JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
302 
[ April 13, 1882. 
Othonna chcirifolia. — A curious suffruticose Composite from 
South Africa, and quite hardy. It has narrow glaucous leaves, 
and now bears large but stiff-looking flower heads. It is a 
strange-looking plant, and would be an excellent one for formal 
arrangements. 
Primula rosea .—This most charming species is the earliest here 
in the open bed where sunk between four bricks, from which 
it has doubtless had some protection. Its colour is much finer 
than when grown under glass. A rare species has lately flowered 
called P. carpatica. It has yellow flowers with aromatic odour, 
and leaves that are of the common Primrose type. We are re¬ 
minded in the conservatory of several kinds lovely in pots. 
Perhaps the chief to mention is N. verticillata, which has exces¬ 
sively powdered leaves and yellow flowers. P. erosa has been pro¬ 
nounced good, and P. cortusoides nearly all value for pot culture. 
Pulmonarias .—These claim place amongst the choicest of spring 
flowers. One of the best, now over, has been P. saccharata. Its 
leaves are elegantly spotted, and the pink or rather carmine 
flowers are lovely to an extreme degree. The other of the two 
best is P. aDgustifolia var. mollis. It has flowers that are almost 
entirely blue, and such a shade as to be like a Lithospermum. 
Ranunculus gramineus .—An extremely bright and pretty species 
for the border. It grows freely, and has a choice appearance. 
The leaves are grass-like and glaucous, while the flowers, which 
are of the brightest yellow, are just commencing to expand. Two 
other choice species which do well at Cambridge are R. fumarim- 
folius and R. montanus, both yellow, the latter very fine. 
Scilla italica .—This happens just now to be the only species in 
flower. It is, however, a very pretty plant. In habit of foliage 
there is not perhaps a better, and as regards the flowers it is 
extremely neat. The colour is pale porcelain blue. The scapes 
do not much exceed the leaves. 
SisyrincMum grandiflorum album .—Perhaps the most charming 
of all the species. In this variety it is extremely beautiful, and 
lasts in flower a very long time. 
Tuligpa acuminata ,—Though rather common among other species 
there is much pleasure to be derived from its golden yellow colour 
and elegant form. It is one of the most elegant and graceful of 
all. Its flowers are never stiffly erect, nor are the stems rigid, 
but from the base to the highest point of the plant there is but a 
succession of the most graceful curves. The leaves are narrower 
than the majority of species. It has something of the aspect of 
T. sylvestris. Other choice kinds coming into flower are T. Greigi, 
T. Eichleri, and T. turkestanica. T. altaica is just over.—R. I. L. 
At a General Meeting of the Royal Horticultural So¬ 
ciety held on Tuesday last, James McIntosh, Esq., in the chair, 
the following candidates were elected Fellows of the Society—viz., 
Mrs. Carvosso, Francis C. Turner, Mrs. Alfred R. Watson. 
- We have had the pleasure of inspecting Capt. Patton’s 
Tulips, which were referred to last week. Upwards of a hun¬ 
dred varieties were in flower, and the number has since increased 
daily. The display is'not only attractive but instructive, as the 
collection affords an excellent opportunity of comparing the 
relative merits of the varieties for bedding purposes. As the 
varieties open at different times it is not possible for the whole 
of the three hundred to be seen at once, but towards the end of 
this or the beginning of next week will be a good time for in¬ 
specting the collection, and all who are interested in this the 
most brilliant and diversified of spring flowers are welcome to 
see the present display. It may perhaps be of use to some 
readers to say that Alpha House is about ten minutes’ walk from 
the Edgware Road station of the Metropolitan Railway. 
- The Wimbledon and District Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society will hold their summer Exhibition in the grounds 
of Cannizaro House, Wimbledon, on July Bth, when the usual 
liberal provision for competitors will be made, the prizes includ¬ 
ing a number specially offered by friends of the Society. 
- A singular instance of a Hyacinth flowering under 
ground has been submitted to us by Mr. Cummins, gardener to 
A. H. Smee, Esq., The Grange, Wallington. The bulb, with others, 
had been planted in a bed in the usual manner, covered with soil, 
and the bed surfaced with manure. The growth of the Hyacinth 
being arrested by a stone the spike was partly broken, but not so 
much as to stop its growth, and it extended downwards until the 
end of it was forced below the bulb. Strange to say, in this 
position, and 6 inches below the surface, the flowers not only 
expanded, but the colour (blue) was as clear as if the spike had 
grown in the air and had perfected the flowers under the influence 
of light. The foliage was perfectly blanched, and shortly withered 
on exposure to the air, but the flowers retained their texture ; 
indeed so natural in character and colour was the flower spike 
that we identified the variety at a glance as Baron Van Tuyll. 
The plant was dug up accidentally by Mr. Cummins, and was sent 
to our office by Mr. Smee, and thence to the meeting of the 
Scientific Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society, of which 
a report appears on page 305.j 
- The Leeds Horticultural Society announce that 
their annual Summer Show will be held in the Horticultural 
Gardens of that town on June 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. Liberal 
prizes are offered in seventy-seven classes for plants, flowers, and 
fruits, the first-named being particularly well provided for. For 
stove and greenhouse plants the prizes are especially valuable. 
In the class for sixteen specimens the first, second, and third prizes 
are £18, £12, and £6. Exhibitors of groups of miscellaneous 
plants and Orchids are also encouraged by substantial prizes. 
- We regret to record the death of Mr. John Jardine, who 
died suddenly at Arkleton, Dumfriesshire, on the 30th ult. “ Heart 
disease,” says the EsMale Advertiser, “ was the cause of death,” 
and further adds, “Mr. Jardine succeeded in early life to the 
estate of Thorlieshope in the upper reaches of the Liddle, best 
known to readers of Sir Walter Scott throughout the civilised 
world as the ‘ Charlieshope ’ of Dandie Dinmont. Though he 
farmed his own property he resided at Arkleton in the valley of 
the Ewes, the place and all its surroundings being converted by 
him from an old Border peel into quite a model residence. Though 
the mansion was replete with all the comfort and refinement of 
the present day, its distinctive features in days of feud and foray 
were not sacrificed, unless they may be said to have been im¬ 
paired by the superb gardens and vineries from which year after 
year Grapes were forwarded to the metropolitan and other ex¬ 
hibitions, which carried all before them, and caused the name of 
Arkleton to be celebrated for its horticultural products through¬ 
out the kingdom.” The grower of those Grapes, Mr. Dickson, it 
will be remembered, left Arkleton a few months ago by the advice 
of his employer to take charge of the gardens of R. Jardine, Esq., 
M.P., at Castlemilk. 
- Tiie Croydon Horticultural Society will hold their 
annual summer Show in the grounds of Wellesley House; and 
the autumn Show of Chrysanthemums and fruit will be held on 
November 17th and 18th in the small Public Hall, Croydon. 
Numerous classes are provided at both, but especially at the 
former, the prizes being substantial in all the chief classes. 
- The first portion of the celebrated Mayfield Collec¬ 
tion of Orchids, which was formed by the late John Russell, 
Esq., was sold at Mr. J. C. Stevens’ rooms, King Street, Covent 
Garden, on April 5th. Some handsome specimens were included 
amongst those sold, and very good prices were realised in several 
cases, some of the best being the following—Cypripedium cauda- 
tum, a very large specimen 3 feet in diameter, £22 ; other smaller 
plants of the same species being sold for fourteen and fifteen 
guineas. An excellent example of the pretty Promenasa citrina 
realised ten guineas. An extraordinary Odontoglossum citrosmum, 
