274 



THE GABDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[September 8, 1888. 



•quite surprising — and reveal a beauty hitherto un- 

 known amongst Gladiolus. It is possible that one 

 or two may appear in the Catalogue lor next year, 

 if on lifting them a sufficient quantity to put them 

 ■into commerce is found to exist. 



The herbaceous Phloxes contain many seedlings 

 -of wonderful size and beauty, many new shades of 

 colour being found amongst them. 



The new Montbretias, too, contain some seedlings 

 of very much improved form and colour, and as they 

 increase so rapidly one may expect very soon to find 

 them attainable. 



Having visited and carefully examined both these 

 gardens last autumn, I was not prepared to find such 

 a number of interesting novelties this year. John T. 

 JPo'e. Biverston. 



Home Correspondence 



TOMATOS ON SOUTH WALLS.— I have myself 

 •observed, and have likewise heard complaints of the 

 Tomato not fruiting well outside this season, but in 

 this garden they have never done so well before. I 

 have forty plants placed against a south wall, which 

 are laden with good-sized fruits, which will, with 

 four or five days' sun, be fit to gather in quantity, 

 and I have, moreover, furnished the family with 

 them for three weeks past. The reason I think is, 

 that the border is narrow, rather steeply sloped, 

 and the wall is high. The plants were raised early 

 and potted on into 7-inch pots before beiug planted 

 out, being well hardened off previously. The variety 

 is the old Large Red, which I think is still one 

 of the best for growing outdoors. G. H. Merton. 



THE POTATO CROP IN LINCOLNSHIRE. — During 

 the past week or so I have passed through many 

 hundreds of acres of Potatos, in fields and allot- 

 ments in various parts of Lincolnshire, and was sur- 

 prised to find a diseased patch quite a rarity. No doubt 

 there are places where the disease has made its ap- 

 pearance though all the crops which have come under 

 my notice were particularly free from it. The yield 

 too is, where the earlier sorts are being lifted, very 

 productive, exceeding that of last year greatly. With 

 many growers a pinkish variety named Abundance is 

 an especial favourite, while with others I found 

 Beauty of Hebron placed first on the list. These 

 varieties are grown more frequently in allotments 

 than in fields ; in the latter the Magnum Bonum is 

 considered to be unsurpassed, especially in some 

 parts of the Fens, and it is particularly good, both as 

 regards quantity and quality, but in other parts it is 

 comparatively worthless. York Regents and Cham- 

 pions, though these are grown by some, are by no 

 means so popular with the Potato farmers here as 

 they are farther north. Another point I noticed was 

 the uncommonly strict attention that is paid as to 

 the destruction of weeds. With many of the Potato 

 farmers in Lincolnshire it is the rule to cut off the 

 haulm as soon as the tuber is matured, thus allow- 

 ing the land to dry before the crops are lifted. 



CENTAUREA AUREA — The Gardeners' Chronicle 

 has always done good service in searching out a lost 

 plant. A fortnight ago I wrote to inquire whether 

 anything is known about Centaurea aurea (Aiton), 

 figured and described in Bot. Mag., vol. xii., t. 421. 

 The reply given, signed " D. D.," was to the effect 

 that it is a good species, but that only one dried 

 specimen is known to exist, viz., in the Kew Her- 

 barium, labelled Port Juvenal, and that no habitat 

 or living specimens are known. This week, under 

 " Names of Plants," p. 251, I observe that " R. C. K." 

 is credited with having sent a specimen to be 

 named which is C. aurea. It is tantalising not to 

 hear more of it, where it came from, and whether 

 it is a live plant or not. I have tried to hunt 

 out all that is known of C. aurea. I find it in Miller's 

 Dictionary described as "cultivated by Mr. Miller, 

 in 1758. Calyxes most simply thorned ; thorns 

 spreading; lower leaves pinnatifid" (reference to 

 Aiton's Hort. Kew., 3, 265). In De Candolle's 

 Frodromus, vol. vi., p. 595. I find this description 

 repeated with a reference to Bot. Mag., 421, and to 

 Sweet's " Hort. Brit., 217 : Crocodylium aureum." I 

 have not verified the last reference as I have not the 

 book. De Candolle adds: "All plants under this 

 name in gardens were obvious mistakes (obvice erant 

 falsa.)" I am afraid this last sentence is true still. 

 A few years ago C. glastifolia was distributed from a 

 well-known nursery as C. aurea, to me amongst others. 



The name C. aurea is not included in Nyman's 

 Conspectus of European Species, and I should be glad 

 to know where " Port Juvenal " is. The most 

 obvious character of Bot. Mag., t. 421, is the long 

 spines projecting outwards from the end of the in- 

 volucral bracts. Besides the mention of Port Juve- 

 nal with the Kew specimen I can only find South 

 Europe given as a habitat in Miller and Bot. Mag. 

 De Candolle does not give any habitat. C. Wolley 

 Bod, Edge Hall. 



DISEASE OF POTATOS AND MANGELS. — The 



fungus of the Potato disease has lately spread with 

 alarming rapidity, and few Potato patches are now 

 without it : its effect will doubtlessly be seen on late 

 Potatos. In Glamorganshire, Carmarthenshire, and 

 Cardiganshire, it is working great mischief, and most 

 of the South Wales Potato growers say the crop is 

 " bad," " very bad," or "blasted." Although so much 

 has been written on the subject many growers are 

 still unacquainted with the early state of the disease ; 

 as first seen on the leaves ; as a rule no precautions 

 seem to be taken to mitigate attacks. Mangels are 

 in many places afflicted with Peronospora effusa, a 

 close ally of the Potato fungus, and unless the attack 

 is unusually virulent farmers seem to be paying but 

 little attention to this, one of their most deadly 

 enemies. As Mangels are not earthed-up they are 

 fully exposed to the attacks of the spores of the 

 fungus and the disease will be seen when the crops 

 are lifted. Peronospora effusa does not generally grow 

 on Mangels, it prefers Spinach and the wild species of 

 Chenopodium and Polygonum. For an illustration 

 and description see Gardeners' Chronicle for April 3, 

 1883. The Peronospora of Lilies seems to have 

 spread all over the country, and garden and wild 

 Poppies are being mown down in thousands by 

 Peronospora arborescens. The wet summer seems 

 to have given renewed vitality to all species of 

 Peronospora. W. G. Smith, Dunstable. 



BOUVARDIA PRESIDENT CLEVELAND. — It rarely 

 occurs that a plant of such sterling merit as the 

 above comes into commerce with so little ceremony 

 as did this beautiful scarlet Bouvardia. On first 

 seeing it I was much struck with its beauty, and on 

 comparing it with other varieties my first impres- 

 sions were fully confirmed. I found, too, that others 

 were not slow to recognise its merits, and it was so 

 much in demand that the saleable stock was soon 

 exhausted. I have no doubt that many are ignorant 

 as to whom belongs the credit of introducing this 

 Bouvardia, but I believe it was brought from America 

 by Messrs. Low & Co., and first distributed by them 

 last autumn. It was put before the Floral Committee 

 of the Royal Horticultural Society by Messrs. Veitch 

 & Sons, and obtained a First-class Certificate, and 

 much admiration from all who saw it ; and I should 

 say that it is destined to become one of the most 

 popular of this beautiful class of plants. A. 



PEACH ALEXANDER. — With reference to a para- 

 graph in your last issue, headed " Alexander Peach," 

 I have to say that it is earlier than Early Louise 

 or Beatrice, as grown in pots in the same house 

 here. It is quite distinct from Hale's Early, being a 

 clingstone. Will Tayler, Hampton. 



EXHIBITING VEGETABLES. — Habitues of our 

 horticultural gatherings have doubtless noted the 

 increased attention that has been paid of late years 

 to the staging of the products of the kitchen gar- 

 den. Whereas formerly it was rare to find taste in 

 arrangement displayed, it is now a pleasure to look 

 upon the exhibits. And in this new departure exhi- 

 bitors are but studying their best interests, for taste 

 in arrangement combined with quality in the exhi- 

 bits, will always score a point with the judges. My 

 attention was drawn to this matter by observing Mr. 

 Lambert's collection of vegetables at the recent 

 show at Shrewsbury. This collection, which secured 

 the medal of the Society, was arranged oil a stand 

 4 feet wide and 7 feet long, with a joint running 

 lengthwards to admit of the back and narrowest 

 division being tilted up to suit the different vegetables 

 staged. The tray was then filled with soil and 

 planted all over with Selaginella. Eight places 

 were left for eight dishes to fit into (the back four 

 vegetables not in dishes). These eight dishes were 

 shaped to suit the different vegetables, and planted 

 with Selaginella, so that when the dishes were fitted 

 into the tray it formed one mass of moss, exactly 

 the shape wished for, to put the different vegetables 

 on. All round the outside, and hanging down, was 

 Panicum, giving the exhibit quite a graceful appear- 

 ance—blocks of wood cut wedge-shape and pushed 



under from the back, raising the two divisions of 

 the tray to the exhibitor's taste. It was an arrange- 

 ment that caused Mr. Lambert a lot of trouble, but, 

 as he somewhat significantly remarked to the writer, 

 " I want to get the Veitch Memorial Medal ! " and 

 he succeeded. Fine in quality, as were his different 

 dishes, his tasteful arrangement was of no little 

 assistance when the crucial moment for judging 

 arrives, B. 



GENTIANA ASCLEPIADEA.— In your is3iie for 

 August 26, " C. E. F." enquires respecting the 

 propagation of the above. To the first question of 

 your correspondent, viz., Can this plant be propagated 

 from cuttings, and if so, what is the proper time for 

 striking ? I reply, Yes, it may be propagated from 

 cuttings, taken off in early spring when the fresh 

 growths are pushing forth, and about three or four 

 inches long, detaching them with a heel from the old 

 stool. But while this may be done with success, it 

 is only to be recommended in cases where large 

 plants exist, for I would have your correspondent 

 bear in mind that for every cutting thus taken, a 

 flower-stem and flowers are sacrificed. The cuttings 

 may be inserted in sandy soil, and covered by a bell- 

 glass or handlight, keeping them well shaded. The 

 best way of raising a stock of this and most Gentians 

 is by seeds, and though extremely slow to vegetate 

 in the majority of cases, the patient waiting is now 

 and again fully rewarded with a good batch, In 

 sowing seed two things are essential — these are, never 

 to allow the seeds to become dry by exposure previous 

 to sowing, and always to keep them moist after being 

 sown. E. Jenkins. 



EUCHARIS AMAZONICA. — We hear much of the 

 mite, and other signs of failing health of this plant 

 in many gardens, and at the same time of many nos- 

 trums to cure these ills, that it was quite a treat to 

 see a perfectly healthy lot (a houseful) of" Eucharis 

 at Luton Hoo Gardens. Before the arrival of Mr. 

 W. M. Baillie at Luton Hoo the Eucharis had got 

 into bad health, but under his direction the plants 

 soon began to mend. His method is simplicity 

 itself. The plants are kept steadily at a temperature 

 of 75°, and are always growing — no resting period — 

 and they flower three or four times yearly, producing 

 both large flowers and foliage, The plants, which 

 are in large pots of various sizes, are watered once 

 a week regularly, and syringed twice daily in 

 summer-time. M. W. 



HEAVY RAINFALL IN THE LAST WEEK OF 

 AUGUST. — The rainfall at Llandilo, in Carmarthen- 

 shire, from Wednesday, August 22, at 6 a.m., to 

 Thursday, August 30, at 6 a.m., amounted to 

 3-37 inches, viz. :— August 23rd (Thursday), -30; 

 24th (Friday), -29; 25th (Saturday), LI; 26th 

 (Sunday), '7; 27th (Monday), -37; 28th (Tuesday), 

 1'75 (rained in torrents for the twenty-four hours) ; 

 29th (Wednesday), -36; 30th (Thursday), 12; total, 

 3'37 inches. T. Cowburn, Di/neecor Castle Gardens. 



Societies. 



HARPENDEN HORTICULTURAL. 



The show of this Society was held on Wednesday 

 week (August 29) under most inauspicious circum- 

 stances. 



Plants. — Two collections only were staged, both 

 excellent, the 1st prize going to J. B. Maple, Esq., 

 M.P. (gr., Mr. T. Nutting), Childwickbury, St. 

 Albans, for Erica coccinea, Clerodendron Balfouria- 

 num, Vinca oculata, Cassia corymbosa, Impatiens 

 Hawkeri, and Allamanda grandiflora. The 2nd was 

 shown by P. Bosanquet, Esq. (gr., Mr. J. Turk), 

 Pondfield, Little Berkhamsted, comprising Plumbago 

 capensis, Begonia fuchsioides, Habrothamnus elegans, 

 a fine specimen ; Stephanotis floribunda, Vinca ocu- 

 lata, and Lapageria rosea. 



For six foliage plants, distinct, three capital lots 

 competed, premier honours being gained by J. B. 

 Maple, Esq., M.P. (gr., Mr. T. Nutting), Childwick- 

 bury, who exhibited Croton aneitamensis, Areca 

 lutescens, Pandanus Veitchii, Croton Queen Victoria, 

 and Areca species. Two noble Palms, adding 

 greatly to the effect of the central staging, were also 

 shown by this exhibitor, not for competition. The 

 2nd prize was awarded to P. Bosanquet, Esq. (gr., 



