape. 

 With a little careful attention in this respect 

 plants of great beaitty may be raised. 



Being a mountain plant the Reinwardtia 

 can submit to almost any kind of treatment 

 better than that of over-watering at the root. 

 But while this is to be studiously guarded 

 against, both by providing good drainage 

 for the pot and by the judicious use of the 

 watering can, yet this rule must not be 

 forced into the other extreme of withholding 

 moistiu-e unduly. The fact is the plants 

 thrive best in a rather moist atmosphere, 

 hence to syringe them morning and after- 

 noon is found to be good treatment. 

 Another fact that calls for rather free syring- 

 ing is that the red spider, which is one of 

 this plant's most persistent enemies, can by 

 this means be readily kept down, a matter 

 of much importance. No plant can thrive 

 if infested by this pest, the common atten- 

 dant of a dry and heated condition. 



Plants of this species of Reinwardtia may 

 be procured from such of our leading ship- 

 ping florists as Robert Halliday of Balti- 

 more, John Saul of Washington, and we 

 presume of others. We observe that the 

 plant is still ottered under the former name 

 of Linum trigynum in some catalogues. 



Chrysanthemums That are Grown 

 About Boston. 



BY A BOSTON FLORIST. 



As the time is at hand when the young 

 Chrysanthenuim plants that are to flower 

 next season should be started , a few notes 

 on the finest varieties shown at the last 

 Chrysanthemum show of the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society may be of use to many 

 cultivators of this flower. 



The increase in nvimber of varieties shown 

 was quite noticeable, especially among the 

 Japanese, and it must be admitted that it is 

 to this class that we owe, in a great increase, 

 the brilliant displays of color in the Chrys- 

 anthemum shows of to-day. 



Prmniiii'Tit aiiioun tlio olili-i- varietii.-.': iif 



PLANT OF REINWARDTIA (LINUM) TRIGYNUM. 



Chinese shown in the various collections of 

 plants were Mrs. W. Haliburton, M. Roux, 

 Mabel Ward, Mrs. George Rundle, Mr. 

 George Glenny, Christine, Jardin des 

 Plantes, Mrs. Forsyth, Prince of Wales, 

 Mrs. Sharpe, Baron Beust, Jeanne d'Arc 

 and Brazen Shield; and among the Japan- 

 ese, Wm. Robinson, Beaute de Toulouse, 

 Gorgeous, Cullingfordii, Gloriostim, Fair 

 Maid of Guernsey, L'Incomparable, Fanny 

 Boucharlat, M. Boyer, Source d'Arc, Bras- 

 rouge, M. Paule Fabre, Belle Paule, Margot, 

 Mr. Delaux, Mrs. C. H. Wheeler, Tokio, 

 Comte de Germany and Flambeaux. Among 

 Pompons were Brilliant, Mr. Astie, La Fi- 

 ancee, Salamon, Golden Bedder, Buttercup, 

 Freemy, Soeur Melanie and Antonias. 



With the exception of Nahanton, Chinese, 

 and Mrs. Gane, Pompon Anemone, all the 

 new varieties shown were Japanese. The 

 former is a large, finely incurved flower 

 of lilac pink color with white center; it has 

 a fine sturdy habit with erect branches, and 

 is free-flowering. The latter is a pitre white 

 Anemone of medium size and very perfect 

 in form; a free bloomer and strong grower, 

 with rich, dark green leaves, which set off 

 its i)ure white flowers to great advantage. 

 A plant of this variety, five feetthrough and 

 two and one-half feet high, took first prize 

 iis a specimen Anemone flowered sort. 



The best new ones among the Japanese 

 were M. Freeman, H, A. Gane, Pres. Hyde, 

 John Webster, Enchantre.sse, Mile. Me- 

 lanie Fabre, Mile. Paule Dutour, Domina- 

 tion, Mad. Marie ('los and Blanc Precoce. 



M. Freeman anil Mile. Melanie Fabre are 



much alike in general effect, and are both 

 remarkably flne varieties in every way; they 

 both have a strong, compact and free flower- 

 ing habit and are similar in color, a rich 

 rose pink, the latter having a slight yel- 

 lowish tinge that the former does not; and 

 while the flowers of M. Freeman are very 

 large and are considerably incurved at first, 

 those of Mile. Melanie Fabre are never so 

 and are borne in immense clusters. H. A. 

 Gane is another flne, bright, pink variety of 

 very strong and free habit. 



Pres. Hyde without exception was the 

 finest yellow variety shown. It is a re- 

 markably free bloomer with large full 

 flowers of the richest yellow; it has a strong 

 and healthy habit. In its peculiar color 

 there is nothing to compare 

 with Enchantress; a full, 

 feathery flower of a clean lilac 

 pink color; remarkably free 

 flowering and dwarf in habit. 

 Domination is a very large, 

 full double white flower with 

 long, straight petals of great 

 substance. For so large a 

 flower it is very strong and free 

 in habit. 



Mile. Paule Dutour, one of 

 the latest French varieties, is 

 likely to become a great favor- 

 ite. It has a strong, erect habit, 

 with large, full, double reflexed 

 flowers, pure white in the cen- 

 ter, with the tips of the petals 

 deep pink; a remarkably free 

 bloomer, 



Mme, Marie Clos, another 

 French variety, introduced at 

 the same time as the last, is 

 s( imewhat in the way of Mme. 

 C. Andiguier but of a much 

 deeper shade. It has a good 

 habit and is free blooming. 



Blanc Precoce, also one of 

 the latest French varieties is 

 sure to be widely grown. It is 

 free flowering,full double white 

 flower with twisted petals, of 

 good habit and great keeping 

 qualities; the plant showoi was 

 in good condition and had been 

 so for nearly a month previous. 



In the class for trained standards there 

 was but one e.xhibitor, Mr. William Martin, 

 of Milton, v^•ith four plants, but these were 

 the finest ever exhibited in Boston. They 

 had stems ranging from five to eight feet in 

 height, supported by but one stake, and com- 

 pact heads three and four feet through. 

 The varieties used were .Jardin des Plantes, 

 Grandiflora and Fair Maid of Guernsey. 



It will not be out of place to make special 

 mention of the flowers shown by Mrs. J. M. 

 Voodice, of Worcester, as they showed what 

 can be done in raising Chrysanthemums 

 without the aid of a greenhouse. Some of 

 her flowers were equal to any shown. Edna 

 Craig, Sunlight, Domination, Mrs. O. H. 

 Wlieeler and La Triumphant were all flne. 

 One of the most interesting features of the 

 exhibition was a collection of Chrysanthe- 

 mums recently sent from Japan, and 

 flowered and shown here for the flrst time 

 by E. Fewkes & Son, af Newton Highlands, 

 Mass. Many of the varieties were decidedly 

 unique as well as beautiful, notably the 

 variety named Mrs, Alphonse Hardy, which 

 is probably the most distinct and rare Chrys- 

 anthemum known. It is a pure white, full 

 double flower, with the outer surface ot the 

 incurved tips of the petals thickly covered 

 with a cotton-like pile. 



Another peculiar form among them, called 

 Medusa, was one with very long, droop- 

 ing, ribbon-like petals resemliling the flowers 

 of the White Fringe tree. There were sev- 

 eral other forms more fantastic than beau- 

 tiful, but the varieties named Mrs. Tattler, 



