346 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 286. 



Aerides Sanderianum. — Two of the largest-flowered and 

 handsomest of all Aerides are this and its near ally, A. Law- 

 rencia?. Broadly speaking, they are only varieties of the 

 old garden favorite, A. odoratum, but their flowers are 

 nearly as large again, and their leaves broader than the 

 ordinary form of that plant. At Kew, A. Sanderianum is 

 represented by a plant a yard high, clothed with healthy 

 foliage to the base, bearing two flower-scapes, each eigh- 

 teen inches long and clothed with twenty-five flowers, 

 which are an inch and a half in diameter, creamy white, 

 tipped with amethyst, and deliciously fragrant. It is nearly 

 ten years since Messrs. F. Sander & Co. introduced this 

 plant in quantity from the Philippine Islands along with A. 

 Lawrenciae, the first plant of which was purchased at an 

 auction sale by Sir Trevor Lawrence for 235 guineas. It 

 differs from A. Sanderiana in having pure white, instead of 

 creamy white, flowers with amethyst tips. 



Platycodon grandiflorum. — Although an old garden- 

 plant, having been introduced in 1782, and figured in the 

 Botanical Magazine nnder the name of Campanula grandi- 

 flora, this is still a somewhat rare plant in cultivation. 

 Indeed, the pan of it exhibited by Mr. G. Paul this week, 

 and awarded a first-class certificate by the Royal Horticul- 

 tural Society, attracted more attention from horticulturists 

 than any plant shown, and was looked upon by many as 

 an entirely new introduction. Platycodon is monotypic, 

 but shows considerable variation, some varieties being 

 only six inches high, while others grow to a height of three 

 feet. The plant shown by Mr. Paul was dwarf, with soft 

 green Willow-like leaves and terminal bell-shaped flowers 

 nearly three inches across, colored rich deep purple-blue. 

 It appeared to be the variety introduced by Messrs. Veitch 

 & Sons from Japan about ten years ago, and distributed 

 under the varietal name of Mariesii. The worst feature of 

 the plant is its questionable hardiness ; at any rate, it 

 perishes at Kew in severe winters. It likes a deep, rich, 

 well-drained soil ; in very cold weather the protection of a 

 hand-light is advisable. Grown in pans, as shown by Mr. 

 Paul, it makes a pretty specimen. 



New and certificated plants shovvn at the last meeting of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society included. the following: 

 Miltonia vexillaria, van Daisy Haywood, with large, well- 

 formed pure white flowers, save a small irregular blotch of 

 yellow on the disc. Laslia crispea superba, a first-rate 

 variety with pure white flowers, a deep plum-purple lip, 

 edged with white and very crisp. Cypripedium Edwardii 

 (Fairrieanum X superbiens), a distinct and attractive hybrid, 

 with elegant curved petals, white and green, profusely 

 spotted, the dorsal sepal white with purple lines, and the 

 pouch greenish white tinged with lilac. It was exhibited 

 by Messrs. Pitcher & Manda. Cattleya Hardyana, Tates' 

 variety, the richest colored of all the forms of this brilliant 

 Cattleya. 



Strobilanthes Dyerianus was shown in superb condition 

 by Messrs. Sander & Co. and was universally admired. A 

 tuberous Begonia, named Mrs. Bourne, remarkable in hav- 

 ing the outer segments of the flowers large, leaf-like and 

 colored bright yellow and green, obtained an award. The 

 variegated Hop (Humulus Japonicus variegatus), with 

 leaves freely marbled v^?ith white, was pleasing and should 

 find favor as a quick-growing climber for covering veran- 

 das, etc. Cupressus macrocarpa, var. lutea, from Messrs. 

 Dickson & Co., attracted considerable notice, on account 

 of its yellowish color, combined with erect pyramidal habit 

 and an appearance quite unlike the type. Mr. A. Waterer 

 again showed his beautiful variety of Spiraea Bumalda, 

 which was awarded a first-class certificate. Lantana 

 Drap d'Or, from Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, is a likely-looking 

 plant for summer bedding, its height not exceeding six 

 inches and its form a compact ball, covered with short- 

 stalked bunches of bright yellow flowers. Didymocarpus 

 lacunosa, from the same firm, was awarded a botanical 

 certificate. It is like a Streptocarpus, the color of the flow- 

 ers being almost gentian blue. Several of Mr. Eckford's 

 new varieties of Sweet Pea obtained certificates, as also 



did several Caladiums from Messrs. J. Laing & Sons. 

 Caladium Le Nain Rouge, a dwarf variety with bright red 

 leaves, is a pleasing- little pot-plant. „, „, 



London. W. WatSOH. 



Cultural Department. 



Small Fruits in Indiana. 



HTHE fruit crop of 1892 in Indiana was remarkably short, 

 *■ principally on account of the excessive rainfall and cold 

 weather during the flowering period. Our small-fruit grow- 

 ers were, therefore, confidently looking forward to an abun- 

 dant harvest this year, but have been again disappointed. 

 Records of the State Weather Service show that the daily mean 

 temperature for the month of May ranged from 43 5 degrees 

 to 74 degrees, reaching tlie latter pomt only once, and gaining 

 a mean temperature for the month of only 57.5 degrees This 

 retarded plant-growth very materially, causing the blossoms 

 to appear much later than usual. While the amount of rain- 

 fall during the month was less than normal it was so dis- 

 tributed during the blossoming period that, when combined 

 with the low temperature, bees and other insects were pre- 

 vented from flying, the pollen was kept almost constantly wet, 

 and consequently the flowers were improperly fertilized. 



This was especially true of Strawberries. Old growers re- 

 port that this season's crop has been the poorest they have 

 ever known. In addition to the lack of fertilization, the dry, 

 hot weather in June caused the fruit to ripen very quickly and 

 much of it prematurely. It is a difficult matter, therefore, to 

 compare varieties without doing injustice to some. For exam- 

 ple, Warfield's No. 2 has been, for a number of years, one of 

 our most productive varieties and the best berry for canning, 

 but this season it failed to come up to the average. Bubach's 

 No. 5, under good treatment, is one of the largest and most 

 profitable varieties, although only a moderate bearer. Haver- 

 land is another which combines productiveness and size when 

 well cared for. It always brings good prices, but is better for a 

 home market on account of its lack of firmness. Edgar Queen 

 is a comparatively new variety, but it promises to give better 

 satisfaction than many others which have been highly adver- 

 tised. Eureka is a late variety, and for that reason was caught 

 this season by the dry weather in June, which cut it short. 

 Greenville is an Ohio variety and one that has given us good 

 crops of fine fruit. Park Beauty is one of the earliest and most 

 productive varieties we have tested. It is about the size of the 

 Crescent and resembles it in many respects. Shuster'sGem 

 is another excellent variety, both in vigor of plant, productive- 

 ness and size and quality ot fruit. 



These are all pistillate kinds, and, of course, must be accom- 

 panied by perfect blossoming sorts. It is more difficult to find 

 a real good staminate variety, but occasionally we find one 

 which has real merit. Brunette is one of these, a native of 

 Indiana, a good grower, productive, and of the first quality. 

 For home consumption, to be used while fresh, I preter this 

 berry to any other with which I am acquainted. Jessie is a 

 good berry when all the conditions are favorable, but it is too 

 unreliable to be recommended for general cultivation. Katie, 

 Louden's No. 15, and Louise are all good staminate varieties. 

 Lovett's Early has proved to be a valuable variety, although 

 not early enough to warrant the latter half of the name. Par- 

 ker Earle is a very good late variety, although not superior to 

 many others. The old Wilson's Albany seems to have run its 

 course, except in a few localities. J. M. Smith, of Green Bay, 

 Wisconsin, has been very successful with it, but plants from 

 his grounds set out here two years ago have proved a com- 

 plete failure so far as fruit is concerned. 



The Raspberry crop throughout the state is below the 

 average, owing to a deficiency of rainfall lor the month of 

 June and first ten days in July. The normal rainfall for June 

 at this place is 4.80 inches ; that for the past month was only 

 1.93. This has caused the fruit to dry up badly. Besides this, 

 the anthracnose has seriously affected the canes in many lo- 

 calities, and has so reduced the crop. Many growers have not yet 

 learned to use the Bordeaux mixture against fungal diseases. 

 Judging from their behavior this season. Progress and Johns- 

 ton's Sweet would be stricken from the list of Black Caps as 

 being too small. Conrath's Early is a new variety, and has 

 done remarkably well. Nemaha continues to be our best late 

 variety. It is a hardy Gregg. Of the red varieties Cuthbert, 

 Mohler's No. i, Muskingum and Thompson's Early are the 

 only ones worthy of mention this season. Child's Japanese 

 Wineberry proves to be the tenderest thing in the shape of a 

 Raspberry that we have here. It never bears any irult unless 

 well protected during the winter. 



