348 



Garden and Forest. 



INinUBER 392 



The best varieties for outdoor use, besides Erythriaa her- 

 bacea, are E. Crista-galli and E. Bidwillii, an intermediate form. 

 For conservatory use, E. corallodendron, E. Humei and E. 

 Indica Parcellii can be recommended. Tlie wliole genus is 

 strikingly beautiful and deserves to be represented in every 

 garden. 



Short Hills, N, J. N. J.Rose. 



Notes on Bedding Plants. 



'T^HIS is a good time to make an estimate of the value of 

 -•■ certain plants for bedding — a judgment which will be 

 found useful when future plans are to be considered. 



The improved Cannas have, no doubt, been largely instru- 

 mental in the brighter appearance of many gardens, and the 

 improvement of these plants still continues in some directions 

 at least. The flowers of several of the later varieties are 

 larger and of better form than those of their predecessors, 

 although the foliage of many is scarcely equal to that of some 

 of the varieties of fifteen or more years ago. Prominent 

 among the newer Cannas are Queen Charlotte and Columbia, 

 the former of the Madame Crozy type, though with a wider 

 edging of yellow to the petals, and the latter of a richer and 

 brighter color than Alphonse Bouvier, and also more dwarf 

 in habit. Both these varieties seem to be good growers and 

 bear an abundance of large flowers in trusses, which continue 

 in good condition for a long time. Several new varieties in the 

 style of Captain Suzzoni and Florence Vaughan — that is, hav- 

 ing yellow flowers, more or less marked with red — are also 

 promising. 



Sfrobilanthes Dyerianus seems to endure the full sunshine 

 well and keeps in fairly good color. The purplish sheen of its 

 foliage is valuable as a contrast with other plants, though the 

 habit of the plant is somewhat weedy when compared with 

 Acalypha. 



In the Croton-beds some of the richest colors are found just 

 now in the following varieties : Queen Victoria, Dayspring, 

 Hillianum, Evansianum, Veitchii and pictum ; but many others 

 may be equally gorgeous during the coming month. 



Begonia Vernon is useful either in sunny or in shaded loca- 

 tions, though I think the contrast between its flowers and 

 foliage is more pleasing when the plants are in partial shade, 

 for, under such conditions, the leaves are less bronzy and the 

 flowers are larger. 



The new silver-leaved Geranium, known as Mrs. Parker, is 

 a plant of much promise, and will probably be extensively 

 planted hereafter. Its variegation seems as good as that of the 

 famous old Mountain of Snow, but the plant is more dwarf, 

 stands the sun admirably, and has the additional advantage of 

 bearing on sliort stems very compact trusses of bright pink 

 double flowers. 



Torrenia Fournierii makes a good plant for a partly shaded 

 border, giving an abundance of bright flowers from June until 

 frost, but, being an annual, it is useless to go to the trouble of 

 taking cuttings in the fall, as one may do with T. Asiatica, for 

 either of these can be readily raised from seed sown in early 

 spring in a warm house. 



Salvia patens is particularly effective in a mixed border with • 

 its abundant and graceful spikes of bright blue flowers at a 

 time when flowers of this color are not overplentiful. 



Holmesburg, Pa. IV. H. Taplill. 



Cauliflower for Winter. 



IF a supply of this vegetable is wanted about the holiday 

 season the seed should be sown no later than the first 

 week in September. We prefer to sow it in flats and prick the 

 seedlings out, either singly in three-inch pots, or into flats 

 again about three inches apart. Some sow the seeds thinly 

 in cold frames and transplant into the benches when large 

 enough ; either way will answer, provided the plants have 

 plenty of room, with sufficient light and air to prevent them 

 from becoming drawn. 



A forcing pit, with the benches two to three feet from the 

 glass and where a night temperature of fifty-five degrees can 

 be maintained, will be found a suitable place to mature tlie 

 crop. The soil, good sod earth, with a fair dash of well- 

 rotted manure, should be got together a few months before it 

 is required for use, and turned over at least twice, and a 

 sprinkling of lime worked through it at the last turning to 

 discourage worms and insects. The benches should be deep 

 enough to allow one inch of drainage and five of soil. The 

 latter should be packed moderately firm when the plants are 

 put in. Wafer should he applied sparingly at first, and only 

 around the (plants, until the roots have taken good hold of the 

 soil, after which a more plentiful supply can be given ; luit 



overwatering must be carefully guarded against, as the plants 

 are sure to become inactive if the soil is allowed to become in 

 any way soured. Air should be admitted both at top and bot- 

 tom on all favorable occasions so as to maintain a day tem- 

 perature of about seventy degrees, and the atmosphere of the 

 house should be kept moderately dry, especially when the 

 heads are nearing maturity. Aphides are the most trouble- 

 some enemies, but they can be kept in check by having a few 

 tobacco stems spread over tiie surface of the soil. It is a good 

 plan to make a successional sowing of seeds about six weeks 

 after the first and have theni in pots so they can be planted in 

 where the others are taken out, thus keeping up a supply for 

 several weeks from the same bed. This later crop will need 

 to be strengthened by occasional applications of liquid- 

 manure. 



As to varieties, we have seen nothing to surpass Hender- 

 son's Early Snowball, which produces good-sized, well-formed 

 heads, is excellent in color and flavor, and of a dwarf, com- 

 pact habit. From a desire to make the greatest possible use 

 of the space at command one is often tempted to plant a little 

 too close, but crowding is always injurious, and we consider 

 fourteen inches each way quite close enougli to mature good- 

 sized heads. 



Tarrytown, N. Y. William Scott. 



Rosa rugosa. — I never saw this shrub fruit so freely as it has 

 been doing this year, and its bright scarlet hips clustered 

 thickly among the shining dark green leaves make the plant 

 just now as beautiful an object as when it is covered witti 

 flowers in June. In the groups of shrubbery by seaside cot- 

 tages and hotels it seems to be especially useful, and it endures 

 the salt winds with the utmost cheerfulness. In large parks 

 and gardens, where it can be left to itself, it sometimes 

 reaches a height of eight or ten feet, and it is then most pic- 

 turesque and effective, but it is rather more floriferous when 

 kept dwarf by annual pruning. Altogether, this is one of the 

 very best of the shrubs which have come to us from Japan. 



Madison, N.J. N.R. 



Correspondence. 



Peach-growing in Nebraska. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest: 



Sir, — Nebraska is not in the Peach belt, and cannot be con- 

 sidered a peach-growing state; yet, perhaps, it can furnish as 

 good an example of success in this line as many other states 

 apparently much more favorably situated. One of the lead- 

 ing features of the summer meeting of tlie State Horticultural 

 Society this year was a visit to the orchards of J. M. Russell & 

 Son, who have about 150 acres devoted to this fruit near 

 Wymore, in the south-eastern part of the state, close to the 

 Kansas line. This is a favorable location both as to general 

 climate and also because the land here is quite rolling and the 

 advantage of a higher elevation can be secured. It is equally 

 true that there are hundreds of other farms in the state quite 

 as well adapted to the growth of peaches, and success in this 

 instance only serves to demonstrate what can be done by stu- 

 dious, systematic attention to one given line of work. Messrs. 

 Russell & Son occupy the position of pioneers in this industry, 

 and, like Hale Brothers, of Connecticut, have shown the pos- 

 sibilities of their own region. Their planting began in 1880, 

 and has gradually increased till the present time. Their first 

 crop was harvested in 1887, but consisted of only 140 bushels. 

 The trees were old enough to bear four years earlier, but had 

 been killed by hard winters, so that the beginning of the un- 

 dertaking was not altogether promising. From that time for- 

 ward, however, they have secured a crop every other year, the 

 largest one being in 1891, wlien they harvested a little over 

 6,000 bushels. The present crop, though good, is not a heavy 

 one. Much of their work has been of necessity experimental, 

 as there were no precedents for guidance, and the early 

 results were not as good as they can confidently expect the 

 future ones to be with their present knowledge. Many of 

 the varieties planted proved wholly unsatisfactory in this 

 climate, even tliough they give the best of satisfaction in other 

 places. 



As a first early variety, Alexander has proved the most 

 profitable. It is too perishable and ripens too unevenly to ship 

 well, but for the home-market it is excellent. Following this 

 come Hale's Early and Early Rivers, the latter a large white 

 peach, not equal to some others in quality and appearance, 

 but the fruit is of good flavor and the tree is a reliable bearer. 

 Hale's Early is more satisfactory liere than in tiiany sections 

 of the east, because in this dry climate there is little difficulty 



