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ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF 



PHLOX. 



BY DAVID CAMERON, A.L.S. 



There are no cultivated herbaceous plants that are more showy than the 

 different species of Phlox, some of which begin to flower early in the spring, 

 others in summer, but the greater number of sorts in autumn. They thrive best 

 in a light sandy soil, inclined to, or mixed with peat, and in a rather damp 

 situation. 



The prostrate and dwarf species flower in spring, and in the early part of the 

 summer. To have them in perfection, they should be divided as soon as they 

 have done flowering, and transplanted either singly or in beds, so that they may 

 become strong plants for flowering in the ensuing spring. Those requiring this 

 treatment are P. subulata, setacea, stolonifera, verna, procumbens, Jlorida, nivalis, 

 divaricata, Canadensis, ovata, and Listoniana ; with the half-hardy pilosa, and 

 amcena, which do best kept either in a frame or greenhouse during winter, and 

 will flower finely if turned into the open border in May. The P. glaberrima, 

 suaveolens, Caroliniana, and rejlexa, should be propagated by young offsets from 

 the sides of the plants as early as they can be obtained, which is generally in 

 May or June. Such offsets may be planted either where they are to remain for 

 flowering, or in a nursery bed to be transplanted in autumn. The other species 

 of the genus may be propagated by offsets of the young shoots which have not 

 flowered, and which should be taken off in September. These single plants of 

 the tall kinds will, next season, send up fine panicles of flowers, and will altogether 

 make a better appearance than if they had been left in large clumps : their 

 foliage also will be strong and fresh, which will give them a more pleasing appear- 

 ance than when the flower-stems are partly covered with dead and dying leaves, 

 a frequent circumstance when grown in large patches. Many fine seedling 

 varieties have of late years been produced from seeds, and will no doubt continue 

 increasing, as they seed very freely ; and when growing in a congenial soil, 

 seedlings will often appear spontaneously from self-sown seeds. 



Botanic Garden, Edgbaston, near Birmingham. 



