20 



Garden and Forest. 



[January 8, 1890. 



away alter it had been at Kew a year or so, but bad not then 

 flowered. The possibility of it? proving to be a species of 

 Hedera, from Africa, was the means of saving' it. Planted in 

 an ordinary border in a greenhouse where it receives plenty of 

 light and "air, it soon covers a large space. The branches 

 should be allowed to hang loosely down, so that when in 

 flower the beauty oi the plant is properly seen. It goes under 

 the vernacular name of Cape Ivy, IV. 



Kew, 



Water Lilies.— A tank for these aquatics should have a depth 

 of four feet, with a length and width according to convenience, 

 and it mav lie built in any part of the greenhouse where room 

 can best be spared. Cement is one of the most durable 

 materials for this purpose and at the same time it has a neat 



Nymphea caerulea 

 N. Zanzibarensis. 



N. Devoniensis, N. alba candidissima, 

 Nelumbium speciosum is also a hand- 

 some acpiatic in a heated tank. A good display may be 

 made out-of-doors in summer in a cool tank with the follow- 

 ing plants : Nymphea odorata, Aponogeion distachyon, Lymno- 

 charis Huniboldtii and Pontederia crassipes. These, with the 

 exception of the last, may be planted in tubs or baskets and 

 placed in the tank; the Pontederia does not require any 

 soil about the roots, as it Iloats on the surface of the 

 water. G. B. 



Soutli Naticlc, Mass. 



Calanthe Veitchii is a very beautiful species. It is a 

 cross between Limatodes rosea and Calanthe vestita; it is a 

 deciduous plant. The flower spikes vary from two to three 



Fig-. 4.— Denuded roots of the Bald Cypress, showing knees and underground structure. — See page 21. 



appearance. The walls should be eight inches thick, with 

 holes in the bottom large enough to draw off the water when 

 .required, and these may be stopped with wooden plugs which 

 should be long enough to stand above the soil. A four-inch 

 pipe around the tank will easily raise the water to a tempera- 

 ture of eighty degrees, the warmth which is necessary, but if 

 the tank is more than twelve feet in width it would be advis- 

 able to put in an extra pipe. Good loam to the depth of one 

 foot should be placed in the bottom with a little manure 

 added. To insure an early supply of flowers the bulbs should 

 be planted early in February, putting in enough tepid water to 

 cover the soil and increasing the quantity of water as the 

 plants grow. An essential point in the cultivation of Water 

 Lilies is pure water — i. e., water which has not become stag- 

 nant — and this can be secured by inserting a small overflow 

 pipe through the wall of the tank near the top and running in 

 fresh water once or twice a week. The following are a few of 

 the varieties which can be used to make a good display: 



feet long, and average from fifteen to thirty flowers 011 a spike. 

 The Mowers are of a rich rose color, with a blotch of white at 

 the base of labellum. Calanthes are terrestrial Orchids, and 

 are best grown in pots. The soil we generally use is a mix- 

 ture of loam, leaf-mold and well decayed cow dung, with a 

 little charcoal and potsherds broken to the size of peas and 

 well mixed in with the soil. These serve to keep the soil 

 porous and fresh. The pots should be well drained and a 

 little moss put over the drainage to keep it open and free 

 from soil. The best time for repotting is just as the plants 

 show signs of making growth. Once in vigorous growth, a 

 little weak liquid manure should be given twice or three times 

 a week. Care must be exercised in using fertilizers in any 

 form, or the foliage may become spotted and disfigured. 



This Calanthe can be grown in an East India house. It 

 likes abundant light when growing and a fair quantity of sun 

 after the bulbs are formed. This will bring the bulbs to ma- 

 turity and secure large spikes and perfect flowers. 



