THE ROSE, POME, AND DRUPE FAMILY. 505 



in rich ground two inches deep. If well cultivated, they will 

 make good plants by autumn. 



An interesting account of cross-bred and seedling Raspberries, 

 accidentally raised by Mr Thomas Rivers between the " Black 

 Raspberry" and the Ohio Raspberry, which is a seedling variety 

 of the Blackcap (Rubus ocddentalis\ is given in the ' Gardeners' 

 Chronicle/ 1867, p. 516, 517. From selected seed of these cross- 

 breds, hundreds of plants were raised, and these, besides vary- 

 ing much in habit and vigour, bore red summer Raspberries ; 

 red, pink, flesh-coloured, and white autumnal sorts ; and yellow 

 summer and autumnal varieties, and small-berried black autumn 

 Raspberries of enormous growth. 



In the 'London Journal of Botany,' 1873, p. 108, is a very 

 interesting paper on the origin of Rubus idceus or common 

 Raspberry, by M. F. W. C. Areschoug. This botanist states 

 his reasons for believing that this plant has descended from 

 some simple-leaved species, native of Japan, which has spread 

 eastward over North America, and thence to Europe. From 

 the same paper we learn that R. pseudo-cczsius and R. pseudo- 

 idteus are real hybrids, produced between R. idaus and R. 

 ccesius. Mr J. Anderson-Henry has raised hybrids between R. 

 biflorus and R. idczus, the last-named being the seed-parent, 

 but the seeds so obtained failed to vegetate (see p. 165). 



One of the most handsome ornamental-flowering species is 

 R. odoratus, which grows 3 4 feet in height, and bears large, 

 bright, pink, Rose-like flowers among its deep trilobed leaves. 

 It was brought from North America in 1739 (see ' Bot. Mag.,' 



t. 323). 



Rubus arcticus, or Dwarf Bramble, is a charming little creep- 

 ing Alpine shrub, found in Europe and North America. It 

 has ternate leaves, bright rosy flowers, the size of a silver six- 

 pence, and is little over a foot in height. Its fruit is used 

 in jellies and conserves in Sweden, and is said to be delicious 

 (see ' Bot. Mag.,' t. 132). 



Spiraea. A well-known genus of herbaceous plants and 

 shrubs, principally natives of the temperate parts of the world, 

 some of the most beautiful species coming from China, Japan, 

 North India ; two species S. ulmaria, or " Meadow-sweet," 

 and S. filipendula, or " Dropwort" are natives of this country. 

 S. palmetto,, S. japonica, S. venusta, S. aruncus, and others, are 

 well-known perennial herbaceous species; while S. Fortunei, S. 

 prunifolia, S. bella, S. tomentosa, S. Lindleyana, and others, 

 are beautiful shrubby kinds. The first-named group may be 

 propagated by seeds sown in pans in a cool frame, or by careful 

 division in the autumn or spring. Herbaceous cuttings of the 



