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THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[August, 



were not idle. Many of them who had neither 

 the taste nor the learning necessary for tran 

 scribing or illuminating manuscripts, nor the 

 genius which created a painter like Fra Angelico, 

 were nevertheless skillful gardeners. In the in- 

 fancy of the science ol medicine, the simple 

 remedies concocted from the herbs which {zrew 

 in the convent garden, or were gathered by the 

 patient seeker in the woods or on the hillsides 

 which surrounded it were much prized by the 

 villagers ; neither did lords and ladies disdain 

 to crave advice and healing from the wise leech 

 who cultivated his medicinal plants with his own 

 hands, and likewise distilled from them the 

 balms and lotions, &c., which composed his 

 pharmacopia. Then, again, the importation of 

 rare and new plants was frequently the work of 

 the monks. 'An Italian traveling in England 

 i 1 the reign of Henry VII.,' says a recent writer, 

 'describts the lair gardens filled with the Laurel, 

 the Myrtle, and all Italian fruit trees, except the 

 Olive and the Orange. He speaks also of the 

 numerous vineyards.' " 



Roman Floral Luxuries. — Towards the end 

 of the Republic in Rome, to which already 

 almost the whole of the then known world was 

 subject, luxury was at its height. The riches ex- 

 torted from the sul>jugated nations were squan- 

 dered in the most foolish way. There was no 

 knowing what undertakings a man with money 

 might not begin. The poor nightingales must 

 give up their tongues to furnish a ragout for a 

 Roman gourmand. A Roman fine gentleman 

 injured his standing if he sat before his guests at 

 the sea, sea fish, and in the interior of the coun 

 try, fresh-water fish. At immense cost sea fish 

 had to be provided here, and fresh-water fish 

 there. Not less foolish was the custom of sleep- 

 ing on rose leaves — the couches were heaped 

 several feet high with rose leaves. Even Cicero 

 must sleep on roses and violets. Propertius 

 must even be buried in them, for in that case, as 

 he sings, the earth would lie lightly on him. An 

 effeminate Roman complains of the folded rose 

 leaves on his couch hurting him. The Propraetor 

 Verres in Sicily was carried about in a litter 

 resting on cushions filled with rose leaves and a 

 bouquet of roses had to be carried before him. 

 The supply of roses at Rome must at that time 

 have been very great. Paestum sent most, and 

 after it Egypt, where the roses of Cyrrhene at 

 that time were renowned. Great vessels came 

 to Rome, which were only laden with roses. 



This rose mania, for by no other name can one 

 call it, contriouted not a little to raise the posi- 

 tion of the gardener in Rome. — Carl Kock. 



A Rush.— Rushes are found in almost every 

 place in the British Islands, and in both cold 

 and temperate quarters at home and abroad they 

 are plentiful. Before the introduction of tallow 

 candles in this country, rushes were used by 

 those both in high and low stations. Rushlights 

 are still sold by our chandlers, and are used by 

 the very poor, or for night-lights in sick-rooms. 

 Among the peasantry in the country districts we 

 have often met with rushlights in numbers. The 

 poor dip the rushes in any kind of grease or 

 melted fat they can procure. Formerly in far- 

 mers' or gentleman farmers' houses they twisted 

 1.,'reat numbers of rushes together in Ireland, 

 sometimes to the bulk of a man's arm, for house- 

 lights or torches. The common hard rush is used 

 still in country places for tying up bundles of 

 flowers, being previously bleached a little. The 

 bulrush and the lesser bulrush are used for mats, 

 foot-stools, seats for chairs, ior baskets and horse- 

 collars, in Ireland ; and in some of the midland 

 districts of England they make ropes of the peel. 

 The pith of bulrushes is used for candles. We 

 have seen ropes and plaited whips, boys' whips, 

 and horsewhips made from bulrushes, sonie 

 being ingenious plaiting and matting for orna- 

 mental purposes. We have known it to be used 

 (the soft rush) for thatchins; cottages or corn- 

 stacks .and some of the very poor have used it 

 for stuffing beds. Rushes of all species are a 

 very useful order of plants, and may be utilized 

 in a variety of ways, many still unthouglit of. 

 It is quite possible that a very useful paper might 

 be made from rushes as well as from Esparto 

 grass or wood. We hope the humble and de- 

 spised rush or bulrush, which has a history as 

 <ild as Moses, will soon receive more attention 

 than it has hitherto obtained. This very useful 

 plant has passed into a proverb, and i^used in 

 derision to express contempt, as, ''I dont care a 

 rush about you." — The Builder. 



History op the Dahlia. — Botanists are now 

 mostly agreed that the florist's Dahlias have 

 originated from two species, D. superfluaand D. 

 frustranea, though some unite them under the 

 name of D. variabilis — a very appropriate title, 

 for the variation in form and color of the 

 flowers causes them to merge into each other, 

 and it is not easy to indicate any clear marks 

 of distinction. The chief character, however, 



