March 3, 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. .171 
means grow it. As a decorative plant it is useless in my esti¬ 
mation, and for that purpose cannot be compared with Scilla 
siberica. which is both pleasing in colour and compact, while the 
other is loose and straggling. With me it has proved anything 
but well adapted for forcing, and on that account possesses but 
little to recommend it. As stated, I have tried it for two years, 
and treated it in every respect as I have the white Koman Hyacinth 
and early kinds of Narcissus. The former I had in flower the last 
week in October, and the latter early in November and onwards. 
These were all over before a flower appeared on the blue Romans, 
which I endeavoured to bring forward under the same conditions. 
It has proved no earlier with me than such varieties as Charles 
Dickens and others. The old bulbs of such varieties that are 
grown in pots or those that are planted in the flower garden will, 
if taken care of and placed in pots, pans, or boxes, produce earlier 
and better flowers than the blue Roman is capable of doing. 
Many of the bulb3 I had for early work did not flower this nor 
last year, hence my remarks on page 92. I may say in reply to 
Messrs. Jones & Sons, that had it proved of any use to me for 
forcing to supply blue flowers for cutting or decoration, I should 
have been the last to condemn it. Perhaps Messrs. Jones & Sons 
will give me further details when their bulbs were potted, when 
introduced into heat to have them in flower at Christmas, and 
the length and quantity of foliage when the flowers appeared ? 
In foliage mine was very productive and straggling. I shall be 
very glad to pay Messrs. Jones & Sons a visit about next Christ¬ 
mas if they will kindly announce in the “Notes and Gleanings’’ 
in the Journal about that time when they have blue Romans in 
good condition.— Cultivator of Bulbs. 
GARDENING SCRAPS. 
I HOPE you will think the following scraps worth a place in 
the Journal, as they may be useful, suggestive, or elicit service¬ 
able replies :— 
Brussels Sprouts. —A short time ago you did me the favour 
of publishing a few inquiries which I sent you about the best 
mode of treating and producing the finest Brussels Sprouts. Your 
pages show a very interesting expression of opinions on the subject, 
and I now wish to state a few observations of my own. Last 
summer or autumn some sheep got into a neighbour’s garden and 
nibbled out the heads of the Brussels Sprouts. Those plants pro¬ 
duced the earliest and finest sprouts I have seen, but then they 
were soon done and the plants died. Now those J have with the 
heads on have produced and are producing a good crop of sprouts, 
and will, I think, produce, as the same kind of plants have done 
in previous years, a most abundant supply of bloom shoots, which 
if cut and cooked just before the bloom expands is one of the most 
delicious and delicate vegetables that can be placed on the table. 
They should be tied in bundles, boiled, and sent to table as 
Asparagus is. 
Flower Gatherers. —Last summer I had given to me a pair 
of scissors, or more properly “ flower gatherers,” which when 
they cut the flower or spray of bloom off the plant hold it con¬ 
veniently for the collector. Having to cut some Roses from 
plants against a wall higher than I could reach, I improvised a 
means of gathering them by splicing the scissors to the head of a 
fishing-rod, and working the cutting side by the line through the 
rings. May I ask if any of your readers can recommend any 
more scientific apparatus for gathering flowers off lofty plants ? 
The scissors were stamped “ Webster,” but no address. 
Mushrooms in Pastures. — I wish to impregnate a garden 
and field this year with Mushroom spawn. When is the right 
time for putting the spawn into the open ground, and at what 
depth ? 
Jerusalem Artichokes. —If you wish to enjoy the true 
flavour of Jerusalem Artichokes, never have them dug out of the 
ground in which they are planted until the day you wish to eat 
j: them.—G. 0. S. 
FREESIA REFRACTA var. ALBA. 
Such a charming plant as this unquestionably is can scarcely 
be too highly recommended, and when its merits are more gene¬ 
rally known it wdl speeddy become one of the most popular plants 
for the greenhouse and similar cool structures. Graceful habit, 
pretty flowers, delicious fragrance, easy culture, and quick increase 
constitute an association of good qualities amply sufficient to 
render any plant worthy of attention ; but this Freesia possesses, 
in addition to those named, the valuable characters of producing 
its flowers early in the year, and of remaining attractive for many 
weeks. What more could be said in its praise ? .*•»>-■■■ • 
From the beginning of the year several specimens have been 
flowering in the house devoted to Cape plants and Heaths at Kew, 
and have been greatly admired by all who have seen them. One 
or two bulbs in a 60-size pot, with their narrow Iris-like leaves 
and spikes of white flowers, are seen to excellent advantage when 
the pots are arranged as they are there in the front of taller plants 
on a stage near the glass, and in a greenhouse among plants 
with brighter-coloured flowers a few potfuls would be most wel¬ 
come. Larger size pots may also be employed, but I think the 
others are more suitable, and the plants thrive in them remarkably. 
A light turfy soil with a moderate proportion of sand and good 
drainage, will meet all the requirements of the plant, except that 
a season of rest is needed after the growth is completed to ripen 
the bulbs, which may be effected by lessening the supply of water 
and placing the pots in a position well exposed to the sun. At 
other times water may be given freely if the drainage be effectual. 
Increase is readily effected by separating the offsets from the old 
Fig. 39.—Freesia refracta var. alba. 
bulbs when repotting them in early autumn, and in this manner 
a stock can soon be obtained. 
The annexed woodcut fairly shows the form of the flowers, but 
it is difficult to do full justice to the plant by representing only a 
portion of its growth. The leaves are narrow and tapering, 6 to 
9 inches long, arranged in a flattened manner like a diminutive 
Iris ; the spikes are a little longer than the leaves, bearing near 
their summit three or four funnel-shaped flowers, with six roundish 
lobes ; the tubular portion is about 2 inches in length, yellowish 
at the base, the limb being 1 to 1} inch across and pure white. 
The fragrance is powerful yet delicate, compared by some to the 
odour of Primroses, which it certainly resembles, but with a little 
of the peculiar richness characterising the flowers of Dendrochilum 
glumaceum. The flowers last well when cut, retaining their fra¬ 
grance until they fade, and a few will perfume a large apartment. 
This variety, which is very distinct from the species, was first 
exhibited by the New Plant and Bulb Company at a meeting of 
the Royal Horticultural Society, July 2nd, 1878, when a first- 
