April 9, 1910 



HORTICULTURE 



545 



Anemone canadensis, 

 Pennsylvanica 



syn. 



A, 



Anemones or windflowers are with a few exceptions 



harbingers of spring. Those of us who have seen beau- 

 tiful May days in Great Britain or the central part of 

 the European continent, especially in Germany will 

 vividly recollect the myriads of half-drooping blossoms 

 of Anemone nemorosa abounding on field and meadow. 

 Eeminiscences of the vernal aspect of the woodland and 

 forests abroad always revive within my memory the 

 graceful picture of swaying masses of the snowy white 

 flowers of Anemone sylvestris responding to a gentle 

 breeze. Like the song of the lark, high up in midaii* 

 and the jubilant warble of the wooing starling on the 

 tree-top the European windflowers are part of the spring. 

 From the view point of the florists I don't hesitate to 

 say that they neither possess the showiness of the sum- 

 mer and fall-flowering Japanese varieties of our gar- 

 dens, nor could they compare with the dazzling hues of 

 the tuberous rooted Anemone fulgens of Greece and 

 other parts along the Mediterranean sea coast. The 

 chief attributes of the wild Anemones of the northern 

 temperate zones consist in a certain modest appearance 

 combined with that gracefulness in form invested both 

 in their foliage and flowers which not only impresses 

 but also endears. The same characteristics may be fit- 

 tingly ascribed to our native Xorth American wind- 

 flower Anemone canadensis. I have never been fortunate 

 enough to see it in a wild state growing in equal pro- 

 fusion as we often met the first mentioned European 

 species abroad. In this case I imagine the total efEect 

 must be unquestionably more beautiful for in foliage 

 and the free carriage of flowers Anemone canadensis is 

 superior to both the nemorosa and sylvestris varieties. 



Our native windflower perhaps merits some space on 

 the informal herbaceous border. Furthermore it is the 

 ideal thing to beautify the ground along the outskirts of 

 wodlands. The illustration herewith shows what a 

 small amount of cultivation is apt to make out of it. 

 For the Northern States a sunny exposure seems best, 

 etill the instances are by no means rare where we can see 



plantation do very well in a half-shady position. 

 Around New York and fartlier south I believe the rather 

 low and moist half-shady location may be preferable. 

 Anemone canadensis should be always planted in 

 masses in a thoroughly natural way. The wild flower 

 garden and especially the thinly wooded park sections 

 offer excellent opportunities for effective employment. 

 Plantations once established as a rule require a very 

 moderate amount of care; in fact, it is better if they can 

 be left undisturbed as mucli as possible. Our native 

 wind-flower is in the habit of spreading out its roots 

 under ground, rambling and covering more space each 

 season. Foliage and flowers year after year aid in en- 

 hancing the vernal beauty of our natural wood and park 

 landscapes to an extent as to Justify my endeavor to 

 arouse increased interest for this modest, but neverthe- 

 less handsome native flowering herb. Landscape gar- 

 deners and park superintendents should not lose sight 

 of it. 



-SElcA/zlaxL -^<Mja 



NortJie^st Harbor, Maine. 



British Horticulture 



INTENSIVE CULTURE EXHIBITION 



Dean Swift's eulogy on the man who makes two ears 

 of com "grow upon the spot of ground where only one 

 urew before" can be fittingly bestowed on the new race 

 of intensive cultivators in Britain who are marvelousl;^^ 

 increasing the fertility of "Mother Earth." The men 

 (and women, too) who are getting from the land three 

 crops where only one was obtained before deserve the 

 highest praise. The new system is yet in its infancy 

 JTi this country, but some tangible evidence of the 

 ]3rogress which has already been achieved was afforded 

 at a special show held by the Royal Horticultural 

 Society on March 23rd. Many of the leading growers 

 exhibited, furnishing a very useful object lesson of the 

 adaptation of French methods to British requirements. 



There was a time when France had practically a 

 monopoly of the market for early salads and vegetables, 

 which usually realized a satisfactory price, coming as 

 they did when the supplies were not too plentiful. 

 Some five years ago it occurred to Mr. McKay, an alert 

 member of a Covent Garden firm of seedsmen, that a 

 considerable portion of this trade might be diverted to 

 English growers. A voyage of discovery was organized 

 amongst the Evesham growers, who from an inspection 

 of the gardens around Paris were convinced that the 

 French system of hot-beds and cloches might be profit- 

 ■Mj transferred to English soil. The new industry 

 has since been established in various parts of the coun- 

 cry. In order to demonstrate what can be done under 

 this system the Eoyal Botanic Society has imdertaken 

 to conduct a series of trials during the summer at their 

 gardens in Regent's Park. 



>t?v. CkM"^. 



