76 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 417. 



Ipomcea Briggsii. — This species has been in full flower for 

 several weeks in one of the conservatories of the Botanical 

 Garden in Washington. As grown there Mr. Oliver de- 

 scribes it as very showy, resembling somewhat the well- 

 known Ipomcea Horsfallise. It has a more profuse growth, 

 however, than that species and bears double cymes of 

 flowers in the axils of the leaves. The color of the 

 flower is unlike that of any other known species of 

 Ipomcea. It is described as a rich magenta-crimson, 

 but the color varies in depth in different parts of the corolla 

 and in different flowers. The tube is about two inches in 

 length, and this expands to a diameter of two inches. The 

 Washington plant is growing in a ten-inch pot, and, judg- 

 ing from the number of open flowers and buds, it is won- 

 derful!}' floriferous, each leaf on the strong shoots having a 

 cluster of flowers springing from its axil. If it will grow 

 and flower outside as satisfactorily as it does inside it will 

 be a valuable addition to our list of summer-flowering 

 vines. 



Cultural Department. 



Notes on Begonias. 



"DEGONIA PHYLLOMANIACA is, perhaps, the most inter- 

 *~* esting species in the genus. The striking peculiarity of 

 this plant is that it produces from its stems and petioles innu- 

 merable viviparous buds or young growths, which make 

 young plants, if taken off and inserted in sand. It is an upright- 

 growing plant, with succulent, hairy, green stems ; eight or 

 nine inches is about the length of the leaves and they are of 

 a light green color. In shape they are obliquely cordate, atten- 

 uated, slightly laciniated and fringed. The pale rose flowers, 

 which are produced in axillary cymes, rise slightly above 

 the foliage. They measure about one inch across, are not 

 very showy, but make a pleasing contrast at this time with the 

 green foliage. It comes from Brazil and does best here when 

 grown in a cool greenhouse during the summer months, and 

 in the winter it thrives in a temperature ranging from fifty-five 

 to sixty degrees, Fahrenheit. 



Begonia Verschaffeltiana is a splendid winter-flowering plant 

 and is now a mass of flowers. It is a large, strong grower and 

 needs rich soil to develop its large cymes of flowers. In a 

 deep, roomy pan we place three or four plants, which make 

 an effective display while in bloom. In early summer they are 

 turned out of the pans, the exhausted soil removed from the 

 roots, and each plant or stem is then planted separately in the 

 garden. By fall they make large healthy plants, and when the 

 nights begin to cool they are lifted and put back into pans 

 again. When replanted in the pans three or four plants about 

 the same size should be selected, so that they will grow to- 

 gether evenly. If the plants get leggy they can be cut right 

 below the thick head of leaves and inserted in sand in the 

 propagating bed, where they make roots in a short time. This 

 Begonia is a hybrid between B. corolinsefolia and B. manicata. 

 It has large succulent stems clad with large ovate acutely 

 lobed leaves, which have long green petioles. The flowers 

 are in large showy cymes and raised well above the foliage on 

 long stout peduncles. 



The flowers of Begonia sanguinea are not showy, but it has 

 handsome leaves and makes a good foliage plant when 

 treated properly. It has erect red stems which are slightly 

 wojdy at the base and are well covered with leaves from four 

 to six inches long and sometimes longer. Thev are subpeltate, 

 obliquely cordate, succulent, shining bright green above and 

 deep red below. The plant is in bloom now and the red pedun- 

 cles are nearly a foot long, carrying small white flowers pro- 

 duced in branching cymes. Young shoots are easily rooted 

 in spring, and if they are potted on during the summerasthey 

 require it, by early winter they will make handsome plants. 

 They are grown in the greenhouse during thesummer as they 

 make better foliage. If they are planted in the garden care 

 should be taken when lifting them in the fall that the leaves 

 are not torn, as this disfigures the plants. 



Begonia peltata is a handsome foliage plant, introduced from 

 Brazil in 1815. What makes the plant so distinct and easily 

 recognized is that its stems, leaves and petioles are completely 

 covered with a soft silvery tomentum. It makes a good stove 

 foliage plant and has a very uncommon silvery color. When 

 well grown it has large peltate, ovate acuminate, thick and 

 fleshy leaves nearly a foot long. The small white flowers are 

 produced at this season in cymes on tall erect peduncles. It 



is not as free-growing as many Begonias, but with careful cul- 

 tivation it can be grown into a handsome specimen. 



Botanic Garden. Harvard University. R- Cameron. 



Dipladenias. 



■pACH recurring season reminds us of the value of these 

 *—' Brazilian climbing plants for the greenhouse, and there 

 is a possibility of their soon becoming much used for planting 

 outdoors in summer, since there is every reason to believe 

 that they will be as well adapted for this purpose as for indoor 

 use. Full sunshine is indispensable and rain will not injure 

 the blooms, and in a warm position, with light soil, they will 

 be sure to succeed. We have a batch of seedlings from seed 

 saved last year, and as some of the plants have already 

 bloomed we look forward to seeing them all flower during the 

 coming season. Seeds are not often produced in this genus, 

 but I have personal knowledge of three instances where it has 

 been secured and plants raised from it. It is also an easy 

 matter to propagate Dipladenias from cuttings of one or two 

 joints each, made from well-ripened growth. When rooted 

 they must not be potted in material that will become impacted. 

 We use nothing but fern-root fibre to grow them in. With 

 this it is impossible to overwater the plants, and it holds 

 enough moisture in suspension to satisfy their needs. We use 

 manure-water when the plants are in active growth and bloom. 

 Loam in the soil has been the cause of more failures than 

 anything else. It is necessary to grow the plants in full sun- 

 shine, even in the hottest summer months, and plenty of water 

 should be used to spray with, as insects are liable to increase 

 rapidly if they once get a foothold. It used to be considered 

 indispensable to keep Dipladenias in a warm house at all sea- 

 sons, especially when at rest in winter ; the temperature of the 

 Rose-house in summer for daytime, and fifty degrees, Fah- 

 renheit, during night in winter, is best suited to them. It is 

 difficult to imagine a prettier sight than a low span-roofed 

 house with the roof covered with Dipladenias. The sprays of 

 bright pink flowers shade off to crimson as they get older, the 

 same sprays blooming continually from May until November. 

 The growth of Dipladenias is not so rampant as is that of most 

 tropical climbers, and is easily kept within reasonable limits. 

 Last summer Roses were grown successfully in the benches 

 underneath, and there are positions in every greenhouse where 

 these plants would do well. We grow D. profusa, D. ama- 

 bilis and D. Brearleyana, all of which are good, the latter the 

 richest-colored and largest-flowered of all. We cut the plants 

 back at the close of the blooming period each winter, when 

 they go to rest naturally, and keep them drier until they show 

 signs of starting again at about this time. They are then 

 repotted in pots or pans a size larger. At potting time it will 

 be seen that these plants have large tuberous roots, not unlike 

 Dahlia roots in shape, but more woody. These are the reser- 

 voirs of vitality and are easily injured, but if handled carefully 

 there need be no check to the plants. Water should be ap- 

 plied with great care until active growth begins in the warm 

 spring months. When the plants are grown in full exposure 

 to the sun in an unshaded house, the pots containing the plants 

 ought to be shaded by a layer of moss or other non-conduct- 

 ing material to prevent injury to the roots from the heat. We 

 also put a- layer of moss on the surface of the potting material 

 in hot weather to show the condition as to moisture, and find 

 this beneficial. 



South Lancaster, Mass. E. O. Orpet. 



Notes on Geraniums. 



IT may safely be said that the common Geranium, hybrids of 

 Pelargonium zonale and other species, is the most popular 

 exotic plant under cultivation. Through all the changes in 

 popular fancy and through all the ridicule heaped upon bed- 

 ding plants in general, the Geranium almost alone has been 

 spared. Few plants have so many good qualities and are in so 

 many ways fitted for the amateur and the novice. Geraniums 

 are almost entirely free from disease and are very seldom 

 troubled with insect pests. With common garden-soil, sun- 

 shine during the middle of the day and the temperature of an 

 ordinary living-room, one can hardly fail to have them bloom 

 all winter long, and, in fact, they are the brightest of window- 

 plants everywhere. The only practicable danger is the ten- 

 dency to overwater during the earlier winter months. It is 

 safer always to err on the side of too little than too much. 



Wherever bedding plants are used they are indispensable, 

 and usually most effective when planted in masses, and 

 scarcely less so when the free-blooming green-leaved varie- 

 ties are edged with the variegated forms. They rarely com- 



