112 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 8, 18:9. 
and has only one great fault ; the price places it beyond the reach 
of many of us, unless at the sacrifice of other plants. It is quoted 
at from 2s. 6d. to (Is., and the amateur is apt to pause and reflect 
upon the many bulbs he could buy for even 2s. 6d. before invest¬ 
ing in the grand double white Colchicum. 
Another neat flower is C. variegatum, which is dwarfer than 
C. autumnale, and is beautifully chequered with rose, purple, and 
white. It is a native of the Levant, and was, I understand, in¬ 
troduced about1G29. 
A still more desirable species is C. byzantinum, said to have 
been introduced from Constantinople about the same time. It has 
handsome soft lilac mauve flowers and broad leaves, which, like 
those of the other Colchicums, do not appear till spring. There is, 
I believe, a fine double form of this and a variety with variegated 
leaves, the latter very rare ; but I have not met with either of 
them. 
The largest of the single-flowered species is known as 
C. speciosum, which has rich rose coloured flowers, and the best 
variety, which is difficult to obtain true, is known as C. speciosum 
rubrum, and has reddish stems. It is still comparatively ex¬ 
pensive, although much cheaper than C. autumnale album plenum. 
There are at least ten other autumn-flowering Colchicums in 
commerce, but I am not sufficiently acquainted with their merits 
to venture any remarks upon them. The genus is not exhausted, 
however, as there are two spring species in commerce, a new 
C. luteum, yellow, as its name denotes, which I have not yet seen, 
and another, C. crocifiorum, which has been in cultivation for a 
long time, but is not often met with. That in my garden is white 
internally with blackish purple base, and the greater part of the 
exterior petals of the same colour edged with white. When it has 
been well established and increased to some extent it will have a 
good appearance. There is, however, such a wealth of colour 
among the Crocuses in spring that a good stock of the autumn 
Colchicums should be secured before venturing upon the spring 
species. 
It is unnecessary to give details as to the culture of such easily 
grown plants. They should be purchased as soon as they can be 
had from the dealers and planted 3 or 4 inches deep in fairly good 
soil. If secured early they will bloom well the same autumn, and, 
increasing from year to year, will form good clumps, giving the 
owner and all observers much pleasure in the late autumn days, 
when the leaves are falling and Nature is fast assuming her winter 
garb. Let me add an expression of opinion that the Colchicums 
will give most satisfaction if carpeted with some plant which will 
give the flowers the natural support afforded by surrounding vege¬ 
tation in their native habitats, but which would not be injured by 
their luxuriant leaves in spring. —S. Arnott, Rosedene, Kirk- 
lean, N.B. 
SEASONABLE HINTS ON FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
As I have more than once intimated, I do not pretend in these notes 
to do more than refer to the work that I find necessary in my own 
garden, that L do not grow flowers for exhibition, and that my collec¬ 
tions are really selections, and limited, therefore, in the number of the 
varieties grown. There are some persons who grow one, or at most 
two kinds of florists’ flowers, and they are consequently able to look 
after and manage a large collection, but with me the case is different. 
I like to have a succession of flowers, and so begin in the spring with 
Auriculas, then following with Pansies, Ranunculus, Roses, Carnations 
and Picotees, Gladioli, and ending with Chrysanthemums. I attain my 
object, it may be at the expense of completeness in any of them, but 
with the increase of pleasure to myself, i have not yet fallen into the 
practice of counting all flowers that are grown in collections - Fuchsias, 
Cinerarias, Pentstemons, &c.—as florists’ flowers, and, with the excep¬ 
tion of the Rose, adhere to those what were so regarded by the older 
florists, although they would have been puzzled to give a definition of 
them, or why they admitted them and excluded others. 
Auriculas. —I believe, on the whole, that it has been a favourable 
season so far for these flowers. We have had no intense July heat, the 
thermometer here in Kent has never gone into the eighties, and a cool 
July is favourable to the Auricula. They will soon, as the weather 
seems as if was coming warmer, require more attention as to watering. 
All dead or decaying leaves should be removed, weeds should be pulled 
up, and the surface of the soil gently stirred. If the woolly aphis is 
observed round the neck or collar of the plant, it is well to remove it 
but otherwise we need not trouble ourselves about it, for I think more 
experience has convinced us that we were wrong in attributing to it 
such destructive powers, although there was a good deal to be said on 
the prima facie view of the case, that a beast that apparently lived on 
the juices of the roots could not be otherwise than destructive. As to 
autumn blooming, I believe it to be very much a question of varieties, 
some being more apt to do it than others, but nothing must be done to 
encourage it, and the frames should be kept as open as possible and 
shaded from the sun. 
Carnations and Picotees.—N ow is the time when the important 
operation of layering will have to be carried out, and where the collec¬ 
tion is large it will absorb a good deal of time ; where it is small, as in 
my own case, it can be taken more leisurely. The first thing to be done 
is to go through the plants and see what have run— i.e., lost their 
character and become seifs, the stripe having run into the white and so 
spoilt d the flower. These should be either cut away or pulled up, 
unless, as in some cases, they have become very bright seifs, when they 
may be reserved for the border, but carefully marked so as not to re¬ 
produce them again in the collection. The cause of this seems still to 
be a mystery. It is more common amongst Carnations than Picotees, 
and as its cause is unknown no remedy can be proposed. A supply of 
pegs for layering should be procured, and where Brake abounds there is 
nothing so good. They are firm, and yet generally decay by the time 
the layer is fit to be taken off. The compost for layering them in 
should now also be got ready ; loam, leaf mould, and some road grit 
forms an excellent one. It must be light and open, so that the young 
rootlets may speedily make their way into it, whilst it must have 
sufficient consistency not to be washed away in the process of watering. 
It is now that one great advantage of growing them in pots is realised. 
The pot can be placed on a bank on a level with the operator, and 
thus all stooping is avoided. The operation of layering is a very simple 
one, but like a good many simple things is not easily explained without 
the use of illustrations ; but as the possession of a collection implies 
almost the knowledge how to layer, it will be unnecessary to explain it, 
and, indeed, its success depends more, perhaps, on other things than on 
the layering itself. Thus it is necessary before commencing to see that 
the earth in the pot is thoroughly wet, or the plants will suffer, as 
gentle watering will be the rule afterwards. We must also be assured 
as to the condition of the shoots to be layered, for if they are not 
sufficiently hard the cut joint will probably rot, and so the layer be 
lost, and if too hard the probability is that it will not send forth any 
roots, but the joint will simply harden and so be useless. The old soil 
in the pot should be removed to about an inch in depth, and the fresh 
compost put in its place unless the soil has sunk a good deal, when it 
will be only necessary to stir the surface. This is one of the few cases 
in which I ever allow a sieve to be used, but it is admirable in this, and 
the soil before being used for layering may be, nay, ought to be, passed 
through one. After layering the soil should be watered with a fine rose, 
and the pots sheltered for a little while from heavy rain, but in a week 
or ten days they may be placed where they will be fully exposed to the 
weather. 
Gladioli. —This is the month which is to reward the grower for all 
his pains, or perhaps to give him sore disappointment. A good deal 
depends, of course, on the weather ; but I think there is little doubt 
that a dry and warm August, which for so many reasons we hope to 
have, is more favourable to them than the wet cold season we had last 
year. 1 find they are showing at what I believe to be their normal 
time, thus some of the earlier flowering varieties are making their 
appearance. Shakespeare was in bloom on July 28th ; Nereide, Pasteur, 
and others, which are marked A on Vilmorin’s catalogue as the first to 
flower, are opening, and I imagine the season will be at least three 
weeks earlier than last year. Those growers who care to have their 
flowers in perfection will be careful to stake each as it advances into 
bloom. The spikes come in so many different ways that it is well to 
see what direction it is about to take before staking. The stems should 
be tied in two or three places, and loose enough to allow room for the 
stem, but not so loose as to endanger its being snapped across. Should 
the weather be very hot and dry watering must be resorted to, and 
when done the beds should have a thorough watering, as small 
applications are of little use. There is but little chance of seeing any of 
these fine flowers at exhibitions until next month, and by that time I 
imagine the best blooms in or near the metropolis will be over; hut 
when “ everybody is out of town ” it is useless attempting a flower 
show, and London has been so used up this season that it would require 
a great deal to arouse it; but wherever notes can be taken there the 
grower should be ready to watch for new new flowers, or old ones which 
he has perhaps missed. It ought to be a good season for saving seed, 
and where this is desired the stems should be left tied to the stakes ; 
but where there is no wish to save seed they ought to be removed as 
soon as the bloom is over. 
Pansies. —The small collection I have of these is now planted out in 
a shady part of my garden, where they for the present simply require to 
be kept free from weeds, and to be watered when the weather is dry. 
Roses. —After the first bloom is over it is too much the fashion to 
leave Roses to themselves, but this is unwise: good blooms may jet 
be had from this year’s shoots, where disbudding must be as carefully 
practised now as in the earlier part of the season. Another point often 
neglected—viz., tying out the newly formed shoots, so as to let all the 
air and light possible into the trees. Where mildew has appeared, 
sulphide of potassium will be found the most useful preparation, but I 
do not think that at this stage of their growth mildew permanently 
injures the plant, although it very much disfigures it. Waterings with 
liquid manure are now very useful, and if Roses were better treated at 
this season of the year I am inclined to think they would pay for it 
next season. There is every prospect of a good autumnal bloom amongst 
the Teas, which thus doubly earn gratitude from Rose growers. 
I add nothing on the culture of Chrysanthemums at this very 
important season of their growth, forthey are largely discoursed upon in 
the Journal by able growers. My collection, which is grown for our 
own pleasure, looks exceedingly well, with capital healthy foliage. 
Tulips and Ranunculus are now reposing quietly in their respective 
