i8g8. 



GARDENING. 



325 



are dug up in early spring before they 

 start into growth, we may cut them into 

 small pieces and in this way raise hun- 

 dreds of strong young plants, which, 

 when potted off singly, are ready 1 1 1 bloom 

 by the middle of May, while those left to 

 themselves outdoors will seldom begin to 

 flower freely before the end of June. This 

 method of propagation is cheaper and 

 faster than raising y oung stock in im seed. 



Campanulas are out in great variety; 

 for constant blooming few are betterthan 

 the Carpathica section in their various 

 shades and the lovely C. rotundi folia; 

 neither of them are tall or rank growers; 

 the stems are sent up only twelve to fif- 

 teen inches high and come out in succes- 

 sion, thus furnishing a continuous supply 

 of flowers until fall. A mass of luxuriant 

 pretty foliage covers the ground effectu- 

 ally at alt times and the old stalks fall 

 over as they decay and are hidden from 

 view, though it is best to remove them as 

 soon as their flowers have faded. C. per- 

 sicasfolia Backhouseana is a great im- 

 provement on the type; the bells are 

 larger and of more substance and the 

 growth is more robust. C. persictefolia 

 alba coronata is a very pretty semi-double, 

 white form, which can be recommended 

 for cut flower purposes. The same may 

 be said of C. Trachelium fl. pi., which 

 grows a little taller and has larger and 

 very double bells. 



Cephalaria Tartariea, with its long- 

 stemmed, straw-colored, scabiosa-like 

 flower-heads, is now in full bloom; it 

 stands the drought remarkably well, 

 though in moist ground the size of the 

 flowers is improved; yet they are of good 

 size here, four inches and more in diameter, 

 five to six feet tall and with luxuriant 

 ornamental foliage. It is admirably 

 adapted to planting in the lawn, where a 

 clump forms a symmetrical specimen and 

 we need not be afraid of strong winds 

 damaging either the foliage or the tall 

 flower stems. 



Salvia sclarea, with its immense pan- 

 icles of pale, lilac-blue flowers, is a rather 

 large plant, three to four feet high. It 

 wants plenty of space, for the leaves are 

 large and broad; the flowers will continue 

 in fine shape until well into August and 

 it is a grand plant for all purposes, 

 excepting the small, narrow border. Any 

 well enriched soil will suit this plant and 

 where an occasional watering can be ad- 

 ministered the panicles will increase won- 

 derfully in size. 



Epilobium angustifolium, to do itsbest, 

 wants moisture, although we have fair 

 success in our dry borders where its aver- 

 age height is reduced to about three feet, 

 while in moist and partly shaded posi- 

 tions we often see them six feet high. The 

 long, tapering, branchy spikes are pro- 

 duced on every growth; the individual 

 rosy flowers are quite large and ot a lovely 

 crimson color. The dwarfer white variety, 

 E. angustifolium album, flowers with 

 equal freedom, and both are very desirable 

 for borders, shrubberies or for naturaliz- 

 ing in the wild garden. E. hirsutum 

 blooms in large corymbose clusters some 

 weeks later than the others; bright pink 

 and is of equal, if not of superior value for 

 the same purposes. Height generally from 

 three to four feet. J. B. Keller. 



THE FOXGLOVE. 



This hardv biennial or perennial, Digi- 

 talis purpurea, is one of the showiest 

 plants of its class and very easy of culti- 

 vation. At Schenley Park some ten thou- 

 sand of these plants are under William 

 Falconer's care and have for several 

 years been a great attraction when in 

 flower. That the public takes an interest 



in flowers as seen in displays of this kind 

 is evidenced in the demand* that has sold 

 thousands of digitalis in the city of Pitts- 

 burg and vicinity alone since they were 

 brought to notice in this way. 



Schenley Park is a great public edu- 

 cator, and such grounds and buildings, 

 with such superintendents as Mr. Falconer 

 and the late Air. Bennett, should be estab- 

 lished in every large city in the land. It 

 can be done if intelligent efforts are put 

 forth. Let the florists' clubs start the 

 movement; get influential citizens and 

 newspapers interested, and when the idea 

 is well before the people have the proper 

 legislation enacted, with the necessary 

 appropriations, and another floral school 

 would soon be founded that should be a 

 great source of pleasuretothecommunity 

 which surrounds it. Boston's public gar- 

 dens have done wonders in educating the 

 people, and the many beautiful private 

 estates of large and small dimensions in 

 that city and its environs bear testimony 

 to their worth and the appreciation in 

 which they are held by the people. 



Robert Kift. 



THE BEST OF THE HARDY FERNS. 



There is so much pleasure to be derived 

 from a collection of hardy ferns such as I 

 have, that I cannot refrain from mention- 

 ing what kinds they are, that others may 

 get together and have the enjoyment of 



such a collection. But before mentioning 

 the sorts, let me say that a very great 

 ileal of the well doing of the plants 

 depends on having them in the right 

 place. In many respects such a place as 

 mine occupy could not be bettered. It is 

 close to a house, on its east front. The 

 sun shines on the plants from its rising 

 until about 1 1 a. m. This is a help to 

 them, for I have found they do not do so 

 well in total shade. In addition to these 

 favorable conditions the soil is damp. 



In this collection are nearly all the 

 sorts native to these parts. I will name 

 some of the larger growing ones which 

 thrive well enough without the attention 

 smaller ones require: Osmunia cinna- 

 momea, 0. Ciaytoniana and regalia, 

 Struthiopteris Germanica, Aspidium mar- 

 ginale, A. acrostichoides, A. spinulosum, 

 A Goldianum, A. cristatum, A. thelyptera, 

 and A. Novahoracense, Adiantum peda- 

 tuni.Dicksoniapilosiuscula, Onocleasensi- 

 bilis and Polypodium hexagonoptcrum. 

 Of aspleniums there are A. hlix-frvmina 

 and A. thelypteroides of good size, besides 

 the somewhat smaller .4. ebeneum and A. 

 angustifolium. The woodwardias com- 

 prise W. Virginica and IP. onocleoides. 

 Besides these there are some of the hardy 

 ones of England and some from the Pacific 

 coast, with many of the smaller growing 

 kinds of our own woods. The interest of 

 such a collection may be increased by 

 procuring the plants from localities vis- 



DIGITALIS PURPUREA 



