10‘2 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 7. 
of the Versailles Nursery, Hammersmith, enumerates in 
liis catalogue more than fifty varieties. Botanists 
only recognize one (alba), the white-flowered. The 
species hears the smoke of large towns bettor than almost 
any other flowering plant. 
L Humei (Sir A. Hume’s).—From Nepapl. Flowers 
as early as April; grows two feet high ; colour deep blue. 
I. Monnieri (Mohnier’s).—A dwarf species, flowering 
in May; producing yellow flowers. Native of Greece. 
I. NebauLensis (Nepaul).—Another choice dwarf 
species, with blue flowers, in May. 
I. odorata (Sweet-scented).—From Siberia. A de¬ 
sirable species, with deep-blue flowers, in June; two feet 
high. 
I. I’RTsmatica (Prismatic).—From North America; 
with hue flowers variously shaded ; grows only a foot 
high ; and blooms in May. 
I. pumila (Dwarf).—An Austrian plant; growing only 
two inches high ; with blue flowers, in May. There are 
two varieties with white, and white and blue flowers. 1 
have had patches of the pretty plant more than two feet 
across, covered with flowers. It thrives best in a light 
soil fully exposed to the sun. 
I. reticulata (Netted).—From Spain. This is a lovely 
flower; the petals are beautifully veined or netted. 
Grows only three inches high, with blue flowers, as early 
as March. 
I. Siberica (Siberian).—A tall species, blooming in 
May, with light blue flowers. There is a variety with 
white flowers, and another with double ouos, a rare 
circumstance in this genus. 
I. sob-biflora (Sub-two-flowered).—From Portugal; 
growing a foot-and-a-half high, with violet flowers, 
appearing in June. 
I. Swertu (Swert’s).—A Siberian plant, with white 
flowers ; growing two feet high, and blooming in May. 
I. Stjstana (Susian) —From Persia; with very large 
striped flowers, in April. A shy bloomer, but very large 
and handsome. 
I. triflora. (Three-flowerod).—An Italian species, 
remarkable for producing three flowers out of one spatlie ; 
grows a foot high, with blue flowers, in June. 
1. verna (Spring).—One foot high, with purple 
flowers; early in April; native of Virginia. 
I. versicolor (Various-colours).—North America. 
Flowers in May. Introduced so long since as 1732. 
I. violacea (Violet).—A lovely dwarf species, native of 
the South of Europe; blooming in M ay. 
I This may appear a long list, but, notwithstanding, it 
; is a select one. I consider the above the best of the 
genus that bloom early. There are at least as many 
more that are early in unfolding their flowers. 
LATHY HUS.—EVE BLAST IN G PEA. 
Everybody admires the L. latifolius, the common 
perennial Pea, but it is not ail early bloomer. In the 
i genus there are, however, two or three that bloom early, 
; and they, in consequence, have a place here. 
L. Califohnicus (Californian). — A hardy climber, 
dying down in winter; growing four feet high ; and 
blooming, with purple flowers, in June. Increased 
by seeds sown in April. 
L. Magellianicus (Magellan).—Purple flowers, in 
; May; growing three feet high; from Cape Horn, 
j Increased by division and seeds. 
L. MYRTiFOLius (Myrtle-leaved).—Redflowers, in May; 
growing three feet high ; from Pensylvania. Increased 
by division and seeds. T. Appleby. 
(To be continued.) 
Erratum.— Page 63, for Henchera , read Heuchera . 
\ ~~ 
LARGE TREES IN KITCHEN-GARDENS. 
It is admitted by every one that a well-grown tree is 
among the most beautiful objects of nature, and 
certainly there are few objects that can compete with it, 
more especially when the tree has attained that majestic | 
growth which entitles it to be regarded as “ a fine : 
specimen;” and as public taste now only recognises a 
tree to be fine when it has been allowed to grow as j 
nature intended it, the general acceptation of the term, ’ 
“fine specimen,” is usually meant to represent only such 
trees as have attained that growth, rather than of those 
formal or artificial objects which owe their form to the 
mutilations they have received at the hands of the 
would-be-improver. 
Though a fine tree is an object worthy of admiration, 
be it of whatever kind it may, yet there are certain ' 
positions in which its fine appearance may be more ; 
than counter-balanced by the evil it creates. A line tree | 
may ornament a lawn very much; but if it overhangs the j 
windows of a house its beauty will hardly compensate the 
inconvenience, and, consequently, after many parleys 
and consultations amongst those interested in its welfare, 
&c., it is at length condemned to be cut down, and after 
its removal there is a general relief, and even the most 
strenuous advocates for retaining it, turn round and 
join in the general congratulation at its departure. 
This feeling is far from reprehensible, for a love for 
trees is generally implanted in the breasts of all, and to 
part with those which are, in a certain degree, hallowed 
by the associations connected with them, seems a 
sacrifice we are not prepared any day to make; but once 
the object gone, there is a general exultation at the 
“ improvement,” and ingenuity is set to work to devise 
what more can be douo to carry out the reform so un¬ 
expectedly begun; and it would not be difficult to point 
out instances wherein this work has been allowed to go to 
such an extreme, that when altering has at length begun, 
its spirit seemed to overcome all before it, and alteration 
for mere altering’s sake would seem to be the order of the 
day. in one respect, however, operations in a garden, 
shrubbery, or plantation, differ from other mechanical 
work; for while the material operated upon, in the latter 
class, suffer, and become much injured by each change, 
those of a natural kind often improve by it; and it not 
unfrequently happens that “ Nature” steps in to amend 
our treatment of her offspring; for trees, or shrubs, 
mutilated in taking up, as well as many other things 
injured at our hands, are often brought round again by 
the all-healing powers of that important agent, so that 
it often happens that clumsy and unskilful work turns 
out successful, in consequence of the after-assistance it 
receives from sources over which we have no control; 
and somehow, wo do not at all times allow sufficient 
merit to that all important source of our successful 
culture, but attribute too large a portion of it to some 
particular mode in which we have treated the article. 
But as this is wandering from the subject of large trees, 
I must beat a retreat, and, with the reader’s permission, 
make an attack on “ large trees ” in certain situations, 
which now and then I am grieved to see them occupying. 
As has been said above, a fine specimen of a 
tree is always a beautiful object to look upon, whether 
its top expands into that spacious form we see so often 
in our native deciduous trees, or shoot upwards with the 
grace and elegance of a Silver Fir. Both these are very 
good, but taking the subject in a less extended point of 
view, a tree of considerable size, and loaded with fruit 
too, is, in the eyes of many people, a more delightful 
object to look upon than the others; but this is the very 
tree I am here disposed to make the attack upon ; not, cer¬ 
tainly, when it occupies a position in the back-yards to a 
house, although, in the latter case, it may become a sort of 
receptacle for all the sticks and other missiles that may 
be thrown at it to divest it of its fruit, neither is it 
