readily identified.

All the Soldanellas love a vegetable soil, as peat or leaf mould, to
which, when under cultivation, a liberal quantity of sand should be
added. If grown in pots, they make lovely specimens, and should be
plunged in sand and kept moist; but I find my specimens to grow much
more vigorously when planted out, as they are at the base of a small
rockery, rather below the level of the neighbouring walk, which forms a
miniature watershed for the supply of moisture. I also fancy the
liverwort, which surrounds them, rather helps them than otherwise.
Certain I am, however, that moisture is the great desideratum in the
culture of this genus. My difficulty with the planted-out specimens is
to keep them from being grazed off by the slugs; a dash of silver sand
every day or two has sometimes proved of use. When the Soldanellas once
get into proper quarters they make rapid growth; I have divided them
most successfully in April and May.

[Illustration: FIG. 98. SOLDANELLA MONTANA.

(One-half natural size.)]

Flowering period, March to May.

Spiraea Palmata.

PALM-LIKE SPIRAEA; _Nat. Ord._ ROSACEAE.

[Illustration: FIG. 99. SPIRAEA PALMATA.

(One-eighth natural size.)]

A bold and handsome species from China, imported about sixty years ago.
It is perfectly hardy, though, generally grown in pots and under glass.
It belongs to the herbaceous section, and I may as well state at once
that the Spiraeas--more especially the herbaceous kinds--are only
decorative when in flower, by which I wish to convey the idea that after
they have done flowering, from their abundant foliage, which then begins
to turn sere and ragged, they become unsightly if planted in conspicuous
parts. Still, their flowers and general habit are both rich and handsome
when in their prime, and they are certainly worth growing, especially by
those who have large gardens, where they can be planted in large patches
in some of the less frequented parts.

_S. palmata_ (Fig. 99) has remarkably bright rosy-crimson flowers; they
are of indistinct form unless closely examined. It is, however, a
well-known form of flower, or arrangement of flowers, and need not be
further described, beyond saying they are in panicles and have a
feathery appearance. The leaves, which are 6in. or more across, have
long smooth stems, are mostly seven-lobed, the lobes being long,
pointed, and unevenly serrated. The size of foliage and height of plants
vary very muc