248 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 170. 



thus confirming to that extent the observations made during 

 last year's experiment. The further developments of the 

 plants and their fruit will be looked for with great interest, 

 since, among the many forms of grafting which have been 

 practiced in the past, few, if any, records are to be found of 

 such a preponderating influence of the stock. 



Cornell University. 



C. W. Matheius. 



Lima Beans. 



THE Bush Lima Bean known as Henderson's, while 

 quite small, is enormously productive and of fine 

 quality. It is remarkable how quickly other varieties of this 

 form of Lima Bean have appeared since the advent of Hen- 

 derson's. This year Dreer's Bush Lima Bean is placed on the 

 market. The seeds look like the ordinary form of Dreer's 

 Lima Bean, and, if as good as this, will be valuable. Lima 

 Beans have been very uncertain and unproductive in the 

 south, while Dreer's always did well. We have another 

 form of Lima of bush habit. These are larger than Hender- 

 son's and larger than the old Sieva or Butter Bean of this 

 section. The seeds are handsomely mottled like" the Golden 

 Wax Bean, some of them almost as dark as Scarlet Runners. 

 This is possibly a cross with the latter kind, as the blooms are 

 said to be pink. There are two forms of this Bean, one a 

 climber sent by a North Carolina grower, and the other said to 

 be dwarf, and sent by a Georgia seedsman. Henderson's Bush 

 Lima was also of southern origin, having been raised in 

 Campbell County, Virginia. The prospect is that soon all 

 tastes can be suited with bush varieties, and poles will no 

 longer be needed. One of the greatest advantages of these 

 Bush Limas is the fact that most of them are earlier than the 

 pole sorts, so that the season for this vegetable at the north 

 will be much lengthened. ttt ' 



Raleigh, N. c. W. F. Massey. 



Spring Garden Notes. 



THIS spring has proven the most successful season with us 

 in the cultivation of Irises. A dozen roots of /. Susiana 

 were purchased in the fall, and these were planted in deep 

 pans and placed in a cold frame ; they were often frozen 

 during the severe winter, but they started to grow, and re- 

 cently bore eight large flowers. After flowering the foliage 

 dies off rapidly. The pans will then be placed in a frame 

 covered with a sash, where they will receive a thorough dry- 

 ing off. In the fall, when signs of growth are apparent, they 

 will be repotted and treated as before. Any one havingacold 

 frame can grow this plant. 



Tulipa cornuta is in flower in the border. Its petals are yel- 

 low, striped with red, and are. long, very narrow and erect. 

 Anemone coronaria, the Saint Bridgid strain, are flowering 

 fairly well in an open border, where they were planted in No- 

 vember last, and covered with dry leaves. When the leaves 

 were removed this spring many had already commenced 

 growing, and since then others have come up. There is no 

 doubt that frame-culture is best for them in Massachusetts, 

 but our frames were all filled when the Anemones came to 

 hand. They were imported direct from Ireland, where the 

 St. Bridgid's strain originated, and where I have had the. same 

 strain in bloom in the open border every week of the whole 

 winter. The practice was to sow seeds in the spring for the 

 next winter's flowers; in the moist climate, with very little 

 frost, they were almost evergreen, and flowered abundantly, 

 especially in spring. Anemones require a rich, well-drained 

 soil and early fall planting. 



Puschkinia Libanotica. — It is a matter of surprise to me that 

 this desirable plant is not better known. It blooms earlier 

 than the Chionodoxa or Scillas, and, to my mind, is prettier 

 than the Chionodoxa. P. compacta is said to differ from the 

 type in having more flowers to a stem. The flowers are like 

 little white bells with a blue stripe down the centre. The 

 Puschkinia is as easily grown and naturalized as the Scilla or 

 Grape Hyacinth. Those who want a showy and easily cul- 

 tivated spring-flowering plant must not forget the Mertensia 

 Virginica. We planted a lot of collected roots last fall which 

 came from Iowa, and they are now vigorous and every one is in 

 flower. The Mertensia should, I think, be planted in the same 

 way as the Oriental Poppy, in patches or clumps, as both die 

 down at midsummer. Annuals may then be planted over them 

 to cover the bare ground. Hardy Cypripediums brought on in 

 pans to flower at this time are a great success, especially C. 

 spectabile. We use fourteen-inch pans, with plenty of soil, 

 and these hold six to eight crowns. Many of the stems are 

 bearing two well-colored flowers each. There was a fine ex- 

 hibit of this plant at the spring show in Boston, by Mr. 



Jackson Dawson. It is not generally known how easy it is to 

 have an Orchid that will rival any of the exotic Cypripediums 

 in its delicate coloring, or we should not be able to buy good 

 strong collected roots of C. spectabile at six cents each. Cypri- 

 pcdinm pubescens and C. parviflornm have also done well, but 

 they do not equal the showier species. All these Cypripe- 

 diums force well year after year, but as much care must be 

 taken of the plants after the flowering period as before. 



Spircea (Asti/be) Japonica is a good plant for forcing. It 

 does not seem to be generally known that the variegated va- 

 riety, besides having leaves variegated with golden yellow, 

 has also spikes of flowers that are much more dense and 

 compact, while equally as graceful as the typical variety. It 

 lasts longer, and is altogether a better plant for room decora- 

 tion and for cutting purposes. It is easily obtained in the fall 

 from dealers and growers in hardy plants. Home-grown 

 clumps of Astilbe give much better results than imported 

 ones, as the buds that contain the flowers get badly bruised in 

 transit. 



S. Lancaster, Mass. E. O. Or pet. 



Musas. 



'T'HIS handsome group includes several species and varie- 

 *■ ties of value for conservatory decoration where space is 

 ample, and during the summer some of them are also useful 

 for out-door tropical effects, for which their bold leaves make 

 them particularly desirable. When planted outside, however, 

 the Bananas should have a somewhat sheltered position, for 

 when exposed to the full force of the wind the leaves are often 

 split and torn. These plants are gross feeders and enjoy rich 

 soil, and respond to liberal treatment generally. Another 

 point in their favor is, that they are but little subject to insect 

 pests, unless surrounded by infected plants of other species. 



The true Banana, Musa sapientum, is rather too large a 

 plant to be included in a small collection, but the variegated 

 form of this species, M. sapientum vittata, is an extremely 

 handsome one, and is not quite so rampant in growth as the 

 type. This variety is perhaps the most striking member of 

 the genus, the leaves being oblong in form and the ground 

 color bright green, on which are many stripes and blotches of 

 white. The fruit is of little value, but when planted out in a 

 warm house, and at the same time encouraged in growth by 

 a moist atmosphere and plentiful watering at the root, it 

 makes a very effective specimen. The propagation of this 

 form is accomplished by means of suckers, which, in com- 

 mon with most of the members of this genus, it produces in 

 moderate number. 



The Chinese Banana.il/. Cavetidishii, is quite dwarf in habit, 

 and has been frequently fruited under glass, for when full- 

 grown it seldom reaches more than eight feet in height, and 

 has often been fruited when about six feet. Its leaves are 

 from three to four feet long and one to two in width, forming 

 a rather compact head of dark green color, and the stem is 

 quite stout in proportion to its length. M, Cavetidishii is also 

 propagated by means of suckers, the latter being thrown up 

 at the time of fruiting, and frequently before this occurs. 



M. coccinea is another highly ornamental species, and was 

 introduced from Cochin China many years ago. This species 

 is of comparatively slender growth, and has bright green 

 leaves about three feet long and six inches wide, the entire 

 height of the plant being from four to six feet. The most 

 striking feature of M. coccinea is the flower-cluster, which is 

 terminal and about one foot long, and covered with spathes of 

 bright scarlet, making it the most showy member of the genus 

 in this respect. It may be well grown as a pot plant if it be 

 not convenient to plant it out, by giving it a little extra stimu- 

 lation in the form of liquid manure from time to time. 



The Abyssinian Banana, M. Ensete, is now well known as a 

 plant for decorative use, either in-doors or out, and is grown 

 from seeds in quite large quantities in some commercial estab- 

 lishments. This is probably the largest species of this genus, 

 the stem sometimes reaching a height of twenty feet, while 

 the leaves are truly immense. The latter are bright green in 

 color, with a red midrib and stem, and stand out boldly in a 

 semi-erect manner. The fruit of this species is of no value 

 except to furnish seeds, these forming the only means of prop- 

 agation, as M. Ensete does not produce suckers. M. superba 

 is also a strong-growing species, and bears some resemblance 

 to the preceding, though possibly more compact in habit, 

 and is a native of India. The two last-mentioned are the best 

 species to use out-of-doors, their leaves being tougher than 

 those of most of the others, though M. Cavetidishii may also 

 be used in this manner if it has not been grown in a close, 

 warm house just previous to removal outside. M. zebrina, 

 also from India, is another handsome foliaged species, the 



