October 1, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
75 
Iberis sempervirens flore pleno.—I must 
confess, this plant, which was announced amid a great 
flourish of continental trumpets, has greatly dis¬ 
appointed me. I have now flowered it for three years 
past, only to find the disappointment as keen at the 
end of the third year as at the end of the first. I have 
tried it in pots under glass and in the open air, and in 
neither case have I succeeded in securing trusses of 
bloom at all answering to the description as seen in the 
woodcut which heralded its approach. I have not seen 
it exhibited once this season, and surely, if it had 
been the good thing it was represented to be, something 
would have been seen of it. If others have been more 
successful I should like to know. But I think it is 
time English growers of plants were a little shy of 
continental novelties. Occasionally one secures a really 
good thing like Phlox Drummondi splendens grandi- 
flora ; but one has to take a good deal of chaff with 
such a grain of valuable corn.— R. B. 
Parsley in Pots. —Various are the difficulties 
with which the gardener has to contend in different 
parts of the country, and these difficulties with regard 
to the cultivation of plants depends not merely on the 
natural conditions of climate and surroundings, but 
those conditions are often so far altered by artificial 
means, that it is through man’s agency that a new 
factor comes into play. Situated as it is in the midst 
of coal-fields and smelting furnaces, many kinds of 
vegetation at Wishaw, Lanarkshire suffer visibly 
on account of some subtle influence pervading the 
atmosphere. As a matter of course the same injurious 
influence is present wherever a smoky atmosphere 
exists, and, in the present instance, the conditions are 
so unfavourable, that Mr. "Whitton, Coltness, "Wishaw, 
finds it convenient, or absolutely necessary, to grow a 
quantity of Parsley in pots protected under glass in 
order to obtain a winter supply. This necessity bore 
evidence in itself of the unfavourable conditions to 
vegetation, and the difficulties the gardener has to 
contend with when he happens to be situated in the 
midst of coal-fields and smelting furnaces as Mr. 
"Whitton is. We witnessed visible evidence of the 
effect of the atmospheric conditions on other kinds of 
vegetation, to which we shall make reference on 
another occasion. 
Nicotiana afflnis, Hardy.— The night-scented 
Tobacco is described as a half-hardy annual ; but 
although treated as such, its behaviour after flowering 
precludes the idea of its being merely an annual, con¬ 
sidering how freely it pushes up from the base if 
liberally treated and well watered after it has done 
flowering in pots. The fact of its being easily pro¬ 
pagated from cuttings of the roots, demonstrates 
conclusively that its habit and character are different 
from those of an annual in the ordinary and accepted 
sense. Its behaviour has also proved remarkable when 
left out all winter at the foot of a wall in front of the 
house at Miltown of Glenbervie, Kincardineshire. 
Being planted in a border in the ordinary way, it died 
down on the approach of winter, and seemed to all 
intents and purposes dead, but as the warmth of 
spring increased it reappeared again, grew vigorously, 
and flowered well, and on inspection proved to have 
sprung from the old roots left in the ground, and not 
from self-sown seeds as might be suspected. Last 
winter was not considered particularly severe in that 
part of the country, owing to the small amount of 
snow ; but frost was both keen and continuous, so that 
the vitality of the plant was even more severely tested 
than if there had been a protective covering of snow. 
Some of our correspondents may have a similar ex¬ 
perience to relate concerning this remarkable plant. 
Viola, Countess of Kintore and Magpie. 
—Last spring I had enough of the first-named variety 
to nicely fill a couple of small round beds. The soil 
was taken out 1 ft. deep and refilled with the compost 
of an old Cucumber bed ; the young plants seemed to 
like this amazingly, and in due time rewarded us with 
a rich harvest of blooms. Throughout the summer 
these beds have been a mass of blossoms, the plants 
defying alike the heat and drought. Now the scene 
has changed, for the beds are as bare as a turnpike 
road. So highly do we appreciate the variety, that we 
have cut the plants clean away. In habit of growth, 
floriferousness and size of flowers, Countess of Kintore 
is far ahead of Magpie, though this is still an old 
friend, and I am yet very fond of it, having qualities 
which the Countess has not. Magpie’s outer sides are 
dark purple, and the inner white up the centre of each 
petal, and is very true and constant in its markings, 
but I cannot say this of the Countess, as the colours 
rather run. The innumerable compact miniature 
flowers of Magpie in early summer are charming, and 
are often noticed, but its erect habit and the shorter 
duration of its blooming period are against it in 
comparison to the other ; nevertheless they are two 
beautiful varieties.— B. L. 
Marie Louise Violets. —I send you a bunch of 
Marie Louise Violets, so that you may see, in spite of 
the dry summer, that our plants are in good condition. 
They average from 9 ins. to 1 ft. in diameter, and are 
furnished throughout with hundreds of flowers and 
buds, which fill the surrounding air with their delicious 
odour. We have been picking nice quantities since 
September 5th, and hope to do so without a break till 
next May. We grow the grand old Neapolitan and 
Count de Brazza’s White ; the former is now throwing 
up its first flowers in the open borders. The whole of 
the plants will be lifted and placed in frames on gentle 
warm beds, about the middle of October. I shall be 
glad to learn what you think of the blooms and foliage 
sent.— John Crawford, Coddington Hall, Newark-on- 
Trent. [Both were exceedingly fine.—E d.] 
Potato, Roseberry. — This is a round red 
Potato with a rough skin, and a seedling from Grampian, 
but much darker in colour than that well-known sort. 
With a minimum of attention and labour bestowed 
upon it, an excellent crop has been the result at Mr. 
Downie’s nursery, Rosemount, Murrayfield, Midlothian. 
The sets were planted 9 ins. deep in January, when 
little else could be done in that way, and have never 
been earthed up. As the ground is naturally rich, no 
dung or manure of any kind has been used ; and the 
sequel has proved that assistance in that way was 
wholly unnecessary, as might easily be judged from the 
length and vigorous appearance of the haulm; nor, 
notwithstanding the richness of the soil, has any evil 
effect resulted in inducing a coarseness of the produce, 
as happens in the case of many of the stronger-growing 
varieties. 
Vegetable Marrow, Pen-y-Byd.—I think this 
well deserves its name, “The best in the World.” We 
cut the young Marrows when they are about the size of 
a small Orange, boil, and serve them up whole, when 
they are much esteemed, not only as a novelty, but as 
a really delicious and useful vegetable. The plants 
have been very prolific with us this season in a half- 
shady position, thus keeping up its character of 
“bearing fruit at almost every joint.”— Alfred Gaul, 
The Gardens, Copped Hall, Totteridge. 
Chrysanthemum Culture: Climatic Ad¬ 
vantages. —In his notes on Swanmore Park at p. 40 
a “Visitor” states that from that place a fine view of 
the Isle of Wight, and the towers of Osborne, can be 
obtained, and it has struck me that there is something 
to be learned from this. Mr. Molyneux, in his admirable 
book on this flower, has apparently not left out much 
of cultural interest or value ; but to me, beyond all the 
instructions he gives, it seems a remarkable fact that 
Mr. Molyneux, in the south, should not be far from 
the sea coast, and that our best northern growers should 
also live in districts which enjoy the benefits of sea 
air. Apart from the mastering of cultural details, it 
may be that there is some climatic advantage, which 
all cannot enjoy, but whether this is so or not, it is a 
curious coincidence that our champion growers, although 
so wide apart, should be exactly on an equality in being 
near the sea.— B. L. 
Witsenia corymbosa. — There is a fine 
specimen, about 4 ft. in height, of this singular shrubby 
iridaceous plant at Redlands, Kelvinside, Stirlingshire. 
Formerly, the popular notion concerning this plant 
was that it flowered only once in a hundred years—a 
belief equally as erroneous as that concerning the 
American Aloe, but now giving way before the gradual 
dissemination of knowledge. The flowering of this 
plant depends upon the cultivation or treatment it 
receives, and the age and strength of the plant. When 
it has attained sufficient size, it flowers freely and 
regularly every season. The specimen under notice 
was blooming quite freely recently when we observed 
it; but other kinds will also flower equally well when 
only from 12 ins. to 18 ins. high. The distichous 
arrangement of the glaucous leaves gives a much- 
branched plant a curious and tufted appearance. 
Lord Lyon Pink. —This fine variety, raised by 
the late Mr. James Clark, of Bury St. Edmund’s, is 
thus described in Mr. Turner’s catalogue : “ Deep rosy 
purple, a large, full, smooth flower, very free, quite 
distinct.” This admirably describes an excellent early- 
flowering Pink that has been grown for years, and will 
continue to be cultivated for some time to come. I 
had three fine plants of it last season that bloomed in 
pots, and were then planted out in the open ground. 
There they have grown into fine specimens, and I have 
just lifted and divided them. By this means I have 
increased my stock from three to some dozen specimens, 
preferring this mode of propagation to taking pipings in 
early summer. This Pink is a very great favourite of 
mine, and I am never weary of praising it. Considering 
it has been in cultivation nearly twenty years, it may 
be said to have established itself in the public esti¬ 
mation. I do not force it in the sense of placing it in 
heat, but simply pot and keep it in a cool house during 
the winter and early spring. This variety does well in 
the open ground, as it is of a very hardy character. 
It is a free grower, and flowers abundantly. Every 
amateur that is fond of Pinks should grow this fine 
variety. A soil that suits Carnations and Picotees 
will do well for this, as I find in my own case.— R. D. 
Notes on Fuchsias. —Those who intend saving 
seed will now have to be on the alert, as the season is 
fast waning ; but the plants are more productive as 
regards seed bearing when they acquire age, after 
having been in bloom some months ; and although no 
attention has been paid to fertilisation, yet it is fre¬ 
quently found that the fruit-berries are prolific, and in 
most cases are rendered thus by numerous insects that 
have access to the plants. Of course, those who are 
careful in this, and whose aim is to effect certain 
crosses, can only attain that object by securing their 
plants or blooms so as to prevent the intrusion of any 
foreign aid, from whatever course it may be anticipated. 
When the fruit is fully ripe, and the maturation of the 
seed perfected, it may be asked, How and when do you 
separate the seed from the pulp 1 I have, years ago, 
heard it recommended to dry the fruit before the seed 
is taken from it; but I may state that my long practice 
has uniformly been to make sure that the seed is in 
a proper condition as regards ripeness, and then at once 
to secure it. My modus operandi may be described as 
follows :—I place the fruit on the palm of my left 
hand, and smash it with the blade of my budding- 
knife, with the point of which I can always tell whether 
there is seed, and if good or bad. The good is picked 
out with the point of the knife, and carefully placed on 
a piece of blotting-paper, each being neatly folded and 
enveloped in another piece of paper in seed-packet 
form, correctly labelled and the pedigree stated, so that 
I may know more distinctly what the result of my 
various crosses may obtain for me ; and certainly this 
is a very interesting matter as affecting the amal¬ 
gamation, mixing, and disposition of colour in all its 
various shades. Having secured my seeds in, perhaps, 
from ten to twenty miniature packets, they are very 
carefully placed away until required for sowing—viz., 
about the 14th or 15th of February .—George Fry, 
Lewisham. 
Tritoma, Tritonia, or Kniphofia.— The first 
of these names has been in use in the naming of a 
genus of Liliaceous plants for a great many years. As 
Tritoma is also the name of a genus of insects, Professor 
Link, in order to avoid confusion, substituted the name 
Tritomanthe, and on another occasion he used 
Tritomium. Neither of these latter names have been 
much used in the gardens of this country, although we 
have occasionally received Tritomanthe for an answer 
when asking for the name of a plant popularly known 
as the Red Hot Poker or Common Flame Flower, now 
recognised in botanical circles as Kniphofia aloides. 
The synonymy of this plant has also been complicated 
by the use of such names as Rudolphoemeria and 
Trielissa. Four out of the six names have reference 
evidently to the three sharp edges of the upper part of 
the leaves ; but a seventh name given by some recently, 
namely, Tritonia, is a gross mistake, as that is a well 
recognised name for a genus of plants belonging to the 
Iris family. To prevent future mistakes of this kind, 
gardeners would do well to adopt the name now 
recognised by our best authorities, and which is 
Kniphofia. — J. F. 
Double White Phlox Drummondi.— Beau¬ 
tiful as the coloured varieties of the Phlox Drummondi 
are, I am not aware that they have the repute of being 
specially sweet scented. "Whatever may be the merits 
of the new double white as a decorative kind, at least 
its flowers are very sweetly perfumed, and for that 
reason alone, if for no other, it should be a favourite 
with ladies. The flowers are but semi-double, and of 
a pleasing paper-white hue, and are produced abun¬ 
dantly upon fairly long stems, so that it is a capital 
thing for cutting. Indeed, a good patch of it grown 
specially for that purpose would be found invaluable 
for bouquet and other uses, especially where scented 
flowers are in request.— A. B. 
