192 



Garden and Forest. 



[Ai'Rii. 16, 1890. 



P. spectabilis and P. puniceus, the two hist being among Dr. 

 Thurber's discoveries. We should be glad to hear of living 

 plants of these last. E. 0. Orpet. 



Passaic, N. J. 



The Spring Garden. 



THE Chionodoxas, popularly known as "the (".lory of the 

 Snow," a free translation of the botanical name, are 

 among the most valuable additions of recent years to the 

 spring- garden. As the name implies, the plants are supposed 

 to bloom in the melting snows, and, in fact, follow closely the 

 blooming of the Snowdrops. 



C. Lucilice was introduced about a decade ago and imme- 

 diately excited attention by its brightness and beauty, and has 

 evidently taken a permanent place in gardens. As it has been 

 widely distributed by the trade, this variety is probably now 

 very well known by most fanciers of hardy flowers, though 

 possibly many have yet to discover its beauty when grown in 

 liberal breadths. Like many of the small spring flowering 

 plants they should be planted in masses, and even then they 

 require a year or two to produce a satisfactory effect. C. 

 Lucilice is found in Asia Minor only, as far as known on the 

 Nymph Dagh Range, near Smyrna ; it is a free-growing va- 

 riety with one or more scapes, furnished with from two to six 

 erect flowers with narrow white petals, tipped bright blue of 

 the clearest shade — altogether a beautiful addition to any bor- 

 der. The flowers are variable in size, but in good examples 

 are over an inch in diameter. There will be found, also, a dif- 

 ference in the shades of blue in the tips. Sometimes, though 

 rarely, pure white and rose sports are found. The former of 

 these is a lovely pure flower, and would be a valuable plant in 

 the border could stock be had. The rose-colored sports are 

 tinted with blue, a color not entirely pleasing. My stock of 

 these was grown in a pan in a cold frame, which may partly 

 account for their not being with me, at least, as strong as the 

 parent plants. 



C. Sardensis was found a few years since on the Mahmoud 

 Dagh Range in sight of the plain of Sardis. This flower 

 has a small white eye and the deep blue of the outer color of 

 Scilla Siberica. My colony came into bloom in February and 

 seemed to be much affected by the bad weather, so that, pos- 

 sibly, the newly planted bulbs may not have done their best; 

 but, so far as I can judge, the color effect of S. Siberica is 

 superior in this shade to C. Sardensis. 



C. gigantea is a later collection from the Tmolus Range, 

 and a very distinct, pleasing flower. The color is rather on the 

 light violet-blue shade, with lines of darker blue. My conns 

 are small, and flowers, perhaps, not at their best in size ; but I 

 should rate it as next to C. Lucilia and worthy of a place 

 among the best flowers. This variety was latest in blooming. 



C. Tmolusi is the latest variety collected by Mr. Whittall, but 

 which I have not yet seen. It is described as a magnified C. 

 Lucilice, with a deeper tint on the petals. From the col- 

 lector's description it is possible that this variety is too near 

 C. Lucilice, which is rather variable in size and coloring, to be 

 considered a distinct variety. It has been collected in a differ- 

 ent station; but when the two are cultivated together it will 

 probably be found that the resemblance is too close to entitle 

 them to separate names, for garden purposes at least. 



C. Cretensis was the earliest Chionodoxa to bloom ; but its 

 value does not seem very great, though the waving scapes, 

 covered with the whitish flowers, are rather graceful, and 

 appeared when flowers were rather scarce. J. IV. Gerard. 



Elizabeth, N.J. 



'THE Dwarf White Trillium {Trillium nivale) is a charming 

 -*- little plant when well established. It comes into bloom as 

 early as the earliest, lasts for several days, and the honey-bees 

 swarm about the beds where it is planted as soon as the 

 weather is warm enough for them to fly. The average height 

 of the plant is only about three inches. It bears a single white 

 flower an inch or more across. The three leaves, which are 

 borne in a whorl half an inch or more below the flower, are 

 of a waxen green, with a purplish tinge, and add much to the 

 value of the plant. This species is not a native of New Eng- 

 land, but is common in some parts of Ohio, Illinois and Wis- 

 consin. It needs a fine loamy soil, with a thin shade. It 

 should be planted in early autumn or midsummer in order to 

 become well established before winter. 



A variety of the White Dog's-tooth Violet {Erythronium 

 albidum, var. coloratum), from Texas, now in flower, is the 

 earliest we have seen of this genus. It is perfectly hardy, a 

 strong grower, and, after it is established, a free bloomer. The 

 flowers are about the size of those of the typical species, but 

 instead of being white are of a pinkish purple tinge, and very 



pretty. It is a newly-discovered variety and well worth 

 growing. 



Chionodoxa Lucilice and C. Sardensis are in bloom, and on 

 account of hardiness and earliness are very desirable. In or- 

 der to do well, they, too, should be planted in early autumn or 

 midsummer. It is better to plant these early-flowering kinds 

 as soon as they have seeded, as they are sure to bloom earlier 

 the following spring than if not set until October. We have 

 noted this difference in beds of Trilliums of the same kind, 

 when some were planted early and others later. Those which 

 were set in midsummer were a week or more in advance of 

 the later ones. 

 Southwick, Mass. F. H. Horsford. 



Insecticides for Window Plants. 



T T frequently happens that, despite the greatest care, insects, 

 ■*■ more especially plant lice (Aphides), will find their way 

 into window gardens and small conservatories, sometimes 

 seriously marring the beauty of the plants, and even of the 

 flowers. The insecticides and methods of application recom- 

 mended for destroying these pests on a large scale are often 

 not applicable to these small gardens, which yet frequently 

 suffer much more seriously from insect attack than do out- 

 door plants. Caterpillars of larger lepidoptera rarely get at 

 these plants, and where they do hand picking is the best rem- 

 edy. The little leaf rollers are much more apt to be found, 

 and, when observed, are also most easily disposed of by being 

 crushed in their habitations. Beetles that visit the flowers 

 rarely do any damage, and their larvae, where they are plant 

 feeders, are amenable to the same treatment adopted against 

 plant lice. These latter, and sometimes the little jumping 

 plant bugs, are the most usual pests on house and conserva- 

 tory plants. They cluster on the leaves, often causing them 

 to curl, to become dry, brown and unsightly ; on stems, caus- 

 ing them to become hard and woody, and on flower-buds, 

 causing them to become aborted or to produce crippled and 

 imperfect flowers. 



In my experience, Pyrethrum and Tobacco, properly used, 

 have both been found very effective in ridding the plants of 

 all insects infesting them. My preference is in all cases the 

 dry powder, applied pure and with a bellows that will enable 

 it to be put on rapidly and evenly. It is essential to the entire 

 success of these substances that they be very finely ground, 

 and in this respect I have found the Persian and Dalmatian 

 powders much more satisfactory than the Buhach or Califor- 

 nia grown Pyrethrum. The Tobacco powder should also be 

 very fine and very dry — as near a dust as it is possible to get. 

 In this shape I have seen it in a very few minutes clear sev- 

 eral large Rose-bushes of their enemies. Another, and per- 

 haps more economical and about equally effective, way of 

 using these substances is in the form of a decoction, using 

 one ounce of Pyrethrum or Tobacco to a pint of water. Steep 

 as in making tea and allow it to draw well. The Pyre- 

 thrum must be kept in a tight vessel, while the Tobacco infu- 

 sion loses nothing by exposure. Apply with an atomizer, such 

 as is obtainable in all drug stores, straining the liquid before 

 putting into the bottle for application. Both substances are 

 almost immediately effective — the fine spray reaching every- 

 where, and adhering to the insects where larger drops would 

 be shed and ineffective. The Tobacco infusion could be pre- 

 pared and an atomizer kept charged near at hand, so that at the 

 first sign of insects it could be applied. In this way house 

 plants and small conservatories can be easily kept free from 

 insect injury of nearly all kinds. 



Rutgers College. John B. Smith. 



Chrysanthemum maximum should be found in every hardy- 

 plant border. It is a magnificent plant after midsummer, 

 beautiful in the border, and valuable for cutting at the very 

 hottest season of the year. Pyrethrum uliginosuin so much 

 resembles a Chrysanthemum that it may well be classed with 

 the above. It flowers late in September and lasts three weeks 

 or more. The plants are larger than those of C. maximum, 

 and they "break" like garden Chrysanthemums, making 

 bushes three or more feet high and of proportionate breadth 

 literally covered with flowers in their season.- These flowers 

 are not so large as those of C. maximum, but they are consid- 

 erably larger than Ox-eye Daisies or Marguerites, which they 

 resemble in other respects. The Pyrethrum is perfectly hardy 

 and thrives under ordinary treatment. 



Pearl River, N. Y. John Thorpe. 



Seasonable Hints. — For successful gardening it is quite as es- 

 sential to know what to avoid as to know what to do, and it is 

 particularly important to know just when to do it. The care- 

 ful cultivator keeps a diary of operations for each year with an 



