PERENNIALS AND BIENNIALS 



choicest of which are natives of western North 

 America. Among the finest are A. carulea, the 

 Rocky Mountain Columbine ; A. Californka, 

 the California Columbine, and A. Canadensis, 

 the Canadian Columbine. Some authorities 

 claim that these species are apt to die after once 

 blooming, but my experience has not confirmed 

 this, and I have plants that have been blooming 

 in the same position for several years past. The 

 common Columbine, A. vulgaris, is more bril- 

 liant and varied in its coloring than the western 

 American species, which are remarkable rather 

 for the delicacy of their shading. All these 

 species are easily raised from seed, and I have 

 had much more success when sowing the seed in 

 the early spring than at any other time. In my 

 experience the seeds take a long time to germi- 

 nate, especially the American varieties, which I 

 have known to lie dormant for a full year. The 

 plants are easily transplanted if taken up before 

 beginning to bloom. They like good rich soil, it 

 is said, but they have done well for me in almost 

 any situation, and with scarcely any attention. 

 They bloom from June 5th to July i6th on the 

 island, though I have had a yellow variety bloom- 

 ing as late as the middle of August. 



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