356 



TEE OARDENER'8 MONTHLY 



[ December, 



tion, only whtMi our French brethren uiKlertake 

 to sound tlieir trumpets over some feat at Inst 

 accompHsliod, it may be gratifying to learn that 

 America h»A long been doing the same thing 

 quite successfully. We do not wish to depreciate 

 the value of the achievement, for it is undoubt- 

 e<lly the best method of proi)agating Exochorda 

 granditlora. All ilifliculties will not, however, 

 vanish on (his discovery, for much skill and 

 judgment are required to select the proper 

 roots and grafts to ensure success. In fact, it 

 will probably long remain a plant somewhat dif- 

 ficult to propagate. This beautiful hardy shrub 

 should receive more attention, and perhaps, with 

 increased demand, improved methods of propa- 

 gation may be devised. 



IDESIA POLYCARPA. 



BY MR. J. SAUL, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



Tree lovers will be pleased to know that this 

 beautiful tree is quite hardy. My specimen plant 

 has been out three Winters uninjured. The 

 past Winter a lot of young plants were left out 

 without the slightest protection, and they came 

 through uninjured. This tree, when better 

 known, will be largely planted. It is of rapid 

 growth, with clean, shining, green foliage, which 

 stands our hot Summers, without burning or 

 being in the least injured — a point of great im- 

 portance in foreign trees — and so far no insect 

 has touched its foliage. 



MY GARDEN. 



BY ETHEL ALLEN. 



my bonny, bonny garden ! 



Dearer to me from this hour ; 

 For my true love he doth covet, 



From thy beds a flower. 



Shall it be a white rose, dainty, 

 Gracious queen of all her kind ? 



No, I'll have thee not, because thou 

 Sadness means I find. 



Crimson roses, why so eager, 

 When their merits I discuss? 



Could I choose them when they to him 

 Say, " Love's dangerous ! " 



Nodding harebells, blue and fragrant, 

 Will they come to my relief? 



But, alas ! their pale sweet blossoms. 

 Do but breathe of grief. 



Evening primrose tliat so softly 

 Opens ijuick this world to see, 



Thou art lovely, but would wliisper 

 Of inconstancy. 



0, blue violets, meek and lowly, 

 How their presence now I bless ! 



For in confidence they'll tell him 

 Of my faithfulness. 



DOUBLE CHINESE PRIMROSES. 



BY F. W. WOODWARD, EAU~CLAIRE, WIS. 



In your editorial notes for October you speak 

 of there being none so good as the old double 

 white kind. You cannot have seen the seedling 

 raised by John Saul, of Washington, D. C, called 

 Mrs. John Saul. I have grown this for several 

 years, and find it much superior to the old white. 

 The flowers are larger, more double, beautifully 

 fringed ; they open pure white, changing to a 

 delicate rose color with age. Mr. Saul has two 

 new seedlings which are described as having 

 flowers as large as a Carnation, and perfectly 

 double. These I will be able to report upon 

 when they bloom. All my primroses, double and 

 single, have been out of doors all Summer, on 

 the north side of a building, getting the sun for 

 a couple of hours, morning and evening. They 

 have made a wonderful growth, and promise 

 abundant bloom. In Wi iter I keep them in a 

 cold house, with a temperature of not over 45° 

 at night, and frequently down to 35°. If taken 

 to a warm greenhouse the blooms dwindle in 

 size, and the plants suffer in health. 



EDITOBIAL NOTES. 



ViTis HETEROPHYLLA (See froiitispiece). — Un- 

 der the name of " Variegated Grape," this has 

 been known for some time in American gardens. 

 We have chosen it for a frontispiece to our vol- 

 ume because its great merit in ornamental gar- 

 dening is not near as well known as it ought to 

 be. The leaves are first green, but when the 

 plant has something to run on, and grows vigor- 

 ously they are prettily feathered with white. 

 The deep, sky-blue berries towards Fall, give it 

 additional attractions. It grows with great 

 rapidity, very soon covering an arbor or trellis. 

 It is a native of the north of China and Japan, 

 and is perfectly hardy here. 



