282 
THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 
January 13. 
with the pollen of (7. Americanus. I have often examined 
this plant in flower, and were it not for the well-known 
respectability of our authority for the cross, I should be 
very much inclined to doubt the plant being a cross at 
all, but only a natural sport; he that as it may, all that 
I have said about Azureus will apply equally to this 
plant, excepting the colour of the flowers, which is 
paler, and not neaidy so rich; hut where are we to look 
for the exact tint of the flowers of Azureus, when the 
plant is growing under favourable conditions? 
Ceanothus Americanos. —This plant is called the 
New Jersey Tea, in America, where they used the dried 
leaves as a substitute for Chinese tea during the war of 
independence. This is a dwarf bush, bearing white 
flowers from June to August, and casting its leaves in 
the autumn. It is rather a jiretty shrub, but not to 
be compared with the above, nor with the Californian 
species, excepting Ciineatus, which is also a white-flower¬ 
ing one, and still less handsome than Americanus. Any 
good garden soil, on a dry bottom, will grow Americanus, 
which ripens seeds in the neighbourhood of London in 
favourable seasons. 
Amateurs, who do not understand the right kind of 
cuttings, or the exact time when they are ready for use, 
find a gi-eat difiBculty in striking cuttings of either of 
the above; and the best advice for them, is to get them 
from layers made at the end of spring: these seldom 
fail. It is difficult to convince amateurs that layers 
made of hard-wooded plants should have the slit, or 
tongue, made on the upper side of the shoot, because 
they see that it is made on the underside of the clove 
and carnation, and other soft, pliable shoots. 
Tl>e following is the way to make layers of hard- 
wooded plants—Stoop down opposite the buslt, and take 
a shoot of the last growth in your left hand, the point 
of the shoot facing you; then at four or five indies 
from the point where there is a joint on the upjier side, 
slip in your knife a little below the joint, draw the knife 
to you and through the centre of the joint, and on an 
inch or so towards yourself; now bend the top of the 
shoot gently away to the left, and the tongue or cut 
part will go to the right, and when the cut end is 
clear off the shoot it is ready for laying two inches deep 
in the ground; place a pinch of sand just under the 
cut, and fasten it down with a hooked peg; then cover 
and press the soil gently all round, particularly to the 
side of the layer next yourself, so as to keep the end 
well up. All this time, and until the whole is finished, 
you must not let the layer out of your hold for an 
instant; for if you do, snap it goes in a moment, and; 
the off-end of it will give your eye such a scratch as you 
will remember till the next new moon, if worse luck 
does not finish the layering for that week. Ceanothus 
Pitcheri, herbaceus, jjerennis, intermedins, and ovatus, are 
all secondary names for Americanus, or slight variations 
of it, from seeds, which are not worth the trouble of 
keeping separate. 
Ceanothus divaricatus {thyrsijlorus ?).—This is the 
first of the Californian species that found its way to this 
country in a living state. It is from near Montery, 
where it grows to the size of a small tree, and flowers 
there from May to November. It is perfectly hardy 
in the climate of I.ondon, and will grow in any good 
garden soil. Its way of close growth, and shining, 
dark green leaves, and its numerous bright blue flowers, 
render it altogether one of the most handsome cver- 
I greens we have. It may be propagated all the year 
round from cuttings of the young wood, which root as 
! freely as those of Verbena, and it grows rapidly in good 
soil, so much so, that it is eminently fitted for making 
one of those standard evergreens which are so much 
admired in geometric lines or gardens. With a clear 
stem, six or seven feet high, and a large round head 
kept regular, we have nothing that could come near to 
it in beauty. The small-leaved Phillyrea, as a standard, 
is our nearest plant to match it, or it might be allowed 
to spread into an open, loose-headed standard, or merely 
be allowed to form itself into a large bush. Whichever 
way it is grown, it requires five or si.x years good growth 
before it will flower much. 
Ceanothus pauillosus.' —This is another very hand¬ 
some, large, evergreen bush, from the Mountains of 
Santa Cruz, in California, where Hartweg found it 
growing to the height of ten feet. It has small, blunt, 
dark green leaves, which are downy on the underside. 
The flowers are as bright a blue as those of Azureus, 
with a purple tinge. This plant is also readily increased 
from cuttings. Having only been introduced in 1848, 
we are not yet sure bow much cold it will endure, or 
how far north it will flower with freedom. In the south 
of England it comes into flower about Midsummer, 
and holds on a long time. 
Ceanothus dentatus. —This is comparatively a dwarf 
species in its native country, near Montery, in Cali¬ 
fornia. It is of less stature than rigidus, on the same 
ground, not rising above a yard high, where rigidus 
grows to four or five feet. This, also, was sent over by 
Hartweg to the Horticultural Society in 1848. All the 
plants from Montei'y are hardy enough here, as far as 
our experienee of them goes. In the south of England 
this bush flowers beautifully in May; the blossom is 
deep blue, in round heads, and very handsome. It 
comes from cuttings, like all the rest of the Californian 
species, vei'y freely. 
Ceanothus velutinus (Velvety-leaved).—The velvet 
is on the under side of the leaves; the upper side shines 
as if varnished. This is a white-flowering speeies, and 
handsomer than cuneatus, and the varieties of Ameri- 
canus, all which are white-flowering ones. It was 
introduced by tbe Horticultural Society from the sourees 
of the Oregon, and is quite hardy, growing to a large¬ 
sized bush from five to ten feet high, and is easily 
increased. For a small garden this is the only white 
Ceanothus I would recommend. G. Collianus, another 
white one, but a dwarf plant, is very nearly related to 
velutinus ; and G. cuneatus, one of the new ones, is 
white, and really not worth growing. 
Ceanothus verrucosus (Waited on the Stems).—This 
is also one of Hartweg’s new ones, and one of the very 
best of them, which will be a match for divaricatus 
soon; the habit is even stronger than in divaricatus. 
It woidd also make a handsome standard if it were 
trained so, but the stiff way of gi-owth will hardly admit 
i«f being formed into such a regular shape as divaricatus. 
The flowers are light blue, and are produced in immense 
quantities from all the little side-shoots, forming great 
balls, or rather corymbs, along the whole length of the 
main brnnehes. This is the most suitable of all tbe 
blue ones for tbe north of Scotland: strong, stiff, regard¬ 
less of cold, and even soil, and flowering in the height 
of summer. It was first called integerrimus. 
D. Beaton. 
WINTER-BLOOMING, HARDY, GREENHOUSE 
PLANTS. 
Habrothamnus ei.egans. —I think I first saw this 
plant growing against a pillar in the conscrvatoiy at 
the Regent’s Park. Though it was then in early 
summer it ivas a heautiful object, with its large bunches 
of carmine tubular flowers depending from the points 
and sides of the young shoots. Many a visitor joined 
me in gazing at it, and from that day to this there 
have been repeated inquiiles as to its culture. All the 
family introduced are natives of Mexico; belong to the 
Nightshade order; and in the shape of the flowers, and 
the mode of growth, resemble their near neighbours 
