JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 14, 1881. ] 
final shift into sizes suitable for all the purposes for which they 
are required. I never employ larger pots than 5 or G inches in 
diameter ; the plants flower well in these, and are suitable for 
most decorative purposes. 
The soil employed is light fibry loam from an old pasture. It 
is cut about four weeks before using, pulled to pieces, and placed 
in a heap till required. The only addition to this is a little leaf 
soil, a small quantity of charcoal, and a few ground bones. In 
this compost sturdy plants are obtained that are more likely to 
give satisfaction than those in a lighter compost. As soon as the 
weather is warm enough they are placed out of doors on a bed of 
ashes fully exposed to the sun. They are never allowed to become 
too dry, and soot water is freely supplied, proving very beneficial, 
as it i3 for most plants in pots if used judiciously. I sometimes 
think that if a little of the extra care given to Roses was bestowed 
on useful winter-flowering plants, we should have brighter con¬ 
servatories and flower houses in the dull months than are usually 
seen.—J. McK., Leadenham. 
THE BARNET NURSERIES. 
Messrs. Cutbtjsh & Soxs’ Highgate Nurseries are well known 
to most horticulturists, but many are unaware that a very large 
number of their plants are propagated and grown at the High 
Barnet nursery, indeed the chief bulk of their stock is raised 
there. What are termed hardwooded plants constitute the chief 
feature under glass ; and in the open air Conifers, Roses, and 
Hollies, with numerous ornamental shrubs and trees, are grown 
in large numbers. During a recent visit I took a few notes in 
each department, which may possibly be of some use to readers 
Fig. G6.—Erica primuloides. 
intending to purchase and requiring a small selection of good 
plants. 
Epacrises. —These popular and useful plants are largely repre¬ 
sented, though at the time of my visit the chief portion of the 
stock had been cleared out; and the extent of the trade in such 
plants may be estimated from the fact that more than thirty 
thousand are annually propagated of all the best varieties in 
commerce. Being sturdily grown, and gradually shifted as they 
progress until they are in 48-size pots, they constitute extremely 
useful plants for decorative purposes, though of course many are 
disposed of at a smaller size. The chief point to insure the satis¬ 
factory flowering of Epacrises—as, indeed, with most other plants 
—is to have the wood thoroughly ripened, and without that is 
effected little success can be expected. The following varieties 
would form a collection suitable for most gardens, but where an 
extensive collection is grown many other beautiful varieties might 
be added. White .—Alba odorata, fragrant, fine white flowers. 
Hyacinthiflora candidissima, one of the best whites; flowers of 
289 
excellent form. Impressa alba nova, very neat. Impressa Can¬ 
dida compacta, similar but dwarfer in habit. Lady Panmure, a 
beautiful variety. Mont Blanc, pure white ; a general favourite, 
and largely grown. Nivalis, nivalis compacta, and onosmseflora, 
all good white varieties ; with The Bride, very delicate and pretty. 
Scarlet, Bose, and Crimson. —Ardentissima, medium size flowers, 
bright scarlet. Brilliant, fine crimson. Campanulata, crimson ; 
with the forms grandiflora rubra and maxima, both red. Cope- 
landi, fine scarlet flowers. Etna, bright carmine. Fireball, ex¬ 
cellent crimson. Fulgens superba, scarlet. Hyacinthiflora and 
rosea, two excellent rose-coloured forms. Impressa ignea and 
coccinea, scarlet. Lucifer, very bright scarlet. Model, beautiful 
pink, large lobes ; and Vesuvius, bright glowing crimson. Bicolors. 
—Butterfly, white tube, rosy limb, late ; a good variety. Corus- 
cans, rose, tips of lobes white. Eclipse, an extremely useful 
variety, bright red tipped with white. Grandiflora rubra, white 
and carmine. Lady Alice Peel, delicate rose tubes, white limb. 
Miniata splendens, bright crimson tube, white lobes ; rather loose 
habit, but an excellent variety. Racemosa, rose-red tube, pink 
lobes. Salmonea, salmon tube, carmine lobes ; and Sunset, pale 
orange tube with blush-tinted lobes. 
Ericas. —Heaths are grown even more extensively than the 
Epacrises, the annual stock propagated exceeding sixty thousand. 
Numerous varieties are represented, but a few, such as E. hye- 
malis, E. gracilis, E. melanthera, and E. Willmoreana, are grown 
in large batches to supply the demand that exists for these 
popular and comparatively easily grown forms. The season was 
not one at which a selection could be made, as there were few in 
flower, but the vigorous health of the whole stock was remarkable. 
Many hundred feet length of frames are devoted to plants in all 
stages of growth, and all appear to be equally thriving. In the 
houses are some excellently trained specimens of the choicer 
varieties, comprising those of slower growth, which require con¬ 
siderably more care in their cul¬ 
ture. What they require they 
certainly have, for the majority of 
the specimens could not be sur¬ 
passed in health and neatness. Of 
the few species in flower one par¬ 
ticularly attracted my attention— 
namely, Erica primuloides, the 
E. dilecta or delecta of gardens, a 
spray of which is represented in 
fig. 66. It is remarkable for its 
dwarf compact habit, and the 
small but extremely pretty flowers 
being borne four or five together 
at the points of the branches. The 
flowers are white with a faint pink 
tiDge and a dark circle near the 
centre, which contrasts markedly 
with the delicacy of the other 
portion of the corolla. It was in¬ 
troduced to this country from the 
Cape early in the present century, 
but is still comparatively rare. 
In the general collections of 
hardwooded and New Holland 
plants many pretty rarities are 
included, besides a good stock of 
the best kinds. Eriostemons re¬ 
ceive some attention, especially 
E. scabrum, which is of dwarfer 
growth than several of the other 
species, and also flowers very freely. 
Genetyllises, Darwinias, Draco- 
phyllums, Boronias, and many more 
genera are represented by the most 
useful forms known. A charming 
little myrtaceous shrub, Hypoca- 
lymma robustum, that is very sel¬ 
dom seen, was flowering very freely 
and well deserves to be more gene¬ 
rally grown, for when a plant 
about 2 feet high and the same in 
diameter is bearing a profusion of 
its small bright rose - coloured 
flowers it is very attractive. The accompanying sketch (fig. 67), 
of a spray shows the character of the flowers and the mode in 
which they are borne on the shoots, but the latter are frequently 
more branched. The flower has five small rounded petals and 
numerous stamens, the leaves being narrow, and when crushed 
they emit an odour resembling Lemons. The plant succeeds 
Fig. 67.—Hypocalymma 
robustum. 
