August 20, 1890.] 



Garden and Forest. 



409 



Few persons who have not seen the fine varieties of Pajonia 

 that are now to be had can imagine the wonderful range of 

 color and the fragrance of the flowers. They will grow in any 

 good soil, and should not be disturbed except for division — 

 once in three years. Daphne Cneorum is essentially a florists' 

 plant, though not an herbaceous one. It is quite hardy, Mow- 

 ers for six months, and is easily grown in free sandy soil. One 

 of the questions to come before the Florists' Convention this 

 week is, "Can Hellebores be Grown to Advantage by the Com- 

 mercial Florist ?" If I might be permitted to express an opinion 

 in advance, it would be emphatically in the affirmative. Had 

 I a commercial place, with a shady border at the back of a 

 greenhouse, I would not hesitate to plant largely the varieties 

 (not the type) of Helleborus niger, of which there are now 

 nearly a dozen, all in some degree an improvement upon the 

 older plant. When cold weather comes frames and sashes 

 could be placed over the plants, and the flowers thus pro- 

 tected would yield profitable and speedy returns. The trouble 

 is that Hellebores are usually imported in fall, when they 

 really ought not to be planted until spring. 



Omitting other flowers, I may say in conclusion that florists 

 who have ever grown the Eulalias for their fine flower-spikes 

 always find that they meet with universal favor when cut and 

 dried for winter decoration. They will last for years, but are 

 best renewed annually. 



South Lancaster, Mass. E. 0. Orpet. 



Alocasias. 



""PHIS interesting group of stove Arads includes a considera- 

 -*■ ble number of distinct species and varieties, some of the 

 latter of garden origin being among the finest warm-house 

 foliage plants, while several of the original types are equally 

 desirable. There is much diversity in the form and marking 

 of the leaves of the various sorts, so that most of them are 

 readily recognized. 



They are natives of the East Indies and various portions of 

 the Malay Archipelago, though probablynotatanyconsiderable 

 altitude, and therefore enjoy warm-house treatment and plenty 

 of moisture during the period of growth, and these conditions 

 will be found essential to their well-being. At the same time 

 it should be remembered that during the winter most of the 

 Alocasias make but little growth, and therefore require but 

 little water ; in fact, some of them grow better after a season 

 of entire rest, A. Jenningsii and A. Marshallii being among 

 this class. 



In regard to soil, the Alocasias prefer a light, open compost, 

 as their thick, fleshy roots will not make much headway in a 

 heavy or sodden soil, and for varieties such as A. metallica, 

 A. Sedeni, A. Veitchii, A. Sanderiana and A. Thibautiana, 

 and others of like characteristics, a mixture composed of 

 rough fibrous peat, with perhaps one-fourth of chopped 

 sphagnum and some sand, will be found most suitable, while 

 A. macrorhiza, A. zebrina, A. Jenningsii and others of 

 this class make most satisfactory progress when potted in a 

 compost formed of the above ingredients, with the addition of 

 a third part of coarse turfy loam and some dry cow manure, 

 these species being comparatively gross feeders. These plants 

 should in all cases have good drainage, for while they enjoy 

 copious waterings when in full growth, they soon lose vigor 

 when exposed to stagnant moisture. In bright weather they 

 may be syringed freely, especially underneath the leaves, to 

 keep away the red spider; otherwise the Alocasias are but lit- 

 tle subject to the attacks of insects. 



Prominent among the older varieties may be mentioned A. 

 metallica (which is also recognized under the name of A. 

 cuprea), a handsome kind, witli large bronzy green leaves, 

 which are purplish on the under side and strongly outlined by 

 the prominent veins. This species was introduced from 

 Borneo some thirty years ago, and will still bear comparison 

 with some more recent introductions. A. Sedeni is some- 

 whatsimilar inform and ground color to the preceding, but is 

 improved by the addition of ivory white veins. This variety 

 is one of the finest for exhibition purposes, producing very 

 large foliage and also being of rapid growth. 



A. Sedeni was the result of a cross between A. Loiuii and 

 A. metallica, and has been in cultivation for a number of 

 years. A. Veitchii is another effective species when well 

 grown, its leaves being of rather different form from those 

 above mentioned, and standing up well on long foot-stalks. 

 They are deep green on the upper side, with whitish veins, and 

 of a peculiar slaty hue on the reverse side. This is also a na- 

 tive of Borneo, and has been long in cultivation. But proba- 

 bly the most striking in appearance of the whole genus is A. 

 macrorhiza variegata, which forms immense leaves of bright 

 green, more or less marked with pure white variegation. The 



variegation is somewhat irregular, frequently appearing in 

 large patches, while on other leaves it will be so mixed with 

 the green as to give a marbled effect. A. macrorhiza variegata 

 is one of the strongest growers in the family, and enjoys plenty 

 of heat and an occasional watering with liquid manure. It is 

 said to have originated under cultivation in the island of Cey- 

 lon, and may certainly be considered one of the many botani- 

 cal prizes received from that favored home of tropical 

 vegetation. 



Among the smaller growing sorts may be mentioned A. 

 Jenningsii, which has leaves about a foot in length, bright 

 green in color, with the spaces between the chief veins occu- 

 pied by large blotches of dark chocolate color, sometimes 

 almost blacks This species is of quick growth, and produces 

 a large number of offsets from its bulbs, which render it of 

 very easy propagation. Of similar character is A. Marshallii, 

 though possibly more ornamental, its foliage having in addi- 

 tion to the dark markings of A. Jenningsii a central band of 

 grayish white. These two species are natives of India, and 

 have been known in our gardens for more than twenty years. 



Another fine species, and one that is not very common in 

 American collections, is A. zebrina, which produces almost 

 erect, sagittate leaves of dark green, these being supported by 

 strong foot-stalks that are light green in color and banded 

 zebra fashion with a much darker shade. 



The later additions to the Alocasia family have also been 

 numerous and valuable, many of them being hybrids of great 

 beauty, while a number of remarkably fine species have also 

 been introduced. 



One of the newer sorts that should not be overlooked is A. 

 Sanderiana, a remarkably fine species with sagittate leaves, 

 the margins of which are deeply sinuated and marked with 

 white, as are also the ribs. 



Other fine species are A. Chantrieri, a hybrid from A. me- 

 tallica and A. Sanderiana ; A. Thibautiana, a species from 

 Borneo; A. Lticianii, the result of a cross between A. Thibau- 

 tiana and A. Putzeysi, and A. Lindeni. 



Holmesburg, Pa. W. H. Taplill. 



Hardy Annuals. 



A NY ONE who cultivates a collection of plants during a few 

 ^*- leisure hours, and has a fondness for experimental gar- 

 dening, is sure to find days when everything grows the wrong 

 way or not at all, and when failures seem to make up the entire 

 history of the garden. At such times one turns for comfort 

 to the sturdy old plants, perennial or annual, which are always 

 reliable, and require so little attention that, like healthy chil- 

 dren, they are apt to pursue their course with little notice. 

 There are numerous hardy annuals which are readily estab- 

 lished in the garden, where they will annually reproduce them- 

 selves from self-sown seed if the ground is not upset every 

 spring. One learns to expect the annual appearance of these 

 favorites and to welcome them as old friends. Seeds of these 

 plants should be sown from late summer to early winter, and 

 as a rule they should not be covered deeply. 



Among the plants which I annually expect are Argemone 

 grandijlora (the Prickly Poppy), a good old plant, with beauti- 

 ful thin white flowers, each holding a cluster of yellow anthers. 

 The foliage is smooth, glaucous and spin)'. The branches are 

 irregular and angular in their growth, giving the plant a most 

 distinct appearance. 



Chrysanthemum Myconis, which was had from B. K. Bliss 

 some years since, seems a variety of C. Segetum, but of better 

 habit and with similar flowers. It adds a gleam of color here 

 and there to the border. 



Gypsophila muralis, the dainty little Baby's Breath, is a free 

 seeder, and preserves its race on the edge of a border, but is 

 easily crowdedout. It is invaluable for mixing with cut flowers. 



Calliopsis tinctoria is one of the best known of annuals, but 

 it is not seen at its best except where full-grown plants have 

 had ample room, when they will cover a diameter of 

 three to four feet, and reach a height as great. Writers who 

 are continually advising us to "give every plant room to reach 

 its full development," do not seem fullv aware of the possibili- 

 ties of well-grown annuals. 



Poppies, of course, once grown in a garden may be found in 

 every corner, for their seed crop is enormous and very tena- 

 cious of vitality. But for persistent reproduction commend 

 me to the Morning Glory, which it seems almost impossible 

 to eradicate once it has well bloomed in the garden. The 

 seeds will apparently lie dormant for years, ready to germinate 

 quickly under proper conditions. Of course, with care, one 

 could weed out every plant, and at length exterminate it; but 

 one may pursue this course ever so diligently until some fatal 

 day when a plant which has been hiding in some out-of-the-way 



