May 14, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
587 
golden variegated, the other with silvery variegated 
foliage. 
A bed carpeted with Gazania splendens, and some 
taller and elegant plant growing oat of it, makes a fine 
display when the Gazanias are thoroughly established 
and bloom freely. They are highly effective as isolated 
tufts for making patches on rockvvork, among her¬ 
baceous plants in the mixed borders, and for edgings 
to large beds. It has fallen away into neglect now, 
but the Gazania will yet come to the fore, because it is 
one of those showy things that cannot fail to attract 
attention.— It. D. 
-—:«e<—- 
VALERIANA PHU AUREA. 
ELvrdy plant lovers will find in this golden-leaved 
variety a very telling and conspicuous object for 
planting in masses, especially where distant effect is 
desired. This is effected by the very decided and 
telling hue that extends to the whole surface of the 
leaf. This colour very much resembles that which 
pervades the golden Elder, and gives it considerable 
value in landscape scenery when seen at its best. The 
conditions, soil and surroundings, however, all seem to 
affect the plant in some unknown way, so that in many 
cases it reverts to the normal green colour without the 
cultivator being able to account for it. The beautiful 
yellow colour, however, may be retained even when the 
plant is healthy and growing vigorously. When this 
is the case a large bush affords a handsome contrast to 
white Populus alba, when its loaves are ruffled by the 
the wind. 
The golden Valerian being of herbaceous character 
cannot compete with such as the golden Elder, nor 
should it be planted where permanent effect is desired, 
as its leaves lose to a great extent the brilliancy of 
their hue towards midsummer, as the plant approaches 
its flowering period. For distant effect, however, 
nothing can compete with it in spring ; and for this 
purpose it should be planted in clumps or broad patches 
on the margins of the shrubbery or herbaceous border. 
If the ground is sloping so that a full view of it is had 
from some opposite stand-point, the effect is striking. 
This is the more necessary since the spring leaves are all 
radical, and cover the ground with a yellow carpet 
3 ins. to 6 ins. high. 
The flowers of this Valerian are small but numerous, 
and not without merit amongst plants of its class ; and 
the plant being perfectly hardy requires no protection, 
and, indeed, very little, if any, attention after being 
established. For this reason it would constitute a 
very suitable subject for naturalising on banks or semi¬ 
wild places where it might enjoy a tolerably good 
exposure to light, if a sunny position were not available. 
A certain degree of moisture in the soil, however, is 
desirable if not essential to its well-being, as its 
congeners are all, or mostly, moisture-loving plants. 
Given this exposure and moisture, the plant will thrive 
sufficiently well as to ensure the satisfaction of the 
grower, and afford a glow of colour in spring similar to 
what would be produced by a bank of flowers of the 
same colour and extent. In connection with this plant 
it may be observed that cats are very fond of it, and 
sometimes do it considerable damage by scraping and 
rolling upon it in a manner similar to the treatment 
they give jtSTepeta Cataria, so that where these quad¬ 
rupeds exist in considerable numbers, and prove a 
nuisance in gardens, the growth of the Valerian may 
not be so satisfactory.— B. B. 
■ -—- 
ARDENING fflSCELLANY. 
The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent In¬ 
stitution. —I think that if a special letter could be 
addressed to the secretary of every provincial hor¬ 
ticultural society of the kingdom by the chairman, 
treasurer and secretary of the G. R. B. I., asking 
each society, in commemoration of the Jubilee year 
of Her Majesty’s reign, to subscribe a sum of 
money—where they can afford to do so—to augment 
the funds of the institution, there would be many 
responses. The committee have decided upon a noble 
project in the addition of a number of applicants, 
and I venture to think that many provincial societies 
would be willing to contribute from their funds if the 
matter was fairly brought before the committees through 
the medium of a direct application for aid from the 
officials of the society. I am fully persuaded that the 
funds of the institution want augmenting very con¬ 
siderably, notwithstanding the large sum of money 
standing to its credit; for with the protracted de¬ 
pression in trade, the cutting down of gardening 
establishments, and so large a number of men being 
out of situations, and, unfortunately, employment, it 
will be found that there will be a greatly increasing 
number of applicants in the future, and making happier 
the last days of a long life in gardening of hundreds of 
men should be an object commanding the sympathies 
of all. I am connected with a few provincial horti¬ 
cultural societies, and in two or three cases I have 
mentioned to friends the suggestion contained in this 
letter, and I am sure that such an official application 
as I have suggested would have their support. The 
season for our horticultural exhibitions is just com¬ 
mencing, and many societies are in a position to render 
help by donations from their funds. I think that if 
Mr. Veitch, Mr. Sherwood, and their colleagues could 
see their way to do this at once, some good would come 
out of it. — An Old Subscriber. 
The Gardeners’ Orphan Fund.— Will you 
kindly allow me through your columns to urge upon 
gardeners the desirability of filling up and returning 
by Saturday the 21st inst., forms relative to the above, 
in order to enable the committee to decide upon future 
action in this important and interesting undertaking. 
— Geo. Deal. 
Floral Committee Awards. —I suppose the 
members of the Floral Committee like to be thought 
consistent in their awards, but not a few provoke sharp 
comment; as, for instance, at the last April meeting 
that body gave a First Class Certificate to a Primrose 
from Weybridge. It had a bluish purple hue, but poor 
irregular form, and no material substance. Now of 
that hue I have had lots in past years, but have discarded 
them because it is a colour which will not stand, and is 
not at all effective as compared with other good Prim¬ 
roses ; literally myriads are finer and better. On 
Tuesday last I put before the committee several 
Polyanthuses, and a remarkably good golden Primrose, 
the first genuine Primrose of its colour I ever had. The 
Polyanthuses were very fine, and whilst of fine form 
and substance, w T ere admirable in colour even from a 
florist’s point of view, and apart from their beautiful 
decorative qualities as garden plants, they were first- 
rate ; yet not one got a certificate, whilst a white 
Primula Sieboldi, inferior to Geggie’s and Allen’s fine 
whites sent out in years past, secured one. If a 
record of the work of the Floral Committee for the past 
ten years were studied, I will undertake to say that it 
would show as many bad or useless things honoured, as 
good ones.— Alex. Dean. 
Gros Colmar v. Lady Downes. —I must 
thank Mr. Udale for the lucid explanation of what his 
original ideas were, and I can assure him that I had 
not forgotten that the discussion did not originate with 
the four questions. My object in first writing was to 
give my opinion that the two Grapes being grown 
under the circumstances described by Mr. Udale was 
not a fair test as to the relative merits of their flavour. 
If such a method of heating is beneficial to Gros Colmar, 
then I should say it is detrimental to Lady Downes—- 
hence the difference in flavour as experienced by Mr. 
Udale ; but as I have had no practical experience with 
flue-heated vineries, I leave the discussion to those 
cultivators who have had such practice. Surely there 
are many readers who have grown these Grapes under 
the conditions named ?— James B. Biding. 
Stephanotis floribunda. —Having read with 
much interest the remarks of Mr. B. D. Knox, on p. 
507, and “ D. H.,” on p. 538, on the cultivation of the 
Stephanotis in a greenhouse temperature, I quite cor¬ 
roborate the observation made by “W. G.,” at p. 566. 
I am under the impression that the Stephanotis can be 
grown in the greenhouse during its resting season, but 
to flower it satisfactorily it requires a higher tempera¬ 
ture than can be conveniently bestowed on it in a 
greenhouse. I enclose a truss of Stephanotis which has 
been grown in a low temperature from the month of 
November to the first of April. The heat of the stove 
during those months averaged 45° to 50°, and from the 
first of April to the present time, 75° to 80°. The plant 
I refer to was planted three years ago, and has at the 
present time 500 trusses, and shows every indication of 
yielding 500 more before its flowering period is over. 
I also enclose a few Gardenia blooms grown in the same 
temperature, and will allow you, Mr. Editor, to be 
judge of the quality of their cultivation.— M. Duff, 
Blackwood Cottage. [Both very satisfactory.— Ed.] 
Green Spinach Beet. —This is unquestionably 
the most useful of the Spinach Beets. It produces an 
abundance of bright green leaves of a roundish sagittate 
form. They grow in close clusters on short foot-stalks, 
which are of the same colour as the leaves. The roots 
consist of a number of forked divisions, and are unfit 
for cooking. When used as Spinach, the young leaves 
of this Beet afford an excellent dish, though less delicate 
than the true round Spinach, and by no means to be 
preferred to that vegetable : but nevertheless it is 
worth cultivating, and especially to be valued because 
it is much hardier than the Prickly Spinach, thriving 
better in any kind of soil. The term perpetual, I 
think, is a misnomer, for the plant is a biennial, and 
when it attains a certain degree of maturity runs into 
seed. When it begins to throw up a stem, it ceases 
then to be of any further use except to supply seed. 
One sowing in March or April will suffice for supplying 
leaves from June until the month of May following, 
provided only there are plants enough to allow of 
frequent cropping. We have had some leaves of this 
since the early part of February, and shall continue to 
pick yet for some time ; but a sowing should also be 
made in July for use in the following spring. If sown 
in a bed, the rows should be 18 ins. apart, and the 
plants 9 ins. asunder in the row.— Andronicus. 
Celsia Arcturus. —Although the flowers of this 
species do not present the stately and massive appear¬ 
ance of Celsia cretica, the plant is more useful for 
decorative purposes as a pot plant in the conservatory. 
Whereas C. cretica is a hardy biennial, and may be 
cultivated in the open ground, where it bears consider¬ 
able resemblance to a Yerbascum, the plant under 
notice is a much dwarfer, more compact, and easily 
accommodated sub-shrubby plant that may be cut back 
after flowering and utilised again for several seasons. 
A nice lot of young stuff can be got up by striking 
cuttings which are easily grown, and flower readily in a 
young state. The flowers are bright yellow and 
produced in racemes, flowering continuously while the 
stem continues to elongate, and are furnished with 
curious velvety purple stamens that add greatly to their 
attractiveness. Specimens are now flowering in the 
gardens at Fretherne Court, Gloucester. 
Sophora (Edwardsia) microphylla. —For 
garden purposes the name of Edwardsia microphylla 
may be retained for this handsome Pea-flowered plant. 
Being a native of New Zealand, cultivators will readily 
conclude what sort of treatment it requires, and give it 
a place in the cool conservatory. We have seen it 
planted on an open wall in the neighbourhood of London 
doing well, and the effect produced by the finely pin¬ 
nated feathery foliage is very charming ; but those 
conditions in this neighbourhood do not seem very 
favourable to its well-being, as it seldom flowers. Mr. 
W. R. Greenway, gardener to Sir Lionel Darrel, Bart., 
sends us flowering specimens of it from the Fretherne 
Court Gardens, Gloucester. The rich yellow of the 
irregular papilionaceous flowers contrasts with the 
beautiful foliage now rapidly expanding. They are 
produced in clusters or short racemes at the tip of the 
short lateral shoots of last year, and are therefore ready 
to expand with the approach of spring. Judging from 
the spray sent, the plant must now have a fine appear¬ 
ance at Fretherne Court. The flowers are very different 
from the ordinary run of papilionaceous flowers, and 
casual observers would not readily take them to belong 
to that family. 
Paragon Rhubarb. —Some time ago one of 
your correspondents gave a list of several sorts of 
Rhubarb, with a very interesting description of each ; 
but the new variety, Paragon, seems not to have come 
under his notice, as he makes no mention of it. After 
three years experience I consider it one of the best, 
w T ith the exception of Prince Albert. With me it is one 
of the earliest of all those sorts named by your corre¬ 
spondent, and hardly, if ever, runs to seed, which is a 
great point in its favour. It is dark in colour, of excel¬ 
lent quality and flavour .—John Downie, Edinburgh. 
High Price of Tuberous Begonias.— It is 
surprising how very expensive the roots of Tuberous 
Begonias are. I am not referring in particular to 
choice named sorts, but to ordinary tubers, such as 
any one would desire to plant in the flower garden. 
I know of many applications having been made to 
