BOTANICAL INDEX. 
11 
the moisture contained in the leaves would prove fatal. It is related that while the 
French troops occupied Madrid, a marauding soldier cut some branches of the Nerium 
Oleander to use as a spit upon which to roast his plunder, and of the twelve comrades 
who partook of the feast, seven died and the other five were dangerously ill. It is 
also just as destructive to stock, as many a farmer has long since learned to his sorrow. 
We are accustomed from our childhood to see the Oleander , and being always fami- 
liar with it we see nothing peculiar in its form or growth ; but if we stop to study it 
carefully we will soon see that, unlike nearly all other shrubs, the leaves are arranged 
in threes, in a group or whorl at the same height on the stem, and the leaves that 
constitute the whorl correspond with the space that separate the leaves in the whorl 
immediately above or below, and the leaves of a pair are always equidistant, especi- 
ally in well grown plants as well as in their natural condition ; but often in the cul- 
tivated specimens, poor soil, irregular watering and general neglect have changed 
these characters to a limited extent. The branch is always formed by the develop- 
ment of the bud, and this bud originates in the axil of the leaf, consequently in the 
Nerium we have three branches always starting from the same height on the stern, 
which if allowed to grow on young plants forms a clump of ungainly appearance; 
but by pinching out all unnecessary young shoots, the strength and vitality of the 
plant is conveyed through the remaining branch, and in a very short time the branch 
will assume a horizontal or upright position, and in a few years the growth will 
entirely obliterate the knots or joints formed at the junction of the branch and main 
stem. The end of a mature branch is always terminated by a bunch of flowers, and 
maturing either by ripening seed or by the flower withering, the flower stem withers 
up and drops off back to the first whorl of leaves. From here again starts the new 
growth in threes, so that in a very short time the tree becomes dense, which prevents 
the circulation of light and air. 
Nearly every amateur in the country has tried his or her skill at propagating the 
Oleander, by cutting off the end of a branch and placing it in a bottle of water until 
roots have formed, when it is ready to pot off. It is one of the easiest plants to prop- 
agate, and success nearly always attends the undertaking. Most people grow them 
in boxes, tubs or pots from the time of first taking root, but it is always best to grow 
them the first year after cuttings are rooted in the open ground, as they grow so 
much more robust and strong, and usually attain a height of three or four feet before 
blooming, and there is no objection to allowing them to branch out after they have 
reached that height. When taken up from the open ground, all possible care must be 
taken to prevent the ends of the branches from withering. This can be helped to a 
large extent by thoroughly soaking the ground with water for a few hours before 
taking up, and after lifting by keeping the plants in a cool, shady place for a few 
days, with plenty of water on both foliage and roots. Indeed, we never found any 
trouble in lifting Poinsettas, Bouvardias, and many other hard wooded plants, in the 
hottest weather of August and September, by carefully attending to them. 
After plants have grown to near the size required, the ends of the branches may 
be cut back to reduce the size as well as to keep the plant in a good shape, which may 
be done either in spring or fall; but if done in summer, it would be liable to cut oil' 
branches that soon would bloom. 
Plants should not be re-potted in the fall or winter, and during winter should 
have very little water. This is necessary to prevent the earth from getting sour. 
L. B. CASE'S COLLECTION OF OLEANDERS. 
Order— APOCYBfACEiE. 
Type — Nerium Oleander. Linnaeus. 
Oleander. 
“ album. 
“ “ duplex. 
“ “ maximum. 
“ “ plenum. 
“ atro-purpureum plenum. 
“ atro-sanguinea. 
“ de Brun. 
Oleander flavum duplex. 
“ Geant des Battles. 
“ Henri Mares. 
“ Henri Sahut. 
“ luteum. 
“ Madonna grandi- 
flora. 
“ Paul Sahut. 
Oleander Prof. Durand. 
“ punctatum plenum. 
“ purpurea plena. 
“ rosea. 
“ Shaw's Seedling. 
“ splendens. 
“ Such's New Double 
White. 
Ail Important Contribution to American Botany.— S. E. Cassino, of Salem, Mass., 
has commenced the publication of a work on Ferns, that will supply a long wished for text hook to the student of 
these beautiful plants. The text will be prepared by Prof. Daniel C. Eaton, of Yale College, who has the 
largest herbarium of Ferns in America, with assistance by Mr. J. Robinson, Geo. F. Davenport, Chas. E. 
Faxson, Mrs. Cooper, of Santa Barbara, and others, while the drawings will be from the pencil of Mr. J. II. 
Emerton. The work will be issued in parts, at #1.00 each, about once in three months. 
