484 



Garden and Forest. 



[December 5, i888. 



A vegetable in great demand is the Mustard Green {Qiion 

 quat), which is obtained in large additions in pickled form 

 among Chinese importations. This is greatly prized for its 

 flavoring quality in the composition of varied soups and stews. 

 A kind of green, growing like a Lily, in -the water, is the Own 

 choy, with a triangular form of leaf and a hollow stalk like the 

 Bamboo. A variety known as Yen chgy, meaning lamb's 

 quarter, is cultivated, and the Bie choy, the white-green, with 

 green top and white stalk, is another of this series.' The Tong 

 £ A oy and the Long n a hoe, or snowflake green, are additional 

 varieties on trial. 



The Ho Ian doe, or Sugar Pea, is satisfactorily developed for 

 the market, and the String Bean, the Doc goe'oi the Chinese, 

 attains a length of two feet under favorable conditions, or 

 about half that of its native growth. The white Turnip, while 

 sweet and tender, is of smaller size than in China or in Cali- 

 fornia. This is of lengthened form, with a weight of possiblv 

 fifteen pounds as an indigenous production. 



The Chinese Spinach {Boe choy) grows much larger 

 here than our common garden species. In full growth 

 its clear white stem is about the ordinary size of the Celery- 

 stalk. It is tender and succulent, growing'in the rich soil of its 

 new location. The Fon qua, or Pumpkin, of this introduction, 

 is of lengthened form, resembling a club. The Foo low goe 

 may be easily identified from familiarity with any other varie- 

 ties of the Gourd. A more peculiar variety of its species is 

 found in the Boe qua, or crescent-shaped white Cucumber. 

 Two kinds of Citrons are produced in diminutive size com- 

 pared with the growth of the species in China or in Cuba, 

 where the largest specimens of the fruit may weigh fift\- 

 pounds or upward. On Long Island the average weight is 

 about two pounds. One variety, with furry extei-ior like the 

 caterpillar, is known as the Don qua. This is largely used in 

 soup, while the Zit qua is preserved in the form of sweet- 

 meats. The Lettuce is produced in some quantity as Shang 

 choy J Celery as Hon kon, and Yuen si is Parsley of a high 

 flavor, and corresponding value. 



All vegetables are sold in the Mott Street market-places by 

 weight. The exhibition of these is made in baskets, and with 

 single specimens hung by strings outside the doors of Chinese 

 groceries. The production is managed with great care and 

 diligence, the methods being those of China, with only such 

 natural modifications as may be indicated in connection'with a 

 fresher soil and with implements of improved varieties in 

 some part adopted. 

 New York. E. T. Lander. 



New or Little Known Plants. 

 Acidanthera bicolor. 



THIS plant, which is figured upon page 486 of this 

 issue, belongs to the Iris family, and although the 

 flowers are not as brilliant in color as those of some of the 

 species and varieties of the nearly allied Gladiolus, it is an 

 interesting and valuable addition to the list of bulbs which 

 serve to make the flower-garden attractive during the sum- 

 mer. The bulb is small, not exceeding an inch in diameter, 

 with Gladiolus-like foliage and a lax flower-spike two or 

 three feet in height. The flowers, which are deliciously 

 fragrant, especially in the evening, are long tubed and 

 somewhat pendulous, with a creamy white perianth, 

 marked with broad, chocolate-brown blotches. This 

 plant requires the treatment given to the tender species 

 of Gladiolus, except it is found to prefer a somewhat stiffer 

 soil. It can be propagated by seed or by the small 

 bulblets which it produces in great numbers. 



The illustration upon page 487 represents a number of 

 these plants grown together in a tub, which bloomed 

 during the month of October in a garden near Boston. 

 It serves to show the value of this plant, and several others 

 of the same class, for the decoration of conservatories or 

 living rooms, after the frost has destroyed the beauty of 

 out-door gardens. 



The flowering time of nearly all these plants can be 

 retarded by starting them late, and, in this way, they can 

 be got to flower, with the protection of a frame or cold 

 pit, considerably later than their usual period, and at 

 a season when flowers are not abundant. 



The genus Acidanthera was established by Hochstetter, 

 and the plants which are included in it are distinguished 



by their pointed anthers, as the name implies. Ten or 

 twelve species, natives of central or southern Africa, are 

 now referred to this genus. A. bicolor"^ was first collected 

 by Shimper in Abyssinia and was described as long ago 

 as 1844, although it has never been very well known in 

 gardens, and no figure has been published of it, with 

 the exception of the early and not very accessible one 

 quoted below. W. E. Endicott. 



Dorchester, Mass. 



Foreign Correspondence. 



London Letter. 



ALTHOUGH the past season has been considered 

 unfavorable to Chrysanthemums, yet the quality of 

 the flowers has, so far, been very satisfactory. The Japanese 

 kinds were exceptionally good at the exhibition of the 

 National Chrysanthemum Society, held this week in the 

 Aquarium at Westminster ; indeed, all the cut blooms were 

 considered fine. But we have too many names for these 

 plants, and the proposal that has been made to reform 

 this matter by holding a special exhibition for the pur- 

 pose next November, comes none too soon. Next year 

 will be the centenary of the introduction of large-flowered 

 Chrysanthemums into Europe, and it is proposed to cele- 

 brate it by an exhibition of an exceptional kind. This 

 would afford a good opportunity for dealing with the 

 name difficulty. Roughly, we have about a thousand 

 names for Chrysanthemums, and new ones are added b)' 

 the dozen annually. You in America are held responsible 

 for a good deal of double naming, more especially among 

 the Japanese kinds, for you import new kinds direct from 

 Japan. These you give your own names to. We get 

 "them, too, from Japan, and name them, and afterwards 

 find that some of ours are identical with yours. How- 

 ever, a few new ones have lately been raised in England 

 that are good and well marked Such is Stanstead Sur- 

 prise, with very large flowers, the petals of good sub- 

 stance, curled and colored rich crimson, fading to pink, 

 the under-side being silvery ; Alpha, Album Fimbriatum, 

 William Holmes and Mrs. J. Wright are others. But the 

 flower of this year is Edwin Molyneux, 'of which some 

 gigantic blooms were shown at the Aquarium, and 

 were greatly admired by the crowds. Probably the desire 

 for big flowers is a little absurd. They are certainly lack- 

 ing in beauty when seen on the plants, and on the exhi- 

 bition table the)r are misleading. After all, the right place 

 for a flower is on the plant which bore it, and the best 

 Chrysanthemum is that which makes the prettiest picture 

 as a whole. 



The most striking of the newer Orchids flowering now 

 is Caltleya Bouringiana. This plant is certain to become 

 as popular for winter flowering as its near ally, C. Skinneri, 

 is for spring. These two species resemble each other very 

 closel)' ; in fact, much more so than many others which 

 are recognized only as varieties. Still they are distinct 

 enough in their seasons of flowering, and C. Bouringiana 

 has the advantage in that it blooms when Orchid flowers 

 are scarce. It requires the same treatment as C Skinneri, 

 and is one of the freest of all Cattleyas in respect of growth 

 and flowers. The latter are rose-purple ; the lip. which 

 is funnel-shaped, being maroon-purple with a white blotch 

 in the throat. Cypripedium Elliottianiun is the latest of Mr. 

 Sanders' grand list of new introductions. This enterpris- 

 ing nurseryman has done more to enrich Orchid collec- 

 tions than any other importer of recent years. Within a 

 very short time he has introduced C. Sanderianuni, C. 

 Rolhschildianum and C. Ellioitiamim , a magnificent trio, 

 certainly. The last is named in compliment to Mr. 

 Elliott, of your city. It has the habit of C. Stonei, and 

 very large handsome flowers on scapes about a foot high. 

 The dorsal sepal is one and one-half inches wide and two 



'^.Acidanthera btcoloy, Hochst. in Regejisb. Flora, 1S44, 25 — Bouche & Wittm. in 

 Berlin. Mo)tat., .\ix., 12 t., 1. Baker in Jour. Linn. Soc, xvi., 160. 

 I.via Qartiniana, A. Rich, Fl. Abyss., ii., 310. 

 Sphtirosjiora giga.ritc-a, Klatt in Linniza, xxxiv., 699. 



