380 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



I May 24, 1877. 



main drain passes after leaving the border, so that one can 

 always see if the water passes away freely in a wet season, and, 

 what is of equal importance — see that the waterings are 

 thorough in a dry one by having it poured upon the top of 

 the border till it flows freely from the drains at the bottom. 

 — Edwaed Luokhubst. 



CLEMATISES AT BEGENT'S PARK. 



No one who has not seen the best varieties of these plants 

 grown in the best manner and exhibited in the best style can 

 form a just idea of the beauty of such a collection as Messrs. 

 Jackman & Son of Woking have now on view in the gardens of 

 the Royal Botanic Society. The plants are arranged in the 

 corridor leading to the conservatory, which is filled from end to 

 end with about four hundred specimens, and every plant is laden 

 with splendid flowers. Many of the blooms exceed 9 inches in 

 diameter ; and embr.acing as thsy do all tbe shades of colour 

 from white to violet, produce an effect which should be seen by 

 all who have the opportunity of visiting the gardens. Many 

 there are, however, who are unable to do so, and it becomes the 

 more necessary to uotu a few of ihe leading varieties of these 

 effective hardy climbers. But although hardy, the plants exhi- 

 bited have been grown under glass in a large light nubeated 

 -structure, yet many of them have been outside all through the 

 '»;viuter, and were only placed in the house in the spring. This 



'is mentioned as illustrative of their hardiness, and as evidence 

 of the simplicity with which Clematises may be cultivated for 



• conservatory decoration. 



A few of the most noteworthy varieties are the following — 



^Xjady Egmont (new), very delicate mauve suffused with rosy 



. pink, deepening at the edge of the undulated Fepals. The flowers 

 fire about 8 inches in diameter aud are produced in profusion ; 

 they are also deHcately perfomed. This variety has been re- 

 cently certificated, and is undoubtedly one of the best yetraised. 

 Florence is another new and very fine variety, p.ile lavender 

 edged with pale purple, which was certificated at the same time. 

 Duke of Noifolk is superior ; lavender-coloured flowers and re- 

 markably fine foliage. Earl of Egmont (new) is noticeable as 

 being the darkest of all the early-flowering varieties ; it is a free 

 and continuous bloomer, and will be useful for many decorative 

 fiUrposes. Lord Beacousfield (new), nearly blue, is very free 

 and very fine; as also is Princess <f Wales, a grand, smooth, 

 bright lavender-coloured flower. Alba Magna, nearly white, is 

 the largest flower of all aud is a great acquisition. It is a new 

 variety of the lanuginosa type. 



The following six varieties are also new, and are being sent 

 out for the first time this year — namely. Duchess of Edinburgh, 

 white, double, remarkably fine; Maiden's Blush, blush white, 

 effective; Mrs. Hope, satiny mauve, very full aud flue; Mori- 

 kata oke, French white with undulated sepals, very free ; Robt. 

 Eanbury, bluish lilac, glossy, and of excellent form ; aud Duchess 

 ai Teck, white, with a faint mauve bar, flowers of great sub- 

 Eitance and very attractive. 



Amongst older varieties, extra fine, are Lord Derby, laven- 

 der ; Fair Rosamond, blush ; Lord Mayo, rosy lilac ; Sir Garnet 

 Wolseley, nearly blue, with maroon bar; Stella, light violet; 

 Vesta, creamy white; Lady Caroline Nevill, blush, mauve bars; 

 and Sir William Kenuett, deep lavender. Gloire de St. Julienne 

 is also worthy of notice from its commanding long-petalled satiny- 

 blush flowers; it is very distinct. Countess of Lovelace is still 

 the finest of the laveudcr-blue double varieties and should be 

 largely grown, aud Lucie Lemoiue is an excellent double cream- 



■ coloured variety. 



The above varieties are the finest at present in cultivation, 

 • and demand notice from their sterling qualities. The Exhi- 

 bition closes on the 20th inst. The display is rendered further 

 attractive by the introduction of a few highly coloured standard 

 Rhododendrons, and a fringe of Enonymus radicaus alternated 

 with the blue, hardy, evergreen trailing plant Lithospermum 

 prostratum. 



THE PEACH CROP ON OPEN WALLS. 



Such was the miserable refrain which kept running through 

 my head during the latter part of April, and it has proved to 

 be almost literally true, not only of Peaches, hut of Nectarines 

 and Apricots. I do not mind the cold alone, for with my 

 coping boards I can almost defy it; but when the wet comes 

 driving upon the swelling blossom buds day after day and also 

 upon the wall, rendering it so cold that the frost lays its icy 

 grasp upon bud, branch, and brickwork, it is then that one 

 loses hope. Such has been the lamentable state of things this 

 year, consequently the crop is a failure; and I am not surprised 

 to hear from my friend Mr. Walker of Dunorlan that " it is 

 the general cry that there are but few Peaches, Nectarines, 



and Apricots — not one fruit where there ought to be dozens, 

 the flowers having fallen off just at the time the fruit ought to 

 have been setting, even upon trees which were covered every 

 night with canvas." 



What is the remedy ? Glass, sashhara, and brickwork. 

 That is my answer, and acting upon it I am now trying to 

 ascertain the cost per running foot of putting a glazed cover- 

 ing to a wall 10 feet high. Can anyone give me any reliable 

 fignrea ? — Edwaed Luckhurst. 



FOEGET-ME-NOTS. 

 EvEET year these charming spring flowers appear to become 

 more popular. They are grown in thousands both for conser- 

 vatory and garden decoration, and well they deserve to be, for 

 few dwarf spring-flowering plants are more effective, and none 

 are more easily cultivated. It is not often, however, that new 

 varieties command notice, yet there are not wanting signs that 

 those at present in cultivation will be improved upon both in 

 size of flowers and their colotxrs. Not long ago Mr. Groves of 

 Shortlands, Kent, exhibited an enlarged form of Myosotis 



Fig. 50. — Myosotis 'Weirleigh Sorpriee. 



dissitiflora at South Kensington. This is a variety of great 

 promise, and will probably be seen again ; but the most dis- 

 tinct Forget-me-not that has lately come under our notice is 

 Weirleigh Surprise. It was raised by Mr. Harrison Weir at 

 Weirleigh, and is now being distributed by Messrs. James 

 Carter & Co., of 237, High Holborn, London, who have enabled 

 us to submit a figure of it. It was exhibited last year at South 

 Kensington, aud every flower on the plant was as distinctly 

 striped as is shown in the engraving. As to the origin of the 

 variety, Mr. Weir states that for some time he had been plant- 

 ing the white aud blue together with the hope of getting a 

 cross, and had tried poUenising them but without 6ucces8._ On 

 going to the part of the garden where the rubbish heap is, he 

 saw a number of plants of the Myosotis had come np on the 

 bank, and directed they should not be disturbed until they 

 bloomed. The first that did so to his delight was the one now 

 called by the name of Weirleigh Surprise. 



MAEEGHAL NIEL EOSE. 

 The Roses which I forwarded to your office last week wtre 

 grown as follows : — The Vines in a lean-to house were old and 

 unprofitable, and they were taken out and two Marechal Niel 

 Roses were planted in the border and trained inside to the 

 wires which formerly supported the Vines. The Roses are 

 worked upon the Briar stock, and have grown very strong. 

 They have only been planted a little over two years, and now 

 they nearly cover tho whole roof of the house. Some of the 

 young shoots are as strong as a walking stick. They have 

 flowered very freely, and the flowers have been all about the 

 same size and colour as those which you saw. There were 

 573 flowers open on the 11th of May, and we had out probably 



