1-::: 
AM 1 ;iU< IAN At i RICULTURIST 
1 I 
The Golden-Spurred Columbine. 
More Ibab twenty yews ago llio writer iu his 
wanderings in the wilds of Northern Mexico 
cume across a Columbine which nt the lime 
, between this :n.. I I. agrulta are not very 
marked, but it is one of those cases in 
other than purely botanical characters may 
have weight. The plant comes from a different 
geographical range, grows taller, flowers nearly 
the shopkeeper which he thought were tho 
lattndtrut. If wo w< re asked which was "tho 
larenderest" flower we Knew we should say 
llio Amsonia. The books all have it that the 
flowers ore " pale blue," but this dots not pro- 
QOLDEN-SFBHKED COLUMBIBB. 
seemed to him not only the most beautiful 
Columbine but the most charming wild flower 
he had ever seen. IIow he searched for seeds 
— for being a thousand miles from anywhere 
roots were of no use — how sadly he contented 
himself with specimens for the herbarium, and 
how he filled his hat-band and the button-holes 
of a red-flannel shirt with flowers arc matters of 
pleasant recollection. He supposed, of course, 
he had a new specie?, and was not a little dis- 
appointed to find that both Torrey and Gray 
considered it as a yellow variety of AquUegia 
leptocera — what is now known and cultivated as 
AquUegia eetrulea, the Rocky Mountain Colum- 
bine, As the plant is destined to bo a popular 
one, We give it the name of " Golden-Spurred 
Columbine." That most Indnstrious collector 
and excellent botanist Dr. C. C. Parry was for- 
tunate enough to obtain seeds, and the plant has 
been for some time in cultivation iu the Botanic 
Garden of Harvard University, and is sparingly 
introduced from there into European and a few 
American gardens, and is noticed in foreign 
Journals with high commendation as AquUegia 
leptocera flam. This is not the place to discuss 
botanical nomenclature and synonyms. Suffice 
k to say that after cultivating the plant for 
several years, and comparing it with the Rocky 
Mountain Columbine (A. asrulea), Dr. Gray has 
concluded to describe it as a new species, Aqui- 
legia chrysantha. The botanical distinctions 
a month later, and blooms for two months con- 
tinuously; these peculiarities, added to its full 
yellow color, seem to warrant it to rank as a 
species. Like the Rocky Mountain Columbine, 
it has very long and slender spurs, often over 
two inches in length. The engraving, which 
ouly gives the form of the flowers and smaller 
than life, can not convey an idea of the beauty 
of the plant, with its foliage set ofl" by numerous 
graceful golden-spurred flowers. It is perfectly 
hardy, even more so than the Rocky Mountain 
species, which in some soils being injured by 
the heat of summer, is not sufficiently strong 
to stand the winter, a difficulty however which 
has never been within oiir experience. 
We could not mention this fine Columbine 
without reference to the Botanic Garden, an i 
we especially request our readers not to annoy 
Prof Gi ly or Prof. Sargent by making applica- 
tions for seeds, as it is impossible for them to 
answer such .1' mands. We learn that see 
this plant from other sources will be offered 
by some of our leading seed-dealers this fall, 
and they may be obtained iu the regular way. 
The Amsonia. 
There are several flowers which are not very 
showy that we like to grow on account of their 
peculiarity or oddity. It is told of an affected 
young lady that in selecting gloves she asked 
AMSONIA TABEKN.EMONTANA. 
perly describe the color. Bluish gray, which is 
just lavender color, would be a better term. 
The engraving gives a top of a flowering stem 
of about the natural m/.c. A well-established 
plant throws tip numerous stems two to two 
and a half feet high, with leaves of variable 
shape, and each surmounted by a loose cluster 
of flowers that an: delicate in form as well as iu 
color. The botanical n;imc of the pjant is 
Amsonia Tdbemamontana, Amsonia com- 
memorates a gentleman by the name of Ainson, 
and the other name another person by the name 
of Taberuwjinon tonus. As this pretty native 
plant, which is found in Illinois, Virginia, and 
southward, is very well provided with names, 
we think that Amsonia will do for its common as 
well as iis botanical appellation. It belongs to 
the Dogbane Family [Apocynacea), of which 
our native Indian Hemp, I lie Oleander, Peri- 
winkle, and other cultivated plants are lncm- 
bei i. The Amsonia i< of the easiest cultivation 
in ordinary garden soil, requiring only to bo 
divided when the clumps gel too large. 
Corn-meal and CuKCCJ.io.— A correspon- 
dent of the Ohio Farmer states that he kept a 
plum-tree free from curcnlios by sprinkling llio 
ground under the tree with corn-meal. This 
induced the chickens lot scratch and search. 
The meal was Strewn every morning from the 
time the trees blossomed until the fruit was 
