38 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 309, 



has the best color of the two, but as it flowers on the growth 

 made the preceding season, and requires a great deal of head- 

 room, it is seldom seen. It flowers well every year at Wel- 

 lesley, in the gardens of Mr. H. H. Hunnewell, where the plant 

 occupies a section of a large span-roofed house. Those who 

 possess a large house would do well to plant both these Bou- 

 gainvilleas, as no insect pests, so far as I know, are to be 

 feared. 



Yet another climber from Brazil is Stigmaphyllon ciliatum, 

 a plant with lovely yellow flowers, which at once suggest those 

 of an Oncidium, so nearly alike are they in shape and color. 

 The plant itself is of slender growth, and may.be grown to 

 advantage in a greenhouse in summer without overshading 

 the other occupants. It flowers on the young shoots as they 

 grow during summer. In the tall the plant should be cut 

 back nearly to the soil-level, from which it will start again with 

 the return of longer days and more sunshine in spring. The 

 Stigmaphyllon requires a frequent syringing in hot weather, 

 owing to its liability to attacks by red spiders. A free root-run 

 is preferable, though I have had good specimens in pots, al- 

 though the growth will not be so vigorous, nor will it flower 

 so freely. 



The Allamandas are well-known plants in gardens, especially 

 A. Hendersonii and the larger-flowered species, but there is 

 one very old kind called A. grandiflora, which has shoots no 

 thicker than a goose-quill and bears flowers as large as the 

 better-known kinds. I would be glad to meet with it again, if 

 still in cultivation here. Owing to its slender growth, it is 

 usually grafted on A. nerifolia, an easy operation, and one 

 which adds vigor and hardiness at the same time. A. neri- 

 folia will thrive in a temperature ten degrees cooler than the 

 other species ; it is of shrubby habit, and the flowers are not 

 so large as those of others. 



Most of the Passion-flowers are too vigorous for planting 

 out in the greenhouse, they so soon overrun and make the 

 house too dark for the other things ; there is, however, one 

 species not often seen, called P. Raddiana, better known as P. 

 kermesina, one of the most beautiful, if not the best, of the 

 genus. In this species the growth is twining and slender, and 

 the flowers, as the older name suggests, are of the richest 

 crimson, and borne in great profusion all summer. It is hard 

 to account for the rarity of this Passion-flower in cultivation, 

 but it can be accommodated in the smallest glass house. The 

 corolla eventually reflexes with maturity and resembles a 

 gigantic Cyclamen or the Gloriosa superba. Another good 

 Passiflora, P. racemosa, is sometimes seen, but not frequently, 

 owing to the difficulty of propagating it. This is the P. prin- 

 ceps of some catalogues, and it is a prince among its fellows 

 in every respect, while the racemose character gave rise to its 

 prior name ; the racemes continue to flower all the season, 

 and as the buds, as well as the expanded blossoms, are bright 

 scarlet, it is most useful for decorating. The best way to 

 propagate it is to root from cuttings one of the common sorts, 

 such as P. edulis or P. Pfordtii, and then graft P. racemosa on 

 the stocks thus secured. Passion-flowers are easily grafted at 

 this time of year if a closed case is at hand in a warm-'house, 

 the operation being always interesting to the owner, especially 

 as the plant develops into full flower and beauty. Grafting 

 has been stigmatized as "a makeshift and a fraud," and with 

 good reason in certain cases, but if the operator would always 

 try and keep the union as near the soil-level as possible, we 

 should not hear so many complaints, for the plant could be on 

 its own roots the same season if the union, when complete, 

 were buried under the soil. Plants are never slow to take ad- 

 vantage of a little encouragement given in this way. 



It is hardly worth while to urge the more extended use of 

 this class of plants, and yet many greenhouses fail to reach their 

 highest possible attractiveness on account of their neglect. 

 The bare frame and mechanism of the interior of a tropical 

 greenhouse is often an eyesore ; but with trailing plants, such 

 as Cissus, Panicum, Tradescantia and Lycopodiums, planted 

 so as to drape and fringe the edges of the benches, with 

 Pothos, Ficus repens and others to climb up the dividing walls 

 and partitions, and a few choice climbers garlanding the roof, 

 a scene of truly tropical beauty is easily reproduced. 



Boston. Plantsman. 



Iris Palestina, which is now in flower, is an interesting plant, 

 but not of much garden value, as the light vellow flowers are 

 rather lacking in color. It can only be flowered in this climate 

 in a cool house, where there is difficulty in ripening the bulbs. 

 It is a native of Palestine and the Sinai Peninsula, and is a 

 bulbous plant of the sub-genus Juno, the better-known forms 

 of which are I. Caucasica and I. alata. The latter, by the way, is 

 now in striking contrast as a first-rate plant, with very attractive 

 flowers. I. Palestina is dwarf, with pointed sickle-shaped 



leaves, in two rows, between which the flower nestles. The 

 flower is of light yellow, about the color of ordinary forms of 

 I. Caucasica, though it varies somewhat in tones from opaque 

 greenish yellow to bluish tints. The standards are minute. 

 The blade of the falls is marked with blue or violet veins. The 

 ridge of the fall is orange, and the claw is dotted with deep 

 violet spots. The flower is fragrant, with less odor than that 

 of I. alata. As tar as my brief experience goes, this Iris and I. 

 Varlini, which is also from Palestine, are the least satisfactory 

 of the winter-flowering Irises. The latter species flowered 

 last winter in the open, but quickly succumbed to the elements, 

 and the bulbs seem to have disappeared. These are quite in 

 contrast with the Irises of the Reticulata section, whose flow- 

 ers, appearing a little later, will survive as much hardship as a 

 Snowdrop. The first of these, I. Histrio, has its leaves well up 

 now, and flower-buds are showing in the open, quite un- 

 protected. The severe weather of a very changeable winter 

 has had no effect on its foliage or on any part of the plant, ex- 

 cept to scorch the tips of the stems slightly. 



Elizabeth, N. J. J. N. G. 



Correspondence. 

 Rust of Carnations. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — Allow me to call attention to a statement of your cor- 

 respondent, Mr. T. D. Hatfield, which might lead to miscon- 

 ception. Writing of Carnations, in your issue of January 10th, 

 p. 17, Mr. Hatfield says: "Some growers date the appearance 

 of the disease (Carnation rust) in their establishments to buy- 

 ing infected plants, and while this, no doubt, has been the 

 means of spreading it, it has been generally noted hereabout 

 that the disease appeared first in the open ground; and on 

 examining many weeds, and particularly grasses in pastures, 

 abundance of rust could be found; in some cases quite near 

 to the Carnation patch." Doubtless these latter statements 

 regarding the occurrence of rust-fungi (Uredineae) on weeds 

 and grasses are quite true, but, so far as we know, those spe- 

 cies of rusts have nothing to do with the Carnation rust. The 

 latter is due to a distinct species of fungus known as Uromyces 

 caryophvllinus, and, so far as we know, is limited to Carna- 

 tions. There is nothing whatever to indicate that this fungus 

 has any genetic connection with, or can be produced by, those 

 species which occur on "many weeds, and particularly grasses," 

 nor that Carnations are exposed to attack through proximity 

 to those species. 



The common garden Pink, Dianthus barbatus, the near 

 relative of the Carnation, is subject to the attacks of a rust- 

 fungus, Puccinia Arenarise, but, again, this fungus is quite dis- 

 tinct from the species which attacks Carnations. Puccinia 

 Arenarise is known to attack several weeds, such as Cerastium, 

 Stellaria, etc., as well as Dianthus barbatus, but that it can be 

 transferred to Carnations is out of the question. The rust of 

 Carnations is, to a large degree, undoubtedly, propagated with 

 the slips. The vegetative portion of the fungus, or mycelium,, 

 is perennial in the stalks and leaves of the plant attacked. 

 There it may remain concealed for some time before it makes 

 its presence evident by the production of the reproductive 

 bodies or spores, which, from their color, give the name of 

 rust to this group of fungi. The cutting of slips containing 

 such concealed fungous threads, is not only a probable occur- 

 rence, but one which is practically unavoidable if there has 

 been rust upon the plants ; shortly after such slips are trans- 

 ferred to the open ground the fungus concealed within them 

 develops its spores, and by means of the latter the fungus 

 rapidly spreads from plant to plant. Of course, the most rea- 

 sonable method of dealing with the pest is, as Mr. Hatfield 

 remarks, to plant only rust-proof varieties. If, however, un- 

 tested varieties are planted, care should be taken to secure 

 sound and clean slips, and after these are rooted they should 

 be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. Constant watchfulness 

 must be exercised, and slips which show the first symptom of 

 rust must be promptly rooted up and burned. With this at- 

 tention and care there should be little difficulty in contending 

 successfully with the disease, even though there be weeds and 

 grasses affected with another rust in the neighborhood. 



New Haven. W. C. Stllrgis. 



Forest-lands for Investment. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — I observe in an editorial article of your issue for 

 November 1st, that Mr. Fernow is quoted as recommending 

 forest-lands under regular management for long investments 



