are cut the more they seem to
bloom, and it is a good plan to cut short half the stems about June.
They will (in a week or two) produce new shoots and large flowers in
abundance, the gain being flowers of extra size during autumn.

Propagated by division of the roots any time.

Flowering period, June to September.

Centranthus Ruber.

_Syn._ VALERIANA RUBER--RED VALERIAN; _Nat. Ord._
VALERIANACEAE.

This is a strong and vigorous garden plant, with a somewhat shrubby
appearance; it is herbaceous, perennial, and sometimes classed as a
British species, therefore hardy; but though its classification among
British plants is justifiable, it is only so on the ground of its being
a naturalised subject, its original habitats being in the South of
Europe. It is a favourite and "old-fashioned" flower, and it fully
justifies the estimation in which it is held, the flowers being produced
in large bunches of a fine rich colour, which are very durable. Its
shrubby habit is not one of its least recommendations; seen at a
distance--which it easily can be--it might be taken for a ruby-coloured
rhododendron, to which, of course, it has no resemblance when closely
inspected. It grows 2ft. high or more.

The flowers are a bright ruby colour, very small, but closely massed in
great numbers, borne in corymbs, terminal and much branched; "the
calyx-limb, at first revolute, afterwards expanded into a feather-like
pappus;" the corolla is tubular, long, slender, and spurred; the
segments or petals are small and uneven, both in form and arrangement;
the germen is long; anther prominent and large for so small a flower,
viz., 3/4in. long and hardly 1/4in. in diameter. The stems are stout, round,
hollow, and glaucous; they are furnished with leaves of various shapes
at the nodes, as lance-shaped, long oval, heart-shaped and plain,
elliptical and pointed, wavy and notched, and arrow-shaped, lobed, and
toothed. The root leaves are mostly ovate, lanceolate, and entire. The
whole plant is smooth and glaucous. From the description given, it may
readily be seen that when in flower it will be effective--massive heads
of ruby flowers topping a shrub-like plant of shining foliage and
glaucous hue. It is eminently fitted for lines or borders where other
strong growers are admitted. In a cut state the flowers are very useful;
they are strongly scented, something like the lilac, with just a
suspicion of Valerian in it. I ought not to omit mention