July io, 1895.] 



Garden and Forest. 



277 



which were the most advanced were cut off in the bud. They 

 did not all die down, but no flowers will be produced on such 

 as were sufficiently forward when the freezing wcatlier came. 

 Lilium speciosum and L. Hansoni have suffered, also L. Dal- 

 maticum ; L. Henryi was partly cut back, though a few plants 

 will bloom. 



Among the various Lilies that have already flowered here 

 not one has given more satisfaction than the Nankeen Lily, 

 Lilium testaceum, or, as it is often called, L. excelsum. The 

 origin of this beautiful species is unknown. It is believed, 

 however, to be a hybrid between L. Chalcedonicum and L. 

 candidimi. The pkint attains a height of six feet in the most 

 favored situations, but four feet is, I think, nearer its usual 

 height. The three to ten nankeen-colored Howcrs are borne 

 in umbels, coming out nearly at the same time, or sufficiently 

 near to be all open at once and fresh. When cut they are the 

 most durable of any species I have yet noted. The best re- 

 sults have been from fall planting. Out of a hundred planted 

 last autumn only a few failed of blooming, while from a 

 smaller lot set in the spring not one has bloomed, though 

 most of these sent up stems. 



Another pretty species in flower at the same time is the 

 Orange Lily, Lilium croceum, a native of the south of Europe. 

 This plant is one of the strong-growing species, pretty sure to 

 succeed in any good garden-soil. It is about the size of L. bulbi- 

 ferum, but is, it seems to me, a better species. L. Parryi 

 blooms this year with these and the two forms of L. concolor. 

 L. Parryi is not so easily grown, yet, if the right soil is at hand, 

 it can be made a success. It needs more moisture than most 

 Lilies, which can be supplied to a great extent by giving it a 

 good mulch. It also likes a peaty soil. The canary-yellow 

 flowers are fragrant and have a peculiar appearance on ac- 

 count of their sepals turning back more on one side than on 

 the other. They are nearly horizontal to the stem. My best 

 plant bore seven flowers. They are of much shorter duration 

 than those of L. testaceum. 



Lilium Columbianum was the first species to bloom, and had 

 good-sized seed-capsules formed before L. Hansoni had 

 opened. I am inclined to believe that this is the earliest spe- 

 cies to bloom, though Mr. Elwes, in his monograph on Lilies, 

 says of L. Hansoni, " It is the earliest in growth of any kind I 

 know." I find, however, that bulbs of L. Columbianum from 

 different collectors do not flower together. 



Charlotte, vt. F. H. Horsford. 



Carnation Notes. 



CARNATION plants remaining under glass in beds or on 

 benches now require copious supplies of water and fre- 

 quent applications of stimulants. Our own plants are still 

 flowering profusely, and the blooms are, as a rule, quite equal 

 to those produced in the early spring months. To keep red 

 spider in check we syringe the plants thoroughly morning, 

 noon and night on bright days. A good wetting overhead at 

 noon is especially beneficial on hot days, and we have failed 

 to detect any injury to the flowers from this practice. As the 

 flowering season is nearly ended, it is possible to pass judg- 

 ment on the varieties cultivated. We have kept a record of 

 flowers cut from most of the kinds grown. Of some sorts we 

 had as few as half a dozen plants, and it is, of course, unfair to 

 pass a conclusive opinion after the first season. We have, 

 however, carefully noted the behavior of these same varieties 

 in other places where Carnations are largely grown for mar- 

 ket. Soil and locality have much to do with the success or 

 failure of certain kinds, but unsuitable houses, erratic tem- 

 peratures, careless ventilation and watering and a failure to 

 comprehend the requirements of the plants are also causes of 

 non-success. 



William Scott has proved by far the most proliferous pink 

 variety, and nearly everywhere it is highly spoken of. At 

 present it is yielding an abundance of fine flowers, produced 

 on long stout stems. Nicholson is destined to become popu- 

 lar ; its large size, delightful fragrance and beautiful color 

 have caused it to be in large demand in the market. Although 

 we have not had nearly so many flowers from it as from Wil- 

 liam Scott, the introducer, Mr. Nicholson, of Framingham, 

 Massachusetts, who grows both kinds largely, has had more 

 blooms from his namesake than from William Scott. The 

 appearance of his plants certainly bears out this statement. 

 The flowers of Nicholson have a tendency to come semi-dou- 

 ble and occasionally single in summer." We find that this 

 tendency is checked by disbudding. Madame Diaz Albertini 

 has not proved a prolific bloomer by any means. While it 

 has many good points to recommend it, there is no use for it 

 where Scott and Nicholson succeed. The same is true of 

 Ada Byron, which, while a prolific spring bloomer, with some 



good qualities, is not a profitable kind to grow for market. 

 Thomas Cartledge, which produces flowers of a bright car- 

 mine-pink color, is a variety well worth retaining. The flow- 

 ers are of medium size, of pleasing color and borne on stout 

 stems. 



Lizzie McGowan, among white Carnations, has proved far 

 and away the best variety. Mrs. Fisher produces too many 

 burst flowers and the stems are weak; it cannot compete 

 with Lizzie McGowan when the latter is well grown. Hector 

 remains the best scarlet. By disbudding well down the stem 

 fine flowers are produced, but it lacks a stout stem to hold the 

 flower up like those of Portia. Portia is still worth retaining ; 

 except for its lack of size other scarlets would all be seconds to 

 it. The Stuart has proved the least satisfactory scarlet we 

 have tested. The flowers are sparingly produced, and they 

 come streaky and often almost single. The stem is excellent. 

 This kind is not useful in this section. Winter Cheer is a good 

 variety to grow in pots. It is not a free bloomer when com- 

 pared with Hector or Portia. Helen Keller has given us fewer 

 flowers than any kind we have grown. Halt the flowers fade 

 before they are half open. Other near-by growers have found 

 it a total failure ; we hope next year to have better results 

 under different treatment. During early winter Bouton d'Or 

 proved the best yellow. Goldfinch has, however, produced 

 twice as many flowers during the whole season ; this variety 

 has a long stout stem, and the flower is certainly a much more 

 decided yellow than those of Bouton d'Or. Its tendency to 

 burst the calyx is its chief drawback. Daybreak, in its special 

 color, continues satisfactory ; its delicate salmon-pink color 

 keeps it a prime favorite, and it is one of the most floriferous 

 kinds grown. 



Summer-blooming plants in the open are now commencing 

 to flower and will need to be staked and kept tied up if clean 

 flowers are desired. Carnation-flowers grown out-of-doors 

 are never so clean as those grown under glass. Dust, smoke 

 and splashings from heavy rains all help to discolor them, 

 and it is well to dip the flowers in clean water a few times after 

 gathering them to remove the traces of dirt. Mrs. Fisher, the 

 best outdoor bloomer, has a rather drooping tendency and 

 needs more frequent tying up than other sorts. The heavy 

 rains at the end of June, after a month of drought, have 

 started plants into good growth. Those being grown for next 

 winter's crop now require looking over weekly, and all shoots 

 should be stopped before they l,iave run up too far. The tips 

 should be drawn out with the fingers and thumb of the right 

 hand, the left hand steadying the shoot. Nothing but injury 

 to the plants results from allowing them to grow up 

 until they can be tipped with a pair of shears, as we have seen 

 done. "The surface soil will require frequent stirring with the 

 hoe, and a sprinkler used in dry weather. We find that large 

 plants produce more flowers than small ones, and they are of 

 finer quality. 



In the pressure of other work in spring-time the preparation 

 of the compost-heap is often neglected. We always stack up 

 the turf for this in the fall. The turf should be chopped and 

 mixed with manure in April, and the heap turned over twice 

 before being wheeled into the benches. We use one-third 

 good cow-manure to two-thirds rather light sandy loam, and 

 work in a little bone-dust in addition. Carnations require more 

 feeding than they usually get, and if given a generous com- 

 post which has been thoroughly incorporated and treated 

 rationally in other respects fewer starveling I)looms would be 

 seen. 



Taunton, Mass. ^K N. Craig. 



Some Good Hardy Perennials. 



Clematis recta. — This is the best herbaceous Clematis, and 

 there are few white-flowered hardy plants that equal it when 

 in bloom. It is a many-stemmed plant of compact habit with 

 abundant dark green, healthy leaves. The first year after 

 transplanting it only grows about three feet high, but when it 

 gets well established it reaches a height of four or five feet. 

 The flowers, which are plentifully borne in dense corymbs at 

 the ends of the stems, are white and fragrant, and last well 

 when cut. It woirld seem that a plant so easily grown and with 

 such good flowers might be of great use to florists. C. recta 

 makes an effective plant in the herbaceous border, but it 

 grows well in almost any position. There are plants here under 

 Oak-trees, where they get very little sun, and they are as 

 healthy as those which stand in full sunshine, and their flowers 

 last even longer. This Clematis comes from the south of 

 Europe, and was introduced from there in 1597. It can easily 

 be increased by dividing the plants and also by seeds, althougli 

 they are slow to germinate. 



Thermopsis Caroliniana.— This native Pea-flowered plant 



