50 Commercial Gardening 



8. incana or rosmarinifolia has narrow Rosemary-like leaves; vimi- 

 nalis, when cut down every year, provides the osiers from which the 

 bushel and half-bushel baskets used by market gardeners and others 

 are made; and the well-known Weeping Willow is S. babylonica. Willows 

 of all kinds are easily raised from cuttings, but also from seeds. The 

 weeping kinds are grafted on standards of the commoner kinds. 



Certain species of Willows, like aurita, herbacea, lanata, Myrsinites, 

 reticulata, nigricans, and repens, are dwarf and creeping in habit, and 

 are useful rock-garden plants. 



Sambucus nigra (ELDER). This well-known ornamental British tree, 

 with very pithy wood, gracefully cut leaves, and flat trusses of pure- 

 white flowers, has many varieties, of which laciniata, with very deeply 

 cut leaves, and aurea, the "Golden Elder", with golden foliage, are the 

 best. There is also a silvery variegated form, and another (leucocarpa) 

 with creamy-coloured instead of deep-purple berries. The common kind 

 is easily raised from seeds and grows in any soil. Special varieties are 

 grafted on it. S. racemosa, 10-20 ft., has scarlet berries and graceful 

 foliage. 



Santolina Chamaecyparissus (COTTON LAVENDER). A greyish- white 

 composite, 23 ft. high, with very narrow leaves, and globular heads of 

 yellow flowers in June and July. It grows in any poor soil almost, and 

 is increased by cuttings. 



Skimmia. A genus of dwarf evergreen shrubs with leathery shiny 

 leaves, and small white fragrant flowers, followed by red berries. The 

 best-known kinds are : S. Fortunei (often called japonica), and S. japonica, 

 with a small (pollen-bearing) form known as fragrans, and a female 

 (seed-bearing) one, oblata. Increased by cuttings in sandy soil in frames, 

 and by layering. 



Sophora japonica. A fine Japanese deciduous tree, 40-50 ft. high, 

 resembling the False Acacia (Robinia) in appearance, with its deep-green 

 pinnate leaves and creamy -white flowers. There is a weeping form, 

 pendula, which is grafted on the common one. S. tetraptera (also known 

 as Edwardia) is a handsome New Zealand tree with small leaflets and 

 trusses of deep golden-yellow flowers in summer. It is only hardy in the 

 mildest places. The variety microphylla has smaller leaflets. 



Spartium junceum (SPANISH BROOM). An ornamental South European 

 shrub, 6 ft. high, with twiggy stems and large bright -yellow Pea -like 

 flowers in late summer. It grows in any soil almost, and may be increased 

 by seeds or cuttings. There is a variety with double flowers. 



Spiraea. There are nearly forty species of shrubby Spiraeas, all 

 beautiful when in bloom, and all easily grown in ordinary garden soil. 

 They are raised chiefly by cuttings of the ripened wood, the sturdier 

 kinds in the open air, the more tender ones in cold frames. Seeds may 

 also be sown when ripe, or in spring. Two colours white and rose 

 predominate, and the flowering period commences as early as March and 

 ends about August. 



