300 



Garden and Forest. 



[June 18, 1890. 



I took occasion in, a late number to advocate the cultivation 

 of Alstromerias. Since those notes were written it has been 

 our good fortune to flower the gem of the family Alstromeria 

 pelegrina alba, the Lily of the Incas. This plant is far too 

 rare in gardens even in the old world, and the only reason 

 there can be for its not becoming more common is that so 

 few have an idea of its exquisite beauty. In stature this species 

 does not exceed eighteen inches, and the flowers are pure 

 white, with a few spots of green in the throat, giving it a chaste 

 beauty only to be compared to that of an Orchid. There is 

 reason to believe that the Lily of the Incas will prove tender in 

 the colder states, and it certainly would be unwise to risk a 

 unique plant the first season, as it might be easily and safely win- 

 tered in a cool cellar and replanted in spring. The raising of 

 Alstromerias from seed is easy, provided fresh seed can be ob- 

 tained. Old seed often takes two years to germinate, and the 

 seeds should be sown and kept under glass, since the plants 

 are peculiar to South America. Our plants were received in 

 the fall and were potted and kept dry until signs of growth 

 were visible, when water was sparingly applied until spring, 

 when flower buds were produced, and in May there were 

 many umbels of the beautiful white flowers expanded, the 

 plants promising to flower all summer, this being the way ail 

 the other species have behaved that we have tried. 



Reading, Mass. £. 0. Orpet. 



Odontoglossum maculatum.— During March, April and May 

 one may begin to look among the Odontoglossums for the 

 flower-spikes of this attractive species, although I have seen 

 plants in flower in December and January also. The pseudo- 

 bulbs are ovoid, much compressed, each furnished on the 

 summit with a broad, grassy green leaf six to nine inches long, 

 and distinctly veined longitudinally. The flowers, which vary in 

 size, are usually two to three inches across, and are borne on 

 pedicels about four inches long, clasped at the base by a large 

 pale brown bract. The sepals are lanceolate-acute, sharply 

 keeled behind, with a corresponding depression in front, the 

 color of which is a very dark brown, with a few obscure pale 

 green transverse markings at the base. In comparison, the 

 petals are broader and shorter, oblong-ovate acute, suddenly 

 narrowed at the base, and of a clear yellow color, heavily 

 blotched on the lower half with dark brown. The lip is cor- 

 date-acute, with a jagged margin ; it is yellow, like the petals, 

 and covered with deep brown blotches, which stand out in 

 bold relief against the ground color. The callus, or crest, is 

 of a deeper yellow, with brown lines at the sides, and is some- 

 thing like that of O. Rossii, but has a central ridge dividing into 

 two horns in front. 



O. maculatum was discovered many years ago by La Llave & 

 Lexarza in Mexico in the neighborhood of the Irapean Moun- 

 tains, near Vallodolid, but its first appearance in cultivation 

 was due to Mr. Barker, of Birmingham, in whose collection it 

 flowered for the first time about the year 1845. It has been 

 largely imported since that time, and is now one of the best 

 known Odontoglots. A closely allied species is O. cor datum, 

 also a Mexican plant, with which, in years gone by, O. macu- 

 latum was confused. 0'. cordatum may, however, be readily 

 distinguished by its longer, narrower and more acuminate 

 sepals, petals and lip, shorter pedicels and looser habit.. 



Pot cultivation seems to be the most suitable for O. macula- 

 tum, and a temperature varying from sixty to sixty-five degrees 

 Fahr. in winter to seventy to seventy-five in summer. Dur- 

 ing growth water may be freely given, as well as enough air 

 to enable the growths to ripen properly. The pots, of course, 

 must be well drained with clean crocks, and the soil should be 

 the usual compost of fibrous peat and sphagnum, in about 

 equal proportions. 



Salvia Splendens, Ingenieur Clavenad, is in bloom from seed 

 planted in January. This variety was first offered this season, 

 and, as will be seen, is rather earlier and blooms in a smaller 

 state than the type, and the cluster of flowers is, perhaps, 

 larger. The color is a bright scarlet, and it will probably 

 prove valuable for early flowers. 



Delphinium Nudicaule, var. Auriantiacum, is a new variety, 

 probably not yet much distributed. Its habit is like the type, 

 dwarf and compact ; probably it will prove equally unreliable 

 as a garden-flower. The flowers are small, of a pleasing red- 

 dish orange shade, and numerous. A very distinct plant for a 

 collection, but very inconspicuous in comparison with the 

 numerous very beautiful hybrids now in cultivation, than 

 which there are few more pleasing and satisfactory plants for 

 a large border. 



Dianthus plumarius hyb. — There seems to have been little 

 attention paid to tin's cross between D. plumarius and Carna- 



tion remontant, made by M. Alegataire, of Lyons, a few years 

 since. As the plants in their second year, in a bad spot in the 

 border, prove to have a very sound constitution, it seems well 

 to call attention to the hybrid, as some skillful cultivator may 

 find it well to take it in hand and improve the flowers, which 

 at present are single or semi-double and rather dull colored, 

 though fragrant. It is a free grower with long stems, with a 

 great flush of bloom in June and scattering flowers during the 

 summer. 



Elizabeth, N.J. G. 



Abutilons. — In connection with Dr. Masters' interesting arti- 

 cle on "Sports" may be mentioned the peculiar action of 

 stock on cion in the case of Abutilons. On a well-variegated 

 form of A. TJiompsoni were budded four varieties with green 

 leaves. A yellow-flowered one took the variegation com- 

 pletely, and cuttings have retained it for two years. A strong 

 variety with large, bell-shaped, red and orange-veined flowers 

 took the variegation at first, and afterward lost it. One variety 

 with pink flowers and cordate leaves showed no markings on 

 the leaves; and . the other with spreading, orange-striped 

 flowers showed less than the stock, but was still decidedly 

 variegated. The variegated form of A. megapotamicum will 

 turn green on a green stock, and will show variegation on 

 stock of variegated kinds. 



Wellesley, Mass. H. 



Correspondence. 



Gardens for Hardy Plants. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir. — The interesting editorial on the Spring Garden in your 

 issue of May 7th suggests a few thoughts on the cultivation of 

 hardy plants in small gardens, where they are too often en- 

 tirely lacking or represented possibly by a stray Phlox, Iris, 

 Peony, or other strong growing plant, whose growth is so 

 apparent in the early spring that it passes safely through the 

 annual tidying up. During May one will observe that the 

 average small garden, so-called, is an expanse of bare earth 

 nicely raked over and waiting for warmth and the plunging of 

 such tender plants as have survived in-door culture. One no- 

 tices these plants later in various stages of surprised dis- 

 couragement at the sudden change to fresh air' and their slow 

 progress to health and vigor. Where new plants are pur- 

 chased annually it is a little better, but even then a good part 

 of the growing season is over before the garden is fairly filled 

 with foliage and flowers. Without intending any depreciation 

 of tender and bedding plants, be they ever so common 

 or commonplace, it does seem that one who is fond of a gar- 

 den or enjoys country life misses much if he pursues year 

 after year the old routine with such plants for the very short 

 season from the middle of May to early October, when by a 

 judicious selection the garden may be made a pleasure from 

 April 1st to late November; and even longer in some seasons 

 like the present, where flowers have not been wanting in 

 some gardens since early January. By all means retain the 

 old favorites ; but why not secure a selection of long-lived 

 plants which will invest the garden with an increasing 

 charm every year, and then with the addition of a few 

 good annuals the garden can be made interesting always, 

 and to furnish great quantities of flowers for a long sea- 

 son. To get a garden of this character into a satisfactory con-, 

 dition requires study and time, and unless one has an inherent 

 fondness for the work and some patience, it is not advisable to 

 begin without the aid of a skilled gardener. But assuming 

 that no such assistance is practicable, how shall one entirely 

 unfamiliar with hardy plants who finds himself in possession 

 of a small garden proceed to collect and grow hardy plants 

 satisfactorily ? This is too large a question for a brief reply. 

 Perhaps a few notes from the standpoint of an amateur who 

 has found in a small garden a pleasant relaxation during the 

 few leisure hours of a busy life may be helpful. 



The proper time to start such a garden is now, or any time 

 when the borders may be dug. Do not be over ambitious at 

 first or make such elaborate plans that discouragement will 

 follow a lack of immediate success, but have a space or 

 spaces in different parts of the garden deeply dug and loos- 

 ened and add a fair amount of manure after taking care that 

 the drainage is perfect, for the hardy-plant border, as a whole, 

 should never again be disturbed. The more or less unreliable 

 laboring men (not to dignify them by the name of gardeners), 

 whom cultivators of small places are forced to employ, have 

 so long annually upset every available bit of ground and 

 ruined all perennial roots that it seems to have become a tra- 

 dition that such a course is the only proper one. A slight 



