2U 



JODKNAL OF HORTIODLTURE AND COTTAGE GABUENEB. 



[ March 20, 1877. 



tnrss to assume a good colour and flavour. Watercress thus 

 grown was preferred to riverside Cress. The varieties of salad 

 herbs — namely, Bnrnot, Chervil, Tarragon, Pnrslane, t%i3., we 

 also kept in pots during winter. 



With some good Lettuce from the frames, blanched Batavian 

 and curled Endive, and a good Cucumber (of the latter I gave 

 some cultural remarks iu a former volume of 187-j, page 180), 

 we could at auy time make up a good salad for the table. 

 Before being sent into the house the salads were washed in 

 clean water and arranged in a round wicker basket and placed 

 in the fruit-room, where our employer generally inspected them 

 before they were sent to the kitchen. To Mr. Bittera, the able 

 gardener of Chilworth Manor, under whom I then served, I 

 am much indel>ted for my cultural knowledge of forced vege- 

 tables and salads. — F. H. Fboud, Gardener, Hawley Place, 

 Hartford, 



[You could not have had a better teacher. — Eds.] 



CLEMATIS JACKMANII. 



I PRESUME there are very few places where there is a super- 

 abundance of this beautiful and effective climber, and it may 

 be useful to call attention at the present time to a sure and 

 ready means of increanng the stock of plants. 



Anyone in possession of an old plant will find that by 

 taking the young fhoots about 4 or 5 inches long, breaking 

 them off with a heel, and inserting them in pots or pans, and 

 placing them in a close frame until they callus, they will after- 

 wards if placed in heat emit roots freely, when they must be 

 potted off, and when they are established in pots they may be 

 planted out, or if grown-on in pots they will make strong 

 plants for planting out tlie following spring. C. Flammula, 

 C. lanuginosa, and other varieties I have propagated in the 

 same manner. NnrEerymou generally graft them on strong- 

 growing varieties, such as Clematis montaua. 



To grow the Clematis to perfection liberal treatment is 

 necessary, and plenty of manure must be added to the soil. 

 There is nothing more beautiful for covering walls, rockwork, 

 arches, or planted along with Ivy for covering walls, &c., than 

 Clematis Jackmanii, — J. Anderson, //i7/ Grove. 



ALPINE AURICULAS. 



All of us are indebted to the Rev. F. D. Horner for his 

 excellent article in last week's Journal, and for the kindly 

 spirit which it breathes. I desire to observe that I did not say 

 florists had no right to make distinctions; it would be utter 

 lolly to say so. Of course they must, and abide by the dis- 

 tinctions too ; and further, I believe that the rules laid down 

 by florists are in the main correct; but we must not strive 

 for one particular style of beauty at the expense of another. 

 This is what I object to in the self Alpine. If my premisses 

 are correct the exhibitors at the National Auricula Show 

 would not exhibit a self flower, uor would they try to improve 

 it. Now, many persons think that the sells are as boautifnl 

 in their way as the shaded flowers, and certainly they ought 

 to be grown and exhibited for the sake of variety. Mr. Horner 

 also would allow Alpines to have their trusses supported by 

 btiokfl. Well, some of them require sticks and some do not, 

 and if they can bo produced with a firm, elastic, self-support- 

 ing stem, why not work for this as well as for shaded edges ? 



Then, as to the Polyanthus, I hope I am not misunderstood 

 with regard to that flower. I did not, nor could I say, that 

 flowers of the old florist type had been surpassed by any 

 modern introductions, nor do I prefer the modern varieties. 

 All that I claim is that they may be allowed to compete, and 

 let them be judged on their merits. Excluding them from o 

 show would be so much loss to floriculture, just as in the case 

 of self Alpines. The old florist Polyanthus is a singularly 

 beautiful flower, but it lacks variety. As Mr. Horner pnts it, 

 " it wants seeding up," and no one could do this better than 

 himself. It is worth a long journey to see the well-grown 

 plants of the sorts he has named iu the vicarage garden at 

 Kirkby Malzeard, — J. Douglas. 



I HAVE been much pleased to read the discussion on these 

 flowers in the Journal, and would ask leave to contribute my 

 mite to it. Mr. Horner says in the "Florist," " If self Alpines 

 why not Alpine selfs'.'" Well, I have very great respect for 

 Mr. Horner, but it seems to me that in this matter his know- 

 ledge is fettered by his surroundings. If self Alpines are to be 



tolerated Alpine selfs will naturally follow. Is not a greater 

 variety thereby gained? Assuming of course that the cardinal 

 points of the florist are maintained, is not the existence of 

 variety the strongest claim to our admiration ? I say it is, and 

 I am sorry to believe how few florists there are who under- 

 stand the philosophic ground on which the properties of flowers 

 are based, and how much they are tied and bound by practice 

 and prescription. 



The term Alpine contains no meaning of itself, therefore it 

 is no special symbol to anyone unversed in the terminology of 

 the florist. No doubt a shaded edging is more to be regarded 

 than a self, because it contains more variety, just as a bizarre 

 Carnation is preferred to a flake, and a flake is placed before 

 a self. 



Mr. Horner's reasoning iu the case of the Auricula seems to 

 cut at the root of variety, and by refusing to admit any but 

 established classes to be taking a course which would surely 

 result not in maintaining the philosophic properties of flowers, 

 but in cramping them, and justly exposing florists to the im- 

 putation of being crabbed, ignorant, and narrow-minded. — 

 Nemo. 



POINSETTIA PULOHEBRIMA PLENISSIMA. 



In a recent number of this Journal was published a short 

 article on Poinsettias, and therein it was stated that after a 

 little more experience I should give some account of the new 

 variety A. p. plenissima, of which I had plants late in the 

 season. They were small and not such as in the other variety 

 would be expected to give good heads. Further, they had 

 been grown up to the time I had them (which was about the 

 last week in June or first in July) iu a stove temperature, and 

 that treatment does not give the best results. I prefer grow- 

 ing them iu an airy greenhouse near the glass until the end 

 of May or early in June, when they should be turned out of 

 doors, but not to be exposed to cutting winds. Early iu Sep- 

 tember they must be removed indoors, but not into a high 

 temperature, until the colour shows on the floral bracts, when 

 the night temperature may range from o5° to (i^>°. As far as 

 I have bpeuablo to judge, the new variety requires rather mora 

 heat than the old sort when the bracts are in the course of 

 formatiou, but not at auy other time. 



My O.VU opinion of it is that it will displace the old sort. 

 It is very much superior to it, not only in lasting qualities 

 but in the greater brilliancy of the floral bracts. The outer 

 bracts of the old sort have fallen six weeks ago, and more 

 recently the new plant has also lost the outer circle ; but the 

 supplementary tufts are now (March 21st) quite brilliant, and 

 form a compact head of lustrous beauty. I have sent a head 

 for your inspection, and when I say that it was cut from a 

 plant which was in a very weakly state in July last year, yon 

 will then be able to judge of its value. — J. Douglas. 



[We judge favonrahly. Since a head so fine as the one 

 submitted to us has been produced by a weakly plant, what 

 may we not expect from a robust Epecimeu? This Poiusettia 

 being a new plant has been necessarily over-propagated, and 

 auother season is required to produce heads in their true 

 character. — Eds J 



PLANTING GLADIOLUS BULLS. 



There appears to exist some difference of opinion as to the 

 better mode of planting these bulbs — namely, whether they 

 should be entirely stripped or not of their outer covering. The 

 opinion of some of our leading growers would be instructive 

 to many of your readers. As a small grower of the choicest 

 varieties, my own plan is to plant about the first week in April 

 if the ground be fit, placing the bulbs about 1 inches deep, 

 having previously stripped them, and covering with silver sand 

 before filling in with soil. Can any growers of more experience 

 give better information? — Exhibitor. 



ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY OP LONDON. 

 The Royal Botanic Society was founded in 1839 by a Royal 

 Charter granted by the Queen to the then Duke of Norfolk, 

 the Duke of Richmond, Earl of Albemarle, Col. Rushbrooke, 

 Philip Barnes, and James De Carle Sowerby (who were also 

 named the first Fellows of the Society) " for the promotioa of 

 botany in all its branches and its application to medicine, arts, 

 and manufactures, and also for the formation of botanical 

 and ornamental gardens withiu the immediate vicinity of the 



