March 13, 1895.] 



Garden and Forest. 



107 



pie flowers, a little more than an inch wide, borne in great 

 profusion, not rarely thirty flowers from a single bulb. This 

 species is one of the easiest to grow, but the flowers are not 

 very striking and make a poor showing by the side of a variety 

 of T. pavonia. The flowers of T. Dugesii are still smaller, 

 and scarcely an inch wide; they are nearly white, tinged with 

 violet or purple. 



One of the most desirable of the smaller bulbous plants of 

 this class is what is sometimes called Tigridia Herbert!, but 

 which, though of the same natural order, is not a Tigridia, but 

 a Cypella, a native of Buenos Ayres. It closely resembles the 

 Tiger Flower and thrives nicely under the same treatment. 

 The flowers are an inch wide or more, vellow, varying from 

 light to a darker shade, and the plant is increased by division. 



Until last season I found Bessera elegans a difficult bulb to 

 grow. The trouble was in the dramage. It needs a light 

 loamy or sandy soil and the driest possible place. I doubt if 

 it IS possible to give this plant too dry a place. Of course, it 

 needs to be reached by rain, but the moisture should drain off 

 as fast as possible. In such a place 1 had perfect success, and 

 the bulbs were monsters as compared to the collected ones. 

 It blooms earlier than the Mexican Star Flower, Milla biflora, 

 and is, on this account, more sure to ripen in our short seasons. 



Milla biflora has bulbs similar to those of the Besseras, but 

 the plant is quite unlike it in many ways, and although the 

 scarlet drooping flowers of Bessera are pretty, the much larger 

 pure wa.xy-white ones of the Milla are, to my mind, much 

 handsomer. They are more durable, and on lone, naked 

 stems well suited for cutting. The Milla is not so difficult to 

 grow, and any good garden-soil will suit it. 

 Charlotte, vt. F- H. Horsford. 



Notes on Violets. 



'\^7'ITH the lengthening days and increasing sunlight, Violets 

 • • grown in cold frames are now blooming profusely ; the 

 flowers are much superior in quality to those produced after 

 this time in greenhouses, as these are now coming small, pale 

 and shovving signs of exhaustion. As the time for severe frost 

 is probably past, the leaves which have been packed round 

 the sides of the frames can Ise removed and utilized in making 

 hot-beds ; it will not be safe, however, to dispense with mats 

 and shutters, in this latitude, at least, before April ist. More 

 frequent waterings will now be found necessary. Violets are 

 more often injured by too little than by too much water. A 

 little liquid-manure can advantageously be used ; an applica- 

 tion once a week during the remainder of the flowering season 

 will be helpful. As the midday sun is now strong, some shade 

 should be given to the plants for a few hours every day. 

 Lath shadings are good for this purpose, but if these are not 

 at hand a light coating of lime-wash should be applied to the 

 glass. This shading keeps the plants cooler, and Violets dis- 

 like a high temperature. We find that the flowers come of a 

 deeper color and last much better when grown in shaded 

 frames than when exposed to the direct rays of the sun. Air 

 must be freely admitted, for no plant resents coddling more 

 than the Violet. Ruiiners are now being produced quite 

 freely ; the best of these can be taken off and dibbled quite 

 thickly into boxes of sandy compost, care being taken to 

 secure stock from the healthiest and most vigorous plants. 



Lady Hume Campbell is not a satisfactory winter bloomer in 

 cold frames with us, and it appears to require more heat than 

 Marie Louise, which blooms freely all winter long, and up till 

 March ist had given ten times as many flowers to plants as 

 the Lady Campbell ; the last-named sort is now flowering 

 abundantly. As grown by Mr. H. Nuebner, of Groton, Massa- 

 chusetts, this variety is superb, and with most growers it has 

 been a success. It cannot be called disease-proof, however, 

 as we have during the present winter seen two or three estab- 

 lishments where it had been quite wiped out by the leaf-curl. 



Where Marie Louise can be grown well it is still ahead of 

 all its competitors. The new Farquhar promises to make a 

 strong bid for popular favor. Some three weeks ago I visited 

 the greenhouses of the Messrs. Farquhar, in Roslindale, 

 Massachusetts, to see the new variety at home, and looking 

 over the whole stock saw no trace of disease. Every plant 

 seemed in perfect health ; the flowers were of good size and 

 borne on long stems. The color is similar to that of Marie 

 Louise, although the distributers of the plant claim that it 

 comes even darker. It more nearly resembles Marie Louise 

 than Lady Campbell, although it seems quite distinct from 

 both in habit wlien a batch of the two is seen together. Mr. 

 Farquhar pointed out a number of plants of their new kind 

 planted among the diseased stock, wliich were perfectly clean, 

 and yet we have no idea that it will be proof against disease. 



Among single Violets it is still hard to beat the Czar. One 

 or two other kinds produce a few more flowers, but they are 

 of greatly mferior quality. Wellsiana is a fine kind, but pro- 

 duces runners sparmgly, hence is increased slowly. The new 

 California will be quite extensively planted next fall ; so far as 

 we can judge from flowers on young plants received, it is very 

 similar to the Czar, but if it produces flower-stems of the size 

 and quality claimed and proves a satisfactory winter bloomer, 

 it may eventually supplant that good old variety. 



Taunton, Mass. IV. N. Craig. 



New Grapes. 



T^HOSE who are looking for new grapes of high quality 

 -•- may safely select the Alice, which "keeps well in common 

 storage until March. It resembles Diana more closely than 

 any other grape I know, but the color is more like that of 

 Catawba. The flavor is sweet, and the skin lacks wholly the 

 unpleasant tang left by Catawba. In the size of cluster and 

 in general appearance Alice is much like Delaware, but the 

 berry is fully as large as that of Catawba. The skin is tough, 

 and dries like that of Diana, witliout rotting, and the grape is 

 sugary, qualities wdiich suggest that it would make good 

 raisins. The seeds are small, and there are not many of them. 

 It ripens about September 20th to September 30th. Growers 

 of this Grape report that the wood is hardy and matures well, 

 and that its foliage is heavy and the canes strong. 



Mr. George C. Campbell, of Delaware, Ohio, the veteran 

 Grape-grower of the United States, has a seedling which 

 ripens early, the grapes being large and black. This new sort 

 has not yet been sent out, but one more really good Grape 

 may safely be counted upon. 



Of the Concord seedlings and other recently introduced 

 early or late white sorts, Colerain seems to me the best. It is 

 one of the earliest, ripening about the last of August. It has 

 few seeds, and these are small, and medium-sized bunches of 

 good-sized berries. The color is greenish white, with a fine 

 bloom. The vine is a strong grower, and it is altogether hardy. 



Points which all new Grapes should include are short-jointed 

 wood, berries of good size, adherence to the stem after ripen- 

 ing, small and few seeds, uniformity in ripening. Of course, 

 quality and quantity will be demanded. An otherwise excel- 

 lent Grape, the Diamond, is lacking in uniformity of ripenino-, 

 and it is altogether uncertain whether it will mature by Sep- 

 tember loth or not until a month later. Many of Rogers' 

 seedlings are, like Lindley, too lonaf-jointed. 

 Clinton. N. y. "^ E. P. P. 



Early Flowers. — The winter season just closing was remark- 

 able in this locality for continued low temperature. From 

 Christmas until the end of February there was seldom even a 

 superficial softening of the ground on sunny days, and there 

 were no nights without a freezing temperature. Lender these 

 conditions winter flowers made no progress, and Snowdrops, 

 which were showing color in the middle of December, made 

 no advances until the slightly rising temperature of the first 

 days of March allowed them to expand. Now Snowdrops are 

 daily becoming more plentiful, and the first of the Scillas are 

 showing color, while the earliest Crocuses are in bud. 



The Snowdrops in flower at present are Galanfhus imperati, 

 Atkins' fine variety, and forms of G. Ehvesii. The newer 

 forms, G. Aidin, G. Cassaba, G. globosus and G. unguicularis, 

 are as forward to fiower as the type. The scorching cold 

 has burned foliage not affected in ordinary winters. The leaves 

 of Oriental Poppies have been cut oft', and Primulas are mats 

 of brown leaves. Some of the early Irises have lost their 

 foliage, while others are fresh and untouched. The vagaries 

 of frost are past finding out. 



Elizabeth, N.J. J.N.G. 



The Columbian Raspberry. — From my experience with the 

 Columbian Raspberry I have found that the stalk is sometimes 

 as large as a stout staff and the general growth is very luxu- 

 riant. The fruit is more dry than that of the Schaffer, and will 

 both ship and can better. It is more nearly a purple than a 

 red raspberry, but<he color is brighter than that of Schaffer in 

 the dried berries. The yield is enormous. It is unquestion- 

 ably a cross of Blackcap and Red Raspberry parents. My seed- 

 lings of Schaffer almost all came black, and they are subject 

 to the same disease that affects our black Raspberry — an an- 

 thracnose — the same disease which put an end to growing the 

 purple Rochelle and which threatens to kill out the Schaffer. 

 It is a mistaken prejudice with the majority of buyers to pre- 

 fer red raspberries for all uses, but for home use I think the 

 Columbian a decided acquisition. 



Clinton, N. Y. E. P. P. 



