Discussion. 33 



For have I not been the victim, when I strove to be progressive; 

 have possessed little plants and long names? I know the wheat 

 and cheat grow together for some one to winnow. There are many 

 of our new additions that are truly valuable, worthy of all praise; 

 but do not let them crowd out the flowers of our childhood. I 

 would not see them forgotten, or have our children know them not. 

 The asters, lady slippers, four o'clocks (which all the little ones 

 love), the dainty sweet pea, mignonette, China pinks, scarlet lych- 

 nis, evening primrose, the modest, shade-loving nemophila, and — 

 shall I own it? — ragged robin, and many more which space for- 

 bids even mention. 



Phlox drummondi, though not as old as others, ought to be 

 highly prized, and found in every garden. To my taste, they are 

 more pleasing than verbenas; not visited by insects or disease, 

 coming into bloom when not more than two inches high, and bloom- 

 ing lonar after all else has succumbed to the frost. There is now 

 almost every shade of color; they look well anywhere, and the 

 blossoms, when cut and placed in water, remain fresh much longer 

 than those of any other flower. To you, lover of high-sounding 

 names, I bequeath all the variegatas, grandifloras , jlorapenas, etc., 

 but give me the sweetness and beauty of the good old flowers, for 

 there are times when, instinctively, we turn to the face of an 

 old flower, as to an old friend, for comfort and sympathy; the sight 

 and perfume of them bringing happy memories, like strains of 

 almost forgotten music, wafting one back to other days, when we 

 ran not after strange gods. 



Injurious Insects. — The question, "How to Secure the More 

 General Destruction of Injurious Insects," was then taken up. 



Mr. Stickney said, that for the currant worm, he had found white 

 hellebore very effectual. They had a number of acres set to cur- 

 rants and gooseberries, and before they discovered this remedy they 

 frequently lost their whole crop by these worms; thus suffering a 

 loss of at least $300 a year. Now they made an extensive use of 

 white hellebore. Last season they bought one hundred and fifty 

 pounds of it. It is good for the destruction of the rose slug and 

 other insects. They keep it done up, ready for use at any time when 

 the foe appears. The method of applying it found most conveni- 

 ent, is to put it into sacks made of double thickness of mosquito 

 3 — Hort. So. 



