May 14, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
581 
ORNAMENTAL-FOLIAGED 
BEGONIAS. 
This class of Begonias, after having been neglected 
and, as it were, cast on one side for a number of years, 
seems to be again coming somewhat into fashion for 
decorative purposes. There is no doubt hut what the 
large size the leaves of some of the older varieties used 
to attain had something to do with the cause of their 
being discarded for a time. The time they have been 
out of fashion has not been wasted by the hybridist, 
who has produced some remarkably fine varieties the 
last few years. A number of kinds have been obtained 
with very neat and compact foliage, distinct in colour 
and markings from any of the older sorts. A few of 
these small-leaved varieties have beautifully-spotted 
foliage, and when seen in a very young state they are 
really charming. A good use to put some of these 
small-leaved sorts to is to use them as a centre plant 
for some of the fancy china and earthenware pots that 
are now so much in vogue. A few mixed in amongst a 
quantity of pots give a very charming break from the 
monotonous green that we so often see adopted at 
nearly all entertainments where these fancy pots are 
brought into requisition. 
One variety I consider especially useful for this kind 
of work ; it is called Annica. The leaves are produced 
on foot-stalks about 3 ins. to 4 ins. long, the leaf at 
no time—if the plant be kept in small pots—exceeding 
3 ins. to 4 ins. across, which being beautifully and 
thickly spotted with silver markings, make it a very 
presentable little subject at any time and for any 
purpose where small plants are wanted for decorative 
purposes. My reason for calling attention to this one 
variety is that I do not think it is sufficiently well 
known ; for whenever I have called the attention of 
any gardeners to it, and pointed out its peculiar merits, 
all have seemed to fall in love with the little gem at 
once. 
To cultivate the ornamental Begonia is no very 
difficult matter, as it will grow freely if potted in 
almost any light soil, and have the growing tempera¬ 
ture of a stove given to it during the spring months ; 
hut it does not like to be syringed, as this will often 
cause the leaves to decay prematurely. During the 
summer season they will flourish well in an ordinary 
greenhouse—and it is from this structure they should 
be taken, when required, for decorating rooms, &c. 
They do not like the fierce rays of the sun to fall upon 
them, but do best when partially shaded ; nor should 
they be stood in cold currents of air, as this cold air 
will disfigure the foliage as soon as anything. 
To my mind they are at their best when grown in 
about 5-in. pots, and as they become shabby they can 
be either thrown away or placed on one side for propa¬ 
gating purposes. They are easily obtained by laying 
mature leaves down on some sandy soil or rubble, in a 
warm stove, where too much moisture does not settle 
upon them ; a good leaf, in a few weeks, will yield a 
myriad of young plants that will, if handled well and 
potted along sharp, soon make good decorative plants. 
— TV. G. 
-- 
CAIGWYN, NORTH WALES. 
A visit of inspection to this place recently well 
repaid the time involved, especially when conducted by 
Mr. George, the gardener in charge. A noble plant of 
Strelitzia regina bore thirty-five spikes of bloom, and 
its magnificence may be imagined when I state that it 
measured about 6 ft. in diameter. The singularly- 
constructed orange and indigo-blue flowers exhibit 
a remarkable contrast in that respect, and together 
with the spathe enclosing them, resemble the head of 
some bird. The scarlet spathes of well-flowered 
specimens of Anthurium Schertzerianum also show up 
well against a back-ground of their leathery evergreen 
leaves. A collection of Ferns and miscellaneous plants 
also grown here are noteworthy for the excellent growth 
they aTe making. 
The greenhouse is now very gay with a varied lot of 
different plants in flower. A considerable number of 
Camellias, constituting a feature of the house, having 
finished flowering, were cut back in order to furnish 
nice bushy plants. They are now growing away freely, 
and will soon make shapely plants. Not only is this 
cutting back necessary to make them bushy, but I 
consider it advantageous to the grower whose house- 
room is limited. The Cinerarias, now flowering freely, 
are a very fine lot. Many of the individual heads of 
bloom measured 2J ins. in diameter, and exhibited a 
rich and interesting variety of all the most beautiful 
colours. Messrs. Sutton & Sons’ strain is that grown. 
The Cucumber-house was in full bearing condition ; 
but of all the varieties grown Telegraph is the most 
popular and the most extensively cultivated. There 
were hundreds of Chrysanthemums in the most vigoious 
and healthy-growing condition. At this season, for 
want of other accommodation, they are grown for the 
time being in the Peach-house. From their appearance 
at present, I should think they would make grand 
plants by flowering time. All the houses have recently 
been repaired and painted ; the whole place has been 
very much improved within the last two years, and 
Mr. George may be complimented for the care and 
attention he bestows upon them, and the clean and 
tidy appearance they present. — Visitor. 
- ~>Z<~ - 
THE NIOOTYL VAPOURISER. 
From Mr. Benjamin Field, 75 a, Queen Victoria 
Street, E.C., we have received a Nicotyl Vapouriser, 
invented by Messrs. Field & Hearson, for destroying 
insects in plant houses, by means of nicotine vapour 
instead of tobacco smoke. Since we first called the 
attention of our readers to this method of destroying 
the numerous insect pests that more or less infest plants 
grown under glass, a great number of growers have 
discarded the fumigator in favour of the new system ; 
the advantages of the latter over the former being 
sufficiently proved by one or two trials. Hitherto, the 
The Nicotyl Vapouriser. 
only instrument offered in this country has been the 
Thanatophore, sold by Mr. B. S. Williams, and 
described in our issue for January 29th. Since the 
Thanatophore has been regularly used, it has been 
abundantly proved that while the vapour of tobacco 
juice is a deadly insecticide it will not injure the 
tenderest flower, and, therefore, for plants in bloom it 
is much safer to use than tobacco smoke. The Nicotyl 
Vapouriser, of which the accompanying is an illustra¬ 
tion, and which is the first home-made contrivance that 
has come under our notice, is thus described by its 
inventors :— 
“The apparatus consists of an annular vertical 
chamber, into which is dropped a conical cylinder, open 
at the top and bottom. The introduction of this open- 
ended cylinder divides the interior of the chamber into 
two annular portions : a smaller one, next to the centre 
flue, which for the purposes of this description we will 
call the super-heater, and an outer larger one, which we 
will call the boiler. Below the vertical opening in the 
centre of the chamber, which we will hereafter designate 
the lamp chimney, we arrange a lamp burner, and a 
reservoir for containing the paraffin oil, by the means of 
which the apparatus is heated. The boiler being filled 
to a certain height with the Nicotyl to be vapourised, 
and a certain measured quantity of oil poured into the 
reservoir, the lamp is lighted and allowed to burn until 
the whole of the oil is consumed.” 
-- 
Leucojum tricophyllum. —At the meeting of the 
Scientific Committee on Tuesday, the Rev. C. W. Dod 
showed a specimen of this plant. Though figured in 
an early volume of The Botanical Magazine, it appears 
to have been lost. 
TETRATHECA ERICOIDES. 
Growers of good old-fashioned greenhouse plants 
know the value of this species as a spring-flowering 
subject. Its mauve-coloured flowers, which are produced 
in long racemes, and in many cases much branched, 
have a very telling effect when arranged amongst other 
plants of the same class. Its easy culture, and the 
time it will continue in bloom is a sufficient recom¬ 
mendation to those who do not know the plant. It 
will possibly stand more punishment than any other of 
the so-called New Holland plants, and provided it is 
not absolutely starved to death, it will come forward in 
the spring as fresh as if it had received the most 
elaborate treatment. 
It will commence flowering in a very young condition, 
but plants five or six years old, or even older, are those 
calculated to give the best display. Neither does it 
require a great amount of labour in staking ; about 
half-a-dozen stakes will hold a good-sized plant in 
position, and allow it to assume that semi-pendent 
habit which causes it to be so attractive when in flower. 
It grows well in a mixture of peat and sand, and 
requires no further protection than an airy greenhouse 
from which frost Can just be excluded. 
To amateur growers who have never yet ventured on 
any of this class of plants, I should say try this 
Tetratheca. It will give a charming variety in colour, 
that is scarcely obtainable in the ordinary run of soft- 
wooded plants, and also give them an insight into the 
means by which they may learn how to cultivate hard- 
wooded plants—a class that have of late years been 
neglected. Why this should be so seems difficult to 
understand, for amongst the great variety of New 
Holland plants known, almost every conceivable colour 
and form can be obtained. The plant under notice will 
bloom from the middle of March till the middle of May, 
a period of no mean duration.— IV. G. 
-->X<-- 
EXHIBITION AND BEDDING 
VERBENAS. 
Your Clonmel correspondent, Mr. Murphy, deplores 
the fact that this once much-grown bedding and pot 
plant should have ceased to maintain its general 
popularity during late years. My acquaintance with 
these useful, and to my mind lovely plants, dates back 
to the days of the old Melindres, and from that time I 
have made the Yerbena one of my special favourites, 
and have rarely been without my annual bed of seed¬ 
lings. I know not of any more interesting display 
than is afforded by these flowers cn masse during the 
summer months in the open garden, whether in beds 
or in borders. 
My experience extends over a rather long period of 
time, and I may here observe that I have noticed the 
various changes that have taken place in the affections 
of the floral world during different periods. There is 
a trite adage of old standing, that “every dog has its 
day,” and in numerous instances has this been the 
issue of events with regard to some of our more popular 
favourites. It really seems that in the course of time 
the taste becomes satiated, and thus the horticultural 
purveyor is ever on the alert to introduce some new 
object of attraction ; and should success follow, away 
go our old loves to the cold shades of oblivion, and 
a great and general rush is made to secure their new 
rivals. Doubtless, commercially considered, this 
transitory movement in the aspect of things in general, 
tends much to preserve healthy action in every sense, 
however it may be viewed. 
So generally was the Yerbena used for bedding 
purposes at one time that it became one of the leading 
features in the ornamental decoration of almost all 
gardens, both great and small, and was very extensively 
grown by my old acquaintance, the late Mr. John 
Caie, gardener to the Duchess of Bedford, Campden 
Hill, Kensington, more than forty years ago. I have, 
on several occasions, exhibited a stand of cut flowers 
side by side with our old friend, the late Mr. George 
Smith, of the Tollington Nursery, at the South London 
shows, Surrey Gardens; and for years the Yerbena 
was eagerly sought after— i.e., the new and improved 
varieties that were annually offered to the public. It 
was the custom at the time to which I refer for growers 
such as Samuel Girling, of Stowmarket ; John Keynes, 
of Salisbury ; C. J. Perry, of Birmingham ; and many 
others, to send out batches of six or more novelties 
every year ; and I most unhesitatingly affirm that 
however much the individual pips of the flowering- 
