100 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 12. 
enes, next March. The scarlet Lychnis (L. choice- 
donicaj, the Lychnis fulgens , and Corsica, are excellent 
and select border flowers, and all of them come from 
seeds. Lythrum alatum, roseum, and roseum superbum 
the same. Penstemons, again ; how few we cultivate of 
them, besides the common red and white, called gentia- 
noides. The true gentianoides is a good wilderness*plant, 
rising five feet high, with purplish flowers. The old 
Trachelium cceruleum, if sown along with these, and 
kept in a cool frame next winter, and planted out next 
April, would make one of the most exotic-looking beds 
in the garden for three months next summer. 1 had it 
so, and many moro besides, which I cannot think of to¬ 
day. To attempt to sow a full collection of nice plants 
in the spring is now out of the question; the soil is 
cold, and too damp for many of them out-of-doors, and 
no spare room inside. D. Beaton. 
CONIFERS. 
(Continued from page 62.) 
Taxus (The Yew).—The branches of this well-known , 
tree, when England was famous for its archers, fur- ; 
nished the wood that formed the best bows for that I 
weapon : lienee its name is derived from taxon , a bow. 1 
I he lew is very hardy, and will grow in any soil, not ! 
actually wet; but, to thrive well, it loves a rich, deep, 
diy loam. J he common Yew may be transplanted at 
almost any age ; the roots are so numerous and fibrous, 
that they retain the soil about them in a solid mass, 
ihe late Earl of Harrington (aided by his intelligent 
gaidenei,Mr. Barron) took advantage of this peculiarity, 
and removed large Yews, the age of which was beyond 
the memory of the oldest inhabitants of that district 
1 was assured by Mr. Barron, that many of the large 
lews now ornamenting the grounds at Elvaston Castle 
had been fetched from hedgerows several miles off; and j 
when I saw them, about two years since, they were full 
ot blanches, and ot the darkest green, apparently grow¬ 
ing better and more freely than they had done for years 
previously to being removed. Many of these Yews had 1 
stems (gnarled and crooked from old age) quite as thick 
as a stout man’s body. So large were they in size, that 
any one not used to the skill ot the transplanter would 
have pronounced it impossible to remove them, even the 
shortest distance Mr. Barron uses a machine that he 
invented himself, of a most powerful character, capable 
of lilting a tree, with its ball, several tons in weight. I 
have seen this instrument used for that purpose in the 
grounds belonging to C. Mills, Esq, of Hillingdon 
House, not half-a-mile from the place I now write in, 
and can testify to its powers, and the perfect success 
which attended it. 1 have not seen the one lately used 
for the same purpose in the London Horticultural 
Society s Gardens, at Chiswick, by Mr. Me Glashen and 
ably described lately, by my friend Mr. Beaton, in the 
pages ot this periodical; but I am quite sure it cannot 
be superior, as a transplanter, to Mr. Barron’s imple¬ 
ment; and it is to do justice to the inventive skill of a 
woithy man that f have written so long a story about 
removing large specimens of the Yew, as well as other 
trees, to which I shall return at a future time 
-Laxus adphessa (Close-pressed Yew). — A curious 
ctwart tree, growing sideways; hence it is proper to 
ornament rockwork, or to clothe naked banks. To "row 
it as a single specimen in the Pinetum, it is necessary 
to tie the leading shoot to a stake for several years, until 
a decided upright character is given to it. 
I axus baccata (Berried, or Common Yew).—This is 
so well known, that 1 need not describe it; there are, in 
the nurseries, several varieties, named F. B. nano, syn 
laxus Faxn, a neat dwarf bush J 
T. B. erecta (Upright Common Yew).—This is distinct 
from T. fastigiata, mentioned below. 
P- B. Dovastonii (Mr. Dovaston’s Weeping Common 
lew).—A decided weeping variety. To have it in per¬ 
fection it should be grafted upon a straight branchless 
stem of the common species, or it may be trained to a 
stake, till it is high enough to display its weeping 
propensity to advantage. 
T. B. elegantissima, a beautiful variety, with a most 
elegantly variegated foliage. 
J. B. foliis variegatis (Golden-striped Common Yew). 
J- B. foliis variegatis argenteis (Silver-striped). 
T. B. fructu luteo (Yellow-berried Yew).—This should 
almost be considered as a distinct species, but for the 
lact, that both red and yellow fruited trees spring from 
its seeds. 
T. B. marginata (Bordered Common Yew); and T. B. 
pyramidalis (Pyramidal Common Yew). 
Taxus fastigiata (Bundled, or Upright Irish Yew).— 
A most remarkable and useful species, and quite as hardy 
as the common Tew. Its great use is the forming of 
avenues. A very fine example of this kind of avenue 
is at Elvaston Castle, the place so often referred to as 
containing the richest collection of Conifer® in Great 
Britain. This species has its varieties also; but they 
only consist of the silver and gold striped Irish or 
Florence Court Yew. 
I axus canadiensis (Canadian Yew).—The only species 
found in the Western Hemisphere. It is a low bush, 
seldom reaching six feet in height. 
Taxodium distjchum (Two Rauked-leavcd Taxodium). 
M hen this tree is in full foliage there are none that 
surpass it in elegant beauty. It is amongst the very 
lew Conifer® that are deciduous. To grow it to perfection, 
it should have a deep, rich soil, and be sheltered from 
high winds. The finest specimen I know may be seen 
in the Arboretum at Sion House, Isleworth, the noble 
lesidence ot the Duke of Northumberland, situated on 
the banks of the Thames. No doubt the soil there has ( 
been, ages back, formed by the deposits from the water, a 
kind of soil admirably adapted for this fine tree. In 
America it grows to more than 100 feet high, with a 
proportionate stem. 
Taxodium sempervirens (Evergreen Taxodium).— 
One of the gigantic denizens of the forests of California. 
Mr. Hartweg describes the tree as averaging more than 
rilO feet high, with stems more than twenty feet round. 
The wood of this noble tree is unfortunately light and 
brittle, but of a beautiful red colour, and of a fine, close 
grain. It grows rapidly in this country. I have seen 
leading shoots in one year five feet long. In exposed 
situations the foliage turns brown in winter, and some¬ 
times the leading shoot, in very severe frosts, suffer a 
little from the intense frost. It may, however, be con¬ 
sidered quite hardy, as there is no record of its behi" 
lulled by the hardest winter we have had since it was 
introduced. Tim foliage is a dark green, and the form 
the tree assumes is pyramidal. Decidedly a great acqui- 
s ^ lon> T. Appleby. 
(To he continued.) 
THE CARNATION. 
Though I have already written upon the culture of 
this beautiful summer flower, there are several reasons 
that induce me, as briefly as possible, to give again the 
principal points, with additional matter, preparatory to 
drawing up a list of the best varieties for 1853. One 
reason is, the information has been asked for by several 
i correspondents; another reason is, that there are now 
j a great number of new subscribers to The Cottage 
! Garpener, who have not had an opportunity of seeing 
