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THE GARDENER'S MONTHL Y. 



[October, 



more pleasing than that which embraces hardy 

 bulbs. They come into flower so early, and 

 grow with 80 little care, that every one may 

 grow them at a small cost. Of those which may 

 be planted this month are Hyacinths, Tulips, 

 Crocus, Narcissus, Japan Lilies, Anemones, 

 Ranunculus, Crown Imperials, Snowdrops — 

 among the better known varieties. All of these 

 prefer a soil that is rich and not dry, but by no 

 means a wet soil. The Tulip, Anemone and 

 Ranunculus will do better in a dryer soil than 

 the others ; but the two last do not do well where 

 the sun will shine directly on them when in 

 flower. In planting these in the flower beds, it 

 is well to set them so that spring-planted flowers 

 for summer bedding can go between them. 

 Where some loose litter can be had, it may be 

 used to cover the bulb ground with. It prevents 

 thawing of the soil till the warm spring rain 

 comes; and we presume our readers know that 

 it is the repeated thawings which " draw " the 

 roots of things out in the late winter months, 

 and leave them bare to the sun, and to their 

 great injury. 



Many kinds of hardy annuals flower much 

 better next spring, when sown at this season of 

 the year. A warm, rich border should be chosen, 

 and the seed put in at once. Early in spring 

 they must be transplanted to the desired position 

 in the flower bed. 



Many persons complain that they cannot get 

 the Pansy to produce flowers as handsome as 

 they see them represented in seedsmen's plates; 

 but it is because they are not sown early enough. 

 If not already done, sow them at once, — if they 

 can have the protection of a cold frame all the 

 better. These cold frames are very useful in 

 small flower gardens. There are many little 

 things pretty hardy, but which are much better 

 with this protection. Many people have much 

 difficulty in keeping over choice kinds of roses, 

 such as Teas, Chinas and Bourbons. But if these 

 are lifted from the ground early in October and 

 set thickly in a cold frame, they can generally 

 be kept very well. It is not so much the degree 

 of frost which injures them, as it is the drying 

 influence of the frost ; and the frame aids in 

 the prevention of evaporation. We know of a 

 rose grower who keeps the tenderest of roses in 

 pots in a house without any fire, though the 

 temperature outside goes below zero, and the 

 roses are frozen solid most of the winter. But 

 he waters as regularly as through the summer, 

 as the frost dries so. He finds even the tenderest 



to get through the winter in this house as well 

 as if there were no frost. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



HARDINESS OF THE BERMUDA CRASS. 



BY E. S. CARMAN, EDITOR OF RURAL NEW YORKER. 



The plot of Bermuda grass was not altogether 

 killed at the Rural Farm by the past winter. 

 Here and there the roots sprouted and have 

 made an immense growth the past summer. 

 We have here (Bergen Co., New Jersey,) two 

 plots growing from seed, the one sown in the 

 house in flower-pots last winter — the other sown 

 outside in early spring. 



Many have doubted this, believing (as the 

 Bermuda is thought never to perfect seed) that 

 the grass must be some other kind nearly re- 

 sembling it. Such is not the case. It is the true 

 Bermuda, in proof of which I send you a flower- 

 spike. 



THE AILANTUS. 



BY L., GARDEN CITY, LONG ISLAND, N. Y. 



Thanks for your defence of the Ailantus, one 

 of our most beautiful and useful trees, one that, 

 for the roadside, or for poor soils, when scarcely 

 any other tree will succeed, has no equal. F. J. 

 Scott, Esq., says of this tree; "There are many 

 features of the Ailantus that give it a rare and 

 peculiar beauty, admirably suited to add to the 

 variety of colors and forms in groups of trees. 

 We have no tree that can take its place ; none 

 with such immense compound leaves, which 

 alone give the tree a unique character; and they 

 are thrust out boldly from the tree, thus show- 

 ing their character to the best advantage. Their 

 color is also of that thrifty yellowish green, rare 

 among our native trees, therefore more needed 

 in contrast with them." Why this warfare on a 

 tree of such great beauty, and withal so valuable 

 as a timber tree ? Is it because of the disagreea- 

 ble odor of the flowers ? If so, that is easily 

 avoided and the tree spared to our roadsides. 

 The tree is dioecious ; that is, the male or stami- 

 nate flowers are borne on one tree, and the 

 female or pistillate flowers on another. The 

 female flowers are inodorous, in fact inconspicu- 

 ous, and are succeeded by those beautiful clus- 

 ters of fruit, an important feature in the beauty 

 of the tree. To avoid the disagreeable odor. 



