20 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[Januaky, 
ation of the soil and general management, we 
quote from an English work on the Pansy, 
which is the highest authority in that country: 
“ The results of various experiments relative to 
the growth of this flower, amount simply to this, 
that to produce fine, large blooms, due attention 
must be-paid to soil, sit¬ 
uation, and often trans¬ 
planting. Young plants 
are generally found to 
produce the largest and 
finest marked blooms. 
Soil and Situation .— 
Pansies delight in a cool, 
shady situation, and in 
a light, rich, loamy soil. 
A composition of good 
loam, enriched either 
with rotten dung, or leaf 
or vegetable mold, will 
grow them in the high¬ 
est perfection; yet they 
will grow well in any 
good garden soil. But 
by using proper earths, 
often transplanting, and 
due attention to shading, 
situation and watering, 
you may have a succes¬ 
sion of fine, large blooms 
for nine months of the 
year.” (Nine months of 
the English year, of 
course, but not of our 
colder country and 
of our shorter season.) 
To the above, we will 
add that, in our own 
experience, a deep soil, 
enriched heavily with 
well decayed cow-dung, 
mixed with a little sand, 
leaf-mold, and common 
earth in equal portions, 
makes the perfection of 
soil for this favorite 
plant. Shade, for part 
of the day, is quite de¬ 
sirable. The seed may 
be sown in the open 
ground, in September, 
where they will get a 
good start before Win¬ 
ter sets in, and they will 
make a fine show the fol¬ 
lowing season. Or seed 
may be started in March 
or April in boxes in the N E W 
house, or in a hot-bed, 
and then transplanted 
into the border as soon as Spring fairly opens. 
They should be set a foot apart in the beds, at 
which distance they will soon cover the ground. 
A New Convolvulus. 
The engraving above will give some idea of a 
new trailing plant from southern Europe, re¬ 
cently introduced into florists’ collections. It 
is known in the catalogues by the alarming 
name Convolvulus Cantabricus stellatus novus —in 
plain English, the new Spanish Star Morning 
Glory. The flowers are of a beautiful, soft, 
pink color, with a pure white double star in the 
center, and being produced in the greatest pro¬ 
fusion, it forms a fine bedding plant, either as 
an edging, or in an isolated bed. It is peculiar¬ 
vines and flowering plants mingled together, 
each striving for the mastery; but a flower gar 
den is, and should be, something quite different 
from natural scenery. It is designed to culti¬ 
vate plants better than when growing wild. 
Every experienced gardener knows that few 
plants attain perfection 
When overhung and 
shaded by trees, or in a 
soil penetrated by their 
roots. But this is the 
condition of many her¬ 
baceous plants when set 
in borders partly filled 
with shrubbery. They 
become drawn up, lank 
and spindling, or one¬ 
sided, and they make 
a comparatively feeble 
growth. Yet, how could 
this be otherwise when 
the soil is exhausted by 
the rank-feeding bush¬ 
es ? And besides, there 
is no harmony of effect 
between trees & shrubs. 
For illustration, take 
an extreme case: A 
tree awakens the idea of 
dignity and grandeur. 
One needs to stand at 
some distance to exam¬ 
ine and comprehend it. 
The expression of an 
herbaceous plant in 
bloom, is that of brilli¬ 
ancy of color, and beau¬ 
ty of detail, and the eye 
must be brought near to 
examine it. To enjoy 
trees, one must look up; 
to enjoy plants he must 
look down. The paral¬ 
lel holds, somewhat, be¬ 
tween shrubs and plants. 
The works of the best 
artists are marked by 
unity of design; so will 
the works of the best 
gardeners be. If we 
want to enjoy trees and 
shrubs, let us have them 
grouped by themselves; 
and the same of flowers. 
And here let us say, 
that too little attention 
is given to shrubs. They 
are beautiful in them¬ 
selves, and they form 
an appropriate link be¬ 
tween trees and plants. Their habits, as to 
bight, form, color, etc., should be made a con¬ 
tinual study, and their arrangement, in-groups 
and scattered specimens, should be as carefully 
planned as that of trees. They may be set in 
grass-ground, if the soil is kept well stirred 
around them a few years, until they are firmly 
established; after this, t he grass may be suffer¬ 
ed to grow up to their steins. They should be 
set at suitable distances apart, to allow of their 
full growth without becoming crowded into a 
confused, ill-shapen mass, as in a wild scene. It 
was a standing rule of Mr. Loudon, that “ as a 
garden is a work of art, and a scene of cultiva¬ 
tion, every plant or tree should be so placed as 
never to be mistaken for a tree or plant placed 
there by accident, or so as to prevent the prac 
ly adapted for vase edging for rustic stands or 
boxes. The most pleasing disposition of it, 
however, will be in a suspended pot or basket 
in the sitting room, where its bright petals and 
gracefully drooping runners will give a charm¬ 
ing aspect of cheerfulness. It is said to be 
PLANT FOR HANGING BASKETS. 
(Engraved for the American Agriculturist.) 
very easily cultivated in good loam with the 
addition of a little thoroughly rotted leaf-mold. 
The rustic basket containing it, shown iii the 
engraving, is worthy of notice. An almost end¬ 
less variety of designs for such receptacles can 
be made of twisted pieces of grape vines, 
gnarled branches of oak, irregular roots of va¬ 
rious sorts, etc. These, neatly varnished, will 
be more pleasing than the most costly vases. 
Mixed Flower Gardens. 
It is a great mistake to mix shrubs and herba¬ 
ceous plants in the same beds. They cau not 
thrive well together, and the one injures the 
effect of the other. It no doubt looks very pic¬ 
turesque, in a wild wood, to see trees, shrubs, 
