October 15, 1385. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
330 
or for growing on as specimens in pots. The great point in the success¬ 
ful culture of these is to encourage a vigorous growth, never to allow 
them to get into a stunted or weakly habit, and to keep them free from 
all insect pests. Soil is not of so much importance as some might sup¬ 
pose, for we have seen vigorous and freely flowering Lapagerias in many 
composts from charcoal to pure loam. 
GREENHOUSE RHODODENDRONS. 
The Chelsea nursery has long been the especial home of introduced 
nnd home-raised Rhododendrons of the group known as greenhouse varie¬ 
ties, and nothing has dons so much to popularise these useful as the 
numerous hybrids which hare been obtained by this firm. The term 
greenhouse,” as applied to them is, however, misleading, for they re- 
■quire a rather warmer temperature than usually provided in such struc¬ 
tures, though whilst in flower they will stand in a cool house very well. 
At other times a temperature intermediate between a stove and a green¬ 
house is the best for them. The old Taylori is still a favourite, and 
deservedly so, for it produces its trusses of bright pink flowers most freely 
and continuously. Queen Victoria, with buff flowers ; Duchess of Edin¬ 
burgh, buff ; Maiden’s Blush, a delicate rose-tinted form, and the species 
R. javanicum are all flowering well, and are more or less known in col¬ 
lections. A house filled with these and other varieties is very attractive 
now, but it is in another house where the more recent and greatly im¬ 
proved hybrids are found. Amongst the hundreds of seedlings that have 
been raised from careful well-considered crosses, some are constantly 
flowering, and varieties with scarlet, rose, blush, yellow, buff, and white 
flowers of great merit are noted every week, Those showing strongly 
marked characteristics receive names, and the others are consigned to 
the rubbish heap. Fortunately, however, there are not many that have 
to be cast out in this way, and fresh shades of colour are constantly being 
obtained, together with increased substance of flower. A series of double 
forms are being secured, and a grand addition has recently been made to 
these in a white-flowered variety named ft. balsamiflorum album, which 
has beautifully formed blooms much like a Tuberose, and as pure as a 
white Camellia. Rose and yellow varieties of R. balsamiflorum named 
respectively have already been raised, so that there is now a trio of double 
varieties that will become great favourites, the flowers being particularly 
well suited for buttonholes or bouquets. 
BOUVARDIAS. 
As flower-yielding plants Bouvardias have become of the utmost im¬ 
portance in gardens .and they furnish most welcome supplies of bright 
or delicately tinted blooms, the value of which cannot be over-estimated 
for bouquets and floral decorations generally. One house at Chelsea has 
now been gay for some weeks, and will continue so for a long time, with 
a choice collection of the best varieties, amongst which the following are 
very notable :—Priory Beauty, one of the finest varieties in cultivation, 
very strong in habit, most floriferous, bearing compact trusses of charm¬ 
ing soft pink flowers. In every respect this is a grand variety, and though 
as yet but little known it will soon take a foremost place in gardens where 
these plants receive special attention. Reine des Roses is also a free and 
pretty rose-coloured variety ; Dazzler is bright rosy scarlet, good habit, 
and free-flowering ; rosea oculata is distinct, the tube rose-tinted, the lobes 
white ; Vreelandi and umbellata alba are the best whites, both free and 
with substantial flowers ; Hogarth and elegans, scarlet; umbellata carnea, 
soft pink; Humboldti corymbiflora, white, long handsome flowers ; and 
longiflora flammea, scarlet, are all good single vareities, while of the 
doubles Alfred Neuner still holds its own, producing the best formed 
flowers. 
WINTER FLOWERING CARNATIONS. 
These form another series of useful plan f s for autumn and winter, and 
a house is devoted to a collection of the most effective varieties. One that 
>9 especially worthy of notice is Mrs. Keen, which has dark maroon 
highly fragrant flowers, produced in great numbers. It is also of such a 
tall strong-growing habit that it is admirably adapted for training to the 
roof of greenhouse or conservatory, and in such a position affords an 
almost perpetual supply of flower 1 . For training as a specimen on a 
globular or other formed trellis it is also well suited ; but the first-named 
method is much the better. A few only of the leading varieties can be 
named, and all are so beautiful that it is difficult to make a selection, 
Lucifer, scarlet, free ; Princess Stephanie, blush white; Pride of Pens- 
hurst, yellow, perhaps the best of its colour, certainly very free and with 
fine blooms; Juliette, rosy purple; Van Houttei, scarlet; Sir Evelyn 
W ood, rich crimson purple, a fine shade of colour, and most handsome 
variety ; Phcenix, dark crimson ; Alexandre Regnier, yellow ; Sir Charles 
"Wilson, cerise, the flowers very full, and with cut edges ; Andalusia, 
yellow, very floriferous; Lady Macbeth, delicate pink; Wbipper-in, 
scarlet, streaked with maroon ; L’Hermine, white ; M. Jacotot, white, 
flaked with pink ; Ruby, violet purple ; and Lord RoVeby, scarlet. Those 
named have been selected chiefly for their floriferous qualities, which can 
be fully appreciated where large quantities of flowers are in demand. 
IXORAS. 
A house of Ixoras cannot be seen in every garden, and ODly in few 
nurseries, yet they are handsome plants when well grown, and their 
compact globular trusses of brigh’ly coloured flowers are very beautiful 
amongst other stove flowering or foliage plants. The old Ixora coccinea 
is still among the best in brightness of hue, and it is moreover of good 
habit. Another form now flowering at Chelsea is I. Burbidgei, which is 
regarded as an improved variety of I. salicifolia, the leaves similarly 
long and tapering, but it is of stronger habit, the flowers rich orange- 
red in fine trusses. I, "Williamsi is also of fine colour, while I. odorata 
is remarkable for the great size of the white or blush-coloured trusses, 
which sometimes exceed 9 inches in diameter. I. Westi is of the same 
type, with broad handsome leaves and huge trusses of delicate rose- 
tinted flowers. In the same house some plants of Ipomiea Thompsoni 
trained to the rafters are showing blooms abundantly, and will shortly 
afford grand display. Batatas paniculata is grown with the above, and 
flowers freely, though they do not last very long. 
PITCHER PLANTS. 
Wonderful as have been the displays of these plants in previous years, 
they are still finer this season, and the houses devoted to them present a 
most extraordinary sight. Hundreds of variously formed and diversely 
coloured pitchers are hanging from the gigantic Nepenthes Rajah, the 
grandly coloured N. Nortbiana, and the peculiar N. bicalcarata to the 
diminutive N. ampullaria, N. Morganiae, N. intermedia, N. Hookeri, N. 
Rafflesi, N. cincta, and many others attract attention in turn, but one of 
the best in colour and freedom of pitchering” is N. Mastersiana, of 
which there is a grand stock. Of this superb Nepenthes there are 
numbers of plants in baskets 8 inches square, bearing twenty-five to 
thirty pitchers of a deep rich red colour, and clustering closely around 
the baskets. The plants alone are well worth a visit, and a better time 
than the present could not be chosen. 
There are numberless other attractions at Chelsea just now ; for 
instance, the great collection of Orchids always contains something good 
in flower. Then there are the miscellaneous stove and greenhouse plants, 
amongst the former being the magnificent Anthuriums, and of the latter 
the Heaths and the newly imported Azaleas are in superb condition. Pre¬ 
parations are also being made for the annual exhibition of Chrysanthe¬ 
mums, of which a large collection is grown, and in a few weeks’ time they 
will furnish an additional feature. 
POTATOES FROM SEED. 
I know nothing more interesting to the amateur than raising 
new varieties of Potatoes from the seed, for the results are so 
varied and surprising. This year I raised numerous seedlings from 
American Purple, and as they grew it was wonderful to observe 
how distinct the foliage of each was. Although fifty per cent, of 
the seedlings turned out to be blue the haulm of each one was 
different in some respect from the others. The shades of blue were 
varied also, and whilst one seedling was of an exceptionally light 
blue colour another was so very dark, so near approaching black, 
that I have called it “ Niger.” In addition to the blues there were 
pink kidneys, pink rounds, a bright magenta round and kidney, 
white rounds and white kidneys, and a flesh-coloured round. The 
haulm varied from 2 feet high to only 6 inches, and the tubers from 
the size of marbles to that of a cricket ball. I have selected fifteen 
of the most promising, and trust next year that I may be able to 
seleet at any rate half a dozen out of these, and no doubt the year 
after I shall be able to settle whether they are all worthless, or 
perchance one or more of good quality and constitution. 
It may interest some of those who have never raised seedling 
Potatoes to know how I went about it. Last year I picked a few 
seed balls and hung them up to dry till this spring, when I broke 
them into pieces and planted the seed in boxes, which I placed in 
my Melon frame. When 2 inches high I moved them into a cool 
frame, and gradually hardened them off. In May I dibbed them 
out in a bed and kept them clean, moulding them up when they 
grew strong, and raising them a few days ago. The trouble is but 
little, and I consider that they are well worth a little time and 
care. —H. S. Easty. 
FOSTER’S SEEDLING GRAPE CRACKING. 
J. W., The Elms," puts his case very clearly as a questioner, then 
gives himself the answer. Let me give him my thoughts by way of sug¬ 
gestions. First I will take the situation of the house in which we will 
say this Vine is planted. Of course, we will take it for granted that the 
vinery faces the south.Now comes the question, Is the Vine at either end 
or middle of the house ? Say it is at the south-east corner, and this a 
shady onp, so that when the sun gets to a certain height it is on it all at 
once, with the result that cracking takes place at once, simply by the 
steaming of the berries. To avoid this leave ventilation on all night at the 
front for this particular Vine, and increase it early in the morning. I have 
no hesitation in saying much better results are or would be obtained by 
haviDg the Vine either in the middle of the house or even at the south¬ 
west-end. Opening the door or doors with increase of bright sun in 
changeable weather will materially reduce cracking. Heavy cropping of 
itself is a check to cracking, but then if fed by stimulants it is commenced 
at once. Starting the house with fire late just when the buds are showing 
signs of pushing and thus ripening late, no cracking will appear. 
Many plants in a vinery is a fruitful source of evil, and certainly contri¬ 
bute to cracking. If Vine roots are outside the mulching is generally re¬ 
moved at midsummer, thus exposing the border to the drying influence of 
wind and sun; and if roots are near the surface, as they should be, they 
sutler, and when rain occurs there is another help to cracking. 
Foster’s Seedling is not generally a cracking Grape, certainly not with 
