186 
November, 1891, 
/ 
<XRK*J3 
ORCHRRD 
AND 
GARDE N 
Seasonable Floral Notes. 
XCEPT at the South, 
November should find 
every thing outside 
made snug and safe for 
the winter. Hardy 
bulbs may still be plant- 
ed where the ground is 
not yet frozen or only 
slightly so. Beds and plants that need pro- 
tection should have a covering of leaves, or, 
in their absence, of litter, hay, or something 
of that kind conveniently at band, leaves 
being the best. The tops of some plants not 
quite hardy may be protected by bending 
them down and throwing a few inches of 
soil on them: or, if they can not be safely 
bent, they may be drawn together and 
wrapped in straw. Roses that are not 
thoroughly hardy may be protected by 
tying them up in straw or hardware paper, 
and placing some leaves or litter over the 
roots. This should not be done till the 
ground is frozen an inch or so. Many of 
the Tea Roses will go safely through the 
winter in this way, at least in the latitude 
of New York city. Bear in mind that plants 
may be too much protected. Pots out of 
doors intended to be brought in from time 
to time as wanted should now have suffi- 
cient covering to protect them from being 
frozen. Those in cold frames will need less 
protection. All pots not protected should 
be taken inside to prevent breakage. Clean 
up all kinds of litter, and place it some- 
where out of sight to rot, or burn it up. 
Examine the labels on trees and plants, and 
see that they are secure for the winter. 
Potting and repotting should, as far as 
possible, be done before the plants are 
brought inside, and so should washing the 
pots, staking, tying up, etc. The plants 
will thus, when placed in position, not only 
present a neat and attractive appearance, 
but will also grow better and bloom better, 
provided they are not overcrowded. 
Bulbs and Plants for Winter Blooming. 
Those who grow window plants should 
procure a small supply of bpagnum moss. 
This moss, placed on the soil of the pot, will 
check evaporation and save some time and 
trouble in watering. Moss from the woods, 
will do, but should fiist be scalded in hot 
water, or a crop of ugly and hurtful mag- 
gots may be the result. 
* ♦ * 
The Ornithogalum , or Star of Bethlehem, 
blooms readily in winter. 0. Arabicum is 
best for the window garden. It bears a 
large spike of while flowers with a dark 
center. They will grow in almost any good 
garden soil, with one to three bulbs in a pot. 
* * * 
Dodecatheon Meadia will bear being re- 
commended again Dr both pots and the 
open border. The flowers are singularly 
beautiful, somewhat resembling those of 
the Cyclamen, and by some esteemed even 
handsomer. It will bloom freely in the 
window garden. D. Jaffrayi is a new and 
beautiful species from California, bearing 
larger flowers than the preceding. The 
Dodecatheon has for common names Shoot- 
ing Star. American Primrose, and American 
Cowslip. These plants deserve a place in 
every garden. 
* * * 
"Where only a few flowering Begonias can 
be grown in a room in winter, B. metallica 
should be one of them. It contains nearly 
all the good qualities of the ornamental- 
leaved and the flowering varieties, having 
beautiful leaves and bearing handsome 
flowers, and is as easily grown as any of 
them. It is a gem in its way, but needs a 
little sunshine to bring out fully its beauti- 
ful metallic hues. 
* » * 
The Ardisia crevulata is a handsome ever- 
green berry plant for the green-house and 
the window garden. It is an old plant, but 
at present by no means so common as it 
should be. It is admired for its white 
flowers and numerous handsome red berries 
or fruit, and it is seldom without them with 
ordinary care. There is no berry plant 
more desirable for the window garden in 
winter, or one better suited to the wants 
and taste of the amateur. It is subject to 
the scale, which multiplies rapidly unless 
promptly removed on its first appearance. 
If allowed to multiply the plant gradually 
sickens and dwindles away. This, doubt- 
less, has been the chief cause of the disap- 
pearance of the plant from collections. The 
scale, however, is easily subdued by an old 
tooth-brush and a little soapsuds, and it is 
an easy matter to apply them to such small 
plants. W. F. Bassett of Hammonton, N. .T. 
has lately made a specialty of growing 
these plants to the berry stage before offer- 
ing them for sale, and this is a step in the 
direction of making them common again. 
There is a pretty white-berried variety, 
which can only be propagated by grafting 
or by cuttings. 
* * * 
Some members of the Oxalis family are 
excellent subjects for winter blooming in 
the green-house and in the window garden, 
and they are easily grown. Of the bulbous 
species, Oxalis Bowiei is the best and very 
beautiful. All winter it produces its large, 
blight-rose colored flowers in great profu- 
sion. 0. versicolor is also a beautiful spe- 
cies, bearing smaller flowers, which, when 
closed, remind one of the old-fashioned bar- 
ber’s pole, and by some used lo be called the 
“ barber-pole flower.” The colors are dark 
crimson, white, and pale yellow. Next may 
be named 0. lutea, a free blooming yellow 
species. There is a double-flowered variety 
of this. There are a number of other bulb- 
ous specidS worth growing. These bulbous 
species should be planted now. Put the 
bulbs an inch or so apart in the pots, and 
use a moderately rich sandy loam. Oxalis 
floribunda is an heroaceous perennial and a 
fine plant for the window garden. It is a 
profuse bloomer, bearing small flowers of a 
bright rose color. With proper treatment 
it is seldom out of bloom. It may be propa- 
gating by pieces of the root stock and also 
by seed. There is a pretty white-flowered 
variety of this, but it does not bloom so 
freely. All the kinds above mentioned, are 
excellent for growing in suspended pots or 
baskets. 
* * * 
The Lachenalias are pretty and easily 
grown winter-blooming plants for the green- 
house, and also for the window garden. To 
have them flower early the bulb should be 
planted early. L. tricolor, L. quadricolor, 
and L. pendula are the kinds usually grown, 
and are all good. L. Nelsoni is a beautiful 
and rarer species bearing yellow flowers. 
It continues in bloom a long time. It may 
be had of H. Meyer of Passaic, N. J. A 
sandy loam with an addition of leaf mould 
suits them best. 
* * * 
Gladiolus Colvillei. “The Bride” forces 
readily in winter, and is also a good window' 
garden plant. Any good garden soil will 
suit it. Put three to five bulbs in a pot, ac- 
cording to its size. The treatment is about 
the same as that for Hyacinths. 
* * * 
Lilium Harrisii, the Bermuda Easter Lily, 
should not be forgotten. For forcing in the 
green-house or the window garden it is 
much the best of the white Lilies. The treat- 
ment has been given in a former number. 
* * * 
The so-called “Chinese Sacred Lily” does 
not generally arrive much before November. 
The single-flowered variety is much better 
than the double. Three to six bulbs may 
be put in a dish. Place the bulbs at once in 
a dish or bowl of suitable size, and brace 
them up with large pebbles or small stones 
of any kind, white pebbles looking the best. 
The chief object of using the pebbles is to 
prevent the bulbs from toppling over when 
in bloom. Potsherds will answer the same 
purpose. A glass dish or bowl looks better 
than an earthen one, and enables one to 
watch the growth of the roots, and thus 
enhances the interest of growing the bulbs 
in water. The dishes should always be kept 
nearly full of water, which should be re- 
newed occasionally. The best way to do 
this is set the dish in a large pan or small 
tub, and overflow the dish till the water has 
been changed. It will not take much time 
or much water to do this. Place the dish in 
a cool, dark place till the top begins to grow, 
when it should be placed at toe window. 
When in bloom it may be placed wherever 
it will produce the best effect. 
* * * 
The Nerines are among the prettiest of 
the Amaryllis family. A few of them are 
natives of China and Japan, but the larger 
number are from the Cape of Good Hope. 
The bulbs are not hardy at the North, and 
should be grown in pots. They are not 
properly winter-blooming bulbs, in the 
usual acceptation of that term, their usual 
season of blooming with us being September 
and October. With a little management, 
however, in prolonging the dry season, they 
