Jane IJ, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICUIiTURE AND OOTTAGB GARDENER. 



437 



that no hermaphrodite species conld continue to exist beyoDtl 

 a certain time. Now, a series of plants propagated by bnds or 

 scions must have a weaker hold on life than a series pro- 

 pagated by seed, inasmuch as the former — ;' c, bndding or 

 grafting, is the closest possible kind of in-and-iu breeding, 

 and consequently such modes of propagation must be ex- 

 pected in the very nature of things to deteriorate and gradually 

 to wear out. If this be true we ought not to wonder if our 

 most vigorous Roses fail to sustain their pristine character as 

 varieties in the foremost rank of excellence ; and although 

 doubtless much may be done in the way of rejuvenation by 

 propagating from cuttings, or as is done with success more or 

 less partial in the case of fruit trees by obtaining buds or scions 

 from root-suckers, nevertheless I have yet to be convinced that 

 Roses or any other non-sexually propagated varieties have 

 elements of permanence for more than an indefinitely restricted 

 period, though it may be impossible with our present know- 

 ledge to do more than hazard a guess as to its approximation. 

 — Hebefokdshire I^ICnjIBENT. 



FEBNS. 



For some time past I have been interested in notes made 

 now and again in the Journal upon Ferns and the soil used in 

 their cultivation. In one of the notes peat was supposed to 

 be overvalued for food for these charming plants. Such may 

 or may not be the case, but it is satisfactory to know that 

 these plants will accommodate themselves to other soils. 

 Daring the past few days I have visited several large ferneries 

 in Westmoreland, and witnessed Ferns thriving in such ad- 

 mirable manner that from their appearance the material in 

 which they were growing was to their liking. Aa the soil 

 mixtures commonly used varied considerably in three different 

 places I thought it might be interesting and useful to some of 

 your readers if they were recorded in your esteemed Journal. 

 In No. 1 fernery nearly all peat with a little garden soil was 

 used. No. 2 used a mixture of one-third peat, one-third loam, 

 and one-third leaf soil. No. 3, loam with a little leaf soil. 

 When these mixtures are required for pot use, silver or other 

 sharp sand is added to them, but not otherwise. 'Iii the fore- 

 going compounds Ferns (nearly all British) were growing in 

 fine form and splendid health ; but in my estimation the 

 Ferns growing in nearly all peat with garden soil were cleaner 

 and stronger in growth than those growing in the other two 

 mixtures. With regard to the use of liquid manure among 

 these plants, it is found that it causes them to grow coarser, 

 and, moreover, soon exhausts them. A little stable or cow 

 manure thoroughly decayed, when incorporated with the soil 

 in which they are growing, is beneficial. 



One other thing was remarkable in the ten ferneries and 

 gardens visited, that exotics were noticeable by their absence, 

 while British Ferns were grown in thousands with the greatest 

 care; and it must be acknowledged that among our native 

 Ferns there are beauties of form and development which can- 

 not be found in the exotic Ferns commonly in cultivation in 

 this cot:ntry. In the pilgrimage several new and unnamed 

 varieties were met with ; some of them are undoubtedly im- 

 provements upon existing varieties, and will in time take high 

 positions as decorative plants. — Q. H. S. 



HABDT SPRING AND AUTUMN-FLOWERING 

 PLANTS. 



Speiso flowers are very beautiful. Helleborus niger is the 

 earliest I know; then Snowdrops, Eranthishyemalis, Crocuses, 

 Hepaticas, Sisyrinchiums grandiflorum and album, and Soillas 

 of sorts follow, and in close succession are Narcissus and 

 Primulas. The last-named are the finest of our spring flowers ; 

 they are not only rich in colour but are very fragrant. 



Primula dentioulata is the earliest I have, and is rather 

 early for a cold spring. The finest I grow are P. ciliata, 

 ciliata purpurea, nivalis, and helvetica. Intermedia is very 

 much like cihata purpurea, but has a lighter eye and is more 

 fragrant than ciliata purpurea. The seedlings from inter- 

 media are not very distinct, and, in fact, one must look very 

 sharp to mark any difference. P. helvetica is free-growing, 

 free-blooming, and very hardy, and though not so rich in 

 colour as P. ciliata purpurea, &c., it is more useful for cut 

 flowers and is very fragrant. P. purpurea and P. puleherrima 

 are much alike and well worth attention. P. McMahon and 

 Mrs. Siddons are very showy free-flowering sorts. The doubles 

 of sorts are very beautiful, but apt to die in a hot summer 



unless grown in a shady place. I have seen the fine velvet- 

 coloured variety blooming freely on the north side of a wall 

 quite out of the sun, and, in fact, they all do well in such 

 places. P.cortnsoide8amrcna,grandiflora, and alba are also very 

 pretty and useful for cut flowers. I have grown P. Parryii for 

 two years but it has never bloomed, and it does not seem to 

 increase rapidly, as I only raised two plants from it. 



Some of the Narcissus family are very showy. N. pumilua 

 and pumilus minor are the earliest I know and bloom freely. 

 The best sorts I grow are Horsfieldii, a great beauty; Maxi- 

 mus and Maximus plenus. These are very showy, but Double 

 Campernell.is the prettiest double, and is a fine dwarf sort for 

 an early bed. N. moschatus plena is very good, and N. poeticus 

 and poeticus plena are extremely beautiful and bloom after 

 the others are over. N. triandrus and N. junoifolius are very 

 pretty, and N. pseudo-Narcissus var. moschatus is a very good 

 variety. 



At the present time Phlox Nelsoni, Trillium grandiflorum, 

 Alyssum saxatile and montana are very showy ; Gentiana, 

 Dodecatheons elegans, Jcffreyi, and violacea are coming into 

 bloom. D. elegans is in my opinion the best of them ; though 

 not so rich in colour as splendens, it throws up fine spikes and 

 looks well when cut. 



Some of the Saxifrages are in bloom. S. palmata is at- 

 tractive. S. coryophylla is very good, it blooms profusely and 

 keeps in bloom for nearly two months. S. Maweana is also 

 good. S. granulata plena when well grown is attractive. 

 S. oppositifolia grandiflora and oppositifolia pyrenaica are 

 beautiful, but are past long ago. 



Summer-flowering hardy flowers are not so much cared for, 

 with a few exceptions such as Pinks, &<:. The bedding-out 

 plants eclipse all others during summer, but flowers that 

 bloom from September to the end of October are full of in- 

 terest, and amongst them the Anemone japonica and japonica 

 alba are very showy and useful for cutting, and many of the 

 perennial Asters are well worth growing. Some of them are 

 beautiful and fine for cutting. A. horizontalis is the best I 

 have seen, and A. longitolius formoeus is very good, also A. pul- 

 cherrimus, but there are a great many more good sorts. In 

 my opinion there is too little attention paid to hardy spring 

 and autumn-flowering plants, bedding-out plants having 

 thrown many hardy plants into the shade. Amongst hardy 

 new plants this year the Spirsea japonica variegata is beau- 

 tiful, and the Anthericum liliastrum major is an improve- 

 ment on the A. liliastrum, being larger in the blooms. — 

 J. Addison, Ormiston. 



PEACH CROP ON OPEN WALLS. 



Though this has been a very trying season for Peaches and 

 Nectarines I have a fair crop of them. Some of my trees 

 are loaded with fruit. Royal George, Grosse Mignonne, Belle 

 Bauce, and Noblesse are the hardiest and best with me this 

 year. Violette Hative, one of my old favourites, has lost its 

 place. Elruge and Pitmaston Orange Nectarines are the best 

 here this season. I beheve we are now suffering in our 

 general crop from the effects of last spring. Those trees that 

 suffered so much from blister did not obtain a good start, and 

 then the cold wet weather in August again checked the ripening 

 of the wood, which is requisite to enable them to brave the 

 cold winds and spring frosts. I became a little alarmed with 

 my trees in the autumn, though they have never failed to bring 

 me a good crop. Last year I gathered from May 16th to 

 October 9th (with the exception of July) bushels ; but to meet 

 another year like last made me tremble. When I mentioned 

 my fear to my employer he at once consented to cover our 

 Peach wall (300 feet) with glass, and as my object is to prolong 

 the season I have put a glass coping only 2 feet G inches, and 

 use my canvas blinds with pulleys in front, and defy the frost 

 and heavy rains. With a good Peach house and 120 feet of 

 glass-caeed wall I can keep a tucceseiou of good fruit from May 

 untU October. 



I need not say anything respecting the management of my 

 trees, but covering walls with glass and the cost of doing so I 

 will treat of on a future occasion.— SAMUEii Jenks, Brambletye. 



MANURE FOR ROSES. 



The difiiculty of obtaining animal manure here is enormous, 



and when procured is most expensive. None of the farmers 



are allowed to sell, even if they are willing to do so, which few 



are, and the only places where I can procure any are tho hotels 



