Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 12.djvu/270

258 258 HORTICULTURE [FLOWERS. perennials, with fleshy tnberiform roots and annual stems, which have sprung mainly from Preonia albiflora and P. officinalis; the other called the tree pseony, stiff growing plants with half-woody permanent stems, which have sprung from the Chinese P. Moutan. The herbaceous pseonies usually grow from 2 to 3 feet in height, and have large much-divided leaves, and ample flowers of varied and attractive colours, and of a globular form in the double varieties which are those most prized in gardens. They blossom about the months of May and June as well as later in the summer, and as orna ments for large beds in pleasure grounds, and for the front parts of shrubberies, few flowers equal them in gorgeous effect. A good loamy soil rather light than heavy suits them best, and a moderate supply of manure is beneficial. They are impatient of frequent traiisplantings or repeated divisions for purposes of propagation, but when necessary they may be multiplied by this means, care being taken that a sound bud is attached to each portion of the tuberous roots. The older varieties of P. albiflora include Candida, festa, fragrans, Humei, Pottsii, Reevesii, rubescens, vestalis, Whitleyi, &c. ; those of P. officinalis embrace albicans, anemoniflora, Baxteri, blanda, rosea, Sabini, &c. The garden varieties of modern times are, however, still more beautiful, the flowers being in many instances delicately tinted with more than one colour, such as buff with bronzy centre, carmine with yellowish centre, rose with orange centre, white tinted with rose, &c. We name a selection of a few of the. light and dark coloured sorts, the former including tinted whites and yellows, and the latter crimsons, roses, pinks, &c. : ginie. Dark-coloured Varieties :^-Ambroise Verschaflfclt, atrosanguinea, Bossuet, Dr Bretonneau, Gloire de Douai, Jeanne d Arc, Madame Furtado, Modeste- Gue rin, Mons. de Villeneuve, Oberlin, Prince Troubetskoi, purpurea BUperba, Heine des Roses, Souvenir de 1 Exposition Universelle, Surpassc Pottsii, Vic- toire d Alma. The Siberian P. tenuifolia, with finely-cut leaves, and crimson flowers, is a graceful border plant, and its double-flowered variety is perhaps the most elegant of its race. The Moutans or Tree Pteonies are remarkable for their sub- shrubby habit, forming vigorous plants sometimes attaining a height of 6 to 8 feet, and producing in April or May magnificent flowers which vary in colour from white to lilac, purple, and rose. These are produced on the young shoots, which naturally bud forth early in the spring, and are in consequence liable, unless protected, to be cut off by spring frosts. They require to be thoroughly ripened in summer, and therefore a hot season and a dryish situa tion are desirable for their well-being ; and they require perfect rest during winter. Small plants with a single stem, if well matured so as to ensure their blossoming, make very attractive plants when forced. They are increased by grafting in autumn on the roots of the herbaceous pseonies. Of the older varieties the most conspicuous is papaverifolia, while the following are of more recent acquisition : Atrosanguinea, globosa, lilacina, picta, Reevesiana, salmonea, and versicolor. Other garden varieties are- Gloria Belgarum, alba grandiflora, Emperor of China, lactea, ocellata, pur purea, atropurpurea, Rollissoni, violacea purpurea, violacea plena, uuicolor purpurea, Beauty of Canton, Blanche de Noisette, Comte de Flandre, Elizabeth d ltalie, Hendersoni, Imp^ratrice, Josdphine, Leopoldii, Madame Stuart Low, Mandarin, Professeur Morren, Robert Fortune, Triomphe de Gand, and Souvenir de Gand. Pansy. ^2. The Pansy :. This popular flower, also called heartsease, has sprung from the native British Viola tricolor, which has probably been crossed with some of the allied species of this large and varied genus. The modern varieties of the pansy consist in the main of three types : the show varieties ; the fancy varieties, obtained a few years ago from Belgium, and now very much improved ; and the bedding varieties, which are free-blooming sorts marked rather by effectiveness of colour in the mass than by quality in the individual flower. The latter are extremely useful in spring flower gardening. The pansy flourishes in well enriched garden soil, in an open but cool situation, a loamy soil being preferable. Cow dung is the best manure. The established sorts are increased by cuttings, whilst seeds are sown to procure novelties. The cuttings, which should consist by preference of the smaller growths from the centre of the plant, may be planted early in September, in sandy soil,- under a hand light or in boxes under glass, and as soon as rooted should be removed to a fresh bed of fine sandy soil. The seeds may be sown in August or September. The bed may be prepared early in Sep tember, to be in readiness for planting, by being well manured with cow dung and trenched up to a depth of 2 feet. The plants should be planted in rows at about a foot apart. In spring they should be mulched with half-rotten manure, and the shoots as they lengthen should be pegged down into this enriched surface to induce the formation of new roots. If the blooms show signs of exhaustion by the inconstancy of their colour or marking, all the flowers should be picked off, and this top-dressing and pegging down process performed in a thorough manner, watering in dry weather, and keeping as cool as possible. Successional beds may be put in about February, the young plants being struck later, and wintered in cold frames. The fancy pansies require similar treatment, but are generally of a more vigorous constitution. When grown in pots in a cold frame, about half a dozen shoots filling out a 6-inch pot, pansies are very handsome decorative objects. The cuttings should be struck early in August, and the plants shifted into their blooming pots by the middle of October; a rich open loamy compost is necessary to success, and they must be kept free of aphides. Both the potted plants and those grown in the open beds are benefited by the use of liquid manure. The bedding pansies possess a dwarf compact free-branched habit of growth, which results in the production of a constant succession of flowers. They are a hardy race, flowering freely from the early spring onwards. These, with the varieties of Viola lutea and Viola cornuta, have latterly acquired great prominence from their utility in furnishing early flowers for the spring garden, and novelties are being rapidly produced. 63. The Pentstemon. Many species of Pentstemon have been in- Pentsl troduced to our gardens, and rank amongst the finest of all the her- mon. baceous perennials. The pentstemon of the florist has, however, sprung from P. Hartwegii, a sufl ruticose species, which has been more or less hybridized with P. gentianoides, P. Cobsea, and possibly some others. The plants are not absolutely hardy, but endure English winters unharmed in favoured situations. They are freely multi plied by cuttings, selected from the young side shoots, planted early in September, and kept in a close cold frame or under a hand light till rooted. They should then be potted singly in small pots, and wintered in a cold frame, the pots being plunged in ashes or cocoa-nut refuse, in order to keep the soil from drying too rapidly, and to prevent the frost from injuring the young roots. To obtain strong plants, they should be shifted into 5-inch pots early in March, and kept growing in well-ventilated frames until May. They flower freely in July and August and onwards till cut down by frosts. Smaller plants may be had by leaving the cuttings in the cutting pot during the winter, and introducing them to the propa gating pit in February or March, when their young shoots can be taken off, struck, potted, and grown on in frames till about May. Seedlings, if raised in heat in February or early in March, and pricked out and forwarded under glass till May, will flower the same year, but probably not so early as those raised from cuttings. The following are good kinds, and varied in colour and character, but new ones appear every season, and sometimes show a marked advance on the older sorts : Andrew Hunter, Apollon, Countess of Eglinton, Bon Villageois, Col. Long, The Bride, Dr St Paul, John F. Kiughorn, John M Pherson, Lady Coutts Lindsay, Moliere, Mrs A. Stnrry, W. P. Laird, Le Khe dive, Black Kuight, Stanstead Rival, Souvenir de St Paul, Georges Sand. 64. The Phlox, with its modern improvements, constitutes one of Plilos the finest of hardy herbaceous plants. There are two types the pyramidalis or early-flowering sorts, which appear to grow best in the northern districts, and the decussata or late-flowering sorts, which are taller and are those most frequently grown in English gardens. The early-flowering phloxes are increased by division of the root or by cuttings which may be obtained about the middle or end of March, and strike readily under a hand glass. They should be grown in beds, and will make good blooming plants for the following year. The older or blooming plants should be grown in beds of deep rich loamy soil, mulched with half-rotten dung as they come on towards flowering. They should have abund ance of water in dry weather. It is not advisable to allow more than five stems to grow up to flower. The varieties of this section flower a month or six weeks earlier than those of the decussata group, and are at the height of their bloom in July. A few good sorts are Duchess of Atholc, Lady Napier, Miss Robertson, Per fection, Waverley, Stella, Alexandra, lona, Marquis, James Mitchell, Elviua, James Neilson, Miss Hunter, Bayard, Purple Emperor, Mauve Queen. The late-flowering phloxes may be raised either from cuttings or by division. From cuttings in early spring vigorous young plants may be obtained which flower well the following season. By divi sion of the older plants into separate rooted portions, plants are obtained which flower well the same year. The latter require a deeply trenched soil, thoroughly manured, and should be well watered in dry weather ; indeed, as they grow up to bloom, manure water may be given judiciously with advantage. A good selection of these are A. F. Barren, Liervalli, Lothair, Roi des Roses, Lucien Tisseraud, Madame la Comtesse de Turenne, Madame Domage, Menottii, Mons. H. Low, Coccinea, Mrs Laing, Reve d Or, Marie Saisson, Madame Thibaut, Madame Roempler, Gloire de Neuilly, J. K. Lord, La Candeur, Mons. Malet, Chanzy, Queen of &quot;Whites. 65. The Pink of the garden has resulted from the cultivation and Pink, improvement of Dianthus plumarius. The pink is a great favourite with florists, those varieties being preferred which have the margin of the petals entire, and which are well marked in the centre with bright crimson or dark purple. Its grassy but glaucous foliage is much like that of the carnation, but the whole plant is smaller, and the greater portion of the colouring of the flowers forms a blotch near the base of the petal, instead of being laid on in stripes as in the carnation, or confined to the outer edge as in the picotee. Pinks require a free loamy soil deeply trenched, and well enriched with cow dung. They are readily iiicreased by pipings (fig. 60, (f), taken off during the flowering period, arid planted in light soil