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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



(Decembeb 8, 1888. 



trary, the flowers look as if tossed from Nature's 

 lap. At the back of the border is a trellis with 

 various climbing plants, and Roses flinging over 

 it their wild wreaths of glossy foliage, still 

 sprinkled with the buds and blossoms of the old 

 Gloire de Dijon, Reve d'Or, Safrano, and W. A. 

 Richardson. These deep bronzy-leaved Roses 

 make a beautiful background, and how valuable 

 that ever is ! Just now the Marguerites are shining 

 out from it in a mass of starry-white blossoms, and 

 Chrysanthemum Madame Desgranges looks like 

 clustered snowflakes, while long-growing white 

 Pansies remind one of the fluttering butterflies of 

 June. How noticeable the healthy vigour of Pansy 

 plants from cuttings made each year in the 

 month of May, from those left undisturbed from 

 one year to the other. Helleborus maximus, the 

 earliest of its race, is in full blossom. The 

 Malva bears its milk - white flowers above 

 its rich green leafage. Cyclamens and Iberis 

 clothe the ground beneath, while from the Prim- 

 rose tufts peep out already the double white 

 buds. 



From the abundant summer moisture, Schizostylis 

 coccinea is much finer than usual. Large patches of 

 it, with several dozen flowering-spikes open together, 

 are very striking, with their fire-light glow, espe- 

 cially if near the winter Jessamine, that has let fall 

 all its summer leaves to be replaced by golden blos- 

 soms along its brown green stems. 



The Schizostylis well repays division in early 

 spring and replanting in rich soil, for if let remain 

 in clumps for any length of time, the'centre dwindles, 

 and only the outer rootlets that run on into fresh 

 soil bear vigorous flower-stalks. For indoor gather- 

 ing this plant is invaluable, as the blossoms open out 

 in water one after the other, and only need to have the 

 withered ones removed to continue fresh and bright 

 for a considerable time. The old China Roses, 

 though always valued, seem more to be prized this 

 month than any other in which they bloom, 

 their hardy constitution resisting rough weather, 

 and their blossoms content to expand in the 

 slant rays of sunlight from which warmth is fast 

 waning. How cheerful are their clusters of 

 dainty crimson buds! How fresh and delicate the 

 petals of the expanded blooms ! How firm and glossy 

 the deep green foliage ! Near to these China Roses 

 are pink Chrysanthemums, Anemone japonica, and 

 Erigeron roseum, with its pink silken fringe and 

 soft eye of gold. Lobelia fulgens, though storm- 

 tossed, still bears its fine bronzed foliage unharmed. 

 With moisture and rich soil this is a really noble 

 plant, but if placed in the vicinity of hungry neigh- 

 bours, it makes no effort for itself, and the ill-effect 

 is seen in weak growth. Given a covering of leaf- 

 mould, it remains here safe all winter in the open 

 ground. Low growing Fuchsias and Carnations yet 

 linger, while crimson-stained Polyanthuses are push- 

 ing up through their thick-set leaves side by side 

 with the autumn Cyclamens. 



The Agapanthus Lily, now past its best, has been 

 beautiful, [surrounded by Agathsea ccelestis, whose 

 charming shade of blue just matches that of the 

 African Lily. This Daisy seeds freely, and a boxful 

 sown in autumn, wintered in a cold frame, and 

 pricked off into small pots, will give nice little 

 sturdy plants for the open ground in May. The 

 blue butterfly blossoms of Linum provinciale still 

 hover around it. This is the best of the blue Flaxes, 

 constant in bloom, of a compact growth and pleasant 

 foliage. Stray Campanula blossoms are still to be 

 found, and little sprays of Forget-me-Not wander 

 here and there. 



Michaelmas Daisies have been especially fine in all 

 their varying shades of blue, mauve, and amethyst. 

 Divided each spring, replanted in rich soil and with 

 only a few stems left, the flowers are so much larger, 

 and the branched growth so much prettier, that one 

 hardly recognises them as the same plants which one 

 generally sees tied to a stake in a thick mass like a 

 broom— enough to disfigure any flower border. The 



double lilac Colchicums are still in flower, they have 

 made a spring bulb bed very beautiful since October 

 began, having with them Cyclamen hederasfolium, 

 whose purple-pink blossoms blend with those of 

 the autumn Crocus admirably. These Cyclamens 

 form a thatch over a border of Hyacinths, that 

 spring up in profusion between the corms in their 

 own season. 



Melladores, the Roman Ranunculus, have been 

 quite a feature in the garden this autumn. From 

 seed sown in spring and grown quickly on, they, like 

 the Anemone coronaria, begin to blossom in August 

 or September. No doubt their flowers will yield to 

 the first heavy frost, as they have not the fine re- 

 sisting pi wer of the Anemones. These Melladores 

 are of a clear yellow, gold colour, slashed with chest- 

 nut-red and pure crimson. Spring and autumn 

 have indeed met together in the garden when I 

 gather these Ranunculus with a handful of yellow 

 Oxlips and sweet Violets, and see around me the 

 Chrysanthemum, late Roses, the Cactus Dahlia, and 

 Datura sanguinea. These latter two had their young 

 leaves blackened on October 1, but have since 

 recovered. 



As the Helianthus blossoms are fading the Doro- 

 nicums spring up anew, with fresh flowering stems 

 that bear large, gold- edged blossoms. The yellow 

 Daisy, Etoile d'Or, is covered with bloom. Gold 

 and orange-brown Calceolarias are yet fine, tall 

 yellow Chrysanthemums are letting fall their weigl t 

 of blossom beside the Rudbeckias, and the old 

 yellow Auriculas are pushing up their powdered 

 heads. 



Sunshine, and flowers such as I have not counted 

 over, make bright the hours of " dark November.'' 

 L. A. L. 



New or Noteworthy Plants. 



LILIUM ( ARCHELIRION) HENRYI, Baker, n. sp* 

 The two parts of the world from which new and 

 interesting plants are at present pouring in at the 

 most rapid rate are Western China and Madagascar. 

 We have just received at Kew from our indefatigable 

 correspondent, Dr, Henry, a fine series of dried 

 specimens of Lilies of the province of 

 Ichang. Amongst them are L. giganteum, L. 

 tigrinum, L. longiflornm, L. Brownii, and a fifth 

 species which is evidently new, and which I propose 

 to name after its discoverer. In general habit it 

 most resembles tigrinum, but the fully-developed 

 leaves more recall those of auratum and the narrow 

 perianth-segments those of polyphyllum. As to its 

 horticultural merits I will not venture at present to 

 express any opinion. Both this and its geographical 

 neighbour, L. Davidi, of Duchartre, still remain to 

 be introduced in a living state. 



Bulb globose, 2 inches diameter; outer scales 

 ovate, fleshy, 2£ inches long by half as broad. Stem 

 2—3 feet long below the inflorescence, | inch thick 

 at the base, furnished with close erecto-patent sub- 

 sessile leaves up to the very top. Fully developed 

 leaves lanceolate, 6 — 8 inches long, 1 — 1^ inch 

 broad below the middle, tapering gradually to a long 

 point, moderately firm in texture ; upper gradually 

 smaller, those of the uppermost half foot of the 

 stem ovate, 1 — li inch long. Inflorescence a lax 

 corymb sometimes a foot in breadth, consisting of 

 four to eight flowers, bracteated at the base by a 

 whorl of small ovate leaces. Perianth yellow, 3— 3| 

 inches long ; segments lanceolate, sub-obtuse, § — § 

 inch broad below the middle, spreading from the 

 middle when the flower is fully expanded, marked 

 in the lower half with a few irregularly-scattered 

 minute red-brown spots, furnished at the base with 

 a sort of linear nectary i inch long, which is some- 



* Lilium (Archelirion) ffenryi, Baker, n. sp. — Eulbo globoso 

 tunicis magnis ovatis, caulo 2 — 3 pedali crebre foliato, foliis 

 alternis lanceolatis semipedalibus supremi9 reduetis ovatis, 

 floribm 4 — 8 in corymbum latum dispositis, perianthio luteo 

 segmentis Ianceolatis flore expanso ad medium patulis infra 

 medium punctis parvis paucis rubro-brunneis decoratis ad 

 (inguem parpe papulosis, staminibus limbo-reqmkmgis. 



times, but not always, fringed with a few subulate 

 concolorous papillae. Stamens as long as the 

 perianth-segments ; anthers linear, % inch long. 

 Ovary sub-cylindrical, an inch long. Capsule oblong, 

 obtusely-angled. J. 6r. Baker. 



L2ELIA ANCEPS AhESIANA. 



With the wide range of beauty which the new 

 white and coloured varieties of Lailia anceps im- 

 ported of late years have brought us, it takes a very 

 fine novelty indeed to rank as first-class among 

 them. Such a one, about which there can be no 

 two opinions, is now in flower in the Orchid esta- 

 blishment of F. Sander & Co., of St. Albans, and has 

 been dedicated by them to that enthusistic orchidist 

 F. L. Ames, Esq., of Boston, Mass., U.S.A. The 

 outline of this superb flower is exactly that of L. a. 

 Dawsoni, and it has the same firm substance and wax- 

 like appearance of the petals, and which are 1 J inch in 

 width, the flower in its full expanse being 4 inches. The 

 sepals and petals are pure white, with a delicate pearly 

 blush on the outer halves ; the sepals have at the 

 apices an emerald-green dot, and the petals a crim- 

 son feather at their tips, after the manner of Cattleya 

 Trianae Backhousiana. The labellum is altogether 

 extraordinary. The side lobes forming the tube are 

 white outside, and yellow inside streaked with 

 purple ; the mouth of the tube being prettily turned 

 back so far as its blush-white margin extends — about 

 one-eighth of an inch ; a raised rich orange-coloured 

 keel of three ridges extends up the middle of the 

 labellum, finishing in one ridge on the front lobe, whose 

 rich violet-crimson colour excels that of all other 

 Mexican Lselias. The plant may be a cross between 

 one of the Dawsoni type and a coloured L. anceps ; 

 but where such a rich and dark labellum comes from 

 it is impossible to say. It appears that this treasure 

 was bought by E. Harvey, Esq., of Riverdale, Aig- 

 burth, Liverpool, from St. Albans, in July, 1883, and it 

 now finds its way back again at 200 guineas. J. OB. 



PLANTING SANDHILLS. 



This interesting and important operation is com- 

 mented upon at pp. 389, 447, and 545, and valu- 

 able information, success and failure, have been 

 recorded. Your correspondent at p. 447, recommends 

 the best plan suitable for such an object, viz., by 

 using wattled bundles on the seaward side of the 

 plantations, but evidently he has abandoned his useful 

 and good work. Still, after all, planting has been 

 successful in such positions, and under such difficulties 

 as boisterous winds, shifting sands, and all the other 

 evils mentioned. 



The best recommendation I can suggest, is to 

 follow Nature's plan ; and the best illustration 

 of this is found in a description of how this very 

 thing has been accomplished on the sea coast of 

 France. 



By Nature's plan, I mean, first, suitable shelter ; 

 2ndly, sowing seed and trusting to seedlings in the 

 first instance, instead of planting ; and 3rdly, supple- 

 menting this by planting better and more varied 

 shrubs and trees when the planting is sufficiently 

 advanced to shelter both the trees and that which 

 they would be intended to decorate — a residence or 

 garden. 



This information is derived from a report by 

 Major J. Bailey, R.E., on forestry in France, and this 

 particular extract refers to " the dunes of the west 

 coast of France." The winds that blow con- 

 tinuously from the ocean on the west coast carry 

 with them enormous quantities of sand, which, ad- 

 vancing steadily over the country at the average rate 

 of some 14 feet per annum, in the form of moving 

 hills, called dunes, bury under them the fields and 

 villages they reach. It has been calculated that 

 nearly 90 cubic yards of sand per yard of coast-line 

 are thus annually transported inland. Works to 

 arrest the destructive effects of this invasion of sand 

 have been in progress since 1789 ; they were originally 

 carried out under the Department of Public Work, 

 but since 1862 they have been placed under the 

 Forest Department, The total area of the dunes is 



