August 24, 1892.] 



Garden and Forest. 



403 



The severity of our winters is no Ijarrie r, for we liave tlie 

 plants growing- well without protection in Massachusetts, and 

 it is recorded as growing without man's care on the coast of 

 Maine, in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The patches of 

 plants which have been found growing in these stations were 

 once supposed to be indigenous, but, as Dr. Goodale has 

 shown in his interesting article, published a couple of years ago 

 in Garden and Forest (vol. iii., p. 62), there is reason to 

 believe that all have started since the arrival of European 

 immigrants and owe their existence to the intentional or 

 accidental work of white settlers. 



Many of the failures which have attended the attempted cul- 

 tivation of Headier have undoubtedly been due to planting in 

 unsuitable soil. The roots of plants of this family are generally 

 e.xceedingly fine and delicate, and they require an open sandy 

 or peaty soil with plenty of moisture ; a heavy clay soil is fatal to 

 them. Undoubtedly, the best method of introducing Heather is 

 by means of seed. If one wishes to merely sow the seed broad- 

 cast and allow the plants to take care of themselves, a corner 

 of a Cranberry-bog is probably the best place that could be 

 selected, particularly if it is kept free for a time from rank- 

 growing- grasses and weeds. The seed may be simply scat- 

 tered without any attempt at covering, as it is likely to fall into the 

 little interstices in the ground, which will be filled by the first good 

 rainfall. To grow the plants from seed artificially requires some 

 attention and care, and should ordinarily be attempted only in 

 a greenhouse or with the aid of a shaded and glass-covered 

 frame or box. A good soil is composed of about equal parts of 

 clean fine sand, peat and loam, and it should be well drained 

 by having a thick layer of broken pots or brick beneath, with 

 a' layer of dead moss or sphagnum between the soil and 

 drainage to prevent choking of the latter. 



When the seed is sown it should have the slightest possible 

 covering of fine soil evenly sifted over it, merely sutflcient to 

 cover it from sight. It may then be thoroughly watered with a 

 very fine spray, and the surface of the soil should never be al- 

 lowed to become dry at any time until after the seed has germi- 

 nated and the little plants have formed good roots, after which 

 they must not be allowed to suffer for want of moisture. It is 

 sometimes a good plan to cover the beds with a layer of damp 

 sphagnum until the seed begins to germinate, and when this 

 period arrives the sphagnum must be removed at once. 

 Shading the bed with a piece of matting placed a little above 

 it answers about equally well for the shelter of the seed-bed 

 and seedlings, and it is necessary to use the matting in shading 

 the young seedling plants where the sphagnum hag been 

 earlier employed. After the seedlings are well up the glass 

 may be raised or removed. When the plants are perhaps 

 about an inch high, if growing thickly together, they should 

 be carefully transplanted to fresh boxes or beds of prepared 

 soil, giving them more room for growth ; it is well to trans- 

 plant two or three times before permanently planting out. If 

 the plants are not kept in too active growth late in the sum- 

 mer, and have matured good woody stems, even though very 

 small, they may be safely wintered in a frame by giving a cov- 

 ering of leaves or coarse hay ; or if they have been grown in 

 boxes in the greenhouse, they may be placed in a pit for the 

 first winter, after which they may be planted out in prepared 

 beds. If properly cared for, they should form good strong 

 plants ill two or three years, ready to begin blossoming and 

 to be planted out where they are to remain permanently. 



In a very large proportion of our country the soil is of a 

 limestone or clayey character, where Heaths would be sure to 

 fail unless a bed was specially prepared for them. It should 

 be dug out for from two to three feet in depth and filled in with 

 about equal parts of peat and clean fine sand. Soft or rain 

 water should be used as mucli as possible when watering ; 

 hard water would probably be disastrous to the plants. 



Where plants are already available, they may be multiplied 

 with less trouble and more expeditiously by cuttings of the 

 tender tips of the shoots taken at this season, and planted in 

 pots or boxes of sand, or sand and peat, provided with good 

 drainage, kept underglass and reasonably moist. The cuttings 

 may be about an inch long ora little more ; they should have the 

 lower leaves removed, and should form good roots before win- 

 ter. Where only a few plants are wanted from a parent plant they 

 may very easily be obtained by layering. Propagation by cut- 

 tings or layers is absolutely necessary in increasing any pecu- 

 liar form of a species, the Heather (Calluna vulgaris) having 

 furnished several which are perpetuated by European culti- 

 vators. Among these there are forms with darker-colored 

 flowers than the type, others with white flowers, while a very 

 pretty form has double blossoms. Then there are forms which 

 have been selected on account of their habit of growth, some 

 being prostrate, others more erect and taller than the average. 



while such forms as have been named Pygm;ea, Foxii and Densa 

 grow in pretty, compact, very dwarf tufts, but produce few flow- 

 ers. This species of Heath is probaljly the hardiest and best for 

 northern amateurs to experiment with in this country. After 

 success has been attained in the cultivation of the more vigor- 

 ous Calluna, other less vigorous and seemingly less hardy spe- 

 cies of Erica may be taken in hand with every chance of some 

 satisfactory result and pleasure. 



Arnold Ai-buretum. J. G. Jack. 



The 



Wild Garden in August. 



-I. 



T^ 



HE wild garden is always interesting ; it is nearly always 

 beautiful, and its appearance undergoes a complete 

 change every month of spring, summer and autumn. There 

 is a great wealth of yellow flowers at this season, a predomi- 

 nance due to the large number of Composit^e in bloom. Sev- 

 eral species of the Rosin Weed (Silphium) make a good display, 

 but, as these are coarse-growing plants, they are out of place in 

 any but large gardens. S. perfoliatum, the Cup Plant, is conspicu- 

 ous on account of its ten feet of stem and bold ovate leaves. 

 It is massive and striking in strong clumps, the yellow flowers, 

 three inches in diameter, being borne freely at'the top of the 

 mass of luxuriant foliage. S. Irifoliatum is not so tall by four 

 feet, and its lanceolate leaves are smaller ; but its similar flow- 

 ers are produced in even greater profusion. The Compass 

 Plant (S. laciniatum) is about five feet high, with flowers of a 

 clearer yellow color than any of the others, and four inches 

 across. The laciniate, hoary leaves, on long petioles, are 

 from one to two feet in lengtli, and they give the plant a quite 

 distinct aspect. Some other interesting kinds will not bloom 

 until a few weeks later, and thus their flowering period is pro- 

 longed. Large groups of these plants look well on the lawn, 

 and they are admirable when associated with tall shrubs. 

 They like a deep soil, and suffer but little from drought. 



Heliopsis lasvis, the Ox-eye, is very floriferous and showy, 

 and a good plant for the herbaceous border. The stems attain 

 a height of about four feet, forming a compact, shapely 

 cluster when tied to a stake some inches shorter. The oppo- 

 site leaves are ovate-lanceolate, of pale green color, and the 

 rich yellow flowers, measuring three inches across, are excel- 

 lent for cutting. The plant requires no special culture, and 

 thrives well in any soil save that which is excessively light. 

 Lepachys pinnata is similarly attractive and useful. It is hardly 

 so robust as the Heliopsis, but more graceful. The elegant 

 leaves are pinnate, and the drooping, pale yellow ray florets, 

 with the conspicuous black sphere which constitutes the disk, 

 give the flowers an agreeable charm. A large mass of this 

 species is now a pleasing feature of the wild garden, the plants 

 having been allowed to develop in their own way. 



It would be difficult to pass the Rudbeckias without saying 

 something in their favor, more especially as one of the species, 

 R. speciosa, the gem of the genus, holds a foremost place 

 among our herbaceous plants. It is from two and a half to 

 three feet high, and absolutely covered with flowers three 

 inches across, the outer florets deep yellovv', and the large 

 cushion-like disk dark purple. The leaves are ovate or 

 lanceolate, but now hidden to a great extent beneath the close 

 covering of golden flowers. R. maxima is a decidedly differ- 

 ent plant, the stems of which are about five feet high, clothed 

 with oval glaucous leaves (petiolate at the base and clasping 

 above), and bear solitary flowers at the extremity. The cone- 

 shaped, deep purple disk is fully two and a half inches high, 

 the drooping ray florets two inches long, very broad, and of a 

 clear yellow shade. This species is not at all common in gar- 

 dens, and it well deserves more attention. It is singularly 

 handsome when grown in quantity, and as a border-plant its 

 merit is undeniable. R. laciniata is also desirable, being a free 

 grower of stately habit, and producing its bright yellow flowers 

 in great abundance. The Rudbeckias thrive well in ordinary 

 garden soil, but they are partial to a position which allows 

 them plenty of light. 



An imposing mass of green anci white is aftbrded b}' Par- 

 thenium integrifolium. The leaves are quite large, furnish- 

 ing the stems to the base of the great flattened clusters of 

 white blossoms, which, individually, are rather insignificant, 

 but very effective in the mass. The plant is about four feet 

 Iiigh, and grows luxuriantly in heavy soil. There are only a 

 few straggling flowers remaining on Asclepias tuberosa to re- 

 mind us of its brilliance in July. It was then one great mound 

 of fiery orange-red blossoms, now replaced by pods which 

 will, later on, give a good supply of seeds — the principal means 

 of effective multiplication. It is a grand plant for dry, hilly 

 situations, and so is Opuntia Rafinesquii, the best of the few 

 Cacti which are hardy in this latitude. This Prickly Pear is ex- 



