1884.] 
THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 
47 
DOUBLE BUTTEEOUPS. 
In the modern rage for flaming, glaring, 
bedding plants, some of the prettiest and 
most attractive, though modest, flowers of 
the garden border of former days have be¬ 
come almost enthely forgotten until some 
admirer of real beauty resurrects them from 
oblivion. Among these are the Double 
Buttercups, more freq^uontly known as 
“Bachelor’s Buttons,” or “Pair Maids of 
Prance,” the chaste beauty of which is ex¬ 
celled by but few hardy jierenuials blooming 
in early summer. Their flowers are produced 
in greatest abundance, and as they keep a 
long time after being cut, they are particu¬ 
larly desirable for vases and bouquets. 
There are many species and varieties cul¬ 
tivated. The most desirable 
ones, shown in our illustra¬ 
tion, for which we are in¬ 
debted to Gardening lUns- 
trated, are: 
Hammcuhis bnlbosus Jl. pi .— 
This has very large, yellow 
flowers as double as Pseony 
Aster. Sometimes the petals 
are slightly tipped with green, 
and two or three blossoms 
rise one above the other. 
B.acris jl. pi. bears a gi'eat 
abundance of many-flowered 
heads of yellow, button¬ 
shaped flowers, blossoming 
for many weeks in succes¬ 
sion, and if cut frequently, 
a continuous bloom may be 
had all summer. 
2 J. repens jl. pi., its compact 
variety, is of neat growth, and 
bears a profusion of bright 
yellow, compact, rosette-like 
flowers of most ijerfect form. 
B. aeoniiifolius jl^. pi., with 
its delicate, chaste, white flow¬ 
ers and gi’acefid habit, is a 
most beautiful plant, worthy 
of a place in the choicest 
flower border, even if it is 
nothing but the “White Maids 
of Kent,” and old-fashioned. 
Buttercups will grow in any ^ 
soil not too light, and rather 
moist; but to develop to their 
best advantage, they require 
a deep, loamy soil, liberally 
enriched with well-decayed 
manure. They are increased 
by division of the root-stalks, 
planted early in spring, and 
should be lightly mulched during the hottest 
part of summer. 
readily, and seldom in a full crop, but differ¬ 
ent species differ in time of coming up. Por 
instance, I have raised as full a crop of 
Aster Ourtisi in a month as I would of 
Diummond Phlox; whereas I could only get 
up half a crop of A. laivis in six months. The 
Crowfoot family of plants —for instance. 
Anemones and Clematises—come up iiTcgu- 
larly, that is, a few at a time, for weeks, 
maybe months; and even Columbines ap¬ 
pear in the same way, though more in a 
crop. Members of the Pea family often 
come in the same way; for example, Ther- 
mopsis, Astragalus, and Orobus. 
American plants, more than those of the 
Old World, seem harder to raise from seeds. 
Of com-se, with care, patience, attention. 
I* 
■ HAEDT PEEENSIALS FEOM SEED, 
In addition to our window and greenhouse 
ilants set out for the season. Marigolds, 
Irummond Phlox, Zinnias, Stocks, Asters, 
’etunias, and other shpwy annuals contrib-' 
te largely to the display of our summer 
ardens; but, to people of moderate means 
r convenience, hardy perennials must be 
be mainstay. The easiest way in which to 
et up a generous stock of these is from 
Bed. Some species, as Columbines, peren- 
ial Pinks, evergreen Candytuft, Thrift, and 
rypsophila, germinate readily, and are as 
asily raised as mo-st annuals in fall or 
pring; others, as perennial Asters, Phloxes, 
fentians, Shooting Star, do not come up 
GROUP OF DOUBLE BUTTERCUPS. 
and proper convenience, they can be raised; 
but without such they are troublesome. 
Take Twinleaf, Lungwort, Bowman’s Boot, 
and Blood Root under garden care, how 
hard it is to raise them; but let them drop 
their seeds and keep the ground cleap, but 
do not hoe or spade it, and the next spring 
seedlings appear all around. 
When practicable, the best time to sow 
perennials is in late summer or fall, as soon 
after you have secured good ripe seed as 
possible. If, like Larkspurs or Thrift, they 
are of kinds that will come up some days 
after being sown, you may sow them any¬ 
where, and afterward thin out or transplant 
the seedlings; but, if of kinds not likely to 
vegetate before spring, it is a good plan to 
sow the seeds in boxes or pots, which plunge 
in a cold frame or in a sheltered place in 
the garden, with some leaves over the boxes 
in winter, to prevent the soil being “thrown 
out” by frost. Being in the earth over win¬ 
ter greatly assists the germination of the 
seeds of hardy perennial plants; and most 
noticeable is this in the ease of bulbous 
plants and some trees and shrubs. And in 
this way I have seemed a full crop at one 
time in spring, when from seeds of the same 
gathering, sown in the greenhouse in spring, 
I got an iiregular and seldom full crop. 
But, as it is spring-time now, we will con¬ 
sider what is best to do in this case. Sow 
the seeds in the way you would seeds of 
annuals, but in most instances be prepared 
to wait longer for them to germinate. If 
they come up thickly, thin or prick out 
soon. Do not let them suffer for want of 
water, nor burn up by warm 
sunshine, so long as you can 
place a piece of mosquito 
netting, newspaper, or branch 
over them by day to shade 
them a little. Coax them 
along by keeping them clean 
and cultivated, and when big 
enough transplant to perma¬ 
nent quarters. 
If you have some old plants 
of herbaceous Veronicas, 
Loosestrife, Belleworts, and 
the like, that need dividing, 
I should advise you increase 
them by division rather than 
by seeds; and clumps of 
Anemone Japoniea, Seneeio 
Pnleher, Oenotheras Speeiosa, 
and others with thick, fleshy, 
wandering roots, by pieces of 
the roots. Particular varie¬ 
ties, as of Larkspm, Pssony, 
or Rose Feverfew, are not 
always likely to be perpetu¬ 
ated true from seed; but 
„ natural varieties, as the 
^ white-blooming form of Eri- 
nus, are perfectly constant. 
As this article has already 
grown longer than I antici¬ 
pated, I shall defer a list of 
^ the most desirable ornament- 
al peremiials till next month 
Wm. Falconer. 
THE WIND-PLOWEES. 
The Anemone genus em¬ 
braces some of the most beau¬ 
tiful and easily raised flowers 
in our list of perennial plants, 
and yet they are but little known to our cul¬ 
tivators generally. The little wild Wood Ane¬ 
mone, A. nemorosa, with its cheerful white 
blossoms in early spring, is quite readily 
grown in partial shade. A. sylvestris, the 
Snowdrop Anemone, is one of the finest 
hardy border plants of which I have any 
knowledge. The Japan Anemone, A.vitifo- 
lia, is not thoroughly hardy, and should have 
a light covering dm’ing winter. The bright 
purple flowers of the A. Pulsatilla will cause 
it to be a favorite with every gardener who 
makes its acquaintance. Attention is thus 
called to a few out of the many beautiful 
species belonging to this genus, with a hope 
that the time is rapidly approaching when 
more notice will be accorded not only to this 
but to other genera that are worthy of a 
place in the smallest collection .—[^Josiah 
Eoopes, in E. Y. Tribune. 
