GLAUCOPIS. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



MORtrs. 



573 



CULTURE IN THE WEST COUNTRY. 

 We have seen the Tritonias (of the 

 Montbretia section) bloom every year 

 freely on poor clay ; the better soils 

 and more copious rainfall of the west 

 make a difference, and this note as to 

 their culture in a Cheshire garden may 

 be useful to any who work under like 

 conditions : "To make them do well, 

 the chief point is to keep them thin, 

 and so they must be divided every 

 year. This may be done any time in 

 autumn before the ground is frozen 

 up. My practice at Edge after digging 

 them up suppose there are twelve 

 stalks, that is, twelve bulbs in each 

 clump, with three or four young points 

 to each bulb is to have fifty or a 

 hundred pots ready and to put three 

 bulbs into each pot, filling up with any 

 waste soil, drainage being superfluous. 

 The less they grow before March the 

 better. They must not be cut down 

 till spring. When all the pots are full 

 they are placed together in some shel- 

 tered spot out of doors and well 

 watered for if kept dry they die 

 then they are covered with a foot or 

 two, according to weather, of dry leaves 

 or other litter, enough to ensure their 

 safety from frosts. By the end of 

 March they are safe, and may then be 

 planted out anywhere, letting the bulbs 

 be at least 6 inches deep, either amongst 

 herbaceous plants, which they like, or 

 amongst low shrubs. I have some in 

 beds of dwarf Roses, where they do 

 and look very well. As they increase 

 at least fourfold every year, the gar- 

 dener must harden his heart and not 

 be tempted to let them grow more 

 densely, but as he will find that most 

 of his friends have as many as they 

 want, throw the surplus on to the 

 rubbish heap. I find one morning in 

 each year enough for this work, which 

 may be done in the roughest and most 

 hasty way without detriment to the 

 bulbs. Indeed, I have sometimes 

 buried the clumps in a soil heap for 

 winter, littering them over as described, 

 and planting the bulbs out by threes 

 in spring. The main objects are not 

 to let them get frozen and not to let 

 them get dry or grow during winter. I 

 generally also replant three bulbs 

 where I dig up each clump. If the 

 winter is mild, these survive and the 

 pots are not wanted ; if they are 

 killed, the pots take their place. They 

 flower better if a spadeful of rich stuff 

 is put in where each pot is planted. 



MOR^JA GLAUCOPIS (Peacock 

 Iris). A charming bulbous plant 



9 to 15 inches high, with flowers in 

 early summer, about 2 inches across, 

 pure white, with a beautiful porcelain- 

 blue stain nearly 1 inch broad, at the 

 base of each of the three larger divi- 

 sions. This stain is deep violet at 

 the base, and edged with deep purple 

 teeth. There is only one long narrow 

 leaf. The plant should be grown on 

 warm sheltered borders in sandy peat 

 or sandy loam and leaf-mould. In- 

 crease by separation of the bulbs in 

 autumn. S. Africa. 



MORINA (Whorl-flower). M. longi- 

 folia is a handsome and singular peren- 

 nial, with large spiny leaves, resembling 

 those of certain Thistles, and with long 



j spikes of whorled flowers, 2 to 3 feet 



| high. It is excellent for the mixed 

 border, and for grouping with medium- 



| sized perennials that have fine foliage. 



i It thrives in ordinary soil. Nepaul. 



I Seed. 



MORISIA (M. hypog&a).A pretty 



| alpine plant from the mountains of 



I Sardinia. The flowers, as large as a 



| shilling and of a bright yellow, are on 



short stalks rising very little above the 



tufted foliage, in April and May, and 



the contrast between them and the 



| dark glossy foliage is effective. It 



, seems to do best in a light gritty soil, 



| and the seed should be sown directly 



it is ripe. 



M R U S (Mulberry}. Usually 

 medium-sized trees of the temperate 

 | and sub- tropical countries, the best 

 kind for our country is the Black 

 Mulberry (M. nigra), a distinct tree of 

 great value and beauty giving showers 

 of fruit in hot days. The Mulberry 

 often attains great age, and when old 

 gives deep shade, thriving best always 

 in sheltered gardens in deep soils. It 

 is hardy, coming late in leaf, and the 

 leaves fall with the first touch of the 

 frost. It is often a beautiful lawn 

 tree, though it may well take its place 

 in the orchard or enclosed fruit garden, 

 always, if possible, giving it a free 

 deep soil. 



It is not difficult to increase from 

 cuttings or even pieces of branches, 

 and by layers, but not by any means 

 common to find good stocks of the 

 trees in nurseries. A very much more 

 cultivated species in Europe and other 

 countries is the White Mulberry (M. 

 alba) and its varieties, but as our 

 country is too cold for silk cultivation 

 it is of slight value with us, and the 

 same may be said of the other kinds, 



