The gaiety given to gardens by the massing of colored leaved plants would be sadly missed if the fashion were abolished. Indeed, where mere general effect in gardening is desired this system of bedding has become almost indispensable. It is very important that the points of the growing shoots be kept regularly " nipped," and, when flowering plants such as geraniums are employed, that the flower clusters should be cut away as they fade. It is the production of seed that exhausts the vital powers of a plant; an annual be-becomes a perennial when not allowed to seed.

Those who desire to thoroughly enjoy flowers, will have a rich treat in the herbaceous border. It is a surprise that so few have this adjunct to the garden. From early spring to winter there is a continuous succession of flowers. We have a friend who grows his in short rows, as a nurseryman would do. The border is about 3 feet wide on each side of a 4-feet wide grass walk, and enough plants to make a 3-feet line are used. The little rows are about a foot apart, and a label at the end of the row near the line of the grass walk tells the name of the plant in the row. We should judge there are not more than a couple of hundred of species in the border, yet on a run through with him on the Fourth of July we jotted down the names of sixty-four kinds in bloom, some, to be sure, just going out and others just coming in season. We give the list to show how great a variety of bloom one can have at all times, even in a comparatively small collection, in bloom at midsummer: Hypericum prolificum (a dwarf form), Funkia Sieboldii, Chrysanthemum sege-tum, Senecio artemisiaefolia, Trifolium rubens, Stachys Canadense, Spiraea venusta, Allium Stellarianum, A. cernuum, Pentstemon Digitalis, P. barbatum, Omphalodes cappadocica, Stokesia cyanea, Stenactis speciosa, Actinomeris helian-thoides, Coreopsis grandiflora, Melissa patavina, Silene inflata, Monarda didyma, Silene saxifraga, Lythrum tomentosum, L. salicaria, Statice planta-ginifolium, Onopordon acanthium, Spiraea ul-maria, Achillea rubrum, A. ochroleuca, Lysi-machia quadrifolia, Centaurea alba, C. nigra, C. ochroleuca, C. macrophylla, Hemerocallis fulva, Betonica officinalis, Tanacetum globiferum, Symphytum officinale, Veronica grandiflora, Campanula pulcherrima, Geranium sanguineum, Cal-lirhoe involucrata, Linaria repens, Phacelia tenaci-tifolia, Erysimum Peroffskianum, Gilia multicaulis, Monarda purpurea, Aquilegia chrysantha, A. truncata, Rudbeckia hirta, Hesperis matronalis, OEnothera riparia, Sherrardia arvensis, Lychnis coronata, Alyssum multicaule, Scabiosa colubrina, Gypsophylla paniculata, Dianthus deltoides, Delphinium formosum, Sedum acre, S. speciosum, Lychnis chalcedonica, Opuntia Rafinesqui, Veronica grandiflora.

We were told that no particular effort had been made to get kinds that would flower at this season; only such kinds " picked up" here and there as the opportunity offered. It is well to remember that herbaceous plants generally love rich ground, and those succeed best who give the herbaceous border a liberal dressing of manure every year. The autumn is the best time, as it helps to protect from frost. Freezing in itself does not hurt, but it is freezing in light that injures. Freezing in shade is not near as harmful. If not allowed to seed, there is no difficulty in keeping kinds a long time. But some prefer to sow seeds occasionally, as more vigorous plants ensue. Plants weakened by overbearing often die out. This and poor ground are two of the chief causes of the disappearance of choice herbaceous plants of which some occasionally complain.

Towards the end of the month, and in September, evergreen hedges should receive their last pruning till next summer. Last spring, and in the summer, when a strong growth required it, the hedge has been severely pruned towards the apex of the cone-like form in which it has been trained, and the base has been suffered to grow any way it pleases. Now that, in turn, has come under the shears, so far as to get it into regular shape and form. It will not be forgotten that, to be very successful with evergreen hedges, they ought to have a growth at the base of at least 4 feet in diameter.