268 



Garden and Forest. 



[August i, 1888. 



Randii, or, as some of your readers may prefer to call it by 

 its synonym, E. macrocliiluin Raiidii. It is one of the 

 evergreen Epidendriims, with egg-shapedbulbs andstitf, nar- 

 row leaves, and a densely-flowered, erect spike. The 

 flower, about i^ inches across, has olive green sepals 

 and petals, and a broad, wedge-shaped lip, pure white, 

 with carmine blotch in the centre. The perfume is de- 

 licious, and another good point in it is that the flowers 

 endure a very long time, several weeks, in fact, if kept 

 cool and in a dryish house. There is not such a great 

 difference between the old E. macrochihim, pure and sim- 

 ple, and the new one, but the latter seems much freer in 

 growth and flower. It was shown by Sir Trevor Lawrence, 

 who also showed, besides other choice Orchids, a marvel- 

 ous specimen of Dendrobiiiiii Bensonice. It consisted of 

 about a dozen pseudo-bulbs, each fifteen inches high or 

 more, and every one was densely covered with bloom. 

 But alas ! it was an imported plant, and never again will 

 the bulbs put out such a wealth of bloom. 



An addition to the numerous race of green-house Rhodo- 

 dendrons has been made by Messrs. Veitch, who have 

 done more in the improvement of this race of shrubs than 

 any one else. They first intercrossed the Malayan R. niulii- 

 color Ciiiiisii, a small flowered species of dwarf, straggly 

 growth, with another species named R. Teysmanni, which 

 has large, bold, pale yellow flowers, the result being a 

 variety called Queen of Yellows. They have again crossed 

 this with R. Curtisii, and obtained a splendid novelty called 

 Hippolyta, which is quite a "break" as regards color. 

 The value of R. Qi/iisii lies in its rich carmine crimson 

 colored flowers and this tint has been infused in the cross 

 with Queen of Yellows. The flowers of Hippol)'ta are of 

 beautiful shape and of a color as rich as those of its parent. 

 We shall have to wait a few years before we can realize 

 what this superb race of Rhododendrons will be ; we 

 want to see them on specimens a yard across. I saw 

 some of the older sorts not long since in Fisher's nursery 

 at Handsworth, where these Rhododendrons are grown to 

 perfection. 



The displa)' of fancy Pelargoniums was remarkalile and 

 the peonies of Messrs. Kelway of Langport still more so. 

 Two thousand blooms were shown, many of them as 

 large as a child's head, or richest color, and a fragrance 

 rivaling that of a Tea Rose. But one new Rose was shown, 

 a beautiful single flowered one, sent by the Rev. H. Dom- 

 brain under the name of Striped Briar. The flowers are 

 as large as those of Rosa canina (Dog Rose), of a deep 

 and pleasing rose-pink with splashes and flakes (not 

 stripes) of white, while the foliage was scented like that of 

 the Sweet Briar. But the experts said that it was not a 

 variety of the Sweet Briar (^R. nibigiiiosa), while others 

 thought it was, so it was decided to send the specimens 

 for identification to Kew. Everybody at the meeting was 

 charmed with it. W. Goldring. 



London, July 2d. 



New or Little Known Plants. 



Magnolia Thompsoniana x . 



THE interesting and handsome Magnolia figured upon 

 page 269 of the present issue originated, according to 

 Loudon, in the nursery of a Mr. Thompson, at Mile End, 

 in England, eighty years ago. There are colored figures 

 of this plant in i\\e JSolanical Miigaziiie (/. 2164), in Hilaire's 

 "Flore cl Pomone Francoises, " v., t. \'~,\, in Reichenbach's 

 Exotic Flora, /. 342, and in the " Serhnii Botanicum" v., /. 

 28 ; but none of these are good or do justice to its beauty. 

 It has l)een considered a large flowered variety of M. 

 g/iu/ca (var. major, Botanical Magazine, 1. c), and lay some 

 authors a hybrid between Af. glatica and I\I. Uvihrella. It 

 is probable that the latter supposition is correct, as, although 

 the leaves of M. TJiompsoniana cannot be distinguished 

 from those produced on a vigorous plant of JM. glanca, 

 the leaf buds are quite glabrous and destitute of the 

 silky hairs which cover those of that species, while the 



broad, strap-shaped, reflexed sepals, and obovate-oblong 

 petals, contracted into a narrow claw, distinctly belong 

 to M. Umbrella; the flowers, rather more than six inches 

 across when fully expanded, being intermediate in size 

 between those of the two species. They have, on the 

 other hand, the delicious fragrance peculiar to the flowers 

 of M.glauca. So far as I know, AI. Thornpsoniana does not 

 produce fruit; and it is a curious fact that it is much less 

 hardy and much less vigorous than either of its sup- 

 posed parents, suffering here always, unless carefully 

 protected in winter, and rarely rising above the size of 

 a small bush, although Loudon, in his "■Arboretum," pub- 

 lished in 1838, speaks of trees at Mile End more than 

 twenty feet high. I shall be glad to see fruit of this 

 plant and to learn if it grows more vigorously in Europe 

 than it does in this country. Our illustration is from a 

 drawing made by Mr. C. E. Faxon of a flower from Mr. 

 Parkman's garden in Jamaica Plain. It shows the three 

 sepals reflexed before the full expansion of the petals. 



c. s. s. 



Cultural Department. 



Herbs for Seasoning. 



MINT, Sage, Thyme, Parsley, Chervil, Savory, Tarragon, 

 Basil, Marjoram, Chives and Shallots are the lierbs 

 most generally used in the kitchen, but in books and catalogues 

 a number of others, Clary, Samphire and the like, are included, 

 though they arc very seldom used. Some of these herbs — Par- 

 sley, Mint and Chives, for instance — are indispensable in the 

 smallest cottage gardens, and nearly all are grown and called 

 for in large private gardens. But apart from their utility as 

 herbs used as seasoning, most of tliein — say Sage, Thyme, 

 Sweet Basil, Marjoram and Winter Savory — are favorite garden 

 plants, and are grown, like the Sage for its pretty flowers in 

 June, and the Thyme for its fragrance at all times. 



Spear Mint is a hardy perennial easily grown in any good 

 moist garden soil. If increase is wanted dig up a clump and 

 divide it and replant. The same plantation will last for years. 

 In order to have green Mint early in the year lift some roots 

 in November, plant them in shallow boxes and in January or 

 February bring these into the green-house ; or plant a few 

 clumps in a warm frame. 



Sage is a hardy perennial easily raised -from seed sown in 

 spring. The same plants are good for many years, but in 

 order to have vigorous stock it is well to renew them every 

 few years, and tor this may be used some of the many self- 

 sown seedlings that come up every spring about the old 

 plants. 



Lemon Thyme is a very sweet herb, a hardy perennial, 

 easily raised from seed sown in spring, and lasts for years ; 

 but it is well to renew it every second or third year. The 

 broad-leaved English and sand Thymes are not as good for 

 flavoring as the Lemon Thyme. 



Curled-leaved Chervil is a short lived annual very much 

 used by French cooks. It should be sown two or three times 

 a year, and in some part of the garden where it may be al- 

 lowed to sow itself, as it always grows better in this way 

 than when hand sown. Seeds over a year old will not ger- 

 minate. That sown in fall survives the winter perfectly. 



Sweet Basil is a fragrant annual, easily raised, but only oc- 

 casionally called for ; indeed it is worth more as a sweet- 

 smelling ornamental plant than for use in the kitchen. Sweet 

 Marjoram is a slender growing annual, but easily raised from 

 seed. It is used a good deal, and more esteemed for flavoring 

 than Pot Marjoram, which is a hardy perennial, and a small, 

 neat growing plant, but not very hardy. 



Summer Savory is an annual of slender growth, but easily 

 grown in light rich land. Winter Savory is a small plant, 

 a perennial, and not hardy here, but raised froni seed sown 

 in spring it soon forms neat little plants. TheSummerSavory 

 is the one most esteemed for flavoring. Tarragon is a 

 hardy perennial and much used by English and French cooks. 

 It is a vigorous growing plant, spreading at the root a good deal 

 and loving rich soil. Although the clumps will last for years, 

 it is best to lift, divide and replant them every second or third 

 year, to invigorate and keep them within bounds. 



Although the plain leaved Parsley is the best flavored, there 

 is so little difference between this and the curled-leaved varie- 

 ties, that most persons prefer the Moss Curled, on ac- 

 count of its pretty appearance in garnishing. Celery is use- 

 ful all the year round. So long as blanched Celery is on hand 



