240 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENKB. 



[ March 29, 1877. 



Boees are sIbo cultivated in pots in a manner which has not ' 

 been surpassed by any amateur cultivator; the plants are 

 grown in brick pits — old Cucumber and Melon pits — and frames. 

 Until recently the garden contained only one house — a stove, 

 but a large span-roofed house 65 feet la length by 20 in width 

 has just been erected — a valuable addition. A case in this 

 house contains one of the finest specimens of the Killarney 

 Fern, Trichomanes radicans, which we have seen. The plant, 

 which is 4 to 5 feet in diameter, is growing healthily in a 

 shallow oak tub. It was brought from KiUamey in 1840 by a 

 member of the Christy family, and is deservedly valued. It 

 is pleasing to record that the able and intelligent gardener at 

 Coombe Bank has kind employers, whose interests he studies, 

 and enjoys in return a comfortable home. A gardener so 

 thoroughly earnest in his business as Mr. Moorman deserves 

 Buccess. 



- The Albekt Memorial. — The plans prepared by Mr. 

 Wills of South Kensington, assisted by Mr. Alfred Bedborough, 

 architect, of Westminster, for covering the late Prince Consort's 

 national memorial in Kensington Gardens with glass, and for 

 forming in connection with it a series of gardens in which to 

 represent the vegetation of each quarter of the globe, have 

 been submitted to the Queen and to the Prince of Wales, who 

 signified his approval of the scheme, and expressed a wish that 

 the undertaking might be carried out. The proposed struc- 

 ture covering the memorial is designed for execution in iron, 

 copper, and glass. It is octagonal in shape, and 200 feet in 

 diameter, with projections on four alternate faces of the octa- 

 gon. The width of the central part supporting the dome is 

 130 feet, and the height from the ground to the springing of 

 the dome 145 feet. The extreme height from the ground to 

 the top of the figure surmounting the lantern on the dome is 

 340 feet. The principal entrance, which is 25 feet wide, is 

 from Kensington Gore. The gable is filled with elaborate 

 Gothic tracery, and other principal faces of the octagon are 

 similarly treated. East and west of the central structure, and 

 connected therewith by corridors, it is proposed to have the 

 gardens representing the vegetable kingdom of the four quarters 

 of the globe. 



We have before directed attention to the remarkable 



odour of BoBONiA jieqastigma. One plant will "scent" a 

 large house after the manner of wild Primroses. A few larger 

 plants will fill the air with fragrance even beyond the 

 house. Of this we had ample proof the other day in Lord 

 Londesborough's garden, where at some distance from the 

 house containing the plants their perfume was perceptible. 

 Sprays of this Boronia continue well in a cut state and retain 

 their fragrance ; a branchlet which was cut by us ten days ago 

 is still as fresh as ever. This plant is attractive and of easy 

 culture, and we are not surprised to hear that the demand for 

 it is very great at the nurseries. 



The renowned collection of exhibition stove and grees- 



already expressed their readiness to have a grand field-day at 

 South Kensington. This excellent idea is now being worked, 

 and if it is carried out in its integrity, and at a convenient 

 time for exhibitors and visitors, one of the most attractive and 

 instructive displays may be produced that has been placed 

 before the public. Than the growers of what is sold in Covent 

 Garden none have done more to promote horticulture in its 

 most useful aspects, and none are more worthy of encourage- 

 ment. An exhibition such as is now suggested cannot fail to 

 possess special features of attraction, and to be worthy of in- 

 spection by all who are identified with house, table, and con- 

 servatory decoration. 



We have received from Mr. Lee of Clevedon blooms 



and leaves of his new Violet, " Odoratissima." The flowers 

 are large and pleasing in colour — pale blue. The foliage is 

 distinct, being much rounded, leathery, and corrugated ; but 

 the principal charm of the Violet is its powerful perfume. It 

 ia rightly named, for it is certainly the " most sweet " of all 

 Violets which have come under our notice. 



Camellias amd Violets. — We have received some very 



superior Camellias grown out of doors, and Neapolitan Violets 

 from frames, sent by Mr. Froud, gardener at Hawley Place, 

 Dartford. 



The New York Tribune publishes what a Crocus when 



first opening might say : — 



"It there ain't Snowdrop, 

 Seems to me 

 She'd better stay where 

 She ought to be. 

 " Wonder what brought her 

 Ont 80 soon, 

 S'poBe she thought 'twos 

 Afternoon. 

 " She'll get her nose nipped ; 



Se: 



i her right 1 



Small children like her 

 Must keep out of Bight. 

 ' Wind needn't blow so 1 

 Makes such a dis. 

 Good gracious 1 Ouess I'd 

 Better go in. 

 " Where's my blanket gone ? 

 Cold hurts so I 

 Poor little Crocus is 

 Freezin' up — oh I " 



DIURNAL OPENING OF FLOWEES. 



Me. Thomas Meehan, at a meeting of the Philadelphia 

 Academy of Sciences, referred to observations he had made this 

 season on the diurnal and nocturnal expansion of flowers, and 

 said that, contrary to the popular impression, it is not probable 

 that light or its absence alone determined the opening of the 

 blossoms. There were some plants, as, for instance, QLnother* 

 biennis, the Evening Primrose; Anagallis arvensis, the Pirn' 

 pernel, and others, which remained open or otherwise longer 

 HOUSE PLANTS of the late F. G. Wilkins, Esq., Leyton, were j when the weather was humid or cloudy, and were looked on in 

 Bold at Leyton on Thursday last by Mr. Stevens. The company ! consequence as kinds of floral barometers ; but from other facta 

 was tolerably numerous, but the bidding was not spirited, and 1 it was clear that it was not the weather merely, but some other 

 the total amount derived for the plants (I'l? lots) fell con- [ incident accompanying the weather that governed the case, 

 siderably short of £500. The only "long" prices secured | For instance, though CEnothera biennis and other CEnotheraS 

 were for two Anthuriums — A. Sehertzeriauum Wardii being pro- j opened at evening, and, if the atmosphere be moist, continue 

 bably the finest variety in existence^ For this medium-sized open the greater part of next day, many species opened only 



plant the competition lay between Messrs. Shuttleworth, Pil- 

 grim, and Wheeler, the plant being knocked down to the last- 

 named bidder for Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, Cbelsea, at 

 the price of eighty guineas. The other large Authurium, a 

 splendid plant in a 25-inch pot, was secured by Mr. Walker, 

 a Scotch gentleman, for twenty-one guineas ; this gentleman 

 also purchased nearly all the specimen Pelargoniums at prices 

 ranging from 10s. to £2 1.5s. The large plant of Erica Caven- 

 dishiana, 5 feet by 4 feet G inches, was sold for £G 10s. to Mr. 

 F. J. Williams, Leicestershire, who was the purchaser of many 

 other specimens. Messrs. B. S. WilUams, Turner, Jackson, 

 Shuttleworth, Pilgrim, Davis, Ward, and Donald were the 

 other principal purchasers, and secured in most instances 

 cheap bargains. The short time stipulated for removing the 

 plants — Friday at six o'clock, was a disadvantage to the vendor. 

 The exhibition vans (Mr. Ward's) were sold on the high road 

 immediately in the front of the residence for £81. 



— — A MOVEMENT Ib projected to provide an exhibition at 

 South Kensington somewhat different in its character from the 

 ordinary shows — namely, an exhibition of Covent Garden 

 Market produce — flowers, fruit, and vegetables. The repre- 

 sentatives of commercial horticulture have many of them 



in the daytime ; and this they did regularly, quite regardless 

 of meteorological conditions. 05. serrata of Colorado was one 

 of these. It was regular in opening about noon ; the blosBomS 

 were all closed long before sunset. 



In other allied families we saw similar divergence. In the 

 Cactus family, Opuntia and Mammillaria opened only about 

 midday, while most of the Cereus opened at night. The night- 

 blooming Cactus was a familiar example. But the chief in- 

 terest was in the fact that many had their special hours ol 

 day or night for the expansion. The Portulacca oleraoeAi 

 common Parslane, opened about 8 a.m , and by nine had per- 

 formed all its functions ; while a closely allied plant, the Tali- 

 num teretifolium, from the serpentine rocks of Chester County, 

 opened at 1 p.m., and was closed by three. The conditions oX 

 the weather did not seem to influence them. 



There was the same attention to daUy periods in the growth 

 of the parts of plants a? wf U as in the expansion of the petals. 

 In composite plants t! e floral growth was generally in the 

 morning, and was usuiiilr all over by or 10 o'clock a.m. The 

 elongation and exp&i] ' ,u of the corolla was usually completed 

 in Ru hour after su jriee, but the stamens grew for an hoot 

 !ijo!v, and the pi;'.:l cor.;iuned for still another. There waa 



