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CHAPTER VI. 



ORNAMENTAL GRASSES. 



Of late years public taste has been turned to the ad- 

 vantageous effect of grasses in landscape gardening. 

 Ferns had the credit of first winning attention from 

 colour to form, and grasses next stepped in to con- 

 firm the preference for grace and elegance over gaudy 

 colouring. We seldom now find a velvet lawn without 

 its suitable contrast of a clump of Pampas-grass, either 

 standing as an object of solitary beauty, or grouped with 

 shrubs in a verdant background. 



This beautiful plant is now so thoroughly established 

 as a general favourite, that we offer remarks on its cul- 

 ture, culled from the ' Gardeners' Magazine/ with a full 

 confidence in their general acceptability. 



The seeds must be sown in pots, and covered very 

 lightly with sandy loam and peat. Then the pots must be 

 placed in a slight heat till the blades are well developed. 

 The young plants must next be separated, and only a 

 few put into each pot ; a cool frame is best adapted to 

 them in this stage, and they require to be well watered. 

 On being finally planted out, the place must be prepared 

 for them with plenty of mellow loam, and must be in a 



