August 10, 1882. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 125 
distinct plant, with broad leaves and large blue flowers with con¬ 
spicuous black anthers. The Symphytums come very near the 
latter, S. officinale being the most showy. There is a very fine 
variegated form that is well worth growing if only for the foliage. 
Gilia achillesefolia and G. capitata deserve a little attention, the 
latter being useful for cutting purposes, producing light purple 
heads of flowers. 
Of late years much attention has been paid to the Phloxes, and 
well they deserve it, for what border would be complete without 
some varieties of P. paniculata ? This handsome species varies in 
the colours of its flowers from lilac, pink, or purple to white, 
and being crossed with P. maculata has given birth to the 
numerous fine varieties now in cultivation. Gentiana asclepiadea 
is a remarkably handsome plant, and may be considered as one 
of the best for borders and general cultivation. The flowers are 
large and dark blue ; it attains the height of about 18 inches. 
There is a variety with white flowers that is also worth growing. 
Erythrsea diffusa, with its Silene-like flowers, is a little gem, and 
is useful for the front line ; the flowers are rosy pink, showing 
well above the foliage. Asclepias tuberosa should be grown, for 
it produces its brilliant flowers nearly all the summer, thus in¬ 
creasing its value. A. Cornuti is also worth a place ; this is a 
robust-growing plant 3 or 4 feet high. The flowers are fragrant, 
dull purple, and larger than the first-named species. 
We have now reached one of the most showy and important 
genera of herbaceous plants—viz., Campanula. There are many 
species in flower, and some are now about their best. C. pusilla 
is of dwarf habit, not exceeding 6 inches high, producing white 
flowers. It is very suitable for the front of the border; being 
pure white is a desirable species. C. carpatica is another desir¬ 
able form, and considered to be one of the best of the dwarf sec¬ 
tion. It produces large open flowers, and being variable many 
fine varieties are produced with blue, blue and white, and some 
with pure white flowers. C. persicifolia is one of the handsomest, 
including some very showy double-flowered varieties. If grown 
in good rich soil it attains the height of 3 feet, and continues to 
bloom from June till September. C. coronata grows between 
3 and 4 feet, with purple flowers, and should be included in the list. 
C. sarmatica is a species well worth a place ; it grows between 
3 and 4 feet high, and is of free habit. C. pulla is a little gem. 
It is of spreading habit, not exceeding 3 or 4 inches high, produc¬ 
ing single flowers freely, which rise a few inches above the foliage. 
Other species that may be recommended are C. rotundifolia, C. 
latifolia, C. turbinata, C. glomerata, C. garganica, and C. rapun- 
culoides. 
Anemone japonica is one of the most useful and effective plants 
now to be seen in the herbaceous border. The flowers are large 
rose or white, and last long in perfection. A plant known as 
Anemone Honorine Jobert is a good and distinct variety of 
A. japonica. Tunica Saxifraga is a very effective plant when in 
flower, and is now about its best ; it closely approaches Dianthus, 
but is valuable for its free-flowering property. The bright pink 
flowers are small, but being produced in great profusion and con¬ 
tinuing to flower throughout the summer months, should be appre¬ 
ciated by all. Dianthus Seguieri is free-flowering, growing about 
18 inches high. It is especially noteworthy for the fact that it 
flowers at a time when the greater part of the other species of 
Dianthus are over for the season. Several species of Hypericum 
are in flower, some of which are great acquisitions, the best being 
H. olympicum, H. calycinum, H. tomentosum, H. asperum, H. per¬ 
foratum, and H. Androssemum. Calandrinia umbellata must not 
be forgotten ; it grows about 6 inches high, the crimson flowers 
being borne in the form of an umbel. 
The Malvas include several showy and ornamental plants, and 
are admirable subjects for the shrubbery as well as the herbaceous 
borders proper. Malope trifida and the var. flore-albo are showy 
plants about 3 feet high. Kitaibelia vitifolia is a tall-growing 
plant with handsome foliage, producing the rose or white flowers 
from the axils of the upper leaves the greater part of the summer. 
Althaea rosea (Hollyhock) needs no comment. A. officinalis 
(Marsh Mallow) is a capital plant for single specimens ; plants 
about 6 feet high and as far through are noble objects. Lychnis 
viscaria is now very handsome, and when seen in masses is most 
striking. L. chalcedonica, although like the last an old garden 
plant, must not be left out, as for some time past has been one of 
the greatest ornaments of our borders. There are several varieties 
of this valuable plant, some with white and rose flowers, also 
double varieties. Silene Armeria is a very conspicuous plant 
when grown in masses, averaging about 18 inches high. Several 
species of Linum are now very fine. L. grandiflorum is one of 
the handsomest annual species ; it grows about 18 inches high, 
and has beautiful crimson flowers. L. luteum should be grown 
for variety, and L. narbonnense should also find a place ; it has 
light purple flowers over an inch across, and when seen flowering 
in quantity is really a telling plant. The several varieties of 
Lythrum salicaria are great ornaments, and have been all aglow 
for some time past with their rosy purple flowers. The vars. 
known as roseum and grandiflorum are extremely showy, par¬ 
ticularly the latter, as it produces finer spikes of flowers than 
the others ; they also prove very useful for cutting. 
Many other good plants might be mentioned, such as the Sca¬ 
bious, Godetia, Epilobiums, Sweet Peas, Clarkias, &c. I have 
not mentioned any of the Composites in this paper, although 
there are many that deserve a word of praise, but perhaps a little 
later in the season I may contribute a few notes respecting them. 
—W. K. 
A GOOD CROP OF POTATOES. 
“ A City Man ” is right in inferring that at least two or three 
profits had to be obtained for the Potatoes. I referred to page 77, 
but he is wrong in supposing the price quoted is too high. 
Since I have been obliged to market produce no fact has been 
more forcibly impressed on me than this one—that in order to 
succeed the best must be done to have your produce fine. It not 
only makes a difference as to price, but in a crowded market it 
means a sale or no sale. For example—the last consignment of 
Potatoes sent to market brought exactly double the price of most 
of the others in for sale. A different class of purchasers was to 
be had for ours, and they were willing to pay so much more. To 
satisfy your correspondent that I have not exaggerated as to price, 
I wrote to the salesman who acts for me to return the receipts 
for the week I referred to. I now send them on to you. You 
will see there were seventy gallons marketed, and the returns, 
clear of any drawback, were £5 5 s. The gallon in question con¬ 
tains twelve imperial quarts, and is therefore two and two-thirds 
of a bushel, or 21 lbs. in weight; but we find that the gallon 
always contains over that weight, so that these seventy galFns 
would be more likely to weigh 15 cwt. than the statute weight of 
13| cwt. I may say that from a crop lifted later we secured a 
gallon off every 6 to 7 yards, exclusive of seconds and those kept 
for seed. All our Potato ground is again under crop, from which 
I expect a further £30 to the acre before the end of the twelve 
months from planting the Potatoes.—B. 
[We do not think “ A City Man ” doubted the accuracy of 
your statement, but considered the returns unusually high in 
comparison with London prices.] 
TWO-DAYS ROSE SHOWS. 
It is always an unpleasant thing to bring charges of disloyalty 
against those with whom one has been acting and to point out 
flagrant inconsistencies; but I have always thought it best to say 
distinctly what I mean, while, I hope, endeavouring to do so with 
all courtesy, and I must therefore say that I have beheld with some 
amazement the prize lists of the Manchester and Birmingham Rose 
Shows. When I see there the names of the President and many 
members of Committee of the National Rose Society, and when I 
recollect the whole history of the Society, the resolutions it has 
passed and the rules it has laid down, I must confess to a sense of 
utter amazement at the inconsistencies of which some persons can be 
guilty, with a light heart too. 
When, now some years ago, the circular was issued to which is 
owing the present existence of the Society, it was distinctly stated 
in it that one great reason for the need of such a Society was the 
existence of two-days shows, and one of the resolutions proposed to 
the meeting was that of discouraging by every means m their power 
two-days shows. We know what was the condition of Rose-showing 
then and we know what it is now. I remember well that one or two 
persons said they would not give a pledge on such matters as two- 
days shows, but that they would do their best to discourage it. 
Since then several circumstances have occurred in connection with 
the subject wh’ch ought to be recoi'ded. When the lessees of the 
Alexandra Palace proposed in 1880 a two-days show very strong 
remonstrances were made by the Secretaries of the National Rose 
Society and by some of our prominent growers against it; and the 
result was that they, with a laudable desire to meet the objections, 
abandoned their idea and confined it to one day. 
When, again, the authorities at Manchester wished the National 
Rose Society to hold their Exhibition there, a hitch occurred because 
the Committee insisted on its being confined to one day. It was said 
it must be a failure if this was insisted on. However it was, and the 
result was a clear gain of £400. When, again, last year proposals 
were made about holding the Show at South Kensington the hitch 
arose, not from unwillingness to hold it there, but because their Rose 
shows had been for two days, and the Commiitee of the National 
Rose Society would not alter their rule. And lastly, when the regu¬ 
lations were drawn up afresh with regard to affiliated societies, it was 
laid down as a rule that no Society which held a two-days Rose 
show be affiliated ; yet many of those who assisted in all these 
