530  Cultivation  of  Medicinal  Plants.      I  ^Novf-mb^r^mT 
the  plants  became  crowded  in  the  flats  they  were  transplanted  into 
two  and  one-half  or  three-inch  pots. 
The  next  step  was  that  of  hardening  off  the  plants  before  final 
planting.  This  was  done  by  placing  them  outside  in  cold  frames 
for  the  early  part  of  May,  glass  being  kept  over  them  all  the  time 
for  the  first  few  days  and  then  gradually  withdrawn.  The  plots 
in  the  garden  were  worked  over  with  a  spading  fork  and  the  plants 
put  in  rows  eighteen  inches  apart  each  way.  About  twelve  hundred 
plants  of  the  different  species  of  Digitalis  have  been  handled  in  the 
above  described  manner,  the  outside  planting  taking  place  from 
May  20  to  June  20.  The  plants  in  the  first  beds  put  out  have  made 
a  remarkable  growth  and  the  ground  is  covered  with  the  beautiful 
rich  green  foliage. 
In  addition  to  the  large  number  of  plants  started  from  seed, 
some  plants  were  purchased,  representing  trees,  shrubbery  and 
hardy  perennials  from  which  drugs  are  obtained.  The  seed  of  over 
four  hundred  medicinal  plants  were  imported  and  a  large  number 
of  these  are  under  cultivation,  others  are  being  put  in  as  rapidly 
as  the  ground  can  be  prepared. 
A  hedge  of  Rhamnus  catharticus  has  been  planted  on  the  west 
and  south  sides  of  the  garden.  Within  this  are  border  beds  filled 
with  more  or  less  tall  growing  annuals  or  perennials  as  Inula 
Helenium,  Ricinus  species,  Hibiscus  militaris,  BoragO'  officinalis, 
Atropa  Belladonna,  Martynia  proboscidia,  Datura  vStramonium  and 
Helianthus  annus.  At  the  north  end  the  border  widens  out  into 
a  broad  plot  which  is  filled  with  Papaverum  somniferum,  Salvia 
officinalis,  Nicotiana  Tabacum;,  Salpiglossis,  Canna,  Thymus  vul- 
garis, Lavandula  vera  and  others.  At  intervals  of  twenty  feet  along 
the  border  such  trees  as  Ulmus  fulva,  Xanthoxylum  Americanum, 
Juglans  nigra,  Salix  alba,  Quercus  alba,  etc.,  have  been  planted. 
These  outside  beds  are  bordered  with  Digitalis  spec,  Cineraria 
maritima,  Dianthus  spec,  Impatiens  balsamina  and  Antirrhinum 
ma  jus. 
A  large  plot  has  been  laid  out  at  the  south  end  of  the  slathouse 
and  here  may  be  found  growing  an  interesting  group  of  evergreens 
and  other  plants  closely  related  botanically  as  Larix  Europoea  and 
Salisburia  adiantifolia,  the  Japanese  Ginkgo  tree.  Between  the 
trees  a  collection  of  the  plants  which  yield  our  common  pot  herbs 
have   been   temporarily   located,    including    Ocimum  Basilicum 
