FILBERTS. 



177 FLORISTS' FLOWER-GARDEN. 



Black Ischia.' 

 Brown Ischia, 

 White Ischia.* 

 Brown Turkey, (a) 

 Marseilles White, (i) 

 D'Agen. 

 Osborne's Prolific.(3) 



Castle Kennedy. (4) 



Malta.* 



Colde Signora 



Bianca. 



Gross Monstreuse. 

 St. John's.* 



Of these the varieties marked with a star 

 force readily and are therefore good under 

 glass. The Brown Turkey is the finest for 

 outdoor culture ; Osborne's Prolific is ex- 

 cellent for pot culture and Castle Kennedy 

 is extremely hardy. 



Filberts. 



The trees may be introduced into 

 orchards, shrubberies, plantations, or 

 hedgerows. Planted close to each other, 

 they form valuable screens or shelter in 

 exposed situations. A filbert-walk is a 

 great addition to any garden. Filberts 

 are not merely ornamental but profitable. 

 They will thrive almost anywhere, and are 

 much improved by pruning. 



The following list of filberts and cob 

 nuts is taken from the catalogue of Mr. 

 Cooper, F.R.H.S., Calcot Gardens, Read- 

 ing, who is a specialist in this class of 

 fruit : 



Firs. 



Of the genus Abies, the fir, Abies excelsa, 

 A. grandis, A. nobilis, A. Nordmanniana, 

 and the Spanish Silver Fir, A. Pimapo, 

 are all eminently noble. The last-named 

 variety, indeed, is a particularly handsome 

 tree, having its numerous branches arranged 

 in whorls in the most perfect order : as a 



single tree upon a lawn, nothing can sur- 

 pass it, and in its own country, Spain, it 

 attains a height of 70 r 80 feet. Again, 

 there is A. Douglasii t the most distinct 

 and beautiful variety ever introduced. It 

 was discovered by, and named after, the 

 persevering explorer whose name it bears, 

 upon whose authority it is stated to attain 

 the great height of 250 feet, and 12 feet 

 diameter at base. It is thoroughly hardy, 

 of sound constitution, and very rapid in 

 growth. Independent of its great attrac- 

 tions as a highly ornamental tree, its 

 value as timber can scarcely be estimated ; 

 it is fine-grained, elastic, strong, heavy, 

 and free from knots, easily wrought, and 

 capable of receiving a high polish, very 

 durable and not subject to split. 



Plies. See Wasps and Flies. 



Florists' Plower-Garden. 



The florist's flower-garden is usually 

 planted in formal and rather stiff-looking 

 beds, the flowers in right lines, those of 

 dwarf habit occupying the outsides of the 

 beds, with the taller sorts in the centre. 

 The garden itself should be very near to 

 the dwelling of any one who has charge of 

 it, for no plants require greater attention 

 to grow them properly ; they need all the 

 air that can possibly be given to them, 

 while a slight frost coming suddenly on 

 after a warm April day above all, heavy 

 storms of rain, a hailstorm, or even a 

 boisterous wind will be destructive to 

 many of them. 



Heat is nearly as injurious. They should 

 only meet the morning and evening sun : 

 a shade of light calico for an hour before 

 and after noon, during the flowering sea- 

 son, will much prolong their bloom. 



The bed for the reception of auriculas, 

 polyanthuses, carnations, and flowers of 

 similar habit grown in pots, should be 

 placed in an open airy situation, where 



