Sei'Tembkr i8, 1889.] 



Garden and Forest. 



451 



in H. Kalmianum. Boteinically the cliiet distinctions between 

 these two species are the five styles and Hve-celled capsules of 

 H. Kaliiiianuni, and the three styles and three-celled capsules 

 of ti. prolificiiiii, but, in culti\'ated seedlings, these divisions 

 appear to be by no means constant, and the capsules of speci- 

 mens grown as H. Kahniannm are sometimes three, four, 

 five, or six-celled on the same plant or branch. 



These two species and H. aiireiiin have been grown together 

 in the Arboretum, and the seedlings produced from them 

 have shown a tendencv to variation, which seems verv 



strongly to indicate hybridization. Tl 

 the work of bumble 

 bees, which, in col- 

 lecting the pollen, 

 fiy indiscriminately 

 from one species tci 

 another. These 

 plants do not seem 

 to be very long lived 

 and though they 

 may do well for 

 eight or ten years, 

 or more, renewals 

 should be made 

 every six or seven 

 years. Young plants 

 from seed may be- 

 gin to Hower the 

 second year if well 

 grown. With a little 

 trouble they may be 

 propagated by cut- 

 tings, and in this 

 way a particularly 

 fine form might be 

 best perpetuated. 



Hypericum deiisi- 

 flcriim is closelv re- 

 lated to H. prolifi- 

 cuin, of which it was 

 classed as a variety 

 in Gray's Manual. 

 It is said to grow 

 five or six feet high 

 and to have more 

 numerous, though 

 smaller flowers. H. 

 Buckleyi, a rarer 

 species, is found in 

 the mountains of 

 North Carolina and 

 Georgia, and is des- 

 cribed as a liranch- 

 ing shrLdj about a 

 foot in height with 

 flowers about an 

 inch across. These 

 two species have 

 not yet been grown 

 at the Arboretum. 

 They will probably 

 be quite hardy, but, 

 horticulturally, not 

 an improvement 

 upon, or more de- 

 sirable than the 

 species already cid- 

 tivated. H.fascicu- 

 lahim, a plant three 

 to six feet in height, 

 has extremely nar- 

 row leaves. It has 

 not yet been tested 

 thoroughly at the 

 Arboretimi. 



H. sphcerocarpoii 

 though dwarf, and 

 of rather small flowers tolloweil hy 

 cannot be called a verv ornamental 



lit result from 



-Fi'a.xiniib C' 



is hardv. 



* another southern species 

 not very shrubby. It has large cvmes 

 dark brown fruit. It 

 species, and is hardly 

 more interesting than the troublesome H. perforatum. 



The largest fruited American species is H. pyratiiidatum 

 which Prof. John M. Coulter, in his " Revision of North Ameri- 

 can Hypericacere" {Botanical Gazette, vol. xi, 1886, p. 83), refers 



*Since this was written. Prof. John M. Coulter, in Bstanical Gazette (p. 200), states 

 that//, sf>h/procar/>c>n, of Michau.'c, must nowbe called H. cistifolium, of Lamarclc. 



to Hypericum Ascyron as it is found to be identical with that 

 European and Asiatic species. It is herbaceous, and, though in- 

 teresting in a general collection, is hardly ornamental. In culti- 

 vation the stems grow five or six feet lugh, the Mowers are large 

 with pale thin [petals, and the large conical capsules are three- 

 fjuarters of an inch or more long, and half an inch in diameter. 



Arnold Arboretum. J ■ G. yac/c. 



Border Carnations. 



'"I^'HE specialists in Carnations and Picotees held their meet- 



^ ing and exhibition as usual tin's year in London, but the 



plain fact is that flo- 

 rists of the ancient 

 type — thos-e to 

 w h o m a faultless 

 circular outline to 

 a flower and a 

 smooth, flat petal 

 are matters of mo- 

 mentous interest — 

 are fast dying out, 

 and with them the 

 cunning art of 

 "dressing" and 

 "tweezering" flow- 

 ers so as to make 

 them artificially 

 conform with the 

 models of perfec- 

 tion they set up for 

 themselves. But 

 while we see the 

 g r a d u a 1 decay of 

 the old type, we are, 

 at the same time, 

 witnessing the 

 rapid and vigorous 

 growth of the mod- 

 ern florist and a 

 flower-loving com- 

 munity caring less 

 for highly bred var- 

 ieties, distinguished 

 by perfect "points," 

 than forsorts of vig- 

 orous habit, great 

 floriferousness, and 

 the rich and distinct 

 colors which char- 

 acterize the modern 

 race of border Car- 

 nations, which 

 every year become 

 more and more 

 popular, not onlj- 

 because they are so 

 beautiful, but be- 

 cause everyliody 

 can grow them 

 without' extra care 

 and coddling. Con- 

 sequently we see 

 little or no improve- 

 ment among the 

 Flaked and Bizarre 

 Carnations year aft- 

 er \'ear, while eeicli 

 exhibition brings tc> 

 the front numerous 

 beautiful border 

 \-arieties, rich and 

 varied in color and 

 with strong per- 

 fume. These self- 

 Sue |.age .;47. colorcd sorts are 

 infinitely more beautifid than the strijjed flowers, and at the 

 exhibitions the self and fancyCarnations and the Picotees seem 

 to win the most admirers, and at the last show this was particu- 

 larly noticeable. Since the border Carnation has become such 

 an important flower in the cut flower trade, it has been the 

 aim of every Carnation grower to raise the best wliite, the best 

 yellow, or the best scarlet, or raise some new and striking- 

 color tiiat will take in the market. We have many good 

 scarlets and not a few good whites, but there is still room for 

 yellows of various shades. Pride of Penshurst, Germania and 



