133 



THE GABDENEB'S MONTHLY 



[May, 



the nui-sery was like a fair with numerous visi- 

 tors to see it when in bloom (May). A dozen of 

 other species were set under and around it to be 

 impregnated by it ; but as the flower-bells were 

 three inches in diameter and deep, the trusses 

 immensely large, it was feared the pollen might 

 not flow beyond them freely, artificial impregna- 

 tion was resorted to, and was fully successful. 



In the morning much honey was in every bell, 

 and was sucked out by bog-reeds to prevent the 

 pollen from being clogged. Thp plant bore seeds 

 plentifully, and increased the original species. 

 Tlie impregnated plants also were prolific in seed- 

 bearing, from which numerous new and superior 

 varieties were produced. During my time a new 

 greenhouse was erected for their growth. It was 

 one hundred and fifty feet long and sixteen feet 

 ■wide, wiih an elevated bark-pit (bed). The 

 plants were all grown in pots and plunged in the 

 bark-pit. By the descriptions of the original 

 species and the choice varieties in the maga- 

 zines, Comely Bank Nursery became celebrated 

 all over the United Kingdom, and also over the 

 continent of Europe. The demand for them was 

 far beyond the supply. I never saw such a 

 "Splendid plant as is the scarlet Rliododendron 

 arboreum when in bloom, and never knew of a 

 plant so universally admired and sought for. 



Since my time, by the works of others, (the 

 Waterers &c., of England, aiid Ilouttes of Bel- 

 gium,) the Rhododendron has been made by new 

 ■superior species, the most valued and beautiful 

 genus of ever-blooming shrubs all over Europe. 

 Many are hard}-, and grown in large masses in 

 open pleasure grounds. Others more tender, arc 

 grown in greenhouses. Large houses are filled 

 with them. No wealthy estate there is without 

 its collection of Rhododendrons. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Pleasing the G.\rden'ers. — He {imaginativr) : 

 I always think it a ]Mty to be in London when 

 the country and gardens are so lovely. Your 

 flowers must be splendid just now? — She (prac- 

 tical — taking tea): Yes, mamma says some of 

 MS ought to go down for a day or two, just to 

 please the gardeners. — Punch. 



Grasses fou Indiaxa. — In Dr. Coulter's in- 

 teresting little Botanical Ballrtin for March, 

 there is an account of the native grasses ol 

 Jeflerson Co., Ind., by Mr. A. H. Young. The 



Red Top [Agrostis vulgaris) seems to be remark- 

 ably well suited to that part of the country. 

 There are many suggestive observations on other 

 grasses. 



Names of Varieties. — Our readers may re- 

 member that when our friends Maxwell and 

 Barry introduced two varieties of Arbor vita), 

 and named one George Peabody, and the other 

 Tom Thumb, and we supported them in the ex- 

 cellent imiovation, the English nurserymen 

 Hatly refused to have these varieties under these 

 names, and re-christened them with Latin names 

 of several feet in length. We cannot see ho\r 

 Latin names are to be obviated in Botany, — but 

 for garden forms there is no necessity, and it 

 seems inexin-cssibly al)surd. Here befoie us is a 

 list of garden forms of hoUv. One is Ilex aqui- 

 folia aureaangusti marginata, another Ilex aqui- 

 folia scrratifolia alba ninrginata, and so on. Even 

 in Europe as in this country there have been 

 attempts at rebellicm. Mr. Watercr having 

 named one holly Golden Milkmaid, but he 

 seems to have been subdued, and the kind is de- 

 clared to be Ilex aquifolia aurea medio picta, — 

 only this and nothing more ! 



WEEriXG HemI/OCK Spruce. — The Garden says: 

 "Mr. Sanuiel B. Fai-sons writes to us from Flush- 

 ing, Long Island, praising the beauty of the 

 Weeping Hemlock (Abies canadensis var. pen- 

 dula.) The ordinary form of the Hemlock is a 

 very graceful tree, and this new one will prove a 

 welcome addition to our pleasure grounds. Wo 

 have never been able to understand the reason 

 why the hemlock tree, which does so well in the 

 cold regions of North America, thrives so poorly 

 in our gardens. With us it is frequently sur- 

 passed in stature by the Western Aibor vitae, 

 which is naturally a nuich smaller tree, inhabit- 

 ing the same regions ;is the hemlock." 



The rciison tiie hemlock does so poorly in 

 England is probably the presence of limestone. 

 The best soil for the hemlock is that overlying 

 granite. Even in America it does poorly in 

 limestone soils. 



NEW PLANTS. 



LiMUM Parkmani. — This magnificent Lily, 

 raised by Mr. Francis Parkman, between L. aura- 

 tuin and L. speciosum, and to which we have re- 

 ferred in our pages, is the subject of a beautiful 

 colored plate in the London Fbrid and PoinolO' 



