448 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
[November 19, 1888. 
personal acquaintance will, I am sure, agree with me in saying their 
integrity is beyond all question. But the fact of Mr. Dunn giving a high 
testimonial to a Grape said to be new, leads Grape .growers like myself to 
believe that by possessing such a one we should be adding to our collection 
a sterling novelty—a valuable late-keeping variety. It has now been 
proved by the Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society, Mr. 
Temple, and myself that this sterling novelty and invaluable late-keeping 
sort is none other than our old friend Alnwick Seedling under a new name. 
To be fair Mr. Dowoie should answer your important question, “ Where 
and by whom the Grape John Downie was raised” (page 310). I think 
some explanation is also due to those who have invested their guineas in 
Vines of the same. Mr. Temple has been good enough to say he discovered 
last year that Alnwick Seedling and John Downie are identical, and drew 
Mr. Downie’s attention to the fact, who, in reply, stated that he believed 
a mistake had occurred in sending out this Vine, and that the real John 
Downie was more like Gros Colman than Alnwick Seedling. 
It appears odd that such an industrious writer as Mr. Temple should 
allow a whole twelve months to pass without mentioning the discovery. 
I would now like to know what ha9 become of the John Downie that was 
said to be like Gros Colman, and if my memory serves me right it was 
also said to have a strong Muscat flavour ; the variety supplied to me is 
clearly devoid of those qualities. Will Mr. Downie enlighten his 
customers, or must they conclude the description has been an exaggeration 1 
—J. McIndoe. 
STRAY NOTES. 
The style of grouping now becoming general in houses, and 
especially in greenhouses and conservatories, is a decided advance on 
the old mixture system, for instead of seeing half a dozen or more plants 
of a kind spread over a whole stage, individually not striking enough to 
attract attention, they are collected together in a group not only showing 
to the best advantage themselves, but the groups may be more readily 
blended one with another. Groups of bedding Pelargoniums showing 
plenty of flowers are just now extremely attractive, the charming contrast 
of the large deep scarlet trusses, backed and intermingled with stray 
flowers of Chrysanthemum is really very fine, and well worth carrying 
out on a large scale. Rhodichiton volubile is also very attractive just 
now, hanging in graceful festoons from the roof, suggesting its use also 
on a more comprehensive scale, not only in the conservatory, but as it 
flowers well during the summer months in the open on south exposures, 
it will be found very useful for temporary rustic work. 
Few pillar plants, except the Cestrums, can vie for present beauty 
at least with Begonia fuchsioides trained up a pillar, and although it has 
flowered all the year, it is just now as attractive, and certainly far more 
welcome than it was months ago. Coronilla corymbosa var. glauca, 
though in all probability hardy against a wall in the open, makes a first- 
rate pot plant, supplying a deep golden yellow shade not quite given 
by any of the Chrysanthemums we have yet seen. It seems to flower freely 
in pots, and may be treated along with the Azaleas, &c., during summer. 
Salvia Bethelii, which differs little, if any, from the S. involucrata, gives 
a rich rosy purple, certainly not surpassed at present, the curious hairy 
hoods of the flowers rendering them quite conspicuous among such species 
as S. Heeri, S. cacaliaefolia, &c. A group of Bouvardias looks very 
well also. A good double white is Alfred Neuner, Yreelandi being 
amongst the best of the single whites, and perhaps the easiest to manage, 
while Dazzler, for a scarlet, can hardly be surpaseed. A mixture of the 
commoner pink-tinted sorts, of which there are a good many, also looks 
well. 
Salvia Pitcberi in groups is really fine, varying with two or three 
distinct tints, from pale to a very rich deep blue. It seems quite distinct 
from S. angustifolia in having larger flowers and broader leaves. Kennedya 
Marryattre, as a rafter plant for roofs, cannot be surpassed. It is just 
now literally covered with bunches of large Pea-like intensely scarlet 
flowers, and well clothed with trifoliate woolly leaves, with the margins 
beautifully crisped or undulated, giving it alvery interesting appearance. 
—M. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM “NOTES” AND CHRYSANTHEMUMS 
FOR DECORATION. 
I AM sorry if not true Mr. Pithers should speak disparagingly of the 
judging at the Dublin Chrysanthemum Show of last year; and if true 
the matter is all the more to be regretted. I need not tell Mr. Pithers 
Dublin contains some as good judges, and I believe I may add as good 
growers as there are in the world, and the fact that through mistake or 
ignorance a cut bloom gets wrongly labelled is no reason whatever to 
twice repeat—last year and again this—the same strictures. Those who 
try to maintain Chrysanthemum or other flower shows in Dublin, or other 
towns in Ireland, to my mind—there being no comparison between the 
difficulties to be contended with in the two countries—should not be looked 
on with a censorious eye, but have their exertions handsomely acknow¬ 
ledged. A few local gentlemen here are getting up a Chrysanthemum 
Show this year for the 27th inst., and so far have met with the warmest 
encouragement, though the times are.still in some respects “ out of joint.” 
Probably I shall be your reporter on the occasion, and I may as well tell 
you beforehand, I will not look too nicely—even if I were competent— 
whether some of my gardening friends made a mistake in labelling a cut 
bloom, or whether my friend Mr. Burbidge, F.L.S. (who has been invited 
to come down as judge), gave a point more or less. Personally, I only 
grow Chrysanthemums for decoration and for my own amusement; a large 
portion of them, at least one thousand, being trained against a southern 
wall, and capable of being protected should severe frost set in. As yet 
not even Dahlias have been injured with me. If such weather could be 
guaranteed every year, such a position and equal facilities, of course no 
one would bother growing Chrysanthemums for cutting in pots. I have 
larger blooms of the Christine and Mrs. George Bundle family, Empress 
of India, Refulgence, Cassandra, Lady Slade, Fingal, Prince of Wales, 
Golden Queen of England (at least C inches across), Dr. Sharp, and 
Emperor of China and so on, not to mention Japanese, Pompons, or 
Hybrid Pompons, thus planted out than those I have in pots. Some 
experts have seen and admired their unexpected size and substance, but 
especially the colours. As a matter of faet, the colours never come out as 
well indoors. Then whenever a lady visitor calls, I can always supply a 
large bouquet of blooms, and these outdoor-grown blooms last at least a 
week longer ia vases than pot-grown forced blooms indoors, besides being 
much brighter. This, of course, may not apply to the same extent, in largo 
manufacturing towns so well as in the country ; but as a matter of fact, 
every country gentleman’s residence, every villa and suburban garden, 
especially those with vacant spare southern walls, should have them bright 
and gorgeous during this dark and gloomy month.—W. J. Murphy, 
Clonmel. 
MOWING MACHINES. 
How often in many gardens do we find, after the mowing season is 
over, the machines put away and left until the spring before any attempt 
is made to clean them ; yet, what time is more convenient than the 
autumn or early winter months for the operation ? Should the grass be 
wet the last time the machine is used the blades and bottom cutting plate 
would immediately become rusted. This, if left for any length of time, 
will act seriously on the most important part of the implement, and be 
sure to affect its working and lasting capabilities. It is a good plan to rub 
a little oil or grease over these parts before the machine is put aside when 
last used, as this would prevent rust. We choose the first wet day con¬ 
venient, and take to pieces and clean every part of the machine 
thoroughly. An old table-knife and a spoke brush we find most useful 
for the purpose. The roller adjustments are generally the most difficult 
parts to dissect, but a man used to the machine and who takes an interest 
in it would soon surmount the difficulty. Twice a year is not too often 
to go through the process of cleaning if time could be found, but this is 
an exception, I think, rather than the rule in most places. The early 
winter months are preferred to the spring, as at this time the routine 
work is not of such importance as at the latter time, and it sometimes 
happens when so left that it is never done at all.—S. B. 
IN THE VALLEY OF THE WILBERFORCE. 
( Continued from 'page 409.) 
Friday morning broke brightly, and we made sure of a good day's 
collection in Happy Valley and Rebel Creek, which flows into the Moa 
River a short distance above the camp. Senecio Lyalli with pure white 
flowers and dark green foliage was growing near the water. It was 
evident that this valley has been filled with ice in winter, a mass remain¬ 
ing unmelted, with water running through a tunnel beneath. This valley 
bears due south, and the ice had but recently melted ; so that vegeta¬ 
tion was springing up. At one place in a bed of broken rock and 
shingle there was a grand Alpine garden. Both the yellow and 
white Mountain Lilies by the thousand were in full bloom, interspersed 
with the white Marigold (Senecio Lyalli) ; Ligusticum prolifera, 
with its highly ornamental foliage, was dotted about among the 
Lilies, and even the little Montias were represented in thi3 natural 
garden. The most graphic description would fail to give an adequate 
idea of the purity and beauty of these Alpine flowers when seen in their 
natural habitat in broken ground among rocks and boulders, piled up 
in every conceivable position as the glaciers and floods have left them. 
Only one variety of Aciphylla grew in this cold valley which the sun 
never enters. Everything was frozen ; indeed it was dangerous work, as we 
could get very little grip with our feet on the shingle slips, which had 
become transformed into ice slides. On a cliff we saw a fine patch of 
Edelweiss, far out of reach, also large plants of Ranunculus Godleyanus 
just coming into bloom. Polystichum cystostegium, the Alpine Fern, 
adds much to the beauty of the scenery, its green fronds contrasting with 
the rocks. On a bank of shingle and rocks were small patches of the 
pretty annual Euphrasia antarctica; Raoulias were represented by 
several varieties, australis and subcericea being the most prevalent. 
Mosses and Lichens grew on every rock, but few were in fruit. Of 
Acmnas there were several species, adecendens and microphylla occurred 
very often in the Moa river bed. Coriaria thymifolia, the little Tutu, was 
plentiful, looking very much like the garden Thyme. Veronica linifolia 
with its delicate pink flowers grew in the river bed, also V. Bidwillii, which 
was in seed. t . 
Arrived in camp at six o’clock, and shortly afterwards a nor -wester 
set in, the wind blowing down the gully with great force. The hot wma 
of the plains is very different in the ranges ; the rain came down in 
torrents, and by six o’clock next morning we could hear the boulders 
crashing down the creek. Looking out of the door of the whare on 
Saturday morning we saw what one night’s rain from the nor’-west can do. 
The North Creek was full from bank to bank, the waves rolling upi 2 or 
3 feet high. It rained heavily nearly all Saturday, but cleared up 
on Sunday afternoon, and the rivers fell almost as quickly as they ha 
risen. 
