186 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDENING. 



garden. The soil may be moderately rich, it must 

 be dry and warm and rather light, to grow these 

 pretty old - fashioned flowers to perfection. The 

 A. vernalis is the best species, A. Pyrenaica grows 

 rather taller, but is not so good. It, however, is 

 useful for a successor, as it seldom blooms till June 

 or even July. 



Several other species are found in botanical 

 works, and may occasionally be met with in botanic 

 gardens, such as A. Apennina, A. Davurica, and A. 

 (Siberica. The latter is as big again as vernalis, but 

 in no respect better, and the whole of the perennial 

 varieties are almost 

 the same shade of 

 colour. 



These plants are 

 not very rapidly in- 

 creased, as they only 

 ripen seeds tinder 

 very favourable con- 

 ditions, and the seed- 

 lings are several 

 seasons in growing 

 into flowering size. 

 The only other 

 method of propaga- 

 tion is by root divi- 

 sion, and the plants 

 are somewhat im- 

 patient of disturb- 

 ance. Generally, 

 the finest patches of 

 Adonis have been 

 those that have been 

 left undisturbed for 

 many years, or re- 

 ceived a top-dressing 

 of light rich compost 

 annually. The best time for applying this is in the 

 autumn, as it has thus the whole winter before it, to 

 strengthen the roots, and add to the number and 

 augment the size of the flower, which not seldom ex- 

 ceeds from two and a half to three inches in diameter. 

 This plant, like most of the Crowfoots, enjoys deep 

 root-runs, provided they are fairly dry, and hence 

 crevices in rock- work, with nests of promising soil, 

 suit the Adonis well. The hght sessile foliage also 

 harmonises with Ferns well, while the brilliant 

 golden flowers form an admirable contrast to tufts 

 of Forget-me-nots and Aubrietias. 



In addition to these perennial varieties there are 

 several annual ones. Amongst these the autiimnaUs, 

 cBstivalis, and Jlava are the best. The first is a 

 brilliant hardy annual, a native of Britain, often 

 found in corn-fields, but worthy of a place in the 

 flower-bed or border. It is of a bright crimson 



colour, and may be had in flower throughout the 

 summer and autumn, and is popularly known as the 

 Pheasant-eye Adonis. The second, one of the 

 tallest of all the Adonises, of a bright scarlet colour, 

 is a native of the South of Europe, and flowers in 

 June or July. The last is more dwarf, and is of a 

 yellow colour, and is more like the perennial species 

 Seeds of these annual species may be sown at 

 different seasons, from February to May, and thus a 

 supply of these pretty old-fashioned flowers be kept 

 up from April to November. The name Adonis is 

 said to be derived from the classical mj-th, that 



this plant sprang 

 forth from the blood 

 of Adonis when 

 wounded by the 

 boar, the allusion 

 being obviously to 

 the brilliant- 

 coloured annuals 

 and not to the yel- 

 low perennial 

 species. However, 

 the Anemone is the 

 rival of the Adonis, 

 in claiming its origin 

 from the same 

 source ; and with 

 all due respect for 

 the brilliance and 

 beauty of some of the 

 latter, they are no 

 match for the ex- 

 treme brilliancy of 

 the scarlet and other 

 Wind-flowers. Pos- 

 sibly the name was 

 derived from the 

 early flowering of the Adonis vernalis, as a spring 

 festival was held in honour of Adonis, when an- 

 image was buried with imposing rites and cere- 

 monies, perfumes were burned, and Violets and other 

 early flowers, probably Adonis vernalis, were strewn 

 over the grave. 



Iberis, or Candytuft. — Both the botanical and 

 common names of these plants are derived from the 

 countries whence they were introduced — Iberis, 

 from Iberia, the ancient name of Spain, and Candy- 

 tuft from Candia, from which I. timbellata was intro- 

 duced in 1596; and the last and most useful of all 

 the evergreen, shrubby Candytufts, /. sempervirens, 

 was brought in 1731. Though thus hailing from the 

 southern parts of Europe, most of the Candytufts are 

 sufiiciently hardy to withstand our ordinary ^\anters, 

 and they have long been among the most popular and 



Adonis vekkalis. 



