1890. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



155 



Confasion in Plant Names. Tlioro aiv a niim- 

 bei- of ivt'orms that the Society of American 

 I'lorists sliimld tnke in band at their next annual 

 meol InfT. Hvery eatiilogwe-making: florist should 

 lie i-equiivil to ^ive the correct botanical names 

 of all plants, new ov old, common or iiirc, what- 

 ever the common name. Take the Moon-Hower, 

 for instance. There is only one true Moon-flower, 

 Iponica Hona-no.\, as described by Gray. What 

 Mamcco\ild be more appropriate for this jfrand 

 plant than the specific name it bears? 1. nocti- 

 llora, I noctiphyton, I.irrandiflora.or I.Me.xicana, 

 none of them can chiim to be as fitting. The 

 tulienms-rooted Ipomea palraata is often called 

 I. Me.xicana, whereas I think that is the name 

 of the plant sold by some firms as the original 

 Moon-Hower. a tine vine in every way, but it 

 neither blooms the first year from seed nor grows 

 from cuttings, while the true Moon-flower does 

 both. The latter plant is in three varieties, 

 white-seeded, black seeded and cross-bred, the 

 first-named lieing the earlicj^t and best bloomer. 

 It is not right to offer Rain-bow plants, Sun-set 

 plants, and many othei-s unknown to most people, 

 without giving something more definite than a 

 local common name. Flower lovers may either 

 duiilicate a plant already in their collections, or 

 else they may find themselves the happy posses- 

 sors of an undesirable weed. The correct botan- 

 ical name might give us all a clue.— Poey W. 



A Fine New Kose. About the year ISfi.'j Mr. 

 Robert Fortune brought from Japan the Polyan- 

 tha Remontant Rose (Rosa polyantha), a species 

 distinguished from all others by its branching 

 clusters (or panicles) of blooms. Coupled with its 

 e.xtremely free-fiowering habit, the flowers were 

 highly scented and the plants were found to be 

 better suited for summer bedding, than any 

 other class of strictly perpetual bloomers. A 

 tjed of this section of Roses is quite certain 

 under ordinary culture, to be a mass of bloom 

 during the entire season. A new Japanese of 

 so much value at once attracted the attention of 

 expert Rose growers and hybridizers, with the 

 result, that now our best of Polyanthas embrace 

 many varieties, some of which are about hardy 

 in the north, as is also the parent. One of the 

 more recent products is the newClothilde Soupert, 

 a result of hybridizing the Tea Rose Mme. Dama- 

 zin with the Polyantha Mignonette, at the hands 

 of that clever French Rosarlan Mr. Soupert. 

 Recently we rceived a fine cluster of this new 

 variety from Mr. J. C. Vaughan, Florist, Chicago, 

 and were well pleased with its appearance. 

 The cluster before us has four full-blown (or 

 nearly so) Roses and nine buds, all upon one 

 main branch. Still the branchlets are less 

 crowded than with most Polyanthas, being 

 quite evenly dispersed over the strong-grow- 

 ing head. The color of the flowers is a pearly 

 white suffused with delicate rose towards the 

 center, although in this there is some vari- 

 ability. The fragrance is delicate. This new 

 Kose will be planted on the Popular Garden- 

 ing grounds the coming season. 



Baising Plants from Seed. A great many fail- 

 ures in raising plants from seed annually arise 

 from the inexperience of the planters, especially 

 with the small and delicate flower seeds. For all 

 kinds of seeds were transplanting is advisable, I 

 practice the following plan with almost invari- 

 ably good results, and with a minimum of care; 

 a simple method for everybody: Make a frame 

 of six inch boards, three feet wide, and asking 

 as desired. Next make some sash frames out of 

 one by two-inch lumber; three feet in length one 

 way, to match the first frame, and then three 

 feet or so the other way. Tack on to these last 

 frames good, stout cotton sheeting. Prepare a 

 rich, mellow piece of ground, thoroughly spaded 

 and well raked, in a sunny place, and set the main 

 frame on it. If the earth in the seed bed is nat- 

 urally cloggy and heavy, before sowing seed, 

 temper it well with sand if possible. Now sow 

 your seed in rows properly labeled, or broadcast, 

 as you prefer, being particularly careful not to 

 cover too deeply with earth. Fine seeds need no 

 covering. A little fine earth, rubbed through a 

 sieve, just enough to hide the seeds, answers for 

 the coarser seeds. Next take a smooth piece of 

 board, and laying it on yoursowing, press it down 

 firmly. Nowsprinkle the whole with your water- 

 ing iiot moderately, and put on the cloth 

 frames. If the weather is warm and dry, water 

 again gently each evening, keeping the cover on 

 all the time except when watering, and soon you 

 will have a fine show of plants. When seeds of 

 different kinds are to be found in the same 

 main frame, care should be taken to sow those 

 which germinate quickly, at one end of the 



frame; and when up you can give them air from 

 time to time by raising the frame a little (best at 

 night) without interfering with the sprouting of 

 the other secils, which take a longer time to 

 ccinic up.— 7). A. FMcher, Iowa. 



The Abtttilon. I have had nothing finer among 

 my house plants this winter than the Abutilon, 

 of which I have three sorts, one with variegated 

 foliage and double yellow blossom, very hand- 

 some (Thomps<mi 1 think); one with large, dark 

 red flower, of which do not know the name, and 

 the third, which taking all things into account, is 

 most lovely of all, of dwarf habit with blossom 

 of reddish orange color, different from anything 

 I have seen elsewhere. For persistency of bloom 

 it cannot be beaten, and I have never seen its 

 e(iual. I got the plant originally from an eastern 

 florist among other plants, and it was labelled 

 Dr. Spinner, but I have never been able to find 

 that name among Abutilons, either in his cata- 

 logue or any other florist's (it was sent me as an 

 extra), and I have always been looking for it, as 

 every one who sees it wants one. I have given 



A COMMOM FREAK: See opposite page. 

 cuttings to a great' many people ^during the six 

 or seven years that I have had it. I have never 

 seen such a free bloomer in any house-plant. A 

 lady visiting me one winter counted the blossoms 

 on my plant about 18 inches high, and there were 

 80 blossoms. To-day as I write there are on the 

 plant of about the same size 55, and I have been 

 taking blossoms from it almost every day all 

 winter. I wonder if Dr. Spinner has found its 

 way into the plant collections of others of your 

 readers. I keep my Abutilons for winter bloom 

 entirely, as there are plenty of flowers during 

 summer, and to that end keep cutting off just 

 the ends of all branches as often as they make a 

 growth of a few inches, from the time that I put 

 them out of their jars into the ground, as I do by 

 the middle of May in this climate, until I repot 

 before the first frost in the fall. They are quite 

 free from insects, only occasionally the green 

 fly makes its appearance, but soon disappears 

 under a few sprinklings of weak soap suds with 

 kerosene— say a half cupful of kerosene to a pail- 

 ful of water. 1 use that for all plants infested 

 with green fly, and And it does not harm any, and 

 is effectual.— Miriam Parker, Minn. 



New York Floral Notes. 



Since Lent began there has been a decided 

 change in the flower trade, at least among the 

 florists holding the fashionable trade, as large 

 entertainments are now over, and most social 

 events are of a simple order, calling for compar- 

 atively few flowers. The last few weeks before 

 Lent began, business was really good; in fact, 

 taken all through, there is no doubt that more 

 work has been done than was at first anticipated. 

 It cannot be called a poor winter for the trade, 

 in spite of unfavorable weather, which affects 

 the flower trade more than outsiders imagine. 



There was one very notable wedding in Feb- 

 ruary, which called for very novel^effects in dec- 

 oration, both house and church being elaborately 

 arranged The ceremony took, place in the 

 Chiu'ch of the Heavenly Rest, which is very deep, 

 but comjiaratively narrow. All the way up the 

 centei- aisle were two rows of tall Palms, a row 

 on cither side, the leaves meeting over head, so 

 as to form an arch of green. The chancel was 

 arranged with a backing of Palms and flowering 

 plants. In the house the flowers were used very 

 lavishly. A great feature was the ball-room, a 

 very large apartment. Walls and ceiling were 

 covered entirely with Hemlock, so that it showed 

 nothing but a mass of green. Suspended from 

 the ceiling were nine wedding bells made of 

 flowers; one of unusual size in the middle, and 

 eight smaller ones surrounding it in the form of 

 a long oval. Palms stood about to break the mo- 

 notony, and on the walls were a number of large 

 plaques, made for the most part of Ivy leaves 

 with flowers arranged gracefully over them. 

 Palmetto leaves. Smilax and other greens were 

 disposed of further about the walls.." A great 

 man.y Lilies were used, and also a quantity of 

 Orchids. In another room was a pretty foun- 

 tain, with a mass of Callas and other plants 

 around the circular basin. A handsome mantel 

 had above it a large plaque of Ivy leaves, and on 

 it an interlaced floral monogram, "S. H " The 

 mantel was further decorated with Palms; the 

 flre-place being filled with Palms and flowers. 

 A beautiful group of Palms, Azaleas, .ind other 

 flowei-ing plants stood to one side of the stairs; 

 in the lower hall; the broad balustrade was 

 draped with flowers and foliage The decora- 

 tors were given carte-blanche throughout, and 

 the result was very fine, being only equaled by 

 the white-and-gold decorations at Miss Roose- 

 velt's wedding some time ago. These two deco- 

 rations were by the same firm. 



February has seen two Orchid shows. The 

 first was at the United States Nurseries. Pitcher 

 & Manda throwing open their place to flower 

 lovers, as before. They had a fine lot of Orchids 

 in bloom, especially of Cypripediums. 



Siebrecht & Wadley held their annual Orchid 

 show in the Eden Musee; they always make a suc- 

 cess of it, and it always attracts a large audience. 

 Good and successful flower shows are not very 

 frequent in New York— more's the pity -and 

 this annual Orchid show deserves all the more 

 commendation on this score. 



Orchids certainly do not take the place of any 

 one flower— that is to say, they are not likely to 

 push any other one flower out of sight, but that 

 they have certainly a place of their own is fully 

 evident. They do not bring abnormally large 

 prices, except in the newspapers, as in the ease 

 of one famousentertainment, which an esteemed 

 contemporary described as being lavishly de- 

 corated with Orchid blooms which cost $100 a 

 spray. But there must be a certain amount of 

 money in them, or they would not be grown as 

 they are— no one in the business is going to raise 

 Orchid flowers purely for love. For general util- 

 ity Orchids, Cypripediums appear to take the 

 lead, while for fine and showy effects Cattleyas 

 will always be a favorite, especially in table dec- 

 oration. Calanthes are liked, for they are not 

 only pretty and graceful, but they last so well. 

 Phalienopsis make some of the finest bridal 

 bouquets, while Oncideums, Odontoglossums, 

 Ctelogynes, etc., are used in general work. Or- 

 chids are not often used without any othei flower, 

 except in such cases as baskets or table decora- 

 tion, when Ferns only are used with them. 



Corsage bouquets, as we are often told, are 

 rather out of date, especially in the day time, 

 but the spring girl still has a habit of tucking a 

 bunch of Violets or a few Jonquils into her 

 jacket, though more pretentious bunches would 

 not be allowed. A great many women carry a 

 little posy in the hand when going to the theatre, 

 instead of wearing 'the flowers. Men's button- 

 hole bunches are still quite large, several white 

 Carnations or Paper-white Narcissus, made into 

 a neat round bunch, without foliage, being 

 liked. A roimd bunch of Violets, about the size 

 of a fifty cent piece, is also much worn. 



This has been a very quiet winter, as far as 

 no\elties are concerned; there has been nothing 

 very remarkable in any way. There is no great 

 difference in the styles of baskets; the round 

 fish baskets are still used a great deal, and also 

 the tall flaring Marie Antoinette shapes. Many 

 exceptionally pretty shapes are of Rushes, which 

 are handsome and admired when filled solely 

 with large Roses. 



Emixy LotnsE Taplin. 



