100 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ November 26, IMS. 



bloom. Chrysanthemum segetnm, though a native plant, is 

 well worth a space in the border among other annuals. Malva 

 zebrina, a tall-growing plant, is fine as a third or fourth row 

 plant in the border, and is one of the most showy plants we 

 have. Cistus helianthus, a splendid little fellow, should be 

 sown in autumn, potted, and plunged in a cold pit ; and planted 

 in the spring, it makes a lovely bed for a short time. 



Many other annuals might be enumerated, which give our 

 borders a charm during the summer months, that nothing else 

 can, and they are all the better of being transplanted and 

 moved to their blooming positions with balls. They will repay 

 any amount of care bestowed upon them.— M. H., Acklam Hall, 

 Middleahrough-on-Tees. 



'SUBTROPICAL GARDENING— PLANTS OF 

 EASY CULTURE. 



I QUITE agree with Mr. WiUiams, page 357, that subtropical 

 gardening in its varied forms requires to be more freely dis- 

 cussed, so as to place it in its true light before those who may 

 be anxious to try it. For this purpose it would be quite as 

 aeeful to have fair statements of the cases of those who have 

 made the attempt and failed, as of those who have done so and 

 under favourable circumstances been successful. Unfortunately 

 few are willing to do this, yet it ought to be done, as nothing 

 is more instructive than failure when the mode of culture 

 adopted is fully known ; and as there have been many failures 

 with subtropical gardening, it would be well to consider the 

 whole question in all its bearings, and ascertain whether that 

 branch of gardening is within the reach of many who now 

 attempt it. As there are. doubtless, many persons who are 

 anxious to do so, the plants most generally useful might with 

 advantage be pointed out, and as these are both numerous and 

 interesting, and can be grown by almost all having a hotbed, 

 the observations on each will be plain and brief. 



Before, however, entering on this matter, it may be said here, 

 with all respect to those who have of late years done so 

 much to place this description of gardening in the high position 

 accorded to it by those devoted to ornamental plants, that it 

 had its advocates in days long since gone by— certainly not to 

 the extent it is at present practised, but still some of the plants 

 now employed had been tried then, and not altogether without 

 success, for I recollect that upwards of forty years since some 

 little sensation was created by Melianthus "major being grown 

 and flowered out of doors about four hundred miles north of 

 London. Ten years or so later found Brugmansia (then called 

 Datura), arborea flowering likewise out of doors, and it is up- 

 wards of twenty-five years since I saw the first bed of Cannas ; 

 and I suppose the Sedums, Saxifrages, and Sempervivums were 

 almost as plentiful thirty years ago as now, as succulent plants 

 were more popular then than they have been since, but they 

 were seldom turned out of doors. However, it must not for a 

 moment be supposed that I wish to detract in the least from 

 the merit due to Mr. Gibson and others who have done so 

 much in bringing subtropical gardening before the public, only 

 in cases where the means are scant annuals ought only to be 

 used, and these give more diversity, and on the whole a more 

 tropical aspect to the eye, than the more costly shrubby class, 

 although the latter may be more robust in habit. Commencing, 

 therefore, with plants of easy culture, we have the large family 

 of Solanums, the Castor o"il plants, Wigandia, Ferdinanda, 

 some AraUas, &c., as well as some hardy plants, to which 

 sufficient justice has not yet been done. 



EioiNus, OR Castok Oil Plants.— These are of easy culture, 

 3.3 some plants here attained a height of upwards of 8 feet, 

 though not sown until the middle of April, when single seeds 

 were put into separate small pots, which were placed in an 

 ordinary hotbed. The young plants were forwarded in heat 

 and planted out by the third week in May, and no further 

 attention was paid them than staking after some high winds 

 about the beginning of September. There are several species 

 and varieties, but those with the red and the green bark re- 

 spectively are the best two. In the trade they are called 

 B. sanguineus, R. macrocarpus, and B. glaucus ; one of them 

 has ripened seeds here this season. They ought to have a 

 sunny but not windy situation. The past summer seems to 

 have .'uited them exceedingly well, more so than it has done 

 other plants of apparently kindred habit, as will be shown. 



WiGANDii cAEACASANA. — Although seedlings of the present 

 season attained the height of G or 7 feet, they never presented 

 the large foliage which the plant did in 1865 and the following 



two years, the absence of rain doubtless being the cause, and 

 here we had not the means of artificially supplying them with 

 water. It may, therefore, be inferred that this plant requires 

 moisture as well as warmth, and, like the Castor Oils, a sunny 

 but not windy situation. It is advisable to sow much earlier 

 in the spring than is necessary for the Castor Oil plants, and 

 even plants kept over the winter, by being sown about July in 

 the preceding season, make the largest specimens ; but as the 

 plants, unless kept in a warm house, are not ornamental after 

 the dark days commence, it would not be worth while for those 

 whose room is limited to attempt their growth during the 

 winter. This plant seems to like a good rich loam, and its 

 broad ovate leaves, with the upper surface beautifully netted 

 and indented, while the under surface is slightly stinging, es- 

 pecially in the young state, the immense size of its leaves, 

 and its good habit, entitle it to a first place amongst out-door 

 fine-foliaged plants ; neither do its flowers, which it often pro- 

 duces, detract from its merits. 



Ferdinanda EMiKENs. — Although I have had this plant 12 feet 

 high by keeping it through the winter, I am by no means fond 

 of it. Its apparent resemblance in the distance to a patch of 

 Jerusalem Artichokes gives it a common character, and I think 

 it has lost ground elsewhere of late. It is easily raised from 

 seed, but ought to be sown early in heat like the Wigandia, 

 and kept growing till the proper planting-out time, which must 

 not be too early, the end of May being quite soon enough. 



Cannas. — The great diversity there is in this family, and 

 their graceful appearance, added to their easy culture, give 

 them a claim possessed by nothing else in their way for a bed 

 or a mass, but they are hardly so well suited for planting singly. 

 They are much hardier than is supposed. We have here two 

 large beds that have stood the last two winters with only a slight 

 covering of leaves, and this season I intend to deny them even 

 this advantage, from noticing plants elsewhere that have 

 stood without it. The varieties are endless, but in general a 

 good dark-leaved and dark-stemmed variety, of which the Canna 

 nigricans may be regarded as the type, is indispensable as one. 

 Then there is a fine, broad-foliaged, green-leaved variety of 

 dwarf habit that is also good ; and I believe the tallest of all 

 is a yellow-flowered species, rather deficient of foliage near the 

 ground, but otherwise of striking habit. Generally Cannas do 

 best in a dry soil which is plentifully supplied with moisture, 

 and a circular or oval bed of a large size, with a mass of this 

 plant as a centre, and an edging of other plants, forms an im- 

 portant feature in the dressed grounds. 



Tobacco is certainly more picturesque than Ferdinanda, in- 

 dependent of the interest that attaches to it. I beUeve the 

 Nicotiana wigandioides has the most striking appearance, tut 

 I have not seen it in perfection. Tobacco ought not to be 

 planted out until the 1st of June, and then let it be done in 

 dry weather, otherwise the slugs will be sure to find the plants 

 out. The middle of April is early enough to sow the seed, and 

 the sowing ought to be made in a pan or box in a hotbed, and 

 the plants pricked out, either into separate pots or into larger 

 frames or boxes, to be forwarded and hardened-o£E in the usual 

 way. 



Brucmansia arborea and other varieties are not so easily 

 obtained in quantity as plants that are reared annually from 

 seeds ; but the roots, like those of old Scarlet Pelargoniums, 

 will endure being taken up in autumn and kept in a dry cellar 

 during the winter, and can be brought on in spring in the same 

 way. The fine foliage of this plant and its still more remark- 

 able flowers, entitle it to much attention. 



Akalia Sieeoldi. — Perhaps this plant ought not to be in- 

 cluded, as it is an evergreen shrub of doubtful hardiness, but 

 very desirable if it would succeed well out of doors ; for its 

 large, glossy green, deeply palmate leaves give it a very hand- 

 some appearance. However, it has not as yet been sufliciently 

 tried in all situations to speak with certainty as to its hardi- 

 ness, but it is a handsome conservatory plant. 



As the above plants are principally given as examples of 

 what may be had in most cases where a hotbed is at command, 

 it is not to be inferred that the collector need stop there, for 

 some of the Solanums are interesting, and they differ widely 

 from each other ; but as a class I have never admired them so 

 much as others have done. Solanum robustum and argenteum 

 are about the best, while some prefer S. cabiliense or betaceum. 

 The Japan Maize is also an easily grown plant and looks well, 

 as do some of the ordinary plain-leaved varieties. Then there 

 is a host of hardy plants with foliage more or less remarkable, 

 not the least so being the common Globe Artichoke, the Car- 

 doon, some varieties of shiny-leaved Rhubarb, and other plants, 



