January i8, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



33 



are bright red and wax-like, and are produced on the points of 

 the young growth. Under liberal treatment an abundance of 

 flowers will be produced. Plants are obtained from cuttings 

 of the young grov/th, which root with great ease. This Eu- 

 phorbia has been in cultivation since 1826 and was introduced 

 from Bourbon. 



The other forms df Euphorbia cultivated here are not grown 

 for their flowers or bracts, but rather as botanical curiosities. 

 Some of them have succulent prickly cactus-like stems and 

 are for the most part without leaves. 



Harvard Botanic Garden. Robert Cameron. 



Gloxinias. 



T T is not too much to say that no summer-flowering bulbous 

 -^ plant makes such a grand display in the greenhouse as the 

 Gloxinia. Begonias are not at their best during summer in the 

 greenhouse, for very hot days sometimes cause their flowers 

 to drop, and it is not until early fall that they are at their best. 

 They should be treated accordingly, that is, kept back without 

 artificial heat, not started before their own proper time, and 

 kept cool during the summer. Begonias will come in as a 

 good succession to Gloxinias, which are essentially summer- 

 flowering plants and are most difficult to obtain in good con- 

 dition later than August. Gloxinias are also admirably adapted 

 for decorative purposes, either as pot-plants or as cut flowers. 

 It is surprising how long the flowers will last when cut, but 

 they cannot be sent any distance, as the least bruise disfigures 

 them. When well grown as pot-plants the rich deep green 

 foliage often completely hides the pots, and the richly colored 

 flowers make a great display. 



There are two distinct strains of Gloxinias, the thick-leaved, 

 or G. crassifolia, which usually has flowers with solid colors ; 

 the strain that produces spotted flowers has thin and compara- 

 tively narrow foliage. These strains are so distinct that the 

 difference is easily recognized in the seed-pans. It might be 

 supposed that the two strains were of different specific origin, 

 but I can find no reference to any other species than G. spe- 

 ciosa as the parent of the present race of Gloxinias, though the 

 first seminal variations that occurred under cultivation were all 

 distributed under Latin descriptive names. These might 

 easily, now fifty years later, be taken for distmct species, 

 which they were not ; this emphasizes what has so often been 

 urged in Garden and Forest, that mere garden forms of cul- 

 tivated plants do not merit Latin names to distinguish them, 

 though the practice too often prevails to our confusion. It 

 should be stated that Gloxinia speciosa had drooping flowers 

 of a purple color, and it is quite a common occurrence for 

 seeds of good strains to revert to this, original type and color, 

 though the pendent flowered section is by no means as orna- 

 mental as are those with erect flowers. Any particular plant 

 of a desired color can be perpetuated as easily by seed as by 

 leaf-cuttings as usually practiced. It is only necessary to fer- 

 tilize the newly opened flower with its own pollen to obtain a 

 quantity of seeds which will come true to the parent, and the 

 foliage will be as characteristic as the flowers. It is now, con- 

 sequently, an easy matter to select desired colors when pur- 

 chasing seeds. 



The best time to sow Gloxinia seeds is in January, if a mini- 

 mum of sixty degrees can be secured. The seeds, being very 

 small, should be sown on a layer of sand and sprinkled with a 

 fine sprayer, without any covering of earth. The pans should 

 be covered with a piece of glass, leaving a space for air and 

 moisture to escape. It will not often be necessary to water 

 again before the seeds have germinated, which will be in 

 about three weeks. As soon as the plants are large enough to 

 handle they should be transplanted into other pans or boxes, 

 and, later, potted in small pots. At this period the young plants 

 grow very rapidly ; seedlings may often be potted to advantage 

 in six-inch pots during the first season and give fine results. 

 Loam and plenty of decayed leaf, with enough sand to make it 

 porous, is the best soil for Gloxinias. The plants may be potted 

 on at any time before the flowers begin to develop ; after that 

 time no advantage is gained, but liberal treatment in the way of 

 liquid-manure is beneficial until the flowers are fully open. A 

 good brisk, moist heat is necessary to bring Gloxinias along to 

 the flowering stage, when more air and less moisture will pro- 

 duce better flowers and they will last longer. The two important 

 points essential to success with these plants are that they 

 should not be exposed to direct sunlight, and, if they are, 

 should never be watered or sprinkled over the foliage. The 

 plants are liable to be attacked by thrips, and these minute 

 insects speedily ruin them for the season. We fumigate reg- 

 ularly for thrips until the flowers open, but no longer. The 

 work of these insects can easily be detected on the flower- 



buds and foliage, and remedial measures must be taken at 

 once. 



After the flowering period is over, the plants must be cared 

 for and the foliage kept green as long as possible by careful 

 watering and shading ; if forced to rest prematurely the bulbs 

 will be inclined to start into fresh growth. In winter we store 

 the bulbs under the benches or in a warm cellar until they 

 start to grow again ; the earliest have just been repotted and 

 will be potted on as they require it ; they will begin to 

 flower in May and will continue through the following months. 

 In the hottest weather a heavy shading is necessary, or the 

 flowers will fade in the heat of the day, recovering usually at 

 night. 



Of the various strains now offered, too much cannot be said 

 for Emperor Frederick ; it is brilliant crimson with a pure 

 white margin, and is a vigorous grower. Defiance has a vivid 

 coloring, but lacks vigor and is very difficult to grow. Cceles- 

 tina is a very large white flower flaked with blue, and is very 

 robust. Of the strain sown as G. alba, every plant came pure 

 white ; it is evidently a selection from the spotted strain. A 

 good white, with foliage like G. crassifolia, would be an acqui- 

 sition in form, size and substance of flower. Corona is another 

 of the spotted class. The purple and red coloring can always 

 be obtained in plenty from a packet of any strain of seed 

 which, with the erect-flowered G. crassifolia, would form the 

 basis for a collecfion, which can be increased or diminished 

 at pleasure, for we always find some varieties that are worth 

 perpetuating and some that may easily be spared. 



South Lancaster, Mass. E. 0. Orpet. 



Hardy Orchids for Outdoor Cultivation. 



ABOUT forty species of the Orchid family are native to the 

 north-eastern United States. For those who have acquired 

 an interest in these wild plants, all varieties have an attraction, 

 and even the least showy is interesting. For general outdoor 

 cultivation a selection of a dozen species would include those 

 which are easily cultivated and which have the qualities prized 

 in garden-plants. Perhaps half of the remaining kinds could 

 be grown with fairly good results. 



The Cypripediums (Lady's-slippers) are the most showy of 

 these native Orchids, the largest and finest of which is C. spec- 

 tabile. It is an easy plant to grow if a little pains is taken in 

 the start. It requires good drainage, partial shade and well- 

 decayed peat about the roots. It never thrives with me when 

 its roots come in contact with sand, gravel or loam. A good 

 mulch of some sort is quite essential. I have seen plants too 

 small for flowering set in heavy clay loam, and brought up to 

 a good flowering size by using fine chip-dirt about their roots. 

 Rich wood-soil or leaf-mold is also good, but I prefer well-de- 

 cayed peat. 



The two yellow Lady's-slippers, C. pubescens and C. parvi- 

 florum, are the easiest to manage and the most permanent 

 when established. If the right location is selected and the soil 

 properly prepared they will continue to thrive from year to 

 year almost indefinitely. I know of a clump that was set in 

 a shady place in a garden at least fifteen years ago. These 

 plants have not received any care for the last ten years ; they 

 liave flowered every season, and are as strong now as they 

 were twelve years ago. The plants in a small bed of C. parvi- 

 florum, planted nine years ago in a shady position with plenty 

 of peat mixed into the soil, were taken up and sold after a year 

 or two. From fragments of their rhizomes, left in the bed, small 

 plants came up and flowered. These plants have been twice 

 taken out within the last six years, and there are now several 

 flowering plants in the bed. The bed had no care after the first 

 two years. 



The stemless Lady's-slipper (C. acaule) does best in a light 

 sandy soil ; it also thrives in a mixture of peat or leaf-soil in a 

 shady place. The ground around the plants should be covered 

 with a mulch, not only to keep it light and moist, but to keep 

 heavy rains from spattering the soil over the leaves, and thus 

 injuring them. Pine-needles make the best mulch for this 

 plant. I have found spring to be the best time for transplant- 

 ing. C. acaule bears transplanting well, and will flower the 

 first season. It will not, however, flower readily two years in 

 succession after transplanting. I doubt if this is as permanent 

 a species as some others. Even in its natural home it occa- 

 sionally takes a year for rest, producing only its two radical 

 leaves, or it gradually dwindles to a very small plant, and 

 finally dies. 



The little Ram's-head Lady's-slipper (C. arietinum) is a more 

 difficult plant to grow than either of the yellow-flowered spe- 

 cies. It needs more shade and a liberal supply of peat. Good 

 drainage and a fine mulch of some sort is also essential. 



