1882. 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



119 



tage of the opportunities aflforded ua, and espe- 

 cially of those which are scattered around us in 

 such abundance. It is well known that '' wild 

 flowers " in general are looked upon as " weeds," 

 but that does not in the least detract from, or in 

 anywise alter their beauty. To persons who 

 consider things from an intellectual point of 

 view, wild flowers are far more interesting than 

 those which are cultivated. It is not plants 

 under cultivation which Shakespeare, Words- 

 worth, Burns and a host of others tell us of, but 

 flowers in the simplicity of their beauty. It is 

 of a few of these, therefore, that it is now pur- 

 posed to speak, and to show that it is possible for 

 all to enjoy their beauty with a very little amount 

 of effort. 



One of the earliest flowers to make its appear- 

 ance, and one of the most eagerly sought after, 

 is the Trailing arbutus (Epigsea repens). It 

 usually may be found in flower about the 15th 

 of March ; in favorable seasons it may be found 

 much earlier. The flower-buds being formed 

 the autumn before, open at the beginning of fair 

 weather ; the pale pink flower may then be 

 seen peeping from some mossy bank, or incon- 

 spicuous, as they often are, 



"But sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes, 

 Or Cytherea's breath." 



It is a prevalent belief that it is impossible to 

 transplant the Arbutus, and numerous cases of 

 failure have been reported me. But if the con- 

 ditions under which the plant is found growing 

 be taken into consideration, success is almost 

 certain. The plant will be found on high banks 

 where moisture is abundant, and where the 

 drainage is perfect. In transplanting the great 

 difficult}'- appears to be to obtain a place where 

 the roots n>ay be kept moderately dry. The 

 great secret in transplanting anything, and this 

 plant especially, is to press the soil around the 

 roots as firm as it can be done with the thumbs; 

 when first transplanted it should be thoroughly 

 soaked with water, and then watered only when 

 necessary. Having tried this plan, I have suc- 

 ceeded in each instance, but destroyed a plant 

 that had been growing eight months, by giving 

 it too much water. 



About the 15th of March the Hepatica (Hep- 

 atica triloba), or Liverwort, may be looked for; 

 it also may be found earlier in favorable sea- 

 sons. The flowers first make their appearance, 

 followed later by the new growth of leaves. It 

 is one of the most beautiful of our native flowers. 



and even if the flowers were worthless, the plant 

 is worthy of cultivation for the leaf. It is one of 

 the plants easiest to move, and when replanted, 

 it will thrive from the start. The custom of 

 planting bulbs (in the autumn) which is so com- 

 mon, is noticeable from the fact that it totally ig- 

 nores our native bulbs, many of which are 

 worthy of cultivation. It is urged that the 

 flowers of our native bulbs are too transitorv in 

 their character. While this is undoubtedly true, 

 the same may also be said of all the bulbs, the 

 Crocus, the Tulip, etc. And, again, it is urged 

 that the flowers are too inconspicuous, which is 

 also to a certain degree true ; but it is not pro- 

 posed to plant one to the exclusion of the other ; 

 acknowledging the merits of the one, the pur- 

 pose is to point out some of the merits of the 

 other. 



One of the earliest of our bulbous plants, as 

 well as one of the handsomest, is the Sanguin- 

 aria canadensis (Blood-root) of our woods. It is 

 worthy a place in any garden ; the whole plant, 

 the flower, the leaf, and the tubes, is intensely 

 interesting. By a series of observations made in 

 a previous year, I discovered the average dura- 

 tion of the flower to be three days, and as the 

 flowers do not all bloom at the same time, their 

 period of bloom lasts for an extended time ; and 

 after the flower has passed away, the leaf is an 

 ornament to any wild garden. It has only to be 

 planted for it to grow. The plant may be looked 

 for about the 10th of April. 



About the 10th of April may also be found the 

 Spring beauty (Claytonia Virginica). It usu- 

 ally will be found growing in rich ground, in 

 woods near creeks ; the bulb will be found from 

 two to three inches below the surface, and to ob- 

 tain it without injury to it, a trowel is required. 

 Although the foliage of the plant is not espe- 

 cially desirable, the flower is very beautiful, and 

 is desirable on that account. The Thalictrura 

 anemonoides, commonly known as the Anemone, 

 may be found about the same time, and the 

 Anemone nemorosa a little later on ; both are 

 worthy of place, and will grow well in a shady 

 place in the garden. About the 4th of April 

 may be found the Houstonia coerulea, known as 

 the Quaker lady. Dwarf pink, Bluetts, and by 

 numerous other names. It is a very delicate 

 little flower, growing in grassy fields and 

 meadows. The color varies from sky-blue to a 

 pure white. It is too well known to need fur- 

 ther mention. 



The Goodyera pubescens, or Rattlesnake plan- 



