360 THE GARDENERS CHRONICLE. irre iy, 2 
I note it as one of the firstlings of m aitia: t the greatest drawback to its being more extensively 
this I have MT ad tie beds of haben eag which ar ‘deed co sists in Bons nae = it persists in forming A CLEARING IN THE ee 
> ing and of pige Pagid they are so as bunches qrni fibrous-roots, as opposed to OF CENTRAL AME 
to keep and grow and plant out, in comparison with | the more desiti fusitorm i siape, iat : e be | 
many other things, but they en "somewhat a otesque | induced to form. In s may | IN the midst of the great E a rest which 
, gr 
feature with their formal habit wherever planted. | not inaptly be NEST to baal pors ar era ly aa the Atlantic slope of the Central American 
wate shed is a sma clea 
The walks are of white and red gravel, the subsidiary — it is, as a matter = course, much — in 
ones being white ; and what with a nice fountain and Even the Salsify s been grown exhi- ied hacienda, mines and workshops of the 
basin, in ing with the Palace, shooting up its bited with the roots in septic bundles, ‘ainsi Chontales Mining Company. San mingo, as 
; amongst a glow of floral beauty, the whole | like the half-closed hand, with the addition of innu- this small merar is nt is situate in lat. 12° 
effect elicits many encomiums from the thousands | merable minor fibrous roots, ins in the form of | 16 N., and long, 84° 59’ W., nearly midw ween 
of visitors who are permitted to walk past when the | clean straight ones, fit for the cooking process. I | the Atlantic and. Pacific, non has been rendered more 
Temmi - refer to these latter fro me ase simple fact, that pre- than usually interesting from the fact of its having 
Poey mg the kitchen gee the serpen- | cisely similar conditions of culture are requisite to | been the headquarters and Es for upwards of 
good straight ia or spindle e-shaped r roots | four years of Thomas Belt, the author of 7) 
tine Naturalist in aiaga, and the Jocale where 
also 
ion delights in ht open rous soil, | the late Dr. Berthold Seemann made several impor- 
The age or plot, pac a lig is S grow it tant botanical discoveries, which were duly noticed at 
must, if success is to be hoped for, Pe Figg the time in the pages of the Gardeners’ Chronicle 
specially for it, =a in the following m First The accompanying fac simile of a sketch (fig. 77) 
let me remark, however, that the best site w ‘grow it | Made on the spot, and untouched since, gives some 
upon is a nin canis shad -= moist one; such, for | idea of the early days of a cae settleme ad in the 
esi t of a w $ portant i woods of Tropical A made on M I 
int in prepari e di is to place a good layer X ols about a year previous to at Belt’s iva in 
ot thoroughly ra Bis A manure from 4 to 5 inches aii 
surface, and to avoid as much as possible h The nery in the surrounding virgin ae with 
manuring the soil above this, yet at the same time | their marvellous senor = Hostel has already been 
keeping it free and open, in order that the — roots | ROticed in ar pirar iii Chronicle Ganis 17, 1874, 
may reach the manure ; because, as these remarks | P 87) to which ar Siy added the arabien ae 
would lead the reader to infer, if it be checked in its | from Mr, Belt’s : 
i e downward progress by a too tenacious soil, or if a too 
where there is about the most complete te of a richly man a red soil ex ists, the growth, e ither by being | te ae I Plains and savannahs we crossed yes 
n the country. There is none so thoroughly | arrested in he former case, or by receiving too power- ae the Atant 3 f was parched up i in the ‘dry 
well-finished that we know of, and the elevated | ful an initial growth-fo orce in the a is sure to put | tilled from th antic torest, bathed in the rams dis- 
sear is well fitted fot allenic the subsidiary ranges | out what we may term numerous ‘ maiden fibres,” Perennial rae FEE saps ‘il 15 CVEE Vercant, ad 
in proximity, vihon shutting out the influence oo. the primary intention tọ main in the fusi form th at nes in 1 e soil, perennial summer 
2 the sun from the principal ranges, It is nce destroy: on ee primary ee par a a veget 2 on luxuria ia cies ac- 
was built at consi ble cost certainly, rige it is fibres x ani “form secondary oe ‘duplicate fibres, and | the De eke bright. arid and vel pic a 
clean, -rate in every way wth of Vines e mischief g , to the entire : i 
Peaches, and the most pleasant of walks when the | loss of the fasiform shape. _ On the ms ig hand, if the Tean vr ods much less the crimsons, purples, and / 
houses are full of fruit. The back range is divide She 4 aap ere the dying foliage rivals 
into eight compartments, six of which are vineries, | through the first stratum, it will, not being able n ak sie eae era oF dolphin os Un- 
the one on either wing being a Peach-house: the | find food suitable for its Juvenile kura hurry dow j i <3 E T aR a the lovely 
centre block of two houses, each 6o feet long by | ward into the prepared and enriched artificial abel ion vera the ih te at — first gentle touch of 
"a0 wide, give scope for the production of fruit ; } stratum, and there, leaving a n lak, ‘long fusiform basis ae ing’ sf round of ever-active life weaves 
the two on each side are a little narrower and shorter, | above, will ramify and feed glattonondl sly, and go on 5 > which the : ES T OnE ONO aE 
the Peacheries are narrower noe or ser increasing amidst all the fluctuations of weather “ee be ld d e component parts exhibit in detail 
excellent crops of good u may ensue, giving itt die season its crop, and that untold variety and beauty. o the genial influence of 
ve , and all are kept in ane bahi poaiilda the most useful kind. mA -present moisture and he must ascri 
As I have indirectly suggested above, Rampion ammas ajase israel si = sei bes, 
The range immediately adjoining aly we pn is | delights in moisture, that is, a certain amount of intend our Ore: eaten a a he h a i ae = 
also a most useful one, being completely filled with moisttre con stantly existing = the soil, without sie from its neighbo ape d the : ary A oe 
plants, of which there is an ri ma Se tion. is | insuc quantity as would be likely iv sour or sodden in unsocial $ Aa ý safe t e to he 
range forms a sort of double line, with a partition cut- | Hence it may not be aeo add, that during Therefore w im y a a ng o 2 Rags 
ting up the centre = the span, running east and west. | all dry, or even moderately d ry periods, it would be | hundred feet at 2 one pata meres “rang a 
, of these h orchard-house, another a cok a to the crop to give thorough a aa domes of foli die 1 ranco, amm CHE o 
i Da o ora sates a wath eae fernery, another | waterings. b cB 2 pa irectly up to where the balmy 
-a show-house kept full of blooming plants ; another The site, or situation, eg been prepared, it will Rae na ee re Pa ae 
is used as a Melon and Cucumber-house, another asa | be advisable to make at leas see distin t site Ac ona etme Bares 
> Boise for new and vare Orr] BaD oiae he Gat aaa aoe early th a g epip = iae themselves high on the branches. 
the best of the stove plants, and another fora Heath | April, and the second some time towards the end te chant en eee 
house. Again, on either side of this block are Peach : end | cut close to the ground, as it would be dificult to do 
gain, c of May. Where the crop is valued I would suggest | so after the lart 
100 feet long, divided in the middle ei at least a third sow! i ith : a Ue AIRE were arc felled, The big timber is 
£ : td sowing, commencing with an earlier | then cut down, and in April it is set fire to. All the 
ing quant ities of good fruit ; and in front of these ar one in March, and sages. with others as above all i p 3 
a series of useful pits, heated for the purpose of cake ingati, oF i Bare tan Pasir and leaves burn well; but most of the 
serving such things as Cinerarias, bedding-out plants, | “The best way to cow the coche drill A AS OTEN Aal anr of the brea 
: and such other things as all large places stand in need A e e na. ba e nies Ps in drill-rows, Phe Indians cut down patches of the forest and 
ee of to keep f p the e constant famishing: I Sidi take aeie at s =p ow an a n about 6 inches asunder. | burn it to plant their corn, as all along the edge of it 
o aore time AR ena becata go bers erp beras = P po aen are well sae a still. mtd in ime the ag is m down, 
a name even th = ey | an e ground planted with corn, the soil contains 
e best of best of the plants i ae inhi eab | E st be oss boy De out, to about 4 or | seeds of the forest trees, which after the corn is 
re and in f i Fal 3 kaasa art. More usual care must be taken pber spring u ain, and regain possession of 
+ Soc sail a ee em are | in the obs rmance of this last operation, owing to the | the ground, so chat pg twenty retin if pop a spot is 
meee ‘that figure well in se ma ae forms small, but very dense, | let alone, it will scarcely differ from the surrounding 
= plan gm = : the gee) ges leaves requires peep forest. But it does not remain unmolested. 
plant sai kopiena separate space aroun ter two or three years it is cut down again, and a 
: mapera aaee cuhivation ern thew for their proper Canlaon Hence, if two great change takes place. The soil does not now 
a the mere y te pl — or more seedling plants are through oversight per- | contain seeds of forest trees, and in their stead a great 
a tted cupy ame site—and the tiety of weedy-looking shrubs, only found where 
d i 
oe the plants that require rea are nicely staked and aie easi ein E i i 
asily overlooked—the consequence is that neith the land h i i 
cared for ; cleanliness is the Se of the day, and the | will be able to ees a root fit for use, th aids jas to get a hold ov Ge eee a 
: houses are kepi kept Aes ur Lar Sees glazed t up to a to successful culture consist in the customary stirringor | Indian or Mestizo does not attempt to grow com 
bre indeed, 1 p h ana, which should take place fre- | there again, as he knows the grass will spoil it, and 
AE cohen he is too indolent to weed it out, Often, however, 
Rampion may be used, and indeed is Geabently the brushwood has been cut down and burnt, and 
both as a “epee! "vegetable and as a salad. | fresh crops of corn grown several times before the 
Bilis a Ms necessary to watch when the TOotë atisi grass has gai i 
r gained such an advantage that the cultivator 
eS eM stad size, and to draw them young, to be | gives up the attempt to plant Maize. There is then 
: ook a T e betwe 
mee RAION 
ITS CULTURE AND USEFULNESS: 
PERE be used as a culinary vegetable and 
as a sal: t is not nearly so frequently as, 
rom its merits, it deserv be ; but whether this is 
owing to the fact that it is not well known, or 
ot et 7i own, it is difficult to 
n is it, however, that it is grown very in- | Common with m t me e is continually encroach; get edge 
Seremi i many 3 he ore experimented with it, at dle oy. me true Rampion is Craine aa North ea Do tat cae Du y 
as my own ebservation has gome, P ha the forest, beating it back - anaty me itely 
