BARRY 



BASKET PLANTS 



133 



that of a pioneer. He must be considered in the front 

 rank of pomological authors, with the Dowuings, Warder, 

 and Thomas, whose combined weight gave a great 

 impulse towards establishing orcharding on a large scale 

 in America. For a fuller account, with portrait, see 

 "Annals of Horticulture," 1890, 287-290. -vf. M. 



BARTONIA. See Mentzelia. 



BARTRAM, JOHN. Called by Linnsus the greatest 

 natural botanist in the world. Was born at Marple, near 

 Darby, Pennsylvania, Mar. 23, 1699, and died Sept. 22, 

 1777. He was a Quaker farmer, who became interested 

 in botany after the age of twenty-four. In 1728, at King- 

 sessing, on the Schuylkill River, he established the flxst 

 botanic garden in America, which, together with his 

 house, built in 1731, of stone hewn by his own hands, is 

 happily preserved to-day as part of the park system of 

 Philadelphia. He traveled much in America, and was 

 for many years the chief medium of exchange between 

 Europe and America of plants of all kinds, especially 

 new and important species, as Hhododendron maximum 

 and Cypripedium acaule. His correspondence with 

 Peter CoUinson lasted nearly half a century. The let- 

 ters, preserved to us in Darlington's "Memorials of 

 John Bartram and Humphrey Marshall," are rich in 

 botanical, historical and general interest. "Observa- 

 tions on the Inhabitants • * • made by John Bar- 

 tram in his Travels from Pensilvania to Onondago, 

 Oswego, and the Lake Ontario • * • London, 1751," 

 is similarly readable, and a document of great value in 

 the study of aboriginal races. 



At the age of seventy he undertook, with his son Wil- 

 liam, an expedition to Florida, which is recorded in the 

 "Journal Kept upon a Journey from St. Augustine up 

 the River St. Johns." Bartram was probably the first 

 American to perform successful experiments in hybridi- 

 zation. His sons, John and William, continued his 

 garden. For many years it was the largest and best col- 

 lection of trees and shrubs in America, and the services 

 of the garden to early American horticulture were very 

 great. He is commemorated in Bartramia, a genus of 

 mosses, and in "Bartram's Oak," for the literature of 

 which, see I. C. Martinale's "Notes on the Bartram Oak, 

 Quei-cus Jieterophj/lla, Michx.," published at Camden, 

 N. J., 1880. Bartram's garden is a unique spot in 

 America. Many of the trees have attained great age, 

 size and beauty. The garden also contains many quaint 

 and picturesque relics which have associations of great 

 interest. On the whole, John Bartram is one of the most 

 illustrious, and by far tlie most picturesque, of the early 

 botanists and horticulturists of America, and his simple, 

 wholesome, powerful personality presents a picture that 

 is altogether amiable. New editions of the works of 

 Bartram and Darlington are much to be desired, and 

 offer a promising field to critical labors. John Bartram's 

 son William is well known to students of American 

 history for his "Observations on the Creek and Cherokee 

 Indians, 1789." It is very much to be regretted that no 

 authentic portrait of John Bartram is known. For an 

 excellent illustrated account of Bartram and his garden, 

 see the article by Miss M. L. Dock in Garden and Forest, 

 ■9:121-124 (1895). See also Harper's Mag. 60:321-330 

 (1880). W. M. 



BASllLLA (native Malabar name). Chenopodiicece. 

 Malabar Nightshade. A genus containing only one 

 species, which is, however, remarkably variable. An- 

 nual or biennial herbs, cult, in the tropics as a pot-herb, 

 like spinach. Rarely cult. N. as an ornamental warm- 

 house climber. It may also be started indoors, and set 

 out in May for use as a garden vegetable, to follow 

 spinach. Prop, by seeds. 



ribra, Linn. Lvs. succulent, alternate, rarely oppo- 

 site, almost entire, of various forms : fls. not pedicelled, 

 in simple spikes or racemes ; spikes short or long, lax, 

 few-fid. The following species are now considered only 

 forms of the above : alba, a white-fid. form rarely cult, 

 as a trailer from roofs of warm-houses, or as a basket 

 plant ; caninifdlia ; cordifdlia, with heart-shaped lvs. 

 4-5 in. long and 2-2^ in. wide ; crassifdlia ; Japinica ; 

 liicida, from India ; nigra, a Chinese form ; ramdsa and 

 voliihiUs. Under the name of Sweet Malabar Vine, A. 



*i^ 



Blanc advertises a form with tiny yellow and red fls., 

 and lvs. variegated with white, pink, and green. He 

 says, "with age it assumes a drooping habit. When cut 

 keeps fresh for weeks." 



BASIL. Species of Ocimtim, of the Labicitce. They 

 are Indian annuals, and are ctilt. as pot-herbs, the clove- 

 fiavored foliage being used as seasoning in soups, meats 

 and salads. They are of easiest culture, the seed being 

 sown in the open as soon as the weather is settled. 

 Common Basil is O. Basllicunt, hinn., a ft. high, branch- 

 ing, with ovate toothed lvs., and white or bluish white 

 flis. in leafy terminal racemes or spikes. O. minimum, 

 Linn., the Dwarf Basil, is lower, and smaller in all its 

 parts ; rarely seen. When Basil is in bloom, it can be 

 cut and dried for winter use. 



BASKET PLANTS. Fig. 189. Under this term are 

 included all those plants which, from their habit of 

 growth and blooming, have been 

 found especially suitable for use in 

 hanging baskets. Most of these are 

 dwarfish plants of indeterminate 

 growth, of gracefully drooping or 

 vine-like habit, and are valued either 

 for their grace, or for freedom and 

 daintiness of bloom. Some of the 

 plants used in baskets are of upright 

 habit. These are either 

 plants of naturally small 

 stature, or are practically 

 such for a season from a 

 slow habit of growth. The 

 suitability of these erect- 

 growing plants for the 

 purpose is determined, 

 aside from their stature, 

 by their freedom of bloom, 

 beauty of foliage, striking 

 form, or grace of habit. 

 Such plants are used prin- 

 cipally for filling the cen- 

 tral part of the basket ; 

 whereas, plants of trail- 

 ing habit are inserted near 

 the sides— some to droop, 

 others to twine upwards 

 on the cords or handle by 

 which the basket is sus- 

 pended'. In addition to the 

 long drooping or climbing 

 plants, there are a 

 number of half -erect 

 habit, like the lobelia, 

 sweet alyssum and 

 russelia. These may 

 droop somewhat, but are 

 not of a truly vine-like 

 habit. Some plants are 

 more suitable than others 

 for shady places ; the 

 selaginellas, for instance. 

 Others thrive only with 

 several hours of direct 

 sunshine each day. 



The following list of 

 common trade names em- 

 braces a number of the 

 most important basket plants, arranged according to 

 their habit of growth and blooming. The list is not given 

 as a complete one. Any list would need amending from 

 year to year to suit individual taste and experience. 

 Plants which will bear considerable shade are marked 

 with an asterisk (*) ; those which will bear more are 

 marked with two asterisks (**): 



1. PLANTS OP VINE-LIKE HABIT. 



a. LONQ-DKOOPINO. 



**EngUsh Ivy, *Keidlworth Ivy ,*Vmca major, *V. Har- 

 risonii, Saxifraga sarmentosa, *Cissiis discolor,* Money- 

 wort Ivy, Tropseolmns (Nasturtiums), Lonieera Halli- 

 ana. L. auxea, var. reticulata, Nepeta Glechoma, Ampe- 

 lopsis quinquefolia, A. Veitchii. 



Note. — The Ampelopsis is deciduous, and not suitable 

 for winter baskets. 



r''» 



189. 

 Basket. 



