Febri-ary 17. 1912. 



THE 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



131 



ACACIA BAILEYANA. 



To tliose who liave had opportunities for 

 In coming acquainted with the trade in cut 

 tiowers as conducted in the London mar- 

 kets, it is well known that immense quan- 

 ities of acacia blossom are sent to this 

 ountry from the South of France during 

 lie w^inter months. They will also be con- 

 . rsant with the fact that for many years 

 ;isb the flowers sold in the London markets 



been chiefly those of the Silver 



(Acacia dealbata), which, undei 



have 

 Wattle 



or<linarily favourable conditions, attains a 

 large size, and in its native home reaches 

 lieight ranging from 30 to 100ft, Tliis 



a 



I 



IS 



Is 



M 



the 



^ • -i 



perliaps, one of the best known of the 



aiger-growing kinds tliat are in cultiva- 



ion in this eonntry, and specimens are to 



>e found in many gardens in which there 



a conservatoiy or winter garden suffi- 



< icntly lofty to afford a fair amount of 



lioad room. In some of the more favour- 



;il)Iy situated gardens in the West of Eng- 



l;ind good specimens are found growing in 



sheltered positions in the open, where they 

 ''loom freely. 



Within the past few years some of the 

 I'nwer growers in the district of which Nice 

 the centre have turned their attention 

 > Acacia Baileyana, ,a species of singular 

 ■auty, and attaining the dimensions of 

 la^-ge shrub. They have been sending 

 to the Lfondon markets for a year or two 

 M iiall quantities of the flowers' of this spe- 

 ' i<>s with their consignments of the blos- 

 :n of A. dealbata, and this winter there 

 IS been a considerable increase in 

 jipplies, a fact of interest as showing that 

 ilioy Jiave found favour for decorative pur- 

 poses. It would be somewhat surprising 

 111 at A. Baileyana has not come into gene- 

 'id cultivation in this country, were it 

 'i"t that hard-woo<led plants liave for some 

 ^• ars past been at a discount. It is repre- 

 nted m the Kew collection, and the plant 

 ^y be found among other acacias at the 

 ' intern end of the central part of the tem- 

 l";i-ate house ; hut in the position it occvi- 

 ]'it>s It has no opportunities for the dis- 

 play of Its distinctive characteristics, and 

 jittordmg .some indication of its elegant 

 Jiabitand wondrous beauty when in bloon 

 J 11 the case of a collection such as that at 



^T^-" course, possible to pro- 



^ I'le sufficient space for each specimen to 

 "am Its full development. It may also 



■ met with in a few Cornish and Devonian 

 -'Xlens,-^ but we have not been able to 



d It offered for sale in any of the trade 

 '•itaiogues that we liave. 



s 'n^r^- I*'' « 'i^nivo of New 

 ' itti Uaios, where it forms a large shrub 

 "Hnvliat pyramidal in outline, and wholly 

 t'om fonnality. The shoots are slen- 

 • and well clothed with blui.sl,-<;reen 



■ es, ^-ineh are bipinnatc and about two 

 IKS ,„ length and the game in breadth. 



eoldpn niedium size, and a rich 



UUv T^l'^S ill^i'^tration, are liorne in grace- 

 tl -V: ,'! ^'i^J'-'^T™^^' ^^'''^ produced in 

 ^^■Ctl '^V'Z'^ '-^"^^ '-^'-^ '-^^^""t five 

 ne. H The spray illustrat^l 



^ '^me. hereon it will not be difficult t^ 



-!''ir^l, V'"^ specimens are 



; a' b adapted for the decoration of 



^ es ; -"^T^ ^^^--^^ welI.grown 



"^s m ist, during the season of flower- 



lJi"ii "iiTOf'nsoly 



^v'ufr'h, '"^ ^'■'''^ blooming is evidenced 

 «'- s'mi ; .^T sprays the French growers 



J^ron ' r ^""'^ ^'''^t thev are 



^'"K .t ui increased quantities far the 



1 



attractive. That A 



supplj' of cut flowers for the markets. For 

 further evidence upon this point we turne<l 

 to ^"Australian Plants/^ by Mr. W. R. 

 (Juilfoyle. late director of the Melbourne 

 Botanii' (!ar<lenSj and therein we found an 

 illustration of a large, shapely bush, that 

 was simply enveloped in the myriads of 

 golden ball-like flow4?rs. The spwies is 

 so distinct and beautiful that it should 

 have a place in every garden in which cool- 

 house plants are appreciattnl ; aiul we have 

 no doubt that, should a demand arise, there 

 will be no difficulty in obtaining sui)])res 

 from the nurseries. The spray illustrated 

 is one of the many that have been sent 



CORNUS MACROPHYLLA. 



corn us 



commend them except that their ba-rk is 

 conspicuous during winter by reason of its 



bright red colour. This^ however, cannot 

 be urgfHl against the 6pecies uiuler notice, 

 for it«c(jmman<ling appearance warrants it 

 receiving attention amongst otJier wcody 

 plants, whether in bloom or in leaf. Un- 

 like many of the other kinds, wbicli are 



<'onsj)icuous by reason of 



whit'h .sj)]Mng from a common iiioi-stoek, 



n 



w^- -. 



-r 



... 



f: 



r , 



i 



Vi 



1 



-ii 



r ■ ■, 



I* -'I 



! . ■ -1 



-4 



V- 



- „l . 



i 



L 



\CACIA BAILF.YAXA. 



A free-flowering- and handsome species, bearing elegant racemes of rich yellow flowers. 



to the London markets, and distributed 



therefTOni in the usual course. 



G. 



Daphne indica. — Tliough this daphne 



cannot be called showy, the blossoms are so 

 deliciously fragrant as to be admired by 

 everyone. What is more, they are borne 

 during the winter and very early spring 

 months. It \^ often met with in a far from 

 satisfactory condition, and this is, I think, 

 in some cases at least, owing to the plant 

 being propagated by grafting on to the meze- 

 reon, a deciduous member of the genxie^. 

 Though cuttings take some time to strike, 

 young plants can be obtained in this way. — 

 W. T. 



this usually assuiiu\s a trct'-like li;ibit^ ris- 

 ing to a height of 18 ov I'O feet, with a 

 stout central stein from whi< h a flattentnl 

 head of branches is borne. Th<^ leaves are 

 large, ovate, and accuininate. green aibovo 

 and irhuK'ouv boneatli. Iiulividuallv, the 

 creani-<'()loui-<Hl fl(^^Vi'rs ar<^ .smal'. hut as a 

 large number are bonu- to^etluT to forni 

 flat heads, 3 to 5 inches n>-^, ihcy are 

 verv conspicuous when at thrir l)c^;t about 

 the middh* of sinnnicr. 



t\ nuicrophylla is widely distributed in 

 China and Japn, and is suitable for 

 general cidtivation in Great Britain, except 

 in the very coldest places. It must, how- 

 ever, be so placed that it is &heltere<l from 



