August 0, 1883. ) 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
1W 
had, its long racemes of rich purplish flowers being produced very 
freely, and if the shoots are not too rigidly secured to the rafters, 
but allowed a little freedom, the effect is much better. Good turfy 
loam and peat suit it well as a compost, an occasional supply of very 
weak liquid manure increasing the vigour of the plant considerably. 
It requires little care, and is deserving of more popular attention 
than it receives at present. 
In reference to the nomenclature of this plant, Mr. W. Watson 
of the Royal Gardens, Kew, has obligingly furnished me with the 
following information :— 
“ So far as I can ascertain from dried specimens and various figures 
Swainsonia is as variable as Lathyrus odoratus both as regards colour 
and size. In the “Flora of Australia” Bentham puts under S. galegifolia 
the name of a gentleman (Mr. Isaac Swainson) who formerly resided at 
Twickenham ; and having made a large fortune by the sale of a medi¬ 
cine known as Yelno’s Vegetable Syrup, formed a botanic garden, which 
contained a very good collection of plants, early in the present century. 
This was occasionally mentioned in some of Loudon’s works, but is now 
almost forgotten except by few veteran horticulturists.—L. C. 
EPICUREAN AND SUTTONS’ CLUSTER CUCUMBERS 
I am fond of trying novelties, and this year, seeing a description of 
the new Cucumber Epicurean, I thought it would be worth a trial. In 
the seedsmen’s list it was highly recommended for productiveness, and 
I can safely say it has come up to its character. My four plants have 
been crowded with fruit of very good quality. Some have attained a 
Fig. 23.—SWAINSONIA OSBOENI. 
both white, purple, and pink forms, among them being S. elegans, 
S. albiflora, and S. Osborni. According to Bentham’s description typical 
S. galegifolia is S. Osborni of gardens. S. coronillsefolia he makes a 
variety of that species. [See ‘Bot. Mag.’ t. 1725, and also t. 792.] 
S. Osborni was figured under that name in a book not at Kew—viz., 
the ‘ Gardener’s Companion.’— T. Moore. Moore named the plant after 
Osborn in 1851, who raised it from seeds sent from Australia. I have 
seen the figure and a note in another place, but the colours are altogether 
different from, and the leaves much smaller than in the Kew plant. 
Notwithstanding all this, S. Osborni is a good well-known garden plant, 
and for gardening purposes the name is sufficient.” 
It may be incidentally mentioned that the genus Swainsonia bears 
large size, but most of the fruit have been of medium size. All grow 
well-shaped, with small neck, and colour rather deeper than Telegraph, 
I am much pleased with it, and shall grow it again. I forgot to add 
that this variety is almost seedless, but I have fortunately been able to- 
ripen off one seedy fruit. 
Suttons’ Cluster is another variety I have on trial. It is a great 
cropper, and the Cucumbers being of a deep green, are very pleasant to 
the sight, as, indeed, they are to the palate, as I found on trial. They 
grow from 9 to 12 inches long, and are very clean-looking in appearance. 
I consider this and Epicurean to be a pair well worth growing.— 
H. S. E., Great Totham. 
Do Ashleaf Kidney Potatoes Flowir?—Is it usual for any of the 
varieties of Ashleaf Kidneys to produce seed apples or plums, as they are 
