1885.] 
^HE AMERICAN GARDEN. 
nearly an inch across, borne in profusion 
and contrasting beantifully 
leaves. Mowing with a lawn mower ap¬ 
peared to do it good. 
IJibiscus Moscheuios, Marsh Mallow. Our 
most showy plant for a sw.alo. 
Ceanothus /Imerlcctnns, Kow Jersey 'J'ca 
Produces pretty llowors in abundance but 
unfortunately they arc of short duration. 
Desmodium Canadensc, Tick Trefoil. In 
a dry garden I have seen this tall herb mak¬ 
ing a beautiful clump of . light purple. It 
struck mo as being a very desirable plant. 
Spmea Armais, Goat’s Hoard. Por 
masses on dry ground tlic clToct is beautiful. 
Oenothera fruticosa, Sundrops. Takes 
kindly to cultivation on warm soils and 
makes a display which rivals many of the 
cultiv.ated Coreopscs. 
Lythrum Salicaria, Loosestrife. Tins 
plant is often cultivated. It takes care of 
itself and alw.ays gives a profusion of light 
purple conspicuously spiked flowers. De¬ 
sirable for masses, especi.ally about ponds. 
Opiintia, Prickly Pear. This genus of 
Cacti has some odd and desirable members. 
I have seen in cultivation both 0. Safines- 
qiiii and 0. Missomiensis. They are hardy 
throughout, and give a profusion of large 
waxy-yellow flowers. 
Aster, Many of the Asters do well in cul¬ 
tivation. They all demand a good soil which 
is not much effected by drouth. The species 
which I have noted as especially desirable 
are named in the following order of prefer¬ 
ence : A. Shoi'tii, A. spectabilis, A. Novee- 
Anglioe, A. multijlorus, A sericeus, A. Icevis 
A. ptarmicoides. 
The flowers of many Solidagos, Golden- 
rods, are attractive under cultivation hut 
the plants themselves are not often neat and 
attractive. S. virgata, ear. juncea is one of 
the best. S. odora, 8. Shortii, 8. speci- 
osa and 8. nemoralis are among the 
best of the species. 
Eelianthus, Sunflower. For back¬ 
grounds some of the taller species, 
especially E. grosse-serraius, E. gigan- 
teus, E. strumosus, and E. Icevigalus, 
are very effective and are at present 
in good demand. 
Campanula rotundifolia. Harebell. 
One of the prettiest of delicate herbs 
for dry hillsides and rocky places. 
CoUinsia verna, A little annual as 
desirable and as pretty as Phlox. Easi¬ 
ly grown. 
Monarda didyma, Oswego Tea, Bee 
Balm. It is a pity that this very showy 
and ornamental plant is not better 
known. Few plants excel it. 
Phlox, All the species of Phlox would 
no doubt do well in cultivation. Ever y 
one knows the two common species, 
P. maculata and P. panieidata. Other 
species which I have admired are P- 
Carolina, P. glaberrima, P. subulata 
and especially P. pilosa. 
Aselepias tuberosa, Butterfly Weed, 
Pleurisy Root. Probably the most 
showy of our native herbs. It is acqui¬ 
sition to any garden. ^ . 
Ploygonatum giganteum: Solomon s ea ■ 
Much grown in Europe. 
Lilium Canadense makes a very 
play in cool shady places, although is,v 
sometimes seen it doing well in the open 
Sun. I have never seen our other native ires 
extensively cultivated. L. H. Bah-bt, e- 
astilbe japonioa. 
f/otem and 8plr<m Japonica arc synonyms 
IIS boautilul hardy perennial plant which 
constitutes one of the most jileasing orna- 
inonts ol tile herbaceous border. But since 
It has been found tliat it is also excellently 
adapted for foi'cing, it has hecomo one of 
the most f.ivorito winter (lowering plants, 
and is grown by the hundreds of thousands 
by our (lorists. All that is necc.ssary for 
ASTILBE JAPONICA. 
forcing is to take up some clumps, divide 
them if too large, pot in rich soil, keep them 
moderately cool at first, and when wanted to 
bloom remove to a warm, light place. Its 
compact habit, the fresh green color of its 
leaves, and its elegant, graceful spikes com¬ 
posed of multitudes of minute white blossoms 
make the plant especially suitable for dinner 
table decorations, vases and loose bouquets. 
WIGANDLA OAEAOASANA. 
For the production of massive tropic.al 
effects this plant is invaluable. It is of 
luxuriant growth, attaining a height of six 
young plants potted and re-potted as re¬ 
quired, and transferred to the open ground at 
“bedding out” time. They require very rich 
soil and an abundance of water. TheWigan- 
dia is not a new plant, but probably unknown 
to many of our readers who could employ it 
to excellent adv.antage in their gardens. 
WIGANDIA CARACASANA. 
to seven teet In one .eeeon; Us leave, grow 
Z r.“..e .1.., 1. rieh .oil to.e long 
by fifteen to eighteen inches wide, they aie 
beautifully veined, and ribs and stems cov- 
SS?h crimson hair. The plant s peren¬ 
nial but for decorative purposes it is best 
HYBRID PEEPETHAL EOSES. 
To grow Roses to perfection is high art 
indeed, and those who aspire to it should 
carefully study the method of those who ex¬ 
cel, and adapt their methods to their own 
conditions. Capf. John J5. Moore, President 
of tile Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 
is justly recognized as one of the most ex¬ 
perienced and successful Rose growers in 
the country, his advice is therefore of great 
practical value to every one interested in 
the “Queen of Flowers.” 
Mr. Aloore said that he had cultivated 
Roses with great interest, and from their 
beauty and fragrance had received more real 
])leasure and enjoyment than from any other 
llower that he had grown. The land on 
which most of his Roses are planted has a 
slight inclination to the south; the soil is a 
sandy loam with a loose sandy subsoil, and 
most of it is quite dry. It would be con¬ 
sidered unsuitable for Rose culture, but it 
was conveniently situated for the pm-pose 
intended, though not such as he would have 
chosen could he have done better. The chief 
fault was that it was subject to drying up 
too quickly; but it had excellent natural 
drainage,—too good, indeed. 
The remedy applied was a dressing of a 
material often found in sand banks and im¬ 
properly called marl, but really a dried or 
consolidated quicksand. It looks like clay 
and is as hard to excavate, but, unlike clay, 
when dried it readily falls to pieces, and the 
particles are finer than common flour. 
About one inch in thickness was spread- 
on the Rose border when dry, and 
worked in with a harrow and cultiva¬ 
tor, and every rain earned the minute 
particles into and intermixed them 
with the soil, changing it from a 
porous, leachy, to a retentive soil, 
fairly suitable for the pm-pose in¬ 
tended. There was then applied a 
dressing of stable manure at the rate 
of ten cords to the acre; this was 
ploughed in very deep, and the land 
afterwards levelled with a harrow, 
which completed the preparation of 
the land for the planting. 
The Roses were then planted in rows 
four feet apart and tlu-ee feet apart 
in the rows, so as to work between 
them with a horse. One-year-old 
plants, mostly on the Manetti and 
brier stocks, were chosen; part were 
set in autumn and part in spring, but 
both succeeded equally well. The 
after cultivation has been to keep the 
ground clean and free from weeds, 
and in the fall to bank up the plants 
about a foot high with earth from the 
spaces between the rows. When the earth 
is removed from around the plants in spring 
they are pruned, the weak, poor wood being 
cut out, and the slow-growing varieties cut 
back to six or eight inches, while the stronger 
growers should be left ten or twelve inches 
in length. In giving water to Roses or any 
other plants, there is no better way than to 
imitate Nature and wet the land thoroughly. 
