PRICE  SXS:  CENTW. 
PER  YEAR. 
NEW  YORK  CITY,  MAY  G,  1876. 
VOI,.  XXXTII.  No.  19.  I 
WIIOEE  No.  ISri.  f 
[iSatered  nccording  to  Act  of  Congress,  In  the  year  187fi,  by  the  Rural  Publishing  Company,  in  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. j 
ifloiicultiinil. 
YUCCA  FILAMENTOSA. 
This  plant  is  on«  that  Improves  upon  acqtiaint- 
ance.  We  fiovcr  thought  much  of  it  until  we 
used  it  at  home,  and  now  its  foes  would  be  se¬ 
verely  felt.  It  is  the  lust  plant  we  should  use  in 
symmetrical  plots  or  among  flowers  whose  at¬ 
tractiveness  depends  in  part  upon  a  preelae  ar- 
rangenieut  and  uniformity  of  size.  We  first 
recognized  Its  line  adaptability  to  certain  situa¬ 
tion*  mxm  seeing  it  in  lai’ge  plots  along  one  of 
the  lake  bank.s  of  Central  Park.  It  there  looked 
to  be  the  right  plant  in  the  right  place  and  im¬ 
parted  a  wild,  half-rugged,  picturesque  beauty 
that  few  other  hardy  plants  could  supply.  As 
an  undergrowth  in  shrubbery  borders — or  planted 
between  pines  and  spruces,  as  wo  have  seen  them 
— the  evergreous  planted  rather  closely  together 
so  as  both  to  conceal  tlie  pi'opcrty  line  and  to 
serve  as  a  wind-break — or  clumped  horo  and 
there  in  the  Avild  garden,  they  arc  very  effective. 
Wildness  is  the  Yucca’s  charm,  and  it  suffers  the 
moment  it  is  iilacoil  in  the  company  of  flaming 
colei’s  or  “  tropical  amplitude  of  leafage.” 
Its  pagoda-like  itiHorcuoeiiee  is  very  fine  and 
may  put  to  blush  a  hundred  petted  hot-house 
things  that  need  to  he  washed,  smoked,  forced 
and  rested  tlirougliout  Uio  year.  It  is  borne 
upon  a  scape  four  to  six  feet  high,  in  a  pyramidal 
panicle  of  simple  racemes.  The  color  of  the 
bell-shaped  flowers  would  be  wliite  but  for  a 
slight  tint  of  green.  The  plant  is  nearly  acau- 
lesceut  and  its  lower  leaves  rest  upon  the  gi’ouud, 
while  the  upper  ones  are  more  upright  and  clus¬ 
tered  as  in  a  rosette  of  spikes.  These  leaves  are 
u  jnaTeot  evergreen  and  retain  a  fresh  color 
through  the  most  tiwing  vicissitudes  of  winter. 
Unless  it  is  desired  to  save  seed  (which  germi¬ 
nate  readily)  it  is  best  to  cut  out  the  scape  as 
soon  as  tho  flowers  have  tlisappeared — since  the 
di’y,  oblong  pods  arc  unsightly. 
We  have  never  found  tliat  it  is  particular  as  to 
soil  or  situation,  thriving  with  us  both  in  sandy 
and  in  wet  places.  It  is  a  splendid  rockery  plant, 
and  in  summer  plots  harmonizes  Avell  with  Se- 
dums,  Aloes,  Cacti — or,  among  hardy  plants, 
with  the  dwarf  evergreens — with  Aralia  spinosa 
— the  hardy  grasses  and  ferns. 
Here  we  Lave  a  plant  that  is  an  evergreen, 
perfectly  hai’dy— enduring  at  least  20  degs.  below 
zero  without  injury— -that  hears  in  midsummer 
Imndi’cds  of  flo’.ver8  more  heantiful  tliau  most 
hot-house  sahjects— that  is  easily  propagated — 
that  will  stand  storms,  winds  the  fiercest,  heat, 
diouth,  moisture ;  and  yet  we  seldom  meet 
with  it. 
Our  engraving  give.s  a  correct  vieAV  of  this 
Yucca. 
■  » 
SELECTION  OF  PELARGONIUMS. 
Messrs.  G.  B.  of  Hackensack,  ask  us,  among 
the  golden  and  silver  variegated  and  plain  Zo- 
nales,  to  name  those  ive  should  select  as  the 
linest  of  thek  sections. 
We  have  often  thought,  a.s  wo  have  passed 
through  the  immeiwe  glass-houses  of  several 
of  oui’  florists  exclusively  devoted  to  Pelargo- 
nuims  and  have  cmleavored  to  make  distinc¬ 
tions  by  wliich  we  could  fix  the  names,  that  three 
quarters  of  all  might  be  destroyed  as  inferior  to 
the  others,  or  so  nearly  alike  as  not  to  be  worth 
the  trouble  of  either  a  name  or  of  preservation. 
In  the  silver  A-ariegated  section  for  instance, 
there  are  dozens  so  nearly  alike  that  it  is  impos¬ 
sible  to  name  them  at  sight  AA-ithout  that  sort  of 
microscopic  study  that  has  enabled  many  pomol- 
ogiste  to  distinguish  hundreds  of  varieties  of 
fruit  trees  from  a  close  observance  of  color  and 
texture  of  the  bark.  And  the  same  may  be  said 
of  the  other  sections. 
But  alUiough  we  have  given  for  several  yews 
I  a  good  deal  of  attentiou’to  these  fine  plants,  and 
are  somewhat  familiar  witli  the  most  of  those 
offered  by  our  florists — yet  when  Avo  come  to 
'  make  a  selection  of  those  Ai’e  believe  to  be  Uie 
best,  as  representing  by  distinct  markings  or  oth¬ 
er  characteristics  tho  Avholo  list  of  Pelargoniums, 
the  number  sui’priscs  us  Avith  its  smallness. 
I  Of  tho  golden  variegated  sorts  (“Tricolors”) 
we  should  still  select  as  our  first  choice  Mad.  Pol¬ 
lock,  old  as  it  is,  (1855),  for  its  vigor  and  perfect 
j  leaf.  We  should  select  Macbeth  for  its  high 
color  and  endurance  of  sunshine.  It  is  tho  best 
of  the  “Tricolors"  for  bedding.  If  shaded  a 
little,  it  maintains  a  pasMahIc  appearance  through 
the  Slimmer,  Among  perhaps  fifty  variotios  fully 
exposed  to  the  sun,  Maeliclh  alone  preserved  a 
ti'ace  of  color.  Lady  Culloin  and  Sunset  of  this 
section  are  the  only  ones  we  should  add  to  tho 
above. 
j  Of  the  silver  variegated  sorts,  Exeelleut  and 
Princess  Silvenvings  or  Miss  Burdett  Coutts. 
Of  the  plain  zonalos  Avith  scarlet  llowers  wo 
should  select  Rienzi  for  tho  size  of  its  flower  and 
Jean  Sisley  for  its  brilliancy  of  color,  distinct 
white  eye  and  imbrication  of  petals ; — Mas.  Chris¬ 
tine,  for  tho  color  of  its  ttoAvors  and  size  of  tiie 
umbel,  though  as  a  bedding  plant  it  drops  its 
leaves  and  the  floAvers  fade.  Matilda  has  a  larger 
flower  of  a  prettier  shade,  but  forms  a  smaller 
umbel. 
We  should  select  Mrs.  Geo.  Smith  for  a  salmon 
— ^Marie  r.Ahhe  for  a  wJiito  AA'ith  a  rosy  eye,  and 
ifad.  Vanoher  for  a  pure  wliite. 
Of  the  iloiihlo  zonalos,  our  first  choice  would 
be  Mario  I^emolne  for  a  rose  or  rather  pink.  This 
is  more  dwarf  than  Mad,  Lemoino  and  its  flowers 
equally  large  and  lasting. 
Of  tho  double  scarlet,  P..  G.  Henderson.  Lo 
Nigre,  though  next  to  worthless  in  tho  house,  is 
splendid  ont-of-doors  and  stands  the  sun  riglit 
well.  The  petals  arc  small  and  crow  ded  together, 
of  a  dark  claret  color— the  darkest  color,  so  far 
as  we  are  aAvare,  of  plain  zonales — occasionally 
streaked  Avith  Avliite.  It  is  a  robust  groAver  and 
forms  roots  most  readily. 
Asa  Gray  is  the  best  doable  salmon  and  jVJine 
Sisley  tho  best  Avhite— though  it  is  not  white  and 
ia  Avorthless. 
Dionl  de  Strasbourg  rosomhles  Mario  Lemoine 
in  every  way— hut.  tho  lloAver  has  a  decidedly 
violet  tint,  exceedingly  heantiful  and  delicate. 
Wellington  for  its  deep  maroon  color  and  im- 
inoiise  truss.  Like  moat  other  of  the  “nosegays,” 
however,  the  lloAvers  are  quite  perishable  in  the 
open  air. 
Knowing  that  Pelargonium  groAS'ers  liad  beeu 
at  work  for  years  to  produce  the  Avhite  disc  of 
Happy  Thought,  wo  had  supposed  this  really 
beautiful  plant  was  luially  tho  successful  result 
of  their  labors.  But  avo  see  by  a  uoto  in  tho  Lon¬ 
don  Garden  that  It  Is  a  sport  from  some  old  va¬ 
riety.  We  have  had  tho  plant  since  it  was  intro¬ 
duced  to  US  by  Mr.  Ciutty,  luul either  as  a  hedder 
or  a  house-iilant,  it  has  given  groat  satisfaction. 
From  this  doubtless  many  varieties  of  tho  Avliito 
or  yolloAviah-Avhite  disc  AviU  spring — constituting 
a  section  as  distinct  and  as  attractive  perhaps  as 
either  of  those  popularly  termed  “  Tricolors"  and 
“Silver  Leaf.” 
- - - 
A  GIGANTIC  FLOWER, 
We  have  in  our  greenhouse  at  tliis  time  a  bulb 
of  the  new  Ai’oid,  Amorphoptiallus  Eioieri,  upon 
Avbicb  there  is  what  an  uriscientific  observer  of 
nature  would  term  a  fliiwer,  measuring  two  feet 
ten  Inches  long  by  a  foot  broad.  But  seientific- 
ally  speaking,  this  gigantic  production  is  not  a 
ti’ue  (loAvor  any  more  Until  the  Avhite  spatho  of 
the  common  Calla  lily  is  Us  lloAver,  although  gen¬ 
erally  referred  to  as  such.  Tho  floAvers  of  such 
plants  are  quite  minute  amt  situated  on  the  spa¬ 
dix  or  Central  organ,  while  the  outer  and  more 
showy  parts  are  little  more  tliaii  a  leaf-like  en¬ 
velope  to  Avliich  botanists  have  given  the  name 
of  spathe.  The  AinorpfiopluiUua  referred  to 
above  is  a  giant  among  the  pigmies  iii  this  fam¬ 
ily  ;  but  we  must  say  it  is  more  curious  than 
beautiful. 
The  fetid  odor  omitted  from  tlio  opening  spathe 
l-s  simply  intolerable,  resemhliiig  that  given  off 
from  putrid  animal  matter.  The  plant  dies  after 
liloomirig  and  is  prtKluced  from  small  offsets  of 
the  old  htilb,  during  jirevious  years. 
This  iioAV  aroiJ  is  a  handsome  bedding  plant, 
Avitb  a  large,  ahowy,  ilivided  leaf  ;  hut  when  the 
bulbs  reach  a  blooming  size  they  may  be  cast 
aside,  unless  one  is  curious  to  see  Avhat  a  repul¬ 
sive  montrosity  nature  can  produce  in  the  Avay 
of  a  flower. 
- - 
CULTIVATION  OF  DI0NA3A  MU8CIPULA. 
In  response  to  inquiries  as  to  where  the  Car¬ 
nivorous  plant  Dionaia  muscipula  could  be  pro- 
cui’cd,  Ave  stated  that  Mr.  Peter  Henderson 
was,  Ave  beheved,  Oie  first  to  offer  it.  We  soon 
afterwards  learned  that  they  could  not  be  made 
to  thrive  in  ordinary  greenhouses  and  that  Mr. 
II.  had  none  for  saki— Avhereupon  we  Avroto  to 
ask  the  reason  of  this  and  received  the  following 
reply,  wliicli,  comJeg  from  so  experienced  a  hor- 
ticultm’ibt,  may  he  accepted  by  our  readers  as  re¬ 
liable  : 
“  Tho  reason  why  the  Dioniea  does  not  usually 
Huccectl  IS  that  its  natural  habitat  is  the  SAvamps 
of  the  Southern  States  and  there  are  few  green¬ 
houses  that  are  moist  enough  to  suit  it.  It  Avould 
do  AA’ell,  however,  in  a  Woi’dian  case,  Fernery  or 
Jardiniere.  I  expect  a  consignment  in  a  few  days 
from  Georgia.” 
- - 
NOTES. 
In  the  oM-fashioned  flower  garden  at  Wimble¬ 
don  House  there  is  a  lino  old  plant  of  Cydonia 
Japonica,  60  feet  in  civeomference  and  from  8  to 
10  feet  high,  The  whole  of  the  plant  is  now  cov- 
