July 28, 1888.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



105 



flora, which liave long towering spikes thickly 

 studded with large drooping bell-shaped flowers, 

 beautifully mottled or spotted in the throat. If seed 

 be obtained from a good type of the one last referred 

 to, much variety will be afforded, as many will 

 come of different shades of purple, and others white, 

 with rich markings, and the mixture of all these 

 together is very pleasing, the plants showing well if 

 planted on knolls. The time to sow the seed is 

 as soon as it is ripe, when it should be gathered and 

 dried, and at once scattered on ground that has 

 been made smooth on the surface ; this should then be 

 covered with fine soil, and a handlight placed over; 

 and the young plants when they appear should be 

 fully exposed to the air. As soon as large enough 

 to handle it will be necessary to prick them out in 

 rows or beds, where they may remain to grow on 

 till they are strong enough to plant out. Although 

 Foxgloves do fairly well under shade, they are 

 much finer in the open. In cases where it is desired 

 to increase any that are considered extra good, cut 

 away the spikes immediately the best bloom is over, 

 when the plants will throw out side shoots, which 

 when taken off carefully with roots, and, planted 

 and watered, will quickly become re-established, 

 J. S. 



Plants and Their Culture. 



Succulent Plants are those which have stems or 

 leaves, usually thick andfleshy, and which are eminently 

 suited to withstand long periods of drought. This 

 property renders them useful for standing in places 

 where more tender things would rapidly succumb. 

 These plants are so dissimilar to most others in 

 habit, that a fair proportion of well selected sorts 

 gives an additional character to the collection, be- 

 sides breaking the monotony, common to many other 

 plants. Moreover, they are of themselves meriting 

 of cultivation in every place where the necessary 

 accommodation can be afforded them. They are mostly 

 of easy cultivation, succeeding, where it would in 

 cases be difficult to establish other plants — such as 

 in covered corridors, balconies, where water cannot 

 be freely used. A good soaking about once or 

 twice a week being usually quite sufficient for their 

 requirements ; but in any case, however often they 

 may be watered, it is important that it should only 

 be applied when the plants are tolerably dry, and 

 then giving a thorough soaking. At all times they 

 should have as much direct sunshine as possible, 

 with a good circulation of air, giving it more or less 

 according to the temperature in which the different 

 species are growing, but it is well nigh impossible 

 to injure these plants with sun and air, provided the 

 temperature for the warmer kinds is kept up. They 

 may be potted at any convenient season, but in the 

 case of such genera as Haworthia, Gasteria, and 

 others, which are nearly annual-rooted, the sooner 

 in the season that it is done the better. The 

 soil best suited for them is a friable loam, 

 with a good sprinkling of sharp sand and 

 nearly one-fourth of the whole should be of pounded 

 brick and old mortar. Well mix the compost, and 

 in potting, firstly, remove any damaged or decayed 

 leaves (if any) round the base of the plant, so that 

 when the plant is stood in the pot the bottom leaves 

 all but lie on the rim ; the lowering of the plants in- 

 duces the production of fresh roots. Ram the soil 

 quite firmly, and especially round the sides and the 

 collar of the plants. After potting be careful not 

 to over-water. It may seem unnecessary to add 

 that the drainage should be extra good. Of the 

 score or so of genera — which go to make up the 

 bulk of succulent plants — perhaps no genus is better 

 known than the Agaves. A. americana — the so- 

 called American Aloe — with its variegated variety, 

 are two well-know plants, and nearly hardy. A. 

 americana picta is a smaller form, with the variegation 

 along the middle of the leaf, instead of at the ed"-es, 

 as in variegata ; it is a distinct and handsome 

 variety. Of more massive species, solatorum, Sal- 

 miana, and Hookeri may be mentioned ; they are all 



green, but vary considerably in the depth of colour. 

 These are noble plants for large conservatories, 

 winter gardens, and the like. Of a more accommo- 

 dating habit is A. striata, and its varieties A. stricta 

 and A. recurva; they are handsome narrow-leaved 

 sorts, somewhat similar to Bonapartea juncea. 



A. filifera, with its white filamentous edged 

 leaves and dense dwarf habit, is one of the best 

 There are several varieties of A. filifera differing in 

 the quantity and length of their filaments. A. 

 Victoria Regina is a small gem, taking many years 

 to grow to about a foot high. The general aspect 

 of the plant is similar to A. filifera, but it has no 

 threads or Aliments, and the leaves are more rigid, 

 and nicely striped with greyish-white lines. A. 

 dasylirioides, A. Kerchovei, A. xylacantha, and A. 

 lophantha, are medium growers, and distinct sorts. 



Gasferias. — Of this genus only a few are usually 

 found in gardens, of which, verrucosa, maculata, 

 acinacajifolia, and nigricans, are the best. A sunny 

 shelf in the greenhouse suits them best. The same 

 position also suits the Haworthias, of which there 

 are many beautiful species. They are all dwarf 

 plants, rarely more than a few inches high, forming 

 small dense rosettes of leaves, frequently beautifully 

 marked with pearly incrustations. Amongst the 



Fig. 11.— pucgtxia liliaceahum. (see r. 101). 



best sorts may be mentioned, margaritif'era, radula, 

 clariperla, attenuata, cuspidata, cymbiformis, Rein- 

 wardtii, retusa, tortuosa, tessellata, arachnoides, and 

 coarctata; these are best grown in small pots. 



Aloes are nearly allied to Haworthias, but, with 

 one or two exceptions, they are not so ornamental ; 

 and requiring as they do a few degrees more 

 heat, are not so accommodating. Moreover, 

 they have a larger habit, and do not nearly do so well. 

 Nevertheless, where succulents are appreciated a 

 few should be included — especially the dwarfer, 

 prettily-marked-leaved kinds, such as Saponaria 

 albociucta, Greenii, serra and tricolor. Ciliata is 

 a good flowering species, and makes a good pillar 

 plant ; frutescens also flowers well, and may be 

 trained into large bush form for placing in' the 

 conservatory in winter. There are many other 

 greenhouse succulent plan's worthy of being included, 

 such as Cotyledon arborea, Senecio pyramidalis, 

 Sempervivums, and Mesembryanthemums, some of 

 which are singular looking plants, with merely a 

 pair of connate leaves so closely applied that there 

 is only a slight elliptical opening left between them, 

 as seen in nueiforme and truncatellum. Another 

 section of them, of which M. tigrinum and felinum 

 may be instanced, with their large toothed leaves, 

 in little rosettes and solitary yellow flowers. The 

 flowering Mesembryanthemums are showy, but 

 their only opening in sunshine is against them. 



M. Cladius, however, being an exception, flowering, 

 when in season, at all times. 



Cactuses are all more or less succulent, but they 

 vary very much in character, from the tiny Mammil- 

 larias to the stately Cereuses, such as Jamacaru, 

 peruvianus, Tweedier, and many others with their 

 curiously spined, angled, or fluted, cylindrical stems 

 rising, if allowed, to a great height, while others are 

 of a trailing habit, such as grandiflorus, nycticalus 

 and MacDonaldire— which produce their immense 

 blossoms at night— there are also intermediate forms 

 more suited to smaller structures, such as Pilocereus 

 senilis, the Old Man Cactus, Melocactus communis, 

 the Turk's-cap Cactus, the various Echinocereusand 

 Echinocactus, with their curiously ribbed stems, clad 

 with numerous tufts of formidable spines, which usually 

 begets them the respect they require. These Cactuses 

 are benefited by having a few degrees more heat 

 when making their growth than is usual in winter 

 gardens and conservatories ; but if they are not 

 required to grow much they will do very well in 

 sunny corners of such structures, of course taking 

 care that they are not over-watered, as this will cause 

 decay sooner than a low temperature. For flowering 

 none surpass the old flat leaf-like stemmed (Phyl- 

 locactus) sorts, such as Jenkinsonii and anguliger. 

 Their flowers are not so large as some of the Cereuses, 

 but they make up for this in quantity and in the 

 time they last in flower. They are all propagated 

 readily from offsets or cuttings, which are best put 

 in a warm sand-bed ; they soon root, and may then 

 be potted up in the compost already recommended. 

 Never shade them, and, unless when making growth, 

 always water sparingly. They are easiest managed 

 when a part of a house can be devoted to them. 

 Many Euphorbias are very similar to the Cereuses 

 both in appearance and treatment. F. Ituss, Blch-h- 

 mtjlty. 



The Hardy Fruit Garden. 



Strawberries. — As soon as the fruit is gathered, 

 the plants which are to remain for another season 

 should have the runners trimmed off', and the mulch- 

 ing cleared away. The plants should then have 

 some of the older and the useless leaves cut away, 

 which will encourage the production of fresh growth, 

 the plants becoming furnished with good healthy 

 foliage again before winter, ensuring stronger crowns 

 than would be the case if the plants were left un- 

 trimmed. I am no advocate for the removal of the 

 whole of the foliage after the plants have done bear- 

 ing, as I think it tends to weaken the crowns. The 

 late varieties should have all the runners not re- 

 quired for layering taken off. 



Bothering &ncit— The weather of late has been 

 the worst possible for this purpose, and where large 

 quantities of fruit are required for preserving pur- 

 poses, it is a difficult matter to catch them in a dry 

 condition. The only way to meet the difficulty is, 

 when a favourable day does occur, to put on all handsi 

 and get the fruit gathered quickly. Here we are 

 gathering Currants of sorts and spreading them out 

 in the vineries to dry, as another week's wet weather 

 would have spoiled half the crop. Red Currants for 

 jelly making should be gathered as soon as the 

 berries are just nicely coloured, and before they 

 become deep red. Kentish Cherries will now need 

 close watching, for to have them in a fit condition 

 for bottling they require to be gathered just at a 

 certain stage. The best way to ascertain when they 

 are ready is to take a fruit or two, and while holding 

 the fruit in the left hand, pull the stalk with the 

 right, and if it comes away easily, with the stone 

 attached, the sooner they are gathered the better. 



Strawberries for bottling whole must be gathered 

 while firm, which is before they are fully ripe, other- 

 wise they will not keep. The Oxonian" is one of the 

 best varieties for this purpose. 



Grafted Trees.— These had better be looked to, 

 and if the scions are growing well the bindings may 

 be removed entirely, taking care that on trees in the 

 open the young shoots from the grafts are properly- 

 secured against damage by wind, and if the scioDS 

 have made about 3 feet of"growth the points should 

 be pinched out. 



Wall trees should have young shoots properly 

 trained to fill their respective positions, and all the 

 laterals pinched in to one or two buds, taking out 

 the points of the shoots when they have made about 

 o feet of growth. 



Cordon trees may be allowed to grow as much as 

 they will, merely keeping the laterals pinched. A. 

 Ward, Stoke Edith Park, Hereford. 



