154 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



OXE 



the green-honse, one of the most useful being 

 flaribunda, -which was introduced from Brazil 

 in 1829. This very beautiful species requires 

 the protection of the green-house during winter. 

 It has bright rose-colored flowers, which ore pro- 

 duced in great abundance during nearly the 

 whole year. There is a variety of this species 

 with pure white flowers. Both are rapidly in- 

 creased by division of the root. Of the bulbous 

 species, 0. Boiciei is decidedly the handsomest. 

 The flowers are large and of a most brilliant rose 

 color, and produced in the greatest profusion. 

 There is also a white variety of this species. 

 This is generally cultivated as a green-house 

 species ; it will, however, endure our winters if 

 planted in a rockery or in the border; and so 

 tenacious is it of life that it will dispute posses- 

 sion with almost any other plant in the bed. This 

 species was introduced from the Cape of Good 

 Hope in 1824. One of the most desirable for 

 conservatory decoration is 0. lutea, another Cape 

 species, with large terminal clusters of golden 

 yellow flowers, on long slender scapes. 0. versi- 

 cotor is still another beautiful species. It re- 

 quires the sunlight, to expand its flowers; but 

 they are generally thought to be more beautiful 

 when closed than when open. The colors are 

 crimson, white, and a pale shade of yellow. It 

 is rapidly increased by offsets. A. acetosella, our 

 common Wood Sorrel, is a native of Great 

 Britain, and by naturalization has become only 

 too common throughout the States. All the 

 species under cultivation are either from the 

 Cape of Good Hope or South America, and all 

 alike are of easy culture. 

 Ox-eye Daisy. See Leucanthemum, 

 Oxyanthus. From oxys, sharp, and anihos, a 

 flower; referring to the sharp-toothed calyx and 

 corolla. Linn. Pentandria-jfonogynia. Nat. Ord. 

 dnchonacece. 



A genus of white-flowered evergreen shrubs 

 from Sierra Leone, allied to Gardenia, and re- 

 quiring the same treatment in cultivation and 

 propagation. 



Oxycoccua. Cranberry. From oxys, shrrp, and 

 kokkos, a berry; sharp acid taste of the berries. 

 Linn. Octandria-Monoyynia. Nat. Ord. Vaccini- 

 acece. 



" The Cranberry is a familiar trailing shrub, 

 growing wild in swampy, sandy meadows and 

 mossy bogs, in the northern portions of both 

 hemispheres, and produces a round, red, acid 

 fruit. Our native species, 0. macrocarpus, so 

 common in the swamps of New England, and on 

 the borders of our inland lakes, as to form quite 

 an article of commerce, is much the largest and 

 finest species; the European Cranberry, U. palus- 

 tris, being much smaller in its growth, and pro- 

 ducing fruit inferior in size and quality. Also 

 the Russian, 0. viridis, a medium-sized variety. 

 Of the 0. macrocarpus, there are three varieties: 

 the ' Bell-shaped,' which is the largest and most 

 valued, of a very dark, bright red color; the 

 4 Cherry,' two kinds, large and small; the large 

 one the best, of a round form, a fine dark red 

 berry, nearly or quite equal to the Bell-shaped- 

 and the Bugle Oval, or Egg-shaped, two kinds, 

 large and small, not so highly colored as the 

 Bell or Cherry, and not so much prized, but 

 still a fine variety." Downing. Cranberry cul- 

 ture, where the conditions are favorable is very 

 profitable; nnd as the subject is receiving much 

 attention, both in this country and in Europe 

 it may be of service to give a few facts in regard 

 to the best methods of raising Cranberries suc- 



OXY 



cessfully. The selection of land for the cultiva- 

 tion and growing of the plants is the first con- 

 sideration; for, unless it is adapted to their 

 growth, it will be useless to plant them. The 

 soil best adapted is low, moist land, suitably 

 drained, so that the water will be from twelve to 

 eighteen inches lower than the surface of the 

 ground. They will grow on moderately damp 

 soil that can be plowed or cultivated, so as to 

 make it friable and soft, or on the borders 

 of streams or ditches, as the plant draws its 

 nourishment from air and water; light sandy 

 soil, or muck, covered with two or three inches 

 of sand, is the best adapted to their culture. 

 They will not do well on dry sand or clay. If 

 planted on rich muck or loam, they grow rank 

 and strong, sometimes eight or ten feet, and 

 cover the ground with a net of vines three or 

 four inches thick. As the fruit grows on the 

 end of the shoot, the rank growth throws out 

 but few buds; but if sanded over, the shoots are 

 of short growth, and throw out more and stronger 

 fruit buds. There are large portions of land all 

 over our country that is now of but little value, 

 too wet or too cold for grass, that would grow 

 large quantities of fruit, if properly prepared by 

 draining and sanding. In preparing the ground, 

 if it be wet and spongy, it should be well drain- 

 ed, so as to leave the water about ten or twelve 

 inches below the surface. It can then be pre- 

 pared by burning over and removing the top 

 soil, carting it off for compost, or burning when 

 it is dry; by leveling the ground, and covering 

 it with pure sand (free from seeds of weeds) two 

 or three inches deep, to keep the surface loose, 

 and to prevent foul grass from choking the 

 plants. Some growers prefer to put on two or 

 three inches of sand, (on the ice,) and after two 

 years' growth, to put on one or two inches more, 

 which, we think, is an improvement. The sand 

 should not be mixed with the soil, but placed in 

 a layer of two inches over it; it will thus keep 

 down all weeds. The roots of the Cranberry are 

 very fine, and do not retain their vitality ; but 

 the plant throws out new roots from the stem. 

 In putting out the young plants, make a hole 

 four or five inches deep, with a stick or dibble, 

 in which place the plant, and press the soil 

 around it firmly with the foot. Leave an inch 

 to an inch and a half of the young vine above 

 ground. When planting, if practicable, water 

 freely, to settle the sand around the plant ; the 

 stem will soon begin to grow. They are very tena- 

 cious of life, and if, when received, they are ap- 

 parently dry, put them into water from five to 

 six hours before planting; they will regain their 

 freshness and be sure to grow. Where failures 

 have occurred, it has been owing to their having 

 been taken from the parcel and put out in a dry 

 soil. Another plan adopted by some growers, is 

 to take the vines up without roots, often four or 

 five feet in length, which they cut and sow in 

 drills, or lay the vines down *in a trench, and 

 cover with soil; or with a stick two inches wide 

 and half an inch thick crowd the vines down into 

 the soil three or four inches deep. It will take 

 eight to ten barrels of clean vines per acre. In 

 this case they are not planted so deep, and are 

 not so apt to live as when planted with a dibble, 

 as advised above, with the roots attached. They 

 are usually sold in parcels of one hundred each, 

 and will pack more closely, and cost much less 

 than barreled vines, and are the only kind that 

 can be forwarded by mail. Ten thousand of these 

 will plant more ground than eight or ten bar- 



