1873.] GARDEN GOSSIP. 141 



of their production : — " In our first peach-house I noticed, when going over the 



flowers with a camel-hair brush, probably as many as 16 per cent, of twins. They also 

 abounded on the walls. Is the fact a sign of weakness ? Simultaneously with this lai-go 

 proportion of twins, there was groat weakness and imperfection of blossom this season. The 

 flowers in many instances lack colour, in more, substance ; they were thin and fragile, these 

 qualities probably originating in the lack of sunshine and excess of rain last summer. Did 

 similar causes produce the twins ? There were also a few cases of triplets, and I have seen 

 four peachlets from the same flower." 



0!mong New Bedding Plants of which a coloured plate has lately been 



issued by Messrs. E. G. Henderson and Son, one of the most effective appears to be 



a tufted-growing yellow-leaved Thyme, which is designated Golden Fleece Thyme, 



and is probably the same as the Thymus citriodorns aureus, for which a First-class Certificat© 

 was awarded to them a year ago. The grey-leaved Cineraria ceratophylla, also a First-class 

 Certificated subject, will be another useful plant in cases where white foliage is required. 



^IKk. Eabley writes of Dielytra spectabilis alba : — How is it that such a 



lovely plant has not received a lai'ger share of public recognition ? The flowers, 

 are quite as large as those of the type, and are only very slightly tinged with 

 rose at the tips of the sepals, being, in fact, true whites, according to the usual gardening 

 phraseology. If the habit be anything like that of the older kind, then the sooner this variety 

 becomes better known and more abundant the better. 



2Che Endurance of Orchid Floioers is one of the great recommendations 



of many of them. Mr. Baines exhibited on May 7th, a spike of flowers of 

 Phalcenopsis Schilleriana, still fresh, which had been expanded on Christmas Day 

 last. The plant of the Phalaenopsis, which was a strong one, had made its growth in a brisk 

 heat, and was removed, when it threw up its flower-spikes, into a house, the night tempera- 

 ture of which was not more than 50°, with a rise of 5° by day ; and it was kept during the 

 winter in the same house, at a similar temperature. The flowers, when newly opened, were 

 many shades deeper in colour than the deepest of those bloomed under the usual conditions, 

 and were also somewhat under the ordinary size. 



^ COREESPONDENT of the Gardeners' Record, writing from the west of 



Ireland, gives the names of certain Pears that withstood the late severe weather^ 

 namely : — Louise Bonne, of Jersey, a most prolific Pear, forming a fine pyramid \. 



Williams^ Bon Chretien, Citron des Cannes, Co/mar d'£t^, Dana's Hovey, Doyenne d'Hte, 

 Josephine de Malines — all pyramids, and bearing good crops. As bushes, he adds, I know of 

 no Pear so heavy a cropper as Beurr€ de Capiaumont ; we have also L€on le Clerc de Laval, 

 Poire d'Avril, and Veridam, the latter a very abundant cropper. Our greatest failure has 

 been Duchesse d'Angoideme ; Diichesse de Bordea^ix, Baronne de Mello, Conseillcr a la Cour, 

 and some others, have also suffered much ; and Winter Nelis, on a wall, had its bloom and 

 the points of the young shoots completely blackened. Covering was withheld from all the sorts 

 named, in order to test their hardiness of constitution. 



She collections of Cyclamen persicum from Mr. Little's garden, shown 



at the spring Horticultural meetings, appeared to sum up all that has been found 

 novel and distinct in this flower during the past few years, since they showed 

 evidences of the greatest care in breeding and selection. One named Violette, a very free- 

 bloomer, had the base of the petals of a clear violet-rose, passing into rosy pink at the 

 extremities ; The Gem had bold, stout, pink flowers, slightly flushed with rose towards the 

 tips of the petals ; that called White Perfection was remarkable, not only for the snowy white- 

 ness of the petals, but also for their gi-eat breadth and substance ; while a double white 

 flaked variety named Fantastic, which had a circlet of petals issuing from the mouth, and 

 ■was curious, may produce a progeny in which the double form will be better developed. 



V JIn reference to the Scotch Thistle, Mr. Edwin Lees writes to the 



Gardeners' Chronicle thus : — The Thistle that has been planted round the grave 

 of Burns in Dumfries as the Scotch Thistle is indeed Onopordon Acanthima, and 



