458 



HENDERSONS HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



TEA 



Japan. T. Thunbergii, known generally in 

 gardens, where it has long been a favorite, 

 as Rhyncospermum jasminoides, is one of the 

 best plants of its class, and is equally valu- 

 able grown as a specimen pot-plant or as a 

 climber on the rafters or back wall of the 

 greenhouse. This plant is now a conspicu- 

 ous feature in the gardens of some of the 

 cities of the Southern States. It may be seen 

 in New Orleans climbing to the third stories 

 and completely draping some of the largest 

 houses with its brilliant, lustrous, evergreen 

 leaves; the delicious perfume of the pure 

 white, abundant flowers pervading, during 

 the month of April, the whole atmosphere of 

 the neighborhood. 



Trachy'mene Ccjerulea. A synonym for Didis- 

 ciis Cccridea. 



Tradesca'ntia. Spiderwort. Named in honor 

 of John Tradescant, gardener to Charles First, 

 who introduced the first species to Europe. 

 Nat. Ord. Commdynacem. 



An extensive genus of green-house or hardy, 

 herbaceous perennials, natives of North and 

 tropical America. T. \^rginica, the common 

 Spider-wort or Widow's-tears of the gardens, 

 is an interesting, hardy border plant, on ac- 

 count of the continual succession of flowers, 

 which are freely produced all season. It has 

 long, grass-like foliage, and the flowers ai-e 

 borne in terminal clusters on stems, one to 

 two feet in height. Besides the type, which 

 has showy, purple-blue flowers, there are 

 several varieties, one with double violet, one 

 single rose-colored, one single lilac and one 

 with single white blossoms. They may easily 

 be increased by division in spring. Of the 

 tender sorts, T. diftcolor (syn. Rhoeo) and T. 

 Warscewicziana form stately plants, with the 

 appearance of a Palm or Pandanus, and are 

 excellent centre-plants for vases, hanging 

 baskets, etc. The drooping, or creeping, 

 sorts are also desirable plants for like pur- 

 poses. The species best known as T. zebrina, 

 but which has many aliases (see Zebrina), a 

 native of South America, is largely grown as 

 a basket-plant, and also as a houseplant, 

 thriving best in a moist, shady situation, but 

 succeeding well in the dry atmosphere of the 

 sitting-room. This and thespecdes known as 

 T. repens. and its beautifully white striped 

 variety, T. r. villala, T. aquatica and others, 

 are among the most generally grown of our 

 house-plants, where they are known as " Wan- 

 dering Jew." They grow freely in water, 

 making a drooping fringe of from two to four 

 feet, and they are used in a variety of forms 

 in the window culture of plants. Cuttings of 

 the green-house species root readily at any 

 season. 



Tra'gacanth Gum Plant. Astragalus Traga^ 

 cantha. 



Tra'gia. A genus named in honor of Tragus, an 

 ancient German botanist, who, according to 

 the fashion of the times, assumed a classical 

 title, his true name having -been Jerome Bock. 

 Nat. Ord. Euphorbiacece. 



A genus of herbs or shrubs, widely distrib- 

 uted in sub-tropical regions. A few of the 

 species have been introduced, but possess 

 little beauty and are not particularly inter- 

 esting. 



Tragopo'gon. Goat's. Beard. Vegetable Oy- 

 ster. From tragos, a goat, ajid pogon, a beard ; 



TPvA 



in allusion to the long, silky beards of. the 

 seeds. Nat. Ord. Compositce. 



Ornamental, biennial plants, natives of Eu- 

 rope, the most remarkable of which are T. 

 pratensis, the popular name of which is Go-to- 

 bed-at-noon, from the flowers closing in the 

 middle of the. day, and which has large, yel- 

 low flowers and very curious feathery heads 

 of seeds ; and T. porrifolius, the common Sal- 

 sify, or Oyster Plant, which has purple flow- 

 ers, and the roots of which are extensively 

 grown and highly valued as a vegetable. It 

 is a hardy biennial, native of Great Britain 

 and most other parts of Europe. The seeds 

 should be sown early in deep, rich soil. Cult- 

 ure the same as for Carrots or Parsnips. 

 Tragopy'rum. Goat's Wheat. From tragos, & 

 goat, and piiros, wheat. Nat. Ord. Polygona- 

 ceoB. 



T. lanceolatum, a native of Siberia, is a 

 dwarf, ornamental shrub, about two feet 

 high, with lanceolate leaves, producing spikes 

 of white or pink flowers in July or August. 

 It is the only species under cultivation. In- 

 troduced in 1770. 

 Trailing Arbutus. See Epigcea repens.- 

 Transplanting. As nearly all fruit and orna- 

 mental trees and shrubs are raised first in 

 nurseries and removed to their position in the 

 orchard, lawn or shrubbery, and as upon the 

 success of the operation the after vigor of the 

 plant or tree, in a great measure, depends, a 

 few hints on this subject may be of interest. 



The first great requisite to success in all 

 kinds of planting is the proper preparation of 

 the soil. This should be dry, either naturally 

 or made so by thorough draining, and, if done 

 on a large scale, should be well prepared by 

 twice plowing, using the sub-soil plow after 

 'the common one at the second plowing. To 

 ensure a good growth, the land should be in 

 as good condition as for a crop of potatoes or 

 corn. Of course the methods of transplant- 

 ing vary considerably, according to different 

 plants and the manner in which their roots 

 are disposed. Trees or shrubs, more espe- 

 cially when received from a nursery, no mat- 

 ter how carefully they may have been lifted, 

 lose a portion of their roots, and conse- 

 quently the balance that existed in the struct- 

 ure of the tree is deranged. This must be re- 

 .stored by proper pruning, adapted to the size, 

 form and condition of the tree and the loss 

 it has sustained. When lifting a tree for 

 transplanting, it is best to tie up, with some 

 soft cord, any branches that may be near the 

 base, and to commence digging a trench out- 

 side the line to which it is calculated the 

 roots will reach. Then use a fork from the 

 base of the tree outwards to separate the roots, 

 but preserve as large a ball of earth as it may 

 be convenient to move. All roots which may 

 have been mutilated had better be cut clean 

 off before replanting. 



Planting. — In planting, holes rhust be dug 

 large enough to admit of the roots of the 

 tree to spread out in their natural position. 

 The tree being then held in an upright posi- 

 tion, the roots should be carefully spread and 

 covered with the best of the surface-soil, the 

 tree in the meantime being moved gently to 

 enable the soil to fill every interstice and 

 bring every root in contact Avith the soil. 

 "When the earth is partially filled in, a pail of 



