May 25, 1S92. 



Garden and Forest. 



249 



It should be remarked, also, that this Aquilegia is very early 

 in nower ; tliere was no other species in bloom when it tirst 

 opened, not even Ihc native A. Camdcnsis, and now all other 

 varieties will be sacriliced as they Mou'cr to be sure that seeds 

 can be saved true. In this way only can Aquilegias be per- 

 petuated by seed. 



Soiitli Lancaster, Mass. E. O. Orpct. 



Notes on Forsyth ias. 



'HPHE Forsythias have lilossomed with tlicir usual (jroFusion 

 ■*- again this season, their bright yellow flowers giving us 

 pleasure during nearly one-tenth of the year, for the earliest 

 blossoms may be foinul by the middle ol April, or soon after- 

 ward, and in a cool spring tlicy will be preserved and eonlinuod 

 for six weeks. N;iturally we Hnd the lirst llowers on fhestcms 

 which trail on the ground, because there the buds hrsl feel the 

 effects of the sun on warm sjiring days. 



The Forsythias bring up the much-disputed and never-end- 

 ing question as to the correct names of the s].)ecies or varie- 

 ties, and there seems to be as much or more uncertainty to-ilay 

 as to what form we shall get from a nursery, under any par- 

 ticular name, as there was ten years ago. All the variations may 

 be divided into the two well-l<nowncharacteristicforms — one a 

 very long-branched, trailing, slender, pendulous shrub, the 

 other with shorter, stouter branches, which are always erect, 

 or only partially drooping-. In certain situations we find plants 

 of the first kind with less free-growing, vine-like, pendulous 

 shoots, but this peculiarity appears to result from local condi- 

 tions, and is not characteristic of the race. This pendulous 

 species, which we know as Forsythia susi)ensa, is perhaps the 

 most beautiful in Hower because the most graceful when grow- 

 ing in a large clump or mass. In its best form it may be trained 

 high up on a wall or allowed to grow naturally. In the latter 

 case the long shoots grow until they bend over and the tips 

 touch the ground, when they will form independent roots if 

 the soil gives the least encouragement. In this way a single 

 bush may eventually spread over a large area and form a mass 

 composed of many individuals, but all from one parent — a sort 

 of Walking Forsythia it might Ije called if compared with the 

 haliit of the so-called Walking Fern. One of the best botanical 

 characters of the plant is that it has trifoliolate leaves, but these 

 are often acconipanied by single leaves on the same branch. 

 In fact, simple leaves are most common on less vigorous 

 shoots, while trifoliolate, deeply-toothed leaves are character- 

 istic of more vigorous growths. They are usually ovate in 

 outline. 



The Forsythia of our gardens, which is the direct opposite 

 of F. suspensa in habit of growth, is F. viridissima, with stiff, 

 erect, unliending, bright green, four-angled stems, which ap- 

 parently do not grow more than seven or eight feet in height, 

 the average being somewhat less. Its leaves are never trifo- 

 liolate, but are simple, narrow, lanceolate, pointed, and evenly, 

 but finely, serrated. An authority has described them as en- 

 tire, but this is evidently a mistake. In this, and all the others, 

 however, it v^'ill be noticed that the first lowest or outside 

 leaves are smaller than the others, and are entire or without 

 teeth on the margins. But these first leaves are mainly true 

 bud-scales or coverings, of which there are two or three pairs, 

 the inner ones having a distinctly accrescent character, grow- 

 ing into serviceable leaves. The tube of the corolla of F. viri- 

 dissima is small, the petals narrow and of a deeper greenish 

 yellow color than any other form, and the flower-stalks are 

 shorter and with a decided curve downward. The blossoms 

 do not appear here until fully a week later than any others. 

 Between this stiff little species and the more graceful trailing 

 F. suspensa we have the intermediate form or forms which 

 give botanists some trouble to properly classify. F. suspensa 

 is apparently also known as F. Fortunei in Europe, but the 

 plant we are likely to get under this name in America is inter- 

 mediate in habit between the two species mentioned, being of 

 larger growth than F. viridissima, but without the slender trail- 

 ing habit of the other, and without any trace of trifoliolate 

 leaves. 



The flowers, as a mass, usually have a deeper yellow effect 

 than those of the trailing form, and they are individually not 

 to be distinguished from them in size. The leaves are broader 

 and shorter than those of F. viridissima, and their margins are 

 much more deeply and conspicuously toothed. Any one 

 planting a Forsythia for the sake of the beauty of the blossoms 

 and a very free-flowering habit, would do well to select F. For- 

 tunei, but if the graceful trailing habit is wanted it Avould not 

 fill the requirements. It should be added, that this F. For- 

 tunei is also sometimes sold as F. viridissima, in which case 

 the purchaser is fortunate, for the last species, if true to name. 



should never be selected in preference to the others unless 

 space can be afforded for a collection of tlie various forms. 

 The F. Sieboldi of some catalogues is merely another name 

 for F. suspensa, and we have received at the Arljoretuni a F. 

 intermedia, from German nurseries, which is hardly to be dis- 

 linguished from the handsome erect form we know as F. 

 Fortunei. It has been stated that some experimenters have 

 grown both the F. suspensa and F. viridissima from the seeds 

 of the former, but the two plants are so radically different 

 that this hardly seems possible, and most probably there were 

 mistakes somewhere. As the Forsythias are propagated by 

 cuttings about as easily as Willows, there has licen little in- 

 ducement to raise plants from seed, but a series of seed- 

 lings from the different species or forms might be very 

 interesting. 



To the student of structural botany the efflorescence of For- 

 sythia is interesting from the dimorphic character of the blos- 

 soms—that is, all the llowers of one plant will lie found with 

 long styles and short stamens, on another jjlant with short styles 

 and long stamens — which facilitates their cross-fertilization Ijy 

 insects. It is of interest to note these dill'erences, and in an 

 examination of many plants in this vicinity we have found 

 both the long and short styled forms among F. suspensa and 

 also in the plant we know as F. Fortunei, but, so far, only the 

 long-styled form in F. viridissima. The finding of both forms 

 shows that the plants must have been originally derived from 

 ditferent seedlings, but our F. viridissima may all be the de- 

 scendants of one original individual. 



Arnold Arboretum. J , G. Jack. 



Lilies-of-the-valley. — These plants are forced into bloom and 

 sold at so many seasons of the year that we are apt to lose 

 sight of the fact that they are naturally flowers of May. At 

 present notliing is prettier and more fragrant than their deli- 

 cate bells nestling among the bold leaves. Naturally grown 

 Lilies-of-the-valley have a beauty superior to those forced, 

 though these flowers are acceptable at any time. There is 

 always a demand for plants which can be grown under trees, 

 and where the trees do not make an entirely dense shade, or 

 where their gross surface-feeding roots are not fatal to any 

 undergrowth, there are few things more satisfactory for such 

 a position than Lilies-of-the-valley. An occasional thinning 

 out and replanting of the crowns and a top-dressing of rich 

 compost late in the season seem to meet their requirements in 

 the garden. There is a noble variety of this plant of French 

 origin known as Fortin. The specimens of this kind with 

 which Messrs. P. Henderson & Co. favored me had grand 

 foliage, but as they were spoiled in the forcing I am unable to 

 say from experience whether the flowers are double the nor- 

 mal size as reputed. There is also a so-called rose-colored 

 variety. This has small flowers, rather more constricted at 

 the mouth than those of the type, and the color under glass 

 entirely disappears. In the open the color is a rather feeble 

 and unsatisfactory one. 



Primula cortusoides. — This was lately mentioned as flowering 

 in Massachusetts in April. It is seldom that flowers appear 

 there before ours. My well-established plants are only now in 

 full bloom ; very satisfactory and graceful in flower in the bor- 

 der, but scarcely useful for cutting. 



Iris cristata was noted last week as being in flower. This 

 plant is too beautiful to dismiss without further mention, for, 

 although a native plant and easily secured, it is one of our 

 choicest border-plants. The foliage is very dwarf, only high 

 enough to form a nest, filled and covered with large open lilac- 

 colored flowers. It seems to me the most pleasing of all the 

 dwarf true Irises. 



Begonia Vernon (B. semperflorens atropurpurea). — As I may 

 have unwittingly given a false impression of this plant last 

 year, it may be well to note its behavior under exposure in 

 the open. As stated before, the plants which had been kept 

 under glass last year gave not the slightest sign of being other 

 than a bright-flowered form of B. semperflorens. I trans- 

 planted them to a sunny border a few days since, and never 

 beheld a more remarkable transformation in any plants. 

 Within two days the deep green leaves began to take on 

 Iironzy and blood-stained tints of the most striking character, 

 and the indications are that in this variety we have a new bed- 

 ding-plant possessing many excellent points, easily and quickly 

 propagated, bright, striking, showy and free-flowering, dark 

 crimson usually. It should be a good wet-weather plant. Its 

 ability to stand full exposure without scorching of the margin 

 of leaves remains to be tested. It is certainly a variety worthy 

 of trial. 



Elizabeth, N.J. J. N. G. 



