May 6, 1896.] 



Garden and Forest. 



187 



Cyclamens for next winter will also require attention now, 

 and these plants should never be starved while young. Com- 

 paratively few growers save the old corms from one season to 

 the next unless it be those of some particularly fine form, 

 young plants being easier to manage and usually more satisfac- 

 tory. Rather open soil and good drainage are essentials in the 

 cultivation of Cyclamens, and perfectly clean pots should be 

 used for them. Watering should be done carefully. Frequent 

 light syringing is helpful during hot weather, but this should 

 not be done late in the afternoon, as the foliage should be kept 

 moderately dry at night. Plenty of fresh air and some shading 

 are also necessary, and a sprinkling of chopped tobacco-stems 

 spread among the pots will tend to discourage aphis and thrips. 



Holmesburg, Pa. TV. H. Taplin. 



Spring-flowering Plants. 



THE recent exceptionally warm weather has brought into 

 bloom most of the early spring flowers with magical 

 rapidity, and in a week the face of nature was transformed 

 from winter sere to the bloom and beauty of spring. Fortu- 

 nately, cooler days have followed without frosts to injure this 

 growth, and there is promise of a favorable spring season. 

 The past winter was exceptionally fatal as to plant-life, and 

 many of the shrubs considered hardy have been injured sadly. 

 Magnolia Soulangeana has all flower-buds killed, and many 

 other of the smaller plants of various Magnolias have been 

 severely killed back. I observed to-day the first flowers open 

 on the plant of M. Kobus (Thurberii). This plant is quite an 

 old one, and was presented to Dr. Thurber when it was named, 

 but it has not bloomed till now. ft is not one of the showiest 

 species, but is a vigorous grower of compact habit and of 

 brightest green in summer. The newer M. Watsoni has been 

 killed to the ground. The plants were small, but were well 

 established last year, and, indeed, it bore flowers last spring 

 that were much admired, and it was considered a genuine 

 acquisition to the list of garden shrubs. It may possibly prove 

 hardy if protected in a sheltered position, and it would be of 

 interest to learn how it has behaved in other localities. 



Pasonia corallina and P. Wittmanniana are two of the rarer 

 species of Pasony not otten seen in cultivation, and belong to 

 the very early-flowering type of which P. tenuifolia is the best- 

 known representative. Neither of the first named has flowered 

 here before, owing, as we thought, to tenderness of the early 

 shoots ; the buds were to be seen, but they did not develop 

 properly, but it would seem now that the failure was due to 

 lack of flowering strength, for, now that the clumps are well 

 established, they are both about to flower. Several species of 

 Paeony are great additions to gardens when they are obtaina- 

 ble, but, for some reason, we do not often see them in lists, 

 probably owing to the greater demand for the showy garden 

 forms of P. herbacea, but those that flower so early in the year 

 have a value of their own. The flower-buds of these are now 

 showing color, while those of the garden forms are scarcely to 

 be seen above ground. 



In years past we have noted the beauty of Puschkinia Liba- 

 notica, and each year it is among the very first to open its 

 blossoms in the outdoor garden, defying frost and snows, and 

 only waiting for a few bright days to expand its pretty flowers. 

 It is very similar to a Scilla, and might be easily taken for one, 

 but the bells are of a very pale blue, almost white, with a dis- 

 tinct dark blue stripe down each division of the bell-shaped 

 perianth. Here it is not only hardy, but seeds freely each 

 year, and from a half dozen bulbs first planted we have now as 

 many as fifty large and small. The seeds seem to grow freely 

 where they fall, tor they have never been collected or sown in 

 the regular way, but with the non-disturbance of the soil by 

 digging or otherwise we have quite a little colony of this pretty 

 spring flower. 



I think, also, that for the past three or four years the pretty 

 Fritillaria aurea has been noted for its good ways, and the 

 temptation is strong to speak of it again now ; it is the only one 

 of the Fritillaries that I know that will thrive in the outdoor 

 garden in this latitude. F. Meleagris will exist for years, but 

 not so as to give any pleasure to its possessor, and the Crown 

 Imperials are very uncertain in their habits, but F. aurea has 

 been perfectly happy here for the past three years. The color 

 of the flowers is a bright yellow outside, checkered with black 

 squares within in a very pretty fashion. It is also very easy to 

 increase from the number of young bulbs formed round the 

 older ones. The western F. pudica is also one of the prettiest 

 of the native Fritillaries, but is too tender for this section to do 

 well ; it is a modest little flower with a charm all its own, but 

 is best grown in pots indoors in winter. 



There has always lingered a suspicion as to the absolute 

 hardiness of tUe Ejemurus in an open, much exposed loca- 



tion, and until last fall we have always given it a protection of 

 straw, but by accident this was omitted last November, and 

 many were the doubts as to the result. When spring came 

 we had deep frost without snow for protection, and many 

 things suffered in consequence, but not so the Eremuri, for 

 they are coming up stronger than ever and seem to have 

 enjoyed the cold on the whole. The two species we have are 

 E. robustus and E. Himalayacus, but soon we hope to try 

 more of them, the difficulty being to get them in good strong 

 roots of the rarer kinds, the demand being apparently greater 

 than the supply. There need be no more doubt as to the har- 

 diness of these fine border plants. 



A plant long known in gardens as Amaryllis Hallii here in 

 New England proves to be Lycoris squamigera.and under the 

 latter name has been recently made plentiful by importers of 

 bulbs from the east. As A. Hallii it has been cultivated in a 

 garden at New Bedford for many years, and was possibly 

 brought there by some of the trading ships that used to start 

 from that port, and as a hardy bulbous plant it has great merit. 

 It is the only really hardy member of the genus that we can 

 cultivate here, and there was a doubt as to whether the bulbs 

 recently obtained were identical with the older ones long 

 known here. I am glad to see that they have come through 

 the winter without any harm, with no protection whatever, 

 and are growing freely, though not large enough to bloom 

 this season ; there appears to be no doubt that we can depend 

 on the two being identical and within easy reach of cultivators. 



South Lancaster, Mass. E. O. Or pet. 



[Lycoris squamigera was originally brought from China 

 by Dr. George R. Hall, of Bristol, Long Island, and was 

 distributed as Amaryllis Hallii by the Messrs. Hovey, of 

 Boston. The plant was described and figured in Garden 

 and Forest, vol. iii., p. 176. — Ed. J 



Flower Garden Notes. 



A ZALEAS which have been forced for Easter decorations 

 -**• should now have all weak shoots and premature growth 

 which usually accompanies the blooms cut out. The whole 

 plant should be evened over, and, if trained, tied into shape. If 

 grown continuously in pots this is a good time to repot them. 

 Azaleas, however, are slow-growing plants ; they do not need 

 shifting often, and generally, if some of the old soil is taken 

 away and some fresh added, the plants will continue in good 

 condition for two or three years, and old plants often tor a 

 longer time. They must be repotted when thoroughly pot- 

 bound ; and in such cases it is advisable to chip away a quan- 

 tity of The old soil, leaving a rough surface about the ball of 

 earth so that it will easily compact with new soil. As close a 

 shift as possible is sufficient, so long as the new soil can be 

 worked in firmly between the pot and the ball. It is better, 

 however, where it is possible to devote a properly prepared 

 piece of garden soil, to plant them out for the summer. They 

 do not need less care ; they simply do better when the condi- 

 tions of success are understood. A rather tenacious loam is 

 best, in which abundance of well-decayed leaf-soil is well com- 

 posted. The ball of earth should be stirred as recommended 

 tor potting, and the new soil worked in about them quite 

 firmly, scarcely more than covering the top of the ball. A basin 

 should be left in which water will collect. 



Astilbe Japonica and the newer Spiraea astilboides and their 

 varieties, now out of bloom, may be cut up and planted out. 

 With two years' growth these will be ready to force again. If 

 this practice is followed there should be no need of importing 

 roots for forcing, since as good clumps can be grown here as 

 in Europe. 



The practice of growing Deutzia gracilis in pots is a good 

 one. They can be grown several years by shifting on from 

 small pots to ten-inch size. Beyond this size they become 

 unserviceable, when they can be turned into the shrubbery. 

 By striking a few cuttings of green shoots taken at this time it 

 is quite easy to keep up a succession. 



Erica Caffra, var. densa, and E. melanthera, two easily forced 

 Heaths, may be trimmed into shape and turned out for the 

 summer. Heaths are usually recommended forshaded places, 

 but we have found these do quite well in the full sun, provid- 

 ing they are plentifully supplied with water. 



Cytisus racemosus is now extensively used tor spring decora- 

 tions. The long stems, clothed with graceful racemes of 

 fragrant yellow pea-like flowers, are effective among foliage 

 plants. The Cytisus is easily grown and hears hard treatment. 

 Such as have been in bloom may be cut back and turned out, 

 providing they have balls of earth, hut young plants struck 

 this winter are better if kept in pots. Shifted along from three 



