32 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
January 10, IgSS. 
- A Straxge Christmas Posy. —Mr. Henry Lewis writes from 
W est Ashling, Chichester“ 11 may interest many of your readers to know 
that here the weather has been so unusually mild for the season that I 
was able to have on my table yesterday twenty-five sorts of sweet- 
scented fiowers, all gathered out of doors, and furnishing good perfume 
—among them Roses, Carnations, Pinks, Wallflowers, Passion Flowers, 
Double Stocks, Jasmine, Fuchsias, Svteet Williams, Verbenas, and 
Lobelias.” 
- December Weather at Broughty Ferry. —The weather 
of December continued very pleasant up to the morning of the 29th, 
when we had the first taste of real wintry weather, with a fall of 
snow which put a stop to all outside work. We had a storm of wind 
of unusual severity on the 22od, and another on the 28th. The mean 
temperature of the month was .88'7°, being 2'6° above the average 
mean of the last twenty years ; and although we often beard remarks on 
the mildness of the month, it was forgotten that December 1893 was 
still milder, the mean temperature of which was 39'4°, but it was the 
last three days of the month which reduced the mean, the maximum 
thermometer in these days only recording 36°, 36° and 33° respectively, 
and with the exception of these three days must be considered a record 
mild December in this district. The rainfall for the month was 
1'72 inch, being exactly the average of December for the last ten years. 
The total rainfall for the year was 29 20 inches, which is about the 
average of the last twenty years (29 25 inches). I may add that the 
weather for this month, January, so far, has been of a very wintry 
nature with frost and snow, with very cold northerly cutting winds. 
The frost has not been intense considering the season. The hardest 
ecord was 13° on Saturday morning last.—J. M. C. 
- “ Sweet-scented Flowers and Fragrant Leaves.”— 
Under this title Messrs. Sampson, Low, Marston & Co. have produced a 
very pretty and, we surmise, a popular book with amateurs. In the 
tone of the binding, in general get-up, and moro particularly in the 
sixteen coloured illustrations, it is a most desirable object for the tables 
of those who combine mstheticism with a love of flowers. The 
bulk of the work is taken up with an alphabetical arrangement of 
fragrant plants under their scientific names. This, we venture to think, 
is a mistake. Had the scientific names been subordinated to the popular 
ones the book would probably have found greater favour with the class 
for which it is intended. Unfortunately, too, there is no index to the 
popular names. The uninitiated, therefore, in seeking for Smilax (Ay.) 
will not find it except by accidentally lighting upon Myrsiphyllum 
asparagoides, which will be a revelation to them. Unluckily, too, the 
printer’s reader presents it as “ Simlax,” which should be corrected if 
the work reaches another edition. Notwithstanding, however, the 
exceptions which we have taken, much remains to be commended. The 
text elucidating the names, especially those of the most popular flowers, 
is agreeable and instructive, and should conduce much to popularising 
the knowledge of horticulture. Mr. Donald McDonald, the author, is to 
be congratulated on his efforts, for he has produced at once an attractive 
and a very readable book on a topic which is yearly growing in favour, 
■-National Amateur Gardeners’ Association.—T he first 
meeting of the new year took place in the Board Room, Memorial Hall, 
Farringdon Street, E.C., on Tuesday evening last, the 8th inst., when 
there was a very satisfactory attendance of members. Mr. T, W. 
Sanders, F.R.H.S., occupied the chair on this occasion. Mr. H. A. Smith 
of Lewisham read a paper on the cultivation of hardy annuals. The 
paper was listened to with considerable interest, and the lecturer 
concluded with giving a list of the best plants to grow. Many 
questions were asked, and a good discussion ensued. A vote of 
thanks was also accorded Mr, Smith for his admirable paper. The 
exhibition, although not a large one, contained several products of 
exceptional merit, and in point of numbers, as well as in quality, was a 
distinct advance on previous years. Fourteen new members w'ere 
elected, and this should be considered satisfactory, as the Association is 
now entering on the fifth year of its existence. A vote of condolence 
with Mrs. Chas. Collins was unanimously carried, and a subscription list 
was opened to which members were invited to subscribe. Mr. Collins 
joined the Association at its inception, and had been a regular attendant 
at the meetings. His gentle and unassuming manner, as well as his 
gift as a clever horticultural journalist, made him many friends, and his 
loss will be keenly felt at the meetings of the Association. Mr. D. B. 
Crane, 4, Woodview Terrace, Archway Road, Highgate, N., is the Hon. 
Secretary, and will be pleased to forward particulars of what the 
Association is doing to any inquirer. 
THE HERBACEOUS BORDER. 
As winter gives place to spring, and spring to summer, so we must 
of necessity divert our attention from the beauties of indoor gardening 
to the more natural and interesting feature of floriculture—namely, 
outside work. I do not of course wish to infer that we should by any 
means neglect or ignore the claims of the glass department, but we 
must not forget the claims and charms of the herbaceous border. The 
mind dwells with delight in winter on hardy flowers of summer, and 
Some at present haunt the memory. 
Delphiniums. —What can be more beautiful than Delphiniums or 
Larkspurs, with their long stout spikes of bloom towering above all 
other plants, the colours varying through almost every shade of blue,, 
from the lightest silvery lilac to the deepest indigo. For the back of 
the border or in the foreground of shrubberies they are about the 
finest and most showy plants obtainable. If the flower stems are 
promptly removed as soon as the first display is over successional spikes 
of bloom will be produced, thereby very materially lengthening the 
flowering period. Let us then think of obtaining good collections of 
these stately border flowers. 
Dictamnus. —The Dictamnus, or Burning Bush, as it is often called, 
is one of the most interesting and beautiful of perennial border plants. 
It forms a handsome bush from 2 to 3 feet in height, and nearly as 
much through, each shoot carrying a long terminal raceme of curious 
red flowers. At a certain stage of development the flowers are said to 
exhale a strong balsamic ether, which will ignite at the approach of 
flame, hence the name Burning Bush. The experiment may easily be 
tried after dark on a dry, still night. There is a white-flowered 
variety also. 
Iris. —The numerous species and varieties of Iris now in cultivation 
comprise a large and most interesting group of hardy herbaceous plants, 
remarkable for their curiously constructed flowers and immense variety 
of colour. There are two distinct sections of the Iris, easily distinguished 
by one having creeping rhizomes, the other being bulbous rooted. The 
extreme hardiness, ease of culture, and adaptability of the former 
section to various situations are points greatly in its favour ; and there 
are few hardy plants that are more worthy of recommendation to 
cultivators; yet I think the bulbous kinds are the more beautiful, and 
when flowering in clumps at intervals along the herbaceous border 
few plants can excel them in beauty. Do not forget to plant a good 
assortment. 
Pyrethrums. — No words of mine can overpraise these popular 
border plants. They are especially to be recommended for the adorn¬ 
ment of the hardy flower garden, and worthy of extended cultivation. 
Although the single varieties are mostly in demand, being more light 
and graceful for decorative purposes in a cut state than the doubles, 
yet the latter must not be ignored, as they are decidedly effective in the 
garden. 
Various Plants —The beauty of many lingers in the memory, 
but I can only briefly refer to a few at present. For instance, there are 
the majestic Hollyhocks, which in their way have no rivals ; Cam¬ 
panulas of sorts, Asters or Michaelmas Daisies, perennial Phloxes, 
Lathyrus latifolius, and its white variety. These, if planted at intervals, 
have a pleasing effect, Eryngium amethystinum and giganteum are 
handsome in foliage as well as in flowers. Hesperis matronalis and 
H. m. alba, the purple and white Rocket, are worthy of a place in every 
collection, Rudbeckia Newmanni is one of the finest of our autumnal 
flowering herbaceous plants, its bright golden-yellow flowers with 
black discs being most useful for cutting purposes. Achillea Ptarmica 
alba plena, Aquilegias of sorts, Centaureas, Hemerocallis or the Day 
Lily, and Lychnis of sorts should all find a place in the herbaceous 
border, L. viscaria rosea plena being particularly handsome, and lasting 
a long time in beauty. These are a few flowers to keep in mind by 
intending planters.— Geo. Parrant. 
Having in previous notes given the names of some of the taller 
growers for the back of the border I will now augment their number, 
and then follow with plants of dwarfer habit. Tritoma Uvaria is very 
showy in the autumn, but does not like root disturbance ; Ferula glauca 
is a conspicuous plant, the stem being singularly glaucous ; Campanula 
pyramidalis (the Chimney Campanula) is a grand old plant, the flowers 
lasting a long time in beauty ; this is also useful for pots. The above, 
with the former list, constitute a goodly number of the taller erowers. 
We now come to the next line, with plants ranging from 3 to 4 feet 
high. Of these I content my self with a concise list of the best varieties, 
merely naming their colours as a guide. Anemone Honorine Jobert, or 
japonica alba, white ; Campanula persicifolia alba, also double white ; 
Gypsophila paniculata, fine for cutting, white ; Rudbeckia Newmanni, 
yellow'; Dictamnus Fraxinella (Burning Bush), peculiarly scented, 
purple and white; Spiraei aruncus, white; Phlox decussata, with its 
many hybrids, indispcu-able, owing to their rich and varied colours ; 
(Euothera Youngi (Evening Primrose), yellow ; Lobelia fulgens, scarlet; 
Hemerocallis flava, yellow ; Dielytra spectabilis (Lyre-flower) pink, a 
well-known favourite ; Lychnis chalcedonica, bright scarlet; Aquilegias, 
most beautiful and delicate tints are to be found amongst the hybrid 
flowers of this section. Amongst the bulbous plants Lilium candidum, 
white; Gladioli, the garden hybrids of which are very numerous and 
beautiful ; Fritillaria imperialia (Crown Imperial), well known. I 
should also mention Lilium tigrinum as most brilliant during late 
summer.— Geo. Dyke. 
