;22 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 495. 



Munich ; 8, German Teltow ; 9, Green Barrel ; 10, Green Globe ; 

 11, Grey Stone ; 12, Long White Tankard ; 13. Montmagny ; 14, 

 New Golden Finland ; 15, Pomeranian White Globe; 16, Pur- 

 ple-top Strap-leat ; 17, Purple-top White Globe; 18, Red-top 

 Globe-shaped ; 19, Red-top Strap-leaf ; 20, Robson's Golden 

 Ball; 21, Seven-top; 22, Teltow, or Small Berlin; 23, True 

 Jersey Navet ; 24, White Egg- ; 25, White Flat, or Globe; 26, 

 White Model ; 27, White Norfolk- ; 28, White Strap-leaf ; 29, 

 Yellow Aberdeen; 30, Yellow Globe; 31, Yellow Malta; 32, 

 Yellow Stone. 



Brassica oleracea must be held to include, I think, all the 

 Cabbages, Kales or Borecoles, Collards, Brussels Sprouts, and 

 Cauliflower and Broccoli ; and most botanists appear to agree 

 that the Kohl-rabi belongs here, but upon this point I am not 

 fully satisfied. So far as I know, B. oleracea is the most varia- 

 ble species in cultivation in temperate climates, although 

 Naudin would give this distinction to Cucurbita Pepo. But the 

 Brassica varies immensely in nearly all its parts, while the 

 important variations of the Cucurbits are confined to the fruit 

 and length of vine. There are few plants in which contem- 

 porary evolution can be so well studied as in this Brassica. 



The Chinese Cabbages, which are now coming into cultiva- 

 tion, possess unusual interest to both the horticulturist and 

 botanist. They are not only exceedingly variable, but the 

 variations are of such a character as to show very clearly what 

 has been the genetic history of the garden forms. The species 

 is now represented in cultivation by several widely different 

 forms. Hemslev refers the Chinese Cabbages to Brassica 

 campestris, but they really have little in common with that 

 much-abused species. 



The confusion into which our Brassicas have fallen is in 

 some measure due to the different vernacular names which 

 they bear in different countries. The French use the word 

 chou generically to include all forms of B. oleracea, and the 

 Ruta-baga — that is, all the blue thick-leaved Brassicas — while 

 in England the Ruta-baga is called the Swedish Turnip. A 

 tabular view of the different vernaculars may prove to be 

 useful : 



French. English. American. 



Chou Cabus, Cabbage, Cabbage. 



Chou de Milan, Savoy, Savoy Cabbage. 



Choux a Grossescotes, Portugal Cabbage. Portugal Cabbage. 



Chou de Bruxelles, Brussels Sprouts, Brussels Sprouts. 



Choux-verts, Borecole or Kale, Borecole or Kale. 



„, 1 Turnip Cabbage or I ,- , , , . 



Chou-rave, i ,, A ,- [• Kohl-rabi. 



J Kohl-rabi, j 



,-., Turnip-rooted Cabbage I „ , , 



Chou-navet, c j- 1 t - r Ruta-baga. 



I or Swedish Turnip, | b 



Choufleur, Cauliflower, Cauliflower. 



Navet (or Chou-navet), Turnip, Turnip. 



Cornell University. L. H. Bailey. 



Plant Notes. 



Popui.us alba Bolleana. — It is with extreme regret that I 

 see this handsome variety of Populus alba failing year by 

 year on our grounds. At one time it was thought that it 

 would be an exceedingly valuable shade-tree for street- 

 planting purposes in the northern towns of Ontario. A 

 number of trees were planted on our grounds here eight 

 years ago. They grew with great rapidity for five or six 

 years, and were very striking and, I may say, beautiful, 

 when suitably situated. Out of about a dozen specimens 

 on the grounds there is not a single healthy one to-day. 

 The causes which have brought about this sudden decline 

 are (1) severe winter cold without snow protection, (2) 

 borers, (3) fungous diseases. It is difficult to say which 

 factor has caused most injury to the trees. I am inclined 

 to think that the order I have placed them in is probably 

 correct. It is true that borers are exceedingly active in 

 their attacks upon Bolle's Poplar — much more so than upon 

 P. alba — and their presence seems to have a more directly 

 injurious effect. Low temperatures cause the bark to split, 

 branches to die off, and a general debility. Trees on sandy 

 loam or loam and clay exhibit little differences in behavior. 



Central Experimental Farm. Ottawa, Canada. John Craig. 



Kew from some conns received from south Africa. Ap- 

 parently nature and Herr Leichtlin had been working on 

 the same lines. The production is certainly a most dis- 

 tinct and beautiful form of Crocosmia aurea, being double 

 the size of the type in flower. These have wide segments, 

 are about three inches across and a tawny reddish orange 

 color, the reverse and buds being much brighter in hue. 

 It is much the handsomest and largest of any of the attrac- 

 tive family of Tritonias and hybrid Montbretias. Whether 

 it is hardy or not I do not know. The Montbretias only 

 have been tried here, but have never survived in the open. 

 It is possible and probable that they would do so if pro- 

 tected from wet, as are other Cape bulbs. 

 Elizabeth, N.J. J.N. Gerard. 



Crocosmia aurea Imperial's. — This plant has an interest- 

 ing history, the variety having been evolved by selection 

 from the type some ten years since by Herr Leichtlin. 

 About the same time a similar variety was flowered at 



Foreign Correspondence. 

 London Letter. 



NEW plants were less numerous than usual at the last 

 meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society. Orchid 

 fanciers were specially interested in a new bigeneric hybrid 

 of Veitchian origin, namely, Epilselia radico-purpurata, the 

 result of crossing Epidendrum radicans with Lrelia purpu- 

 rata, the former being the mother parent. The habit and 

 leaf characters of the hybrid resemble the Epidendrum, the 

 influence of the Lselia being evident only in the flowers, 

 of which there were two, borne on the apex of a slender 

 terminal scape. Each flower measured nearly three inches 

 across, and the segments were rotate, the petals ovate, 

 wider than the sepals, the lip pandurate and flat ; the color 

 was a light russet with a zone of magenta surrounding a 

 patch of bright yellow on the lip. The plant is of greater 

 interest to the botanist than the cultivator. Messrs. F. 

 Sander it Co. exhibited Angraecum Eichleri in flower. It 

 has an elongated or creeping stem bearing two rows of 

 ovate leaves, while the flower is not unlike that of A. 

 virens. The same firm exhibited a beautiful variety ofVanda 

 Hookeriana under the name of superba, and a plant bearing 

 one enormous flower of the rare Masdevallia Gargantua. 

 Messrs. Low & Co. sent a plant of their new Bulbophyllum 

 Claptonense, which is a near ally, if not only a form of B. 

 (Sarcopodium Lobbii). 



Sedum maximum purpureum, shown by T. Ware & Son, 

 is an extraordinary plant, exactly like the type, but wholly 

 of a dark chocolate-purple color, almost the color of the 

 purple beet. Although it did not obtain a certificate it is a 

 plant that will find favor for bedding purposes. Rosa 

 rugosa atropurpurea is a seedling which originated in the 

 nursery of Mr. G. Paul. It is distinct in the small size and 

 crinklmess of its leaves and in the rich velvety crimson 

 color of its flowers. A hybrid Clematis, said to be from 

 Viticella and Integrifolia, also from Mr. Paul, although not 

 brilliant, is likely to find favor on account of its shrubby 

 habit and terminal clusters of purplish pink nodding 

 flowers two inches across. Heliopsis Pitcheriana received 

 an award of merit and was much admired, the rich orange- 

 yellow of its flowers and their substance being exceptional. 

 A pure white-flowered Gladiolus of the Gandavensis group, 

 and named White Lady, also won favor. It is among 

 Gladioli what the White Watsonia is among Watsonias. 

 Messrs. Sander & Co. exhibited an imposing group of this 

 plant, the flower-spikes being over five feet high, copiously 

 branched and crowded with lovely snow-white flowers. 

 They also sent fine examples of Lilium Henryi and Exacum 

 macranthum. 



Hibiscus Syriacus ccelestis, with flowers of a rich mauve- 

 blue, and a blotched one called Painted Lily were awarded 

 certificates, the blue form being greatly admired. Veronica 

 la Seduisante, one of the speciosum section, is a beautiful 

 variety with large erect spikes of rich purple flowers. 

 Eucryphia pinnatifida was also well shown. This plant 

 is of special value, in this country at any rate, from its 

 habit of flowering late in July, a comparatively flowerless 

 period so far as trees and shrubs are concerned. The 



