538 ECHINOCEREUS. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



ECHIUM. 



should be imitated as far as may be. In 

 its native habitat it enjoys a dry climate, 

 and, in some seasons at least, is more or 

 less protected from frost by a covering of 

 snow. In this country, however, it has 

 withstood 32 of frost, and therefore in a 

 dry spot may escape and flourish. 



ECHINOCEREUS. Plants of the | 

 Cactus family (from arid regions in N. 

 America), some of which have been said 

 to be hardy. Mr. E. G. Loder, of Weedon, 

 Northamptonshire, grows and flowers 

 them successfully. He thus writes to 

 The Garden : " I have a wall here where 

 the Ivy hangs over in such a way that 

 it keeps a large portion of the winter's 

 snow and rain off the plants growing 

 underneath. In this position I have 

 grown several species of Echinocereus 

 and Opuntia, an Echinocactus, and a 

 Mammillaria. Only small plants were 

 tried, yet several flowered in spite of our 

 very severe winters and not favourable 

 summers. We had 41 of frost one 

 winter, but none of these Cacti were in- 

 jured by it. No species of Cactus which 

 I have tried does well in a level border. 

 A narrow rock border, raised about i ft. 

 high, against a south wall, would be a 

 capital position, but it is much improved 

 if the wall has a good wide coping. The 

 most attractive is a natural one of Ivy. 

 What success I have in the culture of 

 these plants has amply repaid me for all 

 the trouble and care spent upon them ; 

 but much greater success may reasonably 

 be expected by any one who will under- 

 take their cultivation in a more sunny part 

 of England. All of them are beautiful, 

 and some quite splendid when in flower. 

 E. Fendleri bears some of the brightest 

 coloured flowers that I have ever seen a 

 rich purple." The species of Echino- 

 cereus that Mr. Loder grows are E. 

 noephiceus, gonacanthus, Fendleri, viri- 

 diflorus, and paucispinus. We have no 

 doubt that various hardy Cacti of N. 

 America would flower well on raised stony 

 borders and sunny banks in rock-gardens. 

 Give them soil which is well drained and 

 sunny, but exposed, away from all coping 

 or artificial protection, but take great care 

 so to place them in relation to surrounding 

 objects that their stems cannot easily be 

 hurt in clearing or passing. A few protecting 

 stones and low evergreens can be grouped 

 so as to keep off the digger and also 

 dangerous animals. A close turf of some 

 dwarf clean alpine will prevent earth- 

 splashings and will improve the effect. 



Echinochloa. See PANICUM. 



ECHINOPS (Globe Thistle}.-^ fine 

 hardy plant from S. Russia, 3 to 5 ft. high, 



covered with a silvery down, E. ritthcnicus 

 having the flowers blue, in round heads. 

 Thrives in ordinary soil. Easily multiplied 

 by division of the tufts, or by cuttings of the 

 roots in spring. It is the most ornamental 

 of its distinct family, and is highly suit- 

 able for grouping with the bolder her- 

 baceous plants. It would also look well 

 when isolated on the turf. There are 

 other species, mostly from S. Europe and 

 the Levant, among which are E. Ritro 

 and E. banaticus ; but we have never seen 

 any so good as E. ruthenicus, and, as the 

 species are very much alike, it is enough 

 to grow the best. E. sphasrocephalus is 



Echinops ruthenicus (Globe Thistle). 



a fine species tall and handsome ; 

 giganteus is a garden variety of the above, 

 more robust, and with larger heads. 



ECHIUM (Viper 9 s Bugloss}. Hand- 

 some plants of the Forget-me-not Order, 

 the finer kinds of which, though superb in 

 the open gardens of S. Europe, are too 

 tender for flower gardens. E. planta- 

 gineum is one of the handsomest of the 

 annual or biennial species. Its showy 

 flowers, of rich purplish-violet, are in long 

 slender wreaths that rise erect from a tuft 

 of broad leaves. It is handsomer than 

 our indigenous species, E. pustulatum and 

 E. vulgare. E. rubrum is a scarce and 

 handsome species, its habit is similar to 

 those above mentioned, but its colour is a 

 reddish -violet, similar to the attractive E. 

 creticum. The Salamanca Viper's Bugloss 

 (E. salmanticum) is another fine kind, but 

 difficult to obtain, except from its native 

 locality. These five species are now in 

 cultivation, and are representative of the 

 annual and biennial Echiums. They are 

 all showy and of the simplest culture. 

 The seeds should be sown in ordinary 



