298 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



Some very fine species can still be found in old 

 gardens, sucli as F. ovatus, blue ; T. barbatus and F. 

 Murray anus, scarlet; P. digitalis, wHte ; P. Jeffrey- 

 anus, blue, and otbers, wbicb are grown by lovers of 

 select hardy perennials. 



English as well as Continental raisers have done 

 good work in improving the Pentstemon. Year 

 after year new varieties have been raised until they 

 have come to 



vigoi'ous habits of 

 growth, and to produce 

 large bold trusses of 

 flower of a singularly 

 imposing character. 

 The Pentstemon can 

 be increased by means 

 of seeds and cuttings. 

 Any one with but sHght 

 conveniences can raise 

 seedlings. One requires 

 only good seed and 

 good soil, and if a 

 pot, shallow box, or 

 pan be filled with the 

 latter, and the seeds 

 sowed thinly, they will 

 soon grow, provided 

 they are kept watered 

 as required and shaded 

 from the sun. Those 

 who make a practice of 

 raising new varieties 

 of Pentstemons gener- 

 ally sow their seed in 

 heat about the month 

 of February, and when 

 the little plants are 

 large enough to handle 

 they are potted off, 

 either singly in small 

 pots, or two or thi^ee 

 plants placed roimd the 

 sides of a pot, grown 

 on into size, and then 



planted out in a well-prepared bed about the end 

 of May, or earlier if the weather be favourable. 

 If the season is favourable to their doing well, 

 the main portion of the plants will flower in Sep- 

 tember. But as every lover of hardy flowers 

 may not have heat at his command, he must pro- 

 ceed more slowly, and the best thing he can do is 

 to sow his seed in March in a cold frame, bring on 

 his plants as soon and as strong as possible ; and in 

 July or August avail himself of showery weather to 

 plant out in a bed, where the plants will stand the 

 winter and flower the following summer. The 



Pentstemon gentianoides, 



Pentstemon does well in a good sandy loam, enriched 

 with a little dimg and leaf-soil, and in it they root 

 freely and strongly, and throw up strong spikes of 

 flower. While the Pentstemon is a hardy plant, it 

 suffers from too much wet during winter, and if 

 hard frost succeeds rain, many plants wiU suffer 

 or die. Therefore it is w^ell to plant out on a dry 

 soil, but taking care the plants do not suffer for 

 want of water during 

 the summer. It is 

 also prudent to keep 

 a stock of all the 

 finest strains in store - 

 pits throughout the 

 winter. 



Some seed should be 

 saved only from the 

 best varieties, and by 

 doing this a good strain 

 can be preserved. 



The Pentstemon can 

 be increased by divi- 

 sion of the root and 

 by means of cuttings. 

 The former method is 

 seldom resorted to ; the 

 latter is that generally 

 followed. Cuttings can 

 be had in plenty at 

 the end of the sum- 

 mer from the young 

 growths put forth from 

 the main stems, and 

 if they are placed in 

 pots of sandy soil w-eU 

 drained, and kept in 

 a cold frame, they wnll 

 soon make roots and 

 form good plants the 

 following spring ; also 

 by potting the plants 

 of any good varieties 

 in autvmin, keeping 

 them in a cold frame 

 in winter, placing them in heat in spring, which in- 

 duces them to make young growths ; and from these 

 cuttings can be made that will soon root in a gentle 

 bottom heat. 



The following is a list of good named varieties 

 of Pentstemon : — 



Henry Irving. 

 Joseph Buchuer. 

 Little Frank. 



Agnes Laing. 

 Atlantide. 

 Bride -maid. 

 Candidate. 

 Diane. 



Edwarrl Tate. 

 General Nansouty. 

 H. Caunell. 



Miss Salteau. 

 Mrs. J. Allen. 

 P. Klein. 

 The Favourite 



