442 



Garden and Forest. 



[September io, 1890. 



and G. Gandavensis, which are apparently very similar to 

 those raised by Messrs. Hallock. The latter are, however, su- 

 perior so far as regards the size of the flowers and the robust- 

 ness of the plants, a difference which, however, may be due to 

 the unusual size and health of the bulbs as grown in America 

 by Messrs. Hallock. There can be no question of the beauty 

 and decorative value of these Saundersii hybrids. 



G. DECORATUS. — This is a new plant, and is one of the most 

 beautiful of the species of Gladiolus known in gardens. It is 

 now in flower for the first time at Kew, whither it was sent by 

 a missionary in 1 887 from the Usagara Mountains on the east side 

 of Africa, near Zanzibar. Although but recently brought into 

 cultivation, the species has been known since 1858, when Dr., 

 now Sir John, Kirk found it while in company with Dr. Living- 

 stone. The plant has bulbs scarcely an inch in diameter, 

 narrow, sword-shaped leaves two feet long, and a flower spike 

 three feet high, bearing ten flowers. These are three inches 

 long, two inches across the mouth, the lobes recurved at the 

 apex and the color a bright scarlet with an oblong conspicuous 

 blotch of bright yellow on each of the three lower segments. 

 These blotches are very ornamental. The plant appears to be 

 quite happy under ordinary cultivation and it promises to seed 

 freely. As a garden plant it should become a favorite on 

 account of the distinctness and beauty of its flowers. It may 

 also prove valuable in the hands of the hybridizer. 



G. primulinus. — This was obtained from the same source 

 as G. de cor a tus and flowered at Kew lately. It belongs to the 

 broad-leaved, robust growing section represented by G. draco- 

 cephalus. The flowers are as large and similar in form, but 

 they are of a uniform pale Primrose-yellow. The plant was 

 lately shown at a meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society. 

 It is ornamental and should become a favorite with bulb 

 fanciers. It may be well to mention here that to prevent 

 possible misunderstanding, the plants sent from Kew to meet- 

 ings of the Horticultural Society are not submitted to the Com- 

 mittee of Awards ; consequently no plant from Kew ever 

 obtains a certificate. 



Tritonias. — These and the Montbretias are first-rate sum- 

 mer bedding plants. At Kew they are massed in circular beds 

 eight feet across, and they make a great blaze of color from 

 the middle of August till the end of the summer. In open places 

 on the lawns, where they may be seen a long way off, they 

 are very effective. They are quite hardy, and they increase 

 so rapidly that a small clump, if well planted and let alone, 

 will in a year or so grow into a great mass. Or, they may be 

 lifted after flowering and dried in the same way as Gladioli. 

 T. aurea is a well known summer flowering bulb, but the 

 two varieties of it called Maculata and Imperialis are great 

 improvements on the type. 



Montbretia Pottsii is almost as good as the Tritonia, but 

 better than either is the hybrid raised from them by Monsieur 

 Lemoine and named T. crocosmi<zflora. In rich soil this is 

 almost a yard high, and the branched spikes are crowded with 

 large orange and bronzy crimson flowers. The size of the 

 flowers varies with the quality of the soil, but even in poor 

 soil the plant is a success. Then there are about a dozen 

 other named kinds from the same parents as T. crocosmiceftora, 

 but except in one or two there is not much difference between 

 them. Gerbe d'or is, however, a beautiful plant, quite as tall 

 and free-flowering as the best, the flowers being large and 

 bright yellow. I have seen M. Pottsii at the foot of an old wall 

 facing south, where it had become established, and formed a 

 broad fringe of bright green leaves, changing in autumn to a 

 cloud of orange-red flowers. Those here named would be 

 equally effective in similar positions. Certainly these plants 

 do not fill as large a place in gardens as they well might. 



London. W. WatSOtl. 



Cultural Department. 



The Propagation of Hardy Herbaceous Plants. 



HE time is now at hand when these plants may be propa- 

 gated from cuttings and seed with the best results. It is 

 far better to take cuttings before they have been subjected to 

 frost and their growth checked thereby— that is, if the con- 

 venience of a greenhouse is at disposal where a temperature 

 of fifty degrees can be maintained at night. Another advan- 

 tage is, that cuttings taken now, rooted and potted, may be 

 hardened off in a cold frame and safely wintered there with 

 very little trouble or expense. Such plants as Veronica sub- 

 sessilis, V. amethystina, A?ithemis tinctoria, choice double 

 Hollyhocks, Heuchera sangicinea, all the perennial Candy- 

 tufts, Amerias, Arabis, Alyssum saxatile. Genista tinctoria and 

 G. sagittalis, Pentstemons, Salvias, Sedums, Desmodium pendu- 



T 



liflorum, the perennial Peas, such as Lathyrus latifolius and 

 the beautiful white variety, may be easily rooted now; the 

 long shoots may be cut up in short pieces and they root 

 speedily. The tufted Phloxes may all be rooted'- now and will 

 make nice flowering plants next spring, as, indeed, will all of 

 the above. 



There is but one' way to propagate the double Lychnis Chal- 

 cedonica, as it does not seed. We cut off the flowering stems 

 as soon as they are past, when nice young shoots start from 

 the base at once, and these make excellent cuttings and root 

 readily. Of L. viscaria, L. vespertina and L. diurna, the 

 double varieties all root readily. We have never found fall 

 propagation of the tall-growing garden Phlox a success ; they 

 root fairly well, but winter badly, and any such plants should 

 be lifted in fall and the young growths taken off in spring, 

 when all will root and make strong flowering plants, and the 

 old plants, after furnishing the cuttings, may be transferred to 

 the border and will flower well also. The various Dianthuses, 

 such as D. plumariiis, may be carefully divided arid those por- 

 tions without roots used as cuttings. The choicer sorts of 

 Clove Pinks and Scotch Pinks are best layered nOw and potted 

 up later on, to be placed in the cold frame. This is necessary 

 even though it is not desired to increase the stock, for these 

 choice Pinks are apt to winter badly sometimes, and, more- 

 over, one cannot well have too many or be without them alto- 

 gether. With the double Pyrethrums our best success has 

 always been obtained by lifting the clumps in March or when 

 the young growth is just above ground and dividing them 

 carefully, leaving two shoots to each portion. The other 

 shoots may be taken off and placed in the cutting bench, 

 where they root readily, while the rooted pieces may be pot- 

 ted and placed in a cold frame, and afterward transferred to 

 the open ground in May, where all will flower, even the rooted 

 cuttings. These Pyrethrums are now in great demand, and 

 are annually imported by the thousand. Imported plants 

 always start into growth on the voyage, and need very careful 

 treatment on their arrival. We have found it best to pot them 

 always, and place in a cool shady place for a few days and 

 gradually harden them off to the sun and light, planting them 

 out with the other things in May. The same remarks apply 

 also to double Delphiniums, Potentillas and herbaceous 

 Phloxes. It has been aptly remarked that, with importations 

 of these plants, everything depends on the packing. Our own 

 experience has always gone to prove the excellent way in 

 which French goods are packed, and the many things there 

 are yet for the English firms to learn in this matter. The 

 freight charges on French goods are high, but the results 

 obtained and the few losses much more than compensate for 

 the same. 



Many people may think that their gardens are already full 

 and that there is no need of propagation; but how many are 

 the ills that affect plants and how they seem to multiply when 

 the specimen is an only one ! How pleasant it is to know 

 that in the reserve ground are others only waiting to take the 

 places of such as are joining the majority or are in need of 

 division which may check them considerably for a season, 

 to say nothing of being able to gratify the longing glances of 

 a friend who finds the tenth commandment very difficult to 



kee P ! 1? n n 



South Lancaster, Mass. ■£■■ t/. U. 



The Wild Garden. 



IT is the last of August and the wild garden is still brilliant 

 with flowers. Several Sunflowers are in bloom. One of 

 the prettiest comes from Texas — Helianthns cucumerifolius. 

 It is an annual from two to three feet in height, very branch- 

 ing, and with glossy, shining foliage and long, slender, spotted 

 stems, each terminated with a flower with a dark or nearly 

 black disk, surrounded with broad, thick-set rays. It is 

 charmingly graceful swaying in the breeze, and is beautiful 

 as a cut flower. It commences to bloom about the middle of 

 July and continues until frost. 



Another very pretty one is a variety of H. Icetiftorus. This 

 is a perennial and begins to blossom by the middle of June. 

 It is little more than two feet in height, much branched, and 

 with yellow florets, which, together with the numerous deep 

 yellow rays, make it very conspicuous. At this date it is one 

 mass of bloom. 



A third species in flower has thick rigid leaves and yellow 

 disk and broad rays nearly two inches in length. It is not so 

 branching as either of the above, consequently not so many 

 flowers on the plant, still it is quite showy and desirable. 

 Were it not an annual I should call it H. rigidus. 



H. angustifolius, our narrow-leaved New Jersey species, is 

 just beginning to blossom. The leaves are long and grass-like, 



