September 20, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
43 
be produced in succession. The tuberous roots are 
much more easily preserved during the winter than are 
Pelargoniums, and those who grow the latter largely 
and are getting tired of them, would do well to give 
this line Salvia a trial. 
notable of its qualities are its dwarf habit and fruit¬ 
fulness, which will recommend it both to the private 
grower and market gardeners. These qualities are 
well shown now that the stems have been harvested 
and taken under glass to dry. 
been obtained in this species than orange and lemon. 
A large bunch of these two colour varieties was exhibited 
at the Royal Aquarium, on the 10 th inst., by Mr. R. 
Dean, from his grounds at Bedfont, when two First 
Class Certificates was awarded to the strain. 
Chrysanthemums, Madame Leon Collin 
and Lily Stevens. 
The first named is a Japanese variety of medium size, 
with recurved and much-twisted, golden yellow florets, 
tinted with buff near the base. Its earliness should 
recommend it to the cultivator for early work. Lily 
Stevens is a small Pompon variety, white or nearly so, 
and has the compactly arranged florets closely involute 
at the sides, much in the same way as those of the 
well-known Mademoiselle Elise Dordan. Both were 
shown at the Royal Aquarium, on the 10th inst., by 
Mr. R. Owen, Maidenhead, who received First Class 
Certificates for them. 
Dwarf Cornel. 
The stems of Cornus canadensis are similarly dwarf as 
those of our native C. suecica, but they are much 
stronger with larger leaves, and more ornamental in 
every way. The flowers are small, purplish white, 
and of no importance from a garden point of view, but 
they are surrounded by large, pure white, involucral 
leaves or bracts that give the plant a highly ornate 
character. These bracts persist long after the flowering 
season is over, and often exhibit tints of pink and 
green. The cluster of small flowers is succeeded by a 
bunch of berries that become bright red when mature, 
rendering the plant more ornamental even than when in 
bloom. There is no difficulty in cultivating this species, 
for when planted in moist peaty soil it extends the area 
covered by it, year by year. It-is admirably adapted 
for covering the ground under standard Rhododendrons, 
or for planting as a margin to peat-loving plants in 
general. It often flowers twice a year, and sometimes 
ripens fruit in abundance in this country. It is also 
popularly known as the Bunch-berry, from its clusters 
of fruits. 
Nepenthes Mastersiana. 
Amongst the many examples of good plant culture in the 
collection of T. Wilson, Esq., Oakholme, Sheffield, are 
several well-grown samples of Nepenthes Mastersiana. 
The pitchers are finely coloured ; I measured one of 
many having a length of fully 12 ins., a circumference 
of 11| ins., and a lid 5 ins. long and 4| ins. bread. 
This I consider a wonderfully fino pitcher, because so 
highly coloured and well-developed, as the dimensions 
will show. Mr. Hannah is to be congratulated upon 
his success, not only with these, but with the general 
collection, which reflects credit upon his abilities as a 
plant grower. —~Rusticus. 
Lapageria rosea, Nash Court Variety. 
The superiority of this over the typical form consists 
in the great size of the flowers, and their dark crimson- 
red colour. The segments are spotted with white. 
The tube of the flower is very long, and the mouth is 
not so expanded as that of either the type or the white 
form (L. r. alba). The stems also possess wonderful 
vigour and attain a great length, while the upper ends 
of the shoots bear long sprays of flowers, which, as they 
hang dangling in mid-air have a splendid effect. The 
treatment it requires is similar to that of the common 
one ; but in order to encourage the production of large 
flowers, and plenty of them, a fair amount of root room 
should be given and the temperature of a greenhouse. 
A considerable extent of roof area is necessary to allow 
the long rambling shoots free play. Notwithstanding 
the amount of propagation by layering to which this 
plant is subjected, it was flowering freely the other day 
in the nursery of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. 
Pea, The Daisy. 
The above name has been given to a variety obtained 
by crossing Culverwell’s Giant Marrow with Stratagem. 
It is one of Messrs. J. Carter & Co.’s new Peas, of 
which the crop has just been gathered in their Forest 
Hill Nursery. The stems grow to a height of 18 ins. 
in ordinary seasons, and slightly over in a year like the 
present. The pods vary from 3 ins. to 4 ins. in length, 
are straight, broad, and full, of a glaucous green colour 
when fit for the table, and contain from eight to eleven 
seeds each. The latter are very closely packed, and 
when in season are rich and sweet. The foliage is 
dark green, with silvery veins. The ripe seeds now 
show that it is a blue wrinkled Marrow. Not the least 
Potato, Liliputian. 
A breadth planted with this variety in the nursery of 
Messrs. J. Carter & Co., Forest Hill, presents a curious 
appearance, and at a short distance looks anything 
but a Potato. The stems are about 6 ins. or 8 ins. 
high, and are planted close together. The leaves are 
remarkably small, with segments in proportion, and 
remind one of some of the small-leaved Roses, such as 
Rosa spinosissima or R. ferox. The potatos themselves 
are veritable pigmies, somewhat kidney-shaped, white, 
and vary from J in. to 1| ins. in length. About three 
dozen of these liliputian tubers are borne at a stem ; 
and the variety may be considered prolific in its way, 
but, of course, the produce does not bulk largely. As 
a Potato this may be considered a novelty, but it has 
its economical uses as well. The tubers are cleaned, 
skinned, boiled in the usual way, and served up with 
melted butter and other ingredients according to taste, 
after the same fashion as Haricot Beans. The tubers 
are, of course, served whole, and may be considered 
both dainty and novel. 
Inula Hookeri. 
The different species of Inula.in cultivation are of very 
varied aspect, and some of them may be considered as 
ornamental subjects amongst composites, to which they 
belong. I. glandulosa has taken a position within 
recent years as a market plant, and I. Helenium, the 
largest British herb, is often accorded a place in her¬ 
baceous borders, and in shrubberies on account of the 
size it attains and its stately appearance. I. Hookeri 
is a native of the Himalayas, from whence it was 
introduced in 1849. It is very moderate in dimensions, 
as the average height of the stems is about 15 ins. The 
flower heads terminate short leafy branches, and 
measure from 3 ins. to 3| ins. in diameter. The long, 
slender rays are bright yellow, and the flower head is 
supported underneath by numerous reflexed bracts, 
covered with long, woolly brown hairs which give them 
a peculiar appearance. The plant is perfectly hardy, 
and requires no special treatment, provided the border 
is free from stagnant water. 
Chrysanthemum, Duchess of Buccleuch. 
We have a first-rate early-flowering Japanese Chrysan¬ 
themum in Duchess of Buccleuch, a seedling raised 
by Mr. Dunn, at Dalkeith Palace, from seed a friend 
sent him from America. The flower is of the Meg 
Merrilies type, and the colour is perhaps a shade lighter 
than the latter. I cut a flower a week ago 8 ins. in 
diameter as the flower stood. It grows from 3| ft. to 
4 ft. high, and has a good habit, either for a cut-flower 
stand or as a specimen plant for the September shows. 
It will prove a great acquisition. — William Rusliton, 
Clerwood, Corstorphine, N.B. 
French Marigolds. 
A box of blooms of French Marigolds has reached us 
from Mr. Starkie Baldwin, Woodbine Nursery, Burnley. 
The blooms were of large size for the species, very 
double, and gave evidence of good cultivation. There 
was a considerable variation in colour, but we should 
have liked to see more of the striped varieties with the 
colours well defined. The regularly striped form, a 
brown one and a yellow one, were most to our liking, 
as well-defined colours are always the most telliDg. 
This, of course, is a matter of taste, but the striped 
kinds are always held in the highest estimation for 
exhibition purposes. We have, however, seen masses 
of the yellow kinds used for bedding purposes in the 
Paris gardens with fine effect in association with fine- 
foliaged plants. 
African Marigolds. 
Numerous improved strains of Tagetes erecta, the 
so-called African Marigold (for both it and the French 
Marigold are natives of Mexico), have from time to 
time been brought before the notice of the public ; but 
curiously enough, the improvement is chiefly in the 
size of the flowers, which are, of course, greatly affected 
by the method of cultivation. The fullness of the 
flower must, however, be taken into account in 
speaking of any improvement that has been made. It 
is remarkable that no other shades of colour have yet 
Didymochlcena lunulata. 
In gardens this Fern is known under two other names, 
namely, Didymochlcena truncata and Aspidium trun- 
catulum. The stem is short but erect, and the old 
plants have somewhat the appearance of a tree Fern, as 
the fronds are given off in a tuft from the apex or 
crown. The leaves are bipinnate, but vary greatly in 
size according to the age and vigour of the plant. 
Those of small plants of a suitable size for ordinary 
decorative purposes would vary from 18 ins. to 24 ins. ; 
but on large plants they would range from 4 ft. to 6 ft. 
The pinnules or ultimate segments are relatively small 
and numerous, varying from f in. to 1 in. in length, 
and of a dark green colour. They are also somewhat 
four sided, generally with an auricle on the anterior 
basal edge, wedge shaped at the base, and appears as if 
cut through the middle, for the mid-rib is near one 
edge. Being a native of Tropical America it requires a 
stove temperature, or at least that of an intermediate 
house. It is not very commonly disseminated in this 
country, but we noted it lately in the nursery of Messrs. 
J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. 
Hypericum olympieum. 
In ordinarily severe winters this species will outstand 
the winter in the open air, and the more certainly so if 
the ground is of a light or well drained character. It 
is therefore most at home on rockwork where the 
environs are in keeping with its natural habitats. The 
average height of the stems is 12 ins., and they form 
beautiful small branching tufts loaded with their large 
yellow flowers. The spreading or reflexed petals are 
curiously unequal sided owing to the manner in which 
they are packed and twisted in the bud, while the 
centre is occupied by the large brush of yellow stamens 
for which the Hypericums are notable, especially the 
larger flowered forms. The foliage is of a light glaucous 
green tint, which renders the plant very distinct from 
most other kinds in cultivation. The leaves of H. 
CEgypticum are glaucous, but they are relatively very 
small and Heath like in comparison with those ot the 
species under notice. It is a native of Mount Olympus, 
and was originally introduced in 1706. 
Passiflora, Eynsford Gem. 
The sepals and petals of this hybrid Passion Flower 
are rosy purple, while the fringe of segments in the 
centre—known as the corona—-is white, tipped with 
violet. It is more handsome than Passiflora cceruleo- 
racemosa, and keeps flowering for a longer period of 
time. The leaves are about the size of those of the 
common Passion Flower (Passiflora ccerulea), but they 
are three instead of five-lobed, and the segments are 
broader. It was flowering freely the other day in one 
of the greenhouses of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest 
Hill. 
—-- 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
T » T 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
The very cheering spell of brilliant weather seems to 
be duly appreciated both on the farms and in the 
gardens, for while it has afforded a good chance to 
harvest the corn and pick the hops, it has also caused 
the fruit trees to promise well for another season, and 
has cheered the Chrysanthemum growers, by making 
the wood much firmer than it was a month ago. 
It has likewise been a boon to Orchid growers, giving 
them an opportunity to prepare many of their plants 
for a good flowering season, by getting them well 
matured. In the case of Cattleyas and Dendrobiums 
especially, which flower soon after Christmas, it is 
essential that they be allowed to benefit by full 
exposure to the sun, as soon as all danger of scorching 
is over, for there can be no doubt but that the size 
and colour of the flowers are improved, as the result of 
weather such as we are now enjoying. Care must 
however, be taken lest other occupants of the houses 
get more sun than they can enjoy ; and it will readily 
be seen that it is an advantage to place the different 
varieties in batches as much as possible, so that they 
may the more readily be treated according to their 
requirements. 
