of Rural Art and Taste. 



75 



Bihorelli floribunda — It is difficult to 

 fancy any canna to flower more free than the 

 former variety, and we can only refer the 

 name to the fact that this plant is a stronger 

 grower in all its parts, so that it is possible 

 to place more flowers on a stem than in the 

 former variety. This plant grows about five 

 feet high. 



Daniel Hocybreiik — This is a fine variety, 

 with orange and salmon flower, sharp point- 

 ed green leaves, edged with bronze, grown 

 to six feet high. 



Jeaii Vaudal — Light green foliage, and 

 very large crimson-red flower. This plant 

 grows about five feet high. 



Marechal Valliant — This is the finest of 

 the bronze-leaved varieties, growing to the 

 hight of seven feet, and bearing abundance 

 of large orange-colored flowers. 



Premices de Nice — Flowers of a clear 

 canary-color, and very telling from a dis- 

 tance, the flower stems standing high above 

 the foliage, which is a distinct sea-green. 

 This variety grows from six to seven feet in 

 hight. 



Senateur Chcvreau — This is an early 

 bloomer, color salmon, shaded with scarlet, 

 and fine green foliage, hight six feet. 



llefaUica — This is a very excellent bron- 

 zed foliage variety, with bright red flowers, 

 grows from five to six feet in hight. 



Nigricans — Foliage rich dark bronze, 

 quite distinct from either of the other 

 bronze varieties, flower deep scarlet, hight 

 about six feet ; of course all the above 

 named varieties will vary in hight, accord- 

 ing to the treatment they receive, and the 

 position as regards shade or full sun ; the 

 bights above given, are from plants placed 

 in full sun, with a liberal allowance of rot- 

 ten manure, when planted, but never watered 

 or stimulated by any artificial means after 

 planting. 



Another valuable plant, which should be 

 in every collection of subtropicals, is the 

 Arundo donax Versicolor; the lofty shoots, 

 covered with its beautiful striped-leaves, 

 make a capital back-ground to a border, or 

 center to a large bed ; it is said to stand 



the wiutcr outside, and no doubt it is hardy 

 in many localities, but the old plants will 

 keep well if taken up and laid into soil in 

 the cellar ; the tops may be cut off to save 

 space. 



One of the best variegated hardy plants 

 is the AcorJis Japonicus pictus. This is a 

 beautiful variegated form of the sweet calo- 

 mel, which grows in our swamps, but said to 

 have originated in Japan ; but at any rate, 

 it is a very useful plant for edging beds of 

 tall foliage plants ; the one-half of the leaf 

 is a delicate creamy white, and the other 

 half bright green ; leaves from two to two 

 and a half feet long. This plant flourishes 

 best in a moderate damp soil, and of course 

 would grow well in a swamp, or any very wet 

 place. The Acorus being perfectly hardy, will 

 require no attention besides replanting in 

 the spring to keep it within bounds. This 

 plant is also useful to mix with others in 

 large hanging baskets, and also for cutting 

 to mix in large vases of cut flowers. 



Aralia papyrifera, or rice paper plant, is 

 one of the most telling plants for either sin- 

 gle specimens, or planted in large patches, 

 where there is room for extensive planting ; 

 is well suited in such places as our splen- 

 did public Parks, as for example, in various 

 positions near the lake in Central park. 



Caladiums should be shaken out and 

 potted into small pots, where they can receive 

 a l)risk heat ; if that cannot be given, it is 

 better to defer this until April ; until 

 then keep the roots in a warm dry place, 

 the same as Tuberose, excepting that the 

 bulbs require keeping in the soil they were 

 grown in, or covered with sand ; these plants 

 are very beautiful planted in the flower 

 garden, but for that purpose the plants 

 should not be subjected to a very high tem- 

 perature previous to planting out, or they are 

 some time before starting to grow freely ; 

 we plant out a great variety of the colored 

 leaved sorts; besides the usual Esculentum, 

 Javanerum, etc., which are very fine in cer- 

 tain places, especially in large masses near 

 water ; but are often planted too indiscrimi- 

 nately to the exclusion of better things. 



