188 



THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



kinds will bear a considerable d&grec of cold, and they enjoy a remarkable 

 immunity from attacks of insects. Generally they require a sandy soil 

 and a shady situation, and they are easily pi'opagated by seeds, cuttings, 

 and offsets, according to their several characters. 



Hakdt Species of Oxalis. — Many of the greenhouse ppecies submit to 

 be treated as hardy plants very readily. 0. rosea may be sown in April 

 on a shady border, and will make lovely patches of light green foliage 

 and rosy flowers all the summer ; it is, in fact, one of the best of hardy 

 annuals, and when treated as a greenhouse perennial may be bloomed at 

 almost any season. The soil for this beauty should be leaf, rotten dung, 

 peat, loam, and sand equal parts ; it never attains its full beauty in loam 

 alone, or in loam simply improved with manure. 0. cornicuJata is a 

 British plant bearing yellow flowers, and a very pretty subject for shaded 

 banks and rockeries. A garden variety of it, called the " Variegated 

 Oxalis," is one of the most curious of all the garden varieties we possess, 



OXALIB BLXQAKS. 



OXALIS DEI'PEI. 



the leaves being stained a deep blackish, purple or bronze, considerably 

 richer in tone than in the well-known black-leaved clover. This Oxalis 

 is coming into use for garden groups and beds, and merits the attention 

 of all who are interested in the subject of garden colouring'. Other hardy 

 species, easily grown in sandy soils and shady situations, are the fol- 

 lowing : — Dillenii, copper-coloiired flowers ; Icevigata, purple flowers ; 

 aensitiva, pale yellow ; stricta, yellow; alba, bulbous-rooted, white flowers; 

 Americana, bulbous-rooted, white flowers ; and violacea, bulbous-rooted, 

 and violet flowers. 



Greenhouse Species of Oiaiis. — "When grown in pots, these mostly 

 require a mixture of turfy loam, turfy peat, dung rotted to powder, and 

 silver-sand, equal parts of each. They must have good drainage, shade, 

 and plenty of water while growing. During winter, the tuberous kinds 

 must be kept dry and safe from frost, but the shrubby kinds must be kept 

 ^ust moving in a temperature not lower than S5°, and not higher than 



