July 18, 1872. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE, 



61 



Mountain Ash, Acacia, and Thorn in succession ; and, again, 

 Thorn, Mountain Ash, Acacia, Laburnum, and Thorn in suc- 

 cession. Here the undergrowth was formed of evergreens and 

 deciduous shrubs, variously mixed, to make as agreeable a con- 

 trast as possible in form and colour with the surrounding 

 [plantations. 



The most complete piece of planting which I have recently 

 had the opportunity of effecting may be seen at Hatfield Park, 

 -a seat of the Marquis of Salisbury. This consists of a belt of 

 shrubs and trees running by the side of a lake. My instructions 

 here "were to make colour rather than form the dominant feature, 

 although the latter was to be taken into account. The trees in 

 groups ran much as follows : — Scarlet Oak, white Maple, scarlet 

 Maple, variegated Turkey Oak, purple Beech, golden Oak, va- 

 riegated Elm, silver Poplar, and golden Willow. The shrubs 

 and evergreens in masses succeeded each other in the follow- 

 ing order: — Mahonia japonica, Silver Holly, Laurus caucasica, 

 variegated Box, Juniperus ericoides, Thuja aurea, Hex balea- 

 rica, Yews, Mahonia Aquifolium, Juniperus chinensis, Aucuba 

 japonica, green Holly, Berberis Darwinii, Portugal Laurel, Co- 

 toneaster, green Box, Gold Holly, Laurustinus, Phillyrea, Thu- 

 jopsis borealis, and Portugal Laurel. Small groups of deciduous 

 shrubs, as purple Nut, golden Spiraea, purple Buonymus, Hip- 

 pophae, purple Berberis, Shepherdia, and the like, were also in- 

 troduced at intervals among the above for the sake of colour. 

 These are now in their second year's growth, and require time 

 to realise the intended object ; but the effect, whether viewed 

 in close proximity or from the opposite shore of the lake, has 

 -attracted the notice and received the commendation of some of 

 our best garden artists. 



I shall now give a list of a few of the most desirable trees and 

 shrubs, arranged under those divisions of form which I have 

 .already submitted to you : — 



Examples Selected according to the Form of the Tree. 



1. Irregular: the S cotch Pine. 



2. Round-headed : Kobinia inermis. 



3. Laminate : the Silver Fir and other Piceas. 



4. Columnar : the Lombardy Poplar. 



5. Weeping : the Weeping Willow. 



Examples Selected according to the Form of the Leaf. 



1. Needle-shaped: the'Scoteh Pine and other Pines. 



2. Lanceolate : Salix babyloniea and most other Willows. 



3. Round-leaved : the Lime. 



4. Cut-leaved: the Plane. 



5. Compound : the Black Walnut. 



STAPELIAS, THEIR CULTURE AND PECULIARITIES. 

 By J. Cboucher. 



Natives of the Cape of Good Hope, they are greenhouse sub- 

 jects. Though easily grown many fail, saying they grow very 

 well for a time, and then decay. This I attribute to the climate 

 they come from not being understood, and the common practice 

 •of taking it for granted that, as they get a dry season, it must be 

 during our winter; so they are allowed to shrivel, the result of 

 which is, that when they should grow in spring, the bottom 

 often decays, and the plants get over it just in time to be served 

 so again. Now every observer of Cape plants knows well that 

 they have a tendency to grow freely during our winter, and 

 though this may be retarded it must not be arrested ; therefore 

 Ixias, Pelargoniums, and Heaths are exposed to. all the light we 

 •can get, but the poor Stapelias are put on some out-of-the-way 

 shelf. 



At the time we are getting our dullest and coldest days the 

 Stapelias at the Cape are getting their brightest and hottest ; 

 therefore we ought to give them all the light possible, and as 

 much heat as is compatible with it. Like other Cape plants 

 *they do not like fire heat, therefore they should be as far from 

 the pipes as convenient ; they stand the winter and flower better 

 if exposed to the open air from June until September. It is 

 ■best to strike afresh stock every season, taking the branches off 

 .at a joint to prevent danger of decay and escape of sap. April 

 ■and May are the best seasons ; put them in close to the edge of 

 the pot, and keep them dry for a week, when water may be 

 ,given ; after which, give it when quite dry. If they are well 

 ■exposed to sun they will strike in three weeks. Seed should be 

 sown as soon as collected, or its vitality will soon be gone. Sow 

 in shallow pans in light soil, and put on gentle bottom heat ; 

 .as soon as well up, put on a shelf close to the glass, not potting- 

 off until well grown, as they often stand still for some time, or 

 die. Three parts loam, and one broken brick, are the best soil, 

 excluding sand or manure ; in this soil, with small pots, they 

 grow freely, and though we have one species called europa^a, or 

 italica, yet I have seen it luxuriating above its natural growth 

 in a temperature of 100° Fahr. 



Seeds for transmission should be put into sealed bottles, or 

 oil paper. The plants are very difficult to import ; the best plan 

 is by means of a small wooden box, using dry sand for packing 

 material. 



For diversity of structure, and development of the flower, I 



think Stapelias are very interesting, and though botanists persist 

 in quashing Haworth's divisions, I like them ; and if we allow 

 Cattleyas and Laslias, or Oncidiums and Odontoglossums to stand 

 distinct, I think the Stapelias should be separated. As to affinity, 

 of course that is evident; so it is in the whole order Aroidea?, 

 and Orehidacere, the difference being in degree of development 

 of the same organs, not in their presence or absence. 



If we would study any set of plants minutely, we must have 

 sub-divisions. In a genus containing seventy to eighty species 

 the first thing asked of any plant is, what section does it belong 

 to ? And to me it appears easier to say Huernia or Orbea than 

 sub-genus Orbea. 



In Stapelia grandiflora and hirsuta we have pubescent stems 

 and hairy flowers, five-partite reflexed corolla, the centre plain, 

 and the corona which protects the stigma parted into ten, five 

 spreading outwards, the other five, which include the anthers, 

 incurved; while in section Orbea, to which S. vaiiegata and 

 Buffonia belong, the whole plant is glabrous, the corolla is re- 

 flexed, and round the centre is a raised part, resembling the top 

 of a leaf ; the corona is raised in elegant tiers, like that of a 

 crown, entirely distinct from the former. In Huernia we have 

 a campahulate corolla, cut into ten segments at top, the inside 

 clothed with glandular hairs, and the corona spreading like 

 teeth ; the arrangements of the ligules give interest to each 

 section. 



It is a well-known fact that these plants evolve a very carrion- 

 like scent, and the common blowfly, being deceived thereby, 

 deposits its eggs amongst the hair of S. hirsuta and allied 

 species ; in this section the scent is strongest, and I have 

 not noticed them in the smooth kinds. As soon as they are 

 hatched they begin to search for food, and, as a matter of gravi- 

 tation, go downhill. The pollen-masses being clammy, and 

 the aperture leading to the stigma being so small, the pollen 

 could not possibly get to the stigma unless by artificial aid. 

 Here the maggot is of use ; the source of the scent being the 

 stigma, the maggot, in its endeavour to get down the aperture, 

 forces the pollen into the stigma, and thus impregnates it. 



This I have watched often with much interest ; here also we 

 see the use of the hairs — -were it not for them the young maggots 

 would get blown away by the winds. It may be asked, How do 

 those get on that have no hair ? On examining them, it will be 

 found that the apertures are larger. It has been said that 

 Stapelias were not fertilised by the pollen of the same flower ; 

 but I have often seen seed on a plant that had but ono flower, 

 and the seedlings were true. 



The species called europEea is said to be a native of Europe, 

 but I have often received it from South Africa, and I know of 

 no plant, excepting our own Thistle, more likely to cross the 

 sea in a storm of wind, the pappus expanding almost instantly 

 in the sun. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



Madnip and Wood Laurel. — Madnip, saj's Mr. Gerard Smith 

 in the English Mechanic, is an old name of the Cow Parsnip, 

 Heracleum Sphondylium, L., and a figure is given in Gerarde's 

 " Herbal," by Johnson, page 1009. Among the virtues of the 

 plant these are enumerated : — " If a phrenticke or melaneholicke 

 man'? head be anointed with oil wherein the leaves and roots 

 have been sodden, it helpeth him very much, and such as be 

 troubled with the headaches, and the lethargie, or sickness, 

 called the forgetful evills." No special medicinal virtue is at- 

 tributed by modern writers to the Cow Parsnip. I have some- 

 where read that in northern Asia the skinned root is a favourite 

 morsel with the natives. Wood Laurel is, I conclude, Daphne 

 Laureola, L., Spurge Laurel, a dwarf shrub, not uncommon in 

 woods, hedges, and thickets. In most catalogues of native 

 plants it is named Spurge Laurel ; but in the excellent " Flora 

 Veetensis," Dr. Brornfield gives it the. name of Copse or 

 Wood Laurel, as well -as Spurge Laurel. I remember when in 

 Sussex, the sudden clearance of a wood of every plant of this 

 species by Btrangers ; on inquiry, the cottagers told me that it 

 was taken to the market at Chichester and Portsmouth, and 

 sold as horse medicine, hut I could not learn in what class of 

 diseases it was used. The bark is hot and pungent enough. 

 The plant, especially the bark of the roots, has been usefully 

 applied in some skin diseases of bipeds. (See, Pharmaceutical 

 Journal, 1, 397, and Dr. Cullen). I had some reason for be- 

 lieving that the bark of D. Laureola was sold as a substitute 

 for that of D. Mezereon in making compound decoction of 

 Sarsaparilla. Its qualities, indeed, are similar ; as are those of 

 other species, D. Gnidium, pontica, &o. 



Eev. C. P. Peach writes — This weather is a good criti- 

 cism on weather peophets, vide watering article in a con- 

 temporary. The rainfall here (Appleton-le-Street) was, July 

 11th, 1.08, July 12th to July 13th at noon 2.32 ; total 3.40 

 in fifty-four hours. Wind S.E. Storm on July 11th, electrical. 



