3i6 Editors Letter- Box. 



A. H. S., Springfield, Mass. — The three best crocuses for a ribbon-border 

 are Duchess d'Angouleme, white, large yellow, and Prince Albert, blue ; or Car- 

 oline Chisholm white, Othello purple and large yellow. 



Cloth-of-Gold is not suitable, as it blooms too early, and Cloth-of-Silver 

 blooms too late. 



Idem. — Cannas and colocasia should at once be started in frames, but should 

 not be planted out until all danger of chill nights is over. Cantia discolor is 

 one of the best for effect. C. nigricans is a good dark kind. C. lintbata and 

 giganiea are free growers. C. Nepalensis has glaucous foliage and showy flow- 

 ers, almost as fine as an Hedychitim. In fact, all the cannas are useful and 

 effective. 



Novice. — The prettiest hedge you can plant is the Japan Quince, Pyrus or 

 Cydvnia Japonica. When in bloom, it is very showy, and grows very thick and 

 strong. It takes many years, however, to form a tall hedge, as the plant grows 

 somewhat slowly until well established. 



Spring, Syracuse, N.Y. — Jeffersonia diphylla is a very pretty plant with 

 white flowers, which bloom about the time of the bloodroot, which they much 

 resemble. It is perfectly hardy, and has elegant foliage and curious seed-vessels. 



A. L. M., Boston. — Sow mignonette and larkspur as soon as you please; 

 both should be sown where they are to remain, as they do not transplant well. 



A. L. M., Idem. — Of the grape hyacinth there are several species: the light- 

 blue one which you describe is botanically Muscari racevwsa. Of this there is 

 a white and a pearl colored variety: both bloom early, often by the loth of April. 

 The true grape hyacinth, however, is a later bloomer, and is Muscari botryoides. 



Plymouth. — Epigcea repens^ the Mayflower, is often called the trailing 

 arbutus. It is not an arbutus ; but both belong to the same family, Ericacece. 

 The name is derived from the Greek epi, "upon," and ^^«za, "the earth," and is 

 peculiarly appropriate. The common idea that the plant cannot be cultivated is 

 nonsense : give it a sandy peat soil, not very dry nor yet very wet, and it will 

 grow and increase. 



Catalogues give us another species, E. rubicunda ; but it is only a variety 

 with larger and deeper-colored flowers. 



" Tyro in Despair." — We sympathize. The past winter has been very se- 

 vere on evergreens ; arborvitas-hedges have been badly cut up ; rhododendrons 

 have suffered far more than during the winter of 1867-68; we know of plants 

 which have stood unprotected for fifteen years which have been either killed or 

 much injured during the past winter. The reason we cannot yet give you : we 

 are studying up the facts, but are free to say they seem so contradictory, we are 

 at a loss. We hope soon to give our experience ; but it is yet too early (April 

 26) to tell what the injury really is. 



