May, 1889 
101 
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beautiful sight. This in the month of 
March. We could easily have had them 
earlier by planting earlier. To do this 
the soil must be a trifle good, and the 
temperature not too high. 
It looks now as if we should have some- 
thing good to say of the new Fuchsia, Mrs. 
E. G. Hill. Our plant is still too small to say 
much of its general habit, but the flower 
is large, very double, and beautiful. Frau 
Emma is likely to have a rival of a statelier 
form. 
The new Zonal Pelargonium Lumiere Elec- 
trique bears large trusses of rich carmine 
flowers, with a decided golden glow at the 
base of the upper petals. It is quite distinct, 
and we like it. Those who find any diffi- 
culty in pronouncing the French might say 
Electric Light, which is simply a literal 
translation and not a change; but try the 
French first. You might want to go trav- 
eling one of these days, and it will be use- 
ful. 
Richardia alba maculata, or Spotted Cal- 
la, makes a useful as well as ornamental 
plant for the flower border. Dry roots 
planted in May will come into flower in 
June. The flower is pure white. Both 
plant and flower are small. In appearance 
it is a miniature form of the common Calla, 
except that the leaves are spotted. A moist, 
somewhat s.iaded place will suit it best, 
though it will grow almost anywhere. This 
handsome little Calla is not as common as 
it should be. It is very pretty grown in a 
clump in the border, and may also be grown 
as a pot plant. — P. B. Mead. 
Fragrant Flouera. 
When arranging for our flower gardens 
and making selections from the many desir- 
able varieties offered, let us not forget that 
we shall wish some for fragrance. This 
quality is one especially to be desired, and 
while admiring, some of the floral beauties 
destitute of this grace, though exquisite in 
form and unrivaled in coloring, there seems 
to be something lacking, and we turn from 
them with d< ep satisfaction to a smaller 
unobtrusive plant whose blossoms shed 
their delicate aroma around. These are the 
ones which hold their place in our affections 
in spite of the ruling changes of fashion, 
and many pleasant memories steal over us 
as we inhale their sweet odors anew. We 
observe this upon visiting the garden after 
a summer shower, w hen each flower seems 
an incense cup filled w ith perfume, arising 
to the skies in gratitude and thankfulness 
for the reviving rain. If this quality is de- 
lightful then, it is certainly to be prized in 
cut flowers, for a boquet never seems com- 
plete without it, and when only a few are 
desired tor a vase on one’s study table or 
for a bouttoniere, the sweet ones are invar- 
iably chosen. Shakespeare remarks this 
when he says “A rose by any other name 
would smell as sweet.” The name is im- 
material so long as the fragrance be not 
dispensed with. The Rose and the Lily, the 
acknowledged queens of the flowery realm, 
possess this charm to completeness. Noth- 
ing can excel the Rose scent, and large 
sums are paid for the costly attar, but there 
are many others which receive homage in 
their turn. Among these the Hyacinths 
which come so early in the spring. The 
“sweet lily of the lowly vale,” and the sweet 
Violets, some of which appear as soon as the 
snow is gone, and with the Hyacinths offer 
a greeting for Easter. But when these have 
disappeared there should be others to suc- 
ceed them, and for this preparation should 
be made. The Sweet Peas are always an 
attraction, with all their delicate shades 
and markings, and a quantity will be desired. 
They should be planted very early, not wait- 
ing for the ground to become warm, in a 
well enriched soil, about four inches deep, 
and will do much better in a cool, moist sit- 
uation. When the plants get well started 
they will need brush for the tiny tendrils to 
climb upon as a support. It will give bet- 
ter satisfaction to have a mixture of seed 
so as to obtain the different varieties, though 
they are all charming, and what can be 
prettier than Painted Lady or Scarlet In- 
vincible. The flowers must be picked daily, 
not allowing them to seed as they will soon 
stop blooming under these conditions, so one 
can have plenty for themselves and their 
flower-loving friends. Sweet Alyssum and 
Mignonette should be tucked into every 
spare nook and corner as they are both in- 
dispensable for cutting throughout the sea- 
son. Sweet Alyssum has a pleasing fra- 
grance and produces flowers in abundance, 
gigantia is pronounced an improvement, 
having double white flowers. Mignonette, 
reseda odorata, is well known and cannot 
be too freely grown and used for cutting. 
It can be sown at any time and blooms un- 
til frost. Machet is a dwarf variety having 
spikes of reddish flowers while Parsons’ 
White has larger, white flowers. They will 
soon establish themselves in the garden by 
self-sowing and will need no further care. 
Carnations are old time favorites and 
worthy of the place they still hold in pop- 
alar favor, which is not ( o be wondered at 
while inhaling their spicy odors. They 
will not bloom until the second year and 
seed should be sown frequently in order to 
keep a succession of plants, as the old ones 
are apt to be injured in winter. This may 
be sown under glass in the spring or in open 
ground in July and covered with leaves or 
boughs as a protection from cold storms, 
when they will commence blooming early 
the next season. Sweet clover with its ra- 
cemes of delicate white flowers is very 
sweet and a few plants are desirable as it 
proves a graceful addition when mingled 
with other flowers. Tuberoses should be 
started in pots in the house and transplant- 
ed later to the grounds. One bulb will 
yield many flowers but one needs to keep a 
supply to have them bloom each season, 
and if these are planted at different times 
the blooming period may be much longer 
continued. And now whatever we choose 
for our collections, let us have an ample 
supply of the “sweet thoughts of mother 
ear th . ”— E v alyn . 
A nn tials. 
In the planting and embellishment of our 
homes let us by no means forget the an- 
nuals, those lowly but popular flowers 
whose beauty and fragrance very often far 
outshine plants of greater dignity and worth. 
Easily grown and quite inexpensive they 
are the flowers for everbody, and some of 
them are among the showiest objects of the 
garden. Among the finest is the Balsam 
which has been so improved that its 
flowers are now almost as large and as dou- 
ble as the rose and as perfect as the Camel- 
lia, those known as the Camellia-flowered 
being magnificently blotched, striped or 
spotted. Petunias massed in a bed on the 
lawn will present a fine appearance but 
are not as brilliant in color as Phlox Drum- 
mond ii. Of the latter and some other 
kinds it is better to buy seed of seperate 
colors than mixed. 
