36 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ My 11, 1872. 



the accusation of over-charges brought against the Messrs. 

 Waterer and Meston was one to be dealt with only by an 

 expert, placed the matter in the hands of Mr. ' Gibson. 

 After a careful scrutiny of the accounts, and an examination 

 of the circumstances of the supply of plants, Mr. Gibson re- 

 ported that the charges of the nurserymen were fair and reason- 

 able, and that there was no ground for the allegations of 

 exaction. This, which, of course, disposes of the mythical 



" job " so much talked of — ought to have settled the question. 

 But the member of the Board who had been most assiduous 

 in insisting upon the exorbitant charges of the nurserymen, 

 persevered in dividing the Board upon the question, remaining, 

 as we have said, in a minority of one, and seeing thirty of his 

 colleagues voting against him, and endorsing the report of the 

 Committee recommending the payment of the accounts. — (The. 

 Metropolitan.) 



WIGANDIA URENS. 



The plant which is faithfully portrayed in the accompanying 

 illustration is a native of Peru, where it is to be found grow- 

 ing amongst rocky places on bare and somewhat barren ground, 

 usually attaining a 



height of about i feet. _ 



As will be seen, it is 

 of noble port ; and 

 this, in conjunction 

 with the robust con- 

 stitution of the plant, 

 has led to it, as well 

 as several others of 

 the genus, being 

 pressed into the gar- 

 dener's service for the 

 summer decoration of 

 the pleasure ground. 



Wigandia belongs 

 to the order Hydro- 

 leacea;, and contains 

 but few species ; all 

 of them are deserv- 

 ing of the attention 

 of the amateur and 

 gardener for their 

 distinct and effective 

 character, and the 

 present plant is by 

 no means the least 

 amongst the several 

 grand species. 



Wigandia urens is 

 characterised by its 

 peculiar stinging pro- 

 perties, and hence is 

 not a favourite with 

 some, neither can I 

 recommend it as be- 

 ing the finest of its 

 genus, although it is 

 very distinct, and 

 may be used in vari- 

 ous parts of the plea- 

 sure grounds to avoid 

 a sameness of effect, 

 which is apt to be felt 

 when any one species, 

 however beautiful, is 

 too often repeated. 

 The leaves are large 

 and very rough , some- 

 what ovate-cordate in 

 shape, with a slightly 

 pointed apex, and having both surfaces clothed with long 

 dense hairs. 



Wigandias are rapid-growing plants, and are easily pro- 

 pagated by seeds, from cuttings of the lateral shoots, or from 



pieces of the roots. The laterals make the best plants, and 

 they should be struck early in the season. When the cuttings 

 are rooted place them in separate pots, and set them in such. 



a position that they 

 will be fully exposed, 

 to sun and light, in. 

 order to produce com- 

 pact, short-jointed 

 growth. Amateurs 

 who have no conveni- 

 ence for housing the 

 old plants through, 

 the winter can get up 

 their' stock well and 

 early, by sowing a. 

 pinch of seed and 

 placing it in gentle 

 bottom heat. After 

 germination, when, 

 the plants have be- 

 come large enough to. 

 handle conveniently, 

 pot them separately, 

 and treat them in a. 

 similar manner to 

 cuttings. If all go 

 well they will be fit 

 for planting in tha 

 open air by the 

 middle of May, which 

 will be sufficiently 

 early for them to be 

 exposed to the vicis- 

 situdes of our cli- 

 mate. The planter 

 must suit his own 

 taste with these 

 plants, but they can 

 scarcely be badly 

 placed, for any of 

 them will form noble 

 ornaments either in 

 isolated groups uroa 

 the lawn, or as cen- 

 tres to large beds, 

 and also as single 

 specimens. 



The soil in which 

 Wigandias thrive best 

 is a mixture of two 

 parts loam to one of 

 peat, with a small 

 portion of river sand. 

 When they are planted out the ordinary soil should bo 

 removed and a mixture of the above compost put in its 

 place, but add to it some thoroughly decomposed manure.— 

 Expekto Ceede. 



HARDINESS OF AQUILEGIA GLANDULOSA. 



I Ein not know that there was any doubt as to the hardiness 

 of this most beautiful and interesting herbaceous plant till I 

 saw the remarks of " A. R." (June 20th), doubting the possi- 

 bility of its being grown in the south of England, and the 

 replies of " W. B. H." and Messrs. Carter, Dunnett, & Beale 

 giving their experience in its favour. My own experience with 

 it is somewhat limited I must confess, but in the short time 

 I have had it I have seen no signs of tenderness or miffiness 



about it. It may be that some strains of it are c more tender 

 than others. I think I have read somewhere that there is 

 more than one strain of it. My strain is that of Mr. Gregor, 

 of Forres, N.B. I had my packet of seed direct from him in 

 the summer of 1S70. I sowed it at once on a small border in 

 i the frame ground on which I sow and raise all sorts of hardy 

 plants ; in consequence of the hot weather just then the seeds 

 did not vegetate until late in the season (I had given it up 



