December 12, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
235 
HIBISCUS LAMBERTIANA. 
This popular Hibiscus is still yielding quantities of 
its bright coloured blossoms, which, although so short¬ 
lived, are nevertheless very useful at this season of the 
year. Its irregular-shaped semi-double flowers at once 
cause it to be admired by almost all who see it. 
Considering its adaptability to almost any system of 
training, it is a wonder it does not become more uni¬ 
versally grown than it is. Cuttings of half-ripened 
wood put in now root freely, and so long as a little 
bottom heat can be afforded them, it is immaterial 
whether they have the benefit of a propagating case or 
not. Some cultivators prefer to take their cuttings off 
young growths with a heel in the spring, but with this 
system I have never yet had such good results as by 
striking the half-ripened shoots at this season. 
For cuttings I use a compost of loam and peat in 
equal parts, with sand added to keep it free and open. 
After they are rooted they require potting off singly 
into 3-inch pots, using for this potting rather more 
loam than is recommended for cutting pots, and after 
the pots are fairly well filled with roots, shift them 
on into 6-in. pots, which will be as large as they will 
require under ordinary circumstances for the first 
season, using for this and all subsequent potting a 
compost of three-parts fibry loam to one of peat, unless 
the loam is of a light description, aud then the ratio 
may be beneficially increased. For small plants no 
better place can be found than the side stage of the 
stove, for although they will grow in an intermediate 
house their progress is not so rapid. If required to be 
grown in the shrubby form, frequent stopping, when 
in a young state, will be necessary to make well 
furnished plants. 
I have sometimes met with them trained to baloons, 
in which case they did not require so much pinching, but 
an occasional stopping will then be found beneficial. 
They make very nice plants for covering walls, and even 
on the roof of a stove they look very well, and so 
treated, are nearly always in flower. When grown as 
shrubs (which system I adopt), and also on baloon 
trellises, water will require to be withheld for a while 
towards the close of the year, and for the former system 
prune them to four or six eyes according to size of wood, 
or even closer should the plants be getting too large ; 
but for the latter style of training they will not require 
to be cut back so hard. Hibiscus is rarely troubled 
with any other insect than green fly, unless grown 
in a dry atmosphere, when it may become a prey to 
thrips or red spider.— E. D. 
--— 
NOTES ON POTATOS AT 
BINGLEY HALL. 
However great may be considered the success of 
the great national exhibitions of Potatos this year, 
elsewhere, the exhibits in connection with the Bir¬ 
mingham Cattle Show held last week must be set down 
as disappointing. Only about one-third of the space 
annually allotted to the display was this year taken 
up, and very many of the dishes staged showed either 
that they had done duty at other exhibitions, or had 
for along time been subject to exposure, having become 
quite green and otherwise unfitted for the exhibition 
table. Although the number of entries and dishes 
staged were a long way behind that of former years, 
nevertheless, the examples exhibited must be set down 
as well grown specimens of the varieties represented, 
being large and fairly handsome tubers on the whole. 
Mr. Joseph Hughes, Eydon Hall Gardens, Byfield, 
took the premier prize for twelve dishes (distinct), £5 
and a five-guinea cup presented by Messrs. Sutton & 
Sons, Reading, with the following:—London Hero, 
Reading Russet, Beauty of Hebron, Snowdrop, Fidler’s 
Prolific, Queen of the Valley, Mr. Breezee, Chancellor, 
Vicar of Laleham, The Doctor, Adirondack, and 
Schoolmaster. The 2nd premier prize was won by Air. 
Thomas Alorgan, Acton Burnell, Condover, Salop, 
with the following : —Schoolmaster, Sutton’s Alagnum 
Bonurn, Crimson Beauty, Adirondack, Vicar of Lale¬ 
ham, Alatchless, Edgcote Purple, Radstock Beauty, 
Prizetaker, and International. The 3rd honours in 
this class fell to Sir Frederick Smythe, Bart., Acton 
Burnell, near Shrewsbury. 
Mr. E. S. Wiles, gardener to R. A. Cartwright, Esq., 
Edgecote Park, Banbury, took the 1st prize for eight 
varieties (£3, and Messrs. Webb’s prize, £2), with the 
following sorts:—Magnum Bonum, Air. Breezee, Edge¬ 
cote Purple, Snowdrop, Reading Russett, Pride of 
Edgecote, Adirondack, and Schoolmaster; Mr. Hughes 
came off 2nd best in this class, but in the class for 
six dishes he again came in 1st with The Queen, The 
Colonel, Chancellor, Rufus, American Purple, and Vicar 
of Laleham. The same exhibitor took 1st honours 
with four dishes. The 1st prize for four dishes of 
farm or field culture was awarded to Air. E. S. Wiles 
for The Dean, Alagnum Bonum, Queen of the Valley, 
and Reading Hero. Air. Hughes was also successful 
with two dishes of long or Kidney-shaped Edgecote 
Purple and Fidler’s Prolific. Air. E. S. Wiles took 1st 
for single dish of Kidney with Queen of the Valley and 
Airs. Alorgan 2nd, with Prizetaker. Air. Hughes took 
the 1st prizes for a single dish, round, and for a single 
dish of any new variety not in commerce, with two 
dishes of Purple Perfection, a very large dark round 
purple—two fine dishes, giving a fair idea of future 
usefulness. 
Leaving the prize lists and taking a general survey 
of the whole minutely, the following were some of my 
impressions as to the varieties staged :—Cosmopolitan, 
which was exhibited so extensively last year, was rep¬ 
resented by one dish ; the old American Rose, by one ; 
AVhite Elephant, one ; showing that these varieties 
were giving way to improved and more useful sorts. 
The pertinacity with which exhibitors still cling to 
Schoolmaster, as a white round, was evidenced by the 
number of dishes staged ; the newer, so called, white 
rounds being still wanting in rotundity, and too flat 
and oval to be regarded in the light of true white 
rounds. The Doctor, among modern varieties, appeared 
to come up more to that ideal. The Vicar of Laleham, 
the Dean, Reading Russett, and Edgecote Purple were 
largely shown ; the large fine shaped dishes of the lat¬ 
ter, showing that it is capable of being grown to a great 
weight ; the five evenly-sized dishes of Snowdrop 
showed that this fine variety is growing in favour, 
and the same may be said of Lady Truseott; several 
dishes of Chancellor, Prime Minister, and AI. P. showed 
that these fine varieties were not being overlooked by 
growers. Probably the two heaviest dishes in the show 
were those of Queen of the Valley and Purple Perfect¬ 
ion, shown by Air. Hughes. The 1st prize for the hand¬ 
somest dish in the show was awarded to the Captain, a 
white oval; and among other dishes that arrested my 
attention were the Belle, a coloured variety after Queen 
of the Valley, but handsomer in shape ; The Shah, a 
very large oval white, and Air. Burnell, a red round 
described as a seedling. — J. Knight, Bilston. 
-- 
FRUITS, FLOWERS & VEGETABLES. 
Chrysanthemums in the Open Air.—I 
read Mr. W. J. Alurphy’s notes on the garden culti¬ 
vation of the Chrysanthemum, at p. 196, with much 
interest, and should esteem it a favour if he Would give 
the names of a few early-flowering Japanese varieties, 
which bloom well with him. I get good blooms of 
Elaine and James Salter out of doors, but want a bright 
yellow, an amber, a rose, a bright red, a brick red, and 
a good white to succeed Elaine. Those which I have 
tried as yet have not done well; the fog and rains this 
autumn La Frisure to a dirty white, Tokio, yellow, 
and W. Deville and Helvetie, dirty white, &e. The 
Japanese are my favourites, but I can only bloom a few 
plants under glass ; and having a south wall, I am 
anxious to devote it to Chrysanthemums. Aly garden 
is rather exposed, and some kinds will grow so very tall, 
although I stop them till the middle of June. What 
can I do to obviate this t — OevMa, Hammersmith. 
Stephan otis floribunda, Fruiting.— In 
reference to “A. AI.’s” enquiry respecting the fruiting 
of the Stephanotis in the south of England, 1 can 
inform him that it is by no means an uncommon oc¬ 
currence with us. During the three years of my service 
here one and the same plant has set nine fruits. In 
the summer of 1883 it set four fruits, two of which were 
taken off when quite green, the remaining ones eventu¬ 
ally ripening, their colour at that time being very pale 
yellow. The seed-pods were taken from the plant and 
kept on a dry shelf in the stove till the spring of 1884. 
When the seeds were taken out and sown in the pro¬ 
pagating house they soon germinated, some dozens of 
plants being obtained from one fruit. AVe kept four of 
them on trial. The others were distributed among our 
gardening friends for the same purpose, but without any 
favourable results up to the present ; in fact, only in two 
instances has flower been produced at all, and that very 
meagrely. We have one fruit hanging now, but raising 
seedlings will not be attempted again, as cuttings from 
the same plant, inserted in spring, can be flowered 
freely the same season. — J. F., Dorset. 
The International Kidney Potato.— Having 
seen some unfavourable comments on the eating 
qualities of this Potato in the gardening press, about 
the same time one of the men employed on this estate 
had sent me some for next year’s planting, I decided to 
cook a few of them, and was surprised with its excellent 
flavour and good appearance. Knowing that my fellow 
servant possessed many varieties, I thought he might 
possibly have made some mistake, and to test the 
matter I solicited a further gift, and tried them with 
the same satisfactory results. I send you a few, which 
I hope you will be good enough to try and give us your 
opinion of them. The sample sent were grown on 
sandy loam that seldom suffers from extremes of 
drought or wet. The handsome appearance and great 
size of this Potato tempts me to ask those of your 
readers who have grown it on light soils to record their 
experience as to its edible qualities. On such .soils 
Kidneys, and, indeed, the round ones, are undersized 
in most seasons, and notably so in dry ones, so that if 
a Potato is naturally of extra large size we may reason¬ 
ably expect satisfactory results in all seasons instead of 
as during the past, when one-third of the crops did not 
grow to an edible size.— IF. P. JR. [Nothing better 
could be desired.— Ed.] 
A Chrysanthemum House. — Chrysanthe¬ 
mums can be very well grown planted out in the ground, 
but “A Florist” (p. 222) should not “surround them 
by a hoarding” in the summer, as the more air the 
plants receive during their growth the more sturdy will 
they grow. A hoarding such as “A Florist” suggests 
can be put up about the first week in October, and the 
moveable lights placed on the top, thereby making a 
temporary house to bloom the plants in. If lights are 
not at hand, calico lights will be found useful; these 
are made by stretching calico on a framework and water¬ 
proofing it with linseed oil. — IF. E. Boyce, Holloway. 
Judging Chrysanthemums.—I beg to tender 
my best thanks to Air. Alolyneaux for his kindness in 
giving his candid and impartial opinion concerning my 
inquiries. I hope that the judges in the cut bloom 
classes at the recent Bristol show are now convinced of 
the error of their awards, after so decided an opinion 
from one whose judgment in all matters connected with 
Chrysanthemums is beyond all question.— Exhibitor. 
Boilers: “The Horseshoe” and “The 
Leicester.” —I note Air. Rundell’s remarks in your 
last respecting “The Horseshoe Boiler,” which I can 
fully endorse. At the same time allow me to add a 
word of commendation for the “Leicester Boiler”; I 
am not acquainted with the maker, but having seen the 
boiler at work, I consider it a great improvement upon 
similar forms of apparatus. With a little extra care, 
this very cheap boiler will, I think, prove very 
effective. — IF. C. Burden, Bond Street, Leicester. 
--- 
GIGANTIC FLOWERS. 
Certain localities seem particularly adapted for the 
development of both animals and plants, and in the 
region including India, the islands of the Indian 
Archipelago, and outlying Australia, certain forms of 
the latter are found, that in the size of their fruit and 
flowers excite the greatest wonder in those who have 
beheld them, and not a little credulity in those 
who have not been so fortunate. In the Southern 
Continent of our own hemisphere is found the great 
lily Victoria regia, that created the sensation of the 
time when discovered, and a picture recently shown in 
these columns, representing a boy and girl standing 
upon one of the leaves, gives a forcible idea of the 
strength of structure of this plant. The Victoria regia, 
however, is dwarfed by several flowers that have since 
been discovered, and, indeed, in South America there 
are one or two that equal, if not exceed it. 
A gigantic Arum, the most wonderful discovery in 
plant life in recent times, was found by Beccari in 
Sumatra, and the plant, which has been named 
Amorphophallus titanum, has an ally in northern 
countries in the little “ wake robin ” common in 
