320 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



with its nature it took revenge against the cultivator by perpetually plaguing him 

 by its thin, unwholesome appearance, and its suitability as a breeding-place for all the 

 insect plagues that usually infest plants that are kept in too high a temperature. 

 When it was transferred from the stove to the greenhouse, it acquired better health 

 and considerable beauty ; it ceased to be a house of call for veimin ; it made a free 

 growth of cheerful light green leaves, and produced abundance of pretty bell- 

 shaped flowers of an orange colour, delicately marked with red stripes. From the 

 greenhouse it was taken to the garden, where it proved so nearly hardy that in 

 many favoured spots in the south of England and Ireland it survived ordinary 

 winters unhurt ; and of late years it has been adopted freely by Mr. Gibson in his 

 masterly system of emblishing the parterre with ' sub-tropical ' plants at Battersea 

 Park. Abutilon striatum has never enjoyed the fame it is entitled to, perhaps 

 because, in the first instance, through ignorance of its hardy constitution it was a 

 troublesome plant to keep alive ; and in the second, that when reasonably treated 

 it was so easy to keep and to grow, that very few ever took the trouble to do 

 perfect justice to it. We believe and hope a better fate awaits the beautiful 

 variety * Thompsoni.' This, like the species, has had to pass through a fiery ordeal, 

 and at first was thought a worthless tiling, because being kept in the stove its 

 beauty was stewed out of it. But, tempora mutanta, it is the fashion now to try 

 every stove and greenhouse plant that exhibits distinctive characters, especially dis- 

 tinctive characters of leafage, in the open air; and when put to this test it came 

 through the trial bravely, assumed a quite novel and most attractive aspect, and so 

 became established as a nearly hardy fine-foliage plant, which, if planted out 

 during the summer, makes a display of variegated leafage, in the highest degree 

 beautiful and interesting. In proof of its capability for this kind of work we put 

 out at Stoke Newington, in the early part of May, 1869, the few plants which 

 Messrs. Veitch & Son supplied for the experiment. During the five weeks which 

 followed the date of planting the weather was more like winter than summer, 

 bitterly cold, with fitful gleams of sunshine, and bedding-plants, as a rule, becoming 

 all the while small by degrees though not beautifully less. Yet these Abutilons were 

 unhurt, and now, having had a good spell of genuine summer heat, they are 

 so beautifully coloured, and are growing so freely, that we are bound to pronounce 

 the plant admirably adapted for out-door embellishment, and one of the most dis- 

 tinct and attractive of the class^ to which it belongs. Abutilon Thompsoni was 

 introduced by Messrs. Veitch & Son from Jamaica, where it appears to have 

 originated as a garden variety of the well-known A. striatum, native of Brazil. 

 To do justice to it is no difficult task. It will grow freely in very light, rich loamy 

 soil, and its proper place in winter is in a warm greenhouse. During the summer a 

 thriving plant will make a growth of two to four feet, and when allowed to grow 

 naturally it forms a freely -branching pyramidal tree, and flowers nearly as freely as 

 the green-leaved species. It is, however, not in need of flowers to secure for it the 

 admiration of such as can appreciate the beauty of its leaves. These are elegantly 

 lobed, the ground-colour is a lively green, over which is spread a delicate mottling 

 of amber and creamy white in many shades harmoniously blended. Full exposure 

 to solar light is necessary to bring out these colours, therefore when grown under 

 glass it should never be shaded unless there is a risk of blistering, which, as a rule, 

 can be prevented by abundant ventilation. The plant may be increased by cuttings 

 at anv season, but the summer is the best time ; and of course shade and a close 

 atmosphere are favourable conditions for inducing the formation of roots. There 

 are not many Abutilons in cultivation, but a few continental varieties of A. striatum, 

 are much valued for their flowers, which are particularly effective when the trees 

 are planted out iu groups in the garden. The best varieties in addition to the 

 type are, Due de Malakoff, insigne, and vanosum striatum ; these have the free 

 habit of the species and flowers possessing distinctive fjatures." 



Covering Walls of House. — H. C. IT.— The quickest growing climber is 

 the Virginian creeper, but it is coarse ; there is a smaller species, Ampelopsis tri- 

 cttspidata {syn. Veitchi), which is very rapid in growth and very neat. The fol- 

 lowing climbing roses are all good — namely, Felicite, 1 erpetue, Rainpante, Red 

 Rover, and Prince Leopold. 



A Cottage Gardener. — Pears, apples, and strawberries would probably pay the 

 best but so much depends upon the neighbourhood. Plant at the end of the house 

 a tree of jargonelle or Marie Louise pears. 



