35* 



FLORA AND SYLVA. 



at the foot of high walls through failure 

 of the lower boughs of tall creepers. In 

 such a nook it makes a very pretty ob- 



ject 



but should be started with a clear 



root-run (best secured by sinking a 

 bottomless tub) , which isalso of import- 

 ance when planted out to ramble over 

 rockwork. Upon rocks it is best with a 

 groundwork of some hardy evergreen, 

 such as one of the neat, creeping Ivies. 



Though so near the Berber is group 

 as sometimes to be called the Coral Bar- 

 berry, this plant is classed apart in a 

 genus of which it is the only representa- 

 tive. Good seed is sometimes produced 

 in warm seasons when free growth is 

 made, and in this way young plants may 

 be raised. It is also increased from cut- 

 tings of the soft shoots put in sandy soil 

 in spring, or from layers of ripened wood 

 laid down in the autumn. B. 



PRETTY WILD GARDEN 

 EFFECTS. 



These sometimes come in their own way and 

 surprise us by their unsought beauty. Mr. T. 

 Smith, of Newry, gives an instance or two : — 

 " Nature often steps in and tells us what to do 

 in the matter of plant grouping. This occurred 

 forcibly tome lately when noticinga spreading 

 mass of Rosa polyantha, 30 feet or so across, not 

 a close dense mass, but thin in places in which 

 Mulgedium Plumieri had planted itself. The 

 effect of the pale blue of this rambling herba- 

 ceous plant standing amongst the Roses was 

 very soft and charming. In another and damper 

 spot Sidalcea Candida was a mass amongst which 

 the Mulgedium had introduceditself with the 

 best effect. These are plants which can fight 

 the natr.ral herbage and take care of themselves. 

 Again, a mass of Spircea Jilipendu/a plena, with 

 a backing of Campanula grandis alba and Lilium 

 Martagon album interspersed is good ; a rather 

 wild-spreading mass of Campanula venusta (the 

 earliest of xhtrotundifolia group) in which some 

 plants of Papaver pilosum have introduced 



themselves is very good also. A big mass of 

 Euphorbia lucida, which has got into Alstrce- 

 meria aurantiaca, is showy and very lasting." 

 And there is no end to the happy combina- 

 tions that come in this way by design or by 

 chance. Even the grass and weedslend a charm 

 to vigorous herbs like the Day Lilies, which 

 look stiff in the garden borders, and are so vigor- 

 ous that no grass or other herbage interferes 

 with them; on the other hand the flowering 

 grasses add much to the effect of the plants 

 when in bloom. The tall Mulgedium named 

 above, though an alpine, is a very rampant 

 grower, overrunning everything if put in rich 

 beds ; in the wild garden, by pools, or anywhere 

 among Wild Roses or shrubs it is at home and 

 can do no harm. There are many plants of like 

 vigour which may well be used in the same 

 way, according to the soil and situation. Some 

 plants like the Golden Rods, Knotworts, and 

 stouter Asters do not want any care in that 

 respect, but when we come to deal with bulbs 

 they often show a dislike of certain soils, and 

 that must be thought of. 



SONGS OF THE WOODS AND 

 FLOWERS : A un Aubespin. 



Bel aubespin verdissant, 



Fleurissant 

 Le long de ce beau rivage, 

 Tu es vestu jusqu'au bas 



Des longs bras 

 D'une lambrunche sauvage.* 



Deux camps de rouges fourmis 



Se sont mis 

 En garnison sous ta souche : 

 Dans les pertuis de ton tronc 



Tout du long 

 Les avettes\ ont leur cotiche. 



Le chantre rossignolet 



Nouvelet, 

 Courtisant sa bien-aimee, 

 Pour ses amours alleger, 



Vient loger 

 Tous les ans en ta ramee. 



Sur ta cyme il fait son ny 



Tout uny 

 De mousse et de fine soye, 

 Ou ses petits esclorront,\ 



Qui seront 

 De mes mains la douce proye. 



Or vy, gentil aubespin, 



Vy sans fin, 

 Vy sans que jamais tonnerre, 

 Ou la coignee,\ ou les vents, 



Ou les temps 

 Te puissent ruer par terre. 



RONSARD (1584). 



* Wild vine, 

 f Honey bees. 



\ " Are brought forth.' 

 § An old word for axe. 



