3 9 8 



The century book op gardening. 



F. viridissima. — This is a far more compact shrub than 

 the preceding, and is clothed with Willow-like leaves. 

 The flowers are rather paler in hue than the other. Both 

 are easily struck from cuttings put firmly in the open 

 ground in the autumn, or in a frame at almost any season, 

 while the long flexible shoots of F. suspensa often root at 

 the points where they come in contact with the ground. 



FraxinilS (Ash). — The. best-known species of this family is 

 the common Ash (F. excelsior), which is represented by 

 many varieties. There are three distinct weeping forms, 

 and two with peculiarly cut leaflets, while one (mono- 

 phylla) has the whole of the leaflets merged into one large 

 leaf. The golden-leaved Ash too is very pretty. The 

 Ash grows readily from seeds sown either in the autumn 

 when ripe or kept in soil till the spring. The varieties 

 are easily grafted or budded on to seedling stocks. 



F. americana is a more upright-growing tree, with larger 

 leaves than our native Ash, while P. lentiscifolia, known 

 also as F. parvifolia, forms a small dense-growing tree, 

 with slender branches and narrow leaves. F. Ornus is the 

 Flowering Ash, and bears in May large plume-like clusteis 

 of creamy white blossoms. 



Genista. — This group is closely allied to the Brooms 

 (Cytisus), and with regard to soil and propagation the 

 same notes will apply. There are a great many species, 

 the following being the best : 



G. SetnensiS. — This is one of the largest of the family, 

 and will reach a height of ioft. to 12ft., the half-pendu- 

 lous, bright green thong-like shoots being about the end 

 of July furnished with golden blossoms. 



G. hispailiea. — A particularly dense-growing spiny plant, 

 from 1 ft. to 2ft. high, and in June a mass of golden 

 blossoms. It is known as the Spanish Furze. Spartum 

 hispanicum and Ulex nanus are synonymous. 



G. sagittalis. — This is a creeping plant only a few inches 

 high, but remarkable for its peculiarly winged stems, so 

 unlike any of the others. It does well on rockwork. 



G. tillCtoria. -A ISrilish species that will flower almost 

 throughout the summer. It is variable in habit, one 

 form (elatior) being much taller than the type. The 

 double-flowered (flore-pleno) is very handsome. 



G. Virgata, which flowers during the latter half of the 

 summer, is a good-sized bush 5 ft. to 6ft. high. It is 



HIBISCUS. 



valuable because it blooms so late, and remains some 

 time in beauty. Other good Genistas are G. anglica, 

 monosperma, radiata, and especially sagittalis. 

 GleditSfihia triaeailthOS is the Honey Locust of the 

 United States. It is quite a tree, with deep green twice 

 divided foliage. As a flowering tree it has no particular 

 merit. The stem and branches are clothed with large 

 and formidable spines, which give quite a singular 

 appearance to the tree. There is, however, a spineless 

 form, and a weeping one. The Gleditschia is propagated 

 by seeds principally sent here from America, which should 

 be sown on arrival, and whether in a frame or out of 

 doors they must be covered about I in. deep. 

 Halesia. — There are about half-a-dozen species of Halesia, 



the best two being : 

 H. hispida. — A free-growing shrub, native of Japan, 

 clothed with ovate leaves about the size of those of the 

 Laurel, and rough in texture. The flowers produced in 

 May and June are individually somewhat Snowdrop-like, 

 and borne in semi-pendulous, elongated clusters. 

 H. tetraptera (Snowdrop Tree). — This is from 15ft. to 

 2D(t. high, the general appearance of the flowers 

 being indicated by trie popular name. Both these 

 flalesias prefer a fairly cool, moist soil, and can be 

 increased by layers. H. diptera and parviflora are also 

 species of some importance. 

 Hamamelis. — The Witch Hazel is so called from the re- 

 semblance that the leaves bear to those of the Hazel. 

 H. arborea, the most ornamental of the genus, is a large 

 shrub or small tree, and if the winter is mild it is quite 

 early in January a beautiful picture, the leafless branches 

 being clothed with peculiar starry flowers, with bright 

 yellow petals. During a sunny day in January the tree at 

 a little distance appears to be enveloped in,a cloud of gold. 

 H. japoniea is in the way of the last, but it is rather 

 later in flowering, and a plant of smaller growth, while the 

 petals are of paler yellow. 

 H. Virginiea. — An irregular-growing bush, with smaller 

 flowers than those of H. arborea, and not so brightly 

 coloured, while they are borne late in Ihe autumn instead 

 of in the new year. The Hamamelis can be pro- 

 pagated by layers that take two years to root, but as seed 

 of II. virginiana can sometimes be obtained, the usual 



method is 

 to graft II. 

 arborea on 

 to the 

 young 

 plants of II. 

 virginica. 



Hibiscus. — 



There are 

 several 

 beautiful 

 kinds of 

 Hibiscus 

 that require 

 t le protec- 

 tion of a 

 stove or 

 greenhouse, 

 and a few 

 that are of 

 herbaceous 

 char a c ter, 

 but there is 

 on y one 

 that can be 

 regarded as 

 a hardy 

 shrub, and 

 that is 

 H. syriacus 

 (also known 

 as Althaei 

 frutex), of 

 w h i c h , 

 howevc r, 



