324 



Garden and Forest. 



[July 2, 1890. 



Calochortus longibarbatus, from Oregon and Washington, is 

 a desirable species 'for this climate, as the plants show more 

 health and vigor than most of this class here. It grows about 

 a foot high, bearing from one to three, usually two, pale purple 

 flowers an inch and a half wide. Across the base of each 

 petal is a dark purple stripe which gives the flower additional 

 beauty. Above this, on the inside, the petals have numerous 

 long, white, hair-like beards almost an inch long. The leaf, 

 which is usually single, is about eight inches long by half an 

 inch wide. Our plants were protected during winter. It 

 should be set in a light soil and exposed to sunlight in Sep- 

 tember or October. 



Allium hcematochiton, from southern California, is a small 

 species six or eight inches high, bearing an umbel of six to 

 twelve small white flowers with greenish stripes and a reddish 

 brown centre. It is a tender plant and should be wintered in 

 sand in the cellar. 



Tigridia buccifera, which was first figured and described in 

 Garden and Forest (vol. ii., p. 412, Fig. 123), is quite abund- 

 ant in portions of southern Texas. This we believe is the only 

 species yet reported within our borders. It is one of the earliest 

 if not the very first to flowers. In a light, loamy soil it is not so 

 large as in a clay loam, yet it seems to do fairly well in any 

 ordinary situation and is much larger after being cultivated 

 than when first taken from its natural home. Although its in- 

 dividual flowers are of very short life, they are borne in such 

 long succession that a bed of them will be almost continually 

 in bloom from the middle of June until early autumn. 



One of the most common of the Rubiacea or Madder Family 

 is the little Partridge Berry (Mitchella repens). This charming 

 little evergreen at this season is covered with its pairs of small 

 fragrant white flowers, a third of an inch wide. Later in 

 autumn the pretty scarlet berries add much to its beauty, as 

 they offer a pleasing contrast with the thick, dark green foliage. 

 These remain on all winter, and both leaves and fruit are as 

 attractive in spring as at any season. The foliage is often 

 variegated with lighter lines. It does well in a fine loamy 

 soil, where it soon forms dense mats of its prostrate, creeping 

 stems. 



Lilium Parryi, from southern California and Arizona, is a 

 good native species, not difficult to grow in a moist, loamy 

 soil, and bears one to several large, handsome yellow flowers, 

 in shape not very unlike our common Meadow Lily. The 

 flower is fragrant, durable and quite distinct in color from 

 other yellow-flowered varieties. It is a healthy growing plant, 

 hardy, if planted deep, and is sure to be a favorite when better 

 known. 

 Southwick, Mass. F. H. Horsford. 



An Indispensable Greenhouse. 



A1THO loves a garden loves a greenhouse, too, but few love 

 VV a greenhouse when they can enjoy the pleasures of a 

 garden, with all its varying scenes from spring until winter, 

 and then a greenhouse is a luxury to some, and to others a 

 necessity. Of course greenhouses differ greatly among them- 

 selves. To persons of limited means the greenhouse is often 

 a combination of a stove-house, Rose-house, Palm-house, 

 Orchid-house, and a place for keeping bedding plants for sum- 

 mer flower-beds. Besides these there are succulents, sub- 

 tropical plants, aquatics, which must be taken up and housed 

 just as the Queen of Autumn holds levee, and space must be 

 afforded for a few of the choice Chrysanthemums which can- 

 not endure freezing temperature. Then Primulas, Cinerarias, 

 Calceolarias, Cyclamen and a host of winter-flowering plants 

 must be crowded in because flowers are looked for from a 

 gardener "who has glass." I pity a man who has such a 

 charge. It is impossible to keep or grow tropical plants in a 

 cool house or to grow alpine plants in a stove-house. To be 

 successful with most plants that are now to be found grown in 

 glass structures there must be at least three houses of different 

 temperatures, called in gardeners' language the stove-house, 

 greenhouse and cool or cold house. The minimum tempera- 

 ture of the stove-house is sixty degrees ; the greenhouse, fifty 

 degrees ; the cool house, forty degrees. 



The cool house I consider a necessary adjunct to the green- 

 house, and if only one can be built this is the indispensable 

 structure. The style of the house is not the most important 

 matter. A span roof undoubtedly will give the most light, 

 which is an important point in the construction of a green- 

 house, but the roof and sides are exposed to the full action of 

 the weather. And this will tell in winter upon the coal bill. 

 All things considered, I prefer a span roof house ; the next 

 best house would be a three-quarter span, such as those built 

 principally for Rose-growing. This is a very useful and eco- 

 nomical house. Its aspect should be due south if circum- 



stances permit, making it a very light house in winter; and it 

 should be protected on the north side by a wall. A lean-to is 

 better than none at all, and can be attached to another building 

 if suitably located ; but such a house is not best adapted for 

 plant growing. A very convenient house is a span-roof eleven 

 feet wide, fifty feet long, four feet sides and seven feet six 

 inches high in the centre. This will allow a three-foot six- 

 inch bench or table on each side and a walk two feet six inches 

 through the centre. Such a house requires only ventilators on 

 either side of the ridge. Two-foot sash is preferable the whole 

 length on each side, and a flow and return pipe three and a 

 half inches in diameter will answer for heating. In such a 

 house Carnations and Mignonette will flower all winter; Stocks 

 and Wallflowers will furnish early bloom ; Cinerarias and Cal- 

 ceolarias are quite at home ; Verbenas, Petunias and many 

 bedding plants can be safely housed ; Echeverias and other 

 succulents and dry roots will keep well under the benches, 

 and it is just the place for Chrysanthemums from the time 

 they leave the cutting bench until they are planted out. 



Staten Island, N. Y. IV. Tricker. 



Orchid Notes. 



Phajus Humblotii. — When this beautiful species was first in- 

 troduced and described by the collector as a rose-colored 

 Phajus it caused a sensation among Orchid-growers. It is 

 named in honor of its discoverer, M. Leon Humblot, who 

 brought the plants to Europe some nine years ago. Very few 

 arrived alive, and consequently large prices were realized for 

 them. Several years elapsed before any attempts were made 

 to reintroduce it, and the plant became almost extinct. Some 

 twelve months ago an importation was received by F. Sander 

 & Co., St. Albans, and it is now so widely distributed that few 

 collections of Orchids are seen without it. It fortunately 

 proves an easy plant to grow, it flowers abundantly and occu- 

 pies little space. In habit it is both dwarf and compact, having 

 robust rich green foliage, and produces a spike one and a half 

 to two feet high, on which are borne twelve to eighteen bold 

 and attractive blossoms, arranged in such a manner that each 

 may be seen to advantage. They measure individually two 

 and a half inches across ; the sepals and petals are broad and 

 suffused with a rich rose color ; the lip is broad, the upper 

 portion furnished on either side with reddish crimson ; the 

 crest is very prominent and of a fine bright yellow. While 

 growth is being made, which is during the summer months, 

 this plant requires a temperature of sixty-five to seventy de- 

 grees, with a position near the glass, but precautions should 

 be taken that it does not receive direct sunlight. Ventilation 

 is also highly beneficial, and when growth is fully completed 

 water should be sparingly given, or growth will again com- 

 mence before the flower-spike develops, which is immediately 

 after the growth is made. This Phajus enjoys a compost of 

 turfy loam, coarse sand and fine peat, with a portion of 

 chopped sphagnum. There is a well-grown plant of this spe- 

 cies in the collection of Mr. F. L. Ames, North Easton, Massa- 

 chusetts, and when in bloom a short time since it was a strik- 

 ingly beautiful object. 



Phajus Henryii. — This is also a valuable acquisition, introduced 

 by M. L. Humblot together with the plant above described. 

 Few plants, however, were received, and they were afterward 

 rarely seen in a thriving condition. A considerable number of 

 plants were sent to Europe last year, together with the other 

 Phajus, and they arrived in excellent condition, and the plant 

 is now often seen growing luxuriantly. The blossoms of P. 

 Henryii are paler in color than those of P. Humblotii, the lip 

 especially being much lighter, the upper portion marked with 

 brownish crimson and finely fringed. A plant is now in 

 bloom in Mr. H. Arnold's collection at Eighty-fourth Street. 

 The spike is erect and two feet in length, and carries seventeen 

 blossoms, which greatly resemble those of P. Humblotii in 

 shape. It is a charming species, and is admired by all who 

 have seen it. 



Summit, N.J. A. Dimmock. 



Papaverbracteatumroseum or Blush Queen is a variety which 

 is said to have originated in an English private garden and has 

 lately been distributed. It resembles the type in foliage and 

 habit, but the flowers are quite unique, being pale blush 

 pink, shading to deep red satin blotches at base of petal. In 

 color effect it is something like the flowers of the Rose of 

 Sharon {Hibiscus Syriacus), though brighter. It is a charming 

 flower, though quite inconspicuous in comparison with the 

 scarlet perennial Poppies, which are among the most vivid of 

 flowers, though among a lot of seedlings there will usually be 

 found some variation from bright orange-scarlet to blood red. 

 The new variety seems to be the first decided break from 



