April 17, 1895. 



Garden and Forest. 



157 



shine are Dr. Boisduval, Reine Victoria, Edouard Moreaux, 

 Hookeri.Chantini fulgens, Adolph Adams, Triomphedel'Expo- 

 sition, Madame Heine, Madame Altred Mame, and Schniidtzii. 



Botanic Garden, Washington, D. C. G. IV. Oliver. 



Flowers of the Season. 



WHITE flowers are never so effective in tlie gardens as 

 colored varieties, and the early Snowdrops, even if grown 

 in profusion, leave something to be desired for color. The 

 most effective coloring for several weeks has been supplied by 

 colonies of a Taurian variety of Scilla Sibirica, S. Sibirica Tau- 

 rica. One colony of these bright plants closely planted forms 

 a carpet about a yard square, giving an indication of possible 

 effects when largely planted. This Scilla has good, broad, 

 light green foliage, and flowers profusely on stems about three 

 inches long. The flowers are lighter-colored, and rather pret- 

 tier, than those of the ordinary S. Sibirica, which has not yet 

 come into flower. It is one of the handsomest of early spring 

 flowers, and regularly appears with me before the Snowdrops 

 are fully in mid-season. Another Squill, S. Whittalli, is darker- 

 colored, with narrower leaves, and not as attractive. Asa 

 Gray is said to have stated that a white form might be expected 

 sooner or later among every species of flower. There are 

 white forms of both S. Sibirica and S. bifolia. The formerhas 

 not yet arrived here, but S. bifolia alba forms a colony of 

 dainty pure white flowers at present. This appears to be a 

 form of S. bifolia, and at a glance might be mistaken for a dull 

 Chionodoxa, the flowers facing upward on the curved stems, 

 and the leaves being narrow and dark-colored. 



There are few brighter flowers than Chionodoxa Lucili as, which 

 now enlivens the border. The type of this variety, which has 

 large star-like flowers with bright blue-tipped petals with white 

 eyes, leaves little to be desired as a small border-plant, besides 

 which it may be readily secured without much expenditure of 

 capital. The pink and white forms are flowers of exquisite 

 beauty, but in my garden are not as vigorous in growth or as free- 

 flowering as the type. They have never been found in large 

 numbers in Asia Minor, and are said to not come true from 

 seed, so that they are not plentiful. C. Cretensis is also white, or 

 slightly tinted, but the white is impure and the flowers are infe- 

 rior to those of C. Luciliffi. C. Tmolusiis very much in the way 

 of C. Luciliae, but the flowers are darker and the effect of the 

 two IS quite different when seen in masses. The large-flowered 

 C. AUeni and grandiflora seem to require more careful cul- 

 ture than C. Luciliae to become effective in the border. Under 

 ordinary cultivation the stems bear only two or three flowers. 

 The red varieties of C. grandiflora are of a light purplish-red, 

 but attractive. Tlie smaller bulbous reticulate Irises are 

 mostly out of flower. These, as I have noted before, are all 

 hardy here, with the exception of I. Histrio, and flower reg- 

 ularly each season. I. Bakeriana is the prettiest of the smaller 

 species of this section, while I. histrioides is the largest. These, 

 however, all pale before the gayety of I. Rosenbachiana, 

 which, as noted last week in G.\rden and Forest, is qui-te 

 the best Iris of the season. 



The late winter was a severe test of the hardiness of plants, 

 and it speaks well for the hardiness of the Irises that there are 

 no vacancies among the established plants in my collection of 

 varieties of all sections. About the extent of the damage was 

 the burning of the leaves of a few kinds, like I. Tingitana and 

 I. stylosa, which are better grown under cover if certainty of 

 flower is desired. ^ ,, ^ 



Elizabeth, N. J. J- ^- Gerard. 



Plants for Spring Forcing. 



WITHIN a few years past the practice of using plants in 

 flower for house decoration in the Easter season has 

 extended largely. Every year a wider variety of plants is 

 forced for this trade, and every year l)etter-grown and more 

 shapely plants are demanded, so that the florists' shops are 

 never so beautiful as they are at this season. 



Among plants of comparatively recent introduction the im- 

 proved form of Astilbe Japonica, known as variety Com pacta, 

 is found valuable for forcing. Its spikes are much more 

 compact than those of the type, the flowers are semi-double 

 and the color is almost pure white. This variety seems to 

 force as readily as the well-known old plant, and it flowers 

 quite as freely, while the blooms are more lasting. A still 

 later introduction has been named Aslill>e Japonica floribunda, 

 and is claimed to be superior to the variety Compacta, but it 

 has not been largely forced in this country as yet, and it is too 

 soon to make comparisons. 



The Bottle-brush, Callistemon speciosa, has been growing 

 in popularity for two or three years past, and in some localities 

 is much sought for. The bright-colored stamens of its ter- 

 minal spikes of flowers are very showy. The plant belongs 

 to the Myrtle family, and forces as readily as an Azalea, though 

 a little longer time is required to develop its blossoms. It is 

 preferably propagated by cuttings, and the young plants se- 

 cured by this method are more floriferous than seedling plants. 



Cytisus Andreanus has also been tested to some extent for 

 spring forcing, but, though its showy flowers are quite freely 

 produced, the plant is somewhat naked in appearance and 

 rather too stiff in outline. One of the Bladder-nuts, Staphylea 

 Colchica, although an old plant, is just beginning to find favor 

 in Philadelphia for spring forcing, although it has been put to 

 this use for many years in England. This Staphylea bears 

 panicles of white flowers similar to those of the American 

 Bladder-nut, S. trifolia, but -the plant is more dwarf, and the 

 foliage is divided into five leaflets instead of three. 



Single and double Lilacs are both used largely for conser- 

 vatory decoration in the early spring, shapely plants between 

 two and four feet high being the most satisfactory. Plants 

 grown in pots during the preceding summer have the best 

 roots and are most reliable. The Lilacs used for forcing are 

 usually imported stock, and are generally grafted plants. 



Pyrus Japonica has also been forced somewhat of late years, 

 and the flowers are usually much lighter in color than they are 

 on plants naturally grown. 



Forsythia suspensa is still another hardy shrub that forces 

 well if lifted in the fall, potted up and stored in a cold frame 

 until it is needed. The Double-flowered Almond is also 

 adapted to this use, and needs the same treatment. Exochorda 

 grandiflora is rather too stiff in habit, and not bushy enough 

 when small to make a good pot-plant. But it is forced to some 

 extent. Hardy Rhododendrons and Ghent Azaleas can be 

 brought into flower with as little trouble as the Indian Azaleas. 

 But the Ghent Azaleas lack foliage, since the flower-buds grow 

 much faster than the leaves when the plants are forced into 

 bloom. Various shrubby Spirgeas and Deutziasare used here, 

 and they generally submit with grace to the forcing process, 

 and all are beautiful in flower. 



Some Acacias, notably A. Drummondii, A. Riceana and A. 

 armata, are no w found in the stock of all well-equipped establish- 

 ments, and, though not new plants, are sufficiently uncommon 

 to be genuine novelties to many buyers, and it is said that they 

 have been sold as novelties by some dealers. 



Holmesbui-g, Pa. I'V. H. Taphn. 



[In addition to the plants named above, many others 

 have been forced into bloom for the Easter trade in this 

 city. Tree Paeonias, carrying two or three large flowers, 

 are very showy. The Japanese Snowball is also effective 

 as a pot-plant. Mountain Laurel, Kalmia, is quite abun- 

 dant. The beautiful native Andromeda speciosa, as well 

 as A. Japonica, are also ofTered, but are uncommon. — Ed.] 



Thinning Grapes. 



T N the indoor grapery thinning out of the berries is always 

 •'• more or less necessary, according to the variety of the 

 Grapes, as some varieties mature much larger berries than 

 others and, therefore, require more space. The most conve- 

 nient stage of growth for thinning the bunches varies also 

 according to the variety. Black Hamburg, Barbarossa and 

 similar varieties which set freely, require to be taken at a 

 smaller stage than those varieties whicli are more shy in set- 

 ting, as the Muscat varieties. It is not advisable, however, to 

 take them too small, as the berries which are going to stone 

 cannot be determined from those which are not. If the clus- 

 ters are neglected too long and become overcrowded, the thin- 

 ning is difficult to perform. The bunches should never be 

 touched with the hand as sweat from the fingers causes rust 

 and disfigurement of the berries, and also impairs the bloom, 

 which begins to form at an early stage. It will often be found 

 necessary to raise the buncli or turn it around a little to get at 

 it conveniently with fke scissors, and this can best be done by 

 tneans of a small piece of wood cut something in the shape 

 of a pencil, but more gradually tapering to one end. This will 

 also be found useful to steady the bunch when required. 

 Thinning is practiced not only to enlarge the berries, but also 

 to produce as large bunches as possible. Each bunch is 

 divided into several small clusters, and the terminal berries 

 on each of these should, if possible, be left and the inner ones 

 thinned out ; just enough of the latter being left to fill up the 

 centre, so that the bunch, when matured, will remain compact 

 when cut and laid on its side. If too severely thinned out in 



