126 
The Garden Magazine, April, 1920 
meeting of ali the different horticultural interests in the United 
States should be held to consider Quarantine 37, and to take 
such action as may seem necessary to secure its amendment”; 
and they have requested that all organizations appoint a dele- 
gate to represent them officially at such a meeting, to be held 
during the month of May, in a central city of the United States. 
And further, “The Trustees of the Massachusetts Horticultural 
Society will thank you to advise them of what action you may 
take.” This is good news indeed, and will lead to concerted 
action. 
THE OPE^C olum ^ 
Readers’ Interchange of Experience and Comment 
Second *T"HREE Crabapples bearing in my garden 
p 1 were last summer full of aphis on the tips 
P i , of thetallest branches. I had sprayed them be- 
ra app es fore ev fo ent | v jjj not reac h the vital spot. 
As 1 was busy I decided to cut out those tips and I did not want them 
to grow too tall anyway! Imagine mv surprise when in August 1 
found a number of branches in blossom on one of the trees, right where 
they were pruned, and I had a second crop of crabapples, about one 
dozen in all, in November, I presume as a result of the late prun- 
ing. — L. A. Malkiel, N. Y. 
Fall 
Blooming 
Iris Again 
M R. MORRISON’S remark last spring that 
he did not know of another instance 
of the second bloom in the East of I. Mrs. 
Alan Gray as reported from my garden, 
recurred to me many times during the past cool wet sunless summer as I 
watched for a second bloom on my I ris plants. Sincere gardeners abhor, 
1 think “fisherman” stories from their gardens. Not one spike of 
bloom appeared on any plant until mid-September when Mrs. Alan 
Grav with superb loyalty to the Garden Mistress, despite lack of ripen- 
ing sun, sent up one spike — and such a spike! The usual number of 
flowers of this variety to the stalk is about five. This spike of vindica- 
tion was twice branched and had eleven superb blossoms, whose pinkish 
lilac was well content with the Indian yellow of a neighboring 
Mrs. Aaron Ward Rose. — Ella Porter McKinney, New Jersey. 
Oh, Where 
Can It 
Be Had? 
1 WAS forcibly reminded by the experience 
of E. L. Cabot (see January issue) of the 
hours 1 too have spent searching the many 
catalogues for some of the plants and seeds 
commented on by writers in The Garden Magazine. And just 
here I would like to ask the “White Violet Lady” if she will please tell 
us where we can get plants of White Violet, for we are very much 
interested. — Mrs. Olive Goens, Longview Farm, Hector, N. Y., R. 1. 
— I have been trying to locate some of the vegetables described by 
Mr. Kruhm in January issue, and have not yet traced Egg Harbor Pole 
Bean. When a contributor enthuses over a lot of so-called new things 
(new names, anyway!) why on earth don’t you make him say where one 
can get them? That is one of the worst faults of The Garden Mag- 
azine and should be remedied. By the way Wong-Bok Chinese 
Cabbage, and the Cocozelle are already rather common here — I, at 
least, have raised them for some years. — (Dr.) C. L. Gregory, Redwood 
City, Cal. 
— We sympathize with Dr. Gregory and others who have written 
in a similar vein but it is obviously not practical to supplement 
every article with a directory of dealers. As a matter of fact a little 
judicious searching of the list of the leading nurserymen and seedsmen 
will usually afford satisfaction. But it would indeed be surprising if 
any one dealer’s list was found to offer everything that is discussed. 
Nor does the editor feel bound to hunt through catalogue after cata- 
logue in assuring himself in advance that such and such a thing is 
offered in the lists before him, and refusing space to a comment on any- 
thing that he could not find listed. Such a course would not work for 
progress. Then again the dealer has ample opportunity to lay his 
announcements before the reader, and should do so indeed for the good 
of all. The Garden Magazine tries to lay before its readers the whole 
truth, impartially, in a general way — it is always glad to furnish further 
information by letter in reply to any specific request, so far as is possi- 
ble. — E d. 
A YEAR ago an English gardener gave me 
six bulbs of Tigridia pavonia which l 
Pavonia planted last spring in a warm spot in my gar- 
den in a mixture of leaf mold, sand, and loam. 
Their growth was rapid and strong. Then came weeks of wet weather 
interspersed with only days of sunshine and then more rains. Un- 
daunted by repeated soakings the Tigridia continued to grow and one 
morning 1 looked from my windows and saw standing straight and tall 
the most gorgeous flowers red, orange, and yellow in such splashes of 
barbaric combinations and truly “Tiger-like.” They had persevered 
through such climatic odds to reach their ultimate development that 
they indeed won my admiration. The bulbs multiplied rapidly, so 1 
hope to set out these children of the tropics this spring and wish them a 
pleasant summer heat and sunshine. The gardener, who gave me this 
plant told me they were supposed to possess some medicinal qualities, 
but of what value, he knew not. What of the plant? Can any one 
tell me? — (Mrs.) Henry A. Steinmeyer, New York. 
— Tigridias are Iridaceous plants, and the one mentioned is called 
Peacock Tiger Iris from its gorgeous coloring. It was introduced 
from Mexico in 1796. It should be treated just like a Gladiolus. All 
these Tiger Day-lilies are barbarically gorgeous but the flowers last only 
one day which is somewhat of a drawback. — Ed. 
A N ARTICLE in a recent number in 
referring to Californian enterprise in 
the future production of plants for American 
gardens gives a wrong impression of the 
Cottage Gardens Nurseries moving to the Columbia River Valley. 
We are not moving because we cannot grow bulbs. Azaleas, 
Rhododendrons and other plants in enormous quantities success- 
fully and profitably, but for business considerations. We had our 
troubles and our auto trucks were attached and tied up at commence- 
ment of shipping season so as to prevent our getting the 25 to 30 
carloads of bulbs and plants shipped on time. Our water supply was 
cut off also when Azaleas were budding. Now as to growing plants: 
It takes three. years to produce a commercial Azalea indica plant 16 
to 18 inches in diameter. Four years produces commercial Rhodo- 
dendrons; one year produces large fully-budded Ericas two to three 
feet tall; six months produces good Begonia bulbs from seed and same 
is true of Gloxinias; two years produces mother bulbs in Tulips from 
small planting bulbs three-quarters of an inch in diameter, and the same 
is true of Narcissus. Araucarias are readily produced in twelve to 
eighteen months. Hollies grow slowly and four to five years are re- 
quired to get good plants two to three and one-half feet high. 
Six months produces fine Hydrangeas and other succulent rapid- 
growing plants. Our growing season includes all months except 
July, August, September, and October. No, it is no fault of the 
growing here. This coast will grow all the Dutch bulbs, Azaleas, 
Rhododendrons, Camellias and plants which will be needed to supply 
the American market and furnish them at less cost than imported 
stock. Stop kicking at the quarantine! Charles Willis Ward, 
Eureka, Cal. 
— We take exception to Quarantine No. 37 partly because it is using 
quarantine measures to achieve a protective wall, and partly because 
it is administered in an illogical arbitrary way without regard to 
the actual facts and necessities of horticulture. — Ed. 
By Way 
of 
Explanation 
An Earlv WERY early hotbeds do not seem satis- 
Start Without / f 1 actory . in our climate (Wisconsin) 
TTothorU ' or t ‘ ie g errnina t> on of seeds that require a 
good deal of heat, — such as Tomatoes, Egg- 
plants and Peppers, and some flowers. I plant such seeds in cigar 
boxes about two and one-half inches in depth, and place the boxes in a 
pile on a hot-air register in a room where the heat is never intense, and 
where the boxes will not be troublesome. They are piled unevenly to 
allow a circulation of air, and are watered twice a day. The top box is 
covered with glass. Germination is quick and certain, and as soon as 
the plants appear the boxes are removed to a plant stand in a sunny 
window. Here they remain until the hotbeds are ready. We have 
found a very satisfactory place for the germination of seeds in our 
cellar. The top of our hot-air furnace is covered with a layer of sand to 
prevent escape of heat. Boxes placed on this sand between the 
emerging pipes keep an even, gentle heat, and give a surprisingly high 
percentage of germination. These boxes are covered with glass. 
We use the furnace again in making “pots” from which to trans- 
plant into the garden, using tin cans which are heated to remove the end. 
These cans are arranged in shallow boxes, drainage being provided for 
through the bottom of the box. These cans have uniformly produced. 
