THE GARDENS OF AEWPORT—IV. 



517 



The illustration shows the space in front of the 

 house, which does not itself appear, the buildings 

 shown being on a neighboring estate. The central 

 group is surrounded by the carriage-way, the sur- 

 face on the opposite side rising sharply to the privet 

 hedge already mentioned. In this bed the first ob- 

 ject of interest during July and early August is the 

 mass of tall whice yuccas, such as always present 

 a striking appearance, and the wonder is that the 

 several species are not more largely planted in pri- 

 vate grounds. It is only within a few years that 

 they have come to be appreciated at anything like 



out the fear of harm from sun or frost. They are, 

 so far as known, all natives of America, and are 

 found distriliuted through the Southern States and 

 Mexico in considerable numbers. 



The specimens shown in the illustration belong to 

 the species Y. filainenlosa, which is the one here in 

 most general cultivation. The specific name signi- 

 fies thready, and comes from the abundance of 

 thread-like filaments given off from the margins of 

 the leaves, though in this respect it differs but little 

 from some of the other kinds. Each plant produces 

 30 to 50 leaves, springing from a permanent root- 



ViEW IN THE Grounds of Arthur B. Emmons at Newport, showing Masses of Yuccas and Box. 



their true value ; but, though formerly little known, 

 they are now to be seen in most of the Newport 

 gardens which are under intelligent culture. About 

 fifty specimens are found in these grounds, arranged 

 mostly in groups, though in some instances dotting 

 the borders as single specimens. They are not only 

 beautiful when in flower, but almost equally so in 

 the tropical appearance of their leaves at other 

 times. Many of the yuccas are adapted only to 

 hot-house culture, but several of the species are 

 sufficiently hardy to be grown in the open air with- 



stock, which rises slightly above the ground ; they 

 are nearly two feet in length and about two inches 

 wide, fleshy, light green in color, with whitish edge?, 

 and sharply pointed. The flowers are produced 011 

 a long stem, four to eight feet above the leaf clus- 

 ter, and are very showy. They are in panicles, 

 creamy white within and of a greenish cast without, 

 each floret, of which there are often as many as 

 fifty on a stem, being some two inches long and an 

 inch or more across Such a plant, with its base 

 of rich green and its elevated flowers, is always 



