THIi] 



VOL. VL] 



DECEMBER, 1883. 



[No. 12. 



One short season and they have finish- 

 ed their life-work. Yet in that short 

 time liow much they have done. What 

 beauty and brightness they have given 

 to the home ; how many heavy hearts 

 have they cheered, or added pleasure to 

 hours of joy, and given new grace and 

 loveliness even to that already lovely. 

 Places that otherwise were bare they 

 have clothed with beauty, and the even- 

 ing air has been laden with their sweet 

 perfume. Short has been their life, 

 the summer days have quickly gone, 

 autumn frosts come all too soon, and 

 the bright flowers are blighted and 

 blackened and perished. No, not too 

 soon ; that they were to do has been 

 fully done. Let us learn the lesson 

 they teach. Decem))er has come. The 

 December of life is coming. Will the 

 life-work have been fully done 1 



But the Annuals, the summer flow- 

 ers : in spring we sow the seed, and in 

 a few days they are gladdening our 

 eyes with their beauty. Endless in 

 variety of form and of color, in their 

 adaptation to soil and location, if we 

 but choose aright we may have them 

 everywhere ; some prefer to grow in the 

 shade, others in the sunshine ; some 

 like a cool, clayey soil, others thrive 



UALS. 



best in the hot sand ; so that by giving 

 to each the soil and location best suited 

 to their habits we can have flowers to 

 ornament the home, whatever may be 

 the soil or exposure. The vanety we 

 now have fi-om which to choose is al- 

 most withi)ut limit, and one has only 

 to consult any of our seedsmen's cata- 

 logues to select those whose habit, sea- 

 son of flowering, and color commend 

 them to notice. In such a paper as 

 this it is possible only to call attention 

 to a few of the many beautiful things 

 that one might plant. 



The Abronia is a valuable creeping 

 plant, prefering a light sandy soil and 

 the full blaze of the sun from mom till 

 night. Its habit and general appear- 

 ance and manner of flowering are much 

 like those of the Verbena. The flowers 

 are sweet scented, having a waxy ap- 

 pearance, and are produced in great 

 profusion from June until the frosi 

 kills the plants. There are some three 

 or four varieties, distinguished by dif- 

 ferent names ; Abronia arenaria has 

 yellow flowers; A. unbellata and A. 

 fragrans produce blooms of a pale rose 

 color. The seed may be sown late in 

 the fall, just before the ground freezes, 

 or in spring as soon as it has becom* 



