1874. J 
GAEDEN GOSSIP. 
19 
-- ®HOSE wlio know how sedulously Dr. Maclean tried to get flavour 
into the Peas, will not be surprised to find that his Best-of-all fully bears out 
what has been said in its favour. It is an excellent main-crop Pea, and however 
much Veitoli’s Perfection may be valued, this, it is said, exceeds it in point of flavour. It is 
of robust growth, about 3 ft. in height, the pods very thickly covering the haulm; the flavour 
very rich and sugary. 
- in good bloom, Spircea Lindleyana forms a magnificent bush. 
S. arimfoUa is often spoken of as the most beautiful of its class, but S. LindUyana^ 
with its grand flower-panicles, is a powerful rival to it. The foliage is dark green, 
large and pinnate; the flower-panicles from 2 ft. to 3 ft. long, nearly pure white, and of the 
form of a fox-tail, but broader. Imagine a bush with 50 of these spikes, rising 6 ft. to 7 ft., 
and falling gracefully over the foliage ! 
- Amongst the Bedding Violas^ that called Blue Bell is said to be both 
the earliest and latest to bloom of all the blue varieties; not, perhaps,' quite so 
effective for colour in the summer as Magnificent, but having more blue in its 
composition, and therefore none the less charming. It is a much more robust grower, and 
gives a larger quantity of bloom than Magnificent, coming into flower a month earlier and 
blooming two months later; indeed it continues in bloom from the early spring until the end 
of the autumn, unless very severe weather should set in. Blue Bell is very hardy, will pro¬ 
pagate freely, and is a valuable acquisition either for spring or summer bedding. 
- ^HE Clianthus Dampieri is generally considered rather difficult or 
uncertain to cultivate, but the following account of the treatment of a plant 
grown at the Poles, recently printed in the Gardeners^ Chronicle^ shows at least 
that it is worth taking some trouble with. The plant was raised from seed sown early in 
February, in an ordinary stove. In due time it was potted in a 4-in. pot, using peat and sand 
for compost; when the plant was well rooted it was pinched back, to encourage it to break, 
which it did in three places. At this period the stove was getting too warm for it, and it was 
put near the glass in the Odontoglot-house, and ten days after repotted into a 10-in. pot, 
using for compost, peat, sand, and a double handful of chopped sphagnum ; this latter article 
proved of great value in keeping the compost both porous and moist, thus preventing stagna¬ 
tion and the too frequent use of the watering-pot. When tolerably established in its largo 
pot it was removed to the oast end of a Heath-house, near the glass, where for a week or two 
it had the shade and protection of a cloche affordetl it. From the time the cloche was dispensed 
with, the Clianthus grew rapidly and sturdily, enjoying occasionally a pinch of Standen’s 
manure. Early in July the flowers appeared. On July 21 five trusses of five flowers each, 
and one of two wei’e fully expanded. In this state the plant was taken to the conservatory, 
where it continued to grow and flower freer than ever, attaining its greatest perfection on 
September 25, when it had upon it seven trusses of six flowers each, two of five and two of 
three, in all 58 individual flowers. When seen in this condition Clianthus Dampieri cannot 
fail to attract attention from the most unobservant of observers. 
- T. Simpson bas recently recommended Harrises Hybrid Cucumber 
as one of tbe very best varieties for yielding a supply of fruit—a really good 
and serviceable kind. It is not particularly valuable for exhibition purposes, but, 
what is of infinitely more importance, it is a good and a continuous cropper either in winter 
or summer, and is of robust constitution. Its average length is 16 in., occasionally 18 in. and 
20 in., and it is of very superior flavour. 
- ^HE new Gaillardia amblyodon is a close ally of the old Gaillardia 
picta^ a pretty border plant, of easy culture, free-blooming, and showy. 
G. amblyodon^ however, has the advantage of being self-coloured, the florets 
being entirely of a lich, deep, sanguineous rod. The leaves are oblong and sessile, with 
short rounded basal lobes; the involucral scales are very different from those of G. pictay 
being mtich more spreading. It will be a very useful plant for the sake of the variety it will 
afford, the colour being by no moans a common one. Wo are indebted for specimens to Mr. 
Thompson, with whom it has flowered well. 
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