Herbaceous Plants 



307 



is the best time to sow seeds; the roots should 

 be parted in autumn after the stems are 

 decayed. A decoction of the leaves of our 

 native species is still much used in country 

 districts for fomentations, 



Alyssum (Madwort). — There are several 

 hardy perennial species, all of which are 

 useful rock plants, but the following are by 

 far the most showy: — A. saxatile, a grand 

 rock plant, with bright yellow flowers, which 

 are produced in panicles at the ends of the 

 branches, seldom more than a foot high ; 

 branches freely near the ground, spreading a 

 considerable distance; blooms freely twice in 

 the season, about May and September, con- 

 tinuing in good condition several weeks; 

 native of Austria. A. saxatile grandiflorum is 

 a magnificent variety of the preceding hardy 

 rock plant. This is useful alike for the 

 rockery, mixed border, or for flower-garden 

 decoration. Seen in a mass, no yellow, 

 tender flower-garden plant is its equal, and, 

 with judicious management, might be had in 

 bloom the whole of the bedding season — yes, 

 and longer; succeeds in any good, well- 

 drained garden soil. A. alpestra, and A. 

 argenteum, both South European species, 

 are the best for rockery cultivation, of dwarf 

 habit, and bloom freely about April or May. 

 All the species are propagated by seeds 

 and cuttings. Seeds should be sown in March 

 or April in a cold frame, or under a hand- 

 light, and pricked out into a permanent 

 situation when strong enough to handle. 

 Cuttings may be planted at any time of the 

 year, care being taken to keep up a succession 

 of young plants wherewith to replace any old 

 ones which might die out from damp or other 

 causes. 



Amaryllis Belladonna (Belladonna Lily). — 

 This magnificent hardy bulbous plant is a 

 native of the West Indies, on hill-sides near 

 mountain streams; the flower- stems, which 



are produced in advance of the leaver, are 

 about 18 inches high, with from four to six 

 flowers on a stem. The individual flowers 

 are large purple or flesh-colour, and sweet- 

 scented ; they will continue a month or so in 

 bloom, and create a grand feature in the 

 flower garden, at a season when most plants 

 now in use are seeking the protection of the 

 glass department. A bed for the flower 

 garden or a clump for the mixed border may 

 be prepared as follows : — Remove the soil to 

 the depth of 3 feet, or thereabout, allowing 

 the ground to be drained previously ; at the 

 bottom of this place 6 inches of well-decom- 

 posed manure, filling in with a mixture of 

 good garden soil, leaf-mould and river-sand. 

 Plant the bulbs in April 6 inches apart every 

 way, and the neck of the bulb 6 inches from 

 the surface of the soil, after which the bed 

 may be sown over with some hardy or half- 

 hardy annual, whose blooming season would 

 be past by the time the bloom scapes of the 

 Lily made their appearance, which will be 

 in ordinary seasons about August. From 

 this time to the end of October the Befla- 

 donna bed will be the centre of attraction ; 

 nor is the interest attached to this plant ended 

 here, for as soon as the plant has done flower- 

 ing, the green leaves appear, and add fresh 

 life and vigour to the scene, until tarnished 

 by the storms of winter. The only protec- 

 tion required in winter is a coating of tanners' 

 bark, or half-decayed leaf-soil, 3 or 4 

 inches in thickness. This, together with 

 the decayed leaves, may be removed 

 in the spring, after all danger from spring 

 frosts is past, the surface of the soil stirred 

 carefully and re-sown with annuals. The 

 roots increase rapidly under favourable cir- 

 cumstances ; the soil also will in due time be- 

 come exhausted, so that it will be advisable 

 to lift and re-plant every fourth or fifth sea- 

 son. — Robert B 11 lien. 



