THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



260 



where, but the proper place for it is a 

 raised bank consisting of poor, sandy 

 soil. The roots may be parted at any 

 season for increase of stock ; perhaps 

 the best time would be during 

 rainy weather in August and 

 September. 



All the foregoing should be 

 obtained in plants in preference 

 to seed. Those that follow may 

 be grown from seed if seed can 

 be obtained ; I name only such 

 a9 are of the highest value for 

 their beauty. 



Agrostis nebulosa, a most 

 elegant grass, having stems as 

 fine as hairs, and fruit panicles 

 so light and " nebulous " that 

 at a little distance a patch of 

 this grass looks like a patch of 

 vapour. Some seedsmen send 

 out Potypogon Monspeliensis, 

 under the name of Agrostis 

 nebulosa. 



Brii.1 maxima is the most 

 useful of the quaking grasses, 

 but all the Brizas are pretty. 

 This grass is much used for 

 winter bouquets, and is inva- 

 luable to persons engaged in 

 taxidermy, on account of its 

 suitability for dressing up cases 

 of stuffed birds, etc. 



Chloris radiata is a very 

 curious grass, the flowering 

 occurring in a compound spike 

 which consists of five or six 

 separate rays, remotely resem- 

 bling long Angers. 



Holcus saccharatus is a fine, 

 bold, handsome grass, which 

 grows rapidly and flowers freely 

 if planted out early. Three 

 years ago I had from Messrs. 

 Carter and Co., of High Hol- 

 born, a collection of about thirty 

 species and varieties of Holcus, 

 and the result was a truly 

 grand display of these noble 

 grasses. 



Maize is known as one of the 

 handsomest of ornamental grasses, 

 yet i'ew amateur gardeners have ever 

 studied its history and physiology as 

 they might do. How few, for in- 

 stance, have observed that the male 

 blossoms are produced in the form of 

 a feathery tuft, as fine as spun-glass 



at the summit of the plant, and the 

 female flowers appear subsequently 

 lower down at various points on the 

 sides of the stem. Perhaps it may 



PANICXM ITALICUM. 



be right to mention that it will 

 always ripen its fruit in this country 

 if planted out early. This, and the 

 species of Holcus ought to be sown in 

 heat at the end of March, and be 

 planted in the open ground about the 

 middle of May. There are about 

 twenty beautiful varieties of Indian 



