July 19, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



307 



N. Broussonetii, in which the crown is reduced to a mere rudi- 

 ment. 



The Trumpet varieties, from the vast Emperor to theinfini- 

 tessimal Minimus, are among the sturdiest of the genus, with 

 the single exception of N. moschatus, whicii needs a Httle 

 warmer spot than other kinds. I am aware that many find 

 Pallidus Praecox, and some of the other very light-colored 

 varieties, somewhat inclined to die during the winter, but such 

 has not been my experience. It is not worth while to pass 

 many of these in review, but I will remark that N. obvallaris 

 is worthy of the fame it enjoys as being one of the most pleas- 

 ing and elegant in shape of the Trumpets. Bicolor, Empress 

 and J. B. M. Camm are very large and fine, as every one 

 knows, while the color of the Queen of Spain is remarkable 

 for depth and richness. Ard Righ is usually the first to flower, 

 but this year Scoticus preceded it by two or three days. The 

 Incomparabilis group furnishes many very beautiful forms. 

 Aurantius is one of my special favorites ; a long row of them, 

 tossing their hundreds of golden heads in a brisk spring breeze, 

 is a sight well worth seeing. Sir Watkin is the finest of the set, 

 with flowers four inches in diameter and of great substance. 

 It is named in honor of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, the head 

 of one of the most ancient and distinguished families in Wales, 

 and I never see it called "The Big Welshman" without think- 

 ing of Colonel M. P. Wilder's remark, in speaking of certain 

 new varieties of Strawberries, "Jumbo, Thumper and Big 

 Bob, I crave your pardon for speaking their vulgar names." 



The forms of N. poeticus are well known for the most part, 

 but the high price of the variety Grandiflorus has doubdess 

 prevented it from becoming common. " Two feet high, with 

 blossoms four inches across," the catalogue says, and truly 

 says, but the flower has not substance in proportion to its ex- 

 panse, and always has a somewhat wilted look. On the whole, 

 I advise those who have it not, to keep the half-dollar its pur- 

 chase would cost. I cannot here even mention the swarms of 

 hybrid Narcissi, the Barri, Burbidgei, the Leedsi groups; lean 

 only say that I have bought very many, and never regretted it 

 in a single instance. 



Alliums and Scillas are also numerous in species and varie- 

 ties, and many of them are desirable, but before buying Al- 

 liums it is best to know what you are getting. A. nigrum has 

 a large bulb, fine foliage, and a tall flower-stalk bearing an um- 

 bel of dirty lilac flowers ; it should not be allowed space. I 

 should say the same of A. Karataviense, whose two broad ovate 

 leaves are odd and interesting, but whose head of gray flowers 

 bears a strong resemblance to the ripe head of seed of the 

 Dandelion. A. Moly is one of the cheapest and best, and in its 

 English name, "Golden Garlic," is an exact fit. A. Neapolita- 

 num is well known from being forced for the cut-flower trade. 

 A. triquetrum has a cluster of white flowers, every petal having 

 a fine green line. A. Ostrowskyanum is a low-growing species 

 with bright rosy flowers. A. fragrans is as inconspicuous as a 

 flower could well be, but of a most delicious fragrance. There 

 are many other Alliums worthy of cultivation ; some spring- 

 blooming and some not flowering until early autumn. 



The spring Scillas are all good, especially S. cernua and S. 

 campanulatu and their varieties, pink, red and white ; they all 

 make a fine show in May. I have never found full-grown 

 bulbs of these species offered for sale ; they should be about 

 the size of an average Baldwin apple ; bulbs of that size give 

 very fine spikes. S. Sibirica is well known ; its blue is un- 

 equaled except by (hat of the flowers of Salvia patens ; there is 

 a pretty variety of it which has a white line down the centre of 

 each petal. _ „ ,. 



Canton, Mass. W. E. EndlCOtt. 



Hardy Primulas. 

 "pOUR years ago I began to test the hardiness of Primulas 

 •*• here, and the results show that many of these flowers, with 

 choice colors and perfume, can be grown in our gardens at a 

 time when flowers are scarce. I have found that Primula 

 Sikkimensis, P. obconica, P. capitata and P. Auricula are en- 

 tirely untrustworthy without unusual protection. P. rosea has 

 not succeeded well with me, although I believe this is largely 

 due to the treatment I have given it. Among the sorts that 

 have done well the Polyanthuses (P. elatior) are the foremost. 

 Their rich colors include shades from pure white through yel- 

 low to the darkest red in beautiful combinations as well as in 

 solid colors. This brilliancy of hue, taken in connection with 

 their abundant bloom and delicate perfume, establishes their 

 position m the very front rank of hardy spring flowers. P. vul- 

 garis and P. veris, in their typical forniis, areshowy, but their 

 hybrids with P. officinalis are so easily raised and combine 

 so many rich tints that it is better to use these than the prim- 

 itive forms. P. Cashmeriana(ordenticulata) is the earliest of all 



with me, and its dense spherical heads of showy lavender 

 flowers have a particularly rich effect. Primula cortusoides 

 is quite hardy, and its variety, Sieboldii, is remarkably showy, 

 while the other rich hybrid forms are all of easiest culture and 

 give masses of brilliant flowers in May, which are particu- 

 larly useful for cutting, since they have dense heads on clean 

 stems and range in color from pure white to an intense red. 

 P. Japonica and its varieties are hardy, with a slight mulch in 

 winter, and the flowers are in their prime in early June. The 

 flowers vary from pure white to purple, and are borne in 

 whorled spikes, which often attain a height of eighteen inches, 

 so that they are quite striking. 



My soil is a sandy loam, and most of the Primulas are grown 

 in a rockery on the hill-sides, where they have excellent drain- 

 age and where they can be watered if necessary. This situa- 

 tion and treatment may be the secret of the perfect hardiness 

 of the varieties I have named, but if they will endure under 

 any treatment the trying extremes of the last four years, the 

 test would seem to be sufficient to warrant their use by any 

 one who is at all skillful in growing hardy plants. 



Reading, Masa. J • Woodward Manning. 



Carnations in Summer. 



THERE is a charm in the elegant form and graceful bearing 

 of the Carnation, apart from its delicious fragrance, which 

 makes it a favorite of every one and at all times. That the 

 adaptability of its flowers for all kinds of decorations has been 

 appreciated, is shown by the increasing demand for its beau- 

 tiful blossoms at all seasons. Selection has made the Amer- 

 ican Carnation a special type, the result in the main of its 

 changed conditions of climate. Our winters are too severe 

 for outdoor culture, yet with sufficient sun-power it is success- 

 fully grown under glass at that season. Summer-blooming 

 varieties of the American type, sufficiently floriferous to be 

 grown for profit, are now being developed, and there is every 

 probability we shall soon see standard varieties used for sum- 

 mer bedding. 



The English type of Carnation has failed in every trial here, 

 undoubtedly owing in the main to marked dissimilarity of 

 climate, but also, to a considerable extent, to the fact that in 

 each country varieties suited to a special plan of culture have 

 been selected. In that country the plants are layered in the 

 autumn, wintered in a cold frame, and grown in pots the fol- 

 lowing season, for the next winter's bloom. Here, also, selec- 

 tion has been in the line of a particular mode of cultivation, 

 but the plant is different and characteristically American. 

 Cuttings are struck in January, planted out-of-doors in May, 

 and are in bloom by the second week in July. I recently had 

 the pleasure of seeing a splendid collection of Miss Fisher, 

 white ; Hector, scarlet, and Nobscot, scarlet, in bloom and 

 loaded with flower-buds, while along with these were another 

 lot of imported varieties, layered last autumn. They were 

 months behind and did not look promising. 



There are no good rose-colored varieties as yet, but two on 

 trial look encouraging. These are Ada Byron and Nicholson. 

 An elegant yellow-flaked variety also promises to be a good 

 summer bloomer. If neatly staked, as these plants were, they 

 make a fine appearance, and at the same time the flowers are 

 kept from injury by heavy showers of rain. t t^ u 



Wellesley, Mass. T. D. H. 



Strawberries in 1893. 



IT has been an unfavorable year to give Strawberries a com- 

 parative test. Dry weather followed imperfect pollination, 

 and the crop was reduced four-fifths in this section. The 

 effect on prices was rather to depress, because the quality of 

 berries was so very inferior and the size was of the smallest. 

 Of thirty-five sorts in my trial-beds it was not easy to distin- 

 guish one from another by flavor, and I shall, therefore, report 

 only on a few. 



Gillispie, a seedling of Haverland, was sent out as an im- 

 provement on the parent ; but the faults of Haverland are all 

 repeated in this variety, and the extraordinary cropping ca- 

 pacity of the parent plant is lost. The berry is soft and not 

 high-flavored. Thompson's 51 is a long large berry, but I do 

 not think as well of it as I did last year. It lacks in fine quality. 

 Thompson's 86 is a beauty, very bright scarlet, large, prolific, 

 and very late. It is of excellent promise for a late berry. 

 Thompson's 64 is a rival of Parker Earle and of Enhance in enor- 

 mous stocks of fruit. I have never seen it cjuite equaled as a 

 bearer. But this year the fruit is knobby and hard. I am not 

 certain how much of this is due to the season. 



Enhance is a poor grower, very prolific, and in quality not 



