38 



EOMIS AND FLOWERS 



YELLOW CKOCUii IN FULL iJLOOM 



thermometer goes down to twenty degrees 

 below zero with ns poor Easterners. But 

 we try to think that the dwellers in the 

 "land of sunshine" would be glad to enjoy 

 some of our winter sports. I shall be glad 

 to have this correspondent tell us more 

 about the peculiarities of the West, at her 

 convenience. 



« ❖ * 



Mrs. W. E. F. writes very interestingly 

 about one of our old flowers which has 

 somehow dropped out of sight to a great 

 extent of late : 



"It is true, I think, as you have often said, 

 that as mucli pleasure is to be derived from 

 the cultivation of some of our common flow- 

 ers as of those that are more rare and costly. 

 It is equally as true that some of our com- 

 mon flowers are quite as beautiful as any- 

 thing brought us from foreign lands. I had 

 hollyhocks this season that were as double 

 as roses, and as varied in coloring. All they 

 lacked was fragrance. I read some time ago 

 that our double balsams were as handsome 

 as camellias, and that sometimes they were 

 used as substitutes for those flowers. This 

 seemed like a hard story to believe, but I 

 had some in my garden this season which 

 convinced me that what I read might have 

 been true. The flowers were fully as large 

 as any camellia I ever saw, and quite as rich 



in color, and of exactly the same form. I 

 have a fair collection of flowering shrubs. 

 I thought the handsomest of all was the Rose 

 of Sharon. I had two groups, with five or six 

 plants in each group. Late in July the flow- 

 ers began to open, and all were not gone 

 until frost came. They were of all colors 

 from pure white to dark purple. F do not 

 understand why these shrubs are not grown 

 more." 



In some localities the althea — which is 

 the proper name of the shrub — is consid- 

 ered rather unreliable in winter. I have 

 had it blossom in Wisconsin, but have 

 never succeeded in bringing it through one 

 of our winters. But through Ohio and 

 Indiana, and along that belt, I think it 

 would be found generally hardy, especially 

 if some covering were given it in winter. 

 * * * 



Mrs. E. A. Meating writes this charm- 

 ing letter about her garden in JSTovember: 



"I take advantage of a rainy day to chat 

 a little about the garden in November. A 

 dreary theme, as a general thing, but not 

 necessarily so. My garden is quite pleasant 

 in November, but some, I grant you, are 

 dreary enough. Those that depend prin- 

 cipally on bedding plants for their attrac- 

 tions are dreary enough at this season. I 

 passed such a one the other day, and it 



