CENTAUREA Cyanus. This old-fashioned flow¬ 
er is said to be a native of Great Britain. It has been 
a common garden annual under the name of Bache¬ 
lor's Button for generations past, and is as popular 
to-day as ever, the habit and va¬ 
riety having improved within 
,the past few years. The plants 
are rather coarse in foliage, be¬ 
ing rough, and of a bluish green 
color, but the flowers are of del¬ 
icate texture, are borne above 
the foliage upon long, strong 
stems, and are of many rich col¬ 
ors, ranging from white to rich 
dark blue, and through shades of 
pink to dark red. A number of 
varieties also are beautifully variegated. The dou¬ 
ble-flowered varieties are best. 1906 
CHIONANTHUS Virgmica, the American Fringe 
Tree. This is a large shrub, or small tree, native of 
the Atlantic Coast States from Delaware southward. 
It is dense with large obovate leaves, and in May or 
early June it bears drooping panicles of lovely 
fringe-like white flowers, from which the cemmon 
name is derived. It is often called Grandaddy Grey¬ 
beard. Under favorable conditions this shrub will 
grow 30 feet in height, and is valuable as a shade 
tree, as its handsome foliage and very showy flow¬ 
ers give it an admirable ornamental character. The 
flowers are followed by brown nutlets a half inch in 
length, and from these propagation is very readily 
effected. This shrub is certainly deserving of more 
attention, being of rapid growth, free-blooming ev¬ 
ery season, and of easy culture. 1908 
ROYAL MIMULUS. Mimulus seeds are very 
small. In preparing the box or bed, sift the soil, 
making it very fine, then firm and press shallow rows 
in which to sow the seeds, barely covering with sift¬ 
ed soil. After this is done, 
press again, and water from 
below ( by placing the seed 
pot or box into pans or sau¬ 
cers of water and allowing 
the moisture to seep up 
through the drainage holes 
in the bottom), then place a pane of glass over the 
pot and keep in a shady place, giving enough of 
water in the saucer to keep the soil moist but not wet. 
In about ten days the plants will appear, when ven¬ 
tilation must be given. When the plants are large e- 
nough, they can be picked out and put in another 
pot or flat so that they will not become crowded. 
Stir the soil freely about the plants so that they wil] 
not be attacked by fungus. They like a very sandy, 
porous soil and partial shade. 1912 ' 
BELLIS Perennis. The well-known English Daisy 
has lately been greatly improved in size and form. 
As the plants are hardy, they 
should be generally grown 
in northern gardens. The 
plants are readily propa¬ 
gated from seeds which ger¬ 
minate in three or four days 
and with proper care the 
little plants will stool out, 
forming a rosette of foliage 
from which the long-stem, 
med double flowers are a. 
bundantly produced. Seed¬ 
ling plants will come into 
bloom in three or four months after they are started- 
The finest of the lot are the varieties classed as Mon- 
strosa, so called because of the monstrous size of the 
flowers. This marvelous development was effected 
chiefly by German florists from whom the seed are 
imported. Every garden should have a bed of these 
charming flowers. Because of the size of the plants 
they make fine specimens in the rock garden. 1915 
TEN Weeks Stock. The early double-flowering 
Ten Weeks Stock, in its many varieties, is one of the 
most beautiful and desirable of our garden annuals. 
The plants are bushy and thrifty in growth, begin to 
bloom early in the season, and continue to bear flow¬ 
ers until after severe frosts. The flowers are perfect¬ 
ly double, and of many shades, some being dull 
brown or ash color, but the 
more desirable, being pure 
J ^ white, carmine, rose, crim- 
son, purple and blue. Their 
fragrance is delicious, and 
a group of plants well- 
grown not only makes a 
fine garden display, but 
perfumes the whole gar¬ 
den. The plants are readily 
started from seeds, and should be transplanted 
with care during a damp cloudy day. Set a foot a- 
part in rich, deep soil and well cultivated, they 
make a beautiful hedge or bed which never fails 
to call forth the admiration of those who see it. 
At Erfurt, Germany, and in some parts of France 
there are specialists who make the growing of choice 
seeds of this flower a speciality. The beauty and u- 
tility of the early Double-flowering Ten Weeks 
Stock, together with the ease with which the plants 
may be grown should be generally recognized, and 
insure their popularity in amateur's gardens. 1906 
BRUGMANSIA Suaveolens. This shrub-like plant 
is becoming popular, and it well deserves its popu¬ 
larity. It will grow from five to ten feet high, branch¬ 
ing, and producing masses of its immense, drooping, 
fragrant flowers, a new crop coming repeatedly dur¬ 
ing the summer season. The plants grow and bloom 
well in any moist, rich soil, when bedded out in a 
sunny exposure. In preparing the soil, add an abun¬ 
dance of well-rotted manure and thoroughly incor¬ 
porate it. Water copiously in dry weather. The plants 
are easily established when transplanted, and are 
generally satisfactory under ordinary treatment. 
HELIOTROPE Among the window plants easily 
grown from seeds, the Heliotrope is one of the most 
desirable. The seeds are small, and should be cov¬ 
ered lightly. They germinate in about two weeks, 
and until the plants appear the soil should be kept 
regularly moist, but not wet or soggy. Transplant in¬ 
to a shallow tray as soon as large enough, giving each 
little plant an inch or more of space, and when they 
begin to crowd pot them in rich, porous soil, using 
three-inch pots. Keep in a rather sunny place, and 
water liberally, shifting into larger pots, and pinch¬ 
ing back the tops as they 
grow until they occupy five 
or six-inch pots, in which 
they should bloom satisfac¬ 
torily. Avoid sunshine a- 
gainst the sides of the pots, 
and see that the soil does 
not dry out. Such plants will 
make fine specimens for the 
decoration of the window, or for a plant stand upon 
the summer piazza. When bedded out in summer the 
Heliotrope does well, blooming freely; a little clump 
scenting the entire garden. 1907 
CUPHAEA Platycentra. If you have never tried 
Cuphaea Platycentra or cigar plant for bedding just 
give it a trial this season. You will be surprised at the 
liberal growth it will make and the profusion of 
white-tipped crimson flowers it will constantly pro¬ 
duce. It seems to thrive in either sun or shade, and 
in almost any soil, and will endure drouth as well as 
most of the bedding plants. As a pot plant for winter¬ 
blooming it is a favorite with many amateur florists. 
It should be classed among the best of plants for 
either window or garden. 1894 
Y/e supply seeds of all these splendid inter¬ 
esting flowers in the finest strains at 5 cts. per pkt. 
