3 o8 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 493. 



part of the spadix, are concealed from view by the lower 

 half of the spathe, which is usually contracted near the mid- 

 dle, forming a tightly closed little chamber over the seed- 

 bearing part. The female organs arrive at maturity in advance 

 of the males on the same spadix bv several days ; there is, 

 therefore, little danger of self-fertilization. In order to have 

 access to the pistils it is necessary to cut an opening through 

 the walls of the little chamber. The proper time to do this can 

 only be judged by the size of the spathe, but if the stigmas are 

 not ready for the pollen a delay of a day or two makes little dif- 

 ference, as the perfect condition of the stigmas is indicated by a 

 viscid substance covering them. The pollen is at its best for 

 transferring easily in the forenoon, say from ten to twelve 

 o'clock, and at that hour, having selected the pollen-bearer, 

 nip off the entire inflorescence. This must be done carefully, 

 as the pollen falls off at the slightest touch, and therefore, 

 before nipping it off, incline it so that the pollen will fall into 

 the cavity formed by the upper part of the spathe. Then with 

 a camel's-hair brush convey a little of the pollen to each of the 

 stigmas, and after this is done tie up the inflorescence to a 

 support, so that with increased weight when the seeds are 

 ripening it will not fall over the side of the pot and break off. 

 A hanging label is affixed with the names of both seed and 

 pollen bearing parents. The seed is ripe in from two to three 

 weeks ; it is quite small, yellowish-white in color, and germi- 

 nates in shallow pans well drained and filled to within an inch 

 of the rim with a mixture of loam and sphagnum in equal 

 parts rubbed through a fine sieve. The seeds were barely 

 covered and pieces of glass were kept on during the warm 

 part of the day to prevent a too rapid drying out. In a few 

 days the seed leaves appear, and at this stage they look to 

 any one not familiar with seedling Caladiums like young tur- 

 nips, each one having a cotyledon missing. The first true 

 leaf, however, shows the identity of the plant, although it is 

 a trifle rounded. It is green in color, as is also the second 

 leaf, the third showing the first indications of other colors. 

 This occurs invariably in the middle of the leaf, being either 

 white or dull red. This is the stage in which the seedlings 

 are at present; they are growing in thumb-pots, three in each 

 pot, and are a healthv-looking lot. „ 



Botanic Garden, Washington, D. C. <^- »' • Oliver. 



Notes on Flowering Plants. 



FORTUNATELY for the grower, few gardening operations 

 are pressing in midsummer if the work of the early 

 months of the year has been done systematically. But at ail 

 times success depends largely on attention to details, and 

 some of these must be seen to now. Plants of different kinds 

 to furnish flowers for cutting in winter are essential on a pri- 

 vate place, and considerable management must be exercised 

 to find room for sufficient stock in the limited space usually 

 at command. 



Roses in pots and boxes out-of-doors in preparation for 

 winter-forcing are still growing freely, and with the abundant 

 rains we have had in this section are likely to grow for some 

 time to come, for it will take a considerable time to harden 

 and ripen this sappy growth. Carnations grown out-of-doors 

 are also liable to surfer somewhat from too much moisture, 

 for the growth is soft and naturally more open to fungoid 

 attacks. The plants should be closely inspected when they 

 are being replanted under glass about a month hence. In a 

 changeable season such as this has been the practice of grow- 

 ing Carnations under glass throughout the year is likely to 

 prove the most satisfactory. 



Bouvardias for cut flowers have often been deservedly noted 

 in Garden and Forest. The chief point in their care at this 

 season is frequent pinching to develop a bushy habit; the 

 time for the last pinching depends upon the season when it is 

 desired to have them in bloom. Planting out in a rather sandy 

 but rich soil is decidedly better for Bouvardias than pot cul- 

 ture, and results in much larger and stronger plants. There 

 is also less trouble from red spiders and other insects. But as 

 these plants are susceptible to cold they should be brought 

 under cover early, usually not later than the 15th of Septem- 

 ber in this locality. 



Cytisus and Acacias should now be making sturdy growth 

 outdoors in the full sunshine. They enjoy bountiful watering 

 during bright weather, but free drainage of the pots is neces- 

 sary, for all plants of this character are impatient of stagnant 

 water at the roots. The same treatment applies to Azalea 

 Indica, which should be plunged in coal ashes or other cool 

 material for the protection of the tender roots, and have full 

 sunshine to ripen the growth and an abundance of water to 

 perfect the flower-buds. Peat and leaf-mold are no longer 



considered absolutely necessary as the main part of the com- 

 port for Azaleas, so that the cost of such material and the 

 difficulty of securing it need not deter any one from attempt- 

 ing their cultivation. Admirable specimens have been grown 

 in a good fibrous loam. Chorozemas, Cestrums and Rein- 

 wardtias should be included in stock useful for conservatory 

 decoration and for cutting during winter and spring, and all of 

 these may be grown to advantage out-of-doors through the 

 summer. The growth thus made is short-jointed and better 

 ripened than that of plants kept under glass the whole season. 

 Stevia serratifolia and one or two of the Eupatoriums, notably 

 E. riparium and E. triste, are also useful for cut flowers and 

 require but little care. Spring-rooted cuttings potted on before 

 the growth became stunted and finally shifted into six-inch 

 pots are of convenient size, and after the main crop of bloom 

 has been cut the old plants maybe thrown away to make room 

 for other plants. Plenty of water and frequent pinching to 

 induce compact growth are the main requirements for Stevia 

 and Eupatorium, and when the plants are plunged out-of- 

 doors the pots should be twisted around once a week to break 

 off any roots that push through the bottom. 



Mr. Orpet's note about Poinsettias in a recent issue is plain 

 and practical. I heartily agree with his method of outdoor 

 cultivation, which produces much more stocky plants and of 

 stronger constitution than those grown under glass continu- 

 ously. Euphorbia JacquinaBtlora mav be grown in the same 

 way, but as this plant seems to suffer from indigestion at 

 times, and often fails suddenly, it is probably safer to keep it 

 indoors. 



Begonias for winter cutting, of which B. incarnata, B. Saun- 

 dersii, B. rubra and B. nitida are among the most useful, 

 should be grown on in pots from spring cuttings unless a short 

 section of bench can be spared for planting them out. The 

 latter plan has the advantage in producing a greater quantity 

 of bloom from a given number of plants. 



Bulbs of Lilium Harrisii are already in the market, but the 

 first consignments are not always the best, and unless New 

 Year blooms are desired, it is preferable to wait a little longer 

 for the bulbs. In any case they should be potted as soon as 

 received, for these bulbs suffer from long exposure to the air. 



Holmesburg, Pa. W. H. Taplill. 



Correspondence. 



Wintering Hardy Plants in Vermont. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — The last winter was a good one for testing the relative 

 hardiness of all kinds of plant-life in Vermont. As a rule the 

 coldest weather here is preceded by snow, so that the ground is 

 well protected from the lowest degrees of cold. But last 

 winter the coldest weather came with bare ground and it was 

 frozen to a great depth. Many plants that had been wintered 

 here in good condition in former years were entirely killed, 

 while others not killed outright were so put back as to require 

 a full season in wtnch to recover their former strength. Many 

 of the more tender Lilies were entirely killed when not situated 

 in sheltered places or protected, and others which were not 

 killed outright were so injured that the blight soon finished 

 them. The outer scales of the bulbs of L. auratum were so 

 frozen as to become rotten when thawed out in spring, and 

 though the shoots came up and at first appeared strong as 

 usual, they were early attacked by blight or some disease and 

 soon succumbed. Bulbs of L. longiflorum and its varieties 

 were generally killed outright, and those of L. speciosum were 

 also killed where exposed to the coldest winds. In sheltered 

 places or where covered with a mulch this species did not 

 suffer. Our native Lilies, like L. Canadense and L. superbum, 

 are usually among the first to be attacked with blight, except 

 L. candidum and L. excelsum, which with me have been the 

 the first to show it. But I have noticed this year that the 

 hardier kinds, like L. tigrinum, L. Canadense, L. superbum, 

 etc., have shown almost no blight, while others more tender, 

 which in former years have been comparatively free from it, 

 have suffered more. It is natural to conclude that the reason 

 for this is largely due to the injury from severe cold. I am 

 glad to state that the L. Henryi has proved not only quite 

 hardy, but remarkably free from blight, and may be counted 

 as one of the most reliable hardv Lilies. None of the Tiger 

 varieties have shown more vigor than this. 



Lilium Krameri, which has been wintered in the ground in 

 previous years, was wintered in soil in the cellar. It had 

 usually been so injured by the fall rains that we tried this 

 method, which has been a great success, for not only did 

 nearly every bulb come through in perfect condition, but 



