PARK AND ce:mi:te:ry 
264 
upward round its sides until their points came in con- 
tact with the overhanging corners of the tile, where 
they gracefully coiled themselves into volutes. At this 
juncture the accidental composition, fraught with mucii 
suggestion to an artistic eye, happened lo be seen by 
the architect, Callimachus, of Athens. He was so 
struck with this natural, rural decoration that he at 
once modeled some capitals in its likeness, arranging 
symmetrical acanthus leaves around an inverted bell, 
which took the place of the basket, and introducing 
volutes at the angles of an aliacus, which represented 
the tile covering. The first of these examples were in- 
troduced on columns which were applied to the 
Choragic monument Lysicrates, a magnificent orna- 
ment. still admired In- the whole civilized world. 
The Grecian scul])tured acanthus is purelv a conven- 
tional rendering, displaying none of the freedom and 
irregularities of the natural leaf. It follows, to a cer- 
tain extent, the outline of the natural leaf, but departs 
entirely from its structural composition. In its natural 
leaf the veins of the lohes join the center vein at inter- 
vals corresponding to the size of the lobes and do not 
grow in any regularity on both sides, but in the sculp- 
tured leaf the beautiful modeling and regidar disjwsi- 
tion of the lobes are extreme departures from the nat- 
ural model ; they are graduated from the broad base 
line, from which all the veins start, curving grace- 
fully to the summit. 
The divisions of the lobes are sharp pointed, and are 
depressed toward their center lines forming angular 
flutings : these are continued in graceful curves from 
ACAX'I'IIUS DESIGN ON CORINTHIAN CAPITAL. 
the points of the divisions, through the surface of the 
lobes, toward the base line where they gradually lose 
themselves in the hollows which mark the principal 
veins. 
This mode of modeling the surface of the leaf im- 
])arted the greatest iiossible efifect to it especially as it 
was to be seen almost invariably under a bright and 
shadow-casting sunlight. 
The lobes are divided by sunken eyes, from which 
raised pipings are carried down towards the base line, 
following, of course, the curves of the lobe veins. 
Frankli.v L. N.wlor. 
Native Springs Flowering Btilbs 
Our most dainty spring blossoms are seemingly too 
frail to bear transplanting, yet some of them are really 
as easily grown as a geranium. Notable among these 
is the Spring Beauty, Claytonia Carolimaiia, common 
in the East. It is one of the very earliest flowers, its 
delicate pink-penned petals modestly announcing the 
arrival of spring. The flowers appear in loose racemes, 
opening in bright sunshine, and lasting- for some two 
weeks or more. A closely allied speciec, C. Virginica, 
often replaces or occurs with the first named species. 
To the common observer it differs only in that the' 
leaves are narrower. 
Though primarily a woodland plant, appearing first 
on the sunny bank of some little stream, great bunches 
oi it are often seen bordering the fencerows of culti- 
vated fields, as though it meant to resist the inroads of 
cultivation as long as possible. It has been grown in 
our own yard successfully for some years, flowering 
freely and increasing both from bulbs and seed. 
The yellow adder’s-tongue, Erytltroniinn Aincri- 
caituin, is scarcely more fastidious regarding location 
or care. Like the spring beauty, it comes up vear after 
year in the grass, the leaves dying to the ground ere 
the lawn mower is called into service. The richlv mot- 
tled leaves are highly ornamental, and even though no 
dowers appeared, the plant would be profitable. Some 
liretend to assert that it does not flower in cultivation. 
If }-ou will notice, but a small percentage of the wood- 
land plants produce two-leaved or flowering stems. 
Likewise there are in cultivation many more flowerless 
than flowering individuals, yet on the whole the ]iro- 
portion is quite as great as in their native haunts. The 
flowers are of a rieh yellow and resenuble miniature 
lilies. 
The beauty in both species is that they may occupy 
sjiace almost anywhere, for they will die to the grouml 
early and be entirely out of the way. Again, one may 
gather the roots even when the plants are in full flower 
and rest assured that though they soon disappear they 
will arise phoenix like, and in springtime make glad 
the vacant places. While the carmine pencillings on 
the former and the pied leaves of the latter have a 
richer tinge when grown in the shade, either may be 
successful in direct sunshine. The bulbs are compara- 
tively deep-rooted, a characteristic which may be w-isely 
imitated ; they also increase in depth of planting- as 
they approach full size. 
Bessie L. Pi'tx-am. 
