January 13, 1912.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



19 



THE BULB GARDEN. 



LILIUM SULPHUREUM. 



Lilium sulphureum is a handsome species, 

 native of the higher regions of Burma. The har- 

 diness of the plant has from time to time been 

 doubted, but the accompanying illustration (see 

 fig 14) shows a group planted two years ago in 

 a Northamptonshire garden, and afforded normal 



conditions of cultivation. 



Grown at Cheddar in quantity, and in all sizes 

 ranging from one-year bulblets to mature speci- 

 mens, it is a plant of great promise, and I can 

 recommend it to all who will give it the necessary 

 .attention at the start. 



It is necessary to remove from imported bulbs 

 dried and damaged outer scales; pot the bulbs 

 and start them into growth in a temperate heat 

 and plant them in the open garden, say, when 

 the st?ms are 6 inches high. 



The first season's flowers will be good, but late 

 in developing, and laggard plants may not de- 

 velop all their flowers if the autumn is unusually 

 ■cold, but the next season's growth is a month 

 ■earlier, and each subsequent year's growth de- 

 Telops earlier still ; the end of August being the 



species of Magnolia would be enhanced in effect 

 in the autumn season by a sprinkling of these 



Lilies amongst them. 



All Lilies, save those of the cup -flowered race, 

 should have an environment 

 shrubs. 



and modern times, who have in various climes 

 and in diverse toneues dealt with 



vege- 



of low-growing 



table culture in every way. The names of 95 

 kinds of vegetables appear in the index, and 

 among these numerous headings are articles on 

 the Garlick, Artichoke, Asparagus, Beet, Carrot, 



Last season at Heligan, in Cornwall, a beauti- Chervil, Endive, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Spinach, 

 ful floral scene was provided by grouping L. Bean, Lettuce, Turnip, Onion, Parsnip, Leek, 



sulphureum amongst broad rifts of Hydrangea 

 paniculata grandiflora, whilst a further good 

 combination in another section of this grand gar- 

 den was Lilium tigrinum Fortunei and the lesser 

 Rhododendrons. 



Lilium sulphureum does not develop the disease 

 which is common w T ith the Japanese species L. 

 auratum. It is a long-lived plant, and given 

 genial soil and suroundings, should continue to 

 flower for many years. George B. 

 Cheddar. 



Pea, Potato, Radish, and Witloof. 



Mallett, 



NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



History of Vegetables.* 



For 



many years past M. Gibault, the 

 Librarian of the National Horticultural Society 

 of France, has been a contributor to the French 



A New Encyclop/edia.* 



Those who want an inexpensive epitome of 

 gardening may purchase this new volume of 

 " Every Man's Library." Manifestly, it would be 

 not quite fair to subject the contents of an ency- 

 clopaedia at Is. to a severe analysis, especially 

 when the author introduces it to his readers as 

 " a guide to the culture of popular plants and to 

 garden practice/* and who assures them that 

 " the term " " popular plants " has a real mean- 

 ing in my mind." Bulbs, the flower-garden, 

 fruit, the greenhouse, and the kitchen garden are 

 treated in a more comprehensive manner than 

 other items. But the exigencies of space have 

 caused the writer to treat of even these in very 

 brief manner. Familiar names are absent from 

 the book, lists of varieties are abbreviated exces- 

 sively, and we are left to wonder why, instead 

 of one volume, the promoters did not see fit to 

 give the author a free hand and make this only 

 an instalment of a better proportioned work. 

 li. P. B. 



FlG. 14. — LILIUM SULPHUREUM IN A NORTHAMPTONSHIRE GARDEN. 



earliest period for the general display. Home- horticultural Press chiefly on matters relating to 

 grown bulbs with thick, unblemished scales and the historical, literary, and antiquarian side of 

 stout, white roots need no preparation, and may 

 be planted directly they are received in the places 

 allotted to them. 



horticulture, and in this respect he has probably 

 no rival in Europe. 



IRIS SUSIANA. 



The accompanying illustration (fig. 15) shows 

 Iris susiana flowering splendidly, and affords an 

 idea of what might be gained if some means could 

 be found of satisfying the requirements of the 

 other oncocyclus Irises. Unfortunately, the diffi- 

 culty in England lies chiefly in the climate, which 

 induces the rhizomes to make fresh growths in 

 autumn, only to do its best to destroy them in 

 winter. It is for this reason that, if lasting suc- 

 cess in the cultivation of oncocyclus Irises is to 

 be obtained, there is the greatest chance of 

 obtaining it by growing them in a position such 

 as that in which these specimens of I. susiana 

 are flourishing ; that is to say, where they have 

 the shelter and warmth of a greenhouse wall. 

 Moreover, in such a position it is comparatively 

 easy in summer to arrange some sort of roof over 

 the plants, so that they can be kept dry and their 

 rhizomes thoroughly ripened. 



This covering in summer is perhaps less essen- 

 tial in the case of I. susiana than in that of any 

 of its kind, for in some dry positions it has been 

 known to flourish and flower for several years in 

 succession. This greater amenability to cultiva- 

 tion is probably due to the fact that I. susiana 

 has been in cultivation in Western Europe since 

 the latter half of the 16th century, when it was 

 first brought from Constantinople to Vienna. At 

 the present day it is largely grown in market 

 gardens in the South of France, and its cut 



Shelter from strong winds, a fairly rich, deep 

 soil, and, if possible, a carpeting plant, such as 



Lysimachia aurea or Lythrum virgatum, are prac- immense amount of information from the very 

 tically all their cultural needs. My finest plants earliest times to the present on the subjects with 



which he deals. The references, historical, 

 etymological, and even archaeological, represent 

 long years of labour and patient skill in collat- 

 ing them. 



The volume under notice professes to be a his- flowers sold in the bud state, in which they 

 tory of vegetables, but it is a great deal more, 

 for the author has packed into each chapter an 



this year reached a height of 7 feet to 8 feet, 

 but in less tropical summers they have grown 

 even taller. The stems are exceedingly graceful, 

 and bear flowers varying in number from two to 



The flowers average from 10 inches to 12 







/> 



six. 



inches in length, are funnel-shaped, brushed with 

 dull carmine or light purple on their exteriors, 

 and flushed and suffused pale chrome-yellow inter- 

 nally. The fragrance of the blossoms is delicious, 



and the poise of the inflorescence is exceedingly 

 graceful. 



Where shrubberies are brightened by rift 

 openings filled with low-growing flowering shrubs, 

 this Lily may be grouped in such rifts in splen- 

 did environment. Groups of Rhododendrons, 

 Azaleas, Kalmias, Andromedas and the dwarfer 



It is doubtful if M. Gibault has left anything 

 unsaid that deserves to be said on the subject, 

 and as a work of reference the Histoire des 

 Legumes is bound to take a prominent place. All 

 well-known vegetables are dealt with, and in 

 addition there is a chapter at the end that treats 

 of vegetables that are no longer used for 

 culinary purposes. M. Gibault lays under con- 

 tribution the classical authors who have written 

 on gardening, beside many other of mediaeval 



* Histoire des Ligumes, by Georges Gibault. (Librairie 

 Horticole, Paris.) Five francs. 



travel well. 



It is unfortunate for us that this partial accli- 

 matisation has only been carried out in the case 

 of I. susiana, which is perhaps the least pleasing 

 of all the oncocyclus Irises. The flowers are of 

 great size, it is true, but the colouring of black 

 purple veins and dots on a grey-white ground is 

 somewhat sombre. 



The native habitat of I. susiana is unknown, 

 so far as I am aware. It is not improbably con- 

 fined to a small area, and it may even be that the 

 species no longer exists in the wild state. Many of 

 the other oncocyclus species appear to be ex- 

 tremely local in their distribution, and there is no 

 small danger that ruthless collection by the trade 

 dealers may result in their extermination. W. B. 

 Dykes, Charterhouse, Godalming. 



* An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Gardening, by Walter 

 P. Wright, (London: J. M. Dent & Sons. Ltd.) Price 

 Is, Aet, 



.1 



