128 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 212, 



very charming, and, in fact, one can scarcely go amiss in grow- 

 ing any of the varieties. There is such a wealth of material 

 in the family which may be had at a low price that it does not 

 seem worth wliile to risk choice varieties in the warm house, 

 wliere they are often neglected after floweri ng. Of the double va- 

 rieties theTrumpetsor VonSions, and the incomparabilis, Cod- 

 lins and Cream (albus plenus sulphureus) are the best. Of the 

 latter section there are many verv inferior varieties on the 

 market to be avoided. The large single Trumpet, or Ajax Nar- 

 cissi, are the most pleasing. Of the bicolors Horsfield's is tlie 

 best, but being still high-priced a substitute may be found in 

 N. bicolor prreco.x, the Italian bulbs of which are very cheap, 

 and while not all true to type as sent out, are very satisfactory. 

 IVIr. A. Blanc kindly secured for me a bag of these as collected, 

 which were very interesting, as thev were all handsome forms 

 with considerable variation in coloring. Xo collection is com- 

 plete without a supply of Cyclamens, whiieamong the Amaryl- 

 lids,Crinums,Hippeastrunis,Nerines,Pancratiums may be found 

 many handsome flowers. If somewhat cool quarters can be 

 found, the Cape bulbs open a wide held of interesting things 

 which generally have to be brought on slowly. Pans of 

 Lachenalias are quaintly beautiful, as later on are I.xias. Gla- 

 dioli species are to be had in many forms, two of the best 

 being G. Colvilli (The Bride), a fine white variety, and G. tristis 

 sulphureus, a yellow kind. The bulbous Irises are . choice 

 things, but rather fugacious. Iris reticulata, however, being 

 much more lasting than I. Pavonia or I. maricoides, which 

 latter is a quaint little plant just now in flower. Before the 

 last of the winter-flowering bulbs disappear and the fires go out 

 summer bloomers, like the Gesnerias and Begonias, will show 

 signs of life and may be brought forward for succession. 

 Elizabeth, N. J. y. JV. Gerard. 



Sowing Beets and Radishes. 



IV/r ANY people at the north delay sowing Beets and Radishes 

 ^^ until rather late, for fear of frost. These vegetables will 

 endure much cold, and it is easy to get them early with little 

 trouble. In this latitude we sow Radishes at any time after the 

 1st of February, and Beets after the middle of the month, 

 though we are apt to have returns of frost all the month. The 

 first requisite for getting early Beets and Radishes is a mellow, 

 deep and very rich soil. A heavy application of an ammo- 

 niated fertilizer is preferable to stable manure, as it makes 

 smoother roots. Get the soilon a warm border ready as early 

 as it is possible to work it in good condition. Sow the seed in 

 rows rather thinly. Seed of the scarlet Turnip Radish can be 

 sown in same row with the Beets if space is limited, for thev 

 mature so quickly that they can be pulled out of the way by the 

 time the Beets want all the space. Now have at hand a quan- 

 tity of straw ; good, long, straight rye-straw is best. Cover the 

 bed with straw on frosty nights, but expose it to full sunshine 

 in the daytime. Beets will endure quite a sharp hoar-frost af- 

 ter they are fully up above ground, but if caught by frost just 

 as they are coming througii they are very easilv hurt. Radishes 

 will endure much harder frost. But the straw cover will ward 

 off any frost above twenty degrees, and enable one to get his 

 beets and radishes much earlier than his neighbor who waits 

 till frost is gone. Of course, any one who has a cold frame and 

 some sashes can get his Radishes and start his Beets early ; 

 but I make this note for the benefit of the larger number who 

 use no glass. The Egyptian Beet is a favorite of market-men 

 on account of its small top, but it is of poor quality. Eclipse is 

 better, but for those who prefer quality to looks, and who do 

 not imagine a beet is better because dark red, I would recom- 

 mend the old Bassam. It is as early as any and of better 

 quality. Its big top is the only objection, though some dislike 

 its light color. For a very early Radish the Scarlet Turnip is 

 as good as any, but some Long- Scarlet Short Top and some 

 of Beckert's Chartier should be sown at the same time. The 

 Chartier is good as soon as it is large enough to pull, and keeps 

 on growing to a very large size before it becomes pithy. 

 Raleigh. N. c. W. F. Massey. 



Brodisea (Triteleiai uniflora. — This plant was introduced into 

 British gardens from South America about sixty years ago. It 

 is perfectly hardy in England, and is said to be equally hardv 

 in our eastern states, though I have never seen it out-of-door's 

 here. _ Under pot-cultivation, however, it is excellent, and it is 

 now in full bloom. It is a dwarf bulbous plant of tlie Lily 

 family, forming dense masses of linear, pale green foliage, 

 from which emerge the long, slender, erect scapes, each bear- 

 ing a single starry blossom about an inch and a half in diam- 

 eter, and of a deep lilac color when it first opens out, turning 

 to pure white as it grows older. The flowers are produced 



very freely during the latter months of winter and in early 

 spring, and the plant is then strikingly beautiful. It is a first- 

 rate subject for the window-garden, and thrives luxuriantly in 

 ordinary soil provided it has a full supply of water while grow- 

 ing. Repotting is not often necessary, unless the drainage is 

 faulty, but an annual top-dressing late in fall, before growth 

 commences, is beneficial. The bulbs should have complete 

 rest, that is, they should be totally deprived of water during the 

 dormant period, and they will be most effective when closely 

 planted in wide pans, where they will make a large and com- 

 pact display of leaves and flowers. The only objectionable 

 quality of the plant is its offensive garlic-like odor. This, 

 however, is not perceptible unless some portion of it is 

 bruised ; the flowers themselves give off a faint sweet fra- 

 grance under ordinary conditions. Several varieties of this- 

 Brodiaea — or, as it has been generally called, Triteleia — are said 

 to exist, but I have never been able to secure any of them. 

 Certain variations are represented in the books, but they are 

 probably unusual. 



Cambridge, Mass. 



M. Barker. 



Crandall's Currant. — I have discovered a good use for this 

 plant. With me it is a failure as a fruit-plant ; it is, in fact, only 

 a moderately good variety of Ribes Missouriensis. But it can 

 be forced for winter flowers to great advantage. Its dwarfish, 

 drooping, compact form of growth makes it adaptable to pots, 

 and it grows with so little care and blooms so freely that I am 

 inclined to place it at the head of the shrubs which can be 

 forced for common home use. Small plants bloom finely, and 

 the flowers are as sweet as thev are beautiful. 



Clinton, N. Y. ' E. P. P. 



Orchid Notes. 

 Orchids at North Easton, Massachusetts. 



SO many unique and distinct varieties have been added by 

 Mr. F. L. Ames to his collection that the visitor at any sea- 

 son will find something of interest in bloom. 



In the large Cattleya-house are now to be seen well-grown 

 specimens of the white Ccelogyne cristata covered with its 

 snowy blossoms, besides specimens of the ordinary form in 

 pans three feet across, and the true St. Albans variety of C. 

 cristata maxima with over one hundred fiowers. The Lselias 

 of the Anceps type are showing well this season. A superb- 

 example of the variety Stella had twentv-two spikes carrying 

 seventy-five perfect blossoms, and one of the variety Sanderi- 

 ana had fourteen strong spikes. Mr. Wm. Robinson, the gar- 

 dener here, gives plants of this section a long rest after flow- 

 ering, with ample light and air while growing. L. anceps 

 Schrcederag, a pretty and very rare form, carried six fine 

 blooms, its round petals being tipped with a fine magenta- 

 purple, the lobes of the lip a rich purple, the front a dark vel- 

 vety purple, with a prominent orange disk. Dawson's variety 

 and WiUiams' variety are represented by first-rate plants, while 

 among the red forms L. anceps Winneana was the finest, 

 although other good ones like L. anceps Scottiana, a very rich 

 dark-colored form, are just out of bloom. Of course, there 

 are masses of the typical L. anceps, many of them distinct in 

 character and remarkable as specimens. Mention should be 

 made of the variet}- Percivaliana, which was represented by 

 several fine plants. 



Among the hybrids L^elia-Cattleya Hippolyta was flowering, 

 with three soft yellow blossoms, each with a rosy-veined lip. 

 This is a charming plant obtained by crossing L. cinnabarina 

 with Cattleya Mossiae. The pretty L. flammea, another very 

 attractive hybrid between L. Pilcherii and L. cinnabarina, bears 

 three spikes carrying nine liandsome buff-yellow blossoms 

 with lips of bright purple. 



Some of the finest Cattleyas have finished flowering ; but 

 among the forms of C. Trianse in bloom was a plant of the true 

 variety, Leeana, obtained from the Lee collection, which had 

 three spikes. The enormous flowers have increased much in 

 size since it first bloomed; its broad sepals and round petals, 

 together with the bold purple lip, make a striking display. 

 The variety Backhousiana is well flowered, and is readily dis- 

 tinguished by its broad blotclied petals and richly colored lip. 



Dendrobiums here are great favorites, and among the many 

 in bloom is the pretty D. Cybele, a charming hybrid between 

 D. Findlayanum and D. nobile, having white and rosy-tipped 

 sepals and petals, lip white, with a suffusion of orange-yellow 

 surrounding a purple blotch in the throat. D. Aspasia, an 

 elegant hybrid between D. Wardianum and D. aureum, carries 

 fourteen flowers. A profusion of delicate white and purple 

 blossoms is to be seen on a well-grown plant of D. euosnium 

 leucopterum. There are two forms of this, but the plant here 



♦ 



