CA S S EL L’

S

P PULAR AR DEN G o

ED ITED BY

D . T . F I S H ,

ASSISTED IN THE PR ESE N T VOLUME BY

MR . ED WAR D'

W. BAD G ER ,F. R . I

—I .S. MR . R ICHAR D D EAN,E a lz

'

ng , W.

MR . JAMES BR ITTEN ,E rin

's}: ]lln M R WILLIAM HAR LEY ,llf om

’

, Essex .

sewn .

“

MR . WILLIAM HUG H G OWER , N umeries,

MR . WILLIAM CAR MICHAEL , la te G a rdener Tooling .

H R H M6 P rince of W61 1“? MR . JAMES HUD SON ,T/ze G a rdens, G unners

MR . WILLIAM COLEMAN ,ma G a rdens

,M y Home, Ad an, W.

E aslnor Casi/e, Lea’bw'

y. D R . MAX WELL T . MASTER S, E .R .S,

MR . WILLIAM WILD SMITH, Tne G a rdens, [f ee/afield P la ce, H a ney.

fififlitb uumet uuz gllnstra tionz .

C A S S E L L C O M P A N Y,L I M I T E D ;

LON D OZV, PAR IS, N E W YOR K 61° ME LB OUR N E .

[ALL R IG HTS R ESER VED .]

IN D EX OF CON TEN TS.

COMMON GAR D EN F LOWER S PAG E G LASS STR UCTUR ES AN D AP PLIAN CES: PAG E

Th e R ock R ose— Lychnis— G lobe Flower —P o‘

npy B ell-glasses, Cloch es, and Hand-ligh ts— G lassand— P otentilla E arth enware P rotectors

Barrenwort G entian— G eranium— G eum — G ypso G arden Framesphylla

— Ach illea— Campanula or H are -bellSweet P eas— Scabious-Meg asea — American Cows

lip J a cob'sLadder Evening P rimrose

Sunflower

Th e Feverfew or Pyrethrum— J l‘

h e D ropwort or

M ea ciow-Sweet— Th e Catch -fly— The R a gwort(Senecio)

TH E D ECOR ATIVE USE OF FLOWER S

Introduction— M aterials— M an a gement and P re

serva tionD inner and oth er Table D ecorationD rawing o room and B oudoir— Entrance H allsand

Corridors— Single P lantsfor R oomsP ersonal D ecora tions— Bouquets

FER N S

Alsoph ila s Actiniopteris Anemias TodeasAcrostich ums— Lomarias Pultena a — R h ododendron— R ich ardia — Solanum

Th e Ch eilanth es— G leich enias— P terisHymenophyllums— TrichomanesTh e Onocleas— Th e Lygodiums

Statics Stenocarpus Ta csonia Tecoma

Testudinaria Tetra th eca — Th ibaudia — Va cci

nium

THE HAR D Y FR UIT G AR D E N

Importance of Fruit— Site , Soil, andS helterArrangement

FLOR ISTS’

FLOWE BS

Th e D ah lia

Th e FuchsiaTh e G loxinia — Th e Hollyhock

— Th e P ansyTheP elargonium— Th e P entstemon

Th e P etuni a — Th e P hlox— Th e P ink

Th e Apple P ropa g a tionApples— P lantingApples— P runing and

TH E KITCHEN G AR D E N

TH E FLOWER G AR D ENSalsafy— Scorz onera — Se a -Kale— Spina ch

Vasesand B askets N ew Z ealand Spina ch—Tomatoes— Turnips

Winter B edding SimultaneousCroppingSpring B edding — Spring Flowers Monthly Calendar of Work to be D oneKeeping and G eneral Culture M onthly Calendar(continuedI

G R E EN -HOUSE P LAN TS

Clia nth us—Cobcea — Coronilla— Corraea Crinoden

dron Crowea D a phne D illwynia D ra cophyllum — D ryandraf — Eccremocarpus— Eutaxi a

Epa cris— EricaEriostemon— Eucalyptus— G asteria G enetyllis

G enista — G nidia — G omph olobium— G reville aHabrothamnus Haworthia Heliotrop iumHovea — ~Humea— Hydrangea

Imantophyllum Knigh tia Lapageria Lesch enaultia — Leucopogon— Lisianth us LomatiaLuculia — Ma cleania — Ma gnolia M andevilla

Mesembryanth emum— Mitraria — MutisiaMyrsiphyllum M 3 rtus N erium P assiflora

P entapteryg ium P h eenocoma P h ormiumP imelwa P lumbago P olygala P rimula

iv CASSELL’S PCPU

THE LIFE -HISTOR Y OF P LAN TS PAG E

Cellsand VesselsR ootsand R oot-stocksTh e L eavesa ndWh at Th ey D oWh at th e LeavesD o— Th e

G rowth

OR CH I D S

Introduction— Acanth‘

Oph ippium— Acineta Acropera— Adda — Aerides

Anmtochilus— Angraecum— Ang uloa

Ansellia — Arpophyllum— B arkeria Ba temannia

Bletia— Bolbophyllum B ollea BrassavolaBrassia — B rough tom

’

a — Burling tonia

Calanth e— Ca tasetum— Cattleya ChysisCirrh o

petalum— Caelogyne

Colax Comparettia Coryanth es Cycnoch esCymbidium — Cypripedium .

Cyrtopodium— D endrobium

THE P IN E -AP P LE

Introduction— P ine -bousesP ropaga tion— Cultiva tion

R OCK,ALP INE,

FER N,AN D WILD

G AR DENI N G .

G EN ER AL P R IN CIPLES OF CON STR UCTION .

Br D . T . F ISH .

O imitate nature so closely asto. be mistaken for it, whileproviding all the most fostering growing conditions possible to the highest art

,may

be described as the perfectionof rock building and furni shing . In the maj ority ofrockeries there is an excessof stone or other hard material, and a sad scarcity ofsuitable soil for the cultureof the plants . The

‘rock istoo often made the mainthing

,the earth and the

plants the secondary. Thi s is a structural errorthat can hardly be remedied af terwards, andh assmitten thousands of artificial rockeries witha barrenness that has robbed them of the majorportion of their interest and beauty. An excess ofstone, lava , or other hard material is as improvidentas it proves unsuccessful . It costsmoney, as well asinvites or insures failure . N ot seldom tons upontons of rock material have been purchased andca rted from long distances

,and piled up intomounds

or raised into spiky pinna cles, at enormouscost,while far more effective and suitable base-linescould have been formed on ' the spot . Earth of somesort '

— soil or subsoil,chalk

,gravel

,or rock — is

always present, and thi s can be thrown into themost erratic forms

, and'

disposed into an irregularityof surface that shall render repetition or monotonyimpossible .

Th e B ase .— The earth is at once the cheapest,

most stable, and suitable base for rock-work of all25

sorts and for all purposes— whether forAlpines onlymixtures of Alpines, herbaceous plants and shr ubs '

ferns ; or a mixture of ferns and flowering plants .Asa rule

,not only is there too much rock used

,and

visible— alike on artistic and cultural groundsbut the effect is frittered away in a multiplicity oftiny elevationsand depressions that degrade therock-work into the depths of puny insignificance .

Too much is attempted in the limited a rea . A fewbold smaller mounds and deeper depressions

,a little

rolling ground,and a few rugged rough rocks

,would

give dignity to the smallest rockery,and raise the

larger to somewhat of the grandeur and sublimity ofnature . But the attempt to crowd the rich variety of ahill or country- side into a few squar e yards convertsthe most imposing attempts at the sublime into theactually ludicrous . One tiny hill or rugged cliffwell formed and furnished

,gives more satisfaction

than a hundr ed little goes,each as like to the other

as two peas,and all resulting in a rockerv that is a

mockery of nature and a burlesque on art .

Th e R ock — Instead of piling up stones, brickbats

,clinkers, or lava in cart or barrow- loads

,as the

base of rockeries , no hard materials should come onto the grormd till the general outlin e of the rockeryis already well and truly laid. Of course

,where

very large stones are used, some of them may beplaced during the process of laying the earthy bases ofthe rockery. But these and the whole of theso-calledrocks should be so placed as to crop out of

,rather

than form the substance or base of the rock-work .

It is astonishing how far the rocky matters will gowhen thus treated and managed . Each piece carefully posted may go farther than several cart-loadson the higgledy-piggledy, hap-haz ard style .

But it is not all who begin thus with the earth thatmanage to finish an artistic rock-work. On the contrary, some of the worst samples seen by the writerhave been So formed that the earth and every step ofthe process can be tra ced for all future time . A regu ~

lar or irregular earth-bank orseries of tiny mmuuls,

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

resembling Brobdignagian mole-hills,are covered

with a series of rocky pockets,as nearly as may be

of one uniformsiz e,shape

,and character . These

hideous pockets,as a rule

,are far more conspicuous

than the plants that are supposed to fill them. Inmany examples they are far too shallow ; in othersmuch too large for their occupantsf N ot a few ofthese rockeries haunt our memory as we writethey look as if a shower of slaty pieces of rock orsandstone had fallen down on the semi-even groundline of the rockery

,and had arranged themselves into

squares of equal or unequal sides nearly all over thea rea occupied. Seen from a distance

,the rock-work

somewhat resembles the worked-out ground-line ofa worn-out quarry. Approach nearer

,to see the

plants, if any, and all the hideous deformity of thepocket system run to seed becomes painfully manif est .A perfect rockery

, be it large or small, shouldmore resemble the sides than the floor of a quarry

,

exhausted or otherwise . The rocks should riseboldly— proj ect here

,recede there

,and in places

‘boldly assert themselves ; For though the chi ef useof artificial rockeries is to afford picturesque-growingsites for beautiful plants and flowers

,yet the rocky

character of the base should be more prominentlyapparent here and there . The attempt to utiliseeach foot or yard of space

,and to cover the whole of

the rocks With flowers or foliage,is as great a

mistake as the opposite one of having ten timesmorerock than vegetable covering.

R egularity of form and of clothing is the ruin ofthe maj ority of artificial rockeries . N ature

,by her

various tiltings,upheavals

,and depressions

,varies to

infinity the rocky foundations of the earth . And

one of the chief“

charms of artificial rockeries consists in choosing for our imitation specimens ofher most erra tic performances . And yet where anyparticular strata is chosen for imitation

,in most

cases sufficient variety may be obtained in thedips or tiltings of that particular formation

,with

out travelling far beyond it . But of course this ismore applicable to " rockeries of great extent

,and

such as are seldom attempted in this country.

Most of our garden rockeries are a mixed lot,

f ormed of all sorts of odds and ends that can be collected in the demesne or neighbourhood. Wh erethese are not available, spar, iron clinkers , slag ,Spoilt brick, fused pottery, cement, and variouscompositions are employed. Asa rule, the greatestvariety of rocky substances W ill be found in thesmallest rockery, and the absurd mixture of stone ,spoilt brick, flints, spar, refuse of glass works, oldgas retorts

,clinkers , suffices to rob such rockeries of

a ny pretence to propriety or artistic taste .Many of the evils arising from the use of excesswe

v ariety of materials in rock-work may be hidden or

mitigated by the simple expedient of coating t hewhole over with P ortland cement

,after being placed

in position. Thi s converts the whole into rock ofone colour and character, and eff ectually hides upthe commonplace character of the materials employed.

But rock-work of artistic and imposing charactermay be formed without any hard materials at a ll.

The base of the rockery may be formed of earthonly, and these earthymasses cased over on the Spotwith cement . This can be moulded into any desiredform, and pinnacles and stalactites worked in or onfor eflect where desired. It can also be faced

,just

before setting, with smashed spar or ground stone,of any desired sort or colour. How much can beverywell done in this way with a very slender expenditure of time and money, cannot be knownwithout making trial of the system.

This mode of converting mere earth into rocks,

large or otherwise,at will

,needs considerable know~

ledge and experience . But these acquired, it iscomparatively easy, and becomes one of the mostfascinating of a llhorticultural pur suits . The rock

'sgrow up, as it were, under the hand of the master,and are fashioned into endless varieties of form andstyle

,ashe lists.

So lidity.— This is of especial importance:the

earth should be moulded into the desired shape“

several.

months or a year before the rocks are fashioned onits surface . The necessity of great solidity of baseis of course apparent

,and notwithstanding all that

may be done by ramming and treading, time, afterall

,is the great consolidator. Earth-banks, hills,

and dales— even overhanging ledges and ruggedravines— will stiffen into permanent shape morethoroughly under a year’s shine and shower, frostand thaw

,than by any possible amount of mechani

cal pressure in their making or afterwards . Carefully made and moulded, and left so for a year tosettle

,the earth will seldom subside much

‘

a fter

wards and should it slightly give way, most of theartificial rocks of some two inches or more thickwill have

,strengthsuflicient to stand alone .

Other advantages arise fromwaiting ,‘

besidesthegain of solidity. The surfaces of the mounds willthus be mellowed into g I eater sweetness and enrichedinto a higher fertility. It is almost impossible toover- estimate the importance of this ; for the surface:that forms th e bases of our rocks also furnishes theplants with deep

,rich

,and amply sufficient root-runs.

For it must be observed that, as a' rule

,the pockets

made in the rocks are bottomlessat all events, theyare not bottomed with rocks

,but with soil of such

quality as shall sustain the vigour and fully developthe beauty of the plants grown on or beside the rocks.

“

R OCK,ALP IN E ,

FER N , AN D WILD G AR D EN IN G .

D ep th o f Soil . —I t is absolutely needful th at thesoil sh ould be deep and suitable ; a depth of two feetor

'

a yard is by no means excessive for Alpine plants .One of th e most mischievous fallacies in “ regard tothese is that they need but little soil. Asthey arefound apparently clinging to the sides of hard, hotrocks

,it ' is too readily

'

assumed that their root-runsare shallow

,hot

,and dry. Th e very Opposite of all this

is more generally true '

. The roots run deep , intodeep fissures and seemingly unfathomable crevices ,and these are cool

,as a rule

,as well as deep . Th e

fact of th eir being crevices keeps them cool, for theyare full of air or water, both of which conduct heatslowly

,and th ough thesun may beat on the rock, a

few inches or a foot distant the roots in the crevicesare

’ cool as the bracing a ir Of morning in the earlyspring-tide

. Another cooling agency of greatforce is almost constantly at work to preserve theroots of the plants 0001 . Many of them are deniz ens of mountain ranges , inh abiting regions less ormore removed; from th e snow-line . An d thus ithappens

,while their tops may be blooming against

th e heated rocks , their roots are growing in snowwater

,that is

,in a temperature but little removed

above It is of course impossible to mete out allth ese exact conditions to the roots of Alpine plantsunder cultivation ; but the nearer we can approachthem in regard to the depth and coolness Of the rootruns

,thebetter the plants will thrive .

Finally,the roots must be kept moist , as well as

cool . N O doubt, even under natural conditions thereare exceptions to this rule . N ot a few Alpine plantsnot only “ lay their beauteous cheeks against th ethick-ribbed ice

,and bid the dewdrops nurse them,

”

but have little better or more liberal fare for th eirroots . These will hold on to the barren rock, or livein what seems mere stone

,dust

,or rocky débris.

But these are exceptions,and the rule is far other

ése . The flow of water over the surface or throughth e hidden fissures of rocks is seldom wholly arrested,unless in climates where the dry seasons wither intoéforced rest all vegetation . The natural sites ofmost Alpine plants insure a constant supply of waterfor their roots

,and it is almost impossible to over

water the maj ority of such in dry weather,provided

always the drainage is ample and perfect . Thewater must be kept in motion— moving water inplenty and pure air

,as far as may be obtained,being

th e breath of life to these wild and free ch ildren ofnature. Stagnant water and sooty

,stuffy air is

th e touch'

of death to them ; and yet not a fewnice collections of these plants may be found in Ornear London , Manchester, B irmingham ,

Liverpool,

G lasgow,Edinburgh

,D ublin

,York

,and other

larg e towns .“7 WVith proper root-runs, at once deep, cool, moist,

and the tops frequently washed clean with gardenengine

,syringe

,or sponge — for cleanliness is the

parent of health in the garden as well as in th ehome

,the workshop

,the counting-house

,foundry

,

or mine— the whole distance between th e healthand beauty and disease and deformity of manyplants is included in the one word sanitation

,or

cleanliness . It may almost be said that all thingsare possible to the cultivator wh o keeps his plantsclean. How

,often th is truth finds forcible illus

tra tion in the homes of the poor!In one homedirt reigns supreme

,and the plants are jaun

diced and their leaves stricken, killed by the sufioea ting incubus of dirt. N ext door the boards of thefloor

,though rotten and rickety, shine through sheer

scrubbing,and the plants in the broken window

look as bright and healthy as those in the duchess’sboudoir .SO vitally important is cleanliness to the healthof plants

,that even Alpines may be successfully

cultivated wherever a bit Of blue sky can be seen ,provided always that they are liberally fed and keptscrupulously clean . D irt and drought are their greatestfoes

,and not a few rockeriesare so constructed

as to intensify to the uttermost the evils of both .

Set in th e teeth of the sun and of every windthat blows

,with cramped root-runs that hold only a

pinch of soil on an excessively pervious or whollyimpervious bottom,the roots are either in a state offlood or of absolute want , and the plants droop anddie of necessityN ever was the a rt of judging by a ppearancesfarther from th e truth, nor th e cause of more absolutefailures

,than in the case of Alpine plants . Compara

tively few of them are even rock plants ; accidentsof stature or of character have placed them wherethey are found

,that is

,as a rule , in a well-watered

garden,with rich and varied root-runs , composed of

the denudation of rocks and the decomposition oftheir own remains through a long series of years .Hugging the snow-line for coolness and foi

moisture,and to escape th e shade of taller or

what istermed superior vegetation , they form afringe of verdure and of colour, and a connectinglink of matchless beauty between the vegetable andmineral kingdoms. W ithin their z one they reignsupreme over nature— veritable vegetable queens ,alike superior to the rocks among and above them ,

and the taller herbaceous plants,grasses

,shrubs

,and

trees lower down .

All this’

is most suggestive to the would-be successful cultivator Of such plants. The plantsthemselves , and not the artistic piling up or aestheticeffects of the rocks

,must be the ch ief points . In

the design and execution of the majority of rockeriesnot only are there far more rocks than plants

,but

CASSELL’

S P OPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

the former dominate or dwarf the latter. Thehighest art in thi s form of garden architecture orlandscape— for it is both— is so to introduce anddispose of the rock as to improve the setting,enhance the beauty , or add to the vigour or robustness of the plants . The plants are nature’s j ewelsthe rocks— at least the artificial ones— are the settingused to thr ow them up or out to higher purpose orvantage .

Starting and holding on with vice-like tenacity tothis general principle would revolutionise many, andimprove nearly all , of the artificial rockeries in thekingdom. And th ere would be this tangible benefit,that whatever else failed

,the plants would thrive

Fig . 1 .

In Fig . 1 th e

F ig . 2.

plant isconsiderably overh ung by th e rocks, and isdwarfed in siz e in consequence.

Th e Soil for R ock P lants— B e itsqua litywhat it may

,its depth is of more importance than

its width,the roots of many Alpines boring more

Fig . 3 .

But by

pla cing th e plant sligh tly in advance Of th e rock ,th ese evilsa re lessapparent th an if th e plant h ad been

pla ced directly a gainst itsbase .

growsth e better on th a t account.

and be in health . It is not given to every oneonly

,in fact

,to very few— to observe and appropriate

to artificial u ses nature’s tit-bits of rockscape ; buta lmost any one who starts on the firm

,safe ground

that every plant must have good soil and plentyof water to grow it to perfection

,is on the high

road to cultural success . So vitally importantisthe latter, and such horrid abortions are manyrockeries , that one is ready to exclaim, P erish therocks

,if the plants will only live

,thrive

,and

flower!” Some of them will do far better withoutrocks than with

,on

,or among them ; and some of

the most effective banks,mounds

,borders

,and beds

of Alpine plants have been wholly rockless .B ut thi s is written not to discourage rockeries ,

but to give emphasis to the advice to consider theplants first and last . If this is always done , rocksmay be introduced among them with less injury,and probably to the improvement of the generaleff ect. But so many rockeries bear the same relation to the plants

,ferns

, &c.,with which they

are facetiously said to be clothed,as the enormously

heavyand monstrously gildedframes , once so common,

In Fig . 2 th e upstanding rock ispla ced almost vertica lly, and th e plantFig . 3 showsth e rock tilted over away from th e pla nt.

did to the gems of art which they well-nigh extin

guish ed by their enormous weight and gaudy glitterof golden gilding. N o more rock than is needful

for the setting,and our Alpineriesand ferneries

would become gems of art, sensibly adding by theirverdur e

,brilliance

,and grandeur to the artistic

enri chments of the garden, instead of, as now,so

often being the one unpleasant blot that mars itswhole character

,and dr ags it down to the low level

of sheer !vulgarity.

than Spreading . A yard deep should be lookedupon as the minimum needed to grow theseto anything like perfection ° the deeper, in fact ,the better. Even the quality of the soil is ofless moment than its depth

,for its function in

not a few cases is more of a water-holder than aplant-feeder. This holds out good prospects ofsuccess to those who would try water- culture forAlpines . H ence

,too

,almost any soil that can be

kept moist without becoming sour may beused forthem . In a state of nature , the earth they grow inis very much mixed. The débm’sof rocks and decomposed grasses

,mosses

,leaves

,stems

,with particles of

soil or silica,these form the natural compost for

Alpines ; and the nearer this mixtur e can be imitatedby artificial means th e better. The nearest practicalapproach to this natural mixture is sandy loam , witha third of leaf-mould and a liberal addition ofsmashed sandstone or other stone . A few preferpeat

, but these are comparatively few. W here leafmould is not obtainable, peat may be substituted forit .

I

Some cultivators even recomm end a slight addition of thoroughly decomposed manure, but thisis

R OCK,ALPIN E , FER N ,

AN D WILD G AR D EN IN G .

r 'vwholly unnecessary, and generally .

injurious . l ne

mere fact of its being utterly unnatural is strongpresumptive evidence against its use, while experience

“shows that it does far more harm thangood.

The rage for rough turfy loam,though right

in theI

ma in,is not seldom carried to extremes

in the ' cultivation of particular plants . For example

,in the cultivation ”

of Alpines the necessity-for thorough drainage is so apparent that this‘ obj ect is sought to be obtained

.

through excessivelooseness and roughness of the soil ; but anyone who has -dug up]

an“Alpine plant in its naturalhabitat must have been struck with two features ofits root-run

,its hardness and its fineness . The soil

is mostly the slew and gradual a ccretion of ages,

formed a few grainsor particles at a time ; andtime, the great consolidator, compacts it into hard

Fig . 4. CR EVICES FOR . R ocx P LAN TS.

masses . The porosity of the soil is maintained bythe addition of rocky de’brisor other matters — semiimperishable matter- to it . The same rule shouldbe observed in the artificial formation of root-runsfor rock plants . ‘Fresh turfy loam

‘

should be laidupf or a year or more before use , as fresh vegetablefibre c an hardly be at once utilised by the roots .It would also be benefited by

.one or more turn

ings and by the addition of fifteen per cent . or soof “ pure silica

,or clean sharp “silver sand

,if not

sufficiently sandy ; five or so of leaf-mould, sweetand well rotted

,a nd from fifteen to twenty per cent .

of smashed stone . The latter is to be preferred tocrooks, potsherds, shells, or charcoal . The soil inall cases should be on a layer or base of drainagefrom two to six or more inches in

'

depth . In caseswhere plants are grown in pockets in . rocks

,it is

essential to success that these should eith er be bottomless

, or have one or more free outlets from theirlower sides or bottoms

,for it cannot be too often re

peated that stagnant water means-disease or death toall such piants. They cannot well have too muchWater during the growing and flowering periods , if itis kept in constant motion . This suggests a point ofgreat importance . In planting choice plants amongrOcks, the latter must On no account be so tilted overasto overhang the plants . The sun and th e rain

a re essential to their life,vigour

,and luxuriance

,and

hence the importance of so placing the rocks as inno way to interfere with those natural refreshers andinvigorators . Figs . 1

,2,and 3 give illustrations of

the different modes of placing rocks so as to avoidthe evils of overlapping

,a nd get all the advantages

of a free sweep and full exposure to atmospheric influences.The proper disposal of rocks under the roots ofplants is of equal or more “ importance than theirskyline. Asa rule, all the pockets or artificial fissuresshould cleave boldly downwards rather than spreadout horiz ontally, and they should never on anyaccount run upwards, unless they have an openingat the top into the external air (see Fig . 4

,B,

But the best form of fissure is that shown at E,in

Fig . 4 , While the worst is illustrated by A, in thesame figure, which may be described as a trap

to kill plants, as no moisture can reach the rootsin such a crevice . Of course

,between A and E

there may be a great variety of gradation andso long as the line of th e fissure is sufiimentlydownwards to convey moisture freely from top

to bottom,it may diverge widely from the vertica l

line Without injury to the plants . For example ,a crev we or fiss'ur e like 0 might answer a lmostas well as E

,for the successful culture of rock plants.

D ra in a g e a nd W a te r . Assuming tha t themajor portion of the rockery— all its base

,in fact

— is formed of soil , and that the top of the’ earthmound provides adual surface, one of drainage fromfour to six inches in depth , and the other of goodsoil

,such as that already described, a yard orso in

thickness:it is necessary for“

the outlet.

for th edrainage

,where the base of the rockery '

isgreatlyvaried

,to be at the lowest point.

In Fig . 5, for example, the lower portions ata,6,0 would b e converted into swamps, unless

outlets for the water were provided at the lowestpoints of these rolling valleys Or ravines . Unlessthis were done

,semi-aquatic plants would ha ve

to be planted in such positions ; but the_

combina

tion of a bog-fernery, and Alpinery in one is seldom very effective. The one very properly succeeds

6 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

the other in tolerably close proximity, as thus theeffects of all will be heightened alike literally andfiguratively

,for from the water-lin e to the top Of

th e tallest rock is of necessity the greatest possibledifference of altitude within reach. The smoothwater also contrasts sharply with the rough andrugged rocks, and the contrast Would be heightenedwere the rocks toplung e rather abruptly from thehighest point to the surface of the minia ture pond orlake

,however small . The efiect would be still more

striking were the rocks crowned with such stiff andformal plants as E cheverias

,Yuccas

,D racaenas,

Fig . 5. - BASIsor R OCK-WOR K.

1 , Original earth base ; 2, draina g e ; 3 , stra ta of good soil ; 4, rocks.

P alms , tall Ferns, or Aloes, and the latter furnishedwith W ater Lilies , Irises , or Musk Marigolds. But

mere swamp — that is,neither good rock

,bog

,nor

cleanwater— at such points as a,b,and 0 would be

alike objectionable on grounds of taste and culture .

Sh a de and Sh e lter .— The system of forming the

bases of rockeries of earth-mounds of considerableboldness, also affords the utmost possible diversity ofsite and aspect within a limited area . This is of greatimportance in the cultivation of Alpines as well as offerns . It is too generally assumed that the formerthrive best in full sunsh ine

,and the latter in the

shade but the fact is that not a few of both familiesof plants thrive best in the sun and others in theshade . W ith a rolling-bank running north andsouth ,

“sun and shade may be provided at pleasure,and thus each family of plants be provided with

,as

far as possible , its natural conditions . Even wheremere . pieces of rock are set up ,

as in Figs . 1,2,

and 3, shade and shine may each be commanded

within the limits of a few yards. All that is needfulis to place th e sun-loving subj ects on the southernand the shade-loving ones on the northern sides ofthe up-towering rocks

,such as those shown in the

illustrations .In plantin g into the soil itself

,as here recommended

,

great care must be taken in the placing of the rocksafterwards, . to afford the fr ee access of rain to theroots . W ithsuflicient drainage beneath, there is nofear of any excess of rain from above ; but if stonesare so placed as to thr ow it Off the roots, the Alpineplants must needs dr oop andsufier in consequence.

K e ep ing th e C rownsw e l l ab ov e th e Soil.— Though most of these plants enj oy an abundanceof moisture

,few of them can endure water resting

on their crowns . The crownsare not only the chi efcentres of beauty in rock plants

, but also theirsource of weakness . They are keenly susceptibleof cold

,and easily injured by any excess of wa ter.

Considering from whence they come,it may seem

absurd to aflirm that any of these plants shouldsuccumb to the cold of our clin iate ; but they do .

They miss their snow coverlet,whi ch seldom sinks

much below and their slightly warmer bath ofsnow-water a few degrees above it ; and hence, whenexposed to five

,ten

,or fifteen degrees of frost

,not a

few of them perish from cold . Th eysuff er all themore if the frost comes down upon them in a verywet state ; hence one powerful

'

rea son why thecrowns should be slightly elevated above the -surrounding surface .One great objection to common pocket-planting isthat

,as a rule

,the sides of the pocket must of

R OCK,ALPIN E ,

FER N,AN D WILD G AR D EN IN G .

necessity be elevated somewhat above the soil theycontain . When formed of cement or other com

position, these sides are generally waterproof hencethe water at times floods the crowns of the plants .Th is is sufficiently injur ious in favourable weather,but absolutely fatal to health or life during prolonged spells of frost. But with their crownselevated! slightly above the surrounding level , andthe soil in which th ey are growing thoroughlydrained at all points ,most of them bear the severitiesof our climate with impunity . Those that dosuccumb to it are killed by the sudden changes fromcold to heat and dr ought to sa tuI ation, more frequently than from any absolute want of heat .W e ha ve nothing, h owever, equivalent to the

snow covering to which Alpines have been accustomedin their native habitat . P erhaps the simplest andbest substitute for this is a thickish sprinkling ofroughish cocoa-fibre refuse over their crowns duringfrosts of unusual severity. This is at once light

‘andporous

,and hence most efficient as a heat-preserver,

while doing but little injury to the plants . Insteadof harbouring slugs , its semi-harshness and roughness is a

\

partial antidote to them, while its decomposition adds a useful ingredient to the feedingproperties of the soil .

S lugsa nd W oodlice . One might almostsuppose that rock plants were unnatural food forthese .

It seems impossible for many slug peststo live in the hard and sterile soils and regionswhere such most do congregate and thrive ;but if so, the B ritish slugs betray a wonderfulfondness for such exotic far .e They pounce uponand devour choice plants with such avidity as if tothe manner born ; and a water-cordon , whi ch isoften practicable

,is the best of a ll barriers to ex

ternal attacks. But slugs seem to spring up out

of the very earth with extraordinary rapidity .

To prevent this,

“ and in cases where Alpines aregrown on a small scale

,the soil used might be

charred or burnt before use . This would get rid ofthe slug pest from within

,from whence it is most

troublesome ; and thus, with a water- cordon— thewider the better

,though a few in ches will suffice

(the writer has seen a common roof o trough on itsback prove efiective)— the rockery can be made pestproof . On larger scales

, th e lake around the base ofthe rockv garden may be made the most interestingpart of it ; but watchf ulness will still be needful.Though these pests can n

‘either crawl nor fly overthe water, they enter the rockery nevertheless, anda slug-hunt at early morn and dewy eve will mostlyresult in a few finds

,and is the sur est means of pre

serving choice plants from being un’seasonably devoured root and branch.

Simp ler M e ansof form ing Sm a l l R ock

e r ies.— In many gardens and demesnes naturalbanksby the sides of streams

,mounds

,and dells are

to.

be found. N othing can be easier than to convertsuch into rockeries by the insertion of stones , brickrefuse

,boulders

,and other rock-like materials .

These should be erratically grouped rather thanregularly placed or planted all over the surface . Itis the latter that imparts that monotony to rockerieswhich has done so much to bring them into contempt .N ot only must every yard

,or even foot

,of ground

have its plant, but its rock likewise . This is a huge

mistake . Let there be soil without rocks, and rockswith little or no soil . Unless in her regular strata,we never find nature scattering her detached rocksabout with any regularity ; neither should we inour artificial rock-

"

making . The less regular, themore artistic and effective .Another simple way is to thr ow up the earth, and

build in andup the rock-work simultaneously . Thisis perhaps the best way where such rock-materials asbrickbats

,clinkers

,&c.

,are used. H eaps or masses

of these worked in with th e soil — taking care to leavesufficient spaces for soil

,and to coat all over-head

with a layer of cement,coloured and finished to

taste by additionsof stones or smashed spar— produce striki ngly beautiful masses of rock-work a t acheap rate .Again

,it is very easy to throw up mounds of ear th

at different angles and of various forms against wa lls,and to face suchwith rock-work

,varying the brea dth

and height of these at pleasure . P erhaps in noposition can rock-work prove more useful than inh iding straight walls

,and substituting for them flow

ing or irregular lines of verdure and beauty. R ocksmay Often be thus di sposed against walls so as toconvert the boundary-lines of gardens into featuresof the most absorbing interest and scenes of th emost surpassing loveliness. The whole character of ahouse or garden may be changed and m’arvellouslyimproved by the use of a few loads o f stones

,and

fif ty or a hundred choice plants and ferns.

R ocksand W a te r . The margins of water,

woods,and shrubberies form admirable sites for rock

eries,clothed with either Alpines or ferns

,or

,better

still,a mixtur e of both

,and other herbaceous and

foliage plants . N aturally as rocks seem to associatewith water

,yet One seldom sees the two combined

to good taste or purpose by art The most commonmistakes arise fr om the attempts constantly made toforce the water over rocks when the two are placedtogether. Few things are more pleasing and imposing than natural waterfalls . The music offalling water is also among the softest as well as thestormiest notes in nature and the sight of its gentle

CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

trickling over rocks,or of its wild

,leaping

,headlong

plunge that converts the stream and river into amere cloud of Spray, are among the most pleasingand thr illing that can be imagined.

‘

But justbecause these sights and sounds of falling water areso satisfying

,the mere squirts

,or ledges

,or stairs of

waterfalls that one meets with even at Chatsworthand the Crystal P alace

,and in so many oth er places

,

are g rievously disappointing . Unless,in fact

,

nature can assist art with a waterfall,this imposing

feature had better be dispensed with,or confined

to a mere dripping fountain or tri ckling of wateramong the rocks .But rocks are quite as effective in water at rest as

under or beside it in motion . And where rockeriesare placed against a lake or stream,

they should riseboldly out of the water at certain points , and thecoast-line

,however limited, should be distinguished

by the utmost possible variety— now boldlyadvancinginto the water

,and anon retreating into a cosy recess

Instead "of this artistic d isposition of rock andwater, one often meets with lakes, long and straightas a ‘

cana'

l,with smooth grass banks on either side,

and,beyond the banks, rockeries or ferneries formedon the grassy base . Such arrangements tempt oneto wish that an earthquake might swallow up thelong straight .lines of turf, and allowthe water andth e rock-work to become mixed up together in theirregular mode of procedure com on to those greatupheavers' and disturbers Of

"

natur e . What wouldthus be lost insymmetry would be gained in artisticfitness and variety.

Fore ign R obb ers- By l planting rockeriesin secluded nooks and corners in front of shrubheries and woods

,

“much might be done to breakup the monotony of boundary-lines, by no means ,as. a rule

,overflowing with beauty, and to add

new interest and beauty to the scene . Onegreat practical difficulty presents itself here at

starting,and that is

,the entrance of the roots of the

trees and shrubs into the rockery, and the cousequent exhaustion of the soil and starving of theplants . So imminent and so great is the danger,that some strong measures must be taken to prevent Or mitigate it . The roots of an Ash or

' anElm will travel a “ hundred yards

,and form a per

feet mat of roots at that distance,in any good soil

it penetrates . How the roots scent “

out the newlarder remains a mystery ; but that they do, andmake great Speed to empty it

,is patent to any one

who has eith er disturbed old ground or placednewanywhere near to established trees or shrubs . N ot

that all roots travel so fast or so far as those Of theElm or th e Ash . But

'

the roots of all plants make

vigorous. and mostly successful efforts to reach andexhaust any new soil laid over or placed near them .

There are two means of preventing foreign rootsfrom using up and exhausting the soil of therockery. The fiI st is to make the original surfaceroot-pro

'

of before building the rockery upon it ; andthe second

,by planting in pockets in th e rocks

,the

base of such not to Open into the soil. In the formercase the roots could not rise into the new material,and in the latter

,though they would r ise and hug

closely th e base of the rocks,they would ' be unable

to get into the pockets that supported the rockplants . Though bottomless pockets are b est forgeneral purposes

,those with impenetrable bases may

be used when needful to baulk the roots of trees,but

they must be pervious to the outlet of water or theplants will die .A layer of common or gas -tar concrete over treeroots will prevent their coming through, and likewise form a barrier against worms and

i

slugs.N either is it found that such root-coverings

,unless

carried too close to the plants,greatly injure establish edtrees or shrubs . But where this is fea red

,

’

and

large stones are abundant, either these or artificialstones may be used

,that have no further conne ction

with the ground than merely resting. upon it . Intothe pockets of these all the more choice and delicateplants Should be placed, while the Spaces between therocks could either be left vacant or furnished withstronger-growing ferns or other plants, that couldhold their own in the struggle for existence with theroots of trees and shrubs .

R ook ery a g a inst D we lling -h ouses.— It isoften convenient to place it here

,alike for ready

access and for purposes of Shade , shelter, or verdure,or the shutting out of

,unsightly buildings or other

obj ects . The one thingwanting in not a few gardensis sh ade . The smaller villas and suburban gardensarethe hotter

,as a rule . Their

.

glitter and glare at timesare wellnigh intolerable . A raised bank six or morefeet high

,coveredwith rocks and foliage

_

or floweringplants

,might be so

_pla ced as to afford shade

'

at anytime desired

’

. If a rustic alcove arch could beworked into the rockery, so much th e better. . Sucha cool and welcome retreat could be commanded atall seasons, that Would often combine more taste,and prove more conducive to . health and comfort

,

than th e whole garden besides .R ock-work also aficrdsa Short and easy cut to thesolution of the most difficult problem that is everpressing urg ently for solution, viz .

,the best mode of

shutting out unsightly obj ects, or of insuring asmuch privacy and seclusion as possible . In thousands of spots, where neither Shrubs nor trees can begrownto any eff ective purpose, rockeries might be run

THE R OSE AN D ITS CULTUR E .

up, and clothedwith verdure a ndbeauty at once . Thi slast is a wonderful point in their favour . N o hedgenor screen-plants

,nor trees and shrubs, ever grow so

Slowly as those wanted a t'

once to screen out thee ast winds, or the prying eyes of inquisitive neighbours . ’ But a rockery may be built in a day, andf urnished On the morrow,

that Shall for ever Shutout a ll such annoyances , and itself be convertedinto a thing of

'

beauty and a j oy for ever into thebargain

,

It is not only an eff ective but a substantial barrier.A screen of leaves maybe pushed aside, or fall atth e touch of winter, but the rockery abides, evenshould its verdure and beauty fade ; its substance asa screen and blind and Shelter remains . The ladiesof the house

,even invalids , can see or visit these

h ome rockeries in all weathers ; and if well furnisheda ndskilfully managed

,their clothing plants are ever

unfolding some new feature of interest and beauty ;they never pall by their sameness nor weary throughtheir monotony.

R ockeries may often form conveni ent connectinglinks of interest and. beauty between the garden andstables,or other parts of th e demesne . In conservatories attached to the dwelling-house or diningroomwindows

,they form the most effective furni shing

for the end or other wall in view of the window. Inlarger houses

,one end of the conservatory is often

connected with a rockery,clothed with fernsand

other plants,through whi ch a passage may be led

into th e - external air, as is done with admirable tastea tW olverstone P ark; Suffolk. The outside fernerythere is on a cliff of the Orwell

,a natural site

commanding almost every merit needful, and thesehave been utilised to the utmost by the highest artand most cultur ed taste, the result being such as!is seldom or never met with elsewhere .B eware of climbers on rockeries

,especially those

devoted to the cultur e of Alpine plants . A fewIvies, P eriwinkles, Clematis

,

" H oneysuckle, Vir

ginian Creepers,&c. , are so strikingly beautiful,

they clothe the rocks so rapidly!Yes; but theycripple and ruin most of the more delicate and rareplants in the end .

D o not be afraid of showing bare rock . Thi s isdirectly opposed to the advice usually given

,but

long experience confirms its soundness . The chieffeature of not a few of the most ‘ famous rockeries isthat no rock isvisible ; this may be picturesque,but it . does not seem sensible. Why go to greatexpense in making

,moving

,and placing rocks

,

a nd then hasten tocover up every inch of surface,and fill every nook or cranny with one or moreplants ? The latter can be done as well

,or better

,

on mere ground or banks of earth , with never a rocka t all. It is a glaring waste of force and time

,as

THE R OSE AN D ITS CULTUR E.

BY D . T . F ISH.

well'

asan artistic blunder,to hide up all the rocks

with plants,be they never so beautif ul .

The painter of landscapes never makes thi s mistake . In those in which rocks appear

,they show up

boldly from the earth,and pierce high into the sky

as such . H e never allows the G rape-vine or theIvy so to mantle them o’er as to conceal their cha fra cter or destroy their identity. The maker of

rockeries in g ardens cannot do better than follow thepainter of landscapes in '

thisrespect .But neither must he fall into the Opposite andworse extreme of leaving an excess of rock obtru

sively apparent . The plants must be the picture, therocks th e frame to set these off to higher and moreartistic purposes . Asa rule

,the worse the rock

work the more barren. This order should be reversed. The best thing that could happen toeighty per cent. of rockeries would be to let theplants cover up and hide their hideous structural deformities. But. of the twenty, ten, or five per cent.of good rockeries

,a fair proportion of them will bear

looking at alike on their own meri ts and also assetting off to higher advantage the exquisitely beautiful Alpine or other plants that nestle at their feet

,

rain down showers of beauty over their rugged sides,

or cluster like golden and silvern gems in their tinycrannies and crevices .

P R U N I N G

HE pruning of R oses,though less severe than it

u sed to be,is far more complicated. Only

a few years since,the pruning of R oses was

as simple and easy as that of G ooseberries orCurrants . . So soon after the fall of th e leaf asmight be, the pruning was set about and com

pleted ; the times as well as the modes were r egular and monotonous in the extreme ; the knif efollowed promptly the fall of the last leaf, and wentstraight to within a single

,or at the furthest

,thr ee

buds of the base of the sh oots . A good deal of thoughtand skill were bestowed on . the character of theout

,whether it should be up or down, or side-ways,

at a long or acute angle,or as nearly straight across

the shoot as possible . But the time to prun ewas irrevocably fixed by cultivators

,and the

extent of it stereotyped by custom into an nu

alterable law. Close and severe pruning was alsoall but universal, and the more plants were cut thebetter th ey were supposed to th rive . All thi s ismarvellously changed now ; pruning , from bein galmost wholly a mere mechanical operation, has been

1 0 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

exalted into the dignitv'

of a science , and the oldcanon— cut deep or h ard to find health or bloomis absolutely reversed by the modern dictum— theless prun ing the better . P revention better than curehas also been applied to th e pruning of R oses withthe happiest results ; growth is now directed intomore profitable channels than the production of fagotsfor the oven , or the making of charred refuse orburnt earth for the roots of R oses . It is mouldedinto blooming or furnishing shoots from the first. Allthis, ,

however, adds very much to the difficulties of

pruning ; from a single action at a set time , it hasspread out into several distinct interferences atdiff erent periods or conditions of growth. From

being confined to the tops only,

it has descended to the rootsas well ; at one time resortedto chiefly as a handy meansof limiting the area of plants

,

it has now become a mightyforce in the hands of cultivators in moulding their forms,and controlling the quantityand quality of their produce .

R oughly divided, the pruning of R oses resolves itselfinto disbudding

,pinching

,

summer,autumn

,winter

,

spring,and root pruning .

D isbudd ing . This isone of the most importantand “newest arts in modernR ose-culture . The term heredoes not apply to the thinning of blossom-buds

,which

is common enough,but to the

thinning out of the wood-budsof R oses

,dur ing the autumn

,

early Spring,or summer . This is often practised on

vines and such - like plants,and there is no

'

obj ectionto its application to R oses, excepting the time th atit takes . It is obvious,however, that if every alternate bud is removed from the shoot, it will beso much the less hard to prune at any future time .(Fig . More th an this , if th ese buds are removedin the autumn during the process of bud-filling , thoseleft will be the better filled in consequence . The leavesshould on no account be removed with the buds

,as

if left intact,and finding no bud to nurse up at

their base,they will Speedily begin to pass on th eir

supplies to the next bud nearest. to them. Thesedisbuddings, while the buds are yet in embryo , needclever manipulation and a sharp kn if e . P ra ctice,h owever

,renders the process comparatively easy.

Amere touch with a hot wire isthe quickest mode of

killing the buds and a small movable furnace,with

half a doz en such heaters,would enable one expert

to virtually disbud enormous quantities of R oses in a

day without injury to the bark,leaf

,or wood left

.

Sp ring D isbudding is , of course , far moreeasy. Th e majority of R oses would vastly benefit bythe carrying of this very much further than it isnow ; the majority of R ose-plants would be finer far

,

in foliage as well as bloom,were half of their buds

rubbed off in the spring . All the weakest and th eworst-placed should be removed first

,and then

should they still seem too closely placed,a port ion

also of those which remain .

Summ er D isbudding .— By the introduction

of Hybrid P erpetual, Tea, and other R oses , thegrowth of R oses does not by any means run parallelwith the seasons . On the contrary

,they grow on

and on, if not for ever, at least as if there were nowinters nor other arresting contingencies ahead ofthem ; and, of course , with each fresh bursting ofbuds , and new development of growth, the necessityfor disbudding may arise . By thi s simple process ,we husband force

,and perfect our produce

,whether

of wood or bloom . By the practice of disbuddingwe may place growth just where we want it most

,

and also expose it more thoroughly to light and air. “

The consumption of plant-food is husbanded,and

all of it is turned to more useful purpose . N o morewaste of vital power nor plant-food, are virtually the highly satisfactory results of disbudding.

Huge shoots a re no longer grown for knife-food, butto give symmetry orsiz e ‘

to the R ose-bushes or trees,

and to crown them with fragrance and beauty.

P in ch ing or Stop p ing th e Y oung Sh oots.— So soon as the one bud on the worked briar

,or

the several buds on the grafted plant,or the vigo

rous buds left '

on the disbudded ones break intosh ootlets

,and have made from four to six leaves

,

step them by pinching their t0p off between the fingerand thumb . Th is pinching may be designated thesecond easy step in prun ing

,and if skilfully per

formed just when and where wanted,little more or

other pruning may be needed. (Fig .

It may seem strange to the uninitiated that achapter on pruning should Open with paragraphstending to throw doubt on its necessity or usefulness . But only thus can its theory and practice beunderstood. P revention in regard to pruning isinfinitely preferable to cure . N o one with any senseprunes for the mere love of cutting off R ose or othershoots . H ence

,if we can gain our object through

gentler methods,these are surely preferable to those

surgical amputations that savour of cruelty andbarbarism

,and look marvellously like blunders.

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1 2'

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN I N G .

more wood still,and of greater strength than be

fore. The modern remedy for excessive t0p growthis root-pruning . (Fig . Search out for andfind a few of the strongest roots

,cut them back

to within a foot or so of the root-stock,and any

excess of t0p growth will begin to cease from thatmoment.An other result of root-pruning is an increasedamount of bloom. Moderate- siz ed wood is generallymore florif erousthan that which is more robust .But , in addition to that, a reduction of the number of

Fig . 3 2.— a

, R ose-tree, with rootsunpruned'

; same R ose, with rootspruned, sh owing h owth e rootpruning modifiesroot and top growth , asdescribed in text.

the roots, and their disturbance, favour bloom anddiscourage growth .

M eth od a nd. Timesof R oot -p run ing .

These,as we have already seen

,are indirect and

direct . The mere moving of the_ roots to see if

pruning be needful is an example of the former, andeven were none cut or destroyed

,some of the bene

fit of pruning would result from it . The extent ofthe direct pruning will have to be determined on thespot, and will depend on the number, siz e, andhealth, fleetnessor otherwise of the roots , and th evigour of the tOps. One-half or two-thirdsof thestronger may generally be cut with safety. Theuncovering of th e roots also affords an excellent 0pportunity of removing the whole of the undergroundstems or suckers , and of applying fresh soil or com

posts . These will largely assist in the formationand rapid development of a better class Of— that is

,

more fibrous— roots .Amateurs and tyros in R ose- culture are apt tothink that with the fall of the leaf their labourand duties to their R oses alike come to an end.

There could hardly be a greater mistake . I t isjust then that the cultivator can do the mostand best for hisR oses . D uring the summ er

,asa

rule, he can only work upon or.

manipulate theirtops . The autumnal and winter seasons throw the

roots Open to his fr ee and safe interference . Octoberis the best on the whole for root-pruning. W oundsmade then heal almost on the heels of the knife. R oots(see chapter on P LAN TIN G ) are formed at that seasonwith extraordinary rapidity. Suflicient time alsointervenes between the root-pruning and the growingseason

,to enable the roots to minister to the wan ts of

the branches soon after starting in the Spring.

Summ e r R o

’

ot'

-p run ing .—This

,where a more

severe check is desirable,may be given in June or

July . Just as the first blooming is over,the first

growth almost matur ed,a nd before the second

growth,on such R oses as P erpetuals

,starts

,is a good

time to root-prune_th e over-vigorous. The process

must not be ca rried toe far,nor indeed is it neces

sary,as far less root-pruning in summer will prove as

THE R OSE AN D ITS CULTUR E .

efficient as a more severe pruning in winter. Carefully remove th e surface soil down to the roots

,trace

out the main portion by proceeding to uncover fromthe bole to the extremity

,and cut off one or more

of the strongest within a foot or so of the root-stock ;pull out the severed roots if possible

,fill in with soil,

and sh ould the weather be dry,water home

,and the

root-pruning is finished. Asthe roots removedmay probably have formed the main supports of theR oses

,it will be most desirable to see to re - staking

and tying them if needful ; and should they showany sign s Of distress, an overhead watering in theevening will speedily revive them .

Summ er a nd Autumn a l Th inn ing — Thisis another expedi ent for lessening the amount ofwood cut out at what we shall presently describeand illustrate asthe general pruning

,and also for

improving the quality of the wood left . Assumingtha t di sbudding, pinching, and root-pruning werecarefully attended . to, there should be little uselesswood in the R ose-bush or tree . N evertheless

,there

is mostly an abundance of it,and hence thi s section .

Any such growth may be removed at almost, anytime

,nevertheless J uly. and October are the best

seasons for thinning out superfluous or useless wood ;the wounds heal more rapidly then than at otherseasons

,and the removal of superfluous wood perfects

the maturity of that left on the plants . It alsoaffords more Space and imparts more strength to thesecond breaks of Hybrid P erpetual

,Tea

,and other

autumnal-blooming R oses. The more light, air, andfood these have

,the more and better they bloom

,

and for a longer period. Early autumnal thinningout of superfluous wood is desirable for the samereasons

,and also gives a completeness of maturation

to the R ose wood that enables it to withstand withmore certainty the severities “of the winter . Thus

,

not a few of the more solid advantages of autumnalpruning are gained

,while all the main shoots that

contribute to next year’s harvest of R oses are left '

intact,and consequently

,as Shall be explained pre

sently, in safety.

Th e G enera l P runing of R oses. — This,not

withstanding that the way has been considerablycleared to

,

a comprehension of its principles andpractice by these preliminary sections , is still one ofthe most diflicult and delicate Operations in R oseculture . The great family of the R ose includes withinitself plants of the most varied stature

,character

,

form , and modes of growth . Some are deciduous,

others evergreen ; some tender, others hardy ; somehave a spreading, others a vertical habit ; some makeone growth a year, others two or many ; some reachto six inches , others are twenty feet in height . And

Sh ort or Close P runing— In this case th e

part removed is long,and the spur left on th e tree is

hence arises the necessity for different times andmodes of pruning. To cut all to one pattern at onetime would ruin nine- tenths of our R oses . ThisShort and easy method of pruning was only pra ctised when most of the R oses pruned were verymuch alike . They made one growth a year

,ripened

their buds, and shed their leaves in the autumn ;spread abroad their bare boughs to the pruner

,were

cut back to within two or three eyes of their base,

broke into shrublets in the spring,bloomed

,ripened

,

were pruned again, and so on and on for a lifetime,never missing a season, and growing but little in bulkfor ten or even twenty years . D elightfully Simple

,

is it not ‘

P Yes,and the most of our summer

,Moss

,

Scotch,and several other R oses

,may yet be pruned

and treated thus, with equally certain results .B ut as to other R oses

,and starting with modes of

pruning, the common division into long and shortpruning imparts but a vague idea of the difli cultiesof deciding that point . Long pruning may mean afoot, a yard, six feet , or even more Short pruning

,

anything from one inch to twelve . And thus,in

general terms,it may be affirmed that long pruning

is best for ' the stronger-growing R oses,and short or

“ sharp p runing, as it isOften called,for the

weaker ones .But what an endless latitude the words strong andweak growers introduce into the matter of pruning!These are but samples of the difficulties in pruningR oses ; and our obj ect will be, as far as possible toShow every reader how to avoid or overcome them .

L ong P run ing— It must be

'

borne in mindthat the term is a technical one

,and does not

,as

might be supposed, mean that the portionpruned Off

is long,but the reverse . A branch long-pruned is

left almost intact,with

.

little more than its pointsremoved ; and it is in this that the modern pruningof R oses completely reverses the o lder and moreprimitive ways . The more a shoot grew, the moreshould be cut ofi it

,was their short rule of theory,

and code of practice. But the plants would not

submit to it, though forced upon them at the pointof the knif e and the sharp teeth of the pruningsaw. The harder they were cut back,

’ the fasterand stronger they grew . After a vain struggle forcenturies against the laws of nature, the combat h asbeen given up , and long pruning genera lly acceptedas the most eflicient check to overgrowth, and thesurest receipt for abundance of bloom on stronggrowing R oses . The faster and stronger and furthera R ose grows, the less it should be pruned, and vice

e ersd. H ence th e converse of long pruning is

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Short. This is the best way of pruning weaklygrowing R oses . N otwithstanding what is advancedin thi s chapter

,and in previous sections

,on the impor

tance of breaking up and difiusing vital force intomany rather than one channel

,yet it is equally

needful at times to concentrate force,for concentra

tion of vital energy is power . And it is found inpractice that the easiest way to strengthen weaklygrowing R oses is to short-prune them to a single orvery

'

few buds . The force that would otherwisehave been diffused through six

_

or a doz en buds andshoots , is thus concentrated into one, two , or threeasthe case may be . See the illustrations of long

Fig .

— Long P runing .

and short pruning, and their results , wh ich make allthis plain .

But of course there are endless gradations between these two extremes

,and only practice among

the ' R oses. themselves will teach the whole art ofpruning . And not only the quantity of bloom ,

but

its quality,is largely dependent on th e mode

_

of

prun ing adopted,‘and the extent to which it is

.

carried. P rune too little , you may have manyblooms of inferior character ; prune too much , youmay have a few fine ones or none at all. Those ,however

,who prune for the highest quality of

flowers only or chiefly,must prun e harder— that is ,

cut closerm th an th ose'

wh o prune for siz e or form ofplant , as well as quality .

Th e T im e to P rune R oses— Those cultivatorswho grow quantities alike out of doors andunder glass, prune every month in th e year , perpetual prun ing being in fact the surest receipt forcontinuous blooming . But— leaving the pruning of

R oses under glass to another occasion— there arethr ee general seasons for the pruning of out-of -doorR oses, with various times for disbudding, pinching,and root-pruning abreast of or between these pruning times . These are autumn or winter, spring, andsummer.

T h e Au tumna l P run ing of R oses. —Thetwo months of October and N ovember are the mostsuitable for this . N ot only is the frost

,if any,

less severe,but the wounds get partially hea led over

before the severities of the winter strike,injure

,and

hinder from healing the newly-made wounds .

Fig . 3 4a. — Short or Close P runing .

only this , but having pruned off the superfluouswood, the buds left for bloom have the whole of theso-called dead season before them

,and fill up into

larger siz e and firmer substance . For the fluids ofplants are by no meansstagnant

,nor the forces of

growth at rest,during winter . H ence

,as already

pointed out,for all really hardy and non- excitable

R oses— such as the Cabbage,Moss

,P rovence

,Alba

,

G alli ca,Scotch, Ayrshire, and other climbers

autumn or winter pruning is th e best. All th eseR oses also

,except some of the two last

,th rive and

flower best short or close pruned. P run e early, and

cut hard, are also good rules for hastening the blooming season the following year.Th e Austrian Briar

,or P ersian Yellow

,is

,h ow

ever,an exception to this close pruning of once- a

year blooming R oses . Some of the more excitableR oses

,such as th e Hybrid P erpetuals

,may also be

partially pruned in the autumn to insure th eirsafety from high storms of “wind that not un

frequently break,bruise

,or destroy such . Th ese

THE R OSE AN D ITS CULTUR E .

may be shortened ba ck one-third or so of theirentire length with out causing serious injury to thebase-shoots by forcing them to break prematurely.

All“

th e weakly shoots may a lso be removed, asalready advised

,to admit more light and air to the

shoots left . These thinning processes not only enablethe shoots to resist the frost better, but keep theirbuds longer dormant

,for the riper the wood the less

susceptible the buds, (and rice verse.

Sp ring P run ing— Asthe once-a -year flower

ing R oses are disappearing rapidly before thosethat flower twice or oftene1

, so autumn or winterpruning is dying out among the R oses . The widedifference 1 n character and constitution necessitatesquite a different time of pi uning . W ere we toprune Hybrid P erpetual, Tea, N oisette

,B ourbon ,

and China R oses in the autumn , and in mildwinters almost without

f

frost till - the end ofFebruary

,the buds left for bloom would be from

four to six inches in length,and become tender food

for March'

f rosts, instead of‘

gems of beauty in thegarden next June . All thi s is much aggravated bythe dangerous excitability of the modern race ofR oses,

The infusion of Indian and Chinese blood isso great

,its potency on constitution so marked, that

the best strains of modern R oses seem never at absolute

.

rest. Hardly has one flower faded when an

other troads on itsheels, nor one shoot ripened beforeitsbuds break into fresh ones, and so on throughoutth e seascn . Fresh developments may be suppressedby cold, but the growth, froz en into inaction to-day,isquickened into greater speed by the thawing andquickening sunshine of to-morrow.

All this complicates the time of pruning R oses somuch that the wisest and most experienced standand hold

,as it were

,knife in hand

,longing yet

fearing to prune . The unpruned'

sh ootsburst intogrowing shoots along almost their entire lengths ; thewaste of force and of time seems most extravagant.B ut our hopes of success lie in those semi-dormantbuds at their base

,and hence pruning is mostly

deferred until March,and for Teas

,April or even

May.

Those early-

g 1 owing shoots are the rosarian’ssaf ety-valves . They carry Off the earliest and thestrongest curr ent of life

,and while it flows through

these, the base-buds sleep on and take their rest .And yet the late pruning is at best only a com

promise , a choice of the lesser evil out of two .

Were it possible to be assured th at no severe frostswould come after February

,R oses of most sorts

might be pruned in N ovember. But the winterseemsevery year to come less and less in winter

,

and then to make up for its absence it chases therosarian far into the summer . H ence

,it is no

uncommon thing to have Tea R oses blackened inMay. And

, humiliating as it may appear, it mustnevertheless be admitted that the date of what iscalled spring pruning must be largely determinedby that most capricious of all potential elementsin horticulture — the weather. Asnothing is certainin regard to it, but that the most unexpected isthe most likely to occur

,the best-laid schemes of

rosarians , as of other men, are often upset by it.On the whole, however , and in the average of seasons,about the middle of March is the safest month toprune all the Hybrid P erpetual R oses

,leaving Teas

and t ender N oisettes until April .

W h a t G rowth Sh a ll th e P run e r C ut to ?—This is a modern question arising out of thecharacter and conditions of the growth of modernR oses . The majority of these make two growthsa year

,the one ripening in June or July

,the

other in September or October. The tendency ofthi s double growth is to remove the plant bya compound process of extension very rapidlyfrom itsbase or starting-point, the root- stock,or

,in standards

,the point of ‘

union Of the scionwith the stock . One of the obj ects of pruningis to keep the plant

,of whatever form

,within

reasonable distance of its base . D istinctions inthe qualities of the flowers and of the shoots havealso been drawn between those produced on summerand on autumn -made wood. Asa rule

,however

,it is

best for the futur e form and health of the tree tocut boldly back to the summer wood(6, Fig . as itis called ; that is , the ripened shoots of the previousspring . W ere the Opposite course adopted, and theautumn shoot only pruned back to c

,the probability

is that the major portion of the buds on the lower portion of the shoot between a and Z) would remain dormant . The R ose -tree would thus become thin at itsbase

,and soon have a lanky

,scarecrow appearance .

There is another advantage in cutting back to thesummer-made wood . This being, on the whole,more mature

,and possibly partially emptied of its

fluids to produce the second sh e et or sh eetson itscrown

,its buds are longer in breaking th an those on

the younger shoot above it, and everyday’s delay in

the bursting of R ose-shoots in the spring gives anadditional chance of safety . Th e retarding of thebuds is

,in fact

,th e chief vindication of spring

pruning . In pur suit of thi s obj ect, the growingbuds on their extremities are allowed to run awayfreelywith sap and growing force , and the primerrefuses to use his lmi fe until the advancing seasonand the bursting buds at the base of th e shootscompel him . In pruning for bloom chiefly, there isanoth er safe rule of pretty general application , andtha t is— prune to th e best buds on the shoot, no

CASSELL’S P OPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

matter where found. The largest and roundest budsare mostly the best

,if these are th oroughlymatured ;

and such buds may be found at times at variousportions of the growing shoots . For example

,they

will mostly be foun d at the base of such short andsturdy-

gr owing R oses as Baroness R othschild, aboutthemiddle of such vigorous growers as D uke of Edinburgh

,and towards the summit Of such sorts as

Coupe d’Hébé. H ence the first should be short orclose-pruned

,the second to a moderate length

,and

the third long-prun ed. And so the principle ofgr adation of length, as well as time, must runalongand through the entire art of R ose-prun ing

Th e Summ e r P run ing ,

of R oses— Theterm is here confin ed to Tea R oses and the pruningof the spring or summer shoots of the HybridP erpetuals so soon as their first blooms have faded .

It is hardly safe to prune Tea R oses in the Open airuntil the end of April or the fir st week in May.

These,as they vary so greatly in vigour

,must also

be prun ed differently,such strong growers as

G loire de D ij on, Climbing D evoniensis,Marshal

N iel,and B elle Lyonn aise being pruned much longer

than N iphetos, P resident, and Blarie van Houtte .But, unless carefully protected, the severity of thewinter mostly takes a good deal of the pruning ofTea R oses off our hands. It not seldom degeneratesinto a mere mechanical removal of dead or dyi ngwood

,or the cutting off the frost-bitten

,slain plants

to the level of the ground. But where all is well,and ‘ the R oses have passed safely thr ough the wintermonths

,no hard and fast lines can be laid down for

the pruning of Tea R oses ; for in these we mayhave not only two

,but many successional growths to

take into account,not a few of the Teas being virtually

perpetual bloomers,because they never cease growmg .

Hardly has one set of R oses Opened fully when thebuds on the flowering shoots are showing a succession Of peeping buds , as though the in-comers wereanxious to see the Old flowers before they disappear .

Hence the careful thinning out Of the weakest and

equal di stribution of the stronger shoots is notseldom the only pruning possible

,or indeed desirable,

for Teas . Their recuperative force,however, is so

great that,whether pruned lightly or heavily by

art, Or yet more ruthlessly by the heavy and ruth

lessforces Of nature in her bleakest, hardest moods,th e Teas, if alive, are sure to recover and springforth into new lif e and beauty with the advent ofgenial weather.

Th e Summe r P runing of Sp ring a nd

Summer Sh oots. — Some years ago the practicewas more common than it isnow to go over theHybrid P erpetual

,and other twice-blooming R oses ,

directly the floweisfaded, and cut back the flowering shoot more or less closely to its base Thisfoi ced the second shoots out nea re 1 home than if th eyhad sprung from the head of the shoot . By cuttingto the most likely bud

,and di sbudding most of th e

others,a stronger second shoot was also secured.

Fewer shoots and fin er being thus obta ined, th e

autumn bloom was,on the whole

,finer in couse

quence . The tops of the shoots were also used forscions or cuttings

,as well as the weaker ones that

were thinn ed out ; the latter being cut Off with a heelformed the best cuttings . This summer pruning notonly favoured a better autumnal growth of blossom

,

but simplified the practice of winter or springpruning by settlin g beforehand

,as a rule

,the dual

claims of the two classes of growth already referredto . Asa rule

,the base or some part of th e second

growth was generally cut back, too, either in th eautumn or spring . But as the rush ofsa p is alwaysto the top, this summer pruning made some of th esecond growths later tha n th ey would have been .

H ence, partly, and also on account of th e considerable labour it involved at a busy time

,it is not now

very common .

Anoth er K ind of Summ e r P runing .

This is mostly applicable to Banksian,Marshal

N iel , and a few other R oses . It consists in the closecutting Off theflowe1ing sh oots so soon as the flowersfade . Th e plants almost immediately break intofresh growth

,and this growth is left intact until

it flowers next year,when th e process of pruning,

growing,and flowering is repeated ad infinitmn.

One constantly hears complaints of th e BanksianR oses— of which the small white

,so deliciously frag

rant,and th e small clustered yellow

,are by far

the best— not flowering, or blooming but scantily.

How can they wh en their flowering shoots arespurred off wholesale in th e

.

Spring ? P lanted onthe south or west side of a house or outbuilding

,they

will climb up fifteen or twenty feet,and extend to

quite as great a breadth, and literally smother thebuilding every May with their drooping wreaths orp endants of bloom, many of them extending fromone to thr ee yards in length . There is no richer ormore pleasing sight among all the R oses

,rar e and

sweet, than these cha rming D aisy R oses without athorn treated and pruned thus . It is most importantthat they should be pruned early

,not a day being

lost between the fading of the bloom and th eirsevere pruning, to allow as much time as possiblefor their growth to be made and matured before thewinter . Thi s thorough ripening of the wood isessential to enable such semi-tender R oses to endurethe severities of winter, as well as to insure a prodigalprofusion of bloom.

THE R OSE AN D ITS CULTUR E .

P runing asa M e ansO f R enov a tion — a

The increased vigour of a graz ed vine is saidto have first directed attention to the merits ofpruning. B e that as it may, there isno doubtthat the removal Of weakly or superfluous woodhasa stimulating influence on R oses. This ismost marked Often in the case of ta ll standard or climbing R oses . These, from their widearea

,and the enormous amount of foliage and bloom

,

naturally become exhausted sooner than others .Hence the necessity of exceptionally

‘severe pruningat times to renew their health and vigour . Branchesmay not only be shortened

,but entire limbs or parts

Of the R ose may be removed bodily. Sometimes theentire head may be cut OE. The best season for theseradical prunings is the autumn or winter. Suchvery extreme measures are seldom needful, unlessin the ca se of previous neglect . They are mostly,however

,when adopted, quite effective in re-invi

gora ting the R ose-trees . Huge adventitious— thatis

,forced or unnatural— buds are formed in the

bark,nurtured into siz e and streng th during winter,

and burst into vigorous growth in the spring, andthese renew the strength and the growth of the R esetree. In other cases such budsshow and break beforethe plants are cut back . In -all such it iswell totake stock of the condition of the plant

,and act

according ly. If its general health is all that canbe desired

,rub OE these buds at once ; but. if not,

ca refully cultivate them,and cut back as much and

as far as possible,to give them a better chance.

Strong-growing climbing R oses,mostly on their

own roots,very Often throw up such shoots from

their root-stocks, or the base of their main branches .One or more of these succession Shoots should bepreserved almost every year

,and some of the older

shoots cut out. By such skilful manipulations thehealth and vigour of such R oses are preserved

,and

they continue to be Obj ects of verdure and beautyfor a lif e-time. In fact , by thi s system,

all that ispart ially exha usted, or wholly worn out

,is removed

annually, and new wood, full“of youthful force

,is

brought forward in its stead. N or is thi s all,for

the new wood above has its counterpart in freshrootsbelow

,so that the entir e plant isrejuvenated by

these methods of pruning. P erhaps this plan of resuscitating partially worn-out R oses is less p ractisedthan it used to be. The lif e of individual plants

,

isless priz ed now that the art of budding

,and other

mea ns of propagating R oses,are better understood

and more widely practised. Still sentiment andcommon sense suggest the wisdomOf saving oldRo ses , and virtually making them young again, bysuch Simple modes asthose here described . R osesthus treated not only renew their youth

, but fre

quently far eclipse all their earlier beauty.

26

1 7

Th e P runing of D ifferent-sh a p ed and

S iz ed R oses— Asthese must first be formed beforethey are pruned

,and as in their formation training

must run abreast of or overlap pruning,it will be

most useful to explain the two processes together mour next chapter on the TR AI N IN G of R oses

,which

will therefore open with a section on the effica cyOf pruning in moulding R oses into shape.

P runing Imp lem ents— A sentence or two onthese will fitly conclude this chapter. The knife forpruning R oses may either have a straight or curvedblade . It matters little

,so long as it is sufl'iciently.

strong and sharp . Both these qualities are essential .H ence, unless for small plants and the mere cuttingof the current year

’s wood,budding-knives are of

little use . The point should also be rather narrow,

very sharp,and specially strong. D ead R ose snags,

as they are called,are hard as sta gs’ horns almost

,

and when not too'

large for the knif e . should bewhipped OE with one clean out.

When large,or for the removal of big branches,

the ha ndi est implement is a small-toothed,narrow,

specially sharp saw. Thesaw-cuts should,however

,

always be trimmed over afterwards,to make them

smooth and clean,and thus facilitate their rapid

healing. It is a fact that vegetable tissues willhardly close over a saw-cut, but heal rapidly over asmooth out of the knife.The same remark applies to the cut of shears

,or

the secateur,so popular as a R ose and other pruner

in Fran ce,whi ch may be most succinctly described

as scissors with one cutting edge . These,a nd

especially the latter,bruise the wood and th e

bark ; neither is the out so clean as that of asharp knife . B oth shears and secateurs are oftenused on climbing

,pillar

,pyramidal

,and tall stan

dards to save time . But neither equals the knife,and . it is astonishing how rapidly this does its workin skilful hands .

D ressing th e W ounds— This isquite amistake, though not a few rosarians practise it.It is like the old plan of dipping a cut

_

intoFriar’s Balsam to make it heal the sooner. Itdid just the reverse

,and increased the pain ten

fold to boot. B ind it up in the blood, and itbegins to heal at once . And so in a measure withthe growing bark and the sap of R oses . Make thewounds as small

, cut them as smooth and clean aspossible, and leave the healing to. natur e

,and it will

be done well, and as speedily as possible . D ress themover, no matter much what with, and you hinderthe process of healing

,and render the perfect sound

ness of the wound impossible.

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

OR CHIDS.

BY WILLIAM HUG H G OWE R .

IN TR OD UCTION .

HE name Orchis , or Orchid, isderived from thetwo peculiar pendulous tubercles which form the

root of many of the terrestrial species . The beautifulcolours and singular shapesof the flowers foundin this order have always attracted special attention ;and this

,combined with the length of time the

blooms continue in perfection, has caused them tobecome general favour ites .The flowers of Orchids derive their fantastic shapes

from the fact of their being irregular— that is to say,

they are not simply made up of calyx and corolla,each of whi ch is easily defined by its shape andcolour, or as in the case of other flowers in wh ichboth calyx and corolla are alike(perianth) But inOrchids we have a flower made up of several parts,each different in shape, and in some instances alldiffering in colour . The illustration here given of aP halaenopsis flower will fully illustrate our meaning,whilst the various figureswe shall give to illustratethe genera, will serve to show some of the extraordinary forms which the flowers of this orderassume . Again , the peculiar stems of Orch ids arecalled pseudo-bulbs , or false bulbs , on account ofthe swollen and often bulb-like appearance of theirgrowth.

In the early days of our acquaintance with theseplants, their high prices and the extreme difficultywhich apparently attended their cultivation

,made

them the exclusive property of the very wealthy few.

N ow,however, we have increased our knowledge of

the conditions under which they thr ive in their nativehabitats

,and the ea se and rapidity with which they

can be transferred is so great, that thousands ofplants arrive in this coun try every month ; and thusprices

'

h ave been reduced to such an extent as tobring them within the reach of every one havinga glass-house . N ot that there are no high-pricedOrchids even in these days . On the contrary, anynew species

,or an extra good variety of an old and

well-known Species,is more eagerly sought after

than ever, and numerous instances occur every yearwhere amateurs are found who willingly give fifty,eighty

,or a hundr ed guineas to become the happy

possessor of some special or unique.

form . N everth eless, for the comfort of th ose who are aboutto commence the fascinating pursuit

_

of Orchidgrowing, we can assure them that some of the mostbeautiful kinds in this grand family of plants arethose which are th e most reasonable in price .

T emp era ture — W ith the inforination broughtusrespecting Orchids

,

by those who have collected

them in their wild state , coupled with rational treatment at home

,these plants are now found to be

as e asily managed as any others . One great objection to Orchid-growing in the earlier days wasthe enormous consumption of fuel, which had arather formidable appearance on paper when the costwasadded up at the end of the year . These werethe days when

,because a plant came fr om the East

Indies or South America, it was supposed to requireas much heat as a cook’s salamander— the fact of thevast mountain ranges of both hemispheres beingdensely clothed with verdur e up to many thousandfeet elevation being completely ignored. Thi s factisnow fully recognised

,and it is found that com

paratively little expense is incurred in keeping thesemountain plants supplied with sufficient heat . Thereare

,however, some kinds which do require a strong

heat to main tain them in health and develop theirbeautiesj such as the An graecums, from Africa andthe African Islands

,theAerides

,Vandas ,Phalaenopsis ,and Saccolabiums from the low mainland of India,and from the Indian islands

,&c. These undoubtedly

do require a large amount of artificial heat . For

those who have large collections,therefore

,we

advise three ‘ separate houses,or one house divided

into three,by which means the peculiar temperatures

necessary for the we ll-being of the plants can beeasily maintained. Those who have but a singlehouse for their pets must endeavour to keep oneportion of it cooler than the other by means ofventilation

.The temperatures should be about as

followsl . The E ast Indian H ouse

,as its name implies ,

should be used for all the plants from low elevationsin the East Indies

,as well as any other hot countries .

The summer temperature of this house should rangefrom about 75° at night up to 90°with sun duringthe day. A free circulation of air should be mainta ined

,but the atmosphere sh ould be well charged

with moistur e , so that it does not become arid . Thewinter temperature , 60° to 65° by night, running upto 70° or 75° by day.

2. Tbe B ra z ilian H ausa — Thiswill accommodateall the plants from the low regions of the W esternHemisphere . Summer temperature, 65° to 70° bynight, up to about 80° _

or 85° by day with sunheat . Winter temperature , 60° by night, up to 65°or 70°by day with sunshine . In thi s house a certainspace should be left entirely without shade , in orderto accommodate such plants as some of the Laelias

,

Coryanthes, and similar plants , which thrive bestclose to the glass

,and love full exposur e to the sun’s

rays . This we designate the J ilexican division .

3 . The P eruvian H ausa — This will include all themountain plants from the W estern world, and alsosome of those from the Himalayas . Summer tem

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20 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

grapes,which every one knows full well how to

utilise, whi le the leaves will afford an agreeableshade to the plants . In the P eruvian House, inaddition to cool country Ferns, we advise. th e roofto be thinly covered with the shoots of the red andwhite forms of Lapagorias. The temperature willsuit these plants exactly, and their beautiful pen .

dulousbell- shaped flowers will produce an effect notoften realised

,but never to be forgotten.

P ott ing — It will not be necessary to enlargeupon the potting or basketing of Orchids, as thedetails will be given in treating of each genus separately. Suffice it to say that the material used for theepiphytal kinds should be living Sphagnum,

and

the fibrous portion of peat which is left after allthe fine soil has been beaten out. Such plants , however

,as Vandas , Aerides, Angraecums , Saccolabiums,do not like peat fibre

,but should have

Sphagnum only.

In potting epiphytes with pseudo-bulbs, th e material should be raised above the rim of the pot intothe form of a little cone

,and the base of the pseudo

bulbs must sit upon the summit. This system isnecessary in order to prevent decay to the eyes,which spring from the base . The same a lso willapply to D endrobriums

,&c., which ha ve stem-like

pseudo-bulbs, but is not material in the case of thedistichous kinds

,such as Aerides and Vandas,

’

which

continue to grow from the summit.Orch id-pots have already been treated upon

,the

perforated ones being the most preferable, becausethey allow the roots to push into the air

,and thus

,

instead of the roots dying,as they too frequently do

in close pots,they continue healthy and give proper

nourishment to the plants . W ith the terrestrialkinds , however, the case is very different . H ere theordinary pots must be used

,and the soil required

is much closer, in some instances even stiff loambeing th e most suitable . W ith these plants the soildoes not require elevating above the rim of the pot

,

but in all and every case the drainage must beperfect.The plants grown upon blocks require but a verysmall quantity of moss ; this should be fastened onwith fine Copper wire. There is no doubt that thisis the most natural mode of treatment

, but very muchmore care is required in their culture

,it being almost

impossible to keep the atmosph eresufiiciently chargedwith moisture for their sustenance .

R est — Orchids for the most part require a periodof rest which corresponds with the dry seasonof their native habitats

,although some of th e

mountain species from N ew G renada and P eruwould appear to haVe no season of repose . W e

often read of the terrible drought which vegetationhas to endure in many parts of Asia, and no doubthundr edsof plants never survive the ordeal ; but asthe Orchid-grower at home wi sh es every one of hisplants to awake

,the trial must not be too severe .

R esting isan operation which requires discretion.

“

Af ter growth is completed and well set up , thetemperature should be lowered, and th e supply ofwater gradually withdrawn. When the plantappears to be quite dormant, the supply may bestopped, and unless the leaves or pseudo-bulbs showsigns of distress by shrivelling, no more should begiven until the time comes round for again startingit into growth.

D ise ases. — These plants like all others a re

subj ect to disease, which in some instances isbrought about through the agency of insect pests .A disease called the “ spot

,

” from the canker- likeblotch es which show themselves on the leaves, andwhich in many instances spreads rapid'

i causingdestruction to the symmetry of the plant , and evendeath

,hasto a very great extent disappeared

la tely from our collections . This we attributeto the more rational treatment which these plantsnow receive

,the disease arising from a super

abun dance of moisture dur ing winter, combinedwith a foul and stagnant a tmOSph ero. But eventhis is not a disease brought about by cultivation,for we have seen marks of it on the leaves of newlyimported plants

,thus proving that the plants may

meet with uncongenial surroundings even in astate of nature .Orchids

,especially the kinds with two-ranked

leaves,are very much disfigured at times by th eir

y oung leaves turning a dirty rust-colour, instead ofbright green. These have had all the colour drawnout of them by an insect called the red-thrip . Itis perhaps the worst pest the cultivator has tocontend with . Some advise fumigating as the bestmeans of destroying them. W e are

,however , opposed

to fumigating Orchids,having found that such plants

as Vandas invariably lose some of the lower leaves afew days after the Operation , which of course destroyed the symmetry of the plants and reduced theirvalue . Our experience with the red-thrip provesthat dusting the parts affected with toba cco-powder,’

allowing it to remain on fer a day or two withoutbecoming wet , completely extermin ated them without injury to the plant . The other

_pests which

attack Orchidaceous plants are yellow-fly,green-fly,

black-thrip,white and brown scale, and mealy

abug .

For all these we prefer wa shing the parts affectedwith a sponge

,using a mixture of soft- soap and

tobacco-water,to applying any violent remedy,

which may perchance prove more detrimental than

OR CHID S. 21

the disease. . In the case of slugsor snails, theseoftentimes get brought in with the Sphagnum Moss.This isfrequently

'

the case with the little Onionsna il(Z onitesa lla iria). These must be watched forat night after dark

,traps of Lettuce-leaves

,sliced

Turnips,P otatoes ,

"

and such-like things being alsola id about for them. The cock-roach(Bla tta orien

ta lis) is the great destroyer of th e roots of Orchids.There is

,however

,

no reason why thisbeetle should bem o r e p l e nt i fu la mong s t th e seplants

.

than anyothers, and ifalmost any of thenumerous pastes

,

which are " offeredfor sale to destroythem

,be used per

sistently, the housecan easily and

speedily be cleared.

f A ca nth ep h ip

p ium .—The . name

signifies Spinyhorse,” but how itbears

,

upon theplants comprisingthisgenus weunable to say.

They“ are terrestrialin habit and lovethe Shade, anda lthough not ap

p re cia te d by O r

ch idologistsof thefirst wa ter

,they

a re sufficiently interesting to deservea place in the mostreckerclzé collection .

,Asa genus, Acaoztkepln

’

pp ium isnearly allied toB letia

, and is characterised by its short stout pseudobulbs , and large broad-plaited leaves . The flowers

'

pikes seldom exceed the pseudo-bulbsin height,

but are very numerous. These bear from three toseven or eight large

,fleshy

,ventricose flowers

,

which are more or less bluntly spurred at thebase . They thrive best when planted in a somewhat closer soil than is usually considered suitablefor membersof this order. P ot in rough peat ,leaf mould, and loam . D uring the period ofgrowth water abundantly

, but afterwards a goodsea son of rest will tend to the production of an

Aomnm Humnonnrn .

abundant supply of their curious flowers . EastIndian House .A . bicolor .

— P seudo-bulbs ovate, leaves oblonglanceolate, ten to eighteen inches long, and two tofour inches broad

,sharply tapering to a point at

both ends ; flowers three to seven, yellow,streaked

and Spotted with red near the mouth ; petalsnarrowly oblong, acute ; middle lobe of lip bluntly

tongue- shaped,fur

nish ed with threefleshy

,warty pro

tuberances alongthe centre ; sidel'obes obtuse

,in

curved . May andJune . Centra l P rovinces of Ceylon.

A . j avamcum.

This species iseasily di stinguishedby its obtusely fouran gl e d pseu d obulbs . Flowersthree to six, yellow

,stained and

spotted with pur

ple petals somewhat spathulate ;middle lobe of lipornamented withfour fleshy plateson the centre ; sidel o b e s t run c a t e .April and May.

Java .

A . stria tum.

P seudo-bulbs slender ; the flowersbluntly Spurred atthe base, white,slightly streakedwith red ; petalsI

oblong , acute ; themiddle lobe of lip small, fleshy, and acute, furnishedwith numerous rough protuberances along the centre,side lobes bluntly oblong . April and May. N epaul.

-A . syllzetense.— The flowers of this species are

creamy-white,streaked with purple inside ; petals

oblong-lanceolate,a cute ; middle lobe of lip thick

and fleshy,tongue- shaped, ornamented on th e centre

with three toothed protuberances ; side lobes verynarrow. April and May. Sylh et, Sikkim,

and.

Khasia.

A cine ta .—A genusof singular and most in

teresting epiphytal Orchids, originally included with

22 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

P eristeria . The name comes from akineta,im

movable, and refers to the lip, which is jointless.Acinetas are characterised by their angularpyriform pseudo-bulbs

,from the summit of which

are produced two or thr ee large, erect, membranousplaited

,dark green leaves . The racemes spring

from the base of the pseudo-bulbs , and grow straight'

downwards,bearing numerous globose, thick, and

fleshy flowers . The lip is thr ee- lobed, united to th ecolumn, and furnished with a peculiar flesh y processin the Shape of a spur or horn .

The whole of the species are found in the denseforestsof Tropical Am erica, chiefly in deep anddark ravines. Cultivators may, therefore, learnfrom this that these plants delight in shade, and

should not be so placed as to receive the full influence of thesun .

These plants are extremely ornamental whenin bloom,

but from their peculiar habit of flowering,it is absolutely necessary to grow them in openbaskets suspended from the roof. These basketsshould '

be filled with rough peat fibre and Sph ag tnum . Some pieces of charcoal mixed with this willbe found most advantag eous, for although Acinetasrequire an abundant supply of water dur ing thegrowing season, the compost should be sufficientlyopen to allow it to pass away freely. After growthiscompleted, a moderate season of rest should begiven by withholding the water supply

, but thi smust not be carried to such an extent as to shrivelth e pseudo-bulbs, or the plants may be permanentlyinjured in health . Braz ilian House.A . B a rkerii.— P seudo-bulbs large

,deeply furrowed ;

leaves one to two feet high, racemes bearing num eroussub-globose , waxy flowers ; sepals and petals richorange-yellow ; lip deeply thr ee-lobed, full orange,spotted with crimson . May to July. X alapa .

A . chrysantha .— P seudo-bulbs ovate

,furrowed

,

bearing large, plaited, dark green leaves. Thependulous racemes are somewhat laxly set, withrich golden-yellow flowers ; lip white, furnish edwith -

a curious blunt spur-like process ; columncrimson . May to July. Mexico .A . Humboldtii.— This is the Anguloa sup erba of

Humboldt . Like the preceding,the leaves are large

and plaited . The racemes are some two feet long,

and densely crowded with thick, fleshy, globose

flowers ; sepals bright purplish-chocolate, spottedand blotched with purplish-crimson ; petals deepclaret-colour , spotted like the sepals ; lip yellow,

column winged. April and May. La G uayra .

A . Humboldtii, var. f ulva .

— Thi s vari ety producesflowers of a tawny-yellow, Spotted with purplishbrown ; lip bright yellow. May to July. CentralAmerica.A . H umboldm

, var. straminea .— Flowers light

yellow or straw-coloured,sparingly spotted in th e

interior with purplish-brown. June and July . N ew

G renada.

A crop era . A small genus of curiousepiphyta lplants

,having much the habit of growth of

Maxillaria,now merged into G ongora . The name

is derived from ak’

ras,the end

,and mm, a pouch ,

from the curious pouch-like terminations of thelabellum .

AcrOperasare not very showy , but theirsingularflowers are very charming

,and will well repay

‘

any

space which may be devoted to them,more especially

as one species bears the name of such a grea tenthusiast in all rela ting to plants and plant-loreas the late Mr . G eorge Loddig es, .proprietor of theonce famous nursery at Hackney.

These plants produce pendulous racemes of flowersfrom the base of the pseudo-bulbs, which hanground them in dense clusters . They may be grownequally well in pots or baskets

,but in either case

the base of the pseudo-bulbs should be well elevatedabove the soil

,which should be rough fibrous peat

and Sphagnum Moss . Mexican House.A . a rmmiaca . P seudo-bulbs ovate

,obtusely

furrowed,bearing two broad, plaited, dark green

leaves,some ten inches in length ; racemes pendulous ,

as long or longer than the leaves, many-flowered ;sepals and petals clear apricot-yellow, dotted withreddish-brown . May to July . N icaragua .

A . Loddigesii.— In habit thisspecies resembles thcpreceding

,but it is not so large a grower, and the

pendulous racemes do not bear so many flowerssepals and petals brownish-yellow ; lip reddishbrown. May to July. X alapa .

A da .—Asa genus, th is isch aracterised by the

sepalsspreading at their apices only, nearly equalacuminate, the lateral ones somewhat oblique at thebase ; petals similar, but smaller ; lip elongate,undivided, parallel with and adnate to the base ofthe column, crested with two membranous plates,which are afterwards confluent ; column wingless . One Species only hashitherto been introduced of this genus . It should be potted in peatand Sphagnum Moss in about equal parts ; drain well,and water freely during the summer months

,and

even in winter it must be supplied in moderation,

and never be allowed to suffer from drought .A . aura-ntz

'

aca .

— An epiphyte with the habit of

B rassia . The pseudo-bulbs are narrow,nearly

cylindrical, about four inches long , and bearingone to three leaves

,which are about six inches

long and sheathing at the base ; ra cemes'

terminal,

drooping,nearly twice as long as the leaves ; flowers

somewhat two-ranked, bright reddish -orang e colour,

OR CHID S.

and about an inch long. It thrives well'

with Odontoglossumsand Masdevallias. W inter and early springmonths .It is a native of the province of P amplona, in

N ew G renada, growing in the mountains at an

elevation of feet . P eruvian House .

A erides.— From aer,the air

,in reference to the

epiphytal habit of the plants . They are epiphyteswith mostly simple rootingstems, and two-ranked ordi stichous

,coriaceous

,somewhat fleshy leaves , and

long racemes of showy flowers ; sepals Spreading,the la teral ones oblique at the base , and connatewith the prolonged foot of the column ; lip continuouswith the column, spurred and three-lobed ;column recumbent on the ovary, short, w

'ingless ;pollen masses two, obliquely two- lobed behind.

This genus containsvery many of the finestmembers of the order

, ,their symmetrical growth

rendering them extremely ornamental, even whennot in flower.

_ They are' all natives of th e tropics of

the Old\W orld,and thr ive well under cultivation

either in pots or baskets . For the smaller-growingkinds blocks of Wood may be used, but extra care isrequired to keep the atmosphere suflicicntly moistwhen this system is adopted.

The wooden baskets formerly used . for the reception of plants of this order have now to a greatextent lost favour , on account of the rapidity oftheir decay . Consequently

,perforated pots and

pans are now more common . These should be welldra ined with charcoal

,and the plants secured in posi

tion with sweet and living Sphagnum . D uring thegrowing season supply abundantly with water

,

both to the roots and overhead with the syringein the form of falling spray, and not with all theforce possible to use

,as is too frequently the case .

When the season’s g rowth is complete, do notwithh old water entirely. It is quite necessary tokeep the atmosphere much drier during winter

,but

the obj ect being to maintain the plants in as fine acondition as possible, the resting system must becarried out in a careful manner. Aerides are sometimes dried up in the winter until their leavesshrivel . This will cause many of them to fall off

,

and the plant is permanently disfigured and reducedin value . It behoves the cultivator

,therefore

,to

watch carefully,and never allow shr ivelling. Our

experience geesto prove that lowering the tempera ture a few degrees is of greater benefit to theplants than a severe drying, and equally efficaciousin producing flowers .The blooms of Aerideswill last many weeks inperfection with ordinary care . By this we meanthat water must on no account be allowed to touchthem, but it should not be entirely withheld from

23

the plant. Wh en the plants are in bloom , theyshould be removed to a rather cooler and dr ieratmosphere than that of the growing-house .Aerides are sometimes infested with a small scale .

When these appear,carefully remove them with a

sponge and soft-soap and warm water . The redthrip sometimes attacks them in th e heart of th eyoung growth , and if neglected, will soon disfigurethem . This , however, may soon be exterminated bydusting wi th tobacco-powder. East Indian House .A . afina — Th is is a very elegant species . Leavestruncate at the apex, sometimes toothed, about afoot long

,and bright green ; racemes somewhat

stiff,many-flowered, dense ; flowers pink andwhite,

spotted with rose ; sepals and petals about equal,rounded at the apex lip rhomboid, acute, and somewhat three-lobed ; spur short and conical . Thereare numerous Varieties of this Species , which _aremore or less strongly marked, and in some theracemes are much branched . May and June . Sylhetand N epaul.

,A . afine

,var. roseum.

— An exceedingly fine form ofthe species ; it is more robust in habit of growth,and produces a very long, much-branched, and denseraceme ; flowers deep rose

,profusely spotted with

purple . May and June . Sylhet .A . orisp am.

— A charming species ; the leaves areflat, broad, oblique, and obtusely two- lobed at theapex

,about five

'

inches long and very deep green,the sheathing base being purplish-black ; racemeserect

,many-flowered

,nine

,to twelve incheslong ;

flowers very large , one to two inches in diameter,waxy-white ; tinged with rose ; lip purplish-rose ;upper sepal and petals equal, ovate, acute, lateralsepals larger and blunt-pointed ; lip ovate ; laterallobes small and erect ; middle lobe large, notched infront

,having two teeth at the base and an incurved

spur . May and June . Bombay .

A . crassifolium.— A very fine and still rare

species ; the leaves are set very close, thick andfleshy

,about eight inches long, and blun tly two

lobed at the apex ; raceme twice as long as theleaves

,many-flowered ; flowers large

,white and

rich purplish-rose . Asa species it is allied to A .

f a lca tum,but differs from that plant in having a

bent spur to the lip, the side lobes of which aremuch larger . May and June . Moulmein.

A . f a lca tum.

— Although an old inh abitant of ourgardens

,this species is still far from plentiful. The

leaves are coriaceous , obtuse, and mucronate at theapex

,some ten inches in length

,and deep green

,

with a peculiar bloom upon the surface ; racemespendulous, many-flowered, dense ; sepals and petalswhite

,speckled with crimson at the points ; lip

crimson in the middle, and white ba rred with rose atthe edge ; lateral lobes of lip falcate ; middle one

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

obovate,fringed at the edge Spur short and straight .

This species first flowered in England in the colleetion of Lady Larpent , and was named provisionallyA . La rp enta ,

by which name it is even now bestknown in gardens . June . E ast Indies .A . Fielding ii.

— A robust,

' bold-growing, and handsome species

,bearing long and densely-flowered

racemes,which has suggested the name of the

Fox-brush Aerides .” Lea'ves leathery, drooping,broadly lorate

,and obliquely two-lobed at the apex,

some eight to ten inches long,and deep green ;

racemes one to three feet in length, in some instancessimple

,in others much branched ; flowers dense,

large,and rich bright-rose colour sepals and petals

oblong,obtuse lip flat

,ovate

,and tapering to a

point . June and July . Upper Assam .

A . Lindleyanam.

— This is frequently called avariety of A . crispum, but it differs somewhat 1 1 1 theform of the flower . It is a bold-growing plant , producing a ,

large branched pann icle of bloom leavesvery stout

,oblique , and obtusely two-lobed at apex ;

flowers very large ; sepals and petals white, obtuselip ovate, acute, serrated in front, plicate , with acutefleshy auricles at the base, and a pair of large fleshyincurved tubercles between them ; spur short, incurved. May and June . N eilgh erryMountains .A . Lobbii. — A beautiful free-flowering species ;leaves distichous

,ligulate

,obliquely bi-lobed at the

apex, broad, thick, and fleshy

,about one foot long

and light green ; raceme cylindrical, dense, pendant , longer than the leaves, and much branched ;sepals nearly equal

,with a rounded or somewhat

spathulate apex ; petals narrower, spathulate, incurved

,and

,as well as the sepals, bright rose,

slightly spotted with violet,white towards the base ;

lip bright rose,tinged with deep violet

,with a streak

of white along the centre ; spur curved and somewhat compressed. May and June . Moulmein.

A . ma ea losam.-A somewhat stiff and compact

plant the leaves are oblique and obtuse at the apex,eight to ten

'

inches long,and dark green ; racemes

dr ooping,generally slightly branched ; flowers

la rge sepals and petals obtuse,pale rose

,much

spotted with bright purple lip ovate, obtuse, flat,and undivided, with a sharp tooth on each Side atthe base , and an undivided tubercle between themthe colour is deep rich rosy-purple

,lighter at the

edges . June and July. Bombay.

A . nobile — A rare and handsome kind,nearly re

lated to A . suacissimum, but still differing fr om it in

manyessential points ; leaves arcuate, strap-shaped,obliquely emarginate at the apex

,with a small tooth

between the lobes, bright green above, p aler beneath ; flowers very fragrant ; racemes two to threefeet in length, and branched, many-flowered, andpendant ; sepals and petals oblong, obtuse, spread

ing,white

,stained with rose at the base , becoming

paler towards the t ips ; lip three-lobed, the frontpressed against the column side lobes large, somewhat oblong

,dentate at the tips, and creamy-yellow

middle lobe tongue-shaped, slightly bifid, white

dotted with rosy-purple ; spur incurved,_

yellow,

dotted with red. June and July. Indian Archipelago .

A . oa’

ora tum.— This speciesissometimes found

under the name of A . cornutum, and though now acommon plant in collections, it is one of the mostbeautiful and fragrant. There are numerousvarieties of this species

,of which A . oa

’ora tum anajas,

A . odora tum longiracemosum,and A . odora tumpwrp a

rascensare the most distin ct and best . The normalplant has flaccid, oblique leaves, which are obtuseand mucronate at the apex, coriaceous in texture , anddark green ; racemes pendulous , dense, manyflowered, usually longer than the leaves ; flowerswaxy and very fragrant ; sepals and petals fleshy,somewhat ovate

,creamy-white

,tipped with pink ;

lip cucullate, funnel-shaped ; la teral lobes erect,cuneate ; middle lobe ovate, acute , and inflexed

,

same colour as the sepals ; Spur conical, incurved.

May to July. East Indies . W idely distributed.

A . guinquevulnermn.— A splendid species, but of

very slow growth and stiff habit ; the leaves arestrap-shaped

,obliquely notched at the apex

,with a

small point between the lobes,tightly clasping, the

stem at the base, about twelve inches long, andbright shining green ; racemes longer than theleaves

,pendulous

,many-flowered ; flowers large,

dense, yielding a delicious fragrance ; ) sepals andpetals nearly equal

,rounded

,white

,speckled with

crimson and stained with purple at the tips ; lipcucullate

,funnel-shaped ; lateral lobes erect,middle

lobe oblong,incurved, and denticulate, same colour

as the sepals ; Spur conical, incurved, green. Julyand August. Philippine Islands .A . guinque

fvulnerum,var. Fa rmern .

—This is anextremely rare variety, differing from the type inh aving pure white flowers. July and August.P hilippine Islands .A . rosemn is a beautiful but slow growingspecies . It does not root freely, and thrives bestwhen grown upon a block of wood and suspended ;leavescoriaceous , channelled, and recurved, ten totwelve inches long

,and bluntly two-lobed at the

apex ; raceme s pendulous, dense, twelve to fifteeninches long ; sepals and petals acute , the latterlonger and narrowed at the base, pale rose, withdarker Spots ; lip flat, rhomboid,acuminate, entire ,deep rose, freckled with spots of a darker hue ; spurshort

,conical, and incurved. June and July. Moul

mein , Sylhet , and Assam.

A ._rasgam, var. sup erbum ,

-A much stronger

OR CHID S. 25

and more robust-growing plant than the type ;racemes very long and dense, and th e flowers are

much larger, colour deep rich rose, profusely spotted.

June and July. Upper India.A . Schrdederi. — This is one of the most beautifuland

,at the same time, one of the rarest of the whole

genus . By some authorities it is considered a hybridbetween A . maea losum andA . crespmn, and by othersas a variety only of

ma culosmn. It,how

ever,is very dis

tinct in its growth,

and exhibits eon

siderable differencesin the structureof the flower fromeither of the speciesit issupposed to berelated to . It wouldappear to be veryrare in itsnativecountry, one plantonly h aving beenbrought to England.

L e a v e s l i gu l a t e,obt use, ob l i qu e l yemarginate at theapex, about ten

inches long,and

intense deep green ;racemes erector archirng , much branched,and nearly two feetin length sepalsand petals nearlyequal, obovate andobtuse

,spreading

,

white tinged,

withlilac, and profusely

[spotted with lilacrose ; lip triangula r-Jrhomboid laterallobes small

,middle

lobe large , flat, the sides deflexed, pale lilac, with a

stain of deep rose along the centre, furnished withtwo small incurved teeth at the base

,the intervening

tubercle bifid spur incurved,yellowish-green. June

and July. Bombay.

A . sua/vissimwn.~ -A species of wh ich many beau

tiful varieties exist, the most noteworthy beingpa llidwn and ma eula twm,

from Malacca,and auran

tiaoma, from B orneo. In the typical plant the

leaves are flaccid, nin e to ten inches long, lightgreen, profusely dotted with brown near the sheathing base racemes horiz ontal

,oblong

,many-flowered,

sometimes branched,loose flowers very fragrant ;

AER I D ES OD OR A'

I‘UM.

sepals and petals oval, obtuse, very much spreading,white or bluish, tipped with rose ; lip three -lobed,pressed to the c olumn ; lateral lobes oblong, slightlytoothed ; middle lobe dwarf, linear, bifid, not at allserrated, pale lemon-colour ; Spur pale yellow, tippedwith red. July to September. Mala cca.A . Thiba a tianmn.

— When first this beautiful‘ species flowered, it passed under the name of A .

’

Huttoni,and was

afterwards figured asSaccolabium Huttoni

upon better acquaintance , however, it wasfound to be a speciesalready named anddescribed. It muchresembles A . ga in

gueculnermn in habitof growth ; leavessixto eight inches long

,

unequally two-lobedat the apex, and fulldeep green ; racemespendulous

,Slender,

longer than thel e a v e s

,and many

flowe r e d ; fl ow e r slarge

,erect, very

fragrant, and softdeep amethyst incolour. August andSeptember. Java.A . Wrens. — Thereare ma ny varietiesof thi s fine species,and all are beautiful ;amongst them maybe noticed D ag/vi,

E llisii, grandiflorum,

sap erbmn, and ga in

quevulnerum. The

typ ical plant h asbroad oblique leaves,

lobed at the apex, eight to ten inches long, and verybright green ; racemes longer

'

than the leaves, dr ooping

,many-flowered ; flowers very fra grant ; sepals

and petals ovate,obtuse, soft, white, stained with

rosy-purple at the points ; lip three-lobed ; side lobeswhite

,dotted with crimson ; middle lobe broad,

crimson . April to July. Java.A . Wam erii belongs to the crispum section ,

but' is a thoroughly di stinct-looking plant . The

stem is slender and the short coriaceous leaves areascending and dark green, almost black towards th ebase

,where they clasp the stem ; racemes erect,

twice as long as the lea ves ; flowers large and fra

6 CASSELL’

S'

P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

grant ; sepals and petalswhite ; lip large, soft richrose- colour. June and July. Bombay.

A . Wightianwn.— A very beautiful small-growing

plant, sometimes called A . testa eenm, and also Vandap a rmflora leaves strap-shaped, oblique, and obtuselytwo -lobed at the apex, with a tooth between thelobes ; racemes straight, erect, longer than the leaves,simple

,few-flowered flowers fragrant sepals and

petals Oval, lateral sepals largest , soft apricot-yellow ;lip funnel- shaped ; lateral lobes obtuse, adn ate to thefoot of th e column ; middle lobe subcuneate, rounded,and two-lobed at the apex

,deep violet , dotted with

lilac,the disk crested with several elevated lines ;

spurshort, incurved, obtuse . May and June. N eil

gh erriesand Ceylon.

THE HAR DY FR UIT GAR DEN.

Br D . T. F ISH ,ASSISTE D BY WILLIAM CAR MICHAEL .

R UIT being such an important article of food,as well as a universally appreciated luxury,

one -might naturally expect to find fruit gardenspure and simple as common as vegetable or flowergardens ; and yet the fact is very much otherwise .Fruit gardens are comparatively rare, whilst thosedevoted to flower and vegetable culture are so common as to be looked upon as the necessary adjunctsto our advanced state of cultii re and of civilisation .

And they are. Any retrogression in the growth of

vegetables or the cultur e of flowers would indeed bea step backwards towards barbarism . But withoutgrowing fewer of either

,it would be quite possible in

most gardens to grow more and fin er fruit . And

one of the first steps towards this,in not a few places

,

would be the setting aside of a certain area expresslyfor this purpose . SO long as fruit-growing is tackedon

,as it were , to vegetable culture as a mere embel

lishment to the culinary department, so long will ithold a secondary place in the care

,thought

,and

skill of the cultivator .Fruit is so important for food

,pleasure , health,

that it is worthy of the best place that nature anda rt combined can provide for it. Its consumptionisincreasing day by day

,and were railway rates

lower, and the means of distribution more simple,rapid and efficient

,there is literally no limit to the

fruit that would be consumed by the workmen in

mines,factories

,mills

,and workshops .

Under present circumstances the consumption isso irregular and irrational that it Often does moreharm than good. Thirsty men, tired women, andfruit-famished children

,that may hardly have had

a taste of fruit for months,have suddenly a cheap

lot of inf erior quality brought within their rea ch.

They' naturally eat to excess ,sufier from their imprudence, and lay the blame on the fruit. But weremore and better fruit eaten as food, fewer pills anddigestive-aiding mixtur es would be swallowed. A

Manchester merchant, who used to be a martyr toindigestion

,took to dining upon any fruit that

might be in season ; Cherries, Strawberries, G ooseberries

,Currants, P lums, Apples, P ears— n othing

came amiss to him . The one fruit meal a day curedhischronic indigestion, and he waxed fat, workedhard

,and continued strong on hisfruit mid-day

meal . A quart of Ch erries disappeared before himlike snow in summer, but then he ate nothing withthem but a slice of dry bread or a stale roll . Hismaxim was

,bread agreed with fruit, but hardly any

thing else did,andhence hisnever mingling savouri es

with,

hisfruits .The cry of fruit for food has scarcely yet arisenamongst us, and the suggestion that Apples andother fruit are in a special sense food for the brain,hasha rdly as yet gone further than a philosophicalspeculation . Only a little over one hundred andfifty thousand acresare under fruit-culture inG reat Britain . True, the area is extending, butvery slowly, and what are those few acres tosupply the fruit-wants of over thirty millions ofmen

,women

,and children ? It is true that here and

there bold and successful attempts are being made toenlarge fruit gardens, or to expand them into farmsranging in extent from fifty to five hundred acres ;but these are rare exceptions; and it isas truenow as it wasfifty years ago tha t a la rge proportion of our fruit supplies reach usfrom abroad.

At home one of the most cheering signsof thetimes is the bold enterprise initiated by Lord Sudeley,at Toddington

,in G loucestershire . H e has recently

planted five hundr ed acres of land with nearly half amillion of flui t-trees and bushes . So far the prospectsof this gigantic fruit garden are cheering, andthe area is about to be extended. Asbig thing s areinf ectious

,no doubt thi s example will have ma ny

imitators on a smaller, and possibly a few on a yetlarger scale. Such enterprises will be fostered byMr . G ladstone’s suggestion to try jam-growing asone meansof mitigating the present agriculturaldistress . Asit is now said that the profits of wheatgrowing are nil to the B ritish farmer

,it is surely

worth while to try fruit, that realises a profit varyingfrom ten to a hundred poundsper acre per annum .

Useful,however

,in a national point of view

,and

profitable as these g igantic fruit gardens or farm smay prove to their proprietors

,the increase of fruit

cultur e among all classes of gardeners would have afar greater effect in increasing our home supplies.If those who never grew any fruit would only growone Apple

,P lum,

P ear,or Ch erry tree, and those

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. CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

art, and hence the wildingsof the shelter seem everbent on starving out the fruit-trees so soon as theyget a footing in the richer larder of the fruit garden.

While any over-sheltering tha t has,

beenexaggeratedinto injuri ous shadow,

at once becomes apparent,and can be easily remedied, the roots of the sheltering trees commit their robberies in the dark, andtheir presence isoften as unsuspected as mischievous.The surest mode of avoiding this danger istokeep the sheltersufliciently far ofi. An other modewhi ch also answers well-_ gives immediate shelterand keeps the rambling, roving roots at home— consists in throwing up earth-banks or mounds on thecold sides of fruit gardens . Thi s gives the elevation of several y ears to the shelter at starting ; agreater depth of soil for the roots , tha t fosters rapidgrowth

,and if tolerably rich soil isused, it will keep

them at home, instead of roaming all over the fruit

garden,seeking what fruit- tree food they may

devour.Fina lly

,in rega rd to shelters , evergreen or coni

ferous trees or shrubs are to be preferred, not Onlyon account of their denser

,thicker shelter when it is

most needed in the early spring, but likewise inasmuch as their roots remain nearer home . On noaccount must Ash

,nor E lms

,nor B eeches be used ;

the first two especially will run any distance in

search of food, and starve out the roots of any'

othersort of shrub or tree whatsoever.

H edg esfor Sh e lter .-To avoid the possible

injuries from a tree shelter, hedges are often used ;and these are in some respects better

,and if planted

or allowe d to grow sufficiently thi ck and tall, are veryefficient. B eech ,Hornbeam,

P rivet,Holly

, Yew,and

Scotch or Silver Fir, kept out so asto force them tocontinue clothed to the bottom, are among the bestplants for such hedges . They should be planted inthe best possible soil and permitted to grow intodense masses from a foot to a yard through

, and

from six to ten, or even more, feet in height.Such living barriers are almost wholly impenetrable to cold winds, waves or currents of ice-likeair. Like the sand on the sea-shore

,they yield

slightly’

to the impact of the blow, but their very

yielding breaks its force,while the density of the

mass is so great, and the process of yielding to gainnew powers of resistance is repeated so often

,that

little or none of the cold air escapes through to

the warmer side .

W a llsfor Sh elter .— W allsare a necessity for

the better sort of fruit gardens . They enable thecultivator to grow such fruits as P eaches

, N ectarines,Apricots, G rapes, in the open air, which the cha

ra cter of our climate prevents him from growingwithout them . Their heat-absorbing

,cold—resisting

properties— to use popular terms— are so great asto create and sustain an artificial climate in theirimmediate vicinity far superior to the average ofthat in which they are placed. The facility theyafford for the display of semi-skeleton trees overtheir surface

,also fully exposes each ‘ leaf

,flower

,

and branchlet to the full force of the sun,thus

accelerating and heightening growth,maturity

,and

fertility.

B ut as mere shelters they are inferior to thosealready described. For such purposes their verystrength becomes their weakness . They Often ‘

merely change the '

direction, rather than break theforce

,of waves of cold air. The mobility Of the

movable screen furnished by a belt of stuntedtrees or a thick hedge

,holds fast

,as it were, the

power of the win d, and Sifts out or tones down itsforce by its firm network of small twigs and leaves.

A D ry B ottom .— It is impossible to exaggerate

the vital necessity for this . (See article on D R AIN AG E .)It is not only essential to the health of the fruittrees , but also to their fertility. Whether draina gewill be needed or not, can readily be tested in a verysimple manner. D ig out a space a convenient siz e

,

from a yard to four feet deep ; if the water standsin for weeks or a month at a stretch

,the land must

be drained, and the drainsin a fruit garden shouldnot be less than four feet deep

,as fruit-trees

,like

most others, seem to have a mania for hunting forand finding drains . Hardly are they found when theroots revel along in them tosuch bad purpose as toblock them . H ence the need of deep drainage infruit gardens. However

,there are large tracts of

country where drainage will not be needed, and theopen test-holes, as already suggested, will soon determine the question of drains or no drainsto thesatisfaction of the cultivator.

Suitable Soil.— Almost any soil resting on a

dry bottom,having a favourable aspect

,will grow,

or can be made by the aid of stimulants togrow

,fruit - trees in the open a ir . H ence

,no

amateur,artisan

,mechanic

,or labour er need be

deterred from making the attempt to grow fruitin any

I

or all sorts of soils. The land that willgrow good Oaks will

,with a little care

,growgood

Apples,P ears

,Cherri es, or P lums, and almost any

kind of soil may be made, to grow either. Evensheer clay, with a liberal addition of cinder-ashesand road sand

,and a bushel or two of co coa-fibre

refuse to start the trees in,may be made to grow

tolerably good fruit ; and mere sand, emi ch ed withhouse-slops

,may be forced to do likewise. It isa.

THE HAR D Y FR UIT GAR D EN .

safe rule to’

look round before planting, and observewhat sorts of fruit thr ive best In the neighbourhood.

We may save much time and e xpense and futuredisappointment if such only or chi efly are planted.

N ot only certain fruits, but even special varieties ofApples, P ears Cherries, P lums, thr ive best incerta in neighbourhoods. Thus guided by results, andled aright by the irresistible logic of facts, it wouldbe impossible to go far astI ay.

While much of this is written that no one, how.

ever unfavourably placed, need despair of fruit~

growing, the writer would indeed be sorry to findthat such remarks about soil led any , to supposethat

'

no special preparation need be made. For nosoil can possibly be . too good for the fruit garden.

This is obvious on the face of it, for fruit-trees are '

a permanent crop . Once planted, established, a ndskilfully treated, they go on bearing for ten, twenty,thiI ty, fift y, or more years at a stretch.

Hence the reasonableness and necessity of startingwith the best possible soil, and plenty of it. Thephrases ,

are vague, and it is needful to be moredefinite. For example, most readers will be more orless well acquainted with at least two very distinctvarieties of 'good soil — viz . , that found on old andwell-worn, cropped, manur ed kitchen gardens, inwhich the tilth isrich and deep ; and that of oldmeadow-land that has been under grass for scores ofyears— it may be a century. Each of these twowidely-differing kinds of land is good, perha psequally good, _

in its way. The first isfull tooverflowing of the elements of growth— a normalmixture

,to borrow a phrase from the water-culturist,

in which the plants can get enough and to spare ofall they need.

1

The latter,through the annual

growth and decay of the grasses, and the residuumof . enri chment that each leaves to the soil, is alsorich in plant-food.

_

Still no two soils, .of probablynearly equal growing strength, could well be moreunlike. The old kitchen garden soil is fine as anash-heap ; the meadow isfull of fibre, and yet sotenacious as to bind all firmly together, lifting inwhole spadefuls

,and retaining their form as if they

had been set in -a mould.'

And then these typical soils differ almost as muchin quality as appearance . Either isbest for certainpurposes. For example

,for the production of sweet

,

cri sp vegetables,or the rapid willow-like g rowth of

forest trees, the old kitchen garden earth wouldbeat the other, especially at starting. But forforming a fruit garden

,the soil of the old meadow is

infinitely to be preferred .

Such land is grass -land in a double sense . It notonly grows but is largely made from grass

,and

notwithstanding all tha t has been written of thepotency of worms as surface soil makers, and the

29

science and practice of manuring, t he growth anddecay of the grasses is

,nevertheless, still the slow

and sure process by whi ch most of our ' finest surfacetilths are formed. N or only this, but soils so madeare by far the best for the growth of fruit-trees .This was one of the discoveries made by the firstgardeners, and which is not likely to be superseded .

The craving of gardeners throughout all ages formaiden loams, their use of them for all purposes atall Seasons

,and especially their determination to

have them pure and simple, of the best quality, fortheir fruit-trees, is one of the most striking instancesof un iformity of faith and practice to be found with:in the wide domain of physics or of morals . In thismatter there isno dissent from orthodox opinionsamong skilled horticulturists

,whose cry ever is

,and

ever will be,for maiden loam

,and more of it, for

most Of their plants and all their fruit-trees .

L oams. —What isloam how and where shall weget it ? and how are we to distinguish between thoseOf different sorts ? Leaving details for more specialtreatment

,the term ‘ loam isused here in a general

sense,and is applied to the top spit of meadow or

pastur e land,the older and the longer fed with sheep,

bullocks,and deer

,the better. P astures, however,

allowed to run up into hay, are spoilt asregards gooddiggings of loam for horticulturists . The term loamin this wide sense necessarily includes

_soils of widelydiffering localities and different qualities . Q uality islargely determined by geological formation, originalsoil and subsoil b efore being laid down to grass,watershed, climate, and the length of time it hasbeen under pasturage without being .broken up .

The longer it has been under grass the better ; for thegrowth and decay of the grasses, as we have alreadyseen

,is the chi ef agent in the formation and growth

of goodloam. Forpractical convenience,loams aremostly classified thus sandy, clayey, calcareous,haz el

,and mixed. The fir st are called light, the

second heavy,the third chalky, the fourth fibrous

loam. The fifth, which is composed of all the otherfour

,and manysub-varieties of each, is most appro

priately designated mixed, and for many purposes itis th e best of all . All of these general classes ofloams have many varieties in natur e, and are yetmore widely varied by the infinite mixingsandcompoundingspractised by horticulturists .

1

But the

age of the latter is almost past, and there is a strongtendency in modern horticulture to revert to moresimple soils fer most cultural purposes .Sandy loams may be described as those consistingof from seventy to eighty per cent . -of sand, withfrom ten to twenty per cent . of clay, and very littlelime . Clayey loam contains about equal portions ofsand and clay, and from five to ten per cent . of lime.

3 9 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

Ca lcareous loams have from eight to fifteen oreven twenty per cent . of lime, from forty to fifty

_

oi

clay,and theremainder made up of sand. Under

the head of haz el loams are included most of thelight loams, fibrous loams

,containing over five per

cent. of humus or vegetable matter, and about equalproportions of sand and clay

,with little or no lime .

These descriptions are designedly brief, as thesubject will be freely treated in other articles ; andall that is intended here is to give a few hintsthat may be useful as a guide in choosing thebest loams for fruit-culture . Sandy loams, as a rule,are too light for fruit -growing

,unless stifiened and

fortified by additions of clay or marl. Haz el loamswill grow good Apples

,but are rather light, as well

as rich,for most hardy fruits ; they have a tendency

to force the trees into timber rather than fertility,and fail to sustain the vigour and fruitfulnessoftrees through a series of years. On the whole, whatare called clayey or calcareous loams are the bestall-round soils for fruit-culture . The first, however

,must not have too much clay, nor the second

too mu ch chalk,as either in excess is obj ection

able. But a considerable moiety of both seems in.

dispensable to impart that stability, holding power,and staying property of soil so needf ul to supportfruit-trees, and to establish and maintain their fertility. Hence the origin of the practice of mixingmarls

,burnt earth

,andstrong loams with the lighter

ones for the cultur e of stone fruits .

THE PINE-APPLE .

Bx WILLIAM COLEMAN .

IN TR OD UCTION .

HE P ine(Ananassa tiva ) , so named from itsfruitresembling th e '

cone of the P ine-tree, was firstdiscovered by Europeans in P eru

,and was by them

introduced into the W est and afterwardsinto theEast. Indies, where it has long been extensivelycultivated ; but the highest authorities are of Opinionthat it is not indigenous to those countries. FromtheW est Indies it is probable that it was brought toHolland, and was introduced into this country about200 years ago by an ancestor of the noble house ofP ortland, and has been more or lesssuccessfullycultivated in the gardens of the wealthy down to thepresent time. In the “HortusKewensis” the P ine issaid to have been introduced to that e stablishment in1 690, most likely as a botanical specimen and fortyyears later numerous P ine-stoves were In ex1 stence in England and Scotland, where the plant wasgrown for its fruit ; but nothing is said of the siz eor quality of the examplesof those early days

,con

sequently it may be assumed that they fell farshortof those productions of which English gardeners arenow so justly proud. It was not , however, till afterthe removal of the vexatious tariff on glass

,and

the general introduction of hot-water pipes and improved boilers

,that P ine-cultivation became general

and profitable. When the enterprising growers formarket

,who do everything well

,took it in hand.

they very soon reversed the order of things by growing large fruits on small young plants , where formerly

,under the old' system of forcing in summer

and starving in winter, small fruits were p roducedby large old ones .After a time, spirited caterers for the increa singdemand sought a more genial climate for P ine- culturein the Az ores, whence steamers during the Orangeseason regularly ply, laden with thousands of large,perfectly fresh

,well- swelled fruitsof th e smooth

leaved Cayenne, but little inferior to the produce ofEnglish P ine-stoves. This sudden change

,which

took place about 1 87 0— 72, soon brought down theprice of the fruit ; growers for market gave it up ,

and its culture once more became confined to private gardens , where the finest and best Pines in theworld are still grown . In many Old establishm ents,pits and houses not altogether well adapted arefrequently brought into use ; but as these are fastgiving way

,it will be our endeavour to keep the

reader abreast of the times,by devoting a few words

to the selection of the site and the construction ofhouses most

’

suitable for the production of a constantsupply of good fruit throughout the year .

Th e P ine -ground and P ine -h ouses.— In

the selection of a situation for the erection of a setof P ine-pits or houses

,which will afford the greatest

facilities for high-class cultivation, the followingimportant points should be kept in view. Theground should be well dr ained, slightly elevated,and if possible sheltered from north and north- eastwinds

,provided such shelter can be obtained without

producing Shade,or in any way interfering with full

exposure to sunshine and light .When it is borne in mind that th e P ine in all itsstages of growth rej oices in a tropical temperature,and “nothing so quickly reduces the heat in hothousesas exposure to high winds, it will at Once beseen that conditions, including shelter, whi ch favourthe maintenance of a steady temperature, withouthaving recourse to hard firing, should have full andcareful consideration before building is comm enced.

In its native habitat,as well as in the Az ores, which

lie twenty degrees south of England, the P ine getsan abundance of light, an important element inkeeping the plants dwarf and sturdy ; while in thiscountry

,during two-thirds of the year, the days are

THE PIN E -APPLE . 3 1

dark and the atmosphere isdull . As, however, wecann ot change our

'

climMe,we must do our best to

counteract its enervating influence through thewinter months

,by constructing our P ineries so as to

admit and diffuse as much light and sunshine as canbe obtained. D uring the summer months it is justpossible that the sun may be too powerful at times ;th e roofs should therefore be provided with fixedrollers

,to which light blinds can be attached for

running down during the hottest part of the day ,when shade is absolutely necessary ; but on no

account Should systematic shading be resorted to .Assuming that the north ' side of the P ine ground

isenclosed by a wall, and a good lean-to house isrequired for starting the plants into fruit in Januaryand February, as well asfor swelling ofi fruit inwinter and . early Spring

,

Fig ; 1 . will be feund an

economical structure,

” asthe substantial north wallwill aff ord g reat protection f rom cold cuttingdraughts, and being nearthe boiler, wh ich can beconveniently p laced in acovered stoke-hole on thenorth side

,the high tem

perature which it will benecessary to maintainthroughout those deadmonths can be secured atfirst hand. The siz e of theh ouse can be regulated by the demand for ripefruit, and as houses of this kind are as well ada ptedto the culture of Cucumbers and Melons as of P ines,it will be false economy to mar the proportions ofthe structure by making it too small

,when

,by the

introduction of a division, two medium- siz ed houses

can be secured for two sets of plants to succeed eachother, in the order of starting and ripening off theirfruit. The width of the house may vary from1 6 to 1 8 feet, and the length from 20 to 40 feet:butfor private growers two houses of 20 feet each willbe found more useful than one of 40 feet . Mr . Miles

,

of Wycombe Abbey,the champion grower of Q ueen

P ines, has a set of three houses, similar to Fig . 2.

for successions and_fruiters in their diff erent stages

of growth . They are about 20 feet each in length,

with only one entrance at the west end ; they areabundantly supplied with hot-water pipes

,and the

plunging-beds being thrown well up to the light, theplants under his skilful management are at all timesa picture well worth looking upon .

For the summer growth of Q ueens, Cayennes, andR othschilds, preference is now generally given to the

ch amber.

Fig . 1 .

-_LEAN ~ro-HOUSE .

A,-'

P lung ing -bed ; B , dr ainage cc, Sh elvesfor Strawberries d, passage oo, pipes e e,

span-roofed house (Fig . which should be placedin front of the lean-to

,with one end facing due

north, and the other south . It should not, however,be placed so near or erected so high as to throw anyshade upon the lean-to in winter

,when thesun does

not rise many degrees above the horiz on,otherwise

the plants in the latter will become weak and whatis termed drawn

,

” a condition from which nofuture management can restore them . V entilationin such a house being liberally provided in the Sidewalls and at the apex, the roof may either be fixedor composed of loose sashes running in rafters . Thefixed roof is most economical, and admits most light,but the sash and rafter house also has its advantages

,

and looks more Imposmg where the surroundings, ina first-class garden, areof the highest order. Inhouses of this kind, whileenjoying all the lightthat it is possible toreceive

,the plants in the

morning and afternoonhave the full benefit ofthesun, and are partiallyshaded from its scorchinginfluence during the hottest part of the day.

Moreover,when plunged

with their leaves nearlytouching the glass, withan abundance of light onevery side, they soon assume a stiff

,sturdy

,com

pact growth , quite different to plants which we sometimes see with their elongated leaves struggling tothe light, and hardly capable of bearing their ownweight. From such plants, thesa p being so highlyconcentrated, it is scarcely necessary to say thatlarge fruit with small crowns are invariably produced ; while th e young stock raised from theserobust parents is infinitely superior to that grownfrom plants which have not had th ese advantages .Fromthe foregoing it must not be inf erred thatthe span-roofed house is at every point superior to awell-arranged lean- to for while the latter is warm er

,

and receives quite as much sun thr ough the wintermonths, the span-roof with its larger radiatingsurface of glass is more liable to sudden depressionsof temperature in our uncertain climate . To counteract these depressions it is always necessary to put inan abundance of hot-water piping

,while to avoid

over-heating and to economise fuel,every Span

roofed house should be fitted with rollers forcarrying light blinds In summer

,and heavy non

conducting material In winter . It will thus beseen that each house has itsadvantages and

h ot-a ir

2 CASSELL’S POPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

disadvantages ; and as every private garden has itsown peculiar belongings and requirements, thispart of the subj ect may now be dismissed for theconsideration of the arrangement of the best housesand pitsfor feeding the fruiting department withproperly

e

preparedsuccession plants .Succession houses need not beso large or so high

asfruiting houses ; but light, as has already beenpointed out, being such an important element , thegreatest care should be observed in making arrangements for its free admission to the plants , throughevery stage from the sucker to the finish. For

general purposes there is nothing better than theunequal span-roofed house running east and west(Fig . 2) from twelve to fourteen feet in width,wi thmovable lights for theconvenience of “plungingthe plants

,and the in

troduction of Oak-leavesor tan for affording thenecessary bottom heat .A passage runs a longthe back

,and hot-water

pipes are present insu fficient quantity tosecur e the requisitedegree of heat withouthaving recourse to hardfiring, which is objectionable in forcinghouses in general

,and

pine houses in particular.In addition to thesuccession house, a pit, forpropagating or rooting suckers asthey are detachedfrom the fruiting plants

,is essential to the complete

a rrangement of the P ine -ground. An ordinarybrick pit fitted with hot-water pipes answers verywell, and is generally used for this purpose . It

,

however, lacks the important convenience of apassage along the back

,by means of which the

plants can receive a ttention without exposing themto the elements in bad weather. Asthe passage(Fig . 4) need not be more than two

“feet in width,a

pit eight feet in the clear will g ive five feet ofplunging-Space, which is quite sufficient for thepurpose, as a greater width would place the frontrows of plants beyond the reach of the attendantwhen external conditions render the Opening of thelights obj ectionable if not injuri ous. In its erection,the fir st consideration should be a pitch or angleth at will not only carry rain-water off the externalsurface of the glass

, but also condensed moisturefr om the lower sides of the sash-bars. Manysuccessful P ine-growers have recommended very flatroofs for Pine-pits ; their reasons given being th e

Fig . 2.— H I P -R OOFED Succnssron Ho‘

usn.

A, P lunging -bed ; B , drainag e ; 0, ventila tor ; <2,passa ge ; 0 0 , pipes; c c, hot -air chamber.

more even diffusion of hea t and atmosphericmoisture but with modern appliances at command,it is

'

easy to steer clear of drip, by erecting roofs atan angle that will modif y if they do not entirelyprevent this perniciousevil.N ext, as to the a rrangement of the plunging-bed.

The surface should be kept so nea r the glass as toadmit of the plants being placed therein with thepoints of their leaves almost touching it and as allP ine-growers admit the invigorating influence offermenting materials for rooting or growing them

,

the depth should be sufficient to admit of the introdu'ction of at least two feet of Oak-lea ves or tanabove the hot -air chamber. But as many existingP ine-p its are not provided with hot-water pipes for

giving bottom heat, andits steady maintenanceisso important

,extra

depth should be allowedfor the plunging material to

_

produce thedesired effect independently of the pipes .The suckers from

winter fruiters, whichare usually taken off inthe spring, can be rootedin a very short time

,by

being plunged in Oak.

leaves in an ordinarygarden frame of th e oldMa cPh ail build: thatis to say

,a frame with

h ollow sides and ends,herm etically closed at the top to keep in steam,

placed on a hot-bed at a temperatur e of I h

deed,in this way many good growers

,who have to

contend with inconveniences,root all their suckers,

and transfer them to the hot-water pits later on .

B oilers.— The P ine being a plant which revels inhigh temperature through all its stages of growth , afew words as to the means of supplying fire-heatmay not be out of place. In la rge gardens, where theP inery forms only one section of the forcing department

,a set of boilers may do all the work ' from a

central stoke-hole,the different houses being heated

separately or together from mains convenientlyplaced for that purpose . But assuming that theP ine n ground is detached, then th e most convenientsituation for the boiler would be at th e back of thefruiting lean-to(Fig . A main would be carrieddirect to the span-roof

,thence to the succession

h ouses,and last of all to the sucker or propagating

pit . Asevery professional gardener has his ownfavourite boiler

,it may be considered unnecessary or

THE P IN E -APPLE . 3 3

invidious to recommend any particular maker orkind o f boiler to those who are quite capable ofchoosing for themselves . But for the benefit ofamateurs and others who are bewildered by theendless variety now in commerce

,it is only fair to

say th at,.

a ftermany years’ experience, the old saddleboiler in its improved form— that is to say

,welded

,

not,cast— with its terminal water-way end

,still

stands unbeaten.

Equal in durability, and perhaps superior inpower where th e work isvery heavy is Stevens’Trentham or improved Cornish boiler. This , too,is made of wrought- iron , and, like the saddle boiler,can be obtained in alniost any siz e but as it isbadpolicy to trust all the eggs in one basket

,so is it a

great mistake to trust the contents of a r ange ofhot-h ouses to one boiler, as the very beSt are liable

Fig . 3 .— SPAN -R OOFE D HOUSE .

A, P lunging-bed ; B ,dra in a

g e ; 0 c, ventila tors; d, pas=sag e o o, pipes e e

,h ot-a ir ch amber .

to accidents,and a break-down on a frosty night

means the destruction of valuable property. Toprovide against such mishaps, the prudent engineerwill put in _

two boilers of moderate Siz e, to workseparately or

'

togeth er, in preference to having onelarge boiler, which is not economical in fuel when aminimum of heat is required in summer. In low

,

wet Situations, where floods or back-water causetrouble, boilers which require deep stoke-holes Shouldbe avoided:a powerful point in favour of the boilersin question , as each of them requires only a verySha llow setting.

-N ext in importance is a liberal supply of hotwater piping , for keeping up the proper degree ofheat, Without forcing the boilers or overheating thepipes in severe weather. It will therefore be wiseto put in as many pipes as will answer the purposewithout putting on high pressure, and so endangering the th ealth of the plants by subj ecting them toa dry scorching atmosphere . Hot-water pipes fourinches in diameter are the best for horticulturalpurposes , and they should be plentifully suppliedwith evaporating troughs for giving off atmospheric

2 7

F ig . 4.

— P R OPAG ATIN G P IT .

A, P lunging -bed B , dra inage c c, ventila torsd, pas

sa ge ; o o, pipese e, hot-air ch amber.

C ov e ring .- Economy combined with high pres

moisture, either from pure water, clear liqu id manureor guano-water, when a stimulating vapour is con

sidered necessary . The bottom heat pipes,as shown

in the sections, run parallel to each other in a confined chamber, covered with Slate for bearing th eweight of the plunging-bed. Some growers preferlaying them in a bed of rough gravel

,and so dis

peusing with the_

hot-air chamber,while others lay

them in Shallow brick troughs,which are lined with

cement , and by being kept full of water, form whatistermed the “tank ” system of heating. Wherethe pot system of growing P ines is strictly adheredto, and tan .or , better still, sound Oak-leaves are use das a plunging medium , the tank system answersvery well. It is not, however, so well adapted forgiving the necessary bottom heat to P ines whenthey are planted out in a bed of soil resting imme

diately above the Open tank, as the vapour which isconstantly rising in course of time produces a wet,pasty condition in the lower part of the bed, quiteunfavourable to the roots

,if

_

it does not positivelykill them. If hot-water pipes alone are used, theyshould be fitted with stop-valves for shutting off

and regulating the heat, and tanks require an inletand outlet tap for filling or emptying at pleasure .In days gone by , the necessary bottom heat wasobtained from fermenting materials alone , andnotwithstanding the fact that sudden fluctuationsand frequent renovation added considerably to theexpense of P ine-growing, it is still a question .

whether the conditions produced by constant fermentation and the decay of vegetable matter didnot meet the requirements of the plants in a mannerand to a n extent which hot water alone cannotsupply. W ith these facts before me, it haslong beenmy practice to combine the two systems , by placing

‘ the pipes in chambers, and using Oak-leaves as aplunging medium .

4 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

sur e being theorder of the present day, th e thoughtful

cultivator will endeavour to produce and preserve amaximum of heat at a minimum cost. D oubleglaz ing has been brought forward, but has neverbeen successful ; indeed, it has proved baneful tothe plants placed under its coddling influence .B linds, on th e other hand, attached to rollers forrunning down at night and during severe storms,form the best covering

,as they can be drawn up when

not wanted,to give the plants the full benefit of

light and sun shine . Stout canvas or Frigi-domoanswers verywell, as the last is an excellent nonconductor when properly fixed and judiciously used .

In the arrangement of blinds,either for Shade in

summer or warmth in winter,the rollers sh ould be

sheltered from wet under th e ridge-capping, and athin stratum of a ir secured between the blindsandthe glass by running the former on laths raised a fewinches above the roof . W' here winter- swelling orripening P ines have to be kept in a night temperature of 7 with nothing but a thin sheet of glassseparating th em from a bright starlit Sky, the thinnest covering will be found oi immense value inreducing th e necessity for hard fir ing, as well as forpreventing the loss of moisture

,which .must be

constantly used to counteract its drying influence .

V entila tion .— In its naturalised habita t, theW est

Indies , where the mean temperature ranges,

aboutand the plants are exposed to the open air , a

much higher degree of heat during bright sunshinedoes no harm ; but when tropical plants are confinedwithin the limits of a hot-house

,the conditions are

verydifferent ; hence the importance of providing forthe constant admission of fresh air to prevent th eelongation and scorching of the foliage when th eatmosphere is not properly charged with moisture

,

as well as to allow of its escape at the apex afterthey have absorbed a portion of the carbon which itconveys . AS a rule

,P ine-g rowers are averse to a

draught even_

on the hottest days we experience inthese islands

,and many never give front air at

all ; but it is well to provide for so doing should itprove necessary. It is therefore a good plan to haveventilators fixed in the frontwall immediately opposite the hot-water pipes

,for Opening on very hot

days,when the Shading is down

,and the top venti

lators are nearly closed to prevent the too rapidescape of moisture .

W a ter -tanks. -The only oth er item to whichattention may be drawn in the arrangement of theP inery is the provision for watering and syrmgmgwith pure soft water . In some places the ordinarysupply of water suits the plants veryr well ; in others ,in proportion to its purity for domestic purposes, it

is u seless or injur ious to the roots of plants. Therefore on no account should the formation of commodioustank s for the reception of soft water from theroofs of the houses

,as well as any of the surrounding

buildings,be neglected . It is usual to make large

collecting tanks under the floors of the houses,but it

is perhaps better to have one large central tank inthe open air

,whence smaller tank s or cisternsin

every house can be fed by means of pipes with balltaps attached .

‘

In course of time the water becomesas warm as the mean temperatur e of the house , . and

is then in the best possible condition for use . Inorder to render the water arrangement as completeas possible

,a c oil of piping supplied direct fr om one

of the boilers or mainsthrough the ta nk is stronglyrecommended. In some gardens the mains from theboilers are made to pass through the soft-water tank ;indeed

,within fifty yards of the room in which

these lines are now being penned such an arrangement exists

,where water for every purpose can

always be had at a temperature ranging from 80° toIn forcing-gardens where there is a constant

demand for hot water, a few poundslaid out in thi sway will be found a very "profitable investment.

-So i l.— \Vith every other convenience for producinggood fruit at his disposal,the modern P ine-growerwill make but poor progresswhere the soil at hiscommand is unsuitable . If a strong healthy plant

,

whi ch has been grown in a pot, is examined, th egreatest quantity of active roots will be found coilinground the extremity of the ball, and revelling in therough

,lumpy pieces of turf placed over the crooks,

and even in the crooksthemselves, wh ere it is quiteimpossible that water can gain a lodgment . Ifamongst a set of vigorous plants one is found whichhas gone wrong

,the chances are ten to one tha t the

drainage has become impaired, or a drip from theroof has saturated the soil, and the natural conclusion is strengthened by two negative examples— thata close heavy Soil , through whi ch water cannot passfreely

,or wh ich becomes sour and pasty afte r it has

been watered a few times, is not the compost for

All the highest theoretical and practical authorities

agree in showing that soils h aving a tendency to holdwater are strongly condemned,while fr iable, fibry, andsandy loams

,peat, and sandy peat are recommended .

-N ow,as these writers founded their theory on the

natur e of the family to which the P ine belongs, andthe conditions under which it is found growing, andall successful P ine-growers are proving every dayby their practice that thistheory is correct

,we have

satisfactory proof th at a sweet fibrous ~loam whichdoes not readily decompose is the best tha t can beused for plants in pots or turned out into Open beds.

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CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

hardly anything else isdesired in the way of symmetry

,doubleness, and colour .

There are now in cultivation five distinct classes ofD ahlias:viz .

, Show,Fancy, B edding , Bouquet, and

Single . Thesedi stinctions are somewhat arbitrary,and it is diflicult to defin e them in popular terms .Th e Show varieties comprise all self-coloured flowers,and those having dark- colour ed tips . To the composition of a Fancy D ahlia, two or more distinctcolours are essential.There are Fancy D ahlias

,and striped Fancy

D ahlias ; if the variegation is in th e formof stripes or flakes ,whether the light orthe dark preponderateif the variegation consists in the edges ortips of the floretsdiffering from thegeneral or groundcolour

,then the rela tive

position of the coloursdetermines whether abloom is a fancy floweror otherwise . Thus awhite, yellow,

or anypale variety

,edged

,

tipped, or laced with adark ' colour

,after the

manner of the P icotee,is denominated Simplyan edged, tipped, orlaced D ahlia ; butwhenth i s d i s p o s i t i o n o fcolours is reversedi.e., when the floretsof a

' dark flower are

tipped'

with a lightcolour— the variety SO

marked is termed a

tipped Fancy D ahlia.

But of la te years Show and Fancy D ahlias haveapproximated so closely together

,that it will soon

be diffit to set up an intelligible di stinctionbetween them.

The B edding D ahlias are dwarfed free branching varieties, flowering freely

,and bearing their

flowers well above the foliage upon erect stems .The B ouquet varieties are also known as P omponD ahlias:they have quite Small and very doubleflowers ; they are produced withwonderful freedom,

and last well when used in a cut state .rather tall, some of quite dwarf growth . Th e Singlevan etiesbeing nowso popular, are too well known

SIN G LE STR I P E D D AHLIA (UN ION J ACK).

Some are of

to need description, and they are now a very

numerousgroup .

7 Culture of th e D a h lia .~ —P rop aga tion.

— Thisisalmost entirely done by means of cuttings . Th e

D ahlia isa tuberous-rooted perennial, and when theroots are lif ted in autumn, the earth adh ering tothem iscleaned off , and they are put away in a drycool place out of th e rea ch of frost for the winter.

In March the roots areplaced in an ordinaryhot-bed

,or in a pro

pagating frame,and

partly covered withsoil, and by meansof abrisk and moist bottomheat cuttings are putforth, and as soon asthey are three inchesor so in length

,they

are taken off with asharp knife, placed incutting-pots filled witha fine light soil

,and

plunged in a hot-bed.

Here they soon strikeroot, and they a re

then potted singlyinto small pots

,and

gradually hardened off,

and finally planted Outat the end of May orbeginning of June

, a o

cording to the weather.Some personswho re

quir e but a smallnumber of plants dividetheir roots,but pot eachdivided piece so as toencourage ‘it to make agood plant .N ew varieties are

raised from seeds , butit is a practice followed almost exclusively by thosewhose particular business it is to raise and send out .

newwarieties. It is not an easy matter to procuregood seed

,and the method usually adopted is to re

move all the blooms from a plant in the monthof September with the exception of those left tomature seed. It is in the natur e of the pla nt to .

mature seed assOon as the growth and productionof bloom is checked . It iswell to leave the flowerson the plants aslong as possible , but as soon as itisunsafe to risk /danger from frost, they should becut off

,eachwith a stem Six or eight inches long,

tied up in bunches, half a doz en together, a nd hung

FLOR ISTS’ FLOWERS.

SIN G LE D AE LIAS (STELLATE CHARACTER ).

up in a green-house , putting on a little fire to dryup any moisture th at may be in the pod ; in due

time the seeds must be rubbed out, put into bags _andcleaned at leisure ready for sowing in Spring. In

March the seeds should be sown in pots,'

and put

into a cucumber frame, where they will freely

germinate ; then potted off , and grown on to put out

of doors early in June to flower.

Freedom.

3 7.

The D ahlia isa grossfeeder, and if fine flowersare requir ed the soil in which the plants are to growmust be made very rich . The soil should be deeplytrenched and thrown up rough during the winter, orassoon as it can conveniently be done. It isnotnecessary to dig in manure then. At planting-time,which should not be earlier than June, the groundshould be marked out for ea ch plant, and they

CASSELL’S P OPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

should be at least four to six feet apart ; three orfour spadefuls of soil should be taken out, and thesame quantity of rotten manure added, mixing itthoroughly with the soil. Then planting Should bedone

,placing some fine soil -

'

about the roots, andpressing the whole firmly about them . At the time ofplanting a centre stake should be placed against eachplant

,and thr ee Short stakes at a triangle

,about a

foot from it,as by tying the matting to the centre

stake, thence to‘ the plant

,and fastening to the

shorter stakes,it is “made quite secure against harm

from winds . It is a great advantage to grow on theplants in pots before planting out, giving them twoor three shifts if necessary

,and so encouraging

them to root strongly.

D uring the month of July they should makeconsiderable progress, and if the cultivator desiresfine blooms,the principal _

things to attend to are tokeep the plants well watered

,which Should be

done at night with soft water,over the foliage

,and

looking well after insects . -Earwigs eat the youngfoliage as well as the blooms of D ahlias, and the oldplan of placing a small flower -pot with a little mossin it inverted on the principal stake is a good one

,

as earwigs find a place of refuge in it,and can be

easily trapped. The surface of the soil between theplants should also be raked over occasionally andmade loose . In August, those who want some

'

blooms of fine quality,th in out superfluous Shoots,

doing it with judgment so that much foliage be notcut off a t a time . There is a great difference in thevarieties ; some require to have all their wood “andbuds reserved for some time others require to havea great deal of thewood cut away early. These arematters of experience which cultivators of D ahliasfor exhibitionpurposes have to find out in the courseof their practice . Even in growing D ahlias forordinary border purposes some thinning out isrequisite, or the flowers will be small and unsatisfactory . Asthe plants make growth it is necessaryto keep the branches securely tied to the stakes ; andduring hot dry weather the plants will be greatlybenefited by having the soil about them Slightlyloosened, and a mulching of Short well-rottedmanureplaced over it . A good soaking of water at th eroots should be given twice a week

,and a little over

the foliage every night.

Thinning out and disbudding are termsemployed by cultivators of the D ahlia for Showpurposes let ustry and ascertain wha t they mean .

How many main branches may remain The largerthe flowers, the greater the number of branchesallowed to a plant. In the case of varieties producing large and moderately-siz ed flowers

,Six

should be left ; in the case of those producing smallerfioWers, four only. Which of the Shoots are to be

pinched off .9 The centre of the plantsshould be kept

free and unencumbered ; and therefore lateral growthsmay be pin ched ofl the Shoots nearest to the mamstem ; but seeing that leaves exercise an importantfunction in maintaining the health and vigour of theplants

,the leaf at the axil from which the shoot pro

ceedsshould be allowed to remain . Th e pinchingofi of young shoots is to be preferred to th e removalat a later period of large stems, by which the plantcannot fail to lose large quantities of sap, to themanifest detriment of the coming flowers . And inpinching out shoots those should be reserved tha thelp the formation of a well-proportioned ‘plant .These principles are general in their application,which varies according to the characteristics of thevariety.

Then as to the disbudding of the clusters ofblossom-buds on various parts of the plant:whichare to remain

,and which‘ to be removed ‘

Buds aregenerally formed in groups of thr ee ; of these, theone occupying the centre is earliest

,and generally

producesthe largest bloom. Ordinarily, the two sidebuds may be removed ; the exception to thi s rule ,with regard to very uncertain varieties, is in thecase of a sort that produces flowers in plenty, butfew good ones . In these cases a little patience isnecessary to enable the cultivator to ascertainwhichbuds must, from their formation, produce faultyflowers

,and these should be removed as soon as their

true cha racter is ascertained, but not until then . Insorts producing large flowers the removal of the twoSide buds can be done, except in the case of very freebloomers ; but in the case of varieties habituallyyielding small and compact blooms, especially wherebuds are produced in enormous quantities, wholeclusters may be cleared away without remorse, andOnly those Single buds left which point outwards.W riters on the cultivation of the D ahlia for ex

hibition purposes are found recommending the freeuse of stimulants, and especially liquid manure.B ut they Should not be applied until the plant hasnearly completed its growth, say three weeks or amonth before flowers are wanted. The Object inapplying thi s is to get large, full blooms . Manurewater may then be applied twice a week, taking carenot to wet the foliage, and it is best applied in wetweather. Though recommended by some, it is nota good practice to put soot into water before usingit for watering overhead ; only pure, clear watershould be so used.

The time for“ lifting the roots In the autumn mustdepend upon the weather , if the tops are quite7destroyed by frost, the roots Should be lifted on th efirst dry day ; but should the season be favourableand there be no frost, two objects will be gained byallowing them to remain in the ground for a time,

FLOR ISTS’

viz .,more seeds

,and a Shorter winter to preserve

the roots in . One danger in storing D ahlia rootshas to be guarded against . It is the practice to cutaway the main stem to within Six inches or a littlemore

‘

of the root. This stem will be found to behollow, and it is apt to become filled with moisture,which, if allowed to remain, is likelyto cause rot toset in. When wet appears the roots should be turnedupside down to allow the moisture to run Out. Theroots must be covered up securely during frostyweather.In the cases of the bouquet and the single D ahlias

,

these being grown“mainly for the flowers they

supply, the act of cutting c onstantly, Operates in

much the Same way as thinning and disbuddingdoes with the Show varieties . But the plants Shouldbe well cared for , mulching with manure about theroots

,and keeping them well watered, and tied

securely to stakes to prevent them from being blownabout by the wind.

The Cactus D ahlias so called, of which theMexicanD . J a arez ii is the original type, are becoming verypopular

,and appear likely to take t h e place Of the

Single varieties for cutting and general decorativepurposes . It mustnot be supposed all are seedlings ofD . J ua rez ii indeed, it would appear that anythingof ~a semi-double ‘character has been regarded as aCactus D ahlia but of late there is being introduceda number of varieties of attractive appearance, thatare remarkably free of bloom, and afford great quantities of ‘

flowers. They need Similar culture to theSingle varieties . The best sorts are Emp ressof India ,crimson ; Constance, white ; Flambeau, scarlet ; LadyE . D yke, yellow ; Lady Ma rska rn

,bright salmon ;

and Mrs. H awkins,sulphur-yellow. There is no

necessity for disbudding the Cactus D ahlias ; cuttingthe blooms answers the same purpose .At present, perhaps, the greatest danger in thecultivation of Single D ahlias Isthat of getting themtoo large, which seems to destroy the refinement ofthe flower. The efforts of florists are therefore devoted to the perpetuation of '

a race of Small ormoderate-siz ed compact flowers. These again differin their character in various ways . . Some havepeta ls highly reflexed or cur led back

,while others

are flat ; in some the petals fill up a disc, while inothers th ey are narrower

, and give a more stellatecharacter to the blooms . There 'are “also

,

selfcoloured, fancy, and Striped flowers . Some ofthe choicer and smaller flowersare much sought forcutting purposes .

_Our illustrations represent two of

Mr . Ware’s fine varieties,the striped variety being

a small flower, with petals white , beautifully edgedwith scarlet .N ot a few lovers of the D ahlia prefer the pretty

bouquet or pompon varieties,with their compact

,

FLOWER S.

Annie P ritch a rd (Keynes) .Ch arlesWyatt(Keynes) .Fanny Sturt(P ope ) .G a iety(Keynes) .G eorge Barnes(Keynes).G rand Sultan (Keynes) .H enry E ckford R awlings) .H enry G lasscoc (Keynes) .Hugh

yAustin (Keynes) .

J amesO ’Brien(Keynes) .

J ohn Forbes(Keynes) .Laura H aslam (Fellowes)Mrs. H . H alls(R awlings)M rs. Saunders(Turner) .P e a cock (Turner) .P rofessor F awcett(Keynes)

(Keynes) .W . G . H ead(Turner) .

symmetrical double flowers,to the Single types

,

because they are more durable in a cut state,and

produced with greater freedom . The single flowersare much used in the way of decorating epergnes,vases

,&c.

,for table and house work ; but they Should

always be used sparingly,and especiallysuch as are

of bright and striking colours .The bouquet and single varietiesare in ' some instances tall growers

,but their height can be reduced

by giving the stems a Slight twist when the plantsare eighteen inches or so in height

,which will cause

them to recline on the ground ; a peg should thenbe placed to each plant to keep them in position

,

and they will soon' take on an upright growth,

bloom as freely, and _

be as effective asif th eyh adnot been dwarfed in their proper stature .

The bedding varieties, being of dwarf growth,

very profuse of bloom, and having the habit of

throwing their flowers on erect stems,are very useful

for filling beds,and for placing singly in borders .

It is necessary to.keep the decayed flowers removedto encourage the production of fresh ones, and

,to

make the plants look as attractive as possible . Theheight of any tall-growing v arieties of either sectioncan be Shortened by gently bending down the stemwhen the plant is young

,and pegging it secur ely to

the ground,as recommended in thecase Of theSingle

varieties . This tends to bring the lower branchesto the earth

,covering it, and forming a dense growth .

In planting “a large bed th e tallest should be put Inthe centre and the -dwarfest at the outer edge

, pegg Ingdownthe plants where necessary.

SELECTION S or D AHLIAS.

ShowVa rieties.Bendigo(Turner). J oseph AshbyB urgundy(Turner) . J oseph G reen(Keynes) .Buttercup (F ellowes) Lady G ladysHerbertCla ra (R awlings). (Keynes) .Colonist(Keynes) . M ISS Cannell(Eckford).Constancy(Keynes) . Mr . G . H a rris(R awh ngsFlag of Truce (Wh eeler Mrs. Foster (Turner ).G eorgiana (Keynes). M rs. G ladstone (Hurst)G eorg e R awh ngs(R aw. M rs. G lasscock(R awh ngslings) . Mrs. H a rris(Ha rris) .

G oldfinder (Fellowes). Mrs. L angtry(Keynes) .

Ha rryKeith (Keynes) . Mrs. Sh Irley H Ibberd(R awH enryWalton (Keynes) . hugs) .Herbert Turner(Turner) P rInce 3 1 8

.

1 1 1 8.e (Fellowes) .J . B . Service(Keynes) . P rince Of D enmark (FelJ amesCocker (Keynes) . lowes) .

0

J amesSteph en(Keynes) R . T . R awlIngS (R awhngs) .J ohn N e ville Keynes Sunbeam (Fellowes) .(Keynes) . William R awhngs(R

J ohn Standish (Turner) . lings) .Fancy Varieties

40 CASSELL’S P OPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

B edding D ahlias.CarlMendel,brigh tcrimson

“

.

Cloth of g old, yellow.

Crimson G em , crimson .

Giorg e Th ompson, pa le yelow.

Marguerite Bruant, white.R ising Sun , sca rlet.R oyal Purple , purple.Yellow P et , pure ellow.

Z elinda , crimson-purple.J ohnWyatt ,crimson-scarlet

B ouquet or P ompon D a hlias.Lady Blanch e, pure wh ite.Comtesse von Sternberg ,Little D uch ess,white, edgedyellow and white .

Coquette , orang e .crimson .

D ora , primrose and wh ite. LouisR odani, deep Sh adedE . F . J ungker , amber. lila c .

M abel, brigh t lila c.

N ymph , yellow,tipped with

red.

P rince of Lilliputians, verydark.maroon .

F avourite , da rk maroon .

Fireball, orange-red.

G a z elle , yellow, edged ma

g enta .

G em , rich sca rlet.G erman Favourite, crimson Princess Soph ie SO pieh a ,lake . sh aded la t e .

G rassan Wien , Shaded buff . Titania , yellow, tippedwithHedwig P olwig , orange bronz e .

scarlet W ilh elm N itsch e , red,tip

Isabel,br1 gh t orange-scarlet . pedwith white.Single D a hlias.

(Th e following a re we‘

l-known and serviceable varieties,but many new onesare be ing raised every year. )Alba , pure wh ite . Mrs. Bowman,

Am osP erry, sh ining ma ma genta .

roon . M r . Kennett ,striped.

Coccinea , brigh tscarlet . N orah , brigh t pink.

D orothy,wh ite and pea ch . P ara gon, rich mar oon and

F irefly, p ale crimson . purple .H arle qu in ,

rose and purple R osamond, brigh t rosyp ink .

M auve Q ueen , p ale lila c .Sunset , brig h t crimson .

M issM a ry Andersen, crim Yellow D war f , yellow.

sonscarlet. Y ellow Q ue en , deep yellow.

‘

Th e rich semi-double C ictusD ah lia, D . J uarezii, shouldalso be included in th iscollection .

purplish

THE LIFE -HISTOR Y or PLAN TS.

BY D R . MAXWELL T . MASTE R S, F .R .S .

have now passed in review the principal reserve organs in which food is stored for the

use of t h e plant when growth begins . In’

a generalway we have indicated the nature of the change fromthe insoluble reserve -material, useless as such, to th esoluble food capable of being utili sed in th e growthof the plant. We are , th erefore ,

‘

now in a positionto follow up the life-history of the plant, to see inwhat growth consists

,What circumstances promote

it , what the plant feeds on, how it obtains its food,and what it does with it . G rowth consists essentially in the formation of new “ tissue or substance , and th is is effected at the growing pointsbefore mentioned. This new tissue or substance iscomposed of aggregates of minute bladders called

f’(Fig . generally more or less globular

,but

subj ect to great variations in form'

. The study ofcells demands the exercise of the keenest powers ofthe trained botanist and chemist . In this place it isproposed only to deal with a few leading facts andphenomena . concerning them of special importance

to the cultivator,leaving those who desire to pursue

the subj ect further to consult some of the more recently published text-books .

Fig .— Aggregation of Cellsconstituting Cellular Tissue,

sh own cut a cross.

C e lls, th e ir Structure a nd C ih oe — For our

present purpose it suffices to say that the cell existsin various forms and phases

,but that in its perfect

condition it consists of an outer bag of membranecalled the cell-wall

,

” and of certain contents,

of which the most important is the substance knownas protoplasm.

” The other contents— the cell- sap ,the vacuoles

,the nucleus, &c.

— cannot be advan

ta geously treated of in thi s. place . The cell-wall is ,as has been said

,a bag of membrane, for the most

part closed,so that one cell is isolated from its

neighbour, but not so much so as to prevent all passage of ~ some of the contents of one cell into thecavity of another. That passage may be effectedeither by endosmosis

,which is the most ordina ry

method,or by the direct passage of the protoplasm

of one cell into another.Endosmosis is th e term applied to that processby means of which a thin fluid, say water, passesthrough an intervening membrane, even thoughthere be no visible pores in it

,to mix 'with a thicker

fluid, say syrup . This processmay easily be exem

plified by stretching a piece of bladder over the broadend of a funnel(A, Fig . inverting it and pouringinto it through the narrow tube (B) some sugar andwater . Th is done , th e funnel may be placed, withthe broad end downwards, in a vessel of water as inthe figure

,the tube of the funnel being secur ed by

“means of a ring and screw to a stand. After ashort time

,varying according to temperature and

the strength of the syrup, it will be f ound that thewater from th e vessel will pass through th e bladder,causing it to be distended, and the fluid in th e

funnel,becoming more abundant and more and

more diluted, rises in the tube . It is. therefore, by

THE LIFE -HISTOR Y OF PLAN TS. 4 1

osmosisor endosmosisthat the water outside a cellpassesthrough the membrane into itsca vity. And soif the thin watery contents pass out by exuda tion orby pressure from one cell, they may pass by osmosisinto another adjacent cell with thicker contents .This passa ge of fluid from cell to cell ismanifestedprincipally by the cell-sap

,

” which isof a thinwatery character.The “ protoplasm diff ers from the membranouscell-wall

, and from thecell- sap

,in being a thick

viscid fluid conta ining aproportion of nitrogen, andsometimes a little sulphurand phosphorus

,in addition

to the carbon, oxygen, andhydrogen

,of which cell

membrane iscomposed. Theprotoplasm isby far

_ themost important part of theplant. Though seeminglya mere} translucent, j ellylike substance, it is the seatof all the lif e-work done inand by the plant. W ith itand by it the plant lives ;without it

,it is dead. The

essential part of animalstructure is practically identica l with vegetable protopla sm,

-so that in thiswonderful combination allthe phenomena of life

,

vegetable or animal, are

manifested. Until recently,

it was supposed that(with afew exceptions) the protoplasm of one cell

, in theadult condition

,was abso

lutely cut ofi from that int h e a d j o i nin g c e ll b ymeansof the walls of the two cells ; but it hasnow been shown that there isfrequently a passa ge of minute thr eadsof protoplasm from one cellto another through apertures in the cell-walls ofextr eme minuteness . The passage is revealed bytreating the protoplasm with some chemical re -agentwhich stains it, and thus renders the threads visibleunder the highest powers of the microscope . Inthis manner, the “ continuity of the protoplasm hasbeen

'

demonstra ted in so many instances as to lead tothe inference that it is a general phenomenon and

,

if this prove to be so, many other points of physiology, at present obscure, will be rendered intelligible .

C ondit ionsof G rowth - G rowth , then , we

Fig . 3 2.— E ndosmometer.

have seen, essentially consists in the increased formation from the old material of protoplasm andcell-membrane

,and to insure thi s new formation

certain conditions must be complied with,and com

plied with, too , at the proper time . These conditionsare

,a favourable amount of temperature and light

,

and an adequate provision of suitable food,especially

of water .to the amount of heat required, that varies

within wide limits . Arcticsnows do not absolutelybanish vegetation ; tropicalheat does not destroy it(provided water be supplied) . On the other hand,excessive cold or excessiveheat will either of themdestroy the protoplasm .

Each plant thrives best a t acertain temperatur e

,and is

destroyed by too high or toolow a temperature

,the exact

degree being determinedonly by practical experiencein each case. Even theseparate functions of theplant are regulated in thesame way

,as has been

mentioned at an earlierpage (vol. i .

,p . The

general prin ciple is easy tounderstand

,but when the

gardener wish es to reducethe principle to practice inindividual cases , nothingbut experience and observation can guide him satisfa ctorily, because circumStances alter case s so verymaterially. Fortunately, inmost ca ses the range is so

wide that comparatively little difficulty is exp e

ri enced ; but in oth er cases great nicety is dema nded,and in plants which have but little power of adaptingthemselves to circumstances , in forcing-operations, inthe proper ripening and colouring of fruits, and thelike

,practica l instruction and personal observation

are matters of primary importance to the cultivator.W e may, however, point out that while a knowledge of the climatic conditions may be, and oftenis

,of th e highest importance to the cultivator of a

plant derived from a particular locality, yet itdoes not necessarily follow that the gardener will

[

obtain the best results by imitating,’

or even a t

tempting to imitate, in thi s country , th ose particular natural conditions . In fact, plants are very

2

accommodating— some much more so than othersand hence they are enabled to thr ive under circumstances very diff erent from those which are naturalto them

. Again, while it is easy to imitate some of thenatural conditions, say temperature, it is often quiteout of our power to reproduce the attendant phenomena of brilliant light or abundant atmosphericmoisture . The home cultivator

,while thankful for

any climatic indications with which the meteorolo

gi st and traveller can supply him , must study ratherto insure the particular combination and adjustment of circumstance s which will enable him togrow the plant here . It is rarely possible to securethe same combination of propitious circumstancesasexist in

'

the native country of the plant . For

these reasons we refer to the practical articles inthis volume

,for indica tions as to the effect of tem

perature on growth more directly useful than can beobtained from a discussion of the-ma tter f rom thepoint of view of the physiologist or meteorologist.It may suffice to repeat in general termswhat hasbeen said under the head of germination

,that heat

and moistur e are the two prin cipal factors in promoting growth . Light is less dir ectly beneficial

,

its most potent influence being exerted in other directions , more especially in the nutritive processes .It isobvious that, if growth is to be continued, something more than heat and moisture will be required

,

because the reserve stores of food will sooner or laterbe used up, and heat and moisture alone will notSuffice to build up new protoplasm or to accumulatefresh stores of food. The moisture supplies onlytwo ingredients of the protoplasm (hydrogen andoxygen) ; the heat itself supplies none, but simplyacts as a stimulant . It becomes necessary

,there

fore, to consider the food of plants, its nature andsources, and this will involve the consideration ofthe work done in the cells in general

,and in those

of the root and leaf especially.

Th e W ork of th e C ell.— The general structur eof the cell has been already alluded to . Th e workit doesmay be briefly summarised.

“

Asall plantsand all parts of plants are aggregates of cells, itfollows th at the work done by the plant as a wholeis merely the sumof

_ that done by individual cells .The cell absorbs and exhales moistur e and gases

,

but it is in capable of absorbing tsolid matters, atleast no such material can pass the cell-wall . Itchanges and modifies the substances it absorbs ;under the agency of heat and light it efiectscha nges at once more subtle and more vast thanthe chemist has yet been able to bring about in hislaboratory ; it contracts and expands ; the old celldivides and develops new ones . All this is effectedby the agency of the protoplasm. The cell-wall does

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

W ood-cells.— Another cell,to which we must

here allude,is the wood-cell. It is generally

elongated in form and thickened in the interiorWith woody deposit . Aggregations of such cells goto form the skeleton

,as it were , of the plant , stif fen

it,and en

able it to support itself, and to resist th e

indeed act the part of a membrane in th e purelyphysical process Of osmosis

,and it may serve as a

shield and a protection but all the more importan twork of the cell is done in and by the protoplasm .

Some of the cells remain unchang ed, or at leastcomparatively so

,while others in cour se of growth

develop into fibres,vessels, and other elements of

plant structur e which are told ofi,as it were, for

various ofli ces, and correspondingly equipped.

It isnot consistent with our plan to go into detailas to the form of cells ; but as we shall have fr equentoccasion to ‘mention them hereafter

,we must allude

to onc ‘or two modifications.In the first place

,we must again remind the reader

that the cell may exist without any membranouscover at all

,that at one stage of its existence a naked

and separate mass of protoplasm constitutes thewhole cell the whole organism

,in fact . Masses of

protoplasm of thi s character do not, as a rule, longremain in this condition . They contract

,or they

throw out long “ feelers, as it were ; they become

,moreover, clothed with hair-like processes of

extreme tenuity, called “ cilia.” By these meansthey are enabled to move from place to place . At

other times masses of this character run together andbecome incorporated into one mass

, asinvariably inthe reproductive process , and sooner or later eachone becomes clothed with a membranouscovering ,

asabove mentioned. Wh en this happens the cell isperfected

,a nd its activity is in a measure arrested .

C hlorop h yll . The first is the cell withchlorophyll .” Some cells contain no green colour

ing matter at all , such are the cells constituting th efungi at all periodsof their lif e . Others

,especially

those exposed to the light, contain in greater or lessproportion th e green colouring matter called chlorophyll, the exact chemical nature of which is st ill amatter of dispute, although no such difference ofOpinion exists as to its extreme importance. W e

shall have to allude to it at greater length in considering the subj ect of leaf-action , and may, therefore

,now confine our selves to the general statement

that the Special office of the cell conta ining chlorophyll is to absorb carbonic acid gas from the atmosphere , to break up that combination of carbon andoxygen

,to utilise the carbon, and set free the oxygen .

The cell without chlorophyll retains the oxygen andgives out carbonic acid gas

,as in the act of breathing .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

44 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

then but very imperfectly realised ; it can hardly besaid to be yet perfectly understood. Any glass, thethicker the better

,wasgladly welcomed by th e cul

tiva tor to protect his plants from the injuriousand destructive influences of cold. Asthesep lants were from the necessity of the case generallyor invariably in the Open ground, it followed thatthe glasshad to be carried to the plants— not theplants to the glass

,as is now so generally done .

Hence the origin of bell-glasses, hand-lights, glassboxes

,-frames

,and all the smaller glass protectors and

appliances now. so common and so useful in horticultural practices . They carried protection to the

Fig . 1 .— Movable Top . Fig . 2.

—With Knob.

B ELL -G LASSES.

plants,and enabled them to bridge over climatic

severities in safety,thus earning the well-merited

description of portable green-houses and conservatories in miniature ; and they are such, if fun ctionrather than area is to be accepted as the basis of ourdescriptive names . H ence it may prove as logicalas convenient to begin our notes on green-houses andconservatories with these more humble glass struetur es and appliances .

B e ll-g lasses. Horticultural hi story'

issilenton

\the point of whether th e bell-glass or thehand-light was the first in the field as a plant protector. Most probably the former . The most vitaldifference between them is that the one is run ormoulded in one piece ; the other is formed or madeof several . This is not a mere di stinction without adifference . The bell-glass seals the enclosed atmosphere hermetically, cutting off all contact with theexterna l a ir. The hand-glass

,on the contrary,

Fig . 3 .— With outKnob.

unless unusually well made , mostly admits more orless of the surrounding air‘ to the atmosphere itencloses . Hence, for purposes of propagation, inwhi ch th e production and maintenance of a semisaturated atmosphere is indispensable, bell-glassesare best ; while for the mere purposes of protection,hand-lights are generally equally good, and evenin more generaluse .

However,the distinction here made between bell

glasses and hand-lights is not always found to existin practice

,for though bell-glasses as a rule are

mostly cut or moulded in one piece , considerable in~

genuity and expense have been expended on them to

make the top movable at will (see Fig . 1 ) for purposes of ventilation and the moderating of extremesof temperatur e. By removing the super glassthat sea ls the opening in the crown ,

the enclosedtemperatur e can be adjusted to a nicety and anyamount of air admitted . Thi s obviates the necessityof moving the glass bodily

,which is obj ectionable on

the ground of inconveni ence in . the case of largeglasses

,and also because, when frequently moved,

the glass seldom sits so closely on its base as torender it wholly a ir-proof at that point

,a matter

of'

more importance in propagation than for proteotive purposes .The major portion of bell-glasses have

,however,

always been,and are still

,made in one piece

,and

hence, if placed on an even and level base , h ermeti

cally seal the enclosed area. Th ey are made of different siz es

,from two inches to twelve inches or

more in diameter . They may also be had with or

without knobs (see Figs . 2 and W e ha d almost

G LASS STR UCTURES AN D APPLIAN CES. 5

written tha t th e former are bell-gla sses and thelatter cloches . But

'

this would hardly be correct,though the ma j ority of cloches are knobless. Theyare more ea sily made and conse quently chea per, andtake far less space to pack and store, without knobs .Aga inst this must be placed the grea ter conveniencefor lif ting and removal furnished by the knobs .Hitherto in this country the use of bell-glasses hasbeen chi efly confined to purp oses of propagation (seeFi g . 4) and the protection of tender plants . Usefuland indispensable as theyare in regard to th ese,they are still more valuable asstimulants to cultiva tion. In France andother parts of the Continent they are so generally used

,and that inso

wholesale a way,that it

is no exaggeration to saythat in certa in sea sons andlocalitiesea ch cauliflower

,

Fig .5.— Copper Frame in one piece .

Fig . 4.— Cur'rrN GsUN D ER B ELL-G LASSES .

a a , Bell-glassesb, h ot-bed c, h ot -water pipes toh eat b d, walls of th e

Fig . 6.— Iron Frame in one piece.

Th ey not merely protect seeds from the ravagesof birds

, but hasten their germination and carry theyoung plants through the danger period with a

rush.

H and-lig h ts.— Of these we furnish illustrationsof several varieties (Figs .5, 6, all used for similar purposes to cloches and bell-glasses, and veryfrequently as substitutes for them. For the purposes of fostering growth and the protection of

semi -tender plants theyare equal or superior toeither

,while their , larger

siz e enables them to coverlarger plants and enclosewider areas . Unless particularly well made andcarefully used they arenever so close as thecloche or bell-glass , andhence not so well adaptedfor purposes of propaga

Fig . 7 .— Movable Top placed toadmit air.

HAN D -LIG HTS.

lettuce , and endive or sala d plant has itscloche andthe large, sweet , crisp produce from under themaffordsthe highest possible testimony to their fostering power in accelerating and enla rging growth .

Their effect on qual i ty isequally striking,perhaps

even more so, while they reduce the time from thestart to the finish to the shorte st possible limits .

‘

H ithert o the stimulating influences of cloches andbell-glasses have been mostly confined to the cultivation of sa ladsand such vegetables as Cucumbersand Cauliflowersin the Open a ir . P robably theyha ve a yet greater field of usefulness before them inthe future, in conn ection with the fostering of earlyspring flowers and the protection of semi-tenderplants, and perhaps the culture of hardier varieties ofMelons in the open air. Their usefulness in raisingseedsin the open has long been recognised ,

tion,unless for such common things as P inks,

Cloves , and Carnations, pipings of which root rapidlyunder hand-lights .Th e old-fashioned hand-lights (Figs . 5and 6)were made in one piece, the ribs being formed ofiron

, Copper,z inc

,or lead. On the whole, iron is

best as being the most durable, but copper wasgenerally used at one time, the base and the upperside of the vertical portion being formed of ir on .

N ow the entire framework is generally formed of

iron,the upper side of the sash-bars being rebatedso

as to receive the glass . But dry glaz ing in horticulture was first applied to hand-glasses

,and is still

practised in the formation of such caps or h andglasses as those illustrated in Figs .5and 6. In all

these,and several other forms that might be de

scribed, the whole of the hand-light,when finished,

46 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

isin one piece, and hence it must be lifted off bodilyto g 1 ve access to the plants, or partially from its baseto admit air to them .

To prevent the trouble and inconvenience of this,

the hand-light in two pieces(Fig . 7 ) was invented,the base or vertical portion being in one part andthe roof or sloping portion in another . Thi s forminsures that the base of the light Shall always beair-tight

,a cultural point of great importance, as

chills there seriously affect growth . Air can befreely admitted by tilting up one side, and thatthe sheltered one of the top , or by turning itslightly or boldly out of the square, as in Fig . 7 .

By lifting the top off whOlly, free access is had tothe plants for purposes of top-dressing, culture,training, tops are held firmly in position

Marrow, and many other purposes, such asth e fostering and the growth of seeds and plants ; and nogarden can be properly furnished with horticulturalappliances without several hand-lights. In largegardens the supply ranges from two to five or eventwenty doz en.

MISCELLAN EOUS PR OTECTOR S.

G lassa nd E a rth enwa re .— Various other con

trivanceshave been adopted to run abreast with or

Fig . 8i— G laz ing combined with HollowBricks

by their own weight ; but in very win dy or exposedpositions

,proj ections proceed from the cap or cover

ing part of th e light, that overlap the bottom por

tion . These hold the two togeth er as in a vice, andrender any displacement quite impossible, while thespecific gravity of the top insures its vertical security.

Hand-lights are made of difierent Siz es, and are ofthe greatest possible use in horticultural practice .P erhaps the .most useful are those of fifteen oreighteen inches square, with a height of level sideof six or nine inches

,and a total height of fifteen or

eighteen inches .the wintering of Cauliflower plants

,each light hold

ing five placing over ridge Cucumbersor V eg etable

Th ese are admirably adapted for

supersede cloche 's and hand-lights . These have a llbeen useful in assisting cultivators in their incessantwarfare against climatic severities . One of thesimplest of th ese is an inverted flower -pot . B eingopaqueZ these of course have to be removed or tiltedup in the day-time . They are, however, extremelyuseful for the protection of such plants asD ahlias,Cauliflowers, &c. ,

in the early summer, as they re

sist all the late spring frosts with perfect e ase andsuccess.Attempts used to be made to render them more

useful and to convert them into day protectors aswell as night

,either by enlarging the holes in the

bottom,or by kn ocking the bottom out and placing

a sheet of glass over it,keeping the latter in posi

G LASS STR UCTUR ES AN D APPLIAN CES.

tion in windy weather by placing a pebble orotherstone or weight on ' the top of it . These partiallytransparent pots proved very eflicient protectors,with far more cold-resisting powers . than eithercloches or hand-lights .Thi s probably led the late Mr .

‘

R endle , the authorof the tank system of heating— and now chieflyknown in connection with a new method of dryglaz ing .

— to hissuccessful attempts tocombine thecold-resisting qualities of

_

earth enware with thetransparent properties of gla ss in a new and moreambitious method of protecting fruits, flowers, andvegetables in the open air. Hollow or solid tileswere used f or the _sides, which could be built up ofany height, finishing with a groove on the inner

Fig . 9 .

— Large P rotector for Vine orCordon Fruit-trees.

side of the top tile for the reception of a square ofstout glass . Thissystem enables areas of any neededsiz e to be enclosed with “

the utmost facility andsafety.

The system has now been in use forsOme years,

and though it has not superseded bell-gla sses norcloches, h asproved most useful in the culture andprotection of salads, the earlier maturation of FrenchB eans and Tomatoes

,the growth of Cucumbers

,the

forwarding of bulbs and other Spring flowers,the

efficient protection of P lum and other cordon fruittrees , and even the growth of V ines in the openair(see Fig .

For most purposes the tiles are merely straight orhollow ones , terminated with a groove upon theirupper edge (Fig . which are admirably adaptedfor the protection of Cauliflowersor the culture ofLettuces or other salad p lants . The hollow tilesare certainly lighter, and are said to be warmer thanthe solid ones .

'

Fig . 8 gives a full illustration of those most useful applia nces, and explains how the stout square ofglass is fitted into the groove of the tiles ; it also

47

shows the glass overlapping where it j oins,thus

making the whole almost waterproof.It is obvious tha t

,.by heightening the sides and

increasing the width, sufficient area may be providedfor the culture of R oses, fruit-trees, dwarf shrubs,P eas, French B eans, or other plants or flowers . Insuch cases bricks on the flat do well for the base

,

the groove-tiles being merely reserved for the top .

Of course, as the a rea is extended, the strength ofthe glass must also be increased

,to enable it to bear

the weight and wear-and-tear of use ; but the mostuseful siz es range from four to twelve inches deep infront

,from

_

six to twenty-four at back,and from

nine to thirty in width.

By curving the back tile in the form of a C, as in

Fig . . 9,more space, as well as more warmth, 1 8 pro

vided. These have been used most successfully forthe growth and

,

ripening of G rape-vines, and, asalreadyremarked, are equally well adapted for theprotection and successful cultivation of cordon fruittrees

,Maréchal N iel, and other rather tender R oses .

Fig . 1 0 is a special protector , not unlike a section ofa large sewage or water-pipe, only th at it is furnished around a considerable portion of its upperside wi th a groove for the reception of a square ofglass being

,in fact, a great improvement on the

inverted flower-pots with their bottoms knocked out,already advert ed to . This is a most useful form forplacing over tender trees, shrubs, or other plants,such as Fuchsias, Tree P eonies , Hydrangeas, tocarry them safely through ' severe winters in coldlocalities . This form is also admirably adapted forplacing over the crowns of R hubarb in the Open,after the more severe frosts of the Spring h ave passedaway. The heat of the sun passes freely throughthe glass

,and that heat is retained by the thi ck

earthenware case,the result being a rapid produc

tion of edible produce. One great advantage of

y

3 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

these protectors over cloches and hand-lights arisesfr om the Opacity of their earthenware sides . This,and the enclosed atmosphere well stored with caloric,render them frost-proof in ordinary weather. Inseasons of severe frost the semi-level or gently Slopingsurface of their roof may readily be covered withlitter

,mats

,boughs, .or other cold-resiste rs , thus in

suring the safety of the plants . B ell -glasses andhand-lights are not only sooner cooled down to thestandard of the surrounding atmosphere , but theirpeculiar forms render it difficult , almost impossible,to cover them effectually, unless indeed suflicientlitter is used to reach ashigh as their crowns .P rotectors with wooden Sides

,grooved on their

upper inner edges for the reception of glass, havealso been very succe ssfully used. These ab

sorb less heat than theearthenware ones , but

they also part with itmore slowly, so thatvirtually the sides ofsuch are proof againstthe ingress of cold. Thechief obj ection to theuse

'

of wood thus placedon or in the dampearth is that

'

it verysoon rots; otherwise noprotectors can be moresimply made, put up , orused. A six- inch-wideboard infront , one inchthick

,a foot-wide one at

the back, placed a foot apart, the distance beingspanned with a sheet of 21 -oz . glass

,will ‘ carry

numbers of salad and other plants safely through thewinter. The Sides of old packing-boxes

,without

top and bottom, placed on ' the soil with one or moresheets of glass over them

,form rough-and-ready

,yet

very safe and useful"

protectors,that must be within

reach of all . W e have even heard of old hat,bon

net,and ribbon boxes— those made of paper and of

shavings— deep punn ets , and other forms of basketand of wicker-work

,doing good service as pro

tectorsin the early spring and autumn . Calico ,canvas

,and felt protectors

,tightly strained on any

sort of rough wood or wire frames,are alSo very

efficient}But these last -named contrivances bring usin '

close proximity to th e one-light frame, itself perhaps the most useful appliance within the wh olerange of horticultural practice

,and .the germ of

all our magnificent glass-houses for horticulturalpurposes, which will form the subj ect Of our nextchapter.

Fig . 1 0.— Special P rotector of G lassand Earthenware.

THE FLOWER GAR DEN.

B r WILLIAM W ILD SM ITH .

V AS E S A N D B A SKE T S.

AS adjuncts to the various styles of flower ga pdening, and of summer bedding in parti

cular, vases are indispensable ; but, like everythingelse connected with gardening

,good judgment is

requisite, as to what number, siz e, or shape shallbe employed, and what positions they are to occupy.

All of these conditions can only satisfactorily bedealt with according to the standp oint or style ofeach garden . Thus, the question of vases and

baskets becomes to a large extent a personal matter.But for all tha t it may be well to indicate the lin e of

procedure to best insur ea good result ; and firstas to the extent to whichthis form of floral decoration should be carried.

N umb er .— Aseverely

formal parterre may mostappropriately have thelargest number of vases

,

but even in this connection their

'

use may be,

and often is,excessive .

On the pedestals of steps,

and principal angles ofbalustrades

,and also on

the turf as dividing

ma rks,so to speak

,

between the ‘ varyingdesigns of beds— to this extent only ought they tobe used. Those having any doubt as to whethermore or less should be employed, may soondecidethe point by temporari ly placing either vases

,or

their representatives in the form of blocks of woodor large flower -pots ; and if, after surveying thegarden from all points

,it has the appearance of

being over-weighted with ornament, or if the vasescut up or intersect the view of the beds, theirnumber sh ould be reduced till such appearancesareimperceptible . In small gardens their numbershould ibe confined to the pedestals of steps atthe

'

entrance to the house, and as centres on thegrass-plot . "

Siz e and Sh a p e — These pointsalso are onlydeterminable after taking into account the characterand surroundings . of the garden. Obviously vasesof large siz e would look quite out of place in a smallgarden, and vice cerea

‘

, whilst as to shape, thesimplest designs are ever the most pleasing

,and

what is of greater importance— are g enerally better

THE FLOWER G AR D EN .

adapted to the growth of plants than the more faneiful shapes . Utility rather than ornamentation shouldbe a prime consideration

,if the growth of plants is

to be of a satisfactory nature“

B ask ets— These may be said to be forms Ofvases on a large scale, and are better suited forcertain positions than ordinary vases are . A basket- 4

formed bed,in fact

,looks well in almost any spot

where a flower-bed doesnot look'

out of place ; and

BASKET-BE D AT HECKEIE LD P LACE , W IN CHFIELD .

what to some isa great consideration— such canbe constructed of home materials .

_

The stump of anold tree hollowed out, and handles of wicker or

wire-work over it for climbers,makes a basket-vase

equal in appearance to the finest stone or cementwork , and is certainly preferable to the latter forplacing in distant parts of th e pleasure-grounds ,or indeed in any part except in a dressed ” gardenwhich abounds in stone-work.

An other kind of basket-bed that looks exceedinglywell is that formed by cutting up Larch or SpruceFir polesinto regular lengths of, say two feet,which, after being pointed, are driven into theground close together, to the form the bed is desiredto assume (round looks best), then to be filled inwith Soil to the height of the wood, and handles

28

49

constructed of wicker or strong wire according tothe taste of the operator. Baskets of this characterare ' most a ppropriately pla ced in quiet nooks amongshrubs, or as a terminusto walks where it is desiredto have flowers . On a small scale they look ex

ceedingly well in old-fashioned gardens of hardyflowers

,and being just as appropria tely filled with

this class of flowers as with summer bedders, thereis no reason why they should not be assigned aplace in such gardens ; certainly they ought to

be far preferred to vases of a dr essy and formalpattern .

Basket-beds intended for the parterre, as a matterof cour se

,must be of a more elaborate description .

The one shown in the illustration is made ofP ortland cement, in imitation of stone, the designbeing of a true basket description. It stands twofeet six inches above the ground- level, is sixteenfeet long

,and eight feet wide at the middle

,and

gradually tapers to five “ feet at the ends,the shape

being what may be described as a well-balancedoval . The position this bed occupies isthe centre ofthe turf on a terrace-garden, on each side of wh ichthere are beds of geometri c design ; this, andsmaller baskets of similar design

,allowing when

necessary of such beds being planted after the most

CASSELL’S P OPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

rigidly formal pattern, without their really appearingso

,solely by reason of the inf ormal style of planting

the baskets .These large basket-beds are well suited to occupythe ‘most conspicuous positions in any type ofgeometrical garden, and are every way an advanceon what may be termed the stone and statuarygardening

,

” which is a far too invariable a ccom

paniment to gardensof this character. The latter,viewed from an architectural point of view, may bein good taste

,and quite proper, but so far as

gardening is concerned , deserve entire exclusion infavour of the useful yet appropriate substitutes herenamed. Thissame description of basket-bed maybe of any desired shape or siz e to suit any givenspot . W e have them oval, round, and square, andof various siz es . The round occupies a centralposition on turf

,surrounded with bedsof circular

outline ; the square , the like position surroundedwith bedssquare in outline ; and the ovals servereally as asset of bedsto divide two other sets of beds— oblongs and rounds— which without such divisionwould present a depressingly formal appearance.

Soil a nd P lanting — It is almost needless toadd that good soil is of greater importance in vaseand ba sket culture than for flower-beds, the confinedspace, e xposure to sun shine , and oth er artificial conditions, rendering good soil an imperative nece ssity.

A good holding loam and well-rotted cow-manure isthe best description of soil for nearly every kind offlowering plant but all cannot obtain this description of soil, a nd it must therefore suffice tosay, usethe best at command. If light, press it the morefirmly together ; if poor, add a greater quantity ofmanure ; and, above all, well drain .

Asto planting, or arrangement of plants, personally we prefer mixtures both for vases and basketbeds .desirable in regard to small vases

,though even with

these we would never have less than two kindsofplants —one for upright growth , and the other todroop over the sides. This latter is a much-neglected point in the furnishing of vases, but onlyrequires a very moderate amount of thought

,or

,

better still,a practical comparison of the two modes

— with and W ithout drooping plants— to make thepractice general.The following are given as fair samples of mixtureswe would advise for the generality of vases:a tallFuchsia, surrounded with P elargoniums, floweringand variegated alternate, and edged with Ivy-leavedP elargonium to droop over the sides. Another:acentral plant of G eeoillea robusta

,surrounded with

scarlet and rose-coloured P elargoniums,edged with

blue Lobelia. and P ela rgonium Manglesii va riega ta

A departure from this rule may, perhaps , be .

W a tering and K e ep .—G ood soil and perfect ‘

arrangement are valueless if after-attention bewanting. The fir st requisite

,after planting

,is a good

watering to well settle th e soil about the roots ; next

alterna te . Another:a central plant of variegated !

Abutilon,surrounded with dark-flowered Fuchsias

and tall variegated P elargoniums alternate, andedged

_With scarlet Trop

’

wolum Lobbianum. An other:a central plant of A lbizz ia lopkantha , surrounded withvariegated P elargonium(Lady P lymouth), and pinkP elargonium(Christine), and edged with variegatedIvy

-leaved P elargoniumsand Viola B lue-bell .Basket-beds being so much larger, the variety ofmixtures can be

'

of unlimited extent, only great careshould be exercised in the di sposition of the plants,that when full-grown they may .present a somewhateven balance as to height over the whole basket, thehighest point being at th e centre . The planting ofthe basket shown in the illustration isasfollowsthe tall plants are Abutilons , Cannas, Marguerites ,and single D ahlias ; the intermediate siz e be ingP elargoniums, Fuchsias, Marvel of P eru, P etunias ,and Heliotropes ; the smaller and outer lin e ofplants are Lobelias

,V erbenas, Violas, Stocks ,Asters,

variegated P elargoniums , &c. The drooping plantsare Tropaeolum,

Ivy-leaved P elargoniums,Japanese

Honeysuckle,Catead scandens

,Maurandymm B a r

clayana , and Clematis.These examples willsuflice to show th e manner ofarrangement of dressed vases and baskets ; that ofrustic vase s and baskets may be of a simpler description and of hardier plants

,with a view to

permanence of effect. Shrubs of the R etinosp om orOlavressusorder may be used as centres

,and the

edg ings of Ivy,P eriwinkles

,Japanese Honeysuckle ,

and V iolas,whilst the handles may be climbing

R oses, Clematis , and Tropaeolums ; scarlet P elargoniumsintermixed with these in the summer seasonare really all that is needed to make an excellentsummer a rrangement. Should it be wi shed to plantthese rustic-formed beds with flowering plants

,the

same as the more dressy ba skets, they may of coursebe so planted, but a few small shrubs dotted overthem, and variegated Ivy and P eriwinkle asdroopers, ought to be used with the flowers, to bringthem into greater harmony with the surroundingshrubs, which position, we

'

repeat,is the best for

bedsof this description.

The winter arrangement of vases and basketsmust nece ssarilybe done with shrubsof suitablesiz eand description, and by following out the same ruleof arrangement asfor the summer, particularly inregard to overhanging plants ; Ivies, P eriwinkles(Vinca s), Japanese Honeysuckles, and Cotoneastersbeing excellent plantsfor tha t purpose.

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.

52 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Cob'

aea .— A genus of climbing plants belonging

to the Phlox-worts . In appearance, however, theyhave nothing in common with the other members ofthe order . Cobaeas are perennial plants Of veryrapid growth, it being recorded that a plant of C.

scandenshas been known to'

make two'

hundred feetof growth in a single season, so that if any one requir es the roof of a green-house or conservatoryto be rapidlycovered

,this is

by all means thebest plant to usefor the purpose .They thrive bestin a somewhatstiff soil . P ropa

gation either byseeds or cuttings .C.sccmdens.— It

isabout a hundred years agosince this rapidg 'r ow ing andbeautif ul climberfirst opened itsflowers in this

'

country ; in itsnative country itis called theViolet Ivy.

”

Its leaves arepinnate, usuallybeing three pair sof pinnae, the

nating in a longtendril, by whichit becomes firmlyfixed to anythingwithin its reach.

Flowers large,

bell shaped, on

long foot-stalks,from the axilsof the leaves ; when young, green,changing to rich deep violetapurple when fullyexpanded ; stamensmuch exserted. It bloomsduring th e entire season. Mexico .0. socmdensoa riega ta .

-An exact ”counterpart ofth e preceding species

, but the leaves are all beautifully margined with creamy-white

,which renders it

very attractive . These plants are valuable asgreen-house climbers on account of their freedomfrom all kinds of insects. Summer months .0. ma crostemma .

— A smaller -growing species than0. scandens

, but very similar in appearance. Theflowers , however, .

are.

muchsma ller and far“

inferior

in beauty. When young they are green, but theychange to yellow with age. Summer months.SouthAm erica .

variegated leaves.

COBR A SCAN D EN S.

C o r r e a

These are Often called Australian Fuchsias , although‘

th ey are not_

related in any way'

to . that popular

genus of plants, the habit of growth and drooping tubular flowers no doubt giving the firstsettlers at the Antipodes a pleasant reminder of

the flower they had left behind in the old country.

There are numerous species,but many new and

handsome formshave originated in English gardensfrom cross-breeding. The usual method of propagation is by cuttings , but some of the kinds are weakrooters

,and hence to improve the constitution these

are frequently gra fted upon a strong-growing speciescalled 0. a lba , the flowers of which are not showy.

C oron illa .-The plants comprising thisgenus

derive their name fr om the arrangement of theflowers, which form a corona or crown on the pointsof the branches . The species here quoted isin

v alu ab le f o rgreen-house decoration. The soilshould be twoparts loam andone peat

, with a

little sand added.D uring the growing sea son g iveplenty of air

,and

if removed out

d o o r s a f t e rgrowth is fini shedit will be -verybeneficial . Cut

tings in sandysoil .0. glance . A

fin e g r owin gshrubby plant,wi th p inna t eglaucousleaves ;fl ow e r s

,P e a

shaped, bright

yellow,and fra

grant . There is

G REEN -HOUSE PLAN TS.

G R OUP OF Com mas.

53

CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

A mixture of two parts peat , one of light loam, andone of sharp sand suits th em admirably drain well,and water abundantly, but carefully . Correas soongrow into handsome specimens if a little care is bestowed upon them. R e -pot before the shoots beginto start

,or when the young growths have made one

or two joints look carefully over the plants andpinch out the points in order to encourage laterals,by which means bushy plants will be obtained.

Wh en somewhat established in th eir new pots, theywill be much benefited by removal to the Open air

,

choosing a position in which they can be protectedfrom rough weather, and where the full power ofthe ‘sun is tempered with a little shade . In autumnremove them in-doors

,where their beautiful flowers

will enliven the green-house throughout the dullmonths of winter . All are natives of Australia,chiefly in the southern and eastern parts .0. B rilliant — Flowers bright crimson

,very fine .

0. ca rdina lis.— One of the finest and most showykinds . Flowers bright scarlet, tipped with green .

This plant naturally makes but few leaves,and re

quires ‘ frequent stopping in order to obtain laterals,

or it will present a somewhat naked ap pearance .0. J a rdin d

’

Hicer .— Flowers bright scarlet . A very

desirable plant,and one that is well furnished with

foliage .0. magnifica .

— A robust kind ; flowers large, white .0. pulclwll

‘

a .—A twiggy-growing species

,and very

handsome . Flowers crimson. 1 824.

0. sp eciosa .— Flowers crimson, tipped with green .

1 806.

C rinodendron .— A family belonging to the

Lindenbloomsor Tilicweaz. There is but one speciesknown, and this appears to be ra re, even in itsnative country, where it is called Ch equehue .

” Itshould be grown in a mixture of good rough peatand loam

,with some sharp sand added. D rain th e

pots well,and supply liberally with water dur ing

the grow'

ring season.

C. H ookerianum.— This is the only species,but is

also known by the name of 0. P a tagua . The leavesare opposite or alternate, Oblong lanceolate

,and

acute , slightly toothed on the edges, bright greenabove

,paler below . The flowers are produced singly

or in pairs,on long pendulous foot-stalks . They are

bell- sh aped,thi ck and fleshy in texture, and rich

rosy-crimson in colour . It is a very handsomedwarf-growing shrub

,well deserving a place in every

collection of green-house plants . Spring months.Southern Chili . The correct name of thi s plant isTricusp ida ria hexap eta la .

C rowe a .— A small family of R ue-worts

, _all

natives of Australia . And, as so many of theplants from that country

,

are spring , bloomers, it

pinkautumn months .

duce an enormous quantity of flowers .

stronger-growing kinds .

behoves the cultivator to encourage such plantas the

'

various species of Croweas, whi ch follov

them, and continue to maintain a succession Of thes ‘h andsome flowers right into the autumn . Croweaa re not

, however, as a rule, seen in our plant-housein the happiest condition

,for the reason that to<

many cultivators treat them more as stove plantthan green-house subj ects . This system never failto produce a lax growth and sickly yellowish-

greei

foliage but give them a situation in the green=houswhere they are not overcrowded

,free ventilation

and full exposure to the light,and Croweas wil

grow into handsome SpeOM ens,which in due tim

will contribute their share to the beauty of th '

garden.

The soil should consist of good peat and lighloam,

in the proportion of three of the former tone of the latter

,with a liberal addition of sand

drain well,and water carefully. To form goor

bushy and shapely specimens,the points o f th

shoots should be frequently stopped and any grosshoot out quite out, or the symmetry of the planwill be spoil ed. This stopping, however,should nobe ca rried to excess, or the points with the flowerwill also be destroyed.

Of ellz'

p ticm— Leaves simple,ovate

,and dotted,darl

green . The flowers are produced in whorls of fivestar- shaped, and beautif ul bright pink in colou1June to end of autumn .

G REEN -HOUSE PLAN TS.

flowered, white , and deliciously fragrant . W interand early spring

,

months. China.D . melted rubm .

— A more robust grower than the"

p receding, but in other respects it is similar to it ;the heads of flower are reddish-pink on the outsideinstead of pure wh ite ; they are very fragrant. . It

blooms during the winter and early Spring monthsf

D illwynia .— This genus contains many -hand

some species ; they are P ea -floweredplants, and re

,quire about the same treatment as Choroz emas. Theybloom during spring and early summer, and continuein full beauty for a considerable time . All are nativesof Australia .

D . ericcef oléa .— Flowers yellow, in sh ort racemes

or clusters ; frequently found in collections underthe name of D .floribwnda . 1 794.

D . p a roU’

olia .

’

—Flowers borne in terininal_clus

ters;pale yellow,

stained with -red at the base .1 800.

D . pungens. -Flowers bright yellow. 1 825.D . sanguinea .

— Flowers deep red and yellow .

D . scabm .— A fine species

,producing terminal

corymb'

s of bright red flowers . 1 850.

D . sp eciosa .— Flowers yellow and crimson . 1 8 3 8 .

D . sp lendens.-; Flowers orange and red.

D ra cop h yllum .-N ear1y related to Epacris;

the various members are distributed thr oughout N ew

Z ealand, N ewCaledonia, and Australia. The solitary

species we quote here is a handsome and very desirable green-house shrub ; it isa slender-stemmedand somewhat straggling-growing plant

,and 1sseen

to best advantage when trained upon a trellis . Itshould be potted m a compost of nearly all peat andsand

, but a small portion of light loam added willbe found advantageous ; in potting, press _ themould down very firm

,as the plant will not touch

root in loose soil . Cutting s root tolerably freeinserted in sandy soil and placed under a bellglass.D . gracile.

— Leavessmall, subulate, dark green ;stems slender

,the points bearing a compact head of

snow-white flowers ; these -are produced about themonth of May,

and last a month ' orsix weeks in fullbeauty. Australia.

D rya ndra .-A genusOf P roteaom containing

many species,the majori ty of which are more to be

admired for the beauty of their leaves than theirflowers . These, like many other P roteaceous plants,have not found so much favour of late years in thehorticultural world as theydid in the earlier part ofthe present century, but theywell deserve the attention of those having la rge collections

,as they aff ord

55

a beautiful contrast of foliage, which isparticularlydelightful during winter when there is ascarcity offlowers to divert the eye . The genus commemoratestheservices of D r. D ryander , a celebrated botanistand librarian to Sir Joseph Banks. They are nearlyallied to, and require the same treatment as , Banksia .

All are natives of the south and south-western parts’

of Australia .

D . a rmam— A small-growing shrub with deeplypinnatifid leaves, whi ch are about three inches long

,

with sharp-pointed triangular lobes,dark green ;

flowers yellow,not conspicuous .

D . a rctoides. —A pretty little species,seldom ex

ceeding two or three feet in height ; leaves thr ee tofour inches long, pinnatifid, divided almost to thebase ; lobes linear, deep green above , clothed with -

a

white silky tomentum ”beneath ; flowers yellow,

small.D . nervosa .

— A dwarf plant,with deeply pin

natifid leaves,segments linear, lanceolate, some

times inclining to falcate , deep green above,reddish-brown beneath, where the veins are veryprominent.

I

D . nioac .- One of the most elegant members Of

this family,seldom exceeding one or two feet in

height ; leaves densely set , three to six inches long ,linear and pinnatifid, divided into small triangularsegments ; they are dark green, but the under surfaceis of a

.

uniform pure white, which renders it veryattractive .D .

'

p lmnosa .4 Wh ole plant very elegant and

feathery leavessix to eight inches long, pinnatifid,

with obtuse triangular lobes, deep green above,white beneath .

D . seneciif olia .~ —A dense compact species

,some

three feet in height when mature ; leaves about threeinches in length, linear in outline, and divided intonarrow segments, which are dark green a bove, butwhite beneath.

E ccremoca rpus. - A small familyof climbingplants belonging to the B ignoniacm ,

natives of thecooler parts of Chili and P eru

,and although suffi

ciently hardy to grow in the Open air in this countryduring th e summer months, they must neverthelessbe looked upon as green-house plants , as under suchtreatment their beauties are displayed to the greatestadvantage .The requirements Of these plants are very few

,and

their management very simple, as they will grow inalmost any soil . When grown as border plantsEccremocarpus are usually treated as annuals

,and

raised from seed every year, the best time for sowingbeing about the middle of February or beginning ofMarch

,but when grown from cuttings they flower

both earlier and more profusely.

56 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

E . long zflorua — A handsome plant with tripinnate THE KITCHEN G AR D EN,

leaves, the segments being oval and entire raceme Br WILLIAM 1 33m m ,

drooping,bearing thr ee to four long tubular flowers

calyx large,bright red ; tube orange-yellow tipped

with green. Summer months. P eru.

E . amber— known in some collections by thename of Ca lamp elisscabm— is a very ornamental plant

,

a ttaining a height of twelve feet ; leaves.bipinnate

,segments

somewhat cordate,

toothed at theedges

,bright green ;

flowers tubular,

orange and scarlet,

very showy. Summer month s . Chili .

E uta xia . A

small family of P eaflowe r ed p l an t snearly allied toP ultena’a and D illwynia , but, independent Of theslight differences inthe formation oftheir flowers

,they

may at once be distinguished fromthem by their Op

posite leaves . All

ar e n a t i v e s o fAustralia. The soiland general treatment are the sameas for Choroz ema ;doing best in a mixture of about twoparts peat

,one of

sharp sand, and oneof loam . Like th esea l s o, t h e y a r echiefly propagatedby cuttings, and require careful pruning back assoon as the flowering season is over. If these pointsare attended to

,no ' difficulty will be found in their

cultivation .

E . myrtif olia .— A shrubby plant

. with slenderstems ; leaves somewhat Myrtle-like ; flowers yellow, situated in the axils of the leaves, in pairs , andproducing long racemes of bloom which are veryeffective . Spring and early summer.E . punyens. — A slender-growing ! plant

,with nar

row verticillate sharp-pointed leaves ; flowers brigh torange and yellow,

crowded into dense terminalcorymbs . Spring and early summer.

D R YAN D R A AR CI OI D ES.

Sa lsa fy(Tragop ogonp orrif olius) French, Salsifis

G erman,H af er Wurz el Italian, Scorzohem bianca ;

Spanish,fistm vegeta l.

— This plant is a hardy perennial

,and a native of England, sometimes called

Oyster plant,

” as the Spanish name shows. Theroots are long and

tapering when wellgrown, of a white,fleshy nature, al

though,

, as the re

sult of indifferentculture in rich soil,it is often producedas a mere bundle ofsmall roots

,knotted

together,and is

then little short ofuseless for culinarypurposes .To grow the rootwell a light

,

mellowsoil sh ould alwaysbe chosen, at leastten inches deep .

When preparingsuch soil for the reception of the seed,so treat it

,either by

means of shallowtrenching or verydeep digging, as toplace a layer ofgood manure at adepth of at leasteight inches belowthe surface . Thi scan be easily doneby having a veryOpen trench in process of deep dig

ging,and placing the manur e at the bottom of each

trench as the work proceeds .h seedsshould be sewn in drill-rows during themonth of April or May,

such drills to be drawnmoderately shallow

,and about nin e inches asunder.

R a ke the seeds in neatly by drawing the rake transversely across the rows . D uring th emonth of June,when the plants have attai ned to thr ee or four inchesin height

,thin the rows out

,so that five or six

inches Space exist between each plant. Occasionaldeep hoeingsare alone requi site during the remainder of the summer. The crop is generally sufficientlyadvanced for drawing, commencing during the month

THE KITCHEN G AR D EN . 57

of August, such a quantity only being drawn as arerequired for use each time . The plant, being sothoroughly hardy, willbe best left 1 11 the open groundthroughout the winter.The young spring-formed shoots are used as agreen vegetable . Cut them off so soon as they attainto sufficient siz e

,and before seed-stalks are formed,

a fter which the plants are useless, and should be re

moved to the rubbish-heap .

Scorz one ra (Seorzonem hisp cmiea ) . French,Scorzonere ; G erman, Scorzoner Italian, ,Seorzonem .

—This plant, known also as “Viper’s is ahardy perennial

,a native of severa l distin ct parts

of Southern Europe . The

roots are pure white within

,the rind or coating of a

black colour, some Of thepoints of the extreme rootsbeing enlarged, or tapering,though the general diameter isthe same throughout. Owing to this peculiarity it has

,

received thename of V iper’s G rass

,as

the roots alone are supposedto resemble that reptile.It thr ives best in a deepsandy soil

,having

_man'

ureplaced at the depth of tenor twelve inches below thesurface of th e groundonly. Sow the seed uponground so prepared indrills about . one and ahalf inches deep, and twelve inches between therows, early in the month of April. So soon -as theplants are large enough, thin them out to six or seveninches apart in the rows

,keeping them well and

deeply hoed during the whole summersubsequently.

The roots a i e generally large‘

enough for use early inthe month of September. Such as remain in theground until the month of D ecember

,take up, and

store awa y for use in the same manner as carrots arestored forwinter .duly bitter when cooked ; to neutralise this, scrapeoff the outer rind, and place them in cold water foran hour or two before cooking.

Se a -k a le (Urwmbe man‘ itiena ) . French,Crambe

maritime G erman, Seeko/zl,Meerkokl Spanish,

B reton de Ma r Italian,0mmbo.

— Thi s is a hardyBritish perennia l, found in many parts of the country,on the shores aroun d our sea-coast .cultivated for the use oi its young shoots in a perfectly blanched sta te, and it is a singular fact that it

SEA-KALE .~

Thi s root is often found to be un

It is generally

has been found and collected for use in suchblanchedstate by the inhabitants resident near our westernshores

,from a time anterior to any hi story we possess

as to the Origin of the practice. Buri ed beneath thesand blown upon its dormant roots during winter,it pushes up through such sand in the early spring, atwh ich ' time the inhabitants referred to watch for itsadvent

,and collect the blanched shoots so formed

,

Its successful culture as a perma nent crop dependsgreatly upon the proper preparation Of the bed wherein it is to be grown

,the site it occupies, and such

perfect draina ge as insures to the root-base immunityfrom excessive moisture during the winter months .The best site for it isa fully-exposed one, facing

the south,and if with pro

tection from easterly andnorth easterly winds somuch the better. The soilshould be trenched to adepth of at least two feetor more

,preparatory for

seed sowing or root-planting , both being employedmore or less

,as may be

most convenient.An inh abitant of thesea-shores

,it delights in a

sandy soil. Wh ere, therefore, se a -sand can be procured it should be usedabundantly in forming thebed. And it is well to ob

serve that a bed, well madeand planted

,will continue

to give excellent crops foreight and even twelve years . The writer has, indeed,maintained a bed

,with its original plants, in full

bearing for four teen years , even though he forced theplants upon this bed by the aid of fermenting materials each year during that period.

Where sea-sand is not obtainable the existingsoil must be treated more or less in accordance withits native lightness or tenacity, as the case mayhappen to be . V ery light soils resting on gravel, ora porous subsoil

,will certainly be benefite d by the

addition of stiff soil to it, and abundant manureburied at the bottom of each trench, and in successivestrata

,though intermixed with the soil ’ as much as

possible throughout . Such soils, e ven when theyhave been prepared thus far, being naturally poorand light

,should also have a good dressing of decayed

manure spread over the surface,and forked in

,even

after the trenching work has been finished.

Heavy, tenacioussoils will be benefited by theaddition of road-scrapings , any kind of sand oh

tained locally, and old dry mortar rubbish, along

58 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

with mainire in plenty. E specially is it necessary,in connection with these latter, to place Sandymaterial

,old mortar rubbish, or such lightening material,

near to the surface , so that the plants are more orless embedded in it. If thi s be not done, and thestools

,

” wi th their crowns , lie with an excess ofmoistur e enveloping them throughout the winter,they are liable to canker and its attendant decay, oneof the greatest enemies the plant issubj ect to .Sea -kale is propagated both by means of seeds and

division of the growing roots . To rai se it fromseeds

,select a warm aspect and soil similar to that

recommended. Asit is usua l, and Often most convenient, to sow nur sery bedswhereon plants are to begrown for ultimate transplanting on to the more permanent bed, the most convenient plan to follow is tosow in drill-rows

,for which purpose a generous and

free soilwill generally suffice without such an amoun tof preparation as is needful for permanent beds .D raw shallow dr ill-rows with the corner of the hoeone foot apart

,and drop the seeds

,which are large,

therein in such manner as to insure germination andplant-formation at distances of not more than eightinches apart. The first week in the month of Aprilis the best date to do so . So soon as the youngplants are well through the soil , hoe carefully andwell between them

,doing so periodically thr ough

out the summer months, so as to insur e the soil beingloose and free -around them . Liquid manure givento them during the month Of July is a great aid tofree and fin e growth . These young plants, havingremained in the ground thr ough the winter months,may be carefully taken up in the spring, and transferred into permanent plantations,

‘

a t distances apart,&c.

,in all ways similar to that recommended below

for bed-formation by means of direct seed-sowing.

Or they “

may be permitted to remain in the rows toperfect a second summer’s growth, aided by a nicedr essing of decomposed manure

,occasional waterings

of liquid manure,deep hoeings, &c. By these means

they form nice crowns for forcing dur ing the following win ter, and should be taken up carefully, andtransferred to such proper places to insur e this as arerecommended below .

To form permanent plantations bymeans of directseed-sowing

,thesite

_

intended for permanent plantation

,having the soil trenched and prepared as re

commended,should be carefully levelled and raked

' over towards the end of the month of March. D uringthe fir st week in April mark out the whole space intorows two feet asunder

,Stretch the line“ along the

first row,and sow, at distances of two feet apart in

the rows,thr ee pairs of seeds . These must be in

serted at a uniform depth of two inches,in pairs .

about seven inches apart, at angles with each oth er.' Again stretch the line across the ground for the

second row,Sowing in precisely thesame way as for

the former triple pairs of seeds, but in such mann erthat the sowings in this row be sown at angles withthe sowings in the previousone . The third row

,

being at angles with this latter,will occupy a similar

place transversely to what th e first-sown row does.B y continuing thus the whole bed will be furnishedwi th separate stools,” at equal distances apartthroughout, giving to all the greatest possibleamount of space whereon to make repeated permanent summer growth s .As

, however, Sea -kale pots vary in_dimensions

in different places, and sowing seeds in triples, as advised, isintended to form as many crownsas possible ,to place each pot over for forcing and for blanching

,

it may be convenient to take the measur ements of thepots on hand, and to sow the seeds at angles apart 1nsuch manner as to insure that the plants

,when grown

in the future, can be properly covered by them,which

may vary the measurement given .

When the young plants have formed,remove each

duplicate one in all instances where more than oneseed has germinated

, giving all attention during thefollowing summers in regard tohoeing, neatly forkingthe surface of the ground over during the followingspring

,850 .

P ropagation by means of division of the roots, 3 .

method often followed by growers for market whoare a nxious to make the most of things

,isvery

simple . When the main roots ar e dug up for forcing,a system generally followed by them also

,every por

tion of broken root,from the siz e of dry straight

stick maccaroni upwards,is preserved for this pur

pose . These are cut into unif orm lengthsof aboutfive inches , and dibbled, or laid in dr ill-rows choppedout for them

,with the thi ck ends just level with

the surface of the soil,in such manner that they form

buds, grow, and ultimately,after a summer or two

,

perfect crowns,whi ch in turn are used for forcing.

To make a plantation whi ch shall give qui cker resultsthan by means of seed-sowing at angles

,as

advised above,or by waiting to grew and perfect

the needful crowns for so doing in the home garden, it is only necessary to prepare the bed, as advised

,during the winter months

,and to purchase a

hundred or two crowns about the month of Februa ryfor planting therein . These are always obtainablefrom seedsmen, and at a very reasonable rate, and arefa rmore economical than seed-buying

,sowing

,and

waiting the result .P reparing Sea -kale for use

,whether thi s consist

_

of forcing, blanching, or retarding, is very simple ,though generally expressed under the term forcingonly. The original practice was to grow the plantsin beds or plantations

,as recommended above , to then

place pots over the crowns,covering themwith stable

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0 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Sp ina ch (Sp ina eia olemeea ). French,Ep ina rd

G erman, Sp ina l}; Spanish, Esp ina ca Italian,Sp imwi.

_ There exist several distinct types of Sp inach orSp inage,

” as written by Old authors,a name de

rived from the peculiar prickly seeds . The presentform, surnamed olera cea

,or pot-herb

,is,however

,

that most generally grown and, consequently, mostpopular. It is a hardy annual, suflicientlyhardy, infact

,by a proper system of seed-sowing and culture

to withstand the inclemency of British winters . Itsoriginal home is not known . It has

,however

,been

cultivated in this country more than three centuries .The species under consideration consists of two distinct varieties

,distinguishable by having a dissimi

larity both in the form of their leaves and seeds.One

,possessing round or heart-shaped leaves

,has

also round seeds ; the other, oblong triangularleaved

,having prickly seeds . In other words

,the

remarkable fact exists that the leaves and seeds of theplant possess identical characteristics. The harsh Orseverer development of the leaves in th e pricklyseeded variety goes even further than this . It hasproved itself less profitable as a summer vari ety

,is

the more hardy of the two,and has

,therefore

,been

termed the winter variety,” being that invariablysown in the autumn for the winter and earliest springcrop .

In the matter “of culture, as the only real meritthese peculiar comestibles can possess consists of extreme freedom of growth and its attendant succulencyof leaf

,it is impossible to accord them too generous

treatment . Yet to insure this a really deeply-preparedsoil is not always essential

,beyond the consideration

that the richer the soil is deep down below,so

much greater is its capacity to retain latent moisture in uniform abundance, by which the whole isfavourably influenced, to say nothing of the fact thatthe roots will work down in search of food duringarid weather periods, where it exists , though thisplant is but of shallow root-formation.

. A freehighly-enr iched soil is essential. Asthe crop is ofvery quick ‘ growth and of short duration

,during

summer-time, it is well to exceptionally enr ich theground for it

,even upon consideration that a suc

ceeding crop may occupy the ground and benefitthereby.

_ The practice which gains precedence consists ingrowing the crop in drill-rows . This is not the bestplan to follow, as it invariably leads to the plantsbeing too thi ckly grown together ; an error, this,which cannot be too severely condemn ed, and owingto whi ch good produce is rarely obtainable . Itshould be quite needless to remark here the simplefact ' that to grow a plant well

,to insure fine large

leaves, it should grow singly yet all but invariablyis Spinach grown so thickly as to entirely controvert

such a fact ; It is thereby~

hastened off . to seed,wretchedly indifierent seed-stalk produée being theresult . Wherever drill-rows are 'sown

,therefore

,

seed should be sown very thinly, thinning the youngplants out so soon as they have each two pairs ofleaves, to four or five inches apart. Better is it

,

however, to sow broadcast upon rich soil, and tosubsequently hoe out the plants to distances of aboutsix inches apart, treating them in a similar way towhat broadcast-sown turnips are treated. For the

summer crops the fir st sowing should be made duringsuch mild weather as may prevail about the fir stweek in February ; for thisfirst sowing, a shelteredsunny situation . So soon as thi s sowing is up andthinned out, make another sowing, continuing afterthe month of March has arrived to make smallsowings once a fortnight, according to the demand,until July, at which time it is not desirable to makeany more until the winter crops are sewn,

as theplant succeeds indifferently only during the drymonths of August and September.About August 1st prepare a liberal space for thewinter crop , choosing particularly for it a dry quar terof the garden

,exposed and open to such wintersun

shine as is experienced . Though even this is not all ;the nominal or cloud- screened light of thesun evenat such a season exerts its influence beneficially. Tosave the young plants from excessive ground-moistureduring the winter months

,a moderate quantity only

of manure should be employed. A few wheelbarrowloadsof old mortar

,rubbish

,&c. ,could also be bene

ficially dug into the ground upon which it is to besown . For convenience of hoeing

,gathering the

crop, &c.

,drill-row sowing will at this season be pre

ferable . D raw shallow drills across the Space to besown

,ten inches asunder

,and make sowings as near

to August5th and August 1 1 th as possible . Makethe larger sowing at th e latter date. Wh en the youngplants are

,large enough

,thinthem out to five inche s

apart in the rows . Hoe amongst the crop periodicallyat fine weather intervals ; such a process is of immense aid. Should any make a good growth , continue to pick for use in accordance. This praotice

,whilst it furnishes supplies

,also checks

a toorobust growth, and assures in advance the hardinessof the:crop for severe weather , should it follow .

For the summer crop the most common practiceis to sow rows of Spinach between the rows ofP eas . Such space can only be occupied by a quickgrowing and yielding crop, and as Spinach

.

is such,the practice is good from an economical point ofview. It is as important in this case as in all othersto well thin out the young plants. or the producewill be of a very low order.Under somewhat the same name we have the

following

FER N S. 61

Sp in a ch , G reen M ounta in or Ora ch

(A trip lex hortens'

is).h

French,Ame/w G erman , Mel

de/cmut ; Ita lian, A trep iee.— W e possess herein a

singular plant as a hardy annual, and indigenous inTarta ry. It is a robust plant

,growing rapidly

,

tosome feet in height

,the leaves of which are gathered

and used in the same manner as those of Sp imwz'

a

olem cea . This vari ety ismore esteemed on the Continent than it has been hitherto in this country.

It delights in a deep,ri ch

,and somewhat moist soil ,

fully exposedto sun . andair. It maybe cultivatedboth in rowsandbybroad

cast sowings .A single rowab ou t t enyards longwill afforda moderates u p p l ySeeds shouldbe sown duri n g t h em onth o fAugust

,to

insure a spring and summersupply up to the beginning ofthe month of July. Thin th eplants out from this sowing toabout six inches apart only, toin sure a sufficient quantity inthe spring, following the exi

genciesof winter, attention inthe matter of hoeing ,

&c.,being

the only further aid needed tosecure the crop . For the mainsummer supply, similar sowings should be madeduring the monthsof April and May, for wh ichan additional supply of manure should be dug

into the ground.

’ The young plants which resultfrom these sowings should be thinned out to nineor ten inches apart in the row . Wh en the plantsare well grown they give a successional supplyof leaves as they progress in height

,whi ch only

need to be picked off to be ready for use . Asthe plant tends to run very rapidly to seedin hot weather if neglected, and is only wortheating when the leaves are picked young andtender, it is very essential that the regular supplyprovided be regularly drawn upon and keptdown . D isappointment will follow any want ofthis precaution to keep a succession of youngleaves.

ALSOPHILA EXCELSA.

F E R N S .

BY J AME S B R ITTE N , F .L .S.

Th e A lsop h ilas.— In point of number of speciesthe genus A lsophila is the most important of thegenera of P olypodiaceous Ferns

,wh ich are included

in the tribe Oya thew. It standsalone,too

, in thattribe, in the absence of any involucre to the sori .The A lsop k—ilashave the general habit and aspect ofthe Cya theasand H emitelias

, but both these generaare readilydistinguishedfrom A lsop hila by thedi stinct in

volucre withwhich theson are furnish ed. Theya r e d i st r i b u t e dp r i n c i p a l lyflu ou g h ou t

th e warmerregions ofboth h euri

spheres,and

nearly a hundr ed species aredescribed in the“ Synopsis E licum.

” A goodlynumber of names, not given inthe work just mentioned, occurin nurserymen

’sca talogues , butprobably the great majority ofthese would

,if studied by any

competent authority, be referredto species previously describedand cultivated under their correct appellations. From a garden

point of view a selection of half a score species issufficient for all practical purposes ; indeed, it isonly in large establishments that space enoughcan be spared to allow even that number of individualsto develop and exhibit themselves in alltheir beauty. The largest collection of Tree-fernsexisting in this country is to be seen in the R oyalG ardens , Kew,

anda visit to that famous institutionis necessary to enable any untravelled gardener toform anything like “ an approximate idea of thesplendid appearance presented by full-grown specimens in their native countries . Wallace

,in his

Malay Ar chipelago ,” thus speaks of these beautifulplants in their tropica l homes But the greatestnovelty and most striking feature to my eyes werethe Tree-ferns , which, after seven years spent in th etropics, I nowsaw in perfection for the first time.

62 CASSELL’S POPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

All I had hith erto met with seemed slender . species,

not more than twelve feet high, and theygave notthe least idea of the supreme beauty of trees bearingtheir elegant heads of fronds more than thirty feetin the air . There is nothing

'

in tropical vegetationso perfectly beautiful.

”

STOVE KIN D S.

A . a rma ta is one of the commonest speci escultivation, and in a wild state is found throughout the whole of tropical America. The large

,

firm textured,tripinna tifid or tripinnate fronds,

ha've densely pilose rachises and ribs,not scaly

,

as in some of its allies . A . a trovirens,from

South Braz il, has tripinna tifid,somewhat leatheryfronds, with glabrous, smooth or warted, dullstraw-coloured rachises

,both surfaces being green

,

glabrous, and without scales . A . f erox has tripinnate fronds

,with brownish straw-coloured rachises

,

the main onesoften covered with conspicuous,hard

,

but rather small excrescences ; the texture is thin,not leathery,

and both surfaces are bright green incolour, the ribs being slightly h airy. This speciesisspread through the wh ole of tropical America . A .

asp em , from the W est Indies, has the stipes andrachises armed with strong prickles ‘

,which impart a

distinct aspect to the plant ; the leathery fronds arebipinnate . A . pm ina ta is quite unarmed(that is tosay, it does not possess either the hard excrescencesof A . f erox or the prickles of A . asp em) the stipeis densely woolly at the base

,and the leathery

,dis

tinctly glaucous frond is either twice or thricepinnate . This extends from the ' W est Indies andtropical America to Chili and Juan Fernandez . A .

sagittfi'

olia, a comparatively recent introduction from

Trinidad,has rigid leathery fronds

,four to six feet

long,green and glabrous on both surfaces

,the under

side bearing,however

,a few broad white scales on

the ribs ; the -rachises are straw-coloured andwarted, with a few pale-coloured adpressed scalesbeneath . A . Ta mitisis a Braz ilian species , withlarge

,bipinnate

,rather firm-textured fronds, with

distant glabrous stalked acuminate pinnules .

G R EEN -HOUSE KIN D S.

A QAustmh's,a native of Tasmania and Australia,

has large fronds,deep green above and somewhat

glaucous beneath ; th e stipe measur es about a foot anda half in length

,and is clothed with very long

,firm

,

subulate scales ; the main rachises, which, like thestipes, are straw-coloured

,are also armed with short

,

hard, prickle-like excrescences ._

This species was metwith in “ profusion by Backhouse in Tasmania. Thatauthordescribes it as having stems of all degrees ofelevation, up to twenty-five or thirty feet, some ofthem at the lower part as stout as a man’s body ; the

whole leng th clothed with the bases of old leaves,which were rough; like the stems of raspberries,closely tiled over each other, and pointing upwards .Some of the larger fronds were th irteen feet long,making the diameter of the crest twenty-six feet.The N ew Z ealand A . Colensoi is a beautiful species,of smaller stature than many of its allies

,and there

fore more suitable for general cultivation. Thesmall stem rarely exceeds four or five feet in height

,

and the bases of the short, unarmed stipes are

densely clothed with silvery subulate scales an inchin length, and the rest of the stipes , the rachisesand ribs

,covered with lesser dark brown ones . A

N ewZ ealand correspondent of The G a rden thuswrote of A . Colensoi a few years ago — “Thi s is a.sub-arboreous fern of great beauty. Though thefronds, which are of a soft and pleasing shade ofgreen

,are of a very large siz e

,some three feet to

four feet long, and ten inches to twenty inchesbroad

,yet the

.

trunk is rarely '

of any siz e,so that it

is a fern particularly suited for cultivation in lowfern-houses . The Specimen which I came upon, onthe edge of the beech-hollow

,was a veryluxuriant

one, and yet the trunk was not a foot high . Fromits name

,the A lsop lzila ought to be a ‘ lover of

groves,

’ yet,though I came across numerous speci

mens,I observed they were all in the open . It

seems to delight on the shady Slope of an unwoodedhill

,and it grows by preference in the moist beds of

the small runnels that drain such slopes . Th is ferncannot be too strongly recommended for pot-culture .It is a free-growing species

,possessing no delicacy

,

except of tint,but of a bold outline

,both of frond

and plant,‘and very soft in the textur e .” A . Coop erz

’

,

from Q ueensland and N ew South Wales, isthoroughly distinct specifically from the larger-growingA . excelsa

,under which it was until recently placed

as a variety. It has bright green,nearly naked

,

tripinnate fronds,with straw coloured

,warted

rachises. The N orfolk'

Island A . excelsa is probablythe tallest grower of all the Alsop lzilas it is statedby Captain King to attain a height of eighty feet.A trunk cut down by Allan Cunningham measuredfifty-seven feet, without the fronds . The late Mr .

James Backhouse,writing of this species

,says

Th e fronds are from seven to_twelve feet long

,and

are produced in such quantity as to make this noblefern excel the princely P alm-tree in beauty. It

‘

usually has its root near the course of some mainstream

,but as its trunk rises to fifty feet in height

,

and its top does not affect the shade,like many of

its congeners,it forms a striking object in th e land

scape .

” The “heart,

” or so-called cabbage,

” atthe extremity of the trunk in this and some otherspecies

,affordsa coarse kind of food

,which is used

by the natives as an article of diet . In substance it~

FER N S.

islike a Swedish Turnip , but is too astringent intaste to be agreeable, and is

‘ not much altered bycooking. The leathe‘ry

,bipinnate fronds are dark

green above , and somewhat paler beneath, the stipesand main rachis being muricate, or covered withsmall raised points .Cultiva tion — All the A lsop hilasgrow well in astrong soil, a good fibry loam being best suitedto them . They can be readily grown to a considerable siz e in even small- siz ed pots, that is to say,small in compari son with those required for manyother large growing ferns . In case the frondsbecome pale coloured

,and the plant gets out of

health for lack of nutrition , a tOp -dr essing of perfectly fresh cow-manur e is of great value ; the stems,too

,under such circumstances , should be syringed

twice a week with weak liquid -manure water .Failures in the cultivation of these and other Treeferns are often

‘

to. be attributed to neglect in keepingthe stems “moist

,many

"

_ of t h e species dependingprincipally on the adventitious roots which clothetheir trunks. A thoroughly moist atmospherethroughout

' the'year is essential to the well

being of the A lsop hilas under cultivation, .too

,

shading is as'

a rule necessary. The temperatureduring summer should not descend below 60°

Fahrenheit for the stove species, and may rise toD uring the period of growth, and particularly

when the crown of young fronds is being developed,

the housesshould be kept close,cold draughts of dry

air turning the tender fronds black . The g reenhouse species require practically the same treatmentas those of the stove, with the exception of the lowertemperature , in which the more tropical ones wouldnot thrive.

A ctiniop teris.— The genus Aetim’

op tem’scon

tains but a single species,which is at once recog

nisable from all the other genera belonging to th etribe Asp leniwby its flabellate habit, like the FanP alm (Chamazrops) in

'

miniature . A . radia ta hasdensely tufted stipes , two to six incheslong, thefan- shaped frond being an inch to an inch and ahalf deep, composed of numerousdichotomoussegments ,which are rush like in texture

,not more

than one-twenty-fourth of an inch broad,and the

segments of the fertile frond longer than those ofthe barren one . The vari ety Austra lishas fewersegments , which are longer, and more subulate atthe point ; it is a larger , stronger-growing plant,and more readily cultivated than th e type .A . radia ta is found aroun d the mouths of old

wells, and on walls and rocks, throughout India,Ava

, Ceylon, Arabia, Upper Egypt, Abyssinia , theMascarene Islands, Z ambesi-land, Angola, &c.

Cultiva tion.— In a wild state

,this fern is accus

63

tomed to extreme drought for a portion of eachyear, and the fronds dry up, and the plants lookquite dead. The small crowns, however, will re

tain t heir vitality for a long time, and, if collectedduring the dry season, can be forwarded by post,without injury

,to any part of the world. Under

cultivation, however, it is haz ardous to try thisdrying-off process

,and the plants succeed well if

never allowed to die down at all. A mixture ofpieces of brick and lumps of fibry peat is all that isneeded, taking care to place the plants, after theyare potted, close to the glass, in the stove, whereplenty of light can be obtained . They must

,how

ever, be sheltered from the direct rays of the sun .

P lenty_

of atmospheric moisture is essential,and

,if

carefully potted, the plants can h ardly be overwatered during the height of the g rowing season. .

The varietyAustra lisis an especially desirable plant,

of more robust constitution than the type .

Th e An em ias. Anemia,often erroneously

written Aneimia,is a distinct and well-ma rked genus

,

containing nearly thirty species,almost all of which

are confined to tropical America . Th e small capsules are produced in great profusion

,and form a

00piously-branched panicle , quite‘

distinct from theleafy part of the frond. Amongst the few speciesmentioned below are representatives of the sections— or

,as some authors regard them

,genera— Anemo

a’iotyon, Cop top hyllmn, and Anemirhiz a . W e followthe Synopsis Filicum in treating these as belonging to Anemia .

A . adiamtzf olia , which forms J. Smith’s genus,Anemirhiz a , is characterised by its elongated rhiz ome ;h orn which the stems arise in a single row.

“

A . asp lenif olia and A . ca rnif olia are simply forms of thisspecies

,which is found in Cuba, Bahamas, and

Florida, and from Mexico to Bahia. A. collina h asfirm erect stipes

,densely clothed with fine ferru

ginousspreading hairs ; the almost leathery barrensegments are sessile

,six to twelve inches long by two

to three inches broad,with about twelve sessile pinnae

on each side . A . mandioccana,like the last -named ,

a native of Braz il,has decidedly villose stipes six

to twelve inches long, and oblong-lanceolate barrensegments a foot or more in length by from two tofour inches in breadth ; there are twenty or moreclose pair s of pinnae

,and the rachises and sur faces

are finely pilose . A . millef olia , from South Braz il ,has hairy barren fronds, in shape and cutting muchresembling the leaf of our native Yarrow or Milf oil(Aclzillea Millef oléam). A . P hyllitz

’

a’ishas straw

coloured stipes, six to eighteen inches long, andsimply pinnate

,subcoriaceous

,sessile

,barren seg

ments,four to twelve inch es long by two to eight

inches broad ; this isfound from Cuba and Mexico ’

4 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

to P eru and South B razil. Several varieties of thisSpecies are in cultivation

,the most distinct being

,

angusta ta and f raxinif olia . A . tomentosa has strongerect stipes

,clothed with deciduous ferruginous

ha irs,and ovate-deltoid bipinnate barren segments

,

six to twelve inches in length by about half thewidth ; in texture they are subcoriaceous

,and

,as

well as the rachises,are densely pilose .

Cultiva tion — The Anemiasare readily raised fromspores

,and rapidly form handsome little plants .

They succeed best in intermediate temperature,

and require but littlepot-room . Strong

,

well drained loamsuits them best

,and

they must have aplentiful supply ofwater during thegrowing season .

Th e Tode as.The genus Todea isclosely related toOsnnmda

,the two

genera forming thedistin ct sub orderOsma nda cen . Itdifiers from 08

manda principallyin the sori being onthe back of the leafyportion of the frond

,

and not forming adi s t i n c t p an i c l emade up of densethyrsoid

’ clusters .Only four speciesare known, andthese are almostexclusively confined to temperate regi ons in theSouthern Hemisphere. The genus readily dividesitself into two very distinct sections , the one containing but a single Specieswith leathery fronds ,and the other three speci es with fronds of a pellucid membranous texture . The latter are deservedly amongst the most popular of all the filmyferns.T. ba rbara , from N ew Zealand, temperate Aus

tralia,Van D iemen

’sLand,and South Af rica, has a

caudex which often assumes somewhat of an arborescent character. Under favourable conditions, thea rial roots form a huge mass not unlike those seenin very old specimens of our native R oyal Fern .

'

In

th e Temperate House at Kew there is a remarkablespecimen, which, when imported many years ago,weighed 1 4 cwt ., and now,

in all probability,isnot

ACTIN IOP TER IS R AD IATA.

far b orn a t on in weight . The fronds,which

measure thr ee or four feet in ' length by about a footin breadth

,are borne on stout

,erect, perf ectly na ked '

stipes, a foot or more in length . Thi s grows freelyenough in any ’ cool conservatory

,if planted in a

damp spot amongst stones,&c.

,and fr eely supplied

with water. It does not require shading from sunlight

,and will bear several degrees of frost without

the slightest injury. It is readily raised from spores,and the young plants are very useful for ordinary“ furnishing ” purposes

, being quickly raised andnot easily injured.

T. Fraseri, a rarespecies from theBlue Moun tains inAustralia

,has an

'

erect woody caudex,and fine bipinnatefronds

,one to two

feet long by eightto twelve inches inbreadth. T. Wilkesiana is a variety ofthi s species , withlarger fronds

,the

defiex e d l ow e rpinn ae being somewhat shorter thanthe others

,and the

rachises slightlyhairy ; it is a nativeof Fij i and the N ew

Hebrides . T. by

Menop hylloides h asfirm

,erect

,naked

,

tufted stipes, six totwelve inches long,and tripinna tifid

fronds,one to two

feet long by eight to twelve inches broad ; therachises are either naked or slightly tomentose thisspecies is confined to N ew Z ea land. T. sup erba is atruly magnificent fern, similar in many respects tothe last

,but readily distinguished by its greater siz e,

its lanceolate fronds with defiexed lower pinnae ,which become gradually smaller, and the ovate,narrow

—

er, more numerous and denser pinnae, withoften crisped pinnules This species, like the last,is also confined to N ew Zealand, whence largenumbers of the woody crowns are annually importedto this country.

Cultiva tion — N o Special instructions are necessaryin the case of T. barbara , which, by universal consent

,is looked upon asthe true Todea . The three

last-named species,however

,are frequently regarded

asbelonging to a distinct genus, viz .,Lep tolep is, and

FER N S. 65

these require shade and shelter from direct sunlightand dry currents of

'

a ir,and unlimited atmospheric

moisture . N o ferns are more easily grown if thenecessary conditions obtain

,and none “make more

beautiful obj ects . A house with a north aspectseems to suit them best“ ; at any rate , given such astructure , they require far less a ttention than in theordinary green-house or conservatory. A mixtureof broken potsherds and sphagnum, with a littlefibrous peat, f rom which all the finer portions havebeen removed by beating, suits them admirably ;even this

,however, is not necessary, as we have seen

TOD EA SUP E R BA.

plants thriving without potting material of anykind. Imported plants have been wedged into pots—

'

of course, attended to, inthe matter of moisture,

atmospheric and otherwise— and°- in a short timehave clothed themselves with a mass of splendiddark green plume- like fronds . Sometimes thripsinfest the delicate film-like fronds

,and

, unless theseare - got rid of

,the plants soon become unsightly .

The best way, and one Which does not damage the'

tender fronds in the slightest degree,is to submerge

the entire plants for,say

,twelve hours or more in

water, the same temperature as that of the structurein which they grow .

W e have seen T. sup erba growing splendidly inabsolutely unheated houses

,where

,during severe

winters, the plants have been literally coated withice for days at a time, and yet they have expe

29

a hand-glass or some similar contrivance to 1hs'ureconstant atmospheric moisture .

rienced no ill results . N othing could exceed th e

beauty of a house full of the species just named inone of the leading London nurseries, as we saw ita year or two ago . The cemented floor had araised rim round the under side of the staging,and this was kept constantly filled with water ; th eplants, too, were watered overhead da ily during thesummer months . T. kynéenop lzylloides, and the lastnamed species too , thrive in the Open air with butlittle care and attention in many parts of England .

There are sheltered nooks in many an out-doorfernery where both would succeed well enough, with

Th e A crostich ums.— In the somewhat comprehensive sense in which the genus Acrostich fi'

n‘

islunderstood by the authors of the Synopsis Filicum;”

it contains above one hundred and seventy species,and embraces no less than a doz en genera which

,

by various other authorities, have been regarded asdistinct . Indeed

,in the work just mentioned

,

Acrostic/ram includesthe whole group of polypodiaoecus ferns belonging to the tribe Acmstickm

,with

the single exception of that remarkable'

and interesting genus, P la tycerium,

the various species ofwhich are generally known in gardensas Stag’shorn Ferns .The Acrostichums are widely distributed through

CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

ea t both hemi spheres, confining themselves prineipally to the tropics . They are readily recognisedby the sori not being restricted to the veins only ,but Spread in a stratum over the under surface, andsometimes, but more rarely, upon both sur faces ofth e frond . cry wide diverg ences occur in Siz eand habit

,as well as in the veining and general

eh ara cter of th e fronds . Asit would be impossibleto find Space to give even a very condensed description and account of a large number of species, onlyth e most distinct and desirable , from a purely gardensta ndpoint, are mentioned in these pages .A . a a ream has an erect caudex, and tuf ted, strong ,

erect,glossy stipes

,one to two feet in -length, with

lea thery fronds , two to six feet long by one to twofeet broad. This species is very widely spread overth e tropical and sub-tropical countries of bothh emispheres . In A. crinitum, a native of the W estIndiesand Mexico, th e caudex is erect and woody,and the stipes of the barren fronds are denselyclothed with long

,slender

,fibrillose, purplish-brown

scales,the broad-oblong

,rather leathery frond

itself often measuring from twelve to eighteenni ches long by six to nine inches broad . Theentire edge is densely fringed, and both sidesscattered over with scales like those of the stem .

The fertile fronds are like the barren ones in form,

but are smaller .in siz e , and have a longer stipe .

A . casp ia’a tum has a thick, woody rhiz ome, clothedwith dense

,linear-pointed, nearly black scales ;

th e firm,erect stipes covered with deciduous

,

adpressed,dark-colour ed scales

,measuring from Six

to fifteen inches in length . Th e barren fronds arelea thery in texture, and are from one to two feetlong by three to four inches broad, the uppersurface being nearly naked, and the lower denselymatted with small , rusty-coloured, ciliated, brownscales . The fertile fronds are somewhat smallerthan the barren ones

,the stipes being about th e

same length in both . Th is species is found in awild state from the W est Indies to P eru .

‘

A . gra

minif oliwn, a recently introduced species from theW est Indies , has narrow,

grassy fronds,and is one

'

cf the most distinct of the smaller-growing kinds .In A. heteromm'

p lzu-m,from Columbia and E cuador

,

th e small,wide- creeping

,filiform rhiz ome is clothed

with small,brown

,lance-shaped scales . The

slender, slightly scaly stipes are from one to threein cheslong, and _

the barren fronds,of a thin but

firm texture, measure one and a half to two inchesin length by three-quarters to one inch in breadth ,both sides being scattered over with dark narrowsca les . The conspicuous raised veins

,darker in

colour than the rest of the frond,give thi s species

a distinctive character. The fertile fronds aremuch smaller, and their stipes much longer.

A . la tifolium,from Mexico and Cuba to Braz il and

P eru,has a thick

,woody

,often creeping rhiz ome

,

clothed with crisped, lance-shaped, dark or lightbrown scales . Th e firm

,erect, slightly sca ly or

naked stipe is from six to twelve inches long,and

the very leathery barren fr onds measure from nineto eighteen inches in length by two to four inchesin breadth ; the fertile frond, except in beingconsiderably narrower than the barren one

,other

wise resembles it. A . angustifolium,A . ca llaef oliam,

A . crassinerve,and A . conop odium are varieties of

this species .A . osmmzda ceam

,a la rge

,strong-growing

,ha nd

some species from Tropical America , is the representa tive of a section in which the barren fronds a revariously pinnatifid or pinnate, and in the ultimatedivisions of which the veins are pinnate . This hasa woody rambling rhiz ome

,clothed with long narrow

scales ; the erect stype is scaly only at the base , andthe lower pinnae of the tripinnate , dark green somewhat leathery fronds are from ' one to two feet longby from four to eight inches broad .

A . p elta tum is the representative of a small sectionin which the venation is fan- shaped, and th e fertilefronds small

,suborbicular, and un cut . It is an

excellent garden plant,easily grown in any damp

shaded stove,and especially suitable for a small fern

case . The slender wide-creeping rhiz ome throws upnumerous Slender scaly stipes, one to three incheslong

,surmounted by repeatedly forked, somewh a t

leathery,barren fronds

,measuring from one to two

inches each way. The fertile fronds, round andquite uncut, measure about half an inch in diameter .

This is a native of Mexico,the NV est Indies , P eru,

and B raz il .A . P restani isa recently introduced Species from

R io de Janeiro ; it has a thick, short-creeping , woodycaudex

,clothed with dense

,brown , lance- shaped,

membranous scales ; the moderately firm , lanceolate ,barren fronds are from one to one and a half feetlong by two inches broad

,and are bordered by a

dense persistent fringe of minute brown scales ; thefertile fronds are much smaller, with longer stems .A . quercif olium,

a native of P eninsular India , Ceylon ,South China; and Cochin China, has a stout widecreeping rhiz ome ; the stipes of the barren frondsare one or two inchesin length, and are clothed withsoft

,spreading

,ferruginous hairs the barren fronds

measure three to four inches in length by one and ah alf to two inches in breadth . A .simp lex,

from TropicalAmerica

,is readily distinguished by its firm fronds

very gradually narrowed to both ends ; it hasaShort-creeping woody rhiz ome , covered

'

with ratherlarge

,dark brown , lanceolate sca les the firm , erect ,

naked stipes are from one to four inches long ; andthe leathery barren fronds

,quite glabrous on both

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68 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

of pinnae,as well as in their very apparent fringe of

spinulose teeth . L . H erminieri has a slender elongated caudex

,densely clothedwith linear dark brown

scales ; the stipes, four to six inches in length, arestrong

,erect

,dark brown, and covered with chaffy

scales ; the fronds when young are of a fine crimson colour , butch ang e t o aglossy green before they reachtheir full siz e,which rangesfrom nine tofifteen inches inlength by threeto four in ches inbreadth . Theg e o gr aph i c a lrange of thisSpecies is fromthe W est Indiesand Columbias ou th wa r d t oChili. Like L .

cilia ta,it be

l o n g s t o t h eAt tenua ta group

,

the few kinds which perhapssucceed better in the stovethan in the cooler temperatureof the green-house .

G R EEN -H OUSE KI N D S .

A good many of the sp eciesmentioned under this headingare quite at home in the stove ,and some

,like L . yibba , and a

number of the most southernones

,do well even in the cool

conservatory,and also in the

stove . The N ew Z ealandspecies make excellent subj ectsfor planting out in the coolfernery

,and one or two of them ,

which are_

mentioned belowamongst the hardy members ofthe genus

,can fairly lay claim

to be considered hardy . D oubtless there are manyfavoured spots in the South and South -west ofEngland , and in Ireland, where still more would befound to thrive out of doors with comparativelylittle care and attention . L . Banksii

,a native of

N ew Z ealand, has a stout, woody, elongated ca udex.

the upper portion of wh ich is clothed with lanceshaped, rust - coloured scales ; the, erect dark- colouredstipes , which are scaly below,

are three or four

LOMAR IA ATTE N UM A.

inches long,and the lanceolate barren fiondssix to

nine inches in length by about an inch in breadth .

It is easily distinguished from all its allies by itsoblong obtuse pinnae

,

‘ even the upper ones beingmore than half as broad as long . L . bleehnoides

,

from Chili,somewhat resembles the N ew Z ealand

A lp ina , both ingeneral appearance and manner of growth

,

and is especiallysuitable for ferncases of small ormoderate dimen

sions . Its prettyleathery

,dark

gr e en,sh o r t

stalked frondsare abundantlydeveloped fromt h e sle n d e rcreeping caudex

,

and rarely attainmore than sixinches in length— t h e f er t i l e

fronds on the other hand, havea Strong

,erect

,dark chestnut

brown stipe,six inches long

,

the leafy portion ' being fromtwelve to eighteen inches longby three inches broad . ThisSpecies only differs from th e

Australian,N ew Z ealand

,and

P olynesian L . la nceola ta in its ,larger fertile frond

,with pinnae

widened suddenly at the baseon both sides .One of the boldest and h andsomest members of the genus isL . B ory/ana , which is frequentlyfound in gardens under thename of L . magellanica . Thishas a wide geographical distribution

, being found from the

W est Indies southward to th eFalkland Islands and the

Straits of Magellan ; in Mauritius, Bourbon, Madagasear

,Angola , and South Af rica . P lants from

th e more southern localities do remarkably wellin th e cool fernery, and make strikingly beautifulobj ects if planted out and allowed to deve lop . Asapot plant

,too

,eith er

'

for general decorative or_ for

exhibition purposes , it is one of the best of all th eLoma rias. Old plants assume an arborescent chara cter, the stout, woody, erect caudex attaining a

FER N S.

height of a ~couple of feet . The beautiful dark greenpinnate fronds are ,

'

in well -grown Specimens , abouttwo feet long by six or eight inches broad, and thestout erect stipe is four to six inches in length.

P erha ps the most distinctive character by whichto distingui sh L . B oryana from L . p rocera

— a moreslender-gr owing Species, with broader and lessspreading pinn ae— re sides in the very dense , long,and fibre -like scales which clothe the caudex and thelower portions of the stipes . L. p rocera isa handsome plant

,with a wide distribution ; in addition to

some of the countries mentioned for -mag ellanica , itis found in the Malayan and P olynesian Islands,N ew Zealand, South Australia, and Van D iemen

’sLand. Asmight be expected in such a case, an umber of slightly varying forms are cultivatedunder specific names . Among these may be mentioned L . cap ensis, L . chilensis

,and L . G illiesii. L .

G erma inii,a charming little plant from Chili

,bears

a t first sight a great resemblance to L . a lp ina it ise specially suitable for a ,

small fern-case,or for plant

ing out\in an Open corner amongst stones in the cool

f ernery. L . discolor is. very similar to L . a ttenila ta,

a lready mentioned under the heading of stove kinds,but is usually larger, the fronds forming an elegantcrown

,red-brown below

,the pinnules narrower,

those of the fertile fronds often leafy at the base ;thi s is abundant in Australia

,Van D iemen

’sLand,

and N ew Z ealand. L . na da,a variety of L . discolor

,

from Australia,only diflersfrom the type in its

more numerous acuminate pinnee , in their lessleathery textur e

,and in the chestnut- coloured

,not

r eddish-black,stipe .

_

L .fla ria tilisis readily recognised from all the other Lomariasby the shape ofitspinnae

,wh ich are oblong

,obtuse, and spreading.

On account of the graceful arching character of thesoft green fronds

,which measure about twenty

inches in length,this species is better adapted than

most others for cultivation in h anging baskets ; it isa native of N ew Z ealand

,V an D iemen

’sLand,and

S outh Australia .

Certainly one of the most curious,as well as

one of the most di stinct and elegant members ofthe genus Loma ria

,is the N ew Z ealand L . Fraseri,

which differs from all the others in the peculiarcutting of the frond. Briefly stated

,it may be

said to possess the frond of one of the N ephrodiums(of which our common native Male Fern furn ishes a good example) , with the fructification of aLomaria . It is, moreover, perhaps the only speciesin the genus which presents fertile fronds similar insiz e and cutting to those of the barren ones .P robably the most generally grown of all th especies is the N ew Caledonian L . gibba , which is oneof the most useful ferns for general decorative purp oses, both on account of its symmetrical and graceful

habit ,and the rapidity of itsgrowth. It requires,

moreover, but comparatively little pot-room,and if

the necessary attention he paid to watering,good

useful plants may be kept in perfect health in smallpots, an advantage which is appreciated by all whohave to furnish large numbers of plants for indoordecoration, with at times but limited house-room .

A number of garden varieties of this valuable fernhave sprung into existence within the last doz enyears or more but

, except as curiosities or collectionplants

,none can rival the ordinary wild typ e . L .

nigra , from N ew Z ealand,has a distinct and striking

aspect ; its fronds are herbaceousin texture, thelower pinnae being quite separate

, but a large terminal portion lobed only . Including the slender

,

erect,densely-scaly stipes, the blackish-green fronds

altogether hardly_measur e more than six inches in

length . This species is most at home,and appears

to most advantage aswell, between chinks of stonein the green-house, rockery, or fern-case . L . ono

oleoides, from the W est Indies and E cuador, is amuch more rigid plant than L . a ttenua ta

,which it

resembles in the cutting of the fronds,but the pinnae

are much shorter, and the fronds also . Although thisdoes well in a green-house, it succeeds thoroughlyas a stove plant, and perhaps might be with morejustice classed as a stove fern . L . P a lersoni

,a

na tive of Van D iemen’sLand, South Australia, and

the Philippines,is generally seen with. simple sterile

f ronds about a foot in length ; but when the plant isplaced under favourable conditions in the greenhouse or conservatory rockery, itsshort -creepingrhiz ome grows freely amongst the moss-coveredstones and on the moist surfaces , and fronds arefrequently produced which are distinctly pinna tifid.

The,

N ew Z ealand L . p amila most resembles L .

a lp ina , but it is much more delicate“in texture, and

the pinnae are distinctly crenated ; it is a dwarfgrowing species

,with slender - creeping rhiz ome

,and

is one of the best for fern-cases or rockeries of smallsiz e .

HAR D Y_KIN D S.

Foremost amongst the hardy species of Lomaria isour native Hard-fern, L . sp icant, which is too wellknown to need any detailed “

. description . It isabundant enough in Britain, except in easily accessible places near London and some other large towns ,where

,to minister to the very general love of ferns

among town and suburban residents , the ubiquitous“ fern collector ” has cleared whole districts whereonce

,and not very long ago , the species was to be

found in profusion . Thousands of plants are an

nually sent to Covent G arden Market by somegrowers

,and started in pots in a little heat

,so as to

form a crown of dark green fronds before anyof theother outdoor

,or rather hardy, ferns have com

7 0 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

menced to make much growth. They form verya ttractive obj ects , and command a ready sale .Several crested forms are cultivated by specialists,and some of these are very pretty. They are, however

,rather rare

,as the “ monstrosity is not as a

rule developed to'

any extent by plants raised fromspores

, and therefore recourse must be had to division of the parent roots

,a somewhat Slow process .

L . a lp ina is a smaller plant than the last-named,with the pinnae , especially of the fertile fronds,broader and shorter . It succeeds admirably in pots,but planted out in the cool conservatory does stillbetter . Under these conditions its dark metallicevergreen fronds remain perfect until after a freshcrop are developed. N ow and then

,when grown on

th e outdoor fernery, the changeable weather of theEnglish winter discolours the fronds

,but as soon as

Spring sets in a new set is quickly produced. Theslender wide -creeping rhiz omes run long distancesover moss-covered stones or amongst low-growing

,

shade- loving plants,and no further care is required

beyond establishing the plant between' the crevices

of cool absorbent pieces of rock .

Cultiva tion.

—'

A good many of the stronger-growing kinds grow readily enough in good fibrous loam ,

though even some of these seem to prefer a good admixture of peat . P erhaps the safest and best planfor the more delicate species is to use a compost ofloam and peat, to whi ch should be added a little decayed leaf-mould and some sharp sand . Someruth oritieson Lomari a culture advocate specialtreatment with regard to the administration of water

,

a nd condemn unreservedly any syringing overhead.

At Kew, however, where there is a large collectionin excellent health , no particular care is taken toIvoid syringing, and in the P alm H ouse

,where a

number of species are planted out in the beds underneath the large P alms

,they are being constantly

wetted overhead without exhibiting any trace of injury from such a course . Stagnant moisture must

,

asa ma tter“

of course,be avoided

,or the fronds soon

become discoloured and unsightly. D ue regard toventilation is necessary

,and also shading dur ing hot

and very bright weather . Taken altogether,the

Lomariasare not especially shade-loving plants,and

they will grow with but little care in this respect,

provided the necessary atmospheric moisture bemaintained. If kept too dry, red Spider and thripare almost certain to put in an appearance .

L . g ibba , and the other subarborescent species, arevery easily raised from spores . N o difficulty will beexperienced in this.

if the plan recommended forraising Adiantum spores be adopted . The ones withwidely-creeping rhiz omes may also be raised from

.spores, but they are perhaps more easily propagatedby division.

FLO R I STS ’ FLOWER S .

Br R ICHAR D D EAN .

Th e F uchsia . This plant is named afterLeonard Fuch , a noted G erman botanist . It isfound indigenous in several parts of South America .

F . coccinea , one of the first, if not the first,intro

duced species , came from Chili . Up to the year 1 823there were but two kinds grown in this country, viz .

,

F . coccinea and F . lg/eioides the first-named remainswith usto this day ; the la tter in all probabili ty haspassed out of cultivation . So much was F . coccinea

admired and sought after when first seen in thiscountry, that in a few years there was scarcely agreen-house or conservatory but wha t was ornamentedby it . In regard to the introduction of thisFuchsia to England, it is stated that Mr . Lee , thena celebrated nur seryma n of Hammersmith — wherehisdescendants still carry on their business — sawone day when he was in the neighbourhood of W ap

ping a pretty flower,wh ich he purcha sed . It

proved to be the Fuchsia,then unknown in this

country. It soon became very popula r,as the next

vear three hundred plants raised from it were Solda t one guinea each. Other finc species were subsequently introduced to this country from abroad

,

such as corymbif lora , f ulgens, serra tif olia , andsp lendens; while some fine hybrids were raised inthis country, such as R icca rtoni, a hybrid fromglobosa , Standislcii, _ D ominiana

,and others .

It would be difficult to say who was the first raiserof seedling Fuchsias in this country

,or what particu

lar species were employed as seed-parents . Findingthat the Fuchsia produced seeds somewhat freely,the early cultivators no doubt saved some

,and

discovered that the result was improved varieties .From these

,other varieties of a still more advanced

character were obtained. Then the art of fertilisation being better understood

,thi s was

,employed

,

with still more satisfactory results ; and so the workwent oh — the flowers increased in siz e

,substance

,

form,and colour

,until they attained to the splendid

proportions we see in the present day. Up to 1 855Fuchsias were confin ed to wh at we may term twotyp es of flowers , viz . , varieties with red tubes andsepals

,and violet , dark blue, and purple and plum

coloured corollas ; and varieties with white orcreamy-white tubes

'

and sepals,and light scarlet

,

rose- coloured,and pink corollas . In that year a

Mr . Story raised a variety named Q ueen V ictoria,in which the tube and sepals were scarlet and thecorolla white . This was considered a remarkableproduction at the time , and led to the introduction ofother new varieties of a similar character. Later onthere were obtained double varieties of both types

,

that is,in which the corollas are double instead of

FLOR ISTS’FLOWER S.

being single . B oth forms have their admirers , butwe prefer the single varieties, both for decorativeand exhibition purposes .The Fuchsia is

,a plant of comparatively easy cul

ture during the summer months many of them can begrown in

, th e Open air. A few original species,such as gra cilis, globosa, coccinea , and others, arenearly

,if not quite

,hardy

,and live through the

winter in the Open air with little or no protection .

Indeed, we may go the length of stating that th e

whole of those having the habit of the old coccinea ,g ra cilis, globosa , &c. ,

are well fitted for flowergarden purposes

,and are to be met with in many

Old-fashioned gardens . All the attention theyrequire is to have the flowering wood cut away afterth e first frost, and a heap of ashes or any such material placed over the roots to exclude frost fromthem

,removing it in April, and thinning out the

young growing shoots in May. They grow veryfreely at that season of the year and soon make largespecimens . In the South and West

_

of England andin Scotland it is not unusual to see very fine examples of F. gracilis, F . Bieea rtoni, and others growmgin cottage and villa gardens

,and attaining to a grea t

mm .

The ordinary culture is by no means a ditficult process. At the same time, as in the case ofother flowers

,much depends upon the close ‘

a tten

tion given to the plants when young and growing oninto siz e . Except that new varieties of the Fuchsiaare obtained from seed

,it is propagated by means of

cuttings,which can be had from the young growths

at any season of the year, when they are aboutthree or four inches long. P ropagation is mainlydone in ea rly Spring ; old plants are placed in a briskheat in February

,when they begin to put forth

young growths very freely. These are taken off andinserted in

‘

pans of silver -sand,thoroughly moist

,

and placed in a brisk bottom heat . In three or fourto six days these will be rooted ; they can then bepotted singly in small pots

,using a light sandy soil ,

and when again placed in heat they soon grow intogood siz e . By keeping them shifted and growingon, excellent plants can be had by th e end of May.

This is the plan adopted in nurseries where Fuchsiasare largely grown . But as there are many loversof the Fuchsia who do not possess bottom heatin spring’

, and who wish to propagate favouritevarieties of

_Fuchsias

,we may recommend these to

place their plants in the warmest and sunniest pa rtof their green-house in spring

,and as soon as the

young growths are four inches long,let them be

_taken off just below a joint, inserted in light sandysoil, six or eight cuttings in a pot, placed under abell-glass

,and shaded from thesun when necessary .

In a fortnight or so th ese should have made roots,

ll

and they can then be potted off as above directed,and grown on into siz e as fast as possible.The Fuchsia is a somewhat gross feeder

,and as

se en ' as the plants begin to attain siz e they should betreated to a compost with which are mingled somegood manure and leaf- soil ; and when the plants a replaced in pots five inches in diameter, and a good

1

soil is employed,they will flower in July

,and con

tinne to do so till N ovember ; but the plants wildbe greatly helped by the occasional employment ofa little weak manure-water

,or by placing on the

surface of the soil once a fortnight or so a slightdr essing of Clay’s fertiliser— one of the best artificialmanures we

l

ean recommend to the attention of

amateurs . D uring the time the young plants aremaking growth

,if the weather be bright and sunny

the specimens will be greatly helped by syringingthem overhead

'

twice a day,as while it greatly

assiststhe plants it also tends to keep the foliag eclean . This is a matter of great importance . If

green-fly be allowed to infest them they very sooncease to grow robustly

,and therefore it is necessary

thisinsect pest be kept under bymeans of syringing,and fumigating with tobacco -smoke . And on ne

account should the rapidly-developing plants beallowed to become root-bound ; if this should happenand watering be not attended to

,the leaves will tum .

yellow and fall OE and the plants becomeTherefore they should be re -potted as soon as th eroots touch the sides of the pots

,until they are

placed in a siz e large enough for,them to flower in,

and then the closest attention should be paid to th e

matter of watering and. eleanliness.The Fuchsia requires a great deal of water whengrowing vigorously

,and must not be denied it. In

the summer tme we have found it a good plan te

stand our plants out in the open air,in some plare

where they can be shaded from thesun at th e h0t=test part of the“ day. Then in late summer

,when

P elargoniums , Balsams, &c.,are over

,they will ma ke

a g reen-house very gay until the Chrysanthemumsshow their flowers . Asto the shape of the plants,the pyramidstyle is the best that can be adopted,

‘

and by means of a judicious pinching back of theyoung shoots the cultivator can grow his plantsinto almost any shape he pleases . The pyramid or

bush style is decidedly the best .In some parts of the country, and especially in thewest of England

,Fuchsias are grown to a greatsiz e

for exhibition purposes ; we have seen specimenseight feet in height , the plants covered with luxa m

riant foliage, and overlaying this quite a sheet offine flowers produced in large clusters . At Trorw

bridge , in W ilts ; at D eviz es ; and also at.

Ba th,

as well as at other places,can these magnificent

plants be seen ; and to those who are a ccustomed is

2

seesomewhat small and ragged specimens at flowershows

,they come as an unusual revelation of the

cultivator’s skill. Someof the plants are fourand five years old, andsome as many as eightor nine . One of th emost successful ofthese

'

W est.

of Eng

land exhibitors hasfurnished uswith anoutline of his culture ,asfollows I consider the end of Marchor the beginning ofApril the best time topropagate the Fuchsia.

I select some of themost vigorous cuttingsI can and place themsine in thumb-pots,putting them in acucumber-frame, wherethere is “ a brisk bottom heat ; when theroots reach the sidesof the potsI re -pot

,

and continue to do sountil the first or secondweek in July

,pin ch

ing out the leadingand side shoots

,in

order to get the plantsinto the shape I want .Then I allow themto ~flower in th e

a utumn. These plantsI can exhibit the following summer. I

have shown specimensat e ighteen months’

of age that were “fourfee t through and eightfeet h igh

,well grown

and freely flowered .

Asa rule the plantsI exhibit are fromone ”and a half to

five yea rs old,accord

ing to the variety ;a f t e r th a t ag e Ith r ow th em aw ayand replace them byyoung plants . About the end of October

,when the

plants go out of flower, I prune them all back totwo or three j oints b‘eyond where they were pruned

CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Fuensm VE N USTA.’

the previous yea r . They ar e then placed in a houseto win ter and kept moderately dry . In January,

or the fir st week inFebruary

,the plants

are turned out oftheir pets, the soilshaken from th eir rootsand re -potted theyoung specimens intopots known as ‘ fourteens

,

’ and the largerspecimens into sixteens

,

’ which aresomewhat larger. Thecompost I use is madeup of two parts goodfibrous loam

,and th e

third part composedof leaf-mould

,a little

peat,some rough silver

sand,and

_

a fairamount of well-decemposed cow manure .

This is well mixedtogether before using

,

and when potted theplants are placed in

a cold house,but

from which frost isexcluded

,where they

remain until the firstweek in June . Thenth ey are placed out

of doors on a surfaceof ashes

,standing each

pot on a piece ofslate

,and syringing

the plants every dayin hot weather tokeep the foliage cleanand fresh ; and atthis time I give themanure-water once aweek. I make mymanure-water “ by placing fresh cow - dungor horse-dr oppings

,or

soot, in a tub ofwater

,and allow it

to stand ten daysbefore using

,and then

I give the plants athorough good soaking

when it is applied . In this way I grew very fineplan ts for exhibition

,which are the admiration of all

who see them.

”

FLOR ISTS FLOWER S. 3

Some personsare very fond of Standard Fuchsias ,:and when these are on stiff stout stems, four feetin height

,surmounted with free-growing heads of

f oliage and covered with flowers, they are veryh andsome indeed. Any one can form the StandardFuchsia simply by taking a young plant with astraight main stem

,and cutting away all side shoots,

leaving only the leading one . Wh en this reachesthe height off our feet orso it shouldbe stopped

,

a nd then en

couraged tobreak out in

side shootsonly at thetop

,and with

these a standard head canbe formed.

S t a n da r dFuchsias arevery eflective

indeed in ac onservatory.

Some gardeners placet h e i r o l dp l a n t s o fFuchsias inpots

,and then

stand themon the frontstage of agreen house

,

train ing theshoots up onto the roof

,

where theyspread out andform quite aninside covering ,producing

an abundanceof flowers for several months . Old plants can also beplanted against sheltered sunny walls in the open air

,

where they have an excellent decorative effect,and

unless a very severe winterh appens,will last for years .

Fuchsias can be used in many ways in the gardenbeds of young vigorous plants have a very prettye ffect and make charming masses when a number ofvarieties are placed in a group . They can also beused to grow in pots inS1de or outside windows ;they do well planted out in boxes placed on theoutside window-sill . In cottage windows many very

FUCHSIA SPLEN D E N S.

fine Fuchsias are grown,and they flower with great

freedom. The Fuchsia does well in the crowdedparts of cities and towns

,when grown in pots, but

owing to absence of sunlight it does not flower veryfreely. It is a plant that loves light and air

,and

especially the sunlight .Thousands of Fuchsias are grown for market inthe neighbourhood of London . They can be seen

i n C o v en tG arden ande l s e w h e r e

,

pretty littleplants ladenw i th b l ossoms . Theyare producedi n a f ewweeks it israpid production that en

a b l e s t h eplants to bes o l d s ocheaply

,and

it is wonderful what0 h a r m i n gplants a market growercan producein quite asm a l l p o t .They are all

from springstruck out

t in g s,an d

they are readyfor market inthree monthsor less . Thereis no moreinstructive ori n t e r e s t i n gsight tha n awalk through

one of the large nurseries where plants are largelygrown for market purposes . The energy of production is truly astonishing .

N ew varieties of Fuch sias are obtained fr om seeds .A few growers pay great attention to the productionof seedlings , and from the best of these, our list ofnamed varieties is augmented. The operation offertili sing the flower is very easily performed inthe case of the Fuchsia

,and if improved varieties

are to be obtained it can only be by careful fertilisation . The pistil of the Fuchsia is always

74 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

prominent,and the pollen plentiful. In select

ing flowers for crossing with each other,it ought

always to be borne in mind that those bearingseed will communicate their habit of growth andgeneral character to their seedlings . Having selected the flowers to operate upon

,the stamens

should be cut out as soon as they open ; andwhen th e blossomsare f ully expanded, the pollenfrom the pollen parents must be applied

,and the

flowers so operated upon should have something tiedround their stems to distinguish their seed-pods .When they are ripe, the seed can be separated fromthe pulp which surrounds them by washing themin clear water ; the good seed will , sink to thebottom .

The seed can besewn in spring,in a pan or pet of

light_soil, which can be placed in a green-house. A

great deal of heat is not requir ed to induce th eseeds to germinate

,and they do this somewhat

quickly . Assoon as the little plants are largeenough to handle , they ' require to be potted singlyin small pots

,and placed in a ligh t

'

airy situation,

and on no account should the plants be allowed tobecome drawn and lanky . The plants should beshifted two or three times into larger pots,

‘

but it willbe found that pots four or five inches in diameterwill be large enough to flower them in. N ot ashoot should be removed until the plants bloom .

The principal obj ect of the raiser should be to mature the plants as quickly as possible so as to inducethem to flower. This they will do in many casesthe same season , and such of the seedlings as promiseto

'

be good should be saved for another season’sgrowth, and the inf erior ones rej ected. When theplants have done growing the foliage will dr op Off

,

and they should then be sparingly watered,and be

kept pretty dry all the winter,and out of reach of

harm from frost . The following season,as soon as

they begin to show signs of activity,they should be

freely watered, but not shifted, be placed where theycan have plenty of air and ligh t

,and shifted only

when they begin to flower. It is a good plan toplant the seedlings out in a bed in the garden whenall danger from frost has passed ; the colours comebrighter and more distinct

,and the raiser is better

able to form an estimate Of their value . It is wellto have this bed placed in a situation where it canbe shaded from thesun

, and then a good Opportunitywill be afforded for the raiser to thoroughly test andmake a suitable selection from hisseedlings . we

have already touched on the great interest attachingto the raising and blooming of seedling plants . Itis an occupation of an exceedingly pleasing chara cter .

The illustrations will show,to some extent

,the

quite different types of flower in cultivation, though

LIST or VAR IETIES.

Single Va rietieswith R ed Tubesand Sep als, and D a rkCorollas.

Single Va ) ielieswith White Tubesand Sepals, and P ink, R ose,Ca rmine, and Sca rlet Corollas.

Beauty of Clyff e Ha ll. Lye’sP erfection.

B eauty of Trowbridge. M arg ina ta .

Blush ing B ride . Mrs. Brigh t.H arriet Lye . Mrs. M a rsh all.Lady H eytesbury.

P rince Alfred.

Lye’sFavourite. P rincessB ea trice.

Single Va rietieswith R edTubesand Sep als, andWhite Corollas.Mrs. E . B ennett.Mrs. M ein .

Tournefort .Cannell

’sG em.

D eligh t.Flocon de N eig e .

D ouble Va rietieswith R ed Tubesa nd Sepa ls, and Violet, B lue,a nd P urp le Corollas.

La France .M arvellous.Monument .Sir G a rnet Wolseley.

D ouble Va r ietieswith R ed Tubesa nd Sep als, and WhiteCorollas

Frau Emma Top fer .

‘

G usta ve D ore .

M adame J ulesChrétien.

Va riousSpeciesand Va rietiesof Fuchsiasfor Conser vatoryD ecora tion .

Fuchsiaswith G olden a nd Va riegated Foliage .

Aucubmfolia P illa r of G old.

Cloth Of G old. R eg alia .

Meteor . Sun-ray.

neither is a very modern variety. There are asection of long-tubed varieties

,represented by 'F .

'

enusta (the B eautiful Fuchsia). This is one of theoldest varieties in cultivation

,having been intro

duced from Mexico half a century ago ; but is nowvery scarce

,though Of late it has again been sought

after in several quarters . The colours are crimson‘ purple . Other handsome long-tubed sorts are D o

miniane,Corymbiflora , Fulgens, and Serra tif olia , all

'

of

whi ch are very distinct in character. The othervariety illustrated, F. sp lendens, was introduced fromMexico about the year 1 841 , and it still remain s afavourite. It will be seen that the flowers are quitediflerent from the others and much shorter ; theyhave a scarlet tube and green sepals.

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7 6 CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

but these are exceptions to the general rule . Theshade Of trees or wallsis to be particularly avoided ;

.a ndwhile many of the plants are extremely aecommoda ting , and may be grown almost anywhere, therea re others so exacting in their requirements that theywill not brook the presence Of any rival in their owndomain

,and will fail to thrive if they have not a full

.share of sunlight . The plants which are so exactinga re also usually those whose intrinsic beauty is such.aswill repay the fullest attention to their wants .The situation should be somewhat elevated above the

'ordinary ground- level it should not have a unif orm“

h eight of surface, or it will be monotonous in appearance

,but should rise and fall in gentle undulations ,

asis generally the case in a natural Alpinery . One-o f the reasons for the situation being somewhat elevated is that good drainage is so secured, wh ich is ane ssential condition of success with a large number Ofth ese plants

,especially during our damp winter

months,when the presence of stagnant moisture

would be certain to insure their speedy death . Onth e other hand, a condition of comparative dryness

.a t thi s season of the year is distinctly beneficial . A

somewhat elevated position brings the plants duringthe blooming period closer to the observer’s eye ,which, as they are small, and generally very beaut iful, is a manifest '

advantage . B ut do not let it besupposed that we for a moment recommend anythinglike a p innacled formation for the rockery that un der:all circumstances is to be most carefully avoided.

W a t e r ing — Asthe rockery is to be above theg round- level, and fully exposed, the soil during dryweather will rapidly lose its moisture. It is , at thesame time, absolutely necessary, in order to keep theplants in health, that they should never suffer fromd rought . In their native homes

,the hot sun

,while

it dr ies the soil about the plants,melts the snow at

h igher altitudes,and so yields the roots a supply of

life- sustaining moisture at the time when it is mostr equir ed. In our gardens , or in many of them,

thissupply of moisture must be provided artificia lly .

Wh ere possible,a hose laid on to a water service will

be foun d the most efficient means of watering ; butwhere this is not attainable

,the water-barrow and

watering can,or some other contrivance

,must be

u sed instead. In some way water mu st be appliedfreely during the growing period ; not in small dr iblets, just moistening the surface, but plentifully, so asto sink down some di stance into the soil

,and reach

th e roots (however deep th ey may run) , wh ich mustn ever during the summer he allowed to suffer fromdryness . Such a watering as we have described willmeed repeating at intervals

,sh orter or longer accord

:ing to the season but one such watering will be farI ncre

'

beneficial than a number of surface Sprinkling s ,

such as many amateurs usually, but erroneously ,

think sufficient.

Th e R ook ery . In common-vplace rockeries,stone of some kind

,or whatever is used as a substitute

for stone,constitutes the most prominent feature ;

whereas it should be an almost '

invisible adjunct,

though a most necessary and useful one,just as our

bones are to our bodies . Our own rockery, on whi chwe grow a great varie ty Of Alpines, occupies threesides of a small lawn

,and faces respectively the

south,west

,and east . It is protected from the north

by a fence,which on the south side is planted with a

variety of climbing plants,many of them evergreen

,

so that at all seasons it forms a pleasant background.

The longest side of the rockery is in front Of thisfence

,and consists of a border of varying width

,from

seven or eight feet to three feet . At irregular in tervals

,at the broadest points, R etinosporas, Skimmias,

P ernettyas, &c.,are planted in the background

,while

hardy heaths occupy more forward positions. Infront of these plants is the rockery proper. It variesin surface- level

,but chang es from one height to

another gently,never abruptly . In formin g it

,

the first step was to place endwise thin slabs Of redsandstone (which is plentiful in our neighbourhood)at the front Of the border, and close up to the grass .These slabs constitute what may be called a permanent dwarf boundary-wall between the grass and theborder

,varying fr om six inches to a foot or so in

height . It isso constructed as to seem a naturalOutcrop from the gr ass . It permitsOf the

_ grassbeing mown close up to it , and the proximity Of thelawn enh ances the beauty of the plants grown inthe border

,while with a moderate amoun t of atten

tion the dwarf wall is a most useful ally in preventingthe encroachment of the Alpin e plants on to thegrass . Except when fir st forming the rockery

,the

stone constituting the front boundary- line wasnotintended to be seen , and rarely has been. O verhanging plants

,such as Saxifr ages, Sedums, &c.

,

were planted close at the back of it, and now hangdownwardsto th e grass . These are from time totime

,as necessary

,kept within bounds

,and supply

a varied and beautiful covering for the stone , greenand pleasant to the eye ev en in the depth of winter,and masses of flowersduring the spring and earlysummer months.

The next step was to fill the border withsuitable soil

,and so to form the foundation of the

rockery. The soil was placed so as to afford th esurface outline, or contour, whi ch we consideredmost suitable to the position . N owhere does itsheight exceed twenty-four inches above the generallevel of the border ; but in no part is th ere a lessdepth of good soil than two feetsix inches ; in th e

R OCK,ALP IN E

,FER N ,

AN D WILD G AR D EN IN G .

higher parts it is fr om twelve to eighteen inchesdeeper. Th e next step was to introduce the stone soas to provide the skeleton of the rockery. Some ofthese stones were arranged so as to form fissures

,

whi ch are necessary for many plants . Others wereso pla ced as to appear to grow naturally out of thesurface

,and provide many nestling-nooks for those

pla nts which need such protection. Every stone wasfixed in such a manner tha t it would conduct allmoisture falling upon it which it did not absorb toplants gron at its base . Consequently no stoneswere allowed to overhang the sur face of stone or soillying at a lower level— a common error, which hasled to the destruction of many a valuable gem.

Wh erever possible,the stones were placed so as to

form pockets,edged on all sides with stone, which

we have found very conducive to the h ealth of mostplants

,inasmuch as the roots have been kept cool by

the moisture held by the stones . Moreover,when

ever a plant has grown too big for its pocket, we havefound it

'

easy to,

lift it bodily fr om the pocket,divide

it,and re -plant so much of it in its former home as

we found suitable . These pockets have another ad

vantage wh en a Special compost is needed for a plant,

we simply remove the ordinary soil from a pocket,

fill it with the requir ed compost,and the plant is

thus supplied to its liking at the least possible cost .This rockery, Alpine border, or, as old Maund,

in his B otanic G arden suggests it Sh ould becalled, “ Lapideum ,

”h asnow for years past been

asource ‘

of great interest and pleasure to ourselvesand many friends

,not a few of whom have been led

to imitate it in their own gardens . From January toD ecember it always affordssome obj ects of in terestto tempt one into the garden, and there cannot be adoubt as to the ever-f resh plea sure it yields in thoseportions of the year when flowers in the ordinaryborders are scarcely to be seen . Bulbs in greatvariety have been freely planted among the otherplants , and for such as are scarce , the plan adoptedof setting apart pockets for them has been found toanswer admirably. They aresecured from the spadeof the gardener

,and come up year after year with

fresh and Often increa sed vigour . From March toJuly thisrock border is at its best ; th e plants inbloom are innumerable

,and their charms are most

diversified in character ; a Single genus even , such asthe Saxifrages , for instance, yields foliage and flowersgreatly differing from each other in appearance

, but

all alike in being beautiful .

L a rg e R ock eries. — Wh ere sufficient space isavailable for , and it is desired to form ,

rockeries on alarger scale than would be admissible in ordinarysiz ed ga rdens, for which the plan j ust described ischiefly intended, much bolder effects ca n be obtained,

and more ambitious imitations of rock scenery may“

be prudently and successfully attempted. One of

the most perfect and instructive rockeries of this.

class is at York,and constitutes an obj ect of ever

increasing attraction to visitors to that city. Th e

origin of this rockery seems to have been due to wha tmay be called an accidental circumstance, as may begathered from the following description — “Aboutthirty years since

,there resided in the coun ty of

York a young man of delica te health,but with an .

extremely active and observant mind . It was aboutthe yea r 1 851 that he

,in company with some rela

tives,visited N orway

,with the h Ope that the wild

scenery and the N orwegian mountain air would bethe meansof restoring his health. It was while onthis visit

,I believe

,and also in rambling over our

Cumberland and W elsh mountains, that he acquired .

a real and lasting love for Alpine flowers . On h isreturn home the thought occurred to him,

‘Whycannot we

,by constructing rock-work

,bring as it were

the mountains(in miniature ) into our gardens? W e

should then,I feel persuaded, be able to cultiva te

these beautiful Alpine flowers , by being able to placethem in similar positions to those in which they a re

found in their native homes . ’ Thi s idea he carriedout with great artistic, but, at the same time, a.

plea sing natural taste . The rock-work completed,

importations of plants were then made from variousparts of Europe

,which were planted and watched .

with loving interest and care .

”

Another rockery on a grand scale is at D arleyD ale

,in D erbyshire , where Sir Joseph Whitworth

has utilised some stone quar ries near to hismansion so artistically as now to present the ap

pearance of natural pictur esque rockeries of'

great extent,where bewildering numbers of plants

have been so suitably disposed as to give th e

visitor the impression that he isgaz ing on a pieceof N ature’s daintiest handiwork . There are

,it is

needless to say, numberless other instances of finerockeries in many public gardens, and in the privategrounds of the nobility and gentry in all parts ofthe kingdom. The rockery at Kew is an instanceof a most successful kind, accessible to every one,which may be studied with advantage by all ; so,too

,is the small but well-furnished rockery near the

large vinery in the gardens of the R oyal Horticul

tural Society at Chi swick,on which Mr . Barron

skilfully growsl

an immense variety of most interesting Alpines

,and of wh ich a portion is shown

in the coloured plate .

In distri cts where natural rocks, by a judiciousremoval of th e surface soil , can be made use of

in forming rockeries , some very fine effects may '

often be obtained at a trifling outlay, where a

man of correct taste hasthe superintendence of?

CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

th e work:this , indeed , is a very necessary condition of success ; and, fortunately, it is not now sodifficult as it was a few years ago to obta in efficientservices in designing and forming rockeries whichshall be successful from a ll points of view. Theleading idea which should prevail everywhere isnaturalness allied with suitability, avoiding all extra va gances, but boldly using every lecal advantageto th e utmost extent . Where water isat command “

,

it will always be found a valuable ally. A tricklingrill along a rocky bed will admit of ' the growth ofplants which otherwise must be excluded:such , forinstance

,as aquatic and such bog-loving plants as

depend for their existence on an ever-present supplyof moisture. Stepping- stones, fringed and bossedwith suitable plants

,and picturesque bridges may

oftentimes be advantageously introduced ; here andthere

,too, a place may be found for a tiny pool , the

bed and margins of which will provide a congenialhome for many interesting plants

,adding variety in

form of foliage and flowers,and so increasing the

pleasures of the garden,while the pool itself will

act as a foil to the quick-flowing rill , and introducethe elements of peacefulness and contemplativenessamid scenes of hurry and precipitancy . Such eon

trastsare almost always pleasing,provided they a re

introduced judiciously.

Th e construction of such large rockeries aswe are now referring to will rarely or never beattempted by the amateur

'

without the aid of askilled professional gardener ; and there is consequently no necessity on this occa sion to give detailed instructionsfor their formation . But anyamateur who desires to make a successful attempt a tconstructing a rockery of any pretensions withoutprofessional a id, will find time and money well spentif first of all he visits and patiently studies some ofthe well-made artificial rockeries within his reach

,

and then devotes hissummer holiday to wanderingamong our native hillsand mountains. or, still better,among those of Switz erland

,ascertaining h owN ature

grows Alpine plants,and familiarising himself with

the principal characteristics of a natural rockery.

D uring such a ramble as we are recommending theobservant eye will learn many lessons which willprove invaluable, and are scarcely to be acquired inany other way.

THE VIN E AN D I TS'

FR UIT.

B Y W I LLIAM COLEMAN .

D ISEASES TO WHI CH THE VIN E IS SUB JE CT.

F allthe exotic fruits under hot-house cultur e, th evine is subject to far more diseases than any

other. First and foremost stands the disease known

to ga rdeners as shanking then there are mildew, rust, scalcling , bleeding, funguson the roots,warts on the leaves, and aeri al roots but as these a reless diflicult to deal with

,and may be averted bv

good detailed management,the first and most prova

lent afiection claims our earliest attention .

Sh ank ing .— This perplexing enemy to grape

growers puts in an appearance just when the berriesbegin to change colour, and it continues more orless active until the cr0p is ripe . On its fir st appearance a slender black thread is detected round th estalks of the berries

,further growth is arrested

,the

stalks lose their vitality,and the berries become in

tensely sour, and shr ivel into wha t are not inaptlytermed yinegar berries . Sometimes a few berries inevery bunch shank ; at other times a whole bunchgoes

,and in very bad cases the crop is completely

ruined. It is genera lly admitted that sh anh ng ismore prevalent in late houses than in early ones

,

where a large portion of the roots are inside,and

h aving the benefit of a genial bottom heat, g et

thoroughly ripe,firm

,and woody before the vines go

to rest in the autumn .

That shanking may be caused by some suddenshock or derangement of th e system there is littldoubt . It may be that the folia ge has been prematurely destroyed by red spider ; the vines may havebeen overstrained in preceding y ear s ; checks andchi lls may have been produced by bad ventila tion ;or it may be that the borders have been kept toodry.

0

One or all of these ills combined might produce severe shanking

,and it is by no means impro

bable th at some of them exist at times in everyvinery ,

and contribute their share to th e fa ilure ofth e crop ; but they are not th e primary cause ofshanking.

If twenty borders whi ch produce shanked grapeswere examin ed

,it would be found that the maj ority

,

if not all of them,were composed of too rich ma

terials containing an excess of organic matter,in

which the vines grow with great luxur iance,but fail

to ripen their wood. The roots, although plentiful ,would not be firm

,hard, and fibry, but soft and

fleshy,like those of Asparagus , and being unripe .

would perish righ t back to th e main roots in th e

winter. Th e next season a new supply of youngroots or feeders would h ave to be made ; but t

_

h ~

borders being cold,rich , deep , and wet , they would

be late in forming and quite in capable of ma intaining the early growth produced and supported by th estored-up sap of the previous year. This, the firstch eck

,would take place about th e time the grapes

are stoning or approaching that stage . The crop,ligh tened by wholesale shanking

,would throw th e

vines into a long-jointed vigorous growth the roots

THE VIN E AN D ITS FR UIT .

would again persist in growrng late in the autumn,a nd so this unsatisfactory state would go on fromyear to year

,each year getting worse

,as the roots

would be penetrating deeper into the subsoil . Whenth is perplexing and disappointing collapse sets in,many years’ experience justifies the assertion thatthere is but one never-failing remedy

,and that is to

raise the roots and re -lay them in new compost . Ifcarefully performed, and over-cropping is avoided,

'

a

change will take place as if by'

magic ; but once letthe roots descend into the subsoil

,and shanking will

a gain put in an appearance .

In low,cold situat ions

,where the borders are deep

and tenacious, th e drainage may require t urningover, raising and ventilating, and the compost maybe made more porous and less rich by th e addition ofan extra quantity of old lime rubble , burnt earth, orroad-scrapings . In such a border the growth maynot base strong or pithy,

”

but itwill be hard,firm,

a nd short-j ointed,and the roots will be well ripened, .

a nd capable of performing their proper functionswhen the stoning

'process again comes round. Wh atis wanted is a warm

,well-drained border, full '

of

h ard fibryroots that will ripen with th e foliage, restwith the vines— if vines ever do rest— and

“ producethousands of hungry mouths ready to devour plentyof stimulating food when the vinesare carrying acrop of fruit.

M ildew(Oidium Tuc/cerii) . — This fungoid growth.

is compara tively new to grape-growers in thiscountry . It attacks the young leaves and fruit bothin Vineries and in the Open air, and if not speedilya rrested very soon destroys the crop . In cold

,nu

favourable seasons the entire crop in wine-growingcountries is frequently ruined by it:When mildewfirst appearsthe young leaves look as though dustedover with fine white powder .

'

From the leaves itextends to the fruit, and so rapid is the progress thata few

_days will suffice for itsspread over every vinein a large housef Like all other fungoid growths

,

although the spores may be present,it cannot make

any progress unless the conditions favourable to itsdevelopment are produced . D ryness at the roots

,a

low,cold, damp atmosphere in badly-ventilated

houses - one or.both combined are most likely to

bri ng them into activity, when, if once allowed togetthoroughly established

,the extirpation is attended

with great difficulty. When mildew attacks v inesunder glass the borders should be examined, and if atall dry, thoroughly supplied with

‘water ; thenthe

only effectual agent — flowersof “sulphur — should beapplied, either as a wash

'

to the hot-water pipes , orin a dry state with a dredge or sulphurator . Th e

niggardly system of keeping the house close and

damp to save fuel must give way to liberal firing

and judicious ventilation ; and last, but not least,

the most generous treatment must be given to thevines . By the liberal use of water to the rootsand sulphur in the atmosphere

,the mildew itself

may be arrested, but itseff ects remain, as thecuticle is completely destroyed

,turns black (Fig .

and the berries soon crack and perish . In

gardens subj ect to this Oidium,prevention being

better than cure,G ish urst compound or soft- soap

and sulphur should alwaysbe used for washing thevines before forcing is commenced

,and sulphur

should be used with quicklime for washing thewalls . It may also be advantageously applied inthe ' form of vapour in the following manner:Ona fine evening, heat the pipes until they are uncomfortably warm to the hand

,then paint them over

With a mixture of sulphur and skim milk, to whicha little soft -soap may be added . Air the houseearly the -following morning

,and repeat the process

the next ’

evening if necessary . The modern methodof applying th e fumes of sulphur consists in sprinkling flowers of sulphur over lumps

,

of fresh-slakedlime laid on the floor ; but it is dangerous, andshould never be heated above 150° or as anything above those figures might prove too strongfor th e tender foliage . On no account should sulphurbe sprinkled on heated irons or shovels

,otherwise

sulphuric acid, which is produced at a temperature of will quickly put an end to all life,animal

'

and veg etable . N either should sulphur beused on the hot pipes before the grapes are thinned .

as the tender cuticle of the berries is often injur edby the fumes .

R ust .

- This can scarcely be termed a disease,as

healthy vines,under good management

,are never

affected by it . There are several causes assigned forits appearance ; first and foremost being the application of sulphur to the hot pipes for the destructionof spider or mildew . The sudden admission of colddraughts of air when the house is "veryhot, and thetender young berries are moist

,and most sensitive

to rapid depressions of temperature,will also bring

about this affection while touching the berries withperspir ing hands during the process of thinning ,

'

or

rubbing them with the hair when working amongstthem

,anything in fact of a greasy nature , which

injures th e tendercuticle , results in rust. The berriesdo not

,however

,cease toswell

,but they never lay

on bloom,and look very unsightly and unwholesome

as theygrow older, and the roughnessof the skinbecomes fully developed .

_

To avoid the perniciousinfluence of antidotesfor other diseases

,sulphur

should not be applied to the'

pipes,if it can be

avoided, until after the grapes are stoned, and thenit should be applied when

,

the berries are thoroughly

80 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

dry. Muscats and those tender ’ delicious kinds,

White Frontignan,and D uchessof Buceleuch

,are

often badly rusted by sulphur,if applied when they

are ripe or approaching that stage .

Sca lding (Fig .

— Thisis a disease whichaffects certain kinds of grapes

,always at one par

ticular stage of their growth . Lady D ownes andMuscats are most subj ect to it, and it always attacksthem during the time they are finishing stoning .

In fine,steady weather, the disease is very slight ;

but during hot oppressive days , notably when thea tmosphere ischarged with electri city, the bunches

F ig . 3 0.— I i ldew.

sufler severely. The berries suddenly become depressed and puckered on one side ; the kernels seemto ferment

,and in a few hours they look as if they

had been syringed or touched with boiling water .What is most remarkable

,scalding is not confin ed to

bunches that are exposed to the sun,as many of

them are placed where thesun cannot touch them .

D uring the stoning process,great attention should

be given to ventilation through out the day, and themoment a scalded berry is detected

,the house should

be as freely ventilated as a warm conservatory. A

low temperature must not,however

,be caused by

allowing the fires to go out,as the link which com

pletesthe twenty-four hour s,consists of keeping the

pipes and the house warm through the night to prevent the berries from getting cold before morning

,

otherwise they will condense moisture,as they will

not warm so quickly as th e air of the house whenthe sun again falls upon the roof. If root-action

is satisfactory, the critical period will not exceedthree weeks .

always be found in early pruning, as hasbeensuggested in a previous article . Thomson’s stypticshould always be applied to every cut the momentth e vinesare pruned.

B le edin g — When bleeding sets in,it is almost

impossible to stop it until the vin es get into leaf,

when N ature lends her healing art but by that timevigorous vines are very often seriously enervated .

Searing with hot irons, sealing-wax, painter’s knot

ting, and other styptics have been recommended ;

but so powerf ul is the force of the sap , that everyapplication is diluted and rendered uselessuntil itfindsan outlet in the leaves . Fortunately a preventive remedy is extremely simple

W a rtson th e B a ck of th e L e a f — I f thi s isnot a disease

,it is a very unsightly gathering of

vegetable matter in the wrong place,and a sure

indication that the management of the house is farfrom satisfactory. Many think it does no harm

,

but when warts become very bad,the foliag e cups,

turns pale yellow,and eventually dies. Moreover

the first application of sulphur to the pipesturns every wart black

,a sure proof that th e

organised matter is in a very sensitive,if not a con

gestive state . W arts are most prevalent in small,close

,early-forced pits and houses

,wh ich are im

perfectly ventilated,and saturated with stagnant

atmosphere . Large houses that are freely ventilated

THE VIN E AN D ITS FRUIT. 8 1

rare suffer,a fair

,proof that more fresh air and

less atmospheric moistur e will prevent thisevil .

Air R ootson th e S tems— Many people takelittle heed of these, but allow them to grow on anddie off with the foliage . If thesh e etsare placedover pot s of soil or moss

,they soon take hold and

form established vines . The late Mr . Flemingused to messthe stems

,and feed by syringing with

liquid but they are unsightly,and, like warts on the

lea ves,they incontestably prove that something is

wrong . Aerial roots proceed frcm two causes,either

the borders are cold,Wet

,and unf avourable to the

growth of the natural roots at the time when a largeexpanse of foliage and fruit is making a heavydemand upon them

,or ‘ the vinery is kept too close

and warm . The remedy for the fir st evil will befound in lifting and re -laying the roots in newcompost, for the second in a more perfect systemofventilation.

Funguson . th e R oots. - Although this'

under

ground and consequently out - of - sight worker does

Fig . 3 2.— R ed Spider (magnified) .

not often attack vin es , when it does it generallyworksserrons mischi ef before its presence is detected. It sometimes happensthat vines

,and not

unfr equently conifers , apparently in the rudesthealth, suddenly collapse and die ; when, on theremoval of the soil

,the roots are found completely

covered with the mycelium or Spawn of some fungus, _

which has been produced by decaying woody matterin the border . Th e most common cause of thepresence of th isf ungusis the introduction of leafmould containing bits of sticks in the formation ofth e border. Or it may be that the decaying stem ofan old vine has been left in the border. When thisrapidly- spreading fungus is found, there is only oneremedy— the entire removal of

‘ every particle of soilcontaining the white thread- like mycelium

,other

wise it will soon overrun the borders,and destroy

every root . Wh en all the aff ected soil has been3 0

removed, the roots should be well washed withwarm water:and sprinkled with quicklime . Thi swill speedily destroy all the spawn with whi ch it isbrought into contact

,when the borders may be

ma de up with new compost.

Inse ctswh ich P rey up on th e V ine .—As

many insects by their persistent attacks on theleaves

,shoots

,and roots of vines speedily weaken or

destroy their vitality,every grape -grower should be

able to detect them at sight . To enable him to dothi s

,the accompanying illustrations ,whi ch are highly

magnified,with instructions for destroying the in

sects,will be found useful .

R ed Sp ide r— Tetra ayd mstela rius(Fig .

W ith the exception of the P hylloxera,thisis the

most general,as it is the most troublesome insect

with which the grape -grower has to contend . Itbreeds and feeds on the lower sides of the leaves

,

where it spins its web,and increases with alarming

rapidity,especially if the house is kept hot

,dry

,and

badly ventilated. In colour it is of a lightish brown,

but so small that it cannot readily be seen withoutthe aid of a magnifying-glass ; but not so its work,as the first intimation which the experienced cultivater receives is generally conveyed by the brownishappearance of the leaves

,often in a dry corner or

near the hot -water pipes . In such places theseminute insects breed by the thousand

,and feed upon

the juices of the leaves,which they very soon destroy.

From the leaves,if unchecked

,they soon find their

way to the bunches,which it is hardly necessary to

say never colour or attain their proper flavour .

W ith the above remarks for his guidance,the

amateur should ever be on the alert for the enemy,

and the appearance of the first brownish-lookingleaf should be the signalfor unr elenting warfare .

In the first instance,

sponging the lower sidesof the leaveswith warmsoapy water may be re

sorted to,and although it

is a slow process,it is a

certain cure,and an active

Person will go over many Fig . 3 3 .— Th ripsminutis

leaves in a few hours .Supplementary to sponging

,wa ter the roots freely, and keep the atmosphere

of th e house as moist as may be consistent with thehealth of the growing vin es . If incessant syringingcould be practised

,and every leaf could be thoroughly

washed,the webs would be broken

,and spider would

soon disappear ; but as ordinary water would damagethe fruit

,the syringe can only be used when it is

82 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

pure and free from calcareous sediment or there isno fear of the spray reaching the berries . The lastresort is sulphur mixed with milk

,and appli ed to

the pipes when they are hot, in exactly the same wayas recomm ended for destroying mildew. But

,where

it can be applied,pure water isthe best agent, as it

refreshes and strengthens the vines,while it weakens

the spider and eventually clears the house .

Th rips'

(Tizripsminutissima ) (Fig .— The

accompanying greatly-magnified figur e representsthis voracious little enemy. It is a long slenderinsect

,dark brown

,sometimes almost black . It feeds

upon the leaves of the vines,which it soon renders

useless for elaborating the sap,and being a dir ty

insect it soon spoils the fruit . Like the red Spider,

it rej oices in a high dry temperature,and strongly

Fig . 35.— V ine B ee tle(Otiorhyncaspicip es) .

obj ects to water, but water alone will noteradicate it . Fortunately

,it is not so

generally met with as the spider ; indeed , it

Fig . 3 6.— Seale (Coccusr itis) .

will reduce the mass to the consistency ofcream . Apply when cold enough with anold pa int-brush .

is rarely met with in vineries from which Fig . 3 4,— Mealy

plants, especially Az aleas,are stri ctly ex

cluded. If taken in time,sponging with

soap and tobacco -water will check its ravages anddestroy it ; but the most effectual remedy is fumigating with tobacco -paper. This should be repeatedtwo or three times at intervals of ten days

,in order

to catch the larvae as they merge into life .

M e a ly‘

B ug (D a ctylop iusadonidwn), (Fig .

This disgusting insect, like the thrips, is not so frequently met with on the vin e as the spider ; but,unfortunately, it is becoming very prevalent whereplants are grown in the house . The white mealyflufi

, from which it takes its name , is an excretionalmost impervious to water

,but it instantly melts

away ,under oils or spirits . This pest is one of themost troublesome met with

'

in vine-culture,and

hence th e importance of excluding all suspiciousplants from the vineries . When once introduced itSpreads from the branches

,where it finds a secure

hiding-place , to the Sh oots,and thence to the

bunches , which it rendersunfit for use .The best

Bug . Th e V in e B e e t le (Otiorkyncusp zczp es)(Fig .

— This nocturnal worker,although

not very common in our vineries,sometimes does

serious mischief before its presence is detected. Itcomes out at night, when all is quiet, and eats orpartly eats through the tender young leaders of thevines. Sometimes they are only just touched orblackened

,but they never do any more good, and

have to be cut back to a sound bud below th e injury.

Unlike some of our voracious enemies,th is beetle is

epicurean in its tastes,always giving preference to

certain va rieties of vines , if it can get them .

“ Thebest way to destroy it is to go qui etly at night,spread a sheet under th e vin es, and give the rods ash arp shake with the hand, when they will fall uponthe sheet and be readily seen .

S ca le (Coccusoitis) (Fig .— This insect is

,

fortunately, not often met with in England, for it isa most disagreeable scourge and very difficult to extirpa te . If not taken in time it extends from th e

wood to the leaves. and thence to the fruit. Asthe

remedy for summer use is methylated spirits appliedwith a camel-hair brush, as the warmth draws themout of their snug winter quar ters under the bark.

Fir-tree eil‘

and paraffin in a diluted form also produce instant death, but without unceasing attentionthese remedies only scotch the enemy. Asa winterdressing gas-tar is now generally used in the following way z— Having rubbed off all the loose barkwell scrubbed the rods with strong soap-water

,and

stepped the holes in old Spur s with G ishurst compound, paint every bit of the wood, young and old,with the tar mixture

,when the vines are thoroughly

at rest. Astar is very powerful and difficult to mix,

it should be ca refully prepared as follows — To onepeek of dry, sifted loam placed over the fire in aniron pot

,add half a pint of tar ; thoroughly mix the

two together,and add as much boiling water as

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THE FLOWER G AR D EN .

to time, until its present dimensions are 1 3 8 feet inlength and 20 feet in width . The circumference ofthe stem is 3 feet 6 inches where it branches intotwo rods . Each of these again break into two stems

,

which extend the whole length of the house , andcover every part of the trellis with branches . Th esebranches are pruned on the close - spur system

,the

space,

feet,of trellis for extension having

long since been filled. Some seven years ago it wasmy privilege to be present when the fir st box ofgrapes of the season was cut, to be forwarded to theQ ueen, then in Scotlan d . Many of the bunches

,as

well as the berri es,were remarkably fin e , and ap

peared to be the counterpart of the produce of th evine at Eastnor ; but they were Slightly deficient inc olour . I have since learned that this produce exc eeded lbs . The houses in which these twoveteransare grown are heated by flues

,but the

vines are allowed to come on with the increasingwarmth of. the season

,consequently little fire-heat is

used.

A worthy descendant of the Hamburgh at Cumberland Lodge may be seen at Sillwood P ark, nearAscot . It is upwards of fifty years old

,and fills a

house 1 20 feet in length , with a rafter of 1 2 feet .The vine

,planted in the centr e , is about thr ee feet

in circumference,and thr ows out eight lateral

branches,which are trained h oriz ontally the whole

length of the house . These rodsfurnish the bearingwood

,which covers feet of trelli s, and pro

duces about bunches of gr apesannually.

The celebrated Hamburgh vine at the late Mr .

Kay’s nur sery,Finchley, now more than a quarter of

a century old,filled a h ouse 90 feet in length and 1 8

feet in width"

by the tim e it was seven years old .

B eing much younger than the preceding v ines , anditsbranches having been so rapidly extended, whileits roots are in a good grape soil, the produce, asmay be supposed, is superior to that obtained from'the older vines . It must not

,however, be inferred

that great age prevents vines from producing firstclass grapes

,as the horticultural j ournals record

yea rly proofs to the contrary. So long as freshfood can be given to the roots

,and the branches can

e xtend,old vines will produce magnificent bunches

and berries by the hun dredweight from generationto generation .

In addi tion to the preceding, there is a vine atShardloes

,Bucks

,nearly one hundred y ears old,

filling a house 80 feet in length ; and the vine atEastnor

,seventy-five years old, and filling a house

72 feet in length . Th is vine,like the Muscat at

Harewood,was supplied with fresh soil and drainage

twenty years ago . A new house was built over it,3 0 feet longer and 3 feet wider than th e old one ;extension was at once indulged in, and the effect

THE FLOWER G AR D EN .

BY W I LLIAM W I LD SM ITH .

85

produced by the combination of new compost,better

drainage,and a larger h ouse was marvellous .

Th e Muscat at Harewood just referred to is undoubtedly the finest of its kind in Britain . It isnow over one hun dred years old, having beenplanted in 1 7 8 3 . It is pruned on the long- spursystem

,and the produce a few years ago averaged

400 bunches of 1 lb . each .

Mr. Thomson, in his excellent book on the vine ,speaks of vines over one hundr ed years old atMoredun

,E dinburgh . They are planted in outside

borders,and the roots have travelled under the

foundations of brick walls in search of suitable food .

H e also describes a Hamburgh growing atKennellHouse

,Breadalbane .

' Th is,like the Finchley vine .

is comparatively young,having been planted in

1 8 3 2. The produce , some 600 bunches annually, issaid to be very fin e

,and quite free from shanked

berries . It now fills a house 1 72 feet long and 2feet wide . Combined with extension training, thekeystone of success

,it appears

,exists in the form of

an old Asparagus-bed, into wh ich the roots havefound their way . So long as th e juvenile of fiftyodd summers exists , we may safely predict that theAsparagus-bed will be safe from molestation .

The Sister island does not seem to be noted for oldvines

,but there are a few. \Vh en at the vicerega —l

lodge thirty years ago, Mr . Smith was training avery promising young extension H amburgh, whichwent on well for some years , but has since died .

At Castletown , th e seat of the late T . Conolly,Esq ,

near Celbridge , an old vine filled a housewhi ch

,to the best of my recollection, must have

been nearly 80 feet in length . It bore immensecrops of black grapes, but being an inferior variety,a H amburgh had been planted at the opposite endto take its place

,and

,judging from the way in

which it was then progressing, there can be butlittle doubt that the veteran has long since beenremoved.

WIN TER BE D D IN G .

HIS phase of flower gardening is not nearly solargely practised as it ought to be , though why

such should be the case it is difficult to surmise, unlessit be on the ground of the expense of material andlabour . This , after a ll

,is not nearly so formidable

as at first sight appears, particularly now that thereare so many species of plants whi ch are equally wellsuited for summer as winter, so that one planting ofsuch kinds of plants sufli cesfor the two seasons .We shall hope to Show that there is really but very

85 N

little more labour attendant on the adoption of thetwo-seasons plan of bedding— summer and winter— than if one branch only were done , whilst th esatisfaction and pleasur e attendant upon furnishedflower-beds in winter would warrant a far largeradditional expenditure of both money and labour .

To the successof the system ,

thefirst requisiteis a close studyof what hardyplants are suitedfor associa tionwith the summerbedders

,without

imparting un duesombreness toth e g en e ra leffect . Q uietbea uty ratherthan gaiety is atall times desirable ; but theother extreme ofdulness in thesummer seasonmust be guardedaga inst ; and fortun a t e ly th ewealth of suitable plants is sogreat that

,to all

ordinary observers

,there is

little danger ofth is even whenthe garden hasto be arrangedafter this twoseasons plan . Insome cases this -isnot required

,the

summer beddingbeing all clearedaway fir st

,and

the winter arrangements be

ing pur ely such . Under these conditionsgreatergaiety is better assur ed during the summer ; andasshrubs would then be the principal winter ocenpants of the beds

,they present a more filled-out

effect,but not so refined as when dwarf carpeting.

plants are used . Th erefore it is . best to be content with a reasonable

'

amount of summer gaiety,and h ave the greater refinement and greater

'

varictv

in winter ; and not only this, but less labour of plan“

Summe r P la nting .

1 . R a ised edg ing and line of Hernia ria g lah ra (g reen) .

2. P yre th rum, G oldenFea th er.

3 . E ch everia secunda g 1 a uca ,slig h tlyra isedand t h e int erst i cesfilled in with Sedumg la ucum.

4. G roundwork of Sedum a cre eleg ansva riega tum.

5. A lternanth era ma gnifies, withdot-plant of G revillea robusta .

6. Kleinia repens,w1 th centra ldot -plant ofSempervivum a rboreum var ie g a tum.

7 . E ch even a g lauca me ta llica and centre

plant of Ag ave americanum va rieg a ta .

8 . Alternanth era ama h alis.9 . Kleima repensand central plant of Ag ave

amerrcana v a rreg a ta .

central

SCALE O F FEET

Fig . 8 .

— D E e N FOR W I N TER B E D D I N G .

1 .

0- 0

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

ing in autumn when the summer garden.

is over.

Th is latter is the plan we have followed for year s,and it will perhaps bemade more plain by the aecompanying illustrative example .

D esign . Fig . 8 , gives the summer and winter arrangement of the same bed . It will be noted that

summer planting is entirely afoliage arrangement, but it doe snot follow fromthi s that th e

same principle isnot applicable tofloweringplants:it is equally so

,

but thi s arrangement is given(both summerand winter) asone we have re

cently put

practice , and

which proved atboth sea sons asefiective asth emost exa ctingtaste could desire . The E cheveria in N o. 3 isthe only doubtful plant as towi thsta nding th ewinter ; and in

nine sea sons outof ten it wouldstand if planteda little Sloping ,or on edge

,to

Winter P la nting .

Same assummer.

Same assummer.

3 . Same assummer.

throw ofi ram .

4 . e ss er.Sam 1 1 1mm Wh i ch lodgmg5. Erica . carnea , and smallG olden Holly as on th e crown s of

a centre .

6. Sedum Lydium(g reen) . and centre plant t h e P 1 a n t S‘7

co

co

of R e tinospora p isif e ra aurea .

Central plant of Cupressuserecta v iridis,surroundedwith th e g reen Euonymus.Sedum corsicum(g rey) .G oldeg vari eg a ted Euonymus.

proves far moredestructive tothe plants thandoes frost .

The central bed,which in summer is ma rked

to be planted with Tree Succulents , such as Semperr ioum m'borewn

, Semp eroioum H endersonii, andothers of similar habit

,is one of the most novel and

telling fea tures of the arrangement . The carpetingor undergrowth to the tall succulents may be eithertufty-growing Sedums

,or the flowering Mesembry

anthemum consp icmmz. Having tried both plants,we

certainly gi ve preference to th e former,flowers

THE FLOWER G AR D EN .

seeming quite out of character with succulents, eventhough

'

th e flowering plant itself belongs to thatorder . The most suitable kinds of shrubs for ” thewinter planting of this central bed ' are uprightgrowers ; not clipped to make them unnaturallyformal

,but such as T/wja aurea

,sp ressusLawsom’

i

erecta,and golden R etinosporas ; and the carpeting

may either be that of the summer or variega ted Ivy,Euonymus

,Sta c/tyslama ta , or variegated Thyme .

Taking this arrangement as a whole,and taking into

account the gloom of winter,it is p roportionately as

bright as that of the summer ; add to this the factof how little labour and how comparatively fewplants are needed to so transform the bed, and themerits of winter bedding become conspicuously ap

parent .The same principle of

_

a rrangement is applicable tothe simplest on

'the most varied of gardens,and what

is another_

advantage , it can be done wholly or inpart

,according to the material at command . Even

half the beds filled in,winter would certainly look

better than all'

being empty ; for so accustomed arewe to see bare beds at:that season

,that the half

which must remain empty,i f necessary

,owing to

lack of plants,would not appear particularly Objec

tionable . But we must again repeat that there issuch an abundance of material to be had at a verycheap rate as will

,when coupled with the desire to

carry out winter bedding on the lines here indicated,render it a very easy matter indeed to fully furnishthe whole of the beds .

L ist of P lants— Keeping in viewthe first essential condition to the successful practice of thi s duplexmethod of planting

,viz .

,that of using in the summer

arrangement as Imany hardy plants as possible suitable for association with the various descriptions ofsummer bedding plants

,the list of these is placed

first .Evergreen shrubs, in small plants for middlesand angles cf beds, to relieve objectionable flat surfaces and dense masses of colour

CupressusLawsonii aurea . R etinospora obtusa densa.C . Lawsonii argentea . R . filifera .

C . L awsonii e recta viridis. R . pisifera .

Euonymus ma crophyllus R . pisifera argentea .

variegatus. R . p lumosa aurea .

E . ja ponicusalbo-varieg atus. R . squarrosa .

.luniperush i-bernica . Thuja aurea .

J . japonica alba va rieg a ta . Thujopsisborealis.Osmanthusilicifoliusvarieg a tas.

And all other small Conifers that bear transplantation well. The following are also suitable

Of suitable small-growing hardy plants that h armenise well with summer bedders for use as groundworks

,and divisional lines

,the name is legion .

Amongst the best are many kinds of Saxifragas,

Sedums , 'Sempervivums,and others of like growth and

habit, that are too well known to be particularisedhere . In addition to the shrubs, &c.

,here named as

suitable for use in summer— and, as a matter ofcourse, throughout the winter— the followingmay beadded as effective winter kinds — G reen and Variegated Aucubas for massing ; variegated Hollies, asstandards among st masses of B er

’

berisAquif olium,B .

jap onica , or other greenery ; Cotoneaster microp hylla ,a plant most suitable for large vases

,as a companion

plant for the green and variegated Ivies , and P eriwinkles(Vincas) for dr ooping over the edges; and italso makesa good dot-plant

,on a ground-work of

the broad-leaved Via ca clegantissima ca ricya ta . Thegolden variegated Yew is another good plant foreither grouping or as single plants, and no shrubbears the frequent transplantation that . winter bedding entails as do this and the common Yew,

un

less perhaps it be Box, both green and variegated,which are also invaluable for winter decoration . The

Japanese Honeysuckle,P ortugal Laurels, Skimmz

’

a

jap omca , and Kalmias complete the list of shrubs ;but there are numerous other plants that , if common,are in their way just as valuable . Amongst themare Ajaga rep tansp urp urea , Sta olzysZana ta , commonand variegated Thymes

,H eaths

,Veronica iazcana , and

Veronica rup estris. Here , then, is an ample array ofmaterial with which

,combined with the will, labour,

and ground,our gardens can be made asattractive in

_winter as'

in summer .

To get up a stock of plants of course takes time,but when once had they are comparatively a permanency, which is more than ,

can be said aboutsummer bedders ; whilst, as compared with these , they_do not involve a tithe of their cost

,if houses

,fires ,

labour,and short duration be placed in the balance ,

with the piece of ground that is required as a reservegarden for the transfer and in crease of shrubs , &c. ,

during the spring and summer .

To be effective at once,Sedums and other dwarf

ground-work plants should, at the winter season, belifted in turf fashion, and be pressed down in theirallotted positions . To this end it is n ecessary to dividethem in spring time , and plant out in beds of convenient width for paring off without treading on theplots

.In districts where H eather isplentiful, that

which has been nibbled close by rabbits makes themost perfect setting, or ground-work, for all descrip n

tions of shrubs and if this cann ot be had, or any ofthe other ground-work plants mentioned

,a surfacing

of cocoa-fibre refuse will prove of immense service byimparting a finished and neat appearance .

CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

OR CHIDS.

BY WILLIAM HUG H G owns.

An aectoch ilus.— A small genus of terrestrialOrchids

,which

,in the island of Ceylon

,is called by

the Cingalese the King of the W oods ; they haveslender-jointed rhiz omes , and grow but a few incheshigh . They are natives of the continent of India aswell as the Indian Islands

,and there

'

is little doubtthatmany very fine forms remain undiscovered up tothe present time . Anaectoch ilusare remarkable forthe extreme beauty of their leaves

,but their flowers

,

though curious , are small and inconspicuous . Theseplants have up to the present time sorely troubledtheir admirers

,inasmuch as they have hitherto

proved very precarious and uncertain in their nature,

and extremely difficult to keep alive for any lengthof time . Several reasons may be given to accountfor thi s:and

,first

,we think they have always been

kept in much too high a temperature ; secondly, weare of Opinion th at th ey have been treated to the influence of light too freely ; thirdly, we believe thatnaturally they are not long -lived

, but are producedfreely from seed. To support our views respectingthese piants, let ustake into consideration wherethey grow . A friend of our s who has collected theseplants in their wild homes says , Anee ctoch ilusarefound at an elevation of from to feet

,and

most frequently in ravines near mountain streams .Though the temperatur e must fall much belowfreez ing in winter

,th e plants are never exposed to

th e direct influence of frost, being sheltered by trees .The maximum temperature probably never exceedsand this can only be for an hour or so in the day.

They grow freely in a temperature of and rotoff very quickly if any decayed vegetable matter ormildew is allowed to accumulate about the stem .

They should never be allowed to dry up ,though free

drainage is undoubtedly essentia l . The soil inwhich they are found growing is a combination ofpeat and vegetable mould.

”

To imitate the seclusion these plants grow innaturally

,they should be placed under bell-glasses

or in a small hand- frame . The pots used for th emshould be small and thoroughly drained

,the soil to

consist of one part fibrous peat, one part living

Sph agnum moss,a small portion of sharp sand

,and

a little finely-broken charcoal ; th is must not bepressed down very firmly

,and t h e whole should be

surfaced with some live moss chopped small. Thisis important, as the Anee ctochili grow so much freerwh en the roots are surrounded with vegetation .

D uring th e summer season they enjoy an abundantsupply of water , but avoid watering much over theleaves . They requir e but little rest

,and certainly

no drying off,but during the months of N ovember,

D ecember, and January the supply of water mustbe greatly reduced. In the month of Februaryre-pot, as it is best to give them fresh soil at leastonce a year. P lace them in a shady secluded cornerin the B raz ilian House .A . B a llcnii.— Leaves ovate-lanceolate

,two to three

inches long, dark bronzy-green,with three bold

stripes of coppery-red traversing them . B orneo‘

.

A . D ominii. — Leaves somewhat ovate,the centre

tawny-yellow, margined with dark olive -green,the

principal veins being whitish . A garden hybrid,

obtained between A . a ant/zop lzyllam and G oods/cmdiscolor .

A . intc7~mcdiam.-Leaves ovate

,or cordate when

the plant is vigorous,some two and a half inches

long, ground-colour intensely dark and velvety,main ribs bright Sparkling gold colour

,netted

between with fine lines of the same brilliant hue .

Java .

A . Lawzi (correct name D ossinia ma rmora ta ) .Leaves broadly ovate -lanceolate, three to fiveinches long and two to three broad ; ground-colour,deep reddish olive green

,traversed by golden

veins,which fade to some extent as the leaves

get old . There is another form of this Specieswith the ground-colour of the leaves a brightgreen, which is sometimes named A . I owa virescens.Borneo .

A . I owa — Leaves ovate,th e ground- colour deep

olive-gr een , midrib silvery white, with finer transverse reticulations . Java .

A . N ccillianam.— Leaves ovate-lanceolate, deep

rich velvety-green,marbled with orange . Borneo .

A . P etola .— The correct name of th is beautiful

plant is llla coacsP ctola,but it so much resembles

Ance toc/i ilas,and is so often called by that name ,

tha t we retain it in the list for convenience . Leavesoval

,bright velvety-green

,clouded with a slightly

deeper hue,and beautifully netted over the entire

surface with sparkling golden lines . Java .

A . R a ckcrii.— This , together with B a llcm i and'

coilliamcs,has only been brought to thiscountry

upon one occasion,and at the present time they are

veryrare in cultivation ; their extreme beauty, however

,should induce lovers of this family to obtain

them again . The leaves are broadly ovate,ground

colour bronzy-

gr een, beautifully spotted or marbledover the whole surface . B orneo .A . scz‘a ccam.

— This is the W ana R ajah,

” or Kingof th e W oods , of the Cingalese . Leaves roundishovate

,upwards of two inches long

,and about a n

inch and a half broad ; ground-colour of a rich deepcoppery hue and velvety

,main ribs broadly striped

with bright gold, the intermediate spaces beautiftnetted with the same . Ceylon and several of theEast Indian Islands .

OR CHID S. 89

A . sctaocam,var

. corda tum.— Asitsname implies , deep green , with a broad central band of white

th e leaves '

of this variety are distinctly heart tinged with gold. Java.

shaped ; the ground-colour isslightly greener , and — This beautiful species has

AN G R JECUM E BUR N EUM wa rns.

th e golden reticulations are broader . It is ex broadly- ovate leaves,some two and a half inches

tremely beautiful and rare . Ceylon,&c. long

,and nearly two in ches in breadth

,with a broad

A . stria tum sometimesand more correctly central band of orange,clouded with green

,densely

named lllonochilasreg iam— a somewhat taller plant netted with brilliant gold ; the margins are darkthan the majority of the Anaectoch ilus. Leaves olive - green, also covered with a network of gold.

narrow- lanceolate,some three inches long ; margins Ceylon.

90 CASSELL'

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Ang rae cum .—This is a large family of epiphytes

,

but many of the species produce such small flowersthat

,judging them from a decorative point of view

,

they are not worth the trouble and expense entailedin their cultivation

,whilst others produce larger

flowers than any family in the order.Angraecums have their leaves arranged in a tworanked(distichous) manner, and are quite destituteof pseudo-bulbs tosupport them, sothat it is necessaryto exercise care incarrying themthrough the restingseason ; for if notsubj ected to aperiod of rest

,very

few flowers will beproduced

,whilst if

it iscarried to excess the leaves willshrivel and fall off

,

thus rendering theplants naked andunsightly .

These plants areall natives of variousparts of Africaor the AfricanIslands , and are allfound in the hottestlatitudes , savingone or two excep

tions , such as A .

f a lca tum,f r om

China and Japan,

and A . f ana lc, fromthe W est Indies .The latter is avery curious andnteresting plant

,

being both stemless and leafless , the . entire organism consisting of amass of cord-like roots

,from the centre of which

it produces flowers . They all enj oy sun ,air

,and

light to the fullest extent . The larger kinds succeedbest under pot culture ; the smaller ones thrivebetter in hanging baskets or on blocks of wood ;indeed, the requirements of Angraecum

's are aboutthe same as already laid down for the culture offErides. East Indian House for all the species exceptA . f a lca tum, and this thrives best in the P eruvianHouse .

A . Cha illa ammz. This handsome and distinctspecies is named in honour of M . du Ch a illu

,who

found it when on one of his celebrated gorilla expe

FLOWER VIR EN S (na turalsize) .

ditions. The leaves are distichous,leathery in tex

ture, six to eight inches long , ,

and upwards of an inchbroad ; unequally two-lobed at the apex, and deepgreen ; racemes axillary, about th e same length asthe leaves ; flowerswhite , and bearing a very longyellowish-green spur . May and June . G aboonand N un rivers

, W estern AfricaA . citra tam.

— Ah elegant small-growing plant . Theleaves are fromthree to six incheslong

,oblong lanceo

late,with an acute

point and contracted base, brightshining green onthe upper side

,paler

beneath racemefrom six to twelveinches long

,many

flowered flowersclosely set

,nearly

an inch ' across,

white,suffusedwith

pale citron - colour ;spur short

,pale

y e l l ow . Sp r in gmonths. Madagascar.A . cbam cam.

A large bold-growing species, which,under the name ofA . superbum, the

late Mr . E llis describes as so abundant on the out

skirts of the forestson his j ourney fromTamatave to Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar ;plant erect ; ~leaves

distichous,from one to two feet in length, some

timesmore bright light green in colour ; spike erect,as long or longer than the leaves ; flowers about twoinches in diameter ; sepals and petals light green ; liplarge

,ivory-white

,tinged with green at the base .

January to March . Madagascar .A . cbam cimi

,var . omens— A plant similar in habit,

but somewhat less robust than the species , fromwhich it is easily distinguished by its intense deepgreen leaves ; sepals and petals green , as also is th eSpur ; lip white, tinged with green . January toMarch . Madagascar .

A . Ellisii. —This species was introduced by th e

late R ev . W . Ellis, to whom we are indebted for so

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'9 2 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

THE LIFE ~HISTOR Y OF PLANTS.

BY D R . MAXWELL T . MASTER S , F. R .S .

N UTR ITION — R OOTS AN D R OOT-STOCKS.

R OM what has been said in previous chapters,it will be evident that the popular concep

t ion of a root widely different that entert ain ed byth e botanist .T o the ordin ary observer any portion of theplant that isbenea th thesoil is a root .But, quite irrespective lyoi the acci‘dent of posit ion,

t h ebotanist re

c ognises ther oot as a dist inct organby its extern al conform ation andi n t e r n a lstructure

,by

its mode ofgrowth

,and

more especially by thework that ithas to do .

'There are,'

h owever,cer

t ain organsmore or lessintermediateb e t w e e

‘

m

r oots andstems

,and to

some extenthaving the

I

Fig . 3 6.

—Subterranean Stem of Carex, with sh ootsproduced insuccession duringyears, and giving off rootsfrom th e undersurfa ce.

ceding organs on the one hand,and roots taken in a

general sense on the other,nor in this place is it at

all necessary to attempt to do so . They vary inform in different plants

,and serve as means to dis

criminate between different species,on which a o

count alone they should be carefully noted by thestudent, as furni shing indi cations for approf

pria te modesof cultivation they areof the highest importance . G enerally

,they

are underg r o u n ds t em s o rb r a n c h e g

more or lesse l o n g a t e dvertica lly orhoriz ontally

,

or developments of thecaulicle (seeVol. I .

,p .

usuallyrather thick

,

s om e t im e ss l e n d e r ;branch ed

,or

rarely un

br an c h e dhaving notrue leavesundergroundbut merelylittle memib r a n o u sscales

,which

r e p r e s e ntleaves in anundevelopedand func~tionlesscondition . They

prope 1 tiesof both , to which a few we 1 dsmay with g ive off true r -oot fibres,and th e1 efore a 1 e often con

a dvantage be at this point devoted.

R oot .

—sto eks. — Closely allied,indeed

,both in

structure and in function to the bulbs,tubers

,and

other underground developments of which mentionh asah '

eady been made, are the “ rhizomes ” orroot- stocks , or, as they are sometimes called, thestocks .” It is impossible to draw any sh a 1 ply

defined line of definition between these and the p1 8

founded with roots ; but, apa i t from other distinotions of minute structure and mode of growth , itmay be pointed out that

,as a rule

,no true root pro

duces leaves or even leaf scales. The root- stocksfrequently produce a tuft of leaves at the upper endor crown

,

” as may be seen in a Strawberry plant ,in the Carrot, or in the common P lantain(P lantago) .The gardener’s term “parting the root ” applies tothe subdivision of the crown of the rhiz ome. By

THE LIFE -HISTORY or PLAN TS. 9 3 ;

thism ode of propagation one or more buds are separated from the parent stock a nd form new plants .“P arting the r oot,” then, is only another way oftaking cuttings .Another form of root- stock is exemplified by whatgardeners call creeping roots,” as in the commonB indweed (Conooloa las) or the Couch-grass (Triticam rep cns) . Why these are not strictly roots willbe

'

understood from what has already been said.

Such forms of rhiz ome are an unmitigated nuisanceto the gardener and farmer . There are, however, instances where this modeOf growth is veryadvan

tageous, ason sandy seashores or dunes,wherethese so-called creepingroots render inestimableservice in partially fixingthe sand and preventingits dispersal over the

neighbouring country ;By theirmeans, plantingwith Broom,

Furz e , andother plants,to act asnurses forv a l u a b l eP ines

,be

comes. possi

ble,and thus

what wereonce barrenwastes maybe convertedinto most profitable land .

This affordsan excellentillustration of the value that accrues from the studyof the mode of growth of the -commonest weeds . W e

are all to apt to despise these weeds rather than toutilise them and turn them to advantage, as wemight readily do .

R oot -stocks,like bulbs

,afford characteristic ex

amples of the “ indefinite ” and definite modesof growth (see Vol. I .

,page In -the common

Solomon’s Seal (Polygona tum ma ltij z’oram) we have

a long, thick, horiz ontal root- stock, terminated bya stalk

,which ascends to bear leaves and flowers ,

and which is the real termination of the stem .

The horiz ontal growth is carried on by a budformed at the side near the tip of the root-stock; andwhich bud itself ends in an inflorescence the following season . In other cases the growth is inda fi

nite ” because the root-stock ends in a leaf-bud,

Fig . 3 7 .- R oot took of Si lomon

’sS e al(P olygnna tum multiflorum‘

, giving off rootsfrom th e undersurfa ce andsh ootsfrom th e upperside .

which continues the horiz ontal growth belowground, the leaves and flowers being borne on

axillary buds produced from the side of the rootstock

,and thrust up into the light and air~

P rimrose, Couch-grass . It must be rememberedth at the terms definite and indefinite in these casesrefer to the order and direction of growth

,and not to

time, and this is the more important to be borne inmind in that most of these plants with root - stocks ar ewhat are called “herbaceous perennials .” Theirgrowth in a particular direction may be checked, or

it may not be,but in

either case the durationis limited . The youngshoots die down 1n .

winter,not

,however

,

before provision h asbeen made for the futureby the development ofnew buds from the flanksor end of the stock

,

which new buds will re!main dormant throughthe winter,to start ih

to renewedgrowth th e

f o l l 0 win gseason

,as

we have seento be th e

case withbulbs. Whilegr o w th i sthusprovidedfor at or nearone end of

the stock,it

generally happens that decay and death of the olderportions at th e Opposite end occur

,and thus it hap

pens that by the onward march of the n ew and thedecay of the Old parts

,the plant actually changes its

position in course of time .The conditions of growth above alluded to furnishthe explanation of the directions so generally givento part or divide the roots,” or to transplant everytwo or three years certain kinds of herba ceous perennia ls.

Th e B ooth — Coming “now to the consideration of

the root proper asan organ of absorption feedingroots ” as the g ardener appropriately terms themwe may pa ss over as unimportant in the presentconnection all the varied form s of roots described inbooks . We may ignore in practice th e distin ction

94 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

drawnby botanists between true roots,” or such asare the direct prolongations or branches of theradicle of the seedling

,and adventitious roots

,or

those which are developed only indirectly from theseedling plant

,and are produced from the stem

,in

some cases from th e leaves or other parts of theplant . The distinction between tap-roots

,

” as of aradish (Fig . in which the body of the root or ofthe root-stock is relatively large

,being developed

Fig . 3 8.

— Tap-root of R adish .Fig . 3 9 .

— FibrousR ootsof G rass.

as a holdfast,or as a store-place for nutritious

matters, and the fibres are comparatively few,and

fibrous roots,” as those of a grass(Fig . thoughimportant from the point of View of form and classifica tion

, is less so from that of physiology, becausein both cases the essential portions

,so far as regards

work, are the root-fibresor feeding -roots,and of

these the ultimate subdivisions only. The feedingroot, apart from all less important and variablecharacteristics , may be looked on physiologically asa mere thread of cellular tissue . In a simple formwe meet with such a root in the common D uckweedof our -ponds , Lemma(Fig . but even this is not theleast complex form in which the root exists

,for from

the surface of many roots just above their tips are pro

duced hairs of extreme tenuity,consisting only of a

single cell , each one of which exercises the functionof absorption

,and is in th is sense a perfect 1 00 13 .

W e must distinguish then between “ root-hairs ”

and root fibrils .” R oot-hairs, though very general,are not of universal occurrence ; root-fibrilsa re.

always present, and though sometimes destitute orhairs , generally gi ve origin to them. The rootfibril, or ultimate subdivisionof the root

,may be

looked on in all cases as a mere thread of cellulartissue , growing in length by rapid subdivision of theconstituent cells, not exactly a t the tip

, but justabove it . H ere it is a mere aggregation of minute

,

closely-packed,globular cells

,rich in protoplasm ,

and therefore highly endowed with vital activity.

Above,some of the globular cells show a tendency to

lengthen and to become progressively modified intowood-cells and vessels . The extreme tip is verygenerally guarded by a little cap

,which may b.

seen by the naked eye in the D uckweed, but usually

requires the use of a powerful magnifying-glass todetect it . This cap fitson to the tip of the slenderroot-fibre like a thimble on the point of a finger.This illustration, however, would be very misleadingwithout further explanation . The thimble is puton the finger

,but has no connection with it ; the

root-cap is the direct production of the tip of theroot itself

,some of the cells of which are told ofi

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CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

fore fathers thought that roots had mouths , thatthey opened them when there was a prospect ofa meal

,and closed them when the supplies were

not forthcoming. Later on the supposed openmouths gave place to equally supposititious spongesat the tips of the roots , and even now gar

denerstalk freely about Spongioles,” as if it were

quite certain that such organs existed and that theysucked up t h e moisture from the soil just as asponge does . Even as an illustrative metaphor thi sis utterly incorrect

,for

,-unf ortunately for thi s

theory,it is now definitely ascertained that there are

no such organs,and that moistur e is not absorbed

into the plant in the same way as water into a sponge .W e know now that the tip of the root is covered byan impenetrable root cap of dead tissue, that there areno Openings whatever at or near the tip of the root,at least none that are visible ; that therefore solidmatters

,however fine

,cannot be absorbed by the

root . What then is absorbed ? The answer to thisquestion is —\Vater.

W h a t th e R ootsF e ed on . Wa ter .— It is a

prevalent error to suppose that the soil alwayscontains plant-food ready for immediate use . Itmay do so sometimes and in small proportions ,but the general state of things is just th e re

verse . P eople have come to look on the soilas a great soup -kettle

,in which masses of solid

matter are plunged in nutritive juices,like pieces of

meat or vegetable in a basin of broth, and theyimagine that all the roots have to do is just to suckup the good things thus provided for them . Thesoil does indeed contain earthy and saline ingredients

, as well as carbonaceous and other matterssuitable for plant-nutrition

, but for the most part inan insoluble or inert condition

,so that they require

special modification before they can be turned toaccount.W ater, however, exists in all soils in more or lessabundance . It is more or less impregnated with a i r

,

and contains a minute proportion of saline matterin solution . Asit is the primary requisite of theplant, so it is absorbed with proportionate avidity.

B ut if there are no open mouths,no pores

,no spon

gioles, if the roots and root-hairs present to thewater an unbroken surface

,it may be asked how the

wa ter becomes transferred from the soil into theroot . That it does so is beyond question ; it is apparent to every one, and every one acts on the belief.Common experience places the matter beyond dispute, and the demonstrations of the chemist, howeverneatly and cleverly theymaybe devised, are in so farsuperfluous. When it comes to the question how thetransfer isefiected, then commo‘n observation fails tosupply an answer, and we must avail our selve s of the

aid of the scientist. From him we learn by whatsimple

,yet none the less wondrous

,means the matter

is a ccomplished. The water having an affinity, aschemists say

,for the cell-membrane

,wets it, soaks

its constituent particles, e lbows them out of the way,

if the metaphor may be allowed, and so ma kes itsway through and between them till it gains the interior of the cell, and there diffusesitself amid thedenser particles of the fluids within . In otherwords

,the water passes from without to within the

cell by the operation of the process of osmosis ”

previously referred to . The circumstances thatregulate osmosis have been carefully studied byphysicists and chemists , but it is unn ecessary torefer to them here furtherthan to say that the process essentially depends on the varying physicalnatur e of the two fluids, on the nature and condition of the intervening membrane, the temperature,and atmospheric pressure.By far the largest part of all plants consists ofwater . Juicy plants, like Lettuce, may contain asmuch as 90 per cent . , the hardest wood when fellednot less than 40 per cent . (Wa ring ton. ) W ithoutwater the protoplasm could not fulfil its Office,without it the plant would be reduced to an inertmass

,with no more life in it than in the drawers

and bottles in a druggist’s shop with their variedcontents . The machinery would be there

,the fuel

would be there , the raw material would be there,but for want Of the water the machinery would beat rest

,the fuel would be useless, the raw material

would remain raw. W ater, then, is essential toplants ; to secure an adequate supply of it is themain office Of the root

,and it effects thi s by the pro

cess Of osmosis . The actual quantity of water takenup is not necessarily an index of the amount re

quired, for plants may take up more than theyactually require, having the means, as we shall hereafter see

,of disposing of the surplus . Still, it is

evident that the elimination of this surplus is somuch labour wasted.

W a te ring — There isprobably no one operationof practical gardening that demands more discretionin itsperformance , and gets less , than this matter ofwatering. P lants vary extremely in the extent oftheir requirements, according to their structure andheredi tary qualities . One wants a great deal

,an

other doeswith a scanty pittance . The same plantat one season requir es a thorough soaking

,at an

other period it is best kept without any. If thetemperature be high and the light intense

,much may

be required ; if the Opposite conditions prevail,the

supply of water must be curtailed in proportion .

The tendency of inexperienced gardeners andamateurs is to water all plants in all seasonsand

THE LIFE -HISTOR Y OF PLAN TS.

under all conditions in equal amount. A j obbinggardener will soak a P rimrose

,whose sere and

yelll‘ow leaves and knotting bud ought to show

him that nothing is required but to let the plantalone for a . season ; he will pass over with a scantymodicum a plant whose rapidly-growing shoots andexpanding foliage should be enough to proclaim thenecessity for abundant supplies:

'

EO wa ter plants properly, demands not only Observation but intelligent judgment . The circumstancesto be taken into account are

,among others, the con

ditiOn of the atmosphere as to heat and light , thena ture of the soil as to drainage and moisture, thetexture Of the plant, the thickness or tenuity ofitsleaves, the nature of its covering, thin and ex

posed,leathery

,or coated with hairs or waxy exuda

tion ; the condition of the roots, whether they arenear the surface, or at a considerable depth below it,whether there is an abundance of fine fibrous feeding -roots or whether th ere are comparatively few

,

whether the root or other part of the plant has or hasnot a store of liquid to draw upon in case of need

,

and so forth.

Again ,plantsin rapid growth necessarily make

greater demands on their food- supplies tha n theydo when at

,rest ; hence, while it may be good prac

tice to give plenty of water during the growingperiod, it is almost always advisable to lessen theamount during the flowering season ; and althoughmore water may again be required when thefruit isripening, little or none is requisite forthe proper maturation of the seed. N ewly transplanted trees orshubsrequire very cautious wateringaccording to circumstances . On the one hand, theymust never be allowed to become dry ; but on theother ha nd

,they may suffer from supplies in excess

of wha t,in their relatively enfeebled condition, they

can properly digest or rid' themselves of. Thegeneral conditions of temperature and light withreference to the amount and frequency of wateringne ed only to be mentioned

,for the importance of a

due consideration of these factors must be Obvious toevery one . One pitfall, however, may be pointedout with a view of p reventing th e inexperiencedcultivator from being misled by climatic or geographical facts . A plant

,let ussay a native Of the

Kh asya hills, growsin a country where from500 to600 inches Of rain fall annually

,and . as one inch of

ra in mean s rather more than one hundred tons ofwater per acre , it is quite clear that it would be impracticable to give it anything like that amount incultivation here . What we wish to show is

,that it

would not only not be necessary for us,even if it

were practicable, to give such enormous supplies OfWater, but tha t it would certam be injurious to doso, because we could not maintain the concomitant

3 1

temperature and other atmospheric conditions. On

the other hand,although our own climate, especially

that of our glass-houses,is vastly more moisture

laden than that of theso-called rainless districts ofAr abia

, Scinde, or P eru, yet that circumstance neednot deter the intelligent gardener from undertakingthe cultivation of what plants may reach him fromthose localities .While

,therefore

,geographical and especially

climatic indications are very valuable to the gardener , they are of less importance for him tha n theindications furnished by the construction and ap

pearance of the plant itself. Up to this time theindications Of the microscope have not been muchemployed in the service of the gardener

,nevertheless

it is certain that they would in many cases afiordessential aid to the cultivator

,by revealing the

natural requirements Of the plant as manifested byitsinternal structure

,a point that we shall have

to consider later on when discussing leaf-action .

Suffice it here to allude to the more Obvious externalcharacteristics . The smaller and finer the root-fibres,the thinner the texture of the leaves and theircovering

,the smaller the siz e and proportion of the

reserve organs, the more water is likely to be required.

On the contrary,where the reserve organs are largely

developed,as in a Cactus- stem ,

a bulb,or the pseudo

bulb of an Orchid, where the leaves are thick andjui cy, or covered with a leathery rind, or one coveredwith wax

,or a thick felting of ha ir

,there the

amount of water required will be relatively less ,except it may be for a short period when growth isgoing on actively. It will be seen that it is notOnly the quantity of water

’

to be given which demands attention, but the frequency-

Of the dose andthe time when it should be administered

7The

structural hints above given bring this out veryclearly

,and show why it is that some plants will

flag directly if their supplies be cut ofi, while othersas

_clearly show that they need water only a t

relatively long intervals,the supplies stored up in

their tissues being sufficient for the support of lifetill some extra demand arises which must be met bysupplies from without .

Th e Solid ConstituentsOf P lants— Water,h owever

,is not the only substance which plants

derive from the soil . Although it may be true tha teight or nine -tenths of a plant consist of water, yetthe remaining one or two-tenths of solid matter haveto be accounted for . They enter the plant throughthe roots and through the leaves, from the soil andfrom the a ir , not indeed as solids, but either asliquids or asgases . One of the main duties of theplant

,then

,isth e conversion of liquid and ga seous

matter to solid substances . Of the solid substances

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

’

in the plant by far the larger proportion consists ofcarbon

,and this is obtained from the atmosphere

through the agency of the leaves, and may cousequently be passed over till the subj ect Of leaf-actionis dealt with . The other solid matters Of which aplant consists are derived from the soil by theagency of the roots . Th ese are earthy or mineralsubstances , destitute of nitrogen , or in oth er casescontaining that important element of plant

_ constitution . By

‘ chemical analysis it has been - foundthat a

_

large number of mineral or nitrogenoussubstances exist in plants . Analysis also has sh ownthat some Of these ingredi ents exist in much la rgerquantities than others in th e same plant, and thatthe quantity of any particular ingredi ent in theplant varies with the age and state of growth .

Some parts of the same plant may contain much ,others none at all . Again

,while one plant may

contain much of one substance,anoth er may have

little or none , and this even although the plantsmay be growing side by side under th e sameconditions

,and even a lthough they may be v ery

nearly allied plants . Two grasses for instance .species of P oe

,growing together

,and so much alike

that only the practised eye can discriminate them,

have yet a very different chemical constitution so faras these mineral substances are concerned . Chemicalan alysis therefore reveals the existence of numerousmineral ingredients in the plant

,and in varying

proportions a similar analysis Of the soil shows thesource whence they are derived . An alysis

,however

,

does not tell usOf what use these matters are inthe plant, nor what precise proportion of them isrequisite .

Essentia lsof P lant D ie ta ry.— I t is a com

mon thing to include all the substances foundin plants by analysis asplant-foods

, a nd in textbooks an imposing array of chemicalsubstancesis duly catalogued under the heading “ foodof plants . ” The h eading is mi sleading in severalways:it leads the reader to form an exa gg e

rated idea Of their value,and practically to under

value, if.

not to ignore, such infinitely more important matters as water and carbonic acid gas . Itinduces him to consider them

,as enumerated

,as so

many articles of food ; the truth being that as suchthey are none Of them foods ; and, moreover, th atonly some of them really enter into the compositionof plant-food, and th ose in small and variableproportions . These errors arising from the uncheckeduse Of chemical analysis may be eliminated by thestudy Of the practica l results of experiment on thegrowth of plants , not . by asking the chemist to tell ‘

Soils.— It is found by careful experiment, as .welluswhat remains in his vessels after their contents as by the coarser Operations of tillage and drainage ,

have been subjected to fire or to destructive analysis,that the mechanical nature of the soil

,and itspower

but by actually interrogating th e plant itself as it isgrowing, and by making it tell uswhat it is doing ata particular time

,and what substances are requisite

to enable it to do so .

This is effected experimentally by growing th esame plant under various conditions

,with a large or

with a small proportion of one particular substancealone or in combination

,or in other ca seswith none

at a ll. These procedures are constructive, ratherthan destructive like chemical analysis

,and they

illustrate the desirability in all casesof establishingtrial-grounds

,or of setting aside part of th e garden

or even a few flower-pots for experimental purposes .By such means _

it has become possible to eliminatef rom the large quantities of various substances foundin plants , those that are essential and those thatare non-essential

,and to ascertain what proportions

Of each particular ingredient are most favourableat various stages Of growth and develOpment .

The essential mineral ingredients found in th e

ash of plants,after burning away the more perish

able matters,a re potassium ,

the basis of potash:magnesium, the basis of magnesia ; calcium ,

whichstands in like relation to the salts of lime ; ironphosphorus ; and a little sulphur . These , withwater

,nitrogen, or ammonia, and carbonic acid , con

sisting of oxygen and carbon,constitute th e food of

plants,or rather the raw materials out of which th e

food is made .

Adverting to the mineral matters which remain inthe ash Of plants after burning

,we have now to in

quire in what form and in what manner they ga inentrance into the plant . It is certain they do notenter it as potassium

,magnesium

,or iron

,as the ca se

may be . Again,it is certain that they do not and

cannot enter the plant in a solid state,and are

not found in th e living plant except in combination with other substances . _

Thus the potassiumoccurs in combination with oxygen

,and with cer

tain acids formed in and by the plan t itself , suchas oxalic

,malic

,citric acids

, &c. In like mannerthe iron exists in the form of ' salts ; the phosphorusis united with oxygen

,forming phosphoric acid

,and

th is again is united with various bases to form salts .The full history of all these matters belongs toch emistry rather than to physiology, so that Two

can only Offer here a few considerations as to th emanner in which these salts gain access to ~th e plant .

In the first place,it is necessary to point out that, as

a rule, subj ect to a few exceptions whi ch we need notst0p to consider, these salts do not exist as such inthe soil.

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O CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

soil may be altered in character taken up andutilised by the plant . The phenomena also sh owvery remarkably the interdependence of living or

ganismsOf various natures one upon another , andupon mineral matters, and they give some hint ofthe changes and activity going On in that soil whichthe generality of people still look on more especially,but very erroneously, as an illustration of fixity andrepose.

Solv entA ction Of th e R oots— Another meansby which insoluble matters in the soil becometaken up by the plant is explained by the solventaction exercised by the roots themselves . Thetips of the roots above the root- cap, or the extremeendsof the root-hairs, come into close contact withth e particles of soil, and thenan a cid exudation from thecell takes place

,which imme

dia tely attacks the particlesOf soil, and aided by the wateraround it

,effects the solution

of the mineral matter whichit contains . The solution isabsorbed asfast as it is produced

, and so none is perceptible in the soil itself. Itis, however, to be noticed thatthis acid exudation from thecell-wall is produced as aconsequence of direct conta ctwith suitable

o

ma tter,but not

otherwise , just as the gastri c juice in th e stomach ofan animal is only produced when the glands whichsecrete it are directly stimulated by the presenceof food.

Summ a ry.- So far then as we know at present

,

liquid food, or rather liquid materials capable ofbeing converted into food, are introduced into theroots of plants in one or other of thr ee ways — bydirect osmotic absorption or

'

diffusion,as in the case

of water and substances dissolved in it ; by the agencyof microbes,” which turn the insoluble into thesoluble ; and by the agency of the roots themselves infurnishing at the right moment

,and in th e right

quantity, a proper solvent .

The substances introduced into the plant by theroots are, first and foremost

, wat er ; then mineralmatters, of which potash and phosphates are amongthe most important

,and nitrates

,which supply the

nitrogen that is a constant component element ofprotopla sm , and h ence illustrates the reason whynitrog enousma nures , such as guano, nitra te ofsoda, or ammonia-salts, areso valuable in promotingvegeta tion .

R OSE .

Lych nis. — This genuscomprehendsa rather numerousgroup of hardy herbaceous perennials, a fewOf which are very handsome border plants. The nameLychnis —~from lye/mos, a lamp— refersto the brilliancy of the flowers . One Of the best known isLyclmisckalcedonica ; this isa well-known old borderplant, growing two feet orso in height, and bearing

COMMON GAR DEN FLOWER S.

Th e Common R ock R ose — This well-knownBritish and European plant is H elicnthemum vulga re,

the name being derived from the G reek belies,the

sun ; and anthefiwn, a flower . Vulga re meanscommon

,and

-

refers to the prevalence of the plant . Itis also known as the Sun R ose

,the Little Sunflower

,

and the D warf Cistus . Linnaeus named it Cistushelica lhemmn. It is to be found in plenty in dry andhilly pastures

, Or in chalky or gravelly soil . Thereare several species which were introduced from different parts of Europe

,and one

,at least, from N orth

Ameri ca but the fine varieties which are now foundin cultivation are really very handsome and showyplants

,which are probably seedlings fr omH . vulg a re,

though some are imagined tobe distinct species . They arewell termed a beautiful classof perennials

,and they are

excellent for rough rockwork, where they can takeroot between the stones ; alsofor banks

,edgings

, &c.

,in hot

and exposed situations ; theyappear to thrive on any soil,but show to the grea test advanta ge on a chalky one ;the flowers are rather transient

, but produced in suchquantities and so continuously, that tuftsare covered

with blossom for a considerable period of the year .

The close,compact

,trailing growth. particula rly fits

them forplan ting near ledges, where they can hangdown over the front

,as in the case of rock-work .

Certain varieties can be increased in the rea di estmanner by dividing the roots in the autumn andspring

,or by saving seed and sowing it in the Open

ground.

There are a few double varieties that produce largefull flowers of a very showy character, viz .

, the rosybuff

,ch ocolate, sulphur, and yellow . Of single

varieties,the following are well deserving atten

tionCecflimstraw and yellow. Ocula ta .

G a ribaldi . Sudbury G em,rich rose.

L ady Eliz abeth Tigrinum florepleno .

M agnificent, primrose and Y ellowBeauty.

orange .

COMMON G AR D EN FLOWER S.1 01

c musonu cnnomca .

flower-stemssurmounted with a corymb of bright lem cross . It is also known as the Flower of Bristol,scarlet flowersthat are very showy . One of the com 'or in all probability,more properly Flower of Bristow,mon n amesof this plant isth e Crossof Jerusalem,

and also Flower of Constantinople— th e latter namefrom the resemblan ce of its scarlet petals

,

'

both in from its growing wild near theT urkish capita l, theshape and colour,

'

to the a rms of a Maltese or Jera sa former from itscolour being Bristol red,”asin

CASSELL ’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

.Skelton’spoem upon Eleanor Bumming

,

“Her

kyrtle Bristow red.

” This plant does well in a richlight loam, and it can -be propagated by means ofseed, also by division of the roots . In addition tothe red

,there is a white variety

,known as L . cha lee

dom‘

ca a lba ; and besides these there is the doublescarlet

,which is a very fine border flower ; and th e

double white also . The two last are best increasedby division of the roots . Lychnisdioicaflore p leno isa very h andsome and neat border plant

,commencing

to bloom in April, and continuing at intervals thewhole of th e summer

,especially if the flowering

shoots are picked off as soon as they have doneblooming ; it produces myriads of large double crimson flowers ; it is exceedingly fine for cutting, andmost useful for massing

,and can be highly recom

mended as a free-growing hardy border plant .LychnisH a agea na is, as its name implies , a G ermanh ybrid ; a very showy perennial , about one foot inh eight

,remarkable for its striking flowers nearly two

inches across, of every shade of colour, from brilliantscarlet to pure white ; hardy, and very easily grown,doing well in any ordinary garden soil. W e are unableto give particulars as to its parental origin

,but it was

raised by Mr . Haage,of Erfurt

, G ermany. It seedsvery freely, and seed is found to produce many finevarieties ; The seed can be sown in the open ground .

This is known by the name of the Shaggy Lychnis,because the flowers are somewhat divided. L . Lag ascwis the R ock Lychnis

,and is a native of the sub

alpine region of the W estern P yrenees . It is apretty plant, forming compact tufts from two tothree inches in height

,producing slender stems bear

ing deep rose - coloured flowers ; it makes a very useful and beautiful rock plant

,because so free of growth

,

from its producing such an abundance of flowers,and

itsadaptability for planting on the sunny slopes ofthe rock-work .

' It does well in the Open border in agood loam

,

'

andmakes a pretty pot Viscariais known as the R ed G erman Ca tchfly,

and it is foundin W ales and near Edinburgh ; it is also freely distributed over Europe and Asia . There is a whitevariety also

,both bearing single flowers . This has

a lso been produced in double forms, all of which arefine border flowers:one of the finest of these is L .

Visca ria sp lendensp la za— one that is totally distinct incolour and time of flowering. The flowers are verylarge and double, of a bright fiery-rose

,and arranged

very closely together_ou erect slender stems. It is

perfectly hardy, very free-flowering , and one of thebest and most useful .of perennials

,doing well in

garden soil. The old R ose Campion of our gardens isL . corona ria . There are the white

,flesh -coloured

,

a nd deep red varieties , but the latter is mostly grown ,

'

itslarge ruby-coloured flowers being very handsome .There are the double red and double wh ite varieties

,

but the latter are scarcer, because, unlike the former,or single types

,they cannot be raised from seeds .

Some years ago,a beautiful Lychnis, named Swmo,

was introduced from Japan by Messrs . Veitch andSons

,but it did not succeed in this country

,and we

fear it has become almost lost to cultivation .

Th e P op py (P ap aver) .— Everybody,we may

reasonably suppose,knows the Common R ed P appy

of our fields,for during summer its rich scarlet

flowers can be seen among the corn ; short-lived

T rollius, Tro ll F lowe r,or G lob e F lower .

_ Th e generic name, Trollius, is said to have comefrom th e Swedish troll

,or D anish lrolcl

,and indi

cates a malign ant supernatural being, a name corresponding to the Scotch Witclzes’ G owa n

,and given

to this plant on account of its acrid poisonousqualities . It is called the G lobe Flower from itsform ; the flowers are composed of about fifteenconcave petals

,which converge into the form of a

globe . The common form,T. ezlrop azus, is a large ,

handsome . plant,common in gardens

,and growing

wild in the mountainous parts of Scotland, W a les,and the N orth of England . Some very fine andrichly-coloured varieties have been found growingwild by English botanists . There a re a few introduced species

,such as T. asla tz’cus

,the Asiatic G lobe

Flower,an introduction from Siberia ; the leaves

larger than those of T. europ eans, and of a palergreen

,the flowers deep golden-yellow

”T. nap elli

foliushas been introduced from various parts ofEurope . It is considered by some to be merely avariety of T. europ aeus, from which it appears todiflfer in its colour

,in not being quite so tall , and in

having a greater number of lobes in'

its leaves .There are T. japom

'

cus,with double flowers

,T. emeri

canus,and others ; and in addition not a few good

scaling varieties have also been raised. But it isT. devia tions. and T. europwusthat are best known inour gardens .They are all spring-flowering , and are extremelyshowy. They should be planted out in a good, deep ,yellow loam,

where they can root freely and deeplyat the same time they will do in almost any soil andsituation . But to have large specimens luxuriant ingrowth a moist shady spot is the best ; and in such apla ce they are obj ects of great beauty ; and any onevari ety can be increased by division of the roots

,

carefully dividing the plants in the autumn,and

placing the divided pieces round the sides of potsuntil they have drawn rootsufl‘iciently to be plantedout permanently in the open ground. All th e

species and varieties are true herbaceous plants ,losing their foliage in the‘

autumn,and breaking up

into fresh growth in spring .

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CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

from P . R imes. Some of the double varieties arevery fine indeed . P . wnbrosum is a beautiful introduction of medium

,

growth, and flowering veryfreely . It has rich vermilion flowers

,each petal

having a large black blotch .

There are some beautiful perennial P oppies, quitehardy

,and well deserving a place in the garden

,

P . bra elea twn has large crimson salver- shapedflowers

,six to eight

inches in width,and it

is very showy indeed .

P . orienta le resemblesit,but the flowers are

scarlet rather thancrimson. P . nudieeule

is a much smallerflowering species , forming tufts Of bright yellow flowers On slenderstalks about one footin height. Th ere is awhite-flowered varietyof this

,and a deep

orange form also .

The s e s h ou l d b eplanted out in wellmanured ground, andsu ff e r e d t o b e c om eestablished, and thenthey flower very finelyindeed.

The generic nameP ap cwer is said to bederived from p ap a , in

faut’s'

fOOd,because

th e juice Of the plantwasmixed with thatto prevent a child being wakeful . If so,we may conclude thatthe Anglo -Saxon namefor the plant

,P ap ig ,

and our English P oppy had a similar origin .

Theocritus tells usthat the G reeks had the custom Of

taking a petal Of the Corn P oppy,and laying it on the

thumb and forefinger Of one hand and slapping it withth e other . If it gave a crack

,it was a sign their

lovers loved them ; but if it failed, they lamented theirdisappointment. The D rapery B ee (Ap ispap aeeris)forms the linings Of its cellsfrom the petals of theP oppy , cutting and adapting them to her purposemost dexterously. The P eppy is one Of the plantsthe seeds Of which

,if buried deeply in the soil, will

retain their power Of vegetating many years . Tullrelates an instance Of their doing so af ter beingburied twenty-four years. This explainswhy no

lengthened fallowing gets ’

rido f this gay weed, andthat scarcely a ripening harvest-field is found inwhich we do not see “merry P oppies

,all amid the

waving corn .

”

Th e P otentilla .— Th e common name Of the

P otentilla is Cinquef oil, so named both according tothe French einq and feuilles, and Latin cinque f oliole ,

so called from its fiveleaflets . The genericn am e P oten t llla isfrom p olens, powerful,f r om i t s s u pp o s e dmedi cinal quality ; butwith the exception Of

'

P otentllla rep tans, or

Creeping Cinquefoil,a

very common Britishplant, none Of thespecies are remarkablefor their products or

properties. The rootOf this plant has ab i t t e r i sh

,s t yp t i c

,

slightly sweetish taste,

and was formerly usedin diarrhoea

,and other

complaints for whichastringents are usuallyprescribed .

There are a largenumber of introducedspecies Of P otentillas

,

but the many fine

hybrids new found inour gardens have

,no

doubt, been derivedfrom the B loody Cinquefoil, P . a troscmga inea , introduced fromN epaulin 1 822. Thereis a British specie s

named P . I 'l‘ aga riastrum,the strawberry-leaved Cin

quefoil ; the leaves greatly resemble those of thi sfruit, and it is sometimes termed the Barren Strawberry .

‘

But this has only three leaflets instead of

five,and it is considered as the connecting lint

between the two genera,Fmga ria (Strawberry) and

P otentllla .

N early all the fine varieties of the present dayhave Strawberry-like foliage

,and the flowersare

Of many rich shades of colour excepting blue andpurple . Some fine introduced species besides P . a tro

sanguinea have no doubt proved useful as parents,but excepting in Old botanical gardens such speciesare new seldom to be met with . For a long time

THE KITCHEN G AR D EN . 1 05

th e flowers were single, now there are many doubleflowered forms,with large R ose-like blossoms, andvery showy in appearance .Th e P otentilla will thrive in almost any soil

,

but a good stifl,rather sandy

,and well-manured

one suits it exactly . In this the plants willgrow to

_ great siz e and strength . The P otentillais easily cultivated i f it only has a suitable soil

,

and it is well in the autumn to place some dungabout the plants

,wh ich may be l ightly forked into

the surface in early spring, taking care not toinjure the roots . It will flourish in light landif the plants be mulchedand watered

_dur ing thesummer .

And the P otentilla can bepropagated by division of

th e roots in autumn orspring

,or by taking Off

any side growths withroots attached to themwhen they present themselves

_ to view . It is thebest plan to do this in thespring Of the year

,when

the plants are becominga ctive

,and if the Ofisets

can be put into pots theyWill root all the . morereadily . Asthe P otentillase eds freely, it can also beincreased by sowing seeds

,

and in this way new andimproved varieties are obtained. The seed germinates best when

,

sown in shallow boxes or seed-panssoon after being gathered at the end of the summer

,

and these placed in a cold frame for the winter . N ot

tha t,

the seeds vegetate much in the autumn,but

they germinate in early Spring,and fine plants can

thus be Obtained by the end Of the summer for flowering the following year . From this stage the plants

increase in s1 z e , and form rich masses inbeds or borders .

SELECTION OF SIN G LE -FLOWER ED P OTEN TILLAS.

Atrosanguinea Sanguinea aurea.

G olden Cup . Smentii.G oldfinch . Splendens.Ha rlequin. Striata multiflora .

Magnet.

D OUBLE-FLOWER E D P OTEN TILLAS.

Alfred Salter . M ons. D ondin .

California . P e rfecta plena .

Ch ameleon . P h(ebus.D r . Andr e. P urpurea .

Eldorado . Toussaint L ’

Ouverture .

H amlet. Vase d’

or .

J ane Salter.Louisvan Houtte .

Madame R ouilla rd.

Versicolor.V ictor Lemoine .

William R ollisson.

TOMATOES.

THE KITCHEN G AR D EN.

Br'WILLIAM EAR LEY .

Sp in a ch , N ew Z e a land (Tetragonia expanse) .This is a half-hardy annual, received from thecountry whence it derives its name . It is Of veryrobust growth

,Of recumbent habit, and possessing a

capacity to withstand dry weather . Thi s characteristic affirms its great usefulness at such seasons, asthe commoner kind is least valuable

,owing to its

habit Of running so quickly tO seed . N ew ZealandSpinach, being a half-hardy

“ annual,succeeds best

when sown singly in smallpots

,and raised in a frame

or glass structure . Choosesixty- siz ed pots

,and sew

thr ee or four seeds in each,

to insure that,at least

,one

will germina te ; shouldmore than two plants form ,

remove the others . Tenplants will be sufficient

,

treated as advised,to give

pickings two or three timesa week during the season .

D ouble this number shouldinsure a good supply .

Wh en the young plants areaffirmed in growth, ha rdenthem Off gradually aboutMay 1st and Onward, byplacing them in a coldframe for protection, only

giving a ir freely daily'

andon warm nights . But shutth e lights down

,in cold weather P repare a space

'

for them,consisting of a warm sunny site and light

sandy nature,if possible ; work the soil up deeply,

mixing therewith a very liberal quantity of manure ;' such a quantity, in fact, as will raise the soil upsomewhat into ridge- shape . The plants so treatedordinarily grow to an extent Of about two feet apart,hence abundant rOOm must be given them so to do .

About May 22nd carefully place each plan t therein .

Turn each out of the pot, pressing the roots downfirmly into the soil

,and water them well in . D ur ing

the months Of June and July, when they growrapidly

,an occasional OOpiousmanurial watering will

greatly aid the crop . For use gather the largestleavesas they form

,taking care not to injure th e

points of the gr owing sh e ets; as such shoots turnupwards from the otherwise prostrate plants , theyare readily Observed, and injury to them isea silyavoided .

Toma to (Lyeop ersie mn esculentum syn. Solamlm

Lyeop ersieam) . French,Tama le ; G erman, Liebesapf el;

1 06 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Spanish, Toma te Italian, P omod’

Oro.

—_The Tomato,

or Love-apple,” a singularly beautiful, bright redand orange fruit-bearing plant, a half-h ardy annual,and a native Of South America, first introducedinto this country in the year 1596

,has

,like the

Jerusalem Artichoke, made, until recent years, slowprogress in public estimation . At the present time

,

however,it is gaining in favour

,and is become a

standing and popular addition to our culinary comestibles. - Its use is very various . Connoisseurs partake Of the ripe fruits in the un cooked state, whilstthe clief a e cuisine turns them to account in a greatvariety Of

_

ways . Italian warehousemen , besides, areintimate with Tomato ketchup

,to say nothing Of its

use as a preserve and pickle .Unquestionablythe taste or liking for it

'

is an a c

quired'

One , on which basis it is likely ultimately tobecome the most popular of any garden productgrown for similar purposes . The plant is a veryrobust

,enduring one

,th ough its growth as concerns

leaf and branch formation can be advanced to any

degree without th e needful result Of producing goodsupplies of large and fine fruits . ltsbeing Of

free and easy growth as a plant will tend to increaseits culture in the future , especiallywhen culturists canbe made to understand

'

the very simple rules, whi chit is

,

necessary to follow inview Of insuring abundantfruitfulness, to which reference will be especiallymade .For the summer crop, sow seeds early in themonth of March. These may be sewn in pots,boxes

, or frames, as may be most convenient, as theygerminate andgrew very easily. When the youngplants possess twoorthree“ rough leaves, pot them off,putting e ach- into a small- siz ed single pot

,or thr ee

plants'

in each large sixty-siz ed pot, at equal distances apart round its sides . When these have perfected a moderate first growth, carefully remove themfrom these pots

,separate the roots

,and pot each by

itself singly into similar- siz ed pots . Keep the youngplants at all stages of growth where plenty of freshair can reach them

,and well supplied with water .

B etween April 25th and May zud arrange to placethe plants in a cool frame

,facing full sunsh ine

,giving

air' freely -eXOept in cold weather, especially during

frosty nights . About May 22nd turn each plantout of its pot, and plant at the foot of a south-aspectwall, after h aving first prepared the ground for th em .

They should be plan ted at distances Of ten or twelveinches apart, On anysite where head-room sufficientexists for them to grow, and be trained in positionfor fruiting. The custom is to take advantage Of anyvacant

'

space existing between wall fruit-trees grownuponsuch an aspect . Where this isnot obtainablean east-aspect wall or fence should be chosen .

The soil which the Tomato succeeds best in,and

the only soil,in fact

,suited to it

,is a light loam of a

sandy natur e . A little decayed manure should beforked into it

,and slight mounds should be made

above this wherein to place the roots. SO soon asplanted naileach plant to the wall, make the soil firmaround its base, and give a good watering to settlethe soil firmly around the roots . D uring the nexttwo months following encourage growth by everypossible means nailing asmany of thesh eetsas formto the wall W ithout unduly crowding any. Whenthe wall is thus filled with the main shoots in suchmanner that room for more does not exist

,then

,and

only then,cut away all minor ones

,or such as push

up below and unduly crowd any more robust andneedful.D O not

,asis so common a practice in this

country,resort to pinching Off the points frequently

during the whole peri od of growth . Such a practice ,the origin of which it is most difficult to determine ,is, to say the least, reprehensible . It cheeks growth ,Often causing such flowers as form to turn blindin the eflortsmade by a plant of most robust constitutien at a renewal of the very growth it is deprivedof. Bypermitting the plants to grow naturally untilsuch time as a goodly head has been formed, andupon that head a plentiful supply Of flowers, whichwill “ set . and form fruit

,much more heavy and

abundant crops can be secured than by any such re

stri ctive system as above . Even in the gardens Ofthe R oyal Horticultural Society, plants of this kindhave been seen treated probably more harshly thananywhere

,being towards autumn simply stems, two

orp

thr ee feet in height, with meagre crops . On theother hand

,the writer of these remarks has grown

upon two plants in one nine- inch pot forty-twopounds weight Of fruit

,which was verified by

wi tnesses,who saw a doz en Of such pots similarly

laden with fruits ; nostepping having been done tothese plants until the month Of August .In America

,where this plant is highly valued, and

where its crops are considered already “the most important of all garden products

,

” such lib 'eral treatment is more generally practised. Their climate isbetter suited to it

,certainly

, but no effort has yetbeen made to follow out their simple process

~Of

culture . They raise plants upon moderate hot-beds,transplant them on the same

,and finally transplant

the young seedlings on to mounds of sandy soil,having a spit o f good manur e placed under each .

The distance between these hills is from three tofive feet . The Obj ect

”

here is to expose th e base ofthe haulm Of the plant to the utmost heat Of thesun constantly, and to keep it somewhat dry.

Yet another important fact in connection with thisplant has been entirely overlooked in practice . It is ,that naturally it is Of recumbent habit of growth ;

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1 08 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

is exceptionally impatient Of heat and drought ; itrapidly runs Ofl to seed, a fact which, once perpetrated, entirely destroys the crop and its usefulness .For the main crOp a large bed should besewn aboutJuly 1 2th , andwhere Turnips are required constantly,as young and as fresh as possible, make another moderate sowing about August 1 1 th . I have given ingeneral terms the kind Of soil most suitable . Wheresome slight variations are admi ssible, or forced onthe cultivator

,it will be preferable to give the richest

and best soil to the July sowing, the warmest site tothe March sewing , and the stoniest and lightest tothe August sowingsSO soon as th e young cr0p hasfour or five young leaves, forming or formed, bequick to hoe freely amongst them , and in process Ofhoeing to chop them out

,which is another mode Of

expressing the peculiar practice Of thinning they aresubj ect to . This must be done very decisively

,as

loss,rather than gain

,accrues to any attempt at

having a large crOp, so far as number is concerned.

Any that are left too thickly growing together willform but a small and indifferent bulb,

‘ whereasplentiful thinning out will in sure a quicker and animmensely better produce . In view of this it is immaterial whether the seedsbe sown in rows or broadcast

,the latter being preferable

,both in the matter

of quick sewing ,and simpli city as regards thinning

the young plants out. When drill-row sowing ispractised the drills should be eight inches apart, andthe young plants thinned out to the same distancesapart in the rows . Lim ited distances apart all wayswill alsosuflice for broadcast sowings .

.The very troublesome insect known as the Turnipfly, or black flea (Ha ltica nemorwn) , and club-rootbeing natural enemies Of the plant

,certain precau

tions are sometimes to be recommended in regard tothem. The former is subj ect to no particular seasonor place

,though during rainy seasons the young

plants are enabled to advance so rapidly as to grow up

beyond their power Of vital injury . D uring dry hotseasons

,on the contrary, it is Often very difficult to

secure a crop owing to their ravages upon the minuteseedling plants at the moment when they comethrough the ground and subsequently . Club-root, onthe other hand

,is more partial tosome soils and

situations than others ; so much so that where itexists habitually its attacks are anticipated.

To neutralise the injurious results ari sing from boththese enemies drill-row sowings are to be preferred .

When the drills are drawn a probable antidote forthe fly consists in steeping the seeds in sulphurwater, so managed as to insure some Of the sulphuradhering to the seeds when subsequently taken out

andsown . Another aid is to sow equal parts of sootand lime Over the seeds when sown in the dri lls before covering them in . For club-root

,lime and

wood-ashes sown along the drill-rows before theseeds are sewn have beneficial results . Thin sowings Of soot or lim e broadcast over the bed whenthe plants are coming up , is also known to do good .

P lants are more liable to clubbing when seeds a resewn upon newly-manured ground than upon suchas has lain a month or two in fallow

,and is there

fore better ae'rated,and hence sweeter .

”

The Turnip produces a dual crop . The younggrowing shoots, when they push up in seed-stalk formin the early spring

,prove a very tender green vege

table, whi ch is greatly valued by many . As, however, the main winter crop is generally used beforethe season fO1 spring growth takes place

,and it is

not desirable to use valuable bulbs for this purpose,

dependence is placed upon the August sowing,or

the remnant of plants not used therefrom,to supply

such Turnip-greens in the early spring . Anysiz ed plant which haspassed through the winter nuinjured, whether it hasa base or Turnip proper at itsroot or not, will furnish a crop Of tops

,and may

be relied on to furnish a supply. The moment anyportion Of any crop shows symptomsof going toseed it becomes useless for culinary purposes ; hence,save when greens are required

,or real seedsare

to be grown and perfected,it will be necessary to im

mediately pull the crOp up , else will the ground herobbed Of its richness to a very considerable extent .For the winter supply

,the July-sown

,matured crop

is best taken up and stored away beyond the reachOf frost . The best way to do this is to draw eachbulb

,cut Off the leaves and their foot-stalks

,but do

not injure the root-ba se,then clamp them in the Open

ground precisely as P otatoes are clamped ; th ey keeplonger fresh

'

and tender thus treated than in any otherway . Many varieties are Offered in seed form .

Early Stone is excellent for the first spring sowing .

For. general garden crOpsthe American, or Strapleaved

,

” is not excelled. For deep soil the LongWhite or Cow-horn variety is well adapted .

Excellent varieties for general culture are z— EarlyR ed American(Strap-leaf), Milan Strap -leaf, BlackStone, White G lobe, G reen Top Stone, Early Snowball

,and Early P arisMarket(Oblong) .

V eg e ta ble M a rrow (Cuea rbita P ep e ovif era ).French

, Ch ange a manger , G erman, Kilebias; Spanish,Calabasa Tontanera .

_ The peculiar fruiting plant,

which has gained so much popularity 1n this country,especially in towns, known comm only as V egetableMarrow

,is properly a G ourd, owing its English

name to some fancied or real merit the fruits possesswhen cooked. In America they are known by thename Of Squash ; the ripened fruits Often receivealso the name Of P umpkin, and are utilised by thelower classes aspie-fruit, &c.

THE R OSE AN D ITS CULTUR E . 1 09

P robably antecedent and erroneous practice, as regardsthe cultur e of any imported plant, has neverobtained so firm a footing as in regard to this one .W ith in the area of gardens, it was,when first introduced, trea ted as a tender or semi-tropical plant, andreceived cultural aid and consideration in all wayssimilar to the Cucumber. This practice still findsh ostsof followers ; mounds of manure and fermenting materials being far too generally employedin connection with its culture . That this is an erron e onspractice we need not go farther than the Openfieldsto affirm,

where the immense quantities sentinto the metropolis and all large townsare freelyproduced by ordinary field cultur e pa r etsimple, gooddressings of manur e being, as a matter of course ,a pplied . The custom in connection with field cul

ture is,besides

,to sow the seeds in the open groun d

in the exact positions where they are intended togrow and produce the crop . This system— namely ,a voiding excessively ri ch beds

,and sowing the seeds

and growing the plants under full exposur e— givesfa r h ea yier results than such a coddling ” systemasgainsprecedence within garden wall s .An open and exposed site within the garden should

b e chosen for them,and where they can be grown as

a single row with extending vines . The soil must bedeeply dug and manured

,and an additional layer

may certainly,with advantage

,be placed centrally,

and covered with soil . Along the ridge thus formedth e seeds may be sown in part

,a portion being sown

in a pot a week or two previously to insure a batch ofsomewha t forwarder plants

,which

,when potted off

a nd hardened,may also be planted on the same ridge .

Th ese seedsmay be sown,the latter in a pot under

shelter about April 15th,and those in the ridge about

May 1 2th . Wh en the young plants begin to growf reely, induce the shoots to grow right and left fromth e centre of the ridge ; and should a dry periode nsue about the end of the month of Jun e, give acopious root-watering. By these simple meansgoodand constant supplies will be assur ed. The fruit arenever better for culinary purposes than when cookedwhole for which purpose they should be taken fromth e plants when '

three or four inches long only. Theneedf ul h oeingsand weedings need not be more thanref erred to . Asregardsthe sorts

,Long-ribbed

,

V egeta ble Cream, the Custard, and the Bush vari etiesa re desirable . The latter produce fruit freely

,and

have not the same habit as all others of rambling overth e surf ace of the ground

,which is an advantage

,

espe cially in small gardens of limited extent.The P otato is reserved for separate treatment

a nd some noteson simultaneous cropping,and ia

p opular calendar of Operationsfor the kitchengarden ,

will th ereforesufi ciently complete and conc lude th isseries of article s.

THE R OSE AN D ITS CULTUR E .

BY D . T . F I SH .

OSES naturally assume many forms ; their differencesof stature and of character have already

been briefly adverted to . Asto varieties in form,what

could be greater than th e small-leaved,compact

grovving Scotch R oses,bristling with short

,sha rp

prickles,and not exceeding an average of two feet

in height,and another Scotch variety of the a reensz’s

species of R ose,the Ayrshire

,rambling and scramb

ling to a height or length of twenty or more feet ?In the cultivation of a family varying so widely, itis only natural that the normal diversities should bepreserved

,and at times intensified and exaggerated.

For R oses not only difier widely in a state of nature,

but are among the most plastic material in the handsof art . And thus it has come to pass that we haveall siz es and all forms of R oses

,much to the bewilder

ment of amateur s,and greatly to the enrichm ent of

our gardens . The almost infinite varieties of formand stature of the plants

,the wonderful diversity of

colour,scent

,shape

,and siz e of the blooms

,have

ever been among the most interesting and greatestattractions of our R oses .It must be confessed that of late years there havebeen vigorous and sustained efforts made to level upall R oses to one uniform standard

,that of the best

show-blooms . In pursuit of this not a few R oses ofspecial interest have disappeared from many gardens .At the present moment the R ose-fever runshigh inthe direction of Hybrid P erpetuals

,Teas

,and a few

favourite N oisettes,and it is impossible to over

praise or grow too many of such magnificent R oses .Still, a place might be found for other strain s,species, and varieties , which will ,

be named anddescribed in subsequent chapters . And even thepopular

.

sorts may be moulded by pruning andtraining into other forms than those of the commonstandard or squat dwarf bush . To show how toeduce variety of form out of these and other R osesis the purp ort of this cha pter. And as pruning mayin some important senses be said to be the basis oftraining

,it will be logical as well as sensible to

begin our section on the training of R oses with acontinuation of pruning as a means of moulding R osesinto form . The highest examples of R ose-tra iningcontain those two apparently Opposite qualities

,sym

metry and diversity. Each R ose may be asymmetri

cal type of a particula r-formed R ose, and yet the merejuxtaposition of two formswill yield a richer varietythan if neither had been more or less perfect of itskind . For example

,a perfect dwarf and a perfect

standard afford more contrast or diversity than ifth e dwarf were climbing up into standard stature,

1 1 0 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

or the latter were worked so low as to look like adwarf . Similar contrasts may be drawn betweenpillar and weeping R oses . Th e more perfect eachafter its kind

,the more ch arming the symmetry of

each,and the stronger and more satisfactory the

contrast between th em .

These principles must be clearly borne in mind, andpersistently applied in practice, in pruning R oses intoform . All modes of pruning already described

,with

manymodifications of each, will be needed to succeedperfectly in this, as it were, building up R oses intoshape with the knife . The phrase reads like a bull

,

but it is full of meaning and of truth . A branch,

or series of branches,is needed somewh ere . A cut

may have to be made some distance from the baseor blank space before it can be produced

,and much

calculation and contrivance must always be exercisedif the form desir ed is to be crowned with perfection .

Asuperfluity of material is almost more difficultto dea l with than a scarcity . By looking well aheadthis may generally be prevented by disbudding

,a

species of prevention that saves a great deal of cutt ing and carving afterwards .

E a r ly P run ing Essen t i a l .— I f a stitch intime saves nine, a cut in time may save ninety andnine

,and is in fact the only way of moulding R oses

and other plants into good forms . Othertakes

,cultural or otherwise

,may be pruned off

,or

grown out of,but structur al ones mostly endure

for a lifetime . To rectify th ese later on is todestroy the bush or tree . H ence the importanceof a clear perception of fornr from the first , andpersistent efforts to keep it constantly in view afterwards . Asthe twig is bent

,the tree is inclined .

Yes, and it is even more true th at as the R ose is

pruned, so it may be made ,to assume almost any

shape or form desired. Ashas been alr eady shown,there are great natural diversities. But

' most ofthese can be greatly intensified, and others equallyor more strikingly induced

,by artificial treatment .

Har dly any family of plants is so pliable in th e

hands of the trainer as the R ose. Under hisguidancethe one sh eet becomes three, or any desired number of sh oots

,and on these any siz ed or shaped R oses

may be built up . And thi s question of the number ofsh oots to start with is one of the veryfir st that h ave tobe decided by the trainer . It isby no means so easyasit seems . R eturning to the bud, for instance , someprefer one only on a briar

,others two

,many three .

P ractically a good many briars determine the re

sultsfor themselves,by only producing one or more

shoots fit for budding on . B ut either way, by stepping or pruning, the rosarian may soon have asmany R ose-shoots for the base of his future plant ash e may choose to use .

N um b e r o f Sh oots.— P erhaps on the whole

thr ee sh e e tsas nearly alike in strength, and at aboutequa l distances apart, form the best base to s tartwith ,

.

as th ere is mostly more beauty,if not a better

chance of fortune or success,in odd than even

numbers . But N ature protests against hard and fastlines in th e exact number of her R ose- sh oots as elsewhere . \Vh en we cut for th ree we may get buttwo , and sometimes only one , or we may lose oneor more by accident, as if to prevent the trainerfrom ad hering too slavishly to general rules as tomaking base-shoots .Th e question of character and form of R ose

,species

or varieties, also comes in to confuse , and it may beconfound our numbers ; pillar, pyramid, and climbingR oses requir ing different numbers from standards anddwarfFor pyramidal R oses, for example , four sh e etsare

not only better than three, but a lmost necessary tosuccess— that is , one central shoot with three posteda t asnearly as may be equal distances

,so asto form

a triangle round its base . These may either beforced out at th e base of th e shoot itself

,or may be

independent branches proceeding from the rootstock . The latter may help to widen th e base of thepyramid

,and to give it bulk and massive bea uty

in less time than if it were all produced from th e

central stem .

Then,again , where such qualitlesar e not onlv

not required,but would be a positive drawback

,as

in the case of pillar, climbing, or scrambling R oses,such are mostly built up on one stem only

,or

multiples of one , for succession , as the first one

warr ants . One of the chi ef ch a rnrsof such R osesis their slenderness

.

in contrast with their height:and though tastes differ and practice varies in regardto this vital matter also, it is certain that a pillarR ose with a large base becomes a pyramidal onesp oilt, and

’

f ew obj ects are less satisfactory than a

climbing R ose with a large preportion of its material huddled together at its base, instead of climbinghigh and running far from such coign s of vantageasth e tall stake, tree, chimney, or arch aff ords it ,showering down its beauty and fragr ance with wanton prodigality .

Of course there are in most gardens places forclimbingand all other R oses , in which the highestart and best taste are exhibited by simply plantingthem,and leaving them alone to ramble or scrambleat th eir own sweet will, in their own wild and freenatural ways, over stones , roots, tree- stumps, banks ofuneven soil , rocks, gravel or chalk-pits

,old quarries

,

or any unsightly, out-of -the-way place that needsclothing or furnishing . In such positions, and forsuch purposes, the less the pruner or the trainerinterferes

,the more perfect and satisfactory th e

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1 1 2 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

(Fig . the R ose-tree will be furnished with nin ebranchesthe following year . These will formstrong, well-ripened shoots before the end of thegrowing season. Any lateral or small sh e etsshouldbe removed during the summer and autumn, and theshoots disbudded back to within six inches or a footof their base . Thistends to a fuller developmentand a more thorough ripening of the buds

,on whi ch

the futur e lif e and form of the tree depend .

P runing th e Th ird Y e a r .— This differs little

from the second, excepting in the greater number ofshoots to cut back . Occasiona lly

,too

,some of the

sh e etsfrom intercrossing, ortakin g a wrong course , maybe cut out bodily, or re

moved during the summerto give more light and a ir

,

or to develop or make roomfor better-placed shoots . Tomake this matter more simple , however, the entirenumber of shoots are shownin Fig . 3 7 .

G rowth and P runing

th e F our th Y e a r .—Fig .

3 8 shows the R ose-tree as itwould look before pruningin the fourth year from thestart . It Will now haveover twenty shoots,sufficientto form a good standardR ose , and base enough toform one of the very largesttha t need or can be grown .

The cross-lines show the same tree cut back in

the autumn or spring. There is no need to pursueth e process further . At the same rate of increase

,

the same tree during its next season’s growth wouldhave the required number of shoots

,and

,in fact

,

have grown into such a finished stand R osetree (Fig . 3 9) as will fitly close these descriptions

Th e P yramida l R ose on a Single Stem .

— Ou the whole,the same method is the best for

forming pyramidal R oses . True, they may beformed by four

,seven

,nin e

,or any number of

stems; but in such ca ses they are hardly likely tobe so stable or symm etrical as on the one-stem

become almost self-supporting as they get old, thema in or leading stemsgrowing into something liketh e thickness and stability of a tree . Pyramidsthusformed also bloom more freely, and if they are

Fig . 3 9 .— Standard R ose, completed.

F irst P runing of

P yr am ida l R oses. Inthe formation of these

, th e

leading shoot should alwayshave the pre- eminence fromthe first (Fig . Tha t

shoot,though beheaded every year, should be cut

back to the best and most prominent bud. In orderto insure the presence of a fine bud at this point,it is good practice to disbud the upper end of thesh eet as already described, or even to sh orten theleader considerably, about the middle of Sep tember.This throws the strength of the plant into the budsleft

,and insures that the upper ones especia lly , that

is those nearest to the beheading-line, shall brea kvigorously next year . But apart from that, thenatural tendency of the sap to flow with mostvigour in a vertical course

,insures that the t0p bud

on the leading shoot shall not only break withthe greatest vigour

,but maintain its supremacy for

strength through out th e summer. In the practiceof moulding R osesinto good pyramids

,th e difficulty

seldom or never isabout the strength of the leader,but the maintenance of an equality of strength amongthe semi-horiz ontal bran ches. Wh e re thisisth eca se, th ese side -branchesmay often be str eng thened

worked plants the evilsand inconveni encesof suckersare almost immediately detected and removed ; whereas in many-stemmed worked pyramidal R oses , thestock not seldom gets so much mixed up with theR ose on its tep, that in the gardens of amateursitsometimes first suppresses and then succeeds it . A

curi ous case of th e marvellousdeterioration of aCharles Lefebvre R ose, was speedily explained by thefact that the D e la G riffera ie stock had completelyovergrown and smoth ered it . Of course this couldnot have ha ppened to a skilled rosarian ; but it is notfor such, but th ose tha t know little about R oses, thatsuch cases are cited as warnings . So considerable

,

however, isthe risk of thisunobserved development ofstock in pyramida l R ose s

,

that own-root plants are tobe preferred for this form.

And failing these,the con

fining of th e R oses to onestem, and starting th e base afoot, eighteen inches, or eventwo feet from the ground

,

renders the intrusion ofsh e etsfr om the stocks impossible, and also adds to thebeauty, and more fully displays the true character

,of

pyramidal R oses (Fig .

THE R OSE AN D ITS CULTUR E . 1 1 3

by the suppression of the leader by promptsteppingseveral times during th e growing season . It shouldseldom or never, however, be headed down closerthan within a foot or so of itsbase . B ut in practicethis suppression for the mere moulding of pyramidalR oses into shape is seldom necessjary, though it isOften practised to gain most Of the solid advantagesof two full growths and crops of forming brancheswithin the year.

Se cond P runing of P yramida l R oses.The second pruning consists in the shortening backof the leader, and the three or more branches under

and as a fair sample of what a pyramidal R oseshould grow into(Fig .

Fig . 43 .

P YR AMI D AL R OSE -P R UN IN G .

it (Fig . D uring the next summer the R osewill have advanced another and a long step towardsits final and complete form . The three rudimentarybranches Of the first year will have multiplied intothe compound or more complex branches shown atthe base < of the embryo pyramid

'

(Fig . On thetop of these

,climbing above

,and still rather closely

hugging them, three or more other side-shoots willbe found

,while the leader itself has advanced at least

a foot or more, as may be desired .

F urth e r D ev elopment — Figs . 42 and 4 3 illustrate and explain these points

,and the repetition of

these processes year after year results in the formation of pyramidal R oses of any siz e desired . It isnot necessary to follow the pruning as a means offorming them further ; but, as in the case of standard R oses

,it may be satisfactory to present a fair

sample of a pyramid— alike as an inspiring andteaching model to be kept in view by everyreader

,

3 2.

what they lack in perfection or srz e of individualblossoms, while no Obj ect withinthe whole range ofnature or the ri ch domain of art could prove moreattractive than a single plant

,several

,a group

,a

line, or avenue by the sides of a main walk or road,of pyramidal R oses Of perfect form

,and smothered

with bloom from base to summit.

Furth er Tre a tment.— This consists in the

close pruning of such R oses every winter and Spring.

The hardier and later had better be pruned inN ovember, as such R oses cannot afford to lose thevital and growing force of breaking their budsbefore pruning,which smaller standards or dwarfsmay bear with more or less impunity . PyramidalR oses, chiefly from their siz e and the number ofR oses they produce, seldom yield blooms Of

.

thehighest excellency ; but they make up in numbers

e ep ing R oses.— These '

do not differ greatlyin principle from those alr eady explained and illustrated. The great thing in the formation of weepingR oses is to start with a stemsufiiciently tall to makethem effective . From seven to fifteen feet high willmake good weeping R oses . The name explains theform . Having started at a sufficient elevation

,one

,

two,or three hoops of different siz es are useful

,

and indeed almost indispensable,as a framework on

which to fix and arrange the sh eetsof the R oses .Sometimes half spherical or umbrella trellises(Fig . 45) are fixed to the top of a very stout central

I CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

stake of iron, which thus serves the combined pdrposeof keeping roots and stem immovable

,and giving

stabili ty to the training-frame upon the tOp . At

others,from three to five or more strong stakes round

th e side support hoopor hoops or frames . In any

case great strength is needed,as ~the purchase of the

wind on a weeping R ose, and its tendency to whipall the branches into fragments or confused bundlesOf bruised foliage and flower

,without

'

form orcomeliness , must be seen or felt to be properly estimated and provided against:Wh ere iron or wirehoops used, rings should perforated at

Fig .Lia— Pyramidal P runing, finish ed.

distances of a foot or so,and iron pegs proj ect

ing two inches or so on either side driven home,so

as to become immovable . This prevents the windfrom sweeping the branches round the be ep intoconfusion or sheer destruction . When woodenhoops are used the natural snags should be kept onto serve the same purpose

,that of fixing the branches

securely where placed,and making them independent

Of wind and weather . Fig . 45shows a section of aWeeping R ose fixed in position .

It will also be seen that the very longest of allmodes of long pruning is adopted. It would, indeed,be a

.

waste of time,as well as a trial Of patience, to

mount R oses on the highest available stocks,and

then pruneba ck their drooping shoots so Often and

so severely as to hinder their becoming efiectual.

By the choice of rapid-growing R oses (see our selec

tions for particular purposes), providing rich soil

for their roots,and judicious long pruning— carried

to such excess as not to prune at all in many casesweeping R oses will soon reach down to the ground,and prove as grateful in affording useful shade as“

they are in enri ching the landscape with uniquesubj ects of interest and beauty.

H OW to P run e a nd Tra in P illa r a nd

oth e r R oses.— In pillar and climbing R osesseveral shoots may be used instead of one

,and the

practice may be far less formal and generally

45.— Umbrella Trainer forWeeping R oses.

rapid . P yramids are also formed at times of Ayrshire

,N oisette , and Evergreen R oses, and in such

cases the procedur e may be difierent . The aboveinstructions are given for the formation of standardsandpyramidal R oses out ofHybrid P erpetuals . R osesthat run twenty feet a year claim, and should h ave ,greater liberty of growth and freedom of training.

They,in a word

,should have less pruning and more

room. Two or

‘

more shoots run from the groundup a pole or tree, with the snags left on to supportthe R oses

,may be left almost full length

,and may

form a magnificent pillar or climbing R ose th e nextyear . The secret of perpetuating th eir beauty liesin, if possible, cutting out a main shoot back to theroot annually

,or so Often as Opportunity presents

itself. From the base of this,other long rambling

shootswill spring forth, probably more vigorous

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1 l6 CASSELL’S POPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

pruned at the same time, but immediately . theflowers are past should be taken in hand, so that notime be lost in getting the next season’s floweringwood started.

Epacri s require an abundant supply of water, butthey cannot endure it to stagnate about their roots .Therefore

,drain th e pots well, and never allow

the .plants to suf fer for -want Of water.The following enumeration Of species and of

varieties will afford themeans for a good

,selection

for all decorative purposes .

SECTION I .

—ER ECT

G R OWER S .

Alba odora tissima , wh ite,sweet-scented.

Butterfly, wh ite and rose.Campanula ta , deep blush .

Campanula ta alba , pure whiteCarmina ta , brigh t red .

D ensiflora , blush .

Eleg ans, pale rose .

Exquisita , brigh t p ink,large.

Fireball, brigh tscarlet, tippedwith rose .

H y a c in t h iflor a , soft pink,

dense spikes.Hya cinth iflora eandidissima ,

pure wh ite, large , verydensespikes.

Hya cinthiflora c a rm in a t a ,

brigh t pink .

Impressa coccinea , rich crimson.

Ingramn ,brigh t red, tipped

with pink .

L adyAlice P eel,salmon .

Lady P anmure,white and

rose .

M ont Blanc, purewh ite , tubesstained with lemon inside .

N ivalis compa cta , snowwhite .

P ictura ta , deep pink .

P ulch ella major, pure white,sweet-scented.

Sunset, brilliant red and pink.

Th e Bride , pure wh ite .

Tricolor, brigh t red, pink, and

rose .

Vesuvius, brilliant crimson .

VicountessH ill,scarlet. EPACR IS N IVAI‘ IS '

SECTION II .

— LAx G R OWER S.

D evoniana , rich brigh t Minia ta , deep scarlet and

scarlet . white .

E clipse , brilliant crimson, M . splendens, fiery-red and

tipped with wh ite , larg e . wh ite , very large .

G'

randiflora rubra, brigh t Onosmaeflora , white .

red and white . 0 . plena , white, double

E p lgynlum . A small genus of Indian Va ccinice .

For trea tment, see Cem tostema . They are mostlyepiphyta l in their native habitats.E . a cm ina tum

, an elegant compact shrub, withalternate lanceolate leaves

,tapering to

,a sharp point

and toothed at th e edges ; deep green above, palerbelow and tinged with a shade of dull purple ;flowers in dense drooping corymbs from the branches,

forming long racemes of deep red flowers,which

are very eflective . Summ er months . N orthernIndia ; to feet elevation .

E . lemobotrys. Thi s beautiful plant in a stateof nature is frequently found epiphytal upon thebranches of the large forest trees. It is' a muchbranched evergreen shrub

,the leaves being clustered

on the points of all the shoots . The leaves areoblong, bluntly toothed, and ,bright green ; racemes

long and drooping,bearing

a quantity of tubular greenish-white flowers . Theseare succeeded by pur ewaxy-white berries, whichrender it very ornamental.Summer months . N orthernIndia .

E ri ca .— Thisbeautiful

family of plants,familiar

to every lover of flowersby the name of Heaths, isexclusively confined to theOld World ; some fewarenatives of Europe

,but

_ thehead-quarters of the genusis on the mountains ofSouth Afri ca about theCape of G ood Hope.Although the genus is a .

large one,none of its mem

bers have any economicproperties ; cattle do notca re for them as fodder

,

although cows sometimesWill browse on the youngshoots

,but this

,it is said

,

causes the milk to assumea reddish colour as if

stained with blood withgrouse

,however

,the buds

and young shoots of our native Species are greatfavourites ; hares and r abbits also browse on them

,

and the bee-keeper fully understands that the flowersyield an abundance of honey .

,

The majority of known species were introducedto this country in the reign of G eorge III .,and toMr . Francis Masson

,a celebrated botanical

,

collector,we are indebted for not only so many Cape Heaths,but a vast quantity of other plants from that region .

The striking.

beauty of the waxy tubular flowersof -Ericas soon installed them first favourites in thehorticultural world

,and an immense number of new

varieties have been obtained in English gardens,the

maj ority of which far surpass the Cape Speciesinbeauty.

G R EEN -HOUSE PLAN TS

The cultivation of Eri‘

cas is generally looked uponas being a matter of extreme difliculty, but the grandSpecimens which are to be found in the gardens ofG reat Britain and Ireland, are at least a proof that itis an art the British gardeners have fully mastered,and in which they stand pre-eminent ; for no otherEuropeans can rival, far less surpass them in theculture of these plants . Climate , no doubt , has muchto do with this

,for in the N orth of Europe the

changes in the temperature are . too extreme, and inth e South the atmosphere is too hot and arid to suitthe constitutions of Cape Heaths, so that no matterhow careful . or painstaking a Continental gardenermay be

,he cannot thoroughly overcome the diffi

cultiesof climate.

These plants will grow only in peat, earth, andsha rp sand ; this, however, must not be hard andharsh

,nor boggy

,or spongy

,but good

,fibrous , gritty

peat,and it is best not sifted; but '

the fibreshould bechopped up with thesoil ; the coarseness must, ofcourse

,be regulated by the siz e of the pots into

which “

th e plants are shifted . The pots must becarefully drain ed ; that is to say, the drainagematerial should be so placed as to allow

.

the water to”

rapidly pass away ; thi s can be efiected with a fewproperly - adjusted pieces of broken pots in a farbetter manner than isoftentimes done with a largequantity

,when the operation is performed in a

thoughtless and careless manner .H eaths

,when they have attained considerable siz e,

may be kept in the same pot for several years, ifthe mould is not sour

,and the drainage remainsin

working order ; but when these plants are re -pottedit should be done before they get thoroughly potbound

,but always let the old pots be well filled with

roots before putting into larger ones. When theplant is taken out of the old pot the shoulder of theball should be carefully rubbed down and the drainage material removed with as little injury to theroots as possible place sufficient mould over thedrainage in the new pot to allow the plant to standat its proper level, which should be about two inchesbelow the rim

,fill round the sides with the new

mould,and press it down very firmly as the process

goes on, for the roots of Ericas are very fine,and

they root more freely and thrive best when pottedhard .

Heaths,like all other plants

,require

.

a certainamount of pruning

,but with these plants the opera

tion requires considerable care and forethought . Inthe case of the soft-wooded free-growing kinds

,we

advise the knife to be used pretty freely ; immediatelyafter flowering cut the shoots back below the pointswhich have bloomed,~and any shoots or lateralswhichhave not flowered may also bestopped at the sametime ; after the shoots have started let them grow

1 1 7

freely until they are aboutsix inches long, when thepoints should be pinched out after this, if the plantis tolerably bushy

,do not stop again

,and the result

will be fine long spikes of bloom . W ith the hardwooded kinds, however, the case is very diff erent, aknife should never be applied to them ; these Willonly require just the points pinched out at any time,and this may be done from time to time according tothe style in which the cultivator wishes to '

build up

the specimen . In performing this operation a thoughtmust be given as to the time of flowering

,for if ' it

is done too late i n the season,it prevents the wood

attaining maturity, and the result is that the plant'

isbare of flowers .The judicious application of water is one of thegreat se crets in YHeath -culture ; m any inexperiencedin this matter say they should not have

'

much'

water ;our experience, however, goes to prove that Ericaslike an abundant supply of water when growing

,but

_ it must be carried Off quickly. It is difficult tomoisten a ball of peat through with a small quantityOf water

,and the roots Of these “

plants should neverbe allowed to suffer drought, '

or' in all probability

death will rapidly ensue ; and the same end willspeedily be arrived at if th e roots become soddenedwith water ; therefore, in watering, give sufficientwater to thoroughly penetrate the whole mass ‘

Of

soil,look over the plants frequently in order to

anticipate their wants,be

_sure the drainage is freeand Open

,and all will be well . In winter less water

as a matter Of course will be necessary, but winter orsummer

,whenever it is given

,do it thoroughly.

Ericas may be stood in the Open air during thesummer months

,the full exposure ‘ to the sun being

very beneficial in ripening the growth , and theplants have the advantage Of

_standing on a cooler

bottom than when on a stage in the house .These plants require thorough ventilation , therefore the lights must be always

'kept '

Open in genialweather to allow Of a free cir culation Of air. Fireheat is one Of their greatest ' enemies, and, unlessduring frosty weather, it should never be applied .

An exception to this rule, however, may be madeduring a period of dull wet 'wea th er when the atmos

ph ere becomes heavy and damp ; then a little heatmay be applied with advantage, but the ventilatorsmust -be all Opened ‘at the time, and th e houseallowed to get cool a ga in before night . Mildew is apest which must be kept from these plants, Or th e

leaves will become rusty, and the bare stems leftafter the leaves fall greatly disfigure their appearance

. Whenever this is discovered, immediatelydust the affected part with sulphur ’ the ' plantsshould be laid on their sides during the Operation inOrder to prevent its falling on the soil, as it is veryinjurious to the roots .

I

1 8 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

E . wmula .— A dwarf variety ; foliage very dense

and hoary ; flowers large,many in a whorl

,deep

green and red. May to August.,E . afinis. —A free-growing kind, with rich deepgreen leaves ; flowers pale yellow,

contracted a t . th e

mouth. April to May.

E . A itoniana .— A Cape species, named in honour Of

Ai ton,

” author Of HortusKewensis.” A slender,somewhat lax grower,with short bright greenleaves ; flowers long, arr ang e d in t e rm in a lwhorls

,pure white ; very

sticky. July to Sep

tember .

E . A itoniana turg ida .

—Habit similar to thepreceding

, but a littlestronger ; flowers longandmuch inflated at th ebase

,white , tinged with

pink . July to August .E . A itonicma rosem

Similar to the last-namedin habit ; flowers large

,

in terminal whorls,rosy

pink. June to August .E . a lop ecuroides. A

free grower with smalldowny leaves ; flowersovate

,numerous, red

dish-purple . Septemberto October .E . amp ullacea . A

compact-growing specieswith bright green leaves ,slightly hairy at theedges ; flowers in largeumbels

,tubes much

swollen at the base,red

dish pink ; limb white .July to August .E . ampullacea obba ta .

— A veryfin e variety ; flowerslarge

,flask-shaped

,inflated at base

,and contracted

at th e neck ; waxy-white . July to September .E . ampulla cea rubm .

— Similar to th e species, butwith larger flowers

,which are bright red. May to

June .E . andromedwflom .

— A somewhat tall-growingspecies ; leaves deep green ; flowers globular ; calyxlarge and soft pink

,whilst the corolla isreddish

pink. P ropagated from seed. April to June .

E . M inette— A dense grower

,with leaves closely

set ; flowers large, many in a whorl, tubular , butwith swollen base, deep red ; limb white . May toJuly.

E R I CA AITON IAN A 'I UR G I D A. E ,

E . a rista ta B a rnesii.— A superb form,having rich

dark foliage ; flowers bright red,with broad pure

white limb . May to July.

E . a rista ta Mirna — Leaves deep green ; flowerssimilar to preceding, but heavy red in the tube ;limb pinkish -white . May to July.

E . A rc/wriana .— A free-growing spe01 es ; flowers

long, tubular, deep scarlet . August to September.E . B e a umon t z

’

a .

Sometimes found in collections under the

.name

of rubrocella . Th e flowersare campanulate

,pendu

lous,purplish white .

April to July.

E . B erg imm.— This is

a free flowering andvery pretty Species . Thel e av e s a r e d owny ;flowers terminal

,droop

ing,campanulate in

shape,purple . It is also

known by the variousnames of E . Za cmmflom ,

E . guadriflom ,and E .

nitens. May to July.

E . brzmia a’es. Th isplant is so denselyclothedwith woollyhair sthat it

‘

liasbeen calledE . villose . It is a ratherslender grower

,but

witha l so singular andbeautiful that a pla ce

should be found for itin every collection .

Flowers pink, the stamens black ; exsertcd,

produced in termina lwhorls . May to July.

cafim mama . A

small-flowered variety,but valuable on account Of th e season at whi ch itblooms . A slender-growing plant, producing abundance of small white campanulate flowers . Known

.also by th e names of E . strignosa and E . p rolif ef

ra .

E . camp anulam.— Flowers campanulate

,dr ooping ,

bright yellow ; an abundant bloomer, and most desirable on account Of its colour . May to July.

E . 0andolleana .— A free but compact grower ;

flowers large,tubular

,produced in umbels ; white

suffused with rosy-pink. June to August .E . Cavendish iana .

— A bold strong grower,very

vigorous ; foliage bright rich green ; flowers tubular,about an inch long, bright yellow. May to July.

E . cerint/zo'

idescoronam.-A somewhat lax-growing

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CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

large,tubular

,upwards Of an inch long ; tubes red

dish-pink, with a very dark band round the neck ;

limb spreading,white . May to July.

E . McN abicma roa m— In growth this very desirable variety differs from the preceding in the morerecurved leaves ; the flowers also are much longerand larger ; tubes rich dark rose, with a band . Of

deep blackish-purple round the neck ; limb spreading

,white . Its normal flowering season isMay to

July ; it occasionally, how ‘

ever,blooms again in the

autumn .

E . mammose major . A

strong erect-growing plant,producing large , whorls ofl o n g

,d r o o p i n g

,t u bu l a r

flowers,which are deep red

dish-purple in colour a veryshowy and . useful variety.

July to N ovember.E . Messom’

i major.—N amed

in honour of the introducerOf so many Cape Heaths . Itis,perhaps

,the grandest and

most stately of the wholegenus

,and

,at the same time

,

the most difficult to keep ingood condition . It is a slowgrowing plant , but very free ;branching . The leaves arec l o s e l y s e t

,a n d d en s e l y

clothed with woolly hairs ;these absorb the moisture ifit should get wet

,and thi s

leads to mildew,and turns

them a reddish-brown,causing

the plant to present a verypatchy and unsightly appearance . When carefully at

tended to,however

,the plant

is very handsome either in orout Of flower . Th e flowers are tubular

,upwards “

Of

an inch long, disposed in large terminal whorls , deepfiery

-red ; limb olive-green and yellow. June toAugust .E . v wckimm.

— The flowers of this very handsome variety are entirely destitute of the viscid gumwith which nearly all the blooms“ of the hardwooded H eaths are coated

,so that neither dust nor

insects can find a lodgment upon them,which isa

great advantage . Flowers large,tubular

,inflated

at the’

base ; tubes rich purplish-crimson, with adarker band round the neck ; limb white . July toSeptember .E . mutabilis.— A slender-growing plant, whichmay with propriety be called a perpetual bloomer ;

E R ICA HYEMALIS .

but it requir es considerable attention to keep it inhealth dur ing the winter. Mildew is its greatenemy. The flowers are disposed in whorls

,tubes

long and slender, and of a uniform bright redthroughout.E . obba ta .

— A grand variety. The flowers aremuch inflated, produced in large whorls, and arepure white . June to August .

E . Odom rosw. Known also in gardens by thename of E . odomm. It is delica telyfragrant, well deservinga place in every collection Of

plants . The leaves are rathersmall and sparse

,dark green ;

flowers campanulate,pendu

lous, and pure white . May to

July .

E . op ulenm. A compacty et free-growing plant ; theleaves closely set , small, andslightly hairy . The longtubular flowers are producedin large whorls

,tubes much

inflated at base,bright crim

son-lake ; neck banded withreddish-brown ; limb pink .

June_to August .

E . arma da — The habit Of thi sdelicately-beautiful variety isrobust and free flowers large

,

tubes much inflated ; softwhite

,shaded with carmine at

the base,neck banded with

green ; limb white . July andAugust.

E . ova ta .—This fine plant

has several synonyms, beingfound in some gardens underthe names Of E . mitrwf ormz

’sand E . kirtiflom ; leavessomewhat spreading

,hairy at

the edge s, and dark green ; flowers in terminalwhorls

,tubes much inflated at base, reddish-purple ;

limb white . June and July .

E . P a rmentieriana rosea .—An elegant and most

useful plant ; compact in growth and a profusebloomer ; leaves -dense, bright green flowers tubular,inflated at the base

,and rosy-purple in colour . July

and August.E . P axtonimm.

— Habit robust and good ; leaveshairy and recurved ; flowers in terminal whorls

,

tubes upwards Of an inch long,reddish-salmon ,

neck banded with greenish-brown. June to August.E . p ersoZuta .

— A free slender-growing Species, veryuseful for cutting.

_The flowers are small

,globose ,

reddish-pink in colour,and produced in great abun .

G R EEN -HOUSE PLAN TS.

da nce from all the points Of the shoots. There is awh ite-flowering formcalled a lba

,and another, ra bra ,

with deep red flowers, but in habit and appearance

they are identical. April andMay;

E . p ersp icua nana .—A dwarf close-growing plant

and a free bloomer ; leavessomewhat hairy, deepgreen ; flowers disposed in terminal clusters, tubesslender

,delicate flesh -colour ; limb white . May and

June .E . persp icua rosaas— In habit and general appearance this variety resembles the preceding. Theflowers

,however, are rich deep rose . It is a very

desirable plant. May and June .E . p rima loides.— A small-growing species of greatbeauty ; leaves dense and deep green ; flowersslender

,tubes red ; limb large and spreading, rosy

purple,May and June .

E . p rincepscoccinea — A beautiful but ratherstraggling grower . \Th

fi

e leaves are thick,hairy

,and

dark green flowers stout,tubes bright scarlet. The

original E . p rincepsis .‘

a far less showy plant thanthis variety.

' There is also a form,with pinkish

flesh-coloured flowers,called cam ea . All are '

ex

tremely handsome . May and June .E . p rop endens.— In habit of growth this resemblessomewhat E . byema lis, and, like it also , this isa veryfree bloomer ; flowers campanulate

,drooping

,and

soft purplish-lilac in colour . May to July.

E . pyramida lis. — A soft-wooded free-growing Spe

cies, erect in growth, with narrow slightly woollyleaves -flowerstubula r, produced from the points ofall the shoots in abundance , rosy -pink throughout .February to May.

E . re torta .— An elegant hard-wooded kind ; leave

‘srecurved

,dark green ; flowers in terminal whorls

,

tubes reddish-pink . June to August .E . retorta major .

—More robust than the species,

and the flowers are larger tubes red,with a darker

band round the neck ; limb spreading, white:Julyto October .E . rubens. -A small

,compact

,free-growing kind ;

leaves dense, bright green ; flowers bell-shaped,dark red . July to August.E . ra bro- ca lyx, sometimes called ra ter-ca lyx, andalso ra bido . It takes its name fromthe fact Of thecalyx being coloured as well asthe corolla . It isan erect soft-wooded kind

,and a free bloomer ;

tubes pure white ; calyx reddish-purple. May toJuly.

E . Savilleiaa a .— A dense -growing species with

dark green leaves, and small bell-shaped flowers Ofa reddish-pink hue . June to August .E . Shana onia a a .

— A grand variety Of robust habitleaves Spreading, dark green ; flowers large , tubular,much inflated at the base, white, shaded with reddishpurple . June to August.

21

E . Shannoa iaa a gla bra .— Amost desirable plant. It

isa strong grower ; the whorls are many-flowered ;the tubes are much swollen at the base

,ivory-white

,

and quite free from the viscid gum SO common tothese plants . July and August.E . Sia clrya a a , s

'

ometimes called E . z iagcrclla . It isa handsome soft-wooded plant Of the hycma lissection,which it much resembles both in growth and bloom .

It flowers, however, in March andApril .E . Sp enceriana .

— This very distinct and usefulvariety is a soft-wooded plant of free growth

,with

dense,dark green leaves ; flowers tubular, long, and

slen ‘

lor ; tubes smallest at base purplish-lilac. May

to July.

E . Tha a bcrg i i .— A very cur ious and ornamental

Species ; leaves glaucous ; flowers highly coloured,

being yellow, green, white, and scarlet . May toJuly.

E . tricolor corona ta .— In all the vari eties of E . tri

color the leaves are very closely set and more or lessclothed with ferruginous hair s

,Which renders them

liable to attacks of mildew if the foliage isallowedto get wet . The form now under consideration produces many-flowered whorls of large tubular blooms,which are pinkish flesh -colour

,neck banded with

green ; limb white. July and August .E . tricolor flammea .

— Flowers large,much inflated,

fiery-red at base

,passing to white towards the upper

part, neck green . June and July.

E . tricolor H ola’

forclia a a .— Flowers very large, base

Of tube pale flesh,passing into reddish-pink , neck

green . June and July .

E . tricolor p rof usa .— Tubes much swollen at base,

where they are bright crimson,shading to rosy-car

mine and white,neck yellowish-green . July and

August .E . tricolor Wilsoniama .

— Flowers large . and muchinflated, sharply

'

contracted at the throat, rosy-pinkat the base, passing to white, neck banded green .

June to August .E . tria anpkaas.— This species belongs to the arbo

rescent section,that includes elcgcms, andromcdwflora ,

Th imbcrgii, taxif olia , &c. ,in which the calyx is

usually highly coloured as well as the corolla . Theyare also extremely difficult to increase from cuttings,but are raised from seed. The present plant isabold and somewhat coarse-growing kind ; leaveslarge

,smooth

,and dark green ; flowers globose ,

drooping,and pure white, with an enlarged calyx.

May and June .E . ta laf o

'

rmis. —A very showy kind ; flowerslong ; the tubes rich red, mouth rosy-pink ; limbSpreading

,white . April to July.

E . venom — Leavesdark green,nearly smooth

whorls of flowers large ; tubesrich bright crimsonlimb white. July andAugust.

11223 CASSELL ’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

E . ccrztricosa breviflora .

— The ventricosasare a verybeautiful section . They are mostly dwarf and compact in habit

,with dense foliage, flowers long

,

tubular, and disposed in terminal umbels on all thebranch es . The flowers are all smooth and destituteOf gum ; this variety is a rather stronger growerthan the majority. Flowers almost globose

,of a

uniform deep rose . May and June .E . rca lricosa cam era — Leaves small ; flowers long,inflated at base

,soft flesh -colour . May to July .

E . centricosa coccinea minor — A very dwarf, densegrowing variety

,with da rk ‘

green leaves, and a mostprofuse bloomer ; flowers long, slender, tubes chinawhite ; limb spreading, bright red. May andJune .E . centricosa grandiflora .

— Flowers very large andwholly deep purplish-crimson ; a superb formf Juneand July.

E . ventricose. magnifica .— A somewhat stif f, erect

growing kind ; an abundant bloomer ; flowers rosyred. June and July.

E . rentr~icosa sp lcrzdciis. — This form is more hir sutethan any Of the others ; flowerslarge

,the tubes

swollen in the middle,porcelain-white ; limb rosy

purple tipped with white . June and July.

E . oca tricosa tricolor .— Flowers long, tubes creamy

white, flesh -colour at neck ; limb whi te . A veryhandsome variety. July to August .E . Vernonia rza .

— A grand variety, with flowers invery large terminal whorls

,tubes much swollen a t

base, sharply contracted at th e throat, pure waxywhite

,neck banded green ; limb broad and spread

ing. Jun e to August .E . oestita a lba — Th e varieties Of this section arenot very numerous

,but they are very distinct from

all other Heaths . Th ey are rath er apt to lose theirleaves. and do not conform to any style of training .

They are characterised by their stout erect growth s,and dense

,long

,dark green

,linear leaves

,which

are soft and silky. The flowers are tubular , semierect

,slightly curved

,smallest at the base

,and are

disposed in .whorlsan inch or two below the pointsOf thesh e et. In restita a lba the flowers are rathershort

,pure white . May to July .

E . restita ca rnca .-Flowers numerous, soft pink or

flesh -colour. Jun e and July .

E . oestita coccinea .

— Similar to the preceding ;colour bright reddish-scarlet . July and August .E . ocstita rosca .

— Flowers about the siz e Of a lba,

in large whorls,deep

,rich rose ; veryhandsome .

August and September .

E . Victoria — Ahard-wooded kin d Of great beauty,robust in habit, and an abundant bloomer ; flowerslarge, tubular, inflated at base , tubes purplish-crimson, neck banded with black ; limb whi te . AprilandMay.

THE HAR DY FR UIT G AR DEN.

BY D . T. F I SH,ASSISTE D BY W ILLIAM CAR M ICHAEL .

E . Westp ha liag ia .

— This isalso called E . undula ta .

An erect, qui ck-growing kind ; flowers tubular, Of auniform soft red . May to July.

E . Wilmorca rza .— A soft-wooded kind

,with grey

green leaves ; flowers bell- shaped, pendulous, purpleat base

,tipped with white an abunda nt bloomer ;

one of the most popular and generally grown Of all

early H eaths . February to April .

AR RAN G EMEN T.

P la ce .— Asto the place

,near to or within sight

Of the dwelling-house, whether that be a mansion ,a villa , or a cottage, is undoubtedly the best place .It was a vulgar error that demanded the separationof pleasure from profit in the ornamentation Of thedwelling-house ; and even the highest and mostseverely aesthetic taste Of the present day is prepared to admit fruit- trees into the home landscapeor garden. P erhaps the most suitable and convoni ent place for . the fruit garden is the intermediatearea between the flower and the vegetable or kitch engarden . It is only fitting that plants grown mainlyor wholly for their beauty should embellish and

enwreathe the base and the immediate foreground Ofthe dwelling-house

,and our fruit trees might make

good their claim to this fir st circle of absolutebeauty . For what flower or flowering shrub can

match or excel the snowy wh iteness Of Cherries ,P lums and P ears

,or the delicate and deep pink of

Apple and P each-blossom ? Still,’

on the whole,our

gradation h astaste,propriety, and convenience to

recommend it . Flowers,chaste and bright

,on green

turf andbright gravel , to form a soft rich base Of

beauty round the dwelling-house . B eyond thi s thefruit garden

,leading pleasantly on or into the kitchen

garden proper and culinary department .Of course

,each may be kept purely for its own

specific purpose,or th e three may be more .Or less

mixed . But, as a rule, the fruit garden wi ll prov emost satisfactory

,alike on principles Of taste and

grounds Of utility,wh en occupying a mid position

a sort Of half -way house between the purely ornamental and strictly utilitarian portionsof th e

garden . These terms,however

,must be understood

in a limited and Comparative sense . For it will beone Of our main obj ects to make the fruit gardenhighly beautiful as well as profitable ; and even akitchen garden

,skilfully cropped and carefully kept,

if not exactly a thing of beauty or j oy for ever , mayyet yield a rich harvest Of satisfaction through itsorder

,cleanliness. and plenty.

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1 24 CASSELL’S P OPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

than benefit from itsdir ect power Of protection .

V ery high walls are apt to add to the destructivepower of spring frosts by the additional stilln essthey give to the enclosed area Of air

,thisstillness

increasing the energy Of radiation.

Hence, tOO, the vital importance Of choosing

rolling or uneven ground for the fruit garden,

where that is practicable . The air isless stagnanton such surfaces, and hence rolling grop nd notmerely imparts variety but brings safety to thefruit garden . Hence much Of the labour and ex

Fig . 1 .— P LAN FOR A F R UIT G AR D EN .

1 , Walks2, Fruit-tree Borders 3 , B eds for Fruit-trees.

pense incurred in making fruit gardens level is notseldom worse than wasted . G ardens on the flat ora regular hanging slope may be more easily . cultivated, but they are seldom so fruitful as those onthe side of a rolling hill

,with a

’ gentle inclinationto the sunny south or genial west .Th e accompanying ground-plan of a fruit gardenis one of many plans that may be adopted . It isnot desirable to slavishly adhere to any particulararrangement

,though the pleasures and profits of

most fruit gardens are in direct ratio to the foresight and skill brought to bear on their planningand culture .In most cases some form Of square— parallelogram,

rhombus,or rhomboid

, _

th e two latter long;

squar es,

set out of square,or rather out of the meridian , so as

to Obtain the full force Of the sun on the south walleither before or after noon, as desired — is the mostconvenient for working and the most economical forenclosing with walls . The nearer the fruit gardenapproaches to a square

,the shorter th e wall needed

to enclose any given area. W ith a view also ofsecuring the largest possible amount Of the mostgenial wall- space, the length Of the garden fromeast to west should be as much again

,or as fiv e to

three, Of its width from north to south . This willfurnish a maximum extent Of south wall

,which

is the most valuable for the culture Of P eaches,N ectarines

, G rape-vines, and Figs . According to

locality,these walls may be direct south at noon

,

or at 1 1 a .m. ,or 1 p m . These apparently slight

Changes tend to moderate or regulate the heat onthesouthern walls , and to make both the east andwest Walls more~

generally useful for the culture Of “

the better sorts Of fruit , such asP eaches, P lums , .

P ears, Apricots, Cherries , &c.

The question of the proper aspect Of the fruit garden is almost as important, where the fruit garden isnot enclosed with walls ; as climate is very largelydetermined by aspect, and diff erences in temperaturevarying from5° to 1 0° may Often be found within afewyards . Such differences may arise from shelteror the lack of it, the inclination, drainage, character,

D ECORATIVE USE OF FLOWER S. 1 25

a nd texture of the soil, and other causes . AS a ruleth e most genial, that isthe warmest, aspects shouldbe chosen, though there are exceptions to. this, as inth e case Of bush-fruits, such as G ooseberries andCurrants , these being mostly finest and

,more Sin

gular still, sweetest on the coldest sites .Of course

,thorough drainage

,SO as to prevent

the possibility Of the accumulation,rather than

insure the removal,of stagnant water

,is indispens

able . A depth Of two or more feet Of good soilshould also be provided, and where it is impracticable to Obtain such a depth all over the surface, thesystem Of mound or ridge and furrow planting maybe resorted to . It has almost passed into an axiomamong cultivators that a load , that is a cubic yard,Of earth will suffice to grow and preserve in healthand fertility a fruit-tree for a good many years .On wet soils and subsoils considerable success has

been attained by forming the soil into a moundabove the line Of the general surface .

F orming B a rrie rsa g a inst th e R ootsP enetra ting too D e ep ly into B a rren Soilsor InjuriousSubsoils.— It used to be thoughtthat a barrier of barrenness -would suffice to arrestth e

'

boring properties or downward tendencies Of theroots . H ence layers of stones

,brick refuse

,chalk,

and even puddled Clay and sea or other sand wereplaced un der the roots Of trees to keep them near tothe surface .Such expedients only hastened the downward

course Of the roots . Hence the Origin Of concrete,

stone, slate, Or asphalted bases for fruit-tree bedsand borders . These proved successful in preventingthe roots going fur ther down ; but as they weregenerally covered with a layer Of drainage

,the latter

seemed to draw the roots down to the concrete orbarri er, where they were not Seldom found spreadingout into a perfect network of fibres just where therewasleast for them to feed on .

Hence, though the practice Of rendering the baseof fruit-tree borders impervious to the roots is stilladopted in many cases

,the modern fruit-grower

entices the roots up by liberal culture and food onthe surface, rather than arrests their downwardcourse by physical obstacles to their further progress .Am ong these improved methods Of root-cultureare a firmer surface

,freedom from digging

,andsur

face feeding in the form Of mulching with maidensoils or nouri shing manur e .Most Of the dwarfing stocks employed are also

distinguished by freer rooting, and thi s tendency isintensified by the modern practice of root-pruning .

But as most Of these practices may be again alludedto in describing the Special culture Of particular

D ECORATIYE USE OF FLOWER S.

BY J AME S HU D SON .

fruits, it will not be needful further to advert tothem in these general remarks on the fruit garden .

Fruit, gard ens on grass are mostly called orchards,the trees in them necessarily having rather tallstems and being placed at considerable distancesapart, in order to keep the grass green underneath ;but not a few orchardsaresub-cropped with fruitbushes and R aspberries

,and such are again inter

cropped with vegetables . But, g enerally, modern

fruit gardens are planted with dwarf or pyramidaltrees, at distances Of from four feet tosix, or, at themost, eight feet asunder

, Only leaving sufficientspace to afiord free access for cultural purposes andfor gathering the crops of fruit . The entire area is

,

in fact, covered with the trees, and the Surface ofthe soil kept free Of weeds or duly mulched over toconserve the moisture or feed the roots . By keepingeach species and variety of fruit as nearly as may beto itself

,each

‘

may the more readily ha ve the specialculture that it needs

, wi thout injury, or interferencewith others .

IN TR OD UCTION .

MON G the various uses to which cut flowersand plants are applied

,perhaps there isno

one which has received such impetus Of late yearsasdecoration of a festive character. Flowers arenew in far greater request for the embellishment Ofthe dinner-table

,as well as in many other Ways,

than was the case even a few years ago . Thi s hasbeen undoubtedly the means of fostering a greaterdemand for those plants and flowers that are th ebest adapted for such requirements

,causing many

suitable subj ects to be cultivated in numbers,whereas f ormerly only solitary examples were to befound in many establishments. It has likewisebeen productive Of good in bringing many flowersinto more prominent notice . Flowers that

_wouldescape the notice Of many a casual Observer in theOpen air

,when surrounded by more gaily-attired

examples,will oftentimes meet with much favour

when artistically arranged in suitable vases, andbrought under close Observation , so that their particular beauties are the more readily discernible .Even with a limited Space at command

, . th ere arenumbers Of suitable subj ects that can be advan

ta geously cultivated for the purposes now beingdwelt upon . The immense numbers of herbaceousplants

,of many genera and Species

,will yield a

good supply the greater part Of the year, and theintervening periods can easily be bridged over bythose who have a green-house at their command .

CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

More fortunate still for those lovers of floral decorations who can draw upon the resources of our stovesand hot-houses, wherewith to beautify and renderrcclzcrciw

'“their various arrangements

,when for a

while the wintry blasts lay prostrate the b eauties ofOur hardier flowers , with but few exceptions . Hap

pily,however

,th ese harbingers of

,

spring-time,the

Snowdrop and th e Crocus, quickly unfold theirblossoms

,ere .the frosts and snows have left useven

,

for the return Of more congenial weather . Theseare soon followed by the P rimrose in various shadesof colour , the Oxlip , th e Cowslip, and the P olyanthus,all Of which can be turned to good account in arustic manner for many decorations . Asthese , intheir turn , fade and wither away before the brightrays Of the coming summer

,we have a wealth Of

beautiful flowers that vie with each other in brilliancy Of colour or in beauty Of form and outline.So on through out the sunshine Of th e summermonths

,the flower garden yields an immense variety

Of ch oice subj ects for decorations .Asthe summer wanes away and signs Of comingautumn are apparent in the beaut iful tints Of thefoliage Of our trees and deciduous shrubs

,there

a gain is another wide field Of selection Shouldflowers be somewhat scarce . Th e beautiful hues ofcolour that many leaves assume during thi s periodOf the year are the admiration Of all lovers Of natur e .

The artist gathers therefrom many suggestions forhispencil and brush . The lover of floral arrangements is also an artist

,using the natural beauties

wherewith the all-beneficent Creator has endowedthis earth Of ours

,and displaying them for the

better admiration and entertainment of others, asoccasion may occur

,each in their Own sphere Of life .

It is wonderful how some enthusia stic admirersof flowers will contrive

,either by th e a id of flowers

or foliage individually,or both combined

,to make

most effective arrangements with but little materialfrom which to choose . The wild flowers Of our

fields and hedgerows will,when tastefully arranged

in as natural a manner ' as possible,most favourably

compare with the choicest inmates Of our hothouses , if these latter have not . had th e sameartistic taste displayed in their grouping together .Instances in proof Of this may be frequently seenat the horticultur al exhibitions held throughout thelength and breadth of the country during thesummer months . D isappointments have t h erebybeen occasioned to those exhibitors who have reliedon thewality Of their flowers to gain the covetedawards , when to their dismay they have seen othercompetitors placed before them with tastefully arranged vases composed Of selections from commonerand less pretentious subj ects . I would strongly urgethose who desire to excel in dinner-table and

other decorations also , to pay close attention to thevariety and different tastes in arrangement that arebrought together on these occasions. N otes Shouldbe made Of such meth ods and selections of flowers asappear the most effective

,and the first Opportunity

sh ould be taken to improve upon the hints thusgained for decorations in the home cir cle. By thismeans a more ready knowledge of the best applicableuses Of various flowers Will soon be gained.

In the arrangement Of cut flowers and foliage forall decorations, there are many subsidiary points tobe considered .

MA Q E R I AL S .

In order to attain the desired end Of securingan artistic arrangement, it is necessary to have aknowledge Of what flowers are best adapted forthe vases or epergnes that are intended to be used

,

SO that they can be displayed to the best advantage in the same . By thismeans any waste inmaterial can be obviated, or reduced to the lowestpossible limit . For instance, in some cases flowerswith Short available foot-stalks could be arrangedwith good effect, whilst in other instancesthose withlong stems would be Of far greater service. Lengthening the stems in an artificial mann er with wirecan

,Of course, be performed, but it ought to be

avoided in all practicable cases for the better preservation of the flowers .

G round-work ofj

th e D esign .— Many per

sons make it a practice to arrange vases Of cut

flowers without having previously inserted some fernor foliage as ground -work. Thi s is

,we think

,

a mistake,and especially in the case Of large- siz ed

arrangements, which necessitate the use of agoodly quantity Of material in the form Of flowers .In all table decorations

,other than small specimen

glasses,we find the work is far more easily per

formed by making good use Of fern-fronds at thecommencement . The Maidenh air fern is always afavourite with floral decorators but many use it asa finish to their work,

Whereas we think,and have

found from practice, that it is best used before anyflowers are inserted at all . Over a ground-work ofmessth e fronds Of this and other ferns with miscellaneousfoliage can be so arranged as if still on theplant

,in a natural-growing position . Af ter the

insertion Of the requisite foliage,the flowers can be

arranged to give tone and harmony to the whole.Thus We Should be toning up to the requiredstandard in colour eflect ; not, as many would haveit done

,by first placing the flowers (in a far too

' methodical mann er oftentimes) over the entiresurface

,then toning clown by th e addi tion Of fem

fronds,&c. Comparison between the two methods

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1 28 CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

tO -a trumpet vase of medium height. Only recentlywe used them in this way for a dinner-table decoration, some Of the catkins measuring fully ten inchesin length.

Of the inmates Of our conservatories,green

h ouses, and stoves, there are a great manyp lantsofshrubby growth whose flowers are never seen tobetter advantage than when in company with theirown foliage . The Cape Jasmines(G a rdenias) may bequoted as a notable case ; the bright glossy green oftheir leaves will make the best background possible

,

a nd if a few smallsheetscan be spared,SO much the

Fig . 1 .— AN AR R AN G EME N T WITHOUT MAI D EN HAIR OR AN Y OTHER FE RN .

better . It will at times entail a sacrifice of one Ormore partially-developed flowers if much growthis taken Off with the fully-expanded bloom

,but

smaller pieces of undergr owth can be got to go Withthe blossoms in such cases . Th e large and variousfamily Of B egonias afford usa class Of plantsthat can be made to“ do good service in decorationswithout the aid Of other foliage . The handsomeleaves of some Of the varieties

,as -B . meta llica

,B ;

inca rna ta p urp urescens, and other types, chiefly suchascome under the classification of “ OrnamentalFoliage varieties, are all most valuable when ap

propriately used. The beautiful shades of colourto be found in the Camellia need no other foliagethan their own deep green leaves to set them Off

to advantage . The graceful foliage of many Speciesof the numerous family Of Acacias forms an ampleaccompaniment for their pretty spikes of bloom .

W ith the Epacri s, the addition of a few Sprays ofEri ca s that nearest resemble the common Heatherwill be all that is required

,such for instance asE .

caf ra,E . gra cilis, and E . mela ntlzcra .

B esides the few cases of exterior aid from otherthan the foliage of each given genus Of floweringsubj ects that we have quoted as samples

,there are

numerousmost useful helps to be found both amongour hardy plants and tender exotics also . Of theformer, the species of Sedge G rass (Ca rer ) are at alltimes of service in arrangements Of any Liliaceousplants ; another near ally is to be found in the

Cyp erusa ltcrniy‘bliasof our stoves, isde

serving Of more extended use than it often meetswith . An other handy grass is the VariegatedArundo or R ibbon G rass Of our gardens somewhatresemblin g this

, but more graceful in habit , is the .variegated Eula lia jap onica Of our green-houses .The Equisetumsor Horse- tails are in Characterwhen used with Water- lilies and other water orbog plants. Some people use the leaves of theP ampas G rass, after having split the same with acommon pin into narrow str ips ; we do not, however

,approve Of such methods being resorted to .

The‘

“

Meadow R ue (Tha lictrum a diantif oliam) , alsocalled the Maidenh air Thalictrum,

is a very usefulsubstitute for fern when the latter is sca rce. Thesmaller-leaved forms Of Ivies make most beautifulbackgrounds , and in rustic arrangements can befreely interspersed with the flowers . Of the Ivies

,D ECOR ATIVE USE OF FLOWER S. 1 29

we prefer those which assume a bronz y hue during Veitchii) isat all times Of service when it can beth e autumn and winter months, al so the kinds with Obtained in good condition, and thi s is almost in

foliage . A few Of the variably case . varieties grape

Fig . 2.— A FR EE AR R AN G EMEN T or FLOWER S, FER N S, FOLIAG E.

vari egated formsare also very pretty, especially one vine (Vitisheterop /zylla ) that are g rownas climbers0 1

’

two kindsWlth a tinge Of pale pink around th e for th e beauty -Of their foliage, are

all very prettyedges Of the leaves. D uring the autumn months, in larger forms Of decorations . The foliage too isalso, the Virg iman Creeper furnishes a useful addiw valuable in garni shing the dessert

,thereby saving

men, the pOIntsOf the sheetsin particular. The the otherwise almost constant demands upon th osesmall-lesa ved species Of the same genus (Amp elopsis kindson which we rely for our grapes(Vitis3

CASSELL ’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

oimfcra ) Of the Honeysuckles , two or three kindsare very pretty when used in fairly long Sprays:thevariegated form (Loniccra a urco and thefree-flowering white variety(L . bra chyp oda ), are twoof the best.Among green-house plants andclimbers, we haveseveral valuable helps ; one of the best is Ficusrepairsand itssmaller form,

E . rep cnsminima . These canbe grown on any damp

,greenWall

,that would other

wise be an eyesore . The variegated variety Of

Sola riumjasminoiclcsis a pretty thing in its way whenused in fairly long pieces . From the stove -house weObtain a wealth of richly-coloured and diversifiedfoliage that is a most material a id in all choicedecorations ; supplies of which may Often be takenin lied Of using SO many flowers

,giving, by SO doing,

a gr eater variety in the arrangements , as well asbeing a considerable saving in flowers also . Smallleaves of the Alocasias

,such asA . meta llica , A . ma cro

rhiz a caricga ta , and A . J crmingsi, can be eff ectivelyarranged with bold flowers . Their near allies, theCaladiums, are another type of useful ornamentalleaved plantsto cut from ; 0. a rgyrites(the Silverleaf Caladium) being the very best Of the wholegenus, yielding an immense number Of its smallleaves during a lengthy season . Like the Alocasias,the small leaves Of all the

'

oth er’

sortsof Caladiumswill be found the most available .The South AfricanAsparagus(A . p lumosasnanas)

isone of the most valuable additionstha t have beenadded to our collections of late years . To the floraldecorator it is an inestimable aid in almost any kindof arrangement . Its beautiful branches , which a re

finer than the fronds Of the most delicate fern, areOf a bright cheerful green . Spray s Of this Asparagushave the valuable property of retaining their freshness in water for two or three weeks ; I havekept it in good condition myself in rooms wherea quantity Of gas isdaily consumed, for the lessertime named. Thesame spray can be used for nightsin succession, without the a id of water to keep itfresh, provided it be placed in water during theday

-time Thisproperty Of great persistency willcause it to be much sought after when it becomesbetter known. The great drawback to ' its moreextended cultivation at present is the difficultythat is experienced

,by expert propagators even

,in

increasing the stock. Asp a ragustea a issimusis another beautiful Species

, also from SOllth Africa ; itis quite distinct from A . p lumosasnanus, and betteradapted ' perhaps for entwining around the slenderstems Of many glass vases th an that Species . Thesekinds of Asparagus will in time be formidable rivalsto,our more favourite ferns

,on which SO many now

rely_

for out purposes. Cissusdiscolor is an "Old

fa vourite, without a rival in its way ; nothing sur

passes the richness Of the markings Of its beautiful" leaves before they arrive at maturity . Long She etsof thi s Cissus, when grown in a

‘

fair amount of sunshine, are beautiful Obj ects if stretch ed out on “ awhite table-cloth , or for circling among the branchesOf silver epergnes .The large family Of Crotons

,to which SO many

choice additions have been made Of late years,gives

usan immense variety Of richly-coloured foliage .The individual leaves of the broader forms andmanyof the long pendulous types can frequently be turnedto good account for dinn er-table decorations

, Showingto advantage when under artificial light . Thenarrower-leaved varieties ca n be used in the formOf Single Shoots also ; any beautifully colouredshoot even, Of either form ,

might be cut from theplant and used for one night

,and in the morning be

returned to the garden for propagation without anyfear Of injury. The Fittonias give ussome beautifulObj ects for dwarf arrangements and as a carpeting totable plants . E . a rgyronca ra is the best adapted forcutting from, looking very prettywhen dotted over afresh tuf t of Sclag inella denticula ta . Th e Marantasfurnish uswith a distinct type Of foliage , that associates well with white and light-coloured flowers .The leaves

,however

,have a propensity Of Curling up

and becoming unsightly in a few hours . The beautiful spathes of Ma ranta Wa rsccwicz n are most welcome when in flower

,the ivory-white contrasting SO

well with the dark velvety foliage . Amongst theScrew P ines we make good use Of one variety in acut state— viz . ,

P andanasgraminifolius. Its grasslike foliage is very light and elegant . The SteveG rass (Pamicam oa ricga tam) is so well known, itscarcely requires any recommendation . Small sh eetscan be

' worked in around the bases Of such flowervases as are dressed out so as to rest on th e tablecloth

. P aullinia t/za lictrif olia will be found mostserviceable

,being both elegant and distinct in its

growth,which is semi-scandent . Sh eetsof moderate

length will produce a beautiful effect as a margin toany vase Of a foot or more in height , allowing th epoints tO almost touch the cloth. The handsomeshell-like leaves of the P eperomias are very appropriate additions to many arrangements ; they lastwell too in a cut state, and supply uswith a substitutefor Caladium a

’

rgyritesduring the winter months .B eing freely produced, one can well afford to cut

them liberally . The Tradescantias, again , give usanother variety Of foliage to which we can turnprettyfrequently without fear Of Injury.

Another beautiful climbing plant is Myrsip hyllumaspa ragoides, from the Cape Of G ood Hope ; if this begrown in a temperate house

,with the convenience Of

an Open border, so that its roots can ramble at theirOwn will, an abundance Of material for entwining

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2

'

CASSELL’S POPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

viouslymentioned(S. dentwmam}. There are others,however

,that are well worthy of a place in almost

all kinds of a rrangements . The Blue Selaginella(S. m ate!) is of much value ; itsextended form ofgrowth causes it to be often sought after by decorators

.as a pendant around small glass vases . S. um

brosa , S. canescens, S . inwgua lifolia , S. Ma rtensii, and

its variegated form,

‘

S. stolomgfera and S . Wildenovii,are all choice additionsto almost any decorations , possessing novelty anddistinct foliation . These latterkinds are not so frequently made use of as theymight be

,although they thrive under ordina ry stove

treatment,and could be had without much trouble in

most cases .

W ild P lantsa nd. G rasses. —Amongst Britishwild plantsthere are several genera that yield usan infinite source of pleasure in a decorative sense ,either from their flowers or their fruits ; and loversof the flora of our own country should obtainsuch kinds as come under their notice . For useduring the “

winter monthsthe G ladwyn (I risfwtidissima )

' ismost distinct and effective, withitsspikesbearing their seed-pods, which, astheyunfold when fully matured, exhibit their brilliantlycoloured berries . to perfection . It growsfreely

.

in the southern counties ,‘

in moist situa tions ,such ashedgerows and ditches . An excellent associate with the G ladwyn is the J

Cotton G rass,with itsfeathery plumes of soft down that arenearly white in

' colour ; its botanical name isEriop horum angustifolium. The Cats’ Tails (Typ ha )should be obtained for tall vases ; or they can

be used with the foregoing aquatics . The red berries of the G ladwyn, the white plumes of the grass,and the brown tail-like Spikes of the Typha wouldharmonise well together. To these also the AquaticG rass, G lyceria a gzmtz

’

ea,would be an appropriate

addition. Many more of the hardy British grassesare of the greatest use in floral decorations ; theseshould be collected when in their best condition, andlaid by for future requirements .Those ornamental flowering grasses of our gardens

,

now much more sought after than formerly, are ofmost essentia l and valuable service to the decorator .The following are among

'

the best,and ought to find

a place in gardens of very limited extent— viz . ,

Agrostisnebulosa , andA . pulciwlla B rim gra cilis, andB . maxima

,the Q uaking G rasses ; Lagurusova tus, the

Hare’sTail G rass,very distinct ; H ordeum juba tum,

the Barley G rass ; Eragrostiseleg ans, the Love G rass,one of the lightest and best for autumn use ; B romuspa tulusmamas, of recent introduction, and distinct inhabit. The foregoing kinds are all annuals, andare readily raised from seed every spring. B e

sidesthese there are Stip a p inna ta , the well-known

Feather G rass ; thisis easily increa sed by div1 81 on,or can be also raised f rom seed, but being a perennialwould not produce its flowering plumes the sameseason as sown . G ymnotkrz

'

x la tif olia is likewiseuseful, itsgraceful foliage constituting its chiefvalue . EricmthusR a reamw (Man’s B eard) , andArundo consp icua (th e Silvery Arundo), are both

' ofimportance in la rger- siz ed arrangements ; each ofthem somewhat resemblesthe P ampas G rass (G yneriam a rgenteum) . This latter well-known plant ofour gardensyieldsspikes rather too large for‘ mixedarrangements

,unless

'

of extra dimensions, but fortall vases is alwayseffective . The two foregoingkindsshould, therefore, be used in preference whenrequired to associate with ' Liliaceous plants andflowers . In order to economise these floweringgrasses for futur e uses during the late autumn and

winter months,each kind in sufficient quantity

should be picked when in good condition ; not lefttill they begin to fade . Af ter this has been done,each sort should be placed in a gla ss j ar or otherreceptacle sui table for the purpose, but withoutwater. They are better not tied in bunches, merelyplaced therein in a loose mann er ; this is preferablealso to the custom sometimes followed of suspendingthem by their stems. In this latter manner thenatural style and elegance of growth is oftentimeslost as the grasses become dr ied.

'

An airy room isthe best place to keep them in

,being careful toavoid

any accumulation of dust as much as possible .

H a rdy F lowersa nd P la nts— In unisonwith these grasses there are several flowers, which,from their long durability and property of retaining their colours fairly well , are known by theterm of Everlasting Flowers . These are

“

of theutmost service and value to all whose gardens donot furnish them with suflicient natural flowersthr oughout the entire year. A reserve of some ofthe best of them may advantageously be kept bythose even who do

,as a rule

,rely on fresh flowers at

all seasons . In ca ses of emergency, either thr oughmisadventure or from extra demand, they will befound quite capable of filling the place of fresh productions. From the hardy herbaceous plants wecanselect several examples, which, if not so showy assome

,are yet attractive by their light appearance,

intermixing amongst larger flowers with good eff ect.The Statices, or Sea Lavenders

,are of this class,

and will be found very . useful . - G ypsophila p anir ula ta is also most light and elegant . The G reatThrif t

,or Armeria cep h a lotes, with attention in dry

i‘

ng , can be turned to good account . G napha lium’

ma rga rita ceum and G . a rena riumh th e former having.

white and the latter yellow flowers,are each of ser

vice . These are much sought after for immor

- D ECORATIVE USE OF FLOVVER SQ

and usually imported from the Continent .Of annuals easily raised from seed

,we have an ex

cellent choice . The best are A croclfia iam roseumand its double form

,also the white variety

,

A . a lbum. These have slender stems,and easily

arrange with the grassesafore-named. The purpleand white forms of X erant/wmam ana uma , both singleand double varieties, can be used in a similar way.

So a lso canthe light and pretty 'R hodanthes,both

pink and white varieties . The two forms ofR . ma cula ta are probably of strongest constitution.

Their flowers should be taken for keeping purposesjust as the maj or part of the blossoms are about toexpand . The well knownHelichrysums are valuableat all times whilst their flowers can be had, and beingof easy culture

,come within the reach of the many.

For‘

drying to use later on,the half developed

buds,and those too which are about to expand

,

will be found the best . These had better be suspended in small bunches, or tied in rows on stringsto dry ; another good plan is to thrust the flowerstalks through the meshes of a piece of fish -netting

,

with the flowers upwards and exposed to the sun .

These are among the best of the tender annuals,re

quiring slight protection if sown early. The G reenhouse Annual

, G omp /trena , or G lobe Amaranth, intwo or three different colours

,is another very pretty

addition to the list,very distinct from any of

_the

foregoing .

From green -house plants,we have the Apfielea is

in various shades of purple and pink,

and theP imnocoma .p rohf era , very similar ln form,

but quitedistinct 1 n colour

,being of a crimson shade. These

are both choice additions to any collection of everlastings ; but, like many others , must not be left onthe plants till they are faded. Those that are required for drying purposes should be taken off assoon as the centre of each flower begins to darken 1mc

colour,looking somewhat like mildew . From the

green-house also there are the pretty forms of Statice the bright blue sheath-like envelopments ofthe smallwhite flowers retain their.colour for manymonths

,without any trouble . Sta tice imbrz

’

ca ta isone of the best for these requirements, always perfecting an abundance of itslarge spikes. S. pro

fasa , a smaller-growing form,is likewise most flori

ferous,and of a paler shade of blue .

’

Both speciesare well worthy of cultivation for out purposesalone.From our hardy shrubs we can secure some assistance, also as a reserve when fresh flowers are not sonumerous . One species of Sama ch (R imsCotinus}furnishes uswith quantities of feathery spikes thatcan t,be turned

' to a good account in cases ofemergency . The long shoots of the common Barberry(Berberisa a lg arz

’s), wh en loaded:with their pretty

1

racemes of brilliant-coloured fruit,are a great aid.

Branches of the Strawberry Tree (ArbutusUnedo) ,when well cropped with their gaily-coloured bunchesof berries

,make an effective arrangement by re

ducing their surrounding foliage in a liberal manner .The cut-leaved Brambles are another instance inwhich both the foliage and fruit can be effectivelydisplayed. The handsome bunches of the latter

,

when fully ripe, are no mean decoration with theirown foliage and some few other gaily-coloured

,

autumn -tinted leaves as a contrast thereto . Amonghardy annuals there are some good ones that onesca rcely ever sees made use of to any extent.G ypsop hila elegans, and its rose-coloured form,

are twoof the lightest-looking flowers imaginable ; insignificant

,some may say

,who know not their value as a

finish to floral decorations . Let such, however, try_the use of them a. few times

,after which we think

they will be more.favourably impressed with their

utility. (Juculia coccinea (the Tassel Flower) “is verystriking

,and at the same time of much use . Cam

p anula Loret’

,and its white variety, are two annuals

readily raised from seed, and very pretty for intermixing with larger flowers .From the numerous classes of biennials, perenn ials ,and herbaceous plants, there are many kinds thatshould be more grown than is often the case, tosupply the decorator with a greater variety. It may bewell to . enumera te a few that may advantageously

'

be

added to any collectionwhich does not already includethem

.The newer kinds of Columbine are an instance,

of which A quilegia calif ornica hybrida , A . caerulea

hybrida , and A . clzrysa/ntha are three of the best:Chelone ba rba ta coccinea , a near ally of the showyP entstemons, is excellent for the cornucopias of glassstands or epergnes, and with it may be used G a uraLindkez

'

meri, whose spikes , with its pink and whiteflowers,

'

a re always pleasing. Humea elegansfurnishes uswith another light and graceful subj ect forusing in a similar way. Sa lm

'

a p a tens, with its richblue blossoms , can always find admirers ; and Sp irwaAmmcus(G oat’s Beard), if only moderately used(oneSpike alone being enough) , is always telling. D uringthe autumn months the Starworts in great varietywill aflord a quantity of material for out supplies.Aster Amellusis one of the best of these pretty D aisylike fl owers .

‘

The Japan W ind-flower (Anemonejap onica ) , and its white variety, are both simply invaluable during the same season of the year. Thelatter kind is one of th e prettiest white

.

flowers weh ave . Bocconia corda ta , with its immense paniclesof flowers

,if not strikingly effective , yet supplies a

good amount of material for large stands and vases .Th e Spikes of the Op lziop ogons(Snakes’ Beards) arevery pretty when interspersed among flowers withshorter stems . The dwarf vari eties of Veronicas

1 3 4 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

(Speedwells) of the h erbaceous section are also ofgood effect when used in the same way .

N umerous other examples might be given offlowers that are of most essential service in florala rrangements, but any close observer will readilydiscern any novelty which presents itself to hisnotice

,and place the same under requisition to supply

a change from the ordinary routine of decorations .Experiments should be made both in the materialemployed and at the same time in the methods of arrangement. Frequent repetition of the same design,with more or less the same kinds of flowers, shouldbe studiously avoided ; otherwise the best of _

flowers,with tasteful grouping even

,will grow wearisome

to the eye,and thereby their beauties will be passed

over unnoticed.

MAN AG EMEN T AN D P R ESER VATION or MATER IAL.

Th e F ounda tion — Water may fairly be considered as the best of all aids that can be broughtinto" requisition for the sustenance of cut flowers

,

and, where any choice of the same can be exercised,wewould at all times

'

prefei' rain-water in preference

to that which has been drawn,either through great

lengths of pipes or from deep wells . For some kindsof arrangements sand of fine quality will be foundof great service when this is used a layer of greenmoss is an essential help in hiding the sand fromview. Failing the moss

,a beautiful carpeting can

be had by using some tufts of Selag inella denticula ta ,though this method would by some he consideredextravagant . Little sprigs of Box-leaved Myrtle(Mg/rtusbuxif olz

’

a ) would be an excellent substitute,for those who can succeed in cultivating it in theopen air of the more southern countie s of England.

The common Box of gardens(Buxus) is perhaps themost readily obtain ed when moss cannot be had ;small shoots of this shrub would last out severalarrangements . Use moss , however, when it can behad, as it is of valuable service in conservingmoisture for the better keeping of the flowers . Thegreat advantage in using sand and moss in combination, is in the assistance thereby gained in retainingthe flowers in their desired position when usingshallowvases or glass dishes . Sufficient water shouldbe added thereto in order to saturate the sand

,with

out destroying its consistency in th e retention of theflowers in the position in which they have beenplaced.

Stems— It is a great assistance to those whoarrange decorations to have all the flowers cut withasmuch available length of foot- stalks and stems aspossible. The flowerscan th en be used and displayedwith far greater ease than is the case whenvery shortstems have to be ‘dealt with ; the character

i

.

and habit of g rowth will likewise aid in the generaleffect . I t

'

is a mistake very frequently madesometimes

,no doubt

,for fear of injur ing the plant

or shrub,as the case may be, but more often, we

think,through thoughtlessness— that the flowers are

cut with needlessly short stems. All who cut theirown flowers will easily be able to secure their desir ed endsin this respect . In

'

the case of somepot-plants of slow growth, due caution must nedessarily be exercised. Small bushes, for instance , ofCamellias must be leniently dealt with ; but from largeplants of the same genus tha t are in robust health afair amount of stem majr be secured, with even ad

vantage in the case of prominent shoots,inducing

back breaks to be made from buds that would insome instances have remained dormant .

’

The slowgrowing Ericas from the Cape of G ood H ope, - andsome few genera of N ew H olland plants

,will need

to be carefully treated. The greater 'portion of theEpacris from the latter country furnish us

,on the

other hand,with a most abun dant supply of flower

Spikes of excellent length ; these we have found tobe of most valuable service from October to March .

Th e flowers of Cyclamen p ersicum should never becut

,but be separated from th e corm by a gentle

twist with the thumb and finger, giving also a slightgain in the length of the foot- stalk. La chena lia

tricolor and .the other species should be operated onin the same manner as the Cyclamens .All flowers , too , should be chosen for such designsas will best display them to advantage . The errorisoftentimes made of using flowers in an unnatura lmanner:in the case of the Fuchsia, for instance, Ihave seen it worked into an arrangement in whichits pendent flowers were made to look upwards, andtime had been wasted in either wiring the blossomsor using other means to thi s end. The red andwhite forms of Lapageria are another example,whichby careful wiring I saw made to stand erect, insteadof being used in a natural way, as they ought to be .

All such errors should be avoided.

Use of G um .— Some kinds of flowers

,from

their liability to soon dropping, either from off theirfoot- stalk

,as in the case of the single Chinese

P rimroses (P rimula sinensis), or from shedding theirpetals

,as in th e case of the P elargoniums of th e

single types, have ceased to be used by some th roughthis failing . This dr awback to the use of these andsimilar subj ects can easily be overcome by the application of a little liquid gum .

’

This,if done with

care, will fix the flowers and petals_for a more

lengthened period . W e make it a constant practiceto gum our Camellias before using them in specimenglasses . In doing this we choose a small camel’shair brush

,and with it apply a fair amount of the

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CASSELL’S P OPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

many preparations of coal-tar varnish . This addsgreatly to their . durability if the

'

frames are whatare called .cool or cold ones. But in cases wherehot dung isused under or around the frames

,-it

matterslittle whether they are painted or not,as

th e gases, in the manur e speedily remove the paintor destroy its powers of protection . If good wellseasoned - deal is used, it isastonishing how longgarden frames will last.The length of garden frames is generally measured '

by. the number of lights .the phrase

,one

,two

,

three,and four-light

frames . They are

seldom made longerthan four lights

,and

three are the mostpopular for culturalpurposes, one ortwo-light frames being more generally'

used for“

the raisingof seeds and fostering of cuttings or of.seedling plants .The depth and

Fig . 1 2.— Span-roofed Frame.

the width of frames are,to some extent

,partially

influenced by their length ; but this is not necessa rily the case, and Occasionally— especially in thegardens“ of amateurs— one-light frames may bemet 'with of the .most enormous and unwieldy dimensions.The width of frames means the length of sash

,

which is mostly from one to two or eyen three feetmore than its width . The a verage width of sashesranges ' from three feet to four feet

,thr ee and a

half feet being a common width,and the length of

the frame is the breadth of one or more sashes .Thus, the length of a one light-frame will be mostlythree . feet, three and a half, or four feet,and th ewidth four, four and a half, five

,or six feet.

Two frameswill. thus be seven or eight feetlong andsix or seven feet wide, and so on three

H ence we have

Fig . 1 1 .- One-ligh t Frame.

lights, twelve feet long and six feet Wide, and so '

of others .But

, of cour se, these siz es may be changed.

P erhaps the most common one-light frames are fourfeet wide and three long . A handy siz e for twolights is seven or eight feet long and six or sevenwide. Lights are , however, occasionally made larger_ four and a half or five feet wide and ‘six

,seven,or even eight feet long. But in practice it isfoundthat these are too heavy for prompt and . eonvenientuse . The ponderous weight gives rise to serious

breakages , and thereis no advantage

, but

the reverse,in hav

ing portable lightstoo heavy. Henceth e popularity of sixby four feet porta‘

ble frame sashes .Three-light framesare also generallypreferred to four,five

,or Six - light

,

for similar reasons .N either is there anybenefit in having

Fig . 1 3 .— Hip -roofed Frame .

larger frames,for assuming that frames and lights

are made of uniform siz es,which they Should be

,no

thing can well be easier than to extend the frames toany desired extent by simply placing several side bySide . Or, if that is thought better, the sides may betaken out where they meet in th ose cases wherethese ~

a re bolted together, and thus two or moreframes be converted into one . N ot a few culturaladvantages may

,however

,be derived from using

frames with a limited number of lights . ' I t givesthe culturist more direct and special control overeach crop

,enabling him to foster one and retard

another at will,while the limited space occupied by.

the two ends,under four inches at the -most, is so

small as to be immaterial.G arden frames having more than one light are

,

strengthened with rafters running from back to

G LASS STRUCTUR ES AN D APPLIAN CES.

front, the upper surface being let firmly into theframe, level with its upper surface , while an inch orso of the central portion stands up as high as t h elights, to keep them in position when sliding up

or down . In a two-light frame one raf ter suffices,a

thr ee-light needs two,and so on

,an additional ra fter

being needed for every added light. These raftersare generally made of from two to four-inchstufl,

according to the width of the frame .The lights , whether one or many

,are made of

two -inchstufi, the styles varying in width from twoinches to four

,and the rails or ends from three

Fig . 1 4.— Loose Frames used to P rotect Trees.

to six inches: The sash-bars are formed of inch“

,

i‘nch —and-quarter,inch-and-half

,or two- inch deal

,

and are rebated to receive the gla ss . These used tobe morticed in at each end

,but now mere rebated

Splices of wood are frequently nailed on to the railsa t each end, and these serve most of the purposes ofthe former mode of fitting sash-bars . The numberof sash-bars in frame-lights is now much less thanformerly, for broader as well as longer squares areused . Eight rows of squares

,five inches

'

by eigh t,used to be the orthodox number in three-feet lights .N ow half that number of squares

,ten inches by Six

teen or eighteen inches,are generally used. For

common garden frames it is hardly advisable toenlarge th e squares beyond these siz es . The excessive portability— I had almost written mobility— of the lights slipping up or down, maybe

r

off andon, several times a day, subj ects the glass to excessive risks of breakage . These risks are increasedby covering with mats and more dangerous subl

stances , and hence. the reason of using small squaresand a considerable number ofsash ibars, which notonly add to the strength of the frames , but greatlyprotect the glass against breakages . N otwithstanding all the improvements in glaz ing

,and the rapid

development of‘

dry glaz ing,the old system of bed

ding in putty— and filling each side of the rebatedrafter with the same so as to form an angle— is thatmost generally used for garden frames . The glassmost commonly employed is about sixteen ounces tothe foot . Twenty-one ounce is sometimes used

,but

on the whole the sixteen-ounce is better,being so

much lighter,and with careful glazing and handling

afterwards it is not much more liable to breakage .The risk of breakage is greatly reduced Since thenumber of laps has been lessened and their siz esnarrowed to an eighth of an inch or so . The widelaps

'

were not '

only the cause of the semi-obscurityof the old f rame-lights

,but a fruitful source of the

breakage of the glass .The pitch or angle of garden frames is generallysecured by forming the ba ck from a foot to eighteeninches deeper than the front. Hence depths at

'

ba ck

of from eighteen inches to two feet , and in front off rom nine to fifteen inches . Much shallower framesare also used for many purposes, such asthe wintering of Cauliflowers, Lettuces, Endive, &c. Theseare frequently not more than

'

from a foot to fifteeninches at back, and from six to nine inches in front ,Such disparities of depth suffice " to carry Off thewater freely and to protect the frames a gain st drip .

Serious inconveniences, however, very often arise in

1 3 8 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

practice from the di sparity of depth in gardenframes .

'

The plants in f ront have barely time tostart till they crush their heads against the glass

,

while those at the back not seldom become drawnbecause of their distance from the same. Toremedy such evils and provide a uniform h eight overthe entire area of the frames

,the latter may be made

of the same height at front and back,and the Slope

or pitch secured by placing On a bed or base withthe desired fall .Each Sash is furnished with a strong iron handle,

firmly bolted or secured on to the centre of the toprail

,as in Fig . 1 1 . Thi s is a most important adjun ct

to a garden sash-frame , whi ch is almost in perpetualmotion in most gardens thr oughout the growingseason.

Other forms of garden frames,such as hip and

span-roofed ones (Figs . 1 2 and have recentlybeen introduced and strongly recommended at different times, and many years ago a dome- shapedgarden frame was invented and used in France ;but none of these have proved formidable rivalsto . the old-fashioned lean-to-roofed garden frame

,

which still holds its ground as the most eflicient

portable glass contrivance for the protection and cultivation of many garden plants . N ot a few

,how

ever,of the modern hip and span-roofed frames are

most conveni ent and useful . The lights are hungon a central rod passed through the apex

,or on

hooks fastened there, and the front lights can thus bethrown readily over on to the back ones in the caseof span-roofed frames ; or the back ones raised forventilation in the case of those of hip-Span form(Fig . G arden frames of those forms also affordmore room for th e storage of taller plants than thoseof the ordinary form ;

‘

but such advantages hardlycompensate for the additional cost of production and

the greater difficulties of working and covering theframes in cold weather.

D iffe rent Sortsof G a rden F r am es— Thesehave generally been divided into three classes— thoseof cold

,temperate

,and hot-bed or tropical

.

frames ;but the distinctions are neither of structure nor ofsiz e, but Simply of temperature and uses . Coldframes are those from which the frost is only excluded. They are largely occupied with suchflorists’ flowers as P icotees

, Auriculas, &c. Temperate frames are largely furnished with bedding and the hardier green-house plan ts

,and should

be provided with a temperature of from 40° to 45°in all weathers . Tropical or hot-bed frames command a tropical temperature

,and are largely used

for the cultur e of Cucumbers and Melons,and the

growth of stove and other tender plants in a youngstate;

Th e F r am e or M elon G round — Asth is isdaily losing much of its Old significance

,a few sen

tenoes may prove useful to describe its character andusefulness . Thiswas mostly a warm Sheltered Spot

,

surrounded by high walls or hedges,with a warm

outlook to the south, south-east, south-west,or west

and a good ca rt-road for ready accessand egress ofmanures and soils. W ith a plentifulsupply of these ,and frames or pits in serried ranks or regular rows ,the Melon-ground became and continued a veritablehot-bed of rapid production . It was at once the mostinteresting

,profitable

,

‘ and productive spot in thewhole garden . Sheltered from all the coldest andmost generally prevailing winds

,its ‘ normal tempe

ratur e was mostly from5° to 1 0° above the average,

while the heat,husbanded by glass and augmentedat will by la yers of manure

,leaves

,and other fer

menting materials, furnished fostering a nd stimulating forces of the highest va lue

,and sufficiently

potent to meet the wants of cultivators .Though modern improvements in the construction

and warming of glass structures have relegated theMelon and frame ground toa place of seconda ryimportance

,yet no garden

,large or small

,is fully

furnished with the most useful horticultural ap

pliancesthat has not a frame ground. By placingframes tolerably close together

,Space

,as well as

warmth, ishusbanded and economised,though no

two frames must be placed so closely as for the onein front to overshadow the one behind. To preventthis a distance of the width of the frame

,with a

few feet to spare,will usually suffice. For exam

ple, between frames six feet wide, spaces from six toten feet should intervene .

O th er Usesfor G a rden F ram es— Amongthese the protection of fruit~treesor tender shrubs onwalls, Tea R oses, or other flowers or plants in theopen

,are the most obvious and useful . Our fir st

experience of the extreme usefuln ess of the accidental applica tion of portable lights was in thiswise — A narrow lean -to P each-house was formed ofold frame-lights . These were so nicely fitted togetheragainst a wall and narrow trellis

,and the enclosed

area so well heated,that the P eaches were ripened

and ‘ all gathered early in June . The lights wereimm ediately removed and fitted up in a rough wayagainst P each trees 1 n the Open. These were ripenedin splendid condition in a cold summer and district at the latter end of September and early inOctober.Since then every possible spare frame or otherlights have been utilised in the spring and inautumn . They are just as useful at the latterseason as at the former

,in impart-ing the highest

flavour to stone-fruits and choice P ears in the Open

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CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

‘

his genusincludes the G entiana of D ioscorides andP liny. Two Of the species appear to be natives Of theB ritish Isles, viz .,

G . Pneumona tlwand G . sam e . Thef ormer is known as the Heath G entian, and MarshG entian

,and it has local names

,such as the Autumn

B ellflower, and Harvest B ells, alluding to its time ofblooming

,and the form of the corolla ; Marsh G en

tian,from its growing in boggy places . It is a British

perennial,scarcely less beautiful than any Alpine

G entian, and bears beautiful blue tubular flowers aninch and a ha lf long. G . verna is the V ernal G entian ; it grows in Teesdale, and in a few places onthe western shores of Ireland . The blue Of thisflOwer is ofthe mostvivid andbrilliant description itis,in fact

,the

bluest of theblue— one ofth e m o 8 tcharming ofall Alpineplants

, _ andshould be inevery garden0 f h ar dyflowers. .It

m a y b egrown welli n s a n d yloam mixedwith brokenlimestone orgravel, and,indeed, it is not very particular as to soil, provided that it be mixed with sharp sand and grit

,

kept moist, and well drained. A very important “point in the culture of this plant is toleave it for several years undisturbed. G . a caulisisbest known as the G entianella ; it is a well-knownold inh abitant of our gardens

,growing close to the

ground, putting forth dense leathery leaves, andbearing -On stems

,two inches in length, large

solitary flowers, Of the deepest and most lustrousblue . In some places, such as

' the moist parts ofYorkshire and Lancashire

,where the plant does

well, edgings are made of it, and When dense infoliage and flowers they are of the most exquisitebeauty. It does well in a moist

,deep loam; it is

easily grown, and .it should not be frequentlydisturbed. G . Andrew

'

si (An drews’ or the ClosedG entian) grows about two f eet in height , and produces numerous terminal flowers in axillary clusters .The flowersnever expand, remaining as it were in

G EN TIAN A VER N A.

the bud,and are about one and a half inchesin

length,of a rich purplish-blue

,striped inside with

white. G . asclep iadea is a showy border plant, havingerect

,slender stems, two feet in height, producing an

abundance of purplish-blue flowers in long terminalclusters . Th is is a true herbaceous plant

,dying

down every year, and thus keeping perfectly safeduring the winter. Lastly we name G . sep temfida ,the Crested G entian, '

a lovely plant, bearing, on

stems six to twelve inches . high,flowers in clusters

,

cylindrical, widening towards the mouth, of a bea utiful blue and white inside

,greenish-brown outside

,

having between each of the larger segments of theflowers onesmaller andfinely cut.

This isa native of theC a u c a s usand one

,of

the most desirable spe

best in '

a'

moist sandyloam or peat ; that they suffer from drought, andshould have some amount of shade ; and they are allthe more deserving Of culture because they supplysuch rich hues of blue, purple, and violet.

G era nium or C ranesb ill.— Under this headwe do not . intend to treat of the P elargoniums ; forthough the P elargonium was at one time included inth e genus, which accounts for the existence of thecommon name G eranium as applied to them,

-it is nolonger so included

,though the P elargoniumswill he

certainly known as G eraniums for many years tocome . According to one auth ority

, G eranium isderived from G emmos, the G reek for a crane, theseed-capsules being beaked so as to resemble thehead and beak of that bird. W e have British and

imported species. “

Some Of the latter are veryhandsome

,forming dense

,leafy

,compact bushes of

foliage during summer, and fl owering freely and

continuously. G . p re tense, the Meadow G eranium ,is

COMMON GAR D EN FLOWER S. 41

G EUM COCCIN EUM.

a rather common native plant, but it hastwo double G .sangumemn, the B loody Cranesbill, the name refer

Varieties , the blue and the white, andboth are very ring to the blood-coloured or crimson flowers, and ithandsome, arid well deserving a place in the garden . Would be appropriate also to the purplish-red colourThey do well in good ga rden soil

,and can be in which the whole plant Often assumes after flowering.

creased by division of the roots. Then there is This is a native species,forming very neat and .

casse xsP OPULAR G AR D EN IN G )

somewhat Spreading close.

“

tuf ts, from one to two feet i

high._

The flowers are very showy, and it welldeserves

'

a place in the garden . It growson anysoil

,and is readily propagated by division or seeds .

G . a rgmteum is the Silvery Cranesbill , a lovelyAlpine form ,

with leaves of a silvery-white,and

large pale rose-coloured flowers. It comes fromthe Alps

,or D auphiny,

and the P yrenees,is perfectly

hardy,flowers in early summer, and is a gem for

association with the choicest plants on rockwork.

I t should have a firm,sandy

,well-drained soil . It

is freely increased by see'ds . G . a rmem’

um is a_neat

symmetrical plant, growing about two feet in height,bearing large

,deep purplish-crimson flowers

,and

does well in the Open border . G . cinereum is theG rey Cranesbill, a beautiful dwarf plant, formingtufts of silvery foliage six inches in height

,adorned

with numerous white flowers veined with purple .It is a plant that is particularly at home on rockworks

,and it seeds abundantly, and can be easily

raised in this way. G . Endressi is one of the brightestandmost effective of the family . The flowers areexceedingly numerous, and Of a bright rose-colour .This is one of the best of hardy perennials

,and it

grows and flowers freely in any good ordinaryborder soil. G . ibem

’

cum is, perhaps, the best of thestrong-growing varieties , forming handsome symmetrical bushes two feet in height

,the flowers as

large as a florin , and of a rich purplish-blue ; thi s isextra fine . One of the best-known is G . R ober tianmn

,

the H erb R obert . W e are informed that R oberticmum

refers to St. R obert, a B enedictin e monk, Abbot ofMolesme, who died A. D . 1 1 1 0.

°

Hisanniversary ison the 29th of April

,and, as thi s plant is then

beginning to flower,our R oman Catholic forefathers

dedicated it tohim. This similarly accounts for its

common name, H erb R obert. It is also called bysome the Stinking Cranesbill, on . account of itsstrong disagreeable smell, which is said to be Offensiv‘e to bed-bugs . This is so common

,being abun

dant_

onwaste ground, on banks, walls, and underhedges, and in woods in all parts of the country,that it is not much grown in gardens . Some finevarieties have been raised from it . They areannuals

,and increased by

' seeds .

G eum .— The origin of this word ' is geyo, to

stimula te the roots of some of them and of alliedspecies have the same properties as P eruvian Bark.

G eum is also kn own as Avens but the true form ofAvens is said to be G . urbanum,

a wild plant,which

grows abundantly in woods and hedges in Britain .

It is also known as the Herb B ennet. Avens is aword of obscure origin, quite unintelligible, and speltin several different -ways . Asthis plant was supposed

_to ward off the devil and evil spiri ts, venomous

serpents and wild beasts, it is possible that the G reekrendering in the sense of “ antidote ”ma ybe the original and proper form of the word:Herb B ennet(H erba

benedicta,blessed herb Avens

,so called

,P la

teariustellsus, because when the root is in the housethe devil can do nothing ,

’

andflies from it ; whereforeit is blessed above all other herbs . ” He adds that

,

if a man carries the root about h im,no venomous

beast can harm him ; further, that when it is growing in a garden no venomous beast will approachwithin scent of it . The Scarlet G eum of our ga rdensis G .

(intense,the Chili Avens

,introduced about 1 826,

a well known and showy ha rdy herbaceous perenn ial,

growing freely,and flowering profusely in any good

garden soil . A variety named coccineum is fromseed

,and Of a rich blood-colour this is also known

as G .

i

a trosanguinemn,the dark blood-coloured Avens.

The double form of this, G . coccineum p lenum, is agrand variety of the Old-fashioned S carlet G eum ,

having larger heads,and more numerous flowers of

a bright,daz z ling scarlet ; the flowers are double,

lasting a considerable time, and are invaluable forcutting. It can be highly recommended as a firstclass p erennial, and no choice collection is cOmpletewithout it. G . montcmum is the Mountain Avens ,from the Alps and P yrenees . It is a charming rockOr border plant, forming large, compact tufts of foliageand producing an abundance of showy golden-yellowflowers

,on stems nine to twelve inches high, and so

makes a very valuable perenn ial . Stony ground'

and

bankssuit it best . G . coccineum and its doublevariety can both be raised from seeds, which shouldbe sown in May toflower the following summer.

G ypsoph ila .—This represents a genus of plants,

containing both annual and perennial species, forwhich we have no common name. Th e name is derived from gypsos, chalk and p/tiZeo, “to love,” inreference to th e soil most suitable to them . There aremany hardy perennial species, but few of which a re

grown. G . Strztthium,a Spanish Species, is . said to

possess certain saponaceous properties, and is used bythe Spaniards for scouring instead of soap .

Th e G ypsoph ilas most deserving of cultivationamong the hardy perennials are:G ravens, or p opstra ta ; a valuable though not a brilliant plant , re

markable for its dwarf spreading habit, its multitude. Of pink or whiteflowers , veinedwith rose, on threadlike stems

,and its adaptability for rockwork orstony

ground . It is a native of the Pyr enees and Alps,growing six or eigh t inches high, and flowering insummer. G . cemstioidesis “ a new species. growing .

about six inches in height, producing innumerablepure white flowers, much larger than any oth er ofthis genus ; it is

_

a'

first- class border and rock plant. ‘

But th e best-known and themost valuable isG . poms.

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1 44 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

alluding to the delicacy and hair-like character of - There are a large number of Campanulas, andthe stalk on which it is so lightly pendulous, we will they are divided into three sections— annuals

,

CAMPAN U’

LA rnnsrcrroma

not to The common B lue-bell, or nials,and perennials ; while there are a few green

W ild Hyacinth(Settle nutans) , is regarded by some house varieties . It is only necessary to devote aas the Hare-bell . Some writers hold that Camp anula few lines to the annual forms ; the best are 0. a ttics,rotundif olia is the B lue-bell of Scotland, on whose Loreyi, and G . p entagom

’

a ; these are all dwarfh igh landsand heaths it is a common ornament. growing varieties, and seed can be sown in the Open

COMMON G AR D EN FLOWER S. 1 45

ground in early spring. Venus’ Looking-glass, orLadies’ Looking-glass(Sp ecula ria sp eculum), formerlycalled 0. sp eculum,

is so named from th e resemblanceof its flowers

,set upon their cylindrical ovary , to an

ancient mirror at the end of a handle . The name isgiven by Spenser in his Faerie Q ueene to a magicmirror

,in which a lady might see her destined

husband .

Among the biennial varieties a foremost place mustbe given to Camp anulu Medium,

th e Canterbury B ell,so named by G erarde from growing very plentifullyin the low woods about Canterbury in allusion, probably

,to the bellsso- called that were used bypilgrims

on their road to and from the shrine of St. Thomas .Itwould appear that this came originally from G ermany or Italy. Of Canterbury B ells there is now alarge group of very fine varieties, double

_ and single,vari ed in colour and singularly handsome . There is avariety called culycuutltemu, so named because the calyxhas broadened out and become a broad saucer- shapedsecondary flower. There are the blue and whitevarieties

'

Of this,and they deserve a place in everyg arden . Canterbury B ells are increased by meansof seeds ; these should be sown in boxes or in theopen border in May, and planted out in the autumnto flower the following summer . Seeds should besewn every year, and the plants require to beplanted in good garden soil so as to secure goodheads of bloom .

Of hardy perennial species and varieties,there is a

very numerous group . W e will content our selveswith indicating the most valuable of them . 0. ca r

p arties, the Carpathian Hare-bell, forms neat, compacttufts

,about a foot in height

,covered with large,

erect,blue flowers useful as an edging, bedding, or

border plant . Ca rp a tica a lbu is a pure white variety,similar in all other respects . They do well in anygood garden soil. 0. gurgcmicu, the G argano Harebell

,from Italy

,is an excellent dwarf species

,bearing

bluish-purpleflowers,with wh ite centres . It is well

adapted for rock-work,and for borders of light

gritty soil . g lomem tu dulturica . is a very finevar iety of the Clustered Harebell

,a very desirable

and handsome plant,invaluable for cutting

,or for

the decoration of the flower border . It grows abouteighteen inches in height

,forming a number of

stems producing clusters of flowers in the axils ofthe leaves, and terminating with large heads of richdeep purple blossoms ; one of the finest hardy plantsin“ cultivation . This does well in any good soil ; sodoes 0. grmzdis, the G reat Bell-flower, a fine Old

fashioned perennial , forming a bush three feet inheight , composed of spikes thickly set with largeblue salver-sh aned flowers ; there is a fine .whitevariety of this also . 0. gmmliflcm (more correctlyP la tyeodon gmmlzflorum) is the N oble Hare-bell, a

3 4:

very effective hardy border.

perennial, producing ,late in autumn, erect Spikes of large salver-shapedblue flowers ; this also has a white vari ety, and

they are both distinct in habit and bloom Irom all

(other Campanulas . G . H endersonit is a hybrid B ellflower of great merit

,possessing the characteristic

of flowering thr oughout the summer . The flowersare large and very numerous, of a pretty mauvecolour

,growing to about twelve inches in height,

forming a pyramidal outline . It is very vigorousin growth

,perfectly hardy

,and very distinct, doing

well in a good loam . C. p ersicz’

f cliu is the P eachleaved Campanula, growing two and a half to threefeet in height

,and bearing large

,broadly bell

shaped, ,blue flowers ; there is a white variety also .

The double white-flowered form of this (0. p ersici

f oliu a lba f lorep leuo) is'

one of the very best of thegenus ; the flowers pure white, in long closeSpikes ; very double, and exceedingly free-growing ;really a grand perennial . 0 . p ullu, the D arkcoloured Hare-bell, is one Of the best of the dwarfspecies

,forming in cool Shady situations carpets

Of the loveliest verdure, and numerous stems twoinches in height

,terminating with drooping deep

purple flowers ; very charming when seen in a mass .0. turbina ta ,

the Vase Hare-bell, is a sturdy littlekind

,four inches or so in height, and bearing,

for the siz e of the plant,huge

,very handsome,

deep purple,

cup- shaped flowers . It is of the.

character of G . ca rp a tz’

eu, but dwarfer, and withlarger flowers . There are several fin e vari eties ofthis

,and all do well on warm sandy Slopesor

borders . 0. Van Houttei is a very fine hybrid B ellflower

,one of the finest and showiest of this exten

sive genus,producing erect stems two feet in height,

bearing immense dark blue flowers,fully two inches

in length . A variety named p a lliclu is a counterpartof the preceding

,but with pale lavender- coloured

flowers .Of the green-house section we may mention twospecies only— one

,0. B urrelz

’

cm’

(Barrelier’sCampanula), a dwarf, trailing species, very suitable forpots and baskets

,bearing profusely large, pale ,

greyish-blue,saucer- shaped flowers ; a plant that

can often be met with in excellent form in cottagewindows ; and the great Chimn ey Campanula, 0.

pymmidulis, a noble plant for pot-culture, or theback of the herbaceous border, forming a pyramid,composed of numerous stems , four to five feet inheigh t

,each stem

_

being crowded with large,blue ,

salver-shaped flowers . 0. pyramida lisa lba is similarto the above in every respect, but bears white flowers .These two do well in good soil

,whi ch should be well

manured in order to insure fine flowers ; both can beraised from seeds . 0. B urreliem

’ does best in a grittysoil

,and a plant Of it wi ll last many years .

1 46

TH E P I N E -AP P LE .

BY W ILLIAM COLEMAN .

P R OPAGATION OF THE P IN E .

HE propagation of the P ine is easily efiected

by means of suckers, crowns , gills, seeds , anddormant buds .

Suck e rs— W ith the exception of very shy kinds,which do not produce suckers freely, there is nodifficulty in keeping up a good stock by leaving oneor two promising suckers near the base of each plantat the time it throws up its fruit. It is not necessaryto take Off the suckers before the Old stool is removedfrom the fruiting-pit , as they make very rapid growthduring the time they are feeding on the parentplants ; neither is it advisable to detach or pot themduring the winter months. Modern P in e-growers,who produce such astonish ing results in the courseof a few months

,generally leave the suckers on the

stools,which are Shaken out

,and re-potted in small

pots,till they become very large and ripe at the base,

with an abundance of embryo roots, ready to taketo the soil as soon as they are potted into eight-inchpots . Their age dates from the time they are potted .

Those from winter fruiters should be potted inMarch,

or any time during the summer, and those fromsummer fruiters not later than September:after thismonth

,detachment should be deferred until spring.

If well managed in a bottom heat of they arefit for the first and last Shift into the fruiting - potsin February. They are again grown on rapidly

,

until the pots are full of roots,when they are slightly

checked,but not starved, and they are ready for

starting by the time they are eighteen months Old.

In the preparation Of the suckers,all that is neces

sary is to remove a few of the small leaves from thebase and to cut the end smooth with a Sharp knifethey are then ready for potting. The pots should beclean, well crooked and dry, and from five to eightinches in diameter . The soil should be“ rich

,firm

,

fibrous,and free from animal manur e

,as it will form

the nucleus of the futur e ball of the plant,and on

this account nothing likely to become pasty Shouldbe used.

C rowns. —Young plants . of very scarce or shykinds, such as the smooth-leaved Cayenne , whichnever throws up many suckers , are frequently propagated from crowns ; but P ine-growers do notgenerally care for them

,as it takes a much longer

time to_grow them into fruiting plants , and

'

theprevailing impression is that they do not start sofreely or produce such heavy P ines as sucker plants .Formerly it was the custom to strip Off a few of thelower

‘

leaves, pare the fleshy part off the base,and

CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

lay them aside to dry before they were potted ; but itis better to pot them at once

,in very small pots

filled with dry fibrous soil,and plunge them in a

strong heat,where the moistur e from the fermenting

bed will keep them fresh until the roots are formed,

when they may be sparingly watered.

D orm a nt Eyes— Choice kinds which yield fewsuckers can be increased in the following wayWh en the old stools have produced the suckers whichstarted with or before th e fruit, strip ofi all the Oldleaves and lay them side by Side, in shallow boxessome six inches in depth

,to admit of two inches of

dr ainage and four inches of soil. Fill in and cover

G ills— These are off-sets resembling min iaturesuckers

,produced at the base of the fruit but being

very small, it requires a great deal Of time to growthem up to the siz e of ordinary suckers . They are

therefore seldom if ever used when good suckers canbe Obtained . The best mode of propagation is theinsertion Of a number of them round the inside ofthe rim Of a Six-inch pot

,and to pot them singly

when they are well rooted.

Se eds— Those who are interested in the raisingof new varieties

,and have the command of a good

stock Of patience,can indulge in the interesting art

of cross-fertilisation by impregnating the flowers ofone kind with pollen obtain ed from another. Th e

pollen can be conveyed with a camel’s -hair pencilwhen the atmosphere of the house is dry

,and the

two plants selected are equally advanced . Whenripe

,the seedsshould be taken out of the pips, and

sown at Once in light sandy soil placed in shallowpans and previously warmed by being plunged inthe bed over a temperature Of 90Q to Ifcovered to the depth of a q uarter of an inch withsoil

,and a bell-glass is placed over the pans, frequent

watering may be dispensed with , and the seeds willgerminate with more certainty than when theseprecautions are neglected. Wh en fit for handling,the young plants must be potted off in light peatysoil

,and replaced in th e closest part of the prOpa

gating pit,where they can have a good bottom heat

and be kept close to the glass . Asgrowth proceeds,they will require constant Shifts into

.

larger pots,until they have attained sufficient Siz e to be placedunder the ordinary treatment which will be recom

mended in the chapter on Cultivation . Asall

hybridists are anxious to ascertain with as littledelay as possible the result Of their labour, it isa . good plan to devote a small pit to the specialculture of seedlings, and to keep them constantlygrowing until th ey arrive at the fruiting

, state ,which willnot be less than thr ee years .

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8 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

growth will be encouraged on the commencement Ofwinter

,a condition from which

,as is well .known to

practical P ine-growers, no after-treatment can eu

tirely restore them .

Asfuture success depends upon keeping the plantsvigorous

,compact

,and sturdy through the winter

months,care must be taken that they do not Sink too

far away from the glass,which must be keptscrupu

lously clean ; that they do not become crowded tothe slightest extent ; and air must be given , as maybe most convenient

,either at the back or front

,so as

to avoid creating a draught.Assuming that the plants occupy a light pit andthe points of the leaves nearly touch the glass

,the

temperature throughout September should rangefrom 65° at night to 75° by day, with air , and 1 0°to15°more for a Short time after being shut up on fineafternoons

,with solar heat . Asdays decrease in

length , andsun-heat becomes feeble, a gradual fall inthe top and bottom heat should take place throughOctober to the extent of

,say

,more or less, a c

cording tO the state of the weather, so that by thebeginn ing of N ovember the bottom heat will rangefrom 76

° to and the top heat from 58° atnight to 65°by day. Asthere is no standingstill innature

,the Object thr ough the winter months should

be the maintenance of steady heat, which will keepthe plants slightly progressing. This is the safestand only means by which the roots can be kept in afresh

,healthy condition ; and as the minimum heats

contained in the preceding paragraph will be foundample

,they must not be exceeded when it is mild,

while in the event of unusually dark , h eavy, or severeweather se tting in, it will be found the most prudent ' course to descend a little from these figures, inpreference to following the old and now explodedplan of exciting the plants when they Should beresting.

W a ter .—If any of the plants are plunged within

the influence of the hot-water pipes,it will be

'

necessary to examine them occasionally

,and in the event

of the tan h aving become dry, a little water mustbe given

,not only to the plants so situated, but to the

tan as well. It is not, however, often necessary toapply water in winter

,as the plunging material is, as

a rule,sufficiently moist to keep the soil and roots in

a sound and healthy condition. Still, with hotwater pipes around and below the small pots, thereis always a possibility of some being affected by thedry heat

, and it is by paying timely attention tominor details like these that some succeed whereothers fail .In a preceding chapter attention was drawn to theimportance. of making provision

,be it never so

limited,for getting into the smallest pits in winter,

as well as for covering the glass in severe weatherduring th e hour s of darkness . Under the Old systemof management the first arrangement was not considered necessary ; consequently it often happenedthat for days and weeks together the lights could notbe Opened to admit of the daily details receivingtim ely attention . To compensate for thi s drawback

,

and to insur e what were considered snug and comfortable quarters for the almost hermetically encasedplants, a general turn-over took place as soon as thenewly-f allen Oak-leaves could be secured ; a violentbottom heat followed

,and the roots of every plant

perished, owing to their Subj ection to a temperatureconsiderably too high for P ines at any season of theyear . Some twenty-five years ago it was my

,

misfortune to take to a stock of P ines in May, whichhad been so treated . Every plant was rootless and

,

down to th e smallest succession,started into fruit .

Had the plants been allowed to remain in the oldplunging material un til February

,there can be no

doubt that the white,healthy roots

,which every good

P ine-grower new expects to find about that time,would have been present, and the loss of a number ofgood plants would have been avoided.

V entila t ion — In mild winters we experiencemany fine days , when a little air for an hour or twocan be admitted, without having recourse to extrafiring. Whenever thi s is the case

,a very small

Opening at the apex will change and sweeten theatmosphere ; great care must, however, be Observed,as the smallest chink willsoon tell upon the tempera ture, and sudden depressions are at all timesinjurious . But as a constant supply of fresh air isimportant , and we no longer have the Old six-inchsquares of glass with open laps

,forming a most per

feet system of ventilation, or filtration of the air,the best arrangement under the modern system ofglaz ing will be found in the introduction of slidingbrick ventilators under every light

,a little above the

ground-line,and opposite the hot-water pipes

,both in

the front and back walls . Asthese can be opened orclosed from the exteri or in all weathers

,and the air

so introduced becomes warm before it reaches thefoliage , plants can be kept in the best possible condi

'

tion‘

wh en the elements are adverse to top ventilation .

W inte r G rowth .— In P ine-growing establish

ments , where a good stock of plants in every stageof growth exists , the treatment here recommended forthe management of autumn suckers will result in theproduction of a set Of robust healthy succession plants,fit .for sh ifting in February

,and growing steadily on

into fruiting stock by the following autumn . But,

assuming that a general stock does not exist,and

fruiting plants are wanted with all speed,then a

THE P IN E-APPLE .

slight'

departure from the lineslaid down is Open tothe cultivator, provided he has the command of alight span-roofed pit like the engraving (Fig . inwhich the plants can be keptsteadilyg rowing underthe influence of a day and night temperature Slightlyin excess of that recommended for the ordinary stockof suckers . In a pit of this kind the plants willhave the benefit of every ray of light and sunshinethroughout the winter months

,moisture can be given

in moderation,and the increase in the day and night

temperature,instead of being bound by any hard and

fast line through a ll weathers,will naturally take

place when thesky is bright, and the external atmosphere is mild. In the selection Of suckers for thispurpose, the strongest of the Q ueens are to be preferred, as they grow freely and quickly into a fruiting condition. But unlessthe suitable convenienceis at command,not onlyfor growing the plantsthrough . the winter, butalso for resting

“them in ;

May, thi s attempt to ,

steala march will be best leftalone, as there is greatdanger of getting theplants drawn into a softweakly growth

,a con

dition which will mostcertainly defeat the Ob

j ect held in view,namely

,

the production of ripe fruit in little over twelvemonths after the rootless suckers have been potted.

Succession P lants— If all has gone “on well,

the plants which little more than five months agowere rootless suckers

,will now be considered Succes

sion P lants, a term by which they are usually distinguish ed from fruiters, and it is of these that we arenow about to treat .About the end of January

,or earlyin February,

the September-potted suckers will have filled theirpots -with roots ; but, owing to the unusual siz e ofthe pots which were '

used,and the possibility of a

protracted period of rough weather,there will yet

remain some two or three weeks,which will be quite

as well devoted to the gentle excitement of the roots,

and the necessary preparations for potting. Theexperienced P ine-grower can tell at a glance whenthe plants are ready for the final shift into fruitingpots, but the uninitiated will do well to make acareful examination of a few of the most promising

,

and if the roots are not sufficiently numerous,

to keepthe ball well together, the . Operation of shiftingshould be deferred until they are in a satisfactorycondition. In order to accelerate this process

,an

Fig .5.— SPAN -R OOFE D P i'r .

AA, P lunging -bed ; BB , dra ina ge ; cc, ventila tors; d, passa ge ; cc, h ot -a rr ch ambersoo, pipes.

1 49

early start being important, the top a nd bottom heatsmay be gradually raised about 5° higher than wasrecommended for the preceding three months atmosphericmoisture may also be Slightly increased , and,ifn eedful, a little warm water at a temperature of 800

may be applied to the roots . Under this treatment,

with the temperature ranging from 60° at night to

70°by day, the white , healthy roots will soon beginto push, and the best possible condition for pottingwill have been secured . If

,on the other hand

,anyof

the plants have become pot-bound, the balls shouldbe gently pressed with the hands until the roots canbe disentangled, as matted balls are apt to becomedry

,and the roots

,having pursued a Spiral direction ,

do not take so freely to the new compost . Moreover,

the watering of newly-potted plants in Februarybeing undesirable

,neglect

of this simple preliminaryOperation may result insome of the strongest andbest plants starting prematurely into fruit . W iththese hints for his guidance the intelligent ama~teur will ever be on the

watch,not only for th e

suitable condition Of h isplants

, but also for a mild,favourable period for the '

performance of the work.

P rep a ra t ionsfor P otting — “men it is bornein mind that the plants now under treatment willoccupy the petsto which they are about

’to be transferred until they have ripened Off their fruit, andmatured one or two suckers, it will be Obvious thatthis is one Of the most

.

important Operations , and, assuch

,should receive the greatest attention in all its

details . Some ten days before the time for Shiftingarrives every plant Should be examined, and wateredsufficiently to bring every particle Of the soil into ahealthy growing state

,and a little more air should

be given to prevent the excitement applied to theroots from affecting the leaves

_prior to th e removalto the potting-bench . D uring the few days whichwill intervene the necessary preliminaries in thepotting-Shed must be proceeded with, so that everything may be ready a t hand when a suitable day forpotting arrives . H aving thoroughly cleansed thepots inside and out

,let them be crooked with th e

same materials and care as was recommended forsuckers

,using the lower stratum Of crooks, also well

washed,a little coarser

,and finishing off with finer

particles quite free from dust .

'

S iz e of P ots.— The siz e Of the pots may vary

150 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

from ten inches in diameter for the second siz e , toeleven or twelve inches for the strongest and bestplants . P ots above this siz e will be superfluous

,and

the plants in the hands of the amateur will be moreliable to get out Of order ; indeed, very fine P inescan be grown in much smaller pots than the siz eshere recommended

,as success depends more upon

feeding at the proper time,and daily attention to

minor details,than it does upon a large mass of soil.

Having already discussed the soil,its preparation

,

and the necessary corrective ingredients,it is only

requisite to say that it must be dry ; but as thi sis a vague term

,it may be explained as meaning

a compostsufliciently free from moisture to admit Ofany amount Of ramming or pressing without becoming adh esive

,or losing its elasticity. In many

instances early spring plants have been potted insoil which has been much too wet

,and the unsa tis

factory progress which they have made has beenattributed to every cause but the right one . If

,then

,

the compost is not thoroughly satisfactory,it is better

to defer potting until it is made so by the additionof rough

,dry charcoal, or burnt earth , and exposur e

to the atmosphere of a house,where it can become

thoroughly warm before it is used.

P r ep a r a t ion of th e H ouse — If the house orpit intended for the reception Of the plants has beenpreviously used

,it should be thoroughly cleansed

,

the glass and woodwork well washed— the latterpainted

,if necessary— and the walls whitewashed

with quicklime and sulphur,for the twofold purpose

of destroying all insect lif e,and aiding in the diffu

sion of light and heat,two important points in the

management of plants at this early season . Thepreparation Of the plunging material will next require consideration . If new tan or leaves have tobe used for giving bottom heat

,they should be

collected,and well worked out Of doors, where they

can be protected from wet, to get rid of the violentheat before they are placed in the pit

,otherwi se

they will give much trouble in the future by becoming too hot for the well-being of th e roots . It isquite true that they will not be placed in immediatecontact with the plunging material

,consequently a

strong bottom heat will not injure them so muchdirectly as by forcing a weak

,elonga ted growth at a

time when it is all important that the plants should bekept dwarf and sturdy . To avoid this dilemma it isthe safest plan to sift all the old tan

,at least once a

year, and add a moderate quantity of new,either to

the surface or, in larger quantities, near the backand front walls of the pit

,to be properly mixed with

the Old when the bed again requires renovating.

When the Old tan occupies the centre of the bed,and

the Outside rows are plunged in the new,they are in

the most convenient position for rocking or liftingshould this undesirable Operation be found necessary.

G ood, sound Oak-leaves, if obtainable in proper condition in N ovember, though certainly a little more

troublesome than tan,are considered by many the

best for plunging purposes,as the gases

,together

with the moisture,which they are constantly giving

ofi, contain all the elements conducive to the vigour

and health of the plants . Therefore,when and

where these are constantly used,their preparation

should be commenced as soon as they are harvested ;then, as has been advised in the management of tan,their introduction should be piecemeal

, by placing asmall quantity of the new on the surface of the bed

,

and leaving the lower stratum undisturbed. Thegreatest drawback where leaves are used

,and the

old leaf-mould is not removed annually,is the ra

piditywith whi ch worms increase, and, asa matter ofcourse, find their way into the pots . N ow

,notwith

standing the fact that modern theorists have elevatedthese subterraneous workers by proving that theyfertilise and improve our pastures by raising tons ofsoil to the surface

,plant-growers in general

,and

P ine -growers in particular,dread their presence in

their plunging-beds,and very naturally use their

best endeavours to destroy them. The most effectualway is to remove all the infected matter, and, afterwell dressing the sides and bottom of the pit withquicklime, replace with new. If this is impractica ble

,

then the whole of the bed should be turned over,dr essed with lime as the work proceeds

,and made

firm and level,ready for the reception of the new

leaves .Where hot-water pipes are used for giving bottomheat, as is shown in the sections , all these difficultiesare reduced or done away with

,as the valves can be

opened or shut at plea sure, and th e h eat regulatedto a degree . The plunging material

,under thi s the

best of all arrangements,being ju st deep enough to

receive the pots , may consist of tan, cocoa-nut fibre,or leaves

,all good P ine-growers much preferring the

latter after they have once tried them .

P ottin g— W ith pots

,compost

,and plunging-bed

in satisfactory order, select a number of the best plantsfrom the pit ; but before turning them out of the pots,strip off a few of the lower short leaves to allow oftheir being placed a little deeper in the pots theyare about to occupy, as well as to encourage theformation of more surface roots from the h ard,brown part of the stem . When turned out removeall the old crocks , and every particle of loose , inertsoil . Carefully preserve the roots from injury

,and

proceed to fill the new pot with the roughest part ofthe compost , which must be moderately well ramm eduntil its level will admit of the top of the ball being

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152 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

down to the drainage really require a good supplyof this important element . P ractised growers cantell by the appearance of the plants when water isneeded

,and the unskilled can easily ascertain for

themselves by an examination of the soil,and the

ring of the pots— if dull and heavy,they may be

considered wet ' enough ; if sharp and hollow, waterwill do no harm

,although they maynot be suffering.

If provision has been made for storing soft water ,thi s will be found the best for watering and syringingwith . The temperature should not be below 80°

when it is applied,and the quantity

,it is hardly

necessary to repeat, should be sufficient to permeateevery part of the balls of the plants towhi ch it isgiven .

Summ e r Tre a tm ent — By the end of Aprilthe steadily-maintained bottom heat of combined with the stimulus produced by the supply oftepid water in the early part of the month

,will have

started the plants into good growth . The stemswill now begin to swell out, and the dark greenleaves

,by taking their natural mode of growth, and

spreading themselves out in every direction, so as tosecure the greatest amount of light

,will soon show

that the Space of two feet allotted to each plant,while giving them plenty of room,

is by no meansextravagant . If the weather is fine and mild thetemperature may be gradually raised to 70° as themean for the night

,or

,properly speaking

,the morn

ing , as after bright, sunny afternoons , when a goodlyamount of sun-heat can be shut in

,the house may

stand about 75° at banking- time, and gradually fallto 70° at daylight . A little night air

,admitted

through the front sliding ventilators placed Oppositeth e hot-water pipes , will do good service in keepingthe foliage stout and healthy un til the days increasein length and brightness

,when this danger, as the

necessity for sha rp firing decreases,will be reduced

0

Assun -heat and daylight increase,so must the

amount of atmospheric moistur e,by keeping the

evaporating-pans full of water, and damping _thewalls

,paths

,and surface of the bed at intervals

during the day . Overhead syringing at this earlyseason need not be frequent , otherwise the waterwh ich finds its way into th e axils of the leaves willdescend to the surface roots

,andmore than counteract

the good it is expected to produce . An occasionaldewing ov er

,however

,with a very fine syringe,which

will deposit the water in the form of spray,after

the house is closed with ' strong h eat,will be bene

ficial ; for, while cleansing th e foliage , it will soonbe absorbed by th e atmosphere

,and so produce con

ditionsin whi ch the P ine makes the most satisfactoryprogress .

Strong fire -heat,at all times obj ectionable, must

be reduced as much as possible by every meanswithin the cultivator’s reach consistent with th e

maintenance of the proper day and night temperature .The former can be considerably in creased by givinga chink of air at the apex as soon as thesun beginsto play upon the glass

,by gradually increasing it

un til the highest point,

is 1 ea ched, and by shuting up very early 1n the afternoon

,with the pros

pect

of the Confined solar heat 1 aising it to or a fewdegi eesmore . Asa matter of cour se

,the house will

be immwia tely syringed to counteract the drawinginfluence which would otherwise be produced. To

husband the heat so enclosed,the blinds should be

let down when night air is given,and drawn up

again when it is shut off in the morning. W ithmany P ine-growers who have an abundance of hotwater power at their command

,this important matter

does not receive the attention it deserves ; indeed,some di sregard night shading altog ether ; but letthem try the expei iment with two houses in everyrespect alike as to heating and aspect

,and they will

soon find that the consumption of fuel IS considerablyreduced

,while the warmth and steady humidi ty of

the interior are preserved beyond their expecta tions .All admit that growing P ines must have a plentifulsupply of moisture ; that this, as well as heat, escapesmore rapidly on bright moonlight nights than whenthe sky is overcast and cloudy ; and, further, that th ecold glass is a rapid condenser ; therefore, if th eglass could be kept as warm as the interior of th ehouse

,no heat would escape ; but as thi s cannot be

more than partially attained,good non-conducting

shading through the night will be found an invaluableboon to the P ine-grower .By the middle of May the roots will have foundtheir way to the crooksand sides of the pots, andunder the influence of the gr eat amount of sun -heatwhich can now be shut in, gr owth will be verymarked and rapid . Thi s will, of course , necessitatemore frequent attention to syringing and watering,or rather to the production of more atmospheri c moisture by damping th e walls and paths, and dewingthe plants overhead occasionally

,to keep the foliage

clean and fresh . Every plant should be examinedonce a week

, and if the soil appears dry some twoor three"~inches from the surface

,water

,tinged wi th

guano,may be given in quantity sufficient to reach

the drainage ; but the requirements of individualplants being doubtful, they may be allowed to standover until th e following week,

as the moistur e givento counteract sharp fire -heat through the night , andthe long period through whi ch they are kept in ahumid, feeding atmosphere after closing for the day,prevent the waste one might imagine:hence th eimportance of keeping the roots well in hand, and,

THE PIN E -AP PLE .

while avoiding a check from dryness,carefully

guarding against getting them into a wet state .Some three monthshaving elapsed since the plung

ing -bed was made up , it will now be necessary toascertain if anythin g is needed to keep it in propercondition . There are two evils to which P ine-bedsare liable

,and neglect of either of them

,now the

roots are working round the pots , may prove veryserious . If composed of fermenting material alone

,

whether leaves or tan,the efie ct p roduced by more

frequent watering,and the increasing power of the

sun,is sometimes so marked as to raise the tempera

ture of the bed several degrees in the space of a fewhours . To ‘ counteract this the plunging thermometer should be

!

carefully watched,and when the

heat exceeds 90°the pots should be rocked un til theystand loosely in the tan ; when the heat, often

'

transient

,has subsided

,the p lunging materia l may be

pressed back to their sidesa gain . Although theroots are extremely tender

,and easily injured by

strong heat,disturbance is not advisable if it ' can be

avoided -\but when deeply-plunged pots are kept in

very strong heat for any length of time the rootssuffer

,like the

,foliage

,by being drawn too fast, if

they do not get killed . The other evil to whichattention must be paid is what is termed “ heatingdry,” no uncommon occurrence when hot water isth e moving power , and tan or leaves the plungingmedium. I t sometimes happens that deep

,old tan

beds get dry, but in either case the remedy is thesame— the application of water in such a way that itwill pass through the tan without touching the roots .If the plants have got too low

,or too thi ck

,an event

of thi s kind offers a good opportunity for lifting,and

re-arranging them in the old tan after it has beencorrected ; but with the roots in a highly sensitivestate all P ine-growers should dread any interferencewhich will cause violent fermentation . V entilationthroughout the month, and, in fact, throughout thesummer, must be conducted on the same principle,that is, the admission of a little air a t

'

th e apex assoon as the sun begins to tell on the glass

,and a

gradual increase with a rising thermometer until themaximum of 85° is reached. Although fire -heat isstill a necessity, yet by storing up sunshine all theafternoon the starting of fires may often be delayed,but care must be taken that the houses do not fallbelow 70° at night— a tempera ture which will adm itof shutting it off early on fine mornings

,when night

air is also taken away,for early syrin

ging

.

Sh a d ing .— Asthe days approach their greatest

length, and the sun its highest altitude , a little lightshading may be necessary for a short time throughthe hottest part of the day:but unless the housesare very light, and closely glaz ed, and the tips of the

153

leaves, now close to the glass, show a tendency tobecome brown, the plants will make a more satisfa ctory growth under full exposure . One of the veryworst practices, which cannot be too strongly condemned

, is systematic shading, as it softens andweakens the whole system of the plants

,and very

often thwarts the cultivator in hisotherwise welldirected eflortsto get them into suitable conditionfor going into partial rest in

‘

October . In modernP ineries some shade is undoubtedly necessary whenbrightsun breaks upon them before the pipes ha vecooled down after sha rp firing ; but when th ey havebecome cold, if all is going on well at the root

,

steady atmospheric moisture will be found quitesufficient to prevent the foliage from becoming brownand wiry

,a condition in which they cannot perspir e

freely. Any one having grown P ines, Q ueens in

particular,in the old-fashioned

,small- squared

,Open

lapped houses,knows how compact

,fresh

,and green

the foliage can be kept through the hottest summerswithout a thread of shading ; a fair proof that, of twoevils

,a little tinge of brown is of less consequence

than a soft watery growth .

Thr ough the months of June and July the plantsmust have what may be termed liberal treatment

,

both as regards air and water,and the more frequent

application of moisture from the syr inge . The dayand night temperature during this period will notrequire any alteration, as ordinary summer weatherwill admit of a '

minimum of 70° being maintainedwith a chink of air, almost without having to startthe fires ; but where bottom heat is obtained fromhot-water pipes

,gentle fires are always found ne

cessa ry to keep up the proper degree of heat, whichshould be kept steadily at The maximum ofwith a rise of5° after closing

,will be secured by the

early opening and closing of the ventilators,and by

opening the top-heat valves on dull mornings in suchexceptional seasons as have been experienced duringthe past seven years. The pots being now full ofroots

,water at the temperature of the bed, with a little

g uano or good clarified liquid manure added, must begiven in larger quantities as often as may be foun dneedful to keep the soil in what is kn own as a goodgrowing condition , but not so wet as P ines intendedfor late spring starting will bear . When overheadsyringing is thought necessary, the water should besoft

,and as warm as the atmosphere of the house at

the time it is shut up . If the surface of the bed,as

well as the walls andfloors , are nicely moistened twicea

_day, the overhead syringing , even in the hottestweather, must be light, otherwise the most forwardplants, particularly the Q ueens , will show a tendencyto throw out suckers and as these will rob the plants,th ey must be twisted out with a pair of pincers assoon as they are formed.

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Roox, ALP INE , FER N,AN D WILD

G AR DENING .

AL P I N E P LA N TS .

BY E D WAR D W . BAD G E R ,

R ock M oundsa nd B eds— There are manysmall gardens where the rock borders

,and the still

more extensive rockeries contemplated in the foregoing remarks

,would be out of place

,or for which

sufficient room could not be found. In such gardensonly a small space can be set apart for an Alpinery,and this must usua lly take the form of a single bedor mound

,or perhaps two at most. In these cases ,

the choicest Alpine gems should have the preference,

and no trouble be stinted to insure their successfulcultivation . It is fortunate that some of the loveliest of these plants may be grown in perfection undersuch a variety of circumstances , that the humblestamateur ma'y undertake the cultivation of a selectcollection of them

,with the fullest assurance that

they will thrive in his garden as well as in the extensive grounds of the neighbouring peer, providedhe will be at a little trouble. The remarks on thepreparation of rock borders and the formation ofpockets (see page .7 7 ) contain all the informationwhich any intelligent person would requir e in ordertomake the best kind of bed or mound for growingAlpines . A sufficient depth of soil to aflord ampleroom for deeply penetrating roots to wander at willsoil of the proper kind to yield a supply of the necessary food and to retain moisture in sufficient degreeisolation of one plant from another by the stonesused to form the pockets ; the prevention of overcrowding or the preponderance of strong-growingplants over weaker-growing ones ; never allowingthe plants to get dry at the roots during the growing months

,.and preventing the stagnation of water

about the roots when the plants are at rest :theseare the conditions of success for the grower of asmall number of plants

,as well as for one who h as

room for a full collection ; and the results , otherthings being equal

,will be as satisfactory in the one

case as the other.The rock mound or bed

,

should be in a fullyexposed position; away from the shade of treesand walls

,open to every ray of sunshine and all

the rain that falls . Its shape is of no momentso long as it harmonises with its surroundings ;and the more it can be made to assume the ap

pearance of a natural outgrowth of the positionoccupied

,the greater will be th e charm of it . Th e

smaller it is, the more the need to keep it moderatein h eight for though it is an advantage for it to beabove the general level of the surrounding garden,it would be a great disadvantage to make it so high

N a tur a l R ockeries. — There are many gardensin this country

,situated on hillsides and elsewhere,

in which there exist possibilities needing only tobe used to be converted into natural rockeries whichwould far surpass any artificial ones capable of construction at ten times the expense these would cost.Wherever the underlying rock, whether sandstone

in proportion to its siz e as to unduly expose toolarge a surface to the drying effects of a parchingeast wind or broiling sunshine . This is a point tobe insisted on

,because the bulk of small rockeries

are invariably made higher than is proper. It ispossible to make a very attractive rock mound on asmall scale . This is to be done by ra ising th e

surface a foot or eighteen inches above the level o fthe surrounding surface , margining the outline withstones so as to defin e the bed and provide places forplants which thrive better in a dependent position

,

and then making the remainder of the surface intoas many pockets as there is room for

,according to

the siz e and rate of growth of the plants whichit is intended to use .

A very charming bed might be made if no othergenus th an Saxz’f rag a were used to plant it . Usingthe various forms of the generic type of Saxifrage

,

of which London P ride is the best-known repre

sentative , for th e margins, and for the next tiersome of the closer-growing moss-like species suchas S . a trop urpurea , Wa lla cei

, &c. ,and then in

the higher parts planting some of the encrusted.

forms from the larger S. longif olia and pyramida tisdown to the tiny easier, with an intermingling ofplants of the opp ositifolia section, where they couldrest on a ledge of stone and hang down in front ofit,a collection of lovely plants , whether in or out . of

flower,would be brought together and, as it were,

focussed for observation , which could not fail toplease at all seasons of the year . But where morevariety is desired

,as it will be in most places, the

Saxifrages may be intermingled with Semp errivums,the smaller Camp anulas, such as S. p ulla , p umila

(white and blue) , ca rp a tica , mum h's, and turbina ta

,

a few '

of the dwarfer bulbous plants (Snowdrops ,Crocuses, Scillas, Ch ionodoxa Lucilice) , some of thesmaller D ianthuses, G entians, and H ep a ticas, or anyof the many dwarf and compact-growing plantswhich will be named later on in our selection ofAlpine plants for general use . W e should adviseyoung beginners to content themselves at first withsome of the plants most easily grown , andwhich willbe marked with an asterisk in our selected list .Wh en they have grown these successfully andgained e xperience , they will be able to adventurewith more confidence on the cultivation of moredifficult plants .

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56 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

in perfection . In some way, then, a continuous supplyof moistur e at the roots is a necessary condit ion forthe successful cultivation of bog-plan ts :it is not alarge quantity that is required

,so long as it is never

absent ; it is therefore desirable , in Order to econo

mise the supply Of water to th e utmost; that arrangements should be made to insure It tricklin g from thesource of supply as gently as possible

,and in such a

mann er as to insure its regular diffusion over theentire area devoted to bog-plants .One way of secur ing thi s result is to arrange a littlerocky basin at the highest available level

,into which

the water should be fir st di scharged,and from which,

being margined by gently-sloping stones, the waterwill pass by gravitation to the lower level on whichthe bog is situated. The bog-bed may be made Of anysiz e

,according to requirements and space available

a few square feet or yards, or on any larger scale desired. Asa rule, small bogs only will be made wherethe water has to be supplied with some difficulty, butthe principle of construction will be much the samewhatever the siz e .The first thing to do after having fixed on

th e site, will be to remove the ordinary garden soilto a depth Of from twenty to thir ty inches at least

,

over the entire area of the bed. Thi s space mustthen be filled with peat, peaty soil, or such substitutesin the way of vegetable mould

,decayed leaves

,

and some peat,as the ease or difficulty Of Obtaining

these ingredients may render most convenient .Asit is impossible to provide by general directionsfor all possible combinations of circumstances

,we

shall content ourselves with a statement Of such firstprinciples as are applicable to all cases

,and which only

need applying with intelligence to lead to success .When peat or peaty soil is easily procurable

,it is

always to be preferred . Where it can be Obtainedonly at considerable cost

,as in districts where it is

scarce,a fairly good substitute will be found in sound

turfy loam and leaf-mould,in about equal propor

tions,for the lower part of the bed, the pure peat

being reserved for the uppermost six or eight inches .In fact

,the uppermost layer may consist Of one-half

peat,and sharp sand and leaf-mould in equal quanti

ties,well mixed together

,and many plants will thrive

in it . For other plants for which peat is indispensable it must be provided if they are to be grown ; andthe system of pockets already described will enableth e cultivator to isolate such peat-loving plants , andsecure ' the proper soil for them at the smallest possible cost

,by lim iting its use to those pockets where

these plantsare to be grown .

Asalready indicated,it will be invariably ad

vantageousto place the bog-bed on a lower levelthan :the surrounding surface

,so as to utilise to

the utmost all moisture derived from natura l

A lp ineson W indow-sills.— Wh ere a broadwindow-sill— especially a stone one— exists, there,particularly if fully exposed to the south, any Of the

or artificial sour ces . The employment of rockfor makin g pockets and ledges

,and to isolate the

plants from one another,is strongly to be recom

mended,and the rock may be so introduced as to aid

in producing artistic effects,as

,

well as providingsecur e foothold when weeding or planting h asto bedone . Some of the G entians will thrive in such a

bed,so as to repay all th e trouble and expense in

curred ; indeed, G entiana ba ram’

ea and our lovelyBritish G

’

. _P/zezmzona nthe (the Marsh G entian) willth ri ve only in such positions . G . a ca a lz

’s(G entianella) planted at the edge of the bog-bed will thr ivemuch better than on th e ordinary rockery . Our

common Buckbean(Menyanthestref olz’

a ta ), the Butterworts the G rass of P arna ssus (P a rnas,sia p a lustris), th e Sundews (D rosera ), many Orchises,Cypripediums , &c.

,are mentioned here

,to indicate

the class of lovely plants for which bog-beds mustbe provided if it is desired to grow them in our

gardens in the high est perfection. Along with th eseplants may be most appropriately intermingled Irises

,

N arcissi, and many other interesting bulbous plants ,whi ch thrive in a moist peaty bottom . In the immediate neighbourhood oi the bog many plants willthrive better than elsewhere

,for though not needing

as much moisture as the natural occupants of bogs,

they seem to benefit by the constant presence ofmoisture in the air . In the list whi ch will follow,

these will be indicated by some such phrase asP lant near bog-bed .

”

A lp inesin O rdina ry B orde rs— There aremany positionsin gar dens other than on rockerieswhere some Alpine plants

,and among them not a few

Of great beauty,may be properly planted, andwhere

they will keep in health,and thrive . These positions

will be in the very front line Of the mixed border, infull exposure , away from the larger and coarserplants

,and where they will not be liable to be over

grown . All the hardier kinds, which grow fr eely,are suitable for such positions, and will certainlyadorn them . The dwarf hardy H eaths, many of theSaxifrages , Sedums, and Sempervivums , the Forgetme-nots

,Saponaria s, H epaticas, Silenes , the dwarf

Campanulas, and many others, may be used to formthe most charming of front rows in the choicest andmost select mixed borders . The larger and morevigorous kinds such as the Sun-roses(H elianf/wmwns)will find congenial positions on raised sunny banks,fringing drives

, and on th e,margins of shrubbery

borders,where they are not overshadowed by trees

and shrubs .

ROCK,ALP IN E,FER N

,AN D WILD G AR D EN IN G .

succulent plants wh ich are found growing naturallyin dry rocky spots might be planted with every an

ticipa tion of success . A dainty use of bits of rock,peat

,and loam

,sufficient to afiord a foot-hold, and a

charming outside window garden might besecuredwith little or no trouble .

R ese rv e P la nts— I t will be advisable to growat least one or two plants Of each of the rarer kindsin pots

,so that protection may be given to th em in

severe winters,and a species whi ch may be killed on

the rockery may be kept alive in the reserve garden,to supply its place on the return of spring. It isalso a source of, great pleasure when a friend seessome plant on the rockery which he mu'ch adm ires, tobe able, on his departure , to surprise him with a duplicate plant in a pot

,which he may carry home

’

withhim . In this way we have set many friends growingchoice Alpines who previously had never done so .

It is also advisable to grow any new plant , coming tohand in a small or delicate state , for a time in a pot,until it“is thoroughly established, before placing itpermanently in the rockery . The reserve garden of ;

Alpines should consist for the most part Of theseplants in pots

,duplicates of established plants , and

plants on trial, or in a state of preparation for planting out.

If possible,two shallow frames should be set

apart for the reserve Alpine garden, one Of themfully exposed, the other facing north . The bed ofthe frame should be covered with four tosix inchesof finely-sifted coal-ashes, and on this a layer Of sandor cocoa-nut fibre should be placed. The pots containing the Alpines should be plunged in the porousmaterial up to the rim ,

so as to minimise evaporation,a ndmaintain a unif orm temperature about the roots .Small pots should be used for economy of space , and

to prevent over-potting. The frame placed in thenorth aspect will be found most serviceable for theprotection of plants during the winter, when thelights should be kept on only during severe weather,at which times the further protection of a mat orlitter should be provided

,and kept On until a thaw

has set in thoroughly . Whenever the weather ismild

,plenty of fresh air should be admitted, and all

decaying leaves carefully removed . The use Of a fewfragments of stone on the surface of the pots, onwhich the plants may repose

,will in many instances

be found conducive to their well-being, and Oftenprevent their damping Ofi. The soil to be used inpotting should be such as is usually employed forsmall pot plants , consisting of good turfy soil , sweetand well-decomposed leaf-mould

,and sand in equal

quantities,well mixed together . A few fragments

of porous stone may be judiciously inserted in eachnot . The young plant should then be firmly fixed in

157

the centre, carefully avoiding the least injury to thedelicate roots . Th e same plan will serve for newlyrooted cuttings , Offsets

,seedlings

,and divisions of

full-siz ed roots . The propagation Of the choiceAlpines in these several ways will be found a very interesting occupation , and the stock of tiny treasureswill soon increase, so as to provide for the wants ofthe cultivator to fill blanks and extensions of therockery

,and permit of presents to fr iends .

H OW -to F orm a C o l le ction of A lp ines.

The quickest way isto buy such plants as are wantedfrom one of the many firms who now Off er theseplants for sale in pots . Several houses

,who may be

relied on to supply good plants,true to name

,adver

tise collections of one hundr ed vari eties at pricesvary1 ng from 258 . to 6os

,according to the plants

selected,and smaller collections at slightly higher

prices ; another plan is to Obtain from one’s friendssurplus plants ; or, thirdly, to combine the twomethods . R aising from seed those kinds of whi chseeds are obtainable will take time

,but when success

fulwill be found a very pleasurable pursuit . It willbe unnecessary to dwell -ou the way to do this

,as full

instructions are given in other pages about seedsowing and after-treatment of seedlings

,to which we

refer our readers .

H OW to P la nt Alp ines— Being genera llyfurnished with plenty of roots, the operation ofplanting Alpines is not by any means di fficult

,espe

cially when the plants have simply to be transferredfrom pots to the rockery. The chief point is to plantfirmly

,but in doing so to avoid pressing roughly

about the collar Of the plant ; or the roots will whollyor in part be broken Off or bruised

,especiallyin the

case of the more delicate subj ects . Af ter the plantis firmly fixed in its new home

,and cannot bemoved

without considerable effort, fill the surface up tothe collar of the plant with nice potting material

,in

which there is plenty of leaf-mould and sand,and if

the weather is dry,give a good watering from a fine

rosed watering-can . A day or two afterwards loosenthe surface soil with a small hand-fork, and ascertainthat the plant is firmly fixed

,or if it is not, make it

so . N ever p lant A lp ineswhen the graimd issa tura tedwith moisture or workshea vily.

Th e A fte r - tre a tm ent of A lp ines— When arockery has been planted a few months it will be advisable to examine every part of it , and, where necessary

,to give a slight surface dressing of such potting

material as is mentioned in the preceding paragraph.

In the case of plants whi ch raise their collars everyseason

,this top -dressing is an absolute necessity

,unless

the plant be taken up bodily and re -planted. Many

CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

of(

the P rimulas and someof the Campanulas ‘ requireto be re-planted annually,or they will become leggy.

R emove all‘ past floweringstems promptly, unless it isdesired to save seed. Takecare that the stronger-growing plants do not encroachupon the weaker growers .We once

.

lost the loveliestclun p of G entiana e erua weever saw in a garden, bythe ra pid growth of a messySaxifrage during a fewweeks’ absence from home .It issimply astoni shing howsoon th e work of extermi

na tion is done . Of coursethe best 'plan is to carefully avoid placing rapidgrowers in the neighbourhood O i any of the lessrobust plants . D uring thespring and summer monthspay great attention to watering

,so as to insure that no

plant suffers from drought .If a spell of hot

,dry

weather sets in , it will bea wise precaution to givea surfacing of cocoa-nut fibreafter watering . This will preserve the effica cy of the watering for a considerable time .Keep a sharp look-out after slugsan

'

d predaceous in sects . When aplant has overgrown its position

,

reduce its proportions withpromptitude

,or it will hurt its

neighbours . N ever allow weedsany quarter. If these directionsare intelligently followed

,it will

be found that a large proportionof the Alpine plants of temperateclimes may be successfully grown

'

in most English gardens .

THE LIFE -HI STOR Y'

OF PLANTS.

B Y D R . MAXWELL T . MASTE R S, F .R .S .

N UTR ITION :THE LEAVES AN D WHAT THEY D O.

XHE most important organs_

of the plant, so far asits nutrition is concerned

,are the roots and the

leaves . The roots , as we have seen, take from the

Fig . 42.- Simple Tooth ed LeafSh owing th e stalk and th e blade.

Fig . 43 .

— D ivided or Lobed Leaf of

Lime -tree,

soil the greater part of thewater required by the plant

,

they absorb the mineraland earthy matters

,espe

cially the nitrates . Theirchief

,and sometimes only

,

field of Operation is th e soil .‘All this has been told inpreceding chapters . Theleaves take from th e air thegreater part of the gasesrequired to feed and buildup the plant, and possiblysome of the water. In addition to this

,the leaf is th e

great laboratory,or factory

,

in which the substancestaken in by the root, as wellas by its own exertions

, a re

blended and modified so asultimately to serve as foodfor the plant

,to build up its

substance,fabricate its cell

walls and its protoplasm,

form and store away thestarch and other ingredientswhich render the organs ofreserve so important to theplant . In doing all this itabsorbs some gases and gi vesOut others ; it throws Off

superfluous water and, under certain conditions

,absorbs it . Much

of its work can

'

Only be a ccom

plish ed under the influence of

solar light . Th e work that itdoes in common with the root andother organs of the plant it cando irrespective Of light, providedheat

,moisture

,and other condi

tions be suitable ; but the specialwork of the leaf, which we shallh ave to consider in this section

,

can only be done when the leaf isexposed to ligh t, and what is trueof th e leaf is true of all parts Ofplants that are green in colour

,

such as the young shoots or th eunripe fruit .

Th e N a ture of L e av es— I h botanical language, everything that bears a leaf is a stem or

a branch of a stem . The root is not a stem, becauseit bears no leaves ; the tuber Of a P otato or of 3 .

Jerusalem Artichoke is a stem,because it does bear

leaves— mot necessarily fully-developed leaves, forthey may be mere unformed scale-leaves. The

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O

Th e Inse rtion of

L e a v es— The mode inwhich leaves spring fromthe stem is also a matterof primary importan ce tothe botanist

,and it has

also a distinct physiologicalsignificance . Leavesare said to be “ oppositewhen they Spring fromOpposite Sides of t h e stemat th e same level ; verticilla te

,

” or whorled,”

when a ring of leaves startfrom one point

,so as to

form a whorl ”(Fig . 46)and “ alternate whenthey spring from diff erentsides' of the stem

,one

above another at differentlevels , that is , as in theElm or P each (Fig .

SO,too

,the leaves a re in

some cases very denselypacked

,as in a P lantain or

Cabbage, when the in

tervals or spaces be

tween the .nodes are und e v e l o p e d or l o o s e l yscattered ; usually theyare more or less arrangedin spiral lines .

A da p ta tion to P ur

p ose .— I t would not be

needful to mention thesedetails here 'were it notfor the circumstance thatthe form and dispositionOf the leaves have a distinct connection with thework they have to do

,with

the necessity for literallycatching sunbeams

,

” oravailing themselves of thefresh a ir

,and

,moreover

,

that they are Often theresult not only of adaptation to particular pur

poses, but the Outcome ofa compromise in virtue ofwhich each leaf does itsbest for itself

,whilst re

specting the rights of itsn e i gh b our . All th e s evariations in siz e

,that

CASSELL’

S P OPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

Fig .

-Wh orled Leavesof Oleander.

Fig . 47 .— Branch of P each , showing alter nate

simple leaves.

amaz ing diversity Of formand appearance

,all th ose

twists and turns,those

upward movements,those

sidelong motions,have

each a di stinct purposeand significance. Theyare not mere caprices

, but

they represent the struggles of the plant for light

,

air,and supremacy

,its

conflicts and rivalries withits neighbours ; or, if insome cases this adaptationOf means to ends is ' notclearly marked out underem

’sting circum stances , wemay be sure that it wasso once

,and that ,what

we see now are historicalsurvivals from a periodwhen these matters had areal significance .

Intern a l Structure .

— In like manner,the in

ternal micrOSCOpic strueture Of the leaves shows asimilar adaptation to purpose

,and it is often easy

to see a co-relation be

tween the structure Of theleaf

,and the disposition

of its elements, with th econditions under whichit grows . The leaf Of

a plant growing in water(Fig . 48) is very diflferentin structure from thatof an evergreen exposedto full sunshine on ahill- side

,or a succulent

plant on a rock. Theelements are

,indeed

,

much the same,but they

are ' differently arranged,

and their degree of development is modified a c

cording to circumstances .For these reasons we canhere only give a generalstatement with referenceto leaf- structure , referringthe reader to ordinarytext-books for fuller information

,and earnestly

THE LIFE -HISTOR Y OF P LAN TS. 61

advising those who have the opportunity to studyfor themselves the remarkable variations and adaptations Of leaf-structure to the circumstances or en

vironmen under wnich they grow .

‘ In particularthe comparative study of the structure Of the leaves

the leaf is alike on both sides,and instead of the leaf

being placed more or less horiz ontally, so as to catchthe light on its upper surface, it is then Often placedas in G ladiolus , more or less vertically, so tha t bothsides get an e qual chance of exposure . When, on th e

F ig . 48 .

— Floating and Submerged Leavesof R anunculusaquatilis.

of epiphytal Orchids maybe commended to microscopic observers , as not onlyintrinsically interesting, butaslikely to lead to importantcultural suggestions .Speaking broadly, a leafconsists Of a flat plate ofcellular tissue, traversed bya framework of wood- cellsand vessels

,and covered on

all sides by a skin or epi ;derm . V ery generally thecells constituting the substance Of the leaf are different in form and siz e indifferent portions of thesame leaf. Thus thosenear the upper surface — the '

One most exposedto the light— are more densely packed

,with few or

no interspaces between them,and with more green

matter (chlorophyll) in their interior. The_cells

near the lower surface of the leaf are usually moreirregular in shape

,more loosely aggregated

,and

with less green matter. Wh en the leaf- structure isuniform on both surfaces

,or nearly so

,the colour of

3 5

Fig . 49 .

— Section of a Lea f , sh owing th e epidermal,

palisade, and branch ing Cells(magnified) .

Th e F ram ework of

th e'

L e a f . - As regardsthe framework of veins,”

or “ ribs,

”or

' “ nerves,” itis first of all necessary to disabuse the reader’s mindOf any idea that these organs h ave anything morethan a remote analogy with the animal structures so named . They consist of wood- cells, whichserve t o stiffen and uphold the blade of the

‘ leaf,and of “ vessels of various kinds, which transmitfluid and air -to and from the stem and leaf.The number and arrangement

'

Of these ribs

contrary,the colour of the

leaf ismarkedly very different on the upper andlower surfaces respectively,then it frequently happensthat the chlorophyll isspecially collected in aSpecial layer Of cells justbeneath the upper epiderm,

and appropriately termedpalisade cells

,from their

resemblance to park pali'ngs(Fig .

"

1 62 CASSELL’

S‘

P OBULAR G AR D EN IN G .

vary greatly in different cases , and these diversities serve

,together with those connected with the

shape and disposition Of the leaf,as meansOf dis

crimination between difierent plants or groups Ofplants . It must suffice here to gi ve one illustr ationonly. In the majority Of D icotyledonous plants ,those in whi ch the seedling plant has two cotyledons

,

the group comprising most of our trees and shrubs,

the ribs of the leaf,Or their ultimate branches

,are

arranged in a reticulate or net like fashion,so that

there are angular Spaces between them. In thelarger number of Monocotyledons (P alms, Lilies,G rasses

,&c. ) the ultimate veins are not netted, but

somewhat straight and nearly parallel,so that the

interspaces are either long and narrow,or if angu

lar,then four -sided

,not polygonal . Even in cases

where from the thickness of the cellular tissue,or the

Opacity of the epiderm,the veins are not readily

conspicuous , the arrangement can be determined bysimply tearing the leaf . Where the veins run in anearly straight dir ection

,as in an Iris-leaf

,for

instance, the edges of a tear will be nearly straight ;but where they form net-like meshes

,as in a Cab

bage-leaf,then the edges of the tear will be angular

and irregular.

Th e Skin of th e Le afl— It remains now tospeak of . the epidermis or skin . This

,like the

other parts Of the leaf, is subj ect to variation in

Fig .50.-Epidermisof a Leaf(magnified) sh owing Stomata .

different plants,and it is usually somewhat different

on the upper and lower surfaces respectively. Itmost generally consistsof a layer of flattened cells,destitute of chlorophyll . Th'ose on the upper surface are closely packed

,with no interspaces between

them. Those on the lower surface are interrupted bya greater or less number

,sometimes by an immensely

large number,of pores called stomata ” (Fig .

These are apertures communi cating with the outera ir, and affording access to the interior spongy por

THE HAR DY FR UIT G AR DEN.

B r D . T. F ISH , ASSI STE D BY WI LLIAM CAR M ICHAEL.

tions of the leaf, thus allowing of the passage intoor out of th e leaf, according to circumstances , ofgases or liquids , The entry or exit is regulated bytwo or more guard-cells

,

” which encompass theaperture and close it or Open it, according to circumstances. The guard-cells are enabled to do theirwork by differences in their degree Of fulness ; iffull they are distended and the aperture is closed if

relatively empty, the orifice is unobstructed. In thecase of water-plants there are no stomata

,at any

rate in the submerged portions . In thick-rinded,

succulent plants,natives of dry and hot countries

,

where evaporation would be excessive were there notmeans to prevent it

,there are few or no stomata.

In cases where,as in the Iris

,G ladiolus

,or P ink,

the leaf is Of the same colour on both surfaces,there

the number Of these pores is about the same on bothsides .These few illustrations must suffice to show how

the form,arrangement

,and internal structur e of

leaves are co-related to the duties they have to perform , and to the circumstances under which theirwork has to be accomplished. The young gardenershould lose no Opportunity of familiarising hh selfwith details of this character

,which will furnish

him ,if properly used

,with a clue to successful man

agement more reliable than any book knowledge or

precept .

TH E A P P LE.

ITHOUT disparaging the worth or lusciousness Of any . other fruit, this is without

doubt the most valuable of all our hardy fruits . It

is likewise so popular and universally esteemed as tomerit the distinction Of being called the nationalfruit of G reat B ritain and Ireland . It merits thisdistinction on the double ground of

'

its populari tyand parentage . The W ild Crab (Pg/rue ma lus), th enot very remote progenitor of our cultivated varieties

,is indigenous to Britain and large . portions

Of th e cooler parts of Europe , and our best Applesare but h ighly-developed Crabs marvellous examples of the improvement Of Species by the gradualprocesses of evolution and cultivation .

The popularity of the Apple is so great that it ishardly an exaggeration to affirm that every one ea tsApples, either raw,

cooked,or preserved and should

any decline to eat them ,they probably drink th em

in the form of cider,wine

,or brandy. Apple wine ,

' however,h asnever become popular, though cider

has become a formidable rival to,and almost a com

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64 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

mount the more choice Apples for garden cultivation

,it may be useful to take the least important

methods of propagation first .

P rop a g a tion o f Ap p lesby Cuttin gs.Most varieties of Apples may be increased in thisway

,the different sorts

,however

,varying wide ly in

their time of rooting and the percentage of success .A few sorts , such as the Keswick and some otherCodlins , root readily, and the Stubbard and creepingApples almost as freely as G ooseberry or Currantcuttings . The majority of varieties

,however

,root

slowly and with considerable uncertainty.

The cuttings may be inserted in the open aireither in N ovember or February

,the former being

th e best season. The more free-rooting sorts maybe placed on a shady border ; those that .root moreslowly and shyly should be placed in sandy soil andcovered with hand-glasses

,and kept closely covered

till rooted,which will probably not be till June or

July. The glasses should be shaded during brightsunshine . So soon as rooted

,gradually remove the

lights or cloches,and expose the plants to the Open

air . Early in N ovember transplant into nurseryrows

,fifteen inches asunder

,and three or six from

plant to plant .There is yet another method of rooting Applecuttings . This consists in placing the cuttings in abottom heat of 65° or so in February, keeping thetop at least 20° cooler . The heat will stimulatevital action at the base of the cuttings

,causing

them to ca llus , and therefore ' form roots . By thismethod much time is saved

,and the rooting is not

only more rapid,but more sure . Cuttings

,however

,

to be thus treated to heat,should be removed from

the trees in the N ovember previous,and if made at

the same time they will root all the sooner in consequence .This brings usto the sort of Apple-cuttings most

likely to ‘throw out roots . From six to eight incheslong is a handy length , and each cutting should beheeled off — that is, it should be the bottom part ofthe current year’s shoot, or of a small shoot, and abase Or heel of older wood

,half an inch or an inch in

area, should be separated with it. I f the separationis eff ected in a business -like way, the cutting, so faras its base is concerned

,is perfectly made in itsre

moval from the parent tree . R ather weakly andhoriz ontal or pendulous shoots should be chosen inpreference

'

to stronger,vertical

,or more succulent

ones . D isbud the cutting of all buds exceptingtwo , or at most three, at itsupper end. If too long,the tOp of the cutting may be removed with a shortclean cut and from three to four inches of its baseinserted 1 1 1 sandy soil . A pinch of pure sand underand around the base facilitates the emission of roots.

The firmer the soil is pressed around the base of thecutting

,the more likely it is to root . W ater the

cuttings home after insertion, and let the surface

dry a little before covering if hand-glasses are putover them. They will not be likely to need anymore water till the spring .

L aye rs— This is a simple and sure method,

largely resorted to in the trade for the raisingof immense quantities of plants for stocks. Thisisone of the oldest and most successful methodsof propagation. The practical difficulty in relation to it is that

,excepting in the case of dwarf

varieties , such as the P aradise and other slendergrowing sorts , it is a difficult matter to get thebranches of Apple -trees down to the ground. Theolder cultivators tried to evade thi s difi‘iculty bylifting pots of soil up to the branches to be layeredbut as these frequently got baked up for lack ofwater

,many layers thus came to grief. The intro

duction of horiz ontal or ground cordons is,however

,

likely to give a fresh impetus to the layering ofApple-trees . These being carried along at distancesranging fromsix inches to eighteen inches from theground

,nothing can be easier than to dip down the

ends of the shoots, cut partially through,form a

half-circular heel, place a wedge in to keep open,peg down to keep steady, cover with earth, andwait till rooted .

P roperly manipulated,the layered Apple-branches

are bound to root, for the layerant has a doublestring to his how ; he has converted hisbranchinto a sort of cutting (see R ose-layer, page 21 6,Vol. I . ; and that of the Apple is just the same) ;and he forces the tree to sustain the layer untilit forms independent roots . Wh en this happenshe severs the conn ection and removes the layer, orrather a well-rooted Apple-tree .I adopted a plan some years ago to make Applecordons self-supporting, aswell as more ornamental .Another and rather unexpected result followed.

Wh ere the branches rested on the ground it wasfound that several of the trees emitted roots andformed circular cordons of a very unique character.N ow that own-root R oses are all the rage

,it is

possible that a growing demand may arise for ownroot

‘

Apple and other fruit-trees. This would getrid

'

of all the complications incident to foreignstocks

,and seems

,in some varieties at least

,to aug

ment fertility to a greater extent than even theFrench P aradise or D oucin stocks. Amateurs , mecha nics, and cottagers , who are often very enthusiastio about local varieties

,and wax eloquent on the

merits of particular Apple-trees, might make sure ofperpetuating

_ their favourite trees by propagatingthem from cuttings or layers . P ossibly

,too

,plants

THE HAR D Y FR UIT G AR D EN .

thus originated might prove the best for pot-cultureand the most “ prolific for the smallest forms of thecordon .

Su ckers.— Ascomparatively few Apples throwup suckers, it follows that this method of propagation can be but seldom resorted to in privategardens . There is also a well-grounded prejudice against the use

'

of suckers,even if obtainable,

f or own-root Apple-trees . P lants raised in this waynever seem to rise above their origin, and theyoften finally lose their tops in a

‘

perfect thicket ofsuckers, like producing like , to the injury andfinal destruction of trees raised thus. But thetendency of a few Codlins, the Creeping Apple

,

Burrknot , Stubbard, P aradise,and a few other

varieties to produce suckers renders them valuablefor stocks

,and causes them to be grown for that

purpose. It must also be borne in mind that anysuckers thrown up frommost'

cultiva tedApples wouldbe those of the wilding or other stocks

,and not of the

Apples themselves . S ti ckers are also a signal ofdistress t o show that something is amiss

_with thetree ; and hence, in removing them,

a thorough ex

amination should take place,that might often result

in the saving or r esuscitation of the tree smotheredwith suckers at the roots .

B udding .— This system isseldom adopted with

Apples, though it is just as practicable with themas with P ears

,or P eaches either for that matter.

Still, fashion rules in these matters almost asdespotically as within the domain of society andamong ourselves ; and for this reason chiefly, andalso because Apples take so readily and are propaga ted with such facility by scions, budding isbut little practised .

There is also another reason . Apple-buds are, as

a rule, considerablv later than those of R oses, to takethe most familiar example . The buds of difierentvarieties are likewise more irregular in their seasonof being sufficiently plumped up for budding . But

these are mere matters of detail,and by seiz ing the

most favourable condition of stock and bud,Apples

may be propagated by budding exactly in thesame way, and almost as easily, though not quite sosuccessfully , as R oses . Another advantage of budding is that the stocks may be worked in a smallerstate than it would be practicable to graft them .

The wood also heals sooner,

' the union is more complete, and there is less liability to canker at thepoint of union— a point of considerable moment invarieties such as the R ibston P ippin

,specially liable

to this dire disease .

to the raising of th em from seeds,as grafting seems

to come naturally and logically after budding.

It is obvious,however

,tha t stocks must precede

grafting, and as seedlings form the major port ion ofthese, it is needful to provide the stocks beforeApples can be propagated by scions . N O doubt agood many stocks are provided by the three means

_

Of propagation already adverted to— cuttings,layers,

and suckers— and some of these may have been usedfor budding ; but seedling Crabs , Cider, and otherApples and P aradises furnish the great trade supplies of stocks . The raising of seedling Apples isalso a compound means of propagation . It furnishes stocks for the scions of the best cultivatedvarieties

,and it i s almost th e only means Of origina

ting new and superior varieties . Sports— that is,bud variations— are another method ; but, so far aswe -know

,the sporting power of Apples is far more

lim ited than that of most other plants . Of course,

should any such sports di fferent or superior to goodcultivated sorts appear

,they should be carefully pre

served and industriously propagated by some of th emeans already indicated

,or by grafting .

In attempting to raise new and superior varieties ofApples from seeds

,not only should th e best sorts be

chosen,but the finest examples of the best vari eties .

For instance, all R ibston P ippins or Cox’s OrangeP ippins are not equally perfect

,and only the very

finest fruit of these or any other first-rate sortshould be saved for seed. Again

,were these two

Apples crossed, a better strain ofApples might be expected from the seeds than if either were sown pure .N umerous as are our Apples of good eating andcooking qualities, there is no reason to suppose thatthe vein of improvement is as yet

'worked out, orthat the highest qua lity has yet been reached.

Such distinct Apples as the G olden P ippin, R ibstonP ippin

,D evonshire Q ua rrenden , Scarlet and other

N onpareils, G olden R usset, G olden B enn ette, Clay

gate and other P earmain s,might be crossed in all

directions with others of the most Opposite character,and even with culinary Apples

,to add to their per

centage of sugar or their siz e . In many cases thismight be done without losing their briskness . Ofcourse

,the crossing must be done while the Apples

are in flower,and the stamens Of the seed-bear

ing Apples should be removed, and pollen from themale parent be placed on the stigma . To insureany certainty

,however

,the stamens should be re

moved and the flower protected from bees , &c .,be

fore it is thoroughly opened, and for Some day s afterthe foreign pollen is applied . W ithout these precautions

,which, though formidable on paper, are

simple in practice the fli es,bees

,and breez esrender

th e cross -breeder s efforts so much labour lost. A

record of the crosses should be kept,as furnishing

1 66 CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

data for a pedigree book . The latter is invaluable,as furnishing a key to constitution and quality, andadds immensely to the interest and pleasure

,and .it

may be profit,of raising new and superior Apples

from seeds .The sowing of these carefully prepared seedsneed diff er but little from those of the more common varieties for stocks

,but the treatment of the

seedlings must be widely different. There are twoways of hurrying forward seedling Apples to provethemselves as Speedily as

.

possible ; one, and themost obvious

,is to grow them as swif tly as possible

in fairly good,but not over-rich, soil, leaving the

seedlings full length and siz e till they fruit . Theother and the swifter method is to graft the top ofthe seedlings'so soon as large enough to form ascion on to a French P aradise or other dwarfingstock, or into a fertile tree in full bearing. Thescion will be so far controlled by the fertile stock asto be compelled to fruit considerably sooner than ifleft on its own roots . There is yet another means offorcing fertility. R oot-prune the seedlings somewhat severely at the end of the first or second year’sgrowth, leaving the tops intact . This severe checkwill throw the top into fruit . These first fruitsmay not form a fair test of siz e

, but they will give afair measure of quality

,and as such will form a

guide to the selection of the more promising seedUngsA rough-and-ready selection is Often made fromthe character of the seedlings and the siz e and formof the leaves . Seedlings with thorny stems and thosewith narrow and sharp-pointed leaves are mostlyworthless . The broader

,shorter

,and rounder the

leaves , the better the prospect of quality among theseedling

'

Apples. These, however, are mere preliminary tests the others ah°eady pointed out are moretrustworthy . Of cour se

,the seedlings not good

enough to growmay still be headed back and graftedor budded in the usual way. .

The seeds Of Crabs, Codlins, ,

N onsuch es,&c.

,and

Cider Apples are those most used for raising stocks .Careful growers select the finest Crabs

,and those

from the N orth Of Europe were at one time preferredto those of English growth

,as being more likely to

impart vigour and hardiness to the constitution ofthe Apples worked on them . B e that as it may

,

there can be no question that stocks and trees alikemight be considerably improved were more attentionbestowed on the selection of Apple- seeds for stocks .The refuse of the cider-press is hardly the most promising field for hunting for prime seed for Applestocks . By sowing the finer seeds of our bestculinary and dessert Apples

,the stocks would be

more closely assimilated to the ' character of thescions worked on them

,and the permanent trees

would probably be invigorated and improved in

consequence of a more discriminating selection ofseeds for stocks .

Se ed-sa v ing a nd Sowing — This is done bywholesale and retail . Those whose obj ect is toraise improved varieties from seeds mostly sow theseeds so soon as the Apples are eaten

,or very soon

afterwards. Such small sowings are better made inpots . Cover the seeds half or three-quarters of aninch deepwith light soil, and place in a cool houseor frame . In any case the seeds of Apples shouldnot be kept out of the ground more than a fewmonths

,as they soon lose their vitality. Time may

be saved in the growth of the seedlings and theirgreater safety insured, by sowing in pots in theautumn or early spring

,carefully numbering or

naming each sort at the time of sowing. So soon aslarge enough to handle, pot Ofi singly and nurse upunder glass until well established

,when they may

be planted out ; or the seedlings may be grown inpots in the orchard or green-house until proved.The raising of seeds wholesale for stocks is performed in a more rough-and-ready manner. Theseeds collected from the cider and vinegar presses arewashed and dried, and sown in the Open a ir so soonin the Spring as practicable . They may either hesown in three or four-feet beds , or in drills aboutnine inches apart and an inch deep . If the formerthey must be covered with an inch or so of fine soil .The soil in which the seeds are sown should also belight and rich

,a sandy loam well dressed a few

months before with well-decomposed manure beingthe most suitable . The sweeter, finer, and withincertain limits the richer the ground, the faster andstronger will the seedlings grow.

Theseeds should be sown thinly,as

,if of fair

quality,almost every one will grow

,and overcrowd

ing, whether in rows or beds, is '

a great source ofweakness ; so injurious is it, in fact, tha t it is wellto thin out the smaller plants in shower-y weather,and only leave the best for a crOp:but it isbest toprevent overcrowding by thin seeding .

Should all go well, the seedlings will be fit forlining out at the end of the year’s growth . Theprocess‘ may be performed either in N ovember orFebruary. R ows thirty inches or a yard apart

,wi th

the plants from fifteen to twenty inches asunder inthe rows

,will afford room for their vigorous deve

lopment to working siz e . Seedlings for youngstandards for orchards may have wider intervals between the rows ; and some, to economise sp ace andafford more room for working among the plants

,

plant them in double rows eighteen inches apart,at

intervals of four or five feet asunder.This, however, may be called the once-plant

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68 CASSELL’S P OP ULAR G AR D EN IN G .

the uniting forces of both are brought into full playalong the whole line Of contact, and the union iscompleted in the least possible time, and becomes soperfect as scarcely to be discernible .At one time a un ion of bark was held to be all

important, but it h aslong been known that the

cambium under the bark is the force that unites scionand stock into one tree . Hence the importance offixing inner bark to inner bark in stock and scion toinsure success .

G ood W orkm a nsh ip — This includes swiftness

,smoothness

,stability

,and . impenetrability.

From the time that the stock is beheaded not a moment should be lost in the manipulation of stockand scion . A Sloping cut on each of equal lengthand equal diameter will, when the two are boundtogether

,form the two into one diameter

,as if

nothing had happened . Only pra ctice can givesuch proficiency as to enable th e operator with twooutsto manipulate scion and stock into proper form ;

but when this can be done, a better fit will be insured than is possible by any amount of futurewhittling. Fresh wounds also unite much morequickly than those exposed to the air . R apid manipulation also favours smoothness . Such cuts willgenerally slope at a regular angle from base tosummit, and leave no irregular or jagged edges behind them ; a perfect fit is thus insured . To insurestability , the tying should follow the fitting, and becompleted at once . This can hardly be too tight

,

and care should be taken not to displace the twoparts in the winding of the tie from base to summitof the wound. The good old plan of also fixing asupport to the scion

,to prevent its being displaced

by the wind, is as much needed as ever, especially inthe case of standard trees grafted high . A stakeshould be firmly fixed to the stock and carried up beyond the summit of the scion

,and to this support the

scion is secur ely fixed . The first tie gives perfectstability at starting, the second insures it until thestability resulting from growth renders artificialprOpsneedless .The last aim of good workmanship ' in graftingis impenetrability. To hasten and consolidate ahealthy union between stock and scion

,light

,air

,

and water should be excluded. The sap and youngwood

-

in a state of incipient formation— th e extending

'

roots, the bursting buds, and the expandingleaves— are the uniting forces employed . Theseh ave o nly to be protected from external attack orinterference, and they will

“assur edly complete their “

work by moulding scion and stock in to one tree .Hence the efficacy of all clayings, cementings, andwaxings is exactly in the ratio of their impenetrability. Their action is wh olly mechanical

,and in no

G R EEN-HOUSE PLANTS.

Br W ILLIAM HUG H G OWER .

sense healing or medicinal and thus it happens thatone grafting composition is just as good as anothe r,so long as it excludes rain , air, and, to some extent,light

,till the wounded tissues have united . So soon

as thi s happens,all such substances are better re

moved,either tentatively or at once .

So soon as the union is complete,and the scion

starts into growth , there will also be an enlargementof the diameter of the young Apple-tree

,and its de

mand for more room should be met with the promptremoval of the ties that bound the scion and stocktog ether. Should there

,however

,be any doubt

about the soundness of the union,a second or looser

tie may be given for a time.In this stage the disbudding of anywilding shootsfrom the lower portion of the stock ; th e suppression of suckers

,if any ; and the rapid development

and careful moulding into form of the growingApple - shoots

,will be all the attention the tree

will require during the first season. Of course,the

ground will also be kept free of weeds, and the treesmay be left in the rows in which they were workedfor another season or two, or lifted in the autumnand placed in their permanent fruiting quarters

,ao

cording to the wants or wishes of their propagators .

E riostemon .— A genus of compact-growing

shrubs belonging to the order R utacm . The namesignifies “woolly stamen

,

” and is derived from th e

hispid hairs which clothe those organs . Eriostemons are plants of easy culture

,delighting in a cool

dry atmosphere . To secure handsome pyramida lplants the main shoot must be allowed to grow erectwithout stopping

,but the lateral growths will re

quire attention in order to keep the plant properlybalanced . The flowers are somewhat short-lived.

P ot in a mixture of peat, light loam, and sand, inabout equal parts, and drain the pots well. Theyare all natives ofAustralia.

E . buxz’

f olium attains a height of three to sixfeet” but, like all the species, flowers when quitesmall. The leaves are entire

,ovate

,furnished with

a bristle -like point and deep green ; flowers axillary

,numerous

,somewhat star- shaped

,white

,more

or less tinged with rosy-pink. Spring and earlysumm er.E . cusp ida tum.

— A robust plant,with lanceolate

leaves of a glaucous hue,furnished with a recurved

bristle at the point ; flowers rosy-pink. Summermonths .

~E . i7ztermedium.— The branches slightly downy ;

G R EEN -HOUSE PLAN TS. l69

leaves oblong,ending in a

“ long bristle, glaucous,llowerswhite . Summer months .E . lineamf olizmz . A densely-branched species,wi th linear - obtuse 'leaves, which are glandular andda rk green ; flowers star-like, white , suffused witha rosy - pink hue . Spring and early summer.E . myop oroides.

— A robust plantleaves large for

_

.

th e genus,linear

lanceolate,glan

dular and mucronate flowers produced on shortaxillary racemes

,

thr ee or fourtogether, white .Early summer

E . neriz’

f olium.

— Leaves lanosolate

, glandular,and dark green ;racemes threeflowered ; flowersstar-like

,white

,

and tinged withpink towards theedges . Springand early summer .E . p ulchellum .

i— Leaves.

small,

and dark greenflowers producedin great abund

a nc e,whi t e .

Spring months .E . sca ber .

This isa handsome but somewh a t d e l i c a t eplant

,and con

sequently it ismore frequentlygr a f t e d up onsome strong-growing species ; the leaves are linear,dark green, the glandular dots giving them a roughappearance ; flowers numerous

,white

,tinged with

pink . Spring and early summer.

E uca lyp tus— These plants are mostly gigantictrees, in some instances attaining a height of thr eehundred feet, with a proportionate gir th. They arepopularly kn own throughout the Australian coloniesas G um-trees . The B lue G um-tree. E . giobulus,

G R EVILLEA R OBUS'I A .

yields a fine quality of timber,and recentlyhas a c

quired a European reputation as an antidote to “

malaria, and has been largely planted in marshydistricts. The Stringy Bark

,

”E . yigcmtea , attains

to an immense siz e,and its wood is a most useful

timber. The name of G um-trees comes from thefa c t o f m an yspecies yielding aquantity of gumwhich is used forvarious purposes .Euca lyp tus be~

longs to the orderMyrta cew. Theirleaves are entire

,

t h i c k,

a n dleathery in tex

ture,and

,like

the phyllodes ofth e A c a c i a s

,

mostly stand withtheir edges to thebranches

,and not

fl a t,a s m o s t

leaves do . Theirflowers are showyand the fruits arelarge

,hard

,and

woody,variously

shaped,and are

exceedingly curiousand interesting , but they arefa r too large tointroduce to themaj ority of plant

,

h o u s e s . Th especiesmentionedbelow

,however

,is

an exception tothis rule

,and is

well deserving ofthe attention ofall those whoappreciate fragrant leaves . P ot

in three parts of light loam and one part of peat.E . citriodom .

— A slender-growing plant, havingsmall

,oblong

,bright green leaves , which are fur

nish edwith numerous glandular hairs, that give offa delicious fragrance, resembling that of the Lemonscented V erbena. Australia .

G aste ria .— These are sma ll-growing plants

sometimes called Tongue Aloes . The name comesfrom gaster, “ the belly,” in allusion to the curved

1 70 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

tubula r flowers , whi ch are much inflated or belliedout towards the base . There is indeed little to distinguish them from Aloe

,but they were separated

from that genus by Haworth,who made these plants

a special study. There are a considerable numberof Species many of them have their leaves arrangedin a two-ranked or di stichous ma nner . The leavesare thick and massive

,and rigid in outlin e

,whilst

some have a spiral habit of growth . The leavesa re mostly tongue- Shaped some species have roughleaves, caused by little wart-like protuberances allover the skin ; others again are smooth, shining,and very beautiq y coloured. In addition to theirhighly-coloured leaves

,the G asteriasproduce long

arched Spikes of pendulous flowers,which are

tubular and mostly some shade of red,tipped with

green, and spring from the axils of the leaves duringSpring and early summer. All are natives of th eCape of G ood Hope. For cultivation see Aloe .

The following are some of the most interestingand handsome Species

G . anguina .

‘

G . brevifolia .

bra chyphylla .

B owieana .

G . carina ta .

G . candica ns.conspur ca ta .

G . distich a .

G . ensifolia .

G . formosa .

Gr. f ascia ta .

G . glabra .

G . intermedia .

G . lingua .

G ene tyllis— Thi s genus belongs to the naturalorder called Fringe-Myrtles

,to distinguish th em

from the order of Myrtle-blooms, for although th efoliage of the G enetyllis have the fragrance of thelatter, there is no other resemblance between them .

The correct name of the present genus is D a rwinia

it contains about a score of Species ; these , however, areall handsome plants

,characterised by the large cam

panula te involucre encircling their flowers , which ish ighly coloured and very persistent ; to this involucre,which many cultivators look upon as the flower, theseplants are indebted for their beauty, whilst in realitythe individual flowers are small and unattractive .AS before remarked

, G enetyllis are all highlyornamental plants

,and as the involucres are not

easily bruised they bear removing well,and thus

they are excellent subj ects for exhibition purposes .They are plants that requir e considerable care andattention to grow into good large and well-furn ishedspecimens . The soil we _prefer for them is goodfibrous peat, with a very little light loam added, andsufficient sand sh ould be mixed with it to renderthe whole gritty . G ood drainage is most essential ; water judi ciously, but

‘

enough Should be given

to wet the whole mass through,and the roots must

never be allowed to become quite dry at any time.The Species here enumerated are to be found in somecollections under the name H ederomw. Allare nativesof South-west Australia.G .fimbriam.

— A charming small-growing plant,

which has the character of being a rather Shy

bloomer under cultivation ; it is, however, so distinctand beautiful that it well merits a place in everycollection ; the bell-like involucres a re light rosecolour

,elegantly fringed around the mouth . Summer

months .G . H ookerimza — sometimes called G . f uchsioides

is a stronger-growing plant than the preceding ; allthe stems and branches are bright red leaves small

,

dark green above,pale on the under side ; the in

volucresare bright reddish-scarlet and very lasting .

Spring and early summer.G . tulip if em .

— Asitsname implies, the large involucresof this Species resemble inverted tulips it isa strong grower and very free bloomer ; the leaves arestout

,about an inch long , and fragrant, dark green

on the upper Side, paler below ; involucres white orpale yellow, flaked and striped with bright flamecolour and crimson . Spring and early Summer . Thecorrect name is D a rwinia macrosteg ia .

G en ista — A large family of P ea -flowered plants ,most of which are hardy and must be passed over inthis place . A sprig of G enista was the badge Of theP lantagenet kings , and from whence they derivedthe name

,G enet or P lanta G enet of the French,

G en being the Celtic name for a small bush. Onespecies

, G . tinctom’

a,in former times was in great

repute as a dye -plant .The green-house Species, with which only we shalldeal here, are free-growing a nd compact plants,admirably adapted for all purposes Of decoration ;the flowers are flagrant and mostly produced duringthe winter and early spring months, which greatlyenhances their value . G enistas succeed well in alight loamy soil . Af ter the flowering season is pastthey should be pruned back hard in order to induce lateral growth, and thus form bushy andwell-furnished specimens . After the new growth ismade remove the plants to the open air, so that theShoots may be well ripened , and a plentif ul . crop offlowers insured. They strike very easily from cut

tings,and commence blooming when quite . small

plants .G . Everestz‘ama .

— A compact plant with trifoliatedark green leaves

,and long Spikes of rich orange

yellow ; fragrant flowers . Early spring months .G . racemosa .

— A' somewhat tall plant ; leaves tri

foliate,racemes terminal on all the shoots ; flowersbright yellow and fragrant. Winter months .

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1 72 CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

are broad and trifid; somewhat resembling a B erberis

,armed with a Spine on each lobe

,bright deep

green racemes on all the Shoots, few-flowered, brightred

,passing into primrose-yellow ; style very long.

April and May. W est Australia .

G . P raissiz’ . — The foliage Of thisSpecies is mostelegant

,segments very fine and narrow

,and brilliant

green ' racemes terminal on all its shoots , dense ;flowers slightly hairy

,rosy-pink

,tipped with green ;

an abundant bloomer. March and April . Southwest Australia .

G . rowers— This species is cultivated for its beautiful ornamental foliage only

,and when young is

admirably adapted for table or room decoration. Itisthe Silk Oak of the Australian colonist

,and

attains the height Of one hundr ed feet,producing

large panicles of orange- coloured flowers._

In thiscountry, however, it has never flowered. The leavesare much divided and light green. I t produces thebest effect when kept to a Single stem .

G . rosma rinif olia .—A superb and robust-growing

species , with narrow erect leave s, nearly two incheslong, deep green above, hoary beneath ; racemesproduced on the pointsof all the Shoots

,many

flowered, colour rich deep red. February and March .

N ew South Wales .

H a broth amnus.— This name literally signifiesgay Shrub ,” and they are said to be amongst themost beautiful Of all the Mexican plants . Theybelong to the order Solana cece

,and are tall-growing

plants , with long Shoots,well adapted for covering

pillars, rafters, or a back wall in a conservatory, butdo not conf orm well to pot-culture . For soil

, usepcat and rich loam in about equal p arts .H . eleg ans. — A strong, robust plant, with large,alternate, entire, broadly- lanceolate leaves, whi chare dark green and slightly pubescent on the undersurface ; flowers tubular, produced in large, dense,terminal

,drooping

l panicles, deep reddish purple .These, if fertilised, are succeeded by bright rosy-redfruits, resembling large bunches of grapes ; it flowersnearly the whole year round

,but is specially pr olific

during winter and early spring.

There is a varietyof this plant with the edges of the leaves broadlymargined with white

,which affords a pleasing con

trast, but it is rather delicate in constitution .

H . f ascicula tus. — Leaves ovate, entire , pubescent,dark green ; flowers in dense terminal heads richcrimson-scarlet . Spring months . Like the preceding Species, it is a native Of Mexico.

H a rdenb e rg ia .— A family of climbing plants

,

producing beautiful P ea - Shaped flowers,mostly blue

,

9. colour that is always very acceptable . They arenearly alli ed to Kemzedya , but their flowers are muchsmaller than any of the last-named family.

Hardenberg ias are all plants of easy culture , andrapidly clothe a trelli s or pillar in the green-house

,

and furnish a rich abundance of their beautifulflowers . For soil

,use loam and peat in about equal

parts, adding . a portion of sand to keep the wholeOpen .

H . corda ta . Leaves heart-Shaped and darkgreen ; racemes many-flowered ; bloomspale blue .April and May. Swan R iver.H . Comp to7zimza .

— Leaves trifoliate leaflets bluntoblong, dark green:racemes many-flowered ; bloomscarlet. Spring and early summer months. Austra lia .

H . monop lzylla .— Leaves simple

,lanceolate

,dark

green ; racemes many-flowered ; bright blue . Itblooms during the greater part of the season . SouthAustralia . There is also a variety ha ving its leavesvariously blotched and striped with yellowishwhite .

H aworth ia .— A family of plants very much re

sembling miniature Aloes,and to which they are

very nearly allied . They have been separated fromtha t genus

,and named in honour of the di stin

guish ed botanist, Haworth, and are characterisedby their tubular flowers being erect, and the limbtwo-lipped

,and by their seed-vessels being more or

less ribbed . Haworthias require a little more attention than their near relations

,the Aloes and G aste

rias,requir ing shade from the fiercest rays of the

sun during the summer months, and a little moreheat in winter than is given the ordinary deniz ensof the green-house

,and they cannot suffer much

drought without soon being injuriously aff ectedth ereby.

Some of the species have beautif ul translucentleaves

,others are plain and smooth, and some h ave

curiously verrucose and variegated leaves, whilstanother section

,often called Apicras, have very

crowded,stifi

,cuspidate leaves

,and an erect growth .

Haworthias Should be kept in small pots,and these

drained well ; the soil to consist of light loam and

broken brick and mortar rubbish ; they are verySlow in growth , and are usually increased bysuckers.

The following list contains a selection of the mostbeautiful kinds

H . albicans.H . arachnoides.H . aspera .

H . a trovireus.H . a ttenuata .

H . Bolusii .

H . bulla ta .

H . conca va .

H . coarctata .

H . clariperla .

H . cong esta .

-H . crlSpidata .

H . cymba folia .

G R EEN -HOUSE PLAN TS.

H e liotrop ium .— The various species of plants

belonging to this genus are of little importance in adecorative point of view ; there is , however, one exception, and that is the popular favourite, H . P em

fvia hwm, and its cultivated va rietiesr a ll of which areknown to every one asCherry-pie plants .”

This plant and itsvarieties are extremelyeasy to cultivate, andfrom the delicious fragranee which they emit

,

they are much in demand for bouquet making and for mixingwith any other cut

flowers .H eliotropes are low,

shrubby plants, with en

tire oblong lea ves,whi ch

are covered more or lesswith long rigid hairs ;the racemes are denselyset with small lilac

, pur

ple,or -white flowers .

They are frequently usedfor bedding purposes inthe summer months . Forthe production of cut

flowers a plant shouldbe trained against awall or pillar in thegreen-house . A light rich loam suits them best .The following are a few of the best varietiesH . B eauty of the Boudoirr —P urple-Shaded lilac.H . Florence N ightinga le — D eep purple .H . Souvenir de Leop old I .

— LilacH . the Q uee r — Mauve .H . Volta irea h um.

— D eep purple.H . White Lady — Pure white ; especially useful for

winter blooming.

H ov e a .— These are shrubby leguminose plants

from vari ous parts of Australia,but chiefly from

the South-eastern andWestern.

They are plants of easy culture,but being rather

straggling in habit,they require extra attention in

th e matter of stopping,in order to form compact

bushes .For potting, a compost of three parts peat and one

HYD R AN G EA HOR TEN SI S.

1 7 3

of light loam, with about a sixth part of sharp sand,suits them admirably, and the soil should be used.

rough .

The flowers of Hoveas are all some shade of blue .They form brilliant ornaments in the green-house

,

and are well adapted for exhibition purposes ; but,unfortunately, they have, to a great extent, beenpush ed out of our collections by the numerous softwooded plants now more frequently grown

,many

of which cannot compare, for grace and beauty, withwhat are termed old-fashioned plants

.

H . Gelsi. -A handsome plant

,with alter

nate, broadly- lanceolatel e a v e s

,d e e p g r e en ;

racemes erect,many

flowered,rich cobalt

blue . Spring and earlysummer.H . emp ties. — Leavesoblong-ovate

,deep green

above, rusty below ;flowers purple. Springand early summer .H . p ungens. — A veryfree growing species.Leaves linear

,having

the edges slightly rolledback ; flowers deepblue . Spring and earlysummer .

H ume a .— H . eleg ans

is the only species inthe genus . It belongsto the order Comp osite ,

and is remarkable in thisfamily for producing a

large terminal feathery inflorescence , almost resembling that of some of the grasses . The plant is abiennial

,and attains a height of from three to ten

feet,with ample 'stem-clasping leaves , which are thin

in texture and bright green. When rubbed orbrushed against, th ese give off a strong aromaticodour

,which is highly relished by some , but much

di sliked by others .The seeds should be sown about Jime or July, andwhen large enough to handle conveniently, pottedinto single pots and grown all the summer in thegreen-house

,or

,what is better, a frame, where the

pots can stand on a cool bottom, and have a freecurrent of air. D uring this time the plants shouldbe re -potted as they requir e it ; in the followingSpring they Should be Shifted into rather large pots .B eing coarse feeders , it isnecessary to supply themwith an abundance of root-room,

and from about th e

1 74 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

time the flower begins to show,an occasional water

ing with liquid manure will be highly beneficial.The branching panicle is drooping and denselyclothed with small rosy-crimson flowers, and presents the appearance of a beautiful fountain . Thesoil should be rich loam and thoroughly decomposedmanure in equal parts .It is also admirably adapted for surmounting

flights of steps upon terraces in the Open air and forgeneral use in the sub-tropical garden . South-eastAustralia .

H ydra ng e a .— The plants belonging to this

family are all very handsome,with bold dark green

leaves and large terminal heads of flowers . Flowersare usually dependent upon the corolla for theirchief beauty

,but in the case of Hydrangeas the

reverse “ is the case,as the corolla is nearly always

wanting,and what is usually looked upon as such is

an extraordinary enlargement of.

the calyx. Thename comes from hydor, “water

,and

,as they cer

ta inly revel in a large supply of that element, theyare pOpularly~calledWater-drinkers .In some parts of the kingdom

,more especially in

Ireland, H . lwrtensisattains considerable proportionsin the open borders

,forming magnificent specimens

from twenty to thirty feet in cir cumference ; andalthough the heads of bloom are not so large as areobtained under pot-culture with young plants

,they

are nevertheless exceedingly beautiful.Asgreen-house plants

,there are two distinct

systems of treatment . If a bushy Specimen is required

,then every year after flowering they should

be cut back,and afterwards shif ted into larger pots .

In this manner large -plants may soon be obtained,

which will produce a great quantity of their beautiful globular heads of bloom . These plants will losetheir leaves in winter

,and

,if kept tolerably dry at

the roots, may be stowed in a shed or any placewhich will exclude frost till returning spring againstarts them into lif e .The second and more usual method is to growplants from cuttings each year

,and confine them to

a single stem. By this means immense heads maybe obtained

,measuring several feet in circumference.

The details of this system are as follows — In themonth of March th e cuttings should be inserted, andplaced in

'

a little heat,using for soil equal parts of

loam, peat, and sand. Assoon as rooted, pot themsingly into small pots

,and

,when they are well

established, again shift them into potstwo siz eslarger, using the same soil , but adding a littlemanure to their dr ink about once a week . Theyshould be kept in the warmest part of the greenhouse dur ing this time

,until th e terminal growth

formsa knottycrown . Af ter this,place them in

THE FLOWER G AR DEN .

B r W ILLIAM W ILD SM ITH .

the Open air, with full exposure to the sun,which

will ripen the wood and set th e flower -buds . B eforefrost can touch them, remove in-doors . Excludethem from frost and keep rather dry until sometime in the month of February

,when theyshould

be started into growth , and again re -potted. In ashort time after this the heads of bloom will beginto show themselves

,and from that time forth liquid

manure must be given once every week.

H . lzortensis.— Thi s plant, introduced fr om Chinaby Sir Joseph Banks, has large, smooth, ellipticalleaves

,tapering at each end, toothed at the edges,

and bright green . The flowers are produced in alarge cyme

,and usually of a lovely shade of pink

,

but sometimes blue . This latter colour the gardeneris always anxious to produce

,but there are frequent

failures in the attempt. There is little doubt thatthis colour is derived from the presence of iron inthe soil

,and we have also found that a continuous

use of alum in the water will bring about the desir ed result .H . ThomasH ogg .

—Thi s is undoubtedly a varietyof the preceding

,and thr ives under exactly the same

treatment . In growth and siz e of. blooms there islittle to distinguish it, but th e flowers are purepaper-white. Introduced to this country from thegardensof the United States of America .

H . p anicula ta , the finest of them all,may be used

for out-door or in-door purposes .

SP R IN G BE D D IN G AN D SP R IN G FLOWER S.

OR years past every branch of flower gardeninghas been growing in public favour

,but none

more so than that of spring bedding:a very naturalpiece of favouritism

,seeing that this class of flowers

are the first to greet u p after the long and all butflowerlessweeks of winter . There is another reason,and that is the late general revival of, and increaseof interest in

,hardy flowers of all descriptions; and,

as a matter of course, as one gets to know the meritsof the various sections, those that give usthe largestamount of pleasure at the earliest season are boundto be prominent in th e list .This is just as it should be

,but there is another

side to the pistur e which in scores of cases binders,and in some altogether prevents , the cultivation ofSpring flowers , at any rate in large gardens . Th isis that the London season extending over the wh oreof the spring months, and entailing the consequentnon-residence of the gentry in the country

,spring

flower gardening is not a necessity ; and, indeed.we know instances where it has positively been for

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CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

even the hardiest would be liable to succumb in asevere winter .

Arr a ng ement of P lants— There issuch adiversity and immensity of spring-flowering plants,that it is very difficult to give an arrangement likelyto suit the generality of readers ; and we shall onlyname one or two which

,according to our j udgment ,

are amongst the most effective . Simple groups andmixtures of colour look best, and they should besurrounded by bands or cushions of dwarfer-growingplants

,such as Cerastiums, Stone-crops, Sedums,

H ernia ria g la bra , variegated Arabis,or similar

plants . The only “ dotting of flowers allowable inSpring bedding is that of Tulips , Hyacinths , andN arcissus all these look first-rate Springing from acarpet of “any of the mossy section of Saxifragas , andSedums ; and there is another advantage in thisarrangement

,which is that the Sedums, or whatever

ground~work be used,look well the winter through ,

and serve also as protection to the bulbs . Such“ carpets Should always be prepared in the reservegarden for lifting in flakes

,turf-fashion, and be

simply pressed down on the beds ; thus the allottedspace is filled out at once .

It is with Spring as with summer beddin g— thatis

,simplicity of design and quietness of colouring

afford the greatest pleasure for the longest period.

Strictly adh ering to this principle, the followingarrangements are given asamongst the best we haveseen . And here it may be observed that threecolours of flowers , or at the most five in the largestbed(exclusive of foliage plants) , are all that Shouldbe used ; more than this have the effect of destroying that sense of repose that Should characterise allfloral arrangements .The . following is an arrangement for a circular

bed twelve feet in diameter — A central plant ofYucca recurva then two rows of dark and yellowWallflowers, alternated ; next, two rows of whiteand blue Forget-me-nots, also alternated ; the outertwo rows being white and coloured P olyanthus inmixture

,and th e edging Scdum a cre a ureum.

A spring “carpet ” bed of like dimensions is asfollows :; A ground-work over the entire bed ofSedam a cre elegans, creamy-yellow ; then two rows ofscarlet Tulips or Hyacinths ; next, two rows of whiteditto

,the outer lines to be light pink and blue

Hyacinths alternated. Should the number of plantspresent a meagre appearance

,white V iola— Mrs.

G rey— may with excellent effect be thinly plantedover the entire bed.

The following is also a most telling arrangementfor a similar-siz ed bed or even smaller — Wh iteV iola— Mrs. G rey— Clivede‘n B lue P ansy, and Silenep endula comp a cta , pink, in regular mixture all over

L ist of P lantsfor Sp ring B edding — Thesemay be classed under three heads:first

,

‘ P erennials ,orsuch as are increased by cuttings and divisionsecondly

,Annuals and Biennials

,that can be raised

from seeds and lastly, Bulbs, and Carpeting P lantsbest adapted for planting in conjunction with Bulbs .

AN N UALS AN D B IEN N IALS.

N emoph ila atoma r ia

N . insignis.Sapona ria calabri ca .

Silene pendula .

S . p endula compa cta .

Stocks, Brompton and Em

B artonia aure a .

Candytuf ts, purple , wh ite.and crimson .

Collinsia bicolor.C . Verna .

E rysimum P eroifskiauum .

Eschsch oltz ia californica . peror .

Limnanth usD ouglasii. Virginian Stocks.L

'sulphur ea . Wallflowers.Liyosotisa rvensis, blue and

wh ite’

kinds.

the bed,with an enclosing band or edging of white

and red D aisies .Another arrangement is— variegated Arabis as aground-work

,and over the whole

,the compact

growing blue Forget-me -not (Myosotisdissit§fl07~a)and Cliveden Yellow P ansy

,and white Tulips

,or

Hyacinths .An excellent villa or cottage garden arrangementconsists of scarlet and yellow W allflowers, ClivedenB lue P ansy

,and yellow Viola(la tea ) the edging to

be Seda n:glaucum.

,

From the foregoing it will be seen that preferenceishere Shown for mixtures rather than masses ofcolour

,a plan that

,besides being more pleasing

,

has the additiona l advantage of concealing anydefect that may arise through the failur e or partialfailure of any of the plants . G ood bold edgings ofsome distin ctive plant should be a primary consideration for every bed. Common P rimroses

,

Arabis,hardy Heaths

,variegated Thyme, D aisies ,

Sedums , and Saxifragas, and Crocuses , to be plantedin the two last-named plans

,are some of the best

plants for edgings in spring bedding arrangements.

P ER EN N IALS.

Alyssumsaxatile . Myosotis(Forget-me nots),A . saxa tile variega ta . se vera l kinds.A rabisalbida . Omph alodesverna .

A . albida variega ta . P ansies, many kinds.A . lucida variega ta . P hloxsubla ta .

Aubrietia purpurea varie P . N elsoni.ga ta . P V erna .

A. Campbellii. P olya n t h us,A . deltoides. variety.

A . graeca .P rimroses, manykind

Caltha palustris Saxifra ga granula ta flore

Ch eiranth usalpmus. pleno .

C. Ch eiri (W S. pyramidalis.Pur ple , yellow, and red S. ligula ta.

varieties. Sta chyslana ta .

D aisies, double red and Thymes, green and varie

white varie ties. ga ted.

Erica, carnea ,Vines. (P erm?inkles) , green

G entiana acaulis. and vari ega ted.

G . verna .V 1 0las— Th e Cz ar, Q ueen

Iber issemperflorens. Vlcton a , and M a rie

1 . g ibraltarica .Louise .

THE FLOWER G AR D EN . 7 7

BULBS AN D CAR P ETIN G P LAN TS.

Ajuga reptanspurpurea .

Anemone apennina .

A. blandaAntennaria tomentosa .

Bulbocodium vernum .

Cerastium tomentosum .

Crocusverna .

C . impera ti.C . biflorus.Crown Imperia lslaria ) .

Hepatica triloba, in variety.

(P ritil

Saxifra ga hypnoides, and

oth ers of th e mossysection.

Scilla siberica .

S . bif olia .

S . verna .

Sedum a cre elegans.S. glaucum .

S . Lydium .

S. corsicum.

Tulips— double and SingleD uc va n Th ol, Tournesol,

Hya cinths, a ll th e single P ottebakker, W aterloo,kinds. R osa Mundi, R oyal Stan

N arcissus poeticus, and dard,

Y ellow P rince ,many oth ers. Wh ite Swan, Q ueen Vic

toria , La Ca ndeur, and

R ex rubrorum .

R anunculus, all th e Turban varieties.

P rop a g a tion'

and Summ er Culture of

P lants— Taking these in the order named,fir st

come the perennials,nearly all of which are most

easilyincreased by division of plants, which Operationis best performed when

l

th ey .are moved from thebeds at the end of May of early in Jun e . A borderor plot of ground having, an eastern exposure , andnot over-shadowed by trees,_ is the best site ; andthe soil should be a free Open loam

,and be manured

with vegetable or leaf soil in preference to stableor farmyard manure ; then the plants are sureto make

,and transplant with

,abundance of fibrous .

roots . The ground being thus prepared,division of

plants may then go on till the desired number ishad ; and as there are usually plenty Of plants to bediscarded

,the most vigorous only of these should be

selected for increase_of young stock . All the kinds

should be planted in lines at such distances apartas habit or growth of the plants demands , a convenient di stance for most kinds being a foot fr om rowto row

,and from:six to

'

nine inches apart in therow. D aisies and P rimroses may be nearer thanthat . W ell tread or press the plants in

,and if

the weather be hot and dry at the time , watering will be necessary till new roots have beenformed .

The kinds that are best increased by cuttings areP ansies ,-V iolas ,

_doubleW allflowers,Thymes, Iberis,

&c. ; and though a later date than June would do forputting in cuttings Of these

,that is undoubtedly the

best time to get the finest and early-blooming plants .Frames or hand-lights placed on a north border, andthe cuttings inserted in them ,

best insure a successful strike . The cuttings need not be more thanthree inches apart, because as soon as well rooted theyshould be transplanted to a more open border

,south

or west aspect, for in such a position only can theydevelop that hardy and well-matured growth thatalone can insure early and free flowering. Mulchingand watering in very dryweather, and picking off

flowers and pinching out the points to encourage abranching habit; are about all the detailsof culture

3 6

needed till the plants are ready for transference totheir flowering quarters .

AN N UALS AN D B IEN N IALS.

Emperor and Brompton Stocks, W allflowers,and

SweetW illiams are about the only kinds of biennialsthat flower in time for spring bedding

,and therefore

these kinds only are mentioned. They should all besown before the end of May. Any aspect will do,but an eastern one is best. Sow in dri lls nine inchesapart, and if the soil be heavy, scatter a little lighterand finer soil in the bottom Of the drill arid coverthe seeds with the same, then water with a fin e rose,and the process is complete . Assoon as the plantsare sufficiently large to handle

,transplant on to

well-prepared ground,the richer the better

,and so

far apart from plant to plant that there shall be nodanger of the plants getting lanky or drawn

,owing

to want of space ; from four to six inches apart isnone too much .

The annuals named(the variety of which is amplefor Spring bedding) do not need one-half the attention that biennials do . Sow for ea rly Spring flowering from the middle to the end of September, andon a rather poor soil

,six or eight inches in depth

'

;

and if the bottom be hard so much the better,as this

will prevent the extension of tap-root, and th e plants

will then transplant with plenty of side-rootlets . N O

pricking out is needed,but the seedlings should be

thinned out before there is any danger of in jury fromover-crowding

,and all attempts at prematur e flower

ing should be momentari ly ch ecked by pinching out

the points . Th e soil being poor and shallow,should

the autumn be dry, -mulching and watering will beindispensable .

B u lbs, a nd C a rp e ting P la ntsfor th em .

Asto the former,we have Tulips

,Hyacinths , N a r

cissus,and Crocuses. The finest are those that are

imported,and they are all purchasable at a very cheap

rate but for all that,some may not be able to investyearly in them . This ne ed not exclude their use, asexcellent results can be had by preserving the old

roots as,follows — Keep them in the gr ound till the

tops have quite died down,then lift and dry-them , and

keep till planting-time in a' cool dry place . Wh en

they are again planted out,give them. a rich soil

well-decayed cow-manure, if possible/w and they willflower just as freely, but not be:so la rge and fine , asimported bulbs . The other bulbous. plants na med inthe list should, if possible, be left p ermanem‘

tya in theground ; or if this be impracticable they must betransferred to the reserve garden, to be again transplanted as early as

'

possible in the spring arrangements .The carpeting or ground-work plants for bulbs, as

8 CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

per list, may be increased at any time most couvenient between the tim e of lif ting and the end of July

,

but this is the latest period th ey can be done,at

least to get them effective for Spring bedding . Whenthe old plants are lifted

,place them in

.

any shadyspot, and keep them supplied with water till they canbe divided or split up into small pieces that canbepricked out with a poin ted stick ; the smaller thepieces, so .much more vigorously do all of them startinto growth . A warm border and rich soil are requisite, and the plants may nearly touch when first putout, because all this class of plants should be en

couraged to make a growth sufficiently dense to bepared ofi with a spade

,or turfing -iron

,with a sum

ciency of soil adhering to render it unnecessary toplant, but simply to press firmly into the soil, thusproducing immediate effect

,and at the same time

saving the labour of planting.

OR CHIDS.

BY W ILLIAM HUG H G OWE R .

Ansellia .-Asa genus

,this is characterised by

itsOblong fleshy sepals , whi ch are spreading andfree ; the petals resemble them,

but are broaderand straight

,

The lip is sessile, three -lobed , themiddle lobe the smallest and verrucose . The stems

,

like pseudo-bulbs , are erect, terete , sheathing, bearing towards the summit numerous plicate leaves .P ollen masses , four, the two dorsal one s very sma ll.Anselliasare epiphytesnaturally

, but thrive bestunder cultivation when grown in pots, and theserequire to be large in Order to accommodate th eirnumerous roots . P ot in peat and Sphagnum

, and

water freely during the growing season . EastIndian House .A . africana .

— A robust plant,attaining a h eight

of several feet ; leaves plicate , dark green . Th e

panicle is produced from thesummit of -the pseudobulb

,pendulous

,much-branched andmany-flowered;

the sepals and petals yellowish-green, transverselyblotched with brownish-purple ; lip yellow,

the sidelobes barred with purple . Its pe culiar-colouredflowers are very welcome during the winter months.This plant is abundant on the island of Fernando P O

,and also on the mainland of Africa

Opposite . A variety called g ig antea , from N atal,produces a very much larger and brighter-colouredflower , although not distinguishable from the speciesbotanically.

A . af ricana , var. R ollissonw— This plant seldomattains a height of more than twelve to fif teeninches . The pseudo -bulbs are stout . The panicle issmall, but the individua l flowers are much larger

than the,

normal form,and more spreading ; sepals

and petals yellow, profusely blotched with purplishbrown . W inter months. N atal.

A rp op hyllilm .-This genus containsa fewvery

handsome and distinct plants . They have slenderstem-like pseudo-bulbs

,and thick, coriaceous , arching

leaves . The flowers individua lly are small, but theyare densely set upOn long , erect, cylindri cal Spikes ,resembling in outline the brush of the

'

fox.

Arpophyllumsare strictly cool -house Ofrch ids;one species (A . a lp inum), which h asnever beenbrought alive to this country, we are told is foundon the branches of alders on Moun t Totanicapan ,in Mexico , at an elevation of feet. Here itluxuriates in an atmosphere too cold for theMexicanOak to exist .These plantshave not been very popular withOrchid-growers

,on account of their blooming some

what shyly. This , however, has been entirely thefault of the cultivator

,through keeping the plants

in far too high a temperature . Experience hasproved fully tha t if Arpophyllumsare grown withfull exposure to the sun' s rays

,and with very little

artificial heat, they thr ive vigorously and bloom profusely.

P ot these plants in rough peat . G ive a plentifulsupply of water during the period of growth, butreduce it to a very small quantum when at rest. In

'

the growing season keep them in the Mexicandivision

,but remove to the P eruvian House during

the resting season .

A . ca rdina le.

— This is undoubtedly the mostbeautiful of the Species yet introduced, and at thesame time ' is . extremely rare in cultivation . Therhi z ome is creeping, pseudo-bulbs erect, stem-like

,

some six to eigh t inches long, and clothed withstout shea th-like sca les ; they bear a solitary archingleaf

,eighteen to twenty-four inches in length, and

upwards of an inch and a half in breadth ; theseare thick and leathery in texture, and bright green ;the erect flower-Spike Springs from between a largesheath at the base of the leaf, and is upwards of afoot in he ight:flowers dense , rather small, the sepa lsand petalsrosy-pink ; lip destitute of any fringe ,bright reddish-crimson . It bloomsduring springa nd earlysummer. Mexico and G uatemala.A . gigantcwm.

-A bold-growing plant,with ' very

much th e appearance of the pre ceding species ; it is,however

,more robust

,the leavesare longer and

broader,whilst itserect flower- spikes a re longer

and more massive ; flowers very numerous , sepalsand petals rosy-lilac ; lip ovate , fringed in front,and deep rosy-purple . April and May. Mexico andG uatemala.

A . sp ica tum.— This species has been introduced to

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1 80 CASSELL’S POPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

jointed with the column and destitute of a spur ;th ey also resemble somewhat some of the Cymbidiamsin habit, but differ from them in having roundand compressed corm-like pseudo-bulbs .The maj ority

'

of the species forming this familyare natives of tropical America, where they grow inmoist ravines and swampy places, but some few arealso found in the Eastern Hemisphere, among whi chmay be noticed B . hya cinth ina , from China, and B .

lzyacmthina a lba-stria ta,from Japan.

B letias do not require elevating above the rim ofthe pot

,but Should be potted similarly to an ordi

nary stove plant,the pseudo-bulbs being covered

with about an inch of mould. The soil best adaptedfor the growth of these plants is a mixture of leafmould

,loam

,and peat in equal parts, with a little

’sand added ; drain the pots well, and during thegrowing season water abundantly

,but when the

leaves have fallen withh old the supply entirely, andremove to a cooler temperature than that in whi chtheywere grown. Braz ilian House .B . gra cilis. — Leaves Oblong lanceolate, plaited .

Scape branched,many-flowered ; sepals and petals

reddish-lilac,lip purple . Autumn months . Mexico .

B . p anda— Leaves lanceolate , plicate , and dark

green ; scape many-flowered ; flowers Spreading, andof a un iform dark purple . Early spring months .J amaica.B . Slc lwra’ii.— This is by some authors placed asa variety of B . ocrcczmda . It is , however, a distinct and handsome plant . Leaves broadly-lanceolate

,plaited ; scape erect ; sepalsand petals rich

rosy-purple lip same colour,with a streak of yellow

down the centre . W inter months . Jamaica .

B . Sherra ttiana .— This is undoubtedly the finest

species in cultivation . Leaves lanceolate - acuminate

,plicate ; scape erect, bearing nine to twelve

flowers , which are large and spreading, and of auniform rich .deep rosy-purple , the lip being ornamented with three parallel golden-yellow lines.Spring months . N ew G renada.

B olb op hyllum .— An extensive genus of epi

phytes, deriving their name from bolbos,

“ a bulb,

”

and phyllon, “ a leaf.” Th ey are confined to thetropics of Asia and Africa, and are nearly allied toD endrobium indeed there is little structurally todistinguish them saving the two lateral bristle-liketeeth .Which terminate the column .

Sa rcop odiam is a genus containing a few Specieswhich are usually referred to B olbop lzyllum,

and asthe diff erences are so slight we have retained themhere.

Although this genus contains upwards of a hundred Species, very few are worthy of cultivation fortheir beauty. There are, however, many that are

very curious in their formation,which will aff ord

deep interest to th ose who delight in the wonderfulas well as the beautiful in nature. These plantsshould be placed upon a block of wood

,with a little

Sphagnum moss round them ; water well during thegrowing season , but give them a good peri od of rest .East Indian H ouse .B . ba rbigcram.

— This exceedingly curious plant isdwarf

'

and spreading . The small pseudo-bulbsproduce a single thick and leathery Oblong leaf .The appearance of the flower cannot be betterdescribed than in the words of the late D r . Lindleyhimself . He says :“The thr ee sepals are narrow

,

and taper to a point ; pale green externally, dullchocolate-brown in the inside ; the petals are minute,slender pointed scales

,Shorter than the column

,and

not discoverable without disturbing the sepals.The column is dwarf

,and terminated in pa rt by two

long curved horns . The anther is a little round lid ;beautifully studded with crystalline points . The lipis one of the most extraordinary organs known evenamong Orchidaceous plants . It is a long

,narrow

,

flexuose,sharp-pointed body

,closely covered with a

yellow felt ; just within .its point there is a deeppurple beard of exceedingly fine compact hairs ; onthe under side

,at a little distance from th e point of

the lip,is another such beard ; and besides these

there is, at the end of the lip, a brush, consisting ofvery long purple thr eads so exceedingly delicate thatthe slightest disturbance of the air sets them in

motion,when they wave gently to and fro like a

tuft of thr eads cut from a Spider’s web ; of the lastmentioned hairs

,some are of the same thickness

throughout,others terminate in an Oblong club , so

that when the hairs are waving in the air(and I d )not know that they are ever entirely at rest) a partfloats along gracefully and slowly, while the othersare impelled by the weight of the glandular extremitiesto a more rapid oscillation . N or is thi sall ; the lip itself, with itsyellow felt, its two beards,and its long purple brushes

,is articulated with the

column by such a very slight joint that to breath eupon it is sufficient to produce a rocking movementso conspicuous and protracted, that one is reallytempted to believe that there must be something ofan an imal nature infused into th is most u nplantlike production .

” Summer months . Sierra Leone .B . D ayanam.

—A close-growing plant,producing

somewhat globose pseudo -bulbs, which are greenishpurple’

,and support a single

,Short, thick coriaceous

leaf,which is oblong-obtuse

,deep green on the upper

side,purplish below raceme Short, three and four

flowered ; sepals obtusely-ovate, large and spreading,fringed at the edges with long yellow hairs, tawnyyellow

,ornamented with numerous rowsof reddish

purple spots ; petals narrow, linear -Oblong, fringed

OR CHID S. l8 1

BLETIA PATULA.

at the edges, reddish-purple,with a na rrow marginal

band of tawny-yellow ; lip small and inconspicuous,

same colour as th e petals . Summer months . Moulmein .

B . Lobbm (Sarcopodium) . P seudo -bulbs ovate,

some three inches high,smooth

,and light green,

bearing a single oblong,thick

,and leathery leaf

,

flower large and Spreading,upwards of four inches

in diameter ; sepals lanceolate , the dorsa l one acuminate , soft yellow, streaked with lines of purpledots , lateral ones falcate, streaked with purple dots,and Shaded with same colour ; petals same as dorsalsepal and the same colour ; lip somewhat cordate,recurved, yellow, freckled with orange . Summermonths . Java.B . psittacoglossmn (Sarcopodium) . — Another veryhandsome dwarf-growing plant

,pseudo-bulbs ovate

,

enveloped in a beautiful fibrous network,and

bearing a solitary, broadly-Oblong, thi ck, and fleshyleaf, which isdeep green on both surfaces ; scapeshort, seldom more than two -flowered ; sepals andpetals ovate

,nearly equal in siz e

,yellowish-green

,

and streaked with red ; lip three-lobed, ovate, middlelobe recurved, yellow,

mottled with red. Summermonths . Moulmein .

B . reticula tum.— This Species must certainly take

fir st rank in this family, which is not remarkable forthe beauty of its members . The pseudo -bulbs a re

small,situated at intervals along a Slender stem-like

rhi z ome leaves solitary,petiolate

,cordate in shape

,

with a sharp point ; the ground-colour pale green ;the veins being dark green give the whole a beautifully reticula ted appearance, from which its name isderived ; spike short , hea ring about two flowers ;sepals and petals white

,streaked with broad lines

of reddish-purple,dorsal sepals la rgest lip

' curiouslyrecurved

,white and yellow

,spotted with purple .

July and August. Moulmein .

B olle a .—A small genus Of plants , bearing much

affinity with the older genus Zygop cta lum,

'

but yetsufliciently distinct, from a horticultural stand-pointat least

,to merit the separation . Bolleasare plants

with_ the habit and appearance of B a temanniasa nd

P asca torias,and require about the same treatment.

P eruvian House.B . La h

’

ndci. — This is an extremely beautifulspecies . It is, however, apparently very va riable in colour ; leaves oblong lanceolate,tapering to a point, upwards of a foot long bytwo inches broad, plaited, and bright green ;peduncle much shorter than the leaves , bea ring on the summit a single sprea ding flower,upwards of two inches in diameter, and thickand fleshy in texture ; sepals broader than thepetals

,varying in colour from rose to bright

CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

violet ; the tips and lower edges of the lateral sepalspale yellow ; lip ovate, hastate , the edges recurved,orange-yellow ; the disk furnished with numerousraised plates ; column hooded, deep purple . Summerand autumn months . N ew G renada.

B . P a tinii. -A less robust plant than the preceding ; leaves lanceolate-acuminate and deep green ;peduncle pendulous , one-flowered ; sepals and petalsall Spreading

,the lateral sepals much the larger

,

light blue, with pale yellow tips ; lip furnished withnumerous raised plates on the disk , yellow ; throatdeep blue ; column hooded.

'

Summer montns. N ew

G renada .

B rassav ola .

-This genus commemoratesAntonioMusa Brassavola, a V enetian nobleman and botanist.It is characterised by the sepals and petals beingabout equal in Siz e and free . The lip is entire

,

hooded, and encloses the column ; column clavate,and eared in front pollen masses

,eight .

The species comprising this family are not firstfavourites with Orchid-growers

,probably on account

Of their want of colour ; and as they get much neglected, they have not bloomed freely. Brassavolasare found in the tropics of America only, and do notlike cold treatment . They thr ive best on blocks ofwood, and enj oy an abundant supply of water whengrowing. Most of the species are fragrant. Bra

z ilian House .B . a ca ulis.— A dwarf plant with straight

,terete

,

dark green leaves,and little or no stem ; flowers

solitary, very large , white, freckled with rose sepalsand petals linear-acuminate

,about equal ; lip large,

cucullate . Summer months . Central America.

B . cuculla ta .

— This Species has long and slenderterete leaves , from the base of which the longpeduncle springs , bearing a single large and handsome pure white flower ; sepals and petals aboutequal , long and strap - shaped ; lip cordate-acuminate,lengthened out into a tail-like point

,and fringed

round the edges. Summer months . W est Indies .B . Ligbyana (or, more correctly, Le lia D igbya iza ) .In habit this plant resembles a Ca ttle/a or Le lia , withits erect pseudo-bulbs and single

,thick

,fleshy leaf

,

whi ch is light green and very glaucous ; flowerssolitary ; very large sepals and petals, strap-shaped,creamy-white ; lip large and Spreading

,the sides

forming a bood over the column,white

,deeply fringed

round the edges . W inter months . HondurasOther species of B i

'

assa cola are g la uca , Martiana,

casp ia’a ta , linea ta , oenosa , &c. &c.

,all of which have

white or greenish-wh ite flowers .

B rassia .— This genus, named in honour

'

of Mr .

Brass, a plant collector, contains some twenty orthirty species and varieties . It is extremely near

Oncidium, from which it is only distinguishable byits very Short earless column

,and entire bilamellat

'elip

,and by the elongated lateral sepals . In Oncidium

the inflorescence is usually branched,but in B rassia

it is invariably simple,with the flowers arra nged in

a two-ranked manner.In the earlier days of Orchid culture anythingbelonging to this order was considered a greatrarity and curiosity

,and in those days Brassias

found great favour in the eyes of gardeners.

andamateurs. N ow

, however, that the number of specieshave so largely increased

,it has become absolutely

necessary to discard some of the less showy kinds,

and many of the members of this genus have beenput on one side . There are, however, some fewspecies with their quaint and weird- like forms

,

combined with their peculiar colours,which are

well deserving of a place in every collection .

Brassias may be grown in either pots or baskets .XVe prefer the former

,as they are robust and bold

growing plants , and require more water than canconveniently be given them under other treatment .P ot in rough peat fibre and Sphagnum moss .One or two species of B rassia (B . ciiinamomca and

B . g lamacea ) are found at considerable elevationsgrowing with Odontoglossums, &c. the others are allfrom warmer localities

,and Should therefore be

grown in th e Braz ilian House .B . bi'a chia ta .

—This,although not a gay-coloured '

flower,is very remarkable for its long tail-like

sepals,

‘ which Often measure twelve inches from thepoint Of the dorsal to the end of the lateral ones .P seudo-bulbs

,oblong

,compressed

,bearing two short,

obtuse leaves ; raceme many-flowered ; sepals andpetals linear-acuminate

,the latter much elongated,

pale green,richly Spotted with brown ; lip large ,

heart- shaped in the upper part, and furnished withseveral smooth thin plates . Winter months . G uatemala.

B . emula te — AS its name implies, this species hasthe sepals lengthened out into very long tail-likeappendages

,whilst the petals are short, not longer

than the lip,which is ovate

,Oblong, subulate , and

slightly hairy towards the base ; colour tawnyy ellow

,profusely blotched with brown . June and

Jlily? W est Indies .B . Lancea na .

— In this species th e lateral sepalsare not so much elongated ; the flowers are brighty ellow, Spotted and blotched with brown, and sweetscented.

‘

B . Lanceana and its varieties are nearlyallied to B . ca a éla ta

,but the sharp awl-like termina

tion,

of the lip is entirely absent. Spring and earlysummer . Sur inam .

B . Lanceana,var. ma crosta chya .

— The flowers ofth is variety are much larger than the type

,lateral

sepals are pointed,and five inches long, sometimes

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1 84 CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

bulbs,and long

,sheathing

,dark green

,coriaceous tiva tion,

but nevertheless very elegant . It is 3

leaves raceme many-flowered ; flowers very fragrant, dwarf and compact grower . P seudo-bulbs small,resembling H awthorn

,large and

‘

pure white, middle bearing several dark green sheathing coriace ousOf the lip pale yellow. April and May. Braz il . leaves

,and pendant racemes of pure white flowers,

BUR LIN G TON IA D ECOR A.

B . Knowlcsii.— A beautiful dwarf plant whichsuc slightly fragrant . Sepals and petals pellucid, theceedsbest upon a block of wood. In general ap lip stained on the disc with pale yellow Thepearance it resembles B . cea asta , but diff ers from it racemes of bloom are admirably adapted for decoin having the white sepa ls and petals suffused With rating a

'

lady’shair for ball or evening party. The

rosy-pink . Autumn and winter . Braz il. flowers are produced at Short intervals almost all theB .

‘

ccnusta .— This is the commonest species in cul year round. Braz il.

THE KITCHEN G AR D EN .

THE KITCHEN”

G AR DEN.

Br WILLIAM EAR LEY .

SIMULTAN EOUS CR OP P IN G .

IMULTAN EOUS Cropping is “no new planor practice

,the exigencies Of space having

forced many growers to adopt its principle in connection with a limited

-

number of subj ects . . In thefollowing remarks I explain how more than one cropcan be grown together on given areas with “ reasonable success .

Asp a r a gusand L e ttuces. —Asparagus-bedsare generally maintained so rich by surface mulchings

,&c.

,with decomposed manures , as often during

rainy seasons to cause a soured soil. An excellent corrective Of this is to grow a crop

~of surfacerooting vegetables thinly upon it . Asfew subj ectssuffer so much from the occasional droughts of earlysummer as do Lettuces, these .latter also succeedwonderfully well sown up‘

on such a rich surface . Itis a profitable practice

,therefore

,to sow seeds Of the

P aris Wh it-e CosLettuce broad-cast over the bedsduring the last week of March in each year. Whenthe young seedlings are la rge

’

enough ,thin them out

greatly,and in such manner that only a Single plant

remains at even spaces all over each bed,and as far

as possible between the exact crowns of each Asparagus-plant. '

V ery fine-hearted Lettuces will form, but

itwill be '

absolutely necessary to pull them immediately they are ready for use , or a greatlya dditionaland unnecessary tax will be made upon the beds .

Asp a r a gus a nd R adish es.— The severalforms of Turnip ‘

R a dishes,but more especially the

more ‘highly appreciated Olive- shaped or Frenchbreakfast R adi shes, will succeed adm irably as a

second early spring-sown crop upon Asparagus-beds .The seeds must be sown thinly ; or if they comeup too thickly or irregularly, must be immediatelythinned out. Whilst the crop does not greatly taxthe bed

,it develops quickly into crisp succulency ,

owing to the Open,airy

,exposed sites of Asparagus

beds . It is important,however; that the entire crop

be drawn immediately it is large enough for use .

In very limited gardens,a thin sprinkling of Let

tucesand Ra dishes may indeed be made together,which , with reasonable and proper thinning out andquick use

,would yield a welcome supply of both.

B e ans(B re a d) a nd P ota toes.— It is a veryOld practice to grow Broad Beans thinly in or alongwith P otatoes in the row — a plan which, owing toth e downward-rooting habit of the Broad B ean

,de

tracts very little from the P otato crop . The B roadB eans shouldbe planted thinly

,to

‘

avoid shading the

1 85

P otatoes . At the time of planting the P otatoes,

dibble in the seeds between the sets in the row atdistances of about fourteen inches apart

,or rather

more, and along every other row only. It will bedesirable when dibbling each seed in to beat the soildown over it firmly with the dibble

,as this parti

cula r crop is partial to a firmer root-hold than isdesirable for the P otatoes .Immediately Broad Beans show flower

, .remove theupper end of the shoots— that is

, top them . Thissimple process will give encouragement to the crop,whilst it will throw less shade upon the P otatoes .By this method the D warf Maz agan Broad B eanmay be sown and grown along with the earliestkidney or round P otato cr0p on the south aspect

,

giving to all who are partial to such produce anearly and plentiful return from

' a limited area .

B e a ns(B roa d) a nd Seed-b eds. —W ith manymarket-garden farmers a belief exists that the BroadBean proves , when grown between the young plantsinseed-beds, consisting of anyvariety of the extensive family of Brassicas

,a sure antidote against the

Turnip fly, which very often, and especially duringperiods of aridity, devours and is very injur ious tothem . Whether this be so or not

,certain it is that

such things may be conveniently grown together, onthe score of greater economy of space

,and in the

early months of the year to insure earlin ess by protection to young seedling plants .For instance , Broad B eans may be sown in anylimited-siz e bed, eight inches asunder allways, eitherin the autumn or during the month of January.

Thus a bed about three feet wide by five feet longwould take thirty plants or more

,which is about the

number required in practice to give a dish of produce at a gathering.

Subsequently, or early in the month of M arch ,sow seeds, as requisite , amongst this young B eanplantation

,of Cabba ges, Coleworts , Brussels Sprouts ,

B roccoli , &c.,of the tenderest kinds . First deeply

hoe the ground,sow such seeds as are desirable

,and

Sprinkle over with a little rich soil . The growingB ean plants will prove a protection from cold windsand late spring frosts .

B e ans(B roa d) a nd R a dish es. — By an ar.

rangement similar to th e above,the earliest out

door R adish-bed may be greatly protected. It isremarkable how great a protection such a system of

studded uprights afiords.B oth in this instance and in connection with theseed-beds above explained— especia lly in allotmentgrounds, or where protectedsunny southern aspectsdo not exist— it will be good practice in connectionwith all to sow during

'

eith er N ovember or January

1 86l

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

two rows of Broad Beans across a quarter atthe distance of thirty inches asunder . Sow themif possible in a line. north -west by south-east .R adi shes and other somewhat tender kin ds sownbetween these two rows will then receive great protection from the more northerly winds and coldgenerally. In these instances long-rooted R adishesmay be sown by contrast with such as may begrown upon the Asparagus -bed above referred to .

B e a ns(B ro a d) a nd P a rsley.= — P arsley, where

it is much in demand, can readily be grown on thesame ground as the Broad Bean

,especially so the

sowings of the latter made dur ing mild weather inthe months of February and March . Thi s may alsobe a convenient system to follow in connection withearly sowings of Lamb’s Lettuce

,Australian Cress,

Chervil, &c. The B ean- stalks may be readily pulled

up so soon as th e crop is gathered, leaving th e spacefree for the other crops .

B e a ns(B road) a nd R idg e Cucumb e rsWherever the R idge Cucumber is grown plentifullyand well under field

.

culture,it is nursed by rows

of R ye sown at proper distances in rows oneither side . In instances where R idg e Cucumbersor G herkins are grown in the Open quartersofgarden or allotment ground, similar protection maybe given to the young seedling plants of the twolatter

,by sowing two rows of Broad B eans thr ee feet

apart during autumn or very early Spring. D uringthe subsequent month of May,

a nice rich soil maybe added and dug into the ground, so as to form aridge between the rows of B eans

,into which the

Cucumber- seeds may be inserted in rows, such Beansforming a screen from cold winds during such timeas the young seedling plants form,

and at the subsequent early stages of growth .

C e lery and L e ttu ces— It isan excellent planto throw out the Celery trenches as early as groundcan be spared for

.the purpose . Upon the banks of

soil between the trenches Lettuces may be sown ortransplanted. This is especially a good

_place fortransplanting the latter in the summer or autumn .

The depth of good soil thus placed beneath themtends to keep th e ground more moist and cool

,th us

producing finer heads than could grow on shallowersoils . Whenever Lettuce-seeds can be sown in sucha position early enough

,the seedling plants may be

thinned out efficiently ; such‘ as are drawn being

used for dibbling out,to secure a larger bulk and

longer succession of produce .

C e le ry and E ndiv e - The foregoing remarks

the'

curled and smooth-leaved or Batavian Endives .Sown and treated similarly

,the best of results are

obtainable . By the time that th e more permanentearthing up is requi site in regard to the Celery, itwill be necessary to take up these duplicate cropsand store them in pits

,frames

,or similar places

,for

winter protection.

C abb a g esand P ot a toes— In some of theconcerning Lettuces apply with equal force to both best-managedmarket-garden farms(the one pa rticu

C e le ry and R a dish es— The best R adishes,sold in immense quantities in the metropolis

,are

grown upon the mounds”

between Celery trenchesthrown out early on the largest of suburban Cele ryfarms . In such a position theysucceed admirably

,

and few better practices a re with in the reach ofsma ll growers . e sowings of autumn Cabbageplantsfor spring use may also

,where space exists

,be

conveniently grown on such sites .

B russe lsSp routsa nd P ota toes— Shortnessof garden ground forces upon growers manyexpedi ents. That fa vour ite vegetable, the BrusselsSprout

,requires to be planted out early

,and a whole

season of uninterrupted growth, to insure nice siz ea ble sprouts. Spare ground is not always to ,handat the particular season when se edling plants arelarge enough for transplanting, yet it is importantto do so

,that they receive no check. Wherever

P otatoesare planted at reasonable distancesapart,especia lly early sorts

,or such as have not too ram

pan t haulmsroom may, undersuch circumstances, befound for a few rows of BrusselsSprouts . Choosestrong youngseedlings, a nd do not plant too thickly.

G ood results often follow . These remarks applyoccasionally also to Kale s a nd winter B roccoli .

C auliflowe rsa nd P e as— Upon the principle tha t staked and growing early rows of P easafford protection and warmth in the very earliestmonths of spring

,it is an excellent practice to trans

plant autumn- sown Cauliflowers, whether out.of

frames or bell-glasses,be tween the earliest rows:it

may be done about the first week in April,or son“ e

what later if th e wea the r is very cold or inclement.This situation is

,moreover

,a desirable one

,on the

score that the site has been deeply and well preparedfor th e P ea crop, and is

'

th erefore very suitable forCa uliflowers. Be sides, it isa quick spring crop, andwill come off the ground as soon as the earliest P eas,thus giving room for succeeding subj ects in a quickand convenient manner . B esides which

,the Cauli

flowerswill make their growth and prepare forflowering

,before the P ea crop becomes too top-heavy

or overshadows them too much.

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1 88 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

admirably. The same results may be secured byplanting the crowns in a bed of soil therein, wellwatering them and covering over to the depth ofa foot or more in dry light materials Or . sand .

The same method will insure the necessary earlycrops of R hubarb and Chicory. D uring the wintermonths an internal heat of from 60° to 70°will benecessary to insure this .

M ush roomsa nd M e lons— At such time asany crop Of Melons are “ set

,

” and so far advancedas -to necessitate the withholding of root-waterings

,if

pieces of spawn-brick are inserted into any heap offermenting material that is employed to grow theMel ons upon, a crop of Mushr ooms may ultimatelybe produced .

Str awb erriesa nd Onions— These two crops_ running abreast upon the same area — must atfirst sight be considered almost as incongruous asany two that could well be harnessed together, andyet they are much alike in regard to time andSpace .Instead of sowing Onions at the usual distancesapart, sow them in drills at two feet or thirtyinches a sunder . Treat in the usual way untilJuly, and as soon as the earliest runners can beobta ined from Strawberry -beds or rows

,take them

Off so soon as partially rooted,and plant between

each row of Onions . The ground being keptclear between the Onions

,and well cultivated

during the summer, may first be slightly hoedover . The plants speedily lay hold and growrapidly, and by the time the Onions are cleared Offthere is a -good crop of Strawberry-plants on theground, and these are found to fruit exceptionallywell the following year.N or is the benefit Of thisdual culture con

fined to the Strawberries:the Onions reach theirfullest siz e and highest quality under thissimplemethod of abnormally wide culture . This plan,however, may be modified at will, thus: tworows Of Onions

,nine inches or a foot apart

,may

be grown in the centre of the space between eachtwo rows Of Strawberries . Of course, so soon asthe Onions are removed , the space between theStrawberriesis kept clear and well cultivated

,and

in the autumn a liberal mulching Of manure maybe applied , which greatly strengthens the plants,and adds to the bulk and quality of the crop ofStrawberries next year. Wh en runners a re late,those of last season may be used

,and these may

be planted soon after the Onions are sown or fairlyup .

,

But once this “ system is fairly adopted,there

is seldom any scarcity of fine runners,these being

chiefly obtained from the young plants,

FLOR ISTS’ FLOWER S.

BY R ICHAR D D EAN .

Th e G loxin ia .— Who shall attempt to

,

depictthe beauty and usefulness of the G loxinia ? Theoriginal species of G loxinia was imported from SouthAmerica about 1 8 15, and the gardeners of that day,finding that it produced seeds, set about raisingseedlings

,and from these have Sprung , a race of

hybrids of great beauty and variety. Having beenimported from the warm regions of South America,it is a stove plant, requiring stove treatment tobring it to perfection. The generic term G loxiniais derived from being named after P . B . G loxin ,

a botanist Of Colmar ; and it is interesting to observethat the original form of G . sp eciosa had the tubeof the flower deflexed or drooping. But a racehas been Obtained, originating in a garden sport ,in wh ich the blossoms stand erect ; and now the

varieties of the Erect-flowered section greatly exceedthose of the D rooping-flowered. But as to whereand with whom this new departure originated

,we

have no data to Show.

There is this peculiarity about the G loxinia that ,by means Of a little judiciou 's management, it can behad in flower for a considerable period Of the year.By not a few growers, a quick system Of cultivationis adopted ; that is to say, th ey sow their seeds inJanuary

,February, and March ,

filling pots with avery light

,sandy soil

,and spreading th e seed, which

is very minute, thinly over the surface . The potsare then placed on a brisk bottom heat, and a pieceof glass placed over each . The seed soon germinates,and

,as soon as the tiny plants are large enough to

handle,they should be pricked Off into other pots

of fine,light

,sandy soil

,putting Some twelve or

fifteen plants in a pot,placing these , in their turn,

in bottom heat,and

'

encouraging the tiny .plants togrow as rapidly as possible . By doing this, bypotting the plants singly into small pots as soon asit can be done

,and again shifting them into forty

eight- siz ed pots, bulbs will be obtained that willflower in July

,August, and September, and by sow

ing a little seed again in July, there will be youngplants to flower the following spring. There mustbe a ‘

moist, brisk heat to bring on the plants in,orthey cannot be had in flower in the short time namedabove. V ery few G loxinias are now named— that is,named as sale varieties . The strains in cultivationare so good

,that seedlings are equal to named varie

ties in not a few instances. One great advan tageobtained from seedlings is, that they secure analmost endless variety of colour. Bymeans of careful fertilisation, many new shades and combinationsof colour have been introduced, and they are generally singularly h andsome . The Erect-flowered

fl FLOR ISTS’ FLOWER S 1 89

varieties are most popular,for as the tube of the illustration represents one of the Older varieties

;

flower is turned upwards, one look right into it, which not a few high authorities consider superior to

G LOXI N IA MACULATA.

and take in its peculiar beauty at a glance . Some many more modern ones ; it isstill to be found in '

Of the D roop ing-flowered varieties are very hand! some gardens,and has of late been specially cOm

some,and it is 'well to have in

’

a collection a number mended and again sought for, like many other fineof each ,

"

asit lends a desirable variety to it . The Old flowers .

CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

A suitable soil isa matter Of great importance.The best is -

‘

a ligh t compost made up Of soft fibrousloam

,with a little peat and silver sand added. It

will be observed that we do not recommend theaddition of manure ; it is best to water with someweak manure-water

,twice a week

,at the flowering

season . This adds to the siz e and intensifies thecolours of the flowers . And let it not be forgottenthat the plants love sh adef Many plants are Spoiledby permitting th e sun to shine upon them ; theymust have a .moist atmosphere if they are to behealthy and flower well . W e have seen not a fewplants destroyed by keeping them in too dry an a t

mosph ere ; they soon become covered with red Spider,and the leaves turn yellow. A moist atmosphere,with a temperature of about 60° to suits theplants

,but on no account must they be allowed to

suffer for want of water. W e not long since saw inMessrs . Sutton and Sons’ nursery, at R eading, manyhundreds of plants, in small forty- eight-Siz ed pots,about five or six months from seed, and carryingfrom six to fifteen beautiful flowers, some Of them ofenormous siz e

,and finely proportioned.

' The G loxinia being a stove perennial, the leavesdie away at the end of the summer

,th e roots resting

during autumn and winter. How they can best bepreserved during the dead season of the year, is adesirable inquiry. It must be carefully done, aslosses frequently occur during the winter. It is important that the plants should not be dri ed Off tooquickly ; they should be placed in a light airy. position , and then , by a gradual reduction of moisture,the leaves will fall off natura lly. When the leaveshave withered

,and the soil become pretty dry

,the

roots should be turned out of the pots, and placed inboxes or large flower-pots

,in a mixture of cocoa

nut fibre and peat in equal parts,keeping them on

a shelf in a dry shed, in an even temperature ofabout Excessive dryness must be guardedagainst, while too much damp is equally Obj ectionable . It will be necessary to pot these in earlyspring. The ' bulbs should be taken out Of theboxes

,and placed on a cocoa-fibre bed, in a brisk

moist heat ; those that are the quickest in showingSigns of growth should be potted first into smallpots

,treated much as one would seedlings , be care

fully shifted into other pots, and be kept near theglass

,as

,with warmth and moisture , light is essen

tial to a rapid and luxuriant growth .

A neighbour of ours makes a rare display every ‘

summer by planting out a bed of G loxinias in astove-house . He states th at the plants grow somuch more luxuriantly, and flower so much morefreely

,than they do in pots

,lasting also much

longer in flower . This is a very happy idea. Oneresult is

,he is able to cut a large number Of flowers

for decorative purposes within-doors ; and, to adopthisown phrase, he can cut and come again .

”

The following and other choice varieties,though

everywhere known in gardens as G loxinias,are

strictly all forms Of Sinm'

ng ia sp eczosa

E R ECT-FL'

JWE R IN G VAR I ETI ES .

Avalanch e . LadyMusgra veB oule de Feu . Lord D e rby.

Brunette . Louisvan Houtte .

Crassifolia alba . Mr . G ladstone .

Comet. Mrs. B ause .

D iadem . N e P lusUltra .

D uch essOf Connaugh t. P urity.

Fabiola . Vesta .

Flambeau . William G oldrir g .

E R ECT VAR IETIES,W ITH SP OTTE D FLOWER S

(a very beautiful section).L adyM arriott.M adame Hugo .

Ma ria n.

Mrs. Atkinson.

Mrs. P eploe .

R ob R oy.

VAR IETIES WITH D R OOP IN G FLOWER S.

D uch essof Teck .

G ames.Insula ire .

J amesB arber.

M arquisof Lorne.MissH . de R othschild.

P rince Leopold.

Sir J ohn Lubbock.

T h e H ollyh ock — The botanical name of thisnoble plant is A lthea rosea , and it belongs to thenatural order Ma lva cece . In the botanical ca taloguesit is described as a hardy biennial with red flowers,blooming in August

,indigenous to China, first

known in England in 157 3 . But how did it cometo acquire the common name of Hollyhock ? The oldEnglish writers Spelt the word Hollihocke

,Holyoak

,

and Holyock, whence it is supposed to have beenderived from the Saxon Holilwc. The word Seemssomewhat difficult to explain . The originally introduced Hollyhock was , no

'doubt,a single form ; but

it was soon taken in hand and cultivated. G erarde

states that at the end of the sixteenth century itwas sown in gardens almost everywhere . About1 724 it is described in Miller’s G ardener’s D ictionary as a plant of considerable variety

,bearing

red,white

,purple

,black

,and other coloured flowers ;

and there were double varieties in those days . Oneof thefirst of English florists to

_

take in hand andimprove the Hollyhock was Charles Baron of SaffronW alden,

a shoemaker by trade , unversed in gardenliterature

,but with a great liking for the flower.

By concentrating his attention on this plant alone,h e soon distanced all competitors

,and originated

flowers of more p erfect form,greater substance,

closer arrangement of petals,and greater proximity

of flowers on the spike . Later on, the P auls ofCheshunt, Chater of Saffron W a lden, and others,took up th e work of improvement, and were so

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2 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

reduce th e'

number Of blooms seen at flower-Shows ;but the last year or two has seen a decided increa se,both in point of numbers and quality. For the informationOi exhibitors, we may state that , in judging spikes of flowers, the first point noticed is th eindividual flowers

,the perfection of which consists

in the petals being thick of substance, the edgessmooth and even

,the florets occupying the centre

full and compact, closely arranged, rising high inthe middle, and of globular form, with a stiff guardpeta l

,forming the base of the flower and ex

tending about half an inch or so in preportionto the siz e of the centre ball ; SO that the differentparts of the flower present a uniform appearance .

A few years ago we saw the foregoing varietiesfinely grown at Mr . W . Ch ater

’sH ollyhock nursery,

at Saffron W alden ; and we have reason to believethey have all been preserved to the present day .

G R OUP OF PAN SIES .

The arrangement of flowers on the spike needs to beregular, not being crevvded together in a confusedmass, nor loosely hanging with Open spaces betweeneach bloom, but so disposed that the shape of eachmay be distinctly seen when fully blown

,the upper

most covering the top ; and nothing can add more tothe beauty of the spike than a few green leavesbetween the flowers, which give it an e legant and

graceful appearance: A further important point iscolour ; the brighter, stronger, and more distinct th eflowers the better.

'

VVe have reason to fear that several of the finenamed H ollyhocks of a few years ago' have becomelost to cultivation, so we give the names of a fewleading varieties subj ect to this contingency

Alba sup erba . Le G rand.

Alfred Ch a ter . L evia th a n.

B e auty of Walden. P eri.B ullion . P rince Arth ur .

Lleg ans. Supreme .

Incompa rable . W a lden King .

Joshua Clarke . W alden Q ueen .

Lea h . William’

Ch a ter.

Th e P a nsy or H e a rtse ase — The dear oldHeartsease of our gardens is Viola tricolor . Scholars inf orm usthat Viola is from the G reek I onN icander

,in his G eoponics

,

” states that th e G recianscalled it I on because certain nymphs of Ioniagave the flower first to Jupiter. Others, however,say that it was called I on because when Jupiterhad turned the young female whom he loved intoa cow

,the earth brought forth this flower for

her food, which, being made for her sake, receivedher name . Such is the fabulous account Of itsname. The Viola tricolor has been known in thiscountry by a variety Of names

,as H erb Trinity

,in

allusion to the three colours frequently contain ed inone flower ; Heartsease, P ansy, Love in Idleness ,Call me to you,

Call me Sweet, and Three Facesunder one Hood . And now why called HeartseaseIt is considered that this term should be acceptedas meaning “ a cordial

,

” as in Sir W alter Scott’s“Antiquary,” ch . xi . buy a dram to be eilding and .

cla isef and a supper and heartsease into the bargain

,

” and given to certain plants supposed to becardiac at present to the P ansy only

,but by some

authorities to the Wallflower equally. The mostprobable explanation of the name is this -There .

'

was a medicine “good,” as ~Cotgrave tells us, for

the passions of the heart,

” and called g a riofilé, fromthe Cloves in it (L . ca rop laylla ) . The Wa llfloweralso took its name from the Clove, and was called

'

glroflée, ,

from the same Latin .word. The cardiac .

FLOR ISTS’

qualities of the medicine were a lso extended to it, .

_and the name of Heartsease ; and, as the Wallflowerand the P ansy were both comprehended among theViolets, the

-

name of H eart sease seems to have been'

transferred from the former to the species of thelatter now called so . P ansy is undoubtedly from theFrench p ense

’

e,

“thought .” Manywill remember poorOphelia’s melancholy gift

,There is P ansies, that

’sf or thoughts.” There is no plant

,perhaps

,that has

obtained so many names and curious sobriquets .The H eartsease is considered to .

-be indigenous tothis country. An ancient writer states that theP ansy is found growing in a wild state on MountBaldus in Italy ; and Lobelsays that it grows wildin Lang iiedoc, in France . It is also said to grow wildin Japan . N evertheless, it is generally considered tobe a native of England

,at the fir st found growing

upon the tops of high hills . G erarde statesthat inhis time he

,had notsee'

n it so growing,from which ita ppears that the plant wasnot at that period verygeneral in this in a wild state

,if even a

native.The Heartsease is one .of the most popular flowers

in our gardens . It ornaments those of the rich andp oor alike . W e have turned to an illustrated gardening Work

,published fifty years ago ,

'

to take noteof some of the best varieties of P ansies cultivatedin those days . Though thought a great deal of atthat time

,they are represented by what we should

consider poor,thin

,ungainly

,and weakly- coloured

flowers,that would now be looked upon 'as weeds .

But the work of improving the P ansy Wasonlycommencing in those days . Since then

,under the

f ostering care of the florists,wonders have been

performed'

and the P ansies of theI

present day areasreally perfect as one canwell imagine them "to be.There are thr ee sections of P ansies . First come

th e English or show varieties, which are divided intoWh ite grounds

,Yellow grounds, and Selfs . _

In th eWhite grounds there is a large, dense, central darkblotch round the eye

,then a ring of white

,cream

,or

straw-colour,denominated the groun d ; and this is

edged with blue, purple, or plum ,or purple-maroon .

The Yellow grounds have pale or deep gold groundsin the pla ce of the white, and are belted or marginedwith bronz e

,reddish - bronz e

,and velvety maroon .

The Self s are either white, primrose , yellow, blue,maroon

,or black ; but . the blue Selfs are generally

regarded as bedding P ansies ; all the vari eties of thisclass have been raised in the United Kingdom

,and

e specially in Scotland,where the P ansy has long

been a foremost florist’sflower .N ext come the Fancy or

,as theyused formerly to

'

be called,Belgian P ansies . They are generally of

strong growth,very large in siz e

,and extremely rich

in colour,partaking of curiously blended shades of

3 7

FLOWER S.

white, purple, gold, crimson, mauve, blue, orange, red,and various tints . It is not to be wondered at thatthey are so popular

,and especially in spring and

autumn, when the weather is cooler and moister, forit is then the rich colours shine out with exceedingbeauty. These Fancy P ansies appear to have originated in France or B elgium thirty years or more ago .Then they came into the hands of the‘

English flori sts,

by whom they have been greatly improved,and in

Scotland especially, very fine varieties are usuallyraised. Continental florists have not been backward.

in the work, and though their strains are inferior tothose found in this country

,they yet contain many

fine varieties, especially of a striped .character.

Then there are “what are called B edding P ansiesand V iolas . These are generally of hardy

,stocky

,

free abra nching growth, the flowers in most casesself-coloured

,and they are very .

useful inthe flowergarden during spring and summer. For some timethere appeared to be an intelligible distinction between B edding P ansies and

'

B edding V iolas ; butthey have nowgrown so much the one into theother

,

“ that it is difficult to say what are P ansies andwhat V iolas . .V iolas have been bred up from suchspecies as V. cornilm and V. lutoa

, and the formerwith its pretty mauve flowers is still grown in manygardens, where it is very efiective . B edding V iola sare generally of dwarf

,close

,bushy

,free-branching

growth,continuous in bloom,

standi ng hot weatherwell

,and having small well- formed flowers

,in most

cases self- coloured,without central blotches , and

being produced with remarkable freedom .

P ansies and V iolas of all sections are readilyproduced f romseeds, and they can be sown at anyt ime of the year . It is a good p lan . to -

, sow someseed early in spring

,and some more “about June,

which will give two crops of flowers in a season .

W e sow our seeds in pans of light soil, thinly, andonly just covering them ,

and then place them in acold frame, where theseedssoon germinate, and theplants grow on into siz e . Asthe well-being of the .

plants,after they are planted out to flower ,

'

dependsmuch on their being well-rooted, we adopt th e planof pricking ofi the young seedlings into other boxesthr ee inches apart, and when they have made niceballs of roots

,with the soil adh ering, . p lant them

out in a well-prepared bed in the open ground wh enthe weath er is dull and showery. The P ansy and

V iola alike throw out many thread-like roots wh ichpenetrate

,

a good distance into th e soil in searchof food. Therefore the soil should be deep , free, andgritty

,so that the roots can travel freely in it . G rit

is essential to the well-being of th e P ansy ; roadsandand sweepings

,horse-droppings

,decayed vegetable

soil,refuse tu-rves

,sandy loam

,coarse

_sand, gravelsiftings

,are all favourable to the good development

4h

CASSELL’S

”

POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

of the Pansy. When they are planted it should bedone deeply

,and the soil pressed firmly about the

roots,as P ansies like a firm soil

,provided the under

neath portion ' be of a qua lity in which they canroot f reely. And as the plants are continually beingrenewed by means of fresh . growths thr own up fromthe roots

,it is well to top-dress the plants two or

three times . W e do this by taking some refusesoil from the potting-bench

,mixing some sand and

leaf-mould with it,also some decomposed manure

and cocoa-nut fibre,laying it about the plants, and

especially close to the stems,to the depth of two

inches. This has a wonderfully sustaining and fertilising power dur ing hot dry weather.P ansies can also be propagated by means ofcuttings made of

.the young growths put forth inJuly and August

,and pricked out in sandy soil in

any cool shady place ._

A temporary bed made up

under a north wall,that is the side of the wall facing

the north,suits themwell

,or they can be put in pots

of light sandy soil, and the pots placed in a coldframe . B ut the soil must be pressed firmly aboutthe cuttings in all cases . These quickly make root,and by October make excellent plants for placingout in autumn . Another good way of propagatingis by lifting the plants at the end of August or September, choosing a m0 1 st time for doing so, anddividing them, in doing which it will be seen thatmany of the shoots h ave made roots

,and a vigorous

plant v'ill sometimes

'

make fifty or sixty when sodivided. If these are planted out in a prepared bedthey will soon grow into useful plants. Any youngplants so obtained in autumn are useful in the flowergarden, because they flower early in spring.

Any one who may be disposed to grow a fewP ansy blooms for exh ibition must give them specialtreatment . The bed should be raised a little abovethe level “of the ground

,and some good manure

and leaf-mould mixed with the ,soil . The top

dressing used should be decidedly richer th an forordinary plants ; and a fortnight or so before sh owflowers are wanted for exhibition, they will be allthe finer if some weakliquidmanure be given onceor twice a week. In the case of White and Yellowground P ansies, the great thing is to have thebelting or marginal colours as perfectly defined aspossible, and, to secure this, it is necessary to keepthe blossoms shaded from the sun .

A goodselection of English show Pansies will befound in the following.

Y ELLOW G R o fJN D S.

J ohn P a ton .

Lord F . Ca vendish .

M aster Ord .

Mrs. M elville.P e rfe ction .

I Sultan .

Th omasR itch ie.

WH ITE G R OUN D S .

J essie La ird.

Lady Frances.M ina .

M issMeikle .

Mrs. G an“Mrs. H enderson.

Wiz ard.

SELrs.

J ohn H amp ton .

B ED D IN G V IOLAS.

Archie G ra nt, rosy pur ple . G oldfinder, de ep g olden

B essie Cla rk , ligh t mauve . yellow.

Blue B ell, blue .

Countess of[wh ite . P ilrig

‘ P a rk,White .

Hopetoun , Q ueen of P urples, purpleCountessof Kintore , purp le Q ueen of Spring , yellow

blue and whi te . Souvenir, rich la vender.D uch ess o f

brigh t lila c.

suth erland,True Blue , blue .

F E R N S ..

BY J AME S B R ITTE N ,F .L .S .

White and CreamAlph a .

Ch ristina .

Fla g of Truce .

G a z elle .

H ighla nd M ary.

J ennyAnderson .

Mrs. G alloway.

Mrs. Wm . WilsonP eerless.Q ueen of Whites.

Blue .

Alexander Scott .B lue B eard.

B lue Stone .

D r . G ray.

W . J . R awlings.FAN CY P AN SI Es.

Alexander McKinnon . J oh n Bryce .

Bella Forbes. .T. D . Stuart.Ca the rine Agnes. Lord R osebery.

Ch arming . M ary Anderson.

D onald Sincla ir . M issLiz z ie M atth ewsE . W . Smith . Mrs. Forbes.Endymion . Mrs. B arrie .

G eorg e Ca rlow. M rs. B irkmyre .

H a velock. P rincessBeatrice.Helen Wood. R obert D uncan.

Th e P ilots.William Melville .

BE D D IN G P AN SIES.

Le G rand.

Startler .

W a rden .

Wh ite Q ueen,wh ite .

Th e Ch e ila nth es. -Even among the P ieridece,a tribe of ferns containing such pro

-emin entlygarden genera as P teris, Adiantimi , P elleca

,and

Loma ria,th e C/zeila ozllwsholds a high position .

Assuredly few more beautiful ferns exist than someof the members of thi s high ly interesting and rather '

extensive genus . Th e species,which are scattered

over th e tropical and temperate regions of both ,

hemispheres,number over Sixty. They are much

varied in aspect,most being dwarf-growing tufted

plants,with more or less compound fronds

,th e ,

under surface in some cases‘

being covered with gold

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6 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

to three inches in breadth ; thi s is a native oftropicalAmeri ca, from . Mexico and the West Indiessouthward to P eru . 0. myriop lzylla has strong,wiry

,denselya tufted stipes , three to six inches long,

thickly clothed with pale woolly tomentum andovate-lanceolate fronds

,four tosix inches long by

one and a half to two inches broad,cut into an in~

finite number of small roundish bead-like segments .The rachis is also clothed with tomentum

,like the

stipe ; the upper sur face of the frond is green and

p i l o s e,th e

lower denselymatted

'

andscaly. It is anative of tropicalAmerica

,

and has alsobeen latelydiscovered inthe N eilgh er

ries . a eleg ansis a mere formof this species

,

‘with the '

ultim a t ed s e gment s r e

versed pearshaped, in

s t '

e a d o fr oun d i s h .

The tropical American0. radia ta hasstrong

,erect

,

glossy, blacki s h

,tu f t e d

“stipes , twelvet o e i ght e eninches long

,

with Six tonine - pinn ae

,

radiating from a common centre, similar to the

Spokes of a wheel .Cilltioa tioii .

— In a state of -nature n early all theCkeilant/zesinh abit dry rocky situations, and manyof them come from considerable elevations . Ifthese factsare borne in mind

,and treatment founded

on these data followed,success in cultivation will

not prove difficult of attainment . All are especially impatient of too much water at the roots

,and

syringing overhead is particularly injurious,both to

those with hairy fronds and the ones with the goldor silver-coloured dust on the under Surfaces . All

do well in a cool or temperate house,and should

not be grown in company with ferns which requirea ny great amount of atmospheric moisture . They

can scarcely have t oo much light,and should in

all cases be placed as near to the glass as possible.

Only during very bright sunshine,when the young

fronds are being developed,isanysh ading

‘

necessary.

Constant ventilation is also a requisite . G oodfibrous peat

,or a mixture of that and leaf-mould

,

with sharp sand and a number of pieces of sandstoneor h e rubbish

,in order to insure rapid drainage

,is

all that is needed in the way of soil . They probablyall do much better when planted out amongst stones

,

in a porouscompost

,close

to the glass .A collectionin good healthunder similarconditions tothose abovesketched mayb e s e e nplanted out

on one of thesh e l v e s o fthe Temperate Ferneryin the R oyalG a rdenS

,Kew.

CHE ILAN THE S ELEGAN S .

from tropicaland sub-tropical Australia, together constitute thesub-order G leichenia oece

,one of the most interesting

and singular,as well as one of the most handsome,

groups of ferns . In G leie/wnia the involucre_is

absent,the sori are dorsal

,of few (from two to ten)

capsules ; th ese open vertically, and are surroundedby a broad

,transverse

,complete ring . The caudex,

in theI

majority of the Species, is creeping, and th estem dichotomous . The fronds are rigid, generally large

,and dichotomously branched, frequently

bearing axillary buds . The distribution of thegenus is a rath er wide one

,as species are found

in both hemispheres,principally thr oughout the

tropical regions . A good many have not yet foundtheir way to cultivation ; those mentioned in the

FER N S.

following list are th e best and most distinct of thosewhich are now to be met with in British gardens .G . oiroiiia ta is a dwarf species, with th e lobesof

th e pinnae ovate er subrotund,more or

' less glaucousbeneath ; the capsules are superficial, three or fourin number

,and the branches and rachis are either

smooth or clothed with a chaffy pubescence . 0. air

eina ta g la iloa'is a handsome form

,with the young

growths and the under surfaces beautifully glaucou s . It differs from the type

,too, in itsfronds

being of athicker texture

,and in

the plant being altogetherofmore robusthabit. Thism a k e s asplendid exhibition plant .In a wildstate

,

"

G . oirJ

oina ta hasb e en discovered in

A u s t r a l i aT a s m a n i aN ew Z ealandN ew Caledonia , and Ma

l a c c a . I nsome nurseries and gardens it isfound underthe names of

1 97

where it isa common fern. The variety a lp ine .

from the highmountains of Tasmania, N ew Z ealand,

and the islands of the Malayan Archipelago , difiersfrom typical G . olioa rp a in being very much smallerand more compact in habit

,and in the ferruginous

rachis being clothed with chaffy scales. The entirefr onds in this f orm only measure . from three totwelve inches in height

,and the plant is one of the

best for the cool fernery and for an in-door rockeryof limited extent . G . a’ioliotoma is a most distinct

species,with

z igz ag,repeat

edly dichoto

m ously o reven '

trichoto

mously branched stipes

,

the ultimatebranches bearing a . pair of

forked pinnae ;a distinct pairof pinnae

,alsoarises fromthe base

_

of

t h e f o rk edbranches (notof the frond) ,Th e segmentsare never decurrent. Th e

fronds vary inlength fromtwo to fourfeet

,and are

bright greenG .mioropfiylla , above andG . semioes glaucous .be

ti ta,and G

G LE ICHEN IA CI R CIN ATA.

neath . Th lsSp eli moce . G . Speci es 1 8 al

G ilmi iiighami, mostuniversalfrom N ew Z ealand,

“from,

two to four capsules in a

“

sorus,and erect

,leathery

,fan- shaped

fronds, which a ttaina height of about three or fourf eet ; in colour these are a bright green above andvery glaucous beneath. In its .native country thi sfern is known as the Umbrella Fern . Unfor

tunately this handsome species is somewhat r are,owing to the difficulty experienced in propagatingit, or even in establishing imported roots . G . di

carp a has scandent, dichotomously divided fronds ;the branches .are pinnate

,and the pinnae are di

vided into small orbicular segments,with recurved

margins . The capsules are about two in number;and are concealed within the almost slipper- shapedlobes . It is a native of Australia and N ew Z aaland,

in tropical and sub-tropical regions in both the Oldand N ew Worlds

,and occurs as far north as Japan.

Asmight be expected, on account of its verywidegeographical distribution, a considerable number ofslightly varying forms are met with ; they difier 1 1 1

the siz e of the pin esand the shape of the segments.in being more or less glabrous or densely toment osebeneath

,in the texture of the fronds, &c. ; but th e

pairs of accessory pinnee at the base of a fork areinvariably present . P erhaps G . dichotoma succeedsbest in a stove temperature, but it grows well undercool treatment . G . f la bella ta , from Australia , Tasmania

,and

_

N ew Zealand, has,

sub-membranous,dichotomously fan- shaped branches

,and very pros

liferousfronds, .wh ich sometimesattain a height of

1 98 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

five feet and a circumference of about twelve feet .It is of tolerably easy culture

,andmakes a very fine

exh ibition plant . G . longissima is a magnificentspecies

,recently introduced from Japan

,with tall

,

branched, g racefully drooping fronds of a delicate

light green on their upper surfaces,and glaucou s

beneath . The young growthsG are densel y . clothed

with very dark chaffy scales . In addition to Japan,

G . longissima is found in China, B engal, the MalayIslands and P eninsula, the Sandwich Islands , W estIndies

,N ew G renada, Mexico , and G uatemala .

Just as G . dicliotoma is the solitary representativeof one well-marked section of the genus , so is G .

‘

pectina ta of another. It is common everywhere intropical SouthAmerica, and is not to be confoundedwith any other species . The stipes are z igz ag

,

branched,the branches hearing from one to thr ee

pairs of forked divaricating pinnae . The segments,

as in G . dieliotoma , are never decurrent . It ishardly so strong a grower as the Species just named

,

neither are the fronds so many times divided,but

they are much more glaucous beneath . Stove treatment seems best adapted to attain success with G .

p ectina ta . The South African G . p olyp odioidesis acomparatively recent introduction to British gardens:the lobes of the pinnae are ovate

,and the

capsules,three or four in number, are sunk in a

cavity forming a fla t-topped sorus . B oth on accountof the beautiful light green of the upper surface ofthe beaded fronds

,and the Slender graceful habit

,

thisis readily recognised and distingui shed fromany other of the G leich eniasin cultivation . G .

p ubescens, unfortunately a somewhat rare plant inB ritish gardens

,is abundant enough in tropical

America, and is a rather variable species ; the lobesof th e frond are more or less decurrent

,and the

branches and rachises are either naked or clothedwith 'woolly tomentum and scales

,th e latter condi

tion being that most generally met with in gardens .In the tropical fernery this grows rapidly

,and soon

forms a specimen of great beauty. G . rup estris,from P ort Jackson and N orth-west Australia , hasglabrous fronds of cor iaceous texture ; in habit it ismore dense and symmetrical than most other species .The reddish—purple stems contrast rath er strikinglywith the beautiful rich green of the upper

,and the

very glaucous . colour of the under surface of thefronds .Ca ltii~a tion.

—Except for the Species which arespecially mentioned as doing best in the temperatureof a stove, all the G leich eniasthrive well in a cool,airy house in whi ch the temperature during winteris not allowed to descend below 45° Fahr . Evensome of the thoroughly tropica l

'

kindssucceed fairlywell in company with, and under the same treatmentas, those which require to be grown in the cool

fernery. D uring the period of growth very liberalsupplies of water are necessary at the root

,but

syringing overhead should not be practised at anytime . W ith an atmosphere fairly moist such acourse is not needed

,and th e fronds last much

longer than when periodically wetted. AS thespecies are evergreen and frequently last ha lf adoz en years or more

,increasing in Siz e the whole

time, owing to the development of the buds in th eaxils of the forks of the branches

,it is important to

prevent injury to them,and to keep the plant clear

of scale , which is sometimes a cause of considerabletrouble , particularly in warm houses . When grownin cool, airy, light structures, scales and other insectpests do not prove nearly so troublesome. Most ofthe G leich eniasthrive best in fibrous peat and silversand ; and as all are shallow rooter s , they Should begrown in well-drained pans

,in preference to pets.

The stronger growers like an admixture of goodfibrous loam and pieces of charcoal . Asa rule .propaga tion is effected by divi ding the clumps

,but

Messrs . V eitch have been successful in raisingstocksof G . circina ta

,G . rup estris, &c.

,from spores . A

goodly number of Species,however

,have not ye t

been raised from spores in this country,and an in

teresting field is open to the gardener in thi s line ofwork . A considerable period elapses before thespores develop into plants with characteristic fronds

,

and, indeed, before the prothallia Spring into existence ; still, with care, no great difficulty Should beexperienced in obtaining a stock bymeans of spores .This is all the more desirable as even old

,well

established specimens do not take kindly to beingdivided. Few ferns make more Splendid exhibitionplants than the G leich enias, and good large-siz edspecimens ca n be grown with but limited root-room

,

a great advantage when the plants come to be moved .

about much moreover,th ey travel remarkably well.

Th e G enusP teris.~— Accepting the somewha tcomprehensive views of specific di stinction adoptedby such pteridologi sts as the late Sir W illiamHooker and Mr . J . G . Baker

,the number of species

belonging to the genus P terisis about a hundred . A very considerable proportion of them,

however

,-haye not yet been introduced to cultivation .

and only a selection of the most desirable anddistinct of those which are to be met with .ih

Engli sh gardens are given in these pages . N ot

a few of these are amongst the most useful andleast exacting of garden ferns . The genus

,as under

stood by the author of the Synopsis Filieum,

”

comprises several'groups which have been, and even

now,by some authorities

,are still regarded as

genera. The genus , as restricted by some authors.to the speciesin wh ich

.

the veins are all free, th e

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CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Which imparts a distinct and striking aspect to theplant. The very finest of the variegated ferns(evenin the genus P teris, which has produced nearly allthe variegated forms at present known in cultivation) are varieties of P . guaclria urita .

P . argyrca and P . tricolor, when well grown , cannot fail to win the admiration of every one who hasany love for plants . The first-named is much theeasier of the two to manage

,no particular di fficulty

being experienced in growing it thoroughly well .The greater part of th e area of each pinna isoccupied by a broad band of white, and as youngplants are readily raised from spores, and soonbecome . very ornamental obj ects , it is not likelyto lose itshold on popular estimation . P . tricolor

is a still more handsome plant, though unfortunatelyone which is not nearly so easy to grow ; the centreof each pinna

,in characteristically coloured plants,

is a bright rosy-red with a margin of white on eachside

,which contrasts strongly with the deep glossy

green of the other portion of the fronds . P . sag ittifolia ,

‘

a native of the N ew W orld (from V enez uelasouthward to Braz il), is an excellent subj ect for theWardian ease

,and thrives well in the green-house .

It has erect,polished

,blackish stipes four to six

inches long,and dark green sub-triangular fronds

four to Six inches long from the top of the stipes tothe apex.

G R EEN -H OUSE SP ECIES.

N one of the Species mentioned under this headrefuse to grow under stove treatment

,and some

develop much more rapidly in the warmer atmosphere of the stove ; some are very nearly hardy,and are invaluable for conservatory decoration andfor the indoor unheated fernery . P . a rg a ta is ahandsome evergreen kind from P ortugal

,the Az ores,

Madeira, and the Canary Islands ; it succeeds admirably when planted out in the cool ‘ conservatory

,

and allowed plenty of space ; under these conditionsit not unfrequently attains a height of five feet

,the

Strong,erect

,glossy

,straw-coloured or reddish

brown stipes measuring about -half the entire lengthof the fronds. P . (Jrctica is far from being peculiar toCrete

,as its name would seem to imply. In fact few

ferns have a more extensive geographical distribution . It ranges fromTurcomania in Uralian Siberia,through Southern Europe

,the Mediterranean and its

islands, Arabia and Abyssinia, most parts of India,

from the hot plains to the H imalayas at elevationsof feet above sea-level— Mauritius , P enang,Java , Luz on, Ceylon ; and from the United States,south . through Mexico .to G uatemala and Braz il .The pinnate fronds are upwards of a foot in length ,and are very bright green in colour . Enormousnumbers of this species are annually sent to Covent

G arden Market by some growers, and the Species isone of the ferns most largely used in generaldecorative work during the London season . Largeshowy plants are readily gr own, even with com

para tively limited pot-room, and if Simply attendedto in respect to watering, the fronds retain theirbright green hue for a long time even in the gasladen atmosphere of London drawing-rooms . A

variegated form of this P . Cretica,var . a lbo- linca ta ,

though hardly So useful as the green-leaved type,is

a handsome evergreen kind, with a broad band of

white running up the centre of each pinna ; thiswas introduced to Kewmany years ago from Java ,and was figured in the Botanica l Mag a z ine

It has,however, been collected in several other

widely-separated countries . P . f la bella ta is a“near

ally of the species first named under the heading ofgreen-house ferns, viz . ,

P . a rg illa , perhaps the bestcharacter by whi ch to distinguish it from that beingthe longer and narrower sori of T. fla bclla ta . It isfound in Cape Colony, and northward to Maur itius ,Abyssinia, and Fernando P o. P . long if olia , an inhabitant of tropical and warm temperate regions allover the world, is the representative of a very smallsection in which the lower pinnae are linear andundivided . It is a well-known evergreen species, ofthe easiest cultivation , reproducing itself freely byspores either in the stove or green-house

,wherever

it can find a sur face more or less constantly moistenough. In the rockery

, under glass , or uponmoist stonework

,&c.

,it makes a very pretty obj ect

with its dark green fronds one to two feet in length ;these remain fresh for a long time in water whencut. Although somewhat common, the speciesaltogether is a very useful one

,and ought not to be

omitted from any fern collection . P .scabcra la wasaccidentally introduced into this country manyyears ago

,a number of young plants appearing

amongst the soil in which a case of plants from N ew

Z ealand(of which country the species is a native)had been packed . Asstated at the comm encementof these notes

,P . scabcrilla is a near ally of our

common Bracken. Like that plant , it produces itselegantly-cut fronds from creeping rhiz omes . It isone of the most distinct and handsome of cool-house.

ferns,and should find a place even in the most select

collection of green-house plants. Few ferns makemore elegant obj ects for baskets than this

,and th e

fronds last a long time in water after being out.

One of the commonest of cultivated ferns, P . scrrula ta

,a native of China and Japan, is so well

known that a description is unnecessary. N one ofits allies have been more profoundly modified bycultivation than thi s deservedly popular species. I t

has been raised in such quantities from slightlyvaryin g forms

,that new any number of varietiescan

FER N S.

often be selected from a single crop of spores .Some of the more remarkable of these have receiveddistinctive names, and are in ,

many respects preferable for general decorative effect to the ordinary andwidely-grown type. Amongst these may be espe

mentioned maxima,angusta ta , crista ta

,Leg/i,

2011

general aspect ; it is , however, a much larger plant,with a conspicuously-winged rachis, and severalcompound pinnae . When planted out in the Openborder ‘ of the cool conservatory

,it makes a fine

specimen,and requires no attention beyond a good

supply of moisture to the roots during the growing

P TER IS SE R R ULATA CR I STATA.

and_

P . stramioica , a comparativelyrecent introduction of Chilian ori gin , is a verybeautiful species, with moderately

'

firm naked frondsof an intense bright green colour. P erhaps it isbetter known under its garden name of P . crisp a ,a descriptive title which alludes to the wavy orcrisped margins of the pinna tifidpinnae . P . tremula ,

a native of Australia, Tasmania, and N ew Z ealand,has bright green fronds , sometimes as much as fivefeet long, the bright, chestnut-brown, polishedstipes being a foot or more in length . G rown inpots

,however

,it rarely attains the dimensionsjust

given.

P . imibrosa somewha t resembles P . Cretica in

season. In a wild state, it is found in tropica l andtemperate Australia .

HAR D Y KIN D S.

P erhaps the only P teriswhich can fairly claim to ,

be considered absolutely hardy in thi s c ountry is ournative P . a quilina , which is found all round theworld

,both within the Tropics and in the N orth;

and South Temperate Z ones . In Lapland it justpasses within the Ar ctic Circle , ascending in the '

H ighlands of Scotland to feet,in the Cameroon

Mountains to feet,in Abyssinia to or

feet,and in the Himalayas to about feet .

above sea-level. In the Andes, D r . Spruce hasseen.

2 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

:it about fourteen feet high , and even amongst thickunderwood in copses in this country we '

h ave seen ita ttain dimensions not much less . Undoubtedly thi sSpecies— probably because it is so common— is somewhat neglected by gardeners . Under suitable conditions

,and with proper restrictions

,it makes a very

handsome garden plant . Asa pot plant in a smallsta te— and no fern is more readily raised fromspores— we have seen it used with great success forfurnishinThe N ew Z ealand P . sca bcra la is also hardy inmany places in thiscountry

,the only attention it

requires in the out-door fernery being a layer ofdry leaves over its slender rhi z omes during thewinter months . For several years , too, in

' anythingbut

"a very favoured locality,we knew of a fine

plant of P . i lmbrosa,whi ch flourished in an open

fernery with no care whatever. The two successive severe winters whi ch caused such widespreadloss amongst half-hardy and even h a rdv trees andplants generally some few years ago, proved, however

,too much for this stranger from the Southern

Hemisphere;0a ltira tion. Most of the Species of ‘

P tcrism enti oned in the foregoing pages require no great:skill in order to manage them successfully. Thestronger-growing kinds thrive in a mixture of loam

,

leaf-mould,and sand ; the more delicate ones do

better in peat and 'sand. All require a goodly supplyo f water ‘to the roots during th e growing season ,and although

-

not very averse to overh ead wetting,it

' is perhaps better to abstain from syringing except ont h e afternoons of bright hot summer days . A goodm any a re

.

by no means particular as to shading,and

will . Succeed with no more attention in this respectthan is found necessary for ordinary stove or greenhouse plants grown under glass . P eriodi cal waterings with weak liquid manure (that obtained fromcow-dung being perhaps the safest and best) arehighly beneficial

,particularly to the stronger

.g rowing kinds . The method recommended forraising Spores of Adiantum does admirably for all

the speciesof P teris,and scarcely more than Six or

eight months are needed to obtain a good stock of

thoroughly serviceable plants of such as P . Cretica,

P . serrula ta,&c. P . tricolor dislikes water on its

beautifully-coloured fronds, and th is should properly— in order to develop the brilliant hues of thefr ondsto their fullest extent— be grown under abell-glass in a light Open position . N ot a fewferns suff er from the prevalent idea

'

that lightisto be guarded against ; during th e dull winterm onths , particularly in sunless weather, mostfernsca n scarcely have too much light

,and these

r emarks fully apply to the genus now under con:sideration.

THE FLOWER G AR DENBY W ILLIAM W ILD SM ITH .

KEEP IN G AN D G EN ER AL CULTUR E .

O some— perhaps to most people— perfection ofkeeping in a garden may appear to be simply

a matter of‘ pounds, shillings , and pence . But it is

not so . Ample labour or assistance certainly goes along way -int he direction of th e attainm ent

, but th ismust be supplemented by a determination that everyj ob shall be done at the right time

,and in such an

effective manner as to last for the longest periods .The pulling out of seedin g weeds only

,sweeping up

the thickest rubbish,clearing out the worst corners

,

and such-like slipshod ways of working,however

ample the labour,will never result in neatness or

good keeping. P ersonal appre' ciativeness of all thatis orderly and neat

,as well as thoroughn ess in th e

practical performance of the work,alone can insure

that high degree of keep that makes a thing ofbeauty (th e garden) a j oy for ever.”

N e a tness.— Lest it may be thought that undueprominence is being given to this subj ect of neatness

,let usregard the keep of an ordinary flower

bed planted after the simplest bedding-out pattern .

If the bad flowers be kept constantly picked off,de

caying leaves the same, and a peg inserted here andthere to fill up gaps , and the edging of grass roundit be regularly trimmed

,it may always be viewed

with satisfaction ; and , into the bargain, a constantsuccession of flower is a greater certainty, simplybecause there is no waste of energy by the plantson seed-production . Apply these remarks to theflower-beds as a whole, and it will be seen what realneatness is

,and what it means or conduces to in

plants,viz . ,

to greater floriferousness, robustness,and lasting properties .Then as to neatness in

'

oth er departments of th ogarden— walks

,for instance . N othing so readily

tells tales of general slovenlin ess as weedy neglected walks ; and the Opposite we have invariablyfound to hold good, viz .

,that clean

,well-kept

walks are,as a rule

,a true index to the general

good sm anagement of all other departmentsof agarden . H ere it may be remarked that thoughtlessness

,rather th an intended negligence

,must h ave at

least part of the credit for much lack of neatness .Th e edgings of grass verges are left too long uncut ,consequently “

th e G rasses,Clovers

,P lantains , and

oth er weeds seed,and as a matter of cour se spring

up in th e walks ; all of which trouble is preventibleby timely attention to trimming of edgings . Onehour of such work would in many instances savedays of labour in walk-weeding.

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4 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

th e manner of tying up i s requisite, except it be tosay that the stakes should not be visible

,or if they

a re,not conspicuously so

,and in tying sufficient

space should be left for the swelling of the stems— a

remark that'

is very necessary in regard to R icinus,Castor Oils , Tobacco, Wigandias, and other rapidgrowers .

“ The tying up of herbaceous plants isusually Of the worst possible description ; some onehas well described it as “B irch-broom- like .

” Onestick

,and one tie

,to a large mass of D elphiniums,

growing some six feet high,is not a likely obj ect to

win over an opponent of mixed flower gardening ;but happily there isa better way of supplyingsupports . Asa rule

,one stake is ample for a large

plant , however spreading it may be for if the stakebe put in the centre of the plant, and the stringor matting be secured to the stake, and instead ofone tie round the entire plant

,the tying isdivided

into three or more equal parts of the plant, all stiflness will be avoided

,and the plants will present

a natural appearance . The stakes in all cases whenpossible should be quite hidden from view.

The constant removal of seeding and decayedflowers

,weeding when needed

,the trimming up of

Box and other edgings at the right time,complete

the round of operations that is demanded of allwhoaim at the highest keeping of the flower garden .

D ECOR ATIVE USE OF FLOWER S.

Br J AME S HU D SON .

D IN N ER AN D OTHER TABLE D ECOR ATION .

HE decoration of the dinner-table,or of the

dining-room , for breakfasts, dinners , and suppers,has of late years made most rapid and progressivesteps, both in the quantity of material utilised andin the systems of arrangement .

Th e M a rsh ”Stand — It requires no great

stretch of memory to look back some twenty years ormore, when what for many years since have goneunder the name of the Mars ” stands were first mtroduced to public notice . These were a new departure from the massive and cumbrous epergnes of thatday, without which hardly any large dinner partywas con sidered complete . The Marsh stands

,or

glass vases, had this term applied to them from anexhibit of decorations by a family of that name , andwere. much sought after for a considerable periodafterwards, They have a beautiful effect when arranged . in a light manner with suitable subjects,and since th eir introduction to public notice , greata dditions have been made to the glass departmentof flower-vases. There isnow no lack either in siz e

or quality, and a handsome g lass vase may be purchased for a few shillings ,wherewith many, in everso humble a way, may beautify and render morecheerful their dinner-tables and living-rooms . Th e“Marsh stands consist of a glass dish as a base

,

with a slender glass stem,from a foot to

,fif teen

inches in length,on the top of which rests a smaller

glass dish, and from the centre Of thi s a cornucopia,or trumpet-shaped vase . The advan tage of a properly-made stand of thi s kind is the facility withwhi ch it can be taken to pieces when not requiredfor use , and then be stowed away in safety.

The bases of these stands are easily arranged,and

readily adapted to almost any kind of flowers . Th e

stems look well with a climber entwined . aroundthem

,when using all but Lilies and

,kindred subjects

but with these latter we decidedly prefer the Ornamental G rasses and Sedges, as being more appropriate . The upper dish of the two is the one inwhich mistakes a re most Often made in arrangement .The flowers in this dish should be kept as low as possible

,for them to be seen by the guests surrounding

the table,not mounded up around the stem of th e .

cornucopia,as is frequently done . In this latt er

manner an obstruction is caused in the line of sight ,which

,by using flowers with short stems

,is'a voided in

a great measur e . A few pendent flowers look exceedingly pretty suspended around the edges of this dish .

The cornucopia should be filled with light flowers,on slender stems. Those with spike-like form

,as

in the well-known Astilbe jap onica (generally grownunder the name of Sp iwea jap onica ), are the best.Ornamental G rasses are very light and pretty forthe same purpose. When these are u sed

,we gener

ally prefer to arrange a sufficient,quantity in th e

first instance,when a few flowers . can be dotted

among them,such as the R hodanthes (pink and

white) . A few fronds of Maiden-hair Fern,small

and light,should fringe the edg e of thi s top glass , as

also the central one,only with rather large r examples.

Of the less-known Adiantums, A . amabile is verypretty for the top glass

,and A . concimzum for the

central dish. B oth flowers and foliage should graduate from the base to the top, i .e . ,

the largefi and

boldest of each should'

be used at the bottom, and

smaller forms upwards . In colours also it iswell toshade off from the bottom to th e top . Take anyblue flowers

,for instance ; the darker shadesshould

be placed at the base,and lighter ones. up,wardsto

the top .

Many of the smaller forms of Orchids, such asth eOncidiums of the lesser section, and the Odiemte-v

glossumswith small spikes , are very well displayedin these vases . Individual flowers of the MothOrchid(l lcenopsis) look beautiful when mispendedfrom the central dish. The slende r and delicate

D ECOR ATIVE USE OF FLONVER S.205

Fig . 3 .— A G LASS STAN D on VASE WI TH SIN G LE COR N UCOP IA.

catkin-like Spikes of P la tyelinisfilif ormisare most being bolder, can be better displayed at the base,

pleasing in union with th ese, or interspersed with th e where the blossoms Of the h andsome larger types of

Lapagerias (rosea and a lba ) . Spikes Of th e Calanthes, Cattleya are best placed. The Odontoglossums also,

CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN lN G .

which develop a somewhat large spike, are best seenin the same position .

O th e r G lassV ases— Another form of vase , amodification of th e “Ma rsh ” type, and wh ich we

think is preferable to that for several reasons,is one

with a base similar to the “Marsh,

”but a trifle

smaller. From the centre of this rises a Slenderstem

,expanding into a larger- siz ed cornucopia than

in the case of the “Marsh .

” This is,we th ink

,

one of th e best forms of glass vases for the dinnertable that h ave yet been brought out . The longslender stem of the cornucopia is no obstruction tothe line of sight

,and th e a rrangement of the base is

all the better displayed by th e Omission of the upperdish . Flowers of larger forms can be more advantag eously arranged in such as thi s, whilst spikes ofsmall siz e from the G ladiolus and the Iridaeceousplants are just adapted for such a form of vase. Thelarge handsome blossoms Of the Cactus (Cereussp eciaSissimus) and the W hite W ater Lily, with hosts ofother flowers of bold outline

,are effectively a r

ranged in the base,whilst there is room for a display

of appropriate foliage interspersed amongst them .

When climbers are used for the stems , they also willbe seen to better advantage with the gr eater lengthof gla ss to be clothed .

Long drooping Spikes of slender outline will lookwell around the edge of the trumpet— such

,for ih

stance,as TIzg/rsa eantliusmctiloms, P lumbago roam

,

Clwroz ema Climzdleri, and the pendulous forms of th etuberous-rooted B egonias . The individual blossomsof the smaller kinds of P assion-flowers(P assijlom)are extremely pretty . P . leermesiim of the stovespecies, and P . caerulea among the hardier kinds

,are

t\vo of the best, and will both have good effect whenused in a similar manner to the other flowers justmentioned. A small Spike of

,

B imiew eleg a nsorSp iraza A nmcuswill look well in the trumpet

,with

a few colours to contrast . The tOp arrangement canwell afford to be carried to a fairly good height ,to prevent any dumpy appearance when finish ed.

Fig . 3 is drawn from such a vase of flowersspecially arranged to illustrate th is article . Th e

base thereof is arranged with a mixed assortmentof flowers, most of which are readily discerniblein the engraving . Of exotic flowers there areE ucha risama zoniea

,Antlmrium Seizerzeriammz

,and

D end-robium nobile of bulbous plants, .the P oet’s

N arcissus , R ed Tulips (Vermilion Brilliant) , Campanelle J onquils, Lilies of th e Valley, and Anemone

fulg ens. Th e foliage used in conjunction with theflowers is , of Ferns

,A dia ntum ea rdioehlm za

,A .

ma erop hyllum, and A . ezmea tum the ca rpeting

‘

Or

undergrowth consisting of P anicum va r ief/a t'

mn.

The cornucopia is filled with flowersof B egonia

wmuiee ta and B .

i

nitialsoilora ta,with Thyrsaecmthus

rectile hs.and D eutz ie g ra cilisas pendants ; and, of

foliage,a long trailing growth of P a ullinie th a lie

trif olia , with fronds of Adia ntum cementum,and one

or two medium -Siz ed Begonia-leaves .Th ere are also trumpet- shaped glass vases withoutany means of arranging flOwersat the base . ’ ithsuch it is ea sy to contrive a temporary recepta cle forthese ends by placing the vase in an ordinary dinnerplate

,and firmly fixing it there with some string

.

W e have often done th is,and it answers the purpose

as well as a properly constructed vase . When usedwith out the bottom arrangement

,these trumpet vases

for man excellent medium whereon to arra nge extralong shoots of climbing plan ts— such

,for instance

,

as C'issus(liseolo; ~— a llowdng the shoots to trail on th ecloth . Asp a rag usp lumosusmums, again, would beextremely pretty in the same position

,whilst in the

trumpet itself a shoot or two of the narrow- leavedCrotons of pendulous growth would be well placed.

The tuf ts of the Cyp erusa lternifoliels, with a goodlength of stem , could also be used in unison with afew flowers of spike - like formation or of droopinghabit

,such as the slender spikes of Chelone ba rba te

,

and th e P entstemons,or a small panicle of one of th e

smaller forms of Lilium during the summer months .In the early spring th e slender spikes of the R omanHyacinth, with the many and varied forms of N ar

cissus,to be followed by Solomon’s Seal

,of which

th e smallest growth s are preferable,will each and

all be found ada pted for such an arrangement .Th e essential point in all dinner-table decorationsof this description is to secure for the trumpeta rrangement as light an appearance as possible .This is very frequently overlooked by decoratorsin filling their vases . These would

_

h ave a farprettier effect in many cases if about two-thirdsof th e flowers were never used at all. W e haveOften seen th e trumpets of such designs out of allproportion to th e rest of the stand

,looking some

what like a huge bouquet placed on the ' top . Thegr eat secret with these and all other decorations is

,

to know when to leave of , and. without this gi ft th eutmost efiect cannot be extracted from any givenamount of material.

Of glass vases th at ought “to be avoided in dinn ertable decorations

,it is necessary to say at least a

few words . It isamistaken idea to think th at,be

cause a flower-vase is a flower-vase, it is thereforeadapted for the dinner-table . Such is by no meansth e case . Many designs are met with which arevery pretty

“

Of themselves,and when filled with

flowers also look well,but are not suitable for ta ble

decorations by reason of the density of appearancethey present, thereby causing an obstruction of viewa cross the table to a most considerable extent. Such

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208 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

a dapted for groups of R ose-blooms,with a climbing

R ose around the handle,or a few sprays of the

variegated Honeysuckle . The Chrysanthemums,

too,will be easily adapted to these baskets, taking a

small form of Ivy,with bronz y-tinted foliage

,in' this

case, for the handle . D uring th e Spring-time theTulips will give another change

,working into use for

th e handle in th is case a small Spike or two of S010mon’s Seal, or the D affodils with their own foliage.Of baskets without handles attached to them, the

r ound form will be as good as any ; these aff ord usthe means of keeping the arrangements as low asp ossible . By the use of Ornamental G rasses orFern-fronds in a free manner

,the otherwise flat ap

pearance will be in a measure reduced. This kindof basket would be very pretty if filled with SnowdrOpsand Crocuses in the early spring, or withP rimroses and P olyanthus a little later on . Th eselovers of floral de corations who reside in the pure airof the country have a great advantage over such asdwell in the vicinity of ‘

la rge towns and cities, in th ef arg rea ter choice of material at their command fromamongst our B ritish W ildFlowers andMosses . Suchasthese will be found to be appropriate subj ects forrusticbaskets

,as a change from the well-known plants

Of our gardens and hot-houses . For all baskets wewould advise a tin receptacle to be fitted to them

,for

the better preservation of the flowers placed therein,

a nd to avoid all needless risk of injury to the cloth.

E p ergnes.— In the arrangement of flowers inepergnes of silver or other metal

,there is a wide field

for improvement . Many epergnes are unnecessarilyheavy and cumbrous in make and outline with suchit requires an exercise of judgment in the selection ofmaterial wherewith to fill them . W ith such as areof good height

,an excellent Opportunity is afforded

to make good use of fronds of P olyp oclinm subcu9

' icula tum, sprays of Asp a ragusp lumosas, and long

trailingsh e etsof Ficusrep ens, each of wh ich may beallowed to droop down

,nearly or quite touching the

table-cloth. Moderate use only should be made ofthese subj ects, so that each individual frond or sh eetis seen to advantage ; they should not be allowed tospread out too far and interfere with other surroundings . R esting on this foliage some sprays offlowers of pendulous habit could be well displayed.

Several Orchidsthat yield long drooping racemes oftheir choice flowers are well adapted for this kindof decoration. Some of the best are D cndrobiwn

thyrsiflornm,D . densiflormn, _ D . Wa rdictninn

,and D .

chrysanthum. Odontog lossmnA lexandre? and ,

the Oncidi1‘1ms, with long arching spikes, are also extremelypretty for the same use . P h a lnnopsisSchillerianacould not well be surpassed

,whilst many of the

ZErideswould be most fit subj ects .

Of the stove plants when in season the followingcould be used with good effect z— Thyrsecanth iisrectilens, with its slender pendants ; Eup horbia ja cgninwflom ,

with its showy sprays; and H exeeentrislntee

,with its distinct pa’nicles

,and many other

th ingsof similar, habitu The longsh e etsof D eutz ia

gra cilis, when forced and expanding their flowers,can be worked in with good effect

,D ielytm specta bilis

being an excellent contrast thereto . Of plants fromthe open border there are Sp iresLindleyane , andS . e riwf olia the feathery sprays of these two shrubbyspecies are very pretty for the purpose. In a somewhat large epergne the Clematis would afford usshoots and flowers that could be effectively used.

Other examples from many genera could be named,

but these aresuflicient to illustrate our method.

When flowers are used in this drooping manneraround the glass dish or dishes of the epergne

,it is

not necessary to arrange nearly so many in the dishitself

,and what are placed therein should be arranged

in a light and easy style . All symptoms of formalityof outline should be carefully avoided, and the flowersin the top of the dish should in a measure agree withthose that are suspended therefrom , as Orchids withOrchids

,stove and green-house flowers with stove

and green-house flowers, and so on . It does notfollow that this line need be strictly adh ered to , butit will be a safe guide to follow out in a measure .

Certain flowers are always a help in their season inalmost any design ; such, for instance , as the wellknown Astilbe jap onica and Lilies of the Valley .

This style of filling epergnes will be found far moreeffective than the plan frequently adopted of concentrating the majority of the flowers in a compactmass on the dish itself

,in whi ch manner many of

them cann ot possibly be viewed to advan tage . W e

have seen many epergnes which,when completed ,

have had twice as many flowers used over them aswere really needed to produce a good display, theobj ect apparently having been to Obtain efiect byquantity alone.

Use of P la ntsA lone — In lieu of using eitherglass stands

,baskets

,or epergnes, we would some

times advise the adoption of a distinct . kind ofdecoration without any exterior aid, other than a

few dinner-plates and saucers, in which all thearrangements can be easily made. This systemmight fairlybe called an na turel, nothing but plants ,flowers , and foliage being observable in a decOratiOncarried out entirely in thisway. A selection of themost graceful palms is necessary ; the well-knownCocosWeddelliana

,E uterp e eclulis,A reea lutescens(more

correctly and Ohanmdoreagmminif olia are all very suitable for the purpose.When grown for this special use it . is necessary to

D ECOR ATIVE USE OF FLOWER S . 09

Fig . 4.—C0

'

cosWED D ELLIAN A, WITH FLOWE R S AN D FOLIAG E AT BASE .

obtain a well-developed plant in assmall a pot as is obj ect either of'

these “P alms’

(and others too)willpossible, this being more easily accomplished than make

,even when in a thr ee-inch pot,

“

under goodmany imagine; It is surprising what a beautiful cultivation. The Cocos named is, perhaps, the most

3 8

1 0 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G ;

popular of any ; certainly it is one of the lightestand most elegant of all P alms when in a smallstate .Asan example, suppose we ta ke a well-balancedplant of this Cocos in a three or four -inch pot,which will be

.

large enough, unless required as acentre-piece to a very large table ; pla ce this plant,pot and all

,on a dinner or soup plate , and mound up

around the pot with wet Sand nearly to the rim ;then cover this surface with either green Moss orSelaginella denticula te , otherwise called S . Kra assiana .

The variegated form of this Selag inella(S. K . anrea )is most pleasing during the spring-time ; later on itstips lose ina measure their colour . On this carpeting we may proceed to arrange a few Fern-frondsaround the base asa fringe to rest on the cloth ; oras a variety

,instead of Fern

,the foliage of B egonia

meta llica and a silvery form with it may be used.

W ith the addition of a few Maiden-hair frondswe may then dot in a moderate quantity of flowersasa finish, and to impart ' colour . For this purposea few blooms of Eucharis are useful ; the IndianAz aleas

,as well as th e G hent and mollis types,

too,are very pretty when in season. Some G loxin ia

blooms,or Va llota p nrp a rea , each in their season,

have a good effect with the Eucharis . R oses alsowill look exceedingly well in such a decoration asthis

,allowing the groundwork of Selaginella to be

seen between each blossom . Single flowers of themany hardy Lilies and their allies are also effective ;the single forms of D ahlias likewise are suitable

,

having the advantage of a fairly long stem,wh ich

enables the flower to be kept well above the Moss .Small flowers

,such as the R hodanthes

,the B lue

Corn Flower,and others

,are not striking enough in

themselves without the aid of holder kinds, .but as anintermixture they are of good service ; so also are the

'

Forget-me -nots and G ypsophila eleganswhen theyare to be had. Camellias are also excellent for thiskind

'

of' design

,not omitting their own handsome

foliage ; If flowers are scarce,berries cOuld be

chosen in lieu th ereof, or if the Selaginella be of thebest, both may be dispensed with as a change . For

this method the golden-tipped variety would makean excellent covering, with a few leaves of B egoniametallica as a fringing

”to the same , the contrastbetween these twosubj ects being most effective .Fig . 4 is drawn from such a design put

‘

tog eth er

to illustrate this article ._

In this arrangement th eflowers are selected from bulbous a‘nd tuberousrooted plants entirely

,all of them having th ere

fore a certain amount of affinity. They consistof the P oet’s N a rcissus

, Campanelle J enquils,red and yellow Tulips

,Lilies '

Of the V alley,Lachena lia tricolor

,

“ and Anemone f ulg ens. B esidesmaking use of the foliage of the foregoing flowers,

some tufts of n erasa lternzf olius(the exotic Sedge‘grass) and Adiantum Cap illas-veneris(the BritishMaiden-hair

.

Fern) , with a few B egonia - leavesaround th e base

,and a carpeting over the sand(in

which the pot of the plant is plunged) of Selaginellaor Club Moss are also used. .This might be termeda verna l or sp ring arrangement . If this design isrequir ed in a larger form as a centre-piece to a fairsiz ed table

,the P alm may be from about three feet to

thr ee feet six inches in height, and even taller, if thetable is of extra width and length . W e have usedthem three feet or more in height with good eff ect

,

entwining a climber a round th e stem, or using anextra long spike of an Orchid, as Oneidimn sp haceZa tu

'

m,instead. N othing exceeding a six- inch pot

should be allowed for the largest plants in this kindof work . We avoid even this siz e as far as we can

,

for the simple obj ect of keeping the base as low aspossible

,to avoid any heaviness in appearance . Many

who attempt these designs fail in this importantpoint at the commencement of their work

,it being

necessary to keep the mounding of Moss or Selaginella as dwarf as can be, so that it is in proportionto the width at the base— say, for instance, if theheight be five inches or thereabouts, the width shouldbe about double , and with the addition. of foliage torest on the cloth another eight inches will have to beadded to the diameter, which will not be any toomuch .

Asa centre-piece to a table capable of dining from“

twenty to twenty-four persons, an oval dish, aboutth e middle siz e, is better than a plate, as it affordsthe means of extending the base towards the ends ofthe' table by keeping the dish lengthwise . The potof the plant that is used must not exceed the sixinch diameter

,even with this dish in lieu of a plate ;

room will,however

,be found for two or thr ee tiny .

Ferns,P andanusVeitchiz’ , when well developed in a

small state,or the small Oa ladinm a rgyrites. P lants

of the Chinese P rimula, when flowered in three-inchpots

,can also be used, but taking them out of their

pots for the occasion . Take,for instance

,an ar

rangement during the spring- time,having one of the

afore-named P alms as a centre,with a surrounding

of two small P andanus,a few tiny Ferns

,and three

orf our P rimulas , all from the smallest pots . Whenthese have been fixed in the sand, the interveningspace can be coveredwith Moss

,and some few .cut

flowers and foliage added to complete th e arrangement

,such as a few blooms of Tulips like V ermilion ,

Brilliant, Chrysolora , or.

th e distinct self-colouredD uc van Th ols; two shades of colour beingsufi cient,

and five or six blossoms quite enough to use . A fewspikes of Lilies of th e Valley or flowers of theD affodils would be a suitable addition .

From the stove, in place of these that we have

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2 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

centre,two slender P alms, of well -proportioned out

line,would be the best to choose , in order to avoid

any density in appearance wh en looking from end toend; The dishes of fruit should also be increased inproportion to the table

,but avoid placing two di shes

to flank the centre-piece if possible, filling up anysp‘are space as before . If the flowers be plentiful,some suitable selections may be placed on or againsteach napkin

,such as R osebuds

,for ,instance .

For smaller tables either one stand or vase oflight design would be ample

,or a well-grown plant

instead could be used as a centre-piece. W e ratherprefer the latter, leaving the flowers to be displayedin small specimen glasses . These dinner-table plantsare all the better preserved in good condition ifchanged every day

,or at least three times a week .

W e practise the every-day change,having a good

reserve to choose from . Tables that seat from fourto six persons are

,

most pleasing in appearance, wealways think, when of circular form .

D esse rt — W ith regard to the dessert,some few

remarks are necessary in respect to the arrangement .The system of intermixing both fruit and flowers onthe same dish has no good quality to recommenditself to our notice . Many kinds of fruit requiremost careful handling to preserve th e bloom intact,as G rapes

,for instance ; these in the mixed-up way

would most likelys'ufier . P erhaps also the kind offruit most wanted could not be taken without disturbing some others . W e much prefer keeping eachkind on a separate dish

, unless only a very limitedquantity is desired. In laying G rapes on a dish,the best plan is to hold the dish up on its end in onehand, and then place the bunch against it , wheneverit is of extra siz e . The bunch will thus take all itsbearings at once, and friction between the berrieswill be diminished . The plan sometimes followed ofcutting up the bunches into small pieces ought neverto be allowed . W ith P ine-apples

,if the fruit is

likely to be consumed at once , it had better bebroken up with a fork than out with a knife ; the

juice being thus better retained in each piece . V erydelicate handling is most requisite with P eaches

,

N ectarines'

, Strawberries, and P ears with clear skins .For dishing up

'the dessert,no leaves surpass those

of the Vine for general use . Small leaves of theBay-tree look very well for Oranges

, but on thewhole V ine-leaves are the best when obtainable .These have no equal

,as some kinds assume their

beautiful tints with the ripening of the wood duringthe late summer and autumn . When any largequantity h asto be supplied

,it is the best plan to

have a reserve V ine for that .purpose in the Openair, trained against a wall . The Esperione andP arsley-leaved V ines would thus be ornaments as

well as being useful. A few fronds of Maidenhair Fern might be added here and there forspecial occasions, or small leaves of other plants withdi stinct coloration to those of the V ine . Wh en alldeciduous foliage has fallen

,we can resort to the

leaves of B erberis, Ivy, Aucuba, and the commonLaurel, with the P ortugal ” too . Except the firstnamed, all the other foliage had better be picked a

day or two before wanted for use , in order to reducethe strong smell arising from them . The leaves ofsome deciduous trees could be kept for a long timeafter having fallen ; those of the Scarlet Oak(Q uereascoccinea ) would be of considerable use inthi s way, if kept pressed out flat. To keep V ineleaves fresh and free from curling

,they should be

laid between two plates or dishes,which is better

than placing them in water.

G enera l D esign .— In the decorations of the

dining-table it is much the better plan to carefullyconsider all arrangements beforehand

,so that one

can, as it were, see the completion in his mind’seye previous to the commencement

,at least to a

certain extent. The colours also must be chosento suit the light , blue being allowed only to alimited amount in those designs to be viewed underartificial light . Two or three shades of the samecolour should not be used in close association.

Single flowers are in most cases preferable to doubleforms

,and unless it be in circumstances of emergency

we like to keep them apart. Take for an instancethe flowers of the Eucharis

,the P ancratium, the

Vallota,the Agapanthus

,the Amarylli s, the Liliums,

the Cactus , the Az aleas,the D ipladenias, the Alla

mandas,the P assion Flowers, the single D alflias,

the single Anemones, the Iris , the B ouvardias, andChinese P rimulas(single), let alone the Orchidaceousplants and others that might be cited — there are nodouble flowers comparable to them for effective andartistic displays . D ouble flowers may look showy,but there is an amount of heaviness about most ofthem that cannot be effaced . Those who may nothave practised the use of single flowers by themselves

,could with advantage make a start in that

direction,and compare the results for themselves .

We would also advocate the occasional employment of what may be termed distinctive arrangements . By thi s . we mean the carrying. out . of adesign with nearly, or quite, all the flowers beinggathered from one genus, admittin g only those thatbear a resemblance . Thus , R oses by themselves ;the Chrysanthemums the same ; B ouvardias too indi stinct colour s, make a

” striking arrangement ;G loxinias also , with a liberal mixture of Maidenhair Fern ; B egonias with their own handsomefoliage

,varying in shades from the pale green of

D ECORATIVE USE OF FLOWER S. 1 3

B . man ica ta to the lustrous metallic leaves ofB . meta llica , and frOm the silvery foliage of B .

P rincessCha rlotte to the reddish-brown of B .

inca rna ta p nrp ilreseens. In B egonias alone there isa Wide field for exercising one’s abilities in decoration . They are not the best of flowers forkeeping fresh for any length of time , but thi s mustnot always be regarded as an essential property .

W e have made very effective groups with the leavesof B . meta llica , and the panicles of bloom fromB . nititla qdora ta

gth e pure white flowers being seen

to advantage with the dark foliage . Take again thefoliage of a silvery-leaved variety, and the flowersof a pink kind

,either by itself or blend another

colour with it,and:you have a good display . The

host of tuberous-rooted varieties yield an abundantchoice in colour dur ing the summer months . All

Begonias willkeep the better if arranged with longstems 1n water only.

Asanother example we will direct attention towhat may be termed the ‘

f, aestheti c flowers now somuch in request.

.

Many of these are very distinctand effectiire such, for instance, as R udbeckia N ew

manni, Chrysanthemum fritteseens, or P aris D aisies

(yellow and white), the single P yrethrums, theStar-worts or Asters , of which A . leiwa nthemmn isone of the best whites . H arp a linm rigidinn, similarto the Sunflowers, but of more convenient siz e, andthe G aillardias, are . both useful in this class of decora tion. The many shades of single D ahlias affordplenty of choice for such work . These and othersimilar subj ects would be of close resemblance incharacter

,yet harmonising well together by a

judicious choice of colour.

An other system of arrangement, which is aseffective as any we know,

isobtained by selectingflowers from closely-allied families of plants, whichwe would designate characteristic arrangements .Of such as this, no better example can be given thanthat to be had from the numerous Liliaceous plants ofvaried habit and colour

,not necessarily resembling

one another in any way,yet when brought into clOse

unison with each other they are most strikinglyeffective . Take for instance '

the red, white, andblue of the Vallota , the Eucharis, and the Agapanthus, or theWhiteW ater Lily, with the G erman ,Spanish

,and English Iris . Take the same Water

Lilyagain, with some small spikes of G ladiolus, orthe Scarlet Turk’s Cap Lily, and in either case youha ve an efiective display, by adding suitable foliage ,not forgetting the Sedges(Ca rer sp . and n erasSehizostg liscoccinea in the late autumn is excellentin company with the Eucharis or with the slenderspikes of the R oman Hyacinth . Lilies of the

_

Valleywith Lachena lia tricolor and Astilbe jap onica arevery pretty . The latter is in fact useful in all such

P rese rv a tion — After the flowers have servedtheir purpose, should there have been much gas

'

consumed, or the temperatur e of the room rather high,it will much revive thein if they can be taken to a

arrangements as we‘

have just commented upon .

The Forget-me-nots,too

,are very suitable with

Water Lilies, the summer-flowering vari eties beingin perfection at the same time

,and to be found in

catalogues under the name of Myosotisp a lustrisandM . a z oriea . One spike with about two Open blossomsand a bud ready to expand of Lilium longiflorinn

would be well placed in an upright and naturalmanner against thestem of a glass stand

,not each

flower cut Off and laid flat, but used entire with

a good length of stem . Around this, but lower,

about three spathes '

of Anthurium Seherz ericmwn,

and the same number of a blue Iris, with a fewflowers of the WhiteW ater Lily at the base

,would

afiord a good example of this style of decoration.

Some such system of arranging flowers is much tobe preferred to what is most commonly seen carriedout

,underwhat we call indiscriminate arrangements .

By this' we mean the grouping together

-

of a fewpieces of this

, _that

,a nd another kind of flower, that

do not h armonise and blend with each other. :I t maybe fairly termed the mixed-medley style of doing thework ; the operator relying for effect, such as it is ,on the greatest variety of form and colour that canbe in “any way got into one design . This is the moreto be condemned when several stands have to be filledfor placing in the same apartment

,imparting a same

ness or similarity that is wearisome to the eye. Evenwhere one vase only of more than average siz e has tobe filled

,this collecting together in one incongruous

or indefinite mass of many flowers,which have no

affinity in any way, isstill '

to be condemned. Thesame rule holds good in all arrangements throughoutthe house in this respect. W e have noticed moreth an once that the decorations have looked the bestwhen the supply has beenshort wherewith to do thework. The temptation to use more flowers than arereally necessary is not so easily resisted when anyconsiderable quantity is at hand . It is also amistaketo spend too much time in dressing the stands orvases ; some of the prettiest that we have done havebeen when pushed for time to complete them .

Flowers with powerful perfumes should not be extensivelyused in any table decorations and some tha twe have quoted have a tendency in this direction. Ofsuch we advise but few to be worked into any one setof designs at the same time . G ardenias, Stephanotis,and other strongly-scented flowers , should never bemade free use of in the dining-room for any purposewhatever. There are plenty Of ways in which suchas these can be utilised in other apartments .

21 4 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

cooler place,and slightly bedewed with a fine rose of

a water-pot or a syringe,when the table is cleared.

If any are only resting temporarily in their place,

without having the means of obtaining sufficientmoisture

,these should be pla ced in water till again

required. W ith close attention to these and minordetails the flowers can be greatly economised forfuture use when the demand too nearly approachesthesupply. These remarks apply more forcibly tothe system

,sometimes followed

,Of laying the flowers

on the table-cloth,and working out designsthereon

with the same,in whi ch case the flowers will quickly

sufier if not again placed in water . This custom oflaying the flowers on the cloth has not the slightestgood quality to recommend it ; all natural habit andstyle of growth being

,so to speak

,lost. W e have

not thought fit,therefore

,to advocate this system in

any way,beyond sta ting that when such means are

employed it should only be to fillup a vacancy whereno suitable receptacle can possibly be placed conve

niently ; but long shoots of trailing plants look verypretty when allowed to rest on the cloth

,in attenua

tion, as it were, from either of the designs .Finally

,our remarks on dinner-table decorations

have all been made under the assumption that thecloth was of the usual or ordinary colour. Whensuch is not the case

,and coloured strips are laid

through the centr e of the table, it requires more careful judgment in the selection of both flowers andfoliage

,to avoid any clashing between one and the

other. The colour of cloth most to be avoided isgreen ; other shades do not so much matter ; but in nocase do we think any shade surpasses a white damaskcloth in its entirety.

THE LIFEH ISTOR Y OF PLANTS ;BY D R . M AXWELL T . MASTER S , F. R .S .

WHAT THE LEAVES D O — THE SAP .

N the animal kingdom the work of nutrition,

at any rate in all the higher groups,com

prisesseveral secondary processes,such as the

prehension of food,its mastication

,solution

,and

digestion. Wh en at length,after a series of

changes , the food gets converted into blood, it isrequis1 te that the new or crude blood, together withth at vitiated and rendered impure in its transitthrough the body

,should be exposed to the atmo

Sphere or to the oxygen in it . Thi s is effected,

in the higher animals and man, by its passage

through the lungs,where

,by the agency of respi

ration, the crude and impure fluid becomes oxygenated, and th en , in the form of red arterialblood, is

‘ pumped by th e heart’s action into everypart of the body . In plants the same general results

are brought about in “a simpler fashion,asmight

have been anticipated,f rom their simpler structure

,

and the termscirculation and respiration can only bemade use of in a general sense, and not as implyingexact identity Of process . Th e roots and the leavesmay roughly be compared with the organsof preh ension of animals . The roots avail themselves ofthe water in the soil, and, in addition, they exert asolvent action

,which enables them to render the inert

and insoluble matters suitable for th e nutri tion Of

the plant . In thi s sense the roots seiz e and manufa c

ture what they require . The leaves have a simila raction . They lay hold of the gases in the atmo~sphere

,absorb them

,and transmute them Some

times they absorb liquid or vapour under g ivenconditionsthey always exhale it . The result of theconjoined action of the roots and of the leaves istheformation of food— true food— fitted for the nourishment of existing tissues and the creation of new ones .

Th e Sa p a nd itsC ourse — H ence theremust be some communication between the rootsbelow and the leaves above . But— and this is apoint upon whi ch the greatest str ess must be laidthat communication is indirect . There is in a plantno continuous system of pipes or tubes

,such as

exists in the ca se of the blood-vessels of animals.The blood of an animal is of the same constitutionthroughout

,according to its twofold nature— that is

to say,that while th e venous blood keeps its cha

ra cter, the arterial blood is, in its turn, unif orm incomposition

,into whatever part of the body it may

flow. It is not so with the juices of plants . Theya re not uniform in all parts of the plant, but theyhave one composition in one place or a t one time,another in another situation or at a different period.

It is necessary to insist upon these points, for theold doctrine of the circulation of a crude ascendingsap

,passing in regular channels and curr ents from

the roots to the leaves,and then down again in the

form of elaborated sap,is one to whi ch gardeners

cling tenaciously,though th e scientists

,with out any

exception,have long ago either greatly modified or

entirely abandoned it. Modern research has shownthat the facts observed by the gardener are susceptible(even where the observation itself is accurate)of a very different interpretation from that which heis accustomed toput upon them.

W e may here quote what we . have said elsewhereon this subj ect (H enf rey

’s2‘ E lementary Course ofB otany

,

” ed. 4,p . 564) In Spring, when vegeta

tion is most active,or at other times when Sp ecial

cir cumstances favour growth in particular places, acurrent of watery sap

,containing relatively little of

the matters formed in consequence of lea f-action, isspecially manifest ; and as the ends of the shoots

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CASSELL’S POPULAR G ARD ENING ;

in itself the functions of the skin, of the kidneys, ofth e lungs, of the digestive organs, and of the manufa cturing glands. N o wonder physiologists wincewhen they see a gardener cutting off Strawberryleaves

,or engaged in cutting away what has been

formed at such an expenditure of power, and whichitself contains so much latent force for use whenrequired . N evertheless, the gardener may, fromhis point of View

,be quite correct . Hisrequire

ments are not the same as those of the plant in astate of nature

,and long experience has taught him

how to make the plant subservient to his W ishes . Ifthe physiologist carried out hisprinciples he wouldsubordinate the man to the plant ; the gardener’s aimis just the reverse .In considering the work done by the leaf

,then

,

we may treat of it as :1 , an organ of perspiration ;2,of breathing 3 , of manufacture ; 4, of digestion .

Th e L e a f asa n O rg a n of P ersp ira t ion .

It needs no elaborate apparatus to demonstrate thi saction of the leaf . P lace a leaf under a bell-glass

,

expose it to thesun , and shortly the inner surface ofthe glass will be bedewed with moisture ; so it willbe if kept in the dark in a sufliciently warm place .If this simple experiment be obj ected to on thescore that, as the leaf is detached from the plant ,it is not a fair test, there are plenty of other meansof showing it not open to this obj ection . Theinside of a green-house or of award’s case will showthe fact

,though in these instances the evaporation

is partly from the,soil ; but the most convincing

proof of all is aflorded by the withering of leavesthat takes place on a hot

,dry, sunny day . See how

the Phloxes in the garden and even the Mangelsin the field hang their leaves under such circumstances . The scientists can prove the fact beyonddispute

,and they can likewise measur e its amount

under different circumstances very exactly, but in

practice ’

we have no need for such nicety. Theamount given off is very large, varying according todifferent circumstances . It is greatest when theplant is simultaneously placed under the influenceof bright light and high temperature

,and

' lowestunder th e Opposite circumstances . When

,however

,

the atmosphere is saturated,temperature has no

eff ect in increasing the amount of evaporation fr omplants . B lue light and next to it red light a re mostefficacious in promoting transpiration . Y ellow lightis much '

lessso,and green light is not more effective

from this point of view than darkness itself .The texture and construction of the leaves modifythe amount of transpiration very materially— theyounger and more delicate the structure

,the greater

the amount of transpiration. The older the leaf,

Or the thicker its skin— as,for instance

,in succulent

plants— the less is given off.”

Under normal circumstances

, where the quantity of fluid given off isnot materially greater than can be replaced by rootabsorption, or furnished from the stores in the plant,probably no harm ari ses from thi s transpira tion

,

and the flow of water may probably facilitate some

of the chemical ch anges which go on concurrentlyin the leaf. But where the balance is disturbed ,the sufferings of the plant become evident . It may

be that, provided water be supplied, little or no

permanent harm ma y accrue ; but, considering th eamount of force or energy expended in the process

,

and the loss of temperatur e involved in it,it is

obvious that if transpiration be excessive or frequently repeated,“ the plant will suff er. It is morethan probable, though it has not been definitelyproved, that much of the ill- effect arising from a

plant having experienced a check during growthmay be attributed to excessive or disproportionatetranspiration . Fortunately that is a matter easilyavoided by the gardener who has water-supply andmeans of shading at command. The use of greenglass in conservatories

,as at Kew

,may in par t be

explained by the check it imposes to too vigorousleaf-action .

H ow th e L e a v esB re a th e — In the case of th elungs of animals

,the inhalation of atmospheri c air

and its passage thr ough the lungs is effected bymeans of powerful muscles and contractile tubes .A different set of muscles promotes expiration. In

plants there is no such machinery available, unlessit be in the case of the stomata or pores (ante,p . wh ich contract or Open according to circumstances

, and so regulate both the emission of waterand the entrance of gases . For the most part , however

,the entrance of air into the plant is due

solely to the power of penetration or diffusion whichgases have

,and which has the closest analogy with

the processof osmosis formerly spoken of, and byvirtue of which the gases pass through the skin of

the leaf when not too thick or obstructed by waxyexudations . The breathing process in plants presents many analogies,some say it is identical , withthat of animals. In both it is a continuous processgoing on day and night ; but . while in th e ca se of

the aiiimal it is limited to the lungs or gills, in plantsit takes place over the whole surface, where th etexture is favourable to the passage of gases .Atmospheric air when pure h asthe followingaverage composition

THE LIFE -HISTOR Y OF PLAN TS.

On the moors of Scotland, Angus Smith f oundper cent . “ of oxygen in the atmosphere, as

contrasted with in the pit of a theatre, or thetunnels of the Metropolitan R ailway, and inmines . When the volume falls to the light ofcandles is extinguished. Carbonic acid varies inproportionate volume

,according to the same observer,

from 250 per cent . in some Cornish mines to as littleas '

03 3 . The significance of these figures willbecome more apparent further on ; all that need besaid here is that by the agency of the respiratoryprocess the plant obtains the oxygen necessary toinsure the activity of the protoplasm. W ithout itlife is brought to a standstill by suffocation, justas in the case of an animal similarly deprived.

Every separate portion of the plant, moreover, musthave its own independent supply, and cannot trustto receive it from any other portion. There are,indeed, certain B acteria which appear to thrive without oxygen ; but we need not further allude to theseexceptional cases

,as they do not

,so far as we a t

present know,concern the ordinary gardener . There

isat the’present time a difierence of opinion betweenchemists as to whether the process of respiration invegetables isidentical with that in animals

,or only

correspondent,for while some assert that there is no

fixed relation in plants,as there is in animals

, be

tween the quantity of oxygen absorbed and the. olume of carbonic acid emitted

,others

,like MM .

B onnier and Mangin,maintain the reverse . The

production of the carbonic acid gas from leaves whenthey are plunged in an atmosphere of hydr ogen ornitrogen without any oxygen at all

,is a proof that in

th ese cases the elimination of the carbonic acid isnot a respiratory act

,but the result of changes in the

composition of the tissues of_

the plant .

The proportion of oxygen absorbed increaseswith the temperature

,so that it may be said

,

if we required to make a plant breathe deeply,all

we have to do is increase the temperature . But

the amount of oxygen absorbed . varies under likeconditions in different plants . Succulent plants likeAgaves absorb least, evergreen leaves more, andordinary deciduous leaves most (D e Saussure) . A

flower takes up more oxygen in proportion thana root or a leaf, and the stamens of a flower take upmore than the outer parts .“ Young leavesof thesame plant absorb more than older ones . The effectof this continual influx of oxygen is to oxidise ”

certain of the substances in the plant,and to give

rise to changes of the utmost importance,but which

it fallsto the lot of the chemist rather than of thebotanist to explain .

Two points , however, we must allude to as necessary concomitants or consequences of oxidation,and these are the elimination of carbonic acid gas

concurrently with the inhalation of oxygen, andthe production of heat. The entrance of oxygenand the emission of carbonic acid gas are simply thebeginning and the end respectively of a long and complicated series of changes in the plant — changes butvery imperfectly known at present . These chemicaltransmutations are attended with the production ofheat . A certain amount of heat is requisite toinsure the activity of the molecules or ultimateparticles of the protoplasm

,and if th i s be , not

forthcoming, the protoplasm remains inactive, andsooner or later dies . Thi s internal heat generatedin the living plant (or animal) , and essential to itslife, is a necessary consequence of oxidation. Oxidation, then, maintains the internal heat of plants , andwhile it is the source and origin of some substanceswithin the plant , it tends at the same time to destroy the tissues in the

'

same way tha t they wouldbe destroyed by

'

fir e,but of course without flame .

R espiration is thus a destructive process, which ofitself would destroy the plant were the waste socaused not compensated for by the nutritive processes .

C h lorot ll. —P erspiration,as has been stated

,

takes place, subj ect to a few exceptions, fromall or any part of the surf ace of a plant, by dayand by night ; in plants like fungi, which haveno green matter

,as well as in those which do

possess it . In those plants,however, which contain

green matter(chlorophyll) changes go on during theday-time (that is, when the green matter is exposedto the light) of exactly the opposite nature

' tothose

'

mentioned under the head of respiration .

Oxygen gas is now given off and carbon is nowretained in the plant to build up its structure .If a leaf be placed in water and exposed to the sun ,

in a very short time bubbles of gas may be observedto collect on the leaves

,and by appropriate chemical

means it may easily be shown that these bubblesconsist principally of oxygen gas . H ere again theaid of the chemist is necessary

,and for the full con

sideration of'

the matter recour se must be had toch emical works .

F ood of P la nts— The substance of whi ch thetissue of plants is composed consists of “ cellulose,”

and is composed of certain proportions of carbon, ofoxygen

,and hydrogen, in combination with water.

This cellulose forms the membrane of the cells inthe cell-walls, within which is the protoplasm beforealluded to, and which latter contains, in additionto the substances just mentioned

,a quantity of

nitrogen . B esides these four elements just mentioned, which are indispensable to all plants, as theconstituents of cellulose and protoplasm,

thereexist minute quantities of phosphorus . and sulphur,

21 8z

CASSELL’

S P OPULAR . G AR D EN IN G .

and various mineral matters already alluded to‘

under

the head of root-action, such as potassium, calcium,

iron, &c . ,

which are also in their degree indispensable

,and others that are less so . In considering

the manner in which these substances are introducedinto the plant

,we shall gain an idea of the in

terdependence of roots and leaves , and in tracingtheir combinations in the plant we shall of necessitylearn something of the nature of leaf-action

,and

especially of the influence of th e green matter calledchlorophyll . In the first place it must be repeatedthat the elements above referred to are some of themintroduced by the agency of the roots and root-hairs ;others by the mediation of the leaves . In neitherca se are the elements received in their uncombin edstate, but in combination with other elements .These matters are often spoken of loosely as constituting the food of plants . P lants are said tofeed on carbon

,oxygen

,hydrogen

,and nitrogen

,

together with th e mineral matters above mentioned. Strictly speaking this is an error . Theseelements do not

,as taken into the plant

,suffice

to nourish it any more than the oxygen,ni trogen

,

carbon , &c .

,of which beef and bread are made

up, directly nourish us. In our case even th e beefand the bread are not Of themselves foods . It is nottill they have undergone in th e stomach and intestines certain complicated chemical changes that theybecome actually fit to serve as food . They furnishthe material out of which food ismade

, but they arenot the food itself . So with the plant

,it is not till

the materials taken in by the root and by the leafconjointly have undergone chemi cal changes carriedon in, or

_

at least in connection with,the green

matter, when exposed to light, that they becomefit to nourish the plant , repair its waste, and formnew tissue . The leaf, then, or the green matter init

,under the conditions we have mentioned, is the

great agent in converting the materials of food intofood itself. Let us

,then“

,have a little more respect

for the leaves, tend them,keep them clean and

unobstructed, especially their under surface,and

aff ord them every facility for fulfilling their office aspurveyors

,cooks

,builders

,and purifiers of the plant .

Th e Use of C h lorophyll .— It will be noticedthat

,in speaking of the leaves as the concocters

and digesters of'

food,we “have laid special stress

on .the green matter,and for the reason

, thatin some way or

_

another,exactly how is still a

matter of controversy,this chlorophyll plays an

essential part . But chlorophyll is not a uni

versal constituent in plants . It is not found in'

every cell even of green plants . It is entirelywanting in all the great host of fungi . How,

then,

do cells destitute of chlorophyll live ? HOW'

do

fungi feed in the absence of this green matter In

answer to these questions,it may be said that the

colourless cells of green plants live at the expenseof their more richly endowed neig hbour s. Theyare , as it were, parasitic upon them. Thus, in thecase of fungi we know but too well that they do notcollect and prepare their own food

, but that theyeither live a parasitic existence on other plants

,

or derive their nouri shment from the decay ofanimal or vegetable substances . The green plants .absorb the raw material, and, under .the agency oflight , transform it into food . The fungi feed uponthe matter already manufactured by others

,and are

thus comparatively independent of light . Cellsdestitute of chlorophyll can feed and grow in theda rk

,but they cannot collect raw material nor manu

factru~e it into food for themselves . Cells providedwith chlorophyll can grow and digest in the dark,

but they cannot convert the inorganic matter derivedfrom soil or atmosphere into food unless exposed

R everting to the raw materials of plant-food,it

may be repeated that the carbon is derived by theleaves from the atmosphere in the form of carbonicacid, the hydrogen and oxygen as water are ab

sorbed by the roots,and in a gaseous form

,in com

bination, by the leaves . N itrogen gains access in theform of nitrates or as ammonia salts , a lso by theroots

,by which likewise the various mineral in

gredientsare taken up as previously explained.

Oxygen is thus taken up both by the leaves and by ,

the roots:in the former case from the atmosphere,as a gas essential to respiration ; in the latter ca sein combination with

.

other matters,and destined to

take part in the transformation of the food-materia linto food.

Influen ce of L ig h t and H e a t — The fir stand most striking e ffect observed when chlorophyll is exposed to light is, as has been above said,the emission of oxygen gas . This is supposed toresult from the splitting up or di sin tegration of thecarbonic acid gas of the atmosphere into Oxygen

,.

which is given Off,and carbon

,Whi ch is retained

,the

preportion between the carbonic acid absorbed andthe oxygen given off being in this case definite. Asthe solid matter of plants

.

consists in by far largerproportion of carbon than of any other ingredient

,

the desirability of giving leaves free access to lightbecomes Obvious

,and in the laboratory the chloro

phyll is found to do its work most thoroughly whensubj ected to the yellow or ligh t-giving parts of thespectrum

,and least so when exposed to the ch emical

rays,such as violet or blue . The amoun t of expo

sure required varies according to structure and othercircumstances ; shade-loving plants, like the Ferns,

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20 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

the other half be allowed to “remain on the plant allthe day so as to be exposed to thesun; and be testedat nightfall

,abundance of starch will then be found .

It woul d seem,therefore

,at fir st " sight that the

formation,or at any rate the action

,of diastase in

dissolving the starch must take place at night only ;and this would be consistent with the now wellestablished fact

.

that new growth(not mere extension of old) takes place principally at night , or inthe dark. The change from the insoluble starch tothe soluble glucose goes on

,however

,during the

day as well as at night,though these changes are

less evident because during the day more starch isformed than is abstracted. Sachs has endeavouredto. estimate the proportionate amount of starch produced in a given area of leaf-surface . By combininghisexperini ental results, and taking note - of all thecircumstances

,he concludes that twenty to twenty

five grammes of starch per day may be produced byone square metre of leaf-surface as an ordinary occurrence.” (One gramme is equa l to 15grains ; onesquare metre

,-to square yard. )

It is clear that some very important practicaldeductions may be drawn from these facts . If theamount of starchy contents Of leaves varies duringthe day, andstill more so at night, the period atwhi ch such leaves ar e cut for food or forage becomesa matter of great importance . The afternoon orevening would thus be indicated as the best periodsfor cutting vegetables for salad

,for cooking

,or for

medicinal purposes,so as to secure the produce of

the day before it is drafted Off elsewhere .The rapidity of production of the starch depends

upon the intensity of light and the quantity of carbonic acid gas , the production being much more rapidin intense ligh t, and when the carbonic acid gas is inlarge proportion . If there be no carbonic acid gasat all, no starch is produced, even if the leaf be fullyexposed to thesun ; moreover, any starch that hadbeen formed previously disappears as it would do ifthe leaf were kept in the dark. Starch is a ternarycombination of carbon

,hydrogen, and oxygen ; and

by combining with the nitrogen, absorbed by theroots as ammonia or nitrates

,it forms the albuminoid

substanceslike protoplasm,the cell nucleus

,&c.,

containing varying proportions of carbon,hydrogen

,

Oxygen , and nitrogen . On the ‘ other hand,by th e

progressively increasing loss of oxygen,it may form

some of the vegetable acids,and ultimately of the

hydro-carbons , such as resins, in which oxygen isentirely absent. The cellulose of the cell-wall isformed, according to some Observers

,directly from

starch or sugar, of which it h asthe same chemicalcomposition, while others consider it to be formedfrom th e protoplasm . G um,

mucilage,and various

substances of that character,are dir ect transforma

tions from cellulose, as probably are the j elly-likesubstances in fruits . Chemists must

,however

,ad

vance thi s portion of their science materially beforeit can be made available for practical purposes.

Th e L e a f asan O rg a n of D ig estion — Th e

starch alluded to in the la st paragraph is insoluble .

It is requisite for it to be removed from the factory,

wh ere it would be in the way and where it wouldprevent the continued formation of fresh supplies,and that it be stored up in the warehouse for futureuse if not wanted immediately . To eff ect this it mustbe dissolved, taken out of the leaf along' th e leaf-stalk(where present), and thus conducted to . the placeOf consumption or to the bark

,the seed

,the tuber,

or other reserve organ,as explained in the earlier

chapters . This solution of the starch is effected bya nitrogenous substance formed in the protoplasm

,

and called diastase.” Why the diastase dissolvesstarch it is impossible to say ; but , under certainconditions, of which the presence of an acid is one,it does so , converts

"

the starch into dextr ose , and

afterwards into glucose or G rape-sugar. Thus , inthe germination of seeds

,the starch '

in the whiteperisperm is dissolved by the diastase in the embryo,converted into sugar

,and in thi s form is absorbed

by the embryo,and used up in the formation of the

growing tissues . The same thing happens when abud commences to grow

,or a P otato to sprout

,The

solution of the starch in bread is effected by a

similar ferment in the saliva.Thi s process of digestion is apparently universalin plants, but subj ect to various modifications , oneof the most striking of wh ich is that afforded bythe B ianc a

,the D rosem

,and other so-called ca r

nivorousplants . In these plants,when an insect or

any substance containing nitrogen comes into contact with the leaf

,an acid fluid is poured out -by the

leaf, which efiectsthe solution of the insect just asthe gastric juice dissolves matters in the stomach

,

and puts them into a fit condition to be absorbed.

In addition to diastase there . are other fermentsformed in the cells

,which efiect the conversion of

starch to sugar,and the production of alcohol from

the latter, as in the yeast fungus . The reason whysome

xfungi efiect this or corresponding changes,

while others do not,is that the former P eni

cillium contain a ferment,while the latter

Mucor— do not (V an Tieghem) . P epsin,

” found inthe leaves ofso-called carnivorous plants

,effects the

decomposition of albuminoid lmatters, and convertsthem into peptones. Itspresence in the juice of theP apaw-tree or Fig explains th e fact th at meat'wrapped in the leaves of these plants becomes tender.Fatty matters

,which are often stored up in place

of starch,are acted upon in a similar manner by a

G LASS STRUCTUR ES AN D APPLIAN CES

ferment, whi ch converts them into a soapy fluid,capable of absorption .

“Asparagin,

”and certain nitrogenous substances

of like character, seem to have the property of combining with ternary compounds

,and of thus creating

new protoplasm . When the ternary compounds aredeficient

,the asparagin collects in the cells ; but

when the compounds in question reappear,then the

a sparagin combines with them to constitute newalbuminoid or protoplasmic matters . But this

,

again,is a matter demanding further elucidation by

th e chemist .

Th e D escending Sa p — The substances concocted in the leaf

'

in the manner briefly alluded tohave to p ass from ,

th eleaf to the'

place of storage,to

the spot where they are required for immediate use,

or from the store-place to the growing points afteran interval of greater or less duration . In anycase these fluids constitute what used to be calledthe descending sap

,

” an expression it would bebetter to abolish , because it islikely to mislead intothe belief that it isa fluid of uniform constitution

,

travelling in a definite direction. In fact it_

flowsinany dir ection where there may be a stimulus or acall for it , and where the structure of the plantpermits its passage . It must not be supposed that itdoes not sometimes descend

,but it is not limited in

the dir ection it takes ; thus, while it goes down fromthe leaves to the haulm of the P otato to aid in theformation of the tubers

,it must needs go up again

to form the new haulm which,springs from the

tubers. So in the Wheat plant the “ elaboratedsap must needs go up from the leaves into the ear.Again , in the pendulous branches of aW eeping Ash ,for instance

,the so-called “ descending sap must

necessarily rise from the leaves . But while thedirection ' of the current is thus variable accordingto circumstances, and Often different '

in differentparts of the same plant at the same time

,there is

a greater degree of fixity as to the particular placesand tissues . in which it may be found ; thus, in anordinary tree

,while the ascending current Of water

flows, or is forced upwards , chiefly through thewoodcells of the young wood

,the so-called elaborated sap

is chiefly to be met with in the innermost layers ofbark, and in certain Specia l tissues such as the sievetubes, the latex-canals

, &c. In most trees the principal growth in diameter is brought about by increasedcell-formation on the outer side of the wood and onthe inner side Of the bark respectively. The position of the “ cambium

,

” “ descending sap,” “or

ganisable matter,” or whatever it be called, is thusseen to .be most appropriate . When a bud is insert edas in the operation of “ budding

,

” it is placed inthe midst of this store of food and building material .

G LA S S STR U CTU R E S AN D

AP P L IAN C E S .

P ITS.

HESE may be described as fixed glass framesplaced

,on brick or other walls The idea of

being sunk into the earth is also associated with thatof pits. But, in fact, there are surface as well assunken pits

,and any permanent wall spanned with a

glass top is technically and correctly a pit . It isthe fixity Of the walls, in fact, rather than that ofthe roof, that forms the pit ; for hundreds of pitsare covered .witl

_1 movable sashes

,exactly the same

as those on frames . G enerally, pits may be said tobe fixtures

,wh ile frames are portable .

The chief feature of frames is their portability.

P its,from the nature of their material and character

of construction,are more of fixtures . Built in the

ordinary way,of brick

,stone

,cement

,or concrete

,

they are_landlord’sfixtures ; that is , no matter wh o

built or paid for them ,so soon as up they become

the property of the landlord ; and this even thoughbuilt of wood

,if fixed in position by stakes driven

into the ground . All pits, however, may be . converted into tenant’s fixtures by the simple device ofbuilding them upon

,rather than into

,the earth . In

these days of the rapid increase'

of horticulturalglass-houses and other appliances, and frequentchanges of residence

,it is important to bear the dis

tinctionsbetween common and tenant’s fixtures inmind . The latter can hardly be said to be fixturesat all . W ere the tenant toremove every threemonths

,he could take such pits or glass-houses with

him,without legal let or hindrance . To constitute

any'

building a tenant’s fixture

,a plank or baulk of

timber or a bar of iron must interpose between itand the earth . To be built on the surface merely,without being sunk in the ground, is not sufficient .A horiz ontal barrier of some kind must interpose .This cuts through the legal right of landlords toappropriate as their own the property - of tenantsplaced by the latter on their land.

Such unpleasant contingencies may, of course, beaverted by previous agreement, the landlord agreeing to take tenant-built structures and appliances ata fair valuation . But agreements are not alwayspracticable nor satisfactory

,and in this respect they

are less needed than formerly, for most builders nowso thoroughly understand the law of tenant’s fixtures,and have so moulded their pits, green-houses, conservatories, summer-houses , &c.

,that they continue

from first to last the property of the tenant. N or isth is all , for not a few of them are so constructedthat they may readily be taken . to pieces and reconstructed .with a minimum amount of labour , risk,and cost.

‘

22 f CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

The name of pit suggests the idea of a structureor place partially under-ground . This was so generally recogni sed in the Older pits that the majorportion of th em were under-ground. Sunken pitsare . warmer than those partially ’

Or wholly aboveground.

The earth is partially frost-proof in our

climate,at least a very little straw litter around the

pit makes it so to all intents and purposes . The soileven becomes a source of warmth to the pit, as itsaverage temperatur e is aboutSunken pits were also less exposed to wind andweather

,and the surface of the glass far more easily

covered in severe weather, than those wholly or inpart above-ground . W ith the solid earth as a buttress all round

,less materi al is needed for their con

struction than for above-ground pits . Against thesesubstantial advantages of ch eapness of first cost, theutilisation of the natura l and, compared with the air ,uniform warmth Of the earth, and greater facility ofmanaging and working sunken pits , there are thedangers and difificultiesof dampness— the deeper th epits the damper ; and though thorough drainage ofthe base

,careful _and peculiar construction of the

side walls,skilful ventilation , and art ificial heating

do much to vanquish or diminish the evils of damp ,no doubt the prevailing and destructive tendency ofthe latter in deep pits did much to raise them nearer ,and in not a few instances place them upon or evenabove the ground surface . N or is this to be wondered at

,as for one plant killed by cold in pits, a

hundred— it_may be a .

th ou’sand — have been crippled,

di sfigured, or destroyed by damp .

H ence, though deeply- sunk pits are still to befound

,and in not a. few cases, and in exposed locali

ties,these prove the best of all pits, yet so general

has the raising of pits nearer to the sur face become ,and so common are th ose on the surface, that the idea ‘

of a sunken place is no longer essentially identifiedwith pits . Any structure with stable sides and amovable glass roof may be called a pit . Even thi sdescription may be held to be imperfect, for not a fewpits have fixed roofs . G enerally, however , pits arecovered with glass lights ; the

' latter are movable,and access is had to the plants thr ough the roofrath er than through the ends or sides . P its withfixed lights and doors in the ends are transform edinto h ouses , whatever they may be called.

W ooden pits, again, diff er from frames in beingfixed by stakes driven into the ground . N eithersides nor ends can be lifted off without th e nails orscrews that fix th em to the ground being first with

W ooden pits, however, once so c ommon , are nowout of fashion . Formed of two layers, and the intersticesof six inches or a foot between the boardsfilled in with sawdust

,tan , ch afi, or other non-con

ducting material,th ey were at once drya ndweather

proof. Such pits were even used in France for Pin egrowing.

The walls of pits are mostly built now of stone,

concrete,turf

,bricks ; even iron has been tri ed for

both pits and frames . The thr ee first are not lik ed,and iron is very seldom used. Turf is efi cient

against all weather severities in our climate, but itis too perishable for permanent pits

,though most

useful for temporary ones for the protection ofsemi-hardy plants

,vegetables

,salads

, &c. ,in winte r.

Turves of fibrous grass or peat, from two to threeinches thick

,and from fifteen to eighteen inches

wide,will form a temporary frost-proof— as far as

the walls are concerned —pit that will prove mostuseful for an infin ite variety of purposes in mostgardens . I t may either be covered with glass lights,laid on rafters let into the upper or finishing rowsof the turf

,or with opaque frames of canvas, oiled

calico,or reeds . Such rough-and-ready structures

are invaluable for th e temporary protection offlower -

ga rdenfi or what are

.

technically known asbedding— plants in the spring and ea rly summermonths .But bricks are at once th e most popular, useful,and efficient of all materials for building pits . A

brick wa ll , four te en inchesthick,in a vertical posi

tion is practically frost-proof in our climate . For

pits of smaller siz e,brick walls four and a half or

nine inch es in thi ckness will suffice . In the ca se ofvery large pits

,such as are often used for P ine-cul

ture,from seven to nine feet high at back

,and from

five to seven feet high in front, with covering lightseight or twelve feet long

,eighteen or twenty-two

inch walls will not prove excessive for th e weightand wear-and-tear to which th ey

'

will be subj ected .

The strain is far heavier and more constant on thewalls of pits th an

‘

On those of houses, owing to theconstant motion and friction of th e movable lights .H ence the necessity of Specially thick and strongwalls for large pits

,though the tendency of the day

is to limit and even reduce the siz e of pits, and convert the large r ones already in existence into houseswith fixed roofs .The walls of pits are also frequently left hollow.

The practice not only economises material , but probably strengthens th e walls at the same time, whileit is certain th at the enclosed air is a less powerfulconductor of caloric than solid bri cks . H ence th ecomm on saying that hollow walls are warmer thansolid walls is strictly true

,th ough not expressed

with scientific accuracy.

For all common- siz ed pits,nine and fourteen-inch

brick walls are sufficiently thick and strong . Four

and-a -half-inch walls should never be used, for uhless fortified by a free use of fourteen-inch pillars at

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224 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

that cover the distance between the two rows ofpillars at back and front

,and thus sufficient solidity

and:strength,isobtained to uphold the soil rand

plants rn the upper port ion .

In pitsused for the storage of plants in pots,or

for th e culture of Strawberries or Kidn ey B eans,

stages are often introduced to keep the plants near toth e glass and at an equal distance from it throughall their stages

,as shown in Fig . 1 6. Any heat re

quired is thus also enabled to circulate freely aroundthe plants, while the risk of over-heating from fermenting material is reduced to a minimum . Stagesare also Often introduced into what are termed coldpits

,for the safe wintering Of Carnations

,P icotees ,

Auriculas,or other choice florists’ flowers .

D iff e re nt Sortsa nd Siz esof P its— P its,as

already hinted, are mostly divided into cold, temperate, hot, or dung-pits

,according to their tempe

rature or uses . They are also characterised by themethod Of culture pursued

,and the character and

names of the plants grown in them . Hence,such

names as store, forcing, propagating, Pine , Melon,Cucumber, and other pits, so distracting to amateurs ,are rath er indicative of the different uses to 'whichthe same pit may be put than of any structural peculia ritiesof the pits themselves . The same pits

,

with a few modifications as.

to less or more of heat,

would probably answer equally well for any or all ofthese purposes . The tendency of the present day isto trust less to structure and more to skill for successin all departments of horticulture . The store-pit

,

however, aswe have already seen, is at once thesimplest and the most generally useful ; Any kindof structure that will exclude frost

,will suflice to

store many plants in through the winter or spring,

that would probably perish without such protection .

It is mostly,however

,built on the surface

,with

four or nine-inch bri ckwork,and covered with glass

lights,that may or may not need covering in very

severe weather,according to the nature of th e plants

stored in it .

Such pits are seldom or never empty, summer orwinter . In fact, in not a few gardens th ey aremore crowded in summer than in winter . G enerally placed in a protected position, with a northernaspect

,they afford shelter as well as shade to many

plants in summ er that cannot endure the mid-daysun’s broad glare . Having flat rather than steeproofs , th e latter has little power over store-pits .This is

.

of equal importance in winter as insummer.Most of our glass roofs are so formed as to gather upand utilise to the utmost every feeble ray of sunlightin winter. N ot so the store-pit . The more lightand the less heat such pits admit the better . Theplantsare stored awasr in them not to grow,

but

to rest insta tu qua . The one thing to be g uarded. against is growth. In order to avoid that, a cooltemperature, a northern or north-eastern aspect,and a 1 OW pitch of roof are provided. The combined influence of th ese non-exciting conditionsis that the plants remain asthey were

,and the

triumph of successful storing is to bring the plantsout of store as they went in several weeks or monthspreviously .

Asthe angle of the roof of pits is of much imp ortance to their character or uses

,it may prove useful

to give some further particulars concerning it here .It is practically determined by the siz e of the pitand the disparity of height between its front andback walls . To prevent drip , one of the most constant and trying of all nuisances in pit- culture

,the

roofs of pits are often pitched at steeper angles thanthey otherwise would be. Fluted sash -bars are alsoused in the case of P ine-pits, to receive and carrythe condensed moisture right out at the front orlowest part of the pit or house . Taking six feetwide as one of the more useful siz es for store-pits,and an angle of twelve or fif teen degrees as suflicientto freely shed the rain off th em

,to insure these

angles the back wall must exceed the front in heightby fifteen inches and eighteen inches . For everyfoot added to the width of the house , an additionalthree inches must be added to the back wall over thefront to keep the roof at th e same flat angle . Asthe angle increases

,and the roof becomes mOre steep,

the disparity of h eight between the front and backwalls rapidly mounts up, so that at an . angle oftwenty-six and a half degrees the difference inheight of the back wall over the front in a pit sixfeet wide would be thr ee feet . The latter wouldprove injurious for a mere store-pit, but would bebarelysuflicient for a forcing-pit.

F orcing -p its. — These,as th eir name implies ,

are,in their more vital properties and uses, com

pletecounterparts of store -pits , In the latter, the

plants find safety and securi ty in standing still inthe former

,the faster they may be made to move

the better. For many plants the safest, as well as

most potent moving force,is light . This has not

seldom been lost sight of, and without doubt manybulbs and other plants, such as V alley Lilies , andsome sh rubs , such as Lilacs, may be forced intobloom by heat only or chiefly. But in

'

all suchcases the mere bloom

,and not the strength a nd

futur e welfare of the plant, is what is chiefly desired.

Where, however, both must be insured, as in theforcing of fruits R oses , Az aleas , R hododendrons.and other valuable plants , then light becomes ofequal or more’ importance th an heat ; and it is awell-known fact

,abundantly proved by the widest

G LASS STRUCTUR ES AN D APPLIAN CES.

experience, that th e steeper the angle of the roof themore light passes through it . Hence angles rangingfrom thirty to forty-five degrees are mostly chosenfor early V ineries, P each-houses, and other forcinghouses . Aspits frequently require additional covering over the glass, and these become very difficult toapply or keep on very steep roofs, forcing-pits witha slope ranging from twenty-five to thirty-five degrees are Often used, and are found .to answer well.Angle and aspect are of small moment in theforcing of bulbs and such plants as those already indica ted. Heat and moisture develop the flowers ofsuch even in the dark

,and any excess of light seems

to lower rather th an foster such growths . But thecase is widely differentwith what may be calledthe forcing of superi orplants

,and hence good

preparation must be madefor theapplication of

'

arti

ficial heat when needed,

and for th e full utilisationof the light and warmthof the sun ,

by the use ofclear glass at a sharpangle , and the placing ofit full south . More light

,

and also a larger amountof sun-heat

,may Often be

secured in forcing-pits byaltering their form fromthat of lean-to

,to hip

, _

quarter, or full- span pits .Lean-to pits are without doubt th e warmest . The back wall

,

proves ag ood absorber and a fin e retainer of heat, and beingplaced where it cannot escape being heated

,it re

turnsits heat freely into the atmosphere when itis most needed. The hip- span pit has a small portion of the roof formed into a span at the top .

The quarter-span has a quarter as much roof a t

back as at front, whereas in the regular span thetwo sides are alike . Any Of these forms admit morelight to the pit t han the common lean-to pit

,which

is perhaps , on the whole, the warmest and the bestfor forcing .

'

Th e P rop a g a ting -p it .— This may

,as a rule

,

be lower and have a flatter roof than the forcingpit . Free light is wanted

,undoubtedly

,but almost

the lesssun-heat the better . Among the first conditionsof successful propagation (as will be morefully shown in special articles) is that the heatsha ll be regular and under complete control ; forfew things are more disastrous to the

.

safe a nd

speedy rooting of cuttings than heat by fitsand3 9

Fig . 1 7 .— SPAN -R OOFE D P R OPAGATI N G -P IT .

a, Central path ; I) , plunging-bed, over 0, h ot-a ir ch amber .

225

starts . Valuable beyond everything assolar heat isto horticulture, it is somewhat erratic and wilful inour climate. N ow it bursts forth with a fiercenesssufficient to wither up all parts of plants into acrippled condition, such as are cuttings at the best ;and, again, it is withdrawn for hours , days , weeks ,it may be months . Hence the roof of the propagating-pit had better be so flat as to be little influenced by the sunshine . A northern or easternaspect is also quite as good or better for it than asouthern ,

One . The light of the sun should be welcomed " its heat cannot be trusted to root difiicultcuttings with safety. Such a pit as that shown inFig . 1 7 is admirably adapted for propagation

.

P ine-pits , on the contrary, should be so constructed as to receive allthe sun light possible toour climate in winter .Thi s plant of the light

,

heat,and moisture-loving

tropics can ill endure thefog and darkness of our

wintry skies. Hence thebest glass

,a considerable

pitch, and a southernaspectshould be chosenfor P ine-pits . The P ineplant also grows tall

,

some of them, such asthe P rovidence, runningup to four or five feet, -andgood Q ueens to a yard ormore . H ence P ine-pits

should be deep and roomy . Some Of the older oneswere nine or ten feet wide, and seven feet to ten indepth . Those were the days when hot dung, tan , andleaves in

,bulk were trusted to as the great sources of

bottom and top heat . Considerable masses Of thesewere needed to maintain temperatures of55° to 75°in pits

,with the external air at z ero . P ine-pits are

less relied upon and important than they were.Some new fruit their P ine-plants in pits, and pitsand houses alike are now generally warmed by

hot water . Still, there are yet good P ine-growerswho do grow a considerable proportion of theirsuccession plants in pits and in fermenting materials. Hence one ormore P ine-pits exist in mostgardens where P ines are grown , and some

,

of thefinest P ine-apples that have yet been produced inthis country h ave been grownin common dung-pits .R oots and top alike enjoy the genial warmth andthe nourishing forces evolved from decomposingmaterials such as horse-dung

,Oak-leaves , spent tan .

These prove food as well as heat to them . Theymay be said to be medicine as well

,for it isseldom

226

that either mealy bug or scale thriveS '

on P ines on adung-bed.

M elon and Cu cumb er P its— These havebeen made of every possible form and siz e:Con

structorsat one time almost ran wild over Melonpits . Machinery was even erected to lift up thegrowing beds by block and tackle

,as the materials

of which they were composed lost bulk through theirdecomposition . N o amount of mechanical ingenuitywas Spared to arrest the sinking away of the plantsfrom the light . M ost of the old pits were far toodeep to . start with . Asa cr0p of Melons may easilybe finished within four or five months from the timeof sowing

,and as

,moreover

,they can only be grown

to any good purpose in the early spring, summer, andautumnal months , it follows that Melon-pits need

Fig . 1 8 .—M ELON OR P IN E P IT.

Heated by dung linings. a,b, pit ; c, c, linings.

not be nearly so deep as those for the culture ofP ines . A depth of from four to five feet is amplefor Melons where decomposing materials are

'

whollydepended upon for the supply of artificial heat . Incases where hot water is used

,less depth is needed.

But for the culture of Melons, as well as Cucumbers— and the pits for the one will answer equally aswell for the other — the mixed plan of heating— thatis

,hot water and hot dung or leaves— is the best .Though the question of heating pits, and alsoother structures , is reserved for separate treatment,it is almost impossible to make our description ofMelon and Cucumber pits intelli gible without re

ference to linings , which provide the means of warming ,

such structur es . Melon and Cucumber pits aremostly built of nine- inch brickwork, solid or pigeonholed

,or fourteen o inch h ollow

‘walls. It is essentialth at the walls should be strong, and that the pitsshould be so constructed as to enable heat to bethr own in from th e outside to the inside of the pitwith ease and despatch .

Linings are constructed for this express purpose .These consist of spaces

,two

,mo and a half , or even

three feet wide , running all round the pit at times_ always ' along the front and back where not all

CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Fig . 1 9 .-FLAT-R OOFE D P rr, Luann.

Showing h ollowwalls, and lining swider at top th an bottom.

round . They reach to the base of the pit and up tothe ground- level

,often beyond it . The linings are

also not seldom six in ches or even a foot narrowerat bottom . The off - side of the lining is finishedwith four-and-half or nine-inch brickwork

,accord

ing asthe soil is difficult or easy to keep out of thelin ing . Our illustrations of Melon-pits with liningswill assist in the understanding of the ' text . Itis obvious at a glance that this blank space mayreadily be filled in with litter or with hot manure

,

and in either case it would afford a lining to itsouter walls so far as it surrounded them

,cold

proof in the one case,and an active source of heat

where manure, leaves , or dung were '

used. Theparts of the pit thus surrounded could ha rdly at

any time of the year fall below 45° or But

by the use of hot manure a temperature from 60°to

1 00°might be got up and sustained around the pit.Thi s being so— and no one conversant with the

heating power of manure in a state of decompositionwill question the fact— the next structural point ofimportance in regard to our Cucumber and Melonpits is how to get this external heat inside the pits ,and a second question of almost equal moment ishow to regulate its amount so as to turn it to thehighest ' practical account. Heat can be forcedthrough a brick wall, but considerable waste is involved in the process . H ence the origin of what arecalled pigeon-holed walls, double walls, arched, pillared

,and oth er pits . N early all these aimed, more

or less successfully, at the solution of the compoundproblem already stated

,viz .

, the warming of Melonand other pits by decomposing materials, and theforcing of the heat into regularity and semi-permanency.

The dung linings were, in fact , almost the onlyheating furnaces known to

'

our fathers . Theircovering

'

shutters were the furnace-doors“

bywhichthey checked waste

,and by cutting off the draught

regulated the production . The stable-yard, or heapof Oak-leaves or tan, _was their never-failing coalheap ; the vapour and heat of these materials, andpeculiar structure of their pits, their hot-water pipes,tanks

,&c. They had only these , and their achieve

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228

The simple method described of giving air will enablethis to be done without admitting the rain, a pointof vital importance to success .Of course

,in what are called really cold pits the

lights may be wholly removed, unless in cold or wetweath er.

Sp e cia l Cu lture of P lan tsin P its— Asthey are pla ced or grown in these either for convenience

,or because these are the best places for

th em,it may be added that the culture recommended

for each family in thi s work will suit them in pitsas well as in houses or out of doors . The chiefpoints to guard against in pits are excess of moistur e

,either in the soil or atmosphere

,and sudden

and severe changes of temperature. The smaller thearea enclosed with glass

,the greater the danger of

sudden alterations or extremes of either heat or cold.

However,not a few of the greatest victories won by

cultivators have been achi eved thr ough the aid ofpits and frames and notwithstanding the run uponhot -houses and green-houses in lieu of these moresimple and primitive structures, pits will ever holda permanent place in the past history and futuretriumphs of horticulture .

OR CHIDS.

B Y W ILLIAM HUG H G OWE R .

C a lanth e .— A genus of terrestrial plants con

taining some very handsome and showy species ; thename comes fr om lad ies

,

“beautiful,

” and a nt/ws,a

flower —

'

hence we have “ beautiful flower. ” Theleaves are for the most part broad

,plaited

,and dark

green ; th e lip is spurred and united to the columnits entire length the pollen masses are eight

,waxy

,

and adhering in fours .Calanthes may be divided into two sections— viz . ,

evergreen and deciduous. The. first-named do notrequir e a resting season— that ; is to say

,although

less water will be given during winter, they mustnever be allowed to get dry— whilst the

'

deciduouskinds must have a long rest after the floweringseason is past.These plants requir e to be grown in pots, and theevergreen kinds should be potted in the ordinaryway

,and not elevated above the rim

,using for soil

about equal parts of loam,leaf-mould

,peat

,and

dried cow-manure,adding a little sharp “sand ; th e

pots must be thoroughlydrained, and during theg rowing season supplied freely with water . Th e

deciduous section must be treated in the mann erpreviously described for potting Orchids , and duringthe time of growth will be much benefited by the

CASSELL’S P OPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

application of a little liquid manure once or twice . a

week ; until the pseudo-bulbs are mature we prefergiving the temperatur e of the East Indian H ouse ,but afterwards they should be removed to a coolersituation .

SECTION I .— EVER G R EEN S.

0. D ominimm — Thi s is th e result of across between0. maszwa and C. vem tréfolia , and is-both handsomeand free-blooming. It is rather singular thatMessrsR ollissons

,of Tooting

,obtained a plant exactly th e

same as did Mr . D ominy atMessrs . V eitch’s, by using

the same parents,and thus we find this variety in

some collections under thename of 0. Myla am’

ana,

but they are identical . The leaves are broad and

plaited,dark green ; sepals and petals soft lila c,

with_

a deep purple lip . Spring and early summer.G arden hybrid.

0. Mamas— Of this Species there are several forms,

the best being called grandiflom . The leaves arelarge and bold, much plaited, and dark green ; theflowers are produced on a tall

,erect stem

,and are

very numerous sepals and petals deep violet,whilst

the curious lip is deep violet -purple . It bloomsnearly the whole summer . N orthern India .

0. vera tmf olia is a bold and strong-growing plant,with large

,plaited

,dark green leaves , and an erect

many-floweredraceme, whi ch lasts long in full beautyif the flowers

,whi ch are pure white throughout

,are

not shaken together ; if this occurs they will speedilyturn black, as the blooms are very delicate and easilybruised . June

,July

,and August . N orthernIndia .

SECTI ON II .-D ECI D U0US.

C. p orp hg/rea , rich purple and yellow. G a rdenhybrid .

0. R egsierz’

,white

,wi th rosy-pink eye. Cochin

China .

0. vestita .— The pseudo-bulbs ovate-obtuse

,and of

a peculiar glaucous hue,bearing two or three broadly

lanceolate leaves,whi ch are membranous

,plaited

,

and pale green . The flower-spike issues from thesideof the pseudo-bulb near the base and the racemeis somewhat pendulous . Thi s species and its varieties should be shaken quite out of the old‘ soil everyseason

,and repotted during March and April ; and

when the flowering season is over they may be laidon one side in a cool place to rest . These plants losemost of their leaves by the time they flower

,which

mars their effectiveness to a great‘

extent to obviatethis, seedling Ferns should be pricked in betweenthe pseudo-bulbs, which will be a great relief to the

'

bare stems .The blooms of these var i eties are exceedingly

useful for all purposes from N ovember to March.

The following are the best varieties

OR CHID S. 229

0. vestita eup rea .— Creamy-white, with bronz e eye .

0. eestita gigantea .— Creamy-white, with fiery-red

eye .0. vestita lutea . Creamy-white, with lemon

coloured eye .0. vestimMed ia — P ure white throughout.Gi vestim rubm .

—Creamy-white, with deep crimson eye .0. vestimTurnerii. — Creamy-white

,with pink eye .

0. Veitchii. _ This is the result of a cross between L ima z’odesroses. and ‘

Ca lcmtlze eestz’ ta,and is a

truly beautiful plant . The pseudo-bulbs are flask?shaped

,with a very long neck

, and'

bear large membranousleaves the spike attains

,

the height of one tothree feet, bearing a profusion of its lovely rich rosecoloured flowers . It blooms all thr ough the wintermonths . G arden hybrid .

O. Williamsi, white and rosy-pink ,lip deep rosy

crimson,with dark‘er eye . Cochin China .

C a tase tum .—An extensive family, producing

extremely nuriousflowers,but on account of the

colours being of a somewhat sombre hue , they arenot very popular with the present race of Orchidgrowers ; some fewkindsnevertheless are sufficientlyshowy to deserve a place in the 'most recherche collections .The plants included in this genus were formerlydivided into three genera— viz .

,Ca tasetum

,Myantfius,

and Mona cantkus, but as upon several occasions thethree forms have been produced upon one Spike , thetwo last-named have not been I eta ined ; the formsof the various sections

,however

,vary rather con

siderably.

Asa genusCa tasetum is distinguished by its thickfleshy pseudo-bulbs

,which bear large membranous

plaited leaves ; the'

flowers are produced in longracemes , which are sometimes erect , but ,

more frequently drooping ; these racemes spring from thebase of the pseudmbulbs, which are deciduous .The flowers of the true Ca tasetmn are thick . and

fleshy in texture,the sepals and petals often become

hooded, whilst the lip is continuous with the column,and often cucullate ; the column is pointed at theapex, and bears near the middle a pair of cirrhi ; inMona eanflzusthe column is destitute of these cirrhi ;in Myantkusthe cirrhi are produced at the base ofthe column , and the lip is oftentimes flat and lobed.

In each section the pollen masses are thrown forwardwith great force to a considerable distance

,and being

glutinous they adhere very firmly to any obj ect onwhich they alight . Sir R . Schomburgh ,

who firstdiscovered the three forms upon one spike

,was of

Opinion that Myanthuswas the male flower,and

Ca tasetum the female , as the latter only producedany seeds, and he has been borne out in this sup

C a tt leya .— N amed in honour of Mr . W illiam

Cattley, the happy possessor of the first species thatflowered in this country

,who had a fine collection

of these plants in his garden a t Barnet ; and it

position by the observations and experiments of thelate Mr . D arwin .

Catasetums a l e natur ally terrestrial plants,and

should be potted in rough fibrous peat ; during thegrowing season they enjoy a liberal supply of water

,

but require a thorough period of rest.0. a tm tum.

— P seudo-bulbs three to five ' incheshigh, leaves somewhat lanceolate , narrowest at base,membranous and dark gr een ,

the scape rises fromthe base of the young pseudo-bulbs, and the flowersopen about the time that the growth has attainedmaturity ; flowers large and numerous , dark green,profusely blotched with purplish-brown ; lip beautifully fringed, and spotted with brown at th e base,passing into yellowish green . May and June .Braz il .0. B zmgerothi.— This isquite a new discovery, and

the grandest of all the known species ; the flowersare borne upon nodding racemes, and are very large,pure ivory-white, with an orange-coloured cavity inthe lip . E cuador.0. eemuumi— Similar in many respects to 0. a tm

tum but its flowers are larger and brighter ; sepalsand petals bright dark green

,profusely spotted with

purple ; lip yellowish-green, bearing numerousspotsof - red and black ' the apex orange . Spring andearly summer. Braz il .0. fimbria twn.

- In this species the sepals andpetals are reddish pink

,and slightly spotted with

red ; lip broadly heart-shaped, creamy-white, andbeautifully fringed at the edge . Summer months.Braz il .0. incumum.

— This is not only one of the largest,

but one of the most extraordinary forms in the genus .In describing this plant

,the late D r . Lindley says

The flowers are dull green,streaked and stained

with purple ; the great blossoms resemble nothingso much as some portentous Arachnid, seiz ing uponthe shaggy ear of an unh appy animal,and turningit inside out in the struggle to grasp it, till a pairof horns with which the Arachn id seems furnish edcould be plunged into the ear , in order to hold itfast .” Jun e and July . G uatemala.

0. longif olz’

um.— Asits name implies, this species

produces very long and linearstrap-shaped leaves ;the flowers are handsome, the colour of the sepalsand petals being deep crimson ; the lip somewhatdarker

,tinged with violet at tip, and pro

'fuselydotted with yellow . Summer months . It is foundgrowing upon river-banks and low grounds in D emerara.

23 0 CASSELLTS POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

isvery remarkable that the first Species(0. labiam)still ranks as

_one of the fin est and rarest of the

genus,notwithstanding the imm ense quantities of

this family which have been imported since thattime Asa genus Ca ttleya is distinguishedby its sepals and petals being fleshy

,the former

equal and spreading, the latter often the larger ;labellum thr ee-lobed, sessile, cucullate, covering thehalf-round column ; pollen masses , four . Cattleyasall produce pseudo-bulbs ; in some instaricestheseare short and stout

,bearing a single leaf

,but in

others the pseudo-bulbs are slender and stem-like,

bearing two or more leaves .The plants comprising this genus are peculiar totheW esternHemisphere, where they are found occu

pying the forks and branches of the forest trees ,and also upon the face of rocks

,from the Organ

Mountains in B raz il,right up through Central

America, to the heart of Mexico . Having such awide range, it is not to be wondered at that we findsuch an infinite variation in their colours and timesof blooming. In the earlier days of our knowledgeof the genus we had no Cattleya -bloom after Zabia tawas over in the autumn, until the two-leaved section

,

such as intermedia , opened in the spring ; but nowthere is no interval— Cattleya -blooms may be hadevery day in the year .

Cattleyas produce the largest and most gorgeousflowers of the whole order

, and, large as the genus isnatur ally

,the cultivators at home have considerably

in creased it by cross-breeding, and have by thismeans given ussome of the grandest flowers in thefamily.

These plants have always found favour withOrchidologists on account of their extreme beautyand the comparative ease with whi ch they aremanaged ; and, although not essentially cool-houseplants, they nevertheless thr ive in a quite enj oyableatmosphere . There is

,however

,one exception to

the rule ; it is the remarkable 0. citrina,which

thrives admirably in the coolest house . It must,

however, be placed on a block of wood and hunghead downwards , for although it grows freely ifallowed to crawl down

,nothing will induce it to

grow when placed upright this plant is a native ofMexico, where it enj oys the euphonious name ofCorticoatez oate coxoch itl.

The maj ority of Cattleyas thrive best when grownin pots , although some of the smaller,

kinds must beplaced upon blocks and suspended from the roof.The pots to receive them must .be well drained , andth e soil should be good peat-fibre , some choppedliving Sphagnum, and a little sharp sand. The soilshould be elevated above the rim of the pot

,and the

plants should sit upon it,in order that the water

may_

run quickly away from the eyes . D uring the

growing season Cattleyase'

njoy a fair supply ofwater to their roots ; the soil must not be kept ina state of saturation

,or the roots will be

'

destroyed,

but the atmosphere should be kept well,cha rged

with moisture . W e do not approve of syr inging forCattleyas in pots , because the large leafy sheathswhich envelop the young growths hold

_

the waterand cause the immatur e growth to decay ; butwhen these plants are grown upon blocks they maybe syringed

,for then the water runs off as it does

in a state of nature . In fact,those plants whi ch

are upon blocks may be syringed with advantage,

and, in addition, must be taken down and dippedin tepid water two or three times a week . Aftergrowth is complete, water must be graduallywithheld

,both from their roots and in the atmosphere

,

but they must not be subj ected to such a drying asto cause the pseudo-bulbs to shrivel

,or the plants in

all probability will be seriously injured. N aturallythese plants do not grow fully exposed to the raysof the sun ,

but in some instances,when found upon

th e face of a rock, they have full exposure, and insuch pla ces the growth is a lways short and stunted,but they produce flowers in abundance

,which fully

proves the beneficial results deri ved from a thoroughrest .Cattleyas are subj ect to attacks of white scale

,

from which they must be kept free by washing witha sponge and clean water.

'

B eetles will also eattheir roots unless these pests are kept out of thehouses as we have previously recommended.

0. Ac mdz’

aa — A dwarf plant,seldom exceeding

six to eight inches in height ; pseudo-bulbs, slender

,stem-like

,and furrowed ; leaves in pairs , ovate,

thick and leathery in texture,and dark green ;

scape terminal,erect

,usually two-flowered ; sepals

and petals about equal,broadly-lanceolate , chocolate

brown,suffused with a purplish tinge, and trans

versely banded with greenish-yellow ; lip large andspreading, pandur

‘

iform,lateral ; lobes small, leaving

the column exposed ; it vari es in colour, rich rose todeep purple

,and sometimes pale purple

,with deeper

coloured veins ; the disc ornamented with yellow.

Spring and summer months . Braz il .0. ametlzystog lossa .

— Th is is a superb plant ; itattains a height of from two to three feet pseudobulbs stem-like

,thickening upwards , furrowed, and

bearing on th e summit a pair of spreading leaves ,which are lin ear-oblong

,thick and leathery in tex

ture,and deep green ; scape stout , erect, springing

from between a sheath in th e apex of th e '

pseudobulb ; bearing numerous handsome flowers , whichare about five inches in diameter ; sepals and petalswhite

,suffu sed with rosy-lilac

,and very beautifully

spotted with purple ; lip broad, of a uniform richdeep violet-purple or amethyst . It blooms during

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CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

this resembles the type . The flowers are of auniform pur e white, the throat of the lip being conspicuously stained with orange . September andOctober . R io N egro .

0.

v

exoniensis. — This is another of the D ominyhybrids

,and assuredly no more beautiful flower in

its way can be raised . It is the result of a crossbetween Ca ttleya Mossiw and Le lia purp um ta .

W ith two such grand parents it was impossible tohave an inferior offspring. The pseudo-bulbs areclavate

,and bear a single oblong-obtuse coriaceous

leaf,the peduncle issues from a rather acute sheath,

’

and bears four to fivelarge flowers

,fullysix

inches or more in diameter ; petals morethan double the siz e ofthe sepals

,all .of soft

rosy-lilac,the former

beautift waved andfrilled ; lip very largeand spreading, cordate,waved and crisp roundthe edge, rich pur

plish -crimson infront,

then a band of white,and the throat goldenyellow,

whilst the edgeis narrowly marginedwith white . Augustand September . G ar

den hybrid.

0. gig as. Of'

thi sgrand species thereare many forms . Thepseudo-bulbs are stoutand clavate, bearing asingle oblong obtuseleaf

,whi ch is very thick in texture

,slightly

i

bi-lobedat the apex

,and deep green ; the peduncle issues

from a long acute spathe,bearing three to six

flowers some seven inches in diameter sepals lanceolate petals ovate

,more than twice as broad

as the sepals, and soft pale rose colour ; lip

deeply bi lobed in front,very large and broad

,

deep rich purplish ~crimson ,then a band of white

,

the throat ' golden-yellow,with numerous pur

plish lin es on the disc . April and May. N ew

G renada.(J. gigasSandericma .

— A free-flowering and superbform

,equal to the type in siz e, with a rich deep

purplish-magenta lip . July andAugust. Colombia .

0. gutta ta , var. Leop oldii.— A bold-growing plantbelonging to the twolleaved section, having terete,furrowed, stem-like, pseudo-bulbs, wh ich attain aheight of one to two feet ; the peduncle issues from

CATTLEYA Mossrm.

a small acute sheath, and ' bears usually from sixto twelve flowers, but in fin e examples double tha tnumber have been produced ; sepals and petals aboutequal

,brown ,

with a greenish '

tinge , and profuselyspotted with crimson ; lip spathulate, reddi sh-purple.Summer months . Island of St. Catherine

,B raz il.

0. intermedia — This isa charming old species,

but too often slighted sin ce the larger-floweredkindshave been introduced, yet . still well deserving a

place in the best collections . The pseudo-bulbs areslender

,and attain a height of about one foot

,bear

ing two and sometimes three coriaceous dark greenleaved ; peduncle four.tosix-flowered; sepalsandpetals about equal

,

white,or soft delica te

rose ; lip broad, frilledin front

,rich pur

ple . May and June . ~

B raz il .0. [cabin et — This isthe species upon whichthe genus was establish ed

,and which still

remains rare in colleetions . The pseudobulbs are stout

, and

somewhat club-shaped,

furrowed,and bear a

solitary,broad-oblong

,

coriaceous leaf,which

isdeep green above,and slightly tingedwith flesh -colour be

neath ; pedun cle stout,bearing from thr ee tofour flowers , whichare oftentimes seven

inches in diameter ; sepals linear-lanceolate acute, richrosy-lilac ; petals same colour, but double the breadthof the sepals ; lip obovate, emarginate, beautifullycrisp, deep ruby -red or crimson . October and N o

Vember . Braz il .0. la bia ta

,var. p a llida — sometimes known by the

name of the summer-flowering la bia ta — is a plantwhich resembles the preceding, but both foliage andflower are lighter in colour

,sepals and petals pale

pink ; the lip is crimson, with a beautiful , crisp ,white edge . ' July and August . Brazil.

0. JP[a rdeZli. -A fine garden hybrid,raised from

0. sjpeciosissima and 0. D evoniensis. In growth itmuch resembles 0.sup erba . Sepals and petals brightmagenta ; lip three-lobed, the side lobes spreading,soft magenta

,pale towards the middle

,middle lobe

rich deep magenta in front,broadly streaked with

yellow in the centre . June and July.

OR CHID S.

0. maxima .— The pseudo-bulbs of this plant are

somewhat stem- like,slender at the base

,but thicken

ing upwards,furrowed

,a foot or more high, and

bearing a thi ck and fleshy oblong leaf,which is

about eight inches long and pale green ; pedunclefive to tenflowered ; sep a l s l i n e a rlancolate ; pe

tals obovate,waved at themargin s, all auniform richd e e p r o s ecolour ; the lipla r g e

,c on

volute, middlelobe spreading

,beauti

portion beingprofusely decora ted ‘withforked lines ofdark crimson ;th e f r i l l e dma r g in

'

i swhite . Latesummer anda u t u m 1 1

months . Co

lumbia.C. .Mendellii.

— D uring thep a s t y e a rs~vast numbersof Cattleyashave been sent

'

CATTLEYA

h om e fr omN ew G renada under th e names’ of Trianw

,Chocoensis

,

Mendellii, &c. &c. ; but we are under the impression

that these are only variations of one species,and

that the typical plant isC’. Wa rscewicz ii. Thesevariations in colour

,\however, are so great that

from a cultural point of view distinctive namesare requisite . In the variety Mendellii there arenumerous grand forms ; it is a bold-growing plant,with a stout clavate pseudo -bulb

,and broad

23 3

oblong, coriaceous leaf ; the peduncle is thr ee toseven-flowered, each flower measuring six or seveninches in diameter ; sepals and petals broad andspreading, varying from pure white to pink, rosypink, and deep rose ; lip large, the middle lobe

Spreading andb e au t i fu l l ycrisp

,varying

from a deeprich purple tocrimson andmagenta. It

full beauty al on g t im eSpring andsumm er. N ew

G renada .

0. Mossiw.

— In this wehave a magnificent species ;but so variable are theyin the markings of thelabellum thatit is hardlyp o s s i b l e t oo b t a i n t w oplants exactlyalike ; but allthe forms areb e a u t i f u lP seudo bulbsclava te

,fur

rowed,bear

ing a solitaryc o r i a c e o u sleaf ; pedunclethree to sixflowered

,each

flower measur ing four tosix inches indiameter ; sepals lanceo

late ; petals much broader, somewhat oblong-ovate,the marginswaved ; lip three-lobed, obovate, with abeautiful crisp margin ; the sepals and petals varyin colour from pure white to blush and to deep rose,and the lip varies also ; the ground-colour is usuallydeep rose, the front lobe being rosy-purple, crimson,or rich violet, stained with orange in the throat .The differences in colour render many of these verydistinct, and there are at least half a hundr ed forms

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

distingui shed by Special names . The flowers areproduced from May to August ; they are very fragrant and last long in full beauty . La G uayra ,C’. R eg

“

nellii. — This very elegant plant must begrown upon a block in the warmest end of theB raz ilian House ; it is similar in appearance to0. Aclcmdiw, but is more robust in growth ; it, however

,does ' not belong to the same section of the

genus as the last-named species,for in the kind

now under consideration the.

lateral lobes of thelip form a complete hood over the column . Thepseudo-bulbs are clavate

,and some four or five

inches high ; leaves short , usually in pairs , althoughsometimes three are produced from the top of thestem ; they are oblong-obtuse, coriaceous, and darkgreen ; scape erect, thr ee to five - flowered, eachflower some four inch es in diameter ; sepals andp etals nearly equal, with wavy margins ; gr oundcolour pale green

,tinged with olive

,transversely

Spotted with dull purple ; lip large , three-lobed,the side lobes white

,tinged with purple

,deep purple

within ; middle lobe large, flat, obcordate, narrow atthe base

,where it is yellow and distinctly marked

with five parallel lines ; front portion rich brightpurple

,with a whi te marginal border ; middle lobe

finely toothed. It blooms twice in the year— firstabout June or July, and again in September orOctober . Braz il.0. Skinnerii is an old inh abitant of our gardens

,

and a universal favourite . Mr . Skinner, in honourof whom it is named

,says that “ it inhabits the hot

,

damp coasts of G uatemala, and is always found onhigh trees , seldom bearing any lichens , so that themoisture from the heavy rains soon passes off ;

neither does it seek shade,but rather likes exposed

places .” This specimen is the Flor de Sa n Sebastian ofthe G uatemalese it should be grown in the warmestpalrt of the Braz ilianH ouse ; the pseudo-bulbs areclavate, twelve to eighteen inches high, and beara pair of pale green coriaceous leaves ; the pedunclebearssix to twelve flowers , which are of a uniformsoft rosy-purple, saving the base of the lip , whichis white ; quite recently we ha d a pure white formintroduced

,which has been named (J. Skiaznerii a lba

it is, however, a rarity at present . March to May.

G uatemala .

0. superba has always been found a diflicult plantto manage . It is found in the southern parts ofE ssequibo, growing on th e trees which skirt andoverh ang the rivers . It requires to be grown upon ablock, and enjoys plenty of heat and moistur e ; theEast Indian House will suit it well when growing .

The Indians call it 0p onop odoli, —the D uck’s mouth .

0.sup erba seldom exceeds a foot in height ; the stemsare Slender at the base

,thickening upwards

,furrowed

,

and bearing a pair of nearly round,coriaceous

,dark

green leaves the peduncle is erect,bearing thr ee to

six flowers,which are thick and fleshy ; sepals and

petals deep rose ; lip rich magenta, or crimson, except the base, where it is yellow,

veined with roseand white . It flowers from the young pseudc-bulbswhen about half mature . Another form has beenfound on the banks of the

’

R io N egro ; . it is calledsup erba eleg ans the parts of ,

the flower are longerand the leaves are more oblong than in the originalform ; flowers larg er, about the . same colour. Jun eand July. B ritish G uiana .

C. Trims- Under this name we have an immensevariety of grand forms

,all of which are winter

bloomers . The plants in question are bold growers ,something in the way of

,yet distinct from

,th e

'

Men

dcliii group . They have stout clavate pseudo-bulbs ,bearing an

, erect, broad, dark green leaf the pedunclebears from thr ee to six flowers

,which measure five

to six inches in diameter ; the sepals and petalsare usually very broad

,and vary from pure white

thr ough all shades to deep rose the lip varies in intensity

,the large front lobe being deep rose to deep

velvety-purple, with a more or less large and highcoloured stain of yellow or orange in the thr oat .W inter months . N ew G renada.

N o species has given rise to a greater number ofattractive vari eties than 0. Trianaz, and some of thesewere formerly considered as true Species . One ofthese

,formerly known as 0. quadricolor, was at one

time described and figured as a species , with a Suggestion that it might be a natural hybrid. Mr . Bateman

,who in describing it adopted D r . Lindley’s MS.

name,said:“The pseudo-bulbs are from six inches

to a foot long,perfectly upright, narrower and more

compressed than in any other allied species ; leavesone on each stem

,narrow

,strap-Shaped, acute, usually

about ten inches long ; peduncle issuing from alarge spathe

,and bearing one or two flowers about

four inches across , but not so much spread open asis usual in this genus ; sepals pure white, oblonglanceolate obtuse ; petals slightly spathulate, threetimes wider than the Sepals , and of the purest white ;lip undivided

,cucullate, but not much opened out~at

the apex,wh ich is somewhat cur led, and of a deep

purple ; below thi s is a band of white, then streaksof yellow

,the residue being rosy-lilac .” The variety

known as delica te,or 0. Wa rscewicz i i delica te , has

flowers six inches in diameter, pure white except thedisc of the lip

,which is fringed with rose and stained

with yellow. It resembles O. Trimzce in habit ofgrowth , and is a most superb plant. Hundreds offorms of this variety have

,however, been introduced,

too numerous to mention more in detail ; but withfew if any exceptions, all the varieties come fromN ew G renada .

0. ceiutina .

— In its growth this species resembles

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CASSELL’S POPULAR GARD ENING

ch in , and so unstable, as to be in a state of continualoscillation . The flowers are arranged in a circle

,

and all look outwards,and on whatever side the

umbel is regarded it still presents to the eye th esame row of grinning faces and wagging chins.”

Cirrhopetalums have seldom lived any length oftime after being imported, yet their requirementsare few ; they thrive best upon blocks, with a littleSphagnum Moss, or in shallow baskets well drained ;and enjoy plenty of heat, moisture , and light, butnot full exposure to the sun . D ur ing the restingseason never allow the plants tosuffer from drought,for we are fullyp e r su a d e d th a tthis has been thestumbling-block tothe cultivators ofthis genus . EastIndian H ouse .0. ch inense .

Th e rh i z on. e i screeping and rooting at every joint ;pseudo-bulbs small

,

ovate,bearing a

single,oblong-ob

tuse, dark green,leathery leaf ; scapestout

,erect

,as long

or longer than th eleaves ; bearing an

length of the dorsal ; the former directed backwardswith the dorsal sepal, and, like it, prolonged into aslender cylindrica l tail ; lip ovate-lanceolate , and,with the column

,deep purple. Summer months.

Java .

C oelogyne — A large genus of epiphytal plants,exclusively Asiatic ; some of the species are native sof the tropical islands in the Indian Archipelago,but by far the greater number are to be found inthe sub-tropical regions of N orthern India . Thename Coelogyne signifies“ hollow- stigma

,

”and this

is really its chieffeature of distinotion ; they all produce pseudo-bulbs

,

and many of themlarge and showyflowers

,and as these

in many instancesappear in the verydepth of winter andearly spring theyb e c om e d ou b l yvaluable .The maj ority ofthe species shouldbe grown in pots ,for although allwill grow uponblocks

, they do notumb e l o f l a r g e make such fine

flowers of a most specimens underpeculiar appear this latter system.

ance ; the hp and CHYSIS B RAC'I ESCEN S.

Coelogynes enj oyupper sepal are a moderate amountpurple ; the lateral sepals are very much elongated,and tawny-yellow. June and July. China .

0. Cuming iis— Thi s is a less robust plant than thepreceding ; pseudo-bulbs small, oblong ; leaves solitary , oblong, thi ck and leathery, and dark greenabove ; scape slender, much longer than the leaves,bearing an umbel of beautiful reddish-purple flowers

,

th e peculiar arrangement of whi ch must be seen tobe understood. Spring and early summer. P hilippine Islands .0. P ahudii A bold-growing species, with nar

rowly- oblong pseudo-bulbs,which spring at inter

vals from a creeping rhiz ome , and are enveloped ina large sheath the leaves are large

,broadly-lanceo

late, tapering a t the base , and bright green ; scaperadi cal, shorter than the leaves, bearing severallarge sheathing scales . Umbel of flowers six totwelve ; these are very large ; the dorsal sepal isabout four inches long

,reddish-brown

,dotted with

deep red ; petals and lateral sepals about half the

of heat during the growing season, especially towardsautumn

,in order to finish up their pseudo-bulbs,

when a cooler temperature is necessary, and when, asa matter of cour se, less water must be given them .

The soil for these plants should be fibrous peat andliving Sphagnum Moss in about equal proportions ,with the addition of a little sharp sand, whilst thedrainage “must be kept in thorough working order.These plants commence to grow immediately afterthe floWersare past, and any surfacing or re-pottingnecessary should be done at this time , in order tha tthe new pseudo-bulbs may reap the full benefit ofthe change. The mountain species from N orthernIndia will thr ive best in the Braz ilian House, but thekinds from the Indian Islands require a little moreheat

,and should therefore be placed in the East

India H ouse.0. crismta .

— Thi s isperhaps the finest and mostadmired Species in the genus

,and “ no one who

commences.the cultivation of this order of plants

l

OR CHID S. 3 7

CcELOG YN E CR I STATA.

should, _be without it. It isan evergreen, dwarf in

habit,and remarkablyfree in

'

flowering pseudo -bulbs‘somewha t oblong, smooth and light

,_ shining green,

bearing on th e summit a pair of rather narrowspreading

,dark green

,leathery leaves the raceme is

D roduced fromthe base of the newly-formed pseudo

bulb , drooping, and bearing five to eight flowersmeasuring from three to four. inches in ' diameters' epals' and petals pure snow-white ; lip also white ,but stained in the middle with ri ch yellow, and

ornamented on the discwith several fringed lines“of golden-yellow. These flowers are admirably

23 8 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

adapted for shoulder-sprays or bouquets, and willlast for a very long time after their removal fromthe .plant. It blooms from D ecember to February .

It is found in the mountains of N epaul and Sikkim,

&c. , at an elevation of from to feet.

0. cristam a lba .— A rare variety

,in which the

flowers are of a uniform pure. white without Spot orblemish of any colour.

_

N epaul.

0. crismm, var. citrina .

— A variety highly appre

cia ted by many ; when flowering it is very distinct,

as the lip is marked with a blotch of soft lemoncolour instead of yellow,

and as it is invariably laterin opening its flowers

,it extends the time for the

enjoyment of these charming blooms .0. corrug a ta

— Asthe specific name implies, thepseudo-bulbs are much wrinkled ; they are applegreen in colour, ovate, _bearing on the summit a pairof oblong

,somewhat acuminate leaves

,which are

erect and dark green the racemes are erect,slightly

shorter than the leaves,and bear from thr ee to

six flowers these are pure white,except the disc of

the lip,which is yellow

,vein ed with orange .

Autumn months, lasting long in full beauty . N eilgh erries.0.fla ccida .

— P seudo-bulbs oblong,two -leaved ; the

racemes pendulous,many-flowered ; sepals and petals

white ;‘

lip white,stained with yellow, and streaked

with crimson . The odour of thi s plant is peculiar,and not appreciated by some ; independent of this,however

,it is a very fine-flowering and showy

species . W inter and spring months . N epaul, &c.

(7. f uscescens.— A remarkably handsome Species ;p seudo-bulbs three to four inches high, somewhatstem-like

,bearing a pair

,of broadly-oblong, plicate

leaves, which are some nine inches long, dark greenabove

,paler below ; raceme nodding, about the same

length as the leaves, bearing three to six or eightlarge flowers ; sepals and petals narrow,

white,

tinged With yellowish-brown ; lip yellowish, whitein front

,stained with rich brown at the base .

W inter months:Moulmein.

0. G owerii. — An elega nt small-growing specieswhich succeeds best upon a block of wood. P seudobulbs ovate

,shining deep green

,bearing a pair of

narrowly-lanceolate leaves some six inches longracemes pendulous ; sepals and

,

petals pure snowwh ite ; lip white, stained on the disc with a palelemon-coloured blotch . This rare Species bloomsduring winter and spring . Assam .

C. Lawit.— A .wa rm- country plant , also known by

the name of 0. asp era ta ; its pseudo-bulbs are some!what fla t

,and

,like

_its leaves , are dull green, andattain a height of about two feet ; racemes pendulous,about a foot long,

’ many—flowered ; flowersnearlythree inch esa cross; sepals and petals creamy-whitelip creamy-white

,crested in the centre with

;

orange,

THE KITCHEN G AR DEN.

BY W ILLIAM EAR LEY .

MON THLY CALEN D AR OF WOR K TO BE D ON E .

LL real success connected with the work of th e"

garden depends almost in an equal degreeupon

'

two considerations,i.e.

,doing th ings well and.

at the proper season . It isfor the latter reasonthat . calendars of work to

.

be done are so va lued

and streaked with yellow and chocolate . It bloomsduring the summ er months . Borneo.

0. odom tissinm .— This is a small-growing and

beautifully fragrant species . It is dwarf in habit,

with small clustered pseudo-bulbs,bearing a pair

'

of

erect narrowly-lanceolate leaves . R a cemes slenderand pendulous ; flowers pure white ; the lip Slightlystain ed with pale yellow. It

.blooms during thespring months . N eilgh erry Hills

,at considerable

elevations .0. p andum ta .

— P seudo-bulbs large,broadly-ovate

,

compressed,shining green ; leaves in pairs, broadly

lanceolate,about eighteen inches long

,plaited and

bright green ; racemes pendulous , about as long asthe leaves

,many-flowered

,each flower about thr ee

inches in diameter ; sepals and petals flat andspreading

,bright apple-green in colour ; lip same

colour with a broad blotch of black in front,and th e

raised lines on the disc fringed with black. G reenflowers are not usually attractive, but in this casethey are so conspicuous and attractive that no collection of Orchids should lack this species . June andJuly. B orneo

,where it is said to grow on trees in

very shady places,and usually on those overhanging

water.0. P a rishw.

—Another green-flowered species ; thepseudo-bulbs are somewhat stem- like ; the flowersresemble the last species, but are smaller. It is desirable on account of its colour and its associations.The R ev . Mr . P arish has been a most indefatigablecollector and discoverer of new Orchids , and amongstall the grand species he has sent home

,surely some

finer kinds could have been found to commemoratehis keen industry and love of these beautiful plantsthan the few which have been dedicated to him .

0. sp eciosa .— In this plant the colours are strikingly

different from the Species previously enumerated ;pseudo-bulbs oblong

,bearing a single broadly-oblong

lanceolate leaf ; flowers in pairs, each flower upwardsof three inches

.

across ; sepals and petals olive-greentinged with brown ; lip yellow,

veined and fringedwith dark red

,and tipped with white in front. Its

usual time of flowering is in summer, but it is almostan al

l-th e-year-round flowerer . Java.

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CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

not permit it to thaw and so destroy the heat withinby arr

'

excessof cold water. When no further;need

exists for materials to remain over such portions ofplantations as crops h ave been taken from ,

in viewof assisting the heat upon other portions

,they should

be removed and cleared ofi. P lace a thin layer ofligh t material over each root afterwards , however,to neutralise the injurious tendency which subsequent severe frosty weather may have upon thepreviously heated and now wounded crowns .P repare a heap of fermenting materials withwhich to make up an early frame bed, whether forCucumber or Melon growing, or for purposes ofpropagation

,&c. Such materials take some time to

prepare and to sweeten,and unless they are col

lected during the present month and placed in aheap

,to commence fermentation

,the operation will

be behindlrand a month or two hence . The processof sweetening ” mixed materials is very Simple .

See that th e materials consist of stable litter, orsweepings

,and old collected tree-leaves . Throw

them lightly together into a conical heap . Whenfermentation is at its highest— steam issuing‘ freelyfrom the apex of the heap— then commence at oneside and turn the whole of the materials over intoanother similar- shaped conical heap . Take care indoingsoto place the nraterialsthat were previouslyon the outside of the heap in the centre at eachturning

,and thoroughly shake all apart . Should

any portion of the centre be very dry,it might be

sprinkled over with clear water. Three such turnings are generally requisite to properly sweetenmaterials .prepared during the winter months .Occasionally

,even during themonth of January,

a fine dry period exists wherein young plantations ofLettuces, Endive, Spinach , W inter Onions, &c.

,may

be neatly hoed amongst . Should th e opportunityoffer take advantage of it , as much benefit will accrueto all such crops so treated at such a season . At theSame time hoe between and give such additionalmouldings -to P eas and B eans (Broad) as are al eadythr ough the ground. In moulding up P eas at thisseason _take care, without drawing the soil too near tothe base of the plants , to make such a mound or ridgeof soil on either Side, and especially the cold or windySide

,as is likely to prove a protection to them .

D uring fine weather towards the end ot th e monthall who aim at early crops may make sowings ofP eas , such asW illiam I .

,First Crop

,Kentish Invicta ,

or otherquick-podding early kinds,Broad B eans of

th e Long-pod variety,or early Maz agan .

Young Cauliflower plants under hand-glasses will.only require protection during very severe frostyweather

,

'G ive air during all'

mrldperiods,and when

cold windsand moderta te ~frostsonly exist keep thehand-lights constantly shut dov

’

vn . Wh ere shallow

frames exist utilise them by fixing on a warm sunnyborder

,and sowing Lettuce, R adishes, Carrots , and

Onions,should the latter be valued in the form of

salading . Mustard and Cress , continue to sowinboxes as necessary. Make also sowings of D warfB eans for forcing

,as may be desirable .

Keep up a brisk warmth of about 75° in Cucumberhouses . Make the most of all sunshine to brace up

the plants by a little.

fresh air and fresh atmosphericmoisture . G ive with great care root-waterings whennecessary only

,in such manner that the drying in

fluence of the lower heating pipe be neutralised, yetthat the bed be not caused to be a t any time undulymoist . R emove all decayed flowers

,aged leaves,

tendrils,&c. ,

stopping shootsoccasionally, so as toinsure fruitfulness, yet so as to permit of a tolerablyfree and uninterrupted growth

,without whi ch suc

cessful winter culture is not possible .

F ebru a ry.

The month of February ushers in wha t should bethe busy season of the vegetable-grower. Januarywork in the kitchen garden, however commendableand desirable it may be

,is too generally

'

only pra ctised with thoroughness in large gardens, and wherelabour is constant . The amateur is , perforce, contentwith later ground-digging

,manipulation, and gene

ral preparation. Let none , however, who value goodreturns for labour given delay beyond the advent(or as soon after as possible) of the current month.

To dig up ground during the month of March succeeding , especially if it be ground of naturally lightor poor characteristics

,is to risk

,during dry spring

weather,having a great want of moisture and sub

sequent necessary firm ness, until after such time asseed-sowing and young plant-growth should havetaken place ; and the result , thin crops, and poor . Itis highly important

,therefore, to have all ground

work performed this month,that the needful seeds

be sown ear ly in the next. In connection with thisit is well to repeat that gr ound intended for P eas,P otatoes, Cauliflowers, B eans, Onions, &c. , should begenerallydeeply and well manured and worked up .

On the other hand,such spaces as are intended

.

forCarrots

,P arsnips , B eet-root, Salsafy, and Simila r

crops,will be best with th e manure deeply dug in , or

‘

pla ced‘

from six to eight inches deep in layers . Thiscan be readily done by keeping a good trench open,and digging deeply, the manure being evenly spreadover thesurfa ce ‘

b f the ground. About the first weekin th e month lay all earlyKidney P otatoes out singlyon airy shelves here they will form robust sprouts ,and during the third or fourth week plant themon to an 10pen sunny aspect . Take care to plant themwrth the young sprouts upon them uninjured and

perfect . P repare the main crops of P otato sets for

THE KITCHEN G AR D EN .

subsequent planting by laying them out thinly in ana iry place . Early plantingwith sets in perfect orderalone gives successful crOpsgenerally. Old decomposed manure sh ould be used for P otatoes, and thea pp does well upon such ground as Celery, Broccoli, Spinach , &c. ,

have been previously grown upon .

P lant strong-growing sorts two feet and a half apart.Where previously-sown crops of P eas, Beans, Carrots

,Lettuce, are not advancing, sowings of

all should be made during the first fine weather inthe month . On the contrary, where young cropsexist make successional sowings of such as are desirable during '

. convenient weather about the thirdweek in the month: P rocure P ea -sticks , sharpen ,and prepare them before th e busy season arrives.Towards the end

'

of the month plant G arlic,Sha llots, and Seed Onions divide Chives ; mulchherb-beds ; sowP arsley, Leeks , and Spinach ; transplant autumn-sown Lisbon " Onions

,taking advan

tage of the first fine day in the month. Choose a rich

piece of ground, and only dibble the roots firmly intothe ground.

'

W atch them subsequently, and shouldworms draw any

'

out of.

the ground, re-plant with ex

pedition .

Make up autumn - sown and planted Cabbage-beds ,and hoe deeply between them,

earthing them upsubsequently as necessary . Look over all Broccoli plantations, bend over the leaves of all about to flower, tomaintain their colour, and pull up all which are fitbefore they become too old or discoloured . Hoe be

tween young Cauliflower plants under hand-lights;make successional sowings of Short Horn

'

Carrots,

R adishes, Lettuce, &c . , early in the month, or otherwise

,accordingly aspreviously-sown crops exist, and

a re advancing in growth . P lant Jerusalem Artichokes on any out-of -the-way sunny piece of ground

,

also upon a favourable site Sea -kale and R hubarb,

according to d irections given under the respectiveheadings . Make also new plantations of H omeradish .

About the beginning of the month build up thenecessary beds of fermentingmaterials for the framegrowth of Cucumbers and Melons, ,securing youngplants of both as may be necessary(wide the articleson the Frame-beds should also be

‘made, and planted or sown with P otatoes, W ood’sEarly Frame R adish

, and French Horn Carrots .G ive .manurial waterings to Mushroom-beds infull bearing, and collect materi als for the early formation of new Mushroom-beds out of doors .

March .

Having the ground prepared as . advised,P ea sow

ing demands imm ediate attention. So soon rn themonth aspossible make

,simultaneously

,at least

three sowings,consisting of as many varieties .

These should comprise first and second, early andmain crop

-varieties . By sowing them thus togetherthey will come in excellent succession for subseiquent use. Again, in three weeks’ time, or so soonas these are well through the ground

,make another

similar sowing . Take advantage of any showeryweather, if possible , to earth up each row so soonas the young '

plantsare well through the ground.

Stick earlier ones after having drawn additional soilup to them .

It is important to make sowings of the followingduring the first or

_

second week in the monththe main crop of P arsnips

, Spanish Onions , Turnips .This is especially necessary should the weatherprove dry, else in less favoured localities the seedssown later during a continuance of dry weathermay not germinate

,and the result will be a ver

thin or indifferent crop . Sow also moderatebreadths of Intermediate

'

and French Horn Carrots ,Broad Beans

,both Long-pod and B road W indsors .

Of'

the former the Seville is a good variety whenobtainable true to name . R adishes, sow upon awarm site about every tenth day . D uring“ thesecond week make also sowings of Asparagus whereever it is desirable to grow on young plants forfuture permanent planting. G ive a good mulchingalso to the Asparagus-beds early in the month, afterhaving first hoed them over and freed them from allseedling weeds

,which may even thus early be form~

ing . It should be mulched with well-decomposedmanure only.

Towards the end of the month, forcing havingbeen completed in connection with R hubarb andSea -kale

,remove the fermenting materials , pots, &c.

,

leaving a slight manurial mulching only, and cut all

portions of the roots of Sea -kale which protrudeabove-ground away down to the ground-line. Toneglect thi s will be to cause very shapeless andirregular crown-growthsfor the following season .

Make sowings in pans or boxes, placing them in alittle heat

,of Celery, Tomatoes , Capsicums, Chilis,

Egg-plants

,&c.

.

Thin out the young plants ofCauliflowersgrown under hand-lights . Transplantsuch on to a piece of sunny and ri ch ground. W ellstir the soil amongst such as remain within th e

hand-lights,and g ive manure waterings should the

weath er prove warm and dry . Unless the groundis cold and too wet

,it will be well to plant themain

crop of P otatoes during the latter half of the month— early varieties to be planted fir st

,and late varieties

last .Sow the following seeds late in the month insmall beds for future transplanting:Savoys , Cabbage

,Brussels Sprouts, V eitch

’sAutumn G iantCauliflower, Broccolis , such asSnow’s WinterWhite ,W alcheren, &c.

,and Summer-hearting Lettuces.

242 CASSELL’S POPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

Mould or earth up frame Cucumbers and Melonsas they advance in growth ; attend to the linings inview of maintaining a nice heat . ‘

G ive root waterings as necessary. Sprinkle the plants overheadand

’shut the sashes down tightly about 2 p m . daily.

Again,give a thin wedge of a ir at the

“back of thesashes about 5p m . daily . Shut the sashes downtightly again about 7 a m . each morning

,opening

them again as the sun gives warmth or the day ad

vances . Transplant autumn- sown winter-grownLettuce and Endive

,hoeing well amongst these

,

Spinach, &c . ,to increase the growth of all. G ive a

good mulching to all herb -beds , using good decayedmanure . D ivide and transplant the rooted layersattached to Thyme

,Sage, &c. , dividing also the

stools of Ma 'rj oram,Mint, and so on, in all cases

where new or extended beds have to be made .G ive the necessary attention to walks , edges , &c.

R emove the exhausted remains of winter vegetablecrops .

A p ril.

P eas are such an important crop,and the main

tenance of a constant supply in season so desirable,

that it behoves all to make successional sowings tomeet such demands . It will be well

,therefore

,to

make a goodly sowing during the first week of themonth, and another during the third week. Todispense with dates

,however

,and work upon

another and .most effectual principle,is to sow suc

cessional crops immediately the plants from preceding sowings are well through the groun d. At

this sowing the taller varieties may be used,espe

cially Telephone, whi ch is an excellent variety forgeneral purposes . D o not sow too thickly. Onepin t of seed will be ample for a row twelve to fourteen feet in length . It is judi cious

,also

,at this

season to sow two or three distinct kinds,which may

comprise those of medium height along with such asare tall.Earlier crops will need sticking . D o this by an

ticipation of the n eeds of the crOp, as such sticksprove a protection

,and at the same time an incen

tive to growth. Take .care,in sticking P eas

,not to

_

place the two rows of stickstoo close together, bearing in mind the fact that the plants are intended tobe grown between the two rows of sticks

,and that

if the sticks are placed too close together they growout at the sides

,and are liable during wind- storms

to relax th eir hold upon them and fall away.

In like mann er, the young P ea -crops, so soon asthrough the ground

,must be earthed up freely and

well.

D uring the first week of the month,those who

have notsewn Onions in sufficient quantities,as

_ad

vised last month, should do so . At the same time

Turnips , P arsley, and successional sowings of BroadB eans should be made . B etween the middle andthird week of the month sow B eet-root,Scorz onera,Salsafy, the main cr0p of James

’ s IntermediateCarrots, and during the last week Scarlet R unner orWhite D utch B eans .Such suggestions are madesubj ect to fine -weatherperiods, as it is always desirable , so far asis possible,tosow such main crops of seeds during fine weather

,

and when the ground is in nice,dry, working order .

Sow also at a similar date seeds of R idge Cucumber, or G herkins , and V egetable Marrow,

in potsfor early transplanting into the

.

open ground ; alsosuch tender herbs as Bush and Sweet Basil

,Knotted

Marjoram, Summer Savory, &c. ,in pots to under

go a similar process a bed of Borage being sown inthe Open gr ound, along with such successions ofR a dishes, Lettuces, and smaller Salads as may benecessary.

Make new plantations of Asparagus , the besttime todo so being when one-year-old plants commence ~showing signs of growth in their seed-bed .

Seedling Cabbages,Lettuces

,and Cauliflowers,

whether autumn or spring- sown,transplant finally

or into nursery beds,according to age and siz e of

the seedlings. P rocure young crowns of Sea -kalefor planting where desirable

,or sow seeds moderately

thick in a seed-bed to form plants for next springplanting.

Carefully fork between plantationsof Sea -kale andR hubarb

,so soon as the young growth shows where

the revvswhich have been forced are . D o not forkdeeply, so as to injure _the roots , but in such manner alone as to free the surface of the soil andcheck seedling weed formations . Should the monthprove a dry one the various young seedling plantswill require root-waterings

,especially Celery trans

planted on to a mound of fermenting material,covered over with rich soil. H aving advised planting P otatoes early or during the preceding month

,it

is only necessary to say h ere that where , owing tothe exigencies of weather, this has not been done, itwill be well to do so as early as possible

'

during the

present .G ive especial attention to the hoeing of all crops.

Such aid is always very beneficial to growth, owingto the process of soil-stirring over their roots, &c.

B esides which, the season has again arrived whenit is absolutely necessary to do so , to check weedgrowth .

Make up Mushroom-beds with the materials previously collected, as advi sed, and sweetened by drying or fermentation . The only good position iorthem at this season is out of doors under th e

v

ex

treme branches of trees,or against dry walls, &c.

,

and where,should a rainy season follow, a certa in

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44 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

overhauling . Cut away all old ripened leaves notneeded

,so as to make room for succeeding young

ones. At the same time, should a free growth bemade, and abun dant haulm,

with free fruiting, anoccasiona l length of aged haulm

,which has done

itsduty, may be cut away altogether. This done,add a surfacing of fresh soil to the whole internal surface of the bed, an operation which it is wellto do . Tying up Lettuces and Endive, drawingR adishes immediatelythey are fit for use

,covering

over th e h eadsof Cauliflowersforming their bloomheads

,drawing them in good time for use , picking

P eas immediately they are ready,sweeping and

rolling walks,&c.

,all require periodical attention .

G R EEN-HOUSE PLANTS.

Br W ILLIAM HUG H G owns.

. Im a ntoph yllum .— A genus of Amaryllids of

great beauty,now merged into Olivia . They are

robust-growing plants,with stout lorate leaves , which

are arranged in a two-ranked fash ion (distichous),and sheath at the base colour deep green .

These plants should be potted in rich loam,and

during the growing season an abundant supply ofwater is necessary to their well-being ; but whengrowth is complete it should be partially withh eld.

The name is sometimes written Ima top hyllum and

also H imantophyllum.

I . oyrtantlztflorum.— A very fine plant

,with erect

scapes, longer than the leaves , many-flowered ;flowers tubular

,drooping

,reddi sh-orange in colour.

Various seasons . South Africa .

I . G a rdenia— This is a winter-blooming variety,

bearing large umbels of tubular flowers,which are

drooping, much curved, and rich orange-red incolour . N atal .I . minia tum.

— Flower-scape erect,longer than the

intense deep“ green leaves ; umbels many-flowered ;flowers broadly campanulate

,pale red and orange .

There are several varieties of this species,of which

we may enumerate minimum sup erbmn, and M a rtha

R eimers, the latter a magnificent form ; but all are

good. Spring and early summer . N atal ;

Knigh tia .— A genus of P roteaceaz

,which con

tains but one species,which is a tall thin tree,

attaining a height of from eighty to a hundred feet .Its wood is esteemed for its colour

,which is red and

brown , cur iously mottled, and which takes _

a goodpolish, and is extensivelyused in cabinet-work . Itrequires the same treatment under cultivation asc ksiasand D ryendm .

K. excelsa . The N ew Zealand Honeysuckle .

Leaves linear-oblong, entire , upwards of six inchesin length , and more than one in ch in breadth, andbluntly toothed at the edges ; the texture is hardand harsh

,dark green above

,somewhat ferruginous

beneath flowers in dense axillary racemes,velvety

brown . In a young state this plant is extremelyornamental . N orthern Island of N ew Zealand.

L a p a g er ia . Thi s genuscontains only onespecies

,and with the genus P hilesia compri ses the

order P lzilesiacew(nowmerged into Lilia cece). Lap a

geria is a climbing plant, and perhaps one of themost beautiful ever introduced to cultivation .

In some parts of England it has proved hardy,but although it is a lover of a very cool and moistsituation, there are few places that will suit itwithout protection. The soil should be used veryrough, and consist of equal parts of loam and peat .It is nearly related to the Smilax family, and, likethe members of that genus

,must have the most open

drainage it is possible to provide .L . rowe r

— Thi s beautiful scandent plant succeedsadmirably on a north wall in a cool green-house

,

but if grown in a pot it should be trained on eithera large balloon or umbrella- shaped trellis the leavesare hard, alternate, cordate in shape, and darkshining green above

,paler beneath ; flowers large

,

produced from the axils of the leaves , thick andfleshy in texture

,bell- shaped

,with a spreading

mouth,rich rosy-crimson in colour

,Spangled with

white on the inside . It blooms dur ing summer andautumn , several months in succession, and lasts along time in full beauty. Chili .L . rosed , var . a lba — A variety of the preceding

,

from which it diff ers in nothing but the colour ofits flowers

,and these are pure waxy-white . It is a

most exquisite plant . Chili .

L esch ena ultia .— A small but very ornamental

genus belonging to the order G oodem'

a cew they are .

soft in texture, With closely- set, dark green , H eathlike leaves

,and brilliant flowers ; they also much

resemble the H eaths in the treatment they requirein order to produce good specimens ; there is, however

;a little difference necessary in their manage

ment, for although they enjoy plenty of free air and

light,full exposure to the sun in the open air does

not suit them . D uring the winter Lesch enaultiasmust be kept near

.the glass so as to prevent the

shoots from drawing,all superabundant moisture

must be guarded against,and if the weather proves

dull and heavy,an occasional dusting with sulphur

will tend to prevent mildew from fixing upon thefoliage .The soil should be very sandy peat, wrth just

G R EEN LHOUSE PLAN TS.

a 'small portion of light loam dusted amongst it ;in potting, press the soil firmly down, for, like mostvery fine-rooted plants , they cannot grow in loosesoil

.In the matter of watering, follow the instruo

tions given for the hard-wood Ericas .All are natives of South Australia.

L . B axterii. —Flowers deep salmon-colour. Juneand July.

L . biloba mayor, sometimes called L . grandt'

flom .

A rather strong-growing species for the family, withrich deep blue flowers . May and June .L . f orm

‘

osa .

— A dwarf and close-growing plant ,flowers bright orange“scarlet May and June.

'

L . sp lendens. A

som ewh at r o bu’s tkind flowers b rightscarlet. June and

July

L e u c a dendron .

“

j

— A genus of P ro

tea ceousplants allnatives of the Capeof G ood Hope and

its neighbourhood ;th e y r e qu i r e thesame treatment asB anksia .

L . a rgen'

teum.—We

give this species only .

It is a very beautifulplant

,though seldom

seen 1 n . our ga rdens ;it is the Silver Treeof the colonist

,and

was" called “'W itlebloom ” by the earlyD utch ‘ settlers ; it is,however

,becoming scarce in i tshabitats t hrough

being cut down for firewood .

The leaves of this plant are“ narrowly-lanceolate,

closely ' set upon the stems, both surfacesbeingdensely clothed with pure white

,Shiny, silky hairs ;

the flowers are yellow, borne on large terminalglobose heads .

R OSEA ALBA.

L eucopog en .— A large genusbelonging to the

Ep a crisfamily, which may be treated in a Simila rmanner. The name is derived from the ‘ whitebearded flowers ; they are very hardy, and arevaluable for cutting

,as the flowers last a long time

in water,and are well adapted for bouquet-making.

Leucopogonsare robust-growing plants, attaininga height of from four to twelve feet in their

.

nativecountry ; the leaves are mostly lanceolate, hard, andbright green the flowers of all the species are white,

245

produced on axillary racemes in great abundance .The following are the most ornamental SpeciesL . austmlié. -W inter months . South Australia.L . ericoides. — Springmonths . N ew South Wales .

.L . junip eroidea— W inter and spring . N ew SouthW ales.L . la/nceola tus. -W inter and spring . N ew South

_

Wales .L . R ic/wi. -W inter and spring. Tasmania.

L . verticilla tus. — W inter to midsummer . N ew

South W ales .

L isianth us. A small family of plants belonging to the G entianworts, consisting ofhandsome floweringunder- shrubs

,which

,

however,have always

been found extremelydifficult to cultivate ;but whatever labouror care may be expended in order tobring them to perfection is amplyrepaid by their indescribable beauty.

Many of the species are annuals only

,

but L . R usselliamus'

(named in honour ofth e D uke of B edford)is a bienn ial ; it maybe perpetuated bycuttings ; seedlings,however

,make the

best plants .This plant

,though

included in the green-house division , in reality re

quires a little more than green-house treatment,yet cannot suff er to

, be confined in the stove ; theold-fashioned .hot-bed

,however

, will suit it ad

mirably dur ing the time that it requires a littlebottom heat.L . R ussellidnusattains a height of between twoand three feet ; the leaves are opposite, ovate,smooth

,and glaucous-green ; flowers axillary, with a

funnel- shaped tube, and five-parted spreading limbof the most beautiful purplish-blue .

_

The best season to sow the seed is some time inthe month of March . The soil should be composedof equal parts of light loam

,leaf-mould

,peat

,

thoroughly decomposed manur e,and Sharp sand ; it

should be used in rather a rough condition in allstages of the plant’s growth. The seeds sown on thissoil should not be covered with mould, but have a

CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

bell-glass placed over them'

until germination takesplace . When the plants are sufficiently large tohandle without injury, put them singly into smallpots

,using the same soil as before recommended .

A hot-bed is the best for them from this time up tothe autunm

,when a warm corner in the green

house,with plenty of light

,will prove to be the

best winter quarters during this time careful watering is very requisite

,and special attention will be

required to keep away mildew.

When the plants are about twelve months old, shiftthem again

,this time into the flowering -pots , u sing

the same compost,and remove back to the hot-bed.

Treated in thi s manner they will produce theirbeautiful flowers about midsummer, and continue infull beauty for a considerable time . Asthe plantsdecline

,attention should be paid to preserving the

seed. Mexico .

L . p rinceps.— This truly exquisite plant , alwaysrare has very nearly again slipped out of cultivation .

Aswill be seen by our figur e,it is totally difierent

in shape to the preceding species,and is one of the

very grandest plants known .

The leaves are ovate -lanceolate, and deep green ;flowers

,several together

,on the points of the shoots ;

these are tubular,some five inches or

' more long,swollen in the middle

,with a spreading five-lobed

limb ; the colour is rich crimson-lake, passing intogolden-orange at both ends

,the segments of the

limb being vivid green. It blooms during thesummer months . N ew G renada.

L oma tia .— A genus of P roteaceous plants, more

remarkable for the beauty of their foliage than theirflowers . They have pinnate

,or more frequently

bipinnate and tripinnatifid leaves , the segmentsbeing finely toothed

,and thick and leathery in tex

tur e . They make handsome bushes, and are simplyinvaluable for cutting

,as they last a very long time

in th e open air when used with button-hole flowers .For soil

,use sandy loam and peat in equal parts

drain well.Lomatias are rather slow-growing when young

,

but after theyhave attained some age and strengththey bear cutting well .L . eleg antissima .

— A dwarf plant, having thick,leathery

, bipinnatifid, Fern-like leaves,which are

bright dark green above,slightly paler below. N ew

Zealand.

L . f errug iflea .— Leaves much divided ; segments

ovate, with trifid ends,dark green above, rusty

brown beneath. Chili .L . sila ij

'

olim— The leaves of this species are veryprettily vein ed and bipinnatifid ; segments wedgeshaped ; dark green on the upper side

,glaucous

beneath .

‘ South Australia.

p l an t IsI n

b l o o m d u r

ing the W inter L I SIAN THUS P R IN CEP S.

L . P inceana . Similar in general appearance to

Luculia .— A family of

bold - growing N epaulesetrees

,attaining a height

of twenty to thirty feet,

and belonging to theorder Cinclwnacm . On a ocount of their great siz ethey are more satisfactorywhen planted out in theconservatory border, orin the green-house

,where

they succeed well upon aback wall. They do

,how

ever,in some cases flower

in quite a young state .

The soil sh ould be peatand loam in equal proportions

,with a little

sand added in order tokeep it porous .L .gm tissima .

— Averyhandsome and stronggrower, having large,opposite , ovate , acuminate leaves , furnishedw i t h s t ipu l e s ;dark green above,and slightly downybeneath ; the flowersare producedd en s e t e rm ina lcymes

, soft rosypink in colour,giving oif agr a t e fu l fra

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CASSEL

'

L’sPOPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

covered with large watery pustules or blisters,whichglisten in the sun as if froz en into ice . This produces a very cool and refreshing effect, and hence

4

-the plant is extensively grown for garnishing purposes .Amongst the numerous species of thi s family may

be found plants to suit the tastes of all lovers ofnature ; thus, those who love bright and showyflowers can here indulge their fancy ; again, those M . calamiforme .

whose chief delight is the tasteful arrangement of M canflensM . caninum .

th e geometri cal . beds in the parterre can here find M . caulesce'

ns.numerous species admirably adapted to their wants. M °

ggi‘

ififgfilfi f’m egamm

Lf no other situation for their culture is available m, curvifiorum ,

MESEMBR YAN THEMUM MIN I MUM.

but the cottage window,Mesembryanthemums will

adapt themselves to the circumstances,and bloom as

freely as if situated in the best-constructed greenhouse ; whilst those who delight in the curious canhere find structural grace and beauty ad libitum

,for

amongst thesmaller-growing kinds we have leavesresembling the mouths of wolf

,tiger

,leopard

,fox;

dog, cat, weasel, and mouse ; then there are longtongues

,blunt tongues

,great tongues, and soft M . grandiflorum . M . uvae forme .

tongues ; club leaves, hatchet leaves, and finger M . H aworthii . M . vulpinum .

leaves ; bulls’ horns , herons’ beaks, and hedgehogswhite eyes

,and golden eyes

,and a host of other ex:

tra ordina ry forms too numerous to mention in thelimits of this article .Th e cultivation of Mesembryanthemums is of thesimplest . Asbefore mentioned

,they delight in dry,

arid situations,and this knowledge should give the

cultivator the key to their management . For soiluse light sandy loam and old brick rubbish

,broken

tolerablyzsmall drain well, and during the summer

water sparingly ; in winter little or none isnecessary. At thi s season the atmosphere must be keptfree from damp, and at all times expose them to th efull benefit ofsun and light, with abundance of air .

The following list containssome of the most beautisful and curious species

M . albidum .

M . barba tum .

M itra ria (M . coccinea ) .— The only known speciesof the genus

,which belongs to the G esnerads. It is

a very handsome plant,requiring the warmest end

of the green-house,and should be potted in equal

parts of peat and loam,and about an eighth pa rt

of sharp sand. The plant is dwarf and compactin habit, with small , closely-set leaves

,which are

usua lly opposite and deep green. The flowers areborne singly on long pedicles

,and are tubular,

THE HAR D Y FR UIT G AR D EN . 249

bright scarlet, and very showy . It blooms duringthe summer months. Chiloe.

M utisi a .— A singular genus of climbing Comp o

sites, which are very ornamental when trained upona pillar and well grown ; otherwise they do not makea fa vourable impression . Mutisias require a coolpart of the green-house, and indeed so little requirehea t that we believe they will be found hardy In somesheltered positions inthe W est of England,but are well deservingthe attention of alllovers of. plants

,as or

namentsto the greenhouse and conservatory . They should bepotted . in rough peatand light loam

,in about

equal parts,witha small

portion of sand added.

If th esesh ple requirementsare attended to,and the necessity for

,

a

rather cool air be bornein mind

,they requir e

very little attention except asnoted below.

M . decm'

rens. — Thiss p e c i e s a t t a in s aheight of six to eightfeet ; the stems arenot much b ranched,an d i t

,th e r e f or e

,

should be f requentlys'topped a t the pointsto induce the growthof laterals. Leavesentire, oblong-lanceola te

,decurrent ; they

are deep green above,slightly glaucous benea th

,and furnished

at the ends with a long tendril,by which they atta ch

themselves to surrounding obj ects . Flowers produced singly from the axils of

' the leaves,measuring

upwards of four inches in diameter,and rich deep

ora nge in colour . Summer months. Chilian Andes .M . ilicif olia .

— Like the preceding,the leaves of this

plant are entire, and furni shed with a long tendril,by means of whi ch they support themselves . Theyare sessile and sometimesdecurrent

,deep green on the

upper side, tomentose beneath, and furnished withspines on the edges , flowers produced singly from theaxils of the leaves

,about three inches ’in diameter;

soft pink. Summer and autumnmonths. Chili.

THE HAR DY FR UIT G AR DEN.

B r D . T . F I SH,Assre D BY WILLIAM CAR M ICHAEL .

CoccrN EA.

AP PLES.

— PLAN TIN G .

N so far as planting is affected by sites,soil

,sorts

,

it has already been treated with considerablefulness . But such vital factors to success as prepara tion of the soil, time and distance to plant, andmethods of planting, will form the subj ect of thi s

chapter,and sufficient

will be found in themto explain the causesof many orchards notthriving as h ad beenhoped and expected .

P rep a r a tion of

th e S0 il. -The im

portance of drainageh a s a lr e a dy b e enpointed out . Applescannot

.

thrive withtheir roots in sour soilor water

, but the opposite extreme of excessive drought

,must also

be guarded against,and the Apple

,as a

rule,will not be found

to thrive for longtogether, nor reach tothe stability of a permanent crop

,in locali

ties where th e rainfallfails to reach twentyfive inches in the year.The farther south Apple-cultivation travels ,th e greater the ri sk ofin jury from drought ;the farther north

,the

gr e a t e r t h e dang e rfrom excess of water.

It is most important to bear this in mind in thechoice of a site and the preparation of the ground forApple- culture . Apples might perish from droughton the summit of rising ground in the South , whilefinding sufficient moistur e half-way down, or in thetrough of the valley .

.Whereas in the N orth, wherethe rainf all may be double

,the same site would

dr own the trees, and the highest available pointcould not prove too dry for them. Hence theimportance of regulating the character and extentof drainage by the rainf all of the locality as well asthe quality of the land to be drained .

Having selected a site for the Apple garden,

250. CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN I N G .

sheltered if possible from the east and north, andwith a good depth of

'

(say) two or more”

feet'

of

calcareous slightly-holding loam,as fr ee from iron

aspossible,the next point is to proceed to trench it

over . The soil should, however, first of all betested by chemical means if ' needful, but practicallyby the last crop grown upon it. If that is poor, thechances a re that the loam is rather too Zecm forApples . In that case a liberal dr essing of wellrotted farmyard manure may be trench ed into thesoil . When this is necessary it will , however, bebetter to crop the ground very widely with P otatoes,say a row four feet apart . Early varieties shouldbe chosen

,so as to get them up and well work

the ground before the planting season commences .Mangolds or Swedes may be substituted for P otatoes

,only they cannot be cleared ofi the ground so

early,and hence are not nearlyso efficient as cleans

ing , sweetening, and manur e-mixing crops .Asa rule

,however

,no manur e is needful . But if

the ground is fresh brought under cultivation, it isgood practice to take a green crop off it the firstyear, as this, by its sweetening and amelioratinginfluence

,hastens th e growth and ismore favour

able to the health and longevity of the Apple-trees .Th ese first crops are not only useful mechanica lly

,

but for removing the grosser feeding substances outof the soil . R ank growths are not to be fosteredin Apple-trees either by the richness of maiden soil

,

or by adding strong manure . For such growthsmostly run into sterility

,or degenerate into canker

,

serious drawbacks to the pleasant or profitable culture of the Apple or other fruit-trees .In the trenching of the ground over either with orwithout manure , the first point to be determined isth e depth to trench it . This must be largely determined by the soil itself . Supposing the suitable soilis only a foot deep

,it would be folly and wholly

injurious to force its depth,as is sometimes done

,by

incorporating another foot of barren or worthlesssubsoil with the surface tilth . On the contrary

,where

sand,clay, or gravel is found so near to the surface

this should be removed,and an additional foot of

good loam added to that on the spot . This will givean average depth of two feet

,which may be safely

accepted as the mean depth for Apple - trees,though

on dry sites fromsix inches to a foot in addition,or

a total depth of a yard,will not prove excessive .

It is important, however ,

\

th at on level ground, orsites with a regular £511 , the depth should be uniformthroughout. Hence

,in trenching

,if the surface

tilth proves of an irregular depth,as it often does

,

the subsoil should be removed,and the good earth

supplemented by fresh loam to make up the Appletilth to a depth of two feet or thirty inches. Beforedismissing the question of depth it may be added

that the drier the site and the climate the deeper th esoil should be, the more moist the shallower. InCumberland orW estmoreland a foot or fifteen inchesmaysufllce to grow good Apples ; in D evonshire andCornwall a yard, in East An glia. a yard or more , maynot prove excessive .In trenching to secure uniformity of depth it isalso important that the t0p of the subsoil shouldbe made as even as the sur face . Any hillsfound onthe subsoil should be levelleddown,

also the valleysfilled up ,

and the whole be left as hard and smoothas its quality will allow. Where the quality isvery

_bad, such as sand or sheer clay, barri ers mayneed to be placed between it and the surface soil.Simple concrete is most fr equently used for th ispurpose , and it answers well . But other ' methodsare sometimes employed

,such as mounding and

ridge planting. By adopting this form the evilday when the roots will plunge into injurioussubsoils is deferred

,and in not a few cases prevented

altogether.Uniformity of quality of soil should be aimed at aswell as regularity of depth . Thi s comes of thoroughmixing and blending in the process of trenching.

Some, however, recommend placing the richer portion of the soil a foot or eighteen inches below thesurface . The roots as th ey penetrate will thus findfresh supplies , as those on the top get more or lessexhausted. But on the whole it is better to havethe soil

,as nearly as may be, of one uniform qua lity

thr oughout .

T im e to P lant — N ature and experience, theoryand practice agree that the time to plant Apple,and most fruit and other trees, is the month ofN ovember. The leaves are just about to fall, orhave fallen , the former being the best state forinsuring success . V ital force, never at rest , isin N ovember comparatively active, especially rootwards (see the LIFE -H ISTOR Y or P LAN TS, whichrenders it needless to dwell at any length on thephysiology of the subj ect here) . N either is thesolar heat of the summer and autumn yet exhausted.

Ev en N ovember fogs , by reducing evaporation toa minimum ,

assist the plant to suddenly re-establishitself

, and recommence growth in its root-quarters .The driz z ling rains , as well as the fogs, are usefulto the semi -detached roots , as they are conservativeof the vital forces of the tops of the Apple-trees .Even the unfallen leaves

,under such genial con

ditions, exert a certainsemi -[resuscitating force, andtend to quicken the production of fresh roots . Thelatter. are in an unusually active state in N ovember.Various reasons have been assigned for thi s but theplanter is

“most concerned with the fact rather thanthe causes of it . And of the fact there is no doubt

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2 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

M e th od:of P lanting . This resolves itself

into a matter of depth, diameter, disposition, despatch

,and the solidarity of the roots. The proper

depth to plant is a . vexed question,on whi ch more

tr ees have been wrecked than perhaps any other .P l'ant too deeply, growth is checked ; plant toofleetly, the tree is crippled, if not killed. Thetree-stem affords the only safe guide as to depth .

The original ground-line is clearly marked uponit,and that line ought to be followed to a hair’s

breadth. It is nature’s sure and certain indexas to depth . All above it is stem fitted for the airall below it is under-groundstem or root ; and thereis nothing that trees and woody shrubs cling towith more tenacity than thi s natural dividing-lin ebetween earth and air .But as the roots seldom proceed from thi s line,the average depth of root -covering may be acceptedas s1 x inchesfrom the surface . But the roots oftenproceed from the root-stock at lower planes

,and

hence the holes for planting Apples may generallybe dug out to a depth of a foot or eighteen inches .For older and larger trees they may have to be ayard in depth . But for young trees, say a year orat most two from the graft

,a foot or eighteen

inches will suffice .The diameter of the hole may vary from a yard tosix feet

,according to the siz e of the trees and the

number of their roots . N either is it needful to makethe hole cir cular ; a square hole will do just as wellor better. The form is of little ma tter ; that itshould be wider than the largest root is of vitalimportance

,so as to allow of each being spread out

to its utmost length,while still leaving a clear

space of several inches between it and the unmovedearth at the sides of the hole .The base of the hole should be made firm andslightly elevated in the centre, and over thi s base aninch or so of compost should be sprinkled

,unless

indeed the whole of the soil has been worked orameliorated into a root -tempting medium by the process already recommended.

The next step in planting is the disposition of theroots . If the tree is young, and the roots alrnostwholly in one horiz ontal plane

,this is very simple .

A stout stake should be placed in the centre of thehole

,to which loosely tie the tree, to keep it upright.

Thi s simple process saves the necessity for anotherhand in planting . P lace the tree in the hole, spreadout the roots regularly

,and with a sharp knife cut

off any that are wounded or bruised, or any excess ofroots . Then sprinkle over them a little fine compost, or the choicest soil that has been removed,scattering the earth on to the roots from the boleoutwards all round until the whole .Of the roots arecovered.

All clods or lumps should be broken with the

spade before placing the earth over the roots,as the

attempt to break them afterwards would probablybreak or bruise the roots as well. If all the earth isreturned the root - space will be a little higher thanthe surrounding surface. But this will approximateto the general level as time, the great consolidator,does its work . The surface of the soil is best leftrather loose , as this acts as a barrier to the escape ofheat and insures the conservation

,of vapour

,loose

soil in fact acting in a similar manner, th ough notto the same extent

,as a surface mulch of cocoa-fibre

refuse,moss

,or straw litter.

Should any of the trees have roots at differentlevels on the root- stock, the operation of plantingbecomes more complicated

,and sh ould

)

proceedtentatively. The hole must be dug sufficiently deepfor the lower roots , and as soon as these are displayed carefully and covered

,another layer will be

displayed,and so on

,till the process is completed.

In practice,however

,the process isat times more

difficult ; the roots proceed from the root-stock mostirregularly, one here and another there, and it isimportant that each should proceed from the rootstock a t right angles or nearly so . The result ofthis careful disposition of the roots is that eachis separated from the other, with its own specialcovering of soil

,and all crushing or overcrowding is

avoided.

To escape the trouble of planting Apple or othertreesrooted at different levels, the lower layer ofsuch roots may be cut off where there are a sufficiency at a higher level , and then the trees may beplanted in the usual way.

D esp a tch .— This is half the secret of success in

planting . The old-fashioned plan of making all theholes for Apple or other fruit-trees several months inadvance has never been bettered. It proved a greatsaving of time at the planting season, as well asthoroughly prepared the soil ; sun and shower mellowing the earth into the best possible condition fornourishing the newly-made roots .N ot a moment should be lost from th e time the

Apple or other tree is out of the ground until it isplanted again ; and it is here that the great advantage of raising one’sown trees where practicable isobtain ed. Having everything in readiness, the treesmaybe lifted under such favourable cir cumstancesandre -planted so promptly as— to use the common phraseof practical men— never to look behind them . In re

ceiving trees from a distance the ca se is of necessitysomewhat different. So carefully, however, do mostnurserymen , florists, and tree-growers lift and packthem

,that they take comparatively little harm in th e

bundles . But it is when undone and dangled in the

COM MON G AR D EN FLOWER S.

a ir, perhaps during brightsunshine ,or in the teeth ofa sharp cutting wind, that the most serious injury isdone to the roots . Exposur e of the roots to the airat all is most unnatural, and consequently injuri ous ,and every meansshould be used to curtail the periodof exposure to the uttermost . The roots of even thehardiest trees , such as the Apple, are most sensitiveto injury from cold and drought . A minute’s exposure to an east wind may check the growth of theroots for weeks

,or in

'

jure them for life . Hence thegreat importance of expert planting.

Solida r ity.— This term is used to denote stability

of top and solidity of bottom. There are severalmeans of securing the latter . The oldest-fashionedandworst plan is that of tr eading the trees in . So

soon asthe roots were covered, boot-heels were downupon them

,and the process was repeated several

timesin the process of filling up the holes, while thefinish consisted of a firmer and more persistentsurface-treadin g. Thisdoubtless consolidated theroots

,and a lso ruptured, bruised, and broke off many

of them as well .W ater is a much safer and more subtle, though aslower consolidator than boot-heels or the tread ofthe foot . Where trees are of considerable siz e

,and

the weather Or soil is dry, there is no better modeof consolidation and of running the earth home anddown solid than that of flooding the roots home .First of all

,cover the roots all over with three or

four inches of fine soil . Then water so freely andfully as to flood the soil over with water. Theresult will -be the filling in of every crevIce andencasing of every root and fibre with soil. Leavethe holes to settle for half an hour or so , and thenplace the remainder of the earth over the floodedportion, and planting is complete . This is far betterthan the filling in of all the earth before flooding theroots home.The best consolidators are time and naturalshowers . These do their work more slowly

, but

surely and well. Trusting to these,the earth is

simply filled in over the roots,and neither treading

nor watering given. The roots probably lose a littletime by this mode of planting

,but it is the most

favourable for leaving the soil in the best mechanicalcondition for their well-doing in the end . R oots

,

however, seem to be unable to bite loose soil, and onvery friable soils slight mechanical compression oraqueous consolidation quickens their fresh grip ofthe soil and fosters top growth.

Stability of t0p is, however, as essential to successful planting as solidity of root -run . Hence theadvice to stake before '

planting or immediately afterwards . The t0ps of

'

treesleft unsupported becomethe free 'sport of every passing

,

breez e,which converts

COMMON G AR DEN FLOWER S.

go

their tops into levers for the displacement or snapping asunder of every new-ma de root almost as fastas the latter is formed. Hence, while freshlyplanted trees should be so fixed as to have thepower of sinking as the earth subsides or consolidates into less bulk

,they should have no power of

motion from side to side,till the new roots have

rendered the tree immovable in its new root-run .

P erfect flxity of tenure and immobility as far aspracticable are essential to th e rapid re-establishment of the newly-planted tree

,and its permanent

health and fruitfulness . R oot-disturbance or our

tailment may indeed be needed as surgical operations in the future career of the tree

,but these come

within the range“

of special and exceptional treatment for particular purposes, and in no way affectour present argument in favour of solidarity on theheels of planting.

E v e r lasting P e a a nd Swe e t P e a (La thyrus) ._ There are certain common forms of La thymsthatare weeds in our fields and h edgerows , and they arekn own asV etchlings . This comes from e etclz(Latin ,e ioia ),

“bind,

” from its twining habit. Of these wemay mention L .

,pm tensz’s,the Yellow Meadow

Vetchling L . syle estm’s, the N arrow-leaved Ever

lasting P ea ; L ._pa lustris, the Blue Marsh V etchling ;

L . ma ritimus,the Sea -side Everlasting P ea , and. a

few others. Wh ile they are not considered choiceenough for ordinary garden purposes, they are yetvery pretty in the highways, fields, and woods .But we may remark of the Y ellow MeadowVe tchling(L . pm tensz

’s), which is known also as the TareEverlasting, that it was called in P arkinson’s timethe R amping W ild V etch by the country people ,because it is the

.

most pernicious herbe that cangrow on the earth

,killing and strangling corne or

any other good herbe it shall grow by .

” Y et inrecent times it has been recommended for cultivation as a fodder . It is said that cattle eat it withgreat avidity, hence it is spoken of as valuable tobe “grown on very dry soil ; but, owing to the creeping nature of its roots , it should be grownonly asa permanent crOp. Thi s is why it is called th eMeadow P ea .

L . la tif oliusis the Everlasting P ea of our gardens,and it is so named because of its perennial character .It is also known as the Broad-leaved EverlastingP ea .

_

I t is a plant that grows naturally in woods,

but rarely in Brita in in a wildstate There isnodoubt that what is now grown as the Ey erlastingP ea represents varieties that have been greatly ‘

im

4 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

proved .by means of seeds . The ordinary form ofL . la tif oliusis one of the most ornamental of hardyplants, flowering nearly. all the summer and mostvaluable to cut from . The flowers are of a brightdeep rose or rosy- crimson . “

'

e have seen two orthree very fine varieties

,larger in the flower and

richer in the colour, but we think locality and soilshave a good deal to do with producing these differences. There is a white variety also , known as L.

Za tif oliusa lbus it is not so common as the purpleflowered form ,

and though it produces seed it is notto be relied upon as comingtrue when sown , as Inanywill revert to the old type .

There is a beautiful newvariety, produced during1 884

,named delica te in this

case the flowers are of abeautiful soft pink, pencilledwith rose— really a lovelyform . The foregoing are allclimbing -plants

,and should

be planted against somethingthat they can attach theme

selves to by means of theirtendrils ; and they do wellfor covering stumps of oldtrees

,rooteries, &c. L .

grandiflorus (the Large =

flowered Lathyrus) is a fineform ; it is very handsome ,the flowers much larger thanthose of the common Everlasting P ea . It is sometimeskn own as L .

‘

biflorus. We

maysay of this that it is thefinest of all the EverlastingP eas . The flowers are verybright crimson-scarlet, produced with great freedom,

and earlier in point of time than the preceding.

It does well on banks and hedges, in which it willrun freely thr ough low bushes ; also in borders onlow trellises

,or root-work

,rock-work

, &c. While thecommon Everlasting P ea will flourish in almost anygarden soil

,L . grmzdiflorusdoes best in a deep sandy

loam or on. a gravel subsoil . L . ca lif om icusis theCalif ornian Everlasting P ea , dwarfer-growing thanthe others

,having lilac

,purple

, and white flowers,and does well in ordinary flower borders . L . rata ndi

foliusis the R ound- leaved V etchling, from the Ca u

casus and Southern R ussia . It is a small buthandsome Everlasting P ea ; it is a little delicate,however, and should be planted again st the foot ofwalls or

_houses, where it can trail over low shrubs.L . D rummondii is a very distinct and showy species

,

most probably from California ; it is a very strong

LATHYR US LATIFOLIUS .

grower,and probably the earliest of all the Ever

lasting P eas to bloom . The flowers are of a richcerise, deepening to carmine, and produced withwonderful freedom. Unf ortunately

,it is not so

well known as it deserves to be,and consequently

not nearly so much grown . A strong plant makes avery free growth indeed, and covers a great Space .N o garden may be said to be complete without L .

la tifolius, L . grandg’

florus, and L . D rummondii.

Of the annual Sweet P eas there is now a largegroup . These are varieties of La thyrusodom tus,

which came to usfrom Sicilyabout the year 1 700. Thereare now a large number ofvery beautiful varieties ; andduring the last two or threeyears such pretty new formsas P rincess B eatrice

,

'

the

Q ueen, B lue B eard, Bronz eP rince, FairyQ ueen, V ioletQ ueen, have been produced.

All the varieties are so prettyduring the summ er months

,

and so useful for cuttingfr om , that no garden may besaid to be complete withoutthem . One very pleasingway to grow them is to sow aline of seeds of mixed colours

,

just as one would of ordinarygarden P eas, and stake themwith sticks or supports in thesame way. The seeds shouldbe sown in March , in deeplydug , rich groun d, and thenthe plants will flower profusely all through the summer . Some personssow the

seed in August , under a wa rm wall or hedge, wherethey will come up in autumn and stand through thewinter

,having a little prote ction if necessary ; and

these plantswill flower in May, some days beforethose plants raised from seeds sown in March ; theflowers will be fin er and more freely produced, because the plants have a longer time to thoroughlyestablish themselves .Some gardeners sow in pots at the end of Augustor early in September, placing a ha lf-doz enseeds ineach ; these are put into a cold frame and kept thereuntil the beginning of February, when they shouldhave stakes placed against th em

,and be ta ken into a

warm green-house,where they flower abundantly in

early Spring, and are very useful. But gardenersof all grades generally sow their Sweet P eas toothickly

,and make no allowance for their natural

free branching habit. There is one beautiful

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CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

M eg ase a (Saxif rage) .— The Megaseaswere formerly included among t h e Saxifrages, but they nowform a group by themselves . There are not manyof them

,but they are a valuable group of very in

teresting hardy plants, closely allied to the Saxifrages, it is true , but very di stinct in general appearance . The foliage consists of large, bold leaves ,from Six to twelve inches in length , very thick , andusually evergreen. They

‘

flower in spring, someearlier than others ; the blossoms are in numerouspanicles

,about a foot in height, and from six to

eight inches in circumference . They are all moreor less distinct in foliage and flowe r

,and well worth

growing in summer borders and in pots ; and mostof them do well . in smokyatmospheres . They are all .

hardy perennials . One ofthe best known is M . (Saxif raga) cordif clc

'

a . This is a“very large-leaved evergreenperennial

,and it blooms pro

fusely in early spring ; theflowers are rose-coloured .

There are some good varietiesof this . One isnamed p a rpa rea , because of the richpurple colour of the flowers,_and it is perhaps the verybest of ‘

the group . M . crassifolia is the Thick-leavedSaxifrage, and is very closelyallied to the foregoing, but itis considered

,

“on the whole,

superior. Both are nativesof Siberia, and they

' areadmirably adapted

'

for planting in '

,the spring

garden, where they flower very freely indeed. M .

cilia ta, or ligula ta , is a very early variety also ,

and may be used in potsin early spring for acold house with great effect . There are severalpleasing varieties of this . M . orbiculam

’shas thickleathery foliage , and heads of rose-coloured flowers ;it is later in flowering than the preceding. M

Stra c/zeyi is a fine plant, producing large Spreadingpanicles of white flowers of great beauty. B eingplants of strong growth and also free flowering

,

they should be planted in a good deep loam, trenchedand well manured

,and have some top-dressings of

manur e in early spring . All th e Megaseascanbepropagated by division of the roots .W e have alluded to M . eordif olia doing well insmoky atmospheres. It is an admirable plant forforecourt gardens in town s ; it stands all weath ers,and assoc'mas the reviving influences of Spring are

felt it unf olds its leaves anddevelops its flewersz acharming Spring plant of unusual attractiveness.

MEGASEA CR ASSIFOLIA.

Am e rican C owslip (D odeca theon) .— The .D oc

deca th eonsmake up a small genus of_

P rimroseworts . According to Chaucer

,wort wasa term

applied to all cultivated plants . These AmericanCowslips grow freely in woods in N orth Ammica

,

where they are known by the name of ShootingStars . They are all perennial, and perfectly hardyin this country

,requiring a cool situation

,and light

loamy soil,though they grow as freely in peat

_

Q l'

leaf-mould, but a proper Situation is the principalpoint in their cultivation . All grow freely

,and

soon form large tufts, whi ch require division everythird or fourth year. The best time to perform thisoperation is the latter end of January or beginning

of February,when th e roots

are becoming active,taking

care not to divide them intotoo small pieces

,as in that

case they are in danger oflosing the plants while in aweakly condition (G a rden)The Species and varieties incultivation are as followsD . Meadia , the commonAme

rican Cowslip , the flowers ofwhich are of a pale purple

,

and fragrant, and producedin umbels on erect

,Slender

stems,twelve to fifteen inches

high . Of this there are severaldistinct varieties

,difiering

more or less in siz e of flower ,colour

,and height of plant .

Among the best of these maybe mentioned g iganteum,

elegans, a lbiflormn, and ciolaceam. D . J efireyanum isthe G iantAmerican Cowslip, the largest of the group ;the foliage is long and erect ; the stems are twentyinches in height

,supporting large umbels of dr oop

ing,rose-coloured flowers , with yellow centres . In

rich,moist

,loamy soil the plant grows vigorously

_

in

an ordinary border, but it succeeds best when partially shaded from the mid-daysun . It is thoroughlyh ardy

,and one of the best of our border perennials .

_D . integrifoliam is the Entire-leaved Ameri can Cowslip being

,perhaps

,the most lovely of the genus ,

and an excellent rock-plant . Its foliage begins tomake its appearance in March

,and wh en well grown

attains a h eight of from four to five inches, supporting four to ten Cyclamen-like blooms of a

deep crimson colour. It is a perfect little gem fora cool

,Shady spot .

J a cob’sL adder — This plant is

usually Supposed to have derived its name (Jacob’sLadder) from its successive pa irs of leaflets.

'

It is

COMMON G AR D EN FLOWER S. 257

also known as the G reek Valerian , which appearsto be a . name of uncerta in origin . Th e generi cname is from p olemos, “war ; and according toP liny a dispute about itsdiscovery led to a war.P . caera leam

,which is usually regarded as the Jacob ’s

Ladder, is an old garden favourite, with itstender

that it has become a favourite bedding plant,also for

the rockwork, and for edgings, but when used inthis manner the flower spikes Should be kept cut

away. In good garden soil,the va riegated form

,

known as P . ccerulemn va riega tmn, is easily cultivated,but it is apt to go off on a very wet clayey ground,

D OD ECATHEON J EFFR EYI .

green leaves,and rather showy blue flowers

,and is

widely diffused over the northern regions of theworld. It is a British plant

,but abounds also in

Siberia and N orthern Europe . It is a fine borderplant

,producing panicles of blue flowers in early

summer, and doing well in ordinary garden soil.

There are several varieties of this Species , and onehas white flowers (P . ccera leum a lbum) and forms . a

handsome and attra ctive plant . The striking beautyof the variegated va riety isso genera lly recognised

while it will flourish in a deep,rich

,well-drained.

loam . Asregards its propagation,it is effected by

simply digging up well-established old plants, pullingthem in pieces, and -then planting them immediatelyin a nursery bed of good soil . This is best done inea rly autumn , so that the young plants may benicely established before mid-winter. P . rep tans, thecreeping P olemonium, is a low spreading kind, anda valuable spring ~flowering species, with panicles ofblue flowers. Thisis a '

native of N orth America ,

CASSELL’S

and it can be propagated by division and byseeds.P . R ichardsoni is a little-known but very beautifulhardy perennial, allied to th e old Jacob

’s Ladder,but

far superior in every respect . It is a native of ArcticN orth ' America, consequently is thoroughly hardy ;and as it iswill thrive in almost any soil or situation, and is also a fine decorative plant, it Should beuniversally cultivated. The flowers are of a lovelySky

-blue colour,with golden-yellow anthers, forminga striking contrast, and are produced

'

in large laxheads

.It grows about two feet in height, and

flowers in May or,

June . There is quite a largegroup of species and their varieties, but those wehave named are best deserving of a place in gardens .They are also very free ofbloom,

lasting for sometime in flower.

Th e E v ening P rim

rose (a otkera ). Th e

common Evening P rimrose is G notbera biennis

,

a tall and stout herbaceousplant

,with long, light

green,smooth leaves, and

large, paleyellow,fragrant

flowers ; and it is calledthe Evening P rimrose because its flowers open aboutSix or seven o’clock in theevening, and, as P arkinsonobservedin 1 629, f ‘ consisting of four pale yellowleaves

,smelling somewha t

like unto a P rimrose as the colour isalso, whichhath caused the name .It isa native of N orth America, but has becomequite naturalised in many spots in the BritishIslands, and also in many countries on the Continentof Europe.Th ere is this peculiarity about the Evening P rim

rose, that it appears to Open its flowers verysuddenly, because the points of the ca lyx are hookedtogether, . and the lower part is burst open someh e before the growth of the corolla is sufi cient

to force apart th e h ooks, but when once this iseffected, the yellow corolla seems to Spread itself outsuddenly.

In reference to itsgeneric name, it is found inTheophrastus

,D ioscorides

,and P liny, and is de

rived from the G reek words, cm’

os,

“wine,” andthe m,

“imbibing,

” because th e plant to wh ichthey applied

(the name provoked thirst, and a

desire for bacchanal indulgence . It was a pinkflowered plant, and does not seem to have beenat all related to our genus E notkera . The specific

(EN OTHER A TARAXACI FOLIA.

P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

name refers to its being a biennial Sown '

in

one year,it blooms and perfects its seeds in the

next or second year. as. bienm'swill grow wellin ordinary garden soil

,and is increased by means

of seed.

There are several very fine hardy perennial formsof the Evening P rimrose ; foremost is 07. aca a lzs,a neat Alpine Species

,forming dwarf little tufts

of greyish foliage,which

(produce an abundanceof large white flowers ; it is very distinct, and amost useful plant . It is a native of Chili . E .

eximz’

a (syn . 043 . ma rg izza ta ) is the Large EveningP rimrose

,introduced from N orth America some

years ago . It is a very fine kind,growing from

nine to twelve inches inheight, blooming as noblyas . any luxuriant nativeof th e tropics, the individual flower being fourto five inches across

,of

the purest white,chang

ing as the flowers becomeolder to a very delicaterose

,the blooms coming

full above the toothed orjagged leaves as the evening approaches, and re

maining in all their gloryduring the night

,emitting

a delicious Magnolia-likeodour . It is a true perennial, quite hardy, andincreased by suckers fromthe root

,which are freely

produced. It can also be increased by cuttings .It begins to flower in May, continuing till theweather gets hot about July

,when it seems to like

a rest, and again bloomsin September and October.Young vigorous specimens in rich ground wouldprobably flower continuously throughout thi s period.

The following accounts for its introduction to thiscountry Mr . R obert Stark, of Edinburgh

,a

well-known lover and cultivator of rare hardyplants

,obtain ed roots of this wh en

‘

in Canada froma botanist in the W estern States of Ameri ca

,and it

is to him we are indebted for its introduction to ourgardens .” or. macroca rp a is in reality‘

a broad-leavedform of 05. missoa riensis

,the Missouri Evening

P rimr ose It is a native of the dry h illson theMissouri

,and the banks of the river. It is a noble

and most useful herbaceousplant, ' with prostrate,ra ther downy stems

,entire leaves

,th eir margins

and nervescovered with silky down,and bears rich

,

clear golden-yellow flowers from four to five inchesin diameter. It isa very showy plant

,growing in

almost any soil or Situation. Asth e seed isbut

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CASSELn’sPOPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

HEa rrmsMULTIFLOR US FLOR E-PLEN O.

isa rare andinterestingspecies, remarkable for being flowers one and a half’

inches across, arranged inthe dwarfest of the perennial group, producing a .tuft a long lea fy raceme. This species flowers abunofspreading, da rk green, glossy leaves, and Slender dautly in September and October. H . multéfloras,stemstwo and a half feet high, bea ring numerous the P erennia l Single Sunflower

,or the Many

THE P IN E -AP PLE .

flowered Sunflower,is a vigorous-growing

.perennial, four feet in height, producing large deep.

yellow flowers from June to October,very useful

for cutting, and one of the ' best Of our autumnflowering perennials, either for massing or forsingle specimens in the border

,and it is one of

the few plants that will thrive in a smoky atmosphere . H . ma ltlflorus

'

f lore-p leno is a doublevariety Oftener met with than th e single form

,and

produces large double yellow flowers .of a handsome character. A variety named maximas

,the

G reat P erennial Single Sunflower,is an enormous

growing variety, attaining the height of six to ninefeet, and producing immense golden-yellow flowers

,

almost as la rge as those of the annual species .Other useful species are H . decap eta las, H . occiden

tale, and H . orgya lis, but they are not nearly so much

grown as the forms Of‘

H . ma ltlfloras, which aredecidedly the best . H . rigidus, better known asH a rp a liwm rlgldwm, is one Of the best of our autumnfiowering perennials the flowers are very large andof a bright golden-yellow colour

,with a striking

black discf It grows about three feet in height,

flowers very fully, and forms a very attractive Obj ect .It is a native Of N orth America

,and has roots

which spread about very much . Like all the perennial Sunflowers

,thi s does well in ordinary borders

,

in which, from its rapidly-spreadin g habit, it willrequire annual division.

The forms of H . ma ltlflorasare being much grownby gardeners, as they are found so useful for cuttingfrom for decorative purposes

,and yellow flowers

being in much demand at the present time,their

growth is deserving of encouragement on this groundalso .

The Jerusalem Ar tichoke(H ellca t/mstuberosus) isa S unflower. Artichoke is a name which D iez derives from the Arabic A rdlscba a lci

,Earth-thorn

,

”

and which _was introduced with the plant by theMoors of Spain . This particular plant is calledArtichoke from the flavour of its tubers

,and Jeru

Salem, whi ch has puz z led many, from the ItalianG iras

'

ole, Turn-sun ,

” that is,asun that turns about.

Unlike the other Sunflowers,it very seldom blos

soms; it will sometimes flower in this country,

after a short dry summer like that of 1 884,when

several instances of its doing so are recorded.

Th ere'

is not sufficient heat in our climate to maturethe seeds:but M . V ilmorin, of Paris, states in the.Bon J a rdim

’

er that he has obtained seeds and raisedseveral varietie s . This species produces tubers inthe soil, and they are baked, roasted, boiled, andserved up with milk and butter, and in variousother ways .It is found wild in Upper Canada and the United

TH E P I N E -AP P L E .

BY W ILL IAM COLEMAN .

CULTIVATION (continued)R esting — By the beginning of August, the majority of the plants will be firm

,stocky and well

matur ed, with plenty of white, healthy roots, workinground the insides of the pots, and through thedrainage . The growing season

,if they are to start

into fruit at the time we have named,will be nearly

over, and the next two months will be devoted to agradual reduction in the supply Of heat and water .

By gradual it must be understood that the transitionfrom active growth to comparative rest must be sosteady as to prevent the possibility of a prematurecheck, which may lead to the most promi sing plantsthrowing up their fruit in mid-winter

,when

,in the

case of Q ueens, the labour of the past season wouldbe thrown away. Therefore the supply of water tothe roots, and in the a ir of the house, must be regulated by the state of the weather

,and the condition of

the bed . If the chilly,foggy nights whi ch charac

terise the month of September prevail,the reduced

Supply of water to the roots and in the atmospheremust be given early in the day ; plenty Of air duringthe 'hour s of sunshin e will then carry off superfluousmoisture

,and an external covering Of some kind

,

while economising fire-heat, will, to a great extent,prevent the condensation of moisture under the glassat a tim e when drip will be most hurtful to the plants .Unless the weather is very bright andfine in October

,

no more water must be given to the roots ; but if , onexamination, the lower part of the plunging-bed isfound to be at all dry

,it will then be prudent to

water between the pots until the whole of the tanis moderately moist, and capable of feeding insteadof robbing the roots during the season of rest .By the end Of October the bottom heat should be

brought down to about and the day and nighttemperatures proportiona lly low— say, 65°as the minimum

,and 75° as the maximum— with air whenever

thesun raises the house to Through N ovemberand D ecember a further all-round reduction of 5°may be made ; but lower than this it will not be safeto go

,unless the weather is very severe, when a fall

of a few degrees through the night,and on dark

days,will be preferable to sh a rp ' firing , which will

render a corresponding supply of moisture absolutelynecessary to counteract its parching influence . If allhas gone well

,th e plants will not require a drop of

water thr ough D ecember ; neither must the fireheat

,which is Often necessary at thi s period

,be so

severe as to rob the plants and pots of the stored-upmoisture

,which will soon be again set in motion . To

counteract its influence on the roots,the watering of

the old tan may be repeated, and when it has thrown

62

off a little of the vapour,a quantity cast up with a

hand-fork round thesides and over the tops of thepetswill keep them quite safe until early in the newyear

,when they will be transferred to other quarters

as “Fruiting P lants .

F ru iting P lantS .—Assuming that the set Of

plants under treatment occupy'

th e hip-roofed house

(Fig . and that the lean-to (Fig . l) is thestructure into which they are to be taken for the completion of the ir cour se , in Order to have the bed readyfor

,

them by the first week in January, it will be necessary to go back to the beginning of D ecember tocommence Operations with the plunging material forgiving a retaining bottom heat . If leaves ca n beobtained

,well harvested and well worked, there is

something about them which places them before tanin the estimation of many for swelling and finishingOff the fruit of the P ine . But this part of the subj ecthaving been touched upon in a previous chapter

,it is

only necessary to say the material, be it leaves or tan,should be placed in the pit in time for the heat,which “invariably revives after disturbance , to settledown to a temperature averaging from 85° towhenplunging may be commenced without furtherdelay. Asthe plants, which have been some ten ortwelve weeks at rest

,will now be divided into two

sections,the first to start into fruit without making

a growth,and the second to make a growth before

they start,and SO form a succession, some discrimina

tion and judgment will have to be brought to bearupon the selection of the fir stset of plants .

F irst Se ction — Asa rule,plants having the

thickest stems, which have shown the greatest disposition to throw out suckers , and with a number ofnarrow

,sharply-pointed leaves in their centres

,will

be found the most certa in starters . All of them,

even when selected by an experienced person,may

not throw/ up their fruit at once ; but the majoritywill do so

,and any that miss can be taken out, and

replaced with others from th e second set,which

,

contrary to expectations,may afterwards start with

out making a growth. For very early work, and togive a supply of ripe fruit in May and June, the timewhen P ines are in the greatest demand, and as anatural consequence of m ost value, imported fruitbeing Out of the market , Q ueens will be the leastlikely to disappoint

,as they are most sensitive , and

swell and ri pen off their fruit quickly. A few plantsof other good summer kinds

,as R othschilds , Fairy

Q ueens , and the alwaysexcellent Smooth-leavedCayenne, may also be taken in for growing fruit,which will form a link between the first and secondba tches , but Q ueens Should formthe majority.

Formerly it was the custom to tie up the leaves as

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

M onth ly Tre a tment — The temperature during this first month may range from 60

° at thebeginning to 65° at the end by night, and 65° to 70°by day

,when fire -heat is the only moving power.

often asthe plants were moved ; but this barbaroustreatment hasbeen given up by all good P ine-growers ,and very wisely too

,as plants of any age , when

allowed to take their natural form of growth, cannotbe so treated without receiving considerable injury

,

and when they arrive at the age of fruiters,with

Short,stiff

,inflexible leaves radiating from the

centre,the trouble of tying up is a considerable

addition to the labour of removal . When a sufficientnumber of plants have been marked for removal

,a

few of the lower leaves must be stripped from thestems

,and all loose inert soil removed as they are

taken out of the bed , preparatory to top-dressing withpieces of rough fibrous loam

,which must be firmly

rammed round the c ollars to keep the plants steady,

and to prevent water from hanging in suspensionabout the surface roots .

P lung ing .— Having determined on the distance

the plants are to be placed apart— two feet to twofeet four inches will not be too much— let each plantbe plunged with the side which formerly grew to thelight again facing the sun . The depth in the bedmust be regulated by circumstances , crea ted by thequantity and condition of the plunging materialfor instance

,if the heat is obtained from a. hea ted

chamber entirely under control and there is nodanger of its rising much above the rims of thepots at the back may be on a level with

,the tan ,

as.

there will be no fear of burning ; but if all theheat is derived from tan or leaves

,then loose Or

shallow plunging will be the safest plan, until suchtime as the heat is a little below when th e

plunging material may be pressed closely about thepots . When it is borne in mind that all the valubleroots are coiling round the insides of the pots, andthr ough the drainage , and that the most important,in fact the most vital point will be their preservationin a fresh, healthy, and very shortly a most activestate

,too much care and watchful attention ca nnot

be devoted to the regulation of bottom heat .When all the plants have

‘

been plunged,they must

be supplied with water of a stimulating nature at atemperature of and in sufficient quantity tomoisten every particle of the soil . Atmosphericmoispure in moderation at first(as too much will startsome of the plants into growth) must be provided bydamping the paths and walls

, but not the surface ofthe bed. Later on this may be done ; but for thepresent the excitement must be due to bottom heat,and a moderate quantity of water about the house .

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264 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

ordinary liquid-manur e tank, into which the drainagefrom stables

,cow-sheds

,or the frame-ground is con

veyed. These should be used alternately , as plants,like animals, benefit by cha nge of diet .If the weather is genial and bright

,the P ines will

now make very rapid progress,as the houses can

be ventilated early,and have a moderate supply

of air through the early part of the day,while the

declin ing sun will not be so hot asto delay closingin the afternoon. Assun-heat with an abundance ofatmospheric moisture can th en be bottled up and keptfor some hours before fires are needed

,the tempe

rature may range about 90° with perfect safety ;indeed, where time is an obj ect , it is no uncommonthing to run P ine- stoves up to 1 00° on bright sunnyafternoons in May.

J ana — I f any of the fruit commenced colouring atthe end of last month

,the proper course would have

been to remove them to a drier house to ripen up ; butasthe majority would not be so far advanced

,June

may be taken 'as the great ripening month . Therefore,

when the lower tips of the fruit assume a lightercolour, the flavour must have full consideration, asfine P ines deficient in flavour are of little value .

This important feature can be obtained in two ways,

either of which must be decided upon by the purposefor which the fruit has been grown . If for an earlymarket , th en ‘ simultaneous maturity

,or what is

termed a glut, being no impediment, the whole housemay be treated to more a irwith plenty of heat, andless moisture both in the atmosphere and the soil .If, on the other hand, the P ines are wanted for private use , then .the treatment

,though practically the

same in its application,must be different in its result

,

as a constant supply of ripe fruit extending over thelongest possible period will be the

,

obj ect held inview. To secure this , and to give late starters, andthe few later kinds , which were recommended forforming the connecting link

,the best possible treat

ment , a ll the early Q ueens should be lifted out

bodily as they begin to change , and placed in a dry,light, airy house, where they can have the benefit ofa partially-spent bed for plunging th em in ; thusdoing

_ away with the necessity of watering,and

securing sufficient heat to'

avoid a check ~.from cold.

Another advantage which attends the early r emovalof ripening fruit from a hot

,

“moist stove,is the

increased length of time which can be devoted tothe ripening process

,and the superior condition of

fruit so ripened for keeping after it is fit for use .

R e t a rding a nd K e e p ing th e F ruit — In th e

absence of a suitable compartment for this purpose,

a Vinery from which ripe G rapes are being cut

answers very well, as partial shade from the V inesprotects the bright golden fruit from the direct rays

of thesun ,and the free circulation of drywarm air,

so essential to the G rapes , is just what is needed forripening and retarding as well as g ivmg high flavourto the P ines .When the season is further advanced, and settledsummer weather has set in, it will be no longernecessary to use a house for retarding purposes, asP ines can be ripened up and kept in an airy G raperoom

,where they will remain in good condition for

several weeks . In this way P ines can frequently bekept a month or six weeks longer than under thebest management in the fruiting -house .

Se cond Se ction of P lants—“

After the firstset of plants were drawn for starting in January,those left behind

,as being the least likely to start

wi thout first making a'

gr owth , should be re -arrangedin the old bed

,where they can be kept quiet during

the succeeding two months . In the meantime, a spanroofed house being at command, preparations shouldat once be taken in hand for getting the fermentingmaterial well worked and settled down into a steadybottom heat of 85° to 90° ready for their receptionby the end of February . Aswas a nticipated, aportion of these plants will make a growth beforethey start

,and so prolong th e supply, by producing

th e finest Q ueens of the season, while the Cayennesand R othschilds will carry it on from the end of May

until the beginning of D ecember . The preparationof the plants and their treatment will

,in almost every

particular,be precisely the same as that recommended

for the first section . They will, however, as may bereadily Understood , requir e less fire-heat , more a ir

and atmospheric moisture through the early stages ,and a fair proportion of them being Cayenn es andR othschilds, two varieties which always take morewater than Q ueens , a more liberal supply of thiselement in a stimulating form will a lso be necessary.

Should any of these plants miss fruiting and continne growing

,in defiance of all the checks that may

be brought to bear upon them, the best plan is not tothrow them away

,in conf ormity with an old custom,

but to keep them on the high-and-dry principle until,

a newly-prepared plunging-pit,with a bottom hea t of

has been made ready for the reception of a. setof suckers or successions , and to cut them ofi at thebase close to th e soil . W ith one stroke of the knif ethey will again be reduced to th e condition of verylarge suckers

,ready for potting and treating in the

usual way,except that the pots should be from nine

to ten inches in diameter as they will not receiveor require another shift into a larger siz e . Havingstripped off a few of the lower leaves

,they should be

firmly potted in rough fibrous loam,and plunged up

to the rimsin the hottest part of the bed,where they

can be pretty closelyshaded from bright sunshine,

THE P IN E APPLE .

and have a slight syr inging daily until they are fairlyrooted . When treated in thi s way , every particle ofthe soil being fresh and sweet, they very soon throwout an abundance of active roots , and become stout,vigorous plants , capable of finishing excellent fruitwithin a few months , as the check causes every oneof t h em to “ show in a few weeks after the cuttingdown.

Summ er Suck e rs. In order to completely dispose of the first set of plants , whi ch h ave been carriedon thr ough the different stages of their growth , fromthe sucker to the ripe fruit, it may not be out of placeto. return to the fruiting-house, where they were leftstanding as stools

,with one or two suckers on each,

ready for detachment . The manipulation and potting of suckers having been di scussed

,it is only ne .

cessa ry to say that the general move forward to fill upthe house they have occupied will make room in thesucker-pit for their reception ; and, as the maj orityof them will be large and well ripened at the base

,

they will_form the first batch for growing on

'

through

the winter. and shifting into fruiting-pots early inthe spring . Wh en all the best of the suckers havebeen taken off and potted

,th e shy kinds, with which

the reader isnow well acquainted,will require special

treatment to set the latent or dormant buds in motion, as well as to bring forward any small suckerson the Cayenn es, which may be considered too smallfor placing in single pots . W ith some it is the pra ctice to water the old stools thoroughly

,and plunge

them in a strong bottom heat to force the growthsforward ; but space at command, as a rule, beinglimited

,it isin several ways advantageous to shake

them out, and re -pot in smaller pots , as the fruitingsiz ed pots are then set a t liberty. The old roots a restimula ted by being placed in new compost feedingliquid can be more frequently supplied

,and a great

number of stools can be plunged with more fermenting material between them than will be the casewhen the large, unwieldy fruiting-pots are retained.

Having shown that the first set of plants, whi chripen their fruit in May and June, furnish suckersthat will supply the earliest fruiters twenty monthslater

,it follows that the second batch

,which ripen

their fruit through August and September, will givethe suckers that will succeed them. But as Q ueenscannot be had in first-rate condition through thewinter months , other kinds, of which little h asyetbeen said

,must be brought forward

,for giving the

late winter and early spring supply .

W inter a nd Sp ring P ines— R eference to thedescriptive list of varieties will show that the SmoothCayenne, B lack Jamaica, Lord Caring ton ,

B eatriceLambton, and R othsc are considered suitable

265

kinds for giving a supply of winter and spring fru1 tbut the last -named being better adapted for autumnand early winter use

,and B eatrice Lambton being

a very large vari ety,more suitable for special re

quirementsthan general private use , the first threestand unrivalled for giving h igh-class P ines

,which

are always good,and can be kept for a considerable

time after they are ripe . Two sets of these shouldbe grown where space admits , and, to treat them properly; separate compartments should be used ; thewarmest and dr iest being devoted to the Jamaicasand Caringtons, the coolest and most airy to theCayennes .It is now an acknowledged fact that houses ofmoderate dimensions are preferable to large onesfor the growth of P ines in general

,and for winter

fruit in particular. The facilities afforded by smallhouses or compartments for covering up the glass atnight must not be reckoned amongst the smallestadvantages gained by keeping the different kindsof winter P inesunder di stinct and

,as a matter

of course,proper treatment . Therefore

,assuming

that the lean-to house,whi ch is better than the full

span roof for winter culture,isdivided into two

equal parts,with an abundance

‘

of p1 ping for givingtop and bottom heat , th e pits should be preparedfor the successions— that is

,the full-siz ed autumn

rooted suckers , by the time th e general stock is readyfor shifting into fruiting-pots in February. N o diffi

culty isexperienced in getting a sufficient number ofJamaica suckers for potting up in August ; but withthe always shy Cayenne matters stand in a more umfavourable light, consequently propagation from dormant eyes

,crowns

,and gills may have been going on

for a yea r or two before plants raised from suchsmall pieces can be considered large enough to betreated as good suckers in the autumn. Should thisbe the ca se

,strong fruiting plants

,carrying perhaps

one or two really good suckers, may be divested inOctober before the fruit is ripe . B ut instead of thestock so obtained being kept cool and dry throughthe winter months

,a compact span-roof pit(Fig .

some five degrees warmer than th e general suckerpit

,will be found suitable for growing th em steadily

on in six-inch pots until they are well rooted.and fit

for shifting with the others in February, or it ma y beearly in March . Late suckers never root so quicklyand freely as those usually taken in September , andshifting before they are ready is quite as bad asallowing the balls to become matted.

W ith the bottom heat standing at a sufficientnumber must be selected , and potted precisely asthe Q ueens - the Jama icasinto ten-inch and theCayennes into twelve-inch pots, the two siz es inwhich they will remain until the fruit is ripe.Their treatment through the spring will not diff er

266 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

from that recommended for Q ueens ; but they willrequire a little more room after the beds have beenrenovated in the autumn

,and the Cayenn es all

through their treatment wi ll take more water andatmospheric moisture than would be good for Q ueensand Jamaicas. Having elevated all th e plants wellup to the light, they must have as much water andm oisture as will keep them steadily progressingthrough the winter. To secure this

,the bottom heat

should range from 75° in N ovember to 80° by theend of January

,and that of the house from 60° at

night to 70°by day. To economise fire and husbandmoisture

,so very important in the maintenance of

a humid,growing atmosphere

,the coveringmust not

be neglected.

In twelve months from the time the suckers werepotted

,they will be large enough for fruiting ; but

as this cannot be secured without a spring growth,

give more top and bottom heat through the earlymonths

,followed by a decided check to the Jamaicas

in June,and a little drier treatment to the Cayennes ;

nearly all the plants will be ready to throw up fromJuly to the end of September .It inyariably happens that the selection of a givennumber of suckers for a special purpose leaves aweaker set behind

,and as they will require more

time than the first lot to grow into a fruiting state,

theone- sh ift system is non so well adapted to theirculture . Many of these plants having been raisedfrom dormant buds and gills of the preceding spring

,

the pots in which they are wintered will not exceedfive inch es in diameter ; and, although the top andbottom heats have been favourable to constant progress

,the pots used for the February shift cannot

well exceed eight inches in diameter . In these,

constantly plunged in a brisk bottom heat ofwith their heads close to the glass in the span-roofpit, they soon fill the small stratum of soil with roots,and are fit for the final shift into ten to eleven- inchpots, which are quite large enough for winter-fruitingCayennes and Jama icas, “by the end of April . Theobj ect being to grow thi s set of plants from thesucker to the fruit without a check

,a close

,compa ct

pit, with full command of top and bottom heat , mustbe available

,otherwise the attempt to swell the fruit

through the winter months will end in disappointment , and the entire loss of a number of plan ts, towhich a great deal of time and patience has been devoted. Unless the young practitioner has a fair stockof plants to fall back upon , his attempt at startingP ines after September should be confin ed to a fewJ ama icasand Ca ring tonsat first, as th ere is no difficulty in obtaining suckers of these varieties

, and

they can be induced to swell off excellent frui t innine- inch pots , provided they are well fed when waterin winter is required.

From the foregoing remarkson winter P ines,it

will be seen that the only way in which their management differs from that of summer fruiters consistsin the maintenance of conditions, asregards heat andmoisture , favourable to steady growth through thewinter months, when Q ueens are in a compara tivestate of rest.

Th e O p en -b ed Syst em .—W e are indebted

to Mr . Mills,at one time gardener at G unnersbury,

for bringing into prominence the planting out

system (as it is generally called), and there - are afew places in this country where it is now pra otised

, the most successful being the R oyal G a rdens, Frogmore, where, as in other large establishments, the Q ueens and tender varieties are stillgrown in pots . The Smooth-leaved Cayenne , whichseems to do the best

,can be grown to great perfection

on this principle, but not better than a number Of

advocates of the pot system can produce them andas plants in pots are easily moved from place to place

,

either to be pushed forward or retarded,cultivators

having limited space at command will find th at theplanting-out system is not the best for giving a con

tinuousand steady supply Of ripe fruit . The usualmethod Of growing the Smooth-leaved Cayenne outOf pots is over hot-water pipes placed in chambers ordry rubble . The tank system is not so well adapted ,as the moisture constantly rising from the Opengutters in course Of time affects the soil, and theroots do not seem to take hold Of the lower stratum

,

which,under ordinary conditions

,is considered the

best. At Frogmore bottom heat is Obtained from abed Of fermenting Oak-leaves, the best of all medi umsfor forcing vigorous growth ; and it is , doubtless,to the use of this material in an immense decayingbody that the wonderful luxuriance and colour Of theplants must be attributed. The suckers, as may besupposed

,are large and good when they are taken Off

and planted over the beds Of rich fermenting leavesin the sucker-pit . In due course they are removedto the succession or fruiting-pit wi th large forks ,where they are placed in rows from two to three feetapart

,and earthed up with large, rough, turfy pieces

Of loam and peat, leaving them standing in ridges afoot or so in height .When passing through the gardens at G unnersbury

many years ago,th e process of sh ifting the succession

plants forward from one pit to another was going on .

Large flakes of half-decayed leaves were hangingfrom the roots

,which

,despite the greatest care, natu e

rally received'

a check , and were thus predisposedto form

.

their embryo fruit,apparently simulta

neously, judging from the equal siz e of the P inesthen swelling Ofi"

:in another house . Sin ce th at timethe planting-out system has made some progress ;

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268 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

that have not started on the way. If these are carefully lifted, and replaced in the back rowwhen thebed has been renovated

,they will start as freely as

cut-over pot plants that miss fruiting. At placeslike Frogmore, where leaves are the principal, if notthe entire

,sour ce of bottom heat, annual renovation

is a necessity,whi ch comes round as regularly as the

crops of fine P ines are cut from the plants ; and ifth ose who have not embarked in the planting-outsy stem are to judge from results , the question willundoubtedly be decided in favour Of the extensiveuse Of Oak- leaves, both for giving bottom heat andswelling Off the fruit.From the preceding pages it must not be supposedthat the Smooth -leaved Cayenne is the only P inewhich does well when planted out . Its free , hardyconstitution undoubtedly places it at the head Of thelist but other varieties, including the Q ueen , can beequally well grown

,as was proved by the late Mr .

Fleming,of Trentham

,who produced Q ueens quite

as remarkable for siz e and quality as the finestCayennes that have yet been grown. And othershave frequently grown them in quantities averagingover six pounds each , in pure loam, Of a calcareousna tur e, which many would consider too heavy forP ines. This particular soil was Obtained from apaddock in wh ich ewes and lambs are kept in thespring

,and was placed over leaves and hot -water

pipes in a succession pit,where the top heat is barely

sufficient to keep Cucumbers alive throughout thewinter months .There are other systems

,including the Meudon,

which at one time brought the French growers intoprominence

,and stimulated our own countrymen

into action. But it is not too much to say that thesupreme excellence of the produce Of our P ine - stovesof the present day will enable British growers tochallenge any country in the world to which the kingof fruits is not indigenous .

R OCK, ALP INE , FER N,AN D WILD

G ARDENING .

A L P I N E P LA N T S .

BY E D WAR D W . B AD G ER ,

L ist of P 1 a nts. — I h the following list theplants which require least skill to grow them successfully are distinguished by an asterisk theothers wi ll be found to require some special treatment as to soil , situation, &c. ,

and are consequentlya little more difficult to grow successfully.

Thereare, however, very few of the plants named whichwill not thrive admirably if the directions given arecarefully followed.

*Accana microp hylla (R osy - spined Acaena) . — Aminute -leaved, very dwarf, tra iling

'

plant .

‘

It produces a number Of insignificant flowers in roundheads . Asthe flowers fade the sepals elongate intobright rosy spines

,which are persistent and pretty

,

and render the plant very conspicuous for severalmonths . Should be planted in an exposed positionaway from larger plants . It blooms from June toAugust and sometimes later ; is easily propaga tedby division ; thrives in any good soil, but shouldbe well supplied with moisture "during the summermonths. This plant is sometimes known 'as A .

N ome Z ea landiw. A native of N ew Z ealand.

*A lyssum saxa tile (Yellow Alyssum) . —A mostvaluable early-flowering plant, producing an abundance Of bright yellowflowers . W ill grow in almostany soil and position

,but a ’dry exposed part Of the

rockery suits it best. R eadily propagated by cuttings Or from seed. A very dwarf variety is knownas A . s. comp a ctum. N ative Of Southern R ussia .

A ndromeda tetragona(Square-stemmedAndr omeda) .— A very distinct and choice little plant, the correctname Of which is Cassiop e tetragona , growing fromsix to eight inches high, bearing pure wh ite bellshaped flowers in April and May. Should be grownin sandy peat kept very moist during the summer .P ropagated by careful division of the roots in spring.

N ative Of N orthern E urope .

Androsa ce ca rnea (R osy Androsace) .— A lovelyalpine with rosy flowers

,which may be grown with

only moderate care provided it be supplied withplenty of water during the summer

,and is planted

in a peaty soil mixed with sandy loam. P ropagatedfrom Offsets and seeds . European Alps .Androsa oe Gimme/h eme (R ock Jasmine) .— A mostdesirable plant for the choice rockery. Should begrown in a fully- exposed position where there isplenty of root-room and the soil is a good sandyloam. The surface of the soil should be coveredwith nodules Of sandstone to prevent too rapidevaporation of moisture . P lenty Of water must begiven during the growing months . P ropagated bydivision . A native Of the European Alps .Androsa ce Zamug inosa (Himalayan Androsace).This plant isso good that a sheltered position on therockery should be provided for it

,and duplicate

plants‘

in-pots preserved in the cold frame during thewinter month s. It should be planted at the edge ofa rock over th e face Of whi ch it may trail . Soil ,light and well drained. D uring growth plenty Of

water should be supplied. A little extra .care andtrouble bestowed upon it will secur e an amplereward. P ropagated by cuttings of the currentgrowth. A native of the ’

Himalayas.Androscwesa rmentosa (Bushy Androsace) .— A beautiful plant, forming dense silvery-grey rosettes, with

R OCK,ALP IN E ,

FER N ,AN D WILD G AR D EN IN G .

rapidly-sprea ding stoloniferous runners . Flowersshaded rosy-pink ; soil pea ty loam,

though we haveit thriving in ordinary garden soil with whi ch plentyOf lea f-mould is intermingled. P ropagated by cut

tings . From the H imalayas .’x‘Anemone ap ennins(ApennineW ind-flower) .— Aheasily-grown

,lovely plant

,quite hardy

,producing

beautiful bright blue flowers . Suitable for rockwork or the mixed border. Flowers in spring.

Is ea sily increased by division . A native Of theApennines .

*A nemone Manda (W inter W ind-flower) .— Muchlike A . apennina ,

but a deeper blue flowers earlier,

and is,if possible

,hardier. D eserves to be planted

"

extensively . W ill grow in any well-drained,good

soil on rockwork or in borders . P ropaga ted by division when a t rest . .A native of G reece .*Anemone f ulgens(Scarlet W ind-flower) .— A plantwhich blooms very early . The flowers are a mostbrilliant scarlet

,

‘ and last a long time when cut .

Suita ble for beds, borders , and rockwork,and will

grow in ~any good, rich soil . Should be kept moistwhen growing; P ropagatedby division and seeds .A native Of Southern Eur ope. It is plentiful insome parts of France .

*Anemone nemorosa (W ood An emone) . - One of ourloveliest native plan ts . B esides the more plentif ulsingle vari ety, there is a handsome double one, theflowers Of which are more durable than the singlevariety, and the same colour ; also a rose- coloureddouble (m om/l. p l.) and a single blue one(caernlea ) .All are spring bloomers , and are fitting tenants ofthe choicest rockery. Soil, a strongish loam,

in asomewha t shady position . The double forms maybe easily propagated by division Of the tubers whenthe plan t is at rest after the foliage has died down .

Anemone p a lma ta (P alma ted W ind - flower). — A

plant with leaves somewhat lik e a Cyclamen, producing yellowflowers. Must be grown on a levelpart Of the rockery

,where it will have room to

spread, which it will do in good peaty loam,if not

overrun by more rapidly-growing plants . It is sogood as to be deserving of a little extra care andattention . A white form Of thi s Anemone is Offeredin some catalogues . Can be propagated by divisionof the roots and by seeds . A native Of the shores ofthe Mediterranean .

Anemone P nlsa tilla (P asque Flower) . -A fine ,

long - cultivated native plan t,which blooms about

Easter. The ordinary kind has purplish flowers,

but there are several other kinds in cultivation.

D oes well in a. dry,cha lky soil, but may be grown

successfully in almost any situation where it hasafull exposur e. P ropagated chiefly by division .

Anemone mnuneuloz'

des(Y ellow W ood Anemone).— Should be grown in warm,

well-drained situa tions .

’

69

Flowers yellow,in spring . P ropagated by division

and seeds. N ative of Southern Europe .Antenna ria dioica (Mountain Cudweed) . —A

charming plant, which , from the silvery colour ofthe leaves , invariably forms a pretty contrast withgreen- leavedAlpines . G rows in neat tufts and makesa good edging . Ordinary soil ; flowers in earlysummer. Easily propagated by division. A native plant .

*Antennam°

a tomentose (Snow P lant) . -A silveryleaved, dwarf, spreading plant Of first-rate quality ;grown for its foliage effects

,the flowers not being

attractive . Should be grown in well-drained sandyloam . P ropagated by division . A native Of theR ocky Mountains .Aquileg ia, cwrnlea (R ocky Mountain Columbine).One of the loveliest flowers grown in our gardens.They are la rge

,blue and white

,and very long

spurred. G rows nine to twelve inches high ; is notparticular about soil

,but thrives best in fairly rich

well-drained loam . B looms in May and June,sometimes later . Easily raised from seeds . A

native of the R ocky Mountains .*A rena rz

’

a baleam'

ea (Balearic Sandwort) .— One ofthe dwarfest-growing plants we possess. The leavesare very minute

,and the habit of the plant is to

densely spread like a tiny Moss . P lanted close tostone, it rapidly attaches itself to it, and will sooncover a. considerable space . The flowers are purewhite stars lifted a little above the leaves . A gemof the loveliest kin d, which deserves a place onevery rockery. Should be fully exposed and protected from the visitation Of la rger-leaved plants .Easily propagated by divisions pressed firm ly in thesoil. It comes to usfrom Corsica .

Asp erula odom ta (Sweet Woodruff) . — One of ournative plants

,whi ch may properly find a place on

the rougher and larger rockeries . Its leaves smelllike sweet h ay, and the flowers

,which are plentiful

,

are Of the purest white, and appear throughoutMay.

P ropagated by division.

=x= Aster a lp inus(Alpine Starwort).— Most Astersgrow too tall for the rockery

,but thiskin d rarely

exceeds six to nine inches in height . The flowersare lavender-blue in colour , Of large siz e, and areproduced early in the summer. Ordinary gardensoil. P ropagated by division . N ative Of the Alps .*Aubrietia deltoidea, (Three -angled Aubrietia) .round

,spreading, tuf ted plant , producing abundance

Of flowers of a pleasing shade of purple, early inSpring. P articularly adapted for positionswhere itcan hang over a face of rockwork . A . Camp belliae

is very bri ght in colour. Other good kinds are A .

grandzjlom and A . gra m. A . p urp urea va riega ta hasnicely vari egated leaves . Thrives in any kind Of

soil . P ropagated by seeds and division . N a tive Of

th e Levant, G reece, &c.

270 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN I NG .

*Bulbooodium vernum(Spring-blooming Saffron) .A very early — January to March— blooming, bulbousp lant, when planted in dryish, sheltered, sunny posit ions . G ood sandy loam suits it adm irably. D ivision of the bulbs every two or thr ee years in July.

A native of South and East E urope.Ca landm

‘

nia wnbella ta (Umbel flowered Calandrinia ) . — B ears most brilliantly coloured flowersmagent'a- crimson . The plant is of dwarf growth,easily raised from seeds, whi ch should be sown inpots or where they are to remain . Thrives best infully-exposed situations facing south. Soil, sandy

“

peat . A native Of Chili .3“Cmnp a/nula-s(Bell-flowers) .— Many members ofthis family will be favouri tes with almost every one.The kinds named below are the gems of the B ellflowersof dwarf growth . The cultivation Of all ofthem is extremely easy

,and they can nearly all be

easily propagated by division,cuttings

,and seeds .

G ood ordinary garden soil will be found to suitmost of them wh en ' the drainage is good and thetexture of the soil Open.

3? 1 . Camp anula carp a tiea (Carpathian B ell-flower) .— Moderately dwarf, averaging eight inches high,and bearing comparatively large

,bluish flowers .

Commences blooming early in summer. The whitevariety(0. 0. a lba ) is worth growing for contrast Ofcolour . N ative of the Carpathian Mountains .2:Cannp anula f rag ilis(Fragile B ell-flower) . —Thisis a true Hairbell of dainty growth

,with a name

which most propagators know to have been mostjudiciously bestowed, and which suggests carefulhandling. The flowers are a pale blue

,somewhat

Open in form . It, is a very dwarf grower and

should never be placed near rapidly growing plants .The best situation for it is in a warm

,sheltered

crevice , well drained, the soil being decidedly lightin texture . The best way to propagate it is by cut

tingsin spring . It is a native Of Southern Italy,

which will suggest that it is somewhat tender,and

requires a little more care for itsprotection th an isusually bestowed. This is a plant of whi ch duplicates should always find a place in the win ter protected frame.3 . Camp anula G a rganioa , (gargano Hairbell).— Asweet little plant, producing an abundance of paleblue flowers . Its habit of growth is prostrate

,and it

should be planted in such positions as will make th emost Of this characteristic. Its proper position isalongside plants of dwarf growth

'

fully exposed on arocky surface, in a crevice of which it will thriveand delight every one . Easily propagated by seeds

,

cuttings, and division. Soil, rich and good. N ative

4. Om anula hedemcea (Ivy-leaved Belleflower)— Thisisone of the most charming of our na

tive plants . W e have seen it thriving on a damplawn in W arwickshir e , in front of the CheverelManor ” Of one Of G eorge Eliot’s prettiest tales ; inthe Fairy G len near Llaa st ; and in a damp lanenear B ettws-y- coed . Its correct botanical name isWaklenbergia hedemcea . It is a charming little plant,but to ensure its successful growth there must be anabundance of moisture, and the only place where itmay be expected to thrive is the artificial bog . It maybe readily divided

,and will grow freely if provided

with the natural conditions of its native habitat . Itsmerits will well repay the trouble necessary for itssuccessful cultivation .

3“5. Campannla H endersonl(Henderson’sB ell-flower)— This is a plant growing to a height Of twelveinches or more

,but it is so floriferousand beauti

ful that in the rough er parts of the rockery itmay well find a place . Its salver- shaped bloomsare produced profusely ; their colour is a bluishp'

urple ; and it is a plant of decided merit, easilygrown .

=x= 6. Camp annlnp ulla(Violet B ell-flower) —A somewhat rare species, which should be preserved in thereserved frame we have already referred to . It issomewhat delicate in constitution in our climate , andshould be placed in a most favoured situation

,but its

merits will repay all these attentions . Soil, sandypeat . In creased by division . A native of theTyrol and elsewhere .

7 . Camp anula pmnila (D warf B ell -flower) .This is a lso known as the Tufted B ell-flower, orCampanula cwsp itosa . N oth ing can be grown moreeasily or be propagated with less trouble

,as every

scrap Of it may be easily grown into a plant ; at thesame time

,nothing in our gardens is more likely

to afford pleasure . It has two varieties,the white

and the blue,and both are equally hardy . It growsonlysome four inches high

,spreads rapidly

,blooms

profusely ; thrives best in a somewhat moist position,though it would be difficult to name a spot where itwould fail to thrive . A native of the European Alpsand elsewhere . This should find a place in everygarden .

8 . Camp anula R a ineri (R ainer’s B ell-flower) . — Arare plant

, but as we find it named in most of thebest listsOf Alpines now Ofiered for sale at a moderate price

,we unhesitatingly recommend it . It is

a dwarf plant of great excellence . It relishes goodsoil and a sunny position . It comes from the Swissand Italian Alps .

’l“9 . Cannp annlaz rotundzf olia (R ound-leaved Hairbell) — This isour native Harebell

,or Hairbell,

whichever is the proper name .,

Every one knowsit, and no one dispute s its charms . It isnamedhere for the purpose of recommending the whitevariety, which isfit for any position on the choicest

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72 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

such as bloom during the depth Of winter. Theseare for the most part quite hardy, but the flowersappear at a time when they would almost certa inlybe injured if grown unprotected out Of doors innearly all parts of England . The kinds namedbeloware such as bloom either in spring or autumn ,

and

are all moderate or not very extravagant in pri ce .They all thrive in rich alluvial soil . They shouldbe planted about thr ee inches below the surf ace, andtaken up and re-planted every year, as thecorms get nearer the surfaceeach year; the new one forming above the Old one . Theearlier they are plant edafter the corms are procurable the better

,as when

they are ready to commence growth they rapidlydeteriorate . The foliageshould in no case be re

moved prematur ely, as is tooOften done, but should beallowed to di e Off naturally

,

or the corms will not be solarge as they otherwisewould be. Crocuses may

be grown pretty successfullybeneath the dwarfer Saxifra ges and other similarplants

, but this plan is atbest somewhat of a makeshift method

,and is only

mentioned here for the purpose Of suggesting h ow toavoid bare places on therockery.

Spring blooming Crocuses.— First to be named arethe best D utch kinds

,

which are usually Offered CR OCUS BOR YI .

in seedsmen’s catalogues .

Many of these are of great beauty, and they ihclude the following colours B lue

,purple

,

striped,white and yellow

,and intermediate shades

and combinations Of these colours . Some of thechoice named D utch Crocuses are very large andhandsome

,and are particularly adapted to produce

striking effects on the rockery when out-door flowersare very scarce

, and consequently correspondinglyprecious. B esides these

,whi ch for the most part are

the progeny Of 0. vernnsand 0. aureusand theirvarieties, there are some species of greater raritywhich , where variety is desired, may well be grownby enthusiasts. Of these we will mention 0. d a ta

vious(white, with black lines), 0. a tlantz'

ous(white,striped with brown), 0. aureus(rich golden-yellow),

C. banna tz‘

cus(purple) , 0. bifiornsp usillus(a miniatur e form of the Scotch or Cloth Of Silver Crocus), O. B 07 y1.(white, bright orange at the throat) ,0. Imp em tz

’

(variable in colour and markings),C'. la cteus(creamy-white) , C. Sieberi (bright lilac,orange at the base) , 0. stella ris(yellow,

stripedwith black), 0. sulp hm eusconcolor (sulphur) , C. s.stria tus(yellow, striped with black) , 0. s. p a llidus(primrose) . These specially named kinds vary inpri ce from 3 d. to 1 s . per corm

,and are easily Obtain

able from lea ding housesin the bulb and D utchflower- root trade .Autumn-blooming Crocuses.

— Crocu3 cancella tus(variously colour ed from whiteto pale bluish-purple) , 0

a rp etanus(pa le purple) , 0etruscas(blue , grey, andwhite) , 0. ir idiflorus Of

whi ch byz antznus is asynonym (rich lilac, shadedwith purple), C. long iflorusmilitensis (light purple,yellow at the throat) , C

medias(bright purple , veinedat the base ; the stigmatabright sca rlet and muchbranched) , C. nudtflorus(violet-purple), 0. ochroleueus(creamy-white, orange base) ,0. odoruslongiflorus(softlilac) , Op ulclzellus(lavenderblue) , 0. sa tivus(purple) ,C. serotinus(blue) , C’. sp eciosus(blue) , 0. suaveolens(violet , fawn, and black),and O. z ona tus(pale lavender

,with scarlet z one

— most beautiful) . Theseautumnal kinds vary from

3 d. to 1 s. 6d. each corm ,except sa tivus

,which is

procurable at 6d. per doz en.

AsCrocuses are good seed bearers and are readilyhybridised

,it is to be hoped that amateurs will

possess th emselves of many of the species namedabove

,and devote some attention to raising new

varieties . They will find the work very interesting.

Crocuses are easily raised from seed, which shouldbe sown as soon as ripe. In from two to three yearsthe seedlings will bloom . Th e additions made tothi s genus in recent years are of sufficient interest

‘ and variety to warrant the expectation that stillfurther valuable additions will be Speedi ly made, ifa su fficient number of amateur s can be induced toeng age in th e work Of hybridi sation .

R OCK, ALPIN E , FER N ,

Uyanwntlmslobatus(Lobed Cyananthus).— A rarerock gem

,delighting in

_peaty ' soil and full exposure.

.

It does not usually exceed nine inches high.

It flowers in August a nd ,September. Is increasedfreely by cuttings, and by seeds when obtainable,but a dry season is needful to ripen them. A nativeof the Himalayas. Should be grown in positionswhere the ' stonesof th e rockery allow it to nestlebetween Situation fully exposed, but damp ,It flowers during September and October. Q uiteworth trying inthe bog-garden.

CyclamenA t/cinsi(Atkins’Cyclamen) -Th e worthymanwho raised this variety was of Opinion that thehardy Cyclamens ought always to be planted. below

the surface of the soil, in this country at least. He

paid much attention to the subject, and was one Ofth e most successful growers of hardy Cyclamens.Hischief reason for the opinion expressed abovewas that

,in many cases , the roots Of hardy Oyola

mensproceed from the upper surface of the tuberonly. Our

,Own experience bea rsout this idea .

Mr . Atkins\was also Of Opinion that hardy Oyola

mens should be grown in rich, friable, Open soil, of ,

which,

vegetable de'bm'sformed a constituent, andthat plenty of moisture should be supplied to them .

They are best placed in warm,sheltered

,and well

drained positions ih th e rock garden, where theywill usually thrive to the grower’s content . Theyshould not be exposed to the east or the .north ifsuccess is desired . These interesting plants arereadily raised from seed sown as soon as ripe ln

pots, the surface being covered with moss, which is

AN D WILD G AR D EN IN G .

to be removed gradually when th e tiny plants beginto make their appearance . 0. A tkinsi produces rosyred flowers in February and March. There isalso awhite form of this hybrid variety.

Cyclamen Odum (R ound-leaved Cyclamen). Thisspecies blooms at the same time as the foregoing, theflowers being deep red . These plants

,when grown

in the Open air,should

,from th e period when they

bloom,be afforded some protection and a t least

should,

be covered with bell-glasses (cloches) . Itwill be still better to growsome of them in frames,for in severe winters the flowerswill be much injured in the Open. Soil should be rich and welldrained. A native of the

_G reek Ar chipela go .

Cyclamen europ aeum(European Cyclamen) . -Thisflowers from June to N ovember, more or less , a o

cording to the season . The normal colour is brightred, and the blooms are very fragrant . Usuallydoes well in a light

,rich

,loamysoil, well drained.

A na tive Of Switz erland.

Cyclamen,

hedemzf oliwn (Ivy-leaved Cyclamen)A synonym Of th is plant is 0. neap olitannm. Thisisin bloom from the end "

of_

August to October. Itisa “

very hardy kind ; grows almost in every kind Of

4 2

27 3

soil and situation,though kindly attentionsare never

thrown away upon it. It is a native of Switz erlandand elsewhere .

D ap hne B lag ag/cma (Wh ite D aphne). —This is atpresent rather rare, but when its great merits arerecognised it will be in much request, and will nodoubt be forthcoming from all the leading tradegrowers of Alpines. I t grows aboutsix inches high

,

and has sweetly-scented white flowers, which appearearly in the year. It should be grown in lightsandy loam and peat. P ropagated by layers. A

native of Carniola.* D ap ime Uneorum(G arland Flower) — This dwarfevergreen produces under favourable circumstancesa profusion of rosy-pink flowers, deliciously perfumed. It rarely exceeds n-ine inches in height . Itbloomsearly in the summer, and sometimes also inthe autumn . Sandy peat should be mixed with thesoil

,and a plentiful supply of “water“ applied during

the summer months . Should be planted in an open,

sunny position. Propagated by layers . A nativeof the European Alps .

.D ap ime rupestm’s(R ock D aphne) —Another lovely

rock plant of dwarf growth, and when grown wellis Oovered with a mass of rosy pink flowers . G rowsnaturally in the fissures of limestone rocks . Shouldbe grown in light sandy loam and peat, and caretaken to prevent it being overrun by more rapidlygrowing plants:* D lantlmsa lp inus(Alpine P ink) . —B ears solitaryrosy-pink flowers from July to August . Is verydwarf in growth. Will grow in almost any soil,but thrives best when peat is one of the ‘ principalingredients . It enj oys

'

an exposed‘ position, butshould be kept rather moist . Can be propagatedfrom seeds Or by division. A native of Austria , &c.

D iantkusewslus(Cheddar P ink) . — S‘

o namedpOpularly because it grows wild on the Cheddar rocks inSomersetshire . It is also found in various partsofthe European continent, on limestone or volcanicrocks . The flowers, which appear in early summer,are large and rosy in colour It should be grown onthe highest and driest part of the rockery. It alsogrows well on walls, and the best way to establishit there would be to sow the . seeds on the wallin ' a little cushion of moss, if such existed, or ifnot

,to place a little earth with the seed in a chink

of thewall.* c mtlmsdeltoides(Maiden P ink ; G erarde called

it the Virgin-like P ink) . — Another native D ianthus,which will grow anywhere, and . is admirably fittedfor the rougher and drier parts of th e rockery. Theflowersare pink or spotted with white. The flower.stems are from six to twelve incheslong. It flowersmore or le ss through out the summer. P ropagatedby division or from seeds .

274 CASSELL’

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G AR D EN IN G .

D iantlmsdm tosus'(Tooth ed P ink ).— A dwarf kindproducing large flowers much toothed at the edge .In bloom ' during May and June and often later.Thrives in light, dryish soil ; can be readily raisedfromseed. Is a native of Southern R ussia .

* D iantkusgla cia lls(G lacier P ink) . — One of thechoicest gems of th e rock-garden . It is very dwarf.The flowers are rosy-pink

,and it is quite hardy.

G row it in poorish, sandy soil, fully exposed. P ro

pa gated from seed and by division . N ative of theAlps and P yrenees.D odeca theon lmegmf olium,

now named Meadow

lancff ollum(Entire-leaved Cowslip) -A gem from theR ocky Mountains . Flowers in May. Soil, sandypeat . Situation not too exposed. B e st grown in potspreserved in a frame during winter

,and plunged in

a shady part of the rockery during summer. P ropa

gated by careful division and from seeds .*D ryasoctop eta la (White D ryas) .— A neat nativeevergreen trailing plant, having white flowers .Moist peat suits it best . P ropagated from seedsand by division. There 1salso a yellow-flowered

species named D . D rummondi,to which the foregoing

remarks apply equally.

Edm lcmtfiusdalma tieus(D almatian Edra ianthus) .— A herbaceous perennial of which slugs are ah

normally fond. I t rarely exceeds four inches inheight . The flowers are pale purple in colour

,and

an inch in length . The soil should be gritty andwell drained, and the position in fissures among themost exposed rocks . The offsets may be used forpropagation if separated after the plant goes out offlower. It blooms in July and August. N ative ofD almatia and Switz erland. The modern name isWaklenberg z

’

a tenuzf olia .

*E ricas(Hardy H eaths) . — Among hardy Heathsthere are a '

number of very dwarf-growing kinds ofgreat beauty, which are admirably adapted for firstclass positions on the most select rockery. Many ofthese form dense dwarf cushions of velvety-greenwhen not in flower

,but when in flower are gems not

to be matched. They should all be planted in fullyexposed positions

,and in soil in which sandy peat

predominates . The following is a list of the bestand most characteristic kinds — E rlea cam ee (fleshcoloured) , E . e. a lba (pure white— very choice ), E .

Tetra lix M a ekaycma (crimson), E . e’agans(CornishH eath) . E . vulg arlsa lba a zlrea (golden foliage) , E . v.

a . H ammoudi(white), E . v. A llp ortl(crimson), E . v.

Fewil (a compact variety), and E54) . Pygmea (verydwarf) , are all forms of th e common Ling(Ga llwmculgam

‘s). There are many other kinds worth growing, the names of which may be found in the cataloguesof th e leading growers .*E ¢ 'odlum R eicka rdll (R eicha rd’sHeronsbill). —A

pretty dwarf plant, with numerous small white

flowers , from June to August . Soil,moist sandy

peat or loam . N ative of Maj orca.

Erp etion remf orme (N ew Holland Violet) . — An

Australian plant , not quite hardy in this countryexcept in warm sunny spots . It th erefore is needfulto give it in-door protection during winter. It is,however

,such a perfect little gem that no one will

grudge as much attention to it asthey bestow oncommon-place half-hardy summer bedding plants .It is a suitable plant to form a close-fitting ca rpet

in the best positions . Soil, light and well drained.

P ropagate d by divisions,protected in pots in the

winter,and planted out the latter end of May.

R equires plenty of water during the summer .Erysimum p umilmn (FairyWall-flower). -A verydwarf plant , suitable for the highest and driestpositions of the rockery, or on the tops of old walls .It has a branching habit, and the prostrate shootsoften emit rootswhere . they come in contact withthe soil

,so that it is ea sily propagated. Soil

,very

sandy loam. N ative of Switz erland .

Erytlw'

onimn dens-cams(D og’s-tooth V iolet) .

- One of the choicest of early spring-bloomingplants ; foliage and flowers alike beautiful . A

mixture of peat with ordinary soil seems to suit itbest, but it will grow under almost any conditionsprovided it is fully exposed . It propagates itselfby the formation of new bulbs annually

,and these

should be taken up , divided, and re -planted everythird year early in the autumn . N ative of CentralEurope .

G a lanlhzlsnim lis(Snowdrop) . — N ot only the

common kind,tha n which none is more beautiful

,

but G . Imp era ti and G . Elwesl should be grown byevery one . The common Snowdrop is thoroughlynaturalised in many parts of England

,but it is

doubtful whether it is indigenous . N eeds no specialculture

,and propagates itself by rapid increase of

its bulbs .G entiansa caulis(G entianella) . — To grow this

well it must be planted in deep rich loam,and be

well supplied with water during the summer. Al

though in some respects a common plant like our

D aisies,it is like them too in being extremely lovely.

There isreally nothing like it in this respect, itsbeautiful dark blue flowers, when the plant thrives,h aving no equals. Wherever the circumstances suititsrequirements it grows like a weed, and no

’ onecan have too much of it . The base of the rockeryseems to suit

.

it best,and it should be grown in

positions rather flat than sloping , ‘

and fully exposedto the sun . Maybe readily propagated by seeds anddivision . It flowers from May to July. It is anative of the Alps and P yrenees . Wh ere a bogbed exists it should be planted as a marginal plant,as it is fond of p lenty of moisture .

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76 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

N one of the designsin thisdepartment of floraldecoration, except the rustic baskets and flat dishes

just referred to, need be dressed with flowers at thebase . In fact it is better that no such styles ofarr angement be chosen which of necessity requirethis kind of filling:we would rather prefer, in ageneral way

,those vases which are elevated somewhat

above the immediate surroundings . In all cases alsoavoid the error so often committed of over-crowdingthe flowers ; better to choose another vase, and theefiectwill be greatly enhanced thereby. D o not letone ' vase be a coun terpart of the other, avoid re

petition as asexcessive crowding. I f one

Fig .5.— A R USTIC BASKET FOR THE BOUD OIR OR D R AWI N G -R OOM . (Filledwith cutflowers.)

or species of flower, predominate in onestand

,see that the Opposite is the case in . the other .

Flowers are coming to be much sought after forbed and dressing rooms

,especially as a welcome to

invited guests . Such flowers should be chosen withforethought

,avoiding those which h ave more than

usually strong perfumes, and in the case of one colourpredominating among the surrounding furniture ofthe room; avoid t hat colour in particular. Smallspecimen glasses with a solid base are the best inwhich to arrange what few are required. There willnot, thus, be much room for artistic arrangement,simplicity being what should be aimed at. Thefoliage used therewith should be of good lastingproperties ; in an emergency it can then be taken forpersonal decoration with other flowers

,if necessary.

P reserv a tion . of Cut F lowers— The mistake is very often made of exposing cut flowers inroomsto sharp currents of air thus

,if a stand is

arranged and placed nea r a windowthat isopena considerable part of the day, the flowers andfoliagemust of necessity fade the sooner. Thi s caution isthe more requisite when we have to do with forcedflowers early in the Spring these

,by reason of being

pressed into flower out of their proper season, have

not, as a rule, that persistency or power of resistingthis exposure which flowers have in their naturalseason . The same caution is required in dea lingwith tender exotics, during chilly weather especially.

The better way will be to place the flowers in a

position where this evil can be partially avoided,yet

not in proximity to a fire-place. Cut flOwers

oftentimes placed in small vases on thepiece this when the fire isalight is a great mistake,worse even than the exposure to the draft. In lieuof using fresh flowers in such a position, we wouldurge all decorators to furnish their vases with everlasting flowers and grasses

,asrecommended in a

previous chapter. W ith very choice flowers on

which special va lue may be placed, it is an excellentplan to arrange them _ in a vase which when filledcalf be covered with a glass shade . In this manner their retention of colour and freshness will begreatly enhanced. When each vase in its turn hasto be re filled, some of the flowers, if necessary, cangenera lly be used over again

,excepting in the sum

mer months, when the quantity is more abundant.Those flowers that are still fresh should have a littlepiece taken off the end of the stem

,so that the

fresh water given them is‘

the more readily absorbed .

The water in which Stocksin particular, and someother flowersalso, are placed, is soon rendered

D ECORATIVE USE OF FLOWER S. 277

obnoxious; in such ca ses fresh supplies should be and striking flowers. R iehamdia wthlop iea (thegiven at lea st every other day, the vases at the same Lily of the N ile), with the spathes of Anthurz

’

wm,

time ha ving a thorough cleansing. Scherzerlcmum,would give an efiective display during

P LAN TS AR R AN G ED iN AN IMP R OMPTU STYLE ,FLOWER IN G AN D FOLIAG E INTER MIXE D .

E N TR AN CE -HALLS AN D COR R ID OR S. the spring months,bearing in mind the ' addition of

In dea ling with floral arrangements for these , appropriate foliage aspreviously advised. Later onthere is an excellent opportunity for exercising the larger forms of D aff< dils could be turned toone’sabilitiesin the grouping together of hold a good account ; these in turn being followed by

CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

numbersof herbaceous plants,a

such as the showypanicles of the D elphiniums

,with the distin ct Spikes

of th e Funkias, and their own handsome foliage .Following these there are the hardy Liliums(Lilies),as L . candlelum

,L . eha leedonieum,

L . longlflorum,.L.

Humboldtll, and the forms of L . la neif ollum orsp eeloswm. for the autumn . B efore the last of thesea re fit to use there will be plenty of G ladiolus spikesto be had ; these form excellent subjects for sideboard decoration . At the same season , too, there arethe single D ahlias

,whilst the smaller forms of Sun

flowers (Helianthus), chiefly of the herbaceoussection

,will have been useful for some time . Then

we have the G uernsey and B elladonna Lilies,that

will take uson till the late autumn flowering varietiesof Salvias are fit for use (chiefly the forms of Sa lemsp lendens) . After these are past there will be an

abundant choice of Chrysanthemums , which willa fford for several weeks an excellent variety in bothcolour and form . When these are over and gonethere will be the spikes of

’

Epa criS in various shades,and Sehizostyliscoccinea

,with Eucha risama zonlca

,

which should be used when the last two or threeflowers are about developed, so that there ‘ is nowaste by taking off the spike. The Eucharis can ofcourse be worked into use at other seasons of theyear, in unison with the richly-coloured forms ofEnglish and G erman Iris in particular

,also with

Va llota p urpurea , and the Amaryllis which flowerearly in the season.

In this manner the year can be bridged roundwith suitable subj ects for bold and striking arrangements , which in such positions are more appropriatethan any other form of decorations. In the place offresh flowers when these may be scarce

,or to use in

addition to them, we have choice of the.

gracefulplumes of the P ampas G rass(G ynerium a rgenteum) ,and the Silvery Arundo (Arundo consp ieua ) . Theears of Indian Corn, too, can be turned to goodaccount , so also can the Species of Typha or Cats’

tails . These latter would be a good contrast to theplumes of the P ampas . Very eff ective

,too,are well

grown examples of Oelosla pyramida lis. W e manageto secure these after the plants have done their turnin the conservatory

,and Show signs of decay in the

roots and stem, the tops being still fresh and bright .Flowers that are comparatively small

,and only to be

hadwith short stems,are not so well suited for these

methods of grouping. The majority of the examplesthat we have given will only be seen on one side ineither entrance-halls or corridors the best and mosteff ective way of arranging them therefore will beto one face

,

” inwhich manner some most strikingarrangementsca n be ma'de, that with a little pra ctice can soon be improved upon by those who havenot a ttempted much in this direction before . It is

necessary, however, to have vaseswith a firm

footing , to avoid any danger of toppling over afterbeing filled.

SIN GLE PLAN TS FOR R OOMS.

There are many plants which can be advantageouslyused in the various apartments of the h ouse

,im

parting in many instances a characteristic appearancewith the surrounding obj ects in each room

,and in

unis'

on too with the decorationsof the same . Of suchplants, those that are grown for the beauty of theirfoliage will

,as a general rule

,be found the more

suitable . These may be divided, we think , with advantage into two divisions:fir st

,those which can be

grown with . tolerable success for a portion of theyear at least in the said rooms ; and, secondly, thosewhi ch are handsome obj ects for decorations of a temporary character, but by reason of their susceptibilityto be injured if allowed to remain for any length oftime

,should not be employed as permanent orna

ments . It is morally impossible to grow with successthose plants which require the maximum of heat andmoisture for their proper development. In rooms,the plants have no congenial atmospheric conditions

,

no genial dew at,night to invigorate their foliage

for the retention of health in the same,and as an aid

to the perfecting of future growths. This , combinedwith the scarcity of light that is obtainable in somepositions(for plants often get placed in out-of -theway nooks and corners) is the frequent cause offailure . If we for a moment. glance at these plants,which in their native climes revel in heavy dews andconsiderable rainfall , we shall see the struggle theyhave to maintain life under such disadvantageousconditions . E verything that can be done to counteract these drawbacksto successful culture

,should be

acted upon by preparing the plants beforehand forthese uses

,gradually inuring them to the changes

they have to go through .

N o plants should be used 1 n room decorations thathave been recently re potted into larger pots , or byreducing the siz e of the ball and putting them backagain into the same pot. All plants should bethorough ly well established 1 n the pots they occupybefore being used. Our reason for this is , that theywill then more readily absorb the moisture from thesoil? than when taken into use soon after a shift hasbeen given . The roots that are freshlymade in newsoil are tender

,and quickly suffer when the plant is

not in a growing atmosphere . The soil then becomescold and sodden

,ending in the roots dying at the

extremities th rough these not being able to assimilate the necessary food from the soil, and the latterthen becomes what is termed sour and inert, byreason of the excess of moisture . W e advocate in allpossible cases the charge of the plants being in the

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280

of the other subjectsthat we have named are alsovery eff ective in a large state the P alms more particula rly, most of which are of stately growth andbold contour . Th ere are some few flowering plantsthat succeed well in rooms , especially in windows .One of the very best is Camp anula f ragilis, which wehave seen cultivated the year round by a la dy in herdrawing - room C.

ga rgam'

ca isanotherp r e t t y sp e c i e s .

Several of the Cactiar e a l s o e a s il ygrown

,though not

desirable when ofextra siz e . Spaceforbidsusto enu

merate other g eneraof suitable flowering plants

,though

many may be a t

tempted with tolerable success .Of foliage plantsbelonging to thesecond division

,we

have a wealth ofchoice wherewithto beautify andadorn the apartments for Specialoccasions, either individually or 001

lectively. SeveralStove plants can

here be broughtinto usewith advanta ge . Some of thebest are in the following list

, viz

Aca lg/p /za tricolor,*a

pla nt that lights upwell ; Alocasia meta lllca

,in asmallstate ;

A n a n assa sa livaca rieg a ta

*(V ariegated P ine-apple) A ra lla eleg antis;sima

,* A . Veitcllli graeilllma ,* and A . lep top ilylla ,

three distinct plants both ligh t and pretty Asp a ragusp lumsasnanus,* described in a previous chapter , also A . tena isslmas; B egonias with ornamentalfoliage ; Ca ladiums, in variety, C. a rgyrites

'

in particular. Crotonsin a small state are very ornamentalwhen well coloured. The following are some ofthe best, viz .:C. angustij

‘

ollas,* C. B ragoeanus(new),

C. J ohanm’s,* C. majestio us,* C. nobilisf" C. cauda tas

tortllz's, C. Wa rremllfif and C. Sinitz iniamls

,all having

na rrow pendulousfoliage. The following kinds

7 .— A STAN D or P OT P LAN TS, FOLIAG E SUB JECTS O N LY.

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

have long yet fairly broad leaves , and are all welltried sorts with good colour , but, a lthough so wellknown under the name of Croton, belong to a quitedistinct genus

,viz .

,Codiceum — C. Queen Victoria} C.

undula tus,

* C. Weisma nnlfi C. N eollleeef and C. Anci

tumensis.* The broad-leaved section are highlyornamental in a small sta te th e best are C. B a roness

J . de R othsch ild,C.

Comte de G erminy,

C. D ag/sp ring , C.

a nsi a n as,* C.

Mortii,C. p iolus,*

C. va rieg a tus, C.

Andreanusfi‘ Thebest of the trilobetypes are C. D israelfi‘ and C. E a rl

of D erby. N ext tothese we will enumerate a few of thebest coloured D racaenas; these makesplendiddecorativeplants

, some withnarrow and linearfoliage , others withbroad and nobleleaves. Of th e

former,D . termi

na lis,

* D .CooperilfiD . .Bausei

,

* D . ju

ewzda,* D . cleg an

tz’ssi7na ,* D . nigro

rubra , and D .

M oor e a n afi‘ ared i s t i n c t an dg o o d . Of th ebroad leaved section, D . Young ii isone of the mostnoble and efiective ,so also isD . B ap

tistz’

i. amabilis,D . stricta , and - D .

Thompsonil are likewise fine varieties . D . gracilis,withgreen foliag e and a margin of purplish-bronz e, isquite distin ct (all the preceding, however, are notnow known as D racaenas at all, but are forms of oneor two species of Cordyline) . There isalso D . G old

ieana,with ‘ its curiously barred leaves . Cypems

a lternlfolias* and itsvariegated variety are veryhandy plants, especially for grouping . Ficasp a rcelliis distinct, so also is E rythrina ma rmora ta , a plantthat bearsa good amount of rough usage . Of th evar iegated P andanus, P . Veitchii" is far away thebest, and a lwaysin request. For carpeting work or

'

D EOORATivE USE OF FLOWER S. 28 1

edging of groupsP anicum ca riega tum (Op lismenasB urmannl va riega tus) , Fittonia ‘

a rgyronea ra , the Tradescantias, and the Sonerilasare all good in association with the ClubMosses or Selaginellas. Considerable aid is also Obtained from P alms of more tenderconstitution. The following varieties will all be ofthe greatest service either as individual specimens, orfor using collectively in groups . Of the so-calledArecas, A . aurea (D ictyosp erma a lbum), A . la tescens"

(Cb.rysa lldoca rp aslutesoens) , and A .

Versebaf eltii(Hg/op borbe Versclzafj ellil) are all distinctand handsomeSpecies . Ca lamascilia rls"sisalso ab e au t i fu l P a lm .

Among the G eonomas there are C .

p uca lla ,* G . graci

lisf’i G . Seb‘

of llana ,*

and G .

'lntermeelc’

a,

ale

a l l o f e l e gan tgrowth . D wmono

ropsfissas,*Euterpeeda lis,* a nd Tbri

nax elegans* ar eeach of them excell e nt d e c o r a t i v eplants . CocosWed

delliana,

* isa wellknow-n P alm thatscarcely needs anyr e c ommendation

,

being a generalfavourite . The followingkinds are allof tall

,slender

,and

plume-like habit,

which causes themto be Of

‘great ser

vice in groups or inanyposition where their beautiful heads of featheryfoliage can be effectively displayed

,viz . , Cocosp lu

mosa,C. R omanzofiana

, Cbamceolorea eleganlissima ,“e C.

g ramlmf olz’

afi C. gla a cif olia , and Oreodoxa recla . All

of these thrive in the most limited siz e of pot,pro

vided they are well supplied with water. Of hardyplants , or nearly so, there are the fine laciniate or cutleaved varieties of Japanese Maples(mostly forms ofAcer p a lma tum), some with deep green, others withbronz y-red foliage . These have a beautiful eff ectunder artificial light, with a few flowering plantsinterspersed amongst them . The variegated Acer

N egunolo(more correctly N egumlo aceroiclesvariega tum)

Fig . 8 .— A WELL-P R OP OR TION E D P ALM FOR A VASE .

isalSo a useful plant when grown in pots for in-doordecoration . The hardy Bamboos are likewise excellent subj ects for these uses, .Bambusa Metalee(Ammdina ria jap om

'

ca ) and Ammainarla f a lca ta being thebest. E ula lia jap om

'

ca* and G ymnotbm

’

x la tzf olla aretwo valuable G rasses; the variegated variety of theformer

,when grownunder glass, being a choice plant

for groups .Th e choice of flowering plants isso large that but a.

cursory glance canbe given. Avoidthe use Of trainedplants of formaland stiff outline inevery ' case wherebeauty of arrangement is the primary consideration .

R ather choose suchas are of slendergrowth

,as B icha r

dla cetbiop ica , Liliumsand G ladiolusof various sorts

,

Eucha ris amazon

lca,with P ancra

tiamf ragrans(Hymenoca llls oca ta ),and Amaryllis ofmanykinds

,for the

central portions ofgroups, whilst a

round the marginssmallpots of G loxinias and otherplants

,each in their

season,will be very

effective,with the

addition of someMaiden-hair Fern.

In all groups letevery fl ow er in gplant be placed so

that itsbeauty isseen distinctively. The mistakennotion of overcrowding pot plants is as much ‘

to becondemned as is a crowded arrangement of cut flowers .Massing of several plants of any given variety mustbe done with caution . P ots of Sp inea jap om

’

ea

(Astilbe jap onica ) and Lilies of theValley make prettygroundworks amongst the taller-growing plants .R hodanthes

,in variety with the Aquilegias

,can be

used in a similar way. Of plants with sweet perfume,besides those named , among the cut flowers, there arethe scented- leaved P elargoniums

,and A loysia citri

celara (Lipp ia citrioclora ), called also SweetqscentedV erbena , or Lemon P lant. Mention must also be

282 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

made of B orom‘

a megastloma ; the aromatic fragranceof its singular flowers should cause it to be grown bylovers .of odoriferous plants. If a window which admits a goodly quantity of sunlight isavailable, thatwould be a very suitable place for a pot of Musk(llf lma lusmoseba tas) through the summer months .Fern or Wardian cases should also be accorded asimilar position, but slightly screened from thedirect rays Of thesun during its greatest height eachday. A bow-window would be an excellent positionto choose for one of these cases

,guarding

,as pre

viously hinted at, against injury from excessive orcold currents of air . This branch of the subj ectwill, however, be treated more in detail in a seriesof articles upon WI N D OW AN D HO USE G AR D EN IN G .

THE R OSE AN D ITS CULTUR E.

Br D . T . F ISH .

R OSES ON WALLS, AN D WALLS OF R OSES.

HE title may savour of tautology, but it is really

not so, as the two things are totally distinct .R oses have doubtless found a place on walls fromtheir first introduction, but a wall of R oses is a novelmodern invention , the number of examples of whichmay yet be counted on our fingers. To

.plant atender R ose on a dwelling-house or wall is a verydifferent matter to clothing a whole wall, fifty, onehundred, or five hundred yards long, with R oses .And this is wha t we are coming to in the not distantfuture for, commercially, R oses pay better tha nfruit, and they also yield a richer and more durablerevenue of pleasure.Some R oses, such as the D aisy or Banksianwhich, by the way, are also R oses without thornsand some of th e more tender N Oisettes, such as theCloth of G old (a liasChrometella ) or La Morgue,have always needed the genial shelter of warm wallsto enable them to thrive and bloom in our climate.

It would almost seem , too , asif our climate orsomeof our R oses had changed for the worse. Five-andtwenty years ago the Cloth of G old, contrasted withthe general rarity of R oses

,was common. I have

seen a plant of it in Suffolk covering the front of alarge mansion, which it goldened o’er with a profusionof R oses that could hardly be exceeded by its greatsuccessor and superseder

,Ma réch alN iel. But now:

well , it is nowhere . N ot'

that it is extinct,for it lives

,

mayhap flowers here and there, but it is hardly ever

seen or, indeed, heard of ; and yet this Cloth of G oldin perfection is quite equal to Maréchal N iel , whichhas not only superseded it

, but apparently so undermined its constitution that the Cloth Of G old willh ardly live where it'

used to grow like a weed.

Since th e introduction of Maréchal N iel it hasbecome the favourite golden R ose for warm walls .It has

,however, faults of its own from which th e

Cloth of G old was free . It blooms almost tooearly for our climate

,and is subject to g out in

its stems,that ends its career suddenly and pre

maturely. The merits of thi s R ose are , however,so great, and it flowers so profusely

,that it has

already become the most popular of all R oses forwalls .But wr iting of R oses on walls rather than walls of

R oses , it will be our duty and pleasure to note someof the old favourites.

First and foremost amongthese ranks the Banksian or D aisy R ose

,introduced

from China by Sir Joseph Banks in 1 807 . TheseD aisy R oses have also the merit of being withoutthorns. They flower in clusters like white andgolden D aisies already gathered into posies . Th e

white is fragrant — a sort of half-and-half of P rimrose and Violet ; the yellow haslittle or no odour .Both are great favourites

,and bloom freely on a

south or west wall . The variety introduced by Mr .

Fortune and bearing his name has much larger andpure white flowers

,which so far Spoils a Banksian

R ose . There is also an improved yellow Banksian,with finer foliage than the common

,and a deep er

colour ed, richer yellow bloom. These are,however

,

seldom seen in gardens , whereas trees of thecommon white and yellow of enormous siz e andfloriferousnessare not uncommon. To flower theseR oses freely

,a free growth should be encouraged,

and they should be pruned sparingly, and that onlyonce a year

,about midsummer, so soon as the flowers

fade . The whole of the long spray s made afterwardsshould be left , and these result in wreaths ofbloom in tiny clusters from a foot to two yardslong

,drooping and draping and even hiding the

front of a wall.The Ma ca rtczeg/ R ose (R osea bractea ta ) was also a

great favourite, on walls wh en the old China, the

Boursault,and Ayrshire, with a few others , were

almost the only competitors . These are still amongth e

'

most interesting of all R oses, though, consideringtha t they were introduced from China as early as1 7 95, they are far from common . The foliage

,wood

,

and stem are peculiar as well as the flowers, theleaves large and shining ; the stems of at least onebeing rough, with a sort of suppressed spines as thoseof a hedgehog

,and the flowers pure white

,of a pecu

liarly pleasing Odour.‘

There is a double varietynow

, but the single was the most common in theolden times .The Mush R osa — Thi s was one of the first to

be introduced into thi s country,supposed to have

been received from P ersia or India as early astheyear 1596. It .was well known to the early poets, as

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284 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Triomp he'

de R ennes. — P ale yellow, very free andgood

,especially so in the autumn.

William A llen R icha rdson — Small orange -yellowflowers

,striking.

HYBR I D P ER P ETUALS.

These are so beautiful,and most of them such

good growers,that the whole family might be backed

up against walls, which they would speedily clothewith verdure and beauty. Hence the difficulty ofselection is as great as it seems almost needless.But th e following may be warranted as among th ebest wall-clothers.First of all there are the climbing varieties of such

well-known R oses asCaptain Chr isty,CharlesLefebvre,EdouardMorren,Jules Ma rgottin,

B essie Johnson, Mdlle. EugénieV erdier, and V ictor Verdier.Anna Alexefi.

— ~Bright rose,large and free .

B a ron N a thaniel dc R othschild — A bright rosycrimson.

B rightnessof Cheshunt.—Bright scar let

,fine form.

Boule de N eige.— The very best white P erpetual

for a wall, small but exquisite in form and fragrance

,flowering in bun ches throughout the season .

B a ronessR othschild — P ale rose,

Shaded white,

robust,but not a fast grower .

B aron B onstetten.— R ich da rk velvety-crimson.

Camille B era rdin.—Light crimson

,Often shaded

with white,striking and most effective .

Cha rlesLefebvre.— Asgood

,though not quite such

a rapid grower,as the climbing variety of the best of

all the darkest red or velvety-purple R oses.Comtesse de Scanned— Light rosy-pink

,fine form

,

large .Countessof R osebery.

—R ich soft carmine-rose.D uchesse de Va llombrosa .

—Soft rosy-peach,melting

with age into French white ; good.

D ulce of Connaugh t.— R ich velvety-crimson

,very

brilliant,rather small .

D ulce of~Edinburgh .

— This well-known,popular

,

rich vermilion R ose is‘. an excellent grower, withblean and beautif ul foliage.Emily Landon

— Bright rose-coloured.

Edoua rd Mormon — Large , deep cherry-coloured.

Fisher Holmes. — Brilliant scarlet,rich

,open.

G loryof Cheshunt. — R ich and vivid shaded crimson .

G enera l J a cgueminot. —One of the oldest and stillthe best among the brilliant crimson -scarlets.Helen P aul— G ood white

,occasionally suffused

with pink .

J ohn B right— P ure glowing crimson .

J ulesMa rgottin. Bright carmine , one of thefinest and best autumnal R oses on walls .J ohn H app en— D elicate rosy-crimson ; a general

fa vourite.

La France .— The best of all the silvery - pink

R oses, and in bloom on a wall from May to D ecember ; an ever growing, long-blooming, a lmost evergreen R ose, combining in itself the fragrance of allthe others ; no wall must be without this R ose, andif there is only room for one R ose

,let La France be

that one.La D uchesse de Morny.

-A soft mixture of roseand silver.Madame Victor Verdier.

— Large and full,deep

carmine.Madame Cle

'

mence J oigneaux.— V ery sweet rose

,

shaded lilac,large and full .

Madame La eha rme.— Pure White

,large and full ;

needsa wall in many localities to do it justice .M adame N aohury.

— Light silvery rose,

“ deeply

Mdlle. A nnie Wood — Large and full,rich clear red.

M a récha l Va illant. - Bright crimson,very profuse

bloomer.Ma rehionessof B ad en — Clear bright cherry-rose.Ma urice B era rdin. R ich vermilion, very fine , andsimilar to Ferdinand de Lesseps

,Sir G arnet Wolse

ley, and Exposition de Brie ; the number of aliasesin this instance being proofs of excellency.

Monsieur N oman. P erfect form,large

,rose

coloured.

Merveille de Lyon— The best and most vigorous of

all the white sports from the Baroness R othschild.

B etter than the White B aroness or Mabel “Morrison.

Mr . H a rry Turner .— Bright crimson-scarlet

,with

rich maroon shading.

P a ul N eron.— The largest of all R oses , coarse in

summer, but worth a wall for the more moderatesiz ed and good-shaped bloom it yields in autumn ;deep rose-coloured .

P rince A rthur.— D eep rich crimson, rather small,

but brilliant and beautiful.P rince Camille de R ohan.

— This is too well knownas the deepest

,darkest, and most fragrant of all the

black-crimson velvet R osesto need further description.

R ed-G auntlet.— Sca rlet-crimson, shaded rose .Souvenir de Mons. B oll — Bright cerise

,large

,full .

Star of Wa ltham.— D eep crimson

,with very firm

foliage .R obert Marnoclc.

— Brownish crimson,rich and

good .

Sultan of Z anz iba r .— D ark maroon

,a sort of in

termedia te colour and character between D uk e ofEdinburgh and R eynold’s Hole

,and equal to either,

excepting in siz e. R eyn old’s Hole should also begrown .

ThomasMills— One of th e brighte st and freest ofthe bright crimson R oses

,not very large .

Violette B ouyer.— Almost pure white.

THE R OSE AN D ITS CULTUR E . 285

W'

. Wilson Saunders— Intense crimson, good and Magn olias, and other tender shrubs or trees, haveshowy. beengrown andbloomed successfully.

OTHER KIN D S.

Among hybrid Teas, Cheshzmt Hybrid, a rich, freeflowering , rampant-growing, cherry-ca rmine R ose, isa host in itself .R eine Ma rie Henriette has been called a red G loirede D ij on, and is a R ose of

‘ similar character, and ofa deeper cherry-red. The buds a re also longer andmore pointed.

Cannesla Coquette— Light salmon-pmk

,some

thing in the way of La France.Some of Mr . B ennett’s pedigree R oses promise to

be useful for walls, though several of th em havewholly failed in the open air. The following arethe most promising and latest additions to these

,

though they have far more of the Tea than theHybrid P erpetual in their character and constitutionCountessof P embrolce.

— A cross between P residentand Charles Lefebvre ; of

" a soft rose colour andfully scented.LadyMa ryFitzwillia in.

; A cross between D evoniensis and Victor Verdier ; a delicate flesh -colour ed,good R ose .D istinction — A cross between Mme . de St. Josephand Mdlle. Eugenie Verdier ; soft shaded peach ; agood grower.

“

P rincessof Wa les— A cross between Adam andEliz a Sauvage ; colour a unique rosy-yellow ; long,pointed buds ; opens well , good form .

Th e Tea R oses shall have a wall to themselves ;suflice it ' to name among R oses on walls the ClimbingD evoniensis , G loire d

'

e D ijon, and G loire de Bordeaux,

or P ink G lory, as it is often called. These possessa vigour and power of blooming that enable themto mount and cover the loftiest walls in the briefestspace of time . The bulk of the family of

“Teasare , however, reserved for furnishing whole walls oflloses .

W allsof R ose S.— The building of new walls

for, and the devoting of old ones wholly to R oses,

is one of the latest developments of taste,civili sation,and commercial enterprise in

.

horticulture . Likemany fashions, however, it is less of a new inventionthan a revival. The furnishing material is more orless nov el, but floral walls are , or were, one of theoldest features of English horticulture . Jasmines

,

Honeysuckles, Clematis, or other plants too fragile ortender to stand alone, were aided by the strengthand nurtured by the warmth of stone and brick walls.To help the plant the better to battle successfullyagainst climatic difficulties, these walls were notseldom heated. By such means magnificent displaysof all the more tender as well as the best species of

V a r ie ties. — N o plant, or flower, can better deserve a wall than the Tea R oses

,while none can

match them in fragrance or beauty. And there aremany of them, such as Marie Van H outte

,Catherine

Mermet, &c., that eclipse the golden ri ches of

Marécha l N iel by their delicacy of colour and perfection of form .

Anna 0llioier .—

'

R osy flesh-colour,large and full .

“

Adr ienne Christophe.— R ich mixtur e of Copper

,

apricot,and peach .

A lba rosed — White,with rose centre ; one of the

hot Amaz ons elegant,deep lemon-colour ed ; bud

valuable for cutting.

A line Sisley. Purple and bright red colouralmost new.

B elle Lyonna ise.— D eeper than G loire de D uon .

B eauté-de l’

Europ e.— D eep yellow, reverse of petal

coppery. [de D ij on .

B ouquet d’

0r .-D eep fawn and yellow

,like G loire

B ride .—A pure white Catherine Mermet .

Ca therine Mermet.— A lovely variety

, large andperfect ln form,ligh t flesh - colour ed.

Comtesse de N ada illac.— R ich apricot -yellow .

Comtesse R iz a du P a ra — P ink with Coppery base,best as a

'

rule on a wall.Coquette de Lyon

— Soft canary-yellow,fine form .

D eooniensis. —G rows more freely on a wall ; nothing can exceed its soft mixture of rose and cream,

nor its exquisite fragrance . Also the climbingvariety.

D uchessof Edinburgh ._ The deepest- colour ed of

all Teas,crimson

,very floriferous, in the way of the

old China .

Eliz a Saunage.— Large and fine

,yellow-rose, with

orange centre .E toile de Lyon — Bright sulphur

,excellent form .

Homere.— B lush

,mottled with pink, very vigorous,

covers the highest wall in a very short time .Honourable Edith G if ord.

— Something like D evoniensis; white, tinted rose, extra fine .Innocente P irola .

— P ure white, tinted rose , chasteand charming.

Isa bella Sp ru/nt. — One of the most profuse bloomers,thin when open

, but exquisite in bud, most usefulfor button-holes, deep yellow colour.J ean B ucher .

— Large,full

,of good form

,yellow

and salmon,splashed with peach .

J ulesFinyer .—Thi s fine R ose has been called a red

Catherine Mermet.La Boule d’

Or requires a south wall fully to developitsbeauty ; pale yellow,

'

with' deep orange centre .

Le Mont B lanca — White,slightly suffused with

yellow.

286 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Letty Colesé—A pink sport of one of the mostbeautif ul of all Tea R oses, of the Madame vWillermoztype.M adame Ang e

‘

le J a cquie,r .

— Copper-coloured yellow,

with bright pink centre .Madame B ra/by.

— A very rich and beautiful vari ety,

cream-coloured.

Madame B era rd.— Large reflexed flower of a

shaded salmon-colour .

M adame Fa lcot. -R ich orange -yellow,better than

Sa frano, best in bud.

M adame Welch .— Light yellow

,with orange centre.

Madame D enis.— White,with sulphur centre

,one

of the most vigorous.Madame E tienne Beret — D eep red

,with Coppery

yellow centre , one of the rich est and best .Madame Casin.

— Light purple,the base of each

petal being yellow, pretty pointed bud, very distin ct .M adame Willermoz .

— One of the finest of all theTeas

,white, with salmon centre , very double, and of

perfect form .

Madame Eugene Verdier .— One of the richest and

deepest-coloured of all the G loire de D ij on sports orseedlings .Madame H ipp olyte J ama in.

— White, with yellowishcentre .Madame Ma rgottin

— D eep crimson, with rich rosypeach centre.Madame Maurin.

— White,shaded with salmon ,

full_and large.

rMadame de Wa tteville.— A fine new rose, tulip

shaped,salmon

,bordered with rose.

M ay P a ul — A red Tea ; a refined and more floriferous G loire de Bordeaux .

Monsieur Furtado.— A decided improvement on

N arcisse ; soft pale yellow .

Ma rie Sisley. Y ellowi sh-white, fringed withrose .Ma rie Van Houtte .

— The richest and most delicatecombination of yellow and peach to be found amongR oses .Ma récha l N iel— So deep and full of gold and offragrance as to deserve the whole of any wall toitself .N ip hetos— W orthy to run abreast with the Maréchal N iel as the finest pure white R ose in-doors orout. G rown on a south or west wall, it bloomsmost profusely

,and th e outside of its Magnolia

like shaped and substantia l petals is often surfacepainted with pink that even adds to their beauty .

“

N iphetosis generally described as pale yellow,but

in the g arden or under glass th e yellow is blanchedout of it, and it is the whitest of all white R oses, aswell as the best .P erf ection de Monp la isir .

— V ery free flowering ;deep yellow.

F E R N S .

B Y J AME S B R I TTEN ,E .L .S .

P erlede Lyon — R ich yellow,large and full.

Perle desJ a rdins. — This rather new,bright straw

coloured R ose is so beautiful as to warrant itsambitious name.R ubens. Something in the way of Adam and President

, whi ch are so nearly alike as to have be comeone in show stands, but having more white andless rose in it than either ; R ubens also grows andblooms freely.

Saf rana is still one of the most popular and floriferous of the orange-yellow R oses .The coppery-red R ose

,Saf rana a Fleur R ouge, is

almost equally worthy of a place on the wall,both

being perfect in bud.

Sombreuil. —Still one of the best pure white R oses,

flowering in large bunches .Souvenir d

’Elise .

-The very best of all the creamand rose Teas, though these may be sa id to be theprevailing colours among R oses .Souvenir deMadame Bernet. — Large, globula r, rose

coloured.

Souvenir de P aulN eron.—;Fine , double, yellowish ,

bordered with rose .

Souvenir d’unAmi - One of the best selfs among the

Teas ; almost a pure rose-colour,with a dash of sa lmon .

Souvenir de Therese Levet.— A crimson N iph etos.

Triomp he de G uillot fils. Large and fragrant ;fawn

,tinted with salmon .

Vicomtesse de Ca z es.— A rich mixture of yellow andorange

,fringed with copper.

N ew fragrant pedigree R oses for walls — Countessof P embroke, pinkish E a rl of P embroke

,crimson ;

H einrich Schultheis, pink-rose M rs. J ohn La ing ,soft

pink ; The P uritan, yellowish white ; ViscountessFolkestone

,creamy-pink ; William F. B e nnett

,crimson

,

lemon scented. Other R oses worth trying on walls,not fra grant — HerM ajesty, P rincessB ea trice, and YePr imrose D ame. Two othernewand fragrant R osesLadyHelen Stua rt, h .p .

, crimson-scarlet, and Triomp hedesN oisettes, bright R oses, flowering in clusters .

Th e Hymenop h yllums.— P robably but fewplant-lovers would be found to dispute the assertion that in the whole kingdom of ferns th ere areno more beautiful and interesting plants thanthe Hymenophyllums and their near allies, theTrichomanes . The two genera just named, andTodea— wh ich h asalready been treated in this work— constitute what are popularly known as “filmyferns

.

”N ow that th e general requirements of th ese

wonderq ydelicate-fronded subjects are better un a

derstood, there seems no reason to doubt that before

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.288 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

saturation point . Soil, &c. ,

'

is quite a secondaryconsideration

,and all the' species above-mentioned

although some of ‘ them hail from trop ical climesare accommodating enough with regard to temperature

,with the exception

,perhaps

,of H . asp lenioides

and H . hirsutinn, which do better under warm-housetreatment . N one should be watered overhead, asthe fronds discolour when such a cour se is followed

,

but luxuri ate and retain their beautiful colour forthree or four .

years when each is almost alwaysladen wi th the condensedmoisture of the atmospherein which they grow. D raughts of dry a ir should berigorously guarded against

,as a

few minutes’ exposure to suchconditions would probably provefatal to the wonderfully delicatepellucid fronds . N ot

'

a few speciesrequire no artificial h eat whatever

,and the number of these

would probably be increased wereexperiments conducted to provetheir hardiness .Some of the finest specimens of

filmy ferns in existence (in cultivation) are in the possession of aleading London surgeon

,and a re

grown under at first sightunpromising conditions . N othing,however

,can exceed the beauty

of these plants,which for some

years have had no artificial heatwhatever . The fronds are neverwetted overhead —although alwayscovered with condensed moisture_ and no air is ever given exceptwhen watering is

, being performed, and when other necessary work is beingattended to. D uring the hot summer days a sprayof water is kept playing on the outside of the shadedroof, and this , by keeping the iron-work and glasscool, prevents the temperature from rising to anygreat extent .Most of the Hymenophyllums succeed admirablyon fibrous tree-fern stems(such as those of D icksonia)— irito which it is advisable to rub a little fine peatbefore wiring on the slender rhiz omes. Some doth oroughly well on blocks of wood or on pieces ofsandstone. Th e Briti sh species do very well grown,together with the small Mosses amongst which theyare found in a state of nature

,again st a wall of

peat, &c. , towhich they must be securely and firmlyfastened by wire-netting or some such contrivance.N ot a few of the species have been

,and are now

,

cultivated by a letter-carrier in one of our largecities, without any properly-constructed case at all.

Barrels, &c., plunged in a piece of ground behind his

H . TUN BR I D G EN SE .

dwelling , covered wi thsh eets of glass, and of courseshaded from direct sunlight, furnish quarters inwhich Splendid plants have been grown

,specimens

which it would often be difficult to match in establishmentswhere unlimited means are available .Unlikely as it may appear, the finest fronds ofH . tunbridyense probably ever produced in Englandare to be seen in the window- ca se of a dwellinghouse on the shady side of a crowded Londonthoroughf are . The residence in question istha t ofthe surgeon above-mentioned

,who has made filmy

ferns and their requirements a special study. Thesame gentleman has H . demissumin magnificent —condition underprecisely similar circumstances .The window-cases used are to all

intents and purposes ordinaryones

,the only point in which they

differ from those in every-day usebeing that they are double-glaz ed.

This double-glaz ing of course doesa great deal to maintain an equabletemperature , a most importantma tter in connection with filmyfern cultivation . A good tih anyof the speciesbear frost apparentlywithout any injury ; a number ofthem withstood 1 4

° of frost atMessrs . J . V eitch and Sons’, Chelsea

,where for a whole fortnight

they were froz en into a solid blockof ice . When the thaw came theywere found in perfect health, muchbetter than plants of the samespecies which had been kept in theartificially-heated temperature of

another house . When watering, use a long-spoutedcan

,and take care not to wet the plants overhead ; the

condensed moisture in which they revel will be freefrom themineral constituents whi ch often prove soinjur ious to the membranous fronds . N ow and thenthe mycelium of various fungi appears amongst thefibrous roots of the tree-fern stems ; this can as arule be got rid of by a careful dusting

_

of flowers ofsulphur. Thrips are probably the insect pests whichprove the most troublesome ; but careful fumigating,repeated several times if necessary, will be foundto extirpate them. If the cases, &c.

,in whi ch the

plants are gron are placed inside a green-house ,fill the latter with smoke and then remove the lids,&c.

,of the filmy fern cases. Sometimes, in spite

of the densely moistur e-laden atmosphere, the redspider makes its appearance ; submerging the entireplants for twelve or twenty-four hours in soft rainwater will kill this insect , without injuring theplants . Such treatment, however, proved ineflectual

FER N S.

with thrips, as a recent experiment showed thatsubmersion for twenty—four hours apparently had noeffect ; the little creatures were particularly livelyand active after the trial to which they had beensubj ected.

P ractica lly speaking, Hymenophyllums are notraised from spores . It is true that one very successful grower hassucceeded in raising plants of two orthree Species from spores, but the method is an

exceedingly slow one . V igorous growers are readily

289

From Hymenophyllum it principally differs in theinvolucre being urn - shaped and not Split lengthwiseinto two valves . In both the spore-ca se‘s are clustered around hair-like recepta cles

,whi ch are , in fact,

the endsof the veins of the fronds projecting intothe urns. In Trichomanes it is usual for theseslender columnar recepta cles to protrude more orless , so that the fronds become somewhat bri stlywhen very full of fructification

,and hence h asari sen

the common name of Bristle Fern. On the other

a cnomxnnsa nsrroxmn.

propagated by meansof the numerous thread-likerhizomes ; and some of thespe cies, if the old frondsare fastened down on a moist surface, become proliferous

,and develop plantlets which can be removed

when large enough,and grown on . Asa rule

,the

plants bffered for sale by nurserymen are importedones, and these require somewhat different trea tmentfrom their arrival until they become established.

Much less light is desirable until the rhiz omes beginto push out new fronds

,when the plants may be

gradually inured to the conditions which are foundsuitable for their established congeners.

Th e Trich om anes. —In common withHymenophyllum,

Trichomanes holds a high position in theestimation of fern-lovers . The beautifully-cut andpellucid frondsare different in texture and generalappea rance from those of almost all other genera .

4 3

hand, these hairs are shorter than the involucrein Hymenophyllum . There are many filmy fern swh ich cannot be referred to either genera with anydegree of certa inty without fructifica tion.

In the “ Synopsis Filieum ” above ninety speciesof Trichomanes are described ; they are principallynatives of tropical and damp warm climates

,the only

European representative being the Killarney Fern,

T. radicans. The species mentioned below a re themost distinct now in cultivation .

STOVE SP ECIES.

A number of these, formerly supposed to beexclusively stove kinds, have been found to dobetter in a cooler temperature ; they will be mentioned among the cool - house sorts . Those keptunder the above heading have not hitherto

,I be

lieve, been successfully cultivated except in structures

CASSELL’S P OPULAR GAR D EN IN G .

with a minimum temperatur e of P erhapsfurther trials might still further lessen the number ofthe warm -house species , and prove that with a littlecare most of th e stove Trichomanes might be gradually inured to, and succeed better with, green-housetreatment .T. ap iif olium isa very beautiful and rare species,

‘

with finely-cut fronds somewhat resembling those ofT.

~maximum in general outline, but the habit ismore graceful and the texture more delicate the in

TR ICHOMAN E S R AD ICAN S.

volucres, too, are smaller andshorter, verging uponthose of the Hymenophy llum . In fully-developedfronds , . the strong erect fibrillose stipes measurefour or six inches in length , and the frond itself nineto eigh teen

'

inch es'

long by four to eight inches broad.

This species is now and then met with under thename of T. meif olium,

and is a native of the Phi lippine Islands

,Java

,P olynesia

,and N orfolk Island.

T. B ancrof tii is a distinct and pretty species fromthe W est Indian Islands and tropical Americasouthward to Braz il and P eru . It has firm-textured

,

dark green , ovate -oblong fronds , from three to six ,

inches long by about an.

inch broad ; the rachis isbroadly winged and so is the' stipe

'

to the very base.T. crispum has a strong; tomentose rhiz ome ; strong,wiry, tomentose stipes two

‘ to Six inches long , and

5

lanceolate pinnate or pinnatifidfiondsfour to twelveinches long by one and a half to two i nchesbroad.

In textur e these are membranaceous,the pinnae are

generally incurved and crisped, and the rachisismore or less clothed with reddish-brown hair s . “

This species is widely di stributed thr oughout tropical America, and has also been found in westerntropical Africa. T. ma cilentum is a near ally of

_

T. B ancrof tii, from which it isdi stinguished by itsmore creeping rhiz ome and "more divided fronds ; it

is a '

native of Trinidad, D emerara, and the northernprovinces of Braz il, and succeeds almost equally wellunder stove or cool-house treatment . T. P rieurii isa noble species with stout tufted stipes four to eightinches long

,and broadly-ovate, finely

-cut frondstwelve to eighteen inches in length by from six totwelve inches in breadth ; it is a native of the,W estIndian Islandssouthward to P eru and Braz il.T. sp ica tum is the only representative mentioned inthese pages of a small section, Fe

‘

ea — reg'

arded as adistinct genus by some authorities— in which th e

sterile and the fertile fronds are different, the latterconsisting of a narrow distichous Spike . The darkgreen sterile fronds measure from four to six inchesin length by one to one and a half in breadth, andare ninnatifid nearly to the rachi s .

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2 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

FLOR ISTS’ FLOWER S.

B r R ICHAR D D EAN .

Th e P ela rg on ium . The common name ofG eranium has been erroneously applied to thisgenus

,but usage has gained such a hold upon the

flower-loving public that the P elargoniums will beknown as G eraniums for years to come . The genericnamed P elargonium is derived from p ela rgos, a stork,referring to the beak-like formation of the ripe seedpod. The common name is Stork’s B ill

,but it is

seldom used because that of G eranium has been soextensively employed. There are -

an immensenumber of Species and varieties in cultivation, allgreen-house plants

,some biennials and annuals ,

some h erbaceous,some tuberous-rooted, and some

evergreen shrubs,nearly all of which came from the

Cape of G ood HOpe . A large number of the Capespecies and varieties are still grown ; but their cul

tivation is confined mainly to those who make aspeciality of them. They form a very interestinggroup of plants , the flowers of most of them beingcomparativelysmall in Siz e, but often very brilliantin colour . The leaves of many are beautifullysub-divided

,almost fern-like in character ; those of

others are deliciously fragrant . P ela rgonium zona le,the common Scarlet G eranium of our gardens, theHorse-shoe or Z onal Stork’s B ill

,appears to have

been introduced into this country about the year1 7 1 0 ; and P ela rgonium inquinans, the Staining orScarlet Stork’s B ill

,about 1 7 1 4 . It is believed that

the modern Zonal P elargonium has resulted from theblending of these two Species .The very fine and showy forms of what are known

asthe Large-flowered or Show P elargoniums , andthe Fancy or Ladies’ P elargoniums

,have

,no doubt

,

by means of careful fertilisation and cross-breeding , Sprung from the comparatively insignificantflowered Species indigenous to the Cape of G oodH ope . How and when they originated it is verydifi cult to state . Careful selection and successfulculture ha ve done much ; raisers in different partsof the country have vied with each other in the production of higher forms of excellence the names ofCa tleugh , D obson , B eck, Hoyle, Foster, G aines, andTurner deserve a record in this relation.

‘

W e re

member the Large-flowered P elargonium of thirtyfive years ago:the flowers small, i ll-formed, andwanting in brilliancy of colour to-day we haveflowers of amaz ing siz e

,perfect form

,and brilliant

hues . So successfully indeed have they been improved, that it seems difficult to imagine anything ofa more advanced character.

The Fancy or Ladi es’ P elargoniums are a moredelicate race, not so robust in constitution , andneeding a little diff erent treatment during winter

in a gentle heat, and as soon as they~

having rooted they Should be remohouse, and

l i

gradually hardened off .

should be given into four-inch pots .a few days allowed for the plants tblish ed, the Shoot

,when it isabout

from the more vigorous large -flowered varieties .But they are wonderfully free of “ bloom ; theblossoms are finely formed

,and generally of much

more delicate colours . Their culture ismore re

stricted than that of the show types .La rge

-flowered or Show P ela rgoniums. B eautif ulas these are

,and so well adapted for green-house

cultivation, it is yet a fact that they are rarely sosuccessfully grown as they might be. W e seldomsee healthy, clean , good-ha bited plants in gardens .

W e too frequently “see weak Spindling specimens thatappear as if they were greatly neglected. Let usendeavour to Show how good specimen plants can begrown if only they be carefully attended to at theproper time ; and

'

by following the development ofthe plant from the cutting stage until it has reacheda siz e qualifying it for decorative or exh ibition purposes , we shall thus see the advance and necessarytreatment at all stages .Any nurseryman who makes a . speciality of the

P elargonium does the greatest part of the,

work ofpropagation by means of cuttings in the autumn .

When the plants ha ve gone out of flower,they

are stood in a cold frame,or out in the open air

,

until the wood becomes hardened or ripened,then

the plants are cut back somewhat hard, according totheir age ; if one or two years old, the main stemsare left two or three inches long ; if they are older,five or Six inches long or even more , according to theprobabilities as to whether the shortened brancheswill break again back to the trunk of the plant ornot. Out of the woodso cut away, cuttings can bemade ; every single j oint that is matured will makea cutting

,and this ‘ cutting will be pretty certain to

throw two shoots from the eye, one on either Side ofthe stem. The rule with cultivators is to break

FLOR ISTS FLOWER S. 29 3

to carry good flowers . Every time the plant is repotted the stem should be placed a little deeper inthe soil

,as it not only imparts strength to it, but

preventsto some extent growthscoming up from theroots . The last Shift Should be into a five-inch pot,and in this it may be allowed to flower. It issurprising what a fine plant can be producedin a five inch pot. W e have seen specimens inCovent G arden Market in this Siz e pot , having sixand eight leading shoots

,and carrying splendid

headsof bloom ; but these are grown by ma rketgrowers

,and they give such plants special treatment

which cannot be given by ordinary cultivators .N ow Should an amateur cultivator require aspecimen plant, say for exhibition next season, thecultural process must vary a little. It should again beshifted from a five -inch into a seven-in ch pot

,wh ich

will cause it to brea k freely . but flower late . But

the flowers will be smaller in consequence . N evertheless

,there is obtainedfa sufficient number of eyes

to form a fine large plant for the following season.

When the bottomsbecome‘

two or three years oldthey will requir e a little different treatment . Theymust be shifted into their blooming-pots a littleearlier:those intended for flowering in May mustnot be stopped at all ; those for flowering in June andJuly should be stopped once in February.

Successful culture dependsso much on little attentionsconstantly rendered— such points as compost

,

Shifting, stopping, tying-out , syringing, fumigating,&c. ; and experi ence is a most valuable teacher.Young beginners can scarcely hope to succeed all atonce -but patience and perseverance can accomplishmuch, and let the cultivator always bear in mindthat thorough cleanliness in every stage is mostimportant

,enhancing the beauty and quality of the

flowers .Soil is a very important matter in the culture ofthi s useful class of plants . That used by th e leadingexhibitors of P elargoniums is a compost made up ofrich fibrous loam

,stable dung

,and a little cow-dung

,

laid by a year previous to become thoroughly'

rotten,

these are well mixed together,and frequently turned

before using,and when employed for potting pur

poses,'

some good leaf-mould and sufficient silversand to make the whole gritty are added. A littleexperience is of use in the proper mixing of thi scompost, this being a detail that is soon picked up .

in the course of practice in cultivation .

Fancy. P ela rgoniums— These are of much morecompact growth than the Show or Large-floweringvarieties ; they are much freer in blooming , and alittle more delica te

'

in constitution . The generaltreatment of Show vari eties suits Fancy varietiespretty well, but they do not strike so freely as theothers, and they root best when the cuttings are

made in early Spring from half-ripened shoots .The plants grow more Slowly a lso, and they requne

to be kept warmer during the winter, but ca re isnecessary that the Shoots do not become drawn andlanky. Care must also be taken that they do nothave too much water at the roots ; of this they arevery impatient .A successful cultivator and exhibitor of Fancy

P elargoniums states, in regard to this charmingclass of plants, that “ they may be grown to almostany siz e by keeping the house moist and warm ;the plants like a little warmth, but plenty of airshould be given all daywhen it can be done

,and the

plants Should have plenty of room,else the foliage

becomes drawn . The peculiar nature of the growthof the plant is to crowd it with Shoots ; therefore, inthe ca se of specimens, the outside branches shouldbe tied out to give the centre shoots all the roomposSible . In potting

,the plants need to be kept

higher in the pots than the large-flowering varieties ,so that what is termed the ‘ collar of the plant bekept level with the surface of the mould. G reatattention Should be paid to watering. It is betterto findsix plants too drythan one too wet. There isa

'

remedy for the fir st evil, but none for the latter.

The roots,being of a much finer character than

those of the more robust large-flowering sorts,cannot endure an excess of moisture .” W e mayadd that Fancy P elargoniums, being so free ofbloom

,are .well adapted for making the stage of the

flowering house very gay. The last time for repotting Should be regulated by the month in which thecultivator wishes to have the plants at their best .If early flowers are required

,the plants Should have

their last shift not later than October,and they

should not be allowed too much root-room in thepots . A seven-inch pot is

,as a general rule

,

large enough, but something depends upon theplants . If bloom is desired at a la ter period, thespecimens can be had at their best during the monthof July by giving them a good shift in March. Toretard the bloom of the plants , the points of theshoots may be pinched out, and thi s is a desirableplan when the specimens are thin of branches

,as it

causes them to break into growth freely, makinglarge plants that flower later .

' The soil for Fancy P elargoniums diff ers from thatabove recommended in that it is of advantage to mixa little peat with it, and some broken oyster-shells .D ecora tive P ela rgoniums— These represent a largegroup of sturdy-growing P elargoniumsof good habitand profuse flowering

,that are well adapted for de

corative purposes in green-houses , conservatories,and sitting-rooms . The flowers are not so wellformed generally asthose of the large-floweringtype, but not a few of them make fine exhibition

4 CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

plants . Many of the v arieties are of Continentalorigin. The colours of the flowers are in not a fewinstances bright and striking

,and some of them have

the petals handsomely fringed. These are very a ttractive, and great favouri tes . Their robustness ofh abit is greatly in their favour

,and we may truly

say of themthat they are all good growers . Thereare a few double or semi-double varieties , and thesepossess this advantage , that they are much moredurable while in flower than those having singleblossoms .Those of our readers who have attended one of thelarge summer exhibitions of the R oyal B otanicSociety in the R egent’s P ark, or th e exh ibitions ofthe R oyalHorticultural Society at SouthKensington

,

or at the Crystal P alace, wi ll have noticed the finespecimens of Large-flowered

,Fancy

,and D ecorative

P elargonium s , sometimes measuring four and fivefeet in diameter . These are from two to five yearsold. They are grown by experienced cultivatorswho give them daily attention ; the shoots arecarefully tied '

out as they lengthen,and the utmost

ca re is taken to keep them in th e very best condition .

Light and airy houses are required in which to growthem. When one of these fine plants is cut down

,

at the end of the summer, the frame of the specimenis some two feet or so across . It then breaks intogrowth, is taken out from the pot, the soil is quiteremoved from the roots, they are carefully trimmed,and re-potted in smaller pots

,and a dash of silver

sand is placed about the roots . These cleansed rootsput forth fine fibres

,and the plants are made new

again .

It is not an uncommon practice,in order to insure

large and vigorous-growing specimens of FancyPelargoniums for exhibition, to graft them on freegrowing stocks of large-flowering varieties . G raftingis done early in September

,the stock being in

advance of the scion in respect of growth,and the

grafted plants are stood on a shaded border untilunion is complete . G rafting when done by an experienced operator is invariably successful .D uring autumn and winter the plants will need

Special attention by occasionally stirring the surfa ceof the soil, and keeping them free from green-fly,

and in all respects healthy. But little fire -heat willbe necessary except the weather is very severe ; asmuch air as possible must be given on all favourableoccasions, and everything should be done that willtend to keep the plants sturdy

,short-j ointed

,and

the wood stout and robust . W e have already statedthat the Fancy vari eties require more warmth duringth e winter . The cultivator need not be alarmed atlosing a few of the bottom leaves

,as this is a Sign

of the wood ripening, and the more thoroughly thestemsare ripened so will the quality of the flower

found of great assistance in impartingdecided characters ' to seedlings . Theyfound of great value ‘ for bedding purposculture

,and hundr eds of vari eties have b

named,and distributed. At the present

be improved the following “ sea son. W e cann otattach too much importance to the thorough ripeningof the wood when the plant goes out of flower andloses itsleaves.N ow let usrevert to the plants in four-inch p ots.W e will assume that they have been grownfully, kept clean from vermin, and that they ha veflowered well . Then they should be stood out ofdoors to thoroughly ripen their wood. When thisis accomplished th ey should be cut back,leaving asymmetri cal bottom,

” as the growers term it,and

then kept rather short of water for a time . Th enthey will break into growth, and as soon as th eyshew their first two leaves

,the plants should be

turned out of the pots,the roots trimmed

,and the

plants potted in pots only just large enough to takethe roots . The plants should be placed in a greenhouse

,and as soon as they are established the

shoots will grow. They should be stopped,and soon

after shifted into a twenty-four or sixteen siz e pot,

according to the dimensionsof the plants,doing this

about the end of October or early in N ovember. Theplants should now be placed on a light; airy shelf ina green-house, where they can be preserved fromfrost. They must not be allowed to be stopped anymore . By-and-by, in spring, the shoots Should betied out to stakes so as to keep a good sha pe tothe plants ; and as the da ys lengthen and becomewarmer, they should be lightly syringed over, andsome weak liquid manure given occasiona lly. Thosewho require to have their plants in bloom at the endof Jun e and in July would do well to re -pot again inD ecember

,and stop them once In

These plants must be kept as coolafter April be frequently syringed.

they are in bloom the plants must

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296 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

practice of ofiering priz es for specimen Ivy-leavedP ela rgoniums , and pla nts were produced, mainlygrown as pyramids, large in siz e, fin ely cultivated,andcovered with flowers . For warm green-house andconservatory decoration they are invaluable. Ivyleaved P elargoniumsrequire warmer treatment thanthe ordinary Z onals; they should have

.

a free Opensoil

,and the pots should be well dr ained. Cuttings

will strike readily in a little heat in spring or inearly autumn .

Va rieg a ted-leaved P ela rgoniums, — There isa large

group of these divided into several sections. Thereare

,first

,the Variegated Z onals, or Tri colours, of

whi ch there are G olden-edged andSilver-edged-leavedtypes

.Then there are the ordinary Silver-leaved

varieties,the green leaves being broadly edged with

silver,cream

,and whi te . Then there are the G old

and Bronz e, or Bicolours , in which the leaves aregolden

,with rich

,bronz y z ones . All the varieties of

these sections are of the Z onal race,but the Bicolours

are all of more vigorous growth . Then there area few V ariegated-leaved varieties of the Ivy-leavedsection that are very useful for bedding purp oses .It would appear that Variegated P elargoniumswere known in thi s country nearly two centuriesago . One of the oldest known was Mangles’ Variegated ; then came , after a considerable interval,Lee’s Variegated, and it is from this latter that Mr .

Kinghorn succeeded, in 1 848, in raising the wellknown variety called Flower of the D ay, whichis still to be found in gardens . Soon after the introduction of this very useful bedding variety— viz .

,

in 1 850— the same raiser originated what may beconsidered as the first Silver Tricolour-leaved P elargonium

,which received the name of Attraction

,and

was followed by Countess of W arwick,another of

Mr . Kinghorn’s seedlings . Then Mr . G rieve andothers became interested in the work. Several newvarieties were obtained, until Italia Unita was produced, in which a marked advance was shown . So farthe variegation had been cream or white . In 1 844 ap

peared a variety named G olden Chain, and this hadgolden-margined leaves ; but it is generally supposedto have originated twenty years previously. Thenfollowed a series of varieties culminating in thatbeautiful and useful vari ety known as Mrs. P ollock,and from this came Sunset

,Lucy G rieve , Mr .

B enyon, Lady Cullum ,and others

,raised byMr . P eter.

G rieve, Culf ord Hall, Bury St. Edmunds,whi ch are

to be found in cultivation to this day. In the seedlingstate all these were green-leaved forms

,with a large

dark horse- shoe z one . When they reached a certainstage of development variegation began to appea r,and presently the whole plant changed to thi s chara cter . Th is peculiarity is always noted in the caseof seedling Tricolours .

Soon after the introduction of the G olden Variegated Z onals, there appeared an entirely new tribeof Z onal P elargoniums

,designated G old and Bronz e

or B icolour Z onals. The disc and margin presenteda uniform yellow, bright in some, dull in others, orrather of a pale green colour

,showing off to great

advantage the brown or cinnamon-coloured z one .These were, greatly improved, the golden-green leafcharacter becoming more golden

, and the z onesbrighter in colour ; and being generally of robusthabit, they made excellent bedding plants, and became very popular .R especting the culture of th e Tri colours, most ofwhich make good bedding plants

,it may be stated

that they require a rich,light soil . They are not

quite so hardy as the ordinary Z onals, and whenused in the Open air they should be planted a littlelater. Cuttings of these root less rapidly than dothose of the common Z onals. They should be madefrom well-ripened wood

,and put singly into small

pots in July and August, keeping them in a gentlewarmth. The Silver Tricolours should have a poorersoil than the G olden ones

,and they succeed best in

the open air when planted in raised beds . In potsthey need careful culture— never over-potting them ;

using clean pots,well drained ; a light, rich soil ; and

keeping th e plants warm and free from damp . TheG old and Bronz e Z onals

,being vigorous growers

,ca n

have the same treatment asthe ordinary beddingZ onals.Hybrid P ela rgoniums. —There is a section of thesethat, in all probability, have resulted from the crossing of certa in Species that a re well ada pted for petculture and for bedding. W e may mention R ollisson’s Unique

,crimson

,very fine ; Lila c Unique ;

Shrubland P et, rose-coloured ; P ictura tum grandiflorum

,white ; and Lady Mary Fox, sca rlet. These

are all charming in pots . Th en there are certainCape species

,with their hybrids — the flower small

,

but .often produced in good trusses, and in many

cases brilliant in colour. Among them we maymention Ar dens , brilliant crimson ; Blandfordia num ,

with its pa le green Oak-like foliage ; Echinatum,

white,spotted red ; and its fin e hybrid varieties

Spotted G em, R osy Morn, Beauty, Album multiflorum , and Ariel ; Fragrans , Schotti, &c. Any onefond of species of P elargoniums with scented leaveswill be charmed with Capitatum, R ose-scented ;Citriodorum majus

,Lemon-scented ; Apple- scented ;

N utmeg- scented ; P rince of Orange, scente d lik e anOrange ; Crispum , Citron-scented ; and Odora tissimum

,richly fragrant, one of the best .

Seedling P ela rgoniums— The peculiar fa scinationand interest which attaches to the raising of seedling flowers

,induces some persons to raise seedling

P elargoniums . It is necessary to raise theseedsin

h eat, and

FLOR ISTS’FLOWER S. 29 7

they can be sewn in summer as soon asripe

,which is the best plan, or in the early spring.

In order that they may germinate successfully, theseeds when sown should be placed in a temperatureof 50° to and they will soon germinate

,and

when they are large enough to handle should bepotted off

or six insingly into small pots, or be placed foura five-inch pot, and when large enough

potted off— using a fin e, light , sandy soil— in fortyeight-siz ed pots . In this siz e of pot the plants shouldbe allowed to flower. When seed is sewn in Augustth e plants will not flower until early summer following whensoWn in spring the plantswill bloom thesame season if grown on into siz e with attention.

SE L E CT I O N S or P E LA R G O N IU M S.

La rge-flowered or ShowVari eties.Ambassador. Ma id of Honour.

Amethyst. M a rgare t.Brilliant . M artial.

Outlaw.

Conf essor. P ericles.Cornet. R etreat .

D espot . F R oyal R eview.

D uke of N orfolk. Sunbe am .

Fortitude . Th e B a ron.

V eteran:Magna te Virg in Q ueen.

D ecorative and Spotted Va rieties.Capta inR a ikes(double) Lady IsabelCa rlKlein(double ) . Lucie Lemowa.

D ecora tor. M a id of Kent.D igby G rand. M arie Lemoine

fi

D resden Ch ina . Mrs. J ohn H ayes.D r . M asters. P rince of N oveltiesD uch essof Edinburgh . (double) .Edward P erkins. Q ueenVictoria (double ).Formosa . Triomph e de St . M ande

G oldM ine . V énusde M ilo(double ) .Kingston Beauty. Volanté N a tionale .

Fa ncyVa rieties.Ambassadress. M issG oddard.

Bridesma id . M rs. Alfred Wigan.

Cloth of Silver .

Countessof D udley. Mrs. Langt ry.

E ast Lynne . N elly Fordh amEllen B e ck. P ilgr imag e .

Fanny G a ir . P r noessTeck.

Indian Ch ief . Th e Sh ah .

Lady Ca rrington . V ivandiere .Z onal and N osegay Va rieties(Single).

LucyBosworthMr:Ch andler .

Mrs. G eorge .

Mrs. Holden.

Mrs. Leavers.MrsMoore.N emesis.Q ueen of th e Belg ians.R osa Little .

Snowdon.

Soph ie Birkin .

Titania .

Vesuvius.White Clipper.

Z onalVarieties(D ouble) .Auguste Villaume . F . V . R a Spa il

Ch arlesD a rwm . G uillon Mang illi.D e p ii t e Lafliz e . H enri Cannell(LeEd’wa rd Lequin. moine ).Emilie de G irardin. Heroine .

G olden Tricolour Va rieties.E . R . B enyon. Mrs. H enry Cox.

Florence . M rs. P ollock.

J oh n D ownie . P eter G rieve .

L ady Cullum . P rince of Wa lesM a cbeth . Sophi a D uma resque .

Marie Stuart. William Sandy.

Silver Tricolour Va rieties.Mrs. Laing .

Mrs. M iller.P orteous.P rince Silverwings.PrincessB ea trice .

G old andB ronz e or Bicolours.Bla ck D ouglas. P rince Henry.

D istinction . P rince of P russia .

E ffective . R egularity.

J oseph Kirkham . Swanley Bronz e .

King of th e Bronz es. Wh ite D istinction.

Maréch alMcMa hon. Z ulu.

G olden or Yellow-band Sections.Creed’sSe edling . Interna tional.Crystal P a la ce G em. R obert Fish .

G olden Ch a in .

Ivy-leaved Va rieties(D oa ble) .Abel Carriere . Madame G rousse.Alice G rousse. M adame E . G a lle .

Comte H . de Ch oiseuil. Mdlle . Wouters.D octeur Ox. P rince of Wales.G IO EI

'

G d’

orleans. Souvenir de CharlesIsidore F era l. Turner.J eanne d

’

Arc. Vesta .

Konig Albert.Ivy-leaved. Va rieties(Single).

Mon . de Boringe .

Mon . D ubus.Mrs. 'H . Cannell.P rogress.

P entstemon . This is one of the most usefuland showy of hardy perennials, and it is a plantthat has been marvellously improved of late years .It is a plant of foreign introduction, and the nameis derived fromp ente, five

,

” andstemon, a stamen— four fertile and one abortive , stamen . It has nocommon name other than that which heads thi s

The P entstemon represents a large genus of herbaceousperennials, .very ornamental and among theprettiest of summer-flowering plants . Some of thespecies are of a sub-shrubby habit, but they arera rely grown now ,

having given place to a large lotof fine plants in the shape of seedlings raised fromP . Cobwa , R H a rtwegii, P . gentianoides, and others, allof which can be increased by means of cuttings andseeds . The original P . H a rtwegii produced flowersof a kind of dullish crimson-purple

,but seedlings

from it have developed many shades of colour,from white to the deepest crimson and. purple.

298 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Some very fine species p an still be found in oldgardens

,such as P . oe a tus, blue ; P . ba r-be tasand P .

Murray/anus, scarlet ; P . digita lis, white ; P . J effi'

ey

anus, blue, and others , which are grown by lovers ofselect hardy perennials .English as well as Continental raisers have donegood work in improving the P entstemon. Y earafteryear new varieties have been raised until theyhave come to possessvigorous h abits ofgrowth

,and to produce

large bold trusses offlower of a singularlyimp o s i n g cha ra c t e r.The P entstemon canbe increased by meansof seeds and cuttings .Any one with but slightconveniences can raiseseedlings . One requiresonly good seed andgood soil

,and if a

pot,shallowr box, or

pan be filled with thelatter

,and the seeds

sowed thinly, they willsoon grow

,provided

they are kept wateredas required and shadedfrom the sun . Thosewho make a practice ofraising new varietiesof P entstemons generally sow their seed inheat about th e monthof February

,and when

the little plants.

arelarge enough to handlethey

.

are potted off,

either singly in smallpots, or two or thr eeplants placed round theSides of a pot

,grown P E N TSTEMON G nnrmnomns.

on into siz e,and then

planted out in a well-prepared bed about the end

of May, or earlier if the weather be favourable.If the season is favourable to their doing well

,

the main portion of the plants will flower in September. But as every lover of hardy flowersmay not have heat at hiscommand,

“ he must proceedmore slowly

,and the best thing he can do is

to sow his seed in March in a cold frame,bring on

his plants as soon and as strong as possible and inJ uly or August avail himself of showery weather toplant out in a bed, where the plants will stand thewinter and flower the following summer. The

P entstemon does well in a goodsandy loam, enriched

with a little dung and leaf- soil,and in it they root

freely and strongly, and throw up strong Spikes of'

flower . While the P entstemon isa hardy plant,it

suf fers from too much wet during winter, and if

hard frost succeeds rain, many plants will sufferor die . Therefore it is well to plant out on a drysoil, but taking care the plants do not sufier for

in winter,placing them

want of water duringthe summer. It isalso prudent to keepa stock of all thefinest strains in storepits throughout t he

winter .Some seed should besaved only from thebest varieties , and bydoing this a good stra incan be preserved .

The P entstemon canbe increased by . division of the root andby means of cuttings .The former method isseldom resorted to ; thelatter is tha t generallyfollowed . Cuttings canbe had in plenty atthe end of the summer from the younggrowths put forth fromthe main stems

,. and

if they are placed inpots of sandy soildrained

,and kept

a cold frame,they

soon make rootsform good plantsfollowing Spring ;by potting the pl

duces them to make young growths ; andcuttings can be made that will soon rootbottom heat.The following is a list of good namedof P entstemon

AgnesLa ing .

A tlantide .

Bridesma id.

Candidate .

D iane .

Edwa rd Ta te .

G eneral N ansouty.

H . Cannell.

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0 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

‘

labellum. Botanically, ‘

the genus is thus characterised: Sepals dilated, flexuose , conduplicatepetals erect

,much smaller than the . sepals . Label

lum large, unguiculate, galeate, continuous with thebase -of the column , tridentate ; column terete , twohorned at the base

,elongated, recurved at the apex,

two-winged. Anther two-celled. P ollenmasses

,two

,compressed

,sulcate behind,

with a linear-arched caudicula , and alunate gland. These plants are all epiphytes, natives of tropical America, andare found growing upon the tops of thehighest trees

,fully exposed to the influence

of the sun ’s rays . It is recorded thatthese plants are always found in the company of ants

,and they grow in, and

d e r i v e b en efi tfrom

,their nests .

It occurs to us,

however, that theants

,finding the

Coryanthes produce such quantities of a liquidso congenial totheir taste

,estab

lish themselves onthe branches andround th e pseudobulbs of theseplants

,it is there

fore the Coryanthes that arenecessary to theants

,and not the

ants to the Coryanthes .A writer thusdescribes the firsts p e c i e s in t r oduced Fromthe branches of Conra nrnnssrncrosa .

trees on VictoriaHill, above Bahia

,hang down little vegetable

buckets, into which a pair of stumps or fingers constantly distil a sweetish , colour less fluid, which, dropby drop , gradually fills the bucket . The fingers areprocesses springing from the base of the column ofthis Orchid the bucket is a great helmet-shaped lip

,

sustained by a stiff arm which keeps it perfectlysteady, so that the honey may not be spilt. Thecolumn itself turns ba ck as if to keep its head out ofthe way of the drOps, while the broad, membranous,lateral sep als , resembling bats’ wings , turn quiteback, as

’ if to unveil the Singular phenomena which .

the blossom presents .

Coryanthes should be grown in hanging baskets,as they are seen to much better advantage in sucha position ; they are evergreen plants, producingfrom their pseudo-bulbs

,which are more or less fur

rowed,a pair of plaited leaves some ten or twelve

inches in length. D uring the growing season theyrequire an abundant supply of water

, but

afterwards sufficient only to keep themfrom shrivelling ; they must be exposed toall the sun and light it is possible to givethem ; peat and Sphagnum,

in about equalparts . Braz ilian House.0. Fieldingii.

— The species belonging tothis extraordinary genus have

,to a great

extent, fallen out of cultivation . Thishas arisen their habit of dying ofi

rapidly, which,

we believe,is

caused by a system of heavilyShading, whichthese plants cannot endure . Thepresent plant produces flowers ofa du l l y e l l o w,

mottled with richbrown

,and some

five inches indiameter ; it isvery distinct andthe largest of thefamily. May andJune . Braz il.0.ma erantha .

This fine speciesp r o du c e s v e ryl ar g e fl ow e r s .G round-colour

,a

bright rich yellow

,Spotted with

red,the conical

helmet being,in

addition,suffused with orange-brown . Jun e

and July. Cara ccas.0. maeula te .

— In this we have a very di stinct andhandsomely-marked flower . Sepals of a uniformpale yellow ; the hood is curved prominently forward ; pale yellow, th e helmet suffused with lightpurplish-violet, and spotted with a deeper Shade ofthe same colour . June and July. D emerara .

0. ma eula ta,var. A lbertine — Flowers large , sepals

and petals bright . yellow,spotted with rich, deep

red ; hood white, dotted all over with rose ; h elmetdeep crimson, sparingly spotted on the inside. Juneand July. V enezuela .

OR CHID S.

C. maéule ta,var. P a rkerii.— An extremely beauti

ful vari ety ; sepals and petals light yellow ; hooddeep reddish-purple

,the helmet being spotted with

th e same colour . May and June. D emerara .

0. ma cula ta,var . puncta ta .

— In thisvariety theflowers are la rge

,beautiful, and distinct ; sepals and

petals bright yellow,dotted and spotted

with red ; h eh et conical, rich orangebrown . June and July . Ca ra ccas.C. sp eciose .

— This species, of which wegive an illustration, will show the strangeform taken by these flowers . The wholeflower is of a uniform pale yellowthr oughout, and spotless, and th e hoodis not curved forward as in the otherspecies . Spring and early summer .

0. sp eciosa , var . a lba — The flowers ofthis form are of a uniform white, whichis quite destitute of spots. May and

June. Bahia.0. sp eeio

'sa,var . e itellina . A variety

with rich,deep

, yolk of egg colouredflowers ; spotless . Mayand June. Braz il .

Cycnoch es. The name signifiesswan-neck

,and is derived f rom the long

curved column ; the genus is a near allyof C'

e tasetmn,and like the plants of that

genus,is subj ect to grea t variations,

which indeed render it very diflicult todefine the limits of aspecies . Cultivationsame as for Ca tasetmn.

Cycnoches are remarkable for the factthat the same plants often produce quitedifferent flowers. In some cases the sameare not produced two seasons in succession ;not unfr equently two kinds of flowers are producedon the same plant at the same time . Th e varietyillustrated— the parent of many others— is an in

stance of this . The following are brief descriptionsof some other vari etiesC. aureum.

— Flowers large and closely set , of auniform clea r yellow. Spring and summer. CentralAmerica .

0. ba rba tum (Polycycnisba rba ta ). — Flowers brightpink

,spotted with red. Spring. Costa R ica .

0. I oddigesii.— This produces two kinds of flowersrather frequently ; in the most

L

showy form theflowers are large and fragrant ; sepals and petalsgreen and purple ; lip white, spotted with purple.Summer months . Surinam.

0. p entada etylon.-The flowers of this kind are

large,and of a uniform yellowish green

,more or

lessstreaked with brown. Summer and autumn .

Braz il.

3 01

Cymbidium .— These are terrestrial vanda ceous

Orchids,producing sword -shaped distichous leaves,

and forming in some instances short, stout, ovalpseudo-bulbs, whi ch are enveloped by the imbri catingbases of .the leaves . The scape is radical, in somespecies erect

,in others quite pendulous, the chief

CrcnocnnsWARscnwrcz rr.

character in the flowers beingpresence of two conspicuous curvedridges on the labellum .

The word Cymbidium is derived fromkymbe, a boat,” and refers to a hollowrecess in the lip

,and formerly included

numerous Orchids which had no claimto be associated with thi s group .

Cymbidiums should be grown in

rough peat and Sphagnummoss . Theyare plants which make a great quantityof stout fleshy roots

,and consequently

require plenty of pot-room . D uringthe growing season give a liberalsup

,ply of water, and never by any chanceallow the thin-leaved kinds(such aseburneum) to suff er from drought“ at any time .Formerly the beautiful species eburneum was veryrare, and unfortunately it lost favour on account ofits being a. shy flowerer ; but then it was treated to

2'

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

the hottest corner of the East Indian House . A

friend,when sending some plants home a short time

back,writes:“ In the cold season they sometimes

have snow on them for a short time, but afterwardsthey break up like W illows, and, when in flower

,

they look like great beds of white Tulips .” Takingthis as a guide

,I have been able to redeem this

species from the bad character it had got as a poorflowerer

,and recommend Cymbidiums to be kept in

the Braz ilian House ; when at rest, even in a stilllower temperature.0. P eg

‘anum.

—Leaves long and narrow,somewhat

CYMB I orUM EBUR N EUM .

resembling C. eburneum ; raceme pendulous, manyflowered ; the ground-colour of the flowers isyellowish-white sepals and petals streaked with purplishcrimson ; the lip is margined with the same richcolour, and ornamented on the di scwith numerousreddish-crimson lines and streaks . Spring andearlysummer. Assam .

0. ebnrneum.— The leavesof this fine “ species are

narrow, arranged in a two-ranked manner, andbright shining green

,acutely two-lobed at the apex ;

scape usually one-flowered, but frequently two a re'

produced ; sepals and petals spreading, oblonglanceolate

,nearly equal, thick and fleshy in texture,

and ivory-white ; lip three-lobed, side lobes'

rolled

ever th e column ; middle lobe triangular, with wavy

margins,ivory-white

,the base ornamented with a

broad band of yellow . It blooms during the winterand Spring months . There is another form of thi splant with rose-colour ed dots on the lip . UpperAssam .

0. g iganteum.— This is a bold strong-growing

plant . Leaves ligulate-acute ; scape erect, manyflowered ; flowers large ; sepals and petals brown ;lip same colour

,stained and blotched with purple and

yellow . W inter and early spring. N orthern India.0. H ookerianum.

— In habit resembling the~

preceding species

, but the dark green leaves are striated

with yellow. Flowers upwards of four inch es in-diameter ; sepals and petals apple-green,

about equa l,

oblong-acute ; lip three-lobed, white, and lemoncolour

,profusely blotched, spotted, and dotted with

purple. Spring and early summer. Sikkim,Hima

laya.

0.

li

Hnttomi r— This is a very distinct and most

beautiful species. P seudo-bulbs three to five incheslong

,bearing a pair of leaves longer than the pseudo

bulbs, and upwards of two inches in breadth ; theseare somewh at oblong, coriaceous, and deep greenraceme pendulous

,five to ten-flowered ; sepals larger

than the petals,recurved

,and ovate ; the f ormer pale

brown,streaked and blotched transversely with deep

\

brown ; the latter rich chocolate inside ; lip threea

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3 04 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

texture ; in some instances they are beautiq y pediumsare great favouri tes in th e horticulturaltesselated, whilst the scape rises from the centre of world

,for their singula r forms and beautiful colours

the leaves , one or many flowered. charm all beholders ; then ha ve the

CYP R IPED IUM cmm ruu .

Some of the species included here,and which are additional recommendation of being by no means

peculiar to tropical America,have been removed difficult to cultivate

,for with ordinary attention

from this genus, and called Selenep edium,on account they very soon grow into handsome specimens , and

of their having a three-celled ovary,whilst th e most of them will continue in full beauty for many

Cypripediums of the Old W orld have a one- celled months.ovary only. It isnot at all surpri sing that Cypri In potting these plantsthey should not be elevated

OR CHID S. 3 05

above the rim of the pot ; the soil best adapted forthem is a mixture of two parts rough peat, one partgood leaf-mould

,and one part chopped Sphagnum

moss ; to thi s add a little sharp sand, whilst somespecies like the addition of a portion of yellowloam .

The petsfor Cypripediums must be exceptionallywell drained, for theylike an abundance ofwater during thegrowing season

,and

as they are entirelydestitute of pseudobulbs to supportthem

,at no time

must the supply becut off , although as amatter of cour se lesswi l l be n e c e s s a rywhen the plants are

Cypripediums arenot much subj ect tothe attack

_of insect

pests,but sca le will

sometimes fix uponthem ; whenevertheseare seen, remove atonce with sponge andsoft- soap and water .

But the red thrip istheir worst enemy

,

andmust be extermina ted imm ediately itputs in an appearan ce ; this can beeffected with tobaccopowder aspreviouslyr e c omm en d e d f o rAerides.Asa general rule

,

theseplantsare grownin the East IndianHouse, but the majority of the speciesthrive best in a coolertemperature ; it willtherefore be necessary to specify these in the descriptive enumeration, but all those not specially men

tionedmay be kept in the East Indian House .(I. A rgus- This is un doubtedly one of the veryhandsomest of the ba rba tnm section . Leaves up

wards of six inches long ; oblong - lanceolate,tapering

to a point , pale green on both sides, the upper surface beautifully tesselated with deep green ; flowerssome five inches across

,and solitary ; dorsal sepal

cordate - acuminate,the gr ound - colour white

,with

44:

CYP R IP E D IUM IN SIG N E .

numerous purple and green stripes rurming frompoint to base ; the lateral sepals, like all in thisgenus, are combined and are somewhat inconaspicuous; petals upwards of three inches long, rose.colour, tinged with green towards the base, profuselyspotted blotched with purple

,and fringed on

the edges with darkhairs ; lip large, dullpurple in front

,yel

lowish-green underneath. Spring andearly summer . Islandof Luz on .

U. ba rba tum,var.

grandiflormn.— There

are many forms ofth i s s p e c i e s , th i sbeing one of th e

best ; the leaves are

oblong and brightgreen

,tesselated with

dark green ; flowerslarge and solitary.

The ordinary formhas a small dorsalsepal

,and a smaller

and more pointedpouch-like lip . Thi svariety is distinguish ed by its verybroad dorsal sepal

,

whi ch measures sometwo and a half inchesin diameter

,wh ite

,

striped from base toapex with lines ofgreenish purple orport wine colour ;petals warm rosecolour

,tinged with

green towards thebase

,fringed on the

edges with purplishhairs

,and warty on

the uppermargin ; liplarg e, the pouchbroad

and obtuse,deep port-wine colour . It lasts long in

full beauty. Spring and summer . Malacca , &c .

C. cauda tum.— Aswith most other plants , there are

several vari eties of thi s species ; the best form is0. cauda tum roseum,

distinguished by the largeand deeper rose- coloured lip . Leaves twelve toeighteen inches long

,carinate beneath, and plain,

shining green ; scape many-flowered, flowers largeand Showy, with remarkably long tail-like petalsdorsal sepal large

,and directed forward like a hood,

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

tawny-yellow,variously streaked and barred with

reddish-purple ; the lateral ones combined, greenishyellow ; the petals are the most remarkable. featurethese are tawny-yellow,

and are lengthened intolinear pendent wavy tails nearly two feet or more inlength ; lip much inflated, tawny-yellow, more orless suffused with rich deep rose , or reddish-purple .April,

to June . Cool part of Braz ilian House . Andesof South America.0. chloroneurom.

— This is a hybrid raised by thatenthusiastic lover of Orchids, Mr . R . W arner, solong known as possessing one of the finest collectionsof these plants in England. P rofessor R eichenbachin describing this plant writes thus Leaves ofC. renustum very dark ; flowers large, very shiningas if varnished ; odd sepa l light green, with da rkerlongitudinal and transverse veins ; pair sepals ligulateacute

,whitewith green nerves

,very small and narrow ;

petals divided by a longitudinal,purple-maroon,

broad streak,white with green nerves on side towards

the lip,green on the other sides

,light brown to the

apex,

O

With green nerves and Indian purple wartlike spots on the basiliar limb, and some Spots nearthe base ; lip’s sac very bread, with short bluntlateral horns

,light Copper- coloured, with green

reticulations on a yellow border .” January andFebruary. G arden hybrid.

0. B runei — A fine addition to thi s family ; thereare

,however

,several inferior forms . The finest may

be thus described — Leaves oblong-ligulate, taperingto a point

,and deep green ; scape erect, longer than

the leaves , and densely clothed with ferruginoushairs

,bearing a single flower ; sepals and petals deep

yellow with a chocolate band down the centre ofeach, the latter dotted at the base with green ; liplarge , obtuse, pale yellow. East Indies.0. D ominiennm.

— A hybrid between C. cauda tum

and 0. P ea rcei,one of the splendid results obtained by

Mr .

’

D ominy in the establishm ent of Messrs . V eitchof Chelsea

,and is exactly intermediate between the

,two parents . Leaves narrow-ligulate,plain green

scape thr ee or more flowered,all expanded at one

time ; the petals are much twisted, but broader andnot so long asin 0. cauda tum lip almost same Shapeas in C. P ea reei

,colour tawny-yellow

,suffused more

or less with reddish -purple . Cool end of Braz ilianHouse. May and June. a G arden hybrid.

0.

'

enryandrum.- This is the result of a cross be

tween C:barba tum and Stonei it is a magnificent

,

flower, raised by Mr . Seden in the V eitchian

nurseries at Chelsea . We believe Mr . Seden was apupil of our friend Mr . D ominy

,and when th is

flower first opened it must have made the hearts ofboth rej oice . Leaves large

,broadly-oblong obtuse,

and plain deep green ; scape three-flowered ; flowersvery large ; dorsal sepal broadly-ovate obtuse

,and

fringed round the edge with blackish -purple hairs,ground- colour white, suffused with rose, sta inedwith pale yellow up the centre, and striped withpurple ; the combined lateral sepal issmaller andduller in colour ; petals slightly shorter than0. Stonei, but broa der, dull port-wine colour, suffused with tawny-yellow, variously spotted withreddish-purple

,and slightly warty on the upper

edge ; lip large and bold, obtuse, deep port-winecolour. Spring and summer. G arden hybrid.

0. Fa irrieanum.—This exquisite small-growing

species is very rare in cultivation . Leaves oblongligulate

,some three inches long

,and light green ;

scape double the length of the leaves ; flowers large ,solitary:dorsal large and somewhat cordate, fringedand waved at the edges

,ground-colour white

,shaded

with green,and strongly veined from base to apex

with deep purple ; petals at first'

deflexed, thencuriously curved upwards

,oblong-lanceolate

,whi te ,

with greenish-purple veins,and ciliate on both

edges ; lip large, extending forward, dull purple,suffused with green . It succeeds best in the coolend of the Braz ilian House . September and October.Assam .

0. H a rrisianum.— This is a hybrid between C.

ba rba tum and 0. villosum,and both leaves and flowers

appear to be exactly intermediate . The leaves havethe bright shining surface of C’. villosmn

,and the

tessela tionsof C. ba rba tum,but these are not so

plainly marked ; the flowers are somewhat in thestyle of C'. rillosmn

,yet abundantly distinct ; dorsal

sepal broad,dull purple

,tipped with

,

white ; thelower sepal smaller

,and greenish-white ; petals

broadly-ligulate,port-wine colour

,the middle vein

being very dark ; lip large, dull purple , tinged withgreen . Spring and early summer. G arden hybrid.

(J. hirsutissimwn.— Leaves some nine or ten inches

long,strap- shaped

,and deep green ; scape longer

than the leaves ; flowers nearly six inches indiameter

,solitary ; dorsal sepal very broad and

cordate, green, sufiused with purple in front , and

clothed with long shaggy .hairs behind ; petalsspathulate

,the basal half undulate

,greenish

,the

edges fringed with short hairs, upper_

part richpurple ; lip large, green,

freckled with purple.

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'

3 08 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

spotted with crimson at the base ; lip round and full,contracted at the mouth, white behind, rich rosycrimson in front. P eruvian H ouse . Autumn months.It grows at an elevation of feet in Ocafia ,N ew G renada.

0. Schlimii,va r . a lbiflormn.

_ This very elegantvariety is an exact counterpart of the Species, savingits flowers

,which are pur e snow-white

,except the

mouth of the labellum,isornamented with

Crra rrnnrun SP ICER IAN UM.

crimson rays . P eruvian House . Autumn. N ew

G renada.

0. p olitam.—

‘ Thi s isanother hybrid raised throughth e Skill of Mr . Warner

,of B loomfield

,Chelmsford .

Leaves rather large, with numerous dark greentransverse marks ; flowers equal to that of a good0. a rgue ; sepals triangular, white , with a reddi shwash ; nerves green, Indian purple spot at the basepair sepals well connate

,surpassing in length the

lip for a little Space ; lip’s face blunt, copper

coloured, with green nerves in front, greenish onSides ; petals broad, ciliate, totally reddish at tep ,the remaining part half white and half light brown ;the first part towards the odd sepal

,with numerous

Indian purple blotches ; the other one with similarblotch esand ,green nerves . January and F ebruary.

G arden hybrid.

C. p ardimmn.— Wh en not in flower, this plant has

much the appearance of 0. venustum. The leavesare some six inches long, and about two

'

inchesbroad

,dark green

,tesselated with yellowish-green

above,stained with purp le towards the base beneath ;

scape erect,longer than the leaves, two to three

flowered, seldom one-flowered ; dorsal sepal large,ovate-acuminate

,pure white

,streaked with bright

~

green from base to apex, every second stripe reach

ing only half the length ; lower conna te sepalssmaller

,but same colour ; petals long and broad,

standing at right ang les, tapering to a point at thebase ; yellowish-green, dotted with purplish-black,and bearing several small , ciliated , dark brown wartson the edges ; the ends bronz y-red, shaded withpurple

,and fringed all round with short dark hairs ;

lip saccate,yellowish

,tinged with rose

,and netted

“

with green veins . April and May. Moulmein.

0. Sedeniié— This'

is a beautiful hybrid,obtained

between 0. Schlimii and 0. longéfolium. The latterspecies

,if not identica l, is

'

a very near relative of

C. R oez lii. It is a very handsome form,and almost ’

a perpetual bloomer. L

ligulate-acuminate,and

. THE KITCHEN G AR D EN .

flated, rich crimson, suffused with a purplish tinge .Summer months , &c. G arden hybrid .

selligerum.

— A hybrid between 0. barba tum

and ,0. lwm

'

ga tum,and is a very handsome and

distinct variety. It is of robust habit, with broadligulate leaves ; these have nearly lost all thetessela tionsof the ba rba tum group . Scape erect,two to three-flowered ; dorsal sepal white, boldlyveined from base to apex with dark crimson ; thecoalescing lower one is .white ; peta ls much deflexed, and slightly twisted, about three inches long,white

,veined with crimson, with numerous dark

warty blotches,and fringed all round.with long dark

hairs ; lip large and obtuse, vinous red. Springand summer. G arden hybrid.

0 Stonez’

._ This is a superb species The leaves

are h gulate obtuse, about a foot long, and darkshining green above

,paler beneath , scape erect , as

long or longer than the leaves, three-flowered ;sepals ovate-acuminate, the dorsal one largest,white

,stained with yellow

,and streaked with

purple on the'outside ; petals slightly deflexed, some

five inches long, orange-yellow, blotched with darkpurple lip large, with a curiously-shaped po

’

uch,ground-colou1 white, reddish purple in front, withdeeper-coloured veins. June and July. Sarawakin B orneo .

C. Sp irerianum._ A

.

small-growing species, notpossessed of brilliant colours

,but a charming addi

tion to the family. Scapel

erect, flowers solitary,two to three inches in diameter ; dorsal sepals purewhite ; petals white, tinged with green, and streakedwith purple ; lip deep reddish-brown. It should beplaced in the cool end of the B raz ilian House .Spring months . N orthern India .

0. sup erbiens. —This species belongs to the barba tum group, and is the finest of that section yetintroduced. In English gardens it has obtained thename of Veitchianum. Leaves strap-shaped, oblongobtuse

,ground-colour yellowish-green, tesselated

with dark green ; flowers very large,solitary ;

dorsa‘l sepal ovate,tapering to a point

,the lower one

very small,white

,with numerous bright green lines

running from base to apex ; petals oblong-obtuse,three inches long, white , dotted and streaked withdark purple

,and fringed all round with dark hairs ;

lip very large,deep purple in front

,passing into

brown beneath. Summer months . Java .

0. vexilla rimn.— The result of a cross between

0. ba r6a tum and 0. Fa irrieanmn. Leaves oblongobtuse

,ground-colour yellowish-green

,chequered

with dark green ; scape one -flowered, the flowersbeing about the siz e of the last-named parent ;dorsal sepal wh ite, greenish at base , shaded withlight purple

,and streaked with darker lines petals

curved downwa rds, purple , slightly tinged with

THE KITCHEN G AR DEN .

BY WILLIAM EAR LEY .

3 09

green ; lip large, pale brown, veined and shadedwith pale green. Summer month s . G arden hybrid.

C’. venustum,var. sp ectabile.

— This is a beautifulform of this very old acquaintance, which appearsto be the

,

first species of the genus introduced fromIndia . The original form was rather dull-coloured,and suffered from comparison with later discoveriesuntil it became almost obsolete . This vari ety hasagain brought the name of oerlustmn to the fore .Leaves oblong - ligulate and acute, deep bluishgreen, tesselated with two shades of lighter green,reddish-purple beneath ; scape longer than theleaves, erect, one-flowered dorsal sepal ovate

,

tapering to a point, wh ite, suffused with pale green

and striped with darker lines of the same colour ;petals somewhat spathulate

,white

,streaked with

green, and broadly tipped “with carmine,sparingly

spotted with deep purplish-black ; lip greenishyellow

,tinged with rosy-red. This Speciesthrives

well under the same treatment as 0. insigne. Wintermonths . Sylhet. N orthern India .

0. villosum.— A superb Species, the last we shall

enumerate here,although the family contains many

other beautiful forms . Leaves strap-shaped,taper

ing to a point, coriaceous in texture , and deep green,slightly spotted a t the base with brown ; scape oneflowered ; flowers large and Spreading, measuringabout five inches‘ in diameter ; the dorsal sepallisobovate

,curved forward, green, heavily stained at

the base with deep purple,and veined in the upper

part with netted purple lines ; petals un equallyspathulate

,the upper half rich chestnut-brown

,

lower,portion greenish-yellow ; lip large, yellow,

suffused with light brown,the whole flower having

the appearance of being newly varnished. Springand early summer. Moulmein.

MON THLY CALEN D AR (concluded) .J une .

AKE another and a last sowing of Broad Beans.Early in the month stick Scarlet R unner B eans

wh ere this method of growing them is practised. Onthe contrary, where the market garden system isfollowed

,keep every young shoot pinched back im

mediately it appears,by which means very dwarf

free-fruiting rows will be assured. Make a finalsowing of summer cropping or main crop P eas .The ground for them should be deep

,rich, and if

possible cool. Should this sowing,in the exigencies

of successional sowings in order, happen to comeearly in the month, then it will be well . to make a

3 1 0 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

final sowing of the following also about the thirdweek in the month, viz .

— N e P lus Ultra, D ay’sEarly Sunrise , and John Bull . It

'

is excellent pra ctice during a dry summer to mulch late P eas . By

itsaid moisture is kept in the ground, and the actionof the sun ’s rays upon the surface of the soil is neutralised, to say nothing of the assistance it affordsin connection with all artificial waterings .At no other season of the year is it so importantto give free use to the hoe as during this month ofJune. By keeping the surface soil loose and free,the beneficial action of the dews at night is a ccele

rated. Equally important are boeings following allheavy rains, whi ch level or b eat down the surfaceof the soil and so neutralise such results . B eyondwhich

,seedling weeds form very rapidly at such a

season,following all rains, and hence hoeing has a

dual or triple merit..Where the most tender vegetables are in constantdemand

,it will be desirable during a showery

period in the month to make again small sowingsof the following z— Early Horn Carrots, Turnips ,Spinach, R adishes , Lettuces, Endive , and such smallsalading as Mustard, Cress, Onions, &c.

, for drawing .

A damp cool soil is the most desirable at thisseasonfor all kinds of salad plants .Anytemporary covering such as hand-lights placedover R idge Cucumbers, V egetable Marrows, &c. ,

gradually remove ; cut, dry, and harvest all kinds ofherbs immediately any Show Signs of blooming, atwhich time they are ripe for the process .Artificial waterings are very important duringthe month . Unf ortunately, it so happens that everypart of the garden calls loudly for extra attentionat thisparticular season, hence the great assistancesuch artificial waterings are capable of cannot in somecases be properly rendered. I would remark, neverth eless, that should dry weather intervene , no otherextra labour that could be applied would give betterresults than such as may be applied to this one ofthe artificial root-watering in season ; and to hire aman, or two , for a day about twice in the monthfor this purpose would greatly repay the small outlay.

lt may be added in connection with this subject thatweak manurial waterings, being so exceptionallyh elpful to the roots, Should be

'

applied in all instanceswhere practicable . If but a bag of horse-droppingsbe placed in a tub whence the water is drawn itwill afiord good assistance in thi s respect .G ive more and more a ir by day to Cucumbers , eventowards the end of the month to tilting the sashesof frameson their sides

,by inserting wedges under

th e opposite Side. Always so raise each , however,that any winds blow over and not directly into theframes . Add manurial watering to the usual rootwa terings. These Should be given every other day

during very hot drying weather ; but only everythird or fourth day when the weather is heavy anddull, though superficial sprinklings will be requireddaily at thi s date at p m. Take care to giveroot-waterings at the same hour

,upon sunny days

only ; so that the heat of.

the sun’s rays,subsequently

boxed up by closing the lights down tightly, aid inrenovating the heat lost in process of watering . Toinsure that a moderate warmth pervades the waterused, make a point of filling all water-pots withwater as soon as the general morning waterings arefinished

,and place them in full

_

sun previous tothe periodica l waterings . Continue to look throughthe plants . P inch back lateral Shoots upon whichembryo Cucumbers form,

at one lea f beyond suchtender fruits . R emove all tendrils wherever theyform. Stop the points of strong Shoots(wh ich it iswell to let grow occasionally, to insure better rootaction) when they approach the outer Sides of frameor proper limits

,removing all aged leaves and

freshening up the surface of the soil, to neutralisethe formation of noxious fung oid growths, &c.

Mushroom-beds,which have been spawned five or

Six weeks,should have the surface covering carefully

removed,giving waterings as may be necessary.

W ell Shake up the material used as a covering, andreplace it over the bed lightly, and as circumstancessuggest less densely also . Collect more materials andmake up successional beds out of doors, for croppingduring September onwards . Such materials will drywell spread out in the sun during dry weather, andprove better than such as are prepared by process offermentation. It is important that the droppings besuch as are formed by horses fed upon dry food, andnot from such as are pasturing, as many horses areat th is season . Take care to remove all vegetablecrops immediately they have ceased to be young anduseful, especially of the .Brassica tribe, Spinach , &c.

To permit these to stand upon the ground but afew days subsequently, is to greatly and needlesslyrob th e ground of its best constituents .

J u ly.

Even during the month known as arid July,cropping must be continued by all who would ha vevegetables Subsequently “ in season .

” AsSpringsown crops come into bearing and exhaust themselves, they must in rapid succession be uprooted, theground “repaired,” and other crops made to take th eirplace

,as by a W iz ard’s hand . Too much attention

cannot therefore be given to the imm ediate digging

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i}? CASSELL

’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

carefully take off all minor side -shoots or suckersfrom each

,hoe the soil on each Side of the row, and

chop down a little soil from the Sides of the trenchesas a preliminary to earthing up . I f the earliest rowissufficiently advanced to permit of this being doneabout the fir st week, a second earthing up may bemade during the third or fourth week.

Transplant towards the middle and end of themonth seedling Lettuces and Endive on to any

.

openSpace and rich soil . The result will be fine largeplants for late autumn use , and for transplanting inframes, &c.

Where the main Onion cr0p does not ripen off

evenly,sundry large strong-necked ones existing

amongst them, go over the bed, and bend the necksof such down, a practice which hastens the bulbingprocess . So soon as such green stalks contract

,and

Show a ripened aspect, pull the crop up, laying thebulbs bottom upwards in rows to hasten the furtherripening process . G ive the needful attention toTomatoes

, Cucumbers, &c.,well deluging all with

water as necessary. P ot ofi2 seedling Cucumber plantsgrown on for winter work. Well hoe all ground re

quiring such attention .

Sep temb er .

P repare ground whereon to plant the main bed ofspring Cabbages. Upon light ground the old Onionbed

,. especially if well manured and prepared for

such,will prove an excellent place whereon to plant

them . On the contrary, wherever the ground is ofa heavy , tenaciousnature, it will be desirable tomanure and dig up a proper space for them,

whereonto plant to the necessary extent so soon as the youngseedling plants are . la rge enough for the purpose .The Spinach sown as advised will require thinningout the better thisis done

,so will the young plants

gain strength for withstanding the frosts , &c.,of

winter . Thin all out to six in ches apart,well hoeing

the ground during the operation .

Take up P otato crops immediately the haulm showsSigns of ripening

,and should disease Show upon any

,

eith er cut the haulm down and remove it to a distance, or forthwith dig up the crop . In digging thecrop up thus early, however, it is needful to at onceremove the tubers to a cool

,close , dark Shed

,or to

clamp them at once in the open ground . The latteris preferable . Care must be taken, however, not toplace too large a bulk together

,otherwise they are

likely .to ferment and receive great injury. In anycase, it

' is desirable to dig up this crop as soon aspossible . The practice of leaving it in .the. groundafter the ha ulm hasdied down, too certainly causesundue loss orwaste.P roceed with earthing up. Celery .

r The process requires to be done by degrees , at intervals of about a

fortnight. ChOp a quantity of soil down from the

sides of the trenches each time,break it up finely

,

place it against the plants,and whilst each plant is

held bodily in one hand,with the leaves naturally

closed together , and their'

stalks straight, dr aw the

soil with a trowel up around and between each .

D uring dryweather a final watering should be givenbefore the second earthing up .

Towards the end of the month take up and storeB eet-root and Carrots . D ig up each root carefully

,so as not to break them ; twist the leaves off

the former,and cut. them ofi the latter

,storing them

away conveniently for winter use . A cool,somewhat

damp place suits both . Carrots will keep fresh andwell clamped in the open ground

,in the same way

as P otatoe s are clamped.

Mildew often attacks late P eas early in the month.

A fine dusting with flowers of sulphur is a good antidote. The Onion crop should be ripening quicklyduring dry weather. Turn the bulbs over occa sionally with a wooden rake, until the green stalks havebecome brown and dry, and then ha rvest ; in doingwhich remove as much of the decayed stalk ascanbe detached from each in process of picking them up

and transferring them to baskets,for transmission

to dry Shelves in Sheds,&c. All stiff

,seedy-stalked

ones should be removed from the general crop , to bestored away. A dry

,cool place is most suitable to

them.

Continue to transplant Lettuces and Endive, as thesuccessional seedling plants upon seed-beds becomelarge enough for this purpose

,tying up a few for

early uses as required. P rick out Cauliflower plantswhen large enough on to an Open sunny aspect ,where they can advance in sturdy growth, preparatory to placing them in their more permanentwinter quarters .Sow small beds of Lettuce,

“

Endive,R adishes,

Cauliflower, and any Simila r subj ect,to produce a

few late plants or crops,which

,as catch crops,”

often come in very handy when hard winterweather

, &c.

,tax or in jure the more permanent

ones . W ell thin out the late Turnip crop,hoeing

deeply and well between it . Mould up the youngCabbage plantation so soon as active growth isseen to commence , fir st making up any vacanciesthat occur

,and deeply hoeing between the rows .

Continue to gather all produce immediately it is fitfor table

,wheth er really wanted for use or not ; Any

neglect in regard to this must be avoided.

R emove all growing shoots from Tomatoes as theycontinue to form, placing a large slate immedia telyover the roots of ea ch to . keep off rains, a simplepractice which is conducive to the more immediaterip ening of the fruits .Clear . old. Cucumber plants in an exhausted state

THE’KITCHEN G AR D EN . 3 1 3

out of Cucumb er houses . R emove the soil, andthoroughly cleanse the structure, washing and whitewashing as necessary. Then re lay the dra inagebase ; cart in new soil, consisting of decomposedturfy loam and thoroughlydecomposed andsweetenedmanure . R e -plant with the young Cucumber plants ,as prepared on former suggestions . Cucumbers soplanted now should be grown on robustly with aliberal supply of air and moisture, to insure a goodba sis for the ultimate winter cropping. Late Cucumbers in frames will require periodical manipulation,or picking and cutting over

,watering, &c. , on the

principle previously explained. D uring the monthit will be

.

needful also to r enovate the linings . R e

move the old,add fresh stable litter

,well moisten

ing with clea r water such parts as are dry, shakingboth old and new, materials well up together inthe process of renewing such linings . By doinghalf the linings at -one time, and the other half subsequently

,heat will be gradually increased.

O ctob er .

’

The work of harvesting!

crops delayed from lastmonth should be

,

pushed.

rapidly along. Sharpfrosts occasionally occur early in the month, eventhough immunity from such occurs for some weekssubsequently. In like manner transplantings of allkinds from seed-beds must be hurried forward, andcompleted. Successional plantations from successionally

'sown Lettuce, Endive, Cabbage, and other beds,made in due manner

,will prove an admirable safe

guard against the exigencies of winter . Invariablya percentage of all such young seedling plants arelost

,and it ‘ is often only by making successional

sowings that the progeny in some Shape or other isconserved in ample numbers for the demand. Thus,early-sown seedlings .give early and good resultsfollowing mild winters ; whilst , .on th e other hand,a severe winter often destroys such forward crops ;when “happily foresight and provision

,in the shape

of late sowings,steps in to fill up the gap .

Clear away the surface 'old growths from Asparagus, Sea -kale

, R hubarb, Ar tichokes, &c. Manureeach

,after having well hoed between the stools if

necessary, and fork up the soil between them lateron . A little soil may be taken out of the alleysbetween Asparagus and laid over th e dressing ofmanure placed upon them .

the trenches somewhat lower,and to give better

drainage to the beds during seasons of heavyrain .

N ew plantationsof R hubarb and Horse-radish maybe

'

made during the month.

Early in the month collect the necessary’

m aterialsfor indoor or winter-bearing Mushroom-beds . Asitis always desirable to procure such materials as aredry, it will be well to shake them out o f existing

This will tend to make'

53

N ov emb er .

Speculative sowings of P eas may be made duringth e month, and as , near to the tenth as may be con

fresh stable manure repositories , that have lain dry,and during a dry period. Mushroom-houses shouldbe thoroughly cleansed

,whitewashed, &c.

,and the

fines or heating medium in connection placed in goodorder

,in preparation .

Finish'

earthing up all Celery. The earliest, or suchas is to come into use next in succession, should, besides being earthed up to the necessary extent, havethe soil a t the apices of the mounds drawn tightlytogether around the tops of the leavesin such manneras to exclude the air. By this means alone is goodblanched Celery secured.

' Later crops are best leftOpen at this time

,as it is better not to unduly blanch

the whole growth too long a time before requiredfor use .

R emove all old crops from the ground. B urn allaccumulation of such and other rubbish . Turn overmanure-heaps , carting on to vacant spaces such materials as are ready for transferring to the ground

,and

asearly as possible dig up all vacant ground, placingthe soil in ridges for the freer ingress of frosts, &c.

,

which proves so beneficial to all cultivated soils,

those of old gardens more especially.

At this season sundry dead or decaying leavesexist upon plantations of Brussels Sprouts

,Broccoli

,

&n which it will be desirable to remove . By sodoing the. plantations receive more fresh air

,and are

kept dr ier during the winter season,facts which

conduce to improved prolifica cy. R emove unripeTomatoes from the open ground on to a dry Shelf

,

where they will ripen in due season .

P lant Cauliflower plants into frames,or under

hand-glasses._

D o this moderately thickly,in such

manner that they can be wintered therein, and beeventually thinned out or transplantedwholly on torich ground next spring.

Strong-grown B roccoli,especially such as exists

up 'on cold, stiff, and low-lying grounds, you must“ lay with their heads 'towards the north . Thisheeling over ” isreadily performed by a handyman, with very little injury to the roots .G ive another hoeing amongst all young crops,

drawing the soil up around such asneed it ; th inningout late Spinach

,Turnips, &c. and give the neces

sary'

a ttention to walks in the matter of sweeping,rolling

,&c. If at this season the fallen tree

lea ves, and, so to speak, the débm'sfrom N ature’s

autumn, be not kept constantly swept up and clearedav

‘

vay, the walkswill quickly become so foul as torequire double the amount of work th us originallyrequired

,to bring them back into comfortable or

presentable appearance -and usefulness.

3 1 4 CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

venient. Choose a warmwsunny border for th e

‘

pur

pose,and where the soil is na turally dry and light .

It should not be unduly manured . W illiam I . andimproved forms of D illiston’sEarly, &c., may besown. A border at the foot of a south-aspect wallwill be the most suitable place for this purpose.Wh ilst in cold northern parts of th e country theseearly ‘ sowings require much care to bring them forward successfully, nevertheless, more south, &c.

,

there need be little difficulty with them. BroadBeans may in like manner he sown across any exposed Open quarter of the garden . Care will be hecessa ry to protect both from a variety of enemies ,whi ch prey upon the seeds and the tender plants ofeach subsequently when above ground

,to which ex

tended reference need not here be made .

W atch the weather, and transpose successionalbatches of Lettuces and Endive from the open groundto frames , as former crops are being used

,and room

is thus made for them . G ive air to such frames,as

a deterrent of decay alone ,;should such exist ; the

produce will grow as well , and be crisper, when keptin airless frames, when no such symptoms of decayoccur; It is desirable always to tread the groundfirmly between such plants when lifted from theopen ground

,with balls of earth attached as they

should be , and transplanted therein.

Look occasionally into the hearts of Walcherenand Snow’

S B roccolis and V eitch S Cauliflower,to

ascertain whether any are Showing symptoms offlowering ; taking care to well bend the leaves overthe centres where Signs of such occur

,and pull any

plants bodily where the flowers are moderatelyadvanced, putting them into a cool place beyondreach of frost until required for use .

Take advantage of the first hard ground-frost towh eel manure on to all vacant spaces

,and subse

quently proceed with the work of digging andtrenching with expedition . The chief obj ect shouldbe to have all vacant spaces

,whereon crops do not

exist, turned up as early as possible , so that it mayreceive

,the full benefits of long and free exposure .

In turning it up , do not chOp it to pieces, but leteach spitful lie as roughly as possible . Subsequentfrost, air, &c.

, will thoroughly desiccate the lumps,and level all in superior mellowness . Additions offresh soil, &c. may well be made to any parts of thekitchen garden at this season:fences

,ditches

,

drainage, and so on, attended to , walks turned, Boxedgings re-planted

,and all similar work performed

at this less busy period of the year.Look over stores of P otatoes

,Onions, and all

other root~crops, removing all_ signs of decay, and

Sorting to suit future intentions in regard to each.

Make up the Mushroom -beds,and collect materials

for successional beds as necessary.

D e cemb er .

In connection with the ground work, such asdigging

,trenching

,&c.

,it is often convenient to

renew or enlarge plantations of R hubarb, Sea -kale,&c. For instance, the old bed-Space of these andof Horse-radish can often at thi s period of the year

Where forced vegetables are required early, or asnear to Chr istmas and the new year as possible, itwill be necessary to commence forcing such duringthe month of N ovember . Sea -kale and R hubarbforced under fermenting materials out of doors,should have such fermenting materials collected andplaced over the stools or crowns about the middleof the month . First

,however, look over the stools,

remove all litter from aroun d the crowns,especially

any form of decay,and place a small heap of cinder

ash es over each. Upon it place the forcing-potsand their covers . The fermenting materials will bebest if placed in a heap and permitted to fermentbefore they are neatly packed over a given Space, ornumber of such stools. By this means heat will bequicker and more uniform. See that the potsfitdown tightly on the ground

,and tha t the lids are

tight, &c. ,

else the excessive steam in associationwith great heat may injure and rot th e crownsbefore they commence to move . D o not omit toplace test - sticks in this material, and to examinethem frequently to ascertain whether the heat isample

,or fluctuations of too great extent occur.

R oots of Sea -kale,and of R hubarb , may also be

carefully dug up and placed in heat, for a like purpose . Both air and light must bescrupulously ex

cluded from the former, to insure perfect whiteness .Chicory and D andelion roots should be placedin warm Mushroom-houses

,to force a growth for

salading. Such houses Should be kept dark, and airShould be excluded from them,

or they will not beproperly blanched for use .

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6

many plants of great beauty, and not avaluable from an economicand commercial point ofview .

The Species and varietiesof Myrtle in cultivation arenot numerous . M . com

munis,which is generally

considered a native of theSouth of Europe, is notreally so ; and though nowso abundant throughoutSpain

,Italy

,and the South

of France,it has been at

some remote period brough tinto these countries fromP ersia . It .is a plant W ithshining bright g reen leaves,which

,as well as its pure

white flowers,are very fra

grant . Then we have theD ouble-flowered Myrtle, 11 1 .

communisfl. p l , the Boxleaved

,the Orange-leaved

,

and the R osemary-leavedMyrtle, and a very smallleaved kind called JennyR eichenbach

,whi ch is grown

chiefly for forming groundwork to bouquets andmixingwith cut flowers .The cultivation of Myrtles is very Simple ; theythrive well in a mixture oftwo parts light sandy loamto one of leaf-mould

, and

will grow in alrnost anyplace . Their pretty whiteflowers are produced naturally during “ the spring andsummer months

,but if re

quired - in winter the plantssh ould be placed in heatsome time in autumn.

N erium .— These plants

are better known by thename of Oleander ; the Species is a native of the Levant , and is recorded, withthe Orange and Myrtle

,to

be among the oldest greenh ouse plants cultivated inthis country

,and long na tu

ralised in the South ofEurope. Although so very

high ly

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

MYR SI PHYLLUM.

N ER IUM O LEAN D ER .

beautiful,

P assiflora — This genusconsists of grand climbingplants

,that are the glory of

the tropical andsub-tropicalforests of th e N ewW orld, afew species only being found

are popularly known asP assion-flowers,” from a

the whole of the plant ispoisonoustoman ;notwithstanding this

,how

ever, the splendid larva ofthe Oleander Sphinx Moth(Clmrocamp a nerii) thriveswell upon itspoisonousleaves .These plants Should bepropagated from cuttingsinSpring

,and, when rooted ,

potted singly in small pots,

keep them growing freely,and well suppliedwithwater

,

and re -pot when necessary ;these cuttings will flower thesame season . After flowering cut them back a shortdistance, and place them in

a little heat to induce a shortgrowth before winter ; inspring re -pot if necessary,and encourage free growthby keeping them well supplied with water. Thisprocess must be repeated ea chseason . For soil use loam ,

peat,leaf-mould

,and well

decomposed manure, in equalparts .N erium Oleander, and itsvarietysp lendens, have largedouble rose-coloured flowersborne upon many-branchedpanicles

,whi ch last a long

time in full beauty,and are

deliciously fragrant. Thereis also a variety called a lbum,

with pure whi te flowers. Its om e t im e s happ en s th atyoung Shoots start out fromthe base of the flower-stem

,

which,if allowed to grow,

will entir ely Spoil the bloom— th ey must

,therefore, be

pinched or cut out as soonas seen.

G R EEN -HOUSE PLAN TS.

fancied resemblance which the early Christian travellersimagined

,in their j oy at the discovery of

these gorgeous plants,to the instruments used at

the Crucifixion of our Lord . Thus the stigma issaid to represent the nails

,two for the hands and

one for the feet ; the five anthers"

represent thefive wounds , the rays of the corona represent thecrown of thorns

,the ten rays of the perianth repre

sent the ten Apostles,this number only being pre

sent, as Judas had betrayed hisMaster, and P eterhad denied Him

,so that both were absent ; whilst the

P ASSIFLOR A CCER ULEA.

ea ger hands of Hiscruel persecutors are representedby the five-lobed leaves

,which bear the tendrils

,

representing the scourges .P assifloras

, froma horticultural point of view,

take rank amongst the most desirable of climbers ;the great ma j ority require stove - heat

, but thosegiven here are admirably adapted for green-house orconservatory.

There is very little trouble in the cultivation ofP assifloras. If potted or planted out, which is better,in equal parts of peat

,leaf-mould

,loam

,and sand

,

they will make vigorous growth,and bloom pro

fusely. The various Species of P assiflorashavemore or lessdigitate leaves

,and it will not be neces

sa ry to describe anything but the colours of theflowers .P . coerulea .

— In many parts of the country thisis perfectly hardy, but in places where it will notlive in the open air it makes a fine green-houseplant ; a profuse bloomer ; flowers white and blue;

3 1 7

It blooms during the whole of the summer season .

Braz il.P . caerulea racemosa .

— A free-growing but notrampant variety

,obtained many years

'ago by crossbreeding the flowers are reddish-purple

,and bloom

in profusion all through the summer and autumnmonths .P . B ellotti.— Of moderately free growth

,thi s gar

den hybrid produces its pink and white flowers allthrough the summer months .P . H a rtweg iana .

— Thi s is well adapted for small

P . any/china . A

free grower and also a profuse bloomer:the flowersare of a light purple colour. Buenos Ayres .

P enta p t e ryg ium .— A ccording to some authors ,

the plants comprised in this genus have been needlessly separated from Vacciniurn they are extremelybeautiful

,and require the same treatment asCera to

sterna .

P . j/a rum.— A shrubby plant with alternate deep

green leaves,whi ch are broadly-lanceolate

,tapering

CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

to a point, and sparingly toothed.

at the edges ;flowers in short racemes near the tOpsof the shoots,dr ooping, flowers numerous

,tubular

,with promi

nent ribs,rich yellow

,a colour rarely found in thi s

order of plants . N orth-eastern India ; 400 to 500feet elevation .

P . rugosum. A somewhat lax growing shrub,

forming a thick, gouty stem,and growing naturally

upon the branches of the large forest trees ; leavesbroadly-lanceolate

,ta pering to a point

,and toothed

at the edges ; these, when young, are tinged withreddish-purple

,becoming deep green with age ;

flowers drooping, on long foot-stalks ; tubes Sharplyfive -angled

,shining white,

transversely banded withlines of cinnamon, andtipped with green ; ca lyxlarge

,blood-red ; Springand

early summer. N orthernIndia .

P h ae n o c om a .- A

Showy member of the Astera ceee

,kn own also as

Helielzrysum,from which

genus,however

,it differs

in the arrangement of theflorets . For culture, seeAp helexis, to which it isnearly alli ed .

P . p rolif era .— The only

Species ; has cur ious smallgranular leaves

,which are

densely set on the woollystems ; the flower - headsare terminal and veryshowy ; the texture is dryand chaffy ; colour reddish-crimson .

summ er months. Cape of G ood HOpe .

P . p rolif era B a rnesiz’ is similar in habit of growthto the Species but the flowers are of a uniform richdeep crimson . Summer a nd autumn months . Ofgarden origin .

Spring and

P h orm ium .— The one species in this genus of

Lilia cea is popularly known as the N ew Z ealandFlax ; it contains a

,

great quantity of very strongfibre, which the natives prepare and make articles ofclothing from ,

&c. ; but there is some peculiarityabout it which prevents it coming into the Europeanmarket .Phormium is an extremely ornamental plant

,and

quickly a ttains a large siz e ; pot‘ in rich loam

,and

increase by division .

It is found only in N ew Z ealand and N orfolkIsland.

P HOR M IUM TEN Ax.

P im e le a . A large‘

family of slender-growing, handsome Shrubs , belonging to the order T/eymela cew. When well grownthey are unequalled for public exh ibition, and areequally valuable as home decorators .In potting

, use a mixture of two parts p eat, onepart light loam

,and a fair proportion of Sharp sand ;

they require great care in watering, just keepingth em in the h appy medium between wet and dryduring the growing season ; Shade from th e strongsunshine

,and during the latter part of summer

place them in a cool frame,where they may obtain a

free circulation of air and shelter from heavy rains .A watchful eye must be kept upon th em duringwinter

,to keep mildew

'

or damp from injuring theirfoliage.P imeleas are natives of Australia and N ew Z ea

land .

P . decussa ta .— Lea ves Opposite and set crossways

(decussate) ; dark green on the upper side, p aler

P . tenaa .

— Lea ves erect, five to Sixfeet or morelong ; ensif orm ; arranged in a two- ranked (distichous) manner ; Sheath ing at the base, and deepShining green in colour.This plant is quite hardy in many parts of thekingdom ; forms a noble ornament in the conservatory

, and isvery effective in the Open air duringsummer.P . tenax Colensoi ua rz

’

eg a tum.-This isa highly

ornamental plant ; less robust than the type , andconsequently better adapted for green-houses ofsmaller dimensions ; the habit is more erect ; leavesbright green

,with a broad white marginal band.

P . tenax va rieg a tum.

Similar in Siz e and habitto the type ; leaves darkgreen

,with longitudinal

bandsof rich yellowishwhite .P . tenax a tropmp ureum.

— A small-growing form ,

the leaves being of a beautiful deep reddish-purplecolour throughout.P . tenax Veitclm pa rie

g a tum.— In habit somewha t

resembling P . Colensoibut the leaves , instead ofbeing bordered with white ,are striped with brightgolden-yellow.

There are numerousother varieties . All arebeautiful

,and all have

some distinctive character.

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3 20 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Theso-ca lled fern-leave d varieties (filiczf olia ) andfimbriated strains _ white and red _ are .the mostvalued. Among other of the finer strainsare

Alba magnifica . M arg inata .

Bra id’sSeedling . M eteor .

Ch iswick R ed. Sca rlet G em'

.

Coccinea . Swanley G iant.Improvement . Whi te P erfection.

D OUBLES

The doubles are Specially va luable for bouquetswreaths, and all decorativepurposes

,from their lasting

properties.

Psamm isia . HandsomeVa ccinea ceousshrubs.Treatm ent same as forCera tostema , which see.

‘

P . Hookerz'

ana .

— A handsome Species

,whi ch has

been distributed under thename of Tln‘ba udz' a p ic/rinelzensz's, var. glabra thebranches are angular andsmooth

,ovate lanceolate,

and dark green ; racemesmany-flowered, drooping,deep rosy - red . Summermonths. From Columbia .

P . long icolla .

L e av e s l a r g e,

ovate lan ceolate,

and tapering ' to along point

,thick

and leathery int ex t u r e

,d e e p

green ; racemesaxillary

,many

flowered, pendulous ; flowers tubular, swollen at thebase

,whi ch is deep crimson ; upper part of tube much

contracted and yellowish-green. South America .

P . p endulijlora .— An erect evergreen plant, with

long, broadly-ovate, entire leaves , which suddenly‘

g eper to a ,point

,deep green above

,paler below ;

racemes axillary,many-flowered, and pendulous

flowers tubular,stoutest at the base, rich vermilion,

tipped with yellowish-green . Cara ccas.P . sclerOpkg/Zla .

— A somewhat stout-growing plant,with ovate entire leaves, which in the young stateare tinged with red

,changing with age to deep

green ; racemes axillary ; flowers large , drooping ;tubes swollen at the base

,rich crimson, tipped with

yellow and creamy-white. N ew G renada.

THE HAR DY FR UIT G AR DEN.

B r D . T. FI SH ,ASSISTE D BY WI LL IAM CAR MICHAEL.

Fig .—P aradise Stock;

APP LES— PR UN IN G AN D FORMIN G .

HOUG H the practice of forcing Apple and otherfruit-trees into form at the edge or point of the

knif e is giving place to the more rational one ofmoulding growth into Shape in the ma king, yet allpruning and training is so closely correlated in theearly life of fruit-trees, that it will be best to treatthe two abreast.

R oot a nd Top .— All the modern stocks

,such

asthose of the CreepingApples

,N onsuch

,English

and French P aradisenotably the two lastdiffer materially from th e

wilding Crab of the woodsin the character and number of their roots. Thelatter roots more like aB l a ckt h o rn or W i l d in gR ose than almost any otherplant .W ork themupon fibrousrooted stocks

,and the roots

will dwarf the tops,and

also favour fertility. Figs .2 and 3 will make thi s clear .The first represents theroot of a crab ; the second,

that of the P aradise Apple stock .

The P aradise andother stocksrun

naturally into fibrous growths ; butthis tendencymaybe further developedbytrea tment ,

while even the roots of Crabs may be led into fibrousforms by pruning and culture.

R oot -p run ing .— Sc important and close is the

connection between a fibrous condition of root in theApple and other fruit-trees , and dwa rfing characterand fertile habits of top , that root-pruning shouldprecede top-pruning. From the time the stocks aremoved from the nursery beds or rows until the Apples,after one or several removes , are planted in th eir fina lquarters in the orchard or fruit garden, the trees haveperforce been subj ected to a series of root-prunings .In addition

,however

,to those forcible ruptures

and removals,it was left for modern pomologists to

discover the enormous advantages of direct and special

THE HAR D Y FRUIT G AR D EN .

root-pruning,not only of young trees , but of others

when necessary. Two tell -tales on the trees themselves indicate

,with unerring certainty

,alike the time

and extent to which it should be carried . These arethe vigour of the wood

,and partial or complete

sterility. A skilful use of the knife on the roots isan infallible cure for both .

To prevent the necessity of multiplying illustrations

,it may be stated that by root-pruning the

Crab (Fig . 2) it may be forced into a fibrous condiroot closely resembling Fig . 3 . N ot that the

F ig . 4.

— Apple Stock not pruned.

roots will be transformed f rom the gross fangycondition into a network of fibres all at once ; butthrough a seri es of careful surgical operations on thelarger fangs

,or by detailed manipulations on the

sub-fangs,a fibrous condition may be forced

,and

to a very considerable extent perpetuated. All this,

too, may be aided by culture as well as by pruning :just as patients who have to submit to amputations' are carefully dieted with nourishing yetsuitable food, so roots may be nourished thr oughtheir pruning crises

,and modified in form by special

culture or food. One of the most potent applications after root -forming is a slight dressing of sweetand Well-rotted leaf-mould. Unfortunately thegeneral and careless use of this root-resuscitating

,

root -developing compost led to its being used toofresh, rank, or sour ,

the consequence in many casesbeing the formation of most destructive root-fungusamong fruit-trees ; but, if of good quality andsufficientlydecomposed, there is no compost so favourable

45

Fig .5.— Same Stock root-pruned.

3 21

for th e healing of wounds on old roots and th edevelopment of whole hosts of new fibrous ones assweet fine leaf-mould . However

,asthis is seldom

within reach of amateurs and mechanics,any sweet

fine soil or nourishing compost will do as a helpfulstimulus

.

to pruned roots . The roots will recoverand assume a fibrous character without such aids ;but these hasten the processes

,and hence should be

used when procurable .Figs . 4 and5will illustrate and render more clearthe theory and practice and effects of root-pruning.

In Fig . 4 the young Apple -tree h asnot been pruneda t all

,and both roots and tops are distinguished by

vigour and verticality,to coin an expressive word.

W ere timber and stability our aim,this is the form:

of tree to be desired . In Fig . 5the roots and the '

branches are nearly alike numerous,and both inclin e

to horiz ontal rather than vertical growth. This form,

as ah~eady remarked, tends to promote fertility, andto develop that tendency to the uttermost. It is needful

,however

,

-to bear in mind that the root-pruning ofApple and other treeS '

weakensor destroys the holdfast character of the roots . This function of theroots is of far .more moment in orchards. or other exo

posed places,than within the shelter of the fruit

garden . Small trees also need it less than largerones

,while horiz ontal Cordon

,E spalier

,or wall

trees,neither need nor call into action the holdfast

character of roots . Taller trees,however

,such as

P yramids,and large bushes on fibrous-rooted stocks ,

or severely root-pruned ones,must be kept firm with

2 CASSE’

LL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

stakes or other supports , to,compensa testh em

'

for thewithdrawal of their natural supports— vertical roots_ and their conversion into fibrous “ and horiz ontalones.It will be observed that much importance isattached to the position and direction, as well as theform and character of the roots , and this not withoutthe best of reasons . T h e best food and most favourable infiuencesfor the roots of Apple and other fruittrees are found within an average of between twelveand twenty-four inches of the surface of the ground.

By so modifying the roots of fruit-trees as to forcethem to continue in this surface tilth, we shall givegood security for their health, strength, and fertih ty,and hence

,largely

,the permanent and lasting benefit

of root -pruning.

Should, however, the roots regain a verticalposition

,and the tepsrespond to them by vigorous

growth and less fruit,nothing can be simpler than

to uncover, examine, and if needful prune the rootsafresh .

This may be done all at once,or at twice, or

even at three times . The root-pruning of establishedApple or other fruit-trees at two operations is safestfor amateurs . But the roots should be approachedfrom east and west

,and not from north and south .

Approaching to the centre of the hole as here dir ected,about half the roots would probably be found oneither side of the bole . Approach it from north andsouth, probably three-fourths, perhaps nine-tenths, ofthe roots would be found on the south side of thebole .Asto the best season to root-prune, from the end ofOctober to the end of the year is the best time, thewhole of N ovember being the most favourable of all .Experienced pomologists, however, have root-prunedeven at midsummer with positive advantage . R ootprunings

,however, during the full growth of top ,

ought to be done tentatively, and are better leftto those endowed with special skill and ripeexperience . G uided by these, root-pruning mightbe performed at “ almost any season

,excepting that

when the sap is in full motion in the spring,and

before the buds hav’e burst into leafage . R ootspruned at that Special season are prone to bleedprofusely

,and so impoverish the trees of vital force .

The roots are also slow to heal,or to emit fresh roots

,

under such conditions . P ractically,and excepting

for experts,root-pruning had better be limited to the

periods included between the last week of Octoberand the first of January.

Asto the method of root-pruning,it should be

performed with as much or more painstaking carethan that of the tops of trees .The matter is simple enough in the case of transplanted trees . Transplantation itself

,as alr eady

indicated, necessitates a certain amount of root

pruning. This is mostly supplemented by theremoval of all injured or misplaced roots by theknife . If th e roots still need reduction

,or trans

forming into smaller and more fibrous ones,the

stronger ones should be cut thr ough . But in thecase of trees already planted

,uncovering should

precede pruning, though the mere fact of un

covering and detaching fixed roots from the soil,

even were all'

the roots left intact,which is impos

sible,is tantamount to root -prunin g .

In addition to this,however

,the direct cutting back

of strong roots , or reduction of superfluous ones,maybe required . A keenedged knife should beused

,and the cuts should

be made at a short acuteangle from the bottomof the roots upwards .If one or more smallfibres appear on themain

,

root,it is wise

,

where practicable,to cut

back to this. Clean cuts ,and the roots returnedto earth as quickly aspossible

,are among the

surest aids to success inthe root-pruning of theApple or other trees . Ifthe trees are prunedtentatively— one-half or

a third at a time— thepruning may be renewedevery year till finished

—unless,however

,the

character of the t0p

growth has been sochecked and modified asto prove that the mainroots have been suffi Fig . 6.

— Cordon planted and1 le ft full leng th , sh owingg ently Prune:d° In that fruit-budsplumped up incase the W i se saw of th e autumn .

letting well alone is mostappropriate

,for root-pruning is not desirable in

itself,only as a means to an end:and the end

moderate growth and fertility— being alreadyreached,

there is no rational motive for pushing the rootpruning further. N otes should

,however

,be made

of these partially root-pruned trees, and should theyagain fall into sterile ways

,the process may be

renewed at the point where it was left on the formeroccasion .

The permanent effects of root-pruning are notonly seen in less top growth and more fruit, but

'

it

also reduces top-pruning to the lowest limits. Thiswill be readily understood.

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3 24 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

plication of shoots wh ich xsfollow,are sufficient for our

purpose, and lay the basis of the young tree a yearsooner

,and as sound and well better than could

have been done in double thetime on the older system ofgrowing wood for the knife .N or is the saving of timethe only benefit

,though that

is very great . Asthe rootsmodify tOp growth , and to avery great extent subordinate.

itscharacter to their ownlikeness, so .

do the tops of

trees their roots . Hence,a

branching tree of moderateextent favours , if it does notactually force, a similar Styleand character of roots ; andthus root-pruning forms

,as it

were , two correlative and consecutive links in the chain

Fig . lo.

— M aiden Apple -tree ,first year’sgrowth ,

stopped once .

Fig . 1 1 .

— M a iden Tree nu Fig . 1 2.— Cut ba ck at end of

stopped. first season’sgrowth .

that moulds the trees into form and forces them intofertility .

Summer pinching or stepping also promotes goodform in Apple or other fruit- trees oy laying thefoundation of the tree near to the root-stock . Thisis most important in these days of the concentrationof force and the husbanding of space

,as it will en

able the grower to reap the most produce fromlimited areas . This system of keeping the trees athome in the making

,also results in developing great

beauty of .form in Apple and other fruit- trees . And

th ough , doubtless, utility should be the main object

P ig . 1 3 .—Second year’sgrowth of Fig . 1 1 threesh oots,

no fruit-buds.

in fruit- culture , none can obj ect to have theirfruit-trees moulded into models of symmetry toplease the eye, aswell as examples of fertility to

satisfy the palate . Apple-treesfeathered down to the base ofthe root- stock are also farmore likely to remain healthythan others that are mountedon Crab or other stilts ofconsiderable height . N ot afew of the latter, however,have lived and fruited for a

century or more ; and, ofcourse

,at present , experience

is lacking as to the durabilityof dwarf or P yramidal Appleson the P aradise or otherdwarfing stocks . So important

,however

,has growth

near to the root- stocks ofApples been considered, that

not seldom have wilding shoots been left on the stemsof stocks to sustain vigorous growth, and insure afull flow of sap between the roots a nd the tops ofth e trees. Th is simple expedient of a few wildingshoots left for a time on tall standard Apple-trees,has proved the best antidote and cure for thehide-bound condition into which they frequentlyfall . This method of increasing the volume ofsap must not

,however

,be carried to excess, or

sterility, or starvation of the most valuable portion of the tree

,is likely to ensue . But th is is

rather anticipating, and refers more to cultura l

run HARD Y FR UIT G AR D EN . 3 25

expedients than the pruning and training of treesinto form .

M a iden Tre es. — The majority of trees,as

they come from nurseries,are called “maidens ,” and

consist of one stem,varying in length from six

inches to six feet . Asa rule , the maidens are ayard in length . This form of tree is the starting-point f or all the rich variety of form, such asCordon

,Pyramid

,Bush

,Espalier

,W a ll , Standard,

and D warf,now so common among Apple and other

fruit-trees . The maiden may be said to be theprimitive foundation of all others . Until quiterecently it was looked upon as a necessity . N ow

,

to exaggerate the importance of this latter difference .

The trees having made one vigorous shoot,and a

root or roots of similar character, will have establish ed a tendency to produce similar growths in thefuture ; hence its three buds will break into sh e etsas strong

,or possibly stronger

,than the first shoots

formed. Consequently no fruit-buds are likely to beformed on the second nor probably on the third-yearshoots . G rowth and its forcible suppression bypruning may thus continue for several years . Asamatter of fact and of history

,it continued so long at

one time that it merged into a common saying thatMen planted P ears and oth er fruits for theirchildren ; seldom living long enough to eat of them

h owever,not a few raisers and sellers of fruit-trees themselves . All this is now altered by the use of

dispense with their dwa rfing stocks ; th e

one - stemmed maidens . reduction of pruningBy pinching their to the lowest possibleshoots once or twice lim its

,or its total abo

during the summer litien ; and by summerthree or five stems may pinching

,or

,as we

be produced of a more prefer to call it,the

serviceable character . moulding of growthFor example, instead into form and fertilityof the maiden tree re in the making .

sembling Fig . 7 towards the end of the F ru it - buds. Itseason , it may, by a may be well before prosingle stepping , say in ceeding further to pointJune

,be converted ln out the broad distinc

to Fig . 8 ; or by two Fig . 1 4 .— Wood Fig . 15.— Fruit Fig . 1 6. Spur of tion between fruit and

stoppings— one at theend

‘ of May, and’

an

other early in J uly— be developed in a single seasoninto the rudimentary Bush Apple-tree (Fig .

N or is this all that is gained by single or doublestopping . Observe the difference of the buds on thelower and upper portion of the stems of Figs . 8a nd 9 . The difierence of siz e in both cases indicates adifference of character and of function . The plumpround buds on the base of these trees show them tobe fruit-buds

,while the whole of the buds on the

unstopped maiden (Fig . 7 ) are wood-buds,thus

showing that judicious stepping ,as well as a wise

selection and treatment of stock,hastensfertility

as well as accelerates the formation of the tree .Fig . 1 0

,a form mostly resulting from a single stop

page oi a maiden during its first year’s growth, isalready on the high road to becoming a Pyramid,Espalier

,or any other desired form of Apple- tree .

Contrast thiswith the one- stemmedmaiden(Fig . 1 1 )as received from the nursery

,the same cut back

in the spring(Fig . and grown into three shootsin the subsequent summer (Fig . and it will atonce be seen that a whole year h asbeen saved in time,andmore than a year in condition . It is impossible

buds. ruit-buds. wood - buds . N o onecan prune with profit

who has not learned to distinguish the difference . Ingeneral terms

,and this applies to fruit-bearing trees

of all sorts,the fruit-buds are larger and also rounder

than the wood-buds . Asa rule,too

,they will be

found towards the base of the stems of the wood ofthe current or the past year . Figs . 1 4 and 15arepieces of two Apple- shoots , Fig . 1 4 clothed withwood-buds only from base to summit

,and the other

(Fig . 15) with fruit-buds . They are comparativelyseldom found like this

,pure and unmixed

,in a state

of natur e . But they are sh own so here to makethe distinction more obviously apparent . The fruitbuds of Apples

,P ears

, Cherries , and other trees arealso often found in clusters at the bases of spurs

,and

in such cases they are called fruit- Spurs (Fig .

These may be solitary,or in twos

,threes

,or much

larger aggregates . Lower,or near to these fruit

spurs,wood-buds are generally found

,and these are

useful as fetching up food- supplies to the fruit, andmaintaining a vigorous development of vitality inthe near vicinity of the Apples or other fruit .It is important

,however

,to force

,shorten

,or pinch

back the shoots of growing wood during the summer,

3 26 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

to allow of more light and air reaching the swelling The thinning or reduction of siz e of fruit-spur s,

fruit and in the autumn the growingsh eetsshould as shown in Fig . 1 9 , belongs more to general culturehe cut back

,as shown in Fig . 1 7 . of fruit-trees than the moulding of young trees into

0

withW

’

oodsh oots, th e lattercu t ba ck .

Fig . 1 8 .— Keeping Fruit -branch esat Home . Fig . 1 9 .

—'

I hinning of Fruit-bearing Spurs.

For the purpose of keeping Apple or other fruit form . But an illustration of it is given heretrees in good form — or at home

,as it is called — the complete what is needful to a full comprehension

shortening back of the branches is often practised,as the subj ect. It is obvious that tre

shown in Fig 1 8, whether these branches are clothed by an excess of fruit-bearing spurswith

.

fruit-buds, as there shown, or with woodbuds .

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3 28 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

flowers, having been a favour ite in English gardensfor at least three hun dred years . The less oftenthey are di sturbed , the finer and larger will th eygrow

. P ropagated by division . N ative of SouthernEurope .H oustonia cwrulea (B luets) . —A very dwarf plantbearing an abundance of pale blue flowers . Itshould never be grown except in connection with thedwarfest Alpines

,so th at no risk may be incurred of

its being overrun by more vigorous- growmg plants .A moist peaty soil suits it best, in a position fullyexposed in chinksamong stones . P ropagated bycareful division . A native of N orth America .

H utcli insia a lp ina (Alpine Hutchinsia ) . — Anothervery dwarf Alpine . In suitable positions it gr owsinto dense c ompact plants, and produces masses ofpure whi te flowers . Soil well drained, with sandpreponderating . P ropagated by division . A nativeof Southern Europe.

I beriscorif olia (Coris-leaved Candytuft). — An

evergreen Candytuf t , dwarf in growth ,bearing a pro

fusion of white flowers during May. W ill grow inany position and soil . P ropagated by division andcuttings . N ative of Sicily .

* I beriscorrecef olia (Correa-leaved Candytuft) .This is now generally regarded as a garden hybridof the common pert-nnial Candytuft . It is a verydistinct and most valuable plant

,and bears fine

large white flowers in May and June . D eserves aplace on every rockery . The foliage is evergreen ,and is cheerful- looking all the year round . Any

ordinary garden soil suits it,and it seems to thrive

in every position .

*L ina ria a lp ina (Alpine Toadfla x) . — A little gem ofSpreading habit and dwarf growth . Situa tion , moistchinks of the rockwork,

in sandy, gritty soil . Seedsfreely

,and self- sown seeds will yield an abundance

of plants . N ative of the Alps and P yrenees.* Lina ria Cymba la ria (Ivy Toadfla x) . — A prettynative plant often found on rocks

,old walls

,and

stony places . Easily raised from seeds . The positions where it grows natura lly indicate those on theartificial rockery where it will thrive best . Soil

,

sandy peat . There is a pretty white variety L . C.

a lba .

Linnaea borea lis(Twin-flower) . — A small trailingevergreen

,a member of the H oneysuckle family

,

found growing wild in some parts of Scotland and,

though very rarely,in the N orth of England . Th e

flowers are pale pink in colour , and are produced inpairs . Soil

,sandy peat

,in positions where

.

moistur ewill be always available

,consequently on th e rocky

portions of the bog-bed . Situation,somewh at sha dy.

Increased by division .

it I inmn a lp inmn(Alpine Flax) . — The flowers aredark blue in colour

,and appear in July and August .

Soil , good peaty loam. Situation, warm and welldrained . P ropagated by seeds

,divisions

,and cut

tings in spring. A native of many parts ofEur ope .

* L itlzos,vermum prostra tam (Prostrate G romwell) .

A delightfully beautiful plant, bearing a profusionof G entian-blue flowers during many month s . Itshabit

,as its name indi cates, is prostrate , and

" theleaves are evergreen . It should be allowed room tospread flatly

,or to depend down the face of a rock

,if

it is wish ed to see it at its best . A moderately drysituation in good loam suits it admirably, though itwill grow almost everywh ere

'

if the drainage is good.

It resents frequent removal . Situation,exposed

and sunny . P ropagated by cuttings of last yea r’sgrowth

,under a h and- light , in sand and peat or leaf

mould,preferably in the summer. It issometimes

,

though erroneously, called L . f ruticosum. N ativeof Spain and Southern France .Lyclm isLag asa e (R osy Lychnis) .— One of thosedwarf Alpine gems tha t every lover of these charming plants will desire to possess . Its comparativelylarge flowers are rose-coloured

, and appear fromJune to August . Its habit is very dwarf, so that itmust not be planted where itscharms will beobscured by plants of taller growth . The situationbest adapted for it is an exposed one where

,between

two proj ecting stones,it will obtain a little pro

tection ,and the beauty of the flowers will justify its

being placed in a most prominent position . Soil ,if well intermingled with gr it or sand. may be ofany kind . R eadily increa sed fromseeds. A nativeof th e P yrenees .

Lg/sima cizia Arummula r ia (Creeping Jenny) . -Ai

though this is a common na tive plant, there are fewrockeries fr om which it will be excluded. Its growthis prostrate

,and no situation suits it be tter tha n a

ch ink between two rocks , from whence it can dependin graceful elegance . The flowers are of a pleasingyellow

,and are produced profusely . There is a

golden-leaved variety whi ch is almost better thanthe type . This is one of the accommodating plantswhich will grow as well on the window- sill ofa back court in th e densest part of London asona rockery in the most salubrious garden . It is innowise particular as to soil

,but if it has the chance

will prefer a shady, moist situation . Most ea silyin creased by divi sion

,which may be made at any

time of the year .Menz iesia emp etrif ownis(Empetrum- like Men

z iesia ), or more correctly, B ryanthusefiaptz‘rif ormia —

i

A H eath -like plant of great beauty, and very dwarf.Should be grown by every one . Soil , rather moistsandy peat. Situation

,fully exposed . The bell-like

flowers, produced in clusters, appear usually in earlysumm er. It came to usfrom N orth America .

R OOK,ALP IN E , FER N

,AN D WILD G AR D EN IN G .

geranioides(correctly,Ma loastrumG illiesii).— A tuberous-rooted plant

,bearing leaves and flowers

somewha t resembling a G eranium ,whence its specific

name . It grows about six inches high,and the

flowers are magenta- coloured . Ordinary garden soilis sufficient for it but th e situation should be sunnyand exposed. A native of Chili

,&c.

aleJII usea ri botryoides(G rape Hyacinth) —A cheap ,pretty

,bulbous plant

,deserving general cultivation .

The flowers,which are deep sky-blue in colour,

appear in March and April,and are very durable .

N ot at all particular asto soil or situa tion ; bestgrown in little clumps . P ropagated by divisionevery third year. N ative of South ern Europe.Illyosotisa zorica (Az orean Forget-me-not) . — Thecolour of the flowers of thi s species of Forget -me-notisso strikingly distinct(ri ch indigo-blue) that, thoughit is a little tender

,it will repay the trouble of pro

tection in a cold frame during the winter. R eadilyraised from seed in the early autumn . Somewhatpeaty soil

,kept moist

,supplies its requirements

perfectly . Situation; shady . N ative of the Az ores.*Myosotisdissitiflora (Spring Forget-me-not) . -A

very distinct early-blooming kind, producing lovelyflowers resembling those of M .

.

syloa tica (so muchused

_

in spring -bedding), but dwarfer in habit , and inmost respects superior to it . A plant placed here andthere in moist chinks of the rockery will be foundvery ornamental. Soil

,somewhat peaty. R eadily

raised from seed,and by cuttings

,and division of the

roots . N ative of the European Alp s .*Myosotisp a lustris(The Forget-me-not) .— Thislovely native plant should find a place whereverthere is a bog-bed in the garden

,as no plant can be

more lovely . It can also be successfully grown onthe rockery in any position where it will get aplentiful supply of moisture . An adm ixture of peatin th e soil causes it to thrive better than in Ordinarygarden soil . Increased by division of the roots .* N ieremberg ia rivula ris(White Cup) . — A trailingplant keeping very close to the ground

,very hardy

,

which produces an abundance of large white flowersin July and onwards . It will thrive in any goodsoil provided it gets a full supply of moisture in dryweather . It should be afforded space for Spreadingto be‘ most effective . This when well grown is trulya gem . P ropagated by division. A native of LaP lata .

9" Gi‘

not/iera ma rg ina ta (Large-flowered E veningP rimrose) . — The flowers are very handsome

,and

appear from May to July, and oftentimes again inthe autumn . Ordinary garden soil . P ropagated bydivision, suckers, and cuttings . N ative of N orthAmerica .

9" G inoihera ta raxa cif olia(D andelion-leavedEveningPrimrose) .— A showy trailing plant, bearing fine

3 29

large flowers from June to August,which are first

white,th en later on tinged more or less with pink .

It rarely exceeds six ‘inch eshigh,but will spread for

some dista nce . Itsposition should consequently beaway from the small slow-growing plants . Thesoil should be rich and deep . Increased by divisionand by seeds . This

,and the preceding

,like most of

the (Enoth eras,Open their flowers at night

,wh en

they emit a rich perfume . N ative of P eru.

Onipna lodesLucilia (Lucilia’ s Forget-me -not). —A

sweet little plant with oval glaucous leaves,and

flowers like the Forget-me-not . Should be grown increvices of the rockery having a sunny exposure .

Soil, sandy loam . Increased by division . N ative ofMoun t Taurus .

Oinp li a loa’esnerua (Creeping Forget-me-not).

B looms early in spring,the flowers being strikingly

blue . Should be planted where there is plenty ofspace, as it spreads somewhat rapidly. W ill thrivein very shady situations,and even under trees . Anygood soil will suit it . P ropagated by division earlyin spring . There is a white variety

,0 . o. a lba .

N ative Of Southern Europe .Orobusoernus(Spring B itter V etch) .— A tho

roughly hardy plant,suitable for the rougher parts

of the rockery ; when in full bloom a mass of it isvery beautiful. The soil around it should be richlymanured. Increased by division, and from seeds .A native of Southern Europe .Ourisia coccinea (Scarlet Ourisia ) . -A rare plant at

present, but not a dear one ; while its merits aremany. It is dwarf in habit

,with creeping stems,

and produces P entstemon-like flowers . Although itrequires an abundance of water during dry weather,the situation must be thoroughly well drained

,and

at the same time entirely shaded from the midda y

sun,so that the aspect should face either east or

north . It must,however

,be protected from cold

winds . This plant has,

the reputation of being somewhat difi'icult to grow

,but this idea has no doubt

arisen from endeavours having been made to grow itin sunny positions

,or under some other equally un

suitable condition . Soil,good sandy loam, with

which a little leaf-mould or peat might perhaps beadvantageously mixed . Easily propagated by divisionof the creeping stems in Spring . A native of Chili .

Petroea ljispyrena ica (R ock Beauty) . A tiny ,tufted Alpine, blooming in May. The place for thi slittle beauty is a sunny spot in the most select part ofthe rockery. Soil , sandy loam,

with plenty of nodulesof sandstone intermingled . Increased by divisionand from seeds . A native of the Alps

,P yrenees, &c.

rP li Zox f rondosa (Fronded Phlox).— A most usefulplant

,suitable for sunny positions, where it can

hang down over the face of the rock, or nestle on a

ledge . N ot at all particular as to soil. P ropagated

3 3 0 CASSELL’

S'

P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

by cuttings . The flowers Of the type are rosy-pink .

Some Of the hybrids best known in gardens are wellworth growing on the choicest rockery, foremost ofwhich we name P . .N elsoni

,flowers whi te . .P . f rondosa

comes to usfrom N orth America.

9" P /ilox rep tans(Creeping P hlox) .— This is a trailing plant

,rooting at many of its j oints

,so that its

increase is readily effected . There are many positionson the rockery where its employment will not beineffective . The flowers are violet-mauve in colour.N ot at all particular as to soil. P . stolonif era andP . verna are other names by which this Phlox isknown . A native of N orth America .

P olyga la Clianmbuxus(Box-leaved Milkwort) .— A

pretty little plant,producing P ea -shaped flowers

,

yellow in colour. G rows readily in peat and loam .

P . p urpurea , a similar plant with magenta-purpleflowers, is also deserving of a place on the choicerockery. N ative of the European Alps .

it P olygonum B runonis(Indian Knotweed) . For

rough parts of the rockery thi s may properly find aplace . It comes to usfrom elevated positions inIndia

,and isquite hardy . It should be grown in

flat, fully~exposed positions , when its leaves will exhibit their autumnal bri ck-red colour to the bestadvantage . The flower-Spikes are useful for cut

flowers , if used with suitable neighbours . Any or

dina ry garden soil suits it. Easily propagated bydivision .

* P olygonum ua ceini/‘

olium (B ilberry-leaved Knotweed) . —A lovely little plant from the H imalayas ,which is quite hardy in England. It is very dwarfin height

,but when properly placed and space is

afforded,extends over a considerable amount of sur

face . The flower-Spikes are rosy in colour andpleasing to look at whether in bud or fully expanded.

It is particularly effective in the autumn . D oes wellin partial shade in a light loam . P ropagated by divisions and cuttings .P rimulas(P rimroses) . — There is scarcely a memberof this family unsuited for the rockery

,and some of

them constitute its brightest gems . They vary verymuch in siz e and in other respects some thrive onlyin th e sun , others in the shade but under whateverconditions they can be successfully grown

,they are

one and all worth the trouble and attention whichthey demand, in order that they may be seen at theirbest . There is probably no genus which has afiordedto English gardeners so much pleasure at a likeexpenditure of time

,trouble

,and money . They are

not more varied in appearance and beauty than arethe localities

'

wh ence they have been derived. A

garden well furnished with th e genus may containnatives of Britain

,France

,Austria

, Switz erland,Southern Italy, the P yrenees, the Levant, the Tyrol,Siberia, the Alps of Tauria, the Caucasus, th e H ima

layas and other elevated ranges in India,Japan

,

China, and N orth America. Most of the P rimulasare Spring bloomers; and are most deservedly valuedfor that among other reasons . They are with out exception beautiful, and most of them are as easilygrown as th e commonest of them all— our nativeP rimrose

,one of the loveliest of British plants, with

whi ch we commence our list.*P rimula vulga ris, syn . P rinzula a caulis(Common

P rimrose). — Although so beautiful,we should omit

it from this list but for the desire to mention some ofthe lovely garden varieties now in cultivation , whichare fit to grow on any rockery. Our selection is— theD ouble Crimson

,Crousse ’sLilac

,the ordinary D ouble

Lilac, p la tg/p eta la (D ouble V iolet) , D ouble P urple,

D ouble Sulphur,D ouble Y ellow,

and D ouble Wh ite .Singles a uriculeeflora , a lta ica (lilac) , R osy Morn ,G em of R oses

,Crimson B anner (maroon-crimson) ,

Fairy Q ueen (pure white), Lustrous (deep crimsonwith lemon eye) , Scott W ilson (the B lue P rimrose) ,and V ioletta(violet-purple) . Th ere are numberlessothers . If it be borne in mind that common P rimroses when wild th rive best in partially sheltered andshady situations

,where an abundance of leaf-mould

is usually to be found,a clue to the soil and situation

suitable for the bulk of them is at once suggested .

The double kinds are more diflicult to grow than th ebulk of the single kinds, and if success is desired,extra trouble must be bestowed upon them ; and

'

itwill be advisable for most of them to have duplicatesin pots preserved in frames facing north duringwinter. Many of them will produce plenty of off

sets,and it is by the offsets that the named kinds are

mainly to be propagated.

’

The double kinds producefewer offsets than the singles . Seed-sowing is alsoto be resorted to for increasing stock,but seedlingswill often

,indeed generally

,vary more or less from

the parent that produced them . Seed should besown as soon as ripe on moist soil of which leaf

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3 3 2 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

P rimrose coming to usfrom great elevations on theHimalayas feet or more) . The flower-headsa re three inches across . It is a fine species

,and

deserves and will repay some extra care on the partof cultivators . It should be grown on exposedsituations as far as Sunshin e is concerned

,but

should be sheltered from our capricious winds . Thisstatement will be sufficient to suggest that the mostsuitable positions will be those in whi ch protectionfrom piercing winds will be secured for it . Theleaves are larger than those of P . denticula ta

,to

whi ch species it is allied.

P rima ia rosea (R osy P rimr ose) . — One of thechoicest gems of the family. W e shall never forgetseeingsome

_

fine clumps of it on Mr . E lwes’ rockerynear Cirencester, where it growsmore vigorouslythan we have seen it elsewhere . The flower’sgrowin somewhat the same fashion as the P olyanthus

,

but their colour is a soft rosy-pink. It does best ina boggy situation , and though not very particular,except that it resents dryness ‘ at the root

,we should

advise its being planted in the shade,where it would

have plenty of moisture. It is easily raised fromseed

,and we have some seedlings in which the

characters of P . rosea and P . jap onica are curiously.mingled. W e

_are of opinion it will prove a most

useful parent of interesting hybrids. It is a nativeof the Himalayas, and is readily increased by division as well as from seeds .P rimula scotica (Scotch B ird’s - eye P rimrose) .This is a local form of P . f a rinosa , than which ithas broader leaves

,and Shorter and broader lobes to

th e corolla . These are differences of more importance to the scientific botanist than the plant-grower,who will be much more concerned to know thatP . scotica is a real native gem found almost exclusively in N orthern Scotland . It is very small, andmust consequently be grown with other small plants .Its native habitat is on moist and boggy mountainslopes . On the rockery these natural conditionsmust be secur ed for it, or it will not thr ive. A topdressing of cocoa-nut fibre kept about it in a moistcondition will conduce to its advantage, as it mustnever be allowed te get dry at the roots:It produces seeds freely

,and from these it may be very

readily propagated if they are sewn directly theyare ripe .

9“P rimula Sieboldi(Siebold’sP rimrose) . — There aremany lovely varieties of this P rimrose now in cultivation . It is often named in catalogues P . cortusoia’esamnna

,but P . Sieboldi is its correct name . In many

respects it resembles P . eoréusoides,but it is finer in

every way. It blooms early in April,and when in

vigour sends up a number of its lovely flowers,

which are borne on somewhat tall Stems . A good freesoil in which there is abundance of vegetable matter,

N ative of the P yrenees .

well drained,will suit it in almost any position ; but

as the flower-stems are somewhat brittle,it is better

to be so placed as to be secured from violent winds .Easily propagated by division and from seeds . Itdies down annually

,and its position should be.

plainly indicated by a “conspicuous tally,and all

digging about it avoided. It comes to usfromJapan.

P rimula sikkimensis(Sikkim Cowslip) .— Imagine amultitude of Cowslip-pips of the finest quality, eachdepending from a long silken thread fastened together at th e extreme end

,and P . sikkimensiswill be

mentally visible . It is a plant of the finest quality,and should be grown by every one

,for it is hardy

,

ornamental,and distinct . It is a herbaceous peren

nial,which makes some growers suppose

,when nu

acquainted with its habit of annually dying down,

that they have lost it . A mixture of peat in thesoil seems to suit it

,no doubt because it maintains a

more equable condition of moisture about the rootsthan ordinary soil would do . It should have abnudance of water in the summer

,and be placed in a

somewhat shady position . P ropagated by divisionearly in spring, and from seeds. A native ofSikkim .

P i 'imula vulg a ris(Common P rimrose) — See P rimula

a ca ulis,p . 3 3 0.

B amandia pyrena ica (Pyrenean R amondia ) . — Thislittle plant is allied to the V erbascums . It thrives inSloping fissures of the rockery filled with a mixtureof peat and loam . It flowers in May and onwards .Increased by seed . A native of the P yrenees . It isa capital plant for the frame

,grown in pots filled

with peaty loam,th e surface being covered with

fragments of sandstone .R a nuneulusamp lexica ulis(White Buttercup) . — A

most beautiful plant bearing white flowers,of much

delicacy of appearance,

‘ in April and May.

N ative of many parts of Europe .Sa nguina ria

tuberous-rooted plant,producing

flowers,nearly two inches in di

Situation,somewhat shady ; soil, rich

drained . P ropagated by division . A

N orth America, wh ere it is found most frsth e more Open parts of woods .

Sap ona ria ocyvnoia’es(R ock Soapwort)

is a very floriferousplant,it is a welcome

AN D YVILD G AR D EN IN G . 3 3 3

SECTION I I .— G EUM TYP E .

Saxifra ga Andrewsi. S. G eum g racilis.S . Bucklandi . S . h irsuta .

S. G eum . S . umbrosa .

S . G eum crenula ta . S. umbrosa foliisvariegata .

S. G eum dentata .

SECTI ON III .— Moss-LIKE SAX I P R AG ES.

Sa xifra g a ajug ae folia . S . hypnoides.S. a tropurpurea . S. M aweana .

S. caaspitosa . S . tenella .

S . cera tOphylla . S . W a lla cei.

SECTION IV .— OP P OSITIFOLIA SECTION .

Saxifra g a oppositifolia . S . Oppositifolia pyrena ica .

S . Oppositifolia alba . S. retusa .

S. oppositifolia major.

SECTI ON V .— MISCELLAN EOUS SAX IFR AG ES.

Saxifra g a a iz oides. S . H irculus.S . Cymbalaria .

Many o ther kinds might be named, but the abovewill doubtless prove quite sufficient for the bulk .of

growers,and will supply all the types suitable for

rockeri es except the large-leaved Megaseas, whi ch

we think too large except for very bold rockeries .it Scilla amoena (P leasing Squill) . — A pretty bulbousplant which Supplies neat flowers early in the Spring ;although not so attractive as others of the samegenus

,it is worthy of a place on a fully-furnished

rockery . Ordinary gardensoil . P ropagated by oc

casional division of the bulbs . N ative country nu

certain,but is naturalised in many parts of conti

D ental Europe .*Seilla bif olia (Two-leaved Squill) . — Asthis bloomsvery early it should be planted in a somewhat sheltered position, where, during bad weather, a littleprotection could be afforded, thus saving the flowersfrom injury . Several varieties of this useful plantwill be found in most of the catalogues, and they areall worth growing. Ordinary garden soil . Europe .

Scilla nutans(B lue-bell Squill) . —This is our

native wild Hyacinth,as it was formerly called

on account of the general form of the perianth— soabundant in woods and elsewhere, and always verybeautiful. Suitable for the rougher parts of therockery where the ground is covered by some dwarfsurfacing plant . There are several varieties, somevery pretty. Ordinary garden soil , and any positionwhere room can be afforded to grow it in masses .Seilla sibirica (Siberian Squill) . — This is the most

universal favourite among the Squills ; it bloomsafter S. bifolia and

(

before S. ama na , and is usuallyin perfection about the time

'

of the ’Varsity Boat

R ace . The flowers , are of a lovely dark blue colour .

Asit blooms so early, the position assigned it shouldbe as protective as possible from rough winds . It isperfectly hardy

,and may be grown in almost any

soil except I eavy clay.

3 4 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

it Sedunis(Stonecrops) . -These universal plants areextremely well suited for rockeries, and being veryvaried in appearance and colour, may often be employed to produce striking eff ects of contrast if judiciously used. W e have a number of native kinds

,

all of which are in cultivation. They are mosteasily grown in fully-exposed positions ; any smallscrap pressed firmly into the soil will be sure to takeroot . They are particularly adapted for dry sunnypositions

,and will thrive on old walls as well as any

where . The following are some of the most usefuland distinct kindsSedum a cre(Common Stone

crop ).S. album (Wh ite Stonecrop ).

S.Ana campseros(E vergreen

Orpine ).S. brevifolium(MealyStonecrop ) .

S.dasphyllum(Thick-leavedStonecrop) .

S . Ewersii (Ewers’ Stonecrop) .

S. gla ucum (Milky greenStonecrop ) .

S rupestre (R ock Stonecrop ) .

S . sexangulare (TastelessStonecrop ) .

S. Sieboldii(Siebold’sStonecrop ) .

S. spectabile(Showy Stonecrop )

S. spurrum (P urple Stonecrop) .

it Semp eroioians(Houseleeks) . — These now pOpu

lar plants owe their present popularity to their usein panel bedding

,whi ch

,in some gardens

,is much

employed.

for the summer adornment of formally laidout lawns . Some of the kinds have been long cultivated in this country as curiosities . The most commonly distributed form is th e ordinary Houseleek(S. tectorum) grown on the tops of walls, and on the .

roofs of low out-buildings in all parts of the country.

They are all adapted for dry,stony, and sandy spotsof the rockery

,with full exposure to sunshine . It is

advisable to let them grow into good- siz ed clumps, asthey then Show to most advantage . The smallestamount of soil seems ample for their growth, provided the roots are firmly fixed in it . They areea sily propagated by offsets . The following are someof the best of the hardy kinds

S em p e rv i v um a ra chnoi S. globiferum synonymdeum(th e Cobweb House S. soboliferum (H en and

leek ) .S . a renarium (Sand Houseleek) .

S. calca reum ; synonymS . californicum (G laucousHouseleek) .

S. fimbria tumHouseleek)

(Fringed

Ch icken Houseleek ) .

S. Lag geri(La gger’sHouseleek) .

S . montanum (Mounta inHouseleek ).

S.tectorum(CommonHouseleek)

S .triste(SombreHouseleek).

Senecio a rgenteus(Silvery G roundsel).— A smallplant

,the leaves of which are silvery

,and which

make it useful for contrast with green-leaved plants .A well-drained Situation and sandy soil suit it best.Increased by division . A native of Chili .

if Silene a caulis(Stemless Catch-fiy) .— A plantthat grows in tufts

,and bears masses of rosy flowers

from May to July. It is very dwarf,but spreads

freely, and should be planted in an exposed positionwhere it will have room for development

,and away

from small slow-growing plants,or it will soon

overrun and smother them . One of its commonnames is most appropriate

,namely

, Cushion P ink .

E asily propagated by division . This is one of ourloveliest native plants .

it Silene a lp estris(Alpine Catch-fly) .— A charminglittle European Alpine which flowers in May. The

flowers are the purest whi te,and are produced plem

tifully if the plant is allowed to remain undisturbedso as to grow to some siz e . Ordinary soil in an ex

posed situation,the surface of which should be flat .

P ropagated by division.

Silene Eliz abet/iee (Eliz abeth’s Catch-fly). —A, verychoice Alpine requiring some care

,but amply re

warding it. The flowers are large, and of a rosecolour. Soil, sandy peat and loam with which somefragments of sandstone are mixed Situation

,sunny .

P ropagated by division. A native of the Tyrol .Silene ma ritima (Sea Catch-fly) . — The double

form of this native plant deserves a place on therockery

,especially on a ledge of rock where it can

hang over the face of it . Ordinary soil. P ropa

gated by division .

=x=Silene Se/iaf ta (Late Catch-fly) .— A hardy Alpineblooming from July to S eptember. Flowers , rosypink . Any ordinary garden soil suits it, and it maybe placed in any position where there is room for it .B eing a late bloomer

,a goodly number of plants may

be used with advantage . R eadily raised from seed.

N ative of the Caucasus .Sisyrine/iium grandif lorum (R ush -lily) . -A nativeof Oregon

,bearing R ush-like leaves, and purple

flowers resembling Lilies . It is hardy and flowersearly(February and March). Asit is a Slow-growingsubj ect it should remain undisturbed for severalyears . Soil

,a mixture of sandy peat and loam ;

situation,a sufficiently large crevice between two

stones facing south . There is a white-floweringvari ety

,S . 9 . a lbum.

Soldanella a lp ina (Alpine Soldanella) .— This comesfrom great elevations on the European Alps . H asroundish dark green leaves, and drooping featherybell-shaped flowers

,of a pretty blue colour . Soil,

sandy loam in a chink of the rockery, the surfacebeing covered with fragments of rock or cocoa-nutfibre to prevent evaporation . The drainage must begood

, but the ground must be kept moist . P ropa

gated by division directly after flowering.

Soldanella m-iniina (Smallest Soldanella) . — Thisi s a truly pigmy Alpine, the leaves often only aquarter-inch across, and the flowers rarely exceedingone inch in height.Soldanella monlana (Mountain Soldanella) .

This may be described as a magnified Alpine . Thecultural directions for the Alpine form of Soldanella will be found to apply to the two other formsnamed.

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6'

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

Annu a ls— There are many plants of annualgrowth raised from seed, which are not mentionedin our list, though they often prove most attractiveon rockeries . The reason for their omission is thatthe plants named in our select list are intended tobe permanent plants, and must necessarily be perennials

.To compensate for thi s emission we new

name the following,all of wh ich are deserving of a

place on the choicest rockery

Ag era tums(various) .A lyssum ma ritimum .

An emones(var ious) .A ntir rh inum (dwarf varieties‘

.

Ara bisalpina .

Aubriet 'as(various) .Begonias(va rious) .Bellis(various) .Calandrinia umbellata .

Candytuft (th e dwarf an

nual kinds) .

D .Wningia pulch ella .

Collinsias(var ious) .Convolvulusmajor minor.D ianth us(many kinds) .Euch a ridium g randiflorum .

Fenz lia dianth iflora .

n elichrysum (th e dwarferkinds) .

I ce plant (M esembryanth emum crystallinum) .

InOpsidium a'

caule .

Leptosiphon roseus.Limnanth esD oug lassi.

‘

Lobelia (va ri ous) .Ma rigold(th e dwa rf kinds) .Mesembryanth emum cor

difolium va rieg a tum .

M imulus(various) .Myosotis(various) .N asturtium (th ekin ls) .

N ycterina sela ginoides.N olana paradoxa .

N emoph ila (various) .

P ansies(va rious) .P h acelia campa nula ria .

P ortula ca (single and

double ).Sabba tia campestris.Sch iz opetalonWa lke rii.

S ilene pendula ce rnpa cta .

Ta getesSigna ta pumila .

V iola (various) .Virg inia n Stock.

dwarf

In the select list of permanent plants we havebeen particularly careful not to name one which isnot offered for sale by th ese English nurserymen whodevote special attention to these plants, and we havebeen equally careful to avoid plants of great rarityand consequent dearness . This rule has, doubtless ,caused the omission of some plants which the moreadvanced amateur will desire to possess . Thenurserymen’slists , which are now very numerous,will enable those who desire the costlier plants toselect them with ease ; but our chief object, whichwasto encourage a more general cultivation ofAlpine plants, would have been in some degree defeated if we had sacrificed the interests of the manyto the few.

Ferns will be found treated of fully in other pages .

DECOR ATIVE USE OF FLOWERS .

Bx J AME S HU D SON .

P ER SON AL D E COR ATION S.

OU Q UETS(or nosegays , using the old-fashionedterm for bunches of flowers) are very popular,

as indeed they deserve to be,with nearly all lovers

of flowers . Wheth er it be merely a few flowersculled in a stroll around a garden

,without any aim

at. artistic arrangement in the placing of the same,

or whether certain particular flowers are chosenfor special occasions and of particular sh adesof

colour,it matters not wnich or what the case may

be,either will be invariably popular and

.

meet withapproval when so arranged as to produce a goodeffect . This can be done by eith er blending thecolours harmoniously together

,or by using th ose

that are of striking contrast in thisrespect . Bou

quetscan be effectively produced by individualgenera of flowering subj ects alone . Thus

,what

prettier effect,or more pleasing

,either .in point of

appearance or in perfume,than when using R oses

and R ose-buds and foliage without exteri or aid ?V iolets

,too

,will make pretty bouquets

,using only

th eir own leaves . Th e D affodils or N arcissus re

quire the addi tion of some other foliage than theirown to show them off to advantage ; for these wewould use some leaves of the B erber isA gfiij

’

olium,

small forms of Ivies,orFern.

The single Chrysanthemums or P aris D aisies,also ,

called Marguerites, will make very pretty and novelbouquets with the aid of th e foliage of the finecut-leaved variety with white flowers, and a marginof Fern-fronds . Take

,again

,th e Carnations and

P icotees th ese favourite garden flowers will quicklyform into an imp romp tu nosegay with a few sh eetsof their own grassy growth alone

,or by adding a

few spikes of Mignonette with an edging of Oakleaved G eranium foliage. Asanother example

,

which,if not composed of strikingly eff ective sub

jects, would yet meet with approval from many wholove sweet - scented flowers and foliage

,take th e light

and dark kinds of Heliotrope,the Mignonette

,or

the Honeysuckle,and a few Sprays of Sweet P ea ,

with such foliage as the Sweet-briar,the Lemon

P lant (Lipp ia the scented - leavedG eraniums . This , in the summer, could be easilyefl’ected

,as also with other common garden flowers .

Th e Irises throughout a somewhat lengthenedsea son can be turned to a good account in bouquetwork ; forming even by themselves a most handsome arrangement

,with some tips of their leaves

(narrow kinds ). and a few fronds of Ferns as a finishto the same . Either Lily of the Valley or Astilbejap onica Spikes would be an appropriate addition tothe above

,as indeed they are to almost all bouquets .

SE OF FLOWEES. 3 3 7

late years ; Ixora, P rince of. Orange, and othervarieties with small trusses ; R og iera gra tissima ,somewhat resembling the Ixoras

,but quite distinct:

R ondeletia sp eciosa major, very useful,with good

available length of stem ;'

l’

aberna montana corona ria

f lare-p lena, with beautiful white flowers of sweetperfume ; Torenia Fournierii

,a very '

useful stoveannual, both choice and distinct ; Urceolina a urea ,

aspendants around the edges of an arrangement

,would

be most handsome . There are also Franciscea ca lyeina

major and F . H op eana , with flowers of a purplishshade, the latter variety being deliciously scented .

What may be called every-day flowers will notneed any description .or enumeration . We haveth em from among stove and green-house plants andbulbs

,from our shrubs and herbaceous borders ;

many of these are so well known and so frequentlyused as to have become household words . Thosewhich we have quoted in the foregoing lists willea ch in their ' respective seasons be found usefulour obj ect in giving the names of such being todraw attention to them as possessing distinctivenessfrom that material which is so often used in thecomposition of bouquets . The best of flowers losetheir charm when met with in nearly every arrangement that comes across one’s noti ce . Anything,therefore, that can be brought into use that willimpart novelty, at the same time being suitable forthe purpose under consideration

,should be sought,

after and appropriated as occasion may occur .

F oli a g e a nd Arr a n g em ent — To foliage asa necessary accompaniment to the flowers

,it is

requisite to devote “ particular attention . Asin the

decora tion of vases for the house, so also in th e

case of bouquets,we frequently see an undue pre

ponderance of Maiden-hair Fern. We .would notfor one

'

minute disparage the use of this,the best

of all Ferns undoubtedly,but it is easy to have

too much even of a good thing sometimes. So it isin the case of the Fern under notice

,the result being

that the bouquet will lack in a great measure thatdistinctive feature which it ought to possess whencompleted . Take for instance a bouquet in which itis intended to use four, five , or more Camellias ; thesehandsome flowers are often denuded of th eir -bea utifulleavesto give place to Fern foliage . This is a mistake ; one Camellia- leaf at least Should accompanyeach flower . Should the leaves be somewhat large

,

take a few tips of the green-leaved Euonymusla tifoliusinstead. The G ardenias are another case in point ;the pale green of the young shoots surroundingthe expanded flower being its best ornament aftersome of the larger leaves have been removed . R oses,too

,should have a few tips of shoots or their own

suitable leaves intermixed with them ; In the case

CASSELLs“

P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

of other flowers also th etsame rule should be followedwhere practicable .

"

Where it is not possible to usetheir own foliage

,as in the case of Euc/ia risama

sonica,oth er leaves may be substituted ; when in

season,Oa la clium a rgyriteswill be found of much

service .ln this way, going well with the Eucharis .Of other useful things in the making of bouquets,nothing surpasses the tips of thesh eetsof the Boxleaved Myrtle (Illyrluscommunisangustif olia) ; thecommon Myrt le

,too

,is very useful for working in

between the flowers . When these cannot be ob

ta ined in sufficient quantity,some foliage and young

growths of the finely-cut-leaved scented G eranium swill be f ound of great value in preventing theflowers from being pressed too closely together,being better in every way than using Moss for thi spurpose .Avoid the placing of any flowers in an unnaturalposition ; thus with Lapageria blossoms , more oftenthan not they are arranged in the centre, or in proxiInity thereto

,of the bouquet . It does not follow

that because the Lapagerias (both the red and thewhite varieties) are such handsome flowerstheya re adapted for bouquet-making . It will be wellto consider for just one minute in what positiona plant of Lapageria in full blossom displays itsflowers to the best advantage . Most floral admirerswill . admit that it is when the flowering sh e etsa re allowed to hang suspended from a wire arch orflat trellis-work in such a way that their beauty canbe seen from below them . This being so

,the mis

‘

take of using the flowers in an inverted position willat once be discernible . The more we can copy thenatura l habit of the flowers to be dealt with

,the

better will be the effect of the arrangements . Thereare exceptions of course

,but these are few in com

parison to the other side of the question . Use theLapagerias therefore around the margin of the bouquet, so that their flowers hang _as pendants to thesame:unless , however, the bouquet be of morethan average dimensions, it is a better plan not touse them at all . Flowers of tube-like form ationshould as a rule be avoided, such as the G loxinias forexample ; these beautiful flowers cannot be arrangedto advantage in a bouquet by reason of their Shape .W ith the utmost care the other surroundings willpress them

,too closely

,un less they are arranged

above the other flowers, but for thi s they will be

found too large . These remarks do not, of course,refer to small flowers of this shape

,such as Stepha

notis and Bouvardias,which are always welcome .

Another awkward flower for a bouquet is the B onga invillea ; its peculiar-shaped floral bracts are verypleasing

,but not calculated to do the plant justice

for these purposes,neither is it of a colour that har

monises with any other but white.

W ir ing .—The wiring of many kinds of flowers

indispensable for bouquet -making is necessary,by

reason of the short available stems with which theycan be detached from the plant . Thi s wiring process must be done in a careful manner

,so that no

such th ings are visible when the arrangement iscomplete . W ire of various strength can be had fr omnurserym en and florists

,specially cut into lengths.

for these purposes . Three siz es at least will be” foundrequisite in most cases:the stoutest

,called “ stubs

,

as artificial stems ; the next siz e, more pliable, forwiring the flowers and the finest

,or binding wire

,

which issold on reels for better convenience . Thi slast kind can be used to bind the bouquet togetheras the making process is being carried out

,but is not

perhaps so well adapted for thi s work as the tyingmaterial called ra tfia .

” W e prefer to use thi sbinding wire for the ' stems of delicate texture

,for

which purpose it is very handy. Some small twigswill make very good artificial stems for the largerflowers for this it is better to select the slendershoots of such plants as the Snowberry (Symp horicmymsmecmosus), and the common N ut

,or the

P ersian Lilac . These shoots can be made pliable byentwining some of the wire around them

,and will be

found easier to secure in position than a single pieceof wire

,which cannot always be held in its place

sufliciently tight to prevent its moving about . A

little wet Moss may be tied around the natural stemof the flower to better preserve the same in good condition ; this can easily be accomplished as the wiringprocess is being carried out .

A few remarks as to the wiring of flowers will notbe out of place . In doing this , great care is necessarynot to disfigure those flowers whi ch are easily injuredif not handled cautiously . The best way to proceedwith such as the Eucharis , is first to fold a piece oftissue paper around its slender and delicate stem

,

after which bind this on with the finest wire ; nofear need then be apprehended of the larger siz e ofwire cutting through the stem and spoiling theflower . Other flowers with which there is any prohability of the same sort of thing occurring may beserved in a similar way . Several of the Orchidaceousplants have blossoms with very slender foot -stalks ;these will all be better for such purposes if served inthe same mann er; In the case of R oses two wires

‘ will be suflicient ; these should be thrust through

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3 40 CASSELL’S POPU

will be advisable to cover the inside of the cup witha piece of oiled paper or silk ; no stain or moisturewill then be so likely to penetrate the same

,which

,

if preserved in good condition,can be made to do

service a few more times . Wh en using the ' littleba sket holders , in order to draw the handle ofthe bouquet tightly into them

,a piece of string

should be securely tied to the bottom of the handleand passed through the small end of the holder .This will draw it close, when it can be fastened withthe string at the bottom

,and by the use of a stout

pin or two at the top , to be afterwards hidden by theribbon

,whi ch should in a general way be white .

B rida l B ouque ts. — Bridal bouquets are, morefrequently than not

,made entirely of white flowers ;

in fact it may almost be taken as the adopted rule .

White flowers may be looked upon as denoting purityand chastity ; hence probably they symbolise thesevirtues on such occasions . W e do not think the onecolour need be so rigidly adhered to ; flowers of paleand of deep golden shades may with appropriatenessbe used ; some of the Orchids being especially wellsuited for the purpose

,notably the D endrobiums , the

Oncidiums,a nd the Odontoglossums

,in which thi s

colour predominates . In Caelogyne crista ta we have thepure white and golden hues combined

,thi s being one

of the best of a ll Orchids for these purposes . TheTea-scented R oses

,with flowers varying from the pale

yellow of Marie Van Houtte to the dark apricotshade of Madame Falcot

,are all most suitable in the

bud state . W e can see no obj ection to flowers of asoft pale pink being employed as well as those shadesof colour just mentioned . Orange-blossom is lookedupon as being very essential in these composit ons;when this article is scarce, the small quantity that isused ought to be worked in near to the centre, whereit will more readily catch the eye . R ather morefoliage may advantageously be worked into the com.

position of bridal bouquets when th ey consist whollyof white flowers .Another novel change from the stereotyped form

of bouquet-making,and one which we think will

meet with greater approval when better known especially for wedding festivities), is in

' the selection oflight ornamental baskets of wicker-work wherein to

arrange the flowers . These can be carried with fargreater ease

,being more portable . The convenience

of the basket over the bouquet form will , we think,be appreciated for placing on the breakfast tableafterwards

,whi ch alone is sufficient to recommend the

style to the ‘ favourable notice of all floral admirers .We strongly recommend a trial _of

' this system byth ose who desire to see a novelty of considerablemerit di5played on these auspicious and j oyous occa sions. Bridesmaids’ bouquets should differ only in

D ECORATIVE USE OF FLOWER S. 3 41

m ile of pleasure . With such as these, if presentedin bunches, the better way will be to pull them topieces as just advised

,then arranging only a few in

one receptacle for greater convenience . W ith

should be packed in a little damp Moss or tissuepaper ; if the flowers should be susceptible to dama geby rubbing each other, a little cotton wool may-be

used ; but we do not advise . it .to any extent, as it

P R ESEN TATION BOUQ UET -AR RAN G ED B r M R S . H ; B . SMITH , or. Emma ; AN D P R ESEN TED To H .R .H .

P R IN CESS CHR ISTIAN .

water should be changed every day, if.

in aconfined room . Flowers

,too, with strong perfumes

should not on any account be . allowed to predomi

With the advantages of the P arcels P ost,afford

ing a quicker means of transit for . small parcels,

flowers could with convenience be forwarded. These

acts as . an absorbent rather than as a preserringmedium to the flowers . This will be found. anexcellent means of conveyance for flowers intendedfor presentation

,and suitable boxes are already tOfbe

had for thi s special purpose ; the weight of theseb0xesis but trifling

,allowing . a considerable margin

for the flowers .

CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

W re a thsa nd Sp rays— W reaths for the decoration Of the head-dr ess of ladies are not so prevalentnow as formerly. They look best when carefullymade in the lightest manner possible ; that portionwhich is arranged to the front should be wider andsomewhat more imposing than where the two endsmeet at the back of the head. In fact

,when well

made it should graduate each way from the frontuntil both ends meet, with a narrow margin to each,a t the back of the head-dr ess . These wreaths requirevery careful manipulation ; there Should not be theslightest pretence at working up the eff ect by usinga n extra quantity of flowers and foliage . When thecolours are suitable

,the scarlet and white varieties

of Bouvardias,represented by B . Hog a rth and B .

elegansamong the scarlet, and B . Vreelana’ii and B .

Alfred N euner among the whites,will make an effec

tive a rrangement for a wreath of this kind. Iflighter colours are desirable, instead of the Scarletsthere are B . P riory B eauty, with pale satin rose,and B . Q ueen of R oses

,with bright rosy pink

blossoms . These and other varieties will be foundof excellent service in this kind of decoration

,of

light appearance,and easily arranged. D uring

their long season the Marguerites,or P aris D aisies

(yellow and white), will ni ake very appropriatematerial for the same uses . Among our hardy plants

,

the P ansies or Heartsease will afford usexcellentsubj ects for head-dresses ; so also will the P rimrosesand Lilies of the Valley. These wreaths having tobe made somewhat narrow in preportion to theirlength

,the Fern that is to back them up should be

chosen assuitable as possible . Asp lenium Veite/zii

would be an excellent kind ; the“

D avallias also, witha small Spray only of the Maiden-hair Fern for fearit may fade too soon . Small Ivy-leaves are alsoextremely pretty, and very durable ; these should bechosen with the pale green and bronzy tints onthem . D uring the autumn the extreme points ofthesh eetsof the Virginian Creeper would be of gr eatservice .Sprays for the dress are much more sought after

now than a few years back ; in fact, great improvements have been manifest for some time past in thisstyle of personal decoration, and some most beautifuldevices of this kind are now to

_

be met with . Simpleflowers are by far the best for these purposes ; take,for instance

,a few blossoms of the P oet’s N arciss

(N a rcissusp oeticus) and a backing Of _

a few small Ivyleaves and Fern-fronds— the

'

choicest Orchid willnot surpass it for beauty. Other kinds of N arcissusor D affodils can be used, the smaller ones being preferable . R ose -buds

,again

,especially those of pointed

shape,are always sure to give satisfaction . W

' ork inthebeautiful tinted leaves of some of the Tea- scentedvarieties with their own buds, and no other foliage

accompaniment will be needed. All th e t owersmentioned for the wreaths will be suitable for theSprays, besides which should be enumerated thechoice of rarities among the Orchids and stove plant s

,

and the inmates of the green-house also . Suitablethings from among the Orchids are very numerous ;those

,however

,that we have previously quoted will

be found among the best,though there are many

others that could be named . Eucha riscandida,

B ip la a’emla bolioéeusis, Ip omea H orsf alliw,

and B og a

bella will all be choice additions from the stove.From the green-house

,among many uncommon

things,the small-flowered formsof the tender

R hododendrons will be extremely interesting,with

their Stephanotis-like blossoms of many shades . B esides the foliage already advised for the wreaths

,

some Sprays of Asp a ragusp lumosasnauus, and thesmaller leaves of the gaily-coloured Crotons

,will be

of durable service from the stove-house ; whilst fromthe cold green-house

,and Open air in sheltered

positions, th e fine laciniate foliage of the JapaneseMapleswould all the summer season be of thegreatest use . In form these sprays should taper toa point

,using the smallest flowers a t the extremity .

Avoid going to the extreme in point of Siz e,or the

length of the wreath will be an inconvenience ratherthan an ornament .

B utton - h ole B ouqu ets. - Button-hole bou.

quetsand coat flowers are among the easiest of allthings to arrange, . yet we often see them unsatisfa ctorily done . The simple coat flowers

,such as

R ose-buds, G ardenia blossoms , and the like, canhardly be said to require any making, merely re

quiring the addition of their own foliage in eachcase

,instead of going abroad to seek something else

in their place . It is a good plan to be on the sareside with a wire or two thrust thr ough each

,in case

of accident to the stem,which Should be as small as

possible . W ith button-hole bouquets , in which twoor more kinds of flowers are arranged together,be careful not to produce them of too large a siz e ;this is frequently the mistake that is made in thesecompositions . Two colours are enough in any sucharrangement

,and these must be chosen with due

discrimination. W ith a R ose-bud, a piece of Astilbejap onica always looks well ; so also does one fair- siz edR ose-budwith two or three tiny buds of Fairy R osesround it . Little sprays of Forget-me-nots will bevery useful, so also will the Statices, both the hardyand the green-house varieties . A couple of blossomsof the Tuberose

,with a little colour addition , will be

ample for one arrangement . W iring will be essential with many flowers

, Camellias in particular:these require to be taken when the flower-bud ap

pears to have two or three days longer to go before

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3 44 CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

centre ; P . se. otinum,the Late-flowering Pyrethrum,

ea ria inodorumflore-p leno is sometimes classed witha showy tall perennial

, growrng four to six feet in the Pyrethrums . I t isa vi gorous-growing ha rdyheight

,bearing large pure whi te flowers in autumn ; herbaceous plant, producing in summer

P YR ETH R UMS, SI N G LE AN D D OUBLE , N ATUR AL SI ZE .

a native of America P . Tekilza telteu' ii,the compact

,double, pure white flowers, tha t are

I‘urfing D aisy,a dwarf

,hardy evergreen species

, tremely useful for cutting from.

"

It does well in anyforming a dense turf, useful for carpeting slopes and ordinary garden soil.dry soil and rockwork

,where little

’

else will grow ; a Too much cannot be said in praise of P . roseumna tive of Asia Minor ; P . uliginosum is mentioned and its many single and double varieties . They a reabove as P . lacustre. Wh at is best known as Ma tr i among the most useful of summer flowers . P . roseuon

COMMON G AR D EN FLOWER S.

(also known as P . earueum), in ,its original form

,

came to usfrom the Caucasus many years ago .

Originally the flowers were single in character, andbeing , found to produce seeds, new varieties wereobtained in this way. A quarter of a century or soago, M . Th emisterri

,. of B elgium

,obtained a large

variety of a distinct shade of rose -colour,showing a

tendency to produce superfluous florets . This wassent to the late Mr. John Salter, of the VersaillesN ursery at Hammersmith

,and under the careful

cultivation he gave it, .th is, and other forms produced

from it , gradually filled up the centre disc withquilled florets

,until in course of . time perfectly

double flowers were developed . The first reallydouble flower put into commerce was one namedroseum a lbum

,having several rows of external florets

of a lively violet -ro’se,with a centre of white quills .

This found its way to the.

Continent, wasused by

the Continental florists for seed purposes,and from

it were obta ined other double varieties of an improvedand valuable character . One ’ of the most prominentpresent-day raisers of the P yrethrum isMr . Kelway,of Langport . He has a.

“ very large and varied collection of single and double varieties

,accessions to

wh ich are made every year in the shape of seedlings .The Langport collection consists of about three hundred varieties, and several thousand seedlings arebloomed each yearfThe Pyrethrum will Stand the severest winter unha rmed ; it is perfectly hardy, and generally of avigorous habit of growth . In order that there shouldbe a good free growth and heads of fine flowers

,the

plants should“be in a good deep sandy loam,

wellenriched bythe addition of some thoroughly decemposed manure . The plants should be at leasteighteen inches apart, and it IS a good plan to forkin some manure in autumn

,giving a surface dressing

of the same also in spring. The plants are exposedto one great source of danger

,namely

,through slugs

harbouring“ in the roots, and eating the crowns of theplants away. It is therefore customary with thosewho grow them largely to go over the plants inautumn, clearing away any decayed foliage, and thenplacing a layer of silver sand about the crowns :theslugs do not like it

,and so are kept at b .ay The

best position in which to grow Pyrethrums is in aheavy loam resting on a bed of gravel.The Pyrethrum is propagated by means of division

of the roots , when the plants have done floweringand any Sidesh e etsthat have not formed roots canbe made into cuttings . The cuttings can be prickedoff into pots of light sandy soil

,.and placed in a cold

frame, and shaded from the sun when it shin es outwarmly. The divided pieces can -be put into a prepared bed in a cold frame

,or planted out on a shady

border and covered with hand-glasses,and . in due

3 45

time they will grow into nice plants . But slugs andsnails will prove very injurious if not closely lookedafter. Assoon as the divided pieces are strongenough

,they should be planted out in bedsin a

fitting soil of the character above mentioned.

P yrethrums can also be raised from seed. For

merly we were dependent upon the'

Continentalflorists for seed

,but of late years

,owing to the more

extended culture of the varieties in this country,seeds have been more freely saved. The seed shouldbe sewn in pans

,pots

,or boxes of fin e soil

,and

placed in a cold frame until it has germinated ; thenhardened ofl

,planted out in a bed in the open

ground,and grown on strongly to flower fifteen

months afterwards . It is found that seed fromdouble varieties invariably produces double flowers ;and seed from single varieties

,single flowers .

SELECTION or D OUBLE P YR ETHR UMS.

Amph itrite , rosy-carmine. Marquisof Bute, rosy-pink

Capta in N ares, crimson . and yellow.

Ch amois, ch amois. Melton,crimson-ma genta ;

D elicatissimum ,brigh t rosy Mons. B arrel, purplish

cr imson .

N ancy, blush -wh ite .Emile Lemoine , rosy-lila c.

N emesrs, red and orange .Fulgensplenissimum , car

mine , tipped wh ite .

G alopin, crimson edged

wh ite .

G loire dT

Italie , rosy-red.

Ha age et Schmidt, deep roseand wh ite .

Hermann Stenger, rosy-lila c

Imbricatum plenum ,crim

sonI turbrde

, purplish -crimson .

Iveryana , brigh t rose .

J . N . Tweedy, ma roon .

Lady D erby,silvery-flesh .

N iveum plenum purewh it e .

P la cida , pe a ch .

P rince Teck,brigh t crimsonR embrandt , osy-purple .

R ose P erfection,lila c .

R oseum album ,rosy-purple

and wh ite .

Sulphureum plenum , blushwh ite and yellow.

Sylph ide , pure wh ite .U z z iel, deep rosy-crimson

“

.

Wilh elm Kramp er ,rose , tipped wh ite

SELECTION OF SIN G LE P YR ETHR UMS.

Albatos, deep pinkBellona

,rich ca rmrne .

Caprius, rich purple.Carbo, rosy-carmine .

D amia , dark purple .

E th el, wh ite and rose.H amlet, rich pink.

J uliet, wh ite and pink.

Letus,wh ite .

Melon, rich pink.

N abis, maroon .

N estor, pink .

Octavia , rosy-pink.

Oph is, dark purple .

P a ccus, rich rose .

R oseum,soft pink .

Sh erlock , crimson-sca rlet.Va lentia , pale pink .

Vistula ,flesh .

Z eithen,wh ite and pink.

Th e D ropwort , or M e a dow-swe e t (Sp ira e ) ._ The true D ropwort is Sp ircea Filip endula , and, according to Turner

,it has received its common name

on account of its small tuberous roots hanging likedrops by. slender threads . Spirwa is from 'sp eira ,anything wreathed. The flowering branches a re

used in -

g arlands .Sp ira a

' Filipendula is very common in meadowsthroughout Europe

,in fact it is a rather common

native herb,flowering in summer

,yellowish-white .

There is a form of this that finds a place in gardens ;it bears numerous corymbs of double White flowers,which

,as in the case of the Single form,

have a slightcreamy tinge ; the foliage is elegant and Fern-like.

It does well in ordinary garden soil .

3 46 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

S . Arzmeusisthe G oat’s-head Spiraea, a vigorousand stately perennial

,a native of Europe, Asia, and

America, growing to a height of four feet, producingin summer small white flowers , freely produced inlong spikes forming a terminal panicle . It does wellin the Open border, and if roots be taken up in theautumn

,and put into pots , it forces well in early

Spring.

S. jap onica , as it is termed, but subsequently knownas H oteia jap om

'

oa , and more recently asAstilbe ja

pam'

oa,is a well-known plant, largely used for forcing

in early spring,and thr owing up numerous feathery

panicles of white flowers .S . jap onica va riega ta isa beautiful variegated formof this

,every leaf traced throughout with golden

coloured veins , the flowers larger than in the caseof the type . B oth are hardy, and should have a richmoist soil . Th e green form is very largely grown onthe Continent, and sent to England in great quantitiesin autumn

,where it is extensively forced into bloom

in Spring,and largely used in floral decorations. It

is also an excellent decorative plant for a warmgreen-house when well grown in pots . It is anative of Japan .

S . p a lma ta , the P almate Spiraea, so named on a o

count of its handsome P alm-like leaves,is one of the

most beautiful hardy plants in cultivation ; the deeppurple-red of the stems and branches passing intothe crimson-purple of the glorious broad corymbs offlowers

,contrasts finely with the foliage

,whi ch in th e

autumn assumes beautiful tints of brown and gold.

It does well in a deep sandy loam,on a moist border

,

and near to water ; it also makes a good forcing plantin spring

,and is largely imported from abroad for

this purpose . A variety named elega rzsis said to be awhite form

,but is not pure it is certainly very dis

tinct,and a pretty plant, in habit and foliage very

similar,the pale flowers having conspicuous red

stamens . B oth are natives of Japan .

S . Ulma ria is the Meadow-sweet,or

,as in Turner,

Mede- swete, a meaningless name . Supposed to bea corruption ofMeadwort

,or honey wine herb . H ill

,

in his “H erbal,

” states that “ the flowers mixed withmead give it the flavour of G reek wines

,

” and thisis said to be unquestionably the source of the word.

D r . P rior, in his“P opular N ames of B ritish P lants ,states that “ the Latin name , R eg ina p ra ti, Meadow

’sQ ueen, has misled our herbalists

,in their ign orance

of itsuse,to form the above strangely-compounded

word,Meadow- sweet.”

S . Ulma ria is a common British plant , bearingyellowish-white flowers in summer

,sweet-scented,

small,and num erous . It is a native of Europe and

Britain, flourishing in borders in any soil and in wasteplaces

,and

,like the foregoing

,increa sed by division

of the roots . There is a double variety of thi s also ,

which makes an excellent border plant ; and also onewith handsome variegated foliage .S. renusta is known as the Q ueen of the P rairi e

— a handsome hardy perennial, a native of N orthAmerica and Siberia . Its lovely deep rosy-carmineflowers are produced on stems from two to four

"

feetin height, forming huge cymes six to twelve inchesa cross. It is un doubtedly one of the finest of theMeadow- sweets, and one of the best of hardy perennials for planting in a shady moist situation .

A recently introduced species is S. astilboia’es. Itis a native of Japan

,and one of the most handsome

of hardy herbaceous perennials . The stems are furnish ed with triternate leaves

,and terminated by

compound feathery branches of elegant white flowers ;it makes a charming pot plant for decorative purposes in the early Spring months ; it is of freegrowth, and its flowers are produced in the grea testprofusion .

There are many Spiraeas that are hardy floweringshrubs, some of great beauty— such as a ricef olia ,which produces large feathery panicles of whiteflowers abundantly in July Limlleg aua , a nobleshrub from the Himalayas

,with very large compound

leaves and immense bunches of white flowers, q uite

hardy ; Op uléf olia , with showywhite flowers , succeededby red bladder- like fruit, which remain on the tree along time, and are quite as ornamental as the flowerspa e/zgstaclzys, that bears immense bunches of pinkishflowers , abundantly produced ; p rumf olia ,

a handsomespecies producing double white blossoms sa licifolja ,having erect spikesof rose - coloured flowers andtriloba ta

,when in blossom a mass of snowy flowers .

All the shrubby Spiraeas are free bloomers,and are

very gay when in flower. Most of th em ,however

,

throw up suckers rather too profusely .

Th e C a t ch -fly (Silene) .— Sl ileue is the genericname adopted by Linnaeus from the G reek wordstelas

,

“Spume or saliva

,

” on account of the stickiness of some of the species . The common Englishname — Catch-fly

— was given in consequence offlies being often caught in the viscid fluid which, insome species

,Sur rounds parts of th e stem . Sileue is

a very numerous genus,but comparatively few are

cultivated generally,and of these the hardy annuals

find most favour .Of our B ritish species , the best known are S .

a eaulz’s,the Cushion P ink or Moss Campion , and

S. uoctzfiora,theN ight-flowering Catch -fly. Aca ulis

means stemless .” Moss Campion refers to “ thenumber of heads of

'

small green leaves, very thick settogeth er in tufts, in that manner spreading muchground

,and covering it like Mosse so writes old

P arkinson. Campion is though t to be a corruptionof “ champagne

,

” or open country, alluding to th e

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8 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

known as the Autumn Catgh -fly, and is a .native ofthe Caucasus.Of the . annual Catch-fliesthere are several handsome varietiesof Sileue pendula , all hardy and earlyflowering, therefore valuable in the spring garden. They should be treated as biennials , sowingthe seed in July; In addition to p endula , with rosecoloured flowers, there are its white variety, and itsdouble form also, but it is somewhat diflicult to keepit true when raised from seeds ; ruberrz

’

ma, with

crimson flowers and dark foliage ; Bomzetti deep rose ;and p endula

comp a cta , avery dwarftufted form,

having rosyflowers

,and a

wh ite varietyalso ; pseudoa tociou is avery pretty

,

free bloomingpink floweredtype . All dowell in goodgarden soil .

Th e R a g

wort (Senecio) . R ag

wort is derived fromthe G ermanr a gwur z , aterm expressive of supposed aphrodisia c qualities

,

and originally assigned to plants of the Orchis tribe,

as it is in G ermany at the present day,and as we

find it in all our early herbals. In our modern florasthe name R agwort is

,for no other assignable reason

than its laciniated leaves,transferred to a large

G roundsel, Seneeio J a eobcea . The generic name Seueeio is derived fromsenex

,an old man

,

” the naked,

dotted, smooth receptacle being like a bald head, thedown Of the seeds being white

,and many of the

species hoary, a ll.characteristics of age . The specificname of the common R agwort, J a eoba a , is fromJ a cobus, th e Latin for . James

,because the plant

blooms about ”

St. James’s D ay, July 25th . It isavery common weed in waste grounds and by waysides.The common G roundsel of our gardens and fieldsis Senecio vulga ris, and it is a favourite food of manybirds . G roundsel _ is . from . .the Anglo-Saxon grand

SEN ECIO BALBISIAN US .

swelge, ground-glutton,from . grzmd, ground,

andsweZg a u, “ swallow still called in Scotland andon the eastern border

, G rundy-swallow.

Under the head of J a eobwa we find in seed cataloguesa group of hardy annual s, varieties of Senecioeleg ans, known also as Am erican G roundsels . Theyare natives of the Cape of G ood Hope

,and have been

greatly improved by seedsmen . They are doubleflowered

,and of such good colours as crimson

,blue

,

purple, &c. Formerly they were much used forbedding purposes, but are now somewhat neglected ;

too much so,

we think,for

although Old

f a s h i o n e d,

they are veryp r e t t y an duseful

,grow

ing a foot orso in height

,

and bloomingv e ry fr e e l yand continuously. Theygrow freely ingood gardensoil

,and can

be raised fromseed with ease.W h y t h e ya r e t e rm e dAmeri can

G roundselswecannot say

,un

less they havebeen improvedin quantity intha t country.

There are a few Senecios that are included amongchoice hardy perennials— as , for instance, a rgenteus,the Silvery G roundsel, very dwarf, and like a miniature Centaurea ragusina . It is a native of the Pyrenees

,and should be grown in a sandy loam as a

dwarf silvery edging plant .S. B a lbisiauus, the variety figured, comes from

P iedmont .S. D oronicum is a free-growing border plant, withlarge golden-yellow flowers on stems twelve inches inheight. It is a first-class decorative plant, and veryuseful for cutting from .

S . iueauusis the Hoary G roundsel from the Southof France

,but is not so valuable or -so easily grown

as S. a rgem‘

eus; yet it is a pretty dwarf . silveryleaved plant

,forming dense tufts

,and . a little gem

for planting on rockwork .

S. jap onieusis an _ ornamental composite' irom

THE PIN E AP PLE .

J apan, growing about four feet in height, bearinglax panicles of large golden flowers ; quite hardy,and well worth growing .

But the king of the'

herbaceous Senecios is S.

pulelzer, known as Tyerman’sG roundsel. It is a

na tive of Uruguay,

'

and was originally discoveredby Tweedie nearly fifty years ago, at the foot of theSugarloaf Mountain, near Ma ldonado, in SouthBraz il . It was introduced to English gardens byMr .

J . Tyerman,Tregony

, Cornwall , who raised it fromseeds received from B uenos Ayres . It forms a valuable addition to our autumn flowers, and if plantsa re lif ted from the open ground just asthey comeinto bloom

,placed in pots

,and kept . in an ordinary

green-house,they will flower. freely. It is quite dis

tinct from any other species . The leaves are fleshy,and of a glossy dark green colour , the radical onesmeasuring nine to ten inches in length . From thecentre rise numerous erect stems three feet in height,terminatingwith branched cymes of brilliant purplishcrimson flowers with“ a golden-yellow disc

,of good

form and great substance,measuring at least three

inches in diameter. It isexceedingly vigorous ingrowth, and perfectly hardy, and it is in all respectsa first-class border plant .

THE P IN E -APPLE .

BY WILLIAM COLEMAN .

IN SECTS WHICH AFFE CT THE P IN E .

W h ite Sca le (Coccusbrornelia ) . — This destructive insect spreads

,.with alarming rapidity over the

largest collections of plants wh en it once finds itsway into the P inery

,and it is most difficult . to

eradicate . It is a small,whitish-grey insect

,and is

f ound firmly attached to the surface of the leaves,

where it feeds upon the jui ces,and very soon ruins

th e plants . Many poisonous and expensive remedieshave been proposed for cleansing the plants ; but itis questionable if any of them can be applied withsatisfactory results . Therefore

,to avoid the heavy

loss, inconvenience, and annoyance which follow inits wake, th e greatest care shouldbe observed in theintroduction of fresh plants to a clean stock withoutfirst placing them in quarantine sufliciently. long toallow the young to Show themselves

,and even then

to keep a sharp eye on them. The cheapest and bestway to deal with infested plants

,and all that have

grown near them,is speedy committal to the flames

,

root , soil, and stem,and to thoroughly cleanse with

caustic lime and burnt sulphur preliminary to anew start with clean stock . Cultivators who havetried . once, rarely try a second time to cleanse ahouse of p lants— a p retty .

rstrong proof that the

3 49

remedies some eulogise are not so satisfactory as onecould wish. The following recipes are stronglyrecommended — 2 lbs . sulphur , 2 lbs. soft-soap, lb.

tobacco,2 oz . nux vomica

,1 oz . camphor dissolved

in Spirits of turpentine, boiled in 8 gallons of softwater for one hour. When the liquid has fallen to1 20° immerse each plant, roots and all, having previously shaken away all the soil. After the plantshave drained and dri ed

,re-pot and plunge in a clean,

fresh bed .

The late Mr . Tillery,of W elbeck

,recommended

the following — He says,I mixed equal quantities

of the driest new soot and flour of sulphur together,syringed the plants with a fine syringe

,and then

dusted them,above and below

,with a common sulphur

puff. It was done in the dead time of the year, andnot syringed off for thr ee weeks . The syringingwashed the mixture into the axils of the leaves andto the roots

,where it acted as a stimulant when the

plants began to grow in the spring . Out of severalhouses of plants so treated, not one insect survived.

”

A very dea r fri end once supplied the author ofthese pages with a few plants warranted clean.

”

They were pla ced with sixty-five successions, worthasmany pounds . White scale broke out. Tillery’ssystem wastried, and adhered to, to the letter ; butthe soot and sulphur burnt the roots instead offeeding them

,and ultimately every plant was con

signed to the fire .Some P ine-growers have advocated placing theplants in strong steam from fermenting horse-litter ;others syringe with clean hot water at a temperatureof . 1 200 to while others

,again

,say there is

nothing like paraffin, a wine-glassful to a gallon ofwarm soft water

,for syringing with . The latter

modern'

remedy is undoubtedly a most excellent oneif properly applied, otherwise it will soon kill thestrongest plants .Asparaffin does not mix well with water, it ' is

necessary for one person to keep the' water and

parafl‘in in constant agi tation with a syringe, while a

second,also with a syringe

,applies it to the p lants .

The P ines should be laid on their sides, to preventthe paraffin from settling on the ' roots or resting inthe hearts

,and in the course of half an hour th ey

Should be well syringed with clean warm waterbefore they are re-plunged in a new bed .

B rown Sca le sometimes gets on P ines fromother plants ; but it is comparatively harmless , and iseasily destroyed by the first application of paraffin,or water at a temperatur e Of B efore theplants are dressed for brown or white scale, it is agood plan to loosen all the insects that can beconveniently reached with a hard

,half-worn painter’s

brush , to insure the destruction of the la rvae . When

350

once disturbed, the full; grown insects never againestablish themselves on the leaves of the plants .

M e a ly B ug (Coeeusadouidum) . — This insect isso well known to every gardener, and so muchdreaded by all who have had to contend with it infruit-houses

,that further description of it may be

considered superfluous . It has already been treatedof under “V ines .”

WVh en it getsestablished on P ine plants, it is mostdifficult to dislodge

,as its white mealy covering

seems to protect and render it almost impervious tohot water

,unless it can be dr iven against it with

great force . It very soon Spreads from the leaves tothe stems and roots

,when it becomes almost as

formidable,and quite as destructive

,as the white

scale itself,as it is capable of gaining a secure

resting-place under the soil and in every crevicethroughout the house in which the plants are

located . A great number of poisonous mixtures havebeen recommended for its destruction

,and were it

possible to bring every female under their directinfluence

,there can be but little doubt that the next

generation of ga rdeners would know it only by name ;but disagreeable facts to the contrary prove thatannihilation has not yet been accomplished. Con

sequently its first appearance Should be the signal forimmediate warfare

,and no pains should be Spared

,

even to the burning of infested plants , in preferenceto allowing a Single bug to remain in the P inery .

By those who have the misfortune to be engagedin the destruction of this loathsome insect, thesolution recommended for the white scale may beapplied or the following

,which has been taken

from the “ Transactions of the R oyal HorticulturalSociety ” To three gallons of soft water add twopounds of soft- soap

,eight ounces of sulphur vivum,

and two ounces of camphor ; boil together for anhour

,and then add three ounces of turpentine .

Turn the plants out of the pots,shake out the balls,

and immerse the roots and tops in a trough filledwith the liquid

,at a temperature of 1 20° to

Allow the plants to remain five minutes in theliquid

,turn them up for it to drain out of the

hearts,re -pot and re-plunge in a pit that has been

properly cleansed and prepared with fresh plungingmaterial .” Allwho have had to use these powerfulingredients know how dangerous they are , and itis now well known that turpentine is the mostactive agent in the destruction of the insects .With this knowledge for their guide, growers ofthe present day have dispensed with all but thespirits but instead of using turpentine

,they apply

paraffin, one wine-glassful to a gallon of water, withthe best possible result

,provided the plants are

taken in hand before the bug gets into the soil.

CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

H urst H ouse,or F a irrie

’sQ ue en — This remarkable P ine is well adapted for small places where

Aspreviously advised,the water should be kept

in constant agitation to prevent the oil from floa t

ing on the surface , during the operation of syringing.

The plants should be taken out of the beds,but not

out of the pots , and laid on their sides, headsinclining downwards, to prevent the Spirit from lodgingin the hearts or reaching the roots, to which it mightprove injur ious . In half an hour they should bewell syringed with clean water at a temperature ofand left to drain before they are re-plunged .

Methylated spirit , as obtained from the chemi st ,and applied with a camel’s -hair brush

,causes in

stant death to every insect which can be reached bythe hand . Wh en Operations of thi s kind are goingon

,and for some time afterwards

,prudence suggests

drawing down the blinds during bright sunshine .

VAR IE TIES OF P IN ES.

Although the varieties of P ines are numerous , itis not necessary to grow many kinds to keep up

a supply of good fruit throughout the summerand winter ; and as many of the kinds formerlygrown have given way to the few which are nowconsidered the best this list will be confinedto the names of those which have been ‘ foundindi spensable in ordinary private P ine-growingestablishments . Asall the varieties contained inthi s selection of th e best are not alike well adaptedto summer or winter

,it is my intention to give a

brief description of each,with remarks as to their

keeping qualities and seasons of use .

Th e Q u e en — Of this fine old P ine several varieties are grown, but none are better than the R ipley .

It is a dwarf compact grower,with broad mealy

leaves,producesmany suckers

,and propagates freely.

Fruit:cylindri cal,bright yellow

,pips prominent

,

but quite flat when perfectly swelled ; flesh pale,

juicy,rich

,and of first-rate quality. It is a sure

starter,finishes its fruit quickly

,and on this account

is the best and most generally grown for giving asupply for the early London season . Asan exhibition P ine

,its handsome appearance and superior

quality always insure for it the fir st place in th e

front rank . Its quality asa summer and autumnP ine is not excelled, if equalled, by any other kind:but being rather tender it does not swell well inwinter

,when it is generally deficient in juiciness

and flavour. WVeight of fruit, from three to eightpounds . The latter weight is exceptional

,but fruits

weighing from five to six pounds are nowfrequentlyproduced by successful growers. It keeps in goodcondition three weeks after being ripe .

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352 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

placing in a back row‘

in the winter fruiting-house .It isa sure fruiter under Jamaica treatment

,and does

well in a ten-inch pot. The section to whi ch itbelongs should be asufiicient guarantee of its keepingqualities .

L a dy B e a trice L amb ton — Thi s large,hand

some variety was raised at Lambton Castle byMr .

Stevenson some twenty years ago ; but the credit ofbringing it before the public is due to Mr . Hunter

,

the present gardener,who has exhibited remarkably

fine fruit,weighing from seven to ten pounds each .

It is described as being of tall growth,with dark

g reen leaves , covered with an unusual quantity ofwhitish mealiness . Fruit pyramidal with a smallcrown, and closely set in the foliage pips broad andflat, orange-coloured, bright yellow in the furrows ;flesh pale yellow,

abundantly juicy flavour rich andexcellent. Mr . Hunter reports its average weightto be nine pounds , the heaviest he has cut weighing eleven and a half pounds

,as being one of the

handsomest of the large varieties of P ine-apple,free

bearing,more robust in growth and less spreading

than the Smooth-leaved Cayenne . Mr . D . Thomson,

the great authority on P ines,is now fruiting it

extensively, and speaks very highly of it . It shouldbe classed with the winter fruiters .

W h ite P rov iden ce .— Though thisP ine is now

seldom met with, th e fact that it produces th e largest

fruit should give a few plants a place in large colleetions. It is a tall

,strong-growing variety

,with broad

mealy leaves,is easily grown and fruits freely. The

f ruit is oval,with large nearly flat pips of a reddish

yellow colour ; flesh white, sweet, and juicy, but nothighly flavoured when ripened

“in summer. It is ofno value as a winter P ine, and does not keep long .

There are severa l other distinct varieties,such as

M oscow Q ueen , Enville, Black P rince, P rince Albert ,G lobe, and P rickly Cayenne, which might be described ; but as they are not in every respect equalto the kinds which have been proved worthy of aplace in this list

,their enumeration only will suffice

for the guidance of those who may wish to give thema trial in their P ine - stoves .

THE R OSE AN D ITS CULTUR E .

BY D . T . F I SH .

ROSES FOR P ILLAR S, P YRAMID S, A RCHES,

AR BOUR S, TE N T-BED S, R USTIC R ESTS,&c.

VHILE R oses multiply and increase at a ratioand improve with a speed far exceeding all

th e most fervid imaginings of the older ’

R osarians,it

ismore than doubtful whether our '

use a nd enj oy

Long , long be my h ea rt with such memori esfilledLike th e vase in which R osesh ave once been distilled ;You maybreak , you maysh a tter th e va se , if you will ;But th escent of th e R oses will h ang round itstill.”

P il la r R oses— The distinguishing feature ofthese ‘ is uniformity of breadth. as far as may .be

’

,

ment of them is so appropriate and pleasing astheirs . Under the R oses was with them synonymouswith the sweetest rest and mostsatisfying pleasure ;and they took pains to get under them. Hence theprevalence of arches

,arbour s

,and covered seats in

gardens . To these,philosophers came to think

,poets

for inspiration,lovers for sweet fellowship

,and the

un easy for rest . W ith the abolition of arbours,

shady flower-covered verandahs,and garden seats ,

much of the restfulness,and not a little of the sweet

cultured enjoyment of the old-fashioned gardenersof the older gardens

,h aspassed away . The best of

gardens have now,certainly

,more of promenades

than quiet resting-places Such as those of whichMoore sings

In th e time of my ch ildh ood it waslik e asweet dream,

Tosit under th e R osesand h ear th e birds’song .

And thus may the memory of some of the R osebowers or arbours in which Addison

,Shenstone

,

W ordsworth, Scott , or Moore sat or walked, cause areviva l of this innocent and useful form of gardenornament and furnishing ; for assuredly R oses neverlook more truly “ the glory of the day than whenthey shelter uswith their verdure and beauty fromthe noonday heat at midsummer

,as we sit or walk

under their shadows,or gaz e up at them flooded with

light or pearled over with rain or dewdrops.While the foundations or base-lines of arches , &c.

,

must of necessity be highly artificial,the art should

be as much as possible concealed by the R oses,so

that the results in general landscape should looknatural . To achieve this is most difficult still it ismore . or less possible

,and should be aimed at by

landsca pe gardeners . The weakest point in mostgardens

,from a picturesque point of view

,are the

R oses— stiff, squat, or formal to a fault , as a rule .By twisting them over arches , allowing them towander wild and free over arbours

,covered ways

,

and seats,the R oses in our garden may be made to

equal,if not rival

,in the same wild luxuriance and

artistic effects , those occasionally to be found in

out of - the -way places . The highest art in th e

matter of R ose - training is, as it were, to “ clotheuponart with nature .

”

This is very difficult , next to impossible, in ’

reg ard

to pillar and pyramidal R oses,but becomes compara

tively easy in regard to the covering of arches andthe clothing of seats and arbours .

THE R OSE AN D ITS CULTUR E .

from base tosummit . They may taper very slightlytowards a poin t at the top

,but if they ta per much

th ey simply merge into pyramids .They may vary in height from six to ten or eventwelve feet . P illars under six feet are hardly worthsetting up ; they lose stateliness and dignity, thechief merits of R oses of this character and form .

N ine feet is a capital height for this class of R ose,and nine to eighteen y ards apart is close enought o p l an t t h em .

They look well insingle

,and better

still in double lines-one on each sideof a main walkor road. For thelatter

,twelve feet

in heigh t wouldnot be excessive

,

p r o v i d e d th eycould be growntolerably unif ormto that h eight.

Fewth ings,however

,savour more

of ambitious pretence

,indifferent

culture,or lack of

knowledge thanthe sight of un

clothed pillars ofiron or wood withR oses strugglingin vain to reachth e i r summi t s .Better far thansuch sights asthese, which areall too common

,

would it be to cut

A Rosn AR BOUR .

down the pillars to match the growing powers orclimbing capacities of the R oses .

P yram ida l H ose a — These are seldom so loftyas those grown as pillars

,th ough there is no reason

in their form for any reduction of height ; on th e

contrary, their grea ter'

breadth of base would givegreater real and apparent stability to an increasedheight of stem . They differ chiefly from pillarR osesin their greater breadth at bottom and moreregular tapering from ba se to summit. Those not

hardly do better than choose for a model a sugarloaf enlarged in size to any desired extent .Pyramidal R oses seem rather to have gone out offashion, chiefly on account .of th e craz e for perfec

4 7

353

tion of bloom in R oses,chiefly or only

. N eitherth e form nor the best mode of clothing pyramidal R oses with a maximum amount of beau ty,by clothing them from base to summit with R oses

,

favour s mere siz e of single blooms . But thuscloth ed and marshalled in rows on eith er side ofmain walks , or planted singly or in groups in anypart of the garden or pleasure -grounds

,each pyra

mid becomes a show in itself,compared with

whi ch the mostbrilliant display ofR oses in boxes becomes stiff andeven poor .

Pyramidal R osesare perhaps mosteffective in doublelines

,twelve or

eighteen feet apartin the rows

,with a .

space of eighteen,

t w e n t y f o u r,

thirty,or thirty

six feet betweenthe rows . Thisdistance afifordsroom for a gravelwalk between

,and

,

if on turf,affords

ample space for a

delightful promenade

,from which

the R oses may beseen and enjoyedin all their richness.of floral grandeur .

Asto the varieties to plant forrunning “

up intopillars or spread

ing out into pyramids, the more h ardy N oisettesand prolif erous Ayrshire and Evergreen R o ses .are among th e best . Th e often-named G loire n de

D ij on and G loire de B ordeaux form admirablepyramids . Most of the free-growing Teas woulddo almost equally well in warm localities andsheltered places

,while the Hybrid Chinas

,Coupe

d’

Hébé,Ch enodole , Charles Lawson, P aul V erdi er,

V ivid,and Madame P lantier a re as well adapted for

pillars as for pyramids . Ch eshunt Hybrid grows sorapidly and blooms so freely that it is equally welladapted for pillar or pyramid, and every addition:toth is class of h ardy Hybrid Teas will be eag erly welcomed for these purposes .

_

But the more vigorousand floriferousHybrid P erpetual R oses are-also -adu

mirably fitted for moulding“ into pyramidal shapes-

g

54 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

though they do not bloom a ll the year like theChinas or Teas, the majd

‘

ritv of them bloom in theautumn as well as in th e summer . The foliageof many of th em is also so fine as to add anotherelement to their beauty . Many varieties also produce very good blooms from pyramidal plants ,though

,of course

,th is is not a form that would be

chosen by the grower for exhibition, quantity ofbloom being far more to thepurpose on pyramidalR oses than the mere quality of individual blooms .One of the oldest Hybrid P erpetuals , Baronne P révost

,still forms one of th e fin est pyramids .

R osesf or P yr am ids— The following HybridP erp etuals are among the best varieties for thi spurpose .A nna A lexiefii— Bright salmon-rose

,very large .

Antoine Mouton — N ext to P aul N eron, the largestR ose grown ; rose with reversing petals , silvery .

Auguste 1Veumann.— D eep scarlet

,shaded violet .

B a ron (le B onstetten.

— D ark velvety- crimson .

B a ronne -H aussma nn . Light red,blooming in

c lusters .Camille B ern

'

awlin.

— Light rod with white border .C/za rlesLef ebvre , and the climbing variety, both

form capital pillars,and have been already described.

The flowers of the climber a re . however, not equal tothe older and better variety .

Cha rlesTurner .

—V ivid red, full and large .Comtesse de Sereng e — One of the best show R oses

of the soft rose- coloured cla ss,also a good pillar

liose .

Countessof R osebery — Brilliant carmine .

D ean of Windso7 —R ich vermilion,shaded with

crimson .

D octeur B a illon.

— Crimson-red,shaded with purple .

D r . H ogg .

'

— P retty shell- shaped,deep violet .

D uchessof B radf ord — Brilliant scarlet.D ulce of Edinburg h .

— Equally good as ashow anda pillar R ose ; its rich verm ilion showing brilliantlyin contrast with oth er R oses when placed in a linewith them as a pillar .

Eg em’

a .— D elicate silvery-pink.

E lie Morel— Almost pure white,slightly tinted

.

Féliee'

en D aniel — V ivid red,sufiused with scarlet .

G enera l J a equenn’

nol.

— Still one of the best forpyramid or post, and one of the brightest of all thescarlet R oses . 0

G loire ale B ourg La R eina — About the most brilliant of all scarlet R oses .G lory of Clacslzunt .

—. B right crimson .

J olzn B rig ]:t.-R ich glowing crimson.

J ulesJlf a rgottint— R ich rosy - ca rmine .

Louisa Wood — Bright rose,very beautiful .

Madame H ipp olg/te J mm’

n.

— W'

h ite,

-with a slighttint of rose .

Idadame I a eha rme .— P ure white

,slightly suffused

with rose ; these are very effective in bud.

M adame M a rie Cirodde.— P ure rose, larg e

'

and full.rlI adlle . Eugenie Verdien — Soft flesh -coloured rose.i’

llagna Cha rta .

— Bright pink,suffusedwith carmine .

Ma rchionessof B a d en — Clear rose,shaded with

cherry.

i

’lf a re'

eha l Va illant.— Brilliant crimson.

Monsieur E . I"

. Teas.— R ich purple -cerise .

M rs:Veitch .— Bright rose

,large and good .

P aul N a me — D eep rose,immense siz e .

P enelop e Maya- R ich carmine-red.

P resident G reen— R ich purple - red,blooming in

clusters .P resident Willermoz .

— Bright rose,large striking

foliage .

R ed D ragon— D az z ling crimson

,very robust and

vigorous .R eine desB lanches.— Wh ite

,suffused with rose .

Soueenu' de J ohn G ould Veitch — Crimson,shaded.

with violet-purple .ThomasMethane — Light carmine .Thomas.Milla — R osy-carmine

,with white stripes .

A rch esa nd Arbours— R oses for arches,chains

,

tent-beds,arbours

,drooping pendants

,&c.

,should all

be of similar character,and it would only c onfuse the

general reader to maintain any further distinction between them . They should be of climbing habit

,have

small and semi- evergreen leaves,flower in clusters

or very profusely,and continue in bloom as long as

possible . Hence if only sufficiently h ardy, and couldit be induced to bloom perpetually or twice a year,which it occa sionally does to some extent

,there is no

R ose to equal the Banksian as a climbing chain ordr ooping R ose . Asseeing is sa id to be believing, wegive an illustration in proof of this statement .Unf ortunately

,however

,it is scarcely sufficiently

hardy for our climate,though

,as it is seldom actually

killed in the open,it is worth growing in warm and

sheltered places for the simple grace,decorative and

clothing value, of its leaves and branchlets alone .Crossed with the Stanwell or P erpetual-floweringScotch R ose

,the Banksian might produce a race

of most valuable climbing R oses,combining the

rare and valuable qualities of extreme hardiness,delicious fragrance

,and small leaves and flowers

,

and plenty of the latter in continuity. Asthe hardyScotch P erpetual R ose is one of the sweetest of a llth e many deliciously fragrant R oses , and is also astronger grower than any other of its interestingclass

,it might be used to clothe the bottom of arches,

or run up th e pillars of arbours, to form supportsfor drooping chains

,&c .

Q

Wh ere th e Maréchal N iel R ose can live in the openthrough the winter, it forms a magnificent R ose for

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356 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G

would be suitable for clothing the bases of arches,

arbours, &c.

The ’ Single “7hite H imalayan B riar R ose, Brunoniana

,with yellow stamens ; the Camellia R ose

of Japan,single white

,with large yellow stamens ;

P aul’s Single White and Single R ed ; and theWaltham Climbers

,l , 2, and 3 , all strong-growing

red seedlings from G loire de D ij on ; and the Common

,Scarlet

,D ouble, White, and Celestial Sweet

briar, should also be used for drapery as well as forfragrance . True

,their flowers do not last long

, but

while on arch or bower none are more brilliant orbeautiful, and the fragrance of Sweet-briar is indeed a.joy for ever .

G R EEN -HOUSE PLANTS.

B r WILLIAM HUG H G OWER .

P ulten ae a .— A showy family of Australian P ea

flowered shrubs,which may be treated in the same

manner as previously recommended for Cha roz ema .

P . ericoides. —Branches slightly tomentose ; leaveslinear flowers in dense terminal heads, red andyellow . Spring and early summer .

P . rosea .— A dwarf

,compact

,and handsome plant

,

with closely- set tomentose leaves,and dense heads of

soft rosy-purple flowers . Spring and early summer .

P . cillosa,a stronger-growing plant than either of

the preceding ; branches hairy leaves linear-oblong ;flowers yellow . Spring months .

R h ododendron - A family of plants now sofamiliar to every one that a lengthy descriptionis quite unnecessary. They belong to the orderErica cea , although at first sight there seems a widedifference .The numerous fine species from N orthern India

,

which were for the most part discovered and introduced to cultivation by Sir Joseph H ooker, D irectorof the R oyal G ardens, Kew,

took all the plantgrowing public by surprise

,and they were eagerly

sought after and highly priz ed. The majority ofthese species are handsome strong-growing plants ,whilst some of them are dwarf

,free-growing

,and

profuse bloomers ; these have been the originators ofa numerous class of small-growing hybrids, whichare rapidly and deservedly becoming favouri tes withthe horticultural world

,for independent of their

floriferouscharacter and the great beauty of theirflowers, many of them are deliciously fragrant . A

few of the best and most desirable are here subj oined .

R hododendrons should be potted in good sandypeat

,and are all very easily cultivated.

R . a rgenteum.—

,Leaves large

,flowers white

,beauti

fully spotted with black. N orth India . hybrid .

R . Aucklandn .—Flowers some five inches in dia

meter, white, suffused with rosy-pink. N orth India.

R . Booth ii.— A fine variety ; flowers soft buffcolour . N orth India.

R . cilia tum.—A dwarf-growing species

,which ha

been the parent of many fine hybrid forms nowsomuch admired ; leaves small, obovate, bright greenon the upper side , glaucous beneath, hairy on the

edges flowers white or pale rose . N orth India .

R . Countessof H adding ton.— A robust grower ;

flowers large and extremely handsome,bluish-white ;

hybrid .

R . D a lhousia .

—A noble plant,with

'

giganticflowers

,produced in dense heads

,white

,suf fused

with rosy-pink,very fragrant . N orth India.

R . D enisoni. — Flowers white,stained and spotted

with pale yellow ; hybrid.

R . D uchessof Edinburgh . Flowers brilliantscarlet

,shading to crimson ; hybrid .

R . D uchessof Teck.

— Tube creamy, ground paleyellow

,shaded with orange- scarlet ; hybrid .

R . Edgworthn .

-Leaves bright green above anddensely woolly beneath ; flowers large

,white , tinged

with pink,very fragrant . N orth India .

R . f ragrantissima .— ~Flowers white

,shaded with

bluish,deliciously sweet ; hybrid .

R . G ibsonii. Compact grower ; leaves small ;flowers white

,tinged with bluish . N orth India .

R . jasminiflorum.— Umbels large ; flowers tubular

with a Spreading limb,pure white with pink

very fragrant . Mountains of Malacca .

R . ja ean iewn.— R i0h bright orange flowers . M

tains of Java .

R . N utta lln .

— Leaves large ; flowers pureN orth India .

R . P rince of Wa les. — A fine,compact-habite

flowers with long tubes,rich orange hybrid

R . P rincessA lexandra -4 A superb varietypure white

,with long tubes ; hybrid.

R . P rince Leop old.

fine variety ; hybrid.

R . P rincessA lice — Flowers bell-shaped, verygrant.R . P rincessH elena — Tubes long ; flowerspink

,with darker shading hybrid .

R . P rincessM a ry— Flowers white

,tinted

rosy-pink ; hybrid.

R . P rincessR oya l Flowers funnel- shaped ,rose-colour .R . tubif lorum.

— Flowin the mouth

,da rk

bronz e . Mountains of Java .

G R EEN -HOUSE PLAN TS. 357

R . Taylori.— Heads of bloom very large ; flowers

tubula r, tube white, th e spreading limb brilliant

pink ; hybrid .

R . Veitchia/num.

— Flowers large,with crisp mar

gin,pure white,

with pale yellowmarkings at thebase . Mountainsof Moulmein .

R . Veitchianum

leeciga tum. Thecounterpart of thepreceding

,but in

stead of the beautiful crisp edges

,

they are plain inthis plant . Mountains of Moulmein .

Lily, &c.

,the last

name being verycharacteristic , al

though they donot belong to theLily family.

The genus bearsthe name of acelebrated Frenchbotanist

,and be

longs to the orderAra ceaz. They soonmake large massive specimens ifall the growthsare

'

left'

on them ;but when confinedto single stems

,

they produce thefinest spathes, and in this condition are best adaptedfor window plants, or indeed any kind of in-doordecoration . After flowering

,R ichardias lose their

leaves , and lie dormant for some time . In theautumn they commence‘ to Show signs of returninglife, when they should be re -potted in good rich loamand well-decayed manure

,and be liberally supplied

with water . Treated in this manner,they will grow

R HO D O D EN D R ON JASMI N IFLOR UM .

So lanum . A

numerous genus ,which gives itsname to the order ;it contains plantsvery diversified inform and character

,which are

widely di stributedover both hemispheres . In some

in stances they attain the dimensions of small trees ,others are dense shrubs ; some are herbaceous , andothers simply annual plants . Their properties arealso very variable some are very poisonous

,and

others,such as the P otato (S. tuberosuen), are

h ighly nutritious.Some of th e annual species of Solanenn have boldleaves variously ornamented with large spines on the

vigorously,and produce their large t rumpet-shaped

spa thes in the spring and early summer months .R . wth iop ica .

—A bold-growing herbaceous plant,producing from its fleshy corm

,large sagittate

c o r da t e l e a v e s ,which; togetherwith the longclasping petioleson ; whi ch they areborne, are of auniform brightgreen . The plantisindebted for itsbeauty to the largefleshy

,pur e white

,

trumpet shapedSpathe which surrounds the flowers

,

and not,as is the

usua l case,to the

flower itself . It isa native of swampyplaces from Egyptto the Cape ofG ood'Hope .

R . a lbe -ma cula ta .

— Leaves sagittate,bright green, profusely spotted withivory white thespathe pure white .

It flowers duringthe Spring ande a r l y s umm e rmonths . Cape ofG ood Hepe .

358

upper side,and are very effective during the summer

months in the sub-tropical garden . S. anthro

pozchagorum is a robust plant, producing large dullred fruits

,which are not, however, sufficiently

numerous to render it very ornamental ; these fruitswere formerly used in the cannibal festivities of theFij i Islanders . S . cilia tum, again, is a very ornamental kind ; the fruits are large and bright orangered, but they donot last very longin beauty. S.

Melongena , and itsvarieties

,are re

markable for theirlarge oval fruitsof various colours

,

the plants beingknown popularlyas egg-plantsthese fruits aremuch used inFrench cookery

,

and are known bythe name of B ringa ls.

'

All of these,

however,are far

su rp a s s e d i nbeauty and usefulness by theimproved hybridforms of S. Cap

sieastrum,which

are literally ladenwith their large

,

round or ovate,

b r i gh t Sc ar l e tberries, that lastmany months infull beauty

,and

may be used formany decorativepurposes .S. Capsieastriun is easily obtained from seed, and ifkept growing through the season

,will form handsome

plants th e same season ; they vary much in the siz eand shape of their berries

,but when a fine variety is

obtained it should be propagated by cuttings inorder to perpetuate it ; seeds of the finest berriesshould be sown, and each season th e best ones canbe selected for a maintenance of the fittest . Wh eresmall plants are required

,they should be raised from

cuttings or seeds every season,as th e young plants

produce the largest fruits,and after their beauty

is past they may be thrown away ; but if largeSpecimens are wished for

,then cut th e plants back

hard, and place in a close frame until they begin to

CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

R ICHAR D IA E rnror rca

St a tice .—A large family of showy plants pepu

la rly known as Sea -Lavender,” and containing aquantity of h ardy species and varieties , whi ch maybe reckoned amongst our

'

most attractive borderplants

,several being indigenous to Britain .

The green-house kinds are also very ornamental,andmaintain a rich display throughout th e greater

push forth their young growths, then re -pot intolarger pots, and repeat the potting process as theplants require it .These varieties are very easily grown . On the approach of autumn, some few plants should be givena little heat, which will speedily cause the greenberriesto ripen and turn to the red of a soldier’scoat

,and thus a longer succession is obtained .

The soil theythrive well in isequal p arts ofrich loam

,leaf

mould,and well

decomposed manure ; and whenthe pots are tolerably well filledwith roots

,weak

soot water maybe given aboutonce a week withmuch advantage .

So llya . A

small genus ofthe order P i t tosp or a cew

,con

sisting of halfclimbing shrubs

,

of dwarf growthindeed

,theymake

very pretty ob

jectsupon smalltrellises .S0Mya s a r eplantswith simpleleaves and smallheads of blueflowers ; the co

lour not beingv e r y c ommon

,

th ey are usua llyvery attractive when well grown . For soil use equalparts of peat and loam

,and about a fourth part

sand.They are all from Australia, and all have

blue flowers .The chi ef varieties are — S. angustifolia , S. D rum

mondii,S. heterop hg/lla , and S . linea ris.

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CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

close again at night , and if open in the da y,wh en

rain is about to fall the Tetrath ecasbegin to shut uptheir blooms .They are very showy when in flower

,and are well

suited for exhibition purposes ; the treatment required to obtain goodspecimens is similar tothat

,recommended for

Eri cas,but they will not

bear the exposure to thefullsun like those plants .For soil use about twoparts of peat

,one of

light loam,and one of

sand . Tetra th ecasdislike fire -heat

,but damp

andmildew must be keptfrom them during winterby a free circulation ofair .

T. ericoides. — A freegrower and a profusebloomer ; the leaves arranged in whorls

,linea r

and dark green theflowers rosy-lilac . .May

and June .

T. hirsuta . Leavessmall

,oblong

,cloth ed

with long hairs on theupper side

,downy be

neath ; it is an abundantbloomer ; flowers purple .Spring months .T. nerticilla ta .

— Averyfree grower, and almosta perpetual bloomer ; itmak e s v e ry Sl e n d e rbranches

,and the narrow

lea ves are disposed inwhorls ; these are Slightlyhairy and bright green ;flowers large

,on long

foot- stalks,rich violet

blue in colour. Afterflow e r i ng

,th e s t em s

should all be cut back towithin one or two j oints of th e old wood . Thisspecies blooms in the spring and summer months .(The correct name of this is P la te/them ga lioides. )

Trsrunrxxnrx ELE PHAN TIP E S .

Thib a udi a .— The plants of this genus are re

markable for the beauty of theirflow‘

ers; .th ey belong

to the Va cciniee — an order we have noticed under thegenus Cera tostema — and require the same treatment .

Thibaudiasare deserving of the notice of all plantgrowers

,though careful attention is requi site to pro

duce goodspecimensa nd to keep them in health .

T. a cmnina ta (Ca rendish ia a eznnina ta ).— A beautif ulevergreen shrub

,with

drooping branches, andalternate ovate lanceo

late leaves,which taper

sharply to a point ; whenyoung these are purplishred, but change to darkgreen with age ; flowerstubular

,produced in

large clusters towardsthe points of the shoots ;tubes swollen at the base

,

s c a r l e t , t i p p e d wi thgreenish-yellow. N atu

rally this plant is an al

most perpetual bloomer ;in cultivation

,however,

it flowers during thewinter nronths. Ecuador

,

at feet elevation .

T. cordif olia (Ca rendislz ia cordif oli a )Leaves broadly oblong

,

thick and leathery intexture

,smooth

,and deep

g reen ; flowers in denseterminal racemes

,tubes

tapering upwards,about

an inch long,and bright

rosy red, tipped withwhite . Winter months .N ew G renada .

T. corona ria (Themisteclesia coronilla ) . — An elegant shrub, with smallMy rt l e l i k e l e a v e s ;flowers tubular

,on long

dr o op i n g f o o t st a lk s ;tubes swollen at the baseand ribbed, deep red .

January and February .

N ew G renada .

T. J essicx .

— A robustplant with large broadly

ovate'

leaves,which taper to a long point

,eight to

ten inches long, bright green above, _

paler below:racemes almost sessile

,dense ; flowers large and

tubular,swollen at the base

,both calyx and corolla

being soft rosy-red . Autumn months. Ca ra ccas.(Correct name Psammisia J essica . )T. sa rcantha (Psammisia sa rcantha ) . — Leaves broad,

somewhat ovate,leathery in texture, dark green ;

FLOR ISTS’FLOWER S.

flowers tubular,

'

much swollen a t th e base, deep red,tipped with yellowish-green . The early springmonths. N ew G renada .

V a ccin ium .- This genus is the type of the

order to which so many beautiful plants have beenreferred . in previous pages , and to it belong our

native species,which are popularly known as Cran

berry,B ilberry, B lueberry, and Cowberry

,the

fruits of which -are great favourites with grouse andsuch; like birds .The exotic kinds require “ the same treatment asrecommended for Cera tostema .

V. I inrayi_ This can scarcely be called a showy

species it is, however, very peculiar and interesting .

A bold-growing plant with ovate-acuminate leaves,

leathery in texture and Shin-ing deep green racemescrowded into dense heads at the points of th e shoots ;flowers large , campanula te ,y ellowish -green .

‘It requires to be kept rather warmer than its allies .

Summer months ; . Island of D ominica, at considerable elevations .V. ref lexum.

—. A charming"plant

,with long

,slender

,

pendent branches ; leaves closely set, small, somewhat oblong

,leathery in texture

,deep shining green

above, vinous -red beneath ; flowers in dense clustersa t the ends of th e shoots

,coral-red . W inter months .

Bolivia .

V. R ollissonii. - In this we have another tropicalspecies , but it does not require great heat ; it is anerect-habited plant

,having angular branches and

obovate leaves, leathery in texture, and deep shininggreen ; racemes terminal ; flowers bright scarlet

.

May and June . Mountainsof Java .

FLOR ISTS’ FLOWER S .

BY R ICHAR D D EAN .

Th e P e tun ia — The term P etunia is derivedfrom p etun, the Braz ilian name for Tobacco, to .

whi ch the P etunia is allied . The fine varieties nowin cultivation have in all probability sprung fromthe white-flowered P . nyetag iniflora jth e Marvel ofP eru flowered P etunia

,introduced from South

America in 1 823 , and P . niola cea,the V iolet- coloured

P etunia, introduced from Buenos Ayres in 1 8 3 1 so,

as compared with many other plants,the P etunia is

of comparatively recent introduction . These werecultivated, and being found by our English floriststo seed freely, seedlings were raised ; and the progeny showing a tendency to vary

,crosseswere made

with the best varieties,the result being the pro

duction of new and improved forms . These weretaken in hand and grown for exhibition purposes

,a

61

dwarfer and more compact habit of growth beingassociated with larger

,stouter

,and better-formed

flowers eventually the most promising were named,

and in this way the P etunia came to be regarded asa h ighly desirable and popular plant . In the firstefforts in crossing the P etunia

,the early productions

were much alike in character . It is a fact that inthe first generation all hybrids are much alike

, but

in the second they vary in the most remarkabledegree . Thus, in the case of the P etunia , some ofthe first seedlings reverted to the white species

,

others to the violet type ; some showed tints ofcolour between the two . Then

,by fertilising these

,

a third generation was obtained much more particoloured, and eventually these gave extremelyvaried forms . In all crosses of this character thefancy of the Operator will actuate him to selectwhat forms he pleases as his models

,whether sym

metrical in form and harmonious in colour on theone hand

,or grotesque in outline and ill-defined and

conf used in colour on the other ; but the variationsof any flower th a t

'

are to find a place in _ the gardenshould at least partake of the characteristics generally considered essential by floristsw — form

,colour,

substance,distinctness

,&c.

—and not be hideous andunlovely formations merely

,that have neither

attractiveness nor utility to recommend them . Tothese . essential points must be superadded a short,stiff

,and yet vigorous habit a propensity to

flower freely ; and, as far as it can be obtained, ahardih ood that can sustain to some extent, whenbedded out of doors

,the effects of cold and inclement

weather,which is sometimes characteristic of an

English summer .For a time the flowers of the P etunia were single .

Then,as one of the results of selection, added petals

began to Show themselves in the centres of some ofthe flowers . These were carefully fertilised withthe pollen from blossoms of a like character, andeventually a race with fully double flowers wasobtained . They

,like the single forms, vary con

siderably in character . Some are compact and smallin Siz e

,others loose and very large . Of late years

there has been obtained from the Continent a strainof both single and double Petunias of strong spreading growth

,and very large

,loose

,but singularly rich

and fantastically marked flowers . The favouriteEnglish section is. represented by ' a strain of compactgrowth

,and small- siz ed

,well -formed

,finely

-striped,

and self- coloured blossoms,both double and single .

In regard to the cultivation of the P etunia, itmay be observed that such fine varieties can now beobtained from seeds

,tha t naming of distinct kinds

is seldom resorted to . R aisers of fine varieties,

desirous of preserving a new and di stinct varietywh ich pleases them

,do so .bymeans of cuttings, but

62 CASSELL’S

'

P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

nurserymen’scatalogues .in the present day seldom

contain lists of varieties of named P etunias . Inorder to obtain cuttings

,the best method is to keep

a few plants through the winter in an ordina rygreen-house ; and if these are put into a gentle heatin the month of February

,they will break forth

into a number of young growths ; and when theseare from one and a

?half to two inches in length,they make excellent cuttings . If inserted in pansof silver sand or light sandy soil

,kept thoroughly

moist and placed in a brisk heat,the cuttings will

be rooted in a few days,and they should then be

potted singly into small pots,in a light compost made

up of silver sand, loam,and leaf-mould

,be placed in

P ETUN IAS , SIN G LE AN D D OUBLE .

h eat again to get started into growth,and th en

removed to a cooler temperatur e to get hardened offa little , and finally placed in the green-house . Inorder to make nice bushy plants of these

,th e main

shoot should be pinched out,and as soon as fresh

shoots are formed,the plants should be shifted into

larger-siz ed pots. N ever stop and re-pot at the sametime, is a rule of universal application in cases ofth is kind. Those who have no heat

,but desire to

strike a few cuttings,must take th em later in the

season , when the wood is stouter and harder ; and ifthese are inserted in pots of fine soil

,and placed on

a warm shelf in a green-house,they will strike root .

If the pots of cuttings can be placed under a bellglass (which will need to be shaded from thesun )they will strike all the more readily

,and wh en

rooted they should be potted ofl and grown on asrecommended above.W e often observe in schedules of priz es at hor

ticultural exhibitions,classes for specimen P etunias

grown in pots. In this form they are 'very handsome and attractive if well grownu And th ey also

make excellent plants for green-house andservatory decoration, lasting in bloom for atim e . The dwarfer and more compact - g rodouble varieties are well suited for this purpose .In order to have a good supply of plants

,growers

of P etunias for exhibition take some cuttings inAugust or early in September

,and about a doz en

of these are inserted in six- inch pots in goodlight soil, then watered very gently, and kept closein a frame and shaded for a week or so

,and finally

removed to a warm green-house to be kept forstock . In the early spring th ey put forth growthsmore quickly than do older plants

,and they can be

struck as indicated above . If extra strong

plants are wanted, the best of tho autumn - struckcuttings are selected

,potted

,and grown on during

the winter,well looked a fter

,and on no a ccount

allowed to become pot-bound . Thus a good startis secured

,and th e plants go ahead with grea t

rapidity in early Spring . To have fine exhibitionplants

,take at the end of March Spring cuttings

that have been stopped twice ; the last time ofstopping at about the fourth or fifth j oint . Assoonas th ey begin to break

,they should be shifted into

five - inch pots,using a compost made up of one

half good loam,one-quarter leaf-mould, and one

quarter peat and sand. After this shift, and as soonas they begin to grow

,they will require a lower

temperature . The grower must keep stoppingaccording to the best of his judgm ent, tying out thema in branch es so as to secure a good bottom to theSpecimens and a symmetrical shape . About thefirst or second week in June th e plants sh ould bestopped for th e last time, pinch ing ba ck everysh ootand doing this so asto preserve th e swnmetricalcharacter of the specimen . The plants so treated

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3 64 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

roots at that season .

"

If these are taken off justbelow a j oint when five or six inches in length

,and

put into pots of light sandy soil pressed firmly aboutthem

,and then stood in a cold frame

,they will root

,

and make very useful plants for the followingseason . Or if old plants in pots be placed in a briskheat in early spring, they will throw out younggrowths , and from these cuttings can be made andput in pans of sandy soil, kept moistened, and on abottom heat, and they will strike root in a veryshorttime . They are then potted off singly into smallpots, hardened off

, and placed in a cold frame for atime

,to become inured to exposure .

G eorg e Sand.

J eanne d’

Arc.

PHLox D R UMMON D I I .

Young plants intended to flower in the openground should be transplanted into a rich deep loam .

The stronger and more holding the soil,the finer

will be the spikes of flower . Asthe flower- stemsrise in height, they should be neatly tied to stakes,to secure them from being blown about by thewind . The plants need to b e kept watered in dryweather

,and it is a great assistance to the plants ,

especially when they are required for exhibitionpurposes

,to thoroughly cover the surface of the bed

with short dung,asthis keeps the soil cool and moist

,

besides being a valuable fertiliser. This is what istermed mulching .

”

Then the herbaceous Phlox can be raised fromseed

,and it is in this way that new varieties are

obtained. Some of thevarieties produce seed fairlyfreely

,and in order to secure germination as quickly

as possible,it should be sown as soon as it is ripe ,

using a shallow pan or box,and a sandy loam mixed

with leaf-mould,which should be placed in a cold

frame and kept moist . Some patience is needed . as

P e renn ia l E v ergre en P h loxes.— Thesein the main what are known as procumbent specand are very useful indeed

the seeds germinate irregularly,many of them not

till months after being sown .

Selection of varieties of P . mfiwticosa , or earlyflowering PhloxesAllan M cLe an . Mrs. H ardie .

Annie Lockh art . Mrs. Hunter .

B urns. P a uline .

Clipp er . Th e Sh ah .

H ercules. Van Houtte .

Linnet . Venus.Ma gnum B onum. Vulcan .

Selection of varieties of P . dcmssa ta,or late

flowering PhloxesAndrewKeddie .

Austen With ers.

There is a section of extra dwarf-growing varietiesof P . decussam

,whi ch form a very elegant group,

entirely distinct from the two preceding sections,and are Speciallygrowing in pots

,

miniature growth, neat and compact in appearand produce large heads of bloom

Atlante .

Cassiope .

Concours.Florea t.G ene ralFrolowM alg a ch e .

FLOR ISTS’

FLOWER S. 3 65

and placing in borders . There is P . nil/mits, which and is very handsome . P . f rondosa is also a ch armforms dense evergreen tufts , growing two or three ing species, and '

bea rsbright rose-coloured flowers

G R OUP OF P IN KS .

inches in height,and clothes itself in April with early in the season . P . N elsom' is also white-flowered,

many pure white flowers . It is an excellent com and makes a dense carpet of evergreen Moss-likepanion to the purple Aubrietias . P . e em a flowers foliage . Then there are P . seta eea

,and several of its

very early in spring,producing heads of red blossoms. varieties, all of which form dwarf compact masses

3 66 CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

of evergreen foliage,covered in

~early spring with

bright,lively-colour ed blossoms , varying in the

variety from white to deep rose,and all perfectly

hardy . This group of hardy Phloxes is earnestlycommended to the attention of our readers .P hlox (Annual) , P . D rmmnondiL— This very interesting Species was sent over from Texas by Mr .

D rummond in 1 835,and in the original form the

blossomswere of a rosy-red colour . Since thespecies was received

,half a century ago , many

varieties have been produced,and they have also

become considerably improved in point of siz e andcolour. The G erman florists have obtaineda sectionknown as ymndiflom ,

or large -flowered ; and one ofthe varieties, named Sp lendensgmndéflom ,

is amongthe most beautiful half-hardy annuals in cultivation .

The varieties come true from seed,and if a little

seed besewn in a gentle heat in early spring,they

will soon germinate ; and when the plants are largeenough they should be pricked off into pots or boxes

,

or into a prepared bed in a cold frame,there to

remain until they are wanted for planting out in theOpen ground.

There is a section of annual Phloxes selected fromP . D r zmzmondiz

’

, perhaps fertilised with the pollen of

some other form, known as P . H eynlzoldi they areof dwarfer and more compact growth

, but not nearlyso handsome or

'

se eflective in the flower garden.

W e cannot recommend them .

Th e P ink — This is the D iantlmsp lumm'iusofbotanists, and the common name P ink is derivedfrom a supposed D utch word

, p ink, meaning an eye .The P ink, according to Linnaeus , is a native of thecolder parts of Europe

,and it is also found in the

N orth of England, and is known in some di stricts asthe Pheasant- eyed P ink . It is said the P ink wasfirst cultivated about the year 1 629 and Since then

,

by means of cultivation,it has sported into many

new and beautiful varieties . It is during the presentcentury that such a marked improvement has beenmade in this flower . W e may venture to assert thata P ink called Maj or’s Lady Stoverdale , raised fromseed in the southern parts of England by th e p ersonwhose name it bears, was the first variety that deserved to be classed among such as are now held inesteem by florists ; this was produced about 1 7 70,and wasthe first P ink possessed of that singular andbeautiful ornament called a “ lacing

,which is a

continuation of the colour of the eye round thewhite or broad part of the petal . The original P inkshad toothed or serrated edges to the petals

,and the

first obj ects of the florists who attempted their improvement were to extend and intensify the lacing

,

and to secure rounded instead of serrated edges tothe petals . After many years of patient labour

This has long been a favouri te flower with many,

because so hardy, so free of bloom,and so exquisitely

fragrant ; but of lateyears it has unfortunately ceasedto be grown so much as it deserves to be

,especially as

a subj ect for exhibition. There are,howe ver

,indi

cationsthat a new in terest is being ta ken in it ; anda revival of the P ink may take place at no distantda te .The fine laced florists’ P inks are not cultivated inpots , but in the open air . The usual practice is tocultivate them in beds ca refully prepared and ra isedabove the level of the ground . In preparing the bed

,a

good quantity of well-decomposed manure should bedug in to it ; for a stimulus of thiskind isnecessaryin order to have the flowers well laced . The bedshould be prepared some time before planting

,and

the soil forked over occasionally to become sweetenedand mellowed by exposure. It is all the more necessary that the bed be ra ised if the soil be wet andretentive— even to a height of nine or twelve inches

,

and rounding off the sides to throw off heavy rain sthat fall in autumn and winter.The work of planting the beds is generally donefrom the middle of September until early in October

,

so that the plants can establish themselves beforewinter sets in . The usual practice is to plant inlines, having the plants eighteen inches to two feetapart . D uring the winter the beds should be keptfree from weeds, and the surface soil stirr ed in dryweather . If frost happens , and the soil about theplants becomes loosened, it should be pressed firmlyabout the roots so soon as it can be convenientlydone . In March a tOp

-dressing will be found Of

great service . This should be in the form ofpartially decomposed manure, or half -rotten cowdung if the soil be light ; and it is a good plan toplace boards round the sides Of the beds, or turvescan be used for the same purpose, thusbringing thesurface to a level, or nearly so, that the plants mayreceive copious waterings as requir ed without dangerof the water running Off at the sides . D uring Apriland May the surface of the bed should be keptstirred

,and at the end of the latter month fresh top

dressing 'may be added with advanta ge, and water

given copiously twice a week if at all dry ; and inJune and July a good head of bloom should rewa rdthe cultivator .

_

Asa matter of course,those -who

grow P inksfor exhibition di sbud their plants so asto throw all their strength into the production of afew fin ely

-marked flowers,and superfluous side

growths are removed for the same object .If any grower is unable

,from causes over which

he may have no control , to plant his bed so early inth e season as he would like, it will be better to pot up

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3 68 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

change,so long as sufficient nutriment were afforded

and so long as circuni‘

Stancesremained unaltered.

In point of fact such relative stagna tion Often doesoccur . W e see commonly the “mould ” or spawnof a fungus maintaining its existence for verylong periods

,but not developing into any other

stage of growth . So among higher plants wehave illustrations of the same thing in the fact thatwe may grow certain plantsin our stoves year after yearwithout inducing them toflower or materially to altertheir character. Change theconditions

,supply a little

more heat,a little less water

at particular seasons, a fullerexposur e to light

,and the

h eretofore sluggish plantwakes up into new lif e, andforms flowers

,fruits

,and

seeds. In other cases, - thesoft “ herbaceous ” stemstiffens into woody branches ,the leaves become altered incharacter , and assume theformof petals or of stamens ,still fur th er changes takeplace in the pistils as theyripen into -the fruit

,and

the ovules matur e intoseeds . All these are phenemena of development

,

inseparable from growth,

bu t o b v i o u s ly d i ff e r e n tfrom it .Th e cultivator has constantly to take account ofthe two processes . To growa crOp of P otatoes is onething, to secure a quantityof “Apples

,

” or P otato fruitswith their contained seeds

,

is another matter .

“

Again,

the cultivator must bear in mind that,though

growth implies increased bulk,

’yet that increasedbulk does not necessarily imply enh anced growth .

The gigantic mangels and other roots that'

one seesat sh ows are often of less value for feeding purposesthan others of smaller siz e . Th e reason is that thebulk in the one case is principally made up of waterand of the extension of old rath er than the multiplication of new cells . The true test of value in suchcases is aflordedby the microscope or by the chemist.who finds a much larger proportionate amount ofdry matter matter left after driving off all

the water by means of heat) in the smaller th an in

from below.

Fig . 51 .

— Experini ent to Sh ow th e D ownward Ten

dency of G rowth in R ootsevenwh en illuminated

the monster roots . Mere bulk,then

,

'

withoutis of no practical advantage .The necessary conditions for growth havebeen mentioned in general terms under theG ermination. (See ante

, Vol. I . ,p . W ith a

sufficient knowledge of general principles the cultivater can readily adjust his practice to par ticularplants

,and to hisown particular requirements . It

may,however

,not be in

appropriate to allude to certain phenomena of growthwhich it is especially nocessary to bear in mind .

C on t inuous or I n

term ittent G rowt h .

Strictly speaking,growth

,

at lea st in the higher plants,

is never absolutely continuous

,it is always arrested

at times to be resumed a t

another period:But bearing this qualifica tion in mindit is easy to see that

,by

maintaining unif ormitv ofconditions

,we induce more

or less continuous growth .

In forcing operations,where

th e heat is regularly keptabove a. certain temperature

,

we have an illustration ofthis . But even here it isth e practice to lower thetemperature at night and toraise it in the day . At

night,though the tempera

ture may not be deficient .the light is absent, and it isconsequently good pra cticeto lessen the. temperatur e soas to secure a more evenbalance of conditions . Evenin the tropicsthe night

tempera tm e,we must remember

,is invariably lower

than the day temperature .

D ay a nd N igh t G rowth — Strange as it ma yseem at first sight

,th ere is no doubt that growth is

arrested in th e day-time under th e exposure to light- not absolutely, but certainly relatively . Theenergy of growth is decidedly greater at night thanin the day . D ur ing the day, when th e leaves areexposed to th e action of thesun

,food or food-mate

rials are absorbed or transformed in the manneralready alluded to . The greater energy is devotedduring daylight hours to these processes . At night

THE'

LIFE - HISTOR Y OF PLAN TS . 3 69

the case is reversed— the greater energy then is exercised in the subdivision of cells and the consequentgrowth and formation of new or additional tissue

,

for the formation of wh ich the food-material storedup during th e day is absolutely essential . There is ,therefore

,in plants a well-marked intermission and

variation of growth by day and by‘

night respectively. How the eaves become emptied of theirstarch at

.

night has been told in a previous section ;that starch is conveyed to the store organs or to thegrowing points

,and iseither stored up or directly

applied to the growing tissues . But itmay be said thatplants grow by dayas well ' as by night ;such growth can beproved by Observation and experiment .This is quite true

,

‘

s t i l l th e gr e a t eramount of growth is

F o r c i n g .

G rowth by day, orat any period, moreover

,is easily a c

coun ted for wherethere is an a vailab lestore of fOOd-materialto draw upon . Thusin the early stages offorcing operations

,

provided the heatand moisture besufficient

,light is of re

latively little consequence . The workeffected by light was completed last season, andthrough its agency at that period asufficient store offoodsmaterialwas accumulated . But in the case of aweak seedling plant

,or of any other in which there

is little or no store of food,growth can hardly go on

at all during the day . Such energies as the plantpossesses must then be devoted to laying in a provision during the day to be utilised at night . Again

,

growth may be facilitated on a dull day in summ erby the heat and moisture of the atmosphere

,while

the amount of light may be inadequate to exert anyrestraining influence . On the other h and

,at night

,

while the absence of light is favour able to growth,the diminished temperature is . less advantageous .The comparatively even temperatur e of the soilmust also exert a marked regulating influence . Thetruth is that with living beings the conditions are

4 8

52.— Experiment to sh ow th e D ownward Tendency of th e

R ootse ven wh en provided with moisture above , Sh owing th a tmoisture alone doesnot influence th eir direction.

so mixed in their incidence,and 'the a ctions of

plants are so controlled by conflicting circumstances,

that it is rarely any absolute or dogmatic statementcan be made . ’ The spirit of compromise and reciproa

cal adjustment reigns supreme in nature,and the

more fully the cultivator recognises this and puts itinto practice the more successful he is likely to be .

The physiologi st in the laboratory, for his purposes ,is constantly endeavouring to unravel and do awaywith these compromises , in order that he may th emore clearlv a scertain what is the separate effect of

heat, of light , or

what not,indepen

dently of other agec i e s ; an d consequently he is in a

position to makedogmatic statementsbased upon what h esees in the labora ;tory . But unfortu

na tely he is not ableto tell usmuch ofwh at goes on in theliving plant undern atu r a l c i r cumstances . Like th e

practical cultivator,

he only sees the re

sults, alth ough hisprevious knowledgegives him a betteropportunity for un

d e r s t an din g ‘ h owthose results arebrought about .It may then becertainly assumedthat light retards

growth,and consequently that growth is most

active at night,though it may be modified and ‘con

trolled by other agencies .

R a te of G rowth — Taking the daily lif e of aplant

,the energy of growth rises froma minimum to

its culminating point,and then descends ; and this

“ curve of growth is found to be especia lly favouredby a certain amount of heat, the exact amount varying in'

th e case of different plants, and in the case ofdifierent partsof the same plant . The most suitabletemperature can only be ascertained by experience

,

because the meteorological details Obtained froma study of the climate of the plant’s native countryare only suggestive , and afford no direct indicationof the power a plant h asof adapting itself to thealtered circumstances of cultivation. The heat in

CASSELL’

S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

any case must be accompanied by an adequate supplyof moisture and of nutritive material, th e latter, aswe have seen , having been accumulated under theinfluence Of light .

Swe lling a nd Shr ink ing . G rowth is inseparably connected with a swollen '

or turgid condition of the cell

,due to the a fflux of liquid matter

and to the elasticity and extensibility of the cellwalls. H ence anything that promotes turgescence inso far favoursgrowth, a nd anything which checksor prevents it hasa restraining in

fluence on growth .

A withered shoot,

one in which evaporation has beenin excess of thesupply

,ceases to

grow - it shrinks,

receives a check asgardeners say

,and

it may or may not

revive when freshsupplies are forthcoming .

E fie e t of P ressure . P ressurea l s o n e c e s s a r i l ychecks growth bythe resistance itaffords to expan

sion . A branch ofa t r e e f a s t e n e dtightly against awall will naturallyg row much less onth e side next th e

°

wa ll. The trunk of a tree tightlytied up to a stake will increase less in proportionthan the free part above the tie

,where the trunk and

branches have fair play . This is one reason whytrees that have been too tightly or too long stakedare apt to have their heads blown off or injured byth e wind . N ot only is there thus a greater leverageon the head

,but the confined stem below is less

able to resist the strain .

The benefit resulting from incising the bark ofhide-bound trees may likewise be explained by thelessened pressure so obtained

,and the free growth of

trees such as the P lane may be explained by thesh edding of large slabs of the outer bark,

or the deepcracks and furrows in the bark of other trees

,which

diminish the resistance Offered by the bark to th egrowing tissues underneath

,thus enabling them to

grow fa ster and further .

Fig .53 .— Sh owsa P rocumbent Stem , in wh ich th e Stem isat first a cted

on by gravitation , and a tterwa rdsascendstowa rdsth e ligh t by th ea g ency of unequal growth on th e twosides.

D ire ction of G row th — The direction inwhichgrowth takes place depends partly on external conditions

,partly on internal inborn circumstances

,

handed down from plant to plant as its inheritancefrom its predecessors . Thus

,if the food-supply and

the illumination be equal on all sides,we may expect

a Sph erical form to result ; while if the conditionsact more powerfully in certain directions than inothers

,we may expect growth in more or less verti

cal lines,as in the case of the stems of trees

,or in fla t

planes,as in the case of leaves ; and there willbe all

kinds of intermediate forms according to the varyingcircumstances orvarying combinations of circumstances . The downward tendencies exh ibited by roots intheir growth whenun fettered by h amp e r in g ob s t a c l eshave been shownto be due to theaction of gravitation

,for even when

exposed to ligh t ormoisture as in Figs .51 and52

,the roots

are not turnedfrom their course .

The cause of theupward tendencyexhibited by thestem

,see Figs . 52

and53, though con

nected with th e

necessity for exposing the leaves to light and air, i snot understood

,and such terms as geotropism,

”

“ negative geotropism,

” “heliotropism,

” “ hydr otropism

,

” and the like,now frequently used, are

mere expressions of phenomena,and not explana

tions of them .

In the accompanying illustrations the varyingdirection of plants is exemplified. In Fig . 51 th eroots are seen descending by gravitation ; thoughexposed to light from below

,they neith er bend

towards nor from it . In Fig .52,where th e B eans are

supposed to be planted in damp mess, the roots s tilldescend away from their supplies of moisture , thus

H eliotropism— th e tendency of growing partsto turn toth e sun ; g eotropism— th e tenden cy to turn towardsth ee arth ; h ydrotropism— th e tendency to turn towardsmoisture . Th e reverse conditionsa re implied by th e prefixnega tive .”

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CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

un iversal,though

,of course

,materially modified by

circumstances

G rowth M ov em en ts— Connected with thesevariations in the direction ‘ of g rowth are

“certainmovements . The wrig gling

'

movementsof the tipsof the r oots during their period of active growthhave been previously alluded to as among the mostmarvellous and, till lately, little 8 1 1 813 6d phenomenaof plant-life (Vol. _

I .

,. p . Similar movements

take place in all parts wh ere active growth is goingon ;

'

and where:cir cumstances do not prevent them .

If th e tip of any' fast-growing shoot be continuously

examined,it may be observed to move through a

circular or elliptical orbit with more or less rapidity.

Even -the leader shoots of Conifers, which appear sorigid,will be found, if watched from time to time,to move round . from point to point . A simplemethod of observing this is to procure a circula rpiece of cardboard marked with degrees and perfora ted in the centre . P ass the leader shoot of thetree carefully thr ough the hole in the card, so thatthe shoot may h ave '

free play, and fix the card toone end of a stake

,inserting the other end in the

ground,or even tying it to the stem of the tree

below the leader. When the card is so fixed,note

the time,and mark with a pencil upon the card the

position of the end bud of the shoot and the direction in whi ch it points . After an interval , repeatth e observa tion

,when the shoot will be found to

have . shifted its position,and it will continue to do

so day and night for some weeks during the periodof active growth . Of course,by more delicate meansin the laboratory, the direction and amount of movement can be more accurately traced

,and even made

to -register itself,but the above method is amply

sufi cient to establish th e fact .

C l imb ing P la nts— T h e phenomena exhibitedby climbing and twining plants

,where the free

growing shoots are found to swing round from pointto point

,till at length . they come in contact with

something around which they twine and supportthemselves , are explained in like manner, the growthin such cases being checked on the one side andcontinued on the other

,so that the point of the shoot

is thus made to travel round the support . The freegrowing ends ‘ of “such shoots exhibit sensibility totouch just as the tips of the roots do . See Vol. I .

,

p . 87 ; and for a full a ccount of various degrees ofsensibility and of movement in plants

,sometimes so

perfect as almost to suggest a degree of consciousnessand voluntary effort on the part of the plant

,see

D arwin’s works on “The P ower of Movement inP lants ,” and on The Movements and Habits ofClinibing P lants.

F E R N S .

B r J AME S B R ITTEN ,E .L .S .

Such facts as th ese,with many others that might

be cited, suffice to impress th e notion that all the partsof a plant in active growth are in a state of movement .Arrested or suspended in one part

,it manifests‘

it

self in another ; relaxed at one time, it is the moreactive at another . Invisible to the naked eye

,

except in the cases we have mentioned,it is still

certainly going on beneath the surface . It occursin the fluids of th e living cells

,in the constantly

mobile protoplasm,even when it is not traceable on

a large scale . Truly,in the plant

,as in the animal

,

lif e and motion,motion and life are inseparable

Th e Onocle as. -According to some authoritiesthe only plant included under the generic nameOnoclea is 0 . sensibilis

,frequently called the Sen

sitive Fem ,but having no claim to this name

beyond the fact of its speedily withering when cut.

In the “ Synopsis Filicum,

” however,the Ostrich

Fern,Strutiziop teris, is merged as a section into

Onoclea,so the latter genus

,as understood here

,com

prises thr ee species— 0 . G ermanica (perhaps morewidely known asStrut/ziop terisG ermanica ) , 0. orien

ta lz’s(Struthiop terisorienta lis), and the one mentioned

at the commencement of these notes . They are largegrowing herbaceous ferns

,quite hardy in this

country,and make distinct and striking obj ects in

the out-door fernery . All are dimorphic,that is to

say,the fertile fronds are unlike the sterile ones.

These latter,in 0 . sensibilis

,rise

,

separately from th enaked

,extensively creeping root stock

,are long

stalked,bright green in colour

,broadly triangular

in outline,deeply cut into lance-oblong pinn ze ,

which are entire or wavy toothed. The fertilefronds are twi ce-pinnate

,much contracted ; the pin

nules short and revolute,usually so rolled up as to

be converted into berry-shaped closed involucres,filled with sporangia

,and forming a one- sided spike

or raceme . The Sensitive Fern is one of the mostdistinct of all hardy ferns, and it should be allowedplenty of room to develop and display its peculiarlyformed bright green fronds.

‘ It likes a soil rich invegetable matter

,and sh ould be planted wh ere it is

constantly moist ; it is common in th e United Statesand Canada, and

‘

also occurs in N orth Asia, Amur,Japan

,and Manchuria . 0 . G ermanica is widely dis

similar in habit from the last-named species ; it isremarkable for its handsome and symmetrical modeof growth— the fronds growing erect in a circulartuft from the short uprigh t caudex

,the large sterile

o'nes forming the outer series,the inner being formed

FER N S.

of theshorter fertile ones. The latter have bead ornecklace-like pinnae , whilst in outline the former arebroadly-lanceolate, the na rrowly-lanceolate deeply

pinna tifidpinnae being very numerous th e lowest onesgradually much smaller . The name Ostrich Fern isgiven infallusion to the plume-like arrangement ofth e divisions of the fertile fronds . 0 . G ermanica was,it is said, introduced to B ritish gardens by P eterCollinson in 1 760, and is a native of N orthern andEastern Europe

,N orth Asia, and . N orth America .

The only remaining species , 0. orienta l/is, hails fromSikkim— where it ascendsto feet above sealevel— and Japan . It has ovate -o blong fronds, notattenuated towards th e base asin the last-namedspecies

,the contracted fertile

ones often attaining a lengthof two feet .All the Onocleas like a richalluvial soil and plenty ofmoisture ; under these conditions they attain their

_max-imum development . Theywill

,however

,grow well in

almost 'any garden soil.

Th e Lyg odiums.— Thegenus Lygodium belongs toth e Sch izxa cew, a sub orderwhich comprises not a few re

markably handsome and elegant ferns ; one of its allies ,Anemia

,has already been de

scribed in these articles . N ot

mora then a score of speciesof Lygodium are known to science , and of theseperhaps not more than half ,are in cultivation . Th eyare readily recognised by their widely - scandent,slender

,twining stems , some of which attain a length

of twenty feet or more. The capsules are solitary(now and then in pair s), in the axils of large imbrica ting clasping involucres, which formspikes eitherin separate pinnae or in lax rows along the edge ofthe leafy ones .

s'rovE KIN D S.

L . dichotomum.— A strikingly beautiful plant in

all its stages ; a native of Chusan, Hong Kong, thePhilippines , Ceylon , and the Malayan P eninsula andIslands . It is one of the most robust of the Specieshitherto introduced

,the main rachis in fully -grown

specimens being about twenty feet in length. Theemerald-green leathery pinnules are digitate

,with

five or Six narrow lobes— sometimes once or eventwice forked— fi rea ch ing nearly down to the base .In L . Zcmccola tum

,from Madagascar

,the pinnules are

a fine glossy-green,both above and below

,and

, .th eir texture leathery ; they measure from four to

ON OCLEA SEN SI

3 7 3

-Six inches in length, _and ea ch hasfrom three to six

somewhat lanceolate , never cordate, segments . L .

p inna tifidum resembles the first-named species inhabit, and is nearly as vigorous ; the pinnulesclothing the lower portion of the rachis are oftenpinnate, with five to seven oblong, alterna te, shortlyStalked segments . The rachis is a reddish a brown

colour , and forms a pleasing contrast to the dulllight green of the leathery pinnules . It occursin

~H indostan from the H imalayas to Ceylon, Athe

Philippines , the Malaccas, N orth .Australia

,Angola

,

and G uinea. L . reticula tmn (like L . lanceola tum)has netted veins, and on this account is placed bysome pteridol’ogists in a genus apart . Mr . J .

Smith,th e veteran ex-curator

of the R oyal G ardens, Kew,

.

raises it to the rank of a genusunder the name of Lg/godictym ,

a nd not unfrequently itwill be found under this namein gardens . The pinnules areSix to nin e inches long by fourto Six inches bread, with aterminal segment , and fromfour to six nearly uniform oneson each Side ; in texture. theseare not so leathery as those of.the foregoing species theyare dulllig ht green above, andbright green below. Th e rachi sisnaked or slightlyhairy

,some

timespolished. It is a native

of th e P olynesianlslandsa ndeastern tr opicalAustralia .

L . venusmm differsfrom the species already described

, in having the rachis-and both surfa cesof _the

pinnules densely clothed .with ha irs. The pinnulesmeasure fromsix to twelve inches long by four toSix inchesbread, with a terminalsegment, a nd f romfour to twelve simple ligulate -oblong ones on eachSide

,the lower ones usually spear-Shaped or pinnate

below. It is a native of , the W est_Indies and

Mexico,to B raz il and P eru . . L . vola tile has pin

nules Six to twelve inches long by six to teninches broad

,somewhat leathery in texture

,. and

With both surfaces either ' naked or Slightly hairy.

The terminal segment is stalked, three to six incheslong by one inch to one and a quarter broad ; uncutand ligulate-oblong in outlin e ; there are from threeto five similar segments on each side of the central.one .

G R EEN -HOUSE K IN D S.

P erhaps . the . most widely-known Species of thegenus is L. jap onicmn, a native of Japan, Hindostan ,

from the H imalayas to Ceylon, Java, the PhilippineIslands

,Hong Kong

'

,and N orth Australia . It may

4 CASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

be grown to maturity in a Six- inch pot,and with

thi s amount of root-room will often produce abeautiful column of foliage ten feet or more inheight . The pinnules are herbaceous in textur e ,four to eight inches in length

,and nearly as broad

the terminal segment is pinna tifid or hastate, andthe lateral ones— of which there are two or thr ee oneach side— are very unequal in Siz e and irregular inoutline

,the lower ones being long- stalked and pin

nate in the lower part,with the divisions entire or

crenulated. L . p a lma tum,th e Climbing Fern of the

N orthern United States,is one of the most desirable of

all th e species,as well as one of the most elegant and

graceful of all ferns . The slender,flexible

,straw

coloured stalks measure from two to thr ee feet long ,and are produced from slender running root- stocksthe Short alternate branch es are two-forked, eachfork bearing a round heart- shaped

,palmate

,four

to seven-lobed pinnule the fertile pinnules are contracted and several times forked

,forming a terminal

panicle . In the United States the pressed fronds ofthis species are large ly used for decorative purposes

,

and command a high price . To such an extent wasthe collection of these fronds carried on a few yearsago that there was a danger of the Species beingexterminated

,and to prevent this the aid of th e

Legislature was invoked. One of the largest dealerswrote a few years ago that he employed between twoand three hundred hands in collecting and preparingthe fronds for market . The ones with fructifica tion ,

being more finely cut and forming with their richbrown colour a striking contrast to the delicate

,pale

glaucous-green , barren pinnules, are the most highlypriz ed . The time of gathering lasts from about themiddle of August until about the last of N ovember .

In pressing, the fronds are put between the leaves oflarge books, where they are allowed to remain for acouple of days ; they are then transferred to drypaper under pressur e, and changed again and againuntil all moisture is absorbed . Th ey are thenfastened in bunches containing thirty stringseach . AS before stated

,the fruited specimenscom

mand the best price . In a wild State L . p a lma tum isconfined to the N ew W orld

,where it occurs from

Massachusetts to Florida . L . scmzdcnsis anothervery handsome Species, with a much more extendedgeographical range than the last-named it is foundin South China and the Himalayas to Q ueensland,the Malayan Archipelago and Ceylon

,and is a lso

found on the G uinea coast . The pinnules are a lightglaucous-green in colour

,four to eight inches long

by two to four inches broad, with a terminal segment , and four or five on each side ; these vary veryconsiderably in Shape ; they are usually simple, ovateor ligulate-oblong, with a rounded or heart-Shapedbase, sometimes Spear-sh aped or even slightly pin

nate below. Th e texture is firm,and the surfaces

are naked,or nearly Sp .

Cultiva tion — The best soil in which to grow'

all

the Lygodiums (except perhaps L . p a hna lzcm) _ isa mixtur e of equal parts of good fibrous loam

,leaf

mould,and peat

,to which may be added a little

coarse sand . All require an abundance of moisture,

but dislike water-logged soil,so thorough drainage

is essential in order to prevent such a condition fromobtaining . They like frequent syringing overhead

,

and such a course of treatment will tend to keepdown thr ips, the only insect pest which troubles th egr ower of Lygodium s to any extent. Fumigation

,

too,is effective with thr ips

,and this Should be

repeated at short intervals until the thrips have beenentirely got under . If kept clear of insects

,and pro

vided with suitable conditions in other respects,the

fronds la st for a long time from top to bottom in aperfectly fresh and green state:should, however,they become rusty and discoloured from any cause

,it

is better to remove these entirely and sta rt theplants a fresh . They will soon make new growths

,

and cutting ofl the whole of the fronds in order toinduce new ones to develop does not appear toinjure most of th e Species . L . scandensmakes abeautiful screen to hide unsightly walls

,and for

this purpose it is best to strain a series of perpendicular wires from the top to the bottom of thesurface it is desired to hide, and to allow the frondsto climb them . The plants

,too

,are best planted out

in a well-dra ined prepared border,as with an abun

dance of root-room they furnish a good supply ofcut fronds

, which are most useful for innumerabledecorative purposes, such as wreathing round la rgeepergnes , &c. For lightly arranged arches fewplants form such elegant objects as some of theLygodiums , and the smaller-growing ones may beused to hide the suspending wires of large ha ngingbaskets. Several also make beautiful Specimenplants trained to ba lloon-Shaped trellises . Lightprovided the direct rays of the sun be excluded— isenj oyed by the Lygodiums

,and with no more shade

than is necessary to attain thi s object they thriveadmirably .

L . p a lm-a lum has proved itself thoroughly hardyin some places in this country

,and there is no doubt

that with suitable conditions as regards soil,shade

,

and moisture,it would be found to be hardy in very

many localities . A well-drained but constantlymoist peat

'

bed, such as is found best for some of th eN orth American Cypripediums

,suits this Species .

The plants Should be put out early in the sea son soas to become established as well as possible beforethe approach of winter and it is desirable

,the first

winter at ' any ra te,to Shelter by means of Bracken

frondsor Spruce branches . It is to be hoped that

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3 76 SASSELL’S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

large,roundish or obovate, entire, white with a large

reddish- crimson . blotch at the base. Spring andearly summer . N ative of the forests on the AttranR iver, Moulmein .

D . aggrega tum,var . majus. -Asthe name implies ,

thisis a larger form thanthe type . The pseudo-bulbsform dense clusters ; theya re stout, some four incheshigh, and bear on the :summit a solitary th ick and .

deepgreen leaf racemes longerthan the growth

,bearing

numerous large flowers of,

a

uniform clear yellow . Itthrives best upon a block .

Spring months . N orthernIndia .

D . A inswort/cii. — This isa hybrid raised in the gardens of D r . Ainsworth

,of

Manchester . The parentswere D . lwterocarpwn and D .

nobile . In habit of growthit resembles the last-namedparent, but is even morefloriferous

,and must take

rank as one of the finest ofthe family . Sepals andpetals pure white ; groundcolour of lip white

,bearing

a large central blotch ofrich amaranth

,feathered at

th e edges. Another formcalled D . A inswortkii p urp zu

'

enm, from the same batch

of seedlings,is distinguished

by its intense rich . purplelip . February and .March .

G arden origin .

D . mnwmmz. —Ah elegantslender growing species

,

having pseudo-bulbsone totwo feet high

,bearing thin

linear lanceolate leaves,

some three to four incheslong and -bright green ; thepeduncle very short

, usually bearing about thr eeflowers , each two to three inches in diameter ; sepalsand petals ovate-lanceolate

,white; the upper -parts

being purplish-violet ; lip trumpet shaped, richpurplish-violet

,white at the edges , and blotched

with yellow in the throat . Its fragrant flowers appear in the early summer . Sikkim Himalayas

,at

feet elevation .

D . bm'ba tulzmz. —An elegant small-growing plant,

D EN D R OB IUM BAR B .\TULUM .

thr iving best when grown on a block . It,

flowers onthe leafless stem . This species has frequently beenmixed up with D . Fytch ianmn, but it is neverthelessabundantly distinct. The pseudo-bulbs are terete ;leaves narrowly-lanceolate and deciduous; racemes

lateral, slender, half thelength of the stems

,and

many-flowered,pale green

,

changing to pure whitewhen expanded

,faintly

stained with lemon at thebase ; spur long .

, Springmonths . Mountains ofW estern India.D . B ensomlce . A trulybeautiful Species

, ;whichshould be grown upon ablock of wood . The pseudobulbs are somewhat pendulous

,and from one to three

feet long ; these shed theirleaves before the flowers appear, the young growthsonly having leaves at thattime . Flowers upwards of

two inches across ; sepalsand petals pure white ; lipwhite, with a blotch of deeporange on the centre

,and

two la rge velvety-black Spotsat the base . May and J 1 1 1 1 0 .

Moulmein .

D . big ibbmn.— This species

was originally sent to thiscountry from the north-eastcoast of N ew Holland

,and

wasfor some time an extremely rare plant in cultivation ; more recently, however, it has been sent to usin great abundance fr om

N ew G uinea,and proves to

be a profuse flowerer andmost charming plant . Th e

pseudo;bulbs . are slender,

tufted,one to two feet long,

fusiform in shape , and bearing towards the apex numerous sheathing linearoblong dark green leaves . P eduncles arising fromth e apex and also from th e j oints near the topthese are erect

,and bear from six to eight flowers ,

whi ch are in the sepals and petals deep lilac ; liprosy-purple

,with a white crest on the disc . . _The old

stems continue to produce flowers for several years .It blooms nearly the season through . Tropical.

Australia and N ew G uinea .

OR CHID S.

D . Cambridgeanum.— This h andsome species suc

ceedsbest when grown upon' a block of wood or in abasket suspended from the roof, and thrives undersomewhat cooler treatnient than the majority of theD endrobium s . The pseudo-bulbs are clustered, pendulbus

,thickened at the j oints, and ‘ about a foot

long ; the leaves are sheathing, ovate-acuminate, anddark green ; the flowers are produced on the younggrowths only . P eduncle short, .and usually twoflowered:~rth ese are two to three inches in diameter ;sepalsand .petals about e qual, and of a clear orange

D EN D R OB IUM WAR D IAN UM .

colour lip large,deep orange with a large velvety

black blotch at the base. Spring months . N orthernIndia .

D . ckrysotoxmn.

— An evergreen erect plant, With

clavate or spindle- shaped pseudo-bulbs upwards of afoot high, bearing near the summit three or fourdark green oblong-acute coriaceous leaves . P eduncleari sing from the side of the pseudo-bulb just underthe leaves, bearing a pendulous , rather lax raceme oflarge rich deep yellow flowers . Sepals and petalsthe latter much the larger— all ri ch golden-yellow ;lip deep orange on the disc

,the edges beautifully

fringed. W inter and spring months . Moulmein .

D . crassinode.— Thi s most beautiful and distinct

species produces pseudo-bulbs one to two feet long,

whi ch are deciduous . Asits name implies,the j oints

or nodes are very much swollen,which gives it a

peculiar appearance . Flowers freely produced,usually

3 7 7

in pairs, each two to three inches in diameter ; sepalsand petals milk-white

,tipped with bright rose

,the

petals being much the larger ; lip entire, velvetywhite , tipped with deep rose, and stained with brightorange-yellow on the disc . The winter and springmonths . Found in Moulmein

,on the Arrakan

Mountains,at an elevation of feet.

D . crysta llinum.- A deciduous species of great

beauty, producing slender terete - stem-like pseudobulbs, which are upwards of a foot long. The leavesare only found on the young growths

,and the

flowers are produced on the naked stems of th eprevious season ; these are usually produced inpairs on short peduncles ; sepals and petals white ,tipped with rose

,the petals much the broader ; lip

round,white

,orange-yellow at the base

,and faintly

tipped with rose in the front . Summer months .Burmah .

D . D a lkousicmum.— This is one of the largest and

grandest species in the genus ; the pseudo-bulbs areterete and stem-like

,in fine specimens attaining a

height of three to six feet or more,distinctly

streaked throughout with reddish crimson ; theracemes are produced on the previous year’s growth

,

and bear from six to twelve or more flowers,measuring upwards of four inches in diameter.Sepals and petals ovate, the latter very much thebroader

,creamy - yellow

,suffused with pale rose ;

lip large,fla t

,and oblong

,same colour as the petals,

CASSELL’

S POPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

ornamented with two large spots of deep crimson .

May to July. N orth ern India .

D . densiflorwn.— An erect evergreen species

,with

clavate pseudo -bulbs,a foot or more high bearing

near the summit three or four coriaceous , oblongacute

,deep green leaves racemes la teral from below

the leaves,pendulous

,many-flowered

,resembling a

bunch of grapes in outline ; the sepals and petalsspreading , rich clear amber colour thr oughout ; lipdarker. Spring and early summer. W idely distributed in India .

D . (lanai/forum,var . a lbo-lutm .

— A grand form ofthe orig inal species ; it varies considerably, and thusit is to be found in gardens under the name ofD . Scizrob

’erii

,D . densiflorum a lbum

,and D . Hay/mi

flomm there is,however

,little doubt that they are

forms of the same plant,and any of them are worthy

of a place in the best collection . This variety produces more slender pseudo-bulbs than the normalform the raceme of bloom is usually longer

,and the

flowers are more laxly set ; sepals and petals equal ,somewhat oblong and blunt at the points , purewhite lip la rge , orbicula r, rich amber

,shading to

orange,and prettily fringed in front . Spring and

early summer . Moulmein .

D . densglflorum,var . G rzfi thii.— This is a mag

nificent form of the species , being a much strongergrower

,and the inflorescence is about double the

siz e in all its parts the large drooping raceme is ofa uniform rich golden-yellow. Spring and earlysummer. N orthern India .

D . (lanai/107 21 712, var. G uiberti.— A very stronggrowing variety ; the pseudo-bulbs stout, producingtowards the apex three to four coriaceous and intense deep green leaves ; the pendulous raceme ofbloom is nearly eighteen inches long

,and very

broad ; sepals and petals soft amber ; lip deeporange at the base

,rich amber in front , where it is

prettily fringed . India .

D . D eeoozimmm.

— A quarter of a century ago thisspecies bore the title of the King of the D en

drobes ; and although an immense number of rivalshave been introduced since, it may still hold itsground

,the only obj ection being th e short-lived

properties of its flowers , as they seldom last manydays . This plant should be grown in a hangingbasket, as its pseudo-bulbs are long and slender ; thelea vesa re deciduous, and the flowers are producedon the naked stem . Flowers u sually in pairs ;sepals and petals soft creamy -white

,tinged with

pink,and tipped with purple ; lip large, white ,

tipped with rosy-purple,with two orange-coloured

spots at th e base,the margin being beautifully

fringed. Spring and early summer. Khasia Hills,

at an elevation of feet .D . Ma rma ra — A stout and erect-growing plant of

dwarf habit, belonging to the D . f ormosum group ;the flowers are produced on the young shoots about .the time growth is complete . R a cemes erect

,bear

ing three to seven flowers,which resemble polished

ivory in their purity,saving the base of the lip

,.

which is streaked with lines of deep red . Springmonths . Moulmein .

D . Fa lconerii. — Thi s fine species is a slender, pendulousplant

,and it should be grown e ither on a

block of wood or in a hanging basket . It hasobta ined the character of being a shy bloomer ; this ,however

,is rather the fault of the cultivator through

not drying it sufficiently,and although the plant will

suffer if allowed to get very dry, a thorough rest.can be given to it by lowering the temperature .P seudo-bulbs slender

,with swollen nodes

,pendulous .

Leaves few and very small ; peduncle short, oneflowered ; flowers large , and of good substance ;sepals and petals white

,tipped with a broad patch of

rich deep purple ; lip cucullate, spreading in front ;ground colour white, tipped with purple ; the discis ' rich orange

,and the base iscovered with a rich

dark purple blotch . May and June . Bootan,at an

elevation of feet .D . Fa rmerii.— An erect evergreen species of greatbeauty. P seudo-bulbs club-shaped, about a foothigh

,bearing near the summit several thick ovate

acute coriaceous leaves , wh ich are deep green ' above,

slightly paler below. R acemes pendulous,as long

or longer than the stems . Flowers numerous ; inone variety the sepals and petals are pale strawcolour tinged with pink, in another they are softrose ; lip white, the disc being rich golden-yellow .

May and June . Assam and Moulmein .

D . Fa rmerii,var . am'

eo-f ulmmz.

— This form re

sembles th e species in habit of growth , but th eflowers differ in having bright yellow sepa ls, and adeep golden lip . May and June. Moulmein .

D .fimbria tum.

— An old inh abitant of our planthouSes

,consequently common , and thus within th e

reach of those even with limited means . It is a veryh andsome erect -growing species, bearing its flowersin pendulous racemes on the previous years’ growth,which are destitute of leaves . R acemes manyflowered

,sepals and petals spreading

,and with the

lip of a rich deep orange,the front margin of the

lip being beautifully fringed. In the va riety ocu

Za éum,th e base of the lip is covered with a large

dark purplish“ blotch .

'

Spring and early summer.N epaul.

D . f ormosum,var. g igmzteum.

— A bold-g rowingform of the species ; it belongs to the nigro-lzirsutosection ; the pseudo-bulbs are erect, bearing numerousstout bright green leaves , from whence the racemesarise

,which bear four to five flowers

,five inches

across,and of the purest White, saving the disc of

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3 80 CASSELL’S P OPULAR G AR D EN IN G .

by the name '

of R ainy-month Flower. The pseudobulbs a re slender

,erect; and slightly swollen at the

base,and very prettily spotted with crimson . The

flowers are borne in short racemes of three or fourtogether

,each upwards of three in ches across ;

sepals and petals very pointed,bright cerise ;

“

lippale cerise and white

,with a deep purple blotch at

the base . Spring and summer,lasting very long in

perfection . Ceylon .

D . nobile.—This fine old species is a general

favourite,and

‘

h aslong been an inhabitant of our

plant - houses . It may be grown in either pot orbasket

,or on a block of wood ; but if a large

specimen is required,pot- culture must be adopted.

The pseudo-bulbs are erect, one to two feet long, palegreen

,and very transparent . ’

It is an abundantbloomer

,flowers usually two or three on the raceme ;

sepals and petals waxy -whi te, tinged and tippedwith pink lip white

,with a large crimson blotch at

the base . In the variety Wa lla chz’

anum,the flowers

are larger and much deeper in colour ; there arenum erous varieties, but for siz e and richness ofcolouring all are far surpassed by the varietyR ollissomi, sometimes called nobile nobilius in thisthe flowers are la rge and spreading, and rosypurple in the sepals and petals, the lip being of adeep velvety-purple . W inter and spring months .XVidely distributed throughout India.

D . P a rishii.— Thi s is a distinct and beautifulspecies when in flower

,but the thick bent-down

pseudo-bulbs give it a somewhat ungainly appearance when not in bloom . It may be grown eitherin a pot or basket

,but appears to thrive best and

display its beautyto the greatest advantage in abasket. P seudo-bulbs thick and bent downwards,one to two feet or more long, bearing on the nakedstems '

a profusion of its purplish rose-colour edflowers in May and June . Moulmein .

D . P iem rdii and its varieties are all very desirableplants

,producing very long pendulous pseudo-bulbs .

They must be grown upon a block or in a basket,as their beauties cannot be seen unless suspended.

P seudo-bulbs two to three feet or more long, deciduous these are beautiq y festooned with itsflowers

,which are in the sepals and petals creamy

white or pink, the lip usually pale primr ose . Itappears to chiefly grow upon Mango - trees in awild state . The variety la tif olium is stronger in itsgrowth

,and produces larger flowers than the ori

ginal type . Spring months . D elta of the G anges .D . p ulc/zellum.

— An elegant small-growing plant,with slender pseudo-bulbs , seldom exceeding six:inches in length . It succeeds best in a basket . Theflowers are solitary

,

'

on rather long foot- stalks ; sepalsand petals pale purple

,the latter much the broader .

Lip large and spreading, deep orange on the disc ,

with a border of. white,the edge beautifully

Winter and spring month s . Silh et .

D . sua e issimmn.

— This most beautiful spsembles D . chrysotoxum somewhat in itsgrowth, and a lso in its racemeThe flowers are very large

,

golden-yellow , and the lip is ornamented with alarge velvety blotch of deep crimson or black.

Summer months . Burmah .

D . sp eciosum.— A very robust evergreen species

,

and perhaps the least showy of the genus ; but as itcan be kept in an ordinary green-house

,it can be

grown by those having no hot house . When growthis complete, the best method to

“

insure a crop offlowers is to stand it in the open air for severalmonths . P seudo-bulbs very stout

,twelve to eighteen

inches high, bearing near the summit'

several verythi ck and leathery deep green leaves . R acemese1 ect as long as the growths

,densely set with waxy

flowers of a creamy yellow,the lip prettilyspotte l

with purple . Winter months . Australia, where itis known as the R ock Lily.

D . sp eciosum,var. H illii. — By some this is con .

sidered a distinct species,but its’

differences,although

marked are scarcely sufficient to entitle it to SpeCif N1 ank . Th e pseudo-bulbs are much longe1 and moreslender, the racemes are also longer and pendent,densely furnished with its creamy-white

,fragrant

flowers . Winter months . N ew South Wales .D . transpa rens. — An elegant and compact—growingspecies . P seudo-bulbs erect

,smooth

,bearing nume

rous ovate- lanceolate pale green leaves . Flowersusually in pairs . Sepals and petals spreading

,the

latter much the broader, all of a transparent palepink

,or purplish lilac ; lip the same colour , with a

deep crimson blotch in the centre. Spring and earlysummer . Nspaul.

D . Wa rdianmn.— If only one species of this genus

could be grown in a collection,thi s species

,from its

large siz e and wondrous combination of colour s,would in most instances be selected . The pseudobulbs are very long

,pendulous, and swollen at the

joints,and furnished with numerous ovate-lanceolate

leaves,which are deciduous . Flowers

,two to three

,

very large,often measuring four tosix ' inchesacross.

Sepalslanceolate and obtuse, petals much broaderthan the sepals

,oblong-ovate, allwaxy-white, broadly

tipped with rich magenta . Lip cucullate, somewhatovate in front

,the sides rolled over the column ;

the basal portion deep orange-yellow, bordered infront with white

,broadly tipped with magenta

,and

ornamented near the base with two deep crimsonblotch es . It is a profuse bloomer . W in ter and

spring months . Originally introduced from Assam,

but more recently a more robust -growing form h asbeen discovered in Burmah .

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c Stonework . 3s. Stonem asons, D rawing for . 35.L ine a r D raW Ing 8z P ra ct1 cal G e ometry . 25. Ap p h e d M e ch anics. By Sir R . S. Ball,Lingar

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Technology, Manualsof. Edited by Prof. AYR TON , F. R S , and R ICHAR DWOR MELL , D .sc. , M .A. Illustra ted throughout.

Th e D ye ing of T extile F a brics. By P rof D esign in Textile F a brics. By T . R . AshenHummel. 55. bust. 45. 6d.

W a tch a nd Clock M aking . By D . G lasgow,SP Ja S

' W oollen and W O I‘Sted By W.

Vice -President of th e British HorologicalS ' McLa ren, M-P

g 45-6dInstitute . 43 . 6d.

P ra e tlo

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F .C .S M .I-C-E ss. ch in e . By Prof. Smith . 37

. 6d.

and ma”

Test Cards, Cassell’sCombina tion. In se ts, 15. each .

Test Cards, Cassell’sModern School. In sets, I S. each .

A Copy of C asse ll a nd Com p a n y’sComp /e tc C a ta log ue milbef omoa rdedpost free on applica tion.

Selectionsf rom Ca rse/l (f: Compa n1’sP ublica tions.

ifinnksfor finuug afieuple.

Little FolksHalf-YearlyVolume . Containing 43 2 pages of Letterpress, withP ictureson nea rly every pa ge , tog e ther with Two Full-pa g e P la tesprinted in Coloursa nd Four T inted Pla tes. Coloured boa rds, 35. 6d. or cloth gilt. g ilt edg es, 55.

Bo-Peep. A Book for the Little Ones.illustra tedwith bea utifulP ictureson nea rly every pag e .

With Original Stories a nd Verses .Yea rly Volume . Eleg a nt

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Cassell’sPictorial Scrap Book , contaming nearlytwo thousand Pictures beautifullyp rinted and handsome ly bound in one la rg e volume .

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Leg endsfor Lionel. N ew Picture Book byWALTER CR AN E . 55.Flora

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Th e N ewChildren’sAlbum. Fcap . 4to , 3 20 pages . Illustrated throughout. 3s. 6d.

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By P . V . R AMASWAM I R AJU . 55.By P opular Authors. With Four Original

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Th e B oy H unte rsof Kentucky . ByEdwa rd 3 . Ellis.

R ed F e a th er:a T ale of th e Ameri can

F ronti er . By Edwa rd S . EllIs.Fritte rs; or , I t

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no Turning .

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Trig

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Two H arde astles.Se ekin g a City.

R h oda’sR eward.

Ja ck M arst on ’sAnch or .

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H e ro esof Ev ery-day Lif e . By L aura Lane .

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D ecisiv e Ev entsin H istory .

Archer. W ith Original Illustrations.T h e T ru e R ob inson Crusoes.P e epsA broa d for F olksa t H ome .

tra ted.

Illus

ByT homas

F ra nk’sL if e -B a ttle .

M a j or M onk’sM otto ; or ,

“L ook B e fore

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”

T im Th omson ’sTrial ; or , _

All isnot G oldth a t G litters.”

Ursula ’sStumb ling -B lock .

R uth ’sL i fe W ork ; or ,“ N o P a ins, no

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P r e t ty P ink'sP urp ose .

Price 25. 6d. each .

E a rly E xp lore rs. By ThomasFrost.H ome Ch a t wi th our Young . F olks. Illus

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Jung le , P ea k , a nd P lain . Illustrated throughout.

Th e W orld’sLumber R oom . By Selina G aye ,

“ G olden Mottoes” Series, Th e. Each Book containing 20 8 pages , with Fourfull-pag e O rig inal Illustra tions.

Th e “ Crossand Crown Series.which

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occurred during R eligiousP ersecutionsof P ast D ays.e a ch Book. 25. 6d. e a ch .

By Fire and Sword: a Story of th eHuguenots. By T homasArch er.

Adam H ep burn’sV ow: a T a le of Kirk

and C ovenant . By Annie S. Swan.

N o . X I I I ; or , Th e Story of th e L ostV estal. By Emma Ma rshall.

Crown 8vo, cloth g ilt, 25. ea ch .

Hering

Consisting of Stories founded on incidentsWith Illustra tionsin

Strong to Sufi'

er . By E . Wynne .

H eroesof th e Indian Emp ire ; or , S toriesof V a lour a nd V ictory . By E rnest Fosre r.

In L e t te rsof F lam e : A story of th .

W a ldenses. By C . L . Ma téa ux.

Th roug h T rial to T riump h . By MadelineB . Hunt.

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D r . Arnold, of R ugby. By R ose E . Selfe .

Th e E a rl of Sh a f t esbury.

Sarah R obinson , AgnesW eston , and M rs.Meredith .

Th omasA. Edison and Samuel F . B .

M orse .

Mrs. Somerville and M ary Ca rp enter.

G en era l G ordon .

Ch a rlesD ick ens.Sir T itusSalt and G e org e M oore .

Florence N ig h ting ale , C a th eri ne M arsh ,

FrancesR idley H av erg al, Mrs. R anya rd L o N o

With P ortra itsprinted on a tint asFrontispiece . 15. e a ch.

D r . G uthr ie , F a th er M a th ew, E lih u B

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Sir H enry H a v elock and Colin Camp b ell,L ord Clyde .

Abr ah am L in coln .

D a vid L iv in gstone .

G e org e M uller and Andrew R e ed.R ich ar d Cobden .

B enjamin F ranklin.

H ande l.Turner th e Artist.G eorg e and R obert Steph enson.

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P olliy:dA N ew-F ash ioned G irl. By L . T .

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F or F ortun e and G lory ; a Story of th eSoudan W a r . By L ewisHoug h .

Th e Cost of a M ista ke . By Sa ra h P itt .

With Original Illustrations. Cloth

W ith Original Illustrations.

On B oard th e “Esmera lda ;”

or , M artinL e ig h

’sL og . ByJohn C . Hutcheson.

Lost among Wh ite Af rica ns:A B oy’s

Adv ent ureson th e U p p er Cong o. ByD a vid Ke r.

In Q u est of G old ; or , Unde r th e W h ang a

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F or‘

Q ue en and King ; or , th e Loya l’P rentice . By Henry Frith .

A W orld of G irls:A S tory of a Sch ool . P erilsAfloa t and B rig andsAsh ore . ByBy L . T . M eade. Alfred E lwes.Fre edom’sSword:A Story of th e D a ysof W a lla ce and Bruce . ByAnnie S. Swan.

Th e D eerfoot Series. By E D WAR D S. ELLIS , Author of Boy Pioneer Series ,&c. &c. With Four full-pa g e Illustra tionsin e a ch Book. Cloth ,

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H untersof th e O z ak . C amp in th e M ounta ins.L ast W a r T rail.

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Illustra tionsin ea ch Book. Crown 8v0,cloth , 2s. 6d. e a ch .

N ed in th e W oods. A T ale of E arly D ays N ed on th e R iv er . A Tale of Indian R iverin the West. Wa rfa re .

N ed in th e B lock H ouse . A Story of P ione e r L ife in Kentucky.

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U p th e'

l'

a p ajos:or , Adv enturesin B ra z il.

Sixp enny Story Books.well-knownWriters.

T h e Smug gler’sCav e .

Little L iz z 1 e .

Th e B oa t Club .

Luk e B a rnicott .

All Illustrated, and containing Interesting Stories by

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My First Cruise .

Th e L ittle P e a cemak er.

Th e D elf t J ug .

Cassell’sPicture Story Books. Each containing 60 pages of Pictures and

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Little T alks. D a isy’sSto B ook . Auntie’sStories.

B rig h t St ars. D ot’sStory ook . B irdi e

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Scr amblesand Scra p es. T h ose G olden Sands. Cre a turesW ild .

T ittle T a t tle T a les. L ittle M oth ersand th e ir C a nd D own th e G a rden.

W andering W ays. Ch ildren . Sortso f Adventures.D umb F riends. Our P re tty P ets. Our Sunday Stori es.Indoorsand Out . Our Sch oolday H ours. O ur H oli day H ours.Some F a rm Friends. Cre a tur esT ame .

Containing interesting Stories. All

Albumsfor Ch ildren.

Th e Chi t -Ch a t Album .

Th e Album for H ome , S

Price 35. 6d. each .

Illustra ted. Children’sAlbum. Illustrated.

Illustra ted.

Illustra ted.

Illustrated.

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Picture Tea ching Series.gilt, coloured edg es, as. 6d. ea ch .

G re a t L essonsfrom Little Th ings.W oodland R omances.

Library of Wonders.W onderful Adv entures.W ondersof Animal Instinct .

Each book Illustrated throughout. Fcap . 4to, cloch

M a ker.

Ly Scrip ture .

Illustrated G ift-books for Boys. Paper I S. cloth , I S. 6d.

W onderful B alloon Ascents.W ondersof B odily Strength and Skill.

W onderful Esca p es.

Booksfor th e Little Ones.A D oz en and One ; or

,Th e B oysand

G irlsof P olly’sR ing . By Ma ry D .

Brine . Full of Illustra tions. 55.Th e M erry-g o-R ound. Poemsfor Children.

Illustra ted throughout. ss.R hymesfor th e Y oung F olk . By W illiam

Allingham. Bea utifully Illustra ted. 35. 6d.

Th e L it tle D oingsof some Little F olks.ByCha tty Che erful. Illustra ted. s.

Th e Sunday Scrap B ook . With ne Thou

sanddScripture P ictures. Boards, cloth ,

5. 6D a ig D imp le

’sScrap B ook . Conta iningagout P ictures. Cloth g ilt, 7s. 6d.

Th e H istory Scra p B ook . W ith nearlyE ng ravings. cloth , 75. 6d.

Th e L ittle F olks’ Out and A bout B ook .

By Cha tty Chee rful. Illustra ted.

fs.

Myself and my Friends. By 0 ive P a tch .

W ith numerousIllustra tions. Crown 4to . 55.A P a rcel of Ch i ldren . 85Olive Pa tch . W ith

numerousIllustra tions. town 4to. 55.Little F olks’ P ictur e Album . With 1 68

L a rg e Pictures.55.

Little F olks’ P icture G allery. With 350Illustra tions. 55.

Booksfor Boys.Sh ips, Sa ilors, and th e Sea .

ornewa ll-Iones. Illustra ted.F amous‘ Sa ilorsof F ormer

tory of th e Se a F a th ers. ByMarkham. Illustra ted. es. 6d.

Booksfor all Ch ildren.

Cassell’s R ob inson Crusoe . With 1 00

striking Illustra tions. Cloth , 3s. 6d. ; g iltedg es.59 .

Cassell’sSwissF amily R obinson .

tra ted. Cloth , 35. 6d. gi lt edg es,gs.

Sunny Sp ain: I ts e op le an P la ces,W i th G limpsesof i tsH istory. ByOlive Pa tch . Illustrated. 55.

R amblesR ound L ondon T own. By C . L ,

Ma téaux. Illustra ted.

F amili a r F riends. By Olive Pa tch . Illustra ted. Cloth g ilt ,ss.

Odd F olksa t H ome . By C . L . Ma téaux.

With nearly 150 Illustra tions. ss.

Illus

Fully Illustrated.

Th e Old Fairy Tales. W ith Original Illustra tions. Boa rds. cloth , 15. 6d.

My D ia ry . W ith Twelve Coloured Pla tesand3 66Woodcuts. IS.

H a p p y L ittle P e op le . By Olive Patch . \VithIllustra tions. 55.

“L ittle F olks” Album of M usic,Illustra ted. 35. 6d.

Ch e erf ul Cla tte r . N early One Hundred Full

pag e Pictures. 35. 6d.

Twi lig h t F a ncies. Full of charming Pictures.Boards, as. 6d.

H ap py G o Lu cky . as.D a t e B lue Eyes. 29 .

G oo Times. rs. 6d.

Jolly L it tle Stories. 15.Our L ittle F ri ends. 1 3 .

P layful H ours. Is. 6d.

Joy ful D ays. I S. 6d.

P le asur e for All. rs. 6d.

T h e Story of R ob in H ood . W ith Colouredlllusrra tions. 25. 6d.

Th e P ilgrim’s P rog ress. With Coloured

Illustra tions. 25. 6d.

By ThomasFrost. Illus

Illustra ted. 55.

F ield Friendsa nd F orest F oes. By OliveP a tch . P rofuse ly Illustra ted. 55.

Silve r W ingsa nd G olden Sca les. Illustra ted. 55. A

Tiny H ousesand th eir Builders. mustra ted. 55.

Ch ildren of all N a tions. Th eir Homes, the irSchools, the ir P layg rounds. Illustra ted. 55.

Around a nd a b out O ld E ng lan‘

d . Illustra ted.

Boa rds, 35. 6d. cloth , g ilt edg es,55.P awsand Claws. Illustra ted. Boa rds, 35. 6d. ;

cloth , g ilt edges,55.Tim T rumble ’s Little M oth er .

” ByMa te

‘

aux. Illust ra ted. 55.