THE CHRISTMAS AND LENTEN ROSES. 



HE hellebores, which 

 are popularly known 

 as Christmas Roses, 

 have long been favor- 

 i t e flowers abroad, 

 having been known 

 and cultivated in con- 

 tinental Europe and 

 England for many 

 years. Occasionall)' 

 they have been releg- 

 ated to obscurity, only to be brought forward again 

 into general notice by enthusiastic amateurs and 

 cultivators. From the various types have originat- 

 ed many interesting hybrid varieties, and good cul- 

 tivation has also lent its aid to improving the qual- 

 ity of some of the wild and cultivated varieties. It 

 is only within the last ten years, however, that 

 horticulturists have taken up in earnest the general 

 cultivation and growth of this charming perennial, 

 and the list of varieties has been largely increased 

 in consequence. The variations in some instances 

 are not decidedly marked, and would not be notice- 

 able by the ordinary observer, but in the minds of 

 expert amateurs and growers these distinctions are 

 clearly defined, and each sort has some particular 

 characteristic which commends it to our attention 

 and lends it a charm. This is noticeably the case in 

 the form of H. ?iiL^tv-, in which type English grow- 

 ers have been particularly interested, and we find 

 a number of varieties distinguished by local names, 

 to particularize the source of origin. This system 

 of nomenclature leads to more or less confusion on 

 the part of horticultural layman, and for this reason, 

 it is perhaps better in this brief article to refer only 

 to leading varieties of a distinct type. 



The hellebore cannot be classed among the essen- 

 tially hardy plants which may be grown and made 

 to flower in the open border in any of the northern 

 states. This fact ought to be truthfully stated and 

 understood. The flowers of H. iiiaximits open in 

 November and December, and these are followed 

 during the winter by the flowers of other varieties 

 until about March. The blooming period is closely 

 followed by the growth of the foliage, and by March 

 and April, at the latest, the full round of blossom- 

 ing and growth has been completed and the plants 



are at rest until the succeeding fall. Naturally, 

 this habit precludes successful cultivation in the 

 open air. The plants in a well drained soil are 

 hardy enough, but severe winter frosts destroy the 

 flowers and ruin the foliage. In our climate, there- 

 fore, we are forced to give them the protection of a 

 cold frame, where they are at their best, and are 

 easily grown. In this position, there is no hardy 

 plants which can compare with them. Their rare 

 beauty, and their isolated period of blossoming, 

 when all other out-of-door plants are denuded of 

 bloom, are qualities so attractive that any trouble 

 or care given them is well expended. The beauti- 

 ful cut of H. maxiiims, the giant-flowered type, 

 which is printed on page 63, is a picture of a hand- 

 ful taken from a plant in December, bearing perhaps 

 fifty such flowers, and will emphasize, better than 

 any other description, their exquisite purity and 

 grace. The blossoms figured in the plate alluded 

 to measured from two and one- half to three inches 

 in diameter, most of the stalks carrying two of the 

 pretty flowers. 



Given a deep, rich, well-drained soil, and a 

 frame with an exposure which will afford partial ■ 

 shelter from the burning sun-rays in mid-summer, 

 the hellebores, if undisturbed, will grow vigorously, 

 and in two or three years form large clumps, which 

 will throw up quantities of flowers. These are the 

 essential pre-requisites of success, briefly outlined, 

 and there is nothing difficult or complicated, as may 

 be seen in the cultivation of the hellebore. If a 

 permanent frame is not convenient, it can be re- 

 moved in the spring, but the plant must have its 

 protection before severe frosts arrive, if a crop of 

 well-formed flowers is to be gathered. 



The foliage of the hellebore is strong and vigor- 

 ous, and adds largely to the beauty of the plant, for 

 in this respect nature rarely errs. The leaves of 

 the various \arieties vary much in form, those of 

 H. uiaximtis being the most distinct, but all are 

 glossy, leathery in texture and deeply cut, while the 

 flower stalks are densely mottled with purple, green 

 and white. 



Propagation is best effected by division of the 

 crowns, and June and July are perhaps the best 

 months for this operation, as the plants are then at 

 rest. No hardy plant is more sensitive to disturb- 



