May 8, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
567 
are of a bright rose, some forms occasionally white, 
and a charmingly pretty sight it is to see a potful 
of this little gem in full flower. — E. J. 
( To be continued.) 
--K&e-- 
CHOICE HARDY PLANTS. 
Among the many choice subjects shown at the 
last meeting of the Eoyal Horticultural Society 
was the beautiful delicate blue Anemone Robin- 
soniana. This is an undoubted form of A. nemorosa, 
but an American introduction, with flowers of a deeper 
tint of blue than is seen in A. nemorosa ccerulea, a 
selection from the Wood Anemone made in this 
country. But though so finely shown, it was not 
so blue as I have seen it, and this was probably 
owing to its having been flowered in a cold frame. 
Mr. T. S. Ware had this and the double white Wood 
Anemone, in very fine condition. If anyone who 
loves choice hardy flowers wishes to have a day’s 
keen enjoyment, let him go into the Kentish or 
Hertfordshire woods where these Anemones abound, 
and he will find many pretty rose-coloured selections 
worth bringing aw&y. He may perchance find some 
double forms among them. And who could not help 
admiring the fine double scarlet Anemone sent by Mr. 
Gilbert, of Dyke, Bourne, Lincolnshire. This represents 
a fine selection grown in that part of the country, and 
it is one of the best of hardy plants. Then there was 
Adonis vernalis, a panfull of which came from Ches- 
hunt; it must be planted in a good deep light loam, 
rather moist, and then it will do well ; but it is 
seldom seen. Mr. Paul’s clump of Doronicum austria- 
cum was very fine, with its large circular golden 
yellow flowers ; a delightful subject. Had Wordsworth 
seen a healthy plant of this in full bloom, he would 
never have supposed the little Celandine had sat for its 
portrait to the artist who painted the “Rising Sun.” 
Plant this in a good deep and rather sandy loam with 
some leaf mould in it. But what shall be said of 
Menziesia empetriformis, a tiny shrub, neat in habit and 
of exquisite beauty, producing numbers of rosy purple 
bells, bright and pleasing in shade, in clusters on a 
dwarf heath-like bush, seldom more than 8 or 9 ins. in 
height; it seems to do best in a rather moist sandy 
peat sod, in a fully exposed situation. Mr. George 
Paul had a specimen plant, and Mr. Geo. F. Wilson 
brought from his garden at Heatherbank some lovely 
clusters of blossoms. 
Megasea cordifolia purpurea is a very fine form of the 
large-leaved Saxifrage, rich in colour, and a valuable 
border plant. And who did not admire the pretty 
white Buttercup, Banunculus amplexicaulis, white as 
snow ? It has been accurately described as “an Alpine 
Buttercup, with the purity of flower of a Snowdrop.” 
It is said to flourish in the London clay, so there need 
be no difficulty in succeeding with it. Hear it was the 
rich blue vernal Gentian, Gentiana verna, a plant not 
often seen in good health in gardens, because certain 
conditions are required to have it in form. It should 
be hi a good, deep, sandy loam on a level spot of rock- 
work ; it wants perfect drainage, abundance of water 
during the warm and dry months, and perfect exposure 
to the sun. It flourishes best when some grit is mixed 
with the soil. Then there was Primula ciliata purpurea, 
a lovely garden form that is well adapted for pot culture; 
in fact, all the varieties of P. ciliata are well deserving 
of culture in pots, growing them in a cold frame, and 
giving them the same treatment as Alpine Auriculas, 
Hemerocallis Kwanso variegata was shown by Mr. 
Ware, a fine selected variety, the leaves very hand¬ 
somely striped w'ith green and yellow. I can scarcely 
imagine that the variegation will come so good on 
X>lants grown in the open ground ; but it is a charming 
thing for cultivating in pots for warm greenhouse de¬ 
coration at this season of the year, and I think it will 
make a good table plant. It deserved the Certificate 
of Merit awarded to it.— R. D. 
Grammatophyllum speciosum.— At the Govern¬ 
ment Botanical Gardens at Buitenzorg there is now 
flowering an Orchid of gigantic size, bearing this name, 
and displaying no less than twenty-eight flower-stalks. 
Each of them is on the average 8 ft. long. On one 
stalk alone there are seventy flowers, of which fifty 
were all open together at one time. The flower is 
generally 5£ ins. in diameter. Each flower-leaf is 2f 
ins. long and 1J ins. broad .—Tropical Agriculturist. 
Scottish Gardening. 
Seasonable Notes. — Chrysanthemums are 
justly very popular, and much has been ■written as to 
how splendid blooms in abundance may be had at the 
proper season. In the north it is found that one 
cannot always control the influences of a backward 
season, nor get our blooms to open early in November. 
Last season many experienced great difficulty with 
their Chrysanthemums, and rve heard complaints from 
growers living wide apart, regarding the tardiness of 
the flowering of their plants, and many did not flower 
at all. The unusually early frost had much to do with 
this paucity of blossoms. Though one often sees plants 
do fairly well outside without much protection- yet it 
is quite different when they have been subjected to a 
warm temperature, as they were last September, and 
then suddenly be exposed to 10° of frost, when the 
wood was full of sap and the buds forming. We were 
not altogether exempt from misfortune, and had to 
deplore injury to some new and choice kinds which we 
had not seen in flower. It is therefore necessary that 
one should have means to protect them when sudden 
changes of temperature take place. 
Many have to place their plants out at this season, 
exposed to all weathers ; but if some framework was 
erected which could be covered with Frigi-domo at 
night, much of the difficulty and anxiety of Chrysan¬ 
themum-growing would be averted. One need not 
suggest what is the most advanced practice in growing 
these into fine specimens, as abundance of matter has 
appeared in the horticultural press during the last 
season from the best authorities. Glass in the early 
season to ward-off frost, and the same in autumn for 
the same purpose is very necessary. To have the plants 
in flower early, and the latter of great size, with the 
addition of liberal culture, it is of great moment not to 
stop the shoots after May, and some do not stop them 
at all. The greater strength of the shoots, with foliage 
to the base, the finer the flowers. Small shoots give 
flowers of reduced size. Late stopping is productive of 
late flowering. Some small growers have not time and 
means to propagate by cuttings; but to meet this 
difficulty, old plants may be topped back and the 
smaller shoots removed. When they have broke out 
into fresh growth they may be shaken out of their pots, 
the roots be trimmed-in, and re-potted into sandy loam, 
giving very little pot room. The young shoots should 
have a little of the new soil placed among them to 
cause emission of roots from the stems, which give a 
great stimulus to vigorous and healthy growth. The 
pots are soon filled with healthy roots, and should be 
shifted into rich loam (potting firmly) before the roots 
become pot-bound. A good space is left for a surfacing 
of rotted cow-manure and loam mixed, to be given 
after the flower-buds are formed ; liquid manure may 
then be given freely. 
To save labour and meet all our necessary require¬ 
ments we have often put a dozen or less cuttings in the 
pots and shifted them on, getting large plants for the 
conservatory purposes, which were neither potted 
singly in the usual form nor stopped at all. One of the 
most successful growers around London pointed out to 
us his exhibition plants, standing on cocoa-nut fibre in 
the full sun, with the most careful attention paid to 
details. The growth was near perfection, but the 
plants were from the stools of standards which had 
done duty the previous season. We give this latter 
hint to some of our friends who suppose there is much 
mystery in producing the grand plants we have seen at 
Liverpool, London, and other shows. To save labour 
we have often planted out specimens in very firm soil, 
cutting out holes and ramming the roots firmly in them, 
and some time before the plants were lifted they were 
cut round the roots with a spade, potted with very 
little check, stood in the shade a few days, well-watered 
over head, then placed where abundance of sun might 
reach them, and where protection could be hastily 
utilised. 
Eupatoriums are by some propagated yearly 
planted out and otherwise treated like Chrysanthe¬ 
mums, but such a practice does not answer well in late 
cold districts. It is better to grow them on at first with 
glass protection, and retain them in pots. The flowers 
are larger when the plants are turned out in open 
borders, but then it is much later when they come into 
flower, and the infloresence is scanty as compared witli 
the produce of plants in pots. These plants are of easy 
culture, of great value for show and cut-flowers, where 
glass and better plants are scarce. 
Plants for Winter Flowering 1 .— It is not 
inopportune to refer to the growing of plants in general 
for winter flowering, as now is the time to take active 
measures to secure success. Get the plants into early 
growth so as to give them a good long season to prepare 
the flower-buds and to ripen them. By a long rest, 
then moving the plants slowly by forcing, and all other 
things being equal, one may say that this is a summary 
of the culture which leads to success of both flower and 
fruit forcing. Some of the leading plants, which should 
have this attention, are Camellias, Epacris, Azaleas, 
Spermanuias, Cytisus, Coronillas, Aotus, Oranges, Roses 
of sorts, keeping every bloom off, Ericas, hymalis and 
Wilmoreana, and some others, Acacias, most kinds, 
Habrothamnus, &c. These may all be had from 
autumn till spring in full flower, till the late lots come 
in at their natural place ; Kalmias, Rhododendrons, 
Ghent Azaleas, Lilacs, Scarlet Horns, Syringas, La¬ 
burnums, Forsythias, Berberis Darwinii, and other 
hardy shrubs grown in pots, with healthy root action, 
growth completed early and well set w-ith matured 
flower-buds are of much value during the short days 
when flowers are scarce. Luxuriant growth with such 
plants late in the season defeats any attempt at a display 
of early flowers. 
Thinning Crops in the vegetable garden will 
now be claiming attention. It is well to do this piece¬ 
meal in some cases where seeds have been sown thickly 
(to give an extra chance under untoward circumstances), 
and they are likely to crowd themselves to their own 
destruction, attention to half or quarter thinning 
should not be delayed ; this applies to Beet, Carrots, 
Lettuce (these are often sown thinly—thinned to 8 ins. 
apart, and the thinnings planted out in the shade for a 
successional crop), Onion, but where vermin are trouble¬ 
some, thinning must be clone with caution. Parsley, too, 
must be planted out thinly lor standing the winter 
rather poor land gives medium growth, which enables 
these to winter well. We have abundance now of such 
Parsley which seemed to pass the winter unscathed. 
Parsnips may soon require thinning—on rich land they 
are liable to decay at their crowns when not thinned 
out well. — M. T. 
-- 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
The warmer days are hastening the growth of vege¬ 
tables generally, but the cold nights still do some 
injury, checking the advance of the more tender kinds 
like Peas, and the disastrous frost of last Saturday has 
done more damage to the fruit blossom than can yet be 
perceived. The flowers often show no signs of injury 
for several days after a frost, and the delicate petals do 
not seem to be affected ; but if a few blossoms be care¬ 
fully examined they will be found dark in the centre, 
and where this is the case the embryo fruits are almost 
invariably killed. It is to be hoped that the damage 
will be confined to a small district, and where the trees 
are not so forward as they are in the south of England, 
they will probably escape. The show of bloom was so 
abundant that it appeared as if we were to have a 
plentiful harvest of fruit to compensate for other 
deficiencies this season ; but as regards the earlier 
districts, we fear this anticipation will not be realised, 
and in our own garden we shall have to rely upon small 
fruits. 
Fortunately Gooseberries and Cun-ants are showing 
well, and have not suffered in the slightest. Raspberries 
are advancing well, and Strawberries are strong, so 
that we shall not be deprived of these useful fruits, 
though our store of Pears and Apples may be reduced. 
Peas are coming on satisfactorily now, but the birds 
give us much trouble, except where we employ the 
cotton in lines as previously advised, the earliest-sown 
Peas have, however, made the least progress, and those 
sown last month have overtaken some that have been 
in the ground twice the time. Spinach is growing 
freely, and a week or two of fine weather will give us 
a picking of this useful vegetable. Me have some 
young Celery plants nearly ready for placing out, and 
the trenches have been prepared for them. We usually 
take out the soil about 6 iu. deep, lightening up the 
bottom of the trench and, if the soil is poor, a little 
