356 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 498. 



Carex Japonica —This pretty little Grass, with yellow and 

 green striped foliage, proves useful in many ways, and small 

 plants in four-inch pots, alternated along the outside of a table 

 with plants of Isolepis gracilis, make a pretty arrangement. It 

 is also attractive with Ferns in artistic basket-work, and for 

 Fern cases. A few plants out-of-doors have stood the sun 

 well, and it evidently will prove a good bedding-plant. 



Clematis tubulosa —This shrubby plant is one of the most 

 striking features in the border at this season. It forms a neat, 

 low, rounded bush just now, and is covered with small deep 

 blue flowers. It is especially suitable for planting on hillsides 

 and in a low shrubbery. 



Kelway's Delphinium, Princess of Wales.— This is the first 

 white perennial Larkspur I remember ever to have seen. 

 Only the few deformed petals which form the shield for the 

 stamens are dark-colored. The sepals are the showy part of 

 the flower, and are often mistaken for petals. 



Violas, or Tufted Pansies. — A bed of these yellow and blue 

 flowered plants has interested many visitors, who mistake 

 them for Pansies. But while the flowers of Pansies grow 

 smaller as summer advances, Violas, which are summer- 

 blooming, are then at their best. They are easily raised from 

 seed sown in spring. 



Wellesley, Mass. ^- J-)- fi. 



Correspondence. 



Notes from West Virginia. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — Varieties of Hibiscus Syriacus, commonly called 

 Althaeas, are freely planted in this neighborhood. Although 

 rather stiff-looking shrubs, they are useful at this season of the 

 year, for they are in bloom throughout several weeks of late 

 summer and early autumn, and, with the exception of some 

 Hydrangeas and a few other plants, are the only shrubs now 

 in flower. For want of other material, we often use Altheas 

 for cut flowers for the house and also for the decoration of the 

 little church in the village near which Rose Brake is situated. 

 Generous branches cut from the shrubs are quite effective in 

 large jars and vases. A recent arrangement of these flowers 

 had several attractive features which I would like to describe. 

 Jars for corners and fire-places were filled with sprays of the 

 pale rose-colored single Althaeas ; others with the pure white 

 variety which has deep maroon-red centres. Double and 

 semi-double flesh and peach blossom-colored Althaeas were 

 also used in masses, each variety by itself. In smaller vases 

 the light-toned and white kinds were combined with foliage of 

 a Japanese Snowball and many tall heads of Wild Carrot to 

 soften and give variety to the effect. The particular Snowball 

 used is one that differs from all others of its kind that I have 

 seen. It is planted upon a rock, and, possibly because of poor 

 nourishment, has foliage of a uniform dull red color all 

 summer long. It never shows a single green leaf, and, 

 although we do not prize it especially for its effect in the 

 shrubbery, we have found the peculiar tint of its foliage quite 

 attractive in decorative arrangements. The contrast of its 

 rich, subdued coloring with the cool-looking deep green of the 

 Althaea foliage, starred with its handsome flowers, is excellent. 

 In this arrangement care was taken to avoid a flat effect by 

 using long sprays and by cutting the Wild Carrot with some 

 long stems. 



At another time large vases and bowls were filled with the 

 full cream-colored heads of Hydrangea grandiflora mingled 

 with sprays of the purple-leaved Barberry, which are not 

 purple in reality, but a mingling of rich crimson, dark wine- 

 color and tints of dull green. Sunflowers used alone, or with 

 masses of the tropical-looking foliage of Aralia and Sumach, 

 were found effective at another time. The largest flowers 

 were used for corners in the hall and for fire-places, and the 

 smaller ones for stands and mantel decoration. 



Almost all of our garden flowers now in bloom, such as 

 Dahlias, Marigolds, Zinnias, Phlox and China Asters, have a 

 stiff aspect, which makes them less desirable for cut flowers 

 than their wild neighbors of copse and field. Vines, however, 

 whether wild or cultivated, are never stiff, and I wish here to 

 call attention to the beauty of the common Trumpet Creeper 

 when tastefully arranged, for house or church decoration. It 

 is particularly effective for draping mantels, and ample lengths 

 should be cut for this purpose with the large red trumpets 

 naturally disposed amid the foliage. Fire-places and corners 

 may be filled with it, a background of Asparagus with red ber- 

 ries giving lightness of effect. Balustrades may be wreathed 

 with it, and it may be draped in graceful festoons from the 

 walls. Wild Clematis, wild Grapevine with ripe grape-clusters, 



and the Virginia Creeper with its berries, are some other vines 

 that can be often used with fine effect for decoration. One 

 who searches through the shrubberies for material for this 

 purpose finds many odd-looking carpels and capsules and 

 berries, as well as hips and haws. Among a few of these are 

 Elderberries with abundant foliage, which are suitable in some 

 arrangements, and mingle well with yellow flowers, and the 

 despised Golden Elder is not unattractive used in this manner. 

 A branch of the rare Fontanesia phyllyraeoides was found at- 

 tractive, its singular light green seed-vessels depending from 

 the twigs in pleasing contrast with its neat foliage of a darker 

 shade. The black seeds of Pardanellus Chinensis contrasted 

 with their yellow stems and capsules, may be used effectively 

 sometimes in arrangements of wild flowers. The burnished 

 purplish berries of Callicarpa purpurea give variety to bouquets 

 of wild Asters ; and branches cut from bushes of Rosa rugosa 

 may be used by themselves, the handsome little red and 

 orange colored apples hanging effectively among the rich 

 green foliage. 



These few suggestions may be useful to supplement the 

 admirable articles upon the subject of interior decoration that 

 have already appeared in Garden and Forest. 

 Rose Brake, w. Va. Danske Dandridge. 



Notes from Germantown. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest: 



Sir, — With reference to the Black Locust (see page 338), I 

 have observed that the Locust borer is a pest of this tree and 

 that the growing of it for profit is not always satisfactory. On 

 a recent journey from Carlisle to Gettysburg I saw a large 

 number of Black Locusts, and in many cases the borer had 

 nearly destroyed them. In some instances the trees had been 

 set out along farm lanes and dividing lines, and I observed 

 some rows in which every tree was partly dead. Usually it 

 was the upper half which was injured. 



English Hollies do not utterly lack in hardiness if they are 

 surrounded by other evergreen plants while young, and are 

 being planted in this vicinity more than formerly. The Japa- 

 nese species, Ilex crenata, is more hardy than English Holly 

 and has small myrtle-like foliage. Of course, our native Holly 

 is entirely hardy about Philadelphia. 



The long loose clusters of fruit of the White Fringe-tree, 

 Chionanthus Virginica, are ornamental now. The sterile 

 flowers and the fruits are borne on separate individuals. 

 Sterile plants are sometimes grafted with the fruit-bearing 

 sort, but the grafts do not take readily. Those who have 

 sterile plants may take satisfaction in knowing that the flowers 

 on these are more beautiful than those of the fruitful plants. 



The fruit-pods of Euonymus Americanus are showy now. 

 The pods are purplish red and warty-looking. The resem- 

 blance of this fruit to that of the Strawberry tree of Europe, 

 Arbutus Unedo, is not altogether a fancied one, and a few 

 years ago tree-agents sold any sort of Euonymus for Straw- 

 berry trees. When quite ripe the fruit of Arbutus Unedo is 

 excellent for eating. E. radicans, though mostly used as a 

 vine or for an edging to a bed, is an attractive pyramidal 

 object when tied to a stake for a year or two. These plants 

 are sometimes used in cemetery lots, and when trained in this 

 way they closely resemble a Juniper in form, and are also 

 evergreen. 



Althaeas have not been as beautiful in many years as they 

 are now, the frequent rains having suited them perfectly. 

 These shrubs could hardly be spared at this season, both 

 because of the number of pleasing varieties and the scarcity 

 of other shrubs in flower at this time. The bushes should be 

 severely pruned in their dormant season to bear the best 

 flowers. 



Our wild Bearberry, Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi, is not found 

 in many collections. It needs a sandy soil and thrives well in 

 almost pure sand. _ , , „. , 



Germantown, Pa. Joseph Meehan. 



Some Utah Shade-trees. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir. — The deciduous trees planted in Utah for shade, either 

 in the cities or on the farms, consist almost entirely of three 

 kinds, the Lombardy Poplar, the Black Locust and the Box 

 Elder, although the Carolina and Bolle Poplars are used to some 

 extent and are gaining in popularity. The Lombardy Poplar 

 is by far the most common and is planted, even by men who 

 do not admire its characteristic appearance, because it seems 

 especially adapted to the climate, grows very rapidly and will, 

 therefore, soonest change the somewhat monotonous appear- 



