452 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



Japanese Palm. It imparts quite a tropical aspect to the garden, 

 and is noble on the lawn. 



Ulex (Furze, or Gorse). — For planting in masses in pleasure- 

 grounds and embellishing dry, gravelly banks and similar places, 

 Ulex europceus, an attractive free-flowering native shrub, is well 

 adapted. Its rich yellow flowers appear in spring and last long in 

 condition. When left to itself it is apt to get leggy, but if cut 

 down breaks away freely from the bottom. The double-flowered 

 form i^fiore-phfio) is a decided improvement on the type. It is 

 quite as hardy, more compact in habit, and seems always in 

 flower, and, for general planting, is to be preferred to the first- 

 named ; in fact, it is the showiest member of the genus. 

 U. e. strictiis (Irish Furze) is of erect, slender growth, and bears 

 small deep yellow flowers. U. nanus should be included because 

 of its neat dwarf habit and lateness in blossoming. It begins to 

 flower about midsummer, and continues until the end of 

 November, thus prolonging the flowering time for several months. 

 As Gorse are only sparsely provided with roots they are by no 

 means easy to transplant, for which reason they should be 

 planted in their permanent positions in a young state. They 

 are readily increased by seed, but the double-flowered variety 

 should be propagated by cuttings, which may be taken off in 

 August with a heel of the old wood attached, and dibbled in 

 light soil on a north border and covered with hand-lights. They 

 should be watered overhead occasionally and shaded from the 

 sun. When rooted, they should be potted off singly and grown 

 on in pots until ready for planting out in their flowering 

 quarters. 



Vaccinium Vitis-Id^a (Mount Ida Whortleberry) is a fairly 

 well-known plant, indigenous to the British Isles and the Northern 

 parts of Europe. It forms a neat carpet, dense in growth, and 

 rarely exceeds loin. in height, with small, deep glossy green, 

 Box-like leaves, and in April and May bears drooping, terminal 

 racemes of pale pink bell-shaped flowers. It is very effective in 

 September, when laden with bright red berries, which are often 

 employed for culinary purposes, and much relished by some people. 

 V. V.-I. major is distinct, ornamental, and of taller growth than 

 the type. V. crassifoliian ( V. carnosuni), the thick-leaved Whortle- 

 berry introduced from North Carolina upwards of loo years 

 ago, is of trailing habit, and bears axillary clusters of small bell- 

 shaped flowers profusely in June. V. Myrsi?iites ( V. nitidum 

 decumbens), another dwarf-growing sort, deserves mention, as it 

 produces its pale rose-coloured flowers in axillary clusters with 

 much freedom. V. ovatum ( V. prunifolium) forms an erect, 

 much-branched shrub, 3ft. to 5ft. high, with small deep green 

 Pernettya-like leaves, and bears terminal and axillary racemes 

 of flesh-coloured pendulous flowers in May and June. It is a 



