SECRETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 503 



Spanish Bayonet. — A correspondent of the New York Tribune is certainly 

 justified in his words of commendation for the yucca as a lawn plant. He 



says: 



Many to whom the plant is known have never seen its beautiful flowers. 

 This particular species of yucca grows wild in the Southern States; it is hardy 

 generally throughout the North, without protection; it is an evergreen, the 

 leaves keeping their color well the entire year. It has a tropical appearance, 

 and is fine for lawn; good specimens can be grown three to four feet in diame- 

 ter, and two or more high. The leaves are from one to two feet in length, 

 stiff and upright, deep green, lanceolate, about two inches wide, tapering to a 

 point tipped with a short, sharp spine. The most curious thing about the plant 

 is the white curled threads or filaments which grow from the edges of the 

 leaves. The leaves are very tough and strong. At the South farmers tear 

 them into narrow strips for use in hanging meat in the smoke-house. 



The very striking flowers appear in July on a stalk five to eight feet high, 

 thrown up from the centre of the plant, the upper half, and often two-thirds 

 of it being covered with creamy white, bell-shaped flowers about two inches in 

 diameter. These droop from the lateral branches off of the main stalk; they 

 have a fragrance which, though not disagreeable, is not pleasing to some; 300 

 to 400 blossoms are often borne on a single stalk; they retain shape and color 

 two or three weeks, then fade and drop, giving place to an abundance of seed- 

 pods. If grown vigorously, plants will flower at two or three years of age, and 

 if given attention will bear flowers every year. Old plants form several 

 branches from the main stem, close to the grouud^and a flower-stalk will be 

 thrown up from each centre ; often as many as five or six in a season. A good 

 specimen of this plant, especially when in bloom, is a very effective ornament 

 for a lawn. Its hardiness and evergreen character make it a valuable ornament 

 in winter as well as summer. 



Khododendron Culture. — W. F. Massey, in Philadelphia Press, after 

 commenting on the common mistakes in the management of Ehododendrons, 

 says: The first requisite of a rhododendron is good drainage, next a cool 

 soil, with abundant moisture, but no stagnation ; third, shelter from the 

 mid-day sun. When these conditions have been observed I have never known 

 failure, unless the natural soil of the locality was limestone clay, which seems 

 to poison them as soon as the roots reach it. I lately planted some rhodo- 

 dendrons on a sharp declivity facing north, and just within the edge of a 

 grove. The soil is a loose, black loam that has never been in cultivation, 

 and full of broken and decomposed rock.* The beds were excavated two feet 

 deep, the mellow surface soil being saved. At this depth the sub-soil showed 

 the sr.me mixture of decomposed rock that existed on the surface, so that 

 good drainage was assured. A layer of loose stones was placed in the bottom 

 and covered with sod. The pit was then filled with leaf mold mixed with 

 sand and the surface soil, and the plants were set an inch or more deeper 

 than they had been growing. Then over the whole surface was placed a 

 layer of broken stone three inches or more deep — the best of all mulches, as 

 it will neither blow off or rot. 



Purple Barberry. — L. B. Pierce has a good word for the purple bar- 

 berry : It is in habit of growth and general characteristics similar to the com- 



