AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



413 



SHR 



front line should be restricted to those 

 plants that habitually remain compact and 

 do not grow tall, while the back p,rt may be 

 filled with such specimens as are of an oppo- 

 site description. Overcrowding is especially 

 to be avoided, but in planting a new shrub- 

 bery a large number of duplicates may be 

 inserted, which should be transplanted in a 

 year or two, as the permanent specimens re- 

 quire additional space. Constant attention, 

 by judicious pruning, is necessary to prevent 

 strong-growing plants from overgrowing and 

 crowding their neighbors. Summer pruning 

 is of great assistance here ; all those shrubs 

 that flower on the wood made the previous 

 year, such as Forsythias, Spiraeas, Deutzias, 

 Weigelias, etc., ought to be pruned back im- 

 mediately after flowering; the young wood 

 thus produced will develop for the succeeding 

 year, and the plant will not be materially en- 

 larged in comparison with an unpruned speci- 

 men. Many ornamental evergreen shrubs, 

 grown principally for their foliage, may be 

 pruned more or less extensively, according to 

 the position they occupy or the purpose for 

 which they are grown. Pruning should 

 always be done, where practicable, with a 

 knife, or pruning shears, thus leaving the 

 subject in good shape without cutting the 

 foliage or injuring the branches that are left. 

 Clipping with shears is inadmissible, except 

 where the shrubs are planted for a hedge, a 

 purpose for which Altheas, Privet, Lilacs, 

 Osage, Orange, etc., are often employed. 



Shrubby Trefoil. See Ptelea. 



Siberian Crab. See Pyrus prunifolia. 



Siberian Pea- Tree. See Caragana. 



Sibtho'rpia. Named after Dr. Humphrey Sib- 

 thorp, formerly Professor of Botany at Oxford. 

 Nat. Ord. Scrophulariacece. 



A genus of trailing, herbaceous plants, na- 

 tives of South America, Europe and Africa. 

 A few of the species are under cultivation. 

 S. Europcea is a very pretty low-growing spe- 

 cies, with yellow flowers and dark green 

 foliage. It is a good plant for the shady bor- 

 der or for pot culture. The pot being sus- 

 pended, it will droop all around it to a distance 

 of three feet. There is a beautiful variety 

 with variegated foliage, but it is more diffi- 

 cult to grow. Disandra prostrata is placed 

 under this genus by some botanists, under 

 the name of S. peregrina. 



Sickle-pod. The popular name of Arabia Cana- 

 densis. 



Sickle-wort. A common name for Prunella 

 vulgaris. 



Si'cyos. Star Cucumber. An old Greek name 

 for the Cucumber. Nat. Ord. Cucurbttacece. 



A genus of nearly a dozen half-hardy, climb- 

 ing, annual herbs, natives of the warmer parts 

 of America, the Pacific Islands and Australia. 

 S. angulata, commonly called Wild Cucumber, 

 is common on river banks, and is a weed in 

 waste places and damp yards. 



Si'da. Indian Mallow. An extensive genus of 

 Malvaceae, comprising herbs and shrubs, na- 

 tives of the tropical and sub-tropical zones 

 both of the Eastern and Western Hemi- 

 spheres. Many of the species are used medici- 

 nally, and the bark of several contains an 

 abundance of fibrous tissue, available for 

 cordage, etc. The Chinese cultivate S. tilice- 



SIL 



folia for the sake of its fibre, which they pre- 

 fer to hemp. Many species, formerly included 

 here, are now classed under Abutilon, which 

 see. 



Sida'lcea. From Sida and Alkea, an ancient 

 Greek name lor some Malva ; alluding to the 

 appearance and alliances of the plants. Nat. 

 Ord. Malvaceae. 



A genus of hardy, mostly perennial herbs, 

 with the habit of Malva or Althea, natives of 

 western North America. They are coarse- 

 growing plants, and only S. malvceflora, S. 

 Oregana and S. acerifolia are in cultivation. 



Sideri'tis. Iron-wort. From aideros, iron ; so 

 named on account of a supposed property of 

 healing flesh wounds inflicted by iron. Nat. 

 Ord. Labiatce. 



A genus of nearly fifty species of hardy or 

 half-hardy, often woolly, herbs or shrubs, na- 

 tives of the Mediterranean region and the 

 Canary Islands. Many of the species are use- 

 ful for ornamenting the rock-garden or rock- 

 work. 



Sidero'xylon. From sideros, iron, and xylon, 

 wood ; alluding to the very hard wood fur- 

 nished by the various species. Nat. Ord. Sa- 

 potacece. 



A genus of nearly sixty species of stove or 

 green-house shrubs, natives of Africa, Aus- 

 tralia and New Zealand. The fruits of S. 

 dulcificum have a vry sweet taste, and are 

 known, with others in western Africa, under 

 the name of Miraculous Berry. Trie various 

 species introduced are of little horticultural 

 value. 



Side-saddle Flower. See Sarracenia. 



Sieve'rsia. Named after M. Sievers, a Russian 

 botanical collector. Nat. Ord. Rosacece^ 



A small genus of hardy, herbaceous peren- 

 nials, closely allied to Geum. The species 

 from Austria and Switzerland have large yel- 

 low, solitary flowers and are quite handsome. 

 They are propagated by division. 



Sigmoid. Somewhat resembling in form the 

 letter S. 



Sil'ene. Catchfly. From aialon, saliva; in al- 

 lusion to the viscid moisture on the stalks of 

 many of the species, by which the smaller 

 kinds of flies are entrapped ; and hence the 

 common name of the genus, Catchfly. Nat. 

 Ord. Caryophyllacece. 



A very large genus, mostly natives of south- 

 ern Europe, North Africa and extra tropical 

 Asia, containing many plants of much beauty. 

 It numbers above a hundred and fifty species, 

 which are chiefly hardy, herbaceous plants, or 

 annuals of the same character. The latter, 

 however, contain many which are mere weeds. 

 Red, of various shades, is the prevailing color 

 of the flowers, though both white and purple 

 are found in it. S. viscosa is a popular bi- 

 ennial, frequently grown for the backs of large 

 borders, and the old Lobel's Catchfly (S. ar- 

 merid) is still occasionally met with. S. 

 Schafta combines every good quality to be 

 desired in border flowers, being hardy, herba- 

 ceous, trailing closely to the ground, and 

 bearing a profusion of crimson red flowers. 

 It is easy to grow either as a pot plant or in 

 the open ground, and will, doubtless, occupy 

 a prominent place when better known. The 

 shrubby species of this genus are easily in- 

 creased by cuttings ; and, though hardy enough 



