July 21, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
741 
for association with Delphiniums, tall-growing Lilies 
and other plants of a like habit. To secure good 
spikes of bloom it is an excellent plan to propagate a 
few offshoots annually. Taken off with a sharp knife, 
and inserted in sandy soil, such shoots will root 
quickly in a shaded frame, which operation should be 
done immediately the plants go out of flower. During 
cold wet winters this plant is apt to rot off at the 
ground-line, consequently it pays to keep a batch of 
young plants in a cold frame during this unfavourable 
season. Such plants flower even better than those 
that withstand the winter. 
Pentstemon grandiflorus Murrayanus. 
I send you with these notes a spike of this new hybrid. 
It is a stately-growing plant, with distinct glaucous 
leaves. The flowers are not so attractive in colour as 
the better-known florists’ varieties. We have several 
spikes quite 4 ft. in height.— J. W. 0., Pinner. [Our 
correspondent must succeed very well in the cultivation 
of this plant, which he describes as a hybrid. Both 
P. grandiflorus, and P. Murrayanus are closely-allied 
species, usually attaining a height of 2 ft. or 3 ft., and 
the specimen sent us was over 2£ ft., of which 19 ins. 
was furnished with flowers. It is most nearly allied to 
P. grandiflorus, from which it seems to differ only in 
the colour of the flowers. That species has purple 
blooms, while P. Murrayanus has red ones. The 
specimen sent us has the exterior of the flowers of a 
deep rosy red, while the upper or inner face of the two¬ 
lipped and five-lobed lamina is rosy pink. The sender 
says that the flowers are not so showy as those of “the 
better-known florists’ varieties,” but in our opinion 
they are very beautiful, especially in connection with 
such distinct and characteristic foliage. The lower 
leaves are oblong and very blunt, while the upper ones 
are rounded and cuspidate at the apex, a few of the 
uppermost being connate at the base. All are of a 
deep glaucous or sea-green colour, and very different 
from anything amongst florists’ flowers. The barren 
filament is slightly bearded at the apex, showing it to 
be closely allied to P. grandiflorus. This organ in 
P. Murrayanus is altogether without hairs. These 
noble Pentstemons might more often be seen in gardens. 
—Ed.] 
SpIR/EA ASTILBOIDES. 
In general appearance this Japanese species resembles 
S. aruncus, hut is decidedly a much dwarfer plant, and 
far more ornamental. It is undoubtedly allied to that 
species, inasmuch as the male and female flowers are 
borne on different plants ; the structure of the fruit is 
similar, and the foliage is ternately divided much in the 
same way. It does not as a rule exceed 18 ins. or 24 
ins. in height, and the branching or panicled in¬ 
florescence consists of numerous horizontal or ascending 
brush-like spikes of white flowers, which, although small 
individually, are in the aggregate very conspicuous 
and showy. Owing to its dwarf habit it may he grown 
in pots for indoor decoration, much in the same way as 
Astilbe japonica, better known in gardens under the 
name of Spircea japonica. Like the latter it is perfectly 
hardy out of doors, and merits extended cultivation. 
Red Valerian. 
Along each side of a walk in the fruit and vegetable 
garden at Gunnersbury Park, Acton, a row of this 
plant (Centranthus ruber) is at present exceedingly 
effective. The individual plants are of large size, 
having been established for some years, and the stems 
being loaded with large and dense panicles of deep red 
flowers, they are literally borne to the earth. There 
are several varieties of this plant even in a wild or 
naturalised state, such as rose and white-flowered forms, 
but the deep red one is that here grown. Those who 
require a large quantity of bloom for cut-flower pur¬ 
poses could not do better than add this plant to their 
stock, provided they do not already possess it. A few 
plants would supply basketfuls of flowers, and be none 
the worse for cutting. In the herbaceous border few 
subjects are more conspicuous at this season, and 
certainly none more floriferous. The individual flowers 
are very small and tubular, but the mass produced 
more than makes up for the deficiency in size. 
Lychnis fulgens. 
The forms to whic h this Siberian species has given rise 
are both numerous, varied, and beautiful. Several of 
the forms are indigenous to other parts of Asia, such 
as L. f. grandiflora, which is a native of China, and L. 
f. Sieboldi, which comes from Japan. L. f. Haageana 
originated in gardens, and has given rise to many 
beautiful coloured varieties, some being pure white. 
This variety, together with L. f. Sieboldi, furnish the 
most compact flowers, as the edge of the petals touch 
one another. L. f. grandiflora, having scarlet flowers, 
yields the largest blooms of any belonging to this 
species, and grows from 10 ins. to 18 ins. in height, 
according to treatment, soil, or season. The typical 
L. fulgens 'may be recognised by its dwarf habit, as 
the stems seldom exceed 12 ins. in height, and are 
often considerably under that. The flowers are of a 
brilliant vermilion, and individually are of large size, 
but the segments of the petals are long and narrow, 
giving the flower a star-like appearance. Each petal is 
four-lobed, and the two lateral segments springing from 
near the base of the limb being long, linear and slender, 
aid much in recognising the species. As border plants, 
all are neat and beautiful, and quite amenable for 
culture in borders, on the rockery, or in pots. In the 
latter case they may be taken indoors when in bloom, 
or moved wherever they are desired. 
The Dropwort. 
The double variety of Spircea filipendula, a native plant, 
is perhaps more common in gardens than the single 
and typical wild form, as they are more durable, 
especially in dry seasons. The flowers are deeply 
tinged with red in the bud state, but as they expand 
A Boon for the Bothy. 
they become pure white, and measure upwards of 1 in. 
in diameter individually, when the petals are spread 
out, although in the mass they appear much smaller. 
The foliage of this plant is more finely divided than 
that of any other herbaceous species in cultivation, 
resembling the fronds of a Fern, so that whether in 
flower or not this species has something to recommend 
it. Both the single and the double forms are suf¬ 
ficiently good to be admitted into collections for either 
the border or rockery. The flower stems do not much 
exceed 12 ins. in height, while they are frequently 
dwarfer. The popular name refers to the curious black 
tuberous swellings on the roots. 
The Broad-leaved Bellflower. 
During the months of July and August nothing in the 
way of Campanulas is more stately than C. latifolia 
and its varieties. There are of course choicer and 
prettier species, but in the back line of the herbaceous 
border it grows to the height of 4 ft. or 5 ft. in favour¬ 
able seasons, and good rich soils. It is a British plant, 
and grows in thickets or amongst underwood where a 
sufficient amount of light is admitted. Under these 
conditions it does not, as a rule, however, attain the 
dimensions which it does under cultivation. The 
flowers vary from blue to white, according to the 
variety, and are produced in dense terminal racemes. 
Short lateral branches are also produced on the stems 
of well-grown specimens, so that it becomes a con¬ 
spicuous object, even when seen from a distance. The 
variety C. 1. macrantha is said to be of hybrid origin, 
and has larger flowers of a purplish blue colour, 
measuring over 2 ins. in length. Some other species 
have flowers that equal or even exceed this, but with 
the exception of the smaller-flowered C. pyramidalis, 
they are not so stately. 
The Officinal Goat’s Rue. 
Many a cottage garden is made gay with this old- 
fashioned plant—namely, Galega officinalis, and there 
it does not as a rule grow so rampantly, while it flowers 
most abundantly on stems about 2 ft. in height. In 
rich soil the stems grow from 3 ft. to 5 ft. in height, 
and all parts, including the foliage, grow much coarser, 
while the amount of bloom is not in proportion to the 
rest of the plant. Many herbaceous plants are improved 
by an excessive development of growth, but in this 
case it can hardly be said there is any improvement, 
beautiful as the finely pinnate foliage is. The typical 
form has blue flowers, hut some of the lighter shades, 
such as lilac-purple, seems to be more common in the 
suburbs of London. 
-- 
A BOON FOR THE BOTHY. 
In a genial chatty letter, received a few weeks ago 
from a well-known midland florist, the writer concluded 
by saying :—“ I have to-day had a novel and enjoyable 
dinner—a cut from a leg of mutton, two vegetables, 
tarts, &c., all cooked at the same time in anew portable 
cooking apparatus, and done to a turn. You should 
go and see it—it is just the thing for the bothy !” Our 
friend gave us the address —4, Great Portland Street, 
W., and we have not only been to see the wonderful 
“cooker,” but enjoyed, like him, the results of its 
cooking—a delicious bit of salmon, a cut of prime roast 
beef, Potatos, Peas, stewed Gooseberries, and custard. 
“What a menu for a bothy man’s dinner!” some of 
our young friends will exclaim, and we must confess at 
once that in our bothy experience we never had such 
an excellent bill of fare, or such admirably-cooked 
dishes, for the simple reason that a saucepan and a 
frying-pan were the only cooking utensils that were 
supplied to us ; and having frequently had to cook for 
ourselves, as young men living in bothies have to do, the 
style of the dinners may be easily imagined ; at all 
events, we shall not enter into a description. Suffice 
it to say that while bothies generally have been made 
much more comfortable than they were ever in our 
time, there is still much room for improvement, and 
especially in this important matter of cooking ; for 
whether there be any truth or not in the old adage that 
“a hungry man is an angry man,” certain it is that an 
ill-fed man cannot be a good worker. 
On these grounds then we have no hesitation in 
asking owners of gardens in which there are bothies, 
while enjoying their own well-served dinners, to have 
a thought for their employes, and to supply them with 
such a comfort and a blessing as is to be found in the 
“ cooker” we are alluding to, and which only requires 
to be seen to convince any one of its extreme usefulness. 
It is really a combination of the “Wanzer” lamp with 
a portable cooking apparatus, and has advantages, it 
seems to us, which in every sense bears out our friend's 
statement that “ it is just the thing for the bothy.’” 
In the first place the lamp, which burns only ordinary 
paraffin oil, gives off neither smoke nor odour, and does 
not require a chimney, the proper amount of air 
required for perfect combustion being supplied by 
means of a centrifugal fan fixed under the reservoir. 
Its lighting power is admirable, superior in fact to that 
of sixteen-candle gas. Thus it can be used in the day¬ 
time under the “cooker,” and at night be available 
for illumination. 
The “cooker” will either roast, bake, or steam 
to perfection, and with this advantage from the 
bothy point of view, that it requires no attention what¬ 
ever from the time of setting it to work until the 
dinner is served. Herein lies its great practical utility 
—you can put in the various things required to be 
cooked—the work of a few moments—go back to your 
duty, and be certain that when dinner-time comes your 
meal will be ready for you, and properly done. It 
may be said for it also, because perfectly true, that it 
never boils over, no steam can come into contact with 
anything that is not put into the steaming section, 
and that it spoils nothing if left longer than is required 
for proper cooking. Tfie “Wanzer” Patent Portable 
Cooker is essentially a general utility sort of article, 
but we are concerned in it only so far as that we desire 
specially to recommend it for use in bothies, knowing 
well from experience what a boon it would be to the 
young men who live in them. 
