AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
257 
1869.] 
Salvias or Sages as Ornamental Plants. 
The scarlet Sage, Salvia splendens, is unri¬ 
valled for producing a mass of scarlet color. 
It is propagated from cuttings with the greatest 
ease, and it may he readily raised from seed, 
V 
tiie bracted SAGE— (Salvia involucrata.) 
though the plants will be later in coming into 
bloom. If the plants have room to develop, 
they will grow three or four feet high, and bear 
a profusion of intensely scarlet flowers until 
cut down by the frost. A more dwarf variety 
is Gordon’s Sage (S. splendens Qordonii ), which 
has equally brilliant flowers. It is dif¬ 
ficult to find any flower of the exquisite 
shade of blue belonging to that of the 
Spreading Sage, S. patens; people who 
go into ecstacies over such things call 
it “ heavenly.” Unfortunately, the plant 
is rather coarse and weedy in its habit, 
and the flowers, though of rare beauty 
of color, drop very soon. Another, and 
a not generally known species, though 
an old one, is the Bracted Sage, S. in¬ 
volucrata. Its manner of flowering is 
very striking, and is shown in the en¬ 
graving at about half the natural size. 
At the base of the flower buds are large, 
colored scales or bracts; these scales 
lap over one another, and completely 
envelop the buds, but drop away as the 
flowers open. As the flowering pro¬ 
gresses from below upwards, the sum¬ 
mit of the flowering stem is always ter¬ 
minated by a large, rose-colored button, 
composed of unexpanded buds, with 
their overlapping scales. The flowers 
themselves are rose-colored, and not 
large, but the effect of the whole when in flower 
is very pleasing. In France they have a variety 
of this called Deschampsiana, which has much 
larger flowers, and, judging from a recent figure 
in the Revue Horticole, must be a great improve¬ 
ment on the old form. All of these species are 
tender, and a stock must be kept in the green¬ 
house over winter. The garden Sage, ( S. offi¬ 
cinalis), furnishes us an ornamental variety, 
called Salvia tricolor. It is in all respects like 
the common Sage, excepting in color; the older 
leaves are distinctly marked with white, while 
the younger ones have, in addition, a tinge of 
crimson. Messrs. Olm Brothers, of Springfield, 
Mass., sent us a fine specimen, which will allow 
us to test how the markings will endure during 
our hot summer weather. It is said to be 
equally hardy with the ordinary sage. Many 
of the plants with variegated foliage,which are so 
ornamental in Europe, fail to stand our climate. 
-. — ,, -mi. ---—- 
Summer Propagation of Geraniums and 
Other Soft-wooded Plants. 
In an article which appeared in our Horticul¬ 
tural Annual for 1868, Mr. Peter Henderson 
gives a method of propagating 
geraniums and similar plants, 
during the summer season. Last 
summer we tried it with such 
satisfactory results that we bring 
it to the notice of our flower- 
growing readers at this time. The 
majority of those who put out 
geraniums as bedding plants do 
not like to lose them when frosts 
come, and the plants are taken 
up, potted, and brought into the 
house. They generally manage 
to live through the winter, and 
in spring are sorry-looking, long- 
legged specimens, not fit to put 
out, but as they have been win¬ 
tered with so much trouble, they 
go into the borders and—make a 
very bad show. A much better 
way is to follow Mr. Henderson’s 
plan of propagating, referred to above. In July 
or August, when the plants have made a vigor¬ 
ous growth, cut the branches of which it is de¬ 
sired to make cuttings, so as to form a tongue, 
as in making a layer. The engraving shows 
how this is done at A, A, The wound will soon 
MANNER OP TONGUEING PLANTS. 
callus over, and in wet weather even roots will 
be emitted. When a good callus is formed, the 
cuttings can be detached altogether and planted 
in pots, or in a shady place in the open ground, 
where they will soon make fine, stocky plants, 
—just the thing for keeping over winter. We 
have enjoyed all winter some geraniums thus 
treated, and when turned out this spring they 
were finer plants than any the florists furnish. 
When the cut is made as above shown, the bud3 
below it push with great rapidity, and thus fur¬ 
nish material for a second supply of cuttings. 
HORSERADISH PL0WER.—(REDUCED IN SIZE.) 
The Horseradish Flower and Fruit. 
The many letters which come, asking if Horse¬ 
radish cannot be propagated by the seed, in¬ 
duces us to say that we should like to see a 
Horseradish seed. As it grows in old gardens, 
where the patch remains year by year, 
it flowers abundantly. Its blossoms are 
white, and of the. general shape of those 
of the Mustard Family, to which it be¬ 
longs. The engraving gives the ap¬ 
pearance of the flowers. We were 
quite surprised to see these used in 
some large bouquets with very good 
effect. When the coarse stems and 
foliage are hidden, the flowers appear 
very much like those of Candytuft. 
Horseradish, like some other plants 
which propagate readily by other means, 
seldom produces seeds. Every bit of 
root left in the earth will produce a 
plant, and every gardener knows how 
difficult it is to eradicate an old Horse¬ 
radish patch. In our improved methods 
of cultivation, the piece of root is put 
into the ground under circumstances 
which will induce a rapid growth and 
very little spreading. It is taken out in 
autumn, and thus the plant is not 
allowed to establish itself. In April, 
1867, we gave one method of growing 
the plant. We have carefully watched and 
inquired for many years, and never yet saw 
or heard of a ripe pod upon a Horseradish 
plant, and the European botanists say that it 
very seldom perfects seed with them. Probably, 
if it were grown in a pot where it could not 
extend its roots, it might be induced to seed. 
