August 4,1881.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 103 
with the knife instead of cutting it with shears. When left to 
grow naturally it is very liable to grow thin on the most ex¬ 
posed side, but attention to pruning remedies this, and the 
hedge in consequence grows thick and resists with much greater 
force the wind and chemical vapours carried with it. It is also 
important when growing as single specimens that the same pre¬ 
caution is taken. Ilex Hodginsii has during the past severe 
winter or two lost a much less per-centage of foliage than any 
other variety. The common Holly, recommended by many for 
the purpose of forming hedges, is not suitable for the neighbour¬ 
hood of towns, and is considerably injured or will die where 
I. Hodginsii flourishes and does well. I am acquainted with a 
hedge planted about twenty years ago of this variety in the 
neighbourhood of Liverpool, and on the worst side of the town 
for the growth of evergreens. It is now about 25 feet high and 
nearly as many feet through at the base.— Lancastrian. 
PLANTS CERTIFICATED AT CHISWICK. 
At a meeting of the Floral Committee held at Chiswick on the 
22nd ult., James McIntosh, Esq., in the chair, certificates were 
awarded as follow •—First-class certificates were granted for the 
undermentioned Pelargoniums as bedding plants :— Erckmann Cha- 
trian (Lemoine).—Plant of very dwarf compact habit, very free-flower¬ 
ing ; trusses very large and compact, of a beautiful crimson-shaded 
scarlet; very showy. Depute Duvaux (Lemoine).—Very dwarf habit, 
free-flowering; trusses large, well thrown above the foliage; very 
dark scarlet. No. 0 (Lemoine).—Fine close-growing habit, very free- 
flowering ; the trusses very large, and well thrown up, of a beautiful 
clear scarlet; very effective. The following received second-class 
certificates :— Louis (Pearson).—Plant of very fine dwarf habit, free- 
flowering ; trusses and individual flowers large, of a beautiful magenta- 
scarlet; good. Excelsior (Denny).—Fine dwarf habit, free-flowering ; 
the individual flowers large, of fine form, bright scarlet with distinct 
white eye ; very pretty. 
Single Pelargoniums in Pots. —First-class certificates were 
granted to Dr. Orton (Pearson).—Plant of very fine dwarf compact 
habit; very free-flowering, the trusses and individual flowers large 
and of fine form, very dark scarlet, very effective for pots. Ilettie 
(Pearson).—Plant of very strong vigorous habit; very free-flowering, 
the trusses very large, well thrown up on very strong footstalks ; the 
individual flowers very large, of fine rounded form, very pleasing 
magenta shaded scarlet with clear white eye ; remarkably fine. 
Similar awards were made in the class of double-flowering Pelar¬ 
goniums to Sylvia (Pearson).—Plant of very dwarf compact habit ; 
remarkably free-flowering ; trusses of medium size, very compact, 
well thrown above the foliage. Flowers beautiful shade of pink ; 
very fine. Hero (Pearson).—Plant of remarkably dwarf habit; very 
free-flowering ; trusses large, the individual flowers also large and 
double, of a clear magenta scarlet; very effective. No. 62 (Lemoine). 
—Plant of very vigorous habit; very free-flowering, the trusses and 
individual flowers large and full; flowers very clear salmon. Also 
to the Ivy-leaved Pelargonium Anna Pfitzer (Lemoine).—Plant of 
long trailing habit, free-flowering; leaves slightly zonate ; flowers 
very large, semi-double, pink, slightly shaded with magenta, the top 
petals having distinct bands of purple ; very distinct and pretty. 
Lantanas IN Pots.—F irst-class certificates :— Reveil (Lemoine).— 
Plant of very fine dwarf compact habit, remarkably free-flowering, the 
trusses of medium size, of a bright yellow colour ; very fine. Giselle 
(Lemoine).—Plant of tall vigorous growth, very free-flowering, the 
trusses of medium size, composed of two colours, the upper part of 
the truss composed of florets of a pale saffron yellow shaded \yith 
pink, the remaining part of the flower very pale pink, with a slight 
shade of magenta ; very pretty. 
Pentstemons.—F irst-class certificates :— Jeanne d’Arc (Lemoine). 
—Strong vigorous habit, very free-flowering ; flowers large, pure 
white. A great acquisition. Edison (Lemoine).—Strong vigorous 
growth, very free-flowering, the individual flowers very large, beauti¬ 
ful dark purple, w T ith very distinct white throat, slightly streaked 
with purple ; very fine. Marjolaine (Lemoine).—Very strong habit, 
very free-flowering; individual flowers large, dark scarlet on upper 
side, and having a very distinct white throat; a good variety. Be¬ 
gonia Queenie (Royal Horticultural Society) received a similar honour. 
Plant of strong vigorous growth, very free-flowering ; flowers large, 
and of a good form, of a beautiful magenta shaded pink ; very fine. 
The Fruit Committee (Harry J. Yeitch, Esq., in the chair) examined 
the collections of Peas and Potatoes sent for trial, when the follow¬ 
ing awards were made :— 
Peas.— Pride of the Market (James Carter & Co.).—A dwarf blue 
wrinkled Marrow. First-class certificate. Robert Fenn (Hurst and 
Son).—A dwarf wrinkled Marrow. First-class certificate. 
Potatoes.— Cosmopolitan (Dean).—A large early white kidney. 
First-class certificate. Early Cluster (Dean).—A half round early 
white Potato; very short haulm. Considered suitable for forcing. 
First-class certificate. Lord Mayor (Dean) was greatly approved, and 
ordered to be cooked and exhibited at South Kensington. 
A Potato Gardener's Dilemma.—I have a large square of 
Magnum Bonum Potatoes in my garden which have been planted 
far too close, the rows being only 2 feet apart. The haulm is at 
least 3 feet high and very dense. No sun can penetrate, and very 
few tubers seem to be forming. What must I do ? Is it any use 
stopping the haulm and taking out a portion to let in the sun ? 
There are at least six stalks to each plant. Might I cut out some 
and stop the others ? I shall be glad to have the opinion of ex¬ 
perienced cultivators of Potatoes on this point.—F. S. 
CHOICE CAMPANULAS. 
Bellflowers are such general favourites—from the humble 
but pretty native Campanula rotundifolia to the stately Canter¬ 
bury Bells and the “steeple milkie Bellflower” of Gerard, or the 
pyramidal Campanula of botanists—that a few notes upon some 
distinct and rather uncommon forms will no doubt be welcomed 
by many readers. In a genus containing about two hundred 
species there might naturally be expected to be considerable 
variation in floral form and habit; 
such is the case with the Campanulas 
to some extent. As regards habit, 
there are numerous gradations—from 
plants of quite prostrate growth with 
diminutive flowers, to others 3 or 
4 feet in height, erect, and stately, and 
bearing flowers like small cups. In 
form the flowers are open, resembling 
shallow funnels or saucers, or bell¬ 
shaped, of varying depth. Colours are, 
however, very slightly diversified, 
except so far as shades of purple and 
blue are concerned ; those are, indeed, 
numerous, and white-flowered varieties 
are also known in many of the species. 
Scarcely any other departure from the 
normal tints is observable, unless it be 
in the direction of mauve or lilac. 
As to what may be termed the cul¬ 
tural uses of Campanulas we find them 
suited for rockeries and borders out¬ 
side, and for pots in greenhouses and 
conservatories, some few species being 
suited to either mode of cultivation, 
and others being specially adapted for 
one only. Some of the dwarf forms 
are particularly useful in pots as a 
margin to groups and the stages of 
houses, while the old “ Chimney Cam¬ 
panula,” C. pyramidalis, is so well 
known and generally appreciated for 
culture in pots as a really ornamental 
and effective plant, that it does not 
need comment. However, it is not 
my intention now to dilate upon the 
beauties and uses of the whole genus, 
which would only weary your readers 
and myself too; but, as stated at the 
commencement, to glance at a few of 
the less common. 
Tj'j ^ 13 
Taking the dwarf species of Bell- Campanula pulla. 
flower first we have several pretty 
forms represented ia our gardens, amongst which one of the most 
attractive is C. turbinata (fig. 17, page 102), which was originally 
introduced from the mountains of Transylvania, where it is found 
growing at moderate elevations. It is of tufted habit, and is 
usually about 6 inches in height, or rarely exceeds 9 inches, the 
open bell-shaped bright blue flowers being very freely produced. 
As regards situation, the plant thrives either in well-drained 
borders or upon rockeries, though the latter position is better 
suited for it, and many little nooks may be rendered attractive by 
judicious planting. Another useful species is C. carpatica, which 
is noteworthy for the fact that it continues in flower for several 
months, frequently as late as September, and it is also adapted for 
rockery, borders, or pots. It is usually rather taller than the last- 
named, but is of compact growth ; the flowers are marked by a 
very pleasing bright shade of blue. C. pulla (fig. 18), a charm¬ 
ing little Austrian species, is now in excellent condition in those 
gardens where it is grown, and particularly notable is it on the 
rockery in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden at Chiswick, 
where also most of the forms here described are well represented. 
The leaves of C. pulla are oval and smooth, the neat purplish blue 
bells being borne singly on the summit of the slender stems, and 
are slightly deflexed or nodding. This is one of the best for the 
rockery. C. garganica, C. rupestris, and C. muralis are all 
