108 



THE FLOWEB GrAEDE2T. 



simply Frutex in popular gardening language. — A hardy 

 shrub, requiring, however, a longer and hotter summer 

 than our own, producing abundance of mallow-like flowers 

 from August till cold weather sets in, in single and semi- 

 double varieties, in various shades and combinations of 

 white, pink, crimson, and purple. In Lombardy, hedges 

 are made of the Shrubby Althaea, which are gay with a 

 long succession of bloom. In England, it would be 

 worth while to forward the handsomest kinds in tubs in 

 a greenhouse, to be placed in the pleasure-ground at 

 midsummer, as Orange-trees and Pomegranates are in the 

 Parisian gardens. The Althaea f rut ex grows slowly, and 

 lives to a considerable age : good loamy soil suits it best. 

 Sow the seeds in boxes, or in a frame, in spring ; prick 

 out the young plants in separate pots, and keep them in 

 the greenhouse in winter, for the first two or three years. 

 Pavourite kinds may be continued and multiplied by 

 grafting. The plants are also made to serve as stocks 

 to receive scions of the very beautiful Chinese Hibis- 

 cuses, which, however, appertain to the greenhouse and 

 the hothouse. The affinity between the Althaeas and the 

 Hibiscuses is so close, that a few of the latter, somewhat 

 more hardy, may be mentioned here. They are remark- 

 able for their vigorous habit of growth, and their large 

 flowers, which make a fine show in September. They 

 like a light, rich, deep soil, a rather shady situation, and 

 require to be mulched and protected with litter over the 

 crown of their root in frosty weather. They rarely ripen 

 their seed, and do not bear root-division well, but must 

 be raised from imported seed, H. pahistris, Marsh H., 

 from North America, should be abundantly watered in 

 summer. II roseus, Eosy H., a native of the marshes 

 of the Landes of Prance. H. militarise with deep-red 

 flowers, from North America. S. speciosus, from Caro- 

 lina, is safest in a greenhouse during winter. The above 

 succeed against a wall in maritime or insular situations^ 

 like Ireland or Cornwall. 



American Allspice — Colicanthus fioridus — A mis- 

 nomer, in respect to the English name, which is betrayed 



