312 PLANT CULTURE 



be pruned only after they are done flowering, as the flowers are pro- 

 duced directly on the wood made the preceding Summer. 



Propagation. No shrubs are easier to increase. All that is 

 necessary is to cut the previous season's growths into lengths of 

 8 or 10 inches and heel them in deeply in a protected piece of 

 ground, covering during hard weather with leaves or loose litter. 

 November is the month for this operation. The cuttings will also 

 root in a very short time, if put in moderate heat in March. 



GORDONIA (Loblolly Bay). These plants thrive in the 

 District of Columbia when given a deep, sandy soil and well supplied 

 with moisture. They produce their large, Camelha like flowers 

 from July till frost. G. alalamaha (puhescens) and G. Lasianlhiis are 

 the species grown. The last named has pure white flowers, about 

 4 inches in diameter. 



Propagation. They are propagated by layering, allowing the 

 layers to be well rooted before removing. 



HALESIA (Snowdrop Tree). These shrubs, or small trees, 

 are in full flower before the leaves are fully developed. In this 

 section H. Meehani forms a very symmetrical, small sized tree, 

 H. diptera and H. raroUna {tetraplera) differ from each other in 

 the number of wings to the fruit. 



Propagation. All of the kinds are raised from seeds, which 

 sometimes remain in the ground over a year before germinating. 

 Seedlings of //. Carolina are used as stocks for the beautiful flowered 

 Japanese Styrax. 



HIBISCUS (Shrubby Althaea. Rose of Sharon). A decidu- 

 ous shrub of easy culture, H. syriacus, needs very little attention 

 after being planted beyond an occasional thinning out of the 

 branches. Most of the numerous varieties are very neat and com- 

 pact, growing from s to 1 2 feet in height. They bloom late in the 

 season when most of the other shrubs are out of flower. H. s. totus- 

 albtis is a useful single white variety and flowers when very small. 

 H. s. camellicEfloriis is double white, with pink throat. H. s. Boule 

 de Fell, double, violet colored flowers. Other good double-flowered 

 forms are H. s. Lcopoldii flore plow, H. s. rubra pleno, H. s. purpurea 

 flore plena and H. s. Jeanne d'Arc. 



Propagation. The double flowered varieties root easily from 

 cuttings of the dormant wood, in early Spring, or from green wood 

 in Summer. The cuttings from the ripened wood should be made 



