THE CENTURY BOOK 



OF GARDENING. 



variety called atro-purpurea, which in poor stony soil is 

 better culi Hired than under any other conditions. All 

 these Barberries are readily raised from seed sown in a 

 fairly moist sheltered spot. 

 Beech. — See Fagus. 



Betula (Birch). — The Birches, many of them unsurpassed 

 in grace and beauty, occur throughout the temperate 

 regions of the globe, and even extend into the Arctic 

 Circle. They succeed best in a good open loam, but at 

 the same time are not fastidious as to soil or situation. 

 The common kinds are easily raised from seeds, which 

 may be sown when ripe either in beds in the open 

 ground or in pans in a frame. In anv case they must 

 only be very lightly covered, and shaded from the sun (ill 

 the young plants make their appearance. The varieties 

 are grafted or budded on to seedlings of the common 

 kinds, grafting being done in the spring and budding in 

 July. But grading is a mistake ; own root plants should 

 be grow n. 



P. alba (Native Bircli). — This is the native Birch, the 

 Queen of the Woods, the most graceful of all hardy trees. 

 The whitened trunks stand out like shafts of burnished 

 silver, and with their elegant drooping spray form a 



charming w Hand feature at all times, but especially in 



winter. It is extremely variable in many respects, hence 

 there is a long list of well-marked varieties. There is a 

 beautiful weeping form (pendula), in which the naturally 

 drooping habit ol die common Birch is far more pro- 

 nounced ; and another (Youngi) that if grafted standard 

 high droops almost straight to the ground. Young's 

 WeepingBirch, 



ailed. 



beautiful o I 

 t h e wee pin g 

 Birches. In 

 t h e v a r i e t y 

 dalecarica the 

 leaves are very 

 deepl v cut , 

 whiie those of 

 purpurea are i 'I 

 a bronzy purple 

 hue. Other 

 distinct kinds 

 are lasligiata, 

 which reminds 



one of the 

 L o m b a i<l v 

 Poplar; the 

 golden - leaved 

 aurea ; and the 

 nettle - leaved 

 Birch (I!, urti- 

 ( ifolia), which 

 has finely - cut 

 downy leaves. 

 B. nana (Marsh 

 Bircli) is a lit lie 

 dwarf s h rub 

 found in Russia, 

 Lap 1 a n d , 

 Siberia, etc. It 

 isof a spreading 

 habit, though 

 in some in- 

 stances at least 

 it does not rise 

 many inches 

 above the 

 go hi lid. 



B. nigra, the 



Red birch of 

 North America, 

 differs widely 

 from its Euro- 

 pean relative. 

 As a rule the 



A JAPANESE CHERRY. 



main trunk divides into several large branches at but a 

 little height from the ground. The branchlets, too, are 

 much less numerous and not so pendulous as in the common 

 birch. The most marked feature of the Red Birch is its 

 bark, w hich is of a reddish cinnamon colour, and in winter 

 partially peels off, and remains attached to the main 

 trunk and principal branches in large flakes. This gives 

 to the tree a wild and picturesque appearance. The 

 new bark thus exposed is of a lighter tint. 



B. papyrifera (Canoe Birch). — This is a species little 

 seen in gardens, but it should be planted in the future 

 for I he sake of it s beautiful bark, w hich is even more 

 silvery than that of our native species. The Paper Birch, 

 or Canoe Birch as it is also called, conies from North 

 America, as the popular name of Canoe arises from the 

 fact that the tree is largely used in making canoes. It is 

 when young that the silvery colour is so pronounced, as 

 then the bark is smooth, but becomes rugged with age. 



There are, of course, other birches, but those kinds 

 of chief importance for the majority of gardens have been 

 mentioned. 



Birch.— See Betula. 



Bladder Senna.— See Colutea. 

 Brooms. -See Cytisus. 



Bllddlea globosa (Orange Bali Tree). — A large shrub, 

 w hich will reach a height of 12ft. or more, clothed with long 

 greyish Willow-like leaves, aud about the end of May 

 bears a great profusion of globular heads of blossoms of a 

 bright orange colour. The flowers have the fragrance of 

 honey. It is a native of Chili, and is often injured by 



severe winters, 

 hut quickly 

 recovers. A 

 light loam suits 

 it best, and cut- 

 tings put in 

 sandy soil in a 

 shady frame 

 about August 

 will soon root. 

 B. paniculata is 

 the other 

 species in the 

 family 

 Calyeanthus 

 floridus (iif 



American All- 

 spice) is a com- 

 pact shrub, 

 seldom more 

 than 6ft. high, 

 clothed w i t h 

 dark green 

 ovate leaves. 

 T h e flowers 

 borne early in 

 June are about 

 2in. across, of 

 a peculiar lurid 

 purple colour, 

 and pleasantly 

 scented. Pro- 

 pagated by- 

 layers put down 

 in the autumn. 

 Two years will 

 elapse before 

 they root suffi- 

 c i e n t 1 y for 

 removal. C. 

 praecox is a 

 synonym of the 

 Winter Sweet 

 ( Chimonanthus 

 fragrans). 



Caragana. — 



There are 

 several species 



