COG 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 13,1883. 
is not mucli grown in gardens now. Do any of your readers 
know it? 
C. pulchellus, Dougl.—This charming species is usually known 
under the name of Cyclobothra pulchella, so named by Bentham, 
and so figured in the “Botanical Register,” t. 1GG2. It grows 
from 9 to 18 inches high, with slender freely branching stems 
carrying from two to several nodding flowers, more or less 
globose in form; the outer divisions are yellow, rather shorter 
and narrower than the inner ones, which are broadly ovate in 
outline, deep golden yellow, copiously ciliated, and the inner 
surface is more or less clothed with stiff yellow hairs, while 
the deep sunken gland is densely covered with hairs. The 
flowers are sweetly scented. It is found along the coast ranges 
from Monterey to Mendocino County. It is a very beautiful 
kind, growing as freely as any under cultivation, indeed im¬ 
proving, as I have seen very large corymbs of flowers produced 
even larger than herbarium specimens, and the flowers are very 
lasting. 
C. splendens, Dougl.—This very pretty kind grows about 
12 or 18 inches high, with one or more flowers, about 2 to 
inches across; the outer divisions pale lilac, rather smaller 
than the inner ones, which are clear lilac, with a dark claw and 
white scattered hairs about the middle, while the gland is 
densely hairy. Frequent in the San Diego district.— Mariposa. 
NOTES. ON PEAS. 
Much has been written about the many new varieties of Peas that are 
placed in the market every season. The prizes offered at exhibitions for 
them no doubt attract attention, and I certainly do not envy the raisers or 
vendors any profit they may derive from their enterprise; but I would 
like to say a few words to both raisers and buyers of these grand Peas. 
The former alone know the extra attention that is paid to the plants, and 
the enormous supplies of manure in a solid and liquid form they receive to 
produce the results chronicled. The successful exhibitor has found this 
out too, but the majority of buyers of Peas expect the same results without 
bestowing any extra attention in culture, and are generally disappointed. 
To the latter I would say. When purchasing new Peas at a high price, 
however good the soil may be, always open a trench as for Celery, and 
apply manure quite as freely, for (should the weather be hot and dry) 
without this the enormous fleshy pods cannot be produced. 
Where a great quantity of Peas is required many of the old varieties 
are not excelled, as they stand cold weather better and fill much faster 
than the giants, without half so much expense and attention in culture. 
Peas nearly always suffer from drought, not having half enough water in 
dry weather. Many grow higher in wet weather than dry—some the 
reverse. 
Seedsmen as a rule often do not give the full or even the average height 
of Peas. I do not know why this should be so. It is very disappointing, 
troublesome, and leads to waste, when Peas grow much taller than the 
height stated. The haulm gets broken and the crop is of little value. I 
attach the results obtained during the last dry season. 
I was told by a clever Scotch gardener that Carter’s Stratagem. Pride of 
the Market, and Telephone would not grow so far north as here. However, 
being successful last year with Telegraph and Telephone, I have tried the 
two others. They were sown between Cabbage rows, on ground neither 
dug nor manured, only adding a little soot and guano. 
I think it no disgrace to either Pea or seedsmen that sticks are required 
for good Peas ; but it is very disappointing to be told they are not when 
they are, and then not be prepared with sticks. Carter’s Stratagem and 
Pride of the Market, sown May oth, were gathered July 24th, 
height 3 feet. Dr. Maclean and John Bull, 4 feet, were a week later. The 
above two former, sown May 18th, were ready August 5th, height 2 feet. 
Telephone, sown at the same time, were nearly ready, height 5 feet. 
Laxton’s Superlative. 6 feet, proved a heavy crop. I have grown my own 
seed of this for several years, and I find by using short inferior pods and 
late ones I have got a very much reduced pod, and apparently mixed 
sample, but the flavour of all is alike good. 
I gave a few packets away in exchange for others, and was told they 
were mixed until I explained the cause.—J. E. Waiting, Grange-over- 
Sands, Lancashire. 
FIRING AND VENTILATING. 
However correct Mr. G. Abbey may be on several points of the 
above subject, on others his remarks are somewhat hazy and ambi¬ 
guous. Especially is this the case in his reference to Cucumbers, &c. 
(see 480). _ Having long had misgivings on the soundness of the 
usual stock-in-trade directions given in the calendars of the gardening 
press upon early forcing, airing, &c., I last year decided upon 
tryiug an experiment with early Melons. The house experimented 
upon is a span-roofed one, 30 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 10 feet 
from the floor to apex, stands north and south, is glazed with 21-oz. 
glass in squires 2 feet by 11 inches. It is ventilate! on the 
top by a light opening the whole length of the house, and by 
2-feet-deep side lights. In order to prevent the smallest amount of 
ex ernal air entering we had all the ventilators tightly screwed down. 
On the 27th of December we sowed seeds of Scarlet Premier and 
Best of All. These in due time germinated, and were planted out 
on January 19th into a row of eleven plants on each side of the house. 
The weather during February being mild and open with a fair amount 
of sunshine, they made rapid progress, and opened their first pistillate 
flowers on March 3rd. These being duly fertilised the fruit soon 
commenced swelling, and on April 14th those first set were observed 
to be changing colour, and upon entering the house the following 
morning a strong perfume so acceptable to gardeners proved that the 
period of ripening was near at hand. From December 27th up to 
this date no ventilation was given, although many times on bright 
sunshiny days the thermometer indicated a temperature of from 100° 
to 110°, and at bedtime stood from 85° to 90°, and this, too, without 
a burning heat in the pipes. The first fruit was cut on the 17th 
perfectly ripe and finished in every way. 
flhe crop produced was seventy-four fruits, and to speak of their 
quality would on my part be mere affectation ; but having more than 
was wanted for the requirements of my employers the surplus was 
sent to that source where all fruit finds its true value—viz., the Covent 
Garden fruit salesman. The first consignment when brought under 
the hammer realised 12s. 6d. each. It will be interesting to know if 
Mr, G. Abbey or any of your numerous correspondents can show 
better results from the air-giving system. I have some notes upon 
the early forcing of Peaches and Nectarines with a minimum of air¬ 
giving. Should you think these worthy of a place in the Journal I 
will gladly send them.— J. McIndoe. 
[We will readily publish the notes referred to.] 
GLOXINIAS FOR FLOWERING IN WINTER. 
We have at the present time a very pretty batch of these in flower ; 
and seeing how very easy of culture they are, the wonder is that they are 
not more generally grown for stove-decoration at this dull season. The 
plants under notice were grown from seed sown last March, but instead 
of their being grown in the stoves or warm pits, they were hardened as 
early as possible after being established in small pots, and grown all the 
summer on a shelf near the glass on the north side of a span-roof green¬ 
house. As this house was kept as cool as possible, and shaded from bright 
sun, the Gloxinias did remarkably well, soon filling their small pots with 
roots. About July they were placed in their floivering pots and again 
placed on the same shelf. The soil used for this last potting was of a 
somewhat rough character, being chiefly loam and road sand well mixed 
together ; in this the plants made a much slower growth, but as they 
had a good time to fill the pots with roots, they were not hurried in any 
way, air being freely admitted night and day, and no fire heat being 
used. With this treatment the leaves were much thicker than any I have 
seen, and, what is more, they are perfectly free from insects of any kind. 
In some cases the foliage entirely hides the pots the plants are grown in. 
Another great point in their favour is that the flowers last much longer 
than could possibly be the case at any other time of year, for the reason 
that the sun would be too strong for the well-being of Gloxinia flowers, 
unless heavy shading were resorted to, and that would not suit other 
occupants of our stoves. Again, when arranged, as in our case, in front 
of a group of Calanthes, Poinsettias, and Maidenhair Ferns, they make a 
good finish with their “finest spotted ” and charming “ erect ” flowers. 
These remarks are intended for those of your readers who may not have 
grown Gloxinias in the w r av indicated and would like to try them.— 
George Merritt, The Hoolearaens, Welwyn, Herts. 
STORED-UP SAP IN VINES. 
It would serve no good purpose to follow Mr. Taylor in the irrelevant 
issues he raises this week. I should have thought he would have offered 
some kind of answer to the questions I put driving at the very heart of 
his argument, but he does not. 1 must, however, point out his mis¬ 
quotations and the false inferences he draws from them. Contrary to 
his imaginings, I have Johnston’s “Elements of Agricultural Chemistry,” 
as well as many more works bearing more directly on the subject. But 
the work named is quite correct on sap, and in no way controverts me. 
If Mr. Taylor was as familiar with it as he professes to be, and wished 
to be accurate and fair, he would have gone further, and at page 42, 
eighth edition, have found and quoted the words, clearly derived from 
Lindley—viz., “In spring and autumn the motion [of the sap] is more 
rapid. In winter it is sometimes scarcely perceptible ; yet the sap, except 
when frozen, is supposed to be rarely quite stationary in any part of the 
tree.” From this your correspondent will see I am as well acquainted 
with the works he kindly recommends me to procure and read as he is. 
As to my quotation from Lindley, no physiologist of standing has ever 
contradicted or questioned it, and I challenge Mr. Taylor to lay his hand 
on any authority that does. Lindley is wrong in some things, like other 
authors, but not in that. 
Nobody disputes about the hairs of the roots being “chiefly” con¬ 
cerned in absorption ; but they are not the only agents, and we have 
only Mr. Taylor’s word for it that the root-hairs are “non-existent” at 
certain periods. Besides, we have the admission of the very authorities 
he quotes, that the sap is always in motion in all parts of the tree. These 
points, however, whatever value may attach to them, are quite overruled 
