September 27, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
267 
stems which radiate from its tufted crowns are 12 to 18 inches in 
length, i ery slender, and several times branched—dichotomous—are 
prostrate, and furnished with small reniform leaves under to over 
1 inch across, cut in the same fashion as the larger ones, with the 
petioles varying in length from 1 to 1^ inch. From the axils of 
the opposite leaves spring the flowers solitary on pedicels 3 inches in 
length, the colour being light rose and pencilled with purple. It 
commences to bloom in early summer and continues till autumn. I 
have lately gathered a few ripe seeds. It is a native of New Zealand, 
and is almost the only perennial species that has been introduced 
from that distant region to this country. It bears our English climate 
admirably, but being a somewhat recent introduction it is as yet 
practically rare. 
Anagallis tenella —This modest little denizen has afforded me 
much pleasure this season, simply from the fact that it has succeeded 
very well—so well, indeed, that I think it scarcely possible for the 
plant to be met with even in its wild state in a more luxuriant and 
floriferous condition than which it is in one of the compartments on 
the rockery here. It is not a rare British plant, but somewhat local 
in its distribution. In some districts it is common, in others sparingly 
represented, and in others quite wanting. It is usually met with on 
heaths and moors in wet places, growing amongst short grass and 
other scanty vegetation, on wet banks, borders of streamlets, and in 
boggy ground. The best example I have seen in a wild state was 
in County Clare, Ireland, and not very far from the sea, but off the 
limestone. It grew on a bank from which water was continually 
dripping, and fully exposed to the sun. It was here in its best form, 
a glow of rose-coloured bloom, the foliage being almost hidden. It 
is a low growing plant with creeping slender stems, rooting at every 
ioint, and furnished with small, opposite, shortly stalked leaves, one- 
quarter of an inch across and between reniform and orbicular in 
shape. From the axils of the leaves spring the rose-coloured flowers, 
which are borne on short wiry stems, are bell-shaped and delicate in 
texture, standing erect, and are about a quarter of an inch in diameter. 
With regard to our cultivated example, I may add that the flowers 
were so abundantly produced as to almost correspond with the 
number of leaves on the plant, and the sight produced was one 
sufficient to compel the admiration of all who saw it. It was at its 
best throughout the greater part of July, and it was remarked that 
it was one of the handsomest plants that had flowered on the rockery. 
If it came from Labrador, Tasmania, or some other distant region, 
and was difficult to grow and propagate, it would be highly prized 
and eagerly sought after by lovers of alpine and rockery plants. 
Contrary to this, it grows at home, is easily procured, and easy to grow 
when its requirements are understood. In a garden where a swamp 
or spring exists its requirements are met at once. It is, however, 
not absolutely requisite that such conditions should be at hand, as a 
miniature artificial bog may be contrived for its reception. In our 
case a saucer not 2 inches deep and filled with loam and sand was 
employed, peat being objected to on account of its being more liable 
to turn sour. The saucer was sunk in one of the compartments on 
the rockery and well supplied with water in hot sunny weather, and 
the result was that the plant quickly spread over the rim and filled 
every corner of the compartment allotted to it. Owing to the saucer 
being shallow, and the roots of the plant being able to reach to the 
bottom, the soil does not become stagnant, as the moisture passes off 
by absorption, but is assisted by evaporation.—T. Entwistle, Wood 
Lawn, Didsbury. 
POTATOES. 
I AM rather amused at “ H.’s ” experiences in Potato-growing and 
the unpleasant result which follows his Potato trials. His enthusiasm 
begins to cool down by midsummer, and by digging-up time is changed 
to disgust. “ These experiences nearly always result in the following 
conclusions and resolutions—never to grow a long-topped Potato in the 
garden again, and never to grow an American variety in the garden, let 
it be ever so much praised, and never to indulge in more than one 
novelty in the season.” If “ H.” has arrived at these conclusions after 
a fair trial why does he not keep to them ? There is this to be said 
about the long-topped Potatoes, that they have been more grown lately 
than others, because the vigorous growers are, as a rule, more free from 
disease, and the short-topped new varieties have been somewhat neglected, 
but I hope the necessary attention will be devoted to them. I have a 
short-topped seedling which I grew for five years entirely without disease, 
and which ripens before the Magnum Bonum, and which I may introduce 
to general cultivation some day, but I will not say any more in its praise 
lest “ H.” should be induced to try it. The long-topped varieties do not 
run up so high when they are grown without manure, and they require 
a little more room between the rows. Short-topped varieties, which are 
also good disease-resisters, will be produced if there is a general demand 
for them. 
With regard to the American varieties, perhaps “ H.” would do wisely 
rot to grow them if he has a strong soil, which I expect to be the case. 
They are calculated for warm dry soils. There is a wonderful difference 
in the quality of Potatoes made by the soil in which they are grown and 
surrounding atmospheric circumstances, and these which are good in one 
place are almost uneatable in another, and that is one cause of the large 
number of varieties in cultivation, and the disappointment experienced 
by some people on the trial of a new Potato. There is also a great 
difference in individual taste about what is a good Potato. Some people 
like a very dry floury Potato; I do not, but prefer rather a moist floury one 
such as Mdky White. Others, again, like a firm eating Potato such as 
Magnum Bonum, and I know one gentleman who likes Potatoes which 
are commonly called waxy, but I believe he is rather the exception. 
The American Early Rose is not good on some soils, and writers have 
gone so far as to say that they did not believe one was ever grown in 
this country which was fit for anything but the pigs; but that was a great 
mistake, for it is very good on the land here, and we are eating them 
now every day in preference to others. In speaking of American 
varieties, it must not be forgotten that without them there would have 
been no Magnum Bonum, for the latter is a seedling partly raised from 
the former, and without this Potato and the aid of another or two, we 
should not have been able to supply ourselves with Potatoes of our own 
growth, instead of sending about three millions of money to foreign 
countries. I have a seedling of the Magnum Bonum which is very 
promising. It appears to have all the cropping qualities and freedom 
from disease of the original, but is a little more regular in shape. This 
will be good news for those who believe in the degeneracy of the tuber, 
and think the Magnum Bonum will inevitably collapse with the disease 
before long, because there will be another to supply the place of it. 
Besides my own seedlings I have grown ten varieties of Potato for 
the purpose of experiment, and have found the result very interesting 
and the opposite of that experienced by “ H.; ” but I go a different 
way to work. I only plant a peck of each, and do not introduce any to 
the main crop unless I approve of them. Perhaps some of your readers 
may be interested in hearing the result of my experiments, which will 
form the subject of another letter.— Amateur, Cirencester. 
GLADIOLUS COLYILLI THE BRIDE. 
Where choice flowers are in constant demand for cutting* 
during the spring and early summer months the above should 
be grown in large quantities and brought into flower in succes¬ 
sion as required. The flowers beiug pure white, they are most 
useful in a cut state when wired for bouquets, or the whole 
spikes can also be cut, and are admirably adapted for associ¬ 
ating with other cut flowers. Independent of its use and 
beauty in a cut state, it is invaluable when grown in 5 inch pots 
for the embellishment of the conservatory or greenhouse. W hen 
in fiow’er a number of plants freely associated with other dwarf 
plants have a choice and conspicuous appearance. 
The bulbs of this variety can be obtained any time next 
month, and should then for early flowering be potted without 
delay for an early batch. In places where bulbs were forced into 
flower last spring, have been judiciously treated since, and are 
strong, potting should be done at once. This wdll secure a month 
at the start, which is a great advantage when these tlovvers are 
re quired as early as possible. Drain the pots liberally, and place 
four or five bulbs in each pot, and if strong they will produce at 
least seven or eight spikes of bloom. If the flowers are grown 
solely for cutting, poD of any size can be used. The bulbs should 
be covered with from half an inch to an inch of soil. If the soil 
at potting time is moderately moist do not supply water until 
they commence rooting. Almost any soil will grow them pro¬ 
viding it is rich. We have found good loam, a seventh of 
decayed manure, and coarse sand to suit them well. 
After potting place them in a temperature of 50° to 55°, and 
if possible plunge them in cocoa-nut fibre or other material, 
merely covering the rim of the pots. Where this can be done 
no water will be needed until the growths make their appear¬ 
ance through the material in which they are plunged. A good 
plan is to plunge them until they commence growing in slight 
bottom heat derived from leaves or other fermenting material. 
A bed can be made in a cold frame and the plants plunged into 
it, and the frame kept close until their shoots can be observed, 
when they should be taken out and given the temperature men¬ 
tioned above. When allowed to start under cool conditions time 
is lost and forcing is needed during their latter stages of deve¬ 
lopment. This is a great mistake, as they should be allowed 
time when fairly well developed, and allowed to expand under as 
natural conditions as possible. After growth has well advanced 
they must have a light position, and should be kept as near the 
glass as possible. While growing abundance of water should 
be given; in fact they should never be allowed to suffer by the 
want of it. As soon as they commence showing their flower 
spikes weak stimulants should be given every time water is 
needed. After the plants have flowered they must be gradually 
hardened and then plunged outside, well supplying them with 
water and stimulants until they ripen naturally Bulbs treated 
