1877.] 



AND HOETIGULTURIST. 



197 



ten measuring three inches in diameter. In 

 color tliey vary from pure white to deep blood- 

 red ; many have flowers marbled in most 

 curious and striking manners, some resembling 

 mosaic work in their marblings. They are very 

 easy of cvilture; seed sown in a hot-bed in Feb- 

 ruary will flower in June, and remain in flower, 

 if seed pods are removed, until frost. 



I find them unrivalled for bouquet work, and 

 it was to recommend them for this work I 

 undertook to write this article. If every gar- 

 dener would buy a package of seed and try 

 them, they would never do without them again. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



The Sweet William. — This old fashioned 

 flower seems to be again attracting the notice of 

 the florists ; and some remarkably pretty kinds 

 are announced among the latest English novel- 

 ties. 



"Fragaria arborea." — A correspondent sends 

 a leaf of a tree for name. The tree was bought 

 by a neighbor for %'), " at the French store on 

 Chestnut street," as "Fragaria arborea." The 

 leaf is of some species of Eaonymus, we do not 

 recognize which. 



To Moisten Dusty Roads. — It is said that 

 " trials have been made in Rome of a solution 

 of chloride of calcium as a substitvite for water 

 in laying dust in streets, and the results are 

 said to have been highly satisfactory. The 

 dampness communicated to the road remains 

 for a whole week. The road remains damp 

 without being muddy, presenting a hard sur- 

 face, on which neither the wind nor the passing 

 of pedestrians or horses has any effect." 



Deterioration of Grasses on a Lawn. — 

 W. N., Boston, says, that his " lawn has got an- 

 nually worse and worse, until now there is little 

 grass, and nearly all weeds. What shall I do to 

 restore my lawn ? I have no very large tract, 

 but take much pride in it." 



[This is, no doubt, a case of " lawn mower," 

 about which we have often written. Grass can- 

 not grow without leaves any more than other 

 plants, and if kept cropped too close it will 

 surely die. Then, creeping weeds which escape 

 the mower blades, take its place. There is 

 nothing to be done but to cut higher in future. 

 Under no circumstances go lower than half an 

 inch from the ground. — Ed. G. M.] 



The Erythronium, or Dog's-tooth Violet. — 

 There are few of our people who have gathered 

 w'ild flowers, bv;t who know the Yellow Dog's- 

 tooth Violet. Why it has received the name of 

 Dog's-tooth Violet may not be well known to 

 our readers, and the following little bit of his- 

 tory from the Garden will be of service. The 

 botanical name, Erythronium, is said to be de- 

 rived from a Greek word, " signifying red," " the 

 color of some of the species," but this seems to 

 be a very poor reason : — " This obtains the name 

 of Dog's-tooth Violet because of the long fang- 

 like tuberous roots that are white in color like 

 a tooth. Apart from the lovely flowers the plant 

 produces, the leaves of the red variety especially, 

 are very handsomely marked. As soon as the 

 ice and Snow which hold the earth in bondage 

 in February are dispersed by the warm breath of 

 Spring, it issues forth, first unfolding its hand- 

 somely marked leaves, and then its charming 

 flowers, borne singly on stems four inches to six 

 inches high, and drooping gracefully. The 

 flower is surpassingly lovely, and it comes into 

 bloom with the Snowdrop, Hepatica, and Spring 

 flowers. A moist . peaty soil, with which has 

 been mingled a good deal of sand, appears to 

 to suit the Dog's-tooth Violet as well as any. 

 Shady spots are generally recommended for its 

 culture, but it is frequently met wdth in positions 

 fully exposed to the sun, and doing well. In 

 some localities it appears difl&cult of cultivation, 

 mainly from the unsuitability of the soil ; in 

 others just the opposite results — it flourishes 

 with all the vigor of a native plant. In the mid- 

 land districts, where there is more humidity per- 

 vading the atmosphere than in the South, it 

 scarcely fails to do well. In addition to the im- 

 ported species, Avhich bears rosy purple or lilac 

 flowers, there are also varieties of it, such as Al- 

 bum, white; Purpureum, purple; and Roseum, 

 rosy. These have been selected, because show- 

 ing a certain distinctness of color, and have 

 been found to retain it when in cultivation. 

 There is a distinct large-flow^ering type of the 

 original species, known as Major, in which the 

 leaves and flowers arc both larger than is usu- 

 ally seen. The purple-flowering varieties have 

 the green leaves handsomely marked with red- 

 dish-brown, and when at their best are more at- 

 tractive than those of some handsome-foliaged 

 plants that are sold at a high price. The white- 

 flowering variety has the leaves blotched with a 

 kind of whitey-brown color. There is also an 



American species, E. Americanum, which bears 



