Jane IS, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
519 
- Linum monogynum. —This pure, white-flowered, New Zealand 
Flax is deserving of a place in any collection of herbaceous plants as a 
companion to the blue and yellow varieties. Linums prefer a rather 
dry soil, therefore they are convenient plants. From the middle of 
May until early in the autumn they continue to give an abundant crop 
of blossoms, so useful for mixing with other flowers in vases.—E. 
- Messrs. Sutton & Sons’ Annual Excursion. —This pleasant 
excursion was held on Thursday, when for the first time Folke¬ 
stone and Dover were visited by special train. The party, which 
numbered just over 600, was accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Herbert 
■Sutton, Mr. Arthur Warwick Sutton, Mr. Leonard G. Sutton, and the 
Misses Sutton. As usual, each married man received an invitation for 
•bis wife, and with the liberality which marks the firm on all occasions, 
"not only was the train provided, but every person was presented with a 
sum of money sufficient to fully defray the expenses of the day. 
- New" Gardens for Woolwich. —The ceremony of throwing 
open the new public gardens at Woolwich, into which St. Mary’s 
•Churchyard have been turned, was performed on Friday last. May Slst, 
by the Duchess of Fife. From first to last the work has cost about 
£1200. The soil of the churchyard is naturally composed of sand, 
necessitating the importation of considerable quantities of fresh material 
to mix with it, likewise to fill up the numerous holes which also 
4ibounded. Although the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association has 
only been in existence for about twelve years it has already accomplished 
much useful work, of which the services so lately rendered by it to the 
people of Woolwich are but an example. 
- Caladiums at Chelsea. —Amongst the many plants that 
^re grown at Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea Nursery, these must be 
accorded a very prominent position. When visiting there a few days 
ago I was struck with the splendid health o! the plants and the richness 
•of the leafage. Both the small and large foliaged varieties were in 
perfect condition, and proves that Mr. Tivey, the well known grower, 
thoroughly understands their cultivation. They are singularly beautiful 
plants, providing a leafage that is entirely distinct from any other, and 
of such peculiar blendings of colour as to render them practically 
indescribable. Particularly charming were Raymond Lemoinier, Ibis 
Rose, Madame Leon Say, Henry Irving, Excellent, and Lord Derby. 
These only make half a dozen out of very large numbers, all of which 
are worth growing by the lover of handsome foliage plants.— Visitor. 
- The Seeds op Weeds. —Some interesting investigations have 
been made at the South Dakota Experiment Station on the distribution 
of weed-seeds by winter winds. For example, says the “ Garden and 
Forest,” the contents of snow-drift on ploughed land 2 feet square, 
3 inches deep, and 10 rods from any standing weeds, were melted, and 
thirty-two weed-seeds belonging to nine species were found in it. Other 
tests confirm the fact that seeds are carried great distances on the snow. 
Another test was made by pouring half-bushel piles of Oats and Millet 
•on the snow-crust when the wind was fifteen miles an hour. Both 
Millet and Oats passed a point 20 rods from where they had been placed 
in forty seconds. A twenty-five-mile wind was found to drift Wheat- 
grains 30 rods in a minute. Of course, when winds on the plains keep 
blowing in one direction for days, seeds will travel many miles. The 
moral of these investigations seems to be that in the great western 
plains, at least, bare summer fallowing and matured weeds in waste 
ground may help to scatter seeds during the winter over great areas 
and they will be buried in the soil when the snow melts. 
-'Cheshunt, Wormley, and District Horticultural 
Mutual Improvement Society. —The above Society held the last 
meeting of their spring session at the school, Wormley, on June 6th 
1895, when a most practical paper was read by Mr. W. Easlea, Waltham 
Gross, on “ Roses.” The following lectures have been read during the 
spring session :—February 5th, "Leaves, and Their Functions,” Mr. W. 
Dyke; February 12th, " The Influence of Light on Plants,” Mr. J. 
Godber ; February 19th, " Plant Food,” Mr. W. Dyke ; February 26th, 
"Carnations,” Mr. A. E. George; March 5th, "Pelargoniums for 
Market : Description and Culture,” Mr. W. L. Yates ; March 14th, 
"Nitrogenous Manures, and their Effect,” Mr. J. Guy; March 29th 
" Strawberries,” Mr. A. Faulkner; April 11th, " Mushrooms,” 
Mr. A. Hayes; April 25th, " Heating Apparatus as Applied to Horti¬ 
cultural Purposes,” Mr. W. Harrison ; May 9th, “Manures and their 
Application,” Mr. W. Dyke; June 6th, “Roses,” Mr. W. Easlea. This 
speaks well for the Society’s welfare, for it was only started last 
February, and now possesses eighty-Sve membrrs. 
- “ Bothiana.” —Allow " An Old Boy ” to express his gratifica¬ 
tion at the kindly note from " P. J. G., WarwioliHliire" (page 496), 
with the earnest hope that he and his compatriots may derive all the 
benefit they anticipate from the advice given, and more also. 
- Iris Kochi. —Among the large early-flowering bearded Irises 
this stands distinct among the many purple kinds now in bloom. 
The large flowers are of a peculiarly rich dark vinous-purple colour, 
which is very effective and striking. Besides the typical I. germanica 
there are a number of hybrids in the same section with various 
shades of purple, but none more effective than this Istrian species. 
- Abutilon vitifolium. —Mr. Baylor Hartland, Cork, sends us 
beautiful flowering sprays of this handsome Abutilon, which has been 
figured in the Journal of Horticulture, when it was referied to as 
follows—" It is only in favoured climates like the west of England or 
some districts in Ireland where this tree attains to very large proportions. 
In most cases where it is found in gardens it is an inmate of the green¬ 
house, and very seldom can an adequate idea be then formed of the 
beauty of the shrub when fully developed. The flowers are large, of a 
delicate purplish or bluish mauve, not unlike the stately Meconopsis 
Wallichi in tint and form. They are produced in great abundance, 
and in contrast with the large dark green lobed leaves they have a fine 
appearance.” 
- Clematis Montana. — One of the most charming cottage 
garden pictures I have ever seen was a magnificent old plant of this 
pretty Clematis, on an empty cottage in a Suffolk village last week. 
It had apparently been planted on a porch, but this had long since 
fallen to decay, and the long pendent shoots of the Clematis were 
abundant, and wreathed with the beautiful white flowers. It had also 
mounted to the thatch and covered the roof, hanging in festoons from 
the chimneys and gable. Few hardy climbers can compare with this 
well-known and handsome Clematis. It is not only one of the easiest 
of all to grow, flourishing in any ordinary soil, but beyond cutting away 
a few shoots that may be encroaching on anything else, no pruning, 
nailing, or any cultural operation is needed. The more natural the 
growth the more graceful is its appearance when in flower, and if closely 
nailed or tied this is sadly marred.—H. R. R. 
- Advantages of Green Manuring.—D r. Webb gives the 
following as the typical advantages of green manuring :—There is a 
direct addition of plant food to the soil, as during the growth of the 
plant it absorbs food from the air, and the upper layers of the soil are 
enriched by matter brought up from the subsoil, and which, when the 
plants are ploughed in, becomes almost immediately available for the 
succeeding crop. With certain crops this gain in plant food is much 
more marked, as it consists in an increase of the nitrogen in the soil at 
the expense of that of the air. The plants which possess this power of 
abstracting nitrogen direct from the air are those belonging to the 
natural order Leguminosee, to which order belong Peas, Beans, Vetches, 
Clover, Sainfoin, and Lucerne. On the rootlets of the plants of this 
order are a large number of small nodules or tubercles. These are the 
home of micro-organisms capable of abstracting free nitrogen from the 
air and forming nitrogenous compounds. The greater portion of this 
nitrogen ultimately finds its way into the plant and is there made use 
of. The benefit is not confined to the Leguminous crop alone, but 
where that crop is ploughed in, or even if only the roots are left, the 
soil becomes so enriched by the accumulated nitrogen that greatly 
increased crops result. Dr. Wagner of Darmstadt conducted experi¬ 
ments to test the effect of the above. Two equal plots were taken, and 
on one White Mustard, and on the other Vetches, were ploughed in, 
and Oats sown. Each received an equal dressing of chemical manure* 
but the yield on that where Vetches had been ploughed in was twice 
that on the one where White Mustard had been ploughed in. Similar 
experiments were conducted by Heiden, Rye being taken (1) after 
Lupines ploughed in, and (2) after bare fallow. The relative yields of 
the plots were :—Plot 1, 96 of grain and 205 chaff atd straw ; plot 2. 
56 of grain and 114 chaff and straw. The importance of this fixation of 
free nitrogen cannot be over-estimated, as it provides a large quantity 
of the dearest manurial constituent without cost. 2, The food added to 
the soil by green manuring cannot readily be lost by drainage. This 
explains the advantage which light land derives from it, that class of 
land not usually being retentive of plant food. 3, A large quantity of 
humus is added to the soil, the benefit of which has already been noticed. 
4, During decomposition of the vegetable matter mineral matters are 
rendered available for plant food, owing to the effects of the products of 
c’ecom[ Oiiti.'n. 
