November i, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



457 



of hardy wild Roses have late persistingfoliage, but our native 

 Rosa lucida and R. nitida hold most of their leaves with vary- 

 ing shades of autumn color and of the foreign species, R. 

 rugosa, R. spinosissima and R. Wichuraiana have scarcely 

 dropped any as yet and have a full and comparatively fresh 

 appearance. The pale yellow leaves of the Witch-hazel have 

 mostly fallen, only to show the remnants of its flowers more 

 clearly ; and the true Hazels, or native species of Corylus, are 

 quite destitute of their summer dress, and the only noticeable 

 features displayed are the male catkins, ready to open next 

 April. 



Arnold Arboretum. J. G. Jack. 



Garden Notes. 



THE lesson we should learn in the garden at this season is 

 the value of warm spots and sheltered places for late-flow- 

 ering plants. In this latitude we seldom have more than two 

 or three killing frosts before the end of October. These are 

 likely to occur any time after late September. Very often we 

 lose all our tender plants early in October, after which we have 

 a long succession of bright days and cool nights, when the 

 plants would be quite safe, and, of course, doubly enjoyable. 

 Until November we seldom have weather severe enough to 

 kill any but the most tender plants when they are on the south 

 side of a dwelling or other structure. The obvious suggestion 

 from this is that we should early in the season make our plant- 

 ings so that we may enjoy our favorite flowers as long as possi- 

 ble. In such locations Nasturtiums are still proudly in flower, 

 and we ought to have some early Chrysanthemums, Cosmos, 

 Japanese Anemones and other late-blooming plants. Should 

 extremely cold weather threaten, these positions offer an ex- 

 cellent opportunity for temporary overhead protection, which 

 cannot be given elsewhere without considerable difficulty. 



Some good flowers are still holding their place in the open, 

 and none more steadily than the night-blooming Tobacco 

 (Nicotiana affinis), which shows a surprising persistency of 

 bloom under adverse circumstances. Except for the ragged 

 appearance of its flower-buds in the middle of the day, this 

 plant is one of the best of hardy annuals. It will rapidly prop- 

 agate and maintain itself in the border, and the flowers are 

 decidedly attractive, with somewhat powerful though pleasant 

 fragrance. 



Iris alata, the Scorpion Iris, is one of the most charming 

 flowers of the season, usually commencing to bloom about 

 the middle of October. This Iris may be flowered in the bor- 

 der in this latitude, but requires a warm position, and should 

 be sheltered by bell-glasses or other protection, to preserve 

 the purity of the flowers. It belongs to the section of bulbous 

 Irises which have thick, long, permanent roots, and are rather 

 awkward subjects for pot-culture unless extra deep pots can 

 be secured. I have had the best success with them by plant- 

 ing out in a cool house, where they make better growth than 

 in pots, with longer and stronger leaves and a longer flower- 

 tube. The leaves are Leek-like, and appear just before the 

 flowers. These vary somewhat in coloring, being mostly more 

 or less deep shades of lilac-blue, though there is a white va- 

 riety. All the flowers, however they may vary in size or color, 

 are exquisitely delicate. The falls are generally fringed, with 

 yellow ridges. The fact that this Iris makes its growth at this 

 season makes it a difficult one to ripen up and retain in good 

 condition, and it requires special care and a warm sunny posi- 

 tion after flowering. The flowers, it may be added, last in 

 good condition for a number of days, and are very fragrant 

 with an odor which may be likened to a mixture of violet and 

 rose. If it is difficult to describe a color, it is doubly difficult 

 to convey an idea of a perfume. In no direction are our 

 senses generally less acute and cultivated than in the detection 

 and discrimination of odors. Few persons could close their 

 eyes and name correctly a dozen of the commonest flowers 

 presented to them for name. With unfamiliar flowers the 

 average observer usually refers the odor to one of half a dozen 

 flowers. It is curious, in this connection, that the perfumer 

 also, for his synthetical odors, depends for his bases on some 

 half dozen odors — rose, cassia, orange, violet, jasmine and 

 tuberose — with which, in combination with various oils, resins 

 and animal secretions, he undertakes to reproduce any scent 

 of the floral kingdom. Knowledge of odors, based on per- 

 fumers' productions, is very misleading, as the deftest artist is 

 hampered in his work by an inherent defect of his materials. 

 These each have a different evaporating point, and to a sensi- 

 tive nostril each odor produces in succession a series of sepa- 

 rate and distinct impressions. Perfumes of the highest charac- 

 ter are retained for some months to blend, but they always 

 retain this radical defect, and their analysis is usually possible 



by a keen observer. The ordinary perfumer is apt to trust as 

 much to his labels as to the contents of his bottles for his dis- 

 tinct odors, and the sale of rivers of essence of violet which do 

 not even resemble violets, and crab-apple-blossoms which are 

 lilies-of-the-valley, prove how little the public knows of odors. 

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



Autumn Work. 



A REALLY sharp frost has brought about a decided change 

 in the aspect of the garden, and it is now possible to put 

 things in order for the winter. It is generally acknowledged 

 that to dig over a border of herbaceous plants, with a vieyv to 

 benefit them, is an operation requiring decided skill, an accu- 

 rate knowledge of the location of each plant or bulb and the 

 manner in which the roots are disposed. This knowledge is 

 not given to all, even if the time to act upon it were at our 

 disposal, hence the fork or spade is never used in our border, 

 except when planting is to be done. Once the border is planted 

 for a permanent effect, if this be done with forethought, there 

 remains very little to do beyond thinning out and transplant- 

 ing occasionally. But borders need replenishing every year 

 with food for their occupants for the next season, and this can 

 be supplied at this season better than at any other. The growth 

 of most plants is now matured, and can be cut down and all 

 the debris removed, including weeds (and some very good gar- 

 den-plants attain to this distinction if given an opportunity), 

 and when all is cleared off a good coating of well-pulverized 

 manure or leaf-mold may be placed over the whole border. 

 There need be no fear of smothering the plants ; the rains and 

 the worms will carry most of it down to the roots, and the dig- 

 ging-in process may easily be dispensed with, and the plants 

 will thus be saved from the dangers which a spade, especially 

 in unskilled hands, always threatens. 



The unusually dry fall weather has retarded all planting 

 operations, and the bulk of this must, with us, remain to be 

 done in spring, hence other work, and, in fact, all possible 

 work, should now be pushed to help out in the spring rush. 

 Where it is intended to plant, the ground can be prepared and 

 dug deep. I always like to double-dig — that is, twice the depth 

 of the spade — by keeping a wide open trench where it is in- 

 tended to plant for a permanent effect, adding the manure as 

 the work proceeds. This breaks up the subsoil. If this is 

 poor, however, keep it at the bottom, but enrich it, and the 

 roots of trees, shrubs and plants will go down and feast there 

 and be out of the reach of temporary drought. 



Vacancies will occur even in well-managed gardens, and, 

 whether of trees or low-growing plants, it is equally true that 

 there are each season gaps that require to be filled — and in 

 these emergencies the nursery-garden, advocated before, is a 

 very helpful adjunct. I have found that evergreen-trees, when 

 brought from a distance, do not always take kindly to new sur- 

 roundings, especially if set out where it is presumed they will 

 remain, and it is often best to set them where they can be 

 carefully tended for the first year and allowed to make a 

 second year's growth in the same position, and then a careful 

 removal to permanent positions can easily be made with greater 

 satisfaction to those concerned, who have had an opportunity 

 to study their habits and requirements as to soil and exposure. 

 After a tree is finally planted on the lawn its greatest enemy is 

 the mowing-machine, and it is surprising what an amount of 

 persuasion it takes to stop the machine just in time to miss 

 the young growth at the tips of the lower branches, especially 

 of fine young Conifers. We have been obliged to cut away a 

 circle of sod underneath the branches, and around each tree, 

 and put on a neat mulching ; this also is of great benefit to the 

 tree, it keeps the surface soil open and accessible to every drop 

 of rain that falls, and while, as in the past season, the sur- 

 rounding grass has been parched for want of rain, on remov- 

 ing a little of the mulch the soil underthe trees always showed 

 a damp surface, and not a tree suffered, e.xcept where the roots 

 of Elms intruded. 



South Lancaster, Mass. E. 0. Orpet. 



Correspondence. 



The Best Lilacs. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — I shall be much obliged if you will print in your 

 columns a list of the best hardy Lilacs. ., ,, r- 



Providence, R. I. A. M. Eatotl. 



[Of the varieties of the common Lilac, Syringa vulgaris, 

 the best white-flowered variety is Marie Lagrange, and 

 the best dark-flowered is Philamon, both of which have 



