142 THE JAEDIN I'LEURISTE AND OTHER 



mild influences of the sea and in the west and south of 

 England and Ireland. As the family is alluded to in another 

 chapter^ I will say no more of it here. 



On the grass here during the past summer might be seen 

 one of the most magnificent of all pea flowers^ Clianthus 

 Dampieri, flowering very freely in the open air, although 

 we find it so difficult to grow even in our greenhouses. It 

 was sown in February and planted out early in June as a 

 tuft of several plants, isolated on the grass, but rooted in 

 peat soil. The shoots grew to more than two feet in length, 

 and began to unfold gorgeous blooms at their apex about 

 the beginning of August, continuing to do so till the com- 

 mencement of October. As an isolated group upon the 

 grass, I need not say it was very fine ; and I believe the same 

 success could be obtained in mild parts of this country, and 

 in many places against the low, warm walls of glass houses, 

 &c. It should be raised as a greenhouse annual and planted 

 out about the first week in June in peaty soi]. Some may 

 not be aware that it is infinitely more beautiful than the old 

 brilliant and popular C. puniceus, though, unlike that, diffi- 

 cult to cultivate and impatient under the most skilful treat- 

 ment in houses. There are usually many fine groups of 

 Yuccas, Musas, Cannas, various new plants, and other ob- 

 jects of interest on this little lawn which will well repay a 

 careful examination. The most remarkable of the novelties 

 of the past season was Dimorphanthus manchuricus, a re- 

 markably handsome plant, reminding one of Aralia japonica. 

 A plant of it a few inches high put out at Passy in July, 1868, 

 had leaves a yard long and thirty-four inches across by the 

 middle of September. It will prove of the highest value in 

 the ornamental garden. 



The first great group of glass houses are span-roofed. The 

 interior arrangements made in them for the convenience of 

 the workmen and for the preservation of the plants in winter 

 are most admirable, and should be adopted by us in all similar 

 instances. We build more hot-houses than any other people, 

 construct them better, and furnish them better; and therefore 

 it is desirable that in disposing them in relation to each 

 other we should employ the most economical and convenient 



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