1186 



ARBORETUM AND FRUTJCETUM. 



PART III. 



Where a regular form is preferred, and where the space to be devoted to 

 an ericacetum is limited, we would recommend an excavation surrounded by 

 a sloping bank and a terrace walk, treated in the same general style as the 

 design for the ericacetum Jig. 888. p. 1099. In such a case, the substratum 

 of every walk might, if necessary, be made into a drain, which could easily 

 be done by forming the walks of pavement, supported by two walls of brick, 

 4 in. wide, and 1 ft. or 1 ft. 8 in. high. Fig. 1005. p. 1 184. is a design for the 

 area of an oval ericacetum by Mr. Rutgcr, which may be treated in the same 

 manner as the ericetum referred to. Instead of being surrounded by a sloping 

 bank of turf, this design is supposed to be bounded by a sloping bank of rho- 

 dodendrons, so arranged as to complete the figure of a parallelogram. Be- 

 yond these evergreens, and 8 ft. or 10 ft. above the level of the area, may be 

 a terrace walk ; and beyond that a border, and a wall, for containing half- 

 hardy ligneous species, and growing a collection of bulbs. A portion of the 

 area is shown in turf, with beds in the centre of each compartment. These 

 beds are supposed to be exclusively devoted to Cape heaths, grown in large 

 pots or tubs, like those in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, plunged out in 

 these beds in the summer time, and taken in on the approach of winter. The 

 beds, after the pots are removed, may be turfed over till the following spring; 

 or filled with winter-flowering hardy heaths. 



Every description of garden, to be complete, requires some architectural 

 appendages to be introduced into it. As water is so necessary in the culti- 

 vation of all plants, an architectural fountain is at once an ornamental and a 

 useful object to every scene of culture, however small, or however large ; and 

 the magnitude and style of design of fountains may be varied almost infinitely. 

 The next class of useful ornaments are, seats, or resting places, open and 

 covered : and these lead to an almost endless variety of structures ; some of 

 wood, and portable; and others of wood, of rustic-work, or of masonry, and 

 permanently fixed. F^.1006. p. 1 185. is a design from the elegant pencil of Mr. 

 Lamb, in which the ericacetum is of an oval form, surrounded by a terrace 5 ft. 

 above it, from which there are flights of steps to descend to the area contain- 

 ing the beds for the plants. This area is ornamented with two fountains ; 

 and there are stone seats along tl^e terrace walks, and also in the surrounding 

 amphitheatre of trees. 



CHAP. LXX. 



OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE 

 ORDER SYMPLOCA'CE^E. 



THIS order contains only one genus, Symplocos, 

 the species of which are chiefly tender shrubs or 

 trees from South America; but there is one, a 

 native of China, which is considered half-hardy ; 

 and another, a native of Nepal, which might pro- 

 bably thrive in the open air with a little protection, 

 but which has not yet been introduced. In the south 

 of England, wherever there is a tolerably complete 

 collection of half-hardy ligneous plants, the genus 

 Symplocos, as being the representative of an order, 

 should never be omitted. 



Symplocos sinica Ker Dot. Reg., t. 710.,' and our fig. 1007., has 

 the leaves elliptic-oblong, attenuated at both ends, mucronately 

 serrated, downy on both surfaces, and wrinkled ; racemes com- 

 pound, terminal, and axillary. It is a shrub, growing to the 

 height of 3ft, a native of China. Introduced in 1822, and pro- 

 ducing its delightfully fragrant white flowers in May. It requires 

 a wall, and is rare in British collections. 



S. Kratteg'oides Hamilt., Don's Mill. ,4. p. 3., has ovate, acute, 

 serrated leaves, and the habit of Cerasus Uahalcb. It has not 

 yet been introduced 



