1881 . ] 
GARDEN GOSSIP. 
15 
heather, though richer in its effects. True blue 
flowers, as Veronica alpina, rarely occur; true 
reds are never met with; • and most of all is 
felt the absence of a greensward, such as the 
eyes are accustomed to at home. It is also noted as 
an important characteristic in Arctic plant life, that 
seedlings are almost entirely absent, a circumstance 
attributed to the fact that the duration of the sun’s 
power is too brief to enable flowering plants to 
ripen their seeds; that, in fact, no annuals occur, 
and that Arctic plants are independent of repro¬ 
duction by seed. Mr. Hart also mentions that at 
Cape York and elsewhere, on spots where birds’ 
droppings or guano had accumulated, saxifrages 
and other alpines were particularly luxuriant. The 
hint may be worth noting by cultivators. 
— Sphere will be two Great Horticul¬ 
tural Shows at Manchester this year, 
namely, the annual Grand National Exhibition 
- at Whitsuntide, and the Great International Horti¬ 
cultural Exhibition to commemorate the jubilee of 
the Royal Manchester Botanical and Horticultural 
Society, which is to open on August 24th, and to 
continue for four days. Of the latter, it is announced 
that Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to 
become the patron, and to contribute £25 to the 
fund which is being raised to cover the expenses. 
— £The remarkable variegated Pelargo¬ 
nium Freak of Nature was obtained by Mr. 
W. Gray, Florist, Tliorngumbald, Hull, as a 
sport from the old Cerise Unique. It was at first 
very delicate, but its constitution has gradually 
become stronger. The leaf is white, narrowly 
edged with green. 
— Amongst the small-flowered Pompon 
Chrysanthemums, one called Snowdrop is 
quite a gem. Its charming little blossoms are 
about an inch across, and of the purest and most 
sparkling white, extremely full, the florets reflexing 
over each other, and illustrating well the florist’s half¬ 
globe in its outline. Another similar in character 
is called Lilac Gem, and is of a pale rosy-lilac, very 
full, with reflexed petals, forming a semi-globular 
flower-head, a trifle larger than Snowdrop. These 
very small-flowered sorts will not only make pretty 
small pot-plants for decorative purposes, but must 
also be very useful for bouquet-work, especially for 
button-hole bouquets. 
— ®he new Lachenalia gigantea is said 
to be one of the finest of the genus. One bulb 
alone is sufficient to make a good 40-sized pot- 
plaut; tlio flower-spike is 18 in. high, and bears 21 
large scarlet, purple, and green-tipped flowers and 
buds. The leaves arc bright green and unspotted. 
— ®he gardening world is indebted to, the 
originator of Gishurst Compound for a new 
substance, called Gishurstine, which is to be 
as beneficial to the health of gardeners, as the former 
is destructive to their enemies. It is intended for 
the preservation of gardeners’ boots, and when used 
will keep the feet dry, as it is repellent of water. It 
is to be rubbed in like dubbing, once or twice a 
month, or oftener for boots in constant use, will 
soften the leather, and has no unpleasant smell. We 
have tried it, and find that it does what it professes 
to do, that is, keeps the feet dry, and makes the 
boots comfortable. 
— ©ne of the most attractive plants at 
Chiswick, says the Garden , is a large specimen 
of Abutilon insigne, also called A. igneum, 
trained to the rafters in one of the greenhouses. It 
is literally covered with its bell-like blossoms, and 
each slender branch is borne down by the weight 
of the flowers and buds. The rich, deep crimson 
hue of the blossoms, intermingled with various 
lighter shades, forms a fine contrast to the large, 
heart-shaped, bright, velvety-green foliage. A fact 
worthy of note is that this plant, which occupies 
several square yards, is potted in a 6-inch pot, which 
is crammed full of roots, and probably some have 
escaped through the hole at the bottom. 
— 2Me read that Carter’s Miniature 
Drumhead Cabbage is the best of all late 
autumn and winter cabbages. It has all the 
appearance of a true Drumhead, and possesses the 
hardy character of that variety, but it differs from 
it widely in flavour, which is excellent. It is also a- 
pretty cabbage to look at. It only grows about 8 in. 
or 10 in. in height, and the little heads are about 
the same across. Plants of it may bo grown 1 ft. 
apart each way; they do not take up much space in 
any direction, as they produce but few side leaves, 
the whole being one solid mass of head. “ This 
cabbage is far more useful than any of the small 
Savoys for winter crops.” 
— ;£^Tr. A. Grant, writing of his experience 
with Fir-tree Oil on the destruction of the 
aphis which infests the auricula, remarks that 
when he repotted them in the spring he shook them 
all out and dipped them in rather strong soft-soap 
and tobacco-water, but found that the insects were 
not all killed. He therefore determined to try the Fir- 
tree oil, and mixed half a pint with four gallons of 
water, and took three plants and plunged them up to 
the rim. After waiting several days to see the 
effect, he was so well satisfied on turning them out 
that he proceeded to dip the whole collection ; and 
afterwards dipped the leaves for the green-fly, 
laying them on their sides for half an hour to drain. 
The plants did not appear to be injured in the least; 
and on turning out those most affected, not a living 
aphis nor an injured root was to bo found. 
- ®HE new POLYSTICHUM ANGULARE 
Latiiamii, recently received from Mr. W. B. 
Latham, curator of tlie Birmingham Botanic 
Garden, is a very pretty variety, of dwarfish habit, 
with fronds of a broadly lanceolate, rather irregular 
outline, densely crowded, so that the upper pinnules 
of one pinna overtop the lower ones of the next, 
the pinnules themselves being very much imbricated 
laterally, distinctly stalked, short, broad, auriculate, 
and spinulosely toothed, the stipes and also the 
primary and secondary rachides densely scaly. In 
some respects it approaches the variety densnm, but 
that, in its typical form, has two or three lobulets 
distinctly separate, while here the pinnules, though 
broad, are quite entire, except the spiny marginal 
teeth. 
— £|t length the merits of Robinia Pseud- 
acacia Bessoniana as an ornamental tree for 
small avenues, pleasure-grounds, and lawns in 
villa gardens, to which we have often called atten¬ 
tion, is beginning to be appreciated. It is indeed 
one of the best of tlie Acacias, and is worthy of 
being extensively planted. The ornamental character 
