120 THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. [May, 



■ ££he method of extracting the seeds from Cedar cones by splitting, is 



tedious, and often injurious to the seeds. M. Delepine, of Angers, states that the 

 plan he adopts is much simpler, and better. About February the cones are 

 buried at a depth of two feet underground, in sand ; they remain thus for a month or two, 

 after which the cones scale easily without force, and the seeds are then picked out and sown 

 immediately, and being swelled, they germinate at once. 



Rouble German Wallflowers are highly recommended at this season 



for their beauty and fragrance. Their culture is simple — merely to sow the seed 

 in April in a light warm soil, or a gentle hot-bed in the open air, to transplant 



them to rich soil early in June, and in October to pot, three in a pot, into 10-in. or 11-in. pots, 

 and place them in an orchard-house. In March they put forth their glorious spikes of 

 ilowers, often from 2 ft. to 3 ft. in length. These fine flowers have been obtained by the 

 German florists ; and the variation in colour is very remarkable, some being dark brown, 

 others blue, others grey, and others shades of yellow, from straw to gold. 



■ ®o have a constant supply of Broccoli, Mr. Mclndoe recommends, for 



autumn and early winter use, the Bishopthorpe strain of the true Walcheren, a 

 sort rarely seen now. This is sown in the first and last weeks of June, is planted 

 after early Potatos, and is in use from October till Christmas. After this none equals Back- 

 house's Winter White Protecting, which is in use from November till February, and is succeeded 

 by Frogmore Protecting, and Melville's Hardy Scotch, a grand Broccoli ; these being again 

 succeeded by Cattell's Eclipse, which generally lasts till the beginning of June. The great 

 difficulty is to get the sorts true to name. 



J^ew varieties of Potatos seem to be causing some excitement in 



America. The Early Rose, a sort which is highly spoken of, has stimulated a 

 host of competitors. Among these, the Early Prince, a seedling of the Early 

 York, is much commended. It is white inside and out, rather longer than broad, slightly 

 flattened, with the ends nearly equal ; it grows large in a good soil. Grown side by side 

 with Early Rose, it proved five days earlier in ripening, and was much larger. It is said to 

 be edible as soon as large enough to use, to have a fine flavour, and to cook dry. The origi- 

 nator, Mr. Harrington, Geneva, New York, claims for it that it supersedes the Early Rose. 

 Another novelty is Climax, a seedling of the Early Goodrich. The tubers of this sort are quite 

 smooth, shaped like a cylinder swelled out at the centre, occasionally slightly flattened, and 

 terminating rather abruptly ; the eyes shallow, the skin netted, the flesh white and solid, 

 and boiling dry and floury. It is said to be of superior table quality, nearly as early as 

 Early Rose, fully equal in productiveness, and keeping as well as the Peachblow. 



■ {Jhe Tulips in Hyde Park have been remarkably effective this season, 



and have shown how valuable these gay flowers are, when properly used, for Spring 

 Decoration in town gardens, as well as in those which rejoice in purer air. The 

 most effective sorts were — Doubles : Rex Rubrorum, Tournesol, New Yellow Tournesol, 

 Rosine, Titian, La Candeur, and Roosenkroon. Singles : Vermilion Brillant, and Yellow Prince. 



■ ©ne of the most beautiful plants we have seen for the purpose of 



Table Decoration is a hybrid Sonchus, raised between Sonchus laciniatus and S. 

 gummifer, in the garden of W. Wilson Saunders, Esq. These Sonchuses, grown 

 to a single stem, and furnished down to the pot with their elegantly cut drooping leaves, 

 ■which are almost transparent under artificial light, form admirable objects for the purpose 

 above-mentioned. 



■ SEndee the name of Japonicas, the fruits of the Japan Medlar (Erio- 



botn/a japonica) have been recently sold in the London markets, and also in the 

 streets by the hawkers. The fruit would form a handsome addition to the 

 dessert table, and has an agreeable sub-acid flavour. Some few years since, fruits of the 

 Chinese Jujube (Zizyphus sinensis) were sold in a similar way, under the same name. 



