424 THE CENTURY COOK OF GARDENING. 



B. Aquifolilim, a native of North America, is the best- 

 known of the first-named section ; indeed, several to which 

 distinct names have been given are simply seedling forms 

 of this. It is a beautiful shrub, with pinnate leaves of a 

 rich shining green, furnished at the edges with spines, 

 while the terminal masses of golden yellow flowers form 

 a charming feature in the woodland in early spiing. The 

 purple berries towards the end of the summer are also very 

 conspicuous. This Barberry will grow in almost any soil 

 or situation, and is a valuable covert plant. It is readily 

 increased by seeds or division. Many of the leaves 

 become richly tinged with crimson in the autumn, when 

 they are much used for associating with cut (lowers of 

 Chrysanthemums. 



B. Dai'Wini, a native of Chili, with deep green Box- 

 like leaves and rich orange-coloured blossoms, produced 

 in great profusion in the spring, while occasionally a 

 second crop appears in the autumn. This is one of the 

 most charming of all flowering shrubs, and a group of it 

 in flower is de ightful, producing a glorious effe t from 

 its remarkably handsome flowers, so freely produced that 

 the whole shrub is full of colour. 



B. dtlleis, or btixifolia, a rather upright-growing shrub, 

 with solitary golden blossoms suspended bv unusually 

 long stalks. 



B. empetrifolia. — This is a low-growing bush, seldom 

 more than 2ft. high. The slender branches are clothed 

 with narrow leaves, and in the season studded with 

 yellow blossoms. 



B. nepalensis (the Asiatic) isa noble plant, with very long 

 pinnate leaves, but is rather tender, the hirdiest from that 

 portion of the world being M. japonica, which has lemon- 

 coloured blossoms, borne in mild winters soon a tcr 

 Christmas. 



B. Stonophylla. — A hybrid between 15. D rwini and 

 li. empetrifolia, and one of the most beautiful of o itdoor 

 shrubs that we have. It reaches a height of 6ft. to <S t., 

 and the long arching shoots clothed with small de p green 

 leaves are arranged so gracefully that when in fuil llow r 

 the entire plant forms a fountain of gold. Like the others, 

 it flowers in spring, and can be raised from seeds. 



Box, The.— V- Bjxus. 



EuXUS. — The Box (Buxus sempervirens) is a well-known 

 native shrub, ot which there are many varieties in culti- 

 vation, but a g lod ordinary form is quite equal in beauty 

 to any ol its varieties. A particularly dwarf variety is 

 often used as an edging to flower beds. 



B. baleariea ( • iiurca Bo\) is much larger in all its parts 

 than the common kind. The Box is a useful plant lor 

 hedges, as has been mentioned elsewhere, and its ragrance 

 as one brushes past it is agreeable, whilst its line colour 

 at all times should bring it into greater favour even than 

 it seems to be at present. It forms an interesting hedge, 

 anil when grouped possesses much beauty, whilst its 

 numerous varieties are important, although the species 

 itself should receive first consideration. The Handsworth 

 Box originated at the nurseries of Messrs. Fisher, Son, 

 and Sibray, near Sheffield, and is one of the finest forms 

 of all, having very broad deep green foliage. The Myrtle- 

 leaved and the variegated are two good kinds, and a golden 

 variegited Box of much beauty is aurea variegata. In the 

 Kew list the following varieties are named, which shows 

 how greatly the common Box varies : Arborescent, 

 argentea, aurea maculata, aurea pendula, aureo-marginala, 

 elegantissima Handsworthi, latifolia, latifolia maculata, 

 longifolia, myosotifolia, myrtifolia, navicularis, Ponteyi, 

 prostrata, rosmarinifolia, and suffruticosa. B. Ilarlandi, 

 B. japonica, B. microphylla, and B. Wal ichiana are S| ecies. 



CaSSiope tetragona, a neat little lleath-like plant, w ith 

 deep green foliage and tiny waxlike, bell-shaped 

 blossoms ; it needs a peaty soil and a moist spot. The 

 upright-growing C. fastigiala is even more particular in its 

 requirements. C. hypnoides is interesting. Synonyms are 

 Andromeda fastigiata, A. hypnoides, and A. tetragona. 



CerasilS. — Most of the species of Cerasus are deciduous, but 

 there are two well-known evergreen kinds, viz., the 

 common Laurel (C. Laurocerasus) and the Portugal Laurel 

 (C. lusitanica). 



The common Laurel is well known, and generally 

 planted as a screen to clothe sloping bank . or similar 

 positions. The ordinary form, which is frequently injured 

 during severe winters, is surpassed in hardiness by its 

 varieties, colchica and rotundifolia. As Mr. Bean has 

 pointed out, the Laurel must not overrun everything eke 

 in l he garden. 



The Portugal Laurel is more frequently seen as a 

 regular-shaped bush, or even as a standard. Both may 

 be struck from cuttings put firmly in the ground in a 

 shady spot, but the common kind roots more readily 

 than the other. 



Choisya ternata (the Mexican Orange-flower) has 

 trilobate leaves, and clusters of white sweet-scented flowers 

 during the summer and autumn. Cuttings need the pro- 

 te lion of a frame, anil may be taken in spring or in summer. 

 This shrub is very beautiful in many gardens, and 

 appreciates a warm rather light than heavy soil, and 

 sheltered sunny position. It grows with great rapidity, 

 and in some places, where the position suits, it becomes 

 almost a weed, forming, in truth, quite a hedge. It should 

 be one of the shrubs planted in the borders near the 

 house, as its glossy green foliage is pleasant at all times, 

 but when in flower the white clusters diffuse an agreeably 

 nutty perfume into the house. Few evergreen shrubs are 

 more charming than this. j n t] le Northern Counties it 

 must be grown in a greenhouse, and even under glass is 

 we'come. 



CistUS. — A beautiful class of shrubs, most of which are, 

 however, loo tender lot general cultivation. On the sea- 

 coast in the South and West of England they do well. 

 Cuttings taken in August, dibbled into pots of sandy soil 

 and placed in a frame, will root before the spring. The 

 hardiest are : C. ladaniferus (Gum Cistus), large whits 

 flowers spotteil purple; C. crispus, reddish purple; 

 C. laurifolius, while. The two kinds thai are especially 

 worthy of mention are C. ladaniferus and C. laurifolius. 

 These are, perhaps, the most hardy, and are sufficiently 

 bands >me to be grouped upon the lawn or in the 

 pleasure grounds, where they form leafy masses, relieved 

 by large single flowers. A warm dry soil is necessary, 

 and w hen established a group of them is an interesting 

 feature in the garden. These two species should be grown 

 before others, as they are in the truest sense of the word 

 " shrubby." 



Cotoneaster microphylla. — This is a charming species, 

 dwarf and hardy ; it is, indeed, a dense-growing pro- 

 cumbent shrub, with tiny polished green leaves, and 

 a pro usion of crimson berries in winter. It was pro- 

 bably fir^t raisid in England in the famous Horticultural 

 Soi i' ty's gardens at Chiswick. This Cotoneaster may be 

 used in many ways in gardens. Some of the best winter 

 effects possible are the result of making large breadths of 

 the shrub, perhaps, aga ; nst some flights of steps leading 

 from one part of the garden to another, or upon the rock 

 garden, over which it will spread its wiry shoots, so 

 pleisant to look upon at all times. When bright with its 

 crimson berries, this Cotoneaster is, indeed, a shrub of no 

 common beauty. It is a native of the Himalayas, and is 

 found at an elevation of between 5,000ft. and 6,000ft. 



C. btixifolia. — A small-leaved species, forming a bush 

 4 1. to 5ft. high, clothed with dark green Box-like leaves 

 ami bright red berries. Both this and C. microphylla may 

 be raised from seed, the berries being gathered when ripe, 

 and kepi in moist soil till the spring. This causes the 

 pul 1 v matter to decay, and the seeds being cleaned there- 

 from should be at once sown in a pan or box, and in 

 a sheltered p isition some of the young plants will soon 

 appear, though many of the seeds will probably remain till 

 the follow inn spring. Mr. Bean of Kew, in writing to 

 the Garden in reference to this Cotoneaster, says: "I 

 have seen it nowhere finer than at Kew, where there is 

 a mass 1 oft. high and 40ft. through, which admirably 

 shows the value of this shrub as an impenetrable screen, 

 either for blocking out some objectionable view or for 

 shelter. It is perfectly hardy here. Its branches are long, 

 slender, and but little branched. If the plants are trained 

 up so that they can hang downwards, the effect is very 



