AnguBt 14, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICtJLTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



117 



odour, dne to the numerous minute glands on the edge of the 

 leaves, which are, however, hardly perceptible without the aid 

 of a lens. These glands are said to be found only on this 

 species, and they afford therefore a ready means of discrimina- 

 tion. The flowers are produced in stalked heads, sometimes 

 roundish, bat in the wild plants much longer. Although 

 small, the number in each head is considerable, and their 

 bright bluish-violet tint gives the plant when in bloom an ex- 

 ceedingly attractive appearance. A detached blossom is repre- 

 sented on an enlarged scale in the corner of our engraving, 

 chiefly for the purpose of showing the peculiar form of the petals 

 of the plants of this order. These, it will be seen, are much 

 longer than the sepals ; narrow and hooded (cucuUate) at the 

 tips in a curious manner, the stamens being inserted opposite 

 the petals. 



With regard to the culture of the different species of Cea- 

 nothes from California, they all appear to thrive in peat. 



Ceanothas dentatu3. 



either alone or mixed with a little loam. Their growth is 

 somewhat straggling, and the shoots, therefore, require fre- 

 quent stopping during the summer ; but as the flowers are 

 borne upon the shoots of the previous year, this shortening 

 process must not be performed late in the season. In the 

 Osborne gardens C. dentatus is trained on the horizontal 

 system, and after flowering the secondary branches are short- 

 ened-back to within an inch or two of the main laterals. 



The species are readily propagated by seeds, which are some- 

 times matured, and which should be sown soon after gather- 

 ing, or they will not readHy vegetate ; they may also be in- 

 creased by cattings of the half-ripened wood under a hand- 

 glass. 



We have selected dentatus as being, on the whole, the most 

 desirable species; but it forms but one of a group introduced, 

 we believe nearly about the same time, by the Horticultural 

 Society's collector, Mr. Hartweg, and which are all well de- 

 serving attention. The C. papillosus and C. rigidus are 

 scarcely less interesting than that we have figured, and are a 

 ehade more hardy ; indeed, we believe they may be said to bo 

 perfectly so. The foliage of C. papillosus is much larger than 

 that of dentatus, and has its surface covered with pimplc-like 

 elevations, to which it owes its specific name. It is of more 

 Tigorona growth than the Toothed Ceanothe, and may be 

 treated in a similar manner. C. rigidus fully equals in interest 

 papillosas, but is less branching in its habit. It is, probably, 

 hardy enoagh for cultivation as a bash or standard in this 



country. Two species of more recent introduction, C. flori- 

 bundus and G. Lobbianus, deserve especial mention as highly 

 ornamental subjects. Both have blue flowers copiously pro- 

 duced. 



One species, the C. americanus, is known as the New Jersey 

 Tea, from the circumstance of its having been used in the 

 American War of Independence as a substitute for the Chinese 

 plant. Numerous varieties of this deciduous species have been 

 raised in European gardens, some of which are well deserving 

 of cultivation. As we may not soon have occasion to notice 

 this order again, it may be worth while to remark that to the 

 Buckthorn tribe belongs the Lotus of the ancients and the 

 Jujube tree, both of them species of Zizyphus, though the 

 articles sold as jujubes probably contain as much of the 

 genuine fruit as the perfumer's bears' grease does of the real 

 Bruin. — W. Thompson, Ipswiclu — {English Flower Garden, 

 Eevhcd hy the Author). 



STKAWBERKT CULTUEE. 



I do not like to differ from your correspondent, Mr. Luck- 

 hurst, aud I seldom have occasion to do so, but in his last 

 communication on Strawberries he says, " No Strawberry 

 plant win continue in full bearing longer than two seasons. 

 It is true that fruit may be taken for several years from the 

 same plants, but such fruit is invariably of a paltry descrip- 

 tion, quite unfit for dessert." Now, this is much too wide 

 and sweeping an assertion, especially where he goes as far as 

 to use the word " invariably." I have for some time been 

 convinced of the fallacy of supposing that Strawberries under 

 proper treatment cannot be made to succeed, not for two or 

 three years only, but for many seasons, and the experience of 

 the last two years has fully convinced me that this perpetual 

 renovation of Strawberry beds is unnecessary. When remov- 

 ing some old beds five years ago I kept a portion on for trial. 

 These plants have continued to go on bearing, not merely, as 

 Mr. Luckhurst would have it, fruit of a paltry description, but 

 a superabundant crop of fine fruit, and they were as fine and 

 as full of fruit this year as ever. I use the word plants, not 

 beds, advisedly, because the plants have always been kept 

 distinct, and the runners cut off every year, and according to 

 the best of my belief they have now been in bearing ten years. 

 I have had in bearing this year beds fruiting for the third, 

 fourth, and fifth seasons, and I cannot perceive any deterio- 

 ration, and this not with one sort only, but with many, as 

 President, Eivers's Eliza, Sir Joseph Paxton, Carolina Superba 

 Hyatt's Eleanor. Some sorts that fruited last year for the 

 second season have, undoubtedly, borne finer fruit this the 

 third year ; and in parallel beds of the sorts I have named 

 above I could see no difference between the fourth and fifth- 

 season plants, and that not a scant crop or email fruit, but 

 fruit fit for the exhibition table and in enormous quantities. 



I gave my method of treatment last year, and I need not 

 repeat it in detail. It is merely to keep the plants separate 

 and distinct by cutting-oi'f the runners as soon as possible 

 after the fruiting season is over. Mulch with good manure 

 during the winter, put on either in October or November. (I 

 do not think it a good plan to put it on too soon, as it induces 

 the plants to grow instead of ripening the crowns.) I remove 

 any mulching there is left, but which is generally very little, 

 as it is usually washed iu to the roots during the winter ; but 

 if any is left I remove it in AprO, so as to admit full sun to 

 the roots till the flowering season. The beds are then 

 copiously watered, and covered with a mulching of chopped 

 straw laid on thickly, so as to be a clean bed for the fruit, and 

 to keep the moisture from evaporating. I never allow a hoe, 

 fork, or spade, no pricking-up the soil or loosening the ground, 

 but it is kept as firm as possible. I know many, if not most, 

 Strawberry-growers on light soils pursue a plan, if not iden- 

 tical, yet very similar to this; but I have briefly repeated 

 this in order to ask other Strawberry-growers to try with me 

 how long Strawberry beds may be continued in full bearing 

 with fine fruit under this treatment. I have determined to 

 destroy no beds of the sorts which I have selected as the best 

 with me till I find they have deteriorated from the previous 

 year. 



And now a word as to sorts. I cannot endorse the en- 

 comiums passed on Vicomtesse Hericart dc Thury, nor did I 

 ever find any of my numerous friends wlio have tried the dif- 

 ferent kinds of Strawberries iu my garden this year, who ever 

 eat more than one or two on trial ; and having had several 

 Strawberry parties this year, when five, or six, or more dishes 



