September 29, 1897.] 



Garden and Forest. 



385 



overlying red than the former, and more of the leopard spot- 

 tings than in the latter. Burbank, the only variety of American 

 origin yet advertised, does not seem to have been noted so 

 much in the horticultural press as its good qualities deserve. 

 It is the equal of the Italian varieties. The flowers have the 

 form of Italia and nearly the coloring of Austria. That is to 

 say their form is the best, and their coloring pure canary- 

 yellow with a few faint reddish spots in the throat. 



These new Cannas, hybrids of Madame Crozy with C. flac- 

 cida, are especially admirable for two qualities, namely, the 

 perfection of form and the richness of color in their blossoms. 

 The type of Canna-flower which we are used to seeing among 

 the French dwarfs, when taken by itself, is singularly inhar- 

 monious and unsatisfying in its outlines, but there is a fullness 

 of form and grace of outline among the Orchid-flowering 

 sorts which by comparison is altogether pleasing. Their rich- 

 ness of coloring is remarkable. The comparative size of the 

 flowers has been considerably overstated in the advertisements. 

 They are quite large enough, to be sure, but they are only a 

 little larger in fact than Charles Henderson, AlphonseBouvier, 

 or dozens of other old and well-known varieties. 



Several of these varieties we have had this year in quanti- 

 ties sufficient for liberal use in outdoor beds. Their large, 

 luxuriant, Musa-like foliage is quite effective, but there is a 

 noticeable paucity of flowers in comparison with the older 

 French dwarf sorts. The softness and flaccidity of the blos- 

 soms detract somewhat, of course, from their usefulness out- 

 of-doors, but not so seriously as we had expected. The 

 flower-spikes, though comparatively few in number, are fairly 

 durable and effective as far as they go. 



The Orchid-flowering Cannas — and, by the way, they ought 

 to have a better class name— are certainly attractive novelties 

 for the amateur, but in their present state they are not likely 

 to find great favor among professional gardeners, who are in- 

 terested chiefly in gaudy red and yellow floral effects. 



University of Vermont. F.A. IVdUgh. 



[The Italian hybrids noted grow strongly in this lati- 

 tude, their principal defect being that their flowers scorch 

 under our summer sun, and they are for this reason not 

 as effective as the size of the flowers would indicate. — Ed.] 



Hot-house Palms. 



AMONG the Palms which require a warm temperature, 

 Stevensonia grandifolia is one of the handsomest. It is 

 most attractive when the plants are from two to eight years 

 old. There are apparently two distinct forms of this species, 

 one has leaves uniformly green, and in the other form they 

 are dotted with a reddish yellow color. 



Pinanga Kuhlii is a rapid grower and reaches the fruiting 

 stage in about four or five years; so far as I know it is only 

 exceeded in this respect by Geonoma fenestrata. P. Kuhlii 

 must have a moist, warm atmosphere. The leaves are quite 

 large, with from eight to fifteen pairs of irregular pinna?. The 

 fruit is rather ornamental, at first yellow, changing to a dark 

 purple when ripe. Old plants send out growths from the base 

 of the stem. This is a desirable species for planting out in a 

 conservatory. 



Hyophorbe amaricaulis is pleasing when voung, and the 

 same may be said of H. Verschaffelti. It is difficult, however, 

 to keep them in good condition when they become a few feet 

 high. The last-named species was very popular twenty years 

 ago as a decorative plant, but has been displaced by the 

 Kentias and by Areca lutescens. 



Acanthophcenix crinita and the variety Herbstii are neat- 

 growing, small-sized Palms. The leaves are pinnate, the pin- 

 nae arching toward the ends. This species suffers quickly if the 

 soil in which it is growing is allowed to become dry. 



Ceroxylon niveum, one of the Wax Palms, can scarcely be 

 said to be ornamental when young, for the leaves are coarse 

 and undivided. As it grows, however, it becomes highly 

 ornamental. The long, feathery leaves are grayish green. 

 Although it will thrive in the temperature of an intermediate 

 house, it puts on a more graceful appearance when given 

 stove temperature. 



Latania Commersonii has immense palmate leaves, and is 

 only fit for botanical collections. 



Livistona Jenkinsii is an Indian species of great beauty when 

 a few feet high. In young plants the leaves are irregular in 

 shape; in adult plant's they lose this peculiarity. The leaves 

 have a bright, almost emerald-green color not found in any 

 other species of Livistona. L. rotundifolia resembles L. Jen- 

 kinsii somewhat, but is smaller in all its parts. In young plants 



the leaves are closely arranged together with short stalks ; the 

 leaf-blades are completely round, with about sixty divisions. 

 This Palm is rapidly becoming popular as a decorative plant 

 and is being largely grown by some dealers. 



Licuala grandis is cut up in the ends of the leaves for a short 

 length, thus giving the plant a fuller, rounded appearance than 

 that of other Fan Palm. It needs a hot, moist atmosphere or 

 it is liable to become infested with red spider. 



Calamus Lewisianus, C. fissus and C. palembanicus are orna- 

 mental Palms with graceful pinnate leaves. They are only 

 suitable for conservatories with plenty of head room, as they 

 grow tall. 



Arenga saccharifera has immense pinnate leaves of a dull 

 green color. It is only useful in large houses. 



Euterpe eduhs is probably the handsomest of all the feather- 

 leaved Palms, and should be in every collection. It has the 

 same habit of growth as Seaforthia elegans, but the leaves are 

 smaller and more compact. Plants fifty feet high have stems 

 only a few inches in diameter. 



Botanic Garden, Washington, D. C. G. W. Oliver. 



Notes on Propagation. 



MANY tender foliage plants make their most rapid growth 

 during the latter part of the summer. The root-action of 

 the parent plant is then free ; it is therefore easy to root cut- 

 tings. For example, Crotons can be rooted easily at this 

 season by using the topping method, frequently practiced' for 

 Ficus. This method is the most satisfactory one for strong 

 and highly colored growths, from the fact (hat little or no 

 foliage need be lost, as may be the case when a strong and 

 sappv growth is at once removed from the parent plant for 

 cutting purposes. Large Dracasnas may also be similarly 

 topped with the loss of but few leaves, and the young plants 

 thus secured have the advantage of large leaves at the bottom 

 and make more symmetrical specimens for the next season. 

 Old plants of Yucca quadricolor that have become unsightly 

 from the loss of their lower leaves may also be renewed by 

 topping. For these plants it is advisable to nick the stem quite 

 deeply, and the bandage of moss used need not be kept quite 

 as wet as is necessary tor Crotons or Dracaenas. After the re- 

 moval of the top from an old Yucca the stump may be kept 

 rather dry for a time to avoid decay, when other breaks will 

 appear and furnish new stock, in addition to the suckers that 

 are likely to show from the roots. 



Cuttings of such easily managed plants a3 Sonerilas, Berto- 

 lonias and Fittonias may be rooted at almost any season, and 

 it is not too late now to increase the number of these plants. 

 The most effective way of using low-growing plants of this 

 character is to group a number together in an eight or ten 

 inch pan filled with a rather light and well-drained compost. 



Small side-shoots of Cyanophyllum magnificum and Sphaa- 

 rogyne latifolia make satisfactory cuttings, which should be kept 

 rather close and warm in a propagating-frame to insure their 

 rooting. The best medium for rooting them is a mixture of 

 cocoa-fibre and sand. Single-eye cuttings of these plants also 

 root readily, but do not always make as shapely specimens as 

 the side-shoot cuttings, and sometimes refuse to start away 

 promptly. A well-colored specimen of the Variegated Pine- 

 apple is among the most effective of stove-plants. The crown 

 of a fruiting plant provides the best cutting material, and 

 will root freely in pure sand if placed in a light position in a 

 warm house and given but little water. Young plants may 

 also be secured from sections of the stem of a rather leggy 

 specimen. These sections should have the cut surfaces 

 dipped in slaked lime to prevent decay, and then be half- 

 buried in sand and treated like top cuttings. 



Pandanus Veitchii has no special season for propagation, 

 but cuttings planted in cocoa-fibre will root quickly during the 

 latter part of the summer and early fall. The cuttings should 

 be kept somewhat dry. 



The propagation of Nepenthes is comparatively easy in a 

 warm propagating frame ; the only exception to this rule 

 is found among those species having hirsute leaves, of 

 which N. lanata and N. villosa are types. Small, short-jointed 

 side shoots of Nepenthes are the best cuttings and usually 

 produce the finest pitchers. An open mixture of rough peat 

 and sphagnum moss is the best material in which to root 

 them. The cuttings must never become dry, for once wilted 

 they seldom recover. 



Success in the propagation of tender species depends also 

 upon the after treatment of the 1 newly-rooted plants. In most 

 instances the safest plan is to return the young plants to the 

 cutting frame for a week or two alter they have been pi 

 off and gradually give them more air as the roots become 



