coo 



IIISTOHY OP THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



The rose is poculiavly liable to the attacks of 

 the plant louse (aphis rosce), a small green 

 insect, -which burrows in the leaves, and extracts 

 the juices of the plant. Sometimes tliese exist 

 in sucli myriads, as to completely destroy the 

 leaves. They commence with the first buds in 

 February, and many generations are succes- 

 sively propagated during the season. They are 

 very difficult to eradicate. Hand picking early 

 in spring, and washing the pjlants with lime 

 •water and tobacco juice, are recommended. 

 Another insect, the cynips rosm, attacks the bark 

 of many roses, especially the sweet brier and 

 Scotch rose. These insects, by burrowing in 

 the bark, cause excrescences, or rose galls, 

 similar to those found on the oak. These were 

 formerly employed in medicine, under the name 

 of bedeguar. 



All roses are not odorous. The most fragrant 

 are the common cabbage rose, the white rose, 

 and musk rose. The mode of extracting the 

 oil or attar of roses, has already been mentioned, 

 (p. 637). The sweet brier rose is remai-kable 

 for the agreeable fragrance of its leaves, which 

 becomes very perceptible after a shower. 



The Myrtle (myrtus). Natural family 

 myrtacect; ; icosandria, monogynia, of Linnseus. 

 This is a plant celebrated and esteemed since the 

 time of the ancient Greeks, who called it murtos, 

 from the perfume of its leaves. The common 

 myrtle (m. communis) , is a native of the South 

 of Europe, and has been a popular shrub in 

 English gardens from a remote period; for even 

 before the invention of green-houses, it appears 

 to have been preserved throughout our winters 

 by covering it up, or removing it within the 

 shelter of a house. It is an elegant evergreen 

 shrub, with handsome, deep green, shining leaves, 

 which, on being pressed by the fingers, emit an 

 aromatic odour. The flower is white, small, and 

 handsome. The ancients dedicated the myrtle 

 to Venus, either on account of its elegance and 

 fi-agrance, or that it grew in situations near the 

 sea, the birth place of that goddess. The blood- 

 less victors at the Olympic games were crowned 

 with wreathes of myrtle; and it was the symbol 

 of authority for magistrates at Athens. Both 

 the branches and berries were infused in wine; 

 and the latter were employed in the cookery of 

 the ancients. It was also a medicinal plant, 

 although disused in modern practice. 



There are several varieties of the common 

 myrtle; as, the broad-leaved, box-leaved, Italian, 

 Portugal, orange-leaved, rosemary-leaved. 



It is of easy culture in the green-house, or 

 even in common apartments, and is readily pro- 

 pagated by slips. In warm sheltered borders, 

 it will also thrive in the open air, but requires 

 protection in severe winters. 



There are several other species, natives of the 

 West Indies and China. 



77'e Sumach-leaved (m. coriaeea), a native of 

 liispaniola, and sometimes called the wild cin- 

 namon, is a very elegant tree, with a handsome 

 ash-coloured straight trunk, and pyramidal 

 liead. It is of slow growth and flowers late, 

 twice a year. The bark has an aromatic quality, 

 and in old trees it becomes white, and separating 

 from the trunk hangs down in shreds. The tim- 

 ber is of a red colour, very hard and fit for mill- 

 work. The berries, which are about the size of 

 peas, and possessed of a very agreeable aromatic 

 taste and odour, are used for culinary purposes. 



Jasmine. Natural fam 11}' JasmmecK/ diandria, 

 monogynia, of Linnieus. This is a genus of pretty 

 shrubs, famous for the odour of the flower. Sev- 

 eral species are natives of India, one or two of 

 the south of Europe. The common jasmine 

 has been from remotest times a great favourite 

 in gardens, the modest white starlike flower 

 contrasting well with the deep green of the stem 

 and leaves. The flowers are highly odorous, and 

 yield by distillation an essential oil, having the 

 same odour. It is not known from what country 

 it originally came, but according to Gerarde, as 

 far back as X697 it was in common use as a 

 wall-shrub, and for covering arbours. 



The Single Arabian (j. sambae), is highly 

 prized in India, where it is a native, for the 

 exquisite fragrance of the flowers. It grew in 

 Hampton Court gardens towards the end of the 

 seventeenth century, but was lost there, and 

 was known in Europe only in the garden of the 

 Grand Duke of Tuscany, at Pisa, where, accord- 

 ing to Evelyn, the plant was placed under guard 

 that no cuttings might be purloined. In 1730, 

 a plant was sent to Miller, and it is now a com- 

 mon greenhouse shi-ub in this country. The 

 Italian jasmine is also very odoriferous, and 

 plants of it are obtained ft-om Genoa along with 

 orange trees. The Hairy Indian {j. hirsutum), 

 attains the height of a tall tree, whose sweet- 

 smelling flowers open during the night and fade 

 at sunrise. All the species are easily reared and 

 propagated from cuttings, which root readily 

 under a hand-glass. The best soil is a light 

 loam with an admixture of peat. 



Privet CligustrumJ. Natural family oleince; 

 diandria, monogynia, of Linnseus. This is a 

 well known garden hedge plant, for which pur- 

 pose it is well suited from its pliancy under the 

 shears. In its cultivated state it becomes an 

 evergreen, although when found growing wild 

 in woods and hedges, it is generally deciduous. 

 Like most plants which have been long culti- 

 vated, it varies in the form of its leaves, flowers, 

 and fruit. The berries remain on the branches 

 during winter, forming elegant purple clusters, 

 and are not eaten by birds generally, unless in 

 very severe winters when nothing else can be 

 procured. The privet is a very hardy plant, and 

 will thrive in almost any soil or situation — in 



