February 8,18^3.] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
emphatically re-assert all that I stated in my former letter.— 
T. H. Bryant. 
AN AMATEUR’S HOLIDAY. 
Twelve months ago I drew attention to the distinctive features 
of a few nurseries, without a visit to which any holiday would be 
unsatisfactory. You may allow me without detail a glance at one 
or two of these. Although abler pens than mine have lately dealt 
with some of them, I have noticed a few plants that were either 
new or rare. I need not say that I found the broader features of 
each establishment, as the Roses of Belmont and Newtownards ; 
the Pansies and Pinks of Paisley; the Pansies, Phloxes, and 
Pentstemrns of Pinkhill, more than well sustained. I said a yer.r 
ago that it would be difficult to produce improvements on such 
flowers as the Pinks and the Pentstemons we already had. In 
consonance with his convictions as to the early planting of Pansies 
when done in spring, Mr. Paul has already issued a circular. It 
is mainly occupied by the fine new sorts about to be sent out 
by him. It contains, however, six new Pinks. I have seen these 
both in the nursery and on the exhibition table. That they 
are added to the collection is sufficient guarantee of their 
excellence; I consider two of them at least unsurpassed. Mi'. 
Downie’s new Pentstemons, too, such as Mrs. Heywood and 
William McConnachie, register yet another advance. I think I 
may fairly claim acquaintance with the Pink and the Pentstemon 
in many of the best varieties, and I am glad the growing of these 
two beautiful flowers is becoming more general among our amateur 
florists. Were it not that I shun the editorial sheateur, I would, 
in the hope of enlisting more recruits into our ranks, dilate yet 
further than I have formerly done upon their attractions. 
In one of the houses at Belfast I noticed the Passiflora quad- 
rangularis with its large and striking blooms, and in the open air 
Lilium longiflorum Wilsoni, w'hich was there of dwarfer habit 
than I have since seen assigned to it. A very attractive house of 
show and fancy Pelargoniums in beautiful condition was one of 
the many sights at Belmont. By much the best Dahlias I saw 
were at Newtownards. They were remarkably good fur any season, 
especially so for the last. The Tea Roses were even then rapidly 
ripening their wood, and were too great a temptation to be resisted. 
How a dozen or two will succeed with me out of doors remains 
to be shown. 
At Rothesay I found Mr. Dubbie engrossed in harvesting his 
French Marigolds. I saw the large quantity of his equally 
fine A ters which he had previously secured in capital condi¬ 
tion, ai d had a look over his Pansies, among which were some 
fine new varieties in the different sections. 
At Pinkhill I saw the new black Grape which ought to be. first- 
rate, honoured as it is to bear the name of John D nvuie. It has 
already been noticed in the Journal. I repeat by ro'.e that it 
combines the best properties of the Muscat and Gros Colman, 
and I was lately told that its keeping qualities are quite satis¬ 
factory. I saw also in one of the houses a plant, nut then in 
bloom, which I had never before heard of—a black Richardia-like 
plant. The flower is in shape and size like the ordinary Lily of 
the Nile, but in colour and texture like black-silk velvet. Sir. 
Downie, I believe, obtained it from a gentleman who a few years 
ago brought it from its native habitat in Egypt. Contrast recalls 
another flower that I heard of on the same day when, in the 
Royal Botanic Gardens, Mr. Lindsay pointed out a plant of 
Gentiana acaulis of which the flower is white. 
In the Pilrig Nurseries I observed a very large plant of Veronica 
Andersonii and Saxifraga MacNabiana, with a sturdy habit and 
white and crimson blooms, both very desirable flowers. The plant 
of Marechal Niel at Pilrig, mentioned by a correspondent some 
time ago, covers nearly 50 feet by 24 feet of the glass. It seems 
to produce flower buds almost all the year round, but the require¬ 
ments of the other plants in the large house do not permit it 
having the treatment it would require for their development. 
1 saw several fine buds on the last day of September. I quote the 
statement of a gentleman then present that there is a plant of the 
Marechal at East Linton that is perpetual. 
This is a short prelude to a sketch of some nurseries further 
north which will be given in a future issue.—A Northern 
Amateur. 
Clematises as Isolated Specimens. —Clematises as specimens 
on the lawn are very beautiful when well trained and attended to. 
At Holme Lacy, Hereford, such specimens may be seen, and during 
the months of August and September they are pillars of bloom, and 
are much admired. They are planted out in well-prepared round 
beds, and trained to an upright round trellis about 7 to 8 feet high ; 
they are about 2 feet G inches in diameter at bottom, and taper to the 
113 
top. As the young growths appear they are tied down for about two 
months. It they are allowed to grow straight up at first the base 
does not get properly furnished. As the plants increase with age tie 
or peg some of the old wood at pruning time down close to the ground, 
and regulate the other up the trellis as required, when, if properly 
trained, at flowering time they are one mass of bloom from the ground 
to the top of the trellis.—A. Young. 
<: F. P. D.” writes as follows concerning Carbolic Acid and 
Glycerine as an Insecticide: —“The value of carbolic acid 
for destroying mealy bug and other horticultural pests is testified 
to by your correspondent 1 C. P. P.’ Like many others, however, 
he appears to think the acid is nearly insoluble in water. The 
fact that the addition of a little glycerine to the acid before its 
dilution renders it perfectly soluble in water is not generally 
known. Anyone who takes the trouble can, however, in this way 
secure a perfectly reliable insecticide of any strength required.” 
- A large cultivator of Potatoes in Kent informs us that 
Magnum Bonum is now, and has been for some time, realising 
the highest prices in the London markets, and he states it is the 
same in most other large markets in the kingdom. 
- We shall shortly place before our readers estimates of 
Potatoes for table use and market purposes which have 
been sent to us by many of the leading cultivators in most of the 
counties in Great Britain and Ireland. As the nature of the soil, 
time aud mode of planting, manure employed, and an outline of 
culture are given in most cases, information of practical value is 
provided at an opportune time—the eve of the planting season 
- A correspondent in Surrey sends us some blooms of the 
Japanese Chrysanthemums Meg Merrilees, Cry Kang, and 
Ethel, which are remarkably bright and fresh for this time of 
year, aud we should be glad to have a few notes from him respect¬ 
ing the method of culture he has adopted. 
- The Dundee Horticultural Society will hold a 
Floral Fete on August 23rd, 24th, and 25th of the present year, 
when a large number of valuable prizes will be offered for plants, 
(1 avers, fruit, and vegetables, 203 classes being enumerated in the 
schedule. The financial report for the past year states that the 
S ;cie»y has a balance of £324 in its favour. 
- Mr. John Leslie, The Gardens, Springkell, Eeclefechan, 
writes :— I enclose table of Rainfall registered here for each 
month during the year 1882. You will observe that July has the 
heaviest rainfall. We had during that month some of the heaviest 
showers that ever were known in this district—January 1'64 inch, 
February 8'77 inches, March 2 97 inches, April 411 inches, May 
2 2 inches, June 4 34 inches, July 10 8 inches, August 4'44 inches, 
September 2 33 inches, October 3'55 inches, November 3'95 inches, 
December 4 01 inches ; total 48T1 inches.” 
- There is evidently a good demand for Christmas 
Roses — i.e., Hellebores, for we have recently noticed that 
several florists in the metropolis are charging 3 d. per bloom for 
them. These aie chiefly of the large-flowered pure white variety of 
Helleboius niger maximus : but even some of the smaller forms 
realise good prices, and in Uovent Garden they are freely employed 
in bouquets. Indeed, a really fine flower of maximus is but little 
inferior to a Eucharis bloom, and some prefer the former, as the 
latter has a bad centre for bouquet work. We have heard of a 
grower who states that he has realised £G0 in one season by 
forcing Hellebores early and sending the blooms to special 
markets. 
