166 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



[November, 



BRAMBLE, 



Red tints of autumn touch the trees 

 That rustle in the freshened breeze, 



And wave their branches strong; 

 From hillside meadows loud and clear 

 Comes clarion-like, a note of cheer— 



The thrush's thrilling song. 



The busy wild-bee flitteth by, 

 Where Honeysuckle waves on high, 



And late Clematis grows ; 

 A fair brown butterfly floats round 

 .V bramble branch that on the ground 



Its dainty tangle throws; 



The lowly bramble taking, root 



In common hedgerows, bearing fruit 



For common hands to pull; 

 A boon to travelers on the road, 

 It shows its gracious purple load. 



With blossoms beautiful. 



White flowers like pearly tinted snow, 

 Fair foliage red with autumn's glow, 



Ripe fruit — on one fair spray; 

 Ah me ! my heart, what beauty lives 

 In lowliest things that nature gives 



To blossom in our way. 



Ah me ! my heart, what beauty shows 

 In lowly lives that to their, close 



Bloom sweetly out of sight ; 

 Meek hearts that seek not worldly praise, 

 That find in life's secluded ways, 



Deep love and deep delight. 



Fair lives that have a humble root, 

 Sweet lives that bear a gracious fruit, 



Yet keep their spring-time flowers 

 Upon the bough where fruit hangs ripe. 

 And where the fading leaf is type 



Of life's decaying hours. 



We meet them in our daily path, 

 These humble souls, and each one hath 



A beauty of its own ; 

 A beauty born of duty done, 

 Of silent victories humbly won, 



Of sorrows borne alone. 



And when the frosts of death fall chill 

 On these fair lives that blossom still, 



Though summer time is past, 

 We, sighing, wish for quiet ways, 

 Wherein, like theirs, our shortening days 



Might blossom to the last. 



— All the Tear Round. 



SEASONABLE HINTS, 



Wintering Tender Plants. — Many of our 

 floral pets which, just when in their greatest- 

 splendor, are cut down by relentless frosts, 

 might often be saved with but little trouble. 

 Geraniums, Fuchsias, Lantanas, Roses, and 

 nearly all the plants grown in cool green- 

 houses, may be wintered in an ordinary 

 cellar. Cellars with furnaces or heaters are 

 generally too warm for such plants, but, by 

 partitioning off a small part with a window 

 facing the south or east, an excellent plant- 

 room may be provided with but little ex- 

 pense. 



The principal object to be held in view is 

 that the plants are to be kept dormant dur- 

 ing winter, as far as possible, not growing. 

 The temperature should, therefore, be but 

 little higher than to keep frost out, and air 

 should be given whenever the weather per- 

 mits. Water has to be given but very 

 sparingly, enough only to save the plants 

 from shriveling; dead branches should be 

 cut off, and decaying leaves, and everything 

 that produces dampness and mold should 

 be seruptxlously removed. 



GRAPE HYACINTHS, 



These pretty plants are, botanically, Mus- 

 cari; popularly known by the name we head 

 our article, from one of the species whose 

 botanical name, M. botryoides, has the same 

 significance, and is derived from the flowers, 

 which resemble little bunches of Grapes. 

 The popular name of "Baby's Breath" is 

 from the fragrance of the flowers of some 

 species. The bulbs of all are small, and the 

 plants are of easy culture. They require 

 only to be planted in the flower-borders in 

 the autumn, need no winter protection, for 

 they are perfectly hardy, and may remain 

 undisturbed for years. They will increase 

 rapidly from off-sets, will soon form large 

 clumps, and will come up and give a pro- 

 fusion of flowers every spring. All are 

 dwarf-plants, and their situation should be 

 in the front of the flower-border. They 

 force well, and a few pots filled with bulbs 

 will bloom freely in the parlor-window in 

 March. As the flowers last long in per- 

 fection, they should be oftener grown in this 



THE GRAPE HYACINTH. 



way. It is only necessary to pot the bulbs 

 six to eight in a six-inch pot in the autumn. 

 Place the pots in a cellar or frame until the 

 bulbs have made roots, and then bring them 

 to the light. 



There are many species, of which the best 

 known is M. botryoides, with dark-blue flow- 

 ers, of which there are varieties with pure 

 white, pearl-colored, and almost black flow- 

 ers, and also one with a pinkish shade, which 

 is very rare. M. racemosum has porcelain 

 blue flowers, and is very handsome. 



Other species of the same family do not 

 resemble these we have mentioned in flow- 

 ers, but do well with the same culture. M. 

 moschatum, a native of Turkey, is the well- 

 known Musk Hyacinth. The flowers have a 

 strong odor of musk ; they are purple when 

 they expand, but gradually become yellow- 

 ish. M. macrocarpum is a larger and more 



showy plant, commonly called the great 

 Musk Hyacinth. It is easily known by its 

 large size and brilliant flowers. 



M. comosum is the Tufted Hyacinth— 

 Grape Hyacinth; but the species is rarely 

 seen in cultivation, being supplanted by its 

 two varieties, — monstrosum and plumosum, — 

 called the "feathered" and "plumed" Hya- 

 cinth. These varieties produce very large 

 heads of blue flowers, of singular shape, 

 which are very showy. These plants all 

 merit special attention, and, as they occupy 

 little space, the smallest garden can afford 

 room for a full collection. They are also 

 very cheap, costing about a dollar a dozen, 

 or even less for M. botryoides. They are espe- 

 cially adapted for children's gardens, and 

 their association with the return of spring 

 will prove a pleasant memory in after-life. 



E. S. Band, Jr. 



AUTUMN FLOWERS, 



Dahlias. — For many years there has not 

 been a more favorable season for these beau- 

 tiful late bloomers than the present one. A 

 field of four acres, which we have watched 

 with great pleasure and interest during sum- 

 mer, is at this moment — near the end of 

 October — in full bloom, and from a distance 

 of a few hundred feet looks like an immense 

 Brussels carpet of elaborate design and 

 most gorgeous colors. 



The Single Dahlias have more than fulfilled 

 expectations. There is nothing more brill- 

 iant in color than the maroon and velvety 

 purple Paragon, the deep scarlet Ardens, 

 the deep gold colored Yellow Gem, and 

 nothing more chaste than the new Queen of 

 Whites, with its pure white flowers of four 

 inches in diameter. All of these will, no 

 doubt, become very popular. 



Cactus Dahlias. — These form an entirely 

 distinct strain, and are specially valuable 

 for vases or corsage bouquets. D. Juarezii 

 is very beautiful and distinct, and was 

 the first of this class, but some newer seed- 

 lings of rich, pure scarlet, and maroon crim- 

 son, are still more beautiful. 



Chrysanthemums. — The conditions of the 

 season and weather, which have been so 

 propitious to Dahlias, have also proved 

 highly favorable to Chrysanthemums, which 

 require but another week free from frost to 

 develop their perfect glory. 



Coreopsis lanceolata. — This is a charming 

 plant, which ought to be better known and 

 more frequently found in flower gardens. 

 Its rich golden yellow flowers are unsur- 

 passed in brilliancy. By referring to our 

 note-book we find that it commenced to 

 blossom on June 16th. Since then the same 

 plant has never been without flowers for a 

 single day, and has now ten flowers and 

 twenty buds. 



John Thorpe. 



SUMMER FLOWERING BULBS, 



All tender bulbs, if not already taken up, 

 should be lifted at once, dried, and stored. 

 Gladiolus, if planted deep enough, are not 

 injured by light frosts, but Tuberoses, Tigri- 

 dias, Amaryllis, Dahlias, Coloeasias, should 

 not be exposed to more frost than can be 

 avoided. Gladiolus, after drying, may be 

 kept in an ordinary frost-proof cellar, but 

 Tuberoses, Tigridias, and other tender bulbs 

 need more warmth to preserve them in good 

 condition till next planting-time. 



