32S 



JOTJENAL OF HOETICULTTJBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 25, 1864. 



Anemone root. I have had splendid beds without taking 

 up the roots at all, by simply removing- the decayed foliage 

 and giving an annual dressing of partially decayed leaves 

 in December. This treatment, however, will not do for beds, 

 it being necessary to remove the tubers ; and that should 

 be done when the foliage turns yellow, drying and storing 

 them away in a cool dry place until October, when they are 

 to be planted. 



Of double Anemones, the best for grouping are Lord 

 Nelson, violet blue; Harold, purple blue; Prince Albert, 

 •deep violet ; Preeiosa, red ; Bichelieu, scarlet ; Superbe 

 -.(Scarlet Superb), scarlet ,- L'Eclair, scarlet, the best scarlet ; 

 Eose Mignonne, deep rose; Victoria Eegina, velvety red; 

 Hortensis, red; Josephine, scarlet; and L'Ornement de la 

 Nature, blue. 



_ Of single, the best is the Scarlet sometimes called Bril- 

 liant, and brilliant it is; in addition to which there are 

 mixed colours which no one dare name for fear of being 

 laughed at, and yet they make a great show in spring and 

 early summer. 



The blue Wood Anemone (Anemone apennina),is like the 

 Wood Anemone, but the flowers are larger — about the size of 

 a crown-piece, of a brilliant sky blue, and the foliage is even 

 more handsome than that of the commoner species. Being a 

 sheet of bloom in April, no plant will command more general 

 adm i ration, and it will grow anywhere — either in the par- 

 terre, park, or grove, but calcareous soil is best. It should 

 bo planted at latest by the middle of October. A fitting 

 companion for it is Anemone hortensis, or Star Anemone, 

 from the mountains of Southern Europe, and perfectly hardy. 

 The flowers are H inch across, of a ruby-scarlet or purple, 

 and produced in April and May. Seedling plants of these 

 vary much in colour, especially those of A. apennina, they 

 being purple in different shades, and white. 



A. Pulsatilla, so fine in chalky pastures, with its violet 

 flowers, must find its way into every garden ; and so ought 

 the yellowish Portuguese species, A. palmata. A. fulgens, 

 a shining variety of the Peacock's-eye (A. pavonina), with 

 the species and the double variety of the Wood Anemone 

 (A. nemorosa), also the Garland, both single and double, 

 (A. coronaria), from the Levant, must have a place provided 

 for them in some shrubbery-border, which will be all the 

 more frequently visited if gay with a few flowers. 



Beautiful in its way, but not so much in beds. The English 

 and Spanish grow well in the open ground in any light rich 

 soil, flowering in June. They should be planted in the end 

 of September or beginning of October in patches of six or 

 more, and about 3 inches deep. The Spanish Iris blooms 

 the earliest, followed closely by the English, which are 

 larger. 



IXIA, SPARAXIS, TPJTONIA, AND BABIANA. 

 These are somewhat tender, the difference between hardy 

 and not being due to the depth the roots are planted at. The 

 best situation is a greenhouse border or south border, and 

 the soil should be of a light sandy nature. If it is composed 

 of sandy loam, leaf mould, and sandy peat in equal parts it 

 could not be better. They should be planted from 4 to 6 

 inches deep, and must be protected by a covering of dry 

 leaves when severe weather sets in, placing a little soil 

 thereon to prevent the leaves being blown about by the 

 wind, and removing it in spring. Grown in this way they 

 bloom much better than in pots, and continue to bloom from 

 May to August. The proper time of planting is October. 

 They should not be moved except for the purpose of increase, 

 as dryness of the root otherwise than in dry soil is more 

 injurious than beneficial. 



ALSTRCEMERIA. 



Once grown in hothouses, but now found quite hardy when 

 planted at a suitable depth. A chilensis is suitable for 

 grouping, attaining a height of from 2 to 3 feet, producing 

 numerous racemes of elegantly shaded orange red, yellow, 

 or rose flowers, diversified by lines on a lighter ground. 

 A. aurea, orange red ; A. haemantha, bright flamed red ; and 

 A. psittacina, red and green, form excellent groups in bor- 

 ders ; whilst the smaller kinds, as A. tricolor and A. pele- 

 grina, are rather more tender, yet form interesting groups 

 when planted in sheltered borders, and do not attain a 



height of more than 18 inches. The Alsti-cemerias retain 

 their beauty as cut flowers in water longer than many plants, 

 and I forget now whether they or the Gladiolus retained 

 it the longer. They like a free rich soil, but will thrive 

 in any good ground, only the subsoil must be well drained. 

 They should be planted from 6 to 9 inches deep, with the 

 bud-like crown uppermost. Once planted they are no further 

 trouble, and it is not uncommon for them to seed and in- 

 crease at a rapid rate. A. acutifolia is a climbing plant, a 

 frame perennial as hardy as any of the others; and A. ar- 

 gentea vittata has beautiful variegated foliage, the best in 

 the lot being a hybrid, A. Ehrembaultii, which is white- 

 spotted, A versicolor following closely with yellow-spotted 

 flowers. Alstrcemerias, however, bloom in August and on- 

 wards ; and it was not those that I intended writing about 

 on the present occasion. — G. Abeet. 



THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 

 SHOW. — October 19th, 20th, asd 21st. 



The objects in which competition was invited on this 

 occasion were fruit and vegetables ; and of the former there 

 was a very good display, notwithstanding that no prizes 

 were offered, certificates bearing a money value in propor- 

 tion to their class and the amount of r>ayments for admission 

 being substituted. The receipts, however, must have been 

 very small, at any rate the first day, for, though the weather 

 was remarkably fine, the visitors not being either Fellows 

 of the Society or exhibitors were few; nor could many be 

 expected when the fashionable world is out of town. 



The Grapes and dessert Apples and Pears were ranged oh 

 two tables in the conservatory, in one of which Messrs. 

 Lane's pot Tines formed an appropriate centre, whilst the 

 kitchen fruit, roots, and vegetables were placed in the 

 arcade. 



Pines. — Only four were shown. A Queen from Mr. Mobbs, 

 gardener to W. B. Tyringham, Esq., Newport Pagnell, had 

 a second-class certificate ; and a large and fine Cayenne 

 from Mr. T. Ingram, gardener to Her Majesty at Frogmore, 

 was first, and a Black Jamaica of 6 lbs. 9 ozs., but not in 

 good condition, second in the Any variety class. 



Grapes.- — Numerous and excellent bunches were shown 

 both of Black and White kinds. In the latter three bunches 

 of Muscat of Alexandria from Mr. Meads, gardener to Eaikes 

 Currie, Esq., Farnborough, were the finest we have seen 

 this season, being large and compact in bunch, large in 

 berry, and beautifully ripened — very different from Muscats 

 as usually seen earlier in the season. The three bunches 

 weighed 11 lbs. 13 ozs. Mr. A. Ingram, gardener to J. J. 

 Blandy, Esq., Eeading, was second with excellent bunches 

 of the same kind; and Mr. Pottle third with large bunches. 



In Black Grapes Messrs. Lane, Berkh'ampstead, were first 

 with Muscat Hamburgh, very large and well ripened ; and 

 second-class certificates were awarded to Mr. Meads for the 

 same kind, weighing, the three bunches, 8 lbs. 3 ozs. ; and 

 to Mr. Potts, gardener to Mark Phillips, Esq., Stratford-on- 

 Avon, for Barbarossa, 12J lbs. Three bunches of Black 

 Hamburgh from Mr. Meads, weighing 8 lbs. 11 ozs., large 

 in berry but not highly coloured, received a third-class 

 certificate. 



From Messrs. Lane came a fine collection of Grapes, in- 

 cluding handsome well-ripened bunches, the berries being 

 also large, of Esperione, Lady Downes', Muscat Hamburgh, 

 Black Hamburgh, Dutch Hamburgh. Bowood Muscat, Golden 

 Hamburgh, and Buckland Sweetwater. This collection 

 added much to the interest of the Show, and well deserved 

 the first-class certificate which was awarded to it ; and 

 Messrs. Lane received a similar distinction for the fine col- 

 lection of Vines, Pears, and Oranges in pots, the former 

 loaded with excellent bunches. Still more interesting was 

 the collection of Grapes grown in the conservatory at Chis- 

 wick, and consisting of thirty varieties. Among them were 

 two bunches of Barbarossa, the one a very large bunch 

 weighing 6 lbs. 13 ozs., produced by a Vine on its own 

 roots ; and the other borne by a Vine grafted on the Black 

 Hamburgh, which though only weighing 3 lbs. 13 ozs., was 

 very compact and handsome, more regular in the size of the 

 berries, and much better coloured. The two Vines were 

 grown under precisely the same circumstances, and the 



