48 Town Gardening. 



it were, in which Lilies and other bulbous-rooted plants 

 look better than growing in the clay-coloured bed. 



Hellebores are particularly interesting as early 

 bloomers. Long enough the common Christmas Rose 

 was spoken of as if unique of its genus, now H. atro- 

 rubens, If. atropurpureus^ and others, are pretty 

 common. I specially notice II. argutifolius, or the 

 Holly-leaved Helebore, as, to me, the handsomest of 

 the family, and one which I have seen but in few 

 places. It is well worthy of a conspicuous position 

 for its foliage, irrespective of its handsome bloom. 

 All, I believe, grow freely from self-sown seed, and 

 in ordinary good soil. 



Nasturtiums, Tropceolums, have gained a position in 

 town gardening from which they are not likely to be 

 displaced ; but T. polyphyllum, which is, to my eye, 

 one of the most interesting, I have not yet seen 

 grown in any town, though I see no reason why it 

 should not there succeed. Like most of the family, 

 it is native^ of South America, and grows in racemes 

 several feet long, radiating from a centre, and with 

 yellow flowers and leaves thick along each. It is 

 readily propagated by bulbs, which form deep below 

 the surface ; and the plant possesses a quality, like 

 Dictamnus fraxinella, of generating and emitting in 

 certain states of the atmosphere, towards evening, an 

 inflammable gas and electric sparks, which was, I 

 believe, first observed by a daughter of Linnaeus. 

 It flowers with much beauty at Glasnevin. See 

 Botanical Magazine, A. D. 1869, Tab. 4042. 



