4m 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICtJLTXJBE AM) COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ December IS, 186^ 



or sash. The plants being thus protected from frost, that 

 hoaiy-headed general mth all his force may storm the gar- 

 rison -vvitiiout being able to effect an entrance. The only 

 tiling then to be dreaded is the damp in February. 



The outer frame should rf ceive one or two coats of gas 

 tar every year. — S. T. A., Castlemew. 



IjTKE USE OF PBEE OXYGEN m PLANTS. 



DuEiNG the formation of the hydro-oarbons by plants, 

 nia.y not the fr'ee oxygen, separated fr'om cai'bonic acid iind 

 wilier, be made use of in some other way than that of dissi- 

 pation tc> supijly the portion that has been fixed to carbon 

 and hydrogen in the bodies of animals and other forms of 

 comibustion ? Is it not possible that a mucli larger projior- 

 tion of the oxygen separated fi-om cai'bou and hydrogen by 

 the plant, may have an important oiEce to fulfil in the pliuit 

 itself? May it not descend dissolved in the juices of the 

 plant and exude from the roots, exerting an influence on tlie 

 constituents of the soU, combining with its carbon to form 

 carbonic acid, and its minerals for the osseous structure, and 

 thus convert substances incapable of being absorbed into a 

 pabulum suited for the nourishment and structure of plants? 

 At the same time this radical exudation, if it had this 

 solvent proijerty, although imperceptibly acid (gastric juice 

 is also an example of a bland and alinost tasteless fluid, 

 having, the property of dissolving and rendering organised 

 substances, however hard, capable of being absorbed by 

 tUe minutest pores of the body), would breat down and 

 conivert into a soft pabulum hard, di-y substances, ena^ 

 bling the thread-like rootlets to push on and suck, up food 

 more suited for the plant, much after the manner that a fly 

 feeds on hard sugar, first moistening it and then. sucking 

 it up. This seems rather an interesting question ; for, if 

 tmie, it would exjilain how plants grow in climates where 

 there is no rain, and, consequently, the soil di'y, and where 

 dfiws alone can furnish moisture for absorption by the 

 leaves, the roots being useless as fai' as nutriment is con- 

 cerned, unless the moistui-e descend in some such fashion 

 as I have alluded to. I am aware there is a class of plants 

 in which the surfaces which are exposed to the air are 

 covered with a waterproof film to prevent the exudation 

 of moisture ; also, that these grow in countries not watered 

 by rain. In then- case the roots must grow near the surface 

 to enable the plant to obtain the requisite amount of 

 moisture. StUl plants rooting deeper and not covered with 

 this film must live entirely upon the moisture absorbed by 

 their roots. Could the Editors of The Journal of Hokticul- 

 TTjRE enlighten me on the subject ? —A Constant Eeadee. 



[This is a subject far too intricate to be decided by mere 

 reasoning and analogy. Sometimes plants do not emit so 

 much oxygen as they ought if they emitted all the osygen 

 fr'om the carbonic acid they are known to hava absorbed. 

 But at other times they emit more than the due amount of 

 oxygen. Experiments have proved that oxygen applied to 

 the roots of plants invigorates them, but we have no re- 

 seaiiehes on the point here suggested, that plants may supply 

 tito oxygen to their own roots.] 



CROCUS IMPEEATONIUS. 

 Can you or any of your correspondents inform me where 

 bulbs of the Crocus Imperatonius or Imperati can be pro- 

 cured in England, as I have never succeeded in obtaining it 

 from any nursery garden ? I once brought a few bulbs fi-om 

 hedgebanks in South Italy (Amalfi). which I keep in pots 

 in a cold frame, and they generally flower every year about 

 Christmas, but have not increased. As January is the 

 natural time for them to flower, there is no chance of their 

 ' ever succeeding in the open border ; but as no Crocus is 

 more beautiful it is well worth some C' e, and the result of 

 the experience of a sviccessful gi-ower ■ ould be valuable to 

 those who may wish to cultivate the sor ' (if they can obtain 

 it), as well as — A Constant Eeadee. 



Cbntaurea gtmnocaepa and C. aegentea.' — I think 

 your correspondent, Mr. Scott, page 455, makes a mistake 

 in stating that these two plants are synonymous. At least. 



I have the two from the London ti-ade entirely distinct. I 

 am happy to hear fi-om Mr. Scott, that ai-gentea when 

 planted out is a rival to ragusina in beauty. It must then 

 be good indeed. I have not yet tried argentea planted out, 

 iMit in pots ragusina is the favourite here, but that is no 

 argument against Mi-. Scott's statement of it when planted 

 out.— D. T. 



GAEDENING AT CANNES. 



I WAS much interested the other day, in looking over 

 the report of Trentham Gardens in your columns, to see a 

 nimiber of plants mentioned as doing well in the conserva- 

 tory there, which I find most usefiU and ornamental in our 

 gardens at Cannes. It gave me great satisfaction for this 

 reason — ^that I had so often remarked to some of our n-ume- 

 rous English visitors that if the Cannes climate were imi- 

 tated in the English conservatories a similar effect might 

 be produced in the winter months. To obtain this all 

 watering must be suspended, and as much air given as pos- 

 sible, but excluding rain, for six months until about the 

 end of September, when water might be given freely, and 

 everything would then push with great vigour and new life, 

 as is the case here after a bui-ning hot summer. I say water 

 freely, meaning that a good soaking should be given to the 

 soU, which should then be left for the winter, as the gi-eat 

 danger in the English climate is dampness, and the object 

 to be attained is a perfectly dry atmosphere. I am consider- 

 ing, of course, that everything is planted out in these 

 conservatories. 



I see mentioned as doing well in the Trentham conserva- 

 tory the Tacsonia mollissima ; to me it seems a thousand 

 pities that the ignea is not there in its stead, which is far 

 more handsome and quite as free a gi-ower and bloomer as 

 moUissima. 



The three most remarkable and attractive plants in our 

 gardens now are Tacsonia ignea, the ChromateUa Eose, and 

 the Salvia erioealyx. The first is literally covered with open 

 flowers and buds of a bright scarlet, contrasting admirably 

 with the thickly-carpeted green wall. The second, queen 

 of all the Tea and Noisette Eoses, is at this moment a per- 

 fect pictm-e. We have several of them trained in a pyramid 

 form to the height of 15 feet, and covered with blooms 

 measuring fi-om 5 to 6 and even 7 inches in diameter, and 

 as double as a Camellia. The thfrd. Salvia erioealyx, is, 

 without doubt, the best of the whole famUy, enlivening our 

 gardens, as it does now, with the great contrast between its 

 calyx and flowers, the former being of a lovely mauve colour 

 and thickly studded upon long branchy spikes like balls of 

 silky wool : and the flowers, of a pure white, peering out from 

 the centre of each one, give a liveliness to the gardens that 

 non-e but eye-witnesses could conceive. This would be well 

 worth a trial in a conservatory, and I have no doubt would 

 do well if planted out. Now none of these tlu-ee is noticed 

 in the report of Trentham, though possibly they may be 

 there : but if not I should say. By all means try them, and 

 I feel siu-e the result would be satisfactoi-y. The Abutilons, 

 again, such as venosum, giganteum. Due de Malakoff, and 

 the white one, which are charming winter-flowering plants, 

 are now in great beauty. ,Wby not give these a trial? 

 Most of the other plants we have now in bloom are about' 

 the same as those noticed at Trentham ; so striking was 

 the resemblance that nothing seemed left but this great 

 difference — that at Ti-entham they were under glass, and 

 here in the open air. 



I will hurriedly run over the list as I see them- in our 

 garden. Cestrum aurantiaeum, so highly spoken of by Mr: 

 Pish, deserves even more than can be said of it, and we have 

 plants of it 8 feet high and as much through covered with ita 

 golden racemes of flowers; and the Habrothamnus fascicu- 

 latus, a beautiful contrast to the Cestrum, although not gro-w^ 

 ing quite so strong, is now loaded with bloom, and wUl last 

 much longer. Nor is the blue one (Habrothanmus cyaneus), 

 to be despised, for although a straggling grower, it is very dis- 

 tinct in all points fi-om any of the others. The rest of the list 

 consists of Acacia mii-iobotryum (?), invaluable for bouquet- 

 making ; Capraria laneeolata. Cassia tomentosa, Eriobotrya 

 japonica (Japanese Medlar), Polygalas, Veronicas, Lantanaa, 

 Coi-reas, Bignonias, Salvias in vai-iety, and Eoses in profu- 

 sion; the beautiful Ipomsea Learii covering a great length' 



