Subtropical Gardening. 13 



potatoes. A bed of Cannas, protected by a coating of litter, was 

 left out in Battersea Park through the severe winter of 1866-7. 

 During the unfavourable summer of 1867 they attained a height of 

 nearly twelve feet. 



THE DRACAENAS. Long as this noble family have been known 

 in our gardens we have yet to learn a great deal about its use and 

 beauty. Hitherto allowed to grace a stove or conservatory now 

 and then, for the future Dracaenas will be among the most indis- 

 pensable ornaments of every garden where grace or variety is 

 sought. They are among the very best of those subjects which 

 may be brought from the conservatory or greenhouses in early 

 summer, and be placed in the flower garden till it is time to take 

 them in again to the houses, where we protect them through the 

 winter. And if it were not necessary to protect them through the 

 winter it would be almost worth our while to bring them indoors at 

 that season, so graceful are they, and so useful for adding the 

 highest beauty to our conservatories. One well filled with such 

 plants presents a very different appearance to what most English 

 plant-houses do in winter. The hardier and most coriaceous kinds, 

 like indivisa and Draco, may be placed out with impunity very far 

 north. The brightly coloured kinds, like terminalis, have been 

 tried in the open air at Battersea, but not with success. It would 

 be dangerous to try them in the open air much further north, 

 except in very favourable spots. The better kinds are indicated in 

 the select list of subtropical plants. I have seen D. indivisa grow 

 well in the open air in the south of England. 



ECHEVERIA METALLICA. This is scarcely elevated enough to 

 be suitable for association with such plants as the foregoing, but it 

 is so very distinct in aspect, and has been proved to grow so well in 

 the open air during the past two unfavourable seasons, that we 

 must not pass it by. I purposely exclude from this selection many 

 things sometimes included in lists of "subtropical" plants, but 

 which may be classed most properly with bedding subjects. But 



