like the Auricula; but as the double white does not produce many offsets, it is best to slip them with a knife into as many parts as there are crows or hearts, with a portion of fibrous root, when they have flowered, watering plentifully.

GARDEN PEA.

RANUNCULUS, The. A tuberousrooted plant, like the Anemone, sufficiently hardy to bear the open air. There are many varieties of Ranunculus, which has become a very favourite florist's flower. They may be raised from seed, treated like the Anemone, or by dividing the roots. The best soil is a rich loam, with a mixture of wellrotted dung.

SNAP-DRAGON.-- A native perennial plant, sometimes found growing wild on old buildings. It is easy of cultivation, and agreeable in

appearance.

SNOWDROP, The.-A pretty little native bulbous plant, the first spring ornament of the garden, often blooming before the snow has fairly melted off the ground; propagated by offsets.

STOCKS.-Three kinds of stocks are annuals, including the Ten Weeks' Stock, which will flourish all the summer. The Brompton and Queen's are biennial, living through the winter, and flowering the second year. They are generally sown in pots, and removed to a south border when sufficiently advanced. The wallflower leaved and Indian varieties are treated in the same manner.

SWEET WILLIAM, a hardy biennial, and easily cultivated, is a favourite on account of the richness of its hues. It blooms all the summer, and forms a prime ornament of the garden beds.

TULIP, The, has been one of the most famous of flowers; the bulbs, in former times, sold for fabulous prices, if they were of the rarer kinds; and, among the Dutch, who were always great tulip cultivators, a perfect mania, at one time, broke out regarding this flower -hundreds of dollars having been given and demanded for a single root. Even now, a prime bed of tulips is a very expensive affair; but this is no reason why our young friends should not number some specimens among their floral treasures. They are usually planted in clumps in the borders, where their bright colours show up very favourably; but for a regular tulip bed, a place should be prepared rather raised in the centre, and a little above the level of the rest of the garden. There should be seven inches space left between each of the plants. The beds are prepared like Hyacinth beds.

PRIMROSE.

VERBENA, The Creeping.-A most beautiful scarlet flowering plant, blooming in June. It is readily propagated by cuttings, and only requires a slight protection during severe frost.

WALLFLOWER, The.-A biennial plant, very sweet smelling, and early blooming, and a great ornament to the garden; easy, moreover, of cultivation. The Single Wallflower is often found wild, growing on ruins and brick and lime rubbish. The Double requires some care, and must be protected during severe frosts. It grows well in pots, and is propagated by cuttings. The Single Wallflower is easily raised from seed.

Roses and Flowering Shrubs.

HEN the young gardener undertakes to cultivate his piece of ground, he will do best to buy such shrubs and small trees as he requires, from the florist, in such a state that he will have little to do but to water them occasionally, or perhaps to stir the earth around their stems. As he advances in the knowledge of the mysteries of gardening, he may begin to practise pruning, and even grafting, as described in previous pages, and may also multiply his trees by shoots and offsets and seedlings, as he does his pinks, carnations, and other flowers. We shall have a few words to say upon some of the more general shrubs, and then must quit this part of the subject to talk of the kitchen garden.

Many flowering shrubs are natives of North America, and thrive best in a peculiar sort of soil, which may thus be formed for them:-Remove one foot of the natural soil, and replace it by the turfy soil on which heath naturally grows. Peat, or bog soil, is not at all suitable; but in the absence of heathy turf, a good substitute may be formed of leaf mould and fine white sand mixed. When a plat is thus formed, it is called an American clump, or border. In planting shrubs, open

for every plant a circular hole, wide and deep enough to receive the root freely, and let the bottom be well loosened. Then prune the end of all long and straggling roots, cutting away all such as are broken, damaged, or dead; also prune any irregularities of the head. Place the shrub upright in the hole; break the earth well, and throw it in equally, shaking the plant gently, to make the earth fall regularly among the roots and fibres. When the roots are well covered, tread the earth gently down round the plant; and when all the earth is restored to the place, finish by watering, which must be repeated for several days, according to the nature of the soil, the weather, or the character of the shrub.

We shall now mention a few shrubs we can recommend for cultivation, giving them in their alphabetical order.

ARBUTUS, or STRAWBERRY-TREE.-A native of Ireland, suitable for the centre of a bed. Flower, yellow and white; fruit resembles a strawberry. May be raised from seeds in pots, is an evergreen, and flowers in September. Grows ten or twelve feet high.

AZALEA.-A splendid shrub; flowers red, yellow and white. Soil, peaty. Propagated by layers and suckers. Requires no pruning beyond removing the dead wood.

BOX.-There are two sorts; the short, used for edgings round beds, and the tree, which grows high, and blows with a pale yellow flower in April. Propagated by layers and strips, which take root readily.

so abundant as they would be, if the plants were turned out during the summer months in an open border, the earth of which is light, containing a mixture of loam and a little well-rotted manure. Here they will flower in the greatest perfection during the whole summer; and all, excepting a very few of the most expensive kinds, will be profited by this treatment.

Geraniums may be propagated by seed, which generally is produced in July; it should be gathered when ripe, and immediately sowed in a pot, and plunged in a hot-bed or placed under a glass; and in about three weeks after coming up should be potted separately, and by autumn will be fine plants, superior to those raised from cuttings.

GUELDER ROSE, or MAY ROSE.-A pretty shrub, growing freely, and producing abundant bunches of white flowers in May. May be freely pruned. Thrives in any soil, and mixes well with lilac and laburnum.

HONEYSUCKLE.-A climbing plant, very fragrant and pleasing; often found growing wild. Good to train against the sides of arbours or walls. The trumpet kind is the handsomest. Propagated by layers, or cuttings, in spring or autumn.

HYDRANGEA. - A handsome shrub, with abundant clusters of flowers, pale pink, pale lilac, or almost white. Loam from a field or common, mixed with well-rotted manure, is the best soil for them; give them plenty of water. Cuttings will strike under bell-glasses in May. They are hardy, and thrive well with little

care.

JASMINE.--A capital plant for training against a wall or house, for it is a great climber. Jasmine must be pruned judiciously, or it will straggle; but not too freely, or you will lose the delicate white flowers. In winter you may cut down the delicate lateral branches to short spurs, and they will shoot out strongly in spring, with abundance of fresh flowers. The yellow jasmine grows less luxuriantly than the white, and must therefore be less pruned.

LABURNUM.-A handsome shrub, growing high, and producing abundance of yellow blossoms. Very suitable for the centre of beds, and back rows in border.

LAURUSTINUS, The.-Grows best in an exposed situation, and will thrive in any loamy soil. If it should be destroyed by sharp frost, when cut down it will generally shoot again from the roots. It should never be allowed to grow too large, for young plants will flower much better, and maintain a more compact and healthy appearance than very large and old ones. Being an evergreen, it is better adapted for the lawn than the flower garden.

LILAC.-There are three sorts, which are all propagated by suckers, or layers. These like a deep soil, but require no further care than trimming out their suckers in the autumn, which are apt to shoot out very abundantly.

PASSION FLOWER, The.- A climbing plant, very suitable for walls, like the jasmine. Climbs high, and bears handsome flowers. Must be protected in winter by matting. Grows freely, and is easily cultivated.

MYRTLE-A shrub from Italy and Southern France. Has a very fragrant, small, white flower. Must be kept from the air in winter. Suitable for pots. Requires much sun for blooming. Propagated by cuttings planted in June, under a hand-glass.

RHODODENDRON.-These shrubs are first-rate for garden cultivation, but require care, of which they are well worthy. They should be planted under a wall, and shielded

MYRTLE.

from the full blaze of the sun. Soil, pure peat, or heath mould. If planted in an open or exposed situation, it will be requisite to water them frequently, or their flower-buds will wither without expanding. They are propagated by layers, by seed, or by cuttings; but most easily by the two former. Great care is required to raise the plants from seeds, which must be sown very early in the spring in pots, in a sandy soil, and but sparingly watered. When six weeks old they may be potted out singly, but they require all this time artificial heat. Cuttings of young wood will strike under hand-glasses, if the air is excluded by pressing down the glass.

ROSES.-The appearance of the young florist's garden will be greatly influenced by his show of roses, and when he has succeeded in this department, he may be considered to have achieved a triumph. Roses are propagated by layers, and should be carefully pruned in spring. If affected by insects, the trees must be fumigated with tobacco, and the injured leaves and flowers must be plucked off and burnt.

There is an almost endless variety of these flowers; many of which, as the cabbage, the China, and Scotch, require very different treatment. All roses thrive best in a rich loamy soil; but owing to their throwing off a great quantity of excrementitious slime, they require to be moved at least once in three or four years, or the plants will deteriorate, and not produce fine flowers. The Cabbage or Provence Roses, the French, and Moss, are all to be treated in the same manner; and, whether kept as dwarfs or standards, must be annually pruned. To keep roses long in flower, gather the flowers as fast as they fade close to the stem, nipping off any hips that may form. All roses but the China bear upon the old wood; but the China will send up a shoot from the ground, which will blow the same year. Rose-trees of any sort may be removed in February and March, and blossom the same year. By transplanting them in April and the beginning of May, giving plenty of water till they are fresh rooted, a bloom is obtained in July, August, and September.

SYRINGA.-A beautiful shrub, with fragrant white blossoms. It is very hardy, and will bear our hardest winters; but in spring the tender shoots are sometimes injured by the cold; therefore plant it in a sheltered spot. In almost any soil it will grow well. Propagated by cuttings in October, or by

suckers.

VERVAIN, SCARLET.-A handsome shrub, but difficult to manage. Propagated by layers and cuttings. Must be carefully guarded from the cold. The three-leaved vervain, with its violet flower, is a beautiful object. Must be kept covered in winter. Requires frequent watering and a rich soil.