with the various tarweeds, the scarlet bugler, the California fuchsia, and 

 the blazing-star. Clumps of squaw-grass, a plant resembling a small 

 pampas-grass with tall plumes of white flowers, and several of the mag- 

 nificent matilija poppies and some yuccas, or Spanish bayonets, stand a 

 little apart by themselves. 



The fernery is one of the most attractive portions of the whole garden 

 on a warm day, for its dim cool shade and its delicate greenery offer a 

 most agreeable rest to eyes overtaxed by gay color-masses. 



The cactus corner is another feature; but though it is remarkable for 

 the odd forms it contains, I must confess that to me it is not so pleasing 

 as other parts of the garden. 



I could continue to talk about this garden, for it is a source of par- 

 ticular delight to me, inasmuch as it realizes a long-cherished dream of 

 my own — to see a garden exclusively of wild plants under ideal conditions. 



There are many others of our native plants worthy of cultivation, some 

 of which indeed are cultivated already, such as the wonderful crimson pea 

 (Lathyrus splendens), the various kinds of mimulus, or monkey-flowers, 

 ranging in color from delicate pink to yellow and even red. Then there 

 is the beautiful thistle-poppy (Argemone platyceras), which is a close rival 

 of the matilija poppy, the wild Canterbury-bell, the beautiful scarlet pink, 

 the lovely polemonium, several charming nemophilas, the chia and the 

 thistle-sage, the romero, our two species of fine trilliums, the Vancouveria 

 with its glossy leaves, a number of lovely asters and daisies, and a couple 

 of beautiful cypripediums, or lady's-slippers, and others too numerous to 

 mention. 



For border plants the hen-and-chickens might serve as well as its 

 cultivated relative, and the beach strawberry is very handsome for the 

 same purpose, as it is one of the finest of the genus in its foliage and 

 flowers. For climbers the honeysuckle and the climbing pentstemon are 

 beautiful, the former for its translucent scarlet berries and the latter for 

 its glossy rich foliage and gay scarlet flowers. The wild cucumber can 

 drape any unsightly fence with its handsome foliage, and nothing could 

 surpass in picturesqueness the wild grape festooned from tree to tree, 

 making charming natural bowers. 



For hedges the toyon, or Christmas-berry, is very effective, the only 

 objection being that when the clusters of scarlet berries are ripe the temp- 

 tation is great to marauders who are not scrupulous in the manner of 

 cutting them, but usually mutilate and ruin the bushes. The holly-leaved 

 cherry (Prunus ilicifolius) is another fine hedge shrub, and its close rela- 

 tive, the Sierra wild plum (Prunus subcordata), is a beautiful little tree in 

 cultivation. Indeed, one could make a very interesting arboretum of our 

 native trees if one had space and the proper condition of soil and climate. 



I wish that more people would try this fascinating kind of gardening 

 and publish the results of their experiments for the benefit of others. 



CUT FLOWERS FOR THE MARKET 



CHARLES F. FICK 



AMONG the best attractions of San Mateo County, and especially 

 of San Mateo City, are the large and most beautiful gardens of the 

 San Francisco millionaires located there and also the largest nurs- 

 eries on the Pacific Coast for growing cut flowers. It is a well-known 

 fact that San Mateo County furnishes the finest quality of cut 

 flowers not only to California towns, but also to Oregon, Washington, 

 Nevada, and other States of the Union. There have never been enough 



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