372 



JOURNAL OF HORTICtTLTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



[ May 8, 1873. 



Ensiiin (Fellowes). — Large, full, heavy red-edged flower, and 

 a good grower. 



EiUth Domhrain (Turner). — One of the most distinct flowers 

 that has been raised of late years, the colour a beautiful soft 

 magenta rose, heavy edge. It has been deservedly certificated 

 both at the Crystal Palace and Boyal Horticultural Society, 

 and will be a universal favourite with all Picotee growers. 



F.dith (Fellowes). — Medium purple, full flower. 



Juliana (Turner). — A splendidly coloured, heavy-edged, 

 scarlet flower, petals smooth. The edge has no bar whatever, 

 and in every respect is first-rate. 



Mrs. Harnhy (Turner). — A narrow red-edged flower of fine 

 quality; the white remarkably pure, and, as far as my judg- 

 ment goes, the best narrow-edged flower wo have. 



iilisx Small (Fellowes). — Red edge, heavily marked; white 

 pure, petals large and smooth, and the habit excellent. 



Mrs. Krynes (Fellowes). — Pure white, the edge medium 

 depth ; petals broad and smooth. 



Medina (Fellowes). — Heavy bright edge of lively purple. 



Mrs. Fordham (Turner). — Rose-edged, medium depth ; petals 

 large and smooth. The flower is full and very beautiful. 



Xor/oll: llrauti/ (Fellowes). — A very distinct flower, heavily 

 edged with purple of a beautiful violet shade. Flower not so 

 large as many, but at the same time a very desirable variety. 



Frinci'ss of Walts (Fellowes). — A remarkably fine heavy- 

 edged purple flower, very large and full ; and fine as Admira- 

 tion is, I believe that this wiU be considered a stUl more 

 beautiful flower. 



S///('i'(( (Fellowes). — Heavy red-edged flower, but not equal, 

 I think, to Miss Small. 



It will be seen that two of onr most famous raisers have 

 contributed to this new batch, and their names alone would be 

 a sufficient guarantee of excellence ; bnt as I have had the 

 opportunity of seeing the flowers, and indeed of naming some 

 of them, 1 can avouch that they are the finest set of Picotees 

 ever sent out at any one time ; and in this judgment I am 

 confirmed, not merely by the fact of the numerous certificates 

 they have received, but by the judgment of many who have 

 grown this lovely flower for many years. — I)., Deal. 



EEAEING CALCEOLARIA PLANTS. 



I FORWAKD a few of my Calceolarias from cuttings put-in in 

 a cold frame during the first week of November. They have 

 been aired to the freezing point, and this year only covered 

 with the lights, even when we had IC" of frost. 



I have this day (April 30th), planted out my stock, forking 

 the borders well, opening the soil with the trowel, and insert- 

 ing the plants. A little fine soil was placed about them, and 

 then was given a regular swill of water, which they wanted, 

 for I kept them dry purposely. I then closed the soil around 

 them, leaving the tops 2 or 3 inches above ground. I prefer 

 shaking out the plants and giving them a free root-run into 

 better soil than that in which they have been struck ; and if 

 no rain come, the syringe will help them along, sun or no sun. 

 They are wet enough at the roots at present. The two small 

 plants are from the shrubbery, put in unprepared and left to 

 themselves. They are in any case rendered very hardy from 

 the cutting stage, biit become less so after growth has com- 

 menced. Fancy a fine plant early in March coddled till June, 

 shifted with a ball (a trouble), roots near the surface, and 

 two days' hot sun — the result is too well known. I shall be 

 surprised if my plants be not in good health and well rooted 

 up the stems, and they will give some better result than cutting 

 over and one crop of bloom — viz., bloom in all weathers from 

 July to November. — Charles Pbinsep, Goldthorn Hill. 



[The plants are sturdy and full of growth.— Ens.] 



FLOWERS FOR OUR BORDERS.— No. G. 



DEUTZIA CrRACILIS.— Slender DEnziA. 

 Amonost shrubs of a deciduous nature perhaps one of the 

 most interesting is the elegant little Deutzia gracilis ; its 

 graceful habit, the abundance of its snow-white flowers, and 

 the readiness with which they are yielded even by very small 

 plants, entitle it to rank with deciduous shrubs of the first 

 class. The free-flowering habit of this and one or two other 

 species is indeed so remarkable, that a cutting of the young 

 wood struck in summer will produce flowers in the following 

 spring, when the plant is but a few inches high ; and facilities 

 are thus afforded for their cultivation in pots, which greatly 

 enhances their value. 



The genus Deutzia, originally represented in our gardens 

 by scabra only, now includes at least seven additional spe- 

 cies — viz.,crenata, canescens, sanguinea, undulata, corymbosa, 

 staminea, and gracilis, all hardy, white-flowered, deciduous 

 shrubs. The best known, and we may add one of the most 

 valuable, is the D. scabra, so named from the asperities of the 

 leaves ; its habit is more robust than that of gracilis, and its 

 foliage and flowers of a larger size. Crenata is a fine species, 

 of somewhat taller growth than the preceding, with which it is 

 sometimes confounded ; it may be distinguished by its larger 

 flowers, and by the teeth at the margin of the leaves being 

 rounded, or crenate, those of scabra are sharp and saw-hke ; 

 this species is not much cultivated at present, at least in this 

 country. Canescens is so named from the branches and nnder- 

 surface of the leaves being covered with a whitish down ; of its 

 merits we know but little. Staminea is an abundant flowerer, 

 but is somewhat dwarfer than those wc have mentioned. 



Dcntzia gracilis. 



Corymbosa was highly spoken of at its first introduction, but 

 it has proved a shy bloomer, which is the more to be regretted, 

 as its flowers are very sweet-scented. With sanguinea and 

 undulata we are acquainted only by name ; that of the first 

 alludes rather to the reddish purple colour of the ripened 

 shoots than to the tint of the flowers, which arc, we beheve, 

 white, like those of the other species. 



From those now enumerated, gracilis differs in nothing but 

 its slender habit ; its foliage is more acute than that of 

 scabra, and is entirely destitute of the roughness peculiar to- 

 that species and crenata. The utmost height it will attain we 

 are ignorant of, as most of the specimens are yet small ; but it 

 will, probably, not exceed 8 or 4 feet. Its cultivation, whether 

 in pots or the open ground, is of the simplest character, the 

 chief point requiring notice being the mode in which the shrub 

 is pruned. All the Deutzias produce their flowers on the 

 wood of the previous year ; if, therefore, the ordinary mode of 

 shortening the shoots were adopted, most of the flower-buds 

 would be pruned oft ; the young shoots should therefore be 

 left untouched, but the old wood must be thinned out in 

 autumn, as well as all cross shoots which interfere with the 

 regularity of its growth. The taller-growiug species, such as 

 scabra and crenata, may bo trained to a single stem, all 

 suckers and the lower shoots being cut away. 



Where there is a choice of soils, a mixture of peat and loam 

 will be found to suit not only gracilis, but all the species ; in 

 the absence of these, any good friable soil, in a well-drained 

 site, may ba used. Increase may be effected, either by layers, 

 or cuttings of the half-ripened wood under a hand-glass, in 

 the open border ; a sUght bottom heat will be advisable when 

 the cutting is not taken untU late in the season. Most of the 



