November 14, 1880. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTWULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
419 
that of the Rhododendron, or female parent, in every detail of import¬ 
ance. That of the Azalea was markedly different, being obovate instead of 
lanceolate ; toothed and not entire ; covered with fibrous hairs instead 
of being glabrous above, with minute peltate scales below; the cell- 
walls of the epidermis being sinuate instead of straight; and the pro¬ 
portion of stomata being less than in the Rhododendron as well as the 
cross. The hairs of Azalea are very peculiar in structure. They grow 
on the branches, petioles, midrib, and veins below, and generally scat¬ 
tered over the upper surface of the leaf. They are composed of 
numerous fibres resembling short liber-fibres, graduated in length so 
that the longest form the point of the hair. Mr. Henslow observed 
that he could not discover any previous description of such a structure, 
which appears to have been hitherto overlooked. He also examined 
the foliage of the dwarf plant, sister to the above cross. The anatomical 
details exhibited a very considerable amount of arrest of structure, 
the number of cells being nearly twice that of the Rhododendron in 
consequence of their minute size, with fewer stomata. It also agreed 
in most other respects both with the sister-cross, as well as with the 
Rhododendron, except that the shape was more elliptical, and possessed 
glandular hairs instead of peltate scales. It was observable that this 
cross followed the supposed rule that the female parent imparted its 
likeness to the foliage, while the male parent supplied that of the flowers. 
Mr. Henslow observed that in the 150 hybrids and crosses raised by 
Mr. Veitch, amongst seven East Indian species of Rhododendron, the 
rule was found to fail entirely, in that each parent would impart cer¬ 
tain peculiarities either to the flowers or leaves, according to its own 
prepotency, but the cause of such a power was at present unknown. 
Reversion in Potatoes .—At a meeting of the Scientific Committee on 
November 13th, 1888, Mr. W. G. Smith exhibited a Potato which was 
the result of a reversion. Mr. Fenn had crossed two long sorts of 
kidney Potatoes—viz.. Early Coldstream and the Early Ashleaf. The 
result was a globular form which he called W. G. Smith. After 
eighteen years, during which this had come true, one plant suddenly re¬ 
verted to the original type. The specimen exhibited was 5J inches long, 
the round one being about 24 inches in diameter. Mr. Henslow planted 
these tubers in March, 1889, and the round Potato yielded only 
1 lb. 8 ozs. of small tubers ; the long one, planted by the side of it, 
gave 6 lbs. of large sized tubers. Not only were the tubers true to their 
kinds, but the foliage was very distinct. 
Clematis Vitalba. —Mr. Henslow exhibited a photograph of, and de¬ 
scribed a plant of the Traveller’s Joy, or Old Man’s Beard, which grows 
in his garden near Drayton Green, Ealing. It is evidently of great age, 
as the stem at the base is about 9 inches in circumference. From this 
proceed several thick branches ; half of the plant then spreads over a 
thick Holly hedge about 5 to 8 feet in height. The Clematis extends to 
about 30 feet each way, completely covering it with foliage and dense 
masses of blossom. One branch crosses an arched trellis and climbs to 
the roof of the house, whence, intermingling with Virginian Creeper, 
hangs in long festoons to the ground. The superficial area covered by 
the part on the hedge alone is about 150 square yards. The remarkable 
feature in the case is the enormous and vigorous growth the Clematis 
has made, and yet it is in ground with only a foot or two of earth over 
fine red gravel, constituting the uppermost and most ancient of the 
gravel beds of the Thames, there being, as far as is known, not a trace 
of calcareous matter in the soil. Nevertheless, the plant is usually de¬ 
scribed as a chalk-loving species. At all events, it is found abundantly 
on the chalk of Kent, the oolitic limestones near Cheltenham, and the 
carboniferous limestone near Bristol, <fcc. Mr. Burbidge suggested that 
it was just possible, growing so close to the house, that there might have 
been buried there a quantity of old mortar, &c. The ground, however, 
was lately excavated for a drain within 4 and 10 feet, when nothing but 
red gravel was exposed. 
Fruit Committee. —Present—John Lee, Esq., in the chair ; and 
Messrs. H. J. Veitch, G. W. Cummins, F. Q. Lane, H. Balderson, W. 
Bates, G. Wythes, W. Wildsmith, J. Hudson, W. Denning, and J. T. 
Saltmarsh. Mr. W. Miller, gardener to Lord Foley, Ruxley Lodge, 
Esher, sent a basket of clean and excellent Mushrooms grown on an 
outside bed spawned in September. Mr. G. Wythes, The Gardens, Syon 
House, sent a good ripe fruit of Monstera deliciosa, for which a 
cultural commendation was unanimously awarded. Mr. H. Balderson 
sent bunches of ten varieties of Grapes cut from one house. The 
varieties were Alicante, Gros Colman, Madresfie’d Court, Foster’s 
Seedling, Golden Champion, Trebbiano, Black Hamburgh, Duchess of 
Buccleuch, Muscat of Alexandria, and Mrs. Pince. Some of them were 
very good, especially the Muscats, and fine berries of Golden Champion. 
A vote of thanks was accorded. The Brussels Sprouts growing in the 
garden were examined by the Committee. Three marks of merit were 
recorded for Paris Market (Vilmorin) and Northaw Prize, two marks 
being placed to Veitch’s Exhibition and Early Dwarf Paris Market 
(Oakshott & Millard). 
Floral and Orchid Committee. —Present—W. Marshall, Esq., in 
the chair ; and Messrs. Shirley Hibberd, W. Holmes, G. Paul, J. O’Brien, 
H. M. Pollett, J. Laing, P. Blair, H. Turner, J. Walker, II. Herbst, 
F. W. Burbidge, and C. Noble. 
A magnificent collection of Carnations in pots was exhibited by Mr. 
Jennings, gardener to Leopold de Rothschild, Esq., Ascot. The variety 
was named Miss Joliffe Improved. All the plants were blooming with 
great freedom, and a silver medal was awarded. A cultural commenda¬ 
tion was awarded to Begonia Adonis as a winter flowering variety. It 
was exhibited by Messrs. J. Veitch &; Sons, and had previously received 
a first-class certificate. The Orchids exhibited by Mr. Cowley, 
gardener to F. G. Tautz, Esq., were referred to the Scientific Com¬ 
mittee, which see. 
THE CULTURE OF ACHIMENES. 
In small gardens, where the stove is made to contribute not 
only to its own embellishment but to the adorning of the green¬ 
house and sitting-room during the summer, few races of plants can 
present greater claims to the attention of the amateur than those 
included in the natural order of the Gesneraceae. This statement 
will more particularly apply to those plants possessing bulbous and 
scaly tubercles, such as the Gloxinia, the Gesnera, and the Achi- 
menes, as they contain the following desirable requisites— They 
are easily cultivated ; when well grown they are splendid in appear, 
auce ; when brought into flower they will stand in any place under 
glass, partially shaded, until late in the autumn ; they can be made 
to flower at almost any season ; aDd, finally, when they cease 
flowering and the leaves decayed the tubers may be kept in a ary 
condition in any out-of-the-way place, provided the temperature 
does not fall below 40°. 
We shall, for the present, confine ourselves to the Achimeues 
all of which species and varieties have scaly tubers. 
Propagation can be effected by seeds, but unless for obtaining 
variet es by hybridising it is not worth saving, as even the leaves 
root freely Small tubers are formed in the axils of the leaves of 
many of them, and, in all, plenty of full-sized tubers are found 
beneath the soil when the plants have finished their growth. 
Instead of placing the tubers into their intended pots and boxes 
at once, it is better to place them in shallow pans, using any light 
soil just slightly moist, and doing little more than cover them. A 
little damp moss placed on the surface will be an advantage. Very 
little water should be given before the tubers begin to grow, 
after which it may be given more freely. By this method you will 
be enabled to choose the strongest growing plants for the centre of 
the pots. A temperature of about 60° should be maintainrd, and 
if early in the spring a little bottom heat would cause them to come 
all the better. 
