238 



THE GARDENERS" CHR ONI CLE. 



[September 1, 1888. 



fall in Maritzburg for May was the 98th part of an 

 inch. Contrast this with the 15 inches which fell 

 daring May close to Cape Town, and one sees the 

 chief cause of the vast difference between the flora 

 of Eastern and Western South Africa. E. W. Adlam, 

 Maritzburg, Natal. 



Natal Plants. 



It is always pleasant to see your Natal corre- 

 spondent's jottings, especially when he covers new 

 ground. In the friendliest way, however, I must 

 take exception to his comparative lists of local 

 representative plants on p. 619, vol. iii. 3rd 

 ser. as containing errors of plant distribution. 

 Metalasia muricata covers acres of the Cape 

 flats, and is common all along the littoral slope ; 

 Protea cynaroides is a Table Mountain plant, and 

 runs right up into the Katberg region; Struthiola 

 ovata is common in Stellenbosch and Caledon, and 

 Selago corymbosa is to be met with everywhere, 

 west and east. These, then, will by no means do for 

 a local Grahamstown list. Then of those assigned 

 to Maritzburg, the Clerodendron is also a Kowie 

 plant within 30 miles of Grahamstown ; Disa poly- 

 gonoides and Ochna atropurpurea both grow plen- 

 tifully at Grahamstown ; Pentanisia, a Katberg 

 plant, runs west to the Bedford Mountain ; and 

 Stobcea speciosa further still — to Boschberg and 

 Bruintjeshoogte. To the list of typical plants of the 

 extreme south-west — say, Cape Town — there need be 

 no demur. Nearly the whole question of difference 

 between the west South African and east South 

 African floras lies in the monsoon character of the 

 rainfall — winter rain in the former, summer rain in 

 the latter — and the two different, oceanic currents 

 which wash the respective coasts. The derivation 

 of the two floras is another matter. The prefaces to 

 Ernest Meyer's Commentaries on Drege's Distributed 

 Plants and the Documente with Mr. Bolus' sketch 

 of Cape plant-geography in the Cape official Hand- 

 book, will be the best guides to differences in the two 

 sides of this end of this continent, and their bearing 

 on horticultural matters may be readily inferred. 



a b. s. 



Saint Lucia. 



We have received the first annual report of the 

 newly formed Botanic Garden in this island. Mr. 

 Gray has made a good commencement, and is 

 already in a position to supply planters with Cacao, 

 Coffee, Nutmegs, Vanilla, and other tropical plants. 

 It appears that Saint Lucia has heretofore imported 

 Coffee from Jamaica which might be grown on the 

 island equally well. 



Ceilon Tea, &c. 



Prom Dr. Trimen's annual report we learn that 

 Tea has become the leading industry of the colony, 

 180,000 acres being occupied with its culture. 

 Coffee has declined in proportion as Tea has ex- 

 tended. Cinchona bark is also very largely exported, 

 though the low price obtained renders it now un- 

 profitable. Indian Rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) 

 have produced seed freely in the island. 



Cinchona in India. 

 A " resolution " of the Financial Department, 

 signed by the Secretary to the Government of Bengal, 

 gives a succinct account of the introduction of the 

 Cinchona into India, and of the progress of the 

 cultivation of the tree. The discovery of the value 

 of cinchonidine, and of cinchonin, as febrifuges of 

 equal value with quinine, is also mentioned, and 

 credit claimed, and justly, for the preparation of 

 " Cinchona febrifuge," a powder which contains the 

 three alkaloids of red bark mixed in the proportions 

 in which they naturally occur in the bark. The 

 document closes with a well-earned tribute to Dr. 

 King and Mr. Gammie. 



HARDY FLOWERS FROM HOL- 

 LAND. 



Mb. C. J. van Tubekgen, jun., has sent me another 

 box of hardy plants from his garden, comprising 

 a selection of Lilies and a few other choice flowers. 

 The most important are the best forms of L. longi- 

 florum. The varieties Harrisii and Wilsoni do not 

 differ in the size or form of the flowers, both pro- 

 ducing flowers 7 inches in length, and of great 

 purity ; L. longiflorum Takesima; has flowers of 

 great substance, of large size, but an inch shorter 

 than the two first-named ; L. tigrinum splendens 

 and the double-flowered form are in capital condi- 

 tion. A handsome spike of L. Leichtlinii is also sent ; 

 it is so like the flowers L. tigrinum group in form that 

 it might be classed as a yellow variety of that fine 

 species. This is one of Messrs. Veitch's introduc- 

 tions from Japan, sent with L. auratum, and was 

 first flowered by them in July, 1867, and named by 

 Sir Joseph Hooker in honour of M. Max Leichtlin, 

 of Carlsruhe. Mr. G. P. Wilson has produced some 

 handsome examples of it. There is also sent an 

 immense spike of L. superbum with no fewer than 

 nineteen flowers. It is the true superbum, but this 

 species varies much in the density of the numerous 

 black spots on the petals. It is known by its ivory- 

 white bulbs. 



Mr. van Tubergen has sent Calochortus flowers and 

 another species. These with us are excellent pot 

 plants, but they seem to do well in the light sandy soil 

 of Holland. Also a fine head of Tritoma corallina, a 

 small flowered pretty species ; and two forms of Mont- 

 bretia, viz., M. Pottsii with slender spikes of orange- 

 red flowers, which I see are described as crimson- 

 scarlet in a list before me; and M. crocosmiajflora, 

 with much larger flowers. These are handsome 

 herbaceous plants ; grand examples are to be seen 

 in a shady peat border at Glasnevin near Dublin. 



Calla (Richardia) melanoleuca, with pale yellow 

 flowers, and a black centre, is a striking plant. A 

 few other hardy flowers are sent, the whole of them 

 exemplifying the value of hardy flowering plants in 

 August. In our own garden we have some of the 

 foregoing in flower, and also the crimson and purple 

 Mouardas, which are always striking objects in the 

 herbaceous border in August, and are of easy 

 cultivation. J. Douglas. 



NOVA SCOTIAN APPLES.— The Canadian cor- 

 respondent of the Liverpool Journal of Commerce 

 writes: — " Apple growers in Nova Scotia say that the 

 maturing crop will be the largest and best that they 

 have had for many years. August Pippins are early 

 in the market." 



The Herbaceous Border. 



HERBACEOUS PHLOXES. 



Nevek, perhaps, were these seen in finer condition 

 than this year, the frequent heavy rains and cool 

 weather having suited them. The earliest to bloom 

 are those of the suffruticosa section, but the most 

 stately and effective for border work are those 

 selected and raised from North American species, 

 which come in later, and are most valuable in pro- 

 ducing a display all through the autumn, when their 

 varied and brilliant colours are exceedingly telling. 



The most suitable place for these latter is imme- 

 diately in the foreground of shrubs or at the backs 

 of borders ; but it should be borne in mind that 

 wherever planted they must be free from the roots 

 of trees for the Phloxes to do any good, as, besides 

 requiring all the moisture they can get, they need 

 rich soil, and always look poor and poverty-stricken 

 when they are robbed. This being so, any intended 

 for special purposes, such as for show, or to produce 

 large heads, are best treated in rows in a part of 

 the garden by themselves, where they are handy 

 for water and can be attended to easily and have 

 liberal supplies of liquid-manure as soon as they be- 

 gin to show bloom. In preparing for them, dig out 

 a trench as if for Celery, by throwing out the top 

 spit and working in below a liberal dressing of rotten 

 dung, when after filling up the trench to nearly the 

 original level, the plants may be planted. Although 

 the proper time to do this is in the spring, it may be 

 effected during the autumn, as soon as the flower- 

 heads fall or die off, when the stems may be cut 



away, and the crowns divided, and each portion will 

 grow. Cuttings also strike freely, if made from the 

 young shoots, and these may be pulled off with roots ; 

 obtained in which way, or from cuttings, plants 

 produce finer heads of bloom. To get the cuttings 

 to root, all that is necessary is to put them in in 

 sharp sandy soil, under a hand-light in any shady 

 position ; or the striking may be expedited by giving 

 a little heat in a frame. Herbaceous Phloxes also 

 seed freely and produce much variety when raised 

 in that, but to have any really good, seed should be 

 saved from the very best kinds, and gathered imme- 

 diately it is ripe, which is also the right time for 

 sowing. This may be done in boxes or pans, filled 

 with fine sharp sandy soil, and if these are then stood 

 in a warm pit or frame, and the soil kept properly moist, 

 theplants will soon appear, and directly they are large 

 enough to handle they should be picked off in pots 

 or pans, similarly prepared, and then placed close 

 up to the glass, in a cold frame, for the winter. 

 Some of the leading nurserymen make a specialty of 

 the Phloxes referred to, and those who would start 

 well with them ought to get a dozen or two of the 

 finest-named sorts, as much improvement has been 

 effected in them of late years ; and if the selection 

 is to be left to the growers satisfaction is almost 

 sure to be given. J. 8. 



Cultural Memoranda. 



PANCRATIUM CARIB^IUM. 

 This distinct and beautiful Pancratium from the 

 West Indies, has pure white and very fragrant 

 flowers, and should be grown by every body in pos- 

 session of a plant stove. It is increased by offsets 

 potted up in sandy loam, and grown in the ordinary 

 way, giving water when necessary during the grow- 

 ing season, and keeping the foliage free from the 

 attacks of thrips. Strong flowering bulbs may be ob- 

 tained from the leading plant nurserymen at from 

 2s. 6i. to 3s. 6d. each in the autumn, which being 

 potted in efficiently crocked 6-inch pots in — as 

 already stated — good sandy loam, and treated as indi- 

 cated, will flower next year. This is a grand decorative 

 plant ; the individual flowers are also very useful 

 for bouquet making as they wire well. Liberal 

 applications of tepid liquid-manure being given at 

 the roots while the plants are gowing, will conduce 

 to the production of finer flowers than would other- 

 wise be secured. 



Sanchezia nobilis vaeieoata. 



Cuttings of the young growths of this very useful 

 decorative plant, taken off any time during the 

 spring, summer, and autumn months, inserted in 

 small pots filled with sandy soil, placed in heat, and 

 watered, will soon root. They should afterwards 

 be potted singly into 3- inch pots in a mixture of peat 

 and light sandy loam, watered, and returned to heat, 

 placing them near to the glass and keeping them 

 supplied with moisture at the roots and overhead 

 when necessary. The deep green midrib and bright 

 red veins of the Croton-like leaves of this plant 

 render it a very suitable subject for table work, &c. 

 H. W. Ward. 



Coreopsis lanceolata. 



The annual varieties of Coreopsis are pretty well 

 known and much grown in gardens, but good as 

 they are they are far exceeded in usefulness by some 

 of the perennial kinds, one of the best of which is C. 

 lanceolata, which I had the pleasure of seeing the 

 other day in full beauty, in Mr. Thomson's seed 

 grounds, at Ipswich. The plants there were in rows, 

 forming a large group or bed, and were a mass of 

 bloom, the individual flowers being about the size of 

 a five-shilling piece, and of a rich shade of satiny 

 yellow. There is another species of Coreopsis 

 closely resembling this, named C. auriculata, and 

 both are highly desirsble for planting in the her- 

 baceous border, where they would be sure to make a 

 grand show. Both of these kinds seed profusely and 

 may readily be increased in that way, or by division, 



