I89I. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



1 1 1 



The blooms often come one-sided, or other- 

 wise imperfect. This is caused by lack of 

 moisture at the roots during the formation 

 of the buds. This period of the plant's ex- 

 istence is a very critical one. It is a good 

 plan to keep the ground on which the plants 

 stand when outside continually damp. 



Insects are often very troublesome, espec- 

 ially aphis, but these are easily destroyed. 

 There is a very small green caterpillar which 

 is not easily dealt with. It manages to get 

 within the buds just as they begin to open 

 and eats the centers, sometimes 

 quite destroying them. 



On some plants I have observed an 

 insect in considerable numbers be- 

 longing to the humped-backed aphis 

 order that has done considerable 

 damage. This insect may be de- 

 stroyed in same manner as green fly. 



Glandular and other Inulas. 



The Inulas are perennial plants 

 of the composite family which em- 

 braces the Sunflowers. They have 

 not been looked upon as of much 

 importance in the garden, although 

 regarded with satisfaction when 

 planted along with other large- 

 leaved plants, or as isolate' I speci men s 

 in wild places in rich most soil. 



The lamented editor of the Gar- 

 dener's Magazine of London, suiue- 

 time before his death asked iu effect, 

 whether after all the Inulas had re- 

 ceived the consideration they were 

 entitled to from planters. In the 

 Magazine was given an exact life- 

 size engraving of the llower, which 

 showed to fine advantage, as may be 

 seen by our own reproduction of the 

 same at one-half the natural diameter. 

 We let the writer speak of the sub- 

 ject in his own words : 



It is said that at a certain place 

 there is a magic mill wherein old 

 people are ground young, so that by 

 paying a trifle and passing through 

 the process they are enabled to 

 begin life again. 



There appears to be a parallel of 

 some kind to this in the world of 

 plants, for from time to time we see 

 to our surprise old friends that we 

 had forgotten, and that perhaps we 

 never knew as we ought to have 

 known them, appear with new faces, new 

 vigor, and new beauty as though just 

 created for our astonishment and delight. 

 Something of the kind has just happened 

 to Inula glandulosa. We remember it as a 

 member of a large collection that made a 

 feature in a garden more than half a 

 century ago, and we then thought it a 

 " common " thing ; and making allowance 

 for the treachery of memory we feel certain 

 our subject was not then nearly so good as 

 it now is known to be. 



The explanation, of course, is easy enough. 

 It was allowed to live (or die) then, but now 

 it is cuJtivntcd. If you will compare the 

 figure now presented, which is faithful to 

 the life aud a most admirable portrait, with 

 that in the Botanical Magazine, published in 

 the year 1817, you will see that the specimen 

 there figured was a poor one, so we may 

 reckon that Dr. John Sims was unfamiliar 

 with the bold beauty of this noble plant. 

 In a group of a dozen or a score it has great 

 power in its season ; the glandular leaves of 

 a full deep green, and the great orange- 

 colored fiower like the figure of the sun in 

 the ancient sculptures of Central America, 

 give it a lot of character and compel re- 

 spectful admiration. It is a first-rate hardy 

 perennial, good enough for any garden in 

 the world. 



The plant is a native of the Caucasus, and 

 was Introduced by the Loddiges in the year 



1812. It requires a good soli and full expo- 

 sure to the sun. It may be propagated to 

 any extent by division or seed, and to en- 

 sure a fine growth the stock should be 

 renewed every third year at least ; if 

 annually renewed the better, as regards the 

 quality of the flowers. 



The Inulas have not generally found their 

 way into the plant and seedsmen's cata- 

 logues, at least not those of America. We 

 observe that four varieties are offered in 

 he remarkably full seed catalogue of those 



^'"'^-^mff^^ 



INULA GRANDIFlORA. 



extensive collectors and dealers, Haage & 

 Schmidt of Erfurt, Germany. 



What is an Orchid? 



{Abstract of lecture bii the late Shirley Hibberd, Editor 

 of the Gardener's Magazine, at Bath. Eng.) 

 (Continued from page 91) 



In Calanthe vcstitn, the five divisions 

 are finally turned back, like those of a 

 Turk's cap Lily, and the lip is as unlike a 

 petal as can well be imagined, seeing that 

 it is one in masquerade. In BoUca coclestis 

 we have sepals and petals nearly equal, and 

 a lip that may be likened to a pouch of 

 a Cypripedium the wrong way up, the result 

 being a flower with no special beauty of 

 form, but rendered attractive by splendor 

 of coloring. 



In the Cattleyas and LfeUas, the most 

 magniflcen t of all Orchids, sepals and petals 

 are usually easily distinguished. Thus in 

 Ciittleya labiatn and its many varieties 

 we see the three narrowish sepals about 

 equally placed alternately with the two 

 broad petals and the third petal, which 

 forms the gorgeous labellum. 



Having in the Uropedium abolished the 

 lip, we must restore it and ask what it means? 

 Now it is proper to be cautious in assigning 

 reasons for acts of creation, for finite minds 

 can grasp but little of the purposes of the 

 infinite. I venture to say that the reason 

 for the transformation of a petal to a label- 



lum is to attract and guide insects to the 

 column, that fertilization may be affected 

 through their agency in the distribution of 

 pollen. The most anxious provisions are 

 made for its perpetuation and distribution. 

 The one great point in the structure and life 

 habits of plants is to ensure seed production. 

 In many instances fertilization is effected 

 by the wind, which shakes out the ripe 

 pollen and wafts it abroad freely, to ensure 

 that the ripe stigmas may receive at least 

 some of it to quicken fertility. In other in- 

 stances fertilization takes place 

 within the flower, uninfluenced by 

 wind or any other external agency. 

 The Uropedium may be said to have 

 discovered that the agents of fertili- 

 zation could better reach tlie column 

 by climbing up than by flying; and 

 so it provided them with an ad- 

 ditional ladder for ascent out of the 

 bog to the organs of fructification. 

 From this we turn to such a plant 

 as Brassnvola Dighynna, and we 

 have a lip of most extravagant form, 

 set in the midst of five nearly equal 

 divisions, and furnishe:! with a 

 fringe, convenient for flies to ascend 

 by to be coaxed onward to the 

 column, which is completely sur- 

 rounded by the fleshy shield-shape 

 labellum. A nearly similar arrange- 

 ment is seen in Deuilrohium Bry- 

 meriftnum. It will be ditficult to 

 find in any one family of animals or 

 plants the parallel of variety in the 

 lips of Orchids. We have wingless 

 moths aud butterfiies; beetles with 

 snouts like battering rams, and vari- 

 ety without end; but the forms of 

 Orchids appear to exceed iu this 

 elasticity of adaptation all else. And 

 amongst the results we have not only 

 attractions for insects, but agreeable 

 entertainment for the mind of man. 

 In the lip and the column, both so 

 intimately associated with the mul- 

 tiplication of species, we see what 

 appear to us as imitations of butter- 

 flies, lizards, frogs, birds, and even 

 man himself. 



In some cases these organs are con- 

 structed to be forever in motion to 

 attract insects to effect fertilization; 

 and in others they actually entrap 

 the insects, and so, as it were, com- 

 pel them to accomplish what is wanted. 

 This is seen in Calcoiia vigrita, in which 

 the labellum springs over and covers the 

 column instantly an insect touches it. 



One of the prettiest examples of imitation 

 is the Pcristcrid data, in which we see the 

 semblance of a dove upon its nest, a circum- 

 stance that caused the Spaniards to regard 

 it as a floral emblem of the Holy Spirit. 



In Strophnnthus cupensiSj which is not 

 an orchid but a Dogbane, we have a quite 

 orchid-like elongation of the divisions of 

 the flower to accommodate its insect friends. 

 The beautiful and curious Anyrcccum 

 sesquipedaJc has a spur upwards of a foot 

 in length, which is simply a prolongation of 

 the labellum This spur is really a nectary 

 in which nectar is secreted. ^/if;?Trci(m 

 Kotshhya has a similar spur projected from 

 the labellum, but it is spirally twisted, and 

 serves as a tendril to support the flowers. 



3,237. Chrysanthemum Sports. It is not un- 

 common to tind a Chrysanthemum flower vary- 

 ing in color from the regular color of the blooriis 

 in the plant. This is due to what is termed " bud 

 variations." If the blanch bearing such a sport 

 is propag-ated the variations will often remain 

 permanent and thus g-ive rise to a distinct 

 variety. Sometimes the variations will quickly 

 revert to the original or parent form, so that its 

 value largely depends on its perraanency. Alto- 

 gether, bud varieties has been a prolific source 

 of varieties among plants. Nearly all variegated 

 and cut-leaved plants, as well as pendant trees 

 have originated In this way. 



