1874.] APONOGETON DISTAOHYON.-^DOUBLE DAISIES FOE SPEING BEDDING. 101 
idea I had, in this way, long since formed, and potted 800 Keens' Seedlings for 
the early batch, without any dung whatever. Our first lot, consisting of eight 
dozen, was put into the Peach-house on December 2, and the first fruit was 
gathered on March 3, and we have gathered daily since that date till now 
(April 9) ; but instead of half the plants going blind, we had only eight out of the 
eight dozen—which appears to me to be a step in the right direction. I should, 
therefore, advise to pot the early kinds without dung ; but with the later kinds, 
for May and June, to use larger pots and richer soil.— ^Kichaed Gilbbet, BurgUey, 
APONOGETON DISTAOHYON. 
(^THIS is a pretty little Aquatic from the Cape of Good Hope, whence it was 
introduced nearly a century ago; still it has never met with general 
f culture. It is hardy enough to grow in a tank outside, but as a plant for 
the sitting-room window it has few equals. All that it requires is a 
handful of fibrous loam and sand in the bottom of an inverted bell-glass, and it 
will grow and flower freely for months together, if it has a change of water 
weekly. Its pearly wax-like bracts are borne on forked spikes, the whole being 
covered with an extinguisher-shaped covering when young. The inflorescence is 
most gratefully perfumed like hawthorn.— ^F. W. Buebidge. 
DOUBLE DAISIES FOR SPRING BEDDING. 
f N the following notes, condensed from the Gardener's Record^ we have the 
experience of Mr. W. E. Gumbleton as regards the relative merits of the 
f different varieties of Double Daisy, when used with a view to their effective¬ 
ness in the decoration of spring beds or borders. The plants were grown 
along with choice bulbs in lines and circles, in a border fronting Mr. Gumbleton’s 
conservatory, at Belgrove, Queenstown, Cork 
Dickson’s Crimson Quilled (supplied by Mr. R. Dickson, Erdington, near Birmingham) 
has proved itself most effective and of first-rate quality for general bedding purposes, the 
colour being bright and clear, and abundance of bloom being continuously produced. 
Little Dandy : An exceedingly freo-grovring and pretty pink Daisy, making a pleasing 
contrast with the larger-flowered varieties. 
Hen and Chickens : Unfit for this kind of work, as it is one of the latest-flowering of 
all the Daisies, and does not produce its flowers with any freedom till the middle of April or 
the beginning of May; it is also too pale and imdecided in colour to bo effective. 
White Queen : A variety which was strongly recommended, but which has proved 
utterly worthless, showing a large yellow centre. 
Crimson King : A very double red Daisy, free-blooming, and producing flowers of good 
size and substance, of lighter shade than, and distinct from, Dickson’s Crimson Quilled. This 
variety can be purchased in any quantity outside Covent Garden Market at the moderate 
price of one shilling the dozen plants, and should be in every collection of Daisies. 
Henderson’s Snowball : Certainly one of the best and most fully and evenly double, if 
not the best, white Daisy in cultivation, as well as by far the earliest to come into blow; its 
flowers are of medium size, but produced in great abundance and in regular succession, 
and are well raised above the foliage, which is not by any means of so vigorous or robust a 
habit of growth as that of daisies in general; in fact, I should say that, unless in soils and 
aspects that specially suited it, this variety might prove of a delicate and unsatisfactory 
constitution, but where it thrives, it would be hard indeed to beat it. 
