rj.' •RUSjiaiuiiiiuiDi 
iiiwiiaipiiitiiMiiieiii: 
0S&,. 
VOL. XXXVII. No. 5 
WHOLE No. 1462. 
PRICE SIX Cl TS 
$2.50 PER YEAR. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1878. by the Rural Publishing Company, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.] 
gathered early in the morning, with the dew- 
drops still sparkling upon them. In our present 
illustration of one ef the finest of his floral 
groups, the artist has not sought to trim, and 
balance, and guide, but to reproduce purely and 
simply, and free from all fanciful elegancies of 
mere art. Roses, Auriculas, Larkspurs, Carna¬ 
tions, Hyacinths, and Tulips, are blended grace¬ 
fully together just aBthey were plucked, without 
any attempt at artistic composition. Insects, 
birds’-nests, and other objects associated with 
gardening, were also lovingly treated by the cun¬ 
ning pencil of this charming artist, and fre¬ 
quently introduced, as in the present instance, 
into his floral representations. 
BULBS eok the flower garden 
w. c. L. DREW, 
FLOWER PICTURES 
SCILLAS. 
What can be more charming than the hand¬ 
some, delicate little ScilJa ? They are the hard¬ 
iest, prettiest, and brightest of auy of the spring¬ 
flowering bulbs with which I am acquainted. I 
have grown nearly all the varieties of spring 
bulbs, and I would part with none with more 
regret than with the Soilla. They are all hardy 
on this coast. In the Northern States, I believe 
the variety known as S. Peruviana, will not suc- 
Not only does the living substance of flowers, 
bright, variegated, and odoriferous, in the 
garden, the greenhouse, the window, or the 
bouquet, afford a refined pleasure to the taste 
and senses, but even their counterfeit present¬ 
ment in paintings and engravings, possesses a pe¬ 
culiar attraction. Resides the satisfaction aris¬ 
ing from a fine representation of an exquisite 
object, the pleasure produced by such pictures 
is probably due, iu par t, to 
an often unconscious sense 
sweet strains of,music, have ~. 
centuries since flowers were 
f ists .of HAllan 4, influenced 
treatment of floral 
flowering season for many weeks. The flowers 
are produced on spikes or racemes, of from six 
to twelve florets each. Their general hight is 
six inches, although in good soil I have had 
them grow ten inches. Iu color we have them 
in many shades of blue and pink, also in pure 
white ; in all the shades, they are delicate and 
pleasing to the eye. 
I In planting these bulbs, 
the greatest satisfaction 
where a dozen or more of 
each color are planted in 
small; in shape they differ 
in the several varieties. 
Piant in October or Novem¬ 
ber, iu light, rich loam, set¬ 
ting the bulbs never more 
than two inches deep. To 
obtain a good display, set 
the bulbs one to two iuches 
tions, the leaves do not ap- 
P e a r until the blossoms 
not be bruised or cut away 
or the future blooming of 
the bulb will be greatly in¬ 
jured, if not totally destroy¬ 
ed—at least such has been 
over fifty quite distinct va¬ 
rieties in existence. 
8. Siberica is a perfect 
gem; it is also known as S. 
amcena; it grows six iuches 
high, and is in color the 
richest, shining metallic 
blue. It is the earliest of 
S. Peruviana is very hand¬ 
some. For house culture 
in pots, they are charming ; 
P. ccerulea, rich blue., and 
oampanulata we have 12 
varieties:—S. oampanulata, 
paota, white, with very 
o. carnea nova, a pretty, 
flesh-colored variety, with 
in a oorymb-like spike; this 
bulb, over two inches in 
oides in four colors—white, 
blue, rose, and orimsou—is 
a dark-blue flowered va- 
iniuor is the lowest growing 
of the Scilla, sky-blue color. 
The S. oampanulata blooms 
compo¬ 
sitions, and especially of 
loses, for which he cher¬ 
ished a warm partiality. 
Brought up among artistic 
decorations, his love of 
flowers was founded on a 
pure worship of Nature 
which he strictly copied in 
all his labors. Although 
previous flower painters in 
their decorative treatment 
were in the habit of ar¬ 
ranging their floral groups 
with artistic symmetry, van 
Huvsijm disdained such 
conventionalisms, and nev¬ 
er tried to add a grace of 
his own to the profuse 
ROSES, POPPIES, CONVOLVULUSES, TROPIEOLUMS, Etc.-AFTER VAN HUYSUM, 
