The Canadian Horticulturist. 



'93 



ally to find a place in okl-fashoned 

 grave-yards as well as in the modern 

 cemetery, and as an ornamental plant 

 deserves a place in the flower border 

 and on the lawn. It may he readily 

 recognized by the long, thread-like 

 filaments that grow along the margin 

 of the leaves. These thread-like ap- 

 pendages have given rise to several 

 names, such as Eve's Thread and 

 Bear's Thread, but the plant is most 

 commonly known as Adam's Needle. 

 The scape or flower stalk of a well- 

 established plant grows five or six 

 feet high, and produces from two to 

 three hundred flowers of a creamy 

 white, which last a long time. 



The Yucca is a plant of very stately 

 appearance. The wonder is that it is 

 not more commonly grown. It is 

 propagated from seeds, suckers, and 

 root cuttings, suckers being preferred, 

 as they soonest make large plants. 



There is quite a pretty variegated 

 form of Yucca filamcntosa, but it is 

 rarely seen, except here and there 

 under glass, where its variegation 

 becomes more pronounced than in 

 the open air. The variegation con- 

 sists of a white stripe along the mar- 

 gin of the leaves. The variegated 

 form does not sucker as freely as the 

 type, but may be readily propagated 

 from root cuttings. The Yucca 

 grows best in a light soil, and will 

 even eke out an existence in pure 

 sand ; but it is worthy of something 

 better.— P. B. Mkad. 



Note. — The Yucca succeeds well 

 in Southern Ontario even without 

 protection, and for a back ground, 

 not too near, is a most desirable 

 p,lant, soon propagating itself to fill 

 a large bed, and thus becoming 

 particularly showy. It is grown on 

 Dr. Beadle's grounds, St. Catharines, 

 and on the grounds of the writer at 

 Grimsby. 



Management of Roses. 



A coNc.KNiAi. soil is the first reijui- 

 site for success with roses, ami this 

 is not always at hand. That in 



which the rose delights more than in 

 any other is a deep, rich, heavy 

 loam, moderately moist. The rose 

 is a gross feeder and will at all times 

 resent neglect. Poor soil will not 

 yield good roses. No, not even poor 

 ones. A liberal supply of plant food 

 is absolutely necessarj-, in order to 

 secure roses. The amount of flowers 

 is proportionate to the growth of the 

 plant ; they will appear just as fast 

 as the wood is produced that bears 

 :hem, and the wood is produced 

 according to the supply of plant food 

 furnished. That is about all the 

 secret there is in growing roses. 



The best plant food for the rose is 

 a compost of well-rotted turf and cow 

 manure in equal parts ; this is to be 

 applied at any and all times ; it 

 makes but little difference how or 

 when, so long as the plant has always 

 a supply on hand ready for use. 

 Manures should never be applied to 

 rose beds until thoroughlv decom- 

 posed, then a surfeit is impossible. 

 The best plan is, after the plants have 

 been set in a well-prepared bed, to 

 mulch the surface, say to the depth 

 of two inches. If the soil is naturally 

 cold and heavy, horse dung will be 

 better ; if light and dry, cow dung is 

 decidedly prefefable. Whatever the 

 nature of the ground may be it should 

 always be kept moist and warm, at 

 the same time never sodden ; too 

 much wet is as fatal as drought ; 

 either will consume. The best situa- 

 tion for the rose is an open and airy 

 one ; in such, with a liberal supply 

 of manure, roses can be had the 

 entire summer, and it is folly to think 

 of getting a crop in any other manner. 

 In cases of drought, liquid manure 

 can be applied with excellent results. 

 Growth must be constantly kept up; 

 the more rapid, the greater will be 

 the number of flowers, and the quality 

 will be proportionate. As a rule 

 young plants are to be preferred, 

 and these that have never hail a 

 check from the time the cuttings 

 were put into the propagating bench 

 give the best results. Old ami half- 



