PRU V NUS. 



235 



pte'ris. 



leaves over the root, and covering 

 them with a thatching of straw at- 

 tached to the trunk of the tree, and 

 sloping off widely at the base. Other 

 coverings made of straw or rushes 

 plaited and sewed together, or of osiers 

 twisted like basket-work, may be used 

 for smaller plants. One of these may 

 be a kind of hurdle to protect plants 

 against a wall ; others may be used 

 to put round the stems of young 

 trees, and to cover tree peonies, 

 and other tall shrubs, with an open- 

 ing on the side next the sun to 

 admit the air and prevent damp ; and 

 others are small beehive-like ^covers 

 for protecting Geraniums or other 

 greenhouse-plants in the borders. 



Prune'lla. — - Labiates. — Herba- 

 ceous plants with showy flowers, na- 

 tives of Europe and North America, 

 which are well adapted for rockwork 

 or geometrical flower-gardens. They 

 should be grown in light rich soil ; and 

 they are increased by dividing the root. 



Pruning ornamental trees and 

 shrubs is seldom practised to much 

 extent ; as all that is required is to 

 cut out the dead wood and to prevent 

 the shoots from growing out of shape. 

 To do this effectually, every lady ought 

 to be provided with a pair of pruning- 

 shears, (see Instruments) so con- 

 trived as to make what is called 

 a draw-cut, and thus not to bruise 

 the wood or the bark so as to pre- 

 vent its uniting again smoothly. The 

 cut should also be made slanting 

 to a bud, so as as not to leave a piece 

 of dead wood projecting beyond the 

 young shoot, which has always a very 

 bad effect. Much of the beauty of a 

 flower-garden depends on removing 

 the dead roses and other flowers as 

 soon as they fade, and also all the 

 dead or broken branches; but this is a 

 point of culture which is very rarely 

 properly attended to. 



Pru-nus. — Rosacea. — The Plum. 

 Though the common Plum tree ranks 



among fruit-trees, and as such is not 

 entitled to a place in the present work, 

 yet there are many species of Prunus 

 which may be considered as some of 

 our most ornamental shrubs. Among 

 these are P. cdndicans, with woolly 

 leaves and long clusters of white 

 flowers ; P. cocomzlla, a native of 

 Italy ; P. maritima, with white flow- 

 ers and dark-blue fruit ; and P. diva- 

 riedta, with white flowers and yellow 

 fruit. There are many other orna- 

 mental shrubs which are called Pru- 

 nus in the nurseries, but which bo- 

 tanists now class in the genus Ce'ra* 

 sus. Among these are the Mahaleb 

 or Perfumed Cherry, formerly called 

 Prunus MaMleb ; and the Bird 

 Cherry, which Linnaeus called Pru- 

 nus Pddus. All the kinds of Prunus 

 are quite hardy, and will grow in any 

 common soil. 



Psi'dium. — Myrtacece. — The 

 Guava. Tropical shrubs which are 

 generally grown in a stove in Eng- 

 land, but one kiud of which, Cat- 

 tley'3 Guava, will ripen fruit in a 

 greenhouse. In the West Indies the 

 fruit is used for making the well- 

 known Guava jelly. All the kinds 

 should be grown in loam and peat, 

 and they are all propagated by layers. 



Psora'lea. — Leguminosce. — . 

 Shrubby and herbaceous plants of 

 easy culture, some of which require 

 a greenhouse in England. They grow 

 freely in loam and peat, and are pro- 

 pagated by seeds or cuttings. Most 

 of the species are natives of the Cape 

 of Good Hope. 



Pte'lea. — Terebinthacece. —Ame- 

 rican shrubs, quite hardy in British 

 gardens, and ornamental for the fine 

 yellow which their leaves take in 

 autumn. They will grow in any 

 garden soil, and they are multiplied 

 by cuttings and layers. 



Pte^ris. — Filices. — Brake. A 

 very ornamental kind of fern. For 

 the culture, see Polypo v dium. 



