April 30, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
351 
massive pyramids of flowers, and the Vines and Liliums are in the most 
promising state. It is a matter c f deep regret that the illness of Mr. 
McIntosh precludes his enjoying his garden personally, but he derives 
pleasure by its affording delight to others, and it is certainly a credit to 
his able and trusted gardener, Mr. Taylor. 
- At the Newcastle-on-Tyne Show, recently reported in this 
Journal, Mr. W. L. Thompson was credited with the chief prizes for 
twelve Alpine and a pair of self Auriculas; in both cases Mr. W. J. 
Watson, Fenham, was the winner. 
- Mr. A. Pettigrew, Castle Gardens, Cardiff, referring to the 
late Mr. Honeyman’s Alpine Auriculas, remarks—“I was reminded 
by reading the leading article in last week’s Journal that it is now 
some two years since I received a packet of seeds of the late Mr. 
Honeyman’s Alpine Auriculas from Mr. Wright of the Journal of Uorti - 
■culture, who kindly undertook to distribute them on his behalf. As no 
report of them has appeared in the Journal, or in any other periodical 
that I am aware of, from the numerous recipients of the seed, I wish 
to say that with me they have turned out well and given the greatest 
satisfaction. The seeds I had were sown in the beginning of March, 
1884, and almost every one germinated. When the plants were large 
enough they were potted into large 60’s, in a compost of good loam^ 
leaf mould, and cow dung, and grown on in a cool frame during 
the summer. By the autumn they had made sturdy little plants which 
stood the winter in fine condition, and now (April 27th) the most of 
them are in flower. The flowering stems are strong, and of sufficient 
length to carry their heads of bloom clear above the foliage. The 
colours of the pips are varied, rich, and delicate, and cannot fail to 
give satisfaction to those who are in possession of this fine strain.” 
- Messrs. James Dickson & Sons, 108, Eastgate Street 
Chester, send us flowers of Narcissus incomparabilis Sir Watkin^ 
the magnificent variety which was certificated as James Dickson, and 
which has attracted so much attention from the lovers of Daffodils t 
The flower is very bold, the sepals and petals pale yellow, the tube 
being considerably larger than most varieties of the incomparabilis 
type, and more like the pseudo-Narcissus, or Trumpet Daffodil. It is 
unquestionably a beautiful form, and the fragrance is very powerful. 
-As an example of the Renovation of Camellias a collection of plants 
in the well-managed gardens of Mrs. Firth at Oakbrook, Sheffield, is re¬ 
markable. They are planted in a mound in which large stones are embedded 
in the centre of a house, and beneath the mounds is a chamber for the boiler 
—not a good arrangement for Camellias, and when we saw the plants two 
years ago they appeared “ more dead than alive.” A gardener less per¬ 
severing than Mr. Woodcock would have despaired of restoring them ; 
but with top-dressings of fresh soil, sprinklings of Beeson’s manure, and 
above all unstinted applications of water, the plants have not only been 
saved, but are remarkable for their dark foliage, free growth, and fine 
flowers. Their condition exactly indicates what Camellias like—namely t 
thorough drainage with any reasonable quantity of water ; and it is 
tolerably certain that both drainage and water are very unreasonably re¬ 
stricted by so-called “ cultivators hence the unsatisfactory state of so 
many of these, the most handsome of exotic evergreen flowering shrubs. 
- In the Carnation house in the Chelsea Nursery of Messrs. James 
Veitch Sc Sons, in which some hundreds of plants are flowering, the yellow 
variety Pride of .Penshurst arrests :he attention off visitors. It is a soft 
spotless yellow, smooth, full, and very attractive. The deep rose-coloured 
La Favori is large and fragrant; and deeper still, sturdy and floriferous, i g 
Turner’s Mrs. Llewelyn. These, among others, appear to be well worth 
growing and are adapted for small houses; but they must be light, the 
richest of all Carnations, Mrs. Keen, requiring a larger structure, as the 
plant attains considerable dimensions, being the reverse of compact in 
habit. 
- Of the finest spring-flowering wall shrubs that have this year 
attracted our attention none surpasses the Azara Gillie sii, at present in 
flower on a west wall at Kew. It is an evergreen, standing our winters 
well, especially in the south, but unless in very favoured localities the 
young flower buds are liable to be damaged by the early spring frosts, as 
they are often in an advanced stage soon after the beginning of March. 
The leaves resemble some of the varieties of Holly. They are glossy 
green, with a leathery texture, and having serrated margins. The flowers 
have no corolla, which, however, is amply compensated for by the bunches 
of brilliant golden orange stamens. The specimen at Kew is from 10 to 
12 feet high, and has withstood the last four winters without the slightest 
protection. It makes an excellent permanent covering for a wall. It is 
a native of Chili, introduced some time ago, though hitherto chiefly con¬ 
fined to a greenhouse or for conservatory decoration. 
- “M.” writes: “The value of the summer-flowering Stork’s 
Bill is well known, more especially where a collection of hardy flowers 
form one of the features of the garden. Erodium pelargonuflorum, 
though no less valuable for winter than the others are for summer flower¬ 
ing, is comparatively little known, if we may judge from the rareness with 
which it is met with even in the best places. It is found growing in caves 
and on shady rocks in Anatolia at elevations of 3000 feet, and though able 
to withstand mild winters in the open air in this country it is better kept 
in the greenhouse, where its curiously blotched blooms lend a variety to 
what would often otherwise be a sameness in colour. It is an extremely 
free flowerer, and may be had in flower almost the whole year through 
with a succession of plants. When the old plants become straggly with 
continued growing it may be cut back to within 2 or 3 inches of the pot, 
when it will break afresh, and soon become laden with its pretty Pelar¬ 
gonium-like blossoms. It generally grows from 1 to 2 feet high, forming 
sturdy growths if kept near the glass, otherwise they are weak and 
straggling. The flowers in bunches, six or eight together, are as large as 
a florin, the two upper petals beautifully marked with light and dark 
purple on a clear white ground, the under three pure white, sometimes 
rosy tinted, the leaves Pelargonium-like, soft light green.” 
- Mr. C. Herrin, Chalfont Park Gardens, sends the following :— 
“ Allow me to call attention to the Golden Spergula as a hardy yellow 
dwarf bedding plant which deserves extended cultivation. I think if its 
good qualities were better known few gardeners having to provide plants 
for carpet bedding would be without it, forming as it does an excellent 
substitute for Golden Pyrethrum. In fact, the colour is better, and the 
amount of labour required to keep it in order trifling compared 
with the Pyrethrum, which needs endless pinching to be kept within 
bounds. By working up a supply of this hardy Spergula I have 
been enabled to almost entirely discard the Golden Pyrethrum; conse¬ 
quently the saving of labour throughout the summer has been consider¬ 
able. In the autumn it is pulled in pieces and replanted, what is not 
retained for the flower-beds being planted on a south border in the kitchen 
garden. It forms an excellent companion to the dark green Herniaria 
glabra, being similarly hardy, and increases freely in light and rather 
sandy soil.’’ 
PRIMROSES AND POLYANTHUSES. 
Enclosed you will find (I hope in good condition) a small collection 
of my Primroses and Polyanthus. Some I have named and others are 
unnamed as yet, but all are seedlings raised here during the past five or 
six years. Visitors tell me that they have never seen such a sight as our 
beds of these lovely flowers this season. We have, owing to the open 
season, had them more or less in bloom ever since last November ; but 
for six weeks the garden has been ablaze with them. The Violets now are 
nearly over, but Belle de Chatenay, of which I send you a bunch, is still 
holding on. How is it that many speak so slightingly of this magni- 
ficant Violet ? Here we gather black basketfuls of blooms from it, and of 
a kind that perhaps you, Mr. Editor, will describe to your readers. I 
would suggest testing the size of the blooms with a half-crown. I hope 
shortly, if permitted, to send you a short article on Primroses, but at 
present time is wanting.—R. W. Beachey. 
[The flowers being packed in a tin box, arrived in excellent condition 
as fresh as if just gathered. In colours, form, and size they were all that 
could be desired.] 
CATTLEYAS. 
CATTLEYAS are not very largely represented in private gardens, but 
I believe that C. Trianee, C. Mossise, and C. Mendelii will be grown in 
good numbers for cutting and general decoration. They represent a great 
number of shades of colour, and possess the largest and most gorgeous 
flowers of any genus of Orchids; and the vast quantities in which they have 
been imported of late years has been the means of bringing them within 
the reach of all. 
The flowers will last in perfection for at least a month if the plants 
are arranged in a slightly cooler and drier atmosphere than that in which 
they are grown. They can with safety be removed to the conservatory or 
any structure kept gay with flowering plants while in bloom, provided 
cold draughts are not allowed to strike upon the plants, and the tempera¬ 
ture of the structure in which they are placed ranges at night about 50°. 
Care must be taken that the material about their roots is not wet when 
removed to such structures, or the plants are liable to injury. They 
should be allowed to get moderately dry, and then be kept in that condition 
until they are returned. These plants can be used in rooms for a time 
when in flower, provided gas is not employed and the windows are not 
