THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



263 



flavoured berry they have ever seen, 

 sweet but sprightly, fairly productive 

 on light soil, doing better on better 

 land, perfect in blossom, and he is con- 

 fi-dent that because of its firmness, large 

 size, bright appearance and quality, it 

 will be a very popular market berry. 

 The season of ripening is about the 

 same as that of Manchester. Wonder 

 if Mr. Johnston has fruited Jewell, 

 which was the largest berry out and the 

 strongest plant a short time ago. 



BEGONIA RUBRA. 

 The foliage was attractive enough in 

 itself to make the plant very satisfactory 

 and well worth growing, but it was mag- 

 nificent when the clusters of flowers 

 were developed. The bright coral-red 

 blooms, borne on stalks of the same 

 color, formed a most delightful and 

 striking contrast with the foliage. The 

 plant received more admiration from 

 visitors than any other one in my con- 

 servatory that winter. It kept growing 

 and blooming, and from that time to 

 this it has never been without flowers 

 on every branch. For a year and a 

 half it has been in constant bloom, and 

 has never shown any tendency or desire 

 to rest. Several times over forty clus- 

 tei'S of flowers were counted on it at 

 one time, and each cluster was made up 

 of dozens of individual flowers. The 

 flower-stems are produced at the axil of 

 each leaf. They are long, drooping and 

 much branched, and each little branch 

 or sub-division of the stem bearing sev- 

 eral flowers. The general effect of the 

 flower clusters is nnich like that pro- 

 duced by Euphorbia Jacquiniflora, 

 though on a much larger scale. It is 

 seldom that we get a plant in which the 

 attractiveness of flower and foliage is so 

 evenly balanced as in this instance. — 

 Vick's Magazine. 



THE HELIOTROPE. 



One day the botanist, Jussieu, was 

 herborizing on the Cordilleries, when he 

 suddenly found himself inebriated by 

 the most delicious perfume. He looked 

 around expecting to discover some 

 splendid flower, but perceived nothing 

 but some pretty clumps of a gentle 

 green, from the bottom of which little 

 capsvdes of a faded blue color were de- 

 taching themselves. He observed that 

 the flowers turned toward the svm, and 

 he therefore gave it the name of Helio- 

 trope. Charmed with his acquisition, 

 he collected some of the seeds, and sent 

 them to the Jardin du Roi. The 

 French ladies were charmed with it, 

 and made of it a floral pet. They 

 placed it in costly vases and christened 

 it the flower of love. From thence it 

 soon spread to other parts of the world, 

 and has eveiywhere been greatly ad- 

 mired. One day, a very charming 

 woman, who doted passionately on 

 the Heliotrope, was asked what she 

 could see in this dull and sombre looking 

 plant to justify so much admiration. 



"Because," she i-eplied, "the Helio- 

 trope's perfume is to my parterre what 

 the soul is to beauty, refinement to love, 

 and love to youth." — Mrs. M. D. 

 Wellcome, in Vick's Magazine. 



Professor. Budd, of Iowa writes to the 

 Prairie Farmer of the Bogdanolf apple, 

 speaking of it in very high terms for its 

 hardiness, color, size, keeping, and dessert 

 qualities. During the last cold winter it 

 bore the severity of climate exceedingly 

 well, coming out with its wood bright and 

 uncolored, while the Wealthy was discol- 

 ored. He describes the Bogdanolf as sim- 

 iliar in appearance to the Domine, but 

 larger and higher colored, and keeps well 

 imtil May. We make it our duty to learn 

 all we can of fruit that promises well in 

 each section, and describe them from those 

 who test them. When we speak of hardy 

 varieties, they are recouuneuded especi- 

 ally for severely cold climates, and not for 

 general cultivation. — Farm atid Garden. 



