190 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ August, 
of the Martagons, and erect flowers; found in damp woods of North Japan near Hakodadi, 
and in the Corean Archipelago. L. avenaceum, which has also the leaves and habit of a 
Martagon, with small- spotted pendulous flowers, and a very loose tender bulb, composed 
of scalos which rosemble grains of Oats ; it is found in North-West Siberia, Kamtscliatka, and 
the Kurile Islands, possibly also in Japan ; owing to the delicacy of its bulbs, seed would 
be the most likely means of introducing it. L. callosum of Siebold and Zuccarini, uot the L. 
callosum of gardens, which is a distinct plant: the real one is known by its curious double 
stipular or bracteal appendages. It is found abundantly in the high mountains of Japan, and 
may possibly be in cultivation already. 
- Amongst the shrubs found adapted for forcing, the Laburnum takes a 
high position, though it is not generally seen grown in this fashion. Mr. Buck, 
of Castle Ashby Gardens, finds it invaluable in early spring, and his forced plants 
yield him splendid wreaths of yellow flowers, which are much prized for house decoration. 
Late in autumn the plants are lifted from the open ground, and the roots thrust into suitable 
sized pots sans cercmonie; but the plants flower well notwithstanding when introduced 
into heat. After they have done flowering they are planted out in the open ground for the 
summer, and in the autumn again potted and placed in warmth as stated above. The 
standard shape seems to be best suited to the purpose. 
- Some Hybrid Spine as of a very interesting character have been sent to 
us by Mr. Willison of Whitby. S. palmata was the female plant, but all, or nearly 
all, of the progeny have pinnate leaves, differing much among themselves both in 
size and form. Out of about 100 plants flowering this year, which have bloomed earlier than 
the parent, the flowers are either white or pinkish. One of the white-flowered forms has the 
pips so much larger than usual, that Mr. Willison suggests it might be called grandiflora. 
The value of these seedlings as garden plants cannot yet be truly estimated, since their per¬ 
manent character will scarcely be manifest, but the large-flowered one alluded to, and some 
of those with the flowers much suffused with pink, may be expected to prove pretty orna¬ 
ments of our flower borders. They are very light, pleasing, and gay. 
- &t tbe annual exhibition of the Royal National Tulip Society , which 
took place at the Botanic Gardens, Manchester, on May 29, First-class Certificates 
of Merit were awarded to the following new varieties of Tulips :— Dr. Hardy s 
Nimbus, Mr. Samuel Barlow's Mrs. Cooper and Little Annie, Mr. C. Forman's Jemima Forman, 
and Mrs. Placidtt; Air. W. Whittaker's seedling rose, and Mr. Thomas Haynes's Duke 
of Edinburgh. The competition was mainly confined to the northern and midland 
growers, the flowers of the southern growers having been quite past. The quality of the 
flowers, it was thought, had never before been exceeded. At the after-dinner meeting of 
subscribers, it was resolved to hold the exhibition for 187fi at Manchester—probably at the 
Botanic Garden, Mr. Barlow to act as hon. secretary and treasurer. The sum of hi5 was 
subscribed towards the prize fund for next year. 
- ^robably the finest Standard Rhododendron in the world is one now 
growing in the Knap Hill Nursery. It has a noble stem bearing a magnificent 
head, and is of the variety called Scipio , a deep rose-coloured flower with con¬ 
spicuous dark spots. This, we are told, is one of the best of all varieties for standards, as it 
clothes itself so completely with bold handsome foliage, and is also prolific of flowers. Old 
plants which have become thin, or any of the sparse-foliaged sorts, might wfith advantage be 
grafted with this variety, which on a healthier stem would in this way soon form a vigorous 
well-furnislied head. 
- (£ut flowers of seedling Double Deutzias have been sent to us by Mr. 
Willison, of Whitby. Being all white, or slightly dashed with pink, there was a 
considerable sameness in the flowers, but the raiser points out that in habit they 
differ considerabty—some of them not more than a foot or so in height, having upon them 
from twenty to thirty spikes of flowers. Some of these dwarf free-blooming forms, he thinks, 
will be found extremely useful for forcing purposes. 
- £fiiE Double Purple Senecio has recently been mentioned as one of the 
