690 



THE Y SA V. 



Abobra tenuifolia [A. vindijiora^. — Abohra lenui- 

 folia is a rapid growing and beautiful climbing plant 

 belonging to the natural order Cucurbitaceas. It is a 

 half-hardy perennial gourd-like plant, with tuberous 

 roots, and attains a height of from twelve to fifteen feet. 

 It has very delicate, dark green leaves, which are very 

 finely cut, and small inconspicuous flowers, produced 

 in profusion. The flowers are soon succeeded by 

 small, bright scarlet, glossy, oval fruit, to which the 

 plant is indebted for its beauty, and which forms a 

 striking contrast with the dark green leaves. As the 

 fruit is very freely produced, this alone renders it a very 

 ornamental and desirable summer climber. The abo- 

 bra is a plant easily cultivated, doing best in a well en- 

 riched deep soil, in a sunny situation, and as the root is 

 of a tuberous character, it can be taken up on the ap- 

 proach of cold weather, and preserved during the win- 

 ter in a manner similar to dahlias. It should be set out 

 again towards the end of April. 



The plant is increased by means of seeds, which are 

 freely produced, and these can be obtained at any seed 

 store. They should be sown in a well-drained pot or 

 pan of light sandy soil about the first of April, and 

 placed in a warm and moist situation. As soon as the 

 young plants can be handled, they should be transferred 

 into three-inch pots. Keep the young plants close and 

 moist until they commence to grow, then gradually 

 harden off, and plant out as soon as the weather be- 

 comes warm and settled. Support should be furnished 

 as soon as the plant commences to run. When thus 

 treated, the plant will do well and fruit freely during the 

 summer season. In order to obtain the most satisfac- 

 tory results from this, or any other ornamental climber, 

 it is well to bear in mind that support must be given the 

 young shoots as soon as they commence to run, and that 

 they should be tied to their proper places as soon as 

 possible. If these essential requisites are neglected, 

 the plants will be injured, and can with difficulty be 

 made to assume their proper place. — Charles E. Par- 

 NELL, Queens, A^. Y, 



Anemone. — Of all the autumn-blooming plants none 

 can compare in beauty and grace to the anemone. Its 

 hardy constitution, and the fact that it produces great 

 quantities of pure white blossoms at a time when white 

 flowers are scarce, should make it a general favorite. 

 All summer it has stood an unobtrusive plant, showing 

 its dark green leaves, yet not courting notice. But as 

 summer wanes and autumn approaches, clusters of 

 round, hard buds begin to show. These push up, each 

 upon its own slender stem, far above the leaves and 

 sway and nod to every breeze, while the lovely fiowers 

 open, one by one, in pure white splendor, until the whole 

 plant, and it is often a large one, is one mass of bloom, 

 The flowers, in shape and size, are somewhat like our 

 native dog-wood, yet delicate, dainty, waxen, with an in- 

 discribable grace of their own. They fold together in the 

 night to re-open the next morning when the sun touches 

 them. 



At the time of this writing, in early October, two 



large plants in the garden are white with bloom. The 

 first flowers began to open in August ; as they do not 

 mind a few light frosts, they will probably last quite 

 through the month. In dry seasons the plants require 

 a good supply of water to bring out the bloom in per- 

 fection. I have written more particularly of ^. /rt/owzVa 

 var. a/lni, the pure white variety, as it is most prized on 

 account of its waxen white blossoms, which are much used 

 for cut-flower work and funeral decorations. There is 

 another variety, however, the var. ni/n-a, of a deep rose 

 color and equally hardy with the white. 



The anemone planted upon the lawn is most unique, 

 and will cause much comment from those who have 

 never before beheld its wealth of bloom. As a cemetery 

 plant it is invaluable and much used. It reproduces 

 itself by numberless shoots which spring from the root- 

 lets of the parent plant, and which appear like a vigor- 

 ous young brood shyly peeping forth from the family 

 shelter. The flowers are eight or nine petaled, white 

 and delicate, with a small, yellow-stamened center. 

 They are about two inches in diameter and grow upon 

 long, willowy and graceful stems, which make them ad- 

 mirable for bouquet arrangement. They last a long 

 time upon the plant, and still longer in water, and when 

 worn, are admired by all who see them. 



To the lover of flowers no one variety of plant is bet- 

 ter adapted to our climate, affords more satisfaction, or 

 is easier of culture, than the graceful, much loved An- 

 emone japoniia . — H. K. 



Flowers for Sunday School Scholars. — An English 

 paper gives an account of ' 'a very successful flower show 

 in connection with the Sunday School and Band of 

 Hope, Union Chapel, Shirley." " It is intended that this 

 shall be the first of a series of annual shows of a similar 

 character." Prizes were given for a scarlet geranium, 

 musk, fuchsia, calceolaria, fern, window hanging plant, 

 specimen plant, bouquet of wild flowers, bouquet of gar- 

 den flowers, basket of garden flowers, basket of wild 

 flowers. 



A City Garden. — A few notes from a little city garden 

 may meet some kindred spirit somewhere. No garden 

 is complete without Scilla Siberica, and to be effective it 

 should be grown in clumps. I find that it delights in 

 rich muck or leaf-mould. It seeds freely, and a large 

 stock can be easily grown by sowing the seeds in rows 

 in a bed of leaf-mould, or light soil. Every seed will 

 grow and you will be surprised at the number of bulbs. 

 They bloom the third year. 



Cypripediuin speclabile does well in a bed of similar 

 material, and comes out of the ground just about the 

 time the native yellow varieties are in bloom. Cut 

 worms are very destructive to the latter, however, and 

 I would not recommend planting a permanent bed of the 

 yellow varieties, unless plants can be easily procured. 

 Narcissus of various kinds are more commendable, and 

 with scillas, narcissus and Cypripediuin spectabile, a 

 bed can be made that will give a succession of beautiful 

 flowers during the first half of the season, and will be 

 thankful if not disturbed. 



