5 86 



Garden and Forest. 



[December 3, 1890. 



gardens. The Himalayan plant finds little favor owing to the 

 srnallness of the flowers and their dull yellow color. 



Chinese Primulas were the subject of a lecture by Mr. 

 Arthur Sutton at a recent meeting of the Royal Horticultural 

 Societv. The well known firm of seed merchants, of which 

 Mr. A. Sutton is a member, has for many years possessed a 

 very superior "strain " of Primulas, obtained, I believe, mainly 

 by themselves through crossing and selection. P. Sinensis 

 was introduced into England from Chinese gardens about 

 seventy years ago. As then introduced it was much superior 

 to the wild type, having been improved by Chinese cultivators, 

 with whom it had long been a favorite garden plant. The 

 type we have been made acquainted with only recently through 

 the collectors, the Abbe Delavay and Dr. Henry, whose speci- 

 mens, collected in central and northern China, are now in the 

 Kew Herbarium. The difference between the type as repre- 

 sented by these specimens and the best of the "strain "in 

 cultivation in England is almost as great as the difference be- 

 tween the wild Chrysanthemum of China and its progeny as rep- 

 resented in gardens to-day. What is considered by Dr. Masters 

 to be a very near approach to the wild Chinese Primula is now 

 in cultivation in a garden in the Isle of Wight, where it was 

 raised from seeds collected in China. I saw these plants in 

 Mower a few weeks ago ; the flowers were small and pale lilac 

 in color. The leaves, however, were much more interesting 

 than the flowers, as when rubbed they emitted a strong agree- 

 able odor. Messrs. Sutton have secured plants of thisscented 

 leaved variety. We may, therefore, look forward to possess- 

 ing a strain of Chinese Primulas with fragrant leaves and large 

 flowers. 



Hitherto no one has succeeded in crossing P. Sinensis with 

 any other species, or, rather, to be accurate, no one has flow- 

 ered such a cross. I have seen seedlings which were un- 

 doubtedly hybrids between P. Sinensis and a Himalayan 

 species, and which go to prove that such a cross is possible. 

 Chinese plants are attracting more than ordinary attention in 

 England at the present time, the result of Dr. Henry's and 

 others' revelations of the floral riches of China which had not 

 hitherto been dreamt of. At Kew there are seedlings of some 

 of Dr. Henry's discoveries, and amongst them are plants of 

 considerable promise. 



Lilium Henryi. — I have only lately mentioned this new Lily 

 as having flowered at Kew, but I refer to it again for the pur- 

 pose of placing upon record a few facts recently communi- 

 cated to me by Dr. Henry. It grows, he says, at higher 

 elevations than L. longiflornin, and is therefore at least as 

 hardy as that species. In Mr. Baker's description of L. Henryi, 

 made from dried specimens, the umbel is said to contain 

 eight flowers. Dr. Henry, however, says that thirty or more 

 flowers are not uncommon on one stem. He also says that 

 the stem attains a height of six or seven feet and that the 

 bulbs are twice as large as a man's fist. From these particu- 

 lars it is evident that in L. Henryi we have a plant of more 

 than ordinary interest horticulturally. So far the bulbs at Kew 

 have grown satisfactorily in an open border. They were very 

 small and weak when received from China, so that the three- 

 flowered stems produced by several this year may be taken as 

 indicating a promising character for floriferousness. 



Kew. W. Watson. 



Cultural Department. 



Fern Notes. 



MANY very pretty and useful Ferns are found among the 

 -'■*-*■ Aspleniums or Spleenworts, and most of them being of 

 moderate growth are well adapted for small collections. This 

 is a very extensive genus, and seems to have representatives 

 in almost all parts of the globe. Of the exotic species, and 

 among the smaller growers, A. alatnm deserves prominence, 

 its pinnate fronds being about a foot in length and light green 

 in color, and as the plant gains strength the fronds are fre- 

 quently proliferous near the apex. When properly grown A. 

 alatnm is a very attractive Fern, but as slugs seem to have a 

 decided liking for the young fronds of this species, some 

 watchfulness must be exercised in order to secure perfect 

 foliage. 



A fit companion plant for this Spleenwort is A. cicntarium, 

 a charming species from tropical America, which produces 

 graceful, feathery-looking, light green fronds from a foot to 

 fifteen inches in length. The pinnae of this species are more 

 or less deflexed, which gives the fronds the appearance of be- 

 ing wrong side up. A. cicutarium grows best in a rather warm 

 house, and should at all times be well shaded. The soil best 

 adapted for both these varieties is a rough, open mixture of 



peat and sand, with some broken charcoal or sandstone 

 mixed through it. 



A.forinosum is also an interesting species, and does not 

 seem to be very common, though in cultivation for a number 

 of years. Its fronds are dark green in color, with shining 

 black stipes, and are pinnate, the pinnae being deeply cut 

 or serrated. The fronds of this species are said to attain a 

 length of eighteen inches at times, but are more often seen 

 from eight to twelve inches long. A. formosum should be 

 treated the same as the preceding in regard to soil, shading, 

 etc., and, being a rather delicate rooted species, should be 

 carefully watered. 



A. Belangerii is a robust growing species from Java, and 

 produces gracefully arched bipinnate fronds of deep green 

 color. The fronds of this species are also proliferous, and it 

 is easily propagated by this means, as well as by spores. A. 

 Belangerii is one of the best of the genus, and will stand much 

 hardship without great injury, small plants being very useful 

 for jardinieres or window ferneries. 



Another fine, strong-growing species is A. Fabianum, also 

 known as A. fainiculaceuni, the fronds of which are finely 

 divided and reach a length of two to three feet. The mature 

 fronds of this species are dark green in color, and are frequently 

 weighted down by the mass of young plants produced thereon. 

 This Fern will succeed under very ordinary treatment, the 

 chief conditions of which should be a light, well-drained soil 

 and an abundance of water. 



A useful member of this genus for rockery or basket work 

 is A. lotigissimnm, a species that grows somewhat like a 

 Nephrolepis, though with darker and coarser fronds. The 

 fronds are pinnate, from one to three feet long, and proliferous 

 at the apex. A. longissimum is a plant of strong constitution 

 and free growth, and the fronds will be found admirable for 

 many purposes when cut, for when mature they last a long 

 time in water. 



A. Serra is a somewhat uncommon sort introduced from 

 Brazil, and produces from a creeping rhizome its bold looking 

 dark green foliage, which attains from one to two feet in height, 

 and is pinnate in form, the pinnae being large and glossy. A. 

 Serra also prefers a warm house, and under favorable condi- 

 tions is a rapid grower, and makes an effective specimen for 

 exhibition purposes. 



Another good sort and of medium growth is A. viviparum, 

 which bears some resemblance to A. Belangerii, though 

 smaller. Its fronds are from six inches to a foot in length, 

 dark green, and usually nearly covered with young plants ; 

 this species being notably prolific in this way. A. viviparum 

 is easy to manage, and may be grown in a temperature of 

 fifty-five degrees in good condition. This species is also valu- 

 able for small ferneries for table decoration ; but it should 

 always be borne in mind that Ferns for the latter purpose 

 should be grown as cool as possible and with good ventilation, 

 so that the fronds may be hard enough to stand a dry atmo- 

 sphere. 



Holmesburg, Pa. W. H. Taplin. 



The Belladonna Lily. 



n^HIS is a bulbous plant and the sole remaining 

 *• species of the once extensive genus of Aviary l- 

 lidacecB, the botanists having placed the other mem- 

 bers under separate genera. The stout bulb supports numer- 

 ous strap-shaped leaves, which appear in spring and early 

 summer, and after completing their growth die down, to be 

 succeeded, during August, September and October, by the 

 flowers. These are of the spreading funnel-form characteris- 

 tic of the order, and borne in many-flowered umbels on scapes 

 from twelve to thirty inches high. There is considerable 

 variation in the color of the flowers, which ranges from almos't 

 pure white to deep rose. In most forms the flowers are 

 agreeably odorous, but there is a distinct variety, A. Belladonna 

 blanda, the light rose colored flowers of which lack fragrance. 

 The species was introduced from the Cape of Good Hope in 

 1712. There is some conflict of opinion, or perhaps mistake, 

 among the authorities regarding the natural abode of this 

 plant. Loudon and Nicholson place it in the West Indies, 

 Johnson and Moore name the Cape. The latter says of this 

 matter: " The A. Balladonna has been said to be employed 

 for poisoning in the West Indies, but this statement appears 

 to be a mistake, and probably refers to some other plant of the 

 same order, the Belladonna being a Cape plant." 



The Belladonna Lily is not difficult to manage, and may be 

 successfully cultivated in two ways. In one of these a cold 

 frame of southern aspect is chosen, with a soil deep, rich and 

 sandy. The bulbs are planted from six to nine inches deep, 



