THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



when full-grown, should never be 

 planted promiscuously ; but if the 

 soil is favourable, plant the large 

 growing ones towards the back, and 

 the others in succession according to 

 their size. In this way, when viewed 

 from the front, they will have a very 

 agreeable appearance, which will not 

 be the case if they are planted with- 

 out order ; and, at the same time, the 

 more delicate kinds will not be liable 

 to be injured by those which are more 

 robust in their growth. 



When cattle are intended to feed 

 beneath, the stems of the trees should 

 be hit^h enough to prevent them from 

 injuring the lower branches ; and they 

 should be fenced in such a way as to 

 prevent their bark from being injured 

 by the rubbing of the cattle, espe- 

 cially whilst the trees are young. 



If the surface of the soil is liable 

 to become wet, it may be drained in 

 this way : — Let deep furrows be made, 

 from one to two feet in depth, and 



from one end to the other of the 

 ground, between every two rows of 

 trees, and then let the ground be 

 sloped to the bottom of the furrow : 

 if it is in pasture, the turf may be 

 taken up and relaid when the furrows 

 are formed. If the ground is natu- 

 rally wet, underground drains will be 

 required. 



Burning weeds, rotten wood, or 

 any rubbish when the trees are in 

 flower, might be found a great pre- 

 servative against blights and cater- 

 pillars. I would recommend annually 

 washing the trees with one of the 

 many mixtures which- are used. The 

 following is a simple and effectual 

 one : — Mix fresh cow-dung with urine 

 and soap-suds, and after scraping off 

 all the moss and cankered bark, wash 

 over the trees with this mixture ; this 

 will prevent the growth of moss, and 

 lessen the number of insects, by de- 

 stroying their eggs. 



E. Bbag. 



THE IVY. 



(An Abridgment of a Paper read before the Central Society of Horticulture.) 

 BY SHIKLEY HIBEEED, ESQ., E.B.H.S. 



The genus Seder a is in the natural 

 system grouped with Aralia, Panax, 

 Cassonia, Adoxa, Gastonia, and other 

 allied genera, in an order named from 

 Aralia, as the type, Araliacece. Of 

 the genus Hedera there are about 

 fifty species enumerated ; it is pretty 

 certain, however, as will be shown 

 presently, that several of the so-called 

 species are but varieties. The cha- 

 racters of Hedera are — calyx with an 

 elevated or toothed edge ; petals fire 

 or ten, not calyptrate, and cohering ; 

 stamens five to ten, converging o>- 

 consolidated ; the berry five or ten 

 celled. For general purposes we may 

 classify the species as tender and 

 hardy. The tender species are mostly 

 shrubs, the hardy species are mostly 

 climbers ; and with the hardy kind-) 

 alone are we concerned on the pre* 

 sent occasion. 



Uses in the Arts. — None of the 

 ivies occupy an important position in 

 medicine or the arts. Hedera helix, 

 the common ivy, was esteemed more 

 highly in ancient than in modern 

 times. It was in high repute as a 

 sudorific, and was supposed to have 

 the property of preventing intoxica- 

 tion, as also of restoring to sobriety 

 those who had imbibed an excess of 

 wine. Modern experiment has not 

 confirmed the opinion of the ancients, 

 and it appears that the j uice of ivy 

 has no power whatever either to pre- 

 vent or modify the effects of intoxi- 

 cation. The leaves when bruised 

 emit an agreeable balsamic odour, 

 and are of a very unpleasant bitterish 

 taste. The juice pressed out of the 

 leaves is slightly stimulating and pur- 

 gative, and a decoction of the leaves 

 is now used in many country places 



