428 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 185. 



this class ; the Black and the White, two familiar sorts, but now- 

 cultivated to a remarkable size ; Salmon or Flesh color ; Crown 

 Princess of Prussia, a delicate blush ; Captain Clarke, of which 

 the newer strain deserves to be called Columbia, because it is 

 red, white and blue ; Scarlet Striped, now improved into 

 Queen of the Isles, a magnificent flower ; Adonis, a uniform 

 pink ; Boreatton, the finest of all the darker kinds, a deep vel- 

 vety maroon, both standard and wings ; Purple and Brown, 

 and Blue and Purple, and both of these beautifully marked 

 with stripes ; Violet Queen and Princess Louise, shades of 

 violet ; the Queen, lighter shades of mauve and violet ; Fairy 

 Queen, white, delicately lined with crimson ; Isa Eckford, a 

 beautiful blush ; Delight, suffused with crimson ; Blushing 

 Bride, an improvement on Blanche Ferry ; Purple Prince and 

 many more. 



"The second class is distinguished by flowers of a newer 

 form, and in some of the larger ones the fullness of size pro- 

 duces a wavy look. Among these are Apple-blossom, a beau- 

 tiful rose and white ; Splendor, a deep rose color, half of the 

 stems bearing four blossoms each ; Indigo King ; Grand 

 Blue ; Imperial Blue or Mauve Queen ; Butterfly, shaded blue 

 and white, and sometimes blue-edged ; Princess Beatrice, a 

 fine rose-pink ; Senator, chocolate and white stripes ; Princess 

 of Wales, blue and white stripes ; Countess of Radnor, very 

 choice, a soft lavender, shading into mauve ; Monarch, 

 Miss Hunt, Mrs. Gladstone, Mrs. Sankey, Princess Victoria, 

 Queen of England and Empress of India. 



"The third class includes thenew hybrids, someof which are 

 promising, and others simply show their shifting nature. By 

 the way, there seems no reason why the production of new 

 varieties by hybridizing cannot be accomplished as well in this 

 country as in England. The odd little blue Pea, Lord Anson, 

 deserves mention here. In a mixed row it has a decided value, 

 though it is not properly a Sweet Pea, and has nothing but its 

 bright azure color to commend it. The red and white peren- 

 nial Peas, bearing their showy blossoms in clusters, are also 

 well worth growing. 



"For cultivating Sweet Peas there are six simple requisites, 

 but they are inexorable. Of course, such general rules as rich 

 ground, sunny exposure and thorough weeding are under- 

 stood. The special requirements are : (1) early planting ; (2) 

 deep planting ; (3) extra fertilizing ; (4) strong bushing ; (5) 

 watering ; (6) free picking, which means keeping the pods off. 

 Planting early means as soon as the ground can be worked. 

 Sweet Peas are very hardy, and, like the earliest garden Peas, 

 need to make their root-growth in the- cool, moist spring 

 ground. Frosts need not be feared. Sometimes they are • 

 planted in the fall. Deep planting is very important to guard 

 against the drought of midsummer. They should be planted 

 five inches deep, but to cover them with five inches of cold, 

 wet March soil almost insures failure. Hence they should be 

 sown in a trench or furrow at the right depth, and covered but 

 one inch at first. As they grow the earth is filled in, until when 

 leveled they are at the right depth. They should be sown in a 

 double row about ten inches apart, and the seeds dropped an 

 inch and a half apart in the furrows. 



" By extra fertilizing is meant the application of such stimu- 

 lants as wood-ashes, bone-flour and nitrate of soda. The gar- 

 den should be well manured in the fall to give the soil a good 

 body of vegetable matter ; but to get a quick growth of thrifty 

 vines and early flowering the above-named plant-foods are 

 excellent. Scatter the wood-ashes on in the winter ; hoe in 

 the bone-flour just before bushing ; and, in May, scatter along, 

 just outside the rows, a handful of nitrate of soda for every 

 four feet, stirring it in, but not allowing it to come into im- 

 mediate contact with the vines. They will then grow a foot a 

 week in June, and one can look for blossoms a month ahead 

 of the man who believes in the ' good old way.' This kind 

 of cultivation necessitates strong and tall bushing. Get the 

 best Birch tops, at least seven feet high, and, if two inches 

 thick, all the better, and set them firmly in the ground with a 

 crowbar. Bush between the double row, and train the vines 

 to the bushes if they rebel. Where bushes cannot be obtained 

 resort must be had to a trellis of poultry wire or a frame, 

 with horizontal wires or strings, taking great care to secure 

 strength and height. It is a calamity to have a thrifty row lop 

 over or blow over in the height of the season. 



" An ample supply of water is always needed, and in a dry 

 season it must not be neglected. A rainy summer is friendly 

 to Sweet Peas, and gives us about as good conditions as they 

 have in the moist climate of England where they flourish. 

 Pick the blossoms every day ; sacrifice the pods if you want 

 flowers from June till October. You cannot have blossoms 

 and save your own seed ; if you did save it from a mixed row 

 it is very sure to be unsatisfactory." 



Begonias. 



Begonia metallica variegata. — B. metallica seems to have 

 sported in several different places lately, as often happens with 

 plants after being under cultivation. One of our prominent 

 horticulturists has a theory that many plants resent high cul- 

 ture and artificial conditions of growth, seeking to escape them 

 by either a disguise in the way of change of foliage, or by put- 

 ting forth flowers of other colors. This, of course, credits the 

 plant with the ability to reason in this way : " as my pres- 

 ent dress is attractive, if it is changed perhaps my persecutor 

 may neglect me." The theory is a pretty one, and, true or not, 

 it is certainly of frequent occurrence, that after a plant has been 

 cultivated for some time — it may be months or years — the 

 whole stock, though in widely separated places, shows a ten- 

 dency to sport. Roses are frequently observed to give a same 

 or similar sport in a number of places during the same season. 

 Chrysanthemums seldom give a noticeable sport, but as soon 

 as one appears others of the same character are quickly re- 

 ported in other places. Now, the plant of B. metallica varie- 

 gata, which has been in my possession several months, 

 originated near here, and the variegation seems constant. 

 I observe that the same variety is being offered in England. 

 The marking of my plant is white and pink, in blotches, the 

 young foliage being mostly light. The plant seems a fair 

 grower, though I cannot, without further experience, say that 

 it is as vigorous as the thrifty type so well known as a fine 

 foliage plant of rapid growth. 



Cyprea and Velutina are two seedlings of B. metallica 

 which do not seem to me an improvement on the type, they 

 lacking the dark veinings which are so effective in the parent. 



Souvenir de F. Gaulin is a new hybrid, said to be a cross 

 between B. olbia and B. rubra. It has attractive, thin, satiny 

 leaves of olive-green and large racemes of large coral flowers, 

 and is a very fine plant and an acquisition. 



Bertha McGregor is one of Mr. E. G. Hill's seedlings be- 

 tween the Rex and flowering sections, and is of the class of 

 which Clementina is probably the best-known variety. The 

 new plant has large-pointed, finely notched leaves, and is a 

 good grower. The centre of the leaf is small, of a rich deep 

 maroon, the body silver outlined with bronze. It is a beauti- 

 ful variety in every respect. It is not surprising that so many 

 new Begonias are offered, for they are a wonderfully sportive 

 family, as is well known to every one who grows a number 

 of them. Seedlings of new forms are continually springing 

 up in the pots or on the benches of the greenhouse. Some 

 kinds, like B. Schmidtii and B. semperflorens, may always be 

 found in neglected corners, but usually these two come quite 

 true. 



Begonia Sunderbuchii is not a new species, but should be 

 better known. It has smooth leaves, deeply cut in the way 

 of B. ricinifolia, but smaller ; these are green, with a brownish 

 cast and with light veins, though this description gives an in- 

 adequate idea of the dainty coloring. It bears large panicles 

 of light pink flowers in winter. It is not as massive or tropical 

 as B. ricinifolia, but the effect, when in bloom, seems to me 

 as satisfactory as that of any variety of the family. The 

 charming flowers surmount foliage which is beautiful in color- 

 ing, but somewhat stiff and unbalanced, producing what 

 may, for lack of a better name, be considered a Japanesque 

 effect. 



Begonia Semperflorens atropurpurea, or B. Nelsoni, is a 

 French variety of the old Semperflorens, with purplish mark- 

 ings of the leaves. The markings have not proved constant 

 with me, and I am inclined to doubt if they will prove so un- 

 der our hot sun. A Begonia with colored foliage would be a 

 gain for a bedding plant, and I am inclined, from indications, 

 to think it may yet come in the tuberous section. For a good 

 bedding Begonia it is doubtful if any surpasses old B. Evan- 

 siana, which is handsome in leaf and flower, and will survive 

 the hottest sun. It needs little room or care in winter, and, 

 in fact, the bulblets are hardy and will germinate in the spring 

 in the borders where the old plants have grown. 



Begonia Scharffiana. — The unsatisfactory opening of the 

 petals of this variety, reported by Mr. Hatfield, is evidently 

 owing to some fault of culture. One of my plants now in 

 flower opens its blooms satisfactorily, though a very large 

 plant in the winter could not be induced to spread its 

 petals. 



This Begonia is very distinct and very attractive, especially 

 in a young stage, but it has a trick of partially dying off and 

 resting, which vagaries will prevent its becoming a popular 

 plant. 



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



