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CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



flowers clean, and improve their quality. Of H. 

 niyer there is the common variety in which the 

 flowers come tinted with rose : niger angustifolius, 

 known also as St. Brigid's Lily, the flowers of snowy 

 whiteness, and produced with great freedom ; and 

 maximus or altifolius, the Giant-flowered Christmas 

 Rose, the flowers larger than the type, white, and 

 very free. 



The following are a few of the most distinct of 

 the genus: — atro-rubens, bright rosy-purple ; colchicus, 

 the latest to flower, the blossoms appearing in April 

 and May, the flowers of a deep rich plum-colour, 

 more or less spotted; orientalis, in variety, of which 

 there are several fine forms : one of them, oclorus 

 purpurascens, purple heavily veined with dark lines, 

 being one of the earliest to flower, and very free. 



Some amateurs find difficulty in cultivating the 

 Christmas Roses. We find that they do well in a 

 good yellow loam, on a border facing the east. They 

 need a generous soil, in which they can root freely 

 and deeply, and they should be occasionally mulched 

 with manure. For growing in pots we find niger 

 angusiifolius to be the best. Our practice is to lift 

 the plants in October, as soon as the flower-buds be- 

 gin to show themselves, placing them in pots just 

 large enough to take the balls of earth, and ram- 

 ming some soil well above them, and then placing 

 them in an ordinary green-house, where they flower 

 freely at Christmas time. But the plants flowered 

 one year should be placed in the open ground again 

 as soon as they have done blooming, and be allowed 

 to rest one winter. Thus it is well to have two 

 groups of plants, one flowering in pots, the other 

 remaining in the border and blooming in the open 

 air. 



Hemerocallis (Day Lily). — This is a bold and 

 handsome genus of hardy perennials, termed the 

 Day Lily because the flowers, which are numerously 

 produced, last so short a time. The plants form 

 large tufts of long, broad, sword-like leaves, and 

 produce clusters of Lily-like flowers ; exceedingly 

 useful for cutting, while the variegated forms make 

 fine subjects for exhibition purposes. They should 

 be planted in a shady border in good soil, and then 

 left alone, and they will be found to do well, and 

 the clumps should be allowed to remain undisturbed 

 for years. 



The following comprise the best of the family : — 

 H. fulva florepleno, flowers bronzy - yellow, very 

 large and double ; this is one of the best.. H. 



jtava, flowers golden - yellow ; very fragrant. H. 



japonica, flowers soft yellow and bronzy-orange. 

 H. Kicanso Jioreploto, another form of H. 



fulva, with large double flowers of a rich bronzy 

 colour ; and this same variety, with handsomely 



variegated foliage. They well deserve a place in 

 the garden on the margins of shrubberies, where 

 they can enjoy the shade of trees during the hottest 

 part of the day. 



Hesperis (Sweet Eoclcct, or Dames' Violet). — Hes- 

 peris is from hesperos, " the evening star," Rockets 

 being sweeter towards the evening. The name Rocket 

 is given to several different plants, the most noted of 

 which is " the London Rocket (Sisymbrium Ivio); 

 which is said to have first appeared in the metropolis 

 in the spring succeeding the Great Fire of London, 

 when young Rockets were seen every where springing 

 up among the ruins, where they increased so mar- 

 vellously that in the summer the enormous crop 

 crowding over the surface of London created the 

 greatest astonishment and wonder." But the name 

 Rocket appears to be of very ancient derivation, and 

 it is not made clear why it was originally applied. 

 Our garden Rocket is Hesperis matronalis, or the 

 Matronly HesjDeris, which has been in cultivation in 

 this country for many years. Seeds of the single 

 purple, and the single white, are sold at the seed- 

 shops, and they make charming hardy perennials, 

 flowering early, and being very fragrant. The 

 double varieties are among the choicest of our 

 hardy perennials ; they are the double purple, the 

 double French- white, the flowers of which are 

 creamy ; and the old English double white, the 

 flowers pure white, the spike of bloom dense and 

 compact, but it is somewhat scarce. 



The double varieties bloom from May until 

 August. They are a little difficult to manage, 

 especially in old gardens and confined situations ; 

 they do best in fresh soil — a good sandy loam — and 

 an open situation. And the plants should not 

 remain too long in one place ; if they do, they not 

 unfrequently dwindle away. It is recommended 

 that the plants be taken up and divided every second 

 year soon after they have done flowering, say early 

 in autumn, and be re-planted in fresh soil. Though 

 the single varieties seed freely, the double kinds do 

 not, and it is only by division that they can be 

 increased. 



The garden Rocket boasts of many old-fashioned 

 names besides those mentioned : viz. , Damask Yiolet, 

 Queen's Gilliflower, Winter Gilliflower, <5cc. 



Heuclicra. — This, genus is named after Professor 

 Heucher, a German lotanist, and represents a group 

 of hardy herbaceous perennials. They are grown 

 more for their leaves, which are very ornamental, 

 and they generally succeed well in good garden soil. 

 BZ. glabra is a North American plant, with pretty 

 leaves, that are very useful for cutting from for 

 floral decorations ; the flowers are white, and not 



