354 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
received more general cultivation. The corolla is continuous and 
bell-shaped, something like that of the petunia, only the throat is 
open, and comes in varying kinds of red, orange, yellow, blue, pur- 
ple, bronze and almost black, all being curiously streaked and pen- 
ciled. Itisanannual, blooming in August from outdoor sown seed. 
The datura is another comparatively new plant, although allied to 
the old jimson weed of our gradens. It bears a large, trumpet- 
shaped flower, five or six inches long and four or more broad, yet it 
does not seem coarse. It has a delicate odor, and the white ones 
have a beautifully soft velvety finish. I had in my garden this 
summer a new variety of datura—a double yellow, the blossom 
consisting of three funnels, one within the other. It was much ad- 
mired, and proved much more lasting for cutting than the single. 
The plant is large and bushy and not very ornamental, and one 
would hardly care to give it a place ina “handkerchief garden,” but 
where there is plenty of room it can be placed in some odd corner, 
or by the fence or barn, and will well repay its rent room. 
The Japanese morning glory has been much lauded, and the cata- 
logues have heralded itin flaming colors. From my first experience 
with it this past season—while not altogether satisfactory—I think 
under proper conditions it may prove all that is claimed for it. I 
suspect we are a little too far north to see it at its best, which, to- 
gether with a lack of knowledge of how to treat this semi-tropical 
exotic, accounts for the dissatisfaction that has oftimes accom- 
panied its attempted culture. The seeds are very hard and the 
germ needs a little artificial assistance in piercing its shell, other- 
wise it is several weeks in germinating. I learned this also: Don’t 
sow the seed out of doors until the weather is quitewarm. Putina 
sunny, sheltered place, and it will grow rapidly and give an abun- 
dance of beautiful, large and varicolored blooms along the latter 
part of the summer. For an early bloomer in this latitude it is not 
a success, but as a climber it affords abundant foliage, and in my 
judgment pays the long waiting for its fruition of flowers. 
Perhaps no garden flower has been so much improved or de- 
veloped into a greater number of varietiesas the aster. Time would 
fail me to speak of the many comparitively new and genuinely de- 
sireable kinds. Perhaps the best one of all the newer ones is 
Semple’s Branching aster, originated in our own country by an 
Eastern florist. The flowers are large, as handsome as a chrysan- 
themum, which they resemble, and borne in abundant profusion. 
Coming quite late in the season, as.it does, it helps with other and 
earlier varieties to give a very long aster season. 
Another handsome addition to our gardens is the California petu- 
nia, both single and double, originated by a lady in Ventura, Cal., 
who spent some seven or more years upon its development. Ican 
not better show its value than by quoting the words of a Maine con- 
tributor to Vick’s Floral Magazine. He says: “ The California petu- 
nias are a decided acquisition and take to our ways well. They not 
only grow stouter and faster than native sorts, but the flowers are 
much larger and more brilliantly tinted. The seeds germinate 
better than the common sorts with me, which is an important con- 
