December 15, 188a] 



THE GA RDENER S' CHRONIC L E. 



709 



Klamet Mountains, in the Oregon territory, at 5000 

 feet. It grows from 40—80 feet high, and, like other 

 species, varies in foliage in passing from the young 

 to the older stages. The specimen sent was spring- 

 leaved, or in the characteristic condition of the young 

 stage. It is remarkable for the strong and disagree- 

 able odour when bruised (Gordon's Pinetum, p. 103). 

 Centenary of the Dahlia. — Mr.Henslow called atten- 

 tion to the fact that the year 1889, besides being the 

 centenary of the Chrysanthemum in Kurope. was also 

 that of the Dahlia in England. It was introduced 

 by the Marchioness of Bute in 1789, and figured with 

 single and double forms in But. Mai/., yoI xliv., t. 

 1885, and Bet. Beg., vol. i., t. 55. 



Floral Committee. 



Present : G. F. Wilson, Esq., in the chair ; and 

 Messrs. W. Bates. H. Herbst, W. Holmes, B. Wynne, 

 K Dean, J. Dominy, H. M. Pollett, J. O'Brien, II. 

 Ballantine, W. Wilkes, and E. Hill. 



The exhibit ofSkimmiaForemanniX by Mr. Fore- 

 man, of Eskbank Nurseries, Midlothian, was a 

 welcome addition, and it is evidently a valuable 

 shrub for the open ground, window-boxes, &c. It is 

 said to have been raised by crossing S. oblata with 

 S. fragrans. The habit is dwarf and dense, con- 

 stitution vigorous, and foliage dark green, and it has 

 the propensity to berry in an extraordinary degree. 

 Another seedling from the same cross was shown, 

 with leaves as large as those of a common Laurel. 

 The fruits of S. Foremanni endure for two years, and 

 the plant is of extreme hardiness, having withstood 

 32° of frost without any protection. Some of the 

 plants shown measured 2 feet in height and as much 

 in diameter, but it will, we were informed by Mr. 

 Foreman, reach much greater dimensions. 



Messrs. Heath & Son, Cheltenham, showed two 

 Masdevallias, one being the result of crossing M. 

 Lindeni and M. Veitchii, the flower scarlet, with two 

 lines of a darker hue on the side segments and one 

 in the centre of the apical hood ; the other, the 

 result of crossing M. ignea rubescens and M. Veitchii, 

 had flowers of a rather lighter hue. 



A small panful of Pleione maculata was furnished 

 by Mr. Rowe, The Gardens, Nunfield, Dumfries. 

 The flowers, not numerously produced, were white, 

 with a primrose-yellow stain on the upper suiface 

 of the lip. 



Some few Cyclamen blooms of the giganteum type, 

 as well as a well-grown plant of the same, named 

 Rosetta, a fine large rosy-purple flower with a darker 

 eye, were shown by Mr. Odell, florist, Gold's Green, 

 Hillingdon. 



A Tree Carnation, pure white, and with fimbriated 

 edges to the petals, was shown by Messrs. Collins, 

 Brothers, & Gabriel, 39, Waterloo Road. It is 

 named White Andalusian, and is a pretty addition 

 to the section. 



An excellent pink-flowered Primula sinensis, 

 Swanley Pink, came from the Home of Flowers, 

 Swanley. It is a regularly-shaped flower, with over- 

 lapping segments, of great substance — the colour a 

 soft shade of pink. Many blooms of Mr. Cannell's 

 strains of Primula sinensis were likewise shown by 

 him. Primula sinensis Great Western, a fine crim- 

 son flower of good quality, came from Messrs. James 

 & Son, Farnham Royal, Slough. The mild character 

 of the winter, hitherto, was well shown in Mr. R. 

 Dean's boxful of hardy Primroses gathered from the 

 open ground. He also exhibited a number of flower- 

 ing plants in pots of Primula obconica. 



First-class Certificates. 

 Skimmia Foremani X from Mr. Foreman. 

 Primula Swanley Pink, from H. Cannell & Sons. 



Fruit Committee. 



Present : Dr. R. Hogg, in the chair ; and Messrs. 

 H. Veitch, W. Warren, W. Denning, J. Burnett, P. 

 Crowley, G. T. Miles, Harrison Weir, J. Wright, R. 

 D. Blackmore, S. Ford, C. Howe, C. Ross, W. Mar- 

 shall, and P. Barr. 



Mr. Campbell, Priory Road, Roehampton, received 

 a Cultural Certificate for some very good examples 

 of blanched Batavian Endive. 



The Society's Gardens contributed a large assort- 

 ment of various strains of Brussels Sprouts which 

 have been grown there on trial. The quality was 

 very varied, and ranged from very bad to very good. 

 We specify a few strains which may be classed in 

 the former category, viz., Wroxton, Dalkeith, Burgh- 

 ley, very tall, but with hard small Sprouts ; Wrench's 

 King, French Superior Dwarf, sent by Mr. P. Barr ; 



Rosebery, very good. A collection of Turnips was 

 likewise sent from Chiswick, but in these the quality 

 was not so varied as was the case with the Brussels 

 Sprouts. English strains with one exception — 

 Yellow Finland — were superior to any Continental 

 ones shown. The best as regards appearance were 

 Early Milan, Red Globe (Veitch), Model (Watkins), 

 Snowball (ibid), Silver Ball, (Rutley & Silver- 

 lock), Snowball (Nutting). The Yellow Finland 

 (Vilmorin), was very nice, being quite small (2 inches 

 in diameter), and with a beautifully smooth skin ; 

 the English strain of the same (Rutley & Silverlock) 

 was not quite so full in appearance, nor so delicate- 

 looking. Some strains of Golden Ball Turnips were 

 excellent. 



Seedling Apples were shown by Sir. W. Black- 

 more and Messrs. W. J. Brown, but there was nothing 

 which calls for comment. 



Mr. J. Willard, Holly Lodge, Highgate, sent Aspa- 

 ragus Chicory in the green state ; and Mr. R. Gilbert, 

 Burghley, Stamford, showed his Chou de Burghley 

 and Universal Savoy, each excellent of their kind. 



Powdered calcined sea-6hells, rich in phosphate of 

 lime, alkali, and other manurial ingredients, were 

 shown by Mr. A. Dean, Bedfont. We thought the 

 price — 7s. 6d. per cwt. — for what is little more than 

 lime, almost prohibitive except for pot plants, still 

 the stuff should be more valuable as a manure than 

 shells simply crushed. 



Cold Storage. — The report of the sub-committei' 

 appointed to conduct experiments in the cold storage 

 of fruit was presented, and was not, on the whole, of a 

 favourable character, the keeping properties of some 

 kinds of fruit]being materially prolonged, whileothers, 

 notably Melons and Tomatos, entirely failed. The 

 chamber was not considered suitable, the atmosphere 

 not being sufficiently dry for the purpose, nor so 

 sweet as was desirable. With a dry atmosphere and 

 equable low temperature there is no doubt that the 

 keeping of hardy fruit can be materially prolonged. 

 The report is placed before the Council of the Society 

 for consideration. 



First-class Certificate. 

 Asparagus Chicory, from Mr. J. Willard. 



LINNEAN. 



December 6. — Mr. W. Carruthers, F.R.S., Presi- 

 dent, in the chair. The following were elected 

 Fellows : — II. E. D'Alton, of Victoria ; P. Goyen, of 

 Otago, New Zealand ; G. A. Grierson, Lecturer on 

 Botany, Sheffield School of Pharmacy ; Maurice 

 Holtze, Superintendent, Botanic Garden, Port Dar- 

 win ; R. W. Hullatt, Singapore ; J. C. Lisbon, M.D., 

 Fellow, Bombay University ; J. H. Lace, Forest 

 Department of India; Professor J. B. L. Mackay, 

 Director, School of Mines, Sandhurst, Australia ; E. 

 W. Mayhew, Fremantle, West Australia ; Digby S. 

 W. Nicholls, Cowbridge, Glamorganshire ; D. T. 

 Playfair, M.D. ; D. Prain, M.B. ; Clement Reid, 

 F.G.S. ; A. B. Rendle, B.A., B.Sc, and Peter 

 Yates, M.D. 



Mr. W. H. Beeby exhibited and made some remarks 

 on specimens of Valeriana Mikanii and sambucifolia, 

 and a series of Potamogeton fluitans. Mr. F. W. 

 Oliver described the nature and growth of leaf 

 emergences in Eriospermum folioliferum. Mr. E. 

 M. Holmes exhibited specimens of a new Assafcetida 

 plant, Ferula ftetidissima, and a monstrosity of Zea 

 Mays. Mr. J. G. Baker, exhibited a curious variety 

 of Vicia sepium found in North Yorkshire. Mr. T. 

 Christy exhibited specimens of an undetermined 

 species of Echium received from Persia, and employed 

 medicinally as a good alterative. 



The first paper read was one by Dr. Costerus, on 

 " Malformation in I"uehsia globosa," upon which Pro- 

 fessor Bower offered some critical remarks. 



The next paper was by Mr. B. T. Lowne, who 

 gave an admirable demonstration of the mode of 

 development of the egg of the blow-fly. His 

 conclusions were criticised by Professor Stewart, 

 Professor Howes, and Mr. A. R. Hammond. 

 In continuation of the reports on the collections 

 made by Mr. Ridley in Fernando Noronha, a paper 

 was read on behalf of Mr. Boulenger, enumerating 

 the fishes and reptiles which had been identified by 

 him. 



An evening meeting will be held on December 20, 

 at 8 p.m., when the following papers will be read : — 

 1. "The Natural History of the Kangaroo Island 

 Grass Tree." By J. O. G. Tepper, F.L.S. 2. 

 "Apyocistis a Volvocinea." By Spencer Moore, 

 F.L.S. ; 3. " On some New Species of Shells." By 

 G. B. Sowerby, F.L.S. 



Colonial and Foreign. 



A FEW ALPINE CRUCIFERS. 

 The family of Crucifers does not contain many 

 ornamental species, and with the exception of Stocks 

 and Wallflowers, horticulture is only indebted to it 

 for good and useful vegetables. But amongst alpine 

 and rock plants we have now more than one species 

 of this order valuable either on account of its 

 flowers or its foliage. Dentaria, Alyssum, vEthionemn, 

 Draba, Arabis, &c, are all of them beautiful, free- 

 blooming, and interesting. 



Alyssum. 

 As an instance we will take Alyssum. This 

 genus (I mean the true Alyssums, and not A. 

 spinosum, L. ; A. maritimum, Lamark, which are 

 now included in the genus Lobularia) contains 

 only species with yellow flowers, this yellow 

 varying from a deep to a clear shade. The 

 plants are usually vigorous, robust in habit, with 

 foliage more or less silver or whitish, the flower- 

 stems strong and well covered with blooms. The 

 one longest known in gardens is the charming 

 Alyssum saxatile, which grows on dry slopes 

 in South Austria, by the Mediterranean, and on 

 the isles of Cyprus and Candia. The plants are 

 covered with golden-yellow flowers ; during the 

 months of May, June, and July they form one of 

 the best edgings known. It is a bright variety, and 

 widely distributed in gardens. There is also a variety 

 with variegated foliage. A. gemonense (A. medium 

 Host., A. petnuum, And.), of Transylvania, is a species 

 nearly allied to the preceding ; the foliage, however, 

 is narrower and more crowded, and the racemes of 

 flowers elongated instead of being disposed 

 in umbels. It is found only on calcareous soil 

 A. orientale is found in Crete, Greece, and Turkey ; 

 the foliage is downy, the flower of a golden-yellow 

 colour. This plant requires a dry, sunny situation. 

 A. leucadeum grows in Italy, forms tufts with many 

 offsets, produces but few flowers, and rarely seeds. 

 A, montanum is a plant common in the Alps, in 

 Northern Italy, on the Pyrenees, and in Germany. 

 Its yellow flowers form dense, elegant, much-divided 

 panicles, and it is one of the best ornaments on the 

 rockery from May to August : it likes to grow in 

 crevices of the rocks, in a sunny situation, and also 

 does well on old walls. A. atlanticum ; found in 

 diffusum, from the Abruzzi (A. sibiricum, Willd.) are 

 Crete and North Africa ; A. altaicum, from Siberia; A. 

 species, much resembling A. moutanum. A. alpestre 

 is a very rare plant in the Valais ; the flowers are smal 1 , 

 clear, yellow, and the foliage is greyish-green ; it pre- 

 fers a dry, sunny situation. A Lapeyrousianum and A. 

 pyrenaicum, from the Pyrenees, are very similar to 

 the above, as also is A. tortuosum (found in Hun- 

 gary), which seems to be only variety of it. A. 

 alpestre (A. argenteum, Gaudin) must not be con- 

 fused with A. argenteum, Witm. The plant of 

 Gaudin is very rare being scarcely ever seen out of 

 Piedmont. A. argenteum, Witm., is from Germany, 

 Verviers, and Southern Europe ; there is also a 

 Hungarian variety. A. mnrale, and A. argenteum, 

 Witm., are both pretty plants, with silvery foliage, 

 with masses of small flowers in elegant pannicles, 

 whicli cover the rocks during the great part of 

 summer. A. cuneifolium is found on the Apennines 

 and Pyrenees ; it is dwarf and [compact in habit. 

 Flowers small, arranged in small, compact, clusters. 

 They are golden-yellow in colour. A. Wulfeninum 

 (from Carinthia and Carniola) is, according to A. 

 Kerner, the same species a? Rochelii. I have both in 

 my alpine garden, and am quite of the same opinion 

 as is the Austrian botanist. This plant is interme- 

 diate between A. montanum and A. alpestre ; the 

 flowers are relatively large, and of a brilliant yellow 

 colour. The plant grows on gravel soil by the 

 borders of streams among the Alps of Carinthia 

 and Carniola. Alyssum ovirense is found on 

 the limestone rocks amongst the Ovir Moun- 

 tains in the Venetian Alps. This plant is a 

 very interesting one, and is always found to- 



