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GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



IN PFL-MSE OF THE GAILLARDIA.— One often wonders 

 why man\- gardeners do not make more use of this pleasing and 

 accommodating perennial. There are so many points in its favor 

 that it should receive more attention than is usually given to it. 

 Still it is a very uncomplaining plant even though it does not 

 alwavs receive the due reward of its merits. 



Wiiat are its merits? I have been trying to think of one word 

 in which they could be summed up succinctly but the task is 

 beyond me. 



It is a good drought rcsister and produces in abundance, .gaily 

 colored flowers which enliven many a dull patch in the garden. 

 The flowers are excellent for table decoration, lastin.g well in 

 water and lending themselves naturally to artistic arrangement, so 

 that the veriest tyro in the art of arranging flowers can make them 

 look pleasing. 



It is not exacting in the matter of soil or attention, yet if it 

 does not get very much, it murmurs not nor complains but goes 

 on producing its bright and glowing flowers in abundance. 



Surely the Gaillardia is worthy of a little more attention and 

 consideration than it usually receives at the hands of most 

 gardeners. Grown in masses it is very beautiful and every garden 

 should, if there is the slightest possible chance, have at least one 

 far-sized bed given up to it. 



According to the dependable Johnson, the Gaillardia hails from 

 X. America. Those who prefer a good old-fasliioned name will 

 be glad to know that the Gaillardia rejoices in two — the Blanket 

 Flower and the Flannel Flower. Of the two the former seems 

 preferable and is certainly suggestive. — So. African Gnrdoung n;i</ 

 Country Life. 



AN EARLY-FLOWERING ROCK PLANT.— The Scrophu- 

 lariad. SvTithyris reniformis, is a native of North-West .\merica. 

 The tubular blooms are about a quarter of an inch in length, pale 

 violet in color, and tliey arc produced in quantity on erect spikes 

 six inches or more in length. The leaves also are attractive, being 

 deeply toothed at the margins. This plant is quite hardy and in 

 its native habitat it is found growing in moist places, so it should 

 be given a damp spot in the rock garden ; although I have grown 

 it successfully in various positions, except where it is heavily 

 shaded. ,A cool loamy soil is needed, and in a dry season it may 

 require water at the root to keep it .going until more moist con- 

 ditions prevail. This year it has flowered freely, and the carlincss 

 of S. reniformis should warrant it a place in every rock garden, 

 while for an alpine house it would be found most useful for an 

 early display. The plant can be increased by division and from 

 seeds. — The Garden. 



VIOLET CRESS (lONOPSIDIUM ACAULE).— It would 

 scarcely be thought that so diminutive a plant could possess mvich 

 attraction in the flower .garden — as it grows but three inches high — 

 yet this is so, the tiny little i)lants covered with their lilac blue 

 flowers being much admired at the present time, December 6th. 

 The flowers vary considerably, both in size and color, and so freely 

 are they borne that every plant becomes a cushion of bloom. Like 

 all the Cresses, it appears to love cool, moist conditions. Its life is 

 short, but the self-sown seeds germinate so quickly that plants are 

 in flower more or less throughout the year. In the present in- 

 stance it is used to carpet the ground among seedling Carnations, 

 for 'being so small it does not in any way interfere with tlie latter. 

 Where one wishes to make sucli beds attractive during the Winter 

 a few seeds should he scattered among the plants in September or 

 early October. — Gardening Illiistraled. 



PRIMULAS. — Where successional batches of the sinensis type 

 are required, seed may now be sown, followed later on by other 

 sowings, according to requirements. For decorative pur|>oses the 

 stcilata varieties arc most suitable, not only for their light, elegant 

 effect, but also for their length and freedom of flowering. The 

 variety Coral Pink and the "blue" varieties make a very effective 

 color combination, as also do the red and white varieties. The 

 seed should be sown in a light, rich compost, and may be germi- 

 nated in slight warmth. Germination is generally very irregular, 

 thus the seed pots should not lie discarded too soon. During the 

 Summer months the young plants should be grown in low pits or 

 cold frames. The plants sliould be watered carefully at all times 

 and kept .shaded during the hottest jrart of the day. They enjoy a 

 light, rich compost to which some old mortar rubble should be 

 added. By growing them on a second year very fine specimens 

 can be obtained, and for this purpose plants should be selected from 

 a sowing made rather late last year. A bench of stcilata varieties 

 grown in this way has been in flower for close on six months in 

 the conservatory at Kcw, and at the time of writing are still a mass 

 of flowers. — Gtirdener.i' Chronicle (British). 



IRIS LACrSTRIS.— One of the smallest of Irises, but an ex- 

 ceptionally charming one, is the miniature Iris larustris, a perfect 

 gem, smaller in all its parts than the equally charming 1. cristata. 

 It comes from the gravelly margins of some of the North .'Vmcr- 

 ican lakes, such as Lake Huron, and loves a moist soil, which, 

 however, should not be too stifl', but rather friable and gritty. 



There it will thrive and spread with fair rapidity, always provided 

 its arch enemy, tlie slug, does not crop it to the ground. It grows 

 onlv about three inches high, and gives its pretty leaves, like 

 miniatures of those of- the Flag Irises and exquisite little flowers, 

 of a lovely amethyst-blue with a golden crest. It is a lovely 

 little Iris, which may be planted in Spring to bloom the same 

 Summer. — Gardening Illustrated. 



PL.ACING FLOWER BEDS.— Alany flower beds that in them- 

 selves are pretty are nevertlieless ineffective because they are 

 poorly placed. In the middle of the lawn a flower bed looks 

 isolated and therefore is not pleasing, although an observer may 

 not know just why the bed fails to satisfy the artistic sense. A 

 flower bed should "relate itself to the rest of the garden, for it is 

 not there for its own sake but only as a part of the general 

 scheme. When it has a hedge, a mass of shrubbery or a vine- 

 covered fence for a background, the eye is gratified, for it finds 

 exactly what it unconsciously seeks, a screen against which to 

 \iew the flowers. — Canadian Florist. 



THE TREE I\TES.— Everyone is familiar with the climbing 

 forms of Ivy upon walls and buildings, but what is known as the 

 Tree Ivy is not so well known. These Ivies are. in reality, merely 

 a modification of the commoner form, and are principally valued 

 on account of the fact that they are of a shrubljy nature, and that 

 they produce berries at an early stage of their existence. They 

 are of comparatively slow growth, but they are useful in the 

 garden scheme in various ways. When planted in masses their 

 evergreen character makes them attractive throughout the year ; 

 tliey may lie used in the foreground of shrubberies, and they are 

 not unpleasing in colonies and on a lawn. .\s pot plants, too, the 

 Tree Ivies are serviceable to those who lia\e no other glass than 

 an imheated greenhouse, and who must work only with quite 

 hardy plants. Such plants are very useful for placing on balconies 

 or in porches, the green foliage and, in their season, the berries, 

 being noteworthy. There are several distinct kinds of Tree Ivies. 

 among them Hedera Helix arborea — the commonest variety — H. 

 fructu luteo, with yellow berries ; H. argentea marginata, with 

 silvery variegation ; and H. aurca, the foliage of which is, more or 

 less, suft'uscd with yellow. — Gardening. 



THE LEGEND OF THE XMAS ROSE 



When the three Kings did come to Bethlehem 



To greet the Babe, new-born, to heal .our woes, 



A little shepherd girl did follow them, 



Hight Madclon. But for that she was poor. 



And had no present to the Babe to bring 



She lingered sadly all outside the door 



In tears, and prayers, and humble .sorrowing. 



To whom came Angel Gabriel, and did say, 



"What is your sorrow, little Madelon. 



Why weep you so, and why thus loneiy iiray. 



When all the world from Satan's thrall is won?" 



Quoth she. "I have no present for the King 



W'ho has no flower. Ah. woe is me, 



For it is cold, and lacks so long to Spring. 



Had I but roses now, all fair to see." 



Then with his rod he struck the frozen ground. 



Where out fresh roses tlierc did straight appear, 



The.se gathered she, and in a posy bound 



Did bring to Jesus Babe, withouten fear. 



"In old Monks calendar the Xmas rose is allotted to St. .'Xgnes 

 as patroness of Purity. Therefore it was much used by the 

 .■\ncients to purify their Temples and homes." — .S"fi. African Gar- 

 dening and Country Life. 



RHODOR.Ai CAN.'VDENSIS.— This is such an easily grown, 

 charming little shrub that one wonders why it is not more often 

 seen. It is adaptable for the rock garden (being no more than 

 two feet to four feet in height), the front of the border or o|x-n 

 wcKidland, and all it asks is any cool loam that does not dry out 

 too quickly in Summer. Peat and leaf-mould it enjoys, but these 

 are not always essential. We have grown R. canadensis for many 

 years and not once has it failed lo produce a mass of blossom in 

 early Si>ring. It generally flowers just as Rhododendron prrecox, 

 R. ciliatiun, and other early kinds are going off and, being de- 

 ciduous, the leaves do not appear until the blossoming is over. The 

 flowers, which arc borne in clusters at the tips of the twigs, are a 

 vivid rfise-purple with long, silvery stamens which pccitvude with 

 an upward tilt like those of a Honeysuckle, .\nother name for 

 Rho<lora canadensis is Rhododendron canadensis. — Gardeners' 

 Chronicle (British). 



ROOT CUTTINGS.— Root cuttings are useful for increasing 

 slock of many plants that are difficult to prr.p;ig;ite in ,iny other 

 way. Pl.'inls producing suckers are easily worke<l liy Ibis method. 

 Many iil;mts that never sucker naturally will send out .shoots when 



