May 13, 1891.] 



Garden and Forest. 



225 



casual observer at present being mostly engaged in stealing 

 accessible Lilacs — but there is a great enjoyment with it all, 

 and one gathers in such a garden in a fine spring morning 

 delightful impressions to help him during the cares of busy 

 days. 

 Elizabeth, N. J. 7- N. G. 



Notes from the Missouri Botanical Garden. 



THERE are few more attractive plants that bloom in early 

 spring than Epimedium violaceum, a native of Japan, and 

 first imported into Great Britain about the year 1839. ^ * s sa ^ 

 to be only a variety, a smaller form, of E. macranthum, and 

 the handsomest of the genus. It grows about a foot high in a 

 compact mass. Not only are the light violet flowers very 

 numerous, large and showy, though not very durable, but the 

 foliage of the plant is worthy of admiration after the flowers 

 are gone. It is perfectly hardy in St. Louis, where the weather 

 is often very severe. It seems not at all difficult to grow, and 

 is perfectly healthy in a heavy clay soil and in full sunlight. 



The largest of the wild Bell worts (Uvularia grandiflord) is 

 now in bloom here. A fine clump is growing in full sunlight 

 and in a heavy soil, and is quite as beautiful as it will average 

 in its natural soil in the woods. Near it in similar soil and in 

 the sun is a tuft of Viola striata, a low-growing form. Its very 

 numerous creamy white flowers and dark thick foliage look 

 fresh and attractive at this season. 



Ranunculus septentrionalis and R. fascicidaris are both in 

 bloom. The former is a trifle the later in flowering, grows 

 about eight inches high, and somewhat spreading, with 

 numerous bright yellow flowers half an inch wide. The latter 

 is the best plant on account of its earliness, its brighter yellow 

 flowers and dwarfer habit. Neither of them is very showy, 

 but they give variety to a large collection, and R. fascicularis 

 makes a pretty addition to the early border. 



Helonias bullata, now in bloom, is a rare and local species, 

 usually about fifteen inches high. Its dense head of light pur- 

 ple flowers is borne at the terminus of its naked scape, and 

 is quite showy. Its leaves lie close to the ground in a cluster 

 near the tuberous root. It is a natural bog-plant, though it 

 does fairly well on an upland loamy soil if in the shade. 



Phlox divaricata is quite common around St. Louis, and 

 finds its way into .the shaded portions of the parks when al- 

 lowed to, without being planted there. It is a pretty plant as 

 seen in its natural home, and one of the easiest to cultivate. 



Claytonia Virginica (Spring Beauty) is the most abundant of 

 the early wild flowers here, coming in almost everywhere in 

 moist shaded situations. In Forest Park there are acres that 

 are white with it, and the children take great delight in gather- 

 ing it, in spite of the rigid rules forbidding any one to pluck a 

 flower. 



Dicentra eximia seems as much at home here in the sun and 

 in a heavy soil as could be desired, and the fine clump now in 

 flower in the herbaceous grounds is one of the most conspicu- 

 ous there. 



Trillium grandiflorum and T. erectum, var. album, are both 

 in bloom ; also Trillium sessile and T. recurvation. The latter 

 is quite common here in favored situations. 



Among the most striking of the trees and shrubs are the 

 Magnolias, first of which to bloom was M. cons-picica, with its 

 large fragrant white flowers, closely followed byAf. Soulangea7ia, 

 M. purpurea and the M. Lenne, which is the most showy of 

 the four, and is at its best stage about the time M. conspicua'is 

 past. 



The Japan Quince and the Redbud, or Judas-tree, are both in 

 full flower ; the latter the more conspicuous, being entirely 

 covered with bloom. 



Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Mo. F. H. H. 



Orchid Notes. 



Chysis ltevis. — Good authorities have called this the best 

 species of its genus, and yet it has fallen into unaccountable 

 neglect. It is found in Guatemala and Mexico, and was in- 

 troduced in 1829. A year afterward it flowered in England 

 for the first time. The pendulous, pseudo-bulbous stems are 

 from twelve to fifteen inches in length, wrapped almostcom- 

 pletely with whitish, sheath-like scales, and terminating with 

 several lanceolate leaves of nearly their own length, decidu- 

 ous, light of texture, with prominent veins on the lower side, 

 and of a pale green color. The drooping racemes, equaling 

 a full-grown stem in length, appear with the new growth in 

 late winter or early spring, and the scapes carry from five to 

 eight half-spread flowers of heavy substance and enduring 

 quality, and about two inches in diameter. The oblong sepals 



are pale yellow, with a free diffusion of orange on the inside, 

 tipped green on the exterior ; and the linear petals resemble 

 them in color, but without the green ; the trilobed lip is 

 yellow, profusely marked with orange-crimson, and the stout 

 column resembles it in color. The cultural demands of C. 

 Icevis are easily satisfied. It thrives in a basket, and from its 

 drooping habit it looks better there than in a pot. Rough 

 peat, with abundant drainage material, is best for the roots, 

 and the whole should be lightly surfaced with sphagnum. A 

 night temperature, ranging from sixty to seventy degrees, 

 Fahrenheit, and copious supplies of water are required during 

 the season of growth ; but very little water, and a temperature 

 of from fifty to sixty degrees will suffice during the long resting 

 period which ensues. 



Epidendrum aurantiacum. — Only a small proportion of the 

 large number of known Epidendrums are worthy of general 

 culture, and these are decidedly whimsical and unsatisfactory 

 in conduct. Sometimes they grow and bloom perfectly for 

 years together ; then, for no apparent reason, they become 

 unhealthy and die, or they preserve their full vigor of growth 

 and refuse to bloom. E. aurantiacum is no exception to the 

 rule. It cannot be depended upon to produce its splendid 

 flowers in anything like profusion ; they appear regularly, 

 however, and when one happens to secure a good crop of 

 blossoms it makes full amends for a score of bad ones. This 

 species is a native of Guatemala, whence it was sent to Eng- 

 land by Mr. Skinner in 1835. The entire plant rarely exceeds 

 fifteen inches in height. The flowers measure an inch and a 

 half in diameter, and are borne in dense racemose clusters — 

 the number in each cluster varying from five ten — which pro- 

 ceed from pale brownish sheaths at the apex of the pseudo- 

 bulbs ; the column yellow, the other parts of the flower 

 being of a brilliant orange color, with occasional small patches 

 of dark crimson on the lip. The blooming stage is reached in 

 spring, and the flowers retain their vivid hue about a month. 

 The most reliable way of getting this plant to flower freely is 

 to grow it in a basket near the light, using a compost of rough 

 peat and chopped sphagnum in mixture, and providing ample 

 drainage of crocks and charcoal. The growth should not be 

 hastened in any way, but rather allowed to proceed naturally 

 in a temperature ranging from sixty to seventy degrees, ad- 

 mitting abundance of fresh air, and a free supply of water 

 given as long as the process continues. A temperature from 

 ten to fifteen degrees below sixty will not injure the plant 

 when in bloom, the lower temperature, on the contrary, tend- 

 ing to preserve the flowers for a longer period than would 

 otherwise be possible. 

 Cambridge, Mass. M. Barker. 



The Wardian Case. 



"POR a long time I used a modification of the Wardian case, 

 -*- which I found to be very valuable for a large class of 

 house-plants, especially those which cannot endure the dust 

 or air of an ordinary room. The Wardian case proper made 

 its first public appearance about 1842, and was exhibited in 

 this country at the World's Fair in 1851. It consisted of a zinc 

 pan on a stand, over which was placed a glass case, making 

 it nearly air-tight, and was used for the propagation of deli- 

 cate tropical plants and for their transportation. By confining 

 air and moisture the case constituted a little world by itself, 

 and there was no need of adding water or of ventilating it. 

 My own case was so far modified as to require occasional 

 supplies of water. The tray was built as wide as could be 

 passed through an ordinary door ; it was seven feet long, and 

 was mounted on a strong frame on castors ; over this was 

 built a stout frame set with the best plate-glass, two panes to 

 each side and one for each end. The roof sloped up to a 

 small top pane. Each end was hung on hinges, and served 

 as a door. The depth of the tray was six inches. Instead of 

 filling this with soil for the plants to grow in, I grew all plants 

 in pots, which could be lifted out for rearrangement. The 

 case was capable of any degree of ventilation, and was, there- 

 fore, adapted to a much larger range of plants than an ordinary 

 Wardian case. Begonias, Ferns and Lycopodiums were often 

 removed and the case given over to Fuchsias and other plants 

 not suited to the Wardian case proper. I found it easily adapt- 

 able to Camellias, Azaleas and dwarf Oranges. 



The charm of such a case for a lover of plants is very great. 

 The frame should be built quite strong, especially if it is de- 

 sired to suspend baskets from the roof. The cost of the one 

 I had built was about $40 ; a very good one could be built for 

 $25. The plants are always clean, and are free from red spider. 

 There are, however, other insects that must be guarded 

 against in a close, moist atmosphere, and it is possible to ruin 



