February 7. 1884. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
105 
^vigorously for many years in a large fernery under my charge. Its 
principal shoots were trained up one of the supports of the roof, 
■thence along one of the cross beams ; and now the drooping mass of 
lateral growth laden with its lovely purple blooms hang gracefully 
down from the beam, thus affording in contrast with the surrounding 
herns a most pleasing picture, especially as this charming plant is 
almost constantly in flower. A great point in its favour, too, is its 
comparative immunity from the ravages of insects, the only insect 
we have found to infest it being mealy bug, and this may be very 
easily kept in check, or, what is more preferable, exterminated by 
paying diligent attention to the matter. Such a beautiful climber 
deserves to be more generally grown than it now is. 
Justicia flavicoma .— This useful old inhabitant of our plant 
stoves is not grown so extensively as it deserves to be. Its bright 
yellow flowers are very cheerful, and useful, too, for cutting during 
the dull period of the year. Healthy well-grown plants will be 
round very effective for the decoration of rooms and the plant stoves 
at all times, but more especially during winter when flowering plants 
•are scarce. Cuttings taken in spring, inserted in heat and grown on 
during the summer, will make useful plants by October, when they 
will commence flowering and continue to do so for a long time. 
Cibotium Schiedei ,—A truly noble Fern is this when well grown, 
and plenty of space is at command to enable it to fully develope its 
large elegant fronds. To enable it to do so it requires a large 
structure, and if possible to be planted out. To see it to the best 
advantage, too, the fernery should have its interior arranged in a 
series of rock banks and beds. These should be constructed or 
formed in as tasteful and informal a manner as possible. By a 
judicious employment of large boulder stones in certain portions of 
the house, according to the effect required, suitable positions for 
these noble Ferns may be found—that is, if intelligently done. It 
is impossible in these brief notes to enter fully into the arrangement 
and design of such a structure as is best adapted to the growth and 
development of Ferns. We may, however, state that if this species 
be given a commanding position in such a structure, and can be 
planted out, it will speedily become an obj'ect of admiration. 
Onions. — So many varieties, with their endless “improved” 
forms, are to be found in seedsmen’s catalogues that it is a task of 
no small difficulty as veil as a source of bewilderment to beginners 
in gardening to select the really best varieties capable of producing 
good bulbs in quantity and quality. After a careful trial last season 
of several varieties we found such as James’ Long-keeping a first- 
nate Onion for keeping, Bedfordshire Champion and Sutton’s Im¬ 
proved Reading (this is a superior form of the latter variety) to be 
the best varieties for main crop. As a small Onion useful for 
garnishing and pickling and turning in early for use we recommend 
Ihe Queen, one of the Silver-skin type. The Paris Silver-skin is a 
useful variety for drawing in a young state for soups. Giant Lemon 
Rocca as a winter sort is doing well with us. 
Strawberry Triomphe de Paris .—Have any readers of the Journal 
grown this variety for forcing ? If so, has it been found a good 
’variety for that purpose ? —Suburbanist. 
The Committee of the Kingston Chrysanthemum Society 
met on Wednesday the 30th ult., and decided to offer another 25-guinea 
challenge cup, with money prizes of £5, £4, £3, and £2 to go with it. 
There are also prizes of 80s., 40s., 30s., and 20s. for twenty-four incurved 
■cut blooms, and likewise the same amounts in a corresponding class for 
Japanese blooms. 
- East Lothian Stocks.—M r. Thomson writes to say that 
Air. Muir is wrong in crediting him with bringing out these Stocks, and 
that it was Mr. James Campbell (now in a situation near Melrose) when 
gardener at Traprain who selected them and grew them for years, in 
common with several other East Lothian gardeners, before Mr. Thomson 
grew them, and who claims no more credit for them than having written 
in their praise after having grown them extensively, and desires to accord 
honour to whom honour is due. 
-The schedule of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Horticultural 
and Botanical Society announces that the spring Exhibition will 
■be held in the Town Hall and Corn Exchange on April 23rd and 24th, 
when £138 will be offered in prizes for bulb3 and miscellaneous forced 
plants and flowers. The summer Exhibition is fixed for July 23rd, 24tb, 
and 25th, the Leazes Park being the site selected. A total of £302 will 
be offered in prize money for plant”, flowers, and fruits, some of the 
individual prizes being of considerable amount. 
- Only about 57,000 barrels of American Apples have been 
exported to Great Britain this season, of which nearly 70 per cent- 
has been shipped from New York, 13 per cent, from Boston, and 17 per 
cent, from Montreal. Nearly 300,000 barrels were shipped in 1882. 
This season Liverpool has taken the largest proportion, Glasgow next, 
and then London and other smaller ports. In 1882 Liverpool imported 
nearly 200,000 barrels of American Apples. 
- Mr. William Gregory, late nurseryman of Cirencester, died 
at Harlesden, Middlesex, on the 29th January, aged eighty-five. Mr. 
Gregory succeeded his father, who was founder of that business now so 
energetically carried on by his kinsmen, Messrs. John Jefferies & Sons 
of Cirencester. Forty years ago Mr. Gregory took an active part in all 
the leading horticultural movements of the period, and was one of the 
founders of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. 
-The Sutton Amateur Rose Society’s schedule, which is 
just issued, gives the date of the Show for the present year as July 4th, 
the site selected being the Sutton Public Hall. The total amount of 
prize money offered is £82 in twenty-four classes, a number of special 
prizes being contributed by supporters of this energetic Society. The 
National Rose Society’s silver medal will be given for the best Tea and 
Noisette, and the bronze medal of the best Rose in certain classes. A 
ladies’ challenge cup is offered for six blooms, single trusses, the cup to be 
held by the winner for the year, and if won by the same member in two 
consecutive years it becomes his property. This Society appears to be 
extremely well supported, for although only the third year of its exist¬ 
ence, they have the substantial balance of £41 10.?. 3d. in their favour. 
--At the recent meeting of the Royal Botanic Society, 
Regent’s Park, a further collection of tropical fruits, seeds, &c., collected 
by Lady Brassey during her recent voyage to the West Indies, was placed 
upon the table and explained to the Fellows present by Professor 
Bentley, Dr. Prior, and the Secretary, Mr. Sowerby. 
- “R. I. L.” writes that “Iris stylosa, as ‘M. S. : suggests 
should be grown in all gardens. During the mild weather of the past 
winter it has constantly been flowering out of doors, but that cannot 
happen with much advantage during the most usual weather of its 
season of flowering, and therefore, as in the Cambridge Botanic Garden, 
it should be grown in pots for the greenhouse. It submits well to pot 
culture, and the most lovely flowers have almost constantly been in 
perfection for a number of weeks. Who has seen Iris Robinsoniana in 
flower ? Surely that comparison has been made from a figure.” 
- A correspondent regards Garrya elliptica “ as one of 
the most valuable of hardy evergreen shrubs. Though it was inj ured by 
the late severe winters, it has now quite recovered its appearance, and 
the male catkins, which give such a decided individuality, are now in 
perfection. It is native of Mexico and California, and Loudon says that 
in America it reaches a height of 3 to 4 feet; in Britain, however, it 
attains to 8 or 10 feet. The female plant is extremely uncommon, though 
by layers and cuttings it should easily be propagated. The male, for¬ 
tunately, is the handsomest, and we have pendulous necklace-like catkins 
before us nearly 7 inches long. These are extremely graceful.” 
- A correspondent, “ H. T. H.,” desires to know if any reader 
of the Journal can tell him where he can buy a Vinegar plant. He 
has fifty gallons of cider that would make excellent vinegar if he could 
obtain the plant in question. 
- Mr. J. Saunderson, The Gardens, Bodnant Hall, Eglwysbach, 
Denbighshire, writes:—“Having read your correspondent, C. H. Stephens’ 
article on Poinsettia cultivation, I doubt whether such treatment 
would answer in this part, or even anywhere far north of London. We 
find them succeed best in an intermediate temperature. I have forwarded 
you a sample head, cut from a plant 30 inches high with leaves to the 
pot rim. We have them from 10 inches to 3 feet high.” Accompanying 
this note was a head of Poinsettia bracts and flowers 18 inches in 
diameter, with six branches and individual bracts 10 inches long, 
2i inches broad, and of extremely rich colour. Such plants as Mr. 
Saunderson grows must be extremely showy. 
