February 21 



1894.] 



Garden and Forest. 



77 



to other epiphytal and parasitical plants. The written Chinese 

 character tiau literally means suspended, and Ian, in this con- 

 nection, denotes few or rare, but has other meanings. Fa 

 means a flower. 



I have never seen terrestrial Orchids grown so well as they do 

 them in Canton, particularly Phajus grandifolius and Arundina 

 Chinensis. Phajus grandifolius is generally grown in clumps, 

 massed in twelve-inch pots, and they produce more than a 

 dozen strong spikes of flowers from three to four feet high. 

 The soil used is the rich manurial mud from the banks of the 

 Canton River ; this is dried in the sun and afterward broken up 

 into disks about an inch square, and simply thrown into the 

 pot without crocks or any kind of drainage. The disks retain 

 their knobby form and allow the air and water to percolate 

 freely through the mass. Pigs' hair is often mixed with this 

 compost, and weak manure- water is given in the growing sea- 

 son. No water is given in the resting season. 



The annual rainfall in that district is seventy-five inches. 

 Little or no rain falls during the months of November, Decem- 

 ber and January, and the Chinese are careful to give their 

 Orchids complete rest during these months. Arundina Chi- 

 nensis is treated in the same way, and I have grown large beds 

 of this Orchid in Hong Kong, for cut flowers, inordinary gar- 

 den soil, the supply of flowers continuing for several months. 

 I am disposed to think that most of these semi-hardy Chinese 

 Orchids could be grown by florists on ordinary Rose-benches, 

 and I am rather surprised to hear that Phajus grandifolius 

 has not already becorne an American cut-flower specialty like 

 the Chrysanthemum and Lilium longiflorum, both of which 

 come from the same geographical district. These Orchids 

 grow side by side with Lilium longiflorum and Chrysanthe- 

 mum Indicum, and in comparison are more iloriferous and 

 vigorous than either of the other plants. 



Renanthera coccinea is perhaps the most striking of Chinese 

 epiphytes, but importers complain that it is a shy bloomer. 

 This is, no doubt, the case where it has not been sufficiently 

 rested and ripened with sunlight in the proper season. Even 

 in China, where it is often seen flourishing on trees surround- 

 ing temples and monasteries, the plants grow rampantly, but 

 are always green and succulent if the groves are too dense. 

 If grown on semi-deciduous trees or pollard-stumps, or ordi- 

 nary blocks exposed to the sun, it will, however, flower luxu- 

 riantly. Its brilliant reddish-brown panicles measure from two 

 to three feet in diameter and dangle around the tree from top 

 to bottom a blaze of cardinal bloom. After the first dry sea- 

 son the leaves of the young shoots turn a yellowish-green if 

 they are well exposed to the light ; this is the sign of well- 

 ripened wood, and they usually flower well. If Orchid growers 

 would keep the syringe away from their plants as much as pos- 

 sible during the resting season and hang them horizontally well 

 up near the glass, I think they would be more successful with 

 this magnificent Orchid. Dendrobium aggregatum is a plant 

 that likes similar treatment, but is not by any means so fastid- 

 ious. Plants of this species grow well on splits or trunks of 

 Mango-wood (Mangifera Indica), Neem (Melia Azedarach)and 

 Silk cotton-wood (Bombax Malabarica). 



Other good Chinese terrestrial Orchids that can be grown in 

 the same way as the Phajus are Cyrtopera tlava, Habenaria 

 Susannas, Spathaglottis Fortunei and Bletia hyacinthina. 



Manchester, Mass. A. 11. Westlaild. 



Annual Flowers from Seed. — II. 



"DEGONIA VERNON, while not botanically an annual, is 

 -D practically one for garden purposes. This is one of the 

 most useful of the newer plants, and, fortunately, is readilv 

 propagated by seeds,- which it bears very abundantly, as well 

 as by cuttings. The plant forms numerous stout stems which 

 bear clear crimson flowers very freely and persistently. In 

 fact, it is a variety of the old ever-blooming or semperflorens 

 species. This is one of the few Begonias which will bear full 

 exposure to the sun during the summer, and the sun has the 

 curious effect of giving the leaves a reddish purple tint. This 

 tint also appears on the peduncles and on the seed-pods as 

 they mature. Either for bedding or for cutting, this variety is 

 most useful and attractive. There is also a golden-leaved va- 

 riety with pink flowers. From a packet of seed one will 

 secure forms of this Begonia with flowers of different shades 

 of red. In the greenhouse, Begonias of the semperflorens 

 type are apt to spring up everywhere from self-sown seeds, 

 and under glass their cultivation offers no difficulties. A pan 

 of fine earth is well watered, and the dust-like seeds are scat- 

 tered over it as thinly as possible. The pan should be covered 

 and kept at a temperature of seventy degrees for a week, after 

 which the seeds may be expected to germinate at any time, 



and after this the pan should be more carefully covered, and 

 it should at no time be too wet. If the pan is covered with a 

 glass this should be reversed every day, and after the germi- 

 nation of the seeds it should be removed entirely. If a re- 

 watenng of the seed-pan is necessary before the seeds have 

 germinated, or when the plants are small, the pan should be 

 dipped in water, not so deeply that it will How over the rim, 

 but deep enough to allow it to flow in through the drainage- 

 holes. A pan of fine seed or small plants should never be 

 sprinkled or watered from above. The failure to germinate 

 tender seeds is often caused by an excess of water, and this 

 excess will be especially fatal if from some cause the tempera- 

 ture of the seed-pan should fall below the point at which the 

 seed germinates. Where there are no greenhouse facilities, 

 these Begonia-seeds and others of similar character can be 

 readily germinated in a warm living-room, but in this case one 

 had better use a deep pot which is telescoped within a larger 

 one, with a packing of moss between. The outer pot is to be 

 plugged, and water may be applied through the moss. The 

 advantage of this contrivance is that it not only holds moisture, 

 but it is not so quickly influenced by changes of temperature 

 as is a shallow pan. The plants may be allowed to grow in the 

 seed-pan, well-exposed to the light and air, till they are of a 

 convenient size to transplant. Shifted into light, open, mod- 

 erately rich earth, they will progress rapidly, come soon into 

 flower, and if they are sown early in March will be in fit con- 

 dition for the borders in June. 



Calliopsis (Bright Eyes) are among the handsomest of our 

 native flowers, and few annuals are more appreciated in gar- 

 dens. Their dark brown eyes give them a greater individu- 

 ality and effect than the hardy perennial Coreopsis, which is 

 also much grown. The forms showing markings and suffu- 

 sions of dark velvety maroon are also specially desirable. 

 Seeds of Calliopsis are preferably sown in the open in late 

 summer or early fall, where they make low mats of foliage, 

 perfectly hardy, and from these strong flowering stems arise 

 in early spring. If this planting has been neglected, satisfac- 

 tory, but not so strong, plants may be had from plantings made 

 in April or May with other annuals. The seeds germinate 

 readily and require no special treatment. Plants are not 

 averse to removal in a young stage. 



Calendulas (Pot Marigolds) are showy annuals of the hardiest 

 and freest flowering character. The double kinds with orange 

 or yellow, or both in combination, seem to be most valued, 

 but the single ones are the more graceful. They are very ser- 

 viceable flowers in every way, and among the easiest plants to 

 grow from seed. Self-sown seedlings are very apt to appear in 

 gardens where the flowers have been allowed to mature. Seed 

 may be sown with the main crop of annuals, as before advised, 

 and" require no special attention. 



Carnations were placed on the list of annuals only a few 

 years ago, and they have proved quite the most important and 

 valuable of recent additions to the garden, for, owing to 

 the growing of perennial Carnations for cultivation under 

 glass and for winter-flowering, we were without a race of satis- 

 factory summer-flowering Carnations, though specially treated 

 plants were used for that purpose. The Marguerite Carnations 

 possess most of the good qualities of theflorists'Carnationsand 

 flower from seed in about four months. They have single- 

 colored flowers of the Carnation shades, and all, except a small 

 percentage, may be expected to prove fully double. They are 

 free-flowering, of the remontant type, that is, they flower in a 

 succession of crops rather than continuously. They are prob- 

 ably perennial induration, though they are usually only grown 

 for summer flowers. The seed may be sown indoors, or with 

 the main supply of annuals, care only being required that they 

 may not be overwatered. The plants are readily shifted and 

 grow rapidly in good rich loam. Like all Carnations, water 

 should be applied to the roots rather than to the foliage. 



Clianthus Dampieri, the Glory Pea, is an annual which bears 

 very unique and handsome flowers when it can be induced to 

 grow, but it has not been a plant which could be recommended 

 for general cultivation. I mention it, however, from the fact 

 that a new strain has been lately offered (by Dreer), in which 

 the plants are said to be more hardy, as the result of careful 

 selection in a cold climate. My experiment with this strain 

 last year leads me to believe this claim well grounded, for. 

 though the seedlings were started late and did not flower, I 

 have never before had such promising, vigorous plants of this 

 species. The seed should be sown early ; March would prob- 

 ably be the rigjit time. They germinate best in wet woolen 

 cloths, and should be planted after the germ shows. Any one 

 who has struggled with this plant grown from the Australian 

 seed, as usually supplied, knows that it has been one of the 

 most uncertain ones in the florist's list. 



