July 4, 1894.] 



Garden and Forest. 



269 



many people their decided purple shade of color is not 

 altogether pleasant ; and it is difficult to group the plants sat- 

 isfactorily with varieties with red or dark-colored flowers. 



Gloriosum. A hardy free-blooming variety of rather 

 loose and unattractive habit. The beauty of the flowers, 

 which in color resemble those of an Apple-tree, is not sur- 

 passed by that of the flowers of any other Rhododendron, 

 although the trusses are rather loose, and the individual 

 flowers are not large or perfectly regular in outline. 



Hannibal. A variety of good habit, with small trusses 

 of rose-colored flowers. 



F. L. Ames. This produces pale flowers surrounded with 

 a broad band of rosy pink ; the individual flowers and the 

 trusses are large and well shaped, and the foliage is unus- 

 ually large and fine. Young plants, the only ones which 

 have yet been tried in this country, as this is a new va- 

 riety, show an inclination to a loose, rather ungainly 

 habit. 



II. \V. Sargent. This produces enormous trusses of 

 crimson flowers and is the latest of all the varieties with 

 dark-colored flowers. It is very hardy and the foliage is 

 excellent ; it lacks, however, good habit and usually 

 appears as a sprawling open-headed plant, unattractive 

 when not in flower. 



Lady Armstrong. This variety produces pale rose-col- 

 ored spotted flowers. It is -very prolific, perfectly hardy 

 and altogether one of the most beautiful and desirable of 

 hardy Rhododendrons. 



Lady Gray Egerton. Although a comparatively new 

 and little-known variety, this is probably one of the best 

 of the hardy Rhododendrons, with good foliage and habit 

 and immense trusses of large, well-shaped, light mauve or 

 silvery blush flowers. 



Mrs. C. S. Sargent. This is one of the most promising 

 of the newer varieties with the habit and foliage of Eve- 

 restianum ; the flowers, however, are bright pink with a 

 large yellow blotch and crinkly edges ; they are of good 

 shape and produced in large compact trusses. 



Mrs. Harry Ingersol. Deep rosy-lilac, with a conspic- 

 uous greenish or yellow blotch on the upper lobe of the 

 corolla. 



Mrs. Milner. A variety with rich crimson flowers in 

 compact trusses, excellent foliage and compact habit. 



Purpureum grandiflorum. This is the best of the pur- 

 ple-flowered varieties. No Rhododendron has a better 

 habit, grows more rapidly or produces larger and 

 darker-colored leaves or more numerous trusses of well- 

 shaped flowers ; their color, however, is disliked by 

 many people, and it is difficult to group plants of this 

 variety in a mixed collection ; and, as far as possible, they 

 should be kept by themselves. It is one of the latest 

 varieties to bloom. 



Roseum elegans. With rosy purple flowers. This is 

 one of the best Rhododendrons in habit and foliage, al- 

 though to some people the purplish shade of the flowers is 

 disagreeable. 



Sefton. This produces enormous trusses of dark maroon 

 flowers and excellent foliage. It is the darkest-flowered 

 hardy Rhododendron, and when in flower one of the 

 most conspicuous and striking; it shows rather a tendency 

 to an open growth and bad habit. — Ed] 



An Aquatic Garden. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — The increasing interest in aquatic plants, and their col- 

 lection and cultivation, is bringing into notice differences and 

 dislinctions, even among well-known species, which have 

 until lately escaped attention. Again, the natural result of the 

 cultivation of many varieties in the same waters tends to 

 hybridization, the results of which are beginning to appear, 

 though few of these new hybrids have been distributed. These 

 points were especially impressed on me a few days ago in look- 

 ing over William Tricker's collection of aquatic plants at Clif- 

 ton, New Jersey. Mr. Tricker this season has connected him- 

 self with Mr. S. C. Nash, whose reclaimed swamp and aquatic 



garden were illustrated in Garden and Forest in vol. v., pp. 

 498-99. Here is probably the largest outdoor healed tank in the 

 country, with pits and accommodations for four plants of Vic- 

 toria regia. Three plants only are being grown this season, hut 

 they are especially interesting as they are each of distinct habit. 



Victoria Randii is recognized among growers as a distinct 

 variety, both in its smaller leaves and the distinct color oi the 

 flowers. It does not seem to be known, however, that there 

 are marked variations in what is supposed to be the nor- 

 mal form. Such variations are to be seen in the two plants 

 now growing, especially in the difference of formation of the 

 rims. One plant has leaves fifty inches in diameter with no 

 sign of a rim ; the other plant has sharply turned-up edges, 

 even in a very young stage. The latter plant has sharply 

 reflexed spines, like fish-hooks, on the stems, while the spine's 

 on the other variety are straight. There are also minor differ- 

 ences of color which do not seem important. I have read 

 some sharp controversy between capable observers in the 

 horticultural press regarding rim-forming. The writers were 

 probably growing different varieties and correctly reported 

 what they saw, with no suspicion as to all the facts. 



Owing to the cold season, the sash had not yet been re- 

 moved from the Victoria pits when I saw them, ten days ago, 

 and the other tropical Nymphajas were backward, though a few 

 plants of N. Zanzibarensis were in flower. Euryale feroxdoes 

 not receive protection here, and was growingstrongly in the Vic- 

 toria tank. The heated water of this tank somewhat hurries 

 the Nelumbiums, which were showing their first buds. In one 

 of the cold ponds was a large mass of plants showing many 

 very double white flowers with broad-pointed petals. Resting 

 on the water, these flowers were very striking in the sunlight, 

 and distinct from anything previously seen. On close exam- 

 ination I found that they bore nearly forty broad petals, and 

 were similar to fine forms of N. alba, with the distinct fra- 

 grance of N. odorata. They had no trace of pink-, such as 

 usually occurs in the petals of N. alba candidissima, yet, not- 

 withstanding this and their fragrance, one would hesitate to 

 pronounce the variety other than a specially double and bold 

 form of N. alba. Nymplueas are peculiarly modified by con- 

 ditions of cultivation, both in form and coloring, and these 

 modifications are very puzzling. 



There were various seedlings under trial, the best of these 

 being a large clear rosy one of perfect color, which it seems 

 to retain until the flower withers. All the better-known 

 hardy Nympha;as were, of course, in full flower, N. tuberosa 

 showing a special capacity for covering space with largeleaves 

 and abundant handsome large flowers. N. gracilis is an in- 

 teresting day-flowering Nymphasa with narrow pointed seg- 

 ments. It is usually white, but some seedlings of a pure light 

 blue were in flower. Mr. Tricker is having success with The 

 Lace-plants, Ouvirandra fenestralis, whose curious reticulated 

 leaves are among the most wonderful objects in the vegetable 

 kingdom. It seems to flower while yet very small. 



The various tanks and plantations at Clifton are kept up to 

 their usual attractive standard by Mr. Nash, who spares no 

 expense on his favorite hobby, which, as has been said before, 

 has changed an unsightly swamp into a public benefaction! 

 The abundant water-space furnishes also a field for experi- 

 ments on a large scale, from which important results may be 

 expected. 

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



Orchids in New York. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir,— A fortnight ago the Cattleyas in the well-known colfv- 

 tion of Mr. Hicks Arnold, in this city, were makinga remarka- 

 ble display. Of two superb specimens of Cattleya Arnoldiana, 

 a rare hybrid raised by the Messrs. Sander, one was carrying 

 four fully developed blooms, and the other six blooms on two 

 spikes. The white form of C. intermedia, another exceedingly 

 rare plant, had two strong spikes. Such white forms of C. 

 Mossiaj as Reineckiana, Wagnerii and Wagnerii ampliata 

 were ail in full bloom, and the last one was especially interest- 

 ing on account of the admirable form of its sepals and petals 

 and its deep orange throat. The best white variety of C. Gas- 

 kelliana was also in bloom in this collection, showing two lino 

 flowers, and the distinctly mottled variety of C. Mossise known 

 as Hardyana was just opening four fine blooms. 



Among the Cypripediums such striking varieties as the 

 American hybrid josephianum, C. dilectum, C. macropterum, 

 C. niveum magniticum and C. Ieucorrhodum, and many more 

 were all growing in the healthiest condition, and together pre- 

 sented a spectacle which any intelligent lover of Orchids would 

 go a journey to inspect. 

 South Orange, n.j. Joseph A. Manda. 



