1873.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTUlilST. 
4=21 
The Star of Bethlehem. 
There are a number of plants which were to 
to be found in the gardens of our grandmothers 
that have now nearly or quite passed out of 
name Ornithogalum means birds' milk, and if 
we are to believe an English writer, Johnson, 
tbe bulbs are the "doves' dung" mentioned 
in the Book of Kings as being sold at a high 
price. We have not seen this plant in cultiva- 
has in England received the name of " Snow in 
Summer." This is much more showy than 
Bieberstein's, and were it not for the fact that it 
is apt to become ragged both from the effects of 
winter and our hot summers it would be greatly 
stab OF Bethlehem. — (Ornithogalum umbellatum.) 
bieberstein's mouse-eab chickweed. — (Cerastium fikbersteini.) 
cultivation. Some of these have made them- 
selves at home in this country and become 
naturalized, and are only to be found in waste 
places about old settlements. An illustration 
of this class of plants is to be found in the 
Star of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatum, 
which has been sent us so frequently for a 
name that we give a figure by which it may be 
recognized. The plant belongs to the Lily 
Family, and has a small bulb somewhat like 
that of the onion. The very narrow leaves, six 
inches or more in length, arise from the bulb, 
and in their center is a stalk bearing at the top 
a cluster of five to eight flowers of the size 
shown in the engraving. The flowers are pure 
white within, but externally each petal is 
marked with a longitudinal green stripe. The 
flowers appear in May and June, and are re- 
markable for opening about 11 o'clock in the 
forenoon and closing about 3 o'clock in tbe 
afternoon. On this account the French call 
the plant Dame d"onze lieures — " Eleven o'clock 
Lady." For the same reason it is in some 
parts of this country called " Johnny-go-to- 
bed." The generally accepted common name, 
Star of Bethlehem, has reference to the star- 
like points of the flower. It is a native of the 
countries bordering upon the Mediterranean, 
where the bulbs are eaten. When boiled they 
are said to be palatable and wholesome. The 
tion for many years, but frequently find it by 
the road sides and in other places where it has 
escaped from gardens and appears to be athome. 
Bieberstein's Mouse-ear Chickweed. 
There are several species of Mouse-ear Chick- 
weed — Cerastium — both native and introduced, 
that are common though not especially trouble- 
some weeds in cultivated grounds, and there 
are a few that are sufficiently ornamental to 
deserve a place in the flower-garden. The one 
that has proved best with us is Cerastium 
Biebersteini, or Bieberstein's Mouse-ear Chick- 
weed, a native of the Taurian mountains. It 
is a low, compact plant, not growing over six 
inches in bight, and forms a dense mass of 
foliage. The engraving shows a portion of the 
plant of the natural size. It is one of the few 
plants that we have found useful for edgings, 
as it keeps dense, bears cutting well, and has 
not, in the neighborhood of New York, been 
killed by the winter or thrown out by frosts. 
Some of the books give it as a silvery foliagcd 
plant, but we think that grayish green better 
describes it. Another and a related species is 
the Woolly Mouse-ear Chickweed, Cerastium 
tomenlosu:ri ,whichhas the same habit of growth, 
and foliage of such a silvery character that it 
to be preferred. Bieberstein's Chickweed is 
not only useful for edgings, but as a border 
plant or one for a rock-work, and is worth 
growing for its foliage alono in such places; 
but in early summer it blooms and produces 
its white flowers in such profusion as to com- 
pletely hide the foliage. We are trying it as a 
plant for carpeting the soil beneath shrubs, 
but can not tell how it will answer this pur- 
pose. When used as an edging the flowers 
should be cut away soon after blooming, as the 
production of seed will needlessly exhaust the 
plants. Both the Cerastiums we have men- 
tioned are sold by the florists. They grow 
rapidly, and are propagated by division with 
the greatest ease. Three years ago we had a 
smaller plant than that shown in the engrav- 
ing, and this spring we had it by the wheel- 1 
barrow-load. 
m i ni l ■■§ i m 
An Example in Cottage Gardening. 
BY PETER HENDERSON. 
Some dozen years ago I had the pleasure of 
making the acquaintance of a gentleman whose 
duties compelled him to be at his desk in a 
close office in the city of New York from 9 
a.m. to 4 p.m. Naturally of rather a weak 
constitution, his sedentary life soon made bim 
