regions it is common to have the plants half covered with fruits until late winter. In color the fruits vary from red through yellow-orange to white. As commonly grown the plant is only 5 or 6 feet high, but some forms may become 10 feet under proper management.

This list by no means exhausts the possibilities in the genus Opuntia which includes the prickly pears and cane cacti. Indeed, it is to be understood that very desirable things have been necessarily omitted entirely. My purpose has been to call attention to some of the important decorative features of the genus Opuntia alone. The other cactus genera which are of even greater importance in some respects in decorative features are purposely not considered. In any list of prickly pears or other cacti recommended for decorative uses, if it be of practical application, availability has to be taken into consideration. This leads to another point of vital importance.

There is today little opportunity in a trade sense of securing propagating material of prickly pears. There are a number of people who undertake to supply species growing locally, but almost none in this country maintaining horticultural collections of any note. The collections which are maintained are in either private or public parks. The elements of these collections have been brought together through long years of effort and are from various sources. These institutions are, of course, limited in both facilities and desires to supply public needs except in so far as they are able to exchange plants. An effort has consequently been made to give in more or less detail the natural habitat of the different items for convenience of collectors and others who may desire to secure the plants.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT

OF AGRICULTURE

*

Reprinted by permission of the Board of Governors of the Newport Garden Club.

Hopedene

Newport, Rhode Island

AUTUMN NOTES

*

HE Nerines (see Johnson's Gardener's Dictionary) have flowered well and been charming this year. N. Fothergillii is the finest colour, but all are most useful autumn bulbs, and last a long time in water. They are easily managed, and like many cape bulbs, flower

before the leaves are produced. During the growing of the leaves they must be carefully attended to and watered; and even now and then, a small dose of liquid manure does them. good. They are best not re-potted, except very rarely; and as the leaves die down they must be laid on their sides, and dried and well baked in the sun, just like the Freezias, only not shaken out and re-potted, as recommended for them. The bulbs, too, should be planted, like Vallotas or Hyacinths, well on the top of the pot. I never can understand why these very ornamental bulbs are not grown in larger quantities, especially as they increase and improve, instead of being almost useless, as is the case with the spring bulbs, after forcing.

A Cape family of small, very sweet-smelling shrubs called Diosma (see Johnson's Gardener's Dictionary) are well worth growing in fact, no greenhouse ought to be without some of them. Their charm is principally in their foliage and scent, as the flowers are insignificant. They are easily increased by cuttings in spring under a bell-glass. The growing of Cape plants is always interesting. Small Cape Aloes have charming pink flowers in spring, which last long in water, not unlike the Lachenalias (see catalogues), all of which are worth growing.

Leontis leonurus has not flowered out of doors with me this year at all, either in large pots or planted out in a bed. The * Garden of Mrs. E. H. G. Slater.