CANNA. 53 
will thrive most luxuriantly in dry soil, if made rich. 
For large groups on the lawn, for planting against fences 
or unsightly places it has no equal in the list of orna- 
mental plants. One of its great attractions is that it 
will grow anywhere, and always ornament its surround- 
ings. The tubers should be planted singly, about one 
and a half feet apart, as soon as general gardening opera- 
tions commence. Whether in clumps or in rows, the 
plants will completely cover the ground, forming an 
impenetrable screen when planted at that distance apart. 
After the frost has destroyed the beauty of the foliage, 
the roots should be taken up and kept during winter in 
a dry warm room or cellar. 
The varieties are readily produced from seed, which 
is best planted singly in small pots, although they seed 
themselves freely, and come up like weeds where once 
grown. ‘This, however, does not apply to the large 
flowering species, which do not seed freely unless 
artificially fertilized. The species are all tropical or sub- 
tropical plants, being found abundantly in the East and 
West Indies, Central and South America. One species, 
C. flaccida, is common in some of our Southern States. 
Botanically they are allied to Maranta, Calathea, and to 
the Ginger family. One of the species, C. edulis, is 
extensively grown in Peru and the Sandwich Islands as 
a vegetable ; it also yields a large quantity of arrowroot. 
Many of the species have long been cultivated for 
their beautiful flowers and foliage. Parkinson, that 
admirable gardener, described the method of growing 
them, in a manner peculiarly his own, in his ‘‘ Flower 
Garden,” published in 1629. There is also an excellent 
copperplate illustration of C. indica, in ‘‘ Florilegium 
Renovatum,” published in 1612, showing that the plant 
was highly appreciated in that early day. But few of 
the species are in general cultivation, the labors of the 
hybridist having given us new forms, desirable because 
