46 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



importance. Twininuf over almost every roadside fence, and especially 

 delighting in a little dampness, grows a pretty species of Morning glory, 

 known as the Wild Morning glory. I know of no prettier sight than a low 

 thicket, early in a June morning, spangled with its pretty pink blossoms. 

 To botanists it is known as Convolvulus sepium, or Large Bindweed. 

 Leaves arrow-shaped, of a beautiful green, the posterior lobes truncated ; 

 flower pink, often marked with white, and sometimes pure white ; at the 

 base of the flower are two heart-shaped bracts, which appear like a calyx; 

 the stem is twining, often climbing to a height of twelve feet. 



Now this common plant, in cultivation, is a most beautiful object. It is 

 not open to the objection urged against our cultivated Morning glories — 

 that the frost too often spoils their beauty ; they are mostly annuals, but 

 this species is perennial, and perfectly hardy. Early in spring it comes up 

 and grows with great rapidity; about the middle of June the flowers ap- 

 pear, and continue in great profusion for nearly two months. It does not 

 produce seed readily, so the easiest way of obtaining it is to transplant. In 

 cultivation, the size of both flowers and leaves is greatly increased ; you 

 cannot make the soil too rich ; dampness, but not wet, is also favorable to 

 its growth, and a more beautiful object for covering a trellis cannot be 

 desired. 



There is also a smaller variety of Bindweed, Avith white flowers (Con- 

 volvulus arvensis), not so common or desirable, also a climber ; and an 

 erect, and far rarer species (Convolvulus stans), which we believe is not 

 found in Massachusetts, and which we have never seen in cultivation. 



But by far the most desirable of our hardy Convolvuli is C. panduratus, a 

 most noble climber. The remarks made in relation to C. sepium apply 

 equally well to this variety. About the 20th of June (for it is late in com- 

 ing up), the eyes push from the large tuber, and the shoots soon appear 

 above ground, often as large as one's finger. The growth is most rapid ; 

 we have by measurement found a shoot to grow three inches in a warm 

 night. The vine will climb to the height of twenty feet: flowers pure 

 white, with purple eye, very large, in clusters. A specimen of this variety 

 in our own garden this last summer was a noticeable feature; it formed a 

 column of green, fifteen feet in height and from one to two feet in diameter. 



In meadows producing an abundance of dark purple, nodding flowers, is 

 found a pretty species of Geum, (G. rivale.) The flowers can hardly be 

 said to possess much beauty in themselves, but a mass in a flower border is 

 a conspicuous feature. We have often carefully removed it when in full 

 bloom, and found it to suffer very little from the operation, as it continued 

 to expand its flowers, and the next spring came up in fine health. This 

 plant is susceptible of great improvement in the flower border; a damp 

 spot is most favorable to its growth, and a peaty soil, if possible, will pro- 

 duce finer plants ; I have, however, grown it well in a rich, damp loam. 

 Whether in flower or fruit, this plant is a beautiful object ; and increased 

 in size as it is by cultivation, we would not have- our flower border destitute 

 of a specimen. 



A common border flower is Actsea spicata, well known in Europe and 



