h fe s 



H 1 B 



only by dividing ihe roots, or by plaotiiig c«t- 

 liiiiiS. 



" In the first method, in order to promote off- 

 sets from tlie root, some good plants should be 

 allotted in anv open bed or border tor propaga- 

 tion, not suffering them to nm up fidly to 

 fowcr; but when their flower-stalks liavo ad- 

 vanced about eight or ten inches high, to cut 

 ihem down close to the ground ; and as they 

 shoot again, to cut tlicm also oft"; a«, bv thus 

 Slopping their upright growth, the roots will 

 more readilv throw out voujig offsets from their 

 sides, \v liich will be well i'ormed bv the beginning 

 of autumn, when the whole root should he taken 

 np, and the offsets divided separately, and plant- 

 ed in a nurserv-bed six inches distant, to remain 

 till the beginning of autumn, or spring follow- 

 ing; then removed wiih ballsof earth about their 

 roots to where thev arc Xr, stand and flower. 



The ilower-stalks which are thus occasion- 

 ally cut down to promote the increase of off- 

 sets at bottom, may be divided into lengths, 

 and planted a? directed below ; e.nch culling will 

 fonii a plant for flowering the following vear. 



This practice should be pursued annually to 

 keep up the stock of double flowers ; for those 

 which shoot up to full growth and bloom rare- 

 Iv put out any offsets, unless the stalks are cut 

 down as soon as the flowers begin to fiide, when 

 sometimes thev emit a few, but which are not 

 so numerous or so strong as in the manner di- 

 tectcd above. 



The cuttings of the flower-stalks mav be 

 planted anv lime in the early part of summer, 

 when the stalks arc advanced about a fool in 

 growth, or before thev flower, each being cut 

 and divided into two or three cuttings, four, 

 five, or six inches in length. The lower half 

 cenerally forms the best cuttings. They should 

 be planted in a shady border, )iutting them two 

 parts into the ground, about three inches asun- 

 der, giving water at the time, and repeating it 

 frequenllv. Many of the cuttings will be well 

 roofed, and form shoots at top m six or eicht 

 weeks. To promote their rooting more effec- 

 tually, they should be covered close with hand 

 or bell glasses, as soon as planted, raising the 

 glasses when they begin to shoot at top, to ad- 

 mit air, to which they should be hardened gra- 

 dually. 



All the sorts are ornamental for the open 

 borders of pleasure-grounds, and to intersperse, 

 in assemblage with other herbaceous plants, to- 

 wards the fronts of the more conspicuous shrub- 

 bery clumps, OP. sides of lawns and walks, 

 being always p'anted out in autumn, or early in 

 Sj>riiig, before they advance much for flower- 



IIlRISCt'.S, a genue ftimishing plants of the 

 shriil)bv and fli)wer)' exotic kinds. 



It belongs to the class and onk, Monadttphia 

 Polifatidria, and ranks in the natural crdcr of 

 Co/iimriiJ'irii'. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a double 

 perianthium: outer many-lcived, iiennanent : 

 leaflets linear: more rarely one-leafed, inany- 

 cleft: inner one-leafed, cup shaped, half five- 

 cleft, permanent: or five-toothed, deciduous: 

 the corolla has five petals, roundish -oblong, 

 narrower at ihe base, spreading, fastened at bot- 

 tom to the tube of the siimcns: the stamina 

 have very many fihments, united at bottom into 

 a tube, at top (in the apex and surface of this) 

 divided and loose: anthers kidnev-form : the 

 jiistillum is a roundish |erni : style filiform, 

 longer th.an the stamens, fivc-cleft at top : stig- 

 m;is headed : the pericarpluni is a five-celled 

 capsule, five-valved : partitions coiitrarv, dou- 

 bled : the seeds solitary or several, ovate-kidney- 

 form . 



The species culiivatcd are : 1. //. Si/riann, 

 Syrian Shrubby Hibiscus, or Altli.Ta Frutcx ; 

 2. H. Tr'iomim, Bladder Hibiscus, Bladder Ket- 

 mia, or Flower of an Hour; 3. H. Rosa Sinauis, 

 China Rose Hibiscus; 4. //. w!?//rt////'>, Change- 

 able Hose Hibiscus, or Martinico Rose. 



The first rises with a shrubhv stalk to the 

 height of six or seven feet, sending out manv 

 woody branches, covered with a smooth cray 

 bark : the leaves have the upper part frequcnily 

 divided into three lobes, placed alternately on 

 the branches, and st.and on short foot-stalks i 

 the flowers come out from the wings of the stalk 

 at every joint of the same year's shoot ; thev arc 

 large, and shaped like those of the mallow, 

 having five large roundish petals, which join at 

 their base, spreading open at the top in the shape 

 of an open bell : these appear in August, and if 

 the season is not too warm, there is a succession 

 of flowers part of September. The early flowers 

 are succeeded by short capsules ; but unless the 

 season proves warm, they do not ripen in this 

 climate. It is usually termed Allium frutex 

 by the nursery gardeners. It is a native of 

 Syria. 



There are varieties with pale purple flowers, 

 w^ith dark bottoms ; with bright purple flowers, 

 with black bottoms ; with white flowers, with 

 purple bottoms; with variegated flowers, with 

 dark bottoms, called Painted La;h/ Althcea fru- 

 tex; with pale yellow flowers, with dark bottom> ; 

 with variegated leaves, and with double flowers. 

 The second species rises with a branching 

 stalk a foot and a half high, having m.any short 

 spines which are soft : usually the leaves are di- 

 vided into three lobes, which are dtcply jajged 

 3 M 2 



