466 THE GARDENER. [Oct. 



Goldieana, a native of western tropical Africa, was one of the best 

 successes of '77. The plant is of erect habit, with fine spreading 

 leaves, which are delicately marbled with remarkable regularity. It 

 is just the kind of plant which is sure to become increasingly popular 

 for exhibition purposes. In '78 we had only two really good additions 

 to this useful class — viz., D. Gladilina and D. lucinda. D. Gladilina 

 is a useful and effective variety. The leaves are of elegant form, and 

 of a rich full green. The margin is distinct and wide, the pinkish- 

 crimson coming out in bold contrast against the darker background. 

 D. lucinda has the advantage of possessing distinctive properties both 

 in the young and old foliage. The young leaves have a rosy-carmine 

 margin, while in the old leaves the carmine becomes much more 

 intense as the leaf advances in age. 



Among the many new varieties, we may be permitted to introduce 

 an old one — viz., D. australis. In New Zealand and Australia its 

 qualities are fully recognised, and it is now being extensively used 

 where special effects are required. Even in our cold climate it might be 

 more extensively used to advantage during summer months, as centres 

 for large beds or other prominent positions. For greenhouse or con- 

 servatory decoration during winter it will be found invaluable, as it 

 greatly assists in imparting to these structures a tropical appearance. 



As a class of plants for table-decoration the Dracaena holds a first 

 position, and more especially when we consider the ease with which 

 it may be propagated, giving every facility for the increase of stocks 

 to meet the largest demands. W. F. 



IS THE ROSE RED? 



Poets have occasionally said harsh things of science, — indeed one goes 

 so far as to stigmatise the man of science as one who would untwist 

 the rainbow, and even botanise upon his mother's grave. Still we are 

 in duty bound to listen to scientific conclusions, although they go 

 against the opinions and associations of the past or present, and pull 

 down much that we cling to with true conservative spirit. 



The able author of 'Inventions of the Nineteenth Century ' takes 

 up a Rose and thus discourses upon it. The Rose, he says, is red — not 

 because it has redness in itself, but because the light which falls upon 

 it contains some rays in which there are movements that occur just the 

 number of times per second that gives us the impression we call red- 

 ness, — in short, the colour comes not from the flower, but from the light. 

 Now, might we not say the Rose is always red by whatever light we 

 see it, and therefore the colour must be in the flower 1 For whether 

 we view it by sunlight or moonlight, or candle-light or gas-light, 

 we invariably see that it is red. All this must be granted, yet it is 

 precisely this circumstance, the seemingly invariable association of the 



