September 15, 1812. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
231 
Soldanellas.—These form a class of those alpine gems which so 
often puzzle the cultivator. There is no difficulty, or at least very 
little, in getting them to grow, nor is it needful for this purpose 
that they should be planted in a bog, although they like a damp 
situation. I have had them for many years, and only once did I 
get them to bloom except when in pots, and this is a kind of 
culture I do not care for. They are very curious little plants, not 
showy but quaint, with the fringed edge to their petals. 
Shortia galacifolia.—I cannot say much about this pretty North 
American plant, which has been recently introduced, or perhaps 
I should say, reintroduced, amongst us, for although I have it 
on the rockery, where it seems as if it would establish itself, yet, 
as in most of these new things, it is a very small bit, and I do not 
look for any bloom until next year. 
Thymus lanuginosus.—This, and others of the same fragrant 
alpine, are very dwarf and neat habited ; they come into bloom, 
too, when a great many of the alpines are over. They form also 
excellent carpet plants, as most plants push their way through the 
dwarf growth very readily. They are plants, too, which increase 
so rapidly that there is constant need of rooting out a good deal 
of them. 
Trillium grandiflorum.—This curious and beautiful North 
American bulb rejoices in a damp and boggy position, but it is not 
absolutely necessary for it, as I have seen it in some places doing 
well in the open borders, but in its native habitat it loves the 
borders of woods in swampy places, and where that situation can 
be imitated it will be the best for it. I cannot do this, and it has 
to content itself with a piece of damp peaty soil, and there it does 
well. It had at one time the protection of a small bush of Men- 
ziesia, but this succumbed to the severe winter of 1890, and it still 
seems to get on quite well. 
Veronicas.—Of this numerous genus, so many of which are 
shrubby and hardwooded plants, the most useful for the rock 
garden is Veronica repens, a miniature form, which hides with its 
dense and dwarf foliage all the surface of the ground where it is 
planted, and covers itself in early summer with a profusion of deep 
purplish blue flowers, very deep in colour. This and its near con¬ 
nection rupestris, are admirable plants for quickly covering a 
space, and will not interfere with the growth of many plants. 
In bringing these notes to a conclusion I can only repeat what I 
have already said, that there are many plants which, however 
beautiful in themselves, are confessedly difficult of cultivation, and 
therefore I have not broken my heart over them. I have not that 
ambition (more’s the pity !) of succeeding where others have failed. 
I leave this to other and more skilful hands. I have merely 
brought under notice those which I myself have grown, and 
which, therefore, I can assert anyone may grow with ordinary 
attention. As I have stated, the rock garden will accommodate a 
good many guests, for literally hundreds of species of plants may 
be grown upon one even of moderate proportions. The chief 
beauty of the alpine garden is in early spring, and its characteristic 
is not so much brilliancy as quiet, chaste beauty ; its tones are not 
those which attract by their brightness, but by their harmonious 
blendings with their surroundings when spring creeps on to early 
summer. Although some of its deniz, ns still remain to greet us 
its glory is gone, and we have then to turn to the herbaceous 
border for the brilliancy and grandeur of form which are to be 
our chief enjoyment during the summer months. The charming 
little Scillas, Chionodoxas, Primulas, &c., give place to Delphiniums, 
Spiraeas, Lilies, and other fine growing and stately plants, all beautiful 
in their way, but all essentially different from the variety which 
enchanted us in early spring, and for these reasons the growth of 
the alpine plants is well deserving of more attention, and, let me 
add, brings one into contact with many whom it is a pleasure and 
delight to meet. There are men who have gone about a good 
deal who could tell you many a story of their wanderings in 
search of their pets, and then there is the additional pleasure of 
being able to give to others what you yourself have obtained. 
These are surely sufficient reasons why all who love a garden should 
seek to establish a rockery.—D., Deal. 
NOTES ON TOMATOES. 
In visiting several Tomato establishments it was very satis¬ 
factory to find that upon the whole the traces of disease were very 
slight, although no place was entirely free of it. The establish¬ 
ment of the cousins Buchanan was the most extensive of those 
visited. Besides the houses formerly erected, which are being 
converted into peacheries and vineries, they erected during the 
past spring six additional structures, each 130 feet long, built in 
threes, ridge and furrow. The centre ones are 16 feet wide, and 
the outside ones 12 feet. The six houses cover a superficial area 
of 10,400 feet, and are to be devoted to Tomatoes. The plants in 
the old houses are looking well, and cairying a good crop. These 
in the new houses are late, but if the autumn is fine they, too, will 
produce a good crop. Altogether things are looking very 
encouraging with them in that out-of-the-way, dreary spot, Cauld- 
hame, Kippin. 
My own crop is very good, but as for varieties they require to 
be restricted. Prelude is too small if one wants the top price. It 
has a fine sturdy habit, and is very prolific ; I have counted 
as many as forty-seven fruits on 3 feet of stem. I have 
crossed two or three of the large fruiting varieties with it, from 
which I expect to get something good. The fruit is very round, 
in compact trusses, and of good colour. I have two varieties of 
it. One has red fruit and small foliage, the other has large and 
dense foliage, with a pinkish purple fruit. Eclipse (Austin’s) is 
one of our sheet anchors,. The fruit is of good size, globular, 
rather deep than broad, sets freely ; the truss is compact, and bears 
from four to eight good sized fruits ; the foliage is lax. Ham 
Green Favourite has a medium sized fruit of good colour, but the 
truss is weak and very straggling, dividing into several branchlets. 
Northern Beauty (Dickson, Brown, & Tait’s) very much resembles 
a selection I have from Ham Green. The fruit is deeper than the 
type and darker green in colour when young. Perfection (Carter’s) 
belongs to the large-fruiting section ; the foliage rather dense. It 
is not a free setter, and is apt to show a large scar where the 
flower has been. I got a packet of Clibran’s Tomato from the 
introducers, in which there was more than one distinct variety. 
What I take to be the true one is of the large section, resembling 
Perfection very much in shape of fruit, but not so subject to show 
the large central scar ; the foliage is more elongated, the trusses 
strong and compact, carrying three to five fruits. Altogether it is 
a desirable variety. Plentiful, introduced during the past spring 
by Messrs. Sharpe of Sleaford, is a good all-round Tomato of the 
large section, very pleasant to eat. 
The solidest and the one which I consider the best in flavour 
and appearance is a seedling raised this season from a fruit of the 
Jersey Vinery Company’s Tomato, which I picked out of a basket 
last season. All those planted are the true variety except this one. 
It is so solid that fruits of quarter-pound weight have not produced 
more than fifty seeds. If in another season it comes true to the 
original I will send some fruits for your inspection. I send you 
two diseased fruits. When the disease shows first it has the 
appearance of Grapes when scalded ; the skin loses its vitality, and 
the flesh, particularly among the seeds, assumes a black colour. I 
have failed to trace any appearance of fungi upon the skin, there¬ 
fore think it must arise from something within. When saving 
seed I have often observed some with a black spot upon them. 
May not these seeds with the black spots be the centre of the 
disease ? Eclipse is the most subject to it, although Ham 
Green and Northern Beauty are not clear.—G. McDotjgall, 
Stirling, N.B. 
WALLFLOWERS IN POTS. 
These popular and exquisitely scented flowers are not so much 
grown in pots as they deserve to be. Possibly the reason for this 
is that they are considered common. Yet notwithstanding this, 
I believe a good batch of plants in flower during the early spring 
months would be a welcome addition to any garden where they 
have not been previously grown in pots. In establishments where 
large cool conservatories have to be kept gay they are especially 
valuable, not alone on account of their bright colours and sweet 
perfume, but also because when the flowering period is over they 
may be consigned to the rubbish heap, and thus make room for 
other plants at a time when pressure for space under glass is at its 
height. I consider that the yellow varieties are far the best for 
pot work, because they supply flowers of a colour which is generally 
scarce, yet much needed during early spring. Cinerarias and 
forced bulbs are then in full beauty ; in both these classes of plants 
blue and purple flowers predominate, and the effect produced by 
arranging among them a few dozen plants bearing bright yellow 
flowers may be so easily imagined as to need no description. 
From the present time till the end of the month is a capital 
period during which to place the plants into their flowering pots. 
Those which have been grown in the reserve garden for spring 
bedding should now be bushy plants in just the right condition for 
lifting. The requisite number should be taken up carefully with 
a trowel and placed in 5, 6, and 7-inch pots. The first two sizes 
will need no other drainage than is afforded by placing a single 
potsherd over the hole, and covering it with a good thickness of 
Mushroom bed refuse ; but the 7-inch pots should have a layer 
of smaller crocks placed over the one at the bottom. Very little 
soil will require to be added as the potting proceeds, for there is 
generally quite as much adhering to the roots as can be pressed 
into the pots used, with the exception of the little necessary to 
