668 MORISIA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



fers soil which is mellow, deep, and moist ; 

 and it is easily multiplied by sowing the 

 seed as soon as ripe in light sandy soil. 

 It is excellent for the mixed border, and 

 for grouping with medium-sized perennials 

 that have fine foliage. M. Wallichiana is 

 probably the same, or a slight variety. 

 Nepaul. Seed. 



MORISIA. M. hypogcsa is one of the 

 most charming re-introductions of recent 

 years among alpine flowers. It was first 

 introduced by a Mrs. Palliser, from the 

 Valentino Botanic Garden, Turin, from 

 seeds presented to her by Professor Moris, 

 who found the plant on the mountains of 

 Sardinia, and in whose honour it is named. 

 It was first flowered by Mrs. Marryat in 

 April, 1834, and is figured in Sweet's 

 British Flower Garden second series, tab. 

 190. The flowers, as large as a shilling 

 and of a bright clear yellow, are on short j 

 stalks rising very little above the tufted i 

 foliage, in April and May, and the contrast 

 between them and the dark glossy foliage 

 is effective. It seems to do best in a light 

 rich gritty soil, and the seed should be 

 sown directly it is ripe. D. K. 



JHGEQ&(Mulberry\ Usuallymedium- 

 sized trees of the temperate and sub- 

 tropical countries of which the best kind 

 for our country is the Black Mulberry (M. 

 nigra) a distinct tree of great value and 

 beauty giving showers of fruit in hot 

 days, and having the charm of association 

 with old gardens in southern and western 

 countries where it was often grown. The 

 Mulberry often attains great age, and 

 when old gives deep shade, thriving 

 best always in sheltered gardens in deep 

 soils. It is hardy, coming late in leaf 

 and the leaves fall with the first touch 

 of the frost. It grows better in the warm 

 southern counties than in the cooler North, 

 where the shelter of walls is needed if we 

 wish for the fruit. The Mulberry is often a 

 beautiful lawn tree though it may well take 

 its place in the orchard or enclosed fruit 

 garden, always, if possible, giving it a free, 

 deep and rather moist soil. It is one of 

 those trees cultivated from the earliest 

 times, much longer than we have any 

 idea of, and therefore spread all through 

 the East, so that there is little certainty as 

 to its native country probably Persia and 

 the adjacent regions. 



It is not difficult to increase from 

 cuttings or even pieces of branches, and 

 by layers, but not by any means common 

 to find good stocks of the trees in 

 nurseries, owing partly to the slight 

 demand, as in gardening waves of fashion 

 often call attention for long periods to 

 things of little value, and people cease 



to plant the good ones. A very much 

 more cultivated species in Europe and 

 other countries is the White Mulberry 

 .!/. alba) and its varieties, but as our 

 country is too cold for silk cultivation 

 this is of slight importance with us, 

 and the same may be said of the other 

 species, the one exception being, perhaps, 

 the American Red Mulberry (J/. rubrd) 

 a native of the northern United States, 

 | and this might find a place in tree 

 collections. 



MUHLENBECKIA. These graceful 

 free-growing evergreen trailers are useful 

 I as coverings for trellis-work or rocks or 

 I stumps. The kinds in cultivation are 

 natives of New Zealand ; the best known 

 M. complexa, a very rapid grower, with 

 long wiry and entangled branches, and 

 small leaves. The white waxy flowers 

 are rather inconspicuous. M. adpressa is 

 larger and has heart-shaped leaves, and 

 long racemes of whitish flowers. M. 

 varia is a small kind, with fiddle-shaped 

 leaves, and is very distinct from either of 

 the above. In severe winters it is advis- 

 able to give a little protection like dried 

 Fern, but this is not necessary in ordinary 

 seasons. Cuttings. 



MULGEDIUM (Blue Thistle]. M. 

 Plumierivs a native of the Pyrenees, where 

 it is 4 or 5 ft. high, but in our borders, and 

 in deep strong soils it is frequently as much 

 as 8 or 9 ft. high. Its foliage is beauti- 

 fully varied in outline, and it should be 

 planted in the rougher parts of the wild 

 garden, and left to itself, as nothing seems 

 to interfere with its rapid growth. As an 

 isolated plant on Grass its remark- 

 able foliage at once arrests observation, 

 while its blue flowers are pretty. M. 

 alpinum is a smaller plant. Seed or 

 division. 



MUSA (Banana). These fine tropical 

 plants are seen in our parks during summer, 

 but less frequently in private gardens. In 

 the London Parks, Musas, especially the 

 smaller ones, are often plunged in the 

 ground in their pots during the summer, 

 but the larger ones are planted out. 

 When they are lifted in autumn, those in 

 pots are stored in houses, but the larger 

 ones are lifted with small balls of earth 

 and placed on shelves in houses with a 

 temperature of not less than 45. Here they 

 are laid on their sides, their leaves being 

 kept close together, and remain through- 

 out the winter, with only a mat thrown 

 over the roots. In February the roots 

 are examined, planted in trenches, and 

 subjected to an increased temperature, 

 when new roots soon form and begin to 

 grow afresh. In June, after being 



