1877. J 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



139 



brilliant scarlet flowers, shot up like a flame, giv- 

 ing it a gay and unique effect. Chinese Prim- 

 roses, Auriculas, Pansies, &c., were plunged in 

 the garden in pots, and removed when the bloom 

 was over. 



We saw but one garden in all Nice which 

 showed by its shining verdure, that it was regu- 

 larly watered ; the rest were covered by the con- 

 stant and daily repeated showers of dust, which 

 lay ankle deep on all the roads, and seemed 

 sprinkled on every tree, shrub and flower, and 

 even to lie inches deep on the landscape, till 

 "dust we are, and unto dust we shall return," 

 became a solid conviction. This state of things 

 is not wonderful ihowever, when the scarcity of 

 water is known, and that the washer-women of 

 Nice are compelled to do the most of their wash- 

 ing in the waters of the sewers, where they dis- 

 charge into the sea. 



The gardens, as far as we could learn, were 

 attended by contract, at a certain sum per month. 

 Blooming plants were supplied and others sub- 

 stituted when the bloom was over, and the gar- 

 den cleansed and weeded. The paths were 

 covered with coarse sand which was raked over 

 at every period for cleaning. We could never 

 find a reason for this constant disturbance of the 

 paths which are much pleasanter to use when 

 firm. 



The stock jillies and wall-flowers of Nice were 

 very fine ; the blossoms being large, and of unu- 

 sual colors. We saw stock Jillies so dark as to 

 be a blackish purple, and white ones so large and 

 so full of blossoms as to excite admiration and 

 surprise. In the Jardind'Acclimation, near Nice, 

 we saw fine scarlet wall-flowers. Afterwards, in 

 Paris in the grounds attachedto the Government 

 Greenhouses, we saw blue ones. Polyanthus 

 Narcissus were cultivated in great variety, and 

 also grew wild. 



Among the plants flourishing in this dry and 

 peculiar climate, I append some not mentioned 

 above, which are taken from a list in the work 

 of J. Henry Beimel, M. D., called "Shores of the 

 Mediterranean as Winter Climates": — 



Maratime Squill, Ranunculus, Lantana. 



Cineraria maratima, Ixia, Abutilon. 



Carnations, Sparaxis, Datura. 



Q. Marguerite, Salvias, Linum trigynuni. 



Pelargonium, Lavender, Petunia. 



Marigold, Valerian, Cyclamen. 



Arabis, Daphne, Camellias. 



Silene pendula, Spiraea, Azaleas. 



Nemophila, Achillea, Begonias. 



Crocus, Erica, Bignonias. 



Snow-drops, Nasturtium, Verbena. 



Hyacinths, Habrothamnus, Ciestus, &c. 



GLADIOLUS AND CANNA. 



BY W. C. L. DREW, EL DORADO, CAL. 



In the above-named plants we have two of the 

 finest decorative plants for the flower-garden, 

 or for a bed cut out in the lawn. As every one 

 knows that has cultivated the Gladiolus, the 

 only thing lacking to make it a perfect orna- 

 ment when grown alone, is a handsome foliage ; 

 the foliage of the Gladiolus is very meagre and 

 not at all beautiful ; consequently, to have a fine 

 bed of these plants is, and always will be, 

 necessary to grow them among foliage plants, 

 I have found none better than the Canna. 



Among Gladiolus' we have flowers of nearly 

 every hue, from the pure white to the bright, 

 dazzling scarlet ; and as there are between two 

 and three thousand named sorts, varying in 

 price from ten cents to ten and twenty dollars, 

 it will be no trouble for all to select kinds 

 suitable to their circumstances. A few of the 

 very best are Lord Byron, El Dorado, Heine Vic- 

 toria, Le Poussin, Imperatrice, La Fiance, John 

 Bull, Ophir, Berencie and Felicien David. 



Gladiolus bulbs should be planted in light, rich 

 soil, but not in contact with fresh manure: plant 

 them three inches deep and six inches apart. 

 They must have full sunshine and plenty of 

 water when coming into bloom. 



Cannas are strictly foliage plants ; the blos- 

 som is neat, but secondary to the foliage. 

 We have some two hundred varieties now, the 

 foliage varying from pure light green to deep 

 bronze, some varieties having pure and some 

 variegated foliage ; they can be raised from seed, 

 or roots can be saved and planted. Seed 

 should be soaked for an hour in warm water be- 

 fore planting. Roots are the quickest way of 

 growing them ; these should be planted as soon 

 as frost is over, in light, rich soil. 



To have a good effect, plant in a circular 

 bed; plant in the center four Gladiolus bulbs, 

 high growing varieties ; then a circle of Cannas, 

 another circle Gladiolus, and so on ; edge 

 the beds with Coleus and daisies. Plant high 

 kinds in the centre and dwarf ac the outside. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Paxd.\.xus utilis. — Not only are Aloes (Ag- 

 aves) often slow in blooming — many of the rare 

 inhabitants of the greenhouse have a similar 



