206 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



summit dense heads of grass-like leaves, which are 

 several feet in length ; the flower-spike springs from 

 the centre, and rises from ten to fifteen feet high, 

 resembling a gigantic Bull-rush [Typha). Stems of 

 these plants must be of great age, as they have been 

 cultivated for upwards of thirty years without the 

 slightest sign of a stem appearing. Pot in loam, 

 peat, and sand, in about equal parts. Stove. 



X. arborea — leaves several 

 feet long, triangular, and 

 glaucous. 



X. Australis — leaves plain, 

 and sword-shaped. 



X. bracteata — this does 

 not form an arborescent 

 stem ; leaves triangular. 



X. hastilis — stem short, 



leaves sword-shaped, glau- 

 cous. 



X. minor — this, the smallest 

 species, is quite stemless, 

 leaves triangular. 



X. quadrangularis — this, 

 and arborea, are the 

 tallest of the known spe- 

 cies. 



Zamia. — A genus of Cycadacecc, having much the 

 appearance of Cycas, and requiring the same treat- 

 ment. Stove. 



Z. calocoma — stem slender, 

 leaves pinnate, base enve- 

 loped in woolly hairs, 

 leaflets closely set, about 

 ten inches long ; deep 

 green above, paler below. 

 Tropical America. 



Z. crassifolia — stem stout, 

 leaves erect, leaflets dense, 

 upwards of two inches 

 long, petioles clothed with 

 a white tomentum. 



Z. debilis — a dwarf species, 

 leaves about two feet long, 

 leaflets some four or more 

 inches long ; deep greeu. 

 West Indies. 



Z. eriolepis — >tem slender, 

 petioles spiny, leaflets also 

 slightly spiny ; bright 

 green. 



Z. Fischeri — stem very 

 short, whole plant smooth, 

 thiu in texture, and deep 

 green. Tropical America. 



Z. furfuracea — a small- 

 growing plant with a short 

 stem and loug arching 

 leaves, leaflets serrate at 

 the edges. West Indies. 



Z. integrifolia— stem slen- 

 der, leaves some three feet 

 long ; deep greeu a^ove, 

 paler beneath. W. Indies 



Z. Lindenii — a bold and 

 handsome species, si em 

 stout, leaves six feet long, 



leaflets dense, and bril- 

 liant green. 



Z. Migueli — stem stout, 

 leaves spirally twisted, 

 leaflets long and narrow ; 

 bright green, the base of 

 each being ivory - white, 

 thus forming a broadband 

 of white down the centre 

 of the leaf. Queensland. 



Z. Eoezlii— a very distinct 

 aud handsome species, 

 leaves upwards of six feet 

 long, leaflets broad and 

 falcate, curiously fur- 

 rowed ; when young the 

 leaves are suffused with 

 violet, changing with age 

 to a beautiful polished 

 green. 



Z. Skinneri — stem slender, 

 leaves about three feet in 

 length, petioles armed 

 with short spines, leaflets 

 large and coriaceous, ellip- 

 tical ob ovate, much fur- 

 rowed, and bright shining 

 green. Panama. 



Z. Wallisi— leaves about six 

 feet in length, leaflets very 

 large, in many instances 

 being upwards of eighteen 

 inches long and six wide, 

 very thick aud leathery in 

 texture, much furrowed ; 

 bright green. New Gre- 

 nada. 



THE HAEDY FRUIT GARDEN. 



Br D. T. Fish, assisted by William Carmichael. 



THE APRICOT. 



BUT little is absolutely known in regard to-the 

 native country, or date of introduction into 

 Europe, of this favourite fruit. It was assuredly cul- 

 tivated in Europe, and in England, at a very early 

 period, though neither its semi -tender character, 



nor the mode of its cultivation, was understood for 

 many years afterwards. Possibly, however, the 

 ancient horticulturists were more fascinated by its 

 early flowering, which its name — Apricoke, as it 

 used to be spelt — implies. The Apricot, while flower- 

 ing earlier, can hardly be said to be any hardier 

 than the Peach, and hence its blossoms are even 

 more frequently blackened by spring frosts. Unless, 

 therefore, in the most favourable localities, Apricots 

 can only be successfully cultivated on south or west 

 walls, and all the protective expedients recommended 

 for the Peach on the open walls are equally, or 

 more, necessary to command regular and full crops 

 of Apricots. 



The fruit, when well ripened, is among the most 

 pleasing, luscious, and wholesome of all stone fruit, 

 and there is no country that can grow such luscious 

 Apricots as Great Britain. Those grown in France, 

 Italy, and Spain, or even under glass in orchard 

 or other houses in this country, are by no means 

 equal in flavour to those gathered from our open 

 walls. 



Propagation is by seeds and budding. It may 



also be propagated by grafting, but as this method 

 favours gumming, to which the Apricot is rather 

 subject, it should not be adopted. Where Apricots 

 are subject to gumming, or branch-perishing, the 

 raising of the trees from seed is the best method 

 of propagation. The proportion of fine varieties 

 from seeds justifies the cultivator in adopting this 

 mode of raising the trees. 



Budding of Apricots on Apricot Stocks. 



— By adopting this sensible mode of culture the 

 evils of incongruity between scion and stock are 

 reduced to a minimum. The stones may be sown in 

 the open ground so soon as ripe, say in September, 

 or kept, either in a dry state or interlay eied with 

 earth, till February. Sow in drills a foot apart, 

 and covered with four inches of soil. If sown in 

 nursery beds, or lines, they may remain one, or at 

 most two, seasons in the seed-bed, according to the 

 growth made. Such seeds should be sown thinly 

 to give the plants a vigorous start at once. In 

 lining out, a yard between the rows, and a foot from 

 plant to plant, are useful distances. 



Budding does not differ from that of Peaches, 

 Plums, or Eoses, except in earliness. The Apricot 

 being an early tree, the stock, or buds, will mostly 

 be fit for budding early in June. For dwarfs a foot, 

 or even less, from the ground will be found a suitable 

 place for budding. For rider trees any height from 

 two feet to four may be chosen. Only one bud 

 is used, as a rule, but two, or even three, may be 

 inserted if preferred. 



