JOUENAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



( December 12, 1865. 



■waat oJ symmetry iu tlie plant. Ijycaste Skinneri is a line 

 plniit, and still better are .';omc of the Cattleyas and others. 



Vinea rosea and aiha are both good, and being easily managed 

 amsv/er well. 



Pirhiseltia pulclierritnc and the -white variety are good, espc- 

 eiiiUy the former, which, wlien clothed down to the pot with 

 idia.'je, looks remarkably well on the table. 



LiudimauIHa for:i:ni!u is a gem, the jdant being dwarf and 

 compact, with handsome scarlet blossoms. 



iittiiic" profiisa and mncrnnata, being dwarf, arc good. 

 Mimuhu:. — >Some of the dark-spotted varieties are very showy 

 ■»ii«p. well flowered. 



l''iiciisi:i!<. especially the smaller dwarf-growing varieties, as 

 Wid cid globosa and otiiers with good foliage, are well adapted 

 i>r table dec-oration. The flowers hanging mostly at the out- 

 iide sire seen to advantage. 



Vfror.iras of the New Zealand class being mostly of a lilac 

 eokrjii do not look well at night ; the variegated one, however, 

 is yjwfnl for its foliage. 



Petunia. — The doubleJ-flowered varieties, being more dwarf 

 ibas the others, are preferable for this work ; nevertheless, a 

 ■weJl-flowered little plant of the rose-coloiured class is a gem on 

 ikfi table. 



Varieiintcd Geraniuma, though coming more properly nnder 

 iho Jiext class, are nevertheless admissible here. Of the silver- 

 eJgc.^ hinds those having a dark zone, as Countess of Warwick, 

 Jure to be preferred, and the same may l.e said of the goldcn- 

 Seaved varieties. Mrs. Pollock and Sunset are the best of the 

 ■txicolor-leaved kinds. 



We now come to th^ class of jdants which is by far the most 

 3Enmer«ins, and the members of which continue their serrices 

 ibe longest. It is also as much varied as the others, though 

 wot, Tiorhaps, as regards colour, and certainly in outline exceed- 

 ing all other clns^ei. " Fiue-foliaged plants," the term used 

 Vjitej^iate such plants, include denizens of the stove as well 

 a.s oJ tiie wayside ditch, beauty in vegetation not being cou- 

 :5ae<l to any particular locality, and, in fact, the very expression 

 isemity is so indefinite that it is no easy matter to say how 

 lur is iniiy bo strelchel. but iu the present case only such 

 s^KKJes of plants will be noticed as are generally approved of. 

 I may observe, that mo.-it symmetrically-grown plauts well 

 «lot):<;il with foliage, hanging at least as low as the collar, are i 

 ada)issib!e at times, iu cases of emergency, for table decoration ; | 

 \/!A ii is alwiys better if such foliage he of a handsome out- j 

 Jiije and good colour. Pinnated leaves, like the fronds of most 

 Fcras. are better than simple ones, e.'jcepting when the latter 

 »rJiiV>it some remarkable colour. Very large foliage, however, [ 

 tannot well be admitted, and plants requiring a number of , 

 «tic?>!?, or tying-up to a framework of any kind, are highly ob- j 

 j(Es:luMis,ble, a free and natural growth being wanted. Plants I 

 Trith variegated foliage look, ferhaps. bettor iu daylight than . 

 «.i mgfbl. unless a considerable portion of the colouring be 

 iaxk. "Where this is not the case some dark object should in- 

 lecvcne between the plant and the tablecloth ; generally the 

 fsA ilKeif or its covering will do this. Plants with dark foliage 

 io-tk rtmarkably well, and nice little planfs of Coleus Ver- 

 ichaffelti cannot well bo excelled for the clTect they produce, 

 tBotess by similar plants of thebest DracMmas ; :^ II, however, are 

 gD4>dtbai: approach this colour. Neat plants of uniform growth 

 iai>-sriLh plain foliage, are also by no means to be despised. 

 Annexed are the names of a few fine-foliagcd plants that have 

 iecn used, and, doubtless, others equally good may be added. 



Alceasiti metalUea, where it can be had in good condition 

 iud small enough, is pretty good, as are also the A. niacrorhiza 

 •5arifi;?al.i and Lowii. 



iiiky.i J'erxeJtiiffeHi makes one of the very best plants for 

 Oie purpose iu view, and an improved variety of it is also said 

 ■to to gc«d. 



CA'ad'ii :i — Most of the members of tliis large family are 

 iigbly oinaniental when ill serson: Ihey also vary widely in 

 sfearfjBter. C. argyrites, Wightii, Belleymeii, and Chantiui 

 iave all lieeu used with advantage, and most likely all the 

 BMxirarato-growiug ones might be rendered usefnl. 



.Orafif J/?.,-. — Unquestionably one of the very best plants for 

 Ainner-talile jnirposes is D. terrainalis, and all the dark or 

 saHic^ rioh-foliaged species are good, while one or two plain 

 Jiisen ones, as D. congestum and eannaU'olia, are by no means 

 Jo >» (Jisregarded. 



IMara:tr,ii. — The smaller-leaved species, as vittata, albo- 

 Siicfiia. bicolor, regalis, and others look well. Tlie larger class, 

 asM. ze.brina, &c., are in general circumstances too large. The 

 T^ote f-imily, however, are tine ornamental plants. 



Ileijmiias. — Some of the smaller-growing species look well, 

 and even the larger ones when confined to a small pot may be 

 worked in to advantage. 



Grei-illeii riibKnta is a fine free-growing plant with Fern-like 

 foliage. When a tall plant is wanted, this cannot well be 

 excelled. 



Tnidescantia. — A good potful of T. zebrina (Cyanotis vittata), 

 of the proper size looks well, and, as the plant is easily grown 

 and strikes like a Willow, it is easily obtained. The other 

 kinds are less valuable. 



Savseriemjaponicn. — A dwarf Sedge-leaved plant with finely 

 variegated foliage. It is usefnl as a dwarf plant. 



Paniliinus jarnnieuf ritrieeiatiis. — A plant of fine form, but 

 not always obtainable in a small state. It is also less easy of 

 propagation than many others. 



I.iolepis !/raellis. — Now and then this Grass might be intro- 

 duced when its foliage is at its best. It is scarcely necessary 

 to remark that it is dwarf. 



Crotans. — Pictuni, discolor, salicifolium, variegatum, and 

 others are all good when well grown. 



Fieii.i. — One or two species are remarkable for the size and 

 sturdiness of their foliage, and such might be introduced as a 

 change. 



Ci/penix nl/ernifnUus varierjatuji is a handsome plant, well 

 suited for this work. Its plain green form may also be used, 

 though more robust thau the variegated one. 



Cimmiervps hnmilh and Fiirt:ini have fine foliage, and being 

 unlike most others are desirable plants. 



(lennera eiumtbarinii ami ('ocprri, with various forms of 

 G. zebrina, look equally well in foliage as in fiower. 



Cineraria niaritima is not by any means the worst plant for 

 table decorations, and its foliage haying a frosted appearance 

 looks well at night. 



Cenlnnrni camJidifsimn. like the lost, is also good when sepa- 

 rated from the tablecloth by the intervention of some dark 

 covering to the pot, or other similar device. 



Polenianiuin drrnlenni varieiiatum. — I have not tried this 

 jilant, but its fine habit and appearance elsewhere certainly 

 denote its suitability. 



Hardy Sliruhy. — Small plants of Arbor Yilje, Euonymus, 

 Eurybia, Escallonia, and new.\ucubas,all look well for a change. 

 Plants that have been kept in pots and have rooted through 

 may be taken U]i and be put pot and all into one a little larger, 

 and the plant will do for a time. 



Axpidiyfra liirida rarieijata. — A fine flag-leaved plant, looks 

 well when healthy. 



Aralias. — Some of these I believe to be well adapted for 

 the purpose, but not having used them I cannot speak from 

 experience. 



Aiiavej, or the Aloe tribe, may be used at times. They are 

 sturdy and well-formed plants. 



Arnndo dava.r rariei/ata, though inclined to become tall, is, 

 nevertheless, useful iu its way. 



Lomatias — One or two of these are good. 

 Ferns. — This family alone will at all seasons furnish very 

 respectable subjects for the dinner-table, and some, such as the 

 -4diantura8, Lomarias, Gymnogrammas, Ac, cannot be sur- 

 passed for imiformity of growth and gracefulness of habit. 

 Ferns never show their qualities to greater perfection than on 

 the. table, and as their name is legion, and their diversity of 

 form so great, they are always acceptable. Even a good plant 

 of the common Hart's-tongue, found commonly by the sides 

 of most lanes and hedges, looks well when a little pains have 

 been taken to insure the foliage falling evenly on all sides of 

 the pot. I need not further comment on a race of plants so 

 well known and so much admired. 



Lycoinids or Sehiyinella.s are also useful, and the dwarfer- 

 gvowing ones, as S. apoda, can be made to assume almost any 

 shape ; and if some temporary framework is filled with soil for 

 S. apoda to grow in, conical or other shaped mounds covered 

 with it can be had in a very short time. Other kinds are also 

 easily made to assume the proper shape, and, as a whole, the 

 Lycopods are invaluable when dwarf plants are required. The 

 deep grern of the foliage, and its beautifully pinnated and sub- 

 pinnated outline, give it a charm acknowledged by all. 



Besides the above, there are many other plants that might 

 with a little care in their cultivation bo made suitable for 

 dinner-table decorations, and most likely several have been 

 omitted which some of the readers of this .Journal have thought 

 deserving of a place. It is only necessary to add, that the 

 taste of those who require this description of decoration will 

 (and most justly too), guide the operator ; it is also generally 



