180 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ August 11, 1881. 
name of Fennel Flower is derived from their finely cut leaves, 
which bear a great resemblance to Fennel. Nigellas well deserve 
a place in every flower garden. They do not like transplanting, 
and therefore the seed should be sown in the open border. The 
first sowing should be made in the end of March, another about 
the end of May or beginning of June, and if required to flower in 
the early spring sow again in the middle of September. Thin the 
plants to about 6 inches apart, four to six being quite sufficient to 
leave in a group. 
N. damascena .—A very handsome plant, bears the strangely 
conflicting names of Love-in-a-mist and Devil-in-a-bush. It 
attains a height of about 2 feet, wfith finely cut bright green leaves. 
Flowers large, terminal, blue, enveloped or surrounded by a 
mossy involucre formed with its Fennel-like leaves. There are 
also a white and double-flowered form of this species. 
N. hispanica .—This is at once distinguished from the preced¬ 
ing by the absence of the peculiar involucre surrounding the 
flower; it is also dwarfer in habit by some 6 inches. Flowers 
terminal, large and showy, deep blue ; the stamens conspicuous 
and blood colour. From Spain and Northern Africa. 
N. orientalis .—Though decidedly inferior in beauty to the 
previously named kinds, both flower and carpels are curious and 
attractive. The plant is about 18 inches high. Leaves divided 
into long narrow segments, pale glaucous green. Flowers ter¬ 
minal, yellow spotted with red. 
N. scitiva .—The seeds of this kind are in great repute with the 
Egyptian ladies for improving the complexion, it is also sup¬ 
posed to be the plant alluded to by the Prophets Isaiah and 
Ezekiel by the name of Black Cummin or Fitches. Plant 12 to 
18 inches high. Leaves much-divided, segments short. Flowers 
yellow. The least showy of all, Egypt.—W. H. 
Mr. Cutler writes to us as follows relative to the simul¬ 
taneous collection that has recently been made on behalf of the 
funds oF the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution— 
“ As I feel certain that many of your readers take great interest 
in the success and progress of this movement, I beg to inform 
you that up to and including this morning, the 12th inst., I have 
received 206 responses to the appeal of the Committee, contri¬ 
buting the sum of[£241 14s. 1^., being an average of £1 3s. 5 d. 
each response.” 
- The International Potato Exhibition to be held 
at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham, September 20th and 21st, is by 
its promoters expected to prove more than ordinarily interesting. 
The schedule contains some novel features, and arrangements will 
be made for cooking and tasting new varieties previously to any 
adjudication upon their merits. We advise intending exhibitors 
to select their samples u when [lifting their crops, this being far 
better than searching for them afterwards in the store. Schedules 
may be obtained of the Secretary, Mr. A. McKenzie, Tower 
Chambers, Moorgate Street; and moneys may be paid to the 
Treasurer, Mr. Shirley Hibberd, 15, Browns wood Park, London, N. 
- Messrs. James Carter & Co. have sent us a plant of 
their new Tom Thumb Tropssolum Empress of India. The 
plant possesses the[excellent habit and small bluish green foliage 
of the King of Tom Thumbs, which is so well known and widely 
cultivated. But rich as that variety is in colour, the Empress 
of India is decidedly richer, being an intense crimson scarlet with 
a velvety gloss. The form of the flower is good and the petals 
stout. This new variety, which is to be sent out this season, will 
prove an acquisition for beds, borders, and balconies. 
- “ W. B.” writes confirming what Mr. Brotherston says on 
pape 86 in relation to Dianthus Napoleon III. “ It is,” he says, 
“ a beautiful plant, but liable to go” off when planted in the 
borders. It is a safe plan to keep a’Lew in pots and winter them 
in a cold frame. Napoleon III. does well in pots for decoration, 
and will flower well towards the end of June or early in July, if 
kept in frames during the early part of the season.” 
- The following gardening appointments have recently 
been made :—Mr. D. Williams, late foreman at Lockinge, suc¬ 
ceeds Mr. Hinds as 'gardener to Lord Wimborne, Canford, Wim- 
borne ; Mr. G. Richards, late foreman at Gunnersbury Park, 
succeeds Mr. Chilman as gardener to the Earl of Normanton, 
Somerley, Ringwood; Mr. A. Mackellar, late foreman at Penryn 
Castle, succeeds Mr. Knight as gardener to the Duke of Rox- 
burghe, Floors Castle, Kelsoj; Mr. H. Knight, late of Floors Castle, 
succeeds Mr. Brown as gardener to the Rt. Hon. W. H. Smith, 
Greenlands, Henley-on-Thames ; Mr. Jno. Wilson, Belsize Court, 
Hampstead, succeeds Mr. Smith as gardener to [Miss Sulivan, 
Broom House, Fulham ; and Mr. A. Burgess, Roby, Sydenham 
Hill, becomes gardener to Frances Lady Hastings, Franklands,. 
Burgess Hill. 
- “We have to announce,” says the Literary World, “the 
death of Mr. Hewett Cottrell Watson, the eminent topo¬ 
graphical botanist, which took place at Thames Ditton on the 
27th ult., after a long and painful illness. Mr. Watson was the 
son of Mr. Holland Watson, a magistrate for the counties of 
Cheshire and Lancashire, and was born in May,[1804. Having 
completed his education at the Lniversity of Edinburgh, for some 
years he edited the ‘ Phrenological Journal,’ but after his with¬ 
drawal from that position he devoted himself more exclusively to 
botany, on which he published many works. He was also the 
author of numerous pamphlets and papers, and among the best 
known of those is the ‘ London Catalogue of British Plants,’ the 
sixth edition of which bears the date of 1867.” Mr. H. C. Watson 
was best known in scientific circles by his New Bota7iists' Guide 
and Cybele Britannica . 
- It is announced that (the annual Exhibition of the 
Northern Division of the National Carnation and 
Picotee Society will be held on Wednesday, August 24th, in 
connection with the International [Exhibition in the Botanical 
Gardens, Manchester. The Council of the Botanical Society have 
granted £10 towards the prize fund, exhibition space, and free 
passes to exhibitors. The Rev. F. D. Horner, Kirkby Malzeard, 
Ripon, is the Hon. Secretary and Treasurer. 
- At the last meeting of the Council of the Royal Agricul¬ 
tural Society of England Mr. Charles Whitehead, Maidstone, 
moved that prizes for vegetables and market garden and 
farm fruits be offered at the Reading meeting, and that it be 
referred to a Committee, which he named, to draw up a scheme 
for this purpose and report to the November Council. Mr. White- 
head said he was sure such a show would be immensely popular 
and prove of great advantage to the producers of vegetables and 
fruit, the growth of which he felt confident might be very largely 
increased, to the benefit not only of the growers but of the con¬ 
suming public, many of whom were only able to obtain vegetables 
and fruit at almost prohibitory prices. The Royal Agricultural 
Society might do very much, not only to encourage an increase in 
the growth of fruit and vegetables, but also to help towards an 
improved preparation and distribution of them, and also, as he 
believed, to establish an export trade in these commodities to 
France, Holland, and Belgium. The details of his scheme were 
yet in embryo, but if the matter were referred to the Committee 
they would be in a position shortly to ask for the allotment of a 
sum of money, which, however, he was satisfied would be very 
small compared with the great advantage to be derived. Mr. 
James Howard, M.P., seconded the proposal, which after some 
discussion was adopted. 
- Among the numerous beautiful hardy plants AT 
