March 24, 1S97.] 



Garden and Forest. 



117 



spring of two of the best-known species it is regarded as a 

 triumph of the hybridist's skill. A short time since Mr. George 

 MacWilliam, of Whitinsville, Massachusetts, received a first- 

 class certificate for two plants exhibited before the Massachu- 

 setts Horticultural Society of this same cross which showed 

 marked differences from the Veitchian hybrid as shown by the 

 colored figure in The Garden of October 5th, 1895. This im- 

 provement is not surprising, as the parents were both very fine 

 forms of the two species, and the brighter coloring of the 

 petals and sepals and greater portion of the lip, that is colored 

 bright red, marks these two plants as distinct improvements on 

 the original as figured by Mr. Moon in The Garden. Mr. 

 MacWilliam states that the plants are but four years old from 

 seed, and while only two have flowered this season out of the 

 great number he has raised from the pod of seeds, many more 

 will probably be strong enough next winter, and it will be 

 interesting to mark the variation in the individuals, if there is 

 any. This clever hybridist has found that no two individuals 

 can be depended upon to come alike from the same seed pod, 

 the variation being great, both in the plant and flower. Another 

 remarkable fact concerning the seedling CymbiJiums is, that 

 while the strongest have flowered this winter there are many 

 tiny plants just appearing on the benches and on various 

 pots that are obviously from the seeds sown at the same time. 

 There are many surprises always in store for the hybridizer, 

 and the interest that attaches to a lot of seedling Orchids can- 

 not be described in words. It has just been demonstrated by 

 Messrs. Veitch that albinos occur among Orchids raised from 

 seeds produced by colored parents, as in Laslio-Cattleya Decia 

 alba, figured in The Gardeners' Chronicle (February 20th, p. 

 I2i), and another clever operator has shown that albinos can be 

 produced true from their own seed. Mr. Cookson has raised 

 Cypripedium Lawrenceanum Hyeanum from seed, and the 

 plant has flowers that are even larger than those of its 

 parent. It is a form of C. Lawrenceanum without the purple 

 in the flower, the white and pea-green giving a beautiful effect, 

 and it will be an inducement for hybridizers to attempt to re- 

 produce the exquisite yellow C. insigne Sanderae true to itself 

 rather than to adulterate it with foreign color. 



South Lancaster, Mass. E. O. Orpet. 



Notes from the Botanic Garden of Smith College. 



ALTHOUGH the Japanese Red-bud, CercisChinensis, winter- 

 kills badly in this neighborhood unless it is well protected, 

 itisone of the best shrubs we have tried for forcing, ft is just 

 now (March 1st) one of the most conspicuous objects in a cool 

 greenhouse ; the lovely pink blossoms are larger than those of 

 our native Red-bud, and are borne in greater profusion. Our 

 plants were lifted and potted last fall and stored away in a deep 

 frame until three weeks ago, when they were brought into the 

 greenhouse. Another good plant for this purpose is Berberis 

 aquifolia. We use the same plants every winter, and they are 

 producing twice as many blossoms now as they did three 

 winters ago, which was the first winter we tried them. Mag- 

 nolia stellata forces well, but the blossoms do not last more 

 than four or five days. M. fuscata, an evergreen species from 

 China, is just coming into flower. Daphne Cneorum is one of 

 the very best plants we have for forcing. The sweet-scented 

 pink flowers are borne in terminal clusters on each of its 

 many branches. 



Among herbaceous plants now in flower none are more 

 beautiful or make better potted plants than the common 

 Bleeding-heart, Dicentra spectabilis. The English Wallflower 

 and Brompton Stocks are in full bloom and are very sweet. 

 Seeds of both were sown last April, and the plants grown on 

 in pots all summer. Auriculas grown from seed sown last 

 April have produced good-sized blossoms, some measuring 

 one and a half inches in diameter. 

 Northampton, Mass. Edward J. Canning. 



naturalized in some such appropriate nook in the garden. 

 Plants can be removed from their native haunts in spring and 

 summer with tolerable success, if the transplanting is done 

 with care. But they will be thriftier and more apt to live if 

 moved in autumn while the plants are dormant. The wide, 

 plaited leaf is so peculiar that it is easily recognizable, even 

 when hanging limp and brown on the dead stalk. In places 

 where wild plants are not available the roots can now be 

 bought in quantity at reasonable prices. 

 Pineville, Mo. Lora S. La Mance. 



Cypripedium spectabile. — I once saw a remarkable display of 

 this beautiful pink and white Lady's-slipper in Minnesota. At 

 the foot of a little hill, overshadowed by the boughs of trees 

 and watered by a trickling rill on one side and a reedy lake on 

 the other, was a small peninsula that was completely covered 

 with tall, rank Cypripediums in full bloom. The curious 

 inflated flowers, flamed and rayed with clearest pink-purple, 

 were the largest I had ever seen, the foliage the most luxuriant, 

 and the plants the tallest. The spectacle presented by scores 

 upon scores of these great flowers lighting up the wilderness 

 which man had rarely penetrated was really magnificent. And 

 can we not here find a hint for those so fortunate as to possess 

 shady grounds sloping down to a brook or pond ? Wherever 

 this queen of our native Orchids is yet to be found it can be 



Cypripedium insigne, var. Mutchianum. — This plant seems to 

 deserve a varietal name for its distinct and beautiful form, its 

 great size, firm texture and prominent markings. It appeared 

 among a group of the popular Cypripedium insigne montanum 

 in Mr. J. E. Rothwell's collection at Brookline, Massachusetts, 

 and he has dedicated it to his gardener, who maintains a large 

 collection of Cypripediums in vigorous health. The most dis- 

 tinct characteristic of the flower of the new plant is its long 

 dorsal sepal, fully half of which is pure white, the basilar por- 

 tion being studded with deep chocolate-colored spots sur- 

 rounded with numerous smaller spots of the same color. The 

 inferior sepal is pea-green, sparingly spotted with light brown ; 

 the petals have thick lines of spots, deep brown in color, 

 which become obscure near the extremities ; the pouch is 

 yellow, with a light bronze suffusion, thestaminode being rich 

 shining yellow. It is one of the many desirable varieties of 

 this popular Orchid, and is represented by a fine well-grown 

 specimen. 



Cypripedium Leeanum, var. Zenobia. — This is closely allied to 

 Cypripedium Leeanum delicatum, a hybrid obtained from 

 C. insigne Sanderae and C. Leeanum. It differs, however, from 

 any yet flowered by its almost white dorsal sepal, a few lines of 

 very minute spots radiating from the base and two lines of light 

 reddish spots running through the centre ; the petals are very 

 pale yellow, with rows of small reddish brown spots, the tips 

 being absolutely pure white ; the labellum is bright vellow with 

 a faint brown suffusion ; the stuminode is clear lemon-yellow. 

 It flowered for the first time in the collection of J. E. Rothwell, 

 Esq., Brookline, Massachusetts, among a group of plants of 

 unrecorded parentage, and although many of the finest exist- 

 ing varieties are grown here, this is the most striking of those 

 which have yet flowered. 



New York. A. Dimmock. 



Removal of Greenhouse Shading. — When the naphtha-white- 

 lead mixture is used for shading greenhouses it is often diffi- 

 cult to remove the lead, since it adheres tenaciously to the 

 glass. If the lead used be unadulterated it may be softened 

 and in part removed by an application of diluted vinegar or 

 acetic acid. This acid converts the basic carbonate (white 

 lead) into the soluble acetate, part of which dissolves and runs 

 away, while the remainder can be more easily rubbed off if 

 still wet. It was found by experiment that a mixture of about 

 one part vinegar- to four of water was very successful, and that 

 the solution could be used effectively several times, depend- 

 ing upon the strength of the vinegar. It the lead has been 

 adulterated with barium sulphate, the common adulterant, 

 the barium will peel off of itself or can be more easily removed 

 by scraping than when the lead is pure. Barium sulphate 

 will not yield to the vinegar, since it is very insoluble. 



Ithaca, N. y. M. G.Kains. 



Correspondence. 



Notes from Gardens in Brookline, Massachusetts. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest: 



Sir, — Brookline, Massachusetts, has long been noted for its 

 community of interesting gardens. A visit at this season of 

 the year is naturally confined to the inspection of the many 

 interesting collections of plants under glass, although beauti- 

 ful trees and shrubs are not without attraction even in 

 winter. 



Professor Sargent's remarkable collection of Indian Azaleas 

 here is yet in winter quarters in deep pits, except a few plants 

 of the earlier varieties, which arc being brought info bloom 

 by gentle forcing. The season will thus begin now, and 

 continue through the splendid display in May and June, 

 and a few will be held until July, [mantophyltums have done 

 well here this year and wherever I have seen them. These 

 evergreen Amaryllids have always seemed coarse to me, but 

 it must be admitted that well bloomed specimens of the 

 deeper orange-flowered varieties are handsome, and their 

 colors combine effectively when properly used. They are 



