May 4, 1882. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
363 
in abundance. Where this is the case it seems almost needless to 
say that there is no necessity to grow Wallflowers by the hundreds 
or thousands simply to have a display at Easter. But, on the other 
hand, how many gardens are there in which the flower beds are 
vacant from the time the summer occupants are removed until they 
are filled again late in the spring, and where winter or spring bed¬ 
ding is not attempted ? Such gardens there can be no doubt greatly 
preponderate, and for these it is that this note is specially written, 
and to the owners or gardeners, as the case may be, I would say, 
Have your flower beds green all the winter and gay with flowers 
in the spring, and if it is too costly to have them filled with ever¬ 
green shrubs and Conifers by all means plant them with Wall¬ 
flowers. 
We grow and plant out annually about four thousand Wall¬ 
flowers. What an indescribable pleasure it is to stroll round the beds 
and borders when the plants are in flower and the air laden with 
their sweet perfume. Yes 1 and what a treat they are to the bees, 
and how advantageous they are both to them and to us by helping 
forward, as it were, the young brood, and in giving us early swarms. 
Any lengthened remarks in your columns respecting the culture of 
Wallflowers would probably be thought by many to be entirely out 
of place, owing to their being one of those plants which, to use 
Mr. Iggulden’s phrase, many affect to know “ all about.” There 
are, however, two or three points I will briefly refer to. Although 
the past winter has been an exceedingly mild one, and has killed 
few, if any, of the Wallflowers, in former winters they have suf¬ 
fered considerably. Much of this can certainly be obviated. Our 
losses in some of the late severe winters, when we have experienced 
as much as 30° and 32° of frost, have not amounted to more than 
about 10 per cent., and this we attribute wholly to not growing the 
plants in too rich a soil during the summer months. Our plan is 
briefly as follows :—Sow the seed about the middle of May in drills 
9 inches apart and half an inch deep. If the weather is very dry 
at the time the beds are well watered and covered with garden 
mats until the seed germinates. The young plants are pricked out 
when large enough in borders in the kitchen garden 9 inches apart 
each way. No manure whatever is used ; on the contrary, they 
are planted on ground previously occupied by some crop of an ex¬ 
hausting nature. Under such conditions the plants are of a very 
sturdy character. In these quarters they remain till the end of 
October, and are then transplanted to where we wish them to 
flower, and again little or no manure is given. Keep the ground 
free from weeds, and supply water when necessary through the 
summer.— Et C/Etera. 
PARK PLACE, STIRLING. 
In your report of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society’s 
Show, which was held on the 5th and 6th inst. in Edinburgh, I 
observed that it was stated Mr. Watson gained the first prize for 
black Grapes. As some of your readers may be anxious to know 
who the Mr. Watson is that was so successful, 1 send you a short 
description of his garden. He is gardener to Miss Morrison, 
Park Place, Stirling, a single-handed place with one vinery about 
20 feet long containing two canes of Muscats, from which fruit 
has been cut that has done good service at some of the autumn 
shows of the above Society, two canes of Lady Downe’s, and the 
remaining one Black Hamburgh ; a lean-to greenhouse, a stove, 
one side having to do service in growing Melons and Cucumbers, 
and a Peach house, all small houses. Such, then, are the resources 
of Mr. Watson ; and the next time his name figures in the prize 
list of the Edinburgh Flower Show, would the officials of that 
Society allow his employer’s name and address to appear in their 
reports to the various newspapers and periodicals ? for according 
to one of their own rules every competitor has to give his full 
name and address, also that of their employers if any.— Gilbert 
McDougall. 
PINGUICULA CAUDATA. 
By far the most attractive of the Butterworts at present in 
cultivation is the beautiful species Pinguicula caudata, which 
was first brought prominently before the notice of horticulturists 
at Kensington in April last year, when a certificate was awarded 
for it under the name of P. Bakeriana, which was subsequently 
found to be incorrect, as the plant had been previously named 
P. caudata. On March 28th of the present year Messrs. J. Yeitch 
and Sons of Chelsea exhibited a plant under its true name at 
Kensington, and were awarded a similar testimonial of its merit. 
At Kew also the plant has been grown during the past year, 
and its qualities have been shown to the best advantage, for 
during that period it has been constantly in flower, and at the 
present time one plant bears three handsome blooms. Referring 
to this specimen a correspondent writes—“ Oa visiting Kew a few 
days since I had the good fortune to see the lovely Pinguicula 
caudata in flower. I had previously heard much about it, but it 
cannot be overestimated, and not one word too much has been 
written on its good qualities. The plant in question is growing 
in the porch at the end of the Orchid house, and appears quite at 
home associated with Sarracenias, Droseras, Darlingtonias, and 
other species of Pinguicula. It is quite a giant compared with 
the other members of the genus, and a great contrast of colour in 
the flowers compared with the more modest tints of P. grandiflora, 
P. vulgaris, and P. alpina. When it becomes more generally 
known it cannot fail to be appreciated. Its dwarf free habit and 
easy cultivation are qualities worthy of consideration. I under¬ 
stand the entire stock of P. caudata with the exception of the 
plant at Kew is in the hands of Messrs. Yeitch, and trust they 
will soon favour the horticultural world by distributing a plant 
that is eagerly sought after.” 
The woodcut (fig. 71) is a reduced representation of one of 
Messrs. Yeitch’s plants, but the flower is shown of nearly its full 
Fig. 74.—Pinguicula caudata. 
size. The leaves are pourtrayed in an undeveloped state, as when 
the plant is fully grown these are broadly elliptical, 2 inches or 
more in length, similar to others of the genus in appearance. The 
colour of the flower, a rich rosy crimson, is most striking, the 
warmth of tint being relieved by a white dash in the centre. Its 
cultural requirements are few ; in a cool temperature like that pro¬ 
vided for Odontoglossums, though it appears not to need so large 
supply of moisture in the air as those Orchids do, with a compost 
of peat or sphagnum, it can be grown satisfactorily and will 
flower well. The plant at Kew is in a small thumb pot placed in 
a larger one, the space between the two being filled with sphagnum 
kept constantly moist. As was mentioned on page 158, one accom¬ 
plished propagator has succeeded in increasing the plants by 
means of the leaves, and if this is followed up we may expect 
that the plant will not long continue scarce.—L. C. 
WASPS—ON WHICH SIDE IS THE FALLACY? 
Like “ C. T. H.” I could not understand the remarks of “ Duck- 
wing” on this subject at page 260 , and I have waited rather 
impatiently for some facts to prove his astounding theory, “ That 
