December 21, 1871. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENBE. 



485 



hairs. It comes from warm parts of Mexico, and in winter 

 should be placed in the stove. 



N. TLArENS. — An elegant plant, perhaps better known as 

 N. chrysophylla, but as the trne N. ehrysophylla is not yet in 

 cultivation, the name is erroneous. Strictly speaking, I prefer 

 placing it in the genus Cincinalis, but have retained it here 

 for the sake of uniformity. The fronds are tripinnate, 9 or 

 10 inches high, supported upon slender black footstalks ; pinnje 

 distant, somewhat cordate, deep green above, covered below 

 with a rich golden farinose powder. It requires stove heat, but 

 should never be syringed. Native of South America. 



N. NivEA. — This is another most elegant species, similar in 

 habit to the preceding, and, like it, should be placed in the 

 genus Cincinalis. It differs from N. flavens in having the 

 under side of the pinnaa covered with a snow-white farinose 

 powder, making it a superb companion for the last-named kind, 

 as it requires exactly the same treatment. It comes from 

 South America. 



GYMNOGRAMMA. ■ 



This is the best known, and consequently the most popular 

 genus of Gold and Silver Ferns. The species here named are 

 similar in general culture, therefore I shall not attempt to 

 describe each separately. They grow from 12 to 30 inches high, 

 in some instances mors, with elegant bipinnate fronds. The 

 kinds I name all require stove heat ; some of them are rather 

 delicate during winter, and require to be carefully kept from 

 dampness upon the fronds. The soil which I prefer for them is 

 peat and sand, with just a sprinkling of light loam. Although 

 potted in such compost they require frequent and careful water- 

 ing, therefore drain the pots well that no stagnant water may 

 remain about the roots ; above all, never use the syringe, 

 otherwise the appearance of these usually beautiful plants will 

 be utterly spoiled, through the farinose powder with which the 

 under sides of their fronds are covered becoming splashed and 

 dashed over the whole surface, and it is this brilliant powder 

 which is their great attraction. 



The following are the inost attractive kinds in cultivation. 

 G. calomelanos, silver. G. Pearoei, silver. G. peruviana ar- 

 gyrophylla, silvery on both surfaces. G. pulchella, silvery. 

 G. tartarea, silvery white. G. Wettenhslliana, silvery white 

 on both surfaces, with tasselled fronds. G. chrysophylla, rich 

 gold. G. chrysophylla Parsonsii, rich golden, with tasselled 

 fronds. G. Parsonsii gigantea, a very large and grand form of 

 the preceding. G. Laucheana, a larger and freer-growing plant 

 than G. chrysophylla. G. L'Herminieri, a somewhat rare 

 plant, light golden yellow, very beautiful. G. sulphurea, an 

 elegant small-growing species, delicately dusted with sulphur 

 yellow. 



ONYCHIUM. 



0. AUKATUM. — This belongs to a small genus, and is far too 

 little known. It is a stove plant with much-divided fronds, the 

 segments being narrow and very graceful. The upper side of 

 the fronds is bright green, and the fruiting fronds are of a 

 golden yellow on the under side ; this arises from the indusium 

 being of that colour, and as it is very large in proportion to the 

 size of the pinnules, it nearly covers the entire under surface 

 with its rich colour. It is a good exhibition plant, and is well 

 adapted for cutting. It succeeds best in a mixture of about 

 equal parts of loam, peat, and sand. Native of the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



CYATHEA. 



C. DEALBiTA. — With this plant, the Silver Tree Fern of New 

 Zealand, I shall draw my brief remarks to a close. It is 

 undoubtedly the most beautiful species of the whole family of 

 Cyathea, forming a fine stem, which supports a large feathery 

 head of fronds, which are bright green above and silvery white 

 below. It grows admirably in a cool house, and I have little 

 doubt but in some sheltered dells in the southern and south- 

 western counties it would stand in the open air. For soil it 

 requires peat and loam in about equal parts, with a liberal 

 addition of river sand, and it will bear the syringe to be used 

 upon it, as the beauty of the under part of the fronds is not 

 easily removed. — Expeeto Ceede. 



LATE RIVERS PLUM. 

 The culture of a numerous collection of young fruit trees is 

 a work of much interest. The vigour and habit of a pyramidal 

 Late Elvers Plum, planted last autumn, are so good as to be 

 worthy of mention. This tree when it came into my hands 

 was already well furnished with shoots, and when these were 

 shortened for planting it measured nearly 6 feet high. It is 



now a picture of health, being nearly 12 feet high and 9 feet 

 in diameter at its base ; all the leading shoots from the base 

 upwards bristle with stout little laterals, and the leading shoot 

 of nearly 6 feet is as well furnished. I have not seen enough 

 of the fruit to enable me to form an opinion, but I believe it 

 is a valuable late kind. Certainly the growth of this tree 

 greatly surpasses that of several other varieties of Plum 

 planted near it in precisely similar soil, and attended to during 

 the season with equal care. — Edwaed Luckhuest. 



ELECTION OF THE ROSES— GLADIOLUS 

 FAILURES. 



Many thanks for giving us the result of the Rose poli. I 

 quite concur with the eminent rosarians who have placed the 

 first eight in the positions they hold ; yet I rather wonder that 

 Princess Christian is unmentioned. I think I should have 

 voted some of my favourite Teas into a higher position. I 

 sought in vain for Madame Falcot, Eubens, and Moiret. In 

 some letters which I have seen in the Journal the following 

 remarks have been made and questions asked. First I am 

 glad to say that on the Manetti stock Louis Van Hontte has 

 with me shown no want of vigour ; on the contrary, it has 

 been quite as strong as any other dark Rose I have except 

 Pierre Netting. Marie Baumann has not been so strong as 

 Alfred Colomb, but on the Ms-iietti stock has done well ; it has 

 failed entirely on the Briar, while Alfred Colomb has been best 

 on that stock. I find Madame Margottiu very vigorous both 

 on the Briar and Manetti ; I think it a first-rate Tea. With 

 regard to Homere, I consider it as hardy as Gloire de Dijon, 

 and very vigorous on both stocks ; it should, however, be dis- 

 budded if good flowers are wished for. 



A correspondent some weeks ago mentioned L'Enfant TrouvS 

 and Madame William as identical ; now I grant that the flowers 

 are very similar, but the wood and habit are very dissimilar. 

 L'Enfant Trouvfi has weak wood more like Nareisse, and creeps 

 along the ground ; Madame William is much more vigorous, 

 and throws up its trusses well over the foliage. 



I have this year seven hundred Teas in the open ground ; if 

 they stand the winter we seem likely to have there will na 

 longer be any question as to hardiness. 



Last year I spoke in favour of Early Rose Potato. This 

 year I must retract all I said. This wet season it is useless — 

 much diseased, and the sound tubers uneatable. 



I have this autumn, during the first and second weeks of 

 September, picked dishes of Strawberries, second crop, from 

 Vicomtesse HSrioart de Thnry. 



Will Mr. Dombrain, Mr. Douglas, or some other grower of 

 the Gladiolus, tell me whether bulbs which have not succeeded 

 this season will be of any use next ? I bought a hundred bulbs 

 from one of our greatest English growers ; I treated them most 

 liberally, and gave them all the attention I could, but I had 

 not a decent spike in the lot. I blamed the bulbs, the vendor 

 blamed the soil. I have taken great pains in preparing a bed 

 for this year ; now what I want to know is. If the bulbs were 

 ever good, will they recover; and may I expect good spikes this 

 year ? — Stiff Soil, Somerset. 



LAPAGERIA ALBA. 



On referring to some of the back numbers of this Journal, I 

 noticed the directions given to a correspondent, " T. H.," for 

 sowing the seed of Lapageria alba (see vol. xx., page 168). L 

 trust he has been successful in his attempts to increase the 

 stock of that truly beautiful plant, at present so small as com- 

 pared to that of the rose-coloured Lapageria. 



We have two plants which, after flowering profusely in the. 

 autumn of 1870, set one pod of seed each. These ripened early 

 last summer, and there were eighty- three seeds in each pod. The 

 flrst lot of seeds was sown on the 2nd of June, in a pan, which 

 I thought more convenient than single pots on account of the 

 less space it would occupy. The first signs of germination 

 were noticed at the end of a month, and in a few days upwards 

 of fifty seedlings were to be seen. On June 19th the produce 

 of the other pod was sown in a similar manner, but only fifteen 

 seeds germinated. As soon as the seedlings were large enough 

 to handle they were placed in small pots, and are now nice 

 little plants, many of them breaking froni the base, all that 

 is now required being time and the patience requisite to test 

 their qualities. 



Those who are fortunate enough to possess this lovely gem 

 will be amply repaid for bestowing on it a little extra eare and 



