THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 127 
improved with a good admixture of old manure rotted to 
dust, and a considerable proportion of sand. We grow a 
few in the alpine house for 
the sake of their handsome 
spotted leaves as well as their 
charming flowers. Propagate 
by offsets as soon as the leaves 
have fairly perished. The best 
are E. giganteum , a splendid 
white-flowered kind ; E. dens 
canis , the common dog’s-tooth 
violet, reddish purple; E. Ame¬ 
ricana, yellow. 
Ficaria (Lesser Celan¬ 
dine) .—This sweet little early- 
flowering British weed is most 
valuable for damp shady spots, 
where few other plants will 
grow, its bright green leaves 
and golden flowers being most 
welcome in the early spring. 
We have seen great patches 
in most unpromising spots in 
dark, damp, sour town gar¬ 
dens, and therefore it must 
have a place in this selection. 
All the varieties spread rapidly if the position suits them. 
There are four varieties : single yellow, double yellow, single 
white, and double white. 
Fritillaria (Crown Imperial).—This noble plant should 
be fairly represented in every herbaceous border, and to grow 
it well it needs no skill at all; for the proper course of pro¬ 
cedure is to leave it alone. Plant the bulbs in good deep 
loam in October. Take up and divide every three years. M 
imperialis and its varieties, of which there are many, are alone 
worthy of general cultivation. The variegated leaved varieties 
are exceedingly beautiful. They make noble pot plants for 
the conservatory and for the plunging system. 
Funkia. —A pretty group of liliaceous plants, with various 
and always handsome foliage. Any soil or situation will suit 
them, but rich sandy loam or peat is the most suitable, with 
partial shade. In a garden where snails abound they should 
