724 



TWO PRETTY PENTSTEMOJNS. 



Madame Margottin, color citron-yellow, with coppery 

 shadings, is a good, thrifty rose for every month in the 

 year, but it has, alas, the grave fault of many mal- 

 formed flowers ; still, in view of the wonderful beauty of 

 its perfect ones, these faulty blossoms might almost be 

 forgiven. La Pactole has smaller pale yellow flowers, 

 and delicately beautiful buds. Comtesse de Barbantane, 

 a Bourbon, is in cooler climates a lovely blush color, 

 but here it is tawny yellow with rosy markings. It is a 

 constant bloomer, and very fragrant. 



Many rose-growers give to Marechal Niel the first 

 place among golden beauties. It is a true Noisette, re- 

 presenting the highest qualities of the race. Some 

 rosarians assert that it cannot be raised on its own roots, 

 but according to Shirley Hibberd, the English authority 

 on this subject, there is not another rose in cultivation 

 which will do better on its own roots. It is here not a 

 vigorous grower at first, but when once coaxed and 



petted to the blooming stage, it amply repays any expen- 

 diture of time and trouble. Yet why should we waste 

 our energies over this freakish aristocrat, when with win- 

 some freedom Chromatella (cloth of gold) and Solfaterre 

 send their graceful stems, laden with clusters of golden 

 buds and blossoms, as high as the legendary Jack's bean- 

 stalk ; or with a little training, make for us bowers of 

 Arcadian beauty ? The climbing tea rose, Gloire de 

 Dijon, is also very satisfactory as grown here. Its color 

 is clear apricot, shaded with yellow and rose. It is a free 

 bloomer, and has fine, healthy foliage. 



It is curious to observe the changes produced by cli- 

 mate in the size and coloring of many roses ; a chapter 

 might be written on this subject alone. These are only 

 some of the yellow roses which have given me great sat- 

 isfaction. Later I will write of the pink-shaded teas, which 

 here are brought to great perfection in the open air 



Georgia. M. C. H. 



TWO PRETTY PENTSTEMONS 



NATIVE IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS 



TO any one who has learned all his botany on 

 prairies of the Mississippi valley, the flora of 

 Rocky mountains is a surprise and a de- 

 light. Every flower is new and novel, and brings 

 to the prairie-bred collector the two-fold pleasure 

 of a new discovery, with the added gratification of 

 finding in each new specimen the relative of an old 

 acquaintance. So that, while collecting among 

 the mountains is ever presenting something 

 strange, it is always reviving something old, and 



Pentstemon cristatus, 



it would be hard to tell which gives the greater pleasure. 

 Life for the botanist has here among these mountains 

 a fresh and ever varying charm. 



Among these interesting plants, the 

 pentstemons are moderately well repre- 

 sented. P. cristatus grows plentifully 

 along the mountain sides and over the 

 foot-hills, being often most profusely 

 scattered where the surface is otherwise 

 most barren. It much resembles in gen- 

 eral appearance P. cobaa of the plains, 

 but is smaller, less coarse and more pu- 

 bescent ; the corolla is light purple. One 

 of the most conspicuous characteristics 

 of this species is the excessively heavy 

 yellow beard on the lower lip. 

 In every way the species is 

 very interesting, and speci- 

 mens are much sought after 

 in exchange. They make good 

 mounts. 



But the finest of the pent- 

 stemons is P. confertus, var. 

 caridco-furfurcus. Whereas 

 the other species are gener- 

 ally coarse and harsh in ap- 

 pearance, this is delicate and 

 graceful, with foliage a bright, 

 glabrous, fresh green that is 

 altogether pretty. And when 

 its whole spikeful of deep 

 blue -purple blossoms has 

 opened, this plant rivals many 

 cherished exotics. The plant 

 Pentstemon confertus. is small and slender, growing 



