September 17, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOBTIOTJLTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDBNEE. 



261 



Grange can have the trne sort. His description of Wonderful 

 is exactly what it is not here. It is a very firm Strawberry, as 

 is Oscar, and both are good travellers. By a gond culinary 

 Strawberry, I mean it ia finii when cooked. Oscar, Wonderful, 

 and Cockscomb, are excellent for sinking whole in jellies. 

 Nimrod is not Eleanor, though the latter was sent out to 

 represent the former; just as Hooper's Seedling was sent out 

 to represent Sir Harry. The true Nimrod is more like the 

 Queen or Carolina superba. 1 sent it to Mr. Rivers, who at once 

 Baid it was not Eleanor. Mr. May, the famous Queen grower, 

 gave it to me. Eleanor is a noble Strawberry, but very sour. 

 It is the best type of a cone. 



It is plain to me that an article is often made to represent 

 one or more articles. For instance, as supplied to me, I can 

 see no diliference between Maurice Bernardin, Ferdinand de 

 Lesseps, and Exposition de BriC, though when properly sup- 

 plied they may be distinct. Mr. George Paul pronounces 

 ]\[aurice Bernardin and F. de Lesseps to be the same. The 

 Black Prince can be early and also late. For late work Galande 

 red Alpine is good. Mine are in bearing now (September 11th). 

 Oiviug to different circumstances the testimony as regards 

 Roses and Strawberries must needs be somewhat different. 



In Mr. Rivers's list of various dessert Strawberries I see 

 "Wonderful (Jeyes), large and good; very prolific." — W. F. 

 Eadclyffe. 



I AM sorry to see that President seems to be passed over by 

 everyone. My own experience of it is most favonr&ble. I have 

 grown it between rows of pyramid Pears and Apples 4 feet 

 apart, without manure, and this year gathered an immense 

 crop of good-sized fruit. Many of the berries were dried up 

 with the heat and drought, otherwise the plants would have 

 been almost exhausted. Mind, I do not consider it first-rate 

 as to flavour, for it is far too acid to be so, but it is a good, 

 useful sort, and can be grown without pampering. 



I shall be much obliged it any of your readers will give me 

 the benefit of their experience as to the growing of Dr. Hogg. 

 It occupies the place of honour in my garden, but makes no 

 return for its advantages. Perhaps like Rivers's Eliza, which 

 requires chalk, or British Queen which is partial to clay, he 

 requires some particular soil. The excellence of the fruit makes 

 it worth while to go to some trouble to grow it. I have lately 

 planted a bed of Bradley's Amateur runners, and as the 

 situation is dry hope to succeed with it. Will any of your cor- 

 respondents who have tried it kindly give their opinion as to 

 the desirability of this sort ? 



The " impecunious many " read with wonder of bunches of 

 Grapes weighing 19 lbs. and 20 lbs., and feel with the fox that 

 such things are beneath their notice ; but the Strawberry is a 

 fruit within the reach of all, and I think a series of letters 

 treating of the best sorts, and the kinds of soil in which they 

 severally thrive , would be interesting and instructive to all. — M. 



NOVELTIES IN THE ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 



Kniphofia (Tritoma) MacOwani is a new species flowering 

 in the Cape house. It is, perhaps, quite hardy, and will be an 

 acquisition from its dwarf habit, reaching a height of about 

 16 inches. The leaves and scape are strong, and require no 

 support. It is adapted for pot cultivation ; nice plants may be 

 grown in 32-8ized pots. The raceme is 4 inches long, and the 

 individual flowers are the same length as those of K. Uvaria, 

 but are lighter in colour. (K. Uvaria is the K. abides of Mr. 

 Baker's monograph in the " Journal " of the Linnean Society.) 



Coccocypselum repens growing in the Stove is a very at- 

 tractive plant for hanging baskets, chiefly on account of its 

 dark blue berries ; they hang for a length of time, and are 

 useful for winter decoration. The stems are trailing in habit, 

 and purple ; the entire plant is covered with hairs of the same 

 colour. Though small, the flowers are pretty, being a light 

 and delicate blue. It is very easily cultivated. Light soil is 

 best. Cuttings and seeds grow freely. 



Campanula isophyllum var. alba is flowering on the Rock 

 work, and is a pretty companion for the species. It was raised 

 from seeds in the Royal (iardens two or three years ago, and 

 has not yet been very widely distributed. It is well adapted 

 for rockwork cultivation, and when doing well flowers pro- 

 fusely. Linaria triornithophora is one of the finest of the 

 genus ; there is here a variety with flesh-coloured flowers. It 

 is a perennial, but will flower the same year from seeds. As- 

 teriscus maritimus is not so well known or as much valued as 

 it should be. It prefers a sunny border, and should be raised 



from seed every year ; then it makes rapid growth, attains a 

 yard across, with a height of about 1 foot, and during summer 

 is covered with large yellow flowers. Margyricarpus setoeus 

 is an interesting small-growing undershrub, well adapted for 

 rockwork. It has small pinnate leaves, with linear subulate 

 leaflets, and bears pretty white berries in tolerable prolusion. 

 It belongs to the Kjsaceic, and is nearly allied to Acsena. A 

 native of Chili and Peru, growing on arid hills. 



Colchicum speciosum, flowering in a border of the Herbaceous 

 ground, is one of the finest of the genus, and is, indeed, " the 

 largest known species." It is also very robust in constitution, 

 and has, perhaps, larger corms than any other. The opening 

 buds are almost like pink Magnolias. It is a native of the 

 Caucasus. 



Among the M-ilvaceic, Sphajralcea miniata forms a neat 

 shrub 2 feet high, and bears flowers of an unusual colour. 

 " The Painted Mallow" of " Hortus Kewensis" was introduced 

 into England in 1798 by the Marchioness of Bute, and was 

 extensively grown at one time both as a greenhouse ornameut 

 and shrubby plant, being regarded, according to Siveet (writing 

 in 1831), as of great importance to the decoration of shrub- 

 beries in the months of October and November, at which time 

 it is profusely clothed with fine vermilion-coloured blossoms. 

 — (Dr Hooker, " Bot. Mug.") It was lost to cultivation for 

 some years, and we are further informed in the " Botanical 

 Magazine" that it was re-introduced by Professor Jameson, of 

 Quito. A native of La Plata. It may be grown from either 

 seeds or cuttings. 



SPRING-FLOWERING BORDER. 



In answer to " A SunscEinEit," Lothian Stocks 3 inches 

 high and recently pricked-out, are too late for spring-flower- 

 ing — that is, in time for removal for summer bedding plants. 

 Indeed, these Stocks are not adapted for purely spring work ; 

 but are, from their lasting character, fine summer-blooming 

 garden flowers. Even strong May or June-sown plants will be 

 a mass of bloom through the June following, and possibly 

 July. " SunscEiBER's " plants will not be removeable, after 

 blooming, until the latter month. If he wishes to have a bed 

 of them, let him plant them as soon as his bed is cleared. 



In May sow Victoria and dwarf Chrysanthemum Asters 

 in rich soil in the open garden. When large enough prick- 

 out 5 or 6 inches apart, on 3 inches of manure topped with 

 soil. These, if attended to by watering, will be in fine condi- 

 tion for removal just when the Stocks are on the wane, and 

 will begin to open their blooms at once. A circular bed of 

 Asters, centred with Victoria, and edged with dwarfs, either 

 in mixture in concentric circles or radial lines of separate 

 colours, is massive and fine. I planted hundreds of Asters in 

 July, and many in August. They were on the blooming point ; 

 not a leaf was lost. They are now splendid, and will be so 

 until frost come. It will thus be seen that for spring the 

 Stocks in question are too late ; but here is a substitute. Centre 

 with dwarf stout plants of dark single Wallflower, edge with 

 Iberis, and margin with Aubrietia, as proposed, and there 

 will be a fine spring bed which can be cleared in time for 

 Geraniums. 



If good plants of Myosotis, either arvensis, sylvatica, alpestris, 

 or dissitiflora, are at hand, or easily procurable (it is too late to 

 sow seed), they make a fine bed, and it may be made finer by 

 planting white Tulips (La Candeur) a foot apart before putting 

 in the Forget-me-nots. That is a very chaste combination. A 

 round bed filled with Golden Tom 'Thumb single Wallflower 

 and broadly edged with blue Nemophila, or a groundwork of 

 Nemophila dotted with the Wallflower, is a rich and telling 

 combination. Sow the Nemophila at once in drills ; thin out 

 the plants, letting each stand singly ; and watch and catch the 

 slugs. Not a day must be lost in sowing the Nemophila. The 

 first week in September is the best time, but with a mild 

 autumn and open winter they will succeed sown as late as the 

 twentieth day. 



Silene pendula, pink, makes a particularly glowing spring 

 bed. It can be edged with the white variety, or with Golden 

 Feather. Healthy root-slips of the latter can be found at the 

 base of plants which have done duty in the summer. Plants 

 of Silenes should be from seed sown early in August. Lim- 

 nanthes Douglasii (seed sown at once), with Vermilion Brillant 

 Tulips dotted-in, form an excellent arrangement. So do Veronica 

 glanca and white Hyacinths. 



In using bulbs and annuals, the plan is to first put in the 

 bulbs thinly, and then, when annuals are large enough and the 



