January 24, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
327 
Carnation so dwarf and robust, that it can support its 
head of bloom without stakes. I have never yet seen a 
satisfactory representative of this ideal plant able to set 
wind and rain at defiance. You cannot coerce Nature 
into producing plants of equal height. She manifests 
her independence by bringing forth both tall and short 
ones. Some like tall and some short Carnations. I 
like them all if they carry beautiful flowers. Some 
day one of these critics may depose Nature, and assume 
the reins of government in the vegetable kingdom, and 
then we shall see floral wonders made to order. Till 
then we must be content with what comes in the ordinary 
way of things, and be thankful that the Carnation is such 
a lovely, useful, and satisfying flower, and that, let it be 
presented to us in any form that is fair and beautiful, 
we will gratefully welcome it, and heartily recognise 
its great capacities for calling forth the admiration, 
ministering to the delights, and so gladdening the 
hearts of the children of men. 
The Subject Discussed. 
In reply to a question from Mr. Pearson as to the 
reason why the sweepings from gravel instead of granite 
roads should be used, Mr. Dean said because the 
sweepings from gravel roads did not make the soil 
sticky, as the sweepings from granite did. Mr. Rowan 
said this applied also in the case of soil for Yerbenas. 
Mr. Smith (the chairman) asked if there was any 
“royal road” by which maggot might be destroyed, 
and the general opinion was that this could only be 
achieved by means of the finger and thumb. A 
gentleman asked if anyone could give him any in¬ 
formation respecting a certain disease which attacked 
the stems of Carnations just above the ground. This 
disease appeared suddenly, and quickly destroyed plants 
which twenty-four hours previously were in the best of 
health. Dr. Masters said he believed the gentleman 
referred to what was known as the “eelworm,” and 
there was no remedy, he feared, - for this ruthless 
destroyer other than the total cremation of the plants 
attacked. At the close of the conference, Dr. Masters 
said the pleasant duty had been imposed on him to 
express on behalf of the audience their grateful thanks 
to the readers of the papers that afternoon. Before 
sitting down he said he would like to ask a question— 
namely, whether Fauchil’s “mule” was still in 
existence. It was a hybrid between Dianthus Caryo- 
phyllus and D. barbatus, and was probably the first 
-hybrid Carnation ever raised, as it was produced at the 
end of the seventeenth century in the village of 
Hoxton. If it were still in existence it would be very 
important as a physiological fact. Some ot the clerical 
auditors who were familiar with flower services would 
perhaps know something about this plant, as Fauchil, 
who died in 1667, left a sum of money to the preacher 
of his parish so that he might set forth the magnificence 
and grandeur of the Creator by means of an annual 
flower service in the church. Having asked this 
question, Dr. Masters said he had great pleasure in 
proposing a hearty vote of thanks to one and all, and 
he was quite sure that everyone was of the same opinion 
as himself in regard to the thanks which were due to 
the readers of the papers. 
--— 
SPRING-FLOWERING TREES 
AND SHRUBS. 
( Concluded from p. 317J 
The Pears and Apples (Pyrus) include so many 
beautiful flowering trees and shrubs that it is difficult 
to select the best, and as these are well known, I need 
only mention the names of a few I should always 
choose. These are P. floribunda, one of the most 
beautiful of small early-flowering trees ; P. baccata, 
whose showy blossoms are succeeded by bright-coloured 
Cherry-like fruits; P. spectabilis, than which there 
is no finer flowering tree of medium size ; P. Maulei, a 
small-growing shrub with orange-vermilion flowers, 
succeeded by handsome Apple-like fruits ; and P. 
japonica, commonly known as Cydonia, of which 
now there are numerous varieties, the most desirable 
being those named nivalis, white; cardinalis, deep 
crimson ; princeps, crimson; rosea, rose-pink; 
coccinea, scarlet; and the beautiful variety certifi¬ 
cated to-day under the name of Moerloosei. This 
selection would make a beautiful lawn-group relieved 
in outline by the taller-growing P. floribunda or 
P. baccata. 
The Robinias are beautiful flowering trees, but only 
R. hispida, the Rose Acacia, flowers early. This is a 
splendid small tree, with long racemes of large flowers 
of a rose-pink. The variety inermis does not differ 
materially from the type, and is equally beautiful. 
This tree should always be planted in a sheltered spot, 
otherwise it is liable to damage by winds. Tho later- 
flowering Robinias include the beautiful R. viscosa, 
which is one of the choicest lawn trees, and also 
Decaisne’s variety of R. Pseudacacia. Rubus delieiosus 
is a shrub from tbe Rocky Mountains that is yet but 
little known, but its extreme beauty renders it one of 
the choicest shrubs, tho flowers being large, pure white, 
like single Roses, and produced plentifully on a 
graceful bush, which is perfectly hardy, and may be 
planted as a single specimen on a lawn. 
The shrubby Spirreas, though so numerous, have not 
among them many early flowerers, the only species 
that are in flower now being the pretty little S. 
Thunbergi and S. confusa, both good dwarf shrubs ; 
but soon these will be succeeded by a crowd of others, 
including S. callosa and varieties, S. hypericifolia and 
varieties, S. cantoniensis or S. Reevesiana, S. Nobleana 
S. Douglasi, S. opulifolia, and S. salicifolia, all of 
which should not be forgotten in a choice list. 
The Lilacs (Syringa) include so many good sorts that 
it is not easy to say which is the best, but I should 
always plant the new highly coloured kinds in preference 
to the older sorts. There are none finer than Souvenir 
de L. Spath, Camille do Rohan, Dr. Lindley, Charles 
the Tenth, and the rich variety certificated to-day, 
Mmc. Kreuter, which perhaps eclipses all others in 
colour; while among the whites I should choose Alba 
grandifiora and Marie Legraye. The double-flowered 
Lilacs raised by M. Lemoine are coming into favour, 
as they are found to last longer in bloom, and as a 
graceful shrub the old Persian (S. persica) must be 
comprised in a selection. 
The Viburnums include the old Guelder Rose, which 
is seen in every garden, and a very fine shrub it is 
when treated liberally and allowed to spread freely on 
all sides. The Japanese Snowball tree (V. plieatum) 
deserves to be more often planted than it is, being 
perfectly hardy, and at this season its long shoots are 
wreathed with snow-white balls of bloom. 
The Weigelas comprise now a large number of sorts 
since raisers on the Continent have taken them in hand. 
Besides the beautiful W. amabilis, which is still one of 
the finest, we have a long list of varieties of W. rosea, 
a selection from which would include those named 
Candida and hortensis nivea, both lovely white sorts ; 
Yan Houttei, Abel Carriere, Dr. Baillon, Isoline, P. 
Duchartre, and Stelzneri, all more or less highly 
coloured ; while the variegated sort, amabilis variegata, 
and the golden-leaved Looymansii aurea, would lend 
their leaf-colour to brighten the group when out of 
flower. 
In the foregoing remarks I have been able only to 
touch the fringe of my subject, which is a larger one 
than can be dealt with in a paper of this nature. I 
have not even alluded to the host of beautiful shrubs 
that could be added to the list I have given, if a garden 
were on a suitable soil for the growth of peat-loving 
shrubs, such as Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Ericas, 
Ledum3, Clethras, Menziesias, Andromedas, Kalmias, 
and the like ; neither have I been able to touch upon 
the evergreen kinds, and the many fine shrubs that 
flower later, and which are included in the genera 
Ligustrum, Hypericum, Philadelphus, Stuartia, Euery- 
phia, Olearia, Veronica, Hibiscus, Spartium, lndigofera, 
Cistus, and others, but I hope that sufficient has been 
said to point out some of the material which can be 
employed in making an English garden attractive and 
interesting during the spring and early summer months. 
—Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society. 
-- 
DOUBLE FLOWERS. 
Professor F. Nobbe, of Tharande, has established, 
from experiments of which the results were published 
in 1888, that the seeds of Six-week Stocks, which 
are the first -to germinate, produce plants developing 
more rapidly, and give place to a florescence more 
regular, and to more constant flowers ; that these 
plants have, besides, a greater dried weight, and are 
more vigorous than the plants produced by seed of 
slow germination. In fine, one determines that in 
gardeners’ varieties with double flowers, individuals 
with double blooms predominate among the plants 
issuing from seeds of quick germination, whilst the 
seeds of tardy germination produce individuals of 
which the majority have single flowers. The experi¬ 
ments made by Professor Nobbe, upon a sufficiently 
large number of Larkspurs and Six-week Stocks, have 
been repeated with care, under analogous conditions, by 
the Director of the Botanic Garden of the University of 
Ghent, and the results obtained have been absolutely 
the same.— Bulletin d’Arboriculture de Floriculture, &c. 
attraga {[runt (Ip UTcirli) 
ofj Stirmr. 
♦ 
Plant Life in the Ocean Depths.— How far 
light penetrates in the ocean is still a moot question. 
Four hundred fathoms have been taken as the 
maximum depth at which it can have any effect. Yet 
bright-hued animals with sensitive eyes have been 
brought up from an abys3 of at least 2,200 fathoms, 
and calcareous seaweeds have been dredged in over 
1,000 fathoms. But no coloured species has ever been 
known to exist so far from the surface. Accordingly 
the announcement that the Austrian expedition on 
board the Pola has found abundance of the green sea¬ 
weed (Halosphieria viridis) at the depth of 2,000 
metres (that is, more than 1,090 fathoms), is of great 
interest to botanical geographers and the physicists 
concerned in studying the ocean depths. For no plant 
has until now been discovered in such an abyss. 
Proliferous Oranges —At the last meeting of the 
Scientific Committee two specimens from Mr. Tharpe 
and Dr. J. Harvey Gibson respectively, were shown, in 
which a second smaller Orange, provided with its rind, 
was enclosed within another. Dr. Bonavia, in com¬ 
menting on these specimens, explained his views that 
the rind of the Orange is really the representative of an 
outer abortive row of carpels, and that the oil cells of 
the rind are the modified equivalents of the pulp cells. 
Dr. Scott pointed out, that according to De Biry, the 
oil glands of Citrus were lysigenetic, or the result of 
the breaking down of certain transitory celb ; these 
cells are smaller than those of the rest of the leaf tissue, 
and full of granular protoplasm, which is soon replaced 
by minute drops of ethereal oil. As tho delicate parti¬ 
tions between these cells break down and disappear, 
the small oil globules coalesce, so as to form one largo 
drop. Dr. Masters referred to Camel’s explanation of 
the analogy between the pulp cells and epidermal hairs. 
Dr. Bonavia further referred in support of his views to 
the disc or out-growth from the axis, which character¬ 
ises the flowers of the Orange and its allies, as also of 
the Moutan Paeony and other plants. Professor Church 
commented on the development, in the absence of light, 
of the colouring matter, as well as of the oily con¬ 
stituents as exemplified in these specimens. Dr. 
Masters did not consider that the disc had anything to 
do with the earpellary whorl, though it was true that 
A. P. de Candolle had considered the rind of the 
Orange to arise from the development of the disc. An 
examination of the flower in the course of its develop¬ 
ment, and indeed in the mature state, is sufficient to 
show that this explanation is not correct. The speci¬ 
mens on the table were instances of intra-carpellary 
prolification, and the formation of a second whorl of 
carpels above and within the first. As the inner 
carpels had as perfect a rind as the outer ones, it was 
clear that the rind was neither a development of the 
disc nor the representative of an outer and abortive row 
of carpels. 
Sediment laid down by Rivers. —It is now a 
well-recognised fact that mountains and the surface of 
the land generally is being constantly but gradually 
worn away by water, and slowly washed down to the 
sea by means of rivers. Geological soundings have 
shown the existence of immense thicknesses of geolo¬ 
gical modern sediment at the mouth of the Amazon, 
Mississippi, and Congo. The explanation of several 
mouths to a river, with land or gravel banks between 
them forming a delta, is, that sediment becomes piled 
up, there forming an obstruction to the river, which 
then forms one or more channels through the deposits. 
Besides what appears above water, there are sub¬ 
marine prolongations of the deltas proper, forming 
plateaus which are destined to appear above water, at 
some future period. Reasoning from the same point 
of view, there must be a submarine deposit somewhere 
about the mouth of the Thames, and which, if destined 
to become dry land in the distant future, must form 
the basis of a very fertile soil. 
Stocks for the Cherry. —Professor Budd, as 
reported in the Bulletin of the Iowa Agricultural 
College , 1890, discusses the subject of stocks for the 
Cherry. He considers that the Mahaleb is an unsatis¬ 
factory stock, from the fact that it makes a bad union 
with most hardy Cherries, and is unsuitable for cold 
and heavy soils. A stock known as the “Mazzard” is 
said to be better. Morello stocks also answer well, but 
they have a bad habit of throwing up suckers in the 
orchard or garden. The Bird Cherry (Prunus pennsyl- 
vanica) of America answers well for Moiellos, May 
Dukes, Heart Cherries, and others of that class.. It 
forms a good union with the graft, and is not liable 
to infest the ground with suckers, as in the case of the 
Morello stock. The Wild Red or Bird Cherry of 
America has been grown in this country since 1773, is 
hardy, and might with advantage be tried in this 
country. 
