JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April 25, 1089. 
331 
with Mr. Cookson of Wylam on-Tyne, amongst them being one of 
the hybrid.” This flowered at Oak wood in 1885, and was shown at 
South Kensington on March 10th of that year under the name of 
D. nobiiissimum. Flowers were sent to Prof. Reichenbach, but 
through some misunderstanding he named it D. nobile Cooksonianum, 
though it had previously for some time borne the name of Heath- 
fieldianum. In February, 1888, both Sir Trevor Lawrence and Mr. 
H. M. Pollett exhibited plants at South Kensington for which 
certificates were awarded, and at the meeting on March 13th of that 
year a very strong plant was shown by Mr. Perkins from the Green¬ 
land Gardens, Henley-on-Thames, when a cultural commendation 
was awarded for it. Another peculiar variety of somewhat similar 
style— i.e., D. nobile Tollianum, has the colouring more confined to 
the margins of the petals. The name Cooksonianum was the first 
published, and priority for that reason has been given to it by the 
Committee, but it was admittedly applied in error, as Mr. Cookson 
did not advise Prof. Reichenbach respecting the source whence he 
obtained his plants. It is perhaps questionable under these circum¬ 
stances whether it would not have been better to adopt the more 
appropriate and earlier name of Heathfieldianum.—L. C. 
HOW TO KEEP A CONSERVATORY GAY 
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 
[A paper by J. Barrv, awarded the second prize in the competition for Mrs. Lee’s 
prizes, offered to the members ol the Chiswick Gardeners’ Improvement Association.] 
Attached as many conservatories now are to the dwelling-house, 
and communicating with the dining or drawing room, it is important 
that they should be kept as gay as possible throughout the year, and 
I hope in the course of my essay to be able to show how their attractive¬ 
ness may be maintained without a break during the twelve months. I 
will, to render my remarks as clear as possible, divide the year into 
sections, and will first deal with the subjects flowering from 
CHRISTMAS TO EASTER. 
We will suppose it to be the festive season ; or, as we are only con¬ 
cerned with the floral aspect of it, let us see how that can be rendered 
truly bright. This is a period which may be considered a flowerless one. 
Not so, however. Such a host of beautiful decorative plants are at the 
service of the gardener during this period, extending from Christmas to 
Easter, that to enumerate them all within the limits of such a paper as 
this would be simply impossible. Many deserving plants may, therefore, 
in the process of selection, be reluctantly omitted. 
Late Chrysanthemums will be extremely useful at Christmas ; and 
the midwinter exhibitions of these popular flowers have strikingly shown 
us what an abundance of suitable material they afford. For Christmas 
decoration the sweet-scented white Roman Hyacinth is specially valu¬ 
able, as it may be grown in any out-of-the-way corner, planted thickly 
in boxes or pots, and forced into flower as required. The Paper White 
Narcissus is also valuable just then, as it is of easy cultivation, and excel¬ 
lent for forcing. Poinsettias, with their brilliant scarlet bracts, and 
Euphorbia jacquiniaeflora, with its glowing red flowers, are capital 
decorative plants, and the delight of all who see them. A brief cultural 
note or two on the popular Poinsettia may not be out of place here. 
Cuttings should be taken in the spring, with a heel to them ; the shorter 
they are the better. The compost should be prepared beforehand, and 
be placed in the hothouse to warm before inserting the cuttings. The 
compost should consist of equal parts of leaf mould and loam, with a 
good sprinkling of sand. Insert the cuttings singly in 3-inch pots, and 
plunge in a mild hotbed, with a top heat ranging from 60° to 70°. As 
soon as roots reach the sides of the pots the plants should be shifted into 
others of larger size, and be gradually hardened during the summer 
months. 
Indian and Ghent Azaleas will afford substantial aid, so rich and 
effective are the colours of their flowers. The Indian section succeeds 
best potted firmly in a compost of equal parts of good fibrous peat and 
loam, with plenty of coarse sand, the potting being done after the 
plants have finished blooming, while the handsome Ghent varieties 
luxuriate if planted out in the spring and lifted in the autumn. Azalea 
mollis is invaluable for forcing. Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora 
is also useful for forcing, being highly ornamental, with its great 
pyramidal panicles of large white flowers. A number of the Daffodils 
take kindly to gentle forcing, as was admirably illustrated by an 
extensive bank of these beautiful and popular flowers exhibited at the 
February meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society at Westminster. 
The Moutan Paeonies must not be overlooked, for they may be well 
called the grandest of all subjects for forcing, as they flower profusely, 
and are very effective when well-established plants can be had and 
potted in November. There is now a large number of varieties of 
bold characteristic beauty, and the flowers are rich in colour, and produce 
a brilliant effect. These plants deserve to be much more generally 
cultivated for decorative purposes than at present appears to be the case. 
If prizes were offered for a collection at one of our early spring shows, 
it might be the means of causing some of the growers to come to the 
front, and prove to demonstration their great value. Staphylea colchica, 
a deciduous shrub, bearing a profusion of sweetly scented white flowers, 
may be well recommended for early forcing. A newer introduction, 
Kalanchoe carnea, also deserves notice. It is a dwarf-growing succulent, 
bearing pinkish, waxy Daphne-like flowers delicately perfumed. It is, 
moreover, free in flowering, with good habit and of easy culture. In a 
word, it is valuable for winter-flowering, and one that should be very 
generally cultivated. A good greenhouse shrub is Chois/a ternata, 
bearing a profusion of its pure white star-shaped flowers. Another 
sweetly scented and well-known useful plant is Boronia megastigma, 
which in the greenhouse blooms naturally early in the year. 
Rhododendrons will assuredly give a good return. Early Gem is a 
dwarf-growing and very free and early-flowering variety, very hardy, 
and admirably adapted for forcing. The flowers are of a bright rose 
colour. Ascending the scale, we find ourselves amongst the now numerous 
hybrids of R. javanicum and R. jasminiflorum, which has many fine and 
very beautiful varieties that will produce an abundance of material for 
the decoration of the conservatory during the winter season, the beautiful 
waxy flowers having a wide range of colour, from pure white through 
the various shades of pink, orange, and rose to the deepest crimson. 1 he 
pretty Deutzia gracilis, Spiraea japonica, and Dielytra spectabilis are all 
valuable, the last-named producing in early spring its graceful racemes 
of pink and white curious heart-shaped flowers, associated with 
elegantly cut foliage. Imantophyllum miniatum is most effective and 
beautiful, blooming during the winter and spring months, and producing 
corymbs of large deep salmon-coloured flowers. The Guelder Rose and 
Lilacs cannot be passed over in our survey. 
Winter-flowering Begonias form a useful class, and are receiving 
much attention just now. We have B. gigantea and B. gigantea rosea, 
two robust varieties, producing their panicles of effectively coloured 
flowers freely. B. John Heal, a graceful variety, obtained by crossing 
B. socotrana with a seedling tuberous-rooted variety, has light, elegant 
flowers of a rich rose colour, and may be best described as the fore¬ 
runner of a new race. Adonis is very desirable, producing flowers of a 
plessing, soft scarlet colour. Arthur Mallet is also a sterling variety. 
Tree Carnations, of which we have a fine selection, will render effective 
service. Epacrises, with their elegant sprays of flowers, furnish objects 
of effectiveness, interest, and beauty that the gardener can by no means 
despise. Mentioning bulbous plants reminds me that we have here 
some good material for decorative purposes. The Freesia is most 
charming, it forces readily, and the beautiful flowers last a long time 
when cut. The lovely Lachenalias force well, and can be flowered very 
early. L. Nelsoni is a gem, flowers rich yellow ; and L. luteola, pro¬ 
ducing light golden-yellow flowers, is charming for baskets. 
Primulas and Cyclamens are deservedly much admired. What grand 
strains of these we have now in cultivation, thanks to the enterprise 
and skill of our leading growers. When well grown these plants occupy 
a prominent place in the conservatory through the dreary winter 
months, and may be grown by all, as with care and good treatment they 
are at home, whether in the nobleman’s conservatory, under the single- 
handed gardener’s care, in the amateur’s greenhouse, or even in the 
cottager’s window. One of our leading Cyclamen growers for market 
has given me his course of treatment, and I append it, thinking such 
information may prove interesting and instructive. It may be called 
the quick method of cultivating Cyclamens. The seed is sown in 
August in pans, and the seedlings pricked out when ready into 5-inch 
pots, twelve plants in a pot. Here they remain until February ; they 
are then potted singly in large sixties, and in due course shifted into 
5 or 6-inch pots, in which they are flowered. The pots are well drained, 
being filled to nearly one-half their depth with crocks—an important 
point. The compost used is good yellow loam and leaf mould, and the. 
plants are kept free from thrips and green fly, which do an immense- 
amount of mischief when not held in check. Some growers advocate 
two sowings of seed, but it is found that from one sowing a succession of 
blooms may be obtained. Erica hyemalis, with its well-clothed, hand¬ 
some spikes of flowers, is effective. 
Pelargoniums form a most useful class for early spring decoration,, 
the fact of their being so. easy to propagate and grow placing them 
within the reach of all. Epiphyllums are beautiful and showy, and 
succeed well in a mixture of good fibrous loam, with plenty of lime 
