AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
839 
Escholtzia Californica. 
The accompanying engraving is taken from a 
sprig plucked from a thick border of Escholtzia, 
now growing in our garden. It forms a pretty 
compact mass, and is still (Oct. 11th,) covered 
with a profusion of very bright yellow flowers, the 
general form of which is shown by the one in the 
sketch. The foliage is more feathery and com¬ 
pact than here represented. The seed was sown 
in the open ground, May 16th, and the flowers be¬ 
gan to appear in July. It is of course an annual, 
and may easily be grown in almost all climates, 
and every variety of soil. When supported the 
plant will rise H or 2 feet, but without supports 
it lies in a thick mass along the ground, the flow¬ 
ers neatly standing above the foliage. 
As its name indicates, this plant originaly was 
derived from California, and it is sometimes called 
“ California Poppy,” but* it bears little resem¬ 
blance to the papaver family. 
For the orthography of the name we shall pro¬ 
bably be taken to task, as it is usually spelled 
eschscholtzia; but since it is pronounced es-kolt- 
zt-a, we see no special reason for loading down 
the name of a new plant with an extra sch, and we 
take the liberty to write it es cholt-zi-a. 
We are so highly pleased with this plant that 
we recommend it to general culture. We dis¬ 
tributed considerable seed last Winter, and those 
who have it growing will doubtless save an abun- 
ance of seed. We shall again offer it in our seed 
distribution, to all subscribers desiring it, and not 
able to get it elsewhere conveniently. 
-- ■" < » --—— 
A Very Pretty and Very Cheap Ornament 
for Everybody. 
We present an engraving of a very simple 
cheap, and yet pretty Cypress vine trellis which 
stands opposite our window. We say cheap, for 
it cost less than one shilling outlay and two hour’s 
lime, including the making, putting up, and plant¬ 
ing seed. At the time of this writing, Oct. 1st 
it is covered from bottom to top with a feathery 
foliage and a profusion of scarlet and white 
flowers. 
The standard was sawed from the edge of a 
2-inch pine plank, and with a draw-shave worked 
8-square, tapering to an inch in diameter at the 
top. The cap is a circular inch board, 6 inches 
n diameter, with an auger hole in the center, to fit 
the standard, and nails driven around the edge, 
as seen in the small cut at the teft of the trellis. 
The standard is sketched too large proportionally. 
As it is supported by strings on all sides, it need 
pot he very strong A round stick from the woods 
may be used. We took ours to a paint-shop 
and had a little green paint brushed on. 
The standard being set up, a string was tied 
around the bottom loosely, so as to slip, and 
with this as a radius, and a stick at the end, a 
circle was marked out 2± feet from the center, 
(4£ feet diameter), and the seed sown. Stakes 
were driven around at equal distances in the cir¬ 
cle, and cords run from them to the nails in the 
cap. This work occupying, perhaps, two separate 
hours After the days’ labor was over, was all the 
time or expense out, except the seed and strings, 
say 10 cents in all. 
Let those who have no better ornaments, and 
even those who have, put up one of these simple 
affairs next Spring, and enjoy it, as we have,during 
the present and past Summers. The seed of the 
cypress vine can be obtained at many seed stores, 
and it will be in our free distribution list next 
January, for every subscriber who can not get it 
elsewhere more conveniently. The Trellis may 
be made smaller or larger, according to the room 
it is to occupy, and to be in harmony with sur¬ 
rounding objects. With us, the vines run from 
CYPRESS-VINE TRELLIS. 
15 to 18 feet during the season, when allowed to 
do so. At the far North, the growth will be much 
smaller. Wherever grown, it continues to run 
and bloom from first starting until killed by frost. 
Good seed is difficult to be obtained, and is very 
expensive. Two papers, such as are generally 
sold, would usually be needed for so large a trel¬ 
lis as the one here described, especially as not 
more than half the §eed commonly §q|d in the 
market grows, 
We present herewith an engraving of a portion 
of a vine of the Thunbergia alula, now growing in 
our garden from seed sown last May. It is very 
beautiful and worthy of being generally known and 
cultivated. We expect to save some seed and 
purchase more, so as to place it among the seeds 
to be distributed to subscribers next Winter. 
The Thunbergia is usually classed among 
Green-House or stove plants, but several of the 
varieties have proved sufficiently hardy for out¬ 
door culture—among which is the Alata. The 
name of the plant was given by the younger Lin¬ 
naeus, in honor of his intimate botanical friend, 
Thunberg. The varieties are all climbers of 
more or less beauty, and, in the Green-House, are 
semi-shrubby perennials, but when planted in the 
open border about the middle of May, they as¬ 
sume more the form of an annual, blooming pro¬ 
fusely from July until killed by frost. They may 
be taken to the Green-House in cold weather, 
where they will continue for a long time in bloom. 
The alata has a buff-colored, tubular shaped 
flower, with a dark purple throat. There is a 
variety, Alba, with showy white flowers, and an- 
ither aurantiaca having an orange colored bloom. 
We shall endeavor to send out mixed seeds of 
l vo, three or more varieties. A moderately light 
loam with an addition of peat, suits them best, 
but they will grow in any fair garden soil. They 
are raised from seeds, but may be further propa¬ 
gated by cuttings and layers. 
Trained over a lattice they make a fine screen, 
sending out numerous side branches in all direc¬ 
tions. The Gardeners’ Chronicle speaks thus of 
the alata. “ The Thunbergia alata has a beautiful 
effect when planted out on a rock-work, where it 
appears in its natural character, clinging to the 
various projections, which it quickly covers.” 
How to See a Cotton Plant. 
A large number of persons living at the Norib 
have a curiosity to see a Cotton plant. We re¬ 
member that our first travels in the Southern 
States were, in part, prompted by a desire to wit¬ 
ness the fields of Cotton which furnish the mate¬ 
rial entering so largely into our textile fabrics 
The Orange Groves, the Magnolias, and the Su¬ 
gar cane, we had gained a fair idearnf, from spec! 
mens of the former two growing in Northern 
green-houses, and from pieces of stalks and 
leaves taken from molasses hogsheads, and also 
whole canes brought North. The cotton plant 
