224 



CASSELL'S POPULAK GARDENING. 



in the South, of England, &c. ; in Georgia it is met 

 with 100 feet in height, with a trunk three to four 

 feet in diameter. In many places even in the South 

 of England, and certainly in most other parts of the 

 country, it is safer to treat it as a wall plant. The 

 "best variety for general cultivation is lanceolata, 

 better known as Exoniensis ; this is a more profuse 

 bloomer than the taller, larger-growing type. 



M. obovata, or, as it is sometimes called, M. pur- 

 purea, is a deciduous shrub, considerably smaller 

 than M. conspicua ; it has purplish flowers, leaves of 

 different form and texture from those of the species 

 just mentioned, and camphor-scented wood. In 

 most places in the Northern counties it would 

 require the protection of a wall. A large number of 

 garden varieties have originated, varying a good 

 deal in size and depth of colour of flowers ; the best 

 of these is Lennei, which is a stronger grower than 

 the type, with large flowers, the outside of the petals 

 being almost black at the base, and gradually 

 lightening towards the tips. A few years ago a 

 specimen at Merriott was described in The Garden as 

 being about fifteen feet in height, and as much 

 through, bearing upwards of a thousand flowers. 

 This form was discovered in Italy, and is believed 

 to be a natural hybrid between M. conspicua and M. 

 obovata. M. obovata is a native of Japan, and like 

 M. conspicua, has long been cultivated by the 

 Japanese and Chinese. 



M. stellata is one of the more recent introductions, 

 and no large specimens yet exist in this country ; it 

 seems perfectly hardy — in the South of England, at 

 any rate — and is one of the most distinct and beauti- 

 ful of all flowering shrubs. The handsome fragrant 

 flowers measure about four inches across, and the 

 numerous narrow petals are white, with an external 

 stripe of pale pink. In Central Niphon, and the 

 woods of Fusi Yama, it is said to form a small tree ; 

 in this country it makes a compact dwarf bush, and 

 flowers very freely in a small state ; it is a deciduous 

 species. 



M. umbrella (the Umbrella-tree of the Eastern 

 United States) has large, slightly-scented, white 

 flowers five to eight inches across, and large, green 

 leaves one to three feet in length. It is a striking 

 plant both on account of its flowers and leaves, and 

 one of the most distinct and desirable of deciduous 

 trees, either as a single specimen on a lawn, or as a 

 member of the mixed shrubbery. In a wild state it 

 rarely exceeds forty feet in height. 



Menispermum. — Only two species are included 

 in the genus Menispermum, which gives its name to 

 the natural order Menispermacece. One of these is 

 a native of North America, the other of Eastern 

 Temperate Asia. The former, M. Canadense, the 



Canadian Moonseed, is a pretty twiner, with stalked, 

 three to seven-angled or lobed leaves, peltate near 

 the edge, and axillary panicles of small white flowers, 

 produced in July ; these are followed, however, by 

 black fruits (covered with a fine bloom), about the 

 size of a small Sloe. 



Menziesia. — There are about seven species in 

 this genus of Heathworts, all of them natives of 

 North America or Japan. Like most of the shrubs 

 belonging to the order Ericaceae, they like peaty soil, 

 and thrive under conditions which suit Kalmias, 

 Ledums, &c. They are deciduous shrubs, with um- 

 shaped or bell-shaped flowers, and alternate, stalked, 

 obovate or elliptic, entire leaves. Some of the plants 

 formerly referred to Menziesia, and still mentioned 

 under that name in gardening periodicals, belong to 

 different genera; for instance, St. Dabeoc's Heath, 

 Dabeociu polifolia, now frequently bears the name of 

 Menziesia polifolia ; and that extremely rare British 

 evergreen, Thyllodoce taxifolia, which, as far as the 

 British Isles are concerned, is confined to the Sow of 

 Atholl, in Perthshire, is not uncommonly grown as 

 Menziesia cosrulea. 



Mespilus {Medlar). — The cultivated Medlar in its 

 different varieties is quite distinct in general aspect 

 from the truly wild Mespilus Germanica, which is a 

 small, much-branched, spinous tree, with smaller 

 fruit ; it is a native of Europe, Asia Minor, and Persia. 

 M. Smiihii, a native of the Caucasus, is a hand- 

 some small-growing tree, which bears a profusion of 

 snow-white flowers in May and June. The oblong, 

 elliptic, serrated, dark green leaves bear a consider- 

 able resemblance to those of some species of Crataegus. 

 This species is a handsome, ornamental, deciduous 

 shrub, thriving in almost any soil or situation; 

 it can be increased either by seeds, or by graft- 

 ing or budding, using the common Thorn as a 

 stock. 



Morus {Mulberry). — This genus contains, accord- 

 ing to some authors, about a dozen distinct species ; 

 others reduce this number to five. The only ones of 

 much interest as garden plants are mentioned below. 

 M. alba, the White-fruited Mulberry, is said not to 

 be hardy enough to withstand the rigours of English 

 winters, except in the southern parts of the country, 

 where, however, it forms picturesque trees some 

 twenty or thirty feet or more in height. In spite of 

 the name the fruit is very frequently of a pale red 

 colour. It is this species which is most in request 

 for feeding silkworms, and in Southern Europe and 

 elsewhere it is largely cultivated for tbat purpose. 

 The leaves of M. nigra, the common Mulberry, are 

 also used, but the silk produced by silkworms fed on 



