194 GENTIAN ACE.E. 



most gardens. It is so well known that description would be 

 superfluous, and its uses as an edging-plant for walks, beds, or 

 alleys, and for planting in masses upon banks, or in rounded, 

 slightly-raised patches in the mixed border, or on rockwork, 

 and its brilliant beauty in any or all of these positions, are too 

 well known and appreciated to need remark or recommenda- 

 tion. It has long been a favourite with cottage and amateur 

 gardeners ; and it is one of those gems that should be in every 

 garden — it is so easily cultivated, and does so very generally well 

 in all parts of the country. Yet accusations of fastidiousness as 

 regards soil and situation have been brought against it often, 

 and, as I think, undeservedly. I have seen the plant in every 

 imaginable aspect and position, and in a great variety of soils, 

 and very generally doing well. But it has likes and dislikes ; 

 and very few plants that I know have a better right to protest 

 in its own way against ill-usage ; they do not, however, amount 

 to fastidiousness. It dislikes two extremes of soil — brick-clay 

 and sand ; and it likes solidity, depth, moisture ; the latter 

 especially during late spring and early summer, when it is mak- 

 ing its growth ; but at all times perfect drainage is also liked; — 

 and if these very ordinary and reasonable conditions are at- 

 tended to, the plant will amply reward, in April, May, and June, 

 by the brilliancy and profusion of its deep-blue flowers. I would 

 repeat, that solidity of soil is of the utmost importance to suc- 

 cess with this as with every Gentian ; and deep moist loam it 

 likes best There is a variety having the tips of the segments 

 of the corolla coloured greenish white ; as a novelty it has some 

 merit, but for simple decoration it is inferior in effect to the 

 normal blue. The plant is a native of mountain pastures in 

 many parts of Europe. 



G. asclepiadea {Swallowwort-kaved G.) — One of the miost 

 accommodating of Gentians, a native of bushy pastures on the 

 Alps, the Vosges, and Apennines. It grows i foot or 2 feet high, 

 erect and graceful. The stems are well clothed with stalk- 

 less, egg-shaped leaves, narrowing much toward the point, and 

 distinctly five -veined. The flowers are produced in rather 

 close spikes, usually in pairs, and almost stalkless, and are deep 

 purplish-blue. A free-flowering, handsome border-plant, suc- 

 ceeding best in deep, rich, sandy loam. There is a fine white- 

 flowered variety, which is equally easy to cultivate, and both 

 may be used on rockwork ; only it must be remembered that 

 the soil should be deep and moist. 



G. cruciata {Crosswort G.) — Unlike the two last, and the 

 majority of Gentians, this species has the corolla divided into 

 four instead of five segments, giving the appearance of a cross 



