404 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



SEA 



wither and dry off, as Rhubarb or Asparagus 

 does. When the leaves have become com- 

 pletely dried, it is well to cover with two or 

 three inches of leaves, to prevent their being 

 frozen hard. About the first of December or 

 first of January, the blanching or forcing pro- 

 cess may be begun. To do this, horse manure 

 and leaves must be got together in quantities 

 sufficient to heat, and enough to cover the 

 Sea-Kale to be forced, to a depth of three or 

 four feet ; but, preparatory to placing this 

 hot-bed over them, boxes one foot wide and 

 one and a half to two feet high should be 

 placed along the rows of the Sea-Kale, so that 

 the manure is kept off them. Into these 

 boxes the tender white shoots of the Sea-Kale 

 will be forced up and protected from the 

 manure ; or, if the expense of boxes is not 

 advisable, strong bush stakes, such as are 

 used for staking Peas, may be used ; in fact, 

 anything that is strong enough to prevent the 

 hot-bed pressing against and impeding the 

 growth of the plants. The hot-bed of three 

 or four feet high, placed over the Sea-Kale 

 beds in December or January, will produce 

 the Sea-Kale in the proper blanched condition 

 in from ten to twelve weeks. If not wanted 

 early, it may be blanched by covering with 

 boxes, inverted flower-pots, leaves, or any- 

 thing that will exclude the light, placed over 

 the plants in spring at the time they start to 

 grow. It is also easily forced during winter 

 in the green-house or in houses devoted to the 

 forcing of vegetables, etc. (see Crambe and 

 " Forcing Fruits, Vegetables," etc.). The 

 young shoots, when cooked, have a flavor 

 something between Asparagus and Cauli- 

 flower, and in England they are much pre- 

 ferred to either. 



Sea Lavender. A popular name for various 

 species of Statice. 



Sea-Leaf. Bryophyllum calycinum. 



Seal-Flower. A common name of Dicentra 

 spectabilis. 



Sea Milk-wort. See Glaux maritima. 



Sea Pink. Armeria maritima. 



Sea Purslane. See Purslane. 



Sea Reed. Psamma arenaria. 



Sea-Side Oat. The genus Uniola. 



Sea- Side Poppy. A common name for Glau- 

 cium flavum. 



Sea-Side Trees and Plants. As seaside resi- 

 dences are now so numerous, and most of 

 them have a garden and pleasure-ground 

 attached, it may be of service to notice some of 

 the trees and shrubs best suited for protect- 

 ing and rendering them attractive. Grigor, in 

 his "Arboriculture," says : " The best shelter- 

 ing nurses amongst deciduous trees are the 

 Sallow, Alder, Osier and Birch, and among 

 evergreens the Scotch Pine ; but as these 

 " nurses," as they are termed, would be 

 gladly accepted in many instances as perma- 

 nent occupants, I would earnestly recommend 

 them as particularly fitted for such situa- 

 tions." In addition to these, the following 

 will be found of excellent service : Tamarix 

 Gallica, a most hardy and valuable plant for 

 forming screens ; Beech, Hornbeam, Ailantus, 

 several of our native Thorns (Cratcegus), 

 Hazels, Altheas, the Sea Buckthorn (Hippo- 

 phce), the Groundsel Tree (Baccharis), the 



SEC 



Witch or Wych Hazel (Hamemalis), Norway 

 and other Maples, the Calif ornian and Eu- 

 lopean Privet (Ligustrum), the Box Thorn 

 (Lycium Europceum) Myrica, various Elms, 

 Willows and Oaks, White Poplar, Pyrus aucu- 

 paria, and other species, the Black Haw 

 (Viburnum prunifolium), Elder, etc. Many 

 shrubs, such as Weigelias, Ghent Azaleas, 

 Berberis, Mahonia. Ceanothus, Japan Quince, 

 Forsythia, the Oak-leaved Hydrangea (Hy- 

 drangea quercifolia), etc., will be found very 

 serviceable, especially if partially sheltered. 

 Of evergreens the most useful are the White 

 Spruce (Abies alba), Red Cedar, White, Aus- 

 trian and Scotch Pines, Pinus Cembra, Rho- 

 dodendrons, Arbor-vitees, and Retinosporas. 



Sea Star-wort. A common name for Aster 

 Tripolium. 



Sea Thrift. Statice Limonium. 



Sea Weed. A general name for the marine 

 Algce. 



Sea Weed. Glazier's. Zostera Mediterranea. 



Sea Weed. Gulf. . Sargassum bacciferum. 



Sebae'a. Named afcer Albert Seba, 1665-1736, a 

 botanical author of Amsterdam. 



A genus of Gentianacece, natives of the Cape 

 of Good Hope and of New South Wales. They 

 are erect annual herbs, with numerous whit- 

 ish or yellow flowers, borne generally in 

 branching corymbose cymes. The species in 

 cultivation are elegant plants, and can be 

 easily raised from seed in a green-house or 

 hot-bed, and planted out for summer bloom- 

 ing. 



Seca'le. Rye. An ancient name, said to be 

 derived from seco, to cut. Nat. Ord. Grami- 

 nacece. 



A genus of grasses allied to Wheat and Bar- 

 ley. S. cereale is the well-known grain, Rye. 

 Its native country, as in the case of the other 

 most important cereals, is somewhat doubtful, 

 but it is said to be found wild in the desert 

 region near the Caspian Sea and on the high- 

 est mountains of the Crimea. It has long 

 been cultivated as a cereal plant in Europe 

 and Asia, and it is of considerable importance 

 in the grain markets of this country. Its cul- 

 tivation does not extend as far north as that 

 of Barley, but it grows in regions too cold for 

 Wheat, and on soils too poor and sandy for 

 any other grain. It will, however, thrive well 

 in a very hot climate, always succeeding best 

 in a light sandy soil. Of this species there 

 are two prominent varieties, known to farm- 

 ers as Winter and Spring Rye : the difference 

 is due to cultivation mainly. The variety 

 most commonly cultivated is known as Win- 

 ter Rye ; and this is to be preferred, whether 

 it is sown for grain or the straw. Its charac- 

 ters as a variety are so little fixed that it may 

 be sown at almost any season of the year, 

 with the hope of getting a crop in the proper 

 season for it, either of grain or green fodder. 

 It is far less sensitive than Wheat to the cold 

 of winter, while its vegetation is more rapid, 

 so that in high northern latitudes it is often a 

 more important crop. 



Secamo'ne. Altered from Squamona, the Ara- 

 bic name of S. JEgyptica. Nat. Ord. Asclepia- 

 dacece. 



A genus containing nearly thirty species of 

 climbing or decumbent shrubs, natives of 

 South Africa, India and Australia. Three 



