February 3, 1897.] 



Garden and Forest. 



47 



that are scattered all over Europe and extend into Asia Minor. 

 There are about ten species from about as many different 

 countries, and under garden culture a race of plants has been 

 produced which are much superior to the species themselves. 

 Of these the best are F. C. Heineman, Frau Irene Heineman, 

 Apotheker Bogren, Doctor Schleicher AlbinOtto, W. Schmidt, 

 Commerz, Benary and Hofgartner Hartwig. These are all of 

 German origin, and with their species flower about Easter- 

 time in the open ground ; it is possible to grow them out-of- 

 doors the year round if a little protection is given to the ever- 

 green foliage in fall in the way of dry leaves or hay to help 

 collect the snow round the plants. They are, indeed, very 

 suitable for planting as an undergrowth for trees or shrubs 

 that would furnish shade in summer, while they do not rob 

 the soil of so much moisture as to impoverish the Hellebores. 

 A good soil rich in vegetable humus is well adapted to their 

 growth ; a top-dressing of leaf-mold will best aid in keeping 

 the plants in vigor, and it should be left as a mulch rather than 

 spaded in and mixed with the soil, as there is danger of dis- 

 turbing the roots by this operation. 



Two species of Hellebore are found wild in Great Britain, 

 though possibly not indigenous. Helleborus fcetidus is of a 

 semi-shrubby habit and a plant of great decorative value on 

 account of its fine foliage effects in winter ; the other species, 

 H. viridis, is similar, and both have green flowers that are the 

 least desirable feature of the plant, their foliage being more 

 ornamental. 



Hellebores bear seed freely, and this may be sown prefer- 

 ably as soon as ripe, or some time will elapse before the young 

 plants appear. But as both the winter and spring flowering 

 sections cross readily, it is possible by forcing one and retarding 

 the other to hybridize the two sections and get very desirable 

 plants. Strong plants are readily separated, and this is the best 

 way to increase any desired variety. 



South Lancaster, Mass. E. 0. Orfiet. 



Pandanus. 



"ppEW plants are more useful or better known than Pandanus 

 -*- Veitchii and P. utilis, though it is hardly clear why these 

 are so generally grown, and other distinct and beautiful spe- 

 cies of the same genus are neglected. True, these two species 

 will endure more hardship, but some others are equally good 

 decorative plants. P. ornatus is a handsome species with 

 rather broad, bright, shining green leaves, furnished with 

 white spines. The marginal spines are strong, but those along 

 the midrib are somewhat minute. The leaves are more erect 

 than those of P. utilis, and their growth is not quite so rapid. P. 

 glaucus grows compactly and has shining bluish-green leaves, 

 furnished with white spines. P. lsevis is a tall-growing species 

 with the screws occurring closely ; the spines are sharp, brown- 

 ish green, the lower ones on the midrib curved, and often alter- 

 nately recurved. P. Pancheri looks much like a green P. 

 Veitchii, only the leaves are narrower. P. Javanicus varie- 

 gatus is one of the most beautiful of all the varieties ; the 

 leaves are long, narrow and somewhat drooping ; the ground- 

 color is bright green, with bands of white traversing the entire 

 leaf. 



These are a few of the more distinct forms, and all are 

 of comparatively easy cultivation. Screw Pines (as they are 

 commonly called) seldom flower under greenhouse treatment 

 or until they have attained considerable size, so that it is hard 

 to procure seed from this source, though seed of the more 

 commonly grown sorts can usually be procured from seed 

 stores. But this method of increase is seldom resorted to, as 

 offsets are easily procured from most of them. The offsets 

 should not be taken at too small a stage ; they root quite 

 readily, but the crowns must be kept well up to avert the dan- 

 ger of damping. They may be inserted in an ordinary propa- 

 gating-bed, or singly in small pots in a mixture of sphagnum 

 and sand, and potted on when well rooted. In shifting large 

 plants it is a good plan to use some antidote to acid in 

 the compost, such as charcoal, as there is nothing so inju- 

 rious to these plants as sourness in the soil. Large shifts 

 or frequent repotting is unnecessary, as they need compara- 

 tively little root-room in proportion to the size of the plant, 

 but when potting they should be set well down in the pots, as 

 they incline to push themselves up out of the soil. Roots are 

 quite freely sent out from the stem at the base of the old 

 leaves, and in their downward course they sometimes need to 

 be guided a little so that they will not run outside of the pot. 

 Some soft tying material should be used, so that there will be 

 no danger of cutting the roots. Some growers do not syringe 

 during the winter months, as the water is apt to accumulate 

 at the axils of the leaves and cause decay, but if a minimum 



night temperature of sixty degrees can be maintained and 

 fresh air often admitted, there will be little danger from this 

 source, and an occasional syringing helps to keep the plants 

 clean. The most injurious insect enemy is scale, which 

 quickly disfigures the leaves if allowed to get a footing. But 

 these plants are not particularly subject to pests. An occa- 

 sional sponging with water and whale-oil soap is a preventive. 

 To bring out the true characters of the variegated forms the 

 plants should be kept moderately shaded. If exposed to strong 

 light the colors lose their brightness to a considerable extent, 

 the white assuming a greenish hue and the green becoming 

 lighter. 



A plentiful supply of water is necessary during the summer 

 months, but in winter less is required, unless the plants are 

 exposed to the drying influences of fire-heat and the lack of 

 atmospheric moisture. These conditions should be avoided 

 as much as possible, as they do better in a moist atmosphere. 



Tarrytown, N. Y. William Scott. 



Onions. — Every one who has adopted the plan of sowing 

 Onion-seed in boxes and then transplanting the young seed- 

 lings, is convinced that in one respect this is preferable to the 

 old way of sowing the seed in drills where the plants are to 

 remain. Not one-sixth as much seed is needed as with the 

 old method, and the little labor involved in pricking out the 

 young plants is more than offset by the great saving of time in 

 weeding and thinning under the old system. Hardly any 

 manual work in the garden is more troublesome than weed- 

 ing among small Onions, but when the ground can be culti- 

 vated several times before they are set out many of the weeds 

 are killed, and, besides that, the young plants are of a sufficient 

 size to be seen, and there is less trouble in working among 

 them. By the new plan, as it is called, although it has been 

 practiced for a good while by individuals, an even crop is 

 always assured and the plants are less liable to attacks from 

 cut-worms and wire-worms. We sow the seed about the mid- 

 dle of February in ordinary seed-boxes, with a compost of 

 loam with dried and pulverized manure, and we set the boxes 

 on the shelf of a cool house. About the middle of March 

 these boxes are transferred to the frame and the plants are 

 hardened off gradually. The young plants are set out early in 

 April in rows two feet apart and six or eight inches between 

 the plants, according to the variety. Where space is valuable 

 the rows may be left eighteen inches apart, but it is much 

 more easy to cultivate between wider rows. Every variety I 

 have tried is improved by transplanting, and all mature earlier 

 than when they are treated in the old way. Our best keeping 

 varieties as well as our best-flavored ones last year were Prize- 

 taker, Ailsa, Craig and Cranston's Excelsior. The two last- 

 named are superior English varieties. Silver King and Giant 

 Rocca will grow to enormous size under this treatment, but 

 they are not good keepers. For a general grade we use Yellow 

 Danvers and Red Wethersfield. As a rule, white varieties do 

 not keep well, the best we have tried being the Queen. 



Taunton, Mass. W.N. Crai^. 



Correspondence. 



The Choke Cherry in Cultivation. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — Recent notes in Garden and Forest, as well as other 

 sources of information, seem to indicate that the Choke Cherry 

 is unknown to cultivation. Such is not the fact, although 

 its use is apparently limited and local. One of the earliest 

 recollections of my boyhood has to do with two or three 

 Choke Cherry trees beyond the garden in the edge of the old 

 orchard, and I can almost feel their pucker yet, and I recall the 

 feeling of danger when some older companion would utter the 

 grave warning never to drink milk after eating choke cherries. 

 These could hardly be called cultivated choke cherries, how- 

 ever, and the trees were simply spared where they had 

 chanced to spring up. 



In distinct contrast with this puckering little fruit I call to 

 mind another kind, always spoken of as the "tame" choke 

 cherry. The merits of this fruit may have seemed greater 

 than the reality, since none of it was to be found on our own 

 farm. Still, any boy would call this fruit good, and when pre- 

 pared for the table boys still call it good, no matter what may 

 be their age. The botanical characters of the tree appear to 

 be the same as those of the wild Choke Cherry, Prunus Vir- 

 giniana, though the tree reaches a larger size than that com- 

 monly reached by the shrubs along the fence rows. In this 

 cultivated form the trunk often reaches a diameter of from 



