September 13, 1664. ] JOTJENAL OF HOETICULTTTEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



215: 



vegetation, the plots being at the same time sufficiently 

 high to insure good drainage, and the many plants turned 

 out upon them are essential features. Plants requiring 

 shade had their allotted place ; probably a Weeping Willow 

 hung over a tropical Fern, or a Beech might do the same 

 kind turn to a Palm, for even this section of the vegetable 

 kingdom had its representatives at Battersea ; while in the 

 more open spaces beds of plants remarkable for the singu- 

 larity of their foliage might be seen at some distance from 

 the general path, care being taken to introduce them so 

 that the best general effect might be produced. Unfortu- 

 nately my visit was a hurried one, and I had not time to 

 notice more than a very few of the objects to be seen ; but 

 I may observe that as well as beds of the different plants 

 grouped together, there were many single plants turned out 

 on the turf, which so far as their appearance was concerned 

 might have been there for years. 



Entering the enclosure on the north side, the first plant I 

 met with was a stranger to me, Griselinia macrophylla, a 

 plant of which the appearance and growth resemble Ficus 

 elastica, and widely different from G. littoralis, a densely- 

 foliaged evergreen shrub not half so much grown as it ought 

 to be, and which with me is as hardy as the common Laurel. 

 Farther on a handsome tree Fern spreads its umbrageous 

 fronds underneath a tree more common to the climate ; but 

 apart from such shelter might be seen a bed of Dracaena 

 terminalis luxuriating in all the richness of colouring which 

 makes it so great a favourite with the visitors of our hot- 

 houses. In like manner plants of Brugmansia stood out 

 as sentinals here and there on the turf, with now and then 

 a Ficus elastica of goodly proportions in the same position ; 

 in one or two cases a bed of the latter formed an inter- 

 esting feature, but not more so than beds of the Croton 

 picta, yet the latter, or, rather, a newer and improved 

 species of this fine old favourite, was to be met with by the 

 score planted out, and, to all appearances, enjoying the 

 climate of Battersea instead of Batavia. There was no 

 scorching, blistering, or withering; all seemed in perfect 

 health and condition. In another place fine plants of Ma- 

 ranta zebrina spread their finely-formed leaves over plain 

 English turf, or a few would be grouped together to form a 

 bed; while further in the distance would be seen the com- 

 manding foliage of the various Cannas, some being of an 

 almost bronze hue, while others were of a delicate green. 

 Hedychium also formed other groups of a somewhat similar 

 kind ; while Wigandia and Pahna Christi waved their noble 

 foliage in luxuriant profusion in the distance, not but that 

 a nearer acquaintance would be now and then made by a 

 specimen advanced towards the low iron fence, which very 

 properly shut out the throngs of visitors who occupy the 

 walks. There are also some species of Arundo not com- 

 monly met with. 



As respects Ornamental Grasses, there was a most beau- 

 tiful white-edged kind, forming an edging to a small bed. 

 An older species adjoining it (Daetylis glomerata), resembles 

 it much in habit, but is much less white in colouring. Stipa 

 pennata, or another Stipa of similar growth, is also brought 

 into effective use ; while ever and anon the eye would fall on 

 a mass of Centaurea eandidissima in quantity sufficient to 

 make many of us envy the store from which it came. Even 

 a Centaurea more rare than this (G. argentea), was to be 

 met with in hundreds, and though it is less really white 

 than the other one, its finely-cut leaves give it a rich 

 appearance. A kidney-shaped bed of Coleus Verschaffelti 

 edged with Centaurea argentea, had as rich an appearance 

 as could well be conceived; though not more so than a 

 circular bed of the same plant with an edging of Centaurea 

 eandidissima. Many other plants not at all plentiful even 

 in hothouses were here planted out by the score ; but I do not 

 recollect seeing any Begonias in a flourishing condition; I 

 might, however, have overlooked them. Caladiums there 

 were, and Ferns of various stove- kinds, including Gymno- 

 gramma chrysophylla, and sundry others, which, in my 

 hurried visit and the expectation of repeating it, I did not 

 notice. When such veterans in plant-growing as Mr. Veitch, 

 of the Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, express themselves astonished 

 at the many valuable plants met with out of doors, I may with 

 confidence strongly advise every gardener visiting London 

 to go and see for himself; and if the same plants met his 

 eye as occupied the sub-tropical garden in the middle of 



August, he cannot be otherwise than astonished, and return 

 pondering on what he has seen, and the field for enterprise 

 which has been opened up. — J. Eobson. 



POETEAITS OF PLAJSTTS, FLOWEES, AjND 

 FEUITS. 



F/rceolina pendttla (Drooping TTrceolina). Nat. era 7 ., 

 Amaryllidacese. Linn., Hexandria Monogynia. — Imported 

 by Messrs. Veitch, of King's Eoad, Chelsea, through their 

 collector Mr. Pearce. Native of woods on the Andes at 

 Pozuzo. Flowers yellow, green-tipped, and white-edged, 

 urn-shaped, drooping, in an umbel; each on a green tube so 

 narrow as to resemble a pedicel. Bloomed in June.- — (Bota- 

 nieal Mag., t. 5464.) 



Macleania pulch-ra (Showy Macleania). Nat. ord., Vac- 

 ciniaceffi. Linn., Decandria Monogynia. — A handsome 

 glabrous shrub. Native of New Grenada. Flowers scarlet, 

 with yellow limb. — (Ibid., t. 5465.) 



Cypkipeditjtsi cakicinum (Sedge-like Lady's Slipper) . Nat. 

 ord., Orchidacese. Linn., Gynandria Diandria. — Native of 

 Peru. Introduced by Messrs. Veitch through their collector 

 Mi'. Pearce. Eequires a stove ; blooms in May. Flowers 

 pale green, white-margined, tipped partially with purplish 

 brown.— (Ibid., t. 5466.) 



Eranthehtxm: Cooperi (Sir Daniel Cooper's Eranthe- 

 mum). Nat. ord., Acanthacea?. Linn., Diandria Monogynia. 

 — Eaised by Messrs. Veitch from seed received by Sir D. 

 Cooper from New Caledonia. Bloomed in a warm green- 

 house during June. Flowers white, with middle one of the 

 lower limbs dotted in purple lines. — (Ibid., t. 5467.) 



Genethyllis fimeriata (Thyme-leaved Genethyllis). 

 Nat. ord., Myrtaceaj. Linn., Icosandria Monogynia. — Native 

 of south-west Australia. Introduced to our greenhouses by 

 Messrs. Veitch. A lovely shrub ; but its crimson involucral 

 scales are its ornaments, the flowers within them being 

 small and insignificant. — (Ibid., t. 5468.) 



Pelargonium. — United Italy. Exhibited by Messrs. Hen- 

 derson & Son, Wellington Eoad Nursery. It is one of the 

 tricoloured-leaved varieties. Margin of leaves creamy white ; 

 next a broad zone of crimson pink ; next a bronzy dark 

 shade; and centre green. Flower small, scarlet. It is a 

 good dwarf pot plant. — (Floral 3Iag., pi. 209.) 



Tea Eose. — Alia rosea. Creamy white ; inner petals rosy 

 tinged.— (Ibid., pi. 210.) 



Fancy Pansies. — John McNab, ground pale sulphur; broad 

 border of plum, margined with white. Mrs. Dombrain, pale 

 yellow ; eye very large, and spot of deep purple, radiated ; 

 centre deep orange. Mrs. B. Dean, pure white, with eye and 

 spot violet purple, shading to a paler hue. Mrs. Scott, cream- 

 coloured ground ; violet purple margin, shading paler in- 

 wards : eye and spot of same colour ; centre deep orange. 

 All sent out by Messrs. Downie & Co. — (Ibid., pi. 211.) 



Pvkethruhs. — Annie Holbom, very double, white ; centre 

 delicate lilac. Ftdgens plenissima, large, dark crimson. 

 Nemesis, large, rosy red ; centre lighter. — (Ibid., pi. 212.) , 



Clematis Jacesianni. — This very beautiful hardy climber 

 " originated at the Woking nursery of Messrs. G. Jackman 

 and Son, and is, we believe, due to a happy idea which 

 crossed the mind of Mr. G. Jackman, jun., which was to the 

 effect that some of the blood of C. lanuginosa, thrown into 

 the large-flowered hardy species and varieties of this genus, 

 would result in the production of something good. The 

 result has fully justified Mi'. Jackman's anticipations ; for 

 the seed thus obtained has yielded a large batch of magnifi- 

 cent seedlings, with flowers of all shades of purple, varying 

 towards lilac on the one hand, and a reddish plum or maroon 

 colour on the other. One of the most marked of the whole 

 series, so far as they have yet been proved, is C. Jackmanni. 



" The mother parent of this batch of seedlings was C. lanu- 

 ginosa. This was crossed with C. viticella Hendersoni and 

 C. viticella atro-rubens, from which latter, no doubt, has 

 been derived a rich reddish plum tint, which is found in 

 many of the seedlings, and of which C. rubro-violacea is a 

 beautiful example, scarcely, if at all, inferior to, and per- 

 fectly distinct from, C. Jackmanni. The seedlings flowered 

 for the first time in 1862, and both the varieties we have 

 mentioned, selected from amongst them, were shown in 

 August, 1863, at a meeting of the Floral Committee, and 



