52 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



thoroughly to the depth of eighteen inches and to fertihze all 

 through. This will enable it to go through a dry season success- 

 fully, for we are likely to have every year at some time in the course 

 of the season such a dry period, when the value of this deep cul- 

 tivation will be appreciated. 



Bulbous plants are quite a factor in the hardy garden; narcissi 

 are splendid plants for planting in the spring garden; but the 

 variety Horsfieldii is subject to disease and he knew of no way to 

 successfully propagate it ; it will die out after a few years. He had 

 never heard of a person who could successfully perpetuate Narcissus 

 Horsfieldii or Liliiim mtratum. 



There are only three good columbines : Aquilegia cccrulea, blue; 

 A. chrysantha, yellow; and A. Canadensis, red. Another of our 

 native species, A. longissinna, was at one time grown in the Harvard 

 Botanic Garden but has long since disappeared and it seems to 

 have been dropped from cultivation. The European varieties are 

 unworthy of a place in our gardens." 



Ivarkspurs are important in the garden and should be permanent 

 inhabitants of the border. There has been some trouble with 

 them in recent years from the spikes blasting and blackening, 

 caused by insect attacks. This can be remedied by spraying with 

 a solution of Ivory soap or some other insecticide. Delphinium 

 grandifloru'm can be treated as an annual and made to produce 

 masses of intense blue late in the season, by sowing outdoors in 

 May. 



German irises have always been a good thing for the hardy gar- 

 den, but owing to the very serious disease now prevalent among 

 them he would not advise planting them any more. 



There are very many beautiful native plants which do splendidly 

 in the hardy garden; among them may be mentioned the Asclepias 

 tuberosa, or butterfly weed, a really splendid thing; and the Mer- 

 iensia Virginica with its intense blue is desirable. The Thalic- 

 trums are especially valuable; some have foliage as beautiful as 

 the maidenhair fern and are useful for mixing with bouquets of 

 sweet peas. 



Peonies have suddenly sprung into a very wide popularity; 

 indeed, we are in the midst of a peony craze, all due to the revolution 

 in popular opinion concerning hardy plants. We have just worked 

 up to an appreciation of the value of the peony in the hardy garden. 



