628 PHYTOLACCA. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



PICEA. 



and in May and June has dark blue 

 flower-heads, on stems 4 to 6 inches 

 long. Division. P. humile is a neat 

 tufted plant for the rock garden, where 

 it can get a dry sheltered position in 

 winter and plenty of water in summer. 

 The flowers are blue, and produced 

 in June on stems 6 inches high. 

 Division. P. comosum is very slow- 

 growing, and must be particularly 

 guarded against slugs. It is a true 

 rock plant, suitable for a fissure, 

 vertical or sloping to the sun, and 

 does best amongst a mixture of a 

 little loam, peat, sand, or grit, where 

 it can root to the depth of 2 feet. It 

 bears almost stalkless heads of dark 

 purple flowers, has Holly-like leaves 

 in June and July, and comes best 



Phyteuma comosum. 



from seed. P. Charmeli and P. 

 Scheuchzeri are much alike, P. Scheuch- 

 zeri being dwarfer. It bears pretty 

 blue flowers, on stems from 6 to 12 

 inches in height, and is evergreen. 

 A new kind, P. campanuloides, is one 

 of the best, with tall much-branched 

 spikes of deep violet-blue flowers, very 

 freely produced. Sow seed in autumn, 

 and do not expect too much the first 

 year. 



PHYTOLACCA (Virginian Poke). 

 This N. American perennial, P. 

 decandra, is from 5^ to nearly 10 feet 

 high, with reddish stems and flower 

 stalks. The flowers, on cylindrical 

 spikes, are at first white, but after- 

 wards change to a delicate rose. In 

 autumn the colour of the leaves is in 

 rich, contrast to the purplish-black 

 berries, closely set on columnar spikes. 

 It grows in almost any kind of soil, 

 and is raised from seed or division. 



It is scarcely refined enough in leaf 

 for the flower garden, but is effective 

 near the rougher approaches of a 

 hardy fernery, in open glades near 

 woodland walks, or in any like posi- 

 tion. There is a garden form in 

 which the leaves are variegated with 

 rose and white. P. acinosa,ihe Indian 

 Poke, comes from the Himalayas, and, 

 while much resembling P. decandra, 

 is a little less tall, with its berries in 

 drooping clusters instead of held erect. 

 P. icosandra is a bushy plant, 2 to 

 3 feet high, the leaves similar to those 

 of a Hydrangea. It has rather long 

 spikes of creamy - white flowers, 

 succeeded by fruit-clusters similar in 

 size and shape to Indian Corn, but 

 composed of ripe Blackberries. Should 

 have the same treatment and position 

 as P. decandra. 



PICEA (Spruce Fir}. Usually 

 stately evergreen cone - bearing trees 

 of the northern world and mountains, 

 including among them' the common 

 Norway Spruce and the Douglas Fir, 

 usually doing best in moist valley 

 soils. Trees that were once included 

 under this head are now placed under 

 Abies and also Pinus, to which the 

 reader should refer for trees he seeks 

 which are not placed under this head- 

 ing. As regards grouping and other 

 matters, what has been said of Pinus 

 and A bies may be considered as apply- 

 ing to a great extent to these trees 

 also. 



P. AJANENSIS. The finest of the 

 Japanese Spruces, distinguished from all 

 others by the bluish silver tint of the 

 young branches on the undersides, but 

 which are upturned so that the whole 

 tree has a silvery appearance. It is very 

 hardy, and thrives best in a stiffish soil. 

 It should not be in a too sheltered place, 

 or it will commence growth too early 

 and be liable to injury by late frosts. 



P. DOUGLASI (Douglas Fir). Among 

 the noblest trees of the west American 

 forests, this is one of the best trees ever 

 introduced, both for ornament and timber. 

 It should be planted only where the soil 

 and situation are suitable, and not in 

 exposed places, as it thrives best in shel- 

 tered valleys or woods, but it will live in 

 various soils. There are several varieties 

 of the tree, that known as the Colorado 

 variety being considered the hardiest. 

 The glaucous form is a handsome tree, 

 more rapid in growth than any other 

 silvery conifer. Varieties of this tree are 

 of slight value, the best being the natural 

 form from the Rocky Mountains. 



P. EXCELSA (Norway S.). Is a quick- 

 growing tree, but too short-lived to be of 



