1883.] 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



187 



SCILLAS. 



These pretty bulbs supply a color which 

 without them would be wanting in the spring 

 garden. In Europe, they have the Gentians ; 

 alas ! not hardy withiis, and it is upon Scillas 

 alone, though we have purples m abundance 

 supplied by the many varieties of Crocus, 

 that we must depend for blue in the early 

 bulb borders. The bulbs are small, and re- 

 semble little Hyacinths, and require the same 

 culture. 



The soil should be rich and light and well 

 drained ; indeed, it is well in planting to put 



of Southern Europe. <S'. antoena, though from 

 j the Levant, is generally hardy ; the flowers 

 are bright blue on an erect spike. 



S. amoenula, produces several flower 

 scapes from each bull) before the leaves. In 

 I color and growth, this species greatly resem- 

 j bles >S'. Siberica. 



S. cernua, known in catalogues as S, hya- 

 ; cinflwides, is a species long in cultivation 

 It bears a great resemblance to the English 

 I Harebell (Hyacinthus non script/is), but dif- 

 | fers slightly botanieally ; the flowers are 

 drooping pale purple or pink. 



S. campanulata is one of the 

 finest species; the color is blue, 

 but there are pink and white 

 varieties, of which the latter is 

 the best white Squill in culti- 

 vation. 



S. renin, an English species, 

 has blue, pink, or white fra- 

 grant flowers, as also has S. 

 bifolia, a native of France. 

 These two last-mentioned spe- 

 cies love a moist, sandy soil. 



S. Peruviana, in spite of its 

 name, is a native of Spain and 

 Italy. The flowers are blue or 

 white, in large, erect trusses, 

 and very handsome. It is not 

 very hardy, and is better grown 

 in a frame or pot than in the 

 border. 



S. escnlenta, called also Ca- 

 massia, is a very beautiful hardy 

 species of the north-western 

 States. It is a late bloomer, 

 but is one of the handsomest 

 flowers of early June. There 

 are many other species, but 

 those we have mentioned are 

 the best. In planting the bulb 

 border,do not forget the Scillas. 



E. S. Rani, Jr. 



SCILLA SIBERICA. 



a little sand around each bulb, as they often 

 rot during the winter if kept very wet. 

 Although most of the species are perfectly 

 hardy, they are all impatient of freezing and 

 thawing ; therefore, it is well to keep frost 

 out of the bed by a thick covering of leaves 

 or coarse litter. 



It is better to plant early in the autumn 

 that the bulbs may become established 

 before winter, but we have had good spring 

 bloom from bulbs which we planted so 

 late in November that we were obliged 

 to make the holes with a crowbar. As 

 the plants are dwarf, they should always 

 be in clumps of at least a dozen ; the smaller 

 kinds should be set about two inches below 

 the surface, the larger somewhat deeper. 

 Once planted, they may remain undisturbed 

 for years. They increase rapidly, and every 

 spring make a charming show in the garden, 

 the early kinds blooming with the Crocuses, 

 the later prolonging the season of flowers 

 until June. 



S. Siberica, as its name implies, a native of 

 Siberia, is one of the hardiest and best. The 

 flowers are brilliant, intense blue. S.prwcox 

 is of the same bright color, and is a native 



THE ANTIRRHINUM. 



The Antirrhinum, which used 

 to be known almost wholly as 

 the Snapdragon, and which few 

 persons call by its proper name 

 even now, is one of our stand-bys among gar- 

 den flowers. It is a perennial, but it will 

 bloom well the first summer. It blooms so 

 profusely often as to weaken the plant, 

 and thus a long, hard winter finds it with 

 vitality so exhausted that it is unable to 

 withstand the strain, and if it manages to 

 come out in spring with a little life left, 

 it is really good for nothing, and such 

 plants might as well be thrown away as 

 to bother with them. If one cares to win- 

 ter them, the plants should be prevented 

 from exhausting themselves during the au- 

 tumn by too profuse flowering by cutting 

 off the flower-stalks. This will induce a 

 strong growth, and one vigorous enough 

 to withstand a long siege of cold weather, 

 and the plants will come out in spring 

 robust and ready to give a good crop of 

 flowers all the season. They can be kept 

 over to the third year by preventing too 

 much use of the plant's vitality by late 

 blooming, but I have never had much satis- 

 faction from the third year's growth. Better 

 raise new plants every other year. I usually 

 put leaves about my plants in the fall, or 

 coarse litter from the barn-yard, if leaves 



are not conveniently at hand. This I do 

 not remove from the beds until the weather 

 becomes warm enough to start the plants 

 into growth. The Antirrhinums are mostly 

 orange, scarlet, and white, and are very 

 showy flowers. They are so easily grown 

 that any beginner in gardening need not be 

 afraid to try their culture. 



R, E. E. 



HARDY AND TENDER GLADIOLUS. 



I would like to say a word in favor of the 

 Hardy Gladiolus. " Engesseri" is an oddity, 

 but '-Marie Lemoine" is lovely; and those 



SCILLA CERNUA. 



who first have this will be agreeably sur- 

 prised by its beauty. It is like a spike of 

 large, lovely Pansies, light yellow, with crim- 

 son stains on the lower petals. I have had 

 two bulbs of each of these two varieties this 

 season, but shall have all the moderate 

 priced ones next year. I think these Hardy 

 Gladiolus do not receive the praise they 

 deserve. 



I had a choice lot of hybrid Gladiolus this 

 year, and have found a few kinds extremely 

 pretty. "Baroness Burdett Coutts" was, I 

 think, unsurpassed in beauty, size, or form 

 by any I raised ; but its high price will de- 

 prive many of it for some time to come. 

 " Africain" is a smaller flower, but a novel 

 color. "Leander" is a near approach to 

 "Baroness Burdett Coutts," and at a third 

 its cost. " Shakespeare" is a splendid flower, 

 branches freely, and is a long time in flower. 

 "Martha Washington" is a splendid light 

 yellow, and a good bloomer. Other speci- 

 ally good varieties are " Mme. Monneret," 

 "Norma," "Ida," "La Candeur," " Felic- 

 ien David," " Le Poussin," and "Addison." 



L. R. Cook. 



