616 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 28, 1887. 
BERBERIS STENOPHYLLA. 
This fine Berberry is deserving of a place in every 
garden where any pretension to the cultivation of good 
plants is carried on. Being perfectly hardy and ever¬ 
green, it is at no time of the year unsightly, and from 
the fact that its branches, which are usually from 2 ft. 
to 3 ft. in length, are somewhat pendulous or arching in 
character, it has a very graceful appearance. The 
flowers are produced in great quantities from every eye 
on the last year’s growths, and are of a bright golden 
yellow colour. It is when planted in a mass, or when 
the plants get to a good size, that the effect is more 
noticeable, the perfect blaze of golden yellow flowers 
giving a person the idea of a miniature Laburnum. 
For filling up corners it is a very suitable plant, or for 
planting on a large rockery in conspicuous places it is 
very adaptable also, and one that may be relied upon 
after it becomes once established in the ground. 
It is evidently a plant that is deserving of more notice 
amongst planters than what it receives at their hands, 
and being a suitable subject for walls as well, it may 
also be used for hiding unsightly corners, where some¬ 
times it is found difficult to get any other kind of plant 
to grow. It should yield a quantity of berries, which 
are very ornamental; but here in this part of Lancashire, 
north-east, I have not seen it produce any, yet it grows 
and hlooms freely. An illustration of this fine Berberis 
was given in the Floral Magazine about the years 1875 
or 1876.— IV. G. 
Of all the spring-flowering Barberries none excel 
the brilliancy and profusion of flowering of this 
garden form, except it is Berberis Darwinii, one 
of its reputed parents, having orange flowers. The 
other supposed parent, Berberis empetrifolia, is a 
small bush, furnished with narrow linear leaves and 
yellow flowers, but altogether lacks the conspicuous 
and handsome effect produced by its more favoured 
offspring. The leaves of B. stenophylla are rather 
larger than the last, and the flowers are produced in 
axillary clusters all along the slender, twiggy, arching 
branches. Some fine specimens on a piece of rockery 
at Carville Hall, Brentford, make that part of the 
garden quite gay, independent of anything else.— F. 
-- 
NOTES FROM CALLANDER, 
NEAR FALKIRK. 
The name of Callander is now very familiar to visitors 
of the Caledonian horticultural shows, and associated 
with this name is that of Mr. T. Boyd and his finely- 
finished Grapes ; his success at the Manchester and 
Dundee International’s has also added lustre and fame 
to the Callander fruit and its grower, which makes them 
much better known than we will attempt to describe. 
There are a few items in the ordinary practice which 
may have a passing note or two. M r e were invited this 
morning (May 17th), when making a hurried march 
through the garden, to climb a ladder and inspect the 
finely set bunches of such kinds as Muscat Hamburgh, 
Champion Muscat (a grand Grape which has not had 
justice done to it), and several others of comparatively 
less value. No artificial aid is called into requisition 
to facilitate the setting of any Grape at Callander, and 
all set as freely as Gooseberries. The Muscat Ham- 
burghs are large in bunch and of perfect form, of the 
usual triangular type, which has previously been the 
characteristic of Grapes grown at this noted old place. 
With all the usual attention at setting time, some 
experts fail to get this Grape to set, colour, or, in fact, 
assume its handsome appearance in any form. Mr. 
Boyd does not seem to understand why his experience 
with this erratic Grape should be in advance of so 
many of his compeers. The soil, of course, is excellent; 
the borders are carefully attended to during the growing 
season, and atmospheric requirements are duly con¬ 
sidered, but others are not lacking in cultural 
attention, whose success is of a minimum character. 
The Madresfield Court at Callander receives no special 
attention by “nicking,” “boring,” or other mutilation. 
The extra growth of a few laterals may be the extent 
of anything given as special treatment. 
There is no cracking, however, to be dreaded ; and 
though this fine Grape cannot be placed on the same 
level as Muscat Hamburgh, it is much valued by 
connoisseurs who know what high-class quality means. 
A word on the Muscat Champion. When the late Mr. 
Melville tabled this delicious Grape, great hopes were 
entertained by many- that it would some day come to 
the front as a great acquisition to the dessert table ; 
but, because of its mahogany and sometimes crimson 
colour, it remains only on sufferance, and is rarely met 
with. Why should colour exclude a good thing ? 
Plums, Apples, Melons, and Figs are not tested by 
their exterior ; and we think prejudice should not be 
carried so far with Grapes, because among dark kinds 
a deep blue-black is admired the most, and light amber 
is the favourite colour among light-coloured kinds. 
Mr. Carmichael, late of Sandringham, once told us 
that the crimson tint which he attained with Muscat 
Champion was greatly admired by many, and the rich 
flavour was appreciated by cultural palates. 
There are numerous kinds of Grapes cultivated at 
Callander, but first-class sorts are grown most, both 
for private consumption as well as for exhibition pur¬ 
poses ; and while Mr. Boyd grows his Hamburghs, &c., 
which have often created admiration on exhibition 
tables, he need fear no foe in the harmless strife whose 
strong points are in coarse Grapes—useful enough 
during 'winter and spring, but are unfit for dessert in 
summer and autumn. There are others among 
northern combatants who are alive to the points 
indicated, and have proved to Mr. Boyd that he must 
use strenuous efforts to “ hold the fort.” Mr. Murray, 
a few miles eastward, is a formidable opponent, with 
gigantic resources in his immense ranges of fruit houses 
at Park Hall, to which we have formerly referred. 
Another Murray, at Culzean—a very giant in strength 
as a competitor—is to be dreaded, to say nothing of 
McKelvies and others whom we have seen often holding 
high honours. We think that of late years too much 
has been attempted to bring second and third-class 
fruit to the front, and push the finer class backward ; 
but it may be for this reason, that first-class kinds 
have made way for such as please the eye more than 
the palate. 
There are many other features in the Callander glass 
structures upon which we could comment favourably ; 
but just a word in conclusion on the Melons and Figs. 
The former are abundant in various stages, and are—as 
we have often seen them before—of much excellence. 
The kinds preferred before all others, which have been 
so extensively tried, are Eastnor Castle and Tillery’s 
Melon, two capital kinds. Among Figs, Osborn’s 
Prolific is valued much for its free-fruiting proclivities. 
Negro Largo, grafted on another kind, is doing well 
and is very promising. As standard sorts, Brown 
Turkey and White Marseilles hold their own. — M. T. 
-->*<—- 
DOUBLE-FLOWERING 
CHERRIES. 
No genus of garden plants seems to be in a greater 
state of confusion than that of Prunus, now made to 
include the Almond, Peach, Apricot, Plum and Cherry. 
The latter section only will be noticed in this article, 
and the species included are generally described in 
books under Cerasus. There are two trees generally 
recognised in gardens as double Cherries. The largest, 
best-flowered, and most ornamental of these is a double 
form of the Bigarreau Cherry, a fine tree of which may 
be seen near the rockery in the Gardens of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, Chiswick, where it annually 
forms a very conspicuous object in May, and affords for 
cut-flower purposes masses of the purest white. Not 
only is the tree larger, with stronger and more robust 
branches than in the other garden Cherry, but the in¬ 
dividual blossoms are larger and produced in the 
greatest profusion, completely concealing or subduing 
the green tint of the young foliage. The Bigarreau 
Cherry is generally considered to be a garden produc¬ 
tion between Prunus avium, the wild Cherry or Gean, 
and P. duracina, sometimes called Prunus Cerasus 
Bigarella. Loudon named the double Cherry under 
notice Cerasus sylvestris duracina flore pleno. This 
will serve to give some idea of the confusion existing 
amongst the species of this difficult genus. The pistil 
of this variety is developed into two or more small 
green leaves, so that fruiting is impossible. 
The other double Cherry is a form of P. Caproniana, 
a native of Britain and other parts of Europe. The 
Morello, May Duke, and Kentish Cherries are varieties 
of this species ; and a semi-double form grown in this 
country frequently produces fruit which ripens and has 
the characteristic acid flavour peculiar to the Morelia. 
The double form is variously known as Cerasus Cap¬ 
roniana multiplex, C. C. flore pleno, C. vulgaris fl. pi., 
C. ranunculiflora, and possibly has other names in 
gardens. The tree is much smaller than P. avium 
fl. pi. and its varieties, has smaller flowers, and although 
useful as a shrubbery plant on account of its smaller 
size, is generally inferior, from a decorative point of 
view, than the latter. It has the additional recom¬ 
mendation, however, of being readily amenable for 
forcing purposes, so that cultivators have the oppor¬ 
tunity of giving additional variety to the collection of 
flowering shrubs adapted for the decoration of the 
greenhouse or conservatory in spring, when naturally- 
grown flowers are less plentiful. 
P. serrulata is a small Chinese tree or large tree-like 
bush, very much resembling in appearance our native 
P. avium, but smaller, and generally it would seem 
with more rigid branches. The flowers, however, are 
large and produced in great profusion along the shoots 
of last year. It is occasionally seen in this country, 
and a number of trees are growing in the Kew 
collection. The double form only has apparently been 
introduced to this country, and the flowers are pink or 
pale rose in bud, but when fully expanded are pure 
white, with numerous rather deeply bifid petals, which 
gives them a distinct appearance. P. Sieboldi flore 
pleno is said to be synonymus with this, but, if so, 
there are several distinct forms in cultivation as some 
have large scarcely semi-double flowers and entire petals. 
The double Chinese Cherry is P. sinensis flore pleno, 
a much smaller bush than either of the foregoing, and 
more adapted for pot culture, but, unfortunately,|isless 
hardy when grown out of ^oors. The flowers are also 
smaller but produced in great abundance, as in most 
Cherries, and there are both white and rose-coloured 
varieties in cultivation. Being grown for purely 
ornamental purposes, the double form was the only one 
at first introduced ; the fruit, however, is said to possess 
a peculiar but agreeable flavour. It may be known in 
winter by the pale green or greyish colour of its young 
shoots. 
The dwarf Almond of the nurseries is a double form 
of P. japonica, with much smaller flowers than the P. 
sinensis, arranged in clusters along last year’s wood, 
which is of a purplish or brownish red colour. By this 
latter character, and its much finer simply serrated 
smooth leaves, it may be distinguished from P. sinensis; 
the flower-stalks are also much shorter than in the latter 
species, and resemble in that respect the section typified 
by the Plum. — Taxus. 
-- 
SPIRiEA ARUNOUS ASTIL- 
BOIDES. 
This fine form of S. aruncus is an introduction of 
recent years, and is proving itself to be a very valuable 
acquisition to the several forms that are now in use for 
cut-flower purposes during the spring months of the 
year. There is no doubt but that in a few years hence 
it will be as much sought after as the popular 
S. japonica is at present. The experience I have had 
with this plant leads me to this conclusion. 
It is extremely floriferous ; every crown will yield a 
large spike of its plume-like flowers. It is also a very 
free grower, and adapts itself to almost any situation, 
flowering as freely outside in borders as it does in pots. 
One great advantage attaching to this Spinea is that 
the panicles of flowers situated on the spike are each of 
considerable size, and being about 1 in. to 2 ins. apart 
from each other on the main stem, are readily cut off. 
Each panicle, when so taken oft’, pulled apart, and 
wired, are very serviceable for bouquet work, without 
the necessity of cutting the whole spike. 
It is also extremely free in growth, and seems very 
suitable for forcing purposes, coming into flower at any 
period during the spring months, according to the time 
that it was placed in heat ; but at all times it roust be 
well established in pots before being placed in heat. 
It will not be long ere this fine variety is as much 
called for as the common form, S. japonica, for it lends 
itself freely to making quantities of crowns. Last 
season I managed to save seed from a few specially- 
prepared plants, which is germinating freely this 
spring, and has all the characteristics of being the true 
form of the parent plant. 
As a pot plant for decorative purposes it will bear 
comparison with S. palmata, but not with S. japonica, 
the foliage not being produced in so great a quantity ; 
still, there is sufficient to make it a very valuable 
acquisition to our collections of new and rare plants 
introduced during the last ten years. — W. G. [This 
fine plant was sent out a few years ago by Mr. W. Bull, 
to whom we are indebted for our illustration.— Ed.] 
