AND GENEKAL HORTICULTURE. 



39 



AUR 



or pollen-bearing plant, bj- Robert Fortune, 

 to England in 1861, we liave been enabled to 

 secure the beautiful eoral-red berries, which 

 are borne in profusion, and render the bushes 

 exceedingly ornament;il. The conspicuously 

 marked foliage of A. Japonica variegata, which 

 is green and yellow, admirably adapts it for 

 the shrubbery- border, or as a single plant upon 

 the lawn. This variety is not usually hard}' 

 north of Washington. Propagated by cut- 

 tings, which root freely in sand. Intx-oduced 

 in 1783. 

 Aurantia'ceae. The Orange, Lemon, and simi- 

 lar fruits are producetl by trees belonging to 

 this natural order. They are all bushy or 

 woody plants, having the leaves filied with 

 transparent oil cysts, giving them a dotted 

 appearance, and a fruit more or less pulpy. 

 Less than 100 species are known. The genera 

 are almost exclusively found in the East In- 

 dies, whence they have, in some cases, spread 

 over the rest of the tropics. 



Aureus. Of a bright golden color, composed of 

 yellow with a small portion of red. 



Auricle. An ear. 



Auricomus. A head or tuft, like hair, of a 

 golden color. 



Auricula. See Primula auricula. 



Auriculate. Auricled. Having ear-like ap- 

 pendages, as in the case of many leaves, as in 

 Jos 77iin u m a u riculat u m. 



Auriculately-sagittate. Eared at the base, so 

 as to give the leaf the appearance of the 

 head of an arrow. 



Austra'lis (Southern). This term is frequent^ 

 ly applied to plants which grow in warm 

 climates, without regard to their being 

 stricth' confined to the southern hemisphere. 



Autumn Bell Flo-wer. Gentiana Pneumon- 

 anthe. 



Ave'na. Oat. A name of obscure origin. Nat. 

 Ord. Graminacece. 



A genus of grasses of which the common 

 Oat, A. sativa, is the best known, and 

 which is invaluable in agricultural econ- 

 omy. There are several species of Oats, 

 and a vast number of varieties. The nativity 

 of the Oat is accredited to Mesopotamia; this 

 is, however, a matter of conjecture. The 

 quality and appearance of the Oat vary 

 greatly when grown on different soils and in 

 different climates. The justly celebrated 

 Norway Oat loses its distinctive character 

 when grown in the warm, dry climate of the 

 Middle New England States, and seed has 

 consequently to be imported every season, 

 in order to keep the crop up to the high 

 standard claimed for it. The Naked or 

 Hull-less Oat is A. nuda found growing wild in 

 many parts of Europe, and considered merely 

 a degeneration of the common Oat. A very 

 fine variety of this species has been introduced 

 from China, but its merits as a farm crop have 

 not been fully tested. A. sterilis. a native of 

 the South of Europe, is the Animated Oat of 

 the gardens. The "animation" is produced 

 by the contraction and expansion of the awns, 

 which cause the seed to crawl a short dis- 

 tance. Moisture from dews is sufficient to 

 produce this slight motion. 



Avens. Geum urbanum. 



AZA 



Avenues in Landscape Gardening. In 

 forming an avenue, a gradual winding 

 line should above all be obtained, which 

 must in no way interfere with the view 

 from the house. An old authority on this 

 subject says that " there never should be anj 

 deviation from a straight line unless for somt 

 real or apparent cause," so in a winding or 

 curved line a tree, rock or building must be 

 placed at the bends as a reason for going 

 around such obstacles. Twelve to fifteen 

 feet is the width usually allowed for the road, 

 but this depends upon individual taste; this 

 remark also applies to planting in double 

 rows, the trees forming a series of triangles ; 

 or in single rows. The distance across the 

 road from one row of trees to those opposite 

 should be at least twenty-five feet. The Lime 

 or Linden tree is extensively used for avenues, 

 on account of its regular growth and the 

 shade it affords. The American and English 

 Elms are also valuable trees for this purpose. 

 The Horse Chesnut in sheltered spots, is very 

 ornamental, and the various species of Maples 

 and Planes, are unsurpassed for this purpose. 

 The Spruce and other Firs are also much used 

 and are eminently suited for avenue planting. 

 Groups of shrubs and herbaceous plants may 

 be introduced between the trees, and so re- 

 move any bareness that may occur. ■ 



Avocado Pear. Persea grotissima. 



A'wl Tree, ilorinda ciirifolia. 



AvT^l-'wort. Subulnria aquaiica. 



Axil , Axilla. The angle formed by the union 

 of the leaf and stem or other organs ; the point 

 on the stem from which a leaf proceeds. 



Aza'lea. From azaleos, dry ; in reference to the 

 habitation of the pjaut. Nat. Ord. Ericacem. 



Beautiful flowering plants, natives of North 

 America, Turkey, and China. The American 

 or Hardy Azaleas, A. calendulacea, A.nudiflora 

 and A. viscosa, with hosts of garden varieties 

 bred from them, are inhabitants of all our 

 best shrubberies, and have been so wonder- 

 fully improved by seedling culture as to 

 throw into the shade the original species; 

 there can now be selected twenty or thirty 

 varieties better than the very best of the 

 original species. Every year, too, adds to the 

 diversity of sorts and to the size of the 

 flowers which is one of the characteristics of 

 the improved kinds. In many places they 

 thrive in the common soil of the garden, but, 

 in general, they i-equire leaf mould to be dug 

 in with the natural soil ; and where there is to 

 be any quantity grown, or a nursery of them 

 made, beds of leaf mould, or composts of 

 the greatest part of this, must be made up. 

 Thej- are raised from seed sown in beds in the 

 open air, but from its extreme diminutive- 

 ness, many prefer sowing in pans and wide- 

 mouthed pots. When they are large enough, 

 they should be planted out in beds six inches 

 apart. The second year every alternate plant 

 may be taken out and planted elsewhere, t<i 

 make room ; and as they increase in size they 

 should have more room. They are propa- 

 gated chiefly by grafting and by laj'ers, but cut- 

 tings of the last 3'ear's wood will root readily 

 in sand. A. Pontica is a native of Turkey. 

 A. Indica (the Chinese Azalea) and its varieties 

 are those we meet with in the green-house. 

 The florists' catalogues abound with rare 



