254 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ing such wonderful effects with such a plant as the Alternanthera ; they are simply 

 indispensable for that purpose. 



Last fall, while on a visit to Ohio, beheld some exquisite work in bedding with 

 Alternantheras at Cedar Hill cemetery, Newark, Ohio, also some very elaborate 

 designs at Baltimore & Ohio raihoad depot at Newark, O.; they were beautiful 

 beyond description ; also a good deal of nice bedding of various kinds of plants at 

 all stations along the line of the B. & O. road. It was a surprise and pleasure to 

 me, and, no doubt, to many of the travelers, to see such nice tidy little flower gar- 

 dens kept by the so-called soulless corporations. Let the good work go on ; would 

 like to see other railroads do likewise. Last but not least of the bedders comes the 

 queen of autumn, the lovely and beautiful Chrysanthemum; a goodly number of 

 kinds are necessary in a well-regulated flower garden, for they give us such an 

 abundance of fine bloom at a time after Jack Frost has destroyed nearly all the 

 beauties of the garden that held sway in the warm days of summer. While the 

 Crysanthemum is not strictly a bedding plant, for they come so late in the sea- 

 son, but recently the improvements made give us some very tine kinds that come 

 into bloom in September, and thus it makes this flower more desirable for bedding. 

 To get the best results from the 'Mums they should be planted in a well-sheltered 

 place, facing south if to flower outside ; but the best plan is to take up and pot 

 about the middle of September to bloom in the house. 



As another fine plant for bedding, would mention the Astor, easily grown from 

 seed, and when massed give a grand effect. Our worthy President had a magnifi- 

 cent display last season, and he was justly proud of his success. I am afraid this 

 list is growing as long as a florist's catalogue. While a number of really deserving 

 things could be mentioned, the foregoing gives a good selection of bedding plants 

 that are beautiful, free-blooming, and easily grown by almost any one. 



Jos. KiRCHGBABER. 



Springfield, Mo., April 1, 1893. 



S. W. Gilbert — I have a bed of roses 12 or 14 feet in diameter; in 

 the center of this bed I sunk a kerosene barrel which fills with water 

 in a wet time to supply the plants in time of drouth. 



A HORTICULTURAL LIBRARY. 



L. A. GOODMAN. 



A library of this kind seems to be a necessity to anyone in this line of work, 

 just as much as a law library is to the lawyer. I mean by a library, not one of 

 those where every book must be read through from cover to cover, but one which 

 is not only to be read and studied, but which may be used for reference also. 



This library, or at least some of the leaves from it, should be in every library 

 in the land, and we would then not have so much nonsense about the growth of 

 plants and trees, as well as the kinds of trees that grow in our forests, line our 

 streets or dot oUr hillsides. A horticultural library should be in every public 

 library in the land, and some knowledge of flowers, fruits, vegetables and trees in- 

 stilled into the minds of our young people . A very close and select library should 

 be in every school-house in the land— one of at least three books: one on botany, 

 one on bugs, and one on fruits and flowers. 



But the best horticultural library in the land is found in the woods, in the or- 

 chards, in the gardens, in the nurseries, in the parks, in the green-houses, in nature ; 

 in fact, we want enough of this library studied, so that more of our people can tell 

 a peach from a cherry tree, a plum from an apple tree, and a pear from a chestnut. 



