26 THE FLORAL WOKLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



with every variation of the surrounding atmosphere ; and for some reason that I 

 don't pretend to understand, it will coax almost any kind of cuttings or leaves to 

 make roots ; it is wonderful in that respect, though so little able to feed roots when 

 they are formed. But no matter about the philosophy of the thing. In respect of 

 rose cuttings it is as I say, and I commend this bit of practice to those who wish to 

 multiply their roses ia tlie safest and cheapest way. — Gardener^s Magazine. 



A BIT OP GOSSIP 01s HEEBACEOUS PLANTS. 



BEG to tender my best thanks to the Editor of the Floral Wokld for 

 the publication of my list of plants in the November number, and the 

 remarks thereto appended ; and seeing that my communication some- 

 Avhat clashed with an editorial notice in a former number, I must say 

 that the course taken has been manly and straightforward, such as is 

 not often met with in journalism. Let me assure the Editor that the publication of 

 the herbaceous lists in the Floral World has been duly appreciated, and before the 

 November number had come to hand I had several letters anent the list I forwarded, 

 and perhaps it may be as satisfactory for you to hear as it is for me to know, that 

 my little garden is already less by some hundreds of plants than it was a short 

 time since. 



Another thing I am sure the public with myself will appreciate, is that the pub- 

 lishing of the lisc brought forward the O'Shane's v^hole 100 instead of the 50. I 

 find also the O'Shane's list and my own are distinct, v/ith the exception of about 

 fifteen plants. So in the two lists the public have the choice of l85 plants set 

 before them, and may I be allowed to state that both my letter and my list were 

 written rather impulsively, and could I but spare a little time in my tJiinking house 

 I could amend my list very considerably, if not make cut a new and a better 100 

 altogether. And now for the remarks appended to my list, for which I feel more 

 thankful than otherwise ; and as they seem of an interrogatory nature, I have much 

 pleasure in answering them, if it is only to acknowledge defeat. 



In the first place I am afraid the pretty plant, Achillea ptarmica plena has not 

 been tlioroughly comprehended, as vou call it coarse and handsome. The plant is 

 anything but coarse. Neat, deep green small foliage, abundance of double snow- 

 white flowers, about eighteen inches or so high, hardy as a nettle, and British, but 

 the plant is an unfortunate one for comparison, as it appears in the O'Shane's list as 

 " Ptarmica vulgaris flore plena," it certainly must be as coarse in one place as 

 another. 



Admitted that Spirea Japonica will do better in a frame than otherwise, but the 

 plant is nevertheless decidedly hardy, but owing to its precocious habits, late spring 

 frost will sometimes injure it. It is worth growing for its leaves, equal to any 

 fern. Papaver involucrata maxima is probably a variety of P. bracteata. P. 

 bracteata, however, seldom ripens seed with me, while involucrata seeds abundantly. 

 However, it is a most gorgeous flower, a perfect circle of fire. The lobelias I men- 

 tioned are perfectly hardy with me, and I surely do keep them in the herbaceous 

 border. Lolelia fulgens will sometimes die off in a very wet winter, or rather after 

 a wet winter, when dry weather sets in. I believe the plant would live in water. 

 The variety Victoria is more hardy and robust than the type. A plant of it was 

 stolen from a gentleman's garden at Eainhill, which was valued at £2, and must 

 have stood there for years. With me L. syphilitica is as hardy as a cabbage. 

 Symphiandria pendula is a genus of De Candolle, described in "Don's Directory," 

 vol. iii. 



The spelling of Dielytron as Dyclytron may afcer all be erroneous. I had it 

 as Dyclytron from one whom you have acknowledged more than once as an autho- 

 rity on these matters. You will probably have aline or two from him soon (I mean 

 Mn Thompson, of Ipswich), and his authority was the founder of the genus 

 (Boerkhausen), who founded it on dis, two, and klytron, a spur, but it appears there 

 is no such word in the Greek as klytron. 



Yucca filamentosa must certainly be an herbaceous plant ; it flowers and dies 

 down, and has in fact less timber in its composition than Iberis sempervirens, or 



