348 



Garden and Forest. 



[July 16, il 



Notes on American Plants. 



'"PHE Maryland Pink Root (Spigelia Marilandica)\s an attrac- 

 *■ tive plant at the time of flowering, and its long red corolla 

 is about as conspicuous as that of the Cardinal Flower. It is from 

 six inches to a foot and a half high, bearing several tubu- 

 lar flowers over an inch long. The tubular or lower portion 

 of the flower is about a third of an inch in diameter, tapering 

 toward the base. The opening at the top is about half an inch 

 wide and yellow inside. It is a herbaceous perennial, a native 

 of rich woods from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin and southward. 

 It likes a light, loamy soil in the shade. 



Sedumpulchellum, a native of the southern states, is a pretty 

 garden plant forming dense beds. Its stems are somewhat 

 weak and often trailing, and are about eight inches long. At 

 the summit is a several spiked cyme of pale rose-purple flow- 

 ers. It is of little or no value for cutting, but is a pretty border 

 plant, not only when in flower, but its dense foliage is hand- 

 some the season through. It needs a light soil and sunlight. 



Calocliortus Howellii, a newly discovered species from 

 Oregon, has handsome white flowers an inch wide, with dark 

 brown beards on the lower inner half. But the plant is not 

 healthy in our light, loamy soil, and the leaves die before the 

 flowers open. It might thrive in a heavier soil. We have 

 known it but one season. 



Pentstemon lavigatus, var. digitalis, is a desirable native 

 species with larger and handsomer flowers than the more 

 common P. pubescens. It is a native of rich, dry soils in the 

 southern states. It grows two or more feet high, bearing 

 numerous pale purple or white flowers an inch long. Though 

 a native of a warmer climate, it seems perfectly hardy here 

 and is certainly worthy of cultivation. 



One of the easiest California Lilies to grow in this climate, 

 and an attractive one, too, is the Liliiim pardalinum. It seems 

 to do well both in heavy and light soils, and unlike some of 

 the species from the Pacific coast, the foliage shows much 

 health and freshness during most of the summer. Its height 

 here is about two feet, and it bears one to several (according 

 to the strength of the bulb) good-sized, orange-red and spotted 

 flowers, the divisions of which turn back to nearly meet the 

 stems on which they are borne. 



Another good species for light, loamy soils is L. rubescens, 

 from the same state. This one, however, is more particular 

 about its location, and in a clay loam it never seems to thrive 

 with us. It is a valuable species bearing a dozen or more erect, 

 nearly white, fragrant flowers with dark brown spots. With 

 age the flowers turn to a reddish purple. They resemble those 

 of the L. Washingtonianum in shape, size and color, but those 

 of the latter are turned downward. This last species is not a 

 healthy one in our light soil, and both flowers and leaves seem 

 to die even before the flowers have opened. 



Another interesting species from this state is the L. Hicm- 

 boldtii. It seems to need at least two years to become estab- 

 lished. Then, if well fed, it will give a fine display of its large 

 salmon-yellow and spotted flowers. We have found well de- 

 cayed chip-dirt, sifted and applied as a top dressing, the best 

 fertilizer for this species, and a soil having a slight mixture of 

 clay seems to suit it. TT 



Southwick, Mass. . F. H. Horsford. 



Rose Notes. 

 A LARGE number of Roses have already been planted in 

 + *■ preparation for next winter's cut-flower supply, some of 

 the Hybrids for early forcing having been planted in the begin- 

 ning of April, and in some progressive establishments the 

 Teas followed shortly afterward. 



Of course it requires some moral courage to clear out a 

 Rose-house so early in the season, especially if the plants are 

 in fair condition and still producing a respectable crop of 

 flowers, but it undoubtedly gives the new planting a much 

 better chance to become well established and to make some 

 strong and vigorous growth before the days get too short. It 

 is well to remember, however, that even though the Roses 

 have been planted out in April or May it is not advisable to 

 crop them too heavily in October, for the mid-winter crop may 

 be correspondingly light if the plants are allowed to overtax 

 their strength. Disbudding should therefore be regularly 

 attended to until the flowers are needed in quantity. Strong, 

 healthy young plants in three or four-inch pots are preferable 

 for planting out, as the weak, stunted ones sometimes used as 

 a makeshift for this purpose seldom start away properly, and 

 as a consequence prove unsatisfactory for winter-blooming. 

 It may be repeated that the Roses when planted out should 

 always be moist at the root, for when the old ball of earth is 

 dry at the time of planting it will be very difficult to moisten it 

 afterward without making the soil in the bench or bed too wet. 



As regards the two chief systems of planting Roses for winter 

 flowering — that is, either the shallow bench system or the 

 solid bed plan — it may be said that the first named is decidedly 

 the most in favor, and it is now quite an exception to the rule 

 to see a house planted on the solid or deep-bed system. 



Neat staking and training adds much to the appearance of a 

 Rose-house, and is certainly not detrimental to the plants, and 

 this may easily be arranged by adopting the method used in 

 commercial houses for several seasons, where the plants are 

 supported by wires stretched from one end of the bench to the 

 other. The wires are attached to a light post or other suitable 

 support at each end of the bench, and the plants are tied to the 

 wires as it becomes necessary. Stout galvanized wire is best 

 for this purpose, as it does not rust out so quickly as the plain 

 wire, and with proper care at the time of replanting it will last 

 for three or four seasons. This makes a much more orderly 

 arrangement than the old-fashioned method of individual 

 staking, and unless the benches are too wide it does not inter- 

 fere with the cutting of the flowers or any other necessary 

 routine work. 



The usual long list of new Roses for 1890 has been pre- 

 sented by the European growers, and numbers some seventy 

 or eighty sorts, the larger proportion of which are classed 

 among the Hybrids, though the list of Teas is also extended 

 by some twenty-five names, several of which are described as 

 carmine or red in color. It is also stated that a new pink Tea 

 is to be introduced next autumn which is claimed to be far 

 superior to Catherine Mermet. This promised acquisition is 

 of French origin, and has been christened Maman Cochet. 



Among the Hybrids, Augustine Guinoisseau will be looked 

 upon with interest. It is a new sport from La France, which 

 is described as being identical with its parent in all respects 

 save in color, which is pure white. If this should prove as 

 good as described it would probably be a valuable variety, but 

 it may be safely estimated that not more than ten of the new 

 Roses of 1890 will prove worthy of general cultivation unless 

 the list has been much more carefully sifted than in previous 

 years. 



Holmesburg, Pa. W. H. Tap/in. 



Border Pinks and Carnations. 



A GARDEN is never too well supplied with these valuable 

 -**• flowers and no plants better repay the trouble necessary 

 in their cultivation. The early Fringed Pinks are of a very 

 sturdy constitution, and the stems being thin and wiry are very 

 little affected by alternate freezing and thawing. The white 

 variety is especially valuable and very fragrant. The Scotch 

 gardeners have originated many fine varieties, which they 

 divide into "show" and "laced" sections, the former being 

 self-colored and the latter having rosy red or purple lacings. 

 They are readily grown from seed, blooming the second sea- 

 son, and a good strain will show great variety in markings, 

 with either smooth or fringed petals. They are fragrant and 

 a large proportion will be double. 



The border Carnations follow the Pinks in bloom, and very 

 good varieties may be readily secured the following season 

 from seed sown in the spring, for they seem perfectly hardy 

 the first winter or when in a young state. After the wood be- 

 comes heavy and hard they are not reliable, and if it is desira- 

 ble to save any they should be layered or the tops should be 

 struck after blooming. A good strain of seed should be sown 

 each spring with the annuals, and seedlings should be grown 

 along till fall, when they may be planted in their blooming 

 quarters. A few evergreen boughs make good protection for 

 winter, though this is hardly necessary. In late June such 

 plants will give a wealth of bloom, and though a proportion 

 will prove single, one is sure to secure some attractive double 

 ones. At the worst one can have abundance of bright, fragrant 

 flowers with a good supply of their own foliage — a pleasure 

 usually denied us by the vender of Carnations. If one does 

 not care to trouble with this biennial treatment of the Carna- 

 tion, some very choice proved varieties may lie had from the 

 florists. Of these a good selection would be Old Crimson 

 Clove, or its dwarf variety, Paul Engelheart, Blush Clove, 

 Gloire de Nancy (white), Mrs. Reynolds Hole (salmon), Pride 

 of Penshurst (yellow). The layering system should also be 

 followed with these if certain success is desired. 



The "Carnation Grenadin " of the seedsmen is also desirable, 

 being scarlet (of a variety of shades) and usually double. 

 Elizabeth, n.j. . J.N.Gerard. 



Heleniums.— Of North American Composites there are few 

 more valuable for garden culture than these plants. Their 

 flowering season lasts over the greater portion of the summer, 

 beginning in May with H. Hoopesii, and ending with H. 



