June 20, 



!•] 



Garden and Forest. 



247 



though this was due to an accident, since heavy snow fell be- 

 fore the work was done. 



Lindelofia spectabilis is one of the best blue-flowered peren- 

 nials in bloom now, and it has been good for some time past. 

 This is one of the introductions of Herr Max Leichtlin, from 

 whom we received the seeds. It is a near relative of the 

 Anchusa, Mertensia and Borage. 



South Lancaster, Mass. E. O. Orpet. 



Plants for Outdoor Decoration. 



T N suitable locations some of the Musas are valuable for out- 

 *■ door decoration during the summer, but the leavesof many 

 of the species are easily injured by wind-storms, and it is, 

 therefore, necessary to plant them in sheltered portions of the 

 garden. In the middle and northern states I have found Musa 

 Cavendishii, M. Ensete and M. Martinii to be the best for cul- 

 tivation in the open air. 



Of these, M. Cavendishii is the most dwarf, and is, for this 

 reason, the best species for use in small conservatories ; it fre- 

 quently attains its full growth and produces fruit when only 

 six to seven feet in height. The Abyssinian Banana, M. Ensete, 

 under favorable conditions makes immense leaves. The red- 

 dish midribs add greatly to its effectiveness, but, unfortu- 

 nately, the foliage is liable to split into ribbons in a strong 

 wind. M. Martinii is a later introduction than M. Ensete, and 

 of somewhat similar character ; it seems to resist the wind 

 better, and is, consequently, likely to be used more generally 

 for outside planting as soon as it becomes plentiful. These 

 two species can only be propagated from seeds, so far as I 

 have learned, but the Chinese Banana, M. Cavendishii, pro- 

 duces suckers from the base of the stem, and as their growth 

 is rapid they soon grow to a useful size. 



The chief points to be observed in the cultivation of Musas, 

 either under glass or out-of-doors, are plenty of moisture and 

 a rich well-drained soil ; one-third manure is not too much to 

 use in potting soil, and for outdoor planting they should be 

 thoroughly watered at least every second or third day during 

 dry weather. 



Two species of Strelitzia, at least, should be included for 

 conservatory-decoration during the winter and spiing months, 

 and these are also useful for diversifying subtropical bedding 

 during the summer. Their leaves are decidedly tough and 

 are seldom injured by either wind or rain. The most com- 

 mon species, Strelitzia Reginae, is probably the oldest in culti- 

 vation ; with reasonable care it produces brilliant flowers quite 

 freely during the spring months. S. augusta is a much 

 stronger grower than S. Reginas, and reminds one of the foli- 

 age of the Traveler's Joy (Ravenala Madagascariensis). These 

 plants are generally propagated by division of the roots, and 

 this is best done in the spring ; the plants should be kept 

 somewhat close for a short time after division, when they 

 will soon become useful, either for the conservatory or the 

 flower-garden. 



Humea elegans, a useful decorative plant, is not new either 

 for greenhouse-decoration or for outdoor planting, for I 

 recollect seeing it used for both purposes at least eighteen 

 years ago in central New Jersey. There the warm sandy soil 

 seems particularly suited to it, and its pinkish, feathery inflo- 

 rescence and bold foliage made a striking centre-piece for a 

 large circular bed. Plants of H. elegans should be raised from 

 seed the previous season and grown on with plenty of light 

 and air in an intermediate house. Sufficient soil and mois- 

 ture must be provided for the plants. Humeassoon lose their 

 bottom leaves when pot-bound or if allowed to become very 

 dry. The beginning of June is, I think, early enough to plant 

 them out, for if exposed too soon the foliage becomes rusty 

 and unsightly. 



Holmesburg, Pa. W. H. Taplill. 



Orchid Notes. 



QNE of the most difficult points in the cultivation of 

 v —' Orchids is to prevent a second growth from the same 

 set within a year. This is fatal to some Orchids, as Den- 

 drobium Wardianum ; on others the effect may not be 

 noticed at once, or even in the same season, but bad results 

 are sure to follow in time. Dendrobium Wardianum is the 

 first of the genus to make an early start. Plants of it are kept 

 in the intermediate house this year, so that its growth may be 

 somewhat checked, and to prevent its maturing early. fJcn- 

 drobiums present a wide study for the cultivator who has any 

 large number of species under his care. The season is, as 

 already said, often too long for some species, though never 

 too long for others, as D. Dalhousianum and D. Brymer- 

 ianum, while for others the growing and resting periods 



should be distinctly marked. D. formosum is an example 

 of the latter class. Their resting season should now be over 

 and the plants started into active growth and encouraged to 

 go on without a check through the summer. When their 

 growth is completed, the flowers will be produced without a 

 rest. When these have faded, the plants require at least six 

 months' rest in a cool house, kept at about forty-five or fifty 

 degrees. This is the practice adopted by Mr. George Mac- 

 William, of Whitinsville, Massachusetts, and, I believe, was 

 originated by him. He has had the plants now under his care 

 for nine years, and they cannot be excelled as examples of 

 good cultivation. 



We formerly had trouble in getting Cypripedium insigne to 

 Mower well, because we made the mistake of having very 

 thrifty plants. They were treated to manure-water, and were 

 green and vigorous, but when the time for flowering came 

 the plants simply continued to grow and look strong, and did 

 not flower. We now keep them in the coolest place in sum- 

 mer to prevent any second growth that might be induced by 

 heat, and have left off giving manure-water except to such 

 as are root-bound and really need it. 



We are trying Cattleyas and Lselias in a large, cool and airy 

 structure for the summer, and they have improved in looks 

 already. Small houses have a tendency to become overheated 

 in the hot months of the year, far beyond the requirements of 

 these plants. This causes the growths to mature early, and a 

 second growth ensues. The plants are thus deprived of the 

 absolute rest so beneficial in winter and conducive to satisfac- 

 tory flowering. A few pieces of Laslia prastans, imported last 

 fall, have done well simply pegged on a piece of Fern-root 

 and suspended in the cool-house. There L. Dayana thrives, 

 and L. prastans has already flowered and is now starting to 

 grow again in a strong and pleasing way. The roots are 

 rambling through the piece of Fern-root and seem to appre- 

 ciate their freedom. Lycaste Skinned should never become 

 dry at any period of the year. The roots are always more or 

 less active, even in midwinter, since that is the flowering sea- 

 son. An occasional wetting with weak manure-water is a 

 decided benefit to the plants, especially when in active growth 

 or about to flower. Under this treatment bulbs of immense 

 size are obtained and an abundance of flowers produced. 



Orchids with roots of the same structure as the Cattleyas 

 should not be stimulated by the application of manure-water 

 to the roots, but ammonia in the atmosphere is decidedly 

 beneficial, and this may be applied by damping down under 

 the stages occasionally with weak manure- water. I have found, 

 on the contrary, that the Calanthes, Phajus, Pleiones, Ccelo- 

 gynes and Selcnipediums are improved by an application of 

 manure- water when in active root-growth ; the structure of their 

 roots is altogether different from those of Cattleyas, Dendro- 

 biums, Odontoglossums and other genera of Orchids. 

 Boston, Mass. Pi 'antsman . 



Bougainvillea glabra. 



""PHIS is one of the finest of all climbers for the stove or 

 -*- greenhouse. It does best in a house where a minimum 

 temperature of fifty- five degrees can be maintained in winter, 

 but I have grown it successfully in an ordinary greenhouse, 

 where the thermometer occasionally fell to forty degrees. In 

 the warmer house the blooming season is earlier, but in a 

 cooler structure the color is better and the flowers have more 

 substance. Bougainvillea glabra may be successfully grown 

 and flowered in a pot, tub, box or bench. Trained on a 

 balloon trellis, it makes a handsome exhibition plant, and with 

 Stephanotis, Allamandas, Clerodendrons and Dipladenias is 

 found in most of the summer and autumn exhibitions in Great 

 Britain. It is advisable to give the plant a good light position. 

 For compost, ordinary fibrous loam, with a good admixture of 

 well-rotted cow-manure and a dash of sharp sand, will be 

 found suitable. When the plant has become root-bound 

 liquid-manure may be freely applied, and a surface-dressing 

 of cow-manure will be helpful. 



It is easy to have flowers of B. glabra in summer, but to 

 have a full supply during the dark winter months is a more 

 difficult matter. By withholding water during the summer 

 and only moistening the surface-soil once a day, the plant 

 practically can be held in a dormant condition. Early in the 

 fall the plants may be repotted, or some of the surface-soil 

 may be removed and fresh, rich compost added. The plant 

 will stand rough handling at this time, and, if necessary, a por- 

 tion of the roots may be cut away and the plant pruned to suit 

 the space it is intended for. If it is then kept well watered 

 and given an ordinary Rose-house temperature, there should 

 be a good show of bloom by the new year, and the flowering 



