A NEW CATTLE YA. 



107 



as aids, not chiefs, and be allotted their position in 

 the garden according to rank. Annuals are partic- 

 ularly useful to take the place of spring-flowering 

 bulbs. When started in the hot-bed or in the house, 

 they will be nearly ready to flower by the time the 

 weather is warm enough to plant them out in the 

 border, which is about the same time the hyacinths 

 and tulips have lost their beauty, thus keeping up a 

 succession of bloom the entire season. These bulbs 

 by nature belong to the border, with other her- 

 baceous plants, and should be interspersed with 

 stronger and later flowering plants, as their bloom 

 is perfected before other forms have made much 

 growth ; over these bulbs annuals may be planted 

 as before suggested. 



Spring-flowering plants, owing to their usually 

 low stature, as a rule, are to be planted at the front 

 of mixed borders ; and in so far as concerns many 

 of the fibrous-rooted evergreen and deciduous spe- 

 cies, the practice should be the same. But 

 with regard to the spring-flowering bulbs, there 

 does not appear to be any reason why they should 

 be crowded to the front of the border in the same 

 way, notwithstanding that they are in most cases 

 of a dwarf habit. Their foliage is in the way for 

 only a short period, and may often be removed 

 earlier than it is without injury to the plants. The 

 advantages that would be obtained, therefore, by 

 planting them in the spaces between the summer- 

 flowering plants all over the border are obvious. 



The fringy and irregular appearance in spring that 

 results from the practice of crowding flowers of 

 that period to the front of the border would be done 

 away with, and every part of the surface unoccu- 

 pied with dormant plants might be as richly varied 

 and beautiful then as at any other time. 



To sum up in a few words : So arrange the hardy 

 plants that there will be at all times a happy blend- 

 ing of form and color, so that there will be a con- 

 tinuous change of bloom without affecting the har- 

 mony of color. In this arrangement there will not 

 be found large masses of color, but rather pleasant 

 clumps of flowers, constantly changing form and 

 position, yet ever in perfect harmony. The annuals 

 and bedding plants used as aids will be so inter- 

 mixed as to produce the same effect. 



This arrangement will show the gardener's art to 

 advantage. He must ever have an abundance of 

 flowers, and will be compelled from time to time to 

 change the position of his plants. Hardy forms 

 require frequent changing ; division is a frequent 

 necessity. A rotation of crops is as important in 

 the border as in the field. It matters not how much 

 feed a plant has, a change of locality, even a few 

 feet, is essential to its perfect development. In 

 their native habitats, herbaceous plants are constant- 

 ly on the move, slowly, to be sure, but steadily. Some 

 forms will remain long in a given position, but few 

 thrive as well as when occasionally they are given 

 a new soil and a new home. C. L. Allen. 



A NEW CATTLEYA. 



Among a lot of orchids received last June from 

 the river Negro were a dozen large specimens of 

 Cattleya siipej-ha. These were wired on long flat 

 rafts of teak and suspended in partial shade under 

 a lemon tree, but where they received the full force 

 of the morning sun. All soon began to make roots 

 and growth. Some soon bloomed and proved the 

 finest form of Cattleya superba splendcns, very dark 

 in color and with immense round flowers. Among 

 them was one plant which had evidently grown upon 

 a horizontal branch and it was wired on a raft about 

 a foot wide and three feet long. In October it 

 showed three-shoots, two with flower spflces, and the 

 buds on swelling were of a very bright green in- 

 stead of the usual dark color. I laughingly re- 

 marked to friends, ' ' there will be a white Cattleya 

 superba." But as that orchid is the one with which 

 the people in Para are probably most familiar, and 

 such a thing has never been imagined, the reply 

 was, "impossible!" One Friday night the plant 



was in large bud, which still continued very green- 

 On Saturday I did not chance to go into that part 

 of the garden, but Sunday morning, rising in the 

 first gray of dawn, I happened to go near the spot. 

 Looking at me from the darkness I saw an immense 

 white flower and found that I really had a white 

 Cattleya superba .' The plant is very large — about 

 25 well leaved pseudo-bulbs — and resembles the 

 best form of Cattleya supei-ba spleiideiis. 



The bulbs are long and green, but this color is 

 not uncommon in the species, and plants with such 

 bulbs generally develop flowers of a light pink 

 color, of little value. The foliage is very large, 

 thick and massive, almost round. The two spikes 

 have each shown three flowers, which are large, 

 round, with broad petals and sepals. The whole 

 flower is white as driven snow, except that on the 

 crest of the lip there is a small blotch of orange. 

 The plant is of strong constitution. 



Para, Brazil. Edward S. Rand, Jr. 



