480 



Garden and Forest. 



[October i, 1890. 



stem, after which the flower-spikes are produced in succession 

 downward nearly to the base of the trunk, until the vitality of 

 the plant is exhausted. The seeds are somewhat larger than a 

 Bush Bean, dark brown in color and quite hard, this descrip- 

 tion applying to the seed proper after the outer fleshy rind has 

 been removed. 



C. sobolifera is also a fine plant, and is more dwarf ingrowth 

 than the preceding. It also has bipinnate leaves, which are 

 bright green in color, and as it throws up suckers at the base 

 of the plant it naturally has a more bushy habit than C. urens. 

 Other good representatives of this genus are C. furfur acea and 

 C. Rtimphiana, both of which are good decorative Palms. 

 AccuitJiorrhiza stauracantha, sometimes known as Chamce- 

 rops stauracantha, is another fine Palm which will succeed in 

 a moderate temperature. It has palmate leaves, deeply di- 

 vided, and dark green above, while the under side is covered 

 with a silvery tomentum. A distinguishing feafure of this 

 plant is the mass of root-like spines which surround its base, 

 and from which its generic name is derived. It is a native of 

 Mexico, and though not yet very common, has been in cultiva- 

 tion for many years. 



A few Sabals prove very useful in a collection of plants, as 

 they will endure much hard usage with but little apparent in- 

 jury, their deeply divided, flabelliform leaves being of very 

 strong texture, so that they stand well when bedded out in the 

 summer. S. Adansonii, which is found in some of the south- 

 ern states, and 5*. Blackburniana, a native of the West Indies, 

 are among the best and most serviceable. 



Holmesburg, Pa. W. H. Taplill. 



The Water-Garden. 



"VTYMPHtEAS and other flowers are still blooming in the 

 ■^ tank, but cool nights are checking rampant growth, and 

 the frost will soon close an aquatic season which has been 

 full of interest. The plants under culture have usually grown 

 freely, though there are some failures which are rather puz- 

 zling. Sometimes, for instance, a Nymphasa, in apparent good 

 health and well planted, has remained stationary for weeks, and 

 then shot suddenly into vigor. Again, one would like to know 

 to what extent the coloring of the flowers is affected by the 

 manure used, as this would seem to be so affected in the case 

 of the pink Lilies. In my small tank it is necessary to restrain the 

 plants some what by con trading the root- room, the disadvantage 

 of which is that the gross feeders use up the nutriment very 

 effectually before the end of the season. Perhaps the addition 

 of bones in a rather coarse .shape or some other slowly de- 

 composing fertilizer would prove a useful addition to the barn- 

 yard manure usually recommended ? Of course, the plants 

 are generally inaccessible, so that necessary stimulants can- 

 not be applied at will. 



There is often a question as to whether a small tank does 

 not become stagnant, but with vigorous vegetation and a sup- 

 ply of fish there should be no trouble on this score, though a 

 water-garden is no more automatic than any other and requires 

 a certain amount of intelligent attention. Since the settlement 

 of the manure early in the season the water has remained 

 perfectly clear, and while, perhaps, not potable, it has been free 

 from low forms of vegetation and has bred no mosquitoes ; 

 though the fish, finding nice spawning grounds in the sand, 

 have multiplied exceedingly and added abounding life to the 

 water. Ordinary gold fish are hardy and attractive, but a few 

 Chinese Fantails must give a new interest to this department 

 another season. Of the white Nymphaeas, N. alba candidis- 

 sima has proved the sturdiest grower and most persistent 

 bloomer. The flower is larger than that of N. odorata, though 

 without its fragrance. A^. pygmcea alba, the little Chinese 

 hardy variety, is also still in bloom, with no sign of going to 

 rest. This Water Lily is rather inconspicuous in a pond, but 

 very pretty in a small tank, in-doors or out. 



Of the colored Nymphaeas, N. Devoniensis, with its noble 

 deep rose colored flowers and rich wine colored leaves, is 

 probably the most beautiful, and, though blooming at night, it 

 should be in every collection. Another tender kind and a 

 more free bloomer is N. Zanzibar ensis, which has bloomed 

 continuously since early summer. Its large purple flowers, 

 borne well above the water, are very attractive. The red va- 

 riety is plentiful, though some stir seems to have been made 

 over one of this color said to have been raised in Germany this 

 year. Seedlings of the Zanzibar Water Lily are rather inclined to 

 sport through shades of red and purple, though the dark purple 

 is a somewhat scarce plant. Cape Cod Lilies, in a rich com- 

 post, were very highly colored during an altogether too short 

 season. 



The French N. rosacea seems to be different from this 



only in having a much more delicate pink tint. N. chroma- 

 tella has shown numerous large flowers of a rich yel- 

 low tint, with deeper colored stamens. This bears the largest 

 flowers of any yellow variety, some blooms nearly approach- 

 ing those of N. candidissima in size. The leaves are very dis- 

 tinct, being blotched above and thickly spotted below with red. 

 A 7 , sulfurea, another of Marliac's hardy Lilies, was even 

 more brightly spotted, but has yet not flowered. N. Mexi- 

 cana, for which I am indebted to Mr. Horsford, also 

 refused to move for me, but, as shown by Mr. Wm. Tricker, is 

 a smaller flower than N. chromatella, though of a fine yellow. 

 As it has a slightly mottled leaf and the habit of N. flava — of 

 throwing out runners — it is probably near akin to that variety, 

 if not identical. It is to be hoped that collectors and fanciers 

 will search carefully for fine or distinct forms of our native 

 Nymphaeas, for no doubt, with care, such may be found. 



No collection of aquatics is complete without Nelumbium 

 speciosum, for the introduction of which we owe a great debt 

 to Mr. Sturtevant. Of this one does not know whether to ad- 

 mire most the noble flowers or the wonderful, beautiful leaves. 

 It is a plant of vigorous growth, and needs restraint, or its 

 runners will quickly fill a large space. It is still throwing up 

 its flower-buds. But for vigorous growing aquatics commend 

 me to Eichhornia (Pontederia) crassipes (South American 

 Pond-weed). The note in Garden and Forest as to this 

 growing in acre plots was no " traveler's tale," as it will 

 rapidly fill all available space. It will increase about 500 per 

 cent, under ordinary culture, and whether planted in the 

 ground or floating in water it is a vegetable wonder with 

 beautiful flowers. Limnocharis Humboldtii, with its fine yel- 

 low flowers, of course, is ever attractive. Two neat little 

 floaters are Azolla, with small oval leaves, and Salvinia natans, 

 a little Selaginella-like plant of rapid increase. 



Of the Sagittarias, 5. Japonica has the finest flowers, in 

 racemes of pure white, very double and Balsam-like. S. Mon- 

 tevidensis is the strongest grower of the race, with broad, deep 

 green, tall foliage, and large, white, single flowers, with a crim- 

 son spot at base of each petal. Not the least attractive and 

 satisfactory plant is Cyperus Antiquorum, always exciting atten- 

 tion by its distinctness, and of sturdy, vigorous habit. The 

 Swamp Plantain (Alzsma Plantago) is an attractive and showy 

 plant, with its large, loose raceme of small white flowers. It 

 seems to be beloved of aphides, which, however, soon dis- 

 appear if the plants are sprayed or syringed with pure water 

 forcibly enough to wash them off, when the fish quickly dis- 

 pose of them. 



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



Bulbs from the Pacific Coast. 



TVyT ANY of the species of Calochortus and Brodiaea from the 

 ■!■*■*■ Pacific Coast, especially those from California, are some- 

 what difficult to manage in our cold eastern climate. The 

 ocean currents of that coast have such an influence on the cli- 

 mate that even in the northern portions of Washington along 

 the coast the winters are quite mild as compared with the 

 same season farther east. Some of these bulbs when wintered 

 in an ordinary cellar begin to grow about the last of February, 

 and by the time the ground is ready for them in spring this 

 early growth has so exhausted them that they have little vigor 

 left. They are not hardy, and if planted in autumn without 

 protection will not survive our severe winters. Perhaps a 

 very cool cellar might prevent this winter growth, but I ques- 

 tion it. The only way I have been able to flower many of 

 them has been to plant early in autumn and protect with three 

 or four inches of leaves. If planted before the weather is too 

 cold they become well rooted before winter. I believe that 

 most of them will bear some freezing, and it seems to me that 

 it is the alternate thawing and freezing of plants that winter 

 kills so many. If they can be kept from thawing before 

 spring after they have once been frozen, the cold is not so 

 injurious. By covering them with three or four inches of 

 leaves, though not enough to keep out all frost, they will re- 

 main frozen and dormant until it is time to remove the cover- 

 ing in spring. 



Mexican bulbs are quite different in their manner of growth, 

 and may be wintered in a cellar with perfect success. They 

 will not usually start to grow before the last of May or first of 

 June, even if planted as early as the ground can be prepared 

 in spring. The Fritillaries from California and Oregon have 

 done much better planted in autumn and treated in this way; 

 and the Lilies, though much more hardy than the other bulbs, 

 seem to do better when covered. No doubt deep planting 

 may answer for some of them, but if the soil is of the right 

 kind I would prefer to plant five or six inches deep, with a 

 light covering, to eight or ten inches. 



