352 
Iris Germination! 
A good illustration of delayed germin- 
ation of seeds occurred this Spring with a 
lot of Iris Kerneriana that was sent to us 
by Mr. Anderson of the Alpine Garden 
Society of England. This seed was received 
in 1949 and must have been 1948 seed. It 
was planted in 1951, with no signs of germ- 
ination till this Spring, when every seed 
grew. They were in an out door seed hed 
and covered with sand. 
Annuals as a rule have few difficulties in 
germination but the perennials and especi- 
ally seed of trees and shrubs, have many 
variations and to germinate them is a good 
part in raising them. Seed beds should be 
made so that sowings can be left undistur- 
bed for one to three years. 
Bright and attractive colors in flowers 
are natures method of attracting insects to 
a flower, that it may be fertilized. 
OUR FRONT COVER PICTURE 
(Continued from Page 349) 
one time the Mecca of garden lovers from all 
over the world, but now, alas, falling into 
the decay common to so many of Britain's 
historic gardens. 
Times have changed in Britain of late and 
its future, as far as the famous gardens are 
concerned, at least, is over. Most all of 
the large estates were made possible by Eng- 
land’s colonial empire, where thousands of 
Englishmen held high salaried positions and 
were also pensioned at early periods in life; 
this was also possible in the armed forces 
as will be readily noted by the many army 
and naval titles amongst English garden 
lovers. 
In this country, where we should by rights 
of our own industry, have plenty of gardens, 
we are losing these rights thru our out- 
landish government expenditures resulting 
in high taxes; thus less time and money for 
the beautiful things in life. 
PRUNING THE LILACS 
To have beautiful Lilacs it is very nec- 
essary that they receive proper pruning 
every year. 
This should be done immediately after 
the flowers have faded. Pruning in eariy 
Spring or even in late Summer, destroys the 
flower buds for next year’s flowers. 
The main object in pruning the Lilac is ta 
keep the bush within bounds, for if left to 
itself, especially the named varieties, they 
grow to such a height that they are unsightly. 
Cut out unnecessary growth and keep the 
main stems rather open and the whole bush 
in balance, pruning so that new growth Wilk 
fill in open spots. The flowering shoots 
should be cut back each year, because two 
new shoots usually grow each year from the 
flowering point. Eventually this will over- 
balance the bush if left alone. 
Of course, cut out all dead branches 
and when possible, on old bushes, train a 
new branch from near the base, to take the 
place of any old branch, likely to die. 
The flowering buds should be thinned 
out some because if there are too many for 
the bush, only inferior blossoms will result. 
Plants whose flowers are fertilized by tha 
wind are never noted for their bright colors 
or attractiveness, for there is no need for 
them to be noticeable to induce insects to 
visit them and pollinate their flowers. 
Flowers that are pollinated at night are 
either white or yellow; reds and blues are 
difficult to locate in the darkness. 
heswesthe 
Key to Gypsophila Species 
All are of easy culture. Some of the asiatic 
species are not so well known, yet have been 
offered occasionally during recent years. 
The following key to the cultivated spec- 
ies of the genus Gypsophila was prepared 
by Dr. G. H. M. Lawrence, director of the 
Bailey Hortorium and appeared in the first 
issue of Baileya, just received and is copied, 
with permission 
The plant known as Gypsophila fragensis 
appears to be of garden origin, a low peren- 
ial of above-average merit for the rock- 
garden or border front. The species to be 
accounted in “Hortus Third’ are included 
below. It will be appreciated if readers 
knowing of others in cultivation in North 
America, but not treated below, will so ad- 
vise the diector of the Bailey Hortorium. 
The genus Gypsophila belongs to the 
family Caryophyllaceae (the Pink Family) 
and contains, among other well-known spec- 
Baby’s-breath. Some species ara 
rock-garden subjects and others are annuals 
for cutting, or are perennials for the border. 
1. Plants 24-36 inches high or more. 
2. Flowers in dense head-like cymes. 
2. Flowers in loose open paniculata cymes. 
3. Lower leaves about twice as long as wide. 
3. Lower leaves 4-8 times as long as wide. 
4. Leaves (at least the lower ones) usually 3-5-nerved, mostly i,2-3.0 cm. wide. 
G. acutifolia. 
G. Oldenhamiana. 
P. pacifica. 
4. Leaves usually l-nerved, mostly less than 1.2 cm. wide. 
5. Leaves linear ,somewhat 3-sided; flowers pink to purplish. G. Gmelinii. 
5. Leaves lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, flat; tlowers white. 
6. Leaves perfoliate: inflorescence sometimes hairy. G. perfoliata. 
6. Leaves not perfoliata; inflorescence always glabrous. 
7. Leaves fleshy, Jower ones obtuse; calyx segments linear. 
7. Leaves thin, all acute; calyx segments broadly elliptic. 
G. Rokejeka. 
G. paniculata. 
1. Plant 3-12 (rarely to 18) inches high. 
8. Duration annual. 
9. Leaves lanceolate. 
9. Leaves narrowly 
8. Duration perennial. 
10. Leaves not glabrous, at least not so above. 
11. Foliage pubescent throughout. 
ll. Foliage viscid (sticky) above, glabrous beneath. 
10. Leaves glabrous. 
12. Plants densely cushion-forming, to 2 inches high; leaves somewhat 3-sided 
in cross-section, obtuse. 'G. aretioides. 
12. Plants not as above, but may be mat-forming; leaves flat, usually acute. 
13. Inflorescence dense and congested; leaves mostly more than 1 inch long, 
14. Flowers in dense corymbs; calyx green. G. fastigiata. 
14. Flowers in terminal heads; calyx violaceous. G. transsylvanica. 
13. Inflorescence loose and open; leaves mosily less than 1 inch long. 
15. Plant erect or clump-forming, stems less than 3 inches high. 
15. Plants repent (prostrate), stems ascending to 4-10 inches high. 
16. Leaves green; calyx 5 mm. long G. repens. 
16. Leaves glaucous (bluish); calyx 2.5 mm. long. G. Stevenii. 
G. elegans, 
linear. G. muralis. 
G. cerastioides. 
G. viscosa. 
Schwerdtfeger Begonia Seed 
The following Begonia listings are Louise Schwerdttfeger’s seed. We can supply 
seed in many unlisted spcies as well as hybrids and if you should be especially 
interested, drop us a postal. 
) 
—acutangula. Tall fibrous cane-type; stems angular, well branched; lvs_ glossy 
green with lighter veining, red beneath; fls small white in large clusters BEG-5. 50¢ 
—acutifolia. (acuminata) Everblooming, weli branched; fis white tinged pink; inter- 
mediat fibrous; |Similiar | to, Way W AterlOWrrwcc-cc..cnexcotesnecnccssceecsvecsseorseressrraese BEG-7. 50¢ 
—Boweri major. Larger and more robust than Boweri, with less distinct mark- 
ings; inclinel to Nang; White AMOWETS.........cccreccrecseessssessecnsenssnesscsnssncensenense BEG-19M. $1.00 
Wem OTUCUITHLIOD AEG. ceieisidesosssuctecouteovetohcucotasscaceeabatsbovatsostvassnsuzs souctsdwee esseabasddestavceabecadeutetessaubensenss BEG-27. $1.00 
—angularis. (zebrina) Tall fibrous, branches drooping; lvs pointed, green with 
gray veins; fis small, white, clustered On Short SteMS........eeeesseseneseres BEG-29. 50¢ 
—Dregei v. Macbethii. Small leafed semi-tuberous; many branched; lvs_ dainty 
maple-shaped; fis white in clusters close to the foliage...................s0 BEG-46. 50¢ 
—epipsila. Thick leathery leaf. bronzy red beneath; flowers white; excellent bloom- 
CL ME POO se hAanPing emDASKEE. LYS sc cceetoerscesscrecsssocreacerscnresssenerrasebecentitetsternccncereneeere res BEG-52. $1.00 
—evaniana-alba. Tuberous; lvs red underneath; flowers large, white; stands a little 
—foliosa. Early Columbian species; bushy fern-like fibrous; stems and_ branches 
arching; small lvs; tiny white fls tinged with pink on thread-like stems BEG-48. 75¢ 
—FLANCESLL. ooeseesscssssesseeseenesecneoncsseenseeaenenseensoneaseens cg stnde- Osco; rato GEOL CoE EEO a ceONoAHAeboc oom EONS BEG-58. $1.00 
—Kellermanii. Entire plant covered with white surf; fibrous; suede-like peltate 
TVS CUP DEC ATO WTS UNG pai 1I Uerepecsccecnet vaernccesyecsatecuscecssecneononecsvavcecneructemnstaccasnstestaye BEG-79. 75¢ 
—incana. Thick stemmed fibrous; few branched; lvs leathery covered with toment- 
ose; epltate; large white flowers on arching St€MS........ cesses aces BEG-$0. $1.00 
—incarnata-Sandersi. The sturdy incarnata; bushy small leafed fibrous; well branch- 
ed, narrow, pointed light green lvs; large pink fis in terminal clusters... BEG-91. 75¢ 
lobed; flowers 
--involucrata. Thick stemmed fibrous; soft hairy lvs, light green, 
Gr COMPACT PCIUSLCTS 2 ccccccscsssccsssracenereeeestestrernsseceeeesnsens eRSS etna Ee treet emncea teen BEG-94. $1.00 
—metallica. Erect, fibrous; bushy, hairy leaf, in deep olive-green with a metalic 
sheen; purple veined above, red beneath; fis largee bright pink, darker pink and 
bearded “without; ON) “SHOLT! SCOMIS ss. .ci....cc.ccscnssccscccssscosnssosesoussncacccenteveessveassessasses BEG-104. $1.08 
LOLS TL reece ee ea am aroma k ee oe bata sree seu tobsuaas captors sud Gesssapacess utenoyacesnfertenen secure peepitas ies OO ORES 
—yubro-venia. Intermediate fibrous; many branched; lvs_ pointed,satiny green, 
sometimes red beneath; flowerS greenish Wite.....ccceesseeceseeereeseres BEG-140. 75¢.... 
—Scharffiana. Low growing, spreading; fibrous; stems red, hairy; lvs densely cover- 
ed with white hair, red underneath; new lvs like pink plush; fis pink BEG-147. 75¢ 
Brazil dwarf fibrous; many branched; lvs rounded, dark green. soft 
—Schmidtiana. 
hairy, under margin of maroon; fils white in heavy clusterS.............. BEG-150. 50¢ 
—subvillosa. Medium sized succulent; leaves green; flowers white, hairy on outside, 
GN GTOOPINE — CLUSTOLS eocv.cios.ccdescancscsevossveconcusuconcasessssncesssrerasnssesacoetneacnasntessachasosssnconearese BEG-157. 50¢ 
—Begonia Blend. A wonderful opportunity to secure many rare and hard to fine 
species, including the above, Rex, and Many OtheTS.......cessesseceeseeesseees BEG-XX. 50¢ 
