440 



Garden and Forest. 



[Sevtemker II, 1889. 



This is, no doubt, due to the fact that the Russian orchard re- 

 gion Hes about 600 miles north of our northernmost settle- 

 ment. There the growing season is proportionally short, and 

 a sliort autumn is quickly followed by steady cold weather. 

 But from tliese Russian fruits it is highly probable that Amer- 

 ican seedlings will appear which will supply this single lack. 



It is conceded that in climate the eastern coasts of Asia and 

 America are much alike, and many fine species and va- 

 rieties of trees and plants from northern China and Manchu- 

 ria already flourish among us. I am inclined to believe that 

 we shall yet find something of value to us among the 

 fruit trees of the same region. At any rate, we may hope that 

 it will yield " iron-clad " species and varieties which will prove 

 useful in modifying and improving our native species, and the 

 species of northern Europe. What a magnificent field for 

 work is here opened for the young and ambitious staff of our 

 experiment station ! They should not hesitate a moment 

 in entering upon it with energy and persistence. 

 Newport, vt. T. H. Hoskins. 



Seasonable Hints about Foliage Plants. 



AS the cooler nights and heavy dews of Autumn are at hand 

 some changes in treatment will be found beneficial to this 

 class of plants, particularly as regards watering and syringing, 

 for some of them will suffer more from carelessness in these 

 operations at this season than they do in the winter, when the 

 stronger fire-heat removes the moisture more rapidly. The 

 lietter plan is to give water in the morning, and on most days 

 to syringe at the same time, simply dampening tiie walks 

 and benches in the afternoon, if the air seems too dry, so as 

 to avoid the excessive condensation of moisture on the foliage 

 during the night. Such condensation is decidedly injurious to 

 many of the more delicate Palms, and causes the tips of the 

 leaves to decay, and Pandanus suffers in the same way. Pan- 

 daniis utilis and P. hctcrocarptis (otherwise known as Pan- 

 danus ornatiis) will be found particularly susceptible to injury 

 from over-watering, and, consequently, water should be given 

 sparingly, both at the root and overhead during the short 

 days of the year. 



On the other hand, Caladiums will still be in full growth, and 

 when in this condition should receive a copious supply of 

 water at the root, with an occasional application of liquid 

 manure to increase the size and heighten the coloring of the 

 leaves. If intended for exhibition they should be given plenty 

 of air, so that they may be able to stand changes of atmos- 

 phere without the necessity of staking each leaf to prevent its 

 falling down on the pot, as the careful arrangement of a small 

 forest of stakes in a specimen of this class (or any other) will 

 not prove a point in its favor Avhen examined by competent 

 judges. 



Most of the Marantas will yet be in active growth, and will 

 take a liberal supply of water, but as the growth becomes 

 slower, the allowance should be slightly diminished. They 

 should not be allowed to get very dry, however, or a loss of 

 foliage will surely result, and it should be remembered that a 

 moist atmosphere and a shaded house are among the requi- 

 sites for the successful cultivation of most of them, with 

 the possible exception of a few of the stronger constitu- 

 tioned sorts like M. zebrina, which grows very well out-doors 

 in the summer as a vase plant, if placed in a somewhat shel- 

 tered position. With all of the above-mentioned, and, in fact, 

 with stove plants in general, a reasonable amount of ventila- 

 tion at night will be found advantageous, if care is taken to 

 prevent draughts, and if the night be very cool, a little stronger 

 fire-heat may be given to correct any deficiency in tempera- 

 ture. 



If any of the Palms are pot-bound they should be given a 

 shift at once, so that they may ijecome well-established before 

 winter, for though these plants do not come to a full stop in 

 growth during the winter, yet their root-action is so much 

 slower then, that there is greater risk of over-watering if they 

 have been potted very late in the season. Of course, when it 

 is desired to grow young Palms very rapidly, they may be 

 potted whenever it is found necessary, without much attention 

 being paid to the season of the' year, because, when given 

 extra heat and attention, they may be kept growing during the 

 whole year, and this practice is common among trade grow- 

 ers, who often find it needful to grow their plants under high 

 pressure in these days of sharp compefition. 



Cyanophylluin ma^nificum and Sphcerogyne latifolia, two of 

 the handsomest stove-foliage plants in cultivation, should be 

 found in every collection where there are facilities for growing 

 them. But to keep these two species in good condition, lib- 

 eral treatment is required, both as to pot-room and moist- 

 ure, for, if neglected in either of these essential points, the 



foliage soon becomes stunted and disfigured. If they are be- 

 coming pot-bound, an occasional watering with liquid manure 

 will be a help, pure guano being probably the most effective 

 fertilizer for this purpose. This should be used with cau- 

 tion, however, a two-inch potfull to an ordinary can of water 

 being sutficient, if the guano is pure. The Cyanophyllums 

 and Sph;erogynes both being shade-loving plants, and also 

 nativesof the tropics, they should be furnished with somewhat 

 similar conditions when under cultivation, but while giving- 

 them plenty of shade it will be found best to keep the plants 

 within a short distance from the glass, so that the growtli will 

 be short-jointed, thus making the plants appear better fur- 

 nished. These two plants are readily propagated by means 

 of single-eye cuttings placed in fjottom-heat and kept rather 

 close until rooted, which is usually in from three to four 

 weeks' time, after which they should be potted off into mod- 

 erately light soil, and repotted as often as they become well- 

 rooted, so that the growth does not at any time suffer a check, 

 else the symmetry of the plant may be injured. 



Holmesburg, Pa. ^V- ^- TapHn. 



Crooked Norway Maples. — It is the general experience of 

 nurserymen that the Norway Maple does not grow as straight,, 

 when young, as the Sugar Maple. In the majority of cases there 

 is a bend at the beginning of each year's growth, which shows 

 in the trunk until the tree attains a considerable size. What 

 is the cause of this crookedness ? The young shoots of the 

 Norway Maple are as straight as those of the Sugar Maple. 

 The normal habit of growth is a true perpendicular, but next 

 spring a side-shoot takes the lead with a curve. It is evident, 

 then, that the central terminal bud of the Norway Maple has 

 suffered injury in some way. This has not been caused by 

 the cold of winter, for it is the most hardy of the maples. 

 Every nurseryman has observed that the growth of young 

 trees of this species stops in the latter part of July, the shoots 

 becoming very short-jointed, and the leaves showing injury 

 with tips crisp, as if scorched by the sun. In previous seasons 

 I have been imcertain of the cause of this stoppage. I have 

 occasionally found flying thrips, much resembling, and per- 

 haps identical with, the vine fretter, but these were so few in 

 number that I had supposed them inadequate for such a 

 sweeping result. 



Early in July of this season I found occasional thrips on 

 the tender terminal shoots of the Norway Maple, which flew 

 immediately upon my touching the leaf. I at once had all the 

 leading shoots of this variety dipped in a weak solution of the 

 kerosene emulsion. This process has been repeated three or 

 four times in as many weeks, and the result is that the shoots 

 have continued to make a healthy growth. I have no doubt 

 that the terminal bud will start next spring, as straight as an 

 arrow ; and I have no longer a doubt that the thrips has been 

 the sole cause of the stunted growth of previous years. The 

 Sugar Maple does not seem to be affected by this pest. Nei- 

 ther have I found the Schwedler and the Reitenbach maples 

 troubled by it, although they are varieties of the Norway. The 

 Sycamore Maple does suffer to a considerable degree. But 

 the remedy is easily applied on small trees, and on large trees 

 it is unnecessary. W. C. Sirojig. 



Newton Highlands, Mass. 



Rhododendron odoratum, which is said to be a hybrid be- 

 tween Rhododendron Ponticuin and one of the deciduous hardy 

 Azaleas, was one of the chief attractions in the open-air gar- 

 den at Kew for late July, when there were large masses of it 

 flowering in great profusion. In growth it resembles the de- 

 ciduous Azaleas or Swamp Honeysuckles of North America, 

 though its foliage is somewhat difierent, being larger, of thicker 

 texture and a deeper green. The flowers are Azalea-like in size 

 and form, and are gathered into moderate-sized clusters. They 

 are of a delicate mauve-lilac tint in the main mass of plants^ 

 but a few have as deep tinted flowers as R. ponticuin itself. 

 They are deliciously fragrant, and this heightens the value of 

 the plant for the garden. Another point of value is, that 

 it flowers at a time when the majority of the other Azaleas are 

 on the wane, and it lasts three or four weeks in bloom. It 

 grows well in any ordinary peaty soil, kept tolerably moist. 

 Loudon enumerates it in liis arboretum under the name of R. 

 azaleoides, and he says it is the variety subdeciduum of An- 

 drews' Botanical Repository. It is also known as A.fragrans. 

 Though an old and well-known shrub at Kew, it is rarely seen 

 in even the large tree nurseries, but now that its character is so 

 well displayed at Kew attention may be directed to it. 



Kew. W. G. 



Pyrethrum uliginosum is now at its best and is without doubt 

 one of the very best plants we have for cut flowers, and for 

 garden decoration in autumn. We find that plants in moist 



