April 21, 1892, ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
295 
roots are well through among the drainage of smaller pots, as they 
ought to be, it is not advisable to disturb them, but to repot them 
with drainage and roots intact. Set the ball well down, and do 
not hesitate to fill up the compost on the stem of the plants, as 
this proceeding, instead of being injurious, is of distinct advantage, 
as it keeps the plants dwarf in habit, and roots are freely produced 
from the buried portions of the stem. A shift from a 3 to a 7 inch pot 
may be thought by some as rather overdoing it; but there is no danger 
in the practice, and if carried out with judgment the growth will be 
much more rapid and stronger than if a shift between were effected. 
The Celosia takes stimulants freely. I feed them onwards 
from a very small state, though in the earlier stages of growth 
the plants luxuriate in a warm temperature, 
and, indeed, must have it, potting and watering 
so as to keep them growing without check. Still, 
no plants are more suitable for a cool greenhouse 
throughout the summer and autumn months than 
these. I have had them flowering with Chrysanthe¬ 
mums well into November, and the stems when cut 
have kept fresh and in good order until Christmas. 
The plants are also excellent for standing in rooms, 
and do not turn unsightly so quickly as the great 
majority of flowering plants do when placed in dark 
and warm rooms. 
The flowers are quite insignificant, and in looking 
for seeds of any particular variety which it may be 
considered desirable to perpetuate, they must be 
searched for, not among the feathery plumes, but 
on the stems close to where these spring.—B. 
Bakeriana, which I thought had split into too (not tioo as printed 
lately) small bulbs to flower, has flowered after all, and is very 
beautiful. The exquisite dark blue variety of I. reticulata is also 
fully open. The Arabis and the Aubrietias are beginning to 
be spangled with flowers, and a host of bulbs and plants are 
hastening on to delight us with their simple, or, in some cases, 
gorgeous beauty, — S. Arnott. 
FROST AND INSECT PESTS. 
The severe frosts of the past few nights have been rough on the 
various newly hatched insect pests on fruit trees. Looking carefully 
HARDY FLOWER NOTES. 
Saxifragas. 
The Saxifrages which, when I last wrote, were 
represented by only a few species, are coming 
rapidly forward. The varieties of S. oppositifolia 
are very beautiful just now, although some of my 
plants are not so fine as usual, owing, I believe, to 
the excessive drought in the early part of last year. 
I think there can be no difference of opinion among 
growers as to the necessity of full sun and an ample 
supply of moisture for the proper cultivation of 
this species. The common S. oppositifolia is so 
well known that it is needless to speak at length 
of its deep green, dense carpet of foliage and its 
bright purple flowers ; but the white variety, S. 
oppositifolia alba, is not so well known, and one 
may be pardoned for calling some attention to 
its merits as a rock plant or even for the front 
row of the border, or hanging over a stone edging 
where the requisite sun and moisture are at command. Its 
pretty clear white flowers of the same size as the typical variety 
are very useful in the rockery at this season, filling as they 
do the gap between the earlier white species of the Burseriana class 
and the beautiful encrusted and mossy species which will soon 
cover themselves with bloom. Then far finer than the type is 
that magnificent variety which I have as S. o. splendens, and which 
I take to be identical with S. o. major. It has covered itself 
with its beautiful blossoms, more brilliant and larger far than those 
of oppositifolia. As one sees S. luteo-purpurea more frequently its 
beautiful primrose coloured flowers, although somewhat small in 
size, grow in our favour. It is a hybrid between S. aretioides and 
S. media, and this, with S. Boydi and a considerable number of 
other Saxifrages, show what may be looked for as our hardy floweis 
become more and more appreciated, and the attention they deserve 
leads to cross-fertilisation and seedling raising by specialists. It in 
no way affects the prospect of this that S. luteo-purpurea is a 
natural hybrid. 
FIG. 50.—CYPRIPEDIUM LAWREBEL. 
over my fruit collection with a pocket lens I find most of the caterpillars 
of the winter moth which were exposed on the outside of late Apple 
blossom buds killed and withered up. Those on earlier kinds have eaten 
their way into the middle of the blossoms and are secure and happy in 
their feeding grounds. The time of hatching out and the early applica¬ 
tions of Paris green and London purple are most important points to 
observe. I shall have very little to contend with in the caterpillar line 
so far as I can judge. Psylla Mali newly hatched are killed by^ frost, 
but thousands have escaped and are quietly feeding out of harm’s way 
between the clusters of Apple buds, and there are still many eggs 
unhatched. 
Red spiders were very numerous on Gooseberry bashes, but the 
snow and frost have settled most of these insects. Plum aphis stands 
almost any amount of frost uninjured, even in the most exposed 
situations. Apple aphides are many of them killed on the exposed 
unopen buds, but on forward sorts they have been secure beneath the 
foliage and blossom buds. The Currant Phytopti appear to be indepen¬ 
dent of any weather, so secure in the inside of the unopen buds.— 
J. Hiam, Astwood JBanli, Worcestershire. 
Various. 
On the upper terrace of one of my rockeries, protected by a 
wall from the north winds, a plant of the pleasing little Iberis 
stylosa, which has been flowering more or less all the winter, is 
now covered with its attractive flesh-coloured flowers. This little 
Candytuft seems to have established itself in my garden, but it 
is far from being an accommodating plant. It is perennial in 
some gardens only, and mine seems to be one of these. It seeds 
freely, and seedlings come up around the old plants very freely. 
The Daffodils are now coming rapidly forward. Narcissus Ajax 
pallidus-prmcox opened on March 19th, along with N. Ajax minor, 
and N. A. scoticus followed on 22nd March, while the little 
minimus is still in full bloom. The Hepaticas are fully in ^flower, 
but what I have to say about these must be left until the next 
time I write. Scillas sibirica and bifolia are in bloom. Iris 
Probably the severe frosts that we have recently experienced will 
hit Plum growers especially hard. On examining the trees here I found 
all the expanded flowers spoiled, the embryo fruit being all brown or 
black ; also some of the unopened blooms a’’e spoiled as well, still the 
later unopened buds may afford a fair crop provided we have a change 
of weather. Pears do not appear injured at present, but I fear the check 
they have received may cause them to drop instead of swelling. Goose¬ 
berries and Currants seem to have escaped all injury. On the 14th we 
registered 6° of frost ; 15th, 11° ; 16th, 5° ; 17th, 3|-° ; 18th, 6 . I note 
the Apple blossom weevil is putting in an appearance. We have com¬ 
paratively few caterpillars of the winter moth this year, and the 
majority of those have been destroyed by applying 1 oz. of Paris green 
to 20 gallons of water in the form of a fine spray to the trees. The 
frost and cold weather do not seem to affect caterpillars in the slightest. 
—S. T. AVright, Gleicston Court Gardens, Ross, 
