TROPAEOLUM. 



Tropaeolum. — The three hardy perennial tubers of this race ought 

 to be planted very deeply indeed, not less than 8 or 9 inches down, in 

 specially light warm soil, in a specially warm place high up on the rock- 

 work, that thus their roots may be secure, and their flopping fat arms 

 of foliage come trailing down for the just display, all through the 

 summer, of their innumerable flowers. T. patagonicum has hooded 

 blooms of violet -purple and yellow ; T. pentaplujllum of a dead dull 

 purple ; and T. polyphyllum is of a rare beauty with long fleshy trails, 

 clothed in lovely folded fat foliage of glaucous-blue, with a profusion 

 of little Nasturtiums of the richest golden yellow in admirable con- 

 trast. As for the Flame-flower, T. speciosum is no rock-garden plant, 

 but may easily be established on the cool sido of the border, in rich 

 soil, there to wreathe the hedge or the old yew-tree with swathes of 

 scarlet fire through the later summer, growing longer every year, and 

 every year extending the field of its invasions. 



Troxlmon alpestre is an American Composite of no par- 

 ticular interest, that insatiate enthusiasts may grow in damp but sunny 

 places in light soil between stones, where it will drive deep its long 

 root-stock, and form tufts of smooth and feathered foliage, from 

 which in summer arise the hairless stems of 2 or 3 inches, carrying 

 yellow flowers. T. grandiflorum is less interesting still, with stems of 

 a foot high and larger flowers. 



Tulipa. — Xo race has diverged into directions more marked than 

 this. Fat, in bed and border, sit hundreds of garden-hybrid Tulips 

 that have sometimes sold the glory of their race for comfort, and in 

 other cases, such as the May-flowerers, have acquired the garden- 

 comfort by virtue of a yet added grace of port and glory of colour. 

 But the remaining species will risk no betrayal of their better selves, 

 and the rock-garden (and all its mice) is eager for many and many 

 a lovely and hearty Tulip, that only has to be planted on some sunny 

 slope and there for ever left alone to continue and increase and be 

 happy ; though not all the Levantines are equal to the labour, in our 

 unripening climate, of doing much more than replacing their annual 

 bulb by that which is to yield beauty again next season. There is 

 place in the rock-garden for the tall species, such as T. Gesneriana, 

 but these will be found in catalogues, which also deal faithfully in due 

 time with blazing novelties in the same line, such as T. Hoogiam. 

 But in between the two extremes there aro a number of smaller 

 treasuros whose names are often seen, and whose presence in the 

 garden is much to be desired, though their precise symptoms aro 

 sometimes beyond the power of the unguided enthusiast to discern. 

 Therefore this list proposes to deal compendiously, in their botanical 



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