. EXPERIMENTAL FARM 



out in rows $iree feet apart, with the plants three feet apart in the rows, and from one 

 to three plants of each kind are grown. The surface soil is kept loose throughout the 

 summer with the hoe and rake to conserve moisture and destroy weeds, and the plants 

 are staked when necessary to keep them from breaking down. On a few occasions it 

 has been necessary to water part of the border, but generally speaking no artificial 

 watering is done. Late in the autumn the plants, after the dead stalks are cut off, are 

 mulched with about four inches of strawy manure or leaves for protection in winter, 

 part of which is dug in in the spring. The plants in the border have not yet been 

 arranged in botanical sequence, as the collection has been growing so rapidly that it 

 would have been difficult to apportion the space required for each genus. As far as 

 possible, however, the species and varieties of each genus are kept near together. The 

 plants are well labelled with zinc labels/so that any one who is interested may learn the 

 name of a plant. A record has been kept of the hardiness, growth and height of the plants, 

 also the dates when the plants begin to bloom, and when the blooming season is over. 

 Descriptions of the flowers have also been taken. With this informataion available it 

 was felt that as much as possible of it should be included in this bulletin. The 

 nomenclature used in this bulletin is that adopted by the Koyal Gardens, Kew, in the 

 Kew Guide and the Index Kewensis. 



As far as possible the spelling of the names of horticultural varieties has been 

 obtained from reliable sources, but it has not always been possible to trace up a 

 variety. The common names employed are for the most part those found in the Kew 

 Guide and Encyclopaedia of American Horticulture. It has not been possible to 

 identify all the plants in the border, hence it is probable that there are some errors 

 in taking it for granted that a plant may be true to name when it is not. All available 

 literature has been used to identify as many species and varieties as possible. It is 

 hoped that any errors noticed by readers of this bulletin will be reported to the author 

 BO that they may be known. Plants mentioned in this bulletin are called ' hardy' if 

 they live three seasons and more in the border at the Central Experimental Farm. 

 There are a few exceptions to this rule. For instance a plant may be called hardy if 

 it were only planted in the border in the botanic garden in 1908, should it be known 

 that elsewhere on the Farm under almost similar conditions it has proved hardy. 

 Plants are called ' half hardy ' if they last for two seasons only. Sometimes, however, 

 even if they have lasted longer than two seasons they are called half hardy if it is 

 known that they have had special conditions in the border, such as greater protection 

 from snow, than they would have under less favourable conditions. Plants are called 

 ' tender J if they are killed out the first winter after planting. The height of the plant 

 has, in most cases, been determined by actual measurement in the border, and the 

 figures given- usually represent the average of several years. In a few cases it has been 

 necessary to obtain the height of a plant from some other source. The colours of the 

 flowers are in most cases from descriptions made by the writer from the plants growing 

 in the botanic garden. In recording the colours the ( Repertoire de Couleurs ' and 

 1 A chart of Correct Colours of Flowers ' have been used for guidance. As the descrip- 

 tions of the species and varieties of flowers in this bulletin are, however, not the 

 original descriptions of them, it has not been thought desirable to adopt, in all cases, 

 the terms used in the ' Repertoire de Couleurs/ which describe fine variations in 

 colour, but, rather, to use more familiar terms that would be easily understood by 

 the general public. The dates of blooming have been taken from several years' records. 

 The first date represents the earliest date when a species or variety began to bloom in 



