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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 17, 1572. 



Princess Mary of Cambridge is good, but uncertain. Marie 

 Durnortier is. a good, cheap, light sort ; and Romulus ought to 

 be grown for its colour, although narrow and pointed in petal. 

 If I were about to form a collection I would buy several bulbs of 

 such sorts as Eugene Scribe, Meyerbeer, Legouve, A. Brong- 

 niart, &e. ; three bulbs of such as these can be bought for 

 what you would pay for a new variety, but there is a charm 

 about growing a new variety that you have never seen before 

 which is difficult to overcome, and probably there are fewer 

 inferior Gladioli sent out than any other flower. 



One of the greatest pleasures in cultivating Gladioli is the 

 raising of seedlings. I have had several nice flowers this year 

 from seed, one of which is quite equal to the very best-named 

 varieties, and quite distinct in colour. Next year I shall have 

 about three hundred to bloom from seed saved of A. Brongniart, 

 Marie Stuart, De Humboldt, and other fine sorts. In a com- 

 mercial point of view I fear we shall never make much of seed- 

 lings in this country ; you may raise a first-class seedling this 

 year, but it must take at least five or six years to get enough 

 stock to send it out, and probably by that time it will be far 

 surpassed by others. 



I may add, in conclusion, that Gladioli have been well and 

 numerously shown this year in the north, especially so at the 

 Bishop Auckland Show, which is probably the best autumn 

 show of cut flowers in the provinces. The receipts this year 

 are close upon £1000, and nearly the whole of this amount was 

 taken in s hilli ngs from one to four o'clock in the afternoon ; 

 it is only a one-day's show, and the receipts this year are not 

 unusual* as compared to those of previous years. 



A word about Roses, and I shall conclude. A correspondent 

 recommends that we have another election : I would suggest 

 that it be deferred till after the new varieties sent out last 

 autumn are proved from plants worked in the open ground ; 

 as yet they have only bloomed from plants turned out of pots, 

 and it will take another season before they are thoroughly 

 proved. So few new Roses were sent out the previous year, 

 that I think they would scarcely influence the former lists. 

 — J. B., Darlington. 



That grand flower the Gladiolus was well represented at the 

 last Crystal Palace Flower Show, Mr. Eelway alone sending in 

 one batch six hundred cut blooms. I suppose no one person 

 has ever exhibited so many of any other flower at once, Roses 

 not excepted, and what to me made the beautiful six hundred 

 more interesting was the fact that they were all see d l in gs. 



It was not long ago I read in " our Journal " that no seed- 

 lings were likely to be raised here that could compete with 

 those from France. Well, here is proof to the contrary, Mr. 

 Kelwav taking the first prize for the best thirty-six, thirty- 

 three of which were his own seedlings. Hurrah for " Merry 

 England ! " The thirty-three were very fine, but I should have 

 liked to have had the chance of picking a dozen bulbs from 

 the six hundred, putting the others out of the question. I 

 was "lad to see, also, some very good seedlings shown in Mr. 

 Douglas's stand. Both he and the Rev. H. H. Dombrain did 

 well, but Lord Hawke's for finish were perfectly wonderful. 

 Few people will believe that so lovely a flower as the Gladiolus 

 can be hardy, and yet how simple it is to grow fairly well ! 

 Dig deeply, mix well with the soil some leaf mould and well- 

 decomposed cow manure, with some sand if the ground is stiff 

 and clayey, and the reward is worthy of the trouble. 



As regards seedlings, I find them very easy to obtain — in 

 fact, I know of no flower of any pretensions that can be bred 

 more easily or with more certainty as regards colour; the greatest 

 disappointment is in the petals sometimes being too thin and 

 flimsv, and out of form. I have been trying for strong con- 

 stitution, and I think I have succeeded partially, many of my 

 seedlings blooming well with me the second year. On the 

 other hand, I find some of the seed does not vegetate till the 

 second year. That from the lightest-coloured parents usually 

 produces the weakest seedlings at first. Again, I find that 

 in some the pollen of others will not take at all, while that of 

 a different form will often produce large seed-pods. In short, 

 I find the culture of the Gladiolus most interesting, and I hope 

 to show some of my own raising next year if I have the oppor- 

 tunity, as I have a few that I am quite in love with. 



What I would advise my fellow amateurs to do is, Buy in 

 the spring some of the very best named varieties, bloom them, 

 cross them, save the seed of them, sow" it, watch it, tend it, 

 and most likely the result will be very gratifying. No flowers 

 are more beautiful when well grown. Occasionally here and 

 there one will die-off without seeming cause, but Roses and 



other plants do that. We must not expect perfection in 

 anything, though we ought to strive for it. If we get much 

 pleasure let us rest content, though there be a little pain. — 

 Haeeison Weie, WeirlHgh, Kent. 



HARDY GEMS.— No. 3. 



Campanula tuebinata. — For upwards of two months this 

 gem has been producing its charming flowers in the greatest 

 profusion in my London garden, and although now on the 

 wane, it is still very handsome, and the delight of all beholders. 

 It forms a dense compact tuft, never exceeding 8 or 9 inches 

 in height, blooms included. The flowers are large, erect, beU- 

 shaped, and rich dark purple. There is also a white form, 

 which resembles that described in every respect saving colour. 



1 would ask why these are not more grown, for they are per- 

 fect jewels in the flower border. They come from the moun- 

 tain regions of Transylvania. 



Campanula Ratnebii. — This is a superb little species. The 

 plant forms dense rosettes, and whilst it seldom exceeds 



2 inches or 2J inches in height, the flowers, which stand erect, 

 measure upwards of an inch in diameter. The colour is light 

 blue, and at present I have not seen a white form of it. Its 

 very dwarf tufted habit constitutes it one of the most charm- 

 ing subjects for the rock garden. Native of the Italian Alps. 



Campanula isophylla. — Another species of this favourite 

 genus of mine, well deserving a place in every garden. It 

 grows about 8 or 9 inches high, producing in abundance its 

 lovely flowers, which are upwards of an inch in diameter, and 

 of a charming blight blue. It blooms during August and 

 September. Native of the Eastern Apennines. 



Silexe viEGrNicA. — For the introduction of this really 

 beautiful plant we are indebted to the unwearied energies of 

 the Messrs. Backhouse & Son, of York, who deserve the thanks 

 of the horticultural world for their endeavours to popularise 

 and foster the love for herbaceous plants amongst the rising 

 generation of amateurs and gardeners. This Silene attains a 

 height of from 1 to 2 feet. It is a native of the United 

 States of America, and is familiarly known as the " Fire Pink," 

 from the brilliant appearance of its large deep crimson flowers, 

 which are produced throughout the months of June and July. 

 To succeed well with this plant it must be placed in a some- 

 what shady situation, and the soil should consist of about 

 two parts good leaf mould to one of light loam, with the 

 addition of a small portion of sandy peat. 



Delphinium Belladonna. — Although by no means new, it is 

 undoubtedly one of the choicest of border flowers. Unfor- 

 tunately with me it is somewhat delicate in constitution, yet 

 it flowers abundantly; still, it does not increase much in size 

 from year to year, and as it is perfectly barren there is no 

 method of propagating it save by division. The flowers are 

 of a lovely sky blue, a colour so -rare amongst plants that it 

 renders it at once conspicuous and effective. 



Delphinium nudicaule. — This species is a new introduction 

 from California, and to all my readers who have not yet pur- 

 chased the plant my advice is, Do so at once. It is dwarf in 

 habit, seldom exceeding 18 inches in height ; the leaves are 

 somewhat small, palmately lobed, and of a dark green. The 

 flowers are large and freely produced both in terminal and 

 axillary spikes ; the sepals and spurs are bright orange, and 

 the petals bright red. This plant, I think, cannot fail to 

 please every one when it becomes established, its dwarf habit 

 and brilliant colour being great recommendations ; but I can- 

 not endorse the views I have heard respecting its becoming a 

 good bedding plant. — Expeeto Crede. 



GARDENERS WITH CHILDREN. 

 I cannot but think that your correspondents, who have 

 treated this subject either from a religions or sentimental point 

 of view, are under some misapprehension as to facts. Cer- 

 tainly, in my neighbourhood, married gardeners with fa mili es 

 are the rule rather than the exception. I imagine that children 

 are objected to only when the gardener lives on the premises, 

 and in this case it is neither hard-hearted nor blameable for 

 an employer to prefer a man without a family. There is no 

 outcry against persons who prefer single cooks, housemaids, or 

 footmen, and the gardener who lives within the curtilage is 

 removed only in one degree from those who live in the man- 

 sion. Children are almost as objectionable among ripe Cher- 

 ries as they would be when injuring the household furniture. 

 As to blaming the parents of such children, the blame must 



