34 



The Canadian Horticulturist. 



Yucca baccata has been also grown in the south of France, where it succeeds 

 admirably and produces even larger flowers than in its own natural habit. But 

 this and most other varieties are too tender for our climate. 



There is one variety, however, which may be safely planted in Canada, 

 namely, Yucca filamentosa, which is shown in our colored plate. This has 

 been grown by Dr. Beadle, at St. Catharines, and by us here at Grimsby, with- 

 out winter protection. In the words of Dr. Beadle : " It is a perennial and ever 

 green, contrasting very strangely with our winter snows ; in truth, so strangely, 

 that it seems like a migratory creature that has failed to wing its way to sunny 

 lands when its mate has departed." Its name, filamentosa, is the Latin for 

 thready, and has reference to the thread-like appendages of the leaves ; these 

 latter are pointed with sharp spines, giving rise to the common name " Adam's 

 Needle," from the poetical notion that it was used by Adam when he made his 

 fig-leaf apron. The flowers of this variety are from one-half to two inches in 

 length, and the inflorescence reach a height of from four to eight feet, so 

 that our readers must not make the mistake of planting in a small bed, or in a 

 situation too near the garden walk. Indeed, it shows to the best advantage 

 planted in the back-ground in beds of a dozen or so plants, set two feet apart 

 each way. 



The Yucca delights most in a rich, light soil, and, when once established, 

 will last many years, constantly increasing in strength and vigor. Anyone who 

 has once furnished his garden with a few plants will soon be able to enlarge the 

 bed to any extent from natural increase, for it may be propagated with great 

 ease by simply subdividing the roots. 



THE WINTER MEETING.— I. 



JHE Winter Meeting of the Association at Hamilton was an excel- 

 lent one. The city council placed at our disposal their new and 

 elegant council chamber, which was in every respect adapted to 

 our purpose. The dais was kindly decorated by Messrs. Webster 

 Bros, with some fine plants from their greenhouse, and the fruit 

 exhibit in the adjoining room was full of interest. 



On Tuesday evening Mayor McLellan welcomed us to the 

 city and addressed the meeting in a most courteous manner. 

 _ An interesting feature of the meeting of Wednesday was the 



visit of Mr. John Dryden, Minister of Agriculture, who gave us a most encourag- 

 ing address, showing the deep interest which he took in our work. Among 

 other things, he kindly promised us that he would bind a sufficient number of 

 copies of our annual report to furnish every member of our Association with a 

 copy. This statement was received with cheers from the members present, and 



