94 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUiDE. 



They are as yet rather scarce, and more expensive than the Dutch varieties, now 

 so much employed in spring bedding. 



The Camellia House in the nursery of Messrs. J. Veitch and Son is now re- 

 marliably p;ay, and forms one of the most attractive features of this justly famous 

 nursery. The house is lofty and of considerable lencjth, and has a broad walk down 

 the centre, with borders on each side. The Camellia bushes are planted in two 

 borders, and as they are in the most luxuriant health, and densely furnished with 

 bloom, they are now wonderfully attractive. 



Persian Cyclamens have for some years past received special attention in the 

 nurseries of Mr. B. S. Williams, Upper Holloway, and during the last six weeks 

 or .so they have presented a most beautiful appear.ance, and have fully demonstrated 

 the value of these flowers for decorative purposes durinp; the early part of the year. 

 We have recently received from Mr. Williams blooms of a magnificent variety, 

 •which he purposes distributing shortly under the name of Cyclamen persicum gigan- 

 teum, a name to which it is well entitled, so large are the flowers. 



Orioin of Fuchsia Riccaetoni. — The following particularo of the introduc- 

 tion of this beautiful hardy fuchsia, recently contributed to the Gardener's Chronicle 

 by Mr. Tillery, of Welbeck, will probably be of some interest to our readers. Mr. 

 Tillery says : — "When I was a gardener in Ayrshire, a young man of the name of 

 Buchanan came from either the Glasgow or Edinburgh Botanic Garden, to be gar- 

 dener at Caprington Castle, near Riccarton, Kilmarnock. He brought a plant of 

 a seedling Fuchsia with him under the name of a hardy Fuchsia, from Port Famine, 

 on the Southern American coast of Terra del Fuego. This Fuchsia he told me 

 was raised from seed in the Botanic Garden he came from, and I had a plant of it 

 from him, and when propagated introduced it iuto the neighbouring island of 

 Arran, where the climate was likely to suit it better in the open air than in 

 Ayrshire. Whether he gave it the name of Riccartoni from the suburb of Riccar- 

 ton, near the Castle, I know not, but the plant is the same, and in the western 

 isles of Scotland, the south of Ireland, and thu southern counties of England and 

 Wales, it is hardy, and forms one of the grandest flowering hardy shrubs or trees 

 that has ever been introduced." There .are in the grounds of the Crystal Palace, 

 Sydenham, several large bushes of this Fuchsia quite five feet in height, and these 

 durinff the summer and autumn are loaded with their brilliant red flowers, and have 

 a splendid appearance. 



Lapagerias appear to be much hardier than is generally supposed to be the 

 case. In the gardens of Gunnersbury Park, Acton, the residence of Baron Roths- 

 child, a strong plant of the beavrtiful Lapageria alba is trained over the roof of a 

 low span-roof house. In the course of last year a vigijrous shoot thrust its way 

 through an opening in the woodwork, and was nailed to the north side of the 

 house, and although fully exposed to the severe weatlier in December and January 

 last, does not appear to have suffered in the slightest degree. In the nurseries of 

 Messrs. Lucombe, Pince and Co., at Exeter, Lapageria rosea grows freely and 

 blooms profusely trained to an open wall. From this it would appear to be well 

 adapted for planting out of doors in kind climates. 



The Competitiox tor the Carter Cup, and other prizes ofl'ered in the 

 schedules of the Society by Messrs. James Carter and Co., for competition at the 

 Society's Great Provincial Show, has now been arranged to take place on July 7, 

 at the Society's Gardens, South Kensington. 



The American Potato Trial. — The New lor/r Tribune publishes the results 

 of a competition among potato-growers, originated in the spring of last year by 

 Messrs. B. K. Bliss and Sons, of New York, who offered premiums to a considerable 

 amount, hoping "as much to stimulate interest in improved methods of cultiva- 

 tion as to induce an extended trial of varieties, in the dissemination of which they 

 were interested." The varieties specially selected were Extra Early Vermont, 

 Compton's Surprise, and Brownell's Beauty, the prizes being-awarded to those who 

 raised the largest quantity from 1 lb. of seed, and on a quarter of an acre of ground 

 respectively. The largest quantity obtained from 1 lb. of Extra Early Vermont 

 was 708 lb. ; from Compton's Surprise, 900 lb. ; and from Brownell's Beauty, 

 1018 lb. The largest produce of a quarter of an acre of Extra Early Vermont was 

 6247 lb. ; of Compton's Surprise, 73S0 lb. ; and Brownell's Beauty, 8899 lb. " The 

 Committee, Messrs. G, Thurber, F. M. Hexumer, and P. T. Quijin, assure us that, 

 while abstaining from comment on the ' astounding yields from single pounds,' a 



