



October 15, 1908. 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



r 



in thfe field the following spring, and 

 left out over winter. The next year 

 they bloomed freely. 



One strong point in favor of those 

 seedlings was, nearly all produced large 

 flowers, adhering pretty closely to the 

 type, and they were of unusually healthy 

 and vigorous growth. It is my firm 

 belief had the good work been continued 

 a remarkable strain could have been pro- 

 duced. 



While we seem to have done little to- 

 ward improving the family, the European 

 breeders are doing grand work along that 

 line. In glancing over their catalogues 

 one can find from fifty to seventy-five 

 or more varieties and types listed. Near- 

 ly all our leading firms are satisfied with 

 from five to ten varieties. They have, 

 evidently, learned from experience that 

 few of the large flowering varieties are 

 adapted to our climate. 



If this is the case, we should strive 

 our utmost to breed as good or better 

 varieties suitable for our climate. Per- 

 haps some one is doing the good work 

 in silence. 



The following are some of the large 



flowering varieties, mostly of lanuginosa, 



Jackmani and viticella types, generally 



catalogued by the leading firms: 



Jackmani, violet purple. 



Henryl, creamy white. 



Gypsy Queen, dark velvety purple. 



Ramona, deep blue, very fine. 



Mme. Baron Vlellard, shade of lavender pink. 



Ville de Lyon, carmine red. 



Star of India, shade of purple. 



Miss Bateman, silvery white. 



Lanuginosa Candida, pure white. 



Belle of Woking, silvery gray. 



Countess of Lovelace, bluish lilac double. 



Jackmani superba, deep violet purple. 



That beautiful and popular Japanese 

 variety, Clematis paniculata, has grown 

 to be a general favorite. Its graceful 

 sprays of fleecy white flowers are always 

 attractive. It is one of the most reliable 

 and easily grown of the family. It is 

 readily increased by seedlings. The seed 

 is usually sown as soon as matured in a 

 greenhouse, and the young plants potted 

 singly, and planted in the field in May 

 or June. Other methods are sometimes 

 pursued. 



The native Clematis Virginiana is 

 found growing wild, usually in moist 

 places, near the banks of rivers and 

 brooks by the margin of woodlands, also 

 in neglected fence corners. Its sprays 

 of white flowers form a pleasing sight 

 in early autumn. It is easily increased 

 from seed. 



The European variety, Clematis Flam- 

 mula, was more extensively grown for- 

 merly than at the present time. It 

 flowers in small white clusters. Its roots 

 are used as stock to graft the large 

 flowered varieties on. 



Clematis Davidiana, a late flowering 

 variety, producing small, tubular blue 

 flowers in August and September. Grown 

 from seed. 



Clematis stans, like the preceding, 

 only the flowers are a light porcelain 

 blue, and borne in September and Octo- 

 ber. When the season is long enough to 

 ripen the seed it is best grown that way. 

 It is the easiest variety to grow from 

 hard wood cuttings. These should be 

 cut to single eyes and planted in the 

 greenhouse bench in January or Febru- 

 ary. In March or April they will be 

 well rooted, and should then be potted in- 

 to 3-inch pots, and are then ready to 

 plant in the field in May or June. They 

 will bloom the same season, in October. 



Outside of New York state I do not 

 think that the large-flowering varieties 

 of clematis are grown to any consider- 

 (Continuecl on page 51) 



Lilac Mme. Lemoine. 



THE NATIVE AMERICAN LOTUS. 



I am sending to you some water lilies, 

 of which I should like to know the 

 botanical name. I am also anxious to 

 know how widely the variety is dis- 

 tributed in this country. These flowers 

 came to me through a custoober in the 

 northern part of Illinois, whoiays there 

 are only three beds of the variety known 

 to exist in the United States. I should 

 like especially to confirm or disprove 

 this point. S. 



The plant received is our native lotus 

 or water chinkapin, Nelumbium luteum, 

 Willd. To give an idea of its distribution, 

 I will quote from the manuals in general 

 use. About forty years ago Chapman's 

 "Flora of the Southern United States" 

 gave its range thus: "Nelumbium lu- 

 teum, Willd. (Water chinkapin.) Lakes 

 and still waters. Florida, near Tallahas- 

 see and northward and westward. Not 

 common. ' ' 



The earlier editions of Gray's "Man- 

 ual of the Northern United States" give 

 the distribution of the yellow nelumbo 

 or water chinkapin: "Waters of the 

 western and southern states; rare in the 

 middle states; introduced into the Dela- 

 ware below Philadelphia, Big Sodus Bay, 

 Lake Ontario and in the Connecticut, near 

 Lyme; perhaps introduced by the abo- 

 rigines. ' ' 



The Chicago' Academy of Sciences, in 

 its "Flora of Cook County," 1891, gave: 

 "Nelumbo lutea, Pers. Foot of Lake 

 .Calumet and Calumet river. Wolf lake." 



It is quite likely, however, that the 



plant has been exterminated from those 

 latter localities. It is reported plenti- 

 ful in Grass Lake, northwest from Chi- 

 cago, and I have heard of a considerable 

 tract of the plant in the river near 

 Beardstown, 111. 



Don, in "History of Dichlamydeous 

 Plants," says of Nelumbium luteum: 

 "Native of North America, in lakes and 

 ponds in Virginia, Carolina, Florida and 

 Louisiana ; also near Philadelphia, in the 

 ditches and ponds of Brobston's mead- 

 ows. The seeds are very agreeable to 

 eat and are eagerly sought after by 

 children and Indians. By the latter it 

 is supposed the plant was introduced to 

 those ponds near Philadelphia, as there is 

 no other instance known where it ia 

 found so far north." 



A special eflfort should be made to es- 

 tablish this beautiful flower wherever 

 it can be grown. Its conspicuous beauty 

 of bloom and the edible nature of its 

 seeds give it double chance of being 

 speedily exterminated unless steps are 

 taken to preserve it. John Higqins. 



Norfolk, Va.— J. W. Grandy, Jr., has 

 opened a retail flower store at 251 

 Grapby street. Mr. Grandy has been for 

 some time with W. A. Hammond, at Eich- 

 mond. 



Plymouth, Mass. — It is reported that 

 Chas. T. Stevens has purchased the 

 flower business of Frank H. Lanman, 

 and that Mr. Lanman will henceforth 

 devote his attention tq growing green- 

 house vegetables and garden truck for 

 the market. 



