170 
WATEE-LILIES, 
I muse alone, os the twiliglit lulls 
Over the gray old castle walls, 
Whore a sleepy lake through the lazy hours 
Crisply miiTors the time-worn towers; 
And scarce a whisper rustles the sedge. 
Or a ripple lisps to the water’s edge. 
As far and wide on the tideless stream 
The matted Water-lilies dream. 
I stood, in the quiet even’ fall. 
Where, in the ancient banquet hall 
Over the hearth, is a panel placed. 
By some old riorcntino chisel chased. 
Showing a slendei’, graceful child. 
In the flowing robes of a wood-nymph wild. 
Bending over the wavy flood 
As she stoojjs to giither a Lily bud. 
In words as quaint ns tlie carving old. 
An aged dame the story told. 
How an Earl’s daughter, long ago, 
A stamge, pale child, with n brow of snow. 
Had loved, and lost her life.for the sake 
Of the LUies that grew in her father's lake. 
Holding them ever her favorite flower; 
Till once, in the hush of a twilight hour. 
Floating among them, out in the stream. 
Where the passionless blossoms nod and dream 
They found her lying, white and dead, 
“Like a sister Lily,” the old dome said. 
And a sadness, bom of the old-world tale. 
Haunts me still, while the starlight pale 
Gleams on the leaves, so gi'een and wet 
Where the changeless Lilies arc floating yet. 
And a message I fain would read aright. 
Seems to lurk in each chalice white, 
A secret, guarded fold on fold. 
As it guards its own deep heart of gold. 
And only told to the listening ear 
Of him who humbly tries to hear. 
Oh! mystic blossom floating there. 
Thing of the water, thing of the air. 
We claim thee still, as we hold the dead. 
Anchored to earth by a golden thread. 
—Good Words. 
SEASONABLE HINTS. 
The beautiful group of Lilinm auratum. 
repre.5ented on the opposite page will, no 
doubt, recall to the mind of some of our 
readers, their successful attempts in growing 
this “Queen of Lilies." Having ourselves 
grown many thousands during twentj' 
years, both successfully and otherwise, we 
are full}’ aware that, even under appai'ently 
most favorable conditions, this caprieious Lily 
will sometimes fail to fulfil expectations. 
A deep, light, and well-dj-ained soil, and 
before all a situation where water will 
not stand at the surface for any length of 
time, are considered indi.spen.sable for its suc¬ 
cessful cultivation, and yet we have them 
now growing splendidly under directly op¬ 
posite conditions. 
'I’hi-ee years ago we planted about two 
dozen bulbs in what seemed then a most un 
promising spot, a heavy, wet, clay soil, on 
which water stands not unfrequently. Here 
they have been growing strongei- from year 
to year, and stand now in full vigoi' and 
beauty. All the care tliey had was 
covering of forest leaves during winter, and 
one or two hocings in summei’. 
From this we do not wisli our readers to 
infer that we advise the planting of JJIles 
heavy clay. We simply relate this Incident 
to show the value of observation and exper¬ 
imentation, and the benefit tliat may some¬ 
times be derived by cutting loose fi'om old 
routines and precepts. 
SOME GOOD EEKENNIALS 
japan spiraea. 
of o plant popular, aftei H ■ ^ 
into common culture undei . Qon- 
especiallythe case with cultivation 
sideration. It was brought . 
under the name of S]nrcm Japonu.G 
having 
been introduced from Japan. 
told that it was notSpirmabut As 
was shown to be wrong ui that til 
from Astilbe, which is apetalous m its low 
ers. While this controversy was o® o 
hi ilorists’ catalogues, it was 
the plant had been named and desci ibcc „ 
ao-o by Siebold as Iloteia barhata. '1 he name 
° it in honor of Ho-tci, a 
a 
Hotcia was given 
Japanese botanist who was tlie author of 
work called Sov-Kwa-S-jua, whicli includes 
descriptions of more than 350 plants, natives 
of China and Japan. This work was accoin- 
panied by 80 plates, designed by M. Siebold. 
barhata is better tlian -la- 
native of various 
'I'he erro- 
The specific name 
pouica, as the plant is a 
parts of India as well as Japan 
neous name of Spirem Japonica is now so 
commonly applied to this plant that it has 
taken the place of any Englisli name, and 
will answer all purposes, except when it is 
necessai'}’ to be botanically accurate 
I started out to say that this plant now so 
commonly used for forcing in the spring, is 
an admirable herbaceous border plant, where 
tlie ground is inclined to be moist and slightly 
shady. It is not satisfactory with us in a 
dry location and full sun. 
PEKENXIAL CAXPYTUFT. 
Tills hardy border plant, botanically 76c- 
m sempei-virens, 1 noticed in fine bloom this 
spring at the Agricultural De])artment 
grounds at Washington. A mass of its 
snow-white flowers in front of some dark 
evergreens was very ellective. Another 
species, Iberis CribraUarica, is equally good, 
but not so hardy witli us. 
PKOXlKS. 
I also noticed at the Agricultural Dcjiart- 
ment a l.arge collection of Peonies, but none 
were then in bloom except a bright crimson, 
.single-flowered one with finely laciniated 
foli.age, Pftionia Ilugsi. I advi.se all lovers of 
Peonies to get this bright, early-blooming 
species, as it is well wortli gi'owing for its 
pretty foliage alone. It is not a new kind 
though not common. A plate of it may be 
found in Vol. 02, Bolanicid iilagazinc for 
18-10. It may be under some other name 
now at Washington. 
.Sl’IiKAl-UNG .SAGIC. 
Another lierhaceoiis plant, hut not liardy, 
is rarely seen in pei'fection, though no plant 
in eiilLivalion can equal its rich shade of blue, 
rids is the Sahia palmH, or sju'eading .Sage. 
It blooms re.'idily tlie first season fi'om seed^ 
but to have it in full beauty it should he cut 
down, lilted ami potted in autumn, and kept 
nearly firy during the whiter. A large plant 
of SaMapaloHH is well worth all the room it 
requires. I lliid that it varies somewhat from 
seed, some plants being much higher colored 
than others. Only the best should be kiqit. 
AN KM ONES. 
WJiyis it that the varieties of An,,,u,nd 
are not more popular’,’ We seld„„, 
see these in jierfeellon. Is It not because hi 
our hot and dry elinmte we give them too 
sunny an ex|,o.sureV Or. Walliel 
is one of the commonest as well as most or¬ 
namental flower-plants of Nepal, where it 
grows in all the forests of the great valley, 
Ld the suiTOuncling mountains, delighting 
in shady, retired and moist situations in the 
vicinity of rills and torrents.” It is also 
found in the moist valleys of the Himalayas. 
And yet our gardeners expose a plant from 
such situations to the full sun in our arid 
climate. To those who have never seen 
these Anemones under favorable conditions, 
they will prove very attractive when thus 
o-rown; though they do quite well under 
ordinary culture. A number of improved 
varieties have been raised in garden culture, 
whlcli are supei'lor to the original species. 
But of all hardy, herbaceous scarlet flow¬ 
ers I know of none that surpass in effective¬ 
ness the Scarlet Anemones. An old Eastern 
Shore garden with a large bed of double scar¬ 
let Anemones, is one of the bright memories 
of youth, which I have often tried to imitate 
with indifferent success. They are too ten¬ 
der near Baltimore, but when they do well 
nothing can exceed the brilliancy of their 
color in masses. In cold frames 1 have al¬ 
ways had the best success, both with these 
and the Persian Kanunculus. 
PERENNIAL LARKSPURS. 
I have an old friend whose passion is for 
hardy, herbaceous plants, and he has almost 
every kind worth growing. I take a great 
deal of pleasure in looking over his borders 
when in bloom. The contrasts of color are 
sometimes startling when a great, flaunting, 
scarlet and black Poppy stands beside a 
spike of Delphinium formosum. -And this re¬ 
minds me to say that no flower has of late 
years been more improved than the dillerent 
varieties of perennial Delphiniums. The best 
strain of D. formosum which I have ever 
grown is Delphinium bicolor (/ramlijlorum. 
At one of the exhibitions of our Mari’-land 
Horticultural Society last year, the old friend 
above alluded to, exhibited a spike covered 
witli blue flowers, eaeli one of which was 
about the size and shape of good, double 
Daisies. I was utterly at a loss what to call 
it until our friend produced a leaf which 
sliowcd it to be a Delphinium. He had re¬ 
ceived it from Belgium as the latest tri¬ 
umph in improved Delphiniums. It was beau¬ 
tiful but too much '■^improved.” I much pre¬ 
fer the brilliant, siuglc-llowcred sorts. And 
allow me to say tliat the big scarlet Poppies 
are well worth growing. IVji. F. Massey. 
h says, “J|; 
4 
fr 
THE SWAN EIVER DAISY. 
Blue flowers are usually scarcer than other 
colors. Australia abounds in blue flowers 
and has contributed many good plants to 
our gardens. Among the best of those is the 
little Hwan Hiver Daisy, llrachijcomc iberidi- 
foliu. 'Phis is a dwarf and free-flowering 
annual. Its flowers resemble tlie Dellis iii- 
leiirifolia or .Vnim'lc.an Daisy. It succeeds 
llnely as a dwarf edging plant. The color 
is usually brlglit blue, but it sonietiiiies va¬ 
ries tlirougli purple to a pale pink. All who 
want a neat, dwarf, blue “Daisy” we advise 
to try the Dra<ii>irom«. 
111 , 
HAVING A THOROUGH GARDENER. 
“Ves,”said a lady of rclliicd taste, “the 
place is elegant, hut there is no love in it; 
It seems as though the faniilyhave no real love 
for any one plant, shrub or bed. They must 
have i|. thorough gardener,” 
i>ii 
