578 



Garden and Forest. 



[October 3, 18 



quality is, unquestionably, queen of all the autumn Apples 

 with which I am acquainted. The tree is of spreading 

 habit and good growth, but it does not bear as early or 

 abundantly as the trees already named. The fruit, too, is 

 liable to apple scab, which mars its beauty. Fifty years ago it 

 was grown extensively in this vicinity under the name of the 

 Vanduyne Apple, and I can remember earning my first money 

 witli other boys who were employed, at fifty cents a (iay, to 

 hand-pick the Apple crop of a neighbor and pack the Apples 

 in single-headed barrels, for carting to New York. But the 

 old trees have disappeared, and now it is difficult to find a 

 tree of mature age. Nevertheless, the excellence of the Fall 

 Pippin should insure a place for one tree in the smallest col- 

 lection of autvmin Apples. 



A strong competitor of the Fall l^ippin is the Orange Apple. 

 The tree is a better grower and much more productive. The 

 fruit is nearly or quite as large, on the average, and fully as 

 handsome, being really "Apples of Gold," smooth and fair to 

 look upon. When first ripe they are a trifle too acid to suit 

 some tastes for dessert use, but when they become mellow 

 the acidity mellows, too, into a most agreeable flavor. This 

 is at all times an excellent cooking Apple and eagerly sought 

 for by all who know it. This Apple has been confounded 

 with the Fall Orange of Massachusetts and the Lowell or 

 Greasy Pippin, which Mr. Downing records as distinct from 

 the Orange, although this name is sometimes given to it. 

 There is also an Orange Pippin grown quite extensively in 

 New Jersey which I think is different, but I am not so familiar 

 with it that I can assert this positively. The Oi'ange Apple, 

 according to Mr. Downing, originated in this State, and is 

 emphatically a New Jersey Apple; in fact, I do not remember 

 of meeting with it elsewhere. Its season is from October to 

 Decemlier. E. Williams. 



Montclair, N. J. : 



Cannas. 



"pHEMANN'S Canna surpasses others in its magnificent 

 -'--' proportions, and in the abundance and persistence of its 

 elegantly disposed, showy flowers. No other plant in the gar- 

 den displays as great luxuriance in one season's growth. For 

 a mass of it here, twelve feet by forty-five, and now impene- 

 trably thick, and grading from five feet high at the outside to 

 nine feet high in the middle, the plants were set out April 

 30th. singly, and twenty-four by thirty inches apart, in rich 

 ground. They made very little fresh growth before June, but 

 since then they have grown amazingly, and have been con- 

 tinuously in bloom since early in July. I have never known 

 this Carnia to mature seed. When set out the plants consisted 

 of one to three shoots each, and now they shovv from five to 

 eleven stalks to each clump. Last fall, when it was touched 

 liy frost, I cut it over at the ground, and, in order to secure a 

 large stock, at once divided the crowns into as many pieces as 

 there were eyes, and these were planted quite close together 

 in a frame heated in winter by a hot water pipe enough to keep 

 frost out, and were left there till planted out. While they 

 were in the frame their leaves were cut back two or three 

 times licfore planting-time, as they were growing up against 

 the glass, but it did them no harm, and when the plants were 

 set out they were fairly well rooted. All new and rare Cannas 

 can be treated in the same way. 



The old forms, such as Warscewiczii, Discolor, and the like 

 can be stored on a dry shelf in the cellar, and left there from 

 November till April unmoved, but we cannot keep Canna 

 Eliemanni in that way. It will not bear to be completely 

 dried olf with impunity, nor will Canna flaccida. 



I'remices de Nice is the best tall-growing, vellow-flowered 

 Canna. It beers branched spikes of clear yellow blossoms 

 that rise well above the foliage. Nouttoni forms a grand com- 

 panion plant to Ehemann's, but it does not grow so tall nor has 

 it such massive foliage. Its flowers are large, showy, and of 

 a rich crimson color. Adolph Weick is another brilliant-flow- 

 ered sort, but of more compact habit than those already men- 

 tioned. If fine foliage is desired more than blossoms we have 

 nothing better than Robusta perfecta. 



Within the last few years a new race of Cannas, popularly 

 known as Gladiolus-flowered Cannas, has appeared. They are 

 of quite dwarf or of moderate size, and have deep green, 

 glaucous green, or bronzy crimson foliage. The flowers are 

 imusually large and of many shades of yellow, terra cotta, 

 orange, crimson and crimson-scarlet, and are really showy 

 and beautiful. Emile Leclaire is a good representative of this 

 class. It has large, golden-yellow flowers, spotted with crim- 

 son and scarlet, and pea-green foliage. 



In the great flower fields at Queens the other dav I noted a 

 large assortment of these handsome Cannas in bloom. Among 

 them were ; 



Admiral Courfiet. — Green foliage ; flowers large, yellow, 

 with reddisli-brown markings. This variety was awarded a 

 flrst-class certificate by the Royal Horticultural Society at 

 London, August 28th last. 



Francisque Morel. — Green foliage; and showy, vivid 

 scarlet-crimson flowers. This variety received a similar award 

 by the same Society, and at the same meeting, as did the last 

 named. 



Edouard Andre. — Crimson foliage; deep red flowers. 



Gerard Audran. — Green foliage ; flowers reddish or terra 

 cotta color. 



Francois Lapente. — Crimson-shaded foliage; dark purple 

 stems, vivid red-crimson flowers. 



Guillaume Coustou. — Green foliage, very strong; flowers 

 yellow, spotted with red, fine. 



Revol-Massot. — Green foliage ; rich reddish-crimson flow- 

 ers, streaked with yellow. 



Princess de Lusignan. — Green foliage ; reddish or terra 

 cotta colored flowers. 



General de Neigrier. — Crimson foliage; crimson-scarlet 

 flowers. 



B. Cousan(;at. — Green foliage; vigorous habit; orange-scar- 

 let flowers. G. C. 



Chrysanthemums. 



BEFORE the appearance of the chilly nights of late Septem- 

 l.ier it is well to have all Chrysanthemum plants under 

 cover, as the cold nights, following the warm days, check the 

 voung growth and prepare the way for mildewed foliage and 

 poor flowers. While it is a wise plan to keep the plants in the 

 open air as long as possible, they should be securely housed 

 in a light and airy structure before there is any possibility of 

 frost, for, although the plants are cjuite hardy, the young buds 

 are very tender, and often a slight frost, when they are just be- 

 ginning to show, will ruin a whole crop of flowers. The house 

 should be one that will admit an abundance of light and air, 

 for good plants cannot be grown if either of these is wanting. 

 When placed in the house the plants should have plenty of 

 room — that is, they should not touch each other, but stand so 

 tliat there may be a free circulation of air about them, and as 

 soon as possible after they are under cover measures should 

 be taken to prevent mildew, which otherwise may spread rap- 

 idly, to the great injury of the plants. 



The most efficacious means of preventing mildew is fumi- 

 gating the house with sulphur, but the grower should be 

 warned that he is dealing with a very dangerous element if 

 carelessly handled. Ordinary sulphur when evaporated is not 

 injurious to the plants, but when heated above a certain de- 

 gree it is converted into a very different thing — sulphurous 

 acid — which is exceedingly destructive to living plants. Our 

 method of applying the sulphur is by evaporating it over a 

 small oil stove in a common two-quart agate-ware stewpan, 

 filled about one-third or one-half full of flowers of sulphur. 

 The wicks of the lamp are so arranged that the sulphur will 

 boil without burning. As long as it does not catch fire it is 

 safe, but the moment it does so the sulphurous acid is formed, 

 and the house will be quickly filled with the choking, irritating 

 gas, and the plants will appear as if they had l>een scorched by 

 a severe frost. When simply boiled the sulphur is thrown off 

 much like steam, and will crystallize in very minute particles 

 upon every part of the plants, thoroughly eradicating every 

 particle of mildew ; and if this is repeated occasionally the 

 plants can be kept entirely free from it. 



As soon as the liuds get large enough to be easily handled 

 the plants should lie disbudded, using a penknife with a small, 

 sharp point. No set rule can be laid down for this operation, 

 liut generally speaking the plants set more buds than can be 

 brought to perfection, and the superfluous ones should be re- 

 moved if large and perfect lilooms are wanted. Many varie- 

 ties will form a full, strong bud at the extreme end of each 

 shoot, with several smaller ones clustered close beneath it. 

 These latter should always be removed in the large-flowered 

 kinds, as they greatly interfere with the development of the 

 bud that is to remain, and when a specimen bloom is wanted, 

 not only these, but everv other bud on the branch, should be 

 taken away, so that all the energies of the branch can be de- 

 voted to developing the one left at its extremity. Soon after the 

 plants are housed they need stimulating by some quick fer- 

 tilizer to firing the blooms to perfection and keep the foliage 

 green and fresh. Liquid manure made by leaching stable 

 manure will answer all purposes, and should lie applied rather 

 weak, and ciuite often while the buds are forming. In fact, 

 once a day, when the plants are fiadly pot-bound, will be none 

 too often if it is applied in a weak state. 



