October i, 1890.] 



Garden and Forest. 



481 



Most early-flowering plants.if not all of them, should be planted 

 early the previous autumn. August, or July even, is not too 

 early for some of them. The Dog's-tooth Violets, Chiono- 

 doxas, Spring Beauties, Trilliums, etc., are never as strong the 

 first season when planted in spring or late autumn as when 

 set in August and September. They do not flower so early 

 nor last so long. 



The Lilies from the Pacific coast are most of them early 

 bloomers, and should be planted in early autumn. We have 

 seldom succeeded in flowering L. Washingtoniamim or L. 

 Humboldtii when planted in spring, and they seem to require 

 more time to become established than most plants. L. par- 

 dalinum has been the hardiest species. In a light loamy soil 

 L. parvwn and L. rubescens do finely, but in clay or clay loam 

 they refuse to thrive. L. Parryi is a more southern species, 

 yet it seems hardy with deep planting, and is not hard to grow. 

 Its beautiful canary-yellow flowers appear with those of the 

 earlier flowering sorts. It needs more moisture, however, 

 than the other species. 



Southwick, Mass. F. H. Horsford. 



The Celery Blight. 



'"PHIS season has been particularly favorable for the devel- 

 -■- opment of the leaf-blight of the Celery. In a recent ride 

 through portions of Mercer County, New Jersey, gardens were 

 found where the Celery crop was practically a failure — the 

 plants almost from the time they were set in the benches hav- 

 ing suffered from the blight. This unfortunate state of the 

 plants is due primarily to a parasitic Fungus called Cercospora 

 Apii, that infests the Celery and some allied plants, the 

 Carrot often suffering considerably from the same disease. 



The presence of the blight is evidenced by yellowish green 

 irregular patches upon the foliage. These spots shortly turn 

 to a brown color, and finally the entire leaf, in the worst cases, 

 droops, dries up and dies. If one of the diseased patches was 

 examined under the microscope it would be found that small 

 brown tufts of minute filaments protruded from nearly every 

 one of the thousands of breathing pores in each square inch 

 of the epidermis. Upon the tips of the threads constituting 

 the tuft are borne long, slender spores, which fall away when 

 ripe, and are carried about by the winds when dry and by the 

 rains during wet weather. As the feeding threads of the Fun- 

 gus are throughout the substance of the infested plant before 

 they come to the surface to bear their spores, it is useless to 

 try and effect a cure of foliage already badly infested. 



The most natural thing to do is to pick off the worse than 

 worthless leaves and burn them. This will do something to 

 hold the trouble in check. In the second place, some sub- 

 stance can be placed upon the diseased parts to kill the spores, 

 and at the same time upon the healthy plants or parts of plants 

 to prevent the germination of the spores that may lodge there. 

 From the nature of the trouble and a knowledge of what cer- 

 tain chemicals have done with other parasitic Fungi, it is reas- 

 onable to conclude that the compound of cupric carbonate in 

 ammonia would prove a great assistance in ridding truck- 

 farms of this serious pest. The formula for the Grape-rot 

 found most effective is, three ounces of the copper carbonate 

 in one quart of ammonia and diluted to twenty-two gallons 

 with water. 



It is a well known fact that some varieties of Celery are 

 less susceptible than others — the "White Plume" has an ex- 

 cellent record, as being comparatively free from the disease. 



The recent heavy rains that have fallen throughout the 

 country will prove a great blessing to the Celery crop. They 

 will infuse new vigor into the plants and at the same time 

 check the growth of the blight for awhile, for it seems to be 

 a lover of dry weather. Shading the young plants with lath or 

 boards high above the rows has sometimes saved the crop. 



Among allied plants the Carrot is the one most susceptible 

 to this blight. A variety of the same species is found upon the 

 Parsnip, and an abundance of wild Carrot and Parsnip in a 

 region may be propagating places for the Celery blight. 



Rutgers College. ByrOH D . Halsted. 



Planting Daffodils.— The time for this work is at hand, and 

 the question arises, Plow deep ought they to be planted ? 

 First-rate authorities on this subject advise shallower planting 

 than I have found desirable, recommending in general a 

 depth of four inches from the crown of the bulbs to the sur- 

 face of the soil, but, of course, allowing a difference for the 

 size and kind. It must be remembered, however, that this 

 refers to bulbs which are lifted and transplanted every year, 

 and this makes a great difference. Where bulbs are to be left 

 for several years without being moved, I am inclined to think 



that deeper planting is better— quite twice as deep as that above 

 mentioned. 



No one should venture to lay down an absolute rule on such 

 a subject, as soil makes a great difference, and experience is 

 the best guide in every garden. But I find that in this deep 

 and retentive soil, shallow planting produces a tendency to 

 multiply rapidly, to the deterioration of the size of the bulb 

 and the flower. I have certainly noticed, in beds of wild Daffo- 

 dils, that when I have selected an individual of extra large 

 flower and growth, the bulb is deeper than average, and larger 

 if reached. I have found the same rule hold in my garden. 

 Newly purchased bulbs, if fine and well ripened,' will the 

 first year produce equally good flowers, if planted in good soil, 

 whether planted deep or shallow. To judge of the respective 

 merits_ of deep and shallow planting, the second and third 

 flowering season must be waited for; and I should recom- 

 mend those who wish to decide between the merits of the dif- 

 ferent depths to divide a dozen similar bulbs, planting in the 

 same border and soil, half at a depth of nine inches and half 

 at a depth of four, and, having labeled them carefully, without 

 disturbing them in the interval, to let us know the result when 

 they are in flower in 1893.— C. Wolley Dod, in Gardeners' 

 Chronicle. 



Aster Novae Angliae.— This is one of the handsomest species 

 of the large genus the greater portion of which are natives of 

 North America. Novices are often puzzled to know which of 

 the many kinds catalogued are good and distinct varieties for 

 garden decoration. This is the less surprising since enter- 

 prising nurserymen advertise well known species undernames 

 which Professor Gray never heard of. The New England 

 Aster is by no means peculiar to the eastern states, for we 

 are told it is found from Canada and Saskatchewan to South 

 Carolina and Colorado ; it is one of our best tall-growing 

 plants and never fails to give an abundance of bloom in 

 the autumn months. In the back rows of large borders, 

 and when used in conjunction with other tall-growing plants, 

 such as Heliantlins orgyalis, it is very effective. The variety 

 Rosens has rays as large as the type, and of a deep shade of 

 rose that is very pretty in contrast with the blue of the species. 

 One thing more needs to be said of this class of hardy 

 plants that form great clumps in the border, which is : that 

 one should never hesitate to divide them when they have be- 

 come large. This should be done directly after the flowering- 

 season is past, or, better still, in spring, before growth com- 

 mences. The clumps may be carefully broken up and re- 

 planted in the same place, provided a liberal quantity of manure 

 is placed beneath them. This should not be allowed to come 

 in contact with the roots, but should be first covered with soil, 

 upon which the plants may be set. A healthy and deep root 

 action will thus be ensured, and any check to growth in a dry 

 season be prevented. 



South Lancaster, Mass. O. 



Inula grandiflora. — In reply to Mr. K. O. Orpet's queries, I be°' 

 to state that seeds of this plant were received from the Hima- 

 layas through the liberality of Dr. King, at Calcutta, under 

 the designation "Composite, species." I called it "grandiflora" 

 in accordance with a suggestion from Sir J. D. Hooker when 

 describing /. Hookeri. It may, however, turn out to be an 

 entirely new species. In any case it is a very showy and easilv 

 cultivated perennial. 



Delphinium Zalil is a native of Afghanistan and was sent to 

 Europe by Dr. Aitchison. It flowered here two years ago, and 

 is a showy annual or biennial, the average height here beino' 

 two feet. The flowers in its native haunts are used as a dye 

 for leather. The coriaceous, fleshy roots are often exhausted 

 the very first year by abundant flowering, and never keep 

 longer than two years. 



Ostrowskya magnifica, perhaps, may not be quite hardy in 

 the northern states of America. I lost several hundred last 

 winter, when the frost was not serious. It is a gorgeous plant 

 and well worth all the care it requires. The seed very soon 

 loses its power of germination, and should be sown a few 

 weeks after it ripens. 



Baden-Baden. Max Leich tlill . 



Japanese Anemones. — These plants have been so often com- 

 mended for autumn display that it almost seems superfluous 

 to refer to them again. They are especially welcome at this 

 season of the year, when few plants are in bloom in the bor- 

 ders, which unavoidably have now a ragged appearance. 

 They make excellent pot plants ; specimens with over a 

 hundred blooms open at once, in twelve-inch pots, are very 

 striking. The length of time they remain in bloom, four to six 

 weeks, still further recommends them. Their culture is very 



