484 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDEEER. 
t June II, 1885. 
mercial fertilisers were it not for the large amount of humus-forming 
material it contains, which may offset the high cost of the plant nutrients 
in it. But we have just as much of this humus-forming material in horse 
manure, and the important plant nutrients in that at 1 dollar 54 cents, 
per 1000 lb?, are cheaper than in the commercial fertilisers. Night soil, 
at 38 cents, per 1000 lbs. (the cost of hauling), affords plant food at a re¬ 
markably cheap rate, much more so than commercial manures. Rockweed, 
at 1 dollar 21 cents, per 1000 lbs., is an expensive manure. Fish chum, 
at 6 dollars 50 cents, per 1000 lbs. provides nitrogen and phosphoric acid 
at a very cheap rate. Hen manure, at 4 dollars per 1000 lbs., is an ex¬ 
pensive fertiliser. Farmers’ waste, at 78 cents, per 1000 lbs., affords 
nitrogen and phosphoric acid at a cheap rate. 
Prof. Caldwell closed with the following summary : 
1, That if enough of the needed elements of the food of the gardener’s 
or horticulturist’s crops cannot be obtained in stable manure or other 
animal . waste, it can be procured in the trade in unlimited quantity, 
and in every degree of availability depending on different grades of 
solubility, and in the greatest variety of mixtures, to suit any whim or 
fancy of crop or crop-growers. 
2, That profitable crop-growing can be carried on for at least many 
years with these commercial fertilisers alone. 
3, That the most evident distinction between stable manure and com¬ 
mercial fertilisers, and the distinction upon which we should therefore 
base an explanation of the greater reliability of the former, is its large 
proportion of vegetable matter or humus forming material, of which com¬ 
mercial fertilisers contain practically none. 
4, The soils contain in a difficultly soluble condition, and therefore not 
easily fed upon by the crop, all the needed elements of plant food. 
5, That humus, by the decay it suffers in the soils, furnishes carbonic 
acid and other solvent agents, and this carbonic acid appears to play an 
important part in the nourishment of crops, by bringing this native in¬ 
soluble stock of plant food within their easy reach. 
6, That even if we add water-soluble plant food to the soil, it becomes 
largely insoluble before fhe crop can feed upon it or needs it ; therefore 
soluble plant food added to the soil in commercial fertilisers also needs 
the help of the humus finally for its solution. 
7, That plant food, in most animal and vegetable residues used as 
manures, costs much less than in commercial manure. 
8, That in spite of the disadvantages that under some conditions attend 
the use of commercial fertilisers, they are, nevertheless, a very impor¬ 
tant and necessary help in crop-growing. 
9, That in using these fertilisers the wisest course appears to be to 
make one’s own mixtures of the raw material, as well as for securing a 
better manure as for economy in the first cost. 
THE NATIONAL CARNATION AND PICOTEE, AND 
NATIONAL AURICULA SOCIETIES (SOUTHERN SECTION). 
In case you have not received Mr. Dodwell’s balance sheet I send i^ 
you. Bacon for printing, £10 14s. 7d., includes all private obnoxious 
circulars I doubt not, the legitimate printing was small. Messrs. 
Mallam’s account is also charged, and the costs Mr. Dodwell incurred in 
Mr. Wright’s case, with which the Society had nothing whatever to do. 
He evidently appointed his own auditors. As to the comparison between 
my contributions and prize money, not a word is said about Mr. Whit- 
bourn’s contributions. I may say this much, that if the expenses of 
placing my flowers as they were placed at the Society’s exhibitions were 
put on one side, and the prizes on the other, the expenses would be 
largest. That, however, is a private matter dragged in by Mr. Dodwell 
to do me harm. The balance in February, 1884, was £39 8s., Mr. 
Dodwell has reduced it to £16 7s. 8d. for the same date this year.— 
Jas. Douglas. 
CLEMATISES. 
The hybridiser has been very busy of late years with this genus, but 
irrespective of those kinds whose calyx has been so largely developed and 
so highly coloured, we are sufficiently old-fashioned to loiter with 
Corisande in the bower entwined with the familiar C flammula, for wbat 
can be more refreshing and delightful than the fragrance of this good old 
plant, although its flowers are small and destitute of colour ? All the 
species and varieties of this genus are admirably adapted for covering 
walls or any blank spaces, or for covering a verandah, porch, trelliswork, 
or bower, or what is more to our purpose here, for scrambling over old 
ruins, rootery, or rockwork. In such places even the common English 
species, C. Yitalba—Traveller’s Joy, as it is frequently called, in some 
localities more frequently known as Old Man’s Beard—is extremely orna¬ 
mental, but the more showy species must be seen to be fully appreciated. 
In order that Clematises should display their gorgeous flowers to the 
greatest advantage on a rockery they should be planted on the top, or on 
some bold projecting spur, so that the growths may spread over the bare 
face or 6carp of the rockwork, which will thus become draped with 
gorgeous festoons of colour. Such situations many of the species would 
appear to select in a state of nature, as the following extract from the 
notes of the celebrated traveller, Mr. Fortune, will show. In describing 
his discovery of C. lanuginosa he says—“ This pretty species was dis¬ 
covered at a place called Tein-tung, near the city of Ningpo. It is there 
wild on the hill sides, and generally plants itself in light stony soil near 
the roots of dwarf shrubs, whose stems furnish it with support as it grows. 
Before the flowering season arrives it has reached the top of the brush¬ 
wood, and its fine star-shaped azure blossoms are then seen for a consider¬ 
able distance. In this state it is most attractive, and well repays any 
one who is bold enough to scramble through the brushwood to get a 
nearer view,” 
In cultivation we find Clematises like a deep rich soil ; it must never¬ 
theless be well drained, and as the enormous quantity of flowers pro¬ 
duced tends to rapidly exhaust the soil, frequent applications of liquid 
manure during the season will materially benefit the plants. In situations, 
however, where strong growth is not desired, then withhold very stimu¬ 
lating liquids. These plants may be divided into two sections. First, 
those which bloom upon the young wood ; and second, those which bloom 
upon the wood of the previous year. By this it will be readily under¬ 
stood that those varieties which bloom early in spring upon the wood of 
the previous year must be moderately pruned in autumn, for if this 
operation is left until spring the flowering wood will be entirely cuts 
away. The first section should receive their final pruning in March, 
so that the old dead branches may be removed before the young growths 
become entangled with them. We here append a list of some of the beat 
kinds with their colours, but a few of the species which are desirable are 
given first. 
C. alpina. —A plant known also by the name of Atragene alpina. It 
is a dwarf species, usually growing about 3 feet high, and seldom 
exceeding 4 feet. It has triternate dark green leaves, flowers on long 
footstalks, solitary deep blue flowers. May and June. Alps of Europe. 
C. alpina var. sibirica. —This resembles the normal type in general 
habit, but the flowers are yellowish white. July. Siberia, See. 
G. Flammula. —Of this deliciously fragrant old species there are several 
forms. All, however, are white and sweet-scented, differing only in size 
and robustness. The leaves are small, pinnate, and dark green, whilst 
the pure white fragrant flowers are borne on branching panicles in 
great profusion all through the summer and autumn months. South 
Europe. 
C. montana. —This old species is specially valuable on account of its 
blooms appearing so early in the year. The flowers are large and pure 
white, with pale green stamens, appearing in April and May. Northern 
India. 
The following are mostly hybrids, which have been raised in this 
country; the species here given with them have in many instances been 
used to produce them : — 
Albert Victor. —Large, deep lavender, barred with brown. 
Alexandra. —Petals broad, reddish violet. 
Azurea grandiflora. —Violet blue. 
Ccerulea odorata.— Small, dark purple, very fragrant. 
Fortunei. —Creamy white, double, fragrant. Japan. 
Gem. —Rich blue, continuing into late autumn. 
Jackmani. —Large, rich violet-purple, a profuse bloomer. 
Lady Lovelace. —Double rich blue. 
Lanuginosa. —Large, azure blue. China. 
Lanuginosa Candida. —Large, creamy white. 
Lanuginosa nivea. —Large, pure white. 
Lucy Lemoine. —Large, double, pure white. 
Lord Londesborovgh. —Deep rich mauve, striped maroon. 
Lady Londesborough.— Silvery grey, with pink base. 
Magnifica. —Purplish crimson. 
Miss Bateman. —large, pure white, striped with creamy white. 
Prince of Wales. —Deep vinous red, shaded violet. 
Rubella. —Large, deep claret. 
Rubro-violacea. —Maroon, shaded violet. 
Standishi. —Violet-purple. 
Star of India. —Rich plum, red bars. 
Thomas Moore. —Large, rich purplish violet, white stamens. 
Tumfridgensis. —Fine shape, deep bluish mauve. 
Velutina purpurea. —Large, rich purplish black. 
Those who have ample space and require greater variety can be easily 
accommodated, as there is an endless number of beautiful forms.— 
W . G. T. 
EURYBIA GUNNI. 
Though the genus Eurybia is now referred to Olearia by some 
botanists, the plant, of which the annexed illustration is a representation, 
is so much better known under the above title that we have adopted it. 
The species known are natives of Australia or New Zealand, but one 
known as M. corymbosus, a native of North America, is really an 
Aster, and should be placed in that genus. The others are greenhouse 
or hardy evergreen shrubs, mostly with whi'e Aster-like flowers, and some 
are very ornamental ; but the best of these for planting out of doors 
is E. Gunni, the subject of our engraving (fig. 118). Upon a rockery, 
as it is grown in Mr. T. S. Ware’s nursery, Tottenham, this has a 
beautiful effect during May and June, and might be termed a spring- 
flowering “ Michaelmas Daisy,” for in habit and general appearance 
the shrub closely resembles the compact-growing shrubby Asters that 
adorn our gardens in September. The flower heads are white with a 
dark centre, and being produced most freely the plant has a very 
elegant appearance. At Tottenham and several other places around 
London it is found to be quite hardy, only requiring a well-drained soil. 
Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons first brought this plant prominently before the 
