8 
instance, the early flowering phloxes or 
moss pinks, the arabises, the cerastiums, ar- 
merias, dwarf lychnises, epimediums, and 
the beautiful little houstonias, always 
quaint and much admired, even prettier 
than a forget-me-not. The early-flowering 
anemones, the Alpine asters, various iberis 
(candytufts), Omphalodes verna, some of 
the dwarf veronicas, &c., are all very useful, 
showy, neat and attractive, and among the 
most desirable of our early spring fiower- 
ing plants. All are suitable for the border, 
for edging of beds, or planting on the 
rockery. 
The open border could be somewhat 
varied in planting, the subjects being 
studied as to height, which is generally 
given in the various catalogues, and period 
of blooming, and so placed or grouped in 
the bed that it would have the appearance 
of always having something in flower. The 
taller and more robust forms could be 
placed in or toward the centre, but some 
varieties, such as delphiniums, salvias, gyp- 
sophilas, valerians, lychnis, and other 
plants of a similar nature, which only have 
the appearance of being tall when in 
bloom, could be placed with good effect 
almost on the outer edge. As soon. as their 
flowers commence to fall cut down the 
plants, and you will again be rewarded 
with a later crop of blooms.. This would 
also break up any set or formal method ; 
but the arrangement of planting will work 
itself out only by years of patient toil. 
While the plants are in bloom, their habits 
and positions can! be best studied and their 
proper places determined my the esthetic 
taste of the grower. No hard and fast lines 
can thus be set, for when we think our 
berder perfect something always crops up 
whereby we may again improve it by some 
slight changes. 
Bare spots in the best arranged border 
will occasionally occur. They occur in 
nature. Have you not noticed how 
quickly some of our native plants respond 
to the first warm, genial, rays of spring? 
Fox instance, the trilliums, or wake robins, 
the delicate American cowslip (Mertensia 
virginica), saxafrages, Dutchman’s breeches 
(Dicentra cucculata), Anemone thalictroi- 
des, A: patiens nuttalina, the blood root 
(Sanguinaria canadensis); and where is 
there a more chaste or delicate spring 
flower, white as the driven snow? Why is 
it not more seen? Many others might be 
enumerated, but the above will suffice to 
illustrate how quickly they come and how 
‘rapidly they disappear. 
When their flowering period wanes, and 
they begin to show signs of going to rest, 
have a few hardy annuals coming on, in 
pots, or in a separate border. If in the bor- 
der, have them transplanted a few times to 
make them stocky and give them moro 
roots. It is a well-known fact that many 
annuals, like trees, are apt, if not trans- 
planted, to grow to one single rooti; these 
can then be dropped at will into the border 
and thus fill up any vacancy and add bright- 
ness and cheer to the otherwise vacant 
spots. 
LHE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
MIGNONETTE IN POTS. 
Every lover of this fragrant flower does 
not possess ai piece of ground whereon to 
sow seeds and raise plants; but they may 
grow some plants in pots; and I will briefly 
explain how to proceed. ’ Fill some 5, 6, 
or 7 in. pots with a compost of loam, leaf 
soil, and sand; if these ingredients are noti 
to be obtained, gather up some road scrap- 
ings, preferably from the sides of the road 
rear to the grass. Put some cinders in the 
pots to ensure good drainage, make the soil 
fairly firm and use it in a moderately dry 
state, as it would not do to press down 
wet earth in the pot. Sow a few seeds 
on the surface, and cover them with a thin 
layer of fine loam. Give water through a 
fine rcse and keep the pots in a light, fairly 
cool place.” It is not wise to place them 
in a hot corner, as the plants would soon 
get scorched up. Thin out the plants to 
hree in each pot, and when they are 3 in. 
high pinch off the top of each. Side shoots 
will then grow and quickly convert what 
appear to be scraggy seedlings into fine 
bushy plants, which will thrive either 
inside a dwelling house window or on the 
-sill outside. Crimson Matichet, Bismarck, 
Miles’ Spiral, and Victoria Improved Crim- 
son are splendid for pot culture. ' 
SOLENT. 
THE ROSE. 
(“The Florists’ Exchange.”’) 
ROSES: THE NEW AND PROMISING 
VARIETIES. . _ 
(Read by P. J. Lynch before the Phila- 
delphia Florists’ Club.) 
Your club hias ever been in the front rank 
in furthering the popularity of the rose, 
while the fame of your growers is world 
‘wide. For. a slow town like Philadelphia, 
sending safely to England’s Queen, as one 
of your growers did, a bunch of that beau- 
tiful rose of Philadelphia origin, Queen of 
Edgely, savored of a pace rather difficult. 
to overtake. Then, too, while the origin 
of the ever popular American Beauty (or, 
as has been claimed, Mme. Ferdinand 
Jamin) is somewhat obscure, yet it first at- 
tained prominence as a commercial variety 
through the foresight of a Philadelphia 
grower. Liberty, now so thoroughly es 
tablished as a forcing variety, came into 
prominence through the efforts of a Phila- 
delphian grower. Even that much discussed 
variety that to-day, for amateur’ cultiva- 
tion, is perhaps the leading rose of its color, 
achieved notoriety through one of your 
local growers. Though gallantry was ati 
stake as to whether it should be named 
for the bishop or the lady, the bishop won. 
I refer to Balduin—Helen Gould. I might 
mention a host of now famous varieties, 
such as Wm. Francis Bennett, Souvenir de 
Wootton, Golden Gate, Princess Bonnie, 
Pink Soupert, Marion Dingee, and many 
others, whose rise to fame and popularity 
came through the intelligent efforts of 
growers of Philadelphia and. its environs. 
With these facts in mind, I approach the 
subject with considerable apprehension, 
May 1, 1905 
I am conscious of the fact that in the 
brief limitations of this paper it will be 
impossible to cover the subject completely 
and accurately. I shall, therefore, give 
you my observations as they have occurred 
to me in the daily contact with over a thou- 
sand different varieties of roses, coming, as 
they have, from all parts of the world. I 
shall speak only of roses now in commerce, 
and while some varieties may be mentioned 
that are not entirely new, so far as recent 
crigin is concerned, yet it is to be borne in 
mind that there are a great many ‘roses 
“born to blush unseen and waste their 
sweetness on the desert air;” many for 
years remained unnoticed with) their latent 
beauty undeveloped, until through sheer 
force of worth they rose to fame and glory. 
We have notable instiances of this fact in 
Golden Gate, and, more lately, that Irish 
beauty, Killarney. I shall also give equal 
prominence to varieties that are undoubt- 
edly valuable, not only for forcing pur- 
poses, but those varieties appealing to ama- 
teur growers, whose ranks are constantly 
increasing. Of this class, for whom I feel 
_better fitted to speak than from a. strictly 
professional standpoint, I can say that it is. 
a gratifying indication of the rapidly in- 
creasing love for the queen of flowers, that 
the average amateur enthusiast—and there 
are thousands of them in all sections of the 
land—is keenly alert to the improvements 
of the rose, and not infrequently has a 
knowledge of varieties as accurate as that of 
the professional grower. This growing inte- 
rest of the masses bodes well for the future 
of the rose, and should prove a stimulus to 
American hybridisers, who may feel assur- 
ed if their creations have merit that the 
rose-loving public will be quick to give 
them deserving recognition. 
It seems fitting that I recommend ati the 
cutset that sensational new rose, Mme. Nor- 
bert Levavasseur, or Baby Rambler. This 
vivacious French debutante is the rose that 
blooms every day in the year. 
Growing in its full vigor 20 in. high, 
with finely polishedi dark green foliage, 
with which it is abundantly supplied, 
it forms a compact bush which 
with ordinary care is a mass of gshin- 
ing crimson beauty. For every purpose 
from the florists’ standpoint it possesses 
the highest value, and for the amateur it is 
equally valuable. It is, indeed, a per- 
petual blooming, dwarf Crimson Rambler. 
In the Rambler class may be also men- 
tioned a variety that does not seem! to gain 
the recognition it deserves ag a rose of 
splendid worth—Dorothy Perkins. It is a 
true Rambler, particularly valuable for 
Christmas work, and equally as valuable 
in the open ground; thoroughly hardy, 
bearing in large clusters beautiful, clear, 
shell-pink flowers of excellent substance. 
Philadelphia Rambler, a recent introduc- 
tion, bears out all that is claimed for it, 
and in some respects is an improvement 
over the old reliable Crimson Rambler. 
One of the most unique and valuable 
of the newer roses is Soleil d’Or, the first 
of a new race, a cross between Persian Yel- 
ee 
