June 30, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
697 
forty years old. It is well known that the rainfall of 
last autumn and winter was much below the average, 
and the lesson taught would seem to be that in 
abnormally dry winters Peach and Nectarine trees 
should receive an occasional soaking through the water- 
pot. The above facts, and the conclusions we have 
drawn rightly or wrongly therefrom, are placed before 
your readers for what they are worth. It would he 
interesting to learn how the trees have fared in other 
districts, and expressions of opinions as to cause and 
effect would be doubly welcome.— J. H. H. 
-- 
HARDY TREES AND SHRUBS 
IN FLOWER. 
Viburnum plicatum. 
The typical form of this plant does not seem to be in 
cultivation, nor would it he particularly desirable 
except in a botanic garden, as the inflorescense simply 
resembles that of the wild form of the Guelder Rose. 
In the garden plant the corolla is greatly enlarged at 
the expense of the seed-producing faculty of the flowers, 
so that no seeds are produced, any more than occurs in 
V. opulus sterilis (known as the Snowball tree). The 
globular trusses of this Japanese species are equally 
effective as those of the Snowball tree, while the plant 
is dwarfer, and grows very slowly. It is, therefore, 
well adapted for growing in prominent positions on the 
rockery, as at Chiswick, in the gardens of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, also for walls, 
or even for pot-work. The leaves 
are ovate, somewhat plicate, and 
would apparently prove to be ever¬ 
green, but they are perfectly de. 
ciduous, at least in this country, 
rendering the plant quite hardy. 
Another species named V. Awafouki 
has evergreen shining leaves, but 
gets more or less damaged in severe 
winters, even on a wall. 
Helianthemum rosmarinifolium 
Like most of the species of this 
showy genus, a great abundance of 
flowers are produced by a small 
plant. The individual blooms, it 
is true, are very fugacious, but] a 
long succession is kept up, and on 
bright days a plant in a sunny 
position is a beautiful object. They 
are about the size of a shilling, and 
pure white, while the evergreen 
leathery leaves are linear and rolled 
backwards at the margin, resembling 
those of Rosemary, as the specific 
name implies. It proves quite 
hardy on the rockery at Chiswick, 
in the gardens of the Royal Horti¬ 
cultural Society, where some good- 
sized bushes are now at their best. 
It is suitable for this purpose simply 
because it does not soon get to an 
unmanageable size nor overgrow its 
neighbours, while the habit is neat 
and attractive. 
The Copper Austrian Briar. 
The variety of this name is perfectly distinct from the 
Scarlet Austrian (Rosa lutea punicea), which is notable 
for the two sides of the petals being of different colours. 
In this case the petals are equally coloured on both 
surfaces, and are of a coppery or fulvous yellow. There 
is a magnificent specimen of it on a wall facing the 
road at Pendhill House, near Bletchingley, the residence 
of Miss Kenrick. It covers a space of many square 
feet, being 8 ft. or 10 ft. in height, and spreading 
much more in a lateral direction. The shoots are 
allowed to hang down loosely, and not being by any 
means severely pruned, it produces a wealth of bloom 
that is really astonishing. The pure air of this district 
must be very congenial to its well-being. 
Wang Jang Ve, Rose. 
Annually at this period of the year, or during June 
and July, one end of the house at Pendell Court, 
Bletchingley, the residence of Sir George Macleay, 
becomes covered with a wealth of beautiful salmony 
yellow blooms, the produce of the above-named Japanese 
Rose. It is also known as Fortune’s Yellow Rose and 
Beauty of Glazenwood. Under the first and last of 
these names it is figured in the Botanical Magazine. 
It is a vigorous-growing and evidently long-lived 
species, judging from the strong stems which mount 
up the house and spread themselves over the end as 
well as over the coping at the top. When in bud 
condition the blooms are by far the prettiest, as they 
then form a sub-conical mass, or a little later are 
even better, when a few of the petals have unfolded. 
Owing to the great height at which the largest 
abundance of flowers are produced, the beauty of this 
Rose is best seen at a short distance off. 
-->X<-- 
NOTES ON CAPE DISAS. 
I see by The Gardening World that Disa racemosa 
has flowered in England, and has been greatly admired. 
I am not surprised at this, but there are at the Cape 
other species not in cultivation in England, I believe, 
which would make a still greater sensation, and which 
if grown in any cold, shady, moist house or frame would 
be very easy to manage. The finest of these perhaps is 
Disa crassicornis, a fine handsome-leaved plant, 
with tall stems of fine white or cream-coloured flowers, 
spotted inside with purple, and having curious stout 
funnel-shaped spurs. The flowers are about 2 ins. 
across, and so delightfully fragrant that they may be 
found by the sense of smell when they cannot be 
readily seen for the other vegetation in the highland 
district where they are very sparely distributed. The 
hilly region where it grows is covered with snow every 
winter ; they have black frosts and I have seen icicles 
hanging about all day up there. D. crassicornis grows 
in the clefts of the rocks, and also in the low bush in 
strong red loam. 
Richard Pearce. 
The first Introducer of the Tuberous Begonia. 
Disa Zephyrii is also a lovely plant, growing in 
the same district as D. crassicornis, but only on the 
highest points among grass and very low bush, on dry 
ground with a stony bottom and among stones on 
peaty ground. It has fine spikes of brilliant scarlet 
flowers, of which the stout l|-in. long spurs stand 
perfectly erect making it a great novelt) r , as well as 
highly attractive. If ever these lovely plants and 
others allied to them get into general cultivation, this 
note of their growth in their native homes may help to 
save them from the too warm culture which has to 
answer for the death or failure of so many of the Cape 
terrestrial Orchids in English gardens. — IF. T ., 
Grahamstoum, South Africa. 
-—- 
FRUIT PROSPECTS. 
This is a subject on which I feel reluctant to speak so 
early in the season, because, although the prospect may 
be good at present, in our fickle climate we are subject 
to so many adverse influences, that what at the com¬ 
mencement of the season bids fair to end in a glorious 
harvest will sometimes prove a disastrous failure. So 
far as the season is concerned at present, its influences 
have been eminently beneficial. We have had here, in 
Surrey, no late spring frosts of sufficient intensity to 
damage anything. When in flower the Apple blossom 
was a glorious show, and if our feathered friends will 
only keep down the maggots and caterpillars we shall 
have a fine crop. This particular fruit is, I believe, 
more often decimated by the ravages of insects than by 
adverse weather. 
Pears did not bloom quite so well on the whole as 
they generally do here, as the birds played sad havoc 
among the buds in January, so we expect a crop some¬ 
what und.er our average. Peaches and Nectarines, 
except on west walls, will be a fair average. Cherries, 
if they pass the stoning period successfully, will be 
plentiful; Plums under the average; Figs exceptionally 
good ; and bush fruits, including Raspberries, very 
abundant. Strawberries are flowering strong and well, 
and promise to yield a better crop than they have done 
in recent years. Our soil being dry and shallow these 
have suffered much from drought, but the late rains 
have, we hope, set them up, and being heavily 
mulched we hope they will keep moist now till the 
fruiting season is over. Our flowering trees and shrubs 
have been finer than last season, blooming much more 
abundantly and retaining their blossom for a greater 
length of time. Although late I regard this as the 
finest spring and early summer we have had of recent 
years.— W. B. G. 
-- 
THE TUBEROUS BEGONIA. 
So long as the Tuberous Begonia exists as a garden 
plant, so long will the name of Richard Pearce be held 
in esteem, as the man to whose 
energy and daring as a traveller we 
are indebted for the earliest species 
introduced from Bolivia and Peru, 
and of whom we have the pleasure 
to include in these pages a char¬ 
acteristic portrait, prepared from a 
photograph kindly lent us for the 
purpose by Mr. Harry J. Yeitch. 
Richard Pearce was a native of 
Plymouth, and was first employed 
in the nursery of Mr. Pontey, in 
that town. Leaving Plymouth, he 
entered the service of Messrs. James 
Yeitch & Son, at Mount Radford, 
Exeter, about the year 1860. In 
1861 he went out to Chili, the island 
of Cuenca, &c., and the first con¬ 
signment of seeds and plants which 
he sent home were received at Mount 
Radford on October 15th of the same 
year. In this and other consign¬ 
ments from Chili, Pearce sent home 
Libocedrus tetragona, Aganisia 
microphylla, Prumnopitys (Podo- 
carpus) elegans, Podocarpus nubi- 
gena, Eucryphia pinnata, Lapageria 
alba, several Bomarias, Gymno- 
gramma Pearcei and other Ferns, 
Fuchsia triphylla, and Thibaudia 
acuminata. 
Early in 1£62 he sent from Cuenca 
a great number of seeds, Bejaria 
ledifolia (an evergreen shrub), 
Lisianthus magnificus (afterwards 
sent out by Mr. B. S. Williams), 
Calceolaria ericoides, and several 
good Tacsonias. In March of the same year, and again 
in August, he sent home from Guayaquil some six con¬ 
signments, and among these was the handsome Maranta 
Veitchii. He next went to Muna, a province in Bolivia, 
wheffhe found and sent home, among other good things, 
Aphelandra nitens, Gymnostachys Pearcei, and San- 
chezia nobilis variegata. From Muna he went to 
Teukaman, where he collected Nierembergia rivularis 
and N. Veitchii, Begonia boliviensis, Palava flexuosa, 
Ourisea Pearcei, Mutisia decurrens, and several 
Peperomias. His next journey was to Le Paz, and in 
November, 1865, he sent home Begonia Pearcei, 
B. Veitchii, a number of good Hippeastrums, such as 
Pardinum and Leopoldi, the progenitors of the present 
magnificent race of Amaryllis ; and two or three excel¬ 
lent species of Eccremocarpus, which were subsequently 
lost. 
On returning from Le Paz, Mr. Pearce left the firm, 
and went home to Plymouth, where he married, but 
returning to London again in 1867, he went out to 
Panama for Mr. William Bull, where he unfortunately 
contracted fever, and died a fortnight after his arrival— 
and thus added another name to the long roll of 
intrepid men who have lost their lives while endeavour¬ 
ing to enrich our gardens with the beautiful plants of 
foreign lands. Though a man of small stature, 
Richard Pearce had a lion’s heart, and his early death 
was a great loss to British horticulture.— (From a 
work on the Begonia, which will be published shortly). 
