442 



H> I N D FA LLS. 



acuminate, spinulose-serrulate throughout, on conspicu- 

 ous petioles ; racemes densely flowered ; calyx-lobes 

 ovate-oblong; anther cells not horned ; banks of streams 

 along the mountains of Georgia and North Carolina ; 

 March and April; stem 2-4° high." This very desir- 

 able evergreen hardy shrub, native to the southern 

 states, belongs to the heath family, and deserves a 

 place in every collection of hardy plants. Long be- 

 fore the foliage of other trees and shrubs is developing 

 in the early spring, a ramble along our water courses 

 will reveal this beautiful plant in full flower. The 

 habit of growth is very graceful — long slender switches, 

 with a cluster of drooping, pure white fragrant flowers, 

 a cluster to every leaf, pure, waxy, bell-shaped ; the 

 leaves opposite, thick and leathery, and a shining, deep, 

 rich green ; growing close on the water's edge. These 

 slender branches often hang over and often dip into the 

 waters. Last spring I adorned my parlors with these, 

 which were much admired and commented on, many 

 being surprised to know that it was a wilding of our 

 woods. One nearly always finds in the neighborhood 

 our native climbing hydrangea [Deciimayia hailnirrn), 

 which is in every respect far superior to the Japanese plant 

 [Schizophragma hydrangeoides), which, when introduced 

 about ten years ago, readily sold for $3 per plant. — Mrs. 

 J. S. R. Thomson, Spartanburg, S. C. 



Notes on Some Central American Orchids. — 

 Trichopilia snavis blooms in the east and the interior in 

 April ; on the Pacific side in October ; the seasons are 

 about the same, but the Pacific side is much drier than 

 the interior and the east. It seems that it cannot bloom 

 in the dry season in the west (December till April or 

 May). This orchid nearly always grows on the clean 

 bark, not on moss or fern roots. One species of 

 trichopilia is a plant like a small T. mavis ; flower ex- 

 actly like T. siiavis, alba, but exceedingly small. Have 

 seen Odontoglossiim Kraineri with snow white flowers. 

 One dwarf, sobralia-like plant, (Evelyna?) makes a round 

 head of small flowers like a good double dahlia, bright 

 pink. 



Cattleya Skiiineri, alba does not exist in a wild state ; 

 a few plants are found in gardens, and it is dearer here 

 than in the north. 



C. Doveana has disappeared from the mountains from 

 where it used to be got. C. Doi'eaiia is a very good 

 bloomer here ; even small, weak plants bloom well ; in 

 the greenhouses it is not so. Here plants have plenty 

 sun, little food, and when in bloom, or in general, dur- 

 ing the dry season, are nearly always wilted. There is 

 one beautiful epidendrum here ; 80 good sized flowers, 

 of the shape of Vanda suavis, in a beautiful panicle, 

 pure light, bright lilac, spotted like a vanda, with reddish 

 violet brown ; lip violet, with yellow crests ; superb 

 species, but very scarce ; caulescent, but not very long. 



Of dwarf orchids, there are some very beautiful 

 species here ; one masdevallia-like plant, very small, 

 with the two lateral sepals grown into one, which is very 

 long, narrow, and has the two points at some distance 

 from the end ; exceedingly singular ; color red brown. 



the three points yellow. An exceedingly dwarf onci- 

 dium, with narrow, thin grass-like leaves 2^ to 3 inches 

 long, has comparatively very large solitary flowers of a 

 beautiful pure yellow; petals and sepals with red brown 

 spots ; two or three such nice flower scapes at the same 

 time from one bulb ; blooms the whole year. — Carlos 

 Werckle, Cos/a Rica. 



Galls on Orchids. — I notice in "Gardener's Chroni- 

 cle " for November 1st, i8go. Vol. 3, p. 585, a short note 

 on the " Root-gall of Orchids " in which the statement is 

 made, in substance, that it is still a matter of doubt 

 among entomologists whether the Isosoiiia orchideariim 

 of Westwood is the author of the injury to the cattleyas, 

 or whether this mischief is caused by a midge (coci- 

 domyia) which latter is the host of the Isosoma, as held 

 by Mr. McLachlan. 



That the latter supposition is an error, and that West- 

 wood is undoubtedly correct, I have shown in a note 

 published in Insect Life, Vol. I, p. 121. As stated in 

 this note, the phytophagic nature of this Isosoma was 

 proved beyond a peradventure tjy a study of specimens 

 submitted to me by Dr. Felix Honneguy while I was in 

 Paris in October, 1887, which afforded an opportunity 

 to study the larva in all stages, and to rear both sexes. 

 I repeatdely saw the larvas feeding on the orchid sub- 

 stance, and the cavity made was, in the early larval 

 stage, only just large enough to contain the larva and its 

 vegetal frass. — C. V. Riley. 



Caladiums. — For conservatories, window boxes or 

 shady beds, the fancy-leaved caladiums are particularly 

 fine as exhibition plants for summer and fall. Get dry 

 bulbs, fill a shallow box with sphagnum moss, and place 

 the bulbs in it, keeping them well covered. The box 

 must be kept in a warm place until the roots are well 

 started ; then fill large pots with soil composed of peat, 

 sand and a little charcoal ; add some old, well-rotted 

 manure, and thoroughly mix it with the soil. Place the 

 bulbs in deep enough so that they may be covered with 

 an inch of soil. Several bulbs should be used in pots of 

 from twelve to fifteen inch size, as the bulbs planted 

 singly will not make good specimens. One can buy a 

 dozen good varieties for three dollars, and they are 

 grand plants to have when well grown. There are 

 about a dozen different varieties to choose from. Some 

 of the leaves will measure as much as half a yard long, 

 and often very much longer. Caladitun esctilenttiin is 

 said to have leaves nearly four feet long and two feet 

 wide, if it is grown in soil that is very rich. Caladiums 

 may be planted out on the lawn by themselves, or they 

 are especially fine for placing in the center of a round 

 bed or in urns. — Greta. 



The Rainbow Rose, a novelty from California, is cal- 

 culated to produce a sensation frorri its unique charac- 

 ter. Seeing an account of this remarkable rose in a 

 Pacific paper, I interviewed the originator, John H. 

 Sievers, of San Francisco, for particulars. He very 

 kindly responded, and sent me also a fine picture of the 

 rose in colors. It is very beautiful, and unlike anything 

 we have among teas. The color is a deep Mermet pink 



