U(i4 



Tin-: c.ARDENEirs Moxriii.y 



U"iy^ 



lU'il'iiUy tiny have bt-cii improvtil. Oiio of these 

 tlowiTs iiu'iU^ures four and a half iiuhcs across. 

 The Aster is an excellent i)lan( for one to 

 exercise skill in plant-irrownig on. 



Tin: AMAi;vLLis.^The London papers tell us 

 the taste for the Amaryllis is beeoinin<; quite 

 LTcneral in Enj,'land. The writer of this, when 

 in KnL.'land last Summer, saw a larire house at 

 Mr. V>. S. "Williams" wholly devoted to these 

 lml!>s. showiuLT a large demand for them. In 

 our own country we fancy the taste will also 

 increa.se. The admirable sketches of Miss G. 

 in our pages, show how much there is in them 

 to admire, and how easy it is to manage them. 

 The writer of this has, every Summer, beautiful 

 blossoms of A. longifolia in the open ground, 

 with no more trouble than the taking up of the 

 root in the Fall and putting it '' anywhere," and 

 then setting it out in the Spring. At this writing. 

 May 25th, it is throwing up an unusually long 

 flower stalk. 



The Chinese Primrose. — Everybody knows 

 and admii'es the Chinese Primrose, but few know 

 how beautiful it may be until they see the chrome 

 issued by the Gardener's Chronicle of ^lay 4th. 

 The rtower stem is a quai'ter of an inch thick, 

 and the head, on which 16 flowei's are seen, is 

 six inches across. Each flower is one inch and 

 three-quarters wide, of a rich crimson purpld, 

 and with a bright golden star in the center. 



ben<li near the glass inan "iiiti rniediatc" house^ 

 and had some leaves tliat I ruiind on niea.sure- 

 UH-nt to be 1.') by 13 indns wide, and llowers- 

 from 2 to ;Ji inches across. Mr. Taplin, 

 th«' manager, tells me that they grow well in the 

 coolest greenhouse, and agani they do not object 

 to a little heat, jiroviding they have a light and 

 airy position. They grow most luxuriantly, and' 

 bloom most profusely in autumn and winter, 

 after which they rest for a period. F. 



Abutilon Geo. A. Stanley. — A double 

 Al)utilon is a great novelty. We have Double 



[Hollyhocks, Double Althean, Double Chinese 

 Hibiscus, all of the Malvaceous family, but one- 



[ Double Abutilon that we know of under the 

 above name. A Cleveland correspondent sends us. 

 a colored photograph of one which has retained 

 the semi-double character for several years. The 

 color, a rosy crimson, and is in itself a novelty. 



NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 



Begonia Frcebelii. — This is a newly dis- 

 covered and recently introduced (three years 

 ago^ species, a native of the Republic of Ecua- 

 dor, and named in compliment to Frcebel of 

 Zurich, who first grew^ and distributed it. It is 

 a tuberous-rooted species, nearly allied to Be- 

 gonia cinnabarina, and one of the easiest to 

 grow and most gorgeous of the genus. Its 

 leaves are radical, large, thick, uniformly green 

 and pubescent, and in well grown plants envel- 

 op the flower-pots like the leaves of thrifty 

 Cinerarias. The blossoms vary in color from 

 rose to the most intense and vivid scarlet and 

 glowing carmine, and are produced on long 

 stems clear above the leaves. 



The finest specimens of this lovely Begonia I 

 have seen or heard of, I saw recently at 

 Mr. Such's Nurseries, South Amboy, N. J. The 

 plants were growing in seven-inch pots, on a 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Double Geranium Ethel Beale. — As^ 



most gardeners knovv,the best of the Double 

 Geraniums have a ragged and confused set oV 

 petals. In English works, Ethel Beale is intro- 

 duced to us as one for the first time presenting a 

 regularly elegant form. The following is the 

 desci-iption given : 



One of the most beautiful and distinct Double- 

 Geraniums in cultivation, with clusters of bril- 

 liant-colored flowers, resembling the finest 

 Double Balsam in perfection of outline. The 

 petals are evenlv and perfectly reflexed, and the- 

 immense trusses of bloom present a most unique 

 and charming appearance. 



The color of the flowers is rich pink, shading 

 off to brilliant crimson, reflex of petals silvery- 

 white, and the pei'fecth' developed form of the 

 flowers, combined with its remarkably free 

 habit, makes it a most valuable acquisition as 

 an exhibition plant, or for cut blooms. It is un- 

 doubtedly far before any other of its class, and 

 we recommend it with the utmost confidence to 

 all Geranium growers. It is particularly well 

 adapted for market work. 



Mrs. E. B. H., Michigan City, Ind., says: — 

 "Can thee give any information as to the best 

 method of cleaning plants of lice (green). I am 

 very much troubled with them upon my pot 

 plants and those in the garden beds as well." 



[In most cases syringing with soapy water is the 



