346 Notes and Gleanings. 



less water and be kept rather quiet. It is a very bad plan to keep this section 

 of begonias growing all the winter, for the constitution of the plant becomes so 

 thoroughly weakened, that they are unable to make a free, vigorous growth in 

 the spring, when it is required of them. Floral World. 



DoRONicuM CAUCASICUM. — In one of. the newly-formed herbaceous borders 

 at Chiswick, Mr. Barron has a capital clump of this plant, that is now a mass 

 of golden yellow flowers. It deserves attention because of its great value as a 

 spring blooming plant for the decoration of the flower garden, being low in 

 growth, thoroughly hardy, and early flowering. At Belvoir it is largely used by 

 Mr. W. Ingram, in the composition of some of those unrivalled beds for which 

 that place is so famous, but is rarely met with elsewhere. It is propagated by 

 root division, and a somewhat light soil, with a fair drainage beneath, appears to 

 suit it best. Gardener'' s Chronicle. 



Hardiness of Centaurea candidissima. — I imagine that it is not gener- 

 ally known that this species of Centaurea, so much in use, and so essential in 

 the modern practice of flower gardening, is in reality perfectly hardy. I have 

 had it tested through the last winter, in different situations, one of them behind 

 a north wall, where the sun's rays could not reach from September till March, 

 and another at the base of a south wall, with full open exposure. The frost was 

 long and severe, and a better trial of its power of endurance could scarcely have 

 been had, as we had little or no snow to cover the ground. In some open and 

 exposed places the frost penetrated a foot or more into the ground. Notwith- 

 standing all this, the Centanreas stood unscathed. It was interesting to 

 observe, when a thaw came, that while an adjacent quarter of Globe Artichokes 

 was killed to the surface, the Ccntaureas stood up quite erect and jirm. As a 

 proof that it is not necessary to coddle up these plants under glass, I may add 

 that we obtained our best batch of spring cuttings from those at the bottom of 

 the south wall ; for although we had some six or seven dozen pots under glass, 

 the cuttings from them were not so sturdy and firm as the out-door ones. It 

 will be an important matter to many to be able to save the winter room these 

 plants occupy. J. Webster, Gordon Castle, in Florist and Po/nologist. 



A Harvest Trophy. — Messrs. Sutton & Sons, of Reading, have erected 

 at the Crystal Palace, a harvest trophy in the centre transept, affording one of 

 the most complete displays of the produce of the earth ever exhibited. Neither 

 trouble nor expense has been spared to make the collection worthy of the occa- 

 sion. The trophy consists of two hundred varieties of Grasses, Mangold Wur- 

 zels of twenty pounds each, Swedes of sixteen pounds each, turnips, and other 

 varieties of agricultural roots. Of potatoes, there are seventy-five varieties, as 

 well as many other horticultural products. Of apples and pears, Messrs. Sut- 

 ton have seventy-five dishes each, in addition to other fruits. The trophy is 

 fifty feet in length, with a tower at each end twenty-five feet high, the whole 

 surmounted with magnificent pampas grass, and sheaves of wheat, barley, 

 oats, &c. 



