The NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

OCTOBER, 1948 The American Horticultural Society PRESENT ROLL OF OFFICERS AND DIRECfORS April, 1948

OFFICERS President, Mr. H. E. Allanson, Takoma Park, Md. First Vice-President, Mr. Frederic P. Lee, Bethesda, Md. Second Vice-President, Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss, Washington, D. C. Secretary, Dr. Conrad V. Link, College Park, Md. Treasurer, Mr. CarlO. Erlanson, Silver Spring, Md. Editor, Mr. B. Y. Morrison, Takoma Park, Md. DIRECTORS Terms expiring 1949 Terms expiring 1950 Mrs. Robert Fife, New York, N. Y. Mrs. Walter Douglas, Chauncey, N. Y. Mrs. Mortimer J. Fox, Peekskill, N. Y. Mrs. J. Norman Henry, Gladwyne, Pa. Dr. David V. Lumsden, Silver Spring, Md. Mrs. Arthur Hoyt Scott, Media, Pa. Dr. Vernon T. Stoutemyer, Los Angeles, Dr. Freeman Weiss, Washington, D. C. Calif. Dr. Donald Wyman, Jamaica Plain, Mass. HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENTS Sirs. Mary Hazel Drummond, Pres., Mr. Allen W. Davis, Pres., American Begonia Society, American Primrose Society, 1246 No. Kings Road, 3424 S. W. Hume St., Los Angeles 46, Calif. Portland 1, Ore. Dr . H. Harold Hume, Pres., Mr. Harold Epstein, Pres., American Camellia Society, American Rock Garden Society, University of Florida, 5 Forest Court, Gainesville, Fla. Larchmont, N. Y. Mr. Carl Grant Wilson, Pres., Mr. John H~, Jr., PTe,5.. American Delphinium Society, American Rhododeadron ~, 22150 Euclid Ave., Broolcs, Oregon Cleveland, Ohio Mr. George A. Sweetser, Pres., American Rose Society, Or. Frederick L. Fagley, Pres., 36 Forest St., American Fern Society. Wellesley Hills, Mass. 2S7 Fourth Ave., Mr. Wm. T. Marshall, Pres. Emeritus, New York to, N. Y. Cactus & Succulent Society of America. Dr. Franklin Cook, Pres., 228 Security Bldg., Phoenix, Arit... American Iris Society, Mrs. Hollis Webster, Pres., 2747 Hurd Ave., Hel1b Society of America, Evanston, III. 300 Massachusetts Ave .. :Mr. Marvin C. Karrels, Pres., Boston 15, Mass. American Peony Society, Mr. Edwin C. Freed, Pres., 3272 S. 46th St., Midwest Horticultural Society, Milwaukee 14, Wrs. R.R. 2, Downer's Grove, Ill. SOCIETIES AFFILIATED WITH THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 1946 Akron Guden Center, American Rose Society, Z26 South Main St., Dr. R. C. Allen, Seq., Akron. Ohio Box 687, Harrisburg, Pa. American Begonia Society, Bel-Air Garden Club, Mrs. Mary H azel Drummond, Pres., Mrs. Myron E. Etienne, Pres., 1246 No. Kings Road, 2324 Mandeville Canyon Rd., Los Angeles 46, Calif. Los Angeles 24, Calif. American Camellia Society Benson Garden Dub Box 2398 University Station % Mrs. Amelia Doll, Gainesville, Florida 6016 Binney St., Arlington County Garden Oub, Omaha, Nebr. Mr. Lewis H. Weld, Pres., 6613 N. Washington Blvd., Bonne Terre Garden Club, East Falls alUra, VL Mrs. R. L. Fowler. Pres., /\merican Fuchsia Society, Bonne Terre. Mo. Headquarters : Calif. Aa.d. of Sclences, Bristow Garden Club. Golden Gate Park, Mrs. R. L. Jones, Pres-, San Francisco, Calif. Box 660, Bristow, Okla. American Primrose Society, Cactus & Succulent Society of Am~rka, Mr. Carl Maskey, Secy., Mr. Carl F. Brassfield, Pres., 2125 5th Ave., 8060 Lankershire Blvd., Milwaukee, Ore. No. Hollywood, Calif.

PubU.etlon Omce. 82nd St. and Elm Aye., Baltimore. Md. Entered a. second·c1aeB matter J.nna17 27, 1932, at the Post Office at Baltimore, Md .• nnder the Act of Aucult 24. 1912. California Garden Clubs, Inc., Hawthorne Flower & Garden Club, Mrs. Wm. D. Shearer, Pres., Mr. L. C. Zimmerman, 533 South Walton P lace, 79 12 Cermak Rd. & 48th St., Los Angeles 5, Calif. Chicago 23. Ill. California Horticultural Society, Holly Society of America, Miss Cora R. Brandt, Secretary, Mr. Clarence R. Wolf, Pres., 300 Montgomery St., Millville, N. J. San Francisco, Calif. Home Garden Club of Denver, Chestnut H ill Garden Club, Miss Lula Morse, P res., Mrs. Bryan S. Permar, Treas., 3768 Perry St., 41 Crafts Rd., Denver 12, Colo. Chestnut Hill, Mass. Howard Park Garden Cl ub, Chevy Chase (D. C.) Garden Club, Mrs. C. F. Morrison, J r., Secy., Mrs. Edward J. Mullins, Pres., 601 Chapelgate Rd., 53 15 28th St., Baltimore 29, Md. Chevy Chase, D. C. Iowa Rose Society, Ga rden Club, Chevy Chase, Md. State House, Mrs. Randolph Kauffmann, P res., Des Moines 19, Iowa 1 W. Melrose St., Kendall Garden Club, Chevy Chase, Md. Ivliss Edith rl'L Edgerton, Secy. -Treas .. Chico H orticultural Society, 8537 S. E . Gray St., 11 44 W. 3rd St. , Portland 6, Ore. Chico, Calif. Men's Garden Club of Rockford, Ill., Communi ty Garden Club of Bethesda, Mr. R. Hallett Shumway, Mrs. L. W. Pogue, P res., 11 5 So. First St., 116 Chevy Chase Drive Rockford, Ill. Chevy Chase, Md. Michigan Horticultural Society, Fauqui er & Loudon Garden Club, Mr. Earl Bailey, Exec. Sec'y, Mrs. Wm. F. Rust, P res., 220 1 E. Jefferson Ave., Leesburg, Va. Detroit 7, Mich. Federated G.c. of Cincinnati and Vicinity, Midwest Horticultural Society, Mrs. W: R. Grace, Sr., P res., 100 North Central P ark Bl vo .. 79 11 H amilton Ave., Chicago 24, Illinois Mt. H ealthy 31, Ohio. Mission Garden Club, Forest H ill s Garden Cl ub, Mrs. George Boyle, Mrs. H. Norair, Pres., 1201 Co nway, 2936 Albermarle St., N. W., Mission, Texas Washington, D. C. National Capital Dahli a Society, Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati, :Mr. George R. Hitchcock, Pres., W alnut and Central P arkway, Washington, D. C. Cincinnati 10, Ohio Northern Nut C; rowers Assn., Garde n Center of Greater Cleveland, Mr. J ohn Davidson, Pres., East Boulevard at E uclid Ave., 234 E. Second St., Cleveland 6, Ohio Xenia, Ohio Garden Center Institute of Buffalo, Omaha Botany Club. 1500 Elm wood Ave., 4937 Maple S t .~ Buffalo 7, N . Y. Omaha 4, Nebr. Garden Center, Pittsburgh Garden Center, Youngstown Public Library. Schenley Park, Youngstown 3, Ohi o P ittsburgh 13, Pa. Garden Club of Alexandria, Plainfield Garden Club, M rs. Malcolm Matheson, Jr., % Miss Harriett Hallowaw, Ferry Point, 804 Central Ave., Alexandria, Va. Plainfi eld, New Jersey Ga rden Club of Danville, Potomac Rose Society, Danvill e, Va. Mr. R. E . ScammelJ , Treas. Gar den Club of Fairfax, 2810 Bladensburg Rd., Mrs. Edward H owrey, P res., Washington, D . C. Burke, Va. Rock Garden Society of Ohio. Garden Cl ub of Virginia, Mrs. H . O. Wendal, Treas., Mrs. C. .Tames A ndrews, P res., 2811 Shaffer Ave., 929 Graydon Ave., Westwood, Cincinnati , Ohio Norfolk 7. Va. Rush Garden Club, Georgetown Garden Club, Rush, N. Y. Mrs. R. H. A. Carter, San F rancisco Branch, ., 323 1 Reservoir Rd., N. W., Americ.an Begonia Society, ' i\Tash ington, D. C. 2390 18th Ave., Greeley Garden Club, San Francisco 16, Cali f. Mr. .T. E. Looney. Sac ramento Garden Center, Ch. of Horticulture, 3301 H Street, Greeley, Colo. acramento, Calif. (Contilllled Oll illside bach co'<'el') The National Horticultural Magazine

VOL. 27 Copyright, 1948, by T lnl AMER>IOAN HORIl'IOULTVR'AL SOmETY No.4

OCTOBER,1948

CONTENTS

Developing New Chrysanthemums. E. J. KRAUS ______ISS

X Iris aureonympha, Golden Nymph. EDITH HARDIN ENGLISH ______, ____ 161

More About African Violets. B. Y. MQRRISON ______. ______168

A Book or Two ______182

The Gardener's Pocketbook: Cornus stolonifera fiavira114ea. ELDRED GREEN ______18S Rose A cacia. ELDRED GREEN ______.. ______18S Striping in Azaleas. B. Y. M. ______186

Index ------....,------188

Publisbed quarterly by Tbe American Horticultural Society. Publication office, 32nd St. a nd Elm Ave .. Baltimore. ~Id. Editorial offi ce. Room 821, Washington Loan and Trust Building. Washington. D. C. Contributions from ail memhers are cordiall v in,ited and should be sent to the Editorial offite. A subscription to the magazi ne is included in the- annual oues to all me,mbers; to non-members the price is seventy-five cents a copy. three dollars a yea!. ii R obert L. Taylor Af!'ican Violet, T1'ilby Developing New Chrysanthemums

E. J. K RAUS

In spite of the excellence of mallY warm spell in late winter. T he posses­ recent introductions of chrysanthe­ sion of these characteristics, however, mums, there still remains the need fo r does not absolutely insure winter har­ types that blo0111 ahead of severe frosts, diness. but that will continue in bloom over a T he record of the experiences of long period of time, for such types that those who have been working for more are sufficiently petal hardy whose fl ow-· than a century on the problem of win­ ers and opening buds are not greatly ter hardiness in various plants still injured or discolored by frosts, or even leaves do ubt as to what characteristics light freezes. Par ticularly desirable are do insure winter hardiness. My own the early fl owering varieties that will experience shows clearly that seasonal resist the low temperatures of northern conditions vary so widely between dif­ winters and survive the freezes ancl fe rent localities or even within any sin­ thaws of late winter and early spnng gle locality that the hardiness of a giv­ when the groUL1d is bare of snow, en clone can be determined only aft er muJ.c h, or other cover. a number of years of test ing in various The development of winter hardy regions and under several methods of vari eties of any herbaceous plant in­ culture. volves very many complexities . It is T he same principles hold true in se­ less diffin llt to select one resistant to lecting for bud and petal hardiness. severe cold than to conditions of alter­ Seasonal conditions prevailing during nate freezing and thawing. The most the growing period, especially those trying problem of all is to secure those just immedi.ately preceding fi nal bud that do not become sensitized or ten­ swell ing and fl owering, exert a pro­ deri zed during the last days of winter fo und influence on the degree of frost and early spring, by starting into or fr ee~ in g injury at any given tem­ grow th during a period of warm perature. And, of course, as is well weather that is fo llowed by an ex­ known, the conditions immediately fo l­ tremely cold one. lowing a frost or freeze are very im­ My own experience du rin g the past po rtant. Usually there is fa r less in­ ten years has been that a d one having jury if the forenoon following a night numerous rhizo mes that spread out of frost is cool or cloudy or rainy. Alas, trom the main stem two or more inches all too frequently, the sun bursts out below the surface of the soil , which bright and warm, and by noon the gar­ tend to produce during the autumn a den may become a sorry sight indeed. sufficient root system to keep the plant Unfortunately for him who is en­ fir mly anchored, is more likely to prove deavoring to select for hardiness, no winter hardy than clones that produce two autumns are quite the same-a se­ few rhizomes . I t is particularly advan­ vere freeze may co me by mid-Septem­ tageous also, if the tips of t hese rhi­ ber, or not before the end of October. zomes do not come above the surface But he need not feel too worried over of the soil, and] above all , t hat they do this fo r sooner or later, out of a series not start active growth during a brief of years, will come a test autumn with [1 55 ] 156 THE NATIO AL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Oct., 1948 an early, genuine freeze. Then is the An enumeration of various charac­ time for a stout heart and resolute pur­ ters and their relation to environmental pose. Out must go all the promising . and cultural conditions would make a selections and accumulations through long list. The perfect variety is still to perhaps four or five years, and only be attained. And then, too, don't for­ those that have withstood the test be get the things called personal prefer­ retained, or, perhaps one should say, ences and popularity. What one per­ those that have come nearest to the son most admires may be distasteful to goal sought, for perfection seems al­ another. ways to lie ahead, and never quite at­ The greatest force that will aid in tained. haste11-ing progress is a la1'ger group of My own work, or rather, I should patient individuals w ho will help in the say, pleasure, has now extended growing and selection of additional through 12 years, and during this time, good varieties. It is doubtful, indeed, I have grown many thousands of seed­ if any individual working at one place lings, one year 14 acres of them, though could possibly select a number of varie­ under present circumstances very few ties that would prove superlative for things are grown. From among all the all other areas. The day should be hundreds of original field selections hastened and welcomed when there will that have been made, all but 100 have be a number of individuals working un­ been already discarded. A few have der particular environments for which sufficient merit for introduction and varieties may be developed and select­ trial in order to determine whether a ed. Among these workers let there be clone may truly establish a place for a free interchange of materials and con­ itself in the wide range of conditions structive criticism. Adulation and con­ under which it must be grown. To demnation come in adequate abundance prove truly worthy in everyman's gar­ without solicitation. Neither is partic­ den is an enormous demand, indeed. ularly helpful. It is with the hope that As to thei r time of blooming, chrys­ others may become interested that I set anthemums are highly sensitive to down some of my experiences through photo-period, differences in day length the past number of years in which I between north and south. They are have been trying for hardy clones. even more responsive to temperature, most of them coming into bloom earlier SOURCE OF PARENT STOCKS and more quickly in cool weather than One of the varieties selected because in warm. Blooming is greatly acceler­ of its winter hardiness was a common ated by cool nights. Some clones are form known to grow and bloom year far less adapted to withstand ill effects after year in dooryards, old gardens of rainy or foggy weather than are in neglected corners, exposed or in others. During prolonged periods of partial shade, and more or less over­ warm, rainy weather, leaves may black­ grown by weeds or grass. The bushes en and drop, a characteristic that may are tall and scraggling, but in October, be shown one year and not another. give a fair wealth of small, crowded, The tone and intensity of color is deep­ magenta flow ers, often still in bloom af­ er in cooler weather. In the case of ter the early snows have partially cov­ varieties that are not completely dou­ ered them. ble, the relative size of the yell ow open The memory of this variety as it center varies with growing conditions. grew in my grandfather'S garden, year Oct., 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 157 after year, more than 50 years ago, was and a vigorous grower. Similarly, Ge­ an impelling fador in my decision rto ronimo (bronze) has also been used use it as a possible parent. In the same sparingly because of its early blooming category is another somewhat similar habit, and in some .of the first crosses, variety. It is equally hardy, is not so Seminole (white) was used because it, tall, and has nearly double white flow­ too, is relatively early and profuse in ers that turn purple and brown soon blooming. Both tend to lose their fo­ after expanding. I have followed its liage rather early here at Chicago and annual performance here on the sandy all have soft petals. As they age, the soils of Chicago for many years. What­ flowers assume a tassel-like form that ever their undesirable qualities, both of results in a somewhat wilted appear­ these varieties possess the great merit pearance. Despite this, they are very of hardiness to cold, and compete fa­ valuable to any breeding program and vorably year after year with miscellane­ have definite garden value because they ouscrowding vegetation. are early and winter hardy. Several years ago I secured several The Korean variety, Mars, was used very small, dwarfish plants from one of one year in some of the crosses because the parks in Fort Wayne, Indiana. it is a rich deep red. Many interesting These were said to have come from forms and colors were secured and by seed from Japan, and although the self pollination of the best of these seed­ plants were not winter 'hardy, and the lings, some desirable individuals have flowers small and of little value, the been obtained. Most of the seedlings plants bloomed in mid-June. These bloomed later than October 5, and so particular plants have long since died, were discarded. A few early flower­ but they have contributed the charac­ ing plants of this line have been con­ ter of early bloom that persists in some tinued, however, and by crossing of their now distant offspring. these with some of the earliest flower­ Through the U. S. Department of ing types from other lines of descent, Agriculture several plants of hardy, hardy varieties of desirable plant form early flowering varieties, from among and good red color and style of flow­ the hundreds of seedlings grown and er are being secured. tested by F. L. Mulford, were secured. Red varieties are of several types. Each plant was different in form and Many have the reverse of the petals co}or. They were of the same general light gray or white, which gives the hereditary stock as the dozen or more floral mass a washed-out appearance. varieties since named and introduced by Others are bright when they first open the Department of Agriculture, but but soon fade to a red brown or dull none of the latter was among them. Of copper red, which is quite unattractive. those secured, one proved entirely Those of a third class are deep rich sterile in crDssing, but two others pro­ velvety red, somewhat lighter on the duced seeds abundantly when interpol­ back of the petals. They often age to linated or when crossed with those a darker color, but they are definitely from other sources. red, not a confused mixture courteous­ On several occasions I have used the ly referred to as red. Such varieties yellow. variety, Algonquin, both as a have flowers unu.sually resistant to seed and pollen parent. It is a rela­ frost injury. Even though slightly in­ tively early and profuse bloomer, en­ jured, they still have great garden tirely winter hardy here at Chicago, value long after most varieties have 158 THE NATIONAL HORTlCULTURAL MAGAZINE Oct., 1948 faded and gone to winter's oblivion. of them not winter hardy, others par­ Similarly, the variety Astrid was tially so. The variety, Glory of Seven used several years ago as a parent. It Oaks, is hardy most winters, here in was employed because it was reputed Chicago, and many of its offspring have to be exceptionally winter hardy. Ac­ a characteristic twiggy form, suitable tually, it has not proven to be so, either for borders, perhaps, but the plants at Chicago, or at Lake Geneva, Wis­ tend to be very brittle, so much so, consin. No plant of it persisted there that after they attain some size or are through more than two winters. Also, about to come into bloom, they split during some years, it made very large apart from their own weight, especial­ bushy plants that produced no bloom ly after a rain, or are easily broken dur­ whatsoever. Nearly all the seedlings ing ·cultivation, or even by brushing resulting from this cross were single, against them. although some were duplex, and others The use of greenhouse varieties has semi-double. All were very late in resulted in' a great range of flower blooming and, in general, the petals type and plant form, but has also meant were subject to frost injury. vigilance and vigorous adherence to Because of these characteristics, As­ ideals in discarding everything that is trid has not been used during the past not strictly hardy when tested in the eight years as a parent, but from among open garden. No specific li ne of parent­ the earlier crosses a few plants were age from these early crosses is now saved. By self pollinating or crossing, being continued, but it was from them some of those of earliest bloom, with that a complete color range was first the very earliest blooming plants from secured. other lines, a few attractive seedlings Extensive use has been made of were secured. The flowers range from many of the varieties selected and in­ single to fu lly double, the plants are troduced by Mr. Alex Cumming and upright and compact. The flowers of by Professor Longley. Attempts are the original crosses of Astrid were un­ made to secure various promising new usually beautiful in color and texture, introdudions as they appear, to test having form and finish of highest ex­ them for at least a year in the open cellence. A few of the derivatives from ground and to leave them out over win­ this parentage also show this finish, but ter under natural conditions. If the this line is not now being continued variety survives and offers some char­ because it produced a high percentage acteristic not already inherent in dones of single flowers, and especially be­ previously selected, it may be used in cause the plants tend to come into future crosses. Occasionally, even bloom late in the season. This would though a done does not survive the not be a serious drawback in regions winter, it may be used if it has some regularly having a mild, prolonged au­ outstanding quality. tumn season, nor would it be under The list of varieties used is far too the conditions that prevailed in the long to mention them all individually, yi cinity of Chicago during 1940 or but the very interesting color and sheen 1944, but ordinarily such a season can­ of Granny Scovill e, :1.I1d the color, plant not be ex pected. habit and comparative hardiness of Other varieties that have entered in­ Autumn Lights, deserve special men­ to our seled ion work are greenhouse tion. Chippewa has given lavenders forms of variol! types and colors, some and purples. I hi\\'e not used Amelia, Oct., 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 159

despite its early blooming habit, be­ Jections are added with the excuse. cause longer individual flower stems "Oh, well, these things can be discard­ than it possesses were desired, and be­ ed if they really are not worthy." As cause, in any event, its bushy form oc­ a matter of fact, more often than not curs many times among my seedlings. those selected after some hesitation do For somewhat similar reasons, single not prove wo rthy. On the other hand, forms have not been generally used. I have more than once discarded a Some appear in nearly every line each numbered selection, and been happy year, although the number now occur­ later to pick up a plant of it from some ring is relatively few. acquaintance who had more faith and As already stated, any new clone of­ persistence in trying it out than had 1. fering possibilities of improvement of Individual preferences vary. That is our present lines wi ll be tried, but fo r why growing chrysanthemums from the most part. ·crosses are now confined seed is a very interesting adventure. . to selections whose parentage is known, But one should not anticipate that first­ often through several generations. year seedlings will necessarily appear the same when grown the second and SELECTING AND TESTING THE sucr.eeding years in the garden. NEW CLONES No one can predict with absolute Each year from ten to thirty thou­ certainty the degree of winter hardiness sand seedlings have been grown in the of any seedling until it has been tested gardens and field at Lake Geneva, Wis­ uncler a wide range of climatic condi­ consin. During the past 12 years, more tions and soil types. And, too, the than 300,000 individual seedlings have shape, shades, and tints of flow ers, the been grown. During the summer and height and general form of plant, vary fall the seedling plants are inspected appreciably with the environmental from time to time for desirable individ­ conditions and seasonal variations un­ uals of distinctive merit. In early au­ der which it is grown. tumn, those selected are lifted from the If permanence in the border or gar­ garden and brought into the green­ den is expected, all plants should have house and saved along with others for undergone tests for at least two or seed production. After the seed has thn~e years for winter hardiness, and matured, the plants are set aside until have demonstrated the form they are spring. Cuttings are then made, and likely to continue to show. Five years later the plants are set out in the open. would be more desirable. But it is garden. doubtful if, in general, so long a period I used to think some years ago, that is likely to intervene between the time I obtain ed many good things, but time of selection of a clone and its ultimate changes viewpoints. Perhaps, too. oth­ introduction . . ers have had experience similar to my Tome, there does not seem a real ow n in going over the fields, making need for summer blooming clones to the final selections with a resolve to compete with summer annuals. The make no more. Then come friends, chrysanthemum is at its best with the amateurs, professionals, and the list of changing and heightening colors of au­ the saved could increase tenfold. but tumn as the summer garden is fading. resistance to acid more remains firm. Clones that are sufficiently early to More truthfully. one should say rather come into fl ower before severe frosts firm, because nea rly always a few se- are very desirable, but if they have a 160 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE Oct., 1948 short blooming period, and are wilted of a November sun, more than twenty­ and sere just as the glory of fall is fi ve varieties gave back a full sympho­ coming to its height, much is lost. ny of color, ranging from saffron to There are early fl owering varieties darkest ruby, a deep, full "Song of that continue in bloom for weeks on Autumn," in the cathedral of this quiet new shoots produced as the season ad­ woodland. vances. These are indeed choice, and We now have varieties ranging in more of them are needed. A nd there is blooming season from mid-July into room for more of the later blooming November. The first period is too types that are suffi ciently bud hardy to early, and the latter, sometimes, too withstand frosts and even freezes . This late. North of Chicago, in average is particularly true for the darker fl ow­ years, frosts and light freezes occur be­ ered varieties whose colors blend with fo te then. If the variety is strictly sumac, hard maple. and scarlet andma­ petal hardy, however, as some of the hogany of oaks. and the rich golds of newer ones are, they often provide a other trees and shrubs. Among the good show of color up to and into, N 0- most satisfying of all. in northern lati­ vember, and though the fl owers may no tudes, are the few that even though longer be of exhibition quality, the mass lightly touched by frost. still possess garden effects repay any effort. great garden value even at the end of I do not expect any clone, either of October, or during early November. my own choosing, or that selected by These are the somewhat prosaic de­ anyone else, to prove of equal value tails of the evolution of our work to everywhere. Such paragons of perfec­ date. But they tell litle of our many tion are products of wishful thinking. thrills and pleasures, and not a few dis­ not realities. Since this is so, and be­ appointments. These must be individ­ cause of the increasing interest in grow­ ually experienced. However, I shall ing hardy chrysanthemums, let me ex­ never forget the thrill I had one au­ press once more, the hope that activity tumn when gazing across the tree-en­ in selecting varieties adapted to specific circled test garden at Lake Geneva, needs and tastes will increase. The joy­ where the selections of many hybridiz­ ous thought of prolonging the season ers are grown each year. Here, after of color in autumn gardens is abundant several nights of frost and freezing recompense fo r whatever amount of weather. the scene bathed in the glow patience and care may be required. x Iris aureonympha, Golden Nymph

EDITH HARDIN ENGLISH

The g'enetic adventu re of planni ng I want you to have these seeds. See the existence of a plant with certain if they cannot be made to grow in yo ur definite and desirable characteristics garden." Happily they did grow, be­ and years later seeing that very entity ing very likely the first of this new blooming in profusion in the garden, is species to be grown in cultivation. Even an experience to warm the heart of moving them to Seattle when they were any plant lover. Such an adventure is tiny seedlings did not dampen their en­ appurtenant to the history of Iris thusiasm for growing. In February au?'eonY'I11,pha, Golden Nymph. 1930 Professor L. F. Henderson pub­ In May 1936, just about the time lished Mrs. Leach's newly discovered that Iris im'bMltinata was at its height plant as Iris inno1'lvinata, in Rhodora, of bloom, there came a rain storm that Vol. 32. Thus I . innominata began its pommeled its lovely golden blossoms botanical and horticultural careers al­ to the earth. It was this pathetic sight most simultaneo usly. that awakened the desire for a plant In May 1936 my ·first attempt at hy­ that would have not only the hand­ bridization of I. Do'U,glasi(}Jna and I. some golden blossoms of I. innominata i11,no111.inata was made, the fl ower head but also sturdy upright stems. H ybrid­ being carefully bagged and labeled. ization offered the way for the needed This attempt, however, met with fail­ improvement. ure. The rain storm which had con­ Nearby in the garden grew a short tinued made conditions most unfavor­ compact form of I. Do'Uglasiana which able. had been chosen and ·collected as an in­ The fo llowing May the work of hy­ dividual of merit on a slope covered bridization was begun anew, the cross with plants of this species in southern between I. Douglasiana and I. inn0111,i­ Oregon. Havi ng proved such a sub­ nata being made both ways, that is, stantial and satisfactory member of the using both species for seed-bearing garden, this particular plant was select­ parents. On August 9, 1937 nineteen ed as the parent that would contribute very wizened and abnormal looking the desired characters. True, it had seeds were collected from the I. in­ violet-lavender fl owers whi·ch were not nominata parent. On September 18 of wanted in the prospective hybrid, but that same year, 134 plump, well­ this trait eventually could be elimi­ formed seeds were harvested from the noted. To its credit, I . Do·uglasiana I. DM~glasiana parent. All of the seeds bore two flowers to a stem whereas I. . from both plants were sown in two il'lI'bom.i?1ata had but one. r.espective pots and kept out of doo rs The plants of I. iI1 IW1'/'l:inata had over the winter. come into our garden in an in teresting The following spring brought fo rth manner. One winter evening in 1930 onl y one plant from the nineteen wiz­ Mrs. J 0 1111 R. Leach. of Portland, Ore­ ened seeds. F rom the 134 plump gon, had said to my husband, "Here seeds there came an abundance of are ome seeds of the lovely new iris healthy li ttle grass-like plants. These that we discovered in southern Oregon. were transplanted as soon as they were [1 61] 162 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE Oct., 1 9 ~ 8

Edith Ha'rdin English Iris Douglasiana Oct., 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 163

Edith Ha'I'din English Iris innominata 164 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Oct., 1948

Edith Hcwdil1 Engl1:sh Iris innolw.ina.ta, the golde17 -f!0w-e1'ed paternal pave11t, with 182 bloo'11'ls .

Edith Hardin English T est plot co ntaining the 72 orig1''l1al offspring of the his Dou.glasiana X I. -i11'11,01'111nata, C1'OSS . Oct., 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 165

Edith l:-ia1'dlll l:! llglish X Iris Of,£1'eonympha 166 THE IATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Oct., 1948 large enough to handle and the soil in this plant outstanding among its nu­ the pot left undisturbed. The follow­ merous sisters was a certain air of ing spring another lot of these original daintiness, an attribute of golden, seeds germinated, making seventy-two frilled femininity which, incidentally, plants in all from the harvest of I. suggested its name. Upon seeing Gold­ D M~glasiana . en Nymph for the first time nearly Then came the wait throughout the everyone says, "Why, it looks just like seasons while I carefully weeded and an orchid." cultivated the tiny seedlings, exercis­ The veining, so prominent in both ing meanwhile the abundance of faith its parents, is reduced to delicate mark­ that the hybridizer of plants must main­ ings of deeper yellow. The flower, tain. Finally with the third spring the throughout, is of soft golden yellow. longed-for floral offerings appeared. Happily, like its maternal parelJt, it Each morning I hurried out to the bears two flowers to each stem. True plot to see what miracles the night to its purpose of coming into being, had wrought, resisting with consider­ this hybrid has sturdy stems that stand erable effort the temptation to pry up well in rainy weather. open the buds to see what color the Among the remaining seventy-one flowers would be. sister plants are several that show real Whatever the dainty little I. in· promise and in due tinJe will be studied n0111.inata lacked in ability to produc( and named. One diminutive individual plump, fat seeds was more than coun , with short leaves and big golden flow­ terbalanced by its ability to transmit ers should make a very suitable subject the apparently dominant golden color. for the partly shaded rock garden. Such an interesting assortment of yel­ The most pleasing part of the entire lows appeared, the varying degrees of experiment was the fact that I found veining and shading making no two my Golden Nymph among the plants truly identical. It was surprising to of the F 1 generation. F 2 generation find such a meager amount of violet­ plants are now on their way to demon­ lavender in evidence at alL strate what treasures they can produce. The one lone plant, grown from the To anyone wishing to try similar seeds of I. irm011t1'nata, combined ,the experiments with other genera I cannot characters least desired, frailty and the emphasize too strongly the importance la.vender color. I have kept this plant of working with species rather than and have a certain scientific interest in with plants that have resulted from so it because it represents, no doubt, the many crosses and re-crosses that their recessive characters. It is, in fact, genetic characters are a hodge-podge. fairly attractive, but it could never be­ The horticultural requirements of come the prima donna that loving ad­ Golden Nymph are very simple. The mirers have made of X I . aureo­ soil in which it is thriving is slightly Nympha, Golden Nymph. acid, ordinary garden loam. Morning It was not until the third year of sunlight with afternoon shade has bloom, when ample opportunity had proved most satisfactory for produc­ been granted to study and compare the ing lovely flowers. Propagation, of blossoms, that Golden Nymph was set course, must be vegetative. At the end apart from the others as something of the blooming season the fibrous roots special, to be propagated, photographed are washed clean and cut into natural and-- named. T he quali ty which made di visions with a sharp knife. It is im- Oct., 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 167 portant that the roots be kept wet dur­ fl owers frilled, soft golden yellow ing this process and then reset as soon throughout, 2 in each unbel ; sepals as possible as the tiny fibers dry out wavy, veining deep yellow, 6. 5-7 cm. all too quickly. Removal of the fruiting long, 33 mm. wide; petals erect, wavy, stem at the time of division is advis­ oblanceolate, 6 cm. long, 1.5 cm. wide ; able. The longer leaves should be re­ pedicel 12-18 mm. long; styles 25 mm. moved from the divisions as the amount long; stamens 30 mm. long; anthers of evaporation can thus be reduced, yellow, 15 mm. long; bracts green, giving the plants better opportunity to acute, 5-7 cm. long; capsule strongly start new growth. The common prac­ angled, 4.7 cm. long. tice of bobbing all the leaves is to be Perennis; scapis gracilibus compres­ avoided as it has been demonstrated sis 25-30 cm. altis; fo liis glabris 27-57 that the auxins which promote growth cm. longis, 6-13 mm . latis, inter paren­ are formed in the leaf tips. tes intermediis; floribus 2 luteis; sep­ Golden Nymph can take her place ali s crispis 6.5-7 cm. longis, 33 mm. successfully in the front of the peren­ latis; petalis oblanceolatis crisp is erec­ nial border, in mass planting or in the tis 6 cm. longis, 1.5 cm. latis; anther is partly shaded rock garden. Here in luteis 15 mm. longis; capsulis angu­ Seattle the flow ering of this plant usual­ latis 4.7 cm. longis. ly begins the third week in May and The name, aureonY1'Jltpha, is the com­ extends on into June. bination of two Latin words, a~weus , meaning golden, and nympha, a beau­ X Iris mweonyrnpha, Golden Nymph tiful demi-goddess. (Iris Douglasiana 5i' X Specimens: No. 3037, May 22, 1941 I. inno11iLinata ~ ) (TYPE), in herbarium of Carl S. Rootstock slender, forming tufts. English, J r., and Edith Hardin Eng­ Stems slender and flattened, 25-30 cm. lish, Seattle, Washington. Clastotypes tall with 3-6 leaves; basal leaves glab­ deposited in herbarium of L. H . Bailey, rous, usually surpassing the stem, 27- Ithaca, N. Y., and herbarium at State 57 cm. long, 6-13 mm. wide, dark green College of Washington, Pullman" and glossy above, paler beneath, inter­ Washington. mediate between the two parents ; Seattle, Washington More About African Violets

B. Y. MORRISON

Today, when one feels that almost notes. Although it is not expressly any horne at which he might inquire stated, it appears that plants were sent would produce an African Violet or, at and. knowing the modern precautions least, a leaf or leaves in process of be­ in shipping, one wonders how this suc­ coming a plant, it is hard to think that culent plant, so easily bruised. made fifty years ago the E uropean journals the journey from Usambara to Silesia! were recording the furore of its first Quoting Hooker again, one reads the appearance. Hooker, writing in Curtis letter quoted by him from the elder St. Botanical Magazine the text to accom­ Paul-Ilaire. "The Saintpaulia was dis­ pany plate 7408 (1895) says: "It does covered by my son, who lives in East not often happen that a plant newly Africa, where he owns plantations of introduced into Europe can claim the Vanilla and India-rubber trees. It was honour accorded to the subject of this found in two localities; one about an plate, of being within two years of its hour from Tanga, in wooded places, in flowering figured in five first-class the fissures of limestone rocks, as well horticultural periodicals." as in rich soil with plenty of vegetable These were, as nearly as can be dis­ matter. This place is not more than covered: Gartenflora (Berlin, 1893); ,fifty to one hundred and fifty feet the Gardener's Chronicle (London, above the sea level. The second place 1893) ; Revue Horticole (Paris, 1893) ; is in the primeval forest of Usambara, l'Horticulture Beige et Etranger (Brus­ likewise in shady situations. but on sels, 1894); Illustrierte Monatschrift granite rocks, two thousand five hun­ hir Gartenbau (Erfurt, 1894); Bup. dred feet above the sea. It is much della R. Societa Toscana di Orticultura more plentiful in the former place. (Florence, 1894) ; Curtis Botanical Several varieties have been discovered Magazine (London, 1895). After this but all are blue." there seems to be a lapse until 1901 Here perhaps began the folly, still when Ed. Andre begins again in Revue continued, of calling the flowers "blue" Horticole. which they are not. As one can surmise there is consid­ A modest number of books on Ger­ erable repetition among these authors man East Africa have been examined and the illustrations were by no means in the hope that one would be found of equal value or even accuracy. with some note in regard to the Afri­ Herman \Vendland named and de­ can Viokt in its native heath. The sc ribed both genus and species in Gar­ famous German botanist Engler, writ­ tenflora (1893) calling the genus after ing in 1893 and again in 1895, discusses Baron St. Paul-Ilaire, Hofmarschall a. at considerable length the vegetation D. in Fischbach Silesia, who had re­ zones or areas and gives rather suit­ ceived the plants from his son, the Im­ able lists of trees and shrubs which set perial District Governor of Usambara, the character of each area. U nfortu­ the Ea t . friean Province where rises nately, he mentions few herbaceous the tongue-filling mountain, Kilaman­ plants other than grasses. Jaro, often mentioned in the French J. F. V. Phillips, writing in 1931 and [1 68] Oct., 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 169

Robe'rt L. Toy/ol' Afi'ican Violet, Amethyst 170 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Oct., 1948

. \ u ing the work of Engler and others as perature between 64° and 70° Fahr.) a point of departure, gives a much but showing marked extremes (41° to more elaborate classifica.tion, but like 97 ° F.). North of 7° southern latitude his predecessors pays relatively little there are two rainy seasons. attention to the herbs. (A sketch of the Floral Regions of There are several passages in Phil­ Tanganyika Territory, Trans. of lips' work that discuss the climate of the Royal Society of South Africa. the areas where Saintpaulia is prob­ Vol. XIX, Part 4, pp. 363-372- ably native that make something of a 1931.) claim on the grower's attention. In If, as is suggested by the letter of discussing the vegetation of the coastal Baron St. Paul quoted by Hooker, our zo ne-"1O-20 miles wide, ***devation deduction is correct and the Usambara sea level to 300 feet," he says that it is violet is more common at elevations "a zone of high atmospheric humidity. not over "fifty to one hundred and ,fifty In its northern position it experiences feet above the sea level," we have to the two rainy seasons of the Monsoon note that it comes from an area which climate, but in the south the one rainy enjoys an almost uniform temperature season of the Trade 'Wind climate. throughout the year and with rainfall The mean annual rainfall ranges from as high as 60 inches coming, since 30 to 60 inches, the fall being greater in Tanga lies in the Monsoon area (it is the northern than in the southern por­ north of 80 S.L.), in two long seasons, tiOll.*** mean annual temperature lies growing in leaf soil in the shade of between 77 ° and 82° F., the absolute what is probably semi-deciduous forest, maximum range being about 30°." the plant must have known conditions Going on to a discussion of the that were most distinct from those it coastal hinterland, which is defined as suffers as a house plant today. It can from "10 to 20 miles inland to the foot­ be argued, of course, that no plant is hills of the mountain buttresses of the necessarily happy save in a replica of Central Plateau, ranges from 300 to its native heath and this point need not about 2000 feet elevation. Not only is be pressed too far. It seems reasonable this zone characterized by a somewhat to believe, however, that most growers lower humidity, but also its actual rain­ do not give the plant the leaf litter and fall is less than on the coast, while its the porosity needed in the soil mixture temperature too is lower. Extremes of and that the discussions about water­ temperature and humidity are more ing have to be related to drainage marked than on the coast proper. North rather than amounts, either in quantity of about 8° southern latitude there are or time of application. two rainy seasons, south thereof, but Through the kindness Qf ~ Dr. P. J. one." Greenway, Systematic Botanist, East Since the Violet was collected origi­ African Research Institute, Amani, nally in Usambara Province, a few lines Tanganyika Territory, it is possible to from "The Vegetation of the Eastern give here his reply to my inquiry as to lopes of the Great Ranges" is useful the native conditions under which the since it reports that the area "is charac­ species might still be found, together terized by a high humidity, heavy rain­ with replies to other questions. In fa ll (from 40 to 80 inches and over) writing him, there was sent the tran­ and a temperature lower than that of script of the original notation as to the the coast hinterland (mean annual il:em- sites where found. Oct .. 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE 171

Robel't L. Taylor African Violet, Blue BO)I 172 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE Oct. , 1948

"I believe 'about one hour from T an­ bara soils are very acid . ga in wooded places in the fi ssures of "They do set seeds in the wilds but limes tone rocks' to be the caves near not very freely." the mo uth of the Sigi R iver' in the A m­ Apparently no one cavil ed at W end­ bani D istrict about 5 miles north of land's scientific descri pti on, but more Tanga. T he limestone is the crystal­ than one ob jected to his proposed ·com­ line Jurassic limestone and the Saint­ mon name, which put into Engli sh is paulia is still there and grows in a lay­ "U sambara Violet. " er of humus in crevices of the rocks. I Many noted its resemblance to the do ubt if the altitude reaches 100 ft. P yrenean Gesneri ad, Ramondia, which above sea level. is a difficult rock plant except where "As far as I know, there are at least there is a co ngenial ·combinati on of cli­ 6-9 species, some have not yet been mate and site. described, but they are all shades of Ed. Andre. writing in R evue H orti­ blue from nea rly white to a royal pur­ cole ( 1893), is the first to speak at ple and I was told of a red one that some length of the horticultural aspects they had at Kew but whi ch I have not of t he case. H e mentioned the varia­ seen in nature. Some species form a ti Ol1S in fl ower color among the plants rosette whilst others fo rm mats on the raised from seed by W endland and faces of rocks. wonders if the species would hybridize "The East Usambara mountains are with other Gesneriads. H e also notes : gneiss an d not grani tes and I am of the "One does not know as yet if the plant opinion that li me is not essential to the will be bulbous like Gloxinia, the ·first growth of Saintpaulia, nor is a deep roots raised frmIil seed are still in full soi l, provi ded they have a certain growth and continuous fl owering***. amount of well-drained humus, plenty O ne may also try multiplicati on by cut­ of gritty sand or even rock chips, tings of the fl eshy leaves." shade, a fa irly constant temperature of T he commercial production rights about 70 0 F . and a humidity of about were granted to Ernst Benard of Er­ 75 % they should do well. The East furt, Germany. A nd Ed. Pynaert U sambara mountains, c. 1,000 to 4,000 ( 1893) wri ting in l'Horticulture BeIge It. alt. , seem to be t heir main center of et E tranger after recapitulating much distribution with -o utliers; other locali­ of what had already been published, ties are li mestone hill s just north o~ adds: "The plant shows a fl oriferous­ Tanga ; W est U sam bara moun tains ness without equal. M r. Benary * * * (gneiss ) , and the Chyulu H ills (gneiss says that 'seedlings begi n to fl ower a and volcanic) in Kenya just north of month after gera1ination . The interest the eastern end of Kenya-Tanganyika attached to this charming novelty is Boundary. Altitude 50-7,000 ft. 3,000- again increased by the fac t that its 3,500 usual. In the Ea t U sambara fl owering is uninterrupted all winter. ' they are found on top and the faces of Mr. Benard also notes the curious gneiss rocks usually growing in a very modificatio ns in color fo r this species. thin layer of humus with their roots at­ I t has been observed that the plants tached to the rock, in rain forest usu­ wi th pale green leaves produce fl owers ally on the banks of fo rest streams, but of pale tonali ty while those with dark not always. leaves carry fl owers of an intense blue. " I thi nk they like the moist rock face * * * The seed of Sa 'intP a~~lia is exceed­ a a rooting medium ; the East U sam- ingly fin e. They should be treated like Oct., 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 173

Robert L. Tay/oI' African Violet, Blue Gi1'l 174 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL :MAGAZINE Oct., 1948

Robert L. Taylor African Violet, Bicolor Oct., 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 175

Robert L. Taylor African Violet, Ionantha 176 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Oct., 1948

Robert L. Taylor Af1"iCOl1 Violet, O?'chid Lad')' Oct., 1948 THE I ATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 177

Robert L. Tay/or Afl'iean Violet, Purple King 178 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Oct., 1948 those of St1'eptocarpus. * * * Saint­ gmndifiora violacea, "deeper-colored paulia is easily propagated by leaf cut­ blossoms, which are of large size" ; al­ tings, but it does not fo rm bulbs as do bescens which "has white flowers which most of the Gesneriads. * * * Cultiva­ are, however, sometimes tinged wit h tion is very si mple naturally in a hot­ pink or blue." house during Our winters * * *." Another note in the Garden, un­ Nothing of special note appears in signed, for January 9, 1915 (Vol. the general "literature" until 1901 LXX I X, No. 2251) gives fairly ex­ when Ed. Andre, writing again in Re­ plicit directions for growing seedlings, vue Horticole, describes the use of the a routine that almost resembles that for plant bedded into a rock garden at La ericaceous plants save in the speed in Croix in precisely the situation that which plants come to flowering. "Seed­ Raimondia would require, perfect lings raised in early spring often com­ drainage, a north exposure and good mence to flower in August, and, if giv­ leaf soil. It appears that it flourished en a warm greenhouse temperature, beyond hope and flowered without in­ will continue well into the winter." terruption. Andre remarks that one (This report seems much more nor­ can salvage the plants in autumn or mal than the one month originally re­ leave them to die. His plants were ac­ ported by M. Benary.) tually planted near Raimondias, but he As compared with the earlier days, tentatively suggests various delicate the decade following the introduction ferns or Selaginellas for company. of the plant, our own decade is charac­ Again (1902) in the same journal, terized not only by the repetition of Andre reports color forms raised by enthusiasm and the production. Qf new "M. ]. Sallico, horticulturist at N euilly named clones from seed, but also by (Seine)" which were figured in color the fact that the writers in garden peri­ -Saintpaulia i011an.tha alba with pure odicals are almost without exception white flowers; S. i. n£bra plum colored; private individuals who have suc­ S. ,i. violacea definitely violet. The text cumbed to the pleasures of growing also reports that Benary of Erfurt "an­ African Violets largely because they nounces a Saintpaulia with red flow­ are so easily propagated by leaf cut­ ers," also "one will soon see several tings. Beginning in the mid-30's and bronzy purple varieties." continuing in greater numbers, there Another interesting bit reporLed by have been shorter or longer pieces Andre in the same article is that Mr. ]. about the home culture of the Saint­ Salli er tells that "these ,Plants are par­ paulia in practically everyone of the ticularly pleased by a soil from pine popular magazines. needles such as one collects in a pine­ Our own journal published a brief wood from the foot of trees." but rather complete note in January, Someone, signing his article as "H." 1941 , by Mrs. Waters of Cincinnati, and wri ting in the Garden (Vol. LXX­ who had long been a successful grower IV, No. 1997 ( 1910) , gives a good of African violets under house condi­ discussion of growing Saintpaulias, but tions and still grows them. She is much this, like almost all others, is based on more specific in all her recommenda­ the assumption that one has a green­ tions than marlY others, but her pro­ house. The only new data are those re­ posals as to soil, light, and watering­ porting color forms - purpurea with which have been successful for her­ "extra dark violet-colored fl owers," are by no means identical with those Oct., 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 179

Robert L. Ta31/o'r ' Af1'ican Violet) Red H ead 180 THE ATIO AL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE O ct. , 1948: recommended by other growers. In tion of petiole and blade. In some fact, the modern magazine li terature is cases more than one small plant forms. full of contradictory bits, and also with which can be teased apart and planted scraps of info rmation that are incom­ separately, although thi s does not seem plete in themselves. to be the practi ce in many commercial After reading them all, it woul d seem firm s. that anyone can grow African Violets, All modern advice tends to stress the provided he does not treat them as a use of the small est possible pot. This true xerophyte or a true aquatic. The is not the recommendation of

Robert L. Toy/ol' Afriwn Violet, Sapphire 182 THE I ATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Oct., 194&

ter abundantly, and stand in a damp, upper corolla lobes very dark and the almost dark, spot until there are defi­ lower three lighter as in our native nite signs of new leaf growth fr0111 the birds-foot violet in its bicolor form. He center, usually about two weeks. After has read of a similar bicolor in red that the plant can take more light. tonalities. Other variations appear in the length and carriage of the petioles, In the choice of varieties, the indi­ the size, shape and serrations of the vidual must suit his own taste. Varie­ leaves, not forgetting those clones ties range in fl ower color through deep which have shown widened vein tis­ purples to plum reds, skip fairly well sues or ruffled blades! Some leaves are over the "orchid" tones to pale clear silvery beneath, others reddish; all are pinks and pale lavenders to tinted and covered with silky hairs but some more pure whi tes. This writer has seen but so than others. In short, the plant not fl owered the variety "bicolor" shows all the minute variations that which is a channing sort with the two make it a fine collectors' item.

A Book or Two

Tube1'ous Bego11lias. Worth Brown. M. well, the difficulties that you will meet Barrows and Company, Inc., New are about as fo llows. The final deci­ York, 1948. 128 pages, illustrated. sions are left to the reader, to grow or $2.75. not to grow them. This is another of the series of usu­ ally rather small volumes gotten out Bulbs for H O11lte Gardeners. John C. from this house, that give succinctly Wister. Oxford University Press, and well the essential facts in regard New York, 1948. 270 pages, illus­ to the subj ect under discussion. trated. $5.00. Tuberous begonias form only a small "First published under the title section of the great Genus, Begonia, 'Bulbs for American Gardens' and but perhaps because they are more long considered the most authoritative easily shipped as dry roots, they have American book on bulbs, it has now come into greater currency of use than been completely revised and brought any of the other fo rms. Certainly their up to date." So one reads the tex t on large and astonishingly varied fl owers, the inside of the dust cover. particularly those of the one garden Readers of this journal will recall race that is most frequently offered the earlier volume and those who do make an instant claim on the attention not have it will want this issue. As in of the gardener who can grow them all of Dr. W ister's writings one finds under a variety of conditions, some a wealth of detail both historical and more to the liking of the plant than factual but there is often the feeling that other. One suspects that the botany the text smells rather of the library of the situation has been rather glossed than the garden. This is too bad, for over but thi s reviewer is in no position W ister is a gardener and could have to take issue. The point of the book is made it otherwise. This point of view thi s : these are the tuberous begonias, is perhaps captious since after all one their beauty is diverse, their uses as does not expect an encyclopedia to 'Oct., 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 183

read like a novel and one need not Published by the American Associa­ expect a source book to read like ti on of Botanical Gardens and Ar­ .a book of experiences. One co uld boretums and printed by the Chron­ wish as well that the illustrations ica Botan~ca, Waltham, Mass., 1947. had been brought up to date and that $1.50. the line drawings had been redrawn The countries covered are Canada, for they are mostly quite poor. In spite Cuba and the United States. The in­ of these remarks, it is a book to have formation gathered will be of greater .and use not only in the garden itself, use to the members of staffs of such but when buying and again when pre­ institutions than to any other, but the paring a talk for the garden club. gardener who travels will find much useful data on the specialties of the .c olomdo Cacti. Charles H. Boisse­ several gardens and what he may well vain and Carol Davidson. Abbey expect to find for his in struction. Garden Press, Pasadena, California, The terms arboretums and botanic 1940. 71 pages and index, illus­ gardens have been interpreted in rather trated. broad and perhaps in a wishful man­ This is the type of local fl ora, in this ner, for there are certainly included ·case for a single order, that is of enor­ some worthy spots that could not pos­ mous interest and value to the people sibly be included if the terms were who live close at hand, to all those properly administered. who must concern themselves with the problems of plant distribution and The Royal Botanical Expedition to .s hould also be of particular interest to New Spain. Harold William Rick­ gardeners who travel about, whether ett. Chronica Botanica Co., Wal­ merely for the pleasure of seeing plants tham, Mass., 1948. 86 pages, illus­ as they grow in Nature or whether trated. $2.50. they have their own study problems to While possibly the professional bot­ consider. As is true of all the imprints anist who may be concerned· with his­ from the Abbey Press, this small vol­ tory as well, will find in this issue, ume in fl exibl e board covers is a which is N umber 1 of Volume II of charming thing. Chronica Botanica itself, more to his The reviewer is in no position to immediate use than the ordinary gar­ criticize the text, but can and does say dener, Dr. Rickett writes with great that he has read the non-technical por­ gusto, and no gardener who has any tions with the greatest pleasure and interest in the historical backgrounds could wish that all taxonomists could of plant introduction will fail to find a be persuaded to give as lengthy discus­ lively pleasure in reading the book. sions after they have finished up the For those who have had to struggle required space for the technical re­ with inadequate appropriations for the <}uirements. support of botanical projects, with the The photographs are delightful as patent stupidities of those who might weII as full of informative detail. The well be understanding. there will be ad­ 1ine drawings have all the best features ditional chuckles. ,of clarity and good design. The Botanical Garden concerned here is that in Mexico City. The A1'boretu11f/, amd BotG!nical Gardens If you, reader, are concerned about of North Am.eriea-. Donald Wyman. any botanical project in your own com- 184 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE Oct., 1948 muni ty, read this and see how comical tion. Oxford U ni versity P ress, New yo ur ow n board may appear years York, 1948. from now, should you fail of giving The preface to the second edition the kind of intelligent support to the states : "The present edition has been project in hand . prepared for three reasons : First, to describe all the more important and Mrs. Foote's Rose Bool? H arriett R is­ new insecticides, fungicides and arbo ri ­ ley Foote. Charles T . Branford Co ., cultural machinery that are now on the Boston, Mass., 1948. 168 pages. il­ market. Second, to bring up-to-date lustrated. $3.00. the ever-increasing number of diseases and in sect pests to which shade and Anyone who has been in touch with ornamental trees are susceptible. Third. the work both amateur and profession­ to make available once more a book al in the rose world through the last that arborists and tree owners have quarter century will know of the work fcund to be of considerable help." of Mrs. Foote and of the success that As will be remembered by readers of has been connected not only with her this journal, the book is a referen:e own garden but in those others that book to whi ch one turns for help 111 she has designed and planted. Noone tim e of trouble, rather than a book one among those persons can fai l to have reads fo r the pleasure of reading. O ne the li veli est interest in what she has set should read it through in order t o grasp down "for the record." She herself the problem as a whole. the major un­ plainl y states the case. She is keenly derlying problem of the m a int e n a n ~e of aware of the difference between opin­ health in woody plants. I t is wntten ion and principle. She tell s in this simply and clearly and happily without book how she arrived at the decisions the depressin g atmosphere that so often that have guided her practice and gives makes the reading of such texts an im ­ her reasons for abi ding by the judg­ pediment to work. O ne could wi sh ments. that all the illustrations had been re­ This is not a book to be handed to made fo r many, in spite of all claim s anyone but a serious gardener who to the contrary are far from clear and will read it with understanding. It is would not help the uninitiated too si mply written and no one need fear greatly. that it is beyond him . The greatest good, however, will come for the read­ Fairchild T ropical GGJrden . Lucita H. er with understanding. This is not, W ait. The R onald P ress Company, New York, 1948. 381 pages, illus­ just another rose book, it is a must for trated. $3.00. the rose grower and one that can serve as a basis fo r study to any other gar­ T he sub-title of the book reads "The F irst T en Years." No one can read the dener who is undertaking a serious book without interest in the record of project for in it are all hasic elements success that has been so happily record­ fo r a good experiment begun with in­ ed and wish the continued success of telligence and improved th rough the the enterprise in which so many human years with growing understanding. hearts and hands have combined. It is a very personal book and is filled with .VIaintenmlce of S hade all d Ornamental ' names and faces, with details of small Trees. P. P. Pirone. Second E di· incidents. with the reco rds of deeds.

, Oct., 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 185 that seem slight on first thought but Science a11d the Glasshouse. W. J. c. which taken together make an Impos­ Lawrence. O li ver and Boyd, Lon­ ing record. don, E ngland, 1948. 174 pages, il­ After reading the book many lustrated. 15/ thoughts arise. One is impressed with We quote : "An endeavor to give as the terrific urge for the preservation of a res ult of wide experiment at the J ohn things. This speaks keenl y to the read­ er who has li ved through an era full Innes Horticultural Institution scien­ tifically based and easily under sta nd ~ of destruction. It speaks continuously able solutions to the three main prob­ of the growing apprehension of beauty lems fac ing glasshouse growers: that should be the major concern of all gardeners, whether the beauty be that Soil : Part I outlines the preparation resulting from the use of plants in cre­ of the scientifically balanced soil mix­ ati ng the garden scene, or only that tures; the J ohn Innes Seed and P ot­ very personal understandin g that come ting composts. from the considered regard one gives P lants : Part II deals with methods the plant itself. of using the compo ts and of handling It is a book that should be read by plants. all persons concerned with the estab­ Light: Part III deals with the struc­ lishment and , maintenance of livi ng ture of the glasshouse-the shape, sit­ plant collection. It should be read by ing, and materials. all who may yearn to have similar col­ And ,finall y a summary is given of lections in their own locality where the the various advantages growers have expression may take another form pe­ obtained, and will obtain, from the In­ culi ar to t hei r own countryside. It stitution's careful experimentation alld must be read by all who have Ii ttle fai th cautious deductions, all of which will in w hat plants can do to bring greater demand time, space and labour such as understanding and happiness in to the t he ordinary grower is unable to de­ world in wh ich we li ve. vote."

The Gardener's Pocketbook

C orn/;£s stolo'i1 'ijera flaV'ira11 '~ea One plant that is bright and gay at The bleakness of the winter garden thi s season as winter starts to end is can be compensated in part by the use the golden twigged dogwood. The of evergreens, berried plants and col­ young stems are a bright yellow green ored stems. However, evergreens be­ that is certainly striking among the come somber looking through color dark gray and brown of the mass of changes and an accumulation of soot, other shrubs. and the berries that are bright and gay The habit of the plant is fairly lose the color and shape or are de­ spreading although they are adaptable voured by the birds. leavin g only a to surrounding with crowded plants fe w mummies. By spring the only going up about eight feet and unshaded bright spots in the garden are the col­ ones spreading about six feet. Low ored twigs of the few plants that are branches will also reach the ground and included in the shrub horder. form natural layers. 186 THE NATIO AL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Oct., 1941>

The plants will grow in any good for111. Her~ the plant has been grafted soil. The species, which is native near on a three foot stem of the C01111110n here, is found in most situations, edges black locllst and the result is a round of ponds, streams, and moist pockets headed plant that has the very showy and also on rather dry hills. Apparent­ attractive flowers well placed for ef­ ly like many other plants it can make fect. These can be used as specimens the best of any situation once estab­ in flower gardens and are very effec­ lished. tive. The young growth of the dogwoods The plant will stand <:onsiderable is the colorful part. Older stems la<:k shade or full sun. They are not fussy the brilliance of the young ones so in soil requirements. The bush type pruning should be done to induce an may be used to naturalize on bank as. abundance of new growth. Flowers it does spread some by suckers. are not important although the small ELDRED E. GREEN. clusters are not unattractive. Foliage is rather coarse but a good <:olor. The Striping in AzaJeas. plant can be used for coarse hedges, In the course of many years of breed­ screens, or as specimens for winter ing azaleas of the Obtusum sub-series, color. The spe<:ies has red stems but there was occasion to use among othe1- is not as commonly seen as the Euro­ clonal varieties, the sort known in the pean species alba but has a brighter red. South as Vittata Fortunei. This is a For twig <:olor this is very good and rather straggling plant of the Indian dependable. Plant near the house azalea type with a habit of intermittent where the branches can be seen from flowering in mild weather through the the windows. winter in the South. It also shows a tendency to produce branches with Rose Acacia. self-colored flowers, usually of the <:0101- One of the less common shrubs that of the stripe, less often pure white. is useful for midsummer bloom is the Seedlings from it have produced in rose acacia (Robinia hispida). Gener­ their turn, more or less in the propor­ ally this plan blooms about the first tions one might expect, flowers with of June in this region and continues white ground and variously colored for many weeks. The flowers are a stripes, depending largely upon the light rose pink and produced in droop­ other parent used. ing small clusters that hang from the When these were studied with some stems. They are pea shaped and about attention, it was observed that many a half inch across in the species. How­ of them in this climate (Washington, ever, there are several form that have D. C.) showed similar striping and much larger and showier flowers. flecking of color in the leaves when au­ The plant has attractive compound tumn approached with a dark <:olor in leaves and an irregular growth that the stripe of fleck showing clearly on would fit in well in oriental landscap­ the green and holding its own even ing. While this is decidedly different when autumn color suffused the bal­ as a shrub it has little screening abil­ ance of the blade. This is not true of ity and is best grown in front of taller 'Vittata Fortunei' itself in this garden_ items as a flowering item. The striping is by no means uniform Some nurseries have the larger flow­ nor does it always indicate that the ering varieties grown in the standard seedling itself will bear striped flowers. Oct., 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 187 fur unless it has a white ground the only slightly modified and in which the stripes do not appear. The only case, typical striping appears. It shows also as yet. in which striping has appeared in various seedlings of quite compli­ on a colored ground, has come as a cated pedigree, that carry foliage that branch sport on a plant wi·th the proper is only little different from that of ancestry, but with self colored fl owers. many of the K urume dones. These Doubtless in time other examples will last are to flower in 1949, so it cannot appear as pictures from old books show be told as yet what the flower pattern dark stripes on light colored grounds will be, if any. It is hoped that at in many cases, usually however, with least a portion of them will be white an irregular white margin. grounds, and there is some hope of this This latter appears usually as a since the green ground of the leaf is branch sport on a seedling that will keeping its green color, usually an indi­ have a striped ancestor, once or twice cation that the fl ower color wi ll be removed. In only two cases, as yet, either white or light pink. out of many thousands of seedlings From the gardener's point of view fl owered, have there seedlings that ap­ these striped and flaked fl owers are de­ pear to be entirely uniform over the lightful but the nurseryman will look entire plant, in producing flowers, with upon them with displeasure, since he the white margins. It is entirely con­ must be certain each time he takes cut­ ceivable of course, that the sporting tings that they are taken only from factor got in its work, immediately the branches that bear the patterned fl ow­ plant made its true growth above the ers. cotyledons. In the writer's own note taking, he There have been some cases in which has used the term stripe to indicate a the striping was so limited that one narrow band of color that would extend had to search to find it, but it could be from the margin to the corolla to or detected. nearly to the center of the corolla; It has not been possible to find any flake, to indicate a similar band but of plant of Rhododendron indicu1I/1, va1rie­ short extension ; sanding, to indicate gatu'J1II, which must remain therefore a an over-all pattern of dots and tiny book name for this garden. So it has lines, a11 d occasionally, when forgetful, been impossible to tell if there naight fl eck to indicate a very short line, never be stripes in the winter colorations of a dot. that line. In the strictest sense dots rarely oc­ It can be said, however, that as yet cur save in the make-up of the 'blotch' no seedling has appeared among the which is the colored area on the upper­ thousands with foliage closely resem­ most lobe of the corolla, spreading to bling that if R. indicu111, in which stripes the two adjoining lobes at times. The have been detected in the foliage. There dots, there may be simple, almost sag­ are appearing this year, for the first gitate, and at times almost confluent. time, a few seedlings in several popula­ If they are heavily pigmented they add tions in which R. indicu'/I1l/, is a domi­ a vigorous contrast to the flow er color. nant factor, in which the leaf habit is B. Y. M. Index to Volume 27

Figures in italics refer to illustrations

/leer fapo niC'u1n ______56 Botanic Garden, The Santa Bar- S chwedleri ______57 bara ______1 African Violets Bryce, A. Elnora: Am et h y s t ______169 Azaleas in A rizona ______102 Bicolor ______174 Burks, Virginia: Blue Boy ______171 Growing Camellias and Azaleas Blue Girl ______173 in the R ose Capital of Texas ____ 45 Ionant ha ______175 Orchid Lady ______176 Butler, Sarah Stacy: Purple King ______177 Daffodils in Upper South Red Head ______179 Caroli na ______124 Sapphire ______181 Camp, W . H .: T ri I by ______155 The Names of P lants in A frican Violets, More AbouL ______168 Cultivatj,on ______83 Agave S hawi'i ______11 C eanothus arb01'eus ______2 A loes for Winter Flowers______41 C h:rysanthemU1% a-rcticU1'J!L ______59 'i11>dicum ______59, 59 Andrews, W. c.: K oreanum ______59 Succulents in Oakland______38 1'/'1. 01'if 0 liu111. ______59 Antirrhinu11'l co'U1terianu11'~ ______149 za.wads kya1? Lt111> ______59 ovatU11I/, ______149 Chrysanthem ums, Developing Ap l ectnm~ hye1%ale ______51 New ______155 A rge1none hisp·ida ______48 Chrysanthemun.1, Notes ______59 in termedia, ______49 1neXKa11a ______49 Chrismon, Mrs. J. Robert: platyceras ______-'1-9 Some Native Orchids ______50 squarrosa ______48 Coombs, Sarah V. : Some Moreas ______.______87 Averett, Mary Judson: Peony N otes, A few of Prof. C 01'11 us stolnife1'a fia,vira11'1-aea ______185 Saunder's H ybrids ______108 Creech, John 1,. : Azaleas in A rizona ______102 Phil adelphus Notes ______111 Azaleas, Southern on Their Crocus, The ______30 Way North ______100 Daffodils in Upper South Carolina 124 Bates, A lfred : Darrow, Agnes C. : H andina dOlll cstica ______57 The Crocus ______30 POJ1cirus trifoliata ______51 English, Edith Hardin: Boswell , V ictor R. : Iris aureonympha, Svveetpotatoes i 11 J a pan ______14- Go 1c1 en N y111 Ph ______161 188 Oct., 1948 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 18\1

E rlanson, C. 0.: yIoran, Reid: Chrysanthemum Notes ______.. ___ 59 The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden ______] Fox, Helen M. : M orea. e d~tl1:s ______94 Garbage, From Kitchen to Garden ______55 edu'!-is gm cilis ______94 FreJ1l1on.tia 111exica1'lG ______3 e duli s longi folia ______94 edutis odora ______94 Furniss, George B. : g·igandm ______92 Gloxinias on the Pacific CoasL__ 33 giga·J1 tea ______94 Gloxinias on the Pacific Coast ______33 g fa u c op·is ______92, 93 Green, Eldred: ir·idioid es ______88, 89) 90 i.1'idioides cate1'l:l>£lata. ______90 AceI' japo'/11:cu./'II/ ______56 Ace1' Schwedleri ______57 iridi01:des J o h11S011'i ______90 Austrian Copper Rose ______57 'itridioide s M acleai ______90 iridi01:des prol011gata. ______90 C 01"JI/!US stolonifem fiaviramea ____ 185 Rose Acacia ______186 pa pili ona c ea ______94, 95 pavo·nia ______91 H CT!benaria fi11'~br iata ______51 Hardiness, C?ncerning ______28 pavol1'ia. httea ______92 pol)lstac h)la. ______87.96 Hawkes, Alex, H. : ram-osa ______97 The Blue Latan Palm ______5-1- ram OSlSS'l11'ta ______97 Henry, Mary G. : R obi'n SO'11iana. ______88 Rhododendrons at Gladwyne ____ 98 spa.thac ea ______96 [dria colun1naris ______.42, 44 spathacea Galpini ______96 Ir1:s doug lasiana ______161 , 162 spathacea, nattel1sis ______96 innominata ______161, 163 t ric u spis ______93 Iris aureonympha, t'rip e taia ______94 Golden Nymph ______161, 164, 165 tristis ______96 villosa ______92 Kraus, E. J.: Developing New Chrysanthe- Morrison, B. Y.: mun1S ______. ______53 More About African Violets ____ 168 Latania b01'b011ica. .______54 Mosnat, H . Roy: Loddigesiti ------______54, 54) 55 Lily Improvemenut ______35 V e1' sc ha ff elti'i ______54 Names of Plants in Cultivation ___ 83 Lath H ouse, Dripless ______10 N a11dina d01'l1estica ______57 Lee, Frederic P. ~ Narcissus; New: ______134 Broughshane ______135 Southern Azaleas 0 11 Their Way North ______100 Can ta tri ce ______13 7 Chunking ______141 Lily Improvement ______35 Conbeg ______Lipari s lili ifolia ______50 140 Con ten t ______137 Ly01'l0th01'JIll1US asptenifoli~ts ______.4, 8 F ire Guard ______142 Marshall , W. Taylor: Foggy D ew ______148 Aloes for Winter Flowers ______41 Frigid ______147 .T dria (o lu IN naris ______42 Lisbreen ______1 +5 190 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Oct., 1948

Red Hackle ______139 Voie Lactee ______116, 122 Samite ______136 Philadelphus Notes ______111 St. Bride ______138 Pogom:a v erticilla,ta ______51 Scandal ______139 P oncirus trifoliata ______51 Tin k e r ______143 Prunus incisa ______106, 107 Wild Rose ______144 Rhododendron a1' bor e ~/71II. ______99 Oklahoma Collector, An ______39 aU1'iwlat~mL ______98 Onagra gypsophila, ______50, 50 decon£71~ ______98 Orchis spectabilis ______51 lutescens ______99 Peony Hybrids: M e tt ernic hii ______99 Elizabeth Cahn ______109 micranthum ______99 Late Wildflower ______110 suchuenense ______99 Shell Pink ______109 W a1' dii ______99 SilverSwan ______c ______109 Rhododendrons at Gladwyne ______98 Sylvia Saunders ______110 Robinia h:ispida ______186 Peony Notes ______108 Rose, Austrian Copper ______57 Philadelphus Varieties: Rowntree, Lester: Albatre ______113, 120 A Snapdragon Appears ______149 Amal thee ______.______120 Argentine ______114, 116, 120 Russell, Paul: Atlas ______111, 112, 116 Prunus i'J1cisa ______106 Banniere ______.______116 Santa Barbara Botanic Garden____ 1 Bow lede N eige ______115 Snapdragon Appears, A ______149 Bouquet Blanc ______118, 120 Senior, Robert M.: Candalabre ______112 Coup d' Argent ______112 The White Sands National Monument ______49 Enchan tment ______112 S piranthes B pc kii ______51 Favori te ______.______119 c ernua ______51 Fleur de N eige ______112 gracilis ______51 Gerbe de Neige Glacier ______120 Sturtevant, Robert S.: Innocence ______.______112 Concerning Hardiness ______28 Mme. Lemoine ______112 Succulents in Oakland ______38 Manteau de Hermine ____ .______112 Sweetpotatoes in Japan ______14 Mer de Glace ______120 Mont Blanc ______.______112 Taylor, Gilbert: Norma ______116 , 121 An Oklahoma Collector ______39 N uage Rose ______123 Truax, Allan c.: N uee Blanche ______120 The Argemone or Oeil de Pourpre ______123 Prickly Poppy ______"______48 Ophelia ______. ______123 Waiting for the First Flower ______102 Pyramidale ______. ______112 Sirene Watrous, Roberta: S y b i lie ______120 Waiting for the First Flower __ __ 102 Virginal ______112, 120 Y7~, cca. elata ______.. ______50, 50 SOCIETIES AFFILIATED WITH THE Al4ERICAN HORTlCULTURAL SOCIETY (Ctmlinued f,.om page i) State Agricultural Society, Victoria Horticultural Society, P. O. Box 2036, Mr. Jack G. Beastall, See'y., Sacramento 9, Calif. 255 Battleford Ave., Victoria, B. Canada Takoma Horticultural Oub, c., A. C. Barret, Pres., Vivian Garden Oub 4719 Brandywine St., ~. W .. Vivian. La. Washington, D. C. West Hills Horticulture Society, 5420 S. W. Alfred St., T.1e San Francisco Gu-den 000, Portland 19, Oregon 465 Post St., San Francisco 6, Calif. Welcome Garden Oub Mrs. J. A. Reid, Pres., Trinity County Garden Oub, 400 Speed Drive, Mrs. Rose N. Grigsby, Treas., Monroe, La. Weaverville, Calif. Winnsboro Garden Oub, The Trowel Oub, Winnsboro, La. Mrs. J. Douglas Rollow, Woodridge Garden Oub, 4524 Cathedral St., N. W. Mrs. Alma E. Marshall Washington, D. C. 1326 Allison St., N. E., Tulaa Garden 000, Washington, D. C. Mrs. Allen Henry, Pres., Worcester County Horticultural Society, 1301 South Yale, 30 Elm Street, Tulsa 4, Okla. Worcat«, Y.au. The American Horticultural Society

I NVITES to membership all persons who are interested in the develop­ ment of a great national society that shall serve as an ever growing center for the dissemination of the common knowledge of the members. There is no requirement for membership other than this and no reward beyond a share in the development of the organization. For its members the society publishes THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE, at the present time a quarterly of increasing importance among the horticultural publications of the day and dest~ed to fill an even larger role as the society grows. It is published during the months of January, Apri~ July and October and is written by and for members. Under the present organization of the society with special committees appointed for the furthering of special plant projects the members will receive advance mate­ rial on narcissus, tulips, lilies, rock garden plants, conifers, nuts, and rhodo­ dendrons. Membership in the society, therefore, brings one the advantages of membership in many societies. In addition to these special projects, the usual garden subjects are covered and particular attention is paid to new or little known plants that are not commonly described elsewhere. The American Horticultural Society invites not only personal member­ ships but affiliations with horticultural societies and clubs. To such it offers some special inducements in memberships. Memberships are by the calen­ dar year. The Annual Meeting of the Society is held in Washington, D. c., and members are invited to attend the special lectures that are given at that time. These are announced to the membership at the time of balloting. The annual dues are three dollars the year, payable in advance; life membership is one hundred dollars; inquiry as to affiliation should be ad­ dressed to the Secretary, 821 Washington Loan and Trust Building.