258 



Garden and Forest. 



[May 29, 1889" 



Hower, by means of its Ions:, deep-green, flask-shaped, pseudo- 

 bulbs, from the apex of which are given off two shining, green, 

 strap-shaped leaves, gracefully recurved, and an erect peduncle, 

 bearing from fifteen to twenty large tiowers, the sepals and 

 ]ietals of which are pale yellowish-green, covered with large 

 blackish blotches, which give them a very bizarre appearance. 

 A striking contrast is presented to the sepals and petals by the 

 long, triangular lip, which is generally of a warm rose color. 

 There is great variation among the Howers of this species, 

 caused, no doubt, by different treatment and conditions. In 

 some tlie blotches are pale and the flowers few and small, while 

 in others the flowers are large and plentiful and richly colored. 

 They are produced during April and May and will last for several 

 weeks, so that the plant might be used with advantage as for 

 exhibition purposes. 



It should be potted firmly in peat and sphagnum moss, and 

 as it grows during the winter months — a fact worthy of notice 

 — water should be given freely according to circumstances, as 

 •well as frequent syringings, which keep pests away. The 

 plants, although at rest during the latter part of the summer 

 and autumn, must nevertheless receive enough water to keep 

 the pseudo-bulbs and leaves in a plump condition. A temper- 

 ature of about 6o°-7o° Fahr. suits it admirably. 



Maxillaria Sanderiana. — The genus Maxillaria, although a 

 tolerably extensive one — comprising upwards of 100 named 

 species — cannot be said to be much of a favorite with Orchid 

 growers. There are a few, however, which are always con- 

 sidered to be of sufficient value to find a place in every col- 

 lection, and among these it is universally acknowledged that 

 M. Sanderiatia is the finest representative of the genus yet 

 known. It was introduced to cultivation about four years ago 

 by Messrs. Sander & Co., St. Albans, England, whose collector 

 found it growing on the Cordilleras of Ecuador and Peru at an 

 elevation of about 4,000 feet. Unfortunately, most of the 

 plants sent home at that time had perished during the voyage, 

 notwithstanding the care taken of them, consequently, there 

 are as yet very few plants to be met with under culture. 



A good specimen is now in flower here. It has ovoid, com- 

 pressed pseudo-bulbs, and dark-green, elliptic-oblong leaves. 

 The flowers, which are as large as those of any ordmary Ly- 

 caste Skhmeri, are borne singly on the end of short scapes, 

 which spring from the base of the previous year's pseudo- 

 bulbs, and are covered with large, dull brown bracts. The 

 upper half of the large sepals is pure white, the lower half 

 being washed and blotched with very dark crimson. The petals 

 are similarly marked, but are much smaller in size. The side 

 lobes of the lip are erect, while the middle one is slightly re- 

 curved and crisped around the margin. The color is dull 

 buff-yellow on the inner surface, with a brighter yellow callus 

 on the disc, while the outer, or under, surface is blotched and 

 stained with blackish-crimson. The flowers of this species 

 present very little variation, although a faint, rosy tinge may 

 sometimes be observed at the tips of the sepals and petals. 



Taking into consideration the elevation at which this Maxil- 

 laria grows in its native country, it must not be regarded as a 

 hot-house Orchid ; and it will thrive in a house witli a tempera- 

 ture ranging from 6o°-65° F. When once established, this 

 species may be as easily grown as some of its better known 

 congeners. It is rather difficult, however, to gelt imported 

 plants to begin to grow, and, in order to bring this about, the 

 plants should be placed among broken crocks in a house with 

 a warm and moist atmosphere until they begin to make new 

 growths. They may then lie put into baskets, in a compost of 

 fibrous peat and sphagnum moss, and placed in such a posi- 

 tion as to obtain an abundance of light and air during the 

 summer months, which is the season when they make their 

 chief growths, and during which period they may receive 

 plenty of water. The plants require very little water in the 

 winter, which is the resting period, and hardly any water at all 

 is necessary during the flowering season, which is usually in 

 April and May. 



St. Albans. May, 1889. Johjt Weathers. 



The Irises. — The new Iris tenuis, figured in an early issue of 

 Garden and Forest, has proved hardy here during the past 

 winter. The plants received last spring were planted under Pine- 

 trees, the needles of which provided a good winter covering. 

 Plants that were left out are coming up strong, and others 

 lifted flowered nicely in pots. /. tenuis, as a decorative plant, 

 has no greater value than many of the older sorts. I. Douglasi- 

 ana, a pretty Californian species, is now in bloom, and is a 

 very showy plant. We have had no experience as to the hardi- 

 ness of this species, but it is well worthy of pot-room in win- 

 ter. Iris verna, another native species, is now at its best, the 

 perfume of its delicate blue flowers reminding one strongly of 



Violets. This Iris does well in all kinds of soils and makes a 

 good border-plant. /. tenax and /. Missouriensis, two species 

 somewhat alike, are also in bloom, to be followed later by /. 

 oxypetala, whicli is, perhaps, the best of all native Iris. /. 

 pumila and its many varieties are, and have been, making a 

 fine display. These were the first to bloom in the open 

 groimd, followed closely, however, by /. arenaria, a charming 

 European species, with narrow grass-like foliage, almost 

 hidden by the bright orange-yellow flowers, which are fra- 

 grant. This plant succeeds best in a sandy soil or when planted 

 in the rock-garden. /. Cengialti is another comparatively 

 new plant, and one which no lover of this beautiful family 

 should be without. In general appearance it resembles /. 

 Germanica, the flowers being fully as large, dark blue, with an 

 orange blotch on each petal. The plant, however, is quite dis- 

 tinct, floweringtwo weeks earlier, and being dwarf, not exceed- 

 ing one foot in height. /. Sibirica hceinatophylla is now at its 

 best. This plant has blood-red leaves, with blue flowers, and 

 has the special value of producing a second crop of flowers 

 later in the season. 



Aquilegia Canadensis aurea. — We do not know if yellow 

 forms of Aquilegia Canadensis are common, but we received, 

 some three or four years ago, one plant which has proved to 

 be sufficiently distinct and fixed to warrant the varietal name 

 aurea. The flowers are pure yellow without a trace of red. 

 We had thought it might probably be referred to one of the 

 yellow species, but find that of the seedlings raised from 

 isolated plants, about ten per cent, show a reversion to 

 A. Catiadensis. The plant under note does not exceed a foot 

 in height, and is completely covered with its pretty flowers, 

 resembling in color those of A. chrysantha. 



Camassia Cusickii.— This species, figured in Garden and 

 Forest, last year {\. 174, fig. 32), is again in flower, and gives 

 promise of becommg a valuable addition to our hardy flower- 

 garden. The whole plant is much stronger and larger than any 

 other species with which we are acquainted. The flowers 

 when first expanded are white, changing to pale blue after they 

 have been open a few days. All the Camassias are perfectly 

 hardy in the eastern States, but, like most bulbous plants, 

 thrive best when planted in a porous soil. E. O. Orpet. 



Passaic, N.J. 



Setting Plants and Trees is not necessarily a laborious oper- 

 ation. I am surprised how little one need use a spade in 

 the work. In fact I use the spade in garden work less and 

 less each year. For setting all bush-fruits we plow a furrow 

 with an ordinary winged potato-plow. Set the wings at their 

 widest ; they will then throw out a lot of loose earth which is 

 easily used by the hands. Then return in the same furrow 

 with the wings closed, plowing deep, so as to make mellow 

 ground for the roots of plants. In nice garden soil, not too 

 wet, we then discard tools and put in the plants with our hands. 

 If the soil is too heavy or wet for this, one man uses a shovel 

 while another places the plants. Yesterday we set a lot of 

 Service Berries in a clay soil in this manner, one man shovel- 

 ing in the furrow and another handling the plants, and did it 

 so rapidly that I had difficulty in clipping the single shoot of 

 the plants and dropping them as fast as they were wanted. 

 The plow can be used to good advantage in setting orchards. 



Digging big holes for trees should be unnecessary. Dr. 

 Warder said that the hole for a tree should be as large as the 

 orchard. This is the best of advice. It means that theground 

 should all be well prepared before a tree is put into it. Then 

 one needs to dig only far enough to allow the roots to fall in 

 easily. But the hole must be big enough for the roofs. Do 

 not twist or crowd them ; and here is where the ordinary 

 tree-planter will shirk. Before you know it he will stick in a 

 tree with the ends of the roots all but peeping through the 

 ground. " Don't be stingy with your holes," is advice which I 

 have to give almost every day in planting-time. Get the fine 

 earth firmly in and about the roots. This usually requires the 

 work of the fingers, but it can be done without fussing. 



Grafting. — All the kit of glue-pots and brushes and elaborate 

 mastics are a nuisance in the top-grafting of an orchard. The 

 only use I could ever find for hot wax was when grafting was 

 so abundant that some of it had to be done in March and early 

 April. Hard wax that will warm up in the hands and has grain 

 enough to stretch is much superior to any other. Of course 

 the hands must be greased, but the work is by no means dis- 

 agreeable. The wax one buys of dealers is nearly worthless, 

 so far as my experience has gone. It has not been worked by 

 hand, " pulled," and has no fibre. It breaks. 



Cornell University. -^- -"• Bailey. 



