i8g8. 



GARDENING. 



243 



Fig. 1 . — A circle, diameter nine feet. 



three feet ten inches respectively, mark 

 these circles with sand or whatever you 

 use. After this draw circles d and e with 

 radii three feet four inches and two feet 

 ten inches, divide the outline (circle a) in 

 four equal parts, try with tape line and 

 pegs until you get it right, place a peg in 

 each of these points, b-b and bi-bi, tie a 

 piece of twine from b to b and a piece 



Fig. 2. 



from bi to br, these two pieces of twine 

 should then cross each other at the cen- 

 ter; from this, a, measure to each side one 

 foot two inches and put pegs exactly in 

 the lines, this gives the centers c, from 

 these draw circlesy*with seven inches an&g 

 with one foot one inch radius; from the 

 four points where the twine crosses circle 

 d measure to each side three inches and 

 where it crosses e to each side nine inches 

 and put pegs in these sixteen points, tie 



Fig. 3- 



twine between the opposite and corres- 

 ponding points as dotted lines indicate, 

 and draw the parts of these straight lines 

 that are drawn full on the plan. Now 

 mark all the full lines and the bed is ready 

 for planting. These directions as well as 

 the following ones will best be understood 

 il you get pegs, twine and tape line and 

 try the construction step by step accord- 

 ing to directions on a piece ot level ground. 



With a little practice it is not so difficult. 

 The writer learned by self-study only, hav- 

 ing no directions to go by, except a 

 good knowledge of practical mathe- 

 matics. 



Such a bed as it is usually drawn would 

 look like Fig. 2. 1, Santolina incana; 2, 

 Alternanthera amoena spectabilis; 3, A. 

 aurea nana; 4, .4. paronychioides major, 

 5, Santolina incana. 



Fig. 4. 



A working sketch such as you use for 

 laving out a design would look something 

 like Fig. 3. 



While the corresponding design would 

 look like Fig. 4. 1, Bchereria rosea; 2, 

 Alternanthera amoena spectabilis; 3, A. 

 aurea nana; 4, Pilea nana; 5, Alter- 

 nanthera spatulata. 



Other color combinations than these 

 can of course be used; it depends largely 

 on the stock on hand, and the effect can 

 often be heightened by setting a plant as 

 agave, yucca, Dracaena indivisa or some 

 ornamental grass in the middle and 

 smaller plants of the same kinds or 



Fig. 5. 



Echeveria metallica, etc. In other suita- 

 ble places, and in many cases the middle 

 of the bed can be raised, sloping evenly to 

 the edge: 



Fig. 5. 1, Alternanthera paronychioides 

 major; 2, Coleus Golden Bedder; 3, C. 

 Hero; 4, C. VerschafTeltii. 



This is a bed of strongly contrasting 

 colors for a twelve foot circle; it is easily 

 laid out, the main difference from the 

 former two being that the circle must be 

 divided in five parts to find the centers. 

 Symmetrical designs like these are easily 

 laid out, as the corresponding centers 

 always are equally far from the main cen- 

 ter and equally far from each other. In 

 the designs 2, 4 and 5 we have to divide 

 the circles in four and five parts. In 

 Fig. 6 we must divide in ten parts to find 



Fig. 6. — Ten feet diameter. 



the centers, first dividing in five parts and 

 then each of these in two. The radius 

 divides the circle in exactly six parts, 

 take every other point of these and it is 

 divided in three. To dividein eight parts 

 first divide in four and then each of these 

 in two, to divide in nine parts first divide 

 in three and then each of these in three, etc. 

 Fig. 6. 1, Alternanthera amoena spec- 

 tabilis; 2, A. aurea nana; 3, A. parony- 

 chioides major; 4, Santolina incana; 5, 

 Achyranthes Lindeni. H. Hansen. 



FLOWER SEED GROWING IN AMERICA. 



American seed growing has developed 

 wonderfully during the past twenty-five 

 years, until now, in spite of the European 

 advantage in experience and in cheap 

 labor, we are producing vegetable seeds 

 which compare favorably both in qualitv 

 and price with any from abroad. But we 

 have paid little attention to growing 

 flower seeds, the great bulk of those used 

 in this country being imported. 



There is, however, an exception in the 

 case of sweet peas, Amercan grown seed 

 of this flower being abundant and cheap, 

 and generally considered the best in 

 quality. The honor for the improvement 

 of the sweet pea has been given to Henry- 

 Eckford, of England, and to such an ex- 

 tent that many seem to think that not 

 only were all of our finer sorts originated 

 by him, but that we must depend solely 

 upott him for any further improvement. 



I would not speak lightly of, or under- 

 estimate Mr. Eckford's work. He has 

 done more to create and develop the 

 modern improved forms of this beautiful 

 flower than any other man; but, while 

 giving him due credit, we ought not to 

 ignore or undervalue the studies and 

 labors of such men as Hutchins, Morse 

 and other American lovers and growers 

 of sweet peas. A collection made up 

 wholly of Eckford's varieties would lack 

 some of the very best kinds in cultivation. 

 He has produced nothing so early and 

 free flowering as the Extra Early Blanche 

 Ferry, nothing of its color so beautiful as 

 Stella Morse. America is the best red 

 striped. Cupid, with all the splendid 

 possibilities of its type promised in Pink 

 Cupid, is an American not an Eckford 

 variety. Blanche Burpee, his best white, 

 is at least equaled by The Bride, and 

 Brilliant is a better red than his Mars. 

 Not only this, but it is a fact that in 

 many cases, after American growers have 

 worked for years to produce and perfect 

 some stock, Eckford has sent out some 

 new variety essentially like it, and, though 

 the American stock was usually the purest 

 and best fixed, and often better in other 

 qualities, it has been unselfishly dropped, 

 rather than add to the confusion of names, 

 and Eckford alone has been given credit 



