AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



401 



Seaside Grounds and Plants continued, 

 macrantha, Phillyreas, Berberries, Cotoneasters, thick- 

 leaved Ehododendrons, Evergreen Oak (Quercus Ilex), 

 Elders, the Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), Gorse 

 (Ulex Eufbpceus), Ivies, thick-leaved Hollies, Willows, 

 common Junipers, Rosa spinosissima, R. rubiginasa (Sweet- 

 briar), R. rugosa, &c. Amongst Pines, the hardiest are 

 P. austriaca, P. Laricio, and P. Pinaster. 



SEASIDE PLUM. See Ximeiiia americana. 

 SEASIDE POPPY. See Glaucium flavum. 

 SEA STAK.WORT. See Aster Tripolium. 



SEATS. As resting-places in the pleasure-grounds, 

 park, and woods of a gentleman's domain, Seats are 

 always necessary adjuncts ; for the croquet-ground, cricket- 

 ground, &c., they are indispensable. In the gardens of 

 the suburban villa, and of the cottage, they are alike in 

 request. Seats may be of classic design, the work of 

 the sculptor and architect, upon the nobleman's ter- 

 race ; logs of wood, placed informally at the base of some 

 large tree, in the park ; a simple rustic plank, with 

 a more or less grotesque back rail formed of crooked 

 branches, for the shrubbery and the woods. But, as a rule 

 the above are not admissible into dressed grounds. The 

 inventive faculties of manufacturers of garden furniture 

 have of late years placed within the reach of all classes 

 a variety of Seats much more enjoyable and convenient 

 than the uncomfortable rustic Seats of former times. 



Most of the large furnishing ironmongers, in the principal 

 towns, supply Seats suitable for the margins of walks, 

 croquet-grounds, and other places (where a considerable 

 number of persons require accommodation), that will 

 each afford rest to from six to eight persons ; some of 

 these have a back to shut down over the Seat to 

 keep it dry the "Windsor," the "Osborne," and the 

 " Sandringham," are good examples others are fitted 

 with awnings, and very ingenious mechanism for open- 

 ing and closing the same at pleasure. In some, the 

 " awning " forms a screen at the back : by this con- 

 trivance persons using the Seat are secured from the 

 chill east winds that prevail in spring and early summer, 

 and which often render the employment of an open Seat 

 dangerous to health. The awnings also form an agree- 

 able screen from the scorching sun at a later period. 

 These Seats, whilst the most desirable, are not out of 

 keeping in any position in the pleasure-grounds. The 

 framework of the Seats above described is of iron, having 

 laths of pitch pine or other durable wood bolted on to form 

 the seat and back; the whole is painted or stained and 

 varnished. 



Of chairs, there is an almost endless variety; most of 

 them are very light, and easy to transfer from place to 

 place as occasion may require. They are framed of iron, 

 with wood laths, as described above, or with light steel 

 spring laths, which are more yielding than the wood. 

 Some are made with elbow rests, some to fold up, and 

 others to rock. The names given to these, in the trade, 

 are " Desideratum," " Gwyder," " Spring lounges," " French 

 spring chairs," &c. It is desirable that this class of garden 

 furniture should be carefully stored in a dry loft or out- 

 house, during the winter months, as its beauty very much 

 depends upon the perfect state of the paint and varnish, 

 and in the spring, when taken out, any defects should 

 be attended to. 



The Seats fitted with awnings, as already described, 

 are movable ; but others, of a more permanent kind, 

 may often find a place, and will form, not only a very 

 comfortable retreat, but also an agreeable feature in 

 the scenery. Should a boundary wall require masking, 

 a bench, say from 10ft. to 12ft. long, may be fixed 

 against it. Over it a pitched roof may be constructed 

 of boards supported on rustic posts at a convenient 



Vol. lit 



Seats continued. 



height, and covered with rough bark or thatch, the ends 

 being closed with boards, also covered with bark, or 

 rough trellis work, and a floor constructed with pebbles 

 or blocks of wood. The wall at the back should be 

 lined with India matting, and a Eose or Honeysuckle 

 trained over the structure, the width of which may 

 be from 3ft. to 5ft. Similar Seats, but constructed 

 independently of a wall, with bark or thatch coverings, 

 may be erected in the more distant parts of the grounds, 

 woods, &c., as shelters in case of sudden showers. In such 

 places, they should have a closely-boarded back and 

 ends, covered with rough bark or heather, and the struc- 

 ture should be flanked by shrubs. Cold draughts should 

 be prevented from entering at the back of the Seat, by 

 stuffing all crevices with moss, and, if a greater degree 

 of ornamentation is desired, patterns in hazel rods or 

 mosses may be worked on the inside surfaces. 



SEAWEEDS. "A general term for the plants com- 

 prehended in the order Alyas of the Linmean class 

 Cryptogamia, known as flowerless plants. It includes 

 not only plants growing in the sea, as the name Seaweed 

 implies, but also in fresh water, and on moist earth, 

 rocks, stone, and living and diseased vegetable sub- 

 stances, in the form of slime and jellies " (Smith). 



Seaweeds are very largely used as manure in many 

 districts around the British coasts, and in the Channel 

 Islands, and are much esteemed for this purpose, owing 

 to their richness in the foods required by plants, and 

 to their rapid decay after being dug or ploughed into 

 the ground. They are regarded- as peculiarly useful in 

 promoting the growth of Potatoes, and also as beneficial 

 to Turnips ; in fact, they especially assist the growth of 

 plants that contain a good deal of water in their tissues 

 when mature. Besides the Seaweeds themselves, the 

 masses of them employed as manure have usually mixed 

 up among them a good deal of decaying animal matter, 

 from dead sea-animals on or in the plants, and this adds 

 considerably to their value. They are very rich in Potash 

 and Soda compounds, but rather poor in Phosphates ; 

 hence, it is well to mix with them some bone-dust, or 

 other manure rich in Phosphates, before spreading them 

 on the soil. See also Manures. 



SEBJEA (named after Albert Seba, 1665-1736, an 

 apothecary and botanical author, of Amsterdam). ORD. 

 Gentianeae. A genus comprising about eighteen species 

 of stove or greenhouse, erect, annual herbs, natives of 

 tropical and Southern Africa, Madagascar, Australia, and 

 New Zealand. Flowers whitish or yellow, rather small, 

 numerous, in corymbose cymes, or rarely few or solitary 

 and long-pedicellate, or sub-sessile on the branches; 

 calyx four or five-cleft or parted ; corolla tube cylin- 

 drical, at length swollen, the lobes four or five, spreading, 

 twisted; stamens four or five, the filaments short. 

 Leaves sessile or stem-clasping, often small. The three 

 species introduced are elegant plants. They require to 

 be raised on a hotbed, and afterwards planted out in a 

 warm, sheltered border, at the end of May. 

 S. albens (white), fl. whitish ; sepals obtuse, connivent, striated ; 

 corolla lobes elliptic, obtuse, nearly equalling the ample, cylin- 

 drical tube. August. I. cordate-oblong. A. 6in. South Africa, 

 1820. 



S. aurea (goldenX fl. golden-yellow ; calyx five-parted ; corolla 

 lobes elliptic-oblong, equalling the tube ; stigma clavate ; cymes 

 dichotomous, many-flowered. July. I., lower ones cordate-tri- 

 angular ; upper ones ovate or lanceolate, all obtuse. A, 6in, 

 South Africa, 1824. 



8. ovate (ovate), fl. yellow; calyx five-parted, the segments 

 ovate-lanceolate ; corolla lobes ovate, slightly acute, one-half the 

 length of the tube. August. I. ovate and somewhat rounded at 

 base, slightly obtuse. A. 6in. Australia, 1820. 

 SEBESTENS. The fruits of Cordia latifolia and 

 C. Myxa. 



SECALE (the ancient name used by Pliny, &c., said 

 to have been derived from seco, to cut). ORD. Graminece. 

 A small genus (two species, or varieties of one) of 



