THE Y SA Y. 



759 



maison, Sunset, Viscountesse Folkestone, Princess Sa- 

 gan, Marie Guillot or Isabella Sprunt. — R. A. M. 



Answer by B. M. Waiso7i, Jr., Biisscy Institution. — 

 The list of roses seems a very proper one for trial in 

 out-door bedding, by no means an easy undertaking ; 

 so many circumstances of soil and situation are to be 

 considered that any list must be largely experimental. 



I should advise as additions, or substitutions if they 



Agave Amkricana. 



make the list too cumbersomi-, Bon Silene, Devonien- 

 sis. Climbing Devoniensis, Gloria de Dijon, Mad. Fal- 

 cot and Souvenir d'un Ami for teas proper, all strong 

 growers and likely to be more hardy than one or two 

 on the list. The best roses, however, for this purpose 

 are, in my opinion, to be found among the so-called 

 daily roses. I would advise as the best of these, Her- 

 mosa, Queen of Bedders, and Souvenir de la Malmai- 



son. Bourbons ; Agrippina, Cels, Louis Philippe, Mad. 

 Bosanquet, Nemesis, Cramoisi Superieure, Eugene 

 Beanharnais, Bengals ; and the Noisette Fellemberg. 

 These are old roses, and to be sure there is not the va- 

 riety in color which is to be found among the teas, 

 but they are more hardy and good growers, besides be- 

 ing great and constant bloomers ; they are not roses fit 

 for the market, except Souvenir de la Malmaison, but 

 for house decoration they are charming. If they pass 

 through the winter in good condition you obtain a fair 

 bloom in the spring, but the great flowering comes in 

 autumn, continuing until severe frost ; we are gather- 

 ing them now here, and a large bush of which I know 

 has given continuous bloom since August ist. 



The Century Plant i^Agave Americana'). — There are 

 very few people that have had the good fortune to see 

 the large century plant in bloom. For although it does 

 not take a hundred years to mature, as its name would 

 lead one to think, still the flowers are very rare, not 

 only from the reason that it takes a long time before 

 they are produced, but also because the plant becomes 

 so large that very few persons are able to take care of 

 it, as it must be brought in-doors in winter. 



The one here represented was exhibited about 20 

 years ago on a private estate in Germantown, Pa. The 

 owner, Mr. Carpenter, kindly threw his grounds open 

 to the public. The plant, as near as I could estimate, 

 was at least 20 feet high. It grew in a tub about 3 

 feet in diameter and 2 feet 6 inches high. The shaft at 

 its point of emergence from among the immense leaves 

 was 4 inches in diameter, and tapered gracefully to the 

 summit where it was surmounted by a cone-shaped 

 cluster of canary yellow flowers. This cluster was fully 

 five feet high and three feet in diameter. It was very 

 graceful and symmetrical, and constantly surrounded by 

 innumerable bees. The plant attracted a great many 

 visitors. Indeed it is such a rare thing to see one in 

 bloom, that a few years ago, when one was exhibited on 

 Chestnut street, in Philadelphia, the owners charged 

 25 cents admission, and throngs went to see it. — Will- 

 iam Graf, Pliiladelphia, Penn. 



Odds and Ends. — "What will grow and look nicely 

 in my window this winter ?" is a question often asked 

 in early fall. A quiet search in the garden beds, even 

 if there has been a light frost, often brings treasures to 

 view. Here in the petunia bed, under the old plants, 

 are late seedlings several inches high. These, potted, 

 will grow and bloom all winter. Sweet alyssum, too, 

 may be treated in the same way. Be sure to get a 

 clump from the musk bed if you want someting to scent 

 the whole room. 



Perhaps your geranium bed is now full of large plants, 

 and you wonder what can be done with them. Last fall 

 I cut off a half bushel of slips and carried them to a 

 florist. He was very glad to get them, for he said his 

 stock geraniums always run low towards spring, and 

 he gave me in exchange several choice plants tor my 

 window garden. Next tall I shall cut off slips from 

 coleus or anything else that is a flourishing plant, and 



