June I, 1912. J 



THE GARDENERS CHRONICLE 



367 









Chalk-loving Plants. — The much debated 

 subject of the significance of chalk-frequenting 

 and chalk-shy plants is discussed by Professor 

 Kraus in a recent work. He reaches the conclu- 

 sion that the facts that certain plants are found 

 habitually in chalky soil, and that others as fre- 

 <ju ntly shun such a soil, are not due to any 

 direct effect of calcium carbonate on the plants. 



Kraus suggests that chalk 



of umoire of 



plays 

 distribution 



Professor 



the part of umpire of plant 



reason of the effects which the pre- 



calcium carbonate produce on the 



by 



sence of 



physical condition of the soiL This view 



HYBRID SAXIFRAGA. 



Hybrid Saxifrages, both in the encrusted and 

 mossy sections, are now so numerous that they 

 have largely supplanted the wild types in gar- 

 dens. S. cochlearis is a most variable plant, 

 there being in cultivation three well-marked 

 forms, one, known as the type, with medium- 

 sized rosettes, S. cochlearis var. major, which 

 is much larger in all its parts,, and S. coch- 

 learis var. minor, a diminutive variety of 

 graceful habit, which has recently been raised 

 by one authority to specific rank under the name 

 of S. Probynii. S. lantoseana, usually classed 

 as a variety of S. lingulata, is a plant* of great 



{Photograph by W. Irving 



Fig. 178. 



HYBRID SAXIFRAGA (s. COCHLEARIS X S. LANTOSCANa) : 

 ^LOWERS WHITE WITH PINK SPOTTING. 







though it requires further precision before it 

 may be regarded as fully satisfactory, accounts 

 for the known fact that chalk-loving plants are 

 to be found in soils which lack this substance. 

 Professor Kraus cites in this connection such 

 genera as Pulsatilla. Conversely, Calluna and 

 Vaccinium, which generally shun chalky soils, 



»ve been met with in soils containing as much 

 as 3 per cent, of chalk. The last-mentioned ob- 

 servation has also been made by observers in this 

 country, for, as shown recently in a contribution 



« the N ew Phytologist, Calluna occurs 

 Patches on the chalky downs of Berkshire. 



in 



beauty, with silverv rosettes of leaves and arch- 

 ing inflorescences, having all the flowers on the 

 upper side. The hybrid illustrated in fig. 17b is 

 from a cross between S. cochlearis and 8. lanto- 

 scana : it has the habit of the first-named species, 

 being upright and freely branching, with the 

 larger flowers of the other species. The flowers 

 are white, with a few pink spots and lines near 

 the base of the petals, while the leaves are in- 

 termediate in character, being not quite so 

 spatulate as in S. cochlearis. .0**™*°™™* 

 and graceful habit, the hybrid should prove a 

 welcome acquisition for the rock garden even 

 although well over 200 distinct members of the 

 m . m <%<iYifraere are grown in gardens, n. 1. 



HOME CORRESPONDENCE 



(The Editors do not hold themselves responsible for 

 th* opinions expressed by correspondents.) 



Exotic Forest Trees.— I regret if I have 



put a wrong construction upon G. W.*9 note, 

 and I willingly accept his explanation that hi* 

 warning was directed only against planting large 

 areas with exotics whereof the behaviour in this 

 country has not been sufficiently tested. But lb 

 this usually done? I onlv know of three in- 

 stances in Scotland, all of which have proved 

 highly successful. The oldest of these is the 

 Larch forest at Dunkeld. The second Duke of 

 Atholl brought the first Larches to Scotland 

 about the year 1724; before he died in 1764 he 

 had planted 20,000 acres with the new tree. 

 Next is the forest of Sitka Spruce at Durris in 

 Aberdeenshire. This species was introduced by 



in 1831; does G. H". consider that we 

 have not waited long enough to testify confidence 

 in it as an unrivalled timber producer on wet, 

 cold soils? The last example is the 2,000 acres of 

 Thuya and Douglas Fir forest at Benmore. G. W. 

 writes slightingly of this "because it is only 35 

 years old ; but Thuya gigantea was only brought 

 to this country in 1854. If ho pays Benmore a 

 visit he will not entertain much apprehension of 

 red rot attacking such vigorous growth as he 

 will behold. Can G. W. cite any other instance* 

 where largo areas — 1,000 acres and upwards 

 have been planted unsuccessfully with untried 

 exotics? G. W. explains that he did not com- 

 plain of Douglas Fir producing coarse timber, 

 but because tne wood was full of knots. But 

 that is precisely what the merchant classifies as 

 coarse timber. Herbert Maxwell, Monreith. 



Douglas 



Jamesia americana.— In an open clearing to 

 the front of the shrubbery border Jamesia 

 americana is about to flower. Although quite 

 hardy, the plant is not generally cultivated; 

 yet a flowering group of half-a-dozen specimens 

 is very beautiful. The small flowers are white 

 and freely produced, for each upright terminal 

 cluster may contain as many as 100 flowers. The 

 growths which are produced simultaneously 

 with the inflorescence should be pinched or 

 removed entirely, the better to display the 

 blooms. The plant succeeds best in a light 

 soil, and after flowering should be afforded 

 a good mulch to help to build up vigorous 

 flowering growth for the following year. ^ It 

 forms a compact bush 3 feet or so in height 

 which, when defoliated, has the appearance of 

 a bundle of withered twigs ; one might wonder 

 if such unpromising looking material would 

 a lin show signs of life. Fred. W. Je/fery, 

 Woodend Gardens, Renfrewshire. 



Mr. 



Forcing Strawberries.— In reply to 

 W. H. Kent (see p. 304), I agree that his method 

 is one of the best ways of storing and resting 



Assuming that the plants 



during the 



o 



crowns 



a rest. 



extending 



still 



for 



A 



Strawberries in pots. 

 have made good plump 

 growing season, they require 

 maintain, from an experience 

 60 years, that such a rest is necessary 

 layer of ashes (ashes are best) or sand should be 

 placed between each two layers of pots. If the 

 soil is wet when the plants are stored the latter 

 will not receive any injury during the time they 

 are at rest. The ashes will keep the pots at 

 about an equal degree of moisture throughout. 

 About the middle of January is a good time to 

 place the first batch of pots in cold pits, on 

 boards to keep th£m from ^ rooting into the 

 earth, and they should remain for about three 

 weeks with th» lights over them. Admit plenty 

 of air. After that time, successional batches 

 may be placed in the frames fortnightly. It is a 

 good plan to set the pots on pieces of turf, in 

 which the roots will penetrate. Thomas Godfrey. 



Rhododendron Falconeri. — I enclose 



herewith a truss of the fine Rhododendron 

 Falconeri for your inspection. The plant from 

 which it was cut measures fully 18 feet in height 

 and the same in diameter ; it is in perfect health, 

 being literally covered with bloom, forming a 

 beautiful sight. It occupies a position amongst 

 other species on a slope facing south-east. M. 

 C haunt, Vaynor Park Gardens, Berriew. [A 

 fine inflorescence accompanied this note. — Eds.} 





