May 3, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



197 



Grape was found wild in the woods in the sea-coast towns 

 south of Boston when the Holly, Ilex opaca, was the. plant 

 seen. 



Berberis Aquifolium has usually three or four pairs and an 

 odd terminal leaflet to each of its pinnate leaves ; it never ac- 

 quires tree form, but is a low shrub, spreading over the 

 ground from subterranean stems. It is now pretty commonly 

 known and cultivated, but it is only in exceptionally favorable 

 situations that it will prove a hardy and satisfactory plant in 

 this latitude and climate. It usually requires shade and shel- 

 ter in winter, but it will live much farther north and in colder 

 regions if there is a good, deep, natural snow coveiing. It is, 

 however, too liable to have its upper leaves turned brown- 

 colored and lost, and its flower-buds injured, ever to be very 

 popular here. Notwithstanding its tenderness, it is well 

 worth growing in some sheltered nook for its dark 

 glossy foliage, and also for its large ornamental clus- 

 ters of deep yellow flowers, which appear early in May. 

 The fruit of this species is also handsome. It is a good 

 deal larger than that of the common Barberry, is of a 

 dark color and is covered by a rich violet-colored bloom. This 

 species grows well in the shade of other trees and should be 

 planted in well-drained soil. The B. repens found in some 

 gardens is a dwarf plant, a few inches high, having leaves 

 much less pointed and more rounded in outline than those 

 of Berberis Aquifolium. It is a native of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. 



Berberis nervosa is a plant with handsomer, darker green 

 and larger foliage than either of the species just men- 

 tioned ; it is a native of the Pacific states, extending northward 

 into British Columbia. Though introduced early in the cen- 

 tury into English gardens, it is not often seen here in cultiva- 

 tion. It is much more dwarf than the Oregon Grape and can 

 scarcely be called any hardier, although, on account of its low- 

 growing habit, it is likely to be naturally protected in winter, 

 and therefore may sometimes show less injury with the return 

 of spring. . 



Arnold Arboretum. J- '-^- juc/l. 



Plants in Flower. 



Ibis ORCHIOIDES, now in flower in the border, is a very dis- 

 tinct plant with golden-yellow small flowers, blotched slightly 

 with greenish purple near the crest. It is a bulbous Asiatic 

 species, and at a glance bears a considerable resemblance to 

 the better-known I. Caucasica ; there are marked differences, 

 however, botanically, and it is a much more attractive species 

 than the latter ; at least, my variety of I. Caucasica has a rather 

 dull flower. The leaves, which are very shiny, are arranged 

 on opposite sides of the stem, and a single flower appears 

 from each axil. It appears to be hardy in somewhat stiff soil, 

 having wintered witliout protection in a position subject to 

 many variations of temperature. 



Iris Tectorum, the Japanese Roof Iris, is a species which has 

 given me some pleasure for a few years, the curved or lax 

 sword-shaped leaves having rather taken my fancy. It has 

 been grown in a pot in the greenhouse, but has only now 

 commenced to give me flowers. It is evidently a plant which 

 requires to become well established before it will bloom. The 

 flowers are a handsome shade of light purple, variegated with 

 darker lilac, and white at the throat, with a lilac and white crest. 

 I have not tested its hardiness. 



BowiEA voLUBiLis is a most curious and interesting bulbous 

 plant from South Africa. Nature evidently destined this for a 

 botanical collection or a curiosity seeker. From a slightly 

 flattened fleshy-looking bulb, some five inches in diameter, 

 there rises a green fleshy stem about five feet. This has a 

 slightly climbing habit, though in its young stage it had a cu- 

 rious erratic habit which seemed almost inquisitive. It is said 

 that true leaves are not developed on this plant for years ; my 

 plant has none, but is furnished, according to the botanists, 

 with green, fleshy, mostly abortive inflorescence, which per- 

 forms the functions of leaves. There are a few flowers, which 

 are small and inconspicuous. 



Fritillarias. — Among bulbs collected by Mr. Whittall last 

 season were some which were received as a large-flowering 

 form of Armenia. The variety now in flower proves to be a 

 very distinct one, and, horticulturally at least, quite different 

 to the type. The plant, about six inches high, has glaucous 

 dark green leaves, with purple flowers sometimes clouded on 

 the inside with yellow blotches, and in some forms yellow 

 with purple lines. The deep purple of the outside is covered 

 with a silvery bloom. The Dwarf Fritillarias, with nodding 

 bell-shaped flowers, are charming plants for the rockery, where 

 they should be grown in masses. 

 Elizabeth, N.J. y. N. Gerard. 



Sowing Annuals, etc. — There was one point omitted from my 

 note last week which it seems well to add. The conventional 

 cultural directions for sowing seeds are, in short, to " make of 

 light earth a firm seed-bed, moisten thoroughly, allow the sur- 

 plus moisture to disappear. With a straight flat stick make 

 shallow trenches or drills, in which spread the seed, covering 

 with fine earth in depth proportioned to the size of seed ; press 

 down firmly." In practice this succeeds with most large seeds 

 or those of strong germinating powers. Those seeds which 

 germinate slowly or feebly are often ruined in the drills, espe- 

 cially when it becomes necessary to moisten them, either be- 

 fore or after they germinate. No matter how carefully the 

 bed is sprayed, if tfie earth is at all liable to bind it packs so 

 closely as to confine the germs under an unbreakable crust, 

 and the seeds receive too much moisture. In their secondary 

 stage even a slight excess of moisture adds to the general ten- 

 dency to damp off. A better way is to make the drills as 

 usual, but to sow the seed on the ridges, where they are much 

 safer from contingencies. To supply moisture the water may 

 be poured from a spout into the drills, from which the ridges 

 will be supplied by absorpfion. The danger from surplus 

 water and the chance of washing away the seeds or young 

 plants, as by overhead watering, is thus avoided. Watering 

 young seedlings is always a delicate operation, often carelessly 

 performed. It is a common mistake to keep the seeds too 

 wet, when they are easily ruined by either too low or too high 

 a temperature. These remarks apply to seeds in frames. Re- 

 versing the usual order of planting would not ordinarily an- 

 swer in the outer border, but would be good practice in a re- 

 tentive wet soil, especially in the early season. As previously 

 stated, for all seeds which remain unplanted after the middle 

 of April in this latitude, frame sowing is the safest. 



Elizabeth, N.J. J. N. G. 



Mexican Bulbs. — In plandng certain bulbs from Mexico, such 

 as various species of the Tiger Flower, Calochortuses, from 

 that locality, Milla biflora, Besseraelegans, etc., I believe noth- 

 ing is gained by being in a hurry. I have frequently waited 

 until the middle of June for the Mexican Calochortuses, which 

 had been planted early, to come up — waited for a month after 

 they had been planted and until I had given them up as dead, 

 and then upon examination have found them just beginning 

 to grow. Tigridias in their natural home grow quite deep in 

 the soil, Mr.- Pringle tells me, and I believe better flowers and 

 plants can be had if the bulbs are set five or six inches below 

 the surface than when not more than three or four. Milla 

 biflora and Bessera, as well as Calochortuses, do not grow so 

 deep. The Zephyranthes need deeper setting tiian Calochor- 

 tus or Mflla. Last year I used for these as a fertilizer a mixture 

 of superphosphate and nitrate of soda, composed of about 

 one-third nitrate and two-thirds Bowker Hill and Drill super- 

 phosphate, with very good results. I believe this is a better 

 fertilizer for such bulbs, and, perhaps, for Lilies, too, than 

 ordinary manure. It should be used with caution two or three 

 inches above the bulbs. „ ^^ r 



Charlotte, Vt. F. H. H. 



Sweet Corn. — For the originator of new varieties of vegeta- 

 bles the production of a good kind of early Sweet Corn offers 

 a promising opportunity. The Cory is early enough, but it is 

 too small. Early Narragansett has a fine flavor, but it is later 

 than its name implies, and all the later varieties have a certain 

 lack of quality, with the exception of the Black Mexican, which 

 is, no doubt, among the very best in flavor, although it does 

 not find a ready market on account of its color. The Country 

 Gentleman, introduced last year, is an improved Shoe-})eg 

 Corn, much larger than the type, but it ripens later. For a 

 main crop no more satisfactory variety has yet been produced 

 than Stowell's Evergreen, whether for immediate use or for 

 canning. n t:- u 



Geneva, N. Y. C. E. Huitll. 



Correspondence. 



Aquatics in Modern Gardening. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — When the aquatic greenhouse was built at Chatsworth, 

 about the year 1849, fo*" "^^ sole purpose of growing the Vic- 

 toria regia, Nym|)h:Teas, and other water-plants, it was looked 

 upon as a new departure in ornamental gardening, and was 

 visited by horticultural pilgrims from all parts of the country. 

 No one then thought that the \^ictoria could begrown in the open 

 air. But when the convention of the Society of American Florists 

 was held in Washington last summer, Mr. William R. Smith 

 showed well-flowered plants of this queen of aquatics in the 



