3 o3 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 336. 



as an annual, and is one of the most attractive little species I 



have seen. 



Several of the Sea Pinks (Armeria) do finely here. A. plan- 



taginea is about two feet high, with pale pink flowers in 



round heads and on long naked stems. A. montana has 



bright pink and very handsome flowers, which remain at their 



best for a long time. _ ,, „ ,. 



Charlotte, Vt. ' F. H. Horsford. 



Midsummer Cultural Notes. 



THIS is a time of particularly active growth among foliage- 

 plants under glass, and close attention to watering, syring- 

 ing and ventilation should therefore be observed. Healthy 

 Palms will absorb almost unlimited quantities of water at this 

 time if proper drainage has been supplied to the pots, and 

 during bright weather will enjoy being syringed twice a day. 

 At the afternoon syringing it is a good practice to close the 

 ventilators for an hour or so, even though the house becomes 

 quite warm, as this will encourage growth by checking too 

 rapid evaporation from the foliage ; and after this vapor-bath 

 has been continued from one to two hours, ventilators should 

 be opened and air given all night. 



Various fine-foliaged plants, like Sphasrogynes, Dieffen- 

 bachias, Dracasnas and Marantas, will now be growing fast, 

 and will require abundant moisture and shading to color well. 

 If exhibition specimens are desired the plants must not be per- 

 mitted to become badly root-bound, for such plants are gross 

 feeders, and the lower leaves are sure to suffer when the roots 

 are not acting. The Alocasias, too, enjoy liberal treatment, 

 though usually in a much more open compost than is required 

 for the plants just named. Heliconia aurea striata and 

 Phrynium variegatum are both quite easy subjects to grow, 

 and very effective for conservatories, though the Phrynium 

 will endure the most exposure without injury. 



Nepenthes will now be growing very freely either in pans or 

 baskets ; the latter method displays the curious pitchers to the 

 best advantage. In repotting Nepenthes it should be remem- 

 bered that their roots are very tender and brittle, though wiry 

 in appearance, and a decided check will be given if the roots 

 are disturbed to any great extent. A mixture of coarse peat 

 and sphagnum-moss makes a satisfactory compost for them, 

 and free applications of water are needed both at the root 

 and overhead. 



Old plants of Dracaenas that have become leggy and un- 

 sightly can now be topped by making an incision just below 

 the leaves and then binding up the wound with moss, which 

 must be kept continually moist to induce the formation of 

 roots. The same process may be employed in the case of 

 Ficus, Pandanus and various other plants at this season when 

 root-action is so vigorous. 



Ferns and Selaginellas will also require abundant watering 

 at the root, and in some instances overhead, but it is safest to 

 err by omission in the matter of syringing Ferns, for the ma- 

 jority of them will thrive equally well without having their 

 foliage sprinkled, and to some it is a positive injury. 



Many cool-house plants, like Indian Azaleas, Camellias, Ge- 

 nistas, Acacias, Ericas and Gardenias, will be summering out- 

 doors, and the main cultural point to be observed with 

 these plants is not to allow them to suffer from drought. 

 Thorough syringing every day with a strong pressure of water 

 is the best way to keep them healthy and free from insects. 

 The Azaleas should have full exposure to sunlight in order to 

 insure well-ripened growth and abundant flowers the follow- 

 ing season, but the pots should be plunged to protect the ten- 

 der rootlets from excessive heat. 



Holmesburg, Pa. W.H.Taplin. 



Correspondence. 



Orchids in Wellesley. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — One of the best collections of Orchids in Massachu- 

 setts is that of Mr. H. H. Hunnewell, at Wellesley. It num- 

 bers about 4,000 plants, and it has required the labor of years 

 to make it so large and complete. 



Among the Odontoglossums, O. Alexandrse, on account of 

 its variability, is considered the most useful and it is one of 

 the most beautiful of Orchids. Its flowers range in color from 

 pure white to yellow and rose, including spotted forms, some 

 with a tinge of brown. It is a great favorite of Mr. Hunne- 

 well's, judging from the many fine plants seen of this species, 

 and among the many fairy-like sprays of it I noticed at a recent 



visit no two were alike. O. vexillarium is another valuable 

 species, on account of the distinct color and large size of its 

 flowers. There are many varieties of this charming species, 

 and one of them, Album, is grown here in quantity. Its lovely 

 white flowers have only the faintest tinge of rose toward the 

 lower portions of the sepals and petals. Rubellum is a variety 

 smaller than the type, but with colors intensely brilliant, in 

 which rose, magenta-rose and crimson-purple predominate. 

 Many fine plants of O. Pescatorea may be seen, although now 

 out of bloom. 



Odontoglossum Hunnewellianum is a natural hybrid, which 

 was discovered in Bogota in 1888, and introduced by Messrs. 

 Sander & Co. Its flowers, borne on racemes, are waxy-white, 

 thickly spotted with brown, the petals tipped with yellow, and 

 no two plants produce blooms exactly alike. 



Oncidium macranthum, with flower-spikes several feet 

 tall, finely branched and carrying a wealth of orange and 

 brown flowers, was growing here in perfection. Here 

 too, were good plants of the robust O. phymatochilum, 

 with its long spikes of curious and fragrant flowers, which 

 remain open two months. Fine plants of O. serratum will 

 soon open their large chocolate-brown and yellow-margined 

 flowers, borne on their long twining scapes. 



Among the Cattleyas, a magnificent specimen of C. Gas- 

 kelliana was carrying 160 very large flowers. Very strong and 

 vigorous are the plants of C. virginalis, whose beautiful flow- 

 ers, with snowy white sepals and petals, are delightfully 

 fragrant. In the Gigas section, C. imperialis, with flowers 

 ranging from lavender to deep magenta, and some of them 

 ten inches in diameter, was very conspicuous. C. Sanderiana 

 was in the richness of its foliage and in the size and color of 

 its flowers equal to the best forms of C. gigas. Several plants 

 of the new C. Victoria; reginse will soon follow these in bloom, 

 as they are now showing strong flower-spikes set closely with 

 buds, while the many robust-growing varieties of C. labiata 

 will not flower before November. There is a peculiar airiness 

 and grace about the flowers of this Labiata section, and their 

 fringed wings give them a light and soaring character, which, 

 together with the marked variety of form and color which they 

 display, justifies the admiration they command. Of course, 

 there are numberless plants of C. Trianas, and especially of the 

 nearly white flowering varieties, and they are all showing 

 strong flower-sheaths. Here were C. Mendelii, with its white 

 and delicate mauve flowers, and the collection is rich in plants 

 of C. Lawrenceana, which is becoming somewhat rare. I 

 noted a magnificent plant of C. Skinneri, which had recently 

 been a beautiful sight with its rosy-purple blossoms, as well as C. 

 Warneri, C. superba, C. Wallacii, C. Wagnerii, C. Reinechiana 

 and other varieties of Mossiae, all in splendid condition. 



The robust Cypripedium grande, a garden hybrid, was the 

 most striking specimen of this genus in flower. The ex- 

 tended pouch and ribbon-like petals, a foot or more in length, 

 pale yellow staminode, flushed with crimson and fringed with 

 a darker shade of the same color, altogether make an attrac- 

 tive picture. Other Cypripediums in bloom were C. Curtisii, 

 C. Harrisianum and C. barbatum Warneri, C. superba and C. 

 concolor, all worthy of notice and fine specimen plants. 



Dendrobium Dearii, with its white blossoms, nearly three 

 inches across, and produced on racemes ten or a dozen of 

 them together, seem to float in the air like butterflies, and last 

 several weeks in perfection. The golden yellow and fragrant 

 flowers of D. suavissimum are produced freely in arching ra- 

 cemes, and also remain for a long time in full beauty. D. 

 clavatum is notable for rich trusses of rich orange-yellow 

 flowers, and D. Wardianum, an early bloomer, shows many 

 strong and beautiful spikes. D. crassinode is a distinct and 

 beautiful species which ought to be seen in June, when it 

 produces its beautiful flowers, waxy white, tipped with ma- 

 genta-purple, and showing a white velvety lip with an orange 

 blotch at the base. 



Many magnificent specimens of Laslia purpurata are here 

 collected. L. amanda, soon coming into bloom, is a distinct 

 plant with flowers five or six inches across of a flesh-color, 

 with a rich purple venation. Plants of L. anceps are already 

 beginning to show their spikes, as do the white varieties. Of 

 the curious Masdevallias, the best species here are M. Davisii, 

 with beautiful orange-yellow flowers, and many varieties of 

 M. Harryana, which is one of the handsomest and most dis- 

 tinct species of the genus. Grammatophyllum Elwesii, Thu- 

 nia Bensoinae, different ^Erides, with their long racemes of 

 fragrant purple flowers, and many other rare plants of this 

 family are found, not only in the three large houses devoted 

 entirely to them, but in many other nooks and corners where 

 their beauty is most effectively displayed. Mr. Hunnewell 

 throws open these treaures of his glass houses, as well as the 



