142 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOOIST. 
[ June, 
deciduous trees, were shown by Messrs. Veitcli and Sons. To one of them, 
Alnus glutinosa rubro)iervia^ a First-Class Certificate was awarded ; it had olive- 
coloured leaves, tinted with copper, and reddish leaf-stalks. The other, named 
Alnus glutinosa aurea, had golden leaves, and looked very pretty ; this latter had 
already been certificated. 
From Sion-House Gardens came a patch of Pyrethrim TcJdhatcliewii, which 
has been recommended as a substitute for grass in dry situations, but from its 
coarse appearance it seemed scarcely likely to be grown on well-kept lawns. It 
might be very useful to cover rock-work, and possibly would grow in shady places 
under trees, where the grass becomes of weak growth. It is also said to be 
useful as fodder for sheep.—E. D. 
THE DUKE OF ARGYLL’S TEA TREE. 
E EALLY, there is no accounting for the odd names given to plants. This 
one in particular seems to be pre-eminently unmeaning, for the plant, 
Lyciuni harharum, belongs to a poisonous genus, and never could have 
® been used as a Tea; indeed, so far as its virtues are concerned, it may be 
set down as of no known service to man, for its wood amounts only to wands, 
and all decoctions of its roots, or leaves, or flowers, or fruits are only evil, and 
that continually. 
Not so, however, is it with the shade afforded by this quick-growing shrub. 
That virtue is not to be lightly spoken of; and it has the merit of being a deter¬ 
mined grower, and that under great difficulties, and on soils of all sorts. I 
remarked it some time ago at Blackpool, in Lancashire, climbing the walls of, the 
house where I lodged, and I looked in vain for a leaf of any other tree or shrub 
that had braved the sea breeze. This, however, stood alone, and bore up sturdily 
against the high winds and the sea spray; and I would particularly recommend 
it to the Blackpool people, to lessen the glare of their brick buildings by some¬ 
thing leafy and green. The plant is easily propagated, and is always to be had cheap; 
indeed, in good soil it. becomes troublesome, and gets the name of weedy. The 
way in which the foliage of this plant hangs makes it throw the rain off almost 
as effectually as a roof of thatch, for the leaves are long, narrow, and thickly set 
upon the twigs, and once the stem has attained the top of the arbour, the spray or 
twigs will weep gracefully on all sides. It is, therefore, admirably adapted to form 
blinds to windows or doors-porches, screens to ash-pits, and the like ; and with the 
help of a few wall nails, it can be made to cover the face of a large surface of brick 
wall in a very short time. When "it grows rank it is not so elegant as when it 
grows slowly. The corridor style of growth suits it best, where it can run up a 
brick wall, and hang over a pathway, one side being of props. It is a bad neigh¬ 
bour to other plants or climbers, as it exhausts the soil and chokes the foliage. 
It is always free from insects, and looks healthy and well when Roses are mildewed, 
and grub and greenfly have done their worst. 
