187S. ] 
PEACH-CULTURE ON THE OPEN WALL. 
17 
NEW ESCHSCHOLTZIAS. 
[Plate 4GO.] 
E W of our hardy annuals, or of the 
v plants which though treated as annuals 
(gY are, strictly speaking, of perennial dura¬ 
tion, are more gorgeous in their floral effects 
than the Eschsclioltzici califomicci , intro¬ 
duced from California, that realm of sun¬ 
shine and flowers, about the year of grace 
1826. The original form had yellow blos¬ 
soms, with an orange or saffron-coloured 
blotch near the base of each of the four petals 
which form the flower. Of this two forms, 
reputed species, but, no doubt, wild seminal 
varieties, were introduced in 1833, namely, 
E. croceci , with the flowers wholly saffron- 
coloured, from which our present subjects have 
sprung; and E. compacta , which differed from 
the type only in its closer, denser habit. The 
two types, californica and crocea, have continued 
to be grown to this day, and as already noted, 
are amongst the most gorgeous of our hardy 
flowers. Several garden varieties which have 
been produced, as alba and rosea, were of little 
merit beyond curiosity. They were, however, 
welcomed as breaks from the original form, and 
as happens in many other cases, have led to pro¬ 
ductions of higher value, for we learn from the 
handsomely got-up Vade-mecum of Messrs. Carter 
and Co., who are the fortunate raisers of the 
novelties now figured, that E. Mandarin comes 
from rosea , which they place as a variety of 
crocea. It will be seen at a glance that it belongs 
to crocea , from the uniform orange hue of the 
interior, but it has the richly-coloured exterior 
added, which enhances its pictorial value in a 
manifold degree. The double-flowered variety 
is also very distinct. Both are decided ac¬ 
quisitions, for which the hearty thanks of those 
who arc interested in flower-gardens are due to 
the raisers. 
E. crocea Mandarin (fig. 1) was, as just 
stated, selected from rosea (itself a Continental 
selection from crocea ), at the St. Osytli seed- 
grounds. A plant of E. rosea was some years 
since detected with a tendency to assume on the 
outside an orange instead of its normal pale rosy 
hue, and this was marked and seeded from, and 
after a few years’ careful selection yielded the 
splendid variety called Mandarin, which to the 
rich saffron hue of E. crocea , adds a brilliant 
rufous-crimson or blood-orange, as the strik¬ 
ing colour of the outer surface of the flower 
has been variously described. A mass of it 
must, morning and evening, show a splendid 
piece of floral colouring. 
E. CROCEA FLORE-PLENO (fig. 2) lias the 
flowers as densely filled as a well-formed double 
poppy, and the flowers must, therefore, be more 
durable, as double flowers usually are, since the 
multitude of petals serve to hold each other 
together. This differs from either of the 
types in being flaked or striped with yellow 
and saffron, as well shown in our figure 2, 
which, as well as fig. 1, has been prepared 
from specimens communicated last summer by 
Messrs. Carter and Co., the Queen’s seedsmen. 
It appears that another double-flowered 
variety was raised some forty years since, but 
it was probably not perpetuated.—T. Moore. 
PEACII-CULTUKE ON TITE OPEN WALL. 
NE would suppose that the cultivation 
of the Peach on open walls is a 
difficult matter, if we were to judge 
from the miserable specimens often to be 
met with. Some, indeed, go so far as to 
say that it is useless to attempt Peach culti¬ 
vation except the walls are covered with 
glass. I cannot agree in this opinion, and I 
assert that there is no fruit requiring the 
assistance of a wall more easily cultivated than 
this, or with such certainty of yielding a crop 
of fruit year after year, provided a proper 
system of treatment be adopted. 
No, 2. IMPERIAL SERIES.—I. 
Let us begin with the Border. Even this is 
not of so much importance as many persons 
suppose. When we consider that the Peach is 
always worked on the plum stock, and that the 
plum will grow and flourish in almost any soil, 
we may be fairly led to suppose that any good 
garden soil is suitable for the peach. 
I should prefer keeping the roots to within 
4 ft. of the wall, trenching the other part of 
the border every two years, and cutting away 
all roots that enter that part of it where 
vegetables are grown, so as to keep the roots 
confined to the four-foot space. Of course 
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