46S 



JOXJENAL OF HORTIOUIiTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



[ Jane 11, 1874. 



and frosta ; in some instances they are hardly likely to re- 

 cover. In the fruit districts about Higham, Southfleet, and 

 Siuglewell, where there was au abundant promise in April, 

 matters do not look well. The Apple trees have escaped best ; 

 but all agree we shall not have a good fruit season in this part 

 of Kent.— J. E. S. C. 



FLOWEBS FOR OUR BORDERS.— No. 33. 



MECONOPSIS WALLICHH.— Db. Wallich's Meconopsis. 

 The handsome Meconopsis here figured is remar-kable as 

 being one of the very few plants, if not the only one, of the 

 order with blue flowers. It was discovered in the Sikkim 

 Himalaya by Dr. J. D. Hooker, who sent seeds to the Royal 

 Gardens, which produced flowering plants in June, 1852. The 

 plant attains the height of 2h to 3 feet, and is everywhere of 

 a pale glaucous green, covered with long reddish bristle-Uke 

 hairs. The root-leaves are very large, often 12 to 18 inches 

 or more long, stalked, and much lobed and cut. The stem- 

 leaves are small and without stalks. The flowers are rather 

 numerously produced from the axUs of the upper stem-leaves, 

 on short drooping peduncles, and are of some size ; the ring 



Meconopsis 'WalliuhU. 



of yellow stamens round the seed-vessel contrasts charmingly 

 with the pale blue colour of the petals. The seed-vessel is 

 more elongated than in the true Poppies, and is densely clothed 

 with erect bristle-like hairs or setffi ; the stigmas are elevated 

 on a thick cylindrical style as long as the ovary, as shown in 

 our figure. 



In Meconopsis Walliehii and the other species of this genus 

 the capsule opens when ripe by six or seven valves at the top 

 of the style, which appears to be rather a mere elongation of 

 the ovary than what is generally understood to be a true style. 

 The numerous seeds are arranged on thin membranaceous 

 plates, radiating from the inner walls of the capsule. 



The writer regrets to be obliged to add that since the fore- 

 going description was originally penned Meconopsis WaUichii 

 has quite disappeared from European gardens, having, like 

 so many other fine plants peculiar to the Himalayan re- 

 gions, proved intractable under cultivation. Now that alpine 

 plants are more frequently treated with success than formerly, 

 further trials, could seed be obtained, might be attended with 

 more favourable results. — (W. Thompson's English Flower 

 Garden, Revised hy the Author.) 



favourites with Fern-lovers of the fair sex. Hitherto we have 

 been compelled to damp the ardour of our friends by assuring 

 them that without stove heat failure would be the result of 

 any attempts at their cultivation. Hero, however, we have a 

 species which does not require heat, but which will thrive 

 admirably in the cool fernery. It should be grown in loam, 

 peat, and sand in equal parts, the pots having been thoroughly 

 drained. It usually grows from 10 to 15 inches in height. In 

 general appearance it somewhat resembles a small form of 

 Cheilanthes farinosa, but is abundantly distinct from that 

 plant. The fronds are " pedately triangular in outline," the 

 upper surface is rich deep green; the lower surface, however, is 

 covered with a rich yellow farina, through which the black 

 sori protrude, as in other members of this family. In some 

 varieties the farinose powder is white instead of yellow. Tho 

 plant has been brought into commerce by Mr. B. S. WUliams, 

 of Upper Holloway, in whose nursery I recently saw it, and I 

 would advise all our Fern-loving readers to add this gem to 

 their collections. It is a native of California, being rather 

 abundant about the neighboui-hood of San Francisco. — 

 EXPEKIO Ckede. 



"WHAT IS THE USE OP PROTECTING? 



The notes which appeared under this heading on page 364 

 are far too important to be lightly passed by. One can 

 hardly conceive any person occupied in rural pursuits, espe- 

 cially among plants, being content to take things for granted 

 without inquiring into the action of those natural laws 

 which so materially affect his efforts for good or evil. In 

 the communication referred to, "'Wyesiiie" states that on a 

 frosty night some canvas was thrown " over some Potatoes 

 whose haulm was about 6 or 8 inches high. To his gardener's 

 utter surprise, when he took it off in the morning he found 

 that most of the plants underneath had been injured by the 

 frost, while those that had been left uncovered stood firm and 

 uninjured ;" and he adds the somewhat remarkable sentence, 

 " I imagine that few of your readers would believe this to be 

 possible, and yet I saw it myself." Now, instead of feeling 

 any doubt about the matter, it is precisely what one would 

 expect ; and here is the explanation : All air contains moisture, 

 which is condensed by contact with anything colder than itself. 

 The canvas thrown upon the Potatoes speedily became colder 

 than the air which it enclosed ; the moisture contained in the 

 confined air was then condensed, saturating the canvas, which, 

 instead of acting as a protector, became in reaUty a conductor 

 of cold, and the frost, of course, quickly seized upon the moist- 

 ened canvas and every Potato leaf or shoot that it touched. 

 The uncovered Potatoes were doubtless preserved by the heat 

 contained in the dry soil being radiated or thrown off during 

 the night sufficiently to resist or soften the severity of the 

 frost. 



It does not follow, liowever, that protection is either useless 

 or unnecessary — far from it. Every means of screening tender 

 vegetation from the effects of cold, if rightly applied, is of the 

 greatest value. If " Wyeside" had raised the canvas on a 

 slight framework of poles a foot or two above the Potatoes, it 

 would have answered his expectations, because then it would 

 not only have checked the escape of radiated heat which con- 

 stantly occurs at night, but it would from its own power as a 

 radiator have returned or thrown back the heat again to the 

 earth, and thus the unscathed plants would have been posi- 

 tively nurtured by the play of this genial temperature among 

 them. — Edw.^rd Luckhcrst. 



GTMNOGRAMMA TRIANGULARIS. 

 This is a beautiful plant, and a grand addition to the cul- 

 tivated forms of Gold and Silver Ferns, which are such special 



BURLET-ON-THE-HILL. 



The Se.\t of G. H. Finch, Esq., M.P. 

 About two miles from the ancient town of Oakham, and ten 

 miles west from Stamford, is Burley, finely situated, standing 

 on an eminence overlooking the fertUe vale of Catmose, and 

 commanding magnificent views of wood, water, and the distant 

 country for many miles. At the time of the Norman Conquest 

 it was called "Burgelai," a most appropriate name, for it is 

 Hterally " meadow land on a hill." It would be misplaced to 

 trace its descent through the families of De Spencer, Plessing- 

 ton, Franceis, Sapcote, Durant, Wake, Brokesley, Harrington, 

 and Villiers. During its possession by the latter " gay lord 

 of Buckingham," here Bishop Andrews preached before 

 .James I. ; here Ben Johnson's masque of " The Gypsies "was 

 first performed, and before the same monarch. The Parlia- 

 mentarians destroyed the house, and afterwards the estate was 



