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GARDENERS- CHRONICLE 



for rock-garden or border and preferring the half shade. 

 In a like location we find the Dutchman's Breeches, 

 Dkentra ciicullaria, with its pretty racemes of drooping, 

 yellow tipped flowers, thriving", as Canadensis, in a light 

 rich soil. 



In this rock-garden we now see a pretty, little odd- 

 looking creeping evergreen plant, with rose-colored buds, 

 and white flowers rising out of a moss-like cushion of 

 leaves growing in half shade or full sunlight and pre- 

 ferring a soil of leaf mold and sand. This is the Pyxie, 

 Pixldanthcra barhulata, a native plant. 



Do you see these pearly white buds and large white 

 star-shaped flowers disclosed by the unfolding of the 

 handsome foliage, different shaped foliage than we have 

 before seen in our walks? This is the Blood Root. 

 Sanguinaria Canadensis. This native plant flourishes in 

 light moist soil under deciduous trees and is excellent for 

 massing in such a position. 



This Early Saxifrage, Saxifraga Virginicnsis, is not 

 a particularly beautiful flower, but it is a native and has 

 in it the touch of Spring : it blooms freely in border, or 

 rock-garden, in the sunshine in any soil. 



Growing here in this rich border, though preferring a 

 wet location in sun or half shade we see the Double 

 Marsh Marigold, Caltha pahistris florc plena, with its 

 broad double yellow flowers, a double form of our native 

 plant C. pahistris; its blooms are good for cutting. 



The blooms of this plant before us have a very imique 

 form ; this is the Californian Columbine, Aquilegia Cali- 

 forniea or truncata, bearing yellow tinted short spurred 

 flowers. This plant flourishes in sunshine or half shade 

 in a border of well drained sandy loam. 



These two tuberous plants growing in this rock-garden 

 are natives: thev prefer a half shade and moist soil. 

 These are the Spring Beauties, Claytonia J'irginica and 

 Caroliniana with their star-shaped pink veined flowers, 

 the former the larger, borne in loose clusters on slender 

 stems. 



Four Anemones. .-Inemonc apenina. with large white 

 flowers, A. Pulsatilla, with lilac colored flowers, and 

 much divided leaves, .}. patens A'lUalliana with star- 

 shaped lilac flowers, and A. ranunetiloides, with golden 

 3'ellow flowers, sometimes semi-double, and with deeply 

 cut foliage. All these Anemones thrive in the shade. 

 A. Pulsatilla is excellent for border or rock-garden: A. 

 ranunculoides in rock-garden, and the other two in wild 

 gardens. 



As we are coming here we see some more Inilbous 

 plants in bloom. This is the Lily-like Fritillary, Fritil- 

 laria liliacea growing here in this border of rich loam. 

 Its lily-like green veined or greenish flowers are some- 

 times solitary, sometimes several droop on their stalks. 



These flowers of transparent white are those of the 

 Sand Lilv, Leucocrinum niontanuin ; these stemless 

 flowers with pale anthers and shaped like a funnel are 

 fragrant, and continue to appear among" the narrow 

 leaves for several weeks : this is a good rock-garden plant. 



These are the Summer and Spring Snowflakes. Lcueo- 

 juni ccstivuni and L. vernum. the former, we see. bears 

 clusters of fragrant bell-shaped, green tipped flowers, 

 somewhat like SnowdrojiS ; the latter is a smaller plant 

 with solitarv flowers : both thrive in a border of rich 

 soil. 



In our garden walks and talks we have reached mid- 

 April. What we see in our subsequent walks we will 

 tell vou in another issue of the Chronicle. 



We are going to be called upon, nationally, collectively 

 and individually, to renounce extravagance and learn 

 anew the old lessons of thrift and providence. It will 

 add to our power and emphasize our stability if we be- 

 come a simple-living people once more. — ]]' . G. Harding. 



THE MASTER OF "THE MOORINGS" 



In the death of Col. H. E. Converse, taken, as he was, 

 in the prime of life, the horticultural world, the flower 

 loving public and the pleasure seekers have met with a 

 loss hard to estimate. Whether his beautiful estate, sit- 

 uated on Charles Neck in Marion, will be lost to the 

 public is still a matter of conjecture. When Mr. Converse 

 purchased this estate about 17 years ago it consisted of 

 about 80 acres of practically undeveloped land and an old 

 farmhouse. Today we find the whole place developed 

 to such an extent that even the so called wild section 

 is a thing of beauty, in fact so tastefully are the entire 

 grounds arranged as to win the Hunnewell Triennial Pre- 

 mium for the most tastefully laid out estate in Massa- 

 chusetts and also the silver medal of the Massachusetts 

 Hort. Soc. for the best rose garden. 



When the estate began to assume the desired eflrects he 

 looked upon the work of the two master minds, and, 

 deciding" that it was good, he did not build a high wall 

 with massive iron gates at the entrance or post a sign 

 "No Admittance" but rather let it be known that all 

 were welcome to enjoy the beautiful spot, embellished 

 with the gardener's art, to the full without any restric- 

 tions so long as property rights did not suffer, in fact 

 he even advertised in the papers when there was any 

 special attraction. Col. Converse enjoyed his place but 

 his chief pleasure was the enjoyment of his many vis- 

 itors. Everything was open and the visitor wandered 

 where he pleased, along the sea wall with its splendid 

 view of Buzzards Bay, in the green-houses with their 

 burden of fruit and flowers ofttimes in such abundance 

 as to make one wonder at the profligacy of Nature when 

 fostered by trained experts, through the daffodil walk in 

 the Spring where the Golden Spur, Emperor, Empress 

 and their ilk were nodding their golden heads and one 

 felt he was in Fairy Land, through the Japanese garden 

 and over the rustic bridge where one was constantly on 

 the watch for a son of Nippon to appear so realistic was 

 the scene, even through the mansion itself on certain days 

 when he held open house. All these the Colonel enjoyed 

 and took pleasure in the enjoyment of others. Some 

 might say pride prompted the action, and it certainly 

 would be a justifiable pride, but I would attribute it rather 

 to a generous nature enhanced by a proper pride. 



A very democratic man, everyone was welcome, the 

 rich and the poor alike, and so open was the hospitality 

 and so beautiful the picture, that hundreds walked the 

 two miles each way from the electrics. Even with the 

 employees this democratic attitude prevailed to such an 

 extent that the superintendent said "he seemed more like 

 a partner than eniployer'' while the same feeling" existed 

 among the help. All seemed to be working together, 

 employer and employe, to make the place beautiful, cheer- 

 ful and attractive. How well they succeeded anyone who 

 has visited "The Moorings" will know. This was not 

 his life work but it was a work remarkably well done and 

 generouslv shared with his fellow man, something that 

 will linger long in the memories of the present generation. 



Col. Converse was nuich interested in Town affairs, 

 gave it its fire apparatus and was very influential in pro- 

 curing a water sup]:)ly for its people. 



The ultimate disposition of this beauty spot is still a 

 matter of conjecture but it is sincerely hoped that it may 

 still be saved in its, charming simplicity and b? continued 

 as a spot where all may find pleasure. 



Long live the memorv of the Master of "The Aloor- 

 incs." ' ■ W. F. T. 



Convey thy love to thy friends as an arrow to the 

 mark, to stick there : not as a ball against the wall, to 

 rebound back to ihee. — Ouarles. 



