March 6, 1895. 



Garden and Forest. 



97 



sion of the fruit to the stem. After such successes I am be- 

 ginning to think that even in the cold north we may be able to 

 make commercial grape-growing at least moderately success- 

 ful. It is most gratifying, after so much failure, and with so 

 little expectation or reason for hope, that such a measure of 

 success has been reached. And we may do better yet, for the 

 Wild Grape is native here, draping the trees by the river banks. 

 The name first of all given to New England points to a future 

 when it will be truly a land of Vines. 

 Newport, vt. T. H. Hoskuis. 



Cinerarias. 



T IKE many otlier old-time favorites, these flowers have 

 -L- ' been left somewhat in the background, although few, if 

 any, greenhouse plants supply us with such a variety and 

 brilliancy of color. In England they are more largely grown, 

 and every year witnesses some improvement in Cinerarias, 

 either in habit of growth, form of flower, or variety of color. 

 The cooler Englisli climate during the growing season is more 

 suitable to the growth of these plants than ours, and this may 

 partially account for their greater popularity across the sea. 

 They can sow seed much earlier, and this allows a longer 

 season of growth, with firmer, more mature and more stocky 

 plants. Still, we have the advantage of brighter weather and 

 a drier atmosphere during the winter months, and with a little 

 study of the required temperature there is no reason why we 

 should not grow them equally as well. The first of August is 

 early enough to sow the seeds ; they germinate readily with 

 ordmary care and should be pricked out into boxes as soon as 

 they are fit to handle. A cold frame facing north, with slight 

 shade from strong sunlight, will be found most suitable for 

 them at this stage, and they should be potted on as they attain 

 size, first into three-inch pots, and finally into eight-inch pots, 

 a light but moderately rich soil being used all along. A plen- 

 tiful supply of water, but no stagnation, is essential. The 

 most troublesome insect enemy is green fly, which can be 

 destroyed either by smoking, dusting with tobacco powder, or 

 dipping in a weak solution ot any ordinary insecticide. For 

 winter quarters a house where they can be kept well up to the 

 glass, and where a temperature of sixty degrees by day and 

 lorly degrees by night can be maintained, will suit them well. 

 All flower-buds should be pinched off as they appear until 

 about the first of January, after which time pinching should be 

 discontinued, and this will bring them in good time for Easter. 

 When the pots are well-filled with roots they will be greatly 

 benefited by occasional applications of liquid-manure. Notli- 

 ing is more suitable for this purpose than water from the cow- 

 sheds, which, however, should be well diluted. 



William Scott. 



Tarrytown, N. Y. 



Nelumbiums. 



'T'ff E Nelumbiums have no rivals among aquatic plants for 

 ^ stateliness, and they can be used not only in the large 

 lakes and water-basins of public and private parks, but they 

 have a refined character which makes them appropriate even 

 for small water-gardens. They are so perfectly hardy that it 

 is difficult to understand the frequent complaints that they are 

 difficult to grow and establish. One cause of failure may be 

 that they are planted too early. Planting should be delayed 

 until warm weather and genial conditions set in, so that the 

 tubers or plants will make active growth at once. When 

 tubers are received from a distance they may have been sub- 

 jected to a warm temperature in shipment, and, therefore, the 

 chill of a plunge in cold water may check their vital energies. 

 •Where the tubers have made young rootlets it is much safer 

 to plant them in shallow boxes and keep them protected 

 either in a cool greenhouse, pit or frame until it is safe to 

 place them in permanent quarters. By all means avoid the 

 check to growlh, which always means weakness, if not actual 

 death, to the plants. 



Another good plan is to place such roots in large pots or pans 

 and keep them growing until warm weather, when the plants 

 can be turned out with a good ball of soil and roots and care- 

 fully deposited where they are to bloom. Where there are 

 no tanks for the reception of large pots, tubs can be used.- 

 Another method is to start seeds. Of all seeds none germi- 

 nate more readily than those of Nelumbiums, provided the 

 hard shell is filed through at the base of the seed so that water 

 can penetrate. The plumule escapes first, sometimes two 

 or three days before a rootlet is visible, and always from the 

 base ; therefore, by filing at this particular spot much assist- 

 ance is given to the young seedlings. In a temperature of 

 seventy-five degrees the seed will germinate in about six days, 

 sometimes less. The seeds may be placed singly in small 



pots, or may be started in water and potted afterward ; in 

 either case the young plants must be grown and established 

 in large pots or pans before planting permanently. Nelum- 

 biums will not flower the first year as seedlings, but will, in 

 most cases, do so the second or the following year. Apart 

 from their flowers, the Nelumbiums are highly ornamental 

 plants and worthy of cultivation for their foliage alone. 

 Clition, N. I. W. Tricker. 



[Two seeds of Nelumbium were placed in a small bottle 

 of water and set on a desk in this office, and they germi- 

 nated within a week. — Ed.] 



A Few Annuals. 



THERE seems to be a perennial demand for information 

 about annuals, not only from beginners in gardening, but 

 from those who are more or less familiar with flowers, but do 

 not care to experiment — piersons content to wait till they find a 

 good thing mentioned. Last year I made full notes of the 

 more important annuals and a few other useful flowers which 

 can be readily grown from seed in one season. It may be 

 of some use now to furnish notes of other annuals which may 

 be considered of secondary interest. By secondary interest I 

 mean not that these flowers are less beautiful than the first 

 mentioned, but they are not those one would usually select for 

 a limited list. Often they are perfect as border flowers, but 

 lack either the stability or grace of form which is required in 

 flowers useful for cutting. For instance, nothing is more 

 beautiful in a large border than a mass of the Eschscholtzia, 

 with its finely cut glaucous leaves and its brilliant yellow flow- 

 ers, of various shades, borne so treely, yet it may be consid- 

 ered of secondary importance, as these flowers are quite 

 fugacious. It must be, of course, understood that, in recom- 

 mending, one is influenced more or less by his prejudices or 

 feelings. A writer in Garden and Forfst lately suggested 

 that I was influenced in the choice of varieties of a flower by 

 sentiment. The accusation waS partly correct, and I am con- 

 vinced that if an amateur does not grow plants and sentiment 

 in his garden in about equal proportion he is not getting the 

 full benefit of his labor. The most satisfactory flowers are 

 those, however common, from which one gains inspirations 

 of beauty and to which some pleasantassociations are attached. 



As for the cultivation of these quick-flowering plants, we 

 are apt to plant the seeds too early, either in the greenhouse, 

 or, lacking this, in some spare corner of the dwelling, and in 

 either place they become a burden and are never as strong 

 and' vigorous as those grown with more air and exposure. In 

 gardens managed in a comfortable, leisurely way, and well 

 furnished with a good assortment of plants, the planting of 

 seeds of annual flowers may be delayed till they can be sown 

 in an outside frame, where they will progress without check 

 and make strong plants, quite early enough. When the night 

 temperature ranges about 50 degrees, F., is the proper time. 

 This will usually be toward the end of April here. In this 

 procedure we have the spring-sown annuals commencing to 

 flower just after the June Roses. In the early year we have 

 flowers in abundance from the bulbs, the flowering shrubs, 

 and the early-flowering herbaceous plants. The fall-sown 

 Poppies and Centaureas will cover the ripening foliage of the 

 bulbs ami lead the flowering of those annuals which will 

 naiurally till the gap as the hardy Roses pass away. It is 

 difficult to forward many of the annuals much, and the trouble 

 of early care under shelter is scarcely warranted. 



The list of annuals, or plants to lie treated as such, given last 

 year, included as most usually desirable China Asters, Calliopsis, 

 Calendulas, Marguerite Carnations, Cosmos, Centaureas, Chrys- 

 anthemum coronarium, Indian Pinks, Gaillardias, Sunflowers, 

 African and French Marigolds, Mignonette, Nasturtiums, 

 Pansies, Poppies, Sweet Peas, Torenias and Zinnias. 



This list takes no account of vines and a number of hardy 

 annuals, many of whicli are interesting and worth growing. 

 Among the many remaining annuals of the seed lists, not 

 climbers, the following seem the most desirable : Sweet Alys- 

 sum. Balsams, Candytuft, Eschscholtzias, Swan River Daisies, 

 Chrysanthemums (sijigle annual). Larkspurs, Marvel of Peru, 

 Nicotiana aflinis. Petunias, Phlox Drummondii, Portulacca, 

 Salpiglossis, Spherogyne, Stocks, Venidium Caleiululaceum. 



This list, it will be seen, includes some of the most impor- 

 tant items of the seedsmen's stock and some flowers consid- 

 ered indispensable by many growers, but the two lists are of- 

 fered as a fair guide to those whose experience is, perhaps, a 

 blank. These plants are so familiar in old gardens tliat the 

 seedsman usually dismisses them with a few lines. I hope to 

 add a little to the perspective by briefly noting their beauties 

 and shortcomings, with a slight account of the climbers. 



Elizabetli, N. J. ' J- N. Gerard. 



