742 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
(June 15, 1895, 
APPOINTMENTS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. 
MEETINGS. 
“THURSDAY, June 20—Linnean Society. 
FRIDAY, JUNE 21—Royal Botanic Society, Lecture. 
SHOWS. 
York need (3 4 
WEDNESDAY, June 19} Re Royal — Society, Musical 
— 
SALES. 
Unreserved Sale of the —— 
= 1 — Stove an 
Greenhous for med — 
18 the late Ed. * Es of Spring- 
field Dukes, * near 
Chelmsford, & 
Morris. 
ROB 
“TUESDAY, JUNE 
Imported and Established Orchids, 
FRIDAY, Junu 244 at Protheroe & Morris’ Rooms. 
CORRECTED AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR THE ENSU- 
ING WEEK, DEDUCED FROM THE OBSERVATIONS 
OF FORTY-THREE YEARS, AT CHISWICK.— 61°.4. 
As many of our readers may be 
aware, a controversy, not remark- 
able for amenity, has been carried 
on recently in the columns of Nature as to the 
origin of the florists’ Cineraria. On the one 
hand, it is asserted that Senecio cruenta, and 
Senecio cruenta alone, was the parent of the 
existing forms. On the other it is contended that 
the Cineraria as we now know it, had a complex 
origin, and was the result of a crossing o 
crossings between Senecio (or Cineraria) cruenta 
and various other species. One controversialist 
relies upon historical evidence, the other brushes 
it away as of no validity. Unfortunately the 
origin of the Cineraria, in of date, lies 
outside the memory of most of those still living, 
so that little or no personal testimony is avail- 
able, and the written records are, to say the least, 
conflicting. The points in dispute, we may add, 
could easily be settled at Kew, or in some 
other of our botanic gardens, by a few ex- 
periments in cross - fertilising the various 
species, These experiments could be made with 
due precautions against 
records 
of accuracy, the want of both which undoubtedly 
invalidates the entire trustworthiness of some, at 
The Origin of 
the Cineraria. 
* 
whether what we call species (whatever we may 
mean) may arise from cross-breeding and selec- 
tion, or from selection only. 
It is, we think, unfortunate that the Cineraria 
elopm 
have been keenly watched by the present gene- 
ration, and the records of which are certainly 
mot to be dismissed as the ancient history so 
lightly considered by one of the disputants, 
In any case, we believe that students of evolu- 
tion have at their disposal a vast mass of infor- 
an tice, 
and which, when duly winnowed, and “ correc- 
tion” applied for inevitable errors, will be found 
of the greatest value. Cultivators, wee 
within certain limitations, have been 
At the re a Mr. DYER, we now publish 
the following communication, and shall probably 
have some further information to offer on the 
who believe in the single origin of the 
Cineraria, 
R writes:“ The recent discussion 
on this subject has been notioed in the Gar- 
deners’ Chronicle, I should be glad therefore to 
a tke inclosed article, printed as long ago as 
27 [1826], reproduced. James DRUMMOND, 
5 author, was both a competent botanist and 
gardener, The original is accompanied by cha- 
racteristic figures of the species concerned. 
appears to me pretty conclusive historical 
evidence that the garden Cineraria originated 
from C. cruenta, and from nothing else, a view 
more than once stated in these pages by others 
to Mr. Niczolsox, the 
Curator of the Royal Gardens, for i my 
attention to Mr. Drummonn’s paper.“ W. T. 
n e Gardens, Kew. 
orm, ss 
great favourites with me, and e the C. 
eruenta; for besides the great beauty and variety in 
the flowers of the latter species, it produces them in 
the months of December, January, and February, 
when it has but few rivals in the greenhouse; and in 
the months of March and April its fine purple 
blossoms form a beautiful contrast with the Acacia 
ee ee lants of that class; and, in my 
opinion it surpasses even the Hawthorn in the 
fragrance 2 its flowers; yet, bare some cause or 
eas we seldom see it cultivated to the extent it 
ould the following esac of the method 
1 508 followed al some years of gr 
ppear to you 
2 
cruenta, the effects of which will, in all probability, 
be the production of fine double and single varie- 
tier, of different colours, as it sports greatly from 
se 
“ Except in cases when it becomes desirable to pre- 
serve any particular variety for its superior beauty, 
I prefer raising the C. cruenta every year from 
seeds, which the plant rfects with 
in 
the months of April and May. Care sae be 
OT to select the finest varieties. ose 
hat produce the largest and finest heads or or eon. 
a flowers. The p 
ripening their seed, as the flowers retain their beauty 
until the very day the seeds are scattered with the 
wind, a remarkable and valuable property 5 this 
fine y 
as they wo or three 
es, I plant them singly in pots of the smallest 
size, sage shift them, as I find they require it, into 
larger ones, giving them the same soil and treatment 
I 2 young Balsams. ctober 1, if the 
plants have been we ed uring the 
aide’ og! will fill pots 9 inches in diameter, and 
gp Bethe a da flower-stalks from the centre 
her matters, which I find of great 
orymbs reach a foot 
Such varieties of C, 
or 18 inches in diameter, 
think worth preserving for more than 
cruenta as I 
DDP 
one season, I cut down about the end of May, and 
place the pots on a dry shelf in the greenhouse, mp. 
plying them very sparingly with water. About 
lst of August ~~ ates dividing the roots, and 
treating them in oth eapects as I do 
plants, but they rarely Baie the size they do the 
first year from see 
The other 8 species of Cineraria I cenit. 
vate are lanata, hybrida, geifolia, and Ree 
tiled I increase by cuttings, planted a 
summer, and treated in other as dal 
being to have a few plants of each in 
To have them in 
a 
mes , Cork 
Octo ber 18, 1826” “(in the * G 
Magazine,” vol. ii., pp. 153-154). 
HABENARIA BONMATEA.— Our illustration (fig: 
112, p. 743), gives a representation of the singular 
ich is occasionally seen in 
ordinary greenhouse, are 
in its favour as a des irable. ‘erie 
ectary is in close approximation Ə ovary, 
and of the three anterior lobes of the üp the lateral 
ones are somewhat tubular, while the central one is 
even more so, forming a sort of nectary. 
all three lobes have an appearance like that of the 
true nectary, which is also a process from the lip, 
Habenaria Bonatea is a native of South Africa, and 
its culture is similar to that required by Disa 997 
ial Orchids. 
DER 
exhibited by * at the Royal H 
Society. i 
LINNEAN SOCIETY.—Oa the occasion of the, 
evening meeting, to be held on Thursday, Jane 2, 
at 8 r. M., papers will be read: I. On some Ni 
American Desmidiæ, by Wrtrram and G. 8. West; 
II. “On the Structure of the Isopod Genus Ouro- 
zeuktes, Milne-Edw.” By A. VAUGHAN JENNINGS, 
— 5 III. A Revision 9 the Genus Silene,” by 
F. N. Wruams, F. L. S., &c.; and IV. “ The Egg 
Cases of Port Jackson Sharka” by E. R. Warm. 
— At the meeting held on agror ay 
confirme d, the 
Messrs. J. G. Baker, F. case 
P. Stapen, Mr. B. B. 
many years to establish a garden at ddleburg 
for economic plants, exhibited specimens to show 
the excellence and completeness of his e 
tions, 
— We are requested to state that the 
of the members of the above Society will ‘asa d 
on Monday, July 22, in the form of 8 visit d ve 
gardens and grounds of Burford ee 
residence of Sir Trevor LAWREN 
the Vice-Presidents of the pp 
NEWCASTLE no, District HORT! 
MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT SocieTY.—The roe 
meeting of this Society was held on — 
at their room, 25, te Road 
good attendance, and Mr. * i 
G pied the chair, Mr. J, Hon 
orial Hospital, i 
adding interest to his re 
mens, A warm pt Nr 
of the members took part. 
THE NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM sooer 3 
CULTURAL. 
