108 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



" wild garden " may not be so gay as the contiguous tulips, pconias or 

 roses, but it has a charm to which every visitor yields. 



Here, during the first warm days of spring, we are greeted by the 

 opening buds of hepatica, early buttercups and Antcnnarias Almost 

 simultaneously the bloodroot spreads its evanescent, milky-white blooms 

 in company with the spring beauty and the exquisite Diccntra, whose 

 clusters of waxen hearts crown the tufts of feathery, blue-green foliage. 

 To these succeed the violets of nearly all the species occurring in this 

 part of the state, the drooping pink and blue bells of the lungwort 

 {Mertensia), and the still lovelier blue of the Greek valerian {^Polem- 

 onium rcptans). The springtime succession is kept up by the crane 

 bills, shooting stars [Dodccathcon) , squills, larkspurs, golden semcio 

 and numerous less conspicuous species. During the heats of midsum- 

 mer, the delicate white flowers of Gillcnia and Veronica mingle with 

 Turks cap lilies, Melanthiiim, Zygademis and the glorious cardinal 

 flower, crowned in autumn by a grand display of asters, golden rod and 

 other composites. In this way, while we miss the indefinable charm of 

 searching out our wild favorites in the nooks where nature establishes 

 them, we have the opportunity of seeing much more of them and not- 

 ing many peculiarities in their development which might otherwise 

 escape our attention. 



Again, but few wild flowers will long survive plucking. They 

 usually droop in a most unsatisfactory manner when arranged in our 

 vases, and hence if we wish to really enjoy them, we must visit them 

 growing. 



With our indigenous annuals, one cannot so surely count on success as 

 with the biennials and perennials. They are rather capricious in their habits 

 and will often persistently refuse to germinate in the places where they 

 are sown, while plants from wind scattered seed will appear in the most 

 unexpected spots. Fortunately only a few of them are very valuable, 

 and we do not miss them greatly when they fail, although always glad 

 to give them a welcome when they appear. 



I have given in this article but small space to the claims of our 

 native flowering trees and shrubs in the fear of being tedious. But 

 there are many that are exceedingly beautiful either in flower or fruit, 

 and they should always be considered in the adornment of a country 

 home. They all bear transplanting well, if done late in autumn, or very 

 early in spring, and repay such care as is given them by a perfection of 

 development that but few exotics attain. 



Let us then ever cherish our native flowers with a loyal affection ; 

 protect them as far as possible in their natural haunts, and where this 



