:873-] 



NOTES ON HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 



547 



body but his gardener, and he icas afraid of him ; and if we recollect 

 aright, some very Jesuitical individual was employed to soften him 

 down to a plastic condition. 



The entire eradication of herbaceous plants from our gardens has, 

 however, had one good effect — it has led to a sifting of the species. 

 Before, herbaceous borders were botanical collections more than any- 

 thing else — scores of plants having nothing but rarity to recommend 

 them ; but now the aim is to select the cream of the class, such as 

 are likely to afford both a display outdoors and cut-flowers for the 

 house. For the latter purpose the herbaceous border is invaluable, 

 especially in places where the supply of stove and greenhouse flowers 

 is not ample. What could be more ornamental, for instance, than 

 some of the Iris class, and the Lilies, such as candidum, auratum, 

 lancifolium, and others 1 We have been cutting heads of the two last 

 from August up till now (November 1st) from the open border, and 

 find them unsurpassed for large vases. Then there are the Spiraeas 

 japonica, palmata, and venusta among the best; long-blooming and 

 beautiful they are. The bulbous and tuberous rooted section also 

 would almost stock a border itself. Narcissus, Hyacinths, and Tulips 

 keep up a long display after the greenhouse stock is past and gone. 

 The useful and beautiful, in fact, are too numerous to mention at 

 random ; but the following list are amongst the most select of the 

 really good herbaceous plants, and are such as we have selected within 

 the last two years for stocking borders : — 



Aquilegia, of sorts. 



Delphinium formosum, and others. 



Carnations and Pinks. 



Liliums, auratum, lancifolium, candi- 

 dum, fulgens Sappho, umbellatum, 

 Thunbergianum grandiflorum. 



Lithospermum prostratum. 



Lychnis of sorts. 



Erythronium dens-canis album, and 

 purpureum majus. 



Gladiolus in variety. 



Iris germanica of sorts. 



Phloxes of sorts. 



Cyclamens, Groscum, hederrefolium, 

 Europeum, and others. 



Violas of sorts. 



Pyrethrums of sorts. 



Primulas of sorts. 



Auriculas of sorts. 



Ericas (hardy) of sorts. 



Cheiranthus (wallflower) of sorts. 



Chelone barbata Antwerpensis. 



Dianthus hybrida of sorts. 



Helleborus niger maximus (Christmas 

 rose). 



Hesperis matronalis of sorts. 



Tritoma grandis, and uvaria glauces- 



cens. 

 Thalictrum adiantiforme. 

 Violets of sorts. 



Aster amellus, and Cassiarabicus. 

 Aubrieta deltoides. 

 Arabis of sorts. 

 Iberis corresefolia. 

 Hepatica, triloba alba, coerulea, and 



rubra pleno. 

 Muscari botryoides, and botryoides 



alba. 

 Narcissus poeticus, and Sulphur Kroon. 

 Scilla campanulata, alba, nutans, and 



rosea. 

 Hyacinthus amethystinus. 

 Lily of the Valley. 

 Menziesia alba. 

 Dielytra s|)ectabilis. 

 Veronica (blue gem). 

 Arenaria verna. 

 Polyanthus of sorts. 

 Primroses of sorts. 

 Daisies (double), Eed, White, and 



Pink. 



