The sun., 1892-04-15
HALF A MILLION P.iNSIES.
The April G'orics OF tho City's Parks and
Public squares.


Pubiic Squares.
Within the next few days nearly 500, ,OOC
pansies will be growing and blooming in the
parks and public squares Of tho city. German
pansies have been used by tho Park Depart
ment for six years. When tho plants quit
blooming In May the seeds are permitted tc
mature. and the outworn plants are destroyed
The stock has improved considerably under
that process Tho seeds are planted in Sep.
tember. and the young plants are grown un.
der glass. but without the aid OF artificial heat.
A few bloom as early as January. and
by March 1 they nre ready to put
forth by the thousand. When set out
in the parks and squares the pansios droop for
day or two but they recover quickly and
mako up for lost time. The work OF setting
outthe pansies is done by dozen or fifteen
employees Of the Park Department. A skilled
gardener. with tools and plants ready to hand.
can set out 5000 pansies in day. 1t keeps tho
men busy to com plete the work within the two
weeks usually allotted to tho task. The plants
sses sna Ss oMUrs ns r ay %
departm ent has u few uncommonly large and
fine French pnnsiss from stock sent over
set out 1000 or 5.oo0 Ensiss k daisies - are re
the tSat
daisies star the grass Mt various points in Cen
tral tEa rnrk nnd along Riverside Drive. The It
beds made by tho Park gardeners
When the fhnsie,s and daisies have quit
rssay te take @ n pess 92 Thss sss w Re
ed wa 6 s Fstf sre tire sne 6e
houses. because il they were open to visitors
tho work OF tho .nurscrymen would be i'm.
perhaps 10000 geranums blooming at once.
About IooOO geraninns are awaiting chance
arg arg d DARK Il rel IN color; fhonsands. however,
tral Park is the Queen olga. used in Boston.
Hall dozen plants Of the Queen Olga variety
were sent to New York two years, ago. They
have multiplied to 800 or 800. and the Queen
Olga will make hn impression in tho parks
and squares this summer: In color it is red
Tho plants that are cultivated Tor their rich
foliage number perhaps 100000. Last winter
the gardeners got for those, PLANTS some rurc
substituted it for the yellow sand that was
used. The latter is too much aduiterated with
gives tho plant standing room while it takes
root and feeds on air and water Clippings.
scarce two inches high. take root in few days.
shot, because Of the round black seeds held in
the seed vessel Of the blossom. await trans
are to be introduced in the public places this
spring. One is dwarf. having light red
blossom. 1t flowerS profuSely. Another has u
yellow blossom spotted with rel freckles The
tall Victor Hugo Gamma. with rich scarlet BIOS
som and bronze leaves. will again find place
in the citys exhibit OF plants
Besides all these. MANY thousands Of nm
nuuls are ready to be set out and pond lilies
and other aquatic plants await the coming OF
warm weather, A hybrid yellow water lily is
t. be shown this year. and the Foriia water
plant new to the Fast Is the coral plant Of
Mexico and the extreme Southwest Seeds Of
that plant were sent to the Park department.
by an army officer at a post in Arizona Tho
plant Is u shrubby perennial. not hurdy in this
climate. Its peculiar red blossom suggested
the popular name.