of Rural Art and TaMe. 



113 



this old rose can be had very cheap of our 

 florists, and no person who loves roses should 

 be without it. If a person has no green- 

 house in which to keep the plants in winter, 

 they may be bent down and covered with 

 earth, or dug up and heeled in and then pro- 

 tected with coarse litter or manure." 



M^ 



The Fountain Plant. 



A WALLINGFORD, Conn., contributor 

 ^ of the Oneida Circular^ seems to have 

 had unusual success in the cultivation of the 

 new '■'■Amaranthus Salidfoliusy "Whether 

 there is anything in the situation, soil or cli- 

 mate specially favorable to their development, 

 I cannot say ; but I have never seen ama- 

 ranths with so much beauty ; and this willow- 

 leaved amaranth, the Fountain Plant, is the 

 most unique specimen of the whole class. It 

 is said to have been introduced here this sea- 

 son from England, and to have come origin- 

 ally from the Philippine Islands, where it was 

 discovered by the late J. Gr. Vietch. 



" Our plant measures now two feet and 

 three-fourths in hight and two feet and one- 

 half in diameter at the base, and gradually 

 tapers from the ground to the top into an ex- 

 quisitely formed pyramid. It is still growing 

 vigorously. Viewed in the sunshine from the 

 arbor, while writing, its colors appear to be 

 golden-bronze, deep violet and green. Per- 

 haps a dozen leaves on the plant measure half 

 an inch in width ; the others vary from one- 

 fourth to one-eighth of an inch in width, the 

 width being uniform throughout. The lower 

 leaves measure five inches in length, while 

 many of the upper leaves measure thirteen 

 and fourteen inches in length, drooping like 

 spray over the surface, and adding grace and 

 beauty to the whole arrangement. 



"Imagine a pyramid of the above named 

 proportions, with tiers of water jets arranged 

 in circles, one above another, each emitting 

 its spray, and you have an idea of this vege- 

 table fountain." 



Roses for Ribbon Beds. — An exchange 

 recommends the following as best for this pur- 

 pose : White daily, Louis Phillippe, Hermosa, 

 Agrippina. 



Hf/drangeas.—ln planting this spring do 

 not forget some of the prettiest class of flow- 

 ering shrubs ; of late, some beautiful sorts 

 of Hydrangea have attracted attention, and 

 we name a few of the most desirable worthy 

 of notice : 



Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora, a high- 

 ly ornamental shrub, with enormously large 

 dense flower heads, opening pure white, and 

 tinted with rose, in their mature bloom ; blooms 

 profusely during the summer months, and is 

 perfectly hardy. 



Alatra, a very beautiful plant from Japan, 

 giving large clusters of bluish-pink flowers in 

 great abundance, through the season ; the 

 flowers are very persistent, a splendid plant 

 and most probably perfectly hardy. 



Stella Jlore pleno, a new double Hydran- 

 gea, from Japan, described as magnificent. It 

 was greatly admired at the London (England) 

 flower shows, where it was exhibited in great 

 beauty. 



New Double Zonale Geraniums. — 

 We see it announced that three new gerani- 

 ums will be sent out this spring by Jean 

 Sisley, the famous florist of Lyons, France, 

 which appear to be very remarkable. George 

 Sand, having double flowers larger than any 

 single variety known. It is white when grown 

 under glass, and rose tinted in the open air. 

 Francois Pertusati has large double flowers, 

 aurora, edged with white. Carl Vogt has 

 medium sized flowers of a salmon orange of a 

 new shade. 



Preserving Cut Flotvers. — Mr. Fre- 

 mont, a chemist, in a letter to the French 

 Society of Horticulture, mentions a way of 

 preserving cut flowers in a state of freshness. 

 It is to dissolve sal-ammonia, or chlorhydrate 

 of ammonia (obtainable of any druggist), with 

 the water in which the stems are put, in the 

 proportion of five grains to a pint and a half 

 of water. In this way, it is said, they will 

 often keep fresh for a fortnight. 



Small JSeds.—No. 1, plant wholly in 

 geraniums — Gen. Grant ; No. 2, Centaurea 

 in center and Alternanthera versicolor outside ; 

 No. 3, Pampas Grass in center, with remain- 

 ing surface of bed covered with creeping Ivy, 



