June 26, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
683 
There is yet another kind, though somewhat rare ; this 
is D. fraxinella var. taurica (it may be that this latter 
is a true species), it is taller and somewhat bolder than 
the first named, and has flowers of a deeper red. 
Lixum perenne album. — What a charmingly 
pleasing plant we have in Linum perenne album ! Its 
generally fragile growth, and silver-grey flowers waft¬ 
ing in the breeze, render it so very distinct as to de¬ 
mand the notice of every passer by. It is about 2 ft. 
in height, and begins flowering early in the month of 
June, and continues for weeks in succession. It is a 
free seeder, perfectly hardy, and having the qualities 
I have named, should make it deservingly popular.— J. 
->❖§=<-—- 
FRUITS, FLO WERS & V EGETABLES. 
Cottagers’ Flowers. — Many of our cottage 
gardens are now beautiful with the simple flowers 
usually grown in them, one I have just passed is 
lovely, and yet there are not more than half a dozen 
species in bloom. There are some dozens of large 
patches of white fragrant Pink, some rows and patches 
of London Pride, a dozen or so clumps of Purple Rocket, 
some large wild-growing bushes of Roses, many tall 
spikes just expanding of white Lilies, some crimson 
Anthirrhinum, and a few other hardy flowers, and that 
is all at present in bloom ; but what a delightful 
garden they make. Soon the Honeysuckles will be in, 
and the Iris and other things, and then the appearance 
of the garden will be quite different to what it is now, 
but equally lovely. Back in the spring there were 
many hundreds of common single and double Daffodils 
in flower, a very charming sight, extending away back 
among the grass, under the old Apple trees, and then 
came the show of snowy Arabis. In many of these 
cottage gardens we find much beauty produced at a 
very small cost.— M. A. Camb. 
Ramondia pyrenaica. —Although this is one 
of the choicest of Alpines, it is more conspicuous by its 
absence in gardens than it ought to be, considering its 
hardiness, its individual beauty and neatness of habit. 
It is one out of the two representatives of the Gesneracese 
family in the European flora, a family in all probability 
more numerously represented there in former ages, when 
the conditions as to temperature were more favourable 
to that kind of vegetation which has now all but died 
out. It succeeds admirably in a cold frame, Irat with¬ 
stands our winters in the open unprotected when placed 
in the crevices or other parts of the rockery where it 
can obtain a sufficiency of moisture for its roots without 
stagnation about its rugose shaggy leaves, which form 
a dense rosette spread flatly on the ground. It has 
been cultivated in the full sun on a rockery, But seems 
happiest where the direct rays of the sun do not fall 
upon it. A large clump is now in full beauty, planted 
amongst the crevices of the rocks, and shaded from all 
save the early morning sun by tall Hollies and Lime 
trees. The purple flowers, backed by the deep green 
foliage showing here and there its shaggy rust-coloured 
undersurface, exhibit a very pleasing picture in the 
shady recess where they are grown. — J. F. 
Cytisuses Flowering Twice. —Early this 
spring I purchased some plants of the common yellow 
Cytisus, which were then flowering, and they continued 
bright in a greenhouse for some weeks. After the 
flowers had faded the plants were trimmed up closely 
and placed in a warm frame, syringed freely, and 
watered as necessary. They soon commenced growth, 
and produced spikes of flowers abundantly, being now 
covered 'with bloom as handsome as before. This time, 
however, we have them in the window with other 
plants. This second flowering may not be new to some 
readers of The Gardening World, but I fancy there 
are other amateurs like myself who have not observed 
it before, and for this reason the fact may be worth 
recording. — Amateur. 
Geranium argenteum— Although introduced 
in 1699, from South Europe, this species of Crane’s 
Bill, has never made much headway in the gardens of 
this country, nor apparently will it ever do so. Its 
rate of growth is slow, and the annual increase quite 
insignificant. That this should be the case is to be 
regretted, for the ease with which a plant can be 
propagated, determines in a great measure whether it 
can be rapidly disseminated and popularised. Another 
great factor in the case is the relative hardiness of the 
plant, namely, its power of resisting our severe winters 
unprotected and with no more attention than is usually 
accorded hardy herbaceous plants. Formerly it was 
described as necessitating the protection of a cold frame, 
but it has now withstood the past three or four winters 
unprotected on a rockery. The dwarf almost stemless 
habit of the plant, coupled- with the comparatively 
small silvery foliage are uncommon features in this 
genus of generally well-known garden plants. The 
individual leaves are peltately orbicular, five to seven 
parted, with trifid lobes and ultimately linear segments, 
and appear to spring from the root. The peduncles 
are two-flowered, bearing large rosy or flesh-coloured 
flowers, beautifully variegated with numerous deep 
rosy purple branching veins. It delights in a sunny 
open exposure, in a soil that is rather dry than other¬ 
wise—conditions it is most likely to get cultivated as 
an alpine on rockwork. — J. F. 
Lathyrus Drummondii. —Before any of the 
varieties of L. latifolius are shewing their flower stems, 
this is in bloom, and has been so for ten days past. 
The flowers are of a bright carmine-red, and they are 
produced in wonderful profusion. The plant occupied 
an open space, it is trained up some bushes, there are 
several leading shoots, and it measures nearly 3 ft. in 
diameter. It is one of the most attractive of the Ever¬ 
lasting Peas, and it should be planted in good soil and 
left alone, giving the plant only a good mulching in 
spring.— R. D. 
Wireworms in Vine Borders. —Having read 
D. R.’s letter in your last, wherein he complains of the 
wireworm pest in his Yine border, I would offer him 
the following advice, which if acted upon will soon rid 
him of the pest. Having had charge of a newly made 
border, fresh from the pasture instead of being cut and 
fully exposed to the weather during the winter previous, 
the Yines were planted and broke nicely into growth, 
but all at once they began to droop ; we gave them a 
slight shade and a good watering, but all to no purpose, 
until one morning on examining the roots I found they 
were eaten through in some instances, and where strong 
the wireworms had hollowed them out and gone up out of 
sight. I tried Carrots, Potatos, and Cake, but the more 
I got the more there seemed to come. The evaporating 
pans swarmed with the fly. At last a friend suggested 
that I should cover the border 2 ins. deep with fresh 
horse droppings, give the same a good watering with 
tepid water, let it remain for two days and then turn it 
over with the hand, and I should find them on the top 
of the soil and in the droppings by the hundred. It 
answered completely, and I repeated the practice until 
we were clear of them, and it did not take long. I may 
add that in my case the Vines were rendered completely 
useless, and young Yines from the eye were obtained, 
planted on July 3rd, and made first-class canes, some 
being an inch and a quarter in diameter. Should 
“ D. R.” adopt this plan, I hope he will give us the 
result, as I know there are many who do not yet 
believe in the mischief done by wireworms to Vines.— 
G. Baskett, The Gardens, Elm Croft, Parkslone. 
Cuckoo Spittle. — Before Mr. Kidson throws doubt 
upon the statements made as to the origin of the frothy 
substance which envelopes the insect seen in cuckoo 
spittle, so called, on plants so abundantly this year, he 
should have made himself fully acquainted with the 
entomological aspects of this subject, for, on what 
I have no doubt is sound entomological authority, 
I made the statement with reference to the insect’s 
power to absorb sap from the stems of the plants upon 
which found, and convert it into their frothy coating. 
It must be noticed, that, inasmuch as this froth 
consists chiefly of air bubbles, the quantity of sap or 
moisture required to create it is very trifling. On the 
other hand there is absolutely no evidence that the 
insect possesses any internal power to create this froth 
from its own body. The egg is, without doubt, deposited 
in the leaf-joint, as, I think, in all cases the insect is 
found just above a leaf-joint. For the purpose of 
satisfying myself as to the perforation in the stem, to 
which I had previously referred, and having the spittle 
somewhat profusely upon the flower-stems of the old 
mule Pink, I cut several, washed the spittle and 
insects clean off, and then, with the aid of an ordinary 
eye-glass, was enabled to discern the punctures just in 
the stem were the insect was, like minute fine holes. 
I could not have distinctly seen these with the naked 
eye, for mine are now weak, but the glass made them 
very evident, and I have no doubt whatever that the 
stems of the plant had been drained more or less as 
required. As to the insects being endowed with poison¬ 
ous attributes, I have considerable doubts on that 
matter ; I have seen no evidence of it, nor have I 
observed that any appreciable harm is done to plants 
by the perforations made in the stems. The chief 
objection seems to lie in the frothy deposits made by 
the insects, and which, if nothing worse, are very 
unsightly.— A. D. 
Cambrian Prince Strawberry. —Can any of your 
readers give me any information respecting the origin, 
cropping qualities, and flavour of the variety which 
made such a good appearance under this name at the 
late Manchester Show ? I saw the two sets of plants 
there, which were certainly very good, but could glean 
no information about the sort. — Lancastrian. 
Garden Frame. —Can any of your readers tell me 
what kind of garden frame is the best and most durable 
for general use, and whether span or inclined top is 
the best ?— B. 
-- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE PLANT HOUSES 
"Work in this department will now be of a general 
rather than of a specific nature, for this is now a “quiet” 
time, potting of all kinds having been completed, it is 
more a matter of attention than work ; at the same 
time where by any means work has been neglected, 
nothing but confusion and failure can be expected. Each 
day brings its work, and if there should be neglect of 
any kind it will surely be felt, probably next autumn, 
when the conservatory ought to be gay with bloom. 
Ferns and Palms will be required to be used to help out, 
and all manner of excuses made, to try and bridge 
over the summer’s neglect, therefore keep on the 
alert. More particularly follow out last week’s advice 
with regard to the stock of plants preparing for next 
winter’s forcing, and if by force of circumstances they 
have not yet been attended to, lose no further time, and 
the same speedy attention must be given to the main 
batch of Chr 3 'santhemums. 
The early summer flowering varieties are now shewing 
flower, and it is advisable that they should be placed 
under cover, as we find that if allowed to bloom out-of- 
doors, the flowers become spotted and dirty looking. 
Under glass they are kept quite clean, and are most use¬ 
ful, and although I have heard opinions freely expressed 
that they are out of place at this season, I dissent from 
that view, in fact, 1 am inclined to think that we may 
ultimately look for them “ all the year round”; with the 
assistance of the annuals this is even now attainable. 
In the stove take care that the syringe is freely plied, 
to prevent thrip or spider becoming established, and 
also keep a sharp look out for mealy bug, the greatest 
of all the gardeners’ pests. As Achimenes progress 
have them neatly staked into whatever form may be 
desirable; if they are grown in baskets, staking is 
unnecessary, as allowing them to droop naturally they 
are much more effective, only be careful that they have 
an abundance of water when grown in this way, or they 
will rapidly go over, particularly at this season. 
Cinerarias and Primulas will now be benefitted by 
removal to the north pits, or the former will be 
apt to become infested with green-fly and give a lot of 
trouble to eradicate when the plants are so young ; let 
the plants receive a good sprinkling through a fine rose 
morning and evening, after the watering has been 
attended to, and draw the lights completely off them, 
and allow them to remain off through the night, 
replacing first thing in the morning, before the sun has 
much power ; they will be greatly benefitted by the 
night’s dew, and the foliage will be altogether stouter 
than if coddled up in the pits always. If the late 
sowing of Cinerarias has by any means missed, lose no 
time in making another, as, if sown after this, the 
stock will not be so satisfactory, neither will they flower 
until well on in spring. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
Where the fruit from the early Peach-house has all 
been gathered—and if forced early it will be—the trees 
should be at once pruned, so that the roots be only 
asked to support and finish what is absolutely required 
in the way of wood for next year’s crop, instead of—as 
is too frequently the case—allowing all the surplus 
wood to remain until the autumn, doing an incal¬ 
culable amount of injury ; also be extremely careful 
that the border from now onwards does not suffer from 
want of water, and let the trees be well syringed 
morning and evening, of course throwing the top and 
