136 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 29, 1887. 
The following are very suitable dessert varieties of 
Apple that might profitably he grown in small gardens, 
namely, King of the Pippins, Ribston Pippin, Cox’s 
Orange Pippin, Scarlet Nonpareil, Fearn’s Pippin, 
Irish Peach, Duchess of Oldenburgh, Yellow Ingestrie, 
Sturmer Pippin, and Court Pendu Plat ; while good 
kitchen Apples are Dumelow’s Seedling, Mank’s . 
Codlin, Cellini, Tower of Glammis, Lord Suffield, and 
Stirling Castle. Good and fruitful Pears are Louise 
Bonne of Jersey, 'Williams’ Bon Chretien, Easter 
Beurre, Hessel, Beurre Diel, Glou Morceau, Marie 
Louise, and Beurre Ranee. For stewing, Catillac, 
Bellissime d’Hiver, Verulam, and Uvedale’s St. 
Germain may be used. — F. 
-*->»*-- 
GOLD-LACED POLYANTHUSES. 
My plants of these that I intend for exhibition in 
April next are now potted up, and placed on a slightly- 
raised stage in a cold frame to winter there. I may 
state that the flowering plants of last spring were kept 
in their pots until they had matured a few pods of 
seeds, when they were shaken from the soil, divided, 
and planted in a box of good soil, w : ith a liberal 
dressing of cocoa-nut fibre refuse added, and the box 
placed on a north border. 1 think I had to suffer only 
two or three failures, which was satisfactory considering 
what a dry hot summer we had. The divided plants 
made good roots, and within the last month they have 
been placed in a good loamy compost, and are now 
doing well. When I potted them I used the soil in a 
fairly moist state, no water being required for several 
days, when it was sparingly applied, and then only in 
bright and sunny weather. So far, the autumn has 
proved highly favourable to their well-being. The soil 
about the roots will be kept fairly dry during the 
winter, but not to the same extent as with Auriculas. 
The pots are well drained, that being, I take it, an 
indispensable condition to the safe-wintering of Gold- 
laced Polyanthuses. 
My collection consists of George IV., Lancer, 
President, William IV., and Sydney Smith, red 
grounds ; Lancashire Hero, Exile, Cheshire Favourite, 
and Prince Regent, dark grounds. All these are good 
doers, and can be bought at moderate prices. Lord 
Lincoln can also be had, but at such a high figure that 
it is a risk to purchase it, as it is not a good grower, 
and must be treated with great care. 
I have to buy in a few plants every autumn, and as 
they come out of good, rich, black loam, I find it best 
to put them into store-pots for a few W'eeks, using a 
rather light compost, with which I mix some cocoa- 
nut fibre. I put three or four plants round a 32-size 
pot, pressing the soil firmly about them, and plunging 
them in a bed of cocoa-nut fibre. Here they soon 
make roots, and then they are potted into 3-in. pots, 
or a size larger, using a compost made up of good 
yellow loam, leaf-soil and sand. Then they are placed 
in a cold frame, as above directed. I found that if I 
placed the plants as soon as received in their flowering 
pots there was a danger of their rotting off, and that is 
the reason why I have adopted the practice of putting 
them in store-pots for a time. But one of the greatest 
difficulties that besets the cultivator of gold-laced 
Polyanthuses who resides near to London is the fogs, 
for under their deleterious influence they seem to damp 
off in mid-winter. But all that one can do is to set 
Lis wits in antagonism to such hostile circumstances, 
and seek by every means in his power to succeed in 
spite of all. He who would excel must not care for 
occasional defeat ; the time of victory will come to 
him who determines that it shall be his heritage sooner 
or later.— 11. D. 
—- 
A PEW AUTUMN FLOWERS, 
Anemone japonica and A. j. alba, the latter 
especially should be in everybody’s garden, for they 
Will thrive in almost any soil. We recently saw large 
beds of it at Kew, and were much struck with its fine 
appearance when seen in large masses. As cut flowers 
for church and house decoration it is Unrivalled among 
hardy flowers, and no one can get too much off it. 
We have seen it potted with a view of prolonging its 
flowering season, but with no satisfactory results. 
Gaillaedla geandifloea. —This plant commences 
to bloom early in the summer, and continues till the 
autumn. It is one of the best and most accommodating 
plants we have, and is very gay. 
Helianthus. — Sunflowers, both annual and peren¬ 
nial, are very effective, and the past summer has 
produced some immense flowers of the common annual 
one where they have been planted in good ground and 
well watered. We saw some from 12 ft. to 15 ft. in 
height, with flowers of gigantic proportions. We had 
sent us from Messrs. Sutton & Sons a packet of their 
miniature Sunflower. This should be widely known, 
as nothing in its way could be more useful. H. multi- 
floras major and H. m. fl. pi. flower freely through 
August, September and October, and are quite suitable 
for comparatively small places. These novelties are 
excellent for cut flowers, the single one being the best 
for that purpose. 
Pyeetheum uliginostjm. — For church decoration 
at harvest festivals, associated with single scarlet 
Dahlias, this makes a fine display. It is of too coarse 
growth for select borders and small places, but where 
large quantities of flowers are wanted it is most useful. 
It is admirably adapted to fill up vacant spaces in 
shrubbery borders, likewise for back-row plants in very 
■wide herbaceous borders, and may with advantage 
be planted somewhat plentifully where space is 
available. 
Pojdbeckia Newmanii. —A plant that will grow in 
any position, yet one of the best. Its large yellow 
flowers, with black centres, are very striking and freely 
produced. It will always rank high among hardy 
autumn subjects. 
Zauschneria californica. —Looking at a clump of 
this recently in the Vicar’s Garden, we were much 
struck with its rare beauty. It seems to want a warm 
sunny position to be seen at its best, and is not so 
often met with as it should be. The flowers are bright 
vermilion, and arranged in spikes much after the 
fashion of a Pentstemon. 
Stevia seeeata. —When outdoor flowers have to be 
mainly depended upon for a supply to decorate glasses, 
&c., this will be found very useful. The flowers are 
nearly white and small, produced in large heads, which 
admit of being cut up into pieces, and when used as 
sprays of Eupatorium are, enliven and give an airy 
appearance to an epergne or vase of flowers. 
Sedum spectabile. — This has been so recently 
commented upon in your columns that I think any 
further remarks are uncalled for ; yet it is too good a 
thing to pass by. Just now it is almost the only 
subject which the late frost has left us to look at. This 
and a few Roses and Mignonette is all that we have 
left here. 
Calceolaria mexioana. —This w T e saw blooming 
freely under a wall at Kew. If a hardy herbaceous 
plant, which it has the appearance of being, it ought to 
be better known. The flowers are much the colour of 
C. amplexicaulis, but the habit is quite different.— 
CHOICE HARDY PLANTS. 
Now that hardy plants are becoming such a popular 
and leading feature at flower shows, it may serve a 
useful purpose if I set down the names of a collection 
that anyone may grow who contemplates cultivating 
for exhibition purposes. I do not put it forward as a 
complete list, I merely give it as comprising some good 
things that can be had in bloom from June up to 
September, and which would, I think, be always 
affording something fit for show purposes. They who 
grow for exhibition must cultivate, and they would 
then be able to enjoy their flowers through seeing them 
at the best advantage. A good loam, sandy rather 
than adhesive, will grow pretty well all I have ventured 
to name. 
This list consists of Achillea ptarmica flore pleno, 
A.mberboa odorata, AlstrcBmeria aurea, Anemone 
japonica alba and intermedia, Anthericum liliastrum 
major, Aquilegia chrysantha and californica hybrida, 
about four of the best perennial Asters (including 
amellus and Novae Anglke), Campanula dahurica, C. 
percissifolia flore pleno and C. Van Houttei, Centaurea 
montana (in variety), Chelone barbata, Carnations (in 
variety), Catananche ccerulea and bicolor, Coreopsis 
lanceolata, Delphinium (in variety), Dictamnus fraxi- 
nella and its white form, Eryngium amethystinum, 
Funkia grandiflora, Gaillardias, Galega officinalis alba, 
Geum coecineum plenum, Gypsophila paniculata, 
Gladiolus (in variety), Harpalium rigidum, Helianthus 
multiflora major and fits double variety, Hemeroeallis 
flava, Hesperis matronalis alba plena, Inula glandu- 
losa, Lathyrus grandifloras, L. latifolius and its white 
variety, Lobelia fulgens, Lychnis chalcedonica plena 
and L. Viscaria splendens plena, Monarda didyma, 
Fapaver orientale, P. nudicaule (in variety), Phlox 
decussata (in variety), Polemonium Richardsoni, Poten- 
tillas (in variety), Pyrethrum uliginosum and a few of 
the finest double varieties, Rudbeckia Newmannii, 
Scabiosa caucasica, Senecio pulcher, Spireea araneus, 
S. filipendula plena and S. palmata, Stokesia cyanea, 
Tradescantia (in variety), Pseonies (tree and herbaceous), 
and a choice selection of Lilies, such as auratum, chal- 
cedonicum, longiflorum, tigrinum plenum and 
speciosum. 
It would be an easy matter to extend this list, but 
I fear it looks too long already. Anyone who grows 
hardy perennials for show purposes 'should make a 
garden for them, and cultivate them liberally, giving 
them ample space in which to develope, and such 
attention as they require. They should grow them 
just as well and attentively as the florist does his 
Dahlias, Carnations, &c., and then if he exhibits for 
prizes he may reasonably expect to win some of 
them.— Florist. 
-*>-X<*- 
PITHY CELERY. 
I recently saw some remarks about “pithy” 
Celery, meaning thereby Celery that is soft and hollow 
in the stalk, and not hard, firm, crisp, and sweet when 
eaten. I am very much afraid that a good deal of the 
exhibition Celery we saw recently at the Crystal Palace, 
and a little later on at South Kensington, was of a 
“pithy” character. It appeared to have been pre¬ 
maturely forced into size, and I am afraid that if the 
outside stalks had been removed there would have been 
but little left that could be termed fit for table. Now, 
it is a mistake to say that the strain of Celery is in 
itself bad because it becomes pithy, for as one authority 
has declared, “the soil in which the plants are grown 
is the sole cause of it, so far as I can observe by experi¬ 
ment ; and I would undertake to produce Celery, 
either pithy or not, in any season.” This statement 
is important, because it operates to exonerate the 
seedsman, who is frequently blamed for failures, of 
which he is as innocent as the man in the moon. 
There are many lazy and careless gardeners who fail 
with their crops, and then throw the blame of the 
failure arising from their own neglect upon the 
seedsman. The writer I have already referred to goes 
on to illustrate the cause of Celery becoming pithy. 
‘ 1 The soil in the main kitchen garden here is old, and 
contains a quantity of decayed vegetable matter. Here 
we had tried Celery time after time, and it invariably 
became pithy in the autumn. Another small garden 
contains soil equally old in regard to the time it has 
been cultivated, but it is sharp and gritty, and in this 
pithy Celery is unknown ; indeed, we confine the 
Celery crop to this piece now, and we are never troubled 
with pithy plants. If I wanted to cure a soil which 
produced pithy heads, I would mix a great deal of sharp 
sand or ashes with it, and manure only moderately, so 
that the plants might make a substantial growth in 
the place of a very rank production. In such a soil as 
I recommend, worms are not common, and the heads 
of Celery not only turn out sound, but quite free from 
worm marks, which is another great advantage.” 
Not long since I was in a garden where there were 
several lines of stout robust Celery, and I remarked to 
the gardener, “ You do not appear to be in a hurry to 
earth it up.” He said, “No, and for a very good 
reason, I always allow my Celery to make a thoroughly 
robust growth before I earth it up much, and then I do 
it gradually, and my Celery always gives the greatest 
satisfaction to my employers.” And I could quite 
understand that it was so.— E. TV. 
-- 
LILLIPUT CHINA ASTER. 
Amongst the extensive collection of forms or varie¬ 
ties of China Aster at Chiswick, were two sowings of 
an extremely dwarf and miniature strain. The stems, 
flowers and all, did not exceed the height of 4 ins., 
while in many cases they were no more than 2 ins. 
They were also earlier in coming into flower, perhaps, 
than any other kind, with the exception of Pride of the 
Market, a large, early, and free-flowering strain, suit¬ 
able for market purposes. The flower-heads are large 
in proportion to the size of the plant, but they are 
sufficiently small to be included in the Pompon section. 
Like other strains, this is found to sport into a number 
of colours, the chief of which are rose, white, and blue, 
■while in most cases there was a combination of two of 
these colours. For instance, the florets would either 
be blue or rose, and margined with white. They are 
also incurved along the margins so as to be semi-tubular 
or half quilled. The plants, on the whole, are so 
dwarf and compact, as to be suitable as edgings to beds 
of taller-growing plants ; but are too small to be grown 
by themselves in any except very small beds. They 
are, however, very pretty and attractive. 
