798 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



October 19, 1912. 



NELUMBIUM SPECIOSUM. 



We have heard a gi-eat deal lately about 

 the decorative value of the flowers and 

 leaves of nelurabiums, and an effort is 

 being made to popularise them, chiefly by 

 means of imported flower buds that are 

 panded when they reach thivS country. We 



are apt to forget that nehimbiums were 

 popular \vhen Moses was undergoing his 

 military training in Egypt,and when Joseph 



was Prime Minister in the land of the 

 Pharoahs. 



Where spa<?e can be afforded Nelumbium 

 speciosum is an especially attractive aqua- 

 tic for cultivation under glass. It is a most 

 interesting and noble, as well as beautiful, 

 subject, and now that so many of the 

 popular market*' plants are grown in 

 bat< hos in almost every garden, tlie cultiva- 

 tion of the nelumbium would relieve the 

 monotony that so frequently exists. 



the manure, is used ; the nympha?as are 

 placed in tubs, and the nelumbiums in a 



large tub. Water covers the whole to a 

 depth of four inches. 



The house is kept very warm^ and when 

 the foliage of the aquatics appears it is 

 syringed two or three times a day in warm, 

 bright weather. Under no consideration 

 are the ventilators opened, so as to com- 

 municate directly with the outside air, but 

 the doors at either end of the house, lead- 

 ing into other houses, are opened m the 

 hottest weather, but these are invariably 

 closed at two o'clock all through the sum- 

 mer. Late in autumn, when the plants 

 show signs of going to rest, the temperature 

 is greatly reduced, and during winter a 

 night temperature of from 55 to 60 degrees 

 is found sufficient. 



Mr. George Cradduck, Colonel Lock- 

 wood's gardener, states that the nelumbium 

 leaves are carried 6ft. to 6^ft. high, on 



CELOSIA PYRAMIDALIS* 



This graceful plant has come markedly 

 to the front within recent years, not only 

 as a desirable subject for summer bedding, 

 but also as a valuable one for the decora- 

 tion of the greenhouse and conservatory. 

 For this latter purpose it is, as a rule, most 

 appreciated when the beauty of the out- 

 door flowers is over. A remarkable fea- 

 ture of this celosia is the intensely vivid 

 colours of many of the inflorescences, so 

 that they are looked upon as crude by some, 

 and those of that way of thinking often 

 contemptuously refer to them. There is, 

 however, no question about their telling 



they 

 tinted 



disposed 



serve to lighten up tbe more soml 

 foliage plants most effectually. 



In order to have these celosias at their 

 best they need to be grown straight away 

 from the seedling stage without any check, 



472 



NELUMBIUM SPECIOSUM AND 



NTMI 



DEVONIENSIS AT BISHOFS HALL 



At Bishop's Hall. Romford, the residence 

 of Colonel Lockwood, a house is set apart 

 for tropical aquatics. A tank 22ft. long, 

 8ft. wide, and S^ft. deep, is provided, and 

 one four-mch pipe runs all round the in- 

 side, this being ample for maintaining a 

 temperature of 70 to 7o degrees in the 

 water. Crotons are the only plants grown 

 in the house, l>e,sides the nelumbiums 

 Nympha^a dentatn, miuI X. Devoniensis. 

 The crotons occupy the side stages. The 

 house is never shaded. 



During the first or second week in March 

 each year, the tank is cleaned out, the 

 tuberous roots of the nymphieas and the 

 cre<'j>n!n; rootstocks of the nelumbiums 

 being cuUocted as the old soil is remove<l. 

 As quirkly as possible these are place<l in 

 new soil. For nelumbiums a compost of 

 two parts turfy loam, one part leaf-soil, 

 and one part driofl cow manure is prepared. 

 For the nymphieas a similar compost, minag 



stout stems, and the largest leaves have a 

 diameter of 2fj inches. The flower stems 

 rise about oft. high, and the blooms are 

 about a foot, or a little more, across, and 

 of a beautiful scft rose colour. 



Oncidium spilopterum, with 



lai-g-e yellow labellum and violet-coloured 

 crest, is now flowering. It is of easy 

 culture, growing well in the cool house 

 during the summer months, but is best win- 

 tered in the intermediate house as advised 

 for the other species. Many of the onci- 

 diums do not lend themselves very readily to 

 cultivation, but by closely observing their 

 manner of growth, and their requirements, 

 there is no reason why ;these difficulties 

 should not be overcome. A mistake often 

 made in the cultivation of all oncidiums is 

 growing them in deep receptacles, and with 

 too much compost about their roots —J T 

 Barker, The West Hill Gardens. 



using for the purpose light rich soil. The 

 month of May is quite early enough to sow 

 the seeds to produce plants tor autumn 

 flowering. There is now a considerable 

 range of colour in the different forms. Ac- 

 cording to the Dictionary of Gardening/' 

 this celosia, which is a native of India, was 

 introduced in 1820. Another species very 

 much older is the Cockscomb (Celosia cris- 

 tata), which, *by the same authority, is said 

 to have been introduced in 1570. Many 

 object to this celosia because of its lumpy 

 habit, but it is really very showy, and a 

 decided favourite of mine. W. T. 



m 



Ji mexicana. — This 



uncommon Mexican plant is of a pretty, neat 

 growth, and flowers continuously, 'it be- 

 longs to the Scrophularia family, but in its 



in cluc^tere. — K. 



purple flowe 



