292 



HORTICULTURE. 



Viewer are kept In gardens ; but it is worthy of remark, that 

 Garden, while the single queeu of the meadow is exceedingly 

 ^"""T^"" ' fragrant, the double-flowered variety is quite destitute 

 flower! f otlour - s - trifoliata is very elegant ; it grows best 

 in a peat soil, such as is generally prepared for Ameri- 

 can plants. 



481. In the extensive genus Campanula or bell-flower, 

 of which Persoon enumerates more than a hundred 

 species, there are several showy perennials. Such*are 

 the peach-leaved or C. persicifolia, with single blue and 

 single white flowers, and with double flowers of both co- 

 lours: a very large flowered variety of the single blue, de- 

 serves particular attention ; it has been figured in theBo- 

 1 finical Magazine, as a distinct species, under the title of 

 C. maxima. The nettle-leaved bell-flower, (C. trache- 

 Uiini), when double, forms a showy border flower. 

 The pyramidal or steeple bell-flower (C. pyramidalis) 

 is highly prized as an ornament in halls, being for this 

 purpose often kept in pots. In the open border the 

 plant requires a sheltered warm situation ; and when 

 seeds are wanted, it is found useful to fix in the ground 

 four stakes with niches at top, to receive a hand-glass to 

 cover the plant during heavy rains. 



Middle- 482. The ornamental plants which are of middling 



tized plants, size are so numerous, that it is somewhat difficult to 

 make a selection. 



Several species of Achillea are ornamental, particu- 

 larly the Sweet maudlin (A. ageratum.) A double- 

 flowered variety of our native sneezewort (A. plarmica) 

 very well deserves a place in the border. The spring 

 Adonis ( A. vernalis) is a perennial species, producing 

 large yellow flowers in the beginning of April, when 

 flowers are scarce. A double variety of Rose-campion 

 (Agrostemma coronaria) is a highly elegant plant ; it 

 is properly only a biennial, but it may be continued for 

 several years by parting the roots in autumn. The 

 perennial flax (Linuni perenne) is a very pretty na- 

 tive plant, deserving of a situation in the border. The 

 round-headed Rampion (Pfiyteuma orbicularis) is ano- 

 ther native, not less worthy of a place. 



A curious variety of the common Toad-flax (Lina- 

 rla vulgaris, H. K.), with five nectaries and five stamina 

 to each corolla, is cultivated in some gardens, and much 

 admired, it not being without reason that Miller styles 

 it a " beautiful monster." It was first described in 

 the " Amoenitates Academics;" under the title of Pe- 

 loria, and it is figured under the same name in " Eng- 

 lish Botany." 



483. Several species of Diantlius, besides the carna- 

 tion and pink, are much cultivated in gardens. D. bar- 

 batus, or bearded pink, more generally known by the 

 name of Sweet William, is very common. It is a per- 

 ennial, and may be increased by slips ; but it is gene- 

 rally raised from seeds, seedling plants producing the 

 strongest flowers : in this way, too, a great variety in 

 the colours of the flowers is procured. When a very 

 good kind occurs, it should be planted apart, at a con- 

 siderable distance from all others, and the seed should 

 be saved. The principal variations of colour are, deep 

 red, pale red or rose-coloured, bluish purple, purple 

 and white, white spotted ; red with a white border, 

 called Painted Ladies ; purple with a white border, and 

 pure white. Double flowers of several of these varie- 

 ties are carefully preserved by the curious, and propa- 

 gated by offsets and by cuttings ; the double crimson 

 and rose coloured are particularly esteemed. The nar- 

 row-leaved bearded pink is called Sweet John. A very 

 remarkable and beautiful variety is the Mule Pink, 

 supposed to have proceeded from the flower of a car- 



nation acted upon by the pollen of the narrow-leaved 

 bearded pink. 



484. Two species of Eryngium are very ornamental, 

 E. alpinum and E. amethystinum. In the former, the 

 fine azure blue, with streaks of green and white, of the 

 large involucrum, never fail to attract admiration. It 

 generally ripens its seeds in this country, and seedling 

 plants may be observed near the parent plant, fre- 

 quently under the shelter of the box edging. The 

 other species has the upper part of the stem, as well as 

 the head of flowers, of the richest amethystlno colour, 

 and therefore produces a very tine effect on the border. 

 It is only in good situations, and in favourable seasons, 

 that the seeds of this species come to maturity. Our 

 native species, E. maritimum, or sea-holly, is admired 

 for the glaucous hue of its leaves and stems : it may 

 be planted in a mixture of sand and gravel : it is not 

 easily dug up on the sea-shore, the roots running very 

 deep into the sand : it should be removed in autumn. 

 The roots of this species were formerly candied. Along 

 with these eryngiums, may be classed several species 

 of Slatice or Thrift, in particular S. latifolia, scoparia, 

 tatarica, and speciosa, all natives of Russia or Siberia. 



485. Fraxinella or Dictamnus albus is a plant which 

 merits a place, being both beautiful and curious. When 

 gently rubbed, the plant emits an odour like that of 

 lemon peel. The pedicels of the flowers are covered 

 with glands of a rusty red colour : from these a viscid 

 juice or resin exudes, which is exhaled in vapour, and 

 is said occasionally to produce a slight explosion : this 

 phenomenon is to be observed in a warm, dry, and 

 clear night in June, by approaching a lighted candle to 

 the flower of the plant. The usual colour of the fraxi- 

 nella is white ; but there is a red variety. 



486. The Cardinal's Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is a 

 very elegant plant : But it is now in a great measure 

 supplanted by another species of the same genus, of still 

 greater brilliancy, L.fulgens. The flower of this last is 

 among the brightest scarlets of the vegetable kingdom. 

 The plant is readily propagated by offsets, but it will 

 scarcely endure our winters without protection. A few 

 plants may be left to their fate, while others may be 

 covered with hand-glasses in the borders ; but it is 

 safest to pot a number of plants, and keep them under 

 a frame during winter. 



487. CaLananche ccerulea requires a dry soil and 

 sheltered situation ; it is often indeed kept in pots, and 

 placed under glass in winter. Its flowers are of a very 

 fine blue ; and there is a double variety, which how- 

 ever is not common. The Canadian Culumbine (Amii* 

 legia Canadensis) is 'a delicate looking flower, highly 

 ornamental. Garden Wall-flower, (Cheiranthus cheiri) 

 when double and of dark colour, is much prized ; there 

 is also a pretty variety of the native species, C. Jruti- 

 culosus, with double flowers. The Red and the Scar- 

 let Chelone (C. obliqua and barbatd) make a pretty ap- 

 pearance in autumn, when flowers are beginning to 

 grow scarce. A new species of chelone, (C. major) 

 has of late been introduced, being figured in the " Bo- 

 tanical Magazine" for November 1816. It is, like the 

 others, an American plant, and perhaps more hardy 

 than them : it is at the same time the most showy of 

 the genus, producing fine peach-coloured flowers in 

 large and close spikes. German Goldilocks (Chryso- 

 coma linosyris) has bright yellow flowers in the form 

 of an umbel ; when handled, the plant gives forth an 

 aromatic agreeable scent. Tritoma media, although a 

 native of the Cape of Good Hope, endures our winters, 

 with a very slight degree of protection, and produces 



