HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 87 



with a heavy roller. In my opinion there is nothing more refreshing, or at 

 any time more agreeable than a "soft velvety carpeted lawn," and if the 

 directions I have formerly given be attended to, and the newly sown lawn 

 be kept rolled after summer showers, mown every two weeks, and the cut 

 grass swept off, not raked, we can have in America the much envied "green 

 carpets" of old England's flower gardens. Hardy evergreens add much to 

 the beauty of the pleasure ground. The beginning or middle of April is 

 as good a time as any to transplant them. Some of the newer kinds of 

 Conifer se form very handsome objects when planted by themselves singly in 

 conspicuous positions. The Deodar cedar,vfith its bluish gray color, and 

 pendulous branches, is especially beautiful. The Cryptomeria japonica 

 can scarcely be excelled in its way. The Araucaria imbricata does not 

 eeem to be hardy in Philadelphia or it would be a unique subject for a sin- 

 gle specimen. Abies pinsapo, Douglassii, and Smithiana, and Pinus Ham- 

 iltonii excelsa, and I believe ponderosa, are entirely so — all of them dis- 

 tinct and beautiful. The Hemlock, Abies canadensis, is also a very elegant 

 and graceful tree when planted singly, and in some situations the Norway 

 Spruce, Abies excelsa, is beautifully adapted. It is no use to plant any of 

 them in wet grounds, nor do they do well in such as are hot and dry — they 

 prefer a loose friable loam, where the rain can easily penetrate, soak through 

 to the under strata, and pass right off. Such a soil is always moist, and 

 cool, and yet never wet; and in such a soil all the coniferce will luxuriate. 

 The English Holly when grafted on the American (I. opaea) is perfectly 

 hardy, and one of the very best of evergreens. In the fall calendars I gave 

 lists of plants adapted to bedding out, so that they might be propagated 

 and got on hand by the spring — as many have not seen the back numbers, 

 and others may have to procure from the florists the plants they require, 

 I insert a list of things of various colors best adapted to planting in 

 masses. Annuals are generally the worst of all things — something to stay 

 in bloom the whole season being preferable. Red, crimson, or deep rose, 

 Scarlet Geranium, Verbena Robinson's Defiance, Ruellia formosa, Cuphea 

 platycentra, Alonsoa linearis, Gaillardia picta, Zinnia. Purple and dark 

 violet, Petunia, Duke of Bedford, Lord John Russell, or even the common 

 small purple ; Globe amaranthus, Marvel of Peru, Senecio elegans. Blue, 

 Heliotrope, Blue Queen Verbena, Salvia patens, Plumbago Larpentse, Nier- 

 embergia gracilis or filicaulis. White, Vinca alba, white Petunia, Queen 

 Verbena, white amaranthus, sweet alyssum. Yellow or Orange, Lantana 

 Mexicana, L. crocea, Lychnis coronaria, perhaps the new orange amaran- 

 thus, and Jasminum revolutum. Whenever the weather permits seize every 

 opportunity of getting the ground dug in readiness for the plants next 

 month. Wherever there are box edgings they should be neatly trimmed 

 once a year, at this period. Carnations and Pinks that may have been 

 slightly protected during the winter should be planted out at the earliest 



