'.'■X 
I 
I* UmUI 
PRICE SIX CENTS, 
»^.«5 PER YEAR. 
ever, that a few of the seeds will no 
nate for several weeks—a delay th< 
to be occasioned by the shriveling 
DISA GRANDIFLORA. 
I.\ a late number of the Gardener’s Chroni¬ 
cle this beautiful Cape Orchid is figured and 
described, and f rom it we take the accom¬ 
panying Illustration and description : 
This lino Cape Orchid is not nearly so often 
seen as its nu'rits entitle it to be any one 
who may have hud the pleasure of beholding 
a good quantity of it in full beauty cannot 
readily lorget the brilliancy of its large 
scarlet and yellow flowers, which are borne 
on tall, leafy stems, something after the 
style of the herbaceous scarlet Lobelia, but 
the individual flowers of the plant in ques¬ 
tion are many times larger and much more 
brilliant, to which may bo added a singular¬ 
ly grotesque form, which is at the same time 
extremely fascinating. One of the reasons, 
perhaps the main reason, why this most 
beautiful Orchid Is not cultivated wherever 
g i wie tegmen and testa envelopes of 
the seed. Covering the seed-boxes over at 
night when there is a fear of frost, they will 
iuyo formed til© second or true leaf ami be 
large enough to transplant to 2^-inch pots 
ere the approach of severe weather con¬ 
strains ns to removo them to the house for 
the winter. In potting those seedlings, the 
same compost, or any other which is mode- 
lately rich and light, may be used. No ex¬ 
treme care is required in potting; they 
transplant perfectly and recover at once. 
tempo at cultivating these interesting 
plants. We knew, fjnom having read Pkter 
rievk’b little book entitled “ Ornamental- 
foliaged Pelargoniums,” that we could at 
0 *—^ once detect the vurie- 
f gated from the uuva- 
^ J rlegatcd by the mark- 
V. J lugs or colors of the 
cotyledons. Our own 
No. 2. experience lias since 
taught us that not only this, but Bronzes, 
Selfs, Silver and Golden variegation, and 
about the proportion of variegation, may be 
determined just as soon as the cotyledons 
have well developed, by these colorings. 
Nos. 1, 2, 2, sketches from life, represent the 
several forms of cotyledons we have no¬ 
ticed. They are seldom larger than No. 1, 
nor smaller than No. 3. The first is usually 
that of zoneless, unvariegated plants ; the 
third ofttlmes that of highly variegated 
sorts. No. 2 is very often typical of a Bronze 
or Self. But the size and shape, depending 
in a measure upon the strength of the seeds, 
is not to be relied upon as indicative of any 
particular feature of the future plant. But 
if in our fertilizing manipulations wo have 
aimed at variegated foliage, we may now 
determine by the markings of the cotyle*- 
dons which of them may bo worth rearing 
and which may at once 
be rejected. It is never Ja v 
well to pull up those we 
deem worthless ; cutting No. 3. 
or pinching them off answers the same pur¬ 
pose without displacing the soil, while more 
space is left for those to grow which enlist 
our warmer regards. 
Whenever the lirst leaves are of a solid 
green color, we may be sure that the plant 
will reveal no trace of variegation. Upon 
this statement, kind reader, if you would 
spare yourself a deal of care, you may rest 
your fullest faith. If they are of a pale, 
sickly green, we may bo certain of a Seif. 
A richer, yellowish green will prove a 
Bronze. Sometimes the Cotyledons are pure 
white. These usually perish upon trails- 
post, on which place the plant, keeping 
T 1 m !* 0d l, P 80 no water may lod 
U P so mat no water may lodge 
about the stems. The best time to pot these 
L 18 £ ! b ° Ufc tho beginning of November, 
f,u.! ° 0tS lmve nicel y rifl en to the aur- 
but ’ v f 1 ' pottIug P la( * in a cool, moist, 
S hin„ y ,"’ use . or not in too much sun- 
timf’ T'! 8yrmge overhead six or seven 
wit ?. 1 U is ,jL-tlor to Syringe than to 
. eI m lact > tlie Diaa should never be 
but be'L '7 th £1 pufc during thJs stage, 
bv svr' kepL c ^ ltlnuull y wet on the foliage 
S tl s " ,g , ; « “ u by tl,es ° •»««"« « in 
adrliii i wet without any 
Ss 1:1 W l lc r i " g - Wh “ ‘"0 'lower 
. nearly ready for expanding 
water-nl'^' r.l! 0 ^ 1 . bG laid H8 ‘ de alul the 
again with , a ^ locl infc o use, commencing 
shoots make' their g ° *“ 8 °° Q a3 the yo,n,g 
biossoming^dteo^r™ 6 ^ the I 
SPECIALTIES in FLORrcULTURE-V. 
E, S. CARMAN. 
SOWING PELARGONIUM SEEOS. 
an abundance of seed, 
ves anxious to sow at 
is, in early spring. But there is 
to spring planting ; that our 
ivun young and tender when it is 
tiunsplant them from their pots to 
“ wll] m uny of them perish, 
_ . --th occur before they 
- —j change and have 
Having pre 
we shall fl n <] 
once—that r 
this objection 
seedlings, yet 
tune to | 
the open ground 
should a season of drouth, 
are well accustomed to the 
