142 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



MYB 



preserve the substance of the nut, as well as to 

 destroy its vegetative power. When perfectly 

 cured they are packed in dry slacked lime, and 

 sent to market. 



Mvrospermum. From myron, myrrh, an aromatic 

 bidsiuu, and sperma, a seed; the seeds yield a 

 strong-smelling resin. Linn. Decandria-Monoyy- 

 nia. Nat. Ord. Fabacece. 



This is the genus which produces the .Balsam 

 of Tolu and the Balsam of Peru, used in per- 

 fumery and in the preparation of lozenges. 

 They are all from South America, and mainly 

 interesting for the drugs they furnish. 



Myrsiphyllum. Suiilax. From myrs'me, a myrtle, 

 and pli</ll<i, a leaf; resemblance of the leaves. 

 Linn, llexamlria- TrlgijnM. Nat. Ord. LUiacecK. 



M. tuparagoUks, the well-known Smilaxof the 

 florist, is a native of various parts of the Cape of 

 Good Hope. It was first introduced into Eng- 

 land in 1702, but was soon discarded. It was 

 again introduced by Mr. Cooper about 1861, who 

 sent it to Kew, where it flowered, and from 

 whence it was disseminated. It is now one of 

 the essentials of a florist's stock; in fact, it is of 

 greater importance than any flower, if we ex- 

 cept the Rose. It is of easy culture, as may be 

 inferred from the fact that it is treated in about 

 as many different ways as there are growers. 

 Sow the seed in the green-house in boxes of light 

 rich soil in January or early in February. As 

 soon as the plants are three inches high, prick 

 them out first into shallow boxes, and again in- 

 to thumb-pots when established, and grow on in 

 any convenient place, even partially under 

 benches, where little else would grow. When 

 required shift into a three-inch pot, and grow 

 on until about the first of August, and then plant 

 out in the bed where they are to grow, at about 

 six inches from plant to plant, and twelve inches 

 between the rows. This is about the right dis- 

 tance when strings of six or nine feet are used to 

 train on ; if higher, the strings may be set farther 

 apart. By the first of January following it will 

 have made a growth of eight or ten feet, and be 

 ready for cutting. A second growth will at once 

 commence, and a crop secured by March or 

 April. When the second crop has been cut, 

 give it a partial rest, clean the bed off, enrich 

 with a light top dressing, and put up the strings 

 for the next year's growth, which will commence 

 in August or September. When growing freely 

 it may be liberally supplied with manure water 



NAN 



once a week and syringed once a day. This treat- 

 ment never fails of giving at least two good cut- 

 tings a year; and with a succession of plantings 

 a supply can be had at all times of the year. The 

 strings used should be of a green color, so that 

 in festooning they may not be seen. Although a 

 second crop is often taken after the last cutting 

 in April, we prefer to use the space in spring for 

 other purposes, and plant the young plants of 

 Smilax each year, beginning the first planting 

 in August, as above mentioned. From August 

 to October a light shading should be used on 

 the glass. We find nothing better than naphtha 

 mixed with a little white lead, so as to give it 

 the color of thin milk. This shading can be put 

 on with a syringe in a few minutes. It costs 

 only twenty-five cents for each thousand square 

 feet of glass, and we consider it the best shading 

 for all green-house operations. One important 

 caution in growing Smilax must be given; it will 

 not stand tobacco nor any other kind of smoke 

 or gas, the leaves quickly getting yellow. If in- 

 fested by the Aphis (Green Fly) tobacco must 

 be used in the liquid state, by steeping the stems 

 till of the color of strong tea. When other plants 

 require to be fumigated in the same house with 

 Smilax, to save the Smilax from injury, it should 

 be first freely syringed, as the smoke will then 

 not hurt the leaves. The same plan should be 

 used with Heliotrope, or any other plant the 

 leaves of which are susceptible to injury from 

 fumigation. 

 Myrtle. See Myrtus. 



Myrtus. Myrtle. From myron, signifying per- 

 fume. Linn. Icosandria-Monocjynui. Nat. Ord. 

 Myrtacece. 



A genus of beautiful evergreen shrubs, na- 

 tives of Europe, Asia, South America, and some 

 of them of New Holland. The common Myrtle, 

 M. communis, of which there are eight or ten 

 very distinct varieties, is too well known to re- 

 quire any description. It is not surpassed in 

 beauty of foliage by any exotic shrub, and the 

 flowers are of a pure white, and, like the leaves, 

 fragrant. The fragrance arises from an oil which 

 is secreted in little cells, which appear as dots 

 when the leaves are held up to the light. The 

 handsomest varieties of the common Myrtle are 

 the Roman, or broad-leaved, the broad-leaved 

 Dutch, the narrow-leaved, and the double-flow- 

 ered. They are propagated "with facility by cut- 

 tings of the young wood, 



"YTffigelia. Derivation of name unknown. Linn. 



11 Jcosandria-Dipentagynia. Nat. Ord. Oesner- 

 acece. 



This genus was formerly included with Ges- 

 nera, of which the type is the well-known G. 

 ztbrina. They are deciduous green-house plants, 

 natives of Mexico. The leaves are oval-shaped, 

 of a green color, and have a velvety appearance, 

 being thickly covered with short crimson hairs, 

 which give them a rich velvet- like hue. They 

 have erect racemes of large, showy flowers, 

 mostly bright scarlet. Propagated and culti- 

 vated the same at; recommended for Gesnera. 



Nagkesur. See Mesw. 



Nandina. From Nandin, the Japanese name. 

 Linn. Hexandrw-Diqynid. Nat. Ord. Berberidacew. 

 A genus of green-house evergreen shrubs, 

 with terminal panicles of white flowers. It is a 

 native of China and Japan, where it is exten- 

 sively grown in gardens. It is propagated by 

 cuttings of well-ripened wood. Introduced in 

 1804. 



Nanod.es. From nanodes, a pigmy. Linn. Gynan- 

 drla-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Orckidacecn. 



N. discolor, the only known species, is a curious 

 Orchid from the West Indies and Brazil, with 

 leaves and flowers very much alike. The plant, 

 which is only an inch or two high, has pale 



