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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



iDecbmbeb 22, 1888. 



From the catalogue of any nurseryman who makes 

 a specialty of Violas, the names of the best varieties 

 can easily be gleaned. There are a few we might 

 mention which ought to be in every collection how- 

 ever small. They are fine free growers, and are beau- 

 tiful either as bedders or as cut flowers for glasses. 

 These are — Countess of Kintore, bluish-purple and 

 white ; Countess of Hopetoun, pure white ; Archi- 

 bald Grant, dark rosy-purple ; Bullion, bright golden- 

 yellow; Skylark (or its improved form, Blue Cloud), 

 white, with a band of blue on top petals ; Columbine, 

 white, margined -with rosy-lilac. 



Now there are half-a-dozen sorts which will do 

 well in the hands of either amateur or professional. 

 Of course we could enumerate many more — some, 

 perhaps, prettier, if we went into the new class, which 

 should, strictly speaking, be termed "fancy Violas;" 

 but we could not name more useful varieties. 



As to exhibiting them, they could either be shown 

 grown in pots or pans, as suggested by Mr. E. Jenkins, 

 or in sprays for cut blooms, or in glasses mixed with 

 Adiantum fronds. We conceive that were this pro- 

 perly done, and brought under the notice of the 

 public at the London shows, Violas would at once 

 spring into the front rank as flowers suitable for 

 glasses, and for table and other decorations. Dobbie 

 $ Co., Botltesay, 



The Bulb Garden. 



AUTUMN AND WINTER FLOWERING 

 CROCUS. 



During; November and the early days of December 

 the garden has been gay with Primroses, Polyan- 

 thuses and Auriculas, even the laced Polyanthuses 

 are in bloom, George IV. being very fine, the flowers 

 of large size and markings good. Many species of 

 Crocus have perfect flowers, which in ordinary 

 seasons are crippled by frost. The best amongst 

 them has been C. longiflorus, not alone for its lovely 

 lilac colour, veined with purple, but for the number 

 of flowers it has produced. Its corms increase quite as 

 freely as those of the common C. vernus, so that there 

 is no wonder that it is common where it grows wild, 

 in Southern Italy, Sicily, and Malta. It has many 

 synonyms, and is described by Herbert under the 

 name of C. odorus var r longiflorus, and figured in 

 Bot. Reg., 1844, vol. xxx., t. 3, fig. 5, as C. odorus 

 var. melitensis. This is beautifully figured and 

 described by Herbert. 



C. Boryanus was opening its flowers slowly on 

 December 10, when the wind changed and frost 

 checked their further development. This species 

 seldom flowers well out-of-doors, owing to its bloom- 

 ing at mid-winter. The flowers are very pretty, 

 white, with a rich purple stripe externally. Mr. 

 Maw figures the normal form, with pure white 

 flowers, and remarks that " an occasional variety is 

 sometimes found with delicate lilac featherings on 

 the outer surface of the outer segments." The plant is 

 dwarf, and not of robust habit. Mr. Maw retains the 

 name of C. Boryi (Gay), for this species, and rejects 

 Herbert's name of C. Boryanus. C. Uevigatus has 

 been in flower for a long period ; it is a very pretty 

 species, and one of the best for gardens. 



We have also in flower the variety striatus ; the 

 flowers are of a blue-lilac colour, the outer surface 

 of the segments striped purple. The leaves come 

 with or before the flowers. Mr. Maw says it flowers 

 from the end of September to Christmas, and often 

 into the spring. C. ancyrensis is now in flower, and 

 is a pretty little thing with prettily formed golden- 

 yellow flowers, very distinct from any other variety, 

 but feeble in growth, and so we grow it under glass. 

 Mr. Maw gives the above as its specific name, while 

 Herbert describes it as a variety of C. reticulatus 

 and Baker as a variety of C. susianus. C. asturicus, 

 though an October flowering species, retained its 

 flowers until December. It reminds one of C. nudi- 

 florus, but it is variable in its colouring. 



We had also in flower a very pretty free-growing 

 species on the first days of December, under the 



name of C. Tournefortii splendens. The species C. 

 Tournefortii, of Gay, has been described under 

 many different names, and the work of Mr. Maw, in 

 investigating this interesting genus of plants, and 

 bringing those that are not of specific rank under 

 their true names, must have been laborious, had it 

 not been a labour of love. This species has been 

 figured in Bot. Mag., t. 5776, as C. Orphanides. It 

 had been sent from Greece to Kew by Professor 

 Orphanides, of Athens, under the name of C. phole- 

 gandrus, and the new name was given by Hooker. 

 It is figured in Bot. Beg. for the year 1845, t. 37, from 

 a drawing by Herbert ; but his delineation is not so 

 happy as usual. 



C. Clusii is one of our most valued species, and 

 its purplish flowers are very pretty. It flowers 

 with us in December. Mr. Maw gives three figures 

 of it, one marked October 3, another November, and 

 a third December 10. 



I think these autumn and winter-flowering Crocuses 

 are the most lovely of the season in which they are 

 produced ; and one cannot wonder at the enthusiasm 

 of such ardent cultivators as Mr. Maw and the late 

 Rev. Harpur-Crewe, leading them to devote so much 

 of their time to study the life-history of the plant. 

 The Crocus was also a favourite flower of Dean Her- 

 bert, and his papers on the genus Crocus in the second 

 volume of the Journal of the Boyal Horticultural 

 Society give evidence of laborious research. The 

 plants can be cultivated in pots, and in that state 

 can be moved anywhere when in flower. J. Douglas. 



Forestry. 



Marketing Home-qeown Timber. — As we have 

 just entered upon the season when the bulk of home- 

 grown wood is placed upon the market, a word or two 

 with regard to it and supplementary to my remarks 

 a few weeks ago upon selecting and marking, may be 

 acceptable. The subject is broadly divided into two 

 heads, viz., auction sales and sales by private con- 

 tract, as the semi-private plan of offering by tender 

 really comes under the latter heading. 



Auctions. — The obvious advantage of selling in this 

 way is the publicity obtained and the competition 

 generally induced. The set-off against this advan- 

 tage is, of course, the one considerable expense which 

 a public sale entails. The desirability of this plan 

 of disposal certainly depends much upon surrounding 

 circumstances, and no hard and fast rule can 

 be laid down ; but speaking from experience I 

 should say that private bargains, when they can be 

 made, are generally satisfactory. Beyond the mere 

 question of expense, another great drawback 

 to auction sales, especially when divided into 

 small lots, is the number of different purchasers who, 

 by buying a lot or two, obtain access to a place. 

 Some I know look upon this as a gain, on the ground 

 that the timber is more readily cleared. This, so 

 far as it goes, may be true, but it is far more easy to 

 control the operations of one or two respectable mer- 

 chants than of a whole host of small traders. This 

 is much more important than the saving of a few 

 weeks in clearing, as large buyers are almost always 

 ready to meet the wishes of sellers iu moving what 

 is most in the way and at the proper seasons. 

 Where there are game preserves, for instance, it is 

 very convenient to arrange matters in this way. 



When, however, an auction is decided on, care 

 should be taken that the conditions of sale are care- 

 fully framed, as by this precaution the evil of the 

 variety of customers, may, to some extent, be 

 minimised. These conditions will, of course, vary 

 according to the necessities of the case, and whether 

 the timber is standing or felled. I will take, for 

 example two different estates, in which the sales are 

 treated in different ways. In both cases the trees 

 are standing, but in the first the vendor reserves to 

 himself the felling, the purchaser having the option 

 of sending a man to look after his interest if he desires 

 it. In the other, the more general plan of allowing 

 the purchaser to bear the expense is followed. The 

 conditions stated are, that in the hedgerows the trees 



may be sawn off, and the stools left, but the pur- 

 chaser has to replace any earth removed, and make 

 good the fences. All trees standing in the open fields 

 or park lands to be rooted up. 



In the case of the hedgerows, it would no doubt 

 be better if the roots were out of the way, and the 

 banks made good and replanted. The cost of this, 

 however, is relatively very heavy, and if insisted 

 upon would make a corresponding loss on the pro- 

 ceeds of the sale. On the whole it is wise, unless in 

 special cases, to allow the purchasers the option of 

 sawing off all trees which are not actually in the 

 open. 



Priuate Treaty Sales. — As I have pointed out above, 

 this is the way of selling I most favour. There are, of 

 course, many persons who think otherwise, and argue 

 that when competition is done away with sellers do 

 not get a full price. This objection really amounts to 

 but little, as buyers are perfectly aware that it is 

 easy to have an auction if the seller so elects. The 

 real reason of the majority of auctions is the lack of 

 knowledge on the part of the seller and his agent of 

 what the particular lot they have to offer is worth. 

 It is not surprising that they should be in doubt, as 

 their practice is so small. A much cheaper plan, 

 however, than an auction would be to secure the 

 services of a capable valuer who would fix upon a 

 price. The merchant could then either accept or re- 

 fuse. It would not be often that business did not 

 result. 



Selling when Felled. — I have hitherto dwelt entirely 

 upon selling standing, and this is becoming more and 

 more common. In felling before selling, the owner 

 is at the mercy of the market, as the timber must be 

 disposed of in some way within a limited time. The 

 exact contents of a felled tree can of course be more 

 easily found than the contents of a standing one, but 

 the difference is not at all in proportion to the extra 

 trouble and cost. D. J. Yeo, Lyneham, Wilts. 



Plants and Their Culture. 



Josticia speciosa. — The bright carmine-coloured 

 flowers of this plant, although not thought much 

 of when cut, are in the winter of much decorative 

 value. Any plants which were grown in cool 

 frames in summer, and will now be in an inter- 

 mediate-house, will be showing the colour of their 

 flowers in the order in which they were last stopped. 

 When wanted at an early date a little more warmth 

 will bring them on, and it will be found that the 

 flowers and foliage will be improved by weak liquid 

 manure afforded the plants at regular intervals. 

 Fumigate slightly if greenfly appears, or syringe 

 with weak tobacco solution. After they have flowered, 

 unless kept for some little time and partially rested, 

 it is better to throw them away, young plants being 

 easily raised. When old plants can be accommo- 

 dated they will, when reintroduced into heat at a 

 later period, flower again freely. Of course, if 

 desired the plant may be rapidly grown into a large 

 specimen, but large specimens are not generally so 

 serviceable as small ones. The late struck plants 

 should be repotted as soon as they require it ; for if 

 deferred too long the bottom leaves drop off. Any 

 light rich soil suits the plant, and while growing 

 keep the plants near the glass. 



Laohenalias and other bulbous plants should now 

 be growing where they may get all the light and sun- 

 shine possible. These and other small growers do 

 very well in the greenhouse on shelves near the roof. 

 Cyrtanthus enjoys a few degrees more warmth 

 than others, and as the plants are small, they would 

 be likely to suffer if placed amongst stronger 

 growers. Even such large bulbs as those of Albuca, 

 Ornithogalum, Hiemanthus, Crinum Moorei, Bruns- 

 vigia, soon get into bad health when crowded or 

 shaded by other plants. Be careful not to over- 

 water any bulbous species not in vigorous growth. 



Cinerarias. — Those showing flower should be care- 

 fully examined for aphides, and if any traces be found, 

 slight fumigation must be done at once. The best 

 practice is to fumigate for two or three nights 

 in succession, and see that the foliage is dry. 

 On the morning after the last fumigation, if the 



