February 7,1884. ] • " JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
107 
decay, the old Oak (which had existed for more than seven centuries) 
was one of the noblest trees in the kingdom. 
- The age and size of large trees is commonly over-estimated. 
The largest known Red-wood of California is 366 feet high, and all 
higher measurements which have been given are erroneous or guessed at. 
They are probably not nearly so old as usually represented. 
- The remarkable Aroid Godavinia gigas is now fast develop¬ 
ing an immense spathe in Mr. William Bull’s nurseries, King’s Boad, 
Chelsea. This extremely rare plant was discovered by the late Dr. 
Seemann when collecting for Mr. Bull on the Chontale mountains, 
Nicaragua. This specimen flowered once before in this country, and the 
spathe then measured 1 foot 11 inches in length, and 1 foot 8 inches in 
width. The spathe in its present state of development is not so large as 
That, being 18 inches long, and 9 or 10 inches broad when open. It is of 
a peculiar claret-purple colour, except at the base, where it is yellowish, 
tie spadix being short and of a dark hue. The large solitary leaf was 
9 or 10 feet high last summer, and from the lower portion of the remain¬ 
ing leafstalk is produced the spathe, which is borne upon a stem about 
a foot long, curiously spotted and striped with grey on a greenish 
ground. It is strange that after the lapse of ten years the same plant 
should again produce flowers. 
- Me. J. H. Keelage of Haarlem has sent us a paper by Dr. 
Wakkers, the object of which is to show the impossibility of communi¬ 
cating the phylloxera by the agency of bulbs and tubers. In our 
opinion there is not the remotest danger of anything of the kind occur- 
ring, nor is there any probability of the pest being introduced by other 
plants than the Vine, unless these are actually grown in vineyards, and 
dn that case it is possible that the eggs of insects might be conveyed in 
the soil. No satisfactory proof that we are aware of has been furnished 
either by experiments in this or any other country that the much-dreaded 
insect will live on any other roots than those of the Vine. We have 
heard fears expressed that the insect may be introduced with Lilacs for 
forcing, but the best Lilacs are grown far distant from the phylloxera 
^districts, and, moreover, we are told on good authority that they are 
grown in pots ; but at any rate there is no phylloxera in the bulb farms 
-of Holland, and obviously there can be absolutely no danger of introduc¬ 
ing the pest from where it does not exist. We are, however, informed 
dhat it is the custom in some continental nurseries to grow the Lilacs 
and Boses in rows between the rows of Vines, and it is very desirable 
that such a practice should be discouraged, as the danger of introducing 
dBe eggs on the roots in those cases is a contingency not to be over¬ 
looked. 
VEGETABLES FOR HEAVY SOILS. 
Nothing influences the growth and the quality of vegetables more 
■than the nature of the soil in which they are grown. Some varieties 
-are more easily influenced in this respect than others ; this being the 
case, a knowledge of the varieties which succeed best on light or 
heavy soils is all-important to those who have to cultivate them. I 
■propose to name a few varieties which we have found can always be 
depended upon to give good crops on our heavy soil. 
Potatoes—first crop, Rivers’ or Myatt’s Ashleaf; second crop, 
Oovent Garden Perfection. This I consider the perfection of a 
Potato, and it is always good with us. Late crop—Champion and 
Reading Hero, the latter is the best. Peas.—First crop, William I ; 
•■second crop, Telephone ; on this variety I chiefly depend for the 
summer supply, and it never fails to give peas of excellent quality 
and plenty of them. Late crops—none does so well here as Ne Plus 
Ultra. These are all tall varieties, which I always grow in prefer¬ 
ence to the dwarf ones, but in small gardens where space and sticks 
-are an object, American Wonder, Stratagem, and Omega should be 
■substituted for the above, and will not fail to produce excellent crops. 
There is no need to particularise any variety of Cauliflower or 
Broccoli, as they all delight in soil of a heavy nature. Cabbage — 
Carters’ Early Heartwell gives the most satisfactory results. Chou de 
Burghley I hardly dare venture an opinion upon yet; mine are rough 
ihis season, and the amount of cooking required to make them tender 
takes out all the colour and flavour, but I intend giving it another 
trial in hopes of better results. Of Brussels Sprouts I have not grown 
any variety to please me yet; but I saw last year in the kitchen 
gardens at Longleat a quarter the counterpart of which I wished I 
had at home. The variety was Paragon, obtained from Messrs. 
Veitch & Sons, and which I intend trying myself this year. 
Carrots are difficult to grow satisfactorily on heavy soils. The 
Short Horn varieties do best, and James’s Intermediate is good for 
winter use, hut it should not be sown until the first week in May, or 
half the crop will split and be spoiled. 
Celery, with the exception of a few rows of White, for early use, 
from a stock of my own, I grow Carters’ Incomparable Crimson, it is 
more hardy than Major Clarke’s and remains solid to the last. 
Lettuces for summer use, a good strain of Alexandria White Cos. 
We generally lose a good part of our Lettuces in winter through 
damp. Hick’s Hardy I can do nothing with, and Brown Cos some¬ 
times goes oif entirely if we have much wet weather. The variety 
that stands best is comparatively new, called Hardy’s Northern King, 
sent out by Messrs. Carter & Co. Of Cabbage varieties, Hanjmer- 
smith for Avinter, Paris Market for forcing. Endive—Broad-leaved 
Batavian. 
Onions—White Spanish and James’s Keeping; the latter keeps 
sound the longest, but is not so good in flavour as AVhite Spanish. 
For autumn sowing—Queen, Giant Zittau, and Red Italian. 
In soAving the seeds, also in transplanting young plants, use plenty 
of biunt refuse and old potting soil ; more especially is this beneficial 
to Onions and Carrots, it gives them a good start, and puts their 
insect enemies at defiance.— Akthub Barker, Hindlip Gardens. 
HARDY PLANTS IN BLOOM IN JANUARY. 
The first month of the year is usually a dull one outdoors, but owing 
to the mild genial weather many plants that do not usually bloom till 
March and April are now showing their flowers. Some of the plants 
enumerated below are very beautiful, notably Eranthis hyemalis 
(Winter Aconite) ; thousands of them about the shrubberies and under 
trees look like sheets of gold. It reproduces itself freely from seed. 
Snowdrops are clean and good, and I have never seen Jasminum nudi- 
florum on the walls better than this year. Narcissus Bulbocodium 
(Hoop-petticoat Narciss) planted in the grass seems quite at home, and 
opened its flowers on the 20th of January, the earliest period I ever 
remember to have seen it; also Leucojum vernum (Snowflake) in clumps 
near it. Another plant that has bloomed most freely all through the 
autumn and still looks well is Veronica Blue Gem. This is a plant 
usually grown in pots for decoration, and very good for that purpose it 
is ; but two little plants were turned out of pots last spring and planted 
in the rock garden, where they grew freely all the summer, and are now 
miniature bushes 2 feet high and as much across, and every shoot 
blooming well. This Veronica withstood 16° of frost last winter planted 
in the kitchen garden, and bloomed well the summer following. It is 
well worth growing for autumn decoration for a conservatory, and to 
flower it well must be stood in the full sunshine outdoors, with plenty of 
water as required, and pinching the shoots once or twice to make bushy 
plants. 
Some clumps of Geum coccineum have produced flowers every month 
since last June, likewise Erodium Manescavi. These two are very useful 
for cutting purposes. Helleborus niger has been grand this last month, 
also H. atro-rubens. H. foetidus, with its green flowers, is rather a rank 
grower, and is more suitable for planting in the background. It seems 
to thrive in the shade under trees. Some Roman Hyacinths were 
planted in the rockery in October and are now showing colour. How 
they will succeed in a second year is questionable, but I shall leave them 
where they are to try. I have never known much good to be done with 
the forced bulbs after once flowering. Many times have I planted them 
in the grass and shrubberies with Crocus, Narcissi, Tulips, Scillas, and 
other bulbs ; and although the latter have invariably come up and 
flowered all right, the Roman Hyacinths did no good. Possibly there 
may be some special treatment required for them after flowering, and if 
any of your numerous correspondents have succeeded in flowering them 
well a second time their practice would be worth recording, as there is 
no bulbous plant more useful to the gardener, and none more cheerful 
in rooms at midwinter. The following plants are now flowering here :— 
Myosotis dissitiflora. 
Geum coccineum. 
Veronica rupestris. 
„ Blue Gem. 
Violets, single and double. 
Primroses, „ „ 
Wallflowers, red and yellow. 
Roman Hyacinths, white. 
Erodium Manescavi. 
Erica carnea. 
Saxifraga ceratophylla. 
Scilla siberica. 
Snowdrops. 
Polyanthus. 
Helleborus niger. 
„ atro-rubens. 
„ foetidus. 
Pansies in variety. 
Daisies, double, in variety. 
Berberis Darwinii. 
Aubrietia purpurea. 
Arabia albida. 
Omphalodes verna. 
Hepatica triloba coerulea, 
„ rubra plena. 
Eranthis hyemalis. 
Pulmonaria officinalis. 
Vinca minor. 
Anemone coronaria. 
Narcissus bulbocodium. 
Leucojum vernum. 
Crocus, yellow. 
Scabious, dwarf. 
Stock, Intermediate. 
Jasminum nudiflorum. 
—A. Harding, Orton Rail Gardens, Peterborough. 
COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE IN CALIFORNIA. 
Of recent years the interesting region on the extreme west side of the 
United States has attracted much attention as a field for agriculturists, 
and the facilities afforded to emigrants from this and other countries have 
caused a great influx of settlers. A fine climate, a great diversity of 
