36 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[February, 



Spiraea sorbifolia. — This plant is not uncom- 

 mon in American gardens, and is usually rather 

 long legged, but otherwise striking. A corres- 

 pondent of the Gardener's Chronicle treats S- 

 Lindleyana, a species of similar habits, to an an- 

 nual cutting down, as if it were an herbaceous 

 plant — a practice that would no doubt improve 

 our commoner one. 



Hardy Begoxias. — The well-known old Bego- 

 nia Evansiana, often known by the absurd name 

 of Beefsteak geranium, is hardy in our part of 

 the world. A companion for it is probably B. 

 Vietchii and varieties, which is said to have lived 

 out several years near London and may do so 

 here. 



PiNUS CEMBRA. — This is one of the hardiest and 

 most beautiful of pines. It is rather slow of 

 growth, but just the thing where there is not 

 much room to spare. 



Wild Gardens. — These might be a cheap and 

 pleasant adornment to many a farmer's homo. 

 Many plants cannot be grown in our climate when 

 exposed to cold, dry winds. If these plants were 

 set in the borders of blackberry patches, or 

 among similar wild bushes, they would do well. 

 There would always be something to interest one 

 in such a clump as that. The chrysanthemum, 

 which is often killed outright in our open bor- 

 ders, would live out safely in such wild clumps 

 as these. 



An Election for Roses. — The Journal of Hor- 

 ticulture gives the result of an election for roses. 

 Twenty-four of the mostdistinguished rose grow- 

 ers of England gave in a list of 25, naming their 

 first choice first, and the others in successive 

 order. There were votes : 



16 for Louis Von Houtte. 



15 Countess of Oxford. 



12 Marquis of Castellane. 



11 Francois Nicholson. 



10 Ferdinand de Lesseps. 



8 Captain Christy. 



6 Catharine Mermet. 



6 Etienne Levet. 



4 Paul Neron. 



4 Mdle. Eugenie Verdier. 



2 Ed. Morren. 



And one for each of the following: Auguste 

 Neuman, Hippnlyte Jamin,Depuy Jamain, Perle 

 des Jardins, Duchess of Edinburg, Rev. J. B. 

 Camm, Mary Turner, Baron Bonstcttin, Miss 



Hazzard, Auguste Rigotard, Gen. Von Moltke, 

 Chestnut Hybrid, Mad. Lacharine, Mad. La 

 Comtesse de Monssac, Mdle. Marie Finger, 

 Princess Beatrice. 



The first five we may therefore take as cer- 

 tainly the best roses grown in England. 



The electors were Mr. Robson, Rev H. Dom- 

 brain, Rev. F. H. Gale, Rev. E. N. Pochin, Rev. 

 J. B. Camm, R. G. Baker, J. Hinton, Rev. Allen 

 Cheales, J. Scott, Rev. E. Handler, R. W. Beachey, 

 J. Burrell, H. Blandford, B. R. Cant, Ewing & 

 Co., George Cooling, Charles Turner, Mr. Ben- 

 nett, H. Curtis, Mr. Cranston, George Prince, S. 

 Wheeler, Richard Smith ; all rose celebrities. 



Acer sxRiATUAt, or, as it is more correctly 

 called, A. Pennsylvanicum, though more com- 

 mon farther northward than in that. State, is an 

 interesting tree in winter by its peculiar striped 

 white and green bark. Its twigs are of a bright 

 red, and in this way the tree possesses an addi- 

 tional attraction. It is rather a fast grower. We 

 have seen trees the pjist year make a growth of 

 four feet. The large tri-lobcd leaves give it a dis- 

 tinguished appearance in the summer season. 



Acer spicatum, or A. Montanum of some, the 

 mountain maple, somewhat resembles this spe- 

 cies, but is but a bush, besides having other 

 botanical charactei"s to distinguish it. 



Achillea umbellata for White Edgings. — So 

 far as we know the plant referred to in the fol- 

 lowing has not been introduced into our country, 

 but is worth bringing in. The A. tomcntosa is 

 somewhat hoary, and makes a very good edging. 

 This one is now common in American gardens : 

 " If I were asked to name the most useful, and, 

 at the same time, the most lovely of the dwarf 

 white edging plants now in use, I should say 

 Achillea umbellata. It is perfectly hardy, and 

 certainly requires less manipulation than the 

 dwarf Ccrastium tomentosum. The latter re- 

 quire* renewing every year, whereas the former 

 will be as effective the second and third year aa 

 the first. For carjoet bedding it is a gem in every 

 way, and only requires to be known to be appre- 

 ciated. It is easily increased by cuttings taken 

 off in September or October, and dibbled in very 

 thickly under a wall. We have thousands 

 planted under the foot of a west wall, and they 

 give no more trouble than this — after a severe 

 frost~in spring, to sprinkle a little sifted leaf 

 mould over the cuttings, and with the hand press 

 into the soil those that have been forced out by 



