of Rural Art and Taste. 



237 



Queries about Hoses, Ever- 

 greens, Shrubs and Plants. 



} EDITOR Horticulturist : — We would 

 -i like to know a list of ten best roses for 

 outdoor culture here. Our winters are severe 

 enough to kill the Queen of Prairie and 

 English Moss, so we do not expect to grow 

 any good roses without protection. What we 

 wish is ten or a dozen sorts that we may 

 reasonably expect success with if protected. 

 We have Madam Plantier (white), and con- 

 sider it one of the finest. We cannot see 

 why the Baltimore Belle is considered worthy 

 of culture, if others succeed no better than 

 we have. We get only a moderate bloom of 

 dingy color. We have had fair success with 

 the Washington Rose, but it is not equal in 

 bush to some others. 



We would like to know ten best varieties 

 of evergreens for nursery culture here. 

 Would Chinese Arbor Vita; prove hardy 

 here ? We should expect the Siberian to be 

 hardy, the name would indicate so at least. 

 We have had good success with Balsam Fir, 

 Norway Spruce, American Arbor Vitaj, etc. 

 We learn that Irish Juniper is not hardy 

 here — makes too late a growth each season. 



We have tried Japan Lilies three or four 

 times. Have not succeeded well in open 

 ground culture except with Rubrum, and only 

 moderately with that. We wish some good 

 hardy plants sure to succeed as well as Dicen- 

 tra and Bee Larkspur. Are there none of 

 the finer lilies we can grow with satisfaction ? 

 If the Japan Lilies are as hardy and good 

 growers as the Tiger Lily, we would be 

 satisfied. 



We have good success with Snow Ball, 

 Lilacs, etc., but our Pyrus Japonica, Weigelia, 

 Roses, and Flowering Almond winter kills 

 unless protected. What hardy flowering 

 shrub shall we try next? Will some one 

 who knows please inform us through The 

 Horticulturist ? A. L. Hatch. 



Ithaca, Richland Co., Wis. 



Edgings for Garden "Walks. 



SOME capital suggestions on this topic are 

 made in the last issue of Briggs & Bros. 

 Quarterly. " It is generally desirable that 

 we should preserve the shape of our flower 

 beds and borders from year to year, so that 

 the plants shall not interfere with the walks. 

 Where flower beds are cut out in the turf on 

 the lawn, an edging with the spade is all that 

 is necessary to keep them in shape for all time. 

 It has been the custom for years, to use a 

 dwarf-growing box for edgings ; still this is 

 used only by a few, and as it does not flower, 

 there are many who would prefer to use 

 flowering plants for this purpose. 



The double-Jloweiing Sweet Violet is a 

 capital plant for edgings to beds, borders and 

 walks. The best time to plant them is in the 

 spring, when the beds are spaded up and got 

 into shape for the season. Draw a line where 

 it is desirable to form the edging, and after 

 separating the plants into small pieces, plant 

 them firmly about six inches apart, along 

 after the line. In a short time they will 

 present an unbroken line or edge, and the 

 next season they will give an abundance of 

 their acceptable, fragrant flowers. 



The Double Russian is the variety best 

 adapted for this purpose. The annuals and 

 other flowering plants can be planted quite 

 close to the Violets, as some shade will be 

 found to be beneficial to them. 



The Double Daisy makes one of the best 

 of floral edgings, and should be planted quite 

 thickly for fine effect. We have seen edgings 

 of this pretty and popular flower that were 

 vastly superior to anything else in the line of 

 edgings. 



The Sedums Sieboldi and variegatum are 

 excellent, used for this purpose, being both 

 perfectly hardy, besides standing perfectly 

 well through the hottest summers, becoming 

 denser each succeeding year, as well as being 

 loaded with rosy purple flowers in the autumn. 

 The dwarf, Jirie groiohig varieties of Semper- 

 vivum (Live-for-eve?-), called moss by many, 

 may be used with capital effect and results, 

 and will please all who try them for this 

 purpose. For edgings to walks and beds in 



