IN FLORIDA 141 



much used for bedding out in the north. I think they would do 

 fairly well here in rich soil if it were not for their being badly 

 troubled with root knot. Schnabel reports that they are a little 

 tender at Gainesville, but they would probably be hardy over 

 most of the peninsula. 



Acacia. Several of these are shrubs and I can see no reason 

 why they should not do well in middle Florida. They fail with 

 me and others about here who have reported to me. 



Aloysia citriodora, Lemon Verbena. A shrub which will 

 probably be hardy over the whole state, a native of Chile, cul- 

 tivated for the delicious fragrance of its foliage. It has whorled, 

 lanceolate leaves which are deciduous, and it may easily be prop- 

 agated from cuttings. Here it does not do well, perhaps on 

 account of the lime in the soil, but according to one of Reasoner's 

 old catalogues it succeeds in Florida. It was one of twelve green- 

 house plants that I bought when a boy, the first I ever owned, 

 walking ten miles to a nursery and carrying my treasures home 

 in a basket. These twelve were the above, a Fuchsia, Souvenir 

 de Chiswick; a scarlet Geranium, then called Fish Geranium; 

 Cestrum elegans; Veronica longifolia; Abutilon striatum; Malva- 

 mscus arboreus; a scarlet Verbena, Brilliant de Vaise; Begonia 

 evansiana; Calla ethiopica; Cuphea platycentra and Viburnum 

 tinus. They were almost the first greenhouse plants that I, a 

 country boy, had seen ; my pride and comfort in owning them was 

 immeasurable and I called them my "Twelve Apostles." And 

 ever since I have felt a sort of tenderness towards these same 

 plants that I have for no others. 



Aralia. A genus of shrubs or small trees which has been con- 

 siderably divided up of late. A. guilfoylei has handsome, glossy, 

 pinnate leaves which are variegated with white, a very fine, erect 

 growing shrub, much cultivated in lower Florida. There are a 

 few other tender species cultivated here. The genus is close to 

 Panax. A. spinosa, Hercules Club, is grown for its large com- 

 pound leaves and immense clusters of white flowers. It is densely 

 spiny and is hardy as far north as Washington. 



Ardisia crenulata is a small, pretty shrub with thick, glossy, 

 wavy-edged leaves and clusters of red berries which remain in 

 perfection a long time. It is doing fairly well for me in a shaded 



