378 



I ND FALLS. 



not hardy north, but in the south it is an herbaceous 

 perennial. 



The best, easiest, and cheapest way to get a bed of 

 choice verbenas is to raise them from seed. The plants 

 will be vigorous and beautiful, nearly every plant that 

 comes up will have a flower which will in some respect 

 differ from all of the others, and it will be an easy 

 matter to have plants of all the new improved varieties 

 that are now offered. Before sowing the seeds, soak 

 them for two or three hours in tepid water, which will 

 help them to germinate sooner; they usually take a 

 good while before coming up out of the ground, but if 

 the seed is well soaked they will be up in about two 

 weeks. 



In the decoration of halls and rooms, the Sanseveria 

 Zeylanica is particularly adapted, as it seems to endure 

 the drouth and dust without injury, needing only a little 

 water. The leaves of this grand foliage p,lant are two 

 and three feet in length, often longer, of a lovely dark 

 green, which are crossed by white and light green var- 

 iegations, making them extremely striking as well as 

 beautiful . 



The fad for yellow in flowers as well as other de- 

 corations still continues to rage, and in this color we 

 find many very beautiful new plants which have been 

 well tested during the past two or three years ; some are 

 older and others still of later introdnction . The yellow 

 aquilegia is very pretty, and unites to that the virtue of 

 being perfectly hardy. Its catalogue name is Aquilegia 

 leptoceras, chiysantha , and it comes to us from Arizona. 



The fraxinella is a lovely perennial with beautiful 

 spikes of pink and white flowers, and rich glossy foliage. 



Among the novelties which have attracted considera- 

 ble attention stands the new imperial hibiscus. Its 

 flowers are simply grand, of a lovely golden yellow hue, 

 and they measure five inches across. This hibiscus 

 grows five feet high. It is a profuse bloomer all the 

 summer. The plants grow readily and quickly from 

 seed, so I hope many of our friends will surely try a few 

 of them. 



In the center of a large bed, or as single clumps on 

 the lawn, the Eulalia Japonica, zebrina makes a fine at- 

 tractive show, during the entire summer ; and the 

 feathery crests makes good ornaments for roses during 

 the winter, lasting in perfect condition it is said for 

 years. 



Those plants which are growing in pails, or tubs or 

 very large pots, may be much benefitted if shift- 

 ing is not practicable, by having several inches of the 

 top soil taken off and replaced by fresh rich soil, mixed 

 with some old rotten manure ; over this lay some 

 sphagnum moss, which will keep the soil from baking or 

 drying out too quickly. Winter blooming fuchsias 

 should be kept in their pots all summer, and watered 

 regularly ; give them a shady place, be sure to keep 

 the buds pinched off as fast as they are discovered. 



For a pretty hedge try the Cydonia Japonica, or Japan 

 quince, which is a very showy, hardy and enduring 



shrub. The different varieties range in all shades from 

 pure white to deep crimson, and a hedge of these dif- 

 ferent shades is beautiful ; they may be planted so that 

 the shades will gradually deepen, as white first, then 

 deeper pink, then bright pink, then rose, deep rose, red 

 and crimson. — Greta Beverly, N. Y. 



Shortia and Zanthorrhiza. — An error of " make up " 

 occurred on page 289 of the last issue, by which shortia 

 and zanthorrhiza were confused. The articles should 

 read as follows : 



Zanthorrhiza apiifolia (fig. 10, page 289). This de- 

 sirable shrub for shaded situations, which is also a me- 

 dicinal plant, is described as follows in the United States 

 dispensatory : " An indigenous shrub two or three feet 

 high. The stem is simply rather thicker than a goose- 

 quill; smooth bark and bright yellow wood. Leaves at 

 the upper part of the stem are compound, consisting of 

 several ovate-lanceolate, acute, doubly serrate leaflets, 

 sessile upon a long petiole, which embraces the stem at 

 its base. The flowers are small, purple, and disposed in 

 long, drooping, divided racemes, placed immediately be- 

 low the first leaves. The nectaries are obovate and bi- 

 lobed, the styles usually about six or eight in number." 

 These "ovate-lanceolate, acute doubly serrate leaflets" 

 make up beautiful terminal clusters of green, indescrib- 

 ably lovely and graceful, almost fern-like in beauty. Im- 

 mediately beneath the top cluster of leaves are found 

 the flowers, which must be seen to be fully appreciated. 

 Imagine a thread-like petiole from four to eight inches 

 long, eight to ten in number, studded with chocolate- 

 brown stars with pure gold eyes, hanging like a fringe 

 from a common center. It is almost lace-like in delicacy 

 and beauty. I am acquainted with many wild-wood 

 beauties, but none compare in grace and delicacy with 

 this, unless it is the Chionanthus Virginica, the white 

 fringe or old man's beard. 



The zanthorrhiza or yellow-root is a low shrub, a foot 

 or two high, and it belongs to the Ranunculaceae or but 

 tercup family. Its roots yield a good yellow dye. It 

 grows in shady woods and by streams from southern 

 New York to the southern states. 



The Rediscovery of Sliortia. — Although the history 

 of the rare shortia has often been told, I wish to repeat 

 some parts of it. 



Duringone of many interesting conversations Professor 

 Hyams told me of the rediscovery of Shortia galacifolia 

 in McDonnell county, N. C, by one of his sons, out on 

 a botanizing tour. The specimen plant was brought to 

 him to analyze, and he appealed to Dr. Giay to aid him 

 in its identification, who promptly recognized it as iden- 

 tical with a mutilated specimen in the Michaux herba- 

 rium in Paris. 



An eager correspondence began, and Professor Hyams 

 invited Dr. Gray and other celebrated botanists to come 

 to him in the season of bloom of the shortia, offering 

 to guide them to its locality. He describes this party 

 of botanists, seven, I think, who were so eager to see 

 and possess these plants that they refused to remove their 



