7 2 



FLORA AND SYLVA. 



where they may be very beautiful if 

 allowed to take their natural forms. 

 Nothing is finer in its way than a group 

 of Cherry Laurel 40 feet high in a wood, 

 or the Portugal Laurel also where it 

 takes tree form. But as an ugly ground- 

 work below trees, merely to be cut and 

 hacked about annually, they are worse 

 than useless. If we want a line of ever- 

 green growth beneath the line of sight 

 it is best got by using the Partridge- 

 berry, Savins in various forms, evergreen 

 Barberry, Cornish and other Heaths 

 and Furzes, which will not get above 

 the lineof sight, and will giveus a beau- 

 tiful and varied groundwork. Very often 

 where coarse evergreens are used, the 

 grasses, ferns, mosses, and various forms 

 of natural growth under the trees are 

 lost to us. 



Where we must have evergreens of 

 a higher stature for backgrounds or any 

 other reasons, it is easy to have them 

 without using Laurels. It is far wiser to 

 grow our beautiful native evergreens, 

 such as Holly or Yew, as they are better 

 in colour, berry, and form than most of 

 the exuberant evergreens like the com- 

 mon Privets and Laurels. The beauty 

 of half the country seats of Britain is 

 marred by the misuse of such things — 

 not even hardy, as both the Laurels are 

 destroyed in hard winters,even in south- 

 ern parts of the country, whereas with 

 Holly, Yew, and Box we are safe. As 

 to the best thing to do with these crowds 

 of Laurels where they abound, there is 

 no way so good as grubbing and burn- 

 ing on the spot, root and branch, scat- 

 tering the ashes over the ground and 



planting better things. One fatal ob- 

 jection to the use of these exuberant 

 evergreens is the want of light and 

 shade. Th ey are so apt to become 

 pudding-like masses, and where they 

 encroach on walks their effect is worse 

 than ever. * * % 



TRIDAX GAILLARDIOIDES* 



There are only some seven or eight 

 plants bearing this name, nor have they 

 ever attracted much notice, being for the 

 most part uninteresting members of the 

 vast family of Composites. There are, 

 however, two kinds which have recently 

 found a place in gardens — one known 

 as Tridax bicolor rosea, a pretty tender 

 annual with uncommon flowers of rose 

 and yellow; the other, Tridax gaillar- 

 dioides, forming the subject of our co- 

 loured plate. This new plant is an in- 

 troduction due to Messrs. Dammann 

 and Co., of Naples, and is said to come 

 from California, the other species being 

 mostly from Mexico. Through no fault 

 ofculture these Central American plants 

 are not always well flowered in this coun- 

 try , our climate rarely bringing their rich 

 colouring to perfection. This plant, 

 however, is said to be very free in its 

 flowers of vividly contrasted white and 

 gold, which are borne throughout the 

 summer upon stems 1 8 inches to 2 feet 

 high. It should be planted in light warm 

 soil and in an open and sunny spot, the 

 seed being sown in gentle heat, and the 

 young plants treated as other tender an- 

 nuals. The pretty contrast in colour and 

 their length of stem make the flowers 

 useful for cutting. 



With coloured plate from a drawing by H. G. Moon, at Belgrove, Queenstown. 



