FLOWER AND PLANT LOEE 



EDWARD TYRRELL, TORONTO. 



THE present month brings with it n- 

 speakable signs of autumn, one of 

 its chief beauties consisting in the 

 change which takes place in the tints of the 

 foHage of trees and plants. The garden 

 begins to assume a somewhat ragged ap- 

 pearance, many of our summer flowers are 

 beginning to lose their beauty, but the flora 

 of this month, though not so extensive, is 

 not without interest. One at-tractive spe- 

 cies is the 



Phlox (from Phlox a flame). This plant 

 is a native of the northern part of this con- 

 tinent, and is one of the many perennials 

 that deserve our admiration. There are 

 few flowers amongst the large variety 

 which have been brought by collectors from 

 distant regions and naturalized in our gar- 

 dens more deserving of attention than this 

 pretty native. Nearly every species of this 

 somewhat extensive genus is perfectly har- 

 dy ; it is well suited for various purposes in 

 the tasty arrangement of a flower garden, 

 the height to which they grow, the colors 

 of their blossoms, for we find them in near- 

 ly shade of color, and the flowers growing 

 in terminal spikes and prominent colors, 

 make them a desirable contrast to the al- 

 most universal similarity of autumnal flow- 

 ers, both as to form and color. They can 

 be increased with a certainty of preserving 



the distinctive characteristics of the plant 

 by the divisions of the roots. 



Drummondi is an annual variety of the 

 Phlox, and esteemed one of our most use- 

 ful annuals; it was found in Texas in 1835 

 by Mr. Drummond, a gentleman engaged in 

 collecting new plants for the Glasgow 

 Botanical Society. He died with fever in 

 Cuba in the prime of his life, and vSir W. J, 

 Hooker, to preserve the memory of this 

 gentleman's labors, named it Phlox Drum- 

 mondi. 



AcoNiTUM NAPELLUS (Monkshood, a na- 

 tive of Northern Europe). In Monastic 

 herbaries it was known as Odin's hood. 

 Thor's hat. Friar's cap, and Helmet flower. 

 Afterwards it became known as Monk'.< 

 hood. It has another name. Wolf's bane, 

 or Wolf's poison, which originated, as 

 Gerard says, from the fact that hunters 

 which seek after wolves put the juice there- 

 of into raw flesh which the wolves devour, 

 are killed. Every part of this plant, from 

 pollen to root, is poisonous. It's handsome 

 leaves and blue flowers make it a favorite, 

 but it should not be grown in the garden 

 where there are children in the family, 



Shakspeare thus refers to it: 



Let me huve 

 A dram of poison, such soon spreading gear 

 As will disperse itself through all tte veins, 

 That the life weary taker may fall dead 

 And that the trunk may be discharged of breath. 



ABOUT GLADIOLI 



NOW to get the most enjoyment out 

 of a collection of gladioli is some- 

 thing worth knowing. Perhaps 

 my experience may be helpful to another. 

 For some years I gave up raising gladioli ; 

 they did not fit in well with my other plants ; 



they did not always blossom ; they faded 

 soon and seemed to be altogether unadapted 

 to my conditions. Finally I purchased a 

 named collection and planted them in the 

 garden to share with peas and beans and 

 cabbages in the general cultivation. The 



