no 



GARDENING. 



Dec. 



'5, 



we love our northern neighbor we cannot 

 choose a flower bearing her name. 



The columbine is the favorite of some, 

 and as its generic name, aquilegia, signi- 

 fies the resemblance to an eagle, which is 

 the emblematical bird of our country, 

 save on Thanksgiving, it presents a case 

 where the botanical signification pleads 

 for its adoption, but the question arises 

 is it a typical American plant? Out of 

 seventeen species described in Nicholson's 

 Dictionary of Gardening thirteen are from 

 the old world and only four are indige- 

 nous to the United States. The American 

 species as a whole are not as vigorous 

 and lasting in our gardens as some Euro- 

 pean forms, and therefore the most com- 

 mon form grown and the most likely to 

 be seen would be .4. vulgaris, or its varie- 

 ties, which is an English plant. Here we 

 are blocked again. We gained our free- 

 dom from England, but we must choose 

 our emblem elsewhere. 



We must not knock down idols and not 

 produce substitutes. Let us consider the 

 humble sunflower. Who has not seen it! 

 Who dees not know some form of it! Its 

 generic name Helianthus is from Helios, 

 the sun, and anthos, a flower. What 

 brighter, more glorious emblem could we 

 choose than that flower, that in itself 

 suggests the orb that controls our des- 

 tinies! As the sun rises in the east and 

 pursues his course towards the west, so 

 did our civilization in its onward march 

 from Plymouth Rock to the Pacific coast. 

 In tm-tho'ogy thesunflower is the symbol 

 of fidelity — constancy— and with it is 

 connected the hopeless love of Clytie for 

 the god Helios. These two words, fidel- 

 ity, constancy, are surely suitable ones 

 to be connected with our national flower. 



The helianthus is not, as is the trailing 

 arbutus, confined to a limited area, but 

 is found everywhere. It does not resist 

 cultivation, but thrives under almost any 

 condition and holds up its head as 

 proudly in the back 3'ards of t'e poor as 

 in the gardens ol the rich. It does not 

 trail upon the ground but boldly stands 

 erect and faces the sun from morn to eve. 



Is it a typical American plant? Yes! 

 Nearby all the known species are indigen- 

 oustoNorth America, the few exceptions 

 beingconfined to Peru and Chili, countries 

 of the new world. 



As our country is the Mecca of the op- 

 pressed, so has this humble plant in its 

 own way contributed to the necessities of 

 the poor, for one of the forms of a west- 

 ern annual species has long been grown 

 in Russia for food and oil, having been 

 originally grown from American seed. 



There is another question that might 

 be discussed, although its bearing upon 

 the subject is remote. That is, how well 

 will the chosen flower lend itself to its re- 

 production by the artist. Occasions will 

 occur when artistic reproductions are 

 necessary The golden rod, while grace- 

 ful in itself is so minute in its parts as to 

 render it difficult of a pleasing reproduc- 

 tion. The columbine is easily copied, but 

 the sunflower can be reproduced on more 

 decorative lines than almost any other, 

 especially adapting itself to conventional 

 forms. W. C. Egan. 



HORTICULTURAL BOOKS. 



We can supply any of the following books, postpaid, at the prices given: 



CROTOLnRlfl RETUSfl. 



I find this to be a good greenhouse 

 plant, blooming steadily, each stem hav- 

 ing from five to eight flowers open at a 

 time. The flowers are of good size and 

 bright color. I think it will be very use- 

 ful as a cut flower. The more I see of it 

 the better I like it. Harold Otter. 



Philadelphia. 



How to Grow Cut Flowers (Hunt). 

 — The only book on the subject. It is a 

 thoroughly reliable work by aneminently 

 successful practical florist. Illustrated, 

 $2.00. 



GREENHOuse Construction (Taft) — It 

 tells the whole story about how to build, 

 and heat a greenhouse, be it large or 

 small, and that too in a plain, easily un- 

 derstood, practical wav. It has 118 

 illustrations, $1.50. 



Bulbs and Tuberous Rooted Plants 

 (Allen). — Over 300 pages and 75 illustra- 

 tions. A new work by a specialist in this 

 line. Tells about lilies, cannas, dahlias, 

 hyacinths, tulips; and all manner of bulbs 

 and how to grow them indoors and out- 

 sides, summer and winter. $2.00. 



Mushrooms: How to Grow Them 

 (Falconer). — The only American book on 

 the subject, 29 illustrations. Written by 

 a practical mushroom grower who tells 

 the whole story so tersely and plainly 

 that a child can understand it. This book 

 has increased mushroom growing in this 

 country three fold in three years. $1.50. 



Success in Market Gardening (Raw- 

 son). — Written by one of the most promi- 

 nent and successful market gardeners in 

 the country, and who has the largest 

 glasshouses for forcing vegetables for 

 market in America. Outdoor and indoor 

 crops are treated. Illustrated, $1.00. 



The Rose (Ellwanger). — The standard 

 work on roses in thiscountry and written 

 from a field affording the widest experi- 

 ence in practical knowledge and opportu- 

 nities for comparison, and where every 

 variety of rose ever introduced is or has 

 been grown. $1.25. 



The Biggle Berry Book (Biggie). — A 

 condensed treatise on the culture of straw- 

 berries, raspberies, currants and goose- 

 berries; with truthful colored illustrations 

 of 25 varieties of strawberries, 8 rasp- 

 berries, 5 currants, and 5 gooseberries; 

 35 illustrations in black and white; and 

 portraits of 33 of the most noted berry 

 growers all over the country. 50cts. 



The Propagation of Plants (Fuller). 

 — An illustrated book of about 350 pages. 

 It tells us how to propagate all manner 

 of plants, hardy and tender from an oak 

 to a geranium, and describes every pro- 

 cess — grafting, budding, cuttings, seed 

 sowing, etc , with every manipulation 

 pertaining to the subject It is the voice 

 of practical experience, by one of the most 

 brilliant horticulturists living. $1.50. 



Manures (Sempers). — Over 200 pages; 

 illustrated. It tells all about artificial, 

 farmyard and other manures, what they 

 are and what they are good for, the dif- 

 ferent manures for the different crops and 

 the different soils, how to apply them, 

 and how much to use and all in such a 

 plain way that no one can misunderstand 

 it. The author is an active, practical, 

 horticultural chemist. 50 cents. 



Dictionary of Gardening (Nicholson). 

 — An inimitable work. An encyclopaedia 

 of horticulture. It is the ready book of 

 reference for all cultivated plants, includ- 

 ing the most obscure genera and species 

 as well as the most familiar. It is stand- 

 ard authority on nomenclature. An Eng- 



lish work but as .much appreciated here 

 as in Europe. Four volumes. $20.00. 



The Garden's Story (Ellwanger). — A 

 delightful book portraying the beauties 

 and pleasures of gardening in the most 

 fascinating style; it is eminently practical, 

 and useful too, f.r the author loves, 

 knows and grows the plants he writes 

 about; and has a field for observation 

 and practice second to none in the coun- 

 try. Price $1.50. 



Fruits and Fruit Trees of America 

 (Downing). $5.00. 



Fruit Garden (Barrv) $2.00. 



Small Fruit Culturist (Fuller). $1.50. 



Gardening for Profit (Henderson). 

 $2.00. 



Practical Floriculture (Henderson). 

 $1.50. 



On the Rose (Parsons) $1.00. 



Truck Farming at the South (Oemler). 

 $1.50. 



Window Flower Garden (Heinrieh).75c. 



Ornamental Gardening (Long). $2.00- 



Art Out of Doors (Van Rensselaer) — 

 Hints on good taste in gardening. $1 50. 



The Flowers of Japan and the Art of 

 Floral Arrangement. Colored and plain 

 plates. (Conder.) $12 50. 



Sweet Scented Flowers and Fra- 

 grant Leaves (McDonald). Avery in- 

 teresting subject handled in a popular 

 and masterly way. $1.50. 



Botanical Dictionary (Paxton). His- 

 tory and culture of plants known in gar- 

 dens. New and enlarged edition, $7.20. 



The Wild Garden (Robinson). How 

 to make all outdoors beautiful, moreespe- 

 cially the wilder and rougher parts of the 

 grounds about our homes, by the great- 

 est master in that art. Splendidlv illus- 

 trated from life. $4.80. 



How to Know the Wild Flowers 

 ( Dana). Guide to the names, haunts and 

 habits of our common Wild Flowers. 

 Illustrated. $1.75. 



According to Season (Dana). — Talks 

 about the Flowers in the order of their 

 appearance in the woods or fields. $0.75. 



The English Flower Garden (Robin- 

 son). — This is the best book on outdoor 

 ornamental gardening extant. It deals 

 with hardy flowers of all kinds, and tells 

 us how to grow them and how to plant 

 them to secure the most perfect growth 

 and charming results; it enumerates and 

 describes most every plant of the kind 

 worth growing; it has 832 pages and 

 many hundreds of illustrations. Its 

 author is the greatest master in orna- 

 mental gardening who ever lived. Price 

 $6.00. 



Plant Breeding (Prof. Bailey).— Deals 

 with variation in and crossing of plants, 

 and the origin of garden varieties, etc., 

 293 pages. $1.00. 



The Horticulturist's Rule-Book 

 (Prof. Bailey). — A compendium of useful 

 information for all interested in fruit, 

 vegetable or flowergrowing. 302 pages. 

 75 cents. 



The Soil (Prof. King).— Its nature, 

 relations and fundamental principles of 

 management, 303 pages. 75 cents. 



. . THE, GARDENING 60.. Monon Building. Chicago. 



H 



ARDY ORNAMENTAL TREES, SHRUBS, VINES, EVER-". ....t .™,r.i „..,,„,,,, „ f iwd, o™.. 



:ns, and hardy herbaceous perennials. nr;.'*i t p ed n d:a'" ' 



tion. Plans and estimates furnished. Send your list of needs for special rates. 



mental Plants In America. Two hundred page 



GREENS, AND HARDY HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS. S15 rd«crip"« caio^e on .ppiici- 1 



tion. Plans and estimates furnished. Send your list of needs for special rates 

 [THE READtNO NURSERY, *TACOB W. MANNING, Proprietor. READING, MASS. 



When writing mention Gardening. 



