510 



Garden and Forest. 



[October 23, 1889. 



pea-shai')Cil llowcrs. A large bush of Grcvillea asplenifolia 

 (recently tig'ured in the Botanical Magazine) was here some 

 tifteen feet high, and bore the name of G. longifolia. Close to 

 this was a Inish of the Japanese Osinanthtis Aquifolitmi, which, 

 on enquiring" the reason for its cultivation under glass, we 

 learned, had repeatedly failed in the open at Turin, the winters 

 proving too much for it. 



Perhaps the prettiest of the squares is the Piazza dello 

 Statuto, with its huge allegorical monument, commemorating 

 the completion of the Mont Cenis tunnel. As the guide-books 

 say, " the genius of science is seen soaring above a chaotic 

 pile of granite rocks, on which lie the stupefied and conquered 

 giants of the mountain." The mass, at one end of a pretty 

 fenced-in garden, is surrounded by water, bordered with a 

 broad Ivy band, through which, here and there, emerge Yuc- 

 cas. At the back are Bamboos. There is an excellent piece 

 of turf, with groups of fine Lagerstroemias (in full flower at the 

 time of our visit), Hydrangea qiiercifolia, Judas Tree {Cercis 

 Siliquastruni), etc. A good bed of Colocasia and green and 

 red-leaved Cannas was pleasing, and did not look at all out of 

 place. 



The Plane, the same as that mentioned in my last paper, is 

 in Turin, undoubtedly, far and away the best street-tree. \x\ 

 some of the broadest streets the tnmks of the trees were pro- 

 tected by a fenced-in border, about four or five feet wide, and 

 a hedge of the Chinese Spiraa Cantonetisis occupied the dis- 

 tances between them. In other places Forsythias were grown 

 under similar conditions, and in others again. Noisette and 

 China Roses. The constant waterings these shrubs require 

 is, no doubt, of immense advantage to the Planes in that hot 

 and thirsty soil. Oak avenues obtained in some parts of the 

 city, and Elms elsewhere, but the oak-stems were riddled by 

 the larvae of the goat moth, or some equally objectionable 

 enemy to tre.es, and the Elms were badly attacked by various 

 fungi. The Plane, however, every^N'here seemed clear from 

 both fungoid and insect attacks. 



The fruits of the Azarole [CraicEgits Azarolus), about the size 

 of a small Medlar, were offered for sale in the markets. This 

 species is hardy enough with us, but it flowers sparingly and 

 rarely ripens its fruit in the comparatively sunless climate of 

 Britain. 



To the south of Turin is the village of Moncalieri, pict- 

 m-escjuely situated on a ridge of hills, the highest spot being 

 crowned by the royal chateau in which Victor Emmanuel 

 died in 1823. From this point the snowy summits of the Alps 

 are visible on the left, and a good view of the Turin hills is 

 obtained. Large Spruces, Junipers, Red Cedars, Weymouth 

 and other Pines adorn the grounds of the chateau. The wood 

 behind is simply Oak and other indigenous trees. A dazzling 

 mass of blue along the top of a wall in the Via Petrarca imme- 

 diately attracted our attention. It turned out to be Ceratostigina 

 plumbaginoides (better known under its old, but incorrect, 

 name of Plumbago Larpentce). This handsome Chinese per- 

 ennial evidently requires a sunny spot, a rather dry situation 

 and soil — perhaps rather poor than otherwise— for its beauties 

 to develop to their fullest extent. Along the road-sides we 

 noticed from the train which took us back to Turin fields 

 of Indian Corn, Millet {Panicum miliaceiini) and Erigeron Cana- 

 dense, a yard and a half and more in height, occurring as a 

 weed amongst the lower-growing crops. This New World 

 weed, now spread over the whole of Europe, was accidentally 

 introduced into Germany, about half a century ago, in a 

 stuffed bird. George Nicholson. 



Kevv. 



Cultural Department. 



Notes on Begonias. 



1P\URING the past summer, with its storms and excessive 

 -L-' rainfall, which ruined so many ordinary bedding plants 

 and shortened the bloom of all but the most sturdy flowers, 

 •one could not but admire the hybrid Tuberous Begonias, 

 which reveled in the abundant moisture and from early July 

 till now have ever shown fullness of bloom which rain-storms 

 seemed only to improve. A wet period which ruined Gera- 

 niums and other soft plants left the Begonias in renewed vigor 

 and full flower. The improved hybrids which we now have 

 are the product of many species and selections from various 

 crosses, so that it cannot be said that all seedlings and plants 

 are equally adapted to out-door culture ; but with some care 

 one can select such as will prove capital out-door plants, which, 

 planted in proper position, cannot fail to prove satisfactory, at 

 least in this latitude. The proper position seems to be one 

 which receives sunlight only a porfion, say an hour or two, 



of each day. The soil should be light, rich and perfectly drained. 

 The most satisfactory kinds for such a position are the single 

 ones, and care should be taken to select those of a sturdy 

 and erect habit. The double varieties are of a much more 

 slender habit, and, while not as showy in the borders, they 

 have a grace of their own and are well adapted to out-door 

 culture. Good drainage is of first importance, for stagnant 

 moisture will cause a wholesale rotting of corms and loss of 

 plants. Otherwise there seems no difficulty connected with 

 their culture, though an occasional stem will be attacked in 

 close weather by some parasite. 



Like all free flowering, fast growing plants, these, to be well 

 grown, require copious supplies of liquid manure. It is, per- 

 haps, needless to say that hybrid Tuberous Begonias range in 

 color from pure white, through most delicate pinks and sal- 

 mons, to the clearest scarlets and reds of innumerable shades, 

 and yellows from faintest primrose to clear gold, and are very 

 free from shades of magentas and " blue-reds." In form they 

 range from the single four-petaled flowers, which, in perfection, 

 should make an almost perfect circle, to the fullest double. 

 A stock is readily procured, as they grow rapidly and easily 

 from seed ; cuttings strike quickly and corms may be divided 

 to single eyes. It is well in forming a collection to secure at 

 least a few named kinds ; a postal note to one of the leading 

 French houses will bring a collection of good named ones 

 (though not the very latest productions) at the cost of ordinary 

 "rogues" or culls here. These superior kinds will furnish 

 abundant seed for future cultivation and better than can be 

 otherwise obtained ; for, after trying seed from the most 

 trustworthy dealers, one finds it difficult to believe that the 

 best is sent out.. 



The cultivation from seed is of the simplest. Scatter it as 

 thinly as possible over some light earth, not too moist, and 

 cover the pan or pot with a glass ; over the glass lay paper to 

 exclude light, and keep in a moderate temiperature. Do not 

 cover the seed with earth. The pan should not be allowed to 

 dry out, and, when necessary, it must be moistened by dipping 

 it in water, deferring this, if possible, to nearly the time of 

 germination, which will be in about a fortnight. Begonia seeds 

 are so extremely small that the point of a penknife will hold 

 several hundred. The seedlings are not atall " miffy," but are 

 rather tedious to handle, as it is usual to pick them out while so 

 small that they must be handled with a moistened camel's-hair 

 brush, and a smooth ivory point as a dibber. 



They bloom while small, and seed sown in January will 

 begin to come into bloom in June, and, perhaps, even earlier. 

 A collection of Tuberous Begonias is incomplete without some 

 of the species, among which there is a wide diversity, both in 

 foliage and flower. To mention only a few, B. Martiana, B. 

 racemifiora,B. grandiflora, and B. div er siflor a ,o\(S. introductions, 

 are very interesting and distinct, with lovely flowers (the last 

 named.being a rose color and the others an opaque pink), on 

 short axillary peduncles. JB. Natalensis is an interesting and 

 distinct species, with small pointed leaves of a light metallic 

 green, red stems, and profuse, small, four-petaled flowers, of a 

 peculiar burnt-orange shade. Tiie liabit of the plant is some- 

 what suggestive of B. Weltoniensis. B. geranioides, a new 

 species, also from Natal, is interesting from the resemblance 

 of foliage to the Geranium, but its culture has not been suc- 

 cessful with me. 



Of the later blooming Tuberous Begonias, B. octopetala is 

 well known as a sturdy late flowerer, and Lemoinehas crossed 

 this with some of the more showy species in the endeavor to 

 improve the flowers and furnish bloom after the ordinary 

 hybrids have passed out of bloom. The new cross has foliage 

 more pointed, but showing clearly the Octopetala parentage. 

 The variety Anemone is but just showing color with me, while 

 the others are but giving indications of flowering. I hope to 

 report later as to this interesting cross. 



B. Scharffiana, a new introduction from Brazil, is a fibrous 

 rooted kind, and in a young state seems very promising. The 

 leaves are thick, covered with hairs on both sides, deep green 

 above and red beneath. As the flowers, which are white, are 

 said to be of good size, it will no doubt be an addition to the 

 flowering varieties. Plant fanciers, who are fond of collecting, 

 will find in Begonias a vv'ide field, as there are said to be about 

 four hundred species, with innumerable hybrids, and from the 

 little B. Imperialis, with its leaves of embossed velvet, to the 

 giant Rubra, there is a wonderful diversity of size, form, foliage 

 and flower. 



Mr. Thorpe has lately, in Garden and Forest, given a list 

 of some good fibrous rooted kinds, while the raisers of Rex 

 varieties bring forward every season wonderful new varieties 

 to please those who fancy variegated foliage. J. N. Gerard. 



Elizabeth, N.J. 



