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Summer (L petiolate ovate obtuse)

l. petiolate, ovate, obtuse, deeply crenate, rounded or truncate at base, glabrous; lower ones 1 1/2in. long; floral ones gradually becoming smaller. Stems prostrate at base; branches ascending. Japan. (P. M. B. x. 123.) S. Lehmanni (Lehmann's). fl. bright red-scarlet, disposed in short, terminal racemes. Summer. l. cordate, petiolate. Stems erect. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Columbia, 1884. An ornamental stove perennial. (R. G. 1152, fig. 1, a-c.) S. macrantha (large-flowered). fl. opposite, secund; calyx pilose; corolla blue, 1in. long, the tube much dilated upwards, the hood incurved; racemes many, simple. August. l. sessile, lanceolate, obtuse, entire, nearly glabrous, ciliated; floral ones longer than the calyx. Stem procumbent at base, ascending, often purplish, nearly glabrous. Eastern Asia, 1827. (B. M. 4420.) S. minor (lesser). Hedge Hyssop. fl. pale pink-purple, 1/3in. long. July to October. l. shortly petiolate or sessile, 1/3in. to 1in. long, obtuse, with one or two crenatures near the base; upper ones quite entire. h. 4in. to 6in. Europe (Britain), &c. Habit resembling S. galericulata, but smaller. (Sy. En. B. 1061.) S. Mociniana (Mocini's).* fl. opposite, secund; calyx one-sixth the length of the corolla; corolla showy, bright scarlet, 1 1/4in. to 1 1/2in. long, with the inside of the lip yellow and the tube clothed with short, fine hairs, the limb erect. Summer. l. petiolate, ovate, sub-sinuate-crenate, slightly hispid above, nearly glabrous beneath; lower floral ones conformed, the upper ones small, oblong. h. 1 1/2ft. Mexico, 1868. A very beautiful stove shrub. (Gn., Sept. 1, 1877; I. H. 562; R. H. 1872, 350.) S. orientalis (Oriental).* fl. in oblong, tetragonal spikes; corolla yellow, or with the lower lip fuscous or purplish, 1in. to 1 1/4in. long. August. l. petiolate, ovate, incised-toothed, four to ten lines long, hoary beneath; floral ones entire, membranous, slightly imbricated. Stems creeping, and often rooting from the base, ascending, slenderly cano-tomentose. South Europe and Central Asia, 1729. (B. M. 2120; S. B. F. G. 45.) S. parvula (rather small). fl., calyx as long as the pedicels; corolla violet, pubescent, twice or thrice the length of the calyx. Summer. l. ovate, or the uppermost ones ovate-lanceolate, sessile by a truncate or slightly cordate base, about 1/2in. long, some of the lower ones with one or two coarse teeth, the lowest slender-petiolate. Roots tuberous. h. 4in. to 10in. North America, 1822. Plant branching from the base, usually erect, (H. E. F. 106.) S. pulchella (pretty). A synonym of S. grandiflora.

S. purpurascens (purplish). fl. in terminal, loose racemes; corolla 3/4in. long, the tube and upper lip bright blue, the lower lip dark violet with a median white stripe. Summer. l. on long petioles, broadly ovate, obtuse, sinuate-crenate, very broadly truncate, rounded, or sub-cordate at base, slightly hispid above, or glabrous on both sides. h. 1ft. to 2ft. South America, 1880. A useful, decorative, greenhouse perennial. (B. M. 6464.) S. serrata (serrated). fl., corolla blue, fully 1in. long, nearly glabrous, with a narrow tube, a moderately ampliate throat, and a rather narrow upper lip; raceme simple or rarely a pair of racemes at the base of the terminal one. August. l. three to five pairs, ovate or ovate-oblong, coarsely and sharply serrated, acute or acuminate, mostly acute at the base, 2in. to 4in. long; upper floral ones entire and lanceolate. Stem 1ft. to 2ft. high. North America, 1800. (A. B. R. 494.) S. splendens (splendid).* fl. scattered; corolla scarlet; ten to eleven lines long, the tube elongated, slender, the lobes shortened: racemes simple, elongated. October. l. petiolate, broadly ovate, obtuse or scarcely acuminate, 4in. to 5in. long, deeply cordate at base, hairy on both sides; floral ones minute. Stems ascending, branched, hairy or pubescent. h. 1ft. Mexico, 1841. Stove perennial. (B. M. 4290, under name of S. cordifolia.) S. Ventenatii (Ventenat's). fl., calyx small; corolla scarlet, elongated, many times longer than the calyx, the upper lip deeply four-cleft; bracts very deciduous, narrow, the lower ones sub-ovate; racemes terminal, elongated, sub-secund or sub-distichous. August. l. long-petiolate, rather thick, cordate-ovate, somewhat obtuse, deeply-serrated. h. 1 1/2ft. Santa-Martha, 1844. An erect, branched, softly pubescent, greenhouse perennial. (B. M. 4271.) S. villosa (villous). fl. glandular-villous; corolla scarlet, the tube elongated, slenderly funnel-shaped, the lobes shortened; bracts small; racemes terminal, many-flowered, short, corymbose. July. l. petiolate, cordate-ovate, soft, acuminate, deeply sinuate-toothed, wrinkled, pilose, purple beneath. Stems acutely tetragonal, branched. h. 1 1/2ft. Peru, 1842. Stove shrub. (B. M. 4789; F. d. S. 961.) SCUTICARIA (from scutica, a whip; alluding to the shape of the leaves). ORD. Orchideae. A small genus (two species) of stove, epiphytal orchids, one Brazilian, the other a native of Guiana. Flowers very handsome; sepals sub-equal, erecto-patent, the lateral ones adnate with the foot of the column forming a prominent chin; petals rather smaller; lip sessile, articulated, broad and concave, the lateral lobes large, erect, the middle one small and spreading; pollen masses four; scapes one-flowered, growing from the sides of the stem. Leaves very long, fleshy, sub-terete, furrowed, continuous with the stem. Stems very short, flesh, one-leaved, at length scarcely fleshy-thickened. The species thrive either on blocks or in baskets with sphagnum. During the growing season an abundance of water must be supplied to the roots. Propagation may be effected by divisions, made as growth is commencing.

S. Hadwenii (Hadwen's). This is the correct name of the plant described in this work under name of Bifrenaria Hadwenii.

S. Steelii (Steel's).* fl. primrose-yellow, with reddish-brown blotches, large, fragrant; lip marked with brownish-crimson, especially on the lateral lobes, the crest having three orange-coloured teeth in front; scape one to three-flowered. l. one on each branch of the ebulbous rhizome, terete, 2ft. to 4ft. long, channelled, tapering to a fine point. British Guiana, 1834. SYN. Maxillaria Steelii (B. M. 3573; B. R. 1986; W. O. A. ii. 55). SCYTHES. Since the introduction of mowing machines, these have not been so extensively used in gardens. The ordinary form of handle and blade answers well for mowing grass where no machine is kept, and also for cutting it where a machine cannot conveniently be worked. A Scythe for lawn-mowing should be "hung" differently from those used amongst long field-grass. The stick and handles should be attached so that the edge of the blade may be slightly raised above ground when the back is resting on the ground. The workman should be careful to avoid, so far as possible, what is called "ribbing"--that is, mowing so as to show the marks of the Scythe after the grass has been swept up and taken away. This is scarcely possible unless the blade has been properly attached to the handle for the special purpose of cutting short lawn-grass. SEA KALE (Crambe maritima). A hardy, herbaceous perennial, a native of Britain. It is very extensively cultivated in gardens as a vegetable for forcing, and for use in spring when the season's growth commences. The young shoots and leaf-stalks are the parts cooked when they are crisp and well blanched. The stronger these can be obtained, the better; the chief object is, therefore, to cultivate with a view to securing good, large roots and crowns previous to forcing them. Sea Kale may easily be raised from seed, which should be sown in an open situation at the end of March, or early in April, according to the state of the soil. Sow in drills 12in. apart, and thin the young plants to about 6in. asunder in the rows for the first year. Before the next spring, the roots must be lifted, and replanted in rows from 2ft to 2 1/2ft. apart, for growing into a size large enough for use. All the crowns and buds at the top must be cut off before replanting, and the roots inserted so that their tops are 1in., or even 2in., below the surface. Sometimes, Sea Kale is sown at wider distances than those above given, and the plants allowed to grow for two years without being transplanted, when the tops may be blanched and used; but when thus treated the tops of the crowns must be cut off, to prevent the plants seeding the second year. The greater part of the Sea Kale plants grown specially for forcing are raised from cuttings made from the roots. When a quantity of fully-developed crowns are lifted for forcing, there are plenty of pieces to be detached from the main root; these are sometimes called thongs, and any about 4in. in length will do for planting. They should be cleanly cut through with a knife, the upper end straight, and the lower or smaller end on an angle, in order that each may be readily distinguished at planting time, which will be in the following March, or early in April. Meanwhile, during winter, these prepared root-cuttings must be buried in a heap of sandy soil. All the larger roots that have been forced may also be cut over and replanted, but it is advisable to keep growing some young ones each year. The roots covered with soil will have been forming shoots by early spring all round the crowns; they should be planted about 1ft apart, in trenches, which require to be 2ft. asunder, to allow the leaves to develop. The crown portion of the cutting must be placed so as to be covered with soil. The numerous shoots which appear may, in due course, be reduced to one, the strongest; this will then grow rapidly, if the soil is rich and of good depth. After the leaves die away in autumn, the roots, if intended for forcing under glass, may be lifted, covered temporarily with soil, and protected until required for introducing into heat. During this process, any pieces of roots large enough for cuttings may be collected and treated for another year in the way above described. Root cuttings taken from plants that have not been forced are much stronger and superior to those saved from forced and, consequently, weakened stocks.

Forcing. Sea Kale is one of the easiest of plants to force, provided heat is very gradually applied: it will not withstand a high temperature at first. An easy method, where a supply of crowns has been prepared, is to place several nearly close together in large pots, and stand them in a temperature of about 45deg., turning an empty pot over the top, to exclude light. The floor of a mushroom-house is generally a good place, and, as this structure is usually kept dark, the shoots become blanched as they grow without being covered. They should be cut for use when at the stage represented, and detached at the crown as shown. Sea Kale may also be forced in the ground by inverting over it large pots specially made for the purpose, and covering with fermenting material. A gradual heat is necessary, a very little at first is sufficient to excite growth. Light must always be excluded during the forcing process, in order to insure thorough blanching.