August 30, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest 



367 



Cultural Department. 



Seasonable Notes. 



THE cool nights already prevalent indicate that we are on 

 the verge of autumn, the season that, next to spring, 

 brings with it most anxieties to the cultivator. Our first prep- 

 aration for fall is to get the Violets under glass as soon 

 as practicable, and at this time every plant of the winter- 

 flowering double kind Lady H. Campbell is safely under glass, 

 either in the frames or in the heated house. The showery 

 weather, and consequent humid atmosphere, give the exact 

 conditions favorable to the development of disease, traces of 

 which are already visible. This removal of the plants enables 

 us to keep off overhead moisture. I have tried every known 

 means to circumvent this disease, but have come to the con- 

 clusion that there is no cure for diseased plants in an advanced 

 stage, and it is a waste of time and labor to try remedies. 

 Much can be done, however, to keep healthy stock from be- 

 coming weak by taking off all the runners at this season. 

 These should be put in as cuttings in boxes of sandy soil and 

 kept in cold frames all winter. A moderate freezing will 

 not hurt them ; ours were frozen for two months last winter. 

 In the spring they were potted singly in small pots and kept in 

 frames until planted out in May. In this way a single sash 

 will hold a thousand runners, and one need not propagate 

 from stock forced to produce to their utmost all through the 

 winter months. In fact, the plants we have now have never 

 known artificial heat. I am also of opinion that partial shade 

 is of decided benefit to plants during the summer season ; in 

 infected districts the strain is not so great on the plants, and 

 their constitution is not weakened so much in consequence 

 where shade is afforded by trees or other means at midday. 



Poinsettias are invaluable decorative plants for winter, and 

 are particularly seasonable at Christmas. Our plants have 

 been out-of-doors until now, but will be placed in the Rose-house 

 at an early date. As soon as the cool nights give the foliage 

 the least signs of wilting. in the morning, just so soon do they 

 need warmth to maintain the foliage on the plants until the 

 bracts are developed. Poinsettias struck this season will make 

 very useful little plants moved into four-inch pots to flower, 

 but their chief value will be in the second season. If kept dry 

 after flowering until midsummer and then started outdoors 

 in frames, there will be several branches to each plant, each 

 producing a good head. A night temperature of fifty-five 

 degrees is most suitable to prevent a weak and attenuated 

 growth. The so-called double Poinsettia is not worth growing. 

 It is weaker in habit, does not retain the foliage so well, and 

 the duplicate row of bracts is, in most instances that I have 

 noticed, purely imaginary. A few plants of the white-flowered 

 form are desirable wherever the typical plant is cultivated, for 

 the sake of variety. The white form is equally as robust as 

 the scarlet, and makes a pleasing contrast. 



It has often been a matter of surprise to me that Lavender is 

 not more generally grown in gardens. A single bush will pro- 

 duce a quantity of fragrant flowers, which are pleasing whether 

 fresh or dried. In New England the plant is doubtful as to 

 hardiness. I have known it to survive a winter, but much 

 more often to die. We always lift the plants after the first few 

 frosts have arrested growth, and place them in a cellar, the 

 roots being covered with soil. In the spring they are taken 

 out and replanted in rich soil, and three good cuttings of blos- 

 soms are obtained during the summer. These are laid in an 

 airy shed to dry slowly, and are then ready for use. Lavandula 

 vera is the kind grown. It is sometimes known as L. Spica, 

 and is the kind mostly grown to produce the oil of commerce. 

 It is also known as English Lavender, although, Hke the term 

 English Iris, the plants have in either case no real claim to the 

 name English, except that at various periods they have been 

 largely cultivated in England, for they are not indigenous to 

 that country. The French Lavender has a much broader leaf ; 

 it is more tomentose, and is, therefore, often known as L. la- 

 nata. The flowers are equally desirable for use, but for distil- 

 lation they are of little value as compared with those of L. vera. 

 Lavender is easily propagated by means of cuttings taken from 

 a plant placed in a warm greenhouse. Only a very small per- 

 centage of cuttings from out-of-door plants take root, as the 

 wood is too hard. Two-year-old plants ought to produce about 

 one hundred spikes of bloom, and these should be cut as soon 

 as the first flowers are open on the spike. c /i /i vi / 



South Lancaster, Mass. -£• O. Urpet. 



Ferns Suitable for House-culture. 



THE general cultivation of Ferns in a dwelling-house is a 

 matter of some difficulty, the chief obstacle being the ex- 

 cessively dry atmosphere ; this is especially the case when the 



dwellings are heated by a hot-air furnace, with direct radiation. 

 There are, however, some species of Ferns that can be suc- 

 cessfully grown under such conditions, providing proper atten- 

 tion is given to watering, which is probably the chief essential 

 to success. An occasional sprinkling overhead, or dipping in 

 a tub of water, will serve to remove dust from the foliage and 

 also to promote a healthy growth. 



An open soil of rather coarse texture, and not pressed too 

 firmly in the pots, is needed for all such plants, for Fern-roots 

 will not readily penetrate hard or clayey soil. A liberal quan- 

 tity of drainage material should also be provided, broken pots, 

 cinders, sandstone and charcoal being amono- the best sub- 

 stances for the purpose. As plants of this class are usually 

 found in shaded localities, a very bright window is not advisa- 

 ble for their culture ; but if there is no shaded window availa- 

 ble, the Ferns may be placed behind the flowering plants for 

 protection from the sun. It is more satisfactory in selecting 

 Ferns for the window-garden to secure strong and healthy 

 plants in three or four inch pots, rather than very small speci- 

 mens, in the hope of watching them develop into their full 

 beauty. Young plants of some species are much more deli- 

 cate and are more easily injured than older and stronger plants. 



Among the species adapted for window-culture are some of 

 the Nephrolepis, or Sword Ferns, N. exaltata being particu- 

 larly hardy in foliage and free in growth. In a strong specimen 

 the fronds of this species are frequently three to four feet long, 

 their color being dark green, and in habit nearly upright. N. 

 davallioides and its crested form, N. davallioides furcans, are 

 also admirable, and have long arching fronds that are even 

 more graceful and elegant than those of N. exaltata. These 

 plants are readily increased by division, and may also be used 

 to advantage on a sheltered rock-work out-of-doors during the 

 summer. Polystichium angulare proliferum is also an excel- 

 lent sort for house-culture, making a strong and thrifty growth 

 under reasonably good care, and seeming to be almost dust- 

 proof. The proliferous habit of this variety is an interesting 

 feature, the embryo plants or bulbels being produced near the 

 base of the fronds. Many of the Maiden-hair Ferns are too 

 tender for the window-garden unless protected by means of a 

 case, but some of the species may be grown without special 

 protection. The original Maiden-hair, Adiantum Capilhis- 

 Veneris, is among the most satisfactory, though I have also 

 seen A. cuneatum kept in good condition in a window. 



The Pteris include several good house-plants, the members 

 of this genus, with but few exceptions, being of sturdy habit 

 and easy to cultivate. The various forms of Pteris Cretica are 

 among the hardiest members of this extensive group, and 

 are particularly valuable for decorations. P. Cretica magnifica 

 and P. Cretica albo-lineata are two of the best varieties, the 

 variegated leaves of the latter being especially attractive, while 

 the deep green and heavily crested fronds of P. cretica mag- 

 nifica give a pleasant contrast. P. hastata may also be used to 

 advantage, providing it is never allowed to become very dry, 

 for one thorough drying will ruin all its present foliage and 

 much weaken the succeeding growths. P. tremula and P. semi- 

 pinnata are also admissible to the window-garden, though of 

 much larger growth than those already named ; P. tremula has 

 some resemblance to the common Bracken, though not quite 

 so coarse, and P. semipinnata has much-divided dark green 

 fronds of peculiar construction, the pinnae on one side of the 

 leaflets being so much contracted as to appear to have been 

 sheared off. All of the Pteris to which reference has been 

 made are cool-house subjects, and are, therefore, less likely 

 to feel the changes in temperature to which many dwellings 

 are subject. 



The Cyrtomiums include two good house Ferns, C. falcatum 

 and C. caryotideum ; both of these are nearly hardy and of 

 most vigorous growth, the glossy green fronds of C. falcatum 

 being especially beautiful. One or two of the Selaginellas may 

 also be included in the list. S. Kraussiana is the most useful 

 species for carpeting the surface of the soil, while S. Martensii 

 is easy to grow and very pretty. 



Holmesburg, Pa. ^. H. TapHtl. 



Tigridias. 

 'X'HE two new varieties of Tigridia which a few of ouj 

 -»■ dealers are offering, T. grandiflora rosea and T. grandi- 

 flora liliacea, are both very handsome, with large showy flow- 

 ers. They have not borne as many flowers as T. pavonia 

 or the variety alba. I believe they arc natural crosees between 

 the other older varieties, because I have found both of these 

 among plants of T. conchiflora, and not only good types of 

 them, but flowers of various shades of red and yellow, so that 

 occasionally it was hard to tell whether certain plants should be 

 classed as T. conchiflora or T. pavonia. There were some 



