EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS. 



431 



certain amount of shade and protection until the young 

 plants appear. In a genera] way, however, unless 

 enormous quantities are required, it is best to sow in pans 

 or boxes, and place in a frame. The seed is very 

 minute, and for its recep ion the pans should be drained 

 with broken crocks, and filled to within Aim oi the rim 

 with sandy peat, the whole being pressed down firm and 

 level. On this the seed must be thinly sprinkled, and 

 lightly covered with a little sand. A watering through 

 a fine rose having been given, the pans may be stood in 

 a frame and shaded from the sun. When large enough 

 to handle, the young plants may be pricked off, that is, 

 dibbled into other pans or boxes of the same soil, and 

 finally, when large enough, planted out. The seed 

 should be sown as soon as possible after ripening. 



Layering can only be carried out in the case of those 

 plants with branches sweeping the ground, and the 

 operation is best performed during the autumn months. 

 The portion of the branch that is to be buried should be 

 tongued, alter the manner of a Carnation, that is, ii musl 

 be cut hallway through, and then split up for 3m. or 

 4in., a small stone being inserted to prevent the wound 

 closing up, and the whole pegged securely in position 

 and covered with 6in of soil. The adoption of this 

 method is strongly advised. 



Grafting is adopted for the wholesale increase ol the 

 various hybrid kinds, the stocks employed being small 

 seedling plants of R. ponticum. They should be about 

 the thickness of a cedar pencil, being taken up from the 

 open ground and put into small pots for the purpose. 

 Side grafting, which is best perlormed in |ulv and August, 

 is generally employed, but the plants need to be kept in 

 a close propagating case for about a month to six weeks 

 after the operation. It is one of those things better left 

 to professional propagators. 



A selection of the best hybrid varieties would include : 

 Altaclarense, scarlet ; Atrosanguineum, blood red ; Baron 

 Osy, cream, blotched maroon ; Blandyanum, reddish 

 crimson ; Brilliant, scarlet ; Broughtonianum, rose red ; 

 Caractacus, purplish crimson ; Cruentum, rich lake ; 

 Dhuleep Sing, blackish crimson ; Duchess of Connaught, 

 white, marked yellow ; Everestianum, rosy lilac ; Francis 

 15. Hayes, white, maroon blotch ; Florence, pink; 

 Frederick Waterer, fiery crimson ; Helen VVaterer, white, 

 edged red ; Helene Schiffner, pure white ; Fames 

 Marshall Brooks, scarlet ; John Waterer, glowing crimson ; 

 Joseph Whitworth, purple lake ; Kate Waterer, deep rose; 

 Lady Eleanor Cathcart, rose spotted chocolate ; Lord 

 Eversley, scarlet crimson ; Michael Waterer, rosy scarlet ; 

 Minnie, blush white ; Mrs. John Glutton, white ; Nobleanum, 

 scarlet, early; Old Port, rich plum; Rosalie Siedel, 

 white, spotted pink ; Sir Humphrey de Trafford, rose, 

 yellow centre; William Ewart Gladstone, rosy cri nson. 



Other distinct Rhododendrons, apart from the hybrids 

 above enumerated, are : R. davuricum atrovirens, 

 4ft. or 5ft. high, and towards the end of March 

 covered with purple flowers iiin. across ; R. Fortunei, a 

 bold-growing bush, with large flowers partially drooping 

 and arranged in loose clusters : they are agreeably 

 scented, and the hybrids raised from it also retain the 

 same character ; R. precox, rosy lilac flowers borne in 

 March; and two pretty little kinds, natives of Switzer- 

 land — R. ferrugineum and R. hirsutum— to both of 

 which the term Alpine Rose has been applied. These 

 form dense bushes, not more than 2ft. high, w ith bright 

 red flowers borne about midsummer. In the Southern 

 Counties of England and also Ireland many of the Indian 

 kinds may be grown out of doors, but unless in these 

 exceptionally favourable places they must receive green- 

 house protection. 



Considerable space has been devoted to the Rhodo- 

 dendron, because it is one ol the most nubile of all 

 flowering shrubs, but in many gardens it is unfortu- 

 nately allowe I lo run wild, usurping positions that could 

 be well filled by shrubs as interesting and in their way as 

 beautiful. This does not mean condemn ition of a 

 splendid group of summer- flowering shrubs, but planters 

 must be urged not to use the shrubs too freely, planting 



them here, there, ami everywhere, as if the whole beauty 

 of the shrub world were crammed into this family 

 alone. Some soils, warm peaty loam, or good loam, 

 without other mixture, greatly favour robust grow th, and 

 then the seedlings spread profusely until the pleasure 

 grounds are filled with Rhododendrons and nothing more. 

 This is the abuse of a handsome shrub. 



RusetlS aeilleatUS is the Butcher's Broom, a dense- 

 growing plant, with small deep green leaves and bright 

 red berries. It is useful lor growing under the shade of 

 trees, and is increased by division in winter the same as an 

 herbaceous plant. There are other kinds: R. IIvpo- 

 glossum, in which two leaves are joined together, and 

 R. racemosus, known as the Alexandrian Laurel. This 

 is now classed as R. Hypophyllum. 



Skimmia. -The different Skimmias are neat little ever- 

 green shrubs, that are during the winter profusely laden 

 with bright red berries. The best are S. Fortunei, 

 S. Foremanni, and S. japonica. They are readily 

 increased by seeds sown when ripe, in pots or pans of 

 ordinary soil, and placed in a hame. 



Sweet Bay. -SVc Ramus nobilis. 



Ulex etiropteuS is our own native Furze or Gorse, whose 

 rich golden blossoms form such a charming feature on 

 many of our heaths and commons. The double-flowered 

 variety is even more show)-. Both will grow well on 

 dry, sandy soils, and cuttings will strike w ithout difficulty 

 if put in early in the autumn, choosing a sheltered spot out of 

 doi u s. FJ. nanus is a dwarf form, and flowers in the summer. 



Veronica. -In the South and West of England, 

 particularly in sheltered spots near the sea, the various 

 shrubby Veronicas, hybrids of New Zealand species, 

 thrive well, ami form a charming class of flowering 

 shrubs, bul in most parts of the country they need green- 

 house protection. They are all easily propagated by 

 cuttings pat in sandv soil and kept close and shaded in a 

 frame anywhere during the spring and summer months. 

 V. Traversi is a free bush, smothered in late summer with 

 almost white flowers, but it is rather tender. V. speciosa 

 and its varieties are very useful also, but they are not 

 shrubs to plant wholesale in gardens. 



Viburnum. — While most of the Viburnums are deciduous, 

 there is one valuable evergreen kind — viz., V. Tinus 

 (the Laurestinus) — whose flattened clusters of pinkish wdiite 

 flowers are borne throughout the winter months. Il is 

 sometimes injured by very severe frosts, but soon 

 recovers. There are several varieties, the most marked 

 being lucidum, in which the flowers are larger and w hiter 

 than the type. Cuttings put in sandy soil in a frame in 

 September will root in the spring. 



Vinea major and V. minor are the large and small 

 Periwinkle respectively. Both are slender creeping 

 plants, and have blue flowers ; there are variegated 

 varieties of each, and Y. minor has a form w ith w hite 

 flowers. They are of great use lor growing near or even 

 under trees, and will thrive almost anywhere. 



Ylieea gloriosa {Adam's Needle) is the largest and 

 boldest of the hardy kinds, as when old it forms a stout 

 branching stem 6ft. or more in height, every branch 

 being terminated by a thickly clustered rosette of stiff 

 sword-shaped leaves from 2ft. to 3ft. long. The white 

 flowers borne in tall spikes from the ends of the branches 

 form a very showy feature in July and August. 



Y. reCUPVa has the leaves less stiff and gracefully 

 recurving, while Y. filamentosa is remarkable for the 

 thread-like filaments at the edges of the leaves. All are 

 increased by digging up a clump and cutting off the stout 

 roots, which, if potted or planted with the growing point 

 uppermost, will push up leaves from that portion and thus 

 form a young plant. Groups of Yuccas upon the lawn are 

 very handsome, thegreen foliage being at all timesimposing. 



Zenobia SpeeiOSa. — This belongs to the Andromeda 

 family, and was at one time classed with them. Its 

 chief synonym is Andromeda cassinefolia. It is a 

 beautiful shrub, with whity waxy flowers, reminding one 

 of those of the Lily of the Valley. A charming variety 

 is pulverulenta, w ith whitish leaves, and both this and 

 the type will succeed in peaty soil. 



