188 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ March 18, 1869. 



perennial, but if treated as a half-hardy annual, plants may be 

 had fine the first year. 



EiciNns AFiucvNus ALBiDus. — Fine foliage, stems silvery, 

 veins white. feet. E. brasiliensis viridis. — Fine large green 

 foliage. Fruit green, (i feet. E. Eelot de Fougores. — Foliage 

 glaucous, large, and handsome. Fruit dark green. 6 feet. 

 E. macrocarpus. — Foliage light green, or both stems and leaves 

 mulberry-coloured. G to 8 feet. E. insignis.— Foliage and 

 fruit glaucous green. 6 to 8 feet. 'B.. Obermanni. — Leaves 

 dark, large and fine. feet. E. purpureas cinerescens. — Fo- 

 liage dark and bold ; fine and tall. 8 to 10 feet. E. sanguineus 

 tricolor. — Foliage and fruit red. 6 feet. 'K. compactus. — Fo- 

 liage bright green, very elegant, and of close habit. G feet. 

 These Castor Oil plants are very ornamental, having large Vine- 

 like leaves from 2 to 3 feet across, and under good cultivation 

 they attain a height of 10 or 12 feet. They form handsome 

 beds. The seeds should be sown not later than the beginning 

 of March in a brisk bottom heat, and the plants grown in heat, 

 repotting them as often as they fill their pots with roots, and 

 hardening them oil' well before planting-out. For soil, use 

 a compost of two parts turfy loam, one part turfy peat, and 

 one part leaf mould, with a free admixture of sharp sand, giving 

 good drainage. Keep the soil moist so as to encourage free 

 vigorous growth, and aliford a light airy position, so as to have 

 the plants stiff and well furnitlied. When planted-out they 

 should have a position well sheltered from wind, as they are 

 liable to suffer if exposed to strong breezes. 



»Zea japon-ica variegata. — An elegant tall-growing plant, the 

 leaves having a broad stripe of variegation up the middle. It 

 is very ornamental for the centres of beds. It requires a light 

 rich soil, should be sown early in heat, and be strong and well 

 hardened-off before planting-out. C feet. 



Zea CnsKo. — This is, perhaps, the finest of all the giant 

 kinds of Maize, the foliage being green and broad, and the 

 plant growing very tall. It is ornamental for the centres of 

 bods or groups and the backs of borders. 10 feet. A sheltered 

 situation is requisite, otherwise its fine handsome foliage is 

 liable to be broken and destroyed by the wind. 



NicoTiANA oLAUCA. — Leaves glaucous and shining. C fo 8 feet. 

 N. grandiflora purpurea. — Flowers large, and purplish. 6 to 



8 feet. N. maerophylla gigantea. — Tall and elegant; leaves 

 large. 8 to 10 feet. These, the Tobacco plants, are very hand- 

 some-foliaged plants, and of free growth. The soil should be 

 rich, and the plants strong before being planted-out. Supply 

 them well with water in dry weather. 



2. ANNUAL AND HARDY 



ANDRoroGON SORGHUM (rubens). — A large-growing Grass, with 

 reddish stems and foliage. Although hardy it should be sown 

 in March in gentle heat, and grown in a cool structure in order 

 to be strong by the middle or end of May. Good rich soil and 

 a plentiful supply of water in dry weather are necessary. 

 3 to 4 feet. 



Argemone Hcnnemanni. — Foliage glaucous, 10 inches or 

 more long, having white spines and veins. A light soil is most 

 suitable. 2 feet. 



Ateii'Lex noRTENsis RCDEA. — A vory common old plant, but 

 more noble and effective than many recent introductions. 

 Foliage red, inclining to purple. Fine for the centres of beds 

 and the backs of borders. 5 to C feet. It should be sown, 

 where it is to remain, in April, in good, rich, light soil. 



Beet, Dell's Crimson. — This variety of Beet is, perhaps, 

 the best dark crimson-foliaged. It should be sown early in 

 April in drills where it is to remain, and is best in bands or 

 lines in beds or borders. 1 foot. 



Beet, Brazilian. — Leaves largo, bright yellow or crimson, 

 with white ribs, rendering it less culinary-looking than the 

 majority of Beet, the beauty of which I cannot see ; this, how- 

 ever, is showy. To have a good ci^ect the bands or lines ought 

 not to be less than 2 feet wide, putting in two or three lines 



9 inches apart, and thinning-out the plants to that distance 

 from each other in the lines. Sow early in April. 



Carduus benedictus. — This, known also as the Blessed 

 Thistle, is a fine old very common plant, I believe a perennial, 

 but it attains a good size the iirst year ; the leaves are 

 broad, long, with white variegation, and spiny, having a noble 

 appearance. 3 to 4 feet. It should be sown early in April, in 

 good, rich, light BoU, and the plants thinned out to 12 or 

 18 inches apart. 



HeLIANTHUS AEGYEOrHYLmS STRIATIFOLIUS FLOEE-PLENO. — 



Foliage glossy, sometimes striped, flowers yellow, 4 feet. It 

 is a fine variety of Sunflower for borders. 



*H. MACROPHYLLus GioANTEus. — Foliage large and somewhat 

 glaucous, habit pyramidal, and attaining a height of from 

 12 to 18 feet. Eich light soil ; sow early in April where the 

 plant is to remain, and thin out. This is a fine plant for the 

 centre of a bed, relieves the monotonous aspect of carpet 

 arrangements, and is especially suited for the backs of borders. 



•OxALis TROP.EOLoiDEs. — Foliago bronzed crimson, very 

 much in habit resembfing Suckling Clover, the plant growing 

 close to the ground, and not exceeding (j inches in height. It 

 is one of the beat bronze-crimson plants for edging beds and 

 borders, and for carpeting. A light gravelly soil is the most suit- 

 able ; in such it becomes quite a weed, and is perennial. It 

 should be sown in March in sandy soil in a seed pan placed in 

 gentle heat, and the young plants well-hardened ofi and planted 

 out in May at from (i to 'J inches apart. It may be sown in 

 the open ground in April. It is correctly a perennial, but not 

 hardy except in well-drained soil. 



Pennisetum setoSum. — A pretty Grass with fine crimsonish 

 inflorescence. It may be used as the centre of a small bed, and 

 should be well supplied with water in dry weather. 2 feet. 



»Perilla nankinen.sis. — Foliage bronze-purple. Fine for 

 the lines of ribbon borders, bands, or centres of beds. Well 

 known, and deservedly popular. I4 to 2 feet. It should be 

 sown in a seed pan placed in a gentle heat, pricked off about 

 an inch apart when large enough to handle, and kept near the 

 glass, giving plenty of air, so as to have it dwarf and strong for 

 planting out in May. The seeds should be sown early in April, 

 and about the middle of the month it may be sown in the open 

 ground. It endures pinching to any extent, and may be pegged 

 down, in either way forming one of the finest of edgings. 



The above are within the reach of all, at least most of them 

 are, and they are the more valuable on account of the culture 

 being limited to the season of growth. They do not crowd on 

 the glass structures in winter, and they do away with the mo- 

 notonous and tame effect produced by the majority of our 

 dwarf bedding plants. — G. Abbey. 



(To be continued.) 



SELAGIN ELLAS. 



Of the plants grown at the present day none are more worthy 

 of notice than the Selaginellas, many of them rivalling Ferns 

 in gracefulness and beauty. The size and perfection they 

 attain, as we see them at our shows, will testify their merits. 



Schiijinella Pmilterii.— To see this is to admire it. From its 

 description I was led to order it, and I have a large pan of it 

 growing most beautifully. It is somewhat after the style of 

 S. dentieulata, in a miniature form. This sort is sure to be- 

 come a favourite, it is very fast-growing, and particularly neat. 

 I very recently saw a large specimen, and its appearance was 

 very chaste indeed. 



S. ciTsia nrhon-a is one of the handsomest and most distinct 

 climbers 1 have ever seen in a Fern house. I have it over one 

 end of my stove, and running along the rafters, intermixed with 

 other climbers, such as I'assifloras, Thunbergia Harrisii ; it 

 forms a most pleasing contrast. It is very free-growing, and 

 the foliage is of a bright lustrous blue, especially when not 

 exposed to too strong sunlight. 



.S'. hpidoplii/lla makes a very attractive object when grown 

 under a bell-glass. It is one of the choicest of its class. I 

 grow mine in a large pan. When shifting the plant some time 

 ago, I used some large pieces of clmrcoal ; this week I have re- 

 potted it, and I found its roots clinging so tightly to the charcoal 

 that I did not disturb them ; I had thus a proof of the value of 

 charcoal, which I use very extensively in potting. A dozen 

 plants of this variety under a bell-glass have a very chaste 

 appearance. It will do without glass, but requires skill and 

 attention to grow it well. 



S. atroviridis is very distinct, very free-growing, and the colour 

 of the foliage most beautiful. 



.S'. densa is very lovely. I grow it in pans, 3 feet in diameter, 

 using plenty of sandstone for drainage. When the pan is 

 covered, this moss is most beautiful. When the pan is ready 

 I plant little tufts all over the surface about 1 inch apart, and 

 they very quickly meet. A pan here and there about a house 

 looks very beautiful. 



S. denticidata, which is well known, I grow in a vinery. For 

 use in glass dishes along with the dessert it is perfection, and I 

 think it makes the fruit look more tempting, having such a 

 cool and elegant appearance. I also grow it as pyramids. I 

 will describe my plan. I take a pan 3 feet in diameter for the 

 bottom, and place in it pans of smaller size, one above the other, 



