September 20, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



395 



so well here in the open ground that they are easily kept over 

 by dealers, and can be supplied in good strong bulbs at this 

 season. The European Lilies come in at this season from the 

 Dutch growers, and should be planted without delay, whether 

 for the planting of new bulbs or the separation of old clumps. 

 Lilies make considerable roots in the autumn from the base of 

 the bulbs. These roots go to strengthen the shoot that comes 

 forth next spring, and the stem, when well started, puts forth 

 roots to support the flowers, so it is obvious that the more 

 roots in the fall the better the growth next year. 



It has always been my opinion that L. auratum could not be 

 grown on year after year with its native vigor maintained, and 

 this had been stated in the columns of Garden and Forest, 

 when a correspondent sent me bulbs of a variety called L. 

 auratum macranthum, which he said were perfectly easy to 

 grow on year after year. This kind is also known as the va- 

 riety Platyphyllum, owing to its broader leaves more resem- 

 bling the Speciosum section, as do the bulbs themselves, and 

 it is a pleasure to be able to state of this variety that it is a 

 most satisfactory Lily in every respect, especially the flowers 

 themselves. Importers of Japan bulbs would do well to make 

 a note of this variety, for I do not know of any place where it 

 can be procured in this country. Mr. Brydon's great success 

 with L. giganteum will, no doubt, encourage many to try this 

 noble Lily, and I would warn all such to be careful and not pay 

 high prices for bulbs of this species unless they are guaranteed 

 true. I know of an instance where the commoner L. cordifo- 

 lium was supplied last season, though the large price paid 

 ought to have guaranteed the purchaser against any mistake, 

 whether intentional or not. L. giganteum being a Himalayan 

 Lily, is best obtained from European dealers. Dutch bulb- 

 growers catalogue it, but I question if any growers here have 

 it to sell. It is true that the flowers are of small size in com- 

 parison to the stature of the plant, but I know of no garden- 

 plant that has such a distinguished appearance when seen as it 

 was at Yarmouthport this season. 



None the less remarkable were the fine stalks Lilium Walli- 

 chianum superbum was throwing up, for they surpassed all 

 others I had seen for vigor, and promised great beauty 

 later in the season. Mr. Brydon assures us of its hardiness, 

 and also of the fact of its producing small bulbs in the axils of 

 the leaves, like L. tigrinum, and he showed us some in boxes 

 that were flowering when two years old. There is a great 

 future for this fine Lily, judging from the way it is behaving 

 in every place where I have seen it, though its height is against 

 it for pot-culture. 



One thing this season has taught us, with considerable em- 

 phasis, is that Lilies must be sure of moisture at the roots at 

 all times ; there is no difficulty about this in moist localities, 

 except during a dry time in summer — just when they need 

 water most ; hence many failures. As I have tried to explain, 

 there is no period of the year when the roots of Lilies are in- 

 active, for as soon as the stalk begins to decay the new roots 

 begin to push forth from the base of the bulbs to fortify them 

 for the work of another season. Lily-stalks should never be 

 pulled out, no matter how well ripened, or water will be con- 

 ducted direct to the heart of the bulb and trouble will begin 

 at once. 



In planting Lilies, and, in fact, all other bulbs, the manure 

 used should never come in contact with the bulbs, but they 

 should be covered first with soil and the manure should be put 

 on afterward. The older this is the better ; decayed leaf-soil is 

 the more suitable, if free from fungus, but Lilies like a rich 

 soil. The old idea was, never to give Lilies manure or man- 

 ure-water, but this theory must be considered obsolete. One 

 of the largest growers of L. Harrisii in Bermuda told me that 

 no farmer there would willingly grow a second crop of Lilies — 

 it impoverished the soil more than any other crop, a fact which 

 Lily-growers here should bear in mind. „ ^ 



South Lancaster, Mass. E. O. Orpet. 



Tuberous Begonias. 



VXT'ITH cool days and nights these plants are in perfect char- 

 ** acter, standing up stiffly without the look of languor 

 which characterizes them in hot days. The hybrid Begonias, 

 having long since reached and, in fact, passed a desirable limit 

 of size, the florists have turned their attention in other direc- 

 tions. One of the most attractive new breaks is that of varie- 

 gated petals, instead of pure selfs, to which we have been 

 accustomed. Messrs. Vilmorin introduced this year a new 

 strain under name of B. oculis alba. The flowers prove very 

 handsome ; the petals are more or less deeply margined with 

 color, fading to white at the base or centre of flower. This 

 strain is well fixed, the coloring coming true from seed. The 



plants are of good habit, with erect flowers. From Lemoine 

 we have the first crosses with B. Baumanni, the species 

 with scented flowers. B. Excelsior is a cross with B. Veitchii, 

 the modification being principally in the rich coloring of the 

 latter variety. The perfume of B. Baumanni does not seem 

 to be appreciable in my specimen of the cross. 



The greatest improvement that could be made in tuberous 

 Begonias does not consist in either new form, new colorings 

 or in modified size. These we have in sufficiently great va- 

 riety. One desirable trait they almost entirely lack, and until 

 this is infused into them they will never take a place as entirely 

 satisfactory plants. No one will gainsay the beauty of a good 

 strain of these flowers, perfectly pure in color, with soft tints 

 and a pleasing variation of forms. The plants are easily 

 grown into nice specimens, and for a show of color in a green- 

 house they almost vie with the Azaleas. Their bad trait is the 

 tendency to drop their blooms, sometimes even without care- 

 less treatment. As cut flowers they are quite useless, except 

 for shallow-dish arrangements. Flowers of such habit, though 

 beautiful for conservatory adornment, can never be rated with 

 those favorites which are more stable and furnish useful sprays 

 for the house. Gardeners generally are practical men, and as 

 their services are usually rated by the amount of good flowers 

 they can furnish for decoration, they are not given, for any 

 length of time, to cultivate largely the less useful flowers, even 

 if these are showy. If something of the character of B. Soco- 

 trana could be infused into the summer-flowering hybrids it 

 seems as if they would rate among the most valuable of sum- 

 mer-flowering plants for all purposes. 



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



Rock-garden and Border. 



THE ROCK-GARDEN, at its best in the spring, has yet many 

 plants in bloom. The Heliotrope-scented Primula capitata 

 has been more or less in flower all summer. A year ago 

 last spring we planted a patch of it on the base of a north- 

 ern slope. All that the summer's sun reached died; only 

 those plants quite shielded lived through the winter. In this 

 way we have been able to estabUsh the lovely Ramondia Pyre- 

 naica, a plant hard to establish in the more genial climate of 

 Great Britain. Some twenty-five plants of R. Pyrenaica passed 

 safely through last winter, and are now firmly established on 

 the side of a declivity facing north and immediately below a 

 large rock which entirely shields them from the sun's rays. 

 Another plant which surprised me this spring, by coming out 

 in a more thrifty condition than it ever grew in a greenhouse, 

 is the beautiful silvery leaved Japanese Asplenium Goringea- 

 num. It is a fact that plants without number are hardy only in 

 the sense that they will endure an extremely low temperature 

 better than an extremely high temperature. 



Campanula Carpathica is still in bloom, while Heuchera san- 

 guinea lingers on. Such plants as these are treasures in the 

 rock-garden, since they are never unsightly. Sedum specta- 

 bile is just unfolding its pink blossoms. Calceolaria scabiosiae- 

 folia, a neat little annual, can be very effectively used for cover- 

 ing an odd bare spot, and so, also, a new dwarf yellow 

 Toadflax, Linaria Dalmatica. A few of the Cyclops Pinks con- 

 tinue to flower. These come in nicely for cutting. CEnothera 

 Missouriensis, with gorgeous yellow flowers, is altogether 

 out of proportion to the stature of the plant. It is low-grow- 

 ing, rather trailing, with fleshy roots, and is a very satisfac- 

 tory plant to grow, not at any time looking shabby. Cut- 

 tings strike quite easily, and seeds germinate with equal 

 facility. Ruellia ciliosa, a dwarf member of the Acanthaceae, 

 from Texas, is an excellent plant for covering dry sandy banks 

 in the full sun. Its delicate lavender-blue flowers are produced 

 from the axils of the leaves from spring until autumn. 



Along the borders a few stray Delphinium-blooms give 

 here and there a touch of blue, in pleasing contrast with 

 golden Sunflowers and pink Phloxes. Clematis tubulosa, a 

 very handsome deciduous sub-shrub from China, should be 

 better known. The petals being connate, the flowers appear 

 tubular, and are about an inch long, with recurved limbs ; 

 they are deep blue, and borne in clusters in the axils of the 

 leaves. C. tubulosa blooms from midsummer until late au- 

 tumn. Its handsome, dark, shining foliage and neat habit 

 make it a desirable plant for lawns along the edge of shrub- 

 beries. Nearly allied to this is C. Davidiana, with sweet- 

 scented porcelain-blue flowers. 



Among the multitude of autumn-blooming Asters few are 

 as showy as A. Bessarabicus. The flowers are large, lavender- 

 blue, with a yellow disk. Being of dwarf stature it is a more 

 desirable border-plant than our handsome New England Aster, 

 whose proper place seems to be in the wild garden. A. ptar- 



