Spilanthes 



( 352 ) 



Spiraea 



Principal Species : 



anthelraia, 1J', Jy., st. 



ann. , purplish wh. 



Demerara Pink Boot, 

 marilandica, 6" to 18", 



Jy., hdy. per., reddish 



yel. Worm Grass, 

 Indian Pink, Maryland 

 Pink Root. 



splendens, 1J', Jy., st. 

 per. , sc. 



SPILANTHES (syn. SPILANTHUS). 



A genus of about forty species of annual or 

 perennial herbs (aril. Composite) of no garden 

 value in. this 

 country, though 

 acmella (syn. 

 oleracea) is used 

 as a salad in the 

 tropics. The 

 species have 

 yellow or white 

 flowers with a 

 yellow disc. 



SPINACH. 



This vegetable 

 (Spinacia oler- 

 acea, ord. Cheno- 

 podiacea?) is in 

 high favour in 

 many gardens, 

 its flavour being 

 quite distinct 

 from that of any 

 other green vege- 

 table. A rather 

 deep, moderately 

 rich, and well 

 cultivated soil is 

 necessary if good 

 crops are to be 

 obtained, and 

 this is especially 

 important in the 

 caseofthePrickly 

 or Winter Spin- 

 ach. Seed of this 

 should be sown 

 at any time from 

 the middle of 

 August until the 

 beginning of Sep- 

 tember. Sowings 

 may be made as 

 late as the middle 

 of September, but 

 the earlier sow- 



ings are to be 

 recommended, as 



the plants have a much better chance to become 

 well established before winter sets in. Drills 

 15" apart are best, but closer sowings can be 

 made where the ground is poor and hungry. A 

 partial thinning of the young plants may be given 

 :is they begin to crowd each other, but in no case 

 must the thinning be severe. A hard winter and 

 close picking often cause gaps if the first, thinning 

 has been close. Little attention is needed beyond 

 an occasional hoeing to keep clown weeds. As a 

 rule, it is not necessary to pick from beds of 

 winter Spinach until the autumn has well advanced, 

 but if care is exercised in the gathering of the 

 leaves, a moderate sized bed will give continuous 



Spikenard (see Nardnstarhys). 

 Sfrike/tard. Ploiujhman's (see liaecliaris). 



supplies through the winter and until late in the 

 spring, when the plants begin to run to seed, and 

 the Summer Spinach comes in. The whole crop 

 may then be dug into the ground, as it forms an 

 excellent green manure on most soils. 



The Round or Summer Spinach may be treated 

 as a catch crop, rows being worked in between 

 rows of Peas and Beans. From the first sowing 

 towards the end of February until nearly the end 

 of July sowings should be made fortnightly to keep 



up the succes- 

 sion, as Summer 

 Spinach speedily 

 runs to seed. The 

 drills need not be 

 more than 1' 

 apart. Frequent 

 hoeings, witli an 

 occasional water- 

 ing in droughty 

 .pulls, are matters 

 of routine. (Foi 

 species and var- 

 ieties, see SPIN- 

 ACIA.) 



Peron.ospora 

 effusa is the only 

 fungus that gives 

 much trouble; the 

 plants attacked 

 should be burned. 

 A few Potherb 

 moths, Noctua;, 

 and surfacecater- 

 pillars sometimes 

 work harm, but 

 not to any serious 

 extent. 



SPINACIA. 



Of the four 

 species (ord. Che- 

 nopodiace.ee) only 

 one, oleracea, the 

 Spinach, is of 

 moment. For cul- 

 tural details, see 

 SPINACH. 



Principal 

 Species and its 



H%i Varieties : 



oleracea, 2', Je., 

 Inly., grn., Ivs. 

 large and sue - 

 culent. 



- spinosa. Prickly or 

 Winter Spinach. 



(,ANESU:NS (see p. 3 J3). 



- glabra. Round 

 Summer Spinach. 



SPIRAEA. (MEADOW SWEET.) 



Description. Although the genus Spirrea (ord. 

 Rosacea 1 ) is not one of the most numerous, it is 

 one of the really valuable genera for the garden. 

 It comprises many plants of the highest types of 

 beauty for the garden, shrubbery, window, or 

 greenhouse. The greater number of the species 

 are hardy perennials of herbaceous, sub-shrubby, 



, Mniiiitniii (KIT Afriji/r.r /nil It ii fix). 

 , ll'ild (KIT ('In nopiidiiiiit Jlonus-Hunri- 

 e>ix). 



ftpint/li- TriT (SIT KIKIIII/HIIIS). 

 (fee 1 Hit). 



