1'arch 10,1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
193 
large delicate petals. If the flowers are cut in a young state they 
travel well, no flowers better, or with less care in packing, and if 
placed in water on arrival at their destination, they will continue 
to develope, and last as long, or longer, than if they had been left 
upon the plant. No collection of hardy plants, however choice, 
can be considered complete without the Pteonies. A few, if only 
half a dozen, should be included in all gardens. 
It may be urged against these plants that, unlike the Rose, they 
only flower once in the year, and their season is of short duration. 
This is very true, but no one despises or discards the old Moss Rose 
because it only flowers once, and then for a short time only. This 
is no argument why the Pasony should not be planted. They are 
noble stately plants when well developed, and are highly effective 
early in the year. They are amongst the earliest of border plants 
to appear above the ground, and the crimson foliage of the majority 
is as beautiful as a bed of flowers. When massed together the 
effect of the foliage early in the season is grand. They are much 
more ornamental than many other plants that are grown for the 
purpose. 
Objection may be urged against them for mixed borders because 
they occupy a large amount of room, and their foliage begins to 
present a shabby appearance by the time many other plants are 
arriving at their best. But if we discarded all plants of this nature 
we should lose from our beds and borders many valuable early 
flowering plants which are as indispensable, or even more so, than 
those that flower later in the year. 
I certainly do not recommend a mixed border for them where 
the dotting system is practised; but if a better and more suitable 
place cannot afforded, rather than be without them I should 
certainly grow them under such circumstances. They are best in a 
bed or border by themselves where their requirements, which are 
few in number, can be attended to when occasion requires. They 
must occupy an open sunny position, away from trees, the roots of 
which would soon take possession of the bed and impoverish the 
soil. They will grow and do fairly well near trees and in shrubbery 
borders, but they develope more rapidly, and display greater beauty, 
when grown in an open place by themselves. 
Paeonies will flourish in any garden soil provided it has been 
rendered fertile by the addition of plenty of manure. On shallow 
light sandy soils they suffer considerably from drought if a little 
special cultivation is not given them. The ground to commence 
with should be deeply dug or trenched—if of such a nature to 
allow of this being done—and liberally manured before planting; 
in fact they are worthy of as good a preparation as Roses. They 
will thrive better on soil dug one spit deep that is moderately 
heavy and retains moisture, than on light soil, even after trenching. 
Planting is done in the autumn and spring ; {obtained in 
pots they can be planted in open weather up till the middle of 
April, or even later. My advice to purchasers is to obtain strong 
plants to commence with, even if a trifle more has to be paid for 
them. The plants should be placed in rows at least 2 feet 6 inches 
apart each way. Care should be taken to select a place for them 
where they will not need disturbing for some years at least. They 
do best when left alone after planting, and therefore some im¬ 
portance must be attached to the position selected for them. These 
plants are kept in good condition after they are once established by 
a liberal dressing of manure annually, which can be forked into the 
surface. If they are growing on light dry soil they are greatly 
benefited by occasional supplies of liquid manure, and mulching to 
assist in keeping the ground moist about the plants. When they 
are grown together in a large bed or border they need very little 
staking. When grown singly, the large heavy flow r ers, if they 
become wet, weigh the branches down, and staking becomes essen¬ 
tial. When grown together, a few stakes and a cord run round 
the outside will be ample to keep them in their proper position. 
The following is a selection of thirty of the best varieties. 
Light varieties, which, to my taste, are most lovely, predominate. 
Alba superbissimus, sulphuri white; Alice Julvecourt, blush 
white flaked with crimson, very fine; Madame Crousse, white ; 
Camille Calcot, deep rose, sulphur centre ; Charles Gosselin, flesh ; 
Comte de Nanteuil, rose salmon, reflexed ; Comte de Paris, rose 
lilac, centre of petals yellow ; Duchesse d’Orleans, rosy lilac ; 
Duehesse de Nemours, rose, salmon centre ; Due de Wellington, 
very fine white ; Etendard du Grand Homme, large and double, 
brilliant rosy purple ; Eugene Yerdier, fine, delicate flesh ; Festive, 
white centre, bordered carmine ; Globosa, rosy lilac, buff centre ; 
Grandiflora superba, lilac, centre salmon ; La Vestale, white, tinted 
crimson, yellow centre ; Pottsi superba, purplish crimson ; Louis 
Parmentier, light rose ; Delicomte Yerbitti, white, fine ; Souvenir 
de Gaspard Calcot, deep pink; Modeste Guereu, rose ; Magnifica. 
flesh and carmine ; Madame Chaumy, rose, very double ; Lutea 
plenissima, sulphur; Splendida, delicate rose; Grandiflora carnea, 
blush white; Albiflora anemonaeflora, magenta purple; Tricolor 
grandiflora, pale rose, centre creamy white, very distinct; Whitley 
fl.-pl., white, very double, and Yictor Lemoine, bright red.— 
A Northerner. 
THE LATE MR. JAMES VAIR, 
I think that all those readers of the Journal of Horticulture who 
had the pleasure of knowing the late Mr. J. Vair, will have felt deep 
regret at his somewhat sudden death on the 24th ult. 1 hail the honour 
of serving under him as plant foreman at Dangstein, from July, 1857, to 
November, 1861. I always received great kindness at his hands, and 
shall ever look back with pleasure to my association with him. He was 
a most enthusiastic gardener, thoroughly devoted to his profession and 
to the interests of his appreciative employers, by whom he was held in 
the highest estimation. He was a first-class plant grower, and particu¬ 
larly excelled in the cultivation of Orchids, more especially those gems 
of the vegetable creation, the genus Anoectochilus, the collection at 
Dangstein being at that time one of the finest in the kingdom. 
He was also an ardent admirer and cultivator of Filmy Ferns and 
Sarracenias. Therare and curiously beautiful Lace or Lattice Leaf Plant, 
Ouvirandra fenestralis, was one of his especial favourites, and which he 
succeeded in bringing to very great perfection. 
Although he was of a quiet and retiring disposition I well remember 
the great pleasure it afforded him to show visitors through the noble 
plant houses at Dangstein, and describe to them the various treasures 
they contained. As, through the kindness and liberality of Mr. 11. H., 
and Lady Dorothy Nevill, the gardens were always open to visitors of 
all classes, Mr. Vair became acquainted with many eminent and distin¬ 
guished persons. 
After the death of Mr. Nevill Dangstein was sold, and the rare and 
valuable collection of plants also. Mr. Vair, however, as stated last 
week, continued in the service of Lady Dorothy Nevill at Stillyans 
Tower, Sussex, till his death. An eminent gardener, a genial companion, 
a warm-hearted and steadfast friend, he has gone to his rest, and I 
cannot better conclude this notice of my old and much-respected friend 
and master than in these words :— 
“ He was a man take him for all in all, 
I shall not look upon his like again.” 
—Valter G. Gaiger, Burton Closes, Bakcivell. 
EUCHARIS GRANDIFLORA. 
This bulbous plant occupies, as it has done ever since its introduc¬ 
tion into this country some years ago, a foremost place in all collec¬ 
tions of choice plants. This is not to be wondered at, seeing that where 
a goodly number of plants are grown it can be had in flower all through 
the year by subjecting the plant to a judicious course of treatment. 
There is no more manageable or accommodating flowering plant that I 
am acquainted with than this. I have never experienced the slightest 
difficulty in growing and flowering it to my satisfaction, and 1 have no 
knowledge of the Eucharis mite other than that derived from the horti¬ 
cultural press and friends, whose plants are, or have been, affected wit h 
that pest. But judging from the information thus 'acquired, together 
with the appearance of a friend’s plants some time after 1 had given him 
several pots of clean strongly growing bulbs, I am fully convinced 
that in many cases it is the treatment which brings about the disease— 
that is to say, if strong healthy plants to start with are kept in a low 
temperature and saturated with water at the roots, disease is sure to 
follow. 
Over-potting, too, like over-watering, must be avoided if satisfactory 
results are to be secured, and to achieve success it is not necessary to 
repot the plants every year. Previous to the last potting, March 13th, 
1885, our plants of Eucharises had not been disturbed at the roots for 
four or five years, and during that, time we have had flowers more or less. 
However, I think two years, or three at the most, are quite long enough 
in a general way to allow the plants to remain in the same soil. At the 
date indicated we potted our plants in a compost consisting of three 
parts good fibry loam impregnated with iron, and one of pulverised cow 
dung, charcoal, and lime rubble, with a dash of fresh soot, well mixed, 
in well-drained pots, having a sprinkling of fresh soot immediately over 
the crocks to prevent the ingress of worms, followed by a layer of 
sphagnum mo s s. 
In potting the bulbs, which had all the old soil shaken off their roots, 
and were assorted at the time and kept close to the surface, the soil was 
pressed moderately firm about the roots, which were placed in their 
natural perpendicular position. The pots containing the bulbs so potted 
were then stood on the centre bed of a small span-roofed plant stove, 
underneath which are two hot-water pipes covered with coarse gravel, 
with a couple of inches thick of fine on the top, and supplied with tepid 
water to settle the soil about the roots, and the plants were afterwards 
shaded from bright sunshine until root action hail taken place so as to 
prevent the foliage while flabby being scorched. After this the plants 
received no water excepting a sprinkling morning and afternoon when 
the house was being damped with the syringe, until the roots had pushed, 
which they did freely. Tepid liquid manure was afterwards given to 
the roots, with the result that within four months from the time of 
potting these plants had filled their pots with roots, and at the same 
time developed plenty of large dark green leaves of firm texture, as well 
as several spikes of well developed flowers. Water was then withheld 
from the roots, when, after an interval of-a few weeks’ rest, most of the 
bulbs sent up a flower spike, and then tepid liquid manure was again 
given to the roots, continuing the application for two or three weeks 
after the plants have done flowering, when water should be again with¬ 
held from the roots until ‘.lie flower spikes appear, when it will be again 
