WILD FLOWERS, THEIR PRESERVATION AND DISSEMINATION.

President MORTON read the following paper on this subject: "Even the casual observer cannot fail to notice in our public and private lawns and gardens, the great number of foreigners there to the exclusion of the Canadian, strangers whose only recommendation for preference seems to be that they are not natives. This preference is so unpatriotic, so opposed and detrimental to the cultivation and expansion of the taste for the beautiful, that our solemn protest must be added to the condemnations already uttered by the few who have pronounced on the subject.

“Canada for Canadians " has been used with great effect as a rallying cry in the political world, and the sentiment contained in these words appeals to every patriotic heart, however we may differ in its application. Nowhere more than in the flowery kingdom is this sentiment neglected.

While we do not belittle the beauty and elegance of many of our imported flora, we do however charge against the people of Canada that they have passed by unheeded, unacknowledged and unloved, as fair and dainty members of the floral realm as ever bloomed in distant clime, and it is at the door of our florists, seedsmen and those who affect taste and culture that we lay the blame of this neglect, a disregard arising from no other objection, for no other offence than that of being "only Canadian wild flowers."

We anticipate the objection urged by the florist and seedsman that there is no demand for such things, that their trade is controlled by the popular taste. We admit it largely true, but they can and do control and direct the popular taste by their unexcelled opportunities for bringing before the attention of the public new and desirable objects of culture. There is not a candidate for modern popular favor which does not owe its success to the persistent advertising and extensive notice given it by these gentlemen's publications, and were as much attention directed, in their lists and catalogues, to many of our wild flowers now consigned to obscurity, as is devoted to the illustration and laudation of tropical and sub-tropical species, which never succeed with the ordinary grower, the public would not be slow in recognising the merit of our beautiful native species. The lack of interest on the part of the general public is due less to want of taste or appreciation than to the ignorance which prevails as to the existence of the more beautiful of our wild flowers. for you, gentle people of culture and taste, no excuse can be found; no palliation accorded your offence in permitting the finest members of our indigenous ornamental flora to remain in obscurity, and, from lack of appreciation, to approach so near extinction that they are fast becoming a tradition.

But

In the settled portions of Ontario, the prodigal lavishment of beauty with which Nature once adorned the country side has sadly vanished. The innocuous loveliness, that once brightened the landscape and cheered the heart of the pioneer with its beauty and fragrance, has been succeeded by the intrusive Ox-eye daisy, the pertinaceous thistle (misnamed Canadian), the too affectionate burdock, hound's tongue and sheep-bur, and a host. of other mendacious immigrants. Now, it is only in out of the way places, deep ravines, boggy marshes and mountain dells that we can hope to obtain a glimpse of the wonderful wealth of splendor which once was found in pristine beauty in every grove and ravine, on every plain and hillside and in every copse and marsh.

We do not expect to preserve the face of nature unchanged as when discovered, but we protest against the vandalism which has characterised the destruction of our flora in the march of progress. Land must be cleared for tillage, marshes drained for cultivation and, perchance, where now repose the violet and the primrose will to-morrow be covered with piles of brick and sand. With the consequent despoilment of such locations we ask that every lover of nature will assist in the preservation from extinction and in the perpetuation of what is beautiful in our indigenous flora. Even in their present haunts this is only possible to a very limited extent. Money greed will cause the pillage and removal of every desirable or marketable flower, fern and shrub, and the axe, the spade and the

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hoe never rest satisfied until the whole face of nature has been subdued and every foot of ground has felt their power. Our hope of averting the ultimate extirpation of every worthy plant lies in its perpetuation under cultivation. It must be removed to a place where we can guard its safety and help it escape the hazards which, in its native situation, threaten it with certain extinction.

But have we native plants deserving our interest and attention? Assuredly we have. The limitation of time desirable in a paper precludes me from doing more than make a passing mention of a few of the many desirable plants we have. Among the earliest to respond to the genial warmth of the vernal sun in evidencing their existence will be found the violets, of which Viola palmata and its variety cucullata succeed well in the border, Viola pedata is also worthy of a place. The Blood-root accommodates itself to ordinary culture and is beautiful while it lasts. Its white petals are fugaceous, but its broad leaves form a fine contrast to the finely dissected foliage of the two Dicentras which are so generally distributed. Jeffersonia diphylla forms a compact bushy plant of peculiarly shaped leafage from which it derives its popular name, Twin-leaf. The trailing Arbutus Epigaa repens, redolent with most delicious fragrance, is one of our earliest bloomers and a very desirable plant. Then, among the anemones, we have several deserving notice: those known as Hepaticas are among the first to gladden the heart in spring, and we have the stately, beautifully white, tall Anemone dichotoma blooming later in the season, and whose foliage is in keeping with the splendor of the bloom. Still keeping among the crowfoot family, the Actæas, while not so showy in flower as some, are objects of beauty fruit with their clusters of red or white berries. The Marsh Marigold in all its wealth of golden lustre is an object of delight to our children who never tire of gathering in raptures of enjoyment its yellow cups. This plant is suitable for streams and marshy ground. The purple and the fall Meadow-rues, whose decompound foliage and tall panicles of pendulous flowers are very ornamental, and the Rue-anemone, with its pretty umbel, have but to be known to be admired. The Virgin's bower, with its exuberance of white blossom, the pistillate flowers succeeded by fruit like wooly balls, is not so overshadowed by its showy sisters as to be considered unworthy of cultivation. The rhomboid-leafed Crowfoot is also of sufficient merit to find room in our gardens. Nor must I pass over our Columbines, Aquilegia Canadensis, the one most common in Ontario, more graceful than any other native or foreign, and A. Formosa, which I have not yet had the pleasure of seeing but am assured is a most beautiful species.

The Trilliums, so common in our woods, bear well transplanting to the garden and deserve mention, and among the other members of the Lily family may be specified Clintonia borealis, which desires a cool shaded nook, the Dog-tooth violet, the Lilies L. Philadelphicum and Canadense, both of which can compare very favorably with many of our foreign lilies, Zygadenus elegans and Uvularia.

Among the orchids mention will be made only of the Cypripediums, not but others are deserving. Some of our Lady's Slippers are prettier by far than many of the much extolled and carefully nurtured exotic species: the yellow one, the purple one, C. Acaule, and the showy Lady's Slipper, C. Spectabile, with its large, round, white sac-like lip splashed with delicate rose purple, are all deserving of more than passing attention.

Passing on to other orders, the Gentians in cerulean hue are very beautiful; the scarlet Pointed-cup with its unequalled depth of tint; the Blazing-star, the Monardas and Asclepias tuberosa, the orange colored milk weed, sometimes called Pleurisy-root, have all sufficient merit to attract and hold attention. The Phlox, common in our woodlands; the Spider-flower, Cleome integrifolia, found on the great plains of the west; the Climbing Fumitory, the Harebell and at least two of the Lobelias, should be saved from extinction; while some of our wild sunflowers, the Sneeze-weed, several of the Asters, the Flowering Dog-wood, the High-bush Cranberry, the great St. Johns Wort and the Ox-eye, (I do not mean the Ox-eye Daisy,) are not devoid of merit for ornamentation; and, where suitable accommodation is provided, we must not neglect the waterlilies or the Calmia, with its remarkable adaptation for cross fertilisation.

But I must pause in the enumeration of beautiful species, not because the list is at all exhausted but because the completion of the list would consume time which can well be employed otherwise, and the mention of those that have been spoken of has been in

the hope that the attention, of those who know it not, may be called to the immense wealth of floral beauty, which, from lack of appreciation, wastes its sweetness on the desert air.

Now, a word or two as to location, soil and treatment. Study the station or natural situation of the plant, and in its enforced home endeavor to make its environments as nearly like the conditions of its former habitation as you can. Follow nature's plan in situation and soil as nearly as possible at the outset, as, whatever variation from original environment the plant may eventually adapt itself to, any very marked difference at first in shade, soil or humidity, coupled with the shock of transplanting, is apt to so discourage the plant that failure results. Provided the change is not too sudden, it is wonderful under what varied circumstances and changed conditions life will exist and flourish, and this principle is true in both sections of the biological world. Sun-loving plants, generally speaking, are much readier at adapting themselves to the changed circumstances of cultivation than those of woodland origin, but with a little care hardly any of our wild flowers or shrubs may not be rescued from the abandon of savagery to the protection of civilization.

Of you, ladies, whose perception of the pure and beautiful has never been entirely obscured, though perhaps warped by the conventionalism of custom and modern taste; of you, men, if within your heart there yet remains unextinguished (albeit crowded and crushed in the eager race for fame honor, and power, or perhaps trampled and suppressed in the fatuous endeavor after sordid pelf) a scintilla of that love for the beautiful in nature which the great first principle implants in every human breast,—and of you, men and women of Canada, in whose veins courses responsively any of that patriotic feeling which is essential as life blood to every true citizen, of you we ask and beseech in the name of the fair goddess Flora, and by all that is beautiful in nature, in the name of the genius of home and country, and by all that is noble in nationality, that you help rescue from the obscurity into which, for the nonce, it has been relegated, the beautiful flora of Canada, and see that it is accorded that place in your gardens, lawns and parks which it is entitled to merit.

Mr. JAMES GOLDIE.-I wish to express my gratification with the paper which has just been read. It is very pleasant to me to find that our President is such a lover of the native plants of our country. For a number of years I have taken a great deal of interest in the cultivation of our native plants, which offers a large field to the lovers of flowers. By commencing with the early spring flowers, one can have a very interesting show the whole summer through. I hope this feeling for our native plants may grow. The great difficulty is that the woods are gradually becoming cleared and the swamps drained, so that specimens are constantly getting rarer.

Mr. A. ALEXANDER (Hamilton)-I feel personally very much obliged to the President for introducing this subject. His paper has a patriotic ring, and it deals with a matter which this Association might very properly take hold of. I have noticed from reading weekly the old country horticultural papers, that the natural history and horticultural societies of Britain have been for many years lamenting the neglect of the very duty the President has been urging in his paper, namely, the taking of active measures to secure specimens of the rarer and more beautiful native plants of the country. Some of them have entirely disappeared, and are to be found only among the dried specimens preserved by naturalists. With regard to the question of soil and location, any person who feels the least interest in this matter must not be at all deterred by not having the exact conditions of environment. Plant life is very elastic. My first experiment opened my eyes to this fact. Walking in a wood by the side of a stream with a high clay embankment, I came upon forty or fifty yards of the common British primrose; but there I found what I never saw before except by the side of the River Tay in Scotland-both the dark maroon and the light pink varieties, as well as the yellow. The place was covered with them, to the exclusion of common weeds. I was so astonished that I transferred some of them to my father's garden, and in order to give them every chance to succeed, I thought it was necessary to carry thither some of the clay in which they were growing, but my mother interfered with that operation, and I had to be content with planting a row fifty or sixty feet long in a very gravelly soil. The consequence was that, in three

years, a width of eighteen inches, all that I could reserve, was covered with a mass of these primroses growing to a height of six or seven inches, and carrying a mass of flowers from the middle of May to the first of July. Those primroses continued to grow and seed for years, and so far as I know they are flourishing to this day. Three years ago one of the gentlemen who collect for Kew Gardens discovered a plant which came from the Andes in Peru. It was planted where he directed, and it failed. Last spring it was planted outside the greenhouse door, and it is growing there and flourishing as a weed. So let us all take courage that we may succeed if we try to save some of the beautiful flora of Canada. Had we a few more gentlemen as enthusiastic as Mr. Goldie, there would be no doubt of our success, for he is extremely liberal in distributing plants. Last spring he sent me no less than seventy-five varieties.

The SECRETARY.-I have been exceedingly interested by the paper which has just been read. I think there is danger in our Association of our being too much carried away by the purely commercial aspect of our pursuit, and overlooking its æsthetic aspects. I notice present to-night a gentleman who was one of the originators of this Association, I believe one of its first officers. I refer to Mr. Bruce of Hamilton; and I am sure we should all be glad to hear from him. Mr. BRUCE, at the request of the President, made a few remarks, as follows: I believe I was one of the original members of this Association. The first President was the late Judge Campbell, and he was succeeded by the late Judge Logie. That was, I think, as far back as 1858 or 1859. I do not see present any of the old members whose faces were familiar then; but I am glad to see the good work the Association is now doing. Its beginnings were very small, and it had a great deal of up-hill work for a long time; but, by patience and perseverance, we interested the Government in the work, and persuaded them to give us a grant. I am glad that all those early trials are now over, and I wish you every success.

THE ROSE GARDEN.

Mr. WEBSTER (Hamilton) read the following paper on this subject:

Is not the name suggestive of a degree of innocent pleasure, only attainable by the lovers of the beautiful in nature? Does it not impart an indescribable sense of delight and rest from the harassing cares which beset us daily? Does not the care involved, the labor and watchfulness required to protect and perfect our roses, the health-giving exercise received and the pure enjoyment afforded our every sense while contemplating the developing beauty and fragrance of each flower, afford a truer healthier and more elevating pleasure than is to be derived from any of the more artificial forms of recreation of the present time? Not in rose culture alone, but in the wide range of floriculture, whether in the modest window or garden or in the costly conservatory, is to be found that particularly restful amusement, which above all others, leads us to look in expectancy and faith for better things to come. In connection with the subject of rose culture I will endeavor as briefly as possible, to give some of the results of my experience, with this, the well-named Queen of Flowers, confining my remarks to the culture of hardy roses in the open air. The location and planting of the bed is the first matter to consider, and here I would suggest that it will prove more satisfactory to plant roses in a bed by themselves than to intersperse them throughout the garden, for reasons to which I will refer again.

THE SOIL.

Roses succeed best in a somewhat heavy soil, provided that it is well drained, either naturally or otherwise. It being cooler during the summer months, if the soil is of a sandy nature or a sandy loam, the surface of the bed may be covered with a mulch of rotted manure to the depth of two or three inches, long manure will answer, but it is more unsightly. In the month of June or as soon as the hot weather sets in is the time

to apply the mulching, allowing it to remain throughout the season and digging it under in the fall or following spring, with a further liberal addition of well rotted barnyard manure, that from the cow stable being preferable for light soils. If possible the rose-bed should be sheltered from high winds, but at the same time entirely clear of overhanging branches. Roses delight in the morning sun and as our prevailing winds are from the west and south-west it is preferable to have both the shade and the wind-break in that direction. The bed may be of any form. If upon a grass lawn perhaps a round or oval is the most desirable. The months of April or early May is in this locality the best time to plant all hybrid perpetual, hybrid tea and moss roses. If two year plants they may be set thirty inches apart. If but one year plants, of which there are by far the most planted, they may be set fifteen to twenty inches apart, in which case it will be necessary to dig up and re-plant further apart in two or at the longest three years. The month of October is the best time to re-plant. Roses of any considerable size, as if carefully moved at this season it will not interfere with their blooming the following season. Should the plant be two year budded on the manetti stock, the purchaser should be made aware of the fact when obtaining them. And in setting be careful to plant so that the bud or point of union is two and a half or three inches below the surface, keeping a lookout from time to time during the growing season for shoots from stock, which, when found, should be cut off close. With a little observation these are easily distinguished from the growth of the real roses, the most marked difference being that the leaf stems of the manetti are furnished with seven leaflets, while nearly all the hybrid perpetuals have but five. The plant will then soon throw out roots from above the bud or point of union, and then, there being no further use for the manetti root, they very frequently die out of the way.

PROTECTION IN WINTER AND PRUNING.

After many experiments I have found that a simple mounding up of the earth about each plant, to the height of eight or ten inches, to be the very best protection for all roses that require to be closely pruned. When in the spring all danger of frosts and cold biting winds has passed, remove the earth protection and level neatly, using a short piece of stick to remove it from among the canes. The pruning may then be attended to. I seldom leave more than six or eight inches of wood, measuring from the ground, on even the strongest growing varieties, those of a weaker growth being pruned even closer. Remove all weakly shoots entirely as this stimulates the plant to produce strong blooming canes. When the operation of pruning is finished gather up all clippings and burn at once, as by so doing that troublesome pest, the "Rose Thrip," is overcome to a great extent. The larvæ having been deposited in the canes toward the close of the previous season, what few survive can be easily kept in check by timely applications of soapy water from the wash tubs; a few drops of carbolic acid mixed in each pailful will make the application more effectual. Where tobacco stem refuse is to be had an infusion of these is perhaps as good as anything. When using insecticides of any kind, the advantage of grouping, over indiscriminate planting, will be at once apparent. This also applies to all operations in connection with the rose. If the best results are expected, it will be at the price of constant viligance, for the rose grower has many insect enemies; but the reward will compensate for all the care expended upon them. And in case I have not dwelt sufficiently on all the important points in connection with rose culture, I would now say, don't spare the manure if you would hope to see the best that your rose bushes are capable of.

REGARDING VARIETIES.

I would say that the rose possessing all the good points combined has not yet appeared, neither do we need to seek among the lists of novelties for the most desirable. Many of the best varieties of to-day have stood the test of a quarter of a century, and will, I believe, remain supreme favorites for years to come.

Those who have had experience with the grape vine, may bring it to bear in their cultivation with the rose, as in several ways they resemble each other. Alike they will