THE GENUS YUCCA. 43 



Yuccas appear to great advantage, when planted in a large 

 detached group, at a due distance from the approach or entrance 

 to a flower-garden, but they should be so situated as to form a 

 permanent feature from the mansion. They are also well fitted for 

 bold and picturesque effect on large masses of natural or artificial 

 rock-work, crowning its summits or irregular slopes with an Aloe- 

 like appearance, and during the summer-months relieving the 

 heavy and massive outline with towering pyramids of bloom. The 

 strongest growing species are equally well adapted for imparting 

 a novel and exotic character to a large richly furnished park or 

 arboretum, as the smaller kinds are to blend their distinct features 

 with the ordinary occupants in the prescribed limits of a villa 

 flower-garden. The whole of the species thrive satisfactorily 

 wherever a firm loamy soil is found in connexion with a tolerably 

 dry substratum. If planted upon a mound, or on rock-work, a 

 strong retentive soil is absolutely necessary. 



The most ornamental kind for a small garden is Yucca 

 glaucesceus, which may be regarded as an evergreen Autumn- 

 flowering perennial, with numerous stemless crowns of flaccid, 

 decurved, lanceolate, shreddy-margined leaves, from twelve to 

 twenty-four inches in height. Its flower-scapes are formed in 

 July, and matured during the two following months, ultimately 

 attaining a height of from two to four feet. When fully developed 

 they assume the appearance of large open pyramidal racemes of 

 creamy- white, drooping, tulip-like blossoms, each raceme containing 

 from twenty to forty or more individual blooms. At the period 

 just referred to, this species forms a highly interesting feature, 

 more especially when viewed from a distance during the deepening 

 twilight of a summer's eve. It is also admirably adapted for 

 smaller groups, and for picturesque effect in the foreground of 

 shrubberies — multiplying itself by numerous crowns, which readily 

 admit of separation, and attain a sufficient vigour to produce 

 flower-stems in a much shorter time than any other known species. 



The following kinds are enumerated with a view to show their 

 adaptation for planting in a large detached group or bed, com- 

 mencing with the largest (first-named) five species, which are 

 supposed to occupy the centre, the others gradually becoming 

 dwarfer as the margin is approached, viz.: — 



Yucca recurvifolia. Yucca rufo-cincta. 

 „ gloriosa. „ filameutosa. 



„ superba. „ „ variegata. 



„ draconis. „ glauccscens. 



„ conspicua. 



