20 Commercial Gardening 



like shrub, 1-2 ft. high, with dark -green leaves and racemes of globular 

 flowers of white, pink, crimson, or purple, according to variety. One, 

 called bicolor, has white and purple flowers. This species likes a moist 

 peaty soil, well drained, and may be increased by seeds, cuttings, and 

 layers. 



Daphne. A genus with several species of trailing or bushy shrubs, 

 fond of a peaty soil, or a good mixture of leaf soil and loam. The rarer 

 kinds are increased by layers or cuttings, but the commoner ones, like 

 Mezereum and Laureola, may be raised from seeds. The best-known 

 kinds are Blagayana, a European evergreen, 1 ft. high, with dense clusters 

 of fragrant white flowers in April; Cneorum, a narrow-leaved trailing 

 shrub with bright-pink or deep-rose flowers; Genkwa, 2-3 ft., Japan, with 

 lilac flowers in March and April; Laureola, the Spurge or Wood Laurel, 

 a British evergreen, 3-4 ft. high, with sweet-scented yellowish -green 

 flowers from January to April, succeeded by black poisonous berries; 

 D. Mezereuyn, the Common Mezereon of Britain, 2-4 ft. high, deciduous, 

 with purple-pink or white flowers on the leafless branches from January 

 to April, succeeded by white, red, or orange poisonous berries. 



Daphniphyllum glaucescens. A beautiful shrub, 6-8 ft. high, from 

 China and Japan, with Rhododendron-like leaves having a bluish-white 

 under surface. Increased by cuttings or layers. D. jezoense is a similar 

 but dwarfer kind. 



Desfontainea spinosa. A fine evergreen Holly-like shrub from the 

 Chilian Andes, attaining a height of 10 to 20 ft. in the Channel Islands, 

 parts of Ireland, and other favoured spots. It has tubular scarlet flowers 

 tipped with yellow. It is raised from cuttings or layers, and flourishes 

 in a compost of peat and loam. 



Deutzia gracilis. This Japanese shrub is largely forced into early 

 bloom during the winter months, and is valued for sprays of pure-white 

 flowers. It is raised from cuttings or layers in the open air or in cold 

 frames, and when the plants are well established, and large enough, 

 they are lifted and potted in early autumn, and placed in frames. From 

 November onwards batches are introduced to a warm greenhouse as 

 required, and growth is promoted by daily syringings and watering until 

 the flowers appear. The plants are then placed in a cooler place to become 

 hardened off for market. Old plants, if pruned hard back after flowering, 

 will throw out strong young shoots for blooming the following season. 

 Deutzias flourish in a loamy soil with a little sand and well-rotted manure 

 or leaf mould. Such kinds as crenata, discolor, parviftora, and the hybrid 

 Lemoinei are stocked by nurserymen. 



Diervilla (Weigela). The most popular species is D. florida, formerly 

 better known as Weigela rosea. It is a deciduous Chinese shrub, 6-8 ft. 

 high, with masses of tubular rose or white flowers in April and May. 

 There are several varieties, including amabilis or grandiflora, of which 

 there are also many forms, such as Isolina, striata, Van Houttei, Stelzneri, 

 &c. Other species are canadensis and sessilifolia, both with yellow 



