August 11, 1881. ) 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
133 
stems, covered with reddish spines, form quite a close network on the 
surface. 
Oereus giganteus (Croucher).—A strongly ribbed form with greyish 
or blush spines, much larger than the last. 
Echinocactus Wistizenii (Croucher).—Also strongly libbed. The 
spines very strong and long, curved at the extremity. A few white 
filaments are distributed amongst the spines. 
Abies canadensis variegata (Waterer).—A variegated form of the 
Canadian Abies, the young shoots being very prettily marked with 
white. 
Male a moschata alba. —Messrs, II. Cannell & Sons were awarded a 
first-class certificate for this plant, which is a beautiful variety of 
Mallow with pure white flowers. These are produced in great abun¬ 
dance, and the plant being quite hardy it is a really valuable addition 
to the list of border plants. No doubt the flowers would prove very 
useful for cutting. 
PYRUS SPURIA. 
One of the ornamental Pyruses, which well deserves a place in 
an}'garden where space can be devoted to such trees is that re¬ 
presented in the woodcut (fig. 23), for during the early summer 
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Fig. 23—PYRUS spuria. 
months its large clusters of white flowers are very attractive. The 
bright green variable leaves are also not deficient in beauty, and 
when in its best condition the tree would rank high amongst its 
numerous congeners. A specimen was very noticeable a month 
or two since in Messrs. Osborn & Sons’ nursery at Fulham, where 
a good representative collection of the species is grown. This tree, 
from a small branch of which the accompanying engraving was 
prepared, well indicated the value of such Pyruses for planting 
amongst other trees of moderate growth as a background to 
shrubberies, or singly on lawns in suitable positions, not too 
prominent, yet where the specimen can fully develope and be 
seen to good advantage. 
Pyrus spuria is known in gardens and nurseries under various 
names, one being P. hybrida, which was given to the tree by 
Moench, and is scarcely less worthy of acceptance than Decan- 
dolle’s name given above. The specific designation hybrida has 
the merit of being expressive, for the form is considered as a 
probable hybrid between P. aucuparia and P. arbutifolia, both of 
w'hich species it resembles in several characters of foliage, flowers, 
and fruit. It came into cultivation at the close of the last or the 
commencement of the present century, and is now moderately 
well known, being included in most large collections of trees, 
though its culture must be largely extended before it can be con¬ 
sidered so generally known as it merits. A weeping variety, by 
the name of P. spuria pendula, described by Loudon, is also occa¬ 
sionally seen. The type of this hybrid, or species, is assigned in 
