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SUBTROPICAL GARDEN. 227 



parks, I name it here. It should have a warm position,, and 

 deep, rich, and light soil. 



Macleaya cordata. — This is a fine plant in free soil, but 

 comparatively poor in that which is bad or very stiff. It 

 is quite distinct in habit and tone, and sometimes goes 

 beyond six feet high. The flowers are not in themselves 

 • pretty, but the inflorescence when the plant is well grown 

 has a distinct and pleasing appearance. It will prove a 

 good thing for associating with other fine hardy plants 

 suitable for making bold groups. With some of the things 

 before named, and with other perfectly hardy plants, there 

 should be no difliculty in producing as bold and striking 

 groups of vegetation as any ever seen either with us or in 

 Paris, and afi'orded by costly and tender exotics requiring 

 winter protection. 



Melianthus major. — This is usually treated as a green- 

 house plant, and is sometimes put out of doors in summer. 

 So grown, how- 

 ever, the full 

 beauty of the 

 plant has not time 

 to develope ; and 

 much the better 

 way is to treat it 

 as a hardy subject, 

 putting it out in 

 some sunny and 

 sheltered spot, 

 where the roots 

 will not sufi'er 

 from wet in win- 

 ter. The shoots 

 will be cut down 

 with frost, but the 

 root will live and 

 push up strong 

 ones in spring, 

 forming by midsummer a bush of very distinct and beautiful 

 leaves. I have grown it in this way to a much more pre- ^ 



Q 2 { 



Fig. 84. 



Melianthus major. 



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