IRISH GARDENING 



53 



at Rouen, and it is quite perennial, and not at 

 all annual, ag is believed sometimes. As V. 

 rothomagensis' and calearata are here near to 

 one another, no wonder that they crossed. But 

 the hybrid is such a free flowering one that an 

 English friend of mine wrote me once — " This 

 plant is a real scandal for its freedom to flower." 

 Tlie flowers are large, purple, with a pale and 

 whitish eye in the centre : it keeps well on its 

 stem, and is lightly odorant. The plant flowers 

 from the 1st of January till the last of December 

 without sus])ension. I have for many years 



known Sarcococca Immihs, which was covered 

 with sweet-scented pink and white blooms, con- 

 trasting charmingly with the shin}' evergreen 

 foliage. 



The specimens which I. have are quite suudl, 

 but. as I have implied already flower freely in 

 their young state. 



They were kindly given me by Mr. T. A. 

 Havermeyer, of Long Island, U. S. A., where 

 1 saw them growing in the open, and they should 

 therefore prove quite hardy in all parts of the 

 British Isles. 



nuide. with these flowers gathered out of doors, 

 my Christmas table decoration. 



Just now, after very severe frosts, the old 

 plants I have before my windows are covered 

 with flowers, and do not believe that these plants 

 are biennial or triennial. The}- have been 

 \\here they are now for more than six years. 

 Can somebody ex])lain to me why this hybrid is 

 so supei'ior to its jiai'cnts '. 



Sarcococca humilis 



1 SPENT a few hours at Aldenhain tlie other day, 

 and some part of the time in the alpine house ; 

 the two most attractive plants in flower there 

 just now are the well-known Primula Winteri. 

 with its delicate pale blue flowers, and the little 



I know little or nothing about the ])laut. wiien 

 it was f^r.st introduced into this country. &c.. and 

 have indeed never hapi)ened to see it growing 

 anywhere except at Aldenham : if however, 

 as I assume, like other Sarcococcas, it loves shade 

 or semi-shade, it should prove most valuable for 

 planting under trees. I should judge that it 

 \\f)ukl prove of somewhat dwarfer halut than 

 S. Hookeriana. I believe that the plant 

 originated in some i)art of Chhia, but it is not 

 mentioned in the Kew Handbook. Having 

 regard to the enormous number of new intro- 

 ductions from that great country during recent 

 years, has not the time almost come for a ne\\ 

 edition of Kew's admirable work ? 



^'IC.A.KY Gtbbs. 



The plant mentioned in above article l)y the 

 Honourable Vicary Gibbs belongs to a small 



