2 3 8 



Garden and Forest. 



[May 14, 1890. 



has been gay with flowers for about three weeks, and it is 

 still a magnificent picture. Of the many species of Echium 

 found in the Canary Islands, this is much the handsomest and 

 most satisfactory as a garden plant in England. Three years 

 ago seeds of over thirty species of Echium were obtained for 

 Kew from Teneriffe, but the plants raised from them were 

 not worth the room they required. E. callithyrsum is some- 

 times called E. arborcum. It requires liberal treatment, a 

 position where it will get plenty of sunshine, and it should be 

 planted out, not grown in a pot. I should say that in the 

 warmer parts of your country this species would grow and 

 flower well in the open air. 



Statice. — Many of the species of this genus are found in 

 the same region as the Echiums above mentioned, and they 

 are exceedingly ornamental in flower when well grown. 

 Seeds are easily procured from Teneriffe or Madeira, and 

 plants may be grown from them in two years quite as large 

 as large cabbages, and bearing long, branching scapes of rich 

 blue or blue and red flowers. A few of the smaller species, 

 such as S. latifolia, S. macrophylla, S. profusa and S. Butcheri, 

 are grown as greenhouse plants in England. The flowers 

 remain fresh on the plants many weeks ; indeed, they are 

 practically everlasting. 



London. 



W. Watson. 



Cultural Department. 



Some Notes on Echinocactus. 



THE genus Echinocactus is represented in southern Cali- 

 fornia by a great diversity of forms which nearly approach 

 each other. The Cactacece are generally recognized as very 

 difficult to study, not, perhaps, because they are characterless, 

 but because of the difficulty of making specimens and the 

 usual lack of material for study. Only by very extended and 

 close field observation can one arrive at correct conclusions 

 relative to species and varieties, and this none of our botanists 

 have yet enjoyed. 



Near San Diego the genus is represented by E. viridescens, 

 Nutt, usually a low, depressed plant of about thirteen ribs, 

 with pale straw-colored flowers and a slightly acid, pleasant 

 fruit. This is a maritime species or variety almost wholly re- 

 stricted to the immediate neighborhood of San Diego. 



Echinocactus Orcuttii, Engelm., is found a little further to the 

 south and further inland from the coast. It differs in size, the 

 number of ribs (usually twenty-two to thirty), and in the young 

 plants, which are globose. It is inclined to grow in csespitose 

 clumps of fifteen to twenty cylindrical heads, around which 

 the ribs are often spirally inclined. It seems to form almost 

 a connecting link between E. viridescens and E. cylindraceus, 

 Engelm., which was originally collected by Dr. Parry on the 

 eastern slopes of the mountains bordering the Colorado 

 Desert, in San Diego County. - Dr. Engelmann was at one time 

 inclined to doubt its right to specific rank, as other botanists 

 are still inclined to doubt. In 1882 I found what I determined 

 was this species in the desert canons of Lower California and 

 also west of the mountains near the San Rafael Valley, and Dr. 

 Engelmann wrote that he concurred with me in that opinion. 

 This Cactus was a fine cylindrical plant, encompassed by a 

 fine network of its slender, recurving white spines, with lemon- 

 yellow flowers. 



Echinocactus Lecontei, Engelm., is another species originally 

 credited to the eastern slope of our mountains and to Arizona. 

 Hundreds of plants annually reach the European market under 

 this name, collected within the confines of the Colorado 

 Desert, which differ in only a slight degree from E. cylindra- 

 ceus. This form is more inclined to a grayish color, less flexi- 

 ble spines, and perhaps to a more globose shape. The demand 

 in Europe for this particular species makes it command a 

 higher price than many others, and it was only recently that I 

 learned whence the trade was supplied. As they are collected 

 near the original locality cited for it, no blame can attach to 

 those who endeavor to supply the demand, but I must con- 

 sider it merely a " trade name " for a form differing in no es- 

 sential characterfromotherplantsyearlysentoutunderthis, the 

 preceding and the following names : 



Echinocactus Wislizeni, Engelm., is the oldest name applied 

 to any of these forms of Cacti. Some of the plants received 

 under this name are beautiful, with white spines like those of 

 E. cylindraceus ; others have exceedingly handsome red 

 spines ; still others have dull spines of no special color. In 

 young plants especially the color is very variable, as are also 

 the spines. 



Echinocactus Emoryi is the last of our Californian species to 

 receive notice. It more nearly approaches the two first men- 



tioned species, the reddish spines and flowers being usually 

 the most characteristic features. But along with the red- 

 spined and red-flowered plants I have found other varieties — 

 white, green, brown and other shades — until no constant 

 character can be found by which to distinguish between them. 



English cacticulturists claim that E. Orcutti is identical with 

 the old E. Calif ornicus, a name considered synonymous with 

 E. viridescens by Dr. Engelmann. A great variety of plants 

 have reached the European market under the latter name, 

 which, considering its natural variations, is not to be won- 

 dered at. 



I have carefully studied every form in southern and north- 

 ern Lower California that I have been able to learn of, and I 

 have been forced to the conclusion that only three true spe- 

 cies exist within our limits : E. polycephahis (belonging to a 

 distinct section of the genus), E. Wislizeni and E. viridescens. 

 Under E. Wislizeni I would class as varieties E. cylindraceus 

 and E. Lecontei; while under E. viridescens I would place E. 

 Emoryi and E. Orcuttii as sufficiently well-marked varieties. 

 Several other varieties of both these species could be suffi- 

 ciently distinguished to satisfy the foreign trade. Perhaps 

 these views will not be retained when I become more familiar 

 with Arizona, New Mexico and Mexican forms, but they are cer- 

 tainly in line with the later views of Dr. Engelmann, the great- 

 est authority on the family that we have had. C. R. Orcutt. 



San Diego, Cal. 



Chrysanthemums in Pots. — II. 



PINCHING, or stopping, should be done just as it may ap- 

 pear necessary to get the plants bushy and even in shape. 

 The outline of the future plant should be determined as early 

 as July by five or six stakes, adding others as material for 

 training develops. The leaving, or clearing away of suckers, 

 should be regulated in the same way as pinching, and alto- 

 gether in accordance with the habit of the plant. Early flow- 

 ering and naturally bushy varieties, such as Hivue Fleuri, 

 Chevalier Domage, Sachem, President Hyde, Souvenir de 

 Mercede, Monsieur Freeman, L. Canning, and pompones 

 generally, require but little pinching, and are, also, better for 

 having the suckers removed. Enchantress, Neesima, Prince 

 Alfred, Fair Maid of Guernsey, Kioto, Belle Paule, M. Delaux, 

 Robert Bottomley and Mr. H. Canned seem to need some 

 suckers left if shapely specimens are desired. From careful 

 observation I am satisfied that, for specimen plants, suckers 

 produce just as fine flowers as the main stems. For specimen 

 flowers it is absolutely necessary to have all suckers cleared 

 away, and to develop, if possible, the crown-bud at the second 

 break rather than to rely upon those which come away from 

 its base, which are the shoots to produce flowers on a speci- 

 men plant. 



As soon as the roots are well developed, so that they inter- 

 lace around the sides of the pots, which should be some time 

 in July, I commence giving liquid manure. I have a hun- 

 dred-gallon cask partly sunken, which is kept about full of 

 water, and from which I use all the time. At first once in two 

 weeks, and later once a week, I pulverize about two bushels 

 of cow-manure; which is allowed to settle, and the clear top- 

 water used. Just before using I settle every day the fer- 

 ment which has risen to the surface with a stream of water, 

 and in about a week there is very little trace of solid manure 

 left. For a change, a pail of wood-ashes, a lump of lime or 

 two or three pounds of guano may be added to the mixture. 

 After housing, I gradually diminish the strength of the appli- 

 cation until the plants are in bloom, when clear water only is 

 used. 



Disbudding should be begun as soon as the superfluous 

 buds can be handled. It is important to concentrate at once 

 all the flower-producing energies of the plants on just 

 the flowers needed to fill out the specimen ; but if the 

 "chinch" bug gets at work the best laid plans will avail 

 nothing. I have never heard of an effective remedy against 

 this destructive insect. Disbudding is a work which requires 

 care and skill. If the plants are well filled out — as in the case 

 of such reliable varieties as Golden Band, Minnie Miller, Puri- 

 tan, Empress of Japan, Hivu6 Fleuri, Chevalier Domage, Nor- 

 um Bega, L. Canning, Moonlight and President Hyde — all but 

 the terminal bud may be removed. With some others — such 

 as Robert Bottomley, Mr. H. Canned, M. Delaux, occasionally, 

 and Fair Maid of Guernsey — for the sake of filling out the 

 specimen, the terminal bud has to be removed, and two or 

 three buds below it allowed to develop. 



I prefer to house the plant at the first danger of frost rather 

 than run any risk from chills. A light, airy greenhouse is 

 better than a pit, although I have had some plants do well 

 enough in a pit where they were set up on pots so as to come 



