432 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



June 8, 1912. 



specimens are turned out in large quantities 

 by the most successful cultivators. Among 

 their other desirable features is the fact 



th 



be had 



bloom in the 



depth of winter, while the flowers remain 

 fresh and bright for a considerable time^ 

 and, being in many varieties borne in long 

 sprays, they are very useful in a cut state. 

 Of those the white and rose shades 

 especially pleasing. 



Other hard-wooded plants that are still 

 grown, but in limited numbers are aphe- 

 lexis, Actus gracillima, pimeleas, chori- 

 zeinas, polygalas, and the scarlet Bottle 

 Bi'ush plant, known both as iMetrosideros 

 floribunda and Oalli-stem 



saugnus. 



Acacias are usually classed with hard- 

 wooded or New Holland plants, but they 

 are less particular in their cultural require- 

 ments than those previously mentioned. 

 Except in the case of one or two of the 

 more delicate growers, such as Acacia 

 Drummondi, they require but little peat, 

 wliereas heatlis, eto., need a soil consisting 

 entirely of peat and san<l. 



Although botanists tell us that the so- 

 called Indian azaleas are 



dendrone 



in reality rhodo- 



tho 



yet for garden purposes 

 generic name of azalea is not at all likely 

 to be superseded. The varieties of Indian 

 azalea are to-day as popular as ever, but 

 instead of the huge pyramidal or standard 

 specimens that such of us as are past middle 

 age can well remember, we rarely see other 

 than the neat little plants grafte<l on to 

 stems about a foot in height, which are 

 grown in a wholesale manner, chiefly in 

 Belgium, and are sent to this country in 

 immense numbers during the autumn 

 months. Small standards on tall stems are 

 now sometimes seen, while one variety in 

 particular, namely Hexe, is grown as little 

 bushy plants on its own roots. 



Of rhododendrons proper many of the 

 Himalayan hybrids are much appreciated, 

 but to see them at their best they need, in 

 most cases at least, to attain the dimen- 

 sions of good-sized bushes. The hybrids in 

 which the compact-growing Rhododendron 



has playecL a part, (bloom more 



readily in a small state than most of the 

 others. 



The members of the Javanese section 

 will, however, flower freely when small, 

 while, what is more, their period of bloom- 

 ing is not limited to any particular season 

 of the year, as they flower more or less 

 continuously from January to December. 

 They form an exceedingly bright and cheer- 

 ful feature in the warm greenhouse, for 

 the original species, being natives of the 

 tropics, the several varieties need more heat 

 than the Himalayan species and the 



hybrids that have originated therefrom. 



W. 



Solanum Wendl£indi. — When first 



introduced this solanum quickly showed its 

 value as a vig^orous growing climber for the 

 warm greenhouse, or coolest part of the 

 stove. After a time it was proved that by 

 striking shoots, such as would flower if 

 allowed to remain on the plant, neat little 

 examples, each carrying a large head of 

 blossoms, could be obtained. Beautiful as 

 Solanum Wendlandi is when grown in this 

 way, its merits as a climber must not be 

 overlooked, for. given a good light position 

 in a structure kept somewhat warmer than 

 an ordinary greenhouse, it will flower well. 

 Cuttings of the growing shoots strike root 

 readily in spring and summer. This solanum, 

 which is a native of Costa Rica, was first 

 sent to England by Mr. Wendland, director 

 of the famous Botanic (harden at Hexren- 

 hausen, in Hanover, in 1882. Unlike a plant 

 distributed by nurserymen, who naturally 

 push its sale as much as possible, it was a 

 long while before it became generally dis- 

 tributed,— W, T, 



was 

 varieti 



The different 



LILIES AT THE 

 INTERNATIONAL 



EXHIBITION. 



Lovers of lilies-^and who does not ad- 

 mire these beautiful flowers ?— foimd much 

 of interest at the great show at Chelsea, 

 for in some collections veritable sheaves of 

 the finest forms were to be seen. Special 

 interest is, of course, centred around any 

 new variety, and for that reason a very 

 distinct form of Lilium davuricum or dauri- 

 cum^ which received an Award of Merit. 



much sought after. 



of Lilium davuricum are, for the 

 most part, characterised by upright heads 

 of cup-shaped flowers of some shade of red 

 or deep orange. In this parti-cTilar form, 

 however, which bears the name of L. davu- 

 ricum luteum, the colour of the flowers :s 

 a clear briglit yellow^ with dark-coloure<^l 

 dots on the basal half of the segments. In 

 the very middle of the flower there is a 

 slight orange suffusion. This lily, which 

 attains a height of Si to 4ft., has very 

 narrow leaves, which are on the under sides 

 thickly clothed with tomentum. This fea- 

 ture also occurs on the stems and flower- 

 buds. It is in every way a very distinct 

 lily, and appears to be quite as robust as 

 the ordinary forms of L, davuriciun, all 

 of which thrive so well in the open border. 

 It was shown in good condition by Mr. 

 Amos Perry, of Enfield. 



A second lily to obtain an Award of 

 Merit was Lilium myriophyllum, a Chinese 

 species^ that belongs to the Browni section. 



Like this last-named species, the funnel- 

 shaped flowers are ivory-white, tinged with 

 purple on the exterior. Inside they are 

 pure white around the edges, with a yel- 

 lowish shade towards the centre. A par- 

 ticularly notable feature of this lily is the 

 great profusion in which the very narrow 

 leaves are borne, as they are closely packed 

 together on the stem. From th s feature 

 the specific name of myriophyllum is de- 

 rived. The specimens to Avhich the award 

 was made were shown by Messrs. R. 

 Wallace and Co., of Colchester, who have 

 imported this lily in quantity of late, but 

 for its discovery and introduction we are 

 indebted to Mr. E. H. Wilson, who found 

 it when travelling in China some years 

 since. 



Xearly all the lilies that it is possible to 

 have in flower at this season were repre- 

 sented, among the most noticeable being 

 the Siberian Lilium tenuifolium, with its 

 prettily reflexed deep scarlet flowers, and 

 its comparatively new form, Golden Gleam, 

 in which the blossoms are of an orange- 

 apricot colour. Lilium Hansoni, too, 

 which is one of the most dependable of the 

 different members of the Martagon section 

 for flowering in pots, was largely shown, 

 while most interesting lilies were the 

 hybrids between it and the white 

 Martagon, known as Miss Willmott, and 

 Marhan. 



The Browni class included, beside this 

 species, L. myriophyllum alx)ve alluded to^ 

 L. leucanthum and L. o<lorum, known 

 also as L. japonicum colchesteriense. Of 

 the upright-flowered lilies which I 'loom 

 naturally at this season there was no lack, 

 the dwarf-growing Lilium elegans being r<-- 

 presented by many varieties, while nume- 

 rous forms of L. davuricum were pIso 

 noted, including the new one above-UAU- 

 tionecl. Tlie old Orange Lily (L. eroceupi^ 



still holds its own as one of the best 

 these cup-shaped lilies, as in warmth of 

 colouring it stands out alone. Numerous 

 examples of L, Batemanniso were also 

 noted, a decidedly unexpected exhibit, as 



son. Splendid examples of Lilium lonei- 

 florum, L. testaceum, L. candidum and 

 L. speciosum were to be met with on all 

 hands, the last-named being the result tjf 

 retarding the bulbs. 



Besides these above enumerated the fol- 

 lowing were jotted down here and there 

 while passing the various exhibits: L 

 Parryi, L. Bloomerianum, L. giganteuni L 

 Krameri, and the allied L. rubescens L 

 auratum, L. Grayi, L. Kellogi, L. Hum- 

 bo Idti, L. maritimum, and the distinct L 

 columbianum. g 



it naturally flowers much later in the sea- seen. 



GREENHOUSE CLIMBERS. 



The present rage for cut flowers, espe- 

 cially those having long stems, has been 

 the cause of the neglect of many choice 

 neat-flowering greenhouse climbers, hence 

 the reason so many of these have gone out 

 of cultivation. There are but few estab- 

 lishments where time can be afforded to 

 pay due attention to everything, and un- 

 less climbers are regularly looked after 

 during the time they are making their 

 growth, the shoots soon become so en- 

 tangled as to be beyond control. It is 

 the fashion now in many places to grow 

 only such plants as can be used for cutting 

 and furnishing, and, as but few of the 

 greenhouse climbers lend themselves to 

 these purposes^ they have been discarded. 

 The roof of a greenhouse or conservatory 

 looks bare unless plants of some kind are 

 hanging from the rafters, and even though 

 the flowers produced on such plants may be 

 unsuited for indoor decorations, they are 

 nevertheless very pleasing when hanging 

 from the roof. Therefore a small selection 

 of plants of scandent habit should be re- 

 garded as essential to the proper furnish- 

 ing of both the greenhouse and conser- 

 vatory. 



Some, we know, are of little worth in- 

 dividually, but when growing on the plants 

 are very interesting. Take Hibbertia den- 

 tata for an example ; the flowers would not 

 make any display whatever if gathered and 

 arranged in a vas^* but intermingled with 

 their bronze-lookiiig foliage, they are very 

 interesting. Thos^ who take a keen in- 

 terest in gardening, though they may like 

 to have the rooms in the dwelling-house 

 nicely furnished with plants and cut flowers 

 are also desirous of growing everything 

 they can that is beautiful and interesting, 

 and some of these subjects are to be found 

 among the more hardy of our greenhouse 

 climbers. Streptosolen Jamesoni is one of 

 these, for when allowed room to develop, it 

 blooms most profusely, and as the flowers 

 are of a rich old-gold colour, they have a 

 telling effect, either when growing near the 

 roof, or on a pillar. The flowei-s, too, are 

 most useful for table decoration, as they 

 can be used with good effect. The strepto- 

 solen is of easy culture, and flowers quite 

 in a small state. 



Solanum jasminoides is another of these 

 free-flowering plants, and is weu worthy of 

 attention, and though it may be hardy in 

 some places, it does best in a greenhouse. 

 Kennedyas, too, form a neat group of free- 

 flowering plants that appear to have gone 

 quite out of cultivation. Their Uttle pea- 

 shaped flowers hang in small racenies 

 among the foliage. Sollya Drummondi 

 and S. heterophylla are also interesting- 

 So are the two varieties of lapagena. lo 

 have these climbers do w^ell, thev must be 

 kept free from insect pests, which, now 

 there are so many different kinds of insec- 

 ticides, should not be a very difficult task, 

 provided this is taken in hand before they 

 become too numerous. Repressive measures 

 should he adopted immediately they are 



H. C Prinsep 



