Encyclopaedia of Gardening 135 



in bloom can be drafted into the window of a room, where it will 

 overhang the other plants and impart a loose, pleasing effect. It 

 can be raised from seed, which may be sown in a warm frame or 

 greenhouse in spring, the seedlings pricked off, potted and repotted 

 as needed. Five-inch pots will be large enough to flower them in, 

 and loam, with a fourth of leaf mould or decayed manure, and some 

 sand, will do for compost. See the Botanical Magazine, t. 3824. 



Fraxinus, Ash (frax-inus, from the Latin. Ord. Oleineae). The 

 common Ash is Fraxinus Excelsior, a British tree flowering in May, 

 with very tough, flexible wood. There are many varieties of it, 

 such as aucubaefolia, aurea, heterophylla variegata, and pendula. 

 Americana is the White Ash. Ornus is the Manna or Flowering Ash. 

 There are several varieties of both. Ash trees should not be planted 

 in small gardens. 



Freesia (frees-ia, a personal name. Ord. Irideae). See Bulbs. 

 French Bean. See Kitchen Garden. 



French Gardening. What is known as French gardening is the 

 concentrated manuring of the top spit of soil until it becomes a 

 black mould, and the forcing in it under frames and cloches of a 

 number of vegetables, mainly salads, that lend themselves to in- 

 tensive culture. It is not wholly new to British gardeners ; on the 

 contrary, the main principles have been practised for many years, 

 but less effort has been spent on the top soil, fewer cloches have 

 been used, and the number of different salads has been smaller. 

 French gardening in its most " intensified " form needs expensive 

 equipment, and must not be entered upon without careful con- 

 sideration. If walls and glass houses are erected (and protection 

 of some kind is absolutely necessary) and the garden is well equipped 

 with pits, frames, and adequate heating, the cost may be expected 

 to be from ^700 to ^1000 per acre. This would not be justified 

 unless there was a good market for the produce, hence the necessity 

 of caution. The principal appliances required for a French garden 

 are reed mats which must be dressed with Bordeaux Mixture as 

 a fungicide and preservative frames, and cloches. The principal 

 crops grown are Cauliflowers, Cucumbers, Melons, Tomatoes, 

 Chicory, Spinach, Parsley, Lettuces, Mushrooms, Radishes, Endive, 

 Beans, Carrots, and Turnips. Attention must be given to cropping 

 the ground successionally. Those who are embarking capital in 

 French gardening should consult a reliable work on the subject. 

 See also Kitchen Garden. 



French Marigold. See Annuals. 



Fritillaria, Snake's Head Lily, Crown Imperial (fritilla-ria, from 

 fritillus, a chess-board, in allusion to the chequered flowers. Ord. 

 Liliaceae). See Bulbs. F. Meleagris is the Snake's Head Lily, F. 

 Imperialis the Crown Imperial. Armena, with purple flowers, also 

 a yellow variety: aurea, yellow; and recurva, red and yellow, are 

 all good for the rockery, and bloom in spring. 



Frost. Frost is most likely to occur on autumn, winter, or spring 

 nights, when the sky is clear, and heat escapes from the earth by 



