December 23, 1891.] 



Garden and Forest. 



60: 



The Wild Oat (Avena falua) is so generally diffused even in 

 the remote portions of the state that it is commonly consid- 

 ered indigenous, since it is mentioned by the early explorers 

 as covering the hill-sides of the Coast ranges as well as of the 

 Sierra foot-hills. While an unwelcome guest in the grain- 

 fields, it is highly esteemed for hay, despite its hirsute glumes 



Fig 95— Cypripedium reticulatum. The Plant. 



that, when too ripe, sometimes give trouble in "choking" cat- 

 tle not used to it. 



Of the numerous Paniceous grasses that trouble the eastern 

 farmer — the barn-yard grass, crab grass, feather grass, and the 

 several Paspalums — not one seems to gain a permanent foot- 

 hold in the fight for existence. Only the purposely introduced 

 P. halepense (Johnson grass) has in some sandy soils proved 

 an almost ineradicable pest. The Setaria glauca, however, 

 is a terrible pest in the irrigated Alfalfa fields of the foot-hills, 

 as stated above. 



Of the various Poas only the P. annua can be counted as at 

 all troublesome. The pestilent P. Eragrostis (Eragrostis vul- 

 garis) does not maintain itself where introduced ; and of the 

 wild grasses all those comprehended under the general name 

 of bunch grasses (mostly species of Festuca and Poa) not one 

 troubles the farmer save by the difficulty with which the 

 turned-up root-stocks decay under the arid climatic conditions. 



The most widely troublesome grass is the native Distichlis 

 maritima ("alkali grass"), which long maintains itself in "al- 

 kali" ground, particularly in the lighter soils, in which its long 

 root-stocks penetrate to depths of several feet and propagate 

 from any fragment' of a few inches, especially in irrigated 

 lands, resembling in this respect the Bermuda grass as known 

 elsewhere. The latter, however, can, in California, do no more 

 than hold its own where planted, except on the borders of 

 ditches, for the reason that during the dry summer its runners 

 are unable to cast root, thus preventing its spread. 



The Eagle Fern, common on the northward slopes of the 

 Coast ranges, maintains itself somewhat obstinately here, as it 

 does in Oregon and Washington, but persistent cultivation for 

 a few years overcomes it. 



While the above enumeration seems, at first sight, to pre- 

 sent the weed question as somewhat formidable in respect to 

 the number of species concerned ; yet, as matter of fact, " get- 

 ting into the grass," that constant bugbear of the eastern 

 farmer, confronts the California cultivator only in exceptional 

 seasons ; and with ordinary and intelligent care, adapted to 

 the nature of the local weeds, he can usually rest from the 

 weed war from June to November, or whenever the rains 

 happen to set in. In the older-cultivated regions, in fact, the 

 extirpation has frequently been so complete that, in the ab- 

 sence of the supply of vegetable matter usually furnished by 

 plowing-in of weeds, the green manuring of the clean orchards 

 and vineyards is being seriously taken in hand. 



University of California. E. W. Hilgard. 



Plant Notes. 



Cypripedium reticulatum. 



THIS very interesting plant, closely allied to the rare 

 C. Boissierianum, although it has been in culti- 

 vation for many years, is seldom seen in flower. It 

 has a remarkably robust habit of growth, although estab- 

 lished plants have never yet attained such proportions as it 

 reaches in its native home, deep in the interior of Peru, 

 where its leaves often measure four feet in length, and the 

 flower-scapes are three and four feet high. The flowers 

 are large, and several are produced on a stem. They 

 are of a pleasing green shade, reticulated with darker veins, 

 and the finely fringed petals stand boldly out and measure 

 five inches in length. 



Mr. Hicks Arnold is the fortunate possessor of the 

 plant figured on this page. It is growing in his col- 

 lection in Eighty-fourth Street, in this city, in a moist and 

 cool position. It has three growths ; its leaves are two 

 feet long, and it is thriving luxuriantly, although in a house 

 containing a wide range of species, all of which seem to 

 find their special requirements met, as they are in the best 

 of health. A. D. 



Cultural Department. 



Sowing- Seed. 



THE last flowers of the Chrysanthemums are now hanging 

 their heads. Even in a well-aired house weak necks are the 

 rule with these plants so late in the year, and, naturally, this de- 

 tracts much from their value, though the last of the blooms will 

 come in well for bold Christmas decorations. The first of the 

 early forced bulbs are now coming on, and the greenhouse is 

 daily becoming more attractive. But I never thoroughly enjoy 

 the greenhouse until the winter sets in in earnest and the seed- 

 pans are brought out and filled ; for propagation from seeds 

 seems to me one of the most pleasurable parts of gardening. 

 There is always the gentle excitement of securing seeds of 

 promising plants, the studying of their possible peculiarities, 

 the uncertainty of a good catch, and, this secured, the watch- 

 ing of the growth during the various stages to the mature plant, 

 which is not always the most satisfactory part of the process. 



From some observation I am inclined to believe that the 

 successful grower from seed is born, not made. I have known 

 a professional gardener to fail utterly with Beans, and I have 

 known others for whom hardly a seed refused to germinate. 

 Of course, the one did not think, but planted his seed in cold 



Fig. 96. — Cypripedium reticulatum. The Flower. 



