562 



Garden and Forest. 



[November 19, 1890. 



doing what it could to help by estahlishing horticultural experi- 

 ment stations, oiit of its own funds, at which investigations 

 are to be made to ascertain if there are feasible methods of 

 raising plants and vegetables in a shorter time or at a lower 

 price by the use of artificial manures. It is to be hoped that 

 the state will create a larger station with similar objects. A 

 greater disaster was last summer brought upon the nurseries in 

 Saxony by the flood of the River Elbe, which overwhelmed 

 many of them. All the plants in the greenhouses and hot- 

 houses, with the exception of Rhapis ftabelliformis, were lost. 

 The distress has been so great that collections are now taken 

 up throughout the whole empire for the sufferers. Money as 

 well as plants and seeds and cuttings are welcomed. If any 

 German nurseryman in America should read these lines he 

 might help his brethren in the old world by sending money or 

 cuttings to the Vorstand des Verbandes deutcher Handels 

 gartner at Leipzig. " Die noth ist furchtbar." 



It may be of interest to American women to know that more 

 than ayear ago a school of gardeningfor women was established 

 here. It has a three years' course, during which time the 

 general art of gardening is taught theoretically and practically. 

 Opportunity is also afforded for training in any special de- 

 partment of gardening, and a section devoted to landscape- 

 gardening has just been started. The classes have already 

 won some medals at different exhibitions. There is also a 

 ladies' society to encourage plant-growing at home. Its mem- 

 bers are wealthy, and they offer gold and silver medals for 

 pot-plants. 



Of the floral novelties grown this year the most important 

 is a Begonia which seems to be a cross between the variety 

 Diadema and some other form of B. Rex. 



Berlin. Udo Dammer. 



Cultural Department. 



Early Chrysanthemums. 



THERE seems to be an increasing interest in the effort 

 to secure early blooming large-flowered Chrysanthe- 

 mums. No doubt if our borders could be filled from late 

 August or early September till hard frosts with satisfactory 

 specimens of these free-blooming, showy plants it would be a 

 great gain. The prospect of success in that direction seems 

 to me slight; and judging from the progress made, and from 

 the nature of the species, it does not seem that good early 

 Chrysanthemums in the open air will ever be abundant in this 

 latitude. The Desgranges (Madame C. Desgranges, G. Wermig 

 and Mrs. Hawkins) are the best of the early large flowering 

 varieties. Madame Desgranges has been cultivated for some 

 years, is of undoubted merit and at present is the most favor- 

 able example which can be named of the race. This variety 

 with me is a fair grower, rather dwarf in habit and with a de- 

 cided tendency to rust. Of course, with care, it may be kept 

 in good condition as to foliage. It is a simple matter to bring 

 it into full bloom in late August or early September, and well 

 grown flowers are very satisfactory if protected. The diffi- 

 culty is just here — good, deep, full Chrysanthemum-flowers 

 are very quickly ruined by rains or excessive moisture, and 

 need overhead cover; any such cover will make them so deli- 

 cate that they will be quickly scorched by the torrid sun which 

 often prevails at that season, and usually an early frost will 

 sear plants before the flowers wane if unprotected. On a bor- 

 der under the south side of the house Chrysanthemums are at 

 this writing (November 15th) still in full bloom entirely un- 

 touched by frost — we have had five degrees once — and in such 

 a position it might seem that early kinds could be successfully 

 grown. Possibly the culture might be a success if such 

 weather could be depended on, but this is the first time in a 

 decade when such conditions have prevailed, and one chance 

 in ten is scarcely satisfactory. With us killing frosts may be 

 expected any time after September 20th, and after that date 

 protection may be required at any time, though usually plants 

 are safe till October 15th. Now, with the drawbacks as stated, 

 it does not seem worth while to grow a race of flowers which 

 at the best are of inferior merit to the later kinds at the neces- 

 sary expense of time and trouble, when the space can be used 

 for fine mid-season or late ones. 



In the early season, also, Asters are in season, and likely to 

 be more satisfactory. The early Chrysanthemum is not for me, 

 except for a trial of new varieties as a matter of interest, and I 

 am well content to wait till early October, when, with the 

 keen frosty air, one can enjoy the beautiful blooms of Madame 

 Lacroix, Lady Selborne, William Holmes, William Cobbett, M. 

 E. Nichols and others. The Chrysanthemum is surely a cold 

 weather flower, and naturally at its best at that time. To use 

 a homely analogy, it is somewhat like Celery. The early 



Chrysanthemum is no more like the later ones than the stringy, 

 rank celery of August is like the crisp, nutty celery of late fall. 

 This quality seems inherent in the nature of the plant, and 

 probably can be little changed by cultivation or selection. 



Where an effort is made to have successive displays of good 

 showy flowers it would seem that large breadths of Japanese 

 Anemones are more desirable and satisfactory flowers in the 

 same season for such a purpose than the early Chrysanthe- 

 mums. They are among the choicest and handsomest of 

 hardy plants and the very best of hard weather flowers, pre- 

 serving their purity and beauty through the severest storms 

 of wind and rain and not affected by an ordinary frost- 



Elizabeth, N.J. G. 



Notes from the Harvard Botanic Garden. 



Centaurea Americana.— This plant, and its variety, Hallii, 

 are both well worth trying in the garden. They are annuals, 

 natives of the southern states from Arkansas to the border of 

 Mexico. The typical form has a smooth, occasionally branch- 

 ing, stem, which averages about four feet in height under cul- 

 tivation here. In its natural state it is sometimes six feet high! 

 The alternate, sessile leaves are oblong-lanceolate, and gradu- 

 ally diminish in size until the smallest at the summit measure 

 about one and a half inches in length. The terminal flower- 

 heads measure four inches across when fully expanded, the 

 exterior florets being of a rich rose color, and those of the 

 centre somewhat paler. The flower is handsome, and remains 

 for a considerable time in perfection on the plant or in water. 

 The variety differs from the type in that its growth is slightly 

 more delicate, the leaves approaching ovate-lanceolate, and its 

 flowers are deep purple. Sow the seeds under cover early in 

 spring, in a temperature not lower than fifty degrees. Trans- 

 plant, when large enough, in a frame where growing heat can 

 be maintained for a time ; harden off the seedlings as the 

 weather grows warmer, and finally remove them to good soil 

 in a sunny part of the open garden in late spring. The flowers 

 will appear early in August, and continue to appear until the 

 plants are cut down by frost. 



Chrysanthemum uliginosum. — This plant, the Pyrethrum 

 idigiiiosum of Willdenow, affords a grateful mass of showy 

 flowers in September and October, and its habit of growth 

 makes it useful in the garden at a time of year when good flower- 

 ing plants are scarce. It is a native of Hungary and quite hardy 

 in Massachusetts. The stems are from four to five feet high, 

 thickly furnished with sessile, lanceolate, serrate leaves, and 

 branched at the top. A single stem produces from nine to a 

 dozen branches, which in their turn bear, according to strength, 

 from one to four Daisy-like flowers three inches across, and 

 pure white, with bright yellow disc. It is a most useful plant 

 for the back lines of an herbaceous border, and strong clumps 

 dotted about among dwarf shrubs have a telling effect. A soil 

 of medium quality and moderately heavy is the most suitable, 

 for, like most of its kindred, it is a voracious feeder. It is of 

 importance, more for the quantity and quality of the flowers 

 than for the appearance of the plants, that as many as possible 

 of the leaves be kept in healthy condition- until the flowers are 

 past their best. This is a task of some difficulty in very dry 

 seasons, because the lower leaves are much inclined to wither 

 and fall in time of drought. A light mulching and occasional 

 supplies of water will be beneficial in such extreme cases. 



Crocus speciosus. — The showy flowers -of this lovely 

 species have a strange look now as they peep above the earth 

 just as the fall frosts come, and very bravely do they withstand 

 the alternation of heat by day and cold by night up to about 

 the middle of October. They are almost three inches across 

 when open in the sun, and it is then that they are most charm- 

 ing. The soft lilac of the segments is profusely marked with 

 diverging and intersecting lines of deep purple, the colors 

 being most distinct and beautiful in the interior. The showy 

 yellow anthers and stigmas of a deeper shade afford a desirable 

 variety of color. The leaves, differing but little from those 

 of vernal Crocuses, appear only in spring. In its native state, 

 according to Baker, the plant is distributed from north Persia 

 and the Caucasus, through the Crimea, to Hungary and Tran- 

 sylvania. It is the most desirable and reliable autumn-flower- 

 ing species for this climate. Plant the corms in any good 

 garden soil and in a position where they will not be disturbed. 

 They do best and bloom most freely when left to themselves, 

 merely keeping their quarters clear of weeds and covering 

 with soil any corm that seeks the light. 



DlANTHUS plumarius semperflorens. — This plant is said 

 to be the result of crossing D. plumarius with a Carnation; 

 but whatever its origin, it is a most desirable one. It has 

 proved hardy here, having stood out all last winter with only 

 a slight covering of protecting material. The growth is dense, 



