January 4, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
11 
have been certificated during the past season— i.e., N. Rajah, the 
giant of its family, and N. Mastersiana (figured on page 275 last 
vol.), one of the richest and deepest-coloured in cultivation. With 
these the Sarracenias may be mentioned, a trio of handsome forms 
having been placed on the lists. S. melanorrhoda has very dark 
leaves. S. porphyroneura of a fine red hue, and S. Courti, a 
beautiful hybrid between S. psittacina and S. purpurea, and 
showing the characters of both. Under this head the Japanese 
Maples are noteworthy as really useful and graceful plants. A. 
japonicum aureum, A. crataegifolium Yeitchii, A. polymorphum 
lineaiilobum, decompositum, and ribesifolium differ greatly in the 
forms of their leaves, and have all been honoured with certificates. 
In addition to the above many others could be noted, such as 
the Hyacinths, Begonias, Liliums, &c.; but this review of the 
Yeitchian novelties of 1882 may be fittingly concluded with a 
reference to the pretty little Primula obconica, represented in 
fig. 2. This has been certificated both at Kensington and Re¬ 
gent’s Park, and it well deserves the attention it has received. It 
is a Japanese species, somewhat in the way of P. cortusoides, the 
flowers being of a pale purplish lavender or mauve colour—a very 
, Fig. 3. —PlIAL.EKOPSTS VEITCHIANA. 
delicate tint, and are borne in close trusses that are freely pro¬ 
duced. It is dwarf in habit, and thrives well in a cool house, and 
probably will prove hardy in sheltered positions. 
EASTER BEURRE AND BEURRE RANCE PEARS. 
With your well-known kindness and readiness you favoured 
me, through “our Journal” of 26th of October last, with a list of 
the best and finest late Pears to be grown against a south wall for 
profit, but did not include in the list either Easter Beurr6 or 
Beurre Ranee. Will you please state the objections to these two 
well-known and old Pears 1 
With regard to Easter Beurr6, many reliable French and 
Belgian authorities recommend this variety before all others 
for hot wall and warm soil, and Mr. Pearson of Chilwell, so far 
north as Nottingham, says it only ought to be grown on a wall ; 
whilst many experienced advisers in this country say “often 
mealy and insipid from a wall, but excellent from trees in 
the open.” This sounds as if the wall was too dry and warm, 
yet in the warm parts of France it is advised for warm aspects on 
walls and for warm soils. This seeming contradiction with re¬ 
gard to this Pear has no doubt perplexed many of your readers 
besides me, and no doubt you will be able to enlighten us on the 
matter.—S. S., Oaltleigli Park, London, JV. 
[Concluding that the London clay is the staple soil in the 
district indicated, we did not think the varieties in question, 
