362 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May la, 18W, 
- Saving Polyanthus Seed.—I n saving seeds of Polyanthuses 
it is a good plan to select the flowers when the plants are nearly past, as 
crossing can then be more effectually carried out. Along with other 
good points the flowers having six petals should be chosen. The 
Hose-in-hose with the Jacks-in-the-green generally produce curious 
examples.—T. 
- Bably Blossoms in Steawbekbies.—W e find Laxton’s 1893 
novelty, Number One, some ten days earlier to flower than any other in 
our large collection. The plants of 1893 look remarkably strong and 
healthy, but the older beds show the effect of the drought in giving less 
blossom than usual; on the other hand foliage is grand, and we expect a 
moderate crop of large handsome fruit. — Geo. Bunyabd & Co., 
Maidstone. 
- Tulipa Kaufmanni.— This rare and beautiful species has 
flowers as large as a large form of T. Gesneriana, measuring, when wide 
open, 7 inches in diameter. Its colour is creamy yellow, changing to 
white after it has been open three or four days. The unopened buds are 
prettily marked with a broad central line of red and blush feathering 
on the back of the petals. It is a distinct and evidently free-growing 
species. For its introduction, remarked Mr. Watson in a recent issue of 
the American “ Garden and Forest,” we are indebted to Dr. A. Regel, 
who found it in Turkestan in 1877. Dr. Baker says it is as variable 
in colour as T. Gesneriana, ranging through various shades of red and 
yellow to white. 
- Railway Gaedening. —Year by year may be seen in 
increasing number and variety a wonderful show of flowers. Ferns 
and shrubs at the little wayside station at Kingscote, near East 
Grinstead, on the London and Brighton Company's railway. Last 
year, says a daily contemporary, over 5000 potted plants were exhi¬ 
bited in rows, on stands, and on window-ledges, grouped with elegant 
rockeries and borders of Ferns and fronds. These are all from plants 
raised and cared for during the winter by the station master, Mr. 
Thomas Ward, who has been thirty-six years in the company’s service. 
Many tourists alight at the station to examine the plants, and Mr. Ward 
is always pleased to act as cicerone to the appreciative strangers or 
neighbours. 
- Anotheb Maggot.—M r. Hawkins, of Twickenham, told me 
the other day when I called at his nursery, of a maggot that at a par¬ 
ticular period of the year gives a good deal of trouble to the Lilies of 
the Valley, and needs much watching. The best trap to catch the 
moths, which are of a pale colour, is to place a small lamp in the midst 
of a pan or bowl of water, on the surface of which is a little oil, and 
in that way the insects are readily caught; of course the lights need 
some top covering to prevent moisture falling on them. The huge 
beds of the splendid Victoria Lily grown by the firm in such admirable 
form show no evidence of maggot. The heat of last year, when ample 
waterings were given, gave the roots just those conditions they like, 
with the result that the leafage and spikes of bloom are finer than 
ever. Beds are replanted about every eight years, and of course 
some are re-made every year, then planted fairly thin, yet how dense 
they become in a year or two, and the produce in flowers becomes 
remarkable.—D. 
-A New Field foe Seed and Bulb Geowing. —A corre¬ 
spondent, writing to the “ Garden and Forest,” is of the opinion that 
California will be as well known, within a few years, for its bulbs and 
seeds as it now is for its fruits, as a large part of its flowers are Liliaceous, 
and no State in the Union has such a variety of flowers belonging to this 
family as California. Watson says ; “ The order (Liliacese) forms a 
marked feature in the flora of California,” and the same authority 
gives 119 species, besides innumerable varieties, as being native to the 
State. This was in 1880 ; since then many new species have been found. 
The heavy adobe soil seems intended for bulb growing. He thinks this 
a promising field for some enterprising person. He has seen Tuberoses 
that were left in the ground by mistake, and when lifted, at the end of 
two years, over one dozen large-flowering bulbs were found for every 
one planted. They had been overgrown with weeds, and would have 
doubtless done much better with proper cultivation. Bermuda Lilies 
were left out in the same neglected spot and give like gratifying 
results. As there were several hundreds of each originally planted, 
the owner’s negligence made a neat little sum. There are some vege¬ 
table seed farms (or ranches) at Santa Clara, and flower seeds are 
grown near Ventura. One grower .raised last year, his first season, 
nearly 3 tons of Sweet Pea seed. This year he has 50 acres sown to 
them ; 47 acres will be devoted to the seed alone. 
- Galeopsis dubia. — Mention of the above in last week’s 
Journal of Horticulture is not only interesting, but prompts us to take 
greater interest in wild flowers. When at Leadhills last season I 
observed along the headrig of a Turnip field, where I tented my bees, 
some beautiful shades of these flowers, from pure white to bright yellow, 
cerise, and mauve.—W. T. , 
- Geeen-tinted Daffodils.— For some years past I have 
observed a changing of pure yellow Daffodils into green and green 
stripes. When at Crawford lately I saw many pure green ones. I took 
a sample with the intention of forwarding it to the meeting of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, placing it in water on the 20th. When 
examining it on the 23rd it appeared suffused too much with yellow to 
be of any interest, so returned it to the water. After it had stood a 
fortnight it was changed to a yellow.—T. 
- The Cuckoo in London. — Mr. Henry Bax writes from 
Lincoln’s Inn Fields, May 6th:—“At 10.10 this morning I distinctly 
heard the repeated call of the cuckoo in the grounds of this neighbour¬ 
hood. At first I thought it was some lads imitating the bird, but I soon 
distinguished it was the natural voice of the cuckoo; and I noticed 
people on the pavement stopped to listen to it. Is it not an unusual 
thing for this bird to be heard in the middle of London ? ” “ J. A. C.” 
also writes that he heard the cuckoo in the neighbourhood of Lincoln’s 
Inn Fields about 10 o’clock.” 
- Dundee Hoeticultueal Association. — The monthly 
meeting of this Association was held on Friday evening in last 
week, Mr. Robert Wilkie, the President, in the chair. A paper was 
read by Mr. John Stewart, F.B.S., Letham Mill, Arbroath, on “The 
Honey Bee.” After referring to the order to which the insect belonged, 
he proceeded to give an instructive address on the physiology of the 
bee, and its mode of extracting and storing honey. The lecture was 
rendered all the more interesting by the aid of numerous diagrams, 
showing the anatomy of the insect in its various stages, the diagrams 
being lent by Mr. Brebner, Rector of the Harris Academy. 
- Impoeted Apples. —We learn from some tables published in 
the last report of the Agricultural Department of Nova Scotia that 
“ the total number of barrels of Apples imported into Britain during 
twelve years from the United States, was nearly 7,000,000. Canada 
furnished during the same period 2,170,000 barrels. From the States 
the largest number of barrels imported in any one year was 1,169 280 in 
1880-81; the smallest number, 70,229 in 1883-4. Canada sent the 
largest number, 407,806 in 1891-2, and the smallest number 11,203 in 
1883-4. Liverpool is the great Apple market, no fewer than 9l7,636 
barrels being imported in 1891-92. In the same year 221,366 barrels 
were imported into London, 282,653 into Glasgow, and 26,892 into 
various other ports—the gross total for 1892-93 from the States and the 
Canadian provinces being 1,450,336 barrels.” 
-Cheysanthemums Coeonaeium Peincess May and Duke 
OF Yoek. —Of the many rare and beautiful flowers that were shown at 
the annual Exhibition of the Auricula Society, held on Saturday last in 
the Botanical Gardens, Old Trafford, Manchester, the above were two of 
the most beautiful. Several large bunches of cut flowers were exhibited 
by the raiser, Mr. H. Brownhill, Mayfield, and Broad Road Nurseries 
Sale. They attracted considerable attention, and were very much 
admired. They belong to the Coronarium or Crown Daisy section, and 
anyone who has not seen those new varieties could scarcely imagine how 
much superior they are to the old ones. Both varieties are single 
flowered. Princess May is white with a yellow disc, and Duke of York 
is a very bright clear yellow. The individual flowers of both kinds 
would average 3 inches in diameter ,* the petals are broad, and overlap 
each other so as to form perfectly circular flowers. In the old varieties 
the disc was the most prominent part of the flower, and appeared to he 
out of proportion to the petals; but in these new varieties it is not so 
noticeable owing to the increased length of the petals. They are very 
useful for supplying cut flowers, which keep fresh for a considerable 
time, and for the decoration of the flower garden. Plants raised from 
seed sown early in the season and planted outside in well prepared soil 
about 2 feet apart make large and handsome plants and flower most 
profusely. The type has been so well fixed by careful hybridising and 
selection that they can be depended upon to come true from seed. When 
a particularly choice variety is selected it may easily be retained by 
propagating it by means of cuttings in the autumn and wintering 
them in a cool house or pit, where they would be safe from frost.— 
W. Neild, F.R.H.S; 
