88 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Among the herbaceous plants of this family, may be mentioned 

 the perennial phlox, producing immense clusters of white, pink and 

 crimson flowers ; the rudbeckia or golden glow with its numerous 

 bright yellow blossoms, the spirea japonica, for a dwarf plant, 

 there is nothing more graceful ; hollyhocks in their various 

 shades, and dianthus barbatus — the old garden sweet William. 

 In hardy vines and climbers for the piazza and trellis, honey- 

 suckle is fine, and the clematis is a great favorite, because of its 

 large and beautiful flowers, and for climbing roses, in white, the 

 Baltimore belle, the prairie queen in red and the modest little 

 crimson rambler. For covering old walls there is nothing better 

 than the ampelopsis veitchii, where it will get partial protection 

 in winter, as it is not entirely hardy in our climate. For shrubs, 

 hydrangea paniculata grandiflora, is so well known, it requires 

 simply to be mentioned. A bed or single plant attracts a great 

 deal of attention on a well-kept lawn. The deutzia and weigelia 

 are ornamental and useful for cut flowers. Hibiscus althaea (or 

 rose of Sharon) should be on every lawn, the diversity of color 

 in the different sorts makes a fine display. Lonicera (or bush 

 honeysuckle) is valued highly on account of its fragrance. 

 Pruning of the shrubs is very important ; for the flowering of 

 each succeeding year, depends largely on the proper method pur- 

 sued with the knife. Indiscriminate prvming is too often prac- 

 tised, because the flowering habit of the shrub either is not known, 

 or considered. The new growth of the lilac, deutzia and others 

 produce their bloom for the following season, and consequently 

 only the dead wood and weaker branches should be cut back to 

 the ground ; such as the hydrangea and althaea form their flower 

 buds on the young growth in the summer of the same year they 

 bloom, so that a moderate amount of pruning to shape the shrub 

 is all that is required. 



There are so many varieties of plants that might be added, that 

 I have ventured to mention but a few of our most popular kinds, 

 but a list would not be complete without including a selection of 

 sweet pea, if for no other purpose than to decorate the table. To 

 insure their blossoming the seed should be sowed early in 

 trenches, well enriched with dressing and not less than five inches 

 in depth, only that the covering should be gradual, at first about 

 one inch and the balance filled in as the growth advances. Yes ! 

 we should endeavor to make our homes as pleasant and attrac- 



