226 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



[December, 



'la JjWep 



( Written for The American Gakden.) 

 IN NATURE'S SCHOOL, 



To-day I have been roaming 



Among the -woodland nooks, 

 And in the quaint old pastures, 



And by the lathing brooks; 

 And I have seen such beauty, 



And learned snob secrets sweet. 

 That I long to dwell with Nature, 



And sit down at her feet. 



Like torches made of sunshine, 



To light a cloudy day, 

 The Golden Rod was glowing 



Beside the fences gray ; 

 And at its side the Aster 



Looked up with drowsy eyes, 

 On every fringy petal 



A hint of autumn skies. 



The Oaks were clad in scarlet, 



The Elms in palest gold; 

 The Pines seemed friars chanting 



A mass for earth grown old. 

 The Sumach's tufted branches, 



Were bright with rainbow dyes, 

 And the Maples seemed a bonfire 



Against the hazy skies. 



I heard the ripe nuts dropping, 



Like rain from Beech and Oak, 

 And the chatter of the squirrels 



The woodland echoes woke. 

 They were all at work in harvest, 



And out of every tree, 

 I heard their sharp opinions 



Of idle folk like me. 



I saw the nests deserted 



On many a swaying limb ; 

 I heard the quail's shrill piping. 



But caught no glimpse of him. 

 I saw some lingering robins, 



Where Woodbine clusters hung; 

 But not one song of summer 



The sober creatures sung. 



I cannot tell the secrets 



I read from Nature's book, 

 To the sound of ripe leaves falling, 



And the music of the brook. 

 If you would learn her wisdom, 



Go like a child to her, 

 And bird and tree and blossom 



Will be interpreter. 



— Eben E. Eexford. 



SEASONABLE HINTS, 



As the loving house-mother, before retiring 

 for the night, takes a last look at her loved 

 ones, closing firmer the doors and windows 

 in the children's room, or putting an addi- 

 tional blanket perhaps on baby's bed, so 

 will a good gardener give now the finishing 

 touches to his season's work, and provide, as 

 much as is in his power, for the welfare of 

 those of his pets which have to be intrusted 

 to the care of mother earth during the in- 

 clemencies of winter. 



Protection, of some kind is beneficial to 

 nearly all outdoor plants, even those consid- 

 ered hardy. All perennial plants and bulbs 

 should have a light covering during winter. 

 A thin coat of coarse litter from the stable 

 answers the purpose well enough, but is ob- 

 jectionable on account of its unsightliness. 

 Leaves, overlaid with evergreen branches, 

 are preferable in this regard. 



Roues and Half Hardy Woody Plants in gen- 

 eral should be laid down and covered with 

 soil or sods; or, if standards or large bushes, 

 matting, sacks, or evergreen branches should 

 be tied loosely around them. 



PALMS, 



For general decorative purposes, I do not 

 know a class of plants more suitable than 

 some of the Palms. Out of doors during 

 summer they stand with impunity the hot 

 sun, if plenty of water is supplied them at the 

 roots, and the plumose section bear without 

 injury exposed situations, where strong winds 

 are liable to shatter the foliage of more ten- 

 der plants. The leaves of the palmate kinds, 

 when too much exposed to the wind, are apt 

 to tear and split, giving them a strangling 



LATANIA BORBONICA. 



appearance. Small plants are very suitable 

 for table decoration, and for the ornamenta- 

 tion of large rooms, halls, and theater stages 

 when a tropical effect is wanted. What can 

 be prettier than well-grown plants of Cocos 

 Weddeliana, Phwnix rupicoJa, or Latania 

 Borbonica. 



Florists are giving now more attention to 

 the propagation of the different leading 

 kinds, which has brought the prices of even 

 the rarer species within the reach of most 

 every one. Leading seedsmen also advertise 



SEAFORTHIA ELEGANS. 



Palm seeds at remarkably reasonable rates, 

 so that if one wants to start plants from seeds 

 he has not to send abroad for them, as was 

 necessary but a few years ago ; a good sup- 

 ply is now procurable at home. 



Young plants, of most varieties, are best 

 grown in rather peaty soil, well mixed with 

 sand. As they increase in size and it be- 

 comes desirable to retard their growth, sub- 

 stitute sandy loam with but very little peat 

 or leaf -mold mixed through it. In this kind of 

 soil they grow slower, at the same time 



maintaining their green, healthy appear- 

 ance. Palms generally soon show the evil 

 effect of having been kept too dry, by the 

 decay of the ends of the leaves, and nothing 

 looks worse than a finely shaped plant with 

 the ends of the leaves thus disfigured. 



Among the hundreds of beautiful and in- 

 teresting Palms, we mention those most 

 worthy of culture and easily grown. 



Areca lutescens. — A most elegant Palm of 

 the plumose section. The pinnate leaves 

 are of a dark-green color and have a beauti- 

 ful arching form. It does best when used 

 out of doors, in a partially shaded position. 



A. rubra is another beautiful plant, sim- 

 ilar to the above, having the petioles of a 

 reddish color, and grows much faster. 



Chamwdorea elegans. — A Mexican species, 

 of beautiful and graceful form. The dark 

 rich green leaves are pinnate, and beautiful- 

 ly drooping in habit. 



Cocos Weddeliana. — The introduction of 

 this Palm into European gardens caused 

 considerable excitement among horticultur- 

 ists generally. Its graceful form being su- 

 perior to any member of the Palm family 

 previously introduced, and I consider it the 

 most beautiful one in cultivation to-day. The 

 leaves are finely arched, about two to three 

 feet long, the pinna? long and narrow, rich 

 green on the upper side, the under side 

 glaucous. It is a native of South America, 

 and should be seen in every collection of 

 plants of any pretensions. 



Chamcerops excelsa. — The leaves of this 

 Bast Indian Palm are fan-shaped and sup- 

 ported on long petioles. They are of a dark- 

 green color. It is a plant well worth growing. 



C. humilis is the most beautiful of the Cha- 

 mserops genus. The leaves, which are finely 

 divided, are of a glaucous color on both 

 sides. It is liable to suckering, forming a 

 bush, and making it a splendid plant for 

 vases and other similar positions. 



Hyophorbe Verschaffelti — A pinnate species 

 of free growth, makes an excellent specimen. 

 The leaves are five to six feet long, and the 

 habit very symmetrical. This plant requires 

 a liberal supply of water when growing. 



Latania Borbonica. — A palmate species 

 and one of the finest for general decorative 

 purposes. The leaves are large, bright green 

 in color, supported on long petioles, the stem 

 being covered with a mass of fibrous tissue. 

 It is often found under the name of Livistonia 

 Borbonica and Livistonia sinensis. 



Seaforthia elegans, a pinnate-leaved Palm 

 from Australia, and one of the best. It is of 

 strong, healthy, hardy constitution, enduring- 

 considerable frost without injury. I have a 

 plant at present, making a strong growth, 

 which was exposed last winter for about 

 twenty-four hours to a temperature of from 

 8° to 10° below freezing, the soil around 

 the roots being frozen solid ; but it is better 

 to prevent all such exposure if possible. 



Fhcewix rupicola. — A beautiful plant for 

 decorative purposes. The leaves are mostly 

 pinnate, beautifully arched and well fur- 

 nished to the surface of the pot. This makes 

 a very attractive plant for the window, never 

 growing to a large size. 



There are many other beautiful species, 

 of easy culture ; but for the beginner it is 

 best to confine himself to but few kinds at 

 first, and to study their wants and needs be- 

 fore experimenting with a large collection. 



M. Milton. 



