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This area comprises about 5 acres, and is well diversified 
as to character of soil and conditions, offering level, hilly, 
rocky, dry, wet, sunny, and shaded areas, making it 
possible to grow a great variety of plants. It is designed 
to assemble here collections of plants suitable or desirable 
for horticultural purposes. A feature is made of the label- 
ing, as in all other collections of the Garden, each plant 
being supplied with an information label; and, when neces- 
sary, a larger label for the bed or collection = is employed, 
indicating its contents. 
A large collection of different varieties of cannas occupies 
the beds paralleling the entrance walk from the Southern 
Boulevard and the large oval bed at the termination of 
this walk. The horticultural varieties of cannas are the 
result of hybridization and selection, and many varieties 
have been thus produced, new ones being introduced 
constantly. The species used in this work of hybridization 
are natives of tropical or warm temperate countries, and 
are of course not hardy here. The hybrids in consequence 
are not hardy, and it is necessary to remove the plants 
for the winter to a cellar or other storehouse where the 
temperature does not go to freezing, neither should it be 
too warm, for then the plants will start growth. Pre- 
liminary to removal, the stems should be cut a few inches 
above the ground, the plants being allowed to remain in 
their summer position until pretty well blackened by the 
frost. In the early spring the clumps can be broken up 
and the severed parts planted in flats or in pots, where 
they are allowed to remain until all danger of frost is 
past, when they may be planted in their permanent position 
for the summer. 
Back of the north bed of cannas is a group of the white 
fir (Abies concolor), a native of our western country. Be- 
tween this plantation of firs and the walk is a bed devoted 
to a collection of plants with variegated or colored foliage, 
making an interesting and instructive exhibit. Across 
the walk is a collection of chrysanthemums. To the 
