TREATMENT OF THE JAPAN ANEMONE. 



301 



in the face of this " dismal grove of sable yew." And it is to 

 this contrast of bright rose-colour against dark green that I 

 would invite notice : it sets off the rose to the greatest advan- 

 tage, and always attracts attention, it being altogether un- 

 looked for from such a sombre subject as the yew to wear a blush 

 or other rosy hue upon its sullen face. Now, although the 

 common yew-tree be well adapted to support a climbing or other 

 rose, from its patiently enduring to be clipped or pruned into 

 any reasonable or even unreasonable form, I would prefer the 

 Irish yew, and make the head of the rose stand high enough 

 to bloom above the yew. It is the ordinary system that 

 nature follows to elevate the panicle or cluster of flowers of 

 a plant above the foliage. By 1 his combination we get rid of 

 the unsightly rose-stake, by effectually hiding it in the thick 

 foliage of the yew. and, instead of a leafless rose, with a long 

 grey switch of a stem tied to round iron or square tree all the 

 winter, we have an elegant evergreen tree, admirably suited to 

 the stiff formal lines of geometrical flower-gardens ; and surely 

 a crown of roses, if properly worn, would set oft 1 to advantage 

 the staid and sober virtues of the upright yew, neither would it 

 derogate from its dignity thus to become handmaid to the queen 

 of flowers. 



The Eobinia pseud-acacia, or Cobbett's locust-tree, having 

 beautiful pinnate foliage, will make an admirable rose-tree ; and 

 the apple and pear-trees, beautiful and rosy in themselves both 

 in flower and in fruit, in certain situations might be employed 

 with excellent effect to prop roses. 



XXXV. — On the Treatment and Propagation of the Japan 

 Anemone {Anemone Japonica). By Mr. George Gordon, 

 Superintendent of the Ornamental Department in the So- 

 ciety's Garden. 



At page 61 of the first volume of this Journal will be found, 

 amongst notices of new plants, some account of the Japan Ane- 

 mone. From want of a better acquaintance with the plant it was 

 at that time supposed to be best treated as a green-house plant. 

 It has now, however, been ascertained to be perfectly hardy un- 

 der all circumstances, and it has proved itself to be one of the 

 most desirable of herbaceous plants for autumn decoration, bloom- 

 ing as it does profusely from the middle of August to the end of 

 October. It forms quite a rival for the purple Chinese chrysan- 

 themum, its rosy purple semidouble flowers being each nearly 3 

 inches in diameter, and elevated to a height of 2 or more feet. 

 It grows freely in almost any situation, and is easily increased by 

 seed, or by dividing the old plants when in a dormant state, or 

 it may be raised from small portions of roots, if treated thus : — 



