• • • GARDENING. 



Sept. yj, 



On dryish hills, the hawkweed (Hiera- 

 cium scabrum) shows large heads of yel- 

 low flowers. In similar places and along 

 hedge rows the wild Xettuce: (Mulgedium 

 acuminatum) finds a place. The flowers 

 are blue. 



The water pepper (Polygonum Hydro- 

 piper), rosy green, and P. arifolium, with 

 whitish flowers, grow in wet ground. The 

 hedge hyssop (Lophanthus nepetoides), 

 bears greenish yellow flowers. 



Among wild orchids we have the beauti- 

 ful yellow fringed orchis (Habenaria 

 ciliaris) which is passing out of flower. It 

 inhabits swamps, whereits brightorange 

 colored flowers make a fine display. An- 

 other beautiful orchid, growing in dry 

 woods, is the rattlesnakeplantain (Good- 

 yera pubescens) . It has spikes of small 

 white flowers, and silvery netted leaves. 



Philadelphia. " J. Meeh.w. 



ANNUALS FOR SOWING IN THE FAIL. 



E. C. W., asks about what annuals he 

 should sow in the fall, and if they can be 

 sown between rows of narcissi planted 

 fifteen to twenty inches apart, thusecon- 

 oniising space. There are two classes of 

 annuals to sow in the fall, namely, such 

 as poppies, larkspur, cornflower, moun- 

 tain fringe, golden corydalis, coreopsis, 

 and evening primrose that we mean to 

 germinateiight away and make nice little 

 plants before winter sets in and others as 

 sweet psas, and eschscholtzia, that we 

 want to stay in the ground over winter 

 w ithout g( rminating till spring. 



The object in sowing in the fall is to get 

 good sturdy plants that wil bloom early 

 In fact poppies, larkspur, and com flower 

 sown in fall also make finer plants than 

 do the same sorts raised irom seed in 

 tpring. And tliev are perfectly hardy. 

 But there are two draw backsto fal sow- 

 ing, first, we seldom have the ground 

 cleared and ready for it in time, secondly, 

 unless we have our own saved feed we 

 are not likely to get fresh seed at the seed 

 store at this time of the year, and what 

 sane person would sow old poppy seed 

 knowing it to be such? 



While a bed of narcissus in spring set in 

 a carpet of fall sown annuals may sound 

 very pretty, we can assure you, the car- 

 pet has a very weedy effect in spring. But 

 we do this very thing. We have narcissi 

 in rows and the whole ground is covered 

 with fall sown poppies; the narcis.si bloom 

 in April and May, and the poppies in 

 June. By the end of the month thcv are 

 mostly over, and we interplant between 

 the narcissus with rose geranium, zinnias 

 or other summer plants. 



But aside from sowingin open bedsyou 

 can sow in patches in the borders or any- 

 where. Fork over or unfasten the ground 

 as for spring sowing, rake it level and 

 smooth, sow the seed, rake it in lightlv, 

 and pack with the head of the rake or 

 back of the spade. Don't cover the seed 

 deep. In winter if the ground is heavv 

 and there is danger of heaving the seed- 

 lings spread some 1 ght mulching over 

 them. 



Sweet peas, portulacca. eschscholtzia, 

 and the like if so «n in fall should be de- 

 laved till October, for if they germinate in 

 fall the chances are thev will get winter 

 killed. 



I'ansies sown now and pricked off later 

 will winter well. MountaiT fringe sown 

 about some bushes or in a sheltered spot 

 will make nice rosettes and run carlvnext 

 spring. Besides the ordinarv annual lark- 

 spurs the Chinese and other perennial 

 !!Orts, if sown now, will grow nicely, win- 

 ter well, and make blooming plants next 

 t-ummer. The same with loxgloves, onlv 



the seed should be dropped among the 

 bushes where the little plants can be kept 

 snug and warm over winter, forget-me- 

 nots, the same. Calendulas often live 

 over winter. But Drummond phlox, 

 although pre tj' hai'dy, tisuallj' succumbs 

 to the changeable and cold spells of late 

 winter, so docs mignonette, .\lthough 

 petunias come up in vast (juantity wher- 

 ever the old plants have gro A-n, the seed- 

 lings get winter killed Affinis tobacco 

 also comes up in quantity from seed, but 

 gets killed in winter. Although vinca, 

 ageratum, amarantus, and several other 

 common garden plants grow so freeh- 

 from self-sown seed, not one of them is 

 hardy; indeed, the ageratum excepted, 

 they seldom germinate till dangerof frost 

 is past in spring. 



Of course there is a long list of annuals 

 that we find recommended for autumn 

 sowing in Europeangardeningbooks.but 

 our experience limits tbe list very much. 

 In the south and mild localities elsewhere 

 many annuals thrive better when sown 

 in fail than in spring. 



SOME WORTHY ANNUflLS. 



Of the newer or rarer annuals this sea- 

 son I am well pleased with the Little 

 Brow nie marigold. It is a compact little 

 plant, eight or ten inches high and the 

 same in bnadth, and makes a fine edging 

 for a border. Its brown and yellow 

 flosiers are showy and attractive, and 

 although single I think it much prettier 

 than if it w^re double. Early and con- 

 tinuous in flowering, strong resistance to 

 drouth and easy to grow are additional 

 commendations. Another fine edging 

 plant is ag ratum Tapis Bleu, which is 

 quite dwarf and compact, very floriferous, 

 of a fine bright blue color, and fr e from 

 the dirty look that most of the agera- 

 tums have. 



The little dwarf blue lobelia is also one 

 of the best of plants for an edging, its 

 intense bluecolorandabundan'.e of bloom 

 make it very attractive. Another fine 

 little plant to which 1 am very partial is 

 Gypsopbila muralis. It is nothing .ike as 

 attractive as the others, and hence is apt 

 to be pass d by, but when attention is 

 called to it, the delight is unbounded in its 

 little delicate flowers and the elegant 

 spra3'ing appearance o) the plant. Thesan- 

 tolina or lavender cotton, with its slender 

 twig-like growth, compact form, grayish 

 or silvery looking foliage, and fine fra- 

 grance is another fine plant for the front 

 of the border. This however, is a plant 

 that gro « s readily from cuttings. 



Among the other of th ■ newer annuals 

 in cultivation is Cassia cbamiechrista, our 

 native partridge pea. This is not a new 

 ))lant, but it has been strangely over- 

 looked. It grows about two feet high, 

 with acacia-like foliage, some a hat resem- 

 bling the sensitive plant, and has short 

 slender branches and abundance of bright 

 canary yellow flowers, two of the petals 

 having a brownish purjile spot at the 

 base; the whole plant has a delicate airy 

 app arance w^hich makes it a lovable 

 thing. Comet asters are proving very 

 fine. The long wavy ])ink ])etals mar- 

 gined with white makes it an ilegant, 

 lovely flower, and one of tiK' most desira- 

 ble of all the asters. Being semi-dwarf 

 and flowers w ith stems suthciently long 

 to cut arc also in its favor. It must be- 

 come very jjopular. Yick's new white 

 branching asters is just coming into 

 bloom. It was elegantwith me last year 

 and came at a time when asters were past 

 their prime. It large pure white, chrys- 

 anthemum-like flowers, long stems and 

 verv floriferous eharac er, ninkeit invalu- 



able for cut flowers w^hen others are get- 

 ■ ting scarce. It is a novelty of sterling 

 merit. 



Howard's strain of lilliput zinnias are 

 indeed little darlings. I cannot prjise 

 them too highly, .\fter two years trial 

 I find them indispensable. Of thedianthus 

 or Chinese pinks The Bride, Crimson 

 Belle and Eastern Queen have been very 

 large, fine and atTractive. They are all 

 single and very choic •. Of the same kind 

 is the Cyclops pinks which have the addi- 

 tional recommendation of having the 

 delicate clove fragrance of the carnation, 

 which none of the other China pinks have 

 and which makes the Cyclops quite indis- 

 pensable. Geo. S. Coxover. 

 Geneva, N. Y. Aug. 29, 189-i. 



HflRDY CYCLflMENS. 



E. R., Plainfield, N. J., asks: Are any of 

 the hardy cj-clamens of the European 

 catalogues hardy and desirable in the 

 vicinity of New York? 



Yes, under special conditions. Some 

 kinds as Coum and Atkinsi bloom in w in- 

 ter and early spring, rermun a.nd Ibiricum 

 in spring, and Europxum, and hederx- 

 folium from late summer during fall. All 

 have tub rous rootstoeks, and these 

 should be planted underground, not half 

 above ground, as we grow the Persian 

 c\clamcn. All love well drained but 

 moderately moist ground, well mixed 

 with vegetable mould or old leaf soil, and 

 they must have protection from warm 

 sunshine ai d sweeping winds. They are 

 not fitted for cultivation in the open bor- 

 der. The east or southeast face of a gen- 

 tle sloping rockerv is a good place for 

 th m providing they also have slight 

 shade. In a cold frame against the 

 north facing wall of a building suits them 

 firstrate, in fact in such a place they 

 would make admirable companions for 

 Christmas roses. Although they are gener- 

 ally considered as being perf ctly hardy 

 and we have i ad several of them live and 

 thrive year after year, in the rockery at 

 Cambridge, near Boston, they should 

 have protection in winter; this can be 

 given in the way of a favored warm nook 

 in the rockery, a few — not many — dry oak 

 leaves, and some fresh spruce or fir 

 branch s. But if you wish to enjoy them 

 to th ir fullest extent and get the good of 

 their flowers, grow them in shaded cold 

 frames. The ivy leaved {hedera^tolium) 

 and Eurof)ean(Europaeura)have delight- 

 fullv fragrant blossoms. 



Ager.\tums, nuE .\xi) white.— E. R., 

 Plainfield, X. J., asks: What is the 

 brightest blue, dwarf ageratum, and 

 which is the best of the dwarfwhiteones? 



Mr. F. Kanst, of South Park, Chicago, 

 replies: The bluest ageratum, although 

 not very dwarf, is called Cope's Pet. It 

 grows to about one foot high. I can not 

 say anything about dwarf white agera- 

 tum I do not use any as I could never 

 find any white enough to suit me 



The Greenhouse. 



T«E GREENHOUSE. 



See that ever\'thing is tight and snug 

 about the gl zing on the roof and sides, 

 that the benches are solid and strong, 

 that the heating apparatus is in perfect 

 running order, and all is in good enough 



