276 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, July 31, 1860. 
ham, Essex, was much admired, and was considered a valuable 
acquisition. 
Messrs. Carter & Co., of ITolborn, sent a large collection of 
new Annuals, of which the following received Special Notice :— 
Clarlcia pulchella Tom Thumb, a very pretty dwarf and very 
bushy plant, a complete mass of bloom, received a Certificate of 
Commendation. Linaria macroura splendens, a very fine, dark 
jiurple variety, was also Commended. 
Miss Thompson, of Mount Radford, Exeter, sent Polystichum 
aculeatum corymbiferum. It is a very ornamental form of this 
Fern, having tassels at the ends of the fronds ; and received a 
First-class Certificate. Also, a variety of P. anyulare, which 
was thought to resemble the variety lineare. 
Messrs. Veitcli & Son, of Chelsea, sent a noble plant of 
Cordyline erythrorachis. This is a variety of C. stricta , and has 
long, gracefully curving leaves, with a bright red midrib. As 
an ornamental-foliaged plant this was much admired, and 
received a First-class Certificate. From the same gentleman 
came Tachiadenus carinatus, a pretty free-blooming plant, with 
flowers of the same character as Lisianthus Bussellianus, but 
smaller and of a dark purple colour; and this received a Cer¬ 
tificate of Commendation. 
A number of Seedling Fuchsias were sent by Mr. Edw. Ranks, 
of Sholden, near Deal, remarkable for the size of their flowers 
and the fine habit of the plants. Those which attracted the 
greatest attention were Garibaldi, with large flowers, scarlet 
retlexed sepals, which are rather coarse, and light purplish 
slate-coloured petals, a fine habit and profuse bloomer, re¬ 
ceived a Certificate of Commendation; Lord Elcho, a fine 
large flower, with reflexed deep coral-red sepals, and very dark 
violet-purple petals, received a First-class Certificate. Prince 
Leopold is somewhat similar to the preceding, and also received 
a First-class Certificate. Minnie Banks is a very fine light 
variety, with white reflexed sepals, and scarlet petals: it also 
received a First-class Certificate. 
Mr. D. Cunningham, of the Palace Gardens, Fulham, sent a 
Seedling Verbena, called Lucy Tait, of very dwarf habit, and a 
free bloomer. It was considered a useful variety for edging 
flower-beds, and received a Certificate of Commendation. 
A Commendation to Fuchsia Negro (Banks), a bold, beauti¬ 
ful dark mulberry corolla, and scarlet reflexed sepals. 
A Commendation to Meteor, a dwarf, good-habited, variegated 
Geranium, from Messrs. Parker and Williams. 
A Commendation to Princess of Prussia, a globe-flowered, 
scarlet Geranium, from Mrs. Conway, Earl’s Court, Old Eromp- 
ton, recommended chiefly as a pot plant for the conservatory. 
THE MIXED SHRUBBERY AND ITS 
TREATMENT. 
(Continuedfrom page 259.) 
Aucuba Japonica .—This shrub is said to endure the smoke of 
large towns better than most things; but it is also a great ac¬ 
quisition in the more pure country districts. It is never of fast 
growth, but makes a compact bush, the head often being more 
flat than rounded. It will survive very rough treatment, trans¬ 
plants well, and will bear cutting-in; but this is seldom wanted, 
as its close, uniform growth requires no improvement, and it 
ought to be planted with sufficient latitude to allow it twenty 
years growth, at least, without disturbing it. It is more at home 
in a rather stiff soil than a light one, and no plant removes better 
than this does. Planted in the front of a shrubbery, its pale 
yellow leaves contrast well with the deeper tints of Evergreen 
Box, Euonymus, Phillyrcas, and .others, and it is also invaluable 
for confined situations. I have seen a plant kept many years in 
a pot placed in a very smoky situation, to screen an unsightly 
view from an important window ; and though often covered with 
soot, it looked well after a washing. It is, therefore, useful on 
this account, and is a great favourite with the park-keepers in 
London, and elsewhere. 
Arbutus .—A fine plant of this deserves a place on the lawn ; 
but as every plant is not a good one, and as every situation does 
not suit this shrub, its appearance is not always so good as the 
Portugal Laurel. Dry soils resting on chalk seem to suit it best, 
and where a plant is well clothed with heavy foliage to the ground, 
and in the autumn loaded with its fine Strawberry-shaped fruit, 
it looks well. But in many instances the plant is liable to get 
naked at the bottom, even where it is favourably placed, and its 
beauty is then gone. In the latter case, cutting down the whole 
plant to within a foot or so from the ground will often occasion 
a vigorous growth of fresh side-shoots, which in two or three 
years become excellent plants again. In cutting down this or 
any other evergreen, when it is possible to retain a small branch 
of the old plant with leaves on it, there is a more vigorous 
growth in the young shoots, and this old branch can be cut off 
afterwards. In fact, this old branch with its old leaves very 
often preserves the life of the plant when the latter is sickly, 
as by its vitality it keeps all the functions going, which receive 
a severe check when the plant is cut down wholesale. The 
fine pendant flowers of the Arbutus are much admired in 
autumn, and altogether the plant is a universal favourite when 
seen to advantage; but when sickly, distorted, or not at home, 
it looks badly. 
Spindle Tree ('Euonymus Japonica'). —This handsome, upright¬ 
growing shrub is not so much grown as it ought to be; but it is 
becoming more common, especially as it is reported to endure 
the smoke of large towns better than most shrubs. The varie¬ 
gated kind is in most esteem, simply, perhaps, from the fact of its 
being variegated, otherwise the plain green is the most handsome. 
It likes a rather dry soil, where it ripens its shoots better, and 
endures the winter without injury to its foliage. 
Griselinea littoralis. —This is comparatively a new evergreen 
shrub, and I have had but little experience with it except against 
a wall, where its thick-set evergreen leaves, of the shape and 
size of those of the Majorca Box, give it a nice compact ap¬ 
pearance. I have not seen it flower, but can vouch for its hardi¬ 
ness. It is of slow growth, and eventually may be useful where 
such shrubs are wanted to form dwarf, compact bushes. If 
planted in a miscellaneous shrubbery let it have a place near 
the front. 
Berberis. —This numerous family vaiy very much in outward 
appearance. The long pinnated leaves of B. Japonica contrast 
strongly with the smaller-leaved species, of which B. Fortunii is 
not the least. But the common B. aquifolium or Mahonia 
aquifolium, as it is often called, is after all the most showy for 
common places, and being of easy growth will often thrive where 
nothing else will, as it seems to prosper in most situations— 
perhaps best in a rather deep, moist soil; but B. Fortunii and 
B. Darwinii deserve a wall. But the long foliage of B. Bealii 
and B. Japonica cannot well comport themselves to such a place; 
it is only when planted out on the lawn in detached bushes that 
they really assume that fine appearance for which they are so 
much admired. 
Daphne. —A large mass of the D. Pontica looks well when it 
is closely feathered to the ground, and its deep green foliage 
entitles it to more consideration than it often receives. A rather 
moist soil and somewhat shaded suits it best; but I have seen a 
healthy mass of it thirty feet or more over, on a very dry, open 
situation. It is not of fast growth, but when once it gets into 
shape it keeps so much longer than most ordinary shrubs of a 
like kind. 
Chinese Privet. —When in flower this plant looks well. In 
fact, it does so at all seasons; the foliage being hardy, endures 
severe weather better than the Arbutus, and it also has a flower 
more prominent in the distance. Flowering at a season when 
shrub-flowers are far from plentiful (September), its value is 
much enhanced. It likes a dry, sheltered corner, and amply 
repays a little care in its choice of position. 
Garry a elliptica. — The long graceful-looking catkins which 
hang on all sides of this plant all winter give it a rich appearance 
at a season when such things are far from plentiful. A dry stony 
soil suits it best, and it is sometimes trained against a wall; if in 
the latter position, do not prune it too closely, or the flower¬ 
bearing shoots will be all cut away. It is of medium growth, 
spreading rather than upright, and densely clothed with foliage 
which stands the weather well. 
Furze .—Common as this plant is, the flower gardoncr has 
much to accomplish yet ere he can furnish the parterre with a 
plant that can exceed it in brilliancy of colouring and density of 
bloom. A waste, or fox cover, of some acres of this hardy plant 
presents a mass of bloom in May, which it is vain to look for in 
any cultivated spot; the adjoining heath (also waste) being the 
only thing that can approach it, unless in certain districts where 
Broom takes the place of Furze, in which case the colour and 
features are much the same. But it is not the wild Furze that I 
wisli to call attention to, but the double-blossomed one, which 
remains longer in flower, and which, by its dense mass of bright 
orange-yellow blossoms, presents a fine feature in early spring, 
especially when it is seen peeping out amongst other evergreens. 
