144 
THE FLOEIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ Septembeb, 
tlieir appearance, says the Cultivator^ may be 
greatly improved by tlio following operation:— 
Make two or throe longitudinal incisions on the 
inner side of the bend, and repeat this several times 
during the sumnier ; it will increase the formation 
of wood on that side. Trees from 2 in. to 4 in. in 
diameter have by this means, it is said, become 
nearly straight. 
— Almost the whole of the Snowdrop 
Bulbs sold by the trade in this country are 
grown in Lincolnshire, the proportion of home¬ 
grown to foreign bulbs sold being at the rate of 
100,000 of the former to 10,000 of the latter. The 
principal centres of tho bulb trade in Lincolnshire 
are tlie towns of Holbeach and Spalding, and the 
bulbs are grown principally by small farmers and 
cottagers, from whom they are collected by the 
local traders in lots from 1,000 upwards, then 
sampled to tlie leading liouses in tho trade, and 
subsoqueiitly distributed among the tens of tliou- 
eands of flower-loving Britons. 
— S^iiE Golden Gem Polyanthus is one of 
the giant hose-in-hose cowslips, known in gar¬ 
dens as Polyanthuses. It is of a clear pale 
yellow, and, owing to its duplication, is very strik¬ 
ing. It blooms remarkably early, and as’a spring 
bedding plant is most valuable, and perhaps un¬ 
rivalled. It is a robust grower, and propagates with 
ease, if not exposed too freely to tho hot summer 
sun. These duplex forms of the polyanthus are now 
coming in great variety, and will be most valuable 
for spring-garden decoration. 
— ©HE Peocumbent Phloxes are among 
the most showy and beautiful of spring-flower¬ 
ing plants. P. Nelson! forms a perfect cushion 
of snowy white blossoms, so thickly set as to hide 
nearly the whole of the foliage. At this season tho 
ubovo-named Phlox, especially when associated with 
P. frondosa, a variety having much the same habit, 
but with rose-coloured flowers, w'hich form a most 
pleasing contrast, is invaluable. Thc.se and others 
of tho same class, as P. setacca and subulata, Uke a 
light rich soil, where, if not fully exposed to the sun, 
they grow' and spread with great freedom. Where 
spring bedding is carried out, these plants are almost 
indispensable. 
— ^iie Eev. T. 0. Brehaut reports, concern¬ 
ing tw'o New Amekioan Peaches {Card. Citron., 
n.s., vol. xii., p. 8G), that he has gathered 
both the Alexandeh and the Amsdek Juke, and 
considering that tho season for Peaches in unheated 
orchard-houses is generally about a fortnight back¬ 
ward, and that there has been a great want of sun¬ 
shine, ho considers these now Peaches to ho very 
good. The Alexander especially is a finely-coloured 
variety, of good size and quality, the colour eclipsing 
that of any other variety in the same gathering, 
which is an appreciable advantage in a Peach. They 
were of about equal size, but tho Alexander w'as Ijy 
far the more showy. The Ainsdon Juno is, how'ever, 
more prolific. They w'ere gathered on the same 
day as Early Eivers and Early Louise. This season 
Early Louise is rather iu advance of Early Eivers, 
but this is contrary to our usual experience. There 
can bo no doubt that Early Louise is our best early 
Poach, and for tlio open wall especially so; but now 
that wo have these now' American Peaches, it ro- 
inaiiis to be scon whether tlio Alexander may not 
eventually become a rival. At any rate, so far, 
they are a great acquisition. 
— Amongst the Spring Gardening arrange¬ 
ments at Belvoir Castle, there is a Violet 
Garden, which during the early part of the 
season was full of interest, because full of bloom. 
The variety called Marie Louise appears to be tho 
favourite. Mr. Ingram reports that it flow'ors all 
through the winter, and is far superior in every way 
to the old Neapolitau. The next place is taken by 
Victoria Eegiiia, a fine single blue variety, tlie 
flowers of w’hich are very largo and sweet. 
— Some new varieties of Gentiana alpina 
have been sent to our contemporary the Garden, 
by Mr. H. Gusmus, of Taibach, Austria. Their 
colours arc remarkably distinct and beautiful, vary¬ 
ing from tho deepest azure-blue to pure white, and 
in one flow'er of tho latter colour the tips of the 
corolla-lobes are of a rich blue. In all the forms 
except the white tho throat of the corolla is copi¬ 
ously spotted w'ith blue on a greenish ground, and 
all have greenish marks on the outside. These 
varieties appear to be as yet unknow'u in English 
gardens, but w’e may hojie soon to see them adorning 
our rockeries and flower-borders. 
— 3It appears that we now get Pine-apples 
FROM Madeira, for a Covent Garden Market 
correspondent has recently reported having 
received from that island a consignment of fifty 
Pine-aiiples, larger and much superior in quality to 
any that had been received from St. Michael’s. The 
w'cight ranged from 61b. to 91b., and they w'cre 
amongst the finest examples that have been seen in 
the market. They came in very conveniently, too, 
just after the St. Michael’s were over. 
— S'he Americans, it appears, have a New 
Striped Tea Eose, of which the following 
particulars are given in the American Agricid- 
turiat: —“ This new variety originated in 1877 with G. 
Cartwright, Esq., of Dedham, Mass., who .states that 
it appeared as a sport upon the well-know'u crimson 
Tea Eose, Bon Silene. The fiow'ers are distinctly 
striped with crimson and white, and at the same 
time retain all the valuable qualities of its class—• 
delicacy of colour and texture, exquisite fragrance, 
and continuous bloom. The leaf, from the axil of 
which the sporting shoot started, showed in one 
half the leathery foliage of tho sport, while the 
other half had the foliage peculiar to Bon Silene.” 
Mr. Peter Henderson has named this new rose 
“American Banner,” the colours being very nearly 
those of the stripes of the American flag. 
— ®HE curious little aquatic Marsilead, 
Azolla pinnafa, appears to be a plant of very 
raprid growtlr. It was introduced to Kew last 
autuniu, the plant not then being large enough to 
cover a square inch. It has now spread over the 
surface of some of the tanks, wliioh arc several 
square yards iu size, forming a dense green carpet, 
as does the common duck-weed. It is, however, 
much prettier iu its appearance, since it may be 
compared to some small-growing Selaginella floating 
on tho surface of the water. It evidently thrives 
best on the surface of fluid mud, but it also suc¬ 
ceeds sati.sfactorily iu water of ordinary clearness 
aud temperature. It will be a very suitable plant 
for growing in in-door aquaria, 
