THE CANADIAN HuKTICrL'lUKIST. 



99 



GLORY OF THE SNOW. 



The Ghionodoxa Lwilice. which is the 

 botanical name of this charming spring 

 flower, is a native of Asia Minor, and 

 is neai-ly allied to the genus Scilla. Its 

 azure blue flowers with pure white centre 

 are produced with the earliest opening 

 of spring while snow lingers yet in 

 many sheltered spots. 



For outdoor culture the bulbs should 

 be planted fx-om one to two inches deep, 



Glory of the Ssow. 



in October, in rather light soil where 

 there is no danger from stagnant water. 

 The bulbs, although hardy, will flower 

 much better if lightly mulched during 

 winter. To produce best effiects they 

 should be planted rather close together 

 and left in the ground undisturbed for 

 several years. 



They are also well ada])ted for pot 

 culture in the house, requiring about 

 the same treatment as Crocus. 



FLORIDA IN WINTER. 

 (Continiied. Jrom page 80. j 



The interesting feature of St. Augus- 

 tine is its antiquity. It -was founded 

 by the Spaniards under Menender in 

 1565, more than half a century befoi-e 

 the landing of the pilgrims on Plymouth 

 Rock. ^lenender 1 what memories are 

 stirred at the mention of that name. 

 How the blood curdles with hoiTor, 

 even after the lapse of more than three 

 hundred years, at the atrocity which 

 could coldly massacre a shipwrecked 

 enemy that had placed themselves by 

 surrender helplessly at his mercy. Time 

 will never wipe from that name the 

 stain of infamy with which it has been 

 imbued by his cruelty. 



The town yet retains the appearance 

 of some ancient Spanish settlement. 

 Many of its streets are narrow, varying 

 from ten to twenty feet in width, and 

 the balconies, projecting from the upper 

 stories, almost meet over the roadway. 

 The style of arcliitecture is very quaint^ 

 carrying one back towards the middle 

 ages. The old cathedral, which fronts- 

 on the public square, with its quaint, 

 moorish belfry and chime of bells, and 

 sun dial instead of clock, is one of the 

 relics of by -gone days, having been built 

 in 1793. Over the chancel is a paint- 

 ing which represents the first celebra- 

 tion of mass in St. Augustine on the 

 8th of September, 1565. In the square 

 there yet stands the market building, 

 where in slavery days slaves were sold 

 at auction to the highest bidder. What, 

 if it could speak. 



We were shown an old building on 

 St Francis street, by the side of which 

 a date palm tree bent over the street^ 

 which was said to be the oldest building 

 in the place. Date palm trees were 

 quite numerous in the town, some of 

 which gave evidence of having borne 

 fruit recently, by the fruit stems yet 

 visible at the top. The accompanying 



