28o 



FLORA AND SYLVA. 



of a bright rose or rosy-purple, about 2 inches 

 long, and hang for many weeks upon theplant. 

 It does best in light soil, and when grown in 

 pots should be kept rather close at the root. It 

 is found in the mountains of Mexico, up to a 

 height of 10,000 feet. 



Dwarf Abelia (A. serratd). — This species 

 is found as a low evergreen bush upon dry and 

 sunny hillsides in China and Japan. It is smal- 

 ler in all its parts than the other Chinese species, 

 growing little more than 3 feet high, with soli- 

 tary pale red flowers, which are large and sweet, 

 appearing in March. A choice evergreen, but 

 tender. 



Twin-flowering Abelia [A. spathulatci). 

 — An elegant plant not long introduced to gar- 

 dens from Japan, where it is an evergreen shrub 

 flowering in April. It is free with white flowers, 

 marked with yellow in the tube, coming in 

 pairs from every joint and about an inch long. 

 The leaves are rather long, finely toothed, with 

 a pale purplish edging. 



Indian Abelia [A. triflord). — This pretty 

 shrub is less hardy than the Chinese forms, 

 needing the shelter of a wall ; being of robust 

 growth, it soon makes a fine object, of good 

 habit and branching freely. The flowers, com- 

 ing in threes at the end of summer, are cream 

 or pale yellow flushed with pink, their beauty 

 enhanced by the rosy colour of the unopened 

 buds. Grown in pots or tubs it forms a fine 

 plant for the greenhouse where it may not be 

 grown in the open. It is the only kind from 

 Hindostan, being found as a tall shrub or low 

 tree upon the hills of Northern India at a 

 height of several thousand feet. 



Nurses for Trees. — With good nursing almost 

 any trees may be made to grow anywhere. Without 

 it there are hundreds of places where it is hopeless 

 to grow rare Pines or Oaks, for instance. Whatever 

 does best in the neighbourhood — whether it be 

 Larch, Spruce, Scotch Fir, Birch, or even Broom — 

 that is the best plant to use for nursing and shelter- 

 ing the trees or shrubs we wish to grow. Plant trees 

 at the distances we wish them to occupy, but plant 

 the nurses everywhere. Let them fill all the inter- 

 vening spaces, almost embracing the trees, without 

 touching them. These nurses help the other trees to 

 grow, just as ours taught us to walk. But the nurse 

 is often allowed to grow over and smother the tree it 

 was meant to help ; and so there has been a rebound 

 against the whole system of nursing, and we see trees 

 set down in the open teeth of the wind. Is it, then, 

 any wonder that they refuse to grow, or die ? 



NEWER AMERICAN TREE 

 CARNATIONS. 



The Carnation in its various forms now takes 

 a large place in gardens, and for winter bloom 

 is perhaps better than any other flower, lasting 

 longer than things needing greater heat. With 

 a good selection of varieties it is possible to 

 have them in flower from autumn until the bor- 

 der kinds are commencing to bloom, thus com- 

 pleting the season for Carnation lovers. There 

 are distinct strains of winter-flowering Carna- 

 tions peculiar to France, America, and our own 

 country. Those raised in the south of France 

 under the name tt'gede fer are familiar to south- 

 ern visitors from their display upon every warm 

 hillside from Cannes to San Remo. They are 

 raised in vast quantities and planted in light 

 soil, grown with ceaseless care during the 

 scorching summer, and flower during autumn 

 and winter, under glass or movable straw shel- 

 ters. Of late years, however, their culture has 

 become difficult from the many diseases to 

 which they are subject,and though their flowers 

 are known all over Europe, the plants them- 

 selves seldom succeed in a climate damper and 

 duller than their own. The American growers 

 have given special attention to really free- 

 flowering winter sorts, for many kinds even of 

 the Tree Carnation are not free in winter. Their 

 best kinds are most valuable in this particular, 

 though their standard of form, which aims 

 at fringed and frilled petals, is opposed to the 

 English ideal of smooth petals. Of recent years 

 there have been many fine gains on both sides 

 of the Atlantic, and Mr. Dutton of Bexley 

 Heath has kindly sent notes upon the best new 

 American seedlings. 



The popularity of the Tree-Carnation is 

 due to the marked progress that has been made 

 by raisers of this plant within the past ten years. 

 They have studied the needs of the ideal Car- 

 nation — length and stiffness of stem, colour, 

 fragrance, freedom, and, most important, a per- 

 fect calyx in a flower of lasting qualities. In the 

 best Tree Carnations of English and American 

 growers this ideal has now been fairly reached, 

 as in Mrs. T. W. Lawson, one of the most fa- 

 mous of the new American kinds. Beside this 

 fine pink flower, other good kinds of recent 

 introduction are Madame Me/6a, perhaps the 

 finest light pink Carnation, of good form and 

 stem, finest habit, and very free and continuous 



