JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
374 
[ May 12, 1881. 
during the month of February they produce handsome blooms, 
and are very effective during early summer. The species origi¬ 
nally came from the Levant. 
R. bulbosvs Jlore-pleno. —This is a double form of the “ Butter¬ 
cup,” the flowers resembling somewhat those of R. acris fl.-pl.; but 
the present variety is not more than half the height, so that those 
wanting a dwarf form can be accommodated. April to June. 
Britain. 
j ft- cortusafolius. —This is a very fine species, although a tall 
grower ; it is, moreover, somewhat tender as far as our experience 
extends. The usual height is 3 to 4 feet. The radical leaves are 
stalked, somewhat cordate in shape, and unequally lobed. Stem 
leaves much divided into lanceolate segments, whilst the upper 
ones are entire. The flowers are yellow, large, and spreading, 
produced in dense corymbs. It is also known by the name of 
R. grandiflorus. April to June. Canary Islands. 
R. glacialis. —If we had to mention the somewhat tender con¬ 
stitution of the last-named plant, we have in the present species 
just the extreme, for it grows naturally high up in the mountain 
regions of Europe, near the limits of perpetual snow. Like all 
plants from great elevations it is dwarf in habit, usually about 
6 inches high, but sometimes reaching to 9 or 10 inches when 
growing lower down the mountains. The radical leaves are 
stalked, palmately divided, deep green ; peduncle mostly one to 
two-flowered, but sometimes more are developed. Flowers large, 
pure white inside, but tinged with purplish rose on the exterior. 
May. Alps of Europe. 
R. gramincus. —Although a native of the mountains of our own 
country, this plant is sufficiently distinct and beautiful to find a 
place in the cultivated rock garden. It grows about a foot high, 
with sessile, entire, narrow, grass-like leaves. Flowers large and 
showy, yellow. April and May. Mountains of Wales. 
R. Gonani. —This is a fine border plant and a very distinct 
species. It grows from 12 to 18 inches high. The radical leaves 
stalked, unequally lobed ; stem leaves sessile, palmate, bright 
green. Flowers large, solitary, bright shining yellow. May. 
Pyrenees. 
R. montanus. —A little gem for the rockery. It is tufted in 
habit, and seldom exceeds 3 to 4 inches in height. The radical 
leaves are tripartite, bright shining green ; stem leaves sessile, with 
linear segments. Flowers very large, solitary, and brilliant yellow. 
May. Alps of Europe. 
R. parnassifolius. —There is something so thoroughly distinct in 
the habit of this plant that an ordinary observer would never 
think it is a Buttercup. It attains a height of 6 to 9 inches. 
Radical leaves entire, stalked, subcordate, dark brownish green, 
and leathery in texture ; stem leaves sessile, ovate lanceolate. 
Spike branching, bearing several large pure white flowers. May 
and June. Pyrenees. 
R. rutcefolius. —Here we have another dwarf-growing distinct 
plant. The leaves are pinnate with multifid lobes, which give 
them altogether quite a different appearance to the Crowfoot 
family. The stems attain a height of about 6 inches, and are 
usually single-flowered. The individual flowers are very large, 
and are composed of numerous petals ; the colour is pure white, 
with orange-yellow centre. May. S. Europe.—H. 
TRAINING PEACH TREES. 
The Journal is always so crammed with practical articles that 
one often feels shy in taking up a subject. However, I should 
like to have a few lines, if you can spare space, on the subject 
mooted by Mr. Pettigrew at page 327. With regard to the 
system of training lately designated “extension,” there is no 
doubt of its having been in constant application in some gardens 
for many years. Last spring I visited Mr. Shearer, then gardener 
at Yester. He showed me a Peach tree, certainly the best trained 
I have yet seen, thinly furnished with young stout shoots from 
top to bottom and end to end of the house, and with a stem I 
took for half a century’s growth, and he planted it about thirty 
years ago, and under the system he employed it was as robust as 
a tree of five summers’ growth. Nevertheless, up to late years I 
do not think the non-shortening system has been common. Now, 
however, many young gardeners are working their Peach trees on 
this principle. 
I should not like to dispute Mr. Pettigrew’s assertion that trees 
trained to a trellis under the glass give the best results ; at the 
same time large crops are a certainty every year with trees planted 
on back walls, provided the house is light and heated. In our 
own case we could not wish for larger crops than we gather year 
after year from trees under these conditions ; and we are just 
enlarging an old Peach house, which had trees trained close 
under the glass, and will have the back wall covered with trees, 
and an “ old-fashioned turned-over trellis in front.” We secure 
one-third more space for training than is possible under the other 
plan. The house is a lean-to, and will be 18 feet wide. It was 
found after calculating the results in various ways of training 
that the plan adopted would be best.—R. P. Brotherston. 
NOTES ON PHLOXES. 
Amongst all hardy flowers I find none so useful as these. Their 
culture is easy, while their rich and variedly coloured flowers are 
always welcome. For a considerable time back I have annually 
added fifty plants to our stock, and I intend following up this 
system. 
The present time is the best in the year for making such provision 
as will insure a display of these plants during the summer months, 
and those who secure a good selection now may rely on being amply 
repaid in a few months by a rich harvest of flowers. Plants only 
propagated last autumn and placed in the borders now will bear 
one or more spikes of bloom before the season is over, and others 
divided will soon become as useful as if they had never been 
disturbed. Indeed I think it is much the surest way of inducing 
plants to grow after being divided if this operation is deferred 
until growth has well commenced. Then it is not necessary to 
take up the whole of the plant to be divided, but the soil may be 
cleared away from the stems, and the root and the young plants 
be taken without removing the centre. Varieties of the least 
merit are hardly ever divided, but remove them to positions of the 
least importance, and fill up the places they occupied with better 
forms. Work of this kind should be attended to at once. We 
always obtain our new Phloxes in small pots ; sometimes they 
have commenced growing, at other times no growth is visible, but 
such we always keep in a cold frame or sheltered nook until well 
started, when they are planted out. Some kinds bloom early, 
others late. Some are tall, others dwarf. Position and culture 
will not wholly change their characters in these respects, but in 
sunny places many will bloom earlier than they would do in a 
shady position. All soil for Phloxes should be deeply dug and 
well manured. When this is done the after culture for several 
years will be of little importance, and at all events manure dug in 
between the plants will be sufficient to insure their development. 
Their present culture should consist of dividing the plants to 
increase stock on making new plantations with young plants. 
After planting, if the weather is dry one good watering should be 
given at the roots, and before growth has become so tall as to be 
broken by the wind a stake should be placed to each, and tying 
should be done at intervals as necessary. Where extra fine 
spikes are required for exhibition or any other purpose a dressing 
of strong manure should be spread round the stems, and all the 
weakest stems should be cut out close to the bottom and only the 
strongest be allowed to grow. For exhibition we have sometimes 
only had two spikes from a strong root, but for general decorative 
purposes every shoot may be allowed to grow and flower. As 
many of your readers will soon be filling their flower garden beds 
for the summer, it may not be out of place to say that for the 
centres of beds no plants are better suited than Phloxes, and if 
the best early and late varieties are planted together they will 
produce a mass of flowers during a long period. 
Phloxes are not grown so extensively as they deserve, especially 
for park and general decoration, and no doubt they will receive 
much more attention in the future. The following names of 
some of the best varieties in cultivation may be useful to some 
readers :—Dwarf early varieties : Mrs. Morrison and Mrs. Garrett. 
Taller varieties : Beauty of Edinburgh, George Eyles, Redbraes, 
Mrs. Guthrie, President, Mrs. Ritchie, Mrs. Miller, and Indian 
Chief. Late varieties : Henry Cannell, James Cocker, Professor 
Blackie, Thomas Swanston, Pilrig Park, John Forbes, David 
Thomson, James Mackay, Jennie Grieve, J. Muir, and David 
Syme. It may be mentioned that these are chiefly seedlings 
which have been produced by Messrs. Dickson & Co., and are 
welcome additions to this favourite flower.—W. M. 
The Eggs of the Yapoitrer Moth (Orgyia antiqua).— 
There is hardly a garden where in the winter season one may not 
detect on a bough, stem, or perhaps on a wall or paling, the 
cocoon of the female insect studded with the eggs that are to 
hatch in spring. By an odd error of instinct, the caterpillar will 
in its wanderings fix the cocoon it spins in a corner away from 
foliage, the result being, as I have several times noticed, that the 
young brood die of starvation. When it has become of some 
size, the peripatetic powers of the Yapourer caterpillar would win 
the approbation of a walking Stewart, though, when first hatched, 
as is usually the case with caterpillars, they cannot make any 
