May 23, 1894.] 



Garden and Forest. 



207 



particularly desirable form or variation may be readily propa- 

 gated by root-cuttings. Whenever the roots of these Plums 

 are bruised or exposed, suckers are usually produced. It is 

 generally considered, however, that propagation by root-cut- 

 tings or suckers tends to increase the suckering habit, and, 

 while all plants procured in this way may be relied upon as 

 being sure to reproduce the peculiar characteristics of the 

 parent tree, grafting on seedling stock would be more satisfac- 

 tory where a single individual is desired with less tendency to 

 sucker. 



As the flowers of Prunus Americana and P. Allegheniensis 

 begin to fall away, those of our native Beech Plum, P. mari- 

 tima, open, and they are the latest blossoms found on any 

 of the hardy Plums. A few first flowers were open on May 

 9th, this season, and about May 22d on the same plant last 

 year. Three or four days after the first flowers open, the 

 plant is in its best and fullest bloom. The flowers are pro- 

 duced abundantly, closely set along the rather stiff branches. 

 They are not quite as pure a white as those of the other native 

 Plums. As it grows near the seashore beaches, it is usually a 

 low, straggling, stout shrub, but under cultivation and given 

 plenty of room for development, it may assume a handsome, 

 symmetrical, small, tree-like form. Such a plant in the 

 Arboretum, now eighteen years old, from seed, is more than 

 ten feet high, and its branches cover a space about fourteen 

 feet in diameter. The small, round fruit, while usually red or 

 purplish, is not uncommonly distinctly yellowish in color, and 

 on some plants and in different localities it may vary much 

 in size and edible qualities. ■*/■»*•* 



Arnold Arboretum. J • Lr- Jack. 



Foliage-plants for Outdoor Bedding. 



FOR a country of such large extent and so diverse climate as 

 ours it is not possible to lay down positive directions for 

 outdoor bedding or to give exact lists of plants. In the middle 

 Atlantic states, at least as far north as New York City, the best 

 time for planting out is the latter half of May ; the ground is 

 then usually warm, and tender-rooted species are not seriously 

 checked by the change. 



Foliage-plants are generally improved by being turned out 

 of their pots when they are set out-of-doors. Others, again, 

 will do equally well with the pots plunged below the surface 

 of the soil just deep enough to prevent their drying out. Varie- 

 gated Yuccas, Agaves, Hechtias, and other plants of this 

 character, do better left in pots all the summer, for when 

 planted out they often make so many roots, and some of them 

 also so many suckers, that it is difficult to get the plants into 

 pots of reasonable size when they are lifted in the fall. If 

 there is plenty of room in the hot-house to carry large plants 

 through the winter, it is always preferable to turn the plants 

 out of the pots for spring planting. 



The beds should be thoroughly prepared and the soil well 

 spaded and fertilized, for foliage-plants require richer soil than 

 is needed for flowering plants. In the latitude of Philadelphia 

 and southward, Crotons are among the most effective foliage- 

 plants for summer bedding, although a few degrees farther 

 north, as we learn from Mr. Orpet's recent notes, Crotons are 

 not successfully grown out-of-doors. Even here it is neces- 

 sary to harden them well before they are planted out, and if 

 they are brought out of a close moist house and fully exposed 

 at once the foliage is likely to bleach and fall off. If they are 

 grown in a light, sunny house, and have good ventilation for a 

 week or two before the time to transplant, Crotons will 

 scarcely drop a leaf from the change, and the foliage will in- 

 crease in brightness and beauty as the season advances. 



The variegated Phormiums are also good outdoor foliage- 

 plants, and their long sword-like leaves are very effective in 

 mixed plantings. All the varieties are extremely tough, neither 

 wind nor sun affecting them. 



Among Palms there are few more hardy than Rhapis flabel- 

 liformis and Chamaerops excelsa. The majority of pinnate- 

 leaved species are quite easily injured, with the possible 

 exception of Areca Baueni. Farfugium grande is an old inhab- 

 itant of our gardens; it is far from common, however, although 

 a useful ornamental plant for the house in winter, as for bed- 

 ding out in summer. Out-of-doors it does best in a partially 

 shaded spot. 



Ficus plants of the various sorts are highly useful for out- 

 door plantings. F. elastica and its variegated form, F. Por- 

 teana, F. Chauvrieri, and, in a somewhat sheltered place, F. 

 Parcellii may be used to advantage. Araliasand Fatsias, also, 

 include several fine species which should be in any group of 

 foliage- plants out-of-doors, and Hibiscus Cooperii and Phyl- 



lanthus nivosus are even more brightly colored in the open 

 than when grown under glass. 



For edgings about foliage-beds of large size I do not know 

 anything superior to the Acalyphas, while for smaller beds 

 Peristrophe angustifolia variegata makes an effective border. 



Holmesburg, Pa. W. H. Taplin. 



The Hardy Plant Border. 



THE herbaceous border is interesting at all times. Some- 

 times, on account of association or rarity, one will see 

 beauty in a modest plant which would be uninteresting to the 

 casual observer. Lack of general effectiveness in the border 

 is a frequent complaint, and this is probably largely due to the 

 prevalent fashion of massing tender exotics during the sum- 

 mer-time for temporary effect. In many private gardens, 

 from which the owners are absent during certain seasons, 

 general effect can be equally well produced with perennials, 

 and it would be well for those who intend to make borders the 

 coming autumn to note as the season goes by such plants as 

 appear of value to them. 



In the majority of cases especial attention will be paid to the 

 spring display, which lasts well into July. In making a collec- 

 tion it is best to begin with the commonest kinds, which are 

 the cheapest and always satisfactory, since they are the easiest 

 to take care of. A list of such should include the Tufted Pan- 

 sies, in blue and yellow, the first flowers of spring and the last 

 of autumn ; the blue Mertensia Virginica, and Day Lilies in 

 shades of yellow. Of these last, Hemerocallis graminea is 

 sulphur-yellow and the earliest; H. Mittendorffiana, golden- 

 yellow and medium early, and H. Thunbergii, pale yellow and 

 later. Ajuga Genevensis, the Alpine Bugle, has deep blue flow- 

 ers; A. pyramidalis, paler blue ; A. reptans alba, white. The 

 Speedwells, Veronica gentianoides and V. amethystina, are both 

 blue. Of the Columbines, Aquilegia Canadensis, the earliest, 

 has red flowers ; A. ccurulea, the Rocky Mountain species, A. 

 glandulosa, the large spurless species from Siberia, are blue ; A. 

 Skinneri is orange-red, and there are also many fine garden 

 hybrids. Iris verna, I. Sibirica haematophylla, with fine 

 foliage ; I. oxysepala, with early dwarf, pale blue and sweet- 

 scented flowers, besides a host of German Irises, in shades of 

 yellow, blue, orange and purple, are all most desirable. It is 

 here worthy of note that when planted with yellow and red 

 flowered Ghent Azaleas these blue German Irises produce a 

 striking effect. Trumpet Daffodils, Poet's Narcissus, Del- 

 phinium formosum, Canterbury Bells, Foxgloves, Sweet Wil- 

 liams, Myosotis, Phlox Carolina and P. Stelleriana, both laven- 

 der-blue ; Siberian Squills and the Moss Pinks, Phlox subulata, 

 on account of dwarf habit, effectively fill out spaces near the 

 margin. Among Poppies are Papaver orientale, scarlet and 

 orange; P.nudicaule, yellow, whiteandorange; Uvulariagrandi- 

 flora, yellow. Alyssum saxatile and A. Wiersbeckei, the latter 

 a fine yellow. Spirasa palmata, pink, and Astilbe Japonica, 

 white. These are by no means all that are available, but they 

 are among the cheapest and best, and enough to begin with. 

 As the grower becomes acquainted with the plants he can add, 

 from time to time, the newer or rarer kinds. 



For a summer display Japanese Irises occupy first place. 

 There is a wonderful richness of coloring among them. 

 While doing well in an ordinary border, they are brought 

 nearer perfection when so planted that during the flowering 

 season abundance of water can be given them. Orange, red 

 and yellow Potentillas make a brave show ; so do Pyrethrum 

 roseum, the single varieties being quite as handsome as the 

 double ones. Thermopsis Caroliniana, with long spikes of 

 yellow Pea-like flowers ; Gypsophila paniculata. with open 

 sprays of little white flowers, indispensable for cutting ; 

 Coreopsis lanceolata, a large-flowered clear yellow species ; 

 Campanula Van Houttei and C. macrantha, both with blue 

 flowers, and C. persicifolia, white and blue, are among the 

 handsomest of the Bell-flowers ; Scabiosa Caucasica, with 

 large lavender-blue flowers, a perennial Mourning Bride ; 

 Baptisia australis, with deep blue flowers; Achillea ^Egyptiaca, 

 a tall yellow Yarrow ; Hollyhocks ; the long-spurred yellow 

 Columbine, Aquilegia chrysantha ; Gillenia stipulacea, Liatris 

 scariosa, Pentstemon grandifolius and P. Cobaea, two of the 

 noblest and best ; besides various species of Lilium, and many 

 more could be used to make a fine display. 



For effect in autumn the Sunflowers occupy a conspicuous 

 place ; Funkia grandiflora, the large white Plantain Lily ; New 

 England Asters, as well as Aster turbinellus, A. ptarmicoides 

 and A. amellus ; Lobelia cardinalis. Inula glandulosa, Chelone 

 Lyoni, Japan Anemones, Campanula grandiflora, and espe- 

 cially the variety Mariesii, which is very dwarf ; Chrysanthe- 



