September 22, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



227 



ibasketful of a Rhododendron called cheiranthifolium, with very small j 

 narrow leaves. 



Messrs. Standish & Co., of the Royal Nurseries, Ascot, were awarded 

 a special certificate for a group of hardy shrubs, consisting of Ancubas, 

 Euonymus, Osmanthus, Juniperus, Retinosporas, and Cupressus 

 nootkatensis variegata alba, which, with several other of the variegated 

 forms, was very effective. Skimmia oblata with its bright scarlet 

 berries served to enliven the collection. 



From Messrs. Lane came a seedling variegated form of Cnpressns 

 Laweoniana. 



Mr. Green, gardener to W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., Hillfield, Rei- 

 gate, sent a small collection of Agaves, of which A. Besseriana Candida 

 with glaucous leaves had a first-class certificate. Mr. Green likewise 

 exhibited Gloxinia insignis, and a very fine spike of Acineta Barkeri. 



To Mr. Parsons, gardener to W. J. Blake, Esq., Danesbury, a first- 

 class certificate was given for a pretty variety of Athyrium Filix- 

 fcemina named Blakei. 



Prizes were offered for twenty-four cut blooms of Asters. There 

 were only two exhibitors — viz., Mr. J. Walker, nurseryman, Thame, 

 and Mr. J. George, gardener to Miss Nicholson, Putney Heath, who 

 received first and second prizes respectively. In the next class for 

 twelve blooms there was more competition, stands coming from Messrs. 

 E. G. Henderson, Mr. Walker, Mr. George, and Mr. Porter, gardener 

 to E. Benham, Esq., Isleworth. The last three exhibitors took prizes 

 in the order in which their names occur. In the different collections 

 several very good blooms were shown, and the colours bright and well 

 varied. All the blooms were French Asters with the exception of the 

 first-prize twenty-four, in which there were a few quilled varieties. 



Prizes were likewise offered for double Zinnias of six colours. The 

 best came from Mr. Walker, the second best from Mr. Porter, but 

 neither collection was up to the mark. In Stocks and Begonias there 

 was no competition. 



General Meeting. — Major R. Trevor Clarke in the chair. After 

 the usual preliminary business, the Rev. M. J. Berkeley directed 

 special attention to Dendrobium chrysotis, which, he said, bore a 

 close resemblance to D. fimbriatum, and although the two differed 

 in the spotting of the lip, and fimbriatum came from Nepal, while 

 chrysotis was from Assam, yet those who were in the habit of study- 

 ing plants would be inclined to think the two the same. Gloxinia 

 insignis from Mr. Wilson Saunders's gardener was next noticed as 

 very pretty, and as being known sometimes as G. maculata. Major 

 Trevor Clarke had brought a flower of the true Fuchsia coccinea. 

 The plant which had passed under that name was Fuchsia magellanica. 

 Mr. Berkeley then read the following account of it given in the " Bo- 

 tanical Magazine," vol. xciv., t. 5740: — 



"It will surprise many of our horticulturists to learn that the plant 

 now called Fuchsia coccinea in our gardens is not the first described 

 species of that name, though it has borne it almost exclusively from 

 within a year or two of the introduction of the real plant ; and it may 

 still more surprise them to know that the original F. coccinea is very 

 rarely seen in cultivation. There is a story current amongst gardeners 

 that the common Fuchsia was, when originally introduced, a greenhouse 

 plant, but that it has become so far acclimatised as t'o withstand, without 

 protection, the coldest winters of many parts of England, Scotland, and 

 Ireland, and the milder winters of all Great Britain ; be this as it may, it 

 Is not doubted that the Fuchsia coccinea was once treated as a stove or 

 greenhouse plant, and now flourishes both in a greenhouse and out-of- 

 doors. Now, when the true F. coccinea has changed its habits no one 

 can say, for next to nothing seems to be known of its history between the 

 date of its introduction as a greenhouse plant in 17S3, and its re-discovery 

 in the greenhouse of the Oxford Botanic Garden in 18fi7 ; the fact being, 

 that the much hardier F. magellanica was imported from wintry Terra 

 del Fuego very shortly after the introduction of F. coccinea, and im- 

 mediately usurped its name and spread it to every garden in the king- 

 dom, whilst the true xflant lingered in botanic gardens, lastly surviving 

 (greatly to the credit of the Baxters, father and son) in that of Oxford 

 alone. It may be more common abroad, and is almost naturalised in 

 Madeira, according to Mandon. 



"The native country of the true coccinea is unknown; it is probably 

 Brazilian, as it resembles the Brazilian more than the Western or South- 

 ern American species ; Salisbury says it was introduced by Vandelli 

 from Brazil, whereas Aiton attributes its introduction to a Captain Frith, 

 from Chili. 



" The evidence of the plant here figured being the true and original 

 plant of Aiton's ' Hortus Kewensis,' ed. 1, rests on the fact that named 

 specimens of the same are preserved in the Banksian Herbarium of the 

 British Museum, and in Sir J. Smith's Herbarium at the Linnean Society, 

 all procured at Kew in the year of the introduction of the plant, and at 

 the date of its being described by Aiton. 



"As a species, F. coccinea is much more graceful than any of the va- 

 rieties of F. magellanica, flowers even more freely, and is readily distin- 

 guished by the almost sessile leaves with broad bases, and the hairy twigs 

 and petioles ; further, its foliage turns of a bright crimson when about to 

 fall." 



The new pest which had attacked the Vine was the next subject to 

 which attention was directed. It was a peBt which would almost be 

 ■destructive to cultivation if spread as widely as the mildew, and in 

 some cases it had done hundreds of pounds of damage. In 1867 he 

 was at Lord Powerscourt's at Enniskerry, and Mr. Dunn, the intelli- 

 gent gardener there, pointed out to him (Mr. Berkeley), Vines affected 

 by this insect, Phylloxera vastatrix (See vol. xvii., pp. 45, 46, where a 

 description and figures of it are given). At first it Beemed probable 

 that the insect attacking the roots might not be the same as that on 

 the stems, but he had come to the conclusion that the two were the 

 same. He might say that Mr. Dunn had discovered the only method 



of destroying the insect, a plan which had proved perfectly successful. 

 This consisted in taking the Vines up, removing all the soil from their 

 roots, washing these three times in pure water, and then replanting in 

 fresh soil. The winged male insects figured by Planchon, so far as ho 

 knew, had not been seen in this country, and it would be a great — in 

 fact, a national, service, if anyone who saw them would forward speci- 

 mens to Mr. Andrew Murray at the South Kensington Museum. Mr. 

 Fenn's collection of Potatoes, particularly as showing the results of 

 grafting, and the effects of the same operation as regards the Ribston 

 Pippin Apple and the Blenheim Pippin, which have before been fully 

 described in our pages, were then noticed ; and, passing to the Toma- 

 toes, Mr. Berkeley said, however good they were as a sauce, they made 

 an excellent salad if cut in slices, and mixed with Water Cresses, a 

 soupfon of Garlic or Shallots, a little oil, and plenty of vinegar. In 

 conclusion, he reminded the meeting that on October 5th prizes were 

 offered for collections of edible and poisonous Fungi. 



Mr. Marshall kindly offered pollen of Nepenthes Rafflesiana to any- 

 one who might be desirous of attempting hybridisation with these 

 interesting plants. 



BEDDING PLANTS IN 1870. 

 (Continued from page 179.) 

 I will continue my remarks on bedding Geraniums by refer- 

 ring next to those that are grown for their foliage and not for 

 their flowers. 



To commence with the Tricolors, I still think Mrs. Polloek 

 nearly as good as any for general effect. It is, no doubt, sur- 

 passed by many in regularity of outline as regards the zone, 

 but I do not think our old favourite will be easily discarded. 

 Lady Callum has a much darker zone, and a more brilliant 

 colouring in the red of the zone, and is especially good in the 

 spring and again in the autumn, but the colour, owing perhaps 

 to the darkness of the zone, seems more bright in the height o£ 

 the summer thau either in Mrs. Pollock or Sophia Dumaresque. 

 The latter and Flambeau, a variety sent out by Messrs. Back- 

 house, of York, and exceedingly like it, are both very effective 

 bedders, with a more spreading habit than Mrs. Pollock. 



Lady Headley and Attraction are both very beautiful wher- 

 ever I have seen them, but I have not tried them as yet my- 

 self, but have seen none equal in colouring to Mrs. Headley as 

 yet. Edith Pearson, a variety sent out by Mr. Pearson, of 

 Chilwell, haB a very soft and pleasing effect in a bed, but is 

 surpassed by another variety of his, William Sanday, which I 

 think he has not sent out as yet. 



If we may judge from plants in pots, Prince of Wales, Mrs. 

 Dumett, and Fairyland, varieties sent out by Messrs. Carter 

 and Co., of High Holborn, are likely to be great acquisitions 

 in the flower garden ; and so is Ealing Eival, raised by Mr. 

 Stevens, of Ealing. 



Of those I have tried this summer (besides those I have pre- 

 viously mentioned), as Lucy Grieve, Sophia Casack, Louisa 

 Smith, Queen of Tricolors, Lurline, and Spanish Beauty, I 

 much prefer Lucy Grieve as one of the very brightest-coloured 

 varieties I have yet bedded out, the red of the zone being very 

 distinct, and lasting a long time before it fades. Louisa Smith 

 has too much yellow, but is good in other respects. Spanish 

 Beauty, on the other hand, is too dark, and Queen of Tricolors 

 has orange instead of red in the zone. 



Of the Silver Tricolors I cannot recommend any for bedding 

 purposes. For pot plants I like Italia TJnita, Picturata, Caro- 

 line Longfield, Mabel Morris, and Mrs. John Clutton. 



Of Golden-variegated varieties, as Golden Chain, Cloth of. 

 Gold, Crystal Palace Gem, &c, I still think, where it will grow, 

 that none equals in point of colouring the old Golden Chain ; 

 it requires, however, manure and liberal treatment. Crystal 

 Palace Gem turns too green with me ; I have seen it very good 

 elsewhere, but a self yellow-leaved sport from it has kept its 

 colour better. 



There are several self-coloured Golden varieties now, but 

 much the best with me is Pillar of Gold ; the leaves die off a 

 lighter colour instead of turning green, and the young fresh 

 leaves as they open are nearly pure gold ; a line of it which I 

 have under my windows in front of the house is very striking 

 now. It is a good grower under proper treatment, but will not 

 stand neglect. 



Of the White-margined section I still like Flower of the 

 Spring as much as any ; it has such a compact habit, and fills 

 the beds so well with the foliage. Miss Kingsbury is very 

 good, but I do not see any great improvement, as I do not like 

 the colouring of the green in the leaf so well, and the margin 

 is not so wide and so well defined as in Flower of Spring. 

 Alma is a desirable variety for larger beds. Bijou, though very 

 white, has too upright a habit. Mrs. Lennox and Mountain 



