Jx i-Y 28, 1S*S ] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



103 



liative, is quite different, and certainly has some 

 powerful properties. It is Melianthus major, L., 

 known as " Kruitje-voer-mij-nict," that is, herb- 

 touch-me-not, from its heavy fcetkl smell. I believe 

 it is only used externally. P. MacOwax, F.L.S.'' 



Culture of Morels. — We learn from La 

 Laitterne, a Falaisian journal, that M. Ozou, of 

 Falaise, has succeeded in ascertaining by experiment 

 the precise conditions of temperature and moisture 

 which are required for the germination of the spores 

 of these delicious fungi < Morchella). The species 

 particularly experimented ou is M. couica, and which 

 M. Ozoc succeeded in growing in April of the pr - 

 sent year iu his house at a period when it would be 

 impossible to find the fungus out-of-doors. It has 

 generally been supposed that Morels were parasitic 

 on the roots of trees, &c, but this is not borne out bv 

 M. Ozor's experiments. The precise conditions under 

 which this gentleman has succeeded in causing the 

 spores to germinate, as it wer«-, at will, are not in- 

 dicated in the article in question. 



POPPIES.— Mr. Cacdwlll, the Ivies, Wantage, 

 Berkshire, sends us some forms of Papaver pavoni- 

 num of charming colours, and both double and 

 single flowers. The thread-like petals, suggestive of 

 Japanese Chrysanthemums, and the brilliant colour 

 of the selfs and particoloured flowers, make these 

 annua! plants pretty additions to the summer borders. 

 It is a pity they are so evanescent. 



Hammersmith and District Horticul- 

 tural SoctETY.-This annual exhibition took 

 place on the 10th inst., and a very pretty display- 

 indeed was made. Groups arranged for effect were 

 a pleasing feature. The amateurs' exhibits were 

 highly creditable, especially when it is remembered 

 they are grown in some of the crowded streets of 

 Hammersmith. 



A Monster Mushroom.— it is stated in the 



Surrey Comet that a Mushroom was found on Mr. 

 Bird's farm at Chessington, Surrey, which measured 

 1(5 inches across, was 4 feet round, and weighed 

 21b. Hoz.. 



Opening of thf Great Northern Hos- 

 pital. — We understand that, on the occasion of the 

 visit of the Prince and Princess of Walks to Ilol- 

 loway to open the Great Northern Hospital, the 

 whole of the floral decorations and three bouquets 

 were furnished by the liberality of Mr. B. S. Willi ois, 

 Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, Upper Holloway, X. 



ACACIAS. — Baron Vox Mrr.LLEK's valuable 

 proceeds steadily. It comprises a series of 

 useful illustrations of a genus as remarkable botani- 

 cally as economically, and of which many specie? 

 are inmates of our conservatories, where 

 beanty in spring is always attractive. In Acacia 

 Satherlandi, A. nmbrosa, and A. Bidwilli, the con- 

 nective of the anthers often or occasionally ends 

 in a gland, as in Prosopis. Very notable among 

 these plants are also those of the section Archiden- 

 dron, of Albizzia, one species having as many as 

 fifteen fruitlets in each flower. This apocarpism — 

 a rare occurrence among Leguminosa: — occurs also 

 in a Papuan genus allied to Aft'onsea, and lately 

 described by Dr. Schuhaxx. 



Rhododendron Falconeri.— When lately at 

 Wolverston, we were surprised at seeing, in the 

 woodland walk there — a walk full of interesting 

 things— a plant of this species, which Mr. Sheppaud 

 told us had stood out many years, and has suffered 

 little or no injury during the winter or spring, but 

 which has not yet flowered, although it had a blossom- 

 bud on it this season. This bud, owing to its soft, suc- 

 culent nature, was no doubt killed by the frost, 

 although the wood-buds, which are nearly as large, 

 but more pointed, always escape. Even without the 

 flowers this Rhododendron is well worth growing, as 

 its foliage is very massive, and highly ornamental, 

 the leaves being nearly a foot long, and 4 to 5 



inches wide, with the under-sides of a dark ferrugi- 

 nous hue, and the upper of a pleasing green colour. 

 It would seem that Rhododendron Falconeri comes 

 from a higher altitude than the other Sikkirn kinds, 

 as 1!. Edgworthii and Xuttali were killed the first 

 winter after being planted out, and yet the first- 

 named has small, very hard wood. It has been 

 exceedingly useful to the hybridist in raising new 

 varieties, as many have emanated from it, both by 

 making it the seed-parent, and by using its pollen, 

 and it is a valuable plant for the greenhouse. 



Chiswick Literary and Scientific So- 

 ciety. — On Thursday, the l'Jth inst., this prosperous 

 local Society again held its annual garden party in 

 the Royal Horticultural Society's Gardens, Chiswick. 

 when there was a good attendance of visitors t about 

 700), who evidently enjoyed the promenade in the 

 grounds. Microscopes, &c, and dried specimens of 

 the British flora were exhibited by members. 



Weevil- eaten Broad Beans.— It is well- 

 known that the Bean-weevil attacks Broad Beans 

 during the time the seeds are ripening, and pierces 

 them through and through. It is a common opinion 

 that weevil-pierced Beans do not germinate, and 

 owing to the drought of 1887 the weevil appeared to 

 be more active than ever. Some of the London 

 wholesale seedsmen had samples of Beans returned 

 to them by their customers on the ground that they 

 would not grow. In order to put this to the test, 

 Messrs. Hubst & Sons, of Houndsditch, B.C., planted 

 one hundred of the very worst weevil-pierced Broad 

 Beans, and a similar number of Beans without any 

 such blemish— these were sown side by side at the 

 new seed trial grounds at Springfield, Chelmsford, 

 with the result that the plants are now in bloom and 

 setting their pods, and there is not a particle of dif- 

 ference in the appearance of the plants. Not one 

 appears to have failed ; the growth of one is quite as 

 good as the other in every respect. The experiment 

 should set at rest, for this generation at least, the 

 notion that weevil-pierced Beans do not germinate, 

 always provided that the cotyledons only are pierced, 

 and that the embryo plant be not injured. 



Ramie Fibre. — M. Naodih has succeeded in 

 cultivating this plant (Bcehnieria nivea) at Antibes, 

 where it is quite hardy. B. utilis is also hardy along 

 the Mediterranean coast, and might furnish two oj- 

 three cuttings every year ; hence the introduction of 

 these fibre-producing plants into Algeria or Corsica 

 might be of great value. The leaves, moreover, 

 make excellent fodder for cattle. 



Kew. — The refreshment pavilion in Kew Gardens 

 is being built by the refreshment contractors to the 

 Koyal Albert Hall, and will be opened to the public 

 on August 2. The site chosen is on the east side of 

 the Pagoda Vista, and not far from the Temperate- 

 house and Miss XohthV Gallery. It is also stated 

 iu a Richmond paper that "a new gate at the 

 bottom of Lichfield Road, which faces the 

 Kew Gardens Station, will shortly be opened, 

 and put the gardens within five minutes' walk 

 of the station." We believe the pavilion is 

 being erected at the cost of the refreshment con- 

 tractors, who are to pay a gradually increasing rent 

 for the sole right to sell refreshments in the gardens 

 during a term of vears. 



CAKNATIOXS AND PICOTEES. 



Ot-R illustration on p. 101, fig. 10, shows on a 

 somewhat reduced scale three varieties of Picotees 

 and five of Carnations. The Picotees at the bottom of 

 the woodcut are — the one on the right, Princess Alice, 

 a red-edged variety ; and that in the centre. Rev. II. 

 Mathews, a pink-edged flower — both of Kirkiand's 

 raising. The Carnations shown are show flowers, 

 and include the three-coloured flaked Rose of Cas- 

 tile, still to be found amongst show flowers. It will 

 be observed that the flowers do not present the 

 primness of the exhibition card, but are in the con- 

 dition in which they were cut from the plants, a con- 

 dition more agreeable to many of the profane than 

 the artificial regularity of " dressed " flowers. 



Notices of Books. 



Choice British Ferns, their Varieties and 



CULTURE. By Charles T. Druery, F.L.S. 

 (Fpcott Gill, 170, Strand.) 



Mr. Druery deserves all credit for his endeavours 

 to revive and quicken the interest in British Ferns. 

 It is one part of a horticulturist's duty to popularise 

 his subject, using the word in its best sense, and to 

 demonstrate, amougst other things, that horticulture 

 is not the sole appanage of the rich, and that it may- 

 be practised with but few of the means and appliances 

 which a professed gardener, with more or less reason, 

 deems necessary. 



The cultivation of hardy Ferns may be recom- 

 mended, in the first place, for their extreme beauty 

 — this appeals to every one; next, for their deep 

 interest — this appeals to the more intelligent ; and, 

 lastly, for the ease with which, with few exceptions, 

 they may be grown — this commends them to the 

 amateur with but little time and, perhaps, less means 

 to devote to the pursuit of plant growing. The cir- 

 cumstance that a very complete collection is now- 

 grown at Kew — which establishment has also come 

 into possession of the rich herbarium of our late 

 colleague, Thomas Moore — will doubtless serve to 

 recall attention to this exquisite class of plants. 

 People will want to know how to collect and how- 

 to grow them ; they will develope an eclectic taste, 

 picking out the best (for where all are good some are 

 better than others), and for this purpose they will find 

 no better guide than this book of Mr. Druery 's. What 

 are called viviparous Ferns are common enough, e.g., in 

 Cypstopteris bulbifera, but no special significance had 

 been attached to this adventitious production of 

 buds, till a similar phenomenon taking place either 

 from the prothallus developed in the ordinary way 

 from a spore, or from a corresponding production 

 devoloped direct from the frond without the inter- 

 vention of a spore, awakened the attention of botanists 

 interested in tracing the descent of Ferns from pre- 

 existing forms, and in illustrating their relation- 

 ships with other groups. By bringing these facts to 

 light, feraists, such as Mr. Wollaston, Colonel Jones, 

 and Mr. Druery himself, have contributed very 

 materially to the solutiou of a problem of very great 

 interest and importance, and have shown of what 

 value may be the well-directed observation of 

 amateurs. Some portion of Mr. Druery 's work ap- 

 peared originally in these columns — a fact which, 

 while it precludes the necessity of our making 

 extracts from the book, may serve as a good reason 

 why we venture to commend the completed book to 

 the notice of our readers ! 



The Pansy. 



Mr. Alexander Lister, nurseryman, of Rothesay, 

 has published through Mr. A. Gardner, of Paisley, 

 a treatise on the cultivation of the Pansy, in which 

 lie deals clearly and simply with their propagation 

 by seed, and by cuttings, the means to be adopted by- 

 exhibitors, and the course to be followed when 

 greenfly, or spider, or mildew, attack the treasured 

 herb. Pansies are so exquisite in their colours, and so 

 easy to grow, that we gladly hail any means of 

 extending their cultivation, and look forward, not 

 without hope, to a time when good taste shall sweep 

 away the present arbitrary convention as to form, and 

 the fashion set in towards accentuating and developing 

 that which Nature has prescribed for an excellent 

 purpose in this particular flower, rather than force 

 her to give to a Pansy a form she never intended it 

 to have, and which in this case is meaningless. 



Flower-Gardening for Amateurs. By Lewis 

 Castle. Swan, Sonnenscheiu & Co. 

 This is a very serviceable little book, written in 

 the fulness of knowledge by one who can pot a Heath 

 or write a report with equal facility. The author 

 tells his readers how to form town and suburban 

 gardens, window gardens, wild gardens, and house- 



