52 



GARDENING. 



of the plant is that many of the leaves 

 turn vellow, thus giving it a vEry untidy 

 appearance. It is not troubled bv insects, 

 except now and then a hairy caterpillar. 

 Begonia Evansian.\. (Said to behardy 

 herbaceous perennial, if given sufficient 

 protection in winter). I can discover ab- 

 solutely no fault in connection with this 

 lieautiful, easilv grown and most satis- 

 factorv plant. ' It is a true begonia, both 

 in leaf and clusters of lifjht pink flowers. 

 As long as I have a garden I intend never 

 to be without a number of them. I won- 

 der it is not seen in every garden, as it 

 rciiuires no care whatever, except to be 

 kept moist at the roots. Rooted cuttings 

 set out last May have made large branch- 

 ing plants about 18 inches high, which 

 are full of flowers. The exposure is such 

 that the plants get only a few hours sun 

 a dav, and the soil is moderately light. 

 The habit of the plant is compact, and 

 the leaves do not scald or rust. 



CiJOMi- i'UN<-,ENS. Ifanvbody likcsthis 

 coarse, weedy looking plant, it ought to 

 be grown in a north or northeast expos- 

 ure as much sunlight dwarfs the plant 

 and shrivels the flowers. Even in hot 

 weather the flowers shrivel up. When 

 the flowers of the main stem first open, 

 and if the cluster is large, the plant is 

 fairly decorative, .■\gainst a background 

 ot Ta"cknianni an I paniculata clematis, as 

 I had it this vear it is for a short time 

 (luite attractive. It is terribly infested 

 with a light green worm like that to 

 which climbing nasturtiums are so sul)- 

 ject. One word of caution. Don't plant 

 it near your veranda if you wish to enjoy 

 vour summer evenings out of doors, or 

 expectvyour friends to call to see you, as 

 it emits an odor so nearly resembling 

 that of that Httle animal called Mephitis 

 Americana, as to be distinctly disagree- 

 able. „, 



HUNNEMANNIA FUMAKI^FOLIA. 1 He 



leaves are light green and finely cleft, 

 something in the style of eschscholt- 

 zia The flowers are large and tulip- 

 shaped, of a beautiful golden yellow 

 with orange stamens. On the plant 

 and when cut they last in perfect 

 condition for days. I wonder it is so 

 rarelv seen in gardens. Seed ought to be 

 startedindoors early, as otherwise it will 

 not bloom until late. My experience in 

 transplanting would lead me to adviseits 

 being planted in small pots and turned 

 out with aballot earth. [A perfect beauty 

 and an old one in cultivation m some 

 gardens. In a general way, however, it 

 is almost unknown. Its big name is 

 against its popularity. Call it Hunne- 

 mann's Golden Poppy, and let our seeds- 

 men give it a boost, and get plenty new 

 seeds of it and sell them in liberal packets, 

 and we believe manv people will grow it 

 and like it -Ed.] 



Nasturtiums, climbing and dwart. Any 

 suggestions looking towards preventing 

 these beautiful, albeit common, flowers 

 from losing their leaves by turning yellow 

 would be gratefully received. In dry or 

 moist soil appears to be the same, and 

 the complaint is seems to be universal. I 

 do not mean that all the leaves turn yel- 

 low, but enough of them to spoil the ap- 

 pearance of the plants. L. C. L. J. 

 Xew York, September 27, ISO.'). 



vou to unfasten it from the trellis or 

 'other support, 'ay it flat on the ground 

 and cover it with sods, earth or sand, 

 over this a little litter or leaves may be 

 placed if the spot is cold or exposed. 

 Burying in this way is a safeguard 

 against rot in winter and the serious 

 changes of temperature > ou are apt to 

 have in early spring. Hay, straw or 

 similar litter would also do all right for a 

 winter covering were it not for the mice 

 they harbor. Mulching it well over the 

 roots and wrapping up the top in mat- 

 ting, sacking, or straw is good and 

 about all we can do with it when it is 

 intertwined on a trellis or among other 



P0LYflNT«U5 NARCISSUS. 

 F. N. B., Northern Indiana, writes: 



had a beautiful bed of polyanthus narcis- 

 sus last spring, by dint of covering with 

 leaves in a frame, but 1 never thought to 

 take up the bulbs after the leaves had 

 died down, and now the young leaves 

 are two inches high. Will they be ruinea? 



Not necessarily. Set a frame overthem 

 now, but don't put the sashes on except 

 as a protection from hard frost. Over 

 the ground among the bulbs spread a good 

 layer of rotted leaves that had lain m a 

 pile since last vear, or loose leaf soil from 

 hollow places in the woods, or finely 

 rotted, light chaffy manure, this is to 

 mulch the ground well without covering 

 over the young leaves so much as to 

 bleach them as they advance in growth. 

 Bank well with leaves, fresh or littery 

 manure, or the like around the frame to 

 keep out the frost, and in severe weather 

 keep the sashes on the frame and cover 

 them over with straw, hay, mats or 

 shutters, to help exclude some of the frost 

 and prevent hasty changes of freezing and 

 thawing. You will probably save them 

 all right. The error into which you fell 

 is a common one, and one we have spoken 

 of several times. All tender narcissi 

 should be lifted when their leaves die 

 down in early summer, and kept out ol 

 the ground- dark, dry, and cool as prac- 

 ticable till the following fall, when they 

 may be planted out again as before This 

 ripens the bulbs, renders them less liable 

 to rot in summer, and discourages growth 

 in fall, thereby rendering them hardier 

 than they would be had they started to 

 grow before winter set in. Polyanthus 

 narcissi are not hardy as a rule, in the 

 northern states. The paper white nar- 

 cissus so much grown by florists, and the 

 •'Chinese sacred lily" now so popular arc 

 common forms of this narcissus. 



CLEMATIS MflDfllWB BflRONNE UlELlflRD. 



[.P. p.. Independence, Mo., asks: "Is 

 tliis clemaris hardy in Western Missouri 

 and if not how should it be protected.'" 



It probably is as hardy as the other 

 large-flowered yarieties and in a warm 

 sheltered place will survive without any 

 covering. At the same time wc advise 



BEDDING PLANTS IN LINCOLN PARK, 

 CAlCflOO. 



White and rose colored ten weeks stock 

 were used together in beds bordered with 

 Centaurea candidissimn in the flower 

 garden. By pinching out the old flower 

 heads the stocks were kept in good form 

 until midsummer when they were replaced 

 bv vincas or celosias. Pansies were freely 

 used and did well, until late in the sum- 

 mer. Mr. Stromback, the gardener, starts 

 them late, invariably sowing the seed 

 during Christmas week instead of in th- 

 fall Bv this plan his plants come into 

 flower inly a little later than fall sown 

 pansies, and remain in flower until China 

 asters are far enough advanced to accept- 

 ably replace them. 



Geraniums of course hold a prominent 

 place, semi-double varieties being mostly 

 used because thev hold their flowers 

 longer than single ones. Those in favor 

 are- Mme. Bruant, red, a strong grower 

 and good bloomer: Emilc de Oirnvdin, 



NOZ' 



pink, with similar qualities; La Favorite, 

 white, and very satisfactory; GuiUan 

 Mongelle, a good scarlet; Dr. Jacoby, 

 salmon; and President Leon Simon, an 

 old but excellent dark red. The single 

 varieties in use are: Mrs. G. M. Garr, an 

 excellent white; Rev. Watkins, scarlet; 

 and Gloire de Caboniy and Mrs. E.G. 

 Hill, both salmon. Gettysburg, crimson, 

 and Madonna, scarlet, are two new single 

 ones that are being tested and seem to 

 promise well. Rose geranium is the only 

 sweet scented variety used, and in fancy ■ 

 leaved sorts the choice is limited to Moun- 

 tain of Snow and Eari Roslyn, both, as 

 grown here, being compact, dwarf grow- 

 ing plants. , T . , 



Years ago, when I first saw the Lincoln 

 Park flower garden, I noticed acelosia, 

 or old fashioned cockscomb, of unusually 

 dwarf form, fine combs and rich color. 

 Every time I have been there since the 

 same flower has attracted my attention. 

 Strangers always remark it and old 

 ladies make no effort to resist the tempta- 

 tion to pillage the plants of seeds. 1 have 

 never seen any like it elsewhere. It is 

 called President Thiers. Mr. Stromback 

 got the seed years ago and has kept it 

 pure, the dwa'rf form of the variety mak- 

 ing it partieulariv desirable as a bedder. 

 [President Thiers cockscomb has been 

 catalogued bv some seed firms for years. 

 Their description of itis,"Ce/os/acn.stat;i 

 nana var. President Thiers— a very fine 

 dwarf crimson variety, with dark 

 foliage."-ED.] The beds of glowing 

 crimson cockscombs are always bordered 

 with Centaurea gymnocarpa. 



Beds of pink verbenas are an even sheet 

 of flowers. Red and white flowered vinca 

 are used together in beds. They are liked 

 because if the seed is started in January 

 oreariierina temperature ot 70 .trans- 

 ferred to pots wiien large enough and 

 shifted when necessary, they are in flower 

 when planted out June 1, and remain in 

 good form until frost. Theirbright flow- 

 ers and glossy foliage make an attractive 

 bed. . , , 



There are beds of large, very richlv 

 colored single petunias that receive anc 

 deserve much attenrion. Theseed issaved 

 each vear. A finely colored, large flow- 

 ered "strain of single China pinks, var. 

 Heddewlgii. is propagated in the same 

 wav. The seed is started inside or in a 

 frame about April 1, and the seedlings 

 transferred to pots. In tact all ot the 

 beddingplants used in the park are grown 

 in pots before being planted out, to the 

 end of securing well rooted plants that 

 can be transplanted without checking 

 their growth, thus insuring immediate 

 »ood results in the beds. Globe amaranth 

 Srold fashioned crimson bachelor's but 

 ton, a variety of everiasting, is used as a 

 bedder. . , ... 



Begonia semper/iorens, pink, and its 

 variety Vernon, red, are the. only ones in 

 use out of doors. ,. , i ■ 



The yellow daisy, Oueen of Belgium, is 

 proving a capital bedder. It is very 

 pretty and lasts well when cut. 



Torenia Fournierianii Browallia elata. 

 two unassuming little annuals make 

 modest beds among those of bnghter 

 hues. Cope's Pet ageratum, and helio- 

 trope are both used as bedders. bo also 

 is Agrosteniwa coeli-rosa and snap- 

 dragons and asters in vanety, the last 

 being mostly of the Victoria type. 



Four cannas, i.e., Mme. Crozy , Florence 

 Vauehan, Egandale and Alphonse Bou- 

 vicr are seen in beds on the terraces and 

 bordered with scarlet and crimson zinnias 

 and others with a very pretty ornamental 

 -rass, Pennisetuni longistyluni, that 

 ^T,ows about fifteen to eighteen inches 



