April 21, 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 313 
The cultural requirements of these plants are not very nume¬ 
rous. A soil composed of good turfy loam not too heavy, with a 
fair proportion of sand, suits the more vigorous species, which 
are usually planted out in greenhouses and then trained to the 
roof or wall. A little attention is needed in pruning, removing 
the straggling or weak shoots and keeping the plant from in¬ 
sects, mealy bug being in my experience their chief enemy. For 
the dwarf or shrubby species which are grown in pots a little 
peat may be added to the compost, also providing thorough 
drainage, as they dislike any approach to a stagnant condition of 
the soil. With attention to these few particulars little difficulty 
will be experienced in the culture of Hibbertias, the chief of 
which are indicated in the following notes. 
Hibbertia, volubilis .— This, the longest introduced and best 
known member of the genus, is distinguished by its vigorous habit 
and large father fetid flowers. The leaves are lanceolate in form, 
3 or 4 inches long, to 2 inches broad, and dark green, the 
flowers being bright yellow with spreading petals, and are pro¬ 
duced during the early summer months. Seeds were first im¬ 
ported about 1790, and in the two or three following years plants 
were raised in several collections near the metropolis and were 
thence gradually distributed. The plant was originally known 
as a Dillenia, but subsequently a new genus was constituted in 
honour of George Hibbert, Esq., of Clapham Common, a gentle¬ 
man distinguished for his love of plants, who is said to have em¬ 
ployed a collector at the Cape of Good Hope for some time at his 
own expense. In describing the plant under its new name, 
Andrews referred to Mr. Hibbert as one “ whose knowledge and 
fervour in botanical pursuits, as well asliberality in his endeavours 
to enrich our collections from every quarter of the globe, but 
especially from the Cape of Good Hope, has not been exceeded 
by any, and we are well assured no name deserves a place on 
botauical record more than that of Hibbert.” 
II. dentata .—Like the last, this also has been known some 
time, having been first introduced at the early part of the present 
century, and it is now probably nearly as common as H. volu¬ 
bilis. It is not quite so strong-growing as that species, and has 
smaller flowers and leaves, but it is very neat and pretty, and 
does not possess such an unpleasant odour. The leaves are very 
dark green, frequently with a brownish tinge, which has a peculiar 
appearance. The flowers are dark yellow, about 1^ or 2 inches in 
diameter, and are produced singly in the axils of the leaves. The 
woodcut on page 312 represents a small flowering spray, and well 
indicates the principal characters. 
H. lllieedi .—One of the dwarfer species but very pretty, and 
apparently greatly neglected, for it is rarely seen in cultivation. It 
is well suited for growing in a pot, and with a little attention in 
training an elegant specimen may be obtained, such as that which 
is frequently seen in the winning collections of stove and green¬ 
house plants exhibited at the Loyal Botanic Society’s Spring 
Shows by Mr. G. Wheeler, gardener to Lady L. Goldsmid, Regent’s 
Park. This specimen is invariably admired owing to the pro¬ 
fusion of small bright yellow flowers which clothe the slender 
branches, and of which some idea can be formed from the annexed 
engraving (fig. 74), representing a spray kindly forwarded by 
Mr. G. Wheeler. Referring to a plant presented by Messrs. Yeitch, 
which is now flowering in the Cambridge Botanic Garden, my 
esteemed friend Mr. R. J. Lynch sends the following brief descrip¬ 
tive note—“ Hibbertia Rheedi is an extremely charming plant. 
It has not the large flowers of its better known congener, H. volu¬ 
bilis, but a multitude of small ones. They are studded thickly 
over the plant, which is of wiry and much-branching habit, and 
bears numerous linear leaves. It is somewhat rare, but deserves 
to be better known.” I have no certain information as to the 
origin of this plant, but in the “Gardeners’ Year Book” of 1871 
it is described under the name of H. stricta, being said to be from 
Australia, and Mr. Gower of Tooting thinks “ it came from seeds 
of Muller’s distribution.” Perhaps some other readers of the 
Journal can give further particulars concerning its history. The 
name is sometimes spelled II. Reedi or Reidi. 
Other but little known species are H. grossulariacfolia, of trail¬ 
ing habit, with leaves resembling those of the Gooseberry in form ; 
H. perfoliata, with flowers like H. dentata, but distinguished by 
the base of the leaves surrounding the stems; H. Cunnmghami, 
an elegant and distinct species, with linear leaves 2 to 3 inches 
long ; and H. pedunculata or corifolia, which resembles H. Rheedi 
in general appearance but is more lax in growth. All these are 
well worth attention, but are difficult to obtain.— L. Castle. 
APRIL SHOWERS. 
After a long continuance of dry weather, accompanied by east 
winds of more than usual keenness and severity, a most welcome 
change to a warmer temperature and genial showers has been 
gradually setting in since the 9th inst. Up to the 11th, when the 
first heavy showers of rain fell, things look blacker and barer 
than I ever remember to have observed at the same date. Fruit 
trees are remarkably backward, Apricots showing bud and bloom 
very shyly and irregularly, Pears rather more forward com¬ 
paratively and fuller. 
As to Roses, many standards look in a precarious condition, 
and I fear by some accident my trees were pruned too early, 
so that the frosts had too much opportunity of injuring them. 
As yet most of my small collection of Teas look fairly, 
some even quite promising, specially Reine Marie Henriette, 
which has been in full leaf for a fortnight. It is only a small 
plant put in last autumn together with Climbing Devoniensis, 
also healthy-looking, and trained to a south-west wall. Besides 
mulching, these plants were well screened by Yew boughs. 
Amongst other surviving Tea Roses are Reve d’Or, Madame 
Falcot, Marie Van Houtte, Triomphe de Rennes, Madame Willer- 
moz, Souvenir d’un Ami, Innocente Pirola, Cheshunt Hybrid. 
Dwarf Hybrid Perpetual Roses on the Manetti stock almost with¬ 
out exception look well hitherto. I experimented with a few 
of those, pegging them down last autumn. The earth would 
appear to be kinder than the air, the pegged-down shoots being 
markedly more forward and vigorous than the rest of the tree. 
Most of the dwarfs were pruned about the last days of March, 
those planted last autumn a few days later.—A. M. B., Mid- 
Lincoln. 
A New Australian Fruit. —An interesting journal from a 
prospecting gold-mining party has lately appeared in the Queens¬ 
land Courier. The scene is on the head waters of the Daintree 
river, whose lower scrubs are so famous for the rich soil being 
token up for Sugarcane. Among the slate and granite ranges of 
the upper Daintree this new sort of native fruit was discovered. 
Mr. Palmerston thus describes it—“ There is a large fruit here 
which grows on a very tall tree. When green it is much the shape 
