ARTIFICIAL 



of Solomon's Seal, and Jack-in-the-Pulpit, both of which 

 do splendidly under cultivation and in the shade. These 

 are all of perennial habit, and form a beautiful mass of 

 green, contrasting finely with all other forms of vegeta- 

 tion. For the more sunny part of the yard the follow- 

 ing herbaceous plants will do nicely : Hibiscus californi- 

 cits, and some of the hybrid varieties ; delphiniums, 

 campanulas, lily-of-the-valley, day lily (^Fitnkia siib- 

 cordatd), nearly every species of lilium, particularly L. 

 superbiiin ; iris in variety, particularly /. Kanipfc'i i ; 

 sedums ; bleeding heart, and other species of dicentra. 

 As for climbing plants, the Adluiiiin cirrhosa, one of the 

 most beautiful, simply delights in shade, while the morn- 

 ing glories will be truly glorious with but little sun. 

 Their flowers will last until noon in the shade. The 

 adlumia is a biennial, but after it once flowers, it will 

 take care of itself without the slightest trouble. It does 

 not run or flower the first year from seed. Among the 

 annuals that do well in partial shade are the pansies, 

 balsams, mignonette, coreopsis, adonis, snap dragon 

 (which is also biennial), browallia, Com'ok<iilits )iiiitor, 

 lupins, marvel of peru, forget-me-not, nemophila and 

 sweet sultan. 



3. If there is room at the base of your wall, the best 

 possible plant is the Ampelopsis Vcitflni. It would 

 soon cover it so that not a rock could be seen. If 



CLIMATES. 155 



the plants must be set on the inner side of the wall, the 

 Ni'peta Glechoma will fill the bill. It is a perennial, and 

 will grow in sun or shade. There is a variety with va- 

 riegated foliage (white and green) that is very ornamen- 

 tal, but we do not think it perfectly hardy. 



4. The trouble with your chrysanthemums has un- 

 doubtedly been that they have had too much shade. 

 They should be grown in full sunlight in the open 

 ground during summer ; then the aphis will not trouble 

 them. When the plants are taken into the greenhouse, 

 tobacco smoke is an antidote for the enemy. It is worse 

 than folly to grow these plants in the house during sum- 

 mer, or in the garden, unless there be a free circulation 

 of air and unobstructed sunlight. None of the modern 

 chrysanthemums are hardy, and we do not know of a 

 collection of the old varieties ; yet they are common in 

 old gardens, and grow without the slightest difficulty 

 when once planted, 



5. The best si.\ lilies are candidum, speciosum, 

 album and rubrum superbum, auratum and elegans, 

 All the clematis are good, and none better for shade than 

 our native sorts. Narcissus are all good, but the poly- 

 anthus section are not hardy ; in fact, nearly all the 

 bulbs should be protected against frost. The German 

 irises are hardy, and next to the Iris Kainpferi , the most 

 beautiful. 



ARTIFICIAL 



0NE OF the time-honored subjects in the 

 farmer's conversation is the weather. It 

 is always a bad season for crops. "The 

 like of this hasn't been known for a genera- 

 tion. " "Uncommon unseasonable weather." "Too 

 much rain." "Dreadful dry spell we're having," 

 and so on through all the dismal year. The 

 weather explains all tlie farmer's failures. The 

 successes, of course, are due entirely to the farmers' 

 skill and industry — in spite of the weather. The 

 gardener is less doleful about the weather and 

 seems to view the changing seasons with far more 

 composure. It is not clear, at first-sight, why there 

 should be this difference between the farmer and 

 gardener. Both depend upon crops raised in the 

 open air, both depend on rain and sunshine, dewy 

 nights and warm growing days. One is celebrated 

 for his little wail about " dreadful late season," or 

 " the uncommon dry spell of weather." The other 

 has not really very much to say about it and goes 

 right on tending to his little patch as if the weather 

 was of very small consequence. 



The weather is of vital importance to both farmer 

 and gardener. Both must have sunshine and rain, 

 warmth and even cool, dry nights to ripen the crops. 

 May it not be that the gardener can teach the 

 farmer a lesson ? May it not be true that the gar- 



CLIMATES. 



den is more independent of the weather than the 

 field ? The quickest way to get at this matter is to 

 examine the methods of the farm and garden in re- 

 gard to so common a matter as the rain. A field 

 crop of corn is left to get such water as the clouds, 

 once called " the wandering water-pots of the sky," 

 may supply. A bed of choice strawberries for the 

 family is practically independent of the clouds, for 

 they can be easily supplied with water from the 

 well, the street mains or the old barrel under the 

 spout. In regard to the rain such small crops are 

 then in a purely artificial climate. As far as the 

 clouds are concerned, the gardener makes his own 

 climate and gets up a little shower whenever he 

 thinks the crops need a wetting. It is becoming 

 more and more general in gardens to supply water 

 to the crops whenever needed, and a wind-mill, 

 water tank, pipes and hose are regarded as part of 

 the essential machinery of a first-class florist's or 

 market gardener's establishment. In the rainless 

 districts of the far west, and in California, artificial 

 irrigation upon a gigantic scale is already making 

 whole counties independent of the rain. In this 

 sense parts of California are already enjoying an 

 artificial climate. Ultimately, no doubt, all farm- 

 ing will be quite independent of the rain-fall. Im- 

 proved machinery, cheap power and cheap pumps 



