Mabch, 1891. 
45 
ORGH1VRD /hvNpjfc GARDEN 
S may be grown in various forms, such as a 
tree or bush, a pillow plant, or trained in fan 
form against the back wall of a green-house, 
where it may remain for years, each year 
increasing in size and beauty. The amateur 
will do well to grow it in bush form by re- 
peated pinchings, and avoid overpotting. 
The soil in this case should not be too rich, 
but a little sandy. Liquid manure may be 
given occasionally with advantage when 
the plant is in bloom. A few young plants 
should be grown every year, either from 
cuttings or seed. 
be borne in mind that the flowers are borne 
in terminal racemes. All the Lopezias are 
handsome, L. hirsuta and L. elegans being 
among the best. The flowers are either red 
or purple, and are of pecular form, only one 
of the two filaments bearing a fertile anther, 
the other becoming leaf-like, a peculiarity 
which almost always attracts the attention 
of those who look closely at flowers. 
markable, being a pink variety of the white 
Ostrich Plume type, but it is of more robust 
growth and has excellent foliage. It pos- 
sesses the same peculiar and beautiful for- 
mation that has made Mrs Hardy famous 
and many think it a more beautiful and 
valuable flower. 
People who live remote trom plant estab- 
lishments, and who are deterred from 
growing plants on account of excessive ex- 
press charges, should know that they can 
have Verbenas, Petunias, Scarlet Sage, Zonal 
Pelargoniums, Coleus, and other popular 
bedding and border plants, by simply sowing 
the seed in shallow boxes, and placing them 
at a sunny window. As a matter of fact a 
very handsome flower garden can be made 
from seeds alone. All that is necessary to 
secure an early and continuous bloom is to 
sow the seeds of tender annuals in the house, 
and the hardy ones in a warm border as 
soon as the frost has disappeared. An 
earlier bloom, however, can be obtained 
from some of the hardier varieties by 
early sowing indoors, and this is desira- 
ble in the case of long-blooming kinds, 
such as Phlox Drummondii, China Asters, 
Zinnias, Annual Chrysanthemums, Pot 
Marigolds (Calendulas), and a number 
of others. Seeds costing but little, and 
plants being easily raised, there is no 
good reason why the humblest home 
should be without a flower garden. 
It is worth while to call attention again to 
the Japan Iris. When Mr. Hogg introduced 
this graud Iris he was at much pains to 
make known the fact that it is a moisture- 
loving plant, and we have reiterated the 
fact for several years past; but it seems to 
be hard to get it generally recognized, and 
hence some failures. If not planted in soil 
naturally retentive of moisture, ihe plants 
should be abundantly watered during the 
blooming and growing season at least. 
They are altogether the most beautiful of 
the Iris family, and greatly prolong the 
blooming season, as they do not come 
into flower until the common Iris is nearly 
or quite gone. By all means get some of the 
double varieties. The statement may seem 
Some of the improved strains of the 
Lilliputian Zinnias are very beautiful. 
Many of the flowers are scarcely larger 
than a twenty-five cent piece, and fault- 
less in form. The colors are already 
about as numerous as in the larger kinds. 
The dainty little things seem to be favorites 
with the ladies. 
The Lopezias are handsome Mexican 
plants, not nearly as well known as they 
should be. perhaps because they are not 
well adapted for professional flower work. 
They are excellent winter-blooming plants, 
however, for amateurs of all classes, and all 
who admire flowers on the plant. They are 
either annuals or biennials. The latter may 
be propagated from cuttings and both from 
seed. The biennials propagated from cut- 
tings become in a measure perennials. The 
seed may be sown now and later on. Cut- 
tings may also be put in now. Seed sown 
now will afford good plants for turning into 
the border, where they will bloom all sum- 
mer. The seed is not often advertised, and 
may be difficult to get except from some 
amateur friend. We prefer to grow it in 
tree form, with a stem twelve to eighteen in- 
ches high, to do which well requires a good 
deal of pinching; and in doing this it should 
Louis Boehmer Chrysanthemum. Fig. 440. 
singular, but it is nevertheless tru?, that 
many people do not know a double Japan 
Iris when they see it. The common Iris is 
sometimes sent out for the Japan Iris, and 
for this there is no admissible excuse, as the 
two are quite distinct at all times. They 
can be raised from seed. 
Sanvitalia procumbens is a handsome an- 
nual, the seeds of which are worth starting 
early, since when it begins to bloom it never 
stops till killed by frost. It is a composite, 
its double yellow flowers being very pretty, 
and produced abundantly. As its name im- 
plies, it is a procumbent plant, and needs no 
tying up. The seedlings should be put in 
small pots as soon as they can be handled, 
and transferred to the border when the 
ground gets warm. The accompanying 
illustration (Fig. 912) conveys a good idea 
of the bloom. The flowers are enduring, 
and can be used in a cut state. — P.B.Mead. 
Louis Boehmer Chrysanthemums. 
This new chrysanthemum is very re- 
Conducted by F. J. Niswander, 
Agricultural College, Ingham Co, Mich. 
~ 1 ' ~ ~ ~ 1 
We shall be glad to receive from our 
readers any notes on insect pests which may 
come under their observation this season, 
and to give such information regarding 
them as may be desired. 
Communications should be accompanied 
by specimens whenever possible. Never 
send specimens in a letter, but enclose them 
in a tight box and send by mail. Enclose a 
small portion of their food, if they are living 
larvae, and it is unnecessary to cut air 
holes in the box. Address all communi- 
cations on insect matters and specimens 
as above. • 
Mealy Bugs. 
Perhaps there is no family of insects 
that causes so much trouble to the flo- 
rist and those interested in the cultiva- 
tion of house plants as does the family 
to which the mealy bugs belong. There 
is no plant that is free from its presence 
but some are more especially subject 
to their attacks, and all are susceptible 
to injury by them. When once they 
have gained a foothold their destruction 
is attended with great difficulty. 
The mealy bugs belong to the order 
Hemiptera, or true bugs. The members 
of this order are furnished with suc- 
torial mouth parts, and because of the 
presence of such mouth parts, which are 
formed into a beak, it is hard to extermi- 
nate them. They do not destroy the plants 
by devouring the leaves, but with this beak 
inserted into the tissue of the plant, suck 
up the substances composing the plant 
structure. The usual insecticides, Paris 
green and London purple, used in the ex- 
termination of insects with biting mouth 
parts are utterly worthless when used 
against insects of this order. 
The mealy bugs belong to the division 
Homoptera of this order, Hemiptera. This 
division comprises those insects whose 
wings are of the same texture throughout, 
and are furnished with sucking mouth 
parts. The members of this sub-order have 
the head intimately united with the thorax, 
forming no well defined neck. Bark lice 
and the leaf hoppers belong here. 
The mealy bugs and scale insects belong 
to the family coccidce. The members of 
this family do not have the same general 
appearance of ordinary insects, and the 
