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HISTORY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



The lime, laburnum, and fringe tree, in flower 

 towards the middle of the month; many sorts 

 of roses, andromeda, magnolia, rhododendron 

 maximum, and ponticum, azalea, &c. Of com- 

 mon shrubs, cistus, helianthemum, erica, dog- 

 wood, elder, cytisus, spirsea, lonicera. 



In the green-house, chiefly tender annuals 

 from the reserve garden, the proper inhabitants 

 being in the open garden; and there the heaths, 

 geraniums, citrus tribe, diosmse, piioteae, in great 

 beauty. In the stove, amaryllis and other 

 bulbs; also the aloe, pepper, and other succulents; 

 eugenias, epidendrums, cassia, cistrum, &c. 



The goat-sucker, or fern owl ( caprimulgus 

 Europceus), heard in the evenings of the first 

 week; it is sometimes heard as early as the 

 middle of May. Most singing birds leave off 

 singing about the end of the month. 



July. — The flowers of this month are the 

 pink, and carnation, the white martagon, and 

 the tiger lilies, the Brompton stock, larkspur, 

 lupines, and other biennials and annuals. More 

 herbaceous plants are now in flower than in any 

 other month, as chelone, delphinum, dictamnus, 

 gentiana, statice, phlox, silene, salvia, veronica, 

 saxifraga. The most showy of the aquatics, as 

 nymphsea, nuphar, villarsia, alisma, calla, stra- 

 tiotes, royosotis, polj'ganum, amphibium, are 

 now in flower; several varieties of Geoi'gina, 

 variabilis, and various alpines. The tulip tree, 

 magnolia, kalmia, andromeda, azalea, erica, rho- 

 dodendron, and other American or peat earth 

 shrubs, in flower. Among the more common 

 kinds, the roses are now in full splendour, the 

 white jasmine, honeysuckles, clematis, spar- 

 tium, gleditschia, triacanthus, cistus, lycium, 

 and a great variety of others of less note. 



The green-house is now filled with tender 

 annuals, as balsams, globe amaranthus, cox- 

 combs, ice-plants, sensitive mimosas, and pro- 

 bably with some of the stove plants. In the 

 open air, geraniums will be in great beauty, and 

 also heaths, misembryanthemum, melaleuca, 

 metrosideros, protea, and numerous others. 

 There are numerous stove plants now in flower, 

 as canna, poivrea, passiflora, nelumbium, glori- 

 osa, amaryllis, pancratium, cactus, euphorbia, 

 myrtus, ipimsea, justicia. 



Showy butterflies and moths appear in the 

 beginning, the large dragon fly towards the 

 end of the month. 



August. — The prevailing garden flowers of 

 tliis month are the holy-hocks, pyramidal bell- 

 flowers, lobelias, annual stocks, the poppies, 

 lilium canadense, and four other American spe- 

 cies. Numerous herbaceous plants are now in 

 flower that first appear in July; and various^ 

 species of aster, astrantia, helianthus, narthe- 

 cium ossifragum, and numerous others, first 

 bloom in this month. Among the aquatics may 

 be mentioned lobelia, dortmanna, calla palustris, 



and several species of potamogeton. Scarcely 

 any trees are now in bloom; but of American 

 shrubs there are various sorts, as azalea, clethra, 

 and magnolia, in perfection; and of select com- 

 mon shrubs, the hibiscus, with its numerous 

 and beautiful varieties; the rose, the honey-suckle, 

 yellow jasmine, clematis, spiraea, and dwarf 

 pa via, form a greater show in the slu-ubbery and 

 rosary than in any other month. 



The green-house the same as last month. In 

 the open air, the plants growing vigorously; but 

 except the geraniums and heaths, and some suc- 

 culents, not many species in flower. In the 

 stove, asclepias, convolvulus, pancratium, lager- 

 stroemia, passiflora, plumbago, and numerous 

 other genera, in flower. 



The robin red-breast sings about the last 

 week; and butterflies, moths, and dragon flies, 

 abound during the whole mouth. 



September. — The florist's flowers of this month 

 are the Georginas, which flower also when 

 excited by artificial heat, previously to planting 

 in the open ground in July and August; but 

 planted in the usual way, are now in perfection. 

 Among the bulbs, there are the acis autumnalis, 

 narcissus serotinus, and scilla autumnalis; the 

 China aster, in all its varieties, is now in per- 

 fection. Among the herbaceous pereimials, aster, 

 solidago, helianthus, gentiana, phlox, and aspho- 

 delus, are the chief sorts. 



Aralia spinosa, some azaleas, and kalmia, 

 Lord Macartney's rose, and another rose or two, 

 are in flower during the greater part of this 

 month. But the chief ornament of the shrub- 

 bery is the fruit of the mountain ash, viburnum, 

 crataegi, pyracantha, Siberian crabs, sorb, loni- 

 cera, apple rose, elder. The green-house plants 

 are now generally returned to their winter habi- 

 tation in course of this month; some heaths, 

 and pelargoniums, and a few other species, in 

 flowgr. There are not many stove plants in 

 flower at this season. Amarillas, passiflora, and 

 some succulents, may be mentioned. Tender 

 annuals are supplied from the forcing depart- 

 ment of the reserve gai'den, for decorating the 

 plant cabinet, conservatory, or drawing-room. 



October. The garden flowers of this month 

 are the Chinese chrysanthemums, some of the 

 hardier of which will now flower in the open 

 air, and the others under a glass case, or in the 

 green-house ; the colchicum autumnale, crocus, 

 cyclamen europeum, and sternbergia lutea ; the 

 principal herbaceous plants are aster, solidago, 

 helianthus, heliopsis, coreopsis actinomeris, 

 polymnia, gentiana, and some others. Arbutus 

 unedo is the only beautiful shrub in flower, and 

 also in fruit at this season ; gordonia, rhamnus, 

 baccharis, clematis, and the common ivy, are 

 also in flower. Any spare room in the green- 

 house is now occupied with chrj'santhemums, and 

 some g:eorginas, raised in pots and placed out of 



