432 



Garden and Forest. 



[September 3, 1890. 



not of such strong growth, and is better used as small plants, 

 kept in shape by trimming, which it stands well. The flowers 

 are a little larger and of a deeper yellow than those of C. Cana- 

 riensis. The plants grow freely from cuttings in a light soil 

 to which has been added some well rotted manure. Shifted 

 as they require they soon make salable plants if not overpot- 

 ted. They should not be planted in the open ground during 

 summer, as they lift badly, and often lose all their foliage. 

 The plants should be plunged and mulched out-of-doors in 

 summer, and not allowed to get dry. They can be housed 

 the latter part of October, and will require little forcing for 

 Master. Forty to forty-five degrees at night with plenty of air 

 during the day until the first of February, then fifty degrees at 

 night with less air during the day, is the proper treatment. 

 From the first of February they will need plenty of water, and 

 one or two waterings with weak manure water will be of 

 benefit, especially if the plants are in small pots. 



There are other plants besides these four also largely grown, 

 such as Spiraeas, Deut/.ias, Callas, Roses, Rhododendrons 

 and Geraniums; but their cultivation is well understood even 

 by novices. Bulbs, too, are largely grown for Easter. No cul- 

 tural directions are required here, although a word may be 

 given as to the cultivation of theLily-of-the-Valley in pots. Place 

 fifteen pips in a five-inch pot twenty-one days before Easter 

 and set them in the dark under the bench in a warm green- 

 house for two weeks. At the end of that time they can be 

 placed on a bench with light and air, to give the foliage its 

 natural color and harden its flowers. Such plants make beau- 

 tiful and appropriate gifts for Easter, and are in great demand. 



Ferns of Singular Form. 



AMONG the multitude of Ferns there are many of 

 unique form, and having so striking an appearance as 

 to attract the attention even of the casual observer at once. 

 In this list may be mentioned the Stag's Horn Ferns (Platy- 

 cerium) as among the handsomest and most noteworthy of 

 the many good plants introduced from the South Sea Islands 

 and Australia, and including a number of varieties, most of 

 which are very distinct in character, while all are deserving of 

 cultivation. The most impressive of the Platyceriums in 

 general appearance is undoubtedly P. grande, a noble plant 

 when well grown, and producing, in common with the other 

 members of the genus, two distinct types of foliage, the one 

 being barren and the other fertile and of very different form. 

 The barren fronds are upright and sheath the base of the plant 

 as with a shield, the upper edges of the frond being divided into 

 numerous forks or lobes, and growing to a height of two to 

 three feet, while the fertile fronds are thrown out at a right 

 angle to the others, and are also divided into forked segments, 

 so that altogether the fronds bear a striking resemblance to 

 the antlers of certain deer. As though in keeping with the odd 

 form of the entire plant, the seed-cases or sori are grouped 

 together in a compact mass near the central part of the fertile 

 frond, the seed-bearing portion sometimes being several inches 

 in diameter and bearing some resemblance to a patch of 

 brown Fungus. 



Another fine species of more recent introduction than the 

 above is P. Willinckii, a native of Java. It is of free growth 

 even in a moderately cool fernery. This plant is not so large 

 as P. grande, though the fertilefronds attain threefeet in length 

 at times, and are so covered with whitish scales as to present 

 a frosted appearance. The barren fronds of P. Willinckii sxe 

 somewhat similar in shape to those of P. grande, but not 

 nearly so large, and seem soon to have accomplished their 

 mission, as they begin to decay soon after their growth is com- 

 pleted. 



P. alcicome major is a great improvement on the type, 

 producing much larger and finer fronds, and is an excellent 

 Fern for exhibition purposes, the fronds being deep green in 

 color and presenting a bold and massive appearance. P. alci- 

 come still remains, however, a first-rate Fern for baskets, or 

 for rockeries, and it is doubtless the most hardy of all the Platy- 

 ceriums. 



P. Stemmaria, P. Hillii and P. biforme are other representa- 

 tives of this genus, all of which grow best when suspended on 

 a block of wood or portion of a Tree-Fern stump, the only soil 

 necessary being some rough peat. When grown on this 

 system frequent watering or dipping will be needed, as they 

 dry out quickly in bright weather. 



Another family of strange growth is that of the " Bird's Nest 

 Ferns" (Thamnopteris), a genus having ample, entire leaves, 

 which reach a length of from three to four feet and are about 

 six inches in width. The leaves are glossy, a bright light 



green in color and of strong texture. They are produced 

 in a kind of whorl around the stem, thus leaving the centre of 

 the plant open, and the crown, being more or less covered 

 with brown chaffy scales, gives it somewhat the appearance 

 of a bird's nest without the eggs. The best species of this 

 genus is Thamnopteris Australasica, which is the easiest to 

 manage, and, as a. native of a temperate climate, it may be 

 grown in a cool house, or even out-doors in summer if it is 

 only placed in a shady location. 



The Menisciums also may be classed among singular Ferns, 

 especially M. simplex and M. giganteum, both of these having 

 the barren fronds, simple in form and also much more orna- 

 mental than the fertile fronds, the latter being more contracted 

 and not so enduring in quality. M. simplex is the smallest of 

 the genus, so far as I am aware, the fronds being simple and 

 the barren ones auricled or eared at the base, and about six 

 inches in length, while the fertile fronds are entire and much 

 smaller, the under surface being almost covered with the 

 fruit-dots or sori. M. giganteum is much larger in all its parts 

 than the one just described, though of somewhat similar char- 

 acter, and it will flourish with rather more heat thanJ^. simplex 

 can endure. An ordinary compost, such as is generally used 

 for Ferns, will suit this genus, and they require an abundance 

 of water. 



Drynaria musccfolia is another of the simple-leaved forms 

 that generally attracts attention. It bears fronds somewhat 

 like those of the Thamnopteris referred to above, but having 

 the veins more sharply defined and being of a rather peculiar 

 shade of light green. It is an evergreen plant, and was intro- 

 duced from the Malayan Islands many years ago. 



At least one of the so-called Filmy Ferns may be included in 

 our short list of singular forms — namely, Trichomanes reni- 

 forme, which might be called the Kidney Fern, a very pretty 

 little plant from New Zealand. It has bright green leaves, 

 which are thrown up from a creeping rhizome, and attain a 

 height of three or four inches. 



This is not a rapid-growing plant, and requires a very open 

 soil, such as rough peat and sand, with some broken sand- 

 stone and charcoal mixed through it. 



Ou r nati ve "Walking Leaf "{Camp to soru s r/iizop/iy Hies) .which 

 is found iti many localities in the northern states, though not 

 in large quantities, is worth noting. It is also evergreen, and 

 may well find a place in the cold fernery, where its long, nar- 

 row leaves and curious habit of reproduction from the apex 

 of the fronds always excite interest. 



Holmesbmx. Pa. W. H. Tapllll. 



Notes on Shrubs. 



Buddleia Japonica is an east Asian plant which has been 

 grown and disseminated under the names of B. curviflora 

 and B. Lindleyana. These names, however, belong to 

 other different species which would probably not be hardy in 

 this latitude. Although B. Japonica is interesting in itself, it 

 is not a shrub to be recommended for small gardens, where 

 conspicuous and attractive blossoming is wanted, because the 

 space can be better filled with plants of a more pleasing and 

 ornate character. The ends of the stems of B. Japonica are 

 usually more or less killed by the winters here ; but this does 

 not affect the blooming of the plant, and at the end of each 

 new shoot a long, close raceme (sometimes nearly a foot in 

 length) of small, tubular, light purple or lilac flowers is thrown 

 out in July and August. The first flowers open at the base of 

 the raceme, and, as but very few open at any one time, they 

 never appear very showy or ornamental. By the time the ter- 

 minal blossoms expand the seed-pods at the base of the raceme 

 have become large and well developed. The stems of this 

 plant attain a height of from four to six feet, and, when young, 

 are sharply four-angled or winged, and the roughish looking 

 leaves are from four to six inches long and gradually taper to 

 a point. As the heavy racemes of fruit and flowers at the ends 

 of the shoots give the plants a more or less drooping or pen- 

 dulous appearance, they lend an added interest and variety to 

 the shrubbery of parks or large plantations. The foliage is 

 dense enough to completely cover the stems, and it seems 

 very free from injuries by insects. Seed is freely and abun- 

 dantly produced and is easily carried some distance by winds, 

 and, under some favorable conditions, it germinates and 

 grows spontaneously. 



Incarvillea Olgce is a half shrubby or almost herbaceous 

 plant belonging to the Bignonia family. Originally introduced 

 from high elevations in Turkestan, it has, without any protec- 

 tion, withstood the climate and winters of Boston and shown 

 no injury. I. Olgce annually produces new shoots from the 

 ground, which become two or three feet in height. These 

 stems are smooth, more or less branched and well covered 



