young specimens differ considerably from those which have reached maturity. Thus, while the former have their leaves bent, generally inflected, the full-grown plants exhibit them erect, rigid, very long, and very straight. The stem of this plant is stout, about 10 ins. in diameter, furnished on all sides with leaves about 4 ft. long, straight, thick, deeply channeled, acuminate for a considerable length, and ending in a stiff, very sharp point, very finely toothed on the edges, which are of a brownish red and scarious. The flower-stalk is very stout, about 4 ft. long, much branched; the branches erect, from 1 ft. to 1 ft. 8 ins. long, bearing throughout their entire length flowers with long and narrow petals of a yellowish white, shining, and, as it were, glazed. It is a hardy and very vigorous plant. It is not rare to see on the Continent specimens of more than 6½ ft. in diameter. Fine for banks and knolls, placed singly, or for the boldest groups. It comes from Texas.
Zea Mays.—Were our climate a little warmer, we should find this noble grass one of the most ornamental, as well as useful, of our plants. But in countries where it is grown for food they would no more think of honouring it with a place in the garden than we should of planting the artichoke in our flower-beds, though far worse things are done every day. In this country, however, where maize is not to be seen as a field crop, a tuft of its tropical-looking blades has a good effect among the “subtropical plants.” Of course it should only be tried in warm districts, and it should always have sunny and sheltered positions and rich soil. In light warm soils, deep, and with a free bottom, it generally thrives very well, if a foot or so of rich and rotten manure is placed beneath its roots. In some seasons it would here and there ripen seeds, and in all cases one could gather a few heads of “green corn.” In warmer countries it is always best to sow maize in the open ground as soon as the frost permits; but in England it is better to raise it on a gentle hotbed in April, although occasionally it will succeed if sown out of doors. Gradually harden off the plants before they have made more than three or four little leaves, keeping them in a cool frame very near the glass, so as to keep them sturdy, and finally exposing them in the same position by taking the lights quite off. This course is perhaps the more desirable in the case of the variegated maize. In neither case should the plants be drawn up long in heat, as, if so, they will not thrive so well. The first few leaves the variegated kind makes are green, but they soon begin to manifest that striping which makes it as attractive as any variegated stove-plant we grow. Cuzko and Caragua are the largest and finest of the green varieties, and gracillima the smallest and most graceful of all the varieties of maize. They should be planted out about the middle of May.
The variegated or Japanese maize is a very remarkable and handsome variety, found by Mr. Hogg in Japan—that great country for variegated plants. Its beautiful variegation is reproduced true from seed, and it is almost an indispensable plant in the flower-garden, not growing so vigorously as the green kinds. It is particularly useful for intermingling with arrangements of ordinary bedding-plants, for vases, the outer margins of beds of subtropical plants, and like positions, where its variegation may be well seen, and where its graceful leaves will prove effective among subjects of dumpy habit. It should in all cases have light, rich, warm soil. It has a habit of breaking into shoots rather freely near the base of the central stem; and where it grows very freely, this should recommend it for planting in an isolated manner, or in groups of three or five, on the turf.
