358 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDENING. 



upper side, and are very effective duidng the summer 

 months in the suh-tropical garden. *S'. anthro- 

 pophagorum is a rohust plant, producing large dull 

 red fruits, which are not, however, sufficiently 

 numerous to render it very ornamental ; these fruits 

 were formerly used in the cannihal festivities of the 

 Fiji Islanders. S. cillatum, again, is a very orna- 

 mental kind ; the fruits are large and bright orange- 

 red, but they do 

 not last very long 

 in beauty. S. 

 Melongena, and its 

 varieties, are re- 

 markable for their 

 large oval fruits 

 of various colours, 

 the plants being- 

 known popularly 

 as " egg-plants" ; 

 these fruits are 

 much used in 

 French cookery, 

 and are known by 

 the name of Br 'm- 

 gals. All of these, 

 however, are far 

 surpassed in 

 beauty and use- 

 fulness by the 

 improved hj^brid 

 forms of S. Cap- 

 sicastrum, which 

 are literally laden 

 with their large, 

 round or ovate, 

 bright scarlet 

 berries, that last 

 many months in 

 full beauty, and 

 may be used for 

 many decorative 

 purposes. 



*S'. Capsicastrum is easily obtained from seed, and if 

 kept growing through the season, will form handsome 

 plants the same season ; they vary much in the size 

 and shape of their berries, but when a fine variety is 

 obtained it should be propagated by cuttings in 

 order to perpetuate it; seeds of the finest berries 

 should be sown, and each season the best ones can 

 be selected for a maintenance of the fittest. Where 

 small plants are required, they should be raised from 

 cuttings or seeds every season, as the young plants 

 produce the largest fruits, and after their beauty 

 is past they may be thrown away; but if large 

 specimens are wished for, then cut the plants back 

 hard, and place in a close frame until they begin to 



ElCHARDIA 5;riII0PICA. 



push forth their young growths, then re-pot into 

 larger pots, and repeat the potting process as the 

 plants require it. 



These varieties are very easily grown. On the ap- 

 proach of autumn, some few plants should be given 

 a little heat, which will s^Deedily cause the green 

 berries to ripen and turn to the red of a soldier's 

 coat, and thus a longer succession is obtained. 



The soil they 

 thrive well in is 

 equal parts of 

 rich loam, leaf- 

 mould, and well 

 decomposed ma- 

 luire ; and when 

 the pots are toler- 

 ably well filled 

 with roots, weak 

 soot - water , may 

 be given about 

 once a w^eek with 

 much advantage. 



Sollya. — A 



small genus of 

 the order Titto- 

 sporacccc, con- 

 sisting of half- 

 climbing shrubs, 

 of dwarf growth ; 

 indeed, they make 

 very pretty ob- 

 jects upon small 

 trellises. 



Sollyas are 

 plants with simple 

 leaves and small 

 heads of blue 

 flowers ; the co- 

 lour not being- 

 very common, 

 they are usually 

 very attractive when well grown. For soil use equal 

 ]3arts of peat and loam, and about a fourth part 

 sand. They are all from Australia, and all have 

 blue flowers. 



The chief varieties are : — S. angustifolia, S. Drion- 

 mondii, S. heterophglla, and S. linearis. 



Statice. — A large family of showy plants popu- 

 larly known as " Sea-Lavender," and containing a 

 quantity of hardy species and varieties, which may 

 be reckoned amongst our most attractive border 

 plants, several being indigenous to Britain. 



The green-honse kinds are also very ornamental, 

 and maintain a rich display throughout the greater 



