640 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 6, 1891. 
to grow Ranunculi, and being so easy, I regret they 
are not much more generally cultivated. I have seen 
some lovely beds of them, but I am sure it is a mistake 
to coddle them too much with artificial manures, &c. 
—D. 
Tiarella cordifolia. 
Some floweis, although individually very small, are 
rendered conspicuous by their number, and that is 
practically the case here. The small flowers are white 
and the anthers orange, thus affording a beautiful 
contrast. The ample leaves are heart-shaped, lobed 
and green, beautifully marbled in places with a bronzy 
hue. Generally the plant is close and tufted, but 
underground stems are given off and spread the area of 
the plant in this way. A beautiful instance of this 
may be seen on the rockery at Chiswick in the gardens 
of the Royal Horticultural Society, where the under¬ 
ground stems have rambled beneath the stones and 
come out in places at a higher level than the parent 
plant, and thus appearing to advantage, 
Mertensia sibirica. 
Of all the Mertensias, none are more easily cultivated 
than that under notice, and consequently we see it more 
frequently perhaps than any other in gardens. "When 
once established it takes care of itself, as easily as the 
Pulmonarias. The smooth glaucous foliage, and the 
soft azure-blue flowers are its distinguishing char¬ 
acteristics. There is a white variety (M. s. alba), but 
although moderately distinct and pretty, it is hardly 
likely to compete with the type, for the simple reason 
that the colour is not altogether pure, and the flowers 
seem somewhat more tender, or easily soiled or injured. 
The lamina is tinted with pale blue, and the tube is 
flesh coloured or pale blue, deepening towards the base. 
As the flower attains age the colours fade considerably, 
and the plant as a whole may be described as pretty, 
and well worthy of cultivation. 
Cytisus scoparius Andreanus. 
The favour with which this variety is being received 
in different parts of the country makes us wonder why 
the type should be so much neglected, for when planted 
alongside of many exotic species, the size and abundance 
of its golden yellow flowers put other kinds quite in the 
background. This of course does not in the least 
detract from the variety under notice, which owes its 
popularity to the dark velvety brown of the petals. 
The back of the standard is tinted in the same way 
while yet in bud, but as the flower expands this 
disappears with the exception of a line along the 
middle. An instance of its accommodating nature is the 
readiness with which it may be grafted upon the 
Laburnum. Advantage might be taken of this fact to 
graft it standard high in the same way as is pursued 
with Cytisus purpureus. Specimens may be seen in 
the pleasure grounds at Kew, grafted on the Laburnum. 
The common Broom would no doubt make a better 
stock, because the thickening of the tissues in both 
cases would then be equal. Ireland is considered the 
first place in which it flowered in the British Islands, 
but a plant was flowered at Kew six weeks in advance 
of that event. 
Chimaphila corymbosa. 
Like the true Wintergreens (Pvrola) to which this is 
closely allied, the species of Chimaphila are sub-shrubby 
and evergreen. The leaves are cuneate-lanceolate and 
whorled ; and the stems vary from 4 ins. to 6 ins. in 
height. The flowers are greenish-white, tinted with 
red and are produced in corymbs from the ends of the 
shoots. Being a native of the northern hemisphere it 
is hardy, but has never become very widely disseminated 
in British gardens although introduced as early as 1752. 
It is generally grown under the name of C. umbellata. 
A plant of it may be seen on the rockery, in the 
gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society at 
Chiswick. 
Iris germanica. 
Few plants in the herbaceous border are more attractive 
and handsome than the beautiful Iris germanica. The 
species contains numerous magnificent named varieties, 
all of which are perfectly hardy, and although their 
roots are often considerably exposed above the surface 
of the soil, they are, nevertheless, capable of with¬ 
standing the severest frosts and most penetrating cold 
without injury. Being in no way fastidious with 
respect to soil or situation, they will succeed almost 
anywhere. They are admirably adapted for planting 
in herbaceous or shrubbery borders or among Rho¬ 
dodendrons, and will even flower beautifully under 
trees if attention is paid with regard to watering 
when necessary during dry seasons. Few people 
will decline to agree with the remark that, were 
a.selection of the choicest varieties planted, magnificent 
blooms could be obtained from the shrubbery borders 
during the summer months, and which' would, in a 
measure, rival those of the loveliest Orchids.— J. Peebles, 
Holly dene, Bromley. 
The Alder-leaved Clethra. 
When seen in good form (and there is no difficulty in 
obtaining this result), a plant of Clethra alnifolia is a 
beautiful object, with lanceolate-elliptic, serrate leaves 
and racemose pure white flowers, terminating the 
shoots and sometimes from the axils of the upper 
leaves as well. The form of the inflorescence and the 
white flowers may be compared to some of the white- 
flowered Veronicas, such as V. salicifolia, but the 
foliage is more ample and very different, while of 
course the structure of the flowers is also different. 
The shrubby stems attain a height of 3 ft. or 4 ft., the 
smaller stature being more of an average, whether 
grown in pots or planted in the open ground. It is 
perfectly hardy, and may be grown in groups by itself, 
or planted along with other shrubs. For pot-work it 
is desirable to prune back the shoots occasionally to 
keep it in small compass for houses of limited 
dimensions. The best time to do this would evidently 
be in autumn before the leaves fall, when the more 
rampant shoots may be removed. It must be re¬ 
membered that this will be at the expense of the 
quantity of flowers it w r ould otherwise produce. To 
leave pruning till spring and then cut hard back, will 
prevent the plant from flowering until the second 
season in May and June. Very little pruning should 
therefore be given. We noticed it flowering finely in 
one of the houses at Tower House, Chiswick. 
-•»*«-- 
SEEDLING CARNATIONS. 
Some crossing of different varieties of Carnations has 
been effected by Mr. T. Bones, gardener to J. Donaldson, 
Esq., Tower House, Chiswick. A batch of seedlings 
has been raised from seed as a result of crossing 
a scarlet variety with the pollen of the pink Souvenir 
de la Malmaison. Amongst them are varieties or forms 
with narrow leaves and others with broad leaves, while 
a third set are notable for the length of the leaves, 
which vary from 10 ins. to 3 2 ins. The broad-leaved 
forms would seem to indicate that there is really a 
certain amount of the Malmaison blood in them, and of 
that we shall be able to satisfy ourselves when they 
come into bloom. Some of the narrow-leaved kinds are 
the most precocious, and are already in an advanced 
state. 
One of them in full bloom shows a large, fully 
double, scarlet flower of good form and agreeably 
fragrant. The flower is of large size for a tree Carnation, 
but smaller than the Malmaison type. In fact, for 
button-hole work it is large enough, while well-grown 
flowers of the last named are altogether too gigantic 
for such a purpose, and may be compared to those of a 
Dahlia or miniature Cabbage. An unnamed seedling 
with delicate pink flowers, slightly flushed with white, 
seems possessed of considerable merit. It is double, 
but the petals are by no means numerous, so that there 
is no crowding, and the outer petals are broad and 
flat, and so faintly toothed at the margin that the 
defect, such as it is, may be altogether ignored. The 
plant is of robust constitution and at present very 
promising. 
Another seedling named Miss Mary Donaldson, and 
raised by Mr. Bones, has been proved for at least two 
seasons. In the open ground it is hardy and floriferous. 
The past winter has had no injurious effect upon it, 
and the stools are pushing vigorously with numerous 
stems alongside of others which were planted at the 
same time last autumn. It succeeds equally well in 
pots, but notwithstanding, may be described as a border 
Carnation. The flowers are fully double, of medium 
size, crimson-scarlet, but very bright under direct sun¬ 
light, and fragrant, especially out-of-doors. Owing to 
its floriferous character, and the fact that it is perfectly 
amenable to indoor culture, it would be suitable for 
market work. 
There is still a very wide field for improvement 
amongst Carnations, more especially border kinds 
with a strong constitution and floriferous character. 
Other colours of the Malmaison type will yet be raised, 
and cultivators should keep a free-flowering habit in 
view, with a good calyx, and somewhat smaller flowers. 
LATE-FLOWERING TULIPS FOR 
BEDDING. 
By the use of a number of species and distinct garden 
forms, usually spoken of as hybrids, but whose origin 
is unknown, effects are produced which cannot be done 
with T. Gesneriana alone. Colour alone will not give 
that distinctness and variety which the different forms 
will when judiciously employed in the spring garden. 
The more typical forms of T. Gesneriana are char¬ 
acterised by their cup-shaped flowers with broad, blunt 
segments; while, on the other hand, those with acute 
segments show a considerable improvement on the 
lumpiness of the common Tulip, more especially those 
which become drawn out into long points, giving grace 
and elegance to the whole. 
Tulipa Gesneriana spathulata. —The flowers of 
this variety are considered the largest of the wild 
Tulips, and under cultivation are capable of producing 
a fine effect when seen in a mass. It is a native of 
Italy, and under cultivation attains a height of 12 ins. 
or 18 ins., with three or four large glaucous leaves on 
a stem. The flowers are of a rosy purple shade while 
attaining size, but they ultimately become of a brilliant 
red, with a large, arrow-shaped or cuneate, bluish 
black blotch at the base of each, and which becomes 
very conspicuous when the flowers are fully expanded 
under sunshine. 
T. G. dracontia. — The large nodding flowers of 
this variety have their segments irregularly toothed at 
the margin. The remarkably varied race of Parrot 
Tulips are supposed to have been derived from this, a 
circumstance which is not unlikely. The ragged and 
jagged segments are so long and so heavy that when 
the flowers expand they hang on one side, and are 
swayed about in the breeze. It is this character and 
the strange mixture of scarlet, green, and yellow, 
which give to the Parrot Tulips their novel appearance. 
Some flowers are scarlet, others scarlet and yellow 
upwards, suffused and blotched with those colours, or 
yellow, blotched with scarlet and green in an endless 
variety of ways. The claw is brown or black, with a 
yellow margin, or wholly yellow. 
T. G. fulgens. —This Tulip is notable for its height, 
late flowering properties and brilliant colour. The 
stems are 2 ft. high, the flowers crimson-red with 
pointed segments, the outer ones of which -are 
spreading. 
T. elegans. —This garden form is supposed to be a 
hybrid ; but whatever its origin it certainly has an 
elegant appearance. The flowers are similar in colour 
to those of T. fulgens, but the stems are somewhat 
dwarfer, and the segments are drawn out into long 
points, those of the outer being re flexed as in T. 
retroflexa. Like all other kinds they should be planted 
in beds of a kind, as the flowering period differs slightly 
and the stems vary in height. 
T. retroflexa. —In every respect this may be 
considered the counterpart of T. elegans, from which it 
differs in the bright yellow colour of the segments. It 
is certainly a handsome and elegant Tulip, quite devoid 
of the formality of T. Gesneriana. 
T. vitellina. —The young flowers of this kind are 
yellowish, but not so dark as the yolk of an egg, as the 
specific name would imply. ‘When fully expanded they 
are practically white, especially at a short distance ; 
but the external face of the outer segments is of 
a pale yellowish hue, more or less suffused with pale 
green. 
T. viridiflora. —As far as distinctness goes, this 
variety certainly holds a premier place, but many 
cultivators might object to the colour. The stems 
generally grow from 12 ins. to 15 ins. high, and the 
segments are bright green with a broad yellow margin. 
T. platystigma. — In stature and form this seems 
closely allied to T. Gesneriana, of which it has the three 
to five large glaucous leaves. The flowers are of a soft 
rose, the filaments black, and the anthers violet. 
T. acuminata. —(rtie Turkish Tulip, as it is called, 
has leaves and bulbs similar to those of T. Gesneriana, 
but the flowers are remarkably distinct. The segments 
are 3 ins. or 4 ins. long, drawn out into long slender 
points of equal length and similar in shape, but are 
somewhat variable in colour ; they are either red, or 
yellow with a red margin. In gardens this form is best 
known under the name of T. cornuta, from the pointed 
and horned appearance of the segments. From a 
horticultural point of view it is less conspicuous and 
far le3S ornamental than T. retroflexa, with which it 
evidently has some affinity. 
T. australis.— In stature this species differs from al 
of the above named kinds. The leaves are narrow and 
prostrate upon the ground, and the peduncle carries 
