586 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 11, 1895. 
CANADIAN WILD FLOWERS. 
I like Manitoba now that I have got somewhat 
settled down in the country. There is no difficulty 
in making a good living, but, although high wages 
are obtainable in summer, a man cannot earn much 
during the winter unless he exposes himself to 
elements which are, to say the least, very unpleasant. 
We have had a much better winter here this year 
than last, only about 18 in. of snow on the level as 
against 4 ft. this time last year, although we have 
had a cold snap just lately, with the temperature 
down to 54 0 below zero, and steadily between 30° 
and 40 0 below for the last three weeks. The weather 
has now taken a turn for the better ; yesterday the 
thermometer stood just above zero, and it feels quite 
warm ! I am studying Gray’s " Manual of Botany,’’ 
and intend to make a collection of plants as well as 
a lot of observations during the coming season. 
Last fall I had a rather unpleasant experience with 
the Poison Oak, Rhus toxicodendron. Somehow or 
other I came into contact with a plant which has 
the skin-irritating propensities of Primula obconica, 
only more so. Pimples broke out all over my arms, 
and finally turned into small boils. The irritation 
was dreadful, but after a time I got rid of it with the 
aid of the old-fashioned remedy of brimstone and 
treacle. 
Soon after I arrived here I tried to procure a 
“Flora,' 1 but found there was none to be obtained 
except Gray’s "Manual,” which I was unable to 
get for some time. The first plant I saw in flower 
(and I think it is the first to bloom here) was a 
rather pretty Anemone, which grows in the prairie 
turf in hundreds, and the flowers of which resemble 
a crown superficially. The sepals are of a pale pink 
hue, and at the time the flower first expands are 
enclosed in a much laciniated involucre. The inter¬ 
node between the insertion of the sepals and 
involucral bracts, however, lengthens considerably 
after the flower expands, until at the time the seed 
approaches maturity it is fully 3 in. or 4 in. in 
length. Several other species of Anemone appear 
later in the season, but none of them are at all con¬ 
spicuous in the flower. A yellow Ranunculaceous 
plant (Adonis vernalis, I think) forms a very pretty 
feature on marshy ground in early spring. It 
belongs to the Helleboral section, having numerous 
seeds borne in a head of several follicles. A little 
gem which attracted my attention and claimed my 
admiration was a miniature Primula with a flower 
much of the colour and form T of P. denticulata, pro¬ 
ceeding from a tiny rosette of leaves scarcely in. 
in diameter. It also grows in a damp situation, but 
I only saw it in one spot where buffaloes in the days 
of yore had )made deep holes all over it with their 
feet. These holes were full of water, and on the 
little intervening knolls the Primula grew an inch 
or two above the water. A large species of Petasites 
also ‘grows in these damp situations in spring, but 
what may be found there later in the season I am 
unable to say with the exception of mosquitos, which 
are there by the million. They are bad enough on 
the high and dry ground at times, but in low marshy 
situations are too much for even the most enthusias¬ 
tic of botantists. I thought I had made a great find 
when I saw a solitary flower of a beautiful yellow 
Cypripedium, but soon afterwards they appeared by 
hundreds. Squaw's Cup is the common name of 
the plant here. Two or three other Orchids are to be 
seen in the season, but all have greenish incon¬ 
spicuous flowers. 
The natural order Compositae is very largely 
represented. Among the more conspicuous are a 
rather showy Gaillardia, Rudbeckia hirta, very little 
inferior to R. Newmanni, four or five species of 
Helianthus or allied genera, and one or two 
Solidagos; also a rather pretty Centaurea bearing 
several compact heads on a stiff, erect stem. A 
curious thing about the latter is that the stigma is 
petaloid, but I failed to observe whether it matured 
seed or not. As for the more weedy Compositae 
their name is legion, and they include Cnicus, 
Gnaphaliums, Pulicaria, Artemesia, and many others 
entirely strange to me. Liliaceae is represented by 
two species of Convallaria much after the style of 
Polygonatum, and a beautiful miniature Lilium 
growing only about a foot high, bearing one, some¬ 
times two, large crimson flowers spotted with black. 
It is commonly called the Orange Lily here, but I do 
not know its specific name. I will send bulbs in 
spring if I can get them. Paris quadrifolia I also 
found, and a very pretty Polygala like P. vulgaris is 
low growing and has purplish-violet flowers with the 
characteristic fringed lower lobe. A pretty blue 
Scropbulariaceous plant grows in the hay meadows. 
I believe it is a Mimulus. 
Manitoba was not quite forgotten when the 
Iridaceous plants were apportioned. I have noticed 
two plants, both very tiny, after the style of a minia¬ 
ture Sparaxis, the one having blue and the other 
yellow flowers. Viola canina is among the early 
spring flowers, and three other Violas flower later, 
having more robust and branching habits, and yield¬ 
ing blue, yellow, and white flowers respectively. 
Whether the difference is specific or only varietal I 
am unable to say, but I am inclined to think that the 
white and blue are of the same species. Potentilla 
anserina grows as at home, close beside the hard 
beaten road, as also does Polygonum aviculare. A 
pretty Rosaceous plant allied to the Geums and 
Potentillas grows on the open prairie It is of dwarf 
habit with leaves lying nearly flat on the ground and 
bearing several pendant flowers on a short erect 
stem, whose chief attraction are the red sepals, 
which almost enclose the pink petals. Convolvulus 
sepium or " Morning Glory,” as it is here called, is 
as great a nuisance on cultivated ground as at home. 
Nuphar luteum and Typha latifolia are at home in 
the water. 
Of weeds in the fields we have an abundance. 
Foremost among them stands Chenopodium album. 
It is a most remarkable thing that although this 
plant is never seen on the unbroken prairie, nor, in 
fact, does it grow wild anywhere in the country so 
far as I have been able to observe, yet no sooner is 
a farm broken up from the prairie sod than it makes 
its appearance, and if prompt measures are not taken 
for its extermination it soon monopolises the farm. 
The same remark applies to the wild Buckwheat, 
Polygonum Convolvulus. Another nauseous weed 
is an Amaranthus (green-flowered). This plant is 
not difficult to eradicate, but its peculiar habit con¬ 
stitutes in this prairie region a special danger. It 
grows more or less in the form of a globe, and, gain¬ 
ing a certain amount of rigidity as it dies in the fall, 
it then breaks off at the collar and starts with the 
wind on a voyage of exploration, hence it is known as 
the Tumble-weed. 
The prairie fires are sometimes very bad here in 
the fall, and, as they would play the deuce with a 
farmers' stock and implements if they reached them; 
they are guarded against by ploughing a strip around 
the farm, or around the buildings. This strip is 
called a fire-guard, and is efficient until the Tumble¬ 
weed gets on fire and rolls across the cleared strip, 
and hence the danger. 
During the first year or two that ground is culti¬ 
vated the Prairie Rose grows freely. In habit it 
resembles R. spinossisima, but bears a larger flower, 
almost as large as R. canina, and varying in colour 
from white to deep pink. Other Rosaceous plants 
are the Raspberry which grows very plentifully in 
some places, and has a splendid flavour ; and the 
Strawberry, of which I cannot say so much. The 
Grass of Parnassus also favours us, as well as several 
species of Vicia and other leguminous plants; and 
close by the hay meadows I saw acres covered with 
Helianthi and Vicia. These hay meadows grow 
enormous crops of hay, 4 ft. or 5 ft. long. I do not 
know what the genera or species are, but they are 
commonly known as “ Red Top ” and “ Blue Joint,” 
with a smaller admixture of other grasses. They 
are situated at the foot of the Riding Mountains, 
25 to 40 miles from here, and cover an enormous 
area, broken only by patches of Willow here and 
there. 
Just around here the trees are mostly Poplars, 
of two species, black and white, and Willows, 
of how many species I should be afraid to say, but 
some of them are very striking when in flower. The 
Oak grows plentifully but rather scrubby on the 
mountain slope, and right in the bush are found Elm, 
Maple, Ash, Birch, Spruce, and Tamarac (a Conifer 
of which I do not know the name), Alder, and some 
others, all, however, different to those at home. 
Among the more shrubby ligneous vegetation are a 
Cornus, bearing bunches of white berries, called 
here the Bearberry, owing to bruin's fondness for 
them; a species of Spiraea with dirty white flowers, 
a Lonicera, very stiff and bushy, which flowered 
very sparsely last year ; a Cistus or Helianthemum, 
I don’t know which, with numerous small yellow 
flowers, which, however, open successively, and for 
that reason is not very showy ; a species of Betula 
growing 5 ft. to 6 ft. in height; two species of 
Cherries with very small although numerous fruits, 
one bearing its flowers in a long raceme, the other 
in a corymb. A very robust and formidable 
Crataegus grows somewhat sparingly in this locality. 
It bears a good large fruit of not at all a bad flavour. 
I should think it would make a practically impass¬ 
able fence. The fences here, by the way, are all of 
barbed wire, and I was told the other day that a 
legal fence should be “ horse high, bull strong, and 
pig tight.” Two species of Currants are found, but 
the flavour of neither is very palatable .—Ernest 
Pentney, Neepawa, Manitoba. 
-- 
MELONS AND CUCUMBERS.* 
The first thing to be considered in connection with 
the cultivation of the Melon is the position of the 
Melon ground. The Melon being in every sense of 
the word a sun-loving plant should have the best 
position possible assigned to it. What I consider a 
good position is a place with a good shelter from the 
north and north-east winds, and, all things con¬ 
sidered, I think there are nothing better than 
substantially built brick frames with well glazed 
sashes, and the larger the panes of glass the better. 
It is the cultivator’s aim, or should be, to have 
Melons as early and as late as possible, but earliness 
should be the principal aim, as when the late Apples 
and Pears are finished and there are, perhaps, no ripe 
Grapes or early Peaches ready, a ripe Melon would 
be then more appreciated. 
Gardeners with every possible means at their 
command no doubt supply Melons from early in 
May to late in November, but I think the hot-bed 
cultivator need not grumble if he cuts by the first of 
June. The first week in February is a good time to 
start. First of all prepare a seed bed, or perhaps 
there is one available; if not, collect your material 
together and turn it over to get it well blended. A 
suitable material for making a permanent hot-bed is, 
without doubt, good stable manure from stables 
where the horses have been fed with plenty of corn. 
Good cow manure and the driest leaves obtainable 
are good materials. It is not necessary to mix the 
leaves with the materials until the bed is being 
made. Supposing all things to be ready, commence 
by putting a little of the most strawy manure in the 
bottom. I always do this, as I think it useless to 
put the best heat-giving material in the very bottom 
as it would soon become cold and rotten, and, in 
consequence, would be no help whatever to the hot¬ 
bed. After putting the strawy substance in, con¬ 
tinue to make up the bed, not forgetting to add 
plenty of leaves, as they steady the heat and make 
it more lasting. Tread it lightly until the frame is 
filled to within a few inches of the top. When this 
is completed shut down the sashes close for a day 
or so, then open an inch at tise back to let out the 
rank vapour. It is generally the custom to thrust a 
test-stick in the bed to test the temperature, 
which I would advise. When it is found that the 
manure has thrown off its most violent heat, which 
will in all probability be about seven or eight days, 
tread the bed gently and put a little short material 
to stand the seed pots on. 
Sowing the Melon Seeds. 
First procure as many pots as are required, which 
should be quite clean, particularly inside ; 3 in. pots 
I use. Place one crock in each and a little moss or 
rough material, such as half-decayed leaves, then fill 
them to their rims with good sandy loam and leaf 
soil, place one seed in each and gently press it in 
the soil with the fingers and cover the soil as before ; 
give a gentle watering with a fine rose and place them 
on the seed bed. Some plunge the pots up to their 
rims, but great care should be exercised as to the 
temperature of the bed, for it is not too late when, 
you feel more confident. 
Presuming the seeds to have been sown all right, 
the little seedlings will soon appear, when they must 
be guarded from those nocturnal visitors, viz., slugs 
and mice. To catch the former, place a greased 
Cabbage leaf in the frame, and for the latter a small 
trap in which a piece of strong smelling cheese has 
been placed. Some manures harbour wood-lice, 
especially tan. To catch this troublesome pest put 
a few small pots in the frame with a few slices of 
A paper read at the January meeting of the Devon and 
Exeter Gardeners' Improvement Association by Mr. Edu ards. 
gardener to James Hare, Esq., Honeylands, Whipton. near 
Exeter. 
