AUGUST 20, 1898. 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



537 



k« like crowds have every opportunity of enjoying themselves in London, but 

 I would fain be a moment at rest hardly know where to go. Burke says 

 wno « • 1 --' — 1 -* »«"'"•= " Every 



Conversation enriches the mind, but solitude is the school of genius . 

 a before the ruthless builder, tranquil spots and relics of the past disappear. 

 Th 'few which it is possible to preserve become every day of greater value. Let 



pediency or the greed of money be able to annihilate all 11 places 



one, con- 



not a spirit of ex_ ^ 

 of historic interest or of natural beauty. 



Tomatos with Supernumerary Carpels were submitted by Dr. 



Bonavia to R.H.S. Scientific Committee. Two specimens were sent 

 sisring of four carpels, which, instead of being coherent to form a single fruit, were 

 only united at the base, and therefore nearly apocarpous. The other had 

 several extra carpels issuing out of the centre above. These formed a whorl of 



It resembled the Mellarose Orange in 



carpels, in addition to the normal series. 



this respect, 



It is evident, from what may be seen by those who 



Dwarf Snapdragons. 



have opportunities for making observations in any considerable number of gardens, 

 that a section of the horticultural community regard dwarfness in ornamental 

 plants as great merit. Hence we have strains of antirrhinums so dwarf that the 

 flower spikes have a difficulty in rising an inch or so above the leafage which 

 forms a carpet on the surface of the ground an inch or two in thickness. In like 

 manner we have strains of asters so dwarf that the flowers almost rest upon the 

 toil, and suggest the idea that they had been dibbled into the bed. What the 



The Common Pampas Grass known in gardens as Gynerium argenteum has* 

 as our readers are already aware, been re-christened Cortaderia argentea by Dr. 

 Stapf, of Kew, and it is stated to be a native of the Cordillera and not of the 

 Pampas. An allied species named C. jubata, from the Andes of Ecuador is 

 figured m the the current issue of the Bot. Mag. t. 7607; it flowered in Mr. 

 Gumbleton's garden at Belgrove, Co. Cork in 1895 and is described as even more 

 beautiful than C. argentea and having a pale lavender tinted plume ; it is not 

 hardy at Belgrove. In the same issue an illustration of Tc hihatche wia isatidea, a 

 dwarf, rosy flowered crucifer from Armenia ; Buddleia variabilis, described in the 

 Gardeners' Magazine on page 488 ; Ledum glandulosum, a Califorian shrub 

 with spiciform racemes of pure white flowers ; and Ribes villosum, a bright yellow 



flowered shrub from Chili, perfectly hardy at Kew and retaining its foliage during 

 ordinary winters. 



Admixture of Artificial Manures.— The risks attendant upon the ad- 

 mixture of certain combinations of the fertilising elements— nitrogen and potash- 

 are strikingly exemplified by the results of some experiments carried out by Pro- 

 fessor Goessmann, and referred to by Dr. Aikman in the Agricultural Gazette. 

 In the course of these experiments it was found that mixtures of the two manurial 

 ingredients, nitrogen and potash, in the form of muriate of potash and sulphate of 

 ammonia, invariably gave much lower results th\n mixtures containing sulphate of 

 potash and sulphate of ammonia. Since the experiments were carried out under 

 exactly similar conditions, as to character of soil and general mode of cultivation, 



advantages of this excessive dwarfing are we have yet to learn, and, failing to re- * . W * S concIuded b Y *e investigator that the mixture of muriate of potash and 



cognise them, we cannot understand minds so constituted as to show an apprecia- s ^P ha J e of ammonia suffered some unfavourable change when incorporated with 



tion of plants devoid of a single atom of grace or beauty. We can, of course, ™ e . To ascertam > lf possible, the explanation of this unfavourable action of 



appreciate the value of dwarf forms of tall-growing plants in which their general the ™ xture SOme of the dr Y mixture of muriate of potash and sulphate of ammonia 



characteristics are retained, although necessarily in a lessened degree ; but we fail WaS dlssolved m water > when it was found that the muriate of potash was con- 



to recognise any in plants from which every characteristic feature has been com- V ^ te ? mto sul P hate of P otash > while the sulphate of ammonia was changed into 



pletely obliterated. This season collections of the dwarf-growing snapdragons chloride ( or muriate) of ammonia (sal ammoniac). Sal ammoniac, it is well 



known, exercises a most unfavourable action on growing plants. It is well to 

 bear in mind, therefore, that on no account should these two substances be mixed- 



have been grown for trial in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society at 



Chiswick and we are pleased to knowi that excessive dwarfing did not obtain . 

 ach encouragement from the members of the Floral Committee, by whom they to S ether m a manure. 



were examined on Tuesday last. 



Vegetation of Lord Howe Island.— Mr. J. H. Maiden visited Lord 



Howe Island in H.M.C.S. " Thetis" in March and April last, spending nine 

 days on the island. Hemsley's Flora of the island (Annals of Botany, x. p. 221, 

 June, 1896) records two hundred and six plants and three introduced ones, total 

 two hundred and nine. 



Mr. Maiden has added sixteen species and one named 

 variety to the indigenous flora, and seventeen species of introduced plants, while 

 he has removed five species of supposed indigenous plants from Hemsley's list. 



that, according to Mr. Maiden, the flora of Lord Howe Island stands at 

 present at two hundred and seventeen indigenous species (being a net addition of 

 eleven), and ten introduced ones. 



nJdii ^ f Red alld Ye,Iow Fruit.— Mr. J. McLean, Luttrellstown, half as much produce. 

 ^ons,IIa co Dublin, sent to R H.S. Scientific Committee some golden yellow 



Fertilisers for Grass Lands.— Some experiments in the use of artificial 



and natural manures have been carried out by Mr. J. McCreath on behalf of the 

 Cornwall County Council, and the report on the results is of much interest. In 

 the experiments on grass land basic slag gave excellent results, as in the preceding 

 seasons, yielding the largest profits. Bone meal applied in equal quantity, namely, 

 three hundredweight per acre, produced a better bottom growth, but at greater 

 cost. Superphosphate of lime used by itself improved the quality of the pasture 

 and left a small profit, but the results were better when used in combination with, 

 one hundredweight of nitrate of soda. Kainit gave unsatisfactory results, and sul- 

 phate of ammonia and nitrate of soda used alone, injured the quality of the 



Twenty loads per acre of fresh 

 while rotted manure gave only 



herbage, except where the pasture was grazed, 

 farmyard manure produced the heaviest crops. 



ou of 1 u ? 7 mS observations : " The plant which produced them is one 

 «Uf one hundred and forty-five Frogmore (red) Selected. The first cluster pro- 



Sf T» P r 0rt ' ° D the £ame pknt three trusses consis *d of yellow 

 from th a ? r ° fessor Baile y observed that he had raised yell 



ooe in 7!, l' frU ^ d pkntS ' but had not seen a resembling the present 



l^toFStT^ hC ^ kn ° Wn 3 CUttiDg of a 'ed-fruited sort to bear 



nd Mr ' Geof g e Gor don remarked that he had frequently seen red 



ow. ' 



New Public Park, Widnes.— The first prize of thirty-five guineas in the 

 public competition for the best design for laying out the Appleton House estate as 

 a public park has been awarded to Messrs. W. Barron and Sons, Elvaston 

 Nurseries, Borrowash. The area of the park is about thirty-six acres, and in 

 ow-fruited tomatos addition to the general plan of the park, which contains a lake, cricket and recrea- 

 tion grounds, lawn tennis grounds, bowling green, gymnasiums, &c, they also 

 furnish three alternative plans for dealing with Appleton House and premises, alse 



'wits striped with yell 



»i«S^ U s [« e of U fl S Hybr ! d - Mr - Vei " h Emitted to R.H.S. Scientific Com- 

 -*» Sea fe r, e r 1 I D€W H / brid ' raiS6d b r Mr - Seden > between Kalo- 

 mSZ in h? ^ R ° Chea faICata (ma,e) - The flowers of the hybrid 

 Ic "»ny points I w' T bUt C ° l ° m a PP r ^d that of the male. 



The N In termediate between the two parents. 



am, durin,"! C ° ° P f erat ! ve Fest| val held at the Crystal Palace, 

 * ^en a 1^ I'd inT 61 !- 7 J™ Successfu »y on Tuesday, August 



«d labour oues lil T ° f C °-°P erato ' s m * to consider educa- 



^ connection ^ Tl!™ Maden ° De of the most interesting 



*? ^tion held 2 M £l ^ ^ f the «* ^ 



designs for entrance gates, band stands, shelter, fountain, &c. 



Poppy-head, with Pistlllody of the Stamens.— At the recent 



meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society's Scientific Committee, Herr J. K. 

 Budde exhibited a fruit of Papaver somniferum, with a complete whorl of minia- 

 ture heads around the base ; these being metamorphosed stamens. This 

 peculiarity is well known ; but it is interesting to hear that Professor de Vries has 

 succeeded in fixing it by selection, so that this monstrosity now comes true from 

 seed. A similar phenomenon is common among wallflowers. With reference to 



Professor Bailey observed that a species of echinops, 



hereditary monstrosities, 

 with a fasciated and twisted stem 



as also the spirally twisted variety of the 



We 



are 

 are 



19 and 20. 



"f numerous than!,?' f 11 ^., the u exhibits f <<™ professional gardeners _ 

 7* of an umowarH 2 ' T" 16 the ^ ualit y is likeI y to be as high as ever in 



5?* «■» vegetables we' « . amateUrS ' Md C ° tta S ers ' dis P ,a y s of frui t> 

 i - «■ %4 ta "in, w ? y m ° re DOW than ^t the entries 



are so 



*** of the exh bi tion 7 ' reS ° UrCeS ? ^ P^ 011 ° f am P le S P ace ' 

 *<*iav bww..-^ . exnib ition the competitors do not sh,,™ -„u7u.- t - 



morning. In our IT" . c ^™P«Kors ao not stage their exhibits until 

 ^co^ tive g flow ^° h ^next ,ssue we hope to note the principal features of 



^ hl e ^!!l i .^,? acteri0 ! 0 2 ical investigations. -The culture 



chtefly used. Mr. Roger has, how 



thick P ^ 11 for the 



respect. Nothing is 

 purpose. After having stripped off the 



krf- »- e p,eces are n! a ^ • . u ' ^ bei ° g taken to Preserve the 



h ^r^iir 1 up int ° iittie t 



niA^ ^ placed in tubes m 



that the culture mediu 



k^^ted by a sort of Tuft^ 15 re P^sented by a fleshy 



•HLi* ^ to n 5 d l U r ts c f r k inSGrted ^ the whole * 



aeposited at the Point of insertion of the 



Fuller's Teazle can be now perpetuated by seed. Mr. Henslow inquired if the 

 weeping ash was known to be perpetuated by seed, as of thousands of seedlings 

 in his garden at Ealing, none ever showed any inclination to weep ; though the 

 late Professor J. S. Henslow found a slight tendency to weep to exist 

 for two or three years in his experiments at Hitcham ; but the plants grew 

 erect afterwards. Mr. Wilks observed, on the other hand, that a young tree a 

 few years old in his garden at Shirley had begun to show a tendency to weep. 



Hardy Nymphfleas at Gunnersbury House. — Mr. James Hudson, 



gardener to Leopold de Rothschild, Esq., Gunnersbury House, Acton, sends us 

 a list of the beautiful hardy water lilies growing in the pretty lake at that establish- 

 ment. This will prove inte resting now that water gardening is becoming popular. 

 The kinds are : N. Aurora, N. tuberosa, N. alba, N. Ellisiana, N. albo-rosea, N 

 gloriosa, N. pygmxa helveola, N. Seignouretti, N. lucida, N. Robinson»\ 

 N. odorata, N. o. roseacea, N. o. rubra, N. o. sulphurea grandiflora, N. 

 Leydekeri fulgens, N. Leydekeri rosea, N. Marliacea chromatella, N. M. carnea, 

 N. M. rosea, N. M. albida, and N. M. rubro-punctata. 



Mr Thomas Humphreys, well known to a large circle of horticulturists as 

 Assistant Superintendent of the Royal Horticultural Society's Gardens, at 

 Chiswick, a position he has creditably held during the past five and a-half years, 

 has now quite recovered from a painful illness resulting from an accident on the 

 cricket field. He resumed his duties at Chiswick last week and was at his usual 

 post of secretary to the Royal Horticultural Society Floral Committe, at the 

 Drill Hall on Tuesday, the 9th inst. Many old Kewites and distant friends of Mr. 

 Humphreys will be glad to hear of his complete restoration to health and strength. 



