March 24, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
475 
from 8 ins. to 12 ins. in length. The flowers to which 
the greatest interest attaches are about 4 ins. in diameter, 
and consequently very superior to those either of A. 
longifolia or of A. Thwaitesii. The lower portion is 
tubular while the limb attains the greatest expansion, 
and just before opening presents the appearance of a 
flattened triangular sack. When opened it is of a 
brownish yellow colour, with dull purple veins on the 
inner face similar to those on other species, but not so 
bright as in A. brasiliensis. It is of climbing habit, 
requires stove treatment, and is flowering in the 
Yictoria-house at Kew, having been sent there from the 
Hong Kong Botanic Garden by Mr. Westland. 
Grevillea robusta. 
This plant, a native of New Holland, is largely grown 
for decorative purposes. It is easily raised from seed 
—a mode of propagation that produces nice specimens 
for using as table plants the first season. The seed 
should be sown at once. Well drain a pot or pan, and 
fill up with soil composed of fine loam, leaf-soil and 
sharp sand ; spread the seeds thinly over the surface 
and cover slightly ; give a gentle watering and stand 
them where there is a good bottom heat. When the 
little plants are an inch or so high, pot them off singly 
into 60’s, then place in a Cucumber-house or similar 
nice growing temperature, taking care to shade them 
—should bright sunshine occur—until they have 
become established. When sufficiently rooted, pot on 
into 48’s or 32’s according to size required. During 
the summer months they may be grown in a brick pit 
or frame, standing them on an ash bottom ; water 
carefully, and syringe overhead morning and evening, 
shading slightly in bright weather. In the autumn 
give more air to harden them for the coming campaign 
of furnishing during the winter months. This Grevillea 
makes a nice subject for sub-tropical bedding, or as 
dot plants to relieve the flatness of t carpet beds, and 
also for planting out in a conservatory.— Geo. Potts, 
Junr. — b— 
Sanchezia nobilis variegata. 
This bold foliage plant does not seem to meet with the 
same amount of appreciation that is accorded to the 
Croton, of which it is a fitting companion as a decorative 
or table plant when grown to a suitable size for that 
purpose. It certainly is not so amenable to cultivation 
into a good-sized specimen as is the Croton, its habit of 
growth not being so well adapted for that purpose ; 
but if some good points are now inserted singly in 60’s, 
and plunged in a good bottom-heat, they will readily 
take root, and may then be potted on to any size 
required. Young and vigorous plants, with good 
foliage, are admirably adapted for table decoration ; 
but one peculiarity in their growth which I have 
noticed is a difficulty in keeping them erect. As no 
amount of turning round will induce them to draw to 
the light, place a neat stick to each, and keep the 
stem tied to it until the plants are required for use on 
the dinner table, when the stakes may be removed. 
To obtain large well-developed foliage, rich soil is 
requisite, and turfy loam and manure from an old 
mushroom-bed, with a good sprinkling of sharp sand, 
suits them well. When grown in small pots they 
should be fed with liquid manure, and it is not deemed 
advisable to shift them into larger ones. The young 
foliage is very subject to the attacks of green-fly, for 
which careful sponging is the best remedy. Propagate 
often, and throw all shabby plants away.— Geo. Potts, 
Junr. —«— 
Mr. Whitehead’s Official Reports. 
In the leading article of The Gardening World of 
the 17th inst., it is suggested that I, as the “entomo¬ 
logical adviser of the Government, actually urge that 
the foliage of Damson trees should be washed in the 
autumn to cleanse it of the eggs of the Hop aphis, 
utterly oblivious of the fact that Damson trees are 
deciduous.” I beg to be allowed to reply that I am 
not oblivious of the fact that Damson trees shed their 
leaves, but intend that this admirable remedy of 
washing should be applied before the leaves fall, and 
while they are infested, as they were last October, with 
winged viviparous aphides, whose larvie crawl from the 
leaves to the twigs and spurs, in whose clefts they 
deposit eggs. I am not in the habit of making state¬ 
ments whose accuracy I cannot verify, and in this 
instance I carefully watched this process of egg-laying, 
from the arrival of the winged insect from the hop 
grounds to the deposition on the trees. It is further 
stated that I “grandly announced that the Turnip fly 
was injurious to Turnips in some parts of Kent.” The 
“Turnip fly” is not mentioned in my report in con¬ 
nection with Kent, or any other county. I allude to 
the “ Turnip aphis ” in it, which is by no means “ an 
enemy as old as the hills, and has defied entomologists 
time out of mind but has only comparatively recently 
occasioned much mischief. I trust to your courtesy to 
let this explanation appear. — Charles Whitehead, 
Banning House, Maidstone, 1 9th March. [The observa¬ 
tions made by us were based upon a resume of Mr. 
Whitehead’s report, which appeared in a daily paper a 
fortnight since. Possibly the r&sum& imperfectly 
represented the real nature of Mr. Whitehead’s report, 
and thus led to inferences being drawn, which were not 
justified. Having regard to what Mr. Whitehead states 
as to the insects crawling from the Damson leaves to 
the twigs, and there depositing eggs, it seems odd 
that no mention of that suggestion should appear in 
the resume, in question. Possibly it would have been 
better to have said so clearly in the report, and have 
omitted any reference to the foliage, which falls in 
the autumn as we have shown, and thus have saved us 
from misapprehension. We may ask Mr. Whitehead 
whether the resume, of another of his reports, that on the 
Bean and Pea Weevil, which appeared in The Standard, 
of the 14th inst., correctly represents what he has said 
on the subject ?— Ed.] 
Trachelospermum jasminoides. 
One cannot help admiring the profusion of flowers this 
plant will produce when well grown, and the variety 
of ways it may be cultivated or treated. At Gunners- 
bury Park, Acton, it is grown as an edging to the 
brick walls surrounding the beds in the Rose-house, 
and serves not only to cover the wall, but also the hot- 
water pipes running round the sides of the paths. It 
likes heat, or, at least, responds readily to its influence, 
as the plants that do not overhang the piping are later 
in flowering. 
Chorozema cordata splendens. 
It is gratifying to find that some of these old-fashioned 
plants are still cherished in some private establishments, 
and prevented from becoming lost to cultivation during 
the rage for Orchids and soft-wooded stuff. At the 
present day there is a great desire for quick returns, 
consequently Cyclamens, Cinerarias, Chinese Primulas, 
and similar things are grown extensively by specialists 
to meet the demand ; but there is no reason why 
Chorozemas amongst other things should be altogether 
neglected or ignored. A houseful of reasonable-sized 
and well-grown plants of this flower is always a present¬ 
able and attractive feature, as is shown at Gunnersbury 
Park, Acton, where Mr. J. Roberts grows a collection of 
plants that are now masses of bloom. The standard 
of the variety under notice is deep orange, while the 
wings are deep orange-red, and the flowers are profuse. 
Camellia japonica albo-marginata. 
For decorative purposes in a cool house, this might be 
utilised for the sake of its handsome foliage. The 
leaves are deep green, with a broad white margin, 
which renders them very distinctive amongst other 
kinds of vegetation. The flowers are single, and, 
consequently, must be closely allied to the old and 
typical form itself, with red petals and a mass of yellow 
stamens in the centre. It is a comparatively slow- 
growing plant, owing to the presence of so much 
variegation on the leaves ; but it is also free flowering, 
as small plants testify in the Rose house at Gunnersbury 
Park, Acton, where they are well furnished with 
flower buds. 
Impatiens Hawkeri, 
Although ushered in with a flourish of trumpets, this 
Balsam does not seem destined to become so popular 
as I. Sultani. It is, nevertheless, a fine thing, and 
when well grown and bushy, has a commanding effect. 
From its very nature and habit, we can neither expect 
it to become so bushy nor flower so freely as I. Sultani; 
but taking the burnished and fine appearance of the 
deep red metallic-looking stems, together with the 
wonderful size of the flat deep carmine flowers, it is 
a subject worthy of the best attention from horticul¬ 
turists as a stove or warm conservatory plant. In spite 
of the feeble light that has prevailed for a long time 
back, we saw it flowering the other day in the gardens 
of H. Little, Esq., The Barons, Twickenham. 
Phyllanthus Chantrieri. 
The forms which the leaves and branches of this genus 
assume seem endless, many of them being of a very 
ornamental character. The present species is a com¬ 
paratively recent introduction, having been introduced 
from Cochin China in 1882. Lateral branches are 
given off from the main stem, assuming a horizontal 
position with the obliquely ovate or rhomboid leaves 
arranged on them, giving the whole branch the appear¬ 
ance of a compound leaf. In habit the plant may be 
compared to that of P. glaucescens or P. salvisefolius, 
and is both symmetrical and ornamental. For the 
decoration of the stove or warm conservatory it is 
equally as useful as P. glaucescens. The flowers are of 
no decorative value independently of the foliage, being 
smali and brownish as in the last-named species. We 
noted some iflants in the nurseries of Messrs. Laing & 
Sons, Forest Hill. —«— 
Pelargonium, Swanley Double White. 
Evidently, by using successional batches of plants, 
this variety may be had in flower all the year round. 
Through the long and sunless winter months perfectly 
double and well-formed flowers have been produced in 
the nursery of Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, 
Kent. The purity of the bloom is only marred by an 
occasional orange-coloured anther making its appearance 
amongst the central petals. It is seldom, whether in 
single or double flowers, that we get an absence of 
anthers, which are generally too conspicuous in white 
flowers. The dwarf habit of the plants themselves is 
also a great recommendation, the stems being short 
jointed and leafy, forming good useful stuff, while not 
exceeding 9 ins. or 12 ins. in height, and very floriferous. 
Gardenia citriodora. 
The botanically-accepted name of this useful garden 
plant is Mitriostigma axillare ; but leaving that aside, 
it may be judged upon its own merits for horticultural 
purposes. The flowers are produced in axillary clusters, 
and may, for size, be compared to Orange blossom, 
while they are even more strongly fragrant, pervading 
the whole house in which they are grown with their 
perfume, especially should the temperature be raised 
by sun-heat. In its native country the plant forms a 
compact spreading bush, about 5 ft. in height, with 
leathery evergreen leaves ; but in the stove or warm 
conservatory it flowers freely in this country when less 
than 1 ft. in height. A few plants stood about in a 
conservatory make their presence agreeably felt by their 
odour. There are small and bushy flowering plants 
in Messrs. John Laing & Sons’ nursery at Forest Hill. 
Hard and Soft Pots. 
Of late there has been some correspondence in your 
columns concerning glazed pots, but nothing, so far as 
I have seen, has been said about hard and soft pots for 
plant culture. Being unable to arrive at a definite 
opinion on the subject, I should be very glad if some 
one who has had practical experience of both would 
give us the benefit of such knowledge. As far as I 
have been able to judge, it depends upon the class of 
plants grown as to which sort of pot should be used. 
For example : On looking over an extensive batch of 
Cyclamens I found the plants in hard pots looking 
sickly, and the soil a little soured, while those in soft 
ones were in good health, and the compost perfectly 
sweet. On the other hand, I have grown zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums in both kind of pots without being able to 
detect any material difference in the health of the 
plants or appearance of the soil. If it can be proved 
satisfactorily that hard-burned pots are better, or even 
as good as soft ones, it would be a monetary saving to 
use them, as they are more easily kept clean, and do 
not break so readily.— J. T. A. 
Echeveria retusa. 
By a little careful attention and treatment, a batch of 
healthy young plants of this could be propagated 
annually from cuttings, and grown to a useful size 
during the summer. Although a succulent, it delights 
in liberal treatment while heat and light are plentiful, 
as growth then proceeds apace. Care should be taken, 
however, not to use much manure or leaf-soil, especially 
in an undecayed state, as they frequently harbour grubs 
and other vermin, which are particularly fond of the 
succulent stems of this plant, and sometimes eat away 
the whole interior, ruining the plants before their 
presence is detected. Towards winter, when properly 
grown, they will throw up their flower-spikes and last 
for many weeks in fine condition. Less water is required 
during winter. The flowers are orange-scarlet and 
yellow ; but not the least valuable recommendation the 
plant possesses is the distinctness of its fleshy leaves 
and stems from those of the other inhabitants of con¬ 
servatories generally. We were reminded of this old 
favourite by seeing a quantity in the nurseries of 
Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, Kent. 
