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PLANT BRIEFS 



Crocuses. Among the earliest of the spring bulbs are several 

 of the Mountain Crocuses showing up bravely even though they 

 may sometimes be temporarily downed by a belated snowstorm. 

 Some of the best are C. Sieberi from the mountains of Greece, 

 with flowers of bright lilac diversified with an orange base; 

 C. Susianus, the Cloth of Gold Crocus, a variable species from 

 the Crimea; and C. vernus, a native of the Alps, Pyrenees and 

 other European mountains. Its flowers, even in a wild state, 

 vary from white to purple. 



Bulbocodium Vernum the spring Meadow Saffron, is a 

 friendly visitor in the early spring. Found wild in the moun- 

 tains of Europe and Russian Asia it is inclined to burst into 

 growth before the American spring really opens. It has rosy 

 purple flowers which resemble those of Crocus, and they appear 

 before the leaves, which fact serves to clearly distinguish it be- 

 cause the Crocuses push up their leaves in quick succession to the 

 flower. Its pink color strikes an unusual note early in the season. 



Erica Carnea is the Alpine Heath, an evergreen flowering 

 shrub attractive throughout the year. In order to be in good 

 time for the spring opening, it produces its flower buds the pre- 

 ceding fall, and ordinarily, if fairly favorable weather prevails, 

 they open about the middle of March. The flowers are red in 

 the type but there are several varieties, including one with 

 white flowers. Erica carnea is one of the hardiest of the Heaths 

 and quite easy to grow. It is not particular as to soil, providing 

 it is free from lime, but prefers a sandy loam containing a good 

 proportion of decayed leaf soil. It can be propagated easily 

 by dividing old plants immediately after flowering, or by seeds 

 and cuttings. As soon as the plants have finished blooming 

 the flowering stems should be clipped off to prevent them from 

 becoming straggly, and to promote floriferousness. 



"The Best" of anything must always remain more or less 

 a matter of individual judgment based on personal preference; 

 and governed by the extent of the judge's acquaintance with 

 related plants — to say nothing of a special point of view. None- 

 the-less it is always of interest to consider the standards as set 

 up by those who have the right from experience, to speak. 

 Hence it will be worth while to go over the list of the "best 12 

 varieties of hardy plants" as given by the late Mr. Perry of 

 England, well known the world over both as a connoisseur and 

 dealer in herbaceous plants. Because of Mr. Perry's rather 

 frequent comment that the plant in evidence was "one of the 

 best 12 varieties of hardy plants," an enquiry was addressed 

 to him by Mr. Frank H. Presby of Montclair, N. J., asking for 

 the complete dozen. Here it is: Arenaria plantaginea gigantea; 

 Chrysanthemum Robinsoni; Erigeron intermedium; Eryngium 

 Oliverinum superbum; Helenium pumilum magnificum; Heu- 

 chera sanguinea Walker's variety; Galega Duchess of Bedford; 

 Geum coccincum pictum; Gypsophila paniculata plena; Phlox 

 canadensis Perry's variety; Scabiosa caucasica; Veronica long- 

 ifolia subsessilis. Some of these or their practical counterparts 

 are quite popular in our gardens, while some are possibly quite 

 unknown and now cannot be introduced by direct importation. 

 This list was made up some few years ago, and might be subject 

 to some changes now, it is true; yet the list holds up well to-day 

 indeed, and, at any rate is interesting as a starting point for a 

 possible discussion. 



Moras Acidosa is a new Chinese Mulberry introduced in 

 1908 by E. H. Wilson. It differs from the popularly known 

 members of the family in being a bush of a somewhat straggling 

 nature some six feet high. The fruit is not large but is freely 

 produced and its sub-acid briskness is welcome on a hot day in 

 July. This newcomer is likely to become a really popular 

 plant wonder the next few years and it is being offered already 

 by some nurserymen. As a fruit tree for the children and for 

 the birds Moras acidosa makes a strong appeal; it is quite hardy 

 in the north, and has no strong preferences as to soil. 



Cultivated Blueberries are not as yet widely grown because 

 the supply is sharply limited although selected plants are being 

 offered in some catalogues this year; and again few people ap- 

 preciate the differences between the improved and wild forms. 

 Yet a moment's consideration will lead any one to realize the 

 great saving of labor in gathering large berries instead of small 

 ones. Fifty dollars was offered for a Blueberry or Huckleberry 

 bush with berries as large as a cent (f inch) in diameter, the 

 plants being needed to cross with others already in hand in 

 New Jersey. No berry of the required size was sent in last 

 year we are informed, but $25 was paid for a plant from Quebec 

 with berries of f inch diameter. Any one interested in hunt- 

 ing for the prize plant may address Miss Elizabeth C. White, 

 New Lisbon, N. J. 



Tausendschoen Rose is likely to hold its own as a climber 

 for both garden and greenhouse culture for some time to come — 

 indeed there is not a rival in sight. Not the least attractive 

 quality is the many shades of color that the buds and flowers 

 simultaneously display. I n the heat of your garden in mid-sum- 

 mer this range of color is not seen usually, because of the bleach- 

 ing by the sun's light and heat, but when grown as a pot plant 

 for indoor forcing earlier in the season, with less heat and more 

 shade the rich variety of color from the practically white fully 

 expanded flower to bright crimson in the youngest bud is fan- 

 tastically beautiful. Outdoors something of this may be ap- 

 proached when the long canes are trained over cross pieces of 

 some pergola or arbor and the opening blooms in the partial 

 shade take on the richer hue. 



Leiophyllum Buxifolium is one of our native dwarf ever- 

 greens that would seem to have sufficiently attractive qualities 

 to be more generally brought into cultivation. It has been 

 used to some extent by one or two landscape architects in search 

 of a dwarf hardy evergreen for light sandy soils in places on the 

 eastern seaboard exposed to the full strength of the sun. Col- 

 lected plants from the pine barrens of New Jersey (whence it 

 extends southward to Florida) being their reliance. It is 

 known also as Dendrium buxifolium, or popularly as Sand 

 Myrtle. The plant varies greatly in height — from six inches up 

 to three feet, but generally around i| to 2 feet. It is really a 

 charming subject having smooth shiny foliage all the year while 

 in spring it is covered with small white flowers. The plant 

 bears a strong resemblance to a small-leafed Dwarf Box but 

 somewhat less compact. As an edging shrub for evergreen 

 plantations, or for introduction into rockeries it has distinct 

 value. So long as the soil is free from lime the Sand Myrtle 

 will grow in peat, sand or loam and it is accommodating as to 

 exposure, growing in both sun and shade. 



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