August 12, 1886. ] 
135 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
at Jubbulpore, where they are remarked by every visitor for their beauty 
and size ; but until these should have arrived at the time for maturity and 
decay, in ansther forty years or so, it was not known that there would be 
any seed procurable, in these parts of India at any rate. Mr. Nicholls 
however, was fortunate enough to secure a clump in full flower recently 
on the banks of the Mahanadi, in Raipur, and knowing what it was, had 
all the seed scrupulously collected by the villagers, and in the hope of 
getting the tree widely distributed over Upper India, he is now offering it 
to the public. The Bambu a katang grows to a height of over 60 feet; 
its stall stem gives the best natural material for scaffolding, and in beauty 
as well as size it may claim to excel all the varieties of Bamboo known to 
the Ganges plain and Deccan highlands. 
- Crocus Sharojani. —“ The Croci, which we have been in the 
habit of associating only with spring flowers, such as Tulips, Hyacinths, 
Daffodils, &c.,” says a correspondent, “ M.,” “ require to our thinking very 
little development to form an important part of our hardy flowering 
plants from the end of July until the following summer. The species 
above named, and which we believe was introduced through the exertions 
of Mr. Maw, of Crocus fame, is now flowering vigorously, and like to 
continue, until some of the other species takes its place. It seems to us 
that very little attention on the part of plant improvers is required to 
make this orange gem as variable and as popular as the better known 
vernal Croci generally grown in gardens. Those who are already 
possessed of a fairly representative collection rarely if ever want flower 
between the times above stated, and these autumn-flowering kinds we 
believe only require to be known to be as much sought after as the others. 
They require no more attention, the beds that will grow the vernal will 
also grow the autumn ones, the only attention being the periodical lifting, 
say every three years, that all require, owing to the tendency the corms 
have of appearing on the surface caused by the formation of the new 
corms above the old ones. C. Sharojani is a native of the North-west 
Caucasus, the mountains south of Trebizond, 7000 feet above the sea, 
associated with C. vallicola, to which it is nearly allied. The flowers are 
large, deep orange, each corm producing a single flower ; and very hand¬ 
some a clump of them look at this early season.” 
- “ T. W. S.” writes, “ Galtonia (Hyacinthus) candicans is 
one of the showiest and handsomest of our border flowers just now. It 
succeeds remarkably well with us on light soil, the bulbs not only keeping 
sound in the open border during the winter, but also increasing rapidly in 
size. Ours are planted in groups of three, and in this way, when in bloom, 
they form a graceful group. To those unacquainted with this pretty plant 
we may state that it has stout Hyacinth-like foliage, from the centre of 
which it throws a spike 3 feet long, three-fourths of which is furnished 
with large bell-like white flowers, which last in perfection for fully a 
month.” 
- The National Chrysanthemum Society have issued a revised 
edition of their Catalogue of Chrysanthemums, which has been 
prepared by a specially selected committee, and is in all respects a great 
improvement upon the first edition, though published at the same price— 
namely, 6d. There are thirty-six pages, in which the varieties are mostly 
arranged in single columns, with descriptions, synonyms, and raisers’ 
names. The varieties are classed in ten sections : 1, incurved varieties ; 
2, incurved varieties not generally cultivated; 3, Japanese varieties ; 4, 
other Japanese varieties not generally cultivated ; 5, reflexed varieties ; 
6, large Anemone varieties ; 7, large hybrid Anemone varieties ; 8, Pom¬ 
pon Anemones ; S, Pompons ; 10, summer and early autumn varieties. It 
may be estimated that over 1000 forms are described, some necessarily 
briefly, but all the leading varieties are fully described. Considerable 
care has been exercised in the revision, and the Catalogue will be found a 
useful one to all Chrysanthemum growtrs and exhibitors. 
- Nature states tha f , “ The death is reported on June 22 of Dr. 
H. F. Hance at Amoy, at which place he was Hc-r Majesty's Consul 
Although no indtpend, nt work bears Dr. Hance.’s name, he has done more 
than any other man to make us acquainted with the flora of China, both 
of the empire and of the British colonies. His contributions to botanical 
literature are to be found in periodicals, very largely in Trimen’s Journal 
of Botany, and the number of species described by him for the first time is 
very great. He was a contributor to the herbaria at the British Museum 
and at Kew. It is to be hoped that bis herbarium will be brought to 
London and deposited where it can be consulted, and his types readily 
compared with those of other authors. A full synonymic catalogue of all 
'he known Chinese plants is now in course of publication by Messrs. 
Forbe9 & Hemsley, and is greatly needed.” 
- Bulbs for the Parks.—W e learn that the Metropolitan 
Board of Works have accepted the tender of Mr. B. S. Williams, Victoria 
and Paradise Nurseries, Holloway, London, N., for supplying Hyacinths 
Tulips, Crocus, Daffodils, Ac., Finsbury Park, Southwark Park, Leicester 
Square, Victoria Embankment, Chelsea Embankment. 
- The tenth Exhibition of the Basingstoke Horticultural 
Society will take place by kind permission of S. Field, Esq., at “ Gold¬ 
ing*,” Basingstoke, on Thursday, August 19th, 1886, when prizes will be 
awarded to gentlemen’s gardeners, nurserymen, amateurs, ladies, and 
cottagers for the best samples of flowers, fruits, vegetables, and butter. 
Mr. A. E. Holdaway, London Street, Basingstoke, is the S cretarv. 
- “ B.,” says, “ What a fine tree for street or avenue planting is 
Robinia BessonIANA ! An admirable illustration of its usefulness for 
this purpose is afforded just now in the fine avenue of it at Sutton Court 
Road, Chiswick, in a line with the entrance to the Royal Horticultural 
Society’s Garden?. The trees were pruned last season, and they look all 
the better for it, the trees at the present time having good bushy round 
heads of their characteristically bright green foliage. Looked at as a 
whole, a pretty and refreshing effect is produced, giving one quite the idea 
of a Parisian boulevard. Certainly the flourishing condition of these trees 
is in marked contrast to many other samples of street planting.” 
TRENCHED versus UNTRENCHED SOIL. 
Hebe is a nut for Mr. Iggulden to crack on the subject of trenching. 
Half of our midseason crops of Peas were sown on untrenc.hed ground, 
and the other half on ground trenched two spits deep last autumn. The 
first-named crop proved almost a failure, yielding very few Peas, the 
haulm turning yellow three weeks ago, and now quite dead. The second 
crop, on the trenched ground, though the same kinds—President Garfield, 
Reading Giant, and Champion of England—and sown at the same time, 
are just coming in for use, in splendid health, full of vigour, and promise 
to yield a heavy crop for some time. Carrots, Parsnips, and other crops 
look far the healthiest and most promising on the trenched portions. 
Our soil is rather light, 2 feet thick, and resting on a deep gravelly sub¬ 
soil. Reports have reached me from other fiiends fully confirming my 
experience gained on this point during the recent drought. Non-trenching 
may succeed at Marston and a few other favoured spots, but not in 
KentAh gardens—at least, such is the experience of— A Kentish 
Gardener. 
DELPHINIUMS. 
The Delphiniums are very showy at this time of the year ; few plants 
contribute so much beauty to our herbaceous borders. As it is well 
known, there are many species in cultivation, including annual and 
perennial, but the most showy at present are the perennial. 
They vary in height from 1 to 8 feet. There is also a great 
variety of colours and difft-rent shades, from pure white to scarlet, and 
through nearly every shade of blue and purple. They are quite hardy 
and easily cultivated, for as a rule they seem to thrive in nearly every 
situation. A good deep loam is their favourite soil, but I have seen them 
grow equally as well on a hot sandy soil, if well manured and watered 
when dry ; but of course, on a good deep loam less attention is required. 
When it is desirable to increase the number of plants quickly it is 
best to divide the old plants in the spring as soon as they commence 
growing, but where plants are not required in a hurry they may be raised 
from seed, taking care to select the seed from the best colours. But where 
a continuation of bloom is desirable the flower spike should be cut off as 
soon as it has finished flowering, and not be allowed to seed. If so treated 
they will start again and keep up a succession of bloom. But to keep 
the plants from becoming exhausted, they should in this case have 
a good top-dressing of manure, which will greatly increase the number 
of flower- 1 . 
D. NUDICAULE. —A compact-growing species with scarlet flowers, 
varying from light red to a deep crimson, attaining the height of about 
2 feet It is very pretty and quite hardy, and commences to grow very 
early in the spring ; but I have found that a warm soil suits it be3t, for 
on a cold soil it sometimes damps off. 
D. CArdinale. —A beautiful tall-growing species with flowers of 
a bright scarlet, and as a rule continuing longer in bloom that D. Ludi- 
caule. It is quite hardy, although on damp borders it would be wise to 
protect it in the winter by a handlight, for if allowed to get too wet it 
is liable to suffer seriously. 
D. cashmekiAnum. —Th : s, commonly called the Cashmerian Lark¬ 
spur, is a very showy species, but, like all the others, vary greatly in 
colour, from a purple to a light blue. Its usual height i? 18 inches, but 
it sometimes attains the height of 2 feet. To be successful in its culture 
plant it in a well-drained position. 
Amongst the perennial hybrids may be mentioned Madame Henri 
Jacotot, bright sky blue; Richalet, dark blue, light centre; Pompon 
Brilliant, deep violet; Georges O. Huit, rich blue ; Victor Lemoine, very 
