THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



Araucaria Excelsa. 



light pink; O Marana, 10 to 12 inches, 

 pinkish red, very fine; Kubra rosea, 8 

 to 10 inches, rosy carmine, one of the 

 best. 



TENDER NYMPHAEAS, night blooming. 

 Devoniensis, pure red, 6 to 10 inches; 

 dentata, white, large, 10 to 12 inches; 

 Frank Trelease, crimson, 8 to 10 inches; 

 George Huster, described as an improved 

 O Marana ; Jubilee, pure white with deli 

 cate flush of pink at base of petals. 



HARDY NYTVIPHAEAS. These are most 

 ly natives of the United States and tem 

 perate Europe, and the fine hybrids now 

 raised are numerous. The flowers are 

 mostly from three to seven inches across. 

 Tuberosa is the common white pond lily 

 of our northern ponds and creeks. It is 

 not fragrant, but so robust it crowds 

 out other sorts, so that it should be 

 planted alone. Odorata is another beau 

 tiful white and odorata rosea is the 

 famous Cape Cod lily. Some fine sorts 

 are: odorata, white; odorata rosea, 

 pink; tuberosa rosea, fine pink; Mar- 

 liacea albida, splendid large white; Mar- 

 liacea chromatella, bright yellow, most 

 desirable; Gladstoniana, largest pure 

 white; Laydekeri purpurata, rosy crim 

 son; Laydekeri rosea, delicate rose pink; 

 odorata Caroliniana, rosy flesh pink, 

 strong grower. There are numerous other 



newer hybrids of great beauty and dis 

 tinct, but as yet rather expensive. 



Nclumbium. 



This stately aquatic is now generally 

 known and largely grown. N. spe- 

 ciosum, often called the Egyptian lo 

 tus, will do in any pond where the roots 

 do not freeze and has taken possession 

 of some of the smaller lakes of Indi 

 ana. The large peltate leaves rise above 

 the surface of the water, and the beau 

 tiful rosy pink flowers are borne on long 

 stalks above the leaves. They have the 

 appearance of very large double tulips. 



The plants need the same general 

 treatment as the hardy nymphaeas, and 

 the compost can not be made too rich. 

 One authority says they like to root into 

 a stiff clay. If the bottom of your tank 

 or pond is out of reach of frost, leave 

 them there all winter. If not, lift the 

 roots and keep in moist soil till spring. 



There are now several varieties of N. 

 speciosum. N. luteum is a native of our 

 southern states and has very large yel 

 low flowers. 



Other Aquatics. 



To accompany the nymphaeas and ne- 

 lumbiums in the artificial lake or water 



21 



garden, and of smaller growth, you can 

 have the following: 



ElCHHORNIA CRASSIPES MAJOR: Often 



called the water hyacinth. They spread 

 rapidly and float without the roots be 

 ing in any soil. Some of them must be 

 removed to tubs of water in the green 

 house during winter to furnish a sup 

 ply for the following season. This cu 

 rious little aquatic is also known as 

 Pontederia. 



LIMNANTHEMUM : In appearance a 

 miniature water lily with a pretty white 

 flower. 



LlMNOCHARIS HUMBOLDTII: Yellow, 



poppy-like flowers. Good for the mar 

 gins of ponds, but inclined to become a 

 weed. 



PAPYRUS (OR CYPERUS) ALTERNIFOL- 

 IUS: This is well known and much culti 

 vated in our greenhouses. It also makes 

 a good aquatic for small ponds. 



PAPYRUS ANTIQUORUM: The papyrus 

 of the ancients, from which they made 

 their writing paper. It is sometimes 

 called the Egyptian bulrush. It has long, 

 straight stems growing seven or eight 

 feet high and is very striking in appear 

 ance. Both this and alternifolius must 

 be removed to the greenhouse before 

 danger of frost. 



ACORUS JAPONICUS: The variegated 

 sweet flag. 



PONTEDERIA PELTANDRA VIRGINICA : 

 Greenish, calla-like flowers; hardy. 



CALLA PALUSTRIS: A native, hardy 

 plant. 



Perhaps none of the above is of com 

 mercial value, except the nymphaeas, but 

 if asked to stock a lily pond those noted 

 will be found among the best, easily ob 

 tainable and good, free growers. 



ABAUCARIA. 



Of this noble genus of conifers A. 

 excelsa is the only one of commercial 

 value to us. A. imbricata is a hardy 

 tree in . England and when twenty to 

 thirty feet high, with branches sweeping 

 the grass, its symmetry is matchless. It 

 is not, however, hardy here and does not 

 make a useful plant for the greenhouse. 



A. excelsa is called the Norfolk Island 

 pine, being a native of that far away 

 island. It will endure a very cool tem 

 perature, but not freezing. The plants 

 are imported in large quantities from 

 Europe. When ordering see that you 

 are promised plants from cuttings. They 

 are readily raised from seed but never 

 make as fine plants as those from cut 

 tings, the lower branches being always 

 shorter and weaker, spoiling the sym 

 metry of the plant. These are propa 

 gated from the leading shoots of the 

 tops and branches inserted in sand, kept 

 moderately moist, and covered with a 

 hand-glass or frame till rooted. 



The plants usually arrive in this 

 country in excellent order, soon recov 

 ering from the journey and starting 

 to grow. I have had the best success 

 importing in the spring, the plants reach 

 ing here in May. You can then grow 

 them on during summer and have well 

 established plants for winter trade. Anji 

 good, fresh loam lightened up with a 

 fifth or sixth of leaf-mold or very 

 rotten manure will suit the araucaria. 



