4t8 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 399. 



stout scapes of erect flowers of salmon-red shade. Mr. Harris 

 does not tliink this species has ever been used as a parent of 

 any of the newer hybrids, as he has never seen any like it. 

 There are tliree species of Allamandas now in bloom. A. Wil- 

 liamsii is the most dwarf, and when o^rown in a pot makes an 

 excellent bush specimen. It was so exhibited last summer by 

 Mr. William Martin, gardener to N. T. Kulder, Esq., of Milton, 

 Massachusetts, to whom the Massachusetts Horticultural So- 

 ciety awarded a silver medal. I have not seen it used as a 

 pillar or roof plant, but, no doubt, with generous treatment, 

 such as it would get when planted out, it would prove as effec- 

 tive as any of the coarser varieties, some of which are really 

 too rampant. The flowers are trumpet-shaped, about two 

 inches in diameter, measured across the limb of the corolla, 

 and deep yellow in color. It blooms abundantly nearly the 

 year round. A. cathartica, var. Hendersoiii, is a much stronger 

 grower. It is here trained as a standai'd, and as such is very 

 effective. It bears the largest and handsomest blooms of all 

 the sorts grown, measuring nearly four inches across the 

 corolla limb. They are clear sulphur-yellow and elegantly 

 recurved and revolute. A. Scholtii is the coarsest grower of all, 

 and similar in habit to Henderson's variety. The flowers 

 are about the same size, though not so handsome in outline, 

 and have a distinguishing blotch of orange-yellow at tlie base 

 of the throat. There is here a large plant in the tropical house, 

 which, if not regularly pruned, would soon take possession, to 

 the exclusion of everything else. Ixoras, now seldom seen, 

 are here represented by I. WiUiamsii and I. coccinea. To ex- 

 hibit well-flowered specimens is a rare achievement, and a 

 group of these was always a commanding feature in the old- 

 time exhibitions. In another house there is a group of about 

 twenty plants of the uncommon greenhouse Rhododendrons of 

 the Javanicum-jasminiflorum type. These seem to do better 

 when given continuous greenhouse treatment, with partial 

 shade, as they are undoubtedly undershrubs in their native 

 country. They need generous warmdi during the winter 

 months. Although they never make the gorgeous display 

 which the hardy hybrids do, yet they are continuously in 

 bloom. As the principal part of their growth is made in sum- 

 mer, abundance of water must be given at this time, and a lack 

 of it would soon be apparent in a loss of leaves and stunted 

 growth, from which the plants recover slowly. The specimens 

 here are all in perfect health, showing that as nearly as possible 

 their exact requirements have been secured. These green- 

 house hybrids are characterized by scattered leaves and regu- 

 lar monotone flowers. The corolla tube is longer, the limb 

 shorteror narrower, and the truss looser than in the hardy kinds. 

 Monarch is clear salmon, and Favorite a beautiful cerise-pink. 

 R. balsaminffiflorum album and R. aureum mark a new 

 departure in this group. Both have double wax-like flowers, 

 which hang on the plants for more than a month. 



Special attention is given to Dracai-nas and Cordylines, and 

 one house is almost wholly devoted to them. Some of the best 

 varieties are seedlings raised by Mr. Harris many years ago, 

 when these beautiful plants were less plentiful than now. Dra- 

 CEena Cooperi and D. magnifica were the varieties from which 

 nearly all his bronzy leaved varieties were raised. Mrs. H. H. 

 Hunnewell is considered the handsomest of all. The leaves 

 are very broad, elegantly recurved and delicately tinted with 

 red. D. monstrosa is another of great merit. Its name is 

 intended to indicate its proportions. Mrs. R. G. Shaw, another 

 handsome variety of robust habit, is neatly striped with red. 

 D. porphyrophylla superba is a renamed seedling, with the 

 varietal name added to indicate its superiority to the type. In 

 the estimation of many this is the best of all the bronze-leaved 

 forms. D. Baplisti, D. Youngi and D. imperialis, D. Waban 

 and D. Wellesliana, the two latter seedlings raised by Mr. But- 

 ler, gardener to Mrs. Durant at Wellesley, add variety to this 

 section. D. Harrisii is, without doubt, the finest of the varie- 

 gated green and white varieties. It is a hybrid raised here 

 between D. terminalis and D. regina. D. Robinsoniana is a 

 splendid variety of erect habit with striped leaves of orange, 

 red and green. D. gloriosa resembles this in coloring, but is 

 entirely distmct in habit, having broad recurving leaves. The 

 true D. indivisa with a yellow midrib is very rare in cultiva- 

 tion. One large specunen here is very attractive, and several 

 smaller ones are even more graceful. As a vase-plant it is 

 unique. D. Sanderiana, an introduction of recent years, is 

 refjresented by a moderate-sized plant. It is of slender habit, 

 with scattered ovate lanceolate, twisted and wavy, white and 

 green striped leaves. Its habit is distinct from all other Dra- 

 cffinas in that it branches freely from the root-stock. Speci- 

 mens made up of three or more plants in a pot are highly 

 decorative. D. Goldieana is a very distinct species from south 

 Africa, The broadly ovate white and green barred leaves 



make small specimens of these plants among the best for table 

 decorations. Two species in Mr. Butler's greenhouse are 

 especially worthy of note. These are D. spectabilis, a clear 

 green-leaved variety resembling some of the Terminalis group ; 

 the leaves are broadly lanceolate, the habit is excellent, and it 

 should be most useful for grouping. D. umbraculifera is an 

 uncommonly handsome species with leaves more than four 

 feet long ; it resembles somewhat the D. indivisa type, but 

 the leaves recurve, umbrella-fashion. 



Wellesley, Mass. T. D. Hatfield. 



A Few Climbing Plants. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — Among the useful climbers which I lately saw flowering 

 out-of-doors in the Botanic Gardens here were three Ipomrt-as. 

 I. rubro-ccfrulea daily displayed hundreds of flowers. On some 

 m.ornings they are all, or nearly all, of that deep color which 

 has been commonly described as heavenly blue. At other 

 times the blue is dashed, blotched or merely touched with an 

 exquisite shade of rose, and occasionally it shows a flower of 

 this color with scarcely a hint of blue. I. setosa is a vigorous 

 grower, with every stem clothed with a close growth of red- 

 dish hairs. I. paniculata is another decorative species of rapid 

 growth, with distinct, palmately divided leaves, and while its 

 flowers are of a color disliked by some, this defect is less no- 

 ticeable at the distance from which the plant is seen to best 

 advantage. For outlining the pillars and eaves of porches this 

 Ipoma.-I is admirable. It never forms the heavy, shapeless 

 masses of foliage that I. noctiflora, the Moon Flower, always 

 develops before the season is ended. 



Luffa cylindrica, commonly known as the Dishcloth Gourd, 

 would be out of place where the Ipomieas look best, but it is, 

 nevertheless, a useful and handsome plant. Clambering over 

 a garden-fence, or in some similar situation, it has an air of ele- 

 gance that makes it too good to be slighted, and its clusters of 

 golden-yellow flowers are in form much like tliose of the aris- 

 tocratic Allamanda nerifolia, but their color, though good in 

 itself, is crude in comparison with the soft, pure yellow of the 

 exquisitely textured AUamanda blossoms. 



Several varieties of Aristolochia flower here luxuriantly when 

 planted out-of-doors. A. elegans deserves its name. Its hand- 

 some, broad, chocolate and creamy flesh-colored flowers are 

 freely produced, and have none of the disagreeable odor that 

 characterizes those of most Aristolochias. A very unusual 

 floral spectacle was furnished by a hedge a hundred feet long 

 of A. cymbifera in full flower. The plants, from cuttings 

 started in early spring, are trained on two wires stretched at 

 one and four feet, respectively, above the ground, and the 

 entire hedge is a series of festoons of fantastic flowers which 

 have an odor that can only be described as offensive. 



A stone wall that serves as the barrier between the garden 

 and the street is lined for a space with old plants of the Japa- 

 nese Trumpet-creeper, Tecoma grandiflora, and the brilliant 

 masses of their flame-colored flowers make one marvel why 

 this plant is seen so rarely as compared with our own Trum- 

 pet-vine. 



Bii^hton, III. Fanny Copley Seavey. 



Meetings of Societies. 



The American Dahlia Society. 



'X'HE first annual meeting of this society was held on Wed- 

 ■•• nesday last in Philadelphia, at the rooms of A. Blanc. This 

 society was organized last spring by a few persons residing in 

 the neighborhood of Philadelphia, for the purpose of popu- 

 larizing the Dahlia, and of collecting and comparing informa- 

 tion concerning the plant. Meetings have been held from 

 time to time of those who chanced to be drawn together by 

 common interest, but this is the first stated and regular meet- 

 ing of the society. Early in the season it was intended that a 

 large exhibition should be held this fall, and it was hoped that 

 it might rival the Chrysanthemum shows in general interest ; 

 but the unprecedented drought in the neighborhood of Phila- 

 delphia has made such an exhibition impossible. So a few 

 persons came together for the purpose of transacting some 

 necessary business and to keep the society moving until it 

 shall have the opportunity to make itself felt by a worthy display 

 of flowers and plants. About a hundred and fifty varieties of 

 Dahlias were on exhibition, however, having been brought in 

 by growers for purposes of comparison. Many of them were 

 unnamed seedlings. The largest lot, comprising loi varie- 

 ties, was brought in by the Secretary, Lawrence Peacock, Atco, 

 New Jersey, Other exhibitors were A. Blanc, Philadelphia ; 



