48 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



(February, 



flower? I have some twenty which I raised from 

 seed last winter, and most of them are over one 

 foot in height but only one shows any signs of 

 flowering." 



Violet Eubra Plena. — " C. E. P." says : " If 

 any of the readers of the Monthly have had any 

 experience with Violet rvibra plena, which is 

 described as ' being of a red (?) color and very 

 distinct,' and Violet Marie de Savoy which is 

 described as being ' very large and fragrant and 

 of a deep blue color with a white centre,' they 

 will confer a favor on me by reporting the result 

 through the columns of the Monthly?" 



Anthurium crystallinum. — " Subscriber " 

 wants to know: ''Can you or some of your 

 readers give me some information concerning 

 the treatment of Anthurium crystallinum ; of 

 what country is it a native ; do the flowers possess 

 any beauty, or is it grown only for its superb 

 foliage? I am giving my plant the same treat- 

 ment that I would give A. Scherzerianum ; but 

 it does not seem to thrive under it." 



Harris' Lilium longiflorum.— Mr. Kift places 

 on our table a plant of his ''Floribundum," to 

 show how freely it flowers. It having been 

 grown in a three-inch pot. This is indeed re- 

 markable. 



We have no doubt in our mind that Mr. Kift's 

 Lily and Mr. Harris' are essentially the same, 

 and that it is not worth while perpetuating the 

 two names. As Mr. Harris' was first named, 

 we suppose under the rule of priority it will con- 

 tinue to be called the Harris Lily. From all we 

 can learn this variety has become partially 

 naturalized in Bermuda, and has come to us both 

 direct from the island and also sent through 

 Florida. Its original home is in Japan. 



Double Red Bouvardia.— -F. Morat, Louisville, 

 Ky., writes: "I sent you to-day by mail, one 

 flower of a rose colored double Bouvardia. It 

 is a sport of double white A. Neuner. It is quite 

 constant. I have about 300 plants of them now 

 in bloom." 



[This is very beautiful, and to say the least is 

 quite as desirable as the double white. — Ed. G. M.] 



Fruit AND Vegetable Gardening. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



In managing the vegetable garden the highest 

 excellence should be aimed at. This is the chief 

 source of pleasure in a garden. If one can take 

 no pleasure in his garden, — if the watching of 

 the beautiful processes of natiire in furnishing 

 him food, and the many lessons they teach him, 

 which he in a thousand ways can so pleasurably 

 and profitably apply, have no] charms or attrac- 

 tions for him, — he had better give up gardening, 

 for assuredly, in most cases, — even 99 in 100 

 instances, — the market gardener will bring the 

 vegetables to his own door cheaper than he can 

 grow them. Amateur gardening should prima- 

 rily be pursued for the lessons it teaches, and the 

 pleasure it affords ; when it ceases to do this it 

 should be abandoned. 



All those kinds that are grown for their leaves 

 or stems require an abundance of nitrogenous 

 manures ; and it is useless to attempt vegetable 

 gardening without it. To this class belong cab- 



I bage, lettuce, spinach, etc. The other class, 

 which is grown principally for its seeds or pods, 

 as beans, peas, etc., do not require much ma- 

 nure of this character — in fact they are injured 

 by it. It causes too great a growth of stem and 

 leaf, and the earliness — a great aim in vegetable 

 growing — is injuriously affected. Mineral man- 

 ures, as wood ashes, bone-dust, etc., are much 

 better for them. For vegetables, requiring rich 

 stable manure, it is best that they have it well 

 rotted and decayed. Nothing has yet been found 

 so well fitted for the purpose as old hot-bed dung ; 

 though to the smell no trace of " ammonia " re- 

 mains in it. 



All fruit trees like a rather dry, rich soil. On 

 a cold, clayey bottom, diseases are usually fre- 

 quent. 



Do not plant deep; cut off tap roots, and do 

 all you can to encourage surface fibres. Surface 

 manuring is the best way of doing this, after the 

 tree is planted. Do not allow any thiag to grow 

 vigorously around your trees the first year of 



