JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
360 
yellow Star of Bethlehem (Gagea lutea), in abundance and flower¬ 
ing freely. I find this plant very useful in borders or pots at this 
season, and it ought to be more generally grown. What, too, can 
be more beautiful at this season than Anemone nemorosa and its 
charming companions the Strawberry-leaved Cinquefoil (Potentilla 
Fragariastrum), the Sweet-scented Violet, and the ever-welcome 
Primrose, Primula vulgaris ?— Verna. 
MARECHAL NIEL ROSE AND BOUGAINVILLEA AT 
MR. JOHN SCOTT'S. 
In my last letter I endeavoured to give a short description of 
a garden where there were no flowers to cut or plants suitable for 
the adornment of rooms. Happily all places are notin this plight, 
and one of the pleasantest half hours I have had lately was spent 
among the flowers in the garden belonging to John Scott, Esq., at 
Warminster. I endeavoured to time my visit so as to see two 
remarkable plants of Mar4chal Niel Rose in bloom. I daresay 
I have told your readers before that I have no great liking for 
Marshal Niel except in certain positions, the best of which is 
immediately under the roof of a greenhouse, where we can look 
up and enjoy the wonderful shading visible in the interior of this 
Rose as well as the beautiful outline of the nearly expanded 
floweis. It is true that this variety when grown in the ordinary 
way has its beautifully rich colour to recommend it, and it is also 
very floriferous, but it requires a great stretch of the imagination 
before we can say its shape is beautiful, unless we take the Sugar- 
loaf Cabbage as a model; but covering the roof of a house and ex¬ 
hibiting hundreds of perfect flowers at one time, suspended in the 
best possible position to show all the beauty without showing 
what I call the defects, and having an abundance of its glossy 
green and wavy foliage as a background to check the glare of the 
sun and enhance the beauty of the colouring, is a picture which, 
although it is a fortnight since I saw it, is not likely to be soon 
forgotten. The two plants are on Briars with 4-feet stems ; 
they have been in their present position several years and have 
always done well, and as the stocks are still swelling freely there 
is every prospect of their continuing to gratify their owner and 
his visitors for some time to come. 
I understand that the growth made at the time of flowering and 
immediately after is not productive of bloom ; much, therefore, 
of this is thinned-out, after which the plants start afresh, make 
long vigorous branches, which retain their foliage through the 
winter and produce flowering shoots at every axil in spring. The 
results produced year after year testify to the wisdom of this 
practice. In the same house were many plants in bloom arranged 
on a stage along the centre and on broad shelves along the sides 
and one end. Among them were Camellias, Azaleas, Cyclamens, 
Pelargoniums, Cinerarias, and Amaryllises, all in vigorous health 
and carrying abundance of bloom. 
In another little house was a plant in flower on the roof even 
more remarkable, and quite as beautiful as the Rose just mentioned. 
This was Bougainvillea splendens, and it was a perfect sheet of 
colour. I suggested that the small yellow flower in the centre 
of the coloured bracts was a hint that the Bougainvillea and the 
Mardchal would look well together as cut flowers ; but I found 
Mrs. Scott had already anticipated me, and I had the pleasure of 
admiring a vase containing the two arranged by that lady, and 
I must say that I was not disappointed with the effect. I have 
often been puzzled to know what to mix with Bougainvillea, and 
in the end have generally put it up separately. The only one I grow, 
however, is B. glabra, and I am not certain that it would go wdth 
the Marshal so well as the one in question does. Mr. Scott’s 
plant is in a large pot, but its roots protrude through the bottom 
and ramble amongst some rubble forming the bed, on which are 
grown a quantity of Ferns and some Orchids ; so it will be seen 
its fare cannot be said to be rich. 
I think I have already made it plain that, whatever may be the 
case elsewhere, there is no flower famine at Mr. Scott’s ; and as this 
gentleman is the most successful of our local Rose exhibitors, and 
has occasionally taken high honours at some of the great shows, 
I need hardly say that he generally has something fit to cut, if it 
is only a Rose ; and I can hardly imagine a garden which would 
give more pleasure to its owner than the one concerning which 
these notes are written.—W m. Taylor. 
[Our correspondent probably refers to Bougainvillea spectabilis 
in the above notes, and not to B. splendens, which is synony¬ 
mous with B. glabra.—E d.] 
Electricity and the Vine. —The influence of atmospheric 
electricity on the vegetation of the Vine has been studied near 
Palermo by M. Macagno (Jour, de Agr. Prat.) thus : Sixteen 
[ May 5, 1881. 
stocks were rendered more subject to the effects of the electric 
tension by means of a copper wire inserted vertically with pla¬ 
tinum point in the upper end of the fruit branch, while another 
wire connected the bottom of the branch with the ground. This 
continued from April to September. An acceleration of vegeta¬ 
tion was proved by the wood of these stocks containing less 
mineral matters and potash than that of the other stocks, while 
the contrary occurred in the leaves, and in these the potash was 
mostly in the bitartrate form. A much greater quantity of must 
was got from the Grapes of those Vines, and it had considerably 
more glucose and less acid.— (Nature.) 
ODDS AND ENDS. 
Subjects not insignificant, and yet not deserving more than a 
paragraph heading, I have often thought might be usefully treated 
of under the above heading, and others might be prompted there¬ 
by to record their experiences in a similar manner ; so, in pursu¬ 
ance of this idea I forward a few notes. 
Soli izostylis cocoinea .—A fine plant for decorative purposes and 
for cutting from in autumn and early winter. It should be grown 
through the summer in pots plunged in an open yet sheltered but 
sunny situation in ashes, well supplying it with water and weak 
liquid manure. Plants in 8 or 9-inch pots will produce from 
eighteen to two dozen spikes, and brighten up a greenhouse or 
conservatory wonderfully at the dull season. Small plants may 
be grown in 6-inch pots for decorative purposes. Plants should 
now be taken from the ground and potted, or those in pots 
divided, employing either turfy loam or fibrous peat, as they do 
well in either. 
Anemone japoniea alba .—The fine large pure white flowers of 
this are beautiful in late summer, and useful for cutting, and the 
plants thrive in the borders until frost comes. They may, how¬ 
ever, be grown in pots, strong plants being now lifted and potted 
with some fresh compost—turfy loam with about a fifth of 
decayed manure. Plunge the pots in ashes, supplying water and 
liquid manure freely during summer. Strong single crowns now 
potted in 7 to 9-inch pots will make useful flowering plants by 
autumn. 
Hellebores .—“ Christmas Roses ” are very uncertain in the 
open borders, and they should be grown in pots, which is a more 
advisable plan than lifting in autumn. By shifting as required 
into larger pots very fine specimens may be secured, which have 
an imposing appearance in conservatories, and the flowers are 
valued for cutting. They should be hardened off before placing 
outdoors in spring. Slugs are very fond of the flower buds, and 
must be guarded against with lime or soot. Rather strong turfy 
loam is the most suitable compost, and good drainage is essential. 
Helleborus niger maximus is a fine early form of the species. 
H .angustifolius is a very floriferous form of H. niger. H. orien- 
talis is more stately, and affords foliage as well as flowers at the 
same time. H. olympicus is similar, and very free. These are 
common, and are often not accorded the attention their usefulness 
and decorative value claim for them. 
Forced Strawberries .—Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury has not 
been satisfactory in the earliest-started batch ; the fruit neither set 
nor swelled freely. Under the same conditions La Grosse Sucree 
had some fine truit, one average fruit outweighing three of the 
Vicomtesse. Evidently the latter cannot bear so much forcing in 
the early stages as La Grosse Sucree, as the second batch was all 
that could be desired. Black Prince has been discarded for early 
forcing, as it is subject to mildew, and the fruit is small. Pioneer 
is also subject to mildew, but its fruit sets well, and is of fine 
conical form. Keens’ Seedling is a capital early variety, but it 
gives more small fruit than La Grosse Sucree. For mid-forcing 
President stands pre-eminent, and for late use Dr. Hogg. Sir 
Joseph Paxton is always attacked by mildew. Sir Charles Napier 
when in its best condition is one of the finest, and for an imposing 
appearance James Veitch is excellent. Sir Harry is readily forced, 
and equally good is Wonderful and Marguerite, though the latter 
is not deep enough in colour for some. 
Peach Blossom Setting .—The idea that artificial impregnation 
to secure a good set is not necessary, may receive a check from 
the circumstance that I purposely omitted to resort to any of the 
approved means of artificial impregnation with Royal George, 
the very best forcing and surest setting Peach known, and with 
the result that the fruit set very badly ; whilst in the same house 
Barrington, one of the worst setters under glass, Roman Nectarine, 
Grosse Mignonne, and Bellegarde Peaches, with Violette Hative 
Nectarine under precisely the same treatment, set well with 
artificial impregnation. Where there are bees, or the weather is 
so bright as to admit of ventilation back and front, the dis¬ 
turbance of the air may affect the distribution of the pollen quite 
