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SKIMMIAS AND TB.E1R CULTIVATION. 



MONGST the host of beautiful Japanese glirubs intro- 

 duced of late years- to our gardens, the ISkimmias 

 deserve a high place on account of their neat evergreen 

 habit, and the abundance and beauty of their scarlet 

 berries. The species best known is tliat commonly 

 described as 8. Jaj)onica, which is incorrectly named ; its proper 

 name is Skimmia Beevesii. This is the slowest grower and the 

 most dwarf in habit of the series, and the most precocious in berry- 

 bearing, for, when only two or three inches hii^h, every shoot will 

 show a terminal bunch of berries. 8. Japonica, which is usually- 

 denominated 8. Japo7iica vera, on account of the former confounding 

 of it with 8. Reevesii, is of more robust habit, and a far handsomer 

 shrub. The flowers of all the species are fragrant, but those of 

 8. Japonica are especially so, and therefore we may consider it 

 doubly valuable. But far finer in proportions and character than 

 either of these is 8. ohlata, which has large leathery glossy leaves, 

 and bears large orange-red berries of an extremely showy kind. 

 Nearly all the plants of the true Japonica and oblata that have been 

 sold hitherto have been grafted on 8. Beevesii, but they may all be 

 grown from berries or from cuttings. It has been our custom to 

 sow the berries in February or March in large boxes filled with 

 sandy peat, and to place these boxes in a damp, shady part of a 

 feru-house. Berries sown in February or March last are just now 

 showing their seed-leaves, so we may conclude that the seeds require 

 nearly six months to germinate. Having lost several batclies of 

 seedling Skimmias by the attacks of vermin, we feel bound to caution 

 cultivators, that, although the little trees are never touched by 

 vermin after they attain maturity, yet in the soft condition of 

 seedling plants every kind of garden vermin will attack them, and 

 they must have due protection. To raise them from cuttings is a 

 very simple process ; we discovered it quite by accident. In the 

 month of March we found amongst our potted Skimmias some that 

 had become one-sided and leggy, and we pruned them back to restore 

 them to symmetrical outlines. It immediately occurred to us to 

 make use of the prunings, and they were accordingly shortened, so 

 as to consist of a crown of leaves and an inch or two of wood each. 

 They were firmly potted close together in sandy peat, and covered 

 with a bell-glass, and placed in a shady part of a fern-house, and 

 kept always moist. Twelve months afterwards they began to grow, 

 and then made faster progress than seedlings, the wood having 

 thrown out abundance of fibres. Probably the month of July 

 would be a still better time to take cuttings, but we have not 

 tried it. 



A correspondent asks for a few advices on the cultivation of 

 Skimmias, accompanying the request with the usual complaint, that 

 they do not grow fast enough to please him. We have tried them 

 in all kinds of soils and situations, and under the most diverse 

 circumstances they live, but only under peculiar circumstances do 



