November 3, 1897.] 



Garden and Forest. 



435 



sett, originated with Bassett & Washburn, of Chicago. It is 

 one of the best novelties of the season, equal in every way to 

 its parent, from which it differs only in color. In general ap- 

 pearance Philadelphia probably comes nearest to it, but this 

 variety has proved an uncertain grower, and, besides, is sub- 

 ject to a leaf disease which appears to be hereditary. 



Evangeline is another new variety which may be regarded 

 as an acquisition, especially when among scores of new varie- 

 ties it is the onlv one of its color worth growing again. It is 

 said to be the white Kiota, which term gives some idea of its 

 form ; but I should rather describe it as a white Eugene 

 Dailledouze. Its habit is superb. Symphonia is a compactly 

 built pink of good color. In Defender we have a fine new 

 maroon. This color, in which the flowers do not "burn," is 

 rare. As far as I have seen this variety is free from that defect. 

 John Shrimpton is the best of the older varieties of its color, 

 and better than California, William Seward or G. W. Childs, 

 all of which are liable to " burn." President McKinley will be 

 valuable among crimson and old-gold varieties. The hitherto 

 best-known varieties of this color, Robert Mclnnes and Edwin 

 Molyneux, have proved difficult to manage. President McKin- 

 ley is robust, with excellent flowers and the foliage well up 

 to the flower on a terminal bud. 



Mermaid is still considered a good pink for exhibition pur- 

 poses, where large blooms are desirable. Madame Galbraith, 

 a new French white flower, will also prove a favorite for 

 exhibition. It is elegant in build, the lower florets interlacing 

 the stem as the centre builds up. C. H. Molin is an attractive 

 bronzy yellow of exquisite form. It is of the Japanese reflexed 

 type. The long flat florets recurve about the stem as the 

 centre expands until the flowers become perfectly oval. J. W. 

 Richardson promises to be a good commercial yellow, of 

 medium height and splendid habit. L. Ermindra is a lovely 

 saffron flower. There are few Chrysanthemums of this color, 

 and this is the best. It makes an imposing specimen plant. 

 Castleton promises to be a splendid white flower for exhibi- 

 tion. It partakes of the character of the old Robert Bottomly, 

 but makes a full flower. 



Wellesley, Mass. T. D. Hatfield. 



Decorative House-plants. 



A MONO the pleasant features of modern house furnishing is 

 ■**■ the general use of so-called decorative plants, which add 

 a touch ot natural grace and beauty to even the most artistic 

 fittings. Enthusiasts have always been able to grow plants in 

 the house successfully under adverse circumstances, but the 

 average householder has neither time nor skill to cultivate a 

 collection of plants under the trying conditions in modern 

 furnace-heated houses. Florists, under stress of competition, 

 have produced great numbers of highly decorative plants at 

 moderate prices, and plant furnishing has become so popular 

 that now the average house contains as many Palms, etc., as 

 bicycles. The list of these desirable plants is short. Four or 

 five species of Palms, Pandanus, Araucarias, India-rubber 

 plant, Aspidistra and Ferns cover the usual list of staple 

 plants from which to select for permanent effects or aground- 

 work, to which other plants may be added as they are availa- 

 ble. As plants become endeared to us, like friends, from long 

 association, it is well to select those rather under the full size 

 desired, and thus secure the pleasure of growing them on. 



Any of the Palms ordinarily grown are of the easiest possible 

 cultivation, though they may not be able to survive the attention 

 of careless domestics. It Palms are bought in the spring they 

 should be plunged out in a sheltered border where they are 

 not too much exposed to the wind and can have the sunshine 

 for an hour or two daily. Under this treatment they will have 

 hard foliage capable of enduring the winter with little detri- 

 ment. Palms bought in the autumn, especially if small, have 

 often passed the summer in the florist's forcing-box frames, 

 and are apt to halt in growth in a living room ; they should 

 be hardened off by keeping them in a moderately cool and 

 airy place for a while. The Arecas, Livistonias, Chamaerops, 

 Kentias — the ordinary list of Palms — -may be grown in glazed 

 pots, but it is less risk to cultivate them in earthen porous pots, 

 which may be concealed in fancy jardinieres or vases. Any 

 good open soil suits a Palm, which, while not growing rapidly, 

 requires liberal, but not abundant, supplies of water. Palms 

 also benefit by a fair amount of sun in winter. 



Palms in the greenhouse are subject to scale insects. When 

 in that condition I loan mine to the house, finding that the 

 weekly cleaning of the foliage causes the vermin to disappear. 

 This cleaning of the foliage is important if the plants are to be 

 kept in health. Nature usually produces a Palm with a single 

 stem, but probably in answer to a demand, the florists now, by 



planting two or three together, secure a "well-furnished" 

 plant, which effectually disguises the stem and character of 

 the species. Pandanus Veitchii (variegated) and P. utilis are 

 both capital house-plants, though, owing to the serrated edges 

 of the leaves they are cruel plants to clean. They will endure 

 many unfriendly circumstances, but not water between the 

 leaves, and they should be watered only below. 



Ferns are usually the plants most trying to the housekeeper, 

 as they are generally the shortest-lived and the most expensive 

 part of the plant outfit. The reason is not far to seek. The 

 evergreen Ferns used for home-plants are mostly tender 

 perennials, naturally growing in shade and moisture. Moist 

 surroundings, of course, check respiration, and if the plant 

 is moved to a dry atmosphere it respires faster than the roots 

 can supply the moisture. To add to the trouble the small 

 plants used for filling the table ferneries are often grown in 

 small pots which become filled with matted roots, and 

 if plunged in this condition in the pans the roots are so much 

 less fitted for active work. These small ferneries should be 

 filled with sandy leaf-mold, the roots of the Ferns carefully 

 spread and the pans, after planting, kept in a cool, airy place, 

 exposed to good light, but not sunlight, until the roots are 

 active and the plants hardened. Ferneries so prepared will 

 survive ordinary conditions of the house for months. It is 

 well, however, if we have the facilities of a greenhouse, to 

 prepare several spare pans for each fernery, in which fresh 

 plants may be established to replace the ones in use when 

 these show signs of suffering. 

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



The Cultivation of Mushrooms. 



'"THIS is an ideal time for preparing to make Mushroom 

 -^ beds, and if there is enough fresh material at hand for the 

 purpose and a place where it may be laid out for a few days to 

 air and sweeten, there will be no trouble now from flies, which 

 give great annoyance earlier in the year, both before and after 

 the beds are made. Our Mushroom beds have always been 

 made up under the greenhouse benches, and those started 

 early in the fall have always brought out a crop of flies that 

 were hard to dispose of and very troublesome while they 

 lasted. 



The difficulty experienced in drying the material sufficiently 

 before making up the beds so that the heat will not exceed one 

 hundred degrees, has always caused us much labor. Some- 

 times a bed has had to be dug up after it was made firm so as 

 to release the heat. We are now careful to have such ab- 

 sorbents at hand as a tew loads of dry loam ; this is mixed 

 with the fresh manure and turned a few times, and there is 

 then no great heat generated to dispel the ammonia necessary 

 for the sustenance of the crop. The beds are thus easily made 

 firm, there is no danger ot overheating, and the heat being 

 preserved instead ot dispelled it lasts much longer in the 

 beds. The crop is correspondingly better and of longer dura- 

 tion. We use about one-third loam and two-thirds manure. 

 Some growers u'e one-half well-decayed manure and the 

 other half fresh, and this seems to give good satisfaction. 



After making up the beds the thermometer must be plunged 

 well down and watched for a few days, and if there is no 

 greater heat than ninety-five degrees it is sale to spawn. A 

 greater heat than this will kill the spawn. At the end of a 

 week if the heat does not rise the beds may be soiled over and 

 made firm with the back ot the spade. If the heat goes below 

 seventy degrees a layer of hay about eight inches deep should 

 be put over the beds. The warmth will at once be drawn to 

 the surface near the spawn, and after this the heat may be 

 regulated by adding to or taking off 1 he covering. 



There is always uncertainty about Mushroom spawn even 

 to a practiced grower. One has to rely implicitly on what the 

 dealer sends, and it is exasperating to find, after much care and 

 labor, that the spawn is of poor quality. It is curious, too, that 

 it is always the spawn that is at fault. It it has white threads 

 visible on the outsides of the bricks the mycelium has starti d 

 one stage forward. As this process should take place in the 

 beds themselves, the prospects lor a good crop are reduced 

 before planting. But with good fresh spawn, such as is 

 imported by reliable firms in ton lots, there is little danger of 

 failure if proper attention is given to the conditions. We have 

 had great success with the cultivation of Mushrooms under 

 the benches in a Carnation-house. In six years we have never 

 had a total loss of crop, though some crops have been much 

 better than others. A warm cellar would be a much better 

 place and furnish better atmospheric conditions. But in the 

 absence of a cellar one need not hesitate to try Mushrooms 

 in the greenhouse at this season. 



South Lancaster, Mass. E. 0. Or pet. 



