128 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[August, 
tory both as regards quantity and quality, and the 
time of producing. Sown here (Surrey) ten days later 
than Ringleader, pods were fit to gather a week before 
that variety, and they are fully a fortnight before 
Sutton’s Little Gem, which I consider a very useful 
Pea; the aspect in all three cases is the fame, only 
the Wonder has the least manure, but there is at the 
last double the quantity of the Wonder on the same 
space of ground as the best of the other two, w r hich 
is Little Gem. They grow about a fcot high, and 
average from eight to twelve pods on a plant, and 
six to eight peas in a pod. 
— <!£here are in cultivation several fine 
varieties of Anthurium Scherzerianum, but 
according to the Gardeners Chronicle , the 
best is that known as Cypher’s variety, grown and 
exhibited by Mr. J. Cypher, of Cheltenham. It is 
massive in growth, and throws up its stout flower 
stems to a height of from two or three feet, each 
bearing a perfectly-formed banner-like spathe of the 
brightest dark scarlet, measuring six inches by four, 
or often even longer. It thus forms a noble plant, 
widely distinct from the ordinary good forms which 
bear their spathes on much shorter stems. Cypher’s 
variety having such grand spathes on tall stems, the 
whole plant is symmetrica], and arranges -well to¬ 
gether. 
— JBuring the month of June the varieties 
of Gladiolus Colvillei are most pleasing 
and attractive features in the mixed border. 
That called The Bride is especially so; the flowers 
are of spotless purity in their whiteness, produced 
with freedom, and affording a long succession. Por 
cutting this flower has few rivals, and scarcely a 
superior; for if cut as soon as the first (lowermost) 
flower on the spike opens, the other buds will expand 
and keep up the succession for weeks. It does best 
at foot of the front w r all of greenhouse, where it will 
flower and multiply freely; but it is also quite at 
home in the open but sheltered border if properly 
prepared, that is made light and rich, and thoroughly 
drained. 
— Jn reference to Laying Turf in Hot 
Weather, usually rather a doubtful operation, 
or at least involving much labour in watering, 
Mr. Henderson states that he finds he can do so suc¬ 
cessfully, even in dry and hot summer weather, by 
covering the turf, when laid down, and before it gets 
too dry, w r ith about a quarter of an inch of light soil 
which has been passed through a half-inch sieve. The 
soil acts as a mulching, and the grass begins to grow 
through it in a very few days, and soon becomes 
established. 
— 5JThe cultivation of Watercress in the 
Open Border is a very simple matter, as we 
learn from the Gardeners' Magazine. The 
bed may be made in a shaded or sunny position, more 
abundant supplies of water being necessary in the 
latter case. To prepare the bed spread powdery 
manure over the surface to a depth of three or four 
inches, and then prick it in with a fork. The 
watercress does not root very deeply, and therefore 
the border must not be dug to a greater depth than 
four or five inches after the manure has been 
applied, or the latter will be placed beyond the 
reach of the crop. The surface should be broken 
down rather fine, and cuttings about three 
inches in length be inserted between four and 
five inches apart each way. They must be well 
watered in, and the bed be thoroughly watered with 
a can, to which a coarse rose is affixed, twice a day , 
until the cold weather of the autumn puts a stop to 
any further growth. In a few weeks after the bed 
has been formed the plants will commence flowering, 
and as the flower buds become visible the points of 
the shoots must be nipped out. Immediately after 
this stopping they will commence to break freely, 
and soon furnish an abundance of tender cresses of 
the most delicate quality, and a continuous succes¬ 
sion will be maintained until the autumn, provided 
the bed is regularly gathered from. Watering the 
bed immediately after heavy rains is not absolutely 
necessary, but it will do no harm, and as mere 
showers are not sufficient to properly moisten the 
soil it is a good rule to supply it with water twice 
a day whether the weather is wet or dry, if quick 
crisp growth is desired. 
— JProm Shirenewton last spring came a 
batch of Primroses and Polyanthuses, the 
produce of Mr. E. J. Lowe’s new garden, and 
including a considerable number of very beautiful 
varieties, some blue-purples being novel as well as 
charming. There were also numerous forms of varied 
colours marked with a white bar quite across each seg¬ 
ment of the flower—Carnation-striped, Mr. Lowe 
calls them—which are very striking and effective. 
Their origin is thus explained:—The white variety 
of Primula vulgaris was crossed with an accidental 
striped variety purchased several years ago by A. 
Clapham, Esq., in Scarborough market; the seed¬ 
lings have been recrossed for the last three j r ears, 
and the result is a very varied and showy collection : 
these are the Carnation-striped varieties. A white 
Primula vulgaris was crossed with a blue alpine 
Auricula; the seedlings are a few blue, blue and 
white and purple: these are of a very pleasing 
character. 
— JFew subjects are more effective as 
Rafter plants than the old favourite Epi- 
phyllum truncatum. At Tatton, in one of 
the numerous span-roofed houses, there are a couple 
of examples on the usual Pereskia stock, which were 
planted out on each side of the house opposite each 
other, and trained up the rafters so as to meet at the 
ridge. They have been grafted with E. truncatum, 
which now has grown into a dense close mass near 
upon a yard through. When covered with their 
bright flowers these plants must have a gorgeous 
effect. There is, or was not long ago, some beautiful 
specimens of this kind on the roof of one of the 
pine stoves at Knowsley. 
— Hmongst the Water Lilies flowering at 
Ivew, the Nymphasa stellata zanzibarensis 
is by far the finest of the tropical kinds, 
with purple or blue flowers. This is a recently in¬ 
troduced plant with the flowers much larger than 
those of our native Water Lily, and having broader 
petals of a splendid purple colour. 
— Amongst the Hardy Orchids at Glas- 
nevin there were recently in flower several 
examples of three fine forms of our native 
Orchis latifolia, namely, the grand Kilmarnock 
variety, and two other no less beautiful, one dis¬ 
covered b 3 r the late Dr. Moore near Kilgobbin, in the 
metropolitan county, and the other found by the 
Hon. Mrs. Barton in the West of Ireland. 
