PHYTOLACCA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



genuine rock-plant, suitable for a fissure, 

 vertical or sloping to the sun, and does 

 best amongst a mixture of a little loam, 

 peat, sand, or grit, where it can root to the 

 depth of 2 ft. It bears almost stalkless 

 heads of dark purple flowers, has Holly- 



Phyteuma comosum. 



like leaves in June and July, and comes 

 best from seed. P. Charmeli and P. 

 Scheuchzeri are much alike, P. Scheuch- 

 zeri being dwarfer. It bears pretty blue 

 flowers, on stems from 6 to 12 in. in height, 

 and is evergreen. A new kind, P. camp- 

 anuloides, is one of the best, with tall 

 much-branched spikes of deep violet- 

 blue flowers, very freely produced. Sow 

 seed in autumn, and do not expect too 

 much the first year. The best kinds 

 improve when well established, their 

 roots running to a great depth and 

 making it almost impossible to move old 

 plants. 



PHYTOLACCA (Virginian Poke}. 

 This North American perennial, P. decan- 

 dra, is from 5^ to nearly 10 ft. high, with 

 reddish stems and flower stalks. The 

 flowers, on cylindrical spikes, are at first 

 white, but afterwards change to a delicate 

 rose. In autumn the colour of the leave? 

 is in rich contrast to the pendent purple 

 berries. It grows in almost any-kind of 

 soil, and is raised from seed or division. 

 It is scarcely refined enough in leaf for 

 the flower garden, but is effective near the 

 rougher approaches of a hardy fernery, in 

 open glades near woodland walks, or in 

 any like position. There is a garden form 

 in which the leaves are variegated with 

 rose and white. P. acinosa, the Indian 

 Poke, comes from the Himalayas, and, 

 while much resembling P. decandra, is a 

 little less tall, with its berries in drooping 

 clusters instead of held erect. P. ico- 

 sandra is a bushy plant, 2 to 3 ft. high, the 



leaves similar to those of a Hydrangea. 

 It has rather long spikes of creamy-white 

 flowers, succeeded by fruit-clusters similar 

 in size and shape to Indian Corn, but com- 

 posed of ripe Blackberries. Should have 

 the same treatment and position as P. 

 decandra. 



PICEA (Spruce Fir}. Usually stately- 

 evergreen cone-bearing trees of the 

 northern world and mountains, including 

 among them the common Norway Spruce 

 and the Douglas Fir, usually doing best 

 in moist valley soils. Trees that were 

 once included under this head are now 

 placed under Abies and also Ptnus, to 

 which the reader should refer for trees he 

 seeks which are not placed under this 

 heading. As regards grouping and other 

 matters, what has been said of Pinus and 

 Abies maybe considered as applying to a 

 great extent to these trees also. 



P. AJANENSIS. The finest of the Japanese 

 Spruces, distinguished from all others by the 

 bluish silver tint of the young branches on the 

 undersides, hut which are upturned so that the 

 whole tree has a silvery appearance. It is 

 very hardy and thrives best in a stiffish soil. 

 It should not be in a too sheltered place, or it 

 will commence growth too early and be liable 

 to injury by late frosts. Somewhat similar to 

 this spruce and often confused with it is P. 

 Alcockiana, also from Japan, but inferior as an 

 ornamental tree, being of a dull green more 

 like the common Spruce. 



P. EXCELSA (Norway Spruce). This is too 

 common to need description, forming as it 

 does beautiful woods in most parts of the 

 country. It is a quick growing tree, but too 

 short-lived to be of great value for ornament. 

 It is a mistake to plant it on high exposed 

 places or in very light soil. In most sheltered 

 valleys it is a beautiful tree when seen in 

 masses. There are many forms of it, a good 

 number of which are mere monstrosities not 

 worthy of the garden, especially the so-called 

 golden and silvery varieties. The dwarf forms, 

 such as those named Clanbrasiliana, Gre- 

 goryana, pygmcea are suitable for planting in 

 bold rock-gardens. The North American 

 white and black Spruces, P. alba and P. nigra, 

 are too much like P. excelsa to be of any great 

 value here. 



P. DOUGLASI (Douglas Fir). Among the 

 noblest trees of the West American forests, this 

 is undoubtedly one of the most valuable trees 

 ever introduced, both for ornament and timber. 

 It is now a common tree, being largely 

 planted, especially in Scotland, for timber, 

 and may be at a glance distinguished from other 

 conifers by its dense soft green foliage on pyra- 

 midal trees a hundred or more feet high in the 

 oldest specimens. It should be planted only 

 where the soil and situation are suitable, and 

 not in exposed places, as it thrives best in 

 sheltered valleys or woods, but it will live in 

 all soils ranging from light sands and gravels 



