May 9, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
571 
inflorescence ” of this beautiful plant with a botanist’s 
exactness. 
From this point we commenced to ascend to the 
higher level by a path paved with pebbles and cut into 
steps. "When we had reached the division marked 
Anonacere Dr. Trent pointed to a sight which rivalled 
in wonder the golden bough of the Sixth iEueid which 
the‘.doves of Venus showed to JEueas. In this case 
“the contrasting golden beam” shone, not from the 
foliage, but stranger still, from the black trunk of a 
tree. It was a Stelechocarpus, or stem flower ; the 
trunk from which the deep .saffron flowers sprang 
was about 15 ins. in diameter ; and the flowers 
themselves were much like bunches of Primroses, only 
deeper in colour and divested of leaves. Unlike TEaeas 
without any floral spoils (for indeed, we had no such 
awkward personage as Charon to reckon with), we 
passed forward among dark, cool avenues of Figs and 
Banyans to the northern limit; pausing on our way to 
notice an angular-branched sacred Fig (Urostigma), and 
again, when Dr. Trent stopped, and pointing to the 
Frangipane blossom, said, “ Thatis a flower of religion 
in India, being sacred to Buddha ; the Malays here 
call it the ‘ flower of the dead.’ ” Gradually the trees 
grew larger and of more robust growth, and the appear¬ 
ance of the garden in this quarter was more natural to 
a northern eye. A sudden turn brought us to a pro¬ 
jecting spur, on which was built a little summer-house 
overlooking the brown river-bed below. Far away the 
double mountain, Pangerango and Gedch, rose blue and 
shadowy, with just a wreath of smoke showing from 
the volcanic peak. Nearer there stretched bright 
green terraces of irrigated rice land, edged by bands of 
tropical forest trees.— W. B. W., in Land and Water. 
-- 
EVERGREEN TREES AND 
SHRUBS. ' 
( Concluded f rom. p. 5 61 ). 
Adam’s Needle or Yucca must be included in my 
remarks by reason of its magnificent spikes of bloom ; 
planted in a large group of various ages it is rarely but 
that a good spike is annually found from one or other 
of the strongest plants. The genus is now a large one, 
but the species I allude to is Y. gloriosa and its 
varieties Y. g. recurvifolia and Y. g. superba, from the 
United States in 1596. 
The Rhododendron is so named from its large rosy 
flowers, the colour most common to them, and was 
known in its earliest days as the Rose Bay, a term now 
applied to the French Willow or Epilobium angusti- 
folium, a very pretty herbaceous plant. The Rhodo¬ 
dendron is undoubtedly the finest of all hardy evergreen 
shrubs. It has been in this country some 150 years, 
and has made itself thoroughly at home. It is true 
a dwarf form, R. hirsutum, from the Swiss Alps, had 
been here nearly a century previously, but the arrival 
of the first of the large American species, namely, R. 
maximus, was in 1736 followed by R. ponticum from 
Asia Minor in 1763. The latter species in greatly 
improved form is now, I suppose, the most popular of 
all, succeeding in almost any locality and upon any 
fairly good soil, provided that lime or chalk does not 
form a part therein. Some other species require a 
selection or preparation of the soil, and also favourable 
situations. Loudon in 1842 was able to give a goodly 
list of species and varieties ; these of cotrrse have now 
become exceedingly multiplied, especially of the R. 
ponticum type, by many beautiful hybrid varieties 
that have been raised by those taking special interest 
in their cultivation. The species have been found and 
brought to this comparatively small island from 
numerous parts of the world, largely from North 
America, several parts of Asia, especially the Himalaya 
Mountains, the Malay Archipelago, and also from 
a few parts of Europe. These of course include many 
that are greenhouse subjects, but fortunately a great 
number have proved to be thoroughly hardy, and we now 
inherit the reward of their collector’s zeal and industry. 
Another beautiful flowering shrub is Kalmia.latifolia, 
this being the most desirable species of the genus. It 
will succeed in a position suitable to Rhododendrons, 
but must not be placed where it will suffer much in 
time of drought. The flowers are produced freely in 
beautiful corymbs or bunches of elegant form, of a very 
light rose colour. This comes from North America, 
including parts of Canada. It was introduced in 1734, 
and deserves to be more frequently seen. The Andro¬ 
meda or Pieris floribunda is a slow-growing shrub, with 
spikes of white flowers which are now showing. This 
should be favoured with a position similar to the 
Kalmia, that is, with a sufficiency of moisture in the 
summer months. A plant growing at Chiswick House 
in such a position is now about 6 ft. in height, and 
10 ft. to 12 ft. through ; so it must have been growing 
there a number of years. The Arbutus or Strawberry 
Tree is another choice evergreen. According to Lou¬ 
don it bears, or did so very freely in the County Kerry, 
Ireland, where the people make use of the fruit ; but I 
have not had the’pleasure of finding fruit at Chiswick 
House, although I have seen it on a shrub in the front 
garden of a house in Burlington Lane. 
The evergreen "Whortleberry, a species of Vaccinium, 
is a neat bush having pink flowers, followed in the 
autumn by a dark blue fruit or berry. Magnolia 
grandiflora must not be omitted, being one of the most 
choice by reason of its magnificent flowers and foliage, 
the latter alone making it a valuable and stately shrub 
at all seasons. It is often seen placed against a wall, 
and this is the best position for it to produce its flowers. 
So placed they flower earlier in the season and more 
freely than when planted as bush or standard trees. 
In the latter forms they are usually flowering when 
our earliest frosts begin, so that some flower buds do 
not open. The Exmouth variety has long had the 
reputation of being the most free to blossom. Loudon 
stated it to be so by reason of the system there pursued 
of raising the young plants by layering, and not from 
seed as those which were imported. This Magnolia is 
from North America. 
One valuable shrub I had almost overlooked in this 
brief sketch, and passed without remark—namely, the 
Box ; but although this is a general favourite and so 
well known, a few remarks upon it will not be out of 
place. It is quite an English shrub, having been 
found apparently wild in Surrey and other parts of the 
country. It is also found in southern Europe, forming 
much larger trees than in England. Buxus balearica 
is a species introduced to this country in 1780. In 
Turkey it is said to have been found 80 ft. in 
height. Our common species is Buxus sempervirens, of 
which there are several varieties, B. s. aurea marginata 
being a golden edged form, and B. s. myrtifolia a dense- 
growing shrub. B. s. suffruticosa is used for edgings. 
In conclusion I shall just mention one or two dwarf 
subjects suitable for beds, slopes and masses in the 
foregrounds of shrubberies. The evergreen Berberis 
or Mahonia Aquifolium, being easily raised from seed, 
is inexpensive, and from seedlings usually a great 
diversity is to be seen in the size, form and 
shades of green of its bright glossy leaves. It was 
introduced in the present century from North America. 
Dr. Lindley spoke of it as possibly being the finest 
evergreen we possess. Other good subjects are the 
Yincas, commonly called Periwinkle, Cotoneaster rnicro- 
phylla, Skimmia japonica, and the St. John’s Wort, 
Hypericum calycinum, so abundant at Chiswick. The 
latter, however, in such a winter as the past, usually 
gets cut down to the ground, but never fails to grow 
up again from the roots, with apparently renewed 
vigour.— M. T. May , Chiswick House, Feb. 1891. 
-«»5«=SC-*>- 
SPRING-FLOWERING VIOLAS. 
There is a considerable difference in the time of 
flowering of the several kinds popularly known as 
bedding Yiolas, and the undermentioned we noted as 
particularly floriferous in the collection of Messrs. 
Barr & Son, at Long Ditton. Here, of course, they 
were all grown under the same conditions in the open 
ground, and showed that while some were a mass of 
bloom, others alongside were full of promise, but from 
two to four weeks later. A peculiarity of these 
beautiful old-fashioned subjects is their variability in 
colour at different times of the year, according to the 
nature of the weather as to moisture or drought. Dry 
weather is favourable to the development of blue, 
purple and other high colours, while the white varieties 
delight in moisture. Some of the latter flower rather 
sparingly during the dry part of summer, and become 
the dominant kinds towards autumn on the accession of 
moisture. Other white kinds become variegated with 
blue or purple during a dry time, and only show their 
true character when the ground and atmosphere are 
sufficiently moist. 
Foremost amongst those which greet the cold and 
drying winds of spring are Skylark and Blue Cloud, 
two very aptly applied names. The former is white, 
with a narrow sky-blue margin, and the latter is 
characterised in its normal state by a broader blue 
margin. At present, however, the two upper petals 
are almost wholly blue in some instances, doubtless for 
the reasons above stated. Both were extremely flori¬ 
ferous when we saw them, showing how well adapted 
they are for spring as well as summer bedding, where 
the soil is moderately rich and moist. The Mearns is 
another variable variety, for at present the flowers are 
of a rich velvety purple, but later on the two upper 
petals acquire a broad margin of white, more or less 
tinted with blue, in this respect resembling the Countess 
of Kintore, than which it is much darker. Amongst 
the, yellow varieties, Bullion seems one of the earliest 
and most floriferous, showing off very conspicuously, 
even at a distance. 
The flowers of Quaker Maid, when normal, are white 
or blush-white, with a large yellow eye, but the greater 
part of them are much dappled all over with blue, 
offering a striking contrast to the white individuals 
amongst them. Mrs. Grey is another white variety 
of different form, but at present is very much dappled 
or variegated with lilac or slaty blue. It is the normal 
habit of York and Lancaster to be variegated or striped 
with purple and white, and occasionally also with a 
tint of blue. There were many other varieties in 
bloom, but none so floriferous as the above in April. 
-- 
fjr m lip U[cnjlh 
xtf| jSthuce* 
-«-:■»- 
Fruits cultivated in South Australia. —The 
order of importance is, to a certain extent, a matter of 
opinion, and varies slightly in periods of years. Until 
within the last four or five years, I considered the 
Apple our most important fruit, but since that terrible 
pest, Fusicladium , commonly called “Black Spot,” 
appeared in our orchards, and made such sad havoc, 
our Apple crops have gradually decreased, and now 
they are of small commercial value. I am hoping 
and believe this visitation is only temporary, and that 
it will disappear in time, as other pests have before ; 
but it will take us many years to recover our former 
position. The fruits we grow are—Grapes, Apples, 
Apricots, Pears, Peaches, Oranges, Lemons, Quinces, 
Plums, Cherries, Loquats, Raspberries, Gooseberries, 
Strawberries, Currants, red and black ; Almonds, Figs, 
"Walnnts, Chestnuts, Limes, Nectarines, Mulberries, 
Pomegranates, Olives, Guavas, and Hazel Nuts. These 
are mostly grown in large quantities, and generally 
equal to fruits of the same kinds and varieties as can 
be grown in any part of the world. We also grow, in 
small quantities, Citrons, Shaddocks, Blackberries, 
Passion Fruit, Medlars, and White Currants .—John F. 
Pascoe, in the Kew Bulletin. 
Preparation of the Bordeaux Mixture.— The 
only formula now generally used is that containing 
6 lbs. of copper sulphate and 4 lbs. of lime to 22 gallons 
of water. For many reasons we find it advantageous 
to use powdered copper ; still, when time is not an 
important element, the crystals answer just as well, 
and, as a rule, are from 2 to 3 cents cheaper per lb. 
In our work we usually provide ourselves with three 
barrels, one of which we divide in the middle, making 
two tubs holding 22 gallons. One of the barrels we 
use for water, which is obtained from the nearest well, 
clear stream or pond. In one of the tubs is placed 
12 lbs. of copper sulphate, 6 or 7 gallons of water 
being added, and the -whole stirred together until the 
water becomes blue. This blue solution is then poured 
into the empty barrel, and 6 or 7 gallons more of water 
are poured into the tub containing the copper, the latter 
being stirred as before. This process is repeated until 
all of the copper is dissolved, it being found that 16 or 
20 gallons of water are necessary for this purpose, 
provided crystals are used and the water is cold.— 
Farmers’ Bulletin , U.S. Department of Agriculture. 
Functions of Tannin in Plants.— Mr. Spencer 
Le M. Moore, F.L.S., after discussing the two chief 
kinds of tannin to be found in plants, and the micro- 
chemical reactions produced by different test agents, 
summarises as follows upon the functions of tannin as 
found in plants generally :—In addition to the functions 
hitherto ascribed to tannin, Haberlandt’s recent dis¬ 
covery in reference to “water-drop” exuding on 
section from Mimosa pudica, renders it possible that 
tannic acid may have a more general relation to the 
turgescence of cells. Moreover, tannin is most likely 
used up in the Bonification of the cell wall. The 
diffusible tannin, although primarily excretory, and 
the non-diffusible kind when occurring in shed organs, 
may yet, in view of the fact that tannin can act as a 
source of carbon to fungi, have some indirect connection, 
via the nutrition of saprophytes, with the metabolism 
of green plants .—Journal of the Linnean Society. 
