316 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



many planta of great beauty, 

 valuable from an economic 

 and commercial point of 

 ■view. 



The species and varieties 

 of Myrtle in cultivation are 

 not numerous. M. com- 

 munis, which is generally 

 considered a native of the 

 South of Europe, is not 

 really so; and though now 

 so abundant throughout 

 Spain, Italy, and the South 

 of France, it has been at 

 some remote period brought 

 into these countries from 

 Persia. It is a plant with 

 shining bright green leaves, 

 which, as well as its pure 

 white flowers, are very fra- 

 grant. Then we have the 

 Double-flowered Myrtle, M. 

 communis fi. pi., the Box- 

 leavedj the Orange-leaved, 

 ^nd the Rosemary-leaved 

 Myrtle, and a very small- 

 leaved kind called Jenny 

 Reichenbaoh, which is grown 

 chiefly for forming ground- 

 work to bouquets and mixing 

 with cut flowers. 



The cultivation of Myr- 

 tles is very simple ; they 

 thrive well in a mixtm-e of 

 two parts light sandy loam 

 to one of leaf-mould, and 

 will grow in almost any 

 place. Their pretty white 

 flowers are produced natu- 

 rally during the spring and 

 summer months, but if re- 

 quired in winter the plants 

 should be placed in heat 

 some time in autumn. 



ITerium — These plants 

 are better known by the 

 name of Oleander ; the spe- 

 cies is a native of the Le- 

 vant, and is recorded, with 

 the Orange and Myrtle, to 

 be among the oldest green- 

 house plants cultivated in 

 this country, and long natu- 

 ralised in the South of 

 Europe. Althoiigh so very 



and not a few highly 



Mtbsiphylltjm. 



Nerium Oleander. 



beautiful, the whole of the plant is poisonous to man; 

 notwithstanding this, how- 

 ever, the splendid larva of 

 the Oleander Sphinx Moth 

 (Charocampa nerii) thrives 

 well upon its poisonous 

 leaves. 



These plants should be 

 propagated from cuttings in 

 spring,, and, when rooted, 

 potted singly in small pots; 

 keep them growing freely, 

 and well supplied with water, 

 and re-pot when necessary ; 

 these cuttings will flower the 

 same season. After flower- 

 ing cut them back a short 

 distance, and place them in 

 a little heat to induce a short 

 growth before wiAter; in 

 spring re-pot if necessary, 

 and encourage free growth 

 by keeping them well sup- 

 plied with water. This pro- 

 cess must be repeated each 

 season. For soil use loam, 

 peat, leaf-mould, and well- 

 decomposed manure, in equal 

 parts. 



Merium Oleander, and its 

 variety splendens, have large 

 double rose-coloured flowers 

 borne upon many-branched 

 panides, which last a long 

 time in f uU beauty, and are 

 delioiously fragrant. There 

 is also a variety called alhtm, 

 with pure white flowers. It 

 sometimes happens that 

 young shoots start out from 

 the base of the flower-stem, 

 which, if allowed to grow, 

 win entirely spoil the bloom 

 — they must, therefore, be, 

 pinched or out out as soon 

 as seen. 



Passiflora. — This genus 

 consists of grand climbing 

 plants, that are the glory of 

 the tropical and sub-tropical 

 forests of the New World, a 

 few species only being found 

 in Asia and Africa. They 

 are popularly known as 

 " Passion-flowers," from a 



