12 
NAT. ORl ti. SAXIFRAGEiE. 
tie it, oiie attention oi every practical florist. Though destitute 
of any peculiar flavor, or valuable as a medicine, it has been an ob- 
ject of particular attention among the Chinese ; in proof of which 
we find its blossoms painted upon almost every article which was 
formerly imported from that country. It is said never to have been 
found in its wild state by any botanist ; but it is cultivated as a gar- 
den ornament in almost every country. 
A short description of the propagation and culture of this most 
beautiful shrub, may not be uninteresting to the reader. The 
, Hydrangea Hortensis is very easily increased by cuttings, which 
method is pretty generally diffused and understood wathin the last 
few 3'ears. It thrives best in good rich loamy soil, well watered. 
Various experiments have been made to introduce its culture in the 
open field and by itself, the failure of which fully proves that it is 
to be considered rather as a green-house plant than a hardy one ; 
as they will seldom if ever thrive even on the borders of the flower 
garden. The flowers like those of the snowball are monstrous, and 
produce no seed. It has been remarked by some florists, that if the 
plant be well watered with alum water, it will produce beautiful 
blue flowers the season after. 
Medical Properties and Uses. This species of Hydrangea, has 
never been introduced into regular practice, yet it possesses some 
valuable properties. It is now considerably used in some parts of 
Asia as a remedy for rheumatism. The bark of the root is the part 
best adapted for medicinal purposes, and is said to contain tonic, 
astringent, and emmanagogue properties. It is more valuable as an 
ornamental flower than a medicine, as it is even suspected by many 
to be powerfully narcotic and drastic. It yields its properties both 
to water and rectified spirits. 
