456 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. { November is, ms 
and transfer them to the newly prepared ground, taking care to 
plant them firmly in their new positions. The coarse-growing 
species may be reduced, and the weak growers will be benefited 
by having a handful of fresh loam placed about their roots. Be 
careful not to destroy clumps of bulbs, and when replanted their 
position should be indicated by a strong stick. 
Some judgment will be required in disposing of the plants. 
Am >ngst those suitable for the back of the border will be 
Pyrethrum uliginosum, Chrysanthemum maximum (both fine 
for autumn), Helenium autumnale, some of the perennial Asters, 
Campanula lactiflora, C. macrantha, Rudbeckia californica, Sapo- 
naria officinalis, and Lythrum salicaria. Any spare spaces can 
be filled with Dahlias, Sweet Peas, Sunflowers, or tall-growing 
annuals. In front of the above may be planted Achillea Ptarmica 
plena, Delphinium formosum, Fuchsia gracilis, F. Riccartoni, 
Lychnis chalcedonica, L. coronaria, Pentstemons, Antirrhinums, 
Harpalium rigidum, CEnothera fruticosa, Aster Amellus, Rud- 
beckia speciosa, R. purpurea, Paeonies, and summer-flowering 
Chrysanthemums. Next come Aquilegias, Anemone japonica, 
Potentillas, Orobus vernus, Spiraea palmata, S. filipendula, S. 
japonica, Bahia lanata, Campanula glomerata, C. persicifolia, &c., 
Geranium pratense, G. sanguineum, Hieracium aurantiacum, Pole- 
monium coeruleum, Mimulus luteus, Scabiosa caucasica, Statice 
Limonium, Saxifraga cordifolia, Catananche coerulea, Veronica 
incana, and Geum coccineum. For the front plant Polyanthus, 
Primroses, Aubrietias, common white Pinks, Alyssum saxatile, 
Silene alpestris, border Auriculas, Phlox setacea, Prunella grandi- 
flora, Campanula pulla, C. carpatica, C. carpatica alba, C. rotun- 
difolia, Ajuga reptans, white Arabis, red and white Daisies, Gen- 
tiana acaulis, and the following will be found useful annuals for 
filling up vacant spaces :—Sweet Scabious, Cornflower, Salpi- 
glossis, Bartonia aurea, Linaria bipartita splendens, Coreopsis 
tinctorea, Nemophila insignis, Limnanthes Douglassi, Hyme- 
noxys californica, Schizanthus pinnatus, S. retusus, Calandrinia 
discolor, Godetia Lady Albemarle, Lupinus subcarnosus, and 
L. nanus.—E. B. 
ARAUCARIAS. 
_ As one of the few existing genera of plants linking the vegeta¬ 
tion of the present time with that of the distant geologic ages, the 
Araucarias are invested with much interest alike to the scientist 
and the horticulturist, an interest which is shared in varying degree 
by the whole beautiful family of cone-bearing plants, as well as 
by their curious relatives the Cycads. Geologists have by their 
patient investigations revealed that at one period of the earth’s 
existence, termed the reign of the Gymnosperms, these types con¬ 
stituted a large portion of the luxuriant vegetation, which resulted 
in the formation of those enormous coal fields that have proved 
so valuable to the English nation. Amongst the Lepidodendrons, 
the Calamites, the Lycopodites, and the Pinites of those days 
were others which are termed Araucarites, from their resemblance 
to the Araucarias now known, especially to A. excelsa, and some 
well-preserved specimens have been obtained in various parts of 
the kingdom, particularly in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. 
From observations made on these it appears that not only did 
these plants grow and thrive here then, but they attained to 
heights rivalling, or perhaps exceeding, the species now found in 
other and warmer climates than our own. Though we could 
scarcely desire a return to the climatic conditions then prevailing 
on the globe, it is regretable that only one of the Araucarias now 
in cultivation is sufficiently hardy to endure the low temperatures 
we occasionally experience in Britain. Fortunately there is 
another use to which they can be applied with satisfactory 
results, and that is for conservatories, greenhouses, or winter 
gardens, in fact any position where they can be protected from 
frost. In a small state for decorative purposes they are valuable, 
but when grown in a structure sufficiently large to permit their 
free development they cannot be excelled in majestic beauty. 
With the Dammaras, the Araucarias may be considered as the 
representatives in the southern hemisphere of the northern 
Conifers; for while we there lose the Pines, Firs, Cypresses, and 
Junipers which are so familiar in Europe, Asia, and North 
America, we have instead the two genera first named, with 
Arthrotaxis, Fitzroya, some Libocedrus, Podocarpus, and other 
distinct forms, some of which are partially hardy in England. 
The Araucarias are not numerous, about eight species being 
known exclusive of varieties, and these are natives of Australia, 
New Caledonia, or South America, forming large forests often at 
a considerable elevation. As timber-yielding trees some of them 
are highly valuable, while the seeds in several cases form im¬ 
portant articles of food to the natives. These matters can, how¬ 
ever, be more fully referred to when describing the species, and 
a few notes may be first given upon the 
Culture. —All the species of Araucaria agree in requiring a 
soil of substantial loam, but not too retentive, thorough drainage 
to prevent stagnation of water around the roots; and without 
these be provided suckers cannot be expected, whether the plants 
be in pots, in conservatory beds, or out of doors. The hardy 
A. imbricata, the Monkey Puzzle, now so common in British 
gardens, exemplifies this, for on shallow or light sandy soils it 
makes but poor progress, losing its lower branches, and is in fact 
far inferior to specimens grown under more favourable circum¬ 
stances. This distinct Conifer also appears to thrive far more 
vigorously in those districts of England where the rainfall is 
above the average, and we find in the west of England some of 
the most symmetrical and handsome specimens in cultivation. 
I recently noticed this very markedly in the neighbourhood of 
Bristol, where this Araucaria is represented by many handsome 
examples ; and still farther west, in Devon especially, it grows 
almost as vigorously as it does on its native mountains in South 
America. All the other species are too tender to be planted out 
of doors in this country, though specimens of moderate size in 
pots may be placed out in the summer months, and for subtropical 
gardens they are very suitable in this way. In the south of 
Ireland A. excelsa has been tried out of doors, but even there the 
results have been most unsatisfactory ; a few degrees of frost 
injure the points of the branches, and quite disfiguring the trees, 
while frost of greater intensity kills them completely. Some 
years ago it was recorded in these pages that “ Araucaria Cunning- 
hamii sinensis ” had withstood five winters in the gardens of 
Elmham Hall, Thetford, Norfolk, quite unprotected; but I should 
think Cunninghamia sinensis must have been intended by the 
writer, as I have not heard of this species being planted out, and 
the variety is unknown to me. The Cunninghamia resembles 
some of the large-leaved Araucarias, and is, moreover, rather 
tender. They nearly all succeed very well in a greenhouse, or 
indeed any structure where the temperature is not permitted to 
fall below 40° ; but A. Rulei thrives better in a warmer house, 
the cool end of a stove suiting it admirably. 
Propagation. —It is seldom, perhaps, that gardeners are 
required to increase their stock of these plants by progagation, 
especially as plants can be 60 readily obtained from nurserymen, 
who grow them in large quantities, but a few notes may be given 
as to the methods adopted. Imported seeds have been the chief 
source from which the numberless specimens of A. imbricata have 
been obtained, a few having been obtained from home-grown 
seeds, but these are comparatively few, and the others are far 
preferable. It has been observed in the case of several of the 
choicer Conifers that plants raised from seed produced in England 
have been greatly inferior to the type, being more weakly in con¬ 
stitution, and seldom forming handsome specimens. This point 
should be kept in mind, not only in the case of Araucarias, but 
with other Conifers also, as the seeds, either from imperfect fer¬ 
tilisation or immaturity, do not seem to be fitted to perpetuate 
their race. It has, indeed, been suggested that in collecting cones 
regard should be carefully paid to the locality where the trees are 
growing, those in the coolest districts or highest elevations being 
preferably selected, as the plants raised from such seeds are more 
likely to be vigorous and successful in our climate. It is usually 
recommended to sow A. imbricata seeds in cold frames or houses, 
but I have found them succeed better in a temperature of about 
50° or 55°, as they germinate more freely and quickly, and can 
afterwards be removed to the cool frame until ready for planting 
out. Well-drained pots or pans of loam should be employed, the 
seeds being pressed in narrow end downwards, in the case of 
A. imbricata and the species of that section, to about half their 
length ; the others can be inserted with their upper ends level 
with the soil or partly covered. Araucaria excelsa can be increased 
by cuttings, and doubtlessly some of the others could be propa¬ 
gated in the same way, but they are usually grafted on seedling 
stocks of the stronger or common species. Cuttings and scions 
are obtained in this way : The tops of the plants are cut off close 
to a whorl of branches, and the young shoots springing from these 
are removed when a few inches long, and either inserted in sandy 
loam and placed in moderate heat, or they are employed as scions 
for grafting on stocks. Occasionally, too, shoots are produced on 
the upper surface of the branches, and these may be taken off 
and treated similarly, but not the points of the main horizontal 
branches. 
The botanical structure of the Araucarias need not be discussed 
here, but a peculiarity of the germinating seed may be noticed, 
as with other characters it has been adopted to divide the species 
into two groups. This is the fact, that in some species the coty¬ 
ledons remain underground, being never released from the seed, 
which sends a young root downwards aod then a small shoot 
upwards, while in others the cotyledons are developed. These 
