468 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 352. 



sprinkled with tepid water morning and night, to encourage 

 them to break. The temperature should be gradually raised ; 

 say, five degrees every week, until a night temperature of sixty, 

 degrees is attained, and a rise of fifteen degrees by sun-heat 

 allowed. ,,,.„. 



Tarrytown, N. Y. William Scott. 



Helleborus niger. — This plant, the true Christmas Rose, is 

 too rarely seen. As a thoroughly hardv plant it is often a 

 failure, in northern latitudes, at least. I should judge from 

 the report of a friend that it would do well in the south, and 

 should be tried for growing into forcing-stock, as is done in 

 Holland. In England it has become quite a florist's flower, 

 being forced for market with Lily-of-the-valley and Dutch 

 bulbs. Imported roots are mostly used for forcing, but those 

 which are usually brought from Holland for this purpose are 

 inferior varieties, usually Helleborus niger angustifolius. 

 Maximus, the Scotch variety, is by far the best, but is held 

 at a rather high figure as yet. I saw the other day at Mr. 

 Powers' place, in South Framingham, about one hundred 

 plants of the last-named variety in a remarkably thrifty condi- 

 tion, showing large stools of flower-buds already. Mr. Butter- 

 worth, the gardener, had them planted in an old frame, pro- 

 tected with mats and shutters. This is their second winter, 

 and they appear perfectly at home in good rich garden-soil. 



Imported plants sometimes look as if they had been grown 

 in peaty soil, and I have seen plants collected on the Austrian 

 Alps and in Tyrol with lumps of clayey shale hanging to them 

 and their roots all twisted and flattened as they had pushed 

 through crevices of rocks, and I have grown them as well as 

 need be in plastic loam of the brick-makers' variety, so that 

 the question of soil need not be considered as an element of 

 success or failure. It is more a matter of condition of climate 

 and very much of location. The plants spoken of are shaded 

 by an old Arbor-vitas hedge, and I should think this the best 

 position possible. Mr. Butterworth says the plants commence 

 blooming toward the end of January, and continue until the 

 end of February. They last a long time when cut, and bring 

 a high price in the market. He hopes in a few years to have 

 a large stock, so that a section may be lifted each year for 

 forcing the season. These will be divided afterward, rested a 

 season or two and used again. 



The blackness indicated by the specific title sounds -like a 

 slander to one who contemplates the pure white interior of 

 the flower. This title refers really to the poisonous properties 

 found in the root. 



Wellesley, Mass. 1 . U. HatJieUt. 



Isnlomas are attractive Gesneraceous plants easily grown in 

 a warm house. There are many species, mostly South Ameri- 

 can. The French florists have hybridized them with the Ty- 

 dasas, and the botanists now class these plants together. The 

 hybrids now in flower are strong-growing plants, a foot high, 

 with green velvety leaves and numerous flowers borne in axils 

 of the leaves. These flowers are tubular, with five rounded 

 lobes, which are reflexed. The plants are of quiet, rather than 

 showy, beauty. The colors are brilliant scarlet and shades of 

 reddish purple, and the lobes are spotted with yellow. They 

 are readily propagated from the leaves or the long rhizomes, 

 which are abundant. 



Elizabeth, N.J. J.N.G. 



Correspondence. 



Papyrus Antiquorum. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — The recent note in Garden and Forest, which sug- 

 gested that Sternbergia lutea is traditionally the Lily of the 

 Field, reminds me that some commentators assert that Papyrus 

 Antiquorum has disappeared from the streams of Egypt in 

 exact fulfillment of the prophecy, Isaiah xix., 7 : "The paper 

 reeds by the brooks shall wither away and be no more." 



This plant, by the way, is not nearly common enough in gar- 

 dens. It is most unique, effective and of a character to give 

 much pleasure in the borders, or where it is well grouped. Its 

 great head of thin leaves, which terminate the bold naked stems, 

 renders it distinct from anything else in cultivation. While it 

 is a true aquatic plant, it will grow finely in moist borders, 

 though it does not become so tall there. Mr. Lee, at North- 

 ampton, Massachusetts, has grown this plant into great speci- 

 mens in the border by planting it over the steam-pipe leading 

 into his tank. Here, with the addition of moisture, it pro- 

 duces masses with stems ten feet high. This is, of course, a 

 tender plant, and needs greenhouse protection in winter. It is 

 readily propagated by shoots, which arc freely produced. It 



usually flowers here in summer, and seedlings can be 

 grown, though plants are supplied in spring by dealers in 

 aquatic plants at a popul al - price. 



Stamford, Conn. • J. Nicoll. 



The Garden in Autumn. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — If our autumn weather were usually as clear and mild 

 and as free from frosts as it has been this year in this latitude, 

 the writer of the leader in Garden and Forest for October 

 17th, would probably have spoken with more enthusiasm of 

 the charms of the autumn gardens. If they are ever dull and 

 barren it is from no lack of material, but it may be from the 

 fact that they exact more care. The garden of my more ener- 

 getic years was largely one of autumnal flowers, but it has 

 been gradually and almost completely transformed and filled 

 with plants which flower in the first half of the year because 

 the early- flowering plants make less strenuous demands upon 

 my time and attention. Many of the best autumnal flowering 

 plants require constant care during a long season, and make a 

 constant draft on energy which cannot always be spared as one 

 grows older. At present, while perfectly content to enjoy the 

 glory of the woods and fields, I should say that the ambitious 

 gardener, anxious for results and crops, can secure a more 

 glowing garden at this season than any other. 



The autumnal garden is not to be despised, though the short 

 days conceal its glory from the late-returning man of business. 



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



Exhibitions. 



Flowers at the New York Farmers' Club. 



LAST week, in connection with the monthly meeting of the 

 Farmers' Club of the American Institute of this city, there 

 was an exhibition of flowers, which, although not large, con- 

 tained many well-finished cut Chrysanthemums of the very 

 best varieties, and some good standard plants grown by Sie- 

 brecht & Wadley. A new seedling, named Castilian, was 

 exhibited by John May. It is a large loosely incurved flower, 

 with the petals pink on the outside and terra cotta within. 

 Among the tall flowers shown by Ernst Asmus, in large vases, 

 the best were the white Flora Hill, the pearl-pink President 

 Smith and the deeper pink and more regularly incurved Maud 

 Dean. In the collection from Peter Henderson & Co. blooms 

 of Golden Wedding were shown of as good size and finish as 

 were ever seen in former years. The King of Ostrich Plumes 

 is another good flower, with laciniated petals adding to its 

 fluffy effect. Admirable single flowers in vases were shown 

 by George H. Hall, gardener to Joseph E. Brown, of Bellport, 

 Long Island. The separate blooms, cut with short stems, each 

 rested on the mouth of a vase, giving them much the effect of 

 a board exhibit, and the size and color of each flower was shown 

 to advantage. A background of tall Chrysanthemums, in 

 vases, was a pleasant feature of this display, and a vase of Mrs. 

 W. S. Kimball, a seedling introduced by Pitcher & Manda two 

 years ago, made a striking picture — the flowers a delicate 

 lavender-pink tipped with red in the centre. Mrs. F. L. Ames 

 was the best yellow. Mrs. W. K. Vanderbilt, a seedling 

 introduced last spring, with large flowers, was not remarkable 

 for its beauty, although noteworthy for having five distinct 

 centres. Other good flowers were shown by Alexander Mac- 

 kenzie, gardener to Walter Gurnee, of Nyack. The beautiful 

 newTea Rose, Mrs. J. Pierpont Morgan, described in our " Plant 

 Notes " last week, was shown by Mr. John May. This sport of 

 Madame Cusin is much darker than the type, and the petals shade 

 to white at the base. It has a larger and longer bud and is 

 entirely free from the purple tint. The luxuriant foliage is a 

 deep waxy green. Mr. May also showed some fine buds of 

 the now popular Mrs. W. C. Whitney, and Messrs. Siebrecht 

 & Wadley a vase of the new seedling Belle Siebrecht, said to 

 be a hybrid between La France and Lady Mary Fitzwilliam. It 

 is of the Duchess of Albany type and quite striking in its way. 

 It is not yet known whether it will be a plant of the highest 

 value for commercial purposes. 



Mr. May's striking trio of new Carnations, Dean Hole, Lena 

 Saling and Maud Dean, again attracted much attention, and 

 we shall have something more to say about them later. Other 

 promising seedling Carnations were shown by H. E. Chitty, 

 Paterson, New Jersey, and some excellent vases of standard 

 varieties were furnished by Dailledouze Brothers, Flatbush, 

 New York. 



A rather remarkable collection of seedling Coleus of a large- 

 leaved strain, which seems entirely new to this country, was 



