402 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. t 19. issi. 
I ever saw. In speaking of Auriculas it is an old but trite saying 
that “ nothing will beat the old sorts ; ” but there is no mistake 
about the superiority of the flower enclosed. I will send you notes 
on the Auriculas in question shortly.—G eo. Rudd. 
[The flower is undoubtedly of great merit, the white being firm 
and pure both in the paste and edge, the eye rich, and the body 
colour black ; the flower is flat, smooth, and perfectly round, 
and the colours defined with great precision.— Ed.] 
RENDERING PEACH TREES FRUITFUL. 
To produce Peaches in unheated glass structures may not 
appear a hard task to some, but under the following circum¬ 
stances it proved to me a very great difficulty for years. The 
trees were in excellent health as to wood and leaves, always 
summer-pruned, and apparently well ripened. The flowers seemed 
to set well, but almost all the fruits dropped off as they com¬ 
menced swelling. After many trials of the old soil of the border, 
which I found to be spongy, cut a trench round the trees 4 feet 
in diameter, or 2 feet from the stem, and filled up with old pas¬ 
ture soil and one-third lime rubbish. The following season the 
trees bore a fair crop, and have greatly improved, so that this 
year I have fine crops of healthy fruits, of which I enclose some 
specimens for your inspection. When the trees are in flower in 
spring I close the house early in the afternoon, and in autumn I 
close it every evening. I do not adopt any other mode of ferti¬ 
lising the flowers than by knocking the branches with my hand.— 
B. G. Combee, Co. Down. 
[The branch sent was an excellent example of fertility. Every 
blossom appeared to have set, and a great number of fruits will 
have to be removed from the trees.—E d.] 
ODDS AND ENDS. 
Omphalodes verna. —The large, bright, rich blue Forget-me-not¬ 
like flowers of this plant have been freely produced through 
April, and have a charming appearance in bouquets. It thrives 
in light well-drained soil where it is afforded slight shade in 
summer. On knolls of rockwork it succeeds admirably, having a 
partiality for stones of a sandy porous character; but it must 
have shade from hot summer sun, and as much light as possible 
in winter and spring. On slopes of light soil by woodland walks 
it is very pretty, the moderate shade afforded by deciduous trees 
suiting it perfectly. Propagation is readily effected by runners, 
which it produces freely in early summer. In order to have it in 
flower at an early season rooted runners or offsets should be 
planted in May in light soil on a north border 1 foot distance 
apart. The plants should be lifted in autumn, and planted in 
frames or pits with a south aspect in a sheltered position ; the soil, 
which should be light and rich, not being more than a foot from 
the glass. Plants may be potted in autumn and transferred at 
intervals from early December to February to a house with a tem¬ 
perature of not over 50°. 
Myosotis dissitijiora. —Beautiful as this is now (May) out of 
doors, being much later than usual, it is valuable in pots at the 
dull season. Plants should be potted in autumn, placed in a cold 
frame, and then arranged in a greenhouse or conservatory. Seeds 
may be sown now in pots or pans in gentle heat, and when the 
young plants appear remove them to a cold frame, and if planted 
out 9 inches apart in an open situation they will be suitable for 
lifting in autumn. The slips or cuttings should be inserted on a 
shady border. 
Jlelleborus colchicus. —This, as frequently seen in gardens, and 
as I have had it hitherto, is confounded with H. olympicus, but 
it is very distinct. It flowered at the close of April outdoors. The 
flower stem and ternate leaves which accompany the flowers are a 
deep brownish purple ; the flowers deep purple or plum with a 
coppery tinge. Height 12 inches. It is as hardy as any of the 
others, doing well in loamy soil somewhat moist. 
Calla ( Ricliardia) oethiopica. —Whether on the plant for deco¬ 
rative purposes or for cutting, the spathes of this are always 
appreciated. Plants that have flowered may be divided, planted 
out when frosts are gone in an open situation, sheltered if possible 
from wind, and be liberally supplied with liquid manure through 
the summer. At the end of September lift and pot the plants, 
giving a temperature of 45° to 50°. Care should be taken to 
harden them well off before planting out; and if they have 
been in houses in the shade of Vines the foliage must be inured 
to light, or the foliage will be scorched if the plants are brought 
from a warm shaded house suddenly. There is another method 
and much older. The plants are kept in the pots constantly, and 
often in the same pots for years without anything beyond rectify¬ 
ing the drainage and top-dressing with old cow dung. 'Some 
plants may be in 12 to 15-inch pots, which form fine specimens 
for conservatories. After flowering and as soon as safe in spring 
they are stood on ashes in the full sun. It is usually not ad¬ 
visable to place them outside before the middle of May, or better 
not till June, keeping them well supplied with water. The plants 
rest for a time and then grow strongly, which is the time to 
rectify the drainage, top-dress with cow dung, and supply liquid 
manure. By October some progress will have been made, and 
the plants must be housed : they should have a light position 
and a temperature of about 45°. It is important that the 
plants be marked. Those that have been started first may be 
marked 1, and so on in order. Where there is a number of 
vineries and Peach houses started at intervals from November or 
December onwards there will be no difficulty in keeping a suc¬ 
cession of plants in flower from an early to a late period. Plants 
in an ordinary greenhouse will flower in April and May, and in a 
cooi one but safe from frost somewhat later. Earlier spathes may 
be had by starting a batch of plants in October, or if necessary 
in September. Each strong crown will give two spathes, and in 
some instances three. 
Violets. —These have been very fine. All outside have been 
killed except Queen, Victoria Regina, and the old Single White, 
and those were much injured. In frames and pits Victoria Regina 
was far ahead of all others in autumn, but inferior to Prince 
Consort in spring. Princess of Prussia is not nearly so hardy as 
those mentioned, and succeeded very indifferently. Devoniensis 
is fine in spring, but is no use for autumn and winter. Russian, 
Russian Superb, rubra simplex, obliqua striata, suavis (different 
from the Russian, as I have it) have been good. White Czar is 
the purest white of all Violets and very desirable, highly fragrant. 
The old White (albiflora) was fine in April. Viola odorata and 
var. alba, or the common wild single blue and white sweet-scented 
Violets, are very interesting, and much finer under cultivation 
than in a wild state. Among the doubles New York was more 
fioriferous than De Parme, but is not nearly so hardy; similar 
remarks applying to Marie Louise as to New York in point of 
hardiness, and Neapolitan is more tender than any other of the 
type. Belle de Chatenay, though double and a better white than 
Queen, has not done half so well. King and Double Russian are 
very similar, the former being larger and not so freely increased. 
Parmensis plena is nearly white, tinged or striped rose, and very 
double. Blandyana, though not always to be depended on for its 
stripes, is a fine Violet; and Double Red (rubra plena) is a pale 
red colour. Arborea and A. alba plena are interesting, but must 
be kept in a greenhouse in winter to do well. Argenteaflora is 
very fioriferous, not flowering in winter, but it flowered in March in 
frames, outdoors in April, and will continue through the summer 
if the runners are not removed.—G. Abbey. 
IXIAS AND SPARAXIS OUT OF DOORS. 
Have any of your readers succeeded in growing these bulbs in 
the open garden ? For four years I have endeavoured to do so, but 
without much success. I planted small bulbs as soon as I could 
obtain them in autumn or early winter ; they soon started and they 
were protected, one season with leaf soil, another with cinders, and 
each time with a handlight. The second season I had a moderate 
display of flowers from some of the bulbs. I tried again, but the 
severe winter of 1879-80 cut them down again. However, in 
the autumn of 1880 I found not only had some of the bulbs 
survived but had produced several small ones. Last autumn I 
procured Ixias, Sparaxis, and Babianas, and planted them on the 
30th of August, and on the approach of frost covered them with 
ashes and a handlight. They all grew vigorously and appeared 
most promising in February and March, but the last frost in 
April cut them all down to the ground ; and I feel that it is hope¬ 
less to expect any bloom from them this year, but I see that some 
of the old bulbs which were left in the ground from previous years 
are growing. My experiments have not been successful, and still 
I think these beautiful flowers may be grown in our gardens as 
freely as the Gladiolus. 
Have any of your readers tried planting the Ixias and Sparaxis 
in the open borders in spring, and in what months ? and if so how 
have they preserved the bulbs through the winter months ? 
Perhaps someone can tell me what is the natural habitat of these 
bulbs, and what kind of soil they require.—G. O. S. 
CHAPTERS ON INSECTS FOR GARDENERS.—No. 22. 
NEW series. 
The larger beetles in the division of the Phytophaga are, as a 
group, harmless compared with the smaller and prolific species, 
