04 



CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



shrubbery, if the practice is not carried 

 too far. Such clumps always present 

 a novel appearance. They are vigo- 

 rous, clean, shapely. The sprouts may 

 be cut back nearly to the ground every 

 two or three years, allowing new ones 

 to spring up, thus maintaining the de- 

 sired size of grow^th. Most of our rapid 

 growing forest trees are excellent for 

 this purpose upon large lawns. We 

 have good specimens of white ash, 

 basswood, the European field maple 

 (Acer canipestre), and others, grown in 

 this way. The principle can also be 

 applied to the growing of coppices 

 upon large grounds, or about borders. 

 For such purposes the beech and the 

 oaks are preferable. 



Many trees and shrubs are more at 

 tractive when grown in this way than 

 when allowed to assume their ordinary 

 forms. Examples of such are the ai- 

 lanthus and the sumacs. The ordinary 

 wild, smooth sumac (Rhus ylahra) is 

 one of the finest of decorative shrubs 

 when grown in this manner. 



Some of the tender exotics, also, 

 may be managed in this way, especially 

 such as make strong growths and bear 

 large or conspicuous leaves. The paulow- 

 nia and some of the magnolias may 

 be cited as examples. Such plants 

 should be given rich soil and good cul- 

 ture to enable them to make a long 

 growth. — //. H. Bailey, in Bulletin 31, 

 Midi. Agric College. 



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F120WERS 



1^ 



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LILY OF THE yALLEY (CONVALLARIA MAJALIS). 



By Hermann Simmers, Toronto. 



A GENUS of plants of the natural 

 order Liliaceae, having terminal 

 racemes of fiowers, a white bell-shaped 

 perianth, and a succulent fruit. Of all 

 the subjects that I have taken up in 

 reference to bulbs and roots, there ai-e 

 but few that the amateur has not a 

 slight knowledge of, but the present 

 subject is probably thoroughly known 

 as regards the fiowers ; but in reference 

 to their general culture some may not 

 be so well acquainted, and I will endea- 

 vor to give some practical points in 

 order to encourage the growth of this 

 extremely popular plant. In the ama- 

 teur's garden, we will always find a 

 shady place, where nothing can be 

 grown with any degree of success ; 

 therefore, if the amateur chances to 

 have such a spot, this will exactly suit 

 the growing of the Lily of the Valley. 

 Should this spot happen to be a soil 



of sandy loam, the better the chance 

 of success ; as in Europe, where some 

 gardeners raise these by the acre, the 

 .soil is generally of such a nature ; in 

 fact, the plants sometimes received from 

 Europe are surrounded by a thoroughly 

 sandy soil, and this would lead one to 

 inquire how they could raise them with 

 any success ; but the ground is heavily 

 fertilized with well rotted-manure and 

 thoroughly worked before planting. In 

 a like manner then, the amateur may 

 proceed. If the soil has not been dug or 

 fertilized, for a few years apply a lib- 

 eral supply of manure in the fall about 

 the middle of October, and if not ready 

 to plant at that date, they may be 

 planted any time before extreme frost, 

 as they do not make much growth in 

 the fall. 



Take the plants, or pips as they are 

 termed, and plant them in rows twelve 



