602 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June Iff. 1890. 
for about thirty years, and a plant from Messrs. Veitch & Sons 
was first certificated by the Royal Horticultural Society in 18GI3, 
and I am under the impression that M. Devansaye told me he has 
grown these plants from very shortly after their introduction. 
Many beautiful varieties have been imported or raised since then, 
but none proved so important as the white A. Schertzerianum 
Williamsi or album, which was introduced about 1874, and certi¬ 
ficated a few years later (1878) by the Royal Horticultural Society 
under the name of album. Everyone who was concerned with the 
improvement of these plants at once perceived what a valuable 
variety this would prove for crossing with the scarlet forms, and it 
is probable that several endeavoured to secure crosses in this way 
about the same time. M. Devansaye was one of the successful 
raisers, at Ferricres also M. Bergmann obtained a cross of the 
same character with remarkable red-spotted spathes, which made 
its debut under the name of A. Rothschildianum, and was certifi¬ 
cated in London on May 11th, 1880. I am not quite sure respecting 
the chronological order in which these crosses flowered, whether, 
for instance, M. Devansaye had his in flower before that at Ferricres, 
but he will no doubt be able to tell us something historically 
interesting about this, and it is certain that he has raised numbers 
showing every gradation between the white Williamsi on the one 
hand to the ordinary scarlet Schertzerianum on the other. 
Considerable differences in size, form, and depth of colour in 
the spathes had been obtained previous to the crosses described, 
but since then quite a large and important group of variations has 
been formed exhibiting some remarkable combinations, and show¬ 
ing the scarlet colouring in spots, streaks, and clouding on a white 
ground, of an extremely diverse character. Comparatively few 
varieties have been selected by M. Devansaye for names, and 
amongst these the following may be noted here as the most dis¬ 
tinct. A. Schertzerianum Devansayanum is one of the first, and 
the finest of these, and when shown in London by Sir Trevor 
Lawrence on April 13th, 188G, it was at once accorded a first-class 
certificate. The spathes are about 5 inches long when well grown, 
and heavily spotted with bright scarlet on a pure white ground, the 
back of the spathes being scarlet. The large size and clear defini¬ 
tion of the spots renders this one of the most beautiful and 
effective of all the varieties. Marie Therese is another of the 
Rothschildianum type, with very large spathes of the well known 
variety Wardi shape, also beautifully and clearly spotted. Madame 
de la Devansaye is a distinct variety, the spathe of good shape, 
creamy white, relieved by bright red at the base of the spadix. 
Souvenir de Versailles has a number of fine red dots scattered over 
a white spathe. Le Fresne has a peculiarly twisted spathe heavily 
marked with deep red at the base of the spadix, white, spotted 
with red towards the tip. Album maximum has broad finely 
formed spathes, pure white, and constitutes a valuable addition to 
the white varieties. This made its appearance at the last Temple 
Show, when Messrs. Sander & Co. obtained a certificate for it. 
All these varieties have the same free flowering and vigorous habit 
of their parents, and airanged with Ferns the most useful, while 
many prefer the white and spotted forms for cutting to the brilliantly 
coloured varieties of the ordinary type. M. Devansaye has, how¬ 
ever, performed good service, and has every reason to be satisfied 
with the results of his efforts. 
Annuals for Exhibition. 
There are a few annuals which are generally recognised as 
useful plants for culture in pots, and a few more that obtain 
a place as favourite border flowers, but they are rarely seen at 
exhibitions, and even in gardens they are usually but poorly 
represented considering their numbers and variety. Compara¬ 
tively few persons in England have any idea of the wealth of 
floral beauty that well grown annuals possess. It is true that 
those who have visited the seed grounds of our large seedsmen, 
and have seen the plants in flower by tens of acres, know some¬ 
thing about what can be accomplished, but they are comparatively 
few. In the London parks occasionally attempts have been made 
to prove the adaptability of some of the annuals for bedding, but 
the experiments have been too restricted. At Chiswick extensive 
trials have been made, and last year the results were very satis¬ 
factory, as the Floral Committee found when engaged in their 
selections. Many plants were there tried that are but little known 
generally and seldom seen in gardens, though possessing much to 
recommend them for this purpose. I called attention to these on 
page 1'2S, August 15th, 1889, of this Journal, and I well remember 
how enthusiastic some veteran members of the Committee became 
about the plants, and what bunches were carried away to excite 
admiration at home. Efforts have also been made at times to 
provide and maintain public exhibitions of annuals, but they have 
languished from lack of attention or lack of energy on the part of 
the promoters. 
At Paris the display of annuals was extraordinary and worthy 
of fuller reference than was possible in a hurried note. MM. 
Vilmorin, Andrieux et Cie. were the premier exhibitors, and th& 
Prix d’Honneur, a gold medal from the Minister of Agriculture, 
was a well deserved recognition of a remarkable exhibit. The 
plants were in pots and pans, some having been sown in them and 
thinned out, others had been transplanted from seed pans and 
boxes. Several points were noteworthy respecting them. First 
they were compact and sturdy, free from the weak, drawn appear¬ 
ance that too often distinguishes annuals grown in pots under glass. 
This indicated what was really the case—namely, they had grown 
near the glass, well exposed to the air, with no more heat than vyas. 
absolutely essential at any period. The surprising way in which 
they endured a week’s exposure in a draughty tent, with a high 
temperature, proved how well hardened and prepared they were for- 
the ordeal. Secondly, the flowers were very abundant and ex¬ 
tremely bright in colour, the last named quality probably resulting^ 
from the clearer atmosphere. The pots, &c., were arranged in 
circular or crescent-shaped beds, turfed at the margin, and they 
were plunged in soil or cocoa-nut fibre refuse, kept well moistened' 
the whole time, ar,d this assisted greatly in their preservation. 
To enumerate all the plants thus displayed would take up too 
much space, but for brilliancy and variation of colour effect it 
would have been scarcely possible to surpass them. The following 
were especially notable ;—Poppies, Silenes, Rhodanthes, Tropaso- 
lums, Sweet Peas, Aquilegias, Centaureas, Chrysanthernums, 
Venidium calendulaceum, Collinsias, Collomia coccinea, Nycterinias,. 
Calceolarias, Lasthenias, Gypsophilas, Petunias, Linums, Gihas, 
Nemophilas, Schizantbuses, Forget-me-nots, Kaulfussia, Stocks, 
Brachycome, Phlox Drummondi in fine varieties, Saponarias,. 
Oxalis, and Mimulus. These, suitably intermingled with graceful 
Grasses, like Lagurus ovatus, the Airas, and others, were both 
elegant and bright in no ordinary degree.— Leavis Castle. 
(To be continued.! 
MULCHING AND WATERING FRUIT TREES. 
There cannot be any possible doubt in the minds of gardeners 
and others engaged in the culture of fruit trees as to the health,, 
vigour, and fruitfulness which these operations impart to the trees 
when judiciously carried out during their growing period. All trees 
of the Apricot, Peach, Nectarine, Cherry, and Plum, which are 
growing against walls or wooden fences, should have the surface 
soil slightly loosened with a fork for a distance of 3 or 4 feet, 
according to the size of the trees, from the main stem of each tree, 
and then mulch with 3 or 4 inches thick of half-decayed dung, and 
afterwards give sufficient w'ater to each tree to moisten the soil 
about the roots—the space indicated—repeating the application 
once a week in dry weather. Thus treated the roots of the trees 
will be maintained in a uniformly moist and warm condition during 
the time they are swelling and maturing their crops and growths^ 
Moreover, the repeated waterings will Avash the virtues of the 
manure down to the roots of the trees, thereby improving the 
weight and quality of the crop, as well as the permanent condition 
of the trees themselves. Therefore, where there is a good supply 
of liquid manure at command, liberal quantities should be given to 
the mulched trees after they have had three or four supplies of 
clear water. If liquid manure lie not obtainable remove the 
mulch, surface-dress with artificial manure to the thickness of an 
eighth of an inch, then replace the mulch, and water as advised 
above. I need hardly remark that strongly growing, healthy, and 
heavily cropped trees will require, and should have, more liberal 
and frequent supplies of water at the roots than would be necessary 
or good for trees growing under conditions the reverse of these. 
Vine and Peach borders under glass should have two or three such 
dressings of artificial manure, followed by a thin coating of horse- 
droppings during the time the trees are swelling and perfecting 
their crops. The water given to the roots of trees growing under 
glass should always be as warm, or a feAV degrees higher than the 
temperature of the house in which they are growing. 
Where water can be pumped over beds of warm dung made up 
in the manure pound as it is had from the stables, and the soakings 
therefrom conveyed from the manure tanks to the Vine and Peach 
borders, and applied to the roots at a temperature of about 90° it is 
a great help to both gardener and crops, as the liquid manure is 
then much more active and beneficial in its effects on the crops 
than it would be when applied at a temperature of from 50° to G0°. 
The difference in the weight and quality of the crops resulting 
from trees treated in the manner indicated will repay twice over 
for the labour and expense involved, to say nothing of the con¬ 
current building up of fruitful long-lived healthy trees. Where 
plants of the Melon, Cucumber, and Tomato are growing, as they 
ought to be, in narrow shallow borders frequent surface dressings 
