January 29, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
347 
Vilmorin & Co., in their work on the Vegetable King¬ 
dom, make it to be the Jerusalem Green-curled Kale, 
which I imagine is the same as the Buda. But who can 
help to a satisfactory solution of this difficulty ?— A 
Perplexed One. 
Propagation of the Lapageria.— An easy 
and moderately quick method of propagating the 
Lapageria is practised by Mr. Latham at the Botanical 
Gardens, Birmingham, and deserves to be generally 
known. Strong shoots of mature growth, 3 ft. or more 
in length, are cut away from the plant, and are buried' 
1 in. or more in depth in pans or boxes of good sandy 
soil, leaving about half the leaf only out of the soil. 
The shoots can be coiled so that a moderate-sized seed 
pan will contain a shoot with a goodly number of eyes. 
They should be kept in a cool house and have moderate 
waterings.— D. TV. 
Violets and Iris.—I send you a gathering of the 
three Violets I cultivate under glass, viz., Marie Louise, 
Comte Brazza and Neapolitan ; and also a few flowers of 
Iris reticulata, which we grow in pots to come in with 
the earliest batches of Lily of the Valley. The rich 
purple and orange of the Iris is very lovely when seen 
in contrast with the ivory whiteness of the Lilies ; and 
as the Iris, contrary to rhe Lilies, require so little heat 
to have them in flower at the same time, the wonder is 
that they have not been brought in to more general 
cultivation for the purpose of supplying flowers in the 
depth of the winter. Our plants are flowering on a 
shelf in the early Rose house, 'where the minimum 
temperature is 45°. On opening the door a delicate 
perfume pervades the air ; a stranger will generally 
exclaim, “Oh! I can smell Primroses,” when it is 
afterwards discovered to proceed from the Iris. — Wm. 
Allan, Gunton Park. 
Australian or Golden Cress. — I often 
wonder that this salad is not more generally met with 
in gardens, and especially in those of amateurs. To my 
mind it makes an excellent salad, to eat as one would 
"Water Cress ; but do not let anyone suppose it is a new 
thing. It was introduced into this country from France 
by the Royal Horticultural Society some sixty years 
ago, as will appear from the following extract from a 
report, published in 1826, of the society’s transactions, 
on “ New and Remarkable Esculent Vegetables Culti¬ 
vated in the Garden of the Society ” :—“Seeds of this 
Cress were received from M. Vilmorin, under the name 
of Cressou Dore. It is at present but little known in 
this country, but certainly deserves more general cul¬ 
tivation, as it affords a splendid addition to our stock of 
small salads. In the notice of it in the Bon Jardinier, 
it is treated as a variety of the common Cress, Lepidium 
sativum, but it is probably a distinct species.’’ It 
would appear that it is not a distinct species, simply 
a very fine large-leaved variety of the common garden 
Cress ; and there are two forms—the green and the 
golden-leaved. The flavour is said to be milder than 
that of the latter. The plant is of dwarf habit, and 
the seeds should be treated much as one would Parsley, 
by sowing thinly in drills, and picked singly when the 
leaves are well developed. The plants should be 
grown in good soil, so that the growths may be as 
succulent as possible, and then they suit the palate 
better. A little seed of the Golden Cress should find a 
place in the seed order of every amateur. — R. D. 
Azalea balsaminsaflora. —To lovers of this 
class of plants the subject here mentioned will not only 
prove a highly attractive and valuable decorative kind, 
but is so distinct from the ordinary Indian and other 
Azaleas, as to constitute a real novelty. It is a com¬ 
paratively recent introduction from Japan and will, 
probably, be as amenable to greenhouse treatment as 
well as other Azaleas from that part of Asia. We saw 
it recently in Mr. William Bull’s nursery at Chelsea, 
where it is now flowering in a handsome manner. 
One thing that strikes the beholder is the size of the 
flowers compared with that of the leaves, which form a 
background, and set off the former to best advantage. 
The leaves are smaller even than those of A. indica 
generally are, and the flowers resemble those of a 
Camellia-flowered Balsam. They are perfectly formed, 
with very numerous closely imbricating petals of a 
beautiful salmon-red colour. This is more akin to the 
soft red of A. mollis than the dull purplish red so pre¬ 
valent in self-coloured flowers of A. indica, but is per¬ 
fectly distinct from either. The plants in the above 
establishment were grown in pots, and did not much 
exceed 1 ft. in height, but were well furnished and 
gay with flowers, 
Azalea Deutsche Perle. — Those in search of a 
good double white Indian Azalea would do well to 
grow this variety. Its flowers arc of the purest white 
and very double, and the constitution of the plant is 
very strong, while it is very free flowering and well 
adapted for forcing. I saw some plants the other day 
at Warnham Court; some in 48-size pots, grafted plants 
full of flowers, likewise some in small 60-size pots, 
on their own roots ; and I thought they were the 
prettiest objects I ever saw in this way for decorative 
purposes. Mr. Duncan, who has a lot of this work to 
do here, finds it very valuable. These small plants had 
over a dozen fine flowers expanded.— A. 0. 
Crocuses and Croakers.— In the January 
number of the Essex Magazine, Mr. Joseph Clarke, 
F.S.A., says, in reference to the former cultivation of 
Crocus sativus at Saffron Walden, that the old Saffron 
farmers used to be called “crocurs,” and “from the 
uncertainty of the crop from disease in the bulbs, and 
the changes in this variable climate in September and 
October, the profits were very precarious, occasionally 
ruinous, which gave rise to habits of habitual discon¬ 
tent, and it may be inferred that the word “croaker,” 
now a common appellation for a grumbler, was so 
derived. ” 
Linum trigynum. —If any greenhouse plant may 
be said to produce flowers having the florists’ property 
of form, it is the above. I saw it at Gunnersbury Park 
the other day, finely flowered ; its erect, solid, well- 
formed and rich deep yellow flowers were produced in 
rare character. If they were only more lasting, it 
would be one of the most valuable of winter-blooming 
subjects. Mr. Roberts gives his plants a generous 
treatment, and they grow and flower freely in conse¬ 
quence. I have known some gardeners starve this 
plant, under the impression that they, by doing so, 
were ensuring freedom of bloom ; but in many cases the 
plants became a prey to red spider. Mr. Roberts’ more 
generous treatment is justified by the fact that large 
w r ell-coloured and stout blossoms are produced in 
plenty.— R. D. 
This fine winter-flowering plant is also extensively 
grown at Warnham Court for the decoration of the 
conservatory, it having no equal for colour at this dull 
season of the year ; some well-grown plants, with their 
bright yellow flowers, prove very attractive. Lachenalias 
in varieties are also well grown here ; these for either 
basket or potwork are very useful and ornamental when 
in flower.— A. 0. 
Gooseberry Bushes and Bullfinches.— 
The present time is appropriate for writing a line or 
two on the above subject, as our extremely pretty— 
what shall I say ? well, for the time being—enemy in 
his beautiful garb of red, black, white and slate- 
coloured tints, will soon be busy feasting and banquet¬ 
ing to his infinite delight and enjoyment on our fast¬ 
swelling buds. Those of your readers who have the 
pleasure of residing in the country districts where 
extensive woodlands prevail, know only too well that 
at this time of year Mr. Bullfinch arrogates to himself 
an extraordinary amount of boldness and “cheek” to 
appease his insatiable appetite for big Gooseberries in 
an embryo state, and, as a consequence, all sorts of 
schemes and dodges are resorted to in order to set him 
at defiance ; the most insane and reckless being that of 
taking a loaded gun, and if there happens to be a few 
birds at their work of destruction, to deliberately blaze 
away at them—bushes as well—-to see how many of 
the former can be placed hors de combat, altogether 
forgetting or paying no regard to the fate of the latter, 
which is certain to show itself sooner or later in the 
shape of dead or dying branches—a state of things much 
more deplorable than the loss of half a crop of fruit. 
Our own practice consists of mixing up a quantity of 
lime and soot to the consistency of thick paint, which, 
with the aid of the garden engine, is showered amongst 
the bushes in all directions. This is quite effectual in 
keeping our feathered enemies from enjoying their 
dainty morsels, i.e., so long as it remains dry ; in rainy 
weather the operation should be repeated when neces- 
sary. In addition to this we leave the bushes un¬ 
pruned till the buds are well advanced in swelling, as 
in the event of a succession of wet days, it is next to 
impossible by the above means to avoid some loss, and 
the chances are that if the young wood were cut, fully 
two-thirds of the buds would be taken. I am quite 
aware that this late pruning does not meet with accep¬ 
tance in many quarters, on the ground of it being said 
to have a weakening effect on the bushes, and, con¬ 
sequently, the fruit is not so large as it otherwise would 
be. My own practice, however, leads me to say that 
the so-called bad effects are more imaginary than real, 
and I can confidently recommend the plan of lime, 
soot and late pruning. — J. Horsefield, Heytcsbury. 
Pavetta borbonica. — Several species of this 
genus are occasionally seen in gardens, and the majority 
are stove-flowering plants, similar in habit and closely 
allied in every respect to Ixoras. The flowers are 
mostly, i( not always, white, and produced in close 
terminal cymes that are not devoid of effect in a collec¬ 
tion of stove plants. They are readily distinguishable 
from an Ixora when in flower by their long protruding 
styles, which are included in the tube of the corolla in 
the latter. The subject of this note, which we saw in 
handsome condition the other day in Messrs. Yeitch & 
Son’s nursery, at Chelsea, if not altogether different in 
habit from the above, is so distinct as to be serviceable 
only as a foliage plant. The flowering species are 
generally of a free branching character ; but P. bor¬ 
bonica is a strong, robust, woody plant that seldom 
branches till it attains considerable size. By this time 
the bottom leaves have fallen away, leaving the stem 
bare, so that the plant loses its value from a decorative 
point of view. "When this happens it should be cut 
down, and cuttings made of the eyes to which a leaf is 
attached ; the old stem will also throw out laterals 
which can be propagated. The cuttings require some 
considerable time to root, and should be kept in a close, 
moist, warm atmosphere, and shaded when necessary. 
The leaves are oblong, 12 ins. to 14 ins. in length, of 
a deep shining green marbled with pale yellow or grey 
blotches, and leathery in texture. Plants propagated 
from cuttings, and grown to a single stem till the 
lower part becomes bare, form exceedingly handsome 
decorative subjects. 
Early Daffodils.—It may interest some of your 
readers to know that the Daffodils are already in 
flower. I have Pallidus praeox, Corbularia citrina, 
Papyraceus, and Tazetta well in bloom, and, should 
the weather permit, I hope to have my other varieties 
out in the course of a week or two. — TV. D'Arcy 
Godolphin Osborne, F.L.S., Villa Louis, Biarritz, 
Jan. 19 tli. 
-- 
SYRINGING ORCHIDS. 
1 should like to know a little more clearly than 
appears in the numerous articles on the subject of 
syringing Orchids, how far the condemnation of this 
practice is to extend ; surely not to all species. Partly 
to elicit information for myself, and partly that others 
may have the benefit of my experience, I will state 
what that experience is. I agree in deprecating 
syringing Phaloenopsis, and also Saccolabiums, Aerides 
and Vandas, except Vanda Cathcarti, which grows in 
the spray of waterfalls, and which, I find, benefits by 
being syringed, and also Vanda Hookeri, which requires 
syringing all the year ; Vanda teres, too, which must 
have it when growing. Cypripediums and Odonto- 
glossum Roezlii also seem to benefit by the leaves being 
syringed in warm weather. 
So much for stove Orchids. As to those requiring a 
cooler temperature, I have found Odontoglossum vexil- 
larium immensely benefited by syringing, and the 
Mexican Lselias, while growing. Again, such plants as 
have only air roots, for instance : Epidendrum rhizo- 
phorum, Renantliera coccinea and Burlingtonias, 
absolutely require frequent syringing, as well as Zygo- 
petalum Gauteri and maxillare. On the other hand, I 
agree with those who object to syringing Cattleyas and 
Laelias, especially those with leaves growing in pairs, 
which are apt to hold any water that gets into the 
growths, and to rot. But Cattleya Acklandiie, Schil- 
leriana, Regnelli and Walkeriana do not seem to object 
to water on the leaves, especially when grown, as usual, 
in floats or rafts, they appearing to rejoice in it in warm 
weather. 
Odontoglossums, such as Alexandra and other cool 
sorts, do not, I think, require syringing ; but in hot 
weather they seem to freshen, and, as far I have noticed, 
not to be hurt by it. Disa grandiflora should be 
syringed. When plants are syringed there should be 
plenty of ventilation, and they must be allowed to dry 
and not be kept constantly wet. If you or some 
experienced grower would tell your readers how far you 
agree with the above observations of my experience, I 
think it would be useful.— E. H. 
