HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



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namental purposes in green-house or rooms, they 

 all thrive well in a mixture of rich loam with a 

 little rotten dung ; but great care is necessary 

 not to overpot them, or give them too much 

 water when not in a growing state. The differ- 

 ent species and varieties are generally propa- 

 gated by budding, grafting, and inarching on 

 the common Lemon, which grows readily from 

 seed. Oranges are also frequently raised from 

 seed ; but unless they are budded or grafted 

 when about two years old, it will be many years 

 before they flower. Orange Trees may also be 

 propagated by cuttings, which are best from the 

 old wood, struck in sand in a gentle bottom heat, 

 and shaded. Plants raised in this manner 

 flower and fruit much sooner than any others, but 

 they scarcely ever attain a large size. Both the 

 Orange and Lemon are such favorites in this 

 country that scarcely a cottage, where a flower- 

 pot or tub can be put into requisition, is without 

 one or the other of these plants. When placed 

 in unsuitable soil and carelessly watered, they 

 seldom remain long in a good state of health. 

 When they become sickly and yellow, they 

 should be turned out of the pots, a large portion 

 of the old soil should be detached from the 

 roots, and they should be repotted in a mixture 

 of fine loamy soil and rotten manure, with about 

 one-fourth of charcoal dust, or powdered char- 

 coal. There are numerous varieties of Oranges 

 and Lemons grown for the fruit. Our markets 

 were formerly supplied from the south of Eu- 

 rope, the Azores, and the West Indies. Until 

 within a few years the "Havana" was the most 

 highly esteemed, but the Florida Orange is now 

 the leading variety in the markets. The culti- 

 vation of the Orange in Florida commenced pre- 

 vious to 1820, but was carried on only to a lim- 

 ited extent for some years thereafter. From 

 1830 to 1835 many large groves were planted, 

 nearly all of which were destroyed by the extra- 

 ordinary frost of the latter year. The previous 

 year there were trees at St. Augustine that pro- 

 duced each 14,000 Oranges; a handsome revenue 

 from a single tree. The dreaded effects of a frost 

 almost entirely discouraged further plantings 

 for a number of years. The cultivation of the 

 Orange is now attracting greater attention in 

 Florida than ever before. The Indian River 

 country abounds in plantations that are yield- 

 ing large and profitable crops. Some of the 

 more scientific growers, from careful experi- 

 ments and close observation, hold the opinion 

 that frosts as severe as those of 1835 will not in- 

 jure the trees, if the precaution be taken to shade 

 the trunks from the sun for a short time, until 

 the circulation of the sap is fully restored. Lem- 

 ons, Limes, and Shaddocks are also largely 

 grown in Florida. In some parts of Texas, and 

 in California, the cultivation of these fruits is 

 being rapidly extended. 



Cladrastis. See Virgilia lutea. 



Clarkia. In honor of Captain Clarke, who accom- 

 panied Captain Lewis in his journey to the Rocky 

 Mountains. Linn. Diandria-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. Onagracea;. 



A genus of hardy annuals, mostly from Cali- 

 fornia. The whole of the species are indispen- 

 sable to every flower garden where annuals are 

 grown. The first sowing should take place in 

 September ; a few will survive the winter, and 

 afford an early bloom in the following season. 

 The next and principal sowing should be done 

 in March ; and a few more put in about the end 

 of April, together with those transplanted, will 



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continue a fine display through the whole sum- 

 mer. They grow in any soil, so that the situa- 

 tion is open or free from the drip of trees, and 

 merely require to be thinned to aboiit a foot from 

 each other. This rule will apply to nearly all 

 that are known as "tender annuals." Intro- 

 duced in 1825. 



Claytonia. Named after Dr. John Clayton, an 

 early American botanist. Linn. Peniandria-Mo- 

 nogynia. Nat. Ord. Portulacaceoe. 



A genus of very pretty hardy plants, of either 

 annual or perennial duration. The former only 

 require to be sown where they are to remain, 

 and the latter succeed when planted in loam 

 without further trouble. Their flowers are 

 either white or pink of various shades. They 

 are found in moist woods from Virginia west- 

 ward and southward. Several tuberous-rooted 

 species are found in this country from Virginia 

 westward to California. They do not differ ma- 

 terially from the annuals in flowering. They 

 are worthy of cultivation. 



Cleavers or Clivers. See Galium. 



Clematis. Virgin's Bower. From klema, a vine- 

 branch ; in reference to their climbing like a 

 vine. Linn. Polyandria-Polygynia. Nat. Ord. 

 RanunculacecK. 



An extensive genus of handsome twining 

 shrubs, natives of North America, Europe, Ja- 

 pan, and occasionally met with in Australia, 

 Asia, and Africa. C. Virginiana is the well- 

 known Virgin's Bower, a species common in the 

 woods and roadsides from New York southward. 

 There are several other species common in this 

 country. All are much admired for their grace- 

 fulness, delicious fragrance, and poetical associ- 

 ations. For the many large-flowering varieties 

 we are indebted to Sieboldt and Fortune, who 

 discovered them in Japan. From the several 

 species introduced by them very many varieties 

 have been produced, among which is C. Jack- 

 manii, a variety with large purple flowers, very 

 showy and deservedly popular. Some of the 

 varieties are pure white, with both double and 

 single flowers. The whole of them are quite 

 hardy, though the young growth should be pro- 

 tected the first winter. They delight in a 

 strong, rich soil, and are highly useful in cov- 

 ering walls, arbors, or verandas, which they do 

 speedily when once established. They are prop- 

 agated by layering the young shoots in summer 

 or by root grafting on some of our stronger 

 growing native varieties. The shoots of the 

 half-ripened young wood can also be freely 

 rooted by cuttings during the summer months. 

 C. crispa, a native species recently introduced, 

 promises to become very popular, and deserv- 

 edly so. The flowers, of medium size, are of a 

 beautiful purple, and deliciously fragrant : a 

 characteristic absent from most of the class. C. 

 coccinea, another recent introduction, presents 

 us with a new and desirable color. 



Cleome. From kleio, to shut; in reference to the 

 parts of the flower. Linn. Tetradynanua. Nat. 

 Ord. CapparidacecK. 



An extensive genus, consisting of tropical 

 shrubs, annuals and biennials, which are not 

 suitable for general cultivation. This genus, 

 however, contains several very curious and 

 pretty indigenous annuals, with white, rose, and 

 purple flowers, natives of the Southern and 

 Western States. They are all easy of cultivation. 

 They should be started in a hot-bed, and the 

 plants put out in the open border at the proper 

 season for tender annuals. 



