JjktuaB. 



THE COCKSCOMB. 



F. MITCHELL, INXERKir, OXT. 



C^ HAVE at the present time — this 

 °^\ very dry summer — a large bed of 

 ^) Cockscombs ( Celosia Cristatd) and 

 it presents quite an oasis of brilliant, 

 fresh display, in the midst of my 

 drought-burned garden. And, as we 

 naturally esteem highly those friends 

 who stand by us when friends are the 

 fewest, I make this my excuse for call- 

 ing attention to the Cockscomb just 

 now. I know that I cannot claim a 

 delicate or a retined beauty for the 

 Cockscomb, but it is- very showy and 

 striking in its appearance, whether 

 planted in beds, or as isolated speci- 

 mens. One strong point, in favour of 

 this plant, is its ability to pass scatheless 

 through such a serious drought as the 

 one we have been experiencing lately. 

 Another commendable point is that, as 

 soon as it has formed its flower-heads, 

 it will commence, and continue to make 

 an uninterrupted (though increasing) 

 display until destroyed by frost. The 

 heads or " combs " will sometimes mea- 

 sure sixteen inches across, and are of a 

 number of different shades of color — 

 greenish-white, yellow, orange, all 

 shades of crimson, and many interme- 

 diate shades between all of these. The 

 only secret in growing these plants to 

 perfection is, to keep them as much as 

 possible in the open air during the early 

 stages of growth, to promote a stocky 

 form, and at the same time give [Jenty 

 of bottom heat to produce a strong, 

 health}^ growth. After the combs have 

 commenced to form, they can, if de- 

 sired, be removed to the conservatory. 

 August 8th, 18S7. 



Styrax Japonica. — Sir : In looking over 

 the April number, we were very much 

 interested in an article on page 94, about 



Styrax Japonica. Although we have 

 never flowered it ourselves, it may be 

 of interest to you to know that there 

 are others who appreciate its beauty as 

 well as your correspondent. In a let- 

 ter to us, a customer of ours says : " I 

 do not notice it (Styrax Japonica) in 

 your catalogue ; I want it particularly 

 if I can get it. I think it the most 

 aduiired shrub or tree I have." We 

 have been growing it for several year.s, 

 but unfortunately it was left off our 

 catalogue by mistake. 



Yerv truly yours, 



THOS' MEEHAN & SOX. 

 Germantowii, Penn. 



CULTIVATION OF THE NAR- 

 CISSUS. 



BY H. SIMMERS, TORONTO, OST. 



fHE NAME Narcissus originated 

 from a Greek fable. He was sup- 

 posed to be the son of the river 

 god Cephissus, and of the nymph Liri- 

 ope, of the town of Thespiae, in Bceotia. 

 He was a youth of extraordinaiy 

 beauty, of which he was excessively 

 vain ; and for this he was punished by 

 Nemesis, by being made to. fall in love 

 with himself on seeing the reflection of 

 his own face in a fountain. He died 

 of this love-sickness ; and on the place 

 where he died sprung uyi the flower 

 which bears his name. The foregoing 

 will give the reader a faint idea of the 

 origin of the name Narcissus. 



Of late years the Narcissi have been 

 very extensively hybridized, and I will 

 write about some of the commoner 

 kinds. Unlike many other genera of 

 bulbs, they propagate very easily. In a 

 few j^ears,from one bulb, a dozen or more 

 bulbs may be separated ; for instance, 

 in the Narcissus Poeticus, or poet's 

 Narcissus, propagation is so very rapid 

 that in the course of perhaps three 

 years, such a number of bulbs will be 



