1876.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



293 



high, with blue flowers ; are now very fine. The 

 Statices are worthy of a choice position and hke 

 a light, well-drained soil. 



Trauvetteria palmata, a ranunculaceous plant, 

 the only species, a native of the United States and 

 Je.pan,and has white flowers somewhat like a Tha- 

 lictrum on a loosely corymbose cyme. It grows 

 from 2 to 3 feet high, has large palmate root- 

 leaves,and smaller ones on the flower stem. It is as 

 hardy as a columbine and a persistent grower. 



Tradescantia pilosa, a species with somewhat 

 short lanceolate acuminate and pubescent leaves 

 and blue flowers, about the same size as, and 

 blooming later, than T. Virginica, which is still 

 more or less in flower. 



Pentstemon arguius, has reclining stems from 

 two to three feet long, with a wealth of purplish 

 flowers now in full beauty. 



Reseda Durieiuma, a hardy biennial or peren- 

 nial, from North Africa, that blooms all summer, 

 but not to be compared to our annual Sweet 

 Mignonette. 



Lysimachia clethroides, one of the best of 

 the genus, from eighteen to twenty-four inches 

 high, with terminal racemes of densely-set 

 small, white flowers. It grows thriftily, 

 blooms freely, lasting a long time ; is very hardy, 

 and propagates readily by division. 



Polygonum cuspidatum, a noble plant, better 

 fitted for isolated specimens and sub-tropical gar- 

 dens than anywhere else. It is eight feet high 

 with arching branch-like stems and a profusion 

 of slender axillary clusters of white flowers. It 

 dies down in the fall and comes up in spring like 

 stalks of giant asparagus ; indeed, the English 

 gardening journals suggest its use as asparagus. 



The composites are now quite showy, but the 

 bulk of them are too tall and coarse for general 

 use other than amongst shrubs, in large borders, 

 or out-of-the-way places. Certainly the asters 

 deserve a conspicuous position ; A. corymbosus, 

 macrophyllus, patens, prenanthoides, adscendens 

 and coniixtus are now in bloom. Amongst the 

 other genera of this family are Silphium, Coreop- 

 sis, Golden Rods, Vemonias, Echinops, Cnicus, 

 Centaureas, Rudheckias, Eupatoriums, &c., now at 

 their best. The Labiates, too, continue to furnish 

 many flowers such as Monardas, Nepetas, Lopan- 

 thuses, Scidellarias, Pyaianthemums and Salvias. 



Amongst shrubs the Altheas take the lead, sin- 

 gle and double, and of every tint from white to 

 .red. Hydragea paniculata, with its dense pani- 

 cles of whitish flowers, is very showy ; and the 

 Kerrias, single and double, are blooming more 



or less. Neviusia Alabamensis has pretty white 

 flowers in terminal peduncles, and its near rela- 

 tive, Rhodotypus kerrioides, is also well furnished 

 with large white flowers at the ends of its arch- 

 ing branches. The Oxydendrum arboreum of 

 sorrel-tree is just going out of bloom as are like- 

 wise the Clethra salnifolia and acuminata, both na- 

 tive, still beautiful shrubs. Vitex incisa, or the 

 cut-leaved chaste tree, is still shrouded with its 

 lavender-colored flowers, which, together with 

 digitate sub-pinnatified and fragrant leaves c(.nsti- 

 tute a pretty ornament. The Vitex is cut down 

 considerably by our winters. The shrubby Cin- 

 quefoil {Potentilla fruticosa) with silky leaves and 

 showy yellow flowers, and the Hypericum pyror 

 tnidatum, another yellow-bloomed plant also in 

 flower. 



EDITOJRIAL ^OTES. 



Public Parks. — These are just now receiving 

 particular attention in evei*y populous town. In 

 a recent visit to Bufialo, we were especially de- 

 lighted with their public grounds. Mr. F. Law 

 Olmstead is the designer, and Mr. McMillan has 

 the general superintendence. We doubt whether 

 so much has been accomplished in any town for 

 so little money, and that much done so tastefully, 

 and in a general sense, so well. It would be a 

 great treat to our readers if Mr. McMillan would 

 give them some leaves from his experience in 

 these lines. 



Patents for New Plants and Fruits. — We 

 see this subject, which has been so impartially dis- 

 cussed in our pages, is still the theme of writers in 

 the agricultural press. There is a deal said about 

 " regarding the brain work of the introducer or 

 raiser of new plants," which we all sympathize 

 with. The " Whereas' " are all right enough. 

 None of the writers show the connection of the 

 "Therefores" with the preambles, and this is 

 just what is the matter with the argument. 



SiLVER-THORN AND PYRACANTHA HeDGES. — The 



Country Gentleman speaks of the Silver-thorn or 

 Pyracantha as if they were one and the same 

 thing. Silver-thorn is the Elxagnus parvifolius, 

 and has no relationship whatever to the Pyracan- 

 tha. As a rule we seldom note the errors of our 

 co-temporaries; that is their own business, but 

 such an error as this our neighbor will pardon 

 us, we are sure, for pointing out. 



