2l6 



Garden and Forest. 



(Number 379. 



Hardy Cypripediums. 



OUR native Cypripediums, while not rare plants, are yet 

 uncommon in cultivation. Few hardy plants are more 

 interesting, and, judging from the number of common names 

 given to them, the interest is not confined to gardeners. Tlie 

 general name. Lady's Slipper, is a contraction of Our Lady's 

 Slipper— that is, the Blessed Virgin's. C. pufiescens is also 

 known as Moccasin flower or root. Nervine, Nerve-root, Water 

 Nerve-root, Umbil-roof, Noah's Ark, Indian Shoe, Bleeding 

 Heart, American Valerian, Pine Tulip, Money-Hower, Slipper- 

 root, Venus' Cup and Venus' Shoe, Yellows. By the Indians 

 it was called the Night Hawk's Shoe (pishko-ta hape.— Dakota), 

 Rabbit's Shoe (tchukfi ishulush.— Choctaw), Whippoorwill's 

 Shoe (kwikohia-otakwa.— Onadaga). These names have also 

 been applied to the other species. In addition, the Cherokee 

 Indians know C. parviflorum as the Partridge Shoe (Kkwe 

 ulas ala). and C. acaule is known as Old Goose, and C. arieti- 

 num means Ram's Head Lady's Slipper. 



The Cypripediums are among the popular simples, being a 

 gentle nervous stimulant or antispasmodic, used for the same 

 purposes as Valerian-root, \'aleriana officinalis. It has been 

 claimed that C. spectabile and C. acaule have narcotic princi- 

 ples. C. pubescens is the only one named as officinal, how- 

 ever. It is not possible to discover the annual consumption of 

 the root within a number of tons. Its use has been decreasing 

 in recent years in competition with English valerian. 



As p-arden-plants Cypripediums are apt to be short-lived un- 

 less one can manage to secure the rather difficult conditions 

 of rich moist soil in shade and nutriment in the way of decay- 

 ing vegetation on which they revel. However, if well-formed 

 crowns are secured in the fall the plants will do well for a while 

 under trying conditions. C. parvifiorum has grown very well 

 in my ,o-arden in heavy soil, with a northern exposure, under 

 the shade of a Pear-tree. Just now C. pubescens and C. spec- 

 tabile, sent by Mr. Mann from a Tamarack-swamp in Wiscon- 

 sin, are as vigorous and sightly as one could wish. It is very 

 probable that sphagnum would prove a very successful me- 

 dium in which to grow these plants in our gardens, taking care 

 to give an occasional dressing of rotted leaves. They are 

 readily forced by planting in pots or flats, which should be 

 kept in the frames and brought into temperate warmtli early 

 in the year. 



Aside from the interest in growing these wildlings success- 

 fullv, they seem to me to be among the plants more thoroughly 

 enjoyed if souglit out and disco'vered in their haimts while 

 they are in flower. 



Elizabeth, N.J. 



J. N. Gerard. 



Some Hardy Perennials. 



Fri'.irarias.— The different species and varieties of Fritillarias 

 add much to the attractiveness of the spring garden, and it is 

 a mystery why plants so easily grown are not more common. 

 The stately Crown Imperial, in its many varieties, is most fre- 

 quently seen, and it is the most conspicuous plant in the genus. 

 When well grown its stout leafy stems attam a height of four 

 feet. Its drooping flowers are nearly as laige as Tulip-flowers, 

 and they vary in color from yellow to crimson. The flowers 

 are produced in whorls at the top of the leafy stem, which are 

 surrounded by a crown of foliage. The varieties of this plant 

 are numerous, but there are two forms with variegated foliage. 

 One has silver-striped leaves, and the other has gold-edged 

 leaves. The Crown Imperial is not particular about soil, but 

 does best in a light sandy loam well enriched with manure, 

 and a slightly shaded position suits it well. 



FritiUaria Meleagris, the Guinea-hen-flower, is a pretty Euro- 

 pean species, and it has many showy varieties. It does not 

 grow as large as the above species ; the stems only attain the 

 height of one foot. The pendulous flowers are produced 

 singly on the top of the stem, and are checkered with pale and 

 dark purple. The white variety of this plant is very pretty, and 

 well worth growing. F. obliqua is a neat and distinct plant 

 from the Caucasus. The stems, which are about a foot high, 

 are clothed with numerous oblique glaucous leaves, and its 

 flowers are brown-purple. F. ruthenica is another good dwarf 

 species that is perfectly hardy. Its flowers are brown and yel- 

 low, and it is about a foot high, with linear lanceolate leaves. 



The dwarf kinds are excellent plants for sunny borders, and 

 when set in small groups they are very pleasing. The bulbs 

 when once established should not be disturbed often, and 

 when they are transplanted at anytime they should not be kept 

 out of the ground long, as it weakens the plants. The bulbs 

 of Fritillarias should be bought early in the season, August or 

 September, and wlien once procured there should be no delay 

 in getting them into tlieir permanent piositions. Large bulbs 



should be planted six or eight inches deep, and the smaller 

 kinds from four to six inches deep. Care should be taken not 

 to put the l)ulbs where water will settle around them in winter. 



Anemones.— A beautiful little plant is Anemone sylvestris, 

 with lis pure white drooping flowers. When nicely grown it has 

 a neat habit, the three-parted leaves spread out and touch the 

 ground and grow up around the flower-stems in a pleasing 

 manner. When it is in flower the plant measures from twelve 

 to fifteen inches in height. It comes from Siberia and central 

 Europe, and is quite hardy here. A light rich soil in a slightly 

 shaded place seems to suit it. A. nemorosa, var. Robinsonia, 

 when it once gets the right situation and feels at home, is 

 the most beautiful of the Wind flowers. It must be seen on 

 a bright sunny day wilh all its flowers open, for, under any 

 other conditions, its full Lieauty is not displayed. The habit of 

 the plant differs little from that of our native A. nemorosa, 

 but its flowers are much larger and of a bright sky-blue. It 

 is a British plant, but grows luxuriantly here, and does well in 

 a light rich soil, and a slightly shaded position prolongs the 

 flowering season. 



Orobus vernus.— Plants with pea-shaped flowers are rare at 

 this season, and this fact alone would give a value to this 

 Orobus. It is an excellent hardy perennial, and would de- 

 serve attention at any season. The plant grows about a foot 

 high, and nearly as soon as the growths are out of the ground 

 the flowers begin to appear. At first they are a mixture of 

 green, red, purple and blue, but when they get a little older 

 they turn almost blue. This is a good border-plant when it 

 has good rich soil. 



Saxifraga peltata. — At the edge of a small pond this largest of 

 the Saxifrages is throwing up its vigorous flower-stems. These 

 stems, which rise from a stout, fleshy, creeping root-stock, are 

 from eighteen inches to two feet higli and three-fourths of an 

 inch thick at the base. The flowers are in large clusters and 

 rose-colored. At this time, when the plant is in bloom, the 

 leaves are about ten inches high and six inches across. Later 

 on the umbrella-shaped leaves increase in every way until 

 they are about a yard high and as much across, and are very 

 bold and handsome. It is a moisture-loving plant, and re- 

 quires to be planted near a pond or running stream ; in such 

 a place it very soon increases. 



Harvard Boianic Gardi-11. Robert Cameron. 



Some Useful Greenhouse Climbers. 



Hoya carnosa. — This fine old climber still holds its own 

 against the newer introductions. Few, if any, of its rivals are 

 more pleasing in flower and foliage, and certainly none are 

 more suitable for covering a back wall. The plant requires a 

 fair share of light, and with ordinary care it will make rapid 

 growth and soon form a spreading mass of glossy green 

 leaves. It commences flowering in March or April and 

 blooms profusely for several weeks, while occasional blooms 

 appear during the entire summer. The peculiar texture of 

 its sweet-scented flowers has given it the popular name of 

 Wax plant. They are rather unsuitable for cutting purposes, 

 as they are hard to procure with any length of stem, though 

 shoots four or five feet in length may be cut with sevefal clus- 

 ters of flowers attached. The plant requires plenty of root 

 room, and, therefore, does best in a bed, which should be 

 freely drained. A compost of turfy loam, well-rotted manure 

 and a little sand suits it well. It requires an abundance of 

 water while in active growth, but should be kept rather dry 

 during the winter months. A trellis of wood-work or wires 

 should be provided for support to which the shoots should be 

 tied until the plant is well established, after which they will 

 cling readily of themselves and require only an occa- 

 sional trimming to prevent overcrowding. This trimming 

 is best done after the main crop of flowers is past, when 

 the plant will make and ripen the young wood for another 

 season's flowering, the greater part of the flowers being pro- 

 cured from the young wood. Shading is necessary during the 

 summer months, as the leaves are easily scorched in strong 

 sunshine. Fine specimens of the Wax plant are often seen in 

 old country houses, where they have been grown for years in 

 a large pot. They are taken in the house in any warm corner 

 for the winter, and in summer are set on the porch, or under 

 a tree where they will bloom abundantly with no other atten- 

 tion than a watering every day or so. 



Lapageria rosea. — This plant and its variety, alba, would 

 be more common if they were not so difficult to establish. 

 Many failures undoubtedly occur because the potting compost 

 is too stiff or heavy. Peat soil or leaf-mold should constitute 

 about half, the other half being made up of good turfy loam 

 and a plentiful dash of sharp sand. It is hard to give too mucli 



