of Rural Art and Taste. 



303 



TOarilieiiittg. 



Cannas. 



BY JOHN QUILL. 



WE doubt if any of the perennial bulbs 

 bearing annual flowers and foliage, can 

 rival the Canna in stately magnificence, grace, 

 and sublimity. Adapting themselves as they 

 do to almost any soil or situation either in 

 city or country, they are foremost in contri- 

 buting to the tropical appearances of the 

 garden when planted in groups bordering on 

 the shrubbery. Their continued luxuriance 

 and beautiful sheen prompt us to always give 

 them the most conspicuous • place in the 

 pleasure ground, and their utility for decorat- 

 ing the conservatory, window garden and draw- 

 room is very well known. People think it 

 difficult to preserve the bulbs of this plant 

 over winter, yet the requirements for their 

 preservation is very simple : first, see that the 

 bulbs are perfectly dry before removing them 

 to winter quarters ; they will live in any 

 dry place where the temperature will not fall 

 below freezing, or pack under liay or straw in 

 the stable or barn. Scientists will pronounce 

 these bulbs unsafe unless packed in sand and 

 sawdust. 'Tis not at all necessary ; we found 

 them to live under the same temperature and 

 treatment that potatoes will. This plant will 

 thrive satisfactorily in most kind of soils ;• still 

 it, like other plants, has its favorite compost, 

 namely, black, sandy loam with a mixture of 

 fresh stable manure. Some of the older 

 workers in the soil will feel a little chagrin at 

 our prescribing fresh manure in this case — 

 let such dispense with imported theories, and 

 American horticulture will profit immensely. 

 Bulbous-rooted flowers delight in striking 

 their roots into a mixture of strong, fresh 

 manure that has retained all the ammonia 

 and other good substances so encouraging to 

 plant growth and health. It may not be out 

 of place to relate here a little incident that 

 led us to the secret of forcing Canna into 

 early bloqm ; it was accidentally this : An 

 unruly cow broke loose from the pasture early 



one morning, and took a walk through the 

 pleasure grounds, to enjoy in sweet solitude 

 all the beauties that a well-kept landscape 

 presents in the dewy mornings of June. She, 

 however, did not confine herself to the mere 

 admiration that circumstances ofiered, but 

 indulged freely in satisfying her appetite on a 

 large group of Cannas that occupied a central 

 ornamental position. 



The gardener did not curse much ; he had 

 often made new discoveries under a similar 

 circumstance before, and was now anxious to 

 know how the core of the stalk would develop 

 itself, as he cut the bruised and broken shoots 

 down within one foot of the ground. The 

 growth of the leaves were checked by this 

 operation, but the center remained active. 

 Four days after a flower stalk of a very pre- 

 possessing character made its appearance 

 above the cut, and in ten days more had 

 attained the height of three feet and fully ex- 

 panded blossoms. Meantime young shoots 

 sprouted from the bulbs, and were making- 

 rapid progress towards repairing the injury 

 done to the parent stalk. The shoots that 

 remained unmolested in the group did not 

 bloom until five weeks later than those that 

 were bruised and cut down. 



Canna Marechal Vaillant, a new species sent 

 out during '73 and '74, deserves special notice 

 on account of its superior quality for orna- 

 mental purposes. The great fault with the 

 older species of this family, is the pendulous 

 tendency of their leaves being swayed to and 

 fro by the wind, and lastly broken by heavy 

 rains. The leaves of C. Marechal Vaillant 

 assume an upright attitude, once they develop 

 and maintain this inclination throughout. 

 In most cases two or three or more shoots 

 start from each bulb, each attaining the height 

 of 6 feet and covered from base to top with 

 large, green, oblong leaves. Flower stalk 

 smooth, erect and very substantial, dividing 

 at the top into bud panicles. Corolla, creamy 

 yellow, folding as the buds expand, and form- 

 ing upright columns holding the petals com- 

 posedly in their place. Petals large and 

 conspicuous, orange color with pale crimson 

 tints splashed delicately over the surface. 



