September 16, 1S96.] 



Garden and Forest. 



377 



plantation is contemplated, when the strongest may be left 

 until the leaves have fallen, after which they can be lifted and 

 planted closely together in what is commonly called a nursery- 

 bed, where they can be conveniently protected. The planting 

 in their permanent quarters had better be delayed until spring. 

 We find that fall planting usually results in a good many losses. 



Some approve of cutting or pinching back the young canes 

 while in a green state, but our experience is that more harm 

 than good results from this practice, as it has a tendency to 

 excite the buds into growth, which ought to be kept dormant 

 until spring. We have seen the heading back done after the 

 leaves have fallen in November, but nothing is gained, unless 

 it is necessary for saving time in spring. We find that the 

 points of the canes are usually cut back more or less by frosts 

 during winter, and it is advisable to leave the heading-back 

 process until the severest of the weather is over, but it should 

 always be done before the sap has begun to flow. In this 

 section it is unnecessary to cover the canes during winter, but 

 a good mulching with stable litter will be found beneficial. 

 This is better applied after the ground is frozen over just hard 

 enough to bear a man's weight. 



The principal work in the old Strawberry-beds at this season 

 is keeping them well hoed and clear of weeds and removing 

 all runners as they appear. Fresh plantations may still be 

 made, though if this has been done in August so much the 

 better, as they then have the advantage of a good start before 

 the winter comes on. 



It is most important, especially in late plantings, to have the 

 ground well firmed along the lines where the plants are to be 

 set out. We take it for granted that the ground has been well 

 tilled, and is, therefore, loose, and unless it is well firmed 

 around them and the plants set well down they would be left 

 too high after the soil has settled, and therefore subject to be 

 thrown out by frost ; not only this, but the Strawberry-plant 

 always inclines to rise, and the further it is kept down at first 

 the better, so long as the crowns can be kept clear. Much has 

 been said about the expediency or otherwise of mulching 

 Strawberries and of the different materials to be used. They 

 are undoubtedly benefited by a mulching, and we have found 

 nothing better for the purpose than good long stable litter. 

 The covering over the plants themselves should be very light, 

 but heavier between the rows, the object not being so much 

 to protect the plants themselves, but to prevent alternate 

 freezing and thawing of the ground. It should be applied as 

 recommended for the Raspberries after the ground has frozen 

 over. 



Tarrytown, N. Y. William Scott. 



Late-flowering Shrubs. 



OWING to the frequent rains since midsummer the late- 

 flowering shrubs are in finer condition here than they have 

 been for several years past. They made good growth in the 

 early part of the season, and the continued supply of moisture 

 has enabled them to develop their flowers so that now there 

 is quite a profusion of bloom in the shrubberies where, in ordi- 

 nary seasons, there is little else to be seen than parched foliage. 

 The large-flowered Hydrangea paniculata is usually a sorrow- 

 ful object with us unless watered several times a week during 

 dry spells. Some of the plants which were put out here, 

 about the time of their original introduction from Japan, have 

 grown to a height of about fifteen feet ; a few of them have 

 stems three or four feet high and several inches in diameter. 



Under the name of Vitex Agnus-castus there are several 

 distinct species cultivated, none of them approaching the true 

 species in value as a late-blooming shrub. There are at least 

 three varieties differing only from each other in the color of 

 the flowers, which are purple, pink or white. Cuttings of 

 them root freely from now on under glass, or they can be 

 raised from seed which ripens in abundance. The Crape 

 Myrtle, Lagerstrcemia indica, from the fact of its being unreli- 

 ably hardy in the northern states, is comparatively little known 

 north of here. A great deal may be accomplished with it, 

 however, by giving it a little protection in the winter months. 

 Old plants which have been thoroughly established in 

 favorable seasons take no harm here when the thermometer 

 is below zero, but one and two year old plants get killed to 

 the ground when the mercury falls so low. But even when 

 killed to the ground year after year, they make rapid growth 

 the ensuing summer and flower after attaining a height of 

 about three feet, The flowers are bright pink, and there are 

 forms with purple and pure white flowers. Old plants set 

 seed abundantly, and if sown early will flower the following 

 summer. 



Lespedeza Sieboldii, often called Desmodium penduliilo- 



rum, is a true herbaceous plant, although sometimes classed 

 with shrubs ; it gets to be about six feet high and forms a 

 symmetrical plant. This, the only species of the genus grown 

 extensively on account of its extremely ornamental character, 

 is now coming into bloom and will continue till frost. It is a 

 very reliable plant, especially for soils which get dust-dry in 

 summer. There are two forms, rose and white flowered ; "it is 

 propagated by division early in the season, or from cuttings 

 taken any time after the wood is ripe. 



For our climate, both north and south, few shrubs behave 

 better than the old-fashioned Hibiscus Syriacus, but for some 

 reason we seldom see in common cultivation any but the 

 varieties which the old books tell us were in existence a hun- 

 dred years ago. During the months of August and September 

 these plants produce their large flowers in great profusion. 

 Some of the best kinds are the following: Leopoldii, blush 

 color shaded with rose, very double on young vigorous plants, 

 the flowers borne on the ends of the long shoots making it a 

 valuable plant for cutting ; Totus-albus, the best single white, 

 one of the most floriferous — it comes (rue from seed, which 

 even the small plants ripen freely ; Conite de Cainaut, very 

 double, blush ; Camelliasflora, white, slightly tinged with pink, 

 very dark centre ; Rubra plena, the best of the double reds. 



Some seasons Clerodendron viscosum is a mass of bloom 

 here ; during others it shows only scattered flowers. Where it 

 is hardy it is a good plant for dry soils, as it roots very deeply. 

 In the southern states it increases so fast from underground 

 growths that it has become a nuisance. It is not reliably hardy 

 north of Washington. 



Abelia floribunda commences to bloom on the current sea- 

 son's wood early in summer and continues in flower later than 

 any other shrub ; last season we picked some flowers from it 

 a few weeks before Christmas. In mild winters it is ever- 

 green, like some of the Ligustrums, but during severe seasons 

 the leaves fall off. The plants, however, are not injured in 

 the least ; some immense specimens have stood in exposed 

 places here for the past forty years. It is a native of Mexico 

 and is propagated by cuttings made from the ends of the grow- 

 ing shoots in the fall. 



Caryopteris mastacanthus is a member of the Verbena 

 family, which has been called a blue Spiraea. It is just as 

 valuable as if it were a Spiraea, and probably more so, because 

 it flowers when its flowers are most wanted. It is said to grow 

 only two feet high, but on some plants which did not get 

 killed to the ground last winter the growths are four feet long 

 and covered with buds. It is said to be quite hardy in Massa- 

 chusetts ; if so, it should be in every collection, as it deserves 

 all the good things that have been said of it. 



Botanic Garden, Washington, D. C. G. IV. Oliver. 



An Autumn Garden. 



OUR borders are for the most part filled with plants which 

 bloom from spring until the end of July, and to be per- 

 petuated in good health the plants must remain and ripen 

 their growth. The deserted look of the borders toward the 

 end of summer and in autumn is but poorly relieved by 

 sparsely planted clumps of Phloxes, Asters, Sunflowers, 

 Lilium tigrinum, Hemerocallis Thunbergi, Campanula ranun- 

 culoides and a limited number of plants which can be consid- 

 ered reliably hardy. By mid-autumn they are scanty indeed. 

 It must be so, however, if the borders are planned for spring- 

 flowers alone, and it is scarcely satisfactory to say there is 

 always "something" in bloom. 



It has often occurred to me that we might have an autumn 

 border — an autumn garden — if we wished, wherein all plants 

 which are at their best at this season could be grouped to- 

 gether. There is plenty of variety to choose from. We might 

 include some shrubs with bright-tinted foliage or handsome 

 fruits, but it should be remembered that shrubs and herbaceous 

 plants do not grow well together. The herbaceous border 

 should not form part of the garden scene, but be situated 

 rather out of the way, where the plants have a chance to grow 

 in good air and sunshine, to be seen at close range only. In 

 small suburban gardens the case is different, where no broad 

 effect is possible. While the autumn garden would not bo at 

 its best until late summer, it never would look untidy. 



Autumn-flowering hardy border plants are mainly Com- 

 posites, and the prevailing colors arc shades of purple, as in 

 the Asters, or yellow, as in the Sunflowers. For color-effect 

 some annuals might be included, as Zinnias, Scabious, Ver- 

 benas, especially V. venosa and V. erinoides, Pentstemons, 

 Antirrhinums, Nicotiana atlims, single Petunias, new Early 

 Cosmos and Bleeding Heart, Amaranthus caudatus. Many 

 beautiful tender perennials will In' found serviceable in this 



