286 



Garden and Forest. 



[June ii, 1890. 



to encourage many attempts to cultivate it. However, 

 there are plants about Boston, in exceptionally favorable 

 situations, which have become good bushes, from eight to ten 

 feet high, and annually produce an abundant crop of blos- 

 soms, which first open about the same time as those of our 

 native species, usually between the 10th and 15th of May. 

 Although C. Canadensis is not found growing wild in New 

 England, it is perfectly hardy when grown from seed from its 

 northern limits in Pennsylvania or Michigan, and it is possible 

 that the Chinese species may prove equally enduring if grown 

 from seed from its extreme northern range in China or Japan. 

 When planted against a background of evergreens, or among 

 the white flowering Crab-apples, which bloom at the same 

 time, the leafless, flower-covered branches of the Redbud 

 make a striking and beautiful effect. 



The Redbuds are among the earliest woody plants of the 

 Pea family to flower, but they find their contemporaries in the 

 bright yellow-flowered Siberian Caraganas or Pea-trees (Cara- 

 gana arborescens and C./rutescens). The first of these some- 

 times attains the size of a small tree. The pinnate, light-green, 

 downy leaves are well expanded when the solitary short 

 stemmed yellow flowers appear, so that the blossomsare not 

 nearly so conspicuous as those of the Redbud, but they con- 

 tinue a little later in bloom. There are several described 

 natural varieties and horticultural forms of C. arborescens, 

 which differ chiefly in habit of growth or size of flowers, 

 foliage, etc., but they do not present variation enough to make 

 it worth while to grow them in a small garden. C.frntescens 

 differs chiefly in being much more shrubby and slender in 

 habit, and having only two pairs of leaflets, which are 

 crowded at the end of the leaf-stalk. The early fruiting of 

 these two species testifies to their adaptation to the short sum- 

 mers of the northern countries where they grow. The pods 

 ripen about the end of the first week of July, and within a few 

 days after maturity they burst open and scatter the small dark 

 brown peas, which swell and germinate at once if they come 

 in contact with moist soil. C. Chamlagu is a small shrub, of 

 Chinese origin, which has slender branches, and large yellow 

 flowers, which become reddish as they get old. It does not 

 appear to be a very profuse flowering plant in this latitude, and 

 it is not nearly as hardy as the preceding species. C. Altagana 

 is a slender, graceful little plant, with very small leaves, 

 having the general appearance of a miniature form of C. 

 arborescens. 



Nearly all of the Caraganas possess more or less developed 

 stipular spines at the bases of the leaves. In most of the spe- 

 cies they are short, but in C. jubata they are long and slender, 

 and in C. spinosa they seem to reach the greatest length and 

 sharpness. On the last species they are from one to two 

 inches in length, and, though slender, are remarkably rigid, 

 and capable of penetration. Being a native of Siberia and 

 northern China, the plant is quite hardy. The flowers are yel- 

 low, as in almost all species of the genus. The leaves and 

 branchlets are covered with a grayish down, and as the long 

 spines extend far beyond the foliage, they give the whole plant 

 an ashy colored appearance which is more curious than 

 ornamental. 



Arnold Arboretum. J . Cr. J. 



Fern Notes. 



A VERY useful arrangement of Ferns may be made and a 

 ■**■ beautiful effect produced by planting out a number of 

 species on a bench, a rock-work or other suitable place, and 

 in this way, too, an abundant supply of fronds can be secured 

 for cut-flower work. This last is an important item in most 

 places, and by the adoption of the above system a larger and 

 better supply may be had from a given space than if the plants 

 were grown in pots. This has been abundantly proved in 

 commercial establishments where the growing of Fern fronds 

 for the market is now a special feature, though largely con- 

 fined to a single species, Adiantum cuneatum, which is grown 

 by tens of thousands for this purpose. But on many private 

 places the amount of space available for such a purpose is 

 quite limited, and consequently a variety of fronds will be 

 found more useful. At the same time this particular Maiden- 

 hair Fern must be placed at the head of the list as the most 

 generally useful Fern now in cultivation, and this being the 

 case, of course a larger proportion of this species should be 

 planted than of either of the others hereafter named. 



A. gracillimiim is also good, its finely divided pinna? being 

 so graceful and filmy in appearance as to excite the warmest 

 admiration when used among certain flowers. A. Wiegandii, 

 a garden variety of American origin, is also an excellent sort 

 for cutting, the fronds being of medium size, and when well 

 matured lasting for several days in water. A. Williamsii and 



A. hispidiilum are also to be classed among the useful Maiden- 

 hairs, both being very effective and having lasting qualities. 



Onychium Japonicum should be included in the list, its slen- 

 der, light green fronds being quite durable. 



Several members of the Pteris family should have a promi- 

 nent place, being among the most free-growing and easiest 

 raised of Ferns. Their seedlings appear in almost all direc- 

 tions in a house that has been used for these plants for a few 

 months. Probably the best of the Pteris for cutting are to be 

 found among the varieties of P. Cretica and P. serrulata; P. 

 Cretica magnified, P. Cretica albo-lineata, P. serrulata and P. 

 serrulata cristata being among the best. If the space at hand 

 will permit, some of the larger sorts should be added, such as 

 P. tremula, P. argyrcea and P. semi-pitinata, as foliage of this 

 description is very useful in large decorations. 



Some of the Nephrolepis should also find a place, their 

 long, graceful fronds being especially elegant when tastefully 

 used among well-grouped flowers. N. davallioides furcans, 

 N. rufescens tripinnatifida and N. pectinata are notably good, 

 while the whole genus is pretty. 



Davallia tenuifolia stricta and Nephrodium otarium (other- 

 wise known as Lastrea aristata variegata) are also good Ferns 

 for this purpose, though the last named is rather slower in 

 growth than the preceding. 



This short list may serve as a basis for an operation of this 

 character, though numerous additions will soon suggest them- 

 selves to the interested cultivator. 



The treatment to be given is very simple, the usual method 

 being to fill a bench to the depth of five or six inches with soil 

 — a light loam will answer, or, if the soil is inclined to be clayey, 

 a third part of peat may be added and also some sand. It is 

 best that the soil be not made too light by the addition of 

 much peat, else the fronds are likely to be too soft for cutting, 

 and in filling up the bench, of course, proper provision should 

 be made for drainage; and while a reasonable degree of shade 

 is necessary, yet the house should not be made as dark as 

 some Fern-houses are, or the result will be soft, flabby fronds, 

 that wither almost as soon as they are cut. 



Young, vigorous plants, from three or four inch pots, will 

 be found most satisfactory, and, if planted out now, will soon 

 become established and will furnish a large number of fronds 

 during the following autumn and winter if planted in a house 

 in which a temperature of fifty to fifty-five degrees is maintained. 



Probably the most troublesome pest to which these plants 

 are exposed is that of slugs and snails, by which the young 

 fronds are eaten off as they appear; and an easy way to obviate 

 this difficulty is by laying some leaves of cabbage or lettuce 

 on the soil, and by the examination of these leaves in the 

 morning and evening many such vermin may be destroyed. 



Holmesburg, Pa. W. H. Taplin. 



Some American Plants. 



^~\NE of the prettiest Brodiseas we have seen came from 

 ^-s Oregon under the name of B. Hendersoni. Its flowers, 

 six to twelve, are in an umbel three-quarters of an inch wide, 

 creamy white with a yellowish centre. A prominent dark 

 purple stripe runs the whole length of the sepals both outside 

 and inside. The leaves are from the base, long and narrow, 

 and the naked stem is about a foot high. It would be useful 

 for cutting. 



Another showy little plant is the Allium serratum, from Cali- 

 fornia. It is about ten inches high, with a naked stem and a 

 many flowered umbel of rose-purple flowers half an inch 

 wide. Like our A. tricoccum the leaves die down at time of 

 blooming, leaving only the flower-stalk visible. It may not be 

 hardy. Ours were covered with leaves during winter. 



Calochortus pulchellas, now in bloom, has pretty nodding 

 yellow flowers an inch wide, on short stems. The plant is 

 low, only four to six inches high, bearing in succession two to 

 five flowers. It is not suitable for bouquets, but is well worth 

 growing as a garden plant. It probably needs protection in 

 winter. 



Zygadenus elegans, one of the Lily family, is a rare plant 

 occasionally found along the northern portion of the United 

 States from New York to Oregon, and along the St. Lawrence 

 River to the Gulf. It varies much in height. Our plants from 

 Oregon are only a foot high, but we have seen it on the 

 lower St. Lawrence much taller. Its leaves are long and grass- 

 like from the bulbous root. The naked stem bears a single 

 panicle of from eight to fifteen erect white flowers, with a 

 greenish yellow centre, three-fourths of an inch wide. It is 

 pretty and useful for cutting, hardy, too, and should become 

 better known in cultivation. 



The common Wild Lupine {Lupinus perennis) is a very 



