2l8 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 273. 



inches, though a few tried in the greenhouse were twice the 

 height of those in the open. The plant is a native of Asia 

 Minor, and is offered by growers of bulbs in Holland. The 

 flowers grown indoors lasted two weeks, and the colors were 

 brighter than those in the open ground. Scarcely any two 

 flowers are alike in the markings or tesserae. 



Puschkinia scilloides, the Striped Squill, is somewhat rare, 

 and is similar to the Scillas. It is always among the earliest 

 garden-plants to bloom. The segments are white, with a blue 

 stripe down the centre of each. This pretty spring-flowering 

 bulb once planted will appear every spring, requiring no 

 special care. 



The earliest Daffodils were in bloom here a week ago, and 

 were the first flowers from the open garden useful for cutting. 

 Of the many hundred bulbs in the borders, notwithstanding 

 the severe winter, there are no breaks in the rows, and it is 

 certain that in our climate severe cold does not injure them. 

 Many kinds appeared above the soil last fall before the cold 

 weather came, and they will flower as if nothing had hap- 

 pened to them. r- /^ /I X . 



South Lancaster, Mass. -C.. U. Urpet. 



The Hardy-flower Garden. 



OFTEN there are surprises in the garden. A few balmy, 

 sunny days this week, after the cold and tiresome rains, 

 seemingly transformed the plants. Everything caught the 

 effect of the change at once, and, looking around one morn- 

 ing, it seemed at a glance as if every plant was ready to show 

 its flowers. 



In a hardy garden, planted to secure a succession of flowers, 

 such a rapid change is apt to come as a shock, and one has to 

 reflect if he realizes that, after all, everything will not flower at 

 once, but the flowers of to-day will be followed tiU the late 

 year by others as interesting, though, perhaps, by none as 

 captivating, as those peculiar to the freshness of late winter 

 and early spring. 



This is the mid-season of the Narcissi and Tulips, and the 

 beginning of the wealth of Irises, though the latter have been 

 in some force ever since winter. Of the less well-known 

 Narcissi, I note that Mrs. J. B. Camm is a beautiful Ajax, or 

 large trumpet kind, with very light yellow trumpet and creamy 

 perianths, a drooping flower, very soft in color. Seemingly 

 very vigorous. John Nelson is an Ajax of very bright clear 

 yellow, slightly lighter perianth and very distinct and satisfac- 

 tory. Major Pyrnean seems to me much purer in color than 

 the Major of the Dutch, and among the collected bulbs are 

 found some beautiful double kinds with perfect trumpets filled 

 with bright orange petals. One cannot go amiss on N. pri- 

 mulinus, although the colors vary somewhat. They have a dis- 

 tinctive character difficult to describe without a sketch. Of the 

 Incomparabilis class there are many, to me not specially pleas- 

 ing. There is only beauty of size, if that be beauty, in Sir 

 Watkin. Barri Conspicuus is also disappoindng, in spite of 

 its orange-scarlet cup — the perianths are but feebly colored. 

 C. J. Backhouse is with me mucfi handsomer and clearer in 

 color. Queen Bess is a smaller flower, with deep yeflow 

 spreading cup. Juno is one of star-like kinds, white cup 

 and perianth. Of the Leedsi class, Minnie Hume is a gem with 

 white wide perianth and light yellow spreading cup. Duchess of 

 Brabrant is not so pure in color, but is pleasing and much 

 cheaper. Tlie gem of this section is Duchess of Westmin- 

 ster, which, at half a guinea a bulb, seems rather dear, though 

 the Eucharis-shaped flowers are very charming and pure in 

 color. Nelsonii Major and PulcheUus are distinct and good. 

 Of the smaller-cupped kinds I hke best the Burbidgeii varie- 

 fles, which are dainty gems, with cups slighfly longer tfian 

 those of N. poeticus. 



There is one other Narcissus which must be mentioned, N. 

 Johnstoni, Queen of Spain, which has a character of its own, 

 being distinctly saucy. The long yellow trumpet is nearly 

 cylindrical, and the narrow perianth secflons perfectly reflexed 

 their entire length. Mine is not good ground for the increase 

 of bulbs, but the Daffodils color very well, and I find them 

 long-lived with any fair care, though needing attention if flow- 

 ers are wanted. A lot which were planted so late last fall that 

 they made no progress during the winter came into flower late 

 with as few losses as if they had been planted earlier, though, 

 of course, the flowers were scarcely up to form. As might 

 have been expected, the greatest sufferers were the varieties of 

 N. poeticus; this has the shortest resting period of any Daffodil. 



The early dwarf Tulips are quite past their best, and though 

 they have their uses, and some beauty, they are not compara- 

 ble to the later tall-growing kinds, without which no garden is 

 complete at this season. With all the beauty of the florist's 



Tulips, with their pure colors and well-rounded petals, I have 

 a fancy for the wild kinds, with their sharp-pointed petals and 

 less civilized colorings. T. Gregii, now in flower, for instance, 

 is a species of most dazzling beauty, generally bright vermil- 

 ion. The leaves, very much like those of a magnified Dog's- 

 tooth Violet, are themselves very decorative. This species 

 does not seem, however, certain to flower. I have one special 

 bulb which has not flowered in five years. T. Orphanideahas 

 a large burnt-orange flower. T. elegans, a very deep velvety 

 crimson, and T. Schrenki, which is referred to T. Gesneriana, 

 is splashed with light crimson on a white ground. This is very 

 early. Of the other wildlings the very dwarf T. Cilicica, with its 

 small carmine flowers, is very reliable in flower, and from its 

 habit well adapted to a rockery. 



Many Irises are well in bud, I. aphylla the first of the 

 dwarfs to show its dark purple fiowers. This is one of the 

 best of the section, and apparently has been the subject of 

 much attention from the botanists, as, according to Baker, it 

 has a dozen synonyms — namely, nudicaulis, Bohemica, Hun- 

 garica, biflora, biflorens, furcata, falcata, Clusiana, Fieberi, 

 rigida and subbiflora — which, besides being confusing, is a cu- 

 rious example of the plethora of botanical names found attached 

 to plants. "Though the plants thus referred to I. aphylla may be 

 all botanically synonymous, there is evidently a difference 

 among them as garden-plants, for reliable dealers quote four 

 or five of them as distinct and at differing prices. In another 

 way it will be seen that this is an instance where one can 

 pursue an interesting experiment by collecting and test- 

 ing the varieties with a certainty at least of dispensing some 

 surplus. 



EHzabeth. N.J. J.N.Gerard. 



Roses. 

 HTHE quality of Tea-roses is now usually somewhat inferior 

 -^ as compared with the flowers of a month ago, the buds 

 opening out before they have attained full size under the in- 

 creased heat of the sun. There is also great liability to mil- 

 dew ; the temperature of the houses runs up fast, and the ven- 

 tilation required to counteract the heat frequently results in a 

 draught over the plants, with the almost inevitable conse- 

 quence of an attack of mildew. This evil may be avoided to 

 a great extent by beginning to air the house quite early in the 

 morning and giving more ventilation gradually as it may be 

 required, and by checking the fire at sunrise or soon after. 

 During some seasons no artificial heat is required in a Rose- 

 house by this time ; with the thermometer frequently at forty- 

 five degrees or lower, as during the late spring of this year, a 

 little fire-heat is necessary to keep the plants in health. 



Some late hybrids in pots are useful at this time ; they require 

 but little heat to bring them on now, and after having been 

 brought into bud add much to the brightness of a conserva- 

 tory. Mrs. John Laing, Eugenie Verdier, Prince Camille de 

 Rohan, Countess of Oxford, Marie Baumann and Ulrich Brun- 

 ner are excellent sorts for this purpose, and while several of 

 these are also among the best for early forcing, all can be 

 depended upon for spring blooming. More liberal treatment 

 in the matter of top-dressing and the application of liquid 

 manures may be given now than during the winter, as the 

 growth of the plants is naturally more rapid, and they thus take 

 up larger quantities of moisture and fertilizers. This is especially 

 true of pot-plants. Tea-roses that have been in bloom during 

 the winter, and are required for summer flowering, may be 

 thinned out a little to dispose of the weak and worthless growth, 

 and should then be encouraged to break into new growth by 

 means of a top-dressing. There should also be syringing on 

 every bright day with a good pressure of water, care being 

 taken to get well under the foliage. The red spider gains a 

 foothold easily under the influence of the hot sun, and is very 

 difficult to dislodge when once established. A slight shade 

 on the glass will improve the quality of the flowers consider- 

 ably during the hot weather, but it is not well to shield them 

 from the sun entirely. An easy way is to give the glass a thin 

 sprinkling of naphtha and white-lead with a syringe. 



All flowers required for the day should be cut early in the 

 morning and put into cold water at once ; if kept in water for 

 twelve hours they will improve greatly in size and color, and 

 will last much longer than if cut while the sun is high. 



Young stock should all have been propagated before this 

 time, in order to insure strong plants for the coming season ; 

 cuttings may sflU be rooted if necessary, but they will require 

 to be kept a little closer now than earlier in the season, and 

 must be watched to prevent their dam ping-off. Young Roses 

 should not be allowed to become pot-bound, or a stunted 

 growth will follow ; these plants are gross feeders, and ab- 

 stract the nourishment from the soil in a short time. Strong 



