July io, li 



Garden and Forest. 



329 



a sort called Princess Irene, which won an award of merit. 

 The centre is creamy-white, the guard petals pale pink, and the 

 fragrance that of a Tea Rose. Other sorts I picked out as good 

 were Princess Christian, pale pink ; Mrs. Chamberlain, soft 

 blush pink ; Prince George, deep crimson and Baroness 

 Schroeder, delicate pink. These comprised the cream of a 

 large number of new varieties, every one of which was a vast 

 improvement on old sorts. Tliere were a good many single- 

 flowered sorts shown, but these found no favor with the com- 

 mittee, in fact I don't think that single Paeonies will become 

 popular, for the aesthetic people who made the single Dahlias 

 ■popular do not seem to see beauty in a flimsy, single Pteony. 

 Tlie typical F. albiflora, however, with its cup-like flowers, 

 snow white, incurved petals with a golden centre-tuft of 

 stamens is very beautiful. 



Pyrethrums, like the double Paeonies, are quite modern 

 Howers, and both single and double sorts take the public 

 taste ; the double flowers because tliey last so long in perfec- 

 tion, the single ones because of their gracefulness. Kelway 

 had many new varieties but only a dark crimson Hower named 

 Pericles won an award ; not because the others possessed no 

 merit, but the committee did not recognize the novelties 

 as improvements on older sorts. There were some beau- 

 tiful white double sorts and glowing crimsons, and one was 

 almost a yellow, though we hardlv need yellows much in 

 Pyrethrun)s, seeing tiiat we have the best of golden-yellows 

 in annual Chrysanthemums which flower at the same time. 

 Everybody thouglit the Delphiniums, or perennial Larkspurs, 

 were wonderfully fine. Some of the spikes were two feet 

 high, and massive in proportion. Tlieir colors ranged from 

 pale blue to reddish-purple, and some had showy, white eyes, 

 which made the spikes very attractive. Four sorts were ^'Oted 

 awards of merit, their names being Faust, Orbit, Regalia and 

 Ardite. I will not attempt to describe their distinctive features, 

 as it cannot be done. These Larkspurs, well grown, reach 

 six to seven feet high, and a few masses of these appro- 

 priately placed create about the finest effect one can have in 

 a June garden. Moreover, if cut down immediately after 

 flowering, which is about the beginning of July, they will 

 throw up flower-spikes in autumn again if well treated with 

 water and manin-e. They are gross feeders, and will repay 

 occasionally dosing with liquid manure, not too strong, but 

 weak and frequent. The best soil for them is a sandy loam, 

 and in a sheltered situation. 



There were a few new Begonias sent by Messrs. Laing, the 

 Begonia-raisers, and one, because of its persistency of bloom, 

 as well as its large size of flower and delicate color, obtained 

 a meritorious award. It was called Mrs. Joseph Chamberlain. 

 Its flowers are single, five inches across one way, with white 

 petals broadly margined with pink. A first-rate new Fuchsia 

 also won the committee's approval. It was called Dorothy 

 Fry. It has large, single flowers, crimson sepals and a snow- 

 white corolla, very floriferous and of excellent habit. Among 

 other plants worthy of note was Verbasciim Olynipiciim, a large 

 hardy biennial Mullein with broad and long leaves of a gray- 

 ish-green arranged in a huge tuft from which arises the 

 much-branched flower stems about six feet high, covered 

 thickly with bright yellow flowers. It is a very showy Ijorder 

 plant, and one of the finest of the numerous group of large 

 Mulleins. It is quite hardy here, and would be, I think, in 

 America, if protected the first winter. It is a first-rate plant. 

 Rhododendron calopJiylliim, one of the Himalayan group with 

 large white flowers borne in clusters, was admired by many, 

 though unfortunately it is only in large conservatories that it 

 and its congeners can be grown successfully. 



In his paper on Orchid-culture Mr. Veitch reviewed the 

 history of the art from Philip Miller's fime, when the Vanilla M'as 

 the only exotic Orchid known in Europe, till the present day. 

 He contrasted the difficulties under which our forefathers 

 labored, owing to the want of knowledge as to the natural 

 conditions under which Orchids grew wild, with the present 

 system of culture when we have tolerably precise information 

 of the conditions we have to imitate. Notwithstanding the 

 marvelous results we obtain now, the essayist considers that 

 we have a great deal to learn, and that our knowledge and 

 practice will be progressive. Without entering upon the de- 

 tails of culture, Mr. Veitch asserted that successful Orchid- 

 culture must depend upon carrying out a few main principles, 

 the chief of which is abundance of light, ventilafion with the 

 minimum of artificial heat. The speakers in the discussion 

 which followed, including Sir Trevor Lawrence, Baron 

 Schroeder, Sir Charles Strickland, Dr. Masters, Mr. Dyer 

 and Mr. Morris, all corroborated the correctness of the 

 principles laid down by Mr. Veitch, and one related a fact in 

 regard to a certain fine specimen of Vanda ccerulea which for 



some years won for itself much glory at the London shows, 

 because it had received cool treatment from its cultivator, 

 but when it was sold and sent to America it died the year 

 after, presumably on account of being warmly treated. Some 

 discussion arose concerning the future means of naming 

 Orchids, smce Dr. Reichenbach is dead. The director of 

 Kew has mtimated that he is willing to put the establishment 

 of Kew at the service of orchidists in this respect, and, con- 

 sidering that the Kew Herbarium is rich in material and em- 

 bodies Lindley's full Orchid collection, it is hoped that not 

 much inconvenience will result from the action of the profes- 

 sor who, in his eccentric will, stipulates that his herbarium is 

 to be sealed up for twenty-five years. The chief regret is that 

 the Reichenbach collection contains so much material that 

 we cannot hope to be collected again, especially the fragments 

 that were contributed to it by travelers who sought Orchids 

 in untrodden regions, but could not gather living plants. 



London, June 12th. W. Goldrtng. 



Cultural Department. 



The Strawberry Season of iJ 



THIS spring Strawberry plants appeared to have wintered 

 well, and early indications seemed favorable for a fine 

 crop of fruit ; blossoms were abundant, the fruit apparentl}' 

 well set, and frequent rains seemed to furnish all requisite 

 moisture, but as they began to ripen the blight or brown rust 

 put in an appearance with more fatal effect than usual. Few 

 varieties escaped entirely, although some were less seriously 

 affected than others. I find that among amateurs as well as 

 among market growers there are many who do not know 

 what is meant by this term " blight," and when asked if they 

 are troubled with it, reply in the negative. It appears in brown 

 spots on the leaves, stems and fruit-stalks, destroying the cir- 

 culation ; the stems and calyx die, and the fruit ripens prema- 

 turely, with a poor, indifferent, and sometimes bitter, flavor. 

 The mildew that sometimes effects the foliage is an entirely 

 different thing. This rust, or, as generally called, blight, has 

 troubled me for years. Last year I planted my Strawberries 

 on entirely new ground, in the hope to escape this scourge, 

 but it was of no avail ; some varieties were so badly affected 

 that they were picked but once, and^ this season it was nearly 

 as bad. Some varieties are seemingly more susceptible to its 

 attacks than others, and I have thought that this might be due 

 to impaired vitality resulting from cultivating a variety a long 

 time, but I find new varieties, young and vigorous from the 

 hands of the originators, are somefimes as readily affected as 

 the older sorts^ I have some of the new varieties now on 

 trial that have been introduced during the past two years, with 

 the usual accompaniment of testimonials and praises in the 

 superlative degree, that are absolutely worthless here on this 

 account. One of these, in particular, sent to me for trial a few 

 years ago, gave much promise for productiveness, and last 

 year I gave it the best possible chance by planting it on the 

 ground where Strawberries had never been grown. But the 

 rust developed to a greater extent, if possible, than on any 

 others. It is an entire failure, and I infer that the liability to 

 attack is due to a constitutional weakness, rather than to the 

 age of the variety. 



My old favorite, the Downing, the best berry, taken all in all, 

 that I have ever grown, and the one I have grown longer than 

 any other, has become so seriously affected that it must go. I 

 gave all a spraving with sulphate of copper this season, but 

 the application did no good, possibly because made too late. 

 Last fall I happened on a bed of Downings on new ground 

 three miles from here. They were so vigorous and healthy I 

 hardly recognized them, and I felt hopeful that the owner 

 would be able this season to show the Downings as I used to 

 grow them. But I found later, to my disappointment, the 

 enem\' had found them also, and I have concluded to surren- 

 der my favorite and confine my planting to such as seem to 

 possess greater power of resisting the fungus. 



As soon as I discover a variet}' which seems to have any 

 special liability to this disease it is at once rooted out, lest it 

 become a breeding-place of the fungus. This scourge is an- 

 nually spreading, ^nd it is only by such caution that we can 

 hope'for any relief. The mycologists of the country are said 

 to be studying the disease, but as yet no satisfactory remedy 

 has been reported.. 



The first ripe berry I picked (May 30th) was from the Pearl, 

 and the following day the Jessie yielded its first specimen. Of 

 the former I formed a very favorable opinion last season, and 

 another year's experience confirms this view. The berry is 

 handsome, perfect in shape, conical, very uniform in appear- 

 ance and of good size ; the calyx is easily removed, and the 



