IM 



BASKET PLANTS 



ii huiina crassifolia,*Sweet Alyssum, 

 ta^. Oxalis lioribunda. *Ru8selia 

 ; ui ]11.*Fittonia.*Fuchsia procum- 

 1.M *r\-i- (4.:.r:niini>i **Selaginellas. 



■ ,1 ~. ,,i d h^ >.auin Kieboldi, 





lis Mail 



2. PLANTS OF UPRIGHT HABIT. 

 o. Low-growing. 



1. Flowering J'lants. 



*Toreilia. *Pansy, Cuphea platyeentra. C. hyssopifolia. 

 *Prinmla obconica. Dwarf Alyssum, Bellis perennis. 

 Linum or Reinwardtia trigynum, Phlox Dnimmondii. 

 Dutch bulbs. 



2. Foliage Plants. 



*Peperomla. *Begonia Rex, *Farfugium grande, Alter- 

 nanthera, **Maidenhair Fern, Geraniums (especially 

 Mme. Salleroi), *Isolepis gracilis (droops with age). 

 b. Taller Growing. 



1. Flowering. 



Geraniums — Pelargonium *Fuchsias, Petunias, •Bego- 

 nias, Browallia, 'Stevia serrata. var. nana. Madagascar 

 Periwinkle. *Nierembergia. Lantana,*Impatiens Suttana, 

 Cuphea Llavea, Swainsona, Chrysanthemum fnites- 

 ceus, Salvias. 



2. Foliage. 



'Dusty Miller, •Crotons, *Palms, **Fems, 'Fancy Cala- 

 diums, Coleus, Achyranthes, "Aspidistra, *Cyperus alter- 

 nifolius, *Draciena indivisa, *D. terminalis, Coccoloba 

 platyclada. 



Some of the above plants make large subjects when 

 growing in the open ground. Of such, only young or 

 smaller plants are available for use in hanging baskets. 

 Ordinarily, several different sorts of plants are used for 

 filling a basket. In some cases, however, a pretty 

 basket is made by using but one kind of plant. A hang- 

 ing basket filled with sword fern, for instance, makes 

 a handsome object. 



Baskets of a variety of patterns are obtainable from 

 florists and other dealers. The baskets most extensively 

 used, perhaps, are made of strong wire, woven into hem- 

 ispherical or other forms. These are sometimes plain, 

 and again of ornamental character. The better form has 

 a flat bottom, or a stand, formed of wire, to support the 

 basket in an upright position when it is not pendent. 

 Another style is f .. rmed of rustic work. Here the vessel 

 or plaut ba.sin is covered about the sides with rough 

 bark or knotted roots. For this purpose the roots of the 

 laurel are much used. Above the basket there is an arch 

 or handle by which it is suspended. Again, earthen- 

 ware vessels, to be suspended by wires, are ofiered for 

 sale in a variety of shapes. Some of these are moulded 

 and painted in imitation of logs, and are known as " stick " 

 and "log baskets." Such baskets are often without pro- 

 vision for drainage. When this is the case, holes should 

 be drilled at the lowest point in the bottom. A special 

 form of basket is much used for orchids. It is made of 

 square cedar slats in raft- or log-fashion. Pern-fiber and 

 broken bits of brick, tlower-pots or charcoal, are used 

 for filling them. 



The soil used in hanging baskets is simply good, 

 common florists' potting soil. This usually contains 

 about 25 per cent of humus, and a small amount of 

 sharp sand to make it porous. Prior to filling, wire 

 baskets must be lined with moss. This is merely com- 

 mon woodland riioss from rotting logs, or rich, damp soil. 

 In filling baskets, a few drooping or climbing plants are 

 disposed around the sides ; then one or more upright- 

 growing or half-erect plants, according to the size of the 

 plants and basket, are planted in the center. Immediate 

 effects require plants which have already made consid- 

 erable growth. Florists usually carry a stock of suitable 

 plants. In case seedlings or cuttings are grown for the 

 purpose, it is usually best to start them in seed-pans or 

 cutting-boxes, and transfer them later to the basket. 



A .•Miiiinnii iiii^iaki' ill arranging baskets is crowding, 

 ■ .r lilliiiL; ihriii t.j.. full. Fewer plants will appear more 

 graceful, growth will be iiKire vigurous. and the basket 



cise vigilance and care in watering. After the roots 

 have well tilled the haski-i, watering is best done by 

 dipping the basket in a nil. .u- l.arrc-l of water, and al- 

 lowing it to remain niiiil it i^wrll saturated. Dipping 



the basket in weak liquid manui lu-.- or twice a month 



will greatly promote \iu-nf when ilu- plants have been 

 long in the basket. These remarks also apply in a 

 general way to vases and rustic stands. 



Ernest Walker. 

 BASSWOOD. See Tilia. 



BAST. The soft part of the flbro-vascular bundles it 

 plants, abundant in the inner bark. It increases in 

 thickness simultaneously with the wood, but much less 

 rapidly. The fibrous elements in the bast of Basswood 

 have been used in making cordage ; also in making 

 strong paper. -w. w. Rowlee. 



BATATAS. SeelpomoM. 



BATEMANNIA i in honor of James Bateman, the dis- 

 tinguish. . I cnllr.-ti.r and cultivator, and author of im- 

 portant u-.,rks oil Orchids). Orchid Acece, tribe Vdndeoe. 

 Pseudoluill.s short : leaf-blades coriaceous : fls. large, 

 2J^-3 in. in diam., single or in pairs. Cult, like Cattleya. 

 During the growing period they should be well supplied 

 with water and kept from strong sunlight. 



C61Ieyi, Lindl. Petals and sepals pu.rplish or umber- 

 brown, shading to yell.. wi-li u'n-iii at tli.- I. asp. Deine- 

 rara. B.R. 1714. B.Jl. :;sls. 



Meleigris, Reichb. f, l',t..l, an.l -, paN j.aU- yellow, 

 brown toward the siiiMiniiv, l.r-..a.l ai iho l.a-..- : labellum 

 white at the base. Brazil. 



li.BurUi, Endr. & Reichb. f.,with 1-fld. peduncles, =Zygo- 

 i*"»'i™- Cakes Ames. 



BAUHlNIA ( after John and Caspar Bauhin, sixteenth 

 century herbalists ; the twin leaflets suggesting two 

 brothers). Legumindsw, but there is nothing to sug- 

 gest the legume family to the northern horticulturist ex- 

 cept the pod. Mountain Ebijnv. A genus of over 200 

 species, allied to Cercis. 'rr..|.i.-al tr.'.s, shrubs, orvines, 

 with showy fls. ranging' l'r..iu \vliii.> to purple, and Ivs. 

 which may be entire ..r Ll-l..!.. .1. in some cases the Ifts. 

 being entirely free ; tin- ]..ti..i.- is prolonged into a 

 short but characteristic awn between the Ifts. : petals 5. 

 The number and fertility of the stamens are important 

 characters in determining the subgenera. They are 

 much cult, in S. Fla. and S. Calif, in sandy soils. Prop. 



:.lf-ri, 





rar. 1} -n. ■ ' /.. - i is much 



bles agiganf i' ii ' ,:i. Tlii' a-tiin-.nt bark is 

 usedintanni' , :,iil ili- 1\ -. ;inil 11. -buds as 



a vegetal.!.', ; . '. !■ i. ,■, : pi.-l.!..!. ■■'ri..- reason for 



thc^.- |.l - '' " - -'. hill.- L'i..\\n in our hothouses," 



.say- I l> II I-. 11. .. I. ail. I, that they must attain 



S..I.1. ■'.'.' v il'.w.r. aii.l tliat they require a 



(Irv -..!-. 11 I.. II,.. II til. ir H.....1, lilt- giving of which, 

 withoui kiihui^ tlif pkiiit by drought, is the standing 

 crux of all establishments." Great numbers of species 

 of Bauhinia are likely to be introduced from time to 

 time because of their gorgeous appearance in the trop- 

 ics. In the experience of Old World gardeners, the most 

 reliable species under glass arc />'. i-nrieijata, B. corym- 



a. Lvh. divhUa Hut tu Ihc middle. 



B. Fls. nsually colored. 



variegata, Linn. Tree, 6-20 ft. : Ivs. 3-4 in. across, 



orbicular, 9-11 nerved, lubes rounded : petiole 1-2 in. 



long : fls. about 7, in a short raceme, 4 in. across ; calyx 



