January 31, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
341 
Geranium of Roses.—Sucli is the name which our 
continental neighbours give to an essence distilled from 
the leaves of Pelargonium odoratissimum, a species 
introduced from the Cape in 1724. From June to 
October it produces umbels of five dark rose-coloured 
flowers. As recorded by L'Illustration Horticolc, it is 
cultivated as an industrial plant in southern Europe. 
The distillation of the leaves produces an essence of an 
agreeable odour of Rose, employed frequently to adul¬ 
terate attar of Roses. They also obtain a distilled water 
from it, used as a substitute for attar of Roses in phar¬ 
macy, as a vehicle for some medicaments. By their 
penetrating odour, the stems and leaves serve to preserve 
furs against insects. 
Anthurium rotundispatlium.—There is a coloured 
plate of this hybrid in L’Illustration Horticole, pi. 
119. It has been obtained by hybridising A. Andre- 
anuui with A. Lindeni, and shows a considerable 
transformation in the form of the spathe, and its 
apparent peculiar insertion on the axis. The spathe 
is considerably produced at the base, and the auricles 
becoming united for nearly the whole of their length, 
have given the organ as a whole an almost completely 
orbicular outline, the only exception being a small 
sinus at the base, and a short, cuspidate point at the 
apex. It is flat, not coarsely rugose or blistered as in 
A. Andreanum, but of the same bright scarlet colour. 
The spadix is stout, clear yellow, and owing to the 
peculiar behaviour of the spathe, appears to spring from 
the centre of the latter, which measures 4f ins. long, 
and slightly over 5 ins. wide. The leaves are sagittate, 
acuminate, dark green, and the blade is more than 
12 ins. long. 
Hedgehogs the Enemies of Rats.—So many of our 
country friends suffer from the ravages of rats in 
gardens that they may be glad to know that they can be 
driven away by hedgehogs. Lord 'Lilford, writing to 
the Zoologist, says: “A friend residing in the north of 
Ireland wrote to inform me that her garden was overrun 
by rats, and that her gardener assured her that if she 
could procure and turn down some hedgehogs in the 
said garden the rats would disappear. I accordingly 
sent her two or three of our native hedgehogs, and in 
reply to my inquiries concerning the success of the 
experiment, lately received a letter from the lady above 
referred to, of which letter I copy the last sentences : 
-‘As far as I can remember, the hedgehogs were 
introduced into this garden in March last, and remained 
alive for six months. In about a fortnight from the 
time that they were put in, I had nothing eaten by 
rats, and, in fact, never saw one. The garden is about 
two acres and a half in extent. The hedgehogs either 
died or were killed by the terriers, but certainly as 
soon as the precious animals disappeared, sure enough 
the vermin appeared again.’ My friend asked for 
another consignment of hedgehogs, which I hope to 
despatch shortly, on the condition that at least they 
shall not be destroyed by dogs.” 
Fruit Culture in California.—From a note on fruit 
production in California by M. Charles Joly, vice- 
president of the National Horticultural Society tf 
France, the following items are culled :—When the 
Californian territory was given up to America in 
1849 there was a considerable rush after the gold found 
there ; but since then attention has been given to corn 
and fodder. To-day fruit culture and vine culture engage 
the most attention. The first fruits were brought by 
Spanish missionaries from Mexico, including a very 
fruitful variety, but of poor quality, and named the 
Mission Yine. Since then all the leading varieties of 
Europe have been introduced. According to the 
Pacific Rural Press of the 20th of November last, 
they had sent to the Eastern States during the previous 
twenty days, 4,986 tons of raisins, 8,943 tons of fruit 
in boxes, 5,800 tons of other fruit, 6,296 tons of diied 
fruit, making in all 26,000 tons, carried by 2,107 
waggons. The exportation of fruits by the Pacific Rail 
Road, without counting local consumption, was raised 
from 1,832,300 lbs. in 1871, to 54,000,000 lbs. in 18S8 ; 
in 1S72 they sent out 182,000 boxes of preserved fruit, 
and more than 56,000,000 in 1887. The production of 
Raisins rose from 6,000 cases in 1873, to 945,000 cases 
in 1888. The production of wine was 1,000,000 
hectolitres (a hectolitre is a little over 22 gallons) in 
1877, but 4,500,000 hectolitres in 1883. It is estimated 
that the area covered by vineyards is close upon 
100,000 acres. They build houses for the rearing of 
Vedalia cardinalis, a parasitic insect which preys upon 
the Cottony Cushion Scale (Icerya Purchasi), that 
infests the vineyards. 
GREEN AND PURPLE KALES. 
As the almost Arctic winter we have experienced for the 
past six or seven weeks has wrought such havoc amongst 
the green crops of the garden, making it almost im¬ 
possible to obtain a supply of greens for the table, we 
think it may be interesting for you to see specimens of 
our Exquisite Green and Exquisite Purple Arctic Kales. 
The specimens we send you to-day were planted at the 
usual time in an exposed part of our trial grounds 
without any protection whatever, and although other 
sorts growing alongside are practically destroyed by the 
frost, these, as you will see, have not suffered in the 
least. Large beds of both these varieties may be seen 
at the present time in our trial grounds by travellers 
on the Great Western Railway. The plants generally 
grow from 8 ins. to 12 ins. high, and are as valuable 
for winter bedding as for the table.— Sutton & Sons, 
Reading. [The green and -purple varieties sent were 
both excellent of their kind, being dwarf, finely curled 
and in fresh, healthy condition. It is a matter of great 
importance in such a winter as this, and indeed in any 
winter, to have a breadth cf such Borecoles to fall back 
upon, when nearly everything else of the Cabbage tribe 
has been destroyed by frost. These hardy Borecoles 
are not to be looked upon merely as substitutes for 
something better, because they are in themselves 
excellent and wholesome food, not half so largely used 
in the southern part of Britain as they are in the north, 
and certainly not so largely planted as they ought to 
be. The leaves of the young plants in summer, the 
older leaves in winter after they have been mellowed 
by frost, and the young sprouts again in spring are all 
delicate eating ; and it can only be the milder winters 
of England generally that can be held accountable for 
the disuse into which they have fallen. The purple 
variety sent us is a good dwarf strain of the Braunkohl 
(Brown Kale) of the Germans, who use them very 
extensively both because they are very good eating and 
extremely hardy, and therefore suitable for their 
comparatively cold country. They pour over them a 
rich sauce, and mixing them with ground Chestnuts, 
stew the whole together.—En.] 
-—— 
THE CHIMNEY BELL-FLOWER. 
The utility of Campanula pyramidalis for conservatory 
work in summer is coming to be more and more recog¬ 
nised, especially where large cool conservatories have 
to be filled. Amateurs and those who have no great 
command of fire-heat in their houses might also grow 
the plant to their advantage. The pots containing 
them may be wintered in a cold frame without any fire- 
heat, as the plant itself is hardy, and may be grown in 
the open air till it attains a sufficiently large size for 
flowering. Those who have them in the open ground 
might lift and pot them up now, so as to give the roots 
sufficient time to recruit themselves before the flower- 
stems are thrown up. By growing them continuously 
in pots the roots do not get so inconveniently large as 
when grown in the open air. When lifted from the 
open ground the large roots necessitate correspondingly 
large pots ; but some advantage might accrue from the 
use of large pots, by inducing the production of several 
flower-stems as shown in accompanying illustration. 
In small pots, usually only one stem is produced ; but 
this may vary from 3 ft. to 6 ft. or more, according to 
the habit of the individual, and the treatment given it. 
While growth is being made, or the flower-stems are 
being thrown up, the plants should be fed with liquid 
manure. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM, 
Mrs. ALPHEUS HARDY. 
I SEND by same mail, photographs of Chrysanthemums, 
Ivory and Mrs. Alpheus Hardy. The first-named 
makes a lovely picture. It is not more than 1 ft. high 
from the pot, and has no stakes. It is my ideal ! The 
Mrs. Alpheus Hardy photograph does not come out so 
well, and that the plant is much staked is painfully 
visible, but unavoidable, as “she will not hold up her 
head.” Then, again, you will observe that the foliage 
comes down to the top of the pot, which is a 12-in., 
but the artist has brought it out black, thinking pro¬ 
bably the flowers only were required. 
I grew the specimen plant of Mrs. Alpheus Hardy 
continually indoors. It is more vigorous than any 
plant I grow. The old plant is now a mass of live 
roots, which are running all over the surface of 
the pot, with scores of cuttings, many of them as 
thick as a lead pencil, which is considerable, if you 
make a comparison. My plants of Mrs. Alpheus 
Hardy, grown out-of-doors, were not worth taking in, 
nor were any one else’s, and as far as I know, this was 
the first specimen plant of this variety ever exhibited 
in this country. There will be many varieties of this 
type io a few years, and perhaps we shall get some of 
more compact growth. We may get them to produce 
pink, yellow, and bronze flowers, but it will be a long 
time before we shall get any to excel this in purity of 
whiteness and beauty of form. Though probably not 
to others, yet it is to me just as charming when age 
tinges it with pink. 
With regard to cultivation, many of my friends 
have supposed that special attention was paid to this 
plant, and have asked the secret. I answer, There is 
no secret ! Ordinary attention, epitomised in heavy 
loam, good drainage, plenty of water, not too frequent 
stimulants, and regular stopping, not at regular inter¬ 
vals, but when the roots have developed enough to 
need it. — T. D. Hatfield, Wellesley, Mass., Jan. 14 th. 
-—- 
GLOIRE DE DIJON ROSE. 
Mu. George Paul contributes to The Rose Annual 
for the present year a very interesting paper under the 
above heading; and it has an historical as well as a 
cultural interest. From it we learn that the popular 
Gloire de Dijon Rose was sent out by Jacotot, of Dijon, 
in 1853. It was not until 1861 that it was marked as 
a climber, and in 1863 it was first recommmended as 
a good Rose for growing in the neighbourhood of large 
towns. That it was the first of a new and valuable 
race there can be no doubt ; and at this distance of 
time from its advent it is probably more popular than 
ever. As an autumnal Rose it has few equals. 
It was in 1860 that the first break from Gloire de 
Dijon occurred in Gloire de Bordeaux, and in 1868 
came the first of the Lyons seedlings, viz., Monplaiser, 
but it proved practically useless; and it was in 1869, 
sixteen years after the first type had been distributed, 
that M. Levet pure announced Belle Lyonnaise, the 
first of a “fine Series of Dijon Tea Roses, which, if 
he even had not raised, Paul Neyron would have given 
him a name in Rose annals.” Madame Levet, a com¬ 
panion Rose, proved too much like the type ; but 
Madame Berard, sent out in 1870, is, as Mr. Paul 
observes, “every year becoming more liked and more 
popular, as also is Madame Trifle, which appeared in 
1871.” “ These seedlings of Dijon Teas were obtained 
from some semi-double forms which M. Levet showed 
me as his ' porte-graines,’ he very wisely trusting to 
nature to revert to more double forms, though the 
seed was saved from semi-double kinds.” 
In 1878, M. Levet announced Reine Marie Henriette, 
as a crimson Gloire de Dijon, but Mr. Paul admits that, 
though a great gain, it is not a Dijon Rose. In 18/9 
came the first orange-coloured Rose, in Barthelemey 
Levet. In 1881, Swartz, with Reine Maria Pia, and 
Gonod with Beaute de l’Europe, joined Levet in the 
distribution of Dijon Tea Roses ; but Levet, iu his 
beautiful autumnal, but in summer shy-flowering kind, 
Madame Eugene Verdier, still kept to the front. In 
1886, Bonnaire gave us a rare gem in Madame Chauvry ; 
a glorious buff-yellow ; in 1887, M. Bernaix, in Souvenir 
de Madame Metral ; and in 1S88, M. Pernet,with Mons. 
Desir ; and Bernaix with Bunnert Fridolin, really gave 
us reds in the race, rendering needless the dull, mildew 
subject, Gloire de Bordeaux, sent out in 1860. One 
of the be 3 t of the series, a little too like the type, but 
freer in its flowering habit, is Bouquet d’Or. Mr. Paul 
rematks that there are some intermediate shades of 
colmr, and in the new German novelties we have Roses 
of more beautiful shapes, and then he goes on to select 
the best twelve, which will servo all the purposes for 
