466 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 30, 1895. 
each as we roamed, and telling something of its beauty and its 
wants and ways. Yet this cannot be done; and as one has so often 
to do in this world of ours, we must check our inclinations and limit 
ourselves to speaking of a few. 
The Tulip, “ the fop of the parterre,” as the poet unworthily 
dubs it, must as usual at this season come in for more particular 
remark, not, however, to trespass on the domains of those versed 
in the English varieties nor even to detail the beauties of the 
brilliant early and late forms which are so decorative in almost 
every garden, but to speak as usual of some of the less known 
species or varieties. 
One of those which has attracted considerable notice here bears 
the name of T. Kolpakowskiana, and, like T. Kaufmanniana, comes 
from Central Asia. It is to be feared that its name is neither eupho¬ 
nious enough nor brief enough to commend this Tulip, which 
must thus stand or fall on its own merits, and it is likely enough 
that these are great enough to enable it to make its way into our 
affections—and our gardens. In its early stages of growth a feeling 
of disappointment is almost inevitable. The plant is “ lanky,” and 
after the flower-stem attains some length it bows down towards 
Mother Earth like some other Tulips but in a more pronounced way. 
While at this stage it is a somewhat odd looking object, and when 
it becomes erect and the flowers begin to open one’s admiration is 
but faint. In a few days, however, its beauty is better recognised 
and we can admire its bright flowers with their acutely pointed 
segments. The flowers are a good size, and vary in colour from 
scarlet to yellow, the red form being almost self-coloured. It grows 
nearly 2 feet high, and the flowers on their long stems seem to 
follow the course of the sun. It came into flower with me in 
April and lasted for some time in bloom. 
Another Tulip which has been longer in my garden and which I 
originally received from Bithynia is T. Biebersteiniana, which, as 
has been well said, resembles T. sylvestris, but is smaller and less 
robust in habit. It is bright yellow inside, the outside being duller 
in colour, and opens out flat in the sun, when open looking rather like 
a tall T. persica, although hardly so attractive as that graceful little 
species. T. Biebersteiniana does not appear to open much before 
one o’clock, even in full sun. I have watched it for several days 
together, and this has been about the time at which the flowers 
expanded. It grows to nearly 1 foot in height, and seems to be 
suited for a permanent place in the border or rockery. 
A few notes on such pretty Tulips as Buonoventura, Picotee, 
Gesneriana alba marginata. Golden Beauty, and others must be 
deferred until another time. 
A rather attractive looking plant on one of the rockeries has 
been Yesicaria utriculata, one of the “ Bladder Pods ” or “ Bladder 
Seeds.” This is a perennial which grows about 1 foot high, and 
has racemes of bright yellow Wallflower-like flowers. It is rather 
a pretty plant, and when the flowers are over the inflated seed pods 
are interesting. The leaves are smooth and bright green, the lower 
ones being somewhat ciliated. V. utriculata may be increased by 
seeds or division, and will grow in ordinary soil in the border. 
It seems, however, to be more attractive on the rockery than in 
the border. Although introduced from the South of Europe 
as long ago as 1730 it is but seldom seen, and is worthy of a 
little more attention than it has hitherto received from those who 
care for hardy plants. V. grasca, another species, is occasionally 
met with as Alyssum utriculatum, and is thus liable to be confused 
with the one under notice. Y. arctica, a North American species, 
I have not yet had the pleasure of seeing. 
Several visitors to my garden have lately been much attracted 
by a little Fritillaria, of which our generous friend Mr. Edward 
Whittall of Smyrna kindly sent me a number of bulbs. Few of 
the Fritillaries are showy plants, but many of us confess to some 
admiration of them, and look on them in much the same light as 
Mr. Benson seems to do in his poem, “Fritillaries.” They are, in 
truth, “ rare outlandish things for such as love them,” but mostly 
having the fault that the prettiest markings are inside, and that 
the flower has to be turned up to see these. The species I am now 
speaking of is not, however, “ spotted like an ocelot’s skin,” nor 
even “ streaked like the banded viper,” to quote Mr. Benson again 
but is of almost a sea green outside and a peculiar greenish yellow 
inside. The flower is more cone-shaped than most of the Fritillaries, 
and its colouring makes one almost wonder wherein its attractions 
lie. Still attractions it has, and ladies seem to admire it, which is 
surely a sufficient answer to any expressions of disapproval. I 
suppose the name of citrina has been given to this Snakeshead Lily 
on account of the interior colouring, although it is hardly of the 
shade that one usually associates with the word. F. citrina cannot 
thus be said to be attractive to the multitude, and yet it is but faint 
praise to say that it is more pleasing than a considerable number of 
the plants of the singular genus to which it belongs. I do not 
know how widely F. citrina is distributed, as no mention of it 
appears in my works of reference. Some bulbs of this species 
collected in Samos came in 1893, but like many other Fritillarias 
this season these established bulbs did not flower, and those which 
flowered were sent me in 1894. Several of my friends with whom 
I have correspondence have a similar experience in the way of 
disappointment with the non-flowering of many of the Snake’s- 
head Lilies this year. I understand Mr. J. G. Baker is the 
authority for the speciflo name of F. citrina. 
The many persons who have been experimenting with the 
Oncocyclus Irises may be interested to learn the result of another 
season’s trial of these singularly beautiful flowers. It is, I am 
sorry to say, an unsatisfactory report that I have to submit, as the 
only one likely to flower is I. lupina, which flowered here last year, 
and is now open. This seems a more robust and satisfactory 
grower than the majority in my garden. Of the others I. lupcens, 
I. paravar, I. Gatesi, and I. Helense seem the best growers, the 
flrst two being hybrids, raised by Professor Michael Foster. I. atro- 
purpurea and some others seem to be going back instead of gaining 
in strength. After the flowering season they were kept quite dry 
until October, when the lights, which had been placed over them, 
were removed. 
During the severe frost they were covered with litter, which 
was removed when the frost had quite gone. I have seen several 
Irises of this section in other gardens this year, and in all these the 
results are decidedly unsatisfactory. I suppose we must, however, 
brace ourselves for a fresh effort in hope of being able to overcome 
the mysteries which baffie those who wish to grow these flowers in 
our northern lands. 
I had intended to say something about the results of my 
experimental planting of Calochorti, but this must be deferred 
from considerations of space. Some are in flower and others are in 
bud, so that soon several of these attractive Mariposa Lilies will 
add to the pleasures the garden yields.—S. Arnott, Dumfries. 
FOOD REQUIREMENTS OF THE GRAPE VINE. 
Much has recently been written in the Journal of Horticulture 
on “ Grape Growing,” but so far nothing has been said about the 
food requirements of the Yines, and the best manures to apply to 
suit their wants. Being a good time of the year to apply top- 
dressings, either of natural or chemical manures, to Yine borders, 
it would be advisable to see which are the best substances to use 
for this purpose, for many Yines are partly mined through heavy 
cropping, and being insufficiently supplied with the necessary 
ingredients to flnish the crop, and to produce suitable wood for 
fruiting the following year. 
It has been shown in the Journal of Horticulture (“ Plant¬ 
forming Elements ”) that certain elements are essential for the 
growth of plants. Which of these are needed most by the Yine ? 
This can only be shown by an analysis of the Yine and its fruit. 
One ton of Grapes will yield on burning 18 lbs. of mineral matter 
or ash, which show the following selected constituents :—Potash 
60 per cent., phosphoric acid 16 per cent., lime 16 per cent., 
magnesia 5 per cent. The manorial requirement of the Yine to 
produce 1 ton of Grapes is potash, equal to 19 lbs. of sulphate of 
potash ; phosphoric acid, equal to 10 lbs. of mineral superphos- 
