HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 
PART III. 
Selection of Varieties. 
The Aquilegia (Columbine), is a showy and interest¬ 
ing group of plants. They are all of moderate height, 
neat in habit, possessing beautiful foliage, and in most 
cases the colors of the flowers are bright and pleasing > 
and their structure most interesting. The genus is 
composed of a large number of species, but many are 
not distinct, or, at least, their specific characters are 
not well defined. For ornamental gardening but few 
of the species would be required, as they concen¬ 
trate the best qualities of the family in themselves. 
They are plants of very easy culture, preferring a loamy, 
rich soil, rather moist than dry, but well drained. 
into the open border in June, will flower the same 
season; or, the seeds may be sown in drills in the gar¬ 
den in May, and transplanted when they have made 
then second pair of leaves, and they will make fine 
flowering plants for nest season. The following selec¬ 
tions include the best and most distinct of the species at 
present known, and they are splendid ornaments for the 
mixed border. 
A. Alpina (Alpine Columbine). This is a native of 
the Swiss Alps, and one of the best, because of its free- 
growing habit. It grows about one foot high, with a 
large tuft of finely-cut leaves at the roots, and rather 
Aquilegia CLerulea. 
They are propagated by division'jin autumn or spring, 
or by seeds, which, if sown during March in a hot-bed 
^or in boxes of earth in the house, and then transplanted 
erect, leafy stems, producing numerous large purplish- 
blue white-centered flowers. Its preference is for a 
deep, moist soil, in rather a shaded situation. 
