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GARDE^ERS' CHRONICLE 



number of species there are of this genus Fritillaria. 

 This is the Russian Fritillary, /•". nitlienica, whose flowers 

 of the same form as the others, are a hvid purple, near 

 it the Twisted-leaved Fritillary, F. obliqiia, with grayish 

 leaves and purple and brown checkered flowers ; next 

 comes a well-known species, the Guinea Hen Flower, F. 

 meleagris, whose large and attractive bell-shaped flowers, 

 checkered with green or white and purple, are excellent 

 for cutting ; not far away we see the largest and showiest 

 of all the species, the Crown Imperial, Fritillaria iiiipc- 

 rialis, very effective in these groups among the shrubbery, 

 with its tall stem surmounted with an upright crown of 

 leaves, under which droop red and orange or yellow 

 flowers. 



In the full sunlight of this border we find a charming 

 plant with lovely cup shaped, large solitary flowers of 

 brilliant yellow, and nodding buds on leafless stems, the 

 Iceland Poppy, Papavcr nudicaiile; because it is tender, 

 best treated as an annual. If kept cut back, it blooms 

 from Spring till frost — coming almost continuously ; near 

 this species is its varieties, P. nudicaiile album, with white 

 flowers, and P. nudicaulc aurantiacum, with deep orange- 

 colored flowers. These Poppies are excellent for cutting. 



In this half-shaded and sheltered border we see the 

 True Primrose, Primula acaulis, with its solitary pale 

 yellow flowers, and the English Cowslip, P. officinalis, 

 with one-sided clusters of yellow flowers, both furnished 

 with tufted rosettes of foliage close to the ground ; near 

 these the Auricula, Primida auricula, with clusters of 

 round bright flowers ranging in color from white to 

 purple, surmounting a leafless stem ; the Polyanthus, 

 Primula polyantha. with umbels of red or yellow flowers 

 rising out of the long root leaves. 



The little, prim, button-shaped flowers here in the sun- 

 light as an edging to the border, are English Daisies, 

 Bellis perennis. How bright they are with their white 

 ray flowers tipped with pink and red. 



This is a fine old-fashioned border plant growing in 

 this half-shaded location ; we love it much, it is the well- 

 named Bleeding Heart, Dicentra spectabilis. Out of its 

 beautiful, deeply cut foliage arise gracefully arching 

 stems of rose-colored heart-shaped flowers. 



Forming a carpet in the sunlight of this border, but 

 equally at home in a rock-garden are the several species 

 and varieties of the Moss Pink, Phlox subulata. All are 

 evergreen creepers. This one is P. subulata a-tro purpurea, 

 with magenta flowers; this P. sul'ulata frondosa, with 

 rose-colored flowers ; and this P. subulata lilacina, with 

 lilac-culored bloom.s. Here are other varieties, P. subulata 

 alba, and P. subulata. The Bride, both with white flowers, 

 but those of the latter with pink centers, and P. subulata 

 Xclsoni. also with white flowers. 



This is the Trollius-Leaved Larkspur. Delphinium trolli- 

 folium, with flower stems two feet and more long, siir- 

 mounted with long, loose racemes of blue and white 

 flowers, which are excellent for cutting; sometimes this 

 blooms twice in the same season. 



Here are the \'irginian Cowslips. Mertcnsia pulmon- 

 arioidcs or Virginica, with a growth of one or two feet, a 

 handsome species. Its blue tubular flowers, which later 

 change to pink, are charming in their pendent clusters. 



This is a group of Grape Hyacinths. Muscari botry- 

 oides, with small globular blue flowers in dense clusters ; 

 along with this are other species, M. commutatuni with 

 darker blue flowers ; M. comosmn, with duller blue 

 blooms; M. comosum monstrosum. whose blue flowers 

 have a fluffy, feathery look, and M. racemosiim. whose 

 pretty, deep sky-blue flowers have a pleasant fragrance. 



We never realized before how many flowers are in 

 bloom between mid-March and early May. 



GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA MEDAL 



IX the announcement of the New York Spring Flower 

 Show appearing in last month's Chronicle, it was re- 

 ported that the Garden Club of America is offering a 

 prize for the class covering the bird bath with planting 

 arrangements. This was an error. This class is open to 

 member clubs of the Garden Club of America, and the 

 prizes are offered by the Horticuhural Society of New 

 York, and the Flower Show management. The Garden 

 Club of America will award a gold medal to be known 

 as the Garden Club of America Medal for the finest 

 exhibit made at the show. 



WORK FOR THE MONTH IN THE GARDEN 



(Continued from page 500) 



ing shrubs generally are those which produce their flowers 

 on the wood made during the previous Summer, and 

 these should be cut back after their blooming period. 

 While those that bloom on wood of the current year 

 may be cut back now. Clear away and burn all rubbish, 

 give a coating of manure, and fork over the ground 

 between the shrubs. 



-Sprays of Forsythia can be cut and brought into bloom 

 in the greenhouse. This makes a most attractive addi- 

 tion to the list of cut flowers during these early months. 



Look after hardy climbers and cut back and thin out 

 where it is necessary. Tie and train the growths where 

 they are needed, so as to display their beauty to the best 

 advantage. 



Lawns should receive early care, and a dressing of 

 some approved lawn manure should be applied. Bone 

 !neal, Scotch soot and wood ashes are excellent and last- 

 ing stimulants. Where the grass is poor a mulch of 

 hunuis generally does much to improve its condition. 

 Hake out moss with an iron rake, and work in some fresh 

 soil and seed next month. 



MARCH BIRDS 



(Continued from page 503) 



the bluebird becomes but a memory. But no such feeble 

 affront can still the merry twitter of the horned lark, nor 

 swerve such hardy northerners as the downy and hairy 

 woodpeckers, chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, golden- 

 crowned kinglet, pine siskin, brown creeper and Winter 

 wren, from their gradual journeys northward, their nest- 

 ing grounds in distant lands. The song of the cardinal, 

 the call of the titmouse still carry conviction ; and the 

 course of the clamoring wild goose overhead, cleaving 

 high altitudes, unerringly continues its northward 

 flight. The marshes, ponds, rivers and floodplains are 

 filling with wild ducks, mingling in perfect disregard of 

 generic relation, the grebe sounding the dark waters for 

 its agile piscatorial victims. The herring gull on its 

 annual errant, ever searching the inland waters for the 

 spoils of early floods, swiftly pinions its way up the val- 

 ley. The hawks, red-tailed and red-shouldered, in pairs 

 and trios are winging their way northward. From the 

 marsh land comes the irrestible "kong-quer-ree." the 

 victory song of the red winged blackbird, its dusky rela- 

 tive, the rusty blackbird, feebly chanting a discordant ac- 

 companiment. The flats are patrolled by the majestic 

 killdeer and probed deeply by the retiring snipe, and 

 spellbound we turn to the outpouring ecstacy of the song 

 sparrow, vanguards all, to behold again the phoebe, 

 nervously darting from its point of vantage, the true 

 harbinger of Spring. 



