710 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[December 15, 



gether with Linaria alpina, Thlaspi rotundifolium 

 and Saxifraga biflora, at altitudes of from 6500 

 to 7150 feet. The flowers are large and of a 

 vivid and brilliant orange-yellow. The foliage is 

 thick and handsome. The plant has only recently 

 been cultivated. A. Wierzbickii, from Southern and 

 Eastern Europe, is an excellent plant for decorating 

 rockeries and borders. The flowers are of a vivid 

 and bright yellow colour, erect and arranged in 

 clusters ; they open in succession, from April and 

 May until July and August. This species is little 

 known now, but it will probably become very useful 

 as a decorative plant for gardens. I have received, 

 under the name of Alyssum Mollendorfianum, from 

 Austria, a little gem which has not yet flowered in 

 the alpine garden, because the seedlings are only 

 those of last winter, but which, as regards the foliage, 

 is certainly the best species of the genus. The leaves 

 are comparatively large, rounded, and shining, of an 

 ash-grey colour, with bright silverish-white spots 

 The stems are trailing, thick, short, and spreading 

 over the soil. This is an excellent plant for rockeries, 

 not only for its flowers (with which I am not yet 

 acquainted), but it will be sought for on account of 

 its ornamental foliage. I have also received from 

 the same source a very free-blooming variety of A. 

 Wulfenianum, by which the Austrian botanists make 

 a species under the name of A. Heinzii, and which is 

 much to be recommended on account of its golden 

 flowers and silver foliage. 



All the Alyssums require sun, and do best when 

 growing between rocks or on gravel soil. Some 

 of them are excellent perennials. 



DltABA. 



The genus Draba is quite different — first, because 

 there are some species with white and some with 

 yellow flowers ; also the form of the plants is in 

 clusters or small rosettes, not very spreading, Like 

 Alyssums, Drabas are rock plants, but the latter 

 grow as well in the North as in the South, while 

 Alyssums are species native of the sunny slopes of 

 the mountains of Southern Europe. Drabas, on the 

 contrary, are nearly all included in the Northern 

 flora, and in that of the high altitudes. Draba 

 aizoides is a native of the Alps and Pyrenees, and 

 with its varieties affinis and elongata, is beyond 

 doubt to be highly recommended for its hardiness, 

 its faculty of adapting itself to our climate, and for 

 its early blooming qualities. With Saxifraga Bur- 

 seriana, and Androsace Laggeri, it is among the 

 first spring blossoms, and its bright yellow corolla 

 enlivens the rockeries on the first fine days of Feb- 

 ruary and March. Draba brachycarpa, from the 

 Alps of Eastern and Southern Europe, is synonymous 

 with D. Ai/.oon. It is a finer and larger species than 

 D. aizoides, is more decorative, but also more liable 

 to damp off. When under cultivation it is generally 

 attacked by a little winged insect which attacks 

 and rapidly destroys Crucifers. In these two species 

 the foliage grows in rosettes, the leaves are bordered 

 with hairs more or le3s long ; and the flowers are 

 yellow, growing in little clusters on the tops of the 

 stems. The plant prefers to grow on limestone 

 rocks. D. bruniifolia. from the Caucasus, is a 

 similar species, but one of which the foliage is 

 shorter, spreading over the soil. The leaves are 

 almost destitute of hairs, and the plant forms a sort 

 of low turf, that is to say, the tufts of leaves are 

 quite inconspicuous. The flowers are of a bright 

 yellow-ochre colour and not numerous, but there is a 

 succession of them on the plant during all the summer. 

 D. alpina, from Lapland and Scandinavia, synonym, 

 D. pauciflora — a species with downy, hairy leaves. 

 The flowers are pale yellow. D. cuspidata, from 

 Toria and Italy, has small yellow blooms, synony- 

 mous with D. taurica; D. Gmelini, habitat Ural 

 and Siberia ; D. olympica, from Mount Olympus and 

 Corsica ; and D. rupestris, of Scotland and Norway, 

 are all species with yellow flowers, more or less 

 similar to each other, and very easily cultivated. A 

 certain number of white-flowered species are inter- 

 esting, but less ornamental. The principal are D. 

 tomentosa, of the higher regions of the Alps and 



Pyrenees, with silvery-white foliage, and which 

 requires to grow on rocks and stones ; D. fladnizensis. 

 from Carniolia ; D. incana, from the Alps ; D. 

 muricella, of Arctic America ; D. contorta, from 

 the Pyrenees, &c. Petrocallis pyrenaica (Draba 

 pyrenaica, L.), from the Alps and Pyrenees, is an 

 excellent species, growing in compact clumps, bear- 

 ing lilac flowers, growing in cushion-like tufts. It 

 is met with at an altitude of from 6500 to 7150 feet, 

 and almost always on calcareous soil. The cultiva- 

 tion of this species is not easy. It likes a vertical 

 position, that it may not rot, and a semi-shaded 

 situation. It succeeds well on old walls. Henry 

 Correvon, Directeur du Jardin Alpin, Geneva, 

 ( To be continued.') 



The Herbaceous Border. 



LIATPJS. 



Few hardy border plants are prettier than the 

 Liatris, or Button Snake-root. They belong to 

 Composite, have flower-heads of various shades of 

 purple, and some are white. The species are natives 

 of North America. The former are perfectly hardy 

 in this country, and [sufficiently so, in fact, to suc- 

 ceed in bog-gardens if a slight protection during our 

 winter months be given in the case of the latter. 

 The species already introduced, and now in pos- 

 session of nurserymen, whilst limited in number, are 

 nevertheless an excellent selection, and consist of 

 the following : — 



L. pycnostachya, cr dense spiked, a tuberous- 

 rooted form, pale purple in colour, growing to an 

 average height of u feet, the spikes of bloom 

 being some 14 inches higher, very broad, and 

 enlarging from base to apex with much effect, so as 

 to have received in its native home the name of 

 Kansas Gay Feather. It is best trea.ted as a bien- 

 nial, sowing the seeds in the spring. L. elegans' is a 

 robust grower, and in some soils reaches a height of 

 4 feet. It has spotted glabrous leaves and purplish 

 blossoms. L. spicata is not so tall as the above, and 

 rarely exceeds 2 feet in height. The flower-heads 

 measure from 6 inches to 1^ foot in length, and are 

 covered with sessile purple flowers. L. punctata is 

 a recent desirable introduction, exhibiting some 

 variety in the colour of its flowers, as the name 

 indicates. L. odoratissima (Trillsa odoratissima), 

 which seems never to have received recognition at 

 the hands of English botanists, is a species desirable 

 enough to be imported from America, where it is 

 known as the Vanilla plant, owing to its Vanilla- 

 like scent. Although an inhabitant of the Southern 

 States, and consequently tender, it would be an 

 interesting introduction. William Earley, Ilford. 



The Fernery. 



D O O D I A S. 

 The Doodias are not quite so showy as many Ferns, 

 yet they are very desirable on account of their 

 having a symmetrical habit of growth, forming 

 neat compact little plants ; and some ot the varieties 

 are rendered additionally attractive when growing by 

 the young fronds being brightly tinted with red. 

 D. aspera and its variety, D. a. multifida, are both 

 very pretty, especially the latter, which grows only 

 a few inches high, the fronds being prettily recurved, 

 and terminating in a branching crest; the type 

 grows a little larger, and ia not quite so dense in 

 habit ; in both _the young fronds are brightly tinted 

 with red. D. media is sometimes confused with D. 

 aspera, but may be distinguished by being of more 

 erect growth ; the fronds also have a more even 

 surface, and are rather larger. D. Kunthiana has 

 larger and more spreading fronds, otherwise it closely 

 resembles D. media, of which, I believe, it is a 

 variety. D. blechnoides is another very pretty 

 species, with rather long narrow fronds. D. caudata 

 is a distinct little Fern, and very pretty when 



properly cared for, but as its appearance as a weed 

 in all sorts of odd corners, it does not often get the 

 attention which is accorded to those more difficult to 

 obtain. 



The Doodias are generally regarded as greenhouse 

 Ferns, but, with the exception of D. blechnoides and 

 D. caudata, all the above succeed better in rather 

 a higher temperature. They should have a light 

 open position, but do not like a dry atmosphere ; 

 they require more water than most Ferns, and if 

 allowed, to become a little too dry the fronds shrivel 

 up very quickly. To have the Doodias in good con- 

 dition the plants must be grown on freely without 

 receiving a check in any way, for when once they get 

 a little stunted, they will rarely start afresh, and 

 make pretty plants, and, like many other Ferns, 

 they lose their beauty after they get a certain 

 age ; therefore, young plants, which may easily be 

 obtained from spores, should be grown. D. blech- 

 noides and D. caudata are very useful for small fancy 

 pots ; the other sorts named above may also be used 

 for the same purpose, but do not stand well enough 

 to be of any great service. In the Fernery, however, 

 they are all well worthy of a place, and when proper 

 attention is bestowed upon them, they have a very 

 different appearance to the stunted specimens often 

 seen in collections. Pteris. 



Scotland. 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF 

 ABERDEEN. 



A meeting: of the acting Directors of this Society 

 was held on the 6th inst. in the Secretary's office, 

 Bridge Street, Aberdeen, Mr. Alex. Robson, Vice- 

 Chairman, presiding. A list of donations and 

 special prizes was submitted, and considered emi- 

 nently satisfactory. The best thanks of the Society 

 were ordered to be conveyed to the Town Council 

 of Aberdeen, the Earl of Aberdeen, Sir William 

 Cunliffe Brooks, Bart., M.P., Lord Provost Hender- 

 son, Dr. Campbell, M.P., Councillor Lyon, James 

 Murray Gorden, Thomas Ogilvie, Andrew Murray 

 Jun., and others, who have so liberally contributed 

 to the prize fund. The following gentlemen were 

 elected Honorary Directors : — Sir Arthur Grant, 

 Bart.; Dr. Campbell, M.P, ; J. D. Milne, Thomas 

 Ogilvie, Andrew Murray, Jun., John Leith, A. R. 

 Gray, John Fyfe, Charles Smith, F. B. Kelly, and 

 Wm. Falconer, Baillie Gordon, Baillie Crombie. 

 Councillor Lyon, A. O. Gill, of Fairfield, and A. 51. 

 Ogston, of Ardoe, were elected Honorary Vice- 

 Presidents. 



On the motion of the Secretary, Mr. A. M. 

 Byres, a cordial vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. 

 Alex. Robson for his efforts in connection with the 

 prize fund. The prizes were then allocated over the 

 different classes in the schedule, and the schedule 

 ordered to be printed. The annual dinner was fixed 

 for Friday evening, 21st inst., James Murray Gorden, 

 Chairman of Acting Directors, in the chair. Ex- 

 Dean of Guild Walker, and Mr. Thomas Ogilvie 

 will act as croupiers. The usual votes of thanks 

 terminated the proceedings. 



North or Scotland HoniTcuLTrBAi, Society. 



The members of this Association held their 

 monthly meeting on the 7th inst., in the hall of the 

 Christian Institute, Aberdeen. There was a good 

 attendance, and Mr. D. M. Smith, Vice-President of 

 the Association occupied the chair. Mr. Wyllie 

 (of Messrs. Smith & Sons. Aberdeen) read a number 

 of papers on "New Plants, Fruit, Flowers, and 

 Vegetables of the Season." The papers, which were 

 contributed by Mr. Fraser, Kew Green, Surrey ; Mr. 

 R. Lindsay, Royal Botanical Gardens, Edinburgh ; 

 and several local gardeners, treated the subjects 

 they dealt with in a most interesting and exhaustive 

 manner, and an entertaining and lengthy discussion 

 followed, at the close of which Mr. Wyllie was 

 heartily thanked for reading the papers. A special 

 vote of thanks was awarded the contributors, 



