Mi«h 21, 187a. 



JOURNAL OF HOETICXnLTXJRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



240 



hammer at SteTcns' Eooms, Kiug Street, Corent Garden, on 

 the 1.5th inst. The total amount realised at the sale was 

 £570. Clerodendron Balfourii, 2 feet 6 inches high, and as 

 much in diameter hrought £i ; Crotons, 4. feet by 3A feet, £5 to 

 £6 ; specimens of Draciena ferrea variegata, £4 4s. to £4 1.5s. ; 

 Maranta roseo-picta and Veitchii, £4 and £5 ; Cocoa Palms, 

 8, 11, and 13 feet high, £.5 .5s., £6 15s., and £7 10s. respectively ; 

 Erica Caveudishii, 3 feet by 3 feet, £7 15s. ; E. ventricosa mag- 

 nifica, £8. Exotic Ferns, dtc. — Dicksonia antarctica, with an 

 18-inch stem, twelve fronds, £3 10s. ; Ditto, 1-foot stem, 

 fourteen fronds, £3 10s. ; Adiantum farleyense, £11 lis. ; a 

 magnificent plant of Platycerium grande, £12 12s. Greenhouse 

 Specimens. — Phipnocoma prohfera Barnesii, £8 8s. ; Chorozema 

 cordatum splendens, £5 5s. British Ferns. — A magnificent 

 plant of Trichomanes radicaus, £5 5s. Azaleas, 3 to 4 feet 

 Mgh, £3 10s. to £5 10s. each. 



PYBUS SPECTABILIS EIVERSII. 

 This is Pyrus speetabilis roseo-plena of the " Florist and 

 Pomologiat," No. 50. It must be thirty or nearly forty years 

 since (always admiring an old tree of Pyrus speetabilis 

 planted by my father towards the end of the last century) the 

 idea occurred to me how much more beautiful it would be if 

 the fine scarlet of Pyrns japonica could be added to its flowers. 

 Accordingly I attempted to impregnate its flowers with the 

 pollen of this species. Many seedlings were raised, but I could 

 not satisfy myself, from the habit of the seedUngs, that any 

 change had taken place. In the course of time they gave their 

 flowers, some single, some double, but aU but one too much 

 like the parent. This gave darker flowers and a more robust 

 gi'owth, but with my fastidious taste it was not distinct enough 

 to make it a lion. I was a little disappointed at my failure in 

 crossing, still the tree seemed distinct, and I named it Pyrus 

 speetabilis Biversii. The trees were sold at a very moderate 

 price to the trade, 3s. tjd. or 5s. each, and its name now pro- 

 bably exists in the lists of coimtry nurserymen. A dealer of 

 the name of Saunders, then Uving at Abergavenny, used to 

 order largely from here, and, doubtless, the tree being new, 

 was sent to him, and thus its Abergavenny habitat. The 

 parent tree is still here, and answers in every respect the 

 figure and description given in the " Florist and Pomologist." 

 It blossoms a few days after the species, and is really very 

 showy and beautiful. 'Whether it ought to bear a new name 

 -without any authority is a question to be answered. I merely 

 recognise it as a very old friend with a new name. I may 

 mention that I saw the figure on the 6th inst. for the first 

 time, or I should have sent this correction to the work in 

 which it is so well figured. — Thos. Eivebs. 



ACACIAS AND LILACS. 



The new varieties of the plants "Cobncbia" inquires 

 about are far too little known, and amateurs should endeavour 

 always either to select for themselves, or ask to have sent 

 them the best varieties of any particular genus they may be 

 about to plant, for it must be remembered that a fine variety 

 costs no more trouble in the cultivation than a bad one. True, 

 the first outlay may be a trifle more for the best form, but 

 this is repaid tenfold by superior excellence. 



The following names I have selected from the catalogue of 

 M. A. Van Geert, of Ghent, as being well deserving the atten- 

 tion of all who wish to adorn their lawns and shrubberies with 

 the best and most choice forms of hardy flowering trees. 



LIL.\CS. 



Sijringa vulgaris Beranger. — Of free growth, producing enor- 

 mous pyramidal trusses of large purplish Ulac flowers, the under 

 side rich deep violet. 



S. vulgaris Charles X. — This is a strong and rapid-growing 

 variety which was exhibited at Kensington in February last. 

 The trusses are large, and the flowers reddish purple. 



S. vulgaris Gloire de Moulin-s. — The ti-usses and flowers are 

 Tery large and deep rosy lilac in colour, the buds being consider- 

 ably brighter than the expanded blooms. By those who know 

 the varieties best, this is considered the gem. 



S. vulgaris Lovaniensis. — A close, compact, somewhat slender 

 iorm. Flowers in a young state delicate rose, changing to a 

 Tvhite sUghtly tinged with pale rose. 



S. vulgaris alba. — A form with very large trusses of the purest 

 -white flowers. 



S. vulgaris aureo-variegaia. — This is the common form, with 

 rich golden variegated leaves. 



HAKDT ACACIAS, OR LOCUST TREES. 



Sohinia inermis, the Parasol Acacia. — The shoots are qtute 



thomless, and it makes a remarkably pretty tree, especially 

 when worked as a standard. The heads are very dunse and 

 regular, the flowers white. 



R. inermis variegata. — Similar in all respects, save one, to the 

 preceding, and that is the leaves, which in this variety are 

 beautifully variegated. 



li. hispida rosea. — A most distinct and beautiful species from 

 North America. The young shoots are very robust and thickly 

 clothed with woolly hairs, whilst the foliage is very large and 

 distinct. The great feature, however, lies in the fact that its 

 large rose-coloured flowers are produced throughout the summer. 

 It may be planted as a dwarf shrub or grafted upon stems as 

 standards, and in each case the peculiar beauties will be deve- 

 loped ; but it must not be planted in exposed situations, because 

 the wood is extremely brittle and Uable to be broken down with 

 high winds. 



B. Pseud-Acacia aurea. — In addition to the yellow flowers the 

 foUage is variegated in a very striking manner with golden 

 yellow. 



B. Pseud-Acacia Bessoniana. — This variety is a very strong 

 grower, yet it is compact. The shoots are thornless, the flowers 

 white, the leaves deep green and very ornamental. 



R. Pseud-Acacia Decaisneana. — A most profuse bloomer, pro- 

 ducing large clusters of dehcate soft pink flowers. 



B. Pseud-Acacia Goundouini. — This may be distinguished by 

 its stiff erect growth and dwarf habit. 



J?. Pseud-Acacia monophylla. — This is an exceedingly fine 

 kind with large foUage, the compound leaf often growing into 

 one, a peculiarity whiclx has given i-ise to its name. The flowers 

 are much larger and of a pui-er white than in the species. 



B. Pseud-Acacia monophylla pendula. — This is like mono- 

 phylla in every respect, except that it is drooping in its habit of 

 growth. — ExPEBTO Ceede. 



CAPSICUM CULTUEE. 



Capsicums are tender annuals, or shrubs, and to afford good 

 results they require a stove temperature throughout their 

 growth. Although it is stated in catalogues and gardening 

 works that, after being hardened-off in a cool greenhouse, they 

 may either be potted and kept there, or planted-out in a warm 

 sheltered border of rich soU, I have found them as tender as 

 a Cockscomb, producing out of doors only green pods of a size 

 suitable for pickling. 



Sow the seeds early in March in light fibrous loam, 

 with a third part of leaf mould, covering them about a 

 quarter of an inch in depth with fine soil. Place them in 

 a hotbed with a temperature of from 70' to 75% keep the 

 soil moist, and transplant when the rough leaves have made 

 their appearance. Two plants should be put into each 3-inch 

 pot, and these returned afterwards either to the old hotbed, 

 or a new one with a temperature equal to that which the 

 old bed originally possessed. Hero they shoiild be kept moist 

 and shaded from the bright sun at mid-day until they have 

 recovered from the potting. When the roots begin to fill the 

 pots take out each pair of plants, part them, place them 

 separately into 4.t-inch pots, and then return them to the hot- 

 bed, shading as before. Keep them near the glass, and when- 

 ever the soil becomes dry give water so copiously that it runs 

 right through the pot. Air should be admitted during mild 

 weather, or when the heat of the hotbed rises above 75". 



By June they will have filled the pots, and must be trans- 

 planted, the laiger sorts into 8-inch, the smaller into 7-inch 

 pots. Two parts fibrous loam, one part old hotbed manure, 

 and plenty of half-inch bones, the whole chopped-up small, 

 will grow them well. The plants should be placed on shelves, 

 and have a temperature of from 60' to 65' at night, 70° to 75° 

 by day during dull weather, and from 80' to 90' in bright 

 weather. The smaller kinds should be unshaded about 2 feet 

 from the glass, the smaller ones 2 feet 6 inches, and all near 

 the points at which air is admitted. They may succeed Dwarf 

 Kidney Beans, flowering plants in the forcing pit, or even a 

 crop of early Melons or winter-grown Cucumbers. Even a 

 pit which has been used for wintering bedding plants, if 

 heated to 60', will do to grow them in. When the pods have 

 set water alternately with liquid manure, half an ounce to 

 the gallon of water, and take great care that the leaves do 

 not flag. They will flower at the beginning of July, and have 

 their fruit ripened from September to October. Cayenne 

 pepper is the ripe ground pods of the Capsicum. 



Those intended for pickling green should be grown much in 

 the same way as the preceding until the end of May. Then 

 they should be thoroughly hardened-off, and about the muldle 

 of June planted in rich light soU, 1 foot to 3 feet from a 

 south waU, and from 18 inches to 2 feet from each other. 



