A

Way

5 naive ca ye eee

pie ae

Raciet erie

Seeeipat estan gs Bin yashcnsnts

syeee soiearet

Seen eat

Weis RMR ET OS Ata ie ot is it 4/4 a) ee tile eae vis | act Cues

y

e 4

a Li ete:

: , | ny » é hy resis Dike ak bat ey the i f ‘# =

Smithsonian Institution Libraries

Given to the Office of Horticulture Branch Library

by Hewlett Withington Lewis December 1989

_—

rue @ikgs: ANID “Sly Ay

FLORA

AND SYLVA.

A Monthly Review for Lovers of Garden, Woodland, Tree or Flower; New and Rare Plants, Trees, Shrubs, and Iruts,; the Garden Beautiful, Home Woods, and Home Landscape. Edited by, and Printed and Published for, W. Robinson, Author of “The English Flower Garden,” “ Alpine Flowers for Gardens,” and “ The-Wild_ Garden.” He

VAR i ; ioe

LON DO: PUBLISHED Al Vi7,-FURNIVAL. SI REET, 4E.c.

1904. [All rights reserved. |

This volume of Fiora anp Sytva is dedicated to the memory of SAMUEL Reynotps Hore, Dean of Rochester.

Omne vovemus Hoc tibi; nec tanto careat mihi nomine charta.

W.R. Dec. 1904.

“In my garden 1s an azerolier, which in the Fall ts hung with little scarlet berries of the richest lustre. I have given several cuttings from it: far from obtaining plea- sure from the privation of others, I strive to scatter and make common the trees and plants which I love ; it ts to me, as to those who really love flowers for their brilliance, their grace, and their perfume, a multiplication of plea- sure, and of the chance of seeing them. They who, on the contrary, are misers of their plants, and who only value them in so far as they are satisfied no one else possesses them, do not love flowers; and rest assured that etther accident or poverty has driven them to collect flowers, instead of collecting pictures, gems, or medals, or ina word any other thing which might serve as a pretext for all the Joys of possession, heightened by their being owned by no one else.’—ALPHONSE KARR.

FLORA

AND SYLVA.

Vol. 11. No. 10.]

JANUARY,

1904. [ Monthly.

ENGLISH NAMES FOR TREES. venience,and of farlessimportance than Lorp Anngstey’s lately published book the things to which they refer,as is shown

onhiscollection of treesand shrubs pre- sents us, as so many books have done,

with awhole setof Latin names for each |

tree, no care being taken to give a good English name for any of them, nota difh- cult task, and, as we hope to show, a useful one. This courseis merely follow- ing the conventional way of botanists who imagine that all men take the same interest in Latin names and synonyms as they do themselves; whereas the facts are quite the other way—bookmen, on the one hand, used to museums, collec- tions and herbaria, and the vast majo- rityofeven educated peopleon the other, who are interested solely in the beauty and the uses of things, and to whom names in an unknown tongue are of no meaning but usually a source of ridicule. These names may, however, be used in such a way as to bea bar to knowledge, and that is certainly their effect in our country. In France and Germany it is not so: there the best books on garden

and woodland work give native names for each tree or plant, which does not

in the least preclude the use of the Latin name in its right place. Names are arti- ficial things, adopted merely for con-

by the fact that many people, as they get on in years, forget names altogether, while retaining a clear memoryof things. The multitude of Latin names, where _theyare unnecessary, means that women and children, and those occupied with outdoor work, are barred by such no- -menclature; while, on the other hand, good English names often tell a great _deal to simple people, e.g., such names as Servian Spruce and Lebanon Cedar, which at once convey their meaning. As to the science of it, there is no more of science in the use of one language than another. As for the Latin names themselves they are often hideous in structure, and often (so scholars tell us)

invented by those whose learning is at

fault. There are also numberless false names like G/ypzostrobus and Retino- spora—the unfortunate name for the Great JapaneseCypress(C’.0étusa) which is still kept up in books and lists. If

| the true Latin names are a bar to us,

how much more harmful are these false and needless ones. Then there is the endless multiplication of varieties with cumbrous Latin names, of which we see

an outrageous example in the Kew List

A

2 FLORA AND SYLVA,

of Conifers, pages of which are given to variegated (z.e., diseased) and de- formed sports, which are mere garden forms, valueless as trees. If these varie- ties are kept at all, they are quite un- worthy of Latin names. Another evil resulting from this is that the general reader of catalogues and lists take all Latin names as meaning equally good things, until, even in places where the best conditions exist for growing trees, we see distorted and poor formsasoften as the true trees, giving a spotty and

site of what growers of great trees should expect, and may easily obtain.

Wherethere is agood English name

both for general use, and in books for the garden and woodland. Trees cover- ing vastregions and of great importance, like the Western Hemlock, deserve to be known by their English names, and yet these are oftenest omitted in books and catalogues dealing with them. An Englishman,speaking toEnglishpeople, should beable to find in his own tongue names for all things to which he need

refer. As the Latin names are altered | every decade or oftener (Mr.Sargent has |

now a new Latin name for the Western Hemlock Spruce) there is no keeping pace with the changes rung in their nomenclature. There is no forest tree of Europe, Asia, or America, for which a good English name might notbe used, and, once generally adopted, we should have noneed to caresomuch what each succeeding botanist might do in invent- ing new Latin names or hunting up old

ones. ge

Tue ExvizapeTHan Garpen.—* The flowers which deck it are for the most part old familiar faces, so long introduced into this country that they are almost like natives ; many of them are familiar to our literature, are endeared by pleasing associations, and sanctified by the highest efforts of poetical genius. While they have enough of art to indicate that they pertain to the abode of man and owe their place to his care, they have enough of Nature to lead the mind to the works of the Great Author of Nature. Their subdued colours harmonise with the English climate ; and the constant variety of

form and colour which each day presents, as the

flowers of the mixed border develop themselves, affords a constant source of pleasure and varied

_ enjoyment. We cannot say the same of the modern | fashionable garden. Its colours and forms being _ fixed for the season, there is no further interest in

bad effect to collections, the very oppo-_

watching its progress, and there are no changes to note ; its colours, well adapted to theclimates whence the plants are brought are, in this country, glaring, hot, and vulgar, and are rendered still more so by the manner in which an uneducated taste violently

; contrasts them. They are strangers to us and have it should have precedence of all others

no familiar greetings to welcome us; no poet has sung their praises; no peasant has given them a lovingand heart-stirring English name. They bloom but for two or three months, leaving the gardens desolate and unwelcome all the rest of the year, and are, therefore, unsuited to the residence of the great majority of Englishmen, who have but one abode, and spend the whole of their lives within it. There is no reason why recently-introduced plants should be excluded from the Elizabethan garden. It would be a ridiculous pedantry to limit its flowers to those only introduced in that period. On the contrary, we would imitate the Elizabethan gardener in this— that we would seek out new plants wherever we could find them. But even if some strict pedant were—like the modern medizvalist in church deco- rations—to insist that none but plants known at the period should be introduced into the garden, he

_ would find an abundant supply in the old gardening | books.”

So far we agree with a writer in Fraser's, but the introductions of recent years have vastly added to the store of good plants for giving har- monious effect, as well as beauty of the individual bloom. Iris, Lily, Rose (and above all the Tea Rose with its prolonged bloom); Water Lilies in varied and lovely colour, lasting, too, like the Tea and Bengal Roses through the summer, and in some

| districts into the winter ; Clematis also, unknown

in great part in the Elizabethan days, as were also the superb Tritoma, the richly-coloured Vines of Japan and America, and many other beautiful and hardy flowers which have come to enrich gardens of

the Victorian era.

THE IMPERIAL DAHLIA, 8

THE IMPERIAL DAHLIA other and are too crowded to expand properly,

or for the best effect ; seen upon adozen stems SEEN at its best this is one of the loveliest of of different height the finest display is.secured. autumn plants, but, rarely opening before No- Two or three other kinds of giant flowering vember, it often fails to flower well oritsbeauty Dahlias are sometimes grown with our plant, is cut short by the damp, dark days. This late- thoughnone ofthemare better. The Anemone- flowering habit unfits it for use in the border flowered Dahlia (aréorea) reaches 8 to 10 feet, though it may be grown in theopenfromJune and is stouter in growth, and so less liable to until bad weather sets in,andthen taken inside injury, with flowers of pale mauve coming later to give it a chance of flowering under glass. and with a longer season, but they are often _ Its spreading, deeply-cut leaves make it-a fine spoiled by bad weather while still in bud. object in the summer garden, where, if encouraged, it runs up to a great height; it is often better, in view of housing, to restrain its vigour as far as is possible without injury. During November and December thisis one of the finest plants in gardens of the Riviera, the effect of the great droop- ing clusters when many plants are massed in rich soil, being not soon forgotten. But even there it is often difficult to secure the fleshy stems of 8 to 12 feet high from injury during rough wind, which will soon wreck a fine plant. They do best with the shelter of a flanking screen of ever- greens, such as Holm Oaks or Ar- butus, the deep colour of which throws into relief the vivid green of the Dahlia and its pale flowers. From their habit the full beauty of these drooping clusters is not seen at a distance, but near at hand the crim- son eye with its delicate suffusion of pink comes into view upon looking up into the flowers. These clusters are 3 to 4 feet across on well-grown stems, and crowded with flowers. They are fine for indoor use when cut and placed ina tall art vase, upon a pedestal or raised stand suited to their pendantbeauty. A group of this Imperial Another plant of fine growth and verysimilar, Dahlia, flanked with clumps of PampasGrasses is Maxzmiliana, but it is not so fine as the Im- (which also need shelter from wind), and masses | perial Dahlia. Though smaller in all its parts, of late-blooming Flame Flowers (Tritoma) | D. Decaisneana often grows 6 or 7 feet, with makes a fine picture in the autumn gardens of | small but pretty flowers of rosy-purple with a the Riviera. By a little contrivance early in | whitebaseand golden centrein many-flowered the season it is easy to train the then tender clusters, but in grandeur it is not equal to the stems so as to get a general display of the great great Tree Dahlias. Our engraving shows the white flowers at various heights, for when all Imperial Dahlia in flower in a garden of the are carried at one height the crownschafeeach | Riviera. B,

THE IMPERIAL DAHLIA.

4 FLORA AND SYLVA,

THE GREATER TREES OF THE.

NORTHERN FOREST (No. 10).— THE TULIP TREE (Liriodendron Tulipifera).

Tue lover of trees travelling, for the

first time, through the southern part of |

the United States, could not fail to be struck with the majestic aspect of the

Tulip trees, as they lift their heads high |

of White River he found that the num-

ber of native trees is 107, or more than

_a quarter of all the trees north of Mexi- eo,- al ne height attained by these Wa- bash Valley trees is as remarkable as the

number of species in the forests. In- dividuals of forty-two species reach a

height of 100 feet, and those of twenty-

one species grow to the height of 130

above their surroundings in the forests feet. Individual trees 150 feet high of

and mountain valleys,where the axe has not yet done its fell work. In the rich

alluvial soil of the bottom-lands along

the course of the largest rivers of the South ; in the deep jungle knownas the Dismal Swamp, and like places where

tree growth is almost tropical in its luxu-_ _macrocarpa) 165 feet, while a Liquid- -ambar and a Black Oak attained the height of 160 feet. The size of the

trunks of these trees, measured 3 feet

riance, they attain their fullest size and beauty. Though the Tulip tree is found as far north as Vermont, and as far west as Arkansas, it is in the States of the middle south that it attains its largest stature. It is seen to great advantage

along the valleys of the Kanawha and _ ence of trunk 3 feet from the ground. A Tulip tree was 25 feet in girth at the in the Valley of the Shenandoah. The White Oak and a Black Walnut each

measured 22 feet in circumference, and

New rivers in West Virginia, and there are some grand specimens still standing

forests of the Wabash Valley im south= ern Illinois and Indiana are noted for their great Tulip trees, and on the west-

ern slopes of the big Smoky Mountains |

in Tennessee there are noble trees still

to be found. But the lumbermen have |

depopulated our woodlands of these giants of the forest, and it is only in

wild regions, far from railroads, that |

they remain undisturbed. Dr. Ridgway of the Smithsonian Institute at Wash- ington, has called attention to the sur- prising richness of the forest-flora in

the WabashValley. South of the mouth

thirteen of these species have been mea- sured. A specimen of Quercus texana,

the tallest of the Oaks of the Wabash, measured 180 feet; and a Tulip tree was 190 feet in height. A Pecan tree

measured 175, a Cottonwood (Populus

monolifera) 170, a Burr Oak (Quercus

from the ground, is in due proportion to their height. Thusa Plane (Plazanus

occidentalis) was 33. feet in circumfer- same distance from the ground. A

a Black Oak and Texas Oak were each 20 feet in girth. According to these notes it will be seen that of all the trees mentioned by Dr. Ridgway in these bot- tom-land forests the Tulip tree was the

| highest. This is what would most strike

the visitor to our southern woodlands, where it sends up its columnar shafts, often unbranched to the height of 20 or Zouecet.

The leaves of the Tulip tree are of peculiar form, They measure 3 to 6

THE TULIP TREE. is

broadly ovate, often truncate at the apex as well as at the base. They usually

of its youth. Though the branches of old trees are gnarled and crooked and

have two apical and from two to four | angular, yet the foliage is disposed upon

See ET a eet) bea Let iL fel te

Ls Bia

GREAT TULIP TREE AT ESHER PLACE. (Engraved for ‘Flora.’’)

basal lobes. These lobes have rounded sinuses. The glossy leaves are of a beau- tiful green colour, changing in the Fall to a good yellow. As the tree becomes

them inalightand graceful manner. The large leaves seem to reflect the light on their smooth surfaces. When one of these grand trees grows in open ground

—aess)

6

FLORA AND SYLVA,

so that its outlines stand out against the sky it will be seen to have a light and airy effect in spite of its great size and height. The blue sky is visible through many an opening between its limbs, and there is much pleasant flicker of light and shade as the sunstrikes on the lower strata of foliage. The leaves move freely on their slender foot-stalks, and are easi- ly set in motion by the wind. They are among the earliest of forest trees to bud, nearly a fortnight earlier than the Gals

of this neighbourhood, whichare chiefly |

Red, Black, and White Oaks. A Tulip tree 1s a beautiful sight when its leaves are small and tender green, but to see it in its glory one must await its flowering- time late in May. The flowers are soli- tary and are produced in great abund- anceand somewhat of the size and shape of Tulips. They are shaded greenish- yellow outside, brightest at the base. In- side they are ringed and splotched with soft yellow and orange. As they stand erect on their stout foot-stalks they do not show their bright markings when seen from below. One would need wings ora balloon to carry him above the tree to obtain thebest view of all this beauty.

The grove at Rose Brake contains some very old Tulip trees, which, un- fortunately, are slowly dying, and which are, we suppose, relics of the primeval forest. No one can tell their age, but it

is not probable that they were planted | The largest of |

by the hand of man. these trees has a trunk circumference of 20 feet 4 inches, measured at the height of 3 feet from the ground. It has some small branches that feather down to the ground so that it is an easy matter, in

blooming time, to gather handfuls of its beautiful flowers. These blossoms have a peculiar fresh fragrance, not like the perfume of any flower. It is not sweet,

and yet it is pleasant to a lover of the fee: the foot ofthe Oak Grove here is 14 feet in circumference of trunk, and is 100

A second tree on low ground at

feet in height. Itslowest branch forms a e e 8" junction with the trunk 20 feet from

_the ground, but on the opposite side the

straight shaft rises in the air for fully 30 feet without interruption. The third of the Rose Brake trees, whichis 1 3 feet 5 inchesin girth 3 feet fromthe ground, was struck by lightning several yearsago in such a manner that a strip of bark

was peeled off the length of its trunk, leaving a broad wound which disclosed

the white inner wood.

It is dead at the top, and cannot last much longer. The fourth of these giant trees has a curved trunk, caused, probably, by another tree falling acrossit when it was young. This has obliged it to adopt a line of beauty instead of the rectilinear lines of its sister trees. It cannot be calleda crooked tree,

_as the curved line adds to its grace. At

the height of 25 feet from the ground

it has nearly righted itself, but has not

been able to resist a slight incline to the north-east. Thecurving shaft is covered

with Virginia Creeper, and, with its great size, it is a most imposing object, being

20 feet in circumference 3 feet from the ground. In the Fall when the fo- liage is all a soft, uniform shade of yel- low, and the creeper has turned bright red, running far upthe trunk, and cloth- ing some of the upper limbs with its

drapery, the old tree is a beautiful sight.

THE TULIP TREE. ,)

It is fast decaying, and has a large hol- low in its trunk in which, some years ago, a wild dog made her lair with a family of puppies, coming out at night

to steal our poultry, and hiding so well in the old tree by day that it was long before she was discovered. In a few. years it is too probable that not one of these Tulip trees will re- main at Rose Brake. The grove here was for many years used as pasture for cattle, and the seed- ling Tulip trees, self-sown in many parts of it, were all de- stroyed before they attained any considerable size. For thelast few years we have protected a part of the grove, and now we havea copse of young Tulip trees grow- ing rapidly.

As a timber tree this is re- markable beyond all other de- ciduous trees east of the Rocky Mountains for the straightness, length, and size of its trunk. I have heard of a Tulip tree in the valley of the Maumee, the timber of which squared 48 by 54 inches, and was 60 feet in length. Trees are not uncommon which have 100 feet in length of straight tim- ber. It is therefore not remark- able that the wood of the Tulip tree should be much sought after by lumbermen. At one timeit commanded a fancy price, as it was inmuch demand by coachmakers, who used it for the bodies of their vehicles. It is a very soft and pliable wood, and is easily bent into any required shape. Modern me- thods of manufacture have simplified

the process of carriage-making, and I am told that other woods are now pre- ferred for the purpose, and that the Whitewood, as it is called by lumber- men, does not now command a very high price, though I believe it is still

used to some extent by cabinetmakers,

TULIP TREE LEAK AND FLOWER,

and in the inside finishing of houses. The barkisof a light colourand soft tex- ture, and divided into deep and lattice- like ridges and furrows, much like that of the White Ash. It is now included in the family of the Magnoliacee. Though the seeds of Tulipifera ger-

minate freely, young trees are not easy A 4

8 FLORA AND SYLVA.

to transplant. The best plan for grow- ing this tree is to sow the seed where it is wanted, or else to obtain small nursery grown stock that has been frequently

transplanted. Trees from the woods are |

almost sure to die when planted in open ground. The fruit of the Tulip tree is a cone 2 to 3 inches in length. The paddle-shaped seedsare attached toand closely packed around a central spike.

It flowers in May in this part of Ameri- |

ca. Farther north its flowering season is in June, but never so late as July.

DANSKE DANDRIDGE. | 47, good where stone edgingsare used,

Rose Brake, West Virginia, U.S.A. [Although it may never attain in our country the noble dimensions of those described by Mrs. Dandridge, thisisa tree of proved value; and though not planted as a forest tree should be, amongst its fellows in woods, still it attains striking development in many of our countr seats,as in the exampleat Esher Place,of which we give an engraving. The fact

that, fully exposed as the trees are, in der, are beautiful when massed amongst

pleasure grounds and lawns, and with

| EVENING PRIMROSES

‘(ENO- THERA).* Amonc the plants of our gardens some are of doubtful value for effect, however interesting they maybe botanically.This is not the case with the Evening Prim- roses, for amid all hardy plants for the open air there are none of higher value, giving excellent effects when rightly used, while for the most part they are hardy, easy of culture and increase, and

good in colour. As to use, they come in

very wellas groups in the flower-garden,

and excellent for the mixed border, blooming from June onwards through- out the summer, some of them hardly ever out of bloom, and others flowering asecond time in autumn. Their flowers are large and bright, and many of them

_sweet-scented ; seed is borne in quan-

the roots robbed by the grass, they yet |

attain this size, proves that, planted and grouped ina more natural way, we ought to get an even finer growth. Any free

soil suits it, if deep and fresh without | gin “every species is put in a new genus of its

being wet. It grows faster than many forest trees, is free from insect pests,

beautiful in ower, and excellent as tim-_ good English name such as we have, in

ber. ‘To do well it should be planted young and left to itself, being averse to removal or cutting.—Eprror. |

“Gop Almighty first planted a garden ; and, indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures ; it isthe greatest refreshment to the spirits of man, without which buildings and palaces are but gross handiworks.”— Francis, Lorp Bacon.

tity upon the tall-growing kinds, but less freely on the prostrate plants. The larger kinds, if a little rough for the bor-

shrubs, or in the wild garden. Nearly

all bloom from seed the first year, if

sown early. The American botanists have lately been changing the names, and nearly

own. Surely there could not be a better reason than this for the retention of a

this case, ready to hand. Even the bota- nists who are guilty of these changes copy the English name. Thereis plainly no finality in botanical names at all, for each decade witnesses a new set. As

though to show this, our old friend the

* With coloured plate froma drawing Dy et. Moon, made at Mr. Perry’s Nursery, Winchmore Hill. |

EVENING

Evening Primrose is put in a genus new to us, Onagra : yet another is Auagra; the half-bushy looking kinds are now found under the genus Kywzefia; the pretty kind of which a variety is figured here is no longer in its old genus but is Hartmannia; the well-marked and

familiar C2. cespitosa is now Pachylo-—

phus; the handsome Missouri Evening Primrose, long known in our gardens, isnow Megaprerium; and so on through the maddest dance of change we have ever noticed among well-known garden plants. There is no group known to us in gardens which is more distinctly marked and closely related than this ;

and yet they are thus separated into ge- som In notions of our day. Prairies and mountains.

nera as needless as they are confusing. Amongst many species and seedling

varieties of Evening Primrose the fol- | | 5 inches across. There is no more valuable bor-

lowing are the most useful kinds for gardens :—

STEMLEsS EVENING PRIMROSE (CE. ca@spi- tosa).—A dwarf perennial, 6 to 12 inches high, flowering in May, with blooms 4 to 5 inches across, changing slowly from white to a pale rose; asevening comes on they show well above the jagged leaves and retain their fragrant beauty until morning. Increased by suckers from the roots, and by cuttings, which root readily. Syn. Ch. marginata.

DRuMMonpD’sEVENING PRIMROSE (C4. Drum- mondi).—A fine annual, bearing yellow flowers and growing from 18 inches to 2 feet high. A useful kind for filling blanks in the flower gar- den, and also where annual plants are made a feature. Texas and the south-western States.

SunpRops (2. fruticosa).—Thisand its va- rieties are good and showy perennials, 1 to 3 feet high, with bright yellow blossoms. There are several varieties, the best being Young7, about 2 feet high, and with an abundance of flower. It is one of the best of yellow Evening Primroses for small beds, for edgings, or as a groundwork for shrubs, growing freely in ordi- nary soil and of easy increase by division.

PRIMROSES,

9

GREY-LEAVED EveniING PRimRosE (Cd. glauca).—A handsome plant of sub-shrubby growth and bearing yellow flowers. The variety Fraseri is a still finer plant, and where an at- tractive mass of yellow is desired through the summer there are few hardy plants of easy cul- ture so effective. Division. Mountain woods in Virginia and Georgia.

LaMARCK’s EvENING PRIMROSE (CE. La- marckiana).—A tall showy plant growing 3 to 5 feet high, and of the highest valuefor the gar- den, especially the wild-garden, and to go with such plants as the Foxglove and Mullein. It is a biennial, seeding freely, andshould besown

| yearly, especially in recently broken ground.

In books it is usually classed as a form of Q!. biennis, but is distinct from our point of view, and superior, the supposed mother-plant not being worth growing. It is called after a fa- mous naturalist to whom we are indebted for some of the best ideas in the “evolutionary”

Missouri EVENING PRiMRosE (C4. missouri- ensis).—A handsome perennial, with prostrate stems andclear yellow flowers, each sometimes

der or rock-plant, being easily grown and in- creased from seed or cuttings. The blooms open inthe evening. Syn. C2. macrocarpa. Central Prairie regions.

Rock Eventnc Primrose (CZ. pumila).— The most graceful kind, and, though bearing a small flower, it isa charming plant for the rock- garden or for stone or other edgings, yielding

a succession of bloom throughout the summer

and autumn. It isa perennial, and not difficult to grow or increase. Syn. CY. riparia.

SHowy EveninG Primrose (CE. speciosa.— A first-rate perennial with many large flowers, at first white but changing to rose; the plant erect, and 14 to 18 inches high, is increased by division or cuttings and thrives in well- drained loam. Canada, southward and west- ward. The subject of our plate is a beautiful variety of this species, a plant of fine colour and not often seen in gardens. It is certainly

| one of the finest of the Evening Primroses, | forming a trailing mass of much-branched | slender stems, bearing flowers of a bright clear

rose with darker lines, and 1 iv 14 inches across. It spreads rapidly into masses a yard or moreacross. It is fond of asunny spot and light

Io

sandy soil (or leaf mould) with plenty of stones both :buried and lying on the surface, and is easily increased by cuttings or by division of the roots.

CuILIAN EveninGc Primrose (CE. faraxict- folia).—A trailing plant of biennial duration, with beautiful white flowers changing to a soft pink. Ona moist,warmsummer’sevening they are 5 inches across and visible on the darkest night. Increased from seed, flowering well the first year, and most enduring on warm soils. Syn. C2. acaulis; a less beautiful plant is also known by this name. 5

A MARSH GARDEN. As stereotyped plans are a source of the greatest evil to garden design, so the es- senceand heart of good and artistic work lies in taking advantage of natural con-

derson, Fermanagh, described in The

that, considering the great area of marsh and bog land in our countries, pictur- esque gardens of the most interesting and varied nature could be made there- in at slight expense beyond that of pro- curing the plants. The groundwork and

in that way avoided. It is such a gain to

tions needed ready at hand,and theonly thing then necessary is the thought of the vast number of plants of the high- est beauty that thrive naturally in such ground. We remember in America see- ingadwart Magnolia(M.¢/auca) beauti- ful in wet bogs ; certain kinds of Azalea, Andromeda, Huckleberry, and other shrubsare quite asmuch at home there. The EasternStates of NorthAmericaand theCanadasare rich in lovely bog-plants, including Orchids of great beauty and

FLORA AND SYLVA.

| perfect hardiness. Eveninourown more

limited flora we see lovely thingsin such ground, and over the vast range of Euro- pean mountains many Primroses attain their highest beauty in bogsand nowhere else, including our own Bird’s Eye Prim- rose. Then, again, the dwarf and trailing mountain shrubs, often of great beauty, are happy in boggy haunts, as are also the northern Pines and Junipers. The following lines give some account of what has been done to turn to account a piece of natural bogland, transforming

‘it from an ugly marsh into a spot of

beauty: ‘It is simply about threeacres

of a natural bog, sparsely wooded with ditions and situations, of which we have |

an interesting example at Castle Saun- |

Birch,and sheltered by PinesandSpruce; some parts have been partly drained, and

the whole turned into a garden of beau- Field \ast week. There need be no doubt.

tiful and interesting plants. Canals have been cutor deepened so as toallow great

masses of spongy peat-earth to stand clear of the water,and walkswith cross-

ings over log bridges lead one all over

the enclosure. The bog garden is quite _near—-say five minutes’ walk from—the the heavy expense of garden-making 1s _

house, and I shall neverforget the colour

and variety of vegetation that flashed find the soil, water, and other condi- |

upon me ona sunny afternoon in Octo- ber, when I saw the place for the first time. The colour of autumnal foliage and flowers, bright as it was, became in- tensified bythe background, and by the low clitts of black peat rising here and there out of chocolate-coloured water.

_ The rich hues and dark tones of the peat lost nothing by contrast with glistening _stems and trunks of Silver Birch, and by

the gleam of blue-leaved Pines. To see this unique garden in April or May must be delightful, when it is a fairy land full

BEAUMONTIA

of Japanese and American Azaleas ; evenas I sawit inrainy October between the showers it wasrichand full of colour. The Azaleas were dying off, and their leaves were amber and russet or purple crimson and gold. Here and there fea- thery grasses and sedges contrasted with the dark peatand the water, and Sumach and Pyrus lit up the place with colour. Osmunda and other Ferns nestled at the water’s edge, and in other places were

carpets of the most exquisite Sphag-

GRANDIFLORA.

TT

| Persian rugs, and see such a wonderful variety of form and colour spread out before one’s eyes. ee

BEAUMONTIA GRANDIFLORA.

Amp all the floral splendour of the tropics few plants are more remarkable than this fine climber, brought many years ago from north- ern India. As anew plant it was for awhile -much grown, but has become rare, and is now not often seen in gardens, spite of its great beauty and comparative ease of culture. One cause of its neglect is that it!needsa largespace, and to bloom well must have a sunny place un- der a glass roof, where its massive leaves-throw

v

num Moss, with — rainbow colouring || from yellow to green, and from green to ruby red orcrimson. In one place the North American Pitcher plants(Sarracenia) and Shortia, with its crumpled and

painted foliage, seemed quite at home. The one

thing that struck me as peculiar was that such a wide range of plant life should have prospered so well in pure peat-earth, however well drained. On

one little hillock wasa gnarled old speci-_ men of the Chinese Juniper, with its”

young foliage nearly as blue as a For- get-me-not, andthe bushcould not have

looked more vigorouson the chalk hills _

of Surrey or Kent, where our native Juniper QTOWS sO freely. It was quite a novel experience to walk up and down

dry and spongy walks of peat as soft as

FLOWERING SPRAY OF BEAUMONTIA.,

(Much redueed.)

| such shade over the rest of the house as to spoil it for many other things. Yet the splendour of _ its pure white flowers, borne in lavish profusion in spring, goes far to atone for this exaction. Being a strong grower it does not succeed in pots, but should be planted out in a’ Temperate house in a mixture of good fibrous loam and peat made porous with coarse sand, and in a _lightand airy position. Unless so placed it does _not bloom freely. Itsevergreen leaves are about 8 inches long and 3 wide, with a smooth, shining, upper surface, downy beneath, with ruddy hairs upon the veins, midribs, and young _growths. The bell-shaped flowers of pure

°

FLORA

12

AND SYLVA.

white are very fragrant, 4 or 5 inches long, and carried in drooping clusters at the end of every shoot and from the axils of the leaves ; a fine mature plant will bear as many as 200 of these clusters, some of which contain forty or fifty flowers. They open from the end of March, throughout April, and when they fade the plant should be well cut back to induce new growth, which flowers in its turn in the following spring. There are few details of

importance in its culture beyond the cleaning | and syringing common to stove plants; it 1s |

well, however, to train the shoots as widely as |

space will allow, so as to be sure of well- ripened tissues. Cuttings are easily rooted in

THE GARDEN BEAUTIFUL. HOME LANDSCAPE AND HOME WOODS. WHAT TO DO WITH IRON FENCING.

WHEN our eyes are opened to the ugli- ness,cost, and danger of iron fencing the question arises as to howitcan beturned to accountin other ways. The danger of wire fencing round pasture fields is the most evident, and its ugliness appalling

in the foreground of fair landscapes,

sand and bottom heat, and from the third year |

bloom freely, forming plants beautiful as they are rare. ance of South American and Indian gardens say that few things in Nature are more im- posing than mature plants of Beaumontia.

Tue Turpentine Forests.—The tree from which turpentine is obtained is the long-leaved Pine (P. pa- lustris). This tree is common in some of the southern United States, but is found only where the original forest has never been felled. When once cut down it never grows again. If theland is allowed to fall out of cultivation it is followed by a growth of Oak, and this in turn by Pines of an inferior kind. The Tur- pentine Pine is tall and straight, from 3 to § feet in diameter to aheight of 40 or $0 feet. It is without branches except at the top. The turpentine in its crude state is obtained by tapping. About a footfrom the ground and parallel with it an incision is made 6 or 8 inches deep, forming a ledge or shelf. In the shelf a pocket is scooped large enough to hold a quart or two of sap, which is made to collect in it by scarifying the bark triangularly, with an angle point- ing to the pocket. On large trees three or even four of these cuttings are made, forastrip of bark 3 inches wide between them will keep the tree alive. Each year more and more of the bark has to be removed, but even then a tree lasts usually from fifteen to twenty years. When the pocket hasrun full, the gum is collected and carried away to be distilled. The turpentine continues of uniform quality throughout the lifeof a tree, but the resin, which is the residuum after distillation, rapidly deteriorates. The first year’s resin is far the best, and is known as “pale” or “‘ windowglass.” That of the secondand third years is known as “ yellow dip.” Common or dark resin is the product of trees worked for four years or more. The work is done by negroes,one man taking charge of 10,000 pockets, which will yield about 200 barrels of crude turpentine in a season.

Travellers familiar with the luxuri- |

where it isfar too common. Live fences doaway with the need of it in either case, but as there are miles of it in most dis-

_tricts to be got rid of, the turning of it to

some good use is desirable, and the best use for it that I know is the protection of choice young plantations in woods. Most of our country is so infested with ground game that planting becomes al- most impossible unless we protect with wire. It is bad enough to lose Scotch Fir, Larch, and the commoner trees, after having had the trouble and cost of planting them, but when itis a question of the rarerand choicer trees, which are dificult to procure, then we ought to protect thoroughly until they are large enough to take care of themselves,which cannot be before seven years’ growth. For common trees we may do what is needed with wire only, but there is the danger that with heavy snow it may be jumped by rabbits (or broken down by stock, gamekeepers, and others) and so fail us at acritical time. In choice plant- ing the best way 1s to surround our plan- tations with spareiron fencing, and then wire. Asweoften supposeourown plans to be the best, I may say that Iam my- self doing this with a large quantity of

Tne cake bla TIFUL.

13

iron ae which Beaune a ane | round pasture fields. (The iron fences along drives orin the foreground of good prospects I have long ago done away with.) The most difficult spots to plant are in old woods, often of underwood having ceased to be of any use or profit. Planting choice little trees in such woods

is out ofthe question,so I have just fenced

with iron an acre of such woodland which had nothing left in it but stubsand afew Birchand othertrees of little value. The iron fence isto bewired 33 feet high, and within is to be a plantation of the Western Hemlock Spruce (des Mer- tensiana)—a noble tree that suits our country well—and with it a sprinkling of Japanese Larch. This iron fencing 1s

so placed as to be hardly visible from the |

rides near; it gives safety from animals and other interlopers,and makes sure of my trees while they need protection. In another wood I have enclosed about two acres of ground and wired it well to the top of the iron fence (as it was a badly infested place), and that is now being planted with young trees of the Atlantic Cedar with a sprinkling of the Numidian Spruce and the common English Yew. These three trees I saw growing together on thetop of amoun- tain in Algeria, perfectly happy in com- pany, and with heaps of snow around them ; this onthe 3rd of May. Another patch, where Oak failed owing to un- suitable rocky soil, is to be fenced and wired in the same safe and permanent way for the Spruces of the Rocky Moun- tains, and so in this way use is made of cae is too often*an eyesore and a danger. The association in bold plant-

ing of trees that grow together in nature

| cannot fail tobe rightinall ways. Wiring

trees.

A PARADISE OF FERNS. THE

against wooden stakes is not nearly sO effective as wired iron fencing, but is

efficient if well done, and for common

AA AYA AV a re A

FILMY FERNS IN JAMAICA.

Jamaica is a hilly, or rather, mountainous island. There is very little level ground, even along the sea-coast. Everywhere the land be- gins to rise almost at once, gradually ascend- ing to the heights of the central chain of hills, | which,in the Blue Mountains, attain an eleva- tion of more than 7,000 feet. There is thus great variety of temperature and climate. In the lowlands, the mean temperature is about 75 degrees at night, and about 85 degrees during the day, but the heat is tempered by both land and sea breezes. At Newcastle (3,800 feet), the mean temperature of the hottest month (July) is 68 degrees, and of the coolest month (January) 61 degrees. As you ascend still higher the mean temperature, of course, proportionately falls, till you gain the summit of the Blue Mountains, where frost has been occasionally, but rarely, registered. A large part of the surface of the island is therefore free from the excessive tropical heat under which the great majority of Ferns can- not luxuriate. But Ferns demand something more than moderately cool temperature, they must have both shade and moisture. Shade _they receive in abundance from the bush or -scrub—one can hardly call it forest—that clothes the hillsides, and is generally dense enough to screen them from the direct rays of thesun. There is no lack of moisture either. Streams everywhere run down from the upper regions to the sea, more than one hundred of them in all. Then from these streams, and from the ocean, the heat of the sun raises copious vapours, which produce, as they ascend, clouds saturated with moisture, and these, coming into contact with the colder strata of air aloft, are condensed, and fall on the hills in frequent and heavy showers, sometimes in torrents. It will be well, as bearing closely on the subject in | hand, to give some idea of what the rainfall is.

14

I will take the year from ea I ae to March 1896, as being the year which covers my resi- dence in the island. At Kingston, near the sea- level, the rainfall was 22°3 inches; at the Hope Botanic Garden, at an elevation of 600 feet, it was 50°98 inches ; at the Castleton Botanic Garden, nearly the same altitude, it was 108°88 inches; at the Hill Gardens, which lie 4,900 feet above the sea, it was 122°45 inches ; and on the Blue Mountain peak, at a height of 7,423 feet, it was 176°86 inches. And though some months are very much more rainy than others, there was no month in which the rain- fall, at least on the higher grounds, was not considerable, It wouldseem, then, that Jamaica possesses all the requisites necessary for the luxuriant growth of such a plant as the Fern —shade, moisture, and a temperature which varies at different elevations from heat to com- parative coolness. A fitter home for this par- ticular class of plants could not be conceived. But, as a matter of fact, are Ferns found thereinsuch numbers and variety as to warrant us in regarding their abundance as something phenomenal? Let us institute a comparison between Jamaica and the British Isles. But observe, first of all, that the area of Jamaica 1 is only about 4,000 square miles, a little less, z.e., than the area of Inverness- ne including in the county the islands that ae part of it. Now in the whole of the British Isles there are, according to the last edition of the London Catalogue, only twenty genera of Ferns, con- taining forty-seven species, and of these genera, eleven have only one speciesapiece. In Jamaica, on the other hand, there are, according to the most recent authority, Mr. Jenman, of Deme- rara, no fewer than forty-five genera, with 473 species—all within that small area, about equal in size to Inverness-shire—more thanten times as many as occur in the whole of Great Britain and Ireland. Many of the genera, too, are very rich in species. The genus Cyathea has sixteen species, Prerzs has twenty, Hymenophyllum has twenty-three, Trichomanes has twenty-five, Adiantum has twenty-seven, Acrostichum has thirty-three, Nephrodium has fifty-six, Asple- mium has fifty-eight,and Po/ypodium hasseventy- nine, 7.e., the Po/ypodia alone are more than twice asmany asall ourspecies taken together. There is one class of Ferns that has a spe- cial attraction for a botanist in Jamaica, and

FLORA AND SYLVA.

which he can never sufficiently admire for their great delicacy and beauty,—I mean those that gounder the general name of Filmy Ferns, because of the film-like translucency of their structure. They occur in greatest profusion at a height of from 5,000 to 6,000 feet. Below

that altitude you will find more species of

Trichomanes than of Hymenophy/lum, the latter, with the exception of H. po/yanthos and one or two others, almost all growing at least above 4,000 feet, whereas T. punctatum, T. sphenoides, T. Krausit, T. sinuosum, T. Bancrofti,T.scandens, T. radicans, and T. rigidum can all be found at comparatively low elevations, their range ex-

tending, however, in most cases far up the /mountain sides. The happy hunting-ground

for the filmies is then from 5,000 feet right up

to the summits of the hills, amid the forests

which cover much of the mountain surface of

Jamaica. The atmosphere among the trees is

close and muggy. The soil under our feet and the tree-trunks around us are saturated with

_moisture—moisture which never dries up, for

the damp vapours at that height are always wrapping the hills in their folds, and the direct

rays of the sun cannot penetrate. In such a

“spot it is not to the ground, but to the trees,

to the trunks and the branches, that you look

for the filmies you have come to seek. For one

-tender filmies love to dwell in.

growing on the ground thereare a hundred on the trees. On the wet surface of the cracked and fissured bark the Fern spores find an ideal place to germinate. The stems of some of the Tree-Ferns, in particular, being clothed with aerial rootlets, or covered with a rough drafh- ness, form the very kind of home that the Let us look

about us,then, and see what there is to reward _us for coming all the way from Scotland into | this strange, far-off, solitary place, where the whistle of the steam engine has never been heard, and Nature reigns alone, as she has done

_from the creation of the world. Here, on this

Fern-stem, is a mass of dark-green Trichomanes trichoideum, surely the daintiest plant that grows,the delicate fronds rising from its thread- like, creeping root-stock, and cut intosegments fine as hairs, bearing the diminutive fructifica- tion, which is yet perfect in all its parts—cup, sori, and protruding seta. To find this gem of a

_ plantalone, inall the ideal grace of its fairy-like

fronds, is recompense enough for the expendi-

A PARADISE OF FERNS.

ture of much time and trouble. But there are other things quite as good in their way. Here, for instance, 1s Hymenophyllum asplenioides, hanging aon by its hair-like stem from the horizontal bough of a tree, with its narrow, tapering fronds, 6 or 7 inches long, bright green and transparent, beautiful both in colour and

in form. And here, too, growing in a similar | other it could be confounded with is H. Azrsu-

position, is another very fine filmy of a peculiar brownish grey colour, forming a great mass of narrow, pendent fronds, 18 inches or more in length, and covered all over with a woolly hairiness. It is H. serzceum,a Fern that has a character of its own, and can be mistaken for no other. I believe it is very difficult to culti- vate in this country, its dense woolliness ren- dering it very liable to damp off. Among filmies of this elegant, tapering, pendent typeof frond may be mentioned here Trichomanes sinuosum, though it does not grow at this altitude, and does not seem to be very common in Jamaica at all. I found it in fine form near the Grand Etang,in Grenada. Inmy specimens, the frond, exclusive of the short stem,reaches to 1o inches.

It has something ofthelook of Hymenophyllum | asplentoides, but the lobes are much sharper. It |

is very thin in the texture, and of a fine pale green colour. Tree-Ferns, and seems, as Mr. Jenman notes, to prefer Cyathea elegans, which has a stem covered with prickles and fibres, affording the creeping rootstock the hold and the nourish- ment it requires. Trichomanes scandens, again, though its fronds also hang down, has not the slender footstalk of those others ; it is much stiffer and stronger, and the multified fronds, a foot long, are firmer in texture, so that they

merely droop, instead of being completely |

pendent. The colour is a golden green, and it is very beautiful as it is seen climbing up the trunk of a Tree-Fern, the fronds standing out at regular intervals. Like the last, it prefers a lower elevation, and is mostly, if not always, found on the same Cyathea elegans. I will only glance at one or two of the smaller species, as an enumeration and description of each of them would be tedious to those who have not seen them growing in their native home, how- ever much one might liketo linger over them, and recall the scenes in which they were first observed. Among the small ones there that grow at a height of 5,000 feet, one is sure to

It is partial to the trunks of |

|

ae

notice Hymenophyllum lanatum, a tiny thing, with tender pendent fronds about an inch long, which are clothed with soft hairs, and lie im- bricated over one another in close patches, which are often very large. It is of a brownish grey colour, like that of H. serzceum, and thein- dividual fronds are in shape like the feathers drawn from a small bird’s breast. The only

tum, which has also little pendent fronds form- ing large patches, but they are longer, of a

different colour, and more divided. But none _of the small ones surpass H. e/egantissimum in

beauty, with its very narrow, slightly divided

fronds and wavy margins. It is a perfect gem ;

but I must allow the dried specimens to speak

for themselves, although fronds separated for

drying cannot give an idea of the beauty of a mass of it with every frond hanging down dis- dinct. I must pass over, merely naming them —H. fucoides, H. polyanthos, one of the most abundant everywhere in the island above 1,500 feet ; H. clavatum,H. axillare, H. lineare,

cand H. firte/llum. With regard to H. cilatum,

which is frequent in Jamaica, I found on the Soufriére, in St. Vincent, a Fern which answers very closely to the description of H. ci/iatum, but differs so greatly in size as to be entitled to rank at least as a distinct variety. The fronds of the Jamaican H. ci/iatum are stated by Mr.

_Jenmantohavealength of from 1} to 34 inches,

whereas my Soufriere form attains a length of from 6 to 10 inches, and was found growing, not only on logs, but also on the ground. There did not seem to be anything special in the na- ture of the habitat to account for this great increase of size. This St. Vincent plant was quite the most beautifulof the larger Hymeno- phyllums I saw in the West Indies. We were fortunate in finding, in the short time at our disposal, fourteen out of twenty-three species of Hymenophyllums that occur in Jamaica ; two of the others have been only once found, and there remain only seven, which are not rare, and would probably have been found by us had our opportunities been greater.

A class of plants so tender and beautiful as the tropical Filmy Ferns have naturally at- tracted fern-growers in this country, but the cultivation of them has been attended with only partial success. One great difficulty has been to obtain healthy and vigorous plants at

16

FLORA AND SYLVA,

the outset. They may be sent over in War- dian cases, but then they require to be looked after on the voyage by someone who under- stands how to manage them; and even then a Wardian case is a bulky and brittle article. If they are packed in a tin box in the ordinary way, it is exceedingly dithcult to strike the happy medium between packing them too wet and packing them too dry; and they reach this country either shrivelled up for lack of moisture or blackened by damp, so that only a very small percentage of the plants despatched from the West Indies are fit for growing. But even if you have good plants to start with, it is by no means easy to copy the conditions under which they grow in their native cli- mate. You must give them a warm, moist atmosphere, and not too much light; but the atmosphere ought not to be stagnant ; and the tender kinds may very easily be kept too warm and too moist. They are very apt to rot with damp, especially the hairy species like Hyme-

nophyllum lanatum and H. sericeum, or you may | ,, ge cae Y | Kasumir: a Lanpor FLowers.— Wedrove through

| pleasant groves of Chestnuts, Walnuts, Peaches,

be just able to keep them alive, without their ever striking away into vigorous growth.

If time were of no account one would like, in speaking of the Ferns of the high woods of Jamaica, to mention some of the interest- ing little Polypodiums which grow in posi- tions exactly similar to those of the Filmy

Ferns, dependent from the trunks or boughs |

of trees. AsI have said, the genus Po/ypodium is a very large one in Jamaica, consisting of seventy-nine species, more than fifty of which grow on trees. Some of the largest ones, as, P. chnoodes, are very beautiful plants, but to me the most interesting were the smaller ones, growing at a high altitude. I have already mentioned the curious X7phopteris serrulatum, which is really a Polypodium, though the sorz ultimately run into one another and form a continuous line. Then there are P. gramineum, P.marginellum,P. trichomanotdes, P. bast-attenu- atum, P. moniliforme, the beautifully soft, golden brown P. cu/tratum, P. suspensum, P. pilosello- ides, and P. lanceolatum. Most of these could

robably be made to grow inthiscountry along-

side of the filmies, but, perhaps, they would |

be even more liable to damp off, and would require a compartment to themselves.

Of the general Fern flora of Jamaica, of its various kinds of Tree-Ferns, of itsnumerous

species of Adiantum, Pteris, Asplenium, Nephro- dium, Acrostichum, which abound in every moist and shady locality, or of the many curious genera that are represented by one species or by a very few, I will say nothing at present, beyond making the general remark that it is amazing to see how freely a large number of the species are distributed, and the immense number of the individual plants. It has been said that within a radius of one hundred yards

ou may, in some places, gather specimens of fifty different species. At any rate, one is greatly struck with the prodigality with which they are scattered wherever Ferns will grow —in woods, on shady banks, among rocks, and by streams. The Ferns are undoubtedly the features of an island which is luxuriant in all manner of vegetation. Even thecasualtourist, who does not know one Fern from another, is struck by their multitude and their diver- sity.—Dr. Davip Pavr in Address to Botani- cal Society of Edinburgh.

Pears, Cherries, Mulberries, and Apples, all of which are indigenous to this favoured land, while the Wild Vines hung in festoons from the branches. The fresh grass beneath the trees is spangled with flowers— great terra-cotta coloured Lilies, Iris of many shades, and others—while Hawthorn bushes in full blossom emulated the whiteness of the snows above. Forests of Deodar crowned the cliffs, with lawn-like expanses below. Sparkling cascades dashed over manya high precipice. It is a land of running water, of fruit, and flowers, and birds, and sweet odours. The houses are of many stories, most of them richly ornamented with carved wood, while the sloping roofs of nearly all are overgrown with verdure. The dome of one Hindoo temple was covered with long grass, thickly studded with scarlet Poppies and yellow Mustard. Mulberry Trees with Vines winding about them find room to grow between the houses, producing a very pretty effect. Whenever we came across waste land it was covered with the blue Iris, which is spread all over the country, and is so deep-rooted as to render the reclamation of the soil dificult. However, it is a favourite food with the sheep, and is dried and stacked for winter fodder. A larger variety of purple and white Iris is often seen growing in isolated clumps, not spreading for great distances like the commoner small, blue species. Each of these clumps represents a Musulman burial-place, it being the

custom of the Kashmir followers of the Prophet to

plant this beautiful flower above their dead.— Kwicut, “Where Three Empires meet.”

FOREST TREES OF THE ALPS OF EUROPE. 17

FOREST TREES OF THE ALPS)! 4!pPs of Europe. Though their greatest areas | fiercely arid, there are immense forests on OF EUROPE. a ae

| their flanks and in the valleys, and even far up AFTER our own native trees—the best of all | the mountain slopes; and the floor of these for use and beauty—should come first in our forests are strewn with flowers and delicate thoughts those trees of cool and neighbouring | trailing shrubs, Wild Strawberries, and even regions which thrive in a temperature some- | Gentians. But where the trees abound, as they

A PINE FOREST ON THE ALPS OF EUROPE.

thing like that of our own country. First often do, they take the palm for beauty and in-

among these are the trees of the European | terest to tree lovers, and this beauty can never

Alps, not merely those of the north, but also of | be lost to us because of the vastness of those

the slopes that go down towards the great sea, crowded areas. On the flanks of the Tyrolese

crested by the Cedar as well as the Pine. Every | valleys and many otheralpine regions, the walls

great alpine rangein the world has much forest | of rock are so steep and high, and cold, that no

beauty, and certainly there isnolack of it inthe | other use could ever be made of them. There B

18

FLORA AND SYLVA.

are hundreds of miles of mountain-sidein these

are legions of lovely trees everywhere, often grouped on lawn-like openings and beside the streams with a beauty that no human grouping

of trees can rival. On quitting the lower slopes |

of the mountains the traveller, as he ascends, leaves behind him the summer-leafing trees

and enters the region of the Pines. These, in |

many places, form immense forests stretching up the mountain sides to a height of 7,000 to 8.000 feet above sea-level. One of the com- monest in nearly every part of the Alps is the Spruce Fir, sometimes mingled with theLarch. It is seen in its greatest beauty on the limestone zone, which extends along the northern side of the Alps from Savoy to the Tyrol. ‘The Larch has a higher range than the Spruce, growing up to about 6,000 feet, and in some parts, such as the Engadine, as far as 6,700 feet. Speaking venerally, the zone of Larch forests extends from 4,000 to 7,000 feet. Noble trees are often met with in the woods, rising to a height of 100 to 120 feet, with a diameter, measured about a yard from the ground, of 4 or 5 feet. The Silver Fir is less frequent but is common in the Jura and in parts of the Engadine and Southern Tyrol, and rarer in the Western Alps. Inthe Jura it reaches a height of 5,000 feet, but in the Engadine has a lower range. On the Pennine Chain it has been found up to about 6,200 feet. The Scotch Fir is abundant, growing up to about 6,000 feet, but it is rare in the French, Piedmontese, and Swiss Alps, where it seems to be generally confined to the lower land. In the southern Tyrol it is more abundant, and extends toaconsiderable height above the sea, perhaps not less than 5,000 feet. The last of the Alpine forest Pines is the Swiss Pine—one of the most beautiful of them all; in some districts abundant, chiefly on the Frela above Livino, on the north side of the Munster Thal,and inthe neighbourhood of the Bernina and on the Stelvio, where it grows as far up as 8,000 feet above the sea. Nor must the Dwarf Pine be omitted, although it often forms no- thing more than brushwood of about 6 feet high. Our engraving presents a typical scene amongst these pine forests of the Alps, through the more accessible parts of which rough tracks are cut for summer traffic.

“NOTES OF THE YUCCA HY-

regions where one can hardly stand with any | ease on the steep mountain slope, and yet there |

BRIDS FROM MY GARDEN.

My garden is situated at Vomero, Naples, near the old Castel Sant’ Elmo, between 7ooand 800 feet above the sea, and was formed about six years ago. The old and very interesting castle was built by Roberto the Sage about 1343, and is a romantic grey pile, containing a collection ofantiquities. The Vomero, alofty hill, isanew part of Naples, spread with palaces and gardens.

_ My garden is fully exposed to the winds from

every quarter, so that the plants are particu-

larly hardy. The soil is purely volcanic, easily

worked, fertile, and free, and ali the known Yuccas are thriving here, even during our winters, which are not always free from frost. Amongst many older favourites I cultivate all the new speciesand varieties, very many of them received through the kindness of the Director of the Missouri Botanical Gardens, St. Louis, Mo., U.S.A. Common in the Naples gardens

are Y. a/oifolia and its varieties, also recurvi-

folia, flexilis, flamentosaand flaccida glaucescens,

which is especially common. In the Botanic Garden of Naples are also Y. e/ephantipes, Trecu-

leana, australis, and gloriosa. From the Genoa

Botanical Garden I obtained numerous good varieties of Y. g/oriosa, and from the splendid

gardens of Palermo I brought home every year the flowers of many fine species or varieties for hybridisation. Thus it has been possible to

| gather together within so short a time what is

probably the finest existing collection of Yuc- cas. The imposing 7. Trecu/eana flowers every year in many gardens of Naples, forming very large trees, more particularly in the lovely old garden of the late Mr. Charlesworth, and in that of the Prince Colonna. The fruit-bearing or “ mother-plants”” of my seedling varieties have been the following, mostly very strong pot-grown plants, but in some cases large plants in the open gardens of my friends here in Na- ples, and in one instance in Palermo :—Y. frla-

_mentosa and f. bracteata (in our gardens known

as f: major); Y. flaccida and its varieties g/auces- cens and grandiflora; Y.rupicola, Y. gloriosaty pe and its forms robusta, longifolia, and plicata ; Y. recurvifolia and r. folius variegata; Y. flexilis, Y. Treculeana, Y. Schottu, and Y. aloifolia type and its varieties ¢rico/or and gigantea. This last is a Naples garden variety, which seems to be un-

NOTES ON YUCCA HYBRIDS,

9

known to the eminent authority upon these plants, Prof. William Trelease, of St. Louis, unless it should prove to be the same as his Y~ aloifolia conspicua. The variety Draconis is so

well known and so distinct in our Naples gar- |

dens that it could never be confounded with gigantea. Y. Schottit was first known in Paler-

plant, and the individual flowers finer, and rare- ly or very little tinged with purple. Theleaves _ are not concave, nor filiferous, but brown-mar- | gined, pungent, and dark green. After six years of incessant toil my Yucca garden has rewarded | me by a splendid show of flowers, those plants

which failed to bloom in 1g02 having done so

mo gardens under the erroneousname of macro- | carpa—a plant which has not reached flowering — force in Italy. A curious and very fine plant is Y. viridiflora with large green flowers. My col- lection now contains about 200 very fine hy- brids, all flowering, and more than 2,000 seed- lings of the last three years, not yet strong enough to flower. I have also Y. Sandereana, a good hybrid plant, issue of 4/amentosa bracteata x recurvifolia, and, contrary to general rule amongst hybrids, it bearsseed occasionally. All my other hybrid Yuccas have so far remained completely sterile, though frequently pollen- ised with their own pollen, or that of other good hybrids or species. The seedlings of 1° flaccida and fi/amentosa, if well cultivated and richly manured, flower here in the fourth year after sowing, some plants even during the third year. Hybrids of a/oifolia only flower after the fourth or fifth year, and those of Trecu/eana only after the fifth year. The growth of all my hybrids is most vigorous and their vitality extraordinary. Their variety of form is such that amongst the seedlings of the same plant no two arealikeand many are totally distinct. Generally speaking, they show something of the character of their parents, often more of the father than of the mother, but the contrary is at times the case. Amongst my most notable gains is Yucca Xx E/wesiana, a splendid plant, issue of Treculeana x recurvifolia ; the leaves are as rigid and thick as those of the former, but as long as those of the latter kind, whilst the very fine pyramidal flower stalk, crowded with brilliant flowers, is much longer than that of either parent. The same parents gave mealso my beautiful Yucca x Fosteriana, so named in honour of Sir Michael in 1903. The hybrids of % Trecu/eana and Foster. This plant I consider to be the finest g/oriosa are slow to flower, but most of the other of my entire collection. Its leaves show the forms are remarkable for their early blooming, thickness and rigidity of the one parent com- and for their wonderful abundance in flower. bined with the length and drooping form of Two of them (Yucca X magnifica and Yucca x the second, while the enormous inflorescence, Koelleana) flower in small pots, from a single fully as long as the best spikes of recurvifolia, shoot, in their second year of growth ; this with its long flower stems, has at the same would seem to promise such wealth of flower time the width and density of the mother- asmustresult in their general cultivation in gar-

B 2

YUCCA COLUMBIANA.

(Engraved for “ Flora.’’)

20

FLORA AND SYLVA.

dens. Such are among the moststriking results to date. There are still many seedlings of 1898 and 1899 yet unflowered, and all those of the past twoorthreeyears. The great feature ofmy garden in 1go1 was Y. Schotti, which flowered in June of that year, and being crossed with pol- len from 7. lace ida, glaucescens, recurvifolia, and other species (peddle itself yielding pollen for further experiments), gave me four large and very heavy fruits. The seed germinated well,

YUCCA TITANUS.

(Engraved for “ Flora.’’)

so that I now have about a thousand seed- lings, growing vigorously and already showing great variation. This is not more than might be expected in view of the fact that the seed- bearer reaches the dimensions of a large tree, while Y. faccida, one of the parents, is a small, stemless, but free-flowering species. This season I-haveibeen less fortunate. In June 1902 I brought from Palermo very fine flowers of Y

brasiliensis (a large tree-species) and Trecu/e- ana canaliculata, but the cold, wet weather was so unfavourable that experiments failed com- pletely and a year’s work is lost. Another plant common in Italian gardens is Y. De Smetiana, but, to my knowledge, it never flowers. In Sicily, Catania, and Palermo, are very large

_ plants, trees rather than shrubs, of it, but all

alike fail to ower. Other fine species, such as

| the giant % elephantipes and its variety guate- _ matensts, flower so late, that up to the present

time I have found it impossible to cross them withthe dwarf species from the northernstates

of America. Y. constricta, radiosa, the distinct

glauca, and the splendid Whrpp/ez, are rare in Italy, and my own seedlings, received from American friends, are not yet of sufficient force totlower. Certainly the most striking typical plants of my garden are the Samue/as, received from Professor Trelease, to whom my collec-

tion owesmuch. Very good is 8S. Carnerosana,

as is also S. Faxoniana. | dress the Yuccas freely during the hot season with manure and gyP- sum, and during dry weather also give copious waterings. They are very fond of Chilian ni- trates. As full descriptions of these plants will eventually be given by Professor Trelease, I will do no more than give as complete a list of

hybrids as is at present possible :—

|

Y. filamentosa X gloriosa = Albella.

x recurvifolia = Imperalis.

x flexilis =Saturnus.

x Treculeana (not flowered). x rupicola ='Treleasel.

- en < aloifolia = Washington.

& Py bracteata X recurvifolia = lmpera- tor.

,» flaccida x flamentosa = filamentosa volun- taria.

x recurvifolia = Flora. x flexilis =Gaa. x rupicola = Atropas. glaucescens x recurvifolia = Eros. » grandiflora x recurvifolia = Arnottiana. rupicola x filamentosa (not flowered). » xX gloriosa=Aletroides. gloriosa x filamentosa = Rex. robusta X flaccida = Dux. longifolia X flaccida =\uxurians. > plicata X recurvifolia=Darwini. recurvifolia X flexilis = grandis. variegata X flexilis= Princeps.

32:

oo

99

ob)

99

99

be)

99

99

39 393

Y. flexilis x filamentosa = Augusta. 9» 99-~| X flaccida glaucescens = Regalis. , aloifolia x flexilis=Sieheana. x filamentosa = virescens. x gloriosa (not flowered). tricolor x flexilis = Titanus. 5 »% Treculeana (not flowered). gigantea X recurvifolia = Heliodorus (a giant). Treculeana X filamentosa (not flowered). x gloriosa (not flowered). x recurvifolia = Fosteriana. CHARLES SPRENGER.

OF MIXED WOODS.

THERE is much evidence in the countries where forestry is best practised, as to the ad- vantage of having woods of trees of different

» Je} 2:2 29 29 22

%” 2):

9” 9 33

oe) 9

Naples.

kinds, different ages, and of different times of | cutting, instead of a complete clearance. The |

reasons are many, but perhaps the most serious are the following: When we plant a tree like the Larch, putting them in solid masses of the same age, any disease that comes to the tree is much more likely to sweep through the wood than it would if trees of various kinds were intermixed. Wind, often a destroyer of trees, is far less severe in the mixed wood, not only because some of the kinds are wind-resist- ing, but also because the different ages and heights of the trees help to break its force. The interaction of roots is also more likely to lead to a better annual output of a wood as the roots of mixed trees get more out of the ground than a wood of one kind of tree only. The plan also allows us to have the light-seek-

ing tree, the Pines, associated with those that |

do well below them, like the Beech. This plan by no means commits us to any monotonous or regular mixture, but allows of varying the wood in a way that is good for it, either for effect or growth, and it allows of adapting the tree to the soil. If we meet with a boggy spot, we may plant it with Willows; a rocky knoll, with Beech, a wind-resister; a wet stretch near a stream, with Spruce.

We may see in the forest-clad mountains of the Tyrol how often the native trees occur together—Larch, Scotch Fir, and Norway Spruce. Where the conditions suit a given kind completely we may see it prevail, but there are many other conditions in which the

OF MIXED WOODS.

21

trees are interspersed—a group of Larch among a colony of Scotch where the Norway Spruce forms the greatest mass of timber. Also single trees of each kind are scattered here and there with a sprinkling of Birch and Beech, until the ground rises so high that the trees of the Pine tribe clothe the rocks. Why should we not in woodland work more often follow this way, by which vast and steep mountain ranges are clothed in some of the most picturesque forest regions of the world ? We should do so for more than one reason.

Mixed planting is, in many conditions, the most profitable. It is the way, too, that best aids us to adapt the soil to the tree; all the more so if in broken ground, or the many places where we find striking differences of soil ina small area. If, to take an example from a few acres of ground I have lately dealt with, we have a wet piece of ground near a stream, there is a good chance for the Norway Spruce, which so often starves in dry soil. Above this

_wet ground there is a nearly level bed of stiff

soil, which grows Oak of the best quality. So we have the Oak happy here with a few Ash among it. Above the level Oak bed, however, there are some acres of a shaly soil, on which the Oak starves ; so the stunted -Oaks are cleared, to plant with Larch and Scotch and Silver Fir; and these conditions occur in a wood of about twelve acres. It is not intended

| that any hard lines should be drawn between

any of the trees, but the kinds run into each other, as they so often do where the soil or altitude changes in natural forests.

The fine vigour of our native trees may often aid us in forming mixed woods by their persistent way of coming from seed where we least expect them. If in a woodland district we plant an arable field with Pines of various kinds, we often find vigorous Oak, Ash, and Birch seedlings keeping company with the young Pines which had the start of them bya few years. Mice, birds, or other natural agents set the seed, and instead of cutting out the young trees, often healthy saplings, it is better to leave them to vary the wood.

The mixed planting by no means confines us to a fixed rule, but, on the contrary, enables us to take the best advantage of the natural variations of soil and aspect. We might in varied soils enjoy the effect of one tree, passing

B3

22

FLORA AND SYLVA.

gradually into mixed masses, in which both evergreens and hardwood trees are equally suitable. For it, also, the trees should be of

the main identical. One or two kinds,

_ being found at a considerable height in

different ages, cut at different times, so that | the wood would never at any time be shorn of | its vigorous and constant forest growth. And

this plan would be in no way against beautiful |

planting, as where it is in use there are not only many instances of good tree growth from surfaces absolutely valueless for any other use, but examples without end of tree grouping as an effective aid to landscape beauty.

VA se A ar c/s

7

THE BRAZILIAN SPIDER- FLOWERS (Tibouchina).

nurseries, and of the whole family few

the Brazilian Andes, do very well under cool-house treatment, with (when in pots) a spellin the open air during sum- mer; but thisis only safe with the hardier sorts. Their habit islooseand straggling,

but theyare easily trained as wall, pillar,

or roof-plants,instandard-form,or upon the old balloon shaped frames once com- mon; they are finest, however, planted out in light rich soil and trained nearto

_theglass of asunny house. As pot-plants Sprre of their rich colour, their long | season of bloom,and their comparative - ease of culture, these beautiful shrubs | are rarely seen in gardensor in the trade |

are even in cultivation. ’Tis true that |

botanists have done their best —or worst —with the plants, which have been Lasi- andra, were Pleroma, and are now Ti- bouchina, though probably to ninety- nine out of -every hundred the best known kinds are yet Lasiandra, spite of

it all. The reason for its English name |

is not at first sight apparent, though

flower, and the prominent curved sta- mens suggestive of the garden-spider when at rest, and a relation, at least in colour, to the Virginian Spider-Hower (Tradescantia virginica). Though al- most confined to Brazil the genus is largeand varied including shrubs, herbs, andclimbers,manyof little garden value. The best known are climbing bushes,

and nearly all bear purple flowers of

similar structure though differing in size, while as natives of the same region their culture as hot-house plants is in

they soon become bare and hungry- looking, without constant pinching and cutting back, much of which can be avoided when planted out in a border of rich light soil, with free light and air

atall times. So treated, old plants flower

with great freedom, making very hand-

|

some objects. As exhibition plants or for cutting they have never been a success in spite of their brilliance, the flowers shaking off easily and those of each day falling at night,but they aresolarge and

finely coloured, and borne for so many

-weeks oreven monthsin unbroken suc- there is something in the tilt of the

cession, that where a long display is valued in the conservatory, few plants

_are better worth growing. During the entire autumn several of these plants

have been in flowerin the conservatories at Kew, and are still showing many flowers within a few days of Christmas. Our engraving of a flowering-spray of Tibouchina semidecandra is froma pho- tograph of oneof these tireless plants in the Royal Gardens. Asa winter flower- ing shrub 7. macrantha is very useful, while its fine variety for7bunda has an

even longer season of bloom. Their

THE Biggs

meal lle? ane 1s 7 ee at all | seasons, pests; thrip is the only one that ever gives trouble, and should be watched for. ‘Theyare easily increased from cut- tings of young shoots just as they begin —

and almost free from insect |

to harden, taken after the annual trim-— ming of old plants in spring ; if kept

close for awhile they root without trou-

ble, but need careful watering, sufh- cient air being allowed to dry the silky

leaves whenever they have been damped. The following species have been introduced, but many of them are only to be found here and there in privategardens,and | some have probably gone out of

cultivation :—

T. Benthamiana.—A low rambling shrub with large oblong - lanceolate leaves rounded towards thestem,thick- ly veined, covered above with fine rough down and beneath with soft sil- very hairs. Its branches are light, of a pale brown colour when mature, an- gular,and slightly winged.The flowers, | borne in clusters during autumn, areof | a rich purple, about 2 inches across, shading to a whitish claw in the cen- tre. Organ Mountains.

T. elegans —This beautiful shrub is one of the most gorgeous of green- house plants, but not often seen in per- fection. It was first lowered at Veitch’sin 1846, | and was for many years well grown by Messrs. Backhouse of York, but it is now rarely met

ee

with. Its habit is compact, reaching 6 to 8 |

feet, with short, reddish branches and glossy, strongly-veined leaves of about 2 inches long. |

The flowers are borne singly and in great abundance during May and June, are over

SPIDER-FLOWERS, 22

fhe ee white-tlowered perennial

herb growing to a height of 2 to 3 feet with _thesilky hairiness of leafcommon to the genus;

flowers in late autumn and winter. Andes of Peru.

T. Granulosa.—A strong-growing large- Howered shrub, with thick glossy leaves upon

_ short stems, and handsome flowers of crimson-

purple 1 in emiohen clusters, their petals curv-

| Inginwards and nearly 2 ches across. Brazil.

Syn. Lasiandra Fontanesiana.

T. heteromalla.—A tall growing shrub, | with rambling stems of many feet and large rounded leaves of leathery texture, 6 inches

| long and covered beneath with whitish down.

BRAZILIAN SPIDER-~FLOWER (TIBOUCHINA).

(Engraved for ‘ Flora.’’)

The flowers, carried in clusters from July to October, are purple and about an inch in dimcten

T. holosericea.—A very fine kind of str ong growth, remarkable for the dense silkiness of | all its parts, from whence its old name of the Silvery Lasiandra. Its stemlessleavesare borne

| upon angular bristly branches, with flowers of

2 inches across, and of a rich blue shading to | rich purple opening in July.

purple. Organ Mountains.

T. Gaudichaudiana.—A low shrub, the leaves and stems of which are clothed in soft bristles. Its flowers of rosy-purpleappear dur- ing summer as clusters at the ends ofthe shoots.

Brazil.

T. macrantha.—The best known of the group, and a fine shrub very free in flower

_ when well established, old plants often bearing

hundreds of flowers. Coming from a height of several thousand teet in thie Andes, it does well in a cool greenhouse, where its growth i is

B 4

24

FLORA AND SYLVA,

sturdier, andits flowers richer and more lasting than when grown in heat. Pot-grown plants are indeed all the better for several months in the open during summer, and should be well set with buds before being brought inside. It | does best planted out, growing with greater | luxuriance, and easily adapted to anylight airy spot under glass. Its flowersare very large (about

ing to purple as they mature, and coming as a

succession during many weeks from November |

to early spring. T. m. floribunda.—Handsome as is the last

are borne almost constantly, even upon small

pot-plants, while on strong bushes the blooms |

sometimes measure nearly 18 inches round. The flowers are rather deeper in colour than in the type, the leaves are rougher, and the growth is more compact and better suited toa small space or to pot culture; it is, however,

T. villosa.—A low-growing-shrub clothed

with silky down in all its parts, and bearing, during early summer, rosy-pink flowers in

sparse Clusters.

THE PRIMULAS.*

| Or all ourmountain plantsthe Primulas

-are the most characteristically alpine. 5 inches across) of the richest violet-blue, shad- | : 7 =P They form an attractive group often

fine in colour and of peculiar value for

the rock-garden. They take up little

Ee oe space and flower for the most part in named, this variety is yet finer, with a dwarfer |

growth and flowers larger and more free. They | early spring, while their variety of form

offers a wide range of beauty. They are almost all perennials, including such

kinds as P. malacoides and P. Forbesi

(plants of Yunnan, which are often

less robust, fearing exposure even in summer, |

and needing more heat and some shade during the hottest weather.

T. marmorata.—This is a garden variety, forming a bushy shrub remarkable for the

creamy-white blotches uponits dark green oval |

leaves ; its fine flowers are of bluish-purple.

T. meiodon.—A loose rambling shrub smal- ler in all its parts than those described, with oval leaves of about an inch long and many purple flowers half-an-inch across.

T. sarmentosa.—A cool grown greenhouse shrub from the mountains of Peru, with long trailing branches bearing oval, short-stalked leaves, and largeviolet or purple flowers nearly 3 inches across.

T. semidecandra.—A stout rambling shrub | reaching a height of many feet, with narrow | silky leaves with prominent veins and densely hairy beneath; angular branches of a light warm brown. Itslarge purpleflowersare com-_ posed of rounded petals, with darker vein- ings and reddish-purple stamens. The purple- shaded calyx is clothed with dense lustrous hairs, extending as silvery down to every part of the young growths. A free-blooming kind, vigorous, and with a long season of bloom, growing well in a cool-house or conservatory. |

grown and spoken of as annuals), and nearly all are hardy in England. While most sorts are of easy culture, there are some,particularlythe morealpinekinds, thatare difficult to growexceptinchosen spots of the rock-garden in which they find someapproachto their natural con- ditions of growth. With two exceptions

the Primulas are strictly confined to the

Syn. T. Kunthiana.

northern hemisphere, these exceptions

being the Magellan Primrose (P. ma-

gellanicus), a plant akin to our native Bird’s-Eye Primrose, anda native of the extreme limits of South America; and the Java Primrose (P. profifera), found in the East Indian Islands, and nearly

related to the P. smperialis of Bengal. Throughout their vast area the Primula

seeks everywhere the mountain fast- nesses with their freshness and pure skies. Though not in general difficult to raise from seed, these are often slow to germinate, the more so if not fresh. The culture of such common garden

plants as the forms of Chinese and

* With coloured plate of P. megasefolia from a drawing by H. G. Moon, at Warley Place.

Me wb had toh

. = nae! f , ‘ .

sa) f erin

nu;

y Wy BA is

yl | : MA

eng

ww «

a

1 y a os aie

THE PRIMULAS.

2%

Japanese Primroses, has little in com- |

mon with that of the alpine species

which must be tended for monthsin cold |

frames, and sometimes lie dormant for

as much as eighteen months without.

sign of growth. Such kinds should be

sown in a mixture of light loam and-

sand leaving the surface somewhat rough

and uneven. Without regard to any |

save differences of culture, the garden Primulasmay bethrown into four classes

as follows: the rock-plants which must | be grown between stones or in beds of

moss; those growing in the marsh or | most beautiful but rarely found truein gardens.

bog-garden ; a third class of delicate plants needing peat soil; and a fourth,

of garden plants easily grown.

SecTION I. Rock PLants.—This section embraces the Primroses of Europe, many of them found high amongst the mountains, and of which the Auricula may be taken as an example. They all possess strong fleshy roots acting as a reserve of sap for the entire plant; this tap root is deeply sunk between the stones

of the mountain side or the rock-garden, | : Como up toa height of 4,000 feet. Its leaves

spreading a wonderful network of fibres into

every cranny and fissure, and showing special | adaptation to the conditions in which the |

plants are found. This great root-system en- ables them to withstand the severe drought

to which they are at times subject. For soil, |

all they require is a little light humus, well drained, for they perish with the least excess of stagnant moisture. They delight in free ex- posure but not full sunlight, and are injured by smoke or fog. The flowers of this group include many of the most brilliant of the fa-

mily, but of these I can only mention the most |

important.

ALLIONI’s PRimRosE (P. 4//ionit).—A rare plant found only in parts of the Maritime Alps, ata height of 4,000 to 5,000 feet, growing in fissures of the limestone rocks as dense tufts of gummy leaves arranged in rosettes, from the centre of which appear one or two flowers about an inch across, of mauve with a white eye. It flowers in May, thriving best in half- shade and between flat rocks.

Auricuta (P. auricu/a).—Found at from 4,000 to 7,000 feet in the Apennines and Car- pathians, growing in full sun in crannies of the limestone rocks. It is the origin of the garden

_Auricula, with flowers of orange-yellow with

a lighter eye, and very fragrant. April and May.

Carniotic Primrose (P. carniolica). — From the Alps of Carinthia at a height of 3,000 to 4,500 feet. Leaves bright green, smooth, shining, and undulated, with clusters of three to fifteen mauve-coloured flowers in April and May. Old plants form spreading tufts, our finest being more than a foot across.

Ciusius Primrose (P. C/usiana).—Grows in the limestone mountains of Austria at a height of 3,000 to 6,500 feet, and is one of the

Its ovalleaves are of dark green, not dotted and

gummy like those of spectabi/is, nor grey and | stiff like those of g/aucescens (the two kinds

which oftenest do duty for it in collections), but faintly edged with white, while the flowers are large, of bright violet-rose, and composed of lobes divided to their middle, unlike those of glaucescens, which are more deeply cut. April to June.

Como Primrose (P. g/aucescens).—This species grows in the mountains around Lake

are of pale greyish-green, smooth, rigid, not gummy, but edged with a strong band or ner- vure which is very marked; fine large flowers of violet-rose in March and April, very free, and of easy culture.

Griutinous Primrose (P. g/utinosa).—A plant of the eastern and granitic Alps, growing in large colonies up to 6,000 feet and fragrant in allits parts. Its leaves are small and narrow, fleshy, covered with gum, and finely toothed; the short flower-stems bear one to six flowers of bright bluish-purple during April and May. It is of difficult culture, requiring wet, peaty soil, full sunlight, and to be grown in groups, for it dies out when isolated.

Hatry-LEAVED PRIMROSE (P. /irsuta).— Of the Alps and Pyrenees, in granite soils only and at a height of 2,000to 7,000 feet ; is often grown under the name of vzscosa. The leaves are hairy, oblong, deeply toothed, and sharply contracted towards the flower-stem, which bears beautiful clusters of two to fifteen flowers

26 FLORA AND SYLVA,

of bright rosy-purple during March and April. It should be grown in an open spot, but is averse to lime and to full sunlight. A fine white-flowered form of this plant is known as P_nivea and often wrongly called P. nvalis—a totally different plant.

SILVER-EDGED PRIMROSE (P. marginata).— A beautiful plant found at from 2,000 to 6,000 feet in Switzerland and the western Alps. Its form is very distinct, with a stem of some length and the appearance of a little shrub of 4 or 5 inches high. Its leaves are oblong, irregularly toothed, with a narrow edging of silvery powder; its many flowers are of bluish- lilac, borne during Apriland May. Thrives in crevices of the rock in half-shade, and should be grown in well-drained nooks of the rock- garden or a dry place in the border.

Farry Primrose (P. minima).—A species of the central and eastern Alps, at a height of 2,000 to 7,000 feet, and extending south to the Balkans. It is atiny plant, forming crowded tufts of light green rosettes,with leaves coarsely toothed; the flower is large, solitary or in pairs uponavery short stalk, rosy-lilac in colour, and deeply divided into five lobes. Being found among granite rocks it needs a sandy well- drained soil, full sunlight, and abundant mois- ture. March and April.

Muret’s Primrose (P. Muretiana).—A natural cross between P.zntegrifolia and P. vis- cosa, found freely in the Engadine and Tyrol, in crevices of the rocks witha northernaspect.

or June as beautiful clusters of three to ten flowers.

Vat Daone Primrose (P. Ctnensis).— Found in the Tyrol and the eastern Swiss Alps, at 5,000 to 7,000 feet. A pretty plant akin to the hairy-leaved Primrose (Avrsuta), but known by its crowded tufts and habit of growth, and its thick, clammy leaves, sparingly toothed. Its flowers are large, of bright pale pink with a white eye, coming in April and May.

PrepMonT Primrose (P. pedmontana).—A very distinct form of the Clammy Primrose (viscosa), found in the Italian Alps witha range of 1,000 to 5,000 feet. Its leaves are clothed

oblong, and arranged in large rosettes; the flowers are large and numerous, of brilliant

rosy-purple, and handsome. March and April. It is frequent in crevices of the rocks in half- shade.

Hysrip Bear’s Ear (P. pubescens).—A natural cross between the Auricula and the Hairy-leaved Primrose, found in the Alps side by side with its parents. Its leaves are smooth and thick, with large flowers of many colours from yellow through all the shades of crimson and purple, coming in April and May. This plant is in part the source of the garden Auricula.

SHowy Primrose (P. spectabi/is).—A plant of the eastern and Austrian Alps, found at from

| 3,000 to 7,000 feet upon the limestone. It is a beautiful species, akin to the Clusius Prim-

rose (C/usiana) bearing large flowers of violet- crimson in early spring. It is of easy culture in half-shade, within crevices of the limestone rocks.

TYROLESE PRIMROSE (P. tyro/iensis).—A

_ species of the Southern Tyrol, at from 3,000

to 8,000 feet upon limestone. A pretty plant akinto Allioni’s Primrose with similarly dwars habit and tiny leaves, but these are readily known as being translucid (instead of opaque) and toothed, and by the divided lobes of the rosy-lilac corolla. The entire plant is little more than an inch high, and flowers during

April and May. It is of difficult culture, re-

quiring porous well-drained soil of peat,humus, and sand, with fragments of limestone, and a

spot in half-shade. Its leaves are long and brownish, with flowers | of a deep crimson-purple appearing in May

SHAGGY-LEAVED PRimRosE (P. vé//osa).— A plant abundant in the granitic masses ot southern Austria, at from 3,000 to 6,000 feet. Its leaves are clammy, covered with hairs, and regularly dented; its flowers, of a brilliant rose

colour, appear in Marchand April. In gardens

it often passes for the Hairy or the Clammy Primroses, but may be known from Azrsuta (of

_ which the leaves are suddenly contracted upon

the stalk) by its narrower leaves, less toothed, and gradually tapering, and by the brown hairi- ness of all its parts. From wsscosa it differs in

_the shorter tube of its corolla, its short flower- _ stalk, andin the greater brilliancy of its flowers. _It succeeds in rocky crevices in half-shade, _ planted in peat rich in humus and free of lime. with a dense brownish down, are thick and |

CLamMy PrimrRoss (P. viscosa).—A plant

of the granite rocks of the Alps and Pyrenees,

with a range of 3,000 to 5,000 feet. Like the

THE PRIMULAS.

27

Silver-edged Primrose (marginata) it develops a thick stem of several inches, often branched like a little shrub. Its leaves are large, toothed, covered with glandulous hairs and with fringed

| |

edges; its lowers, borne as large bunches dur- | common Bird’s-eye Primrose but with leaves

ing Apriland May, are of bluish-lilac. It thrives

in peaty soil, between sandstone rocks, in half- |

shade. Syn. P. graveolens and /atifolia. Wu ren’s Primrose (P. Wulfeniana).—A plant found upon the limestone of eastern Aus-

tia, irom 3,c00'to 5,000 feet. It isa P. CAA

stanain miniature, with narrow leaves, slightly

glaucous, and with a white margin; its rosy |

flowers are large, solitary (or as many as three) borne upon a short stem during March and April. It needs a well-drained crevice in half- shade (facing east or west) with a mixture of peat and sand.

The foregoing are essentially rock-loving plants, thriving in niches of the rock or in old walls; they can be grown also in pots of light soil, if thoroughly drained.

SecTion II. —These kinds, of which the Bird’s-eye Prim- rose stands as a type, are found in marshy tracts upon mountains and beside streams ; many of them are natives of the Himalayan re- gion and the far East.

AstaTic Birp’s-rve (P. a/gida).—Found in western Asia, from Caucasus to the Altai

from Patagonia, a robust plant, 6 inches or more high, with leavesalmost spiny and flowers of a pale rose tending to white.

SOUTHERN Birp’s-EYE Primrose (P. /ron- dosa).—A plant of the Balkans, related to the

of a different shape and densely powdered in all its parts. It was added to our collection

| by Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria,and sent out

from our gardens at Geneva. May and June.

Grant YELLow Cows iP (P. grandis).—A species of the western Caucasus, from 6,000 to 10,000 feet, with large leaves and a stout stem

over a foot high, with small tubular flowers

in drooping clusters.

It has never flowered with usat Geneva but does so with little trouble in England. It thrives upon the moist banks of mountain torrents, reaching a largesize, but is not showy in gardens.

CREAMY-FLOWERED PRIMRosE (P. ivo0/u- crata).—A native of the Himalayan slopes be-

_ tween 12,000 and 15,000 feet, where it forms

W ATER-LOVING PRIMULAS. |

Mountains. Though akin to the European | September, are of bright rose in the wild form,

Bird’s-eye (P. farinosa) it is distinct in its larger leaves, obtuse-spathulate, bordered with fine teeth, and its largeflowers of deepviolet. May and June.

tufts of bright green, its leaves narrowing sud- denly upon the stalk; drooping flowers of creamy-white or sometimes of a bluish shade. From May to July.

THE JAPANESE PRimuLa (P. japonica).— Introduced from Japan in 1871, this fine plant is now much grown in gardens. Its bold leaves are of a pale green, and its flowers, carried in tiers upon a stem of I to 2 feet, from June to

but of many colours in its garden varieties. ‘TRUMPET-FLOWERED PRIMRosE (P. /ongi-

_flora).—Found upon the Alps, Carpathians,

FE AR-LEAVED PRimRosE (P. auricu/ata).—A | plant of the mountains of Caucasus and Persia, © _larged towards their base, are slightly toothed

closely related to the last but differing in its longer flower-tube and its larger clusters. Brrp’s-EYE Primrose (P.farinosa).—Found in damp spots of the mountainous and sub- alpine regions of Europe (Britain),central Asia, and Northern and arctic America. Its leaves are oval-obtuse, crimpled, and powdered with white beneath ; the flowers appear from April

to June as terminal heads of light or deep pink. | There is a form with white flowers ; a second, | to P. /ongiffora; found in the mountains ot

known as Ware’s Primrose, of dark violet with a deeply coloured eye; a third (P. muistassinica) from N. America, intermediate between this species and the Arctic Bird’s-eye (P. stricta) ; and a fourth variety, the Magellan Primrose,

and heights of eastern Europe, between 4,500 and 6,000 feet. Its oval-oblong leaves, en-

and powdered beneath ; the rosy flowers car- ried upon a thick stem during spring, are re- markable for their length of tube. YELLOWISH Primrose (P. /uteo/a).—A plant of the eastern Caucasus, related to Ps. algida

and auricu/ata but larger in growth and in its

more numerous yellow flowers, borne upon long stalks in May and June. TURKESTAN PrimRosE (P. O/ge).—Akin

Turkestan at from 7,000 to 12,000 feet. It dif- fers in its leaves, smooth and shining on both sides, and in the longer bracts of the invo-

| lucre. April and May.

28

FLORA AND SYLVA,

Parry’s Primrose (P. Parryr).—Found in the alpine regions of the Rocky Mountains. Oval-oblong leaves, upright and almost spiny, narrowing to a broad stem; large flowers in clusters of bright crimson, during May and June. It is of difficult growth where the air is dry, needing a moist, spongy soil (well drained) and full sunlight.

Potsson’s PrimRosk (P. Pozssoni).—A ten- der species from Yunnan, and related to the Japanese Primrose but with crisped greyish leavesand large flowers of rosy-lilacin irregular tiers; protection in winter.

NetrepD Primrose (P. reticu/ata).—Akin to the Sikkim Cowslip (P. szkkimensis) but known by its leaves, heart-shaped at their base, its upright flowers, and minor botanical de-

tails. Eastern and central Himalayan region, |

flowering from May to August.

Rosy Primrose (P. rosea).—A species of the western Himalayas, with leaves like those of the Common Primrose but smooth, and bright rosy flowers in March and April; there is a large fowered form, and one of deep colour known as splendens.

ScorcH Birp’s-EYE Primrose (P. scotica). —Though classed with the common Bird’s- eye this is a beautiful little plant, distinct in the rounded divisions of the calyx (triangular in farinosa), its finely-dented leaves, and its flowers of dark purple upon a very short stem in April and May.

SIBERIAN Primrose (P. sidirica).—A plant of Northern Asia, akin to the creamy-flowered Primrose (¢”vo/ucrata), bearing in spring small

clusters (three to five) of rosy flowers, encircled | _more blossoms, upon a stout stem of g to 18

by long bracts.

SIKKIM Cows tip (P. sekkimensts).—Found in the Himalayas at from 12,000 to 15,000 feet, extending thence into Southern China. Leaves long and ridged, waveduponthe margin; droop- ing flowers of pale yellow from May to July, in large clusters of as many as fifty or sixty, carried upon a stem of from 1 to 2 feet high. This plant is of fine effect beside streams.

Arctic Birp’s-EYE Primrose (P. séricta). —A tiny plant of northern and Arctic regions, related to the Common Bird’s-eye, but differ- ing in its shorter flower-stem, its leaves un- powdered beneath, and in the very slightly divided corolla of pale rose.

SecTIon III. PLantTs NEEDING PEAT oR

SpecraL Currurre.—Rovunp-HEapeD Hima-

_LAYAN Primrose (P. capitata).—A species of

the heights of Sikkim and Bhotan, at from 12,000 to 15,000 feet. It is a beautiful plant with finely-dented leaves of narrow-oval form, covered on bothsides but more denselybeneath, with a pale, yellowish powder, extending also to all parts of the flower-stalk and the base of the flowers. These are numerous, of deep violet- blue, borne in a dense, rounded head upon a stout stalk of 6 to ginches. This fine kind is rare in gardens, where such species as denticu- /ata and cashmeriana often bear its name. It flowers from June to November, growing in peaty soil free from lime, and in half-shade ; it may be well grown in pots under cold frames.

LARGE-LEAVED Primrose (P. megas@folia). —A beautiful plant from Laghistanand the re- gion of the Black Sea, which though described as long ago as 1866 has only been in cultivation for about three years. Its introduction is due to the botanist-collector, Sprenger, who sent it to the Jardin d’ Acclimatation of Geneva, from

| whence it found its way to England, being first

grown by Miss Willmott, at Warley Place, where our artist’s drawing was made. It was shown before the Royal Horticultural Society in March, 1go1, and received an award of merit. For gardens it is a plant of value, with bold handsome leaves of dark green, thick and leathery, strongly ribbed, and often of a rich red-brown colour. The large flowers of rosy- lilac, either dark or light, are aninch across, and their colour finely contrasted with the bright orange of the tube ; they are carried in clusters of variable size, showing five to fifteen or even

inches in height. At Geneva it is in flower

| from September or October throughout the

winter, and as late as March or April of the following spring. It thrivesinalight peaty soil free from lime in any form, doing best in half- shade ; its seeds are very slow and uncertain in germination. In England, to do well, it must be flowered under glass, but its freedom and long season of flower make it a plant of value for the conservatory during winter.

VELVET PrimRosE (P. mo/lis).—A rare plant from the mountains of Bhotanand ofsimi- lar culture to the last-named,with large velvety leaves and small flowers of deep rose with a red tube and dark eye, carried in somewhat irregu-

THE LION'’S-TAIL,

29

lar tiers of fifteen to twenty blossoms. May to August.

GLoBE-HEADED PurRPLE Primrose (P. pur- purea).—A robust plant with narrow upright leaves of dark green, crisp, and nearly smooth at the edge, yellowish-white on their under sur- face ; the drooping flowers of deep violet are of fair size and carried in terminal clusters from

May to July. Alpine regions of Afghanistan

andthe Himalayas. It is a plant of difficult cul- |

ture, needing a light peaty soil free from lime and a position in half-shade. SIEBOLD’s PRimRosE (P..S7eb0/di1).—A beau-

tiful plant from the gardens of Japan, with bold |

foliage heavily indented and crisped, and co- vered with soft down ; the large flowers, with deep-cut lobes, are of rosy purple in the wild plant but of many colours in its garden varieties, some of which carry flowers with their margins laced or curled. The plant should be grown in a mixture of peat, rotten-wood, leaf-soil, loam, and stones, with a position in half-shade.

STuaRT’s Primrose (P. Stuarti.)—Allied to the Globe-headed Purple Primrose (pur- purea), but with golden flowers coming from May to July. It needs a deep porous soil, care- ful drainage, a place in half-shade, and protec- tion from northerly winds. Himalayas.

CALIFORNIAN CowsttP (P.suffruticosum) .—

A plant growing in small tufts upon the heights of the Rocky Mountains,with narrow spathu- late leaves toothed towards their apex,and large flowers of rosy-purple with a yellow eye, carried in small clusters. Apriland May. It is best in a sheltered and well-drained niche of the rock- garden, with a fair amount of sunlight. Section [V. Harpy GARDEN PRIMULAs. —Hereareclassed the kinds widely known and grown in England—the country of the Prim- rose ; kinds such as the many beautiful double and single forms of Cowslip, Polyanthus,Oxlip, and Primrose, and with them afew Himalayan and Siberian plants which may beso classed for their beauty and their hardiness. Amongst them the lovely P. cortusoides of south and eastern Siberia, which yields from April to June its clusters of bright rosy flowers in delicate con- trast to the neat tufts of green foliage; and for moist spots the Himalayan P. cashmeriana, a fine variety of denticu/ata,carrying its hundreds of flowers in dense heads of lilac, purple, or,

(

the Primulas most useful in gardens. Almost

_allthe species yieldseed in abundance, but even

when it germinates itis often only after twelve or eighteen months of waiting. H. CORREVON.

Jardin d’Acclimatation de Geneve.

THE LION’S-TAIL (Leonotis leonorus).

-Tuoucs the vast Mint family (Ladzate)

of lipped-flowers is mainly confined to

the warm-temperate or Mediterranean

‘region, its representatives are found more sparingly in warmer parts of Africa and America, and among these tropical

y Ye

and semi-tropical forms are the Leo- notis.. The Lion’s-tail, that best known in English gardens, comes from those grassy uplands characteristic of the lower mountain regions of Natal and the Cape, from where it was brought nearly 200 yearsago. Though several species are showy and attractive this

more rarely, of white. Such is a rapid survey of | would seem to be the only kind grown

30

in Palen serie nor is or ae any means a common plant. In the south- west it is successfully grown out-doors, but over the great part of our islands though well-established plants may bloom outside in late summer, it cannot stand a winter in the open, but is worth its place anywhere asa pot plant. The long spikes of orange-scarlet flowers, with a lighter throat, about 2 inches long and covered inside and out with short hairs, are borne tier above tier with a score or more of flowers in each whorl. ‘These handsome clusters last in beauty for several weeks and are quite unlikeany other flower. In Mohamedan countries it is a general favourite, and known as the ‘‘ minaret plant” from its fancied resemblance to these many- storeyed buildings. Upon the Medi- terranean coast it is also common and its shrubby character so develops dur- ing a series of mild winters as to reach 9g or ro feet in height, with flower- stems of proportionate length. These are excellent when cut, lasting well in water and pretty under artificial light seen in long spikes. The leavesare long and tapering, of a pale greyish green, with a graceful downward droop.

For English gardens young plants should be raised in early spring from cuttings of the side-shoots, which root readily in a gentle bottom-heat. Pot- ting off should be done as needed and the plants fully exposed during summer and housed in early autumn ; ; they will then bloom inside during ne and spring, and if lightly cut back yield

a second show planted in the open

* « The Primrose a Dargeican’

iy “A Field Neaialee

FLORA AND SYLVA.

joni ace of ae young plants should be done with care, for if stopped too late it results in weit twigs and no flowers ; second year plants should be trimmed after flowering and then left alone. The object is to get stout, well- ripened growths of 3 to 4 feet; weak shoots will not flower, nor is it strange in view of what it must cost the plant to produce such spikes of colour. Trying winds or brusque changes of tempera- ture must be avoided, for a check often causes loss of leaves and a melancholy aspect. During dry weather waterings should be copious, with liquid manure from time to time, for in its native haunts the plant is almost an aquatic, growing beside streams and in moist bot- toms. In town gardens itrarelydoes well, being sensitive to the fogs and darkness of our winter days, but in districts more favoured it often makes a brave show during the dull season. Where cuttings are not to be had the plant may be raised from seed, which is freely produced and often springs up around the plants in gardens of the Riviera. ‘There 1s a varie- gated form to be found in the south of Europe, and a white variety is grown in gardens of Capetown, but it has not yet found its way to this country.

BOOKS. “THE PRIMROSE AND DARWINISM.” *

THosE who accept the Darwinians at theirown valuation might be enlightened by reading this book, which shows the shallow methods and hasty reasonings of the school of Darwin and Lubbock, and their followers, like the late Mr. Grant Allen. The followers of Darwin were much likethe old florists,who inclined to knock anybody on the head who did not accept their

” M.A., Camb. London: Grant Richards. 6s.

BOOKS.

little formula. One of the saddest things about the excitement was the contempt of the opi- nions of some of the wisest and most scienti- fic men of the time, such as Quatrefages and

Owen, who gave to the craze its true name of | ‘“‘Conjectural biology.” The idea even among |

those whoought to know better, that we “didn’t

know everything down in Judee,” or anywhere | else, about the evolution of life before Darwin’s |

time is a pure illusion.

Darwin, as the result of experiments made by him on the fertilisation of flowers, drew several conclusions. We select two as good examples of the weakness of the Darwin case.

“The first and most important that, generally, cross-fertilisation is beneficial

1S)

and self-fertilisation often injurious.” And, |

again: “ Scarcely any result from my experi- ments has surprised me so much as this of the prepotency of pollen from a distinct individual over each plant’s own pollen, as proved by the greater constitutional vigour of crossed seed- lings.” Furthermore: “The simple fact of the necessity in many cases of extraneous help for the transport of pollen renders it highly pro- bable that some great benefit is gained; and this conclusion has now been firmly established by the proved superiority in growth, vigour, and fertility of crossed parentage over those of self-fertilised parentage.”

By self-fertilisation is meant that the pollen

of its own flower (or of a flower on this same |

root) fertilises its own stigma. By cross-fertili- sation is meant that pollen from a flower grow-

ing on a different root (in case of heterostyled | plants one of a different form) was applied tothe |

stigma. Darwin, in making his experiments, made use of the following plan, as described by himself: “‘A single plant, if it produced a suffi- ciency of flowers, or two or three plants, were placed under a net stretched on a frame. On the plants thus protected” (from the visits of

bees and other insects) “‘several flowers were | marked, and were fertilised with their own.

pollen, and an equal number on the same plants were at the same time crossed with pollen from a distinct plant. The crossed plants had not their anthers removed.”

The author points out the weak points in |

Darwin’s method as follows :— ‘“‘'The cross-fertilised plants had a great

advantage. The self-fertilised plants had only |

BT

their own pollen, and that developed under a net to fertilise them; but the cross-fertilised plants had not only their own pollen—their anthers were not removed—but pollen from another plant applied to them as well, and that, too, grown naturally outside the net ; for Darwin wished, by leaving the flowers their own pollen, and, at thesame time, crossing them with other pollen,‘ to make the experiments as like as pos- sible to what occurs under Nature, with plants fertilised by the aid of insects.’ The cross-ferti- lised had, consequently, two sets of pollen to choose between,and whichever happened to be most in its prime, that would exercise a ‘ pre- potent’ influence in the fertilisation. But the flowers fertilised with their own pollen had no other pollen but their own to depend upon, and that developed under a net, which must fertilise them or none at all.”

‘““Such a system of experiments evidently gave to the cross-fertilised flowers a very great advantage over the self-fertilised ones,and con- sequently a very great advantage for the pro- duction of better developed seeds, and for the stronger growth and vigour of the seedlings raised from them” (quoted from p. 60).

Darwin’s experiments, which he said proved the“ prepotency of pollen from another plant over that of a plant’s own pollen,” merely proved the prepotency of pollen grown on a plant uncovered over that of pollen grown under the shade of a “‘close-meshed net.” The wonder is that Darwin failed to perceive the unequal conditions. Now that his method is explained his errors will be patent to every florist. They will thus be saved from unneces- sary and unprofitable outlay which many in the past have suffered, from placing reliance on Darwin’s views; as the agriculturistsin New Zealand and Australia about the Red Clover, and many in our public and private gardens and nurseries about cross-fertilisation.

In many cases also the flowers under the net were left to pollinate themselves, and the exclusion of the full influence of the wind was a further disadvantage even to the efficient pollination of the self-fertilised flowers.

“The influence of the solar rays, too,would be greatly diminished in passing through a closely-meshed net, and consequently they would be much debarred from exercising their full maturing power on the anthers, and so on

32

FLORA AND SYLVA.

the pollen of the self-fertilised flowers. Radia- tion would likewise be almost entirely pre- vented by the net, and the dew would conse- quently fail to fall on the anthers. The impor- tance of this influence cannot be over-estimated. In the mornings of early spring, after clear and still nights, we have frequently found the flowers of the Primrose bedrenched with dew. Occasionally the dew deposited on the anthers of the short-styled form has been so great as to lie upon the anthers and entirely to fill the ori-

fice of the corolla. Thus the anthers of neither | form could attain under such conditions their |

natural condition for fertilisation. The stigmas would likewise be similarly affected, as the cups

of their flowers were likewise very frequently filled with dew.”

we regret we have not space to attempt to do justice to the author’s very clear and incisive arguments, notably Chapters XX.-XXIII., in which the Darwinian theory ofa special rela- tion between the stamens and pistils of the same length in trimorphic flowers (different flowers of the same species, in which there are three different lengths of styles and stamens) is shown to be untenable.

BEAUTIFUL AND RARE TREES AND PLANTS We all know the many good things that come from the North of Ireland, particularly the men and women of that region, but at first sight it might not seem to be a genial home for trees and plants of warmer countries. Lord Annes- ley, however, has made his picturesque and beautiful home avery treasure house for lovers of such things. No doubt the sea helps him, as it always does by protecting with its friendly mantle the things that grow near it. It is a well-printed book, illustrated with the best ‘* process” cuts, giving an account of some of the most beautiful hardy plants and shrubs in

Dwarf forms of the Common Spruce are also quite useless, and the same may be said of the variegated forms of the Redwood and other variegated conifers. The botanical names of various authors are given fully in this book, but we miss the Englishnames. Amongst the rare plants figured and described are Lomatia pinna- tifolia, a beautiful evergreen shrub, very diffi- cult of propagation, but quite hardy and shown asa fine bush. Eucryphia pinnatifolia, also diff- cult to raise except from seed, though the fine plant at Castlewellan flowered in 1go1, and a number of seedlings have been raised. A hand- some shrub from New Zealand is Brachyg/ottis repanda, with bold indented leaves g inches by 6 inches, pale green and white beneath, but,

_ being tender, it can only be used in the open As regards the other chapters of the book,

cultivation, and the plates givean excellentidea |

of their habit. Some of them are extremely rare,

others, like the Lawson’s Cypress and Métake | Bamboo, are not so; the Poison “Ivy” com-_

mon in American hedges, we should have pre-

ferred to see omitted, as it is not a rare plant. |

in mild districts. A fine evergreen Oak from Japan (Quercus acuta) is well shown, alsoa very large tree of Rhododendron arboreum, 30 feet high and 130 feet round. Other scarce shrubs are Daphniphyllum glaucescens, an evergreen trom Japan; Idesia polycarpa, a deciduous tree from the same country, bearing on the female plant pretty blue berries ; and Fagus c/iffortio- ides, a rare and graceful Beech from New Zea- land, with small leaves giving fine colour effect inspring. Several kinds of Pittosporum are also noticed, including the dainty P. Co/ensoz, which is quite hardy at Castlewellan. Thunberg’s Vine (Vitis Thunbergii) is also figured.

Much of the book is devoted to conifers, andamongst therarest of these are G/yptostrobus heterophyllus 5 feet high, and perhaps the rarest conifer in British gardens; a fine Adzes brac- teata, rare even in its native country of Cali- fornia; andthe beautiful Pzmus Montezume of Mexico, which is only hardy in such favoured spots as this. Some other kinds which rarely do well, such as the Japanese Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verticillata) and “funiperus recurva are finely shown, and Fitzroya patagonica,a rare and slow-growing tree of deep green colour from the extreme of South America. The volume concludes with a list of plants proved hardy at Castlewellan, which is of interest to plantersas showing the wonderful adaptability of many plants to careful experiment such as that carried on by the author.

* « Beautiful and Rare Trees and Plants,” by Earl Annesley. Illustrated. Country Life, Tavistock Street, W.C. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

FLORA

AND SYLVA.

Vol. Il. No. 11.]

THE FAILURE OF THE CALI- FORNIAN CONIFERS. In talking with Mr. Anthony Waterer

the other day about the great change | in the once prevalent taste for planting —

the Californian conifers,and of the fail- ure of some kinds like the Wellingtonia _ and Araucaria, I regretted to hear him | deploring the failure of others such as Abies nobilis. It is not only that we have to contend with the tenderness of some | of the trees so stricken by frost in our valleys, but there are other and more subtle troubles of which it is not always easy to see the cause, in trees of whose hardiness there is no doubt. I planted a thousand White Pine, which is hardier than most Californian trees, and they throve for some years, but are now dy- ing off in a way for which no insect or other cause can be seen. As regards California,we have to compare our dull watery climate with one of the finest in the world: the long gentle summer and the winter rest on mountains deep- ly covered with snows which dissolve gradually in spring, so that the trees get a sufficient rainfall with a thorough ripening of their wood. Anyone who has seen the Pacific mountain trees in their own country can hardly wonder

FEBRUARY,

1904. [ Monthly.

that some of them should fail in ours. In all the changes of fashion among trees there never was one in which peo- ple were so carried away as by these giant conifers, nor one in which failure has been so complete. And we have not only to suffer the loss of these trees but there is the penalty of our neglect of the trees of the forest plain, from Oaks to Maples—far more suited as they are for a lowland country, than the conifers of those lovely mountains fanned by Pacific Ocean breezes. Si- -milarity of climate is a condition we should always remember, and the more like the climate of ourown country, the more certain success will be. The re- gion of the Corsican Pine, for example, and that of the Cedars of North Africa, rises so high that it has somewhat the same conditions of climate as our own country, the proof being that we see our own hardy wild flowers and shrubs growing about them. It is not all failure with the Pacific coast trees, because we have still some trees like the Western -Hemlock and the Sitka Spruce, which are of proved value, and we must be con- tent with such. Our aim should be not theincrease of species, but making good and artistic use of those that not only

C

34

FLORA AND SYLVA.

endure but thrive in our climate. Har- diness, though an absolute need, is but one condition, as the hardiest trees may fail. It is a blessing in disguise that we have not too many, because people are so aptto mistakea collection for a wood, and the more kinds some planters have the worse the plantation for any good effect. In spite of failures we have enough evergreen trees adapted to the climate of Europe, and which are quite able to give us all the effect we seek in woods and pleasure grounds. Those evergreen trees we have proved tobe good, whether they come from Europe, or the colder parts of America or Asia, we should

plant in the true woodland wayand not |

in the conventional pinetum. The very

plan of that has helped to make these

cess and were frequently resorted to in former years. A tree might succeed planted small as a healthy seedling, which would fail in other and more ex- pensive ways. S.

A GREAT LONDON MARKET NURSERY.

THouGH modern invention has brought about no such revolution in horticulture as in many arts and crafts, yet there have been changes in garden husbandry wide and far reaching, and nowhere are these newer features better seen than in such an establishment as that of Thos. Rochford and Sons, growers for the London

| market, whose vast ranges of glass are seen by

travellers upon the Great Eastern Railway, conspicuous even among the many nurseries of Cheshunt and Broxbourne. It is a little town of glass devoted to plants, with street

_after street of forcing houses, vineries, and pro-

| pagating pits, with packing sheds for each de-

trees unpopular and at the same time Is |

dead against their health; because on the mountains where Pines are found, there does not occur that rich grass

which sucks up like a sponge all the

| partment, stabling, cold-storage, and a small _army of men and boys to doits work. It is in

_the extension of these great plant factories, in

water that falls in our often dry sum-_ mers, especially in the southern districts.

A minor cause of failure which we can but just notice is, that the trees are often

planted when too old, from plants |

brought up in pots and often trans- planted too late. The rarer kinds are not always to be bought in the way forest trees should be, 7.e., as seedling plants about two years old. Iam now

lanting AtlanticCed idian | Pose antic Cedars and Numidian | up to the growth of retarded plants, the bulk

Fir, very promising-looking plants, but from having been grown in pots the roots are more like clinkers than roots, and I shall probably:lose many of the trees. Grafting, too,‘and propagation from cuttings are also dead against suc-

which plant-growth upon a vast scale is made (as much as it can be) amatter of machine-like precision and certainty, that we see the most striking outcome of the modern spirit in hor- ticulture ; with a great output the cost of pro- duction is reduced to its lowest, while the results are of a high standard of excellence. Even then, as Mr. Rochford admitted during our recent visit, when all has been done that

_art and experience can devise, the grower is

yet much at the mercy of those natural forces

beyond control: ‘“‘a few days of sunshine in- y y

stead of a fortnight’s unvaried gloom would

_ have more thandoubled our Christmas output

of cut flowers ; but, fortunately, it is the same

| for all.”

A large part of the establishment is given

of which have been kept for many months in frost in the great refrigerator—a large build- ing of eight chambers, in which the cold is generated by a twenty horse-power engine (with a second in case of temporary need), which is working the whole year round save for about a fortnight in each year for repairs.

A GREAT LONDON MARKET NURSERY.

35

The chambers are now nearly empty, but they are stocked early in each year as the new ship- ments come in, until the whole is filled with a vast quantity of bulbs, roots, and shrubs, which, so soon as they show any tendency to growth, are subjected to frost and so held dor- mant through thesummer until forced supplies are again in request. Most things are frozen for half the season, many for nine months, and

bulbs and tubers so retarded has gradually in- creased, and now includes many of the fine Japan Lilies, Lily of the Valley, Spireas, Rhu- barb, Seakale, the hardy Ghent Azaleas, and other things, and the quantities treated may be gathered from the long ranges of glass given up to their subsequent growth, and that the one item of Lily of the Valley crowns runs up to over £10,000 a year. Beside what they grow and market, Messrs. Rochford supply quantities of these frozen plants to private and other gardens in which the demand for them is greatly on the increase as the advantages of the system become better known. ‘Though they hardly need forcing in the ordinary sense, special care is needed in the details of water- ing and temperature for plantscoming through

better results are got than with ordinary forced stuff. The contrast between crowns of Lily of the Valley retarded and forced is a convinc- ing proof of what is gained, the weakly leaf-

beside the abundant leafage and stout spikes of the frozen crowns. In the height of the winter season the nursery sends to market some 8,000 bunches a day of these flowers, all carefully sorted into nine grades according to quality, by a large staff of men and boys, the finest bunches being of spikes 18 inches to 2 feet in length. The fine Spireas and Lilies placed on the market for Christmas are very different under this gentle culture to the un- healthy-looking product of strong heat and semi-darkness. There are tricks in the trade, as Mr. Rochford laughingly admitted, tricks which have had to be found out by experi- ment and failure, and which they do not make public ; these are details as to the degrees ot cold found to produce the best effect in diffe- rent plants, and the length of time each will stand the ordeal without injury. Such matters

have also to be in part decided by the condi- tion of the plants themselves in different years, and upon such little details much depends. The same excellence is shown in all the de- partments of the nursery. The houses emptied by the recent demand for Crotons were already restocked with young plants in all the best kinds, including the fine new variety turnfor-

| diensis, obtained here and recently shown with some for as long as nearly a year. The list of |

distinction before the Royal Horticultural So- ciety. Its colours are finely contrasted, the broad, rich patches of golden yellow extend-

| ing deeply into the leaves from their base, giv- | ingit a distinct andshowy character. A further

range of glass is given to fine-leaved plants and Palms in all stages of growth, with many large

clumps of Raphis, and finely-grown Kentias

and Cocos of many feet in height. A few plants of the Golden Kentia are grown, but when their first freshness is past the leaves are so like those of a scorched orstarved plant that it can- not be called ornamental. Another evidence of high culture is the series of vineries, each of great length, and given up entirely to the growth of winter Grapes. The display of fruit, even after the huge Christmas demand had

| been met,was remarkable, the clusters of Black so abnormal a winter, but with a gentle heat |

Alicante and Gros Colmar hanging in profu- sion and in fine condition. The supply is timed to last into April of each year, or until the first early Grapes appear. The day’s allowance was

| in process of cutting, eight to twelve bunches less stems of the forced plants showing badly |

being carefully packed in baskets, which are carried to market by the carts of the firm. As our tour extended, well-nigh every market plant of importance was seen in succession, growneither forcutting or forsale as pot plants. A batch of the retarded hardy Azaleas were nearly over though still brilliant, but for blaze of colour nothing came near the pink winter- flowering Begonias, a quantity of which, made up in baskets for market, would tempt any- one’s money in these dull days,and were a spot of dazzling brightness even when seen from the railway. ‘The Pandanus house was crowded with good plants, including a stock of the new Golden-leaved Pandanus just received from America, the merits of which are still on trial by English growers. A second part of the nursery, separated by a few minutes’ walk, is given to the growth of Ferns of many sorts and sizes—Aspidistras, the fine-leaved Asparagus,

Cr

36

FLORA AND SYLVA.

and Araucarias, these last grown, as is usual also in Belgium and in the south of France, from cuttings. Tastes willdifferin such matters, but a few stray seedlings amongst the rest were far more graceful in appearance than the stiffer large-leaved plants, which throw a rank of heavy leaves from the very base ; true this con- ceals the pot but it gives the plant an artificial appearance. Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the existence of this and other huge plant factories is, that they prove that the love of plant and flower has taken a firm hold upon our city populations, and cannot fail to react insensibly to the well-being of the nation. In view, also, of the enterprise and method dis- played in this great plant-growing centre, it is refreshing to learn that, spite of hostile tariffs, foreign customers are not wanting for produce of souniformly high a standard, making it cer- tain that in the event of the enforced lowering

of such barriers our growers need not fear to |

hold their own withcontinental nurseries.—B.

Tue Garpben or Damascus.—Wild as the nighest woodland of a deserted home in England, but with- out its sweet sadness, is the sumptuous Garden of Damascus. Forest trees, tall and stately enough, if you could see their lofty crests, yet lead a bustling life of it below, with their branches struggling against considerable numbers of bushes and wil- ful shrubs. High, high above your head, and on every side all down to the ground, the thicket is hemmed in and choked up by the interlacing boughs that droop with the weight of roses, and

load the slow air with their damask breath. The | animals. I was Once proud of putting

Rose trees which I saw were all of the kind we call damask— they grow to an immense height and size. There are no other flowers. Here and there are patches of ground made clear from the cover, and these are either carelessly planted with some

to the wayward ways of Nature, and bear rank weeds, moist-looking and cool to your eyes, and freshening the sense with their earthy and bitter fragrance. There is a lane opened through the thicket, so broad in some places that you can pass along side by side —in some so narrow (the shrubs are for ever encroaching) that you ought, if you can, to go on the first and hold back the bough of the Rose tree. And through this wilderness there tum- bles a loud rushing stream, which is halted at last in the lowest corner of the garden, and then tossed up in the fountain by the side of the simple alcove. This is all. Never for an instant will the people of Damascus attempt to separate the idea of bliss from these wild gardens and rushing waters.— E6THEN.

THE GREATER TREES OF THE NORTHERN FOREST.—No. 11. THE WHITE WILLOW (Salix alba).

Ir asked to name our most beautiful native tree I should name the White Willow. It isnot popular with planters, but if one wanted to make a picture of an ugly marsh or bare stream bank where is the tree that would do it so well in a few years? Happily it plants itself over the valleys and by the rivers of nearlyall European countries ; in the valleys of France and in our country, especially towards the east, it is abun- dant. Whether we plant in woodland, wet or marshy places, or beside pools in parks, or by the side of streams, every- where it helps us with good effect ; the

_very opposite of the Oak in its elegance,

lightness, and colour. Where the tree grows well by rivers or lakes, tall trees of it may often be seen 80 feet high and from 12 to 15 feet girth. Where dis- tinct effects are sought from a planta- tion it is necessary to keep off browsing

1,800 Willows besidethe sources of the upper Medway, butI did not count with

cows, rabbits, and water-rats, and I do common and useful vegetable, or else are left free |

not think that more than two dozen of

the trees survive.

Ifany thought of artistic planting, in the best sense of what is right and natural, ever enters the mind of men in- stead of the muddle mixtures of our day, the White Willow will take a high place, for no “‘ Olive silvery Sirmio” has a more beautiful effect than the White Willow,

well planted, gives on marsh, river-

bank, or rich bottom land. It faces the

Sy

THE WHITE WILLOW.

roa)

SUFFOLK.

EAST BERGHOLT,

(Engraved for ‘*Flora’”’ from a drawing by H. G. Moon.)

POLLARD WHITE WILLOWS,

38

FLORA AND SYLVA,

Northern Ocean winds and is nowhere happier than in our cold eastern lands where the air is fragrant with the breath of its pale flowers in spring.

The great facility in propagation of the Willow, which every grower takes advantage of, is against the tree and is the cause of some writers describing it as short-lived. Naturally, if we increase the tree from shoots we cannot expect the same endurance and stature that

we do from seedling trees. Nature did |

not make the flower-seed vessels for nothing, and the noble trees one sees here and there are from seed. As the

seed is plentiful we ought always to raise | be of useindistinguishing it from those

the trees in that way. In the eastern counties, near the coast, it attains per-

haps its finest development in Britain, — _of ‘“‘English Botany,” was one of those

and is among the trees that may be used

to plant as a first defence against the | | living things than in the dried material

sea-winds. Woop.—Apart from its beauty, there are few trees (a fact which is not

generally known or they would be more _vitellina) under a/ba asatorm, but from our point of view this will not do, let us

often planted) that are so valuable for their wood, good specimens being pre- cious for making cricket-bats. Large and well-grown trees are more valuable than Oak and more difficult to procure. The wood is very tough, easy to work, denting and not splitting when struck; planks are valuable as linings and for brakes as fire resisting. If we want the best timber we should plant it in allu- vial soil by streams and lakes; and also the best effects, since the spiry leaves go best with other waterside trees and plants.

Like so many other trees, it is all the better for grouping and massing,

and we get a much better effect in that way than by mixing it up in plantations, as isso commonly done. The fact that it does best in certain soils should en- courage us to plant it there in masses. Better three acres of it than three trees. Bold masses of Willow trees growing near the house give pleasant shade, and agreat many hardy plants may be grown

| beneath that shade.

To the field artist or tree-lover the White Willow is known at sight or a mile away, but there is so much con-

fusion among Willows, and such curi- ous hybrid forms occur, that the late

Mr. Syme’s description of the tree may

Willows coming nearest to it in charac- ter. Syme, author of the third edition

botanists who took a keener interest in

of the herbarium, and I think the best of all British botanists. He rather re- luctantly puts the Yellow Willow (8.

keep the trees distinct, as they are in

effect, in colour, and in size.

“<A tree attaining a great size, with thick fis- sured bark; branches more erect than inS. fragilis, the shoots of the year generally silky pubescent. Leaves 24 to 4 inches long, with the lateral margins more regularly curved from the base to the apex than in S. fragilis; and in the typical form, both sides are clothed with silky white hairs, especially when young; when old, the upper side becomes green from the pubescence being sparse, the under side in one variety at length nearly denuded and glaucous. The male catkins are shorter and more slender than those of 8. fragilis, wth the filaments and anthers darker yellow. The female catkins are much more slender and lax than in fragilis and viridis, with

_ longer catkin-scales and with very shortly stalkea

THE WHITE WILLOW.

ovaries, which are more ovate ana less pointea,and

remain green, even when ripe, and have the styles shorter than the stigmas. Both the male ana female catkins are more erect while in flower.” Varieties.—As with so many trees there are varieties, but from the fores- ter’s point of view they are no good. Botanists now class the Yellow Willow (S. vitellina) as a variety of the white, but from our point of view the trees are distinct in colour, form, and size, as is at once apparent where the two kinds are seen growing side by side. Hybrids between the White and the

Crack Willow come nearer

39

. alba leucophylla (hort.).

mucans (:Anderss.).

microphylla (And.).

ovalis (Wimm.).

vegalis (hort.). (And.).

splendens (Bray).

viridis (Wahlenb.).

vittellina (W. Hoch).

aurea (hort.).

auvantiaca (hort.).

britzensts (Spaeth.).

flava (hort.).

pendula (hort.). nova (hort.).

Souchetit (hort.).

HypribDs. babylonica

fragilis (Mey.). nigvicans.

pentandra (Ritschl.). triandra.

XXXXX

SY LVANUS:

to our tree in dignity and ef- fect, but when we plant the White Willow it is better to have nothing to do with any but the true form, always, where possible, raised from seed; and nurserymen who grow Willows should take note of this need.

Although among the greater trees we do not admit hybrids or varieties, it is well to give thelist of varieties, hy- brids, and synonyms from a botanical pointof view. Some of these forms are valuable in gardens. Someof thehybrids take thetree form, and others entered here as forms are in the living state quite distinct in stature, form, and colour. alba (L.).

avelatensis (Delav.). argentea (Wimm.). aurea (hort.). pendula (hort.). », Souchetit (hort.). cevulea (W. Koch). », pendula (hort.). latifolia (Anderss.).

”

WHITE WILLOW, HIGHCLERE PARK.

40

FLORA AND SYLVA,

CY MBIDIUM RHODOCHILUM.* Tuts new and handsome plant was brought from Madagascar by M. Wa- pur, in 1goo, and first flowered at Kew in June of the following year. It was found growing in the forks of trees ata height of 1,800 to 2,000 feet in com- pany with the Madagascar Stag’s-Horn Fern; in fact, the roots of the Cymbi- dium were growing freely amongst the barren fronds of the Fern. Both plants were new, and arrived at Kewstillunited as when in growth, though the Fern proved to be dead upon arrival. They were undisturbed, however, during their first year at Kew, the Orchid making its first growth by the part absorption of its late companion of Madagascar, no other material being supplied to the roots.

The pseudo-bulbs of the Orchid are ovate and 4 to 6incheslong; dark green when young, becoming almost black with age. The leaves are six to ten in number, dark glossy green, 2 to nearly 3 feet long, tapering to a point and deeply channelled down the centre. The flower-stalk is erect with usually fifteen to twenty buds and flowers, of which not more than four to sixare open at the same time; theindividual flowers are about 3 inches across, the sepals and petals being light green heavily blotched and dotted with darker olive-green, the front lobe of the lip is of a rich rose-red colour,while the bracts at the base of the first few flowers are light green, boat- shaped, and about 2 inches long.

Aswill be seen in thecoloured plate,

other species in the colour and shape of the lip ; these points of difference make it of special interest to all orchid-lovers. It is as yet rare, though other impor- tations are probable, its distinct form giving it value for hybridizing. It is a strong-growing and free- flowering plant, which should be grown with the East Indian orchids, the growths being ripened in an intermediate house when

mature; W. HACKETT. Kew.

Lityworts.—No tribes of flowers have had so great, so varied, or so healthy an influence on man as this great group of Lilyworts, depending not so much on the whiteness of some of their blossoms or the radi- ance of others, as on the strength and delicacy of the substance of their petals, enabling them to take forms of faultless elastic curvature, either in cups, as the Crocus, or expanding bells as the true Lily, or Heath- like bells as the Hyacinth, or bright and perfect stars like the Star of Bethlehem, or where they are affected by the strange reflex of the serpent nature, which forms the labiate group of all flowers, closing into forms of exquisitely fantastic symmetry in the Gladio- lus. Put by their side their Nereid sisters, the Water Lilies, and you have in them the origin of the loveliest forms of ornamental design, and the most powerful floral myths yet recognised among human spirits, born by thestreams of Ganges, Nile, Arno, and Avon. For, consider a little what each of those five tribes has been to the spirit of man. First, in their noble- ness, the Lilies gave the Lily of the Annunciation ; the Asphodels, the flower of the Elysian fields ; the Irids, the fleur-de-lys of chivalry; andthe Amaryllids, Christ’s Lily of the field ; while the Rush, trodden always under foot, became the emblem of humility. Then take each of the tribes, and consider the extent of their lower influence. Perdita’s “The Crown Im- perial, Lilies of all kinds,” are the first tribe, which, giving the type of perfect purity in the Madonna’s Lily, have, by their lovely form, influenced the en- tire decorative design of Italian sacred art; while ornaments of war were continually enriched by the curves of the triple petal of the Florentine “ giglio” and French fleur-de-lys; so that it is impossible to count their influence for good in the Middle Ages, partly as a symbol of womanly character, and partly of the utmost brightness and refinement of chivalry in the city, which was the flower of cities.——

J. Ruskin.

this new Cymbidium differs from all

* With coloured plate from a drawing by H. G. Moon at Kew, _

Le et ae

THE HARDIER CORDYLINES.

WHEREVER conditions are favourable to them in the open there are few plants more effective in gardens than the Cordyline or Club-Palm. Upon sheltered spots of the southern coast,

from Hastings and Worthing to the Isle of |

Wight, throughout thesouth-west of England, and in many parts of Ireland, the Club-Palm grows freely, flowering and ripening seed year after year. The tall straight stem bearing its massive crown of ribbon-leaves,

THE HARDIER CORDYLINES.

41

| Cantua, toned down with trails of filmy As- | paragus and the dainty Eustrephus, was a pic- ture the season through, and, allowing for | differences of climate, some adaptation of the idea is not impossible in places where single plants of the Club-Palm are often seen to perfection. Few plants are more easily pro- tected when sharp frost surprises; a twist of - one of its own ribbons will secure the crown with the tough outer leaves sheltering the more tender core, while an encircling mat

divided it may be into as many as a score or more of different heads, is unlike any other plant, and al- ways suggestive ot the tropics. In such mild climates as the warm- est parts of England, Ireland, and the South of Europe, there are few things more impressive than a fine cluster, or a winding way, planted with mature plants. They make rapid growth—as much as 15 feet in ten years from seed—in some parts of our own country, and when, after flowering, the trunks branch, their beauty is en- hanced. Fine old trees may some- times be seen onthe Riviera, with a much-divided spreading cano- py, but foolish gardeners too often cut them down to start afresh be- fore they reach their full growth. A walk which I remember, pass- ing through scores of these plants collected for their beauty and care- fully grouped, proved an ideal re- treat on a hot day and the best of places for growing a rich variety of climbers. In light rich soil such as it loves, the roots of the

Cordyline pieice deep in a lon straight pivot, which (in case of removal)

should on no account be injured. The sur- | face soil may therefore be freely worked, and |

the tall bare stems form natural pillars for twining plants, protected overhead by the clustered crowns, which are yet too small to cut off air or sunlight. That walk, with its Solanums and its Cape Plumbago, its showy Hardengergias and Climbing Dahlias, with many beautiful Tropzolums and the glowing

with a lining of straw or litter will keep at bay all but the most piercing frost. Such winter costume may be unsightly, but the beauty _ of the plant is worth this safeguard in places _where it cannot be trusted to do without. In plants raised from seed there occur endless variations in texture, length and width of leaf, in habit, and, more rarely, incolour. ‘The com- monest colour variety showsaslightly glaucous green, but the veins are often more or less

a)

“

4 FLORA

AND SYLVA,

coloured red, which sometimes spreads to the

entire leaf. A grower at Hyeéres, some years |

ago, raised a batch of young Cordylines of a deep claret-red, very fine in contrast with the common form, and apparently retaining their beauty ercoleut: The pick of the batch were

secured for one garden; but a few fine plants of |

this deep red strain may still be found, though many intermediate forms offered under the same name, but in which the colouring is feeble, are not worth growing. There is also a scarce dwarf form of the hardy Club-Palm which, even under glass, never rises higher than a few feet, spreading into a dense much- branched mass which, as regards habit, has more in common with certain Yuccas than with the bare-stemmed Cordy/ine australis. Its leaves, borne in rounded compact heads, are short, leathery, and rather rigid; it is very hardy, plants passing the winter uninjured in the rock-garden at Kew, and at Veitch’s nur- sery, Coombe Wood. It is, however, a rare plant, and has, so far, never flowered, differing in this particular from the common form, which does not break into heads until it has flowered. Until it has done so its precise status is in doubt, little being known of it save asa native of New Zealand, where the forms of Cordyline are so many and interblending that names are much confused. It may not im- probably prove to be a mountain form to which increase by offsets is more natural than seed-bearing. Though rarely hardy enough for growth in gardens, there are two or three other kinds which do well in the warmest parts of the country, and are therefore given place in our brief descriptions.

Common Crius-Paim (Cordyline australis). —A plant well-known for its stately growth in warm and sheltered spots of our southern

coastlands, and well seen in many parts of |

Ireland. In New Zealand it sometimes reaches a height of 40 feet either as a single stem or branched; in this country it rarely much ex- ceeds 20 feet, though a very tall unbranched plant is growing in the Temperate House at Kew. Strong plants bloom freely, bearing as many as a score dense clusters of sweet starry flowers in which insects delight. In fine sea- sons these are followed by berries of a pretty bluish-white, changing to dusky pink and

brown before ripening ; in warm countries the -

| blue colour is more decided and very orna- mental. Plants are easily raised from this seed, -or from sections of the stem or thick white roots in gentle heat. Amongst the Maories these roots are used as food. In placing young plants outside damp is more to be feared than frost, and it is well to plant ina dry spot, rais- ing a mound of ashes at the base of the stem during winter. Variations in leaf and habit are |many, but few are named; amongst the most marked is a form in which the darker green leaves are suffused with red at the base, the colour mounting the leaf by the midrib. There are also several variegated kinds too tender for use in the open, and the dwarf and copper- leaved varieties just noticed.

Banks’ CLus-Pam (C. Banksit).—A scarce plant confined to a few of the most sheltered gardens in the country, and remarkable in appearance by reason of its great length of leaf. Thesesometimesreach 6 feet with amaximum width of 2 inches. Its stem is shorter than that of australis,and commonly simple but at times sparingly branched. The leaves are further characterised by six to eight veins, running the length of the leaf on either side of the prominent midrib.

NorFotk IstAND CLuB-Paim (C. Bauer?). —A broad-leaved kind of vigorous growth (reaching 40 feet) and a native of Norfolk Island. It is very handsome, especially when branched, but though used for summer effect is too tender to stand a winter in the open.

THE Broap-LEAvVED CLuB-PaLM (C. indi- visa).—The finest plant among the cool- _ grown Cordylines, but rarely seen in its best forms and often quite wrongly named through the confusion between this and forms of the

Common Club-Palm. It is difficult to grow in pots, the roots getting out of health in winter without great care, but it is far more easily kept when planted out in the open where that is possible without risk, or under glass in colder districts. Once seen in its true character it is | impossible to mistake it for the commoner _kind; its forms are, however, very variable in ‘length, and especially in width of leaf and in the shading of the leaf-veins, which in some varieties are richly coloured. Its broad pen- dant leaves taper far more than in australis, _and are often of a peculiar bluish or glaucous 'green; one form shows a dark green with

ROCK

veins and ribs of deep brown. It was first in-

troduced from New Zealand some half-century | since, but is rare from its proving in general —

so short-lived. Its fine foliage is a feature in the vegetation of its native country, where it forms unbranched stems some 20 feet high, growing freely even in the lower mountain regions, and valued by the natives for its fibre. In this country it is only grown in the open with success in the mildest parts of our shore- lands, fine plants occurring here and there in gardens of the south-west. It flowers more rarely than the Common Club-Palm, bearing a dense pendant cone-like cluster of small sweet flowers which ripen seed in a good season.

There are many forms of this plant, the finest |

bearing leaves nearly 6inches wide of the most

graceful habit. The named varieties include |

atropurpurea, abroad-leaved form with the base of the leaves and the lower midrib of a deep purple ; /ineata, with leaves 4 inches or more wide, and the leaf-bases red and pink ; Veitchi7, with narrower leaves and veins, and leaf-bases of deep reddish-crimson; Da//iereana, the

ROSES, 43

ROCK ROSES (Ciszus).

ANYONE who has become familiar with the Cistus, or Rock Rose, in its native haunts is glad to meet it again, for even under duller skies it seems to possess a brightness all its own—a reflection, as it were, of clear strong sunlight drunk in by endless successions of its fellows through countless ages of time—a sug- gestion of humming insects, of soft winds and genial warmth, and, above all, of wild, unre- strained Nature. These are, indeed, shrubs of the wild-garden, some of Nature’s wayward children, which resent the fussing and trim- ming of the gardener, and love to take their own way in places despised of other plants. In its own haunts no soil is too poor tor the Cistus, the drier and more sunburnt the better, provided that it is fairly porous. Spread over a wide range of sunny hillsides all over the Mediterranean region, and producing myriads of its short-lived flowers and stout seed-vessels, the only wonder is not to find it yet more ‘freely. In that magnificent seed-producing

leaves of which are striped with yellow ; and vera, a wild variety and the finest form ofall. Its leaves are 2 to 5 feet long, very thick, leathery, and resistant, of dark shining green, and sometimes reaching a width of 6 inches. It is of dwarf habit, and frequently shows a rich orange or crimson shading in its veins and midribs. Fine specimens of this beautiful form are grown at T'rescoe Abbey, Menabiily, and similarly sheltered spots.

[To the Editor of FLora anv Sytva.] Sir, —Adverting to the article by Mr. S. W. Fitz- herbert in your December number on Rosa levigata, and his statement that he has never known R. gigantea to flower, I would refer you to the Rose Catalogue of Messrs. Paul and Son, issued last autumn, in which they state, in reference to the latter rose : “ Has at last been flowered at Cannes by Lord Brougham, who describes it to us as golden yellow in the bud, open flowers lemon-white.” I do not

know whether this is of any interest to you.— Yours faithfully, G. L. Leman.

As for our love of gardens, it is the last refuge of art in the minds and souls of many English- men: if we did not care for gardens, I hardly know what in the way of beauty we should care for.—Sir ArtHuR HE ;ps.

CISTUS FLORENTINUS,

44

region, however, where produce rarely fails to ripen, Nature has adopted special means to preserve the balance, in the myriads of harvest-

FLORA AND SYLVA,

Still, anyone who has seen what the Cistus can do, at Kew and other places in which it is un- derstood, will not find it unworthy of a place

ing-ants which garner the surplus stores of in any garden in which suitable conditions autumn, and in diverting them to their own | exist. An idea of its beauty when massed and

CiSTUS LADANIFERUS.

needs, prevent useless reproduction. ‘These

ants are specially numerous in the warm light |

soils loved of the Rock Rose,and much of their lavish produce is thus diverted when the rough winds of early autumn scatter broadcast the seeds ripened during the preceding summer. The seeds are round and smooth, and roll in all directions down the rocky banks, until, finding some chink in the soil, often in the crumbling rock itself, it lies hidden until rain allows of germination. Thrusting upwards from its re- treat a few leathery leaves, and pushing down- wards its hair-like rootlets into the veins or crannies of the rock beneath, it pushes and thrusts, slowly at first, but then rapidly, till its root-stock is hard and woody, and tapered like a wedge (which indeed it is), and, firmly established, it can defy sun, rain, and wind. Anyone who wishes to make use of these lovely shrubs must bear in mind these conditions and as nearly as maybe reproduce them. But the Rock Rose has here to face a degree of cold to which it is normally unused, and for which it is ill-prepared by our damp autumn days, and herein lies the element of uncertainty which has prevented its more general use in gardens.

allowed to spread naturally may be gathered from our illustra- tion, taken from one of the sunny dellsat Kew. These plants are on a bank, dry and fully ex- posed to the sun, but sheltered from cold winds by the trend of the ground and a belt of ever- greens, and these conditions are as good as could be found. It is better not to mix them with other things but plant bold masses and leave themto ramble at will, for they spread naturally to catch asmuch sunlight as pos- sible, and the presence of other plants makes them drawn and unfitted to resist bad weather. A sheltered place in the wild garden suits them to perfection when strong enough to plant out, for though it might be quite worth while to try scattering a few seed broadcast, one can only rely on seedlings raised and tended like those of other shrubs in their early stages, and it is always as well to keep a few plants in re- serve in case of losses during the winter. They may be increased from cuttings for the choice varieties, from side-shoots taken off and rooted under hand-lights in the early autumn; but to use seed, easily obtained from the great dealers, and sown in spring, 1s the simplest way. Where there is no ready-made spot at hand, a plan followed with good results is to throw up a bank of light soil in the shelter of a wall, or of evergreens so placed as to protect while not casting shade, allowing at the same time ample drainage, and if a few bold masses and slabs of rough stone be half buried in the mass, so much the better. The plants should be grouped as naturally as possible around and amongst these boulders, which aid drainage and absorb a great deal of heat during summer, and then leftalone, pinching or training being quite unnecessary. During very severe weather theywillneed some protection. This is best given, not by muffling up the plants, which are always injured by lack

ROCK

of air and exposure, but by some light cover- ing, stretched on a framework to be lifted on and off and used onlyin sharp weather. There is a good deal of difference in the relative hardi- ness of the species, and still more in their dura- tion, some kinds growing well and improving each season during many years, while others, even when not damaged by frost, need renewal after ashort termof life. Inthesouth of France the Cistus is often attacked by a peculiar root- parasite, the Cistus-rape, a quaint leafless plant like a fungus in growth and appearance, and orange - yellow or sometimes bright red in colour, with a peculiar smell. Many species of Cistus produce a clammy gum upon their leaves and stems which, in parts of the East, is gathered by beating them with a sort of fan the thick gummy juice being scraped off and made into a fragrant resin. Bees are exceed- ingly fond of the Rock Rose, and during the dry season in the south when many other flowers fail, they are one of their chief resources ; this probably accounts also for the many natural hybrids known to botanists. Many of these, though bearing distinctive names,are too much alike to be of use in gardens. There are, how- ever, two or three species of Helianthemum, which, if botanically distinct, are so nearly allied, and so like these plants in appearance and needs, that they should be grown together for their peculiar beauty of col- our, which is not represented in the Cistus proper. Omitting doubtful names and uninterest- ing kinds, the best and most dis- tinct sorts are as follows :— Varieties.—Cistus albidus, hoary grey foliage and pale pur- ple flowers; candidissimus, sil- very-white leaves and pale rose- coloured flowers, a big grower from the Canaries ; corbariensis, a natural cross between populifo- /ius and sa/vifolius, bearing white flowers ; crispus,a handsome spe- cies with trailing branches and ruddy-purple flowers, but difh- cult to keep as being from the warmest parts of Europe ; cyprzus, hoary leaves and crowded white flowers with a dark spot on each petal, Cyprus ; florentinus, across between salvifolius and monspeliensis, a good grower,

ROSES, 45

very hardy, forming a dense spreading bush with medium-sized white flowers ; Azrsutus, a low grower, with oblong hairy leaves, flowers white with yellow blotches ; /adanifero-mons- peliensis, very large white flowers, one of the finest; /adaniferus,the finest of the genus, reach- ing 6 to 8 feet, but usually 4 to 5, with very large white flowers bearing a bold crimson blotch at the base of each petal, leaves and stems very clammy (whence itsname Gum Cis- tus), the former large and long, deep green

|above but silvery-white below, in itself an

easy means of knowing this plant, the best and one of the hardiest; /awrifo/us, from France, a big grower, very hardy and lasting for many years, with a good habit, and abundant white flowers of large size throughout the summer, one of the easiest to grow; /ongifo/ius, a natural cross believed to be between populifolius and monspeliensis, white flowers marked with yel- low ; /usitanicus,a good plant of garden origin, growing quickly into a shapely bush bearing large white flowers with crimson spots and narrow bright green foliage slightly viscous ; monspeliensis, variable in habit according to soil and position, medium-sized white flowers and denseclammy foliage; parviflorus, alow spread- ing shrub with small white flowers; popu/ifo- /ius,with broad leaves and white flowers,bloom- ing earlier than most; purpureus, a very good

HELIANTHEMUM FORMOSUM

kind, with neat erect habit, pale green toliage

and reddish stems, the leaves often taking the same tinge especially towards autumn, very

| large flowers of reddish-purple with darker

46

FLORA AND SYLVA.

spots at the base of each petal, continued in succession quite tothe end of summer, Levant; recognitus, a pretty low-growing species, later to flower than most kinds, bearing medium- sized blooms spotted with crimson at the base, a cross between /aurifolius and monspeliensis ; salvifolius, flowers white and stalks and leaves hairy—of thisthere are several forms; fauricus, from the Crimea; vaginatus,a hairy plant with distinct foliage and early flowering, the flowers in bunches of a rich rose-colour, Teneriffe ; villosus,also in many forms, foliage more or less hoary and closely set forming a dense bush, flowers crimson-purple in varying shades, a widely -spread species. Helianthemums alys- soides, formosum, and halimifolium are closely allied plants, bearing fine golden flowers with bold black markings; they should be grouped with the Cistus for their variety in colour. B.

THE PAMPAS GRASSES.

PLANT-NAMES have to fall into line with all things else in the law of mutation: still it is a little confusing to find the old Gynerium trans- formed into Cortaderia, however well founded the botanical distinction may be. And here comes in the value of such English names as Pampas Grass, which are everywhere under- stood and are permanent additions to our tongue. The old group of Gynerium is divided into two parts—that of Gynerium, containing some eight species with which English gardens have little to do; and Cortaderia, a group of some four or five kinds to which belong the Pampas Grasses of southern gardens. The only form of Gynerium with which English people are familiar are the dried and coloured plumes of G. saccharoides, sold under the name of Uva Grass. The plant itself is common over tropical America as a tall Reed-like grass thriving be- side water, and grown here as a stove aquatic. It isa handsome plant with broad bold leaves

ing “the plants that cut;” few who have handled the plants will deny its aptness. The various species are widely spread over the whole of South America, and are very variable as to form, height, and beauty, even within a small area. Those given rank as species are C. ar-

| gentea, or the common white Pampas Grass of | gardens, found beside watercourses over central South America on the table-lands of the Cor-

dilleras ; C’. araucana, found generally further to the south, and described as a beautiful plant with slender plumesshining with silvery lustre; C. speciosa is a form prevailing in Chili and Bolivia; C. rudiuscula from Chili eastward to the Argentine Republic—this a dwarf form of neat compact habit, with slender plumes ; and C. Quila or jubatum, the Rosy Pampas Grass of gardens, for the coloured formsare now all held to belong to this most variable species.

In English gardens, however, the only kinds met with are C. argentea and jubatum, both of which exist in a number of seedling

| forms with a wide range of habit, height, and _ beauty of spike. Though found growing at a

considerable height in their native mountains,

the Pampas Grass is not thoroughly hardy in

| England, being injured or dying outright in

many districts during severe winters, and hence it is, perhaps, less used than was once the case in gardens, though along the southern coasts

_ fine tufts are common enough, and inthe south- west it attains full beauty. It is one of those

plants whose appearance is almost suggestive of the waterside, and in mild districts it does well enough beside water, where it revels in the moisture during summer ; in many cases,

_ however, these spots are the worst for it in win- ter, and without protection it often comes to

and plumes drooping to one side upon stems of |

12 to 15 feet high, but it is little seen save in botanical gardens. With it is also placed G. arcuato-nebulosum, a plant bearing enormous plumes of great beauty, but beyond these dried flowers little is yet known of its character or native country. With the Pampas Grasses our gardens havelong been familiar, the new name being taken from a local Spanish phrase mean-

harm. Where a trickle of water can be found for it the plant is far better upon a sheltered hillside, and is thus often seen to great advan- tage and is far safer from frost. Around many of the towns of the Riviera it has established itself as a wild plant just in this way, creeping down the sides ofsuch tiny streamlets as trickle from the hills, and making fine tufts in the shelter of the woods. Once in the plain it would have nochance beside the giant Reeds (4rundo) of the country. A fairly moist spot in deep soil, with full sunlight and shelter from rough winds is what best suits the Pampas Grass ; it planted beside water and in valleys, the plant

should be protected by branches, litter, or dry fern, duringsevere weather. Late spring is the best time for planting or dividing old plants ; all are much better also for being cut in rather closely when risk of frost is over. To see the Pampas Grass at its best the ground should be well prepared before planting, for the roots are thick and run deep, and a fine mass should not be disturbed for many years. A deep soil, well enriched with rotten manure, does away also with much of the need for watering, even in dry ground such as favours a graceful habit and freedom of flower. Indamp soils the growth becomes rank, the plumes often scanty and liable to discolour, easily broken by wind, and the whole plant less hard The plants are male and female, and vary in beauty and in habit with theirsex ; witha little care it is not difficult to tell them apart, and for beauty in the flower garden the female should be preferred. Though less vi- gorous in growth, its habit is more graceful, the leaves shorter and arching prettily on all sides, with a more compact base; it comes sooner to flower, while its plumes are more handsome, free of stamens, and last better when dried. The male plant, being a strong grower, does very well for distant effect such as upon exposed banks in the rougher parts of the pleasure grounds or near water. Its leaves are broader with a prominent whitish midrib, a rougher ap- pearance, and a less refined out- line, often broken by lateral =e growths or by splitting of the base into separate tufts. A female plant of one of the compact sorts now grown, well planted in deep, rich soil,inan open butsheltered spot, soon becomes a handsome object, with its dense arching leaves as a fountain of verdure, crowned in early autumn with its many shafts of flower, the whole from 4 to 5 feet in height. For a

THE fel ee GRASSES. — 47

place on the lawn or the kept garden this is high enough, and its beauty is far more last- ing than that of the older, tall-growing kinds, whichare best used for more distant effect and grouping.

The rosy form of Pampas Grass is still rare

in English gardens, though far commoner in

France, where most of the named kinds have been raised. It comes from Ecuador and the region of the great peaks of the Andes, being found in company with the white kind at a height of 6,000 to 10,000 feet. As seen in gar- dens the plant varies much in merit, but is no less variable in its native uplands, where, according to André, good plants are rare, and

48

FLORA AND SYLVA,

seedlings often reproduce these poor forms. At its best it is a heautiful plant, distinct from C. argenteum, with long leaves of deeper green anda graceful sweep,smoother also at the edges and so less dangerous to handle. The flower- spikes of silky texture are larger and more graceful thanin the White kind,with drooping feathery plumes hung so loosely that they trem- blein the wind,and when newly expanded shine with a silvery lustre. Their colour varies from a pale purplish grey to a decided rose,which is quite pronounced in some of the newer forms. These kinds mostly bloom a few weeks earlier thanthe commonkind, their flowers appearing towards the end of summer and keeping their

beauty longer than the sorts which hardly open | are ribboned with white or yellow, of which | Wesserlingi isthe most robust, and aureo-lineata

before the storms of autumn are upon them. In fine seasons they willsometimes bloom asecond time,but thisis exceptional. Beautiful,whether for its own merit or in contrast with the pale- flowered kinds, the rosy form of Pampas Grass is worth a place in gardens which its older form has now so long adorned.

Young plants are mostly grown from divi- sions; seedlings, though more graceful in habit, cannot be relied upon for beauty of flower.

bearing plumes of the largest sizeand of a good clear white.

Rosy PLrumep Forms.—These are mainly French seedlings, and include carmineum Ren- datlerit, a neat grower, the earliest to flower, and free with its pretty plumes of pale pink, sometimes coming a little one-sided. One of the brightest in colour is Gloire de Museum, a taller grower, with drooping feathery plumes. Louise Carriere bears very large spikes and is the deepest in colour,combined with free robust growth. Rozde Rosesis a smaller form, not very distinct. The one fault of these red forms is that they tarnish quickly in bad weather, and lose much of their interest.

There are several kinds the leaves of which

the most graceful; but being tender and lack-

_ing in vigour, they are of small interest for gar-

dens. There are, however, distinct forms to be

_met with in gardens, bearing plumes coloured

Whenit isdesired to gather the Pampas plumes |

for decoration, they should be cut when quite dry, just as they are about to expand, and then gently shaken out of their protecting sheaths before an ardent fire. If this is done slowly and carefully they lose none of their beauty, and last

far longer than when left to open in the usual |

way. Both the white and rosy forms are grown in many garden varieties, the best of which are as follows :—

Wuite PLumep Kinps.—These vary great- ly in size and beauty, from dwarf forms of 4 to 5 feet, tothose reaching a height of 14 or 1 5 feet when in rich soil. Many of the finest forms exist in private gardens as unnamed seedlings, but amongst named kinds e/egans is a tall, free- growing plant, coming to bloom in advance of most, its plumes falling apart, as they expand, in avery pretty way. Bertini is quite a dwarf variety, with a graceful habit and free in flower. One of the finest isMarabout,amedium grower with rather close club-shaped plumes of great length, falling slightly apart when mature. Soyeux isa French seedling, rather like the last but taller, and with dense silky plumes. Mon- struosus is not very tall, but a vigorous kind,

with green or yellow, and in respect to one of these Mr. Smith of Newry (who grows a fine collection of these plants) writes us :—‘The most distinct form I have seen recently is a green-plumed kind with long tapering spikes, of which there are several large clumps in the

_ gardens of Belvoir Park near Belfast ; though

not showy, it attracts.” These green and golden- plumed kinds may also be seen here and there upon the Continent, but so far do not seem to have come to the notice of the trade.

| Tue Wuitre AGAPANTHUs.—I notice that in the

article on the Agapanthus, which appeared in the No- vember number of FLora anp Sy va, all the forms are treated as varieties of 4. umbellatus. Nicholson, in his “ Dictionary of Gardening,” also recognises only one species ; but, surely, the deciduous white-

| flowered Agapanthus may be considered a species

distinct from the evergreen type. Here both do well in the open, growing on a steep, grassy slope of light soil, dust-dry in hot summers. The clumps of the common blue are over 4 feet across, and flower splen- didly, and, although the more lately-planted white has not as yet reached equal size, it is quite as satisfac- tory. The leaves of the white are shorter than those of the blue and less than half their width, while the white flowers are produced much earlier. The flower- spikes of the white are also considerably taller and

_ the individual blooms less densely clustered. There

is another white form that is evidently only a variety

_ of A. umbellatus,as it is identical with thisin all points _and is evergreen.—S. W. FitzHERBERT.

THE LOMBARDY POPLAR.

49

THE LOMBARDY POPLAR. No tree that ever came to England has had greater vogue than this in past times, although of late years the unde- served planting of the Californian coni- fers has caused it and others to be less planted. Many trees of it are diseased, especially where the situation is not well chosen for them. In the old books there was much said as to what the Lombardy Poplar was, but there is little doubt now of its being a variety of the Black Poplar (Populus ni- gra), and, like all varieties of trees, inferior to the wild tree in health and vigour. Varie- ties of trees are often curi- ous and distinct, but we can- not expect them to attain to the dignity of the wild tree. The Lombardy Poplar is a great treein the Italianvalleys like those of Aosta, and there it attains a noble vigour, as it does, indeed, in our own val-

ley, for the good soil beside

_to planters by their form, and so have become more widely spread.

In any case their interest to us de- pends on their value in cultivation, and we shall never get their full beauty un- less we plant them in valley soils near

the river is the best for it. Of

late years another handsome upright Poplar (P. Bolleana)

as come into cultivation,

which looks like a variety of

the White Poplar, but it is LOMBARDY POPLARS

said to be wild in parts of Asia, much the same as the Lombardy Poplar is said to be in Asia Minor. It 1s not unlikely that, struck by the distinct habit of thesetreesas making them more fitted for planting near roads and by streams, they may have been attractive

BY MILL POND, KENNET VALLEY.

streams and rivers, which usually have good soil beside them. In the north of England and in Scotland the Lombardy Poplar does not thrive, but in valleys of the midland counties fine trees may be seen, particularly in Oxfordshire, where

D

Le)

FLORA AND SYLVA,

some of the oldest trees in England are still standing. It is not a long-lived tree, its wood starting to decay almost as soon as mature, though it often reaches a height of roo to 120 feet. Asin all Poplars the sexes are apart, but the female form of the Lombardy Pop- lar is so rare that only occasional speci- mens are found amongst thousands of the male trees; in northern Italy it 1s more frequent, but is nowhere common. The trees are mainly planted beside roads to form avenues, or near water in contrast to trees of low and spreading form, and so planted their growth is seenat its best, and is striking and beau- tiful. For avenues, though their growth is rapid and so regular as to form vistas of great effect, the trees become dan- gerous when old, and their branches so brittle as to prove a frequent cause of accident. At the same time, from their compressed form of growth, itis possible to plant many trees in a small space, and their light shade is not so harmful to surrounding growthas that of denser trees, but the long roots run far and ex- haust the soilfor some distance around, not infrequently throwing suckers.

In the centre of Europe the Lom- bardy Poplar is as striking a feature in the landscape as is the Eastern Cypress upon the shores of the Mediterranean. In many parts of France, Germany, and the centre of Europe itis seen in avenues of great length. In many parts of the RhoneValley theapproach to well-nigh every town and village is flanked by its avenue of Lombardy Poplars, often of great beauty and height, their deeply-

furrowed trunks giving a fine buttressed

effect with age. For many miles of its course the River Pois bordered by lines of these trees; indeed, it is so plentiful throughout northern Italy as to give a distinct effect to the entire landscape.

SINGLE CHRYSANTHEMUMS.

In such a season as that just passed Chrysanthemum lovers have had reason to bewail their losses from damp and mildew amongst plants of the large- flowered classes of Japanese and in- curved forms. The single-flowered kindsalone have escaped, and this is one more good reason for growing them in larger quantity. For light effect in de- coration theyare bestof all, lasting fresh for weeks, and looking better in artifi- cial light than heavier flowers. There is now, too,agood choice of kinds, giving a long season of bloom and much varie- tyin form and colour. The newer kinds of to-day are better than the older ones, in which the yellow disc was often ill- defined and partly hidden by distorted petals, or the habit faulty. Seedlings have now no chance, except with good habit and clear, distinct outline. It is not many years since Mr. Wells, of Earls- wood, was taken to task for wasting his

efforts upon single forms, but to-day

thereisademand for these plantssecond only in importance to the Japanese sec- tion. Visitors often turn with something of relief from the beautiful but heavy show-flower totheelegance of itsdaisy- like form. Another great merit of these is, that many a grower that can ill spare room under glass for the more tender kinds may yet, thanks to their hardi- ness, enjoy the singles in the open air,

SINGLE CHRYSANTHEMUMS,

the more so if some light shelter is ar- ranged to ward off beating rains. In this way they follow and prolong the season of the early-flowered kinds, until hard frost cuts them down. The collection of single Chrysanthemums-flowered at Earlswood includes all the best older kinds and a number of seedlings under trial; white and cream flowers are, as

Si

flower, as grown by Mr. Wells and several times shown at the Drill Hall, is Lady Marguerite Douglas, a large bloom, very pure and well formed yet “not too formal, with just enough sub- stance for beauty without heaviness. It comes very large for a single when dis- budded, and is a most attractive flower. Coronation, as its name implies, is an

¢Y ce

CHRYSANTHEMUM,

usual, commonest amongst these new | kinds, but there are good flowers of | other colours, and for ease of reference there is, perhaps, no better method of classing them.

Of these ever-useful whites there is

‘“ CORONATION.”

White-flowered 4 large choice, giving | Kinds. much variation in habit, |

size, and time of flower. A good new.

(Engraved for? "‘‘Flora.’’)}

older kind but good and distinct, of sturdy, dwarf habit and good foliage; it is best disbudded, but not too closely, letting plenty of buds develop. A good idea of the mature flower is conveyed by our engraving, the broad incurving petals and the large greenish centre, which so admirably sets off the puri- ty of a flower, being well shown. The

D 2

f2

later flowers are of a pale blush ieee becoming deeper as they mature. Re- turning to the new flowers ,Gwladys isa pretty variety of a useful size for cutting, coming upon long stems in loose heads which are more sraceful than denser clusters. The long narrow petals are tapering and ic a characteristic becoming more marked as the flowers mature; its one fault is a rather weak habit, which spoils it as a pot plant but

FLORA AND

not for cutting. Les/e, another seed-

ling, shows a distinct tinge of pink in flowers, which are large, rather flat, and repular, of good substance, and pretty asa spray, while Eva Shaw is almost identical save in the purity of its white-

ness. A dainty little flower is Lady

Daisy,a favourite with the ladies, effec- tive in the cluster, and, being al and early, useful for table and light decora- tion. Yet another seedling, Mac, is not so remarkable in appearance, though a good plant of fine dwarf habit for pots, but the flowers are fragrant, especially towards evening. Other new kinds are Cecil Denyer, of ashade of cream or pale primrose, which singles it out at once from the white flowers ; and Wyndham, a rather later sort with blossoms also of a rich creamcolour. Amongst the older

single white kinds Ear/swood Glory is

SYLVA,

| ce ao ee by arco For

late cutting two of thebest single whites are Mrs. Brown Potter, a flower which can be relied upon until the end of De- cember, and Christmas Cheer, a small flower in large clustered sprays, whose name tells of its endurance.

Good novelties in this section are welcome but not always to be had, par- ticularly in bright tones, which look well by arti- ficial light. Blush tints are more frequent, and among them is Edith Pagram, raised by Mr. Pagram, of Weybridge, Surrey, a pretty flower in pink and white, its colour deepen- ing with age. In sprays this is rather disappointing, but gives far better re-

Pink and Crimson Flowers.

sults when thinned, coming then as a

still to the fore, a plant of dwarf habit |

bearing large flowers of a pure white, the broad florets contrasted with a bold green eye; as a mid and later-season

leasing flower of nearly 5 inches across. T ollie Carey, however, 1s good in sprays, a pretty flower of bright pink on long rigid stems which show to the best advantage its feathery petals; in pink flowers this is a gain. In blush tones Mrs. E. Roberts, an older kind, is very useful in clusters of largesize, which are almost too dense when not somewhat thinned; broad petals with rounded tips are contrasted with a bold yellow disk. A distinct variety in its intense magenta-pink is Mrs.C. Behrens, a very

dwarf grower and early to flower, the

contrast between the bright petals and

flower there are few better. A flower |

unlike any other is Starz of Honour, also agood dwarf plant notexceeding 2 tects its small flowers, coming early, nih very light narrow petals diverging pret-

the greenish-yellow centre heightened by a ring of white round thedisk. Good also is Mrs. R. Ff. Lockhart,a fine bloom

in dark crimson touched and shaded very prettily with gold, the flowers car-

ried in those loose clusters which are

best for effect. Annie Tweed, a smaller

SINGLE CHRYSANTHEMUMS.

§3

flower, also in dark crimson, is dwarf a silvery inner zone around the disk ;

and early, its deep tones relieved by a rank of narrow petals in a lighter shade. Perhaps one of the prettiest in this sec- tion 1s Vora, a flower in bright soft pink

with a white zone round the centre, —

dwarf and free. Robert Morgan 1s of

a deeper rosy-red, a taller grower with —

flowers, large and free, coming much

later. As an early single pink Lady-_

gained an award of merit from the Royal

smith is, perhaps, the most useful, good in colour, profuse,and perfect asa bush plant. It often begins to bloom in the open, and should be grown as cool as possible ; it then blooms early in Octo- ber witha profusion of bright pink clus- ters. Good shades of colour are shown in Mrs. D. B. Crane, pink, inclining to cerise, and Miss Brown, a rather tall grower, with flowers of a tender rosy- salmon, having an inner zone of white ; while a distinct kind of dainty appear- ance is E//en Smailes, with long tubular petals finely diverging like the spokes of a wheel, of good size, and white shaded pink. For cutting, either singly or in sprays, this is light and feathery. Some promising kinds raised by Mr. Wells, are Linton, late in Hower, and an uncommon blend of blush colour on cream ; it is a flower of good form upon long stems, reflexed when mature, good

inthe centre, and pretty from its earliest |

stages. Another blush-coloured seed- ling is Harold Shaw,a flower composed

of long narrow petals, lightly twisted, -

and set widely. Old kinds, useful when colour iswanted, are Rose Pink,a flower of good size and form when thinned ; D. Windsor,in a pretty shade of chest- nut-red; Magenta, a taller plant with

Felix, bearing largeclusters of bronzed- crimson; Bertha Finks, a small light flower on plants very dwarf and free ;

and May Feal, old but always good.

Though with no very novel features, Mr. Wells has some good yellow seed- lings which will be heard ofagain. One of the best is Krtty Bourne, which

Yellow-Flowered inds.

Horticultural Society in November ; it

bears bright flowers of rich yellow on plants of regular growth. Edith Owen,

another good yellow, is of medium size

with a tinge of green in the heart, and

stalks so long and wiry that, though in

clusters of five and six, they are held

wide apart, giving cut sprays a fine ap-

pearance. Miss Lorna Bunyard, also

_new, bears large flowers with a promi-

nent eyeand coming rather early; while

Dorothy Speller, also early, is ofa good

clear yellow. Monin’s Single Yellow isa

French seedling, which is distinct and good. The plant is sturdy, of medium height and very free in flowers of light

_yellow, composed of broad petals sharp- ly tapering and regularly cupped with a

pretty effect; it is early, blooming in the open during September and lasting to

the end of October. Still another new

flower is Winnie Wells, of fine dwarf habit and neat foliage, with broad-pe-

talled flowers a trifle small, borne in

large but not too crowded sprays. Other

sorts are E/eanor, like the last in nearly

every point save its narrower petals; and Kitty Forward a robust plant, deeper in colour, with pointed tips and spread-

ing habit. An older kind, but one of

ee

54

FLORA AND SYLVA,

ite ae is ee oe a qe of primrose colour with a distinct green disk and slightly drooping petals— quite the best of its shade. Pretoria is of deep yellow and showy, with a con- spicuous green eye. ‘The small yellow flowers of Miss 4. Holden, the pretty sport from Mary Anderson, are charm- ing in sprays, early, and lasting. Two peculiar flowers are Le Sofer/, with long tubular florets set as diverging rays, and Mrs. fames Carter,a flower suggestive of Sweet Sultan; ok ave a Httic lack— ing in colour, but differ in form from all others. The choice of these mixed shades is not large, but includes a few beautiful flowers. First amongst

Shaded Yellow the seedlings 1 is Winnie

Flowers.

Sherring, a robust mid-_

season plant of good habit with flowers well displayed. These are large and

show their finest colour when thinned,

monde, a ee aa ee nee denen in which a single row of florets are first narrow and tubular, opening out flat at about half their length with the prettiest effect.

THE BANKSIAN ROSES.

Even though under our northern skies the Banksian Roses cannot equal in beauty those of southern Europe, it is possible by careful planting to get results, in many parts of the south and west of England, which make these fine climbers well worth growing. In all but the bleakest situations south of the Thames Valley the yellow Banksian Rose may be ex- pected to bloom freely in normal seasons, and even as far north as the Menai Straits a well- protected plant has not only reached a great size but has flowered well every year. In more northern and colder districts the tenderness of the Banksian Roses make them too uncertain

for the open, but they will do well on a back

wall and amongst the rafters under glass, and, being very free in growth, may be used for budding other kinds, e.g., Cloth of Gold, which

so rarely flowers well out of doors, but often blooms abundantly when grafted. One of the

coming 4 to 5 inches across, with petals |

of deep orange shaded red beneath, and |

on the inside towards the centre ; disbudded the blooms are much paler. Miss Ina Money, with large crimson- shaded flowers upon long stems, is good, but should not be closely thinned ; its later Howersare finest in colour, the first often coming pure yellow. Mrs. 4. F Solley is distinct in its shade of light Indian-red, but the long narrow petals are so flat and stiff as to give it almost an artificial look. Older sorts, in which shades of orange andcrimson combine, are Earlswood Terra-cotta,a good plant for all purposes, dwarf, and profuse ;

Mrs. Baillie, late in flower and a fine to the ground in weeping trails covered each

| spring with myriadsiof flower-clusters. When

shade of chestnut-red; and Mrs. Ker-

if not |

most striking collections of Roses I ever saw was composed of a great number of ingrafted branches inserted upon a very long stretch of Banksian Rose used to mask one of the terrace

_ walls so common on the Mediterranean coast.

Many of the best kinds in cultivation had been thus brought together and in the height of the

_season hung in rich clusters with great effect. | But the commonest use for Banksian Roses in

the south is to ramble over trees, and, for the sake of their beauty in such conditions, some attempt should be made to grow them in this way in quite the warmest parts of our shore- lands. In the south of Europe pruning, which with us often helps the ripening of the shoots, is unnecessary ; the Rose is planted at the foot of the tree, with no more than an occasional tie to keep it in place until it is fairly started. In due time the first thin shoots appear at the

| top of the tree, increasing each year in length

and vigour, until they dominate all else and fall

the Yellow Banksian is planted in company | with- the blue Wistaria, or the white form with-some rich red Rose in contrast, the effect

is not soon forgotten.

In this country they do best as wall shrubs,

and are, indeed, among the best of climbing | plants for covering quickly

As Wall Shrubs. a wide wall-surface, when >

sheltered from cold winds. |

The front of a house may thus be made very

pretty fora while each spring, and the growth |

of the Rose, though vigorous, is not so dense |

as to prevent the use of Clematisand otherlight creepers, which flower at various seasons when the Banksian clusters are over. Other uses for

which the Banksians are well adapted are to ramble over porches—some of the finest may

THE BANKSIAN’ ROSES,

be)

and, to prevent bareness below, one is trained along horizontally near the base of the wall while the other occupies the upper part, but in well-tended plants this precaution often is not necessary. In sharp winters such as recur at uncertain intervals, even old plants are some- times injured, but when on their own roots (and being easily rooted from layers they should never be planted otherwise) they never fail to grow again even when badly cut.

The most varied directions are given by growers as to pruning, some even advising a barbarous clipping with hedge-shears. In the first place, any pruning that is done must be done in June, immediately the flowers have fallen; and, in the second place,

Pruning.

_

YELLOW BANKSIAN ROSE,

be seen about a cottage door, summer-houses, | and rustic shelters, or the lee-side of a pergola.

In districts exposed to late frosts, in the ab- | sence of protection it is best not to plant in too sunny a corner, the plants being often coaxed into activity by warm spring days and | are then liable to be cut by late frosts. The | Banksian Roses, though not particular as to

soil, do best in light, warm ground, in which

the roots travel easily. As theyrun far beneath | the surface a wide root-runis necessary, which | must be well drained but need not be deep.» Well planted, one of these robust shrubs will in a few years cover a space 30 feet square, and develop a stem several inches round, of a warm brown colour, from which layers of bark often peel away in long strips. In cover- | ing a wide space two plants aresometimes used,

do not prune unless you can help it. In dis- tricts rarely exposed to sharp frosts the plants are best left alone, the cutting being confined to dead wood and the spurring back of shoots that cannot well be laid in upon the wall, the growth seldom being so thick as to need thin- ning. In colder districts more attention is

_needed, and a little more thinning may ensure

ripened wood, but strong growths made dur- ing summer should be stopped at intervals and the strength forced into the flowering side- shoots, or the green wood will not ripen before

_ frost comes to spoil it. Careful pinching will

almost do away with the need for pruning,

_and will prevent the stiffness induced by the

knife. Among the varieties of Banksian Rose grown 1n gardens the best and freest is the

D 4

56

FLORA AND SYLVA.

double yellow form. It is more vigorous and

hardier than the whites, and its flowers are |

borne in larger and more numerous clusters. They come in May in long sprays of flowers about the size of a double Cherry, faintly fragrant, and beautiful when cut, the pretty divided foliage being light and grace- ful. also does well in many places and is quite as pretty as the yellow, though not quite so hardy, with foliage of a lighter green, and flowers borne in looser trusses of fewer but more frag- rant blossoms, their odour being compared to Violets; one form in which it is more marked is known as odoratissima. Fortune’s large- flowered Banksian, though a big grower, is not so good, its flowers being less graceful and not so freely produced. The simple-flowered forms of the small Banksians do not seem to be grown in England, though the single yellow is fairly common in thesouth of Franceand very pretty

Varieties.

in effect. In growth it is not so vigorous as |

the double kind, and is therefore of less value for English gardens, attractive though it is in form. B.

THE LOCUST TREE (Roéinia).* Tuoucu old trees in English gardens, which have passed through periods of neglect, the Locust Tree in its many forms is beautiful, and the introduction of new kinds has increased its value.

From a planting and landscape-garden- |

ing point of view the trees are precious for their fine fresh verdure in summer and autumn, distinct in that way from

any trees, and the form of old Locust |

Trees in groups is very fine, and quite

apart from that of other trees. Some | of the newer varieties are very little used ©

as yet in planting in our islands, so their values are little known. Hardy and free in most ordinary soils, they are most useful to those who have to plant on poor, dry,and hungry ones where other

* With coloured plate from a drawing by H. G. Moon at Kew.

The small double-flowered white kind |

_borne during early summer, in rich contrast

trees might starve. Few trees have had to endure more in the way of ill-timed pruning, which destroys their charac- teristic beauty of outline. The habit of grafting many of these kinds has much to answer for in this respect, for the wood of the Locust Tree snaps easily in rough wind and that often at the point of union; in order to reduce this risk of damaged heads they are often cut in rather closely, although at the loss of much of their beauty and flower. This trimming can easily be avoided, at leastin the lower growing kinds, by pinching the young shoots while still tender, at intervalsduring the summer. This gives but little trouble, and the habit of the plants is improved, with a greater show of flower as the result ; for such fragile kinds as the Hairy Locust’Tree this way of growing is often the secret of suc- cess, and gives a very different result to the usual harsh clipping during winter. Warm light soils are best for all kinds of Robinia, though they will grow in al- “most any ground that is not constantly -_wet,and they are never finer than in times of drought; but they should not be ex- posed toroughwinds, nor do they grow so freely further north as in the south of England. The common form of Ro- _binia is naturalised over a great part of Europe, being very common in France. The four or five species are all from North America as native to the Eastern and Southern States; only one kind is found in the west. | Tue Rose Acacia (Robinia hispida).—For

| beauty of flower this is the best species, its | pendant racemes of rosy-purple flowers freely

al = Ee pA | ) aa <I | \ i ) remo KA

THE LOCUST TREE.

to the elegant foliage of a deeper green than is found in the other kinds. It mostly takes the form of a spreading shrub, 6 to 8 feet high, but is often grafted upon tall stems of the common kind—a bad plan, for its branches being very brittle the head is often snapped by rough wind. It should therefore be given a sheltered cor- ner, and is sometimes grown as an espalier or wallshrub as offering the greatest support to the straggling shoots. In its own country it spreads freely from suckers, and, in fact, so rarely

57

but there are also spineless forms of the plant.

In France it is sometimes forced for flower in early spring, the plants being grown in

pots for a year beforehand. Varieties :-—

Several garden forms of the Rose Acacia are grown in gardens, but they differ little save in trifling details. Macrophyl/a is the most dis- _tinct—robust, free from hairs, larger both in leaf and flower than the wild form, and often preferred to it. Rosea is a variety with flowers of a deeper colour lasting long upon the plant;

THE ROSE ACACIA—FLOWER AND LEAF,

bears seedas to have seemingly lost the power; , microphylla, a small-leaved shrub with flowers

if on its own roots it is of far greater value |

as a flowering shrub, the grafted plants rarely living for any length of time. Its growth is free, with large but rather scanty leaves; the flowers are also large, coming freely during June in bunches that are longer and looser than in other pink kinds, flowering sometimes a second time later in the season. This form may often be known even when bare of leaves

by the reddish hairs upon the young growths,

of a lighter rose; and ana, a dwarf formmore

_curiousthan beautiful. Plants on own roots are

to be had, and such should be put in warm or

| gritty soils.

THe WesTERN Locust TREE (R. neo-mexi- cana).—A species which first found its way to Europe in 1887, flowering in Germany four

years later. It is the only kind known in the _ western states, being found sparsely in the val-

leys of Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, as

58

FLORA AND SYLVA.

a spreading shrub, only reaching greater size in one or two restricted areas, where it occurs as a low tree of 20 to 25 feet. It is a hardy, vigorous plant of fine habit, the young shoots, tbe under-side of the leaves, the flower-stalks, and the seed-pods covered with short brown bristles ; the branches bear two spines at each node. Its bluish-green leaves are rather long and gracefully drooping, while the flowers, of a pale rose colour, are carried in short dense clusters towards the end of the summer. It is a useful addition to the group, hardy, and flowering freely when quite small. There is also a form of this plant knownas /wxurians, and coming from the southern Rocky Mountains; it is of larger growth, bearing compound ra- cemes of flower twice during the season. Does not thrive in heavy cold soils.

THe Common Locust TREE (R. pseuda- cacia).—The fine picturesque form, tender green foliage,and fragrant white flowers of this handsome tree are too familiar to need descrip- tion. It is of rapid growth, reaching in good soil a height of 70 to 80 feet, with a girth of 15 feet, though such a size is uncommon, the average of mature trees being 60 feet. When once established it spreads rapidly by suckers, which thrive even in the shade of other trees ; in this way it has spread over many parts of Europe, its leaves often being used as fodder for cattle. When it can be had of fair size its wood is of value, being very hard and lasting, free from knots, working well, and taking a high polish; for making posts, door and win- dow frames, and similar uses, it is equal to Oak, standing exposure better than most kinds of timber. Growing freely in poor and dry soils and fearless of drought, it is often used to plant on railway banks in the south of Europe, and

sandbanks along the Rhone, Danube, and other rivers. VARIETIES OF THE LocusT TREE:—Its varieties are legion but number amongst them forms distinct and beautiful. Some of these varieties have been successfully raised from

(Bessontana), forming when young a dense rounded head with large leaves and free of

| spines, which resists wind and is much used for | avenues—grows readily from cuttings ; co/u- | teoides, a distinct low-growing shrub for rock-

gardens ; contorta, a plant of eccentric habit ;

_crispa, with leaves twisted and rolled; De-

caisne’s Robinia (Decazsneana) a beautiful pink- flowered kind, of vigorous growth, free of spines, and flowering later than the type—

comes fairly true from seed, which, however,

is of uncertain germination; ruéra and rosea, forms of this with flowers of a darker and lighter shade of colour ; fastigzata, with the erect habit and appearance of the Italian Pop- lar, one of the most distinct ; the Spineless

_ Robinia (zverms) with smooth branches in the

form of dense rounded heads, and no flowers ——a mop-like tree common in suburban gar- dens; the Mimosa-leaved Robinia (mmosa-

folia), with finely cut elegant leaves gracefully

drooping; the Simple-leaved Robinia (mono- phyla), a distinct tree of robust growth, bear- ing large leaves, variable in form but often blended into one, which are held longer than in other kinds—good as a shade tree in towns ; the Weeping Robinia (pendu/a),of which there are several forms rather stiffly drooping, and differing in their leaves ; pyramida/is, a tall tree of upright habit; R/eder7, a compact rounded bush, grown low for rock-gardens; Rozyn- skiana, of medium growth and spreading branches, remarkable for its immense droop- ing leaves, at times exceeding 2 feet in length ; the Perpetual-flowering Robinia (semperflo- rens),in which theseason of flower is prolonged throughout the summer—one of the most use-

ful and distinct; and U/riciana, with branches gracefully drooping. has even proved its value in fixing shifting |

THe Gummy Locust TREE (R. viscosa) .— This fine flowering treeisrare eveninits native

|country, and not often met with in gardens

though introduced many years ago; this is,

| perhaps, due to its slower growth and smaller

cuttings, and others, as Decaisne’s, come’fairly | form being that ofa large shrub or low tree of

true from seed, but to save time and trouble in the nursery they are invariably grafted. The Fern-leaved Robinia (angustifolia) is a fine leaved form of good growth andvery graceful ; the Golden Robinia (aurea), a plant of good

show of bloomthan in thecommoner kinds. Its height never much exceeds 40 feet, its usual

10 to 12 feet high. Well grown, it is a con- spicuous and richly tinted plant, fine in leaf and in flower, the colour of which resembles those of Decaisne’s Rosy Robinia, but rather

habit and distinct in colour; Besson’s Robinia | lighter in shade and borne in clusters that are

shorter, denser, and held more erect ; there is also a yellowish spot uponthe upright petals in contrast tothe prevailing pale rose. The flowers appear a little later than in the Common Lo- cust Tree, and are scentless ; in fine seasons it often flowers a second time. Its nameis due to the clammy gum with which the branches, and particularly the young growths, are covered ; when out of leaf it may be known by this pe- culiarity and the reddish-purple colour of its branches. It grows wild amongst the hills of Georgia and Carolina, but is so rare that, until found again within recent years it was believed to have disappeared as a wild tree. There isa form known as rosea be//a which bears flowers lighter in colour and is free from the gummy secretion of the parent; it is thought to be of hybrid origin.

Hysrip Forms.—Tue Doustrut Locust TREE (R. dubia).—This is a fine tree of free growth, reaching a height of 25 or 30 feet, and holding a place intermediate between the Common Locust Tree (R. psewdacacia) and the Gummy Robinia (R. viscosa) ; it is generally held to be a cross between them. It is a beauti- ful but scarce kind, bearing during summer and later than either of its supposed parents, loose- drooping bunches of pale rose-coloured flowers, which are sweetly scented. The branches are armed with very short spines, and bear also a few scattered glands, but there is rarely any trace of the clamminess of v/scosa. The brown seed-pods are thickly set with short prickles.

Horpt’s Locust Tree (R. Ho/dt:).—This isavariety newly discovered inColorado by Mr. von Holdt, and believed to be a cross between the Common Locust Tree and the Western Locust (R. neo-mexicana). That this may be

LORD POWERSCOURT ON PLANTING,

| |

59

touches of light purple about the standard. The free growth of this plantis like that of R. pseuwd-

acacia, while it is fully as hardy as the Western Locust, and will prove of value for parks and _ gardens. From the descriptions published this

cross would seem distinct from the natural _hybrid found in Colorado, and has been named

R. Holdti Britzensts, or Spath’s variety.” LORD POWERSCOURT ON PLANTING.

~Wuen I was a young man, in the years

1861-1862, I began by enclosing part of a mountain opposite Powerscourt, at an elevation of from 700 to goo feet above the sea, enclosing some 3 5oacres,

part of which was an older plantation,

with dry stone walls, and planting it with Larch and Scotch Fir. The old wood was some 40 acres in extent, and I planted the remainder. The trees have thriven well,and I am now cutting and selling Larch some 40 feet high, and making a fair profit. The success of

these induced me to undertake a simi-

lar operation ona larger scale, and the method was the same in each case. I employed a small gang of seven or eight

men to build dry walls, 6 to7 feet high,

with the stones on the mountain side, round the site of the proposed planta-

the case seems likely in view of a second sup- posed cross having recently come to light in|

the nursery of Herr Spath at Berlin, of which he has sent us the following account :—‘‘A plant of the Western Locust Tree flowered in my grounds in 1893, but only one of its seeds grew. Now that this has grown into a sturdy tree some 20 feet high it has flowered and turns out to bea cross between Rs. neo-mexicana and pseudacacia. It is of vigorous growth, forming

a finestraight stem, better thanis usual with the ©

Western Locust Tree,while its flower bunches are longer, less crowded, and their colour

tion, with a ** Scotch coping ” on the top, the outer face of the walls being built perpendicular, or with a slight ‘“‘ batter” inward towards the top to

prevent its falling outward when the _stones had settled, the coping project- ing some 8 to ro inches to prevent sheep

from jumping in from the mountain outside. Wherever there were mountain streams or rills crossing the wall we made openings, with stone lintels and

‘iron gratings slung on bars at the top lighter, the Howers being nearly white save for | and left loose at the bottom, to let the

60

FLORA AND SYLVA,

water through and prevent stones or gravel from stopping up the waterways ; and the streams were deepened and

straightened where necessary so as to

discharge the flood water through the plantation and out ontotheland below, and so into the river in the valley. The plan adopted in planting was that usual in Scotland, called notching. The planter, with a spade made for the purpose, cuts the surface in the shape of a cross, and by reversing the spade turns up the four corners of the soil, when a boy following him witha bundle

must be about 4,000,000 trees in the whole. Besides the Larch and Scotch Fir I planted several thousands of the rarer kinds of conifere, bres Douglasii, Thuja gigantea, Cearus deodora, and atlantica, Pinus insignus, Cupressus Lawsoniana, Wellingtonias, Araucaria imbricata, and others, all of which ap- pear to be quite at home in the rocky granite soil of the mountain; but the

most successful of the rarer kinds is the Corsican Pine.

of plants drops one into the hole, and |

the planter, holding the plant upright |

with one hand, treads down the notch again over the roots with his feet. This is all that is required with small plants of from g to 15 inches in height, the best size for planting, such as are called by nurserymen three years’ seedlings twice transplanted. I had reared the plants myself in a nursery ina demesne here,of about six acres,transplanting the seedlings wider apart in rows until the third year, when we planted them out on the mountain. I purposely placed the nursery inthe highestand most exposed position in the demesne, so as to make thetrees as hardyas possible. Thelarge plantation which I formed last contains an area of rather over 700 acres, and is situate on the south-west side of Glen- cree and is called Ballyreagh Wood, from the townland in whichit is mostly situated. It was commenced in 1869 and took about nine years to complete. The number of plants put out was from

Besides these large plantations I have planted in the demesne and all along the valley to the deer park thousands of the rarer conifere, of which the most successful are dies Douglasi, Thuja gigantea, Pinus insig- nis, Picea nobilis, Araucarias,and many others, some of which have already at

The Rarer Conifers.

tained a height of 70 to 80 feet. In one place on the way to the deer park I

planted one hundred Araucarias all in one group, which I nursed up with Larch and Scotch Fir for shelter. These latter have all been cut away, and the Arau- carias stand by themselves, forming a remarkable feature in the landscape. Weare often visited by severe gales,and many trees are blown down, but the

_Araucarias do notseem to sufterso much

from wind, and none of this group have been blown down yet. Wellingtonias also stand the wind very well, but dies Douglasii 1s apt to have the topshoots blown off when it tops the surrounding

-Larchand Scotch Fir. The Pexus Lart-

cio is one of the best for exposed places

300,000 to 400,000 annually, planted and will growin the poorest soil; I have about 3 to 4 feet apart, so that there some growing in nothing but sand, as

OUT WITH A SAW.

61

isthe case at Holkham,where my father- |

in-law, Lord Leicester, has planted hun-

dreds of Laricio and Austriaca on the

sand hills on the sea beach, where they are in the most flourishing condition. Some of the plantations were made by digging holes to plant the trees, and larger plants were put in; but the best and cheapest way is the sys- tem of notching and putting in small plants g to 15 inches high, as these do not shake with the wind and get

Young Plants Best.

settled in the soil, whereas the larger |

plants get shaken and many of them do not thrive in consequence. The fencing in of the land taken up for planting must be done, of course, before

planting is commenced, and while the - trees are young rabbits must be exter- |

minated. I have specimens of Pinus in-

signis and Abies Douglasii of my own

planting which stand now 70.and 80 feet high and 6 to 7 feet in girth._— The Times.

Lawn Garpens AT Oxrorp.—These gardens of New

College are indescribably beautiful,—lawns of the |

richest green and softest velvet grass, shadowed over

by ancient trees, that had lived a quiet life here for _ centuries, and have been nursed and tended with such |

care, and so sheltered from rude winds, that certainly they must have been the happiest of all trees. Such

a sweet, quiet, sacred, stately seclusion—so age-long | as this has been, and, I hope, will continue to be— |

cannot existanywhere else. We concluded the ram- bles of the day by visiting the gardens of St. John’s College ; and I desire, if possible, to say even more in admiration of them than of those of New College,— such beautiful lawns with ancient trees, and heavy clouds of foliage, and sunny glimpses through arch- ways of leafy branches, where, to-day, we could see parties of girls, making cheerful contrast with

the sombre walls and solemn shade. The world, |

surely, has not another place like Oxford ; it is a despair to see such a place, and ever to leave it, for it would take a lifetime, and more than one, to com- prehend and enjoy it satisfactorily.—-NAaTHANIEL Hawruorn.

OUT WITH A SAW. To those who love their gardens thisis perhaps the dreariest time of the year. Everything is either ice-bound or in that state of clammy saturation which is yet more cheerless. The last of the red leaves and scarlet berries passes with Christmas, and it is too soon to look for the first flower of spring. Spite of its poetic associations, personally I find it very difficult to get up much enthusiasm over this “ first flower.” It is commonly a forlorn little pro- duction whose appearance strongly suggests 'that it would have done better to lie low a little longer; but, after all, there is comfort in the thought that the shortest day is well over, and a spray of winter-flowering Jasmine, or a whiff of the Winter Heliotrope (Tussi/ago fragrans) will not allow us to become quite misanthropical. And there is work that may _be done in the intervals of bad weather, deli- cate touches to bear fruit hereafter, and that without coming in contact with the clammy soil, or plodding through newly turned land. What better chance is there, while thesum- mer-leafing trees are bare, of passing in review | those trees and shrubs of our gardens and plea- sure grounds which often receive scant atten- tion at other times. English trees are sadly neglected and often left to shift for themselves | in away unthought of in other countries. Our neighbours across the channel err in the other _ direction, and can never leave their trees alone long enough for them to throw off that arti- | ficial look so characteristic of closely trimmed stems. In many parts of France it robs the country of much of its wooded beauty and so _ leavesitsimpress on the landscape that English travellers can detect at once their foreign sur- roundings by this alone. Such light wood has little value with ourselves, but in a land where coal is scarce these trimmings are turned to good account by the peasant, the prunings that an Englishman would despise being gathered _ to “boil the coffee.” The use of the old wood- heated ovens all over the Continent creates also a demand for brushwood which gives even light _ wood a value, so that in many places the lop-

_ pings of the wayside trees (which are carefully tended) produces a revenue for highway re- pairs. Unfortunately,in his passion for economy the French peasant often sacrifices the beauty of his trees, which are made to look like lank

62

FLORA AND SYLVA,

scarecrows, running up a long way and doing little when they get there.

Though conditions that would make this |

light brushwood of value are never likely to

obtain in England, for the sake of beauty and — the welfare of the trees themselves, far more |

should be done than at present in the way of pruning. All over the country one may see fine trees spoiled by lack of attention, the vigour of the tree running to wasteina mass of weak suck- ers and side branches, instead of being centred in the trunk and crown. There are branches by the removal of which a tree gains in beauty and in health—puny inner sproutings which impede light and air and are only destined to wither away sooner or later ;—crowded limbs that cross and chafe each other, or will do so if left alone; and lower branches which have lost their strength and beauty, and only serve

to conceal the beauty of the trunk. I learned |

the value of these touches from a dear old friend who delighted in his trees and spent much of his leisure among them. He used to argue that you must give character to a tree as you would to a child, by encouraging its natural bent while repressing its wayward humours, just in the spirit of Captain Cuttle, “Train up a tree in the way it should go, and when you are old sit under the shade of it.” His plan was to carry a keen-edged folding hand-saw (couteau a scie) in his pocket, and a second affixed to a stout handle g or 10 feet long; thus equipped he removed in the course of daily walks over his extensive property, an immense amount of woodland waste, and unwieldy as his long tool appeared, it proved most effective. I have seen him, in a few minutes, with a few deft strokes transform a shapeless mass of verdure into a tree of beauty and character, by laying bare a trunk here or freeing crowded limbs there, till the branches seemed to fall into picturesque and individual outline distinct from any tree

near. With a little training it is astonishing | how sensitive the eye becomes to such matters, |

and how involuntarily the phrase suggests t= self: That bough would be better off. The

final maxim is, when in any doubt don’t cut in |

a hurry; come back the next day and look again, and the day after that if need be. Your trees will soon repay you and you will learn to love them, and even such a time as the present will not be without its interest—RusTIcus.

| THE DOUBLE JAPANESE CHERRIES.

We have never seen among all the flowering shrubs, double or single, in our gardens any that so well with- stands bad weather and storms as these Cherries. Like other trees they are in- fluenced by wet years, and in such will notripen the wood, butin years of good bloom they are amazing in their beauty evenin times of storms and gales, night and day. In Japanitissaid, by those who have seen it there, to attain a height of 80 feet, but in this country we mostly have young trees, mostly grafted, which cannot give us the same results ; there- fore we cannot say what it may finally do, but it promises very well even in the grafted state. By the Japaneseit has been cultivated more than any tree for cen- turies—used in all gardens and .temple grounds, and by highways, in some cases in avenues a mile in length ; thousands of trees being planted in this way in Ja- pan. Itis an excuse for a great holiday, and not being a short bloomer as some of our Cherries are here, it gives time for such festivities. It would be interesting to know the wild tree from which this comes. The handsome Cherry known as Waterer’s is avariety of the Japanese, and a very good one. The deeper co- _loured one lately introduced by Veitch is another variety. In all there are said to be quite twenty double - flowered varieties of this fine tree. One some- times called S%ebo/di is another form ot it. We have lately been happy enough to get double forms of one variety on their natural roots, and have planted them side by side with the grafted trees.

TREE AND WOODLAND IN PICTURES,

As to the very important question ot how to plant these Cherries so as to get their best effect, the first thing is to plant liberally, and not be satisfied with one tree only, however well placed. The next is to plant with some back-

63

TREE AND WOODLAND IN PIC- TURES BY THE OLD MASTER PAINTERS.

To all whotakea deep interest in plant- ing or landscape gardening in any bold way, the pictures of the great masters

THE VALLEY FARM,

ground of Yews, Hollies, or other ever- green trees; and lastly, if possible, to put them in slightly different aspects and positions so as to secure a succes- sion of bloom.

SARCENT.S

FLATFORD, DEDHAM.

must for ever be instructive. Drawin: all their lives the most beautiful thing | in Nature, they acquire a power, not only in drawing, but in many other things of great interest to all who study

a JQ

64 FLORA AND SYLVA,

landscape. Their selection of subjects __Gilbert White, in his “ Natural History Alara role ep ree atone ne Ae of Selborne,” does not mention this tree. This b)

: ond sae Ee rill is unaccountable, as he has taken notice of Se rE elect every notable thing in his native place

and many beautiful things cannot be in his interesting letters. There is a tradition done at all. From our point of view, that he gave the age of it at 2,000 years. then, the art of the landscape painter is Measured in See eee auc cureu m=

h : ; peal h ference of 25 feet 2 inches, a sheer estimated the most important OF all, as also the height of 55 feet,andspreads its branches from

most difficult to acquire, as is shown north tosouth 22 yards. Itisin vigorous health, by the rarety of good work. We pro-_ the leaves having that deep dark colour of a pose, therefore, £6 give een tr aaVe ea thriving tree, and is without a flaw in its : : symmetry. The subsoil is the green sand, bor- time engravings of some of the greatest

dering on the chalk. The ancient but small landscape painters of our own or other _ church of Lockerley, situate about 14 miles to lands, beginning in this issue by one of | the west of Dunbridge Railway Station on the Constable’s. Bishopstoke and Salisbury line, is mentioned in Domesday Survey as being one of the THE YEW IN HAMPSHIRE. chapelries attached to the mother-church of In Hampshire specimens of Yews are to be | Mottisfont, of which it is still a curacy. found in almost every description of soil and To the south of the ancient fabric and in situation, from the rugged veteran onthe wind- | the churchyard stands a Yew with a girth of swept chalk downs, the last survivor of many 23 feet 4 inches, only 1 foot 10 inches less than a hard-fought field, still refusing to surrender the one at Selborne, but it does not look so to time or the storms that sweep around his | healthy, and has a height of only 32 feet. It weird and ghost-like frame, down to the child | was measured in 1879. The next one to be of easeand prosperity, nourishedand sheltered | noticed is in a nut orchard at the village of in the valley below. The county must have Hurstbourne Priors, near Whitchurch. The supplieda large proportion of the bows used for | girth in 1879 was 23 feet 10 inches, or 6 inches war as well as sporting purposes in the olden | more than the Lockerley one, but it is a very time. On some of the chalk hangings at the | rugged specimen, and is only remarkable for its present day the young seedlings can be num-_ large girth; soil, clay on the chalk. In Little bered by thousands, but whether the tree ever Somborne Park there are a number of very old formed woods of any extent I do not know. ones, many of them quite hollow, riven and A peculiarity in the growth of the Yew is that | torn with the wear of centuries, and although when young it grows with the rapidity of a | not so large as those mentioned I should say Larch, and then suddenly stops at between | they were older—no doubt the survivors of the twenty and thirty years of age and assumes the | time when, in the adjoining parish of King’s bushy and spreading form characteristic of the Somborne, John of Gaunt had a park and a tree. It seldom exceeds 60 feet in height. palace, and where thereare the remains of butts A churchyard is hardly complete without where the retainers of the Duke may have its Yews, many of which are of a great age and | practised archery, he being a patron of the art, size, and the age of the trees is a fertile source as Shakespeare has it in “ Henry IV.,” when of guessing and calculation with many writers. Justice Shallow says, on being informed of the De Candolle gives the age at 1,214, 1,458, | death of “Old Double,” “ Dead! he was an 2,588, and 2,880 years, so that there is ample | excellent shot! John of Gaunt loved him, and room for guesswork. In the churchyard of | betted money on his head; and dead.” The Selborne is the finest specimen in the county, largest is at the back of the kitchen garden ; some say in England, but this it would be hard | it is quite hollow, and has a girth of 21 feet to decide. It stands on the south side of the | 44 inches. Soil, clayey loam upon a subsoil of church, and the best view of it is obtained chalk. from the south-east. | Rive fe

FLORA

AND SYLVA.

Vol. Il. No. 12.]

MARCH,

1904. [ Monthly.

THE PITCHER PLANTS (LV. epenthes).

From the time when the first of these |

graceful and singular plants became

known totravellersin the East they have - excited interest: their structure and life- |

history being so different from that of

other plants. Their very name, alluding ©

to the mystic draught supposed by the -

ancients to bring forgetfulness of ill, has

reference not so much to any medicinal | value of the plants as to their strange |

beauty, causing the traveller to forget for awhile his privations.

Thereare forty or more known spe- cies of Nepenthes, which are, with but one or two exceptions, confined to the tropics, manykinds being strict- ly local. The greatestnumber are from Borneoand the adjacent islands, though a dozenor more are found in the Malay States and a small group in Northern Australia. Scattered species come from New Caledonia and the Philippine Is- landsin the east; oneeachfrom Ceylon, the Seychelles, and Madagascar; and one is found upon the hills of north- east India, the only kind found upon the mainland. There is common to the greater part of this area a uniform cli-

Range.

Hee, TTT AMANO

i

i mt

from one season to another, and an at- mosphere constantly saturated with va- pourata hightemperature. These con- ditionsare at the same time so varied by local conditions, such as elevation and aspect, that it is difhcult to fix any rule as to the needs of the plants, while the conditions under which some kinds thrive are so peculiar as to make their cultivation dificult or impossible. Most of them are found little above sea-level, but in the mountains of Borneo some

_are found at a height of many thousand feet, and it is these kinds which are the most difhcult to obtain and to grow.

Some of the species grow mainly

upon trees, their long stems clinging

E

66

FLORA AND SYLVA,

to them and rooting here and eek into the growth of mossand fibre thick-

ly coating their trunks. Structure and Growth.

growth root upon the ground and amongst the débris fall- ing from overhead, their stems trailing and covering the ground with pitchers. Others again, as related by Mr. Bur- bidge, thrive upon rocks near the rivers or upon the sea-shore, exposed to a fierce sun and drenched and scorched by turns. The pitchers are suspended | as flasks or open urns upona stout stalk, | which is a continuation of the ena of theleaf; they areclosed until nearing maturity, when their colour becomes brighter, the lid at the mouth expands, and glands placed around its rim secrete a sugary liquid bywhich insectsare lured into the fluid with which the urn is partly

filled, their escape being cut off by a

fringe of stout hairs or teeth upon the |

inner rim. The fluid contained within the pitcher resembles in its chemical action that secreted by the stomachs of animals, while the inner coating of the sac shows glands capable of absorbing the digested food elements. Insects of all kinds areattracted both by the honied

secretions and by the bodies of previous - | victims, and are inturnovercome by the |

juices ; even small animals are some- timesentrapped. The properties of this fluid are well known to the natives, who make use of the draught from partly- grown pitchers as an aid to digestion. The plants differ in size from long climbing stems of 30 feet to dwarf tufts ofabouta foot,whilethe urns which they bear are insome cases over 18 inches in

Other kinds of dwarfer |

en and in others ae thanaman’s thumb. They vary no less in shape, tex- ture,and endurance, the mature pitch- ers lasting in beauty from six months to upwards of two years in some kinds, and their colouring is varied in shades of green, crimson, brown, and purple. The leaves also not only vary kind from kind, but are different at stages upon the same plant. Upon the lower leaf- stalks, where the finest pitchers are pro- duced, thetrue leavesare less developed, and in some cases only rudimentary, but _as the plant grows in height the urns be- come smaller and the leaf-blade gainsin importance until no further pitchersap- pear and the plant flowers. The flowers, borne in spikes, are green and not at all showy, giving off a peculiarmouse-like smell,hence, unless wanted for crossing, it is usual to cut back the stems as soon as the pitchers diminish, and so force fresh pitcher-bearing growth from the base. Thesexesare apart in the Nepen- thes, the seed-bearing flowers being fer- tilised by wind-carried clouds of pollen given off by the more numerous male flowers; save inthe flower-spikes there is little distinction between the sexes, though in some kinds the male plant would appear more vigorous and free. With little knowledge of the natu- ral life of the plants, it was years before any of them were well grown in Europe, and hence arose the idea of their need of special houses. That this is unnecessary is proved by the culture of the hardier species and their hybrids in ordinary glasshouses and with other stove plants, though where a collection

Culture.

THE Ce es TS,

67

is grown it is better to keep - apart. Though sometimes succeeding in pots, they are best grown as basket-plants in a mixture of peat-fibre and sphagnum moss, and with heat and moisture at all times, but most when in active growth. Shade, and air on the hottest days only, must be regulated according to weather and season,and varies somewhat with dif- ferentkinds ; drynessand cold draughts must be avoided, nor should the tempe- rature ever fall much below 70 degrees even in winter. A little very weak cow- manure is sometimes given to strongly rooted plants while in full growth, but unless used with great care such stimu- lants do harm, and the plants usually grow well enough without such feeding. Vigorous kinds will make 3 to 4 feet of growth, bearing, perhaps a score of pitchers in a season, but their stems are not allowed to run, being stopped in order to induce the finest pitchers which spring around the base. When half ripened, the growths so removed may be used as cuttings, which root ina high and evenly moist temperature, but they need careful handling until well established, the roots being very tender

andinsomekindsslowin forming. Plants |

may also be raised from seed, which ger- minates in sixor eight weeks when quite fresh, butis much longer when imported —the young plants forming at first a rosette ofsmall leavesat the tips of which rudimentary pitchers appear. With suc- cessive leaves these gain in size and im- portance,are gradually separated further and further from the blade by the length- ening midrib, and at length, when fully

characterised pitchers are formed, they

See ee ea the ponies done: ment of the leaf.

Most of the wild kinds have been introduced at various times, butof these a certain number have perished, their places being taken by crosses made between such kinds as are most easily grown ; among these are some of the finest kinds, nowlong knownin gar- dens, and their hybrids tend to become increasingly at home under glass. These seedlings, for their beauty and ease of growth, are therefore of the firstimport- ance, and have replaced such of the more delicate species as need greater care. The variety of formand colour found in these crosses is remarkable, seedlings of the same parents towing much variation not only in detail, butin vigour,freedom, and endurance. Though by no means an invariable rule, experienced growers ad- mit that the kindsbearing pitchers that are muchblotched and highly coloured are usually morerobustand of easier cul- ture than green or pale-pitchered plants. Beside the two last imported kinds,

Wild Kinds and Hybrids.

LV. Sanderiana from Sumatra, and the

strangelyformed V.ven- tricosa from the Philip- pines, both of which are fully described below, Messrs. Veitch have added to the number of new plants bytwo fine hybrids raised bytheir grower Mr. Tivey, from crosses between kinds in the collection at Chelsea. Both are of the same parentage and of mixed de- scent, being a cross between Vs. mzzxta and Dison pale both hy- brid, coming from four distinct species.

New Kinds.

| Despite their relationship the plants are

E. 2

68

FLORA AND SYLVA.

different in growth and detail. Nepen- thes Sir W. T. Thiselton-Dyer is a plant of free and rapid growth, first shown before the Royal Horticultural Society in August 1900, when it gained a first- class certificate. Its pitchers are very large, measuring fully 14 inches from the base to the tip of the lid, broad in proportion, and richly blotched with purplish-brown on a green ground. The broad rim is waved and finely ribbed, showing within it paler rings circling the mouth; the wings are of uniform width, running thelength of the pitcher and fringed with brownish hairs; the lid is held nearly erect upon a long hump- like process, bears a long spur behind, andis finely spotted upon both faces. As a plant of good growth and constitution and for size and beauty of pitcher it 1s one of the finest seedlings yet raised. Thesecond seedling 1s LV. picturata, a plant of slower growth, which is not yet upon the market, but of which, through the courtesy of Messrs. Veitch, we are able to give a fineengraving. Its leaves and pitchers are tough and lea- thery, lasting in beauty formany months upon the plant. Though the urns are less in size, being ro inches long and 4 inches wide at the mouth, they are of fine rounded shape, gently tapering to- wards the base, and striped with crimson upon green. The wings are bold and of uniform width, fringed with long hairs, while, as seen in our engraving, the pitcher closely hugs its leaf-stalk.

veined and streaked, is poised, like that of its companion plant, upon a long rising process, but instead of standing nearly erect it overhangs the mouth of the pitcher.

The following wild kinds and their crosses are admitted by botanists, but are not all of them in cultivation :—

Nepenthes albo-marginata.—A dwarf kind growing on rocks upon the sea-shore near river-mouths in Borneo and Malacca: a deli- cate grower bearing rounded pitchers swollen at the base, coloured light green below and reddish above, with a white ring just below the mouth ; leaves g to 12 inches long, narrow, and slightly hairy.

N. amabilis.—A hybrid between Hookeri- ana and Raffesiana, and rather like the first- named. A plant of good habit, freely producing urns mottled with dark crimson.

N. Amesiana.—A fine hybrid between Raf- jlestana and Hookeriana, bearing green pitchers | prettily marked with red. | N. ampullaria.—A_ distinct species from

Borneo, in which the lower leaves give place | to a dense cluster of small ovate pitchers of pale green, 2 to 3 inches long, with a very small lid. An old plant in gardens, free-growing, and of easy culture. Two varieties of this plant are picta,which bears pitchers streaked and spotted with reddish-brown ; and vittata major, a form with flask-shaped winged pitchers, mottled with dull reddish blotches.

N. angustifolia.— A species with narrow, stalkless, stem-clasping leaves, the upper ones bearing long tendrils. Small urns of 2 inches,

_flask-shaped with a long neck, narrow fringed wings, and green spotted with red. Sarawak. | N. atro-sanguinea.—A fine hybrid of uncer- tain origin, remarkable for its highly-coloured | pitchers borne freely upon even small plants. They are of reddish-crimson, slightly spotted _ with yellowish-green, round,widening towards

_a pointed base, with broad fringed wings ; the

The broad rim is rounded and reflexed, | flat, closely-ridged rim is coloured with bright

waved at the edges and deeply ribbed,

conspicuous also from its colouring of

red and deep purple. N. Balfouriana.—A fine seedling raised by

Messrs. Veitch from Mastersiana and mixta,

rich mahogany ted. “he: lids finely themselves hybrid plants. Pitchers 7 to g inches

THE PITCHER PLANTS. 69

wid Noe

NEPENTHES PICTURATA. (Engraved for ‘“‘Flora”’ feom a plant in the Royal Exotic])Nurseries, Chelsea.)

oa

7O

FLORA AND SYLVA.

long, of yellow-green, shaded light red and streaked with dark crimson; the hairy wings are prominent, and the rim yellowish, darken- ing with age.

N. Bernaysii—One of the rare Queensland species, not yet seen in this country. A short climbing plant bearing long narrow pitchers.

N. bicalcarata. —One of the finest and most distinct kinds, bearing broad bag-shaped pitchers of rich russet-red, clothed when young with ruddy down, and later developing toothed wings. It is a strong grower with large deep- green leaves, broad and glossy ; as a wild plant in the marshes of Borneo it climbs to a height of 30 feet, with leaves nearly a yard long. Its great features are the two fang-like spurs pro- jecting downwards from the base of the lid.

N. Burkei.—A variable species from the Philippines, bearing smooth wingless pitchers 8 inches long, and of peculiar shape, narrowing in the middle. They are dark green, blotched with dusky red, growing deeper at the mouth, and of hard leathery texture lasting well upon the plant. Two distinct forms of this plant are excellens, with much larger and more uniform pitchers, more richly coloured with reddish- brown, deepening to the chestnut - shaded throat and mouth and the finely-spotted and veined lid. It is a bold form brought from New Guinea, handsome, and of good growth, but less free than the type. B. pro/ifica is dis- tinct and pretty, its pitchers, smaller than in the parent but borne in great profusion, are of pale green flaked and blotched with light red, deepening towards the throat.

N. chelsoni.—A fine cross between Domi- niana and Hookeriana, showing an intermediate habit. It is of free growth, bearing broad pouch-like pitchers of rounded form with pro- minent wings, their colour greenish, yellow- marbled, and spotted with crimson.

N. chelsoni excellens.—A further cross be- tween Raffesiana and che/soni,producing a plant with massive rounded pitchers, broad, and much marked with crimson-purple ; rim broad and richly coloured, wings prominent and stoutly fringed.

N. cincta. — A rare species, imported with

Northiana from North Borneo, and at first |

considered a natural cross. It carries finely- coloured pitchers g inches long, tubular and straight, slightly enlarged in the middle and

rounded at the base; they are green, flushed crimson, and with irregular blotchings of claret-red. The narrow rim is oblique and somewhat angular,waved, and strongly ribbed, with a narrow white band just below, while the lid arches closely over the mouth of the tube. Leaves long, leathery, and dark green, with an angular midrib beneath.

N. coccinea.—An American hybrid not often seen in this country. Its medium-sized pitchers are flask-shaped, of crimson spotted sparingly with yellow and with a dark ribbed rim of blackish-red ; wings deeply fringed and a lid smaller than the mouth. A short-jointed plant of good growth and profuse in pitchers, which are enduring.

N. compacta.— A distinct plant of dwarf growth and bearing an abundance of broad rounded pitchers about 5 inches deep, of dark red or reddish-purple, sometimes shaded with violet, and marbled with creamy-white reach- ing to the mouth; lid spotted. A basket plant of fine habit.

N. Courti.— Another of Veitch’s fine crosses, very free in its flask-shaped pitchers of dull greyish-green, blotched and clouded with

_ crimson, enlarged towards the base, and evenly

winged throughout. Mouth finely ribbed, with

a small lip of convex form bearing a single spur behind. A robust and handsome variety.

N. Curtisii.—A Bornean species with large pitchers reaching 8 inches, and slightly trum- pet-shaped. They are of dull green, thickly mottled with purple, the throat glossy, and the lid finely streaked. A good kind continually in

beauty. In this species there is much variation

in the sexes, the female plant being known as C. superba, and bearing pitchers of similar shape but finer and more brilliant. Their ground colour of yellow-green is almost hidden by blotches of rich red, shading to intense crimson upon the broad rim; lid broad and far more heavily spotted with red.

N. cylindrica. —A garden cross between Veitchii and hirsuta glabrescens,and a useful and

free-growing plant. Its finely-shaped pitchers

_are borne upon large spreading leaves, and

are long and narrow (sometimes more than 8 inches), slightly enlarged below the middle, and pale green in colour with a few crimson spots and a narrow frill about the mouth.

N. Dicksoniana.—A fine hybrid of robust

THE GARDEN BEAUTIFUL.

growth, issue of Vertchit and Rafflesiana, and intermediate in form. It resembles the last- named in shape of pitcher, but these are some- times 12 inchesin length, ofa light rich green finely blotched with bright crimson. The crim- son rim is broad and reflexed, lined at intervals with deep purplish bands. Wiesune pitchers last in beauty for many months upon this striking and beautiful plant.

N. distillatoria.—One of the oldest known kinds, first described in 1682, and a native of Ceylon. It is a true climber, which should be allowed to grow, the upper leaves bearing fine pitchers. Though it can do with less heat than most kinds its growth is often not free. It is, however, a beautiful plant with long narrow pitchers of a ruddy colour, reaching a foot in length upon the wild plant, and holding a pint of water. There is a form, rwéra, bearing deep blood-red pitchers. Syn. zey/anica. Another plant, often miscalled disti//atorta, is synony- mous with N. Khasiana.

N. Dominiana.—The first hybrid Nepen- thes raised, of uncertain origin, but ahandsome form of free growth. Its pitchers, borne upon dark green leathery leaves, are several inches long and green, sparsely spotted.

N. Dormanniana.—An American seedling not very distinct. Its pitchers are long and gradually tapering, their pale ground colour heavily blotched with dark red, the broad rim and the lid alone being free from deep colour.

N. Edwardstana.— One of the beautiful

but inaccessible plants of the Bornean moun- |

tains, growing upon low moss-covered trees at

of perpetual mist. travellers it is a robust climbing plant living upon trees, with stems 20 or more feet long, while its enormous rounded pitchers of brick- red colour vary from 10 to 23 inches in length, with a green base and pink frilling around the mouth, but none save dried specimens of this noble plant have ever reached this country.

N. exce/sior.—An American cross between Raffestana and Hookeriana. Its pitchers reach g inches in length and resemble in shape those of Hooker’s Nepenthes, but are more rounded at the base; they are richly marked with red- dish- -purple and dark brown upon a ground of pale green, A dwarf plant of free growth.

(To be continwed.)

7I

THE GARDEN BEAUTIFUL. HOME LANDSCAPE AND HOME WOODS. EVERGREEN WEEDS.

Rampant weeds in the garden, however ‘Bad,’ are as nothing in evil effect compared with that of evergreen weeds. The multitude of Portugal and Cherry Laurels and Privets set down in clouds round country houses is the marring ot much in the home landscape. Better many times the effect of our native ve- getation of Bracken, Briar, Birch, or any wild scrub that comes near, rather than the dismal green walls which have grown up owing to inconsiderate plant- ing of evergreens out of place. Done with good intentions at first, the result of such planting soon becomes deplor- able. Those evergreens are mainly exo- tic shrubs, and being novelties and easily grown they were planted everywhere, without thought of their true nature or stature. Though considered shrubs, they are ina wild state medium-sized trees, and in our country they grow with an extraordinary rapidity, soon leaving the shrub-state behind and

growing above the line of sight. The

a height of 7,000 to 10,000 feet in a region |

From the descriptions of next step in garden routine 1s to cut

them down to an ugly hard line. In many large places they are planted be- neath trees—often fine trees too——so as to cut off from sight the bases of the trees. It is not only the ugliness of

the result that we have to think of, but

there is also the robbery of the ground by these too facile evergreens of the water that in times of drought ought

to gotothetrees. The right way with

these large evergreens is tO mass or | group them in woods or plantations,

E 4

7B}

FLORA AND SYLVA,

ie Ce may 7 very beautiful if allowed to take their natural forms. Nothing is finer in its way than a group of Cherry Laurel 4.0 feet high in a wood, or the Portugal Laurel also where it takes treeform. But as an ugly ground- work below trees, merely to be cut and

hacked about annually, they are worse |

than useless. If we want a line of ever- green growth beneath the line of sight it is best got by using the Partridge- berry, Savins in various forms, evergreen Barberry, Cornish and other Heaths and Furzes, which will not get above the line of sight, and will give us a beau- tifuland varied groundwork. Very often where coarse evergreens are used, the grasses, ferns, mosses, and variousforms of natural growth under the trees are lost to us.

Where we must have evergreens of a higher staturefor backgrounds or any other reasons, it is easy to have them

without using Laurels. It is far wiser to |

grow our beautiful native evergreens,

such as Holly or Yew, as they are better in colour, berry, and form than most of the exuberant evergreens like the com- | The beauty of half the country seats of Britain 1s_ marred by the misuse of such things— |

mon Privets and Laurels.

not even hardy,as both the Laurels are

destroyed in hard winters, even in south- | ern parts of the country, whereas with | As |

to the best thing to do with these crowds |

Holly, Yew, and Box we are safe.

of Laurels where they abound, there is no way so good as grubbing and burn- ing on the spot, root and branch, scat-

tering: the ashes over the oround and.

planting better things. One fatal ob- jection to the use of these exuberant evergreens is the want of light and shade. They are so apt to become pudding-like masses, and where they

encroach on walks anne effect is worse

a os

th an ever. us WwW ae

TRIDAX GAILLARDIOIDES.*

THERE are only some seven or eight plants bearing this name, nor have they ever attracted much notice, being for the most part uninteresting members of the vast family of Composites. There are, however, two kinds which have recently founda place in gardens—one known as Tridax bicolor rosea, a pretty tender annual with uncommon flowers of rose

and yellow; the other, T77dax gaillar-

_dioides, forming the subject of our co-

loured plate. This new plant is an in- troduction due to Messrs. Dammann and Co.,of Naples, and is said to come from California, the other species being mostly from Mexico. Through no fault ofculture these Central American plants are notalways well flowered in this coun- try,our climate rarely bringing their rich colouring to perfection. This plant, however, is said to be very free in its flowers a vividly contrasted white and gold, which are borne throughout the summer upon stems 18 inches to 2 feet high. It should be planted in light warm soil and in an open and sunny spot, the seed being sown in gentle heat, and the young plants treatedas other tenderan- nuals. The pretty contrast in colour and their length of stem make the flowers useful for cutting.

* With coloured plate from a drawing | by Hee Moon, at Belgrove, Queenstown.

A TREE

SAVIN. 74

The other best known members of the group are T.coronopifolium, a low- growing perennial with yellow flower- heads ; and T. zri/obata, a similar plant

of like habit.

[To the Editor of FLora anp Sytva.] S1r,— A few weeks back I received from Vilmorin of Paris a few rooted cuttings of Eucommia ulmoides, but I cannot find the name of this apparently new plant in any of my books on Botany. If this plant fulfils Vilmorin’s description of it, it might be worth grow- ing in this country. He says that it contains a notable quantity of good gutta-percha. Treated with toluene the seeds have produced the large proportion of 27°34 of their weight of gutta and dried leaves 2°25 percent. Headds, the first plant introduced wintered in the open without any protection—trained against a wall; thecold having fallento 8 Cent. =17°6 Fahr. or 1474 degrees of frost. The plant may be of suffi- cient interest to merit a notice in FLora AnD SyLva, and any information as to its successful cultivation might be interesting and useful.—Y ours, etc., WHIN- Horst.

EucomMiIA vuLMorIpEs. — A shrub from Northern China, of botanical interest but not likely to prove much more than a curiosity in our climate. The seeds are the only part of the plant which produce any quantity of gutta- percha, and besides being very light in weight it is uncertain whether the plant flowers with freedom in Europe, the one adult plant pos- sessed by Messrs. Vilmorin having been so hard cut for propagation as to prevent flowering. Otherwise it is hardy enough to grow in many parts of the country without any special pro- tection, having stood at Paris uninjured by 16 degrees of frost when growing on a warm dry soil. Botanically it isrelated to the Euphorbias, with small inconspicuous flowers and their milky juiciness of tissue; its name is due to the likeness between its leaves and those of the Common Elm, and the light-winged seed- vessels of reddish-brown strengthen the re- semblance. Its culture is of the simplest in any warm light soil, and it is easily increased from cuttings of ripened wood taken with a heel in early spring before the leaves appear. It has been distributed for experiment by the French authorities in Annam, Tonkin, and their African colonies, but its culture is not likely to be of any practical value in this country.

A TREE SAVIN.

Tue Savin is variable in growth and habit, several forms being grown in gar- dens, such asthe Horizontal, Prostrate, and Tamarisk-leaved varieties. There exists, however, another form, which of late years has caused discussion among botanists. This shrub has for many years been grown by M. Jordan, under the name of J. Sabina Villarsi, and it is thus mentioned by Villars in his ‘¢ Histoire des Plantes de Dauphine (1789)”:— “We have a tree-like form at Saint- Clement, near Embrun ;” the plant still exists in the same neighbourhood. This Tree Savin is also found around Grenoble, at Mount Saint-Eynard, the Casque de Neron,and the rocks of Com- boire. In the department of Hautes Alpes it occurs as stated, at Saint-Cle- ment, and probably elsewhere in the district. This tree should be of value to growers of pyramidal Junipers. It is rare in gardens, growing rather slowly, and bearing berries of deep bluish-black.

VIVIAND MOREL, Lyon Horticole.

THE VIOLET WILLOW (Salix daphnoides).

Mr. T. Smiru, of Newry, sends a branch of this early-flowering tree, laden (in January) with its silky buds, silvery upon the dark twigs. It is not acommon tree and is rarely spoken of in garden books; it flowers in February, and in mild seasons such as this its buds develop very early, being already nearly an inch long and of fine effect. The tree is widely spread over a great part of Europe, and though natu- ralised in Britain is not native. It is a robust grower with stout stems of a dark purplish colour—whence its name of Violet Willow —but often covered with a white wax-like bloom. It is of somewhat bushy habit, bearing long narrow leaves, silvery beneath and shining

above; Mr. T. Smith claims to have used it with success for street planting.

74

NORTHERN FOREST.—No. 12. THE EASTERN PLANE (Platanus orientalis).

Ar first sight this classic tree, of which there are many colossal examples in Eastern countries, might be thought out of place among trees of the Northern Forest; but it thrives even in the Lon-

winters of Londonand Paris, and, worse than all, the greasy smoke of Newcastle coals, may well take a place among the greater trees. For noble shade, rapid growth, smoke-enduring, stately stem (often 6ofeet clear),and fine picturesque

its many good qualities are freedom from insect pests which worry most trees. It is also easy to increase by seed, layers, or

cuttings ; the first the best way, the seed coming freely in other countries, if not

in ours. ‘The Eastern Planeis notalover of mountain land, but thrives in river- carried soils in plain and valley. In Eastern countries it seeks the waterside;

|

in our land that is not so essential, but -

the best growth is always in valleys or alluvial soil. Its beauty and health in London may in part be owing to its way of “ throwing off its black skin yearly like the snake.” Though so common in our midst, the Eastern Plane was for many years mistaken for the West- ern or American Plane, which does not thrive in our country. Apart from the fine Plane trees seen in London squares and parks, there are many large trees in the Thames valley and in other southern and western lowlands—Kew,

Oxford, Ely, Castle Ashby, and Syon.

‘The Plane grows to a very large size and to a great age in the eastern parts of Europe and Asia Minor. A very noble example may be | seen in the village of Vostigo, in Greece, on the Gulf of Lepanto, which girthed (when I was there in 1842), at 5 feet

The Eastern Plane at Home.

from the ground, 37 feet 4 inches. This don squares, and a tree that resists the -

tree, growing in the middle of the vil-

lage ona gradual slope, standing ona raised platform of flat stones intended for protection to the roots, is a strik- ing object on entering the village, and “noteworthy as having existed in the

days of Pausanias, the historian. He, form, there is no better tree, and among ©

living in the second century, mentions it in his travels, and the tree must have been of considerable size at that time to have made it worthy of remark. Its age probably dates from before the Chris- tian era, which would make it more than 2,000 years old. Yet when seen by mein 1842 it was in full vigour and health, the stem for some way up per- fectly sound,though many of its larger limbs and branches had succumbed to

| age and storm. There are many other

parts of Greece and Turkey in which I noticed Planes of remarkable size and beauty, as along the banks of the stream running through the Vale of Tempe in- to the plains of Thessaly at the foot of the Olympian range, where many mag- nificent and stately specimens fringed the banks of the stream for many miles, and were growing in the greatest luxu- riance when I visited the country last, in 1846. Iwas especially struck with the magnificence of a grove of these trees in the island of Crete, in a vale at

THE EASTERN PLANE. as

/ iy?!

AN OLD TREE OF THE EASTERN PLANE.

76

FLORA AND SYLVA,

the foot of the White Mountains in Sfa- kia, a few hours’ ride from the town of Khania, watered by a copious stream, which probably derived its name Plata- nus from the number of Planes growing there. Their beauty was much enhanced by many of the largest trees being held firmly in the grip of gigantic vines en- twining their trunks for some feet above ground, as it were, with a huge cable nearly the thickness of a man’s body, through and over the branches to their very tops, andafterwards hanging down

in long festoons of bright leaves and |

fruit. And yet the Planes seemed in been held for many a long year in the grasp of these vines” (D. H. in The Garden).

These are of little importance be-

side the common kind: FP. o. zmsularis |

into broad lobes, slightly cutand widely open. The bark isjeasily detachable in large flakes, leaving the stem smooth and glossy. This variety, remarkable by Its vigour and ample foliage, is abun- dant throughout southern Europe and is the form commonly seen in London. P.0. flabellifolia : Very large leaves g to 10 inches in length and width, deeply cut into long indented lobes, and borne on short leaf-stalks.

In addition to these well-marked forms there exist a number of more or less distinct garden variations, thus:

—cuneata, integrifolia, laciniata, ma-

good health, though they must have

hasleaves much smaller.

Varieties of the Eastern Plane.

roundish at the base, with three or five lobes usually entire,

thanthecommonPlane, |

and with thin leaf-stalks as compared |

with the stout ones of the type. The

under-sides of the leaves frequently.

take a russet tinge, and the bark is. rougher and sheds itself less. This va-_ riety is found in Cyprus, Crete, and

other islands of the eastern Mediter- ranean region, in common with a sub-

variety showing a marked modifica-

tion in the form of the leaf in which,

though cut very deeply, the lobes fre-

quently touch. The bark of this form |

is rougher and more persistent than in

the cultivated varieties. P. 0. acerifolia, the most widely-spread form, is easily |

recognised by its large leaves divided

crophylla, palmata, and pyramidalis. Amongst the more distinct of these are asplenifolia, with foliage finely divided and graceful in effect; “iriodendrifolia with three-lobed leaves resembling those of the Tulip-tree ; and some va- riegated forms, which, as manifestations of disease, are better left to those who raise them.

Though in the mainfree from insect pests and diseases, the Plane is subject to the attacks of a mi- nute fungus (G/eospo- rium nerviseguum) which is now the cause of increasing loss in France. Its first effects are seen in the premature withering and fall of the leaves. In con- ditions favourable to the disease this may occur for several seasons, until not only the smaller branches but also the main stems and trunk are attacked. The great size of the trees is against any systematic treatment. ‘The smaller- leaved kinds seem in general less liable to the disease than those of ampler foli- age, the forms of cuneata being nearly

Enemies.

THE EASTERN PLANE,

fie

exempt. It maybe that the severe year- Hoatien or cirshes: is no test, and ly pruning which nearly all Planes in hence some introduced trees are pices France undergo favours the spread of | ly reputed as of no timber value. ‘The wood of the Plane is grown by us in such small quantities as not to allow of its Bene, ae tried or He SEZ

this fungus, not merely by checking na- |

tural growth but by giving ready access to the vital tissues through the wounds

so caused. On every ground this cutting is bad, and with- out some imperative reason should never be done. We need only compare the natural beauty of the Plane with the clipped trees on the Thames Embankment and elsewhere to see how bad a system it is. Left alone its form is perfect, and no trim- ming can be other than an injury.

The Plane tree is com- mon over the whole of the south of Europe, and of late years vast sums have been spent by local authorities in planting it along the road- sides, its shade giving wel- come relief from the sun’s glare in summer, while the leaves fall in autumn as soon as its warmth is needed.

There are few villages too

poor not to boasta p/ace and line of Plane trees, and in many parts, as on the plains of Lom-

bardy and the Riviera, avenues of great _

length and beauty are formed of them. The Plane, like other introduced

forest trees, suffers from our way of growing it more in plea-_

Wood. sure-grounds than as a

tree of value for woods. The pleasure.

EASTERN PLANE (CUT-LEAVED FORM),

HIGHCLERE,

In a very interesting note to Woods and Forests by a ‘Timber Merchant,” our English-grown Plane is said to be used by first-class coachbuilders and pianoforte makers, no wood taking paint so well, or standing better for the sides of waggonettes. In pianofortes it is used for bridges, its toughness and

78

FLORA AND SYLVA.

hardness enabling the pins to be secure- ly held. This timber merchant declares that the wood of English-grown Plane trees is far better for this purpose than that of the American Plane, and that, where the soil is good and warm in all the southern parts of the country, it might be well worth while to grow it as a forest tree. Its rapidity of growth and fine clear stem should place it in

‘ ishand- | , rae ae the first rank, and the old wood ishand | sometimes 125 feet in height and 7 feet in dia- some, resembling walnut. Grown rather |

closer together than is usual, the tim- ber would be all the better and cleaner. Spite of its great spreading head the tree may be so massed that, while allow-

ing full play for upward growth, the

greatest mass of timber may be kept in|

the boles.

BotaNnicaL SYNONYMS OF THE EASTERN PLane.—The accepted name is that of Linnaus—Platanus orientalis : which is the P. palmata of Mcench, P. jispanica of Tenore, P. vulgaris of Spach, P. occidentalis of hort. (not Linnzeus), P. insulavis of de Candolle, P. orientalis, var. insularis, of Kotschy, P. 0. nepalensis of Wesmael, P. 0. genuina of Wes- mael, P. 0. elongata of Aiton, P. laciniata of Courset, P. nepal- ensis of Morren, P. nepalensis and elongata of gardens, and P. umbraculifera of Leroy. se 3%

ails : ae

ae “ae PLantinc Winp-swept SHores.—Lhe merit of the Monterey Pine (P. ivsignis) as a shore tree 1s well seen

at Bodorgan, in Anglesea, where many trees are in

rude health within a few yards of the sea. There is |

appearance of the few stunted native trees in the open land, but planting of an effective kind has been done almost on the seashore. At the water’s edge is the Sea Buckthorn, Furze, and Barberry, which first bar the south-western gales and winds, and a few paces

regards planting near the sea. The contrast between the wind-swept surface of the island and the noble avenue of evergreen trees leading from the lodge to

can only be carried out well where we plant a wood and not a mere belt, the trees in the massed wood protecting each other better than any artificial shelter that could be devised. Into such a wood the wind may tear fiercely, but is soon tamed down to some- thing like gentleness.

THE SASSAFRAS TREE.

To see this beautiful tree at its best one must look for it in rich alluvial valleys, and in bottom- landsalong the great rivers of our Southern and South-Western States. Neglected in the fence corners, and along roadways in New England, the Sassafras has degenerated into a straggling shrub, seldom over 10 or 15 feet in height, nibbled by rabbits, and browsed by cows, who

are very fond of rubbing against the aromatic

bark. But left to itself in rich moist soil, and _under the warmer skies of the South, it de-

velops into a lofty tree of noble proportions,

meter of trunk, while its spreading head, in um- brella shape, shades a wide expanse of ground. Neglected asit now is by American planters, yet

at onetime no tree of the Western hemisphere

was more valued for thefabulous virtue thought to reside inits bark. Thismay be becauseit does not take kindly to the severe winters of New England, where, though quite hardy, itseldom becomes a tree. When the Spanish doctor,

' Nicholas Monardes,first described the Sassafras

in his ‘“* Natural History of the New World,” published in Seville in 1569, it sprang at once into great repute as a sovereign remedy for all diseases. The Indians had long used the bark and roots of the Sassafras for medicine, and it was from them that the French in Florida first heard of its virtues about the middle of the six- teenth century. The Indians called it Pavame. Soon all the vessels returning to Europe from the New World carried a store of Sassafrax, as

nowhere a more wind-tortured shore judging by the | the Spaniards called it, to enrich the pharma-

| copeeia of the day. The bark of the roots of

this tree is the most aromatic part of the plant. The leaves and twigs are mucilaginous, and Sassafras Tea is still a homely remedy in use in

/many primitive neighbourhoods. Although

within these, rows of Pines and Evergreen Oaks ap- | pear, and soon with the aid of these excellent shore | d eee an eas h i trees, almost any kind of evergreen planting may be W? espread as 1n the sixteenth century, when

carried out. The whole place is most instructive as |

the belief in the virtues of Sassafras is not so

many learned treatises were printéd in its hon- our,yet it isstill valued forits mildly stimulating properties, and is considered a sovereign speci-

fic for strengthening the sight; oil of Sassafras the house is very striking. Such planting, however, |

is used as an ingredient in some perfumes. But it is for its beauty that I would chiefly extolit. Whoever has lived on intimate terms with this tree cannot fail to love it. Fastidious in its requirements, it belongs toan aristocratic family—the Lauracee, which gives us the

THE pee TREE,

Poet’s Laurel ; and it is of little use to expect it to flourish in poor soil, or when crowded. In moist and mild parts of England, planted in rich and deep soil, the Sassafras ought to attain a good size. Itshabit of growth is at first scanty and straggling. It has a straight stem crowned with sparse foliagein youth,gradually broaden-

79

spring. The ene berries, half an inch long, and set in a bright red calyx, add much to the beauty of itsautumn dress, but they are greedi-

ly devoured by the birds, and seldom remain

long upon the branches. Young trees fruit sparsely or not at all. It is the largetrees in rich

soil that one sometimes finds laden with fruit

ing into a beautiful head with dense foliage in |

layers, from branches almost at right angles with the trunk.

Early in the spring the Sassafras is con- spicuous for its clusters of small blossoms, light yellow incolour, sometimes dieciousand some- times perfect,that appear before the leaves. The scales of the winter-buds consist of three outer ones that soon fall when their pro- tective work is done. Four or five inner scales begin to increase when the bud opens. They are covered with fine silky hairs, and form an involucre around the flower-clusters. At first this involucre is light yellow, but it gradually assumes a bright red colour, a pretty contrast to the yellow blossoms. When the young leaves appear they are in beautiful shades of amber, salmon, and sienna. The delicate under surface of the foliage is covered with lustrous silky hairs, and so fine is the tex- ture of these young leaves that they are translucent in effect under the influence of the bright spring sunshine. When the leaves mature they are a soft, warm, medium green, showing their downy under surfaces in every whiff of wind. The leaves are from 3 to 5inches long, and 2 to 4 inches in width. Sometimes, as though in caprice, a leaf will put forth what resembles a thumb on one side, looking like a mittened hand. Other leaves will put forth, as it were, a thumb or finger on each side of the main lobe ; leaf are often found on the same twig

It is inthe autumn that the Sassafras must be seen if its beauty is to be fully appreciated. The foliage hereabouts begins to colour in October, and persists until late in November. A copse of young Sassafras is then a fine har- mony of colour, running the scale from ten- derest citrine, amber, and old Madeira, to in- tense orange and scarlet. The new growth throughout the summer shows the same at- tractive colouring as the young leaves in the

and all three forms of

THE SASSAFRAS.

and as fine a sight as our southern woodlands present. I have seen trees thus laden, their beauty enhanced by the Virginia Creeper cloth- ing their trunks, running high up among their branches, and flinging out their scarlet festoons in high relief against the parti-coloured foli- age of the trees. The bark of the Sassafras is

LEAF, FLOWERS, AND FRUIT.

roughly ridged, thick, and dark reddish- brown. On smalltrees the bark is greyish, curi- ously streaked and striped with dark brown, while the young branches and twigs are green.

Mr. Scott, an old authority on the trees of America, writes thus of the Sassafras :—‘“‘ The crooked Sassafras of the woods, running up as if uncertain what point in the heavens to aim at,and at what height to put out itsarms, seems as unhappy there as a cultured citizen forced to spend his life among the Comanches. But the same tree in rich soil, and in the open sun, ex- pands naturally into one of the most beautiful heads of foliage among trees.” He speaks of it as the most neglected, considering its rare

80 FLORA AND SYLVA,

beauty, of all our native trees. “The deep fur- rows of its warm brown bark; the angular ruggedness of its branches, and the flattened form and horizontal shadows of its head ; give it an air of age and dignity; while the pure colour, abundance, and fine-cut outline of its leaves, add a refined expression during its pe- riod of foliage.” The foliage breaks into softly rounded horizontal layers, drooping on the ex- terior to catch and reflect the sun, so that it presents to the eye broader and warmer masses of light than does the foliage of any other‘tree of our forests.

Where the soil and climate suits the Sassa- fras its growth is rapid, from 1 to 2 feet ina

ear; where it flourishes farmers knowthat the |

soil is fertile. Its wood is a soft orange colour,

durable, and rather hard; itis usedinsome parts |

of the country for fencing. The pleasant taste sreen of a tall and massive silver candlestick would con-

and aromatic fragrance of the bark and young leaves make the Sassafras a favourite with those who like to nibble among their shrubberies, and the habit is soon formed of never passing a tree without a taste of its pleasant mucilagi- nous foliage. All trees have characters of their own; and the Sassafras is the embodiment of sunny,cheerful warmth. It doesnot transplant well when large, as the thick root-stocks have

few rootlets; but small suckers are easily |

planted, and it may be raised from seed. DANSKE DANDRIDGE. Rose Brake, West Virginia, U.S.A.

[The Sassafras Tree was at one time far more often planted in the warmer parts of our country, and in open soilit grew to a fairstature though nothing like such as are named above. The planting of many good trees has been seriously hindered by the worship of Welling- tonias, Araucarias, &c., and it is now almost a rare tree.—ED1Tor. |

Eastern Cypress at IcKwortH.—This tree is of |

such doubtful hardiness in many parts of our coun- try that we should hesitate to plant it, although we have here and there seen, as at White Knights before the hard winters came, some good trees of it ; also near the coast in mild districts we may plant it here and there. This being so, we were the more surprised tosee many trees of itat Ickworth in rude health and giving a very distinctand gracefulappearance to that garden ; the effect is that of areal Italian garden, shel- tered, graceful, varied, and quite the opposite of the usual British-pattern “ Italian garden,” with its Irish Yews, hard lines, and little yellow dots of Arbor-vite.

In THE West Arrican Forest. — The dense forests through which our road lay are very fine. They may be the breeding ground of deadly diseases, but they are truly beautiful to look at. They con- sist of what I may describe as three distinct storeys. The ground-floor storey is made up of the ordinary close, tropical bush of from 15 to 20 feet in height, through which the forest trees of equatorial Africa push their thick lofty stems and big branches to form the second storey. These are of about the same size as the great forest trees of Western Europe. The third storey, towering over and above the other two, is formed by the straight and smooth- stemmed Cotton Tree, with its mushroom-shaped roof, many being over 150 feet in height. The big parrots of this region, when perched upon them, look no larger than English robins. This tree has no branches until close to the top of its pillar-like stem, where they shoot out almost horizontally, like the iron stays of a great and shallow umbrella. A large inverted green saucer placed on the nozzle

vey a good idea of what the Cotton Tree looks like. Its polished stem of soft and pearly grey tapers little, being great in circumference all the way up to where the branches spring. The stand of the candle-

| stick represents the roots, which go little into the

ground, but mostly rest upon it. Rising up from the outer edge of that stand are great protecting buttresses, often covering a circle of ground that would measure 200 feet in circumference. Those ribbed buttresses add much to the stability of the tree and to the magnificence of its imposing appear- ance. .. . But what strikes the stranger most in this weirdly dark forest scenery are the thousands of twisted creepers and winders of all shapes and sizes which cross and recross one another, the smaller ones hanging in tangled masses festooned between

| the trees like the tangled locks of some giant Meg | Merrilees. Many of these creepers are thicker than

| any direction. .

_a man’s wrist, and to get through this lower jungle

you must cut them, for none will break. Twisted round them again, are usually others of a tougher and more cord-like quality, which compress the expansion of those round which they twine, pinch- ing them into the spiral irregularity of a corkscrew. These great winders hanging from branch to branch in vast quantities at every angle and in puzzling irregularity, bar the way to all who would pass in . . Look down any chance opening in the depths of this awe-inspiring forest, and, as the gentlewind sways about these ropesand coils of brown

creepers, one thinks of the loose shrouds, broken

stays and halyards and confused masses of rigging

| that hang from masts and yards of the old and once

beautiful “ three-deckers,” still to be seen as ruins in the neglected back waters of our naval harbours. —Lorp Wotsetey’s “ Story of a Soldier’s Lifes?

——— _

ROSE ‘* PAPA LAMBERT.” Tuis is one of the good new Roses, and of proved merit. Its growth is sturdy, not too tall, breaking freely when cut back, and ripening well in autumn; it also transplants well. Its long pointed

buds show fine depth of petal, and the

ROSE

ROSE “” PAPA LAMBERT.”

8I

Roses and profuse in flower, making but little waste growth. Though often classed as a show flower it is well suited for grouping and may be used with good effect with the finer garden Roses. For some years it has now been one of

-thekindsmostin demand until growers

“PAPA LAMBERT.)

(Engraved for ‘‘ Flora’’|from a photograph by G. Champion in the old Rose Gardens, Colchester.)

blossoms, of large size and fine form, are of a beautiful pinkish-rose shading to carmine in the centre, with some- thing of the old Cabbage-Rose frag-

rance, and carried upon stout stems. It

)

is free from the roughness of some large |

have had difheulty in supplying their

customers. Our engraving, from a plant

in Messrs. B. R. Cant and Son’s Rose Gardens at Colchester, does but justice to the rare beauty of this fine Rose.

ROSARIAN.

F

82

eee AND Se

THE ALMOND. Foremost among the hardiest of early- flowering shrubs are the Almonds, and few trees need so little care in varied soils and aspects. Twenty degrees of frost and a bitter wind cannot destroy their beauty even in full flower, and, indeed, a light frost often deepens the colour of the dainty petals yet without trace of injury. In the south of France the Al- mond is often in full beauty in January, clusters of large old treeslighting up the hillsides ; in Spain and Asia Minor it |

flowersin February; with ourselves most | are found among the mountains of Al- -geria. Many named kinds bearing nuts

commonly in March, and in Norway not till June. A lover of dry warm soils, its fleshy roots striking deep and enabling © it to resist where few trees can grow, it | is much used upon thestoney, scorched ©

hillsides of the lower Rhone Valley.

eae 4 Though ne ee is ‘a most entirely free from insect pests its leaves are liable to the attacks of a fun- gus which causes them to curl up and turn a deep red colour. When this happens the leaves should be carefully picked off and burned.

For many hundreds of years the Almond has been cultivated in Europe and parts of Asia, and like many such trees it has been found difficult to fix its native home. Certain kinds grow -untended in Asia Minor and Turkestan, and wild trees of the common Minot

with hard and soft shells are grown in the south of Europe, and are profitable only because of the slight care required. Much of the fruit is used locally, and

Grafted on the Plum as withus, it shows | in a green state is a favourite summer

little preference as to soil, ae in heavy»

ground it should be more helena than | earliest times poetic races have been accustomed to look upon the Almond _as sacred, and have explained its early- flowering in various ways; to this day _the peasantry of Provence have a pretty legend ascribing to it a miraculous “origin.

on warmer land. It may be grown as a shrub orto a stem, or the two forms may be grouped in masses, an arrangement which, seen upon rising ground and at a distance, and thrown into relief by a protecting belt of evergreens, shows it to the best advantage. Its growth isfree and fairly rapid, but somewhat strag- gling, needing care to keep a good out- line, though trees planted side by side often show a very different habit. The Almond is only grown in English gar- dens for its beauty, though in some years the fruits ripen in many parts of the country, and are little inferior in flavour to those of southern Europe; but the fruit germ is so often killed by

spring frost that this only occurs at

dessert fruit ; only the finest hard- shelled eee are exported. From the

Small plants and cut branches of the Almond are sometimes used for forcing in gentle heat. If cut when showing colour the buds will open in- doors, and their delicate pink petals lasting long in beauty are a great gain at a time when flowers are scarce. Leav- ing out the many fruiting varieties which are without value in English gardens, the following kinds are grown for their beauty as flowering shrubs, and are es-

THE ALMOND.

83

pecially suited to town gardens of small size. In accordance with the latest rul- ing the Almond is now grouped with

the Plum in the genus Prunus :-— Tue Common AtmMonp (Prunus Amygdalus communis).—A low tree beautiful in flower,

reaching at lengthsome 30 feet and picturesque |

when old. Its flowers are borne with great freedom and with fine colour effect, varying

from white to bright rose colour. Native of | | shrub, and beside be- _ing handsome is very early in flower.

North Africa. Its upper branches are thorny in the wild tree. Used in the South of Europe as a stock for grafting the betterkinds. Having been in cultivation fromthe earliest times there aremany forms of the Common AI- mond, some of them coming fairly true from seed while others need grafting. The common sweet and bitter kinds may be raised from seed,

Varieties.

but their character isso uncertain that seedlings |

of both sorts come in the same sowing. The most distinct varieties are :—

Tue BirrerR ALmonp (P. 4. c. amara).— This form is not so free in growth but its habit is more regular. Its flowers, too, are larger and pale in colour, with a blotch of bright rose at the base of the petals.

THE SWEET ALMOND (communis dulcis).— A treeearlierin bloom than amara, with flowers smallerand deeper in colour, and long leaves of greyish-green. Its fruit is the Almond of com- merce.

THE DouBLE-FLOWERED ALMOND (communis flore pleno).—A form with large full flowers of deep rose in the bud and when first expanded, paling with exposure, but lasting long in beauty.

Tue LARGE-FRvUITED ALMOND (communis macrocarpa).—A beautiful tree of good habit and the earliest to flower, though for this reason it rarely fruits. Its flowers measure 3 or more inchesacross, with broad petals of pale rose, the leaves and fruit are also larger than in thecom- mon kind. It does well in almost any soil, and, being little injured by smoke or fog and of neat erect habit suited to small plots of ground, is a good tree for town gardens.

—A strange form of the common almond grown sparingly in southern Europe but rare in English gardens. It is a cross between the

mond. It is grown at

| ly white kind, flower-

Almond and Peach, though at one time held to be a development of the Almond, marking a stage of transition between it and the Peach, with characters be- longing to both. In leaf it resembles the Peach, and its fruits show a more fleshy coating than the Al-

»y arf] 1A 0 \

a \\ We 4 iP

~ Y I\'m) NS sai jh hy, Aire | eae MY et Ws

Kew as a flowerin

Among minor va- rietiesof the Common Almond are a pretty- weeping form, as free in flower as the erect growers and useful for small lawns; an ear-

ing the first days of March and very dis- tinct in its stout rigid growth, reaching a large size at maturity, scarce in gardens, but growing as a fine tree in Turner’s Nurse- riesat Slough. There are also several varie- gated sorts without value and one of some merit. This isa scarce French shrub with ; none of the weakness so often associated with variegation, but of free vigorous growth and leaves boldly blotched with white, which so far from injury gain brilliance by exposure.

Tue Hoary Atmonp (P. 24. incana).—A shrub held bysome botanists to bea form of the Dwarf Almond, which it somewhat resembles in growth. It isa pretty low bush, only 2 or 3 feet high, and a native of the Levant and Asia Minor. It bearsinA prildeeply coloured flowers

THE DWARF ALMOND,

_upon its slender spiral shoots, followed by nar- THE ALMOND-PEACH (communis persicoides).

row leaves covered with fine white hairs on their under surface, from which the plant de- rives its name. A handsome shrub but rarely seen in English gardens.

84

FLORA AND SYLVA,

Tue Dwarr Atmonp (B. 4. nana).—A low much-branched shrub common upon the plains of south and Asiatic Russia, and of much beauty in English gardens. It rarely exceeds 3 feet in height, with long slender twigs com- pletely wreathed in March by flowers of bright rose colour, lasting for several weeks. The leaves are smooth, narrow, and of dark glossy green, and the fruit like that of the Common Almond, but much smaller. It may be in- creased in several ways, but the simplest is by suckers, which spring freely around strong plants. Being unaffected by drought it is use- ful upon raised parts of the rock garden or

similar dry spots. It is grown in several varie- |

ties, all of which have much to recommend them. There are two white-flowered forms, one a near counterpart of the above, but often nota pure white, andasecond with larger leaves and of bigger growth,known as nana Besseriana, and very free in small white flowers. Nana campanuloides, a distinct plant to be found in

French nurseries, bears many pale rose flowers, | which remain partly expanded with almost | a bell-shaped appearance, and in their profu- |

sion are highly attractive. There is also to be met with a variety known as nana microphylla,

flowers, often semi-double, of a bright rose- colour, marked upon the outer tip of each petal with a deepercrimsonspot. It seems uncertain whether this plant is really a form of nana or related to the true Small-leaved Almond (P. 4. microphylla), alow shrub of like habit found at a height of several thousand feet in the moun- tains of Mexico, but otherwise unknown in gardens. The plant known as nana georgica is

appearance is striking and distinct. gardens, though introduced in 1756.

THE SIBERIAN ALMmonpD (P. J. siberica).— Possibly only an eastern form of the Dwarf Almond, which it resembles in size, but its light wand-like habit of growth, and long fine leaves like certain Willows, make it a very distinct plant.

BorssteR’s ALtMonp (P. 4. Botssiert).—A slender bushy shrub of uncertain origin and now rare in gardens. It was raised in France some score or more years ago from seed sent from the Levant as that of the Silver Almond, but proved different from any known kind. It flowers in April with great freedom, bear- ing large stemless flowers, flushed with rose, thickly covering its long erect shoots. The thick leathery leaves are short and narrow, dull green above and greyish beneath, and its fruits, ripening early, are clothed with short hairs.

Rare in

_ A pretty and useful shrub, flowering later than most other kinds.

The true parent of the Peach is now held to be Persica Davidiana, grown in English gardens as shrubs with beautiful white or

rosy flowers, opening very early in the year, and often classed with the Almonds in trade an erect and graceful shrub bearing small |

lists.

| MosaicuLTuRE DEFINED.—Cela consiste a diviser le

terrain en carrés, en ronds, en ovales réguliers, puis a subdiviser ces carrés, ces ronds, ces ovales, en petits

_compartiments dessinant des figures comme du pa- _ pier peint au moyen de fleurs, de feuillages, du petites

uncommon but not so good as brighter forms |

of the Dwarf Almond. While more vigorous in growth, reaching the size of a low erect tree, its flower-petals are so small that their effect is partially lost.

THE SirveR ALmMonp (P. 2. ortentalis).— A bush or low tree found in the Levant, and in its own country nearly evergreen. In English

gardens it is a rather tender shrub, liable to |

injury in severe winters and therefore only to

freely than other kinds, and is more useful for |

the silvery sheen of its short rounded leaves and young shoots. In collections of shrubs its

plantes de diverses couleurs ; c’est simplement hi-

_ deux et ridicule; au moyen de petits artichauts, de

petites jourbarbes, appelés pour le moment “ eche- veria,” on trace des armoiries, des drapeaux, des en-

| seignes; on écrit des noms, des devises, des opinions

politiques. Ce systeme de coupable jardinage rend ridicule un des plus charmants coins de la terre, Isola Bella du lac Majeur. Outre les dessins du buis, il y a, comme il y avait jadis dans nos parterres fran- cais, des dessins pratiques au moyen de petits cail- loux et de sables de diverses couleurs. I] faut que les hommes de gotit, places de fagon a exercer quelque

| autorité, s’opposent a l’invasion, a la restauration de

ces cotiteuses, ridicules et absurdes puérilités. I] ne faut pas que cette “mode,” imitée encore une fois Pp ’

chez les autres peuples, fasse donner de nouveau a

he necocimendcdeior hele id spots in mild _ces jardins bétes, tristes, grotesques, le nom de jardin

sorts . : | francais ; a bas la mosaiculture ! 4 bas méme les = districts. It flowers in March or April but less | sate eche

_veria, s'il est nécessaire, dont quelques-uns pourtant

sont d’assez jolies plantes ! Quant a la mosaiculture et a l’art des jardins, il faut se souvenir que “I’art est le choix dans le vrai.” —-ALPHONSE Karr.

THE HEPATICAS.

85

THE HEPATICAS (Azemone hepatica). Currriest and most welcome of early flowers, the Hepaticas are among the oldest plants cultivated in gardens ; and, though not found wild in Britain, are common in mountain copses and wood- land over a large part of Europe and North America. So old and so familiar were they, even in cottage gardens of a

past generation, that there seemed little |

of newness possible to them, until, two years ago, the double white Hepatica, long talked of and often treated as a myth, came to light at last and aroused fresh interest in these charming moun- tain plants.

The Hepaticas will not thrive in all places alike. Around large towns with

theirsmokeand fog they Conditions of Success.

losing their leaves in winter and with them much of their beauty ; compact and heavy soils are also disliked by these plants of the hills. Where they do not succeed in existing soil good results are often got from raised borders of well-drained compost. The question of soil is one of locality. In our southern and eastern counties shade would be more needed for their successful cultivation than in the west or north. With sufficient moisture most kinds thrive best in half-shade orrather screened by summer-leafing trees and at other times exposed to light and air. In light shade the plants keep low, and flower freely, setting seed well, and having their leaves finely marbled. In shadier spots their growth is larger and the stems more developed, but though

| lasting longerthe flowers remain closed on dull days and often fail to seed.

To see the Hepatica in its native beauty one should seeit upon the south- ern slopes of the Alps, where it is one of the mountain plants that creep nearest the Mediterranean wher- ever the hills approach the sea. Its fa- vourite haunt is woods of Oak, in which it is sheltered from the summer glare and yet freely exposed-until its season of flower is past, while in autumn the fall- ing leaves drift thickly into the nooks

The Hepatica at Home.

_and crannies loved of the plant, provid-

ing Nature’s own shelter and also food. Withthe first genial days of spring their buds begin to expand, until in March and April, when the snow has gone and

the sun is hot at noon, their tufts of are never quite happy, |

colour spread as a vast sheet of blue in every tone and shade, forming a dense

carpet throughout the belt of woodland, varied here and their by clumps of wild _ Narcissus, by pallid Asphodel, or quaint

wild Orchids, and mingling with Prim-

roses, and the pale blue Italian Scilla.

Without stirring more than a few yards it is possible to fill a sack with roots, if minded to enjoy their beauty nearer home. A great green lizard popsup over a stone to seewhat the stir is about, and at long intervals a peasant goes by on his mule, whose spreading panniers brush the growth beside the narrow track, while in his wonder at your occupation therustic almost forgets to give you his good-day. But for the rest one is ina world of blue: the bluest of blue skies overhead, a blue haze upon the further

| hillsides, in the distance the deep dark F 3

86

FLORA AND

SYLVA.

blue of the Mediterranean, and around and at one’s feet that all-pervading azure tapestry.

The culture of the Hepatica is not difficult,consisting rather of carein little details. The first is to find the place and soil best suited ; if too heavy the ground should be lightened by road- scrapings and leaf-mould until it is po- rous, well-drained, and deep enough for the mat of long roots. When well planted Hepaticas may be left for many years, with only an occasional dressing of rot- ten leaves or manure to correct their tendency to rise out of the ground; they should seldom be disturbed at the root, but massed ina bold way wherethey can be left untouched to spread in the true woodland way, or, where a special bor- der is prepared, it should be given up to them. In time fine clumps will result, glowing asacushion of flowersin spring, and,when well grown, sometimes a foot across. When old tufts showexhaustion by losing colour, they should be taken up in early autumn before growth be- gins, and after soaking in water, divided into sections by carefully separating the long black roots. If skilfully done the plants soon recover the checkand grow with renewed vigour, and fresh rich soil will always improve their flowers.

As a whole the group is varied and uncertain in colour,with flowers ofblue, purple, and lilac in many shades, pass- ing through mauve to pink and deep rose, with two or three forms of white flowers. The shape of the flowers is no less variable, composed of petals broad or narrow, long or very short, nearly

Culture.

flat or again cup-shaped. The large va- riety that may be grown from seed makes the raising of seedlings very interesting, and the most vigorous plants are to be had in this way. The seed should be sown as soon as ripe, either in the open where it can be kept evenly moist (an old way of securing this being to cover the bed with bricks or boards), or in boxes of sand and cocoa-fibre. Many _do not germinate until the spring, and

must then be pricked off and grown on

‘in light soil enriched with cow manure, coming to flower mostly in the third year. The resulting range of colour is often large, and includes flowers that

are prettily shaded and edged. The

different varieties, which are roughly

classed asto colour, bloom at rather dif- ferent times, beginning with the pretty

large-flowered H. angulosa, followed _by the double red form, the singles in blue, white, and pink—roughly in the

order named—the last being the deli- cate double blue kind. They keep in

beauty from one to two months, the ‘time depending upon their position and

the season, and apart from their grace-

ful effect in shaded border or the edges of woodland, their cut blooms are of value for button-holes and small vases. In many gardens a few plants are win-

tered in framesand flowered under glass, to provide earlier and perfect blossoms for decoration; plantssosheltered gene- rally seed with freedom. Cold, spring winds, heavy rains, and early slugs are their worst outdoor foes ; the last may often be scared by a few wood-ashes

sprinkled round and over the budding

tufts. When flowering is done the new

leaves appear, deeply cut and clothed with silky hairs, and are green at first, with a reddish tinge at maturity ; these leaves should remain as a shelter to the crown throughout the following winter, and where they keep in good condition the plants never fail to do well. Though full flowers in the other

colours have long been known, if the

double-white kind ever | existed in gardens—a |

The New Double- White. : matter of much dispute

—it had certainly disappeared until a_

single wild plant was found byalad when

Mountains, and that plant, carefully in- creased, has given us the long-desired double-white Hepatica. It is of good growth, free and vigorous, bearing its pale rosettes, which are as large as the robust double-red, well above the foli- age, and when more common is likely to be of value for cut-work of all sorts.

Grown as large tufts in pans, like those |

shown by Miss Willmott before the

Royal Horticultural Society, its beauty of form and purity of colour is undenia- ble. Increased solely by division, it will be a scarce plant forsometimeto come.

The older forms of these woodland

Anemones are so well known as to re- |

quire onlya rapid sum- mary. All the garden Hepaticas belong to two species, though wild and garden forms are innumerable.

Tue Great Hepatica (Anemone angulosa). —A robust plant from the east of Europe,

Older Kinds.

growing from 8 to 12 inches high, and bearing -

flowers of sky-blue or mauve colour, 2 inches or more across. It isthe earliest to flower, open- ing in February and beautiful when grown in

THE HEPATICAS.

87

| rich soil in a peat border or rock garden. It

spreads by long underground stems, bearing finely-cut leaves which are woolly in some varieties. Though less sensitive to smoke than the common Hepatica, it is not at all free in some gardens, but richly beautiful where it

succeeds. It may be raised from seed, but there

are fewer forms than with the smaller kind.

| They include atro-ceru/ea, with a larger flower

of deep purple-blue and of pleasing irregular shape; a semi-double pale lilac kind, also very pretty; anearly star-like form with very narrow pale petals; one or two forms inclining to rose- colour; and a dark flower produced with leaves silvery from their long silky hairs. Syn. 4. transsilvanica of Beck.

Tue Common Hepartica (Anemone hepatica

: _triloba).—A plant of 4 to g inches, with roaming in pea fanesiewor the bate. | riloba) plant of 4 to 9 inches, with many

flowersmuch smaller thaninangulosa. Rough- ly classed as to colour and form of flower as

| follows:—

SINGLE Biuz.—The common form vary- ing in tone from pale lavender to a fine shade of sky-blue (cwru/ea), and to a rich deep blue of great brilliance (sp/endens). Easy to grow

_and early in flower.

DovusLte Biurz.—A scarce form, variable and very fine at its best, but delicate and slow of increase. It is best divided in September and wintered in frames, indeed in many gardens it is always grown in pots. It flowers after other kinds in spring and sometimes bears a few pale flowers in the autumn, which have at times passed for blooms of a double-white kind.

| Its leaves are more rounded thanin other kinds

and more richly marbled. Grown in several forms, of which the best is Roya/ Blue. SINGLE Pinx.—A beautiful little plant, fine inshapeand colour but less robust than the full- flowered plant, and delicate in many gardens.

_ Fine colour shades exist, from a pearly rose-

| grey to bright pink.

DovusLte Pinx.—A kind of free robust growth, with a good constitution and fine effect. Its tiny rosettes, shading from pale rose to deep pink, come very early and last long in beauty. One of the best hardy spring flowers.

SincLE Wuire.—A charming flower of large size, pure white or flushed with rose in- side and upon the outside of the petals. The

anthers are many and brightly coloured, taking

F 4

-

88

FLORA AND SYLVA,

in one form a fine red colour in good contrast to the pale petals. Useful for cutting and of free growth.

Bartow’s Hepatica (¢riloba Barlowi).— One of the best forms, hardy, constant, and a rich purple colour, very distinct and showy, finely contrasted with a dense cluster of pale stamens. Flowers very early and succeeds in most gardens. The size and brilliance of its flowers and their long stalks make it one of the best for cutting.

Other sorts distinct in character but of small garden value are ¢tri/oba acutifolia, with sharper lobes (sometimes five in number) to

the leaves, and flowers of a pale mauve or grey- |

ish-pink smaller than the common Hepatica; the calyx is also much developed and the shape of the corolla almost tubular. Central United States. Asecond structural variety more curi- ous than showy is sess//ata, with dark flowers

in which the green calyx is developed far be- |

yond the petals; while in varvabilis the bright- ly mottled leaves are the main feature.—B. Or Contrers.—[To the Editor of Fiora.] Srr,—

The mania for the raising and sending out of so- |

called varieties would be etter ieontrolled a little by publictaste. Among the numerous varieties I doubt if any could be named that would compare in value

with the wild tree. In the Kew list of conifers, taking |

Lawson’s Cypress on page 37, I finda host of varie- gations as to colour of foliage are considered worthy Of mention there, not one of them worth a farthing. Then we come to variations of habit, and they are also poor when they get beyond the nursery stage,

the close ones often rotting inthe middle. Page after | page of the list is given to this enumeration of forms |

often monstrous and useless. I have lately visited collections of conifers which were well grown and instructive, but marred by the variegated and ugly

forms of conifers, which gave a spotty look. Many |

of them, indeed, were in a dying state, and taking up the places which might have been given to kinds of value, or even to the better grouping of kinds which we accept as the best. We are used to these sort of | enumerations in trade catalogues, but it isa surprise | to me to find them in the Kew list, three pages being | devoted to varieties or diroruone of one species, mostly fitted with Latin names. It is not the im- provement, but the degradation of the Pine that is affected by the practice. ” As to the great public, one Latin name seems as good as another, and hence we see endless attempts tor grow this vatied rubbish, even where the trees they ive arisen from are not seen. And who has ever seen a variegated example come to anything but an n ugly death ?-—A Prve-Lover.

MAGNOLIA PARVIFLORA.* Tus fine shrub first flowered in this country in 1894 and is still rare in gar- dens ; it is hardy and beautiful, though not quite so showy in colour as some kinds. The flowersare large, handsome, and fragrant, appearing from the end of May into July, when the tree is in leaf and other kinds of Magnolia have done flowering. It forms a bush or small tree of strong free growth, with rounded leaves about 5 inches long upon long stalks which, with the nervesand some- times the whole of the under surface of the leaf, is covered with short reddish hairs. The flowers are larger than its name implies, being 4 inches across, composed of six petals forming a cup- shaped bloom of waxy shell-like purity, fading to a rosy yellow. There are three outer and drooping sepals of creamy- white, but the lower owes much of its charm to the contrast of its green centre and the ring of rich crimson stamens within, and the fruity perfume which often pervades the air for some distance

around the bush. In America, where it was grown for some years before reach- ing this country, it has been largely im- ported from Japan, where it is common in gardens and is said to be found wild in the hill-ranges of Nippon. Though | normally flowering upon the old wood, in very fine seasons it has been knee to flower again in the autumn upon its new growth. It is also useful as a pot plant, remaining in beauty for many | weeksin a coolconservatory. Forcharm _of flowerand value in the flower-garden this shrub is worthy to rank with any | Howering tree.

* With coloured plate from a drawing by H. G. Moon at Kew.

THE WITCH.HAZELS, 89

THE WITCH-HAZELS early winter all flowering shrubs have

(Hamamelis). their value. Small pot-grown plants of the showy Japan kinds when flowered under glass are pretty in the conserva- tory, lasting in beauty for a long while and brought to perfection without heat; cut branches, too, will freely open their buds indoors, but the shrubs are too slow in growth to allow of much cut- ting. They are not at all particular as to soil and aspect, but do best in a good free loam and where the winter sun can | light up their flower-clusters.

Ir they flowered when gardens areat the full tide of summer beauty the Witch Hazels might pass well-nigh unnoticed, but, blooming in mid - winter when flowers are few and gardens at their dullest, they are of value and theirbeau- | ty better appreciated. To come across one of these little shrubs opening its flowers, undaunted by frost and snow, never fails to rouse a thrill of pleasure, coming, as one French writer has aptl / put it, like Noah’s olive-branch ie ee The new Chinese kind (4. mollis) many days ofdeluge.” As shrubs of small | discovered by Dr . Henry in 1887 Is as growth they should be placed close to_ yet hardly known in gardens though to

walks, the peculiar form and beauty of | all appearance a plant of value, being

quite hardy, of good growth, and the

their flowers being best seen near at 1° : ea. The Japanese pen shape- brightest of all in colour. The four species of Hamamelis are classed by

ly little trees of neat outline but slow

growth,even the TreeWitchHazel (Ha-_ themselves wey small order of rather uncertain rank, some botanists placing

mamelis arborea) rarely rising above 8 it near the Ivy and Dogwood groups,

or 10 feet; they are therefore quite in place grouped in the angle of a lawn or and others nearer the Saxifragas. The

Be es os shrubbery. The four following kinds are now in culti-

effect of the narrow-petalled flowers Y@U0? +

: . Cla es - Tue Tree Witcu-Haze (Hamamelis ar- being a little “thin” it is always a. Ba borea).—The largest and best of the group,

to group several plants together, and SO | forming a neat erect shrub with a much- massed, when seen in bright sunlight | branched head of pale yellowish shoots, and a and thrown into relief bya background | neat outline. Itistheearliest to flower, its buds

et dark foliage a glittering snow, they | opening in succession fromthe middle of Janu- : ; é ary in stemless clusters of small crimson tubes are conspicuous witha beautyunlike any

Y each bearing four long golden petals, very other of our hardy shrubs. Severe frost narrow and quaintly crisped and twisted but

at times destroys the open flowers, but | of glowing effect under strong sunlight. The te budsame uninjured on that thence leaves, coming later, are oval, upon shortstalks,

ie : : rather rough in texture and strangely ribbed, play 1s renewed with milder weather _the veins being deeply sunk on the upper and

and lasts in all through several weeks. standing out on the under surface of the leaf; The older American kind is not so i the autumn they take on pretty tints of red good, being AeAveele untidy a growth | and yellow. The plant does not seed in our

anid: [ese aed ee _ gardens, but in Japan is said to bear small nut- S S(rIKIND In Hower, Dut DlOOM— jike fruits covered with a fine down such as is

ing when it does in late autumn and often found upon the growing shoots. It is

go

FLORA AND SYLVA,

found in the mountains of Japan as a small tree of 20 or more feet, and, though first im- ported in 1862, it remained for many years almost unnoticed. It is of slow growth but young plants soon flower; old trees covered thickly from top to bottom with their pecu- liar starry clusters are very attractive. Increased by grafting upon seedlings of the American Witch-Hazel.

Tue Japan Witcu-Haze (H. japonica). —A shrub of dwarf growth and flowering later than the Tree Witch-Hazel in February and March. It never grows much higher than 5 or 6 feet, with stout grey shoots upon which appear the three-flowered stemless clusters, identical in shape with those of arborea, but less striking in colour, the red calyx inclining to brown and the petals to a paler yellow. Its leaves are similar but a little larger. Also from the mountain region of Japan. The

indicating deposits of hidden treasure. A red- petalled sport or seedling has recently been found growing upon the hills of New York state, and may prove of value for our winter gardens.

THINNING FOR TimBer.—We have lately heard so much about the English way of over-thinning in woodlands, that it may be well to show that it is easy to go too far in the opposite direction, and that it is a question of degree and of kind. The wood- land question is so mixed up with that of kinds, soils, climates, markets, and conditions, that it is useless to lay down hard and fast rules with regard to it. The worst blunder is in not maintaining the forest canopy. The art is to thin to the right degree for each kind, and use, and yet not lose this canopy ;

_and this is a question of common-sense, and the size

variety known as faponica Zuccariniana \s $o | like its parent as to be almost indistinguish- | able save in its increasing lack of colour; it is |

therefore of small value. Tue Harry Wircu-Hazer (H. mollis). — A tree from the south-west of China, but, like

and of good growth. It differs from the other

and quality of timber wanted. We cannot look at a lot of Oaks 200 years old and only 194 inches thick, and at another lot of the same age twice as thick again, without asking as to the cause of the difference. The former, with boles 65 feet long, give about 66 cubic feet of timber each, and are worth £3 19s. apiece. The latter give 192 cubic feet, and are worth £23 16s. apiece. The one wood may contain 200 of the smaller trees to every fifty or sixty of the larger ones in the other ; but, apart

from the money gain, the difference in quality of

all the Witch-Hazels, quite hardy in England |

kinds in its much larger leaves (5 inches long | by 3inches wide) of different shape and covered —

beneath with a dense felt-like coating of hairs.

Its flowers resemble those of the Japanese kinds | but the yellow petals are perhaps a trifle larger |

and less waved, and are the brightest of all in colour, though coming rather later than those of arborea.

material on the ground is not all loss, for many sur- plus stems will have been taken out as thinnings. There is no need for argument, however ; the fact is convincing. Slow-grown, soft-wooded Oaks 194 inches in diameter make poor planks, or may be, a little wood for cooperage, whereas the trees of greater girth are good for all uses. Let us thin out our crowded Oaks; we shall in this way reap other

advantages also. Left to itself, the Beech forest,

Tue American Witcu-Hazet (4. virgi- |

nica).—An old shrub long grown in gardens for itsirregular yellow flowers of peculiar starry shape, coming from October to December.

never showy, but not without interest at such

handsome as it is, does not turn over the capital, and the value of the timber does not increase in pro- portion to its size, or anything like it, as it does in the case of the Oak. But thinned at short intervals it gives a constant supply of abundant produce, even asmuchas half the current increment. These forests,

: : ; Meare '- under timid foresters, are allowed to sleep ; whereas Opening in long succession their display is |

a season ; in a fine autumn a great number of |

flowers are seen in beauty at one time and it | gains in effect. Its leaves are large, rough, and |

hazel-like upona loose open bush of freegrowth but inclined to be straggling and untidy in out- line. Eastern United States; introduced to

English gardens in1736. Itisashrub of some |

medicinal value and formerly held in high esteem by the Indians for its virtues, and by

in Denmark, in bolder hands, they realise 55 to 65 cubic feet in thinnings, or almost as much as at the principal fellings. In broad-leaved high forests of mixed kinds it is another story. The Ash if it can- not get ahead of the rest languishes and dies. The

Oak also is sore beset among the dense leaves of

the superstitious for its reputed property of |

the Beeches, Maples, Elms, and Hornbeams even. Its finest branches are killed off and promising trees are ruined. In certain high forests one may see the last of the Oaks being strangled by the Beeches, struggling by devious ways, as thin as poles, 80 feet long and a few inches thick, only to die eventually as slender starvelings.—Inp1an Forester.

LANDSCAPE AND WOODLAND PICTURES.

LANDSCAPE AND WOODLAND PICTURES BY THE MASTER PAINTERS.

Pursuine our plan of giving examples of the work of the greater landscape painters, we have this month to intro- duce one of Wynants’, who, though

gI

ing should be. Not so much is known of his life as of those of other great Dutch artists, but he is believed to have been born in Haarlem about the year 1615. His pictures are to be seen in many of the great galleries of Europe.

A LANDSCAPE

not among the greatest of the Dutch painters, is yet extremely interesting for his true drawing of the trees of his country. He was an excellent observer, but, like most of the older artists, was governed by theconventionalities of his day, and hence his pictures are often made up of separate incidents very well drawn, rather than giving the whole effect of the scene as viewed in beauti- ful states of nature. This has the effect of weakening the attention. Hissmaller works are often simpler and truer to one view, as a great landscape paint-

BY WIJNANTS.

THE SELBORNE YEw.—Several of our readers have pointed out that R. S. J. is mistaken in saying that White’s “‘ Natural History of Sel- borne” contains no reference to this tree. FE. T. B. Reece kindly writes as follows :—R. Del on ‘The Yew in Hampshire” in your last issue was in error in supposing that Gilbert White took no notice of the magnificent Yew in Sel- borne Churchyard. I find that in Letter 5 on the “ Antiquities of Selborne” he gives the circumference of the trunk as 23 feet and says that it supports a headsuitable to its bulk. He also states that it isa male tree and is probably coeval with the church.

THEREISno artor occupation comparable to planting. It is full of past, present, and future enjoyment.—

Sir W. Scorr.

92

FLORA AND SYLVA,

RIVERSIDECOLOURATSTRAF- | FAN.—AtStraffan, Kildare, yesterday (February 16), the spreading masses of Snowdrops under the red-twigged Lime trees on the lawn gave quite a beautiful effect. They are on the lower lawn below | the flower-garden and are occasional- ly flooded as the Liffey overflows, but this only seems to increase their vigour. | Just at this season, however, the most harmonious colour at Straffan is of the | crimson Dogwoodand red Osiersalong- side the now full-flooded river and ex-_ tending from the island to the great bridge below. No words could give any- thing like an adequate idea of the soft and varied shades of colour, not alone of the planted banks themselves but of their still more soft and delicate reflec- tions in the water below. This well- wooded river scene at Straffan shows how simply and naturally most cheer- | ful and ever-varying winter effects of colour may be obtained, and especially, as in this case, near water. This river scenery from Straffan Bridge is luckily seen by many, as the Kildare Hounds meet or pass there often during the hunt-_ ing season, and it certainly affords a lesson in planting for winter colour of | an impressive kind, showing that some of the strongest and best effects obtain- able in our home scenery are also easily obtainable by simple means.—F. W.

BurRBIDGE.

THE SPRING STAR-FLOWER (Tritelera uniflora). THROUGHOUT Southern England in sunny gar- dens of light soil, few early flowering plants give better effect than this little South Ame- rican bulb, while its price enables it to be used

in quantity and with the best effect. It is hardy on all soils, but in cold stiff ground it is apt to disappear. In more genial conditionsit spreads fast into broad patches, and when used either

_ as large irregular masses in open spots beneath _trees, or (as I have seen it) planted in a long straight border of 200 paces and thick with

flowers, its value is great. In spite of its name its flowers come very freely, and under culti- vation, not infrequently in pairs. They vary a good deal in shade from near white to lilac

_and purple, and, in a scarcer form, to a pretty

pale blue with narrow petals and a yellow eye. The best way is to plant in variety and let the

colours mingle at will. In shape the flower is

a little like the Lesser Periwinkle and about thesamesize, but with separate petals. It loves the sun, and is not in the least distressed by weeks of drought, unfolding its blossoms with

the first warm days of March or April in a

profusion over which the bees make merry. Unless planted to come up through evergreen trailers—and itis often useful with other bulbs to give colour upon such a groundwork when

| it is itself out of beauty—the plants should be massed closely, or the blossoms will suffer from _heavy rain. A very good effect may be got

by planting the bulbs thickly, mingled with clumps of the Scarlet Windflower (Anemone JSulgens) ; they both delight in sunshine when

_well planted, and the contrast in colour is rich

and uncommon. It is pretty also with the

| Lesser Periwinkle in its white and blue forms, but is less apt to spread with such a vigorous

neighbour. In the South of France it isnow naturalised in many parts and takes the place of the Snowdrop, which is apt to disappear. In warm districts in which the Star-flower may be coaxed out too early for its own well-

being, it is best grown upon a warm border

at the foot of a wall giving some shelter from wind and weather. Though charming upon the plant, the flowers are of no value when cut, owing to the strong odour of garlic given off by the cut stems. For use indoors the Triteleia is often grown in pots, blooming early with little heat, lasting long, and of the simplest culture. It is easy to have them in little pots for table decoration, and, unless their-leaves are bruised, there is no unpleasant smell.

EXPERIMENTS WITH INTRODUCED TREES,

93

EXPERIMENTS | WITH -INTRO-

DUCED TREES IN THE FOREST

the trees are vigorous, and in those

OF EBERSWALDE.

Tue Forest Administration of Germany has not been afraid to establish nur- series and set apart wide tracts for ex- periments, the most important centres being in Bavaria and Prussia, in which is the forest of Eberswalde. These plan- tations are the most complete to be found within the German Forest Ad- ministration; the nurseries, enclosures,

glas at mribereealtle one not appear to suf- fer in this respect. In all the plantings

where the soil is at all fertile they ap- pear to do admirably well. The oldest plantations are eighteen years old, and contain trees 36 feet to 45 feet high,

and in parts where the soil is poor sand

the mixed plantations present dense masses of young trees exceeding in

| growth many of the native Pines of the

and plantations devoted to experiments _ with exotic trees occupy an extent of | full of promise in the sandy regions,

not less than 200 acres and are about thirty miles north of Berlin.

The experiments are directed by a high functionary whose reputation as a forester is well established—Landforst- meister von Dankelmann—by whoman exact register is held of all the observa- tions that are made and the results ob- tained.

Generally the trees are planted in small enclosures for protection against squirrels which abound in the forest, or they are planted in bands some hun- dreds of yards in length, in which case they receive no greater attention than is bestowed upon ordinary tree planta- tions.

Tue Doucias Fir.—Covering an area of immense extent in the central and the western United States and Bri- tish America, the Douglas Fir is found in a great variety of soils and climates, adapting itself well to these various conditions. Itisvery hardy, but averse to limestone. The lack of rain in sum- mer might seem against it in North Germany, yet the plantations of Dou-

What use do the Germans make of the wood of the Douglas

same age among which they are grown. In forest planting the Douglas Fir

would therefore seem to have a future

whether mountain, hill, or even plain, where the soil is not too arid in sum- mer. In Germany it yields more wood

than any other conifer under the same

conditions. The question then arises,

expect to

Pine? The remarkable qualities of the

wood obtained from American forests

are limited to the earth wood which in

any considerable extent is only obtain- _able from old trees, and the Americans,

‘in cutting only the oldest trees, are di- -minishing daily the extent of their re- “sources. A century anda half is a long

time to wait, and only Governments

can afford to invest for so longa period.

If, however, even the young wood can i used in building, or in the manufac- ture of paper, it is certain that North Germany has in the Douglas Fir a tree of the highest economic value.

Tue Japanese Larcu (Larix lepto- lepis). ini magnificent Larchreaches fine proportions in Japan, where there is

_an insular climate, cool and extremely

94

FLORA ae SYLVA,

moist, ane rail being not ee @han 6 ene conditions, therefore, are not nearly so favourable in North Ger- -many, yet the growth of the Japanese Larch is remarkable at Eberswalde, as, indeed, nearly everywhere, save, per- haps, in Northern and Central Russia, where the superiority rests with the Siberian Larch, which is more apt to make the best of the short summer. Trees of the Japanese Larch at Ebers- walde are either isolated plants or mixed with Lawson’s Cypress or Red Cedar. Those planted close in lines have annually shoots often exceeding 30 inches in length. The fine green dense foliage of this handsome Pine gives it an appearance of great vigour. In mixed plantations of Japanese Larch

Lawson’s Cypress.—This tree en- joys in the North-western States of America or the maritime slopes of Bri- tish Columbia conditions of climate which are very rarely present at Ebers- walde, and the conditions of its exis- tence there are varied as much as pos- sible. The result has been to show that if the tree is hardy it is, on the other hand, exacting : where the soil is some- what cooland rich in leaf-mould it does well, is very dense of foliage, and in quickness of growthisabout a third less than the Douglas Fir. In the drier lo- calities its development is not even half that of the Douglas, even as regards height, which means that the quantity

of wood given by it is not a fourth of

| that produced by the Douglas.

and Lawson’s Cypress, the trees being of |

like age exhibit a striking superiority of growth in the Larch, even to the extent of being twice the size of the Lawson. THe WeYMouTH or WuiTE PINE.— The Weymouth Pine occupies no great space in the experiments that are car- ried out at Eberswalde, and the condi- tions favourable to the growth of this Pine are only beginning to be under- stood. In Germany, more than in Eng- land or in France, it has been planted in parks and tried in forestry ; deep,

cool, and even moist sand suits it best. |

I have seen in the Rhine provinces fine close plantations of it. Its wood, which is very white and homogeneous, will certainly be in demand. The trees of it at Eberswalde are ten-year-old trees ; their growth is excellent even in those parts of the forest where the soil is only of medium coolness.

Honok1 (Cupressus obtusa).—The trees of this species at Eberswalde are

twelve years old, their verdure being re- -markable, and their vigour satisfactory even in the less favourable situations.

In quickness of growth they cannot

compare with the trees above named,

in the nature of this tree ; at least, its yield of wood will there-

and, moreover, rapidity of growth is not in Europe,

fore be restricted.

Tue YELLow Woop (Thuya gigan-

-tea).—The failure of this fine tree at

Eberswalde is complete; a result which

‘surprises me extremely; but I see no reason why its condemnation should

be pronounced as final, and the cause of its faulty growth would seem to be entirely cryptogamic. Every tree, even the youngest, is covered with Hither twigs. The evil is general in all parts

of the forest, but affects none of the

EXPERIMENTS WITH

INTRODUCED TREES. 95

other introduced trees to the same ex- tent.

Jerrrey’s Pine.—This 1s the only Californian Pine of large foliage that supports the rigours of the North Ger- man climate. The fine forest planta- tions of Baron von Borkheim at Wern- heim nearHeidelberg,on the other hand, can show the whole series of handsome Pines from the Pacific Coast. Jeftrey’s Pine does well as an experiment. It is still very young, but its season of vege- tation is very short in Prussia.

Banxs’ss Pinze.—The idea of in- cluding in experimental forestry the crooked Pine of Canada may seem a

strange one, and the popular name of |

Scrub Pine is not promising. It is a dwarf tree, often bushy and spreading in northern Canada. Superior the tree grows thickly in fo- rests, 1s very slender, and of middling

covery, rapidity of growth in the first years, and precocious fertility, trees of six years having reached a height of 16 feet and yielded fertile seed. For clothing poor soils and for severe cli- mates the tree is therefore useful, and the experiments with it at Eberswalde are not without interest, although it is probable the value of the wood may turn out next to nothing.

Fase Pircu Pine (Pimus rigida). —The tree has been much planted in France and elsewhere by amateurs in the hope of obtaining Pitch Pine from it, deluded by the ancient name of Pitch Pine given to it in the Atlantic States of America, but not in the

southern states, where the true Pitch Pine (P. palustris) grows. As a hardy tree it will be found useful in cool sands, even those with water in cold dis- tricts but not arid. It is frequently met with along the coast of the North Sea, in Belgium, Holland, and in North- West Germany. There it takes the place almost of the hardiest maritime Pine. In the North German plain the tree for want of moisture finds no place, and the young plants at Eberswalde at six years old are not much more than 30 inches high.

Tue Sirka Spruce (Picea sitchensis). —The oldest trees of this fine Fir are about thirteen years old, and some of them are already 23 to 26 feet high;

taking into account the slow rate of West of Lake | the first year’s growth this result is good. I was told that the results are en- -couraging in the regions close to the

height. At Eberswalde it has shown, in| addition to hardiness and facility of re-

North Sea. The tree was much planted in Prince Bismarck’s park at Friedrichs- ruhe, and I saw young plantations of it near Dusseldorf in rich sandy loam but very moist, and they were very vigo- rous. I have often observed in France that trees of this, if isolated, lose their tops, and I think that it should be planted close and kept so.

Tue Rep Cepar (Funiperus Vir- giniana).—The tree is not at home in a sandy soil and rigorous climate, not that it is not hardy, but because it de- mands a long and warm summer, and much light and air. Where it has been tried it has been replaced by Douglas Fir. In the warmer parts of Germany it is grown for the sake of its heart wood, which is sold to the manufacturers of

96

FLORA AND SYLVA,

pencils, who find the supply not nearly equal to their wants.

Tue American Rep Oak (Quercus rubra).—Vhe Red Oak of America could scarcely fail to be included in the experiments made here, for this tree is very hardy and not exacting as regards soil. The results have been most en- couraging, the plots sown with acorns of the Red Oak are perfect in growth, but better still are the considerable stretches of twelve to fourteen-year- old trees grown in alternate lines with the common Oak. For fuel there is no reason to doubt that the Red Oak in North Germany will be found superior to the common Oak ; for cabinet work its superiority has yet to be proved.

Tue Swamp Oak (Q. palustris).—I

have seen some superb plantations in|

the neighbourhood of Dusseldorf. M.

Joly, forester in charge of a fine estate |

at Heetorf, has published a note on this Oak, which has shown a marked supe- rlority over the common Oak in his plantations ; and in Belgium its fine qualities are well known.

Tue Hickory (Carya amara).— So far this tree has furnished the best results of all at Eberswalde as to its growth; of the qualities of its wood it is too soon to speak. It is well known that several of the Hickories and Wal- nuts furnish the famous hickory wood

which is so much in demand for coach | building and cabinet work, being at_

once a fine deep colour and of remark-

able elasticity and strength. ‘Trees of |

merchantable size have very nearly all disappeared from the United States, any new plantations, therefore, have a

manifest interest. At Eberswalde both Hickory and Walnuts are planted “in long lines of seedlings alternately with lines of the Common Oak. The growth of the Oak trees has been superior to that of the Walnuts, and in favour of these the strongest branches of the Oak have been removed yearly so that the trees shall form a light shelter penetra- ble by air and light. The oldest planta- tions are fifteen to seventeen years old, and show ahealthy growth. C. alba, C. porcina, and C’.tomentosa.—T hese three species give promise of sufficient vigour, although inferior to that of C. amara. Tue Cartrornian Mapte (cer ne- eundo, var. californicum).—Attention has of late years been drawn to the ex- tremely quick growth of this, and some plantations of it in the Orleanais and in Sologne are very interesting, and I have made trials of it at Barres, where some 300 acres of fallow land have been turned into plantations of diversi- fied kinds. The trees at Eberswalde are eight years old, and they have already a height of 40 to 45 feet, which agrees with the results I have obtained at Barres.

MAURICE L. DE VILMORIN.

A Narurat Brook 1n LEvEL CounTRY.— ““What pleased me most in the park was a brook, a natural stream, with crystal-clear _ water rushing over blocks of granite. I could not have believed there was so great a fallin

flat Russia, from the Valdai Hills to the level

of the sea. It is unaccountable to me how land- scape gardeners in flat countries will contrive waterfalls instead of using their labour to make, atleast forashort distance, amurmuring brook. |The artistically victimised water is sent over _a plank into a six-foot-deep chasm, whence it seems to creep away ashamed, not knowing where to go.”—CounT Motrke.

FLORA

AND SYLVA.

Vol. Il. No. 13.] APRIL, WASTE IN PLANTING. EveryTuinc which tends to simplify the work of planting is a gain in all ways, and much of the work given to it 1s need- less and wasteful—particularly trench- ing and draining—two costly labours. I live in a cool country with a wet soil and never drain for any kind of plant- ing in woods, adapting the plants to the soil, the trueway. There aretrees, Ame- ricanand European, that will almost stand in water and be none the worse for it. Another costly labour is trench- ing, and, I think, needless. I have young woods of Pine planted in arable fields, and not of specially good soil, which people saytheyhave never seen surpassed in vigour and beauty for their age, and the ground for them was never either trenched or dug. The poor hill lands that are nowrecognised as worth plant- ing seldom need draining, as they are often uplandsand naturally well drained. One of the pleas for planting such is that the planting arrests denudation and conserves the moisture and fertility of the soil. And even where soil is too wet much can be done to drain it by a good choice of kinds. The Poplar, Willow, and Spruce, if planted thickly enough,

will prove very good and cheap drainers.

1904. [ Monthly.

There are cases, owing to a deadly unt- formity of surface, where some draining

_may beneeded, but for forest work gene-

rally it is needless— beyond what is

needed to keep the rides dry. Even in

heavy soils Iavoid draining. Light sandy soils, and hill soils generally, seldom or never need draining, except when they lie upon a hard pan, such as is here and there found in peaty districts, and where the water stands, however light the rain- fall may be. Where the surface soil in such cases is not very deep, and an out- fall can be found—not an easy matter on level tracts—the surface water can be led off by open drains, but when the peat is deep the water will not subside below thedrain levels. Some of the best German foresters hold that in many soils the best system is that of trees of different ages, different kinds, and different times of cutting, grouping the treesaccording to soil and situation, and this way helps one to avoid the heavy costs of draining and trenching. It is a better way than the dead level mixture we so often see, and which has to adapt itself to all con- ditions. This grouping and massing way also leads to beauty, as by its means we keepandaccentuateanyvaried incidents of the surface. Putting the Willows and

G

98

FLORA AND SYLVA,

spiry-leaved trees in wet and hollow places. This system of planting is one means of obviating draining to some extent, and by planting the different spots with Austrian Larch, Scotch Fir, and Beech on the drier ground, Spruce, Sitka, and Douglas Fir in the sheltered and moist hollows, Oak, Ash,Sycamore, and Elm on the cool ground, and Pop-

the mixing of kinds together on the same spot, no two of which are alike in their wants.

Trenching does notadd to thestaple

of poorsoils suchasare generallyplanted © many places in our country there is the unfortunate use of the iron fence, which has neither beauty nor endurance and is useless for shelter. A well-made live fence will last three times the life ot an iron one; and of all possible living

with forest trees, useful though it may be in rich garden ground, where a rank quick growth is sought. Even if we can face the great cost of trenching the la- bour is not always tobe had. Ihave seen a countryside denuded of labourers in order to trench ground for planting, and the result is no better thanifa plough

had been run through the land, or even | _asit makesa fine shelter as well as agood

if the trees had been planted in the sod. One of the best things about a wood is that it finds its own soil, and if we plant closely and well, and choose the right trees, it very soon begins to do this as many of the finest natural woods have done it for ages. Woods planted a dozen years will be found to have a good de- posit of leaf-soil—this is in cases where the tree suits the ground and where the young trees are thick enough to dis- courage the grass, to their own benefit. In our open, loose way of planting we may look in vain for any such deposit, as the grass absorbs it all. The effect of the heavy fall of leaf-soil from the lower

branches of Pines and other trees isthat,

in hot and dry seasons, when farmersand gardeners are at their wits end to get water, the wood is cool and safe.

a A 3% ane at ay

HEDGES AND SHELTERS OF

~HOLLY.—Onur country is fortunate in having asa wild tree the most beautiful evergreen of western Europe, and one lar, Willow, Alder,and Birch wherever | the soil iswet. This is abetter plan than | —inNorthAmerica,where it will not with- stand the winters. In beauty other ever- -_green Hollies are inferior to it,hence its

denied to much of the country in central and northern Europe and a vast region

berried branches are sent in quantities to North America at Christmas. In too

evergreen fences the best is Holly in

close but not stiffly clipped lines. Better

still is the free unclipped Holly hedge,

background, of which there is a fine

| example above the kitchen garden at

Batsford Park. In Warwickshire and other counties we have often seen it making as good a shelter round fields as any shed. Ofthe clipped Holly hedges fine examples are at Woolverstone in Suffolk. Where land is not valuable— either from its poverty or elevation or other reasons—it matters little whether the hedge is clipped or not, especially round woodland and for cutting off woods from pasture fields. For such a case the finest hedge is that of un- clipped Holly, because then we get its

HEDGES AND SHELTERS OF HOLLY.

fruit and protection and fine form. Such hedges might be either of Holly alone or mixed with Sloe or Quick. Where from the nature of the soil it is not easy to raise Hollies from seed—as they should have friable open ground in the young state—it is best to buy small plants from the forest nurseries. The worst enemy of the Holly hedge is the rabbit. [have lost thousands of plants in that way, and although many places are not so much infested, still great care must be taken, or in hard winters the Hollies are sure to be destroyed, espe- cially if newly planted. Where Holly comes naturally, asit doesin many parts of the country, the destruction is not noticeable except after hard winters, when I haveseenevenold woods of it de- stroyed. Being aclose-growing shrubit forms a shelter for cattle, andas it grows much better than the Hawthorn under | hedgerow trees it ought to be more often adopted for enclosing meadows | It keeps itself almost unclipped one.

free from weeds, owing to the close- | A Lawn Garpen.—If fate plants us on one | of those natural lawns that border our rivers why not accept the gift instead of cutting up the space into some semblance of a “style” ? If asked to choose among all the kinds of gar- den I should preferan open lawn flowing down | to a river with good river-borne soil. Wehave notroubleinarranging or plantingsuchground, | far easier in these ways than diversified ground. Tobeable tostand at ease and work on theslop- ing hill was only one of the reasons for the ter- raced ground ; another important one was to gather the oftensparse soil of the hill-slope and to keep it. In our river lawns we have all this done forus in thenoblest way,and simple lawns may beat once the most refreshing and beauti- ful of all gardens: and around them we may have free place for everything from Cedars to Roses without needlessly limiting the breadth and airiness of the lawn.

and pastures.

ness of its branches at the bottom, and it is free from insects. Holly is found flourishing on dry gravelly land as well as on strong clay, but sand and sandy loam are the soils it delights in most. On flat ground the site intended for the Holly hedge should be trenched and manured before the time of planting, but the chief thing is to have the soil open and fertile and nothing can be better as an addition than well-rotted farmyard manure; the same should be used for mulching after planting, but any mulch is better than none, even grass, or weeds, or litter. The ordinary

0

| raised bank made for fences in many dis- tricts of the south is preparation enough, The distance between the plants should be at least a foot, and, if they are very bushy, 15 inches apart will be close enough. In order that they may stand firm and upright they should be trod gently immediately after the roots are covered. For the first two seasons the hedgewill require no pruning, but after the third year such parts of the sides as become broad and irregular had better be clipped uniformly. I say clipped, meaning by the hedge shears, for the Holly is too thick and its leaves too nu- merous to allow of its being trimmed with a hedge-bill. The clipped Holly hedgeshould be perfectly straight, broad at bottom,and gradually taper to the top. The time for clipping isin October, and it isnotnecessary that it should be done more than once a year. In many cases this clipping may benecessary, but by far the finest hedge is the naturally-grown,

| Tele)

FLORA AND SYLVA,

THE GREATER TREES OF THE NORTHERN FOREST.—No. 13. THE BIG TREE (Seguora gigantea). Ar first Iintended to omit this tree from among the greater trees of the Northern Forest, because of its failure in ourown pleasure grounds. On second thoughts I asked if this was not largely our own fault in placing the treewrongly. It has, at least, as good a right to be included among the trees for our southern and western country in England and Ire- land as the Monterey Pine (P. izsignis). Hitherto we have treated it as a plea- sure-ground tree, usually alone and ex- posed to every stress of wind and climate, with the grass about it drinking all the moisture that falls in dry seasons. It is so ugly in these conditions as to be a laughing-stock, the planter adding to

the misery in supposing that when in|

health the tree should be dressed down to the ground with branches, but that is only the infant stage of the tree, and it is quite a mistake to encourage it further.

woodland conditions. I have myself cut down many of these trees, vexed by their shapeand position, winch I should now be very happy to have aliveand grouped in a steep woodland dell running south, and with hill and wood protecting per- fectly from the north. There are many country places where like conditions exist, and now given to the commonest trees. If such places were a little away from the house it would matter little— the trees might often be the reason for a woodland walk. We should in such ways give them all the chance of growth our climate affords, and get rid of the toy- -tray look of our pata lawnswhich

arises from sticking such trees about in

them. The fact that over much of the

northern and midland country we ma

not hope for success with them should be another reason for growing the tree where the conditions are most favour-

able. ‘The objection to its ugly shape is

entirely our doing. In its native country

The best thing to do with the tree |

would be to give it a fair trial as a forest tree in sheltered valleys or gorges, and where there are none of these to plant in a close wood and always among trees and cover of some kind which would help to make a soil and keep the sun out and the ground cool. I have seen it tried in many ways, but

In English Wood- lands.

finest climates, with a constant sun and gentle Western Pacific breezes, the very least we can do with it in our country is to take care to place it in the best

it is most picturesque in form. In a diary of his journey through the

mountain country of California, kind]

extracted for me by Sir Chas. Wolseley, occur these lines as to the natural form of the mature tree: ‘‘The grove being

reached after passing through miles of forest of gigantic Pinesand Firs, and the

Big Trees themselves standing amongst others of over 200 feet in height, they do notat first strike one for their gigantic

proportions. What struck me most was never in these. Coming from one of the |

the entire absence of that symmetrical growth one is accustomed to see in the tree in England, these wild trees having more the irregularity and rugged growth

‘of the old Scotch Fir.”

THE BIG TREE.

ONE OF THE TREES IN

CALAVERAS GROVE. 280 FEET HIGH AND 93 IN GIRTH.

Gr 3

IOI

102

FLORA AND SYLVA,

For so famous a tree the name ‘“‘ Big Tree ” is the best English one, by reason of its fitness and its established use among the people who know the tree best, and therefore we adhere to it.

No tree has been so often described, and the best account we have read of its effect and beauty— which concern us most —is that of John Muir in “* The Mountains of California.” He says: “ These giants bulge consider- ably at the base, but not more than is required for beauty and safety; the only reason why this bulging seems in some cases excessive is that only a small sec- tion of the shaft 1s seen at once. One that I measured in the Kings River Forest was 25 feet in diameter at the ground, and xo feet in diameter 200 feet above the ground, showing that the taper of the trunk asa whole is charm- ingly fine. About roo feet or more of the trunk is usually branchless, but its massive simplicity is relieved by the bark furrows, which, instead of making an irregular network, run evenly parallel, like the flutings of an architectural column, and to some extent by tufts of slender spray that wave lightly in the wind and cast flecks of shade, seeming to have been pinned on here and there for the sake of beauty only. The young trees have slender, simple branches down to the Gomis put on with strict regularity, sharply aspiring at the top, horizontal about half-way down, and

English Name.

Beauty.

drooping in handsome curves at the |

base. By the time the sapling is 500 or

| |

| 600 years old this spiry, feathery, juve-

nile habit merges into the firm, rounded, domeform of middle age, anichs in turn takes on the eccentric picturesqueness of old age. The foliage of the saplings is dark bluish-green in colour, while the older trees ripen to a warm brown- ish yellow. The bark is rich cinnamon- brown, purplish in young trees and in the shady portions of the old, while the ground is covered with brown leaves and burrs, forming colour masses of extra- ordinary richness not to mention the flowers and underbrush that rejoice aboutthem in their seasons. Walk the Se- quoia woodsat any time of year and you will say that they are the most beautiful and majestic onearth. Beautifulandim- pressive contrasts meet you everywhere ; the colours of tree and flower, rock and sky, lightand shade,strengthand frailty, endurance and evanescence, tangles of supple Hazel trees, tree pillars about as rigid as granite domes, Roses and Vio- lets, the smallest of their kind, bloom- ing around the feet of the giants, and rugs of the lowly Chamebatia where the sunbeams fall.”

‘““T never saw a Big Tree that had

_dieda natural death; barring accidents,

they seem to be immor- tal, being exempt from all the diseases that af- flict and kill other trees. Unless de- stroyed by man they live on indefinitely until burned, smashed by lightning, or cast down by storms, or by the giving way of the ground on which they stand. The age of one that was felled in the Calaveras Grove, for the sake of having its stump for a dancing floor, was about

Age.

THE BIG’ TREE.

103

1,300 years, and its diameter, measured across the stump, 24 feet inside the bark. Another that was cut down in the Kings River Forest was about the same size, but nearly a thousand years older (2,200 years), though not a very old-looking tree. It was felled to procure a section for exhibition, and thus an opportunity was given to count its annual rings of

growth. The colossal scarred monu- | ment in the Kings River Forest men-_

tioned aboveis burned half through, and I spent a day in making an estimate of

itsage, clearing away the charred surface -

with an axe and carefully counting the annual rings with the aid of a pocket- lens. The wood rings in the section I laid bare was so involved and contorted

in some places that I was not able to determine its age exactly, but I counted

over 4,000 rings.” ‘These estimates are confirmed by the most recent investi- gations on the age of the Big Tree.

It may be said that the north groves |

of Big Trees show little or no sign of ex- tending their very limit-

Reproduction. ed range, hardly, even, of holding their place

except under the most favourable con- ditions. Mr. Sudworth, dendrologist of the Division of Forestry, makes the following statement about the Calave- ras Grove and Stanislaus Grove of Big Trees, which, it is important to notice, have been protected from both fire and grazing for many years: ‘‘ Unlike the other species of its kind—the Coast Redwood—the Big Tree reproduces itself so slowly and with such uncertain- ty as to be practically at a standstill in

these groves, A few seedlings took root |

in 1853-18655 in the Calaveras Grove, and are now 2 or 3 feet in diameter. There is no other evidence of increase in this grove, although the large trees

‘are ina thriving state. The forest is not

well watered, and the humus is too dry to encourage the reproduction of the species. Pines, Firs, and Cedars appear better able to propagate themselves on

2 = =a - ie Wa : Ss <A “s TRS AL Se <A aA A

SS

SS

Gi qa

se

= oo

WSS

= ER ~S) Sta

455

Cire

‘ ft By) Us

SIE

SSS

Z i Ses =

ANT

the same ground. On the borders ot the grove the soil is so constantly dry and exposed to the trampling of grazing herds as to allow no reproduction out- side of the forest. Moreover, the small, heavy seeds are not carried far by the winds, as in the case of the Pines, Firs, and Cedars. But if the reproduction of the Big Tree were the best conceivable,

G 4

104

it would take several rarer years to |

replace the present groves were they once destroyed. The Stanislaus Grove

is sparingly watered in parts by small.

perennial spring streams, and as a re- sult shows a few small patches of seed- lings. The constant moisture in the vi-

Co AND SYLVA.

|

cinity of these streams enables the seed |

to germinate, but only where big logs and other heavy debris exclude cattle and sheep. To cut this tract would cer- tainly soon affect the drying up of the small water supply, asit hasalready done elsewhere. ‘The preservation of the race of Big Trees in this locality is unques- tionably dependent on maintaining the present groves intact. One region there is, however, where the Big Trees are re- producing themselves: This is on the

particularly on both branches of the ‘Tule River, where there are young trees in abundance and of almost every age.” Those seeking more copious infor- mation about the Big Tree may find it n ‘Bulletin No. 28” of the United States Department of Agriculture ; an excellent account is also given in C. S. Sargent’s ‘Silva of North America.” Thewoodis light, soft, and coarse, and ismuch used locally for fencing and

shingling.

Toe New Witcu-Haze.t.—Messrs. Veitch have kindly pointed out a slight error in our recent article upon the Witch Hazels. It would appear that the new kind, Hamamel/ts mollis,was not introduced through Dr. Henry, but found its way into Messrs. Veitch’s col- lection with other Chinese plants, and was first recognised as a new species by Mr. G. Nicholson when visiting Coombe Wood.

SPRING- FLOWERING CROCI.** Dean Hersert, about fifty years ago, commenced his history of the species of Crocus by lamenting that only five spe-

cles were at that date generally grown _in Hollandand sold in England,namely,

sativus, vernus, versicolor, aureus, and biftorus. We cannot say we have ad-

_vanced much up to the present time, for

sativus is now but little seen in English gardens, and of the five additional spe- cies he mentions as found sparingly in

certain nursery gardens, only one, spe-

ciosus, can be regarded as even fairly well known ; and three, serotinus, aureus var. lacteus, and candidas, are still very rare plants.

The commonest Crocus is the old

Dutch Yellow, a form of C.. aureus,and

South Fork of the Kaweah River, and itthoroughly deserves its popularity, for

in most English gardens it is the first

| plant of the year to produce colour in

the open, and such a glow of colour, too. For,as Forbes Watson has so well said, ‘‘ Vividness of colour is the most important point in the expression of the Yellow Crocus.” It is always one of the pleasantest days of the year when the sun

shines clearly and the atmosphere is dry

and warm enough forthe Yellow Crocus to open, and the bees can once more deserve good Dr. Watts’s eulogium by finding something to be busy over— pollen in plenty there is to gather, even if honey be but scant. In some favoured

localities the impish sparrows have not

yet acquired the evil habit of pulling Crocus blooms to bits for breakfast, and

there they can be enjoyed in their full

| beauty without the cat’s- cradle of black

. * With coloured plate ey a Gee group drawn by H. e Moon at Warley. Place,

SPRING. FLOWERING CROCL

us

tee fee I must perforce weave over and around every patch in this garden, if I would have one blossom left perfect. The Dutch Crocus is a plant for every- body, and can scarcely be too freely planted in borders, under deciduous shrubs, and especially in grass that need not be mown before May ; even a town window-box should not be without it. Butwhenit is freely planted in agarden, with good varieties of C’. vernus such as Mont Blanc, Madame Mina, and pur- pureus gsrandifiorusadded, there will yet

at least of the other sixty-eight described species and their numerous varieties. To pass over, for the present, the autumnal Croci, why wait until mid- February at least when, by selecting a_ well- drained and sunny cor- ner, we may in the early days of Janu- ary enjoy the blooms of C. Imperati, with their strange chameleonic change from pale yellow buds to bright lilac open blossoms? For many years I have never failed to find a few flowers of C. chrysanthus on New Year’s Day, and C’. Szeberz is seldom more than a week later here; and there are others that, with a little overhead protection against rain such asa handlight will afford, will ina fairly open winter keep up a con- stant succession from the time that the later autumnal speciesare overwhelmed by bad weather in the open borders. It is, in fact, impossible to say which is the first spring Crocus, for now we have in cultivation various forms that with a little care and attention

Early Kinds.

A Long Succession.

auras give a aiblowsmate season from the end of August until April. The beautiful though small orange species,

_C. vitellinus, used to be the connecting link between the last Zevigatus and hye-

_matis and the first C. Imperati, and the "question could be raised as to whether

it is the last autumnal or the first vernal kind; but the recently introduced C. caspius has so far fulfilled its reputation of blossoming from autumn until spring, that here, in a cold frame, it has been

| constantly in flower from October till be in the smallest garden room for afew |

mid-February and still shows unopened buds.

My hope in penning these lines is to induce others to grow and derive en- joyment from some of the-less known, but certainly more refined’ forms of ae

lovely genus. I fear that: those repre-

sented in theaccompanying plate,drawn in Miss Willmott’s garden at Warley, will for many a day remain too scarce to be found in many gardens; but in most catalogues may be found forms of C'. Imperati, chrysanthus, tomasinianus, Sieberi, and biflorus,at quite reasonable prices, and all these are of the greatest value as being early flowering and easy to grow.

Although—-so great is the effect of a very slight change of environment — it is often useless to tell even yournearest neigh- bour your planfor grow- ing a plant, yet some broad rules for

Culture.

culture may be useful. I find here that

most Croci enjoy rooting down into a somewhat retentive loamy soil but pre-

‘fer to have that which immediately sur-

rounds their corms of a gritty nature,

FLORA

106

AND SYLVA.

and I like, when planting, to put in a

layer of coarse silver sand to lay the corms on and to nearly cover them with the same; moreover, when lifting them — in the resting season the stratum of white | sand is of great assistance in the finding | of the smaller corms.

With the exception of C. Fleischeri all those represented in the plate be-_ long to the section Aznulati of Maw’s

arrangement, in which the basal corm-

tunic is formed of rings of a more or less coriaceous membrane. 1. Crocus Tauri melanthorus (Ba-

ker).—A plant introduced some ten

years since from Smyrna. I have never yet seen a living plant of the typical C. Tauri, and much doubt its being in cultivation, the plant that generally passes for it being a form of C’. reticu- /atus that can instantly be distinguished

from it at any season by its strongly |

reticulated corm-tunic; I find also that

this plant differs in many characters |

from Maw’s description of the true C.

Tauri. Thus :— C. Tauri. Var. melanthorus. Tunic. Sn Membranous. Strongly coriaceous.

Perianth segments.

Pale unstriped purple. Rich lilac. Exterior

of outer segments

broadly grainedwith purple. Anthers. Orange; twice the Black; peculiarly has- length of the fila~- tate, about half the

ment.

length of the fila- ment. Pistil. Very short, pale yel- Deep orange; longer low, shorter than than the anthers. the anthers.

The flower is one of the most glo- bose I have ever seen among Croci, and somewhat suggestsa blue C.chrysanthus but is not the var. cerulescens of Maw, which he describes as being white in- side. With our present limited know- ledge of the plant it is better to wait before deciding where to place it botani- cally, but it seems to be akin to C. 47- florus, Crewei, and chrysanthus, rather

than to C. oe as known to Maw. 2. C. Fleischeri (Gay).—A fine form of this delicate species collected by Mr. Elwes. It differs from the type in that the purple colouring rises but little above the throat instead of con- _tinuing in featherings to the top of the outer segments ; it closely resembles a form grown at Kew as var. a/éus from Mersina, but is larger in all its parts. The typical form appears very difficult to grow, and eveninacold frame suffers from damp; but this form of it has so far increased and flowered well with me in the rock-garden without protection. | 3. C. cyprius (Boissier and Kot- _schy).—A small plant found by Theo- dor Kotschy on the Cyprian Olympus. -Maw’s figure (Pl. tvu.), from dried | specimens, does not do it justice, miss- ing the depth of the rich purple at the base of thesegmentsand the fiery orange of the throat. It can easily be known from all other described species by the scarlet filament. I find it rather delicate and slow of increase, and have never _yet obtained seed, but I understand that at Warley it has seeded freely.

4. C. chrysanthus, var. pallidus.— This is probably the form mentioned by Maw as occurring on Mt. Olympus,

THE RED-BUD OR JUDAS-TREE.

107

very characteristic feature of most forms of chrysanthus, but notuniversal,as some seedling forms are entirely without it, and the varieties fusco-tinctus and fusco- lineatus have the central portion of the anther dark grey instead.

fer biflorus, var. Alexandri Wed len).—This is a most beautiful addition to our gardens, for which we are indebted to Herr Max Leichtlin (1899). have been first collected by Skopil at Dragalera in 1892, but in Mr. Maw’s herbarium, now at South Kensington, there is a specimen from Berlin under the nameof C. annulatus purpurascens, which is Herbert’s variety (4) ofannulatus, and described by himas having ‘a full-sized flower with the sepals more or less purple on the out- side; in some richly coloured.” It grows in Dalmatia with the white va- riety (5) a/bus, otherwise var. Velden.

I think Herbert’s name ought to stand for this plant. I have raised seed- lings from var. We/deni, giving every degree from pure white through faint lilac speckling to deep purple sutffusion of the exterior of the outer segments, exactly the range of colouring in this var. A/exandri, but at present the seed-

It is stated to

and it is a pity that such a robust and | THE RED-BUD OR beautiful plant is so great a rarity. The flowers are larger than in the type and | DRED. of a peculiarly soft shade of yellow,

quite unique among Croci. ‘The barbs

|

FLOWERING SPRAY OF JUDAS-TREE.

JUDAS-TREE (Cercis siliquastrum) AND ITS KIN-

Iv sometimes happens that to be brought for the first time face to face with a tree of striking beauty, rightly used, is to feel for ever after a liking for what has once given such sense of pleasure :

this has

been my lot with the Judas- -tree. To see it now, no matter where, is to recall the day when—having come straight from the north of England where it is rarely _seen—I first saw the tree upon a sunny

hillside in Italy, about half-way up the slope and filling the courtyard of one of those little azéerges so common beside | themain highways. Its beauty shone out -as a landmark in all the country side, a group of trees being planted in one or those square walled courts so character- istic of the south—a courtraised man feet above the road, with a rough table 'and one or pobenches and command- lings have given only small blossoms, ing awide prospectanda long stretch of though I think they will gain in size. E. AUGUSTUS BOWLES.

winding mule-track. Six or seven stems had been planted in a cluster, spreading

108 FLORA AND SYLVA.

at various angles and several of them leaning upon the stonecoping with their branches trailing far over the wall and towards the ground, but their heads united in one spread of beauty, hiding all except the upper windows of the house. The planting was probably one of chance, for a southern innkeeper rare- ly plants for effect. But, whether by inspiration or by chance, the glory of that little courtyard with its group of Judas-trees in full bloom was pleasant to see, and in the summertime the large rounded leaves spread a cool canopy, beneath which the wayfarer might rest.

The Judas-tree 1s rather slow in growth, a little dificult of increase, and is best transplanted young. Throughout the south of Europe it is common but increases in size and num- bers as one travels east, till at Constan- tinople its beauty during the late spring is remarkable, the trees bursting with flower-clusters from the topmost branch

The Tree at Home.

country in 1596, and here and there in

old gardens very old trees may be found. Onesuch tree was grow- ing in Bath some few years since and said to be 300 years old at least, with a girth of 6 feet half-way up the stem; other fine

In British Gardens.

ones are at Richmond, at Dulwich, in

the Isle of Wight, Syon,and many other places in the south. Innorthern gardens it is tender and rarely seen except upon walls and sheltered house-fronts, and trees are grown in Scotland in this way. It does best in rich, open loam with a well-drained bottom,a warmaspect, and some shelter ; it branches freely when young, but with age forms a rounded spreading head and bent like an old

orchard tree, with shoots and branches

ofa deep purplish-black. It never grows

tall, fine trees, with a circumference of

nearly roo feet, not rising much above

201n height when fully exposed, though

in warmer countries it often grows

higher. The flowers appear in Mayand

even to the ground level in one blaze of |

colour. From Palestine it reaches away into Asia as faras Persiaand Afghanistan and is valued everywhere alike for its beauty, for its fowers—which are eaten as asalad and preserved as pickle for their pleasant taste, and for its shoots, which are used for making baskets and light wicker-work. Though hard, enduring, capable of a fine polish, and finely streaked with black, green, and yellow markings, its wood is too variable to be much valued, though used at times for small curios.

TheJudas-tree has long been known in England, having first reached this

June, before the leaves, and are carried in dense clusters bursting directly upon

very short stalks from the stems and 'main branches and sometimes from the

|

trunk itself, until the whole tree is out-

lined in brilliant rosy-purple flowers, _which draw the bees from far and near.

Though slow - growing, it begins to flower when small and a group of such trees is soon conspicuous for its beauty at quite a distance, forming in time a naturalarbour little lesshandsome for its foliage in summer than when in bloom. The leaves are of a distinct bluish-green in colour, the sunlight striking through

_themwith a peculiar translucent effect;

indeed, whether in flower or leaf it can be mistaken for no other tree. In some seasons it flowers partially a second time in the autumn, but the seed-pods are then its best ornament. Though seeds rarely ripen, the long pods shaded with reddish-purple are very handsome, es- pecially when seen in a strong light, and they hang upon the branches after the leaves have fallen and often through a great part of the winter. There is but slight variation in the colour of the flowers, but a less beautiful white form is grown, and a worthless varie- gated variety isalso in existence. It is a tree that grows well inthe neighbourhood of towns, need- ing little care and space, and content with any save cold,com- pact and wet soils, and, when once well started, will hold its own in dry spots and even par- tially-shaded corners.

With such beauty of form and flower it seems strange that so little use is made of this tree in English gar- dens, spite of its picturesque outline, its endurance, and its hardiness. Though the tree is common in Palestine there is nothing more than an old legend, per- petuated in antique engravings, which connects it with Judas, and with proba- bly the same exactness as has fixed upon a dozen different spiny plants for the crown of thorns; nor has the Judas-tree an undivided claim, for other guesses equally groundless have fixed upon the Elder. ‘The southerner does not allow such trifles to mar the enjoyment of his

Its Name. THE

THE RED-BUD OR JUDAS-TREE,

109 favourite salad nor need anyone forego the beauty of the tree for the sake of a name which is easily changed to Red- bud, its American equivalent.

There are five or six other kinds of Cercis, two of them from China (one of which reaches a large size), a dwarf shrubby form from Afghanistan, and three others from different parts of North America. The best known of

Other Kinds.

these, the American Red-bud (C. cana- densis), though less fine in colour, is

JUDAS-TREE: LEAF, FLOWER, AND SEED.

hardier than the Judas-tree and to be preferred in northern gardens. The large Chinese kind is rich in colour and

the flowers larger, but from difficult in-

crease it is rare in Europe though much planted in Japan and a favourite tree in temple gardens. Of the garden value of the new kinds it is as yet too early to speak.

THE CALIFORNIAN REp-Bup (Cercis Califor- nica).—Known only as a low straggling shrub, common in thickets of the Californian Pacific

coast, and only remarkable in the distinct shape of its leaves.

IIo

FLORA AND SYLVA.

THe AMERICAN RED-BuD(C. canadensis).— Despite its name this is not a Canadian tree, but found in the central and southern United States, though hardy much further north and the hardiest kind in English gardens. Though its flowers are smaller and not so showy as in the European kind, mature trees are of great beauty, and where abundant, as in the rich bottom-lands of the sheltered southern valleys, their profusion of pink flowers in April and May lights up the whole country. Itscommon

form is that of a low tree, rarely more than |

20 feet high, but spreading far in an irregular rounded head,and decreasing in size as one tra- vels north; the finest wild trees are found in the woods of eastern Texas and Indian Territory, where they reach a greater height than any-

THE AMERICAN RED-BUD:

where else, flowering at the same time as the Dogwood,and very beautiful in their combined effect. It is profuse in flower, the clusters upon old branches coming often inches across, and, as in Europe, the buds are eaten as a salad by the French Canadians; the flowers are followed in autumn by seed-pods of a rich reddish- brown. The leavesare more pointed than those of the common Judas-tree, hairy beneath in the axils of the large veins, and turning to a finescarlet when fadinginthe autumn. In Bri- tish gardens it is an uncommon tree, but well worthy of trial where the Judas-tree is tender, and it flowersa little earlier. A double-flowered variety is grown in American gardens, and there is also a hairy or pubescent form.

THE CHINESE RED-BuD(C.cAznensis).—The

FLOWER AND LEAF.

tallest of the group, reaching 50 to 60 feet in the southern provinces of China, with a girth of 12 feet. It is commoner in American gar- dens than in our country, forming a small tree of compact rounded outline, flowering freely and ripening its seeds in many parts. It is bet- ter inhabit than the American tree, ratherslow

in growth, but starting to bloom while young,

and for its neatness and beauty of flower is valued for small gardens. Its flowers, coming in May, are of deep rich rose, very numerous, and larger than in other kinds, as arealso the leaves, of deep rich green and rounded form, tapering abruptly, and, though variable in shape and

size, often 5 or 6 inches long and wide; they are thickly carried, and being hard, shining,

and leathery, they resist drought, and are al- most free from insect pests. Though hardy, it is a rare tree in Europe, being difficult of increase save from seed—a slow process. The tree is also known as C. japonica, and is common in Japan, but it is believed to have come original- ly from China.

GrirFiTu’s Rep-Bup(C.Griffitht).— A new and little-known kind, found growing in the mountains of Afghani- stanata height ofmorethan 10,000 feet, as a prostrate trailing shrub with smooth, rounded leaves. Coming from such a home it will doubtless prove hardy if its flowers are of sufficient beauty to make it of value.

Tue Harry Cuinese Rep-Bup (C. racemosa).—A new and beautiful kind

| recently discovered in the Szechwan province

of southern China as a low shapely tree of 20 or more feet, with rounded leaves varying in length and breadth, and covered upon their stems and under-surface as well as upon the young shoots with a coating of soft down. Tue Texan Rep-pup(C.cexensis).—A form common in the valley of the Rio Grande as a

large shrub, covered in spring with rosy-pink flowers, but probably too tender for British

gardens.

SPECIES AND THEIR NaTIvE Countrizs.—Cercis Sili- quastrum of Linnzus, south-eastern Europe, Asia Minor, and Persia, to the frontiers of India; califormica (occiden- talis of Torrey), Californian coast region ; canadensis, central and northern United States ; chinensis (japonica of Siebold), China; Griffithi, Afghanistan ; racemosa, southern China ; texensis, western United States.

B.

THE PITCHER PLANTS.

THE PITCHER PLANTS. (Continued from page 71.) N. Findlayana.—A scarce hybrid of uncer- tain originand probably not grownin England;

its medium-sized pale green pitchers are deeply |

mottled with reddish crimson. N. formosa.—A hybrid between che/soni and distil/atoria, of small value in collections. N. gracilis major.—A widely-spread shrub throughout the East Indies, of climbing habit and bearing narrow leaves and small greenish

pitchers from 2 inches in length. A plant of |

easy culture but in greenhouses more curious than showy. |

N. Harryana.—The only known natural hybrid among Pitcher Plants, discovered by Burbidge in the mist zone of the Bornean mountains at a height of 8,000 feet. It is ex- actly intermediate between its two parents Eid- wardsiana and villosa, and exists as a climbing shrub living mostly in low trees round which its long stems are wreathed. Only known as a dried specimen in Europe.

N. Henryana.—A crossbetween Hookeriana and Sedeni, rarely met with in collections. Its

towards the base, and reddish-purple streaked with green most deeply coloured in the upper part. The throat is pale green with purple spots and the mouth crimson shaded with vio- let, rising to a rounded rim of deep rose.

N. Hibberdit.—A garden seedling of minor importance. Its blood-red urns are marked with yellowish-green on the outside and pale green within, whereas the lid is green with- out and dull red on the inside.

N. hirsuta-glabrescena.—A Borneanspecies |

bearing small or medium-sized green pitchers slightly enlarged at the base, with heavily fringed wings; mouth ovate, with afine-ribbed yellowish rim, and the lid armed with a short spur. Rudra, a distinct form of this plant, carries larger pitchers suffused with red.

N. Hookeriana.—A very fine plant akin to |

Raffesiana but of stiffer habit and shorterstalks, bearing darker more rounded pitchers with a shorter hinge, and a lid nearly flat. Leaves and pitchers are tough and leathery, lasting longer in beauty than those of. any other kind; urns produced more than eight months ago upon plants at Chelsea being still in perfect condi- tion. ‘They are spotted red and are nearly

IIIf

round, with a flat closely-ribbed rim and very broad wings sharply fringed. A noble plant of free growth. A variety with deeper pitchers is known as e/ongata.

N. hybrida.—A garden cross carrying large dark green pitchers of 8 inches, with fringed wings. A handsome variety more grown than the type is macu/ata,a plantin which the pitch- ers reach 10 inches and are heavily streaked with reddish-purple.

N. intermedia.—Another seedling of un- certain origin, coming from Raffestana and an unknown parent. Its urns, carried upon

_leathery leaves, are also tough, of medium size,

and flask-shaped, tapering at the base, and

slightly swollen in the middle; colour green

with reddish-brown spots. Wings broad and prominent; lid a little hooded. A fine plant of free growth and easy culture.

N. “fardinei.—One of the Australian species not grown in this country. A low, stout shrub

| of 2 to 3 feet, hairy in its early stages. Long

tubular pitchers of 7 inches, widening at the base, with prominent veins and narrow smooth

| wings of dull red. Cape York, Queensland.

pitchers of about 7 inches are much swollen |

N. Kennedyana.—Another shrub of the

_ Australian group, introduced in 1882, but now

unknown in gardens. Its stems are long and

climbing, with pointed stem-clasping leaves.

Long narrow pitchers suffused red, a little enlarged at the middle and thence tapering ; narrow unfringed wings or ribs, and a narrow

rim; throat of greyish violet, lid but slightly

raised, and the stem showing a peculiar knot or curlin the middle. A distinct plant of diffi- cult culture.

N. Khasiana.—A plant growing in the Khasian Hills,Nepaul,ata height of 3,000feet.

It is a shrub with long shining leaves reach-

ing nearly 18 inches, carrying medium-sized

pitchers of a strangely angular shape behind, when young. A kind of free growth, reaching 6 feet,and often confused with N. disti//atoria.

NN. /anata.—A rare species from Borneo,

'much confused with Veztchi? among growers.

It bears large leaves of 12 inches or more, smooth and dark green above, paler, and covered with sparse blackish hairs beneath. The long narrow pitchers are greenish, with wings fringed and toothed, and an angular neck. A delicate plant, very sensitive to strong light, and perhaps not now in cultivation.

I12

FLORA AND SYLVA,

N. Lawrenciana.—A distinct cross between Phyllamphora and Hookeriana, of very dwarf growthandleavesslightly toothed. Its pitchers are rather small, of pale green heavily marked with deep crimson.

N. Lowit.—The most singular of the entire group, found at a height of several thousand feet in the mountains of Borneo. Its long stems twine round low moss-covered trees,

bearing bright green leathery pitchers which

twisted at right angles as to make them quite unlike other species. The lower half is com- pletely darkened, while the upper broadens to a wide rimless mouth of a glossy brown colour shading to mahogany-red on the inside, and covered with a large hooded lid. The inner

any other kind. Up till now it has been im- possible to obtain living plants, owing to their strange conditions of life.

N. madagascariensis.—The earliest known of Pitcher Plants, found by Comerson, the first European to explore Madagascar, but only in- troduced by Veitch in 1879. Its small pitchers are finely formed, flask-shaped, thinly hairy, winged, and bright crimson in colour. The lid is peculiar, being contracted in the middle and shading a circular mouth with narrow rim and cream-coloured throat. It is handsome and distinct but delicate under cultivation, and has twice died out.

N. Mastersiana.—One of the best of Pitcher Plants raised as a cross between K/astana and Sanguinea by Messrs. Veitch. It combines great beauty with free growth, being one of the easiest to grow and profuse in its pitcher upon quite small plants, while as many as fifty urns are sometimes developed upon one strong one, lasting in beauty for many months. They are large, reaching at times ro inches, and are roundly tubular in form, enlarged below the middle, above which they are circled by a ridged contraction; colour a rich claret-red on the outside, and rosy-cream spotted with red within, upon the throat. The wings are deeply toothed, and the rounded rim of glossy red is narrow and thickly ribbed. This use- ful plant succeeds everywhere, and is grown in dark and lightly coloured forms, while compacta is a variety of dwarf habit and very profuse.

N. mixta.—A seedling from Curtis? and Northiana; and a useful kind of free growth and fine colour. Its pitchers reach 9 and 10 inches, and are creamy-yellow marked with green and red, shading to deep crimson about the mouth, which is beautifully ribbed. Also grown in a deeper coloured form known as sanguinea, with pitchers of dark reddish-brown

| with deeper blotches; lip larger, and of shining | crimson. are narrowed sharply in the centre and s0 |

N. Morganie.—One of the best of Ameri-

can seedlings; a cross between Hookeriana and

_Phyllamphora. A fine plant of neat habit and

free growth, bearing leaves with rosy midribs and flask-shaped narrow-winged pitchers of

6 to 8 inches, finely marked when young in

bright red and pale green, but deepening with glands of the pitcher are more marked than in |

age to uniform deep red, the pale green of the lid alone remaining unchanged.

N. Northiana.—A fine plant found upon

limestone cliffs in Borneo, where it reaches

great size and vigour, but rarely thrives under

_ glass. The pitchers are flask-shaped and nearly

| afootin length (wild pitchers reach 16inches), | pale green with large irregular blotches of pur- _ plish-red, and so tough that the natives make

use of them for boiling rice. They bear two ringed wings, but their great feature is the undulating and finely-ribbed rim around the neck, which is closely shaded by a shining lid, finely spotted with black. One of the noblest kinds in the few places where it succeeds. N. Obrientana.—A scarce Bornean kind,

_ with long narrow pitchers, of which the lower

part is green and slightly distended, the upper portion tubular and reddish with a green rim.

N. Outramiana.—A pretty and free-grow- ing cross between Hookertana and Sedeni, bear- ing flask-shaped pitchers of 5 inches, broadest below and tapering upwards, with narrow hairy wings. Their colour is pale yellow-green, finely blotched and spotted with deep red extending to the mouthandtheinterior; the rim is deeply ribbed and lined with bands of green and crim- son. Upon some plants the dark spots com- pletely cover the pitcher, which becomes a uniform deep red.

N. Paradise.—A garden hybrid bearing pitchers of 4 to 5 inches, much contracted towards the middle, and crimson marked with pale green in colour, with a green rim and

reddish lid.

THE PITCHER PLANTS,

N. Pervillei—A plant recently introduced from the Seychelles, but not a success in gar- dens, from which it has already disappeared. As a wild plant it is of robust habit, bearing

leaves a foot long and fine crimson pitchers of |

8 inches, but under cultivation these are too small to be more than of botanical interest.

N. phyllamphora.—An old plant from Borneo and Cochin China, known to botanists since 1790. It is of free growth and easy cul- ture, bearing pitchers which reach to inches upon the wild plant but under glass are much smaller, bright green in colour, and wingless, these being replaced by a few hairs.

N. picturata—A fine cross obtained by Messrs. Veitch between Dicksoniana and mixta, and as a new plant is fully described above.

N. Rafflesiana.—An old kind in gardens, first grown in 1815, and perhaps the most easily managed of any. It isa handsome plant, bearing large green leaves in which the midrib is greatly extended (sometimes 3 feet) bearing fine rounded pitchers of 5 to g inches, with

crested wings and a mouth gradually narrow- |

ing to a long raised hinge supporting the lid; their colour is of a pale green, thickly spotted with purple-brown markings. Singapore. A free grower, readily propagated, and profuse in pitchers. It is grown under several forms: insignis, with larger pitchers, much dilated at the base, beset with brown hairs, and with a deeply ribbed rim; pa//ida, a variety sparingly spotted ; and ngro-purpurea, a distinct plant bearing dull pitchersof brownish-purple,varied by a few paler spots and star-like hairs.

N. Rajah.—A noble plant of the Bornean

113

tendril beneath inserted not far from the apex. A dwarf plant not exceeding 4 feet, and of singular interest and beauty ; it has, however, nearly disappeared from gardens, only two or three plants being now in cultivation.

N. Ratclifiana.—A garden cross between Hookerianaand PhyHamphora,bearing medium- sized flask-shaped pitchers of green, spotted with red; wings variable in breadth, narrow-

_ing towards the base.

N. robusta.—A very free-growing cross from thesame parents, producing strange pear- shaped vessels of dark green, streaked and

blotched with brownish-crimson.

N. Rowane.—A distinct and little known plant of the Australian group, with stout stems of 2 to 3 feet, bearing pitchers 6 inches long by 3 inches wide, and in shape like the cap of liberty—curved at the base and broadly widen-

| ing toalargemouth. They are finely marked

with reddish-purple and deeply veined; hard outer ribs hardly to be called wings, and a lid _ smaller than the mouth, covered beneath with

|

mountains, but rare in gardens and of difficult |

culture.

enormous pitchers of 12 inches or more long by 6 inches broad, and holding three to five pints of liquid, rest upon the wet sandy soil or are half buried in decaying vegetation. These great vessels are stout and leathery, of ruddy purple fading to violet-purple with age, and a rim of rich red-brown; they bear two fringed wings in front, and their whole surface is more or less clothed with reddish hairs. Mouth very broad, shaded by a large lid, and the inside of the urn studded with prominent glands. The leaves are from 1 to 2 feet long, tough and shining, with indistinct nerves and a peculiar

Growing at a height of 6,000 to | 8,000 feet, in a region of perpetual mist, its

|

rounded glands. N. rubra.—A rare species from Ceylon, of

great beauty but not in cultivation; a plant

of slender habit, bearing very large pitchers of bright red.

N. rubro-maculata.—A cross sent out by Veitch in 1882, but now rarely met with. Pitchers of pale green of medium size, spotted with claret-red and heavily winged; broad flat rim of deep red, and a red-spotted lid much smaller than the mouth.

N.rufescens.—A hybrid shrub from Courti and disti//atorta, with long narrow leaves upon ruddy stems, bearing rounded pitchers of nearly 8 inches, green suffused with red.

N. Sanderiana—A plant recently intro- duced from Sumatra by Messrs. Sander, and akin to Raffesana but distinct in its brighter colour and more compact habit. The vessels are about 6 inches long and fully half as wide at their broadest, narrowing rapidly towards the neck; they are deep green at the base, with crimson spots which thicken in the upper part of the pitcher into dense masses of colour. The wings are very wide, running the length of the pitchers, and of deep crimson, more intense on

the outer face, and richer than upon the urns

|

themselves. A new and useful addition to the

group.

I14

FLORA AND SYLVA.

N. sanguinea.—A fine species, but rare in its own country, and very scarce in gardens. Its pitchers are variable, but at their best reach nearly a foot in length, of intense blood-red colour and soft downy texture. They are car- ried upon sessile, leathery leaves, which at their base clasp smooth triangular stems. Found at a height of 2,000 to 3,000 feet upon Mount Ophir, Malacca. A beautiful kind, but of slow growth and difficult increase.

N. Sedeni.—A cross of uncertain origin, but akin to dist///atorta—a probable parent. A robust plant, profuse in small pitchers of light green, which are thickly blotched and spotted with brownish-red. A more highly-coloured form is grown as S. rubra.

N. stenophylla.—A Borneanspecies allied to Curtisi,with narrow leaves bearing long narrow vessels of 6 or 7 inches, green,with long streaks of ruddy purple ; rim narrow, and lid small.

N. superba.—A garden hybrid resembling

Sedent.

N. Tiveyz.— A handsome cross of good growth, with shapely enduring pitchers of dull green, streaked with reddish-brown markings,

Veitchii and Curttsi-superba.

N. Veitchii.—A fine species with a marked habit, its leaves appearing right and left of the stem in even ranks. It is a weak-rooted plant, living mainly upon dead trees or branches, and its pitchers entrapping beetles suchas frequent rotting timber; its prevailing colours of dull reddish-brown harmonise strangely with such surroundings. Its pitchers are large, reaching (when wild) a foot in length, roundly narrow- ing to the base, with deep-toothed wings and a broadly rimmed crimson mouth, the ribs of whichendin sharpteeth pointing downwards; lid very small. Common in Borneo. A fine plant, but slow in growth and delicate. Several forms of this plant are known, one with a pink rim, and a second in which the vessels are large, and blotched with dark red.

N. ventricosa.—A newly -imported plant from the Philippines, allied to N. Burkez, but distinct in the strange shape of its pitchers.

These are 5 inches long, inflated at the base |

with a much narrower middle part, widening

_ tough in texture, and of a clear pale green with

a bright crimson rim, deepening with age to reddish-purple. Awarded a first-class certifi- cate by the Royal Horticultural Society in Oc- tober, gor. An interesting and singular plant, with short narrow leaves of leathery texture,

and not of difficult culture.

N. Veillardiu.—A rare plant from New Caledonia, and like d@st///atoria in habit, but easily known by the hoariness of the stemless leaves, bearing also grey or reddish- coloured tendrils. The pitchers are 7 or 8 inches long, hairy like the leaves and stems, and deep red in colour. A plant of stout growth but delicate under glass ; probably not now in cultivation.

N. villosa.— A rare kind found only at a

| height of several thousand feet in the mountains _of Borneo, of difficult culture,and perhaps not

in cultivation. It is a handsome plant, growing upon the wet ground,and bearing large pitchers

_ of pale green moreor less marked with crimson, Hookeriana, but with some of the characters of |

and of a downy texture from minute hairs, which are also found beneath the leaves and within the pitcher. They bear deeply-fringed

wings in front, and a very wide ribbed rim

_ around the mouth, prettily shaded with flesh- and a convex rim of brighter tone. Parents, |

colour deepening to reddish-pink; lidsmalland raised high,ofarusty green freely blotched with darker colour. Often confused with Veztchzi.

N. Wardii.—A fine large-pitchered species growing in the Seychelles, but unknown in Europe save in a dry state.

N. Williamsit.—A fine cross between Sedeni and Hookeriana, of very compact habit and one of the smallest plants of the group, but free in pitchers appearing upon every leaf. They are of medium size, heavily blotched with brilliant blood-red,which deepens with agetoa uniform intense crimson, extending to the inside of the vessel.

N. Witter. — A garden hybrid of minor importance, allied to Curtzsc and a second un- known parent.

N. Wrigleyana.— An American seedling from Hookertana and Phyllamphora. A plant of free growth, bearing upon large leaves hand- some pitchers of pale green, with crimson spots and narrow fringed wings. The neck is stout and rounded, with a green ribbed rim; lid

| small, covered with glands beneath, and bear-

again to a broad funnel-shaped mouth. Like ing aspurat its base. One of the best American

Burker, they are smooth and wingless, hard and | hybrids.

B

THE AUSTRALIAN FUCHSIAS,

THE AUSTRALIAN FUCHSIAS (Correas).

Ix dayswhen Australia was anew world, and the treasures of Botany Bay fresh- ly brought to our doors, the growers of that time were enthusias- tic over our sudden wealth of winter-flowering shrubs, giving glass-houses some- thing of the summer bright- ness of the Land of the Southern Cross. In those days no one could foresee the present neglect of these plants, due in part to certain delicacy among many hard- wooded plants, in part to reaction against the mon- strous trained forms adopted for too many of them ; part- ly also to the spread of fore- ing, by which other flowers more docile in the hands of the grower came into com- petition with these winter- bloomers, and also because of the movement in favour of hardy plants which has become so marked of recent years. Noonecan deny that this movement is right and natural, and to the highest interest of British gardens, but it is equally certain that little floral brightness can be drawn from gardens at mid- winter however fine may betheeffect of | berry-bearing and bright-barked shrubs.

A tew greenhouse plants to tide over this

11

few hard-wooded shrubs are more use- ful than a selection of the Australian Fuchsias, with their neat habit, profuse tubular flowers, and easy management. They are useful for decoration, or in cut

GROUP OF CORREAS.

sprays as button-holes, for which they areuncommon,and may be prettily con- trasted with Erica melanthera or some

season of dulness are therefore not out. other of the fragrant winter-flowering

of place, and for winter and early spring -

heaths. Though usually flowered in

H 2

116

pots, where possible they might be given a trial planted out in the border of an airy greenhouse or conservatory, need-

ing less attention in this way save in |

more frequent pinching, as a result of their freer growth. Bushes 6 to 8 feet high and nearly as much through, may be thus grown in a short time, and when

so seen, few will deny the real beauty of |

these Australian shrubs. With the ex-

ception of scale, Correas are not much |

subject to insect pests, nor are they so sensitive to damp as many allied plants. Nearly all may be raised from seeds or cuttings, but the usual practice is to graft the better kinds upon the free- growing Correa alba, which in its own country forms a shrub 12 feet or more high, and so grown good flowering specimens are sooner formed. The de- tails of their culture are the same as in most hard-wooded plants. When in full growth Correas should be freely watered, with a period of comparative rest after flowering. The best kinds are as follows :—

V ARIETIES.— Most of the finer kinds have been raised as seedlings or crosses between the red-flowered C. speciosa and C.virens, the green- Howered kind. Fewer sorts are now found in collections than during the great days of hard- wooded plants some half-century ago, but most of the following are still sparingly grown in England and Belgium.

PALE-FLOWEREDA USTRALIANFUCHSIA (Cor- rea alba).—A robust plant soon reaching several feet in height, with whitish, rounded leaves, downy and punctured beneath ; clusters of small and inconspicuous white flowers at the ends of the shoots, appearing from spring till mid-summer. There is a variety, cotinifolius, in which the whiteness of the foliage is more marked.

Rosy-FLOWERED AUSTRALIAN Fucusia

| (C. bicolor)

.—A cross between a/ba and pulchella,

FLORA AND SYLVA,

_ bearing white flowers shaded rose, trom Janu- ary to April and distinct from its parents in its upright flowers, in which the mouth of the | tube is widely open. SCARLET-FLOWERED AUSTRALIAN FucHsIA _(C. cardinalis).—This is one of the best and most useful kinds, bearing single pendant | flowers of bright scarlet, more than an inch | long, shaded with pale yellow in the centre _and tipped with green. It frequently flowers in mid-winter, continuing in bloom during a great part of the spring. Itisaslender-growing shrub, needing careful pinching to keep it in shape without the use of stakes.

Harris’s AUSTRALIAN Fucusia (C. Har- risit) —A garden hybrid not unlike cardinalis (one of its parents), but of sturdier habit. Its lighter green leaves are more pointed, and its growth is finely spreading ; flowers of bright scarlet.

WHITE - FLOWERED AUSTRALIAN Fucusia (C. magnifica). —The best white kind, with large flowers, has a long pale tube with promi- nent stamens borne on a shrub of strong, free growth. It does well planted out, and is not averse to cutting.

CoRAL-FLOWEREDAUSTRALIANF ucusia(C.

_pulchella).—A distinct garden hybrid, bear- ing during the spring single drooping flowers of a pretty pale salmon colour, with a hairy throat. The leaves are oval, waved, and when

| young covered with down. A strong-growing, beautiful shrub, reaching a height of 6 to 8 feet.

SHowy AUSTRALIAN Fucusia (C. speciosa). —A shrub beautiful in its finer forms but very variable in detail, and commonly regarded as the primitive form of all the garden varieties. Its growth is slender but compact, with leaves variable in shape and size, the stems and under surface of the leaves covered with ruddy hairs. The flowers are tubular or slightly inflated, often borne erect, and usually deep red shaded with green, but sometimes pale or even whit- ish, appearing from winter throughout the spring. ‘The variety mayor, with deeply co- loured flowers of large size, is the finest form of this kind.

YELLOW-FLOWERED AUSTRALIAN FUCHSIA (C. sulphurea).— A kind only distinct in the pale yellow colour of its flowers. Syn. C. ochro- leuca.

THE GLORY

BELL-FLOWERED AUSTRALIAN Fucusia (C. |

ventricosa).—A very distinct and pretty plant of elegant habit, bearing flowers of bright crimson, green at the tips, and the flowers in- flated or bell-shaped instead of rigidly tubu-

lar. It is still a favourite in collections for its |

beauty and daintiness of form.

UNDERWOODS AND GAME. [To the Editor of FLora anp Sytva.] Sir,

I have been very much interested in reading the |

article on page 1 of the October number of Ftora

AND Sytva, dealing with the management of wood- |

lands. If at some future time you dealt with the same subject from another point of view, I think others would be benefited besides myself. I refer to the point of view of the game preserver. I have not yet discovered how to combine the improvement of my woods from the economic standpoint, and the improvement of them as pheasant holders. In East Anglia the value of a property depends in a great measure on the quality of the shooting, and it is of the greatest importance that the coverts should be so plantedand maintained that they fulfil the following conditions : Ist, that they give shelter from cold and persistent winds; 2nd, that they should provide covert for the game ; and 3rd, that they should be planted to a certain extent with berry-bearing trees and shrubs. This last is not very often done, |

think, and yet it is obvious that pheasants will be | more likely to stay at home if they get the kind of |

food they like.—Yours truly, Enquirer.

(1.) In good planting there is nothing against giving shelter to birds from cold winds. There must always be a certain amount of evergreen planting in the best work, and some of these things give good shelter, the most ra- pid growth, and the greatest increase of tim- ber, apart from beauty. (2.) In planting even from the economic standpoint, there may be sufficient covert for game between the under- wood and the various young woods, which in any well-managed estate should be planted yearly. This should certainly, in woodlands of any account, give all the covert that is neces- sary. (3.) We have several hundred acres of covert land and our experience is that native berry-bearing things, such as the wild Bram- bles, are as good or better than anything else. Where coverts are large it would bea serious

labour to plant with exotic shrubs, save in| patches. In many districts the best berry- |

bearers—the Blackberries—come of them- selves. =e

OF THE SNOW. 117

THE GLORY OF THE SNOW (Chionodoxa). Ir somewhat clumsy for common use, few names are more suggestive than this of brightness and purity, and conspicu- ously brightand pureare the hardy little flowers it represents, flowers vying with the Snowdrop, the Crocus, and_ the Winter Aconite for first honours in the frost-bound garden, and glowing with a beauty and richness of colour second to none ofthem. The first of this little _ group was reported by a French travel- ler in Asia Minor, but not until thirty- five years later was it re-discovered in quantity and brought into cultivation by Mr. George Maw, who lighted upon itwhen exploring the mountainsaround Smyrna in search of Croci. The plant was found upon the mountain side at heights varying from 3,000 to 4,500 feet, but (being then May) at the lower levels was already out of flower. Not until nearing the summit was it met with in full beauty, when of a sudden a wide stretch spangled with flowers revealed itself, mostly blue and white with the densely clustered Chionodoxa, but mixed with a rich profusion of Tu- lips, Fritillarias, Snowdrops, Scillas, Colchicum, and Gageas, the whole spreading in one bright carpet away to- wards the whitened summit until they mingled with the melting snows. Even -such a botanist and traveller as Mr. Maw declared it to be one of the grand- est flower-pictures he had ever seen. Bulbs brought away by the finder first flowered in England in March 1878, proving their value as a plant hardy in British gardens where to-day its beauty

H 3

118

FLORA AND SYLVA,

and charm are becoming increasingly familiar. The Chionodoxas may be grown

from seed or from imported bulbs ; if |

from the Levant the bulbs are usually ga- thered before fully ripe and do not regain their true vigour and character under two or three seasons, but home-grown or Dutch bulbs are now plentiful and free from this objec- tion. Inlight fertile soil seedlings Hower in their second year, and when once well established the plants sow them- selves freely in most gardens and soon form strong colonies. Wherever the soil suits them bulbs should be planted in broad masses and left to spread at will, growing more vigorously and flowering earlier when ‘quite undis- turbed. They may be freely used in grass, the stout erect stems showin

finely in this way, while the plants die down so early as to be out of the way of the mowing machine in most gar- dens. Used in broad patches their fine blue colour is distinct and good at quite a distance, commencing early in Feb- ruary to full beauty a month later, and though the individual flowers are soon over, strong stems bear from eight to a dozen blooms, so that the display is long continued. Blooming before the Squills they may be planted with the Snowdrop forthe sake of theirrich con- trastin colour. Being very sensitive to aspect and sun-heat nothing is easier than to arrange successive groups 1n sunnyand colder parts of the same lawn or rock-garden, under and around de- ciduous shrubs, or any corner where

Culture.

their early disappearance 1s covered by

the growth of later plants. Though

grown without care in most gardens there are a few in which the Chiono- doxas do not thrive, increasing slowly ornot at all, but this experience 1s com- paratively so rare that few need hesi- tate to make free use of these charm- ing plants, their moderate price placing them within the reach of all. In spite of their earliness in flower the bulbs remain long at rest and may be safely planted at any tme during September.

As is not uncommon with plants seeding as freely as the Chionodoxas, many of the kinds run closely into one another and are more distinct in name than appearance. Even when ty- pical kindsare distinct enough inthem-

Kinds.

selves they are linked with other sorts

by a series of intermediate flowers in many shades of colour and with differ- ences of structure that render classifi- cation dificult. Well-marked sorts are Lucilie with flowers of varying shades of blue; e7gantea, a bolder variety of Lucilie, with flowers of a soft lavender colour ; sardensis, also a mere variety, but of a deep bright shade ; and ana, a species distinct in form, with smaller flowers of pale blue. Though much scarcer, white forms are to be had of nearly all the kinds, and a few rosy or lilac varieties; there is also a curious hybrid plant between the Chionodoxa and Scilla bifolia, tor which the name Chionscilla has been suggested. The flowers of this plant are largeand pretty, mostly self-coloured, though a few are lighter towards the centre and their

beauty 1 is increased by pale yellow an- thers in fine contrast with the prevail- ing tones of blue; this goes far to atone for the loss of the white centres soattrac- tive in the Chionodoxa. These crosses are, however, uncommon and too slow of increase to have more than a limited interest. "The Chionodoxas are classed |

by botanists as follows :—

CRETAN CHrIonopoxa (C. cretica).—A na- tive of the mountains of Crete, with white or pale blue flowers borne sparingly upon long slender stems; akin to zana but oflarger growth. Not free enough in flower for garden effect.

GLORY OF THE SNow and its va- rieties (C. Luci/ia).—Thecommon- est and best kind, opening from early in February, with starry flowers an inch or more across and in many shades, from pale to deep blue, shad- ing to a whitecentre. It is a stout grower, rising about 6 inches, with narrow erect leaves and sometimes a score of flowers upon one spike, though eight to fifteen is the usual number. As an early plant of fine colour and little affected by bad weather, it has few equals among

THE GLORY OF THE SNOW

winter flowers. Itisfoundin three or

four well-marked forms, and seve-

ral minor colour variations have

received names. These include a/éa, a pure white kind with large flowers, found wild with the blue form but scarce in gardens, its seedlings rarely coming pure though prolific in nae shades. Rosea is a scarce variety bear- pink flowers; pa//ida, flowers of a ver

CHIONODOXA SARDENSIS.,.

119

with broader leaves and taller spikes than in any other kind, though the flowers are some- times few in number. violet or porcelain-blue with a small white _ centre, coming some weeks later than the early kinds. A fine white form of this plant is now to be had, and a variety a/b0-rosea, with flowers delicately tinged with rose.

Deep Briur Cutonopoxa (C. L. var. sar- densis).—A variable form of Lucile regarded as a distinct kind by some botanists but at Kew held to bea mere variety of the common species. At its best it is a beautiful plant with flowers of rich deep blue, free from the pale shading of other kinds, the white eye being

sharply defined. In habit it is less stout than

Their colour is soft

Lucilig and smaller in flower, but very grace- ful and fine in colour for massing in grass or within nooks of the rock-garden. It flowers during February and March according to as- pect and conditions of soil, the effect of its bright flowers and bronzy foliage being very

light blues and Boissieri, showing bright, deep telling. It is a little slower to increase than some, but fully as hardy, and in some districts

colour.

ALLEN’s Cu1onopoxa (C. L.var. Allent).— Though said to come from Mt. Taurus, autho- rities consider this to be merely a selection of |

the first to flower. It is easily grown indoors for the conservatory but loses strength and colour in heat, and should be kept close against

the next kind, and inseparable from it. Its the glass and very cool. Several varieties are

flowers are, however, rather earlier in opening, numerous, of large size, and nearer blue in colour than the usual form of gigantea.

grown in gardens, including alba, a good white form, and @/ba-major with larger flowers carried in fine spikes ; ocw/ata, a scarce kind LARGE-FLOWERED Cutonopoxa (C. LZ. var. in which a deeper ring surrounds the white

gigantea).—A distinct garden variety of Lw- disk; while in some cases the flower comes ciliz, also known as grandiflora from its large | of a uniform deep blue but can hardly be said

daw cre The plant is of strong robust habit

to gain by the loss of its white eye. The plant N 4

120

FLORA AND SYLVA,

derives its name from the ruins of the ancient Sardis, its home in Asia Minor, where it is found growing at from 4,000 to 5,000 feet. LATE-FLOWERING CutonopoxA (C. ZL. var. Tmoli.—A dwarf variety of strong growth and latest of any in bloom. Its large flowers, freely produced, are of rich bright blue with a large white eye faintly outlined in purplish-blue, and with a touch of deeper colour on the tips of the petals ; its lateness is, however, its great feature. This kind is said to need a damper situation than its fellows, and certainly its growth is more vigorous in a moist spot. Dwarr CuHionopoxa (C. zana).—A dis- tinct dwarf species from Crete, rarely more than 4 inches high and not much planted for effect. Its flowers are small but attractive, and carried in dense spikes of white or pale

bluish-lilac.

LYCASTE MARY GRATRIX.* Tue group of Lycaste contains some of the most useful and showy of orchids with a flowering season during the dul- lest days of winterand early spring. They are mostly from Central America and the West Indies, being found at fairly high altitudes where much rain falls dur- ing their season of growth. Up to the present few good crosses have been ob- tained among these plants, the most dis-

tinct and beautiful yetsent out being the It lives, and is hardy enough, but that is not all we

fine new kind shown in the plate. This seedling was raised:by Messrs. Charles- worth of Bradford as a cross between Lycaste Skinneri and L. macrophylla, and was first exhibited by Samuel Gra- trix, Esq., of Whalley Range, Manches- ter, being named in honour of Mrs. Gratrix. The finest plant yet shown was exhibited early last year at the Drill Hall, Westminster, by Capt. G. L. Hol- ford ; it carried seven fine flowers, the brilliance and beauty of which are well shown by the artist.

The Lycaste are of easy culture, needing little heat, the cool interme- diate-house suiting them best. Good fibrous loam and peat with a little leaf- soil, chopped sphagnum, and coarse silver sand, makes a good compost for

the plants; plenty of drainage should be

added, for, while growing, the plants

delight in water, providing that it passes away quickly and that abundant air is admitted at all times. When at rest less water is needed, but they must never

become dry. H. ALEXANDER. Westonbirt, Tetbury, Glos.

Tree Faitures.—[To the Editor of Flora anp Sytva.] Sir,—In things treated of in garden cata- logues one may be said to live in a world of adjec- tive and strong description. Sometimes these adjec- tives are justified, but too often they are not. It is not a great matter whenit merely concerns a little Al- pine flower described inacatalogue asa “tremendous bloomer,” but if we have to deal with trees involving perhaps heavy preparation of the ground and much cost, then it becomes a more serious thing. I have for many years heard great things of the Japan Cryp-

tomeria—“ an avenue fifty miles long of this great

tree, with trunks straight as arrows and 150 feet in

height ”’—and I have always had hungry eyes for it

wherever I went, either in England, Scotland, or Ire- land. Asa result I never saw onethat promised tobe such a fine tree, and there would seem to be some- thing in our climate or rainfall-which is against it.

want in a tree of its great character ; and if we know

_atree to bea failure, surely it is much better to own

it frankly, and cease cumbering the ground with things that will never do any good in our country. Very often in the places where we see such failures scattered about, trees of greater value, which succeed perfectly in our country, are not seen. The same fault is shown by other trees of this small group, such

_as the variety Lobdii, and the C. e/egans, which is not

even hardy. It isa form of C. saponica, which, like so many of the conifers, has a habit of sporting into different shapes of shoot. I had a dozen trees de- stroyed in one hard, snowy winter. No doubt it is hardy in sheltered places near the sea, but that does not justify its general use. Other forms of this tree

_are open to the same objection. Ifthe wild tree does

not succeed, we may be sure that none of its varieties

_or sports will do any better.—I am, Sir, A PLanrer.

* With coloured plate from a drawing by H. e Moon, from a plant at Westonbirt.

"on ww yu 7.9 7 ene a * : Pia 7

-

THE BROOMS OF THE CYTISUS GROUP.

THE BROOMS OF THE CYTISUS |

GROUP. It is sometimes the fashion to belittle the value of yellow-flowering shrubs

and plants because, forsooth, Nature —

has been lavish in her use of thiscolour, and what is common is undervalued. And yet what in Nature is more cheer- ful than a wide stretch of golden Furze such as gladdens the heart in early spring —the meadows with their Buttercups, the stream-side with its Marsh Mari-

clothed from top to bottom with the same reflected sunlight only more varied in kind? Or again in autumn, the all- pervading yellows and Aber: form a fit setting for the passing touch of flame from point to point, where a like pro- fusion of crimson and scarlet would jar upon the senses. To look down from the heights of Savoy or the Canton de Vaud upon a land of gold bathed in clear sunlight when the vineyards of France and Switzerland areripening for the fall

P27

this is ane a fault of their own) are liable to die off of a sudden without apparent cause. On the other hand, their merits are no less pronounced, being for the most part hardy and pro- fuse in flower and seed, free from dis- case and insect foes, growing well in dry and even poor ground, upon hot banks and other spots unsuited to bor- der plants. Some sorts thrive perfectly in heavy, uninviting soil, while by using

_kinds of varied colour, Sito neciear ithe golds, or the hills of southern Europe —

Broom and the rich cH oRnTOWn of Andre’s Broom, it 1s possible to produce effects of great beauty at a trifling cost whether in the rock-garden, the shrub- bery, or pieces of rough ground which are otherwise an eyesore and a_per- plexity. Many kinds come freely from seed scattered here and there, if care be taken to give the young plants some little protection from accident in their earliest stages ; it may also be taken as

an axiom thatno kind should begrafted

is sucha sight as makes one hesitate to |

condemn anything because it is oly

yellow.

Amongst golden flowering-shrubs |

few are richer in their display than the Brooms, for though other colours are repre- sented shades of yellow

Their Value and Beauty.

prevail, and as soon as one kind fails _ borne in long racemes, there are few finer

another takes its turn until from early

spring to late autumn itis possible tore- |

joice in the rich radiance of theCytisus group. They have their faults ; they are difficult to transplant; are apt to be-

come bare and leggy below, and some- |

times, especially when grafted (though

| in May.

that can possibly be made to dowellon itsown roots. The following kinds have

founda place in gardensfor their hardi-

ness and beauty —

Tue WHITE SPANISH BRooM (Cyéisus albus). —A native of Spain and Portugal, flowering It is of quick growth, reaching a height of 5 or 6 feet in three or four years from

seed, while old plantssometimes reach 1 5 feet,

but are then apt to become naked below. When thickly covered with its white blossoms,

Howering shrubs, and beautiful effects may be gained by massing it in a bold way with one or other of the Golden Brooms; it bears but few leaves, which are silky and divided in threes. The plant ripens seed in abundance,from which young plants are easily raised, taking care to pinch frequently in their early stages to en-

| courage a good base. Two or three varieties of

122

FLORA AND SYLVA,

thiskind are grown: /ncarnatus, bearing flowers | tinged, especially when in bud and newly | opened,with pink or reddish- purple ; multi flo- rus,a free-flowered garden variety with flowers of creamy white ; aad grandiflorus, with blos- soms that are larger and of a fine pure white. To this plant belongs a confusing list of syno- | nyms, classing it ate Genista, Spartium, and Sarothamnus, but it is well nowt by its Eng- lish name.

ALSCHENGER’s CyTisus (C. A/schenger1).— The plant bearing this name is really related | to the Alpine Laburnum, now separated from the true Cytisus. It is profuse in flowers, of a pale yellow, borne invery long racemes, reach- ing as muchas 18 inches in length. Croatia.

Dwarr ALPINE CyTIsus (C. Ardoinit).—

A low trailing shrub only growing 4 to 6inches -

high, and a little gem for the rock-garden. It is covered during April and May with a pro- fusion of deep golden flowers, thriving in dry and sunny spots, its silky trifoliate leaves carried upon fine rod-like stems. It 1s a scarce plant even in its home amid the Maritime Alps, having been found only upon three mountains at from 3,500 to 4,000 feet, and exposed to the nibbling of goats, which destroy flower and seed alike. It may be increased from cuttings in the autumn.

SILVER- LEAVED CyTisus (C. argenteus).— A silvery-leaved plant found in the Maritime Alps, its leaves and stems densely clothed in thick white down, and growing inthe sunniest and most arid spots.

AvusTRIAN CyrTisus (C. austriacus). — A hardy deciduous kind from the east of Europe, growing as a compact leafy bush of 2 to 4 feet, bearing terminal clusters of yellow flowers dur-

ing early summer and againin autumn. Like | so many of the Cytisus, its leaves and stems are |

covered with whitish down. It is grown in two

or three distinct forms: /ewcanthus, showin aler flowers than the type; and ax7//aris, a

new kind bearing its flowers in the axiis of the

leaves instead of at the end of the shoots. Syn. |

Rochelt.

BEAn’s CyrTisus (C. Beaniz).—A cross be- tween Ardoini and dzflorus, which originated in the Royal Gardens, Kew. It is a dwarf, prostrateshrub with the habit of Ardoinit, use- ful in masses for the rock-garden, its golden yellow flowers coming early in May.

| often makes shoots of 2 feet in a season.

TwIn-FLOWERED CyTisus (C. diforus).—

| | The earliest of the Brooms, opening its flowers _in mid-April, even before AEN and pracox. Ie -isadeciduousshrub of neat habit, growing very

freely and about 4 feet high at most, though it The | bright yellow flowers appear in the axils of the leaves throughout the long shoots, coming

| (spite of its botanic name) as often in threes and fours as in pairs. It is quite hardy, and a

fine plant for the open shrubbery. A long | list of synonyms apply to this plant, including

-elongatus, ruthenicus, and supinus ; serotinus and _uralensis are mere fecane of diflorus, and, though

the last is distinct in itslarger leaves and flowers, it is linked to it by confused intermediate va- rieties.

Hoary Cyrisus (C.candicans).—A robust downy shrub found throughout the south-east of Europe, from Italy to the Levant, bearing its yellow flowers somewhat sparsely at the ends of the shoots during summer.

Canary Istanps CyTisus (C. canariensis). —A tender shrub flowering under glass and useful as a succession to the spring-blooming greenhouse kinds. It is of dwarfer habit and not quite so free in growth as C. racemosus, its yellow flowers appearing in long one-sided

_ spikes throughout the summer, upon the slen-

der much-branched shoots. CLUSTER-FLOWERED CyTisus (C.. capitatus). —A lowsemi-evergreen shrub common in the outskirts and clearingsofsunny woods through- out central and southern Europe, bearing clus- ters of pale yellow flowersat times shaded with bronze, at the tips of the long erect shoots. Though less showy than some kinds its habit is neat and compact, and it flowers from the middle of July into autumn when few sorts are in beauty ; the leaves are numerous, trifoliate,

| and softly hairy in every part. It is sometimes

seen grafted upon tall standards of Laburnum, but is finer in its low form, and easily raised from seed.

TraiLinc CytTisus (C. decumbens).— A

dwarf, prostrate shrub from eastern Europe,

with large pale yellow flowers in long erect spikes coming from June till August. It is a

"scarce plant,but where obtainable is very pretty in the rock-garden.

WeepinG CytTisus (C. filipes).—A very

beautiful greenhouse plant of singularly grace-

THE BROOMS OF THE CYTISUS GROUP. 123

ful, drooping habit, flowering under glass from

December throughout much of the winter. Its small white flowers are thickly set upon

long wisp-like trails which are nearly leafless. Though introduced many yearsago from Teneriffe, it isascarce plant, not easily increased from cuttings and rarely

CYTISUS PURPUREUS ALBUS.

ripening seed ; it is usually grafted during summer, as a low standard upon the Common Broom or the Laburnum. Its grace of form and flower give it a special value for the conservatory during winter ; during summer it may be grown in the open, and wintered in any house secure from frost. Strong plants put out in a greenhouse border grow into fine bushes many feet in height, of rich effect when in bloom and very useful for cutting.

Sweet Cyvisus (C. fragrans).—Another beautiful kind from Teneriffe, easily grown ina cool greenhouse or even a room secure from frost. Its fragrant wibire flowers appear at the end of April or early in May upon the long leafless shoots, which reach a height of about 6 feet at maturity, but may be kept low by cutting back after flowering. Syn. Spartium nubigenum.

Tue ITALian Cyrisus (C. glabrescens) —A hardy plant from the mountains of North Italy, and almost untried in gardens, though pretty as a rock-plant. It forms a small bush with the pendulous habit of C. purpureus, but with golden flowers crowded in the axils of the leaves; these are deciduous, smooth above, and covered with soft hairs beneath.

Tue Harry Cytisus (C. Airsutus).—Anold hardy plant, widely distributed over the south and east of Europe and Asia Minor. It isa dwarf shrub 1 to 2 feet high, with trail- ing stems and yellow flowers in June and July, and useful in die rock-garden or the front line of the shrubbery. The hairiness refered to exists only upon the young growths, the adult leaves being smooth. It is a plant of many names, including fa/catus, polytri ichus, and triflorus. A plant bearing the name Azrsutissimus has of late found its way into trade lists with the following description: A low shrub, bear- ing grey down-covered leaves and large flowers grouped in clusters of five in the axils of the leaves; of a bright golden yellow upon opening, they fade to a reddish- bronze colour.

124

FLORA AND SYLVA,

Tue Kew Cyrisus (C’. Aewensis).—A beau- | plant are grown in /ongispicatus, with longer

tiful prostrate plant raised in Kew Gardens as a cross between Ardoini and the common White Broom, but distinct in habit from both parents. It spreads by long trailing shoots,

covering a wide surface. Its flowers, of acreamy white or pale yellow, are large and numerous, thickly covering the pendant shoots during May and June, their colour often paling with exposure. Asa trailer amongst rocks, or in masses for covering a bare surface, this pretty plant is a decided gain.

FINE-LEAVED CymTisus (C. /inifolius).—A native of the south-west of Europe and north- ern Africa, and unlike any other of the group. It forms an erect shrub of 4 or 5 feet, with narrow Rosemary-like leaves and a profusion of yellow flowers at the ends of the shoots in a long succession from spring to early summer. Being somewhat tender it can only be used in the open in gardens of the south and west, but is worth a place under glass in colder districts for its pretty and distinct habit and early flowers. Syn. Genista linifolia, and Spartium linifolium.

THe Mapberra Cyrisus (C. monspessula- nus).—A tender quick-growing shrub from the Mediterranean region, and only hardy in southern and coast gardens ; its yellow flowers appear in May.

SUMMER-FLOWERING CyTisus (C. nigri- cans).—One of the best and most useful of the Broom family, distinct in colour and flowering continuously from June into September. It is

6 feet or more when full grown, perfectly hardy and thriving in dry warm ground, but as the roots run deep it needs sufhcient soil. The flowers, of a clear pale yellow, are borne in long erect spikes of g inches at the ends of the new growths; young plants making plenty of growth, and easily raised from seed, are best, while old plants may be cut back in early spring. The leaves, formed of three leaflets, are deciduous, downy, and dark green, fading to a black colour when cut—a fact to which the plant owes its specific name. Though in- troduced from central Europe in 1730, it is not acommon plant, though its long season of bloom and its beauty as a shrub deserves wider

| |

spikes of flower, and Carfier7 with a long season of bloomand showing flower-spikes and reddish seed-pods intermingled. In foreign lists it is

often called Lembotropis nigricans. rising only about 3 inches, but in old plants, ©

EARLY-FLOWERING CyTisus (C. precox).— A plant originating as a chance cross between C. purgans and the White Broom—which it nearly resembles in habit. It bears a profusion

_ of cream or sulphur-coloured flowers from early

in May, and, though very hardy, should be planted in a sheltered spot with some protec-

tion from wind, or its flowers are soon marred

in bad weather. Grouped amongst rocks, it becomes a fine object, one mass of bloom when in flower and tall enough to be conspicuous at a distance. On becoming naked old plants are best renewed from cuttings, as they do not

_ break freely when cut back and rarely come true from seed; young plants, pinched fre-

quently in their early stages, are better in every way.

Tue Proirerus Cytisus (C. proliferus).— A tall fast-growing shrub from the mountains of the Canary Islands and parts of Portugal,

| where it reaches a height of 25 feet, the young

shoots being used as fodder for cattle. In British gardens it is tender save in mild and coast districts; as a seaside shrub it is of value, being unharmed by the washing of salt spray.

_As a greenhouse plant it flowers in April and

May with clusters of white flowers upon its long silky stems. A variety palmensis from Teneriffe is very graceful in habit, with broad

_ silky leaves of three leaflets and pure white of neat habit with long slender shoots reaching |

flowers in mid-winter, earlier by many weeks thanthetype. Bothkindsare far from common in gardens.

SWEET FReNcH Cymisus (C. purgans).— An old plant but one not often seen in gardens. It grows as a low bush of 2 or 3 feet, in habit not unlike the White Broom but with branches shorter and more rigid. Though less free in growth and in flower than many of the Cytisus, its blossoms, coming in April and May, are of

_a rich intense yellow and fragrant, while the

}

plant retains its good habit longer than many kinds. Itis easily increased from seed or cuttings under glass in August, the young plants being pinched to encourage a bushy habit. A native

_of the mountains of Franceand Spain, itis quite recognition, ‘Two or three varieties of this | hardy, preferring a dry and sunny spot.

THE BROOMS OF THE CYTISUS GROUP.

THe Purpite Cyrisus and its varieties (C. purpureus).—A beautiful hardy plant from eastern Europe,generally grafted standard high upon the Laburnum and (in that way) very

short-lived; it is far finer on its own roots as a |

low spreading bush inthe border or rockgarden, its long drooping shoots hung with a profusion

I2§

A newly-introduced plant of low spreading habit, flowering in a long succession from the end of June, after many of the Brooms are over. The flowers, of a yellowish-white, are borne in clusters at the ends of the shoots, after the

| manner of capitatus. It isa pretty and distinct plant, very hardy, and may be grown upon its

of bright purple flowers from May onwards. |

It is so readily increased from seed or cuttings |

that there is no need for grafting. This fine plant is grown in several varieties distinct in habit or colour of flower, of which the best are

albus, with pretty white flowers borne in long |

curving wreaths, the beautiful effect of which is shown in our engraving; atropurpureus with flowers of deep purple; a/bocarneus with large

flowers borne in threes, rosy white on opening,

deepening to rosy lilac, with leaves and stems covered with down; erectus, a fine kind with flowers deepin colouranda rigid upright habit; incarnatus, with fewer flowers but large and variously shaded with rose and lilac; pendulus, grown as a standard, with slender weeping

branches; and superdus, with large clusters of |

rosy lilac.

Tue Beautirut Cyrisus (C. rdcemosus).— A common greenhouse plant raised in large quantities for its bright golden flowers in early spring, when young plants are very useful for table and window decoration. Cuttings are easily rooted in early spring and grown to flowering size by the following season, being gently forced into flower as required. Old plants put out in the border of an airy green- house or conservatory where the room can be spared grow rapidly into bushes many feet high. The origin of the plant is uncertain, but it is a supposed cross between two of the Cytisus from Madeira. Many so-called varie- ties of this plant have been raised and named by florists, but few are really distinct; e/egans

own roots as a prostrate trailer for the rock- garden, or grafted as a low standard with a dense drooping head. Syn. C. Frivaldskyanus. Tue Common Broom and its varieties (C. scoparius).—The large golden flowers of this fine native plant are too well-known to need description. The plant has been valued for its industrial uses during centuries when beaut was of small account; it has served for fodder, for brooms, in the brewing of beer, and the making of pickle, the weaving of coarse cloth and twine, and (in times of scarcity) its seeds, roasted and ground, have been used as a sub- stitute for coffee. It has also played its part in history and art, while for beautifying ugly dry spots easily and without expense there is, per- haps, no plant its equal, and at the present time it is being much sown in North America for its beauty in the landscape. Though a native wild plant, the Broom sometimes suffers in severe winters, especially when upon low, rich ground; in this way it shows itself less hardy

than the white and early Brooms (Cs. a/bus

_and precox). There are several fine varieties

of the Common Broom but none of them quite so vigorous and robust as the wild plant. The

| finest isAndré’s Broom(C. Andreanus) in which

the lower petalsare richly shaded with crimson or bronze colour. This kind originated with a wild sport found growing in Normandy, and, while rather difficult to raise from cuttings, layers will root and a good percentage come

_ more or less true asseedlings, of which the best

forms a low dense head with larger leaves of | grey-green with long narrow leaflets and large | Howers; ¢rifo/iatus is a little longer in its ra-_

cemes and has a long season; and everestianus, a fine form, is darkerincolour of flower and more hairy in leaf, with a profuse show of bloom. Tue Ratisson Cytisus (C. Ratisbonensis). —A low shrub akin to /rsutus, not exceed- ing 3 feet, and very free in its golden flowers

during May.

only should be selected, many being dingy in colour. When grafted it never lives long, often disappearing suddenly; but on its own roots it is as indifferent to conditions as any of the Brooms, fine mature plants reaching a height of 12 feet or more, fully branched, and of great beauty when in flower. To enjoy its rich effect a group of André’s Broom should not be too distant, its contrast of colour being best seen close at hand. The Moonlight Broom is a

second colour form (bearing the name a/dus or THE ScutpKa Cyrisus (C. schipkaensis).— pallidus) with flowers creamy-yellow rather

126

FLORA AND SYLVA.

than white, pretty, free flowering, and distinct in effect ; this hardly differs from su/phureus, a variety pale yellow in colour. Variation in habit is shown by pendulus, a dwarf shrub with large flowers and pendant shoots, some- times well used to drape boulders or ledges in the rock-garden; and cantabricus, a similarly prostrate form with fine flowers and silky leaves and stems, found as a wild plant in the moun- tains of Spain. At one time a double-flowered form of the Common Broom was in cultiva- tion, but if still in existence it has become very rare in gardens, though the usual sport with variegated leaves and stems is not wanting. The Broom is also known as Genrsta scoparius in England, and Sarothamnus or Spartium upon the continent.

STEMLESS-LEAVED CyTisus (C. sess7/ifolius). —A pretty shrub from southern Europe, with small leaves of glossy green and almost stem- less, and short erect spikes of yellow flowers in May. It is of upright habit, neat and distinct, reaching a height of about 6 feet. Though rarely seen in England it is well grown in the Dublin Botanical Garden. Syn. Lembotropis sessilifolius.

EVERGREEN CyTisus (C. stenopetalus).—A greenhouse plant from Madeira, akin to race- mosus and possibly one of its parents, but hardly so good for all purposes. Its leaves are similar in shape only larger and of a more glaucous green, and the flowers, if larger and bright in colour, are looser and less shapely in the spike. It reaches a height of 6 feet or more, thriving under the same treatment as other greenhouse kinds, and when full of flower during May and June is none the less a beautiful object. Syn. C. splendens.

MaAny-coLouRED CyTisus (C. versicolor). —A peculiar plant coming as a cross from pur- pureus and Airsutus, and like the Purple Cytisus in growth and outline. Its leaves and shoots are, however, thickly pubescent and its flowers, appearing in May, pass from creamy-white to rose and lilac, the several stages showing in the same cluster. Though not a new plant this hybrid is uncommon and distinct.

The many forms of Laburnum, including the peculiar graft-hybrid once knownas Cytisus Adami, are now classed by themselves in a separate group. B:

THE LESSER PERIWINKLE (Vinca minor). A rrienp who has been spendinga short holiday at Cannes and elsewhere along the Riviera in search of sunshine found rain instead, but adds, ‘‘ I am charmed with some of the gardens which lie back from the road, in the gorges, and in sheltered little ‘cups’ in the hills. The Palms are splendid here now, of many rare and noble kinds, but they are not for us in England, and I see more and more that the best hardy things are to be our salvation or mainstay in British gardens. The prettiest thing I have seen here are big sheets of the small Peri- winkle on dry banks, a level, solid sheet of flowers. The growth is cut down every year. The colour is good, and I had no idea so much beauty could be produced by a plant weso often neglect or forget altogether.” Unkempt and uncared for in moist or shady places, this plant, plentiful with us, is but seldom seen ina fine state; still here we find it notable even in a land of Palms, Bam- boos and Reeds, of Tea Roses, Acacia, Violets, and hundreds of other bright and fragrant flowers. The secret of its beauty at Cannes may be that its flower- ing stems are mown off at once after flowering ; in any case an open sunny position seems to be essential. Perhaps such a pretty little evergreen would be more highly valued if it were rare and. costly. How often is this the casein even the best of gardens. The eternal struggle after rarity, or what often proves to be meretricious novelty, instead of study- ing the right use and situation for well- known and beautiful things in masses.

Those who have bare, sunny banks, or rocky slopes might:clothe them with a

carpet of this beautiful little Periwinkle. Fk. W. BURBIDGE.

LANDSCAPE AND WOODLAND PICTURES BY THE MASTER PAINTERS.

Our engraving this month is from a characteristic canvas by Arnold van der Neer, a clever Dutch landscape painter,

LANDSCAPE AND WOODLAND PICTURES.

[27

shown in our engraving. The peculiar play of light and shade seen by moon- light, with its effect of half revealing and half concealing details of landscape and woodland, is cleverly rendered in many of his works. He flourished in the middle of the seventeenth century, being born in Amsterdam in r6rgq. Good examples of his work are to be found in the National Gallery.

VAM O28 ALAR.

TAICHON, SG.

MOONLIGHT SCENE BY VAN DER NEER.

though hardly of the first rank. His work is essentially Dutch, showing at once the peculiar meritsand limitations of his timeand people—an artistic ren- dering of common scenes with a pains- taking, almost painful, faithfulness to detail, rather than anything visionary or ideal in conception or execution. He was particularly noted for his treat- ment of moonlight scenes such as that

TREES AND THE WEATHER.

A cLosk study of the meteorology of a district, and of its woodland history, reveals to the forester all its weak points and exposed belts. Each of these should receive treatment accord- ing to the form and age of the trees dealt with. Cutting should usually be done inaline opposed to that of the prevailing winds, in order to gain protection for the trees left standing and for young plantations, though it is chiefly the old trees which need this care. When dealing with

| trees in the plain the best way is to cut from

128

FLORA AND SYLVA.

the centre to the outeredge. Where the under- wood system is in force it will be seen that the

danger from wind is less when tall trees shelter |

The dread effect of lightning on trees is

| shown in many ways, from partial stripping

the young growths, since old trees protect the |

saplings and young standards. On the outer

edge it is well to keep sheltering clumps of | trees to break the wind along exposed parts of -

all great woods. These should receive special treatment apart from the wood proper. In the same way for Pines on mountain slopes, the work should always go on ina direction opposed tothat of the prevailing wind. It might be well also if, as in certain provinces of central Ger- many, neighbouring ownersagreed upon zones of shelter and defence, wherever great tracts of woodland are similarly exposed. In any case it is wise to maintain on the outskirts of the wood some screen for separating the forest proper from pasture land. This screen will var

of bark or the single furrow which bears witness to its passage, to the stroke which shatters the trunk of great Oaks. Often other trees near are killed by the same stroke though to all appearance untouched. Why one tree should suffer rather than another has been a matter of discussion, some thinking it due to

Lightning.

_the pointed form of the tree, others to its den- | sity of leaf, and others again to the near presence

of water. More recent knowledge tends to show that it lies rather in the conductivity of certain kinds, and their green or dry state. It

_ would seem more natural that an Oak, with its

in breadth according to the altitude of the |

woodland, the character of its ground surface, and the force of the wind.

Late and early frosts do much harm by destroying the young shoots in the spring, and severe winter frost, by in- juring the inner bark-layers, causes canker, at first super- ficial, but eating deeper and deeper into the trunk, and giving rise to all sorts of defects. The only means of protecting trees from this danger lies in such a knowledge of each species as enables the planter to choose for it the situa- tion which is freest from risk. Loss through sudden fall in temperature has less to do with the actual degree of cold than with the con- ditions which accompany or follow it. Sudden changes from cold to heat are far more danger- ous—other things being equal—than slow changes ; a frosty night followed by a bright day may cause frost-bite at points exposed to the sun’s rays, when in other parts the trees escape. In sandy, friable soils such as are easily pierced by intense cold, frost-bite and kindred ills are of more frequent occurrence than upon

Frost.

|

| |

taproot striking down to water-bearing strata, should be more exposed to lightning than the Beech, with its shallow root-system.

Woods are often injured or overwhelmed by early or late snow falling upon trees in leaf. Even in England enormous damage happened all over the country to Oak woods by fierce snow storms some years ago. Pine forests upon the lower mountain slopes often suffer from this cause. Its effects may be minimised by clearings carefully made at the right time and place. Landslips may be pre- vented by trenching, staking, or buttressing

Snow and Landslips.

| the ground with stone or masonry, and behind

these artificial defences—liable to decay as they are—should be planted a more lasting one in the shape of Swiss Pines. Landslips very often occur in stiff or clay soil when trees are re-

_moved,and itisimportant not to cut down trees _onsuch slopes, or it should be done at different

times. Wholesale clearings may lead to serious

trouble. By roadsides the removal of trees

may do serious damage. Ina forest or planta-

tion liable to slip great careis needed to prevent

clay, chalk, and (especially) peat soils. Smooth- | barked trees also are more liable to injury than | others. By choosing for evergreen trees a cold —

aspect we ensure a more gradual transition from cold to heat; also in hollows exposed to late spring frosts it is well to plant the trees least apt to suffer from cold, or such as are late-leafing.

such accidents. There was an impression at one time that forests kept off hailstorms, but numerous ex- amples might be given of and trees bearing within their - stems the wounds caused by

Hail, Rime, Sleet.

| heavy hailstones evenaftertwenty-five or thirty _ years, and covered by that number of succes- _sive woody layers. Rime and sleet causeserious injury by depressing the shoots of saplings and

snapping the branches of old trees.

FLORA

AND SYLVA.

Vol. Il. No. 14.] MAY,

LABOURS IN VAIN. A RECENT visit to the gardens of the Ri- viera of France leads us to think more

than ever of the vanity of attempting in our climate the growth of plants and

trees for which it is absolutely unsuited. Yet everywhere we see gardeners pro- tecting plants and trees that can never arrive at their true beauty in our climate. |

It is too often forgotten that a plant or tree may be alive and quite without | beauty of form. What does it avail to see a stunted bit of Olive at the foot of a south wall, or a fragment of Mimosa in a like position, and when one sees the many things admirably grown that a climate like southern France allows to reach fine vigour and beauty, our errors in attempting anything of the kind are more apparent than ever. The growth of the past thirty years has made a won- drous change on the Riviera, where we may see Palms with stems like the pil- lars of a Greek temple, and Gum-trees well over 100 feet high, with Orange- orchards in full bearing ; Bamboos growing over 30 feet in a season, and all the sub-tropical Hora of Australia happy in the open air. Going along the Cor- niche Road much of this beauty may be seen, the trees often set outin a stiff, hard

1904. [ Monthly.

way: butitisonly when we goupintothe hills alittle way, where the gardens have a background of native trees and where the woody dell or rock-bound site in- _vites or even compels some thought as to design or grouping, that we feel the wondrous value of the climate for the growth ofa noble and varied sub-tropi- cal flora and the absolute error of at- tempting inany way alike way of group- | ing in Britain—save where in sheltered dells by the sea like Abbotsbury and Caerhaes we enjoy like advantages. And even where these rare opportunities oc- cur we doubt the wisdom of attempting the tropical. Even in the Riviera it is by no means the most tropical things that give the best effects, but rather where | the Olive trees, Heaths, and Heath-like plants of Australia, Roses, Carnations, and sheets of Violets give more familiar and beautiful effects than Palms, how- ever rare, or half the succulent plants of Mexico. There is areal and subtle lien between the land and the plants we may grow in it, and the surest way here as elsewhere to get the best effects would be to givethe best places to thetrees and plants of the country or of countries | similar as to climate. And this brings us to the lesson tor I

130

ourselves in the main, central, and ex- posed hill regions ofour country—those which for their value for good air and picturesque beauty are likely now, and more and more in the future, to be pre- ferred for the home life. It is that we should more than ever turn our thoughts to all things, from tree to rock-flower, that delight in our climate, not merely existing in it but showing us their whole beauty. And it is a large host we have to draw upon, many of them not to be had in every nursery—and whole groups, neglected or forgotten, like the Honey- suckles of which we only see one or two kindsin most gardens. We haveto think, too, apart from our own rewards, of the delight and the beauty of the northern and mountain plants tothose new-come to us from favoured winter regions that get burned up in summer. And beauty? Why wherecanweseek anything higher than that of the trees and flowers of the northern mountains of Europe, Asia,

all good things for cool countries? More than in any land of Europe and America our country has the great privilege of growing the alpine flowers—the fairest of all. It should be our first care to do well those lovely things that grow so freely with us,owing to our climate being so like that of much of the mountain lands of central Europe. Roses and Lilies, Carnations and Pansies, Water - Lilies

FLORA AND SYLVA,

these and their many allies are gardens of wasted effort.

That is the best that can be said for the popular way of growing half-hardy plants to put out for a few months in summer as we see in the West-end Lon- don parks, and in many costly gardens, both public and private. The assump- tion in these gardens is that we cannot make flower-gardens without “‘ bedding out” and ‘‘mosaiculture” and like at- tempts to conform a living thing such

as a garden to carpet-makers’ ideas in decorating plane surfaces. Thatassump-

tion is demonstrably wrong and inartis- tic, the truth being the opposite—that you can never realise the Garden Beau- tiful with any such aids.

as ae

WALL GARDENS.

Amoncst the many lovely scenes oftered us by that greatest of artists, Nature, few are finer than those which she creates upon the rocks of the mountain side, and even upon old walls. There is no more beautiful picture than that of anold wall draped with flowers, hung with wild garlands, and for its background the outline ofa noble tree. I well remember how, as a lad of ten, I was filled with admiration for those old terrace walls upon the vine-clad slopes which fringe the lakes of Geneva and Neuchatel, and

how much time (in the opinion of my

and Phlox that in the hot southern re- |

gions pass away from the land with the

last clouds of early summer—all such >

are happy with us throughout the sum- mer and far into the autumn, and gar- dens that do not rely upon the beauty of

tutors) Iwas wontto wasteamong them. To the poetic mind there is a great charm in the sight of these weathered blocks, animated, as it were, by plants and beautified with lichen, leaf, and flower. From the graceful curve of an Acanthus-leaf straining against an

WALL GARDENS,

aivtieies ei seen by exes 7 sculptor i in a Grecian cemetery, were derived the fine lines of the Corinthian capital; from the interlacing branches _ of the forest trees the designers of the Gothic arch drew their inspiration. And in like manner the exquisite natu- ral pictures seen upon walls and rocks prompted Edmond Boissier and Baron de Buren-Vaumarcus

their enchanting wall gardens. Alas, these creations so much ad- mired a_ generation since have disappeared wholly or in part since the death of their au- thors, and it only re- mains to us to profit by their example and their experience in the perpetuation of their work.

A study of Nature and the materials with which she works will show that many of the brightest and most dainty flowersare those

i

era Matthiola, Lithosper- mum, rere nite Indo ce all are wall plants. Add to these the most graceful among ferns, the Woodsias, Cystopteris, Nomocniena: Acpieatumn, Scolopendrium, and many dwarf shrubs also, such as Vella spinosa, Rhamnus pumila, and Amelanchier. ‘Vhus one sees that the choice of material is large

growing in clefts of the rock or covering the decay of crumbling walls. The most delicious of the Cam-

Suitable Plants. panulas and Saxifragas, many of the starry Si-

lenes (S. pumilioand Efizabethe among them), the Wild Pinks (Dianthus calli- zonus, neglectus, &c.), Ramondia, Jan- kea, Panedent Primula (most ag the varieties), Lychnis, Corydalis, Linaria,

WALL GARDEN

GENEVA.

(LIMESTONE), (Engraved for ‘“ Flora.’’)

and that it includes many kinds beau- tiful in flower. On that marvellous Mediterranean coast the old walls upon every sunny hillside are a treasure- house of bright colour,of sweet perfume and delicate tracery, the very stones seeming to bring forth beauty and animation in obedience to the Spirit of

Life.

m2

FLORA AND SYLVA.

What Ae ae artist a“ lavished upon the worldin Nature mans enabled (with certain limita- tions) to reproduce. Bare hard walls can be clothed with life, colour, and sweetness, if we have but the wit and the patience to use the right materials. It is enough if the wall be sufficiently deep to retain moisture, and porous to allow of the spread of roots. To understand the part played by the stones in these conditions it must be explained that all stone, whether soft or hard, is porous, absorb- ing moisture by capillary attraction. A rock drinks up moisture as will a sponge or a lump of sugar, until in wet or misty weather its exposed parts become com- pletely saturated. The more porous the stone, the more speedy the process of absorption. Stonesalso containa greater or less number of fissures which mine- ralogists call veins. These are widened by the gradual action of frost and thaw into the heart of the hardest stones, and by their work as channels leading water into the inner cells of the rock their wearing action is great. Thesechannels are more numerous in limestone than in granitic rocks, and this explains why

How Stones Irrigate.

the plant-life Be such regions is more

rich and varied than upon granite for- mations. Rocks thus saturated with water are cool reservoirs of moisture which Nature uses for irrigation. How often water may be seen gushing in abundance from the foot of the most desolate and arid of mountains, even though devoid of vegetation, and, in the same way, what are to all appearance the most unpromising of rocks often

show ie most dainty and pees flora.

Roots strike deep intoa pile of loosened fragments, or follow the deepest of fis- sures into the heart of the stone itself, in search of the nourishment hidden there, which is drawn upon for the up- building of the leaves and flowers ex- posed to the outer air. From the sur- face of the stone itself also there is given off a constant vapour which, as a pro- tecting veil, envelopes the tender leaves and delicate petals, shielding them from the ardent rays of the sun. It is this in- fluence which enables the fern to unfold its delicate fronds unhurt, though the full heat of the mid-day sunscorches the surface of the rock. But for this natu- ral protection the life of many plants would be endangered by the dryness of the summer atmosphere. The rock’s part in Nature is, therefore, to act as a sponge, at one time absorbing the ex- cess of moisture in the air in order to render it again through the agency of rock-plants, whenevera dry atmosphere makes the need felt. This explains

‘the continued existence of many plants

which would otherwise perish under

_thesun’s rays. Wall gardens have, there-

fore, a great interest for all lovers of plant-life, for not only are they pictu-

| resque Sad pleasant to the eye, but they -are the means of preserving to us a

multitude of fragile mountain plants which would otherwise die of drought, from stagnant moisture, or from the

improper exposure and development of their leavesand flowers. When so draped _with flowers bare walls may become gar- dens full of pictures of rich beauty, ever _changing in their charm and variety,

WALL GARDENS,

Ne

and asource of lasting pleasure tothe ar- | ingreat variety and gaywith flowers from tist— the greatest of all artists, who has_ one year’s end to another. Already in thus learned to paint in living colours. | February we have the flowers of Sax7-

Such a result is within the reach /fragaBurserianaand oppositifolia, Dra-

of almost everyone. As already said, all

that is needed is a wall | deep enough to permit | _do best on the sunny side of the wall are

To Make a Wall-Garden.

the storage of moisture within it. The best of allare retaining or terrace walls, because the soil which they buttress on one side secures a constant and regular moisture. With such a wall one has only to make a cleft where not

already existing, and insert the roots of

the plant together with a little moss, sphagnum, and rather heavy soil, fixing the whole by means of some rough stone fragments where necessary. For lime- stone walls care must be taken to select plants that love limestone soils. Often it is enough to sowthe seeds of kinds that are easily raised in that way, such as E77- nus, Linaria alpina, Draba, Dianthus, Helianthemum, &c. When sown ina compact soil these plants will in a few

years give such a wall-garden as to sur-_

prise those who do not know howeasily such beauty may be called into being. The best aspect for the wall-garden 1s either east or west, but a north or south wall can be used as there are a certain number of plants that thrive in constant sun or constant shade ; still, the greater number of wall plants prefer to face east Or west.

In the Jardin alpin d’ acclimatation at Geneva we have created awall-garden which is the admiration |

The Best i , : Wall Plants for Of visitors. It is simply Sunshine. the wall of a greenhouse covered inside and out with rock plants

|

ba aixoides and Androsace Lagger?, and in December we had clusters of Azsir- rhinum elutinosum. The plants which

WALL GARDEN

(SANDSTONE), SUSSEX,

(Photographed in the first year of its formation.)

the Acantholimon in variety and all the

_Ethionemas, with A/yssum alpestre,

montanum, pyrenaicum, repens, specio- sum, saxatile, spinosum, and Wiulfenia- num; also Androsace arachnoidea, Lag-

vert, Lanuginosa,sempervivordes, villosa, ciliata, Helvetica, and vitaliana, and

Antirrhinums of all kinds, but especially I 3

134 FLORA

AND SYLVA,

the fine 4. e/utinosum from the moun- tains of Spain, flowering with a long seasonand very freely. Then follows the whole group of Arabis and nearly all the Arenarias, with Aster alpinus, the complete list of Aubretias, and all the rock-loving Campanulas, of which ma- crorrhiza, elatines, elatinoides, Rainert, excisa, garganica, muralis, cespitosa, pusilla, petrea,and Cenisia are thebest. All the Cerastiums are useful, and the free-growing Corydalis lutea with its paler relative ochroleuca. Most of the Dianthus and all the Drabas, the Edrai-

anthus, and the Erinus may also be in-

cluded in the list, with the pretty little Fairy Forget-me-not (Eritrichium na-

num), which cannot be kept aliveinany |

other way. Several of the Erodiums will serve, and amongst the Erysimums such kinds as pumilum, pulchellum, purpu- reum, KotschyanumandW ittmannt. The | Edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum) does well in such crevices, as do also Gypso- philarepensand most of the Rock-roses (Helianthemums), for which, however acertain depth of soil isnecessary. Add also Hypericum coris and reptans, and all the Iberis and Linarias, with Lizho- spermum petreum and olefolium, Lych-

nis Lagasce among the Campions, and |

Micromeria rupestris, the Moehringias, and Omphalodes Lucilie and lusitanica. The Alpine Poppy (Papaver alpinum) will Hower in its season, with Phyteumas comosum and humile, andl of the Cinque- foils, Potenzzllas Hie caulescens, ru- pestris, and tridentata. All the Primu- las of the groups auricu/a and viscosa may be relied upon for colour in spring, and of the Soapworts, Saponaria cespi-

tosa, lutea, pulvinaris,and that brilliant little trailer ocymoides. The Saxifragas of the Aizoon and Kaébschya groups, such as longifolia, cotyledon, aretioides,cesia, and media, yield a rich variety of form. Sedums and Sempervivums will growin the driest nooks,and most of the Silenes and Teucriums, the shrubby Ve//a pseudo-citisusand spinosa,and Veronicas Allienit, cespitosa, canescens, fruticu- losa, orientalis, saxatillis, and spicata, with Viola cenisia, completesalist which only serves to givean idea of the wealth of material to hand.

For the north or shaded side of our wall should be used ferns, but not Ceterach, Nothochlena, W oodsia,or Chetlanthes, which do best upon the sunny side. Of flowering plants thereare Ramondia, Haberlea, Chrysosplenium,

| Saxifraga Huettiand Bee Wul- Senta, and Primula capitata. | mention ‘in this list only those kinds that have done well on our own wall, and for

Plants for Shade.

, English gardens especially it might be

lengthened by including many plants of difficult culture in a moist climate, un- less kept from excessive wet bya place i in

such a wall-garden as I have described. | H. CORREVON.

Floraine, Geneva.

Witp Fiowers.—“ He who has taken lessons from Nature, who has observed how the flowers ‘flush forth from the brightness of the earth’s | being, as the melody rises up from the moved strings of an instrument; how the quick fire of their life and their delight glows along the green banks, where the dew falls the thickest and the low mists of incense pass slowly through thetwilight of the leaves ; he who has watched this will never take away the beauty of their | being to mix into meretricious glare or to feed | into an existence of disease.”—J. RuskIn.

THE MEXICAN

THE MEXICAN ORANGE- FLOWER (Choisya ternata).

TuouGu the Salvias, Dahlias, Cluster Flowers, and similar plants of Mexico are common enough in our summer borders, there are few indeed of Mexican plants that one may risk in

the open the yearround. Thisbeautiful shrub |

is an exception. Everywhere throughout the south, and in the warmer parts of the mid- land counties, it succeeds as a wall shrub, growing and flowering freely in all save the coldest seasons.

ORANGE-FLOWER. 135

frost and cold winds. It should be planted in light rich soil, raised somewhat above the general level if the subsoil is cold and heavy. A mixture of peat, loam, sand, and charcoal _ is often recommended, but it does well enough | without such preparation where the soilis good andlight. So placed it spreads fast, easily reach- ing a height of 8 or Io feet, covering a wide space with its dark green leaves, and bearing in profusion its white clusters of flowers, like those of the Orange (to which it is nearly | allied) but clustered differently, andsweetiwith

InCornwall, De- von, and other partsofthe south coast, it may be seen as abush or forming — thick hedges beauti- ful in leaf and flower; at Kewa group of bushes near the lake is nearly as much at home and but seldom touched by frost; while inland districts as far month as Stourbridge and York can show plants thriving in the open upon sheltered walls. Grown in this way Choisyas endured weeks of frost in the terrible winter of 1880-81, coming through with very little real damage, and in sharp spells since then have stood 17 degrees of frost quite unharmed, while near at hand the Hairy Vi- burnum (V. p/icatum), Laurels, Hydrangeas, Ivies, Aucubas, and the Sweet Bay, have suffered severely. While,therefore,the Choisya cannot claim to be perfectly hardy, under favourable conditions it is fully as much so as many shrubs far less beautiful that are planted without hesitation in gardens. ,

As a Wall Plant.—This beautiful ever- green does best when trained against a sunny wall facing south or south-west, but will do well even in colder aspects if protected from

CUT SPRAYS OF

THE MEXICAN ORANGE-FLOWER,

a strong fragrance as of Hawthorn. Growing as either a bush or asa wall plant it is vigorous and well formed, renewing freely by new shoots from the base as old stems decay or are injured by frost. A member of the Rue family, to some the smell of its leaves is unpleasant, but it is not even noticeable unless the foliage is bruised. In warm southern gardens the plant often begins to flower early in the winter but comes into full beauty during Apriland May, when the flowers cover the plant, lasting for several weeks. A second crop of flowers often appears in Au- gust and September, while in some seasons the plant is almost constantly in bloom. It forms a beautiful companion to such a shrub as the large-flowered Escallonia (E. macrantha), the

I 4

136

FLORA AND SYLVA.

handsome foliage a fine flowers of aud and

white contrasting and mingling very prettily. Culture under G/ass.—In northern gardens

or bleak exposed districts it is a good plant

for the conservatory, easily grown and brought - to the older kinds, can make use of the

into flower with very little heat; in fact, it will thrive and blossom perfectly in a house giving bare protection from frost. In pots its habit is not so good as when the roots are free, the dinding allowed for the sake of forc- ing flower often inducing a meagre appear- ance; but young plants may be kept in order by cutting back after flowering. It is quite at home on the back wall of a sunny house, but when planted under glass the soil should not be too rich or growth becomes rank and flowers few. Red-spider is its one foe when in the | greenhouse, and syringing is needed to keep clear of this pest in warm weather. Few plants | are more easily increased either from layers, from cuttings of the spring growths rooted in gentle heat, or slips of the half-ripened shoots | put in sandy soil under ahandlight in early au- tumn; suckers, already rooted, are often pushed from the base and are readily detached.

In other Lands. —'The Choisya is com- moner upon the continent than with us, being much grown for its early flowers under glass, which are also in demand as a cheap substi- tute for Orange flowers at marriages. In the > south of France the plant grows with great | rapidity into bushes of a naturally rounded form and 6 or 8 feet high when full grown.

Upon such strong shrubs the size of the clusters _

isvery large, often reaching nearly a foot round,

with the stout branches bending under their | weight, while upon the warm, calm evenings | of late spring one may detect their fragrance at

a distance of many yards. In its native country |

the Choisya is a shrub of the uplands and the

mountain valleys, where it mingles with the

Cluster Flower (Cestrum) in rich profusion in | deep glaucous green but narrower than | >

I. sindjarensis and distinctly falcate. In the delicate porcelain- blue flowers the influence of fersicais noticeable in the blackish tinged lipsand the conspicuous

moist half-shaded dells.

INULA GLANDULOSA, var. fimbriata.—In the list of Inulas given in Vol. I.of Fiora (pp. 310- 312) I do not find this new variety mentioned. Raised by Mr. Beckett, gardener to Lord Al- denham, this kind has the ray-florets divided and fringed, while it is stated to show a better habit of growth combined with greater free- dom i in fower.—G. C. Leman.

NEW FORMS OF JUNO IRIS.! is

Tue Juno group of Iris, with its easy cul-

ture and readiness to eed offers a wide

field to the hybridiser, ahod in addition

more recent introductions in this class, suchas bucharica, warleyensis, Willmot- tiana, and others. With such material to hand it is to be expected that many handsome forms will make their appear-

-ance either as natural hybrids or as the result of studied crossing.

The subjects of the accompanying plate, [77s sind-pers and Iris purpureo- persica, are two among many other hy- brids which have not yet flowered. As _theirnames imply, they are intermediate between [vis sindjarensis and persica- purpurea as seed parents, and the old

well-known J. persica as pollen bearer.

The first cross, I. sind-pers(No.1 on the

plate), waseffected some years ago with

the hope of improving I. persica, which

in our Haarlem soil, in general so well suited to this class ak Iris, is always more

or less weak as compared with other free-flowering kinds.

By the influence of the robust J. “Sindjarensts thenew gain! has developed into a very strong-growing plant, no- ticeably dwarferand more spreading. It showsa striking combination of the cha- racter of its parents; its foliage is of a

golden-orange crest whichtrebotnabe

sent intheother parent. The sizeof the flowers, of which five to seven are open

‘ With coloured plate from a drawing by H. G. Moon at Warley Place.

ire

eo , (oe vem

por a en ee

the two species.

The second flower, Iris purpureo- persica, the result of crossing persica- purpurcawith persica, is avery remark- able and beautiful hybrid. In general appearanceitisnot unlike itsseed parent (persica-purpurea)and isbest described as a large and improved form of it. Its leavesare very stiff, ofgreyish green, very falcate, and only fully developed after the flowershave faded. Theseare of large size, being over 4 inches across and of greatsubstance ; theircolourisauniform ruby-red, remarkable at all times, but particularly richand glowing when seen with subdued sunlight falling through the petals, either in the early morning or towards sunset. At such a momenta colony of this Iris presents a lovely and striking appearance. On the falls the general colouring deepens into blackish maroon, relieved by the bright orange crestinherited from fersica. Fromitalso it has its lovely sweet violet-like smell, so pleasing upon thesunny days of early spring.

Both hybrids are of proved hardi- ness; in some English gardens as well as In my own nurseries a few plants that had formed big clumps were not lifted and came unharmed through the really arctic winter of 1902-1903, flowering just as freely as ever, though in no way protected. This fact, together with the profusion and substance of their flowers and their bright colouring, is merit sufficient to ensure them a wel- come to our spring bulb-gardens.

C. G. VAN TUBERGEN, Jen. Haarlem.

NORTHERN FOREST.—No. THE ASH (Fraxinus excelsior).

e377

14.

For its high economic value in manu- factures, beauty of form, and splendid endurance in northern regions, this is one of the most precious of trees. I have seen many an old Ash about farm- houses as fine in its winter form as any tree could be; it is noble in height, too, when grown in high woods or massed in good conditions. It is also an excel- lent wood to burn and the only one the branchlets of which will cheerfully cook your breakfast in the open air the same morning as you cut it down. The Ash grows under very varied conditions, and is most frequently met with on the low plains and in broad

| river-valleys, or smaller valleys where

the soil is cool ; under these conditions

“it attains its greatest sizeand best value. In no part of England is the Ash con-

sidered as so tough and good in quality

as in the Wealden district of Sussex,

Surrey, and Kent. In other counties where the tree grows more vigorously and rapidly, the quality of the wood is not nearly so good. Cobbett, in the “Woodlands,” noticesthe storm-resist- ing qualities of the Ash in hisclear way,

saying, ‘it fears not the winds. By that

I do not mean the power which the winds have of bringing it down, though it is pretty stoutinthat respect and does not come trembling about like an Elm before every south-western puff. _Imean

that sortof power which thewinds have

of checking the growth of trees, and especially those winds near the sea- coasts. On the Hampshire coast the

138

FLORA AND SYLVA,

wind that comes from the Atlantic is, of course, asouth-west wind. You will see the Oaks, when exposed to this wind,

sheared up on the south-west side of |

_and spokes of wheels, beams of ploughs,

them as completely as if shaven with a pair of shears. The head of the tree re- sembles the top of a broad quickset hedge, which is kept sheared up in a sloping form on one side only . . . and at the same time the everlasting flinch-

ing of the tree and the continuance of | -hollowcylinder to be fitted with a bot-

the weight on one side, while it is kept

shaven on the other, makes the trunk — the stem are valued by cabinet makers

west. Close by the side of an Oak like

of the tree lean away from the south-

this you will see an Ash of equal size and height standing as upright as if in the most sheltered valleys, and I have looked with the most scrutinizing eye

without ever having been able to dis- |

cover that any of the shoots pointing to the south-west had received the smallest injury.” Therotations that suit the Ash arethoseof 70 to go years. Often planted

_of any other forest timber, and hence

its universal use in all those parts of im- plements which are liable to sudden shock, such asthe circumference, teeth,

and for many agricultural implements. It is good for kitchen tables, scouring

better than any other wood and being less liable to splinter. Milk pails are

made of thin boards of Ash sawn length-

wise out of the tree and rolled into a tom. The roots and the knotty parts of

for the sake of the curious dark veining, which gives a peculiar effect when po- lished. Though susceptible of a high polish and not often liable to become warped or worm-eaten, it is not satisfac- tory for the making of large furniture, the wood cracking in the dry hot air of

houses. As fuel it is excellent, burning

even when newly cut, giving out very

little smoke, and the best of woods for

as a wood by itself, it is still oftener |

planted with Oak, Elm, and sometimes also with Hornbeam and Sycamore. Wood.—The wood of the Ash is very elastic, and a post made of it will bear a greater strain than the wood of any other tree. Its value is enhanced by the rapidity of its growth, and, as in the case of the Sweet Chestnut, the wood of young trees is more valuable than when mature. Its texture is compact and porous, and where the growth has been free the compact part of the an- nual layers is greater than the porous, and the timber tougher as well as more elastic and durable. Less rigid and last- ing than the Oak, it is tougher than that

smoke-drying fish. It is excellent for oars, blocks, and pulleys, and is much used by boat-builders. Few trees be- come useful so soon, it being fit for walking-sticks at four or five years’ growth, and forspade-handlesand other implements at nine or ten years. It is used largely for hop-poles, hoops, crates, basket-handles, rods for forming bowers or training plants, and for making light hurdles and wattled fences. For poles, the under-woods are cut over every twelve or fourteen years, according to the nature of the soil; for other uses they are cut at from five to seven years. The best time to cut Ash is from No- vember to February, as if cut when the

GROUP OF

THE ASH.

ASH, MILL PLACE, (Engraved for ‘‘ Flora’

UPPER MEDWAY VALLEY, SUSSEX.

’

from a photograph.)

Ww

140

FLORA AND SYLVA,

sap is up it becomes more brittle and liable to discolour. Ash poles for hoops should be packed close in heaps and covered with earth during April and May to ward off the attacks of insects. Increase.—In forest nurseries no tree isto be had more readily in quantity and in a good state for planting, but in places infested by rabbits it is often dith- cult to establish, little trees being bitten hard and either destroyed outright or reduced to aleprous state. Thereis only one tree rabbits like better than the Ash, and that is the Rowan. Sometimes in planting fields of Pine Ihave found that the seeds of Ash have blown from the neighbouring coppices and I got more Ash than Pines. If taken up in good time these seedlings come in very handy for planting. Seed is cheap and sound sent from good houses. I often scatter some out of hand in recently-planted

tial in mixed woods. In planting young trees those of one to two years are best, and in pure woods, rather close plant-

ground game; 4 feet apart is not too close. In this way the trees draw well up: and thinning is easy, while the thin- nings ¢ are useful at all ages; close plant- ing need therefore be in no way against the trees having full room to grow. In the plains and uponthe hillsides the Ash seeds with fair regularity each year, but after heavy seeding many trees will take a year’s rest. On the mountains seeding is more intermittent, a heavy crop being followed by years during which there are no seeds. Gathered in autumn and sown at once, part of theseed may start

in the following spring, but in most cases germination takes place eighteen months from the sowing. If sown in the spring the seed germinates during sum- mer. The elaborate instructions given in books for raising Ash from seed are of little use to planters, as the tree is so abundantly produced in forest nurseries and, as I think, so freely raised from seed by merely scattering it about, or even sowing itself in many cases. Though male and female flowers most-

_ly occur on the sametree, they are some-

times found apart ; those bearing only male flowers carry no seed, but their growth is finer and foliage more abun- dant where beauty of form is sought. Range.—The Ash is widely spread in Europe, reaching as far north as Scot- landand passing thence ina descending curve through Norway, and southern

Finland, to the neighbourhood of St.

woods upon cool soil, Ash being essen- |

Petersburg; from this point its area

‘turns sharply southward to Moscow, stretching further east to the Russian frontier but not passing the Ural moun- ing is best, allowing for loss through |

‘in the mountains of that region.

tains. From thence it spreads south- wards to the Caucasus, being common Its southern limit crosses the Carpathians in Dalmatia, descends towards the Me- diterranean as far as the centre of Italy, and reaches the Atlantic in the north of Spain. In the north of Africa and upon the European shores of the Mediterra- nean it is found only in its dwarfer and distinct form, F. exelsior australis. Its

limit of altitude varies from 1,000 feet

in Britain to 2,500 feet in the Carpa- thians, and from 4,000 to 4,500 feet in the Alps. eer

JAPANESE GARDENS AND FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS.

JAPANESE GARDENS AND FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS. We have lately seen a good deal of the Japanese plants for vases, pots, &c., the best of which are said to be very =i Occasionally the potted trees are beau- tiful in form, especially when, as with Cypress and Pines, the thing so treated does not becomea mere distortion. Gar- dening, like almost every other human pursuit, is subject to variations of fashion not always to its profit, and we cannot say that this recent movement in Japa- nese ways is likely to be a gain. On the contrary, it sets us thinking in wrong ways, and wrong thinking often leads to wrong acting. One or two examples of Japanese gardens lately made in Lon- don, such as those at Holland House, are anything but likely to siaailate

141

art of arranging their favourite plants

_and flowers to get their full effect. They

talk of these as “ styles ” and makea pro-

fession of teaching them, but there 1s

really not much (at least to a Western mind) in their fine-drawn distinctions. The real lesson to be learned is that we should go to Nature herself. You can-

not beat the toss of the double Cherry-

our devotion to the Japanese ideas of | ‘read as follows:—‘“ Several styles are

a garden. Few of us can say how far these show the real thing, and we doubt if they do show it at all fairly; plants

in pots we see too often, and we late-

them, not six out of a score being worth looking at. Many of them were

branch hanging in the free air, and the

Japanese get as near to that as they can.

We cannot surpass in grace or beauty the port of the Iris-flower and its leaves. But take the best flowers and jam them together in the form of our approved ‘“‘nosegays” and we get another and a very bad result.

There 1s a good deal of very curious and subtle writing about these Japan- ese effects in a list published by one of their flower-artists, parts of which

practised—as the Koriu, the Enshiu,

the Misho, and the Ikenobo—and in each of these are various schools, each ly passed through a large collection of

mere nursery wastrels such as would be parts that go to make a flower-compo-

thrown away in our own nurseries; a good nurseryman would not have let them go out of his place, knowing that they could do him no good. Even the best of these pot-plants would seem like the work of a little town-imprisoned people with no ground to grow things in their natural form.

But when we come to the Japanese way of arranging flowers it is a difter- ent matter altogether. There they un- doubtedly have beautiful ideas and the

with its own interpretation of the uni- versal rules,and each with its own mani-

-pulation. Andamong all ofthem curious

traditional meanings are attached to the

sition. Thus, in the formula of Ten- chi-jin, the three main stems stand for the heavens, earth, and mankind. A tall,

almost upright leaf or stem will repre-

sent Ten, the sky; a lower leaf carried in

_a sweep almost horizontally is Chi, the earth; while a third, on the opposite

side and higher than Chi, though lower

than Ten,isJin,the people of the world.”

But none of these formule are allowed to disturb in any way the attainment of

142

pure beauty i in fie result. eer they | act rather in themanner of mnemonics, keeping the laws of the art before the eyes of the pupil.

But when one looks from words to things the Japanese way lies mainly in recognising the beauty and import- ance of form, and of showing the whole beauty of the plant, instead of jam- ming flowers into “ nosegays” in shape

England. It leads the excellent rose- growers of London to send their flowers to the market with the heads cut close off and without a bit of stem, so that one cannot place a Rose in any natural way if we depend upon such supplies. In Paris and America, Roses are sent to market with long vigorous stems, and there need not bethe slightest difficulty in cutting them here in like ways. In our country the beauty of the whole plant is not thought of but the flower- ing part alone; the Japanese method is the opposite and true way. The com- monest things, such as a spray of Larch, a stem of Solomon’s Seal, or atuft of Iris, are arranged so as to show the whole beauty and form of the plant, leaf, bud, and flower. This is a very nee lesson to learn, though as wesee the Ja- panesearrangements done in London it occurs to us that the same results could be obtainedin a simplerway than that of the Japanese. They, in working in their beautiful bronze vases, take an amount of pains not always justified by the re-

sult; the more so as in our country we | | ness of the centre of the leaf. And lastly, C.

can eae a greater variety of vessels, many so shaped as to receive a flower at once and to showits beauty completely.

FLORA AND SYLVA.

Some a ane Japanese skill arises from the need of adapting flowers to their bronze vases.

One of these Japanese artists in

flowers looking at some of our pictures

_by Mr. Moon atonce said, ‘‘ Why, these

are our ways of arranging flowers,” sim- ply because of the fact that the artist had chosen a very few simple things

-and shown them in their full beauty.

The Japanese attach, and rightly, great importance to form. Their difficulties of getting plants in this country to show this phase of their art are serious, be- cause in our markets all the flowers are cut in quite a different way, and much less attention is given to form, whether of the foliage of flowering plants, often very fine,and Reeds, Grasses, Bamboos, and tree-shoots.

New Kinpsor CycLAMEN.—The active search

for new bulbous plants within recent years has had the result of bringing to light several

_ new species of Cyclamen,three of which belong

to Asia Minor and two to Greece. Their de- tailed descriptions appeared in a recent issue of Gartenflora, to which we are indebted for the following notes :—Cyclamen libanoticum, the first of these new kinds has already been introduced to gardens, and was figured in our

_ issue of September last. C. pseudorbericum, dis-

covered in the mountains around Smyrna, has been introduced by M. Van Tubergen, and is nearly related to C. zericum, but larger in

flower. C. Mindleri is a little known species,

discovered by the botanist Heldreich, and be- longs to the same group as the last, but is re- markable for four black glands carried upon

the edges of the lobes of the corolla. C. Me/ta-

_rakisil, also due to the researches of M. Held- reich in the mountains of Greece, is akin to

C. grecum, but differing in the silvery white-

hiemale, a new kind found by M. Siehe in Asia Minor, is said to flower in winter and is about intermediate between Cs. zbericum and coum.

ITALIAN

ITALIAN GARDENS.— There are few more apt examples of the distinction between reality and poor imitation than that of the true Italian garden with its variety of form and life, its light and shade, its pergolas and trees in their abandoned grace, and the stiffand hard plateau often called an “Italian” garden in Britain. ‘The modern Italian garden,

GARDENS. 143

| gardens toany one style, either of design or planting, is against us in all ways. The Villa Albani was celebrated for its relics of antique statuary, among which are several well-known masterpieces of antiquity. It was laid out with its trea- sures of statuary, and adorned by Car- dinal Alessandro Albani, whose dilet- tanteism found a congenial outletin the

ITALIAN GARDENS,

like our own, is infested with mosaicul- ture, often in its worst phase, but that was never seen in the old Italian garden —it is, indeed, a‘* decorative” invention | of our own inartistic days. So in con- nection with this we may give a fewen- gravings of real Italian gardens: these may serve to show that it is in variety not in conformity that we must seek beauty, and that allattempts to conform

VILLA ALBANI,

decoration of the gardens of his noble suburban residence with the rarest ob- jects of antique art. The accomplished -Cardinalalso distinguished himself dip- -lomatically during his embassy to the Emperor of Germany and as a biogra- pher. He sought to realise a kind of Ciceronian elegance in his abode and its surroundings, desiring to emulate, as

he added feature after feature of classic

FLORA AND SYLVA,

elegance to his gardens andtohis house, what he conceived to be an embodied reproduction of the Villa of Hadrian, of Cicero’s retreat at Tusculum, and the charming country abode of which Pliny has left us so many interesting particu- lars. The ancient sarcophagiof this old Roman garden, wrought about with alto-relievi, flanked by great clumps of Agaves growing with tropical luxuri- ance—its antique statues telling against masses of evergreen foliage—its Cy- presses shooting lovely forms into the blue Italian sky, contrasted with the flat- topped Stone Pines, all these remove it far from the common type of Italian garden as known in our land.

A BEAUTIFUL EVERGREEN CO- VERT PLANT.—We often see lists given in catalogues of covert-plants like Privets, which are only of slight beauty and value, and inferior to our native Briers, Bracken, and Furze for covert. There is one bush, however, not always knownasanative be it said, which makes the most beautiful of all evergreen co- vert, especially in sandy, chalky, stoney, or dry gravelly soils, on which few other things will thrive. The Boxiscommonin shrubberies but rarely inits natural form of aspreading plumy bush, ason an open sunny hillside. Nothing we know of is more beautiful thana colony of Box fully exposed, as there it hasa beauty never seen in gardens or shrubberies. A great quality, and one which removes it en- tirely in value from the Laurelsand other evergreens commonly used, is that the rabbits do not touch it, owing to some poisonous property. Inthelasttwo years, in the hope of getting some evergreen

covert I tried the hardiest form of the CherryLaurel,and also (a great favourite of mine) the true Laurel or Sweet Bay. Though accustomed to the depreda- tions of the rabbit, I never sawanything so sad as the disappearance of both, many plants being absolutely bitten to the ground,whilst in the same woods Box of small and of all sizes is untouched. For shelter, pleasant colour, hardiness,

and for being proof against vermin, it should take the first place among ever- green covert plants, and there is a vast

range of our country in which it STOWS

well. Itdislikes a compact soil,but,even where such soils abound, it is often pos-

sible to find patches of gravel or sandy

soil inwhich it will thrive. The Boxis at home on arid soils and on hillsides and

mountain slopes. Large tracts of forest are covered by it in southern and west-

ern France and other parts of southern

Europe, northern Africa, and northern and western Asia. Itisalsofoundinsome of our southern and western counties— Kent, Surrey, Sussex, and Gloucester. It isa long-livedshrub,and slow ofgrowth; as it is, it will, inthe best conditions, rise toaheight of 20 feet orover, and insome specimens as much as 6 feet round the stem. But grand specimens like these are the exception, and most often the

-Boxis seenas a compact shrub. Itis easy

to establish or move at any age, but for covert use is best bought small, in which state it can be had very cheaply. Itseeds freely in our country and on arid slopes might be increased by scattering the seed on the surface. To many people the odour of Box is very agreeable and its colour also is beautiful.

AZURES AND THEIR EFFECT IN THE GARDEN.

AZURES AND THEIR EFFECT IN THE GARDEN.

Ir was at one time commonly thought,

and indeed is now, that good blue plants

are rare; but on the contrary we have of |

late years become rich in them, though they are very seldom used with good effect. The Snow Glories (C/son0doxa)

are awealth of beauty in themselves and _ ciently. They give us a wealth and en- _durance of colour far beyond that of the know the beautiful result that may be | Good as that is it lasts but a short time, Some of the best of | them grow more freely than any of the.

everyone must admire them singly, no matter how few in number; but few yet

got by massing them in pretty ways as belts or carpets.

older flowers we had. Their colours are the finest and the most delicate ever

seen, whether cut for the house, or, |

better still,in the open as masses of the finest colour. There are several distinct species of them as well as the varieties which are being raised. The effects we might look for from some of these plants may be well considered in relation to those we see given by the Wild Hyacinth (Scilla nutans) in our woods. ‘There is hardly one of them but will give effects as distinct and beautiful, while quite differentin colour, if rightly used. Even sucha fine old plantas the Siberian Scilla is not often grown in effective ways, wonderful as it is when rightly used.

are full of lovely colour, give no effect if grown in small patches. Among the many poor coloursin the common Hya- cinth of our gardens, one occasionally sees good blooms like Charles Dickens, and, being thoroughly hardy plants, they would tell in the same fine way. The Wild Hyacinth, from which these

145

_plantshave come, isalso pretty in colour. ‘The Anemones, which always give fine colour but not much blue, have of late

years becomerich in blues, as the various lovely forms of the Greek Anemone prove, What these fine forms may be in effect we have yet to realise, but there need not be the slightest doubt about it as soon as the plants are grown sufh-

always charming Apennine Anemone.

whereas these Greek Anemones struggle onthrough the spring until the pale blue Wood Anemone (4. xemorosa) comes with its delicate colour. Thebest of all is thecommon Wild Blue kind (4. Rodin- sont) the effect of which in masses charms theleastobservant. It is from that point of view the most precious of all, and perhapsthemost neglected. Thecolour

_is true and good, the blue constant, and theplantnotdifficult. All lovers of early flowers delight in the Hepatica, which is one of the most beautiful flowers in our gardens, lovely in its every form, even as a tuft in a cottage garden. But

one may wander half a lifetime among gardens and never see them well used.

Another beautiful plant is the Tran- -sylvanian Windflower (Hepatica angu- The Grape Hyacinths (Muscar?), which —

'way for its good colour. At one time

Jos), which may be grown in the same

we had little help from the ordinary Primroses in this direction, but now we have a race of beautiful blue Primroses often very fine in colour and readily raised from seed. The colours vary prettily when so used, and if they do not give such bold effects as some of K

146

FLORA AND SYLVA,

the purer and brighter azures, they are charming in near foregrounds. Nor must we forget the little creeping Peri- winkle (Vinca minor), the fine effect of which when well massed has been re- cently dwelt upon in our columns. It

is useful as an evergreen carpet forbulbs and other plants and of fine colourdur-_ usually expanding towards night, and

ing its season of bloom.

Where soils are suitable and people are patient, many of these plants may be readily increased and some come freely fromseed, butthe trademight helpmore to the attainment of beauty in gardens by offering them more generously in quantity in their catalogues. All who know anything about such things know

deep crimson, variously shaded with purple sheen, and exceedingly vigor- ous and free. Its bold leaves of bronze- green, spread in a broad, floating tuft of many feet, with massive flowers borne

upon stout stems some 12 or 14 inches

above the water, remaining in beauty for

three or four daysafter opening. Though

closing early in the forenoon, it is easy _to enjoy this noble flower while in per-

fection, for when cut the petals remain _open throughout the day, lasting longer, indeed, than if leftupon the plant. Also, when the weather is overcast the flowers

that they are very easily grown, and, offered in quantity by the wholesale _night-flowering kinds is the same as for

houses, the public ought to get the bene- fit of this and so be able to realise their wondrous'beauty without much loss of time. a ae THE NIGHT-BLOOMIN WATER LILIES.

Various forms of tropical Water Lilies, such as the Blue Water Lily (Vymphea xanzibariensis) and its splendid varie- ties, are now known in cultivation, but the section of night-blooming kinds 1s little known in European gardens, save the very few where some space is given to tender water-plants. In Americathey

WwW ae

remain open, so that it is not necessary to sit up half the night to see the plant at its best.

Culture.—The cultivation of these

other Nymphzas; that is to say,a bed ot g inches of soil and an equal depth of water, in shallow tanks heated to about

70 or 80 degrees, but with means of free ventilation at either side. No manure is given at Gunnersbury to any of the

Water Lilies there, experience showing

that with plants of such naturally strong _growth it tends rather to coarsenessand leaf-spot than to good results. Seed of

this kind is offered by several of the lead-

ing American houses,so it would appear

to come fairly true when so raised.

are better known, and growers have. ing Water Lilies are divided into two

groups. The first are Old World kinds,

raised crosses and varieties, of which the flower shown life-size in our engraving is one of the noblest.

NV. George Huster is a variety of lV. rubra, sent out some years ago by Dreer, of Philadelphia, as an improved N.O Marana. It isa fine flower of rich

Other Kinds.—The night-flower- |

found in the south of Europe, Asia,and tropical Africa; the second, of which few are in cultivation and many hardly known, are plants from tropical Ame- rica. To the first group belong'all the |

THE NIGHT-BLOOMING WATER LILIES,

147

A CRIMSON NIGHT-BLOOMING WATER LI

148

FLORA AND SYLVA,

garden varieties raised of late years and recently classified as follows :—

THe Wuite Lotus (Nymphaea Lotus).— The well-known plant held sacred by the ancient Egyptians, celebrated in poetry and romance from the earliest ages,and common in warm countries. It has rounded leaves of dark glossy green, often measuring 20 inches across, with large white flowers suffused with light pink on the broad outer petals, with a central cluster of many yellow stamens. The flowers open in the evening and close in the forenoon of the following day. There are two natural forms of this: dentata, the largest and best of white night-flowering Lilies, with flowers of 8 to 12 inches, opening very flat and remain- ing open till much later in the day; the petals are narrower and the dark green leaves deeply toothed. Central and western Africa. The second form, pudescens, isa native of India, with leaves hairy beneath and flowers tinged with pink.

Varieties.—Being free of seed and readily crossed, there are several garden varieties of N. Lotus and its forms, the best of which are: “fubilee, with petals of glistening white save a slight pink flush at the base, and 6 or 8 inches across; leaves blotched with brown and crum- pled towards their margin. Smuthiana, a cross between the White Lotus and its form dentata, with broad petals a little deeper in colour, showy yellow stamens, and leaves quite flat. Delicatissima, a cross between dentata and N. rubra and nearest the first in character, with flowers of light pink and leaves slightly crum- pled. Deamana, a vigorous hybrid of the same parents but more distinct and of a deeper rose- pink, with broad petals and red stamens; leaves bronze-green and much crumpled. Le/ia, a plant of mixed origin, with flowers white or nearly so, and leaves of bright fresh green; Le- lia colorans, smaller flowers shaded with pink. Eastonensis, also a cross between hybrids, has white flowers and dark, bronzed foliage.

Crimson Lotus (N. rubra).—This Indian kind is only distinguished from the var. pu- bescens of N. Lotus by its flowers of deep pur-

plish red, 8 to 10 inches wide, with brownish- |

red stamens, and by its never opening out quite flat. ‘The two kinds run together in colour, and are perhaps only forms of one species.

Varieties —The garden varieties of N. rubra are also numerous and differ so far as to be grouped into several classes, but for garden purposes the distinctionis unnecessary. Co/um- biana, a chance seedling raised about ten years ago, with deep red flowers of medium size, and dark bronzy-red foliage. Drana,a cross between plants of the two great eastern and western groups, with flowers of bright magenta-crim- son and leaves of deep olive-brown; Dzana grandifiora is larger and of deeper crimson. Devoniensis,an English cross between Ns. Lotus andruéra and the first hybrid raised, is perhaps the kind best known in gardens. Large flowers of pure red, opening from 8 p.m. to I p.m. next day, and big flat leaves, hairy beneath; raised at Chatsworth in 1851. Boucheana, a plant of the same parentage but a shade lighter in colour. A third kind, Ortgescano rubra, with dark red flowers, is almost indistinguishable from Devoniensis. Frank Trelease is also very similar in form, with rich dark crimson flowers and smaller leaves of deep bronze-red colour. O’ Marana, coming from N. Lotus crossed with a hybrid, bears leaves of bronze-green with margins irregularly crumpled, and pinkish-red flowers of large size with a pale streak up the centre of each petal and orange-coloured sta- mens; free and robust. ‘The variety George Hus- ter approaches this and is often described as an improved form. Arno/diana, though similar, is much smaller, with leaves and petals crum- pled, having as parents Ns. dentata and rubra. Niobe, a cross of uncertain origin, bears flowers of bright carmine with leaves waved and toothed at the edge. A rare hybrid, said to

| have disappeared from British gardens at least,

is N. Kewensis, coming from dentata and De- voniensis, with light pink flowers and bronzed foliage. A chance seedling of Devoniensts gave N. Sturtevanti,a plant with broad, much crum- pled leaves of light bronze-green,and large very double flowers of pink, shading to red, broad in petal, with stamens of orange-brown. A massive flower of great beauty, varying much in shade of leaf and flower, which should be started early and richly fed; Rudicunda, a cross between thisand N. Lotus, bears smaller flowers of deep pink.

Of the second or American group of night- flowering Water Lilies little is known, but their

| garden value is probably not great. The best

THE TORCH LILIES.

known kinds are Amazonum, blanda, and Rudgeana, but of these perhaps only the first isin cultivation. The flowers of Amazonum are not largeand arenever completely open, open-

ing a little way for a few hours on the first |

upon the lawn, looking best in this way

of the second day, and attaining their widest When only one kind is used in a group ;

they are also useful in the margins of

night and partially re-opening on the evening

expansion by degrees for about half-an-hour during the early morning, after which they close and sink below the water. The flowers of Rudgeana, a Brazilian species, never get be-

yond the bud stage.

THE TORCH LILIES (Kzurphofas).

Tue value of the Torch Lilies in our gardens centres in the fact that they produce an abundance of the brightest flame-coloured, orange, and yellow flowers in the autumn months. Ona bright day in October or late September, when there is so much more yellow in the daylight than in the early summer months, the orange hues of the Knipho-

fia flowers derive an additional glow |

from the reflections of the autumn sky, and they are then seen at their best, just as the deep orange and yellow of the Montbretias never appears so bright as when touched by the rays of the setting sun. The habit of the plants when in beauty is stately in the highest degree, and the many kinds now grown pro- long their period of flower over several months.

Their Uses.—In many ways the Kniphofias may be finely used in the garden picture. With the best effect they may be grouped in the borders, large kinds in wideand spacious borders and the smaller and more compact species and varieties in those of smaller extent such asare found invillaand cot- tage gardens. Grouped near the water- side in bold masses they produce a

149

splendid effect, but must not be brought too near the water as the roots fear nothing so much as stagnant moisture.

They may also be placedin bold groups

shrubberies or mingled with Bamboos, ornamental grasses, and other plants of light and graceful habit. Michael- mas Daisies, especially the tall white- flowered varieties such as White Queen

and polyphyllus,are never more charm- ing than when seen in contrast with the orange tints of the Torch Lily. Dwarf kinds such as Cora//ina, the charming K. Nelsoni, and Mac Owani,can also be flowered with great freedom in roomy pots and are then useful in the conser- vatory. As cut flowers the Kniphofias are also of value, not so much where choice arrangements are desired, but

grouped in large vases of bold effect.

The light elegant spikes of such kinds

as rufa, Nelsont,and pauciflora,are espe- aS

Bee

FLORA AND SYLVA,

cially dainty when ee with sprays of dark foliage such as Prunus Pissardt, lasting long and not out of place any- where.

Cultivation.—The cultivation of these grand autumn plants is not difh- cult, and in most soils they do well. They will flourish in chalk and in peat, and are just as happy in loam or sand. Stagnant moisture, however, is fatal to

them, and as the roots frequently run

several feet in all directions, it is clear that the soil must be well broken by

deep trenching and of such anaturethat | followed in gardens where leaves are

superfluous moisture passes quickly

away. As the plants produce a great |

mass of foliage and flower in a short time it must also be rich, or freely en- riched by manure when poor. Unfor- tunately the Torch Lilies cannot be termed hardy in all parts alike. They will stand a certain degree of frost with impunity, but when snowand rain have sunk into the hearts of the plants, sharp frosts,especially if prolonged, often play sad havoc with them; in Holland, at

of leaves (Beech or; Oak) several inches thick. Over these leaves the cut stems of the Kniphofiasarethickly laid to pre- vent the wind from scattering the leaves. This covering isnever penetrated by the sharpest and longest frost, and the plants pass the winter in perfect safety. It cer- tainly seems drastic to attack a field of

Torch Lilies, often still in full beauty,

and bring them down beforethe scythe, but if this be postponed until frost has taken hold of the ground the covering shuts in the cold and becomes useless as a protection. This method is easily

collected in the autumn for leaf-soil or forcing-pits, as they may be taken from the Kniphofias in March and used in

other ways, being none the worse for

| this temporary service. Inthe spring the

plants soon feel the influence of genial

weather, and when treated in this;way

it is wonderful with what vigour young

shoots are pushed up. This shows the

value of undisturbed roots which is lost

least, itis never safe to ete them unpro- | frames, quite a needless precaution.Such

tected after the middle of November. When dealing with many thousands of

lants, as in a nursery like my own in|

which the culture of the Kniphofa is made a speciality, the safe wintering of so many plants is a matter of much thought and expense, and it may be well to describe what (after a good many trials) has proved to bethe best method. About the middle of November when the first sharp frosts threaten, the Kni- phofias are cut down with a scythe to within two inches of the ground and the beds entirely covered with a layer

where the plants are taken up on the approach of winterand sheltered in cold

kinds, however, as K. foliosa, caulescens, Tysont,and WMorthie, which resemble a

Yucca or Dracena in growth, cannot,

of course, be treated in the same way,

_and where the winters are severe should

always be sheltered under glass. Increase.—The natural and readiest way of increase is to raise the plantsfrom seed, but as the flowers cross freely it is dificult to maintain their purity unless great care is taken. The many beautiful hybrids now grown never come true

' from seed, being themselvesthe outcome

THE TORCH LILIES,

ofmuch intercrossing; they always have, therefore, to be propagated from offsets. Leaving out of consideration the stem- forming kinds such as K. caw/escens, the Kniphofias may be roughly divided into two groups, one being the more or less evergreen section, of which the old K. aloides may be taken as a type, and the other those numerous hybrids now in cultivation which have been raised from the deciduousA byssinian species,cososa and Leichtlini. When increasing those of the first, or evergreen group, the best plan is to take up the clumps about the middle of October and to separate the numerous side-shoots from the old stools with a sharp knife, cutting the roots as little as possible. These shoots, if potted and placedinacold frame, start growing at once, and by May yield good plants for placing in the open. The other group, of which the fine dwarf-grow- ing K. Leichtlini may be taken as an example, must be handled differently, and if possible never disturbed in the autumn. They are deciduous—at least in our climate—and it is essential that their roots, which are inactive during the winter, should not be injured at its outset or decay sets in and causes them to rotaway. These plants shouldalways be increased in spring, taking care that

the long straggling roots are bruised as _ obtained, none being more remarkable than thevarieties Z7zazmph and Obelisk,

little as possible.

Best Kinas.— Where bold effects are sought few, if any, are finer than the magnificent K.aloides grandis or nobilis,

with their massive towering spikes of |

scarlet and orange, rising to a height of 6 feet and more. A very distinct plant is hybrida speciosa ; this bears very pale

I

green foliage, and being late in flower is at its bestabout the end of October. The spikes rise toa great height,and have very compact trusses of a peculiarly brilliant orange-red. A fine list of seedlings con- tains such brilliant sortsas Pétzer7, Fohn Waterer, H. Cannell, Henry A. Dreer,

‘and others similar in colour. These are

all characterised by freedom of flower, growing from 4 to 5 feet high, while the spikes differ from the usual blend of red and yellow in being more or less self- coloured in coral or sealing- wax red, shaded with a lilac or purple sheen. From the crossing of the old K. alordes with the fine Cape species, MacOwani, the beautiful hybrid, Cora//na,resulted, which when trueis perhaps unsurpassed. Established plants of this superb variety yield sheaves of brilliant salmon red, orange,and yellow flowers in short com- pacttrusses. Unfortunately a great many mere seedlings are grown under this name, which are only enlarged forms of MacOwani and not fora moment to be compared with the true 4yérida coral- lina. 'Vhese all belong to the evergreen section.

A remarkable series of hybrid va-

rieties has sprung from the influence

_of the Abyssinian species, K. Leschtlinz, its variety 4urea,and K.comosa. From

these, kinds new in colour have been

which produce superb and very large

spikes of almost pure yellow. Of reds

there are the beautiful Leda and Sirius ; in orange thevarieties OpAzr, Osiris,and others. In Diana we have an enlarged

Leichthni aurea. The growth of most K 4

152

FLORA ee SYLVA.

of these kinds is enna meni some, like Star of Baden-Baden (orange) and Heroine(yellow),reacha height of 7 feet, and more when in flower. From the intercrossing of K. Zucki—one of the hardiest kinds grown—which flowers in July, with the equally early K. aloides Joribunda, a race of summer-flowering plants is slowly being produced, but at

autumn kinds, and their popularity is thereforenot great. The dwarf- growing K. Nelsoni—best described as a minia- ture MacOwani, and, if possible, still more free in lower—and K.ru/fa, plants which have only recently come into cultivation, are really fine kinds suited to small Perens The last-named bears numerous spikes only 2 feet high, with

A YELLOW HYBRID RHODO-

DENDRON (R. Smithit-aureum).™

_Amonc the myriad varieties of the hardy -Rhododendrons raised in England dur-

ing the past sixty years, there are many

beautiful things, but there is not one

among the hardy kinds more distinct and interesting than this yellow- flow-

ered, hardy evergreen Rhododendron. present they lack the brilliancy of the |

Raiced some seventy years ago by

a nurseryman of Norbiton, it formed

one of a series of early crosses between

the Rhododendron and the deciduous

flowers presenting an unusual blend of

brownish-yellow and orange. C. G. VAN TUBERGEN, Jun. Zwanenburg Nurseries, Haarlem. Hysrip Irises. — Seeing in Messrs. Back- house’s list a description of some new hybrid

Irises, raised by Mr. Yeld of York, I procured

Chinese Azalea. In spite of their beauty,

however, the plants have never become common, and for many years past this beautiful kind has been rare in gardens and nurseries. It is not of very vigorous

growth, somewhat straggling in habit,

and coming as a cross between a yellow

form of the Chinese Azalea and R4odo-

_dendron caucasicum, the latter of which it resembles in habit, though nearer the

the following kinds :—FE. E. Adams, lavender |

with a beautiful halo; E/eonor, sulphury-rose

with deeper rose falls ; Fay, brownish-rose, tall |

habit ; Oporto, deep wine-coloured self, very fine; Porsuna, shaded orange with large orange beard; Rosade/le, like a small Queen of May and very dwarf; and Verbruna, fine metallic blue, also dwarf. The parentage of these plants is not stated, and the flowers, though small (near the Cengia/ti group for size), are very pretty, numerous, and varied in colour. Other kinds offered are :—Ce/ia, a whiter form of Brides- maid; Dawn, whiteand gold; Forester, reddish- purple; Ga/atea, white with orange beard; Hera, milk-white with gold markings; Lynette, pale blue ; Samnite, purple ; Sea-nymph, resem- bling Pala este : Selma, blue ; Sincerity, a dark form of Queen of May; and Umbro, pale lavender. mek C. LEMAN.

Azalea in its flowers. These are very like those of its Chinese parent, and

are borne in rounded clusters of a fine

buff yellow, marked with orange upon the upper segments. It blooms early in June, after all the yellow Azaleas are over, giving an added value to its re- fined and beautiful clusters.

Other Hybrids.—Many other plants

_have been raised as crosses between the ~Rhododendron and Azalea, and a few

are to be found in collections as at Kew

and elsewhere. One of the best known is R. azaleoides, a plant of many other names, resulting from crossing the de- ciduous Swamp Honeysuckle (Azalea i! with the rose-coloured 2. maxz-

ae Hy Paro, wee =v ee vee,

mum. It grows as a compact bush of about 3 feet, sub-evergreen, but losing | its leaves in severe winters. ‘The deep, | funnel-shaped flowers are carried in large rounded clusters, and vary in co- lour from pale rose or lilac to lilac- purple, with often an outer edging of a deeper shade. It blooms during June, |

its blossoms very fragrant when fully — open on awarm day. A fine group of it is grown at Kew, immediately in the rear of the great Palm House. (Syns. R. hybridum, fragrans, odoratum, and ponticum deciduum.)

Other scarce crosses are R. gemmi-_ ferum ; Cartont, between Azalea nudi-— fora and Rhododendron catawbiense; and R. gowentanum, a plant of mixed descent, coming from Azalea nudifora or viscosa and a Rhododendron itself a_ cross between ponticumand catawhiense. This plant has downy stems and sub- evergreen leaves downy when young, but smooth when mature. The flowers are of a delicate light purple. another of these pretty crosses is rosewm odoratum, a charming little shrub with small, richly fragrant flowers of rosy-

pots for the conservatory ; of this plant there is a variety, e/egantissimum, even

and shaded like apple blossom. Many

together before therich choice of hybrid Rhododendrons now cultivated.

The above are old plants which have become rare, but of late years a series of similar crosses between these evergreen and deciduous shrubs have been raised by Belgian growers, and sent out under

Yet.

_natural growth, but are constructed by the

A YELLOW HYBRID RHODODENDRON.

at the base of the tube ;

153

the name of Azaleodendron, recalling

' their mixed descent from various hybrid

Rhododendrons, suchas PrinceCamtlle

de Rohan, eras and Fohn Waterer,

and the hardy Ghent Azaleas. The va-

_rieties sent out included Victoria, with

flowers of rosy-white; Docteur Masters, small flowers of rosy-lilac with hone: shoe markings ofrosy-crimson; Docteur Wittmack, large white eer flushed Directeur Rodi-

gas, pale rose shaded crimson; Edouard

_André, with narrow leaves and small

flowers of creamy white; and Fu/es C/oson, with large finely- formed flowers of rose and white. These semi-ever- greens, though hardy and of fair vigour, have not become popular,and seem like- ly to disappear as others of like origin have already done.

THE FLOATING GARDENS OF KASHMIR. — One would not notice these unless one’s attention were attracted to them, for they look like well-

cultivated banks of earth. But the term float-

I

ing-garden is no misnomer. They are not of

peasants, who produce upon them cucumbers and other vegetables for market. The roots of aquatic plants growing in shallow places are

divided about 2 feet under water, so that they

red, which may be finely flowered in

lose all connection with the orton of the lake, but retain their former situation in respect af each other. When thus detached from the soil

4s _ they are pressed into somewhat closer contact prettier in its wealth of flowers, flushed © yes

_and formed into beds of about two yards in | breadth and of an indefinite length. The heads crosses of like nature have died out al- | | float are now cut off and laid upon its surface,

of the Sedges, Reeds, and other plants of the

and covered with a thin coat of mud, which, at first intercepted in its descent, gradually sinks into the mass of matted roots. The bed floats, but is kept in its place by a stake of Wil- low driven through it at each end, which ad- mits of its rising or falling with the rise or fall of the water.—KwniGur, “‘ Where Three Empires Meet.”

FLORA AND SYLVA.

MAGNOLIAS IN NORTH

AMERICA. THE most complete account of the Magno- lias, as regards kinds, was that in the first number of Frora by Mr. Nicholson; but as several of the Magnolias come from North America, where the climate, soil, and other conditions suit them so well, it may interest lovers of the family to hear something about the kinds native to that country, and described by Miss Rogers in “* American Country Life” for April :—

“Only two Magnolias grow wild in the north. They are the Sweet Bay and the Cu- cumber Tree, the former a white - flowered | shrub that grows in swamps, the latter a tall tree with small greenish flowers. Both of them bloom in May or June, after the leaves open.

“The Sweet Bay (Magnolia glauca) is in the north a deciduous shrub, rarely more than 15 feet high; in thesouth it is an evergreen tree, which in central Florida is seen 80 feet high. Its flowers are small for a Magnolia— only 2 or 3 inches across—but delightfully fra- grant, and so always eagerly bought of street vendors in the cities near which they grow. M. glauca is also called White Bay, Swamp Bay, and Beaver Tree. The northernmost | place in the world where it grows wild is a | swamp near Gloucester, Massachusetts.

“The CucumberTree (Magnolia acuminata) is a shade and avenue tree, but its flowers are the smallest and least conspicuous of all the Magnolias. They are only an inch or twoin diameter, and being greenish-yellow, are lost among the large leaves. The tree is hardy in New England and grows scattered through the forests west tothe Mississippi River. Its fine pyramidal form, quick growth, and its | clean, luxuriant foliage are its chief merits. In summer the ‘Cucumbers’ stand erect, 3 or | 4 inches in length, and flushing a rosy pink | make a pretty contrast with the green around them.

“The Large-leaved Cucumber Tree (Mag- | nolia macrophylla) has the largest leaves of all the Magnolias—they are often more than 3 feet long. But only in sheltered places can they escape being torn by the wind, and they are

+

ably thin as compared with the evergreen kinds. ‘This species excels all the rest in the size of its flowers. These are often 10 and 12 inches across, and can be readily told from the other tender species by the purple spot at the base of each of the inner row of petals. The tree often reaches the height of 50 feet, and has been planted as an ornamental and a curiosity as far north as Boston, where there

is a specimen 20 feet high. The other Mag-

_nolias native to the Southern States have pure

white flowers, except Magnolia cordata, the Yellow Cucumber Tree, which has bright

canary-coloured ones. It has been described as

| a variety of M. acuminata by some botanists.

“The UmbrellaTree(Magno/ia tripetala) is

_anotherlarge-leaved deciduous southern Mag- _nolia, but it can readily be told from the species

macrophylla by the fact that the flowers are pure white, and the three petal-like sepals turn back—an exception, in fact, to all rules in the

_Magnolia family. ‘The leaves are smaller by

half, and the flowers by 2 or 3 inches; the

latter havea disagreeable odour. The name— - Umbrella Tree—comes from the arrangement

of the leaves in whorls around the ends of the branches, each whorl forminga small umbrella. The tree often attains a height of 40 feet. It

is often seen in gardens in the middle and

southern States, and grows wild from Penn- sylvania south to Alabama.

“The Ear-leaved Magnolia (M. Fraserz), also called the Mountain Magnolia, resembles

the Umbrella Tree in its statureand its flowers, but it is readily distinguished from all other _Magnolias by the fact that its ample leaves are prolonged into two ear-like lobes at the base of each. This is the most tender of the | native species.

“The Bull Bay (Magnolia grandifiora)is the species that furnishes the splendid evergreen foliage that is shipped north for Christmas

decoration; and is used for similar purposes in

the South. The upper surface of each leaf is

_a dark, lustrous green; the lining is of a rusty-

red fuzz, which is shed when the leaf is old.

There is but one other native evergreen species, _and that is the Sweet Bay already described, ~which has much smaller leaves and flowers.

“The blossoms of the Bull Bay are long

useless for decorative purposes, for they fall | waxen cups of creamy white, from 7 to 8 inches on the approach of winter. They are remark- | across as a rule. There is a variety of it called

LANDSCAPE AND WOODLAND PICTURES.

gloriosa, which Mr. Berckman says is fully 14 inches in diameter. The Bull Bay is oftenest seen as a small tree, from 20 to 50 feet high, planted onlawnsand in parks or lining avenues. In the forests of Lousiana, where it reaches its greatest perfection, it stands So feet high, with a trunk 4 feet thick, and Sargent calls it ‘the most splendid ornamental tree in the American forests.’ ”

135

much of the original brilliancy is lost, and, aswenowsee it, often monotonous or negative in tone; buteven with these drawbacks the effect of this picture is superb, because the drawing 1s so true. What eyesight and insight Hobbema had for the facts of Nature may be seen

~ DUYAROIN

LANDSCAPE BY HOBBEMA,

LANDSCAPE AND WOODLAND PICTURES BY THE MASTER PAINTERS.

Loversof old Dutch painting are agreed that Hobbema is among the greatest of landscape painters, and in proof of this we may cite the picture in the National Gallery, which is certainly a fine exam- ple of painting lightandair. Inthework of the old Dutch landscape painters

in that noble avenue-picture in our na- tional collection, and though the artist died in a workhouse, his work will live so long as man has eyes forthe true and beautiful in landscape art.

Meindert Hobbema was bornat Am- sterdam in 1638 and died in 1709. He was a contemporary of J.van Ruisdael, and was supposed to be a pupil of Solo-

mon van Ruisdael. That he was held

156

FLORA AND SYLVA.

in estimation by his fellow artists is proved by the fact that some of the fore- most of them willingly painted the fig- ures for his pictures, although the pub- lic seem to have been slow in giving him the position which he holdsamong the Dutch masters at the present day. His most frequent subjects are villages surrounded by trees,with winding path- ways and water-mills. The composi- tion of his pictures is singularly happy, and they are characterised by a warm

golden tint.

Tue PaTaGoniAN BEEcu (Fagus antarctica?). —Sir T. H. Holdich, in a paper read before the Royal Geographical Society, refers to the fine effect ofthistree. Ournorthern Beeches do not give bright colour even in autumn but several kinds from the far south are more showy at various stages of growth, and plainly the au- tumn beauty of this kind is great : “The most conspicuous form of vegetation which clothed the mountain-sides and filled the gullies of the lower slopes was the Patagonian Beech, and,

excepting perhaps the NorthAmerican Maple,

there is no vegetation which adoptssuch splen-

did hues in autumn. We wandered through all initiative on the partof the able men

woods which were a blazing harmony (if that be possible) of scarlet, purple, and orange. The tintsoftheautumn-paintedwoodsspread them- selves in brilliant interlacing threads from the

THE LONDON PARKS: THEIR

DESIGN AND PLANTING. THERE is no city with so much varied

and beautiful land, free for public en-

_joyment, and kept without stint of men or material, as London. The climate is not against, but rather in favour of, all

hardy trees and shrubs, and the always welcome turf. The one drawback of

smoke does not affect them so much, and that will surely be got over before

_many yearsare past,beinga self-inflicted

nuisance. We know enough to get rid of the smoke of London in three years if the “‘ powers that be” would only take

itin hand. Having theseadvantages we

ought not to lose the good of these parks through inartistic design or by stereotyped repetitions of each other’s ways in spite of variations of soil. No- thing could be worse than that these parks should be devoted to a single plan

of ‘floral decoration” destructive of

in charge. They should not be planted

banks of the stream at our feet to the foot of |

the snow-line of the rugged sierras above our heads. It was as if the mountains were hung with vivid sheets of oriental carpeting. Scarlet and gold faded to purple in the distance, and could be traced in bluer, fainter, lines to the

foot of the grey granite cliffs, above which >

hung the white masses of snow-cap. Over all was there usually a dull grey sky and the white streaks of mountain mist, but variation was the keynote of Patagonian weather. Drench- ing rain, blinding fog, or thick grey snow- storm mightalternate with clear deep-bluesky patches and fleecy clouds, with shafts of sun- light athwart the hills, making a golden glory

across the valleys.”

with only common nursery trees which one may see by every suburban road.

Not that the parks should be botanic

gardens, because we have already the

finest existing botanic garden at Kew, but, having suchan ample area of space, they might show groups and masses of the finer trees and shrubs for which spacecould not besparedat Kew. They should alsobe planned in some relation to our climate,and not be based entire- ly on exotic things. They are English parks, and to make them anything like

the Champs Elysées, or the tea-garden of the woods and hanging deceptive rainbows | style better known in England, would

be aserious mistake. The best of these

THE LONDON PARKS: THEIR DESIGN AND PLANTING,

London parks have been parks in the past, and it should be a pleasure to keep them as parks.

Recent Changes.—The parks are so precious to the public that any needless interference with their breadth, airiness, and beauty of surface is a serious loss ; but let anyone go to Hyde Park now, and he will see how the heart of the park is disfigured and cut up to make a large nursery garden not really needed

for the beauty or planting of the park.

If one chief commissioner has the right |

to commit suchan outrage without pub- lic consent or notice, any other may

have the same power for evil. For no weightier reason than to improve the

house at Kensington, the old gardener’s house at the corner of Kensington Gar- dens was removed and a suburban villa put instead of it in the middle of the park. The old house could not have been

o>

at the Serpentine must be fortified by lines of ponderous and hideous iron posts and rails, why not the far more crowded streets? They destroy the good effect of the Serpentine from many points of view. If the park is only to be considered asarun for town-imprisoned dogs, therailings must be kept, but quite half of theiron might even then be done away with. Park or garden beauty that can only be seen through spiked rail- ings is bought at too high a price. False Earth Lines.—As to the stiff

banks now being formed, the natural

surface is so good that any attempts to

alter it are needless, and sure to end in

| ugliness. The practice in the London view from the late Mr. Albert Grant’s |

parks of raising mounds is against al] good work in landscape gardening. It is assumed by the mound-makers that

‘the natural form of the ground is not

in a better place, as it did not interfere

with the beauty or breadth of the park ; but you cannot plant a London villa in a park without also adding to it the walks and roads necessary for its ser- vice. The objections to what is now being done are: (1) the loss of area in the centre of the park ; (2) stiff banks ; (3) false lines out of harmony with the naturally beautiful surface of the park; and (4) the dreadful addition to the mass of spiked iron railings. Even those who admire or who endure the sight of iron railings would be almost alarmed if they knew how many miles of them there are in Hyde Park—a waste of metal and labour, as half of them are

needless. If the footways by the drive

right for their purpose, and so dump- lings of earth are thrown up here and there. Anyone going through the parks will be able to judge whether anything is gained by this distortion of the sur- face. Piling mounds of earth round a tree is a sure way of hiding the beau- tiful form of the stem as it arises from

the earth, often with a wide-spreading

base, and where this needless work has

been done the base of the tree is often

hidden, and the stem comes out of the ground like a broom-handle. It also shortens the life of the tree and often kills it outright. Anyone now walking along the Bayswater side of the park may see the stiff bank round the nur- sery the whole way along. There a long gentle vale (rightly kept unplanted),

which startsfrom the Marble Arch and

158

FLORA AND SYLVA.

goes down westward, and used to re- cede inthe distance, as it should, is now barred by this rigid bank. In valleys like that of the Thames there is no plant- ing either of tree, flower, or shrub that

is one whit advanced by the creation of |i porate ‘“bedding” was invented, and picturesque grouping is far better. In a northern country like ours, in which

artificial mounds. The true way is to see and feel the beauty of the natural form of theground, to keep it jealously, and to plant it rightly.

And what is the excuse for the pre- sent injury to the park? To growa number of “bedding” andannual plants in order tomakea summer show by Park Lane, weather permitting. Itisnot right to criticise if we cannot offer any better suggestion. The better way is to plant the park asa whole with beautiful hardy things, and on anenduring system. The energy which 1s bestowed on ephemeral plants which perish every year might make Hyde Park as instructive, in its way, as Kew. ‘The soil and mice are better than at Kew, and even under our smoke-cloud a great number of the hardy trees and shrubs of Europe and northern countries could be grown there. As it is, much of the labour is lost with the first frosts, and the weary

costly and inartistic system, and wrong in every way for our climate, for co- lour, and for effect. It is aren said in large gardens that are devoted to this ae that we cannot get away from

but our fathers had good gardens

frosts occur even in summer, it is folly

to trust to tender plants alone.

Palms in Parks.—Nor is sticking Palms about a right way to adorn an

English park. Even in the South of

France, where there is a climate to en-

courage them, they look out of place.

In our climate they are about the worst

things that could be chosen. Last sum-

mer the plants used for colour effect in

the parks were in many places a com-

plete failure, and yet all the choicest, the best nourished, and the sunniest spots were given up to these wretched exotics. With so many dull days these

bad colours were depressing in the ex-

wasteful round has to be gone all over |

again to produce bad carpeting in sum-

mer and bare graves In winter. Let any-_

one interested in garden design or plant- ing goand see the beds in Park Lane now, and say if that be the right aspect for a park or garden at any time of the year. Anything uglierthan these places, even in the middle of the summer of the past year, can hardly be imagined in the form of a garden. Yet we have to reckon with such seasons. It is a

treme. Shocking combinations of colour werealso seen,suchas blue Lobelia,scar- let Geranium,mauve Verbena, with pur- ple and variegated Fuchsias,all crowded together within an area of a few feet, distressing in their warring shades. But granting for amoment that the exotic

system now in use is the only one worthy

of these parks, is it right to disfigure them with large nurseries in order to carry it out? No; it should be done as

in Paris, at Auteuil, where there is a

| |

large establishment for the general use of the parks, thus saving them from any needless dishgurement, and supplying them with all the plants they require.

THE LONDON PARKS; THEIR DESIGN AND PLANTING.

159

A lesser evil of the system isthe en- couraging of the false idea that the only things for the adornment of a park are what are grown in hot-houses for eight months of the year, whereas nothing for the permanent beauty or good of a parkcan bedone ina hot-house. Italso gives rise toa pot-and-kettle race of gar- deners, useless in the open air, where they are most wanted. Some may say thatthe people enjoy such floral displays of stiff Hyacinths in the spring, lasting but a few days in our dirty atmosphere, and patterns of flowers in the summer. But give them a chance to see some- thing better, as in the Regent’s Park, wherea concession has lately been made to natural and artistic ways inthe shape of a little Reed-fringed pool for Water Lilies, and nothing in the park is more admired. Why not continue it on a larger scale? Theupper part of the Ser- pentine could be treated in the same natural way, but ona bolder scale. The natural vegetation of the water-side should be seen there—Willows, Dog- woods, Meadow Sweets, Reeds, and Water Lilies, instead of the poor ever- greens now dotted about. Thatmostde- plorable of stone gardens at the head of the Serpentine should be laid out as a little flower garden with simple square beds; and if the sculptured ‘‘ orna- ments” there were broken upand buried in the bottom of the walks it would be no loss either to the gardening or to the building art. The permanent planting of the whole ark should be considered, and we should see something better than the broken-backed Elms, and the com-

moner trees. The Elm, the most dan- gerous and worst of trees to put in a town garden or along roads and paths, is far too much seen in the park, and often surrounded by spiked rails. If we planted good trees here we should have their beauty in the winter as well as in the summer—to artists and others a better thing than even a summer effect —instead of wasting all our efforts in making a show for a few months in one place only.

The public parks do not afford a tithe of the beauty and interest of which they are capable, if we take into con-

sideration their vast extent, their variety

of soil and surface, and the large sums spent annually for theirkeeping. Every- where in them we see vast surfaces neglected, or only planted with a few common-place trees ; everywhere evi-

dence that no thought is given to endur-

ing and distinct and artistic planting ; and everywhere monotony in regard to materials used. A number of trees be- come popular, and they are planted in about the same proportion. Thus we find about the same type of vegeta- tion everywhere, and the capacities of our parks as national gardens are un- developed.

A Suggestion.—The system likely to give us the noblest series of public gardens is to treat all the parks and gardens of a great city as a whole, and

to establish, as far as possible, in each a

distinct type of the finer vegetation. We might devote one city park chiefly to de- ciduoustrees; a suburban onelike Rich- mond to evergreen forest trees; another

‘to the almost countless flowering

160

FLORA AND SYLVA.

trees and shrubs that are the glory of the grove and copse in all northern countries. Or we might have a square or park mainly of British trees and shrubs, another of European, another of American, and so on. In such ways we might help the various superintendents to more individuality, and so free them from paltry rivalry with one another in the matter of ‘‘bedding plants.” They could then take up subjects best suited to the ground, and develop their beauty

and variety to the completest extent of

their knowledge. In the vast expanse of our public gardens there is not one interesting branch of arboriculture or flower culture which we could not de- velop in a way hitherto unexampled. On our botanic gardens already in exist- ence (most of them not large enough for the proper grouping and arrangement of one single family of trees) this system would have the best results. It would re- move the necessity of cramming every available plant or tree into a small space,

and permit of their curators devoting | _and even, as in the case above pointed out, disfiguring one of the noblest parks

adequate attention to the many tribes of plants which require continual care or renewal.

Few of our botanic gardens at pre- sent give much idea of the variety and beauty of trees, and none gives any worthy expression of even the vegeta- tion of Europe alone! What do we see of the beauty and character of any one large family of trees by planting them all at regular intervals over a plot, or in the various ways we see them arranged in botanic gardens? The commonwa with botanic gardens would be right if we had no higher object than to pro-

cure specimens to illustrate the gram- mar of the nomenclature men have given plants. But if our aim be to show the beauty and dignity of the vegetable

kingdom, we must set ourselves free

from such small notions. Clearly, the

way to do this is to treat our vast series

of gardens as a whole, and stamp on

each some marked feature—from the smallest square, with Ivies or Haw-

thorns, to the great park, adorned with the trees of a hundred hills.

In every direction distinct types of vegetation might be met with, instead of the “‘ universal mixture” now every-

where seen, whichso soontrainsthe eye totake no more notice of trees or plants

than of the railings around the squares.

It is not, like many of the changes we _longforin towns,impossible to carry out from want of means. The adoption of it would at once tend to make the mone

so freely spent on our public gardens go toward valuable results, and might easily

| free us from the present way of devoting

vast sums tothegrowth of tender plants,

in the endeavour to get them.—W. R.

Tue LANGuaGE or FLowers.— Nature flings her flowery carvings everywhere, each one complete and fresh and perfect, and such a joy that, were it the lone one of its race, it would draw the nations into pilgrimage for its wor- ship. She paints them, too; she gives them colour. If any seem ugly as a whole, take a fragment and put it under a microscope, . under the lens a quarter inch of rosy petal flushes and spreads like a sunset sky. And then instead of speech she gives them fragrance . unless, indeed, Huxley’s fancy be true, and by ears fine enough a voice could also

| be heard, as of a stream murmuring through

secret channels.” —W. C. G.

FLORA

AND SYLVA.

Vol. Il. No. 15.| JUNE,

THREE THINGS TO WORK FOR

We have now the best collections of |

open air plantsand shrubs that we could wish for, many more than the soil and conditions of any one place will allow us to grow; but ourclimate is in various ways against the complete enjoyment of many of them, even when they are quite hardy. The false starts caused by our open wintersare fatal to many early- blooming plants, and spring frosts that will sometimes injure native trees are a harsh trial for those of warmer coun- tries. Many of thelate-blooming plants of countries with a long, severe winter flower much earlier with us, though from frequent wet or rough weather their time of beauty is short. A good way to deal with such plants is to grow

them so that they can be brought into |

the house, not for forcing, but simply placed in passages and cool windows to flower. The charm of the plan is that it makes forcing unnecessary, and it would bewrong in this case. Many plants lend themselves to this plan, from Christmas Roses toLilacs. LastChristmas I noticed

some Primroses opening their buds in a _

wood, and, lifting the plants with balls of soil, I put them in large dishes with a few flakes of moss from the same wood

1904. [ Monthly.

_and gave them agentle watering. Itwas _a late and severe spring, and this simple _act,which did not take half an hour, gave charming bloom several months before theunprotected plants came intobloom. Thus plants that are quite hardy can be

removed from the danger of storms, heavy rains and frost, and their bloom-

ing prolonged. Even the dwarfer Mag- -nolias and other flowering shrubs may _bebloomed in the same way. The prac- tice entails no change in their cultiva- tion ; it is simply placing acertain num- ber of plants so that they may be taken readily into the house for shelter ; the

best way of growing them being in bas-

kets or pots.

An excellent way, and one far too little used, is the plan practised by the Japanese with their flowering shrubs. They cut them when in bud and adorn theirroomswith the flowering branches. The Wintersweet (Chimonanthus fra- grans), which oughttobeon every south wall where thereisa garden, ifstricken by

Shoots of Flower- ing Shrubs cut without forcing.

frost during mid-winterwhen it flowers

so well,will often have all its howersde-

stroyed in a night; but by taking strong

shoots of it laden with buds, and placing

them in a room in good time, we may L

162

FLORA AND SYLVA,

enjoy them for weeks in the house in spite of accidents of weather. The little Russian Rhododendron, too, a poor feeble thing which our mild springs bring into flower far too early, issomuch spoiled by the weather that few people notice it; but if we take rather bold shoots of it (as large as the bush will bear) and put them in a vase placed in a cool window they will flower for weeks very prettily. The day on which I write this fierce hailstorms are sweep- ingthrough thevalley,and these showers (which the early Narcissus, drooping their heads, evade) destroy flowers that are fully exposed. But cut flowers we haveindoors, safe fromall such dangers, and that without the use of any heat

is scarcely aspring-flowering shrub but can be treated in this way; even the Rhododendrons if need be, though in many places they are more independent of the weather. The plan 1s so simple and beneficent to the plants as well as to their owners, thatit ought to be prac- tised far more than it is; we may even in this way do good to the shrubs by thinning and opening them up—the best way of pruning. The best vessels for such work are of bronze or Delft

ware, but others will do. Some expe-_

rience is needed as to the best way and time for cutting each kind,and the size of the shoots will want observing.

Generally the shoots should be rather |

| has many names—H. vo/ubilis, H. scandens, and

long and stout, and so arranged as to show their form as well as the flower. Shrubs like the Appleand Almond tribe it is usually easy to get strong shoots of without injury to the bushes, and many

flowering shrubs also grow so thickly that some thinning is desirable. The way the single Camellia, grown out of doors as a hardy shrub and cut for the house when coming into bloom, de- velops its flowersin aroom isa precious lesson of what we might gain if the plan were carried out with most of our flowering shrubs. pe ere, is not every placethat Aspect of Walls has different aspects of and Hillsides. ground, but where they exist they should be taken advantage of

| by planting onthenorthsideseventhings

that enjoy the south for the sake of pro- longing their season of beauty. In this

_way a difference of fifteen days may often _be secured in the blooming of favourite but that of an ordinary dwelling. There |

shrubs and plants. It is not so likely to

_add to our resources as the plans above described, butit should not beneglected

_Rose-growing.

where it can be carried out. There are manythings that do best on north slopes; the yellow climbing Roses, forexample, which do so well on a south wall in cer- tain districts Hower even better on north walls, and add much to the charm of

|A Cumpinc Hyprancea.—lIn habit this is widely removed from the commonly known

Hydrangeas, being like a climber, attaching itself by tiny rootlets. The large corymbs of white blossoms consist for the most part of

the small fertile ones, the sterile flowers being

limited to a scattered few around the cluster.

| It will clothe large boulders with a network of its long stems, and run up trees and walls. It

H. petiolaris—that by which it is best known. There are several otherkinds of climbing Hy- drangea found in the Himalayas and in Japan, and an allied but totally distinct plant, Sch7zo- phragma hydrangeoides, with which this is often confused.

THE BALD CYPRESS,

pans

THE GREATER TREES OF THE | ene ae ae Ay great sIZe, We NORTHERN FOREST.—No. 15._ should give up the practice of regard-

THE BALD CYPRESS (Taxodium distichum).

Tuts beautiful hardy tree is in our coun- try too often treatedas ornamental only,

and frequently ill-placed at that, so that | we lose its beauty, and the fresh, distinct

in many country places usually it comes to little. Many years ago, before the taste for Californian conifers arose, it was planted more frequently, and so we see in some valley-gardens stately trees of it, mostly by or near water. About the time our own people were busy planting the tree many were planted in the north and west of France, and in the valleys of the Loire and the Seine beau- tiful examples may be seen, some over 100 feet high. Near Orleans there lived once a nurseryman having some fine trees of this on his ground, who left his property to some good sisters in the town on condition that they should always preserve his Cypress trees. The ground that was oncea nursery is now agrazing- plot, adorned with several stately trees

standing up over their surroundings as |

distinctly as the great church of Orleans towers above the houses around, their stems like enormous pillars, beautiful in colour and form. They are not beside water, but on a rich bottom.

It is not necessary to have a river bank on which to plant, though very often that is the best position, as rivers carry down deep soil.

Culture.

But that may occur without the imme- | ters which, in full-grown trees, project on every side to such a distance that

diate presence of water, and wherever there is this deep, moist, and free soil, we may in our country hope for suc- cess with this tree. Having proof of its

|

| ing it as an ‘‘ornamental” tree only and

mass :it in likely places where we shall eventually get its true forest aspect—

_oneof thenoblestinthe northern world.

By so doing it by no means follows that

effect of the foliage is good in all con-

ditions where thetree thrives. The habit

‘in the hollows between.

| of propagating this tree from cuttings

may be one cause of its failure. It should always be raised from seed and planted young, the younger the better provided rabbits are kept out by well-supported netting. ‘The presence of water does not assure us of a good result, as some arti- ficial waters are formed in poor or cold, impervious soils.

The English name of this tree, “‘ De-

ciduous Cypress,” is not a good one,

‘and I follow the accepted American

name of ‘Bald Cypress.” In the Cypriéres or Cy-

The Wild Tree. press swamps the aspect

of the crowded trunks and the interlac--

ing branches 1isweirdintheextreme. An interesting picture of the tree at home is given by Bartram in his “ Travels”

“Tt generally grows in the water, or in low flat lands, near the banks of great rivers and lakes, that are covered the greater part of the year with 2 feet or 3 feet depth of water ; and that part of the trunk which is subject to be under

water, and 4 feet or 5 feet higher up, is

generally enlarged by buttresses or pilas-

several men might easily hidethemselves Each pilaster

L 2

164 FLORA AND SYLVA,

terminates underground, ina very large, strong,serpentine root, which strikes off and branches every way just under the surface of the earth; from these arise woody cones, called Cypress knees. The large ones are hollow, and serve very well for bee-hives ; a small space of the tree itself is hollow, nearly as high as the buttresses already mentioned. From this place the tree, as it were, takes another beginning, forming a grand straight column 80 feet or go feet high. The trunks of these trees,when hollowed out, make large and durable canoes, and ex- cellent shingles, boards, and other tim- ber, adapted to every purpose in frame

buildings.

trees, they raise a stage around them so_

high as to reach above the buttresses , on this stage eight or ten negroesascend — with their axes, and fall to work around — its trunk. I have seen trunks of these | trees that would measure 8 feet, ro feet, |

and 12 feet in diameter for 40 feet Nal

50 feet of straight shaft.”

The “knees” vary in size and number with the depth of water or the amount of moisture in the soil. From

fifty to one hundred knees spring from

The Cypress Knees.

44,4 N ats te ae fe Re LA ‘ye RENE as wi

Wy TN ay

ve ines ns ‘i ‘ANG Beit i ; ST ROP 9) int ‘Sy sas Ki uence ae a Ge ; intel niet

KNEES OF THE BALD CYPRESS.

the roots of one tree, rising sometimes |

When the planters fell the

emerge from the water; or, when the tree grows in land soon ah shal-

_lower water, the knees remain low but

FRUITING SPRAY OF THE BALD CYPRESS.

increase in number. Trees transplanted

to high dry ground often develop small

_knees, barely rising above the soil. The accepted belief is that the knees serve to aérate the submerged roots, which with- out their aid would be entirely deprived of air. They may also serve to anchor the tree in the soft muddy ground in which it grows. The knees are often hollow in old age, and consist of soft spongy fibres covered with thin red- brown bark, and are extremely light. Several knees, produced near together, often growintoone. Therootsconnect- ing the trunk and the knee are thinner than those beyond the knee. | In “Silva of North Ame- | Range. * Mr. Sargent says:

| rica’ —‘ The Bald Cypress inhabits river- swamps which are usually submerged during several months of the year, the low saturated banks of streams, and the wet depressions of Pine Waarens Itis dis- tributed from southern Delaware, where it grows on the banks of the N anticoke

to a height of ro or 12 feet in order to. River near Seaford, and covers the great

THE BALD CYPRESS. 165

We if NY

ANY Hy (

\N

Pa ar en eee See... Aer NG NG Hata’ tf . 7 ayy):

A ERR EETR GPT NES EO asiynasl(\) Mh \y BAe di

‘ ayy) a ) AB YY,

ors

y

a AN,

‘All

TREE OF THE BALD CYPRESS AT SYON—WINTER EFFECT,

166

FLORA AND SYLVA.

swamp of Sussex county, <e trees of | the largest size stood until a few years ago. Thence southward near the coast totheshores of Mosquito Inlet and Cape Romano, Florida, through the coast re- gion of the Gulf States to the valley of the Devil River in Texas, and through Lousianaand Arkansas to south-eastern Missouri, eastern Mississippi, and Ten- nessee, Kentucky, southern Illinois, and south-western Indiana. In the South Atlanticand Gulf States, where it attains its largest size, this tree covers great areas of river-swamps from which the water rarely disappears; in drier situations it

in the Mississippi valley its associates |

are the Swamp Poplar and the Water

Locust. The glory of the forests of the.

south, and one of the most valuable and interesting trees of the continent, the Bald Cypress, with its tall massive trunk rising high above waters darkened by the shadow of its great crown draped in streamers of the grey Tillandsia, is an object at once magnificent and mournful.”

‘“‘In the great swamps of the Gulf Coast, where the Bald Cypress attains its greatest size, the water is so deep through nearly fle whole year that its seeds cannot germinate, and there are

ing up to replace the old ones, which are being fast converted into timber. Some of the largest must have reached a great age, for after its earliest years the Bald Cypress grows slowly. When these old trees began their career their seeds must have fallen on ground warmed by the

sun ; the present eae of water eek

| fie can be explained only by the-hy-

pothesis that the whole Gulf Coast of the United States is gradually sinking. As the trees, when felled green, sink in the water and are lost, it is necessary to kill them standing by ‘“‘girdling” them the year before. The negro wood-choppers cut through the stems above their swol- len bases, and trim off the branches. The

trunks are then floated out during winter when the water is so high that they may

be towed into the rivers to the mill. Two kinds of wood are recognised, the

black and white. The black is harder grows with the Red Maple, the Water. Ash, the Liquidamber, and the Bay, and |

and more durable, and is produced near the base of large trees. The difference is due either to age or some unknown

individual cause.”—Gray.

‘The wood islight and soft, close, straight-grained, not strong, easily worked, and very durable in contact with the soil. It is light or dark brown, sometimes nearly black, with thin white sapwood, and contains broad, conspicuous, resinous bands of

Wood.

small summer-cells,and numerous very

obscure medullary rays. It is largely used in construction and cooperage, and for railway ties, posts, and fences, and

‘is one of the most valuable woods of

North America. Most of the wooden

houses in Lousiana and the other Gulf no young trees and few small ones grow- |

States are made from the wood of this tree, and it is now sent in large quan- tities to the northern states, where it is

_used principally in the making of doors,

sashes, balustrades, and the rafters of glass-houses. From the trunks, the In- dians of the lower Mississippivalley for- merly hollowed their canoes.”

THE BALD CYPRESS.

A CYPRESS SWAMP OF THE SOUTHERN STATES,

168

FLORA AND SYLVA,

There are worthless va- rieties of the Bald Cy- press which we reject as of no garden value and often offered under false names (i.e., G/yptostrobus) which serve only to throw pseudo-bo- tanical dustin people’s eyes. These dis- tortions should be avoided by all who

Varieties and Synonyms.

collected by me both at Mengtse and

at Szemao further west, and these are now in the Kew Herbarium. The credit of the introduction of the plant

is due to Mr. Wilson, who procured some live plants at Mengtse, when he was on a visit to me in Yunnan, just

wish torealise the beauty and dignity of

the tree. The true way toa fine result is to grow it from seed of the wild tree, which germinate readily in a fewweeks, and growing it inthe best natural condi- tions. Like most trees of the Pine order it has a tendency to vary in its branch- lets, and for nurserymen to seize such bits, and increase and name them, is to do much harm to the interest of good planting, especially to those beginners to whom a ponderous Latin name may

before he started on his fruitful explo- ration of Central China. These living plants were sent to the Botanic Garden at Hong Kong, were nursed there for a time, and ultimately reached Messrs. Veitch’s nursery at Coombe Wood. Mr. Hemsley, atthe moment of his pub- lication of the species, was of opinion

that the specimens he was dealing with

were those of a wild plant. After a care- ful consideration of all the localities where I witnessed the plant growing

in Yunnan, I am now of opinion that

seem to represent a real tree and nota_

wretched sport.

Taxodium distichum.—Richard, in Annales du Muséum, vol. xvi., p. 258. Loudon’s Arboretum, vol. iv., p. 2481. Carriére, Traité Général des Coniféres. Veitch, Manual of the Conifere. Sargent’s Silva of North America, vol. x.,

Dp. 150:

Syn. Cupressus disticha, Linnzus. Michaux fils, Histoire des Arbres Forestiers de ]’Amerique Septentrionale, tome lil., p. 4, tab. 1 (1813). North American Silva, vol. ii., p- 329 (1819). Cuprespinnata disticha, Nelson. Senilis, Pina- cee, 61 ; Schubertia disticha, of Mirbel and Spach ; Cupressus Americana, of Romans.

JASMINUM PRIMULINUM

(HEMSLEY).* Tuts beautiful shrub was first disco- vered by Mr. Hancock at Mengtse in Yunnan, and specimens sent by him to Kew enabled Mr. Hemsley to de- scribe the plant asa newspecies, though he had some doubts at che time as to whether it was not, botanically, simply a variety of the older and well-known JF. nudiforum. Other specimens were

it always occurs there cultivated or as an escape from cultivation. In support of this opinion I adduce the following facts. The shrubs were always seen growing in gardens or more frequently in hedges or amidst shrubbery in the

vicinity of villages; and never were met

with in woods or forests. It never set any fruit, propagating itself, however, freely by abundant suckers. The flowers

were often seen semi-double and varied

much in size, sometimes being quite as

small as those of 7. nudiflorum. Several

| other species of Jasmine were common

in the woods and forests of South Yun- nan; and these always produced fruit in abundance and never showed any varia- tion in the size of their flowers or any tendency to doubling.

I have consulted the ‘‘ Chi-Wu-

3 With coloured plate from a drawing by H. G. Moon, at Coombe Wood.

JASMINUM

PRIMUI

LINUM

iy ¥

Se

, a

7 ; ele

: **

erro ie, ai Bald fos, * a

ye ne re ale i ay oat at Raha 3 PROB ye ae a ON end be ie

JASMINUM PRIMULINUM.

169

Ming,” a Chinese flora, which is rich in details concerning Yunnan plants, as the author was for several years governor of that province and paid much atten- tion to local plants. I have not found, unluckily, any reference to the Jasmine, but was rewarded in my search by the discovery of a picture of Primula Wil- sont, which was discovered by me near Szemao, and is now in cultivation at Kew and at Coombe Wood. I am in- clined to think that the Yunnan Jas- mine is simply a variety of ¥. 2udiffo- rum, which has been imported by the Chinese from the north. The difter-

ences between the two plants are slight,

amounting merely to an increase in the -

size of the flowers and of the leaves. Moreover,in the Yunnan plant theleaves

have become evergreen, as might be-

expected from the much milder winter which prevails at Mengtse and Szemao, two places situated practically on the tropic. |

I have compared the specimens of the two forms in the Herbarium at Kew, where there are, however, no spe- cimens of wild ¥. zudiforum; and the leaves, stem, bracts, and calyx seem alike. The only difference lies in the

corolla, which is larger in primulinum,

and its tube appears to be shorter in| proportion to the expanse of the limb. |

F. nudiflorum occurs in the wild state in the Tsing-Ling mountains in Shensi,

where it was observed by Pere David,

who reports it to be common on both sides of the range. The species was dis- covered in 1831 by Bunge, who found it in cultivation at Peking ; but he erro- neously identified it with F¥. angulare,

Vahl. In 1844, Fortune sent it home from Shanghai, where he found it in Chinese gardens and nurseries. ‘7. pr7- _mulinum may be considered for garden | planting as a distinct plant, but it will be interesting to watch it and see if it reverts, when cultivated in colder parts of England or Scotland, to the decidu- ous habit. That it bears the winter at Coombe Wood is to my mind a con- _firmation of the view advanced above, that it is really a variety of xudiforum, which is a wild species growing in a region with a really cold winter.

| AUGUSTINE HENRY.

_ ENGLISH NAMES FOR TREES AND PLANTS.

_ Even those who feel the need of English names

for garden and woodland things are, perhaps, | too apt to assume that the systematic Linnzan name is the only one with any claim to science (7.e., knowledge). But that is clearly an error, | as many of our English names are very much _older, more interesting, and have been bound up with the history of our people and their language for ages. So that the study of these names may be as much a part of “science” as any other. The botanical names of the system now followed have only been in use during a few generations, and as such they haveno more claim to be exclusively “scientific” than many | of the names in our own language. In this view

we find that we are supported by the opinion of Dr. C.A. Prior, author of a very interesting book on the popular names of British plants: | —‘There are botanists who look upon Eng- lish names as leading to confusion and a nuis- /ance, and who would gladly abandon them and ignore their existence. But this is surely a mistake, for there will always be ladies and others, who, with the greatest zeal for the _ pursuit of Natural History, have not had the opportunity of learning Greek or Latin, or _have forgotten those languages, and who will _ prefer to call a plant by aname that they can | pronounce and recollect. We need but to ask | ourselves what success would have attended

170

FLORA AND SYLVA.

the exertions of the late excellent and benevo- lent Professor Henslow among the pupils of hislittle village school if he had used any names

full all that can be urged against them from a purely botanical point of view, we still may derive both pleasureand instruction from trac- ing them back to their origin, and reading in them the habits and opinions of former ages. In following up such an analysis we soon find that we are entering upon a higher region of literature—the history of man’s progress and the gradual development of his civilisation. Some of the plants that were familiar to our ancestors in Central Asia bear with us to this day the very names they bore there, and as distinctly intimate by them the uses to which they were applied, and the degree of culture which prevailed where they were given, as do those of the domestic affinities the various occupations of the primeval family.”

THE WOOD LILIES (Tri//ium). Few spring-flowering hardy perennials are prettier than the Wood Lilies for moist shaded corners of the rock-gar- den, or grouping in plots of light, rich soil, sheltered by trees, but where they

are not robbed by hungry roots. The |

best and most vigorous kinds will do in most gardens, save such as are dry or much exposed, but wherever soil and aspectare unfavourable success depends upon some preparation for these dainty woodland beauties. There are about a dozen wild kinds, most of them found inthe moist peaty forests of North Ame- rica, though some of them spread as far as Japan and through northern Asia to the Himalayas. They thrive bestin light cool soils, rich in humus, some kinds growing well around bogs ; where they are planted upon heavy ground it should be improved by a rich dressing of leaf- soil. When well planted they need little care and may remain undisturbed for

years with only a mulching a decayed manure or rotten leaves in autumn. Im-

but the popular ones. Besides admitting to the | ported roots are often a AS) 0)

settling down in their new quarters, but once started they spread into tufts which become increasingly beautiful in size and vigour, and by planting varieties of colour the most charming woodland

effects may be gained. So grouped, the

| drooping flowers are best seen upon a

gentleupward slope, and if inasheltered nook or hollow the early kinds are less likely to sufter from cutting wind. The large white kind (Trillium grandiflo-

rum), the best and most easily grown,

will bear more sunlight than most, and

often does well amid masses of Rhodo-

_dendrons, but if too much exposed its

beauty suffers. Though moisture-loving

plants they are unsuited to low heavy land, where stagnant water is against

them,asarealsothe severe winters,which cause check in some districts.

All the kinds should be planted early in Septem- ber, the roots starting into growth with the first freshness of autumn ; old tufts

Culture.

may then be divided and replanted at about 4 inches deep in rotten leaf-mould

—their natural food. The leaves show above ground in early spring,and though quite hardy they gain by protection from wind and slugs,which often mar the ear- liest blossoms ; their graceful three-pe-

-talled Aowers ate singly upon droop-

ing stems, last long in beauty and after flowering the plants go to rest for the

“summer, but mustnot sufter for want ot water in times of drought. Some kinds

grow wellandareeasilymanaged in pots, and where they refuse to do in the open

their flowers may be enjoyed in this way in a greenhouse or under cold frames ;

but as hardy woodland plants they are |

seen at their best amid wild surround- ings, and, where possible, plant-lovers will prefer this natural way of growth. Another reason is that the smell of Wood Lilies is unpleasant in confinement,

THE WOOD LILIES,

171 with flowers of pale yellow; dec/imatum, a va- riety from the Southern States with white or _ pinkish flowers; and atropurpureum, a fine vigo- rous kind with large flowers of narrow re- curved petals, and a deep reddish-crimson or plum-colour. It is rich in contrast to lighter kinds but a little earlier than grandiflorum. These kinds are all worth growing and pretty | when mingled. Syn. fwtidum, pendulum, and rhomboideum.

especially towards evening and in wet weather, and this unfits them for most rooms or conservatories. The Tril- liums (Trinity Flowers) owe their name to the peculiar threefold arrangement of their parts—leaves, sepals, and petals. The following kinds are distinct, but some of themarerarely seen in gar- dens, being more interesting

than showy :—

Noppinc Woop Lity (T.cer- nuum).—A small-flowered kind bearing white drooping flowers during April and May. A plant ofstrong growth, with stout stems of 18 inches in clusters of two or three, and broad but very variable light green foliage. A pretty plant of graceful habit.

PurpLe Woop Lity (T. erec- tum).—A robust and easily-grown kind with spreading flowers of dusky purple in May or June, which for effect should be grouped in contrast with other sorts. The solitary stems about 12 inches high, with broad leaves 2 to 6 inches wide, are stout and erect, and the plant thrives in wetter ground than most throughout Canada and the Northern States, and for garden pur- poses is the same as the Wood Lilies of Japan and northern Asia. Grows wellin pots. VARIE- T1ES: Seedling forms differ in colour, giving rise to several varieties; a/bum, with narrow petals of pure white contrasted with green sepals and

LARGE-FLOWERED WOOD LILY.

PainTED Woop Lity (T.erythrocarpum).— | This lovely little flower, known as the Painted | Lady of gardens, is not easy to establish and

shy in flower, but does best upon the shaded margins of a peaty bog or a damp corner among rocks, It comes from cold damp woods high in _ the mountains of Georgia, its needs resembling those of alpine bog-plants. Its flowers, of about | an inch, are white with a red or purple streak at the base of each division, coming during May and June, and followed by bright red

berries. Natural height 1 foot, but rarely seen

arich purple ovary; ochroleucum, a rarer form | so robust in gardens.

172

FLORA AND SYLVA,

LARGE-FLOWERED Woop Lity (T. grandiflo- rum).—The commonest and best kind, and a plant of great beauty when well grown, flower- ing freely each year during April and May. Old well-rooted plants are often 2 feet or more high, with flowers of 3 inches, usually white, but at times tinged with green or purple, and fading to a rosy colour. Abounds in forests of North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Kentucky, as profuse as the Snowdrops and Anemones of English woods, seedling forms different in size and colour being common side by side. VarieT1Es:—The form sold as mazus is only a selection of these large-flowered seedlings or the result of good culture in gardens. A fine coloured form, roseum, is very distinct and good as a contrast to the white. Its rosy colour is deepest on the outside of the petals and most masked in its early stages, before the fading flowers of the white take on their rosy hue; its leaves and stems also are deeply bronzed and handsome. Planted in company the effect of the two kinds is charming. They flower well in pots but are unpleasant in smell. Dwarr Woop Lity (T.nva/e).—A pretty woodland gem, from 2 to 4 inches high and like grandiflora in miniature. Its pure white

flowers. VarieT1Es:—A distinct form of this species from the Pacific coast—var. californi- cum—is finer and well worth growing, bloom- ing in April, with erect white flowers of large size, oftenest pure, but at times suffused with rosy purple or lilac. The broad leavesare hand- some, of bright green or finely blotched with dark purple, and the plant is more vigorous, free in flower, and easily grown. A second variety, Wray: (also known as T. discolor), is of small account, bearing dingy flowers of green

and dull purple with erect petals, their merit

being their early appearance; leaves prettily marbled with brown and dark purple. This kind is also found ina deeply maroon-coloured

_ form,atratum, with flowers of medium size and ' mottled leaves.

Catessy’s Woop Luiry (T. stylosum).—A beautiful plant, similar in habit to grandiflora and nearly as robust, bearing upon stems of 12 to 18 inches large drooping flowers of rosy

colour, with recurved petals, shading at times _to deep red. It is hardy, easy to grow, flower-

flowers appear early in April, with leaves often |

mottled or spotted with purple. The smallest and daintiest of the group, going early to rest. State of Ohio.

with white flowers changing to pink, upon stems 8 to 12 inches high; akin to T. erectum

ing latest of all, in June; known as keeping its leaves long after other kinds. Rare in gardens but well worth growing. B.

TREES AS SOIL-MAKERS.— Trees to a certain

_ extent create their own soil, for, however poor

the land may be when the treesare first planted,

_ the annual layers of fallen leaves soon forms a

Pink Woop Lity (T. obovatum).—A kind | ' natural soil the roots of the trees are always

and perhaps only a form of it. Rare in gardens | _theold Beech and other forests of the Continent

but useful for its early flowers. Dusky Woop Lity (T. recurvatum).—A

plant akin to T. sessi/e and found with it in the |

woods of Pennsylvania, bearing small stemless flowers of dusky purplish brown, ? to 14 inches wide, composed of long recurved petals which are pointed and again narrowed at their base. April and May. Of little more than botanic interest.

WesTERN Woop Lity (T. sessi/e).—Also bearing stemless flowers of dark purple, com- posed of long erect petals in beauty early in April, fading later to a greenish colourand last- ing longuponthe plant. It is not a showy kind, the oval stemless leaves borne upon slender stems of 6 to 12 inches, and marbled in shades

|

deposit of black mould, between whichand the

found in great numbers; the older the wood the deeper and richer the deposit becomes. In

it is extraordinary to what an extent this leaf- mould has accumulated. If it were not for it, the crops of the same tree could not have

succeeded each other on the same ground | generation after generation as they have done.

Mountains, such as in this country have been almost bared to the rock by constant denuda- tion, are, in the Hartz region, knee-deep in some places with leaf-mould under the trees, and the same may be said of Fir and Spruce woods, in which the fallen Pine-needles have formed a bed of black mould. Tree crops ma- nure themselves and enrich the ground on which they grow—a fact that should never be lost sight of in planting poor lands.—J. S.,

of green and dark, being often prettier than the | Fre/d.

A GARDENER’'S VIEW OF

A GARDENER’S VIEW OF SCI-

ENCE OLD AND NEW.

Unper the above heading there is a quaint and suggestive article in The Monthly Review by Professor Patrick Geddes, bringing to mind in aninterest- ing way the knowledge of older peoples and deprecating the tendencyofourown time to think that ‘‘ science” as regards our own work dates from modern times only. Such thoughts are timely, consi- dering the modern tendency of writers toassume that that is only science which

comes into their own little technique:

“There are text-books of science which ascribe the discovery of the sexes of plants to this modern botanist or to that. In the popular mind this is mostly associated with Linneus; while some of our botanical historians gravely vindi- cate the claim of a certain Sir Thomas Millington, of Oxford, in the century before. But the whole desert East has been living upon dates from timeimme- morial. How did it annually fertilise its date-trees if the sexes of plants were not as familiar as now? And what pilgrim or crusader did not learn this? ”

‘‘ Proud of our modern physics, our modern microscopy and the rest, we tend to think there was practically no ancient science at all; and even histo- rians too often speak as if sciencealmost begins with the nineteenth century, or, at any rate, with the Renaissance. But we do not speak thus contemptuously of the philosophies of the ancient past. In Plato, in Aristotle, all men recognise the very culminations of graspand range of thought, of comprehensiveness and subtlety, of truth and beauty.”

SCIENCE OLD AND NEW. ry

“Darwin and his followers, in in vestigating the mysterious processes, yet simple methods, of breedingand se- lection, have been but recovering frag- ments of an ancient art; and with art is ever necessarily associated acorrespond- ing measure of science. What is the proof of this? it may be asked. Do you seri- ously believe, much less expect tomain- tain, the idea that prehistoric man knew more about such things than Darwin and Weismann, or than the breeders of to-day? Precisely so! This is the point, and one which it only needs a little re- flection to make clear. Within our cen- tury we have actually developed, and are now in every decade and lustrum

more often developing, new forms and

breeds of beautiful and useful plants,

_and sometimes also animals, from com-

mon and familiar varieties and species. Butwe have not as yet succeeded, either in our own day or within the historic period, in developing any important new food-plant oranynew domesticated animal. That is to say, each and all of these are prehistoric. We are proud, and deservedly so, in our day of our advance in agricultural as in physical science ; but what in both of them put together corresponds to the importance of rais- ing our present cereals from wild grasses, our noble fruits, like the apple, olive, and vine, from worthless crabs? And when we go to the essential plants of other civilisations, to the rice of the East or the potatoes and maize of the West, we find the same origins lost in antiquity. The scholar when he finds written records, the archeologist when he finds a hoard of noble art workman-

174

FLORA AND SYLVA,

ship, is perfectly clear that the people who made and used these things were proportionally civilised; and must not we selectionists, who find these obvious evidences of prehistoric skill, with prac- tical results incomparably greater and

more important than are OUr OWN aS yet |

—must not we similarly recognise these as evidence of past civilisation? Do we not see that the ancient garden, in which these goodly fruitsand herbs were grown, was no mere transient Eden, still less a theologic parable, but a long-en- during place of labour and happiness, of wealth and peace?”

Tue SPRING STAR-FLOWER (Trite/eia uniflora). —One hasread with pleasure the article on this bright little flower in the March number of Frora AND Sytva. It is too little grown, and anything which will tend to make it more used should be welcome. I notice that it thrives better, especially in cold districts, if it is grown in gravel. One of the prettiest sights I have seen 1s a group of it in the gravel path in the

care of themselves in hedgerows and rough banks, or anywhere among the wild plants. So I never was more pleased than to see pictures made with the small Periwinkle (Vinca minor) in the garden of the Villa Urie at Cannes. A wide, sloping bank, half-shaded with trees for about half itsarea, was covered with the Little Periwinkle in its ordinary form—a levelsheet of blue-purple, only broken here and there with wild Hyacinths. The plant is cut over in the summer, and thus it is kept compact and gives colour effect of a kind that somany like, which I have never seen equalled. And though the climate of the district allows of the culture ot

| many more classes of beautiful plants than may

beautiful garden of Mr. P. Neill Fraser, Rock- |

ville, Edinburgh, where it has spread into a

mass, all the prettier because irregular in out-

line. It is close to the wall of the house, and

its beauty, flowering witha freedom not to be seen when in stiffer soil—sS. ARNoTT, Car- sethern, by Dumfries, N.B.

Goop EFFECT FROM SIMPLE THINGS.—It is a constant thought of mine that it is not novel- ties that we should seek so much as a better use of the many lovely things that we have. I say making “better use”—the best use we must not hope to see—no one can even ima- gine how much we lose by thestick-about way

the prettiest plants we possess we never see in their true beauty from this cause, and no one can give an idea of the loss because the routine way isin possession. I go in the other way as far as I plant, but though often thinking of the

matter I cannot cover half the ground, and so, |

like many others, left my Periwinkles to take

be grown in Britain, and though the many

_ gardens about are full of fine things and even

picturesque effects, this, as to colour, was the

| best of all. The effect of other pieces of ground

treated in the same way and seen here and therethrough thetrees was equally good. The heat is so great in summer that grass is kept with difficulty, and so the little plant helps to cover the ground. The soil is of a very open, gritty nature, like so many mountain soils, which may in part account for the beautiful mass of bloom. jig

THEAUSTRALIAN BEEF-WOOD

( G asuarinda) ; Or the many strange families that make up the vegetation of the Australian continent few

/are more remarkable than that of the Casua-

when seen in sunshine one was struck with rina or Beef-wood. It is in Tasmania in parti-

cular that these graceful trees abound, giving

a peculiar aspect to many parts of the country

' with their leafless branches and more or less

weeping habit. Something of this effect may

| be seen nearer home upon the Riviera, where

several kinds are doing well in streets and

| open places, in which only partial shade is

sought. Therearesome thirty species scattered throughout Australia and Polynesia, one kind

| extending to parts of India. Their name is due in which plants are usually set out. Many of |

to the supposed resemblance of their weeping trails to the arched and drooping feathers of the Cassowary, but in some kinds the growth is erect and tapering, with fine needle-like fo- liage like a Pine. All are remarkable for their

rapid growth, amounting to many feet in a

season, the largest kinds reaching a height of nearly 200 feet. The commonest and one of

THE AUSTRALIAN BEEF-WOOD. L75

the most remarkable is C. eguisetifolia,sonamed | as though to a fixed pattern. The group is from the resemblance of its floating, leafless | classed near the Walnut or Hickory tribes, but cords of verdure to the plumes of the Horsetail, | their real place is as uncertain as their features common in English ditches. These wisp-like | are distinct. trails of greyish green are jointed in just the | In British gardens they are sometimes seen same way and float in ceaseless response to every | in the greenhouse, for their quaintness and tremor of the atmosphere. Sometimesthe effect of these trees is described as funereal and depressing,but this must befromsome morbid trait in the individual, for the sha- dow cast by quite a large tree is only veiled sunlight —a curtain of quivering sunbeams—and the gentle murmur of the floating tas- selsso magnifies each passing breath, that theirinfluence is rather soothing and refresh- ing, suggesting more of a breeze than thereality, with just enough of shade toavoid risk in a climate where the sun may scorch and the wind chill at the same moment. Their economic value is great, as they do well in _ poor, brackish, and even al- kaline soils, and are used to secure shifting sands upon the sea-shore. Though of quick growth their wood is hard, heavy, and lasting, deep red in colour (from whence the name Beef- wood), goodas fuel, and use- ful in many industries. To the botanist they represent a survival of what seems at some remote period to have been a prevailing type of plant growth. Thesexes are apartin the Casuarinas, with . flowers appearingduring au- ‘ tumn as small and insigni- ficant tassels, though from their number the male tree seems tinged with grace, so different from other trees. Good spe- bronze, and the female with red, as the wind | cimens may be quickly grown from seeds or tosses their spray. Upon seed-bearing trees the | cuttings of half-ripened shoots,and where there flowers are followed by oblong orroundedcones | is head-room and space sufficient, their beauti- of various sizes, often.quaintly marked and cut | ful weeping effect is unequalled.

BEEF-WOOD TREE (CASUARINA EQUISETIFOLIA).

176

FLORA AND SYLVA.

PACKING OF PLANTS AND FLOWERS.

Tuere are few lovers of flowers and plants who do not require at times to send some of them by post or rail, and at such times the best way of packing is often overlooked. It is so dis- appointing to receive beautiful blossoms bat- tered and destroyed in the post, or plants sickly through bad packing, that brief notes upon such work may be useful. After a trial of many methods the following have been adopted by the best packers :—

Large and heavy things re- quire special care; the best way of packing such small plants as are usually sent by post is to fit them closely into long, narrow boxes of light wood. No packing material is required, save a little damp moss wrapped around each ball of roots and secured by afew twists of finethread. A kind of shallow trough is then made at each end of the box to contain these root-masses. This is done by fit- ting a stout wooden stay as thick as the finger and cut to measure from side to side, held firmly in place by tacks passing through from the out- side of thebox. A layer of plants isthen laid in, their roots wedged firmly together (with more moss if need be) in this shallow trough; they are then secured by a second stay fitted close and nailed like the first, which holds the root- mass firmly in place and prevents displacement even under rough usage. Successive tiers may be arranged until both ends are full, the stems and foliage, free from the “collar,” mingling unfettered in the centre of the box, which be- comes a sheltered air-chamber in which the plants travel without any of the crushing or heating inseparable from c/ose packing, how- ever carefully done. At the end of a week, if need be, such plants will lift out as fresh as when packed, provided, of course, that they receive sufficient water at the outset. It is well to distribute the weight evenly between the two ends, a well-balanced box being bet- ter to handle than when the weight is at one side only.

For Plants.

Though the same method can be used for large and clustered flowers, such as Rhododendrons, Chrysanthemums, and other heavy things, which are sure to bruise and be crushed out of

For Flowers.

shape if closely thrust together, the methods used for flowers by the southern growers for export are somewhat different. For long jour- neys in cold weather wooden boxes are again used, but of a different shape, being broad and shallow rather than long and narrow. Gene- rally, however, the familiar cane baskets are employed, ensuring lightness and flexibility, with a large capacity, the air being excluded by neat folds of paper, stout without, and light and silky for theinner layer. The flowersshould be cut before fully open and put in water for several hours previously. In most cases no pack- ing material is needed other than the leaves cut with the flowers and necessary for effect. Blossoms with delicate petals, such as Roses, Tuberoses, Lilies, and Orchids, are, however, best protected by twists of soft paper envelop- ing each flower. The flowers are then laid in the box or basket in layers, the heaviest at the bottom and around the sides, but as far as pos- sible closely fitted together and each layer sepa- rated by a sheet of soft paper. The basket is heaped rather full to ensure that the final pres- sure of fastening down will secure the whole as one compact mass, excluding air and pre- venting all movement, even when roughly shaken, as they are certain to be at busy rail- way centres. In warm weather a layer of damp moss or thick leaves may be used to still further preserve moisture and exclude air, but in the main it is not necessary.

There is an art in unpacking as well as in packing flowers. They should be taken out singly, lightly shaken into their natural form, their stems placed in warm water, and the whole sprinkled lightly overhead and placed under a bell-glass (or even a damp cloth) for some hours ina moist atmosphere and a sub- dued light. So handled they willrevive wonder- fully even after days of travel, and last fresh far longer than when this time of recovery is cut short. Some flowers travel better than others, while fragile blossoms such as are easily shaken to pieces or fade quickly at the best of times are certain to fail; still, by giving due care it is wonderful how many flowers travel well and recover fully after a long journey. One of the most used and worst of packing ma- terials is cotton wool; though light and soft, this dries up the flowers and should never be used.

THE GIANT ASPHODELS,

GIANT ASPHODEL AT GLOUNTHAUNE,

THE GIANT ASPHODELS (Eremurus). Tuere are altogether about 30 species of Eremuriwhich have been introduced tocultivation, They belong to the order Lilacee and have been divided into two groups, that of mmolirion, where the

177

CORK. (Engraved for ‘ Flora.’’)

pedicels or stalklets of the individual blossoms are adherent orerect, and that of Henningia,in which the stalklets are drooping or merely rising. All have been obtained from Asia, but especially from Persia, Turkestan, Afghanistan,andeven so far northasSiberia. Many of the spe-

M

178

cies are scarcely worthy of cultivation and are only of interest from a botani- cal standpoint. A few, such as E. robust- us and himalaicus, are, however, noble plants which well repay the trouble ex- pended uponthem. Others suchasO/ge, Bungei, &c. will prove of value for pur- poses of hybridisation. It will, however, be to the hybrids, such as the beautiful E. Efwesii, that plant lovers will eventu- ally turn for still finer effects than can be obtained from the species themselves. Many raisers are now at work and vari- ous hybrids will undoubtedly be intro-

duced showing improvements in size,

and form, and colour of ower as com-_

pared with the original species from which they have come.

A long irregular row of sixty or seventy Eremuri some 8 to ro feet high is both striking and beautiful asseen with a background of dark green Pines,which aid in show- ing up theirmagnificent spikes of white or rosy flowers. There should, however, be no attempt at regularity in planting or the effect is at once spoilt, but when placed in such a manner as to form a broken though consecutive whole their valueisimmediately recognised as a dis- tinct addition to landscape effect and an original feature in a garden. Before making suggestions as to soil and plant- ing it may be welltoexamine briefly the form and structure of the plants. The leafy crown and bloom-spike grow out of a kind of tuberin the shape of a node, below and from which radiate fleshy, fibrous roots in every direction like the spokes of a wheel. These snake-like roots extend fully 4 to 5 feet beyond the

Arrangement.

FLORA AND SYLVA.

tubers of the larger species, suchas E. ro- 6ustus, and we are thus afforded an in- dication of the distanceat which mature plants should be spaced. It is advisable _to plant the larger kinds and their hy- brids incontinuous triangles with 4 or 5 feet between each; thesoilin which they are grown must be well prepared and rich. This triangular form of planting will furnish two irregular rows, in the front of which may be placed the smaller sorts, such as Bunge, Bungei seedling, and O/ve, &c.,ingroups of three or five of a sort, and 3 to 34 feet apart. | From the centre of the crown issues the head, expanding into a dense rosette of leaves, with a central flower- spike. A loose, sandy loam, very rich, and even mixed with stones, so that it _be thoroughly drained, will be found the best soil in which to grow the plants. The fleshy roots are thus enabled to run about and find nourishment readily. A close, damp soil, poor and sodden with water, is fatal to the successful cultiva- tion of these plants. It should be rich, -_fortheEremuriare gross feedersand fond of a warm and sunny situation, to a cer- tain extent protected from wind; though it is surprising to see how the spikes re- sist its force without any artificial aid. The plants also requireacertainamount _of moisture during their time of growth,

Culture and Soil.

which is rapid, and, as the large heads make their appearance above ground -somewhatearly in theseason, it is neces- | sary to protect them from sharp frost by -means of leaves or bracken. M. Mottet, the worthy chief of plant cultivation for

Vilmorin, Andrieux and Co., states that

THE GIANT

one interesting peculiarity of this group is the yearly renewal of their large tuber- culousroots, and from thisfact he draws the evident conclusion that the plants must never be moved or disturbed dur- ing their time of growth. He adds, that although the plants are seemingly at rest from July to Marchwhen the heads

appear at ‘the surface of the soil, the pe-_

riod of complete rest does not extend

beyond the month of October. Thus we - have defined the time during which the |

plants may be moved without risk —

ASPHODELS, I Z 9

it will be found that they eerie one into two or more crowns, which may be

carefully separated after the leaves have died down in August or September.

Some of the species seed during fine

_seasons, and the seed may be gathered

from July to October; though, person-_ ally, I believe it Better to undertake any -

such change during the months of Au- gust and September. Care must be taken

when Sd eet = the ground with a fork to | mate with a fine appearance during their brief

avoid any serious damage to the long, snake-like roots,which are very brittle. The plants canbe stored dry for a month

or two, or planted in theirnew positions - at once. When replanted, the tuber and»

its roots should be buried about 6 inches below the surface of the soil, the tuber itself resting upon and surrounded by a little coarse sand to secure thorough drainage. M. Mottet deems it best to transplant the roots every autumn, but I have got good results by leaving the

plants in the same position for two or. three years, the ground around their. roots being richly mulched with well-_

rotted manure in early spring. It is im- portant not to cover the heads them-

selves with this mulching, as this might | induce damping and decay at the neck |

of the tuber, to its certain loss. There are two methods of

Increase. : ve. s propagation : division and

seed. When the plants attain full vigour -

and sown; but, unfortunately, it takes some four to six years for the seedlings to develop into flowering plants— yet this is the only means by which the many interesting hybrids now grown can be raised. R. H. BEAMISH. Ashbourne, Glounthaune, Cork.

The Eremuri are all Asiatic plants coming from the desert plains of Asia Minor, Persia, Afghanistan, India, and Turkestan, where they grow under peculiar conditions of soil and cli-

season of beauty. In his recent monograph, M. Mottet describes about thirty-five species, classified as follows :—

AMMOLIRION GROUP. E. altaicus, flowers yellow. », bachtiaricus, ,, », Cappadocicus Soaps flowers white. », nderiensis, flowers white.

», spectabilis, » yellow. ,», LAUVICUS, » white. », turkestanicus, ,, purple.

HENNINGIA GRoupP.

E. Alberti (Attchisont), flowers rose. ,, albo-citrinus, flowers white and yellow.

» angustifolius, ,, white.

5» anisopterus, es white.

», Aucherianus, ,, rose.

,, auvantiacus, ss yellow. », Bucharicus, 7 white.

,, Bunget, is yellow. »» Capusit, 3 S

», Elwesit, 3 rose.

» Griffithi, rr white.

», himalatcus, ma 3

,», Kaufmanni, - yellow. », Korolkowt, rf rose.

5, luteus . yellow. » Olga, . rose.

,, parviflorus, 7 white.

», vobustus, s rose.

», Stocksit, . white.

y» SUwovows, ¥ yellow.

180

FLORA AND SYLVA,

PURPLE ROCK CRESSES (Aubretia).

Tere are many so-called carpet plants

which, as tender exotics, have little value

and no lasting beauty, but here we have

carpet plants of the finest effect, hardy,

easily raised and grown, and enduring»

for many seasons with only the smallest amountof care. There are good and bad Aubretias, and some are of poor, washy

colour and not worth growing; but if. the best, whether of seedlings or named kinds, are rightly used in broad masses, -

their constant bloom from spring far in- to early summer makes them among the most useful of hardy plants. And where will not the Aubretia thrive? Scatter a few seeds within the fissures of yon sul- len wall and watch its grimness melt away before the springing life, until its sombre face is wreathed in flowers. Or onthatsun-burned crest where the bare ribs of Mother Earth stand forth, bare and unlovely, give but a footholdand its garlands drape her nakedness with ten- der green and folds of vivid blue. See how it ripples, a cascade of colour, from bank and rocky ledge, or how it veils like modest charity the crumbling ruin of avanished day. Giving much andask- ing little, careless of cold and happy in the sunlight, never drooping from the storm, but gazing wide-eyed out upon the world, come fair or foul, adorning the mountain solitude or smiling at the cottage door, the Aubretia may well be loved of all for its colour, its hardiness, and constancy. Itis best seen as a hang- ing plant and grows better thus in many gardens, particularly those of heavy soil

with a large rainfall. Though perfectly

| hardy the plant sometimes suffers from

wet in a long, sunless winter, when its trailing stemsrest constantly upon cold, saturated soil, and the water stands thickly on its dense tufts of foliage. With stems hanging vertically or nearly so the risk of damping is removed, and when in flower the blossoms are not spoiled in the same way by the mingled

showers and sunshine of an English

spring. No garden need be without Culture. : its patch of Rock Cress, for noAlpine plantis more easily raised from seed, and many sorts come fairly true. The best-named kinds are grown from cuttings of young shoots about an inch long,madeinJuly ; ifthe plants arelightly _cut back after flowering, tender shoots are freely thrown out and root readily where old shoots fail completely. In gardens of heavy soil or where very vi- gorous plants are desired, it is best to scatter seed during April or early May, in broad patches of several feet, thinning the young plants to 4 inches apart as they develop,and rejecting those of poor colour. Thus they grow on without check, increasing in beauty, season by season, and needing little or no carebe- yond a little clipping if the shoots be- come bare. It is not uncommon to find plants of fifteen or even twenty years, ‘grown into tufts many feet across and still vigorous ; old plants, however, do ‘not movewellandrarely recover. There is difference of practiceas to the clipping _of Aubretias, some gardeners preferring to leave them alone, while others pass ‘them all with shears or scissors after flowering. In such matters local expe-

PURPLE ROCK CRESSES,

rience is thetrue guide, for there are dry spots in which the long stems of old plants lose freshness, which is best re- newed by topping them; in others with a moist atmosphere,the plants never suf- fer in this way, and grow too dense if cut, with bad results in a wet season. To spare the plants, itis well where seed isnot wanted to clip off the withered flowers, and this often results in a crop of young shoots suitable for cuttings. In heavy soil it is a help to raise the shoots from the damp ground upon a bed of light stone

or broken clinkers.

181

to mind suchan one, bordered on either

hand witha solid bank of purple flowers,

stretching away ina long winding vista,

spanned here and there by an arching

pergola, with just enough of variation to prevent monotony, and wondrousl

beautiful inthe mingled play of light and

shade ; yes, and a second, marking the

entrance to a wayside house-of-call, to which the passers throng—who knows

howlargely for the joy of passing in re-

' view those sheets of colour which other-

There isnowagood range |

Their Use for

pe of colourinthe Aubretias,

from pure, rich purple to mauve, rose, and pale flowersapproach- ing white. According to 4 their shade of colour they may be grouped with charming effect among Wall-flowers of rich red and yellow, clumps of Daftodils, Narcissus, and others of the legion of § spring bulbs, or they may § be mingled with tufts of Rockfoils,Sandworts,and other Alpine plants in the rock garden. A deep co- loured kind varied with little colonies of Hut-

wise were banks of naked soil.

There has been some ad- vance with the Aubretia of late years, and many named kinds,

mostly seedling forms of 4. de/toidea,

As to Kinds.

_are now offered ; in fact, there are more

AUBRETIAS

chinsia is very pretty. For edgings to |

plant borders the more compact and | _ garden varieties are of greater value than

upright kinds should be used, suchas 4. Campbelli and purpurea, in mauve and purple, and 4. Leicht/ini in rose. An attractive spot to clothe with these pur- ple hangings is the face ofa sunk fence,

witha backing of good soil behind. I call

IN THE ROCK GARDEN.

names than distinct kinds, though some fine seedlings have been raised. These

the seven or eight wild kinds of doubt- ful distinctness,and probably only forms of one species. In our brief descriptions we therefore neglect artificial distinc- tions between kind and kind. Since all

M 3

122

may raise and name their own fancies, it is impossible to trace every Aubretia now named and grown, but the follow- ing list includes the best known of wild

and garden kinds alike :—

A. antilibani.—A kind with small flowers,

the whitest of the group. A native of the |

mountains of Lebanon ; of little garden value.

FLORA AND SYLVA,

A. Dr.Mules.—A new seedling, and richest

in colour of garden forms. It isa robust plant,

with foliage of bright fresh greenand abundant flowers of rich glowing purple, opening from the middle of April, and beautiful among grey rocks. For purity and depth of colour the

finest of all; best seen when screened from

A. Beauty of Baden.—A fine seedling raised —

by Leichtlin, with very large semi-double flowers of light rose, good habit and fine co- lour ; one of the best.

A. Bougainvillea.—A pretty kind of com- | pact habit, with short stems, simple leaves, | and a profusion of neatly rounded flowers of | light violet-purple, with dark veins and a yel- |

lowish eye. colour.

A. Bridesmaid.—A new seedling raised by Messrs. Barr, with large flowers of soft rosy-

Useful for edgings and good in

strong sunlight.

A. edentula.—A wild form from the moun- tains of Kurdistan, with small pale flowers faintly tinged with pink.

A. erubescens.—A wild plant of mere bo- tanical interest from Greece.

A. Eyret.—A good free-branching kind with large long-shaped flowers of deep violet ; effective as a trailer.

A. Fire King.—A seedling akin to 2. Letchtlini, but deeper and less pure in colour, with rounded magenta flowersand bright green

| foliage.

pink paling to blush; good in habit and distinct

in colour.

A. Campbelli. kind grown under seve- | _ vigorous, spreading fast, and early in beauty.

ral names, in forms too near to distinguish. A vigorous grower of neat compact habit; pale mauve flowers variable in size, with petals arranged crosswise in pairs.

A. cilicica.—A plant of lax habit, with broad grey-green leaves; late in blooming.

A. columne celestis.—A neat tufted variety with pale bluish flowers from the Italian moun-

tains, but too near Campbelli and Mooreana to |

be distinct. Syn. A. sta/ica.

A. conspicua.—A kind of loose habit, grey- green foliage, and flowers of deep colour, evenly rounded.

A. croatica.—A geographical form of free trailing habit, with flowers of a pretty pale mauve set crosswise. Croatia; often classed as a species.

A. deltoidea (PuRpLeE Rock Cress).—A

mountain plant widely spread from Italy to | Asia Minor, freely seeding, and parent of |

many garden forms. Leaves grey-green with deep indentations and small bluish-lilac flowers upon stems of 2 to 4 inches. The variety known as de/toidea grandiflora is too near Camp- belli to be called distinct. A form with varie- gated leaves is sometimes grown. Syns. canes- cens, floribunda, and integrifolia.

A. Froebelli.— foreign seedling of deep colour, rarely seen in this country.

A. Greca.—A form of de/toidea from the Balkan peninsula, of compact growth yet neatly

Free in flowers of light purple with narrow petals set crosswise, threaded by dark veins, and with an eye composed of white anthers ; leaves narrow and grey-green. Very hardy and fine for massing.

A. Greca superba.—A selected form with flowers deeper in colour, and a long season of beauty.

Al. Hendersoni.—A metre selection of Camp- be/li, and often not distinguishable from its improved form. Large flowers of rich violet-

purple fading to reddish, with a light centre _and petals set crosswise ; fine in colour at its

best, with a loose habit and very free. Good in masses. A. lavender rose.-—A French seedling with

flowers of rosy-lilac.

A. Leichtlim.—A fine kind with large

flowers in shades of crimson, the purest and

_ best of its colour. Dense in growth with erect habit, and very pretty as an edging ; flowers

freely from the end of April.

A. Leichtlini rosea.—Useful at its best, but not equal to the last, while seedlings of bad colour are often sold under this name. A robust plant and a good trailer, but smaller in

flower, with a dark eye, and petals set wide. The flowers often show several shades of colour at the same time.

A. intermedia.—A minor botanical form from Greece.

A. Kotschyi—A kind collected by this bo-

tanist in Persia, and interesting as the most |

easterly form yet reported.

A. libanotica.—From the mountains of ©

Syria (and often regarded as a species), grow- ing in dense downy tufts, with leaves fringed with hairs and small palid flowers, white in the centre, but of little beauty.

A. Lilac Queen.—A seedling of free robust —

growth and long stems, bearing flowers of shaded lilac inclining to mauve; somewhat straggling in habit.

A. Mooreana.—For garden purposes iden- tical with Campbeltt.

A. Moerheimi.—A pretty and distinct kind

PURPLE ROCK CRESSES.

183 ling with very large flowers of rosy magenta shaded to a whitish centre, the colour paling

_and the petals reflexing with age. Free and

good in habit, with narrow grey leaves deeply cut, upon stout rambling stems of rosy red. A good plant where this colour is desired.

A. taurica.—A distinct kind, very dwart and compact in its growth, whichiscompressed into neat rounded tufts. It spreads slowly, needing full sun and a dry corner, being sensi- tive to wet. It loses its leaves in winter but is quite hardy and the best of all in habit, hap- piest when sheltered within a sunny fissure. It flowers rather late, with small rounded blossoms of deep violet with a distinct eyics

A white flowered form is known as a/da.

A. violacea—A good early kind, with

large flowers of deep violet-purple fading to _reddish-violet. It is free in seed, yielding many

with good habit, and very large flowers of pale | fini, with flowers of deep reddish-purple. paling with exposure. Stout grey foliage, and |

rose-shaded mauve with a greenish centre, and

a long season of flower.

A. olympica.—A plant from the mountains of Bithynia, with pretty Howers of soft lilac, and coming very near Eyre7 in its darker forms. Free and good in colour.

A. parviflora and A. Pinardi.—Botanical forms from Persia andAsia Minor respectively.

A. Pritchard's A1.—A fine dark seedling of good habit, and very large flowers of deep violet-purple, much veined ; leaves large and of bright clear green. This new kind recent- ly gained an award of merit, but its effect has

yet to be seen when massed in the open. Pro- |

mises well, but hardly equal in colour to Dr. Mules.

Purple Robe.—A seedling of free habit and | | R. campanulatum and its varieties, R. calophy!- A. purpurea.—One of the oldest of gar- den kinds, running through seedling forms soni, especially R. nzveum, which is very fine. Most of the Himalayan Rhododendrons will

showy purple flowers.

into violacea. A plant of erect habit, with broad deeply-toothed leaves and leafy stems, bearing large purplish flowers. Forms of this are grown with leaves variegated by white and yellow.

A. Royal Purple.—A seedling raised by Messrs. Barr, with abundant flowers of bright reddish-purple.

A. Souvenir of William Ingram.—A seed-

seedlings with flowers of a reddish colour. A.W. Marshall seedling from Letcht-

HIMALAYAN RHODODENDRONS IN THE NorTH

oF IRELAND.—I am sending some flowers of

Rhododendron Thomsont, a fine bush of which is growing in the spring garden at Castlewellan, and has been a magnificent sight for the past couple of weeks—the deep blood-red coloured

| flowers almost dazzling to look at in the sun-

light. The plant is 11 feet in height and a7 iteet

in circumference, and is bearing 380 trusses _of flowers having nine flowers to the truss. It 1s growing in deep rich peat soil in a well- sheltered southern exposure and is in the

most robust health. The following varieties

of Himalayan Rhododendrons have also been flowering very freely in the same garden for

some weeks past :—R. Auckland, R. barbatum,

lum, R. campylocaspum, R. fulgens, and R. ni- veum. Some of these are larger than R.Thom-

stand as much severe weather as R. ponticum,

_as they are very seldom injured by frost, and

deserve to be more extensively planted as they come into flower several weeks before the hy-

_brids. Shelter from storms they do require,

as the foliage gets badly broken by rough

| winds.—T. Ryan, Castlewellan.

M 4

nee

LELIA PRASTANS AND ITS VARIETIES.**

Some confusion has arisen from the

classing together of Lela prestansand

Lela Dayana as mere varieties of L.

distinct from each other. As imported plants of L. pumila are often sold for L. prestans it may be well to draw atten- tion to the main features that divide the two plants. In Lea prestans the struc- ture of the lip (or front lobe of the label- lum) is trumpet-shaped, with a distinct as in L. pumila; the convolute side- stiff in texture that they cannot be spread out without splitting. The petals and sepals are very similar, but do not as a rule lie quite so flat as in L. pumila. The plant was first imported from Santa Catherina, and named by Rachenbach in 1857. Several distinct varieties have been imported of late years, and one of the most striking ofthese is theOakwood variety s shownin our plate. The deep blue lip is in fine contrast with the orange- yellow of the throat, while the raised lines and curve at the base of the tube are clearly defined. There is also a deli- cate blue shading suftusing the light sepals and petals, which are otherwise like those of the typical form of Le/ia prestans —also shown in its colouring of rosy crimson.

These plants of the Le- lia pumila group are all autumn - flowering kinds, coming into blossom at a season when few other or-

Culture.

chids etn mii Hower and lasting long in |

eo Bite SYLVA.

riven When , eTown no ee gives better results than L. prestans; impor-

tations are frequent, and the plants may

be bought at prices within the reach ot

| all growers having the necessary condi- pumila, although the plants are totally —

tions. They do well in shallow pans or

_inteak baskets,suspended near the glass,

where they thrive best and display their flowers to the fullest advantage. They resent too much soil about the roots, so when dealing with imported plants it

-iswell toselect baskets justlarge enough to contain them comfortably. The best curve on the lower sides and notstraight |

compost is a mixture of equal parts ot

fibrous brown peat and chopped sphag-

lobes overlap at the margin, and are so_

num moss, giving abundant drainage,

and making the compost firm about the

roots and rhizomes.

When well estab-

lished it is a mistake to re-pot, unless

made necessary through the plant out-

growing its quarters or the decay of the basket. An annual dressing and partial change of compost is all that is needed. Lelia prestans and its allies are cool- growing kinds and may be grown with the Odontoglossums, but I find they do best when grown in a cool intermediate house with a minimum temperature of 55 degrees throughout the year. Where this constant intermediate temperature is wanting good results may be got by placing them in a warmer house as they

_beginto grow, until the flowering season -_ispassedand their growth matures; they may then be returned to the cool bone

for the dormant season,when little water

is necessary save Just suficient to keep

|

-* With coloured plate from a 1 drawing b by H. G. Moon.

the pseudo-bulbs and foliageina plump |

condition. H. J. CHAPMAN. Oakwood, Wylam- on- -Tyne.

ry

Yi LLA’ PRESTS

COREL MUM ATC ANG ails 7 ee eee

-

4

® a? 4a ° ‘on > @& 6 Pd « gr > 6 oD ee r ”* « _

THE VIBURNUMS.

185

THE VIBURNUMS.

Few classes of hardy shrubs have been» neglected so completely as the Vibur-_

nums. Save for a few well-known kinds they are almost unknown to planters and gardeners, spite of their hardiness and the beauty of many kinds in leaf, flower,and fruit. Eventhe common sorts are more valued for forcing than for the good use that may be made of them by

massing at the waterside, or in groups — _Laurustinus, many other sorts are beau- tiful in hower— dilatatum, dentatum,

large enough to secure the finest effect. In America plantersarealive to the value of the many beautiful kinds so freely scattered throughout Canada and the States,and wide use is now made of the best kinds in parksand pleasure grounds. But, in addition to these western forms,

best in moist and open spots, though

kindsmay be found to dowellin poordry soil,among rocks, or even beneath other trees. Asaclass they thrive upon chalky

soils, growing with a vigour and luxuri-

ance which 1s very welcome where such

land prevails and many other shrubs fail. Beside the well-known Snowball Trees _of Europe, China, and Japan (Vrdurnum

many good kinds have also come from | of use as food. Not a feware good inthe have added to the number of Chinese |

the far East, and recently Messrs. Veitch

and Japanese Viburnums new plants un- like any hitherto grown, while Messrs. Gauntlett of Redruth have sent us beau- tiful flowers of the fine Japanese kinds grown in their nursery.

The Viburnums consti- tute a large group of about a hundred species and many va- rieties, spread over the whole of the northern temperate zone,embracing the

As Garden Shrubs.

the tropics, all of Europe, and the north

they again become abundant in China, Korea, and Japan, stretching even to the mountains of Java. It is not strange that

lants with such a world-wide range should offer kinds suited to almost every condition of plant life. They are in the main careless as to soil or aspect, but do

Opulus,macrocephalum,and plicatum), and the cherished winter clusters of the

molle, prunifolium, rufidulum, Siebold:, tomentosum, and others, being good in this way. Many againare very brightand pretty in their fruits of scarlet, blue, or glossy black, often hanging long upon

the branches, and in two or three sorts

colour of their leaves in autumn, in fact well nigh every kind has something to recommend itas the seasons pass. There is, no doubt, a strong likeness in many kinds that would make anything like a collection of varieties wearisome, but these shrubs are so well adapted to all sortsand conditions of ground that there are few gardens but would gain by add-

ing some of them to the shrubbery, se-

| lecting those best fitted to the spot and whole of North America from Alaska to

the result in view. For the wild gar-

den, or grouped in open spaces upon a of Africa, more rarely across Asia, till

boundary fence, where they may grow

and spread as freely as is their wont, few hardy flowering and berried shrubs are

more useful, and less subject to disease and insect pests. It is the aim of this rapid review of the group to state briefly

the claims of each kind to beauty and

usefulness in British gardens, noting

186

ONES AND S&S ee VA,

eee of soil aoe seasons of Re effect as a guide to planters. Few kinds are to be had in English nurseries, but many are easily raised from seed, and a demand for the better hardy Viburnums would soon create a supply.

Most of the Viburnums are neat garden shrubs, dense, freely branched, and of good outline with little or no trimming. There is great variety in the shape and texture of leaf, but they abound in shades of bright and cheerful green, glossy and shining upon occasion and often finely coloured in autumn. Amongst the best kinds for autumn colour are Opulus, Wrightit, acerifoli- um, furcatum, lantanodes,and Lentago. They vary in height from a few feet to trees of 30 feet,such as Lentago, pruni- folium,and rufidulum. Though with a certain sameness in Hower there is much variety in the size and pose of their clusters, from the immense heads of d- latatum, macrocephalum, and rhytido- phyllum, through every size, with some held erect and stemless, others arched and drooping; some flat and branched, others rounded and ball-like. The size of flower varies no less, and there are many minor distinctions, such as in pubescens, with its long protruding Sfa= mens; prunifolium, with conspicuous yellow anthers ; cotiifolium which blos- soms with a rosy tinge; and phlebotrich- wm, with its deep purple calyx. With the exception of V. antanoides none of the American kinds bear the showy ste- rile flowers, but they atone for this by the beauty and variety of their fruits, borne in profusion and often richly va-

Best Kinds and their Uses.

ried in ae on the same branch. The handsomest kinds in berry are Opulus, dilatatum, tomentosum, furcatum, and Wrichtiu. Mostkinds are best grown in damp spots, but acerifolium, Lantana, dilatatum, pubescens, prunifolium, and Wright will do well in dry ground, and acerifolium, Lantana, and lantan- oides thrive in the shade. For waterside planting many kinds are good, and den- tatum specially fine. Of the evergreen kinds japonicum is the hardiest, while odoratissimum fills the air with a sweet- ness such as pervades the gardens of Pallanza on awarm evening when Ofea Jragrans is in full beauty. Amongst the best for all purposes of the lesser known kinds are prunifolium, dilatatum, Sie- boldi, and rufidulum, but others of great merit may be selected by means of the following descriptions :—

THe MApLe-LEAVED GUELDER Rose (V7- burnum acerifolium).—A low shrub of 4 to 6 feet, from the mountainous tracts of New Eng- land and Canada, and very distinct in its broad three-lobed leaves, shining above and downy beneath. The small flowers of creamy white, coming in May and June, are not showy, but succeeded by oval red berries, turning to black-purple when ripe. The leaves turn a rich purplish-crimson in autumn, and. the plant will grow in dry, rocky soil or even be- neath trees.

THE BUDDLEYA-LEAVED GUELDER Ross (V. buddleifolium).—One of the new kinds intro- duced by Messrs. Veitch, with long wrinkled leaves like those of the Globe-flowered Budd- leya, but densely coated with hairs on the under surface.

THE SIBERIAN WAYFARING TREE (V.. buri- jeticum).—A shrub from the far east of Asia, bearing whitish flowers and pink or yellowish

| fruits in early summer, but too like our native | Wayfaring Tree to be of value.

THe AMERICAN WuiTeE Rop (V. cassi-

noides).—A robust shrub of 6 to8 or more feet, found in swamps near the Atlantic coast of | North America, or in shaded woods towards the southern states. Its thick leaves of dull green, variable in size and outline, are covered with scale-like scurfy dots beneath, and also upon the stems and leaf-stalks. The yellowish- white flowers appear in loose flat clusters of 4 or § inches across during June and July, fol- lowed by rounded shining berries of bright pale green, changing from rosy-red to bluish-black | when ripening. These fruit clusters are hand- | some and abundant, several colours hanging together in the same bunch with pretty effect. The plant is much used in American gardens for the wilder parts of pleasure grounds and shrubberies ; grown beside water it is beauti- ful, thriving in wet ground. Easily increased | from seed or layers, but seedlings vary widely. Syn. V. squamatum.

Tue InprAN WayFarInG TREE (J. cotini- folium).—A spreading shrub or lowtree reach- | ing 20 feet in height, with grey down-covered branches. Though found at 5,000 to 7,000 feet in the mountain valleys of Nepaul and the Himalayas, it is tender, requiring shelter during our winters, or a place upon a warm south wall. Its young leaves are downy but wear smooth above, and grey and woolly be- neath, ovate in shape, and 4 inches long by 2§ wide. The dense flower-clusters of about 3 inches across appear in May or Juneupon short woolly stalks, the small white flowers, flushed with pink upon first opening, being succeeded by oval berries of bright scarlet in their early stages, which are eaten by the natives of Ne- paul. A beautiful shrub for warm districts, with shelter.

Tue DAHURIAN GUELDER Rose (V. Dahu- ricum).—A low spreading shrub of 6 or 8 feet, with grey downy stems and small ovate leaves, toothed at the edges and woolly upon both sides. It is widely spread from Dahuria to western China and is very hardy, thriving best in light moist humus, and covered during early summer with white funnel-shaped flowers in small clusters ; these are followed by fragrant oval berries, at first red, but black and sweet to the taste when ripe in September. Easily increased from cuttings of the shoots.

THe AMERICAN ARROW-Woop (V.dentatum). —A bushy shrub with stout erect branches —

THE VIBURNUMS,

| arrows. _dens, one with finely variegated leaves, and | levigatum, which flowers later and is larger in leaf. A very handsome shrub for damp | ground.

187

reaching 1 5 feet, and beautiful in moist ground, from New Brunswick throughout the States. The ovate leavesare thickly and deeplytoothed, pale green, and carried upon graceful slender stems; the leaves carry hairy tufts at the branching veins of their under surface. The flowers are white and thickly carried during June and July when the shrub is at its best; they give place to small rounded berries of bright dark blue, crowned with the shrivelled

| calyx, and covered with a fine purplish bloom.

This shrub furnished the Indians with their

Two varieties are grown in gar-

Tue DILATED GUELDER Rose (V. di/ata-

_tum).—A shapely shrub of erect growth, reach- ing 10 feet, with greyish shoots, hairy when -young. A native of China and Japan, it was

introduced by Fortune in 1846, and though quite hardy is not common in gardens. Its

_ bright green leaves resemble those of the com- mon Hazel, being pointedly oval and vary 'much in length, coarsely toothed, with a few _hairs on both surfaces.

It is beautiful as a flowering shrub, the short-stemmed clusters of pure white appearing in May and June and sometimes spreading into heads 6 inchesacross. These give place to handsome scarlet berries, hanging for many weeks upon the branches,

_and making this one of the most showy of

hardy shrubs.

THE KoreAN GUELDER Ross (/. erosum). —A slender much-branched shrub, common in Korea and Japan, but of little save botanical interest. Its broad ovate leaves are slightly hairy, and the stems covered with down; the flowers, carried in loose broad heads, open in May and are succeeded by red berries, but with so many finer kinds it has little garden value.

THe EasTerN WAYFARING TREE (V7. fur- catum).—Though a native of the far East this robust shrub is akin to the American Way- faring Tree (V. /antanoides) only more erect in growth. It is not without value in the wilder parts of the garden for its bold foliage, turning a bright red or crimson-purple in the autumn.

Hance’s GuELDER Rosz (VY. Hanceanum),

188

FLORA AND SYLVA.

—A scarce plant from the south of China, not long in cultivation and tender in English gar- dens. It is nearly allied to V. tomentosum, but with leaves broader and less indented. A good American shrub—V. mo//e—sometimes does duty for this in gardens, but the plant is neither distinct nor hardy enough to be of much use to planters.

THe ComMMon WAYFARING TREE (V.. Lan- tana).—A stout shrub or low tree growing 20 feet high, and common all over Europe and in this country, thriving in woods and damp hedgerows, especially upon the chalky soils of the southern counties. Its leaves are large, rounded, finely toothed, and covered (espe- cially beneath) with a scurfy down, extending to the stem and branches; in the autumn this hairy coating turns a dark red, which is very attractive when trees are massed in the wild garden or upon the bounds of a plantation. It is also handsome in flowers, which appear in profusion during May and June as broad flat clusters, the white blossoms succeeded by fruits, at first red and yellow, ripening to a glossy black. It will grow in drier soils than most of the Viburnums, and comes freely from seed. Several varieties are grown in gardens, the most distinct being rugosum, with larger leaves, deeply wrinkled, and heavier clusters of flower ; punctatus, distinct in leaf; and a form variegated with white and yellow.

THe AMERICAN WAYFARING TREE (J. /antanoides).—A vigorous shrub of spreading or drooping habit, reaching ro feet, its young branches thickly covered witha powdery coat- ing of hairs. It is widely spread over North America from Canada to Carolina, and com- mon about Quebec and Lake Huron, where it is known as the Hobble Bush. Its leaves are largeand broadly rounded, measuring from 3 to 8 inches, with an abrupt tip and a coating of scurfy hairs upon the nerves and stems. The white flowers come in May upon very short stems, and in large heads of several inches across, the outer flowers being enlarged and conspicuous ; these clusters give place to bunches of oval red fruits, ripening to dark

purplein theautumn. A hardy shrub of free

place inthe rougher parts of pleasure grounds, where the deep wine-red of its autumn colour is also good. Easily grown from layers, the

trailing branches rooting where they touch the ground.

THE TREE-LIKE GUELDER Ross (V. Len- tago).—A large spreading bush or low tree,

reaching 30 feet, and sometimes trained to a

stem with fine effect. It is common through-

_out North America in woods and moist places, and is an old plant in English gardens.

Its broadly oval leaves, pointed, and toothed at the edge, are of deep shining green changing

in autumn to varied tints of purple, red, and

yellow. The white flowers appear in stem-

less clusters during May and June, followed by large black berries, bluish wit a delicate bloom, pleasant to the taste, and hanging upon the branches for several months. A variety in which the flower-heads have short stems is known as subpedunculatum.

(To be continued.)

IDESIA POLYCARPA.

Even amidits native forests of the island of Kiusiu, Japan, the Idesia is a scarce tree, found in only a few sparse groups, and seen as rarely in Japanese gardens as in those of Europe. Why this should be is not easy to understand, for the tree is hardy, fine in outline and in leaf, and well fitted for use in avenues and for shade around houses. One cause of its slowincrease may be that the two sexes are apart in the Idesia and good seed scarce when fertile trees are few, but as it may be increased in other ways this would hardly seem to be a sufficient reason for its rarity.

Discovered by the Russian traveller Maximowicz in 1866, it was introduced into Europe by way of St. Petersburg, and shown among the new plants at the

Paris Exhibition of 1868. In its native

country it is said to reach a height of

autun 40 feet and upwards at maturity, but its growth, fine in foliage and flower, it merits a _

habit of growth is such that many years must elapse before the young plants to be seen in western gardens can reach

Y W/

‘

FLOWERING

IDESIA POLYCARPA.

SPRAY (MALE) OF IDESIA POLYCARPA.

~

190

FLORA AND SYLVA.

anythinglike this stature. The tendency of the tree is to expand in a low broad

head of increasing diameter, while the

central stemrises but slowly. This form of growth is due to the abnormal de-

velopment of a lower bud upon the

shoots, which (contrary to usage) gains

the mastery, and by diverting growth | _thusencouraged, grows stout and erect.

from the upper part of the branch pushes

outwards rather than up. Its beauty, —

even in bush form, is different from that of most young trees, and on gaining

height the effect of its umbrella-head |

| lings give the most vigorous growth.

composed of branches springing in tiers at more or less regular intervals, and bearing large leaves upon long, trem- bling leaf-stalks, is distinct and grace- ful. The leaves are 8 to ro inches long and 6 wide,roundly heart-shaped at the base, with a long tip and prominent crimson veins, in fine contrast with the greyish under face of the leaf. Soft in textureand drooping gracefully on their long crimson stems—often nearly afoot in length—the spreading crown of vivid light green is strikingly beautiful. The tree begins to flower at 10 or £2 years old with long drooping clusters (show- ing life-size in the engraving), which, though not showy, are very sweet and attractive. Thegreenish-yellow flowers have a dense tuft of light-coloured sta- mens tipped with bright orange, and theirfragranceas of asweet Vandadraws the bees from far and near. The flowers of the female tree are smaller and give place to berries of orange or dusky red and about the size of a large pea; being dry and bitter they have no value as food,

though on first appearance the Idesia_

was vaunted as a new fruit tree, Where

| plants of either sex are wanting it is a

good plan tograft branches ofboth upon

the same stem and thus enjoy the effect of flowers and berries in their season.

To make a tree speedily the plant must

be pruned rather closely while young, removing each year the lower branches so as to relieve the central stem, which,

Where seed is not to be had it may be increased in spring orautumn from cut- tings of the root or half-ripened shoots in sandy loam and gentle heat, but seed-

It grows freely in light sandy soils, but does not do well in heavy or damp ground, though quite hardy in most

places. A variety known as crvspa bears

leaves strangely cut,rolled,and crinkled, but its only interest is as a curiosity.

A fine example of the Idesia, which has reached a height of nearly 15 feet in as many years, with a trunk about 12 inches round at the base, is growing in the Rhododendron dellatKew. Itis a female and fruits regularly, fertilised by other trees within a short distance; its fruitsare describedas of dull purplish black, but they are sometimes brighter incolour. Thistree has shown itself per-

-fectly hardy. Older and larger examples

are probably to be found in some gar- dens of the south and south-west, and

about Queenstown in Ireland, but only

in isolated specimens. The Idesia is

akin to the Azaras of Chili and South

America, and classed with them. The tree was named in honour of Ides, a

Dutch traveller and botanist in the

far East. Syns. Placourtia gaponica and Polycarpa Maximowiczi1.

NATIONAL PARKS FOR THE BRITISH ISLES,

NATIONAL PARKS FOR THE BRITISH ISLES.

In a country like Great Britain, one of the best assets of which is its natural beauty—a thing of value not only tothe natives butalso to the many visitors who come from the colonies and abroad— itis strange that the question of national parks has never arisen, the more so see- ing that we have, perhaps, the finest opportunities known for securing them. Were our country like the plains of the Danube or of Burgundy—levels rich in corn and wine—it would be far less easy; but vast tracts in the British Isles are almost uselessforagriculture or any kind of industry. Stand in the midst of the mountains of Wales and you see their summits rangingoneatter the other like the bare rounded masses of great elephants,and withoutatreeuponthem. In Ireland, too, there are beautiful but bare ranges of mountains, often with a | lovely seashore, which might easily be | secured for all time as national parks. Whatever value they now possess for agriculture, or for any county or local interest, they would afford in no less degree as national parks, though we feel | strongly that the best way to treat such places would be to leave them in their natural state. This would mean very little in labour, and certainly no “laying out” in the way of public parks as we know them, with their prosaicand ugly design so destructive of beauty. England is richer than either Wales, Scotland, or Ireland in agricultural resources and in the value of its land for residential use, but even so it has vast districts of great beauty in its moors and mountain land

IgI

in the north and its downs in the south, which might, without much sacrifice, be given to this truly national object. One of the greatest gains from national parks would be that they might afford opportunity for planting our native trees in bold natural masses and forests. These should be massed according to their wants asregards soil and elevation, with no setting out or prim fencing, or any

like things that are usually thought ne-

cessary for the rigid methods of artificial planting, all of which are absolutel needless in a national park. In all the more fertile parts and by streams and in valleys these trees would serve the two- fold purpose of showing their natural beauty and value, and of giving a home to woodland creatures.

The only difhculty would be to pre- vent such great parks from becoming mere places of public resort, which would destroy all the quiet for the crea- tures we would encouragein them. This

might best beavoided by selecting spots

difficult of access and remote from the

busy centres. The woodsin such should also be closed at certain seasons of nest- ing and breeding, and the mere sight- seer excluded altogether from certain parts. Anything like the show of formal roadsand paths seen in the public parks

_of great cities should be rigidly avoided.

It would be absurd to have hotels in such places. Artists and students might,under regulation, be allowed access to them. They would be an immense gain to ar- tists to whom all “‘set out” things area horror; indeed, the value of such places

| might almost be considered in relation

to their value for artists, as in a thickly-

192

peopled country like ours, the cultivated and residential land is likely to become more and more a sealed book to them.

In the April number of Ze Wine- teenth Century and After, in his plea for a national park for Scotland, Mr.Charles

Stewart describes the purposes of such.

a parkas follows:—(r1) The preservation in its wild state of a large tract of coun- try possessing natural beauty, varied in its character and in its physical features, and combining, if possible, mountain, valley, forest, moorland, lofty peak and rocky glen, greensward and lake, river and burn, sea-cliffs and seashore. (2) Thestrict preservation in them of speci- mens of all the indigenous fauna of our country—the red deer, fallow deer, roe deer, hare, badger, otter, wild cat, fox, and the minor quadrupeds, the caper- cailzie, blackcock, moorfowl, golden eagle,raven, andall the tribe of sea-eagle and sea-hawk, and the lesser native birds and_natural fishes. The enclosure once acquired, to be in the words of the Act of Congress when instituting the Yel-

lowstone Park: ‘‘for ever dedicated and.-

set apart asa public park or pleasuring ground.” Mr. Stewart points out that

there are estates and stretches of coun- |

try or islandsin Argyll, Inverness, Ross- shire, or Sutherland, offering all the

charms that could be desired and fringed —

by sea, by sea-cliffs, and by seashore. The island of Jura (about go,000 acres in extent) or the island of Rum (about 4.3,000acres)would either of them make a noble national park. The enclosure should not beless than 20,000 to30,000 acres in extent,and 50,000 acres would not be excessive. There are deer forests

FLORA AND SYLVA,

in Scotland which range from 40,000 to 80,000 acres; but even with 10,000 acres,ifthe ground besufhcientlyvaried, all the essentials for the preservation of big game could be attained. A capital outlay of some £30,000 to £50,000 should buy a suitable place, and very little further initial expense would be needed. The direct advantages would be the preserving intact of a large and wild tract of country of great natural beauty, and of protecting it for ever from the inroads of the speculator or the schemes of the mining and railway pro- moter for public use, recreation, and re- sort for all time,together with the bene- fit to our food supply, to science, and to pleasure, from preserving the wild animals and birds of our country and

rescuing them fromextinction.—W.R.

RHAPHITHAMNUS CyANocarpPUus. — Finely- flowered sprays of this Chilian Needle Tree have reached us from the rich gardens of Mr. R. H. Beamish, at Glounthaune, Co. Cork. It isa rare plant of much beauty, but too tender for the open save inthe most favoured districts. It is one of the neat myrtle-like shrubs com- mon in the extreme south of South America, and needing much the same care as that plant. Its shining dark green leaves, heart-shaped, and about half-an-inch long, are thickly set upon light graceful stems in clusters of three, accompanied by an equal number of sharp needle-like spines slightly longer than the leaves, and to which the tree owes its name. The stems and young growths are covered with soft thick down of a rusty brown colour. The narrow tubular flowers of white and mauve appear round the leaf-axils towards the ends of the shoots, which are free of spines. Though small they are pretty, drooping thickly in clus- ters of five or six at each point, and not un- pleasant insmell. The plant reaches the height of asmalltree. Five other species have been _ described, all natives of Chili, but this is pro- _bably the only kind in cultivation.

FLORA

AND SYLVA.

Vol. I. No. 16.] JULY,

FRUIT TREES AND THEIR FLOWERS. Arrer one of our most beautiful springs asregards flowers, both of woodlandand

garden—miles of Narcissi, carpets of |

Bluebells and Primrose, and the bolder charms of the hardier plants—the fair- est thing we have seen this year is the orchard beauty clustered near the house at Penshurst in Kent, rank after rank of lovely and varied Apple trees in mid- May, more beautiful than Lilies, or al- most any flower, if we take into account the colour of bud and blossom, with theirvariety of huesthe most delicateand refined. It is too much the fashion now- adays toalways separate things into “‘or- namental” and ‘‘non-ornamental,” and it is acurious reflection on this, that the most beautiful of all the effects of a gar- den ina fertile country like Kent should be thethingsthat are not usually classed as ornamental, viz., the simple beauty of thingsgrownforuse. Althoughwe can- not grow the Fig or the Vine, the Peach orthe Apricot, as orchard trees,we have still this great advantage,thatasto bloom our hardy fruit trees are more beautiful than those of the south. This is all the greaterreason why weshould secure that beauty ina higher degreethan is general

1904. [ Monthly.

_aboutthecountry house. Why the strict | separation of orchard and flower garden should be considered necessary in so | many gardens is strange when we think of therare beauty of anold Apple or Pear tree at all seasons, whether for its fine form, beauty of flower, or the autumn colour of fruit and leaf, and this exclu- | sion appears all the more strange when we think thatthe Date Palm,theOrange, Vine, Fig, and even the Mulberry — trees with far less claim to beauty—are nowhere considered out of place in gar- dens of the south of Europe, but always as aids to fine effect. Not but that your Provencal is fully alive to the value of his fruits, but all, even down to his Gourd and his Water Melon, he groups picturesquely about his dwelling, valu- ing their shade and beauty of form.

It is noteverywherethatwecan pass, as at Penshurst, from a large flower gar- den at once into walled and sheltered orchards rich with fruit trees; but in many places where like opportunities occur theyare neglected. In hardlyany case, however, need we be beaten as to

soil, because it does not signify whether

the orchard is set out on a regular level, as at Penshurst, or whether it occupies

a piece of sloping or diversified land.

N

194

FLORA AND SYLVA.

In fact, it might easily be put on land which, owing to its steepness or other incidents, is useless for any other pur- pose.

If itweresimplya question of beauty alone itwould beworth attempting, but there is another gain important to con- sider (at least in a southern county and in hot years), and that is the shade of these fruit trees which is so well suited to growing many of the finer hardy plants. Stately herbaceous plants, Ferns, Lilies, Primroses, Foxgloves, and many other lovely things do wellin this partial shade, asat Penshurst, andalsoat Warley where there is a distinct and charming flower garden under fruit trees, which give their fine form, light shade, and protection for the plants that enjoy such shelter. Many things do better in this sort of shade than in the open, flowers last longer and,assuming that the soil is a good one—asit often is where orchard trees are grown — their growth is freer. For this purpose tall trees are better than dwarf or half-standard trees: that is, the standard grafted ona free stock, giving height and air,is fully as good for shade as the dwarfer forms, which would be useless where we are to have a flower garden beneaththem. They should take their natural forms, nor should any stiff pruning of the usual sort be allowed,the only trimming being the cutting away of cankered, crowded, or worn-out branches.

As to kinds, the Apple tree is the most important, owing to its vivid beau- ty and variety, not merely of the usual kinds to be found in catalogues,butalso

the cider Apples, which are hardly ever

planted for effect. Most of the French and our own cider Apples flower late and are beautiful in form and in flower. The Plum, Cherry, and also the hardier kinds of Pears should be grown, but only the kinds that ripen well in our country. The Quince and the Medlar (on a much smaller scale) are pretty in bloom, and there is a host of Double Cherries, Almonds, and Apples, includ- ing the Siberian Crabs,which might well come in for flower if weare not satisfied with the kinds grown for their fruit— in themselves an ample host and rich in every charm of colour.

A GARDEN CANTON.—Through- out the long-coming of spring there is one happy corner of Switzerland to which our hearts turn with delight. It is the luminous, the glowing Ticino, where, under the Federal flag, an Italian flora flourishes—a land of flowers, of perfumes, of blue lakes and sunny skies; it is our own Nice, but Nice calm and restful—Nice, without Monte Carlo, with its dust and tumult. The Ticino is the eldorado of the botanist and the plant lover, for there are gardens every- where, overflowing with flowers and breathing sweet perfume. I have visited it at all seasons,and have never failed to gather flowers, both native and exotic, that were new to me, flowers that one never sees this side of the Alps. In the country about the lakes (in other parts it is not nearly so warm) this vegetation is so richly varied and so luxuriant that one’s whole being glows into harmony with the prevailing sense of gladness, till even the saddest of mortals is lifted out of himself and reflects something of the

A GARDEN CANTON.

all-pervading sunshine. For the Howers radiate happiness, while poetry wells forth with every opening flower and budding branch, each shade and leaty dell showing unsuspected charms. Tru- ly, a land rich in flowers is a land full of delights which are apart from all other sources of happiness, and this is true the world over, for only the soulless merce- nary (and heis happily rare) is unrespon- sive to the mystic spell of flowers. And Ticinoistrulythe garden of Switzerland. Alpine flowers— Rhododendrons and Saxifrages—creep down as near as Lo- carno; one sees them in bloom even on the rocks of the Madonna del Sasso; flowers too that breathe of the Mediter- ranean, and which have made it their home for thousands of years gone by ; exotic flowers, in garden and park, fine brilliants enriching Nature’s beautiful setting, are seen scattered upand down, even in gardens the most modest, and richly lavished upon the fringes of the limpid waters. Those charming gardens of Comoand theBorroneanIsles, the gar- densof Pallanza and Lustra, of Locarno and Lugano, the floral wealth of the en- tire world is gathered here, but it is the far East, Australia,and North America, which have given most largely. And how shall words do justice to the beau- ties of those groves of Camellias, bloom- ing from March to May, in the gardens of Locarno? Everyone in Ticino de- lights in flowers, collecting and caring for them. But all alike cannot share the lovely setting of Locarno, or that of Lu- gano—the gentle, poetic Lugano— slumbering at the foot of the Salvatore and encircled by a crown of gardens

195

fully as rich in flower, but not in variety, as those of Locarno, which is nearer the sources of rare plants. But Lugano has something better than mere collections, however rich and rare, better even than the fairest gardens of our dreams; it has the starry slopes of Salvatore, carpeted with Christmas Rose and the brightly- flushing Polygala, with garlands of fra- grant Daphne(D. Cxeorum) and spread- ing fields of sweet Fraxinellas, which are sheeted in earliest spring with Snowdrop and SnowHake. And Lugano also has its Castagnola, with the ancient trees ; and thenatural gardens of Gandrid, with old Chestnut groves, beneath whose shade flourish the velvet-flowered Sera- pias; and sunny slopes, crowned with Apollo Laurels and thickets of the white flowering Ash. And from Lugano, by way of Melida and Morcota, one may wander round the foot of Salvatore, re- turning by the fower-decked valley of Ticino.—H. Correvon, “‘ Par Monts et par Vaux.”

OrcHARD Beaury.—Orchards are even more personal in their charms than gardens, as they are more nearly human creations. Ornaments of the homestead, they subordinate other fea- tures of it; andsuch istheir sway over the land- scape that house and owner appear accidents without them. So men delight to build in an ancient orchard, whenso fortunateasto possess one, that they may live in the beauty of its sur- roundings. Orchards are among the most co- veted possessions; trees of ancient standing, and vines, being firm friends and royal neighbours for ever. The profits, too, are as wonderful as their longevity. And if antiquity can add any worth to a thing, what possession has a man more noble than these? So unlike most others, which are best at first, and grow worse till worth nothing; while fruit trees and vines in-

| crease in worth and goodness for ages.— The

Orchard.

N 2

196

FLORA AND SYLVA,

THE GREATER TREES OF THE NORTHERN FOREST.—No. 16. THE COMMON OAK (Quercus pe- aunculata).

Kine of the Northern Forest, from its use, beauty, and associations, it is in all ways the most precious of our native trees. The beauty of the Oak is evident in many parts of our country, differing, too, according to place, its effect in the south, for instance, not being the same as in the midlands, where the trees are more stately though their wood is no better, if, indeed, as good. In chase, or park, or lawn, nothing can be finer than our picturesque sentinel Oaks; but one noble aspect of the tree, not so often seen with us, is its tall forest dignity. Owing to the trees being so often set

apart, and to the underwood culture |

which encourages them to branch out,

planting will succeed in certain soils. The best soils are cool clays and loams, and theiron-soaked soils so common in theweald of Sussex and in Kent. A deep soil is not necessary if the subsoil is cool. Dry and poor sandy soils are dead against the Oak. Happily thereare large areas in which there is the right kind of soil, and many of the poor clays and

cold, hungry loams that were broken

up in better times might now be well

planted with Oak, for this tree is for all

we do not so often see those superb |

erect trees such as may be found in the great French forests like Fontainebleau,

noble in stature as well as in size, and over 100 feet high. Where Oaks are massed in this way the effect of the lichen-silvered stems in winter is fine, and in spring is even better, where the

time likely to be the most valuable that we can grow. Nothing that the wit of man could devise pays so well as anOak wood in many districts of Britain. Oak will grow very well on fine rich loams,

but the best quality is grown upon soils

which, although cool, cannot rightly be classedas good loams. As regards drain- age, upon which stress is so often laid, the growth of the Oak is proof to me

that drainage is not necessary. In my

woods, and in the district around, the

Marly, and Bercy, where the Oaks are |

Oak is as good in quality as has ever

been cut, although the ground it grows upon is saturated in winter and, indeed,

ground is carpeted with Primroses and |

Ladies’ Smocks, Dog Violets, and Wood

Hyacinths. To treat of the literature of |

the Oak in anything like completeness would require a goodly volume; I pro- pose,therefore, to deal only with matters essential in planting and the enjoyment of the Oak wood.

The choice of land upon which to grow Oak is im- portant, forneither natural nor artificial

Soil.

for a great part of the year.

If we watch what goes on undera grove of Oaksafter a good year of acorns and

Increase and Growth.

| in places not too much exposed to crea-

tures that store them away, we see a

vigour of growth from seed such as no

other tree can surpass. ‘These, be it ob- served, are uncovered acorns, and, see- ing this, who need be afraid to take the simple way with acorns? The plan I have practised with success is to scatter acorns over a field of likely ground and

then run the plough through the field

\\

AN

THE COMMON

OAK,

i il { i

(Engraved for ‘‘Flora’’ from a picture by Charles Jacques in possession of the Editor.)

GROUP OF OLD OAK WITH SWINEHERD.,.

198

FLORA AND SYLVA,

to cover up the seed. The acorns will thus be thrown into lines and protected from the birds and other creatures dur- ing the winter. They come freely, and, if not severely gnawed by vermin, will be too many, but it is very easy to thin out the weakest. The acorns should be from sound, fair-sized trees—often an easy matter at least in the south, though in the same place we have often found a curious diversity in their size. In districts where rabbits abound it is absolutely necessary to wire, to a height of 33 feet and not more than a couple of acres ata time, as larger areas are difhcult to con- trol. If thisis not done the little seedling Oaks will be eaten down (thelarger Oaks are saved bytheirastringency)and several years may be lost; but even then they keep onand in good time get their heads up. There has been much writing as to the superiority of transplanted trees over thoseraised fromacorns, but this is con- trary to all the facts of Nature as seen in every Oak wood, where the trees come so freely from seed. Among the various sound reasons for raising Oak from acorns is its economy and simplicity, and also the fact that in the nursery it is not at all usual to find a good stock of the common Oak. An important point isthe renewal of existing woods in which underwood has been grown for gene- rations; the Oaks scattered through these are occasionally good but are often spoiled by their spreading heads. As underwood has now ceased to be profitable and its cutting is often a nui- sance near the house, it is better to re- plant the wood with Oak, in which case we shall have to use tall saplings. I plant

saplings of from 8 to 12 feet high, and when they come from good forest nur- series I find they succeed, but they must have been moved often enough to secure a fibrous root. The Oak is said to suffer much from transplanting, but this need not be the case if they have been well prepared for it, and I have planted many thousands of saplings with very slight loss. My replanting is done in the hope of getting back to high woods and killing off the underwood eventually. It is a popular idea that the Oak is a slow growing tree, and , perhaps, the sturdy contorted trees one sees in open places to some extent warrant this opinion; the idea is none the less an error, for the Oak is a rapid grower. Some ten years ago I planted a small field with Pines—the hardiest and mostrapidin growth, some of them, like the Corsican Pine, growing 2 face and even more a year, in favourable spots ; in the soil brought by birds and mice a certain number of acorns came up un- invited, and so far these have kept their heads level with the Pines. Some years ago, too, an interesting calculation was carried out upon my own land on Oaks growing in underwood recording the growth of ten years. It showed a yearly increase of from 5 to 74 per cent.

Itis impossible toenumerate here the vast number of uses to which the wood of the Oak can be put, from shipbuilding to cabinet mak- ing. As fuel itshould be more used than it is. According to some books it is less good as fuel than the Beech, but the cordwood cut trom Oaks in the spring is excellent for burning. In our country

Growth.

Wood.

THE COMMON OAK,

199

there isan enormous waste of this branch wood, due to ourcommon way of grow- ing the Oak, and it would be well to encourage its more frequent use as fuel. Its charcoal is also of good quality.

The range of the common Oak is a very wide one, ex- tending east towest from the foot of the

Range.

Urals to the Atlantic Ocean, and from >

the Sierra Morena in

there are other forms which might be called “‘ ornamental” in the current use of the term. But even from that point of view none of these are half so good as the ordinary tree as it comes from seed. Happily we are not burdened with sy- -nonyms, the only confusion likely to arise being from botanical authors class- ing the other native species as a mere

Spain through Sicily, Greece, Asia Minor, to the southern Cau- casus. In its northern range it spreads from ScotlandthroughNor- way to northern Rus- sia. Within these li- mits it is found chiefly in the plains and val- leys, but grows also upon the slopes of hills and even among the mountains to as high

as 3,000 feet, but this rarely. When in full vigour it is susceptible to severe cold in thespring, often losing its young shoots, leaves and flowers, from late frosts. gop td: From our point of view Synonyms, and it is out of the question References. +) consider here the va- rieties of our noble Oak. If from some high standpoint we look out over any good Oak district, we may see much di- versity as regards time of leaf, colour, and even habit, and for hair-splitting students it would not be difficult from these minor differences toestablish “‘va- rieties.” But that iswholly futile for our

purpose. Thereisa pyramidal Oak, and

STEM OF GREAT OAK NEAR DALLWITZ, KARLSBAD, AUSTRIA.

(Engraved for ‘ Flora’”’

from a photograph sent by the Rev. H. Ewbank.

variety, whereas the experience of fo- -_resters is that it is distinct in timberand habitat, and we propose to treat it as such. | The pyramidal Oak, which is some- times seen grafted in gardens, occurs in some forests asa natural seedling, and is said to reproduce itself freely. In France there is also a late-leafing form which is described as common in certain woods, and might have some importance for very cold countries, as it comes into leaf some weeks later thanthe commonkind. Those who think thatthe accepted Latin names of our own day aretheonly

N 4

200

FLORA AND SYLVA.

ones ae any pretence to “science”

may pause and reflect when they realise the age and use of the name Oak in all northernwritings. ThusinearlyAnglo- Saxon we have acand ec, Scotch az, old Norse e74, Swedish e4, Danish and Icelandic ey, oe Can eek and eth, German ciche, and old High German evh.

References to Modern Books.—Quercus pedunculata, Willd. Reich. Ic. Fl. Gevm. et Helv., Vol. XII.; Bullot, Fl. Gall. et Germ. E-xsicc., No. 2532. Quercus ruber, Si. Engl. Bot., ed. 1, No. 1342; Leight, Fl. Shrop., p. 473; Fl. de Belg., ed. 2. p. 267; Mathieu. Flore Foresticve, ed. 4, p. 3453; Laslett, Timber and Timber Trees, various notes as to timber ; Svme, English Botany, ed. 3, vol. 8, p. 145; Ehr. Avb., No. 77; Loudon, “Arb. et Frut. Brit., vol. 3, p. 1731: Kotschy. tab. 27: Woods and Forests, vol. 1, p. 8; Selby’s British Forest Trees, p. 243.

THE YARROWS (Achitiea).*

In this large family of northern plants there are many weedy ones unlikely to be of much value in the garden, and no doubt also a few brilliant things not yet introduced. At the same time it would beungrateful not to say that a good deal of beauty may be had from them in the open garden, both from the tall and showy and the dwarfer kinds, includ- ing the silvery-tufted plants of the high mountains, which come in so well for our rock-gardens, narrow edgings, and borders. Most of them are of the easiest culture, thriving in open sandy soils and the more vigorous kinds in heavier ground. Almost all the dwarf mountain species do well in gritty loam,and when planted as they should be, freely as groups in the rock-garden, care should betaken that sufficient soil is given them,

for in our lowland gardens many alpine plants, though of the simplest culture,

die away from starvation because too

Crep. Man.

often planted in the smallest scrap of earth. In their mountain homes many of these plants send their roots down to a great depth in the rocky crevices, and draw thence a never-failing supply of food and moisture.

The two plants shown in our plate were drawn from flowers sent by Mr. Gumbleton from Belgrove, Queens- town, both being introductions from the east of Europe. Achillea buglossis is a large-flowered form of 4. /ingulata ——a plant found upon the mountains of Hungary, bearing small rounded heads of white flowers flushed with pale rose at maturity. This fine variety with its spreading heads of large flat flowers is distinct from other kinds and very use- ful for cutting, the shaded centre en- hancing the effect of the white petals. It grows from 12 to 18 inches high, with a long season of bloom from June into September.

A. clypeolata isa plant rarely seen in gardens, coming from rocky places in the mountains of the Balkan penin- sula. It flowers during June and July, upon stout stems 18 inches high, with narrow, much-divided leaves and dense heads of bright yellow, composed of many small flowers tinged with orange in the centre when fully open. Both kinds do best in warm, well-drained soil and sunny spots, the long black roots being quite at home amongst stones and sand. ;

The Yarrows form a group of many species, confined (save for a very few kinds) tothe northern temperateregions

of the Old World, extending through-

* With coloured plate from a drawing by H. G. Moon.

BUGLOSSIS_2. A CLIPHOLATA.

VAR®

PCH PbeA LINGCULATA.

THE YARROWS.

ZOr

out Europeand Asia from Spain to Java, and commonest from the Balkan region and north-east Africa, through Asia M1- nor to Persia. Only those kinds of some value from the garden point of view are given here:—

Greek Mountain Yarrow (2. agerati- folia).—A silvery-leaved plant from the sub- alpine districts of northern Greece, with large white flowers like Daisies, carried singly upon stems of 6 or 8 inches, early in summer. The leaves are narrow, tongue-shaped, crimped, and covered with white down. This is a very neat and distinct plant, thriving in light soil. Syn. A. ageratoides ; also known as Anthemis Aizoon.

SILVERY YaRRow (4. argentea).—A neat and attractive kind, effective from its pretty sil- very foliage growing in compact tufts of a few inches, with numerous heads of pure white flowersin Juneand July. Asia Minor. Division. This plant is now often classed in the allied group of Tanacetum.

ALPINE Yarrow (4. a/pina).— An old European plant, first described by Linneusbut almost unknown in cultivation, though excel- lent in the rock-garden for its good habit and loose heads of silvery-white flowers.

ASPLENIUM-LEAVED YARROW (2. asplent- tolia).—One of the few American kinds, grow- ing 18 inches high, with deeply-cut leaves and dense heads of small flowers of white or rose colour, from June until the autumn.

BLACK-CUPPED YARROW (2. atrata).—A pretty alpine kind from the mountains of Aus- tria, forming a low tuft of deep green aromatic leaves, with white flowers in August.

White ALPINE YARROW (4. Clavenne).— Adwarf plant ofstriking appearance with leaves deeply jagged and covered with a short, silky down of silvery white ; clear white flowers in summer. It thrives in a light, free soil, often dying out in heavy ground, and isa pretty plant

for the rock-garden or borders, effective when |

massed with such dark-leaved plants as Trifo- ium rubrum or Ajuga purpurea. Alps of Austria. Division and seed.

SAW-LEAVED YARROW (4. deco/orans).—A distinct Swiss plant of about 15 inches, with white hairyleaves regularly toothed,andflower- heads of goodclear white. The double-flowered

form of this species comes very near 4. Prar- mica plena,but differs from it in itsmore deeply serrated leavesand more rigid habit,and though

_useful for cutting is yet hardly so free in flower | or so good as the Double Sneezewort. Syn. 4.

serrata plena.

Tue Nosie Yarrow (4. filipenaulina).— A handsome, vigorous perennial, well known in gardens. It is of good habit, about 4 feet high, with large flat heads of yellow flowers, often 5 inches across, coming from July to Sep- tember and retaining their beauty for a long time. Excellent for groups in shrubbery or border, and useful for cutting. Though often described as ataller form of this plant, 4. Eupa- torium is no longer considered as distinct.

LARGE-LEAVED YARROW (4. grandifolia). —A bold plant of robust growth for the wild garden, where, in rich soil, it grows 5 or 6 feet, bearing fine foliage and large heads of creamy white or pale yellow flowers. Asia Minor.

FRAGRANT Yarrow (4. Herba-rota).—A pretty little plant growing in sunny spots upon the hills of western Europe, with a pleasant herb-like fragrance when touched ; low tufts of undivided leaves, and loose white clusters upon slender stems of about 6 inches.

Hurer’s Yarrow (4. Huter:).—A plant 6 inches high, with greyish-green foliage and pure white flowers in May and June. It likes a sunny part of the rock-gardenand grows well in common soil. Freed from the life-struggle in the alpine turf, this, like so many spreading plants in our gardens, is best replanted every second year. Switzerland.

Tue Rosy Yarrow (4. Mi/lefolium). — Though somewhat unruly, this fine perennial is worth a place for its colour in the garden dur- ing July and August, growing about 2 feet high and thriving in any soil upon the margins ot shrubberies. The best kinds are the light and dark rose-coloured forms of the native plant, which varies much in colour even in a wild state.

Musk Yarrow (4. moschata).—A low- growing alpine plant, the leaves of which are woolly and deeply cut, stems sub-shrubby, flower-heads white, 4 to 6 inches high, and flowering from June to August. Europe.

Dwarr ITatiaAn YARRow (2. nana).—A very low-growing species not often met with, yet avery pretty kind for the rock-garden,

202

FLORA AND SYLVA.

though difficult to grow in low districts. Its deep green foliage lies close to the earth ina clustered rosette ; flower-heads white.

Douste WHITE YARRow (4. Prarmica fi. p/.).—A useful variety and perhaps the best known of all, providing a profusion of pure whiteblossoms upon tall stems throughout the summer. For cutting it is most useful and is perfectly hardy and free in any soil. Various good forms of this plant are now grown, The Pearl, elegans plena, and Snowball, being of the number. Often called by its old name of Double Sneezewort.

Rock Yarrow (4. rupestris) —A pretty and early-flowering evergreen kind from Cala- bria, forming a low white-flowered tuft of afew

inches ; thrives in poor soil upon warm banks, and is among the best of the dwarf kinds.

TRAUTMANN’S YARROW (4. Trautmanni).— —A pretty species from Austria, with umbels | of white flowers 6 to 8 inches high. Of tufted | growth, with long and very narrow leaves of | deep green, and white flowers.

THE SIBERIAN Y ARROW (24. sibirica).—This kind bears many elegant white blossoms early | in the season, attractive by reason of their puri- ty,and most useful in the border or forcutting. | It is 2 feet high, of easy growth, and less ram- bling at the root than many kinds. Increased | by division. Siberia. Syn. 4. mongolica.

Downy Yarrow (4. tomentosa).—A tufted, trailing rock-plant, with evergreen woolly leaves and flat corymbs of bright yellow flowers from June to August; in poor soil it spreads as a dense green carpet, but in rich groundis often 12 inches high. The best of all the yellow- flowered kinds, it isa good plant for the margins of mixed borders in ordinary soil, but not in wet places, doing best uponsunny banksoreven upon dry walls, where it issometimes used with fine effect. Division. European Alps, and rarely in Britain. Syn. 4. aurea.

EcyptTian YARRow (4. Tournefortit) —A silvery plant 18 to 20 inches high, with finely cut leaves and handsome heads of yellow flowers, and much of the grace of a fern in its appearance. Anative of the East, it is not quite hardy on heavy soils but survives in well- drained sunny spots, flowering in summer. Division. Syn. 4. Agyptica.

Partin Mountain Yarrow (4. umbel-

| 66 pockets cs

/ata.—A dwarf alpine plant, pretty all through

the season from its silvery deeply-lobed leaves, best seen upon warm banks or dry walls ; its white flowers are of small account, being few and inconspicuous against the glistening white foliage. It is a Grecian species, of easy culture in light soil; increased by division in spring. GOOD COLOUR FROM THE ROCK-GARDEN.

ALTHouGH in their native lands there is no colour more beautiful than that of rock and Alpine plants, owing to various causes their full value is seldom shown

in gardens. The common way of mak-

ing what is called a rockery prevents all breadth of grouping ; the puerile idea that a rock- -garden i is made by stand- ing stones on end is against all effective planting; you cannot get plants into

natural colonies in that way, and the

prevent them from taking aaa like their usually prettyspread- ing habit. The great majority of Alpine plants do not want pockets; they want to be raised above the level in order to

“escape the surface water ; they enjoy

having their roots Behianel stones, but they no more object to a flat surface or

gentle slopes than grass does, as may be seen upon the Alps in all directions. If people would put their rocks in simple

ways instead of exposing their sides like milestones, it would be much easier to group ais and get the full effect of the colour ofthe mountain flowers. Another mistake long rooted in our habits and which spoils all the mixed borders in the land, is the common way of placing dots instead of easy groups, putting cul- tivation or good effect out of court. Hence, although we may secure much

of the individual- beauty of ‘the plant

seen close at hand, we do not get the

GOOD COLOUR FROM THE ROCK-GARDEN.

true colour eftect, which is the most subtle charm.

In the rock-garden at Swaylandsin Kent, made by Mr. Drummond in a very spirited way, we saw much that re- minded us of good rock-plant colour lately, and there were some very impres- sive effects from the Gentians, Rocky Mountain Phlox, Purple Rock Cress (4ubretia),and rock-shrubs that flower at this season. No other plants specially put out for their show of colour could have given such brilliant effects, and we feel sure that owners of rock-gar- dens might get far moreenjoymentfrom themif they adopted these simpler ways of grouping. We do not say that only one kind of plant should be used ina given spot, for two kinds sometimes intermingle with pretty effect—as they oftendo in their native haunts—butthe great thing is to get broad groups of each plant, whether it be Alpine Heath, or the Purple Rock Cress which flowers for three monthsinthespring,or such plants as the common Woodruff, which group themselves if we let them. Ten kinds well used are more effective than a hun- dred species as commonly set out. The plants that may be used are numerous, and their colours refined and beautiful in the highest sense. Beside the true rock-plants thereare many dwarf shrubs like Helianthemums,some of the smaller Roses, and mountain shrubs generally, that lend themselves to fine effect in colour.

Beauty of Trouping.

Broad Groups.

It is notonly beauty that we get, but also helpful

Other Advantages.

203

simplicity in cultivation ; for, clearly, if we have to make changes when a plant gets tired of the ground or for any other reason, it is far easier to deal with visible masses than with scattered dots. Another point is, that with the feeble dotting system in use, the weeds take posses- sion of the bare ground, whereas many of these mountain plants, if allowed to spread into groups, unite to keep the enemy out. In every way, therefore, the rock-gardenis much more easy to man- age where the dotting system 1s setaside. There remains the question of getting enough plants to secure this effect, and happily most things in common use are

| readily increased by cuttings or division.

Rockfoils, for example, which are so useful, are easily increased to any extent by division ; thelittle American Phloxes also. The Aubretias come freely from seed or cuttings. Itis only the rareties which may be difhult of increase; most things of free growth, asrock-plants, are of quick increase by simple means.

Coarse plantsaretoooften seen, flowerless, too vigo- rous, or without beauty of colour; these should be removed to the herbaceous borders and the wild garden, or else- where—not only because of their ugli- ness, but as being apt to exhaust the ground near fragile plants, robbing them of moisture and light, or actually over- growing and killing them—a common sightonneglectedrock-gardens. Plants growing upon moraines or cliffs are not overfed, but at least they have not to fight with the vigorous herbs one too often sees on rock-gardens. These also help to mar the colour of the rock-

Coarse Plants.

204

FLORA AND SYLVA,

garden, breaking up masses and giving a very un-Alpine look to the scene. The repetition of the same thing all over the rock-gardenisthesurest way to destroy harmonious and right colour. If we are fond of Yellow Alys- sum, or any other showy plant, let it be on a bank or wall in a bold way in one place ; or, if it isa plant we are very fond of, we may even have two or three groups of it in different aspects, but if scattered all along the same line of view the result is fatal to any harmony of co- lour. Again, harsh contrasts should be avoided, seeking rather gentle and har- monious effect. The groupingand mass- ing should never be stiff; masses might run one into the other here and there, and need notalwaysbe confined toplants of one sort. Things of like stature and character might at times be allowed to run together, any hardand fast rulebeing against good work in gardening as in art. ‘Che making and keeping up of a good rock-garden is a costly thing, and the least return that can be expected by those willing to incur the cost is to get the full colour value from the plants. Often, even in well-formed rock-gardens, there are grass paths which are troublesome to keep and less good in their effect than those of stone. Also,insome of our best

Repetition fatal to good effect.

Grass.

rocks surrounded by grass, whereas they ought always to rise out of a bed of Thyme, creeping Speedwells, dwarf Heaths, Daphnes, or Milkworts. Some of the most charming scenes in those parts of the Alps richest in plants are

where single stones rise, perhaps, only a couple of feet out of ground which is densely covered with dwarf Daphne or Alpine Anemone. If fearful of tram-

pling upon such plants (which we need

not always be, seeing how the Thyme

upon our heaths will bear trampling),

the simplest way is to put a few old flag- stones down asa path, placed not more than a foot apart ; these permit of pas - sage in all weathers without injuring the plants. Spaces wasted in many rock- gardens upon grass or gravel might, if well-carpeted, give good colour, and may at least be planted with Thyme, Stonecrop, Rockfoil, tiny Peppermint, and Sandworts. The objection to grass is that it is not nearly so good in effect as the rock-flowers, and it has constantly

'to be cut at the cost of needless labour.

Since writing the above a wall co-

_vered with Erzzus has come into view, and not for the first time. Its modest ‘colour is most effective when held to- gether in this way, and there could

hardly be a better example of the fine colour value that lies half hidden in these mountain flowers. Asa dot this plant is without effect; on the wall it is beau- tiful hundreds of yards away, as well as in every nearer point of view.—W.R.

A G1aAnT THISTLE FOR THE WILD GARDEN.— Weare indebted to Mr. Hiatte Baker of Oak-

lands, Almondsbury (Glos.), for a very inte-

rock- gardens, there are often isolated | resting photo showing the fine effect of a giant

Thistle (Czicus candelabrus) in his garden. It

isa biennial,a native of Greeceand the Balkan

peninsula, and in rich soil rises fully 10 feet when in flower, with handsome foliage and a graceful forward droop of its many flower heads. Its value when grouped for effect is wellshown in the photograph, which we regret is not suitable for an engraving.

THE VIBURNUMS,

THE VIBURNUMS.

(Continued from page 188.)

Tue Great Gueiper Rose (V. macroce- |

phalum).—A plant of great beauty when well flowered, but rarely seen in a fine state save upon sheltered walls, being of slow growth in the openand often cut back by late frosts. Its im- mense heads of bloom, measuring 7 or 8 inches across, resemble a great white Hydrangea, and being sterile the flowers remain long in beauty when safe from heavy rain. Large plants are rare, though here and there, as at Kew, Richmond, and other places in the south and west, it flowers finely as a wall shrub during early summer. In gar- dens of Japan and northern China it forms a spreading tree of 20 feet, of great beau- ty when carrying itscream-white clusters. Its bluntly ovate leavesare very flat, slight- ly toothed, about 3 inches long, and car- ried upon short stalks. The buds appear with the young leaves, in slightly pointed heads, the separate flowers more than an inch across. This kind is rather difficult of increase and (being a garden variety) is best grafted upon the wild form, known as macrocephalum Keteleeri—a plant hardier and morevigorous but of no great beau- ty, and commonly used by the Chinese as a stock for the finer form. Want of sun often causes a feeble show of bloom even under the best conditions, but where wall-space can be found in sheltered gar- dens, the beauty of the plant is so great as tomake it worth a trial; light warm soil, with lime rubbish added if not present in the soil. In gardens of thesouth of Europe it is one of the finest plants for effect. Syn. V. Fortunet.

THE SoFT-LEAVED ARROW-woop (/. molle).—An American shrub of 6 to 12 feet, allied to the American Arrow-wood (V. dentatum) but more robust and finer in its larger dark green leaves covered beneath and upon the stems and flower-stalks with soft hairs. It flowers in July, several weeks later than dentatum, and its bluish berries are larger, more pointed, and full of oil. In gardens it is often confused with V/. pubescens, a plant of the north-west, whereas this belongs to the Southern States.

Tue LonG-stTEMMED GUELDER Rose (/.

206

nudum).—A hardy erect shrub of 8 or more feet, common in swamps from Canada to the Southern States, with oblong-oval leaves, scur- fy while young but smooth when mature, and carried upon long downy stems. The whitish flowers appear in broad branching heads upon long bare stems, as against the nearly stemless clusters of many kinds ; berries round, passing from green to white, rose-pink, and bluish-

WILD FORM OF THE GREAT GUELDER ROSE.

| black, and sweet when ripe. In mild seasons | the leave sare almost evergreen, but the plant is more sensitive to coldthan most of the Ame- ricankinds. A geographical form of this plant, known as V.. nitidum, is found in Britain and may be known by its smaller, narrow leaves of shining green, firm in texture. A pretty shrub when loaded during July and August with its

206

FLORA AND SYLVA,

bright berries, showing several colours upon the same branch.

Tuer Grossy GuELDER Ross (V. obovatum). —A spreading bush found beside water in the Southern States of America, and usually adense grower of about 4 feet, but sometimes twice as high. Its branches are smooth and angular, and its leaves small, from half-an-inch to 14 inches long, narrow, and of a bright glossy green ; their edges are smooth or slightly dented and their texture thick and rigid. The white flowers open from April to June in small stemless clus- ters, followed by oval black fruits. A very neat and distinct kind, evergreen in mild winters but somewhatsensitivetocold. Syn.V. Levigatum.

THe FRAGRANT GUELDER Rose (V. odora- tissimum).—A fine evergreen of 8 to 10 feet, with stout erect branches, glossy foliage, and sweet flowers. From the south of China and Japan it is tender in the open garden, requiring a wall and protection except in warm districts. Around the temples of Japan this shrub forms dense masses of 20 or 30 feet, the air being charged with the scent of their myriad clus- ters in flower-time. Its firm glossy leaves recall those of the Laurel in size and in their deep shining green; the flowers open in broad pyra- midal spikes of 4 inches during spring. The berries, of a rich coral red when young, ripen to glossy black. ‘Towards autumn the leaves assume a rich bronze-purple, and in many gar- dens it is grown in pots for the beauty of its foliage; when charged with young fruit it is a pretty plant for the house, showing well in artificial light. Syn. VY. dwafukz.

THE CoMMOoN GUELDER RosE(V.Opulus) .— A large shrub with smooth, light grey branches and bright green leaves, common in Britain and widely spread in Europe, Asia, and North America ; it thrives in woods and damp places and is beautiful forits handsome flowers, crim- son leaves, and many clusters of bright red ber- ries in autumn. Though less showy in flower than its garden form—the Snowball Tree—it may be finely used in the wild garden, massed beside water or in damp bottoms, and colour- ing richly when freely exposed, especially upon chalk or limestone soils. The rounded flower- heads appear in June and July, the inner flowers yellowish and small, surrounded by a ring of larger sterile blossoms of pure white ; the ber- ries begin to colour by the end of July and hang

for several months, being rarely touched by birds. Of its many garden forms the following are the most important :—

THE SNOWBALL TREE (V. Opulus sterile).— A well-known and beautiful form of the wild Guelder Rose,much grown for its showy white clusters, composed of crowded sterile flowers gathered into rounded heads and drooping gracefully from the end of every shoot. Large bushes hung with these clusters are of fine ap- pearance when allowed to grow freely beside water, or massed in the shrubbery. In small gardens it is no less useful as it may be freely cut back after flowering, the flowers coming upon the season’s growth. It is often forced for the conservatory in spring, but should be grown in pots for awhile previously and not started early or forced hard; in fact, it is not at home under glass, being very subject to green fly. Massed in moist ground, the Snowball Tree grows fast into one of the most beautiful ornaments of the hardy flower-garden. Minor varieties are fructo-/uteo, in which the red fruits of the wild form become yellow; nanum, a miniature plant for the rock garden, often less than a foot high, with small leaves and rarely known to flower, but conspicuous for the bright red colour of its stems; and variegatum, the leaves of which are blotched with white and yellow. By some authorities the American form (V. Americanum or edule) is regarded as a distinct kind, under the name of the Cranberry Bush. Save in more vigorous growth it differs only in slight details from the European kind; its fruits are used by American housewives as a substitute for Cranberries.

THE CAUCASIAN GUELDER Rose (V. orien- tale)—A shrub from western Asia reaching 10 feet, and allied to VY. acerifolium. Its leaves are three-lobed, coarsely toothed, with a few simple hairs on the under surface ; its flowers, coming in July, are followed by red berries. A hardy kind of little interest.

Tue Mountain GuELper Ross (/.. pauci-

fiorum).—A straggling shrub of a few feet, confined to the far north of America or moun- tainous tracts and cold woods further south. It does not thrive under cultivation, nor, indeed, is it of much value. The sparse white clusters, opening in early summer, give place to sour scarlet berries, while its appearance suggests a poor form of the Guelder Rose.

THE VIBURNUMS,

207

Tue PurpLe-STEMMED GUELDER Rose (/. | by 2 or more wide, broadly lanceolate, with a _wrinkled upper surface lined with prominent _ veins and a coating of dense wool beneath. At

phlebotrichum).—An erect shrub of 5 or 6 feet, with smooth branches and ovate leaves bearing long hairs upon their veins beneath. The loose few-flowered clusters upon slender nodding stalks open during May and June; the flowers white with a deep purple-calyx and purplish stalks. A pretty and distinct kind, assuming a uniform dull yellow in-the autumn ; liable to injury in severe winters.

Ture PLuM-LEAVED GUELDER Rose (V.

spreading habit, reaching 20 or more feet, beautiful in flower and thriving in dry stony ground. Its leaves are bluntly oval, smooth and shining, with a saw-like edge, recalling those ofthe Plum orcer- tain Pears. Its flowers are pure white, frag- rant, and very nume- rous as heavy white clusters of graceful ef- fect, the long stamens tipped with yellow con- ferring anaddedcharm. The fruits are rather large, bluish-black, and covered with greyish bloom. It is nearly al- lied to V. Lentago, with similarly fine foliage, and not nearly so well known as it deserves. Easily raised from seed and quite hardy. Syn. V. pyrifolium.

Tue Downy GuepeER Ress (V. pubescens). —A compact bush of a few fee., with slender erect branches covered (particularly when

young) with soft down. Found in Canada and |

the Northern States in dry rocky places, and a good shrub for similar spots in gardens. The small dense clusters of white flowers develop into dark purple fruits. An uncommon plant of good habit, the long protruding stamens giving the flowers a distinct appearance. Tue LARGED-LEAVED GUELDER Rosz (/. rhytidophyllum).—One of Veitch’snew Chinese kinds, described as a handsome shrub of about 10 feet, and unlike any other of the group. Its leaves are very large, upwards of 8 inches long

the ends of the shoots showy heads of crowded yellowish-white flowers appear, 7 to 8 inches across.

THE RustT-cLoTHED GuELDER Rose (V.. ru-

_fidulum) .—A robust shrub or lowtree from the

Southern States, and formerly classed as a form of the Plum-leaved Viburnum, differing inleaf

_and flowering a little later; it is nowheld to be prunifolium).—A large shrub or small tree of | distinct. It is a low tree of 25 feet when full

THE DOWNY GUELDER ROSE

| | |

|

|

grown, its glossy leaves covered beneath with

_rust-coloured down. Its flowers areshowy,pure

white, in broad heads of 4 or 5 inches, and suc-

|

I

i

(V. PUBESCENS).

ceeded by large dark blue berries, half-an-inch long, and very handsome. A kind worthy of wider use for its beauty of leaf, ower, and fruit.

Canary Istanp’s Laurustinus (V. rigi- dum).—A dense evergreen of 6 feet, with stout hairy branches, tender inthe open but succeed- ing against walls in the warmer parts of Britain. The leaves are broadly ovate, wrinkled and hairy, with white flowers as large open clus- ters in early spring; the oval berries are purple whenripe. Brought from the Canaries in 1795. Differs from the Common Laurustinus in its larger and more hairy leaves and flower heads, but being tender and less free is of no great value. Syn. V. rugosum.

208

FLORA AND SYLVA,

EVERGREEN JAPANESE GUELDER Rose (V. Sandankwa).—A tender Japanese shrub thriv- ing only under glass inthis country, and though evergreen, of minor interest for the greenhouse. Its slender leafy branches attain some 5 or 6 feet,with shining dark green leaves and creamy- white flowers tinged with pink, drooping in close conical clusters of about 14 inches. The fruits are red, but do not set freelyunder glass, nor even in the south of Europe-where it is planted in shrubberies and more often seen than in this country. Syn. VY. suspensum.

SARGENT’s GuELDER Ross (V. Sargentit).—

A Chinese kind of recent introduction and very near the Common Guelder Rose but of denser, more upright habit, darker stems with thick spongy bark, and leaves thicker and distinct in shape. The outer sterile flowers also are larger —measuring more than an inch across—with dark purplish anthers, but in fruiting it is less free.

SreBoLp’s GuELDER Rose (V. Sieboldt).— deciduous hardy shrub of free growth, with stout branches reaching ro feet, and dark green leaves, flat, thick, and leathery, shining above and hairy beneath, with an unpleasant smell when bruised. White flowers in broad clusters during early spring, and rosy fruits ripening to bluish-black. Japan. Syn. V. reticulatum. A plant with handsome, glossy foliage and beau- tiful in flower; its fruits drop as soon as ripe. Though sometimes supposed tender, Messrs. Gauntlett (towhom we are indebted for some fine heads of flower) assure us of its hardiness in the south-west, where it is quite uninjured by 16degrees of frost. It resembles VY. p/icatum in aspect and habit, but is rather more free in

growth and less rigid in outline. Grownalsoin | reum) .—

two or three garden forms, including reticu/a- tum, which is smaller in all its parts, less hairy, of paler green, and neitherso vigorous or hardy as the parent; a second variety bears variegated leaves.

Tue Laurustinus (VY. Tinus)—One of the best of hardy evergreens, flowering freely throughout the winter in mild seasons and beautiful when laden with its many clusters of flowers, rose-pink in the bud and upon expan- sion, but pure white when fully open. Hand- some at all seasons for its leaves of deepshining green, slightly hairy upon the veins and stalks, and in mild seasons for its datk blue berries. It

na _tainsof North Africa, less branched and widely _ spreading in habit, old plants covering much

is acommon shrub in woods and moist places of the south of Europe, with a fondness for old walls and ruins. In thedry seasons of the Medi- terranean coast it is very subject to thrip, and plants many feet in height, both wild and in gardens, are often utterly spoiled by this pest ina short time. Asa shrub of neat habit it is much grown in pots and gently forced for the greenhouse or rooms in early spring. Quite a number of garden forms are grown of which the best are:—

FRoEBEL’s Lavrustinus (V. T. Froebelt) —

| A very neat compact form, with leaves oflighter _ green and flowers of purer white.

Tue Harry Lavrustinus (VY. T. hirtum). A variety from Spain and Portugal, hardier than the common form, with rounder leaves,

_ hairy beneath and upon the edges, and a long | season of bloom from autumn throughout the | winter.

A good kind for exposed places. Tue Arrican Laurustinus (V. T. lucid- um).—A very distinct form from the moun-

ground though keeping low. Its leaves are brightly glossy and shining, particularly when young; the leaves, flowers, and flower-clusters also are larger than in the European kind. It is, however, rather difficult of increase and ten- der (except upon walls) in many gardens, its leaves and buds being killed in severe seasons.

_Even when not destroyed the buds often fail to open well and never until spring is far ad-

vanced; it is, therefore, not worth planting in _many places. Grownas a pot-plant under glass

it lasts long in beauty, but will not stand forc- ing. Avariegated form is also in cultivation.

Tue Purpre Lavurustinus (V. T. purpu- A compact form of free growth, in which the leaves are suffused with dull purple against which the pale flowers show in sharp contrast. Neat and constant. Among minor forms are pyramiaale (or strictum) of erect taper- ing habit and dense growth, with large leaves and flowers, but blooming laterand not sofree, while the rigid stems are wanting in grace. Virgatum is a much-branched Italian form of

_ erect tapering habit, and narrow, hairy leaves;

while rotundifolium is yet another leafvariation. Finely variegated forms of all these kinds are to be had, but being tender their garden value

/is small.

THE JAPANESE GUELDER Ross (V.. tomentos- wm).—A beautiful hardy shrub from the far East, of spreading habit and branches of 8 or more feet, hairy while young. It is handsome at all seasons, distinct and beautiful in leaf, showy in its clusters composed in part of large sterile blossoms, and in its bright scarlet fruits ripening to bluish-black. Though in itself worth a place in any garden, this species is most familiar in its improved form known as V. plicatum, or the Japanese Snowball Tree, one of the commonest and best-loved plants in Japan. In this kind all the flowers composing the cluster are enlarged and sterile, appearing as white rounded masses borne with great freedom. It forms a flat spreading head, 6 or 8 feet high when fully grown, with reddish- brown shoots, distinct in foliage, and flowering when quite small. Its neat habit is adapted to small gardens, needing no restraint—in fact, it

is averse to cutting. It is stiffer and less grace- | ful than the common Snowball Tree, also less |

hardy and not so easily transplanted, but its showy flowers are a purer white, clustered thickly in pairs upon the shoots during May and June and lasting long in beauty. Isolated or grouped its effect is good, and it is one of the few shrubs that do well upona north wall seldom reached by the sun. For forcing it is the best of all, small plants potted in autumn flowering early and lasting well in the green- house, where they are less subject to aphis than Opulus. Easily increased from cuttings of half- ripened wood in close frames, or by layers of the side-shoots. There are several varieties with distinctive names, including grandifforum, with very large clusters; rotundifolium, with broader leaves and somewhat earlierin bloom; cuspidatum, distinct in leaf but of slow growth and shy in flower; and a variegated form.

VETTER’s ViBURNUM (V. Vetteri).—A gar- den cross raised in Germany between Lentago and nudum, and only differing from the first named in small details.

VeITCcH’sV 1BURNUM(V..Veitcht).—Another of Veitch’s introductions from China, closely allied to and nearly resembling their other new kinds, already described.

Wricut’s Visurnum (V.. Wrighti).—An erect shrub of free growth from the mountains of North Japan, and quite hardy in Britain thoughas yet hardly known. It is of spreading

THE LILY-PINK.

209

| habit and nearly allied to V. di/atatum, but yet _ finer in fruit. The leaves are large, thick, and rounded, coarsely dented, and brilliantly tinted with scarlet and ruddy purple on fading. Its large fruits are very handsome in their early stages, making this new kind one of the finest for autumn beauty. Be

THE LILY-PINK (4f4ylanthes monspeliensis),

Tue month of May is everywhere beau- tiful and nowhere more so than in the south of Europe, wherethe floral wealth of an entire summer is crowded into those few weeks of early heat, before the fierce sun succeeds in banishing the last freshnessof spring. Then is the time for the lover of scarce plants to forsake the _beatentracksand scour theshady woods,

following the mountain streams—im-

passable in winter and already shrinking

day by day to a waste of stones—and

searching the sunny hillsides for the

hidden treasures among their myriad

flowers, over which the air hangs heavy _with mingled perfume. Itwasuponsome

such pathless ramble that I first saw the _Lily-Pink or “‘Flowering Rush of Mont- pelier” in its beauty, and, never having seen the little gem in the gardens of the homeland, I stood transfixed. A little dell, still freshened by the dewsand never wholly parched even in August, with a kindly screen of Spanish Broom (Spar- tium), of Myrtle, and Lentiscus, cutting off the chilly down-draught so treach- erous after nightfall, and just sheltered from the fiercest of the glare by scanty Pine boughs. Within that narrow space the plants were massed in scores and hundreds, though outside that little co- lony it disappeared completely and only once again did I light upon it in my

210

FLORA AND SYLVA,

rambles. Plants of all sizes, from tiny roots just starting on their own, to pa- triarchal tufts 2 feet across, that must (so slowly does it spread) have seen the sunin thedayswhen the great Napoleon called away the peasant from the brush- grown terraces belowtodieon theplains of Italy,and Massena drilled his men in the fortress-crowned rock across the valley. Thousands of starry blue flowers, nearly an inch across and not unlike the Spring Star Flower, but balanced quiver- ing upon slender rush-like stems of dull dark green, and freely intermingled— by chance, or that inscrutable design which never errs—with such a sprink- ling of the pretty littleOnion Asphodel (Asphodelus fistulosus)with its branching

spikelets, as to form a perfect miniature |

in Nature’s picture-gallery. I left them

as I found them, save for a gathered | flower or two, and a tiny root which | houses so called, but there is only one

might remind me in days to come of its home amid the sunny hills of Provence, and there, I doubt not, they await some other wanderer to whom I willingly bequeath his meed of joy.

Though perfectly hardy, beautiful, and curious in its structure, the Aphyll- anthus isa scarce plant in Britain, hardly seen outside botanical gardensand rare- ly offered by the trade. Even in Europe it is little known, being confined to the sunny hillsides of southern France—a region rich in floral treasures. Asa neat perennial, thriving for years without at- tention in sunny corners of the rock- garden, its charming flowers might en- rich many a choice collection of hardy plants. There are no true leaves, only a dense tuft of upright rush-like stems of

8 to 12 inches, at the very tip of which the flowers burst forth, of a rich gentian

| blue and borne in succession from May

till late in summer. At all times of slow erowthand with little root,old tufts need dividing with care; it mayalso be raised

ina cool house, from seeds sown in pots

assoonas ripe. Todowell in our climate it should be planted in light soil such as sandy peat or almost pure sand, with as sunny a spot as can be found; grown in

this way ithas proved hardywithout pro- tection, and flowered freely as far north as Yorkshire and the north of Ireland, so that there are many gardens where this dainty and interesting little stranger

might fittingly find a home.—B.

COLLECTIONS OF OUR DAY: CASTLEWELLAN.

IRELAND is a land of castles, or country

-Castlewellan, and its garden vegetation

so far as trees and shrubs are concerned

| is certainly unique in its variety and importance. The residence and home | grounds lie in a picturesque and undu-

lating valley, the soil being a rich and

fertile loam on the granite formation. Around on nearly all sides rise the bold

and rocky declivities of the Mourne

Mountains,and the Slieve Donard is seen towering skywards to aheight of nearly 3,000 feet. The valley of Castlewellan lies open towards the sea, which is only three miles away, and, no doubt, exer- cises a softening influence on the cli- matic conditions of the locality. The mountain and coast line scenery of the whole district is remarkably bold and

CASTLEWELLAN.

c Fe fal

G

th iil:

CASTLEWELLAN,

(Engraved for ‘ Flora.’’)

212

FLORA AND SYLVA.

fine, and the glorious prospect of the Mourne Mountainsas seen from Strang- ford Lough was especially admired by H.M. King Edward VII. during his visit to Ireland in 1903. Theresidence stands on the mountain side overlooking a lake a mile or so in length, and com-

mands extensive and exquisite views of |

the surrounding scenery. The gardens and groundsare very extensive, and con- tain one of the most wonderful collec- tions of native and exotic trees and shrubs in the kingdom. The making and planting of the beautiful grounds by the Earl of Annesley at Castlewellan has been a labour of love to their owner for many years, and he has been ably assisted by Mr. ‘Thomas Ryan, his lord- ship’s head gardener, whoisa past master in the propagation and cultivation of choice shrubs and trees. Turn where one may at Castlewellan the scenery and vegetation are alike of the most attrac- tive character. Apart from the broad effects of mountain-side, wood, and water, there are incidental charms all over the place—a golden or Lady Am- herst pheasant crosses your path in the woodland walks, Japanese deer browse on the hill-side slopes along with red and fallow deer, and there are wild fowl ofmany kinds on the large lake, to which the great grey herons come afishing morning and evening from their nesting places in the surrounding woods and trees. dwarf-growing Maples of Japan thrive very luxuriantly at Castlewellan on the lawn and elsewhere, and the pretty little deer of Japan (Cervus sika) thrives well in the park, where there are also hybrid offspring between the Japanese and the

The beautiful cut-leaved and

red deer (see Fie/d, October 31, 1903, p. 763).

The garden and grounds at Castle- wellan apart from their natural beauty _show conclusively that their owner is a

pioneer in the collection and cultivation of all choice hardy or half-hardy trees and shrubs from the temperate climates _of the world. It is indeed not too much _to say that Lord Annesley’s exertions in this direction may be mentioned in the same breath with those of the Earls of -Mount-Edgcumbe, the Foxes of Pen- jerrick, Mr. Dorrien-Smith of Tresco, Lord Barrymore of Fota, Lord Powers- court, and Mr. Thomas Acton in the Co. Wicklow, and others who have done so much to enrich the tree and shrub Flora of British and Irish gardens; Lord Annesley has taken a practical interest in his garden and home grounds for many years, in fact we believe since his _return from the Crimeaafter the Russian War. One of his latest contributions to literature has been recently published by George Newnes & Co., Ltd., under the title of “‘ Beautiful and Rare Trees and Plants,” with seventy or more beautiful photographs of some of the most note- worthy exotic trees and shrubs now growing at Castlewellan. Not only are many of the exotics growing at Castle- -wellan rare in our British gardens, and in some instances of large size, but their health and vigour are equally remarka- ble, and one may see and admire things which grow happily here in Northern Ireland in the open air that are rarely seen elsewhere in Britain except much further south and west oras grown in the | great Temperate House at Kew or in -winter-gardens elsewhere.

CASTLE WELLAN.

213

Castlewellan is the home of adistinct and beautiful Daffodil which was found naturalised and growing abundantly there some years ago, and whence it

| from the same source. Adjoining the mansion at Castlewellan is a well-fur- _nished and artistically arranged winter- garden. Here we especially noticed

has been distributed under the name of healthy masses of the rare 4rundinaria Countess of Annesley. Apartfrom hardy a@ristata, a species introduced by Lord or out-door trees and plants, however, Annesley from Northern India (see the extensive ranges of plant and fruit ‘ Bamboo Garden,” pp. 176-177). It

EVERGREEN TREES AT CASTLEWELLAN.

houses are well worthy of attention— | grows naturally at about 11,000 feet ferns, palms, rare aquatics, orchids,and | elevation on the North-Eastern Hima-

plants with ornamental foliage are all well grown. In the aquatic-house the very handsome Wymphea gigantea of Queensland has flowered well for several years (see FLora anv Sytva, Vol. r., p. 303),and we have also seenitvery beau- tiful in the Belfast Botanical Gardens

layas, and has proved a very hardy and

ornamental garden plant. Cleanliness

of growth and beauty or freshness of

foliage are due no doubt to a rich and

fertile soil, to good cultivation, and to

the all-important matters of plant food

and feeding, and lastly, but certainly not 0 3

214 FLORA AND SYLVA,

least, to constant attention and more or _ AtisT of some rare or tender plants grown less perfect natural shelter in proximity |” the open air at Castlewellan:—

to the sea. Other very important fac- | Abelia horibunda.

tors are ‘* The Master’s Eye,” as George ces

Herbert has it,and the forethought and COT G OE SO CORE TET

i Benninghausenia albiflora. attention of a thoroughly able and prac- | joa fisiiee popu a

tical gardener who has lived half a life- Brachyglottis repanda. time or more on the place, and, more- Callitris cupressoides. over, possesses an accurate knowledge Callistemon coccineus. of its peculiar cultural possibilities. Carmichaela australis. F. W. BURBIDGE. Cassuarina torulosa.

Cordyline indivisa vera. Cyrilla racemiflora. Dacrydium Franklinii. Davtidia involucrata. Disanthus cercidifolia. Dodonea viscosa. Drimys aromatica. Entelea palmata. Eugenia ugni. Fagus Cliffortioides. Fremontia californica. Glyptostrobus heterophyllus. Gordonia Lastanthus. Hakea crassifolia. I/icium religiosum. “fambosa australis. Lapageria alba and rosea. Laurelia aromatica. Leucapogon Richer. Lomatia pinnatifolia. Mallotus japonica. Musa basjoo. Mutisia clematis. Myrsine theifolia. Nandina domestica. Osteomeles anthylidifolia. Puya chilensis. Pomaderris argentea. Polygala Dalmaisiana. Quercus bambusefolia. 5 incana. Quillaja saponaria. Raphiolepis indica. Restio subverticillatus. Sarcococca Hookeriana.

AACR ah ALN

PICEA CONCOLOR VIOLACEA AT CASTLEWELLAN,

WHEN “THE FLOWERS Simmondsta californica. Stauntonia hexaphylla. Stranvesia glaucescens. Tricuspidaria hexapetala. Umbellularia californica. Ungnadia speciosa.

Visnea mocanera.

Westringta rosmariniformis.

THE MONTEREY CYPRESS AT CASTLEWELLAN

RHODODENDRON GAUNTLETTI.— We have received from Messrs.,Gauntlett of Redruth a large and handsome, delicately coloured Rho-

dodendron, a hybrid between Rs. Auckland:

and ponticum, with much of the colourand size of truss found in Auckland.

APPEAR ON THE EARTH.”

ae

WHEN cTHE FLOWERS APPEAR ON THE EARTH.’—Those who would learn by Nature’s handiwork are soon struck by the fact that many of her most beautiful object-lessons are due to the lavish use of simple means. What is more entrancing in spring time than to wander through a wood set with mil- lions of Blue-bells, so crowded that a score of flower stems liecrushed at every step, and yet are not missed amid that vast profusion ? There is just enough of variety to please; a scattering of rosy Lychnis,a colony of snowy Wood Ane-

mone, a trailing massof White Starwort | clinging to the undergrowth as though in terror of those waves of blue, and a tuft or two of yellow Dead N eile that

will not be displaced; these, and the sprouting Fern-fronds, break that sun- flecked sheet of azure which stretches

into distance in light or darker ripples, _withevery flicker of thesunbeams, dart- ingly evasive of the clustered branches _thatwould impede their passage to dance among the flowers. home to that inner chamber of one’s -nature where slumber memories half- forgotten of many another thrill struck upon chords responsive to this mystic spell of Mother Earth. Sometimes it is _a blend of many harmonising hues, but

Such a sight goes

oftener some lavish spread of but a few. Blue Hepaticasand Scillas of every shade thrown down upon a carpet of Prim- rosesand wild Orchis upon the southern Alps; or, in the higher fastnesses, some widespread tracery of blue Forget-me- nots, of mountain Cornflower, of Gen- tian or Narcissus, or purple Cyclamen; a memory of hillsides clad inwhite,and

O 4

216

FLORA AND SYLVA,

gold or purple; of woodlands, modest blance to WV. a/ata, but the flowers are

but chastely beautiful in garb of Snow- | smaller, thetube being an inch long,the drops, of Wood Anemones, and Lily of | segments an inch across, with an Auri- -cula-like eye. Ican learn nothing of this plant beyond what Messrs. Sander have told me, but I shall not be surprised if It proves to be JV. fexuosa, a native of _Monte Video, where Tweedie found it while collecting for Kew about seventy cups and Daisies, Ox-eyes and Quak-_

the Valley, with secret nooks in which the Royal Fern stands shoulder high; of spangled plains with hosts of Star Anemone, or dazzling ranks of scarlet Poppy,or pale withCowslips orMeadow Saffron; even that lavishness of Butter-

ing Grasses, with yellow Marigolds and Ragged Robins along the waterside, which roused our earliest enthusiasms, these all come back to us in such a mo- ment, and with moments such as these life’s treasure-house is garnished. How rare it is to find such chords awakened by human handiwork, however skilful. B. NICOTIANA SANDER&.* One of the most useful of summer- flowering annuals is /Vicotiana alata, better known as JV. affinis. It was in- troduced into English gardens twenty-

years ago. It isa pleasing plant in every respect, and if it had been distributed as “Ca new and beautiful hardy annual” it

would have found general favour. But Messrs. Sander decided to keep it as a

breeder, and they married it to V. alata

with mostgratifying results,the product being the hybrid here figured. This plant hasall the good qualities of V.a/aza,plus

the colour and flat, open-faced flowers of lV. Forgetiana. A large houseful of it

in flower at St. Albans a few weeks ago

_was a most pleasing picture, each plant _beingabouta yard high, leafy tothe base,

with from six to nine branches, divided

three years ago by Mr. Cullingford of

Kensington, who obtained it from Hy- eres (Alpes Maritimes), but it is a native of South Brazil. It is of the easiest cul- ture, and all through the summer its long-tubed white flowers, borne freely upon wand-like stems, emit towards evening a powerful and agreeable frag- rance.

Four years ago Messrs. Sander and Sons of St. Albans obtained from Brazil, through their collector Forget, a Nico- tiana with bright rose-red flowers, which they named JV. Forgetiana. In its free- growing habit and numerous branches with many flowers, it bears some resem-

again into at least half-a-dozen branch-

lets, each bearing from six to ten open -flowers,with many buds to follow. Every

plant was anelegantarrangementof rich

green foliage and clusters of large rose- red flowers. The largest flowers I mea-

sured were 23 inches across. Of course these plants were growing in pots, butI

am assured by Mr. Sander that equally good results may be obtained from plants grown in the open border, the plants I saw being partly for exhibition and part- ly for the production of seed. No doubt

LV. Sandere will be more generally val- ued as a plant for the open-air flower-

bed, but it will also be of considerable

* With coloured plate from a drawing by H.G. Moon at St. Albans.

NICeH!

IANA

SAN!

Te

i

NICOTIANA SANDERAE.

1a)

decorative value as a pot-plant for the conservatory. I learn that it produces seeds freely and that it comes true from seed.

It may be worth while to give par- ticulars of thetreatment which produced theplants just described. The seeds were sown in heat and the seedlings treated like young Begonias fora fewweeks un- til they were strong enough to be potted intothree-inch pots, when they werere- moved into a sunny greenhouse, where they remained all winter. They were re- potted, the final shift being into nine- inch pots. The soilused was the ordinary mixture of loam, leaf-mould, and sand. In March they commenced to flower, and in June were still flowering freely. For cultivation in the open air the seeds should be sown in a little warmth in February and the seedlings afterwards treated as for Stocks, Asters, &c. But anyone who can grow the popular white- flowered JV. alata (affinis) will have no difficulty in growing its red-flowered

offspring, lV. Sandere.

W. WATSON. Royal Gardens, Kew.

THE TOBACCOS (WVicotiana).— Whatever be one’s estimate of the in- dustrial value of the Tobacco family, there can be only one opinion as to its beauty in the garden and the con- servatory, where the graceful habit and rich fragrance of many kinds have

made them welcome. For beauty under |

glass in the winter and in the open

more reliable than the free-flowered border kinds; the value of those grown for their fine foliage dependsupon place

and season, awarm soiland fine weather

| |

|

alone insuring a good result. All the kinds are of the simplest culture in rich

soil, being easily raised from seed, and

| | | |

many from cuttings of the root or side-

shoots; being very small, seedlings re-

quire carein their early stages. Tobaccos should not be planted near crops grown as food, the greatest risk in this respect being wih the Common Tobacco; in the south of Europe land which has heen

| devoted to its culture is rendered unfit

for other crops, beans, tomatoes, and other vegetables grown in the same soil being so tainted as to violently disagree with the consumer. The Nicotianas— named after Jean Nicot, who brought the Tobacco to France—form a large group of fifty or more species of wide distribution ; those best known are as follows :—

PETUNIA-FLOWERED Tosacco (N. acumi- nata).—A slender perennial herb ofabout 3feet, bearing during summer few-flowered clusters of tubular white flowers, threaded with green veins. Rarein gardens. Argentine. Syn. Pe- tunia acuminata.

STARRY WuiTE Tosacco (N. acutiflora). —A handsome Brazilian herb of 2 to 3 feet, bearing white flowers 4 inches long in thetube, spreading into five equal lobes set star-wise, and about 14 inches across. Arranged in sparse headsof fifteen or twenty, the flowersare borne

| fora long time, and are held more erect than

in most kinds, opening towards evening and fading before noon next day. Though some-

what rough in leaf, it is a pretty plant, and its 'scentless flowers are sometimes preferred to

the strongly-scented blossoms of other kinds. Syn. N. acutifolia. WuiteE Tosacco (N. a/ata).—The best

| known of the group, very fragrant, with a long garden during summer few plants are |

season of bloom, and nearly hardy in places

_with a mild winter. In any case, if the fleshy

roots be lifted with soil and stored dry through the winter, they will give root-cuttings yield- ing plants that are dwarfer and of finer habit than seedlings. Planted in rich soil it grows

218

FLORA AND SYLVA,

6 to 8 feet in the season, bearing many white flowers, which open in the evening, filling the air with fragrance, though for the greater part of each day they remain closed, limp, and scentless. This is against their wide use in gardens, save as groups in quiet spots near woodland walks, where the starry flowers are seen in the gloaming, and, sheltered from the early sun, remain open till late next morning, while their fragrance may be enjoyed onwarm evenings, though by daylight they are again scentless. They should be planted in bold masses towards the end of May, old plants coming earlier into beauty but not lasting quite so long in flower as seedlings. Given shelter, rich soil, and moisture, their culture is of the simplest, but if too exposed their appearance is soon spoiled by bad weather. From the dwarfer plants raised from cuttings the flowers may be cut and will remain open in water for several days, but when from more vigorous plants they fade too soon to be of

much use. The plant is easily raised from |

seeds, which often spring up in the border around the parent; root-cuttings, or the off- sets which are often thrown up by them, are also easy ways of increase. But if strong clumps are planted ina sheltered spot they will often last for years, dying away completely in winter, but growing again from the old roots, and covered with bloom during summer. As a

cific coast, with white flowers, shorter in the -tube than most kinds and little more than an

inch across ; an annual of dwarf, erect growth. FRAGRANT Tosacco (N. fragrans).—An

old garden plant discovered some fifty years _ago growing upon the shores of the Isle of

Pines in the New Caledonian group. Its flowers of greenish-white hang in large droop-

_ing heads upon stems of 3 or 4 feet, and are

very long in the tube, with broad-spreading lobes of almost fleshy texture, and strongly fragrant. Itsstemlessleaves are thick and fleshy, and the entire plant clothed with soft hairs ; in rich soil its growth is ungainly, but its many flowers are effective in the border and useful under glass during autumn and winter. YeELLow TREE Tosacco (NV. g/auca).—A vi-

_ gorousshrubin America and southern Europe,

growing many feet in one summer, with rounded fleshy leaves of a bluish-grey colour

_and pendant clusters of tubular yellow flowers,

smallat the mouth and covered with soft down. In young plants the foliage is of fine effect,

| but the branches being very brittle, old plants _ are often spoiled by wind. In sheltered places it sometimes becomes a tree of 25 feet, flower-

pot-plant it is useful for its winter flowers, |

which remain open at that season, though coming without scent; by cutting back old plants and raising seedlings in succession, it is possible to have plants in beauty the year

through. In certain cases of delicate skin the | _A Brazilian herb of 4 or 5 feet, with wide-

rough leaves of this plant cause a stinging irritation, lasting sometimes for days; when used cut, also, the stems give off a sticky juice,

which is unpleasant and with difficulty re-_ |ing stems; leaves stemless and covered with

moved from clothing. Though prolific in seedlings they differ little in character, the only varieties being decurrens, a dwarf free- flowered form branched almost from the base ; a second kind with flowers faintly flushed ; and a worthless variegated form. Crossed with N.

|

| |

Forgetiana—a rare Brazilian species—thiskind |

has given us the beautiful hybrid N. Sandera, |

already described. Syn. N. afinis.

ing and seeding so freely that the young plants take root everywhere, in walls, pavements, or even roofs, showing great vitality. Innorthern countries it isnot much seen in the greenhouse, though seedlings soon reach flowering size. One of its commonest uses under glass is as a stock for young shoots of Petunias, which may be inserted with quaint effect upon the stout, woody stem; but, save as a curiosity, such specimens are of no value. Argentine.

Lancsporrr’s Tosacco (NV. Langsdorffi).—

mouthed trumpet-shaped flowers of yellowish- green, very slightly divided into lobes, and ap- pearing as nodding clusters upon long branch-

clammy hairs. August.

CuILian Tosacco (N./ongiflora).—A little- known plant, bearing upon long slender stems of 2 to 3 feet, salver-shaped flowers, white in- side, with a long green or purple tube. Some- times grown in place of N. a/ata, but less good in colour.

NIGHT-FLOWERING Tosacco(N. noctifiora).

CALIFORNIAN Togacco (N. Bige/ovii) —A | —Akin to the last, and perhaps only a form handsome night-flowering kind from the Pa- of it, with hairy, sticky stems and long spikes

of funnel-shaped flowers, white within and purple upon the outside. The flowers open at night, towards the end of summer. Argen-

tine. A white-flowered variety of this kind | and are carried loosely in long spikes of 12 or

introduced by Messrs. Dammann of Naples as N. noctiffora albiflora is a better plant, with smooth grey-green foliage and much-branched stems of 3 feet or more. The flowers, coming in clusters of twenty to thirty, are small, pretty, and fragrant, opening towards evening and remaining open till the morning. In mild years and warm districts the roots pass the winter in the ground, forming beautiful tufts in their second season.

CLusTERED Tosacco (N. paniculata).—A kind coming very near to N. Langsdorffi, but

NICOTIANA SANDERAE.

smaller, and with stalked instead of stemless |

leaves. S. America. PeRsIAN Topacco (WN. persica).—A species unknown in gardens but largely cultivated in

bacco; flowers white within, greenish without and in the tube.

SyR1AN Tosacco (N. rustica).—A low, homely plant of uncertain origin, believed to have come from the Old World (Syria) though now common as a wild plant in Mexico and North America. It isa hairy and sticky annual herb, with funnel-shaped flowers of green or dull yellow, opening in the daytime, but of little beauty.

SwEET AvusTRALIAN Tosacco (N. suaveo- /ens).—A variable herb of graceful habit, with

219

a profusion of pure white blossoms from July into late autumn. The flowers resemble those of N. a/ata but are narrower and longer in the tube (which is also rather inflated in the centre)

1 5 inches, covering the plant, and keeping open all day in cloudy weather. Though the flowers hang, the leaves stand nearly erect, with an appearance unlike any other kind. Though mostly grown as an annual the fleshy roots are perennial, and young plants may be raised from root-cuttings in early spring. Plants wintered under glass make fine masses when planted out

_in their second season, and are of better habit

than young seedlings; in warm gardens of the south, protected plants would perhaps survive a mild winter in the open. CommonTosacco(N. Tabacum).—Though cultivated on a vast scale to supply the grow-

_ing demand for tobacco, this plant is rarely seen the east, where it yields the famous Shiraz to- |

fragrant white flowers in loose clusters during

summer, and pretty forcutting. Its low growth and unbranched stems make it useful where more vigorous kinds would be out of place, while it will flower well in half-shade. The salver-shaped flowers of about an inch wide are very pure though sometimes tinged with green on the outside, while the broad lobes of the corollaso overlap at the edgesas to form a neatly rounded flower. Australia and New Holland. Syn. N. undulata.

Mountain Topacco (N. sy/vestris)—A fine plant of good habit and foliage, being better in thisway than many of the group. Discovered in the mountains of Argentine at a height of 5,000 feet, it has proved one of the best new border plants of recent years, growing with

great vigour toa height of 5 or 6 feet, its stems —

branched almost from the ground and bearing |

in gardens, owing in part to the restrictions placed upon its use—even for ornament—in many countries. But this is no great loss, for its intensely poisonous root and smell are not without danger in a garden, and though of im- posing growth the plants are very liable to be damaged in bad weather. A few distinct varie- ties are grown for their massive foliage,of which the best known are /ruticosum, of dwarf habit with stout woody base and narrower leaves, which are less exposed to injury in storms; macrophylla, a plant reaching 8 feet and bear- ing very large leaves of 18 inches long, prettily waved and of good colour, and large flowers in several shades from carmine to rosy-purple; grandifiorum and purpureum are other large- flowered varieties in various shades, but in this epecies the flowers often appear so late in the autumn that whatever beauty they have is soon lost. For this reason they are sometimes grown in pots and flowered under glass.

Giant Tosacco (N. fomentosa).—A stately plant first introduced to gardens through stray seeds sent to France from Brazil with a con- signment of orchids. When well grown its tall stem of 8 or more feet standsstoutly erect, bear- ingimmense leaves of dark olive green, the con- spicuous rosy-brown colour of the veins, and their tougher texture, marking it out from

other kinds. Given ample space and rich soil,

a group of these plants forms a striking object upon the lawn or at the end ofa vista, and spite

FLORA

220

AND SYLVA,

of its great leaf-surface its good habit enables

it tostand more wind than other kinds. Though

often raised from seed and grown as an annual |

for summer effect, the plant is perennial under glass and may be grown from cuttings of the roots, or side-shoots taken in August, and this is the best way where few plants are needed. To gain the finest effect the side-shoots are suppressed during active growth. The short, tubular flowers of greenish-yellow, flushed in- side with rose, are of little beauty and seldom seen in the open. A handsome variegated va- riety issometimes grown and may be used finely for summer gardening, the bold blotches of creamy-white gaining beauty by full exposure

without being garish. It is, however, of difficult — op aia : Chili, it was first sent to Kew in 1847

increase, seedlings invariably damping when they come trueand cuttings turning out almost as badly. A method stated to give good re-

sults consists in placing the base of the newly- | ee Ge area <a a RTS plant ee

trimmed cutting within a notch cut in a small potato; though no union results (the potato often disappearing) the nourishment so drawn by the cutting tides it over the critical stage and enables it to root in safety. Syn. NV. colossea.

THE CHILIAN BELL-FLOWER (Lapageria). THERE was a time when these lovely greenhouse climbers were scarce and considered delicate, but finely-flowered plantsare common now that their needs are understood. In onerespect the Lapa- geria has been fortunate, having kept un- changed its first name, given in honour of the first wife of the great Napoleon

| —Josephine de Lapageria. Discovered

early in the last century by travellers in

and to Messrs. Veitch in the following year, flowering in 1850. From that

glasshouses, though we think that in

-_partsof Britaina finer use might bemade

LARGE-LEAVED Tosacco (N. wigandioides).

—A stately shrub-like plant from Columbia, growing 6or7 feet, with very large hairy leaves like those of the Wigandia in size and shape, and short flowers of yellowish-white in droop- ing clusters. A greenhouse plant, sometimes used with fine effect in the summer garden.

Hysrips. — Numerous hybrid Tobaccos have beenraised, but the plant raised by Messrs. Sander is the first conspicuous gain. Other crosses have been made between the Common Tobacco and several other species, including

Ns. alata and sy/vestris, but the influence of |

N. Tabacum provesoverwhelming. In America a race of hybrids between fomentosa and wig- andioides is said to excel both parents in beauty and vigour, but remaining sterile,these plants have probably never reached this country. A cross between N. wigandiides and the Petunia of gardens, produced a strange race of annuals (called Nicotunias) with long trailing stems covered with short woolly hairs and many flowers,handsomeand of varied colour. Though easily grown from cuttings they proved per- fectly sterile and so defective at the root that spite of their beauty they soon sank out of cultivation. B:

of it in the open air. As with many plants ot

At Home. nate the Chilian Andes success

dies in reproducing as far as may be the

peculiar climatic conditionsof its native home. A moist atmosphere, even tem- perature, half-shade in exposed places, and abundance of water during its time of growth, are the essentials ofits culture.

In many parts of Chili it is one of the

commonest of plants, threading its way through bushes and the moist under- growth of shady places, generally near

'the coast but often at a considerable

elevation, and hanging forth its richly decked garlands of bell-shaped flowers which arenearlyas large as under culti- vation. Onits native hillsides the flowers are followed by luscious fruit of the size of a hen’s egg, sweet, refreshing, and much valued by the people. As a wild plantit would seem indifferentas to soil, thriving in clay or even on the rubbish

THE CHILIAN

heaps of mines, while it is said to flourish nearer the crater’s mouth thanany other plant found in those volcanic regions. Though in a genus apart, this climbing

Lily (for such is its character) comes

BELL-FLOWER.

PLIAVE

inacool and airy house, the plant be- ing so nearly hardy that perfect success may be secured with no more warmth than is needed to keep out frost. It is best in a border which should be given “up to the plant, drained by a bed of stones or clinker, and not too deep, as it is a shallow rooter ; in starting small plants it is well to extend the border _ by degrees, for if much soil is given at the outset it is apt to spoil. Being averse to change, the plant should

not bemoved when

\

ee

oN

IN \ N . } y ‘ N

vi "

uM

THE WHITE CHILIAN BELL-FLOWER (LAPAGERIA ALBA).

“~ ia

very near the Smilax and the Asparagus with the same fleshy root and manner of growth ; by the natives these roots are used as a substitute for sarsaparilla.

Where grown under glass

Under Glass. . ; ; in this country it should be

once planted, and the roots should on no account be injured during the annual top-dress- ing. Whenmoving is necessary, au- tumn is the best time. The soil should beamixture of coarse granite, sand and peat, kept open by lumps of charcoal, stone clip- pings, broken sandstone, or small clink- ers, the rootlets netting closely round such porous matter. Though a place is often found ona back wall or in partial shade, this is less important where there is abundant air and moisture, and with this care fully exposed plants may be seen in fine health. When in active growth frequent syringing keeps the foliage clean and healthy, but from August, when the plants begin to flower, the amount of moisture may be reduced or the blooms (especially of

222

FLORA AND SYLVA,

thewhite kind) are apt to suffer. In ear- ly winter when the flowering season is over, the plant should be cleaned and all weakly shoots removed, the border dressed with fresh soil,and awatch kept for new shoots from the base, which are liable to be nibbled by slugs or woodlice and spoiled at the outset; this may of- ten be saved by placing a lamp-glass or small trough of wateraround thespring- ing shoots as a protection. Oncestarted thestems grow fast and should betrained upon strings (which are better than wires) stretched in their line of advance and notat right angles, sothat theshoots may follow them in their own way. It is possible to secure flowers, either in clusters or in long trails, as may be de- sired. If garlands are wished the shoots may be left to lengthenatwill, but if the strong shoots are pinched afterrunning until they begin to show broad leaves, clusters of many flowers are then formed upon thesideshoots,as manyas a dozen blooms sometimes hanging together. Plants may beraised from seeds or layers, seedlings being more vigorous but not coming true. The seedsshould be sown as soon as ripe, in shade, and a warm

house, but old plants do not fruit freely |

save in fine seasons or when fertilised. Layers are prepared in the autumn, strong shoots being tongued (as for Car-

nations) just below a leaf, and then |

pegged downand slightly buried on the newly-surfaced border; theyare slowin rooting, taking from one to two years, and when separated must be handled with great care to avoid hurting the roots. If neglected, the Lapageria is very subject to insect pests of all kinds,

‘from which it is freed with difficulty when once attacked ; even the grub of the vine weevil sometimes causes much mischief before detected. In a fully ex- posed house liable to sudden drought from bursts of sunshine, itisnot uncom- mon for the leaves to wither at the tip, and lose their fineglossof health during hot weather ; the remedy is to give all the air possible, with abundant mois- ture. Old plants are sometimes seen in pots, but are never so fine, more heat | and constantfeeding being necessary to induce anything like vigour where the roots are closely confined. In health border plants shoots as thick as the fin- ger and many feet in length are often produced in a season, and though not in themselves the best for flower, such main stems favour the wide spacing, which results in a fine display of bloom _upontheside shoots. A hundredormore flowers on one shoot is not unusual, though they are mostly hung all along its length with a white or rosy bell in every leaf-axil, the number sometimes increased to twoorthree, ormorerarely in large bunches of many together. In many parts of the south-west of England and in Ireland the Lapageria thrives in

| In the Open.

the open, mostly upon walls facing north _or north-west, for though it will growin

other aspects the colour of the flowers | 1s spoiled by much sun. Quite in the

north of Wales, nearthe sea-coast, there are fine plants growing in this way, un- protected save in the hardest winters and flowering freely far into the autumn, | while in Cornwall and Devon fine esta- 'blished plantsare rarely without flowers.

Encouraged by the open winters, now so frequent, more use might be made of the Bell-flower in this way, vigorous plants being raised from seed and the best grown on. Itwould also bea pretty variation from theusual plan of growing them on walls to try them rambling free- ly as in their native wilds, where the trailing sprayshangasrich garlands from the lower branchesof the treesand peep out from every thicket. The flame- flower (Tropeolum speciosum), its com- panion in Chili, does so well in thisway that in mild districts near the coast the Lapageria should be tried under the same conditions.

Thereare whiteand ros forms of the Bell-flower and varieties of bothkinds. That known as Lapageria albaisgrownin twoforms, one far superior to the other in size and beauty of flower, and broader in theleaf. Though usually freer and more vigorous in growth than the red kind, its flowers are more delicate ; and it is scarcer in gardens, because rarely coming true from seed it has to be raised from layers and is more costlyasa result. Its flowers are beautiful, especially whenin clusters, and are much grown for cutting. When out of flower it may be known from the red kind by its rounder leaves of lighter green.

As to Kinds.

The red kind, L. rosea, varies much |

in its seedling forms, and only plants of the best kinds should be grown, those

of rich colour and open mouth being»

preferred to the many pale and inferior kinds to be had cheaply. There are several named varieties, the best being superba, or the Mash Court variety, a

STATUEMANIA,

223

| plant of great vigour and almost con- -stantly in flower, with leaves like a fine Ivy and large flowers 4 inches long, often in clusters and of deep colour, mottled with paler blotches on the inside. The Warnham Court variety is also good, with flowers of great substance, short in the tube and of deep rose-red, thickly scattered with points of greyish-white within. The Kvo// variety, again, has large and long flowers, good in texture and widely reflexed, flowering freely even upon small twigs; other old kinds are rubra, with good deep flowers, and Fisher Holmes, goodinshapeand colour. Double flowers of many plants some- times occur in both colours, but their form is far from beautiful. STATUEMANIA. ~By common consent the British statue isnothing tobe proud of,and the spread of the statue mania to gardens—public or private—is tobedeplored. Theplace for a good statue is within the protec- tion of some public or other building ; abad one isbetteroutofsightaltogether. A witty French writer, M. Harduin, has lately been protesting against thisstatwo- _mantie ashecallsit,and says, quite justly, that a bronze or stone statue that fixes the eye in a garden-square is no good substitute for the effect of tree, or grass, _orflower. Further,that we have already too many statues in cities. Assuming, however, that people are satisfied with statues as they are, it is surely unneces- sary to spot them over the parks and grass plots in towns whilethere is such i immense choice of sites for these or similar monuments in embankments _and bridges, where they could be seen

224

FLORA AND SYLVA,

to the best advantage without destroy- | ing the effect of garden or park. There are people who think of the garden not | as a living picture of beautiful natural | forms, but as a place to show off one of the least worthy phases of humanart. In a northern country likeours a statue of | any high merit as awork of art deserves to be protected by a building of some kind, as the effect of frost and rain is very destructive to statuary. The scat- tering of numerous statues of a low or- der, such as are often seen in Italian gardens, gives a bad effect, and the dot- ting of statues about the public gardens of Parisand London is destructive of all | repose. Ifa place be used for the exhi- bition of sculpture, well and good ; but let us not in that case call it a garden. In Britain, statues are often made of | plaster, and those who use a garden as_ a place to dotabout such “‘ works of art” do not think of the garden as the first | of places to show the works of Nature in their natural forms. |

As to the artistic value of much of | our sculpture, Lord Rosebery, in his speech at Edinburgh in 1896, said :— “Tf those restless spirits that possessed _ the Gadarene swine were to enter into | the statues of Edinburgh, and if the whole stony and brazen troop were to hurry and hustle and huddle headlong down the steepest place near Edinburgh into the deepest part of the Firth of Forth, art would have sustained no serious loss.” Yet thisis the sort of rub- bish that some wish us toexpose in the garden, where thereis rarely the means to be found to do even as good work as We see in Cities.

In its higher expression nothing is more precious in art than sculpture ; in its debased forms it is less sothanalmost any formof art. Thelovely Greek sculp- ture in the Vatican or British Museum

is the work of great artists, and those

who study it will not be led astray by

the statues in our squares. If wewish to

see the results of sculpturein the archi- tect’s own work we have but to look at thepublic buildings in Londonwhere it is used, mostly to spoil any architec- tural grace such buildings should pos- sess,as in the National Portrait Gallery, the Natural History Museum, and the Home Office Buildings. Real artists in sculptureare not concerned with garden design, and sculpture is notthebusiness of thebuilder or landscape gardener. A statue or two of any artistic value may be placed in a gardenwith good effect, never, however, forgetting that a gar- den isa place for life not death.

SONGS OF THE WOODS AND FLOWERS: Sprinc Huas Come.

Art first the snowdrop’s bells are seen, Then close against the sheltering wall The tulip’s horn of dusky green, The peony’s dark unfolding ball.

The golden-chaliced crocus burns ;

The long narcissus-blades appear ; The cone-beaked hyacinth returns,

And lights her blue-flamed chandelier.

The willow’s whistling lashes, wrung By the wild winds of gusty March,

With sallow leaflets lightly strung, Are swaying by the tufted larch.

The elms have robed their slender spray With full-blown flower and embryo leaf ; Wide o’er the clasping arch of day Soars like a cloud their hoary chief.

See the proud tulip’s flaunting cup,

That flames in glory for an hour— Behold it withering—then look up—

How meek the forest-monarch’s flower! When wake the violets, Winter dies ;

When sprout the elm-buds, Spring is near ; When lilacs blossom, Summer cries,

“ Bud, little roses! Spring is here!”

—OLIVER WENDELL Ho.LMEs.

»5i*

FLORA

AND SYLVA.

Vol. Il. No. 17.]

DEGRADED STRAWBERRIES. Tue lovers of this fruit—and they are many—have had full opportunity this season of tasting the sour poor thing as it is known in our markets. Doctors for- bid it to their patients and many who venture to eat areill-aftected. The late Sir Henry Thompson used to say to me that of all foods known to mortals the worst to produce lithic acid inthe blood was the Strawberry. He of course, like most others, judged from the market kinds, and the question is whether these ill-effectsare essential to the fruit or due to our choosing bad kinds. The town public are at the mercy of the markets and their ways; the fruits that look and carry well are those that are always grown—never mind the flavour, the stomach-ache, or saturating the blood with acids. Soft fruits that carry well tasteill. Isit rightto encourage this state of things? The markets will have their own ways, but isit well for thosewho are happy in having fertile gardens of their own to follow the lead of the markets? We may grow better varieties than those commonly grown. The best Strawberry ever raised is Myatt’s British Queen, and there were other good kinds raised from

that, such as Keen’s Seedling—kinds far

AUGUST,

1904. [ Monthly.

better than the Roya/ Sovereign and others now in use. Even the neglected Viscountess was better in flavour than some of those on the market now. The Alpine Strawberry is, in its wild state, a

wholesome fruit, as it is in flavour far better than those grown for use, small _thoughit be. Those who have stayed in

the south of Europe know thebaskets of sweet wild Strawberries gathered on the hillsides by the peasants and brought daily into the marketsin large quantities during summer, or they may themselves have plucked the ripe red clusters hang- ing from the old walls of country lanes. These fruits are the best that can be had for flavour, and are sweet without the sugar which alone makes the market Strawberry palatable, manufactured su- gar being also injurious. The neglected Hautbois—another wild Strawberry — is also far finer in flavour than most cultivated Strawberries.

Where from our conditions we are not able to grow the best kinds such as The Queen, why not raise Strawberries from seed? I have always felt that the fine flavour of The Queen came, not from the Chilian or the Virginian Straw- berry, but in part from the Hawzbors. That would be an excellent kind to use

P

226

FLORA AND SYLVA,

in crossing. We have proof in other fruits that variation in kinds means very often variation in quality. For instance, thereare Apples thatare wholesomeand grateful in every way, whether cooked or raw, and others uneatable, no matter what we do to them. There isa differ- ence in kind between the flavour of a ripe Grosse Mignonne and the Peaches now grown for the London market. If Myatt of Deptford raised such a deli- cious Strawberry as The Queen, why should not others raise varieties of equal merit and distinction? Butthe firstthing to do is to cultivate The Oueen. It is supposed to be difhcult tocultivate, but I do not find it so. The London market is supplied both from heavy and light soils,and many of those cool soils in the Wealden country round London are excellent for The British Oucen. The late Madame Elisa deVilmorin occupied herself much with the raising of Straw- berries, and it is so interesting a pursuit that any lady might adopt it. Let it be done, not with the object of raising kinds for the overstocked markets, but with the single object of good flavour, without regard to size or colour. The Strawberries which havehad most to do with the flavourless kinds now in cul- tivation are the Chilian and Virginian Strawberries, but chiefly the Chilian, which is more remarkable for its size than its flavour. It is very desirable to in- troduce new blood, working morefrom the Hautbors and crossing it with some of the best kinds, and so we mightarrive at something better than the present state of the same large sour Strawberry on every table, and perhaps even get an

“early” British Queen. The spoiling of the Strawberry is not an affair of flavour only, although that is the worst result so far. Exaggerated size is no gain but a drawback as no very large Strawberry is ever well flavoured. This year some ofthe Strawberries resemble the “lights” of slaughtered animalsratherthan the pret- ty fruit the Strawberry should be. In no case should we raise kinds less good in flavour than the wild Strawberries of the mountains ; the market kindsincultiva- tion are not so good in flavour. Owners of gardens must rely on themselves en- tirely in this matter, and if they follow the market, or even the catalogueways, they will get no forwarder. Shows, equally with markets, are a hindrance, size and colour being thought more of

than quality.

THE CAPE FIG-WORT (Phygelius capensis) . A HANDSOME native of South Africa, hardy over a large area in England and Ireland. Introduced fifty years ago, it is still an uncommon plant. Throughout the south of England it is one of the finest of late-flowering perennials for gardens of warm soil, and even in Scot- land it thrives in sheltered places and against walls; its first flowers open in June, though September and October are the months of its greatest beauty. The flowers are borne in graceful spikes of g to 15 inches upon crimson stems, the flowers hanging in tiers with pretty effect and sometimes to the number of thirty orforty spikes uponastrong plant, the hanging tubes of bright red showing an orange-yellow throat. Many of the

THE CAPE FIG-WORT.

leaves hang all the winter in a mild sea- son and are only injured by sharp frost; but even if the stems are cut to the ground, the roots start afresh in the spring. Where space can be found, it is best at the foot of a warm wall or even trained upon it; plants so placed will spread many feet and flower with free-

227

dom through a long season. Young

plants begin to flower when quite small and grow quickly into bushes 3 to 4 feet high and a yard square, glowing with fine colour in the autumn border when flowering shrubs are few. The plant is easily raised from seed, which ripens freely, but the usual way of increase is

THE CAPE FIG-WORT,

228

from cuttings of the soft shoots or from portions of the root-stock, which often sends out runners. In places where its hardiness is in doubt or where the soil is at all wet, a good plan is to strike a few cuttings in the autumn and winter them under glass in the event of loss during a severe season. Young plants may also be lifted from the border on the approach of frost and, potted up,

will continue in flower a good part of |

the winter. Upon light sandy soils the plant should be mulched and freely watered in hot weather, though under northern skies it is less sensitive to sun- light; on heavier ground good drainage is the first essential, with some protec- tion at the root during winter. Its name of Cape Fig-wort is from a fancied re- semblance to the Common Fig-wort, a

native plant to which it is (botanically) allied.

THE GREATER TREES OF THE NORTHERN FOREST.—No. 17. THE WESTERN HEMLOCK (Tsz- ga heterophylla). |

A NoBLE tree, with thevigour of the Pine

and the grace ofa fern, perfectly hardy,

and, coming from cool and wet regions |

like much of our own country, it pro-

mises to be one of the best trees for the |

British Islands ever introduced. The

Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), which was long the only known tree of this group, while hardy as a Briar, never |

takes in our country the handsome shape described in the writings of American tree-lovers, and such as I have seen it in

Canada. The Western Hemlock, on the

other hand, has a free growth in our

FLORA AND SYLVA.

country and a good character for its wood, although the bad name of the Canadian Spruce timber has clung to it so long that it has prevented its use even in its own country. Thegrace of thetree is unsurpassed, and its fine pyramidal

form and light leaf-growth make it a

storm resister—a good point in a tree

fora windy and wet country. It has also

another precious quality for us, namely, that of supporting shade. This must be

‘taken with some reserve, because all

trees, especially the northern trees, love the sun, butin youth a tree that endures

shade isvaluablebecauseit can be planted

under other trees to vary and to replace

them. This quality is, perhaps, all the

_more precious to us because of the large

area of woodland now useless and in

need of replanting in districts where the Western Hemlock thrives. So far as it

has been tried in Britain it is a very pro- mising tree, andasit comes froma coun- try witha good rainfall, may be expected todo best in the south and western parts of England, Wales, and Ireland, where the rainfall is heaviest. In my own plant-

ing] find it to befullyas free as any Pine

‘in the home counties.

So popular are the Douglas Fir and

the Big Tree in our country that few

people think of other trees as approach-

ing them closely in stature. This lovely

tree rivalsthem in height, sometimes at- taining to 250 feet and even more, with a maximum diameter of 8 feet, the ave- rage diameter being about 5 feet, with

-a smooth, rounded trunk, and small,

graceful branchlets.

The Western Hemlock ex- tends from Alaska south-

Area.

THE WESTERN

HEMLOCK.

229

ward to Marin County, California, and | tion of the ie - eastwards to Mon- from the coast region in Ge aliorat to | tana in its par es part. The first men- Southern Oregon in the southern por- | tion of the species occurs in a published

(Engraved for

WESTERN HEMLOCK SPRUCE. from young trees in Lord Selborne’s plantations at Blackmoor, Hants.)

Flora’”’

—— account of the voyage of Admiral Van-

couver yanEnglish navigator,who visited Puget ‘onic in 1792. In July of the following year, Alexander Mackenzie, the first white man to cross the North American continent, saw it in latitude 52 on the coast of what is now British Columbia. eene of the tree was published in 1814 in the Journal of the Lewis and Clarke Expedition, which

assed the winter of 1 805 nearthe mouth | of the Columbia River. The distribution ofthe Western Hemlock indicates clear- ly its chief requirements to be a cooland moist climate. Western Washington and Oregon, where it reaches its best de- velopment, are divided into three longi- tudinal belts, each with distinct charac- teristics of soiland climate. The western strip, between the Pacific Oceanand the Coast Range (which becomes the Olym- pic Mountains inthe north), hasa fertile, usually clayey, soil, and rainfall of over 70 inches. Between the Coast Range and the foot of the Cascades lies a belt which, protected from the moist sea winds, is comparatively dry; in this belt there is littlke Hemlock.Onascending the west slopes of the Cascades the change is again distinctly marked. The soil is of either volcanic or sedimentary origin, and the increasing altitude causes con- densation of the moisture which escapes the Coast Range and 1s carried eastward over the central valley. Here the West- ern Hemlock again appears, and, at an altitude of from 1,500 to 3,500 feet, reaches its best development, and is

ee)

230

FLORA AND SYLVA.

most free from insect attacks and from disease. The culture of the tree seems easy, as it is an abundant and constant seed-bearer, reproducing itself freely in its own country under a great variety of conditions,even sowing itselfand spring- ing up upon the stems and fallen logs of the forest. The trees bear seed at from twenty-fiveto thirty years, and itis often carried great distances.

The wood of the Western treeis hard, straight-grained, tough, and usually white,although often reddish-brownin the interior of the tree. This reddening is not confined to the heartwood, but may extend to the sap- wood. In its strength, ease of working, and freedom from warp and shake, the Western Hemlock differs greatly from the easterntree and possesses all the re- quisites of ordinary building material. In Washington it is largely used for mill-frames. Thedurability of this tim- ber is still largely a matter of conjec- ture; there are no recorded experi- ments, and it has until recently been little used. Probably it has been greatly underrated, and although not a hard wood it has been found serviceable for floors, joists and scantlings, laths, ceil- ings, newel and panel work, wooden wareand paper pulp, being best adapted foruses which demand ease in working, fine finish, lightness, and considerable strength. For such purposes there will certainly be a demand forit when better known. It takes a high polish, is free from pitch, and when properly sawed shows a beautiful grain, and is there- fore excellent for wainscot, panels, and newels.

Wood.

| tana, Murray; A. Bridges, Kellogg; A.

NAMES AND SYNONYMS OF THE WESTERN HEMLOCK. A GAME of battledore and shuttlecock has been played with the name of this tree, hence the importance of a good English name to take precedence over any in a dead lan- guage. The Western Hemlock Spruce is a good name. To justify his change of name from Tsuga mertensiana to T. hetevophylla, Professor Sargent says: “‘ An unfortunate confusion between the names of the two Hemlock Spruces of western North America has long existed. Bongard

| first described three species of Pine collected by Mertens

in 1831, one of which incorrectly named Tsuga canadensis has since proved to be the Western Hemlock, while a second known as Tsuga mertensiana has been more recently identified as the Mountain Hemlock or Patton Spruce (Tsuga pattonana). The name Tsuga canadensis having been already given to the Eastern Hemlock, we must turn to Rafinesque, the next authority in order of precedence. The tree described by him under the name Abies hetero- phylla points conclusively to the Western Hemlock (no other tree in the forests of Pacific North America answer- ing to his description) and the only course is to adopt his name and call the Western Hemlock Tsuga heterophylla, and Patton’s Spruce Tsuga mertensiana, though sucha change of names is certain to prove confusing.” Tsuga heterophylla, Sargent, Silva of North America, Vol. 12, p. 73; Allen, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Fores- try, Bulletin 33; Tsuga mertensiana, Carriére ; Abies alber- mertensiana, Lindley and Gordon; A. heterophylla, Rafinesque ; Abies pattoniana, McNab; Pinus canadensis, Bongard; Pinus mertensiana, Bongard.

THE PARKS AT MIDSUMMER. MipsummMer Day—the words suggest clustered Roses, flowery borders, and leafy bowers, so I set forth to seek these charming objects in the only spots re- served to them within the city—the Londonparks. Battersea Park is not yet

ina state to rouse enthusiasm. Save that

“Rosary” is marked upon the plan it would be easy to pass through it with- out noticing its existence. There is here and there a Rambler trying to assert it- self, but the pole to which it is trained is more seen than the flowers, and else- where the Roses (already weakly from town life) are buried among the Phloxes, Hollyhocks, and Delphiniums which make quest for beauty hopeless. Where there are no perennials there are lines and patches of annuals and ‘‘bedding- stuff,” and as Battersea is famous for its

“bedding” to the beds we turn for

THE PARKS AT MIDSUMMER.

231

consolation; but the workman spacing golden Geraniums around a mass of Cannas, tells us we are too early by at least a month. And so it seems, foreven the finished beds are merely scattered with the usual Geraniums and Lobelias, Fuchsias, Coleus, and Alternanthera, with gauntBegoniasand A butilonslook- ing so forlorn that one feels almost glad that so many have given it up at the out- set and lie brownand withered. ‘‘ Come again in about a month; there are two great houses, each 130 feet long, full of Palms and things we shall be putting out directly ”—and then you divine the meaning of the gaping scars upon the grass at measured distance, which have held the rain and gathered rubbish all the winter. But even the mixed borders are in little happier case at Battersea ; for not only are the hardy plants con- demned to struggle with the roots of greedy trees and shrubs, but their whole arrangementis spotty and disappointing and the press of bedding-work means neglectfor the outdoor things. In order to have any chance at all the tender ex- otics must come first and have all the best places, so their hardier brethren suf- fer. Still, alittle more boldness and ima- gination would do much in the mixed border, if only planters would learn to mass in groups instead of dotting, and avoid all plants poor in colour and in constitution.

St. James’s Park reaches a higher level, though its merits aremostly nega- tive, with here and there a pretty cluster of crimson Potentilla, acheery rambling Rose glowing conspicuously across the water, and colonies of Clove Carnation

coming on. Seen from the foot-bridge, however, the new wall at the end of the lake quite spoils the view in that direc- tion. As for the bedding in the new space fronting the palace, surely one might look for something worthier than the pudding-like mass of Rhododen- drons in the centre and the rows of red Geraniums dotted with Marguerites that are set out as artlessly as ashes in the nursery yard. And so on to Hyde Park where the Rhododendrons are fine in colour and still thick with bloom, but, this said, there is nothing further tocom- mend. The dismal array of beds facing Park Lane, such as one has seen for seasonspast,the same bad plants—varie- gated Privet, Cupheas, Lantanas, and Alternanthera—all too lately planted to be beautiful even as “bedding”; in fact thereare yet arid wastes recalling the months of desolation past. Even where the plants are good—Pinks, Violas, and the like—the planting to shape,and the lack of fit surroundings, are against all good effect; for who can makea flower- picture with a background of spiked iron, and plants set out as no natural plant is ever seen. Hyde Parkisso hope- lessly bad that with relief we turn away and look for something less crude and childish in Regent’s Park. Here at least theshrubberiesare better and the group- ing carried out with skill. And here we see the first real Roses, and good they are too: Caroline Testout, and Ulrich Brunner, with a showy group of Gruss an Teplitz and others. But here too the fruits of a bad system are seen in beds of Viola and Thrift, with other hardy plants, left to struggle with the weeds as P 4

230

FLORA AND SYLVA,

best they may while the bedding-season absorbsthe workmen. Where succulents are grown surely it would be more in keeping to pile together a few rough blocks of stone, around which to group them with at leastasemblance of natural effect, rather than to plant each Agave on its own little mound, exactly like its neighbour at a measured distance, and studded round with hosts of fleshy satel- lites ina manner wholly irrational. Still in Regent’s Park there is much that pleases, e.¢., the wild Brake growing freely with the shrubs and suggestive of the open country with a breath of Furze-clad common or shady wood- land. The shrubberies are fretted into little baysand nooksand straits,by which the green turf gains access everywhere without the fettering border-line. Best of all, the little pool edged with tall yellow Flags, grey Willow, Buckthorn,

and towering Rhubarbsuponthe farther | striking for the moment. It is not my aim to describe minutely, for the de-

side; Gunneras, with Arrowheads and Water Iris, Marsh Marigolds and Lilies in nearer view.

The only open words of praise that reached me in a long day’s ramble were

overheard in Regent’s Park, where the | nestling Violas, thick with flowers of instance, the beautiful Comzesse Vitali,

varied colour, though massed in groups yet flow together without a harsh line; and beside the water, where clustered Liliesand the margin of Forget-me-nots called forth a burst of enthusiasm from a knot of work-girls. For the rest, ‘“come again in about a month” is the sum of Midsummer Day’s promise, and thatafter nine months of waiting—from October to the end of June. B,

SOME OF THE NEWER TEA ROSES, WITH A PLATE OF COM- TESSE VITALI.*

Tue late Sir Richard Owen used to speak of Lilac time, and Laburnum time, and others according to the flowers of the day; but of all the flower times there is nothing that appeals to the Rose-lover so much as the opening of the new and old Tea and Monthly Roses in June. They are so varied and so refined in colour that no other Roses come at all near them, and the old red Roses, how- ever brilliant and deep in colour, are but asa Christmas showin comparison. The novelties are numerous enough, and even the failures in form are beautiful

incolour. To people devoted to these Roses, however, there is enough of wor-

thy novelty to make them interesting,

-andamong thoseI have myself tried this

yearand lastare some of supreme beauty, of which the following are the most

scriptions are given in most catalogues; moreover, the formand colour of any of

_ these Roses will vary, owing to weather,

age, season, and other things of which it is impossible to take account. For

which we figure in this number, on the day we write this is quite different in appearance from whatit was when drawn by Mr. Moon. It isalovely Rosein many ways, hardy, free and beautiful in foliage and in all ways. Iam comparing these Roses with the queens of their race, such as MarieVan Houtte and Anna Ohvier, grown freely in the open air, which is

* Drawing by H. G. Moon at Gravetye Manor.

THE NEWER TEA ROSES,

233

by far the best way to grow them if we want to see their finest colour. Ami Stecher,largeand splendid in colour, fine in leaf, with flowers of a beautiful dark ruddy crimson. Comtesse de Ruffii de Roux is a lovely soft coppery-rose (and this a very feeble description), some- what in the way of Marie Van Houtte, but quite distinct. Comte Chandon, a clear yellow, and as good as anything ever seen in that colour. Md//e. Emma Vercellone,acopper pink. Peace,asplen- did sport of the always excellent Georges a- bonnand, Préfet Mon- tetl, with a handsome bud and fine flowers of soft sulphur yellow, with a little copper- pink upon the outer petals. General Gal- /iéni, a distinct and su- perb Rose, dificult to describe; a splendid red with a copper lin- ing, fine in flower and inevery way. Madame Charles de Luxe,a very handsome pale Rose, a singular mixture of lovely colour with rich yellow shad- ingswithin. Feanne Philippe is,perhaps, the pick of the basket, alovely bright buff colour with streaks of dull red on outer petals,afree grower, and anoble Rose in

allways. Mdm. René Gérard, soft peach

colour. A promising Rose, but perhaps | vigorous plant. Mdm. Ernestine Ver-

not quite so notable as some of those named. Mdm. Ravary, a fine and dis- tinct Rose in copper-orange, with bars of pale dull red outside, colours to which it is impossible to do justice in words.

Grande Duchesse Anastasie,a good flesh colour, but, as judged to-day, without the great budsand the distinct character of some of those before named. Franz Deegen, a beautiful pale yellow Rose; very promising. Comtesse de Cayla, a rich, brilliant, coppery-pink asnearlyas words can describe it. Emilie Charrin, clear, bright, flesh-pink. Progress is a beautiful apricot colour, but not yet seen enough to speak fully of its habit and vigour. Principessa di Napoli, a

ROSE COMTESSE DE BARDI.

starry flesh colour. Comeesse ae Bard, a lovely Rose, reminding one of Marie

| Van Houtte and yet distinct. Sa/monea, _a fine Rose, looking a little like Papa

Gontier on the day we write and with fine odour. George Farber,a large Rose suggestive of a China in colour, but as we write without any buds; a large and

dier, a flower of bronzed-flesh colour and a good Rose. Max Buntze/,a pale red with much copper shading within ;

a fine bud and a plant of good vigour.

234 FLORA AND SYLVA.

Margherita di Simone,acuriously pretty Rose of rather bright flesh colour witha distinct yellow base to the petals inside. Marianne de Rothschild : this, aftera two years’ trial, proves to be a noble Rose, like a great flesh-coloured monthly; handsome in bud and of vigorous habit. Professor a’ Andre, a fine flesh colour with the inner part of the petals yet paler; vigorous and promising. It should be noted that these are all thus summarily described in one afternoon and are al- most the first blooms of the season, some of the kinds, of which we think highly from last year’s trials, not yet being in flower.

THE HARDY ACANTHUS.

THoucH fine-leaved plants are common enough in summer many of them are soon shabby, and the list of perennials holding fine foliage throughout the summer and autumn is not a long one; if for this reason alone the Acanthus de- serves a place in all British gardens. They are plants of southern Europe, but throughout the south and west of Bri-

frost, and even when the leaves are da- magedin sharp winters, the roots escape. If well planted and nursed a little at the outset (growth for the first few seasons being slow), when well established they need little further attention, gaining in strength and beauty every year. Given good soil, they may be finely grouped in half-wild spots and allowed to spread

at will, the bold deeply-cut leaves being |

fine in effect at all seasons and the long spikes of whiteandrose or purple flowers coming as an added charm upon old

plants. In the Mediterranean region the

Acanthus fills manya shady dell, spread-

“ing into dense luxuriant masses and be-

coming a mere weed in many gardens from the seedlings which spring upinall directions. There are few finer effects than that of their great leaves and clus- tered flower-spikes in the half-wild spots they love to make their own.

Even in parts of Devon, Cornwall, and other southern counties, the hardier kinds are quite at home, forming tufts of many feet across with spikes 5 feet high thick-set with flowers. One such spot I call to mind, where the Broad- leaved Acanthus disputes place with clumps of Plantain Lily of the noblest vigour, with here and there a giant Rhu- barb or Gunnera beside the water, and

colonies of the tall Japan Anemones

in rose and white, all crowding one

another in friendly rivalry. Grown with such plants and amid half-wild sur- _roundings its beauty is better seen than

in the mixed border, though here and

there in the angle of a lawn it may be

used to advantage or planted as a bold tain and Ireland are rarely injured by.

relief to the unyielding outlines of the

| masonry common upon terraces and ' house-fronts. Strong tufts may even be -used like the Plantain Lily to grace the

pillar-vases often seen in the formal gar- den, and, provided there is no lack of soil or water, few plants are more effec- tive.Grown in pots for indoor decoration there are few things give better results in rooms and window-gardens, remaining beautiful season after season with little care and living on even in gloomy and ill-ventilated places that would be fatal to most plants.

THE HARDY ACANTHUS,

235

To flower well in this coun- try they need to be in light well-drained soil and in an open sunny spot, with some shelter if possible, and to be planted in spring in order to get some hold before winter. In many gar- dens of heavier soil — such as strong limestone marls—the Acanthus grows well but is less free in flower and needs deep drainage with some protection, at least until well established. Strong roots may be divided in spring or young plants may be grown from root-cuttings, or seed raised in gentle heat ; as generally practised these ways are slow, but in Paris, where the Acanthus is grown in large numbers for market, fine plants are grown toausefulsizeinafewmonths and are in great demand as window plants.

Culture.

There are many species of Acanthus with only slight differences in point of effect, consist- ing mainly in modifications of leaf or flower. The hardy kinds commonly

found in gardens are :—

Grecian AcANTHUS (4. Caroli-Alexandrt). —One of the latest hardy kinds, a small grower with only a few narrow leaves ina loose cluster, and standing from 12 to 18 inches high; dense spikes of flower during spring, white suffused with rose. Greece.

StTaTeLy AcantTuus (4. candelabrum).— A plant of uncertain origin, very handsome in bold masses, and doing well ina moist spot even when in partial shade, or grouped at the foot of limestone boulders in the rock-garden. It is a strong grower, with leaves of intense green, flowering in autumn.

SpanisH AcANnTHUus (4. Aispanicus).—An old kind which has almost died out of northern gardens, of medium growth (2 feet), with broad deeply-cut leaves of glossy green and spikes of white flowers.

Lonc-LEAvep Acantuus (4. /ongifolius).

Kinds.

—A bold distinct plant and one of the hardiest. Its leaves are long and narrow, gracefully arch- ing, and of bright green; the flowers, of pur- plish-rose surrounded by reddish bracts, are borne upon short spikes of 2 feet in early sum- mer. Dalmatia.

Common Acantuus (4. mollis).—The common Italian species, of free handsome growth with dull green leaves cut into broad waved lobes, and loose spikes of rosy-white flowers.

BroAp-LEAVED Acantuus (4. mollis Lati- folius).—A variety of the last but larger, hand- somer, and hardier, with very large leaves of dark green, finely cutand glossy, often remain- ing good all the winter. Stout flower-spikes

of 4 to 5 feet during July and August, with

ACANTHUS

IN FLOWER.

white and rosy flowers set thickly and seed- ing freely. Syn. 4. lusitanicus. A beautiful form of this kind is seen in some gardens of southern Europe, with a very distinct erect habit and shining leaves of fine appearance, making it the best for single tufts. BLACK-STEMMED ACANTHUs (2. niger) — An uncommon species from Portugal, with shining dark green leaves of 3 feet and purplish- white flowers towards the end of summer. Spiny AcantTuus (4. spinossissimus).—A handsome kind, very distinct, with leaves of 3 to 4 feet, deeply cut, blistered, and spiny ; the spines glistening and acutely recurved, The

236

FLORA AND SYLVA,

spikes, loosely set with rosy flowers, appear in the autumn, but the plant rarely blooms in Britain. S. Europe.

ArmMeD AcanTHuUs (4.spinosus).—A hand- some plant of fine habit, with much-cut leaves, the divisions of which end in shortwhite spines; the foliage remains fresh all winter in mild seasons. The spikes appear in August, reach- ing 5 or 6 feet, with small purplish flowers thickly set; leaves and stems slightly hairy. 5. Europe.

List oF SpEciEs.—Acanthus arboveus, Egypt; Barteri, tropical Africa; candelabyum (unknown); capensis, South Africa ; cavduaceus, Himalayas; Duoscoridis, Syria; ebvac- teatus, tropical Asia; hirvsutus, Asia Minor, ilicifolius, tro- pical Asia; imbricatus, Further India; Kirkii, Angola, leucostachyus, East India; longibracteatus, Burmah ; longi- folius, South Europe ; longipetiolatus, Burmah ; mollis, South

Europe; montanus, tropical Africa; niger, Portugal; mtz- | dus, tropical Africa; polystachyus, tropical Africa ; rubens, | North America; spathulavis, North America} spinossisst- |

mus, S. Europe; spinosus, Europe; syviacus, Syria; tetra- genus, Abyssinia; verus (unknown) ; volubilis, East India.

THE GARDEN BEAUTIFUL. HOME LANDSCAPE AND HOME WOODS. FURTHER NOTES ON THE OAK.

In the journalistic English of the day and ©

in many books with much pretence of ‘science’ the use of long words is tak- ing hold so deeply that confusion arises from it. There is a mania for needless definitions, and it is common nowadays to speak of “‘sy/viculture” and “arbori- culture” as if they were different things. In a recent and otherwise interesting book by Mr. E. Step there is an apt ex- ample of this tendency in the use of the terms ‘‘ mercantile” and “‘ esthetic” in

speaking of two points of view from |

which to regard forestry :—

“ But, after all,it is the trees that have been planted by Nature that give the greatest pleasure, apart from commer- cial considerations—the lonely Pine, that grows in rugged grandeur on the edge of the escarpment where its seed was planted in the crevice by the wind ; the Oak that grows out- side the forest, where a squirrel or a jay dropped the acorn, and where the young tree had room all its life to throw out its arms as it would; the little cluster of Birches that springs from the ferns and moss of the hillside. All trees so grown develop an individuality that is not apparent in their fellows of the timber forest ; and however we may delight in the

peace and quiet of the forest, with its softened light and cool fragrant air, we can there only regard the trees ina mass. . . . Nature mixes her seeds and sows them broad- cast over the land she intends to turn into forest, that the more vigorous kinds may act as nurses, sheltering and pro- tecting the less robust. . . . The timber-producer aims at so controlling the struggle for existence that the survival of | the fit is maintained from start to finish. He plants his young trees in regular order, putting in nurses at intervals and along the borders, intending to cut them down when his purpose has been served. The timber trees are allowed no elbow-room, the putting forth of lateral branches is dis- couraged, but steady upward growth and the production of ‘canopy’ is abetted.”

But forests of both kinds are beautiful —natural and planted—and there is no hard and fast line between the two, al- though, as in all living things, there is some difference in degree. Nature plants not only the “lonely Pine” but also the vast forests of Canada,California, British Columbia, Auvergne, and many other countries. Some of the most beautiful woods in Kent, Sussex, and Hants are for use only, undergoing periodical cut- tings. None the less, whether in effect upon the landscape or examined closely, they are beautiful, though there may be _bad as well as good ways of managing them. Oak woods may occupy broken ground (the best place for them), and often no good “rides” are ever made through them, the only means of access

being the tracks made by keepers. By

| planning lines of access in such woods it

is easy toopenthem up in beautiful ways without lessening the value of the tim- ber, the soil of these rides being fully used by the roots of the trees. This plan, if well done, also gives us ready access to thewild flowers of the district, which are often far finer in their effect than those of gardens. I remember being in an Oak wood with the late Robert Mar- noch, whoknewas much about gardens from the esthetic point of view as any

man who ever worked in them. It was

FURTHER NOTES ON THE OAK.

237

rathera closewood of Oaks, with silvery stems rising out of asea of Primroses and Ladies’ Smocks, and he said to me then, ‘“« How vain is our gardening, compared with such effects as this,” and this was in a wood wholly kept for use and profit. When we come to general effects, the natural and the planted forest are about the samein value, as may be seen in cen- tral Germany and Bohemia, where the woods planted for use add much to the beauty of the country. Itdoes not follow that because some foresters space their trees at equal distancesthat such setting out is necessary. In the forests of the

gularity is no part of Nature’s plan, the trees coming in groups and often of vast size. ‘There are lessons also in this way in many a natural forest, where I have often seen Pines only a few feet apart, yet splendid in size and stature. There is much to show us both in French and German forests—some quite near us, too, as in Normandy—that their tree

beauty, although distinct from that of

the trees in park or chase, is none the less precious. In her distribution of trees

Nature has the free and varied hand of |

the true artist, working without formu- le. Her trees are in garlands, groups, masses, and forests, and varied in a thou- sand ways. As to close massing of trees, no forest planted by the most utilitarian of German foresters is more closely set than the Evergreen Oak woods in North Africa—a country so arid that Euro- peans cannot endure the mid-day heat —but here and there where encamp- ments, or water, or other cause leads to

openings, the beauty of the forest is often _

great. As to ornamental trees, there is nothing inany pleasure garden or shrub- bery so fine as the effects we may see in

-forests,both natural andartificial,treated

as both may be from the forestry point

_of view ; therefore, instead of drawing

doubtful distinctions we should try and

-showthe harmony and unity which exist

in all planting. Nor 1s it always a ques-

tion of planting young trees in regular _order, because upon an immense area of the preenna of the world itis often one

of renewing old woods which are mixed as to ages, kinds, and habits , preventing

any such stiff setting-out as occurs in mountains of Europe and America re-_ the isolated Oaks in the parks and chases _of England and in many country seats, it is well to notice that in soils of a dry

young plantations. As to the beauty of

nature, where the trees are set in the

-_grassas theyare in such cases, they suffer

in dry years; so that in great parks like Bagot, after a number of such years, we

_may see theiru pper parts more dead than

alive. That condition cannot occur in the close forest planting which keeps away the grass. In such cases the trees themselves form a mulch which protects the ground from the evil results of hot seasons.

Since writing the first article upon the Oak, the following has come to me from one of the most experienced tim-

| ber surveyors of the Oak-wooded coun- | try south of London :—“In most Oak

woods which are sheltered from south- west winds, the young trees (.e., up to 10 feet cube) would increase from 5 to 74 per cent. in the year. Trees from ro to 20 feet cube about 5 per cent., and larger trees not somuch—the youngest

238

FLORA AND SYLVA,

trees growing fastest. Hence the oldest trees should be cut, as giving room for the younger ones to grow, and every possible ‘teller’ should be marked and saved tothis end, but owing to thelarge number of rabbits everywhere it is difh- cult to get enough of these natural ‘ tel- lers’ to keep up a proper succession of timber.” JUNE PICTURES AND. JUNE FAILURES.

On the 21st June I had the pleasure of seeing two pictures, made mainly by Roses and in such simple ways that they tell a story of some import to all who care for and seek the best results that are to be got in our gardens during our all too short—and sometimes cool and wet—summers. The first was at a small country railway station, in borders fenced by wooden palings which were covered by Tea Roses of climbing habit, suchas Bouquetd’ Or, Mme. Beérard,and LT’ Idéal. They were fountains of lovely colour, and below these great climbers were bushes of Grace Darling, 5 fect high, Marie d’ Orléans, Princesse de Sagan, and Mme. Lombard, with a groundwork of Pinks and Rockfoils. IL’ Idéa! was the finest plant I had ever seen of it, a tall branched pyramid of coppery-red, 8 feet high, although not in a good place, being partly shaded by trees and a shed. None of these Roses were grown in the way recommended in Rose-lists; they had been mostly struck by the station clerkin his garden among the cabbages. Nor did the soil follow the conventional (and false) rule of clayey loam, as it was simply the gritty, dusty, and fee sweepings of the station yard.

The colour eftect of thewholewas such as an artist might be proud to paint, but only one of rare talent could seize and keep a tithe of its beauty.

The other Rose picture seen on the same day, was at a sunk fence above which some of the bolder wild Roses had been planted some fourteen years ago and never since touched in the way of cultivation, replanting, or weeding. On Mdsamine: Day the Japanese Roses in several kinds were already in flower and tumbling over the fence in profu- sion. The Scotch, American, and other wild Roses were not yet in flower, but the Japanese and our own wild Roses gave a glorious effect, as fine in its way as that of the garden Roses just spoken

of. The forming of these pictures was

a matter of slight cost, while the result was far more precious than that from tender plants put out at this time of the year. In many gardens, especially of the

midlands and the north, the bedding

plants were not all in place at that very _date, and even in place their effect was ugly and the beds almost bare. It would be hard to find a better illustration of

the costly, wasteful, and inartistic sys- tem of decorating our cold northern gardens with tender plants. On the same day, a friend went through the London parks, with the result which is given in another column.—Rosa. PRIMULA DEORUM.

Ir has given me much pleasure this spring to flower this rare Primula for the firsttime. My plant—the subject of the engraving—had oneflower-spike about 8 inches high, bearing twenty blooms, while the surrounding leaves were only

PRIMULA

DEORUM. 239

some 2 inches shorter than the spike. Its colour, afine purplish- violet, is very striking, assuming in different lights a

redder or a bluer shade, which is due in part to the transparency of the petals. I had much difhculty in securing the plant, but in the early spring of 1g02 I was fortunate to get one from Herr

adding At shies Siete fevap ae him he found it a difhcult plant to keep in health. By planting at the base ofa stone with a broad top sloping towards the plant, it receivesmore moisture than would otherwise be the case. It has passed the winters practically without protec- tion, savefor a month or two during the

UNTAUSGGNUUSS UUM) 00 SY SST

BAAR TURF AN aL ATO OCTET FT ETH TET 2

|

PRIMULA DEORUM. (Engraved for ‘ Flora’’

F. Sundermann of Lindau, and at once planted it in sandy loam upon the open rock-garden, in a pocket facing due north and at the foot of a large flat- topped stone. Some years before, Herr Max Leichtlin had kindly told mesome- thingastoitshabitsof growthamong the grass of the moist mountain meadows,

from a photograph by Mr. J. C. Ruddock, Alnwick.)

dampest time when I tilted a pane of glass against the stone to ward off heavy rains, though open to the air at either side. To my mind it is a very fine plant, which promises with age to become yet stronger and more beautiful.

Primula deorum was found by Vele- novsky in 1889, growing at a height of

FLORA

240

8,000 feetupon Mount RiloinBulgaria, thriving in moist grassy places just be- neath thesnow-line. Itsleavesareslight- ly fleshy, covered upon theupper surface with minute glands, and with viscid gum upon the dark-coloured flower-stem,

bracts, and calyx. W. T. HINDMARSH. Alnbank, Alnwick. HYBRID GLADIOLI, NEW AND OLD.

Gladiolus princeps is the latest gain amongst the many hybrids of this gorgeous family. Four distinct species have united in its produc- tion, as may be seen by reference to the ex- planatory table of its descent, which shows at the same time the origin of the other great strains of hybrid Gladioli, to which is due the present place of these flowers in gardens. Though it is rare to find records of crossing so complete as with the Gladioli, there is at the outset a doubt as to the parentage of the Ghent race of hybrids (G. gandavensis), from which all the rest have sprung, and which no less an authority than Van Houtte declared to come from Gladiolus psittacinus, and G. cardi- nalis. In opposition to this it is contended that

G. psittacinus X |

AND SYLVA,

not only have later attempts completely failed to reproduce this result, but that by crossing G. psittacinus with oppositiflorus plants identi- cal with gandavensis have been obtained. This point, then, must be left for fuller knowledge to decide, and it explains why in our table G. gandavensis appears as coming from G. psitta- cinus crossed either with cardinals or oppositi- foorus. Again, some writers have inadvertent- ly declared Gladiolus Childs to be issue of Nanceianusand gandavensis,but upon theautho- rity of M. Max Leichtlin, the raiser, it would appear that Gs. Saundersu and gandavensis are thetrue parents,thus linking G. CAz/dsii closely to Saundersii, a point of some importance in settling the origin of G. princeps. It is also in- teresting to gather that M. Krelage regards G. Childsii of Leichtlin as identical with G. turi- censis of Froebel, and upon enquiry they are shown to be of thesame but inverse parentage, the seed and pollen parent being transposed. But in any case, no doubt exists that from G. Childsii the new plant has come.

To America, in the person of Dr. Van Fleet of Little Silver, this new gain is due. Its other parent, G. cruentus, was first discovered many years ago upon the slopes of the Drakenburg, in Natal, but as of difficult culture it has re- mained rarein Europe, being perhapsnowhere

G. cardinalis or

oppositifiorus.

| Ghent race of hybrids (G. gandavensis). |

gandavensis X psittacinus

purpureo-auratus X gandavensis

Saundersii * gandavensis

| Deleuil’s hybrids (G. massiliensis).

Lemoine’s hybrids (G. Lemoinei).

G. cruenius X Leichtlin’s hybrid (G. Childsit). | |

| Van Fleet’s new hybrid (G. princeps).

dracocephalus x Lemoinei

| Lemoine’s hybrids of G. dracocephalus.

Lemoineit x Saundersit

| ) | The Nancy hybrids

(G. nanceianus).

so well grown as with M. Leichtlin, who sent plants to America. There they throve with Dr. Van Fleet, who succeeded in crossing it with G. Chi/dsi. The resulting hybrid, G/a- diolus princeps, exceeded all expectation. Its tlowers of crimson-scarlet are rich and intense in colour, widely expanding, of great size and fine form. The brightness of the flower is re- lieved by touches of white, or frequently by a white stripe across the centre of the lower petals, which are very full and rounded. The new plant flowers late in August and Septem- ber when other kinds are on the wane; this fact alone will give the newcomer an added value. Though expanding in slow succession, and never having more than three or four open at the same time, the size and lasting quality of its flowers do much to atone for this fact. To the present, raisers have failed to induce much variation in colour from the scarlet of the first G. princeps, but it isnot too much to hope that colours may yet be gained as varied as in the finest strains of hybrid Gladioli.— Puiiip DE Vitmorin, ‘‘ Revue Horticole.”

WASTED OAKS.—Some feeble ex- cuse for the general neglect of woodland work and forestry in England may be tound in the fact that in continental countries vast forest districts belong to the State and are taken good care of to its profit, whereas here we have little of national forest, and what we haveis of no great credit to us. The training of many of the best men for State forest work has its effect also on private property, and the landowners in Germany think it worth their while to knowsomething of their woods in order to take care of them. But apart from forest work pro- per there is a form of tree waste which consists in letting the fine Oaks of the country die on their feet, instances of which can be seen in many districts of the southern and midland counties. In the north, where the Pine is a better

WASTED OAKS,

241

grower than the Oak, this form of waste is less noticeable. When it 1s a question of the monumental trees such as the ‘‘Beggar’s Oak” in Bagot Park or the “Bear Oak” at Penshurst—trees that make the history of the Oak in our coun- try —none can begrudge the care be- stowed upon them; but in the districts where we see these precious trees dozens of Oaks may sometimes be seen with their tops perishingand allowed tocum- ber the ground when long past their prime. This is the case also when the owners of mature woods, pressed for money, cut down their half-grown trees of other kinds. These half-dying Oaks mar the beauty of the wood, chase, or park. The sort of man—not rare—who perpetuates this disgrace, boasting that he never cuts down a tree, probably never plants many trees. This neglected source of wealth is brought forcibly to mind of late from facts which have gone the round of Te Fie/d and other coun- try papers regarding the sale of Oaks by Messrs. Richardson of Stamford for £100 apiece, the buyer in each case taking the tree with all faults and at his own risk. They were exceptionally fine Oaks of the brown wood sought by

cabinet-makers : the price was remark-

able, and may remind us of the waste

we speak of. There are thousands of Oaks in Britain allowed to encumber the ground beyond their time of matu- rity, which, if cut down and sold when at their best, would have been a very material aid to their owners, and have enabled them among other things to renew their woods and plant waste and poor ground.

242

FLORA AND SYLVA,

HESPEROYUCCA WHIPPLEI.

AN interesting description is given by Mons. Allard, of Angers, of the recent flowering in the open air of one of these beautiful plants of California. The plant was raised from seed in 1884, and after growing several seasons in a tub was finally planted in a dry corner at the foot ofasunny wall. Sometimes lightly touched by frost in severe winters it none the less made good progress, and in May of last year began to throw up its flower-spike, which in three weeks reached a height of over g feet, with a superb mass of nearly 2,500 flowers. Though this is small as compared with spikes often seen in its home upon the scorching plains of west- ern America, the production of such a spike in Europe is worthy of record. The Hespero- yucca seems to occupy a place between the Agaves and the Yuccas, resembling many of the first in appearance, and like them dying as it blooms, while the flowers themselves are nearly identical with those of the Yucca group. The flowers, carried upon the upper part of

the spike, are of creamy-white touched with | A New Wip Appte (Pirus Doumeri).—This

violet upon the outside of the petals, and with a penetrating odour of orange-flowers ; they open in long succession, beginning at the base of the column, each flower lasting in beauty

several days and closing partially during the | daytime. A curious feature of the rapidly grow- | _ pointed than is usual in the Apple, and though

ing spike is its great sensibility to light, shown in the marked dip of its growing point toward.

the sun, whose path across the heavens is fol- | lowed by this mute pointer throughout the day, changing in direction from hour to hour. | Six perfect fruits in the form of fleshy capsules | _be determined. Its interest lies in its possible

of about an inch long appeared upon the upper

part of the spike, without any of the care neces- | Pears, and enabling them to be grown nearer _the tropics than is now the case. The table-

sary to induce fertilisation with most of the Yuccas. The leaves of the plant spring from a low woody base and are about 2 feet long by nearly an inch wide, edged with tiny saw- like teeth and terminating in a sharp brown point. Normally arranged in a dense bristling rosette, they part on each side from the centre to give passage to the flower-spike, and rapidly wither away as it develops. It is a common plant among the mountains of the coast range in southern California and is a glorious sight whenin flower; avariety vio/acea bears flowers

shaded with purple.

THE WHITE WILLOW IN SUFFOLK.

Tuis engraving was intended to illus- trate our article on the White Willow (see Flora anp Sytva, Part 11), but was not ready in time. The illustration is from a picture by Mr. Moon, sketched near Brandon, where White Willows grow in great numbers. It is a poor, sandy soil, and one not likely to suit the trees so well as heavy bottoms, but there are depressions here and there with a wet subsoil in which groups of

| Willows thrive and attain a stature of

sometimes 80 or go feet, with a beauty

which, perhaps, no other native tree

Can Surpass.

new tree has recently been found by M.d’Andre

'in Annam, upon the outskirts of a mountain

forest at an elevation of 6,000 to 7,000 feet ; itis of tall erect growth, with atrunk 4 feet round. Its leaves are of a longer oval and more sharply

the fruit is similar in shape and flavour to the wild Apple its pulp contains many of the hard woody masses often found in thePear; its flowers are still unknown, so that to which section of Pyrus it belongs cannot for the moment

valueasa stock for grafting western Apples and

land on which it grows is near the frontier of Cochin China, and has been secured as a health station for Europeans, and is fitted, as to climate, for the culture of temperate fruits which are to be tried upon this new stock. For this purpose Pyrus Doumeri may prove of economic value in other regions bordering the tropics so that the experiments to be made throughout the French colonies should be watched with much interest by our own colo- nial authorities.— Lyon horticole.

THE WHITE WILLOW IN SUFFOLK. 243

THE WHITE WILLOW IN SUFFOLK. (Engraved for ‘‘ Flora’? from a picture by H. G. Moon.)

24.4

FLORA AND SYLVA,

THE WILD GARDEN IN SUM-. MER AND EARLY AUTUMN. One who studies the nature of his soil can make a lovely spring garden almost anywhere. Even places which have to be mown early in summer may be used for early flowers,—Greek Anemone, Crocus, and Scilla. The slow but lovely birth ae spring helps to this, muchas we complain of our spring ehee and only those who have a genius for mis- understanding can fail with the spring wild garden. The summer wild garden is another thing and a much more re- stricted one, as the materials for it are not so easily obtained ; and, moreover, we have the real flower-garden to enjoy in summer and autumn, and so are less dependent on the charms of the wild garden. But there is a good deal to be said for the summer wild garden not- withstanding, and in many country places opportunities occur for carrying

it out in an effective way.

A subject of this sort may often be best discussed from the point of view of an individual instance, and we may state the case of a friend who hasa small wood of stately summer-leafing trees beyond and away from the flower-garden and separated from it bya moat; trees offer-

ing cool shade on hot days, in view of |

the lawnand flower-garden, and yet cut off from them by water. The question is put to me: How should we deal with itas a wild garden? It is a good valley soil, always an advantage where we deal with the greater herbaceous plants, and it has also the doubtful gain of floods in winter and sometimes in summer. Such places are only fitted for hardy plants,

and they are often wholly taken up with -Briars, Nettles, and plants that take the | place on undergrowth i in English woods. Apart from the beauty of a wild garden in such conditions, we have to consider its advantages as an ‘‘outpost” in plac- ing many plants that cannot be well grown in the garden itself, and among them I know nothing heee: than the Day Lilies (Hemerocallis). ‘These in- creasealmost too rapidly in many garden soils, and some I have put out are a yearly source of joy to anyone who cares for good effects. The rich colour is seen to greater advantage with grass and in _half-shady places than in gardens, where they have a stiff look and a far too short bloom. Now ina half-shady place the bloom is prolonged, and if in a northern aspect it 1s all thebetter for them. Some of the great Asiatic and Amour plants, and also some European plants, are so vigorous that if once allowed inagarden they are almost impossible to get rid of. Near water and in rich ground I know nothing better than the Giant Knot- worts (Polygonum) of China and Japan. They area pest in the garden if anyone is so unwise as to let them in; but put them down besidewater or near awood, and they give fine colour in autumnand not unattractive flowers. Very graceful, especially near water, is the Rosy Loose- strife (Lythrum), a superb plant of the autumn, always happy in moist ground and growing very well in water ; inthose raised from seed there is an interesting variation in colour. We may find things for our purposeamong our native plants, amongst others the ‘French Willow”

(Lpilobium), both the wild kind which

THE WILD GARDEN IN SUMMER AND EARLY AUTUMN.

adorns our woods and heaths, and its white form—an elegant plant. In any warm soil these are a pest, but in the summer wild garden they are beautiful and quite in place. With them may be grouped the best of the Golden Rods (Solidago), which are rubbishy for a gar- den, yet, if put in rough places, are very good for a time.

Among the prettiest plants I have seen wild is the Red Bergamot of Cana- dian woods. It is quite hardy with us, and thereisno reason why it should not take its placein the summer wild garden, as it is fine in colour, fragrant, and free upon warm soil, or, indeed, uponalmost any. The tall Phloxes, too, may well take their place in the moister part of such a garden, and in places where the soilis naturally dry they would give later bloom than where fully exposed in the flower-garden. I have tried these plants and have been surprised to see how well they do in woody places in moist soils, and hold their placeamong native wood plants. The same applies to the Globe Thistle, a vigorous and distinct plant.

Coming now to the great family of As-_ _American Swamp Lily,do wellin certain

ters, the taller kindsare excellent for this kind of work, especially the one called puniceus, which I have grown much

and find its large blue flowers extreme- |

ly effective in autumn, thriving very well near water, in shade, or half-shade: there are many other good stout Asters. Much also may be done with plants of

vigorous habit like the Pzonias, for in| “‘Goatsbeard” and S. venusta. Forram- bling about brushwood and in rough

planting in such conditions we may secure a later bloom, and as they often increase rapidly in the garden we may well have a group of them upon grass

245

in such a place. Very favourite plants of mine, with great vigour in places they take to, are varieties of the Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus latifolius), hardy and of great beauty, especially in the newer shades. These might be placed so as to run through bushes. This brings us to the fact that such positions may occa- sionally include shrubs also, especially the late blooming Wild Roses, like the American Wild Roses which come in so well after the European kinds are past. The Sweet Alders (C/thra) are nice shrubs, flowering in summer and autumn, and fond of moist places. The shrubby Meadowsweets (Spzreas) are good, and perhaps the best among the late ones is S. ariefolia. Among the shrubs there is an opportunity for scat- tering graceful trailers, of which there

‘isno lack. One of the best of these is the Traveller’s Joy (Clematis viticella),

which I make rampant in hedgerows,

and comes quite freely from seed. Honeysuckles of various kinds and the White Mountain Clematis (C’. montana) also come in well. The cheaper Lilies, such as the great Tiger Lily and the

soils and give splendid colour. In dis-

| tricts where native Ferns abound they

maybe used to give freshand cool effects, and by bog or streamlet the Royal Fern (Osmunda) is always charming. The

great Oriental Poppies grow anywhere

for those who care for colour, and the Spireas love moist places, especially

places the climbing K notworts arepretty and soon cover much space. —W. R.

Q@ 3

246

FLORA AND SYLVA.

Tue Rev. C. Wottey Dop.—We regret to announce the death of the Rev. C. Wolley Dod

of Edge Hall—scholar, a master at Eton, and |

a good gardener. As an able writer upon all matters related to gardening he was a valued contributor to the papers devoted to plants,

being one who understood the cultivation of |

hardy northern plants as few others have done, making them very happy in his garden at Edge Hall.

TREES AS SOIL-MAKERS.

Larecy we dealt with the great waste in | planting, due to the supposed need of

costly drainage, trenching, deep dig- ging, and other heavy labours which are

quite needless to secure the growth of |

forest trees. To the pleasure-ground planter J am aware that these ideas will seem madness; he considers all such

costly work essential to the success of |

his shrubbery. From his own point of

view, which is to get a rapid growth in-

the rampant growers that he usually plants, this may be right; but where is the shrubbery that can show as good a growth as many a woodland or forest ? It does not exist. Pursuing the same ideas

we wish now to show how well trees will |

often grow in abandoned scoriz, mine- rubbish, and other hopeless and ugly earth surfaces. My first lesson in this way was in the foot-hills of Nevada Coun-

ty, California, where goldseekers had

washed away the whole surface for over.

20 feet in depth, and there I saw vigor-

ous young Pines growing out of the bare |

surface in fine health. I have had many such a lesson since. But the planter of such surfaces must look a little to kinds and their habits as well as to soil. In the planting of lands of no “quality” or awkward situation the kind of tree js important, as each has its preferences,

| and though many hardy trees will grow in almost any situation, it by no means follows that we get good timber from them. Oak, Ash, and nearly every hard- wood tree will grow almost anywhere,

and never be worth cutting, Oak being

very much affected by the quality of the

land, and even whereit grows well often not being nearly as good timber as that grown less vigorously. Spruce on a wet western hillside will make growth such as we never see in southern Britain, and our quick-grown Scotch Fir is never half so valuable for timber as the same

tree from the poor mountains of western

Europe. Rainfall also has much effect

on trees, and also elevated situations ; in such we might venture to plant trees which would be started too early by the milder climate of the south. If rightly planted in close order when young, trees make their own soil, and often a

fine soil it is. In the wood we need no

manure cart, and in the hottest years the trees maintain their freshness. Vast _areas of European mountainsarecovered with Pines, while thereis scarcely atrace of soil over the ribs of the mountain. Hence, those who are now seeking to plant with a garland of trees the hideous refuse heaps of the Black Country are right in their efforts and will succeed. However poor the land may be when the trees are first planted, the annual layers of fallen leaves soonforma deposit of black mould, between which and the natural soil the roots of the trees are al- ways found in great numbers; the older _the wood the deeper the leaf soil. In old Beech and other forests it is extraordi- nary to what an extent this leaf-mould has accumulated. If it were not for it,

the crops of the same tree could not have succeeded each other on the same ground generation after generation as they have done. Mountains which un- planted would have been almost bared totherock by constant denudation, have a deep covering of leaf-mould; the same

LANDSCAPE AND WOODLAND PICTURES.

249

may be said of Fir and Spruce woods, in which the fallen Pine-needles have formed a bed of black mould. Tree crops manure themselvesand enrich the ground on which they grow, a fact that should never be lost sight of in consi-

dering the planting of poor lands.—S.

SALISBURY.

LANDSCAPE AND WOODLAND PICTURES BY THE MASTER PAINTERS. |

PursuinG our series of engravings of landscape pictures by mastersin the art, | we this time give one of a picture by Constable, who was the first to finely

BY JOHN CONSTABLE.

being given in a fresh and true way. His methods had a marked influence upon the work of greatartists like Corot. His best painting was donein the eastern counties, and although not fashionable at present, his work is always good in air, and often beautiful. He passed

interpret the rural charmof our English | much of his active life at Hampstead, at

landscape, the full effects and values’

that time a rural neighbourhood. Q 4

248

FLORA AND SYLVA,

THE CLIMBING LILIES (Gloriosa).

How best to treata plant is of far greater importance tomost people than the his- tory of its introduction or the descrip- tions of kinds which they donot possess;

I therefore begin this noteupon the Glo- riosas with a fewremarks as to their pe- culiarities and culture. In view of the fact that large quantities of several spe- cies have been imported from time to time for many years past,and that,never- theless, Gloriosas are far from common in egies it is evident that instead of increasing under cultivation like most other plants, a very large number of them die. The reason for this loss also explains that of many other rare plants, more particularly among the bulbous and tuberous-rooted greenhouse plants requiring distinct seasons of growthand rest. Theneglect to observe a cool rest-

ing period after the stems and leaves of |

the completed growths have—by turn- ing yellow—indicated that their dry resting season has arrived is a fatal error in the treatment of this class of plant. The secret of success in the cultivation of Gloriosas is to keep them dry in a temperate house (ona raised shelf near the glass for preference) from the time

they diedown until growth beginsagain |

in late winter or spring. During this resting season it is best to leave them in their pots, for the long fleshy tubers grow and ripenafter the leaves have de- cayed. In spring they should be turned out and re-potted, singly, or several to- gether,intorathersmall potsand putina warm greenhouse to grow. Whenactive

growth has commenced they should be shifted into the large potsin which they are to flower, the one shift being sufh- cient. Glorittic grow well in good sandy fibrous soil, either peat or loam, or a mixture of barks and their pots hock be well crocked. After its final potting the plant should be placed where it is to flower, and some support by sticks or strings given to its slender growth. All the species grow well in a warm greenhouse, though the forms of Gh- riosa virescens from the temperate parts of Africa will succeed in an ordinar

greenhouse or conservatory. But G/- riosa superba and most of the other spe-

| cies thrive best in a stove-house. They are very easy plants to grow, and their | lossis almostalwaysdueto keeping them

watered and standing among other

plants after they have died down and

should beresting. Gloriosas seed freely, the seed being left to get well ripened

upon the plants and then sown at once.

It may be added that these, like most other garden plants of rapid growth, are

| benefited by occasional watering with _very weak liquid manure made by soak- ing dried cowdung in water with a little

soot. Rain water, with a little of this manure added, is good and safe for any arden plant during active growth, but it should be discontinued as soonas the flowering season has passed.

There are many pretty plants of in- terest to specialists but of little use for general cultivation; this cannot be said of the Gloriosas, ee all are showy, pro- duce a profusion of flowers, and may be grown against a back wall or under the

* With coloured plate of Gloriosa Rothschildiana, from a drawing by H. G. Moon at Holmewood, Cheshunt.

THE CLIMBING LILIES,

249

roof of the house, and out of the way of other plants. Strings or stakes are the best supports, for only the strongest plants take kindly to wire. When re- quired for decoration the flowers of the Climbing Lilies should not be cut until mature, for if cut before fully formed they last but a short while as compared with the fortnight or so during which they keep good in water if cut when mature.

Gloriosa superbais widely dis- tributed in India, Malacca, and other tropical regions, and is also recorded in herbaria from various parts of Africa. But examination of these spe- cimens seems toindicate that theAfrican form is distinct, and that if any of the true Indian species have ever been re- ceived from A fricathey were introduced at some period. The rest of the species are all natives of Africa, and each varies considerably according to the locality inwhichitis found, some districts giving much finer varieties than others. There is a vague notion that the Gloriosas are poisonous, but such is probably not the case, for a note accompanying a speci- men collected near Lagos by Sir W. MacGregor in February in 1902 bears the words Ewe-ae, ‘‘used to prevent poisoning,” which seems rather to point in the other direction.

These plants have several generic names, although Gloriosa has the right of priority. Theplant onceknownas Cliz- ostylis speciosais nowreferred to Gloriosa abyssinica,and theoldname Methouica, formerly used for several kinds, has also lapsed. As with other sections of the

Area.

Names and Synonyms.

Lihacee, there is a difhculty in fixing invariable features to distinguish the species, and hence botanists (excusa- bly enough) have classed together plants that are widely different in the eyes ot the gardener. If Gloriosas were more grown in gardens, and such latitude al- lowed in distinctive names as is given in the case of garden Lilies, more species would be recognised. Botanists further divide thegenusintoc/Himbingand dwar,

or 2on-climbing sections, but probably no real distinction exists, for in both sections the plants are furnished with slender, prehensile, tendril-like con- tinuations of the leaves, and it has been proved in the case of Gloriosa superba —the quickest climber of the group— that where cultivation of the ground de- prives it of the means of support, it as- sumes the dwarf habit. By inference, therefore, we may surmise that the dwarf kinds, if placed among rank vegetation, would use the means Nature has pro-

vided to lift their heads of flower into a better position. Their manner of pro- ducing flower gives further proof of this adaptability, for if grown slowly they produce short heads of flower, but when grown quickly in a warm, moist house, the growths lengthen, and the flowers appear at intervals upon the upper parts of the stem.

The following species are known, the first four kinds being more or less climbing and the others dwart, so far as is at present known :—

Gloriosa superba.—Thekind best knownin gardens. Flowers with all thesegmentssharply reflexed and with closely undulated margins. Yellow in the half nearest the ovary ; bright red with yellow margin above.

250

G. virescens. — The most variable in size and colour of flower. Segments curved back- wards, stalked, yellow at the base, red on the outer portion. Known also as G. simplex and G. Plantit.

G. grandiflora.—F lowers often wholly yel- low but assuming a reddish hue when mature. Segments more or less undulated. ‘This species seems to be quite ignored by botanists, and the specimens with plain-edged flowered are gene- rally found labelled G.vrescens,and those with undulate segments G. superba. It is probable that a good number of the so-called G. superba of the African type might better be referred to G. grandiflora, syn. Methonica grandiflora, and M. Leopoldi.

G. Rothschildiana.—The latest and most beautiful of the genus. The type flowered with the Hon. Walter Rothschild from tubers col- lected by Major H. B. Rattrayin Uganda. The plant figured, which may be regarded as a va- riety of this kind, was drawn in the gardens of J.T. Bennett-Poe, Esq., of Holmewood, Ches- hunt. It was received from Mombasa, and the plant when flowering was not strong. The plate represents the Hower in its early stage, when thesegmentsare reflexed; as they mature they become broader and gradually assume the horizontal or decurved position. The yellow, colouring seen on the bases of the segments in the early stages of the flower disappears, until it is almost wholly of a bright ruby red.

G. Carsoni.—A rather dwarf species from Lake Tanganyika,with showy heads of flowers, which are yellow at the bases of the segments and red outwards.

G. abyssinica—A very showy dwart spe- cies from N.E. Africa, which appears never

to have been grown in England; the red and |

yellow flowers are of large size.

G. minor.—A singular little species, only 3 or 4 inches high in the herbarium speci- mens, gathered near the Shebeli River, in N.E. equatorial Africa.

Though apart from the Gloriosas there are two or three other plants closely allied to them and of the same culture, which may well be mentioned in this connec- tion. Theseare Littonia modesta,a pret-

Allied Plants.

FLORA AND SYLVA,

ty African plant with smaller star-like flowers of yellow colour, and Sander- sonia aurantiaca, a yet smaller trailing plant with numerous bright yellow,bell- shaped flowers. Both require the same treatment as the cooler-growing Glo- riosas, and do very well as basket-plants suspended from the greenhouse roof. . J. O'BRIEN.

Harrow-on-the-Hill.

WESTERN ERYTHRONIUM.

Unriz Dr. Sereno Watson published his ‘‘Revision of the American Erythroni- ums” in 1891 the various species were much confused. The original types were widely scattered, the descriptions only to be found in many and often rare pub- lications and faulty at that, having been made from dried specimens of a plant which is very difficult to preserve well. Dr. Watson had access to much good material and co-operated with many of the field botanists of this coast, but did not himself seethe growing plants of the Western species, so that naturally some

mistakes were made, and it is now my aim to bring his work up to the know-

ledge since acquired. After the issue of Watson’s work I began to secure bulbs of the Western species from as many lo- calities as possible, to gather herbarium material,and to study the growing plants in my own garden, while having fresh

| flowers sent to me from many regions

for comparison. I have continued this

work since 1891 and have successfully

flowered all of the species except £. montanum. Inthe Erythroniumsthe Root Formation. 5 bulbisannual. Thebulb

produced last summer will this spring

WESTERN ERYTHRONIUM. Onn

develop the stem and leaves, during the summer a new bulb forms by its side, and by autumn the old bulb will have shrunk to a hard knotty scar, attached on one side to the new bulb, and on the other to a chain of like scars, which forma pseudo-rhizome representing the growth of preceding years. The fibrous roots nourishing the plant are produced at the base of the bulb of last year, so that the rhizome has no connection whatever with the life of the plant. The bulb of E. szontanum travels ina circle, and I have seen cases where the rhizome wasina perfect spiral of two turns show- ing eight or ten years’ growth. E. Hart wegii is the only Western species which produces offsets. It produces a number of runners from the base of the old bulb, and at the end of each of these a new bulbforms; it produces at the same time one large new bulb by the side of the old, as with other kinds. In other Western species offsets are occasionally formed within the sheath of the bulb, but pro- bably only when it is in some way in- jured, and in any case seldom.

The leaves of E. grandi- forum, E. purpurascens, and E. montanum are readily recognis- able: in the first two they have no mot- tling, and in the last theyare unmottled with a cordate base. Other species have leaf characters which a keen-eyed gar- dener will learn, but which cannot be clearly conveyed in words, and in the same way some species have mottlings which are distinctive as learned in the garden, but are not easily described. Watson’s descriptions convey the idea that

Leaf Characters.

Natural Variation.

there is a material difference between the size of flower and height of stem of different species, but, with one excep- tion, I do not find this to be true. The herbarium worker cannot safely make allowance for those differences which are due to soil or aspect, nor can he tell whether his dried specimens are really an average of the species in its normal state. In the same species there may be a difference (due to soil and exposure) of 300 or 400 per cent. in the size of plant and flower and the number of blooms. In nearly every instance our Erythroni- ums are wild in brushy or wooded re- gions and in uncultivated areas, where, during our dry summers, brush or forest fires are common. Before a fire I have often seen E. californicum growing in brush lands to a height of 6 or 8 inches with but a single flower ; after a fire it may be 16 inches or as much as 2 feet high, with from four to sixteen flowers. Again,mostErythroniumslikea soil rich in leaf mould, and when found in such soil and with other congenial surround- ings there is often fully as great a differ- ence as in the instance just cited. It does not follow, however, that in a gar- den where these accidental differences are wanting all of the species will be of the same size. There are several distinct groups as to habitat. All of the revolutum forms and £. giganteum, for instance, are native to heavy moist soils in shade, and in my garden the finest plants are grown in land so wet that in winter a man would mireincrossing it. Es. Hendersonit, cal- fSornicum, citrinum,and Hartwegiigrow naturally in many classes of soil upon

Soils.

252 FLORA

AND SYLVA,

slopes in brush and woodland, and are seen at their best in land well drained and rich in mould, and especially in the crevicesofrocky places.£. erandiflorum also comes from woodlands, but at high altitudes, and does not take kindly to cultivation inlow ground; while £.on- tanum comes from sub-alpine regions, growing in grassy clumps onopen slopes and in light soils, and is very apt to do nothing atlower levels. E. purpurascens has tastes like EL. montanum but grows in warmer latitudes. In a garden, where their whims can be humoured,all butL. purpurascensare of about the same SIZE, but from data gathered for each form from its own favoured region I feel sure thatthereis noreal differencein the size of the flowers or height of the scape. At its best E. purpurascens is but a small flowered plant. ee, In their number of flowers and Form of there is much variation. Es. Flower. giganteum, grandifiorum, revolutum, and their varieties, are as a rule one flowered, the exception being two, and the limit three. With Es. Howelli, citrinum,and Hartwegit, five flowersare not uncommon,whileE.pur- purascens has mostly from five to eight. E. californicum is often seen in masses with few plants with over three flowers, but in favourable places may have from five to eight, while initsglory ten to six- teen large flowers are not uncommon. Allthe Western species (with the excep- tion of E. Howe//iz) have four ear-like gibbositiesat the base of the inner petals, and these I will term “auricles.” They are most prominent in the revolutum group and in FE. e/ganteum. In one sec-

tion of the genus the style is short and club-shaped, while in another itis deep- ly divided and the stigmas recurving in the full flower; these differences should be noted, for by them three species can be readily identified. FE. Hartwegiialone bears its flowers in a sessile umbel, while in other species the flowers (if more than one) are in a raceme.

The divisions of the perianth are similar and of the same colour, and (for brevity and to use a term more familiar to most readers) I am calling both inner and outer divisions ‘‘ petals” in the same way that I have used the-word ‘‘bulb” instead of the strictly proper term “Ccorm,”

The fine chromo-lithographs of Western Erythroniums would lead one to suppose that in several of the species the flowers are in the form of a broadly spreading bell, and in cloudy or foggy

weather this is true, but with the excep-

tion of E. purpurascens all of the West-

ern species are revolute after the first day or so if they get sunlight, and not only revolute but recurving closely to the stem.

It does not seem to me likely that any new species of Western Erythro- niums will be discovered, for the forms are not local and the ground has been well covered; good colour forms, how-

ever may yet be found.

(1.) Leaves never mottled ; inner petals au- ricled; flowers not in umbels ; style divided, and the divisions recurving in fully-developed flowers.

E. GRANDIFLORUM.—Leaves obovate-lan- ceolate, acuminate below to a narrow petiole, light greenand entirely without mottling; stem seldom more than one flowered, but possibly | three ; petals bright yellow, lighter at the cen- ‘tre. Readily known by its bright yellow flowers

WESTERN ERYTHRONIUM.

and entire absence of mottling on theleaves ; no other Erythronium is yellow, although several are in shades of cream. From the banks of the Columbia river at Hood river, only a few hun- dred feet above the sea level, to the high peaks of Oregon, Washington, and BritishColumbia, thence east through the high ranges to the Rocky Mountains, along which it grows from British Columbia to Colorado. It growsin Pine woods in a light sandy soil, and flowers very early. A friend who saw it in the high moun- tains of British Columbia describes it in mass as like a field of yellow Daffodils for rich effect. Watson assigns to it major and minor forms, but this I believe to beincorrect. To the minor form he assigns plants from the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon, mostly found at a height of 2,000 or more feet, yet it was in this range that the largest and tallest that I haveeverseen grew (2 feet). A variety, a/biflorum, bearing white flowers tinged with green, comes from Pine woods in the plain country of eastern Wash- ington at a comparatively low elevation. The name E. Nutta/lianum is given to a form of the typical E. grandiflorum, in which the anthers are red; it differs from the type in no other way. It was described from flowers from Mon- tana. I only know it in lots from the Blue Mountains in eastern Oregon, in which both forms are mingled.

E. PURPURASCENS.— Leaves narrowly lan- ceolate-obovate, undulate on the margins, en- tirely unmottled, but tinged bronze; one to eight small flowers crowded on a raceme ; pe- tals only slightly recurved ; flowers campanu- late ; petals light yellow, orange at the centre and tinged purple after a few days; filaments filiform. Easily known by the metallic tinged, but unmottled leaves, and the small crowded flowers. Sierra Nevada Mountains, from 4,000 feet up to sub-alpine regions; also from Plumas to Placer counties, California.

(2.) Leaves richly mottled ; inner petals au- ricled ; style deeply divided after a few days if not on firstopening ; flowers in a sessile umbel, and ap- pearing as if each flower had a slender stem of its own ; bulbs producing offsets at the end of under- ground runners.

E. Hartrwecu.—Leaves obovate-lanceo- late, with broadly margined petiole; flowers often three to five ; petals white or cream with an orange and yellow base. Foothills of the

453

Sierra Nevada Mountains, where the heat is great in summer and the soil baked ; it grows in dry rocky places under brush, and stands more heat and dryness than any other member of the genus.

(3.) Leaves richly mottled ; no auricles at the base of the inner petals ; styles short, club shaped, and not divided.

E. Howe.__tu.—Leaves obovate-lanceolate with broadly margined petiole; rarely more than three flowered ; petals light yellow, orange at base, and at least the old flowers tinged rose. Readily known from all others by the absence of auricles at the base of the inner petals ; most nearly related to E. citrinum. The most local of any western species, found in only one limited region of south-western Oregon.

(4.) Leaves richly mottled in brown ; inner petals auricled ; style short, club shaped, and not at all divided ; flaments filiform.

E. cirrinum.— Leaves obovate-lanceolate, with broadly-margined petiole; scape often more than three flowered ; petals light yellow with an ovate, bright orange spot above the auricles.

The presence ofauricles separates this clear- ly from E. Howe//i, and the short, undivided style and the ovate orange spot from E. ca/i- fornicum ; it could not be confused with any other species. South-western Oregon.

E. HenpDERsonit.—Leaves obovate-lanceo- late, with broadly-margined petiole; often more than three flowered; petals pale purple with deep purple centre. No other Erythro- nium is of this colour. Southern Oregon, to within forty miles of the coast.

(5.) Leaves richly mottled ; petals auricled ; style club shaped, deeply divided, and the divisions spreading widely in fully open flowers.

E. CALIFORNICUM.—Stem one to sixteen flowered; petals cream coloured with an orange base, and often with a maroon band crossing the petal above the auricles; leaves obovate- lanceolate, and broadly margined on a long petiole ; filaments filiform.

It is readily distinguished from E. citrinum with its short, club-shaped style, as compared

| with the long deeply cleft style of this kind.

Their colour is the same, but whereas in F.

_citrinum the orange is in an ovate spot, in F. _californicum it suffuses the base. On the other hand, it can only be confused with L.. giganteum,

Cs

ee AND SYLVA.

the Te of which are called white by most observers, although really of a cream caste and with a greenish tint, which is lacking in E. califormcum. Again, E. giganteum rarely has more than one flower, while ca/ifornicum fre- quently has from five to eight. The filaments and auricles, as well as the seed-pod, are also much largerand more prominent in giganteum. Northern California, along the coast range from Healdsburgh in Sonoma county to Tri- nity county, California, forming a belt of 50 miles wide and 200 miles long, lying about 20 miles back from the coast. This species, now described under the new name of E. ca/- fornicum, has for years been known as E. gigan- teum,and the only one known under that name. To justify the present change I will give the history of both species.

The original specimens of the true E. g7- ganteum were collected by an early expedi- tion, which crossed the continent and reached northern Oregon. The name first appears in The Botanical Magazine, with a description by Hooker under 4. 5714. Under the name of E. grandiflorum the same plant is beautifully figured in * lores des Serres, 7, 2117.. Now E. californicum is not to be found anywhere in Oregon, while the true E. giganteum in full flower could hardly be overlooked by a party travelling in either Oregon or Washington at just that season. I feel sure that Baker did afterwards recognise my FE. ca/ifornicum as dis- tinct, for no species could be better designated under the name of LE. grandiflorum var. multi- florum, scantily described in his ‘“¢ Tulipaz.”

When in 1880 Dr. Watson edited ‘“Cali- fornia Botany,” Vol. II., he had not yet grasped the clear distinction between E. grandifforum and FE. giganteum, and gave the name grandi- florum to the only Californian species of thesec- tion (E. californicum).

In writing his monograph of 1891 he amended this, and correctly described E. gran- diflorum. He had material of the true E. gigan- teum from various points in Oregon, and I sent him fresh flowers of E.ca/ifornicum from Ukiah. He wrote that he had decided that mine was a distinct species which he would name, but evidently was not quite sure of his ground when he did publish, giving the habitat of E. giganteum as ‘“ from the lower Columbia valley to Sonoma and Mendocino counties, Califor-

nia,” thus combining the two species. Now as his best material came from me it is more than likely that the description he gives is of the plant at Ukiah, and it seems indeed to bear out this surmise. A little later I began to receive plants from various pointsinOregonand Wash- ington, which were in nature allied to E. revo- /utum, and (accepting Watson’s description of E. giganteum, made from my own homespecies, as correct) I naturally considered the Oregon specimens a new form, and named them E. revolutum var. Watsonit, and by that name the true E. giganteum is now known. But upon see- ing the original description and pictures of E. giganteum,and having plantsof my E. revolutum var. Watsonit from so many points as to prove it to be the only species which the first dis- coverers of FE. giganteum could possibly have collected, Isaw my mistake. There is not the least doubt as tothe original E. g7ganteum being the same as my FE. revo/utum var. Watsoni, the plant which I now describe correctly as E. giganteum.

It is a question whether the Californian plant would not be better called after Baker, E. giganteumvar.multiflorum (Baker’s plant was E. grandiflorum var. multiflorum). The answer would be, that although there is a resemblance between E. giganteum and E. californicum, they are of two sections in habitat as well as flower. E. giganteum is closely related to E. revolutum with its few flowers, its broad filaments, and its liking for cold, heavy soils; while E. ca/z- fornicum, with its fondness for well-drained slopes in light soils, and its many flowers with slender filaments is of quite another type.

(6.) Leaves mottled in lighter shades than in the last two sections ; auricles rather more promti- nent ; style club-shaped and deeply divided, with recurving divisions, much exceeding the stamens; filaments subulate.

E. GIGANTEUM.—Leaves obovate-lanceo- late with a broadly margined petiole mottled in light brown and white; scape seldom more than one flowered, tall and stout; petals near- ly pure white with a greenish caste, with or without a reddish band above the auricled base; filaments subulate and conniving at the base, much exceeding the stamens; auricles prominent.

Found in all of the valleys of the region west of the Cascade Mountains, beginning at

WESTERN ERYTHRONIUM.

a distance of about thirty miles from the coast, and extending through westernOregon, Wash- ington, and southern British Columbia, grow- ing in heavy lands along streams and damp spots in woods (see E. ca/ifornicum for com- parison of the two). Structurally it is closely related to E. revolutum, differing principally incolour. This beautiful plant—the E.grandi- florum var. albifiorumand E. giganteum var. albi- fiorum of various figures and authors—is one of the finest of all Erythroniums. In some sections all the flowers are banded red, while in others this is lacking. In the extreme southern portion of the Willamette valley there is a local form connecting E. giganteum with E. californicum, It ismore of a cream colour, with richly mottled leaves, and flowers earlier than the type; Ihave named it var. precox.

E. REVoLUTUM.—Leaves mottled faintly in white and light brown; stems seldom more than one flowered, very stout; petals from white tinged purple to purple; style very stout, ovary much larger than in other species, and the ripened capsule fully twice as large as in any except E.giganteum; filaments even broader than in the last; auricles very prominent and clasping the ovary. Always found in rather cold heavy soils, often growing on the borders of winterswampson the edge of heavy timber. The following are distinct colour varieties :— Var. Bolanderi (also known as var. Smithii or E.. Smithit) a local form found on the South Fork of the Eel river in Mendocino county, differing from the southern type in seldom turning purple; var. Pink Beauty (Hort.), in Humboldt county, California, the species has flowers of a delicate pink shade of colour, but otherwise the same; var. ‘fohnsoni (E. “fohnsonit) from near the Columbia river, the flowers being of a uniform shade of soft rose- pink.

The original of E. revo/utum was collected by Smith in the end of the eighteenth cen- tury, and was said to have come from Van- couver Island; but, as it has never since been found there, it is likely that the specimen was wrongly labelled—an easy thing in col- lections made from a vessel coasting from California to British America. Plants which Icollected in Mendocino county, California, were compared by Dr. Baker with the origi- nal specimens at Kew and found to be iden-

255

tical. For a long time it was a lost species. Watson must have confused it with E. gigan- teum, for in the region to which he refers his fi. revolutum the former is the only species, while his description of the plant does not agree with either the original descriptions or specimens.

E. revolutumis distributed in a long slender band (in some places only two or three miles wide) beginning in southern Mendocino county, California, never over fifteen miles fromthe ocean, and extending to the Columbia river; it has not been traced beyond the river, but so far has not been found on Vancouver island or at other British American points. In California E. californicum meets it, and in Oregon its territory joins that of E. giganteum, but they do not overlap.

At some Californian points E.ca/ifornicum grows on the dry slopes and E. revo/utum on the wet heavy flats, and they meet on the margins.

The type of E. revolutum has been found in southern Mendocino county only. Perhaps fifty miles farther north it gives way to the

| whiter form, which has long been called E.

Smith and later E. revolutum var. Bolanderii. After another eighty miles a form appears with more darkly mottled leaves and soft pink flowers; this is the Pzvk Beauty of gardens. It is then lost for about 300 miles when it re- appears in the deep rose form known as E. “fohnsonu, which crosses the Columbia river, beyond which the country for another 200 miles is (botanically) only poorly explored and nothing known of it. Doubtless the gap be- tween Pink Beauty and ‘fohnsonii is filled by intermediates.

(7.) Leaves cordate at base; petals auricled; Jlaments filiform; subalpine.

EK. MONTANUM.— Leaves cordate at base, lightly mottled; style deeply divided; fila- ments filiform; petals pure white.

In the high mountains of Oregon, Wash- ington, and British Columbia at from 4,000 feet to near the snow line, where it grows on open slopes in the tufts of grass and is often frozen stiff when in full flower. After forest fires the plants grow very large and fine, and as described their effect must be very beauti- ful. I have found it very difficult to cultivate, remaining dormant so late that the leaves are

256 FLORA

killed by the summer heat. The cordate leaves clearly mark it, and it is the only really white flowered species.

KEY TO WESTERN ERYTHRONIUMS.

Leaves not atall mottled. Flowers white or bright yellow; leaves light green. Cascade range east to the Rocky Moun- tains and along that range as far south as Colorado—the only species of the Rocky Mountains. E. gvandiflorum. Leaves not mottled, undulate, of dark metallic green. Flowers very small, light yellow, tinged purple; Higher Sierras, California. E. purpurascens. Corms forming offsets freely at the end of filiform fila- ments from their base; natives of the Sierra Nevada foot- hills, from Tehama to Amador counties, California. E. Hartwegu. Leaves mottled; inner petals destitute of ear-like ap- pendages near their base; Smith River Mountains, S.W. Oregon. E. Howellit. Leaves mottled; style clavate at top but undivided ; flowers light yellow or cream with bright orange centre ; S.W. Oregon. E. citrinum. Flowers pale purple with deep purple centre; S. Ore- gon. E.. Hendersonit. Leaves motted; style deeply three cleft; filaments broadly deltoid, almost conniving around the style; flowers from white through pink and purplish to deep rose; found near the coast line from Mendocino county to the Columbia river, and probably to British Columbia. = E.. vevolutum. Filaments less deltoid although markedly so; flowers creamy or white ; on an interior line from Vancouver island and Puget Sound, by way of the Willamette valley, to the Rogue river valley in southern Oregon. Filaments filiform ; style deeply trifid; creamy white flowers ; coast ranges of north-western California. E. califormicum. Filaments filiform ; leaves cordate at the base; sub- alpine in the cascades from Oregon to British Columbia. E. montanum. REFERENCES.— There have been many good plates of these species published at various times, among which readers may have access to the following :—E. giganteum, pictured in Horto Van Houtteano as E. gvrandiflovum (Pursh.), also Bot. Mag., p. 5714, a splendid picture, true in every particular. E. Henderson, Bot. Mag., good from a botanical standpoint, but not doing justice to the plant. E. revolutum, var. Johnsonu, shown as E. Johnsoni in Garden, very true and fine from the artistic standpoint. E. califor- nicum, pictured as E. giganieum. (This plate bears the name of F. W. Burbidge, lith., but I do not know the original

publication.) CARE PURDY. Ukiah, California.

EARLY-FLOWERING Torcu Lities. — One of our readers writes :—‘ I was in Norfolk for a few days at Easter, and was surprised to see in the garden adjoining the house some large Kniphofias carrying several spikes of flowers which, though small and dwarf, yet showed their red and yellow ‘ pokers’ quite clearly. The garden faces roughly N.W., and is pro- tected for the most part on its other sides. Is it not somewhat unusual, even on the sea-coast, to find Kniphofias flowering so early ?—G. C. LEMAN.”

AND SYLVA.

BoTANY NoT GARDENING.—The confusion ot gardening with botany requires resisting, for the drying and dissecting of plants is quite apart from the art of gardening, which is be- coming daily more important to humanity, and that (amongst manifold reasons) even from the scientific point of view. We are glad to see this truth expressed by the well-known writer, Mr. John Burrows, in a recent num- ber of Country Life in America :—‘'The same with botany. I regard its class-room uses as very slight. The educational value of the tech- nical part is almost #7/. But the humanising value of the love of the flowers, the hygienic value of a walk in their haunts, the esthetic value of the observation of their forms and tints —these are all vital. Thescientific value which attaches to your knowledge of the names of their parts or of their families—what is that? Their habits are interesting ; their means of fertilisation are interesting; the part insects play in their lives—the honey-yielders, the

_ pollen-yielders, their means of scattering their

: seeds, and so forth—all are interesting. To E. giganteum. |

know their habitats and seasons; to have as-

_sociations with them when you go fishing ;

to land your trout in a bed of Bee-balm or Jewel-weed ; to pluck the linnza in the moss on the mountain you are climbing; to gather Water-Lilies from a boat with your friend ; to pluck the Arbutus on the first balmy day of April; to see the scarlet Lobelia light- ing up a dark nook by the stream as you row by in August ; to walk or drive past vast acres

|of purple Loosestrife, looking like a lake of

colour—thisis botany with something back ot it, and the only place to learn it is where it grows. Nature under the dissecting knife and the microscope yields important secrets to the students of biology, but the unprofessional students want but little of all this.”

SONGS OF THE WOODS AND FLOWERS: Tue Iste.

THERE was a little lawny islet By anemone and violet, Like mosaic, paven : And its roof was flowers and leaves Which the summer’s breath enweaves, Where nor sun nor showers nor breeze Pierce the pines and tallest trees, Each a gem engraven. Girt by many an azure wave With which the clouds and mountains pave A lake’s blue chasm. —SHELLEY.

FLORA

AND SYLVA.

Vol. Il. No. 18.]

THE GARDEN BEAUTIFUL. HOME LANDSCAPE AND HOME WOODS. FLOWERLESS FLOWER GARDENS.

Our sufferings from cold and wet are soon forgotten when we have a week or two of hot summer weather. This year in July friends write to say that they are glad to get away from their gardens, then without a Rose or other good flower, in spite of much wateringand costly plant- ing. Surely it is worth considering why we should be landed with such a result after all our talk and efforts. A main cause of the evil is spring-planting and a habit we have got into in our day of depending so much upon tender plants in summer; in many districts plants are not put out until midsummer. If this season be followed by a month or two of wet, no harm comes of late planting, but given a few weeks of hot weather, all the roots being near the surface, in spite of laborious watering the plants come to little. Flower-gardens that de- pend on half-hardy things must be sub- ject to these troubles, but many of the nobler plants cannot be planted late, which is another reason for going back to the old and real flower-garden in-

stead of the ephemeral ones we now try |

DEP LEM BER.

1904. { Monthly.

| to enjoy. If we wish to grow Delphini- -ums or Carnations, Lilies or Roses, we

rightly plant at a season when the roots

| may get down before the hot weather comes. This summer, in spite of the hot

weather, we are rejoicing in the beauty

_of such plants. Often the choicer peren-

nials might be planted at a better season than they are. If transplanted in the early autumn or soon after flowering, they take a strong hold of the ground before the winter and are not nearly so liable to be hurt by drought. It is important to consider the plants that must be planted in the autumn or winter in order to be thoroughly rooted before the hot season. Another cause is the in- cessant draining of every soil, when in seven out of ten years some way of keeping the water in the ground is more to be desired than the getting rid of it. Most flower-gardens, being on well-drained ground, and the beds being usually also raised, they get rid of their surface water and there should be less need for lessening the earth water sup- ply. The neglect of deep cultivation is not so common, and the question is whether something more cannot be done. In the best fower-beds the soil should not be less than 3 feet deep. With

R

Over-draining.

258

FL ere AND SYLVA,

good free soiland the roots active in it in winter and in spring, something might be done in many soils to prevent eva- poration by putting broken stone in the lower layer of the soil, under which the roots might find contents in the heat. In the driest years fields full of flints and stones are less liable to suffer and are often more fertile than the heavy loamy land where we might expect the mois- ture to remain longer. The flints and stones prevent evaporation. In moun- tain lands, often subject to great heats,

lants, and often fragile plants, are in perfect health because when rooted be- neath the stone they are not liable to the quick evaporation that the bare earth gives. In some beds being made forTea Roses and Carnations this autumn Iam putting broken sandstone among the soil of the lower layer so that the roots of the Roses may in the hottest season find a cool retreat; there will be about 2 feet of soil above this so that the stony layer will not be in the way of any plant-

madein sedieecne ae Rose as fies garden plant and growing it rightly as such. At the very time when the gar- _dens ought to be full of Tea Roses with their cool, refined colours, theyarebare, this being mainly owing to three things: the practice of grafting everything on the Brier, a June-blooming thing with a tendency to make everything grafted _onitshort-blooming too; the preference for hybrid perpetual and other short- blooming summer Roses; and the prac- tice (toldalsoinall books upon the Rose) _of growing it in a place apart and not as

it should be—the Queen of the Flower Garden; sothat, instead of Roses massed and garlanded round the flower-garden ofacountry house, we have tender plants

_ofnoeffector character likeLobelias and

Calceolarias, plants useless from a natu- ral or artistic point of view. Although

trade routine is against us, there are

ing, and as there are no drains from the | beds any water falling on them is stored

for spring and summer use. Is the plan of bare ground a sound

in the spring which do not cover the ground, so that much of the surface is exposed to evaporation. If we do not mulch—often an ugly process—wh not cover the beds with little plants ? It is a good and beautiful way, that of co- vering the ground with two different kinds of life—the surface plants as fra- gile as may be.

Many a Rose -flowerless

No Roses, j garden tells of the mistake

| ever.

ways out of this if we would only follow them, and it is to give up as far as pos- sible the cultivation of all grafted Tea, Bengal, and China Roses. The China Rose never arrives at its true size or beauty when grafted, and that is the rea-

son we so often see it in a cottage gar- one? It is usual to see plants stuck out |

den far finerin effect than in most private gardens, for the reason that the cottager strikes his cuttings and gets the plants on

their natural roots. Bengal Roses, being

constant bloomersevenintotheautumn, should take a part in every flower-gar-

den, the addition of new and beautiful

kinds making them more precious than Some of the old kinds, too, like Cramoisie, are still among the fairest of

Roses. The Tea Roses (which are of the same origin) in many cases die back after

ee ae

the fe year’s telgoes a on Ate Ma- netti or the Brier stock. A few kinds do well but the majority perish or dwindle because thereis an antagonism in season or growth between our native Brier and the Indian Rose from whichthese come. The hybrid Teas are also very beautiful, there being no hardand fast line between themandthe Teas. Anotheramendment in practice would be to abolish the un- clean and needless custom of mulching heavily with manure. This year I went to see the garden of a lady who had told me she had made a garden of Tea Roses. I found about six half-grown blooms on little starveling bushes and all the beds plastered over with 2 or 3 inches of raw manure. This way is needless and per- nicious. ‘To nourish the plants the best time is when preparing the beds, and in thecase of Roses ontheir own roots not to use the heavy soil advised in all the books upon rose culture. We have to fight against not only the trade routine of putting every Rose on the Brier, but also the thousand-times-repeated and false teaching that Roseswillonly thrive inheavy clayed soils. Solongaswegrow the Brier in flower-gardens it must have the heavy and rank soil it seeks. This is written on the 25th of July in the off- season of Roses, that is to say, between theearlyautumnandthesummer bloom, and we have thousands of the most beau- tiful known Roses in flower, while too many gardensare bare. These plants give far finer, more varied, and interesting colour than any bedding plants.

If the Rose be the queen she has lovely maids of honour

in the Clematis of the Chi-

Fair Absentees.

BEAUTIFUL, 259

nese, Japanese, and European kinds.

These endure the heat of the southern counties without suffering, and for their

finecolourand unrivalled grace we can- not do without them. Unhappily their usefulness is marred by the nursery sys- tem of grafting which leads to their death, so that in many gardens they are

| notseen in agood state. Inold nurseries

they are layered, but in the modern

| nursery the cheaper and easier way of | graftingupon some rapid-growing stock 1s practised, resulting in acoarse growth

the first year, but afterwards leading to the death of the plant. This is a serious

loss, and our experience is that it can be avoided by getting plants on their

own roots. There are three ways of en-

joying the Clematis: (1) plants of the larger kinds from layers; (2) seedlings

of the sameraceand therefore on natural roots; (3) the growth of the Clematis

of the Vitice//a race and other small wild kinds, good incolourand in habit,

and profusein flower, garlanding trellis- work or pergola, and running freely

over shrubs. Some kinds of the/’7zice//a group raised by M. Morel of Lyons are

varied and pretty in colour. All these, when grafted, are grafted upon their

-mother-plant (#.e., the wild C. Vzzice//a) which ensures a better union, whereas if a Clematis be grafted on a stock of a

different origin and nature we may ex-

pect trouble. Honeysuckles are a pre-

cious group of plants, but, owing to the

present ideas of what the flower-garden

set before or nearahouse should be, they

| areexcluded as amatter of course. After

theRoseand Clematis the noblest fower

| of summeris the Carnation. Not the ex-

R 2

260

FLORA AND SYLVA,

hibitors’Carnation, with flattened petals and laced edges, giving usa pretty bloom when seen close at hand, but without effect in the open air. Nothing else we know gives such glowand colour to the garden as self-coloured Carnations. Here there is happily no trouble as re- gards grafting, butin some districts these plants are difficult to keep in health through the winter, and many gardens have no proper stock of them. Where this difficulty is found it is wise to grow a good batch of Carnations every year from seed. If the seed is well chosen the result will be valuable; the plant is na- turally biennial, and from seedlings we get a strong plant. Even where the re- sult is poor as regards double flowers and the flowers are almost those of the ‘¢ wild plant,” the effect of the colour will be good. Tree Carnations also, grown in pots and put out in May, give excellent results in vases or beds, and with me enjoy the sun. ThetallerPhloxes aresplendid summer flowers, but to suc- ceed in warmer and drier counties must be in moist ground, which is notalways athandinour prim parterres. The high- ly coloured varieties are essential. The Sweet Pea with its varied colour is now precious for the summer garden. It en- dures heat to any degree and flowers a long time if the seeds are cut off. Quite regardless of the heatarethe Everlasting Peas,and some are good in colour, too. The noblest of the perennials, the Del- phinium, if grown ina northern aspect or with a little shade, often flowers throughout the heat of the summer. Among the simple effective things re-

gardless of heatare the blueCornflowers, |

the Lavenders, and Lavender Cottons. Onwarm beds and banks the best Rock Roses (C7szws)are pretty and endureany heat of ourland; these, however, should be grouped and not dotted about. When we come to the waterside, there are the noble Water Lilies, which are now well known though veryrarely grown effectively, rats and waterfowl being allowed to almost reduce the bloom to nothing. By the waterside there is nothing finer than the Loose- strifes, which are so easily grown. As undergrowths and carpets the varied dwarf Hairbells are good in colour and habit, and with them are the tufted Pansies, lovely in colour, and though they give way in very dry soils during long continued heat, where there is the least shade they will flower into August even in the southern counties. The stencilled way of laying out a flower- garden quite flat is dead against them, because it deprives them of shade and ourselves, too, of the play of light and shade. There is no chance in the set flower-gardenfora delicateplant,shrub, or tree, and none of the varied life of the old fower-garden, but where there is a little variety of surface we can easily give some shade to plants that want it, and so prolong their time of bloom. A young dog chasing a rook has some fun though he never gets his quarry, but the attempt to make a flower-garden con- form toany stencilled pattern or flat sur- face is as vain a chase, while in no way

amusing. We shall never get the garden

beautiful in that way, and if there were

_athousand Kews and Crystal Palaces,

or Chatsworths, to illustrate the evil

THE EULOPHIELLAS,

practice, they will never justify it in the eyes of any one who has felt the charm of a true flower-garden.

In considering all such questions a good way is to see what is usually done and compare itwith the best of its kind.

In places where these set, fat gardens | are in front of buildings, it is well after | going the round of the place to havea look atwhatis still called—by courtesy, |

I suppose—the flower-garden. It will

often be found to be the ugliest, stiffest,

and hardest scene in the whole place.

And often those who ought to know

better—even makers of gardens—say _

that whatever they may do to make

things artistic in other parts of the place -

in the flower-garden they must conform to a stiff pattern. Even those who make

rock-gardens and good mixed borders | still cling to the idea that they must put |

a bad mosaic in front of their windows

composed of themeanest kinds ofplants _

known to us. In the old Italian garden, which is often formal in plan, we do

not find things done in that way, but

that it has shade as well as sun, trees and creepers as well as fowers. What we in England often wrongly call an

Italian garden would be impossible in

the south, dried up, useless, as well as

ugly. R.

A NoTE FROM CorRNwaLL.—My Myosotidium nobile has 200 flower spikes now, and is making a fine effect. I got the Yellow Clematis (C. tangutica) directly it was mentioned in No. 1 of Fora, and it is now a fine plant with a thrush’s nest in the middle of it. Also,I got the Magnolia which was figured in the first num- ber of FLora, and that, too, is in flower.— CHARLOTTE RoGeErs, Burncoose.

THE EULOPHIELLAS. Tue Eulophiellas form a small group of three kinds of stove Orchids, all of recent introduction and still so scarce as to be little known outside a few well-

known collections.

EuLopu1e.ia EvizaseTHa, the first kind introduced to Europe, was named in honour of ‘Carmen Sylva,” the

EULOPHIELLA ELIZABETHA.

** Flora.”’)

(Engraved for Queen of Roumania. The engraving re- presents a fine spike of this handsome plant, photographed in the collection of Messrs. Veitch at Chelsea. The first plant to flower in this country was much

XS

262

FLORA AND SYLVA.

admired and gained a first class certi- ficate from the Horticultural Society of London when shown by Sir Trevor Lawrence on April roth, 1894. The illustration shows well the form and character of the flowers at about four- fifths of the natural size. The flowers are pure white and wax-like, the backs of the sepalsand the flower-stems show- ing a purple tinge. They are good for cutting whether for bouquets or vases. The pseudo-bulbs are borne at inter- vals upon rhizomes, with rather narrow green leaves about 3 feet long, while the flower-spikes, of about 2 feet, spring from the base of the pseudo-bulbs. This Orchid was discovered by M. Hamelin

in Madagascar in 1890, and three years | later he succeeded in bringing home a

good stock of plants, but from ignorance of their right culturemany were lostand it was some time before their needs were fully understood. Immediately upon arrival the newly-imported plants should be placed in baskets of Teakwood and fixed firmly

with clean crocks, the whole being thin-

Culture.

ly surfaced with sphagnum moss; they |

should then be placed inan intermediate house and kept well watered. Roots soon appear and the moss and crocks should then be removed and the basket filled to nearly half its depth with well- dried fern rhizomes taken from peat; as drainage these are better than the broken crocks. Fill up firmly to the base of the plant with equal parts of fibrous peatand sphagnum moss,adding a little coarse silver sand to the com- postwhile potting. A moist and shaded corner of the hottest house should be

selected for the plant, where, under the influence of heat and moisture it will grow freely. Throughout the growing season theroots should befreelywatered, but while in bloom, and when at rest, _less moisture is needed. It will be neces- sary to keep a sharp look-out for thrips and other insect pests, for when once established in the centre of the young growths it is very difficult to dislodge them. The most effectual way is to puft _a little tobacco powder into the growths from time to time whether insects are seen or not, and to vaporize the house with the well-known XL compound. Ev.oputeiia Peererstana,thesecond species, is a very interesting plant. It was discovered in 1896 by M. Mocoris upon the Isle of Nattes at the south of Saint Marie, Madagascar, and was sent by him to M. Peeters of Saint Gilles, near Brussels, in whose honour it has been named. Strange to say, for many years previously plant collectors had | visited those regions without noticing | what now proves to be a common plant there. It is recorded in The Orchid Re- view, that a gentleman well known in the Orchid world thought of sending a collector to explore the Isle of Nattes, and before finally arranging matters it occurred to him to look through some of the dried specimens at the Fardin des Plantes, Paris, where he found a well-preserved Exlophiella Peetersiana which had lain unnoticed in the her- barium for quite fifty years. In Europe the first plant to flower under cultiva- tion wasin Sir TrevorLawrence’s collec- tion at Burford, Dorking,in 1898. The

grand inflorescence was unanimously

awarded a first class certificate by the Orchid Committee of the Royal Horti- cultural Society. The stem of the plant curves and twines like a snake among the branches of trees, its many roots creeping over and under their bark. The large and broad green leaves are from 2} to 3 feet in length. The flowers are in racemes of about twenty and are carried upon a spike of more than a yard long. Each flower measures about 34 inches across, the sepals being a fine

rosy purple with a deep purple blotch

at the tip; the petals are purple and zor.

blotched. The lip is white with a broad purple outer border and the throat is white streaked with orange-yellow. When dealing with imported plants the freshly-arrived pieces should be placed in crocks but without moss ontheir surface; and, owing to the rambling habit of the plant, shal- low pans are better than either pots or baskets but should be large enough to allow the roots to spread freely. When the plant begins to grow it should be

Culture.

re-potted in the same kind of compost.

asthatadvised for L. E/zabetha. There is no need to raise the plant above the rim of the pan, but lay it upon the com- post with the base of the young growth just touching the soil. For the first few

weeks after potting, keep the surface of

the compost just moist by sprinkling it with tepid rainwater, but allownowater to fall upon the plant. As soon as the new roots are seen pushing through the compost, prick in a few heads of living moss over the surface, and gradually increase the water supply. Place the plant in a moist corner of the East India

THE EULOPHIELLAS.

263 house or plant stove, where it can be shaded from the sun at all times. Dur- | ing the winter months the plant should _beremoved to a dry corner of the house, but it must still be kept well watered at the root. Cockroaches are very fond of _theroots of thisspeciesand they must be sought at night and destroyed by beetle poisons; woodlice are also troublesome and should be trapped by pieces of raw carrot or potato. | Eutopuietta Hamentinu.—Of this rare plant little is known, and though several pieces were brought to Europe by M. Hamelin in 1900 none of them lived. Froma life-size painting of the flowers shown by its finder, the plant appears to be distinct and beautiful, though I cannot now recall the details of structure and colour sufhciently to ive a correct description. Like the other kinds, it is from Madagascar, and though first attempts have failed to esta- blish it I trust we may yet see this rare plant added to the two fine kinds now

successfully grown in Europe. W. H. WHITE. Burford Lodge, Dorking.

STORIES IN THE GARDEN.—A garden is a beau-

_tiful book, writ by the finger of God; every

flower and every leaf is a letter. You have only tolearn them—andhe is a poor dunce that can-

not, if he will, do that—to learn them and join

them, and then to go on reading, and you will find yourself carried away from the earth to the skies by the beautiful story you are going through. You do not know what beautiful _thoughts—for they are nothing short—grow out of the ground, and seem to talk to a man. And then there are some flowers, they always -seem to me like over-dutiful children: tend them ever solittle,and they come up and flou- rish, and show, as I may say, their bright and happy faces to you.—Dovc ras JERROLD.

R 4

264 FLORA

AND SYLVA,

LELIO-CATTLEYA x IMPERA- TRICE DE RUSSIE (Cattleya Men- delii x Lelia Digbyana).*

Tuis beautiful plant was first exhibited before the Orchid Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society in 1899, and was awardeda first-class certificate. It was raised by Monsieur Maron, in France, and flowered with him just ten yearslater than Veitch’s Le/io- Cattleya x Dighyano-Mossia, the first of the Le- lia- Digbyana hybrids. Both of these fine plants were honoured by first-class awards on their appearance, and al- though upwards of twenty Le“a Dig- byano crosses have since flowered in Europe, these two kinds are still among the best of their class. The subject of our plate has large white blossoms which are heavily and exquisitely fringed, the whole of the flower delicately tinged withasuffusion ofrose-pink,and though this colouring is typical, varieties difter slightly,and there are now many varie- ties,such as those of Hessle, Tring Park, Veitch’s,and others. A complete list of the hybrids of Lela Dighyana is given

at the end of these notes, from which it

There is an unusual distance between the stigma and the ovary in this Orchid; in fact, the long tube or beak forming the upper part of the capsule is three times the length of that containing the seed, hence there is probably an exhaus- tive effect on the pollen while passing down this long tube, making a large quantity necessary to perfect fertiliza- tion. Another unusual feature is that the stigma contains three distinct cavi- ties. Growers are anxiously waiting to see a hybrid from the seed of Lela Digbyana, for it seems certain that so remarkable a plant will convey to its offspring characters very different from those of the more remote pollen-influ- ence. So far as myexperience goes, the seed-bearer in plants and the female in animals usually exercise the strongest

influence upon offspring, the mother’s

will be seen that therearenonein which |

L. Digbyana has been the seed-bearer. We believe that some of our best growers are nowtending seedlings that have this plant as a mother, but up to the present no hybrid has flowered in which it was certain that this Honduras Lelia bore theseed. Yetinits native homeamid the damp shady forests it must seed freely, for the writer has gathered from im- ported plants well developed capsules that had evidently contained good seed.

' own traits of character and degrees of | beauty and development being repro- 'duced ina way that is far more marked

than those of the male parent. Accord- ing to this rule we may look for great

| things from these unflowered crosses.

This fine Orchid thrives in the Cattleya house, potted either in Belgian leaf-mould, polypodium fibre, or a mixture of peat and moss. It is not difficult to grow, and needs a thorough rest when growth is completed. While growing it revels in heat and moisture, pure fresh air, and plenty of soft water. The male parent (Leta Digbyana) makes its growth in our winter, flowering in early spring upon thenearly completed young growths. The female parent (Cazt/eya

Culture.

* From a drawing by H. G. Moon at “ The Woodlands” (R. H. Measures, Esq.), Streatham.

LAELIO-CATTLEYA x IMPERATRICE DE _ RUSSIE,

265

Mendefit) makes its growth during |

| of Fuegia is most curious, its chief character-

late summer and autumn, resting until spring, and flowering in early summer. These crosses flower upon their nearly

respect more to the pollen parent than to Cattleya Mendelit.

The Lelio-Cattleyasare best grown in pots or pans, and this plant is best potted when the new growth isfrom 4 to 6 inches high, which is generally in the autumn; even when as late as October, before making its new growth, it is best to repot at once in fresh soil, which

rarely fails to draw new roots. JOSEPH GODSEFF, St. Albans.

PATAGONIAN VEGETATION.—The vegetation

istic being the immense jungle of scrub and

brush. The trees are not large nor close to one another, andso there is no appearance of forest.

finished pseudo-bulbs, tending in this

Beeches are common, but are stunted, owing to the vast débris of old vegetation. Among the

creeping plants grow large bunches of Mistle-

toe right up thetrunks of the trees. The islands

_at the west end of the Straits of Magellan are

exceedingly rich in plants, consisting mainly

_of brush; inthe east the land is low and covered

with Grasses and low herbage, the trees being less tall. The general features of the vegeta- tionislike that of the southern parts of Norway and Sweden. The temperature only changes by a few degrees, and vegetables from other lands will not seed, owing to the SRS sum- mer heat.

LALIA DIGBYANA HYBRIDS.

POLLEN PARENT. SEED PARENT.

PRODUCT.

Cattleya Gaskelliana - Mendelii =

Lelia Digbyana - |

”

Mossiz - - Triane - - Dowiana, var. aurea labiata_ - -

bP)

quadricolor - Warneri - = Warscewiczil = Leopoldi - gigas - 7 Eldorado = eel cinnabarina- =

»» purpurata - -

bb}

”

tenebrosa - - » crispa

Lelio Cattleya Aromrodiies =

elegans -

bb)

bP) ”

Loddigesii, var. Harrisoniz

- Lelio Cattleya Thorntoni.

as) ~ 33 Imperatrice de Russie.

= a - Digbyano Mendelii.

var. Tring Park.

”» ”»

- . Digbyana Mossie. - s elnseanice: es Mrs. J. Leemann. a) Ve Mdm. Margaret Fournier. ” ” » var. | W. H. Young. Groganiz. - Mrs. Chamberlain. = Marie. - Mdm. Chas. Maron. - 3 y»» conspicua. = gigasedigbyana. - a Pocahontas. ~ eet Mrs. M. Gratrix. - »» Digbyano purpurata.

- var. Veitchii.

- ig a5 5 var. Mikado. - ss = na Edward VII. - “ oe Helen

- Rolfei

- teks Cattleya Edgar Wigan.

- | ‘5 Mackay.

>

266

FLORA AND SYLVA.

THE GREATER TREES OF THE NORTHERN FOREST.—No. 18. THE FIELD ELM (U¢4mus campestris). Tue Field Elm is the most stately tree in the plains and valleys of Britain and

western Europe, and one of the most | of trees during storms, the wood of the

popular too, owing to its Casy Mmcrease

and rapid growth, but one that in our | and may be and is often employed for

country should never be planted, as it commonly is, in avenues, beside roads, or near houses and out-buildings. In such places it is much better to have firmly-rooted trees like the Ash, Beech, and Pine,that can be depended upon in storms. With the Elm there is always

expressed in a bolder way than when isolated as it so often is, and it is also out of danger in groups in parks like Spetchley. Though often low in price

Wood. A owing to the frequent falls

Field Elm has good and varied uses,

purposes which generally the Oak is

thought best for,as, for example, floor- ing and weather-boarding. It is better

in quality than that of the Mountain Elm. It is hard, elastic, extremely tena-

the danger, even in fine weather, of damp places like cellars, mines, &c. By wheelwrights it is used for the felloes of wheels, and in time of war well-

boughs falling with fatal consequences to men or animals, and there is the dis- aster which results from heavy rain- storms and floods sweeping over the country, desolating whole valleys, and as a consequence so glutting the market with the trees blown down that their numbers often prevent any fair prices be- ing realised.’ Two orthree yearsago when driving through the beautiful country

cious, not liable to crack, and as last-

ing as Oak. It is specially useful in

-seasoned Elm wood commands a high price, being much in use for gun car-

of West Sussex I came to the village of

Stoke,nearChichester; there wasascene of tree ruin, nearly all the lordly Elms near thevillage thrown downand banks and roads torn up. Such scenesare only too common in our rich valleys after storms, and therefore it is not advisable to plant this tree close to any human habitation or beside roadsand pathways. Of its value there can be no question, but the right place for the Elm is the heart of the wood, or in alluvial or free soils and loams, where one gets the best results, and it is quite out of harm’s way. Asaforest tree we should get its strength

riages. The heart wood is abundant and iscomposed of many layers, though

fewer in numberas the vegetation isthe _moreactive. It yields fourtimes as much

ash as the Beech and contains twice the amount of potash, and the same re- mark applies to the leaves. Next to the

' Lime the inner bark of the Elm is the

most fibrous and the most tenacious

_and lasting,which makes it most suitable

for matting and rope-making. Before the taste for cast-iron and earthenware arose the wood was used extensively in London for pipes for conveying water to the houses, and it is a common thing

when making changes in old streets for

E]m wood pipes to be dug up, little the worse for having been so long under- ground.

The Elm isa native of central and

ge eae ELM,

western Europe and parts of N SSE ee ca and Asia; itis supposed not to have been originally a native of this country, though from itsextensive growth in our | islands it must have been of very early in- troduction, probably by the Romans. The Elm is one of the most |

Increase. : prolific of trees,

267

country ane one may see a mak-

inga fair growth. Of greater value are

the natural varieties of Field Elm, such

as the Red Elm and the Cornish Elm;

but we may safely take the common Field Elm as the best from our forest point of view. Books have been over-

scattering its seed freely, and thereforeit is important in all cases of forest plantation to see that the trees come from

seed, as the Elm suckers very freely,and there is the danger

of getting suckers instead of

seedlings. For this purpose

good seedling trees of 3 to 4 feet high should be used. The

rotation maturity of the Elm as a forest tree is from 80 to 100 years, at which age it will have attained the dimen- sions thatfititfor most usages. There is no merit and no pro- fit in letting it get broken- backed and rotten to the heart as we see it about London. Selby protests against the practice of grafting the Field Elm on the Mountain Elm, an absurd practice, as in all soils it likes, the tree does much better from seed.

There are a num- ber of these, mostly of gar- den value, and that doubtful, though they bear attractive names: Golden, Silvery, Marbled, and Variegated ; but noneof them areworth growing except from a shrubbery point of view. They are usually grafted, and sometimes in

Varieties.

GREAT ELM IN HATFIELD PARK.

burdened with names of its varieties, and it does no good, because for so -many one Latin name is as good as another, so worthless forms come to be

planted instead of good ones.

REFERENCES.—Cobbett, Woodlands, par. 227; Loudon, Arboretum, vol. 3, p. 1371; Laslett, Timber and Timber Trees, p. 153 ; Evelyn, Sylva, 2nd edition, p. 28 ; Matthew,

268

FLORA AND SYLVA,

Naval Timber and Arboriculture, p. 54; Mathieu, Flore Forestiére, p. 297, 4th edition ; Selby, History of British Forest Trees, p. 104; Lecoq, Geographie Botanique de L’Europe, vol. 8, p. 325.

It is Ulmus campestris, Linnzeus; sativa, Miller; hol- landica, Miller; suberosa, Moench; tetvanda, Schkuhr; geymanica, Hartig ; alba, Waldstein and Kitaibel ; rugosa, Loddiges; vulgaris, Dumortier ; carpinifolia, Lindley.

a

ay

THE EULALIAS (Miscanthus). THEIR very name—meaning ‘“ highly spoken of”—expresses the merit of this elegant group of grasses, hardy as garden plants over the greater part of Britain even if their spreading plumes are only seen in good years. From August far into the autumn their fine foliage is a striking feature in gardens of light soil, and when, during seasons such as the present, their curving feathers are free- ly produced, the effect is beautiful and different from that of any other plant. Their height and character vary much according to conditions, from as much

as 8 or g feet to about a yard high, but

gardens, however, they will (with a little . protection) pass an ordinary winter un- harmed, but in cold or low parts a place upon sunny slopes and light soil is best for them, not only during winter but as more likely to induce flower and (with the striped kinds) fine foliage. If grown in rich soil, whether as border or pot plants, the variegated sorts often become green or only develop their colour late in the season; they are also less hardy

than the green kind. This last is easily

raised from seed and seedlings are the

best for grace and vigour in the garden; the varieties, not coming true from seed, _are increased by division and spread so

fast that a stock is soon formed. Young plants are best forindooruse and should be grown cool, becoming drawn and

bareatthe base in heat. But where con-

-ditionsare favourable the Eulaliasare far /more satisfactory in the border than un-

similar differences of development are ing tufts measuring many feet. In fine seasons the flower-spikes appear from

seen all over their wide area, from low tufts of afewfeet on the hillsides of Japan and China, to tall reed-like growths in India and the islands of the southern seas, one form found at Hong Kong bearing plumy heads measuring 18 inches by 12. Their usual height with us is from 4 to 6 feet of long erect stem, bearing broad arching leaves of 2 to 3 feet, which are pale green, or blotched and striped with white and yellowin the variegated forms. Being far hardier than the Pampas Grass (Gywerium) they may be grown either in the open or in pots and tubs under glass for conservatory and house decoration, and in cold dis- tricts it is well to have a few plants inside during winter in case of loss. In most

der glass, and rapidly grow into spread-

the end of August as purplish plumes of 8 to 12 inches, spreading fan-wise and

spangled prettily with golden anthers ;

on maturing, the plumes expand to a

“mass of silvery grey fluff upon arching

sprays suggestive of the Prince of Wales’

feathers, forming a pretty ornament when dried. If for this use the plumes

are best cut before fully open and dried slowly in shade or shaken out before a brisk fire. Though sometimes flowering well even in the north their plumes are rarely seen in many gardens from the

fact that in our country the stems often

only flower in their second season while in general the plants are cut to the

THE EULALIAS.

269

ground by frost during winter. As fine

foliage, however, few plants are more

useful, and the broad and narrow leaves,

striped or barred with white and gold in

some kinds, offer a variety of form as

beautiful as it is uncommon. Of late ears the botanical name of

hardy over a large part of Britain and Ireland. A sub-variety zebrina stricta, is distinct in habit, the leaves remaining nearly erect in- stead of drooping.

Fine Leavep StripeD Euraria (M. sinen- sis). —A narrow-leaved Japanese species of free | but smaller growth, rarely rising above 4 feet

the group has been changed from Exlalia to Miscanthus, but the old and well-known name should be retained by

gardeners.

Kinps :—THE Common Ev- LALIA (Miscanthus japonicus). —A vigorous plant, hardier and more robust than its variegated varie- ties, with tall stems hung with arching deep greenleaves marked with a stout white midrib. The purplish plumes appear rather late in the season but are of fine effect when borne freely upon old plants.

STRIPED Euraria (M. japoni- cus variegatus).—A variety of the first, of smaller growth and not quite so hardy, but of fine effect for small gardens and conserva- tories. When well grown the stems reach 5 to 6 feet, the broad leaves striped with creamy white bands which in hot seasons, or towards the autumn, often assume a rosy or purplish tinge. The plumes, coming in September, are not showy until well expanded. Soil light and not rich, or mixed with stones in damp gardens.

ZEBRA Grass (M. japonicus

y | MW S :

zebrina).—A handsome variety, reaching Europe by way of Ame- rica, hardy, vigorous, and unlike any other grass. ‘The stems run up many feet, bearing leaves crossed by broad blotches of yellow. In old plants (especially in rich soil) these markings often become faint or appear late in the season ; division and stony soil is the best remedy. Flowers as in other kinds. This is more robust than the other striped kind, being

VARIEGATED EULALIA

IN FLOWER:

;and seldom known to flower. The arching leaves, only } inch wide, are long and droop gracefully towards the tip; green with a broad central stripe of white. Young plants grown in pots are pretty for the table, while grouped in the border or upon a lawn it is one of the most beautiful of grasses. Increased by divi- sion in spring or early autumn.

270

FLORA AND © S YL VA.

There are a few other kinds een in all |

some five or six species found in southern and eastern Asia, but not having yet been intro- duced they may be dealt with briefly. Mzs- canthus saccharifer (syn. saccharifiorus) from China, its smooth plumes being sometimes offered by Japanese merchants. Though found at Kew it is almost unknown in gardens spite of its vigour and beauty. It forms stout bam- boo-like stems of 8 or 10 feet, woody in texture, with deep violet knots and base. The leaves are

ij, inches broadand 3 feet long,smooth at the |

edge, gracefully arching, with a bold white rib down the centre. Grown as at Kew, this kind would forma conspicuous ornament in gardens. The Himalayan Fairy Grass (M. Nepa/ensis),

from northern India, is rarely seen in gardens,

with smooth edged leaves and flowers inadense single head and not divided like others of the group. Other kinds are Ms. cotulifer and pur- |

purascens, both of Japan. PENTSTEMON.

Amoncsr free-flowered border plants few are more brilliant than the large group of Pentstemon, an American family of about roo kinds, scattered widely over Canada and the western United States, with a few stragglers amid the mountains of Mexico and one kind in north-eastern Asia. All are pe- rennials though some of them bloom

in their first year from seed and not a.

few spring from a hard shrubby base. Their variety of habit and colour, as also in size and form of flower, render them one of the most graceful and in- teresting of plant families. Our damp English winters are against these sun- loving little strangers though none the less the hardier kinds will often pass the winter in southern gardens of light soil

when protected from frost; with the

shelter of a cold frame nearly all the kinds may be kept safely. Those com-

monlygrownare arace of hybridsknown

as Penrtstemon gloxinioides, of uncertain |

origin, ie believed to be crosses from species such as P. Hartwegi, Cobea,and a fewothers, the seedlings being further improved by selection. Though less common in gardens the variety of wild | kinds offers a rich choice for the rock- garden and border, most of them being easily grown and increased, though many kinds do not vary from seed. A great many kinds were introduced early in the last century and grown at Chis- wick,and though some of these have dis- appeared a large number arestill grown at Kew and in many trade collections. Little need be said as to their need of good soil and abundant moisture. When grown as rock-plants it must be remembered that they need richer treatment than _alpines, with constant moisture at the _root(often best secured bystones)though enjoying full sunlight. Many kinds are gems for the rock-garden, maintaining _ingood yearsa succession of flower from June well into October. Where the soil is very light it should be enriched with cow manure and the roots protected from frost with cocoa-fibre or ashes. Young plants are best raised from cut- tings taken after flowering and slowly rooted in a cool frame of light sandy soil, air being given freely throughout the winter when possible. It is best not to plant out too soon in spring, nothing being gained by early exposure of plants whose first value is for their autumn | display. Kinps:—Pentstemon acuminatus.—A pretty _ plant growing rigidly erect to 12 or 18 inches, _with thick greyish leaves clasping the stem and /a compact spike of mauve or violet flowers,

wide at the throat and nearly an inch long. P. antirrhinoides.—A plant of wiry growth,

Culture.

PENTSTEMON. 271

freely branched and varying much in height. Leaves small, oval or nearly so, and broad flowers in clusters of three, clear yellow, and fragrant. California. Tender in this country save in very warm light soils.

P.azureus.—A beautiful plant of 1 to 2 feet, forming a neat tuft of narrow grey leaves and loose spikes of azure-blue flowers shading to reddish-purple at the base. N. California.

P. azureus var. “faffrayanus.—One of the best dwarf kinds, about a foot high, with red- dish stems bearing large flowers of rich blue in showy clusters of three to five blossoms.

P. barbatus.—A tallerect plant, very showy ina dry season and one of the best and hardiest of border kinds. Its spikes of narrow tubular flowers, varying from light pink to bright car- mine, rise from a dense spreading tuft of bright

green leaves. Fine in masses. Seed, cuttings, A flesh-coloured form is known |

or division. as carneum. Syn. Chelone barbata.

P. barbatus var. Torreyi.—A pretty form with deep scarlet flowers, longer in the lip and coming rather later than in the parent.

P. barbatus var. antwerpensis.—A plant of looser procumbent habit, the stems rooting where they touch the ground; small flowers of vivid scarlet.

P. breviflorus.—A distinct plant with short tubular flowers of yellow or light red, with darker red lines within, appearing late in au- tumn upon slender many-flowered stems.

P. Bridgest.—A scarce Californian plant

of 12 to 18 inches, with narrow grey leaves | and spikes of bright red flowers, rather like

those of P. barbatus but shorter in the tube. | Minor botanical differences have caused some | authors to place it in a sub-gender, Saccanthera.

P.caeruleus—A dwarf kind rarely exceed- |

ing g inches, with large flowers varying from light blue to lilac and white, or more rarely flushed with rose.

P. campanulatus—A Mexican species of about 2 feet with diffuse spreading habit, branching freely from a woody base ; stemless leaves narrowing from a broad base and much toothed. Long narrow spikes of flowers vari- ously shaded in pink and violet, and borne dur- ing along season. Comes freely from seed. A distinct form, a/éus, bears long tubular flowers of creamy-white. A plant of many names: angustifolius, atropurpureus, pulchellus, &c.

P. centranthifolius.—A slender leafy kind with thick grey leaves and narrow scarlet flowers appearing in June. California and Arizona.

P. Clevelandi.—A Californian species akin to4arbatus, with grey stems and foliage spring- ing from a woody base; flower-spikes long and slender, with narrow tubular flowers of bright crimson, thickly set. Leaves sharply toothed. A good border kind.

P. Cobaa.—A handsome kind from Texas anda parent of the garden varieties. Stout erect growths of 2 feet, with thick deep green leaves, minutely hairy and a little sticky. Flowers very large and open, narrowing rapidly to the base; colour varying from reddish-purple to | nearly white. August. A rather tender kind,

“ES YA \___ YS \ I

PENTSTEMON COBA,

| doing best in a warm season. A fine variety | purpurea bearsvery large purple flowers shaded | with violet, one of the best forms that canbe | grown. | P. confertus.—A distinct plant with short erect stems rising from a carpet of dark green _ shining leaves, at times finely toothed. Small flowers of pale yellow or creamy white indense crowded spikes.

P. confertus var. ceruleo-purpureus.— A good garden form with compact heads of deep violet blue.

P. cordifolius.—A useful shrubby plant or

272

FLORA AND SYLVA,

semi-climbing habit, flowering from early summer to late autumn. Its growths are leafy, the long slender stems loaded with tubular scarlet flowers about an inch long. S. California. Being tender, this handsome kind needs shelter in winter.

P. cristatus—A good plant of but a few inches with a tuft of narrow hairy leaves often sticky with gum, and short spikes of reddish- purple flowers about an inch long, and of curious shape from abrupt inflation of the tube.

P. cyananthus.—A variety of P. glaber.

P. deustus—An effective kind for group- ing amongst rocks, being of neat dwarf habit with short stems rising from a woody base. Leaves thick, shining, and variable in shape, mostly dented, and the upper ones stemless. Wide-mouthed flowers of yellowish-white, sometimes tinged with purple, and arranged in a crowded cluster on the spike. July. Western States.

P. diffusus.—A species abundant near the Columbia River, and one of the best in flower from June until cut by frost. Stems of about 2 feet, of spreading habit, the broad leaves deeply toothed; light rose-purple flowers of less than an inch, uponshort stalks, and carried upon leafy much-branched stems. A showy little plant, early in flower, seeding freely, and well worth cultivation.

P. Digitalis—A variety of P. /evigatus.

P. Douglasi.—A variety of P. Menzies.

P. Eatoni.—A plant of recent introduction, and one of the best of the group, growing about 2 feet, with flowers of rich crimson-scarlet widening towards the mouth. California.

P. gentianoides.—A \arge-flowered Mexi- can species with long shining leaves upon stems of 3 to 4 feet, and spikes of violet flowers in July. Tender in all save the most sheltered positions.

P. glaber—A handsome plant, and one of the best forall purposes, with several fine seed- ling forms. Dwarf erect growths, often less thana foot high and slender in habit, with long narrow leaves, smooth and wavy. Profuse in fleshy flowers of an inch or more, wide at the mouth and borne in clusters of six or seven; colour, bright blue shading to violet or purple. Banks of the Spokan River in N.W. America. Amongits many good formsarea/pinus, adwarf

robust kind with dense clusters of clear azure blue; cyananthus, a wild form of the Rocky Mountains with taller and greener stems, broader in leaf, with dense clusters of blue; hybridus, of stouter and more vigorous growth (at times nearly 2 feet) with large heads of blueand rosy-purple; speczosus, a narrow-leaved form with beautiful bright blue flowers shaded purple; and sp/endens, a tall plant with flowers of rich dark blue. Seed should be sown early ° in spring. Syn. P. speczosus and erianthera.

P. glandulosus.—A showy plant from the sandy channelsof torrents in the Rocky Moun- tains. Thin toothed leaves upon stout erect stems of 2 to 3 feet ; flower-spikes narrow with large rosy or lilac flowers, wide in the throat and shortin the lip. June. Syn. staticifolius.

P. glaucus.—A pretty dwarf species from the Rocky Mountains, with grey stems and foliage of about g inches; dense clusters of dull lilac or bluish-purple flowers of medium size, with a wide pale throat. A form of this known as stenosepa/us hasshorter, denser spikes, and a different formation of the sepals.

P.gloxinioides.—The race of named garden varieties so widely grown as border plants for autumn effect.

P. gracitentus.—A shrubby kind of about a foot, with a woody base, long shining leaves, and loose clusters of tiny violet-blue flowers very shortly lobed.

P. gracilis—A slender plant of dwarf growth with long funnel-shaped flowers of lavender colour, varying to white; upper leaves long and narrow, base leaves more rounded. August. A neat and pretty plant for the rock garden.

P. grandifiorus.—A tall grower, making stout stems of about 3 feet with thick, broad leaves of bluish-grey, clasping or surrounding thestem. Brilliant flowers of 2 inches or more of a fine blue or purple, with a wide base and very short stalks.

P. Halli.—A low herb from the moun- tains of Colorado, with thick, narrow leaves, and broad, bell-shaped flowers of pale mauve or purple, in short spikes.

P. Hartwegi.—A very old kind found by Humboldt upon the mountains of Toluco, Mexico, near the snow-line at a height of 11,000 feet. It isa plant of great vigour and beauty, and for awhile was much grown, but

PENTSTEMON.

273

has given place to seedling forms in which its influence is very marked. Its purple stems, freely branched, exceed 3 feet, with long shin- ing leaves of bright green and drooping flowers of scarlet or deep purplish-crimson. Has been much modified by cultivation.

P. heterophyllus.—A lovely littlesub-shrub amongst the best of dwarf kinds, with neat growths of 12 to 15 inches, narrow leaves of grey-green, and slender branching stems of clear, bright blue flowers, with a rosy flush deepening to purple, and often much varied upon the same plant. July. Thrives best in warm sheltered spots andlight soil. Cuttings root freely. California.

P. humilis—A dwarf plant of 6 to 8 inches, from open slopes of the Rocky Mountains, and as a result very hardy in bleak exposures. It is akin to P. gracilis, but with flowers of a

deeper blue and denser in the spike. They are |

smalland narrow, ranging from deep purplish- blue to nearly white, and freely produced. A gem for the rock garden.

P. ‘faffrayanus.—A variety of P. azureus.

P. labrosus.—From the hills of Southern |

California, with long narrow leaves upon tall | plant from the limestone summits of Idaho,

purplish stems of 3 to 4 feet, and long loose spikes of narrow, tubular flowers, bright scar- let, and held nearly erect upon first opening.

P. /etus.—A shrubby Californian species |

with grey down-covered growths a foot high, and blue flowers of about an inch during July

and August. A pretty kind, but rare in gar- |

dens and somewhat tender.

P. Jevigatus.—A tall plant with leafy stems and long slender flowers, white or tinged with purple, widening from a narrow base. It isa common plant in the western States, its best form being the Foxglove Pentstemon (/ev- gatus Digitahs) growing 4 or 5 feet with larger and more inflated white flowers.

P. Lemmoni.—A tall slender shrub from California, with shining bright green leaves and loose spikes of small yellowish-red flowers.

P. Lewisii—An old name for P. Men- Zest.

P. Menziesii.—Anoldshrubby kind found by Douglas inthe Rocky Mountains early in the last century, and introduced in several forms with different names. It isa good rock- plant for a warm sunny corner in dry sandy

soil, with a free spreading habit, but tender |

in our moist winters. Stems of less than 12 inches, with pretty rose-purple flowers of bril- liant tone. Increased by cuttings insandy soil. Its several forms are:—Doug/asi, with small thick leaves and lilac or rosy-purple flowers; Newberryi, forming a graceful bush with pink or rosy-purple flowers (syn. P. Rodinsoni) ; and Scouler1, a taller and earlier flowering form, of trailing habit, rooting at the joints, and less tender than other forms, its flowers of bluish- lilac or violet-purple. Oregon.

P. Murrayanus.—A very handsome and distinct plant with flowers of deepscarlet about 14 inches long, upon long slender stems of 2 to 3 feet. The lower leaves of smooth grey-green clasp the stem ; the higher ones grow together at the base into cup-shaped formas they ascend the stem. Texas. Best grown as a tender bi-

| ennial, though perennial in its wild state. A

fine race of seedlings has been raised from this plant by Messrs. Vilmorin under the name of Murrayanus grandifiorus ; their flowers are

| larger, richly varied as to colour, with a long

season of beauty. P. Newberryi.—aA variety of P. Menziesit.

P. ovatus.—A rare and pretty mountain

withslender erect stems of 3 feet,bearing bright

| green leaves and loose spikes of blue flowers

changing to rosy-purple. It is best grown from seed at frequent intervals, old plants becoming exhausted.

P. Palmeri.—A handsome plant, though of slow growth and somewhat tender. Stems of 2 to 3 feet with thick grey leaves growing together around the stem, and pale flowers flushed with pink or purple and very wide at the mouth. Utah. Best reared in pots and only planted out to flower in its second season.

P. pubescens—The wild kind of eastern America, common as a loose-growing slender herb of 2 feet,with toothed and sticky leavesand loose clusters of deep purple or flesh-coloured flowers, enlarged at themouth, but closing like the flowers of a Snapdragon. From Ontario, south and west. Syn. P. Mackayanus.

P. puniceus.—A beautiful and showy plant, flowering freely in the dull time between sum- mer and autumn. Stout erect stems of I to

| 6 feet, with stemless leaves of grey-green, blunt

and fleshy, and funnel-shaped flowers of glow- ing crimson in clusters of three and four, their s

274

FLORA AND SYLVA,

rich colour set off by clear white anthers. Ari- zona and Mexico. A plant with all the good points of P. Murrayanus and much easier to grow, flowering finely during the present warm summer ; tobe seen with effect should be freely grouped and the stems carefully staked. It is nearest to P. Eatoni, but differs from it in its taller growth, its greyer leaves, and its flowers of deeper crimson. Seeds.

P. Richardsoni.—An old plant found about the Columbia River and its branches, thriving in the leafy deposits drifted amongst the rocks. It is a showy kind, forming long rambling stems of 3 feet, loosely branching, covered with shining deeply cut leaves and medium-sized violet or rosy-purple flowers. A robust plant forming large tufts.

P. Roez/i,—A dwarf plant akin to P. /etus, with narrow leaves and flowers of pale blue or lilac.

P. rotundifolius.— A good border plant growing 2 feet high, with thick rounded stems and leaves of grey-green and large drooping flowers of bright brick-red upon long stalklets, giving the spike a loose appearance. A hand- some plant from N. Mexico.

P. secundiflorus.—A handsome and distinct | border plant of free growth, with narrow grey- |

green leaves and bluish flowers suffused with bronze where touched by sunlight. They are an inch or more long, very broad and bell- shaped towards the mouth, and carried in long narrow racemes. Colorado. A good plant of recent introduction, still rare in gardens.

P. spectabilis.—An oldand useful Mexican | inalllands; while travellers in southern Europe

species of 18 to 24 inches, with greyish-green |

leaves deeply toothed, and pretty rosy-purple flowers of about an inch, very open and full in the purple-lined throat, and carried in branching panicles.

P. Torreyi.—A variety of P. barbatus.

P. triphyllus.—An old kind found by Dou- glas many years ago upon the decomposed granite soils of the Blue Mountains. Grow- ing about 18 inches high, it bears small violet or pale rose flowers ina loose leafy spike, the pale inner throat of the flowers lined with darker veins. A slender herb thriving in sandy soils.

P. tubiforus.—A plant throwing tall stems of 2 to 3 feet from low leafy tufts, the stems bare save for a few small bracts and the dense

spike of tubular white flowers, sometimes shaded with purple, and arranged in succes- sive tiers. Kansas and Arkansas. A distinct and showy plant with a long season of beauty.

P. venustus.—An old and pretty border plant from the western States, with erect leafy stems of 2 feet and thick leaves sharply in- dented. The spike is narrow, bearing fine pur- ple flowers more than an inch long, widening from a narrow tube, and hairy within.

P. Watsoni.—A hardy little plant of re- cent introduction from the mountains of Co- lorado, dwarf and much branched, bearing rounded leaves and small funnel-shaped flowers of dark violet-purple, relieved at times by touches of white.

P. Wrightt.—A handsomeand showy kind, coming very near P. pumiceus, but less tall, and smaller in leaf and flower. The flowers are also of a deeper crimson, less than an inch long, borne freely upon stout purplish stems. Leaves less fleshy, but of the same grey-green, oblong below, and merging to surround the stem as

'they ascend. A plant of fine colour when

grouped, particularly in seasons such as the present. B.

THE STONE PINE (Pinus Pinea).

THOUGH some may dispute its claim to the

_ proud title“ Pine of Pines,” none can deny that _this treeis one of the most beautiful of Europe. _ Sung by classic poets andimmortalised in later

years by the genius of Turner and other land- scape painters, its praise has become familiar

are perhaps more pleasantly impressed by its beauty than by that of any other tree. The Eastern Cypress isimpressive but is sad withal, haunting thecemeteries or ranged in ranks too straitened fornaturalcharm. The Olive, beau- teousas it is, has beauty too visibly constrained and fettered; beauty that is chained in ranks, terrace by terrace and tier above tier; beauty that is trained and trimmed, dug-about, con- trolled, and forsaken when days of profit are over. Thebeauty of the Stone Pine is the wild free beauty of Nature, whether of the shady forest, of wind-swept crag, or sunlit shore. Standing alone, it spreads a dome of faultless symmetry, finer thanany temple fane, the great head gracefully poised upon the trunk of mot- tled grey and brown; or again, grouped in

THE STONE PINE,

75

Nay Sy

STONE PINE AT CASTEL GANDOLFO,

ATE

S

276

FLORA AND SYLVA,

picturesque disorder, with the Cluster Pine |

(P. Pinaster) serving for foil and background, it seems an essential feature in the southern landscape, gracing with equalcharm theclassic ruins of Rome’s lost empire or Nature’s fretted fragments around her shores. Oftenest, and best, the tree is found in scattered groups about the villages skirting the coast, always a thing of beauty and valued by the peasant for their seed,—used to enrich his soup or the homely cakes prepared for festal days—while

the empty cones kindle his fire and warm |

his heart with their crackle and fragrance. Throughout the summer’s glare he welcomes its shade, while the cygale hidden within its creviced bark rings out the live-long day its

ing of the ripening cones. More rarely the trees are massed until their spreading branches touch in unbroken canopy, but this is oftenest where it creeps down to the sandy shores that bound the tossing blue, its stout limbs careless of the breeze until the roots dip in the brine itself. Such a forest was once the glory of the

_extreme of altitude.

hill and sandy sea-board, rarely rising above 1,500 feet, while 3,000 feet in the south is its From Italy it passes the Adriatic to the western shores of Greece and its archipelago, and thence more sparingly through Croatia and Syria into Asia, where its range is unknown, though the tree is certainly plentiful in parts of China. Westward it is

_scattered through northern Africa to Madeira and the Canary Islands, is common in parts of | Spain and Portugal, forming forests in Cata-

lonia, while northward it is found wild in the

' Rhone valley and amid the Carpathians. Cul-

_ tivated trees are hardy in many parts and as far

north as Paris where they have frequently re-

sisted severe cold. Introduced into Chili and chirping cry, erica d only by the sudden rend-_

town of Cannes, skirting the plain of Laval ©

from St. Cassien to La Bocca; but the railway cut it through and only scattered groups recall the beauties past. Similar and larger forests known as the “ Pineta,”—their glories sung by generations of poets, extend for miles upon the sandy salt-washed tracts of the Adriatic, about Ravenna—‘‘Queen of the Marshes,” where immense quantities of fruit are gathered yearly. The neighbourhood of Rome is noted for its groups of Stone Pine, while many of the finest individual trees exist within that “little land apart,” lying between Toulon and San Raphael, amid the sheltered gorges of the Mountains of the Moors.

Valued and cultivated from the earliest times for its sweet nut- like seeds—charred remains and rude drawings of them having been dug up in Pompeii and Herculaneum—the Stone Pine is spread over a wide area in Europe and Asia, though Italy would seem to be the centre of its distribution, and herealone it reaches the lofty and majestic form which singles it out as “‘the Italian Pine.” From scattered groups amid the hills of south- ern France and above Genoa, it increases to forests around Florence, growing freely from

Range.

the foot of the Alps to Sicily upon everysunny |

other parts of America, it thrives freely upon the mild Pacific coast, while in South Africa, particularly around Capetown, it is firmly es- tablished and flourishing.

The old trees seen here and there measure at times nearl 100 feet in height, but less than half this 1s usual, and even in the south many years pass before they reach the size of timber trees. Nor is the wood in demand save for common uses, though clean, free of resin, and easily worked; at one time used for masts and boat-building it is now quite discarded, and the tree valued mainly for its fruits and the balsam extracted from its resin. The nut-like seeds, nearly an inch long, of which there are go to 100 ina single cone, are of soft rich flavour, shut within very hard enelle. and embedded in the scales ot the cone from abeeh they are freed with difh- culty. The cones are large, light red in colour,

Character.

_with very thick scales, and take three full years _to mature before bursting naturally ; immature

cones are sometimes roasted and broken open, but the unripe seeds are poor in flavour, and while the nuts will keep for years within the cone they quickly spoil upon exposure. Spite of its more pyramidal habit the Cluster Pine (Pinus Pinaster) often passes for Pinus Pinea amongst those unfamiliar with the true Stone Pine, whose leaves are shorter, less tufted, and more erect than in the first, of a deeper green also, while the cones are quite unlike.

Though perhaps the earliest of foreign Pines to reach our shores, the Stone Pine has remained rare with us and left few traces of age, owing to its slow

In Britain.

THE STONE PINE,

277

growth and its tenderness in the severe win- ters that recur from time totime. Even in its

own country it is not secure from frost, for in | _well-formed head, but of late years has been so

the terrible winter of 1879 the great woods near Ravenna were seriously injured and in part destroyed by the severe cold. But neg- lect, for trees of more rapid growth, has, per- haps, more to do than actual tenderness with its lack of effect, for where fine trees have reached maturity unharmed by frost, they are

too often spoiled by the near presence of other

and unsuitable neighbours. In its own haunts

this tree is rarely found with others save Pines | of a like nature, growing in groups apart, |

perched upon sandy banks, or clustered upon the seashore amid conditions unfavourable to other trees, save such as the Cork Oak and

Arbutus. If, therefore, one would secure its |

true beauty these conditions should be borne in mind. There are sun-bathed and sheltered nooks abounding upon our southern and wes- tern shores where, with light soil and genial conditions, we might eventually enjoy some- thing of the fine effect of this Pine of Pines. A deep sandy or gravel soil, shelter while

light gravel soil overlying hard rock, 41 feet

high, and girthing 5 feet at 3 feet from the

ground. This was once a shapely tree with

crowded by other treesas to lose its fine appear- ance. There are also finely-grown specimens at Glenthorne, North Devon, and in Dublin Botanic Gardens, while Loudon mentions others at Ballyleady in County Down, at Read-

|ing, and many other parts of Britain, but of

these present details are wanting.

The few so-called varieties are of little moment beside the real tree, the most notable being the “'Tarentina Pine” (Pinea fragilis), grown in various parts of the south of Europe for its thin-shelled nuts, which are more readily brokenthanthe hard seeds of the common kind —well called the Stone Pine. Other forms vary in size of cone, that with the largest coming

Varieties and Names.

from Crete (Pinea Cretica), where the tree is

young, and initial years of patience, are the |

main conditions ; the young trees should be raised from seed and wintered under glass un- til several years of age and of a size to stand in the open.

That the Stone Pine is not unworthy of trial in favoured spots of our country is shown by the size of trees kindly measured for us within the past few days, and which would appear to be the

Existing Trees.

| bearing Pine.

said to reach its greatest size. A second insular

variety comes from Madeira, differing some- | what in habit, in its much longer leaves, and in minor points of mere botanical interest.

The fruiting Pine of the East, known as the

-“ Round-coned Chinese Pine,” isidentical with

this of Europe; other local names are the cultivated Pine, the parasol Pine, and the nut- B.

Groups or Yew Trees.—Looking out at

_ Broughton Castle, Banbury, on the old group

| of Yew near the house, with the rising or the

finest in the country. Two of these are grow- |

ing at Margam Park, South Wales, the larger reaching 46 feet in height with a spread of over 60 feet anda trunk measuring just upon 8 feet at 4 feet from the soil, and rising clear for 15 feet before branching. Though it has gained in stretch of limb, this tree has lost slightly in height of late years through sinking to one side under the weight of its spreading head; itisin good health and bears many cones. The second tree is nearly as large, being 40 feet high, with a span of 50 feet and equal to its companion in girth. These—with others long since disappeared—are said to have grown from cones brought from Italy nearly acentury ago. There is also a large tree in the grounds of Penrhyn Castle in North Wales, growing in

setting sun giving an added grace to its natur- ally fine colour, I was led to think of how sel- dom this finest native evergreen tree is planted so that its natural beauty may be seen on lawn or pleasure ground,while so manyare busy plac- ing Yew hedges in positions where they are useless or harmful. No tree ever introduced has such softand fine colour, often taking a bronzy hue inwinter, and goodall the yearround. The stem of an old Yew, too, is one of the finest in colour of the family to which it belongs. It is in the fate of the Yew to be ill-treated by plan- ters and gardeners, who plant it in shrubberies and hedges and seldom deliberately with a view to its final effects, although nothing is worthier of more care and thought in planting. Apart from the ornament, the shade of old Yews is very grateful, especially when grouped not too

| far from the house.

278

FLORA AND SYLVA,

FREMONTIA CALIFORNICA. In its unique combination of physical features California is one of those re- gions with a soil and climate of its own resulting in forms of plant life only to be found within the narrow range of its own local conditions. Of the many forms peculiar to California one of the most remarkableisthissummer-leafing shrub found upon the sun-scorched slopes of the interior, and most abundant in the dry foothills in the southern Sierra Ne- vada. Discovered in 1846 by Colonel | Fremont (one of the early western ex- | plorers) itwas named in his honourand — is interesting to botanists as being the’ only hardy plant of an order otherwise | almost confined to the tropics of the southern seas. On its native hillsides it | grows as a low tree of 20 feet with bark

and branches of a rich reddish-brown |

and a stout stem which has been known to measure a foot in thickness. When in leaf its general aspect is suggestive of the Fig in its lobed and rounded leaves of shining green, but they are smaller, less thick, and covered beneath with rusty-coloured down, making the re- semblancemoreapparent than real. The large orange-yellow flowers are borne singly uponshortspur-like shoots oppo- | site the leaves, with anthers of a deep

orange-red to completetheir fine effect.

Their size varies with the vigour of the

plant from 1 to 3 inches across, and

they are borne for several months in

unbroken succession, buds showing in

all stages of development as the shoots

lengthen. A well-grown plant appears

covered with long slender shoots com-

pletely wreathed in flower.

Yet the Fremontia is ascarce plantinBritishgardens,being not only somewhat tender during severe winters save in the warmer parts of the south and west, but also sometimes dy- ing suddenly without apparent cause, and too difhcult of increaseto be readily replaced. These are serious faults in an otherwise noble plant, but its fine ap- pearance where conditions are in its fa- vour has gained for it many friends, and the success obtained in places very varied as to conditions makes it certain that with care its rich beauty might be en- joyed more generally than is now the case. The first essential is a light, warm soil, well drained atall seasons, for stag- nant moistureis death tothe Fremontia, while too hot and dry an aspect is also against good growth. Though not of a habit well fitted for walls, in many parts

Culture.

it is best grown in this way, a west or

south-westaspect being better thanone duesouth,while plants facing north have sometimes done well, coming unharmed through frost which has proved fatal to those more sheltered. This but empha- sises the fact that it is often a mistake to plant tender things in the warmest places, where a few weeks of bright weather induce a false start, followed byinjury or loss. In gardens suchas are naturally sheltered, along the southern coast and upon the warm soils of Surrey, the Fremontia grows well in the open as a standard shrub,and when wellwrapped up in winter may come to no harm dur- ing aseries of mild years; but evenwith some loss of effect the plant is safer against a wall and blooms earlier. The flowers open from the end of May or

FREMONTIA CALIFORNICA. 279

early in June,lasting into August oreven Wea so named from its bunch September when the weather is genial; of five stamens united in the shape of a though the rounded seed-vessels are hand. In its native country this tree

Be

freely produced as the flowers fade they do not ripen. Old-established plants will cover a wall- space of 20 feet or more, and as such develop it is important so to train as to secure for ever shoot laid in a full share of light and air. ‘The old plant at Coombe Wood —one of the best ever raised in this country— was grown from seed sent to Messrs. Veitch from California, and plants so raised are probably the best. It is commonly growntrom layers orcut- tings of the young wood started under a bell-glass in gentle heat during spring, but their slow- ness in rooting points to seed as being the more natural method. Fine- ly grown specimens are not uncommon along the southern coast, but the existence of thriving plants, in the open, at not a few points inland, and even as far north as Cheshire, shows what may be done where skill and patience | reaches 60 feet in height, but is too are combined. tender for the open in Britain. In cul- The Fremontia is nearly allied to ture and appearance it comes very near the Mexican Handplant (Chezrostemon | this Californian shrub, while its purple S 4

THE FREMONTIA IN FLOWER.

280 FLORA AND SYLVA.

flowers are so nearly identical with it in structure that some authors have classed them together under the name Cheiranthodendron.

REHMANNIA ANGULATA.* Irhithertouncommon, the Rehmannias are notunknown to gardens, thoughthe new kind shownin our plate hascreated

fresh interest in the group to which it | belongs. They are all perennial herbs _

fromthe Far East, of the easiest culture, | : f 2 > the fullest advantage. It thrives in any

whether in the greenhouse or the open

border, flowering freely through a long

chinensis, has been introduced at seve- ral periods since its discovery in 1835,

lings of bright tone such as that drawn

by our artist are superior to the paler

shades which sometimes occur. It gained

an award of merit from the Royal Hor-

ticultural Society in April of last year,

and has beenshown on many occasions since in proof of its long season of use- fulness. One of its best features is the ease with which it may be grown in pots so small as to be readily concealed, while the tall stems display the blossoms to

light fertile soil, developing quickly

5 from seed, and is best grown quite cool season. The oldest species, Rehmannia ( peo d to prevent the spike—naturally long in

the joints—from becoming ungainly,

but its lack of colour has resulted in |

speedy neglect. The Rock Rehmannia (R. rupestris), though a prettier plant, has never been in general cultivation, and two other species, described by bo- tanists, have not yet been introduced. The new plant, RehAmannia angu-

We complete our notewith a rapid review of the otherknown species,which include :—

Rehmannia chinensis.—A free-growing pe-

_rennial, vigorous as a Pentstemon, which it somewhat resembles in habit. Its long yellow

/ata, aroused conflict of opinion at the |

outset, being regarded by some as an improved form of R. chinensis; autho-

rities are NOW agreed in considering it |

as a distinct species for which we are in-

debted to Messrs. Veitch. Their collec-_

yellow, and spotted with deep violet in the

tor in the Far East, Mr. E. H. Wilson, has made valuable finds within recent years, and this new Rehmannia is one of his gains. Too tender for the open border, it is well fitted to brighten the greenhouse during summerwith its tall, erect spikes of 2 to 3 feet, bearing asuc- cession of flowers from the base upwards overa period of many weeks. Asiscom- mon with plants raised from seed, there is somevariation as to colour,and seed-

roots areso nearly hardy as to pass a mild winter in the open with some protection from frost, but being apt to perish in severe seasons a re- serve should be kept inacold frame. Its oval leaves, growing in a low tuft, are thick, fleshy, and deeply toothed, hairy all over and redden- ing in the sun. The spreading tubular flowers are of large size, appearing in May and borne in drooping clusters upon short erect stems ; their colour is reddish-yellow, paling to dull

throat. Theplant may be grown for the green- house in early spring, or for the border and

_rock-garden during summer, when it blooms

freely, producing fertile seed from which a

| stock may be maintained. It is also easily in-

creased from offsets or cuttings of the fleshy

root, which soon become established in small pots. Discovered and introduced from northern China in 1835 it has several times disappeared and again come into cultivation, sometimes under the name of R. g/utinosa. Its lack of fa- vour—spite of large flowers and graceful habit —is due toits dullcolour, seedlings being often

* With coloured plate from a drawing by H.G. Moon, at Chelsea.

~

rags t

yh eating, ¢ E _ at ae

7 5 iy

tm 1

too dingy for effect. In the course of its chequered history the plant has passed under several names, being at first mistaken for a Foxglove, then called Gerardia, and finally Rehmannia, in honour of Joseph Rehmann, a doctor of St. Petersburg.

R. rupestris—A_ pleasing greenhouse pe- | rennial from western China, introduced in | ; whose garden was created while its

18go, and still rare in gardens. It is of pretty habit, with numerous stems of 12 to 18 inches, those in the centre standing erect, while the side-shoots droop gracefully on all sides. Its ovate fleshy leaves are deeply toothed, and

ITALIAN GARDENS,

281

ITALIAN GARDENS. — Pursuing our series upon such famous southern _gardensas have influenced garden craft,

ancient and modern, we give a scene from the grounds of the Villa Pamphili-

Doria, one of the great Roman houses

owner occupied the Holy See as Pope Innocent X. This was one of the most important of the old gardens in the

THE PAMPHILI

covered with long silky hairs; the widely tu- bular flowers,opening in July,are white daintily shaded with rose.

R. lutea—A Japanese species of which |

little is known, save its description, from which it appears to be a pretty little plant with yel- low flowers, quite distinct from those in cul- tivation.

R.Piasezkit.—A Chinese species described by the Russian traveller Maximowicz, but as yet unknown in gardens. B,

GARDENS,

ROME.

suburbs of Rome, but being less central and reputedly unhealthy, itwas less fre- quented than others of the great gardens thrown opentothe public by the princes bothofChurchand State. Theentrance to the grounds, richly adorned with statuary and architectural dressings, commandsa view of the palazzo, a small

but beautiful structure almost covered

282

FLORA AND SYLVA,

with antique relief work of the finest character. So exquisite is much of this work that it seems sad to expose it to the weather, which is fast telling its tale evenin so soft a climateasthatof Rome. But the charm of the Pamphili gardens lies in the profusion and luxuriance of their vegetation, and even where there is much stone work it is so draped and varied by plant-life that the artificial sinks intoitstrue place. From one point is gained a distant view of St. Peter’s, with such a foreground of green slopes studded with Stone Pines, Aloes, Ever- green Oaks, and the like, as to form a fa- vourite subject with landscape painters. The plan of the alleys and shrubberies recalls the famous Bosquet of Versailles, as do also the fountains, though on a much smaller scale; in fact, the plan of both the house and its surroundings are so like Versailles in miniature as to give weight to the claim that this old Roman villa served as a model for the great French palace. Amongstthe strik- ing features of the gardensare their fine groups of Stone Pine, many of great age and beauty, beneath whose shade in early autumn, generations ofthe Roman populace have sipped their wine and nibbled the sweet nut-like kernels fallen ready to hand.

Wooptanp Music.—It is good to listen to the wind minstrelsy till one can say with closed eyes whence it is blowing and what is the time of year, simply from the music overhead. Winter hasits own wild chords which change and soften when the tree-tops are a maze of swelling buds, tillin early May-time thesounds are most winsome of all. But at all times there is music to be had for the heeding; music in which the initiated may hear mysteries un- utterable in human tongue.—M. R. J.

THE PERENNIAL TROP-- OLUMS. Tuart these plants are beautiful is not to be denied; that they are popular with growers can hardly be urged. Their beauty of structure in every detail, their quaint form and fine colour, their very vigour and the rich grace of their dis- play wherever at their ease, are charms with which few groups are so richly en- dowed, and yet many of these dainty trailers have died out of cultivation, while others flourish only here and there with a caprice which has earned for them a bad name amongst growers. They are not common in gardens as a whole, though often abundant in those districts to which they seem best suited, and yet the fact that patient effort to establish the most uncertain kinds is often crowned with full success after re- peated failures to coax them into beau-

ty, proves that the skill of the adept

'can do much to remove the causes of

failure, be they what they may.

There are about thirty distinct kinds of these perennial trailers, and a few garden crosses, the whole series offering a rich variety in colour, foliage, and time of flower. A good many kinds —many of themof great beauty—have never reached this country, and others have died out, or have, at least, disap- peared from public gardens and trade lists, though from time to time one comes across one kind after another surviving in places to allappearance the least likely. Though their preciserange is unknown— being favourite garden- plants throughout a vast region—they

Natural Conditions.

THE PERENNIAL TROP/EOLUMS,

are all found in South America, where several kindsare widely grownand their roots eaten as food, the natives using them for beauty and for profit around their huts muchas the English mechanic sets his line of scarlet beans. Though some kinds are widespread and others local, most of them come from the nar- row temperate zone west of the Andes and overlooking the Pacific, and ex- tending from New Grenada to Chili; it is in the peculiar climatic conditions of this region that must be sought the ex- planation of the delicacy of some kinds withus. They grow, often in half-shade, upon the mountain slopes, shrinking from the heat of the plains and yet de- stroyed by a touch of frost, and their seasons of vigour and rest are mainly governed by the come and go of the moisture-laden ocean breezes.

Their needsand the con- ditions of success in this country are so varied,and at times so surprising, that he would be a bold man who dared to fix rules for all places alike. Kinds that flourish like a weed in Scotland will die out re- peatedly in another part of the country, even after great pains have been taken to reproduce exactly what seem to be the ideal conditions of soil and aspect. A few brief indications are, therefore, given with the best kinds, as to the means generally successful, and growers must vary and adapt such hints in the light of local conditionsand experience. Some kinds do well almost anywhere, and for the enthusiast there is always a pleasure in inducing the more delicate kinds to do well because of theirassumed

Conditions with us.

283

difficulty. The greenhouse kinds are in their full beauty in early spring and richly repay whatever care has been spent to get them to perfection. All need great care in watering, the more before growth has fairly begun, and they all dwindle under too strong a degree of heat, while nearly all may be increased by careful division when at rest, and a good many may be raised from seed when it is to be had good. The list of kinds is given with their English names, but for ease of reference they are ranged according to the alphabetical order of their botanic names.

There are few plants more varied in their use than the Tropzolums, and various kinds may be had in beauty almost throughout the year. The pretty little tri-coloured kind and many other fine plants of the greenhouse section may be had in bloom from quite early spring until the first hardy sorts begin to flower. These trailing kinds for the open garden are of great beauty, of no trouble to grow, and succeed in poor soils. Leichtlin’s and Knight’s Tro- pzolums are good anywhere upon dry banks or hanging from nooks in the rock-garden, and these hardy kinds may be followed by others such as Moritz and Smith’s kinds, the Peren- nial Canary Flower and Tropeolums tricolor and pentaphyllum, raised from seed in heat and grown as annuals in the summer flower-garden. The splendid Flame-flowered Tropzolum is in full beauty in early autumn; while Wagegner’s rare kind and TZ. tuberosum

Best Kinds and their Uses.

“maintain their autumn display far into

ae

_ ORA AND s YL Ge

Nees Most of ae twining eae

are best left to ramble over shrubs, or to - en ' 4 or 5 feet high in its native country, with

find their way upon an evergreen hedge or light trellis of woodwork, doing bet- ter thus than against walls with risk of drought and dryheat. 7. pentaphyHum grows very well in a warm spot, stand- ing heat better than most, and such kinds as zaberosum—which blooms late in the year—are best against a wall, often failing to flower if much exposed. When no suitable support is at hand, a spread of fine twine netting is a good help for the slender rambling shoots, giving strength without rigidity, and allowing free passage of air to all parts in a way not found upon a wall surface.

Similarly, the greenhouse kinds are best

the syringing s so necessary to keep down red- spider (their worst enemy) without risk of strain or root disturbance, which is much against them when in full growth. The ease with which many kinds may be lifted and stored away during winter is also a great gain. Tue Wuire TRop£oium (T. a/bifforum).— A scarce plant in its own country, and perhaps only a colour variety of T. polyphyl/um, and known from it by the whiteness of its flowers, passing into deep yellow in the clawand tinged with pink on the outside. It was at one time

grown in the Brussels Botanic Gardens, but possibly never reached this country.

it is less hardy than most other species, and

is always a slender, delicate plant. It grows

small long-stalked leaves divided deeply into

four or five variously shaped but narrow lobes.

The solitary blue flowers are about an inch wide, borne upon thread-like stalks a little

longer than the leaves, and composed of five equal spreading petals.

The plant should be potted in September in very light open soil with abundant drainage, and allowed to start

_at its own time in a cool house or frame, water

being increased very gradually with growth. The roots must never be disturbed whileactive, and the plant goes to rest again in May after flowering. At no time will it bear much heat, but needs water while in full growth, and alittle

| weak manure. The roots should be kept quite | dry from June till the growing season.

| maturity.

Beutn’s TRopmoLtum (T. Beuthit).— A tuberous-rooted trailer from Bolivia, bearing conspicuous yellow flowers and rounded but

_deeply-cut pale green leaves. 1850. A 2 trained over light twine, which allows of | ape apie 5 Breen

house plant flowering in June.

THE SHORT-SPURRED TRopAoLuM (T. bra- chyceras).—A slender climber with the habit and foliage of the Tricolor Tropzolum, and yellow flowers streaked with red and something less than an inch wide. The petals are almost equal in size and regularly rounded except for a notch at the top. The spur is very short, and hidden when the flowers are held erect at A native of Chili, introduced in 1840. It is one of the commonest plants about Santiago,climbing over shrubs many feet high and called by the natives the Partridge Flower.

_ A tender, tuberous-rooted greenhouse twiner,

flowering in June. PLaNncHon’s GOLDEN TRopHoLuM(T. chrys- anthum).—A. fine yellow-flowered climbing

| plant with small,oval,hairy leavesand medium-

Tue Biue TRop#oium (T. azureum).—In |

spite of the beauty of this plant when well flowered it is rarely seen in vigour and fine condition. Here and therea grower succeeds

in flowering it fairly well, and in the South of | cultivation.

France it may be coaxed along in the open

sized flowers of a uniform golden yellow with

-ashort spur. It is a very pretty plant from the

| temperate parts of New Granada, flowering

with some trouble, but it never seems to grow | with the freedom of otherkinds, and ina feeble |

state its flowers are of a pale and disappoint- ing blue, though their colour is naturally rich.

freely in the greenhouse during summer, but now scarce in gardens, and perhaps not in

Tue NoTcu-PETALLED TRoPOLUM(T. cre- natifiorum).— This has pretty bright yellow flowers about an inch wide, with crimson veins |in the two upper petals, and semi-circular

Coming from the central provinces of Chili ‘leaves with rounded lobes. The habit of the

THE PERENNIAL TROP/EOLUMS,

285

plant is rather straggling, and the foliage and flowers distant and scanty in effect. A green- house plant, flowering in early summer, intro- duced from Peru about 1845, and, compared with others, not very ornamental.

Decker’s TrRopmoitum (T. Deckerianum). —A singular plant with tri-coloured, hairy flowers and undivided hairy, peltate leaves. Roots fibrous; stems climbing to a consider- able height, and bearing leaves sometimes as much as 6inchesacross. Thespur of the flowers is 14 inches long and of vermilion-red, except at the end, where it is green; the petals are small and of azure-blue, passing into purple at the base and daintily fringed. This beautiful plant is a native of Venezuela, but only found in one part, though there are several other species akin to this from the same region, which are very handsome. A rare greenhouse plant, flowering in mid-summer, and formerly grown in the Berlin Botanic and other collections.

talum).—A distinct kind formerly grown on

the Continent if not in this country. Its flowers |

bear only two petals, the three lower ones being suppressed ; these are large and conspicuous, and, as well as the calyx, deep red or crimson. In foliage, too, this is unlike any otherkind, the leaves being lobed with rather broad rounded lobes, and the stalk inserted just within the

blade. The whole plant is smooth and glossy, |

with stout stems. Native of Peru.

mannt).—A slender twining plant of very light appearance, bearing semi-circular leaves of filmy texture variously lobed, and small scarlet flowers of about three-quarters of an inch wide in the leaf axils. A dainty but scarce plant,with

prettily contrasting colours of pale green and |

red.

PERENNIAL CANARY CREEPER (T. Heynea- num).— Another very beautiful greenhouse climber with flowers akin to those of the com- mon Canary Creeper but rather smaller and of an orange colour; they are distinct alsoin shape

of flower, the lower petals being nearlyas large |

as the upper, with a straight spur instead of the hooked claw of T.aduncum. Peru. Not now in cultivation, though at one time common in Germany, andeasily raised from imported seed.

JARRATT’s TROPOLUM (T. ‘farrattil).—A mere colourvariety of theTricolorTropzolum,

flowering at the same season and identical with it in growth, but perhaps a little less vigorous and with a little more of yellow in the flowers.

LeicuTiin’s TRopaotum (T. Lerchtlini). —A fine hardy plant coming as a cross from Ts. edule and polyphyllum—two of the most ro- bust kinds—of which it showsall the hardiness

_andvigour. Its rounded tubersare of the size of

small potatoes,emitting trailing stems of several feet during spring, covered with deeply-cut leaves of greyish-green like those of po/yphy/-

lum, but with longer, narrower leaflets. The

flowers are also similar,but of a deeper orange- yellow, finely marked with reddish spots and

_ streaks, and appearing with rich effect from the _endof May. The plantisof free growth, cover- ing much spacewhen wellestablished in warm, | well-drained soil, where it increases rapidly. It _is best seen trailing over a bank or low wall,

where it can grow undisturbed and not be

| missed while at rest from July onwards. It is THE Two-PETALLED TRop£oLuM (T. dipe-

quite hardy inmost gardens with alight cover-

_ ing of leaves or ashes.

Linpen’s TRopmotum (T. Lindeni).—A

_ greenhouse climber bearing small flowers with |a very long cone-shaped spur, appearing in early autumn ; theleavesare bold, 3 to 5 inches

across, and of a pretty rose colour. A kind ot

recent introduction upon the Continent, more

beautiful in leaf than in flower. Mortrz’sTRop#oLuM(T. Moritzianum) .—

| Avery handsome greenhouse twiner with large FINTELMANN’s TRop#otum (T. Finte/- |

glossy leaves 5 or 6 inches wide, borne upon long stalks and divided into six or seven broad ill-defined lobes, each bearing at their apex an orange-coloured tip. The funnel-shaped flowers appearing in July are of medium size,

_ with petals nearly equal and astraight green-

ish spur. Their colour is yellow shading to orange on the lower petals, and brilliant cin- nabar-red finely veined and shaded above, the whole delicately fringed upon the margin. It

_is one of the most beautiful of the group, and

a native of NewGranada. Rarein gardensbut easily raised from seed. Syn. T. Funckz.

Tue Droopinc TRopmoium (T. pendulum). —A plant with drooping flowers from Central America,bearing in midsummer yellow flowers marked upon the upper petals with red lines

_and a dull purple spot. The five-lobed leaves

are borne upon stout rounded stems and area whitish-grey colour beneath. Greenhouse.

286

FLORA AND SYLVA,

FIVE-LEAFLETED TRopHoLuM (T. penta- phyllum).—A pretty plant used with fine effect in gardens during summer either tocover walls or ramble over shrubs in asheltered corner. As in dipetalum the flowers consist of two petals only, which are small and red, and borne upon a long trumpet-shaped tube or spur, sharply hooked near the base, and its deep purplish- | red colour finely contrasted with vivid green in the calyx lobes. It grows freely, flowering in June and July, and may be used cut in long trails with the prettiest effect, the deeply-cut | leaves being graceful and the stems a fine rosy colour. It thrivesin light rich soil upon asunny border, or even facing east if well sheltered. The rounded tubers are easily lifted and stored in the autumn when the plant is cut down by frost. One of the easiest to grow, increasing fast in good ground and readily known from otherkinds. A native of Uruguay, growing in rich profusion round BuenosAyres,and,though | an old plant in English gardens, not at all common.

Tue Grey Rock Trop#oitum (T. po/y- phyllum) shown in our engraving is one of the best of hardy tuberous plants. It has a wide range inthe Andes of South America, thriving at a height of many thousand feet as far south as Chili,and quite the hardiest and most vigor- ous ofthe group. It variesmuch as to habit and

GREY ROCK TROPAOLUM.

form of leaf in different parts of this immense range, but is commonest,in gardens, as a low trailing plant of compact habitand stout fleshy stems thickly clothed with finely-cut grey foliage, and many golden flowers in June.

Once well established in a bank of good soil it

| flowers freely, spreading fast by long under- _ ground stems which force their way through

the hardest soil. When in full sun its shoots are rich in colour, running about 2 feet before flowering, but they lengthen when grown among shrubs; cut trails are useful and very pretty for decoration. The tuber is of a peculiar oblong shape and dark red in colour. Hang-

_ing from a niche in the rock garden, or trail-

ing from a low wall or sunny bank, its finely- coloured leaves and flowersare very handsome, and when well planted it needs no further care:

THE SESSILE-LEAVED TROPZOLUM (T. sessi- /ifolium).—This kind is near akin to the last, if, indeed, it is not a form of it. It is also of

| prostrate habit but very compact in growth, | its shoots not exceeding 8 inches, with much

smaller leaves, which are thickly set and almost stemless ; its redand yellow flowers of medium size are carried freely upon short stems when planted in a sunny spot and good light soil. SMITH’s TRop0LUM(T. Smithi).—A beau- tiful plant widely dispersed and growing at a great elevation in the Andes of north-western South America. It is a twiner of free, robust habit, bearing smooth glossy leaves deeply cut

into five broad lobes, about 3 inches wide in all and carried upon long stalks. The flowers are large and funnel-shaped, ending in a long

green-tipped spur; the calyx is rich ruby red

with finely fringed and lobed petals of orange

veined with bright red. A very handsome

_ plant flowering in June and July, which may _ be treated as agreenhouse perennial or a hardy

annual during summer.

THE FLAME-FLOWERED TROPAOLUM( T. spe- ciosum).—The most brilliant of Tropeolums, yet quite free fromthe gaudiness of the annual kinds. It grows in the southern provinces of Chili, and is one of the kinds difficult to estab-

lish in some gardens. In its native country it -sends up a maze of slender twining shoots

which completely cover shrubs and low trees of 15 and 20 feet and are aflame with flower. The bright scarlet flowers appear from June throughout the summer,borne upon long stalks overtopping the leaves, and hanging in rich festoons from the upper part of the shoots so thickwith colour as to hide the foliage. Though quite hardy it is not easy to grow in all places,

THE PERENNIAL TROP/EOLUMS,

doing best in districts of a cool and moist atmo- sphere, though in a well-chosen spot it may sometimes do well after repeated failure in others but a few yards distant. The roots need shadeand often thrive on thenorth side of ever- greens through which the long shoots ramble, and in this way the plant is seen at its best. In planting, the roots are generally started in pots of light soil which are sheltered from wet until growth has fairly begun and put out without disturbance when the plants are in active growth ; a layer of sandy soil around the tubers preserves them from too much wet. Once es- tablished the plantis best left quite alone, thriv- ing most in light gravelly soil of even moisture; the root fibres show a marked liking for small stones which are often completelynetted round. The flowers are succeeded by richly-coloured blue berries in fine contrast with the crimson calyx ; where old roots are not to be had the plant is easily raised from seed. Theclimate of Scotland is favourable to this fine plant, which is seen growing in many parts with great beauty and luxuriance.

Tue TRIcoLor TRop#oLuM (T.tricolorum). —The commonest of the greenhouse kinds, easily grown from seed. It flowers in spring and early summer, carrying a profusion of small bottle-shaped flowersabout an inch long, com- posed of a scarlet tube and spur, a dark purple- shaded calyx, and small yellow petals—a com- bination as pretty asit is unusual. The foliage is light and graceful, with leaves divided into five or six lobes and borne on thread-like stems upon trailing shoots of 8 or ro’feet. Chili. In southern gardens it may be grown in the open during summer, raised from seed and treated as an annual. Under greenhouse culture it rests during summer, is started into growth in early autumn, and flowers in the following spring. Apart from Jarratt’s Tro- pzolum, nowheld to bea va- riety of this, there are two or three minor forms differing mainly in their colour ; such are Tricolor Regelianumand Tricolor Schu/tzi1,in both of which green and yellow are the prevailing colours.

Tue Escutenr TRopoium (T. tuberosum). —A pretty half-hardy plant long known but not common in English gardens, where it is less free in flower than most kinds. In Peru it is grown for food upon the mountain slopes up

Varieties.

287 to a height of 10,000 feet, the fleshy tubers reaching a considerable size and said to have a flavour of Watercress when boiled; they are dis- tinct and pretty, being ofa light yellowcolour markedwith irregular crimson-purpleblotches. The plant is a tall climber running easily to 12 or 15 feet, with fleshy stems and rounded five- lobed leaves, the lobes shallow and somewhat abrupt. The flowers are small but finely co- loured, the calyx being a deep red save for a green tipupon the spur, and the petals orange- yellow veined with black. Unfortunately it is often late before it begins to flower, and is cut down by frost before attaining full beauty. In southern gardens the roots pass the winter un- harmed with a covering of ashes, but wherever of doubtful hardiness the tubers are best lifted and stored like Dahlias. To encourage early flowering it should be planted at the foot of a wall or fence, and in fine seasons and sheltered spots remains in beauty till November. Where the soil is heavy it should be mixed with sand and lime rubbish, which often induces flower. THE CLUSTER-FLOWERED TROPAOLUM (T. umbellatum).—A tender kind from the equa- torial regions of South America and differing from others in the clustered arrangement of its flowers borne in bunches of four to six blos- soms. These are of peculiar shape, orange-red in colour, with three larger petals and twovery small and scale-like. Botanically it is akin to T. pentaphyl/lum, with rambling purplish stems and many five-lobed leaves. The flowers of orange and red are very narrow, almost tubu- lar, about an inch long with small erect petals and a green tippedspur. The wild plant grows in the high mountains of Ecuador and Peru, forming a fleshy tuber of 3 to 5 lbs. and was sent home by Lobb in 1846. A greenhouse plant flowering in June, but rare in gardens. THE VIOLET-FLOWERED 'TRopAoLUM (T. violeflorum).—A plant related to T. azureum and possibly only a form of it. It is of slender habit with divided leaves, differing from the Blue Tropzolum in its leaflets of unequal size. The flowers are of a fine azure-blue on first opening, with whitish claws to the petals, which are finely toothed at the marginand not entire as in azureum. A native of Chili, it grows among bushes in half-shady places. Its tuberous roots require a season of rest, and treatment as for the greenhouse kinds.

288

FLORA AND SYLVA,

Wacn_er’s TRopoLum (T. Wagnertanum). —A fibrous-rooted greenhouse perennial from Columbia and Venezuela, in habit and foliage more suggestive of a Convolvulus than a Tro- pzolum. It isof twining habit with triangular leaves of 2 to 3 inches upon short stems inserted just within the blade. Flowers with avery long

crimson spur, a spreading green-lobed calyx, | and five equal and very narrow fringed petals | of violet-blue. It first bloomed many years ago | in Birmingham, flowering in September, and | after a short rest again in growth early in the | year. It is a curious and beautiful plant of free | growth, thriving in light soil and not subject |

to damp (as are many of this group) even in

winter. It is very easily increased from single | eyes dropped upon sand under a handlight, | but has become rare and is perhaps not now in |

cultivation.

M nor VARIETIES.— 10 complete our sur- | vey of the group mention must be made of |

some five or six kinds of lesser importance, but none of them without interest. T. cirrhipes is

akin to Deckerianum, with flowers borne upon | very long stalks which roll themselves around |

any object within reach, and thus maintain the

plant. T. marmoratumisremarkable for itslarge |

leaves, oval, and finely veined and marbled after the manner of certain Cissus. J. edu/e is avi- gorous hardy kind, forming large edible tubers,

and very like Knight’s Tropzolum save in its

more straggling habit. T. pinnatum is a green-

house plant raised as a cross many years ago >

and flowering from June until late in the au- tumn; its flowers are composed of yellow toothed petals. 7. rhomboideum is a plant inter- mediate between Ts. tricolor and brachyceras,

grown under glass and bearing in early spring |

an abundance of tiny bell-like blossoms.

THE SCARLET WINDFLOWER IN PALESTINE.— | The slopes of the valley of Ajalon are densely |

covered with this lovely little flower, and in the valleys of Hinnom and Kedron, outside the

walls of Jerusalem, it is difficult to avoid tread- |

ing on it. One of the finest sights I ever beheld was early one morning when journeying from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. During the night snow had fallen (an exceedingly rare occur- rence) to thedepth of some inches. The morn- ing, however, was bright and clear, and the sun’s rays having partly melted the snow, the dazzling scarlet Anemone had forced itself

through the white sheet, standing erect with its large petals flatly expanded, and no other

_ plant or flower visible. In some places they

lay in clusters, while the whole plain, far as the eye could reach, was thickly covered with the

star-like gems. The scene was one not easily forgotten.—W. V.

SONGS OF THE WOODS AND FLOWERS: In a Garpen.

How vainly men themselves amaze

To win the palm, the oak, or bays, And their incessant labours see Crowned from some single herb or tree Whose short and narrow-vergéd shade Does prudently their toils upbraid ; While all the flowers and trees do close To weave the garlands of Repose.

Fair Quiet, have I found thee here, And Innocence thy sister dear ? Mistaken long, I sought you then In busy companies of men: Your sacred plants, if here below, Only among the plants will grow: Society is all but rude To this delicious solitude.

7 ae %* % a

When we have run our passion’s heat Love hither makes his best retreat The gods, that mortal beauty chase, Still in a tree did end their race: Apollo hunted Daphne so

Only that she might laurel grow: And Pan did after Syrinx speed

Not as a nymph, but for a reed.

* * % %

Meanwhile the mind from pleasure less Withdraws into his happiness ;

The mind, that ocean where each kind Does straight its own resemblance find. Yet it creates, transcending these,

Far other worlds, and other seas; Annihilating all that’s made

To a green thought in a green shade.

Here at the fountain’s sliding foot

Or at some fruit-tree’s mossy root, Casting the body’s vest aside

My soul into the boughs does glide ; There, like a bird, it sits and sings, Then whets and combs its silver wings, And, till prepared for longer flight, Waves in its plumes the various light.

Such was that happy Garden-state While man there walked without a mate: After a place so pure and sweet,

What other help could yet be meet!

But ’twas beyond a mortal’s share

To wander solitary there:

Two paradises ’twere in one,

To live in Paradise alone.

How well the skilful gardener drew

Of flowers and herbs this dial new !

Where, from above, the milder sun

Does through a fragrant zodiac run:

And, as it works, th’ industrious bee

Computes its time as well as we.

How could such sweet and wholesome hours

Be reckoned, but with herbs and flowers! —MarVvELL.

FLORA

AND SYLVA.

Vol. Il. No. 19.]

OCTOBER,

1904. [ Monthly.

GARDEN ROOMS AND LOGGIA. Ourpoor summer life is agreeable to all, but owing to the hard-and-fast ways of our English architects its enjoyment is made much more difficult than need be. If they would travel in Italy, Austria, and other countries, they might see how easy it is to plan part of a house so that in it we may enjoy the free air, warmth, and shelter at the same time. ee our country one often has to get quite away from the house to find any such comfort in warm weather or grateful sunshine in winter. True, in gardens of size there are ar- bours or summer-houses, mostly too far from the house for frequent use, rarely quite dry, often overgrown, uninviting, and for the most part abandoned to spi- ders and other insects. Then there are seats and lounges also, often beneath trees of dense cover,and therefore open torisk of chill in passing from the outer warmth into thecoolercurrents that play around such centres. The British dwel- ling is often set down in its grounds, four-square, ugly, and uncompromis- ing; the house stops short dead, and you must either be wholly in or wholly out,

the utmost concession being a draughty porch—open toall comers, French win- dows—which cannot be opened with-

out cooling the entire house, or the con- servatory in whose dampatmosphere one cannot sit. What is wanted is a shelter from immediate glare or treacherous air- currents, whichis pervaded freely by the genial glowof surrounding lightand air; it should also so form part of the house as toallow of basking in the sun between whiles, even on days of broken weather. The value of such “‘sun-traps” as an aid to health can hardly be overrated. It should be easy to plan a /oggz or “gar- den-room” as part of the house upon its sheltered side. It would be best on the ground floor, but might also be made (as it often is abroad) on the first floor. One gain in this would be that the ser- vants could get to it as easily as to any other part of the house. In our country it is unpleasant for them—as for others —to cross grass ordamp paths upon wet days, whatever it may be in fine weather. This open-air room should be part of every house. And when we make gar- den-houses away from the dwelling, in- stead of the “‘ fuzzy” “‘summer-houses” that are deserted after a few years, such shelters should be built solidly to face all weathers, the ‘‘rustic-work” of which they are so often built beginning to rot

assoonasputup. Letus build, therefore,

T

290

FLORA AND SYLVA,

of the best material only, local stone or brick, simple in colour, and the roof of stone as in Oxford, Northamptonshire, or Sussex. Failing that, any enduring material such as Oak-shingles, which make good roofs. The floor should be of stone or stout plain tiles, and the walls sound in every way. So planned there is some good use for the summer-house, although notso handy for open-air meals as when the garden room 1s part of the dwelling. Thefront,facing south,should be of pillars as in Italy, and it might be so contrived as to be useful in winter by putting in sashes. The nature of our in- sular climate is such that the kind of half-house and half-garden shelters we describe are more needed with us than in warmer climates, and demand more care in their planning. RUSTLICUS. ROSE HEDGES.

Since the ill-named hybrid perpetual Roses have been displaced in Rose gar- dens by the true perpetual bloomers, it is well to think of other uses for these showy and vigorous Roses, and there is none better than that of forming hedges and dividing lines with them. They give fine effect in their season, though they do not flower so long as the Tea and Monthly Roses, and they are never so good as when grown in a bold way. It is essential that they should be on their natural roots, as if we make hedges of Roses ‘‘worked” on the Dog Rose we may soon get a wall of thorns, of which we have many in ourhedgerows already! While it is not easy to obtain the Teas and new Monthly Roses on their natu-

ral roots there is less trouble about the |

red hybrid Rose in that way. Or we can easily strike them from cuttings, and

in good ground they reward us by free

growth and a longer flowering season. As to support, the roughest trellis will do, as also those made of Oak and iron- work,whilea hedge withoutany support may often be enjoyed. Such ‘‘fences” need not be wholly formed of Roses, for Clematis and Honeysuckle may take their place in it here and there, as also some of the finer wild Roses. If we have

_to do with good Rose soil the work will _belight. Mark out position of the hedge

2 feet wide, and trench that space 2 feet deep, using plenty of manure. Where there is doubt aboutthe soilbeing of the right sort, the whole of it should be re- moved and replaced with three parts of loam and one of manure. There are many gardens the soil of which, with theaddition of one barrowful of loam to every yard length of hedge and about half that quantity of manure, will grow thered Roses well. Plant as early as may be in the autumn or winter, avoid deep

planting, keeping the collar about 2

inchesunder the surface. When planted, a layer of short, rotten manure over the roots will do good. During the first two

years little pruning will be needed, the

second spring after planting any strong shoots that exceed 3 feetin length should becutback to that point. In the ground should be placed a few neat sticks, to which some ofthelowerbranchesshould

be tied to form the base of the hedge _and bringitintoshape. After the second

year the growth will gain more vigour and increase in length. The strongest shoots should be cut down to 4 feet the

ROSE HEDGES.

third year, and from that time the height should be allowed to increase slowly so as togive the lower branches time to fill up the base. The after care consists in giving the roots a dressing of rotten ma- nure every winter, taking the soil from over the roots, laying the manure on them, and then replacing the soil. Any good free-growing Rose should do,such as Anna Alexief, ‘fohn Hopper, fules Mar gottin,BertheBaron William fesse, MadameVidot, Madame Boll,Madame

291

Marie Finger, General facqueminot, Senateur Vatsse, Dr. Andry, Maréchal

Vaillant, Charles Lefebvre, Madame C’. Wood, Ferdinand de Lesseps, Marie Bau- mann, Dupuy Famain, Annie Wood,

Reynolds Hole, Gruss an Teplitz, and Francois Coppée. Where borders of hardy flowers are made through kitchen or fruit gardens some kind of background is needed for effect, and there isno better one than a hedge of well-grown Roses. ROSARIAN.

CEDARS AT GOODWOOD.

THE GREATER TREES OF THE

NORTHERN FOREST.—No. 1g. THE CEDAR OF LEBANON (Ce- drus Libant).

A seauTiFuL name for the most stately and beautiful tree ever introduced to our country, either as a woodland or as a pleasure-garden tree. Not its least pre- cious quality is its hardiness, proved by

200 years of existence in Britain, in all sorts of soils and situations from the chalk of Goodwood to the free Surrey sands of Pain’s Hilland the alluvial of Whitton. Its hardiness is explained in part by the fact that it is a tree not far re-

moved from our own regions,the moun-

tains of Asia Minor and North Africa

being geographically not far from those

T 2

292

of Europe, and in these mountains it erows high upin a climate like our own, and among plants native to this country __like the Yew, the Thorn, and the Lily of the Valley—in conditions which are very unlike those of the Californian conifers. The Cedar called at¢/antica in lists is avariety of this,and though good is not essentially better as a forest tree. These noble Cedars are often put to an unfair test as to endurance by being planted apart from other trees. Think

reas = ——~ S.WILLIAMS, DEL. SCUL-<__” es _ =

CEDAR OF LEBANON: FORM OF ISOLATED TREE,

of the weight that an isolated Cedar of Lebanon, with its huge spreading arms, has to carry under heavy snowfall, and how much better able to bear it are the trees planted in woods with mast-like stems. The remedy for a great loss of valuable trees lies in planting in more natural ways and in keeping the trees together. Each planter seeks the finest development for his Cedars and so se- lects the best soil and position, often

digging a big hole for each tree and

FLORA AND SYLVA,

putting in many loads of earth. This is harmful, first in causing a too rapid growth and soft wood, and secondly, any proofs that the soil and other con- ditions of the place suit the tree is with- held from us by the artificial soil and the changed natural conditions. Thetree in its native state inhabits high mountains, often on shaly slopes on which they are healthy, though never so large as where there is some soil. Instead, therefore, of taking the very best soil we should plant upon rocky or sandy places where the tree will, though at first growing slowly, eventually geta safer and hardier

rowth than it ever would on rich deep

soil. This should not prevent our put-

_ting a group inthe pleasure grounds for the sake of their shade. Also it is well _toplant it in woodlands, where the trees would be drawn up with a tall stem of

fine effect near drives, and as groups in

the woods.

Lebanon is but a small sta-

tion of the Cedar, and hap-

Area.

| pily there are vast forests of it in Asia

Minor and the Taurus mountains, in Algeria and the Atlas Mountains, with- in a zone of, roughly, 5,000 feet high, and where the snow lies all the winter so thickly as to be still unthawed early in May, when I was in the forests. It is found, too, in Cyprus—a country in which we have now some interest.

The wood of the Cedar is de- lightfully fragrant and good in colour, a brown or yellow-brown of a warm shade, with the sap-wood well marked. The grain is fine and soft, taking a high polish of especial value

in all kinds of ornamental woodwork.

Wood.

THE CEDAR

This quality, however, is only found in trees grown in their nativearea. In those altitudes the brief yearly period of growth, the shortness of the seasons,

and the heat of the sun, all go to the”

forming of hard, even, and seasoned layers. When the tree is grown outside

its natural zone, in a climate milder and |

more variable, the annual layers are thicker, irregular, and imperfectly ri- pened ; such wood is soft, light, want-

OF LEBANON. 293

to beat least a thousand years old and was still sound.

The idea that this tree is of slow growth is an error ; 1t may prove so if we plant large and showy “‘ specimens,” but when planted small, as all trees should be, its

Rate of Growth.

growth is rapid. But to get the best re- sults we should encourage it to shoot -upwardsand not spread into vast limbs. The late Mr. Robert Marnock wrote

GROUP OF CEDARS IN NORTH AFRICA (NEAR

ing in colour, and almostscentless. Our way of planting the Cedar in most un- natural conditions makes its wood soft

and the tree less enduring. If we plant. it in the ordinary soil of the valley or

hill we should geta better result in every way and as good wood as from the na- tive trees. I remember seeing at Car- thagea great piece of wood that had lain buried among the ruins of that ancient city ; from its position it was supposed

BABOR) ON MARGIN OF OPEN SPACE.

to me as follows—and he was a good witness, having planted many thousands of these trees during his long life :— ‘‘ During a more than forty years daily occupation among trees, I have felt a growing affection for this glorious gift of Nature. The grand old Cedars at Upper Gatton and Warwick Castle are examples of what Cedars become in moderately favourable circumstances , and examples fully as fine could be given oy

294

FLORA AND 2 YLVA.

in various other localities, eoeabie at Pain’s Hill in Surrey. Having said this much it may seem unnecessary to add, that during all these years I have, as often as opportunity offered, felt it as an ob- ligation laid upon me to influence all whom I could persuadeto plant Cedars, and I look back with no small satisfac- tion to what I have been permitted to accomplish in this way. With ample evidence to the contrary, it is marvel- lous to find so many people clinging to the fallacy that the Cedar is of slow growth. It is quite true that a Cedar or any other tree will growslowly, planted, as it often is, in exposed and draughty situations upon open lawns—a treat- ment towhichso many Cedarsarecruel- ly subjected. If Cedars are planted like other ordinary trees in the shelter of common plantations that are properly attended to and duly thinned, I venture

to assert that they will surpassin height |

and bulk of growth the ordinary ever- |

green trees, and not only so, but that this growth will be maintained.”

The noblest use, then, for the Cedar of Lebanon is as

Increase and Planting.

aforest tree. Like all the Pines it lives its |

life in companies and isfar more worthy of being so planted than almost any of the American conifers — save, perhaps,

the Douglas Fir. Plant the eee young and rather close, as when planting any other Pines. I am planting a few acres of Cedars this autumn—seedlings not over 1 foot high, alternated with Larch. This tree, which clothes the scanty ribs of the mountains of Cyprus and North Africa, will not fail us upon the hills and in the valleys of England. Anyone may

see the result of what I mean here aa there (as in the long covert at Shrub- lands), but not often, from the rooted idea that the Cedar can only be used as a lone “‘ specimen.” In speaking of the Cedar I refer only to the Cedar of Le- banon and the Atlas form of it from the mountains of North Africa,and never to the Deodar, which is tenderin our coun- try and of value only as a pleasure gar- den tree. The tree is so easily increased that though usually treated in nurseries asa ‘* specimen ” there should be no difh- culty in getting small healthy seedlings, at least from forest tree nurseries. It be- gins to fruit at about fifty years, even in our country, and with vast forests fruit- ing freely within reach of all the great seed-houses of Europe there need be no trouble in getting a good stock of it.

The cone takes two years to mature and

contains about 100 seeds. After steep-

ing in water from twenty-four to thirty- six hours the woody scales can be easil detached, and the seed will not suffer if

| dried in the sun.

For supposed safety in packing and

planting, Cedars are grown in pots in continental nurseries; these are always

deceptivein result, ave roots oftenalmost a distorted sliinleer. and when disentan- gled, as they always should be, these plants often perish. The rabbit is a true artist in his love of the Cedar, gnawing every bit of bark off the little trees, and if not killing them, preventing any

POLLARDED TREES,

295

healthy growth; therefore wiring 1s ne- cessary for some years, and stronger supports to the wires than are usual. In many places there is iron fencing not in good use, which might be placed round the plantation, and with that as an aid wiring may be effective in all weathers and seasons. In a tree of such classic beauty and associations it 1s well to take a little more care than we bestow upon common forest trees. Plant Cedars of such small size in lines 8 feet apart and the trees in each line about 8 feet apart, with Larch or some other free-grow-

district which lies between the Mendip and Quantock Hills, are the rows of round-headed Willows which fringe the banks of almost every watercourse. These pollards begin their life as a simple row of stakes, originally, per- haps, the upright posts of a fence; but the Willow has such vitality that the stakes take root and in a few years form trees. The stake, sawn off straight at the top, usually sends out a crown of shoots, and thus starts at once in its ultimate form, but should young trees or untrimmed boughs be planted, they are sawn off when they have reached the desired height of stem. ‘There are various reasons for this treatment of the Willow, which in its natural form is a beautiful tree. The principal one, no doubt, is that old Willow timber has very

ing tree between ; that is to say, a

line of Larch between each line

of Cedars both ways. This does

not mean that they would be so

crowded eventually. It is bene- ficial to the young trees that the ground should be well shaded as soon as it may be, and as the trees grew up the Larch or other trees would be cut away and the Cedars themselves, if too thick, would be eventually thinned. Close planting and a cool canopy.over-head does not imply that each tree should not have sufficient room to de-

velop its true forest size and dignity— |

and the Cedar is a big tree.

REFERENCES.—Loudon’s Arboretum, vol. 4, p. 2402;

also cuts (poor) in vol. 8, Garden, June 1895, p. 443—An |

Account of Cedar Forests in Algeria. Woods and Forest, 1884, p. 667. Mouillefert, Principales Essences Forestiéres,

p- 3560; Mathieu, Flore Forestiére, p. 563. Evelyn’s Silva | . _ grown in beds and the stem cut close to the Veitch’s |

(Hunter’s), vol. 2, p. 5. Koch’s Dendrology, vol. 2, part 2, p. 265. Selby, British Forest Trees, p. 520. Manual, p. 415.

Synonyms.—The Cedar of Lebanon is Cedrus Libani of Loudon; Cedvus patula of Koch; Abies Cedrus of Poiret ; Lanix Cedrus of Miller ; Pinus Cedrus of Linnzus; C. L. var. atlantica of Manetti; and var. brevifolia of Hooker.

POLLARDED TREES. Amonc the most characteristic objects in our river valleys, such as that of the Thames, and in our well-watered pasture land, such as the

little value, whereas the young boughs which spring from the polled trunk are useful in any state of their development. When young they can beused for basket and wickerwork, though in the districts where the many kinds of Wil- low are cultivated for that purpose they are

ground. When older they are much used for

_rough post and rail fencing, and for various

other kinds of farm work. While they thus

_ supply useful wood and with their mass of roots _ strengthen the banks of watercourses, they are

not so injurious to the grass around them as larger and more spreading and heavy-leaved trees would be. A thickly-planted row, when the heads are allowed to grow large, forms also

T 4

296

FLORA AND SYLVA.

a good shelter for rickyards, and serves to break the force of the wind over crops. In Holland and Belgium the long rows of round-headed Willows stretch for miles across the marshy meadows, and are the only objects that arrest the eye on these interminable flats, unless it be a windmill or a church steeple in the misty distance.

The trunks of these pollard Willows are very interesting studies to the naturalist and the artist, forthe young heads often grow upon very old shoulders. The wood in the centre generally decays and makes a favourite nesting ground for birds and for boring caterpillars.

| falling, and the Ash, Hornbeam, and Wych

Seeds are blown or dropped on the top, and | send their roots first into this decayed wood, |

and finally through it into the ground, so that one may often see a large Elder, a young Ash tree, a Gooseberry bush, or a mass of Dog Rose or Bramble springing up among the Willow boughs. The Willow itself will even form roots

through its own hollow trunk. In this tangled mass wood-pigeons and doves make their nests, and under the projecting head, scarred and swollen with the wounds of years, wrens hang their little covered houses, built of the same moss that covers thetrunk. In the rotten wood small woodpeckers and wrynecks make their neat round borings, tenanted in after years by

nests of sand martins, where there was no available sandbank handy, in the dry tinder- like wood exposed by the splitting of an old pollard.

are comparatively young, and the branches

which are being lopped are only the growth |

of five or six years at the most. When older the trunks generally split and lean either to-

wards the water, or away from the direction | of the prevailing winds like the Apple trees |

in an old orchard. They then become very picturesque, assuming quaint forms and often

the Willow is the commonest of pollard trees, others are also polled for various reasons and uses. ‘The Lombardy Poplar, forinstance,when planted asa protection round buildings, is often pollarded in order to prevent danger from its

Elm are pollarded for poles; the knotted heads of this last are also very beautiful for cabinet work. The Mulberry trees in North Italy are

_pollarded every year; the young shoots and

leaves are given as food to the silkworms, and the stems form supports for the vines, which are festooned from one tree to another down each side of the long patches of corn or lentils.

In some parts of Suffolk, and no doubt in

other counties, the Oaks have been much pol- 'larded, and some of the finest Oaks we have | ever seen have been so cut in past times, as also | were Yew trees.

MAGNOLIA CAMPBELLII.* I nave known this most beautiful of all flowering shrubs thatare natives of tem- perate climates ever since itfirst bloomed

in Europe many years agoin the garden of my late friend, W. H. Crawford of

at the crown and send them down to the soil |

| Lakelands, near Cork. It is perfectly

hardy, but has unfortunately the great

drawback of requiring a mild spring 'and the absence of late frosts to enable

it to expand its beautiful Howers, which appear before the leaves and have no

protection save the bud-sheath, which tomtits and other birds, and I have found the | ellie away when the flower-bud begins

toswell. It may becounted on to bloom about every third or fourth year, flower-

ing very freely when it does so, my tree The trees represented by the illustration | j

having produced 147 fine flowers in the spring of 1902 and not one ineither 1903 or 1904. Iam in hopes of havin

some flowersnext year, but shall not be surprised if it does not flower again till 1906. The much older and taller spe-

_cimeninthe splendid Arboretum of my dividing into two distinct masses. Although |

neighbour, Lord Barrymore, on Fota Island, was a most beautiful sight in the spring of 1902, whenit bore nearly 300 flowers. As its wood is unfortunately extremely brittle and likely to snap off

* With coloured plate froma drawing by H. G. Moon at Belgrove, Queenstown.

MAGNOLIA CAMPBELLII

“+

THE CALIFORNIAN TREE-POPPIES,

if exposed to severe gales of wind, it. should be planted in as sheltered a po-

sition as possible. Those who are not | acquainted with this splendid Magno-

lia will welcome the coloured drawing

in the present issue of Fora. here is | also a portrait in the fine folio work | on Himalayan plants by Cathcart and | Hooker, though Inever saw the flowers so large or of so bright a colour as they are there represented; but this may be the result of different climatic in-

fluences. W. E. GUMBLETON. Belgrove, Cork.

THE CALIFORNIAN TREE- POPPIES. In places where they do well few plants are more beautiful during the summer | months than the great Tree-Poppies |

of Western America. Beautiful at all | times in foliage and habit, when the great satin flowers of white and gold, 4 to 6 inches across,hang freelyfrom the tips of every lead- ing shoot, they are as beautiful as anything in the flower-garden. California is rich in plants of the Poppy tribe, from lowannuals like the Eschscholtzias to these fine shrub-like forms which are pecu- liar to theregion. They include Romneyas of two kinds (though for garden purposes the same), Argemone, and Dendromecon, and

297

may well be treated as a single group, for a garden which meets the needs of one will suit all alike. But they will not do everywhere, being tender in many places, often dificult of increase, or sensitive to root disturbance, and even when growing well, too often shy in flower. No doubt this is why they are not tried in many gardens where they ought to succeed. Natives of the American Pacific coast, a soil fertile and light, but not too dry in summer, suits them best, for, growing often upon the banks of their native streams, mois- ture is essential to them, and unless the soil is fairly rich the blooms are few.

None the less, fine plants may be seen

in gardens so diverse and far apart as to show that with knowledge of theirneeds there are few places in the southern

TREE POPPY (ROMNEYA),.

298

FLORA AND SYLVA,

counties where the Tree-Poppies may not be flowered. In the loams of the eastern counties, uponchalkinthesouth and south-west, or in the light warm

soils of Surrey and the Isle of Wight, |

they may be grown in perfection when the first difficulties have been overcome. The common White Tree Poppy (Romneya Coulters) is the largest of its family, save the Oriental Poppy. It isnowfound inmost

Rommneyas.

nurseries, and this is the best way of | getting a stock, for cuttings root with |

difhculty and seed isslowand uncertain, often lying dormant for more than a year. When seed is used it should be

sown in pans and not in single pots as

stant watering that the soil becomes rank long before growth begins. The seed may be sown at any time from spring to autumn (but the fresher the better), and should be covered with glass and put ina dark place until the young plants appear, which is often not before the following spring. For the first shift, which needs great care, the best way is to slip a sharp wooden wedge down oneside, raising the plant slightly, but leaving it undisturbed at the other side. After a few days the side first dis- turbed recovers sufhciently to ensure success in moving. The young plants having been wintered under glass and planted out in April or May in a shel- tered spot, such as the foot of a wall or a sunny border, the large fragrant flowers, nearly 6 inches across and of finely waved petals,appear from the end of June until October, or even later ina fine season, lasting longer than others

of the Poppy tribe and keeping several

days in water. Young plants are 3 or 4

feet high, but strong old bushes often

reach more than double this, spreading

on all sides also by suckers. The plant

risks less from frost than from the spade, _and should take its chance when pro-

tected at the root by ashes, cocoa-fibre, pine-needles, or other porous litter, with perhaps a bell-jar raised upon

bricks to keep off excessive rain. Pro-

tected in this way plants have done well as far north asCheshire. The shoots are

often cut to the ground by frost, and

-even when this is not the case it is best to shorten them well in order to force new growths from the woody base, as so often advised, for pots need such con- |

these bear the finest flowers. In moving an established plant it should be cut

down awhile beforehand and moved

while dormant, but eventhen loss often follows injury to the tap root; at the

_same time young plants often grow from stray bits of the old root. In cold dis- -trictsa plant will dowellin acool house, keeping green through the winter, and flowering freely ina sunny place. Plants

|

| | |

| | |

should be put under glass in gardens where (though hardy) they fail to bloom well. Some foreign growers have ob- tained blooms from pot-grown Rom- neyas by leaving them exposed to the

first white frosts of autumn, after which

the buds opened beautifully underglass. The Romneya rarely seeds in thiscoun- try, but may be raised from root-cut-

tings or suckers cut well back, and

moved with a good ball of earth, but seedlings are best. It needs a dry rich soil and plenty of it, refusing altogether

to grow in cold heavy soils, and is best

THE CALIFORNIAN TREE-POPPIES.

299

beneath a wall or ina sheltered corner, with some water in dry weather, with- out which the flowers are apt to come deformed. In damp seasons it often flowers well, a single plant sometimes showing scores of flowers at a time, but copious hand-watering isagainstflower- ing. The second kind, Romneya tricho- calyx, comes so near the older one as often to pass for it, the main differences being a round hairy bud as against a smooth pointed one in R. Coulreri, a weaker and more spreading habit, and more leafy stems. The Romneya grows wild over a wide region from California into Mexico, being especially abundant in the wild canyons of the interior, whose sides are often thickly covered with these great bushy plants loaded with enormous flowers.

Tue Pricxty Tree-Popriss (Arge- mone) are a little group of some half- dozen kinds from California, Mexico, and the warm plains of the Mississippi region, growing upon dry hillsides, and beautiful in leaf and flower. Though perennial in America they do best as annuals in this country, reachinga good size and flowering well in one season; they are therefore suited to gardens in which the perennial Tree-Poppies fail. Their leaves are deeply cut and more or less prickly, grey-green in colour with white veins and spines. Their flowers are 4 inches or more across, in colour white, yellow, orange, or (rarely) purple. The best known kind, drgemone his- pida, from the south-west of the United States and Mexico, bears beautiful white flowers of 4 or 5 inches in great abund- ance. Thisisnowregardedasonly aform

of Argemone platyceras, a robust plant of 3 to 4 feet, with bluish-green leaves thickly spined, and large white flowers showingat times traces of colour deepen- ing to purple. Its commoner form (4. hispida) makesastout bush of 4 or 5 feet, when planted early inrichlightsoil, with shelter and a sunny aspect. In many gardensit does far better than Romneya, if sown early, either in the open during April or when fresh seed can be had in autumn and wintered under glass. The plantisatits best duringasunnyautumn, strong plants often bearing a score or more of flowers at once. Other kinds worth growing are: The Mexican Prick- ly Poppy (4. Mexicana), which is very similar but not so tall or of such good habit. Its leaves are less prickly, prettily blotched with white, and the orange or yellow flowersare borneupon very short stalks; Mexicana albifiora isa variety of this with larger white flowers; and A. ochroleuca, though sometimes classed as a distinct species, is also a form of this species, with flowers of pale yellow. Anotherprettykind isthe large-flowered Prickly Poppy (4. grandifora), a low branching bush of 2 to 3 feet, with fine Thistle-like leaves and stems and large white flowers clustered upon the lead- ing shoots. These plants will sometimes survive a mild winter in warm gardens of the south, but are best raised afresh each year, sown early inheatand planted from pots, or sown later where they are to grow.

Tue YeLtow Tree-Porry (Dendro- mecon rigidum) grows as a bushy shrub where the dry sandy hills of southern

California creep down towards the sea.

300

FLORA AND SYLVA.

Often only a few feet high with many slender branches, it varies a good deal in habit, at times reaching ro feet, with stems an inch thick. Itisa pretty plant with thick oval leaves of grey-green and bright goldenflowers 1 to 3 inchesacross —a little like an Iceland Poppy with a bunch of orange stamens in the centre. The flowers are on short stems and the leaves are nearly stalkless, while in habit and size of flower there is much varia- tion. In this country it is only safe in the sheltered gardens of mild districts,

in rich sandy soil, either at the foot of a_

warmwall oragainsta projecting boulder in the rock-garden, and it is all the safer if ona gentleslope. Itshouldbe planted very firmly and without manure. The first flowers appear at the end of May and continue for a long season when the weather is bright and warm, but in bad years it does not do sowell and in many gardens will not thrive in the open even if uninjured by frost. In such cases it might be grown in a cool greenhouse, as when the first plant flowered in the alpine house at Kew. Plants may be raised from cuttings, but though free in lower these are quickly exhausted; seeds are slow to grow but are best in the end. There are two or three local formsof the Yellow Tree-Poppy found upon islands of the Californian coast; those known as D. Harfordi and D. Jlexileare of drooping and graceful habit, with larger, ovate, and more glaucous leaves.

Another Californian Poppy, but ex- ceedingly rare even in that country, is Arctomecon californicum. Only two or three plants of it have been found, so

| that it has never been grown in gardens. | It is a low hairy perennial with large | white flowers. | WILD AND SINGLE | CAMELLIAS. Our country, especially the south of England and Ireland, and other parts near the sea, suits the Camellia so well that lovers of rare and beautiful hardy shrubs may even think of the charm of kinds other than thecommonone. The single kinds of the common Camellia are the most beautiful of all and the easiest to get, and these will be charm enough for most people; but it will, perhaps, take years to give them their true place in our gardens. Yet it ought not to be difficult for nurserymen in favoured districts to grow them well from seeds and pick out the finest single forms ; and,in fact, our nurserymen are already offering some of the best. Even where there is doubt as to their flower- ing theyare lovely asevergreens. When we think of the number of other wild kinds it 1s clear what a beautiful feature these would be, added to many of our gardens, their graceand fragrance being remarkable. Thebest collection we ever saw was in a garden near Angers, where the climate much resembles that of Bri- ‘tain. Even should severe cold occur in flower time there is a curious quality among Camellias of the branches open- ing better in water in the house than on the bush. It is not easy to get these rarer kinds, as they are not found in the ordi- nary nursery ; but in establishing them perhaps the safest way would be not to | take the open garden as the best posi- tion, but to take advantage of the half-

shady places which occur so often in English gardens and in woods near them.

In its native country the single form of the com- mon Camellia is abundantinthe woods, thriving in the shade of other trees, growing slowly, but often reaching 40 feet in height, with a trunk as thick as a man’s body, and, though the trees are rarely without flower, of fineeffect when

Species of Camellias.

WILD AND SINGLE CAMELLIAS,

301

flowers is that it becomes a simple mat- ter to raise plants upon their own roots, the single kinds rooting easily as layers or cuttings, a method of layering being much used in Japan. Though of slower growth at the outset these plants are more lasting than those grafted in nur- series, and beautiful little plants only a foot high may be had covered with flowers. The call for single flowers has also resulted in the spread of old for-

in full beautyduring April. These wild flowers seldom open flat,but are more or less cup-shaped till their fall, and perhaps for this reason are less valued for beauty than for the fruits, which are ga- theredin October and pressed for their oil—in greatlocal demand. Though often seen in southern Europe, fruits are seldom pro- duced in this country save upon wall-grown trees, nor, indeed, is it to the welfare of the plants. They are of the size of a small hard apple, bright shining green, and ribbed like a tomato; when ripe the rind splits open,showing

brown seeds like coffee beans when fertile, though frequently only one or two in each shell are fully grown.

After the first double-flowered Ca- mellias were obtained, those with single flowers unfortunately fell out of favour and came to be used mainly as stocks for other varieties, and it is only ofrecent years (when many of the fine old single kinds have disappeared) that a renewed taste for them has arisen. One of the gains in this return to the love of single

WS opesswoise | &

“Flora”? from a photograph in the Old Nurseries, Cheshunt.)

SINGLE JAPANESE CAMELLIA. (Engraved for

gotten kinds, such as C. Sasangua and its varieties from Japan.

In our island the hardiness of the Camellia varies with local conditions; throughout the south and west, and in sheltered Midland districts as far north as Leicester and Cheshire, and in milder parts of Ireland and even of western Scotland, the Camelliais hardy. Grown against walls their beauty might

Culture.

‘be enjoyed more widely, particularly

302

such hardy kinds as C. Sasanqua and the late flowering C. Donckelaari; the Camellia is so late in making growth thatit runs less risk from frost than many other shrubs that are grown against walls. When in theopen they should be grouped in sheltered places, often doing best in partial shade. Their dread of chalk is proverbial, otherwise they are not difficult as to soil, the great point in planting being to water constantly until well established.

The other species of Camellia (with which the Tea-bush is now included) are not much grown in gardens, though nearly a score of wild kinds are known.

They are all from eastern Asia, extend-_ _ flower as to be one of the best for outdoors,

ing from India to Japan, and south into Malacca, andare plants of the hills rather than the plain. The following have figured in British gardens, but the less showy kinds have passed out of culti-

vation :—

HIMaALayYANn CAMELLIA (C. drupifera).—A shrub or low tree found upon hills of eastern Asia from the Himalayas into China. It comes very near C.Sasanqua; itssolitary white flowers, 15 inches across, are smaller and less showy ; its leaves have a strong smell of tea but not much of its flavour.

Harry Came Lia (C. euryoides).— A low bushy shrub of 6 to 8 feet, found upon the mountainsin Formosaand parts of China, more curious than beautiful and much used by the Chinese as a stock for better kinds. It is the smallest of known kinds, with small pointed leaves, toothed, and covered beneath with silky hairs ; white cup-shaped flowers, half-an-inch across, borne from May to July. Brought to this country in 1822 asa stock for grafted kinds, it was neverin general demand and soon passed out of cultivation.

Tue Honcxone Came tia (C. honghongen- sis). —A tall kind found only in one district, and so rare that at one time only three trees were said to exist. A small plant is nowat Kew,

FLORA AND SYLVA.

but so far has not flowered. It is the largest of the group, with broad shining leaves like a Cherry Laureland rosy flowers 3 inches across.

THE ComMMoNn CaMELLiA (C. japonica) .— Though some 1,500 hybrids and garden va- rieties of this species have been known, the kinds that mostly interest now are the single ones with their bold clusters of yellow stamens. These are pretty, not too large, and free from thestiffness of the double kinds. They are found now in several colours, of which Gauntlett’s White and Takayama—of rich crimson-scarlet —are good examples ; fine semi-double kinds are Donckelaari and ochroleuca, and Mr. San- der of St. Alban’s has got some very fine kinds. Though less variable in leaf there are several distinct forms, such as the Myrtle-leaved Ca- mellia, with small and narrow leaves and slender growth; variegata, with leaves finely blotched and mottled flowers of white and crimson ; and quercifolia, a rare kind so hardy and early in

bearing single flowersand long leaves widening towards the tip in a way unlike any other kind.

The best means of increase are cuttings of firm

shoots made inearly autumn and rooted in pots of peat and sand or pure coarse sand, under

'frames in gentle heat. Where there are old _ plants of poor kinds it is easy to renew these by _ cutting back to near the ground early in Janu-

ary, and grafting the stump some two months later with shoots of the new single or other good kinds; the soil should be kept rather dry meanwhile, with a cool temperature, for if started off too freely the rush of sap prevents union. Trees thus grafted with several scions soon make large plants for cutting. In many parts of Europethe Japanese Camellia isas truly at home as on its native hills, the south of Ire- land, the Scilly Isles, and Brittany being ex- amples near home, and the neighbourhood of Oporto, and the Italian Lakes, in southern Europe.

OIL-BEARING CAMELLIA (C. o/ezfera).— A pretty shrub of 10 feet, once not uncommon in gardens but now lost. It is of stout growth with thick pointed leaves, deeply toothed at the edges, and sweet flowers 2 inches across and massed as thick as a snow-drift. Hillsides of Cochin China. A fragrant oil is pressed from its seeds. Some authors regard this as only a variety of C. Sasanqua.

LARGE-FLOWERED CAMELLIA (C. reticu- /ata).—The finest of all Camellias, with large flowers of soft rich rose, 6 or 7 inches across, the petals beautifully folded into semi-double form. Being difficult of increase it is not a common plant, though one of the best that can be growninacool greenhouse; it is of stronger growth and looser habit than other Camellias | and easily known by its dull closely-veined | leaves instead of the shining leathery leaves of | other kinds. The flowers vary a good deal in fulness of petal, some being nearly single with showy golden stamens, and othersas nearly full, and both forms often grow on the same bush ; — young plants of only 2 to 3 feet are free in |

WILD AND SINGLE CAMELLIAS.

go5

habit. Small leaves of deep glossy green and finely toothed, with single flowers of bright rose, 14 inches across, coming from December to March. It is not often seen in private gar- dens but flowers regularly in the temperate house at Kew. A double-flowered form of this is known as the Apple-flowered Camellia (var. malifiora). China and Japan.

Banks’ CAMELLIA (C. Sasangqua).—A charming shrub, common in China and Japan,

_where its finer forms are much grown and pre-

ferred to any other kind. The wild plant bears small single flowers, and always white, but cul- tivation has produced larger single and double flowers in many shades of colour, even ap-

EX \ \~

CAMELLIA SASANQUA 3

(Engraved for ‘‘Flora’’ from a plant in

flower and beautiful for the conservatory. In thesouth-west of Britain and Ireland this beau- tiful tree succeeds in the open, but elsewhere it is tender and sensitive to harsh winds, from which shade and shelter might perhaps save it. Evenin Cornwalland Devonit is mostly grown upon walls, though at Scorrier and a few other placestherearetrees out in the open. Probably the largest of all is one growing at Creg, near Fermoy, co. Cork, which carries a head 60 feet round and is one sheet of flower in its season of beauty.

RosE-FLOWERED CAMELLIA (C.roseflora).— A shrub coming very near C. Sasanqua, but of smaller growth and looser and more straggling

|

SEMI-DOUBLE FORM. the Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea.)

proaching scarlet and red-purple. It grows sometimes as a low bush but oftener as a loose straggling shrub, bearing small leaves of deep glossy green with finerounded teeth ; it flowers in winter, and from growing upon the moun- tain tops in bleak spots the plant is very hardy. This fact and its loose growth make it well suited to open walls in this country, where in warm aspects it sets its buds freely, flowering from November into the new year. The flowers are beautiful for cutting, and so finely formed that even in the double kinds there is no stiff- ness, whilesuch is their fragrance that the dried petals are used by the Chinese to scent their teas. This kind is more easily raised from cut-

304

FLORA AND SYLVA,

tings thanany, the slender shoots rooting freely in early autumn. It had been nearly lost to gardens, but is now yearly growing in favour. There are several red and white varieties now grown inthis country, including a fine double- white form, and one in which the flowers are shaded with rose. Other forms are semip/ena, with white flowers; anemoniflora, with white outer petals surrounding a mass of narrower yellow ones; and variegata, a plant pretty in leaf, with single pink flowers, but not constant, and often of feeble growth.

Tue Tea Prant (C. Thea).—Though grown in but few gardens this exists under many cultivated forms throughout southern Asia, from Persia eastwards, and though China has been its centre of growth the plant is be- lieved to have come originally from India. In

this country it exists as a greenhouse ever- |

green, with dark green leaves and white flowers about 2 inches across and coming first in early winter. Those best known are Thea Bohea,the Canton variety,and Thea viridis,amuch hardier plant from which the best tea is made. Thea Assamica, grown in northern India, is again different, taller, larger in leaf, and yielding a pale liquid of distinct flavour. The Tea is a very graceful plant and well worthy of culti- vation apart from its commercial uses.

THE CAPE COWSLIPS (Lachen- alia). Turse pretty South African bulbs have gradually madetheir way in gardens by their real beauty and merit, though for many years they were rare and little un- derstood, the plants (like the Freesia and similar bulbs) being often spoiled by too much heat. Not that the Lachen- alias are new plants in English gardens; some of the best known kinds were in-

one time have been widely grown, but they had disappeared so completely that but twenty years since very few were to befound incultivation. Gradually they have come back to favour,and as their

use has becomemore general they have proved to be amongst the easiest of bulbs to grow, needing only protection from frost, with air and sunshine when- ever possible,in a coolgreenhouse,a pro- tected frame, or evena well-lighted win- dow. They flower early in the year, be- fore the multitude of Dutch bulbs, their spikes lasting in beauty for many weeks upon the plants, and for a fortnight when cut, if kept in fresh water and a cool room. Their colours, when well grown, are rich and varied, but pains should.be taken tosecure a good strain, as plants of one species vary a good deal, and good bulbs soon lose in beauty

if badly grown. Though the plants are

not easily hurt even by fog, full expo- sure to all available sunlight ensures good colouring, which often deepens when the flowers have been open for a

few days. An added merit is that the

whole of the flowers on a spike are in beauty before the lower ones fade, un- like many fine plants which are spoiled

by the progressive withering of their

blossoms. Givenairand sunlight, Lach-

-enaliasare not particularasto soil, some

growers claiming SUCCESS as complete

with a mixture of pure sand and de-

_cayed cowmanure as with a more care-

fullyprepared compost ofloam,manure, sand, and wood-ashes. Any light rich

soil seems to suit them, and though itis

usual to re-pot the bulbs each year they troduced many years ago, and must at |

will do very well for a second or third

season if well planted, provided the soil

keeps in good condition. It is impor-

tant to plant early in autumn before

growth has commenced—usually some time in August ; the pots should then be

THE CAPE

COWSLIPS, 30 5

Bed to fe rims ina ef ae in fall | sunlight, and kept dry ornearly sountil root-action begins. They may remain in the open until October, with only a light to keep off heavy rains ; afterwards - being housed for the ante in a tem- perature of about 40 degrees, but al- lowed all the air and sunlight possible. As the flower stems show liquid manure should be given, but the cooler the house temperature the longer their flowers will last. Cape Cowslips are often grown massed in baskets, and very pretty are their crowded spikes hanging in profu- sion at all angles, contrasting with their rather stiff appearance when in pots; none the less, when densely massed in pans their effectis distinct and striking After flowering the bulbs should be. tended earefully until the leaves turn yellow and shrivel; the pots may then | be stood in the full sunshine at the foot | of a wall or other dry spot to ripen, water being withheld and sheltered from | heavy rain. A few weeks of such com- plete rest prepares the plants for healthy growth in the autumn.

Lachenalias are increased by means of small bulbs formed around the parent; _ some kinds suchas ¢ricolor produce these offsets freely, but in others reproduc- tion is slow. It isnotuncommon, when leaves of the more vigorous lands are broken or damaged, for tiny bulbs to form at the point of i injury, and use is sometimes made of this in propagation. Most sorts may be raised from seed, the seedlings Howering intheirthird season, but thismethod is littleused save for the raising of new varieties. The number of these garden hybrids isnow large, in-

| its cluster of sterile buds ;

ie een sine alge oe cen ae

colour, vigour of growth, freedom, and

early flowering. Bya choice of varieties

_Lachenalias may be had in flower from

December to May, though the time of

their greatest beauty is during February and March. Fromcareful culture in rich soils for years past, the present form of

many of these plants, with their bold

fleshy leaves and bright colour, is ver

different from that of the wild bulbs, bearing at most two or three small leaves and inferior flowers. The bulbs vary much in size and shape, some being broad and rounded like certain of the Scillas, others slender and elongated.

The beauty of the plants depends in no

. small degree upon the rich colour as-

sumed by the top of the Hower-stem with in some kinds [ale de aie aac trtltne part of the in- florescence. The following species and varieties are admitted by botanists, and nearly all are now grown in sardens: —

L. anguinea.—A rare plant of dwarf habit, with only one broad spotted leaf, some 6 or

7 inches long, and a short crowded spike of whitish bell-shaped flowers upon a darkly spot-

_tedstem. April. A kind of small garden value.

LL. aurea.—Considered by botanists to be a form of L. tricolor.

L. aurea-reflexa.—A garden hybrid be- tween Ls. tricolor-aurea and reflexa, known also under the name of A/dborough Beauty. It isa robust plant, distinct in character, bearing two broad unspotted leaves. The flowers are large, and held sub-erect upon a few-flowered spike, their colour bright yellow slightly tinged with green. April.

L. Cammi.—Another hybrid form, held to be a cross between Ls. tricolor-aurea and pen- dula, A pretty kind, early and free in flower and distinct in growth. Its habit is erect, with

long leaves of bright shining green, covered

with blotches of pale brown which extend to

U

306

FLORA AND SYLVA,

the flower-stalk and colour the whole of its upper part. The tubular flowers, numbering twenty or more on strong plants, are rather short, of orange-yellow tinged with green at the base, contrasted with bright red in the sterile buds and the top of thescape. A hand- some kind flowering in March.

L. Comesii.—A cross between Ls. reflexa and ¢ricolor-quadricolor, and only differing from Ne/soni in the length of the floral segments.

L. contaminata.—One of the oldest but a scarce kind in gardens, with a character for uncertainty in flower. It is variable in form and size, often not more than 2 inches high. Its small crowded flowers, more bell-shaped than tubular, are of dull white, variously shaded with rose orred and witha faint odour of Helio- trope. Its long and narrow leaves are more nu- merous than in most kinds of Lachenalia, but vary much in length and in density of blotches, which are sometimes quite wanting. Syn. an- gustifolia.

L. fistulosa.—A newly -introduced plant with fragrant tubular white flowers tinged with pale blue at the base, and tipped with purple at the mouth. It is distinct in growth, its two fleshy leaves being nearly as broad as they are long.

L. fragrans.—An old garden plant, flower- ing late in the season, bearing spikes about 6 inches high of crowded reddish flowers which are strongly fragrant, and but two oblong green leaves. May.

L. glaucina.—A striking but variable plant, changing also a good deal in aspect while in flower. Its flowers are held erect upon a stout mottled stalk, and are short and peculiar in shape, being rounded at the base, narrow in the centre,and again expanding toareflexed mouth when fully open. Theircolourvariesfrom dull white to yellowish-green, sometimes tinged

top of the spike. Only two leaves, long and pointed, height 4 to 8 inches. Syn.-rosea and bifolia.

L. lilacina.—A pretty plant, but rare. Its many flowers are of a fine shade of bright lilac, shading to blue, with petals widely spreading towards the mouth of the tube,and carried upon stems densely mottled with reddish-brown. Leaves short and very narrow.

L. Ne/soni.—This fine garden variety is a form of L. trico/or, and dealt with as such.

L. nervosa.— A. dwarf summer-flowering kind of little interest. Its small bell-shaped flowers appear in short densely-crowded spikes,

and are dull white tinged with green and red.

Its two spreading leaves are often covered with warty blisters.

L. orchioides—An old plant long known, and a very variable kind in growth and colour, bearing narrow flowers often less than half an inch long, erect or semi-erect and closely set

| upon a spotted stem 3 to g inches high. They

| vary in colour from pale white or yellow to

deep blue, sometimes tinged with red, fragrant

| and appearing from March to May. Leaves

long and slender, faintly spotted with pale brown or purple. Syn. mutabilts.

L. pallida.—A rare species bearing in late spring long densely flowered spikes of tiny erect flowers, little more than one third of an inch

long. Their colour is a pale white, tipped with _ greenat the edges of the somewhat urn-shaped

_ tube, sometimes more or less suffused with red,

and strongly fragrant. They are carried upon a stout erect stem of g to 12 inches of an even green colour, with often twenty-five to thirty

| Howers in the spike. The long fleshy leaves _ are held erect and are strongly nerved at their

outer edges, of a uniform green above, and dull purple beneath. May. Syn. odoratissima and

| racemosa.

with yellow or red, with a decided green tip | best of the group, a robust grower, and the

at the mouth and a peculiar shade of bluish- green in the sterile buds. The combination of colour is uncommon, and the flowers are plea- santly fragrant. May. A plantof small growth, with two or three leaves, often spotted.

L. tsopetala.—A scarce kind,which had dis- appeared from English gardens until re-intro- duced in 1884. It blooms in April and May, bearing spikes of pale flowers variously tinged with pale rose or red, deepening towards the

L. pendula, and its varieties.—One of the

earliest to flower, its first buds opening in De- cember. Its bulbs are large, increasing freely, while the fleshy mottled leaves of dark green

are often a foot long and gracefully curved.

The flower-spike is stout and erect, 18 inches

| high, with its upper part crowded with long horizontally held flowers of bright orange-red

and yellow, tipped with green and deep purple at the mouth of the tube, their effect increased

THE CAPE

COWSLIPS, 307

by the bright red of the sterile buds and the top of the scape. As a winter flower it is of great value, and when massed in pansor baskets very effective. It is one of the most difficult

kinds to cross, but a few good seedling forms |

are in cultivation. These are sp/endens, a form due rather tothe growth than to other distinc- tions ; gigantea, a fine variety in which the flowers are 1} inches long, held with a decided droop upon a stout arching stem. This is a well-marked kind, differing in colour and habit

from its parent, flowering later by several weeks, |

and increasing far more slowly. A third and

handsome variation is pendula aureliana, a fine | plant of obscure origin. A small cluster of three |

bulbs was found growing wild in the moun-

tains of the Esterel, near the old Roman road |

known as the Aurelian Way, and not far from

Cannes—a fact inexplicable seeing that all the |

It.

Lachenalias are natives of South Africa. is difhcult to imagine an escape from cultiva-

tion in so wild a spot, and equally hard to own | it as a native plant, in view of the small num- | ber of bulbs found, and that the district has |

been vainly searched for others. The fact re- mains that the plant is quite distinct, of even

more robust growth and flowering several | weeks later than pendu/a; its flowers, rather | shorter in the tube, are more numerous, more | drooping, held upon longer stalks, and are more | widely open at the mouth, while their colour |

is a brighter shade of reddish-crimson. The

plant has been well shown by local growers at |

the Cannes flower show in March of each year,

and always attracts notice. The long arching |

spikes bear sometimes as many as forty flowers, and minor points of difference are the longer and less fleshy leaves, and its very slow increase by offsets.

L. purpureo-cerulea.—A distinct and pretty plant with erect, bell-shaped flowers of deep,

purplish-blue in dense, many-flowered spikes. |

The leaves, 6 to 8 inches long, are narrow, and covered with blistered markings. April.

L. pusilla.—A small and inconspicuous plant, bearing a few pale lilac flowers, and small spotted leaves.

L. pustulata.— A vigorous and many- flowered kind, but uncertain in growthandnot showy. Its small flowers are more bell-shaped thantubularand bornein compact spikes, about half an inch long, with the white petals shad-

(

ing to green, and reflexed towards the mouth of the tube. The leaves are covered with wart-

like knobs or blisters.

LL. quadricolor.—The forms known under this name are considered as varieties of L. tri- color.

L. reflexa.—This differs in many points from others of the group, and has been placed

SPIKE OF HYBRID LACHENALIA. W. E. GUMBLETON.

by botanists in a sub-genus. A dwarf plant and not showy, it bears long yellow flowers of pe- culiar form, tipped with green and with a shin- ing polished surface. They are held erect upon short stiff stems, the tube swollen inthe middle and almost closed at the mouth. The leaves,

U2

308

FLORA AND SYLVA.

produced in pairs, are dark green, deeply chan- nelled and recurved, and strangely thickened towards the apex into a horny tip.

L. Regeliana.—A garden cross between Ls. reflexa and tricolor-aurea, bearing spreading horizontal flowers of pure yellow with a green spot at the tips of the outerand shorter tube-seg- ments. Leaves glossy green, free from spots.

L. rosea —A distinct and rare plant, the small flowers of which are bright red and held erect. Leaves smooth, unspotted, and 6 to g inches long. May.

L. rubida.—Another kind of marked cha- |

racter,in thatit flowersin autumn and that the flowers and leaves appear at the same time, the latter finishing their growth after the flowers have withered. Itisa plant of uncertain growth, never free, and often refusing to flower. Its habit is dwarf, with a slender stem thickly spotted, bearing long tubular flowers of bright uniform ruby-red, paler towards the tips, and marked with dark purple and green at the edge of the tube. There are two varieties of this plant : punctata, with flowers of a pale co- lour spotted with deep red, and tigrina, or Ware’s variety, with flowers shading from bright red at the base to bright yellow in the middle, and thence to green at the tips of the tube.

L. tricolor and its varieties—Though in name the best known of all the Cape Cowslips, the varieties of this plant are so many and so confused as to make it difficult to fix on the wild form with certainty. That accepted by botanists is a bold free-growing kind, with long leaves of greyish-green faintly blotched with darker patches, and long tubular flowers droop- ing from slightly arched stems, in which bands of red and yellow merge gradually into green at the mouth, where there is no colour edg- ing. The plant is easily grown and flowered, increasing more freely than most kinds and

flowering early in March. In its best forms it ©

is widely grown for greenhouse decoration. L. tricolor-aurea.—A distinct form of ¢ri- color, bearing yellow flowers and differing in habit and in growth, being far morecapricious and flowering in general several weeks later. Its leaves are short and rigid, blotched with dull red, which often towards the tip suffuses the whole surface. Flower-stem short and stout, sparingly spotted in its lower part and

reddish higher up, brightening toa fine orange- red towards the tip. A few spreading flowers "are crowded upon the top of the stem, their ‘colour a bright yellow shading to green at the ends of the segments. Syn. /uzea.

L. tricolor-aurea gigantea.—A garden seed- ling of more robust growth and bolder habit, | bearing upon stems of a foot high large flowers

of rich orange-yellow.

L. tricolor-luteola.—Differs but little from its parent, save in more slender growth and the pure yellow of its mature flowers, which show but traces of red shading, while the green colour at the mouth of the tube is also less marked. The leaves are often heavily blotched with brown, giving rise to a second name of maculata.

L. tricolor Ne/lsonit.—A fine garden seedling and one of the best kinds for all purposes. It was raised by the late Rev. John Nelson in 1880, and is of free robust growth, with leaves 12 inches long and 2 inches wide, thickly blotched with darker patches. It bears spikes a foot high of drooping flowers, twenty to twenty-five in number and an inch or more long, in colour a bright golden-yellow en- hanced by the bright red of the sterile buds and the stem bearing them. This finest of gar- den forms is regular in flower, blooming early, and a little in advance of ¢rico/or.

L. tricolor-quadricolor.—The plant bearing this unhappy name resembles its parent closely in point of habit and appearance, but a little dwarfer and more rigid, and rather less vigor- ous. Its long leaves are wide and spotted, and the flowers well displayed upon the stem. Its colour differs in the breadth of the greenish band at the mouth of the tube, while the ends of thesegmentsare tipped with crimson-purple or claret. There are two or three minor forms of this variety, the best of which is superba, a plant of more slender growth and brighter

colour. Its leaves are long and narrow, of a pale greyish-green thickly blotched. ‘Thelong slender stem is unspotted, and bears its flowers drooping closely ; these are longer and nar- rower than guadrico/or, richer in colour, with the deep purple at the mouth of the tube strongly marked. This fine variety blooms early, being one of the first to flower. In a se- _cond form, précox, this feature is marked, the

_ plant being frequently in beauty by Christmas.

DAY

L. tricolor-Waret.—A garden seedling in- | termediate between ¢rico/or and qguadricolor. It isa pretty plant of dwarfer growth, its flowers showing the same blend of claret-purple, yel- low, and red, but in zones of varying width.

L. unifolia.— A little plant of uncertain | habits, bearing during March white flowers in dense spikes. It varies in height from a few inches to over a foot, its one narrow leaf bear- ing blood-coloured blotches.

L. versicolor.—A variable kind of elegant, slender growth, bearing upon its leaves a few blister-like blotches. The tiny bell-shaped flowers vary from green and yellow to pink and purple, and in the best forms are pretty.

L. violacea.—A strong plant of 15 inches high, with long smooth leaves, 14 inches wide, and spotted. The flowers, coming in March, are in the form of an inflated tube, and their colour white, tinged with violet and green.

Syn. dzcolor.

These form a large and in-

Garden Varieties. creasing list of kinds, be-

tween which it is not easy © to distinguish in words, many kinds running closely together with only minor differences ; raised under artificial conditions these seed- lings often seem more at home under glass than the wild plants. The following kinds are becoming common :—Cawston Gem, a strong plant with tall mottled stems and many flowers

of a fine yellow tipped with purple, paling to |

pink ; Garnet,a very early flower of bright yel- low broadly edged with dark red or crimson- purple—a little weak in the stem; Rector of

Cawston, a fine seedling with deep yellow |

LILY. 309

DAY LILY (Hemerocallis).

TuoucH not a large group these are all good and among the best of hardy

plants, succeeding oneanotherin beauty

through a great part of the season , easily

grown,and freefrom pests. They edn

_heat,cold ,damp,and drought with equal

ease, thriving in any soil and charming

as large masses in the wild garden or be- side water; if used in the rock-garden or border it should be where their free growth will not choke weaker things. The only care should be to dig in plenty of lasting manure when planting the long fleshy roots during autumn or win- ter, for without this they soon exhaust

the ground. For the border it pays to

divide and replant every second or third season, but in the wild garden they may

be left alone for several years, being

strong enough to hold their own with native plants, be they hardy ferns in par-

tial shade or the ranker growths of the

water side. The flowers of several sorts are fragrant and good for cutting, fresh buds opening daily upon the long stems

_toreplacethose withered the day before.

flowers tipped with scarlet ; Rudy, a combina- | again in a fine autumn and prolong the season; one or twokinds may be grown

tion of crimson, yellow, and green; the first colour has a broad bright edging; and Topaz, a strong plant with orange flowers shaded with | purple atthemouth. Many other good named Lachenalias have been shown by Mr. Moore of | the Dublin Botanic Gardens and other growers —kinds such as Ruth Lane, F. D. Moore, and W. E. Gumbleton, the variety shown in our engraving, but some time must elapse before these come into general cultivation and are fairly tested as to merit. Even where these | seedlings show no great advance in form or colour, there is often a distinct gain in size and | number of flowers, in habit, and in length of

spike. B.

Not only do they flower through several months but the early kinds often start

in pots and forced gently in spring for rooms or the conservatory. When out of flower their foliage is good and in

some kinds nearly evergreen or finely

striped with white and yellow; these variegated kinds should be in poor soil to bring out their colour. Some differ-

ences exist among botanists as to the

classing of species and varieties, but the "question is of little momentto resis aa

as

310

FLORA AND SYLVA,

beside that of garden effect, in which there is no uncertainty. We shall there-

fore not try to decide whether there are |

six, seven, or more species, but briefly describe those known in gardens.

LARGE-FLOWERED ORANGE Day Lity (FH. aurantiaca).—In its wild form this is little known, though a garden variety of it is fast becoming common. It comes nearest to H. Dumortieriz, but differs in its much larger flowers, longer inthe tube, of a deeper red, and

borne later in the season ; they are ofa bright beside pondsorstreamsit spreadsinto luxuriant

reddish-orange, opening less widely than in other species. It flowered at Kew for the first

time in July, 1890, and is handsome in leaf and |

flower, but not nearly so good as its form mayor, the finest of the group, with bright orange flowers 6 inches or more across, making it one

of stronger growth. The name H. ruti/ans is often used as a synonym, and sometimes for a scarce variety of H. Dumortierii, in which the red shading is deepest; there is also a scarce double form. Syn. H. Steboldi.

YeLtow Day Lity (H. fava).—A useful early kind of good colour and one of the best hardy perennials. Its golden trumpet-shaped flowers are so sweet as to earn the name “ Yel- low Tuberose,” and cause it to bemuch grown for market. It is best massed, the flowers being so short-lived that only in bold tufts is their full effect seen, but when planted in groups

| masses with scores of flowers open at once. It 'makes a neat pot-plant for forcing in early

of the most beautiful of hardy plants. It came | from Japan as a stray seedling found ina patch |

of Water Iris, and has proved hardy, a strong grower, free in flower when well rooted, with thick, almost fleshy petals. The flowers are

prettily shaded with reddish-brown, particu- |

larly on the outside and when in bud, and open from the end of July as clusters of eight to twelve blooms upon branching stems. The

leaves are handsome, more than an inch wide, |

strongly ribbed, and gracefully arched ; their colour varies from grey-green to bright and

spring, the buds expanding in succession for many days, and opening well indoors. For this purpose the roots are best potted in early autumn and plunged in the open till wanted, being forced quite gently the first season ; the second year in pots, they will stand more heat. The flower-spikes are seldom above 2 feet, coming in June. Though spread through Eu-

_rope and Asia the plant varies little; its forms

are cruenta with deeper-coloured flowers from the south of France; /utea, from Switzerland and N. Italy; and major, an obscure garden

variety claiming greater vigour and freedom.

lustrous green. Though slow at the start, this |

is acharming plant whenestablished, flowering far into the autumn in fine seasons.

Patup Day Liry (H. citrina)—A new kind from thenorth of China, with large flowers of clear pale yellow on stout stems. It is still

scarce but promises to bea useful plant, larger |

in leaf and flower than Hs. fu/va and Dumor- tierii—those nearest to it. So far no varieties are known, but it has already been used in crossing.

Dumortier’s Day Lity (A. Dumortieri1). —A finedwarf plant of good colour incontrast to the paler kinds, having flowers of deep

orange-yellow shaded with bronze, upon stout |

stems of about 2 feet; leaves long and taper- ing. This is the first to flower in May, lasting through June, good for cutting, and the buds prettily shaded with reddish-brown. E. Siberia and N, ChinatoJapan. Akin to H. minor but

Tawny Day Lity (H./fu/va).—A plant of strong growth, increasing so fast in some soils as to give trouble, and therefore best in the wild garden, thriving in shade where few other plants would live, and very luxuriant in moist spots with its broad strap-shaped leaves 3 to 4 feet long. The loose clusters of orange- brown flowers are pretty but without smell. V aRIETIES.—Spread right across Europe and Asia this species has many varieties, includ- ing double and variegated forms of great beauty. One of its commonest forms, disticha, from Nepaul, differs little save in its smaller flowers,but a variety of this(disticha f.p/.) with large semi-double flowers of orange-yellow shaded with crimson, is very pretty and one of the brightest of the group. This plant is com- mon in the Isle of Wight, often bearing a score

_ of flowers upon one stem with charming effect | in contrast with white flowers. H. Kwanso is

a Japanese form of fu/va, of rapid growth and double flowers, very hardy, and suited to dry soils. The flowers are very full, with fleshy

DAY LILY. 41

petals ofbronzy yellowshaded red, carried upon | larger and of deeper colour than in H. flava, stems of 3 feet or more and lasting longer than | which it resembles in habit. The flowers are those of any other kind. There is also a form of | good for cutting, coming early in June upon H. Kwanso with leaves boldly striped, or nearly | stems of about 18 inches. A stronger form is pure white, and vigorous for a plant of this | grown at Kew as H. M. major.

nature; the leaves are handsome, but the double flowers lack effect and are often streaky. There is a second and_ scarce striped variety, /u/- va variegata, with a white stripe down the middle of each leaf; it is good if less robust than the Ja- panese kind, and bet- ter for pots and in- door use. Minor va- rieties of H.fu/va are angustifolia, from Ja- panese gardens, with narrow leaves and flowers long in the tube ; crocea,a colour form from Siberia ; and maculata, a plant from northernChina, with large flowers, but the innerblotches from which it is namedare little more pronounced than in other kinds. MIDDENDORFF’S Day Liry (H. Mid- dendorffit) —A good dwart kind from the Amur region of Si- beria, whence it has madeits waytoJapan. Ascarce plant in gar- dens where other kinds often do duty for it. The flowers, of deep orange yellow, show a _ distinctly rounded tube, and are

THE YELLOW AND TAWNY DAY LILIES (1. H. fulva; 2. H. flava).

carried in a loose head upon very short stalks. | Fine-Leaveo Day Liry (H. minor).—A

It is broader in leaf and paler in colour than Dumortier’s Day Lily, while the flowers are

pretty little plant, rare in gardens, though one of the oldest Day Lilies. It grows as a neat tuft,

U 4

312

FLORA AND SYLVA.

with stems rising well above the foliage, but rarely a foot high in all. Its leaves are Ol 2 deeper green than in other kinds with small yellow tlowers, tinged with green especially on the outside, and slightly fragrant; pretty for cutting, being well displayed on branching

stems. It opens early in June, often flowering |

again in the autumn. Good asa rock-plant, as less rambling than the bolder sorts, and pleasing in itssoft colour. Siberia, N.China,and Japan. Syns. H. graminea, graminifolia, and pumila.

Tuunsero’s Day Lity (H. Thunbergi).— |

A fine dwarf kind, profuse in flower, and one of the best, but not often found true to name

though easily known by the flat, thickened ©

upper part of the flower-stem. It comes very near to H. flava, but is dwarfer and more vigor-

ous,blooming much later, with fragrant flowers _

of a pale sulphur - yellow more open in the throat. It is very useful in succession and for cutting, blooming in July. Japan. Some doubt

exists as to the classing of this plant, but most »

botanists now treat it as a species, though near- ly allied to some other kinds.

There are now manyseedlings offered by the trade, some of which are good and distinct. Those best known in this country are dpricot, a pretty plant of medium height, with flowers of a warm apricot colour in June ; Awreole, a Japanese cross of sturdy habit, with distinct flowers of dark orange; Eastmere,a hybrid of flava and Dumortierit ; ftavo-Middendor fit, a

cross raised in Germany, with flowers of pale

Hybrids.

yellow like fava in form, but nearer its other | parent in leaf and colour; Flamid, a new and |

pretty seedling, useful for its very early flowers of orange-yellow upon long stems ; Frances,

with small flowers of clear yellow ; Go/d Dust, |

with flowers of bright yellow during June. Luteola, a seedling of Messrs. Wallace, of Col- chester, is a plant of great vigour and beauty of flower; these come treely upon tall branched stems, and as large as in aurantiaca major— one of its parents. Orangeman is a dwarf plant of slender growth and clear orange flowers through Juneand July ; Dr. Rege/, a late kind,

rich in colour, lasting well into autumn; and

Sovereign, with large flowers of soft chrome |

yellow in July, their petals broad and prettily bronzed on the outside. B.

| CALCEOLARIAS, WITH PLATE OF CALCEOLARIA PLANTA- GINEA.** Somewuar out of fashion in our day, these distinct plants have good qualities for gardens, in which the hardier sorts are seldom seen well placed. Many as have been the kinds introduced, it is fair to suppose that, in the vast stretch of - country from which they come, there _are beautiful Slipperworts stillunknown tous. In common with so many plants of the Andes, the Calceolarias mostly thrive betterin the north and north-west of Britain than in other parts, and hence we find the Plantain Slipperwort (C. plantaginea) described as flourishing in Scotland some forty years ago, having come from Chili as long ago as 1826. From our plate, painted at Warley in Essex, itis plainly possible to grow such plants well inthe south, spite of the drier heat of summer and the ‘‘mugginess” of winter, which are most against them. Of the plantitself our portrait is the best description, its smooth, tufted leaves suggesting the wild Plantain after which it isnamed. Suffering mostly from damp in winter, it should be planted onraised slopes of the rock-garden and its lower leaves kept from touching the soil by flat, porous stones ; as they die away in winter (the plant being then leafless) it is well to remove them, to prevent that damp decay which is the worst enemy of the dormant crowns. With these aids it becomes a useful rock-plant, quite hardy at the root, even in the sharp -_winters of North Britain. When starting

again in spring old plants need careful

watching for slugs, which eat away the

* From a drawing by H. G. Moon at Warley Place, Essex.

tal

| Cy 2) Ny Mi £ . ‘i : e TERR) SAAD ah began

eo

Pe

young shoots asthey grow, causing loss. The flowers appear in June, sometimes pure yellowandat others prettily spotted with reddish points beneath. Amongst Calceolarias it is one of the easiest to grow and both quaint and pretty in its effect when grouped in the border or among rocks; flowering so soon in the year, young plants should be put out early—even if protected for awhile— to enable them to get a hold before hot weather. Several hybrids have been raised between this and allied kinds, of which the best is C. Ke//yana—a useful and pretty plant, described on a suc- ceeding page.

The Calceolarias or Slipperworts

arealarge andhandsome group of about |

I 20 species, almost confined to the high valleys of western South America, and unlike all other plants in their pouch- like Howers. It iswith a strange mixture of feelings that one turns to the records of forty years ago, when these plants were in full favour, the centre of interest

garden, and the special pride of florists. And to-day, after so many years of care and favour, the genus is forgotten save for the few shrubby kinds retained for borders and the race of tender green- house plants whose flowers — more monstrous than beautiful—appear dur- ing a fewshortweeks each spring. True there are yet a few of thewild kinds lin- gering on in old gardens, too robust to be easily killed by neglect, and witness- ing mutely to the fickleness of manand the real beauty of some of these lost plants of other days.

The range of the Calceolaria nearly

CALCEOLARIAS,

Si)

coincides with that of the Fuchsia, reaching from Mexico tothe extreme of South America and thence to the Falk- land Islands and New Zealand. Overa great part of this area they grow in the high valleys of the western Andes to an extreme height of 13,000 to 14,000 feet, thriving in the sandy waste of vol- canic rocks or the richer soils beside streams, and in a moist climate neither hot nor cold. A few occur in the drier parts of Chili and Peru, four species in the heights of Mexico and central America, and a little group of alpine kinds in the wind - swept Falkland Islands. These conditions of growth ex- plain the failure of many kinds near townsor in districts unsuited to them as to soil and climate, the moister air of Scotland, Ireland, and the west of Eng- land meeting the needs of most better than that of other parts. Among them are woody shrubs, perennials, and an-

_nuals, with a great variety of form, foli- age, and flower. A few shrubby kinds

at shows, the mainstay of the summer

are hardy the year round in gardens of the south-west of England and Ireland, and some of the perennial species in gardens of light soil will thrive much further north, but in the main they need just enough shelter in winter to keep out frost. In southern gardens they do best (during summer) in a north aspect such as the shady side of a hedge, yielding a fine display in the autumn and (in many kinds) flowering under glass through a great part of the winter, if free from fog and damp. Ina few sorts old plants do well through a series of years, but it is best torenew most kinds frequently from seeds or cuttings, using the old stock for

314

FLORA AND SYLVA.

planting out. Being in favour while the “bedding” craze was at its height the Calceolarias never had a fair trialin ways that would have given better results, for success often comes witha careful choice of ground, not easy to secure when planting to line. Theeffect of the larger kinds massed against ascreen of Yew or Holly is very beautiful, while the clear yellows are striking in contrast with the blue of Sa/via patens, or colonies of Cornflower ; but a skilful gardener will find endless ways of using the plants to purpose, set here and there to follow their own ways in the moist and shel- tered corners best suited to their varying needs. If the soil is not too rich their growth is sturdier, more wiry, and less subject to disease.

Calceolaria adscendens. — A sub-shrubby species with slender reddish stems, small rough leaves, sharply toothed, and yellow flowers. Formerly much used in bedding. Chili. Syn. C. rugosa.

C. alba.—A beautiful and distinct shrub of neat habit, with long slender stems, narrow grey leaves of 3 to 4 inches, and clusters of white flowers. It is rare even in Chili, first brought here in 1844, then lost, and reintro- duced a few years since. Not being a robust plant it is safest in a cool house, but has done well at Kew and other places in the south, planted beneath a warm wall and even passing a mild winter in the open air. It grows about 3 feet and is loaded with flowers from August into October; under glass it is pretty in pots or baskets.

C. amplexicaulis—A handsome plant and one still grown for its vigour and beauty. It is of stout growth, with soft leaves of dark green encircling the stem, and heavy clusters of pale yellow flowers. Large old plants of this kind are useful as standing more heat and drought than other kinds, and free from disease. It is one of the best for planting out, whether grouped or left to ramble near walls, and its flowers are renewed from suckers till far into

autumn. Peru and Ecuador. A variety, 4/be- scens, bears paler flowers approaching white. A kind coming very near this is C. crenata; its leaves are a little rounder, with flowers of a paler yellow.

C. andina.—A rare shrubby kind from Chili, pretty even when quite small and with a long season of beauty. Itsleaves are small, thick, and hairy, carried upon slender stems, with many heads of yellow flowers during summer.

C. arachnoidea.—A distinct kind which in crossing has influenced the race of garden hy- brids. Its large leaves areclothed with whitish down ; flowers of rich purple, crumpled and irregular in outline. Brought from the high valleys of Chili, where it grows in hard gravel soil and is valued for a crimson dye, brilliant and enduring, obtained from its roots and used for woollen fabrics. Syn. C. tinctorta. There is a variety a/ba with white flowers.

C. be/lidifolia.—A hardy perennial species varying much in form and height, from stems of a few inches to over a foot high. A graceful plant of slender growth, with tufted leaves like a Daisy, and large yellow and red flowers with a big lower lip. High mountains of Chili.

C. bicolor.—A \ow shrub of trailing habit, branching freely, distinct in colour, its long shoots bearing roughly toothed leaves of 2 to 3 inches and long loose clusters of white and yellow flowers, of medium size and peculiar shape, the lower lipcurling right over the tiny upper one. Should be grown freely during sum- mer and potted up for winter use under glass ; also grown as a pillar plant. Rarely becomes diseased. Peru.

C. Burbidgei.—A good greenhouse kind, vigorous and constant in its winter bloom. It was raised some twenty-five years ago as a cross between C. fuchsiefolia and the robust C. Pavonii,and named after its raiser. It is hardier thanits parents, living for many years and form- ing strong woody shoots of 6 to 8 feet, while planted in the greenhouse as a pillar plant it sometimes grows 15 feet. It needs room and is ungainly in small houses; it flowers from August far into the winter and is evergreen, with hoary leaves in pairs and large flowers of rich yellow upon stems so stout as to stand without stakes, spite of their length. New shoots constantly rise from the base to replace those that have flowered. When confined it

CALCEOLARIAS,

315

needs large pots and rich soil, but is best planted out where room can be spared.

C. chelidonioides.—An annual of 1 to 3 feet, neat in habit, with pretty pale yellow flowers, thriving in moist, shady places beside water, and naturalised in some of the warmer parts of Britain, sowing itself freely. Does well in full sunlight. Ecuador and Peru.

C. corymbosa.—One of the herbaceous sorts used in crossing, its influence being seen inthe broad leaves, robust habit, and large yellow flowers of many garden hybrids. It is the com- monest kind in Chili, with a wide range and variable form, the large oblong flowers of bright yellow being much inflated, with a large gap in the lower lip and often shaded within by reddish veins. Chili.

C’. crenatiflora.—A robust herbaceous plant much used in crossing, giving to certain strains their spotted flowers with long hanging pouches. Ample leaves and flowers in large clusters with a tiny upper lip and the large lower one notched, crumpled, and dotted with red. It is a showy kind, doing well outside in summer in moist but sunny spots. Chili and Isle of Chiloe, in damp ground beside water. Syn. C. pendula. C. glandulosa comes near this but hassmallers flowers of white or pale yellow.

C. Darwini.—A rareand handsome species coming near C. Fothergi//i, but with flowers twice its size.

C. dentata.—A shrubby species akin to C. adscendens, but longer in leaf and with larger and more abundant flowers. This kind is one parent of the shrubby border kinds used for summer bedding. Chili. Syn. C. chz/oensts.

C. flexuosa.—A fine sub-shrub with a woody

stock and stems, slender and a little weak, with |

thin rounded leaves of 3 to 4 inches and coarsely toothed, and heavy clusters of large rounded flowers of golden yellow, witha yellowish calyx. Peru. A handsome pillar plant for the green- house and one of the best shrubby kinds for the summer garden.

C. Fothergi/lii.—A very old plant, brought from the Falkland Islands in 1777, and several times reintroduced; probably not now in culti- vation, for though beautiful and hardy it is not easily grown. It is the best known of the alpine kinds from Patagonia, growing as a low tufted herb with hairy spoon-shaped leaves and short slender stems bearing each a single flower.

These appear about May and vary, but are mostly a blend of yellow and purplish-brown, the upper lip reduced to a tiny disk and the lower about an inch wide and very open. To do well it needs to be studied as to soil and climate, doing best in partial shade with its roots packed between chalky stones. In water- ing it is important not to damp the leaves.

| Crossed with other species this has given seve- | ral hybrids rather less delicate.

C. fuchsiefolia—A stout woody shrub ot 2 to 4 feet, like a Fuchsia in leaf and habit, with glossy leaves pale beneath, and rich yellow flowers freely carried during the winter. It does not thrive everywhere so well as in Scotland, where it is valued for winter effect. To secure this it should be grown freely during summer

| in cool, shady places (its leaves being sensitive | to sunlight), and housed early in September,

flowering from October throughout the winter

| if only it can be kept from fog—to which it is | mostsensitive. Oneof the hardiest kinds where

it succeeds, it does well in rooms or the border, and though it can bear only the mildest of southern winters in the open, it needs only bare protection from frost. Peru. Syn. C. deflexa. Nearly allied kinds are Cs. cerasifolia, padifolia, and fetragona.

C’. Henrict.—A handsome shrubby ever-

_ green from the Andes of Cuenca in Ecuador,

of long Willow-like leaves and rounded flowers of deep yellow, with a large upper lip. C.Ayssopifolia.—A leafy shrub of erect habit, with slender stems and narrow down-covered leaves; flowers of clear pale yellow, inshapelike

| the garden hybrids, but smaller. One of the

best kinds for warm gardens during summer. Andes of Quito, at from 9,000 to 13,000 feet. Nearly allied to this are Cs. Hartwegit, /avan- dulefolia, rosmarinifolia, and gossypina—plants

| of Ecuador and New Granada.

C. integrifolia.—The source of the shrubby border Calceolaria, a plant common in Chili and very variable. The leaf is mostly broad and Sage-like, toothed, whitish below, and often gummy, but there are also narrow-leaved forms. The flowers also vary much in size and colour, but are mostly lemon-yellow, with lips unequal in size and closely compressed. The plant known as C. rugosa is a form of this, with flowers of deep yellow and leaves covered be- neath with rusty down.

316

FLORA AND SYLVA,

C. Kellyana.—A very pretty rock-plant raised as a cross between Cs. plantaginea and Fothergillit, and only differing from the last in

shape of leaf and its longer flowers upon which |

the markings are smaller and thicker. It is a rare plant, easily grown in Scotland but more difficult towards the south. Its form resembles the Mimulus, closely hugging the ground,with oval leaves covered by soft white hairs; the

slipper-shaped flowers of deep yellow, closely

spotted with brown, appear from June to Sep-

tember in heads of only two or three flowers. Increased by cuttings or division. Though sometimes injured in sharp winters, it is hardy,

thriving in a moist crevice of the rock-garden |

in stifish loam mixed with a little peat. One

of the best and most easily grown of border |

kinds.

C. /obata.—A distinct kind from the moun- tains of Peru, where it grows as a hairy trail- ing herb with long-stalked roundish leaves and flowers of clear yellow, spotted with red inside; the upper lip small and the lower large, swol- len, and recurved. Useful under glass during winter, flowering freely in baskets or trailing from the stages.

C. mexicana.—A robust annual froma great height in the mountains of Mexico and Gua- temala. Its mass of golden flowers and bold foliage may be used for lighting up odd cor- ners, where it will often re-sow itself. Cs. gra- cilis of Ecuador, and fenuis of Chili, are allied species.

from the same region, but only 2 to 3 inches high.

C. pardanthera.—A scarce hybrid raised between Cs. Fothergi/lii and thyrsiflora, with open yellow flowers blotched with brownish- purple and very handsome.

C. Pavonit.—The best of the herbaceous Calceolarias, with stout stem of 3 to 4 feet,

covered with clammy hairs, and large much- |

toothed triangular leaves upon stems broadly winged to the base. Showy yellow flowers in large spreading spikes from autumn into win- ter, when they are very useful under glass. In the open a shady corner against a north-west wall suits it best, the roots being lifted or covered in winter. There is a group of allied kinds including tomentosa, a very woolly plant; calycina,with flowers bunched likea Geranium;

C. nana.—A miniature of C. Fothergilli

_ perfoliata, with smaller flowers and a different 'leaf-outline; and d//atata,a slender kind from | Ecuador, smaller in leaf and flower.

C. petiolaris.—A tall bushy annual of 3 to 4 feet, with large coarse leaves clasping the stem and an abundance of yellow flowers in loose clusters. The flowers are too small to be effective, and composed of lips nearly equal _andclosely compressed. Ecuador. Syn. C. flori- _bunda and connata.

C. pinnata.—A_ slender annual of rather weedy growth, with finely cut leaves and pallid yellow flowers. It was the first Calceolaria _ grown in gardens, coming from Peru in1773,

but is hardly worth growing. Naturalised in India and other warm climates.

C. pisacomensis—A distinct plant of tall growth, with rough, deeply-toothed leaves rolled at the edges, and heavy clusters of orange-red flowers, of which only the lower lip is seen. Peru.

C. polifolia.—An erect shrub with small whitish leaves and heads of scanty yellow flowers, too small for effect. Chili. Several other kinds belong to this group, but none are of value.

C. punctata.—A shrubby plant with oval, doubly - toothed leaves and helmet - shaped flowers of white, spotted lilac. A common

_Chilian plant, unpleasant in smell. One form bears lilac flowers spotted with yellow inside the lower lip.

C. purpurea.—An erect herb of 12 to 18 inches, with rough coarsely-toothed leaves, covered with gum, and large loose clusters of

small purplish flowers, the upper lip of which closes lid-like over the lower. Chili. 1826. A pretty form of this, pzcta, bears white flowers with a band of bright purple shading around the gap of the lower lip. C. racemosa.—A plant near C. corymbosa but not so good. Patagonia. Syn. C. Herbertiana.

C. salicifolia.—A neat evergreen shrub of 2 feet, with oblong leaves and pouched flowers of lemon-yellow and pure white. A plant of

fine habit for walls or pillars, flowering in | summer and autumn.

C. sessilis——A shrubby plant with woolly stems and broad stalkless leaves; flowers deep yellow, with lips tightly compressed. Chili.

C. Sinclairii—aA_ half-hardy herb from New Zealand, with oblong hairy leaves and

UNDERPLANTING.

ory.

small lilac or pale pink flowers, spotted within and not pouched like most American kinds. C. scabiosefolia.—A stout annual of vigo- rous growth, goodin colour during autumn and easy to grow, sowing itself freely in suitable spots. Peru, 1823. A plant useful for cutting, which should be more used in our gardens. C.suffruticosa.—A seedling raised in France

and allied to C. rugosa through C. Triomphe de

Versailles. Anerect free-growingshrub ofabout 3 feet, with woody base and leafy stems, the leaves crisped andjwaved. The pale yellow flowers appear on tall slender stalks and are

CALCEOLAREA VIOLACEA,

gathered into close rounded heads of ten or a dozen blooms, of distinct and fine appearance.

C. tenella.—A dwarf trailing plant of only a few inches high, spreading as dense green tufts thick-set with tiny Thyme-like leaves. The flowers are borne upon short curved stems springing from the leaf-axils, yellow streaked with crimson within, of pretty effect. A good hardy plant for the rock-garden, found in sandy places and upon damp rocks near the rivers of the Andes at from 4,000 to 5,000 feet.

C. thyrsifiora.—A low sub-shrub of slender erect growth, with narrow coarsely-toothed leaves of about an inch, and long narrowspikes of small yellow flowers scented like Labur-

num. A common Chilian plant used for dye- ing yellow.

C. vertici//ata.—A trailing plant more curi- ous than pretty, with slender hairy stems and

| sharply-toothed leaves, bearing narrow spikes

of deep yellow flowers in which the upper lip isvery smalland the lower lipstrangely twisted. Lima.

C. violacea.—A very distinct plant, once classed by itself as “fove//ana, but intermediate forms join it to Calceolaria. It is the hardiest of shrubby Calceolarias, growing as a shrub of 3 to 4 feet in light soils, blooming in Apriland May upon shoots of the previous year. Helmet-

sh aped flowers of lilac-blue spotted with yellow

and red within the gaping mouth. S. Chili.

| C. triandra comes near this, with small much-

cut leaves and flowers with three stamens—the only case in the genus.

C. viscosissima.—A robust plant with broad leaves, covered thickly with gum in all its parts and bearing tawny flowers. May be used with effect in the summer garden against a

background of dark shrubs. Syn. C. rugosa ma-

_crophylla.

UNDERPLANTING. In the present state of our woodlands,

when through the decay of the trade in underwood and the neglect of the trees _many woodsare thin and worn out, “‘un-

derplanting” is a subject to be thought about. Pines, that in youth might have covered the earth with their branches,

have grown and shed most of their

boughs, and grass has begun to invade the ground, bringing in its train starva- tion or death to the trees; while the sun gets in and drying winds complete the ruin of the unsheltered woodland. Now I want to make it clear that this cannot happen when a wood is managed in the best forest way, which never allows the overhead canopy to be broken. A wood invaded by sun and drying winds fast decays. Instances of this may be seen in any woodland district where people

318

FLORA AND SYLVA,

use their eyes; the thin scraggy planta- tions common in Britain beside roads and fields, all show the evil. They are far more open to the attacks of sun and drying winds than such broad, natural woodland as occurs in the best planted counties and estates. The remedy for the stale woodland is ‘‘underplanting.” That means, when woods get thin or scragey fromany cause, the introducing of young trees, usually of different kinds from the existing trees, and that will stand partial shade—what are called shade bearers. When planting in treeless ground we have none of these questions to consider, but for replanting old wood- land we can only choose those trees which will thrive in partial shade; and as in old woodland it is more difficult to protect young trees from rabbits, we must if we can, choose those that are not so loved of that pest. Where the nakedness of the wood occurs in large patches we can plant them and wire, but in large woodland areas we must plant the young trees singly among the older trees, and hence the necessity for choos- ing kinds that will thrive in partial shade. Among the summer-leafing trees the best for underplanting is the Beech, of

which in certain forests of the north of |

Europe trees of 50 to 60 feet may be seen thriving underPines nearly 100 feet high, and both close set. Inter-action of the roots of trees of different kinds is rather beneficial than otherwise. After the Beech may benamed theHornbeam, Oak, Ash, and on sandy or rocky soils, the Chestnut. (By this name Ido not mean the Horse Chestnut—which is not a Chestnut at all.) Most of the trees

named—except the Ash—are not very liable to the attacks of rabbits, and they also bear planting as saplings of 6 to 8 feet or even more, though beyond that size itisrisky. Inall caseswe mustavoid trees too old for transplanting. We cannot with success plant Pines of large size,

but with a little care in buying from ' forest nurseries we can get tall saplings

of the summer-leafing trees that will grow well.

Among Firs the best for under- planting is the Silver Fir, which may

often be seen in the German forests

growing well under the other trees, all closely set. Spruce, in wet land, is also good; and in our southern and western

| country the Douglas Fir is excellentand

soon gets its head up among the other

trees, the shelter of which is a help to

it at first. The effects of underplanting in the

| best cases are good. I have often seen

woodstreated in this way very beautiful, varied, and full of life; but to enjoy such

_woods there should be well-considered

rides made through them, airy and ac-

-cessible in all weathers.

THE DEAN OF ROCHESTER. Dean Hotz, the first writer of our time upon gardening, closed his long and

happy life on the 25th August. Large-

hearted, humorous,and of fine presence,

he was a country gentleman of the best sort and endeared to many garden lovers by his writings upon their favourite theme. Many years ago these first ap- peared in the old Florist and Pomologist. I well remember reading them, among theplatitudinous “ calendar of opera-

tions” of the usual sort with something of the feeling with which one might find alpine flowers on cinder heaps. The Very Rev. Samuel ReynoldsHole,D.D., was the sonof the late Mr. Samuel Hole of Caunton Manor, Notts., where he wasborn in December 1819. Educated at Newark Grammar School, he went thence to Brazenose College, Oxford, wherehe graduatedin1844. Heatonce submitted himself for deacon’s orders to the Bishop of Lincoln—then the dio- cesan of Nottinghamshire—and under- took the curacy of his ancestral parish of Caunton, where heworked for forty- three years. He became vicar of the parish in 1850 and was a parish priest of the best sort, knowing the needs of his people, especially the working men. As squire of Caunton, to which he succeeded upon his father’s death in 1868, he had some scope for field

sports, but this never involved

THE DEAN OF ROCHESTER.

31)

tioned. “ Hlints tov Preachers,” ** Nice and her Neighbours,” ‘‘ A Book about the Garden,” and twovolumes of ‘‘ Me- mories,” one in 1892 and the other in 1894. Brought up as he was in a Not- tinghamshire manor, he was much at- tached to rural life. He was taught to ride when little more than four years old, and he always maintained that his influence with his parishioners was in nowise diminished because he hunted once a week with the Rufford. He will long be remembered among hu- mour-loving divines, for his stock of jokes was an ample one and hewas very

any neglect of his higher

work. The story of his lite as

a churchman has been sofully set forth in the daily papers that we need only speak of his relations to the garden and to rural life. His first book was ‘A Little Tour in Ireland,” illustrated by John Leech, and through Leech he became the friend of both Thackeray and Charles Dickens. In 1869 he brought out his ‘‘ Book about Roses,” which has passed through many editions, and of his other works may be men-

Wy

Wh

SS: SSS SSS

220

FLORA AND SYLVA,

happy in his way of telling them. His |

humour was at its best when acting as chairman at a public dinner. As chair- man Charles Dickens was very amusing, and the late Lord Salisbury impressive, but Dean Hole hadall their good quali-

ties to which was added acharming hu- |

mour. Our portrait is one done in his mature life; of recent years the once grand physique was sadly weakened. He lies buried in the graveyardat Caun- ton, near the manor, where most of his days were passed. W.R.

Beauty, NoT S1zE.—Not only those broad and striking effects which belong to a great range of field and wood, or to bold scenery, come

within the domain of landscape art, but those | lesser and ordinary graces that may be com- |

passed within stone’s throw of a man’s door.

We do not measure an artist by the width of |

his canvas. ‘The panoramas that take in moun-

tains are well if the life and the mist of the |

mountains are in them, but they do not blind us to the merit of a cabinet gem. I question

very much if that subtle apprehension of the |

finer beauties which may be made to appear about a given locality does not express itself more pointedly and winningly in the manage-

ment of a three or five-acre lawn than upon | _ And in the warm hedge grew lush eglantine,

such reach of meadow and upland as bounds the view. The watchful care for a single hoary boulder that lifts its seared and lichened hulk out of a sweet level of greensward ; the auda- cious protection of some wild vine flinging its tendrils carelessly over a bit of wall, girt with

a savage head-growth—these are indications |

of an artist feeling that will be riotous of its wealth upon a bare acre of ground. Nay, Ido not know but I have seen about a labourer’s

cottage in Devonshire such adroit adjustment

of a few flowering plants upon a window-shelf,

and such tender and judicious care for the little

matlet of turf around which the gravel path swept to his door, as showed as keen and ar-

tistic sense of the beauties of nature, and of |

the way in which they may be enchained for human gratification, as could be set forth ina park of a thousand acres.—D. G. MirTcuett.

Tue Lapy Bircu.—Up here, where no ham- mer has resounded for generations, Dame Na- ture has worked with deft and patient fingers, weaving herslow tapestries of fern and lichen on the tumbled boulders at the base, and throwing up from many an inaccessible cleft

_and cranny the sturdy slightness of the Lady

Birch. Sufficient unto itself, requiring neither shade nor sustenance from other trees, rooted apparently in nothingness, yet gathering into its silvery bark astrength and steadfastness that defies the ravages of time, this maidenhair among trees makes lovely at all seasons of the year our no-man’s land at the edge of the forest, and responds to the brisk salutations of the west wind with a shower of drooping gold, and music that might have served Oberon in

fairyland.—M. R. J. SONGS OF THE WOODS AND FLOWERS : A Vision.

I DREAMED that, as I wandered by the way, Bare winter suddenly was changed to spring, And gentle odours led my steps astray, Mixed with a sound of waters murmuring

_ Along a shelving bank of turf, which lay

Under a copse, and hardly dared to fling Its green arms round the bosom of the stream, But kissed it and then fled, as thou mightest in dream.

There grew pied wind-flowers and violets, Daisies, those pearled Arcturi of the earth, The constellated flower that never sets; Faint oxlips ; tender bluebells, at whose birth The sod scarce heaved; and that tall flower that wets Its mother’s face with heaven-collected tears, When the low wind, its playmate’s voice, it hears.

Green cowbind and the moonlight-coloured May, And cherry-blossoms, and white cups, whose wine

Was the bright dew yet drained not by the day ; And wild roses, and ivy serpentine,

With its dark buds and leaves, wandering astray ;

_ And flowers azure, black, and streaked with gold,

Fairer than any wakened eyes behold.

And nearer to the river’s trembling edge There grew broad flag-flowers, purple prankt with white, And starry river-buds among the sedge, And floating water-lilies, broad and bright, Which lit the oak that overhung the edge With moonlight beams of their own watery light ; And bulrushes, and reeds of such deep green As soothed the dazzled eye with sober sheen.

Methought that of these visionary flowers I made a nosegay, bound in such a way

| That the same hues, which in their natural bowers

Were mingled or opposed, the like array Kept these imprisoned children of the Hours Within my hand,—and then, elate and gay, I hastened to the spot whence I had come, That I might there present it!—Oh! to whom? —SHELLEY.

FLORA

AND SYLVA.

Vol. II. No. 20.]

THE GARDEN BEAUTIFUL. HOME LANDSCAPE AND HOME WOODS. TREES BY WATER.

In most of the talk about garden design of recent years, the right planting of the country place is overlooked, and even those who care most for good planting are apt to neglect the waterside, and we see vast stretches of shoreland with- out any of the lovely effects which well-chosen riverside trees give. Some thingscome of themselves, such as Osier and Withy; but they have rarely any good effect,form,or colour. Often beau- tiful views are shut out by these weedy things, and where the house is not ina commanding position they may do in- finite harm. One of the most beautiful of situations for a house is upon a bluff beside a river,as at Nuneham; and even if there is no bluff, asat Levens, the river may be a great aidin fine planting, and careful thought should be given to what gives much beauty at trifling cost. The best waterside materials are often those of our owncountry and easily procured, fine in colour, and goodin form. There are certain gains in waterside planting which we do not often find elsewhere ; we get air, and light, shade and breadth

from the water itself, which prevents the

NOVEMBER,

1904. [ Monthly. dotting of plants over the whole area which is too common a result. Again there is often good land beside rivers liable to flood, which we cannot plant and happily cannot wisely build upon, and these give us those rich levels that are such a gain in breadth to lowland landscape when fringed by noble plant- ing. Flooding is in no way against the trees themselves if planted rightly upon islands, lake margins, and riversides. Some of the besttrees, like the Willows, are used to floods, and even trees that we more often associate with hot, dry soils —like the Eastern Plane—seem happy in such conditions, as we may see upon the waterside in the Thames valley. As it is important to fix upon the trees which give us fine form and colour be- side water, we omit in these notes the many shrubs and herbaceous plants which also yield good effectin low land. Of all sites for planting there are none in whichwe have clearer guidance as towhat is bestthan we have forislands and the margins of water, be it lake or river. The vegetation should be mostly of a spiry character; Willows in many forms, often beautiful in colour both in summerand winter,with Dogwoodsand Poplars. Even the Willows of Europe

Xx

322

FLORA AND _ SYLVA.

and Britain areample to give fineeffects, and some form tall timber trees like the White Willow. There is also a superb group of weeping trees among these Willows, some of them more precious and hardy than the Babylonian Willow. This is worth bearing in mind when seeking good and artistic effects. Take, for example, a piece of water, good in form of margin and right in every way in relation to the landscape ; it is quite easy to spoil the effect of it all by the use of trees which have not the form or colour characteristic of the waterside. By the right use of trees fitted to the soil we may, on the other hand, make the scene beautiful in delicate colour and fine form; ina word, right at all seasons whetherasa picture, as covert, and even for timber, for some of the Willows have a high value as timber.

The best trees for waterside plant- ing are those of our own country, or of Europe and the northern world gene- rally ; though we need not refuse things that come to us from other countries. People are so much misled by showy descriptions in catalogues, and also by their own blindness to ugly things, that we often see misuse beside the water ot variegated trees and shrubs like the Yel- low Elder, the Purple Beech, and other things of the worstkind forsucha place. There are many Willows, but for good effect the best are the ‘‘’Tree-Willows” —those which may be had on their na- tural roots, and of some timber value. The best of these for our country is the White Willow, lovely at all times, but especially on days of wind and storm

Tree Willows for Effect.

when other things are often at their worst. The best planting I ever did was of a bundle of White Willows onan ugly bank made without thought across a pond ; the effect obtained is excellent, and even the stiff bank is lost to view. The hybrids of the White Willow (Bed- ford Willow) are goodalso, and next best for colour is the Yellow Willow (Sa/ix vitellina) —classed by botanists as a variety of the White Willow—but for planters distinct in stature, form, and colour. It is often seen beside northern and Irish rivers, but when massed in a marsh or bog, or beside a wide river, it is fine in effect and the best of all in wintry days. The Red Willow (Cardinal Willow) is a form of it, with the same shape and even brighter colour. The Crack Willow (S. /ragi/is) is not so good in colour but is very picturesque in form upon river banks, and quite worthy of a place among the Tree-Willows. The new weeping form of the Yellow Willow (S. vitellina pendula)is beautiful, but the desire to increase it quickly has led to grafting in nurseries,which meansdeath, and ugliness in dying. To strike root as freely as a Willow is a proverb, yet men will graft them where the result is cer- tain failure. There is not only the loss of a beautiful tree, but the stock upon which it is grafted—usually the Osier (S. vzminalis\comes up instead, like atree-weed to obscure the view, and very dificult to get rid of. Many beautiful Willows of a rarer kind than the Tree- Willows here named have been raised, butthefew who plantlosethem through grafting on the Osier.

After Willows, the Poplars come in

THE GARDEN BEAUTIFUL,

323

best inall northern countries. The White Poplar is beautiful in colour as a river- side tree, and superb in form when well grown. The supposed pyramidal variety of it is not so good or so lasting. The Green Poplars of the French rivers are also beautiful, though none are quite so pretty as thecommon Aspen. The Lom- bardy Poplar is sometimes very fine in valleys near water, but is apt to sicken. The Grey Poplar comes next to the White in beauty, and the Black Poplar is often grand beside water.

Some of the American marsh trees are very pretty near water, in particular the onecalled the Tupelo, of which there is a fine tree at Strathfieldsaye, lovely in colour in autumn; but the summer leaf- ing trees of the American woods have been much neglected since the vogue for planting Conifers camein, sothat we can point to few examples of good results in our country.

The Western Arborvite and the Hemlock Spruce thrive in wet ground, as does the Norway Spruce andthe Sitka Spruce. We resort to trees of the Pine tribe to clothe sandy or stony hills, but it is as well to know that we are not obliged toconfine ourselves to Willows, Alders, and Poplars, on low and wet land, if for any reason we prefer ever- green trees. In southern parts of Britain where (after its first youth is past) the Norway Spruce is often a failure, it will yet grow well trees beside streams and in wet bottoms. The Sitka Spruce—a valuable tree—is good also, and the Douglas Fir thrivesin the hollows of wet woods. Even the Silver Fir, a tree that

is not always happy in stiff and dry soils,

we have seen making a fine growthnear water, and our native Yew is not averse to the waterside where dense evergreen covert is desired. The Red Cedar also grows well near water and gives dense cover. Ds

Tue “Laure.” a Usurper.—The late E. W. Cooke, the artist, has a few words about this which cannot be too often repeated: —“ There is no plant perhaps that deserves the title of ‘usurper’ more than what is generally called the common Laurel. No doubt this fine, free- growing evergreen is one of the most desirable of shrubs when kept in its appropriate place, viz., where it has ample space—in large shrub- beries, or under trees on the margins of woods and copses, or flanking the carriage drive and boundary fence; for nothing can be better as a dense lowbackground,a shelter from winds, or a screen from unsightly objects and buildings, offices, &c. In accordance with the ordinary ideas of gardening, this shrub is the first ob- tained from the nursery, as it is also the cheap- est, to adorn the approach to the dwelling or the limited garden at the rear. Placed usually in the very front of the border, and quite close to the walk, it grows most rapidly into a vigor- ous shrub, its shoots often attaining ina single season to 3, 4, or even 5 feet in length. It is impessible to exaggerate the evil of which this rampant shrub has been the cause; the smaller conifers, such as Thujas, Junipers, and delicate Cypresses, as well as Bays, Laurustinus, Arbu- tus, Rhododendrons, and Roses, and other re- fined and compact shrubs, are constantly found to be quite hidden or destroyed by its wealth of shoots. I must confess that I have enjoyed the utmost satisfaction in ordering hundreds to be cut down and carted away, thus not only developing to the view many better things, but opening the finest vistas and distant peeps of scenery. This vaunted, self-called Laurel is really no Laurel at all; it is simply a species of Cherry (Prunus Laurocerasus),andhasno right to trench upon the classical, noble family of ‘Laurus,’ which, without doubt, is one of the most valuable in the vegetable kingdom, being spicy, warm, fragrant, and including Laurus nobilis, or Sweet Bay.”

324

FLORA AND SYLVA,

GOURDS IN THE GARDEN. Beauty of form and colour in the gar- den is usually dueto foliage and flowers;

less often in our country doweowe good |

effects to fruit, but I hope to suggest a few waysin which Gourds and their fine fruits may be used with great success in the summer garden. My first experience with them was in an old garden witha rough hedge on its southern boundary,

in which a gap suggested the need of |

some quick-growing creeper to make good the breach. Todo thisafew Gourd seeds were sown close to the gap, and the summer being fine these grew and

spread along the hedge in each direc-_

tion, and though a very common type of Gourd, the result was such a success as to lize a lasting fancy for Gourds in the garden. The strong rope-like stems _ with their handsome leaves and spread- ing yellow flowers, the graceful outline of the finer shoots and twining tendrils succeeded as the summer waned by the richly-coloured fruits, clothed that old hedge with a beauty that set one think- ingasto howbest toemploy such means to yet finer effect. Nor is this difficult, for spots are not wanting in gardens which may be justas readily transformed into scenes of beauty, increasing thein- terest of the flower-gardenand yielding | fine effect in the garden landscape.

An herbaceous border, |

whether it be in ‘he

Some Uses for Gourds.

pleasure-grounds orthe |

kitchen-garden,is made interestingeven to the most casual of visitors by a show of fine Gourds, trained uponrustic poles,

their fruits of green and white, yellow, warm brown, and red, giving Ga con-

trasts and unfailing interest right up to the early frosts, and relieving the mo- notony and shabbiness that so often fall upon the herbaceous border in autumn. Or again, the rustic arches, arbours, and summer-houses so common in our

flower-gardens may be beautified by

the bold foliage and handsome fruit of

the larger kinds, whose rapid growth and bold outline supply just what is wanted toclothe thesestructures quick- ly and with good effect. Summer-houses are often covered with Rosesand peren- nial climbers, but these hold the damp

-more than i is ‘good i in many places and they would be better covered with the

| quick-growingGourds,allthatis wanted

| being good soil and sturdy well-har- | _dened plants of kinds suited to the sur-

roundings. Coarse varieties, and those -_toosuggestive ofthe Vegetable-Marrow should be avoided in the flower-garden.

, The smaller kinds bearing the many-

coloured pear-shaped fruits, and the Apple, Orange, Egg, and warted Bell-

shaped Gourdsare bestfor arches, poles, and lightfences or trellis-work. Cucur- _bita pepocan nowbehad in great variety, and the lightest and most refined kinds are very good for such work. For sum- mer-houses, arbours, or covering out- buildings, Goma: of stronger growth _may beused, suchas the Stradella, Large Golden Bell, the white and striped -Turk’s Cap, ‘Bishop’ s Hat, the Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria vulgaris Sipho), the miniature Bottle Gourd (L. vu/. minor), and the Malabar Gourd (Cucurbito fici-

Solia) with its large oval fruits of green

and white, and very handsome. This

kind 1s hee a strong grower with foliage

GOURDS IN THE GARDEN.

3*5

cut like a fig-leaf, and being one of the freest in fruit one may count upon a fair yield even in the coldest and wettest summer. An archor arbour of this kind alone is almost tropical in its fine effect as the fruits develop. But to grow Gourds to the best advantage there is nothing so good as a pergola, which may be of the simplest material if sufh- ciently strong to carry a fair weight of fruit. In many gardens such a pergola would give an added charm to the

-Gourd-laden trellises of southern Eu- rope than of the English garden. In the growth of Gourds out of doors in this country much depends upon the weather, but, given a fair season with average sunshine, one may count upon a fair display of fruits. Some Gourds need more heat than others, the La- genarias, for example, often failing to fruit in a wet season, whereas in a warm summer its many fine varieties of Bottle

Gourds, Powder-horn Gourds, and the

YELLOW WARTED GOURD. (Engraved for ‘Fl

grounds and is usefulas a shelter@é

in summer when it is often needed ; it can also be used to add beauty to the kitchen-garden, or as a temporary screen. Our pergola shouldstand a clear 7 feet high, while its width will depend upon the space at command ; its lower part needs short rods upon which to train the Gourds, which should be planted about every 3 feet, and when the structure is well covered and the fruits take form and colour, an effect is produced more suggestive of the

BH rom a fruit in the garden of Mrs. Brightwen, Stanmore.)

Hercules’ Club will grow away luxuri- antly. When planting a pergola with Gourds it isagood plan therefore touse these tender kinds sparingly and mixed with the hardier forms of Cucurbitas pepo, ficifolia, and maxima. In this way one is more independent of weather, one or both of these groups being cer- tain to prosper, according as the season is good or otherwise. During the hot summer of 1900 a pergola here was re- markable for its fruits of Lagenaria Her-

cules’ Club, some of them measuring ce

326 FLORA AND SYLVA,

5 feet in length. During the sunless | start there is ace danger of failure. As season of 1903, though planted in the | with other plants of rapid growth, rich same spot, the Lagenarias refused to soil is necessary, and if at all heavy, grow, but the Malabar Gourd did so each plant should have enoughrich light well as to make up for the failure of | soil dug in to give it a good start. After other kinds. culture depends in a measure upon the Aswithallannualsmuchde- | structure which is to carry the Gourds. pends upon the early stages If on a pergola, the object will be to get of growth, and without this first success | strong shoots over the top as quickly as disappointmentwillensue. Seedsshould possible, and to do this the laterals must be sown singly in thumb pots about the be thinned and the leading shoots care- second week in April, and germinate | fully tied. On a pergola also it is well so quickly in gentle heat that the seed- not to allow fruit within 3 feet of the lings are ready for afirst potting ineight | ground, and above this the laterals may or ten days. Care is needed at this stage be stopped to bear fruitatany convenient to prevent “drawing-up.” ‘This shift height. Upon poles, the laterals must from theseed-potsshould beinto 5-inch | be stopped as soon as the fruits form, pots, using light soil; for the smaller | the object being to get the Gourds on kinds one potting is enough, but the | short shoots as near the poleas possible; larger varieties are better for a second _ the leading shoot must also be stopped potting earlyin May. When growth re- on reaching the top of the pole, too commences the plants should be gradu- much foliage giving a heavy look and ally hardened off by placing them in a_ hiding the fruit. In the early stages cooler house, or ina cold frame where | plenty of water is needed, and later, the lights can be removed in the dayg, when thefruits are formed in July, liquid timeandairallowed at night. Sotregf€t anure helps to swell them. Care is the plantswill growaway strongly when teeded in thinning fruitupon the poles, planted out. Two pests frequently cause ¥p it is better to have a few good fruits troubleat this stage—mildew, and green- | | aced than a large number thatare fly. The last is easily kept down by | crowdedand poor. Onapergolaitisless occasional fumigating; mildew must be difficult to place the fruit because the watched and at once destroyed with shoots can be trained in any way that sulphur or some other fungicide; when | seems best, but here, too, a well-spaced only afew plantsareattackedtheyshould crop is of better effect and runs less risk be isolated or thrown away. The time from storms than an overcrowded pro- of planting will depend upon the season. | fusion of leaves and fruit. If more con- Should the weather be warm the last | venient the seeds may be sown where week in May is a good time, but if cold they are to grow, but a fine seed-bed is winds prevail it is better to wait for a necessary, and they should be sown be- week or ten days than risk a check. | fore the end of the third week in May. When the plants grow well from the | Strong plants may be had in this way,

Culture.

GOURDS IN THE GARDEN. 27

but they do not fruit so quickly, and in | kinds such as Golden Crookneck, Golden

our climate early fruiting is a great ad- Aus4,andthenewer American Squashes ME g g ) gq b)

vantage. are most useful for mid and late winter Allied to the true Gourds are other groups that are well adapted by their bright and attractive fruits, often of quaint shape, to give interest and novelty among climbers under glass. Especially is this the case where the plants have a free run under the roof of an airy stove-house. In this way the long scarlet fruits of the Indian Snake- Gourd, the vivid spreading fruits of Momordica Charantia and others of the same genus, the white marrow- like Gourds of Benincasa cerifera, and the yellow globe-like fruits of the Colocynth (Cvtrullus colocynthis) may all be used to vary and enrich the list of plants commonly grown in such a house. In the greenhouse also such plants as Coccinia indica, Bryonopsis laciniosa erythrocarpa, and Lagenaria vulgaris in many forms, give both shade and beauty; whilst in the smallest house Womor- dica Balsamina and Cyclanthera ex- plodens will weave graceful festoone! of leaf, studded over with quaintly pretty fruits. The culture of these plants is as for other indoor climbers— light rich soil and ro-inch pots being all they need, with occasional water- ings of weak manure. Hand fertilizing of female flowers (especially in dull weather) will secure fruits where they are best seen.

Little use is made of Gourds, other than the Vegetable Marrow, in this country. None the less

Gourds under Glass.

Value as Food.

| useand their keeping qualities excellent.

The Ohio Squash keeps perfectly for six

or eight months after cutting, with flesh firm and delicate, and in every way

superior to the older Pumpkins. This

would forma good addition to our winter vegetables. In the United States and

STORING -WINTER GOURDS IN SURREY. southern Europe theseand other Gourds

are much used in winter for soups, pu- rées, and (in the States) for ‘ pies.”

Gardeners would find them useful and

profitable, easily grown, and stored for the winter in an airy frost-proof room. There are, of course, Gourds quite unfit for food, such as the Bottle Gourds (Lagenaria) and their varieties, which _are both narcoticand purging. The best

X “4

328 FLORA AND SYLVA.

edible kinds are the forms of Cucurbita NEW EARLY-FLOWERING pepoand C.maxima,and especially those IRIS.* recommended in our list of varieties. | Or recent years the kinds of early Iris For growing upon poles the | have increased, four or five new species best Gourds are Cucurbita | of the dwarf Juno section having come pepo, varieties Golden Bell, White Egg, | to us from Asia Minor, and at least as Ostrich Egg, White Green, Warted, | many more allied kinds from countries and Bicolor Pear Gourds, the Orange, | further east through Turkestan to the Lemon, Apple, Green Striped Custard, | Indian frontier. Several of this eastern and Melopepo Gourds, and the small | group—which includes ducharica, Fos- Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria vul. minor). | teriana, Willmottiana, and warleyensis For clothing a pergola, beside those | come very near I7r/s orchioides in leat mentioned the following may be used: | and manner of growth, theplantsfound Spoon Gourd, Stradella, Large Warted | by Siche inthe Levantapproach Iris per- Bell, Dipper, and Large Bottle Gourd, | sca so nearly that most of them, though Hercules’ Club (forms of Lagenaria | now classed apart, were at the outset re- vulgaris), Bishop’s Hat, Malabar Gourd | garded as forms of that pretty though (Cucurbita ficifolia), el 1rd Cap delicate species. These new kinds are in green, white, and red varieties. For | still scarceingardensand confusing from bush-plants mad for winter use the best | the fact that they vary so much in colour are Golden Bush, Golden Crookneck, | and form of leaf and flower, that it would Red Etampes, Golden oblong Pump- | be easy to name a score or more of new kin, Ohio Squash, Golden Hubbard kinds running one into the other and Squash, and Scalloped White Bush. __ closely linking the group with the Per- JOHN W. ODELB@, sian Iris. For the moment, however, we ay rest content with a brief outline of e four or five recognised species. The best known of these is Irs etdreichii—the plant of our plate, first

Good Kinds.

The Grove, Stanmore.

CoRIARIA TERMINALIS.—To Messrs. Veitcho Exeter we are indebted for finely fruited sprays of this plant, so utterly unlike others as to be

worth a place in gardens of light soil. It isa _ : stout herbaceous sub-shrub of rapid growth in flowered at Kew ; shown by Messrs.

a sunny spot, bearing at the end of every shoot | Wallace of Colchester before the Royal tapering spikes of glistening yellow berries, | Horticultural Society In February 1900, thickly set upon a crimson stem. The finest of | it gained a first-class certificate as [77s these spikes measure fully 9 inches long, and © stenophylla—a name since corrected. It

though smallerthan this upon the side shoots, | ° : the combined effect is good and continuous. | }§ 4 charming bulb for the rock-garden

Being of sappy growth thebranchessoon droop in early spring, hardy, distinctin colour, when cut, but in the autumn border it is new | and the bestof the one-flowered section and striking. A native of Sikkim, it is hardy ne Juno Iris. The blue coloumtemut

everywhere in the south of Been The ee: . : flowers are not showy, and, as in others of the flowers and its free growth single it out

family, the berries are poisonous. from the forms of J. persica, its vigour

* With coloured plate from a drawing by H. G. Moon at Warley Place.

IRIS HELDREICHII.

NEW EARLY-FLOWERING IRIS,

329

showing in the stout fleshy roots, and flowers often 4. inchesacross, upon stems 3 to ginches high. Itbloomsvery early, the first flowers opening in January of a mild season, though early March is its time of full beauty. Though of good substance, the flowers cannot always withstand our rough March weather in the open, but with the shelter of a glass shade or a spare light they will last for three weeks in beauty. The plant is of easy growth, doing well in any good garden soil, and content with the treat- ment of other rock plants. A pretty effect can be gained in the contrast of a group of these fine blue flowers with massesof Winter Aconite, or the yellow Winter Jasmine. There are forms with slight differences in colour, butall share a distinct shade of violet-blue. It is a good plant for gentle forcing, flowering early, and its blossoms fragrant. After flowering indoors the bulbs should be hardened off and planted as little groups in the border or rock-garden, where their effect is increased by a carpet of neat plants to cover the soil and prevent splashing. Slugs—the one drawback to this plan—may be guarded against by mixing sharp sand freely with the soil; this is itself good thing for many of the creeping plantssuited tothe purpose. In its own country 77s A eldreichit grows upon the lower mountain slopes, often blooming very early in the shelter of thick belts of Corsican Pine.

Ir1ts BoLLEANA.—A scarce and beau- tiful plant, of which a small quantity has been found upon low limestone hills skirting the coast, and only a few hun- dred feet above the sea. Its flowers are

of clear yellow, with or without blotches of bright violet on the tips of the inner bracts, and similar in character to others of the group. Low tufts of very narrow leaves, which are limp and strangely curled as though falling in disorder.

Iris SieHEANA.—Regarding this plant (also known as I. Hausknechtit) there is someconfusion, duein part to its variable character. Ithasalso borne the name [ris persica magna, but is a distinct species though nearly allied to the Persian Iris, and like it in its feebler growth. So far it has not done so well as the other new kinds but is still under trial. Its forms vary a good deal,the leaf being broadand white-margined in some plants, and in others narrow, much longer, and curl- ing over in disorder. The flowers, too —one to each plant—vary from silver- grey marked with red, to pale reddish- purple blotched with white and yellow, and spotted with deep brown. Though beautifully blended its tones are too subdued for effective garden use. This species is from the province of Amasia in Asia Minor, growing upon dry hill- sides amid the dense brush of Pine- forests.

Iris Taurt.—For beauty and rich colour this promises to be one of the best of new Iris, while it is also early in flower, and unhurt by severe weather even when starting into growth. It might almost be called an alpine Iris, coming from mountain pastures of the eastern Taurusat over 6,000 feet,though also found in woods of Juniper at a lower level. Its first flowers open with the melting of the snow and a few weeks

after those of I. He/dreichii,which never

339

FLORA AND SYLVA,

reaches so high as this; its time of full beauty during March is, however, very little later and its season quite as long. Each bulb bears three flowers of nearl 4 inches across but variable in colour, form, and fragrance, some coming near I. Heldreichii and others more like the Persian Iris. The colour prevailing in all these forms is rich violet or violet- purple, but we find shades of blue, rich violets shading to green, blotches of purple touching black, with showywhite flakes upon the broad blade, flanking a central stripe of rich yellow. Even the folded buds are of a pretty bronze or old gold, and the flowers keep their colour so well that few among bulbous Iris can equal it for effect. The leaves are 4 to 6 inches long, very broad, springing from white sheaths, and produced intwo ranks at the same time as the flowers. Its culture is simple in any warm spot in the rock-garden or border, with a deep run of light soil mixed with porous frag- ments to ensure drainage and the depth necessary to the long fleshy roots.

Groriosas, or CLiimBinG Litres.—In addition to the kinds of Gloriosa described in the Au- gust number of FLora (page 248), there is a very distinct one which has recently been grown and exhibited in England.—G/oriosa superba var. lutea. It bears flowers of pure buff- yellow without a trace of red, is of tall growth, and a free bloomer. ‘The petals vary in width, being fairly broad in some plants and very nar- row and curled in others. This variety was found by myself in Rhodesia, in December of 1899, and almost at the same time by my husband, in an out-of-the-way part of the country some 70 miles nearer the Zambesi than where I obtained my tubers. They were exhibited in 1901 and again two years later, when they gained an award of merit from the Royal Horticultural Society under the name

Gloriosa lutea. It was considered by the Society as a new species; the dried flowers brought home in our collection for the Kew herbarium were previously named G/oriosa superba var. /utea,and for the present that name must stand, but the Kew authorities had not seen an entire or living specimen. The plant is most attrac- tive, and well worth cultivation.

I see that G. Carsoni is referred to in the same list as from near Tanganyika, but I have seen and collected plenty of it in Rhodesia. It grows therein dry open ground with nothing to cling to, the stems standing quite erect and about 3 feet high.

ALICIA M. CECIL.

10, Eaton Place, S.W.

THE GREATER TREES OF THE NORTHERN FOREST.—No. 20. THE BEECH (fagus sylvatica).

Ons of the kings of the northern forest for beauty and stature, the Beech has a merit over the Oak in that it grows over a much widerareain all sorts of poorand arid situations, from Northern Greece to Denmark. The Oak loves the cool and rich lowland soils and must have them if we are to get good results, but the Beech adornsand enriches the poor- est land weknow—chalky downs,sandy wastes, and rocky hills. This is a great merit in view of the vast area of down country, often bare of trees, in southern England, as well as the poor limestone hills of Ireland and the north country. The economic value of this tree we may seein Bucksand the districts near, where poor ground covered with Beech gives five times what it would yield as arable. To show what a return Beech will give on such soils we have an apt instance in the great Beech forest at Lyons-la-Forét in northern France, under conditions of soil and climate which are much like those of ourown country; it proves also

THE BEECH.

331

how valuable are forests of one kind of | belief that no shrub will grow beneath tree when that is the one best suited to the Beech, but this is happily untrue, for the soil. The Beech has been the pre- ‘the best of all ourevergreens, the Holly, vailing tree in this district for ages, the often grows well of its own choice in present forest being one of the oldest Beech woodlands, giving a pretty effect in France, and in former days reserved | in them, though its growth may be less to the kings for hunting. Itis planted vigorous than where more exposed. As on the “‘high forest” plan, z.e., without | little else will grow under Beeches, it _would be wise forthose who care for the

underwood, and covers an area of about 26,000 acres, mainly of chalky soil, and

for that reason is given up to the best _

native tree for such land. The trees are

in the main not better grown than those |

of English woods, but in some parts have reached great sizeand dignity; in fertile hollows stems of 140 to 1 50feet are not uncommon, and I measured one stem 160 feet high. They stand shoulder to shoulder in close rank, though not so thickly as to injure each other. They are thinned in regular years according torequirement, and each tree hasall the space given to it that it really needs to grow well. There is no underwood, the

aim being to grow treeswith the largest |

amount of bole. In spite of the present low value of timber, and after all wage payments for keepers, woodsmen, and a first-class forest superintendent have been deducted, the forest pays an annual revenue of over twelve shillings per acre to the State. Thus we have evidence of the great value of the Beech in wood- lands of the home counties and in the forests of Normandy. With us it is true that owing to foreign imports the work of the rural industries concerned with home-grown timber has been much re- duced, but itisto be hoped that the pre- sent neglect to safeguard these industries will not go on for ever. It isa common

beauty of the wood to add groups of seedling Hollies here and there, to gain the pretty evergreen undergrowth of Holly that may be seen in some of the Berkshire Beech woods, and also in Ep- ping Forest.

The natural area of the Beech extends from Sicily to beyond Christiania in Norway, and from the Caspian to the shores of the

Area.

Atlantic, including France, but exclud-

ing the greater part of Spain and Algeria. Only in the northern parts of this area, as upon the shores of the North Sea and around the Baltic, isita tree ofthe plains. Its maximum elevation in Norway is below 1,000 feet, while on the slopes of Mount Etna it rises above 7,000 feet. In the Vosges of France its limit is be- tween 4,000 and 5,000 feet; 5,000 in the Alpsof Jura; 4,400feetupon Mount Cenis; and between 5,000 and 6,000 in the Pyrenees. The southern limits of its zone are less defined, but it includes the region of the Vinewithout,however, descending into the valleys. Towards the north and in high altitudes it is checked by the cold, and disappears even from the plains.

The Beech is so good in colour that we can hardly misplace it, though, per-

In the Land- scape.

Soe

FLORA AND SYLVA,

haps, for its fine winter as well as sum- mer effect it is best seen as a massed woodland tree. Its colourchangesmuch during the growing season, being of a light green at first, gradually becoming darker as the season advances till its autumn hues appear, when it assumes a warm russet-brown colour. In fine au- tumns especially its effect 1s as good as

that of any tree, its colour lasting longer —

than that of many of the American trees.

bronze or purple colour: it should be used sparingly, and I only name it here because it can be raised true, or near]

so, from seed. Some which I have lately planted in that way promise to take their placeamong forest trees, and being seed-

riety as to colour.

Loose, gravelly, and permeable soils suit the Beech best when fed with fre- quent rains; stiff, moist, and swampy soils are not so good, though we may see it sometimes thriving in such land. The chemical nature ofthe soil isimmaterial, and fine Beech trees are met with upon sand, granite grit, chalk, and light soils; but chalky soils as of the Chiltern Hills and South Downs suit it best. Left alone its tendency is to oust other trees such as the Oak, the Pine, and the Birch, and in Denmark and Holland the Beech has bit by bit overgrown all its rivals.

The wood of the Beech is white when freshly cut, but takes a reddish tinge upon exposure, and in seasoning becomes a uniform light red colour, without any marked distinc- tion between the sapwood and the hard wood. In the heart of old and diseased

Wood.

trees it often takes a russet colour. The grain is not close, and the wood is want-

ing in suppleness, apt to warp, liable

to become worm-eaten, and does not polish well. Exposed to changes of heat and moisture it does not last, but in water, or in wet places, it is more dur- able. Being easily worked it is used in various industries suchas cart-building, chair-making, for clogs,and for turners’,

joiners’, and coopers’ work. It is one of A variety of the Beech has leaves of deep-

those woods easily treated with preser- vatives, and when so prepared is valued

for railway “sleepers.” It has also an

important use as fuel, not that its heat-

ing capacity is higher than that of other

trees, but being abundant in many lands

_itismorecommonly used. It yields char- lings we may look forward to some va-_

coal which glows to its last ember, and

itis therefore esteemed in cookery and

in smelting industries. As firewood it is good, and burns with a cheery flame, the logs melting away sooner thanthose

_of Oak.

In the great forests of the continent tall seedling trees are left here and there to renew the forest when the grown trees are cleared off. Stocks of young trees

are usually abundant in forest nurseries, and only upon the largest estates, or

where the soil is specially suited to the tree, is it worth while to raise it from seed. In woods where swine feed, quan- tities of seed are often trodden into the ground, and springing up help to its renewal.

REFERENCES.—Mathieu, Flore Forestiére, 4th edition, p- 314; Selby, British Forest Trees, p. 305; Loudon’s Arboretum Britannicum, vol. 3, p. 1950 ; Cobbet’s Wood- lands, par. 144; Boppée et Jolyet, Les Foréts, p. 67; D. Cannon, Semer et Planter, pp. 69 and 169; Hartig, Diseases of Trees, p. 308; Evelyn’s Silva, vol. 1, p. 131; Nisbet, Forests and Woodlands, p. 130.

te Be a

ay av

THE COOLER FILMY FERNS.

O35

THE COOLER FILMY FERNS.

Amonc the myriad forms of plant lifefew are of greater interest and beauty than these exquisite and fragile trailers, with their transparent and lace-like tissues, often finely tinted, and thriving under conditions impossible to most other plants. ‘Their charm is such that when once anyone is interested in their cul- ture, they often become enthusiastic col- lectors of the many fine kinds now at command, and the ease with which most of these are grown makethem one of the

and beautiful specimen plants are often so grown and thrivefor years; but where a small house can be given up to them the result is more satisfactory and their

beauty better enjoyed than when more

closely confined. Our engraving gives some idea of what can be done in this way

under conditions unsuited to the growth

of anything but Ferns—of which these are without question the most beautiful group.

Much difference of opinion has ex- isted as to the place that the Filmy Ferns

A HOUSE OF

most satisfactory of plant studies. That they do so well in towns is one of their great merits, and there is manya gloomy courtyard or passage in our cities, never reached by the sun and so shut in as to secure the even temperature so desirable, that, with a little contrivance, may be transformed into a scene from fairyland by the useof Filmy Ferns. It is also pos- sible to grow them well in living rooms —under bell-jars, and in fern-cases—

FILMY FERNS.

should occupy, for whilst one of our greatest authorities separates them from the true Ferns, others have placed them at the head of the list. Their true place is, perhaps, the lowest in the order, their structure being the simplest to befound among Ferns. Most of the Filmy Ferns will thrive in a lower temperature than would seem reasonable in view of their native countries, but it must be borne in mind that although many of them are

334

FLORA AND SYLVA.

from tropical lands they grow 1nmoun- tain forests or in deep shady ravines often at a great height, and thus do notrequire the heat that one mightsuppose. Atthe same time there arekinds which will not thrive without brisk stoveheat. Though Filmy Ferns are not difficult to grow they will not suffer neglect, but must be cared for, and the conditions of at- mosphere and temperature constantly watched. Moistair, asubdued light, and even temperature are the three essen- tials to their well-being. With a fewex- ceptions, they dislike heavy gloom, yet should never be exposed to the sun’s rays. Somegrowers sprinkle their plants overhead, and I am aware that a few are sufficiently robust to stand this treat- ment, but if continued it causes man

to lose the delicate green of theirfronds, whilst syringing is fatal to the woolly- haired species. The syringe may, how- ever, be used amongst Filmy Ferns to damp the floors, stages, or walls, which, with some pans of water for evapora- tion, will be found sufhcient to charge the air with moisture, and produce a dew-like mist on the foliage such as they enjoy; for,although theirfronds should never be allowed to curl, it is not well to keep them in a drenched state, and those who preserve the happy medium will secure the greatest success. For growing Filmy Ferns upon a largescale, a house should be given up to them, but in such a house many other Ferns would grow better than in an ordinary stove or greenhouse. For such a house I would choose if possible a natural, narrow ra- vine, roof it with glass, and glaze the ends; such a house would be inexpen-

sive to build and to heat. In its fitting up, blocks of sandstone should be pro- vided for the Ferns to cling to, and to hold the moisture so necessary to their fine roots. Where this is impossible the next plan is to have a few large Wardian cases, fitted up with sandstone in minia- ture rocks and valleys to give surface and foothold; or the walls of a plant house may be covered with glass doors, and nooks made for Filmy Ferns,which, for convenience sake, may be divided into two sections—those with erect stems, and those with creeping root- stocks. Thoseof the first section should be planted in the usual way in good rough peat, a little loam, plenty of sharp sand, and live Sphagnum Moss; always bearing in mind that good drainage for the roots is essential. Those of the second section, with creeping stems, usually produce aérial roots, which cling to any moist surface; blocks of sand- stone suit them admirably and will soon be clothed with delicate drapery. There are a few kinds outside either of these sections, with climbing stems but no aérial roots; these should be planted in

‘hanging baskets or in a rocky niche from which they can trail downwards.

Many of the Filmy Ferns are rare and expensive, butsome are within the reach of moderate means; moreover, all those here quoted as thriving in a greenhouse may be grown in a Fern-case in the drawing-roomand enjoyed to fuller per- fection than in their native glens. Many of these Ferns have been introduced b

Messrs. Backhouse, of York, by whom they are well grown, and a number of kinds may be seen at Kew, but many

THE COOLER

FILMY FERNS. 335

of the finest plants and collections of Filmy Ferns belong to private growers in towns and cities where Wardian cases and other contrivances are often used with wonderful success. In growing these plants it is impossible to maintain a fixed temperature, but one as even as can be is a matter of importance, for in their native forests and sheltered ravines thevariation of temperatureis veryslight, and experience proves thata quiet, shady atmosphere and uniform temperature produce the best results. These green- house kinds thrive at from 40 to 60 de- grees, and though during the summer it is not always possible to keep the

temperature so low, they will not suffer | forawhile. As the charmof these plants _

is the freshness of their delicate fronds,

which it is impossible to cleanse when oncesoiled, only the purest water should

be used in damping them and hence

the gain in keeping their surroundings |

moist, for when watered by their own

condensed moisture, all impurities are

left behind. ‘The following are all worth growing, each possessing charms of its own, although it is not likely that all will find place in one collection :—

Hymenophyllum aruginosum.— On account of the long whit- ish or tawny hairs with which the fronds are clothed, this kind must not be watered overhead. Its fine creeping roots throw masses of tiny oblong fronds, thrice cut into close dense segments, covered with long silvery hairs becoming yellow with age. A handsome plant from New Zealand, thriving upon Fern-stems or bare moist sandstone.

H. biva/ve.—In cultivation this is rare and not common in its own country; the fronds are erect and broadly triangular, three times divided, the segments being somewhat spiny ; colour deep green. New Zealand.

True Filmy Ferns.

H. caudiculatum.—A fine bold- growing species covering moss-grown tree-trunks. It is one of the finest of cultivated Hymenophyl- lums, with translucid fronds 10 to 40 inches long, their stems broadly winged and the leafy portion spreading and thrice divided, the tails of the segments being drawn out into long tail-like points; colour, bright shining green. Abundant onthe Organ Mountains,and thence through Peru, into Chili.

H. chiloense. —One of the gems of the group, growing in dense tufts completely co- vering rocks and tree-trunks in its own coun- try. Its tiny triangular fronds, seldom more than 2 inches long, are once or twice divided, clothed with simple rigid hairs, and pale green in colour, with conspicuous dark veining over the entire surface. Chili, and Isle of Chiloe.

TUNBRIDGE FILMY FERN (HYMENOPHYLLUM TUNBRIDGENSE).

H. crispatum.—A variable plant, specimens from northern India differing widely from the form found in New Zealand. The roots are creeping, with fronds of 4 to 6 inches long and much waved and crisped, thrice divided into blunt segments, and deep green in colour. It covers a block of sandstone or a Fern-stem with a dense drapery, beautifully curled, and distinct in appearance.

Hi. cruentum.—A very distinct plant with small entire fronds of only a few inches, trans- parent as sea-weed, broadly triangular, and prominently veined; when young they are green, changing with age to a rosy-brown or dull red, and lasting for a long time. A very rare plant from Chiloe and Valdivia, where its creeping stems grow over moist tree-trunks.

336

FLORA AND SYLVA,

H. demissum.—This fine species is a gene- ral favourite and the easiest of all to grow, producing deep green fronds, which are thrice cut into very fine segments. The best kind for beginners and one of the most beautiful, the light and dark green of the young and old fronds being prettily contrasted. New Zea- land, and islands of the Pacific.

H. dichotomum.—Acharming dwarfspecies, thriving upon mossy trees and remarkable for its finely crisped fronds of pure transparent tex- ture, which single it out from other kinds. Its fronds are about 6 inches long, broadly trian- gular in shape, and twice divided; the deli- cately crisped segments are somewhat toothed or spiny at the edges, and deep green in colour; roots creeping. Grows well upon Tree-Ferns or even a wooden block covered with moss. Chiloe and Juan Fernandez.

H. dilatatum.—This is perhaps the largest and most beautiful of the genus. Its fronds are broad, three times divided, with the stems winged, of a delicate translucid green colour, 12 to 18 inches long and gracefully arched ; they grow upon creeping roots, which should

not be buried but allowed to climb. Abundant |

in New Zealand, Java, and the isles of the Pa- cific, thriving upon mossy tree-trunks.

H. flabellatum.—A variable species, some forms bearing short, dense fronds, while more often they measure 10 or 12 inches; they are twice divided and of bright, shining green co- lour. Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand, the creeping roots growing over Tree-Ferns or filling the moist hollows of rocks and tree- trunks. Syns. H. ntens and H. nitidum.

H. flexuosum.—A Fern with broadly ovate fronds, finely crisped and waved at the margin, much divided, deep green in colour, and nearly a foot long. It is one of the few kinds not in- jured by overhead sprinkling. Akin to H. cris- patum, it is found only in North Island, New Zealand, its wiry roots rambling through de- caying vegetation.

H. fuciforme.—A charming plant of very strong growth, thriving upon tree-trunks in shady woods. The fronds are from 1 to 2 feet long,very broad, erect,smoothly shining, much winged, and suffused with a beautiful grey bloom. Its creeping roots are thicker than in most Filmy Ferns, and more like the woody crowns of other Ferns. It delights in a moist

atmosphere, and is from the islands of Chiloe and Juan Fernandez, but very rare.

H. magellanicum.— Creeping roots, with upright, rigid fronds upon wiry, winged stems of several inches; the leaflets thrice divided, tough in texture, with the margins toothed and hairy, and pale green in colour. Very im- patient of water upon the fronds. From Chiloe and heights of the Organ Mountains in Brazil. Syn. H. attenuatum.

H. pectinatum.—One ot the best kinds, very distinct from others, but seldom seen in collections. Creeping roots, with fronds of 6 inches or more, grey-green in colour and beau- tifully veined, their tips curving upward, and toothed on the upper side only, thus resembling

/a comb. Found only in southern Chili.

H. polyanthos.—A species of wide range, common in the West Indies, South America, Western Africa, the East Indies, New Zealand, and other lands, and much varied as a result. The West Indian form is commonest in collec-

tions, but from dried specimens that from | New Zealand would seem the most beautiful.

Root-stock wiry and creeping, with fronds thrice divided, dark green, and 6 to 12 inches long. This kind does well in an airy place, or may be grown very prettily hanging from wooden blocks or bits of Fern-trunk, where its finely arching fronds are well seen. Syn. H. protrusum. A form from Ceylon and Malacca, known as B/umeanum, has its fronds narrower and more tapering.

H. pulcherrimum.—This rare plant is near to H. dilatatum, and fully as graceful yet very different. The triangular fronds are 8 to 15 inches long, and 4 to 6 inches broad, deeply divided into fine segments of soft texture and pale green colour, drooping from the creeping roots. New Zealand, about Lake Waikare.

H. scabrum.—A fine erect-growing plant with finely arching fronds of 12 to 20 inches, the segments being several times divided ; their colour is dark dull green, in effective contrast with the stout reddish hairs upon the stem. New Zealand. It does best in an airy place and is averse to havingits roots buried or the fronds wetted overhead.

H. tunbridgense—A compact little plant, which although a native is well worth grow- ing, but not the easiest to manage. The fronds are freely produced and soon cover the ground

FILMY FERNS.

3a)

with a beautiful carpet ; they are 3 or 4 inches long, erect, twice divided, and olive-green in colour; if watered overhead, however, they soon turn black. It does best in a layer of peat or sand pressed hard upon sandstone, but is often difficult to start; a way that often suc- ceeds is to lay the young plant upon bare sand- stone with a second slab over it for several weeks; upon its removal the roots have often taken firm hold of the sandstone, and soil may be added as required. Though called a British plant it has a wide range, being found in Ma- deira, the West Indies, Central and SouthAme- rica, and parts of India and Japan, at heights of 1,000 to 5,000 feet. It seeks a damp and sheltered spot, growing best upon perpendi- cular rocks and tree-trunks.

H.. valvatum.—A charming plant of dis-

tinct habit, producing from creeping roots | a foot wide, and of the most dainty appearance.

fronds of 6 to 12 inches, very transparent in texture, broadly oblong, and thrice cut into nar- row, waved segments, slightly hairy, smooth, and rich green incolour. This kind makes its growth in autumnand winter whenother ferns from the same region are at rest, and though not a hairy kind it is very sensitive to water upon its delicate fronds. Central America, Columbia, and Peru, often at heights of 3,000 to 6,000 feet.

H. unilaterale.—T hough often called a Bri- |

tish plant under the name of Wilson’s Filmy Fern, this is widely distributed. It resembles the Tunbridge Fern (H. tunbridgense), but is commoner, and may be known trom it by its longer, narrower fronds and their curved seg- ments, its more rigid habit, and by the edges of the involucre being smooth. Another pe- culiarity is the renewed growth of the old fronds during several seasons. It is a pretty plant, common in parts of Scotland, and also found in northern Europe, South Africa, South America, and New Zealand.

Todea hymenophylloides. —A charming Fern of easy cul- ture and dainty deep-cut fronds. Its trunk is thick and erect, and the fronds from I to 2 feet or more in length, tri- angular in outline, thrice divided, very trans- parent, and deep green. It is a good plant for the Wardian caseand easily grown from spores, the seedlings showing much variety as to form but always sterile; one dense and tufted variety

Crape Ferns (Todea).

bears the name compacta. Syns. T. pellucida, and Leptopteris hymenophylloides.

T. intermedia.—A plant of robust growth, with fronds of the shape, form, and transparent texture of the kind just described, yet curled and crisped as in L. superba, with stalks densely covered with short, woolly hairs. It is thus

_ between the two, and while found wild in

parts of New Zealand, others identical with

it have been raised by crossing, proving it to

|

|

|

be a natural hybrid. T. superba.—lIt is impossible to fitly de-

_ scribe this beautiful Fern, known variously as

the “Ctape Pern, “Prince of Wales's Pea- thers,” and the “ New Zealand Filmy Fern.” Its crown swells into a knotted fibrous mass rather than a trunk, though sometimes 18 inches high, and supports a crown of dense fronds from 2 to 4 feet long, 6 inches to nearly

The segments are finely divided, beautifully waved and crisped, and of a brilliant sea-green. The points of the segments curl upwards over the fronds, like the curling plumes of an ostrich feather. It grows in shady dells, upon rotten leaf-mould, and does well in a Wardian case. New Zealand. Syn. Leptopterts superba. Trichomanes exsectum.—A love- Bristle Ferns. ly species with creeping roots which hang from the roofs of damp caverns and overhanging rocks. Its fronds are slender, pendulous, and cut into delicate segmentsas fineand transparent as the daintiest green sea-weed ; they are often 10 or 12 inches long and nearly 6 inches wide, with segments finely divided, and vivid green. Grows well upon hard wood or stone. Southern Chili and Juan Fernandez.

T. humile.—A pretty dwarf-growing Fern forming a dense covering wherever it spreads. The fronds, produced upon slender creeping roots are often only 2 inches long, lanceolate in shape, and twice deeply divided into narrow segments of bright transparent green. Does well upon a block of fern-trunk. New Zealand, Java, and islands of the Pacific.

T. parvulum.—A very dwarf kind, easily grown and suited to small fern cases as doing welluponsmall pieces of peat or fern-trunk sus- pended from the roof, and quickly covered by the thread-like interlacing stems. I have never seen the fronds more than an inch long ; they

Y

338

FLORA AND SYLVA,

are densely matted and rounded like a minia- ture Fan Palm, deep shining green in colour, and very transparent. A plant widely spread through China, Japan, the East Indies, and Madagascar.

T. Pyxidiferum.—This covers a wide area, being common in the West Indian Islands, South America, and at considerable elevations on the Cameroons Mountains of West Africa; as a result it varies much. The fronds are pro- duced upon slender woolly roots, which creep over the trunks of Palms and other trees; they vary from 3 to 6inches in length, andare twice or three times divided into narrow, transparent segments, deep green in colour, which quickly weave a rich drapery in the Fern-case.

T. radicans.—A charming plant and one of the loveliest of Filmy Ferns, familiar to many as the“ Killarney Fern,” but little of it is now to be found there, though it grows freely inadjoin- ing counties. Itis the most beautiful of all Bri- tish Ferns, spreading by acreeping root which bears fronds from 6 to 18 inches long, broadly ovate in shape, very dense, much divided, and deep sea-green in colour. Of this species there are many forms, all differing in beauty. It de- lights in heavy shade and has a fondness for creeping over stones. Though found in parts of Wales, it is unknown in England and Scot- land, though it grew in Yorkshire many years ago till hunted to death by collectors. It is, however, widely spread over both hemispheres with forms in the West Indies and North and South America, reaching eastward through the Azores to Spain and even India, and westward through the islands ofthe Pacific. Its best varie- ties are a/abamense, a very pretty plant found upon wet and shaded rocks never reached by the sun, its delicate fronds lasting fresh for se- veralseasons; Andrewsii,an Irish form with nar- rower and less compact fronds; cambricum, the Welsh variety, differing slightly in the form of segments ; concinnum, with oval fronds upon very short stalks; d//atatum, very distinct, with large dark green fronds and coarser segments ; Kunzeanum,a Brazilian form with firm leathery fronds of 12 to 18 inches; Luschnatianum, also from South America, in which the fronds have no stalk, but areattached directly to the creep- ing roots; and pro/iferum, avery curious Irish variety, reproducing itself from small bulbils asin certain Aspleniums. Syn. T. drevisetum.

T. reniforme.—This peculiar little plant is knownas the “ Kidney Fern” of New Zealand, with creeping rootsand leathery but very trans- parent fronds, nearly round, and of rich deep green; when fertile the spores form a beau- tiful fringe round the edges of the fronds, which on strong plants are 4 to 8 inches wide. It does best upon soft broken sandstone, mixed with rough peat.

T. rigidum.—A charming and distinct plant of broadly oval fronds, variable as tosize, divided three or even four times into very dainty segments, the lower lobes narrow, toothed, and of firm texture. Its habit appears a little stiff from the long rigid stalks support- ing the fronds. West Indies, South America,

NEW ZEALAND KIDNEY FERN (TRICHOMANES RENIFORME).

the Philippines, and Ceylon. The plant known as T. e/ongatum is now considered as a form of this, with a tufted habit and fronds of 6 to 12 inches in height; they are triangular, twice divided, dense, and deep green in colour. New Zealand. Syns. T. obscurum and achillea- Solium.

T. venosum.—A free-growing plant which soon covers a Fernstump or block ofsandstone, often being found to clothe Fern stems or tree trunks to a great height. The root-stock is thread-like in its slenderness, with fronds from 2 to 5 inches in length, pinnate, very delicate, and of shining light green. Abundant in New Zealand, East Indies, and Tasmania.

G.

Ges oe CE,

ANDROSACE. Or all flowering plants forrock-gardens this group is the most truly alpine. It is confined to the bleak summits many thousands of feet above the sea, beyond the limits of tree or shrub, and rarely creeps down even to the highest of the scanty pastures, as do the Gentians and other alpine flowers. Some miniature kinds grow like tiny shrubs dotted upon the open slopes, where the snow falls early in autumn. Others are yet more shy, clinging like tufts of moss to the rocks, nestling in the clefts upon their

sunny and more sheltered surfaces, be-

side the alpine Primulas to which they are nearly related. Their way of growth is usually as tiny cushions of green, or grey, or silver, often little more than an inch high and set as closely beneath a

339

|

alpine gems. Nor is it only the need of rocky cleftsand fissures, filled with good soil,and secure from extremes of wet or drought, but the very nature of the rock —w;hether sand or limestone—is of im- portance, as failure often results from want of care upon this point. As with the mountain Primulas, it is waste of effort to try to grow the sand-loving kinds in any other soil, and failureis just as certain if those found upon limestone soilsaredeprived of it. Thenagain,when outof flowerit is easy to forget such tiny tufts of verdure, so that they often suf- fer neglect while making the summer growth upon which their beauty de-

pends. A constant watch is needed for

_aphis, slugs, and red-spider, some kinds,

such as 4. Chamayjasme, being often

sheltering ledge or in a crevice as any > i

limpet on its rock. Deep buried in the snowdrifts they rest unharmed the win-

ter through, and when the lengthening |

days end their long night it is time to

hide themselves anew, in such a burst of |

flower that one is eam to marvel at their beauty. Owing to changed conditions they bloom earlier in our rock-gardens, and through a longer season thanon the mountains.

A few kinds such as 4. lanuginosa and sarmentosa dowell almost anywhere, if nottoo near the smoke and dust of towns; butmany sorts, among the dwarf ‘mossy ” kinds, rarely thrive except in northern or hilly districts, and under conditionsmorelike those oftheir native haunts. To find such conditions is difhcult in many gardens, and in this lies the care required by these

Culture.

killed or much weakened by this pest.

‘Towards autumn syringing them with

clear water does good, and a surface- dressing of soil and stone-chips helps

before winter, and should, if need be, be renewed in spring, when all planting should also be done. When this top- dressing is well donefresh rootsare often made from the under-side of the pro- strate stems, and this isagreat gain. The woolly-haired kinds, which often fail from damp in our winters, should be planted in thecrevices of upright rocks, or under protecting ledges such as that shown in our engraving ; where this is not possible it is a great help to cover them from October to March with a tilted glass, to ward off rain and cold dews, while allowing a free play of air. The rocksamong which theyareplanted should be well sunk in the ground with thinlayers of good soiland broken stone

ng

340

FLORA AND SYLVA,

between them; the roots of the Andro- sace delight in the layer of moist earth just under stones. Most kinds thrive in full sun, the bestaspects being southand west, never north. Some kinds do well in potsand are pretty so fora cool house inspring, and afterwards plunged tothe rim in moist sand, cocoa-fibre, or some similarly cool material. While a few kinds may be raised from runners and cuttings,and some others from division, many sorts can only be grown from seed sown in sandy peat as soon as ripe, and this way should be followed in the hope of good varieties. Over forty species of Androsace are known and others may be found whenthe mountains of Thibet and Western China are fully explored. Twenty kinds are found in the Alps, some extending eastward by way of Aus- tria, or southward tothe Pyrenees,where

try. One little gem is found only upon the rocky heights above Lake Como; others are traced through Spain into North Africa, though not confined to

either of those regions. Four species are oe an pentdny by pleeecen G7 ilcr he

known among the mountains of the

Caucasus and four again in Northern | cies in the Kew list many authors regard this

Asia, one kind extending through the

arctic regions into North America. A

large and distinct group belongs to the Himalayasand reaches thence to China; of these about thirty kinds have been described, of which a few have reached our gardens, but the larger number are not in cultivation. A few of the Euro- pean species, such as 4. vs//osa, are also found in the Himalayas, but they dif- fer from the more compact and tufted western forms. One kind lately intro-

duced is said to come from the extreme ot South America, and is interesting as being the first from that region. The Androsaces may be divided into two groups; one including such easily grown kinds as 4. danuginosa and sarmentosa, which grow in open soil with other plants upon the mountain side; and a second groupforming stemlesstuftsand

found only in rocky clefts. Those of the

first group will often thrivein level bor- ders of free soil, and root from cuttings, or division; the mossy kinds are happy only uponthe rocks andare raised solely from seed. The following list gives the best kindsin cultivation and ofvalue for thechoicer parts of the rock-garden:—

Androsace Albana.—One of the mossy kinds, forming small rosettes of deeply-toothed ovalleavesand dense heads of pale pink flowers from April to July. A plant newly introduced

| from the Caucasus and still rare in gardens. four others occur peculiar to that coun- |

A. alpina.—A gem inthe rock-garden but not easily grown. Its tiny tongue-shaped leaves

are in crowded rosettes, forming cushions of _2or 3incheshigh covered in June with flowers _—one from each rosette—rosy-purple with a yellow centre. It needs peat soil, moisture at

the root, and a rather shaded spot ; its leaves

tween upright stones. Syn. 4. ciliata. A. arachnoidea.—Though classed asa spe-

as a local form of 4. vi//osa, from which it differs in its denser hairiness. Mountains of

| the Della Torre in Eastern Europe.

A. brigantiaca.—A pretty plant thriving

| only in sandy or granite soils and upon slopes

shaded from strong sun. It comes very near 4. carnea, but with leaves of deeper green, and pure white flowers.

A. carnea.—One of the best kinds, early in flower, free, and easily grown in light soils without lime ; being less dense and woolly than many sorts it is not so apt to ‘damp off” in winter. It does not form rosettes but little spreading shoots covered with narrow pointed

ANDROSACE,

341

leaves of grey-green almost like atwig of Juni- per, and heads of rosy or pink flowers with a yellow eye. Water freely in dry weather, and shelter from the fiercest glareinsummer. Alps, mountains of Auvergne, and Pyrenees, from 6,000 to 8,000 feet. Syns. 4. Lachenalu, and puberula. Seeds, sown as soon as ripe.

A. carnea var. eximia.—A form of the last, hardier, more robust, and with larger flowers. It grows quickly into tutts 3 inches high and 6 or more across, if encouraged by dressings of light and gritty soil into which the prostrate shoots send roots from the under side.

A. caucasica.—A pretty little plant, new as yet, and hardly known. Narrow leaves in dense rosettes, with heads of bright pink flowers upon very short stalks, during summer. Caucasus.

A. Charpentiert.—A distinct kind and one of the neatest of alpine plants, free in flower, and of strong growth in sandy soils. Rosettes

rounded cone-like columns less than an inch high, covered thickly with hairs, with white flowers nestling in the centre during April and May. Summits of Oule de Marboré, Upper Pyrenees. Syn. 4. frutescens.

A. foliosa.—One of the Himalayan kinds, beautiful in flower, and of free growth when well established, making tufts a toot across in one season. The leaves are not crowded into rosettes but are large and distributedupon erect or trailing stems, green rendered grey with pale hairs, and turning reddish-purple in the au- tumn. The rosy-red flowers come upon long stems from June to September, and are large and carried in big clusters sometimes of fifty flowers, lasting for a long time in beauty. They often change prettily in colour with age, and, as in certain Primulas, other small heads are sometimes thrown up from the centre of the

first cluster. In good years seed ripens, and the

ta Ss ey

wai

ANDROSACE

(Engraved on wood for ‘‘Flora”’ from

of tiny, downy leaves in crowded masses, and |

rich rosy flowers hardly rising above the leaves in June and July, after other kinds have done flowering. Thrives best in crevices of sandstone or granite rock, facing south-west or sheltered from fiercesun. Seed. Alps above Lake Como. Syn. Aretia brevis.

A. ciliata.—A scarce plant from the Py-

SARMENTOSA.

a group on rock-garden at Friar Park.)

|

renees, growing insmall, densecolumns of deep | green leaves fringed along the edges, and_ crowned in April and May by large stemless »

flowers of bright rose. Granite soils. a. cylindrica.—Though classed as a species

plant is easily grown from cuttings taken in autumnandrootedin acold frame during win-

_ ter, or from offsets struck singly in small pots.

The plant grows in deep limestone soil, made light with leaf mould and grit,and mixed with plenty of broken fragments; it does best in full sun, with abundant water to the root in sum- mer. Western Himalayas.

A. glacialis.—In its wild state one of the most beautiful, growing in loose flat tufts of branching stems clothed in downy leaves, and covered during early spring with flowers of vivid pink paling to white. Does best in clefts

this little plant is very like the last and comes of sandstone rock, in full sun. Alpine summits from the same region. It forms mossy tufts of (always granite) at 6,000 to 9,000 feet. Seeds.

cs)

342

FLORA AND SYLVA,

A. Hausmanni.—A species coming very near 4. he/vetica, but of looser habit and flowers of soft pink. Summits of the Tyrol, at 6,000 to 8,000 feet.

A. Heerii.—A very rare plant found only upon the Martinsloch in Switzerland, and a supposed cross between Ae/vetica and glacialts. Tiny saucer-shaped flowers of bright red, and intermediate habit. Syn. 4. dryordes.

A. helvetica.—A charming plant of the mossy section, growing in neat rounded cushionsof grey-green, composed of fine hairy leaves set in rosettes, from thecentre of which a lovely white flower with a yellow eye is put forth during spring. The flowers are so large as often to overlap, and their combined effect likea beautiful white-flowered shrub in minia- ture. Succeeds only in gritty soil and partial shade, planted between limestone rocks closely

of the Alps and Carpathians. Seeds.

A. Hookeriana.—A new and little known species from the Himalayas of Sikkim, Lachen, and Donkiala, at a height of 15,000 feet.

wet. It has neat rosettes of oval, shining green leaves, and in spring, large deep pink flowers in small clusters.

A. imbricata —Pretty in leaf and flower, coming very near 4. he/vetica but of denser growth, leaves narrower and silvery white with tine hairs, and white flowers set off by a bright rosy eye. Grow in granite or sandstone grit in full sun. Syn. 4. argentea. Seeds.

A. lactea—A free, strong-growing plant, making rosettes of shining green leaves, and in spring large white flowers with a yellow centre, in broad loose clusters of five or six. Easily grown in light limestone soil, in full sun cr partual shade. Seeds. Limestone rocks from 3,000 to 4,500 feet, from the Cevennes,through the Alps into Austria. Syn. 4. pauciffora.

A. lactifiora.—A biennial species from Si- beria, raised from seed in autumn, wintered in a cool frame, and planted out in spring. The flowers, of white or pale blue, are borne in large loose clusters of pretty effect during summer. Syns. 4. coronopifolia and alismoides.

A. Laggeri.—A Pyrenean kind,with clusters

| cades, in winter, it thrives as a border plant ; where

of narrow pointed leaves, and flowers of bright

_ pink paling:towards the centre, gathered into

showy little heads of six or eight. Very hardy, it is one of the earliest alpine flowers to open,

starring the cheerful green tufts like a minia-

ture Thrift. Sandy soil in partial shade, and

'no lime. Seeds or cuttings.

Al. lanuginosa.—A lovely plant with trail- ing silvery shoots, leaves covered with silky hairs, and flower clusters of soft rose colour. It does best in warm places near the sea, planted in sunny corners of the rock-garden, and left to trail its silvery tufts in little cas- Where the soil is free and not wet

too heavy, it may be grown on “dry” walls

against moist earth banks. It has a long season

of flower even lasting into October, growing

_ best in south and west aspects, in sandy soils set and deeply buried to secure moisture and drainage at thesame time. Limestonesummits

(or even chalk), with a glass shade in winter. Seed (which ripens only in good years), layers,

_andcuttings. Western Himalayas, from 7,000

to 10,000 feet. A good form of this is Lescht- | lint (syn. oculata) with larger flowers of deeper colour with a conspicuous eye.

Though hardy, it is very apt to damp off in | our winters and should be planted in a mixture of peat and sand among rocks sheltered from |

A.macrantha.—A rare kind from Armenia, with rosettes of narrow, horny-tipped leaves, and clusters of large pure white flowers, borne upon stout stems.

A. magellanica.—A new species from South America, notyet flowered in this country; it is

like 4. cy/indrica in growth, with pure white

flowers. A. maxima.—Unlike others of the group

this isa lowland plant, growing in mountain valleys of France, Switzerland, and the Pyre-

_nees. Flowers white, with a yellow throat.

A. obtusifolia.—A good plant, robust and

easily grown, with large rosettes of spoon- shaped leaves fringed by fine hairs, and short

| downy stems carrying from one to six white or rosy flowers witha yellow eye. It is nearly

6 inches high, and may be gathered by the handful upon the alpine slopes at midsummer. With us it flowers earlier, planted in peaty soil and in fullsun. Alps and Carpathians. Syns. A. aretioides and brevifolia.

A. pubescens—A mossy kind with leaves turning reddish-brown in autumn. It may be known by a small swelling on the very short flower-stem, just below the flower. These are

| white, rather large, with a faint yellow eye,

ANDROSACE.

343

and come singly just above the little cushion of hoary leaves covered with star-like hairs. It is alovely little plant, pretty at allseasons, of easy culture in crevices of sandy soil. Alps.

A. pyrenaica.— One of the same mossy group, with tiny grey rosettes in dense tufts, one flower from every centre, white like /e/- vetica but less pure, not so well formed, and upon short stems. It is not easy to grow well but does best in deep fissures between upright rocks ; it may also be grown on the flat, in peat and sandy loam between buried stones. Central Pyrenees. Syn. Aretia pyrenaica.

A. Raddiana.—A biennialspecies from the Caucasus, worth growing for its rosettes of finely toothed leaves, and heads of pretty rosy flowers. Seed.

A. rotundifolia—A Himalayan plant rare- ly well grown in gardens, very distinct, with rounded kidney-shaped leaves, deeply cut at

the edges, and flowers of lilac or dull purple in

crowded heads. Nepaul. Syns. 4. cordifolia, | andiacisa. A form knownasmacroca/yx ismore | robust, softly hairy all over, with heads of pale |

rose flowers and a spreading calyx.

A. sarmentosa.—A useful and pretty rock- | plant from the Himalayas, with several forms —

linking it with others of the Indian kinds. Its

leaves are silvery with hairs, arranged in dense | rosettes, from which spring a few larger spoon- | shaped leaves around the base of the flower- |

stem, and slender runners which spread and root in all directions. The flowers are in heads of ten to twenty like a little rosy white-eyed Verbena. This kind spreads fast, when kept from damping by a layer of fine stones under the shoots anda glass shade in winter. It thrives

in free limestone soil, firmly wedged between |

masses of rock ina sunny spot. The runners are easily layered and detached when rooted. There are several named forms, including grandifolia, Watkinsi,and primuloides, but only the last,with pretty pale lilac flowers, appears to be in culti-

vation. The plant usually knownas var. Chumbyz |

is now classed as a cross between sarmentosaand villosa. It is of stouter habit, rooting quite as freely from runners, less apt to damp, with flowers of deeper colour and a crimson eye. Himalayas.

A. sempervivoides.—A rare plant, pretty, easily grown, spreading by runners, and bear- ing clusters of pink or purplish flowers upon a

stout stem in Mayand June. Its tiny leaves curl in dense cone-like rosettes, at times only half

_an inch across, but often larger in gardens; the | new shoots only take this curled form as they mature. This is one of the best of the Indian | kinds, quite hardy, and growing well upon

mounds of granite soil packed with stones. Kashmir and Western Thibet, at 11,000 feet. A. septentrionalis.—A biennial species and

_another of the few kinds found at lower levels /among the eastern Alps. Small flowers of

white or pink, with yellow throat.

A. strigilosa.—A quaint plant newly intro- duced from China, with a dense rosette of rigid, spiny leaves, and heads of pretty pink flowers in May. It yields no runners and few offsets, but may be raised from seeds and grown in rich peaty soil, well drained, and in full sun.

ANDROSACE VILLOSA.

A. villosa.—A plant of wide range, from the Alps and Pyrenees eastward to Kashmir and the Himalayas, where it occurs at eleva- tions of 12,000 to 17,000 feet. The western form is tiny, with neat rosettes of shaggy leaves

| so thickly set with white or pale pink flowers

that for the time the plant lies hidden. The Indian variety is of larger growth and blooms later, its leaves silvery with long white hairs, and loose heads of flowers with a raised ring of darker colour at the centre. Well grown this is a gem upon sunny ledges in the rock- arden, planted in rich free soil, with lime rubble and sandstone fragments to keep it well drained; it will also do well in flat borders when the groundis prepared. The downy leaves need shields of glass in winter. Syns.4.capitata and

penicillata. Seed and runners. A. villosa var. Chamajasme.—A pretty

vod

34.4 FLORA

AND SYLVA,

little plant known as the Rock Jasmine, inha- biting a vast range through Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Arctic regions. Though

like v7//osa in flower it differs in leaf and habit, |

with a branching rootstock, spreading clusters of fringed leaves, and stout flower stems seve- ral inches high bearing three to six flowers. These change from white to yellow, pink, and crimson, opening from May to June according to season and latitude, and borne in long suc- cession. It is one of the best and easiest of rock

'FLOWERING CRABS ‘WITH A COLOURED PLATE OF

dry weather to keep away red-spider; it flowers |

-known. Thesmall-fruited sortsare often distinct forms:— Uniffora, from the Himalayas, ©

well in pots ina cool house. There are several

hasonly oneortwo flowers upon its short stems; and coronata, from a height of 16,o000r 17,000 feet in Western Thibet, differs in its dwarfed growth, and flowers with a dark eye. Seeds. A. vitaliana.—This is no longer classed as an Androsace, being now known as Douglasia; but its changes from Aretia to Primula, Gre- goria, and other groups, have beenso many that it is doubtful whether this newest name will last. It isa pretty rock-plant, like a tiny Furze bush hardly an inch high, with silvery leaves

dusted over with white powder, and many

flowers borne singly—large for so small aplant | flowers freely even in partial shade, the

ae eile te eT effect of a well-placed tree in spring- the sameconditions, and distinctincolour. Dis- | E eee =

—in March or April, of a fine yellow. It is useful with plants of this group, thriving under

liking dry or heavy soils, it does best in full sun, set in buried stones and free sandy loam mixed with pebbles and heath soil. Runners, and seeds. Alps, Pyrenees,and Sierras of Spain.

A. wulfeniana.—A scarce plant with leaves densely hairy and deep rosy flowers upon short stems just topping the leaves and completely covering the dense cushion-like mass. Soil, sand and leaf-mould in half-shade; should be freely top-dressed at intervals. Granite rocks of the Tyrol. Seeds.

Tue Lron’s Tam (Leonotis Leonurus).— Messrs. Veitch of Chelsea send us this fine old plant covered with bloom, showing how well it will flower in pots at this season, when the greenhouse is none too gay. Its colour and

(Pyrus),

PYRUS NIEDZWETZKYANA. For their beauty, hardiness, and eas culture few treesare betterthan the wild Apples of Asia and America and the small-fruited garden varieties raised fromthem. Yet planters have been slow

to adopt them, and in too many gar- plants to growin open soil, mixed and surfaced | with broken lime rubbish or slate dust, thriv- |

ing in full sun. It should be watered freely in | and distorted conifers, these trees so

dens, crowded with weedy evergreens charmingin flowerand fruit are still un-

the best in flower and in the rich colour of their fruits, and for the garden few things are more charming than a group of these miniature Apples, beautiful in

flower during spring and in autumn

form of flower isso good and distinct that its |

neglect is strange.

|

showy with fruit. In some kinds these hang far into the winter, or they may be cut for the house when the last outdoor flowers are on the wane. Far too little is made of the Crab Apple for its beauty in the picturesque garden where it

time being to quite light up the little glades in the pleasure ground. In rich soil beside water, or drooping from a stream bank, few flowering trees are more graceful in outline, while planted in double rank to form a narrow shaded walk—such as is common in gardens of Japan—there are no better trees than standard ornamental Crabs. The kinds are varied as to size and habit, some making trees of 30 feet with a spreading

head, and others rarely rising higher

than a low bush ; many droop prettily upon reaching mature form, and two or threearetrueweepers of charming effect

ou

FLOWERING CRABS,

345

for the lawn or shrubbery. To enjoy to the full their rich autumn colour, full sunlight is needed, and certain soilsalso exert a marked influence in this way, those loams reddened by iron or red sandstone yielding fruits of high colour, while upon other soils the fruit may be less brilliant spite of much sun and care infeeding. Several finekinds have found their way tous ofrecent years from China and Japanand others have been raised in nurseries, but for brilliant colour none is better than the kind newly introduced from Turkestan and shown in our plate. Its one fault is the name with which science has afflicted it. Otherwise, the rich crimson of its flower clusters, re- called in autumn by the intense colour of its fruits, make it one of the most dis- tinct and beautiful of ornamental Crabs.

Among the many kinds differing in aspect, habit, and beauty, without per- sonal knowledge it is not easy to choose those best for any given purpose, so that a short review of best kinds may be use- ful to the planter. For grouping in wooded glades the varieties of éaccata and prunifoliaare best, or if smaller trees are wanted, the Chinese, Garland, and Hall’s Crabs,areall good. Dwarferkinds ofrich coloursuchas floribunda, Halli- ana,and Schiedeckeri are better in the open, and the dwarf forms of Rizgo and Toringo trom the mountains of Japan, are quite at home on banks or slopes of the rock-garden. The kinds nearest evergreen are the Garland and Narrow- leaved American Crabs, with Toringo, melanocarpa prostrata, and niedzwetz- Ayana best for autumn leaf-colour. The double and semi-double varieties of co-

ronaria and spectabilis, with Halli- ana, Tenorit, and Schiedeckeri have the longest season of bloom, the late and scented flowers of coronaria being the largest and most lasting of all, with the single flowers of Kaido about second for size. The young leaves of Pyrus Halli- ana and niedzwetzkyana are reddish- purple in their early stages, and the fruits of the last unlike any others in shapeand character. For pale masses of flower the old tree-like forms are best, and for vivid colour'the newer kinds such as Hall’sand Spath’s Crabs, Pyrus niedz- wetxkyana and the dark form of /orr- bunda. As they grow old the lower branches ofmanykinds droop gracefully earthwards, and two weeping kinds are prunifolia pendula, and Elise Rathke— an A ppleof fine effect where its branches can trail freely.

Though not to be com- pared with orchard kinds the finer Crab Apples are of value for their fruit, and there is an increasing call for fruiting Crabs even where the orna- mental kindsare neglected. These little fruits, so fragrant and highly coloured, are pretty upon the table, and their crisp juiciness and acid flavour is often wel- come as a change for dessert. Many kinds are now used in this way, and among the best are the Dartmouth and Transcendent Crabs, the Fairy Apple— of fine colour and good flavour, and Montreal Beauty—a favouriteCanadian kind. For their later fruits the Lady Crab—medium late, the Chicago, the Striated Crab, and Tardive ad’ hiver are

all good. For preserving their uses are

Household Uses.

' varied; boiled to a paste from which the

346

cores are cleared by pressing through a sieve or cloth, the pulp makes a good sauce for game, or delicious puddings of distinct flavour. With more sugar, the same paste may be made into jam or thickened as conserve, or the fruits may be preserved in syrup as a sweetmeat. Perhaps their greatest value is for jelly, and for this the fruits should hang until mellow, whereas for eating they are best while crisp and fresh. Pink and clear jellies may be had from a wise choice of kinds, of which Late Red Siberian and Dartmouth Crab yield a pretty colour, while such as Fohn Downie, the Fairy Apple, and Transparent give a clear jelly. A refreshing drink for thirsty colds or the sick room generally may be made by pouring boilingwater over the cooked fruits, lightly mashed.

Few groups have given botanists

more trouble than this, and no two au- |

thorities are ever quite agreed as to the classing of forms and hybrids of un- certain origin. For ease of reference it is well to follow the division of the order

Pyrus, by which the forms of Apple are

classed together in the section Ma/us— |

a group largeand distinct enough to save confusion with other sections. Where uncertainty as to species occurs it will be briefly noted in our list of kinds; the

many garden varieties with fancy names, |

many of which have come to us from America, are classed apart with brief

descriptions. NARROW - LEAVED CRaB (Pyrus angusti- tolia).—A low treeof 15 or 20 feet, often called

the Evergreen Crab from the fact that its nar- |

row shining leaves remain all through a mild winter. The flowers, borne in clusters during May andJune, are red in the bud, expanding to a pale blush, and very sweet; the fruits aresmall,

FLORA AND SYLVA,

green, and intensely sour. This is one of the old American kinds, in cultivation since 1750, and now too rarely seen in our gardens. It grows in the low woods of Carolina, coming near the Garland Crab (P. coronaria) of which it is often classed as a variety, and to which the double-flowered form of this more correctly belongs. Syn. P. sempervirens.

THE Russian Cras (P. astracanica).—A tree found wild in southern Russia, varieties of which have long been grown under the name of Red and White Astrachan Crabs. The Red Astrachan bears fruit of a bright red with deli- cate purple bloom, and the White kind is known in English nurseries as the Transparent Crab. It makes a pretty tree, with yellow wax-like | fruits and a beautiful bloom.

THE SIBERIAN CRaB (P. baccata).—This is

one of the tallest of the wild kinds, reaching 30 to 35 feet inits pyramidal forms. It is a state- _ly tree for lawns, or grouped among tall trees in glades of the pleasure garden, distinct in _its long-stemmed drooping flowers, and when | laden with clusters of tiny fruits in autumn. Its leaves are oval, sharply pointed, hard in tex- ture, and long in the stalk. The white flowers | comein April and May andare scented in some forms; the small pea-like fruits are of brilliant red and yellow, hanging long after the leaves, in mild winters even into the new year. These | fruits, however, vary in size in the many forms of daccata, those coming nearest prunifolia _ bearing berries like a large Cherry. The forms of this species may be known by the absence of the “eye” from the top of the fruit, formed

_ by the dry and persistent calyx; in this species it falls off during growth, affording an easy means of identification. Covering a vast area from Siberia and the Himalayas eastward, and long grown in the gardens of China and Japan, its wild and garden forms run into other spe- _ciesto the despair of the botanist. Someauthors | have classed the many intermediate forms to- | gether as the Cherry-fruited Crabs (P. cerasi- fera) and much difficulty is thereby avoided; others class them all with this kind or pruni- _folia. The tree known as the Winter Crab, or Bigg’s Everlasting (P. dorea/is), really _belongs to this intermediate class. It is of | robust growth, with a dense head and pretty drooping habit, carrying its leaves and bright red fruits nearly all winter. There is another

FLOWERING CRABS,

347

variety with graceful drooping outline known as baccata pendula.

THE GARLAND Cras (P. coronaria).—The wild Crab Apple of America, found as a shrub or spreading tree upto 25 feetin height, grow- ing in sunny glades and uplands from New York, westward to Kansas and south to the Missouri. ‘Though now not often planted, it is worth growing for its fragrant leaves, flowers,

ON, U WY = V inipe\ NN My yy} BE Sy a i = y a af ke WOO \

Y I)

EE i,

and fruit, and useful for its late bloom. Its leaves are unlike other kinds in their broadly three-lobed outline, are late in coming, and remain during a great part of the winter. The pale pink or rosy blossoms hang in thick clus- ters with a scent of violets,and are later than in any other kind; the fruits (also late in coming) are small and flattened, of yellow-green, borne upon long slight stalks, and hollowed at both ends like an orchard Apple. Under cultivation they gain in size and flavour, and are then used for ciderand preserves. The early settlersmade use of the wild fruits after covering them with earth, to sweeten. Several varieties are grown, the best with large double flowers 2 inches across, with folded inner petals of soft rose;

they open late when the tree is in full leaf, and last longer in beauty than any other kind.

THE HAWTHORN CRAs (P. crategifolia).— A curious little tree with soft silvery leaves like those of the White Beam Tree, and white flowers upon red down-covered stalks. The fruits are very small, and crimson and yellow, or reddish-purple in colour. Found in the woods about Florence, and more interesting to the botanist than the gardener.

Tue FLowerinc Cras (P. floribunda) .— One of the most beautiful of flowering trees, slender and spreading in its growth, with long shoots almost hidden in flower during May. The buds are of glowing crimson fading to a soft pink or white as the flowers open and ma- ture, the same spray showing acharming blend of colour. The fruits are red and yellow of the size of a pea, and fall sooner than the small- fruited Siberian Crabs. This kind never grows muchabove 1 § feet, isof graceful habit, bloom- ing well while quite young ; a further merit is its easy increase, cuttings put firmly into the ground during autumn or early winter seldom failing to root. Grown in pots it bears gentle forcing, and its coral-red buds are often wel- come for the greenhouse in early spring. Japan. This tree has been supposed to belong to P. baccata or P. spectabilis, but whether a true species or only a variety so distinct a kind ma well stand on its own merits. Several forms are grown, the best being atrosanguinea, with flowers of dark crimson. Others are citrifolia polypetala,a hybrid with white flowers and yel- low fruits ; fructo-flavo, with deep red flowers and yellow fruit ; and N7é7ta, a Japanese cross, with larger edible fruits of a pale straw-colour.

Hatv’s Cras (P. M. Ha//iana).— Another handsome Japanese kind, growing as a bush or small tree of 15 feet, with a broad open crown of good outline and graceful propor- tions. Its semi-double flowers appear early upon long red stalks, and while fewer than in

| floribunda their colour and long season make it

a very pretty shrub. The fruits are hardly larger than a pea, ripening late, and of soft reddish- brown like the bark, the young shoots, and the leaf-stems. Japan. Some botanists class this as a semi-double form of floribunda, and others as an offshoot of daccata, but no doubt exists as to its beauty for gardens, where it is fast becoming better known.

348

Tue Prairie Cras (P. Loensis).—A small

larly-toothed leaves are covered beneath with reddish down, extending to the stems of the rosy flowers and to the floralorgans. The fruits,

of dull green covered with pale dots, are angu- |

lar, greasy to the touch, and very sour; they ripen late and are gathered by the settlers, though not considered worth cultivation. A

FLORA AND SYLVA,

first appearing the leaves show the same red- tree from the Western States of America, abun- | dant inthe flat lands of river valleys. Its irregu- |

ness, becoming deep green with red veins when mature, and fading again to reddish- purple in autumn. It is therefore known as the Red Apple throughout Central Asia. The fruits ripen during August and are cone-shaped, of good flavour, and of such intense colour

that even the flesh is stained a deep rose-red.

variety of this with double flowers of deeper |

colour is known as Bechtel’s Crab—a better garden tree than this wild form of the back- woods. Some authors regard P. Joensis as a variety of the Garland Crab (P. coronaria).

THE Common Cras (P. Ma/us communis). —The Wild Apple, with its pink and white flowers and varied forms of fruit covers a wide area in Europe and Asia. Beside its geographi- cal forms it has been cultivated from remote antiquity with the results seen in our large- fruiting varieties, for which the wild tree and one of its dwarf forms, M. paradisiaca, are used as stocks. Its garden forms are in the main more curious than beautiful, and include the Bloomless Apple (P. dioica) with strangely imperfect flowers, and a number of variegated and distorted forms of no value. The best gar- den form is pendula (or Elise Rathke), a pretty weeper, most useful as a standard for shrub- beries, where its beautiful flowers and large highly-coloured fruits give fine effect. Trans- /ucens is a form with double flowers, and the large single flowers of paradisiaca are not with- out beauty. The common form of our woods is as pretty as any in its bloom.

"THE BLACK-FRUITEDCRAB(P.me/anocarpa). —A tree of medium size and remarkable only for its small black fruits, not without beauty for autumn decoration but of no other value. It is the Black Borsdorffer Apple of the Ger- mans, and its prettiest form is prostrata, inwhich the quaint effect of the berries is enhanced by rich autumn tints of crimson and bronze.

Tue Rep Cras (P. medzwetzkyana).—A new and very distinct Crab from the Caucasus and Turkestan, where it has been cultivated for many years. Its flowers, well shown in our plate, are the deepest in colour of the whole group, andthe fruits are also of intense crimson. Even in winter the bark and twigs are con-

It is a small free-growing tree of proved hardi- ness in the south of Britain, where it flowers and fruits freely, and isa striking object at all seasons. Itismet with throughout central Asia and bears the name of a Russian traveller who

'found it in Siberia.

Tue Cuerry Cras (P. prunifolia.)\—As

has been mentioned, this kind is so linked to

_baccata by intermediate forms as to be scarcely separable from it, and many botanists are giv- ing up the attempt to keep them apart. The

flowers are white, followed by fruits of bright purplish-red, and the size of acherry. Oldtrees are of fine appearance in the spring and au- tumn, and when planted in the open 30 feet in all directions is no unusual measure. There are many garden forms, the most distinct being that with double flowers, and a pretty weep- ing tree—prunifolia pendula.

Japanese Crap (P. Ringo).—Though classed apart, it is doubtful if this scarce Japa- nese tree is more than a variety of spectabilis or Toringo, to both of which it has been joined by certain authors. It is a low tree of strag- gling habit with no tendency to the dense head of most Apples, and if less neat, the loosely drooping branches fully display their flowers and fruit. The flowers are white flecked with rose, large, and well distributed, followed in

October by clusters of oval yellow fruits like cherries, hung all along the branches uponslen- der stalks and daintily flushed where touched bysunlight, Though coming near P.spectabilis it differs in its shrubby habit and more downy leaves. Two recognised forms are fastigiata bifera (a probable hybrid) of free growth and

better habit, with large rosy flowers, deep crimson while in bud, and often borne twice in one season ; and sud/obata, a leaf variety.

| THE CALIFORNIAN Cras (P. rivularts).—

'A common tree in alluvial soils of the West-

ern Pacific States, reaching a height of 40 feet | and forming dense thicketsin the river valleys.

spicuous for their ruddy purple colour, and on | Its white flowers and green fruits are only of

FLOWERING CRABS.

349

botanical interest,suggestinganAmerican form

of P. Toringo (syn. P. fusca). A cross between |

this species and P. Ha//iana has given a pretty little tree known as rrvularis atropurpurea, with flowers of deep rose; zntegrifolia bears en- tire leaves, as against thesharply-toothed ones of the parent.

SPATH’s CraB (P. Schiedecker7).—A beau- tiful flowering tree raised in Germany about fifteen yearsago, and first shown in this country in 1896, when it gained an award of merit. It is a cross between floribunda and prunifolia, free in flower even for this free-blooming family, its branches wreathed in flower clus- ters from end to end during May. They are large and semi-double, vivid crimson in bud, opening to shades of soft rose. This kind has not yet attained full growth with us, but is

and deserves to be much planted for its beauty. HiIMALAyan Craps (P. sikkimensis) —A

small tree from elevations of 7,000 to 10,000 |

feet in the Himalayas, and intermediate be- tween the Siberian and Persian Crabs (4accata

and Pashia). It is woolly in nearly all its parts |

with reddish-brown fruits covered like the Persian Crab with small white dots. SOULARD Cras (P. Soulard:).—A small tree, woolly in all its parts, with dense clusters of pale pink flowers like those of the common Apple, and large fruits which store well and

of fair quality for cooking. It occurs locally |

in the river valleys of central and western

North Americaas anatural hybrid of P. Malus and P. Ioensis. Being hardy in the most ex- | posed spots this tree is now grown in several |

varieties in places unsuited to orchard trees.

CHINESE FLOWERING CRaB (P. spectabzi/is). —A very handsome flowering tree, earlier and of deeper colour than the Apple, seen at its best when open flowers of pale pink mingle with the bright red buds. It reaches 30 feet when full grown, with a dense head of upright branches only spreading when old. Leaves narrow and slightly hairy beneath; fruits greenish-yellow, of the size of a cherry, evenly rounded even near the stalk where there is no trace of the usual hollow, but sour and worth- less. It was the first foreign Crab grown in our gardens, introduced from China in 1780, and mostly seen about old houses. Several varieties are grown, of which those with double pink

'and double white flowers are best, flowering

early and lasting long. Variety Kaino (P. spectabilis var. Kaido).

_—Even amongst growers opinion is divided

as to whether this is a Japanese cross or a dis- tinct kind. However that may be, it is one of the best of flowering Apples, profuse in its large rosy flowers (red in their early stage) followed by masses of pretty fruits which hang for weeks and are edible when mellowed. The tree is of good growthand free from the dreaded

“woolly blight ” of America.

Rivers’ Cras (P. spectabilis var. Riversit). —A garden hybrid between spectabilis and a form of P. Ma/us. It isa pretty tree with large semi-double flowers of bright rose, deep crim-

_son while in bud, and greenish-yellow fruits speckled with red of the size of a small plum. sturdier than floribunda, with long erect shoots |

FRUITING SPRAY OF PYRUS TORINGO.

THe Dwarr Cras (P. Toringo).—A low tree oftenno larger than ashrub, of loose habit and inclined to straggle, but easily trained as a bush and useful in that form for the front of shrubberies. It is common in the hills of Japan even toa height of several thousand feet, growing beside water and so variable as to include low trailing bushes and trees of 30 feet. In our gardens it is best known and most useful in its dwarf form. The leaves are very distinct, deeply notched, and in some forms three-lobed, with a bright colour in autumn. A large growing form of Toringo is

350

FLORA AND SYLVA.

known as major; a second, P. Steboldt, is very small and more curious than pretty. A cross between Toringo anda double form of spectabilis has given Tenore/ carnea pleno of nurseries.

The number of these is growing fast with the newer kinds from America, where the Crab is much grown for its hardiness, and much has been done to improve it by crossing with the smaller orchard varieties. Some of the best English Crabs were raised in the same way many years

Fruiting Crabs.

ago by crossing with the Devonshire these two Siberian forms gave the start

for all the gardenvarieties. The Orange

Quarrenden, and fine trees from this strain may still be seen in old Kentish gardens. Of those grown in this country

the following are the best: —The Dart-_

mouth Crab and ‘fohn Downie are now a form of this with long-shaped scented

well known, both of fine colour, good natural habit, and growing well quite into the north. The Dartmouth has

large fruits of intense crimson with a.

plum-like bloom, and so many that the trees are often weighed down. Yohn Dowznie is of graceful yetsturdy growth, with large fruits of orange-yellow red- dening in the sun and clustered most prettily along the stems; cut branches are fine for decoration and, as this kind flowers late, the crop is seldom spoiled

| Tartarian or Yellow Siberian

fruits early, late, and of different sizes. Cherry-like, they are borne in clusters upon long stalks during September, with juicy fleshand pleasantacid flavour; the trees are of pretty open form, but liable to mildew. The best variety is Cheals Scarlet Siberian, with fruits of fine co- lour and very numerous, upon a tree of upright growth and better foliage. The Crab makes a pretty tree with medium fruits of light yellow and good in contrast ;

Crab, raised by Saltmarsh of Colchester, bears bright yellow fruits larger than the Siberian, while the new Od/ong Crab is

fruits of good flavour. Transparent is an old kind making a fine tree, with fruits of clear yellow flushing in the sun, of translucent flesh and pleasant fla- vour. Transcendentisanewer American

tree of fine appearance, with large red

and yellow fruits. Montreal Beauty (or Mammoth Crab) is one of the older

American kinds, as is also Coral, a

pretty tree in form and in fruit—these

by frost. Asinall Crabs, these need little -

pruning (whetheras dwarfs or standards) | after the head is well formed, the best |

fruits coming upon shoots of two years. The fairy Craé, like aminiature Apple, islarger than most in its fruits of lemon- colour prettily flushed, for which birds have such a liking as often to spoil the crop if left too long; very pretty and free, whether as bushes or standards. The Cherry Apple or Scarlet Siberian

Crab is grown in several varieties with

of medium size with a strong quince smell. Useful asa later sort is the Lady Crab, with reddish fruits of good size and quality speckled with white dots;

still later is Chicago, with yellow fruits

striped with rose upon the sunny side. Other pretty kinds are Paul’s Imperial, raised at Waltham ; and Ma/akovuna, a little known variety very good in dwarf form, with large fruits of bright scarlet. There are a number of new American kinds, butsofarthey donot seem to have wonagoodcharacter inthis country.—B.

CHILIAN CORAL PLANT.

35

CHILIAN CORAL PLANT (Ber- beridopsis corallina). Tus lovely evergreen never fails to ex- cite admiration during the early days of autumn in the few gardens in which it is to be met. Like many of the Chilian plants it is a little exacting as to climate, and neither quite at homeunder glass or in the openin some parts of the country, but with care as to position and soil it may be grown outdoors almost any-

where in the south, and in a cool house, |

or better still in a temporary house, in the northern parts of Britain. It delights in the soft moisture-laden air of the south-west, butfine plantsare not want-

ing upon the hills of Surrey, Sussex, and — districts further east, where they have lived unprotected for many years. Of |

trailing habit, it is often trained towalls,

though whereit canbe sheltered during»

winter it isfar prettier left to ramble over rocks or tree-roots in half-shade, its

spiny leavesand rosy-coral buds ofwax-_ like texture charming in their effect. .

The finest plant in the country is pro- bably that at Cragside, in Northumber- land, where it covers 20 feet of a north wall with hundreds of flower-clusters at a time from July into October. With many other half-hardy plants it is pro- tected in winter bylights whichare taken away in spring, allowing full exposure until thefollowing autumn. Incold dis- tricts this is quite the best way of grow- ing this and many other tender plants, which often languish if confined in houses through the summer. Not but that it will do well in an airy house, trained under the roof to hang freely, and sheltered from strong sun and too

much heat, which stunt its growth. Though notdifhicultasto soilit is averse to much lime, thriving in light loams enriched with peat or leaf-mould and rotten manure; good drainage 1s im- portant and best secured by a layer of stones and the addition of sand. From the various aspects tried by successful growers a north wall seems to suit it best, and thus sheltered its flowers last

WL THE CHILIAN CORAL PLANT (BERBERIDOPSIS),

along while; south-west and south-east walls are next best, avoidingaspects too much exposed tothesun.Plenty ofwater should be given insummer and syring- ing during dry weather is also a help, with a good mulch of leaves around the base inwinter. Being inclined to spread rather than to rise, space might often be found for it in thegaps so often seen

352

FLORA AND SYLVA.

at thefoot of high walls through failure of the lower boughs of tall creepers. In such a nook it makes a very pretty ob- ject, but should be started with a clear root-run (best secured by sinking a bottomless tub), which isalso of import- ance when planted out to ramble over rockwork. Upon rocks it is best with a groundwork of some hardy evergreen,

Though so near the Berderis group as sometimes to be called the Coral Bar- berry, this plant is classed apart in a genus of which it is the only representa- tive. Good seed is sometimes produced in warm seasons when free growth is made, and in this way young plants may

inspring, or from layers of ripened wood laid down in the autumn. B,

PRETTY WILD GARDEN EFFECTS.

THESE sometimes come in their own way and

|

themselves is very good also. A big mass ot Euphorbia lucida, which has got into A/stre-

| meria aurantiaca, is showy and very lasting.” | And there is no end to the happy combina- _tions that come in this way by design or by chance. Even the grass and weedslend a charm

to vigorous herbs like the Day Lilies, which look stiffin the garden borders, and are so vigor- ous that no grass or other herbage interferes

| with them; on the other hand the flowering | grasses add much to the effect of the plants

such as one of the neat, creeping Iies. | when in bloom. The tall Mulgedium named

above, though an alpine, is a very rampant grower, overrunning everything if put in rich beds; inthe wild garden, by pools, or anywhere

_among Wild Roses or shrubs it is at home and

can do no harm. There are many plants of like vigour which may well be used in the same way, according to the soil and situation. Some plants like the Golden Rods, Knotworts, and

'stouter Asters do not want any care in that

surprise us by their unsought beauty. Mr. T. |

Smith, of Newry, gives an instance or two :— ‘“« Nature often steps in and tells us what to do in the matter of plant grouping. This occurred

forcibly tome lately when noticinga spreading |

mass of Rosa polyantha, 30 feet or so across, not a close dense mass, but thin in places in which Mulgedium Plumieri had planted itself. The effect of the pale blue of this rambling herba- ceous plant standing amongst the Roses was very softand charming. In another and damper

spot Sidalcea candida was amass amongst which |

the Mulgedium had introduceditself with the | best effect. These are plants which can fight |

the natural herbage and take care of themselves. Again, amass of Spirea filipendula plena, with a backing of Campanula grandis albaand Lilium Martagon album interspersed is good ; a rather wild-spreading mass of Campanula venusta (the earliest of the rotundifolia group) inwhichsome

plants of Papaver pilosum have introduced |

ee deli fal commences eed) (onmene _respect, but when we come to deal with bulbs

ting’s of the soft shoots put in sandy soil |

they often show a dislike of certain soils, and that must be thought of.

SONGS OF THE WOODS AND FLOWERS: A un AvBESPIN.

Bel aubespin verdissant, Fleurissant

Le long de ce beau rivage,

Tu es vestu jusqwau bas Des longs bras

Dune lambrunche sauvage.”

Deux camps de vouges fourmis Se sont mis

En garnison sous ta souche :

Dans les pertuis de ton tronc Tout du long

Les avettest ont leuv couche.

Le chantre rossignolet Nouvelet, Courtisant sa bien-aimée, Pour ses amours alleger, Vient loger Tous les ans en ta vamée.

Sur ta cyme il fait son ny Tout uny

De mousse et de fine soye,

Ou ses petits esclorvont,t Qut seront

De mes mains la douce proye.

Or vy, gentil aubespin, Vy sans fin, Vy sans que jamais tonnerre, Ou la coignée,§ ou les vents, Ou les temps Te puissent vuer par terre. —RonsarD (1584).

* Wild vine. + Honey bees.

t ‘ Are brought forth.” § An old word for axe.

FLORA

AND SYLVA. Vol. Il. No. 21.] DECEMBER, 1904. [ Monthly. TREBAH. gal Laurel 60 feet in height, 4rauca-

Azone the southern shore of Cornwall, a district favoured by an exceptionally genial climate, are situated many beau- tiful gardensreplete with rare and tender shrubs and plants, natives of Australia, New Zealand, Chili, Peru, and other foreign climes, growing in robust health, and so attractive yet so diverse are the individual charms of each garden thatit is dificult to admita preference forany. For the natural beauty of its grounds, however, none can excel Trebah, the residence of Mr. E. Backhouse. Distant about eight miles from Falmouth, the house stands at the head of alittlevalley, which slopes due south down totheblue waters of Helford River, while on the op- posite shore rises awooded hill crowned by the towers of Bosahan. The sloping sides of thevalleyare steep and irregular in outline and, being well covered by trees, the lower levels are amply pro- tected from both east and west winds. This spot offers a happy home for sub- tropical plants and shrubs, of which full advantage hasbeen taken, with theresult that many fine examples of rare plants are to be met with growing with unac- customed vigour in this sheltered sanc- tuary. Amongst the trees are a Portu-

ria Cunninghami 40 feet, Cupressus Knightiana 30 feet, a fine Sequoia (We- lingtonia), Picea pungens glauca, Picea bracteata, and an Acacia dealbata of 40 feet. The front of the houseis covered with flowering climbers, which include Tacsonia mollissima — flowering and fruiting freely, 7. Van Volxemii, Bou- cainvillea speciosa, Cobea scandens, Cas- sia corymbosa—which has veiled nearly thewhole of agable-end, and Ivy-leaved Pelargonium Madame Crousse, whose salmon-pink flowers have reached the eaves. Of Acacias, besides the large specimens of 4. dealbata, I noted A. cultriformis, 6 teetin heightandas much across, on a trellis in the open garden ; A. lophantha, 12 feet in height and of the same diameter, with asmaller speci- men hard by ; 4. verscillata, and A. longifolia. A great rarity is a healthy young example of the Cape Silver Tree (Leucadendron argenteum), rather un- der 5 feet in height, which has been out two winters and is making a number of healthy shoots. Fremontia californica forms abush 63 feethigh,and Lavatera assurgentifolia a shrub 7 feet in height and as much through. Standing in an isolated position onthe lawnis the finest

Z

354

FLORA AND SYLVA.

specimenof Exochorda grandifiorathat I have ever seen, about 15 feet in height and the same in diameter—it must bea picture in the spring, when white with blossom. A bush of Ofearia macrodonta 8 feet in height and 9 feet through was in flower at the time of my visit, and was a beautiful sight; other Olearias are also grown. Another plant in full bloom was Boronia elatior 33 feet in height, and smaller specimens of B. megastigma were also flowering, as was a shrub of Abutilon Boule de Neigeintheopen,and Ai. vitifolium—common in the south- west—was likewise present. Datura sanguinea is fully ro feet high and bears its flowers well into the winter, and a bush of Sparmannia africana is 6 feet in height and the same across, while a shrub of Sewecio Greyz was covered with blossom. Among other flowering trees and shrubs are Magnolia hypoleuca, Drimys Winteri, Eucryphia pinnati- folia, Buddleia Colvillei, Ceanothus in variety, Myoporum letum—an Austra- lian shrub or tree with lanceolate leaves covered with innumerable transparent spots, Lagerstroemia inaica, Viburnum Awafukiand other Guelder Roses, Oz0- thamnus rosmarinifolius, Cornus tarta- rica Gonchalti, Prelea trifoliata aurea,

form, and Dimorphotheca Ecklonis,

which had stood in theopen unprotected through the winter. The garden con- tainsa finecollection of Rhododendrons comprising almost all the best known species and varieties, a deep rose-co- loured formof R. Auckland: (Griffithi- anum) being particularly fine. But the chief point of interest among the Rho-

dodendronsinthis garden rests with the fragrant flowered section, which, as a rule,even in the south-west, are grown against walls, being considered more tender than the majority of the species and hybrids, and generally known as greenhouse Rhododendrons. In the sheltered valley at Trebah, however, they have formed great bushes, R. fra- erantissimum being over 7 feet in height, Countess of Sefton and Gibsoni 6 feet by 6 feet, Lady Alice Fitzwilliam 5 feet in height, and exonensis 3 feet high and 5 feet through. Thecommon Azalea also grows amazingly, one pink - flowered bush measuring fully 12 feet across. Ot Bamboosthereisa fine selection, 47u7- dinaria nobitis being considerably over 20 feet in height, PhyMJostachys nigra has formed fine clumps, and P. Quilioi isfully 20 feet high. This Bamboo made 14 inches of growth between Saturday night and Monday morning. Lower down inthe valley the groups of Japanese Iris (I. Levigata or Kempferi) are es- pecially fine, the stems and foliage be-

ing vigorous and the flowersenormous. Lilium siganteum also does well here. _Tree-Ferns are growing on a sloping lawn and thrown into high relief by a leafy background. Woodwardia radi-

Camellia reticulata growing in bush |

cans is finer than I have ever seen itelse- where,one clump, growing inasheltered and tree-shaded nook, being over 20 feet

across, while one frond that I measured

was g feet 1rinches inlength. Lomaria magellanica, which is fairly common in

gardens in the south-west, also attains

exceptional proportions here. Numbers of Cordylines are dispersed about the

grounds, and ona sloping grassy bank

Cpe)

is a large colony of Furcrea longeva. In an upper part of the gardens Crinum Powell: bears flower-spikes over 53 feet in height, and a fine form of Sparaxis (Dierama) pulcherrima, with flowers of a deep maroon-red, has arching flower- wandsalmost 7 feetinlength. Thisshort account of Trebah gardens must not be considered in any way exhaustive, as the names of many interestingand beautiful

things have been omitted. S. W. FITZHERBERT.

Ivy on Trees.—I agree with “ Repton” in thinking that Ivy is not so hurtful to trees as is generally supposed, but not so far as to think that it does not injure some trees even to the extent of killing them, and much de- pends on the tree it grows upon. On um-

brageous trees with foliage giving deep |

shade, Ivy never makes way enough to do any harm. It is a plant that loves the light, and will not grow fast or well under the branches of a Sycamore or a Beech, for example. With scanty-foliaged trees, however, it is different. Many years ago we had Ivy planted against the stems of the trees in many places, and it has been growing with the trees as they grew. On the Birch it grows fast, and some of these have, in the course of time, been all but covered from bottom to top. We have other trees of the same kind and age and much larger ones also, but they are in good health; these have no Ivy uponthem. The Birch, being a scanty leaved tree, the Ivy grows fast upon it and over- masters it. The tree on which it thrives next best is the Larch, and we have old ones of these showing an even and tapering column of Ivy about 70 feet high. They are about eighty years of age, and the Ivy upon them cannot be much younger. On the Ash the Ivy makes some progress, and some of our old trees are clothed to near the top with it, side limbs and all. On the other trees that have good and ample foliage it never makes much headway, and we have no example of it in the Beech worth speaking of. It thrives on Scotch Fir, but on the Sycamore it is either dead or dying in most instances.—J. S,

CARSON'S CLIMBING LILY.

CARSON’S CLIMBING LILY (Gloriosa Carsont). We have had occasion to refer to this new and beautiful plant upon two or three occasions of late (pp. 250 and 330), and are therefore pleased to give an excellent engraving of it from a pho- tograph taken in the Cape Houseat Kew

GLORIOSA CARSONI.

(Engraved on wood for ‘‘Flora’’ from a plant in Kew Gardens.)

last August. It is less strictly a ‘climb- ing Lily” than others of the group, be- ing more often of dwart growthand self- supporting; its handsome flowers are composed of broad petals which are yel- low towards the centre, shading to deep redintheirlower parts. A nativeof East

| Central Africa.

356

FLORA AND SYLVA.

THE GREATER TREES OF THE

NORTHERN FOREST.—No. 21. |

THE MAIDENHAIR TREE (Gink- vo biloba).

From whatever point of view regarded,

this is oneof the most mysterious, beau- |

tiful, and distinct of hardy ornamental trees. It is of value to planters for its graceful formand foliage, singularly un- like that of any other tree ; it interests the botanist as being allied to the coni-

fers yet not of them, differing widely as_

it does from nearly all in its deciduous leaves, its lack of resin, and its peculiar flowersand fruit; while to an even wider circle there appeals the mystery of its early history, summed up in the fact that —unknown as awild tree, it is regarded as the last trace of an extinct type of vegetation, preserved to us by its own hardihood and vast endurance from a

dimly remote past. True the tree is.

common enough in the Far East, where it is said to have spread from China to Japan with the Buddhist faith many centuries ago, and is nowfrequentin the temple gardens and valued for its fruit. Eastern travellers also tell of Ginkgoes measuring up to 40 feet round and of a great age, to be seen here and there in the interior of northern China, but these are all under cultivation, and if yet ex- isting as a wild tree it must be amid the mountain fastnesses of Mongolia and Manchuria, the vegetation of which re- main in a great measure unknown. Towards the close of the seventeenth century the Maidenhair Treewas seen by Kempfer, in Japan, and was brought to Europe (probably by Dutch merchants) some forty years later, being first planted

at Utrechtabout 1730; itwasstilllonger in reaching Britain, where the earliest plants were raised from seed from Japan, and grown upon walls. The two sexes -are apart in the Maidenhair Tree and, as a good many years elapse before they mature, it was long before the first tree flowered in Europe in 1795, followed at intervals by others, but all proved to _be males and consequently sterile until a single female was found to be grow- ing near Geneva, and fertile trees were at length secured by grafting its shoots upon the male trees established in va- rious parts.

The Ginkgo is beautiful at all seasons in its erect and graceful habit, with widely-spaced limbs at first rising but when mature gently drooping in wide spreading curves. Its appearance is always impressive, the -more so in early autumn when the entire tree takes a golden tinge, rendering it _yet more conspicuous. When old it fre- quently exceeds roo feet in height, with a massive trunk several feet in diameter covered with rough grey bark, deeply fissured. Standing alone upon a lawn there is that in its appearance which singles it out at once from other trees, and, as it is not easily injured by ex- posure, it may, at least in many places, be planted in a commanding position where its effect is most striking. The leaf is of vivid yellow-green and broadly | triangular, in shapevery likethe blunted leaflets of Adiantum trapexiforme, slightly notched orlobed,and thickened around the edges. The flowers are not showy but the fruits, borne freely upon

Distinct Beauty.

fertile trees, are conspicuous and like a

THE MAIDENHAIR TREE.

S57

THE MAIDENHAIR TREE AT PANSHANGER. (Engraved on wood for “ Flora’’ from a photograph, August 29, 1904.)

small yellow plum but

consisting of a pulpy evil-smelling envelope of rancid flavour, sur- rounding a_sweetish kernel like that of the Almond and not un- pleasant to taste. When boiled or roasted these fruits are eaten as food in China and Japan, but the smell of the pulp isso nauseous and enduring(evenatter the lapse of some hoursand much washing), that they find little favour elsewhere. The Gink- go 1s not a common tree in Britain but is much grown in the United States for gar- dens and avenues, be- ing careless of soil and aspect and free from disease; when for street planting (for which it is well adapted) male trees only should be used, to avoid the nui- sance caused by the profusion of noxious fruitfalling throughout several weeks in early autumn. As timberthe bright yellowcoloured wood has little value, for though compact and capable of high polish, it is soft, brittle, and not lasting. aa

358 FLORA

AND SYLVA,

Perfectly hardy through- out the south of Britain, and evenin Scotland when sheltered or upon walls, its growth is at first rapid when under the best condi- tions, but it is long in reaching maturity and even the oldest plants in Europe have yet to attain their maximum growth. It endures cold, heat, and drought, with equal indifference, doing best in rich free ground with adry subsoiland suffer- ing in growth and appearancewhen the soil is heavy and wet. Free from disease and from insectattack it is easily grown, and transplants well even when of con- siderable size. ‘The best plants areraised from seed, which grows readily when fresh but loses its vitality inafewmonths; cuttings are often slow to root though giving fair results when of ripe or near- ly ripened wood, set in sandy soil un- der glass during summer and autumn ; grafted shoots start as freely as that of any Apple. This ease of grafting makes ita simple matter to secure fertile trees by inserting both sexes upon one stock; many such trees now exist in Europe which seed regularly and abundantly. Fruiting trees are always rare amongst those raised from seed, and are several years longer than the male in reaching flowering size, but even amongst un- flowered seedlings it is easy to distin- guish the females with certainty by the fact thatinautumn they keep their leaves several weeks longer than the male trees. The Chinese are said to raise large and fertile trees rapidly by sowing several trees in a cluster and as they grow so grafting them together dy approach as to quickly make one large tree,

Culture and Increase.

Spite of their hardiness fine Gink- goes are not common in English parks and gardens. Thatshown in theengrav- ing isa finely-grown tree at Panshanger, in Hertfordshire. It is growing in light black loam upon a gravel subsoil, and is about 70 feet high and half as much across, and is said to be one of the oldest of the kind in the country. Its girth is 10 feet at one foot from the ground, or about the same asa fine tree in the gar- dens at Frogmore. The Frogmore tree reaches 78 feet in height with a spread of 45 feet, fine in outline, and beautiful in colour this autumn; it grows in moist ground near water. The tallest Maiden- hair Tree in Britain would seem to be at Melbury House near Dorchester, where it exceeds 80 feet in height, but its stem is slighter than those just cited. Dorset- shire possesses a second fine tree at Sherborne Castle, growing upon loamy clay to a height of nearly 70 feet and measuring g feet at a yard from the soil. Like the tree at Panshanger, this breaks

‘into two great limbs when well above

the ground. In the gardens at Longleat is also a fine tree, 71 feet high, 93 feet round the trunk at a foot from the ground, with a spread of 45 feet; the tree is in fine health, thriving upon stiff clay. These figures compare well with

the growth of the oldest tree in Europe, that planted at Utrecht about 1730.

Though in perfect health this tree is now only 83 feet high and less than 10 feet in girth, so that much younger trees in the south of England have already dis-

_tanced this old tree imported by the

Dutch. With such evidenceitisnot difficult

THE MAIDENHAIR TREE.

to establish the claims of the Maidenhair Treetoa placeamong “‘theGreaterTrees ofthe Northern Forest.” The finestature and extraordinary beauty of the trees we mention are seen in conditions which exist over a very widearea of our country, and failures are probably accounted for in this way. When a tree is uncommon it often gets into a staggy state in the nursery, and its increase by layers or cuttings is also against success. We can never get a fine tree in that way, and cutting propagators have done much harm to forest trees. There is not the slightest need for these ¢ practices, because, apart from the abundance of seed yielded by the tree in its own country, it seeds freely in the south of Europe, and I have seen trees of it in Austria loaded with their yellow fruit. A hindrance to success is placing the tree isolated on grass (which gets all the moisture) or in a hungry shrubbery. I have lately seen one in Derbyshire struggling with gor- mandising evergreens, and, though fine in its October hues, in a position where it was almost choked. The con- ditions to ensure success is above all things to get healthy seedling trees, not too large, and for position choose a vale in a sheltered wood; put enough plants in, z.¢., do not depend on one or two trees but plant a bold group or colony, so that one can take choice of the strongest as they grow up, putting Larch or other trees between them at first to keep the ground cool, though

these can be removed in due time. To

establish a group in the pleasure ground ©

MAIDENHAIR TREE:

559

it is best to keep the soil “open” about thetrees, thatis to say not in grass, using perennials or other flowers to keep the ground cool and the surfacegreen. The culture of the flowers will help the trees until they are large and deep-rooted enough to stand free upon the turf. Forms of the Maidenhair sees ee Titee (or litte value), are soldin nurseries, and seve- ral varieties find a place in the Kew list. They include an upright form—that used in the States for street planting; a

LEAF, AND FRUIT.

FLOWERS,

slightly drooping form; and two or three with leaves variegated or variously cut. Of these the most distinct is ma- crophylla, a French variety in which the leaves are much larger, measuring as much as ro inches in circumference, with two to five lobes and minor sub- divisions. The name Gzzkgo has been variously renderedas Gizkoand Ginghko, but the first spelling is that of Linnzus and considered correct. Objecting to theugliness of thename, Smith changed it to Salisburia adiantifolia—by which

the tree is still known in England—but Z 4

360.

FLORA AND SYLVA,

this name is condemned by botanists. The rocky beds that immediately suc- ceed the coal period in geology are full of the remains of fossil Ginkgoes, amongst which upwards of sixty kinds have been distinguished, proving that in past ages this family of trees held a large place in the vegetation of the world.—B.

REFERENCES.—Loudon, Arboretum, p. 2094 ; Gordon, Pinetum, p. 374; Veitch, Manual of Conifere, p. 312; Webster, Hardy Coniferous Trees, p. 50; Revue horticole, 1901, p. 206; Bailey, Encyclopedia of American Horticul- ture, vol. 2, p. 645.

RHODODENDRON YUNNAN- ENSE.**

Tue Rhododendrons found within re- cent years in central China have not only enriched our gardens with hardy kinds of great beauty but have opened new fields to the raisers of garden va- rieties in a series of plants of a character quite unlike many of those previously known. From the work of Hooker in northern India that region was long considered as the chosen home of the Rhododendron, but of late years this estimate has been modified in view of the discoveries of MM. David and Delavey in Yunnan and Dr. Henry in south-west China. Their gains have proved thatthe area in Asia covered by the Rhododen- dron is wider than at first supposed, reaching eastward from the Himalayas, through Thibet, into China and Man- churia. The Chinese Rhododendrons are remarkable for their variety of form, andareso completely distinct from those of the Himalayan region that only one ortwokinds, out of more than forty now described, are common to both areas. Though amongst these newspecies there are many kinds which only interest the

botanist, someare good plants, beautiful in flower, hardier than most of the Indian section, and certain when they become more plentiful to prove of value in our gardensand shrubberies. Rhododendron yunnanenseisoneof these beautiful hard

shrubs which was found by Abbé Dela- vay upon the mountains of Yunnan, and raised from seeds gathered and sent to Europeby him. The plant first lowered at Kewin April 1897, and has improved with every season, being especially fine this spring when Mr. Moon secured his picture. It is an erect shrub, loosely branching into slender shoots with scanty leaves of dark green, slightly hairy upon the margin and upper side, and covered beneath with dark glandular dotsuponapale grey surface. Its beauti- fully marked flowers are nearly 2 inches across when expanded, and borne in profusion as little clusters of four to six blooms; coming somewhat late—from the middle to the end of May—they escape the spring frosts which so often spoil earlier kinds. The spray seen in our plate is that of a pale variety of yet finer effect than the original plant,whose lilac-coloured flowers are shown as a

small detached cluster. The plant is hardy at Kew, flowers freely while quite

small though it promises to makea good-

sized shrub, and would appear to be of

easy increase from cuttings. It received an award of merit in May of last year when flowers were shown before the Royal Horticultural Society by Mr. Moore of Glasnevin, and its value has been so proved as to assure its place

among hardy Rhododendrons.

* With coloured plate from a drawing by H. G. Moon.

EVERGREEN FLOWER BORDERS. In some positions evergreen borders are effective, especially near the house, and they should be welcome to many who are sick of the effect of those bare earth borders that the common way of garden- ing bestows upon us—a quite unneces- sary ugliness. Needless, because in our climate so many alpine and rock plants and small shrubs preserve their ever- green look so well through the winter that it is easy with a little thought to form evergreen borders of a lasting and pretty character. These borders, too, being mainly of dwarf plants, form the best carpet in which to grow one’s choice early bulbs. Of garden pictures thereare few prettier than Crocus, Snowdrops, Scilla, early Iris, or the rarer Narcissi, coming through the Moss-like carpets in evergreen borders. Often narrow evergreen borders are the best things that can be placed at the foot of impor- tant walls (meant for climbers), as the common fashion of allowing grass to grow right up to the walls and houses is a bad one and results in injury to the trees. A narrow border cut off with a natural stone edging from the grass or walk, is best; even a border of this size may have many lovely things, from early Cyclamen to the rarer Meadow Saffrons in the autumn. Besides the flowers al- ready named we have Violets, Peri- winkles, Carnations, Pinks, white Rock Cress, Barrenworts—charming in foli- age, purple Rock Cresses, Omphalodes, Iris, Acanthus, Indian and other Straw- berries, Houseleeks, Thymes, Forget- me-nots,Sandworts, some Gentians,La-

EVERGREEN FLOWER BORDERS.

361

vender, Rosemary, hardy Rock Roses, and many native and other hardy ever- green Ferns in all their fine variety ; these are an essential aid in the making of hardy evergreen borders. It would take a long list to enumerate the plants useful for this kind of border, but in many cases we may say the whole famil

is useful,asin the Mossy Rockfoils(Saxs-

raga), Houseleeks, and Stonecrops ; Christmas Roses also, and, where it thrives, Gentianella (G. acau/is), with

the Evergreen Candytufts and dwarfer Heaths, valuable as they are in flower as well as for their evergreen habit; also the Rocky Mountain Phloxes, Sand Myrtles, and the dwarf Partridge Berry. These plants are not only good as dwarf evergreens, they are delightful in colour, many of them covering the ground with carpets of fresh verdure, not a few being beautiful in flower, and having also the charm of assuming their most refreshing green in autumn just when other plants are losing their leaves or dying down. Along with these numerous alpine and rock plants we may group dwarf shrubs that comealmost between the true shrub and thealpine flower—little woody ever- green creeping things, like the Canadian Cornel, the dwarf Rhododendrons of the mountains of Europe and the hy- brids raised from them, and the smaller Azaleas.

It is important to secureall the good plants of a grey hue that we can, as no- thing is better in effect than carpets of grey like the Lavender Cotton and the dwarf Lavender in dry soils, the Grey Speedwell, the Grey Thyme, the Silvery

Bindweed (Cozvolvulus cneorum), Au-

362

FLORA AND SYLVA,

bretia, sere and many other dwarf grey plants thriving in ordinary soils.

Most important of all, however, is to avoid the universal “dotting” way, of one plant in a place with bare earth around each. Most of these plants are of easy increase and the right way is to plant close colonies of them so as to cover the earth—not following any one formula as to number, but grouping so as to get simple effects—not repeating favourite plants everywhere, but hold- ingeachkind ‘‘ together,” asin that way they give far better effect and are also more easily looked after.

FILMY FERNS. (Continued from page 338.)

Havinc dealt in our last issue with the cool section of this charming group, it may be well to close our review by mention of the kinds needing more warmth than is often found in the cool

greenhouse, though few even of these

require any great degree of heat. Some growers with well-planned ferneries are able to grow by far the greater number of these plants without artificial heat even in winter, for instead of injury a spell of frost often seems to do them good. Valuable collections in which the plants were frozen solid for weeks to- gether during the hard winters of 1879— 80 and 1894-95, thawed without loss and grew away merrily, as though re- freshed by the unwonted rest; far better indeed than others of the same kinds removed for safety to a heated house. It may therefore be assumed that the

Filmies described below need only

enough heat to maintain a fairly even temperature, and in this way outside

coverings are of more value than fire heat during the greater part of the year; a few tender sorts are singled out as needing more heat than their fellows. When used to cover walls the space shouldbe prepared by fixing stout wide- meshed iron wire about 3 inches from the wall and filling the space between with roughly broken peatand sandstone fragments, the whole made very firm. The stems can then be pegged upon this bed, and will quickly spread into a sheet of drooping fronds. A trickle of water from the top of the wall, and passing under the peat, keeps the roots moistand cool; caught again in shallow troughs upon the floor the same water main- tains a damp atmosphere in the house. Filtered rain-wateris best for sprinkling, for the lime present in spring water is fatal to delicate sorts. Sphagnum Moss is often used in beds for these Ferns as holding moisture without turning sour ; before use, however, it should be cleared of woody fragments, which set up dan-

-gerous fungus. It is surprising to find how happily kinds will grow together from countries apart in climate and temperature, and when their needs are

known the ease with which these Ferns are grown pleases all who take them in

hand.

Hymenophyllum abruptum.—A charming plant with tiny fronds seldom over an inch long and half an inch wide; they are broadly oblong with blunt tips, trembling upon fine wire-like stems, the segments cut half across and of shining deep green. Tropical South America and West Indies, spreading as a dense mossy carpet over rocks and tree-trunks. Syn. H. brevifrons.

H. asplenioides.—A little Fern with slender creeping roots, fronds of 4 to 6 inches long,

FILMY

gracefully arched and drooping and deeply cut into wavy segments of glossy apple-green. Seen upon an old stump of Tree-Fern it pre- sents a beautiful appearance with its shining narrow fronds distinct in colour and delicate in form. West Indies and the mainland, from Mexico to Brazil. (See engraving.)

H. axillare.-—The prostrate stems or this Fernare branching and very'slender; the fronds

FERNS, 363

I have found this to be one of the freest of Filmy Ferns, running its slender thread-like stems into pieces of Fern-stem or decaying wood. Syn. H. Plumiert.

H. elasticum.—A beautiful kind from is- lands of the Indian Ocean, rare in collections and perhaps only a geographical form of the better known H. Azrte//um. Its fronds are oval, thin andmembranous, and thrice cut into deep

linear-oblong, twice cut and drooping. A | greensegments. One of the woolly section of

\

YY Way

ary

——a STV ‘ OY

y ) i

Sp) NS 4 py Ns (ie > WHOS SSNT YT

=e

= ania b, |

NS 8

OVS SO

S

Iittex

SS

SUD) Sine.

LP SRR DOGS

ital

ah

GROUP OF FILMY FERNS.

58. Hymenophyllum asplenioides. 6. Trichomanes spicatum (Feea).

38. Trichomanes parvulum (see page 837). 4, Trichomanes membranaceum.

the group, it is very impatient of water over- head.

H. hirsutum.—An elegant dwarfkind which creeps over sandstone rocks or the trunks ot _ trees, covering them densely with matted roots | and very narrow fronds. These are 2 to 6inches long, drooping, deeply cut, rather limp in tex- is sometimes called H. Boryanum it is quite in- | ture, and of pale transparent green with stalks distinguishable from ci/atum. Its prostrate _and fronds densely hairy. In the Fern-house roots arecreeping, with fronds of 3 to 6 inches, this kind grows well upon a block of wood, broadly ovate, erect, twice or thrice cut, dark | with a damp atmosphere but no water over- green in colour and clothed with tawny hairs, | head. Commoninthe West Indies and tropical

1. Trichomanes elegans. 2. Trichomanes trichoideum,

pretty little plant, it has the peculiarity of form- ing side branches through the extension of the barren fronds. West Indies and Venezuela. H. ciliatum.—A plant of vast range yet little varied in character, whether in America —where it occurs from Mexico to Chili—in Asia, or in Africa. Though the African form

364

FLORA AND SYLVA.

America, extending south in hardier forms as far as Patagonia.

H. hirtellum.—A free-growing and hand- some Fern with erect fronds three times deeply cut, 3 to 6 inches long and 3 inches broad, light green in colour and clothed with reddish or pale-coloured hairs which cover even the stalks as with short dense wool. Common in Jamaica and thence through other islands to Mexico.

H. interruptum.—A rare kind with fronds |

varying from a few inches to 3 feet in length and 2 to 5 inches wide, their general outline being narrowly spear-shaped. ‘The upper part of the frond is more deeply cut than the lower, and all parts thickly clothed with soft yellow- ish hairs. H. Sprucez is very like a small form

thinner in texture. Mountain forests of the Andes from Mexico to Peru, clothing tree- stems with softly drooping verdure.

H. lineare —A handsomeand delicate plant with a very wide range through the West Indies and South American mountains up to a height of 12,000 feet ; it also appears upon the other side of the world in the island of Mauritius. Its thread-like hairy roots creep with limply drooping fronds of 3 to 8 inches, cut to thecentre and again divided into narrow segments, their edges andsurface thickly hairy. In its native country the roots cover rocks and trees with densely crowded fronds of great beauty. Syn. H. elegans.

H. sericeum.—A lovely and distinct kind with slender woolly roots and narrow drooping

-and transparent in texture and deep green

marked with small brown dots. It is a minia-

ture Tree-Fern, growing in the moist moun-

tain forests and charming in its grace and beauty. Fiji and islands of the New Hebrides. It needs a warm place in the house, planted in peat and partly decayed sphagnum.

Trichomanes alatum.—In this we have one of the finest of West Indian Filmy Ferns, very variable in size of frond and in their hairiness. Its root-stock is short and scarcely creeping,

Bristle Ferns.

| with fronds from 3 inches to nearly a foot long _ of remarkable transparency and pale green co-

lour. They are broadly lanceolate, tapering to

_a point, deeply cut, the leaflets toothed and _ slightly arched. Thrives best upon a Fern stem, of this, but with fronds less hairy and much |

and is richly beautiful when its delicate tracery is hung with crystals of condensed moisture.

Syn. T. attenuatum.

T. auriculatum.—A widely-spread species

_with creeping roots of such vigour as to cover

fronds of 6 inches to 2 feet long and only once |

cut. The leaflets are simply notched or deeply cut, and covered with silky down of silvery white while young, contrasted prettily with the long brownish hairs upon the spore-masses of olderand mature fronds. Itshould be allowed

to ramble over a porous rock, its roots clothing | _ stalks, and are twice cut into broad, blunt seg-

great masses of shady rock in tropical Ame- rica and the West Indies. Like all the hairy kinds, this is most averse to having its fronds wetted.

Todea Wilkesiana.—This is a free-growing plant, beautiful and very rare, forming a slen-

der stem that with age reaches a height of |

several feet and the thickness of a stout stick. The crown is composed of a dozen fronds of 2 feet long and more than a foot wide, thin

wide rock surfaces and climb the loftiest trees.

TRICHOMANES AURICULATUM ON A FERN STEM. Its fronds are 6 to 12 inches long on very short ments of leathery texture when barren, but

more finely cut when fertile ; colour deep sea- green and exquisitely transparent. One of the

| finest Filmy Ferns that can be grown. Moun-

tain forests throughout the East Indies, North- ern Hindostan, and parts of South America.

T. Bancroftii—A dwarf Fern with small oval fronds, deeply cut into blunt segments which overlap, and are finely waved and crisped

FILMY FERNS.

365

around the edges. They are 3 to 6 inches long, deep green, and borne upon short broadly- winged stems.

T. bipunctatum.—A Fern of creeping habit, densely clothed with black woolly hairs. Its fronds are roundly oblong and twice divided, from 3 to 6inches long, opaque, and dark green incolour. Widely spread this kind varies much in size and appearance in different countries. Kast Indies, through Japan and India, to Mada- gascar, and Natal. Syn. T. flicula.

T. brachypus.—A native of the West Indies -

and tropical America, this species is not easy to establish. It climbs upon whatever is near at hand, with nearly stemless fronds of filmy and transparent light green. Its wide-creeping roots thrive upon rotting vegetable matter.

T. crinitum.—A tufted Fern of great beauty, distinct in its dense hairiness. Its fronds are deeply cut into notched segments, broadly ob- long in shape, 6 to 8 inches long, and of greyish- green colour with thicksoft hairs. West Indies and forests of the Andes.

T. crispum.—The fronds of this Fern are also tufted, 6 to 12 inches long and only 2 inches wide, beautifully crisped, and of rich deep green; they are borne upon short roots by strong wool-covered stalks and are of finely transparent texture and dainty appearance. West Indies and South America.

T. cuspidatum.—A small species with uncut fronds, waved at the edges, seldom more than an inch long, and deep green. little plant for a piece of Fern-stem, and will do well suspended. Mauritius. Syn. T. Bojerii.

T. elegans.—This Fern has often been sepa- rated from other Filmies because its fruiting fronds are so unlike the barren ones, and be- cause the barren fronds have netted veins whilst in others of this group they are forked and free. These differences, however, though interesting

to notice have not been held sufficient to jus- tify a distinct genus, by the latest ruling. The |

plant is a very beautiful one with tufted deep green fronds, the sterile one 6 to 12 inches long, broadly spear-shaped and cut into nar- row sickle-shaped segments which are finely toothed and often drawn out into a tail-like tip which has the power of taking root. The fer- tile fronds are erect, flat, and scarcely half an inch wide, with spore-masses upon the margin

It is a dainty |

South America from Mexico to Peru. Syn. | Feea elegans or Hymenostachys elegans (see en- | graving, p. 363).

| T.ertcordes—A kind closely allied to T. mez- folium and equally beautiful in its erect and finely divided fronds of 3 to g inches long, upon | smooth wiry stems, and dark green in colour. The delicate segments are turned and crisped in all directions, giving the plant a strange and very distinct appearance. Bourbon, Java, and other islands of the Pacific. Syn. T. /ongisetum.

T. javanicum.—A beautiful and singular Fern with an erect tufted crown as its root- centre. Fronds of 2 to 8 inches, harsh and leathery in texture but of beautiful transparent green colour. Indian Archipelago.

T. Kaulfussi.—A robust erect-growing kind with broad, dull green fronds from 4 to 12 inches long, ovate-lanceolate in shape, cut nearly to thestalk and covered with starry hairs. They are borne upon stout winged stems from a strong woolly rhizome. A rare plant, needing more heat than most Filmy Ferns. West Indies, Guiana, and Brazil.

T. Kraussi.—An elegant little creeping plant covering tree-stems with tiny narrow fronds of 1 to 3 inches long, widening at the middle, deeply cut, and very dark green. It forms a charming object upon a slender Tree- Fern stem,where its very transparent fronds are safe from excessive moisture. West Indies and Guiana.

_ T.maximum.—Acharming Fern with fronds of 1 to 3 feet long and 4 to 6 inches wide; they are peculiar in being of nearly the same width throughout, a feature by which this kind is easily known. They are thrice cut and rather

rigid, ovate-oblong in shape, dark green and _ very transparent. The plant grows freely upon

wood or standstone but needs more heat than

most Filmies. Java, Borneo, and Polynesia.

T. meifolium.—One of the choicest of Filmy

Ferns, very rare and not easy to manage; it is

erect in growth, with tufted fronds of 6 to

20 inches long, twice-cut, and the segments again finely divided and curled into a beauti- fully plumed appearance. For soft and delicate

texture it can only be compared to the finest

| |

|

transparent sea~-weed. Mountains of Java at elevations of 4,000 to 7,000 feet. T. membranaceum.—A quaint and distinct

like a coarse hair-like fringe. West Indies and | plant, the stems of which are creeping and

366

FLORA AND SYLVA.

woolly. Its fronds are 2 to 3 inches long, rounded in shape and almost without stem ; from the edges inwards they are more or less deeply cut into rounded segments with incised and scaly edges; colour intense deep green. Grows freely upon sandstone. West Indies and

tropical America. (See engraving, p. 363.)

T. muscoides.—A dwarf creeping plant of free growth, with simple erect fronds of bright |

green, 2 to 3 inches long, very transparent, and prettily waved around the margin. This kind soon covers a block of wood or sandstone with a dense green carpet. Covers a wide area in tropical America, Asia, Africa, and the islands of the Pacific. Syn. T. erosum.

T. pinnatum.—A curious and pretty plant

with a tufted rootstock throwing erect and _ twice-cut fronds upon long wiry stems; the |

segments are from 2 to 5 inches long, the end one being often drawn out into a tail-like tip which has the power of taking root. The fronds

vary in length from 6 to 18 inches, very trans- |

parent, and bright green; when fertile they are prettily fringed upon the edges with spore- masses. West Indies and tropical America. This kind does best upon a moist Fern-stem in a warmcorner. Syn. T. floribundum.

T. pluma.—In a group remarkable for fine foliage, this kind stands in the front rank.

Travellers familiar with the tropics and the | beauty of this little Fern in its own home, re- |

gard it as one of the most exquisite of foliage

plants. It is very rarein cultivation and is scarce | even in Borneo, growing over rotting and |

moss-grown tree trunks with short thick roots less rambling than in most kinds. The fronds, of barely g inches long including the stem, are three or four times divided into thread-like segments which curl in all directions into a

feathery hair-like mass as dainty as filmy sea- |

weeds.

T. Prieurit.—A choice kind but difficult to |

manage; indeed, I have to regret its frequent

loss. It is of erect and rigid habit with fronds |

broadly oval, upon long stalks, and three or four times divided. They are large, 12 to 18

inches long and 6 to 12 inches broad, of lea- |

thery texture, dark green and slightly hairy. |

West Indies and tropical South America. Per- haps better known-as T. anceps.

T. rigidum.—A widely-spread Fern, found

and tropical Asia. Its root-stock is erect with broad oval fronds a foot long, twice cut into segments which are again finely divided and of intense green. It isa fine plant, so striking and distinct as to be worth a-place anywhere,

TRICHOMANES PLUMA.

TRICHOMANES SELLOWIANUM.

but not easy to establish. A variety, e/ongatum, bears fronds with broader segments, often over- lapping and drawn out into tail-like tips.

T. scandens.—A lovely Fern with long ram- bling rootstocks covering large trees in its native forests. The pale green fronds, 6 to 18 inches long, are cut right to the stalk and the

segments again into narrow leaflets very thin

and transparent, with edges finely hairy. Ja- 'maica and Mexico. - in South America, the West Indies, East Indies, |

T. Sellowianum.—A species which pleases

FILMY FERNS,

even those most indifferent to plants. Its fronds vary in length and are narrowly spear-shaped and deeply cut into oblong-blunted segments, prettily waved at the edges, very transparent, and bright green in colour. Brazil.

T. sinuosum.—A beautiful kind, growing best upon a Fern-stem from which its delicate fronds drop most gracefully. The rhizomes creep forward in waves, rambling for long dis- tances with a profusion of deep-cut fronds, 4 to ginches long, of lively transparent green. West Indies and Peru. Syn. T. icisum.

T. spicatum.—This kind is so distinct as |

often to have been classed apart under the name Feea, but in general appearance it is the same as others of this group and thrives under the same treatment. The fronds rise from a tufted rootstock and are of two sorts, the sterile ones from 3 to 6 inches long, broadly lance- shaped, and cut nearly to the midrib into notched and spreading segments of dark green; the fertile fronds are longer but narrow, spike- like, and erect, bearing two rows of hanging bell-shaped seed-masses without connecting tissues. [t is a beautiful and interesting plant but not easy to grow, doing best upon wood ina warm house, with a very moist but not a stag- nant atmosphere. West Indies and the warmer parts of South America. Syn. Feea spicata. (See engraving, p. 363.)

T. tenerum.—This delicate little species may be kept in a cool corner of the stove. Its freely creeping roots are slender and covered with wool, and its fronds lance-shaped and cut into segments which are again twice divided into narrow drooping threads of bright green, and very transparent. West Indies and tropical America. Syn. T. angustatum.

T. trichoideum.—This exquisite plant is plentifulin the West Indies and parts of South America, andis often treated asa stove species. I have, however, received it from the high mountains of New Granada, where it grows tall and stately, and this form of it does well in the greenhouse. Its fronds, produced upon creeping roots, are cut into delicate segments scarcely thicker than hairs, vivid green in co- lour, and borne on wiry, naked stalks. Cover- ing tree trunks inits native haunts, its festoons are the most graceful and fairy-like that can

be well imagined. (See engraving, p. 363.) G:

in circumference. be mentioned the tiny fronds of the Filmy _ Ferns, Hymenophyllums, and some of the

367

FerNs IN THE Fit IstaNps.—Ferns abound everywhere, from the sea level to the highest mountain tops, in the hottest and coldest parts, in sunshine and shade, on the poorest and rich- est soils, and in the driest and wettest parts. They are of all sizes, from the tiny Hymeno- phyllum, scarcely a quarter of an inch, to the gigantic Alsophila, a tree Fern, having a trunk So feet or more in height, surmounted by a crown of beautiful feathery fronds. The num- ber of distinct kinds and varieties of Ferns and allied plants native to Fijiamounts, as far as they are known, tonearly 300species. Some of these Ferns are magnificent. The Dicksonia moluc- cana has fronds of a triangular shape, measuring 12 feet in length and ro feet in breadth at the base. One of them would cover an area of 60 superficial feet. This gigantic leaf is supported by a stipe or stalk 6 feet in length and 3 inches As a contrast to this may

Trichomanes, scarcely one-eighth of an inch high. The delicate fronds of a new species of the last-named genusattaina height of 24 feet.

| Most beautiful they look when seen with the

rain-drops hanging like beads of crystal from the points of their finely-divided fronds. Not less pretty in this respect are Hymenophyllum

_javanicum and dilatatum, generally found on

the sides of streams, shaded from the sun by the overhanging banks and lofty trees. In the dry parts of Fiji one of the silver-leaved Ferns (Gheilanthes farinosa) may occasionally be found growing in the crevices of the rocks, while festoons of Lygodium reticulatum and tassels of Lycopodium to 5 feet in length hang from al- most every tree, and the surface of the ground is clad with one dense mass of beautiful Sela- ginellas, some of whichattain aheight of 5 feet. —J. Horne. A Fins Romneya.—Mrs. Dykes, writing from the Red House, Keswick, shows what this beautiful Tree Poppy can do in the open air even as far north as Westmoreland. She says: “T havegrown Romneya Coulterifor many years and it has made large bushes. This year it has spread into a mass g feet high and 27 feet round, and it had 260 buds upon it at the be- inning of the summer. All these have made large fully developed flowers, and as late as the last week in October I picked two fine blooms.

368

FLORA AND SYLVA,

Last year there were nearly as many flowers.” This plant—one of the finest of which we have ever heard—should encourage others to

try the Tree Poppy in gardens farther north | _bunchesare never finerthan when light-

than is generally thought of for Californian plants.

WISTARIA. Amonc the trees and shrubs the Far East has given to us there is none more love- ly than the Wistaria—a climbing tree, massive as the giant creepers of the tropics, and enriching our gardens with sheets of colour of fine effect as spring gives place to summer. And though within thereach of everyone to-day ,hhow rare it isto see this splendid climber used as it should be, unless it is where some old plant whose age runs into scores of years, has spread at last to a size which arrests the interest of all. We see the Wistaria planted here and there in ones and twos, and left to struggle through lean and weary years, whereas what would be easier to plan, or more en- chanting when realised, than along per- gola planted from end to end with blue and white Wistarias, or airy avenues such as may be seen in southern Eu- rope, lighted throughout by thousands of those drooping clusters, one or two plants to every tree. The great thing is tostartwith young plants newly layered, put inwithrich soil for astart, and saved the initial years of pot starvation which

is their common fatein nurseries; young has clambered over walls and walksand

roots without a tangle will do wonders in the way of rapid growth. Another point is not to plant too near the tree, when such is chosen as the ‘“‘host”; a few feet further back makes little differ- ence in effect (if so desired the stem may be laid prostrate and “layered” up to

the trunk) and it often makes years of difference in the result. Trees of almost any sort may serve,and theclustered blue

ing up a dark-leaved Pine, tumbling in disorder over some old forest tree when pastits prime,in contrast with the golden Laburnum, the white Robinia, or fine old Thorn trees, all of which flower at much the same time, or simply left to train and trail and toss amid a tangle of climbing Roses, Honeysuckle, and Cle- matis, with something always in flower and always beautiful. And this is but one of many uses.

Grown commonly upon walls and house-fronts, variety and length of sea- son is gained by planting different as- pects, one sidesucceeding another from spring to autumn, with first and second

crops of flower. Trained along wires as

a verdant coping to walls, or even upon

iron rails (as often seen in France) the _effect is goodand no plantis moreeasily

kept in place, though, as the old stems toughen, iron itself is doubled up in its embrace. A pretty way of training, com- mon in Japan forlong-bunched kinds, is upon an overhead trellis through which the flowers hang together thickly in one

unbroken sheet of colour. Bowers, and arches, and covered ways —nothing

comes amiss, and one old plant allowed to roamatwillfor seventy years or more,

covered ways, and tree after tree of noble stature, till it is quite a puzzle to dis- cover where it begins and where it ends. Such freedom would not be welcome everywhere, but as a proof of what the tree can do,and inits yearly glory —for

THE “TEMPLE” WISTARIA (W. MULTIJUGA) ON A TREE IN THE GARDEN OF MR. CHAMBERS, HASLEMERE. (Engraved for ‘ Flora.’’)

WISTARIA. 369

in the open thanupon walls, though this way needs some care in pruning. A very pretty and uncommon way of hiding light iron fencing—ugly in itself—is training Wistaria over it from end to end, and as the plants meet, grafting them into one mass. This forms a solid fence and when in flower is charming in effect, and after beauty may be had from large- flowered Clematis planted at inter- vals. The long lithe shoots are very graceful trailing over rocks upon a groundwork of Ivy, or on the loop- ing chains so often hung from post to post, but for uses such as these it should be borne in mind that only in our southern gardens is the Wis- taria quite hardy, though rarely harmed to any great extent when grownon walls, while what is some- times lost in spring by late frost is often made up in the autumn. In placestoo cold for good results out- doors, the Wistariais one of the best of greenhouse climbers, free from insects, easy to grow, fragrant and sure in flower ; the best effect may then be had by grafting blue and white together to mingle freely. Small pot-grown standards, too, are forced in gentle heat forearly spring, though with some loss of colour; and as table-ornaments the blue Wistaria in flower is one of the pret- tiest of Japanese “‘ pigmy trees.” In

such old trees flower even more freely | these and many other ways the Wistaria than younger ones—that old monster 1s servesus welland yet may serve us better worth a pilgrimage tosee. In the milder | as the sense of beauty becomes better parts of Britain it is very handsome | trained amongstus; while he who plants

PIX

a70 ORA

such trees as re Wistaria eee his children and his children’s children yet more richly than himself. As to culture, this plant needs only a fair start, in warm light soil if possible, and as much sunlight as may be had. Though often left alone, in many gar- dens pruning is necessary to good effect, but this must vary with the end in view. Plants growingas standards orina small space, require close spur-pruning as for fruit trees. The best flowers grow upon short spurs coming at the base of the shoots,and to develop theseall the young rowel are cut well back in July, more or less closely according to circum- stances and as soon as the lower wood has hardened. On starting again from the buds nearestthe cut, these secondary shoots are again stopped after growinga few inches, throwing back the sap and forcing flowering spurs from the base of theshoot first shortened; in early spring the final touch consists in cutting back this flowerless wood to within a few eyes of the main stem, while reserving the short flower-spurs upon which the

whole energy isthus concentrated. Stan-

dards and close-trained trees so treated will be amass of flower in Mayand June, but there are no autumn flowers. which come in longer, looser bunches, only at the ends of the summer’s growth. Where this second bloomis valued, and there is space to cover, pruning is only necessary to regulate and equalise the growth,with new shoots retained and laid in wher- ever required. When trained to trees the plant may be left alone, the one care being to prevent the spiral twist around the trunk, which is natural to the Wis-

AND SYLVA,

i - dualaly fatal to young conifers or other trees of rapid growth. A good way of starting the Wistaria upon a tree

is by sinking in the grounda bottomless

tub of good soil, which is thus kept for

its roots alone until they are strong

enough to hold their own. Where old

plants exist, increase is easy by layers ; seedlings are not good, being slow to

flower though growing fast. Root-cut-

tings (a plan not often followed) are said to give the best plants of all, vigorous, as well as free in flower; cuttings of the shoots will also root, with care and pa- tience,butso slowly that thisis not worth trying where other ways are possible. Though free of insect pests, the flowers are sometimes spoiled by sparrows, and Ihave knownrats to nibble off the wool- ly buds by hundreds with no apparent object.

SHORT CLUSTERED WisTaRia (Wistaria brachybotrys).—Though known to botanists for many years this is a rare kind, represented in Europe only by small plants, and even at Kew it has not yet flowered. It is alow shrub of only a few feet, with flowers like the blue Wistaria in colour, but in short clusters of about 6 inches, which come later and are held erect or loosely spreading. The leaves are heart- shaped at the base and silky on both sides. Japan. Two colour varieties, rosea and alba, are grown in the United States, but do not seem to have reached this country. The main value of this kind seems to be for dwarf bush- plants, which are often trained in a spiral.

Tue Cuinese WisTaria (WV. chinensis).-— In its best-known form this needs no descrip- tion, but there are many garden varieties, some of value, though many are yet untried in this country. Thepretty white-flowered kind, a/ba, is still far from common, and though the clus- ters are pure white and often large, they are fewer than in the blue kind and the plant is less hardy and vigorous. It is often grafted but is best raised from root-cuttings and grown

WISTARIA,

against a sheltered wall. In Japan there are supposed hybrids with pale lavender flowers, suggesting a blend of the blue and white kinds. The fruits of the Wistaria are like a large blunt-shaped French bean, covered with soft silky down, and filled with flat, hard seeds ; they are not often produced in this country. There are forms with double flowers in white and dark purple, but they open so badly in our climate as not to be worth growing, and a variety with variegated leaves has nothing to commend it. Plants often occur with flower clusters longer than in the common kind—

possibly crosses with W. mu/tijuga. This long- |

371

Niece less handsome than the Chinese plant

it is not without value, being hardier in cold districts and blooming about a month later. The lilac-purple flowers come early in July in bunches only half the size of chinensis, more

_ crowded and borne erect instead of drooping,

and more strongly fragrant. The plant is of slender growth, not particular as to soil, and content with lessspace than the Tree-Wistaria, rarely exceeding 30 to 4o feet. Asa wall- plant, or rambling over a mass of tree-stumps, its finer forms are well worth growing, and if cut at all should be pruned long. Several va- rieties are grown, including a/ba, with white

WISTARIA UPON A WOODEN FENCE,

flowered form of chznensis, known as macrobo- trys, has flowers palerin colour and less thickly set, in graceful drooping bunches up to 2 feet inlength. Of other kinds grown in the gar- dens of Japan, but still unknown in this coun- try, there are forms with small leaves and thin twining stems bearing miniature clusters of white or deep purple in July and August; and another late-flowered sort with semi-double flowers of soft rosy-mauve colour, hairy buds, and distinct leaves.

Tue AMERICAN Wisrartia (W. frutescens). —This, the only western species, is found in moist valleys ofrich soil inthesouthern United States, and was introducedso long ago as 1724. |

flowers; purpurea, in violet-purple ; -_cina, with flowers of pale lilac ; | in a shade of violet ;

albo-lila- Backhousiana, and magnifica, the best form. This is more free and vigorous than the parent, with clusters half erect, and flowers distinguished by acentral blotch of pale yellow. Syn. Wistaria speciosa.

Tur JAPANESE WIsTARIA (WV. japonica) .— A plant now often classed in the allied group

of Milletia—Old World climbers hardly sepa- _rated from Wistaria by their harder seed-pods.

It is a rare plant, growing at Kew asa twining shrub with pale green leaves of few leaflets and

clusters of white flowers about 6 inches long,

coming in July and August.

AA 2

372

FLORA AND SYLVA.

Tue TempLe WisTaria (W. multijuga).— | (of Wistaria multiyuga. Syn. W. grandifiora. markable of the Wistarias in its long flower- | B

If not the best in colour, this is the most re-

clusters, reaching in some cases to over 4 feet. It is not a new plant, having first come from Japan in 1874, but being shy in bloom while

young it remained almost unnoticed for many

years, though blooming at intervalssince 1879. _ Beside being paler in colourthe clustersare less |

dense, with smaller flowers set openly even from the top, where there is no “shoulder” as

in the massive clusters of chinensis. The flowers |

are numerousand fragrant, opening about three weeks later than chinensis,and in several shades of deep and paler lilac according tothe variety.

The length of the clusters varies much both >

hereandin Japan, where many kinds are grown with garden names, and long-trailed sorts are used with charming effect around their native temples and in other places of resort, to over- hang water, or drooping from the eaves of country housesincurtain-like profusion. These best kinds are too much valued in Japan to be imported freely, nor is it certain they would bloom equally well in this country, but our engraving shows what this Wistaria can do in Surrey, and other good plants are now not

wanting in which the measured clusters have |

sometimes exceeded 4 feet, with as many as 136 flowers in one cluster. Even when not in bloom WV. mu/tijuga may be known by its smaller and less hairy leaflets which in autumn turn a clear yellow much earlier than in other kinds.

This is doubtless due to the early winter of its |

real home, for it is not a native of Japan but Northern China, and is hardier than the Wis- tarias from further south. For British gardens this is another merit, so that if less brilliant its distinct growth and graceful habit make it of real value, particularly in its finer forms. Amongst these is a/éa with white flowers, very pretty, but not always pure; rosea, a new kind with rosy-lilac flowers said to be a pretty pale rose while in bud; and Russe//iana, shown last year before the Royal Horticultural Society

by Mr. Russell, of Richmond, and awarded a

certificate of merit. Its flowers are darker than is common, with large creamy-white blotches on the inner face of the petals. At Kew there is an unnamed variety with shorter and denser

clusters. It is, however, to gardens of Japan, |

where the plant has been cherished for gene-

rations, that we must look for the finest forms

A Goop Rock Pranr.—[To the Editor of _Frora.] Srr,—Whilestopping on the Cornish | coast I was very much struck with the beauty of the common “ Ladies’ Fingers” (Anthyl/is Vulneraria), which grows in great profusion in the short grass on the cliffs. The common form found in many parts of England is a | pretty plant, but the dwarf form from Corn- wall would be more useful in cultivation and make a good plant for the rock-garden. It ' grows close to the ground, in some places forming the whole of the turf for a few yards. In colour the flowers vary greatly. The most striking shade is a bright crimson, a true red without any tinge of blue. Then there are _varying shades of pink which pass through a _ pretty form, combining both pink and yellow, into a pure cream colour, and a yellow form which varies a good deal. Sometimes it is bright lemon-yellow, sometimes a fine dull yellow, and more rarely a form nearly pure white occurs. Such a beautiful plant should be more used in our gardens.—Yours truly, FRANK SAVERY.

RIDES IN BEECH WOODS.

_ Tue oneness of effect in Beech woods calls for bold and airy rides for use in all ways, and not

least, for beauty of effect. The mixed wood _may give variety, but where we have nothing

else and the soil allows of no other trees, some find the Beech monotonous, though with care as to the lines of rides the result is beautiful at all seasons of the year. In the making of these main rides the earth lines should be of easiest grade; they should cross the main mass of the wood, lead to fine groups, command views of the surrounding country ; they should be dry

and pleasant to walk upon in all weathers; in _ wet places have “dicks” at each side to keep _the body of the ride dry; have all bad hollows filled and the surface to be of turf or fallen leaves. Eighteen feet is a good width for a ride, ' not less. Where a group of trees or other inci- dent makes the ride a little wider here and there it is all the better as preventing stiffness _of line. Where “dicks” are made in wet places they should be made outside the 18 feet ride. _ With such airy rides the tall trees that border

Bus

them find extra nourishment and as a result give better timber. Thereisno harm instraight lines for these rides when the ground is level: in diversified ground they should follow the lines of easiest grade, which are often alsu the most beautiful lines. The rides should be laid out for the ground and on the ground without | any reference to plans or paper, or any adhe- rence to a formula such as we see in many French woods, and which is against all beauty of effect.

THE STRAWBERRY TREE (4rbutus).

Arrer the Holly and the Firethorn (Crategus pyracanutha) there is per- hapsnothing more beautifulin southern gardens at this bleak season than the Strawberry Tree. This was strikingly brought home a few days ago in com- ing face to face with two fine shrubs in a tiny suburban garden. One was loaded with ruddy fruit, the other crowned at every tip with clusters of ower, making a cheerful display in striking contrast to the dingy Privets and Laurels on either hand. The one fault of the Arbutus is. that it will not thrive everywhere, and for this reason it 1s never given a trial in many places now filled by worthless shrubs, which it might brighten at mid- winter with its flowers and fruit. Given an open spot in light porous soil, this fine shrub will do well in most gardens of the southand west, not even disdain- ing chalk, though in sandy soil upon rock orgravel the finest growth is made. In severe winters the plant is not safe from frost when far inland, but even if. cut down, the stems spring again as

cheerfully as ever with the coming of | warm days, and though growth in its

early stages is somewhat slow, when well established its fruit and flowers may be

freely cut for winter decoration, or the

plants trimmed when too large without

fear of harm. The cheerful dark green leaves are handsome at all seasons and free from the insects that worry other shrubs. The clusters of Heath -like flowers, pale green or white, shaded with pink orevenscarlet, hang for many weeks during midwinter and last long when cut, and the clusters of bright yellow or crimson fruitare withoutrival among winter berries. The rich red colour of the stems of some kinds is

also fine ineffect as the plants develop;

even around London this is sometimes well seen. Unless pruned to a stem the Arbutus is apt to assume bush form, but few shrubs are more easily trained. Though fine trees 20 to 30 feet high are seen in many parts, particularly around Bath and in South Wales, the

Strawberry Tree is nowhere found wild in these islands save around Killarney,

where itis plentiful even to the hilltops.

| This fact has given rise to some discus-

sion, but is not sostrange in view of the fact that (according to geologists) the south of Ireland was at one time joined

to the mainland, and that other plants, common to Spain and Western Europe are also found there. Though it creeps far up the Atlantic coast of France it is

in the region of the Mediterranean that

the Arbutus attains full beauty as a low,

round-headed tree,common uponevery sunny hillside of sandy soil, and resplen-

dent in late autumn when full of owers

and fruit. The blossoms of many of these wild trees are more or less tinged

_withred,and the berries, largerand more fleshy than those borne further north,

AX R

as

FLORA AND SYLVA,

are carried in profusion. The best of them (for their quality is variable) are sometimes eaten by the peasants, butare insipid and seedy; a more common use isthe making of a poor wine muchdrunk in Corsica, or a preserve eaten as arelish with mutton. The wood of the Arbutus is hard and knotted,dark red within,but seldom straight enough to be of much value; not infrequently the trunk is strangely turned in spiral. Being easy to work, of good colour, and handsome when polished, it is sometimes used in turning small objects, but is oftener madeintoacharcoal of good quality; in the East its bark isstill used for tanning.

The Strawberry Tree is easily raised fromseed,which should be washed clear of the pulp, dried, and sown in pans in the following spring; the varieties are

commonly increased by grafting or in-_

arching upon the common kind. Young plants should havesome protection from frost and cold winds until well estab-

lished,an opensunny spotat all timesto

ensure well ripened shoots and perfect

drainage—being im patient of stagnant |

moisture at the root. Beside the hardy kinds there are several tender species, but they are rarely found in other than botanical gardens.The principal species

and their varieties are as follows :— THE GRECIAN STRAWBERRY TREE (4. 4n- drachne).—Thiskind is rare in English gardens though perhaps the hardiest of the group, and handsome when full grown, thriving well, too, in Ireland and the West country. It is found from Greece throughout Asia Minor and the Levant, and was first brought to England so long agoas 1724. Itis finer than the common kind when mature, its beauty being increased by the rich red colour of its bark,which peels off each year in thin layers. Its leaves are broader and more rounded in outline than those of 7.

Unedo,and nearly smooth at the edges; the fruit also is more oval, but the flowers are alike save for their larger clusters, and borne from winter to early spring. There isa variety serratifolia, inwhich the flowers are yellowish,rather larger, and borne in longerclusters; the leaves, too, are dented, and narrower than in the common Grecian form.

Tue Canary IsLANDs STRAWBERRY TREE (A. canariensis)—This is a handsome but tender species, known as the Madrona of the Canaries, and sometimes grown in English greenhouses. It bears heavy clusters of flowers, of a pale green, but not until April or May, when they are less prized. In mild districts it has been grown upon a wall, with protection in winter.

THE FREE-FLOWERED STRAWBERRY TREE (A. densiflora.).—This is a Mexican species and rather tender. Its leaves are large, shining above, but covered beneath, as are also the angular branches, with ruddy hairs. Its white flowers appear in dense clusters giving it a fine appearance, but though an old plant in gardens ie has become rare:

THe CHILIAN STRAWBERRY TREE (4. fu- riens).—A low growing kind from the farsouth of America, rarely growing larger than a bush. The fruit is a small brownish berry, dangerous to eat as causing delirium.

Tue Rep-sTEMMED STRAWBERRY TREE (A. hybrida).—This tree was the result of a cross between the Common and Grecian kinds, and often does duty for the last in gardens, as showing the same fine ruddiness of stem. When mature it is a handsome tree, as large as its parents, equally hardy, and finer in flower. A beautiful specimen may be seen in the park at Bath, nearly 30 feet high and well propor- tioned, flowering profusely every autumn and throughout much of the winter. The flower- clusters are short, rather rounded, and larger

‘than those of Unedo, as are also the leaves. | There are several garden forms of this hand-

some tree to which names have been given, but their differences are slight.

Menzies STRAWBERRY TREE(4.Menziesit). —A large robust tree of the north-west ot America, from British Columbia to southern California, including Vancouver Island, where it is very abundant. Old trees reach a height of more than 60 feet with a trunk stout in pro-

THE STRAWBERRY TREE, 375

portion. It bears oval glistening leaves upon | /ar7s).—A robust tree of the mountains of long stalks, large, smooth at the edge, and | Mexico, unknown in English gardens, and glaucous beneath; the branches are covered | probably tender in this country.

with a rich reddish bark (insometrees whitish) | Tue Harry STRAWBERRY TREE (4. tomen- which peels off annually in long strips,andfrom | fosa).—Abeautifuland uncommon plant,found itscolour the tree is often known as the Moun- | along thewestern coast line of North America, tain Mahogany. The sweet scented flowers, | hardy in warm districts, and very handsome in of dull white, appear in autumn and are almost its dense foliage. The whole plant is covered globular, with the with short reddish down, sometimes whitish mouth very nar- \ beneath the leaves, and bearsa profusion of pure row and contract- white flowers from December to March. It ed; the berries are is worth growing under glass for its wealth of

5 ad . larger than in the flower, but makes a beautiful wall shrub in any European forms,

mild district. rather flatter, and

of abright orange- yellow. It is one \ of the largest ot | i. J <<) Femi ‘a the group,forming ‘ i \ \\ ie p a close compact | | | head when young, which it retains as a regular umbrel- la shape in quite old trees. Like the eastern species, it ™ isatree of thesun- shine, thriving in dry stony soils, and taking entire pos- session of such spots as it favours. Though in _ its native haunts it stands severe cold, it issomewhat ten- derinthis country, though here and there, as at Kew, fine plants may be seen grow- | ing with no special care ; our damp autumn is, | however, against the ripening of its growth. | In coast gardens of suitable soil this beautiful | tree is worth a trial. Syn. 4. procera. | Miirer’s STRAWBERRY TREE (4. Mi/lert). —This is a distinct garden seedling raised in | Bristol. A vigorous plant, with large leaves, | THE CoMMON STRAWBERRY TREE (2. and flowers of a delicate pink. | Unedo).—The common form of Europe and Tue Hoary STRAWBERRY TREE (4. mo/lis). | the south of Ireland, grown in gardens under —A tender Mexican plant with rosy flowers many varieties, some of which are handsome appearing in late spring, and downy leaves of | and others showing only minute variations in velvet whiteness beneath. | leaf or habit. Amongst its forms are the Myrtle- THE GREAT STRAWBERRY TREE (4. fetio- | leaved, Willow-leaved, and Oak-leaved forms

AA 4

ARBUTUS UNEDO (CROOM’S VARIETY.

376 FLORA AND SYLVA.

—the last with a wavy outline; a fourth with crimpled leaves (crispa); alow-growing smooth- leaved variety (sategrifolia); and a kind with very large glossy leaves (photiniefolia). ‘The finest, however, is that known as Croomuz (syn. rubra) with leaves finer than its parent, bearing larger honey-scented flowers prettily shaded with crimson, followed by deeply-coloured fruit. he shade of the flowers varies from salmon-pink to deep red in the form coccinea, and with its handsome foliage and rich red bark it is one of the finest of hardy shrubs. There is also a double-flowered form, but as it sets no fruit it is of little value for gardens. Tue Mexican STRAWBERRY TREE (24. xalapensis)—A tender species from Mexico and New Grenada, of no great interest for

English gardens. B.

LZELIO-CATTLEYA REX.” Tuecrossing of Leliasand Cattleyas has yielded many handsome forms of what are termed Le/io-cattleyas, and among these seedlings the crossing of theforms of Lelio purpurata with the many va-

origin was unknown and the plant de-

daceous Plants” as an ‘‘ enfant trouve.” It was named Lelio Canhamiana, in

honour of Charles Canham, then Orchid |

of the hybrid. To Messrs. Sander of St. Albans is due the honour of having

foreman at Messrs. Veitch’s nursery, where the plant was raised. This first plant of the series produced flowers so different from those so finely shown in the plate, that were it not for the many intermediate forms that have appeared since 1885, it would be hard to imagine that there was any connection between them. In Lelio Canhamiana the sepals

and petals are light rose, the lip dark

velvet-purple in its outer waved portion, margined narrowly with white in its upper part, and veined in the throat with brown stripes on an orange ground. Many fine varieties of this plant have since been raised, some with white seg- ments asin L.-cs. Canhamiana albida, and ‘‘ Marguerite”; some with very dark flowers, as in L.-cs. C. superba, and “« Foyce Wigan’; and the beautiful and distinct form named in compliment to Lady Wigan. Butamongst themall, few approach this new plant in the purity, size, and substance of its flowers, and the rich colour of the lip. Its full name

is Lelio-cattleya Canhamiana var. Rex, _for though not derived from the original forms, its parents are two distinct va- rieties of those forms, and by common consent in suchcases all allied offspring are classed together.

rieties of Cattleya Mossie has given a | series of fine hybrid Orchids. It was during 1885 that the first of these hy- | brids owered, though at the time its

The parents of this fine plant are given as Lelio purpurata var. alba, crossed with Cattleya Mossie var. Rei- neckiana. The ivory whiteness of its

| sepals and petals comes from the white

scribed in Veitch’s ‘‘ Manual of Orchi- |

outer segments present in both parents,

whilst the fine magenta-purple colour sO predominant in their lip-petalsis seen in yet more marked degree in the lip

raised this grand Orchid, of which I well

remember seeing the first flower when

visiting the nurseryin May 1902. Since

then plants have come under my care in the “Clare Lawn” collection,and Ihave had full opportunity of proving its merit. Like many other home-raised Orchids it is far less difficult to grow than im-

* With coloured plate from a drawing by H. G. Moon at Messrs. Sander’s nursery, St. Albans.

leaf-mould mixture now so generally advocated, the plants should be placed in a warm part of the Cattleya-house; if carefully watered whilst growing, and given a decided rest when growth has ceased, there need belittle fear of failure. East: Sheen. W. H. YOUNG. THE FRUITING QUINCES. We would speak of the Quinces for their beauty of flower as well as for their fruit. There are two points all in favour

of this tree, one being its fondness for |

damp soils unsuited to most other fruit trees, while from its late season of bloom itis far less exposed to injury from spring frosts than most of our orchard trees.

oin to this its few wants, easy culture, and freedom from pests, and it seems strange that the Quince shouldever have sunk to its present place in the waste corners of our fruit gardens. The present demand for the Quince altogether out- runs the supply, while to many it is an unknown fruit. Within recent years Quince culture has been taken up in the

377

difficulty in finding fruit, and this is but one of the uses of the Quince. The tree will do well in almost any

soil which is not too compact or too sandy, and not overcharged with lime.

| Cool bottom-land and the fringes of ponds and watercourses suit it admira-

bly,and even wet ground liable to flood-

‘ing is not against it if the soil is fairly porous. In dry soils the growth is weaker, _and the fruit smaller and strong in fla-

vour, butwith care in watering fair crops may be gathered even upon light land. The growth of the Quince is slow, tor- tuous, and apt to straggle, but plants ot several years old may be moved without risk if allowed a year of rest before fruit-

ing. Being ashallowrooter with masses

of fibrous roots near the surface, there must be no deep digging, a dressing of manure in autumn, a slight mulch in summer, and light hoeing to keepdown weed, being all that is required in this way. The blossoms come upon side shoots which push five or six leaves be- forethe Hower appears—mostly in early

United States with characteristic tho-_ June when the worst frosts are over.

roughness, and though the plantations are not yet in fullbearing,a good return is secured, local demand is fast increas- ing, and an average yield of over 400 full-sized Quinces to each tree shows what can be done by careful culture. There is a large area in the south of England and Ireland in which Quince culture might be made a profitable in- dustry equally fine samples of fruit com- ing from Kent and Sussex, and the gar- dens of Gloucester and South Wales.

Though its lateness in bloom is a gain

in spring the lateness of its fruits in au- tumn requires in our country a sunny

-and sheltered situation if the crop is to ‘mature upon the trees and the season’s

growth be ripened. Upon trees left to themselves heavy and lighter crops are

generally borne in succeeding years; the _aimof good cultivation is to equalise the yield by thinning when above theaver-

age. It pays also to feedafull crop with

liquid manures, the gain of size and

3 i 8 FL ORA ee 8 ae Boe

quality in iene Enea great, especially It is so easy to cut aia an si tree a ina dry season. They are seldom ma- | force shoots from its base which quickly ture until late in October and should | root whenearthed up, but trees so raised hang until mellowed unless sharp frost | are always throwing suckers in the same threatens; being easily bruised, they way. Cuttings of the ripened shoots a should Ke handled with care ati laid foot long, taken in early autumn, will to ripen fully in a cool and airy room, | root as readily as Rose cuttings in warm becoming bright yellow and very fra- | light soil under just similar conditions. grant when fit for use. Often 1 |b. or Root grafting —a good way —consists more in weight, the fruitsof some kinds | in splicing pieces of apple root to short reach as much as 2} |bs., but this is ex- | cuttings; this assures their rooting, and ceptional. Quite small trees will yield when well rooted on its own account half a bushel of fruits, and with age the the apple-root can be removed at the yield increases rapidly. The trees are first transplanting. So much care is best plantedin November,andwhileold needed, however, to grow a good stan- trees move fairly well young ones are dard Quince, that the best way is to buy better ; towards the norththe treeisbest young trees for planting. For lightand upon walls, seldom ripening its fruit dry soils the Quinceisoften grafted upon without this protection. Theimmediate the Hawthorn, but for heavy soils seed- neighbourhood of the sea is unfavour- ling Quinces make the best stocks.

ble to the Quince. The general way is Apart from its fruit, the to leave the tree unpruned, but however Beauty of beauty of an old Quince picturesque in appearance this 1s against treemakesit worth a place

good fruiting. Being often scanty in leaf in any garden, with its sweeping pen- little thinning is needed beyond that dulous branches, knotted and gnarled of weak cross-shoots; when the head is grotesquely, distinct in their dark co- once formedeach season’s growth should lour, and quite unlike the ordinary fruit be pruned back to five or six buds, tree in effect. The large cup-shaped and though this may seem severe the in- flowers of white or flesh-pink are beau- creased yield justifies the plan when tiful, hanging like single Roses from the market is the end in view. The trees are tips of every side shoot among the soft seldom more than15 to2cfeethighand rounded leaves, silvery white beneath. are many years in reaching that height, And when in autumn the boughs hang being more inclinedtospreadanddroop yet lower beneath their load of fruits, earthwards than to rise; good erect whose colour outvies the golden leaves, shoots should, however, be encouraged few trees grown for effect are finer as being the most fruitful. than this “golden apple of Hesperides.” The Quince may be raised by seeds, | Many an old pond in Kent and Sussex cuttings, layers, budding, or root graft is fringed every autumn with its loaded ing, and, as is sooftenthe case, the worst Quinces, and when bending low over method (from layers) is that most used. the water with its fragrant burden, the

THE FRUITING i Ce

charm - lates of this tree for aed waterside is well displayed. The beauty

of the old Quince orchards of southern

Europe, wherethe fruits hang untilfully—

mellowed, explains the estimation in

which it was held by classic writers for.

whom the Quince stood as an emblem of love and happiness, dedicated to

ou

from its abundance at Cydon in Crete;

in many parts of southern Europe it 1s common, especially upon the rocky shores of the Danube. As with many cultivated trees its original home is un- known, though believed to have been northern Persia; it has long been natu- ralised throughout the Mediterranean

Venus and used in the adornment of region and is an old tree in Britain,

her temples. Its fruits were fabled as the forbidden fruit of scripture, were worshipped by the Greeks, and for ages played a part in marriage rites,a custom maintained in our own country aslateas 1725. Travellers tell of Chinese Quinces which are tenderanddelicious eaten raw, but the Quince of Europe is not good until cooked. For ages Quince jelly and marmalade have been famed, and were long theonly kinds known. The fruits are far richer in flavour than most cook- ing Pears, stewed in the same way and served hot with sugar, and cream or butter, or when cold if so preferred ; again, for an added zest to Apple tarts the Quince is most useful in countries

like our own, where the Apple is the | es Pp HSS great winter fruit. Even when the ripe

fruits (which donotkeep long) are gone, a reserve of syrup will supply their fla- vour. In America increasing quantities aretinnedand bottled, whileinsouthern Europe Quince pulp is made into a wholesome sweetmeat called ‘‘cotog- nata.” The pulp, boiled with sugar or honey till ina thick paste, is rolled into layers and slowly dried; this is not only a delicious confection but is useful as a mild remedy for bilious troubles.

The Quince is known bo- tanically as Cydonia vulgaris”

Kinds.

-rieties from different

spoken of as plentiful and much es- teemed as early as 1573. The neglect into which the tree has fallen explains why few sorts are grown, and even these are perhaps less good than formerly through poor cultivation. The increased attention given to this tree of recent years has already shown itself in new kinds, while the presence of Pyrus (Cydonia) | Maulei—a Japanese Quince with good fruits—and the possible introduction of Chinese fruiting varieties, might by crossing yield important improvements as to flavour and food value. There are three principal kinds grown known as

the Apple-shaped, Pear-shaped, and

PEAR-SHAPED QUINCE.

Portugal Quinces, and in addition an

increasing number of local-named va- parts.

Tue Appte QUINCE (Cydonia vul- garis maliformis).—A variety with full

380

FLORA AND SYLVA.

round-shaped fruits, borne very freely

and of goodflavour,but spoiling quickly. Tue Prar-sHAPED QUINCE (C\ v. pyri formis).—The kind most often seen in this country, very hardy, and of quaint- ly beautiful outline. Though a heavy cropper its fruits are lacking in flavour and juice, becoming almost woody upon poor soils and when neglected; on the other hand, they keep longer than other kinds, having a tough downy skin. Tue PorruGat Quince (Cv. lusi- tanica).—TVhis forms a tall and hand- some tree, but being less hardy needs a warm spot. Norisit suchasure cropper, though its fruits are larger, of refined flavour, and better in quality than the first two kinds; they turnarichred when cooked—a pretty colour in preserves. Of more vigorous growth and fuller leaf, it makes a good lawn tree for sheltered gardens, worth growing if only for its large pale-pink flowers in early June. The old Orange Quince, a round-shaped fruit of deep colour—was long the standard Ameri- can kind, but has now largely given place to Rea’s Mammoth, an improved variety with larger fruits of tender flesh, free from the hardness and harshness of the old Pear Quince. A newer kind, Champion, is also widely grown in the Statesand isnowtobehadinthiscountry. It begins to bear very early and its fruits come a fortnight later than the Orange —a useful succession where the winter isnottooearly, They are apple-shaped, bright yellow, of good quality and rich colour, while 18 ozs. is no uncommon weight. Another good late kind much grown for the American market is

Named Kinds.

Meech’s Prolific. ‘Two new American varieties as yet untried in this country are the Fuller Quince, with large pale yellow fruits ofsoft flesh and fineflavour;

and Van Deman, a seedling from the Portugal Quince, with handsome fruits _of great sizeand good quality. A variety thought well of in France is De Bour- geaut, a very vigorous tree with large rounded fruits of golden yellow. Nor _are the new sorts confined to America, for several kinds of local reputation have

been found in Southern Europe and are being distributed by one of the great

German nurseries. Such is the Lescovez Quince (from the town of that name, where it has been grown for genera- tions), an apple-shaped fruit of immense size and refined flavour, distinct from any other kind, and said to be the best of all for marmalade, yielding a clear jelly of richcolour. Thetreeis of rather weak habit, with small and very dark green leaves. Another new kind from the Balkans is the Bereczks Quince (also known as the Vrazya, its native place), a tree of robust growth with large leaves, very free even from a small size in its large golden fruits differing from other kinds in their clear shining skin. Their flesh is soft, juicy, and of good flavour, but the jelly is inferior to that of the last in clearness and colour. The Quince | DeBadenbears large pear-shaped fruits; | Monstrueux de Baxine,fruits of the same

shape but nearly 2 lbs. in weight and excellentfor preserves; while the Zucker or “Sugar Quince” is a smaller kind from Asia, very sweet and good for stewing. Other sorts offered by conti- -nental growers are the Muskat Quince,

TREES AND _ SOIL, 381

the Persian Quince, the Constantinople | a jelly of good colour and pleasantly Quince,andthe Azger; this comesfree- | acid in flavour. A form of the Chinese ly from seed and is that most used for Quince (Cydonia chinensis) grown in the grafting Pears. So few of these named | southof Europe, bearsvery large oblong kinds have been tried in Britainthat it is | fruits, but they are worthless even when

too soon to speak with certainty of their cooked. R. value, until growers have given them a_ TREES AND SOIL. trial in this country. _In the wood there can be no question of arti-

ficial manures or of cultivation in the agri- cultural sense of the word; by what means,

Quinces a fewof the kinds then, does the soil of a forest maintain its fer- tility, and even improve its condition? This

grown wholly for their flowers yield fruits of some value when 1s brought about by the action of the surface

Saale INI Quince (Pyrus Mau- | ©overing immediately above the natural soil.

: , : This may be either /7ving covert, composed ot let), a beautiful little shrub with scarlet plants too small to rankas brushwood, and dead

flowers from the mountains of Japan, covert, formed of the débris of vegetable matter bears bright yellow fruits flushed with —leaves, needles, dead branches and twigs,

Pek (he ie OF Casall Piominem Aer _ shreds of bark, berries, excretions, and decay- ? Pee y ing matter generally. According to Protessor

Henry, the weight of dead covert falling each November in woods twenty years old in the district of Nancy, varies with the soil from 2} to 34 tons to the acre, and in the Beech forests of the same district it is double this weight. Professor Ebermayer sums up the action of | this dead covert as follows :—Being spongy, it freely drawsair and moisture into its network of channels, the amount of water absorbed being two and a half times its own weight. It pro- tects the soil from evaporation and the harden- | ing due to beating rain, and at the same time _ provides a natural system of drainage which prevents the surface soil from being carried | away, and conveys the moisture to the subsoil where it is wanted. JAPANESE QUINCE. | Under the influence of natural | |

Besides these fruiting

Other Fruiting Species.

mes napa and ferments the elements of the fragrant, and of agreeable acid flavour. eat. decayed covert are slowly dis-

If preserved when fully ripe these are | solvedinto a powdery substance of dark colour, excellent in tarts or as jelly. A scarce | often black, and with a peculiar odour: this is

seedling form of the Japanese Quince | humus, or leaf-mould. It isof the utmost value, fea ere Sie onetamied Ab OF we and we may here consider its special properties

a as : in view of the large part that it plays in forest citripomma, also yields fruits which may soils. Leaf-mould absorbs and retains far more

be preserved. They are oblongin shape, | moisture than other soils, and while always Westen ege, very fragrant, | cool itisnever wet, thanks to its porous nature.

A ores eA h Ai It acts also as a wonderful equaliser of soils, and orange-re Sa resembling clay, in that it will bind the most

Though worthless while raw, they give | powdery sands, but so free from the stiffness

382

FLORA AND SYLVA,

of clay that soils too compact are by it made friable and easily worked. It minimises the effect of heatandcold,and combats the hurtful properties of certain mineral substances. It is

the principal agency in a natural process of |

mellowing which, in its results, is best com- parable to that of cultivation. It has recently been shown bya Danish professor, Dr. Miiller, that myriads of organisms exist in forest humus —plant-eaters and flesh-eaters—which pierce galleries and transform it into a living mass of creatures, struggling one against the other for existence. Very soon, in their quest of food, animals of a higher order such asshrews, moles, and wild boars, complete the blend of soil, sub- soil, and leaf-mould, as thoroughly as if it had been done with the spade or the plough, and to this mechanical process the trees also con- tribute by their root-action.

But the question arises, if the leaves return to the soil only what they took from it, how, if atall,isthere returned the valuable materials lost at each forest thinning, and which—spite of their comparative unimportance it may be —represent a dead losstothe soil? This re- newal is brought about by a ‘‘mobilisation,” if we may so call it, of reserves latent in the

of the Hornbeam, Elm, and Ash, which when green are eagerly eaten bystock, are as greedily | devoured by the plant-eaters in the soil when dry. On the other hand, in the presence of ex- cessive moisture the action of oxygen and of heat is much lessened, and the decomposition of such débris is slow andimperfect. Acid com-

_ binations are also freely produced, resulting in

_a dry residuum resembling peat, in which only

the Alder, Birch, Aspen, and Mountain Pine among the greater forest trees are able to thrive. Inversely,where there is excessive drought the soil becomes parched, crumbling, and fibrous, wearing gradually into a brown or black pow- der which is not at all easily decomposed, and is a veritable dry peat with all its drawbacks. It is chiefly found in sandy soils, where it goes to form what is known as “ peat soil.” Dr. Miiller tells how to distinguish the various sorts of humus. In leaf-mould, where carbonic acid is the only acid so to speak, animal life abounds and worms are common, it is con- stantly turned by moles and wild boars, and

_among the plantsnative to it are the Woodruff,

soil, by processes which we shall explain. The | it may be dry and powdery, at others porous as a sponge and as readily absorbent, but it is

first question is: Whence comes the deficient nitrogen ? because, even if the phosphates and the potash remain imprisoned in the soil so long as plant life is not there to draw upon them, it is certain that the nitrates are easily drained away with the surface water. It is ad- mitted that the nitrous elements dissolved in

rain, snow, and dew, during their passage down | _has to depend upon chemical means of decom- | position.

the roots of great trees furnish to these larger quantities of nitrogenthan canbe the case with agricultural crops which penetrate only a thin

layer of soil. Yet even these larger quantities | of nitrogen are insufficient to maintain the |

balance of demand and supply. The result of Professor Henry’s research is to show that this deficiency is made up by thecovert, dead leaves having the faculty of absorbing nitrogen from the air as plants of the Pea tribe often do in agriculture. It has been proved that the gain in nitrogen from this source may amount to 17 lbs. to the acre in the case of Oak leaves, and 26 lbs.in the case of Hornbeam. Certain leaves like those of the Beech and Pine, being hard and tough, are very slow to decay, whilst those

the Dog Mercury, the Oxalis, and the Wood Anemone. Peat, on the other hand, is a sort of felt, held together by the tangle of surface roots and by afungus peculiar to the soil. Sometimes

always rich inorganic acids and supports a low vegetation, and Mosses, which, apart from a few forms of Po/ytric, are not to be found at all in humus. The fauna of the peat forest, beside being less varied, is marked by the absence of moles and worms, and deprived of theiragency

Peat soils prevail in the cold and foggy regions of northern Europe; further south, where the growing season is longand lime soils abound, it is much less common. Dry peat is, however, often met with in sandy forests, and moist peat upon the mountains. By filling up the gaps in woods, preserving the under- growths, and avoiding too frequent thinning,

forest culture aids the formation of dry covert; its removal is so injurious to the wood that it means a loss of 50 percent. or more in output. Insoils composed of leaf-mould long rotations 'are better than short, in order to expose the soil as little as possible; it is important also

LANDSCAPE AND WOODLAND PICTURES, 383

to preserve the brushwood and the outer) LANDSCAPE AND WOODLAND

trees upon all sides, for these hold the woods PICTURES BY THE MASTER together and give shelter from sun and wind. | PAINTERS

In coarse, dry, and hot sands, low and continu- | 1 : : A ous covert should be maintained, and every — No landscape painter ever interprete

effort made to encourage trees of dense leaf | the true character of the picturesque

such as are generally shy of dry soils. To this more happily than the Swiss painter

end trees of different ages are better than a i@alame. Mele Cane nee dneneace by uniform age. . :

te .2 colouring little prints of Swiss scenery

This varies with the nature of | : :

the soil, and is always a sign for a mere pittance, but, through his

of neglect, since it absorbs to its own profit painstaking work he gradually acquired

Living Covert.

CALAME inl a ts - ARGENT eSC

LAKE SCENE IN SWITZERLAND BY CALAME.

reserves of nourishment in the soil and is a such mastery of form and colour as to hindrance to natural renewal. Even when

| ie :

4 ; ieee N é - | atte 191 1 young seedlings gain a footing in spite of it, | f pap’ Oe 5 nal subjects, becoming, they are weak through having to compete ie ter many disappointments and some with other plants. Even such covert is better | failures, one of the greatest landscape

than none, for it holds the soil together and | painters of his time. He has left man

protects it from being wasted by rains or es Aa aba abe nigga delet mene gouhel| paintings,and amongst the finest ofthem

soil from which the trees can profit.—Les —mostly painted towards the close of Teaore his life—is “‘ Monte Rosa after Sunset,”

384

FLORA AND SYLVA,

in which the highest peaks of dazzling | been cut back. They are at their best in July,

white are touched with rosy glow when

this masterpiece forms part of the col-

lectionat Neuchatel. His best work deals | with the scenery of the higher Alps, —

_ which represents a row of plants growing in

treated in a way peculiarly his own and well shown in his “‘ Region of the High Alps after a Storm,” ‘‘The Lake of the Four Cantons,” ‘‘ Mont Blanc,” “An

pictures. ‘Though comparatively young at his death, Calame lived to reap the

but continue to flower through the autumn,

shrubs in my garden being now (end of Octo-

allelsein the picture isbathed in shadow; » ber) full of bloom. The flowers here are not

_lemon-yellow asstated in thearticle, but bright

reward of his industry and talent, his house at Geneva being the common ground of all the great men of Europe |

of his own time; he died in 1864, when

in his fifty-fourth year. Our engraving, |

from one of his works in black and white, exhibits skill to which few have

attained; it represents a group of Oaks |

growing upon the margin of one of the smaller Swiss lakes. The life-like render- ing of the gnarled branches isadmirable in its boldness, as is also the contrast of the water-worn rocks stretching out to some distance in the shallows of the

lake.

CALCEOLARIAS AS FLOWERING SHRUBS.—The article on Calceolarias in FLORA AND SyLVA |

leads me to send you two photographs of C.

considered one of our best flowering shrubs.

I have never met with it in such quantity as |

at Kingswearand itsimmediatevicinity; other places in which I have seen it have had con-

nection with Kingswear, so that it was pro- |

bably obtained from there in the first instance. I sent it up to Kew and found that I was right in my surmise that it was C.7zntegrifolia. They wrote me that they did not possess it so I sent themcuttings. Inthe photograph of the larger plants these are growing by a gravel path and are over 5 feet in height. One plant here was

6 feet high and 7 feet through, but has since

| | |

| | |

golden-yellow. It will grow and flower any- where, as shown by the second photograph,

stoney soil at the top of a retaining wall with a line of Laurustinus planted immediately be-

hind. Mesembryanthemum edule is also planted

among the Calceolarias. The soil is naturally

-very poor, and the roots of the Laurustinus Avalanche of Rocks,” and many other ee

and Mesembryanthemums must rob it of that little nourishment it possesses, while in hot summers the place becomes absolutely dust- dry, yet the Calceolarias never fail to flower though they make but little growth and their lower leaves are brown. This Calceolaria is never injured by the winter, and I daresay if grown inrich soiland well manured periodi- cally would attain a height of 7 or 8 feet, but it is so common and submits so uncomplain- ingly to neglect that no care is ever taken of it. C. Burbidgei also has grown here in the open for two years but does not flower freely, and can in no way compare with C. sntegrifolta for effect —WYNDHAM FITzHERBERT.

SONGS OF THE WOODS AND FLOWERS: An OcroBerR ALLEGRO.

Weare yellow autumn leaves, decked with russet and with red, Pranked in gold and in the proudest of attire ; But the wild October breeze hath lured us from the trees And hath piped to us to dance to his desire.

Such a tone he now hath blown, full of revelry and glee, Like the fluting of the orioles in May,

That we yield us to the course of his dominating force And come drifting down his mandate to obey.

. ape | We refuse to borrow sorrow from the morrow ere ’tis here integrifolia in South Devon. Here it may be |

For the music of the day doth make us mad ; And the fate of leaf or man must befall as best it can When the wind doth will to wanton and be glad.

What intoxicating pleasures are the measures of our dance When a thousand of us rise as in a cloud ; Or when, as from a sleep, we awake in sudden sweep And around do reel a swiftly eddying crowd.

How we twirl in merry swirl as aslant the wind we whirl To seem to shun his rapturous embrace ;

Till he lifts us in his might to the glory of the height, Where the swallows dip and swing in airy chase.

And as Jove wooed Danaé in the fabled days of old, When the gods, for love, did stoop to visit earth, So in showers of splendent gold hath the wind his passion told, With the promise of the springtime’s joyous birth. W. D. ELLWANGER.

The two coloured plates facing pages 264 and 376 should be transposed :

385

INSTRUCTIONS AS TO BINDING.

that of La@Lro-CaTTLEYA

Empress oF Russia to face page 264, and Latio-Carrieya Rex to face page 376.

tN Der xX.

[Nore.—References to Coloured Plates are in CAPITALS, to Wood Engravings in Jtalics.]

A.

Acanthus, armed, 2386.

black-stemmed, 235. broad-leaved, 285. candelabrum, 235. Caroli-Alexandri, 235. common, 285. Grecian, 2385.

hardy, the, 234. hispanicus, 235. in flower, 235.

list of species, 236. longifolius, 235. long-leaved, 235. mollis, 235. , latifolius, 235.

niger, 235.

Spanish, 235. spinossissimus, 285. spinosus, 236.

spiny, 235. stately, 235.

Acer negundo, var. californicum, 96. Achillea, 200.

egyptica, 202. ageratifolia, 201. argentea, 201. alpina, 201. asplenifolia, 201. atrata, 201. Clavenne, 201. decolorans, 201. filipendulina, 201. grandifolia, 201. Herba-rota, 201. Huteri, 201.

LINGULATA, VAR. BU- GLOSS—A. CLYPEO- LATA, facing page 200.

Millefolium, 201. mongolica, 202. moschata, 201. nana, 201. ptarmica fl. pl., 202. rupestris, 202. sibirica, 202. tomentosa, 202. Tournefortii, 202. Trautmanni, 202. umbellata, 202.

Agapanthus, white, the, 48. Almond, bitter, the, 83.

Boissier’s, 84. common, 83. double-flowered, 83. dwarf, 84.

hoary, the, 83. large-fruited, 83. Peach, 88.

Almond, Siberian, 84.

39

silver, 84. sweet, 83.

Androsace, 339.

Albana, 340. alismoides, 342. alpina, 340. arachnoidea, 340. aretioides, 342. argentea, 342. brevifolia, 342. brigantiaca, 340. bryoides, 342. capitata, 343. carnea, 840.

5 €ximia, 341. caucasica, 341. Charpentieri, 341. ciliata, 341. coronopifolia, 342. cylindrica, 341. foliosa, 341. frutescens, 341. glacialis, 341. Hausmanni, 342. Heerii, 342. helvetica, 842. Hookeriana, 342. imbricata, 342. lactea, 342. lactiflora, 342. Laggeri, 342. lanuginosa, 342. macrantha, 342. magellanica, 342. maxima, 342. obtusifolia, 342. pauciflora, 342. penicillata, 348. pubescens, 342. pyrenaica, 343. Raddiana, 348. rotundifolia, 343. sarmentosa, 341. sarmentosa, 348.

sempervivoides, €43.

septentrionalis, 348. strigilosa, 38438. villosa, 348.

5, Chamajasme, 348.

vitaliana, 844. wulfeniana, 344.

Anemone angulosa, 87.

”

”

Hepatica, 85.

” triloba, 87.

» Barlowi, 88. Aphyllanthes ‘monspeliensis, 209.

Arbutus, 378.

”

”

Andrachne, 374. canariensis, 374.

Arbutus densiflora, 374. “ furiens, 374. . hybrida, 374. es Menziesii, 374. y, Milleri, 375. i mollis, 375. ¥ petiolaris, 375. procera, 375. > tomentosa, 375. r Unedo, 375. xalapensis, 376. Arctomecon californicum, 300. Argemone, 299. Arrow-wood, American, 187. “5 soft-leaved, 205. Ash, group of, Mill Place, Upper Medway Valley, Sussex, 189.

_ Ash, the, 187. | Asphodel, giant,at Glounthaune,Cork, 177.

Asphodels, giant, the, 177. Aubrietia, 180.

2s antilibani, 182.

- Beauty of Baden, 182.

. Bougainvillea, 182.

fe Bridesmaid, 182.

7 Campbelli, 182.

- cilicica, 182.

r ceelestis, 182.

columne ccelestis, 182. i conspicua, 182. a croatica, 182.

. deltoidea, 182.

ie Dr. Mules, 182.

- edentula, 182.

& erubescens, 182.

: Eyrei, 182.

3 Fire King, 182. Froebelli, 182.

S Greca, 182.

_ 5 superba, 182. - Hendersoni, 182.

i intermedia, 183. Kotschyi, 188.

- lavender rose, 182. a Leichtlini, 182.

3 = rosea, 182. uM libanotica, 183.

y Lilac Queen, 183.

a Mooreana, 183.

” Moerheimi, 183. olympica, 188.

5 parviflora, 188.

. pinnardi, 183.

- Pritchard’s Ax, 183. x Purple Robe, 183. mn purpurea, 183.

i” Royal purple, 183.

3 Souvenir of William In- gram, 188. _ taurica, 183.

386 INDEX.

Aubrietia violacea, 183. Calceolaria verticillata, 317.

5 W. Marshall, 183. 5 Aubrietias in the voch-garden, 181. Auriculas, 25.

Cistus floventinus, 43. violacea, 317. | ,», ladaniferus, 44. viscosissima, 317. », varieties of, 45. | Camellia, Banks’, 303. Club Palm, Banks’, 42.

Azures and their effect in the garden, | fe common, the, 802. * » broad-leaved, 42. 145. $s drupifera, 302. we, » common, 42. | - euryoides, 302. » Norfolk Island, 42. B. | i hairy, 302. | Conifers, failure of the Galutoenein 33.

Ae Himalayan, 302. » on, 88. i Hong Kong, 802. Coral-plant, Chilian, the, 351. flowery spray 5 hongkongensis, 802. Cordyline australis, 42.

Of, 11. | - japonica, 302. E Banksii, 42.

| a “Jupiter,” single Japanese, | 35 Baueri, 42. 301. e indivisa, 42.

- large-flowered, 308. Cordylines, hardier, the, 41. xs oil-bearing, 302. i planted out, 41. 3 oleifera, 302. | Coriaria terminalis, 328.

Beaumontia grandiflora, 11.

” ”

Beauty, not size, 320. Beech, Patagonian, the, 156.

» the, 880.

,, woods, rides in, 372. Beef-wood, the Australian, 174.

tyee, 175.

Bellflower, Chilian, 220, 221.

Berbevidopsis corallina, 351. Birch, Lady, the, 320.

Botany, not Gardening, 256.

Brook in level country, a natural, |

96.

Broom and its varieties, the common,

125. », white Spanish, 121.

Brooms of the Cytisus Group, 12].

Bull-bay, the, 154.

C.

Calceolaria adscendens, 814. 5 alba, 314.

amplexicaulis, 314. andina, 814. arachnoidea, 314. bellidifolia, 814. bicolor, 314. Burbidgei, 314. chelidonioides, 315. corymbosa, 315. crenatiflora, 315. Darwini, 315. dentata, 315. flexuosa, 815.

”

reticulata, 303. roseflora, 303. rose-flowered, 303. Sasanqua, 303.

semi-double form, |

303. Thea, 304.

| Camellias, wild and single, 300. Canary Creeper, perennial, 285. Carya amara, 96.

”

| Castlewellan, 211.

collections of our day, 210.

evergreen trees at, 2138.

list of rare plants, 214.

Monterey Cypress at, 215.

Pinus concolor violacea at,

214.

Casuarina, 174. : equisetifolia, 175. Cedar of Lebanon cone, 294.

” ”

292.

| Cedar, Red, the, 95.

Cedars at Goodwood, 291.

» group of, in North Africa, 293. | Cedrus Libani, 291. | Cercis californica, 109.

5, canadensis, 110. » chinensis, 110.

form of isolated tree,

Cornwall, note from, 261. Correa alba, 116.

,, bicolor, 116.

» cardinalis, 116.

» Harrisii, 116.

5 magnifica, 116.

», pulchella, 116.

5, speciosa, 116.

- sulphurea, 116.

ventricosa, 117.

| Correas, 115.

» group of, 115. Covert, living, 383.

Covert-plant, a beautiful evergreen,

144. Cowslip, Californian, 29. *, giant yellow, 27. e Sikkim, 28. Crab, black-fruited, 348. ,, Californian, 348. 5 Cherry, 348. ,, Chinese, 349. », . common, 848. , dwarf, 349. ,, flowering, 849. » garland, 347. » Hall's, 347%. », Hawthorn, 349. » Himalayan, 349. » Japanese, 349.

7, Fothergillii, 315. » Griffithi, 110. ,, narrow-leaved, 346.

i fuchsizfolia, 315. 5, racemosa, 110. | 4, Prairie, 348. Henrici, 815. 5 Stliguastrum, 107. | 4, Rivers’, 349. - hyssopifolia, 315. 7 species and their native coun- | » Red, 348.

s integrifolia, 815. tries, 110. 4, Russian, 346. m Kellyana, 316. texensis, 110. , Siberian, 346. » lobata, 316. Guelone barbata, 271. | ,,. Soulord, 349.

+9 mexicana, 316. | Cherries, double, Japanese, 62. | Spath’s, 349.

: nana, 3816. | Chionodoxa, 117. Crabs, flowering, 344,

es pardanthera, 316. | + Allen’s, 119. » fruiting, 350.

. Pavonii, 316. 3 blue, 119. | Croci, spring-flowering, 104.

+ petiolaris, 316. - Cretan, 119. | Crocus biflorus Alexandri, 107.

‘3 pinnata, 316. cretica, 119. | , chrysanthus pallidus, 106.

ie pisacomensis, 316. M dwarf, 120. » cyprius, 106.

re polifolia, 316. 3 large-flowered, 119. » Fleischeri, 106.

” punctata, 316. e late-flowered, 120. , Tauri melanthorus, 106.

» purpurea, 316. . Luciliz, 119. CROCUS TAURI MELAN- 4 racemosa, ol6. | ” 2 Alleni, 119. THORUS, C. FLEISCHERI,

33 rugosa macrophylla, 317. | "5 salicifolia, 316. | sessilis, 816.

‘ scabiosefolia, 317. - Sinclairii, 316.

- suffruticosa, 317. . tenella, 317.

. thyrsiflora, 317.

C. *CYERIUS;, ©. .CHRYS- ANTHUS "PAVLIDUS, °C: | BIFLORUS ALEXANDRI, 95 Tmoli, 120. facing page 104. See 120. Cucumber Tree, the, 154. Choisya ternata, 135. | 55 ,, large-leaved, 154.

| Chrysanthemum Coronation, 51. _ Cupressus obtusa, 94.

| Chrysanthemums, single, 50. Cyclamen, new kinds of, 142.

gigantea, 119. sardensis, 119. savdensis, 119.

Cydonia vulgaris lusitanica, 380. rs . maliformis, 3'79. » pyriformis, 380. CYMBIDIUM RHODOCHILUM, facing page 40. Cymbidium rhodochilum, 40. Cypress, Bald, the, 163. frwiting spray of, 164. knees of, 164. tree of, at Syon, 165. varieties and nyms, 168. Pe Eastern, at Ickworth, 80. xe Lawson’s, 94.

99 ”

” ”

” ”

” ”

- Monterey, the, at Castlewellan,

215. bes Swamp of the Southern States, 167.

Cytisus albus, 121.

, Alschengeri, 122.

» Ardoinu, 122.

5 argenteus, 122.

»,. austriacus, 122.

,» Austrian, 122.

» Beanii, 122.

» beautiful, the, 125.

, biflorus, 122. canariensis, 122. ,, candicans, 122. Canary Islands, 122. » Capitatus, 122. cluster-flowered, 122. decumbens, 122. dwarf alpine, 122. early-flowering, 124. evergreen, 126. » filipes, 122. fine-leaved, the, 124. fragrans, 123. French, 124. glabrescens, 123.

hairy, the, 124.

hirsutus, 128.

» hoary, 122.

Italian, the, 123. Kew, the, 124. _kewensis, 124. linifolius, 124. Madeira, the, 124. many-coloured, 126.

_monspessulanus, 124. nigricans, 124. precox, 124. proliferus, 124. purgans, 124. purple, the, 125. purpureus, 1265.

_ . albus, 128.

racemosus, 125.

, Ratisbonensis, 125.

» schipkaensis, 125.

scoparius, 125.

sessilifolius, 126.

5, Silver-leaved, 122.

stemless-leaved, 126.

», stenopetalus, 126.

summer-flowering, 124.

» sweet, 123.

» trailing, 122.

, twin-flowered, 122.

» versicolor, 126.

» . weeping, 122.

syno-

group, the Brooms of the,121.

|

INDEX,

D.

| Dahlia, Imperial, the, 3. Dendromecon rigidum, 299.

Day Lilies, Yellow and Tawny, 311. Day Lily, 309.

Dumortier’s, 310. fine-leaved, 31].

Middendorff’s, 311. s+ 3) pallid, 310:

tawny, 310. Thunberg’s, 311. yellow, 310.

E.

| Earth lines, false, 157.

Elm, Field, the, 266.

», Great, the, in Hatfield Park, 267.

_ Eremuri, species of, 179. | Eremurus, 177.

Erythronium californicum, 253.

a citrinum, 253.

- giganteum, 254.

- grandiflorum, 252. Hartwegii, 253.

is Hendersoni, 253. . Howellii, 253. i montanum, 258. - revolutum, 255. western, 250. Esher Place, Great Tulip Tree at, 5.

| Eucommia ulmoides, 73. |. Eulalia, common, the, 269.

es striped, 269.

_ , fine-leaved, 269.

* variegated, in flower, 269. Eulalias, the, 268.

_ Eulophiella Elizabethe, 261.

~ Elizabethe, 261. me Hamelinu, 263. Peetersiana, 262.

Eulophiellas, the, 261. Evening Primrose, Chilian, 10. Drummond’s, 9. grey-leaved, 9. Lamarck’s, 9. ra Missouri, 9. rock, Q. showy, 9. stemless, 9. Evening Primroses, 8.

F.

Fagus antarctica, (?) 156.

5, sylvatica, 330. Farm, Valley the, Dedham, 68. Fence, wooden, Wistaria upon, 371. Fencing, what to-do with iron, 12. Fern, Filmy, Tunbridge, the, 385. Ferns, Filmy, the cooler, 388, 362. group of, 363. “ Bs house of, 333. in Jamaica, the Filmy, 18. , in the Fiji Islands, 367. ,, a paradise of, 13.

” ”

_ Figwort, the Cape, 226, 227.

Fir, Douglas, the, 93. Flower arrangements, Japanese gar- dens, &c., 141.

large-flowered orange, 310. |

387

| Flower borders, evergreen, 361. | Flowers, language of, the, 160.

re packing of plants and, 176. 9 wild, 134.

| Forest, in the West African, 80.

» onthe Alps of Europe, a fine, 17. ,, trees of the Alps of Europe,17. Fraxinus excelsior, 187. Fremontia californica, 278.

3 in flower, 279

| Fruit trees and their flowers, 193. _ Fuchsia, Australian, Bell - flowered,

jilyy coral - flowered, 116. Harris’s, 116. pale, 116. rosy, 116. scarlet, 116. showy, 116. white, 116. yellow-flowered,

116.

” ao)

| Fuchsias, Australian, the, 115.

G.

| Game, underwoods and, 117. _ Garden, Azures and their effects in

the, 145. 33 Beautiful, Home Landscape, and Home Woods, 12, 71, 236, 257, 321. re Canton, a, 194. i Elizabethan, the, 2. = Gourds.in the, 324. _ in a, 288. . lawn, a, 99. os Fe at Oxford, 61. x marsh, a, 10. 3 Rock, Aubrietias in the, 181. » rooms and Loggia, 289. 5 stories in the, 263. " wall (limestone), Geneva, 181. (sandstone), Sussex, 183. % » to make a, 133. 3 wild, effects, pretty, 352. Giant Thistle for the, 204. in summer and early autumn, 244. Gardener’s view of science, old and new, a, 173. Gardens and flowers, arrangements, Japanese, 141. - Italian, 148, 281. 3 of Kashmir, the floating, 153. Pamphili, the, Rome, 281. 5 wall, 180.

” ”

” a2

ty Tee ”

| Gladioli, hybrid, old and new, 240. | Gloriosa, 248.

P abyssinica, 250.

eS Carsont, 250, 355.

r grandiflora, 250.

* minor, 250.

re ROTHSCHILDIANA, facing page 248.

™ Rothschildiana, 250.

. superba, 249.

virescens, 250.

| Gloriosas, or Climbing Lilies, 330.

BB 2

388

Glory of the Snow, 117, 119.

Good effects from simple things, 174.

Gourd, Yellow warted, 325.

Gourds in S urrey, storing winter, 827. » under glass, 3827.

Grass, Zebra, 269.

Grouping, beauty of, 203.

Guelder Rose, Buddleia-leaved, 186.

Caucasian, 206.

- , common, 206.

Dahurian, 187.

dilated, 187.

Downy, 207.

evergreen, 208.

fragrant, 206.

great, 205.

Hance’s, 187.

Korean, 187.

large-leaved, 207.

long-stemmed, 205.

maple-leaved, 186.

mossy, 206.

mountain, 206.

plum-leaved, 207.

purple-stemmed, 207.

rust-clothed, 207.

Sargeant’s, 208.

Siebold’s, 208.

tree-like, 188.

wild form of the, 205.

H. Hamamelis, 89. - arborea, 89. r japonica, 90. _ mollis, 90.

virginica, 90. Hedges and shelters of Holly, 97. Aces Rose, 291. Helianthemum formosum, 45. Hemerocallis, 309. es aurantiaca, 310. i citrina, 310. FA Dumortierii, 310. - flava, 310. - fulva, 310. . hybrids, 312. + Middendorffii, 311. & minor, 311. Thunbergii, 312. Hemlock Shia! Western, the, 229. ,, names and synonyms, 230. Hepatica at home, 85. - Barlow’s, 88. common, 87. Fy ¥ forms of, 87. i Great, the, 87. Hepaticas, the, 85. Hesperoyucca Whipplei, 242. Hickory, the, 96. Holly, hedges and shelters of, 98. Honoki, 94. Hydrangea, climbing, a, 162. Hymenophyllum abruptum, 362.

a zruginosum, 835.

5 asplenioides, 362.

- axillare, 363.

i bivalve, 335.

a caudiculatum, 885. |

Japanese,

NDEX., Hymenophylliim chiloense, 335. a ciliatum, 368. - crispatum, 385. Pk cruentum, 38385. i demissum, 886. a dichotomum, 336.

os dilatatum, 336.

. elasticum, 863.

5 flabellatum, 336. ms flexuosum, 836. - fuciforme, 3386.

- hirsutum, 3863.

* hirtellum, 364.

o interruptum, 3864. _ lineare, 364.

= magellanicum, 336. —

_ pectinatum, 3386. ” polyanthos, 336.

. pulcherrimum, 836.

rf scabrum, 3836.

- sericeum, 364.

9 tunbridgense, 336.

5 unilaterale, 837.

i valvatum, 337.

I.

Idesia polycarpa, 188. + flowering spray, 189. Inula glandulosa var. fimbriata, 136.

IRIS HELDREICHII, facing page

328.

Iris Bolleana, 329. 5, Sieheana, 329. ,, Lauri, 329.

,», new early-flowering, 328. ,, new forms of Juno, 136. IRIS SINDIA

PERSICA,. 1.

335,

Lachenalia, Cammi, 305. os Comesii, 306. 3 contaminata, 806. - fistulosa, 806. * fragrans, 306. ” glaucina, 306. - isopetala, 306. - lilacina, 806. - Nelsoni, 306. e nervosa, 3806. . orchioides, 806. ms pallida, 306. 5 pendula, 306. 3 purpureo-ceerulea, 307. - pusilla, 307. ie pustulata, 307. of quadricolor, 807. = reflexa, 307.

x Regeliana, 308.

- rosea, 308.

; rubida, 808.

- tricolor, 808.

4 Ps aurea, 308.

” a » gigantea,

luteola, 308. Nelsoni, 308. quadricolor, 308. - Warei, 309. re unifolia, 309. . versicolor, 809. eA violacea, 309.

W. E. Gumbleton, 309.

| Lelia Digbyana hybrids, 265.

| L#LIO-- CATTLEYA

, Prestans, and its varieties, 184. i PRESTANS, OAKWOOD VAR., facing page 184.

REX, | facing page 376. | LHLIO-CATTLEYA IMPERA-

PURPUREO PERSICA, facing |

page 136. Irises, hybrid, 152. Isle, the, 256. Italian Gardens, Villa Albans, 148. Ivy on trees, 355.

JASMINUM facing page 168.

Jasminum primulinum, 168.

June pictures and June failures, 238.

Juniperus virginiana, 95.

Judas-tree and its kindred, the Red-

bud, or, 10%. Ps ,»» flowering spray of, 107. leaf, flower, and seed, 109.

” ”

K.

| Kniphofia aloides grandis, 149.

Kniphofias, 149.

L.

| Labours in vain, 129. _ Lachenalia, 304.

anguinea, 305. = aurea, 805. aurea, reflexa, 305.

PRIMULINUM,

PRICE DE RUSSIE. tacing: page 264.

| Landscape and Woodland Pictures

by the Master Painters, 68, 91, 155, 247, 383.

rr by Hobbema, 155.

Ps » Winants, 91. Language of flowers, the, 160. Lapageria alba, 221.

Larch, Japanese, the, 98. Larix leptolepis, 98.

‘“‘ Laurel’’ a usurper, the, 323. Laurustinus, African, 208. . Canary Islands, 208. - Froebel’s, 208. - hairy, 208. 7 purple, 208.

Lawn Garden, a, 99.

» Gardens at Oxford, 61. Leaf-soil and peat, 381. Leonotis Leonurus, 29.

Lilies, climbing, the, 248. Lily, Carson s climbing, 355.

». pink, the, 209. Lilyworts, 40.

Lion’s tail, the, 29. Liriodendron tulipiferum, 4. Locust tree, doubtful, the, 59. Gummy, the, 58. Holdt’s, 59. Western, 57.

53 » the, 56.

Loggia, garden rooms and, 289.

” ”

” ”?

INDEX.

Lotus, crimson, 148. 5, white, the, 148.

LYCASTE, MARY GRATRIX, facing page 120.

Lycaste Mary Gratrix, 120.

M.

Magnolia acuminata, 154. CAMPBELE!, page 296. ear-leaved, the, 154. Fraseri, 154. glauca, 154. grandiflora, 154. . PARVIFLORA, page 88. parviflora, 88. tripetala, 154. Magnolias i in North America, 154. Maple, Californian, the, 96. Market Nursery, a great London, 34. Marsh garden, a, 10. Miscanthus japonicus, 269. zebrinus, 269. FA variegatus, 269. sinensis, 269. Mosaiculture defined, 84.

facing |

” ”

”

N.

Nepenthes,.65. albo-marginata, 68. amabilis, 68. Amesiana, 68. ampullaria, 68. angustifolia, 68. atro-sanguinea, 68. Balfouriana, 68. Bernayasii, 70. bicalcarata, 70. Burkei, 70. Chelsoni, 70.

" excellens, 70. cincta, 70. coccinea, 70. compacta, 70.

a Courti, 70. Curtisii, 70. cylindrica, 70. Dicksoniana, 70. distillatoria, 71. Dominiana, 71. Dormanniana, 71. Edwardsiana, 71. excelsior, 71. Findlayana, 111. formosa, 111. gracilis major, 111. Harryana, 111.

- Henryana, 111. Hibberdi, 111. hirsuta-glabrescena, 111. Hookeriana, 111. hybrida, 111. intermedia, 111. Jardinei, 111. Kennedyana, 111. Khasiana, 111. lanata, 111.

facing |

| | | | | |

Nepenthes Lawrenciana, 112. Lowii, 112. madagascariensis, 112. Mastersiana, 112. mixta, 112. Morgania, 112. Northiana, 112. O’Brieniana, 112. Outramiana, 112. Paradisie, 112. Pervillei, 113. phyllamphora, 118. picturata, 96, 1138. Rafflesiana, 113. Rajah, 118. Ratcliffiana, 113. robusta, 1138. Rowane, 113. rubra, 113. rubro-maculata, 113. rufescens, 113. Sanderiana, 113. sanguinea, 114. Sedeni, 114. stenophylla, 114. superba, 114. Tiveyi, 114. Veitchii, 114. ventricosa, 114.

Pe Veillardii, 114.

ps villosa, 114. Wardii, 114. Williamsii, 114. Wittei, 114. Wrigleyana, 114. 217.

acuminata, 217. acutifolia, 217. affinis, 218.

a alata, 217. Bigelovii, 218. colossea, 220. fragrans, 218. glauca, 218. Langsdorff, 218. longiflora, 218. noctiflora, 218.

; paniculata, 219. persica, 219. rustica, 219.

216. suaveolens, 219. sylvestris, 219. Tabacum, 219. tomentosa, 219. wigandioides, 220.

| Nymphea Lotus, 148.

rubra, 148.

”

O.

_ Oak, American, red, 96.

Common, the, 196.

notes on the, 236.

stem of Gtant, Austria, 199.

swamp, the, 96.

7 with Swineherd, group of old,

197.

neay Dallwitsz,

| Oaks, wasted, 241. | CEnothera, 8.

SANDERA&,, facing page |

|

389

| GEnothera cespitosa, 9.

|

|

Drummond, 9.

fruticosa, 9.

glauca, 9,

Lamarckiana, 9.

macrocarpa, 9.

Missouriensis, 9.

pumila, 9.

riparia, 9.

speciosa, 9.

SPECIOSA VAR. RO- SEA, facing page 8.

taraxicifolia, 10.

Orange- flower, the Mexican, 135.

ee a

”

Orchard beauty, 195.

” ”

P.

_ Packing of plants and flowers, 176.

Palms in parks, 158.

Pampas Grass, 47.

rosy-plumed, 48.

»» white-plumed, 48. », Grasses, the, 46.

_ Parks at NE GET Se 230.

London, the, their design and planting, 156.

National, for the British Isles, 191.

_ Patagonian vegetation, 265.

| Peat, * leaf-soil and, 381.

_ Pentstemon, 270.

acuminatus, 270,

antirrhinoides, 270.

azureus, 271.

% ‘Taffrayanus, 271. barbatus, 271. antwerpensis,

271. Torre-a,.271, “a breviflorus, Ol, Bridgesi, 271. ceruleus, 271. campanulatus, 271. centranthifolius, 271. Clevelandi, 271. Cobea, 271. confertus, 271. coeeruleo-pur- pureus, 271. cordifolius, 271. cristatus, 2'72. cyananthus, 272. deustus, 272. diffusus, 272. digitalis, 272. Douglasii, 272. Eatoni, 272. gentianoides, 272. glaber, 272. me glandulosus, 272. glaucus, 272. gloxinioides, 272. gracilentus, 272. gracilis, 272. grandiflorus, 272. Halli, 272. Hartwegi, 272. heterophyllus, 273. humilis, 273.

” ”

”

”

”

99

”

390

INDEX,

Pentstemon labrosus, 273. ss letus, 273. 3 levigatus, 278. is Lemmoni, 273. a Lewisil, 273. “ Menziesii, 273.

5: Murrayanus, 273. . Newberryi, 273. 7 ovatus, 273.

* Palmeri, 273.

a pubescens, 273.

Be puniceus, 273.

- Richardsoni, 274.

Roezii, 274.

5 rotundifolius, 274. . secundiflorus, 274. ” spectabilis, 274.

- triphyllus, 274.

- tubiflorus, 274.

a venustus, 274.

. Watsoni, 274.

Wrightii, 274.

Periwinkle, leseer. the, 126. Phygelius capensis, 226. Picea concoloy violacea at Castlewellan,

214.

Picea Pine,

inne

9

sitchensis, 95. Banks’s, 95. false Pitch, 95. Jeffrey’s, 95.

Stone at Castel Gandolfo, Italy,

275. Stone, the, 274. Weymouth, or White, the, 94. Pinea, 274. rigida, 95.

Pitcher plant in vase, 65.

99

Plane,

Planti

”

lees and flowers,

”

”

”

plants, the, 65, 111. Eastern, an old tree of the, 75. ,, at home, 75. ,, botanical synonyms of the, 78. cut-leaved form at High- clere, ‘V'7. » the, 74. varieties of, 76. ng, Lord Powerscourt on, 59. waste in, 9%. wind-swept shores, 78. packing of, 176. beautiful and rare trees and, 382. coarse, 203. for shade, 184.

Platanus orientalis, 74.

Poplar, Lombardy, the, 49.

Poplars, Lombardy, Kennet Valley, 49.

Powerscourt, Lord, on planting, 59.

Primrose, Allioni'’s, 25.

by Mill Pond,

and Darwinism, the, 30. Birdseye, 27.

- Arctic, 28.

_ Asiatic, 27.

- Scotch, 28.

+ Southern, 27. carniolic, 25. clammy, 26. Clusius, 25. Como, 25. creamy-flowered, 27. ear-leaved, 27. Fairy, 26.

_ Primrose, glutinous, 25.

a hairy-leaved, 25. Pr Himalayan, 28.

_ hybrid Bear’s ear, 26.

- large-leaved, 28. 55 Muret’s, 26.

- netted, 28.

_ Parry’s, 28.

f Piedmont, 26.

- Poisson’s, 28.

3 purple, 29.

9 rosy, 28.

: shaggy-leaved, 26. - showy, 26.

on Siberian, 28.

ss Siebold’s, 29.

- silver-edged, 26. Fr Stuart’s, 29.

»p trumpet-flowered, 27.

m Turkestan, 217.

3 Tyrolese, 26.

- Val Doane’s, 26.

7 velvet, 28.

fe Wulfen’s, 27. yellowish, 27.

Primula algida, 27.

e Allionii, 25.

auricula, 25.

A auriculata, 27.

., capitata, 28.

x carniolica, 25.

- Clusiana, 25.

ss deovum, 239.

- farinosa, 27.

a frondosa, 27.

_ glaucescens, 25.

ss glutinosa, 25.

4 grandis, 27.

- hirsuta, 25.

involucrata, 27.

Japanese, 27.

+3 japonica, 27.

" longiflora, 27.

* luteola, 27.

marginata, 26.

- megasefolia, 28.

| | |

| |

¢ MEGASFOLIA, facing

page 24.

Re minima, 26. 9 mollis, 28. Muretiana, 26. - (Enensis, 26. : Olge, 27. > Parryi, 28. 5) pedmontana, 26. . Poissoni, 28. 5 , pubescens, 26. Bs purpurea, 29. hs reticulata, 28. s rosea, 28. BA scotica, 28. 2 sibirica, 28. Fe Sieboldi, 29. * sikkimensis, 28. ‘A spectabilis, 26. . stricta, 28. " Stuartii, 29. " suffruticosa, 29. - tyroliensis, 26. as villosa, 26. i. viscosa, 26.

Wulfeniana, 27.

Primulas, hardy garden, 29.

Primulas, plants

” ”

”

needing peat or special culture, 28.

rock plants, 25.

the, 24.

_ water-loving, 27.

Prunus Amygdalus Boissieri, 84.

Pyrus, 344.

communis, 83. Fe communis ama- ra, 83.

_ communis dulcis, * communis, fl. pl.,

_ communis mac- rocarpa, @3.

' communis persi- coides, 88.

incana, 838.

% nana, 84.

“s orientalis, 84.

siberica, 84.

angustifolia, 346.

astracanica, 346.

baccata, 346.

coronaria, 847, 348.

crategifolia, 347.

floribunda, 347.

flower and fruit, 347.

Halliana, 347.

Ioensis, 348.

malus communis, 3848.

melanocarpa, 348.

NIEDZWETZKYANA, facing page 344.

prunifolia, 348.

Ringo, 348.

rivularis, 348.

Schiedeckeri, 349.

sikkimensis, 349.

Soulardi, 349.

spectabilis, 349.

var. Kaido, 349.

,, Riversii, 349.

Toringo, 349. » fruiting spray of, 349.

9)

r

Quercus palustris, 96.

9

”

”

”

rubra, 96.

Quince Apple, the, 379.

Japanese, the, 381. lusitanica, 380. Pear-shaped, 379, 380.

| Quinces, fruiting, the, 377.

R.

| Red-bud, American, the, 110.

flower and leaf, 110.

Californian, 109.

Chinese, 110.

hairy, 110.

Griffith’s, 110.

Texan, 110.

”

REHMANNIA ANGULATA,

facing page 280. angulata, 280.

9

Rehmannia chinensis, 280.

. lutea, 281.

. Piasezki, 281.

Fs -rupestris, 281. Rhaphithamnus cyanocarpus, 192. Rhododendron Gauntletti, 215.

es Smithii aurea, 152. = SMITHII AUREA, facing page 152. 55 yellow hybrid, a, 152. a YUNNANENSE, facing page 360. Yunnanense, 359. Rhododendrons, Himalayan, in the north of Ireland, 183. Rides in Beech woods, 372. Riverside colour at Straffan, 92. Robinia, 56. , dubia, 59. ss hispida, 56. ns Holdti, 59. - NEO-MEXICANA, facing page 56. - neo-mexicana, 5%. > pseudo-acacia, 58. viscosa, 58. Rochester, Dean of, 318, 319. Rock cresses, purple, 180. » garden, good colour from the, 202. », plant, a good, 372. » Roses, 438. Romneya, 297. - Coulteri, 298. Rosa levigata, 43. Rose Acacia, flower and leaf, 57. - ,» the, 56. ,, Comtesse de Bardi, 233.

» COMTESSE VITALI, facing |

page 232. ,, Comtesse Vitali, 232. » hedges, 290. », Papa Lambert, 81. yellow Banksian, 55. Roses: tea, some of the newer, 282. », yellow Banksian, the, 54.

Ss. Salisbury, by J. Constable, 24°7.

Salix alba, 36. ,, daphnoides, 73.

Sassafras, the, leaf, flowers, and fruit, | 79

*; tree, the, 78. Savin, tree, a, 73. Saw, out with a, 61. Sequoia, cone of, 108. » gigantea, 100. Shelters of Holly, hedges and, 98.

Shrubs cut without forcing, shoots |

of flowering, 161. Snowball Tree, 206. Soil makers, trees as, 172, 246. ., trees and, 381.

Songs of the woods and flowers, 224, 256, 288, 320, 352, 384. Spider flower, the Brazilian, 22.

Spring has come, 224. Spruce, Sitka, the, 95.

Star flower, spring, 92, 1'74. Statuemania, 228.

INDEX,

Straffan, riverside colour at, 92. Strawberries, degraded, 225. Strawberry tree, 373.

a Canary Islands, 374.

rr Chilian, the, 374.

ie common, 875.

- free-flowered, 875.

cf great, 375.

> hairy, 375.

5 hoary, 374.

By Menzies’, 374.

is Mexican, 374.

% Miller’s, 375.

red- stemmed, 374.

Sundrops, SP Sweet Bay, 154.

T.

Taxodium distichum, 168. Tea-plant, 304. Thistle for the wild garden, a giant, 204. Three things to work for, 161. | Thuya gigantea, 94. _ Tibouchina, 22. a Benthamiana, 23. - elegans, 23. ms Gaudichaudiana, 28. me Gayana, 23. - granulosa, 23. i heteromalla, 23. holosericea, 23. Pe Kunthiana, 24. ” macrantha, 238. - ie floribunda, 24. S marmorata, 24. a meiodon, 24. oe sarmentosa, 24. rs semidecandra, 24. villosa, 24. letimber thinning for, 90. | Tobacco, Chuiaa! 218. 5; clustered, 219. _ common, 219. 7" fragrant, 218. . giant, 219. - hybrids, 220. Langdorffs, 218. - large-leaved, 220. ” Mountain, 219. ” night-flowering, 218. Persian, 219. | in Petunia-flowered, 217. - starry white, 217. _ Syrian, 219. Sweet Australian, 219. . white, 217. | yellow tree, 218. | Tobaccos, the, 217. Todea hymenophylloides, 337. » intermedia, 337. 5» superba, 337. Wilkesiana, 364. | Torch Lilies, the, 149. . r , early - flowering, | 256. Trebah, 358. Tree and Woodland in pictures by the Old Master Painters, 68, 155. » Big, the, 100.

391

Tree, Maidenhair, the, 356. at Panshanger, 357. leaf, flower aud fruit, 359. ,, Poppies, Californian, 297. - Prickly, 299.

” ” ”

” 33) ”

Poppy, 297. ” » white, 298. - » yellow, 299.

sy SENalal, eb, 78h Trees and plants, beautiful and rare, a2. English names for, Ie Go: - » sou, 381. » as soil-makers, 172, 246. » evergreen, at Castlewellan, » Forest, of the Alps of Europe, ie » fruit, and their flowers, 193. » mm Calaveras Grove, one of the, 101. » in the Forest of Eberswalde,

” ” ”

» Ivy on, 355. », of the Northern Forest, the Greater, 4, 36, 74, 100, 137, 168, 196, 228, 266, 291, 330, 356. » Pollarded, 295. Trichomanes alatum, 364.

F auriculatum, 364. ie Bancroftii, 364. bipunctatum, 865. . brachypus, 365.

ne crinitum, 865.

- crispum, 365.

33 cuspidatum, 865. . elegans, 365.

s ericoides, 365.

as exsectum, 837.

* humile, 337.

rf javanicum, 865.

: Kaullfussi, 865.

. Kraussi, 365.

a maximum, 365.

a meifolium, 365.

" membranaceum, 865. . muscoides, 366.

5 parvulum, 887.

ss pinnatum, 366.

iy pluma, 366.

™ Prieurii, 366.

= Pyxidiferum, 338. - radicans, 338.

a ventforme, 338.

S rigidum, 338, 266. ny scandens, 366.

" Sellowianum, 366. a sinuosum, 867,

es spicatum, 367.

ms tenerum, 367.

> trichoideum, 867.

venosum, 8388. TRIDAX GAILLARDIOIDES, facing page 72. Tridax gaillardioides, 72. Trillium, 170. - cernuum, 171. - erectum, 171. erythrocarpum, 171. - grandiflorum, 172,

392

INDEX,

Trillium nivale, 172.

9 obovatum, 172. recurvatum, 172.

ms sessile, 172.

stylosum, 172.

Triteleia uniflora, 92, 174. Tropzolum albiflorum, 284. azureum, 284, Benthii, 284. brachyceras, 284.

dipetalum, 285.

“ drooping, 285. esculent, the, 287. Fintelmanni, 285.

- Funcki, 286. Grey Rech, 286. Heyneanum, 285. Jarrattii, 285. Leichtlini, 285. Lindeni, 285. Linden’s, 285.

es pendulum, 285.

™ pentaphyllum, 286.

. polyphyllum, 286. sessilifolium, 286. . Smithii, 286.

a‘ speciosum, 286.

es tricolorum, 287.

3 tuberosum, 287. umbellatum, 287.

* Wagnerianum, 288.

white, the, 285.

Tropzolums, perennial, the, 282.

Tsuga heterophylla, 228. Tulip tree, leaf, and flower, 7. sper aati;

99 72

U.

Umbrella Tree, the, 154. Ulmus campestris, 266. Underplanting, 317. Underwoods and game, 117.

Y.

Viburnum acerifolium, 186. » Awafaki, 206. ‘ buddleifolium, 186.

; burijeticum, 186. if cassinoides, 186. . cotinifolium, 187. ye davuricum, 187. i dentatum, 187.

‘ dilatatum, 187.

a erosum, 187.

- Fortunei, 205.

A furcatum, 187.

- Hanceanum, 187.

2 levigatum, 206. 5 Lantana, 188.

chrysanthum, 284. crenatiflorum, 284. Deckerianum, 285.

flame-flowered, 286.

minor varieties, 288. Moritzianum, 285.

Great, at Esher Place, 5.

Viburnum lantanoides, 188. “ Lentago, 188. oy macrocephalum, 205.

x molle, 205.

» nudum, 205.

Ps obovatum, 206.

i odoratissimum, 206.

" Opulus, 206. . » sterile, 206. ie orientale, 206. - pauciflorum, 206. - phlebotrichum, 207. a prunifolium, 207. : pyrifolium, 207. . pubescens, 207. i rhytidophyllum, 207. ie rigidum, 207. ee rufidulum, 207. 5 rugosum, 208. re Sandankwa, 208. 5 Sargentii, 208. %5 Sieboldi, 208. = suspensum, 208. a Tinus, 208. Froebeli,. 208. hirtum, 208. lucidum, 208. 5 5 purpureum, 208. ~ tomentosum, 209. ie Veitchi, 209. - Vetteri, 209. Wrightii, 209. Viburnums, 185. - as garden shrubs, 185. Vinca minor, 126. Vision, a, 320.

a2 99 22 99

92. ”

W.

Wall garden (limestone), Geneva, 181.

(sandstone), Sussex, 188. _ ;, to make ayi3s.

» gardens, 1380.

plants for sunshine, the best,

133.

” 22:

rr}

Walls and hillsides, plant the north |

aspect of, 162. Waste in planting, 97.

Water Lilies, the night-blooming, 146.

» Lily, a crimson night-blooming,

147.

_ Wayfaring tree, American, 188.

common, 188. a » eastern, 187. - » Indian, 187. < », Siberian, 186. Weeds, evergreen, 71. When the flowers appear on the earth, 215. White Rod, American, 186.

” 99

| Willow, violet, the, 73.

2 white, the, 36. i “ Highclere Park, 89. » Im Suffolk, 248. | Willows, pollard white, E. Bergholt, | Suffolk, 317. ie tree, for effect, 322. . varieties of, 39.

Windflower, scarlet, the, 288.

| Wistaria, 368.

. American, 371. . brachybotrys, 370. i chinensis, 870. - frutescens, 371. 3 grandiflora, 372. i Japanese, 371. japonica, 371. 5 multijuga, 372. a multiuga, on a tree at Grays- wood, Haslemere, 369. a short-clustered, 370. Ac speciosa, 371. ' Temple, the, 372. upon a wooden fence, 871. Witch Hazel, American, 90. hairy, 90. Japan, 90. the new, 104. i » tree, the, 89. » Hazels, the, 89. | welley Dod, Rev. C., 246. | Wood Tiles the, 170. lily, Catesby’s, 172. dusky, 172. dwarf, 172. large-flowered, 171. nodding, 171. painted, 171. pink, 172. purple, 171. western, 172.

” 99

” ”

” 9

| Woodland music, 282.

_ Woodlands, in English, 100. | Woods, of mixed, 21.

Y.

| Yarrow, alpine, 201.

- » white, 201. Asplenium-leaved, 201. black-cupped, 201. . downy, 202. dwarf Italian, 201. Egyptian, 202. . fragrant, 201. Greek Mountain, 201. Huter’s, 201. large-leaved, 201. in musk, 201. noble, the, 201. pallid, mountain, 202 i, rock, 202. S rosy, 201. saw-leaved, 201. 5 Siberian, 202. Trautman’s, 202. white, double, 202. Yarrows, the, 200. Yellow Aood: the, 94.

| Yew in Hampshire, the, 64.

», Selborne, the, 91.

Yucca Columbiana, 19.

hybrids from my garden, notes on the, 18.

,», titanus, 20.

99

[Printed for the Proprietor by EyRE AND SrotTiswoopE, East Harding Street, Londen, E.C., and Publisked at 17, Furnival Street, London, E.C.]

J

wince. vans M ” jul K/

yey

io

‘ re, 7 i t en ep

Ta

hip h h BO hy

Ua

vO Bh i Whe

gh al

i Pee % Ni yy Aiea

ee He ie

ONIAN INSTITUTION LI

i

9088 00637 2734

: Leh

a nt . seek

8

SEC IEE

out