THE FLOEAL WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



145 



grow to a good size, if specimens are 

 required without a change of cha- 

 racter. But a third part of half- 

 rotten dung niixed with the loam 

 would spoil the beauty of at least 

 one-half the best variegated plants 

 we possess, and frequent doses of 

 strong manure water would do the 

 same thing without the dung. Peat, 

 saud, and chalk are all favourable to 

 the preservation of the silvery and 

 golden hues of variegated plants ; 

 and beds and borders in which they 

 are to be planted should be liberally 

 dressed with those materials in pre- 

 ference to stimulating manures ; and 

 if they are not obtainable, sifted 

 sweepings of gravel walks, with 

 pounded bricks and oyster-shell3, are 

 equally useful, as they afford a cer- 

 tain amount of nourishment without 

 stimulating. Take Farfugiuin grande, 

 and grow it as you would a cauli- 

 flower, and instead of the leaves 

 being boldly mottled and blotched 

 with gold and amber, they will be 

 almost wholly green. Leave the 

 plant alone till it has consumed the 

 gross food given to it, and is begin- 

 ning to starve, and once more its 

 leaves acquire their proper beauty ; 

 and if amply supplied with water 

 during the growing season, will ac- 

 quire their proper size as well as 

 tiieir proper colouring. Mr. Salter, 

 of Hammersmith, who is the greatest 

 collector of plants with variegated 

 foliage, hears frequently from his 

 customers that the plants they have 

 had of him lost their variegation, and 

 are not better than hedge weeds ; 

 but the growers are at fault through 

 giving these choice subjects too much 

 food. If they would pot them in 

 turfy loam aud peat, with an admix- 

 ture of about a fourth part chalk or 

 broken bricks, they would secure 

 vigour without sacrificing character; 

 but setting a high value on the ex- 

 quisitely -luarked varieties they have 

 obtained, they go a step too far in the 

 use of stimulating manures. 



LEAVES KATUBALLY OF A SILVEBY 

 HUE. 



Ant.ennaria marga-itacea, a hardy 

 herbaceous everlasting, common in 

 cottage gardens, grows two to three 



feet high, forming large masses of 

 silvery foliage, and in July produces 

 unattractive yellow blossoms. This 

 is a capital ribbon plant, and if pro- 

 pagated any time from March to 

 May, or taken up and divided in April, 

 may be kept to a close line by nipping 

 out the points of the shoots. 



Centanrca candidissima, the whitest- 

 leafed plant we have, requires protec- 

 tion in the greenhouse during winter. 

 Is propagated by offsets, in the same 

 way as daisies and auriculas. It will 

 take some time to get up a stock of 

 this for extensive use ; but it is well 

 worth the waiting for, as there is 

 nothing more striking for a brilliant 

 white line or margin, aud single 

 plants are useful lor tree stumps, 

 borders, and rockeries ; and it is an 

 attractive pot plant for the conserva- 

 tory. Some fine plants of this superb 

 species lived through the past 

 winter in a bed out of doors, at Mr. 

 Salter's nursery, Hammersmith. 



Cineraria maritima. — A beautiful 

 shrub for rockeries ; old plants make 

 fine centres to beds of scarlet or crim- 

 son. Cuttings will strike without 

 heat at any season of the year, but 

 are a long time forming roots. It 

 likes a dry chalky soil, and, though 

 quite hardy, should be taken up for 

 the winter, unless the position is dry 

 and sheltered ; damp is death to it. 

 To use this as a bedder, let it flower, 

 save the seed, and sow in February; 

 it is then admirable for a first or 

 second row, kept to the required 

 height by nipping. 



Cerastium tomentosum and Biebcr~ 

 steinii. — The first has been extensively 

 used for some years past, and is best 

 known about London as forming the 

 silvery edgings to beds of blue lobelia 

 and scarlet geranium at the Crystal 

 Palace. They are both quite hardy, 

 and thrive in any 6oil or situation, 

 and if left in the ground over winter, 

 produce beautiful masses of white 

 flowers early in spring time. But for 

 strictly bedding purposes it should 

 be propagated from cuttings at the 

 end of March or early in April, as a 

 vigorous growth is not required. 

 When planted out in May, place the 

 plants four inches apart, and as they 

 grow nip out the points all through. 



