June io, 1891.] 



Garden and Forest. 



273 



during the past two seasons it has increased to such an extent 

 as to seriously alarm the grape-growers in our section. The 

 best and, in fact, only preventive I have yet discovered is 

 the paper bag, as the fly will not enter it to deposit its eggs. _ 



Grapes that have passed the summer in bags come out in 

 the fall looking better than those exposed to the weather. The 

 berries, being free from weather-marks, present a fresh green 

 look. 



Notes on Irises. 



Spanish Irises. — These are just passing away and giving 

 place to the " English " varieties. These bulbous Irises are 

 among the most attractive of the family, having numerous 

 flowers with bright colors. They are hardy in a not too wet 

 position ; a satisfactory one being the second line under the 

 south side of the house, where the first line is preferably vines, 

 the foliage of which will serve as a background and foil to the 

 Iris flowers. My bulbs seem to be too close to the house, 

 especially in a season like the present, when exceptional dry- 

 ness has rather shortened the blooming season. The bulbous 

 and Oncocyclus Irises are the most interesting of the family, 

 and among the most interesting plants of any family. Those 

 who grow a selection of these, however, give hostages to care, 

 as many of them are decidedly miffy, and unless they have a 

 suitable location, they live but decline to bloom, and the worst 

 of it is that a location which pleases one year seems to lose its 

 charm the next. Take, as a familiar example of the Oncocyclus 

 section, I. Susiana. This is a plant familiar to gardens for 

 several hundred years, and probably every year it has been 

 discussed by the gardeners, the most skillful ones of this gen- 

 eration still continuing the annual discussion. There seems 

 to be a consensus of opinion that the proper culture consists 

 in planting late in a sheltered position and drying off 

 thoroughly after blooming. With all such care, however, it 

 will be frequently found that some slight thing, like dryness, 

 will cause them to go blind or refuse to flower. It is a curious 

 commentary on garden skill that one finds this Iris blooming 

 annually in gardens where no care is given to it, the owner, 

 happily, oblivious usually to the interest of the plant. Thanks 

 mostly to Herr Max Leichtlin, our gardens have been enriched 

 by a number of interesting Oncocyclus Irises — Lupina, Gatesii, 

 Paradoxa and others of their kin, such as Leichtlinii and Korol- 

 kowi. These, with the old /. Iberica, are an interesting and 

 beautiful lot for those who enjoy fine plants which are inter- 

 esting in care and beauty. These notes on culture refer, of 

 course, to growth in the open, which seems the proper place 

 for hardy plants. Frame and pan culture of hardy subjects 

 does not seem to me an attractive occupation, even if a crop 

 of flowers is more certain. 



Iris Pallida Dalmatica — the great Dalmatian flag — is one of 

 the most attractive and among the largest of the family. It has 

 broad, noble foliage, and the large flowers are of a pleasing light 

 lavender, with an orange beard. They are freely produced on 

 stocky erect stems, without laterals, some three to four feet 

 tall. The plant in bloom has an appearance of distinction 

 and beauty, and is worthy a prominent place in the garden. A 

 delicate odor adds the last charm to this variety. 



Iris Monnieri is a beardless Iris, with fragrant clustered 

 flowers, which are light lemon-yellow. The plant is attractive, 

 but not showy, except as grown in masses. 



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



Roses. 



THE time is at hand when Roses for blooming under glass 

 should be replanted, and early planting gives a decided 

 advantage to the cultivator, because plants so treated have a 

 chance to become thoroughly established before winter sets 

 in. The system of planting in shallow benches, now so gen- 

 erally used, gives many advantages, not the least of which is 

 the smaller bulk of soil to be handled in emptying and refill- 

 ing, always a laborious operation, especially in hot weather. 

 But the system has the disadvantage of requiring more fre- 

 quent repairs than the solid-bed plan, and the item of lumber 

 makes a considerable difference in the expense-account of any 

 large establishment. As a preservative, a thorough painting 

 with crude petroleum should be given to all the wood-work of 

 the benches ; and even a good coat of whitewash will arrest 

 decay to a greater or less extent, and also tend to prevent the 

 spread of fungus in the soil. 



The depth of soil required for successful Rose-forcing need 

 not exceed from three to five inches. Indeed, some of the 

 best Roses sent into New York have been grown in benches 

 containing about three inches of soil, the high quality of the 



flowers being secured by judicious feeding and regular tem- 

 perature. 



At the time of planting, a slight shade on the house is bene- 

 ficial if the weather is very hot, but this should not be allowed 

 to remain on the house after the plants begin to grow, for firm 

 wood is desired rather than long, sappy growth. In the selec- 

 tion of plants for this purpose, of course none but perfectly 

 healthy stock should be used ; good stout plants from three- 

 inch pots being a satisfactory size, and naturally more conve- 

 nient than larger ones if the bench is very shallow. 



As frequently noted before, it is not well to attempt to grow 

 a collection of Tea Roses in a forcing-house, as all do not 

 flourish under precisely the same conditions, but when two or 

 three varieties are planted, and these are grown well, much 

 more satisfaction will be given. 



The Hybrid Perpetuals that were forced early in the season 

 will now be in full growth, and require an abundance of water 

 and free ventilation, and if intended for an early crop will soon 

 need ripening off by a gradual restriction of the water-supply 

 until only enough is given to prevent the wood from shrivel- 

 ing. 



In any establishment where space is an object, the box sys- 

 tem for forcing Hybrids is a great convenience. Under this 

 method about six plants are set in a box three feet in length by 

 fifteen inches in width, and five or six inches deep, and the 

 boxes being placed out-doors until needed, when they are 

 brought into the heat and treated much the same as pot Roses, 

 but usually with a better result. After the crop has been cut 

 the boxes are removed to make room for a fresh lot, and may 

 be put in a cold frame or emptied out for replanting. 



Among the Hybrids it will be well to include some of Hein- 

 rich Schultheis for early forcing. This large and handsome 

 deep pink variety has proved to be decidedly one of the best 

 for this purpose. By using it for the first crop, and following 

 with Anna Alexieff, Anna de Diesbach, Mrs. John Laing and 

 Ulrich Brunner, a good crop of blooms may be expected. 

 After January a much more extended list of Hybrid Perpetuals 

 may be used for forcing, but the list named will be found 

 most satisfactory for early winter. 



The dark-colored sport from Catherine Mermet, Waban, 

 will probably be the most extensively tested novelty of the 

 season, the sales of the various agents having been very large, 

 and, judging from the flowers shown last winter, it promises 

 to bear out the high claims made for it. If these claims should 

 be verified the parent of this variety will be remarkable for 

 having produced the best white — The Bride — and also the best 

 pink sport thus far introduced. 



Holmesburg, Pa. W. H. Tdplin. 



Myosotis palustris semperflorens. — Why is it we do not see 

 more of the Forget-me-nots in gardens ? Several of them are 

 really good, such as M. alpestris, M. dissitiflora and others, 

 but the ever-flowering variety I have named is to be relied on 

 to flower for six months of summer, and is just now as beauti- 

 ful as a Forget-me-not knows how to be. Our long borders 

 were edged with cuttings rooted and planted in September 

 last, where they grew rapidly in the fall, and they now form a 

 band eighteen inches wide around the garden that is very 

 pleasing, and the more so as they will flower all summer. This 

 variety. is perfectly hardy, roots rapidly either as cuttings or 

 where it grows in the open ground. M. alpestris audits white 

 variety flower about two weeks earlier, and then they are past 

 for the rest of the season. The white Forget-me-not is not 

 worth the room it occupies. What is known as the Giant For- 

 get-me-not {Omphalodes vernd) is a lovely plant where it suc- 

 ceeds well. I have heard of its becoming perfectly at home in 

 old gardens in Massachusetts, but I could never persuade it to 

 make itself contented, but purpose to try again as the oppor- 

 tunity to secure plants may occur. 



S. Lancaster, Mass. '-'• L'- 



Nymphasa Marliacea chromatella. — The water-garden during 

 the last few days has made rapid progress, and its charms 

 draw one irresistibly to its side for the first enjoyment of the 

 morning. Marliac's yellow Water Lily, which is now in bloom, 

 is undoubtedly one of the handsomest and most satisfactory 

 of hardy Nymphseas, beautiful both in flower and leaf. It has 

 been claimed at Kew that this variety is a cross of N. tuber osa 

 with a yellow kind, probably N. flava, and it is there known 

 as N. tuber osa flavescetis. From its growth here it seems 

 more probable that it is a hybrid of N. alba candidissima, 

 Mr. E. D. Sturtevant, I believe, thinking it a cross of this va- 

 riety with N. flava. 



Elizabeth, N.J. . G. 



