IOO 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



planted entire, as when this is done they often refuse 

 to grow, and eventually dwindle away. The clumps 

 should be placed in water, and when the soil has become 

 sufficiently softened it may be washed from the roots with 

 a syringe or hose. When these are entirely free from 

 soil they may easily be divided with a sharp knife into 

 separate crowns, care being taken not to damage the 

 roots more than is necessary. These crowns should then 

 be planted l8in. apart in equal parts of fibrous loam and 

 leaf-mould. In this they should soon root, after which 

 they will quickly thrust down their roots into the stronger 

 and richer soil below. The best times for division and 

 planting are February and September, the first being 

 before they have commenced to make their season's 

 growth, and the second after its completion. After 

 flowering is over the plants should receive a mulch of 

 well-rotted manure, and should be well attended to in the 

 matter of water during dry weather, while liquid fertilisers, 

 such as manure-water and soot-water, are very beneficial 

 in strengthening the growth of the plants, and thus laying 

 the foundation for a satisfactory flowering season. Sheets 

 ol glass fixed on legs just over each clump prevent 

 the blossoms getting soiled during wet weather. 

 Frames and hand-lights are often put over them for the 

 same reason, but these are apt, in bad weather, to be 

 kept too close, and they are certainly more cumbersome 

 than the method advocated. Christmas Roses are often 

 grown well in tubs, half-casks, and large pots, but to be 

 successful in this manner of culture it is necessarv that 

 they should receive even more care and attention than 

 when they are planted in the open ground. The tubs 

 should stand in a sheltered position, not exposed to the 

 full sunshine for ten months out of the twelve, and be 

 brought under glass as the flower buds show above the 

 soil. The plants must not even be allowed to want lor 

 water or feeding throughout the summer, if a satisfactory 

 bloom-crop is to be expected. There are many varieties 

 of the Christmas Rose, but of these some identical forms 

 known by diverse names in different localities. The 

 Giant Christmas Rose, H. n. altifolius, sometimes known 

 as H. Maximus, is the first to flower, often coming into 

 bloom, in the south-west, in mid-October. When well 

 grown it attains a height of nearly 2ft. The leaves are 

 large and very leathery, and their stalks, as well as the 

 flower stems, are heavily spotted with red. The flowers 

 of tliis fine variety, without doubt the noblest of all, are 

 often over 5 i n. in diameter, and are generally tinged with 

 pink at the back of the petals. Although commencing 

 to bloom at such an early date, H. n. altifolius often 

 extends its blossoming period until March. H. n. Juvernis, 

 or St. Brigid's Christmas Rose, is a beautiful variety, 

 bearing large, cupped blossoms of the purest white, 

 without the slightest suspicion of pink, both leaf and 



HELLEBORUS KIGER [Christmas Rose). 



flower stems being of pale apple-green coloir. This 

 Hellebore was of late years rediscovered in Ireland, where 

 it was reported to have been originally brought by the 

 Huguenots. Another valuable Christmas Rose is the 

 Riverston variety, which takes its name after a country 

 seat in County Tipperary, Ireland, where its conspicuous 

 merits were first discovered. It is a particularly free- 

 blooming variety and produces pure white flowers. The 

 Brockhurst variety, is somewhat similar in appearance to 

 H. n. Juvernis. It is a great favourite in the North of 

 England, and is used extensively for supplying the cut- 

 flower trade around Manchester. H. n. major (the Bath 

 variety) is a larger form of the typical H. niger. 

 It is grown in great numbers by nurserymen round 

 Bath, and holds the field in that city in much the same 

 manner as the last-named does in Manchester. H. 

 n. scoticus or augustifolius is sometimes confounded with 

 II. n. Juvernis, but rather it is a smaller and slenderer 

 edition of H. n. altifolius, though with narrower leaves 

 and without any pink on the blooms. H. n. Madame 

 Fourcade is a pure white free-blooming variety much 

 after the style of H. n. Juvernis, but slightly more 

 vigorous. H. n. ruber, or Apple-blossom, is of a clear, 

 light pink shade. Christmas Roses may be raised from 

 seed sown in a moist and shaded bed in porous soil. 

 Blooms may be expected in four years from seed. 



The Lenten Roses, which come into bloom in mild 

 winters at the end of January, carry on the display 

 commenced by the Christmas Roses. While they are 

 partial to deep, moist loam, and to a position not too 

 exposed to the sun's rays, and whilst they succeed under 

 the cultural conditions advocated for the Christmas 

 Roses, there is no doubt but that their culture is consider- 

 ably simpler than that of the varieties of H. niger, 

 which at times refuse to flourish, even when all their 

 wants have been studied and provided for by experienced 

 cultivators. There are now many beautiful hybrids of 

 the Lenten Rose, many named, and many, quite as 

 lovely, unnamed. Great attention has been paid to their 

 hybridisation of late years, both in this country and 

 abroad, and we now have a charming series of colours, 

 ranging from white through peach-blossom and pink to 

 rose-coloured and maroon, some of the white flowers 

 being most delicately spotted with crimson and claret 

 dots and splashes in the interior. Some of the blossoms 

 are cup-shaped and some star-shaped. A few good 

 named varieties are N. orientalis antiquorum Willie Barr, 

 rose ; H. o. Commerzienrath Benary, white, spotted 

 crimson ; II. o. Gertrude Jekyll, pure white ; H. o. 

 Gretchen Heinemann, rose purple; II. o. guttatus, white, 

 spotted claret ; H. o. Mrs. Lambert, blush, spotted 

 crimson ; H. o. punctatissimus, rose purple, freely 

 spotted ; IT. o. roseus, deep rose. The Lenten Roses are 

 easily raised from seed sown as soon 

 as ripe in fine soil on a damp border. 

 In many gardens mice have a great 

 partiality for the buds of these 

 plants, and hundreds are often taken 

 in a single night. In using the 

 Hellebores for cut flowers it is 

 necessary to split the flower stems, 

 from their bases, into four divisions 

 for 3in. or 4in. up the stalks. If 

 this is done they will remain fresh 

 for many days, whereas if it is 

 omitted they will speedily wither. 

 The Christmas Roses are injured 

 by having their leaves cut to arrange 

 with the flowers ; but leaves of the 

 common Rhododendron will be 

 found to give a similar appearance, 

 and can usually be procured without 

 difficulty. 



Ilemeroeallis (Day Lily). — This 

 handsome race of hardy flowers 

 obtains its popular name from the 

 Lily-like character of the flowers 

 and their brief life. There are 



