36S 
THE LADIES’ FLORAL CABINET 
single Rose into various forms, with an increased number 
of petals, at the cost to it of power to propagate its 
species, but it still remains a question if the single wild 
Rose is not the peer in real beauty. Some rave over the 
beauty of double Apple blossoms, forgetting they are 
never followed by fruit. And it is a matter of fact that 
Nature's processes and ends are seldom, if ever, im¬ 
proved by the interposing hand of man, when it does 
otherwise than help Nature’s ways. That Nature can be 
aided in working in her own way is true, but when 
these ways are changed or varied the result may be 
satisfactory in so far as the production of something 
pleasing is concerned, but it is always at the expeuse of 
some quality in the plant or flower experimented 
upon. 
In the case of Water-Lilies, success in their culture is 
easily and certainly obtained by merely following 
Nature. We have seen uo better exemplification of this 
than in a case we met with during the past summer in 
Bloomfield. Conn. A farmer, with no pretentious to flori¬ 
culture, had in front of his house in a half-hogshead so 
fine a show of Water-Lilies. I was sure he had followed 
Nature in their cultivation. In reply to my queries, he 
said he obtained the roots from a pond a few miles dis¬ 
tant by dragging the bottom with a potatoe hook. Tak¬ 
ing the hah' of a hogshead he filled it to the depth of 
little more than a foot with the same kind of mud as 
formed the bottom of the pond. i. e., soil in which there 
is a large proportion of decayed vegetable matter; on 
this he laid the roots and covered the whole to the depth 
of four or five inches with coarse gravel, which served 
to cover the roots and keep them in their place, as well 
as to prevent the water becoming muddy when disturbed. 
The half-hogshead was then nearly filled with water 
and required no further attention, except that in the 
fall the water was drawn off and the tub removed to the 
cellar where it would uot freeze. In the spring it was 
brought out, water added and it was ready for another 
season. This past summer was its fourth or fifth season. 
The first blossom appeared on the 22d day of June, and 
the last one opened on the 28th of August. Between 
these dates there were only five days when one or more 
fresh flowers did not appear: the greatest number of 
blossoms on any one day being eight, and the total number 
of blossoms was one hundred and eighty-one. Who can 
tell us how more pleasure could be obtained with so lit¬ 
tle trouble. These plants are so well established that 
they seed finely, and numbers of litt le seedlings come up 
every year. How long this tub will continue to give 
such results we do not know. It is possible the roots 
may become so numerous after a while that they will 
require to be divided, but evidently they have not done 
so yet, and we doubt if they will so long as the tub con¬ 
tinues in condition to hold them. L.A.R. 
A WHITE CLEMATIS. 
As a companion for Clematis Jackmanii. the flowers 
contrasting in color, there is no better variety than 
C. lanuginosa Candida. When the blooms first open 
they have a sort of lavender tinge, but this gradually 
fades away and the second day they are a good white, 
though not so pure as that of many other flowers. The 
plant is a vigorous grower, sufficiently hardy, and not at 
all di ffi cult to raise, provided it is given a warm, dry, rich 
soil; in this matter it is probably somewhat more exact¬ 
ing than C. Jackmanii, but demanding no better condi¬ 
tions than every good garden can supply, and we believe 
that few of our readers do not understand and avail 
themselves of the advantage of a dry soil for garden 
purposes. 
In setting plants of this character in the garden it is 
usually desirable to place them near the house, and it so 
happens that frequently the spot fixed upon is the poor¬ 
est on all the ground; it may be near the foundation 
wall, and possibly mixed with pieces of brick or stone; 
or it may be that poor soil has been filled in there to 
raise the grade, and so it is altogether unsuitable with¬ 
out a good preparation. One of the great mistakes in 
transplanting a perennial plant is caused by not con¬ 
sidering that here the roots will have to find nourish¬ 
ment and space to grow for a long time, consequently 
demanding mellow and rich ground for at least a con¬ 
siderable space. It is not a question how small the hole 
may be made to receive the plant, but how well the 
place may be prepared to give appropriate lodgment to- 
a thing of life and growth. 
If the soil is not all right it should be made so by tak¬ 
ing out the poor and bringing in some that is fine and 
rich. A prepared space a yard in diameter is not too 
great, nor a foot in depth too much for each plant. The 
fine soil just under an old sod when mixed with some 
old, well-rotted stable manure makes a material as good 
as can be desired, and in it the roots of a plant will 
revel, and piake the plant itself leap for joy. If we ex¬ 
pect our cultivated plants to supply us abundantly with 
their beauty, we must supply their needs with as much 
care as we do our domesticated animals. 
The plants of the Clematis can be set either in the fall 
or in the spring; if in the fall they should be well pro¬ 
tected with a covering of leaves during the winter. In 
the coldest part of the country it will be well to afford a 
protection of leaves to this particular variety of Clema¬ 
tis every winter, first bringing the stems down and coil¬ 
ing them about on the ground. The additional amount' 
of bloom afforded by this means will repay the trouble. 
— Viclcs. 
"We scatter seeds with careless hand, 
And dream we ne’er shall see them more, 
But for a thousand ye: r s 
Their fruit appears 
In weeds that mar the laud, 
Or healthful store.— Anon. 
