32 Encyclopaedia of Gardening 



which has scarlet flowers, may be grown outdoors in mild, sheltered 

 places. This species may be increased by root cuttings. Bignonia 

 radicans, which has orange flowers, and is illustrated in the Botanical 

 Magazine, t. 485, is now called Tecoma radicans by botanists. 



Bilberry. This is the Vaccinium Myrtyllus of botanists, a dwarf 

 hardy British shrub bearing pink flowers in spring. Its dark blue 

 berries are edible. It is also called the Blaeberry or Whortleberry. 

 The Cranberry is Vaccinium Oxycoccus. 



Billbergia (billber-gia, after Billberg, a Swede. Ord. Bromeliaceae) . 

 Hothouse plants, with thick, fleshy leaves crowded on a short 

 stem, and dense heads of brilliant bloom. They thrive in equal 

 parts of loam and peat, with a little decayed manure and a good 

 sprinkling of sand. Propagation is by suckers. Moreli, blue and 

 rose; thyrsoidea, scarlet; and vittata, green, red, and violet, are 

 three of the best-known species. All bloom in autumn or winter. 



Bindweed. See Calystegia. 



Birch. See Betula. 



Bird Cherry, Prunus Padus. 



Birds. Although birds do damage to various crops, they are in 

 the main friends of the gardener, through destroying large numbers 

 of caterpillars, grubs, and insects. Tits, swallows, robins, thrushes, 

 starlings, wrens, flycatchers, whitethroats, cuckoos, and redstarts 

 are mainly (in some cases wholly) insectivorous. The most damage 

 is done to crops by blackbirds, thrushes, starlings, finches, and 

 house sparrows. Seedlings and fruit must be protected with 

 thread, netting, and scares. The balance of Nature should not be 

 interfered with, and birds of prey, such as owls and hawks, should 

 be preserved equally with song-birds. 



Bird's-eye Primrose, Primula farinosa. 



Bird's-nest Fern, Asplenium nidus. 



Birthwort, Aristolochia. 



Bitter Almond, Prunus (Amygdalus) communis amara.' 



Bitter-sweet, Solanum dulcamara. 



Bitter Vetch, Orobus. 



Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus). See Fruit. 



Black Fly. See Aphides. 



Black Thorn, Prunus spinosa. 



Bladder Senna, Colutea. 



Bladderwort, Utricularia. 



Blanching. See Kitchen Garden Celery, Lettuce, etc. 



Blandfordia (blandfor-dia, after the Marquis of Blandford. Ord. 

 Liliaceae). Pretty semi-bulbous plants, suitable for the green- 

 house. They are propagated by offsets and thrive in the bulb soil 

 (see Bulbs). The flowers are drooping and funnel-shaped. Grandi- 

 flora (Cunninghami) , with crimson flowers in summer; and flammea 



