i6 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 411. 



follows : " Here are fronds of a Lomaria gibba in which the 

 outer fertile fronds are all Blechnum and the inner Lomaria. 

 I send fronds of these also for comparison." Ferns display 

 a most extraordinary disposition to vary under artificial 

 treatment, and this is especially true of those which have 

 long been in cultivation and are largely grown, as, for in- 

 stance, Adiantum cuneatum, Pteris serrulata, Gymnogramme 

 calomelanos, etc. In the face of this it is better to look 

 upon all such seedlings as that of Mr. MacLellan's as a vari- 

 ation rather than a hypothetical hybrid. 



London. 



W. Watson. 



Plant Notes. 



Schizostylis coccinea. — Many plants of the Iris family are 

 useful winter-flowering subjects, and among these none are 

 more grateful and floriferous than this bright and showy 

 African plant, often called the Crimson Flag. In habit of 

 growth it resembles many kinds of Iris, the leaves being 

 long, narrowly sword-shaped or almost linear, equitant, 

 springing from a fleshy rhizome. The flowers are large, 

 sessile, eight to fifteen in a bracteate spike on tall, leafy 

 peduncles. The color is a bright red or scarlet. The 

 perianth consists of six uniform, acute segments, united into 

 a tube at the base, the entire width of the limb being about 

 two inches. The time of flowering is from October until 

 after Christmas, the flowers remaining in perfection a 

 considerable time. It flourishes out-of-doors in England, 

 but as it is of little importance in this country, except for 

 indoor use, it should be grown chiefly for this purpose in 

 pots or for cut flowers. Late in spring or early summer 

 the plants should be divided, from three to five buds being 

 left on each root. These should be planted out in a bed of 

 loose humus-rich soil six to eight inches apart. During the 

 summer, when dry weather is prevalent, the bed should be 

 occasionally soaked, so as to insure a robust growth. In 

 the fall the plants may be lifted, cleaned and potted for 

 winter use. They should be kept in a sunny position in a 

 cool greenhouse, where they will flower without forcing, 

 some coming earlier, others later, thus giving a succession 

 of flowers for months. After flowering the plant may be 

 left in the pots and stowed away in a frame or cool green- 

 house until the time comes to divide them and plant out- 

 of-doors for the next winter's use. 



Cultural Department. 



Seasonable Greenhouse Notes. 



DRIMULA FORBES1I is a charming little plant for cool 

 *■ greenhouse decoration in winter, its delicate yellow- 

 throated lavender flowers, borne in verlicils from ten to 

 twelve in each on scapes a foot or more in length. The scapes 

 stand erect during the opening of the first few umbels, and in 

 this condition they are very serviceable for bouquet work. 

 Later, unable to support the weight of flowers, they arch grace- 

 fully over the sides of the pots, making charming subjects for 

 the front row of the conservatory. The plants are tufted, with 

 fiddle-shaped leaves, slightly pilose. The whole plant is cov- 

 ered with a delicate white farina. P. floribunda is another 

 tender species, a fit companion for P. Forbesii, with yellow 

 flowers, also in verticils, or whorls, in erect scapes. Both are 

 easily raised from seeds, and usually enough are found scat- 

 tered under the benches, self-sown, where they seem to 

 thrive, if anything, better than under pot-culture. Some self- 

 sown plants are growing on the walls of the Violet-house, and 

 really it is hard to tell where they get their support from. 



Here in America, for some reason, we have not generally 

 made the true Heaths a success. They are frequently seen, 

 but it is seldom any but E. Caffra and E. Melanthera suc- 

 ceed thoroughly. It is argued that the true Heaths not 

 being natives of the North American continent, our climate is 

 unsuited to them, and, furthermore, the peat necessary in their 

 cultivation must be such as is obtained from moors where they 

 abound, and this cannot be obtained here. The most success- 

 ful growers import their peat from Europe. The varieties 

 -already named will grow almost anywhere and succeed well 

 in common loam in the open garden, providing plenty of 

 water is given them during the growing season. They also 



lift well in the autumn, which is another advantage. One thing 

 must be remembered, that a period of rest must intervene 

 before the plants are brought into bloom. After this they force 

 fairly well, but I have noticed that such as have been brought 

 in early have lost the greater part of their lower foliage. 



Antirrhinums have recently been added to the florists' 

 stock in trade. The purchasing public appreciate them, and 

 they have proved a profitable acquisition. It is evident, how- 

 ever, that considerable selection will be necessary before they 

 are thoroughly adapted to the florists' needs, just as we have 

 had to do with other plants which are properly herbaceous, as 

 Carnations and Mignonette. It seems to me the ideal variety 

 is one which does not develop more than ten or twelve Howers 

 on a raceme. More flowers would require more energy from 

 the plant, which would mean fewer flower-stems ; besides, the 

 lower Howers on a large raceme would wither before the upper 

 buds open, and in this way a large number of extra buds 

 would be worthless. The dwarf varieties will probably come 

 soonest into favor, and already we have one white variety, 

 Star of the North, fairly well fixed, coining true from seed. 



Grevillea robusta in a small state is one of the handsomest 

 foliage plants we have. Its graceful Fern-like leaves and pyra- 

 midal habit make it an acceptable plant in any grouping. It is 

 equally useful for bedding purposes, and helps well to break 

 up the monotony of a too even piece of summer bedding. It 

 can also be used as a centrepiece in any circular design. Seed 

 sown now will germinate in five to six weeks in an ordinary 

 greenhouse, and the young plants grown in pots should make 

 pretty plants from one to two feet high by next winter. It is 

 seldom the plants remain in presentable shape for more than 

 two years, and they can hardly ever be pruned back into ac- 

 ceptable plants. It is better to raise a few seedlings every 

 year. Good loam and ordinary cool greenhouse treatment 

 are all they need. G. Hillii is a very distinct species, but litile 

 known. It is much slower in growth. We have a handsome 

 specimen now four years old and five feet tall, just a single 

 cane, but with foliage down to the pot ; the leaves have a dis- 

 tinctly classical cut. They are widely and irregularly pinnate, 

 staghorn-like, deep shining green on the upper surface and 

 covered with a closely apprefsed, shining, silver-gray pu- 

 bescence on the under sides, as also are the upper part of the 

 stem andthe young unfolding leaves. It is a peculiarly effective 

 plant when used singly in church decoration, being very 

 effective under artificial light. 



Draca?na australis is a common but acceptable plant when 

 small, and I know of plants that have been used in a dwelling- 

 house window for a year which have scarcely lost a leaf. Seed 

 is cheap and germinates freely in an ordinary greenhouse tem- 

 perature in about five weeks. Good soil, good drainage and 

 plenty of water are the only requirements. Young plants, 

 however, do not lift well when planted out. They should 

 always be established in pots first ; afterward they will hold the 

 original ball of earth. 



Our French Cannas have been repotted after a season of 

 comparative rest, though, really, they have been growing all 

 the while, but slowly. Now, started in a higher temperature, 

 they will soon make strong stems and bloom finely during the 

 spring monlhs. Those who have roots of good varieties of 

 French Cannas, and can find room, will lose nothing by grow- 

 ing them through the winter; all the growth made is so much 

 gain. We have never known any constitutional injury to 

 result, and our plants have invariably bloomed well during the 

 succeeding summer. 



Wellesley, Mass. 1 ■ J->. Hatfield. 



Euphorbia Jacquinseflora. 



THESE showy winter-flowering plants have been in bloom 

 for the last four weeks, and their long wreaths of bright 

 orange-scarlet bracts still retain their beauty and are a cheer- 

 ing addition to the greenhouse flora at this season. The plant 

 may be used to good advantage as a climber if planted in a 

 permanent situation against a wall or pillar, well cut back after 

 flowering and freely encouraged to grow through the summer. 

 A method usually more convenient is to grow it in bush form 

 in pots or boxes. For this purpose we raise young plants from 

 cuttings every spring. The old plants may be cut down and 

 grown on a second year, but the young plants always prove 

 the more vigorous and produce much finer flower-sprays. 



For cuttings, well-ripened wood should be chosen. They 

 strike better in an intermediate than in a warm house, and as 

 they suffer easily from damp are better placed in an open 

 propagating-bed than in a close propagating-frame. If they 

 are to be flowered in boxes the one shift after striking will 

 suffice. If intended for pots they will require about three 

 shifts. We find boxes more convenient for their growth, but 



