19^ 



Carden and Poorest. 



[Number z^i. 



colored. The plant comes from Sumatra, and I am afraid 

 it is identical with A. Putzeysii. 



EucHARis Lowii. — This is another new species of Eucha- 

 ris, named by Mr. Baker in compliment to its introducers, 

 Messrs. H. Low & Co., Clapton, who imported it by acci- 

 dent from New Granada along with E. Sanderiana, and 

 have just flowered it. A plant was shown in flower at the 

 last meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, and was 

 awarded a certificate. It may be described as a very large 

 E. Sanderiana ; some have suggested that it is a natural 

 hybrid between that species and E. granditlora (Amazonica). 

 The leaves are like those of the last-named species; the 

 flowers, which are semi-erect, are formed of a tube three 

 inches long, and six overlapping, slightly twisted segments, 

 each an inch and a half wide, the whole flower measuring 

 over four inches across. The corona is reduced to a toothed 

 rim bearing stamens half an inch long, with black anthers. 

 Altoo-ether, this is distinct from all the known kinds of 

 Eucharis, and while it cannot be said to rival the popular 

 E. grandiflora, it deserves to rank with the best of the genus. 



Rhododendron Smithii aureum is one of the most interest- 

 ino- of the hardy hybrid Rhododendrons, and although 

 raised many years ago it is a rare plant in cultivation. 1 

 received recently a fine truss of flowers of it from a garden 

 where it has been grown almost from the date of its distri- 

 bution. It IS evergreen, quite hardy, with distinct broad- 

 wrinkled foliage and compact heads of about a dozen 

 flowers, which are each two inches across, well formed, 

 with wavy segments, and colored pale golden-yellow, with 

 conspicuous spots of brown on the upper segment. There 

 is a o-ood figure of it in Paxtons Magazine of Botany, ix., 

 p. 79'(i84i), where it is said to be "one of the handsomest 

 and most distinct seedhng Rhododendrons in existence." 

 It was raised by Mr. Smith, nurseryman, in Norbiton, Sur- 

 rey, from a variety of R. caucasicum crossed with the yel- 

 low-flowered R. (Azalea) Sinensis. It was exhibited at 

 Chiswick in May, 1841. Paxton states : "Notwithstanding 

 its entire hardihood, it is an admirable plant for lifting when 

 it comes into flower and placing in a pot in the green- 

 house. Submitted to such treatment it constitutes a splen- 

 did ornament to a show-house or conservatory." The 

 flowers I received a few days ago came from a garden in 

 Hertfordshire. Rhododendrons generally are flowering 

 unusually early this year. 



Rhododendron Rosy Bell is a useful spring-flowering 

 hybrid, whether grown in a pot in a cool house or in a 

 sheltered border. Its raiser, Mr. Davies, of Ormskirk, 

 sends it out as a hardy plant, and some little bushes of it 

 now flowering freely in the open border at Kew are perfect 

 masses of flowers. It is a hybrid of R. ciliatum. In 

 habit, size and foliage it is like the parent plant, but 

 its flowers are much more abundant, every twig on 

 small plants less than a foot in height producing a cluster 

 of two or three bell-shaped flowers which are about two- 

 thirds the size of the flowers of R. ciliatum, and colored 

 rose, with a faint tinge of purple. 



London. ^- WatSOn. 



Cultural Department. 



Hardy Evergreen Hollies and Barberries. 



SOUTH of Boston, in Massachusetts, particularly in the re- 

 gion near the sea-coast, we find a true native Holly, Ilex 

 opaca, the only Holly which can withstand the rigor of our 

 winters without injury and without artificial protection. Even 

 this indigenous species, when planted in the vicinity of Bos- 

 ton, is liable to have its foliage badly injured if in a situation 

 where it does not receive, in winter, at least partial shade and 

 shelter from other trees. I. opaca is rare in New England, but 

 becomes more common south of the Hudson River, extending 

 southward, chiefly near the coast, into Florida, and again ap- 

 pearing in abundance in the lower Mississippi valley. In at- 

 tempting to grow this plant at the north the stock should be 

 procured from the coldest and highest latitude where it is 

 growing naturally. 



The English Holly, I. Aquifolium, and its innumerable varie- 



ties will live out-of-doors, in this region, in some situations 

 and under peculiar conditions, but it cannot be called hardy 

 here and cannot be planted with any assurance that it will live 

 and keep in good condition for any number of years. Some 

 forms, however, appear to be hardier than others. This lack 

 of hardiness is to be regretted, as I. Aquifolium is much hand- 

 somer in foliage than our American Holly, and the great 

 variations derived from long cultivation make the European 

 species particularly useful for producing various effects in gar- 

 dens and plantations. We are familiar with some of the best 

 of the variegated forms grown in pots or tubs for decorative 

 purposes, and kept out of the reach of frost in winter. Typical 

 specimens of both the American and European species ap- 

 pear almost identical in the outlines of their wavy-margined 

 and spiny-toothed, thick, stiff leaves ; both also show the same 

 remarkable modifications in some individuals where the leaves 

 are quite without teeth, the margins entire and not wavy. In 

 both species the lower leaves are sometimes spiny, while the 

 upper ones are entire. But the upper surfaces of the leaves of 

 the European species are mucli darker in color and more glossy, 

 and are thus more valuable from a decorative point of view. 

 Though lacking this latter peculiarity, and being of a lighter 

 green color, the native species is beautiful enough to warrant 

 more attention and more general cultivation by all interested 

 in trees and shrubs. It will make a compact, large shrub or 

 small tree and will bear pruning into hedge form. Its growth 

 is rather slower than that of many shrubs or small trees in 

 general cultivation. The size and coloring of the well-known 

 red fruit may be a little inferior to that of the foreign species, 

 but it is, nevertheless, exceedingly ornamental. Immense 

 quantities of the plant are now annually«cut near Christmas- 

 time and sold in the large city markets for decorative pur- 

 poses. 



The flowers of the Holly are small, white and inconspicuous. 

 The species is dioecious, the pollen-bearing and fruit-produc- 

 ing flowers being borne on separate plants, so that in order to 

 be sure of having fruiting plants some prolific individual 

 should be selected and propagadon effected by division. This 

 method, of course, is only necessary where but one or two 

 plants can be afforded ; where there are a large number seed- 

 lings may be selected, as there will, no doubt, be a sufficient 

 number of fruiting plants among them to make the collection 

 interesting. The seeds germinate slowly, and are not likely to 

 develop little plantlets until the second year. A dry gravelly 

 soil is generally considered the best for the development and 

 growth of this Holly, and, while Boston may be considered as 

 about the northern limit of its successful growth, south of New 

 York it should become of more general use as a hedge-plant 

 and for the beautifying of grounds. It will be found less liable 

 to injury on a northern exposure and sloping ground. 



The only other evergreen Holly which has proved suffi- 

 ciently hardy to endure the winters here is the so-called Ink- 

 berry (I. glabra), also a native of Massachusetts, and thence 

 southward. In this latitude it requires a somewhat sheltered 

 or partially shaded situation. It is a rather slender shrub from 

 two to four feet high. Its small dark green leaves are leathery, 

 shining, oblong in outline, and with entire or but slightly 

 toothed edges. The fruit is black, persists all winter, and has 

 little claim to being called ornamental. The plant is interest- 

 ing as a low evergreen shrub, which may be made to grow in 

 this latitude, but it has not yet seemed sufficiently vigorous or 

 peculiarly attractive to become a favorite with planters. It is 

 likely to thrive best in sandy situations, not too wet. In this 

 latitude few of the leaves persist for more than twelve months, 

 while most of those of the true Holly remain on the branches 

 for two or three years. 



Our climate, so unfavorable to the growth and development 

 of Hollies, which do so finely in England, and even far north 

 in Scotland, is congenial to few evergreen plants outside of the 

 conifers. 



No evergreen Barberry has- as yet been found which will 

 withstand our winters in any satisfactory manner. Such beau- 

 tiful species as Berberis Darwinii, from southern Chili, and 

 others from the same region, and peculiarly distinct kinds, as 

 B. Japonica, will thrive in England, but we think ourselves 

 fortunate if we get them to survive a winter here, even though 

 most of the plant is killed in spite of much protection and 

 covering. In fact, it is almost useless to attempt to grow, so 

 as to be satisfactory in this climate, any of the evergreen Bar- 

 berries except the so-called Oregon Grape or Mahonia (B. 

 Aquifolium) and one or two closely allied species or forms. 

 B. aquifolium is also sometimes called "American Holly" 

 from the resemblance of its leaflets to the simple leaves of the 

 true Holly, and persons not familiar with the characteristics of 

 the two plants have sometimes declared that the Oregon 



