1869. ] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
217 
Buds out of Place. 
The books tell ns that one of the distinguish¬ 
ing characters of the root is, that it never bears 
buds. This is true of the great majority of 
roots in their normal condition, but, under cer¬ 
tain circumstances, 
roots will produce 
buds; and not only 
is this the case, but 
they may be made 
to produce them 
with such certainty, 
that propagation 
by root cuttings is 
one of the most 
ready methods of 
increasing many 
plants. We showed 
not long ago that 
buds were readily 
formed upon the 
scales of the lily 
bulbs, which are on¬ 
ly modified leaves, 
and in the Begonias 
and many other 
plants, a leaf prop¬ 
er, or a part of a 
leaf even, may be 
made to produce 
buds so readily,that 
leaf propagation is 
not an uncommon thing with florists. Mr. A. S. 
Fuller has made many experiments with these 
unusual methods of propagation, and has largely 
extended the list of those plants which may be 
multiplied by root cuttings, etc. He recently 
brought us a remarkable and interesting in¬ 
stance of the unusual appearance of buds in 
the gladiolus. Mr. F. W. Woodard had placed 
some bulbs of Gladiolus under the stage of his 
green-house. Several of the bulbs were turned 
upside down, so that the terminal bud, which 
GLADIOLUS BULB. 
naturally would have started, was removed from 
the light, and probably had less heat than the 
bottom of the bulb. The temperature being 
sufficient to start vegetation, and the natural 
growth being checked by these causes, buds ap¬ 
peared, and leaves developed in a very unusual 
place—the bottom of the bulb. The engraving 
given below shows the appearance of one of 
the bulbs, it being represented upside down, of 
course. The unusual growth is shown, and 
also the regular shoot, which at length had 
started and curved itself towards the light. 
The well-known Hydrangea is, in the North¬ 
ern States, generally kept under shelter in win¬ 
ter, and turned out in spring. Its enormous 
balls of usually pink flowers have long made it a 
favorite plant, but its claims to popularity are 
likely to be contested by more recently intro¬ 
duced species and varieties, a number of which 
have come to us from Japan. In April of last 
year we figured the Large-flowered Panicled 
Hydrangea, which produces immense flower 
masses, a foot and a half long. Under the 
names of Hydrangea Otaska and H. Irnpcratrice 
Euginie, the French journals have recently 
given us engravings of some fine forms. Messrs. 
Olm Brothers, of Springfield, Mass., send us, 
under the name of Rose and White Hydrangea, 
II. rosea alba, a charming plant. We give an 
engraving of a flower cluster reduced in size. 
The centre of the cluster is occupied by small, 
perfect flowers, while on the circumference there 
is a row of larger sterile flowers, which are 
pure white when they first open, then be¬ 
come beautifully tinted with rose, and finally of 
a deep red. The colors are very clear and pure, 
and the effect remarkably fine. In the common 
Hydrangea the whole cluster is made up of 
these large, sterile flowers. We take the present 
plant to be a variety of what is called Hydran¬ 
gea Japonica, which is believed to be only the 
normal form of the old Garden Hydrangea, 
which this plant is quite like in foliage and habit. 
Lima Beans. 
There are probably hundreds of our readers 
who have gardens and do not raise Lima Beans 
—at least our observation shows that they are 
not so generally cultivated as they should be. 
The Lima is the very perfection of beans, 
whether taken in its green state or ripe. Any 
one who has an ordinarily good soil can grow 
them, if he obseiwes the precaution not to 
plant too early. Make hills by spading in some 
good compost or well-rotted manure, four feet 
apart each way. Set a pole firmly in the center 
of each. The pole need not be more than six or 
eight feet out of the ground. Some recommend 
twelve, which is a mistake. It is the disposi¬ 
tion of climbing plants to get to the top of 
their support be¬ 
fore they begin to 
bear, and long poles 
bring late crops. It 
has been said that 
good crops can be 
had without any 
poles. We have 
never tried this, 
but propose to do 
it this season. Put 
five or six beans 
around each pole, 
pressing them into 
the soil with the 
eye downward,and 
covering about an 
inch. Early in 
June, when the 
cold storms are 
over, is usually 
soon enough. 
When well up, 
thin to four plants 
to each pole; and 
when they first run, 
if they are dis¬ 
posed to wander, give them a turn about the 
poles. Keep the ground clean, and pinch in 
the longer side branches, as w r ell as the top of 
the vine when it has surmounted the pole. 
---— * o »■—--- 
The Safflower, or “Saffron.” 
There seems to be just now a marked dis¬ 
position to experiment with those plants which 
furnish economical products, and we have many 
letters asking about madder, opium, and other 
safflower.—( Carthamus tinctorius.) 
things not used as food. While we are glad to 
see a desire to cultivate every product that our 
climate will allow of, we would caution against 
undertaking any untried culture without first 
carefully experimenting. Some one wrote us 
to send poppy seeds enough to plant an acre. 
ROSE AND white HYDRANGEA. —(Hydrangea Japonica, ys*. rosea alba.) 
The Hydrangeas. 
