fringed with soft hairs. The flowers are in long racemes, and are widely bell-shaped, but longer in the tube than the last : they are yellow, veined with brown on the inside. Native of central Europe.

D. ochroleuca (Pale-yellow Foxglove).-An erect, rather strong-growing plant, about 3 feet high. The leaves are broadly lance-shaped, much narrowed at the point, and boldly toothed. The flowers are pale yellow, in long, rather loose, leafy racemes, appearing in summer, and lasting a couple of months. Native of central and southern Europe.

Erinus alpinus (Alpine E.)-A very pretty and interesting alpine plant, suitable only for culture on warm, moist, but welldrained rockwork, in rough, stony, or gritty peat and loam. The plant grows only a few inches high, forming little tufts of bright-green oblong leaves, widening a little upwards, and toothed at the points. The flowers in small flat trusses at first, but afterwards elongating into small loose racemes, are reddish purple, and appear in the early spring months. Native of the mountains of Switzerland and southern France. Propagate by seeds and division, and when established in congenial quarters it sows and increases itself freely.

Linaria (Toad-flax).-A very numerous family, mostly composed of annual plants, some of which are beautiful border ornaments; but there are also a few handsome and interesting perennials adapted for both border and rockwork ornamentation. They mostly succeed well in sandy well-drained loam; but where soil of a different kind is required it will be duly noticed afterwards. Many, indeed most of the species, ripen seed very freely, and by that means often increase themselves abundantly where they grow; but they may all be propagated by division.

L. alpina (Alpine Toad-flax).-A very neat and pretty, somewhat diffuse plant, growing about 6 inches high, the stems being clothed with glaucous linear leaves, usually four together. The flowers are blue, having two bright red spots on the lower lip of each corolla; they are produced in racemes, and appear in July, and continue for a month or two. Native of the Alps

and Pyrenees, in gravelly and stony places. In cultivation the plant is only adapted for rockwork, and should have gritty moist soil and a moist situation. It is described as an annual or biennial in botanical works, but is a good enough perennial in cultivation; and, besides, seeds and sows itself freely wherever the conditions are favourable to its existence.

L. Cymbalaria (Ivy-leaved Toad-flax).—This is a pretty little trailing species which has naturalised itself very freely all over

Britain, on walls and moist stony places, and is now included in our floras as a naturalised native. The leaves are roundly heart-shaped in outline, usually five-lobed and bright green. The flowers are produced singly in the axils of the leaves, and are various shades of purple; and some are white—that is, in individual plants. It is not a showy plant, but valuable for the facility with which it may be established in shady spots, and on old walls or new as well. by division or cuttings of the trailing stems. variegated-leaved form.

stony, moist, or Easily increased There is a good

L. triornithophora (Three-bird Toad-flax).-This is a peculiar and beautiful plant, growing about 9 inches or 1 foot high, the stems somewhat decumbent. The leaves are lanceolate, in whorls, usually of three. The flowers are large, purple, and curiously formed, the divisions of the mouth of the corolla being arranged so as to suggest the idea of a little bird being perched on the stalks; the spurs, being long and conspicuous, complete the idea by furnishing the tails. They are arranged, as the leaves, in whorls of three, so that the specific name is fairly descriptive. It is only adapted for culture on rockwork, in well-drained sandy peat and loam. Flowers appear throughout summer and autumn. Native of Portugal.

L. vulgaris (Common Toad-flax).-The ordinary form of this wild plant, so common in many parts of Britain and Ireland, may not be deemed worthy of a place amongst choice ornamental plants, and yet it is a free-flowering and handsome object in cultivation, and not at all to be despised. There is a variety, however, at once curious and beautiful, named L. v. Peloria, which deserves a place in every collection of ornamental border-plants. It is by no means common in gardens, private or public, but should be both, on account of the abnormal structure of the corolla, and its continuous blooming quality. The plant grows about 1 foot high, with rather diffuse and often decumbent stems. The leaves are linear, glaucous, and crowded. The flowers are produced in crowded heads, and the corolla is regular and five-spurred, and bright yellow, appearing in early summer and lasting late. Succeeds in any well-drained good garden-soil in the open border, and easily increased by division.

I

Mimulus (Monkey-flower).—These are very gay free-flowering plants, admirably adapted for border ornamentation in any good garden-soil, but preferring a moist situation, and often doing well in shade or partial shade. For this reason they are well fitted for making gay borders on the shady side of shrub. beries, but they do not long thrive if the shade is overhead.

They are easily increased by division or cuttings of the stems: every joint in the case of most species will grow.

M. cardinalis (Scarlet M.)—Ã very beautiful plant, worthy of being grown everywhere. It forms handsome tufts of rather erect stems, about 1 foot high, which are downy, and clothed with egg-shaped stem-clasping leaves, sharply toothed and downy. The flowers are produced on longish stalks in the axils of the leaves on the upper part of the stems. They appear in summer, and last till the end of autumn. Native of North America.

M. cupreus (Coppery M.)-This is a brilliant little subject of recent introduction. When first introduced its qualities as a bedding plant were strongly urged, and if the flowers were as continuous and sustained as they are profuse for a short time, it would be quite matchless: unfortunately, however, they are short-lived the blaze, that is, is of very short duration; and although a few flowers may be afterwards opened now and again, it is in a fitful and thin way that is unsatisfactory. It is a dwarf plant, about 6 to 9 inches high, with smooth oppositetoothed leaves, egg-shaped in form. The flowers are produced in dense masses, and are brilliant coppery crimson. There are now many varieties or so-called hybrids of it, with spotted flowers, and with differences of habit as well. It is fond of moist rich soil and moderate shade, but will grow and flower well in a sunny situation, only the display is not so lasting. Native of Chili. Flowers in the early summer months.

M. luteus (Yellow M.)-The endlessly-varied offspring of this species are the common Monkey-flowers, so well known and popular in cottage and other small gardens. They are beautiful border-plants, and by a little management may be had in bloom the round of spring, summer, and autumn. A few seeds sown where they are to grow, in March, April, July, and August, will keep up a constant succession of bloom; and they seed so freely that there is never any difficulty in keeping up supply. The varieties vary in stature and colour: the dwarf or small cinnabar-spotted are the neatest and most interesting; but the taller, bolder, spotted-crimson kinds, are extremely showy for mere display. The latter appears to have had its origin as a race in a hybrid named Youngii, introduced about thirty years ago; the others are of very recent origin. The species is no longer worth growing alongside its splendid progeny. It is a native of Chili.

M. moschatus (Musk M.)-The musk-plant is so well known that description would be superfluous. It is a great and worthy favourite with all, especially with the ladies. It has no claim

to be considered very ornamental; but for the sake of its delicious odour it should be abundant in every garden, large or small, and it grows freely in every good garden-soil, but loves a little shade. Native of Columbia.

Ourisia coccinea (Scarlet O.)-A very handsome dwarf plant, forming tufts of dark-green, smooth, egg-shaped leaves, slightly cordate at the base, on hairy stalks a few inches long, and coarsely and bluntly toothed. The flowers are bright scarlet, appearing in the early summer months. Succeeds best in deep, rich, sandy loam, moist but well drained, and likes a little shade.

Pentstemon. The merits of this genus for decorative purposes are of the highest order. Their flowers, fine in form and colour, combined with the characteristic elegance of their habit and inflorescence, mark them as especially attractive and beautiful. Few of the plants cultivated in our borders require less trouble and attention to insure an almost matchlessly lengthened succession of bloom, and none withstand battering rains and winds and early frost with less injury. A proper selection of species and varieties may be made that will secure a close succession of bloom during the greater part of summer and the whole autumn. They are too rarely seen in the gardens of the rich, but are yearly growing in favour with amateurs and cottagers, and the hardier kinds are undoubtedly most proper objects for them to lavish their care upon. Most of the hardier species are much inclined to sport and run into variation, a valuable peculiarity that is being turned to account, and results in the annual introduction of new sorts more or less distinguished from each other. "Choice hybrids" they are called in the catalogues; but except that the races are the product of crossing by accident or design years ago, some two or three nearly allied species, themselves perhaps hybrids of nature, they have the least possible claim to be regarded as hybrids. They are mere seminal varieties, procured by selection conducted on careful principles, having a definite object in view. But this does not detract from the value of Pentstemons as garden ornaments; it should rather add to it in the eyes of the lovers of flowers whose ways and means are simple and limited, because it presents an easy way of introducing as much novelty and variety as the nature of the process will admit, for by carefully saving seed from the best varieties in their own collections, they may procure a good deal of variation annually. But the improvement of the Pentstemon in this manner will be very limited, because only the existing popular races are operated upon. If we would have new races or

types we must call to our aid species that have as yet received no attention in this way. By doing so we may expect novelty in colours, habit, and stature, and it may be in hardiness also, which we do not possess but in the degree offered by the races contemplated at present. Florists have accomplished apparently more difficult tasks than that I have briefly hinted at, and they may do this if they are not entirely wedded to the trivial varieties that are annually sent out under new names, which are often their greatest distinction, and may have as their reward "choice hybrids" indeed, for which the purchasers will be truly grateful. It would be useless in a work like this to cumber it with lists or even allusions to popular varieties; it will be sufficient to remark that they are worthy of cultivation in every garden, and are indispensable for mixed borders and the adornment of shrubberies. They are most easily cultivated in so far as relates to the varieties and many species; but it must be admitted that a few of the latter are difficult to keep in cultivation, a circumstance that accounts for their rarity in even botanical gardens, and their almost total absence from private ones. The requirements of these will be dealt with when they turn up in the selection, but the general culture of the others will be best given here. Pentstemons like a good rich soil and a good open sunny exposure to grow in, and the ground should be well dug early and deep, so as to insure thorough pulverisation. Many plants in mild warm localities will endure the winter and flower early and well the following year, but the flowers deteriorate in quality, and the duration of the blooming period is shorter, or is not so profuse if prolonged. The best late summer and autumn display is procured from cuttings struck the previous autumn. The cuttings are easily managed, if a cold frame or hand-light can be devoted to their use, and they should be treated in exactly the same way as shrubby Calceolarias, only they must, if possible, be put in earlier. As early as cuttings can be got in September, they may be taken after being made, which is a simple matter, consisting in the removal clean away of one or two pairs of the lower leaves, depending on the length between the joints, and cutting clean across close to the lowest joint, and inserted in sandy soil in the frame or in pots or boxes. With amateurs and others requiring small supplies, they will be best in pots or boxes, unless a small hand-glass may be devoted to them. Give a slight watering after the cuttings are inserted, which will settle the soil about them; and the after-treatment consists in keeping the frame or glass close till they begin to callus, and shade when the sun is bright