VARIEGATION 



\'ASES 



1903 



viijor of the plants :iro nMhiocMl asi a result. It is further 

 evident tluit the iuiii;ii raiises of v:n-ie?j,"atii'n may In- 

 quite tliviTsi". some nf itie lucst usual lu'in^' srrd itf 

 low Yitality: unsuitable Uiturislinient, especially a lack 

 of ehiboratetl uitri>y:i.'U ; rapid yrowth in very moist 

 soil; severe injury to the roots during- a period of rapid 

 L^rowth of the upper iiarts of the plant; severe cuttiu^^ 

 bark. etc. 



Though started at Iirst thr*Hii::h tlu^ inlluence of ruvi- 

 ronnieut. variei^ation, wlieu of vahie horticuUurally, 

 has in many eases been increased and fixed by seh'ctiuu 

 till it luis become almost a spucitie charactt^r in s<,)me 

 groups of plants. 



^liitiiiinial Colontli(>ii.—A word uiiglit he said in this 

 connection regarding autumnal coloration. The produc- 

 tion of color in autumn foliage is, as is \vell known, due 

 in part to the gradual destruction of the chluroiihyll 

 when the leaves have reached maturity and approach 

 the period of death, and iu part to the actiou of acids 

 ou authocyaniu as described below. Many of the de- 

 structive changes which take place in the chlorophyll 

 are oxidation processes, the same as occur in the 

 cells of highly colored variegated plants, and physio- 

 logically they are not very ditfevent from the changes 

 occurring iu Calathea. L'aladiuui, L'odiit'um, etc. The 

 approach of maturity in tho leaf, and the coming on 

 of cool weather in autumu. stimulates the production of 

 oxidizing feruu^nts, and the action of these and the 

 acids of the cell-sap up<.>n the ohromogeu. or cok>r con 

 tents of the leaves, especially the chlorophyll and 

 authocyanin, c;iuses many -d thi- brilliant colors of 

 autumn foliage. There is a popular l>elief that these 

 colors are due to cold weather or frosts; l)ut while 

 frosts, if thev are light, hasten the soluti<.in and de- 

 struction of the chlorophyll, they cannot be looked upon 

 as more than hastening ehauges which would occur in 

 time without them. Even in the trr.pics. some folia;j:e 

 before it matures becomes highly coh'red. and ou the 

 Japanese maples the writer has ulisorved beaiitiful 

 autumnal colorations in July in the region of Washm, 

 ton. 



In practically all <leciduous trees, buslies. etc.. 1 t n 

 the maturing and falling of the lea\'es. all of tin -\ du 

 able food materials, such as sugars, albuuiiuoid i 

 pass from the leaves through the vascular bundles lut 

 the twigs and branches so that they are not lost t > tht 

 plant. "When the leaves finally fall they are thcieton 

 nntliin;:^ but mere skeletons, containing waste mateii \ls 

 In the i>assage. especially of albuminoid matters ti ni 

 the leaves to the stems, it is necessary that the m i 

 terials lie protected from the strong action of light m 1 

 it is believed that part of the coloration of matunn^ 

 leaves serves this purpose. 



A coloring material, or chromogen. known as anth< \ 

 anin, is alwavs present in >ucli cases, jiel d< \ el i >^ 

 beautiful reds when the cell-<ap i^ acid. Uue ^vl i i 

 acids are present, and violet when there i^ only sliu'lit 

 aciditv. This, in connection with the dis<:irganizing 

 chlorophyll, causes the various mixtures of yellow, 

 brown, violet, red, orange, etc.. of autumnal cohn-ation 

 as described al.Mive. In vi.-ry ynunu: ha\-es of mauy 

 plants, surh as AiJ"»/Inis ,//<> u'J'i/o.sa . Jm/hnis n>/''''- 

 Vitis. Cissus, and manv other plants, tliis same autho- 

 cyanin is developed as" a ])roterfiMii t^ the alluiminoid 

 materials traveling to the youn^- cells. Such protective 

 colorations have to be distinctly se]'arated from varie- 

 gations. In evergreen leaves, duriiig the winter, the 

 chlorophyll granules are protecteil l-y the development 

 of anthocvanin, forming a brownish or reddish tinge in 

 the cell-sap. This is 'especially prominent in many 

 conifers. 



While, as stated above, these protective and in seme 

 cases transitory colorations sbouhl be clearly dislin- 

 guished from varieeration. it is an interesting fact that 

 they develop when the conditions fr.r active inttriti'Ui are 

 unfavorable, and may in many cases be produced in 

 maturing leaves by starving the plants or permitting 

 them to become sufficiently dry to check growth. 



C/(?oro.?;.s. — This term is usually applied to those 

 eases of the production of yellow er white foliage caused 

 by a lack of some nutrient salt, such as iron, potash, 

 lime, phosphoric acid. etc. The most common cause of 

 chlorosis, or vellowine-. is due to the lack of iron. In 



such cases, the disease is readily cured by either siiray- 

 ing the Inlia.Lre wilb a dilute solutinn ef iron sulfate or 

 other iron sail, or watering the !-o<its with tlie same. 

 K\'en within a few hours the chronu)]ilasts will bei^iu to 

 turn green, and the ]dant goes on making starcli and 

 sugar fn.un the carbim dioxid of the air in the nnrmal 

 nniuner. A lack ef iilmsphoi-ic aidii s<imetin)es causes a 

 similar troidde, vhich is cui-ed by the additii.m of this 

 nutrient sui)stance to the soil. Numerous CLises are fui 

 record of yelh'wing of foliage due to excess of soluble 

 lime in the S(iil. Urajtes arc- es]ieciall\' sensitive to an 

 excessiN'o ainijunt of lime, and turn yellew readily as a 

 ri.'sull id' its actii-n. Sells whiidi •■entain tno muf'h mag- 

 nesia iu proportion to lime also often cause ti yellowing 

 of foliage of plants growing iu them. All causes of this 

 kind can be readily distinguished from variegation by 

 the fact that all the young leaves produced under such 

 conditiiuis becoim.' yellowish or white and are n<:>t nnd- 

 tlcd or marked as in variegated ]dauts. Moreover, the 

 cimdition is readily corrected by furnishing the proper 

 nutriti<ui, and usually all plants growing in such soils 

 show the same trouble. Alhei-ct F. Woods. 



VARNISH TKEE. KifJrmfrrif/ /nnurulala. AHan- 

 //(/^s■ <j/ain.}ifh>s<i. Ji'lnis rrDucW' ni . and ether plants. 



VASES. Such vases as are sh<nvn in Fiir. 2G42 are 

 comnien features of formal ganlening. All nudters 

 ceuceiuiing their manufacture or bf^auty are clearly 

 outsi(h- the province of this w<irk. but every gardener 

 who purchases such a vasi- is interested in certain 

 practical horticultural features of its construction. It 

 is imi-erative that the vase have a hole at the bottom 

 for drainage, ntherwise the seil will hecome sour. It 

 is desiralile that the rim id a vase be rounded, as a 

 sharp edge cuts the vines that trail over it and are 

 swayed by tlie passing 



wind. ^[any of the _ 



old -fashioned st en e 



\ ,s s 4 1 It I 1.1 



V le HI I W th I I W I 



t s)i dl V t t rl 



^ "! t th. ] 1 mts 



^ is. s in ^ n 1 dh 

 stationed in eonspH 

 u us pi sitions ne ii 

 1 uildin^s vheii thL^ 

 1 e n 1 iih ittenti n 

 ti m II II ludmj: thi 

 ^ It lei t ! Iris uei es- 

 s ii\ t V t 1 thei 1 

 'i n m mnu dui m^ 

 h t vt itliei md It is 

 th letou desii il le to 

 h a e the V \t( 1 supi h 



1 e 11 t h n 1 \ A\ til 



ing cart is often used 

 in taking care of vases. 

 Vases are often placed 

 in the sunniest situa- 

 tions, but tliey can also 

 lie used in partially 

 shaded sj.ots. On the 

 north side of a build- 

 ing in a shady place 

 sheltered from the 

 high winds small palms 

 may he used in vases, 

 together with Rex be- 

 gonias and Pandanns 



Tlie plants used in vases should he of a tirm texture, 

 and resistant tu drought, dust and occasienal high 

 <?anna~. ferns and foliage plants that are likely 

 cut or whijiped by the winds are necessarily ex 

 The tirst thought should be given to a center- 

 Tins sbouhl usually be siuue idant of a rather 

 stiff, fermal or architectural nature. t'orJal' nr iiirln-isa 

 and <'. aiisfi-.ilis are excellent for the purpose. They 

 should stand well above the other plants. Arouud the 

 edires vines are used, especially periwinkles, green 

 and varieL^ited, nasturtiums and Scmcio mikifitioirles. 

 Another choice plant for this purpose is Beliclirijsum 



^-^^■ 



j"!, ~ "-^Js^rl^ll 



2642. Stone flower vase 4 or 5 

 feet hieh, used in formal gar- 

 dening. 



winds 

 to lie 

 elude, 

 pie 



no 



