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Garden and Forest. 



[Number 486. 



have the Government purchase a strip of land on which this 

 plant grows, there existed a widespread idea that it was 

 gradually becoming extinct. There seems to be little likeli- 

 hood of this calamity, however, as Dionasa is found abun- 

 dantly in some places all the way from Wilmington to 

 Fayetteville, in North Carolina. Its permanency is all the 

 more assured seeing that the plants thrive on soii which is of 

 little use for agricultural purposes. „ 



Botanic Garden, Washington, D. C. <-r. W. Oliver. 



June Irises. 



EARLY in June, just as the bloom of hybrid German Irises 

 is waning, we may expect the flowers of another group 

 scarcely less interesting and with colors as bright as those of 

 any of the family. These Spanish Irises are bulbous and 

 natives of south-western Europe and northern Africa. While 

 there are several species and numerous hybrids in the group 

 varying somewhat in hardiness, those which are classed by 

 the Dutch bulb growers as Spanish Irises are all perfectly 

 hardy in this latitude with no protection. They are yellow, 

 blue, blue-purple and white, selfs and in combination, and 

 sometimes with an admixture of brown. The Spanish Irises 

 have narrow leaves which spear in early winter, and they 

 flower at about eighteen inches in height. There are three 

 forms in general cultivation ; those with narrow falls spread- 

 ing laterally are the most common ; the Portuguese yellow 

 form, I. Lusitanica, has relatively broad falls which rise slant- 

 ingly, and there is a vigorous old form known as The Thunder- 

 bolt, with bronzy flowers, which is larger in all its parts. As 

 most of these Irises may be had at a low price they should be 

 planted in large groups, when they are most effective, and in 

 the open, where they will receive the full benefit of spring 

 rains, or if these are lacking they require generous waterings. 

 A full supply of water in the spring is necessary to their suc- 

 cessful growth and flowering, even if they have been well 

 matured the previous summer. They have flowered particu- 

 larly well this wet season, and some neglected bulbs which 

 seldom flower, owing to too dry a location, have been 

 brought forward by the abundant recent rains. 



Some of the bulbous Irises are scarce even at a high price, 

 and too many dealers fill orders for these with Spanish Irises, 

 always at high prices. Having been at the losing end of such 

 transactions a number of times, I offer the suggestion that 

 consignments of bulbs should be compared with one's stock 

 of bulbs of Spanish Irises and those of the same form under 

 different names should be regarded with some reserve. 



Elizabeth. N. J. J- N. Gerard. 



Asparagus Sprengeri.— This can no longer be considered a 

 new plant, for it is well distributed over the continent now, 

 and those who were fortunate enough to secure plants early 

 are beginning to enjoy the results of their venture, for the 

 purchase of new plants is speculation of the purest kind. Not 

 only do the plants sometimes vary from the published descrip- 

 tions, but their behavior is sometimes extremely local, a fault 

 the vender is not to be held responsible for. I am told that in 

 Italy, where Mr. Sprenger had the original plants growing, the 

 stems were upward of eight feet high and studded over with 

 brilliant scarlet seeds, and the visitor who was my informant 

 was most enthusiastic over the plant. Asparagus Sprengerii 

 promises to be even more durable when cut than either of the 

 other kinds now so commonly grown, and though it will never 

 supplant A. plumosus and A. tenuissimus in public favor, it 

 will make a sure place for itself. Our largest plant is now in 

 a twelve-inch pot, and cultivators will find that unlimited pot- 

 room is essential for its success, or it must be planted out. 

 The tubers are so numerous that they soon push the soil up 

 out of the pot. The new potting material, Jaddoo fibre, is said 

 to be best suited for such plants. It affords free root-room 

 and enables the tubers to expand in the pots. The flowers of 

 A. Sprengerii are quite pretty, being pure white on short 

 racemes, and the anthers are of a bright orange color. It is 

 decidedly ornamental when in bloom, and one can easily un- 

 derstand the effect of the red berries when ripe. The plant 

 must be propagated from seeds; cuttings will not root, as 

 with A. tenuissimus. Seeds must be freely obtainable, to 

 judge from the rapidity of its distribution recently. 



South Lancaster, Mass. E. O. Orpet. 



Ranunculus Ficaria.— This is an interesting Buttercup which 

 appears to have made its way to America now for the first 

 time. It was found growing as a weed in a pot with some im- 

 ported greenhouse plants about two years ago, and is now well 

 established in a small way in one or two Buffalo gardens. It 

 much resembles the Caltha and blossoms even earlier, so that 



it will be valuable in the list of April bloomers. The leaves 

 are less than half the size of those of the Caltha and run from 

 round heart-shape into broadly halberd-shape or sagittate ; 

 they are smooth, growing in a cluster that entirely conceals 

 the short stems, from which the numerous scape-like golden- 

 yellow flowers rise. The peculiarity which distinguishes it 

 from allied plants is the production of numerous elongated, 

 whitish tubers of the size of small peas. These are readily 

 separated some distance from the parent plant, and the plants 

 that spring from them also bear tubers before they are large 

 enough to blossom. The plant disappears after maturing its 

 tubers, not waiting to bear seed, but is perennial and reappears 

 the next season. This Ranunculus was known to Linnaeus, 

 who appears to have found it under the common name of 

 Ficaria, the fig plant, and incorporated the name into its scien- 

 tific title, as he so often did in other instances. 

 Buffalo, n. y. John Chamberlin. 



Correspondence. 



A Garden of Roses. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — In reference to Mr. Gerard's article on garden Roses, 

 on page 217 of Garden and Forest, I must put in a plea for 

 the so-called Hybrid Perpetuals, because of their splendid 

 decorative effects in the June garden. It is true that their 

 blooming season is soon past, but that is equally true of all 

 shrubs and flowering trees, and of most herbaceous plants as 

 well. We would hardly miss any other flowers so much as 

 these. Their flowers are so large and showy, and so freely 

 produced, and the plants grow to so much larger size than the 

 Teas that I think them preeminently desirable in any garden 

 where there is space enough to admit of their full develop- 

 ment. Their foliage is beautiful, and the new growth has fine 

 coloring, so that with their graceful habit of growth when 

 allowed to develop naturally they are attractive throughout the 

 summer after the flowering season is past. Besides, they do 

 give flowers occasionally in late summer and in the fall. As I 

 write there is before me a garden of Roses in their prime, con- 

 sisting entirely of June Roses and Hybrid Perpetuals. Here 

 Ulrich Brunner forms a large bush with a hundred perfect 

 roses of a rich, dark, velvety red. R. multiflora has taken 

 possession of a Mulberry-tree, over which it rambles and 

 which it has clothed with a beautiful garment of shining, 

 healthy foliage and masses of pure white clustered flowers. 

 In this lovely wilderness Paul Neyron is trained to a stake 

 twelve feet high, and from this elevation its immense roses 

 overlook all their neighbors. Abel CarriiJre has a little trellis 

 to support it, not too stiffly, and is covered with its beautiful 

 crimson blooms. Giant of Battles was one of the first to open 

 here, long before a Tea Rose had shown its color. It is ten 

 feet in height, the main stem tied to a stake from which 

 many wand-like branches depend, blooming in beautiful pro- 

 fusion. Old-fashioned double white Roses, such as Micro- 

 pliylla, Coquette des Alpes and Madame Plantier blend with 

 the deep red flowers I have named, and the queen of them all 

 is Madame Alfred Carriere, which needs an arbor to itself on 

 which to display the flushed blossoms with their exquisite 

 fragrance. 



In this old garden most of the Roses are old, and there are 

 many Hundred-leaved Roses and Rose of Provence, Burnet, 

 Damask, Moss and Cinnamon Roses in waste places and rock- 

 brakes, growing as they will. The well-ordered beds of Teas, 

 beautiful as they are, seem small and tame by comparison. 

 Hybrid Perpetuals increase in beauty every year, and this is 

 seldom true of the Teas, which must be often replanted. But 

 almost every type of Rose is beautiful and desirable, and the 

 Rose lover is likely to find room in his heart and in his garden 

 for all. 



The Lord Penzance hybrid Sweetbriers have proved them- 

 selves good growers, and are hardy and satisfactory here. The 

 flowers are usually larger and of finer coloring than those of 

 the parent Sweetbrier, while the foliage of all is pleasantly 

 fragrant. The old Sweetbrier is a delightful plant for the wild 

 garden. Often it has a half-weeping habit. There is some 

 difference in the color of its flowers, which, in a wild state, 

 range from nearly white to a clear pink. The finest Rose for 

 color which has ever opened at Rose Brake is a Copper 

 Austrian Brier now just out of bloom. It is curious to find a 

 Rose with petals of scarlet velvet, almost the hue of a vivid 

 scarlet Geranium. The blossoms seem on fire with their own 

 beauty. This color is altogether unique among Roses. The 

 foliage is very fragrant, something like that of the Sweetbrier, 

 but more spicy. Our specimen is planted where it can scram- 

 ble at will over a ledge of rocks, in company with such Roses 



