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JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



[ August 11, 1870. 



In Nepenthes Hookeriana and N. Rafflesiana an extrordinary altera- 

 tion in the form of the pitcher takes place as the plants attain height. 

 Thus, the leaves -which are near the base, and the lateral growths, 

 prodnce pitchers broad at the base, broadly winged in front, with 

 ciliated hairs at the edges, and the long petiole is attached in front, 

 and passes up between the wings. But in the pitchers produced higher 

 np the stem a wonderful alteration takes place : the petiole is attached 

 behind, the pitcher becomes narrow at the base, and the wings entirely 

 disappear. To the cause of this alteration of form I have utterly 

 failed to obtain the slightest clue, and I should be extremely glad to 

 hear the opinion of any gentlemen present who may have given some 

 attention to the subject. 



The species of Nepenthes appear to be entirely confined to the Old 

 "World, and chiefly find their homes in the islands of the Indian Archi- 

 pelago, where they grow in boggy soil at considerable elevations — in- 

 deed, in some instances up to 9000 feet — the mountain of Kina Balou, 

 in Borneo, appearing to be their head-quarters. Two specieB (N. cris- 

 tata and M. madagascariensis) are found in Madagascar ; the Philip- 

 pine Islands also produce one or two species, which, however, are not 

 peculiar to them, and one Epecies (N. gymnophora), which grows plen- 

 tifully in Java and several other islands, is also found in New Cale- 

 donia. Another species (N. phyllamphora) is said to grow on the 

 Ehasia Hills, at an elevation of some 3000 feet, and this is probably 

 the extreme northern limit of the genus. 



Few people have had the pleasure of raising Nepenthes from seeds, 

 and this brings me to my principal object in writing these remarks ; 

 for as there are a quantity of grand species yet to be introduced, a few 

 of which I have already named, and as it is not generally known that 

 the seeds of these plants do not long retain their vitality, I wish to 

 impress upon the minds of any and all who are either about to pro- 

 ceed to the countries they inhabit, or who may have friends resident 

 there, the absolute necessity there is that seeds should be sent home 

 by post as soon as gathered ; and I wish our home cultivators to 

 remember that these seeds should be sown immediately upon arrival, 

 irrespective of the season. It has been my good fortune, during the 

 course of my gardening experience, to raise young plants of N. dis- 

 tillatoria both from home-grown and imported seeds, and I may safely 

 say the pleasurable feelings created in watching their curious leaves 

 unfold, far surpassed that derived from the growth of any other seed- 

 lings, but at the same time, the doubts, hopes, and fears for their wel- 

 fare were equally increased. 



Under the impression that an account of my system of raising these 

 seeds may be of service to some, I shall in concluding this paper offer 

 a few remarks on that subject. The seeds having been obtained, take 

 a well-drained seed pan or pans, and fill up to within an inch or two 

 of the top with a mixture of peat and Sphagnum moss in equal parts, 

 adding a little silver sand to keep it sweet. Upon this the seeds should 

 be sprinkled, and not covered with soil. This may seem wrong to 

 those obtaining the seeds for the first time, because they will appear to 

 be large, but, if examined, they will be found to be in reality very 

 small, and enclosed in a long loose tunic-like covering, which is evi- 

 dently a provision of Nature to float the minute seed to a safe position 

 for its germination. This loose coat also serves to protect the roots 

 during the early stage of existence, for it is some time after germina- 

 tion before roots are protruded from the tunic. The seeds having 

 heen sown, the pan must be either covered with a bell-glass, and 

 plunged into a bottom heat of about S0° or S5°, or what is better, the 

 seed pans should be placed in a small close frame, where this heat can 

 be maintained. In this temperature they should begin to germinate 

 in the course of a month or five weeks ; and it is very curious to 

 observe that the very first leaf which is formed after the seed leaf is 

 like a little pitcher — not like those you see upon the plants now before 

 you, but very much resembling miniature leaves of the Sarracenia 

 purpurea. These are produced freely and quickly, and the plant soon 

 resembles a little ball, with its numerous almost sessile leaves. As 

 soon as the roots begin to spread, the seedlings should be transplanted 

 singly into very small pots, but still kept in the same temperature and 

 close moist atmosphere until they begin to assume their normal form. 

 These plants will succeed either in pots or in baskets. I prefer the 

 latter, because they display their beauties to the greatest advantage ; 

 but whether grown in pots, baskets, or tubs, or planted out in a 

 prepared border, it must be borne in mind that they require more sur- 

 face than depth, and that the soil must be open to allow their black 

 "woolly-looking roots to spread. Frequent applications of water over 

 the foliage, through the agency of the syringe, will be necessary during 

 the day, and a liberal supply to the roots will be found advantageous. 

 These rules being attended to, and the plants shaded from the sun's 

 rays to a greater extent than is usually done, Nepenthes will not be 

 found difficult to cultivate, whilst their unique and peculiar beauty is a 

 never-failing source of wonder and astonishment. 



In conclusion, I sincerely hope to see the species we already have, 

 cultivated to a far greater extent than has hitherto been the case, and 

 the fine species from Borneo and the surrounding islands speedily 

 introduced to our gardens. 



amateurs having each separate classes, we expect an excellent 

 exhibition. The Hollyhocks, too, notwithstanding the drought 

 we have experienced, will no doubt contribute their share to 

 the interest of the Show. 



The Boyal Hoeticultukal Society's Gladiolus Show. — 

 Ab will be perceived by a notice in our advertising columns, 

 this will be held on Wednesday next ; and as good prizes are 

 offered, both to British and foreign growers, nurserymen and 



APPLETON-LE-STREET FLOiAL AND 

 AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



It is not our practice to notice the exhibitions of local 

 horticultural societies unless there is something in connection 

 with them which calls for especial notice, and which has an 

 interest for our readers far beyond the district in which the 

 exhibition is held. Such a Society is the Appleton-le-Street 

 Floral and Agricultural Society, founded three years ago by our 

 valued correspondent the Kev. C. P. Peach. It is because of 

 the singular success which has attended the progress of this 

 Society, and the impetus it has caused in the neighbourhood, 

 that we give it this prominence ; and it is also as an encourage- 

 ment to others to do as Mr. Peach has done that we state the 

 following facts. In 1868 the total number of entries of horses, 

 cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry was 254. In the following year 

 they amounted to 308, and this present year they reached the 

 extraordinary number of 434, of which 203 were for horses. In 

 the horticultural department the same ratio of increase was 

 maintained, and as evidence of the quality of subjects shown in 

 that department we give Mr. Peach's comments on an exhibi- 

 tion which attracted great attention. 



" I have seldom, if ever, seen a better collection of Carnations 

 and Picotees than those which were exhibited by Mr. George 

 Edwards, of York, at our Floral and Agricultural Show, at 

 Appleton-le-Street, on the 26th of July. They were all seed- 

 lings of Mr. Edwards's own raising, and reflect great credit 

 upon the care and attention which he must have given to 

 the plants before he could have brought them to that state of 

 perfection. As one of the Judges of the Carnations and Picotees 

 at the late Boyal Horticultural Exhibition at Oxford, I am con- 

 vinced that those exhibited by Mr. C. Turner, of Slough, were 

 the only ones at all to compare with these seedlings of Mr. 

 Edwards's, which he sent here. Mr. Edwards was second to 

 Mr. Turner at Oxford, but, having to contend with a more 

 northern climate, his blooms were too backward to compete 

 with Mr. Turner from Slough, but if he had been able to get 

 his seedlings which he sent here forward enough for competition, 

 it would, in my opinion, have been a very near struggle. 



" Among the seedlings sent by Mr. Edwards, the best were — 

 George Edwards, scarlet flake Carnation ; Mrs. Edwards, purple 

 flake; Mr. Paley, rose flake; Mr. Dove, J. Davidson, Mrs. 

 Smith, and J. Holliday, bizarres, of which the latter seems to 

 me a great acquisition. 



" Among the Picotees the following struck me as of great 

 merit : — Ada and John Feather, heavy-edged red ; Fairy and 

 Sweet Lucy, light-edged red ; British Sailor, heavy-edged 

 pink ; Bosa and Mrs. G. Edwards, light-edged pink ; Deli- 

 cata, light-edged mauve, the latter a great acquisition, one of 

 the best mauve-edged Picotees I have ever seen, and John 

 Feather equally good as a heavy-edged red. Mr. Dove has the 

 quality, a very valuable one in exhibition flowers, of lasting 

 well, and will, in my opinion, prove a very useful addition to 

 the list of show Carnations. — C. P. Peach." 



The amount of money received has been also in proportion 

 to the increase of the exhibitions. In 1S68 it was £90 ; in 

 1S69, £128 ; and we believe thi3 year it will be as much as £150. 



STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 



We are agreed upon the necessity of eradicating sterile 

 plants, and propagating only by runners taken from fruitful 

 stocks, or stools. We might venture to add, and agree, that 

 runners drawn from stools not worn out, as well as fruitful, are 

 still better than when drawn from old, although fruiting stocks. 

 In other words, runners off stools at most of one and two 

 years' growth are best, as partaking of the fruitfulness and 

 vigour of their parentage or stock. 



We are not, however, quite agreed upon the mode of plant- 

 ing our runners, some adopting the ridge-and-trench (Potato 

 fashion), and some the level bed plan, the plantations in each 

 mode being in single rows, varying from 12 to 15 or IS inches 

 in the distance of the plants apart laterally and longitudinally. 

 Bed or ridge is the question in comparative merit. In either 

 event — bed or ridge — the land is easily trenched spade deep, 

 and interlaid, or underlaid, with rotten manure, the merit of 



