528 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 304. 



Cosmos hybridus. — My general practice has been to sow the 

 seed of this plant about the middle of April in the greenhouse, 

 and as soon as the seedlings are ready to handle comfortably 

 I pot them into three-inch pots and half-plunge them in an out- 

 side frame, protecting them from the frost. I believe, however, 

 that the best way for an amateur is to sow the seed from the 

 1st to the 15th of May, according to latitude, in the open bor- 

 der, or, perhaps, in a frame, and when the seedlings are from 

 six to eight inches high to transplant them where they are to 

 fiower. After they have grown, say, a foot high, the points 

 should be pinched off in order to encourage a stocky habit. 

 After they have made another foot of growth they should be 

 pinched again, and this should be continued until the end of 

 July, when they ought to be, at least, two feet high and about 

 the same in diameter. After this they can be allowed to grow. I 

 formerly root-pruned my plants by running a spade down on 

 two sides of the plant, starting 'about eight inches away from 

 the collar, and slanting the spade toward it, but this made no 

 perceptible difference in the time of flowering, and I now be- 

 lieve that the only way to induce these plants to fiower before 

 the regular season is to plant them in boxes, as is done some- 

 times with Chrysanthemums. This would certainly ripen the 

 wood earlier, and probably bring them into flower a week or 

 ten days ahead of time. If grown in boxes or large pots they 

 could be taken inside, and they would keep on flowering until 

 the plants were cut to the root. The tendency of Cosmos to 

 grow tall, makes it liable to be blown about and broken by the 

 wind unless it is carefully staked, and I therefore advise to 

 plant it against fences, out-houses, or in some similar situation, 

 where it is much easier to care for. When planted along with 

 low-growing plants. Cosmos is apt to overrun them, so that, 

 besides itself, there is little left to be seen in the bed by the ist 

 of August, but this tying back to the fence gives lower plants 

 a chance. 



Washington, D. C. WW. S. Clark. 



Correspondence. 



Climbing Roses in California. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — Among more than fifty varieties of climbing Roses 

 under cultivation in my garden, the best is the crimson climber 

 Reine Olga de Wurtemburg, a hybrid Tea. This Rose is but 

 little known, and another sort of less merit has been masquer- 

 ading under its name. As a grower it is excelled by few, if 

 any, sending up great strong shoots covered with heavy foli- 

 age, each leaf-stem bearing five leaflets. It climbs ten or fif- 

 teen feet in a season. It is free from disease, and is not sub- 

 ject to the attacks of insects. The flowers are fine in bud and 

 semi-double when open, and often measure nearly six inches 

 across when fully expanded. The color is brilliant crimson, 

 which, though it fades with age, keeps brilliant still, and a 

 bush in full bloom on a house or trellis actually blazes with 

 color as far as it can be seen. It begins to bloom in February 

 in Fruitvale, and does not cease until September. The bright 

 buds are favorites with florists, especially in early sprmg. 



Reine Marie Henriette, another of the hybrid Tea class, has 

 even a more beautiful flower than the closely related Olga de 

 Wurtemburg. The petals are very long and heavy and curve 

 slightly inward, giving a flower of beautiful form. The buds 

 are also very desirable and are freely produced, but the prin- 

 cipal crop comes about a month later in the spring. The plant 

 is, however, rarely free from buds and flowers, it is a good, 

 strong grower under favorable conditions, but does not like 

 exposure to winds or sudden changes of temperature, and the 

 hot sunshine will burn and ruin tlie flowers. Both these Roses 

 have a delightful odor, that of Marie Henriette being of a de- 

 cidedly fruity character. 



Among the climbers with yellow flowers, the old Mar^chal 

 Niel may still be said to head the list, though the climbing 

 Perle des Jardins follows closely. When young, Marechal 

 Niel grows with vigor and blooms with profusion, giving a 

 constant succession, in a few years, however, canker is apt 

 to set in just at the surface of the soil, and the plant soon dies. 

 This may, in a measure at least, be prevented by working the 

 plant on some strong-growing and kindly stock like Banksia, 

 Double Cherokee or IJaltimore Belle. This Rose loves the 

 protection of a glass-house kept cool and well aired in summer, 

 and not too warm in winter ; it is then rarely without flowers. 

 Much is expected from the climbing Perle des Jardins. it is 

 healthy and forces well, if, like the parent sort, it flowers in 

 profusion, it will displace Marechal Niel entirely as a commer- 

 cial Rose. 



Chromatella, or Cloth of Gold, as it is more generally known, 



is not less beautiful than Perle des Jardins. The petals are 

 longer, but there are not so many, and the color is not so deep, 

 it is a shy bloomer, even in spring. Like Marechal Niel, it does 

 better grafted on one of the lianksias than when left on its own 

 roots, it is difficult to propagate, and will always be scarce. 



Claire Carnot is a beautiful Rose ; the color is creamy white, 

 set aglow with shades of orange and crimson, and it blooms 

 with tolerable freedom. The best pink climber up to this time 

 is Elie Beauvilain. It is a fine clean grower, and a profuse and 

 constant bloomer. The flowers are very double and perfect; 

 the color is pink, with a slight coppery tinge. Climbing Devo- 

 niensis is the prettiest white climber in the collection, and is a 

 good grower, but Lamarque is a better and more constant 

 bloomer, and is usually grown in preference. A more useful 

 Rose than either of these is Madame Alfred Carriere. It is 

 especially good for cutting, as it lasts well. 



We grow three varieties of Banksias — two yellow and one 

 white. They have no thorns ; grow strong and high, and are 

 evergreen, though not everblooming. For a couple of months 

 in the spring they are such a mass of flowers that but little 

 foliage can be seen. The branches then resemble those of a 

 Cherry-tree in full bloom, the flowers coming in clusters. Of 

 one variety of yellow Banksias the flowers are the size of a half- 

 dollar, and of the other the size of a quarter-dollar. Those of 

 the white sort are in size midway between the two yellows, but 

 the white has a grateful violet fragrance which the yellow va- 

 rieties are deficient in. 



San Francisco, Calif. H. G. Pratt. 



Elseagnus hortensis in Dakota. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — One of the most gratifying features of tree-planting in 

 South Dakota is the marked adaptation of Elaeagnus hortensig 

 to the soil and climate of the state. Although a native of the 

 orient, it flourishes without protection where the thermometer 

 not unfrequently registers thirty degrees below zero, and 

 where the annual rain-fall does not exceed twenty-two inches. 

 Specimens of this shrub planted on the grounds of the Agri- 

 cultural College at Brookings in 1888 have attained a height 

 of twelve feet, and for two years have matured their fruit. 



The leaves do not start very early in the spring, but when 

 once developed they give the plant a bright and cheerful aspect 

 by their silvery whiteness. The flowers, which are borne in 

 small pendulous clusters, are rather inconspicuous, but be- 

 cause of their great number and pleasant odor they render the 

 plant attractive. The fruit is persistent, often remaining upon 

 the branches throughout the entire winter, andafter the leaves 

 have fallen, which does not occur until severe freezing, they 

 form an ornamental feature. 



in October, 1892, some seeds of Elasagnus hortensis were 

 planted about an inch deep in a cold frame and afterward cov- 

 ered with nearly six inches of coarse mulch ; this was removed 

 the following May. The young plants came up quickly and 

 made a good stand, and as long as the moisture was abundant 

 the growth was rapid, but as the season advanced and dry 

 weather set in, the growth was retarded, so that the young 

 plants did not attain a height to exceed ten inches. The expe- 

 rience of the past season in growing the plants from seed, 

 while not highly successful, is, on the whole, encouraging. 

 During last autumn we planted the product of the few trees we 

 have, with the hope that, if the seed shall germinate as well 

 as last season, we shall be able to increase its growth by irri- 

 gation. The drought does not seriously interfere with the 

 growth of the tree after it has become once established, and 

 this is a point greatly in its favor. 



There is no doubt that this shrub is suitable for lawn-plant- 

 ing, and in addition it has features that would make it an ex-> 

 cellent wind-break for small fruits, since it has the useful char- 

 acteristic of retaining its lower branches, thus proving a good 

 snow-catch, in this treeless section small fruits suffer quite 

 as much from lack of snow covering as from any other cause, 

 and any plant that has the power of breaking the force of the 

 wind and causing it to deposit its burden of snow must find 

 favor for use as a shelter. This use, together with its hardi- 

 ness, rapid growth and ornamental character, should com- 

 mend it to planters in the north-west. r ^ ^ > 



Brookings, South Dakota. L. C. Corbett. 



The Catalpa in Kansas. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — A few days ago I saw a wriiing-desk made from the 

 wood of a tree of Catalpa speciosa that was just ten years old 

 from seed. The tree was transplanted twice when quite 

 young ; was planted on prairie-soil, with a fair amount of cul- 



