of Rural Art and Taste. 



231 



fine. The Crystal Palace Gem for bedding 

 is unsurpassed. Mrs. Clutten and Mabel 

 Morris were still favorites. As a general 

 rule, the committee thought the bronzes, as 

 well as the gold and silver tricolors, were more 

 valuable for indoor planting than for bedding 

 out. 



Violets. — Several fine specimens of the 

 Marie Louise were exhibited, and the opinions 

 of members called for concerning it. Mr. 

 Hovey said that for multiplicity of flowers and 

 general commercial purposes, it was not equal 

 to the old Neapolitan. 



Denys Zirngiebel said that the Marie Louise 

 bloomed pretty well until the first of January, 

 and in February ceased altogether, when the 

 old Neapolitan was at its prime. 



C. B. Gardener says that with him the 

 Marie Louise flowers earlier than the Neapoli- 

 tan, hence the dealers are willing to pay more 

 for it. 



Mr. Hovey said that it was of a little darker 

 color than the other. He thought it might do 

 better in frames than in the house. The Nea- 

 politan has long stems, standing up well, so as 

 to be easily gathered, while the Marie Louise 

 lays down. The latter is also subject to red 

 spider. Mr. Hovey also said he was the first 

 to cultivate the new variety " Czar " here. It 

 will not do in our warm climate. It runs to 

 foliage too much, and he has condemned it, 

 except as a garden variety, where it flowers 

 late in the autumn. 



Mr. Zirngiebel cultivates the Czar in cold 

 frames. It is of fine color, and he considers 

 it a valuable variety. It is very prolific in 

 frames. 



Lily of the Valley.— K. P. Calder, who 

 had been remarkably successful in forcing the 

 Lily of the Valley, was called upon to give 

 his method. He said that he commenced to 

 force this flower because he found it necessary 

 in making up work at the store. It has been 

 considered very difficult to force. There are 

 two very important points — plenty of bottom 

 heat and plenty of moisture. After the flower 

 has formed, the plants must be kept very cool, 

 and have no water. No water must touch the 

 leaf or flower after the flowers have two-thirds 



developed. Too much water rots not only the 

 flower stems, but the leaves. He sold 200 

 selected clumps to a gentleman who allowed 

 them to get dry, and they grew only two 

 inches high. 



Soil. — In answer to the in({uiry as to the 

 soil used, he said that it was not particularly 

 prepared. He took common loam from the 

 field. It requires a very strong bottom heat 

 to start it ; afterwards it is easily grown. He 

 has five pipes under the bench, which give a 

 strong bottom heat. His plants are placed in 

 boxes. Clumps from the same box, without 

 bottom heat, did not grow at all. 



Varieties. — Mr. Rand, in answer to an 

 inquiry concerning the rose-colored variety, 

 said that he had six or eight kinds, and as 

 far as regards flowers, the common is the best 

 of all. The so-called rose-colored variety is a 

 dirty pink. Some of the variegated foliaged 

 kinds, especially the golden variegated, are 

 valuable. 



Shade. — In answer to the question whether 

 the Lily of the Valley succeeds best in the 

 sun or shade, Mr. Calder said that out doors 

 it grows in the sun, and indoors his best plants 

 are in a stove house with 17 pipes, and ex- 

 posed to the hottest sun. 



Soil. — The only soil used, other than what 

 came on the clumps, was a little in the box 

 and between the clumps. It is not necessary 

 to put in soil. The object of withholding 

 water is to keep the blooms clean and white ; 

 the smallest quantity of water spots them. 

 He does not give them a particle of liquid 

 manure. 



Amaryllis.— Mv. Putnam said that his 

 mode of cultivating amaryllis differed from 

 other growers who had spoken. He does not 

 let them dry up, but waters continuously, and 

 thinks his seedlings flower sooner under this 

 treatment. He believes they can be culti- 

 vated out doors. If inclined to dry up, let 

 them. He keeps his old bulbs growing all 

 the time, and they increase in size. 



Catt,na Seed.—l noticed, some time ago, 

 an inquiry by a lady as to the most successful 

 mode of germinating canna seed. Having 



