February 19, 1896.] 



Garden and Forest. 



77 



bine well with other plants, and are generally seen at their 

 worst when associated with Coleus. I call to mind, however, 

 an effective bed at Kew, where Verbena venusta, one of the 

 erect-growing, purple-flowered species, had been planted 

 among the silver-leaved Geraniums. 



The types are scarcely recognizable in the many superb 

 varieties we now see. One of the parents, Pelargonium in- 

 quinans, a species of erect habit, zoneless leaves and compact 

 umbels of short, round-petaled, scarlet flowers, is more nearly 

 exemplified in the variety known as General Grant than in any 

 other cultivated variety I know. P. zonale is the other species, 

 and this is characterized by shorter-jointed growth, more 

 diverse habit and less compact umbels of longer-petaled 

 pinkish flowers. It is probable that other species have en- 

 tered into the parentage of the many florists' varieties, and 

 even so, it is hard to see how so many fine crimsin and 

 salmon-colored varieties could have originated. 



Geraniums flower freely when given generous treatment, 

 and, however grown, are attractive in appearance. They are 

 not now grown into specimen plants so generally as they used 

 to be. Many years ago it was customary to accord them a 

 year's special treatment, and many old gardeners do this now. 

 During this time they were not allowed to bloom. Plants in- 

 tended for specimens are grown from cuttings taken in the 

 autumn. During the next year they are tied out, stopped and 

 otherwise trained into the desired form. A good foundation 

 of short, well-ripened growth is made during the summer, and 

 for the winter the plants are rested in a cool house on shelves 

 near the glass. With the lengthening days of spring it would 

 almost be impossible to keep them from blooming it this were 

 desired. The immense quantity of flowers such plants will 

 produce is surprising to people unfamiliar with this treatment. 

 A gorgeous setting of these well-trained specimens is always 

 an attractive feature in the floral display in the tent near Mr. 

 H. H. Hunnewell's residence at Wellesley, Massachusetts, 

 during the early spring months. 



Ivy-leaved Geraniums, forms of Pelargonium peltatum, have 

 increased in popularity during recent years, owing mainly to 

 the introduction of some fine double varieties. Generally 

 double Geraniums, especially among the Zonale type, are not 

 considered as handsome as the single varieties, but they are 

 more serviceable for cutting. The double Ivy-leaved varie- 

 ties rival in beauty the double Zonals. The stems are longer, 

 the flowers larger, more double and more delicately colored, 

 mostly in rose and scarlet shades, and the individual flowers 

 on some recent importations measure fully one inch across. 

 Owing to their prostrate habit, Ivy-leaved varieties are well 

 adapted for hanging baskets, and several of these formed an 

 interesting feature of the display above alluded to. But after 

 the brightness of the Zonal display had departed, and the 

 plants had been removed to undergo another summer's pre- 

 paratory treatment these Ivy-leaved varieties bloomed on in 

 good condition for nearly the whole summer. 



Wellesley, Mass. T. D. Hatfield. 



Cypripedium insigne — This popular Lady's-slipper is one of 

 the best Orchids of the present season. Very floriferous, it is 

 seen in a great number of varieties of a more or less bright 

 yellow color, with the dorsal sepal marked with brighter or 

 fainter black or maroon spots, and more or less white on the 

 upper half. The foliage is always bright green and quite 

 attractive. This species is the parent of innumerable hybrids 

 and varieties which all bear a resemblance to the type. Some 

 are rare and costly, but, perhaps, of no higher ornamental 

 value than the species itself, which is now as cheap as a good 

 Begonia or Cyclamen. This Orchid can be grown by anybody 

 in a warm apartment or greenhouse. It thrives well in a mix- 

 ture of peat and sphagnum-moss in well-drained pots. Occa- 

 sional watering with liquid-manure is very beneficial. Light 

 sprayings of the foliage in summer and a pure and warm 

 atmosphere are essential to success. In December or January 

 the flowers expand and keep in perfect condition for months. 



Newark, N.J. N.J.R. 



Jatropha hastata. — This is a curious and interesting stove 

 plant. The stem is somewhat pear-shaped, being much more 

 swollen toward the base than the top, and it seldom branches. 

 The leaves are few in number, usually not more than four or 

 five, and arranged alternately round the upper end of the stem ; 

 they are hastate, as the specific name implies, and lobed 

 with from three to five lobes. The leaf-stalks are about five 

 inches long, and the blade is rather larger than the palm of the 

 hand. The plant is deciduous and generally loses its leaves 

 in December. On the stem between the leaf-stalks are what 

 appear to be undeveloped leaves, not unlike small forked 

 spines, which become hard with age ; these and the upper 



portion of the stem are covered with a sticky substance, 

 apparently to prevent insects or ants from climbing up the 

 flower-stalks (which rise immediately from the summit of 

 the stem) and stealing the nectar secreted in the flowers. The 

 flower-stalks appear early in the year and are about five inches 

 in length ; the inflorescence is corymbose. The flowers are 

 monoecious, the pistillate flowers being borne in the axils of the 

 forked inflorescence. The flowers are all borne on short pedi- 

 cels of a bright coral color, and these are not only more beau- 

 tiful than the flowers themselves, but they persist long after 

 the flowers have fallen away. As the plant rarely branches, 

 and the flowers are monoecious, it is somewhat difficult to 

 propagate. Last February I used a camel's-hair brush to bring 

 about artificial fertilization, and I succeeded in getting a pod 

 of seed, which is just ripening. Jatropha hastata is a native of 

 Cuba and belongs to the Euphorbiacea;. It delights in a warm 

 temperature and a soil composed of half loam and half good 

 fibrous peat, with a little silver sand added, in well-drained 

 pots. During the growing season plenty of moisture is needed, 

 but when the leaves begin to mature, water should gradually 

 be withheld and the plant allowed a season of rest. 

 Northampton, Mass. Edward J '. Canning. 



Correspondence. 



.Propagating Hickories. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — How shall I go to work to propagate in quantity differ- 

 ent varieties of the Hickory — for example, some which bear 

 remarkably large and thin-shelled nuts ? I have been told that 

 it is next to impossible to graft them. 



Morristown. N.J. S. A. 



[We have referred this inquiry to Mr. fackson Dawson, 

 who says that although he has never tried to graft a Hickory 

 out-of-doors, and it is true that these trees are somewhat 

 difficult subjects, nevertheless he does not hesitate to say- 

 that with proper stock and precaution they can be as readily 

 propagated under glass as most of the so-called difficult 

 plants. He has experimented with most of the species, 

 and has succeeded with all he has tried. This success with 

 several species and varieties of Hickory has been gained 

 without any special preparation of the stock, and, in fact, 

 most of the time he has gone to the woods and dug up the 

 stock after he had received the scions. Of course, this made 

 the work still more uncertain, and yet in the worst cases he 

 has saved twenty-five or thirty per cent, of the grafts. 



"My method," writes Mr. Dawson, "has been to side- 

 graft, using a scion with part of the second year's wood 

 attached, binding it firmly and covering it with damp 

 sphagnum until the union has been made. The best time 

 I have found for the operation under glass has been during 

 February, and the plants have been kept under glass until 

 midsummer and wintered the first year in a cold frame. 

 In all genera I find certain species which may be called 

 free stocks — that is, stocks which take grafts more readily 

 than others. Thus, nearly all the Oaks will graft readily on 

 Quercus Robur ; the Birches will graft more easily on Betula 

 alba than on others ; so of the Hickories, observation has 

 led me to believe that the best stock is the Bitter Nut, 

 Hicoria minima. This species grows almost twice as rap- 

 idly as the common Shag-bark Hickory, and while young 

 the cambium is quite soft. I should advise any one who 

 wishes to propagate Hickories on a large scale to grow 

 stock of this species in boxes mil more than four ini 

 deep. In this way all the mots can Ik- saved and there 

 will be no extreme tap-root, ami when shaken out of the 

 boxes the plants are easily established in pots and ready for 

 grafting. If taken up in the ordinary way from tin- woods 

 it requires almost two years to get them well-rooted, and 

 often the stocks die for want of roots after the graft has 

 really taken. If grown in rich soil the stocks will be' 

 enough to use in one ortwo years. I should then pot them 

 early in the fall, keeping them from heavy frosts and bring- 

 ing them into the house about the first of January, and as 

 soon as they begin to make roots I should side-graft them 

 elose lo the collar and plunge them in sphagnum 11 

 leaving the top bud of the g lo the air. The graft 



ought to be well united about til eh. when 



