January 11, 18P4. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
25 
some distance from the future bloom, whether in the Rose or Chrys¬ 
anthemum, and in the latter it does not appear to affect the crown 
bud nearly to the same degree as the terminal. In the terminal 
the selected bud is crowded round by juveniles, as if gummed to 
it. Here, I think, the selected bud very much dislikes early 
removal of its fellows. 
When the buds to be disbudded have made a short growth, say 
of half an inch, disbudding is an easier process, and the remaining 
stem seems in a few days to drop off at a joint as it were. Much 
the same result happens in disbudding the Rose. The point that 
it seems necessary to inculcate to those commencing the treatment 
is that it may be performed too early for the most perfect develop¬ 
ment of the “ taken bud.” 
In Roses, La France amongst H.P.’s always seems to me a more 
difficult Rose to manage ; it is here that in my eye it plainly shows 
its Tea blood. We may have disbudded, but lower down the stem 
as in the Teas, only more so, the buds grow into shoots at a 
wondrous pace, and at the same time the bloom on which we had 
fixed our hopes seems to stay in its development. My experience 
leads me to say these buds or shoots cannot be dealt with too early. 
Am I right in thinking that these shoots are far less frequently 
seen on standards than on dwarf plants ? However much Tea blood 
La France may have it has none of the “ lasting power that the 
Tea possesses, and which adds so immensely to their value either 
in the exhibition tent or in the house as a floral decoration. 
—Y. B. A. Z. 
HARDY FLOWER NOTES. 
With the dawning of the new year the heart of the lover of 
hardy flowers begins to beat high with hope. This hope is, however, 
too often mingled with despair, as, with sad misgivings, we remem¬ 
ber the words of Shakespeare :— 
“ We see the appearing buds—which to prove fruit, 
Hope gives not so much warrant as despair 
That frost will bite them.” 
It is, however, profitless to cherish these thoughts of disaster to 
the budding flowers, and a walk round the garden in the early days 
of 1894 will help to drive the fears away and brighten us with 
feelings of hope and pleasure. It is, of course, impossible that the 
garden should vie at the present time with stove or greenhouse gay 
with tender exotics, but, after all, the heart of the hardy plantsman 
is with those flowers which defy our British winters and struggle 
against all their storms and trials. So we gladly search the borders 
and rockeries for some of those blossoms which seek in these gloomy 
days to bring a little brightness to the garden and to give their owners 
a cheering raj'^ of pleasure. 
Appealing to all in their drooping, modest beauty, the Snowdrops 
are ever welcome. Early are some this year, far anticipating the 
traditional period of their bloom, and some plants of Galanthus 
nivalis have been in flower since Christmas Day. These were, 
however, selected last year on account of their early flowering from 
many thousands in a neighbouring wood, and only stray blossoms of 
the common Snowdrop will be seen for a week or two to come. 
Imported bulbs of G. montanus have been in flower for some 
weeks, and G. corcyrensis still remained in flower until the opening 
days of the year. G. caucasicus, too, and G. nivalis Magnet, one of 
Mr. James Alien’s seedlings, have opened their pure blossoms, and an 
early Snowdrop received with the true G. nivalis Redoutei as G. 
Elwesi has been in flower since the middle of December. This is a 
fine Snowdrop, and 1 have lifted it and planted it apart from the 
remainder of the plants of G. Redoutei, which, on New Year’s Day 
were only through the ground. G. Elwesi is not any earlier than 
usual, and only a stray flower or two welcomed the beginning of 
another season. Soon, however, in border, in hedgerow, and on 
rockeries the snow-white flowers, bedecked with emerald green, will 
in many kinds nod to the winds of January and delight us with 
their pure beauty. 
Hapless seems the fate of these pure Crocuses which in such 
drenching rain peered out to seek in vain the smiles of the sun, so 
essential to their attaining the zenith of their loveliness. Several 
kinds appeared and seemed to wait patiently for a little sunshine to 
enable them to transform their cone-like buds into cups all glittering 
with light. To some the wailing has been all in vain, and they have 
had no opportunity of displaying themselves in gold apparel, but 
have remained in what may be termed their work-a-day attire until 
destroyed by torrents of rain and storms of wind. This work-a-day 
attire is, however, extremely pleasing and varied in colour. Crocus 
Korolkowi has been one of the unfortunates, having waited for 
weeks for sun bright enough to induce it to unfold its seg.ments, 
only to fall a victim to a south-west gale. Very interesting it was 
with its curiously brown coloured buds all grained and showing at 
the tip the bright yellow it would have displayed in more favourable 
weather. Then Crocus Fleischeri, which has its buds of white 
streaked with a blackish purple, opened on the last day of the year 
when the sun shone brightly, and displayed its small white flowers 
with deep orange-scarlet stigmas. C. ancyrensis, which, with its 
bright orange-yellow buds, is gay even in what may be called its 
chrysalis stage, opened at the same time and made a bit of lively 
colouring in the border with its small, sharp-petalled orange flowers 
C. biflorus is far advanced, and I have several varieties of it. 
some fawn coloured in the bud with blackish feathering, others 
devoid of marking, and others of a pretty brown, has up to the 
time of writing not yet opened. C. Imperati has been more fortunate 
than the others having opened fully several times and delighted 
one with its glowing purple flowers. Very beautiful and very 
welcome are these at this season, and even in the bud stage the 
flowers are pleasing. Among a considerable number there will 
be found much variety, some light fawn coloured on the outside of 
the outer segments with pretty streaks upon this ground colour, and 
others quite free from marking. There is a variety of shade of 
purple among my flowers, and as I am raising others from seed I 
hope in time to increase the range of colours in my garden. These 
winter Crocuses are of little value unless in a position where tuey 
obtain every ray of sun and are sheltered from furious winds. 
Several other species are in bud. 
With the Persian Cyclamens in flower in the greenhouse it might 
be thought that we would be satisfied to wait for the opening of the 
hardy species for a little longer. The ways of the hardy plantsman 
are, however, peculiar, and, as we look round, many times do we 
look for the upraising of the flowers of C. Coum, which have for 
long showed their crimson or white blossoms “ cowering,” as one may 
best name their attitude, to the ground. The typical C. Coum has 
round leaves without markings, but a zoned variety has been grown 
for some time, and in this garden are several of this kind, some of 
them sent me from the neighbourhood of Broussa. Very delightful 
is a large bush of the white variety of Erica carnea, known some¬ 
times as E. herbacea. While the flesh-coloured form is hardly 
showing its colour the white one has been in flower since the end of 
October or beginning of November, and forms quite an attraction 
upon the top of a rockery fully exposed to weather of all kinds. 
The absence of sun is delaying the opening of the earlier Saxi¬ 
frages, and so far as can be judged, they will be later here than in- 
several previous years. Even S. Burseriana major has not yet opened 
with me, and S. sancta and S. luteo-purpurea, which are both 
bristling with buds, will be a week or two before they expand. It is 
in a season such as this that we can surely appreciate the great 
beauty of the Saxifrages in their varied forms, some mounds of 
vivid green, some patches of charming rosettes margined with dots- 
of white, and others forming little clumps of small and prickly 
foliage. With the evergreen Sempervivutns and Stonecrops they 
help to give the garden a furnished appearance, even in the depth of 
winter. We have also the usual number of precocious flowers of 
Primroses and Polyanthuses in various colours, and one large plant 
of the common yellow Primrose which I have retained in a choice 
position on account of its extraordinary proliferousness has many 
fully opened flowers. The Anemones are represented by flowers 
of A. coronaria, while A. blanda and A. fulgens still remain 
in bud. 
Very useful for winter gardening in localities where they stand 
the climate are the evergreen Veronicas from New Zealand. The 
somewhat tender V. speciosa is hardy with me, due doubtless to the 
influence of the sea, and one plant had two spikes of purple flowers 
in bloom as the old year passed away. This plant is growing on 
the top of a rockery facing due south, and protected by a wall from 
the north and north-west winds. The curious looking little V. sali- 
cornoides is bright and attractive on the same rockery, while other 
New Zealand Veronicas in various parts of the garden give interest 
and welcome greenery. These plants are far too little known, and 
their extended cultivation is much to be desired. It would be well 
to have them fully tested in our colder districts, and anyone in such 
a climate would deserve our gratitude by testing the hardiness of several 
species. A considerable number are perfectly hardy at Edinburgh, 
and Mr. Lindsay, the Curator of the Botanic Gardens there, is 
recognised as an authority upon the various species. 
Modest, yet bright and attractive, are the little flowers of the 
Winter Aconite, Eranthis hyemalis, which flowered with me^ on the 
opening day of the new year. Cheering is it to see this little 
flower once more, and so blithesome does it seem that we are disposed 
to agree with the description of the couplet, which says— 
“ The Aconite that decks with gold 
Its little merry face.” 
I cannot at this moment remember who spoke of it as appearing 
with “ its Elizabethan ruff,” but it was a fitting description of the 
