Febrnaiy 15, 1872. ] 



JOUENAIi OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



147 



Weddeliana, and, indeed, proving to the amateiu- a superior 

 plant, as it does not reijiure stove heat lite the Cocos. Stem 

 slender; leaves pinnate, segments long auduaiTow, beautifully 

 .arched, and dark green, resembling a ijlunie of ostrich feathers. 



CHAii.i:DOKEi Wendlasdi. — The best of the genus for room 

 decoration, as I have abundantly proved ; leaves pinnate, 

 segments broad and bright shining green. 



Cham-Erops escelsa. — Leaves deep green, fan-like, divided 

 round the margin mto narrow segments. 



Cham-Eboi'S nuMiLis. — The only European species of this 

 extensive and noble order. Leaves fan-shaped, divided into 

 narrow segments about a third of their entire leugiih, glaucous ; 

 footstalks anmed at the edges with stout spines. 



LrvisiosiA AUSTE-LLis. — Eobust grower, exceedingly hand- 

 some ; leaves nearly round, much plaited, and divided round 

 the edges into nairow segments, rich deep green ; footstalks 

 4ark brown, armed at the edges with stout sharp spines. A 

 native of New South Wales. 



LinsTONiA BOKDONicA. — Lcaves fan-shaped, divided at the 

 margins into pendulous and bright shining green segments ; 

 footstalks armed with stout spines. 



Malortiea siMi'LEx. — Stem slender; leaves entire, fringed 

 at the margins, and deep green in colour ; they are supported 

 upon short very slender footstalks. It is a native of Costa 

 Bica. 



Keutia Batjebi, from Norfolk Island, is a very beautiful un- 

 armed Palm. Leaves pinnate and plume-like, with broad and 

 rich green segments. 



Seatoethia elegan's of our gardens is a free-growing noble 

 plant, with pinnate Ught green leaves, with long and broad 

 segments. It is more correctly named Ptychosperma Cunning- 

 liami. 



Pnasurx dacttlifeea, the Date Pabn of commerce (of which 

 an illustration was given nine weeks back) , with dark green jiin- 

 aate leaves ; very distinct and very hardy. — ^Espekto Ckede. 



IRON FOR ROSES. 



I READ with gi-eat interest a late communication on this 

 subject. I did not, on reflection, attribute the growth of the 

 Kose to any manurial or tonic influence of the iron rust. The 

 summer was very rainy, and the ground was much chilled. 

 It is probable that the ii'on shielded the roots from the rain, 

 and then when the sun came out the ii'on became heated and 

 influenced the roots. Tour correspondent would do well to try 

 this season on two Eoses of the same kind, in the same situa- 

 tion, and treated alike, two slabs of U'on — the one painted on 

 both sides, and the other in its rusty form. He may then be 

 able to draw a conclusion. I know of only one plant that 

 really likes ii-ou in the soil — namely, the British Queen Straw- 

 berry. I should think that if iron abounded in soils it would 

 be injurious to plants generally. Still, plants in the same 

 fanuly have likes and dislikes. 



Much mischief was done last summer to Eoses by fungoid 

 disease. I never knew orange fungus so prevalent. The roots, 

 moveover, were much injured by long-continued cold rains. 

 The Eoses here of all kinds look well. Soon after Christmas 

 I cut away much damaged wood and useless spray, and 

 shortened the remaiuing branches. I have thi-ee very success- 

 ful specimens of Marechal Kiel whip-grafted on the Manetti 

 stock, also one on the Briar, and one budded on the Gloire de 

 Dijon. The Cloth of Gold would oftener succeed if people 

 ■were to put an iron plate or stone slab over the roots. — 

 W. F. Eadclytfe. 



A FEW RELIABLE ADDITIONS TO THE 

 FLOWER GARDEN. 



Amongst the first of these I ought to name Dracaenas grandis, 

 Cooperi, and terminalis, which cannot, of course, be reckoned 

 novelties, as they are well known, and have ah'eady been classed 

 among the more tender kinds of subtropical plants ; but the 

 Dracaena is a far more enduring plant when planted out of doors 

 than many who are only acquainted with it as a stove plant 

 would credit. 



I have already drawn attention to it in this respect, and 

 last su mm er's experience enables me to speak with more con- 

 fidence about it. About midsummer I put out some two 

 dozen Dracauas along with other fine-foUaged plants, and they 

 kept their foUage intact till October. Japanese Maize, in the 

 same group, was blown to ribbons, and had to be replaced with 

 Acer Negvmdo variegatum in pots. Those who think of using 



the Dracxna this season should encoui-age the growth of j^lants 

 that were struck last spring, and which ought to be 2 feet high 

 by the time they are wanted. A fortnight or so before they 

 are planted out the plants should be removed from the stove, 

 and hardened-off in the greenhouse or in cold Peach houses : 

 here we put them out in their pots, and then they are easily 

 taken up on an emergency. 



Kleinia bepens. — This is one of the few succulents that will 

 associate as a dwarf edging to ordinary bedding plants. Its 

 short fleshy leaves are densely covered with a fine blue bloom, 

 of a Ught and very pleasing shade, that will be found exceed- 

 ingly useful as an intermediate colour. It is a dwarf-gi'owing 

 plant, and should be planted thickly. Cuttings will strike at 

 any season of the year if afl'orded a temperativre ranging from 

 .5.5' to 65", and kept moderately dry. It is about the easiest 

 plant to propagate that I know. I began with about a dozen 

 plants last spring, and shall have three or four thousand by 

 bedding-out time, and could have had more if needful. The 

 bloom on the leaves will resist heavy rains. 



Pachyphtton bracteatum (Succulent). — This is another 

 beautiful Uttle plant, forming a verj- neat, dwarf rosette, with 

 leaves of a rich cream colour. It does not take so kindly to 

 the society of ordinary bedding plants as the Kleinia, but it 

 makes an extremely pleasing foreground to the latter, and in this 

 way the contrast may be toned down very well. Unfortunately 

 it is diflicult to propagate ; though we began with a better stock 

 than we had of the Kleinia, we shall not have hundreds of the 

 one for thousands of the other. The Pachyiihyton is best 

 propagated by seed, if it can be got, and by leaves, which 

 should be taken off carefidly, and laid in rows on the surface 

 of the sou in a pan or pot, and othenrise treated the same as 

 the Kleinia. Each leaf, if carefuUy managed, will put forth a 

 crowd of httle ones at the base. 



Variegated Lemon Thyme. — This is another good plant, in 

 every respect like the common Lemon Thyme, quite as hardy, 

 and free-growing. The leaves are of a bright yellow colour 

 round the edges, and the same tinge extends to nearly two- 

 thu'ds of the surface of the leaf. It is certain to become jjopular 

 as a dwarf edging jilant ; and as it retains its variegation 

 throughout the winter, it will be very useful for the winter 

 gai'deu also. — J. Simpson, Wortley Hall Gardens. 



SOLANUM MACRANTHUM. 



Some of my readers may tliink an aUiance with the Potato 

 is no recommendation to the ornamental properties of this 

 plant ; but a glance at the illustration of it (which we owe to 

 M. Alphand's " Promenades de Paris ") wUl, I think, cause them 

 to form a different opinion of the cousins of the Potato. The 

 genus Solanum is a very widely distributed one, but the head- 

 quarters of the family is certainly in South America. The 

 genus includes a great variety of types, some being mere low- 

 growing annuals, others shnibs, whilst some attain to the 

 dimensions of small trees. Some species are used medicinally, 

 but by far the most useful one to man is S. tuberosum, a 

 plant now well known by everyone as the Potato, which, like 

 the subject of oui' engraving, originally came from South 

 America. 



Amongst the various species of Solanum which grow to the 

 size of shrubs are some with large bold leaves, which afford 

 quite a distinct feature in a group of plants, and have been 

 pressed into the service of the gardener from their smtableness 

 for the summer decoration of gai'dens. Then' bold leaves, in 

 many instances ornamented with stout spines of various 

 colom-s, make them very attractive, and as it is bold, distinct 

 features that are required in such situations, we hope both 

 gardeners and amateurs will look upon the Solanum family 

 with more favoui' than is usually accorded them. The species 

 now under consideration, S. macranthrun, is a very handsome 

 plant, a native of Brazil. The stem is woolly and prickly ; 

 the leaves large, sub-cordate, acuminate, angulai-ly-lobed, and 

 clothed on both sides with a steUate tomeutum, which is 

 grejish green above and duU red below ; the nerves are red, 

 but the primai-y ones are furnished with stout spines of a 

 yellowish brown colour. The whole plant forms a chai'ming 

 object for general purposes of decoration, and when seen in 

 good condition it cannot fail to please even the most fastidious. 

 The flowers are also large and conspicuous, but as the fohage 

 is its piincipal attraction, Uttle need be said here respecting 

 its inflorescence. 



I wish to say, in passing, that I think a gi'eat mistake is 

 made by many, both gardeners and amateurs, in objecting to 



