y. It spreads rapidly, sending up a flower-stalk from every "pip."
When the ground becomes completely matted with it, it is well to go over
the bed and cut out portions here and there. The roots thus cut away can
be broken apart and used in the formation of new beds, of which there
can hardly be too many. The roots of the old plants will soon fill the
places from which these were taken, and the old bed will be all the
better for its thinning-out. Coming so early in spring, we appreciate
this most beautiful plant more than we do any flower of the later
season. And no flower of any time can excel it in daintiness, purity,
and sweetness.

PLANTS FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES

Amateur gardeners are always wanting plants for some special purpose,
and, for their benefit, I propose to devote this chapter to
"special-purpose" information.

"What shall we grow to shade doors and windows? We want something that
will grow rapidly. If a flowering vine, all the better, but shade is the
all-important consideration."

The best large-growing vine for this purpose, all things considered, is
the Wild Cucumber. No other annual vine exceeds it in rapidity of
growth. It will grow twenty or twenty-five feet in a season, if given
something to support it to that height, therefore it is very useful
about the second-story windows, which height few of our annual vines
attain. It has very bright-green, pretty foliage, somewhat resembling
that of the native Grape, though not so large. About midsummer it comes
into bloom. Its flowers are white,--delicate, fringy little things, in
spikes, with a very agreeable fragrance, especially in the morning when
wet with dew,--and there are so many of them that the vine looks as if
drifted over with a fall of snow. The plant has tendrils by which it
attaches itself to anything with which it comes in contact, consequently
strings, latticework, or wire netting answer equally well for its
support. Its tendency is to go straight up, if whatever support is given
encourages it to do so, but if you think advisable to divert it from its
upward course all you have to do is to stretch strings in whatever
direction you want it to grow, and it will follow them. Its flowers are
followed by balloon-shaped fruit, covered with prickly spines--little
ball-shaped cucumbers, hence the popular name of the plant. When the
seeds ripen, the ball or pod bursts open, and the black seeds are shot
out with considerable force, often to