i6o 



THE SPIR.EAS. 



face is a dark green, the upper part spotted with a dark 

 red near the base. The flower scapes are from eight to 

 twelve inches in length, somewhat slender, but quite 

 erect, bearing a single flower. The flowers are three 

 inches across ; the dorsal sepal is rather broad, the 

 edges being recurved, giving it a folded appearance. 

 It is almost pure white, with the exception of a purple 

 line running lengthwise through the center, and at the 

 base there is a green blotch of pretty olive color, tinged 

 with dull red spots. The lower sepal is greenish-white 

 and rather broad ; the petals or lateral lobes are narrow, 

 curving forward and very deeply undulated at the mar- 



gins. They are a yellowish-green, with a dull red mac- 

 ulation, the midrib being crimson. The Slipper is of a 

 good size, somewhat bell-shaped and a shiny green : the 

 staminoid is crimson-purple, with white margin. 



C. Spiccrianiim is grown in the East Indian house at 

 a temperature of 60° to 70° Fahr., in compost of peat, 

 loam and sphagnum. The plants do best in shallow 

 pans, with about one-third drainage. Plants of this 

 species, like the majority of East Indian cypripediums, 

 have no particular resting period; therefore, water may 

 be given the whole year 'round. 



Kc-lO, England. P. Weathers. 



THE SPIR^AS. 



Scarcely a genus of hardy shrubs is so rich and 

 beautiful in its different species as the astilbe and 

 spirasa. They are so numerous that many attrac- 

 tive sorts must be excluded from even the most lib- 

 eral selection for the average sized garden. .S'. lo- 

 bata — Queen of the Meadows — is one of the best 

 hardy plants found in the meadows of Pennsylvania 

 and westward. The handsome flowers, of a deep 

 peach color, are produced in clustered panicles on 

 long, naked peduncles, and under cultivation greatly 

 improve in color and size. In making a selection 

 for garden or border planting we should extend the 

 flowering season as long as possible by a judicious 

 selection of the most attractive sorts that bloom in 

 succession. The following are among the best. 



The Japanese 5. Thiinbergii and the double-flowered 

 i". prunifolia are the first to unfold their blossoms. The 

 first forms a bush with numerous branches, slender, 

 arched shoots and lanceolate leaves, which are bright 

 green and retain their freshness till late in the season. 

 The flowers are like those of the hawthorns, but smaller, 

 and are produced in such profusion that on the principal 

 shoots but little foliage can be seen when they are in full 

 bloom. The second usually blooms soon after the other, 

 but is much larger and more showy, a well-grown speci- 

 men often forming a bush five or six feet high, with grace- 

 fully disposed branches, the upper parts of which are 

 wreathed with small, double, pure white flowers of con- 

 siderable substance, which are good for cutting when just 

 about to expand. A common fault with the spiraea for 

 cutting is that it soon falls and creates a litter. The fol- 

 iage of this variety is the brightest and richest at the 

 time of early autumn frosts. 



5. iir'ucfolia is one of the largest growing in the whole 

 genus, often reaching a height of ten feet, forming a 

 somewhat erect but branching shrub. It is a summer 

 flowering sort, with white creamy flowers in open pani- 

 cles. On account of their abundance and the habit of 

 the shrub, this, when in bloom is one of the showiest 

 varieties. 



S. Douglasii is a shrubby North American species of 

 remarkably handsome erect growth, forming a clump of 



densely packed shoots which are terminated by dense 

 erect, rosy-red flowers at blooming time. The foliage is 

 more or less tomentose, though this feature, as well as 

 the color of the blossoms, is variable. Some of the dif- 

 ferent forms are known as tomentosa, Nobleana and 

 Menziesi, but the best is the sturdy form with deep col- 

 ored flowers. 



S. lal/osa, a midsummer flowering sort ; blooms in suc- 

 cession for a considerable time. The deep rose-colored 

 blossoms are arranged in flattened corymbs, which, with 

 the unopened buds of a deeper hue produce a very pleas- 

 ing effect. The young sprouts and leaves have a pretty 

 bright red tinge. There are several varieties of this val- 

 uable species, one being a white, and not growing over a 

 foot high. This is the latest of all the spiraeas. 



All are familiar with Spirica {Astilbe?) japonica, which 

 is widely used for forcing at Easter and grown more 

 freely by the masses than any other variety. It is per- 

 haps the most useful of all the genus. It belongs tb the 

 herbaceous division, and when grown out of doors forms 

 a beautiful hardy border plant two feet high with branch- 

 ing spikes of pure white flowers. 



Cultural directions for the shrubby spiraeas are few 

 and simple, yet like most other plants they generously 

 respond to any special treatment suited to their needs. 

 The great thing to guard against is a hot, dry, sandy soil, 

 in which the summer-flowering sorts are literally worth- 

 less, having a starved and unhappy appearace. If ma- 

 nure water can be supplied for two weeks when the buds 

 begin to form, its eff^ect will be seen very quickly on the 

 opening of the flowers. As to pruning : generally speak- 

 ing, the knife should not be used except to remove old 

 wood, which should be done in July, and the idea of 

 pruning to make good shapes must be omitted in grow- 

 ing spiraeas. Another point of import is to give ample 

 room, as the plants abhor crowding and plainly resent it 

 by their appearance. W. F. Lake, 



The spiraeas of our gardens and of the Greeks, who 

 loved to wind their flexible stems and lovely showy flow- 

 ers into garlands, the meadow sweet of Old and New 

 England, is a friend of the temperate regions, living 

 nearer to the icy north than to the tropics. Ranging in 

 variety from tree-like forms to those of a delicate herba- 



