April 25, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
543 
ARDENING IflSCELLANY. 
Lachenalias. 
A paper on the subject of Lachenalias was read, by 
Mr. F. W. Moore, Curator of the Royal Botanic 
Gardens, Glasnevin, Ireland, at the meeting of the 
Royal Horticultural Society on the 14th inst. There 
are some thirty species of Lachenalia, some of which 
are of considerable value horticulturally, and others 
are not. The reader divided the whole number into 
four groups—namely, those having pendulous, erect, 
closed, and short, campanulate flowers. Taking a 
number of species, the flowering season could be 
extended over a period of four or five months. He also 
recommended potting in June, July and August to 
ensure a succession. Having described the peculiarities 
of each natural group or division, he said that well- 
developed leaves accompanied the flower scapes in all 
except one case. In potting he found that a compost 
consisting of one-half of peat and loam, with the 
addition of some fertilising agent, grew them to 
perfection. Watering, however, must be carefully 
attended to, and the temperature of a greenhouse 
suitable for flowering plants given in winter, with 
plenty of ventilation at all times to prevent the leaves 
and stems getting drawn. He had tried them in cold 
frames, pits, &c., but he found that greenhouse treat¬ 
ment gave the most satisfactory results. Besides the 
removal of offsets, he also raised seedlings. The paper 
was profusely illustrated with living specimens, dried 
ones, and also coloured drawings representing the 
actual colours of the flowers when fresh. The different 
varieties and hybrids grown in -gardens were amply 
dealt with, and the paper, which was of considerable 
length, must have taken some time and care in its 
preparation. 
again on the chalk cliffs west of Yentnor, Isle of 
Wight, I discerned that it affected many of the same 
host plants, and in addition, Kiehleria cristata, Ononis 
arvensis, Ranunculus bulbosus and Galium verum. In 
the last named place where the soil was rich the 
Thesium was growing luxuriantly.— J. F. 
Boronia heterophylla. 
The profusion of deep carmine-red flowers produced in 
spring by this West Australian shrub renders it exceed¬ 
ingly ornamental for cool conservatories or greenhouses. 
The wonder is, why plants of this nature have been so 
much neglected within recent years ; for by different 
methods of treatment, retarding some and slightly 
stimulating other batches' of plants, a long-continued 
succession of bloom is the result. The blooms of the 
plant under notice are bell-shaped or almost conical, by 
being partly closed at the mouth, and are pendent from 
the axils of the leaves in clusters of four to six. The 
leaves are somewhat variable, as the specific name 
implies, and are linear, entire, or aTe furnished with 
one to two pairs of leaflets at the base, and are of a rich 
dark green. 
Draba aizoides. 
Amateurs whose gardens are limited would derive 
great pleasure and instruction from the cultivation and 
study of plants of the dwarf habit of Draba aizoides. 
It is very hardy, requires but a small amount of space 
to show off its beauty to advantage, and may readily be 
propagated by the separation of the offsets, which form 
small rosettes of slow growth, and rising only about an 
inch or even less above the surface of the ground. The 
flower scapes are generally about 1J in. in height and 
never exceed 3 ins. The leaves are linear lanceolate, 
dark green and hairy. The plant requires but a moderate 
depth of soil to enable it to produce its bright yellow 
flowers profusely during the spring months. 
Pimelea Preissii. 
The flowers of this species are pure white, and freely 
produced in heads terminating the erect shoots during 
the month of April. The lanceolate leaves are 
arranged in decussating pairs that stand erect, closely 
hugging the stems, and in this respect it differs 
strikingly from other species to be seen in gardens, 
where it usually goes under the name of P. Neyper- 
giana. The plant is of [dwarf habit, being only from 
1 ft. to 2 ft. in height, and on this account it may be 
had of a convenient size for small houses, where the 
pure white flowers make a beautiful contrast with 
those of richer hue. 
A Walking Pern. 
There are several to which this name may be aptly 
applied, and which in a state of nature extend them¬ 
selves on every side, if circumstances favour them, by 
means of young plants, which they develop singly 
at the apices of the fronds ; but the term is parti¬ 
cularly applicable to Scolopendrium rhizophyllum, 
otherwise"! known as [Camptosorus rhizophyllus. The 
base of the frond is like that of a small Scolopendrium 
vulgare, but the apex becomes slender and elongated, 
resembling the runner of a Strawberry, or of Saxifraga 
sarmentosa, so familiar as a window plant twenty to 
thirty years ago. There is no difficulty in the matter 
of cultivation, seeing that it is a native of North 
America, and can be grown in a greenhouse or cool 
fernery, from which the frost is merely excluded. In 
short, it is a Fern of curious aspect, suitable for the 
amateur who can grow these interesting subjects in 
such a manner that they can develop in a natural way 
and show off their peculiar characteristics to advantage. 
Bastard Toad-flax and its Host Plants. 
One of the least conspicuous of British flowering plants is 
Thesium linophyllum. Its stems are procumbent 
amongst the grass and other herbage of dry, chalky 
cliffs and downs ; both leaves and flowers, especially 
the latter, are small and inconspicuous, so that the 
plant is easily overlooked by those in quest of it. The 
species of Thesium are parasitic on other plants, to the 
roots of which they adhere and derive their nourishment 
by means of suckordike discs. I took the trouble to 
dig up a number m plants on the chalk cliffs near 
Brighton, and found that they were not particular as to 
the host plant on which they fed. I found distinct 
evidence of attachment to the roots of Lotus coini- 
culatus, Hieracium Pilosella, Plantago lanceolata,- 
Medicago lupulina, Viola hirta, Anthyllis Yulneraria, 
Thymus Serpyllum Chamaedrys, Festuca ovina, 
Dactylis glomerate, and Asperula Cynanchica. Then 
Fabiana imbricata. 
The small, ovate, and imbricated leaves of this plant 
closely covering the slender twiggy stems give the plant 
the appearance of a Heath, and the flowers do but 
serve to increase the delusion. It is moreover a 
member of the Solanum family, and its singular habit 
is no doubt due to its being a native -of the dry climate 
of Chili. The flowers are funnel shaped, with a small 
revolute limb, pure white, and produced singly but in 
great abundance at the apex of the short and slender 
side branches. The plant is so nearly hardy that it 
may be grown and flowered against a wall in the 
southern counties ; but undoubtedly the best method of 
culivating it here, is as a pot plant for the greenhouse or 
conservatory, where its pure white flowers are always 
seen to advantage. 
Puschkinia scilloides. 
The perianth of this Squill-like plant is white with a 
sky-blue line down the centre of each segment, and 
which shows on both surfaces. For this reason the 
plant is sometimes spoken of under the name of the 
Striped Squill. It comes from the Orient, and from the 
fact of its being found on Mount Lebanon it is sometimes 
spoken of under the name of P. libanotica. Under 
cultivation it proves perfectly hardy, making its 
appearance in spring and generally flowering about 
April. Those who make a speciality of hardy plants, 
and especially if they have the convenience of making 
a rockery, should plant it there. Being so hardy 
there is no necessity for making a rockery for its 
reception, but as it does not much exceed 6 ins. in 
height, and is generally dwarfer, it would be lost in an 
ordinary herbaceous border amongst tall-growing 
plants. It increases with moderate rapidity by means 
of offsets. 
Cave’s Nursery, Isle of Wight. 
When visiting the Isle of Wight some weeks ago, I 
had the pleasure of looking through Mr. Cave’s nursery, 
which, notwithstanding the severe winter, was not 
without interest to me. This nursery, for quality of 
stock, cleanliness, and orderly arrangement, occupies a 
leading place in the island. The early spring is not by 
any means the best time to see outdoor nursery stock ; 
however, I noticed that the fruit trees looked remark¬ 
ably clean and well grown ; likewise also did the 
Conifer® and shrubs—excepting a few that showed the 
effects of the severe winter. In the houses there were 
many interesting objects, both in stove and greenhouse 
plants, and I noted that Orchids are now made a 
leading speciality. At the time of my visit there was 
quite an array in bloom ; several of them merit special 
mention, viz., Dendrobium speciosum Hillii, a grand 
specimen with several huge racemes ; Dendrobium 
Wardianum giganteum, a splendid variety with broad 
sepals and petals heavily tipped with bright magenta. 
Numerous Cattleyas, Odontoglossums, Oncidiums and 
L:elias made up a most creditable display.— J. McNab. 
Forsythia suspensa. 
Of the two known species of Forsythia, that here 
noted is certainly the best and the most generally 
useful. It may be planted against a wall, where its 
long twiggy branches may be nailed in much in the 
same way as those of a Jasmine, or the smaller shoots 
may be allowed to hang loosely till the flowering 
period is past, after which all the shoots that cannot 
be conveniently laid in without crowding may be 
pruned back within an eye or two of the base. Plants 
grown in the open ground should be encouraged to 
form an upright stem, from which the lateral shoots 
given off will hang about gracefully in their natural 
drooping way. A large old bush in the gardens at 
Merton Lodge, Chiswick, is now flowering and shows 
no injury whatever from frost. Many of the long 
drooping shoots have rooted at the tips, forming 
numerous young pieces around the mother plant. There 
is thus no necessity to layer the shoots ; but should a 
large number of young plants be required, cuttings may 
be placed in pots in autumn, and after standing for 
some time may be placed in a pit with a little heat, 
and roots will be emitted in a short time. Cuttings 
placed in the open ground in a shady place will root in 
the course of the spring. The bright yellow flowers 
are very attractive during April and May. 
The Narrow-leaved Barberry. 
Berberis stenophylla is generally considered to be 
a hybrid between B. empetrifolia and B. Darwinii. 
The former comes from the Straits of Magellan, and the 
latter from South Chili, so that we may reckon there is 
a certain amount of affinity between them. The habit 
of the plant and the shape of the leaves most resemble 
those of B. empetrifolia, but the latter are much 
broader, and add considerably to the ornamental value 
of the plant, which also flowers more profusely. As 
the plant attains size the long branches assume an 
arching or drooping habit, which gives it a characteristic 
appearance. The unopened buds are more or less tinted 
with orange-red, as in B. Darwinii, but as the flowers 
expand they become of a soft yellow, and are followed 
by bluish purple berries, which are as ornamental as 
the flowers in spring. We noted it in the gardens at 
Merton Lodge, Chiswick, bristling with flower buds, 
alongside of Laurus nobilis, Viburnum tinus, and other 
shrubs that have been more or less injured or killed to 
the ground by the severity of the past winter, so that 
there can be no doubt about the hardiness of the 
Barberry. 
--— 
CYCLAMENS FOR EARLY 
FLOWERING. 
Now that premiums are being offered for Cyclamens in 
common with other winter-flowering plants at the 
Chrysanthemum shows, special attention to their 
cultivation will be necessary in order to be able to 
present anything like creditable specimens. The 
practice generally followed by cultivators of repute is, 
when the plants have made their season’s growth and 
show signs of going to rest, to shake or partially shake 
them clear of the old soil and re-pot them. Those who 
require their plants to bloom in November, however, 
had better make sure that this work is done sufficiently 
early in the season to admit of their plants coming 
into flower at the proper time, otherwise it is advisable 
to avoid the re-potting and simply give them a good 
top-dressing with loam, bone meal, sand, and broken 
shells. 
Growers who have vigorous young plants in 3-in. or 
4-in. pots may secure the end in view by shifting them 
into 5|-in. or 6-in. sizes in April and growing them in 
a cold frame during the summer months. When 
removed into warmth in autumn assist them with weak 
liquid manure or some good fertilizer sprinkled on the 
surface of the soil. By this system we have successfully 
attained the object in view. Referring to the system 
of turning Cyclamens out of their pots into prepared 
beds either in the open or under a frame, no objections 
can be raised provided they are potted up in good time 
in the autumn. My experience, however, has been 
that plants which were restricted to pot culture were 
more readily got into bloom when wanted for conser¬ 
vatory decoration before the end of the year.— M., Ayr, 
