162 HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 



The Squill of the western prairies, S. Fraseri, 

 needs a deep, rich soil. 



The flower is whitish-blue, and very pretty. It 

 flowers freely, and once introduced needs no further 

 care ; and, if easily obtained, is well worth growing. 



The Camassia. 



The only species, C. esculeiita, is a small bulbous 

 plant, with leaves somewhat resembling a hyacinth, 

 .and a tall spike of a dozen or more showy purple 

 flowers. It is, with us, a rare plant, though on oui 

 jiorth- western coast it is so abundant as to forix. 

 the chief food of the Indians. It succeeds in 

 deep, rich soil, and flowers in May. Our plants 

 were imported from England. It proves perfectly 

 hardy. 



The Oxalis. 



Tlie common wild Oxalis of our northern woods 

 (O. AcetoselJci), which often carpets the ground for 

 miles, is familiar to all White Mountain tourists. 

 It is a delicate little plant, pretty in foliage and its 

 ■white, veined blossoms, and increases rapidly by its 

 creeping root-stocks. It takes kindly to cultivation, 

 and if placed in a congenial soil soon covers the 

 ground. 



There is, however, another species, rare in New 

 England, which is a very Ijcautiful plant, and quite" 

 as easy of domestication. 0. violacea is a little 

 bulb, with clover-like leaves and charming purple 

 flowers. 



