56 



Garden and Forest. 



[March 28, 1888. 



and therefore it is assumed that all can endure the riyor of 

 our winters. But the fact is that few of the species are truly 

 hardy in this climate except tlmse indigenous to the soil. 

 While it is true that some of the species are found in the 

 coldest part of the habitable globe, growing most lu,xuriantly, 

 it is equally true that the same species cannot endure our 

 winters without protection. Few climates are so trying as our 

 own to those buUious-rooted plants, which are usually con- 

 sidered hardy and left in the open border during the winter. 

 This is particularly true of the coast climate, from Massa- 

 chusetts to Virginia, where there is frequently forty degrees of 

 frost, and not a particle of snow on the ground for protection. 

 Here the earth is frozen to a great depth one week, and thaws 

 out the next. These frecjuent changes from water to ice and 

 back again cause the earth to contract and expand to such a 

 degree as to tear the bulbs in pieces. I have seen large plant- 

 ings destroyed in this nranner. 



But to be more specific. The beautifid Liliuin tcnuifolium 

 is a native of Siberia, where it is largely cultivated as an article 

 of food. Of course it can endure a Siberian winter, but a Long 

 Island winter kills it. Why ? Because in its original home the 

 first indication of winter is a snow-storm which covers the 

 ground so thickly that frost rarelv, if ever, penetrates it ; while 

 here the unprotected earth is frozen far below the Lily bulbs 

 over and over again between November and April. The 

 same is true of the Lilium Martagon, the bulbs of which are 

 much valued by the Cossacks as a vegetable. With them it 

 is perfectly hardy ; in our warmer clime it will rarely survive 

 more than a single winter without protection, but with that pre- 

 caution it grows with more vigor here than in its native 

 home. 



The White Turk's Cap Lilv (L. Martagon alba), in the northern 

 parts of New York, in the Eastern States and in Lower Canada 

 thrives with all the vigor of a native plant. So common is 

 it in one locality in St. Lawrence Comity, N.Y., that a friend 

 sent the writer some flowers for name, saying it was a 

 common wild Lily, but she could not find it described in 

 Gray's "Botany." Here we can only grow it in a cold-frame ; 

 because it misses tlie blanket of snow that covers it in 

 Germany, its native home, and in oiu" own more northern 

 latitudes. 



In Vermont, where the ground is nearly always covered 

 with snow during winter, all kinds of Lilies grow to the 

 greatest perfection. We have seen finer bulbs of the L. aura- 

 tum, L. Brownii, L. chalcedonicuin, L. Martagon, and other 

 species, grown in that State without the slightest artificial pro- 

 tection, than we have ever known produced in any other 

 country. 



There are nianv other plants protected by snow in a similar 

 manner. We notice on the Alps, at an elevation that permits 

 of but four months of spring, summer and autumn, that the 

 wild Primrose grows in the greatest profusion and luxuriance. 

 It is there constantly covered with snow during their long 

 periods of freezing' weather. In the valleys below, where there 

 is no snow and but little frost, the same plant will not live 

 through the winter unless carefully protected. 



All that Lilies require for their perfect development and 

 rapid increase is protection against frost, and this is a simple 

 and inexpensive operation. 'The best and most natural cover- 

 ing is about six inches in depth of newly fallen leaves, kept in 

 place by a few boughs or pieces of board. Salt or marsh 

 hay will afford excellent protection; corn-stalks answer a good 

 purpose; in short, whatever material is the most convenient 

 is the best to use, if it will only prrjtect the bulbs against a tem- 

 perature tliat changes repeatedly from one side of the frost 

 line to the other. C L. Allen. 



Eriostemon intermedium. — This is a South Australian shrub 

 with rigid branches, small, shining, dark, pungent, evergreen 

 leaves, and white flowers tinged with pink. These are axillary 

 and borne in profusion along the primary and secondary 

 branches. Eriostemon belongs to the same family as the 

 (jrange, which it resembles in the size and shape of its flowers. 

 This is one of those beautiful, old-fashioned hard-wood plants 

 which should be more often seen in our collections. It is very 

 easily cultivated and should be potted in turfy peat mixed with 

 sand. It requires careful drainage and the protection in 

 winter of a cool green-house. In this climate it should, in 

 summer, be plunged out of doors, in partial shade. It flowers 

 in March. A figure of Eriostemon intermedium, which is con- 

 sidered by Bentham in his Flora of Australia as simply a for)ii 

 of E. myoporoides, was published in the Botanical Magazine, t. 

 4439- 



Boronia megastigma is another Australian shrub of the Rue 

 family, which is too rarely seen in our collections. It is chiefly 

 valuable for its deliciously fragrant flowers, a small spray of 

 which w:ill scent a whole room. B. megastigma is a slender, 

 delicate shrub, sometimes two feet high, with erect branches 

 and spreading opposite branchlets. The flowers are verv freely 

 produced from the axils of the sparse, linear leaves towards 

 the ends of the liranches. They are solitary, drooping, about 

 lialf an inch in diameter and sub-globose ; dark red-brown on 

 the outside and clear yellow within. This plant, which is now 

 ciuite commonly cultivated in some London nurseries on ac- 

 count of the fragrance of its flowers, requires cool green-house 

 treatment and should be potted and grown like a Cape Heath. 

 It flowers in March anil April. A figure of B. megastigma was 

 ])ublislied in the Botanieal Magazine, t. 6046. C. S. S. 



Mil'.a biflora incur Gardens. — Mr. Pringle's interesting note, p. 

 20, remincJs me tliat four years ago a large consignment of 

 Milla biflora, Bessera elegans, and some other bulbs, from 

 Mexico, were disposed of at auction in New York at ridiculously 

 low prices. Most of these bulbs were purchased by Long 

 Island growers, and have, since then, been grown by some of 

 our florists for cut-flowers in summer, for the New York 

 market. The bulbs are planted out in rows in spring, and cul- 

 tivated by horse power as we do Tuberoses and Gladioli ; 

 in the fall they are lifted and treated like Gladioli or Ti- 

 gn-idias. While out-of-doors in summer they grow well -and 

 Ijloom beautifully, seldom bearing fewer than two, oftener 

 seven or nine flowers on a scape. The flowers are white and 

 showy, and were picked every day for market. When left un- 

 picked, they set and ripen seed freely. Seeds germinate easily. 



Lilium Grayi. — I found this rare Lily, figured p. 19, perfectly 

 hardy at Cambridge, Massachusetts, and as amendable to cul- 

 tivation as were L. Canadense or L. superbum. Referring 

 to my note books I find : " 1882, July 2d — L. Grayi in full 

 bloom ; L. Canadense not yet in bloom, but its flowers are 

 ready to open." "1883, July 2d — L. Grayi in full Ijloom ; Z. 

 Canadense also in fi-dl Ijloom." The two species were growing 

 near each other in the garden. Their general contour, to a 

 casual oliserver, is very much alike. The most striking differ- 

 ence is in the flowers ; while those of L. Canadense ave always 

 nodding and the petals reHexed, those of L. Grayi are never 

 quite pendulous nor widely open, nor are the petals at all 

 reflexed. The flowers of L. Grayi are of a darker red color 

 than are those of the ordinary red L. Canadense, and the inner 

 surface of the petals is more thickly spotted with dark purple 

 spots. 



Forcing Azaleas. — In order to have Azaleas to bloom early get 

 them to make their growth early. It is not well to take plants 

 that are in bud and bring them into brisk heat in order to 

 bring them into bloom ; better bring them into heat after they 

 have finished blooming and get them to make their growth 

 early, and in this way advance their time to bloom. 



Cytisus Canariensis.— As soon as it has done blooming cut it 

 back enough to give the plants a shapely, stocky form ; then 

 give them a thorough washing in warm water (at a temperature 

 of 125° Fah.) to rid them of red spider, to which they are very 

 subject, and a fortnight after repeat the washing. Do not 

 repot them till they have started into fresh growth. It does not 

 pay to keep over old plants ; raise a few fresh ones from cut- 

 tings every year. Cuttings of the young wood strike freely. 

 The plants are in their prettiest condition when they are two to 

 three years old. IV. E. 



Grapes for Home Use. — I cordially agree with Mr. Williams' 

 notes on a choice of varieties. The kinds he has named have 

 thrived well on my grounds and have yielded good fruit. The 

 shores of the Hudson are better adapted to the growth of the 

 vine than the gTeater part of New Jersey, and we can cultivate 

 successfully some of the more delicate and fastidious sorts. 

 The lona appears to me to be the most delicious of all the 

 Grapes and is well worth a trial. The Agawam and the Lind- 

 ley have proved with me good growers and abundant bearers. 

 The fruit is superior in ciuality, but the clusters are rarely com- 

 pact and handsome. This defect is of minor consequence in 

 the home garden, where flavor is of the first consideration. 

 On warm, well-drained slopes I can ripen the Isabella and 

 Catawba, and I should be sorry to be without these old and 

 superb varieties. We need late as well as early Grapes. The 

 Bacchus is known almost exclusively as a wine Grape, but 

 about the middle of October it becomes a fine table sort. I 

 have about 112 varieties growing on trial, and hope to be able 

 hereafter to ofter some more definite and practical notes. 



E. P. Roe. 



