August 29, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 172 
of six to twelve, tubular, erect and oblong, soft rose colour, 
with a white neck and limb, 
E. ornata.—Thisis a superb garden hybrid. Leaves arranged 
in fours, linear obtuse, hairy at the margins, and deep green. 
Flowers arranged in terminal whorls of six to twelve: they 
are large, tubular, with an inflated base, where the colour is 
soft rose or rosy carmine passing into white, and with a pale 
green band round the neck ; segments of limb reflexed, white. 
£, lateralis —A slender-growing species, much branched. 
Leaves arranged in fours, linear obtuse, erect and dark green. 
Flowers globose, set upon long coloured footstalks, arranged 
in terminal umbels of six to twelve, and deep purple. 
£. cubica minor.—A slender, dwarf, much-branched plant 
of great beauty. Branches arranged in whorls of three to five. 
Leayes linear obtuse, arranged in fours, shining dark green. 
Flowers in whorls near the ends of all the branches, bell-shaped, 
and deep reddish purple. 
LE. Aitoniana Turnbullii—A slender-growing plant of great 
beauty. Leaves broadly linear, spreading, slightly recurved, 
dark green. Flowers an inch or more in length, in umbels of 
six to eight, tubular. Flowers white, changing to flesh colour 
or pink by exposure to the sunand air ; segments of limb large 
and spreading, white. 
EL. infundibuliformis (fig. 25).—This is a dwarf-growing and 
very elegant species. Leaves arranged in fours, linear obtuse, 
smooth, erect, and dark green. Flowers in large terminal 
whorls upon all the branches ; tubes long and slender, bright 
red ; limb white ; calyx imbricated, leafy. 
L, effusa.—This together with E. ornata are garden hybrids 
which originated with the Messrs. Rollisson & Sons of Tooting, 
and they cannot be too highly recommended, for they are of 
good habit, large flowers, fine colours, very distinct and profuse 
bloomers. In this variety the leaves are dense, linear obtuse, 
dark green. Flowers produced in large terminal whorls of six 
to twelve, large, tubular, with an inflated base ; colour wholly 
bright reddish crimson ; segments of the limb reflexed, straw 
colour. 
E. cerinthoides (fig. 26).—A strong and vigorous grower, 
although somewhat lax, and therefore requiring more support 
than many other kinds. Leaves in fours, linear oblong, acute, 
and profusely clothed with long light-coloured hairs ; whorls 
terminal, many-flowered. Flowers tubular, with a slightly con- 
tracted neck, about an inch long, hairy, bright scarlet through- 
out. In the variety coronata the leaves are shorter and more 
erect, whilst the whorl of flowers is larger and spread evenly 
round, forming a corona or crown upon the ends of the shoots. 
SUBTROPICAL BEDDING. 
THE observations I propose making on this subject were 
suggested by a transient visit to the small but admirably 
arranged grounds and houses of W. D. Hemphill, Esq., M.D., 
Oakville House, Clonmel. Now that gardeners and others 
will be speculating on what they shall have in their beds and 
grounds next year good examples of garden decoration cannot 
be otherwise than appropriate. 
Subtropical gardening I take to mean the substitution of 
bold striking foliage and beauty of form with diversity and 
brilliancy of colour during the summer months, for the un- 
varying regular lines and circles of Geraniums, Calceolarias, 
Verbenas, &c. At Oakville the entire effect is produced by 
foliage plants, and excellent it is. All love variety in garden 
embellishment, especially when the display is lasting. Foliage 
lasts longer than flowers as a general rule, and hence one great 
recommendation for subtropical plants where they can be used. 
It would evidently be useless to attempt to bed out tender 
fine-foliaged plants in an exposed situation and with a poor 
shallow soil. Given a well-sheltered aspect, deep rich soil, 
and superior taste, there can be little doubt that the following 
subtropical foliage plants will enhance the beauty of a garden. 
A trial has been given in many places in this locality to such 
plants as Caladiums, Cannas, Begonias, Aralias, Coleuses, 
Wigandias, Ricinuses, Nicotianas, New Zealand Dracenas, 
Acanthus, also Beets, Centaureas, Yuccas and Aloes, the 
numerous family of Solanums, Ormamental Gourds, Kales, 
&c. All have more or less bold, brilliant, and striking foliage, 
and some have pretty flowers too. That such plants can be 
well grown and effectively arranged on a small scale Oakville 
is an illustration. Arranged with taste in four corner beds, 
with due regard to height, colour, and effect, are Caladiums, 
Begonias, Cannas, Ricinuses, Nicotianas, Aralias, Yuccas, and 
several others, Artistically converging from a central foun- 
tain are beds of many rare and novel plants. And here I should 
specially draw attention to the desirability of a fountain when 
at all practicable where subtropical bedding is resorted to, 
Its cooling and refreshing vapour can be readily realised._— 
W. J. M., Clonmel. 
AMARYLLIS GROWING MADE EASY. 
Iy reply to a correspondent (‘““W. D. P.’”) who wants to 
know more on the above subject than is given at page 447 of 
your last volume, I have to say that I alluded to what are 
Fig. 26.—Erica cerinthoides (see opposite). 
popularly known to gardeners as Amaryllises—Hippeastrums 
I believe botanists call them. The plants named by your 
correspondent are mostly hardy and need no special culture 
beyond planting in a well-drained border, with the exception, 
perhaps, of the Guernsey Lily, and that I have never seen 
cultivated very successfully in this country. What are popu- 
larly called Amaryllises are generally grown in stoves part of 
the season and kept dry another part, all of which I tried to 
point out was wrong in principle. ; 
The best guide as to the depth a bulb ought to be in the 
soil is the position it naturally assumes while remaining healthy 
after being left two or three years without being disturbed. 
I find that my bulbs are quite on the surface of the soil, rather 
more so than an Onion is. A bulb 15 inches in circumference 
(and I have several that size) is in an ordinary 9-inch pot, and 
measures 8 inches from the surface of the soil to the top of 
the neck where the leaves are visible. One 12 inches in cir- 
cumference is in a 7-inch pot and measures 5 inches to the top 
of the neck ; but the ditierent varieties vary considerably in 
