OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN FLOWERS. 97 



good substance and a glossy green colour. The whole plant has 

 a rather stiff appearance, the flower stems, together with the 

 stem leaves, are of a pleasing hue, nearly the colour of blue note 

 paper; this is characteristic of several of the genus, and adds 

 greatly to their effect. Specimens look well with a grassy fore- 

 ground or in borders. 



Their culture is easy, provided the soil is of a light nature ; a 

 sunny position is needful, in order to have the tops well coloured. 

 Propagate by division of strong and healthy clumps when 

 dormant. Wireworm and grub are fond of the roots ; when the 

 plants appear sickly, these pests should be looked for. 



Flowering period, August and September. 



Erysimum Pumilum. 



FAIRY WALLFLOWER, or DWARF TREACLE-MUSTARD ; 



Nat. Ord. CRUCIFER^:. 



ONE of the alpine gems of our rock gardens, not in the sense 

 of its rarity, because it grows and increases fast. It came 

 from Switzerland about sixty years ago, and for a long time was 

 esteemed as a biennial, but it is more it is perennial and ever- 

 green ; at any rate its new branches take root, and so its peren- 

 nial quality is established. Let the reader imagine a shrub, Sin. 

 high, much branched, and densely furnished with pale green 

 foliage, which hides all its woody parts, forming itself into 

 cushions, more or less dotted over with minute canary-yellow 

 flowers, and he will then only have a poor idea of the beauty of 

 this pretty alpine. It flowers in summer, autumn, and winter,, 

 and in certain positions both its habit and flowers show to most 

 advantage at the latter season. At no other time during the 

 year have my specimens looked so fresh and beautiful as in 

 January. This I have proved repeatedly to be the result of posi- 

 tion, shortly to be explained. 



The flowers are produced in terminal racemes, are scarcely ^itu 

 across, cruciform in the way of the Wallflower, greenish-yellow, 

 and delicately scented. The leaves vary in shape on the various 

 parts of the branches, some being lance- shaped and others nearly 

 spoon-shaped ; the lower ones being all but entire, and the upper 

 ones, which are arranged in rosettes, distinctly toothed. They 

 seldom exceed an inch in length, more often they are only half 

 that size, but much depends on the position and soil. In summer 

 the foliage is greyish- green ; later it is almost a bright or clear 

 green, the latter being its present colour. The habit is branching 

 and compact, by which it adapts itself to crevices and uneven 

 parts in a pleasing manner; and not only does it best adorn 

 such places, but from the fact of their dryness, they are better 

 suited to the requirements of this little shrub. 



A sandy loam, such as will not bake, suits, and if mixed with a 



H 



