June 28, 1888. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
529 
It is a modified sweetening of the soil, and its value to autumn and 
winter crops is mainly resulting of aeration ; hence to stir the soil 
"between the rows of Lettuces, spring Cabbage, and winter Spinach 
is invigorating. Paradoxical as it may seem, stirring is good against 
winter cold and summer heat—i.e., plants in an aerated soil are 
not nearly so injuriously affected by cold, nor do they suffer to 
anything like the same degree from drought as those growing in a 
■soil the surface of which is close. Stirring, of course, should never 
be practised longer than is safe— i.e., it must not be persisted in 
when damage is likely to be done to the roots of the crop plants. 
"Whenever the crops are above ground the hoe should be set to 
work at once, the weeds not being allowed to get beyond the seed 
leaves, and the hoeings should be followed up as required to keep 
i;he weeds well under and have the crops perfectly clean until it 
is impracticable to continue the stirring on account of certain 
damage to the tops and roots. Deep stirring is, of course, some¬ 
times necessary to insure soil for earthing Potatoes, and even 
forking, &c., between the rows being had recourse to on heavy 
soils, when it is desirable to form a free-rooting medium for the 
plants, it being done in advance of the roots. The stiiring is an 
■essential of successful practice. In autumn and winter it is necessary 
to allow the rain and air to enter freely, and for evaporation, which 
if it tend to reduce the temperature of the soil one way is counter¬ 
balanced the other through the less danger from cold of the light 
:aerated surface as compared with the close and -n'et ; indeed, the 
open loose surface of ameliorated soil is some degrees warmer, 
which assists crops in winter or cold periods to resist cold. The 
well-stirred surface is equally effectual against drought through the 
"increased depth of the ameliorated soil, which is a great absorbent 
of heat, of rain, night dews, and air, the latter being the best of 
non-conductors ; hence plants growing on land with a good surface 
of loose ameliorated soil are not so liable to injury from cold or to 
■■suffer from the vicissitudes of our climate as those in a soil which 
does not dry quickly after rain, if indeed the rain instead of entering 
the soil must run off or lie to be evaporated. The soil must be 
sweet and clean, rain and air must pass into and through it, and the 
plants kept clean and healthy, which can only be had by stirring the 
soil both before and after cropping in order to secure the fullest, 
•earliest, and best quality produce. —G. Abbey. 
THE FLORISTS’ TULIP UST THE SOUTH. 
I DO not think that I am committing any breach of confidence when 
1 state there is a warm desire on the part of a few of the leading Tulip 
■growers in the north that the florists’ Tulip should be again grown and 
•exhibited in the south. But how can this interest in the flower be 
aroused, in the London district for instance ? It is not easy to purchase 
■good florists’ Tulips, indeed they are now almost altogether in the hands 
of private growers, and the choicest sorts increase but slowly. It is 
■true that the Dutch florists offer late show Tulips—bizarres, roses, and 
bybloemens ; but I fear it would be difficult to find one among them 
■that could pass muster at a Cheshire or Lancashire Tulip show. It is a 
waste of energy, time, and money for anyone to trouble to cultivate 
these in the hope of finding among them flowers up to exhibition form. 
Tinless, indeed, a new generation of southern growers were to make the 
•attempt with flowers of a low Upe of quality, which would be a 
misfortune. 
I think I might go a step further and say (although I do it with due 
reservation) that I think the President of the Eoyal National Tulip 
-■Society at Manchester, Mr. Samuel Barlow, J.P., will be found willing 
to co-operate, not only in a hearty, but also in a practical manner in the 
•direction of endeavouring to raise up a new generation of Tulip growers 
.and exhibitors in the south. "When at Manchester recently, I had an 
opportunity of talking over with him the matter of a Tulip revival in 
-the south, and the idea that seemed to be present in his mind was this— 
that he would be willing to give, from the overflow of his beds, a collec¬ 
tion of choice Tulips to anjmne in the south willing to undertake their 
■cultivation, provided they would be willing to hold a conq)etitive 
•exhibition at the proper season. I do not wish this to be taken 
■as absolutely authoritative until some announcement of the kind is 
made by Mr. Barlow, but I think it will shortly appear. He informed 
me, in course of conversation, that he was on the point of supplying a 
few of the florists at Heading who grow Auriculas, Carnations, and 
Picotees so well, with collections of Tulips, their desire being to hold 
a competition with them at the spring show of the Pveading Horticultural 
-"Society, which is generally held about the third or fourth week in May. 
But were a larger southern circle interested, and especially were they 
set up with bulbs in some such generous way as that I imagine to be in 
'the mind of Mr. Barlow (and 1 think there would be a combination 
Among some of the northern growers to render assistance), it would both 
be possible and highly beneficial to hold an exhibition in connection 
with one of the meetings of the Eoyal Horticultural Society. This is 
"the period of floricultural revivals, and a movement that reaches the 
■florists’ Tulip is, I think, possible, probable, and highly desirable. 
The question is, What sort of Tulips may be .said to be procurable ? I 
‘think I may go to the length of stating that the following are fairly 
jflentiful in the midland districts and the north :—Bizarres, feathered.— 
Sir Joseph Paxton, Masterpiece, Commander, Lord Lilford, Garibaldi, 
Sir Sidney Smith, a variety with a heavy or “ plated ” feather ; Eoyal 
Sovereign, George Haywanl, and William Willison. Bizarres, flamed.— 
Sir Joseph Paxton, Ajax, Dr. Hardy, Masterjiiece, Orion, and William 
Lea. Hoses, feathered.—Mabel, Heroine, Modesty, Industry. Charmer, 
Annie McGregor, and Aglaia. Eoses, flamed.—Mabel, Annie McGregor, 
Madame St. Arnaud, Hose Celestial, Triomphe Eoy.ale, Aglaia, and Lady 
C. Gordon, only that in the case of the last named it is so difficult to 
bleach the base clear of the yellow that so often taints it. Bybloemens, 
feathered.—Talisman. Friar Tuck, Bessie, Adonis, Martin’s 101, and May 
Queen. Bybloemens, flamed.—Friar Tuck, Talisman, Chancellor, Lord 
Denman, Adonis, Duchess of Sutherland, and William Parkinson. 
Breeder Tulips, bizarres.—Excelsior, Horatio, Sir J. Paxton, Eichard 
Yates, and Dr. Hardy. Eoses.—Mabel, Annie McGregor, Miss Burdett 
Coutts, and Mr. Barlow. Bybloemens.—Talisman, Glory of Stakehill, 
George Hardwick, Martin’s 117, and Alice Grey.— Tulipa. 
STEXOGASTRA COXCIXXA. 
An attractive little stove plant is that bearing the above name, 
though it is by no means so showy as some of its relatives in the 
Gesnera family. But the interest of plant houses does not solely depend 
upon occupants with large or brilliant flowers, and sometimes a neat 
little plant like this Stenogastra is quite as much admired as those of 
more striking character. It is not a common plant, but is occasionally 
seen flowering in the Eoj’al Gardens, Kew, and from that establishment 
no. 74.-STEN(JGASTUA (ISOLOWA) CONCINNA. 
some time ago a specimen was shown which is depicted in the illustration 
(fig. 74). The leaves are small and oval, the growths short, and the 
flowers rise in slender stalks only an inch or two above the soil. They 
have a narrow funnel-like tube, with an expanded limb of live lobes— 
the two upper very dark purple, the lower a lighter shade of purplish 
lilac and white, a dark stripe running down the upper part of the tube 
outside, and inside are numerous dark spots. Flowers are produced 
freely, and clustered over the plant have a pleasing appearance. 
Under a somewhat more euphonious generic name this species is 
ranked by several modem botanists—namely, Isoloma, to which several 
other species, previously regarded as of distinct genera, have also been 
added. An example of this is Isoloma hypocyrtiflora, which has been 
called Hypocyrta brevicalyx, Gloxinia, and Eearcca. Stenogastra, or 
Isoloma concinna, is a native of India, whence it was introduced in 
1801, and the plant thrives in moderate heat in a compost of light turfy 
loam, peat, and leaf soil, or the two latter alone will suit it. 
SELECT ALPINE PLANTS. 
GENTIANA ACAULIS. 
My own ideas of a ready good alpine are not based upon any 
particular plant or plants by reason of its rarity, or because it does 
not lend itself readily to the various modes of culture to which it is 
subjected in our English lowland gardens, nor yet because it is 
necessary to get on one’s bands and knees to see its beauty. I 
much prefer showy plants, such, for examp’e, as Gentiana acaulis. 
