The Arboretum Bulletin

JUNE, 1944

Published Quarterly by

The University of Washington Arboretum Foundation
Seattle 1, Washington

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pages

Where the Madron a Blooms Harry W. Higman 1

Enjoy Your Lilacs Roy S. Leighton 5

The Culture of Roses H. L. Collier 9

Alstroemeria, The Peruvian Lily Harry L. Stinson 12

The Tenny Collection of Rhododendrons Herbert G. Ihrig IS

Among Our Contributors 17

Tuberous Begonias W. L. Fulmer 19

An Old-Time Walk Else Frye 2 1

Observations on the Flowering of Rhododendrons.. ..Herbert G. Ihrig 24
Ginkgo Petrified Forest William G. Weigle 26

The Arboretum Bulletin

Where The Madrono, Blooms
Harry W. Higman

THE man responsible for my interest in
the early botanical history of Puget
Sound was George Neville Jones. It was in
his book, “A Botanical Survey of the Olym-
pic Peninsula, Washington,” that I learned
of the interesting part played by the Van-
couver expedition and its surgeon-naturalist,
Archibald Menzies. Mr. Jones listed a num-
ber of the plants collected, quoted briefly
from the journals of Menzies and Vancouver,
and spoke of the landing, May 1, 1792, on
Protection Island where the first recorded
plant was taken by the expedition.

My interest was so aroused that I decided
to visit this scene of Vancouver’s first land-
ing. Accordingly, early one morning, two
weeks later, a friend and I were on a little
cannery tender bound from Washington Har-
bor for Protection Island, some four or five
miles away. The day may be described in
Menzies’ words:1 “When we left the Vessels
it was a little foggy & calm, but clearing up
soon after it became exceeding pleasant &
serene, which added not a little to our en-
joyment . . We landed at the west end of
the island as did Vancouver’s party, and
climbed “the Bank to the summit of the
Island . . where we admired the scene
which had impressed him so favorably a cen-
tury and a half ago. To the southeast we
could see the harbor which Vancouver selected
as the refitting port for his two ships, the
Discovery and the Chatham. We visited the

1 All quotations are from the journals of Vancouver,
Menzies, or Puget.

“. . . aged pines with wide spreading horizon-
tal boughs . . .” and photographed many of
the trees and shrubs clustered in the north
central section of the island. Then on the
spit below we took pictures of the first plant
recorded by the expedition, “. . . a small
species of wild Valerian2 with reddish colord
flowers growing behind the beach in large
thick patches.” Nearby we were delighted to
find the little cactus3 mentioned by Menzies:
“. . .it grew plentifully but in a very dwarf
state on the eastern part of the Island which
is low flat & dry sandy soil.”

Had the day been unpleasant and the
search unsuccessful, this one trip doubtless
would have terminated the matter. As it was,
our success stimulated our enthusiasm and
before we drove off the ferry at Edmonds we
decided to examine the whole route of the
expedition in the Puget Sound area, our pur-
pose being to take colored 16 mm. movies of
as many as possible of the plants and places
described in the journals.

Preliminary work began at once. We con-
sulted the journals of Menzies, Vancouver,
Puget and Broughton and mapped the expe-
dition route,4 carefully checking our findings
with those of Meany, Newcombe and Bern
Anderson. The overnight stops were deter-
mined as closely as available material per-
mitted. Our list of plants5 was derived from
the expedition journals and from C. F. New-

2 V alerianella congesta Lindl. (Plectrilis congesta
Lindl.) DC.

8 Opuntia fragilis (Nutt.) Haw.

4 Mr. J. H. Quense did 90% of the route mapping.

5 Mr. and Mrs. Carl S. English, Jr., responded most
generously and efficiently to my many requests for
botanical assistance.

One

combe’s appendix to Menzies’ journal. Before
beginning each excursion we combined all
pertinent journal information on a card which
would be available for instant reference if
required.

Then we were ready for trips which were
to occupy the May and June week-ends for
three years, the final result of which was,
except for the backgrounds, just a series of
movies showing the flowering of many of
the common herbs, shrubs and trees of the
Puget Sound region.

Because Point Grenville was the first place
in Washington named by the expedition, it
seemed proper to begin our survey at that
point. From the hundred-foot cliff we photo-
graphed the yellow-gray waves of the Pacific
as they surged against “. . . three small rocky
islets one of which, like that at cape Look-out
is perforated.” This perforation could not
have been seen unless the ships were danger-
ously close to this cruel lee shore but a quo-
tation from Vancouver indicates that this was
their regular custom: “So minutely had this
extensive coast been inspected, that the surf
had been constantly seen to break on its
shores from the masthead: and it was but in
a few intervals only, where our distance pre-
cluded its being visible from the deck.”

Cape Flattery, at the mouth of the Strait
of Juan de Fuca, is not easily reached. A
long drive, an adventure with a skunk that
forced us to spread our sleeping bags on the
beach instead of in the cabin we had reserved,
and a rough, six-mile walk through heavy
timber brought us to a high, rocky point, fac-
ing Tatoosh Island, “. . . a flat naked Island
covered with Verdure and faced round with
steep rocks . . .” We used our movie camera
and then ate lunch while the grotesque, tufted
puffins flew below us, and the black oyster
catchers, the “. . .black Sea pies . . .” of the
expedition journals, uttered their pleasant
calls from the tide-washed rocks. An Indian
passed by in a dugout canoe, probably not
unlike those which Menzies said “. . . came
off to us from a village on this island . . .”
with this exception — the canoe we saw was
powered by an outboard motor.

Once past Cape Flattery the two ships en-
tered the island waters where they were to
spend the next eight weeks. Their orders read
in part . . you are therefore hereby re-
quired and directed to pay a particular atten-
tion to the examination of the supposed straits
of Juan de Fuca ...” They carried out these
instructions by a simple yet effective system
of operation: five main bases were used and
from them intensive exploring trips were
made in small boats.

Four visits were made by us to Discovery
Bay, the first expedition basing point. There
was much to see. We began with the compre-
hensive view of Protection Island from the
northwest point of the bay; we spent some
time at Carr Point where Vancouver moored
his ships and refitted them for further serv-
ice, and we stopped at the “. . . head of the
Harbour . . .” where we flushed a bald eagle
from a nearby tree. Walking gave us a more
intimate view of the country so we used the
automobile as little as possible.

We found most of the plants listed in Van-
couver’s summary of the district. The names
used in the journals are not always those
used today but in most instances the plant
meant is clear. We photographed much, the
light being good and the backgrounds excel-
lent.

We easily located the plants described in
Jones’ excerpts from the Menzies journal: the
little calypso6 mentioned as “. . . that rare
plant the Cypropedium bulbosom ...” our
native rhododendron7 which he terms “. . .a
beautiful shrub the Rhododendron ponticum
. . .” and the manzanita8 9 which he calls
“. . .a new species of Arbutus with glaucous
leaves ...”

The madrona® was widely distributed but
we found it at its best on the low bluffs of
the east side of the bay where it leaned over
the slopes with its reddish trunk and dark
green foliage in imposing relief against the
brilliant sky and water. Menzies called it

6 Calypso bulbosa (L.) Oakes.

7 Rhododendron macrophyllum Don. (R. californi-
cum Hook.)

8 Arctostaphylos tomentosa (Pursh) Lindl.

9 Arbutus Menziesii Pursh.

T too

“. . . the Oriental Strawberry tree . . and
commented that it . . grows to a small
tree & was at this time a peculiar ornament
to the Forest by its large clusters of whitish
flowers ^nd evergreen leaves ...”

The country was in full flower when three
small boats, with Captain Vancouver com-
manding, left the busy camp on May 7 to
begin their first exploration. I had never
understood the full meaning of spring in
western Washington until we followed the
panorama of bloom past Port Townsend and
down Hood Canal. A few miles south of Port
Townsend we visited the bay where “. . .
parties strolld along the Beach & met with
some Oak Trees10 on which account our
present situation was called Oak Cove.” With
foldboats, those convenient, collapsible
canoes which can be carried in a car and as-
sembled when desired, we crossed from Sea-
beck and stopped to locate hazel* 11 trees
where Menzies said he had seen them “. . .
for the first time on this side of America.”
Then we continued into Dabob Bay where we
looked with new respect at the evergreen
huckleberry12 “. . . a vast abundance of a
beautiful new species of Vaccinium with
evergreen leaves in full bloom . . .”

Vancouver continued to the southernmost
part of Hood Canal, camped overnight and
returned. The expedition map does not show
the fifteen-mile continuation of the canal to
the east. Why? On the morning of their
return, Captain Vancouver had sent Mr.
johnsone to see whether the cove marked
the canal’s termination. The boats were short
of provisions; the men were tired. Had these
reasons induced Johnsone to make only a
superficial examination which did not correct-
ly reveal the facts? We put our foldboats into
the water and paddled to a point of vantage.
When we had looked at the map we thought
it impossible that the continuation of the arm
could not be seen, but we found that even
when viewed with binoculars, the shore con-
tours were such that they appeared complete-

10 Quercus Garryana Dougl.

11 Corylus calif ornica (A.DC.) Rose.

12 V accinium ovatum Pursh.

ly to close the bay. Mr. Johnsone was vindi-
cated.

No time was wasted after the small boats
returned to Port Discovery. The two ships
left the bay, then separated, the Chatham to
explore the San Juan Islands to the north,
the Discovery to anchor on May 19 at the
second basing point, between Blake Island
and the south end of Bainbridge Island, op-
posite what is now Seattle. By May 30 the
work of exploration from this point was com-
pleted. Port Orchard had been examined and
mapped and two small boat parties, one led
by Vancouver and the other by Puget and
Whidbey, had inspected the complicated
passages among the islands at the south
end of Puget Sound.

Two three-day visits at Kopa Chuck Lodge
enabled us to inspect much of this route. We
failed to find any “. . . American ash13. . .” in
Hale Passage where Menzies reported its
occurrence near their overnight camp. Fol-
lowing the route into Carr Inlet we landed
on Cutts Island which Peter Puget called
Crow Island “. . . after its only inhabitants,
an astonishing Quantity of Crows . . .” We
continued on to “. . . Alarm Cove . . .” where
Puget and Whidbey were threatened by hos-
tile Indians and were saved only by a display
of firmness and resolution which convinced
the Indians that force would gain them
nothing. The place where the meeting oc-
curred was located to our satisfaction and
then we paddled our foldboats to South Head
and landed on the point where a severe storm
had forced the party to spend the night.

A foldboat trip around Hartstene Island
gave us a detailed knowledge of this portion
of the route and, incidentally, taught us
much about the confusion of local tidal
movements in these cut up waters. A 25-mile
paddle, carefully planned to catch favorable
tides, did not operate according to schedule
and we found ourselves bucking tough cur-
rents for almost the entire distance. Many
automobile trips taught us much about the
rest of the inlets.

18 Fraxinus oregana Nutt., the Oregon ash, is un-
doubtedly the tree that Menzies observed. The Amer-
ican ash is native to the eastern United States.

Three

Apparently very little collecting and very
little naming of places occurred in these
waters of the southern portion of Puget Sound.
It was quite evident that there was much
about this territory that was not exactly to
their liking. Menzies commented: “We
were amongst a number of large Islands
which rendered the Survey and examination
more tedious & perplexing.” Vancouver de-
scribed the shores as “. . . being an almost in-
penetrable wilderness of lofty trees, rendered
almost impassable by the underwood, which
uniformly encumbers the surface.”

Captain Vancouver returned to the ships
on May 29, two days after the other small
boats carrying Whidbey, Puget and Menzies
arrived. The Chatham had departed for the
third basing point and Vancouver joined them
near the present town of Mukilteo from which
place Captain Broughton “. . . dispatched Mr.
Whidbey with two Boats to examine the
openings that lay to the Northward.” The
new area contrasted sharply with that just
surveyed. The journal of Menzies mentions
“. . . a fine rich Country abounding with
luxuriant lawns, cropt with the finest verdure
& extensive prospects teeming with the softer
beauties of nature. ...” And Vancouver tells
of Indians who “. . . conducted themselves
with the utmost propriety, showing, by re-
peated invitations to their dwellings, the great-
est hospitality. . .” Interesting incidents of
this portion of the trip were recorded: Mr.
Whidbey reported the sight of Indians “. . .
walking along the shore, attended by about
forty dogs in a drove, shorn close to the skin
like sheep.” Captain Vancouver mentioned
the grounding of the Chatham in Port Susan
due to the neglect of a seaman.

Although the journals did not give us suf-
ficient detail to locate exactly the overnight
stops, we easily followed Whidbey’s general
route to the north end of Port Susan, back to
the south end of Camano Island and north
into Saratoga Passage and Skagit Bay. We
spent one day at lovely “Penn’s Cove”, and
on another we photographed a tiger lily14 as
it swayed in the wind near the Tulalip anchor-

14 Lilium columbianum Hans.

age of the ships where, on June 4, . . Capt.

Vancouver landed about noon with some of
the Officers on the South point of the small
Bay where he took possession of the Coun-
try. . .”

The trip from Tulalip Bay to the fourth
basing point, Strawberry Bay on Cypress
Island, was retarded greatly by light winds.
Vexed by the delay, Captain Vancouver dis-
patched two small boat parties while enroute.
one into the San Juan Islands while the other,
with Whidbey and Puget leading, was di-
rected to explore the eastern shore from where
they had previously left off to a point oppo-
site Cypress Island.

We greatly enjoyed following the routes
described by Peter Puget because his journal
is so human. The description of this trip is
no exception. It began at Deception Pass,
the discovery of which established the exis-
tence of a large island named in Whidbey’s
honor by Vancouver. When we prowled
along the rock shores of the pass we found
ourselves looking for the scene of the encoun-
ter with a “. . . very fine Deer . . .” of which
Puget said they “. . . were not able to kill it,
though repeatedly fired at.” When we drove
a few miles to the north and looked down on
the overnight camp at Flounder Bay we
remembered his remarks about the “. . . nar-
row Spit of Low Sandy Soil . . .” where the
party “. . . passed a most uncomfortable
Night tormented by Mosquitos & Sand Flies
. . .” and we were amused that the discomfort
“. . . was in some measure forgot in the
Morning by a large Supply of Strawberries
and Wild Onions which were found growing
Spontaneously close to the Tents. . .” On
Vendovi Island where Mr. Whidbey and he
had gone to take observations, he procured
“. . . a piece from a Solid Rock. . . which at-
tracted the Magnet round and Round, by the
Quantity of Iron it obtained. . .” When they
returned to their camp in the little cove on
Samish Island “An animal called a Skunk
was run down by one of the Marines after
Dark. . .” Both Vancouver and Menzies
spoke of skunks but only Puget remarked that
(Continued on Page Twenty-Nine)

Four

Enjoy Your Lilacs
(By Knowing More About Them)

Roy S. Leighton

IN THIS country no flower has had a
greater popularity than the lilac, as can
easily be proven by the number of fine old
clumps that are seen growing by the founda-
tions of some of the oldest farm houses in
New England and the Middle States. Yes, it
has been said that they are as American as
apple pie.

Many of these old clumps of bushes were
once the only bit of color and beauty that
found its way into the hard lives of our
pioneer settlers, and they are now often the
only remaining evidence of an old farmhouse.

Today the lilac remains the most important
and the most popular of our spring-blooming
shrubs and rightly so, for it is hardy every-
where, grows well, and gives abundant crops
of wonderfully fragrant flowers each year,
with a minimum of care. All this and a
duration of life, which is not as yet known,
is God’s gift to man.

Many Uses

A lilac bush spells home as perhaps no
other shrub does. Generations of gardeners
have planted it where they could enjoy its
fresh beauty and fragrance each spring. You
should consider its use in your foundation
plantings about your home, for tall screening
hedges, as an accent for the back of a peren-
nial planting, as a specimen in your flower
garden or on your lawn. Truly there is no
shrub which has more uses for your land-
scaping effect.

First Mention oj The Lilac
Lilacs have been cultivated and loved by
the people of Europe for nearly 400 years.
One of the first known writings to mention
this flower was a travel account of the French
naturalist, Pierre Belon, in his book entitled
“Observations,” written in 1554.

Their introduction into America was in the
early Colonial days at a date said to have
been about 1650. The first authentic record
was of a planting made in Portsmouth, New
Hampshire, in 1750.

Natural Habitat

The lilac is not a native of North America
but may be grown with success in all parts of
the United States except in the extreme south-
ern states. It is truly an old world group of
shrubs and small trees confined to Asia, with
exceptions such as Syringa amurensis japonica,
which is found on the island of Japan, and
Syringa velutina from the Dagelet Island
in the Japanese Sea.

A further breakdown by species would
show:

S. vulgaris (common lilac) from Jugo-
slavia, Greece and Bulgaria.

S. josikaea — from Rumania, Jugo-Slavia,
Poland and Czechoslovakia.

S. emodi — from the Himalayas and Afghan-
istan.

5. amurensis — from southeast Siberia, Ko-
rea and Manchuria.

S. pekinensis — from North China.

S. oblata Giraldii, microphylla, Persica,
Sweginzowi, tomentella, villosa, pubescens and
many others from China.

The Persian lilac (which is really Chinese,
not Persian) is an old inhabitant of our
gardens.

The Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)

The common lilac, Syringa vulgaris, a spe-
cies and not a named variety, is still very
much worth growing. I would not be with-
out it as it is the old-fashioned American
meaning of the lilac. It was originally found
growing in the mountains of Central Europe
and it has been cultivated as a garden plant
since the 16th Century. Few, if any other,
flowering shrubs have been known, grown,
and loved over such a long period.

Lengthen The Lilac Season

Lilac time is short even at its best, so why
don’t we take advantage of the many half-
sisters of our common garden lilacs to start
the season earlier in the spring and push it
later into the summer? In so doing, the
season is lengthened for over two months.

Perhaps you are not familiar with the
other types of lilacs, although surely one
may notice that they are not exactly alike.
The flowers of some are in dense clusters,

Five

while others are loose and feathery. The
leaves vary from those broadly heart-shaped
to some that are tiny, long, and tapering.
While assortment of color has wide range,
not only from type to type but even within
each private family group, these are the
species and species hybrids.

Interesting Species Worth Growing

Outside of large collections, it is rare to find
in cultivation more than a few lilac species
and a couple of the hybrids.

Syringa oblata dilatata is the earliest of all
lilacs to bloom and is oddly the only one with
brilliant autumn foliage; thus it catches our
attention not only first but last. Its flowers
are lilac pink. The leaves are broad and
leathery, turning vivid red in the fall.

The Chinese lilac (Syringa chinensis) or
“Rouen lilac” has finely textured foliage and
graceful, dainty blossoms. It follows 10 days
after the early lilac and blooms in both laven-
der and white. It is a hybrid resulting from
crossing the common lilac with the true
Persian. It is often incorrectly called the
Persian lilac, but it is more profuse flowering.
The branches of the true Persian lilac are
drooping and willowy and the leaves show a
tendency to be lobed.

Syringa persica var. laciniata. Although an
old variety, mentioned by botanists as early
as 1620, this plant is almost unknown today.
The most striking characteristic of this worth-
while variety is its unique foliage. Its graceful
branches are covered with feathery, pinnately
lobed leaves resembling those of the locust.
The blossoms are similar to those of 5. persica
but somewhat darker.

Syringa pubescens. A very beautiful spe-
cies from the mountains near Peiping. Its
slender, erect branches form a shrub of
remarkable symmetry. There is an airy grace
about its blooms which literally cover the
plant from the ground up. Its dainty blos-
soms, long tubed and starlike, possess an
exquisite clovelike perfume. The florets are
lavender lilac with violet anthers and are
borne in broad panicles. The leaves are small

and hairy. This lilac is considered one of the
rarest in cultivation.

Syringa rejlexa or “nodding lilac” is a won-
derful new form with pink flowers found in
the mountains of Central China in 1901. Its
two outstanding characteristics are the pale
rose color of its blossoms and its graceful,
wisteria-like, drooping, flower panicles from
nine to twelve inches in length. The bright
red of the buds contrasts strikingly with the
beautiful pink of the open flowers. It has
been awarded a medal by the Royal Horticul-
tural Society. It is a very hardy species.
Recently a pure white form has been intro-
duced which is also striking.

Syringa microphylla is called the “twice-
blooming lilac,” because it sometimes does
just that, flowers twice during the same sea-
son with a profusion of lacy, pale pink blooms,
delightfully fragrant.

Syringa persica, long thought to be a
native of Persia, we now know is indigenous
to China. It is a favorite among Asiatic
peoples. The name is a geographical mis-
nomer. For several centuries it was assumed
to be native of Persia. It was not until 1915
that the true home of this species was made
known — a mountainside of Southern Kansu.
However, it has become naturalized on the
hill slopes in Persia. It is the greatest wan-
derer of all the species.

This fine species trails behind the French
hybrids, its flowers still being in bud when
most lilacs are in full splendor. It has finely
cut foliage and lacy, rather than dense,
panicles of bloom. It comes in several shades
of pink and white. If you have never seen a
hedge planting of these gems, you will await
a breath-taking occasion. They are fast grow-
ing, dense, and compact.

Syringa japonica. The “white flowering tree
lilac” is the last of all in the procession, in
some localities not blooming until July. Give
this species plenty of space for it grows tall
and broad, as the common name implies. The
flowers resemble the common privet bloom,
displaying a blanket of whiteness on well
established bushes.

Six

A New Race of Hybrids From Canada

Hybrids are produced by the crossing of
plants differing more or less in kind, but
usually related and of the same genus.

A great deal of interest has been created by
a line of new hybrid lilacs coming to us from
Canada, largely the work of Miss I. Preston
of Ottawa and Mr. F. L. Skinner of Manitoba,
Canada.

Miss Preston’s are hybrids of S. villosa and
S. reflexa and are, therefore, mostly late-flow-
ering. They all grow into large, open branch-
ing bushes with heavy leaves like villosa. The
panicles are plume-like and the colors all run
in lavender and pinks. They are sure to find
a place of importance when better known.

Mr- Skinner’s are hybrids of S. oblata dila-
tata and o. giraldii and are for this reason all
early-flowering. They all give great promise.
They have a pronounced fragrance, a trait in-
herited from the Korean parent. They have
attractive foliage, purplish tinged in the
spring, and deep purple in the autumn. They
are extremely hardy and are apparently
free from the often objectionable suckering
habit of vulgaris and its varieties.

Modern, But Little Known, French
Hybrid Lilacs

In America today there are many fine lilac
collections, both public and private, a number
of them containing as many as three or
four hundred varieties.

But that small grower who has room for
only a little of this and a little of that is
woefully backward in that he is content to
grow comparatively poor or long-since super-
seded varieties of lilacs.

Those who know only the old white and
purple forms grown by our grandparents can
have no idea of the wonderful beauty of the
grand, new French hybrid group of modern
lilacs. Their color variation is found to be-
gin with creamy white, and to advance
through shades of flesh and rosy pink, Wedg-
wood blue, violet, deep red, and rich purple,
and variegated blooms showing two or more
colors in the same flower.

The flowers are single and double and vary
greatly in form of truss and in blooming

season. Common and old-fashioned lilacs
usually do not bloom until they attain a
large size. French hybrid lilacs, if undis-
turbed, frequently bloom when 18 inches
tall and within a relatively short time after
transplanting. They comprise the largest and
most individually varied collection. Their
blossoms are often enormously large, 12 to
14 inches in height and breadth, with single,
semi-double or double types of individual
florets. It is not uncommon to have single
florets one inch in diameter. The era when
“lilac” was synonymous with “lavender” is
past.

Origination of The French Hybrids

It was in 1843 that Liebert Darimont,
nursery man of Liege, Belgium, brought out a
double lilac known as Syringa vulgaris azurea
plena. Its origin is obscure, although it may
well have been a seed sport of the common
lilac. Its flowers, however, were small and
malformed. Twenty-seven years later in the
little town of Nancy, France, Victor Lemoine,
one of the world’s greatest hybridizers and
plant breeders, began crossing Darimont’s
plant with the best single varieties of the
time. It has been said that when Victor
Lemoine began his work, he crossed more
than 100 flowers the first year and harvested
exactly seven seeds. However, it was he who,
after years of patient and painstaking labor,,
first gave to the world those exquisite modern
lilacs that we call “French hybrids.” Other
varieties, which came from Germany, Belgium,
the Netherlands, and the United States in
later years, have also become known as
“French hybrids.”

To this day the Lemoine descendants are
still carrying on. Working 30 years in the
last century and 40 years in this, they have
introduced over 200 of the now 500 improved
forms. Of these 200, 79 are varieties to be
found in the most recent symposium of the
best 100 varieties.

Other Notable French Hybrid Originators

Twenty-seven other persons, European and
American, might be termed modern breeders
in that most of their work was in the present
century, that is, Stepman, Mount Blanc, and

Seven

Spaeth from Europe. They produced 32
varieties, only part of which are of importance
today.

Five additional modern American and
Canadian breeders produced among them
over 200 varieties, as follows:

Varieties

John Dunbar 32

T. A. Havemeyer 30

Mrs. Hulda Klager 62

Miss I. Preston (Canada) 84

F. L. Skinner (Canada) 11

Two new recent American breeders are Mr.
A. M. Brand and Mr. W. B. Clarke who
appear to be the only present breeders work-
ing on a large scale.

It is interesting to note:

1. — The way the Lemoine varieties of

1910 and 1925 stand out.

2. — The high quality of many varieties we

now possess in white, magenta and
purple, compared to the rather few in
violet and pink.

3. — That the dark-colored varieties do not

seem to be as robust growers as the
lighter colored varieties, nor do they
grow as fast.

Some of The Worthwhile French
Hybrid Varieties

Space will not allow a complete listing, and
individual taste differs so, but here are a
few that should fit the most exacting:

White — Singles. Vestale for early and Mont
Blanc for late.

White — Doubles. Ellen Willmott, a pure
white, and Edith Cavelle, a looser, creamy
white.

Violet — Singles. These are comparative
newcomers and not yet widely distributed.
Single are De Miribel and Cavour.

Violet — Doubles. The outstanding Violetta
and Marechal Lannes.

Blues — Singles. President Lincoln intro-
duced by the late John Dunbar of Rochester,
New York, in 1924. Decaisne and Maurice
Barres are not as blue but are two of the
most satisfactory of all lilac novelties. Diplo-
mate and Firmament are too new to rate but

look very good. I personally think that Firm-
ament will be outstanding.

Blues — Doubles. Oliver De Serres, Emile
Gentil and Due De Massa are all very much
worthwhile.

Lilac — Singles. Marengo and Jacques Cal-
lot.

Lilac — Doubles. President Follieras, and
the outstanding variety, Henri Martin, which
is one of the peers of modern Lemoine intro-
ductions.

Pink — Singles. In single pinkish lilacs our
modern breeders have not surpassed the work
of the last century and Macrostachya (1844)
and Lucie Baltet (1888) are still the best
and practically alone.

Pink — Doubles. There are many newer
excellent doubles, however, such as Virginite,
Waldeck Rousseau and Antoine Buchner.

Reddish Tones — The reddish toned lilacs
are among the most beautiful but are subject
to fading.

Singles. Mme. F. Morel (1892) and the
outstanding Marechal Foch (1924) are per-
haps the most magnificent of all lilacs. They
belong in every large or small garden. If
you have room, plant Congo, Capitaine Bal-
tet, Ruhm von Horstenstein. They are all
grand.

Doubles. Paul Thirion is the best double
of the group.

Purple — Singles. These are all good. Lud-
wig Spaeth is a popular German variety.
Others are: Monge (French), and Mrs. W. E.
Marshall (American). J. de Messemaker from
Belgium can be absolutely breathtaking in its
size and brilliance of color. Diderot is some-
times a poor grower, yet in some gardens it
will top all others in size of spike.

Purple — Doubles. There are not many.
Adelaide Dunbar is probably the best.

Early Species Hybrids

These are all known as the Gnaldii group
and should be better known. They come
into bloom before the French hybrids and
have a type of bloom entirely different and
distinct from all the others.

Buffon is outstanding, having individual
(Continued, on Page Thirty)

Eight

The Culture of Roses
H. L. Collier
Planting

IN SELECTING a place to plant roses, en-
deavor to find a location which will have
full exposure to the sun. However, they will
thrive if only half of the day’s sun is avail-
able. Do not plant under or near large trees
or vigorous shrubs, the roots of which will
reach out and rob the roses of both food and
water.

A heavy soil is better than a light one but
heavy clay or hardpan will have to be light-
ened by the addition of leaf mold, straw,
manure compost, or peat moss. A loamy
soil is ideal for most varieties, and when the
top soil is of this character little preparation
is necessary. However, the rose fancier who
grows them for exhibition purposes digs out a
trench 3 feet deep and provides drainage
by placing in the bottom a layer of stones 3 or
4 inches deep, over which is placed a layer of
inverted sod 6 or 8 inches deep and the
trench filled in with good garden soil. The
lower half should be well enriched with bone
meal or well rotted manure, but the upper
portion may contain just good, clean, garden
soil.

Rose bushes of moderate growth may be
planted 30 inches apart in rectangular beds
with not more than 3 rows to a bed. When
planted in this manner cultivation is much
more convenient than when wider beds are
used. In planting, dig the holes of sufficient
depth and width to accommodate the roots of
the bush. Before planting the roots should be
examined carefully and any that have been
broken or marred should be trimmed off.
Extra long roots should also be cut back. In
fact, root pruning is very beneficial. No real
rich soil or fertilizer should come in direct
contact with the roots.

Budded plants should be set with the bud
about 2 inches below the surface and the
soil sifted or settled among the roots and
gently but firmly packed in. The surface
soil should be loose to a depth of 1 inch. Fall
planting is desirable but many prefer spring,
and good results have been obtained in both

seasons. Choose a time when the soil will
break up easily and is not too wet and soggy.
As stated above, where the surface soil is a
good loam or shot clay, just dig out the holes
to the proper size to accommodate the roots
and fill in with the natural soil. Newly
planted roses should not be given fertilizer
but should be allowed to become established
first; then a surface dressing may be applied.
Light, sandy, or gravelly soils will require the
addition of material which will retain moisture
and plant food. In such soils it is better,
when the trouble and expense is not a deter-
rent, to dig out a trench the required size and
fill in with soil material as before recom-
mended.

Some gardeners in planting rose bushes
build a conical mound in the hole where the
bush is to be planted, set the bush on top and
spread the roots carefully over the mound and
fill in the soil among the roots. When the
soil is quite dry it is well to settle it with
water. Puddling the rose roots is also resorted
to.

At times the gardener will receive dormant
bushes in a wilted or dry condition; the bark
may even be wrinkled. Plants in this con-
dition will be benefitted by complete burial
in a shallow trench in moist soil for a period
of several days or even a week. Bushes
planted in the fall should have the canes
shortened and then a final pruning in the
spring at the prescribed time. Spring planted
bushes should be pruned at time of planting.

Fertilizing

The first season after planting roses very
little, if any, fertilizer should be added to
the beds. The bushes should be allowed to
establish themselves and if the beds were
properly prepared before the planting no
further fertilizer will be required until the
next year.

The best fertilizer for roses is well de-
cayed cow manure, but as this is almost im-
possible to secure in a large city, substitutes
must be found. Any good, well decayed, stable
manure is beneficial to the soil.

A light dressing of hydrated lime, after the
manuring, is considered good. Pulverized

Nine

sheep manure — two parts to one part of finely
ground bone meal is also highly recommended.
Appty about one pint of the mixture to each
well-established bush. When this mixture is
used no lime is needed. Most soils will bene-
fit by a dressing of material from the compost
heap. The natural fertilizers should be ap-
plied in the spring, about or before pruning
time. The pulverized sheep manure — bone
meal mixture may be repeated about July 1
to 15 with good results.

Liquid manure, made by dissolving animal
or poultry manures in water, should be used
sparingly and only after the buds begin to
show color. It should not be applied except
after the beds are irrigated or after a rain
and not more often than once or twice a
week. The liquid should be weak and should
be applied at the rate of two quarts to each
bush. However, unless one has a very large
place where the material may be kept in a
barrel and hidden from view, it is best not to
attempt its use. The following mixtures are
easily made and applied:

Half an ounce of nitrate of soda to one
gallon of water.

Half an ounce of sulphate of ammonia to
one gallon of water.

One of these may be given once a week
after the buds begin to show color up to Au-
gust 1. In this section of the country liquid
manures are not recommended for general
use after that date.

An application of ounce sulphate of
potash to the gallon of water applied in March
and May is helpful. Apply about 2 quarts
to each well established bush.

The application of manure to the beds in
the fall and winter is not recommended as
much of the material is wasted and no real
good is accomplished. Wood ashes from alder,
maple, willow or any of the hard woods are
excellent for the rose beds. Cedar and fir
ashes are useless except to lighten heavy soil.

Spraying

Rose bushes should be thoroughly sprayed
at least twice during the winter with a good
strong solution of lime sulphur or Bordeaux
mixture. Select a dry day in order that the

spray material may be effective. A rain im-
mediately after spraying will render the ap-
plication useless. Spray the bushes thoroughly
and be sure to see that plenty of the ma-
terial is spread upon the ground in order
to destroy the spores of mildew and black
spot. Be careful that the spray material does
not touch painted surfaces as it will stain.
Winter spraying destroys legions of rose ene-
mies which would otherwise be on hand in
the spring and summer to cause the gardener
untold grief.

When the tender shoots appear after prun-
ing in the spring, spraying should be re-
sorted to with caution, for strong caustic
sprays will do more damage than the insect
and fungus pests. If the aphis and white
flies become bothersome a spray of Ivory
soap suds and nicotine will destroy them. Dis-
solve one ounce of the soap in one gallon of
water and add one tablespoonful of Black
Leaf 40 to the solution. Keep the spray
material agitated so that there will be no
strong dregs in the bottom of the can to
injure the foliage.

It is best to apply the spray early in the
day before the white flies become too active
and before the sun’s rays become too strong.
Two applications, a day apart, are necessary
as it is impossible to destroy all of the aphis
with one dosage. The little, flat, green worms
which are found on the undersides of the
rose leaves will be discouraged with the soap-
nicotine spray and by adding a good heaping
tablespoonful of the powdered arsenate of
lead to the mixture these pests will be de-
stroyed also and the foliage saved. Large cat-
erpillars had best be hand picked.

A dust mixture which is inexpensive and
most effectual against black spot and mildew
and which also acts as a deterrent against
all of the insects is made of nine parts of
flowers of sulphur and one part of the pow-
dered arsenate of lead. Put this mixture in a
muslin bag or cloth, such as old sheeting, and
shake over the plants in the early morning
when there is no wind. It will not injure the
most tender foliage and the material is easily
washed off the foliage when stems are cut for

Ten

bouquets. This dust mixture, applied to the
new shoots as they appear, will ward off the
attack of the saw flies which lay their eggs
under the tender bark. When the grub is
hatched out it immediately starts to burrow
its way between the bark and the wood of
the stem, causing the stem to droop and
wilt. When you discover a shoot so attacked
the only thing left to do is to cut it off.
Other liquid sprays are recommended and
may be obtained at the seed and department
stores, but must be used with caution.

Proper irrigation and constant cultivation
will do much to keep down the pests. Do not
irrigate or sprinkle rose bushes in the eve-
ning. One good soaking of the rose beds
each week is far better than a sprinkling every
day. Sprinkling the foliage and blooms spoils
the flowers.

Pruning

Do not prune rose bushes in the fall. Long,
straggling shoots and branches which will
whip around in the winter winds may be
shortened, but pruning should not be done
until about March 15 to April 1 in this sec-
tion, depending upon the season. All varieties
cannot be treated alike successfully on ac-
count of the different habits of growth. The
gardener must know the habits of the many
varieties in order to work intelligently. A
general rule is to prune the weak-growing
sorts severely and to prune vigorous growers
lightly.

All dead, weak and very old wood should
be cut out clear to the base of the bush, the
center thinned out and the remaining shoots
shortened so to give the bush as symmetrical
an appearance as possible. Cut to an eye
pointing outward and rub off eyes pointing
toward the center. This will prevent the cen-
ter of the bush from being crowded and will
provide a free circulation of air, admit the
sunshine, and will help to keep away mildew,
black spot, and insect pests. By pruning,
many insects are destroyed since the eggs are
usually deposited on the top branches.

Pernetiana roses should be pruned lightly.
Severe cutting retards their development and
often results in total loss. So be easy with

Golden Emblem, The Queen Alexandra, An-
gele Pemet, Ville de Paris and the other
members of this race.

The single and semi-double varieties pro-
duce far better results when allowed to
grow into large bushes and, as the blooms
may be used for decorative purposes only,
there is no necessity for severe pruning where
plenty of space is available.

Ramblers like Dr. W. Van Fleet, Paul’s
Scarlet Climber, Alberic Barbier, (the Wi-
churiana hybrids) should be pruned imme-
diately after flowering. All wood that has
produced blooms should be cut clear back to
the base in order to provide room for the new
canes.

Hybrid tea climbers need careful treat-
ment. After they become established bend
the canes to a horizontal position in order
to encourage the buds to grow. If the canes
are left upright all of the blooms will be pro-
duced at the top and the bush will have a
leggy appearance. Exceedingly long canes
may be shortened and the lateral branches cut
clear back to the base to encourage new
growth.

Shrub roses like Austrian Copper, Harrison
Yellow, Persian Yellow, Hugonis, etc., should
not be pruned except for general appearance
and for the removal of dead wood. Much may
be accomplished toward the proper develop-
ment of the bushes when cutting blooms dur-
ing the flowering season. Be sure to cut to an
outside eye and keep the center of the bush
free from crowding branches.

If you would have fine blooms, disbudding
must be resorted to. Most varieties produce
more than one bloom to a stem. The side
buds should be picked out, leaving only the
terminal bud, otherwise you will have a clus-
ter of small roses instead of a well-developed,
good-sized rose. Needless to say disbudding is
only successful while the buds are very small.

Cut the blooms in the early morning or in
the evening and immerse the stems in water
immediately. Blooms cut in the sunshine,
unless removed to a cool, shady place, will
surely wither.

Eleven

Alstroemeria, The Peruvian Lily
Harry L. Stinson

ON A hill about a mile to the north of
Lima, Peru, Feuillet (1707-12) reports
having found a new flower of rare beauty. In
many respects it reminded him of a day-lily,
so much so that he gave it the name of
Hemerocallis pelegrina, Lily of the Incas, or
Lily of Lima.

Feuillet prefaced the description of this
beautiful flower with the following account
of the grandeur of the Royal Botanical Gar-
dens of the Incas. This Royal Garden was so
unique that I would take the liberty of
making a translation from Father Feuillet’s
original journal1. “The flower of this plant
merits by its beauty to have a place in the
gardens of the Incas, and perhaps we would
have seen it there in its season if we should
have lived in their time. The grounds of
the gardens of these great kings had an
advantage over others; spring seemed to be
continual and to maintain the plants in all
their beauty. As soon as they started to
wither away and nature seemed to take a
rest, there were substituted in their place,
some new plants formed from gold and silver
which the artisans had imitated quite perfect-
ly, and which maintained the grandeur and
magnificance of these sovereigns. The trees
made of this precious metal formed long
walks. The fields were filled with Mais, of
which the tips of the stems, the flowers, and
ears were of gold and all the remainder of
silver. The whole soldered together was as
marvelous as the centuries to come will ever
see. The only thing lacking to the Incas was
the knowledge of the true God, whom we
worship, to make them the most perfect
princes of mankind.”

In his journal Feuillet found and described
three species of the Peruvian lilies, Alstroe-
meria pelegrina, A. Ligtu and A. Salsilla, the
last of which is now classed as a Bomarea.
There is no evidence that he took back to

1 R. P. Louis Feuillet, “Journal of Observations in
South America and West Indies,” Vol. II, 710-716,
1714.

France either specimens or seeds of any of
these species.

The next recording of them we find in
Linnaeus, “Planta Alstroemeria” (1762). 2
Again with your permission permit me to
make a translation from the above reference
as it explains just how and where it was
found growing in Spain. “The years taken
by these academic tasks had hardly been
completed, when Don Claudius (Alstroemer)
already eminent among those interested in the
Natural Sciences, prepared himself for a jour-
ney; to wander over the ever-flowering lands
of Europe, I (Linnaeus) refer to Spain,
France, Italy and others. Certain of his
opinions and purposes, he set out on the sea
and with favorable winds arrived on the 28th
of April of the next year (1754) at the port of
Gaditanus (the present city of Cadiz), Spain.
Scarcily had he set foot upon the land, when
at the home of the Swedish consul, Don Bell-
man, he came in contact with a whole bunch,
of a certain Liliaceous plant of very rare
beauty, and of such a singular structure that
he was unable to refer it by any method to
a genus thus far known. Inspired with de-
light of such a remarkable plant, he was
unable to calm himself until he had contracted
a much closer friendship and intimacy with
it. Also, in this same city at a fortunate time
he met a certain Noble Matron, to whom,
sometime before, it had been sent by her
husband while residing in the Peru of Amer-
ica.”

Now his first care was to sketch such a
pleasing plant, to describe and dry a cut
flower so that he might present all these to
his former most esteemed instructor in natural
sciences. And furthermore, after the lapse
of a certain interval of time he wras able to
secure fertile seeds, which he likewise sent.
In a special propagating bed Linnaeus suc-
ceeded in germinating the seed and again I
quote, “in the end displayed the most de-
lightful flowers in the Academy garden and
eventually produced mature seeds. This
strange plant, the first to have been seen by

2 Linnaeus, “Planta Alstroemeria,” in Amoenitates
Academicae, Vol. VI, 47-262, 1 plate, 1762.

Twelve

us, has been distributed by the Academy’s
gardener and by us all under the name of
Alstroemer’s Plant or Alstroemer’s Lily.

“This plant has been given the name of
H enter ocallis, which in reality was introduced
a short time ago to designate the Genus of the
Asphodel Lily of Tournefort, hence this name
cannot be admitted in as much as it applies
to both. And now as to this plant, of a sepa-
rate family should have distince Generic
name, lest it be confused with the plants of
an entirely different genus. No synonyms
are left, and for this reason a new name
must be assumed; and since we owe this to
Don Claudius Alstroemer, who found it, de-
scribed it and made a drawing of it, and intro-
duced it correctly defined to the botanical
world, and shared it with the gardens of
Europe — What prohibits us then from naming
this plant, Alstroemeria?”

Space prevents giving the entire translation
of Linnaeus’ treatise upon the Alstroemeria,
as interesting as it may be. The foregoing
will be sufficient to show how it was intro-
duced to our gardens and received its name.
Now something about the plants themselves.
It is occasions like this that I wish that I
were endowed with Scott’s descriptive ability.
However, let us start by describing the roots.
Imagine the growing crown represented by a
button about the size of a hazel nut to which
is suspended four or six white lead pencils on
threads two to six inches long. The pencils
represent the tuberous roots from the lower
end of which grow the fibrous roots.

The tubers, filled with farinaceous material,
are very much like a potato in appearance and
taste. From the growing bud arise the stems.
During the early winter (December and
January) two or three vegetative stems push
through to the soil’s surface and each unfolds
a 10 to 20 leafed tuft or rosette. Upon the
approach of spring these stems elongate to
about a foot or so in height, but do not bear
flowers. With warmer days promised the
floriferous stems shoot up and at a very rapid
rate will attain a height of three to five
feet. The leaves all along the stem are scat-
tered, the lowermost being scale-like while

the upper ones are four to six inches long.
The leaves of the plants in this genus exhibit
a very singular anomaly, namely that they
are borne upon twisted petioles so that the
the lower surface becomes the top with a
reversal of the stomata and of the internal
cellular structure.

At top of each stalk is a rayed umbel of
approximately 15 peduncles, each carrying
three to five azalea-like florets. The inner-
most one opens first, followed successively by
the next adjacent, thus giving an extended
blooming period of about three weeks. The
color of the flowers depends upon the species
and ranges from near-white, to all shades of
pink, creamy yellows, buttercup-yellow,
burnt-orange, mandarin-red, orange-red to or-
chid and light violet. The two uppermost
petals are penciled on the upper half with
dark maroon to black, while below this is an
area of golden yellow extending into the
center, which is laden with nectar, thus con-
stantly luring the little dashing bits of the
rainbow — the humming birds — to partake
of nature’s sweets.

As to the culture of Alstroemerias here in
and near Seattle, we must divide them into
two groups. Those species coming from
Brazil, Paraguay, Peru and the northern parts
of Chile are tender and will not withstand
our colder winter months. However they
do not seem to resent the confined air within
a cool glass house or sunny window. These
species are:

Alstroemeria pelegrina, the Lily of the In-
cas, which grows to a height of about 18
inches. The flowers open to about two
inches in diameter. The color is a light
orchid, with a conspicuous golden-yellow in
the center.

A. pelegrina, var. alba, has the same struc-
ture but is pure white suffused with char-
treuse green and that ever-present golden
yellow in the throat.

These two are really beautiful and it is
no wonder that Linnaeus exclaimed that they
would be favorites.

A. nemorosa, from Brazil, is very tender and
must be treated like an orchid.. The flowers

Thirteen

do not open wide but are rather funnel-
shaped. The petals are very dark red at
their bases on the outside, gradually changing
to red and to a brilliant green at their tips.
The inside is a chartreuse green penciled with
black.

A. psittacina, The Parrot, very much like
the above, is slightly hardier, but exhibits a
distinct difference in the foliage. It is listed
in catalogues incorrectly under the name of
A. pidchella. (Linnaeus, Jr., used this name to
describe a species, a dubious specimen of
which is possibly in Bank’s herbarium collec-
tion. There is no other record of it.)

A. braziliensis is similar, but is a rich wine
red in color.

A. violacea. This is one of the new types
introduced by Dr. T. Harper Goodspeed of
the University of California, on his recent
botanical trip to the Andes. The secret of
its culture under our conditions I have not as
yet discovered, and have not been very
successful with it.

The hardy species are represented by the
following: Feuillet reports finding a species
near the city of Concepcion, Chile, which
he calls A. Ligtu. His description of it is
either very inaccurately based upon careless
observations or else it is not in cultivation.
There is one listed in catalogues under this
name, but a great deal more study needs to
be given to its confused identity.

A. chilensis. The pink Alstroemeria, grows
to a height of five feet. Its color ranges from
near-white through all the pastel shades of
creamy-yellows and pinks.

A. angustifolia, var. pulchra, produces
pinks and mandarin-reds.

A. haemantha, var. simsii, has leaves which
are much more ciliated than the above. The
flowers are rich orange-red with more pointed,
and reflexed, petals.

A. pulchra, var. tricolor, grows to a height
of 12 to 14 inches. Its flowers resemble a
swarm of colorful butterflies poised for in-
stant flight. They are white, suffused with
a shade of light orchid. The petals are tipped
on the inside with a patch of maroon. The
two upper petals are white below the center

and penciled with many little dots and
dashes of light maroon. Immediately above
this, a broad band of golden yellow runs
across the petal, and between this and the tip
is a large spot of dark maroon with a nar-
row white line setting off the pointed tip.

A. aurantiaca, the orange alstroemeria,
grows to a height of four feet, and bears
about a dozen dark orange to almost a
burnt orange flowers.

A. lutea, the yellow alstroemeria, is much
like the above, but the flowers are a clear
buttercup yellow. This is the one usually
found in cultivation.

The culture of these hardier alstroemerias
is very simple. The tubers are dormant im-
mediately after the tops die down. At this
time they can be transplanted with a fair
degree of success. Select a sunny, sheltered
location where they may grow undisturbed
over a period of years as they very much
resent being molested. In fact, transplanting
them after they are once established is
usually fatal. Their tuberous roots ramify so
deeply into the soil that it is almost an
impossibility to dig them without severe
mangling. Plant them 6 to 8 inches deep in
soil well enriched with humus, leaf mold or
barnyard fertilizer. It should be friable, well
drained, and yet should be capable of holding
an ample supply of moisture until after their
blooming season during the last of June and
into July. If the soil is a sandy loam and
inclined to become dry and hot it would be
beneficial to mulch the surface. A top dress-
ing of commercial fertilizer, not too high in
nitrogen content, may be worked into the
top soil during the fall after the tops have
been removed. So far they seem to be quite
free from disease, although they must be
guarded against the ravages of slugs and
snails, which eat out the tender growing tip of
the stem.

Propagation is accomplished by either divi-
sion or seedage. Division is a rather slow
process, and very laborous. To prevent
damage to the tubers I have found it advan-
tageous to plant them in deep boxes or cans
which can be buried in the ground so that

Fourteen

the highest point of the tuber is at least six
to eight inches below the ground level. Per-
mit them to grow and bloom in these con-
tainers; after blooming, and as the tops are
maturing, the containers may be dug up and
carefully tipped out, exposing the tubers.
While this method involves a tremendous
amount of work it is the only satisfactory
way of propagating any specific color. A
more rapid increase may be obtained by
seedage. Plant the seed one inch deep in an
eight-inch flat sometime during the fall. Set
the flat in a cold frame or outside in a shel-
tered position where it may be protected in
case of very severe weather. Ordinarily the
seed requires about 45 to 60 days to germi-
nate and frequently nothing appears until the
second year, so be patient and do not destroy
the flat. Allow the seedlings to grow in their
temporary quarters until they die down. At
this time they may be carefully removed and
set in their permanent beds.

A close relative of the alstroemeria is the
Bomarea, a twining vine with a terminal pen-
dant umbel of golden bell-shaped flowers,
copiously freckled on the inside with black
dots. Unfortunately these are not hardy in
our climate but need the shelter of a cool
house.

Feuillet was positive that the “Lily of the
Incas” was grown in the Royal Gardens for its
beauty, and well that it should have been for
it adds a touch of color and grace not pre-
sented by any other member of the floral king-
dom. When once established it requires so
little and bounteously repays that little with
a rich harvest of flowers.

■r ■/ i

One of the most interesting of the new
azaleas at the Arboretum is R. mucronatum
Sekidera. The flower is typical of the species,
white with red-purple blotch on the upper-
most petals.

i i i

By far the most outstanding rhododendron
species of the Lapponicum series to bloom
this spring is R. cantabile. The flowers are
typical of the series but are a very rich, in-
tense blue-purple in color.

The Tenny Collection of
Rhododendrons
Herbert G. Ihrig

THE gift of the Tenny rhododendron col-
lection a few years ago was an important
event in the annals of the Arboretum yet
few people realized at that time its value or
the beauty it contained. Since then it has had
an opportunity to develop in size and ma-
turity, has been replanted and extended and
now reveals much of that added loveliness
which only age can give to rhododendrons.

This collection represents some thirty of
the best Chinese species which were grown
from seed sent to Dr. Tenny by Mr. F. R. S.
Balfour of Scotland. The display this year of
R. sutchuenense, R. rubiginosum, and R.
Augustinii were particularly impressive. The
R. Augustinii group has some of the finest
clear blue flowers we have seen in the Pacific
Northwest.

The full importance of this collection, how-
ever, is not in its size or its beauty but in the
fact that it represents a milestone in the hor-
ticultural development of the Pacific North-
west. Dr. and Mrs. Tenny with rare vision
looked into the future and saw the possi-
bilities of growing Asiatic species in our area.
They followed this vision with enviable thor-
oughness. Before them few growers had en-
deavored to grow rhododendrons and no rec-
ords are available of the results that were ob-
tained. Since then many have followed their
footsteps and we now have several hundred
species growing in the Arboretum. But what
beauty we eventually attain will only be an
added tribute to Dr. Tenny’s foresight.

1 i 1

Grass Seed Mixtures
Recommendations for lawn areas for dif-
ferent purposes:

1. A fine lawn to be well maintained: As-
toria Bent, 1 lb., Blue Grass, 2 lbs.

2. An ordinary lawn: Blue Grass, 2 lbs.,
Astoria Bent, 1 lb., Chewing’s Fescue, 1 lb.

3. A lawn in a dry location or on light soil:
Chewing’s Fescue, 1 lb., Blue Grass, 3 lbs.,
White Clover, 1 lb.

Fifteen

The Arboretum Bulletin

Vol. VII, No. 2 Seattle, Washington June, 1944

Editor John H. Hanley

Manager Mrs. Roy Page Ballard

Published quarterly by The Arboretum Founda-
tion, 516 Medical Arts Bldg., Seattle 1, Wash.

ARBORETUM FOUNDATION
OFFICE HOURS

9 a. m. to 12 noon — Monday through

Friday.

516 Medical Arts Building, 2nd and
Seneca, SEneca 0920.

SPECIAL NOTICE
To keep memberships in the Arbore-
tum Foundation in good standing, dues
should be paid during the month pay-
able. A system has been established
at the Foundation office, whereby mem-
berships payable over three months will
be dropped from the active membership
rolls and the Bulletin will be discon-
tinued.

ARBORETUM MEMBERSHIP BLANK

□ Active $ 5.00

*□ Contributing 10.00

□ Supporting 25.00

□ Sustaining 50.00

□ Sponsor 100.00

□ Life 500.00

□ Endowment 1,000.00

The Arboretum Foundation,

516 Medical Arts Building
Seattle 1, Washington

I hereby apply for membership in the
Arboretum Foundation and remittance
for same is enclosed to cover dues for
the next succeeding 12 months.

Name

Address

All memberships are non-assessable.

♦Garden Clubs — Affiliated membership, $10.00
minimum. Special rate privileges to members of
affiliated Garden Clubs and Arboretum Units.

Spring Activities

ir^vURING the three - month period just
^ passed the Arboretum began to take
enough shape and form to augur well for the
future. We have written much in the past of
the potential, future appearance of such at-
tractive areas as Rhododendron Glen, Azalea
Way, and Woodland Garden. However, not
until this spring of 1944 did these areas be-
gin to give a proper perspective of their ulti-
mate beauties. As many of our readers know,
the entire south slope of the Glen was rear-
ranged and planted by Mr. O. E. Holmdahl.
The result has been most pleasing. The large
plants that make up the Tenny colection
(discussed by Mr. Herbert Ihrig elsewhere
in this issue) have been particularly fine.
At this writing, the early flowering species
have bloomed out, giving way to the mid-
season forms — R. Augustinii, R. decorum, R.
Fortunei, R. rhaibocarpum, R. yunnanense,
and R. chartophyllum. Today the first
named, R. Augustinii, is quite striking. One
specimen in particular, a tall form with
flowers of an intense blue-purple shade
reaches high into the branches of a native
cedar to dominate the whole slope.

Azalea Way is at its best now, too, even
though most of the flowering cherries have
come and gone. Approximately two thousand
five hundred azaleas of flowering size were
planted there this spring and several promi-
nent groups are ablaze with color today. The
burnt-orange of the hybrid R. altaclarense is
most attractive; even R. luteum, the pontic
azalea, with its bright yellow, spidery blooms
and its delicate fragrance, is charming, espe-
cially where it breaks against and among the
native hemlocks and cedars in the back-
ground. The near-blatant, flaming flowers
of the R. Molle hybrids blaze out conspicu-
ously, enhanced by the rich green leaves of
Indian plum, hazel, and maple.

Though the showiest color effects are
created by these three species, they are not
the most interesting by any means. Several
of the newer varieties are very deserving and,
in time, will be found in many more gardens
either taking the place of, or supplementing,

Sixteen

the now-popular varieties. Among these bet-
ter forms, the following have been outstand-
ing: Azalea “Pallas,” a Ghent hybrid with
bright, brick-red flowers; R. mucronatum
Sekider.a with the typical large flower of the
type, white with a conspicuous red-purple
blotch; and R. gandavense rosea, a large-
flowered pink with a slight lavender cast.

R. reticulatum , the rose azalea, is another
of the species in the azalea series that
bloomed profusely this spring and is worthy
of particular mention. We have talked and
written a lot about the merits of the korean
azalea, R. mucronulatum. It is a fine thing,
to be sure, coming as it does in January and
February. But if our observations are cor-
rect the rose azalea is even better. It blooms
immediately after R. mucronulatum, and be-
fore other azaleas begin; the flowers are
produced in great abundance on leafless
twigs; and the bright purple color has a par-
ticularly penetrating or carrying quality that
projects it over long distances. Combined
with other early-flowering shrubs, such as
forsythias (for contrast) and Daphne mez-
ereum (for analogous color harmony) it would
make a truly remarkable showing.

In Woodland Garden the group of Christ-
mas Rose, Helleborus niger, has been out-
standing this spring. The cool conditions
that prevail in that shady valley do not per-
mit the flowers to develop as early as in
warmer, more favored gardens, but when they
do come they come in great profusion.

It is to be hoped that from the discussion
above, our readers will begin to recognize
that the Arboretum has reached the stage
where it can function in the several ways
that were originally intended. It is becoming
an ever expanding source of beauty; its plant-
ings of many new and novel plant species are
providing information which the home gar-
dener can put to use. It is becoming the
mecca for gardeners of the Northwest.

Prominent among spring activities should
be mentioned the plantings that have been
made in the new lath house. Last summer
Mr. Brown propagated some 6,000 azaleas of
the better varieties. The cuttings were

rooted and the young plants have grown
luxuriantly in small pots in the greenhouses
throughout the winter. Now they are being
placed in the rich soil of the lath house beds,
there to develop for another season when
some of them will be ready to be incorporated
into the plantings along Azalea Way.

1 i i

Among Our Contributors

IT IS a great pleasure to encounter a new
name and a new face in horticulture, es-
pecially when both are attached to such an
enthusiastic, intelligent young gardener as
Mr. Roy S. Leighton. To see Mr. Leighton’s
lilacs in bloom, beautiful plants of the finest
varieties and perfectly cultured, is to see the
genus Syringa at its best in western Wash-
ington. Both Mr. and Mrs. Leighton have
studied lilacs and many other types of plants
quite enthusiastically, as the visitor to their
garden can easily appreciate. It is, therefore,
with extreme pleasure that we publish the
article on lilacs and their culture.

i

Mr. W. L. Fulmer is well-known to horti-
culturists in the Northwest. He has been the
president of the Western Washington Nurs-
eryman’s Association for a long time and has
always been a most enthusiastic booster for
a widely expanded plant industry in this
section. As a special hobby, he long ago un-
dertook the propagation of the beautiful tub-
erous begonia hybrids. He has been eminent-
ly successful in raising them and you can be
assured that his remarks on culture come as a
result of long experience.

Mr. Fulmer is now associated with the
state horticulture inspection service where
he is putting his knowledge of plants to valu-
able use. We are very fortunate in having
such men available to take over the enforce-
ment of our state quarantine law.

i

Most any discussion of gardens and gar-
dening will eventually get around to the name
of Mr. Harry L. Stinson. Mr. Stinson is rec-
ognized as one of our very capable teachers of
biology in the local high school system and
has fortunately combined his theoretical

Seventeen

classwork with a great deal of practical pro-
cedures both within the classroom and in his
own garden. A number of years ago he be-
gan studying the several species of South
American plants which are grouped under
the generic name of Alstroemeria. As a re-
sult of a truly enthusiastic effort, he has
compiled a tremendous amount of informa-
tion regarding the known species of Alstroe-
meria and the history of their introduction.
You will find his comments of exceeding
interest and of great value if you care to use
this beautiful garden subject.

Plants and plant study provide a great deal
of worthwhile recreation to numbers of peo-
ple. Sometimes the interest in plants favors
gardening and garden subjects. The interests
of others tend toward studies of plant and
animal life in the wild. In the latter group
we find one of the Northwest’s best students
of nature, Mr. H. W. Higman. Some years
ago Mr. Higman took the time and trouble
of following the route taken by Vancouver
and Menzies as they made their original ex-
ploration of the Pacific Northwest. He recalls
his experiences in a most interesting fashion
and ties them in beautifully with those of his
predecessors. Anyone who is at all familiar
with the Northwest will be intrigued by his
article entitled “Where the Madrona Blooms.”

i

The name of Mr. William G. Weigle is so
well-known all over the state of Washington
that he needs no introduction to anyone ex-
cept a newcomer. Mr. Weigle was associated
with the State Department of Conservation
for many years and was in charge of the
state park system. While he occupied that
position he was able to put into effect a
great many progressive ideas concerning the
development of state parks and the use of
state parks by the public. When we conceived
the idea of publishing information regarding
that most interesting area, the petrified for-
est of central Washington, we immediately
thought of Mr. Weigle. Those of you who
have any interest at all in your state will

get a great deal of pleasure out of his dis-
cussion of the Ginkgo forest.

i

Very seldom do you encounter a man of
the caliber of Mr. Herbert L. Collier. Through
his years of service to Seattle as city treas-
urer he has built up a most enviable reputa-
tion and it is to be hoped that suitable appre-
ciation for the capable way in which he has
handled his responsibilities will soon be forth-
coming. In addition to that, however, he is
what one might term a “near-professional
horticulturist.” His interests in plants have
varied; tree peonies, lilacs, roses, rhododen-
drons, all of them have at one time or another
come under his acute surveillance. By study-
ing each group intensely, he has gleaned
much valuable information, a portion of which
he now passes along to you in his article on
“Roses and Their Culture.”

We have always known that Else M. Frye
was a leader in ornamental horticulture, but
until she presented her manuscript, “An
Old-Time Walk,” we had no knowledge of
her talents for vivid description. Read what
she has to say about the early days on the
Northwestern tip of the Olympic peninsula
and you will say that we should have a lot
more material from her.

■r

Just to give you an idea of the extent to
which Mr. Herbert G. Ihrig has gone in his
work with rhododendrons, you should know
that on one week-end in early May he re-
ported having eighty different species and
varieties in bloom in his garden. There may
be larger collections in private grounds in
the United States, but we will wager that no
collection will get the whole-hearted, per-
sonal and detailed care from the owner that
Mr. Ihrig gives to his. It is a real pleasure
to present his notes on the blooming of rho-
dodendrons and his comments on the Tenny
collection at the Arboretum.

i i i

One of the very interesting broad-leaved
evergreens to flower profusely the first time
this spring is Siphonosmanthus Ddavayi.

Eighteen

Tuberous Begonias
W. L. Fulmer

TUBEROUS BEGONIAS, native to trop-
ical America, are found particularly on
the slopes of the Andes in Peru and Bolivia,
at elevations as high as 12,500 feet.

In 1864, Mr. Richard Pearce, collector for
Jas. Veitch and Son, England, sent home the
first of the series that have made begonia
history. It was called Begonia boliviensis
and was first exhibited in public at the
International Horticultural Exhibition, Paris,
May, 1867.

The Botanical Magazine describes t. 5657*
as a ‘Tuberous-rooted deciduous kind, attain-
ing an average height of two feet. Its foliage
is of a rather light green colour, of the fuchsi-
oides character, and its small drooping flowers
are of a bright cinnabar-scarlet colour.”

Mr. Pearce at LaPaz, Bolivia, 1865, col-
lected another begonia, afterwards named Be-
gonia Pearcei. This figures in the Botanical
Magazine, t. 5545, which states, “Flowers,
yellow, about 1 to 1*4 inches across, leaves
dark velvet-green.” This plant has transmit-
ted its distinctive characteristics — its clear
yellow flowers, and handsomely marbled foli-
age-—to many of the varieties of the present
day.

The next addition was found in 1867 by
Mr. Pearce near Cuzco, Peru, at an eleva-
tion of 12,500 feet. This is also figured in
the Botanical Magazine, t. 5663, and de-
scribed as having “the habit of Saxijraga
ciliata, immense flowers of a vivid vermillion-
cinnabar red, that no colourist can produce.”
This species, Begonia Veitchii, proved the pro-
genitor of the varieties which give the round
flowers, now so much admired. Its constitu-
tion is remarkably good and this coupled
with its freedom of flowering and the bright
appearance of its numerous blossoms, renders
it valuable as a bedding variety.

Messrs. Veitch imported Begonia rosaeflora
from Peru, where it was collected at a 12,000
ft. elevation. It is described in the Botanical
Magazine t. 5680. It first flowered in 1867

and is one of the parents of a number of
the earlier varieties raised.

Begonia Davisii was discovered by Mr.
Davis, Messrs. Veitch’s collector, at Chupe,
Peru, at a 10,600 ft. elevation. It first
flowered in July, 1867, and figured in the
Botanical Magazine, t. 6252, and received a
First Class Certificate from the Floral Com-
mittee. Dwarf in habit, with bright scarlet
flowers, and smooth, glossy foliage, it proved
itself most valuable to the hybridists. By
exercising judicious crossing of this species
with other strains derived from the bolivien-
sis and Veitchii types, a strain of remarkably
dwarf and compact habit was produced, with
brightly colored single and double blooms.

The inflorescence of Begonia Davisii, being
naturally of a more or less erect character, as
well as very prolific, is found to a great
extent in hybrids obtained from this species
as one of the parents. The dwarf, upright,
double flowering kinds, also the majority of
the modern single varieties of the erect type,
owe their best qualities to it.

In 1867, E. G. Henderson and Son received
a begonia bulb from Peru, later passing it on
to Col. T. Clarke of Daventry. This Be-
gonia Clarkei, with leaves of a dull green color,
and from 6 to 8 inches in diameter, has bright
rose-red flowers from 2 to 2^4 inches in dia-
meter. It is figured in the Botanical Maga-
zine t. 5675.

The above named types were the parents
of all the varieties of tuberous begonias, both
single and double, now in existence.

Skillful hybridizers, recognizing the great
possibilities of this flower, began their work.
Messrs. Veitch’s foreman, Mr. Seden, raised
the first hybrid, and Begonia Sedeni was the
first to appear in commerce. A Silver Flora
Medal of the Royal Horticultural Society was
awarded it as “the best new plant shown
for the first time in bloom.” This hybrid
proved a good seed-bearing and pollen parent.

Mr. O’Brien, with Messrs. E. G. Hender-
son & Son, recognizing the possibilities of the
newcomers, began work upon them, laying
the foundation for all the pure whites which
have been obtained. He also raised the first

^Numerical system used in the Botanical Magazine.

Nineteen

two doubles, which were later lost during the
resting period.

In the spring of 1880 Mr. John Lang had
about 161 different crosses from single and
double varieties with which to work. From
the seedlings obtained, great improvements in
shape, size, substance and color, (the latter
especially), were secured. Mr. Lang succeeded
in developing the begonia to a point of un-
dreamed excellence.

M. Lemoine of France in 1876 raised
the first double tuberous begonia, and fol-
lowed a year or two later with an improved
type which was acclaimed as the first really
fine double.

In 1901 the firm of Blackmore and Lang-
don, Bath, England, was founded, specializ-
ing in tuberous begonias, especially the double
forms for which this firm has become inter-
nationally known.

Thus this interesting work progressed, al-
though the early growers could hardly have
had the faintest conception of the perfection
attained by the modern hybridizers. From
pale foliaged forms with small, thin-petalled,
drooping flowers, barely one to two inches in
diameter, we have derived many kinds with
such gorgeous flowers in all shades of color
(except blue) that it beggars description.
Thus the tuberous begonias can now lend
themselves to a wide range of usefulness.
Pastel shades are particularly adapted to
wear with summer gowns. For corsages they
are an endless delight. Numerous variations
and arrangements exist for table decorations.
The gardener, too, enjoys a wide range of
singles, doubles and pendulous types from
which to select.

A peculiarity of the tuberous begonia is
that the male and female flowers are quite
distinct from each other although borne on
the same plant. The stamens are borne in
one flower, the pistils in another, though
occasionally both organs appear in the same
blossom, and in rare instances a male flower
has been observed to possess an ovary.

Growers will find begonias easy to grow if
given a proper shady location, abundance of
light, but not direct sunlight, combined with

the proper rich soil with sufficient moisture
and air circulation. Given these conditions
you will rave over the exotic appearance of
the glorious flowers, varying in size from
five to eight inches in diameter and in all
shades. When well grown they are prolific
bloomers, constantly covered with flowers
from early spring until cut down with frost
in the fall.

The begonia blooms appear in clusters of
three, the male flower in the center, sur-
rounded by two single female flowers on
either side. Remove the small flowers early
and then notice the difference in the size and
perfection of the center flower.

The begonia seed is so infinitesimally small
that great care must be taken in its planting.
Sow the seed in shallow pans during January
or February, using equal proportions of a
compost of well-rotted loam and leaf mold,
with sufficient sand to make a porous mixture.

Fill the seed pans with coarse material to
insure good drainage, over this place the
coarsest material from an equal proportion
of a compost of well rotted loam and leaf
mold about one inch deep, finishing off the
last one-quarter inch with finely sifted leaf
mold, leveling and pressing slightly. Satur-
ate thoroughly by standing the pans in water,
drain, and broadcast the seed uniformly on
the surface of the mixture. Cover the top
with glass and heavily shade with paper,
maintaining a temperature of 65 degrees for
quick germination. As germination takes
place, remove the paper, lift the glass a wee
bit, gradually removing same as growth oc-
curs; then expose the seedlings to more light
and air. When the plants are about one-half
inch high they are ready to be transplanted
about an inch apart. Lift them with a small
V-shaped stick. When larger, transplant
again, (as they grow vigorously) keeping
them farther apart until strong enough to be
potted.

Potting soil is absolutely important — a pile
of sod mixed with barnyard manure, and per-
mitted to decompose, makes a perfect com-
post. One portion of leaf mold to two of
the compost, with sufficient sand for porosity,

Twenty

and a three-inch pot of fine bone meal will
develop strong robust plants and flowers with
a sheen, a gloss and a lustre that is inde-
scribable.

Pot moderately firm. Pinch the first
flowering buds out so that a sturdy plant
develops. Avoid too much heat and bring
the plants along slowly. One cardinal point
—they should never suffer for lack of mois-
ture.

Tubers may be started from January to
April in flats filled with a mixture of loam,
leaf mold, and sand. Push the rounded sur-
face underneath and the cup side up, covering
slightly. Give the tubers plenty of space in
order to avoid the intertwining and matting
of the small, delicate roots. Keep uniformly
moist and when growth develops plant in a
pot, or in a permanent position in open
ground when the danger of cool weather at
night has passed. The bed should be well
dug, well enriched with manure, and a sprinkl-
ing of bone meal added, as begonias are
gross feeders. Weak liquid manure water
should be given weekly when the plants are
in heavy bloom.

When dormant tubers are planted in open
ground and the weather is cold and the soil
wet, a number of tubers may decay and the
planting will be uneven. The fact that some
varieties grow faster than others may accentu-
ate such unevenness. Also, facing the plants
properly is important.

Plant in a shaded position, or on the north
side of the house, in order to avoid direct sun-
light. Keep well watered (this should be done
early in the morning or in the late afternoon)
and avoid cultivating too close to the plants.
The roots are small and very close to the
surface.

As the foliage begins to turn yellow in the
fall, water should gradually be withheld. As
frost appears the growth dies down, then the
tubers should be carefully lifted, and all
soil washed off. Dry the tubers of excess
moisture and place them in open flats for
storage.

An Old-Time Walk
Else Frye

OUR first trip to the Olympic peninsula,
which is probably still as much “frontier
country,” as any region in the United States,
was made long ago during times when the
only possible means of getting to far off
places was to walk and that was so usual a
thing that such an undertaking was not in
the least disconcerting. Our whole plan was
delightfully vague and chance-y; just how
and what our ultimate destination could not
be determined till we were well on the way.

A small craft, tossed by wind and wave,
brought us one stormy summer night to the
quiet waters of Neah Bay. Never will I
forget the sight before our sleepy eyes, com-
parable to nothing but the fairy scene in
“Peter Pan.” The bay sheltered some two
hundred fishing boats, each one carrying a
light aloft, dipping and rising with the waves,
twinkling and alive. In the velvet blackness
it had all the charm of unreality and surprise.
From the cannery dock we stumbled toward
two dim lights, the sign of the only hostelry,
kept by a suave Frenchman, a most excellent
cook.

Early morning found us on the sandy beach
— the whole expanse teeming with life. In-
dians, big and little, with their dog compani-
ons were camping with slight shelter. Great
numbers of gulls and crows were busy at their
breakfast. The fog rolled over the beach
and up the hills in sheets, hanging in drops
on our hair and eyelashes. In the intervals
between we could see the fishermen’s tent
colony on Waddah Island and far into the
strait.

Two to three miles to the south of the
village the bay is shut off by a series of sand-
stone cliffs, tipped at an angle of 45 degrees,
and extending out into the sea. In the
troughs were beautiful orange and purple
starfish, and grayish green sea-anemones,
helmet-shaped limpets, and snails of soft
mauve color. Gorgeous orange and blue her-
mit crabs perambulated about in foreign
shells, having put their former occupants to
rout. On these rocks also was much of the

Twenty-One

bright green sea-lettuce (Ulva Lactuca) and
many huge sea-cabbages (Hedophyllum ses-
sile).

We were seeking a camping spot and de-
bated whether a pine tree, a sand bank or an
Indian bam would afford the greatest com-
fort and protection. We went through the
village, beyond the farthest houses and back
again. All the beach was occupied by Indians,
a few tents, canoes, children, dogs, old men
and women, fish heads and tails and many
other sundry things. Many fish were drying
on the racks — a most unsavory spot, though
not without its attractions. We finally se-
lected for our abode the winter boat house
of Indian Jim Hunter, a man of many talents,
being blacksmith, carpenter and shoemaker
of the village. This shelter was only a roof
of wide, hand-hewn timbers; the sides were
soon closed with beach wood; a blanket shut
up the front. The sand was leveled, the
blankets spread. Our house was furnished.
Six cans supported a lard pail cover and an
old dish pan: our stove.

That night our supper was eaten with a
flaming sunset in the beyond, the surf and
spray lashing the sands. Jim Hunter came to
call on us, a gentle and hospitable fellow. If
it rained in the night we were to walk right
into his house; his potato patch was quite
at our disposal. During the day his little
motherless girls never tired of watching us —
if they were not in plain sight, they were flat
on their stomachs, hidden by banks and brush.

The Makah Indians are particularly skill-
ful in handling their canoes, many of which
were pulled up on the beach, all beautifully
carved from a single log of cedar. To land
on a wave and escape drenching from the
succeeding one requires adroitness as well
as knowledge.

Next day, our lunch in a paper sack, we
walked westward to Chibahdehl rocks, islets
lying three miles to the east of Cape Flattery.
The furious waves and shattered spray ex-
cited us. Flocks of sandpipers ran up and
down the beach, Indian boys among them
with slingshots. Hawks and bald-headed
eagles circled above us. A crane flopped

just ahead, stopping every few yards to blink
a wary eye. The beach and rocks were
bestrewn with the loveliest sea-weeds, soft red
ones, finely dissected, being the most conspic-
uous.

The following day we again set out —
Waatch Beach to the southwest our destina-
tion. We walked through beautiful forests —
all the vegetation of great dimensions — the
lovely evergreen huskleberry, V actinium ova-
tum, heavy with leafage and very tall; the
salal, Gaultheria shallon, as tall as trees; the
sword fern, Polystichum munitum, in lux-
uriant rosettes; the deer fern, Strut hiopteris
spicant, taller than our little five-year-old
who pointed the way or followed in our wake.
The Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga taxijolia, is not
the most common tree in this region. The
cedar, Thuja plicata, is scarce. The Makahs
have bought many of their canoe logs from
their brothers on Vancouver Island. These
trees are replaced by extensive forests of soft
green hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla; dusky
shore pines, Pinus contorta, and the frosted
tideland spruce, Picea sitchensis. The great
leathery polypod, Poly podium scouleri, a rela-
tive of the licorice fern, grows here and never
away from moisture ladened air. Colonies
of them are safely lodged and have their
being on the leaf mould and debris caught
in the crotches of trees.

The road rises gently for two miles and
then drops rapidly to a salt marsh — Waatch
Slough. Ages ago this was a strait, separat-
ing Cape Flattery from the mainland. The
ancient shore line is evinced by banks of
buried clam shells, exposed by a cut in the
road. We crossed the slough on a swaying
rickety bridge of logs and jumped across the
mud on poles. And then the ocean. We
could hear its boom long before we caught
sight of it, a lovely gray green, an inevitable
series of four great white waves, breaking
into lace of white foam at our feet. We
ran up and down the glittering sand, poking
into the heaps of seaweed.

We were so thrilled by this small expedi-
tion that we decided to walk down the coast
till we should tire of it. Our baggage had to

Twenty-Two

be cut. It took much conversation to de-
cide what was necessary and what was not,
what food would serve us and so on. A wool
blanket and comforter were whipped together
to make a sleeping bag; an ax and knife, a
map, compass and a frying pan were deemed
indispensables.

Taking the woods road we had traversed
before, we crossed the glittering beach and
came to the Suez River, or Sooes as the
Indians call it. This must needs be forded.
The water reached far beyond what we had
expected — swirled about us and tugged rough-
ly at us. Finally over, we proceeded on our
way to Portage Head, a rocky promontory
extending far into the green water and by
nightfall reached the Point of the Arches, our
five-year old much wearied by the sustained
effort of the 12-mile jaunt. Here we spent
the night at the first homestead we encoun-
tered on the west coast. The cabin was set
upon the shelf just back of high tide line,
sheltered from the southwest winds by the
high wall of the Arches. At the back were
deep forests and in front the wild water. Now
and again a salmon splashed out of the
waves; a school of whales cavorted in the dis-
tance; sea gulls swooped and screamed over
their food; sandpipers scurried about just be-
yond reach of the waters. The miles and
stress forgotten, our child frisked and capered
about in utter abandonment and with all the
zest of the very young. The tide pools at the
base of the rocks teemed with life, seaweeds
lined them, small crustaceans, fish, starfish,
sea-urchins had been left there by the reced-
ing tide. At the foot of the cliffs, continu-
ally washed by waves, were beautiful colonies
of palm-like seaweed, Postelsia palmaejormis,
as brown and supple as a South Sea islander’s
body, — bending, relaxed, never breaking, safe-
ly bound by the powerful holdfast. Between
us and the golden ball that was the setting
sun was an occasional steamer, small and in-
significant in the distance.

Our next day’s journey was a difficult one
— up one high boulder and down another till
every muscle ached. On near-by islets we
could see the logs come suddenly to life, flop

and roll into the water — not one or two, but a
hundred, perhaps many more. The seals
had been sunning themselves.

By afternoon we had reached the Ozette
River, a short and sluggish stream, of some
four miles, which drains Lake Ozette. We
followed this canal, sometimes in the open
and sometimes through a tunnel of black-
berried salal. Dark blue huckleberries, V ac-
tinium ovalifolium, large, juicy, and acid,
afforded us a pleasant afternoon refreshment.
Later in the twilight, stars and moon high
above us, we crossed a little peat bog, the
ground soft and springy underfoot, carpeted
with peat moss, Sphagnum, and glistening red
sundew, Drosera rotundifolia. The silvery
white flowers of the bunchberry, Cornus can-
adensis, gleamed among them. All about
were tall trees. It was lovely, restful after
our strenuous day. A little later we emerged
into the clearing of a farm place on the border
of Lake Ozette. None too glad of strangers,
the farmer yet led us to the bam and a soft
bed in the hay.

By morning the atmosphere had warmed
and we were invited to a breakfast of sour
milk pancakes. We engaged the 16-year-old
son of the house to row us to the head of the
lake, a distance of some eight miles, where
he had never yet adventured. We had been
told of an old trail to the beach at this end
of the lake. Finding no trace of it in the
marshland and jungle we had reached, we
were forced to turn back three miles where
we had seen a narrow pathway to the west.
All about were bear tracks and traces. We
ruminated upon vrhat a bear might do if he
came suddenly upon an interloper in his own
single-file trail! We finally arrived at the
beach and built a shelter for the night out of
logs and driftwood. To this place came a
small mammal in the night and mistaking a
toe for the food bag, roused us thoroughly.

The next day was uneventful. In a late
afternoon drizzle we took shelter in a miner’s
abandoned cabin and spent the night there.
In the morning, caught by the tide, lashing
and beating against the rocks of Cape John-
son, we were forced to climb up the steep

Twenty-Three

side of the promontory and over and descend-
ed to a wide strip of beach, piled with
bleached logs, ghosts of other times. By after-
noon we reached the Indian village of La
Push, clustered about the mouth of the Quil-
layute River. It was with a great deal of
pleasure that we boarded a real Indian dugout
and were paddled some two miles to Mora
where we rested in the sun and ate real food.
Our last lap took us through giant timber to
the northeast and at Clallam we took the first
boat homeward bound. Our first excursion to
the Olympic Peninsula was ended.

i 1 i

Letters To The Editor

THE following is an excerpt from a letter
from Mr. W. H. Warren, Superintendent
of Parks, Victoria, B. C.

“I am afraid I have not anything to con-
tribute myself, except the solution of a prob-
lem which has been troubling us for a long
time — pear thrip injury on crabs and cherries.
Lemoine and other purple flowering crabs
had the appearance of severe frost or wind
injury just as the buds were emerging in the
spring. It crisped the tender new growth,
often killing the buds outright, and the tree
too, in a very short time. The same thing oc-
curred with subhirtella cherries and the loss
was very severe with grafts or cuttings. Our
local entomologist states the loss is more
severe on heavy soil and advises spraying
with nicotine sulphate and an oil emulsion.
For dilution and application dates I would
suggest contact with your district entomolo-
gist, if this pest is troublesome.”

1 i 1

At this time of year the following recom-
mendation for the control of the leaf miner
on holly is timely. Pick off and burn infested
leaves and spray with ^2 pint of nicotine
sulphate (Black Leaf 40) and two quarts of
white summer oil in 50 gallons of water.
Spraying should be done at weekly intervals
for six weeks, beginning about May 10.

iii

Daphnes enjoy a light shade, although they
can endure more sun if the soil is cool.

Observations On The Flowering
of Rhododendrons
Herbert G. Ihrig

ONE frequently encounters such questions
as “Why do not my rhododendrons
bloom” or, “My plant blossomed beautifully
last year but does not have a single bud this
year; what is the matter?”

I wish I knew the answer but am afraid
that only a plant biologist, after long study
of your plant and its environment, could
really tell you. I have, however, observed
certain factors which have aided me in se-
curing a greater continuity of bloom and
while these things may or may not be of help
to others they should at least give you a
basis on which to experiment.

It should be understood at the start that
most of the rhododendron species, and seed-
lings, take a number of years to mature suf-
ficiently to produce bloom. Grafted plants
blossom much earlier but there are matters
of inheritance and other factors which in-
fluence their flowering age. I will leave these
complicated details to the scientist and enum-
erate only the simple things which I have
done and which are easy to do.

The first is the subject of light. We are
so frequently cautioned about shade or ad-
vised to plant on the north side of the house,
that we often lose the proper perspective of
light as a factor in plant growth. Rhododen-
drons, contrary to the general opinion, are
not primarily shade plants. Some do require
a measure of shade, others will prosper in a
completely shady location where many other
plants will not thrive, but rhododendrons re-
quire LIGHT if we are to have successful
flowerings. This light can be broken at
intervals by shade or filtered by leaves and
branches; the plants may grow well against
a north wall where little or no direct sun-
light reaches them but where they receive
plently of north light. In fact such conditions
are ideal, but this does not change the basic
essential to have a reasonable quantity of
flowers you must have light and plenty of it.

Rhododendrons are generally open wood-
land, coppice, or alpine plants and where

Twenty-Four

they are native to rain forests they are not
undercover plants but part of the forest
where they grow to great heights, in competi-
tion with other trees, in an endeavor to gain
light.

Many early plantings in the Pacific North-
west were made along forest drives or where
the plants were otherwise shaded by heavy
overhanging branches. While these generally
grew luxuriantly the flower crop was mostly
unsatisfactory. In fact the flowers which did
bloom were usually found around the edges of
the planting or in fairly open spaces where
they received strong light from the sky or
some direct sunlight.

I often think that we over-emphasize the
matter of shade for, while many varieties of
rhododendrons do require some protection
from the sun, it would be much better if we
spoke of this protection as broken sunlight
instead of shade, or dappled sunlight as the
English often speak of it. All plants in an
open, well lighted area will bloom at a much
earlier age and more freely than in a shadier
place. While their height may not be as
great when planted in the open, they will
usually shape up better. Plants like R. cilia-
tum and many others make tall leggy growth
in the shade but in an open location remain
low and flower profusely. In such open loca-
tions many varieties can be used as rock
garden plants. I could mention a number of
species which have reacted this way with
me.

The old adage “the larger the leaf the
more shade required” still holds good, but
your degree of shade is vitally important and
with such deciduous varieties as R. mucronu-
latum a light, open location is an essential. I
have several of these plants in a shady loca-
tion and they never have enough flowers to
be worth growing but others in an open,
light area have flowered beautifully.

Soil I shall also leave to the scientist ex-
cepting for one ingredient — potash. Most
northern soils are deficient in this essential
element and I have frequently treated slow
bloomers with a special dose of potash. My
plants have always increased their bloom af-

ter such a treatment but whether this is the
reason I will again leave to the scientist. All
well balanced rhododendron fertilizers con-
tain a higher available content of potash than
any other ingredient so I believe it is safe
to assume that in my case there was a soil
deficiency which retarded flowering and
which potash corrected.

Where plants blossom in alternate years
or when bloom is scanty in occasional years
this might be accounted for by the excessive
energy expended in producing the blossoms
and in the subsequent formation of seed pods.
It is a proven fact that some species will kill
themselves by overblooming unless the flow-
ers are nipped off after blossoming so as to
prevent the formation of seeds. It can be as-
sumed therefore that the removal of withered
flowers will save any plant considerable en-
ergy which might thereby be released for the
development of flower buds. But even this is
not sufficient for some varieties as the new
wood which springs from the buds near the
flower base sometimes does not seem to ma-
ture in time to produce flower buds. Those
flower buds which do appear on such a plant
are usually on trusses which carried no flow-
ers that year.

Working on this theory I disbud some
flower buds before they fully mature and try
to leave every alternate truss free to ripen
new wood and flower buds. Whether this
theory is correct I do not know but it does
give me a better continuity of blooms than
otherwise. It also has the advantage of de-
veloping better flowers on the trusses which
are left than would be the case if all buds
were permitted to flower.

In none of these statements can one be
dogmatic. There just isn’t any rule which
I have found that is applicable to any but
an individual plant or species. Some plants
blossom profusely every year whether dis-
budded or not, others with the most careful
disbudding still make their finest displays
on alternate years.

The interrelation between light, soil, vege-
tative growth, and flower production is ap-
parently so delicately balanced that we must

Twenty-Five

wait for further scientific observation and
study by trained physiologists before we can
do more than continue our trial and error
method.

To sum up my experience I would say that
the chief essentials which we amateurs can
do anything about are (a) plenty of light,
(b) a satisfactory potash content in the soil
and (c) disbudding and removal of withered
flowers. The whys and wherefores are for
more scientific minds than mine but for all
who wish to try such experiments as these,
there is an interesting trail of observation
before them.

i i i

Guard Camellias Against Weevil Attack

The strawberry weevil is one of the wost
enemies of camellias, according to J. G.
Bacher, Portland, Oregon.

The weevil feeds on camellias, rhododen-
drons, azaleas, primroses and many other
plants and even some weeds are eaten by them.

The beetle is about the size of a garden
pea and a dirty brown color. Since it feeds
only at night and is seldom seen in the day-
light, look for it with a flashlight. It feeds
a month or two and then lays eggs at the
base of the plant that has produced its food.
The maggots work below the surface of the
ground and around the base of the plant. Sud-
denly the plant dies and if you look you will
find the bark has been peeled from the base.

Apparently the eggs do not all hatch at once.
Some seem to hatch late in summer and come
out in the winter season.

The simplest way to eliminate them, ac-
cording to Mr. Bacher, is to spray with
arsenate of lead when the bush is through
blooming. One or two sprayings at night
should be enough.

“For the protection of camellias and other
valuable plants there is wisdom in planting a
catchcrop to draw weevils away from them,”
said Mr. Bacher. “Primroses, saxifrage or
other minor plants serve quite well to attract
the weevil.”

— (From the Garden Magazine section of
the Portland, Oregon, Journal)

Ginkgo Petrified Forest
William G. Weigle

THE State of Washington has many areas
of special interest which have been set
aside as state parks for the purpose of pre-
serving for the present and future genera-
tions the scenic, historical, geological, arch-
aeological and recreational value as repre-
sented by each. These areas are cared for
by the state and the public is invited to
use them for mental and physical recreation.

The Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park is
located on both sides of the Sunset Highway
about thirty miles east of Ellensburg, Wash-
ington, along the west bank of the Columbia
River and comprises an area of approximately
6,500 acres. When this barren tract was first
discovered to contain petrified logs only about
half of the area was then owned by the state
and the remainder was privately owned. The
whole area was classified as grazing land.
Lying as it does in a region of very low an-
nual precipitation, and being entirely free of
tree growth and too hilly for irrigation, it
was therefore considered to be of very low
value. Although the owner of the private
land which was adjacent to and interspersed
with the state land was familiar with the fact
that his land contained petrified logs, he was
sufficiently public spirited to want the state
to own it and when he was approached by
the State Park Committee he was willing to
sell at a very low price or trade acre for acre
with the state for similar appearing land.
As a result a trade was arranged acre for acre,
even though the land received by the state
was much more valuable than that given in
exchange. Certain campaign literature be-
littled the trade as a poor investment but
on the contrary, it was very good business
for the state, not only financially but from
the fact that the petrified forest area as above
described is now all state land and may be
protected for the benefit of the public for
all time.

The Ginkgo petrified forest lies within the
zone of the numerous great lava flows that
occurred many thousands of years ago during
the moicene period of the Cenozoic era, and

Twenty-Six

the area covered with lava now comprises
what is known as the Columbia Plateau. Ac-
cording to Otis W. Freeman of the Central
Teachers College of Cheney, Washington, the
plateau covers more than 100,000 square
miles in' eastern Washington, Oregon, south-
ern Idaho and northern Nevada and Califor-
nia. This section is covered by many layers
of volcanic rock of varying thicknesses and
geologists are agreed in that most of the
molten lava flowed from fissures or crevises
developed at various places throughout the
area and that these several flows occurred
at intervals sometimes of thousands of years.
Some intervals gave sufficient time for the
disintegration of the volcanic rock and the
formation of soil of sufficient depth to sup-
port dense forests that would in turn be de-
stroyed by the next flow.

It was upon the soil formed on one of these
flows of lava that there was produced what
must have been a magnificent forest from
which came the ponderous logs now repre-
sented in the Ginkgo petrified forest. Each
lava flow produced an irregular surface. Arms
of lava would cross, water courses would be
dammed and many lakes thereby formed.
The characteristic formation showing the bot-
tom of one of these lakes is evident in a large
cut on the Sunset Highway within the Ginkgo
petrified forest about three quarters of a mile
west of the Vantage bridge. These lake bot-
toms invariably contain fossils representing
both animal and vegetable life. In this par-
ticular location there are fossil leaves of both
coniferous and broadleaved species such as
are represented in the petrified logs in the
Ginkgo forest.

Petrified logs are rather common through-
out the world but you seldom find large quan-
tities in one place and even then only one
or a few species will be represented.

The Gingko petrified forest is unique in
possessing a large number of logs and also a
large variety of species. Dr. George F. Beck
of the Ellensburg Teachers’ College was
largely responsible for calling the attention
of the state to this remarkable collection of
petrified logs. Inasmuch as the Ginkgo or

Maidenhair Tree was so outstanding because
of its association with sacred grounds in
China and the Orient it was decided to use
it (Ginkgo) to represent the name of the
tract. This in spite of the fact that the Gink-
go petrified logs are not too plentiful there.
The name, however, stood out with sufficient
glamor to justify its use in designating the
area.

Dr. Beck made a close study of the many
species represented and found one or more
varieties each of maple, oak, walnut, elm,
tulip, beech, chestnut, sycamore, sassafras,
magnolia, poplar, birch, laurel, gum, hickory,
plum, fig, crabapple, cypress and many other
broadleaved species, some of which have not
been identified. Of the coniferous types there
were spruce, fir, and pine, more than fifty
species in all. The Sequoia varieties common
in most petrified forests have not been found
within the area but they do appear nearby.

The petrified logs apparently are embedded
at various angles in shattered lava rock, but
invariably they lean in a southerly direction
indicating that they were brought into a
lake at that point by flood waters from the
north and covered by silt prior to being over-
laid by the flow of lava. The lake was prob-
ably eliminated at that time and conditions
were made favorable for petrifaction. Water,
percolating through the lava and gravel,
picked up minerals such as silicon which in
turn infiltrated the wood to replace the latter
with stone.

Petrified woods vary greatly depending
upon the combinations of minerals precipi-
tated, and their affinity for each other. The
petrified logs in the Ginkgo forest vary great-
ly. Some portions of a log may be beautifully
colored agate while other portions are beau-
tifully colored opal but much softer than the
agate. The process of petrifaction takes
place so gradually that the infiltration of the
mineral displaces the wood without changing
the appearance of the annual rings, medullary
rays or other characteristics of the wood.

Many of the logs in the Ginkgo petrified
forest contain a high percentage of soft ma-
terial and do not withstand weathering as well

Twenty-Seven

as those which are harder. When the area
was first examined very few of the logs were
exposed. Those that were found on the sur-
face at that time were composed chiefly of
agate and did not deteriorate, but many of
those that were uncovered later to be placed
on exhibition showed signs of decomposition
in a few months.

In walking over the area you can locate
buried logs easily even though they may be
several feet under ground. The surface of
the soil above them has a yellowish appear-
ance which, upon close examination, is found
to be caused by their disintegration. The logs
may be anywhere from a few inches to a foot
or more underneath the surface.

It is interesting to compare our area with
the petrified forest of eastern Arizona. In the
Ginkgo forest the logs appear to be embedded
in shattered lava rock while in Arizona they
are found in the gravel of mesas, becoming
exposed by the action of wind and rain,
chiefly wind. As the gravel is gradually
eroded away from the petrified log it sticks
out of a perpendicular gravel cliff like a
cannon. When several feet of the log becomes
exposed the weight of the exposed part breaks
it off and the section rolls down to a more
level plain where thousands of acres are lit-
erally covered with millions of tons of short
lengths. Some full sized trees and stumps of
highly colored agate upon which the weather
has little or no effect, are found intact, how-
ever. The Arizona forest is represented by a
few species only, chiefly of the sequoia and
oak type.

Occasionally petrified stumps and sections
of trees remain upright in their original
places. A notable example of this is found
in central Montana north of the Yellowstone
Park. No stumps in place have been found
in our Ginkgo forest but on the shore of Blue
Lake a few miles north of it there is a cave
between two lava flows where there is an up-
right mold of a very large tree in the lava.

Petrified logs and fossil leaves representing
species similar to those found in the Ginkgo
forest have been located, in lesser numbers,
in many places throughout the Inland Em-

pire indicating that this region contained
both hardwood and coniferous forests with
trees of huge size.

To produce hardwood trees such as those
that are represented in the Ginkgo forest, re-
quired a deep, fertile soil with a much moister
and a somewhat warmer climate than we
have at the present time. We do not think
of Douglas fir and walnut growing in the
same forest since their soil requirements are
very different, yet in the Ginkgo forest a
petrified log of Douglas fir and one of black
walnut, each approximately five feet in di-
ameter, lie side by side. Geologists tell us that
these trees thrived during the miocene and
pliocene periods of the Cenozoic era. This
was before the moisture was shut out from
the Columbia plateau by the gradual up-
heaval of the Cascade Mountains.

Petrified wood in the form of agate or
obsidian was in much demand by the In-
dians for making arrows and stone tools.
When polished it is very beautiful and is
rather extensively used in making trinkets,
book ends, etc. The volume of trade in the
trinket shops along the highways is quite sur-
prising.

While the petrified logs may be considered
the chief interest of the Ginkgo forest, there
are also Indian artifacts found near the Van-
tage bridge, and the pictographs carved on
the face of the rocks along the Columbia and
Snake Rivers, which are major attractions,
too. One of the finest displays of pictographs
along the Columbia is found within the forest
on the west bank of the Columbia about one
mile north of the Vantage bridge. The mean-
ing of these carvings has never been deciph-
ered. The Indians have no information con-
cerning them. Therefore, it is quite prob-
able that they were inscribed by people in-
habiting the region prior to the coming of the
American Indian.

/ i 1

For the first time in many years there
seems to be taking place a natural increase
among a number of native flowers in the Ar-
boretum. The native trillium, for example, is
gradually extending itself.

T icenty-Eight

WHERE THE MADRONA BLOOMS
(Continued, from Page Four)

. . in the next Expedition others (clothes)
were given him on Condition that those that
retained the Smell should be thrown away. .
These are records of small happenings but
they are of a sort which do much to give a
vivid picture of day by day life of the expe-
dition.

When the little mail boat from Anacortes
brought us to Cypress Island we found the
scene much as the journals had pictured it:
the little bay with Strawberry Island just
outside, a sandy beach with low marshy land
behind, and rising ground behind the marsh.
And there was a strip of soil where, in 1792,
the sailors from the Chatham had eagerly
picked the fresh strawberries.

We had chartered the boat and so had no
set schedule. We leisurely photographed the
bay and shore, then walked into the woods
and found the Rocky Mountain juniper,15
the western yew16 and the western birch.17
Late in the afternoon the boat took us through
Pea Vine Pass before returning. Mount
Baker afforded a splendid view and we took
colored movies while the summit was in bril-
liant sunshine and the shadows were beginning
to gather around the base.

It is proper at this time to consider the
balance of the expedition’s activities in the
San Juan Islands. Three exploring trips were
made; nevertheless, the results were incon-
clusive enough to make Vancouver deplore the
lack of leisure necessary for the correct
examination of these numerous islands.

Many of his perplexities might have been
resolved had he surveyed the islands as we did
from the 2,400-foot summit of Mount Con-
stitution. With field glasses, and with a chart
oriented before us, we painstakingly located
the various islands, then followed the three
exploring parties over the routes which we
had previously plotted on the chart. We left
at sundown feeling that, at last, we had a

16 Juniperus scopulorum Sarg. This is the tree
which Vancouver referred to as “upright cypress.”

14 Taxus brevifolia Nutt. Vancouver calls it common
yew.

17 Betula occidentals Hook.

good working knowledge of the geography of
the archipelago.

I obtained a more intimate view of the
region by excursions in my single-seated fold-
boat, making one trip from Orcas to Sucia
Island, an interesting island in the group
where Menzies stopped, then skirting both
the east and west shore of Orcas Island into
East Sound and ending at the very front door
of our cottage. These routes crossed and
paralleled much of the territory covered by
the expedition. We wound up by taking
pictures of the flowers and the marsh at North
Beach where Menzies strolled and watched
a group of friendly Indians as they gathered
reeds for mats.

The ships reached Birch Bay, the fifth and
last basing point in American waters, on June
11. On the next day Captain Vancouver left
with three boats to examine the coast to the
north. On the 13th, Mr. Whidbey set out to
explore the small opening which they . .
had passed on the morning of the 11th. . .”

Birch Bay is one of the places where Men-
zies’ footsteps are easily followed. We found
hundreds of the “. . . new species of Allium18
from six to ten inches high. . .” which “. . .
bore a beautiful number of pink colourd
flowers. . . .” Nearby was the death camas,
a plant “. . . which had a thick set spike of
pale green colourd flowers & appeared to be a
new species of Melanthium.19 “White20 &
trembling poplars”21 were common and so was
the “. . . black Birch . . .” from which “. . .
the place afterwards obtained the name of
Birch Bay.”

But most striking of all was the display of
mock orange wrhich Menzies described as “. . .
that beautiful Shrub the Philadelphus Coro-
narius22 which I had not met with before in
any other part of this Country . . .” Hundreds
of bushes were in bloom about us and on
each of them the blossoms were as perfect
as if they had been hothouse blooms held
back for the occasion.

18 Allium cernuum Roth.

16 Zygadenus venenosus Wats.

20 Populus trichocarpa Torr. & Gray.

21 Populus tremuloides Michx., var. vancouveriana
(Trel.) Sarg.

22 Philadelphus Gordonianus Lindl.

Twenty-Nine

There were many places for us to visit from
Birch Bay: Whidbey’s route to the Belling-
ham area; Semiahmoo and Boundary Bay,
examined by Vancouver on his way north,
and Cape Roberts, named by him, and also
interesting because it is a part of the United
States which can be reached by land only by
first entering Canada.

Vancouver and Whidbey returned June 23,
after a trip of 12 days. Preparations for
sailing were made immediately for their
work in this area was finished. And so was
our undertaking: Birch Bay was the last port
of call in our retracing of the expedition’s
route. Early the next morning the ships

. . both weighd & with a moderate breeze
from the Eastward soon passed Cape Rob-
erts and stood up the great North West
Arm.”

1 i 1

LILACS

(Continued from Page Eight)
flowers like hyacinth blooms. Hence the
common name of “hyacinthiflora” The
color is an intense pink and the truss loose
and graceful.

Another good one is Lamartine.

For those who plan large plantings, they
should avail themselves of the booklet “Lilacs
for America” published by The Arthur Hoyt
Scott Horticultural Foundation, Swarthmore,
Penn., for the charge of $1.00 — a worthwhile
symposium.

Planting Instructions

Plant your lilacs in any good garden loam
that is well drained. They resent wet feet.
Pack the soil firmly (emphasis on the firmly).

Lilacs should be placed in the open as far
as possible; never in the shade or close to
trees.

For best results plant 10 to 15 feet apart to
allow for natural spread, air circulation,
proper cultivation and admittance of sunshine.

Plant 3-5 feet apart for hedges; 6-10 feet
for borders; and 10-15 feet for specimens.

Own rooted plants should be planted at
approximately the same or slightly lower
depth than they were in the nursery. Deep

planting recommended by many growers
should apply only to grafted stock.

When unpacking new plants, protect them
from the wind, sun or frost until planted.
It is good to submerge in containers of water
or wrap in wet sacks. Failure of the above
may result in very slow growth or death of an
otherwise healthy bush.

Own Rooted Versus Grafted Plants

From personal experience in growing lilacs,
I favor own-rooted plants. Although slow in
their growth they are long-lived and become
more beautiful each year, whereas lilacs
grafted on privet and planted deep some-
times get on their own roots; however in
many cases they do not. Grafted plants
tend to grow very rapidly the first two or
three years, then they often begin to fail;
blossoming ceases, the leaves wilt and turn
yellowish. No amount of watering will bring
the affected lilac back for the trouble (known
as privet graft blight) is due to an insuffi-
cient root system. The plant is slowly dying
of starvation.

Soil Condition

Lilacs do not like a very sour soil. If your
soil is too acid, work in a little hydrated lime,
but do not overdo this or your bushes will
show a stunted leaf and blossom. Soils differ
so much in composition that it is impossible to
recommend any specific amount of lime to
use. The pH required for lilacs is 7.0 to 7.5.
A pH test below 7.0 indicates acidity, above
7.0 indicates alkalinity. If you are in doubt,
send a sample to your State Department of
Agriculture for an analysis.

Fertilizing

It is well to mulch the plant in the fall
with a good manure, if available, and dig
it in in the spring, but not too deeply. Lilacs
send out many small surface feeder roots that
should be disturbed as little as possible when
spading.

Every few years apply a good coat of bone-
meal.

Curling and yellowing of the leaves is usual-
ly a sign of soil depletion. In this case
apply a complete fertilizer. Select one that
has a high phosphorous content in relation to

Thirty

nitrogen. Nitrogen induces too much wood.
A proper balance would be: 4 per cent nitro-
gen; 16 per cent potash and 4 per cent phos-
phoric acid.

- Cultivation

After digging around each plant in the
spring, the ground should be worked con-
tinually to keep the weeds down and the soil
open. The more cultivation the better, but
particularly in the spring months.

When cultivating, be careful not to dig deep
enough to cut or mutilate roots, as this will
cause the development of more suckers in
addition to destroying the feeder roots.

First Year Growing Caution

The newly planted lilac often acts as
though it were going to die, even after it
has made a good start the first spring. The
leaves suddenly stop growing, turn limp, and
the bush looks as though it were dying. As
a rule, there is no cause for alarm. Give the
plant a good thorough soaking of water, then
keep it well watered the balance of the season.
The next spring remove any dead wood and
your lilac will come along all right.

Remember that lilacs want to live and
bloom for a hundred years and do not recover
immediately from the shock of transplanting.
Do not expect blooms, if any, true to color
or size the first season.

Suckering

Don’t let your lilacs sucker too freely.
When much growth appears at the base of
own-rooted plants, remove all but a few
strong stems. It is sometimes advisable to
let an occasional new stem grow to take
care of possible losses of old wood. On own-
rooted stock it is well to remember that all
suckers are typical of the parent plant in
every way.

Grafted bushes should be watched after
new growth starts, for the formation of
suckers below the graft. These should be
removed at once as they are apt to destroy
an otherwise good bush.

Pruning

This is usually not necessary at first unless
the top is too heavy and thick for a weak root
system. It prefers to be left alone while it

struggles to become adjusted to the new
surroundings. After about three years and
each year thereafter, if you want large blooms
on your French hybrids, you should start to
prune out some of the old wood to within a
foot or so from the ground. Strong new
shoots will keep the bush rejuvenated. Pruning
is best done when the leaves have fallen and
full visibility may be had.

On grafted plants the main trunk must
not be removed. To my way of thinking,
this is one of the most serious faults with a
grafted plant, for if any disaster should af-
fect the main trunk, your lilac bush is through
for there is nothing to rejuvenate on.

Another very necessary cutting is done just
after the flowers fade. It is then time to
remove the would-be seed pods which are
drawing most of the plant’s strength. Clip
off the blossom stem with care so as not to
injure the new wood around it, for that will
carry next year’s display.

Heavy yearly pruning may be done to off-
set close planting. This makes for larger
blooms but at a sacrifice of quantity of
blooms.

It is, therefore, well to remember the neces-
sity of proper pruning for the largest blooms
are, at all times, produced on vigorous young
wood. A bush, which due to lack of atten-
tion, becomes a tangled mass of twigs and
branches, dead wood and suckers will not and
cannot produce satisfactory flowers, nor will
one that is held to some arbitrary heighth by
lopping the ends off of long limbs.

Pests

Lilacs fortunately are not subject to many
pests and diseases, if well cared for by proper
cultivation, fertilization and removal of old,
damaged and diseased wood.

Natural enemies, the worst of which are, in
the order of their importance: borer, scale,
powdery mildew (in extra damp seasons).
Here are some brief notes to help you under-
stand, detect, and combat them.

Lilac borer. A clear winged, wasp-like moth.
Pupation takes place in spring, usually in
May. Deposits eggs on roughened spots on
the bark. The larvae on hatching enter the

Thirty-One

bark and feed on the inner sap wood, tunnel-
ing under the bark and sometimes nearly or
completely girdling the limb. This cuts off
the flow of sap, causing wilting of the foliage.

Infestation may be detected by a wet foamy
deposit, at point of entry and later by a
deposit of chewings like sawdust.

Dig out with a wire or knife, or insert a
small piece of cotton into the hole, soaked in
carbon bisulphide. Then stop up the hole
with grafting wax which is better than any
other material.

Scale. Infestation may occur as with any
fruit tree, etc. These may be killed by a
dormant oil spray or lime and sulphur.

Powdery Mildew, a fungus disease, will be
found only in an unusually damp, cool season.
Use copper sulphate spray or powder.

Leaf-tying Caterpillars. These are common
in the Pacific Northwest. Eggs are laid by a
moth under the leaf surface. Upon hatching
the larvae begin to roll up the leaves, fasten-
ing them on the outside with threads of web.
Here they remain until grown and finally
let themselves down to earth by thread-like
webs.

There may be three generations — one in
April or May — one in August — one in Sep-
tember. The best prevention is constant
cultivation and squeezing of curled leaves.

Don’t be frightened by pests that may in-
fest your lilacs, just keep awake.

Things to Remember

Lilacs are tough and stand much neglect
and abuse, but even so, good gardeners will
want to treat them well.

I beg of you, therefore, to give them what
they like:

1. Good well-drained soil.

2. Full exposure to sun.

3. Plenty of space.

4. Yearly, liberal feedings.

6. Occasional liming of your soil if acid.

6. Remove all excessive suckering.

7. Cultivate well but not too deeply.

8. Cut off all faded blooms, just below the
truss, immediately after flowering.

9. Remember that large blooms are at all
times produced on vigorous young wood.

10. Avoid lopping off the ends of long limbs
but prune only to keep the plant open
and shapely.

i 1 i

Memorial Planting for
Mrs. George Williams

in)LANS for the camellia planting, which
^ will be made at the Arboretum this fall in
honor of Mrs. Williams, are progressing nice-
ly. The Foundation’s committee has chosen
a beautiful site within the camellia section
and Mr. Otto E. Holmdahl is now working
on the detailed plans. The bulk of the plant-
ing will consist of the camellias which Mrs.
Williams and her amateur gardeners propa-
gated themselves. But these are all young
plants and are not large enough, therefore, to
give the immediate effect that is desired in
this area. Furthermore the committee has
had no success in locating large specimens in
local nurseries. Therefore, if any member
knows of large plants which can be purchased .
or, if you have specimen plants in your own
grounds which you would be willing to sell
or donate for this purpose, please send the
information at once to Mrs. Ida Schibig, sec-
retary, Arboretum Foundation, 516 Medical
Arts Bldg., Seattle 1, Washington.

i 1 i

Ginkgo Biloba At The Arboretum

DURING the past five years the Arbore-
tum has received three separate lots of
young trees of Ginkgo biloba. The 24 trees
thus procured have been planted near and
over the top of the knoll in the pinetum which
overlooks the boulevard. In that setting they
bid fair to add a note of special interest after
a proper chance to reach a larger size.

The species is particularly appropriate for
our arboretum since it grew in comparative
abundance in Central Washington in ancient
times (see Mr. Weigle’s article in this issue.)

As an ornamental tree Ginkgo biloba has
several fine qualities to commend it. The
stature of established, vigorous plants is defi-
nite, cleancut, and upright. Although it is a
conifer, the leaves are markedly broad, ex-
panded, and fan-shaped.

Thirty-Two

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THE ARBORETUM BULLETIN
Published by the
Arboretum Foundation

516 Medical Arts Bldg. ] B'j2 PARKS IDE DR.

Seattle 1, Washington SEATTLE, WASH.

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