1878.] 
GARDEN GOSSIP. 
95 
breeding, and thriving of all vermin, and pre¬ 
venting any of them making their home 
thereabouts.” No time should be lost in 
getting out Celery , and if the weather is dry, 
the trenches should be well soaked with water 
before planting. The principles of successful 
kitchen-gardening may be summed up in a 
few words :—A loose, rough, friable state of the 
soil; deep and rough tillage ; plenty of manure, 
and freedom from weeds and vermin. 
Fruit-Garden. —Towards the middle of the 
month, Peach and Nectarine trees will require 
pruning, leaving a good supply of young wood 
for another year. Wall-fruit will require 
thinning, where the crops are thick enough to 
require it. A general attention to cleanliness 
is indispensable in all trees. The weather is 
highly favourable to the production of wood, 
and judicious thinning-out will be required.— 
Suburbanus. 
GARDEN GOSSIP. 
C=^S=3T the Royal Horticultural Society’s 
Meeting on May 7, the principal 
c 'Jj novelties certificated were Rhipidopteris 
peltata gracillima, a pretty miniature acrostichoid 
creeping fern, suitable for basket-culture, the fronds 
palm-like and freely cut. Adiantum Lawsonianum, 
a garden sport of very elegant character, with 
minute curved pinnules. Coleus George Bunyard, 
a variety with rosy-centred leaves, edged with bronzy- 
green ; Azalea indica Madame Eeckhaute, a semi¬ 
double white of large size and pure in colour ; Prim¬ 
ula acaulis sulphurea major, a very large and full 
sulphur-yellow; all from Messrs. Veitch and Sons. 
Anemidictyon Phyllitidis tessellata, a flowering fern 
with the venation marked out by a darker green tint. 
Adiantum Lawsonianum. Coleus Kentish Fire, rosy- 
centred with a frilled edge; from Mr. B. S. Williams. 
Alpine Auricula Silvia, a self-edged maroon with 
palo centre, from Mr. Douglas. Marica pacifica, a 
pretty but fugacious Irid, with whito and pur¬ 
plish flowers. Iris Leichtlinii, a hybrid between 
susiana and iberica; Camassia Brownii, a fine 
purplish-flowered species, from H. J. Elwes, Esq. 
Bomarea Caldasii, a fine greenhouse climber, from 
Rev. H. N. Ellacombe. Saxifraga calyciflora, a 
dwarf purplish-flowered species, from Mr. Atkins. 
A Second-class Certificate was given to Messrs. 
Yeitch, for Azalea Kaiser Wilhelm, a small but 
bright rosy variety, valuable for decoration; and a 
Botanical Certificate for Dioscorea retusa, a 
very elegant climber, with compound leaves and 
drooping clustered spikes. On May 21, Mr. 
Williams had First-class Certificates for Adiantum 
neoguineense, a medium-sized free-growing fern of 
distinct character; Ptychosperma rupicola, a fine 
palm, with bold pinnate leaves, bronzy-red when 
young; and for Cycas media, Alsophila plumosa, and 
the noble Sadleria cyatheoid.es. G. F. Wilson, 1 Esq., 
showed a beautiful specimen of Lilium tenuifolium, 
with two fine pyramids of brilliant scarlet flowers. 
— fftR. Knight, of Battle, lias sent us 
specimens of what lie calls “ the fifth eruption 
of Vesuvius,” in the shape of a sport from 
Pelargonium Wonderful, in which the flowers are 
double, and striped with white, as in the variety 
called New Life. It may, therefore, be regarded as 
a double New Life, or a Striped Wonderful. Vesuvius 
has now become very notorious for its sports. 
— According to M. Carriere the best Bait 
for Insect Traps is a mixture of beer and 
water. He filled a number of glass fly-traps 
with different liquids, sweet and sour, and placed 
them under some fruit-trees, which were subject to 
the attacks of flies and other insects. After three 
weeks, the victims were counted. The trap con¬ 
taining beer and water contained 850 flies and 
other insects; that with pure beer contained 631; 
those with crushed pears, weak wine, and pure 
wine coming next, pure wine being at the bottom of 
the poll, with only 17 sufferers. 
— STiie show of the Southern Section of the 
National Carnation and Picotee Society 
has been fixed to take place at South Kensing¬ 
ton, in conjunction with the meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, on July 23. A liberal prize 
schedule has been framed and issued, and may be 
obtained of the honorary secretary, Mr. E. S. Dod- 
well, 11 Chatham Terrace, Larkhall Rise, Clapham, 
London, S.W. A few more guineas are, however, 
needed in the treasury, in order to relieve the officials 
of any anxiety as to meeting the awards of the 
judges. 
— £2Je hear of another Hybrid Sarra- 
cenia at Glasnevin, where a most interesting 
feature of the plant-houses is the long range 
of Sarracenias, comprising all, or nearly all, the 
species in cultivation, many of them being in flower, 
as, for instance, S. rubra, S. flava, S. f. grandiflora, 
S. purpvirea, &c. Of these, for floral beauty and 
effect the last named is the most telling. The 
above-named variety of 8. flava is a striking one, 
the very pale yellow of the normal form giving 
place to a colour as pronounced as that of the 
daffodil. The plant, however, at present of most 
interest is a new hybrid raised at Glasnevin, and 
now flowering for the first time. It is the result of 
a cross between S. flava and S- rubra, the former 
being the pollen, the latter the seed-bearing parent. 
The offspring resemble the male parent in their 
greatly-increased size (those of the female parent, 
S. rubra, being comparatively small), while the pale 
yellow of the former is changed for the dark crim¬ 
son glow of the flowers of the mother-plant. Dr. 
Moore was one of the first to attempt, and success¬ 
fully, to effect a cross between the species of this 
interesting genus. 
— Cooper’s Gardening Guide is tbe out¬ 
come of tbeir business catalogue. It is, in 
fact, a selection from tbe descriptive and 
cultural matter, arranged alphabetically and pro¬ 
fusely illustrated, and in this form makes a handy 
and useful reference-book for amateurs. Kitchen- 
garden subjects are separately treated, and in 
greater detail than flowers. There is also a calen¬ 
dar of garden operations. 
— ®he National Rose Society this year 
offers liberal prizes at tbe two shows, to be held 
at tbe Crystal Palace and at Manchester. Tbe 
former is to take place on June 29, the latter on 
July 6. The prize schedules can be obtained on 
application to the Hon. Secretaries—Rev. H. H. 
D’Ombrain and E. Mawley, Esq. The committee 
anticipate a far more brilliant show than last year. 
“ With the finest building in the world for exhibition 
