470 
THE NEW ZEALAND SPINACH. 
shrub, of diffuse habit, with oblong, obtuse, 
entire, smooth leaves, 
Mhamnus pubescens (the pubescent Buck- 
thorn) is a diffuse growing deciduous shrub, 
attaining three feet in height, and a native of 
the south of France, and the Levant. 
Mhammts pumilus (the dwarf Buckthorn) 
is a procumbent plant, with ovate, serrated, 
smooth leaves. It is deciduous, and grows in 
the fissures of rocks, in Mount Baldo, in the 
Alps, and in Carniola. 
JRhamnus pusillus (the small Buckthorn) 
is a procumbent deciduous shrub, with obovate 
acute leaves. Native of Naples. 
Mhammts Purshianus, (Pursh's Buck- 
thorn) not yet introduced, is a deciduous 
shrub, with broadly oval leaves, growing sis 
feet high, and a native of North America. 
Mhammts rupestris (the rock Buckthorn) 
is a procumbent deciduous shrub, with ovate, 
entire, smooth leaves. It is a native of Dau- 
phine, on rocks. 
Mhamnus saxatilis (the stone Buckthorn) 
is a procumbent, or somewhat erect deciduous 
shrub, with ovate-lanceolate leaves. The 
berries are black, and are supposed to be used 
for dyeing purposes. This is a native of the 
south of Europe, among rocks ; and both it 
and E. infectorius are adapted for planting 
among rocks in garden scenery, whether natu- 
ral or artificial. 
Mhammts tinctorius (the dyer's Buck- 
thorn) is an erect deciduous shrub, with ovate, 
crenate-serrated leaves : it grows to the height 
of eight feet. Native of Hungary. The ber- 
ries and inner bark are used for dyeing. 
Mhamnus valentinus (the Valencia Buck- 
thorn) is a procumbent deciduous shrub, from 
the mountains of Valencia. It has roundish, 
elliptical, crenated leaves. 
Mhamnus virgatus (the twiggy Buck-thorn 
a deciduous, erect - growing shrub, with 
spiny branches, and oblong serrated leaves. 
It is from the Neelgherry mountains in the 
Himalayas, and grows ten or twelve feet high. 
Mhammts Wulfeni (Wulfen's Buck-thorn) 
is a sub-procumbent deciduous shrub, with 
orbicular leaves, growing two or three feet 
in height. Native of Austria. 
There are several other species known to 
botanists, some of which are no doubt hardy. 
Of the foregoing, the evergreen species, R. 
Alaternus and its varieties, are by far the 
most useful and ornamental for all garden- 
ing purposes. These evergreen kinds are 
raised chiefly from layers and cuttings, which 
root readily, and grow in any ordinary garden 
soil with the greatest freedom. When quite 
young, the plants require a slight protection 
afforded to the roots in winter, and this is 
easily secured to them by covering the soil 
about them, five or six inches in thickness, 
with tree-leaves, or long loose litter. "While 
young, and until finally planted where they 
are to remain, they should be frequently trans- 
planted, in order to check over luxuriance of 
growth, and to increase the number of fibrous 
roots. Once in two years will, however, be 
sufficiently frequent in ordinary cases ; if very 
rapid growth is observed, it may be done at 
the end of a year. Sometimes they are kept 
in pots, with a view to render the operation 
of transplanting them more safe in the case 
of large plants, but this practice is not to be 
recommended to secure fine plants ; for when 
the roots have been circumscribed within the 
limits of a garden-pot, they become matted 
together in this form, from which it is impos- 
sible to free them at the time of planting out, 
and consequently the energies of the plant are 
to a certain extent, and especially for a season 
or two, very much crippled. What is prefer- 
able where it can be so arranged, is to finally 
plant out at as early a period of the plant's 
existence as may be practicable, or when only 
a year or two old. The plants naturally grow 
thick and bushy, and the only pruning they 
require is the occasional shortening back of 
a stray shoot, that may be growing so freely 
as to threaten the symmetry of the individual: 
the pruning should, however, neither be so 
severe or regular as to induce formality. The 
plants are sometimes injured by severe winters, 
though when they become established they 
rarely suffer much ; and in cases where nxiy 
injury is sustained, the stem generally sprouts 
out again with vigour and freedom. The 
other species, which are propagated extensively 
either by layers or by seeds, require no par- 
ticular course of treatment : the seeds grow 
freely enough when sown in the ordinary way 
in which seeds are sown ; the layers root freely 
if that operation is done as is usual ; and the 
plants progress freely enough when planted in 
the ordinary soil of gardens, in the manner in 
which such operations are ordinarily per- 
formed. The only condition as regards the 
nature of the soil which seems to be necessary, 
is that it should be either naturally or arti- 
ficially free from an abundance of moisture. 
All the procumbent growing species, and 
those which approach that habit, are particu- 
larly adapted for being planted on rough, 
uneven, or rocky situations, whether natural or 
artificial. In fact, such situations require 
plants of this character to be studded about 
them, to bring out their full effect. 
THE NEW ZEALAND SPINACH. 
The New Zealand Spinafch (Tetragonia ex- 
pansa), was discovered in that island, during 
Captain Cook's first voyage, and great benefit 
was derived by his crew from using it as 
