78 



JQ^BilSlMfj. OF HOE,TICtII.TUBE AND COTTAGE QABDENEB, 



[ Angnat 1, 18S7. 



Thus, the latter savani found that the increase of temperature 

 ■was much more marked when the plant-blossom was placed in 

 oxygen than when it was in the nir, and that all evolution of 

 heat ceased when it was placed in nitrogen or carbonic acid 

 — or in other words when it was deprived of oxygen ; while 

 M. Garreau showed that the well-known periodical increase and 

 decrease of temperature in the blossom was accompanied by a 

 similar increase and decrease in the amount of carbonic acid 

 erolved. 



The rapid absorption of cold water by the root from the soil, 

 the constant evaporation from the foliage, the facility of radia- 

 tion and conduction from the wide-spread open blossoms, with 

 various co-acting circumstances, cause so rapid a loss of heat 

 from ordinary flowers that the increase of temperature is only 

 sensible to very delicate instruments, such as the thermo- 

 electric pile ; but when there is a mass of flowers on a dense 

 spike or spadix, shut up as it were in a spathe, the heat de- 

 veloped is more marked. Thus in some tropical Arums, a 

 difference of 10° or 12° has been noted between the outer air 

 and the immediate vicinity of the flowers. 



To sum up, in conclusion, it seems most probable that weak- 

 ness of the sexual organs is the cause of the sterility of the 

 Duchesse, and that this weakness ia dependent upon excessive 

 blossoming. If this be so, the indication is evidently to check 

 this excessive flowering. — (American Gardener's Monthly.) 



SAL^^A TATENS. 



When the desire for costly ornamental plants, or those diffi- 

 cult to propagate, shall have given place to a taste for plants 

 moderate in price and easily increased, then the merits of 

 Salvia jjatens will, no doubt, be duly recognised. Perhaps the 

 neglect with which it is at present treated, arises in a great 

 measure from the case with which it is obtained ; but few 

 plants can vie with it in colour, and certainly none is more 

 easily propagated iu quantity, for it produces seed in abun- 

 dance, and the seedlings, unlike those of most plants of a similar 

 kind, flower the first season, if afforded the same advantages 

 as those usually given to China Asters. Besides, the old plants 

 i£ taken up and stored like Dahlias, will ailord plenty of cut- 

 tings in spring ; but the roots seem more hardy than Dahlia 

 tubers, for I find that every plant left out during the last 

 winter is growing as vigorously as can be desired, although the 

 winter was anything but favourable either for shrubs or plants, 

 whose roots were not protected by foliage, as the frost and sub- 

 sequent rains have been very hurtful to all such. This Salvia, 

 nevertheless, promises to flower freely, and as the clear bright 

 blue of its blossom is, as yet, approached by no other ordinary 

 bedding plant, its culture has certainly been too hastily aban- 

 doned. Unfortunately, its blooms are easily broken off by rain, 

 and it is questionable whether the defect can be overcome. 

 Possibly if seed were only saved from plants which are found 

 to withstand heavy rain, the progeny might retain the same 

 property. 



It is, however, more as a border plant, that I claim for Salvia 

 patens a place in the list of garden ornaments. In the mixed 

 herbaceous border this plant is most at home, and it is there 

 that I would advise all who have a garden to plant it. Her- 

 baceous borders are, I hope, fast coming again into favour, and 

 as there are pleuty of plants of the greatest beauty which never 

 at any season present an unsightly aspect, we may indulge in 

 variety without being ofiended by the ripening or decaying 

 stems of plants, which it is hurtful to cut away too soon. Salvia 

 patens is never unsightly, consequently it has a further claim 

 on the attention of those who pride themselves on a choice 

 collection or selection. Even iu the smallest of such it deserves 

 A place. — J. E. 



FORCING PEAR TREES IN TOTS.' 



The accompanying BeurrC Gift'ard Pears are from a small 

 tiee I had as a "maiden" from Mr. Rivers, and for three 

 years I kept it in the open ground, but during that time it 

 made very little wood, and the Pears were little good-for- 

 nothing fruit. The autumn before last I dug it up, and after 

 potting put it on the hot border, either at the end of Sep- 

 tember, or early iu October. Last autumn it had pleuty of 

 heat given to its roots up to November, when it was put under 

 glass, and kept without any artificial heat till February, and 

 also quite dry. The house it was placed in was heated by two 

 pipes running under the floor, which is of slate, resting on light 

 ^ron beams. The tree stood close to the front ventilators, 



which were generally open ; it was not placed on the heated 

 floor, but, of course, was exposed to the warmth arising from 

 it. This amount of heat was at all times very trifling. 



In June the tree was taken out of the house and plunged in 

 the open ground. The Pears have now (July 26th) been ripe 

 for a week, though we have had wet, cold, cloudy %veather ever 

 since the beginning of the month. 



DoyennC d'Etfi treated in the same way, excepting that it 

 was kept in a cold orchard-house, ripened in the last week in 

 June. I have also to add, that this season the Beurro Giffaid 

 has grown vigorously, as well as carried two dozen Pears nearly 

 all alike in size, those I send being of the ordinary size. — 

 W. KiNCSLEY, Sont)i Kilvington, Thirs!;. 



[The fruit of Beurru Giffard was well grown, and the flavour 

 was everything that could be desired. Such a mode of treat- 

 ment as Mr. Kingsley has adopted, and pursues with so much 

 success, must commend itself wherever the finer sorts of fruit 

 are cultivated with difficulty.] 



THE GREAT 



ROSE SHOW 

 ROBERT. 



AT BRIE-COMTE- 



Tjve tliircl annnal Exliibition by the Hose-growers of Brie-Comte- 

 Robert aud the surroundiDR district, took place on the lltb and 15tll 

 of July. Nearly 82,000 blooms were shown, which for freshness and 

 beauty are stated to have .sur])assed those of the two previous years. 

 They were arranged on gi-een banlis at the sides of the teuts, and in 

 the centre were two masses of Marcchal Neil, one consisting of 300 

 blooms, and the other of 150 buds, surrounded by 200 blooms of 

 Madame Boll. Other groups of from 200 to 1000 flowers consisted of 

 Of'ntral Jacqueminot. Ainii-e Vibert, Madame Boll, Gloire (\o Dijon, 

 Triomphe de I'Exposition, Souvenir de la Malmaison, and Comtesse 

 de Jaucourt. 



Mr. Charles Lee, of Hammersmith, was elected the Chairman of 

 the Jury, the other members being M. M. Haage, of Erfurt ; Dickin- 

 son, of New York ; Coers. Mosenthin and Martin, Marest pt-ro, Paillef, 

 aud Fontaine. Among the seedlijigs, twelve in number, submitted to 

 their notice, one called Cleraence Raoui:, was awarded a gold medal. 

 It was raised by M. (Irnnger, of Suisnes, from La Reiuc, and is de- 

 scribed as being large, of fine form and snbstance, white, with tho 

 extremities of the petals of a beautiful satiny rose. Other novelties 

 spoken highly of are named after M. Edonard Morreu, of Liege, and 

 Vicomtesse Yesins, the one being from M. Granger, the other from 

 M. Gautreau pere. The latter has also a seedling, which, though 

 not in flower at the time of the Exhibition, was subsequently seen 

 and approved of by the Congress of rosariaus which assembled at that 

 time, and was named by them after Mr. Charles Lee. 



On Sunday, July 21st, the Rose-growers, accompanied by M. Camille 

 Bemardin, the President of the Brie Society, and Mr. Charles Lee, 

 had the honour of being presented to their Majesties tho Emperor 

 and tho Empress of the French, in tho Salon de la Paix. at tho Tuil- 

 leries, through the instrumentality of M. Rouher, the Minister of 

 State, who had visited the magnificent display of Roses at Brie on 

 the previous Sunday. There were also present at the reception the 

 Vicomte do Yesins, Prefect of the Seiue-et-Marne ; the Comte de Jau- 

 court, the Baron de Beauverger, M. Joseau ; M. Belin, Mayor of 

 Brie, and the following liose-gi'owers — viz., Messrs. Cocbet, Granger, 

 Desmazuros, Jemeau, Motteau, Vaurin, Jonas, Gautreau, Cechet, 

 Dubois, David, and E. Laroux. The Rose-growers presented to Her 

 Majesty a splendid " corbeille " of nearly three thousand cut Roses. 

 which were surmounted by a large bouqnet of " Impi'ratrice Eugenie." 

 Her Majesty being about to depart for England immediately, directed 

 this "bed of Roses" to be transferred to the Universal Exhibition, 

 where it was much admired. 



According to M. Camillo Bemardin, there are ninety-six Rose- 

 growers within a radius of five miles of that place, altogether nearly 

 one hundred acres devoted to the cultivation of Roses, and upwards 

 of 2,000,000 of i>lants ready to be sent out next November. 



BOOK 

 Practical Treatise on the Cultivaiioji of the Grape Vine, By 



"William Tiiomsox. Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh and 



London. Fifth Edition. 



"We have more than once expressed onr high approbation of 

 this volume. It is the sterling work of a first-class gardener, 

 and no better evidence of the estimation iu which it is held by 

 horticulturists could he adduced than the fact that it passed 

 through two editions in 18G2, one in 1863, a fourth in 1865, 

 and the fifth has just been published. 



There are several valuable additions to this edition, and we 

 will quote one ; — 



" STOCKS FOR TENDER ^^NES. 



" Those who have paid most attention to the subject have come to 

 the conclusion that many of the highest-flavoured of our Grapes, 



