280 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 6. 1S82. 
flowering well though somewhat past its best, having been in good 
condition for a considerable time. A plant of moderate size with 
over three dozen of its rich purple-tinted flowers is extremely 
attractive. Many others are similarly beautiful, including the 
pretty purple D. lituiflorum, the white and yellow D. crepidatum, 
and D. Findieyanum, the fragrant D. primulinum, the delicately 
mauve-tinted D. tortile, and the handsome D. albo-sanguineum. 
DESTROYING COCKROACHES. 
Observing you solicit information from correspondents who 
have been successful in destroying cockroaches, I gladly give my 
experience. In August last year we had two houses infested with 
them. In the first the Cucumbers had their leaves completely 
riddled, and the fruit presented a scaly appearance from their 
ravages. Noticing how partial they were to the Cucumber plant, 
I procured a plant, allowing it to ramble over the bed, dusting all 
the leaves with hellebore powder, which were readily devoured. 
We soon found some of our enemies dead. These were pdaced on 
the beds (for experiment) at night, and in the morning portions 
only of the bodies could be found, proving their cannibal habits. 
We continued the use of hellebore some time, with the result that 
not one cockroach has been eeen for two months. In the other 
house, occupied with Ferns and Orchids, the pests fed on roots 
and tender growths of the Orchids. We brought the powder to 
this house, using it on Cucumber leaves and small pieces of paper, 
placing them about the stage and on the pots with the same 
success as in the first house. We always examine the old drain¬ 
age when repotting, occasionally finding a few eggs.— G. W. 
Cummins, The Grange, Wallington. 
A GENIAL SPRING. 
Granting the probability of cold and gloom yet intervening to 
mar the fair promise of a year of unusual brightness and abun¬ 
dance, it is, nevertheless, well to record the singularly calm mild 
weather which has long prevailed and its effects upon vegetation. 
Surely there never was so quiet a March. True, the month opened 
boisterously enough, but the high winds soon sank to a calm, and 
we bad brilliant weather until the 21st inst. During this period 
I noted some of the best plants in flower, and among them the 
following deserve special mention. 
The first token of an early spring is a fine plump bud of Mare- 
chal Niel Rose in a sunny nook upon a south wall. Then the eye 
is attracted by the unusual beauty of a white Oxlip named Purity, 
given me some time ago by “ Philanthos.” It has large flowers 
of fine form borne in trusses of eight, some of which are to be had 
throughout winter, but the flowers have never been so fine and 
abundant as they are now. The leaves of Gunnera scabra are 
already half expanded ; the Laurustinus are one mass of pearly 
flowers, and have been so for the past four months. Mahonia 
aquifolia has its abundant massive flower clusters fast opening 
into full beauty. Berberis japonica has been in full bloom for 
some weeks, and Berberis Darwinii has a few sprays of open 
flowers, and the deep orange-coloured buds cluster thickly upon 
every spray. This is undoubtedly the best of the Berberries; it 
answers well everywhere, but is seen to most advantage planted 
singly out upon a lawn. A fine specimen so placed here grows 
yearly in beauty, requiring very little pruning to render it suffi¬ 
ciently sjunmetrical, a close precision of outline being undesirable, 
as tending to rob it of the long pendant sprays which are so lovely 
when in bloom. It answers best in a deep rich light soil. Ribes 
prmcox is in full beauty, but the deeper-hued R. sanguineum and 
its double form are still only in bud. How very beautiful are the 
deep pink cushions of Erica carnea ! and what a charming contrast 
they afford to the lovely blue flowers of Omphalodes verna and 
the white Heath-like blossom of Andromeda floribunda 1 Is it 
possible to find a more charming trio of spring flowers ? Andro¬ 
meda calyculata, both major and minor, are also in full bloom, 
but the unfortunate brown hue of the foliage renders them dull- 
looking and undesirable for prominent situations. 
Ceanothus rigidus is covered in every part with its densely 
clustering lavender-coloured flowers with pretty yellow stamens. 
Lonicera fragrantissima has only a few of its deliciously sweet 
flowers left, and is bright and fresh with new growth, some of the 
shoots being already upwards of a foot in length. Akebia quinata 
is also growing freely, and gives promise of plenty of its curious 
flowers later on. This proves one of the best hardy climbers for 
covering a large space quickly upon a south aspect in this district. 
Forsythia viridissima is very full of bloom, much more so than I 
have ever seen it before. Is this owing to the mild weather, or 
does it require age before flowering freely ? Lithospermum pre¬ 
stratum also has an unusual abundance of its deep blue flowers. 
Two plants of it are trailing over some rocks at about 6 feet from 
the ground, and are seen to great advantage so. The slender 
flexible shoots of Spiraja callosa alba have plenty of the pretty 
little white flowers, and the sweet-scented Erica mediterranea and 
its white form are in full bloom, to the delight of the bees. 
Winter beauties have not all forsaken us yet, for the Pampas 
Grass plumes are still so bright and silvery as to be worth 
retaining a while longer. 
Aquatic plants are also starting into growth. Hottonia palus- 
tris has already got flower spikes well above water. Its foliage is 
beautifully green ; a large panful of it growing freely is certainly 
very elegant just now. It loves a still pool and is easily managed. 
From the huge creeping stems of the large American Nuphar, 
clearly visible at the bottom of the calm transparent water, flower 
buds and leaves are springing upwards abundantly. Aponogeton 
distnehyou has plenty of its sweet-scented flowers, and the Nym- 
phieas are all putting forth leaves, N. odorata being the most 
forward.— Edward Luckhubst. 
LA GROSSE SUCREE STRAWBERRY. 
I NOTICE at page 233 your correspondent, Mr. G. Summers, asks if 
I have the true variety. I believe I have. I have seen it several 
times, and his description answers mine. It makes little growth 
out of doors here ; the soil is light on the red sandstone rock. 
When your correspondent took the note on the 8th inst. it was 
not colouring, and the Viscountess was ready to gather on the 
10th. They were started together on the 24th of December in 
the early vinery. When the fruits were set the plants were re¬ 
moved to a shelf in the Pine stove in the first week in February. 
I consider it to be a most valuable variety, and can endorse all he 
says of its good qualities. In pots it is much stronger in habit, the 
fruit larger, bright red in colour, and it produces a strong flower 
spike, which is not the case with the Viscountess. I noticed last 
year that the Viscountess was a little earlier—some four days. 
We grow three thousand in pots, and have tried all the popular 
kinds, and find after three or four trials which answers best in 
this locality. We grow the Viscountess for the first, President for 
second, James Veitch for late supply, with one or two others for 
trial. I have not been able to obtain stock enough of 1 a Grosse 
Sucrde, but hope to do so this year partly to displace the Vis¬ 
countess.— F. Faulkner. 
EARLY-FLOWERING HYBRID RHODODENDRONS. 
While observing with pleasure the progress in hardy flower 
culture generally, I regret to think the early-flowering Rhododen¬ 
drons appear to be losing ground. For some years when visiting 
gardens I have been astonished to find that but few of these are 
accorded a place. Those who plant Rhododendrons evidently 
select those that will not open their flowers until all fear of 
frost is past. Plants of R. blandum flowering outside here have 
from time to time been very much admired, especially this year, 
because the mildness of the season brought them into bloom much 
earlier than usual. Certainly there is a risk of their flowers being 
injured by one night’s frost; but are not Hyacinths, Narcissus, 
Erica carnea, and others equally liable to injury from the same 
cause ? In most gardens there are sheltered positions where 
early-flowering Rhododendrons could be planted, and would 
prove successful eight seasons out of ten. If planted in a group 
they would well repay any little trouble that might be required 
to protect their blooms with thin canvas in case of frosty nights. 
As a rule, the early varieties are compact in habit and free in 
flowering. A large bed of them when they are in flower could 
not fail to arrest attention and prove attractive in any garden. 
During the past four or five years the variety alluded to has 
never failed here to open its flowers, which have lasted a long 
time without any protection. 
These early varieties are not only valuable for outdoor planting, 
but should be used for early forcing indoors. The late-fioweriDg 
kinds require much forcing to have them in flower early in the 
season ; in fact, they cannot be had in flower by Christmas, 
while the former will develope their flowers at that time, or 
earlier if required, with but little heat or trouble, provided they 
are potted in early autumn. Towards the beginning of February 
they will unfold their flowers in a cold vinery or Peach house. 
This year they commenced opening their blooms outside towards 
the end of the month, and are now past their best. This applies 
to plants in sheltered positions, while those more exposed are now 
in full beauty. R. blandum (as known in this neighbourhood) is 
the earliest, and by far the best early variety I am acquainted 
with. Its flowers are a beautiful blush or pale pink when they 
