September 15, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
39 
wane. Large clumps as here grown are most striking, 
and will thrive in almost any aspect, as it does here in 
many situations. 
Convolvulus mauritanicus. 
Although more frequently grown as a basket plant for 
the greenhouse, this lovely light blue Convolvulus 
makes a very showy subject on the front of the 
herbaceous border. I am not sure of its hardiness in 
all situations, but here it is making a nice spreading 
plant close to the ground. Being a native of North 
Africa it is well worth trying. 
SOLIDAGO VILLOSA NANUS. 
The Golden Rods, although old inhabitants of our 
gardens, are yet worthy of general cultivation. The 
subject under notice being a dwarf-growing variety, 
about 2 ft. in height, may perhaps commend itself to 
those who do not care for the taller-growing forms, 
such as S. gigantea and S. sempervirens. The pre¬ 
viously mentioned is also just commencing to liower. 
Monarda didyma. 
This showy Labiate ought not to be forgotten, its 
whorls of scarlet flowers being produced in succession 
for fully two months, and it thrives in any situation. 
Although not so useful as many things, its distinct 
appearance adds variety and beauty to the herbaceous 
border. 
Chrysanthemum frutescens L’Etoile d’Or. 
On a previous occasion, when writing an account of 
Glenstal, I stated that it was the plan to have whole 
beds of one kind of flower. A round bed of this 
yellow Marguerite, about 8 ft. in diameter, looked 
remarkably attractive ; its pale yellow flowers show off 
to advantage when on a lawn and backed by green 
foliage. Thus placed, the effect from a distance is 
charming ; nice young plants were used for the purpose, 
as is to he seen by the luxuriant manner in which the 
plants are doing. I think the idea of keeping to one 
thing for each bed, if once tried would commend itself 
to most people. 
Anemone japonic a rubra. 
"Whether forming clumps in the herbaceous border or 
the fronts of shrubberies, this Anemone in all its forms 
is at present a plant not likely to be missed. A bed or 
rather huge clump in the flower garden at Glenstal 
Castle is finely in flower at the present time. Anyone 
seeing a single bed of this, say 8 ft. or 10 ft. in 
diameter, will fully appreciate the idea as here carried 
out so successfully. The only thing against it that I 
can see in small places is that there would not be 
sufficient space to spare for its general adoption. 
Agrostis nebulosa. 
Amongst a collection of ornamental grasses the subject 
of this note is particularly light in its appearance, and 
should be grown by those who like grasses inter¬ 
mingled with cut flowers, and is another plant of 
interest in the beautiful gardens of Glenstal Castle. 
Rosa rugosa. 
In an odd corner I came upon a bush of this very full of 
hips, that looked, if a favourable autumn follow, likely 
to give an abundance of seed. It is being planted in 
quantity as game coverts, being proof against the 
attacks of rabbits. Now that single Roses find so 
many admirers, this should not be forgotten, as there 
are both flowers and afterwards seed hips to enliven 
the surroundings. 
--- 
•Gardening Miscellany. 
Allotment Gardens in England and 
Ireland. 
I note the interesting article (p. 9) on this subject, 
contributed by “ E. "W.”, and send you this line 
suggesting that he withhold his approval of the con¬ 
tention that “a quarter of an acre”—the amount set 
apart by the Duke of Westminster in Cheshire—is too 
much for a person working ten hours a day otherwise. 
The ten hours would more than cover the time of light 
in winter, but not so for the other three seasons. In 
winter, except trenching or sub-soiling, there is no 
spade labour of moment in allotment gardens, and no 
crop is usually got in. There are thousands of 
labourers’ cottages erected, or in process thereof, all over 
Ireland, under the supervision of the Board of 
Guardians and the Local Government Board, and in no 
case is there less than half an acre of land attached. I 
have heard no person say, on any pretext, that this was 
too much. I look on this as essentially a conservative 
movement in the best sense, and likely to have far- 
reaching and beneficial effects. The growth of better 
vegetables, and then better cookery, civilisation and 
refinement will all follow in due course, and possibly 
stem the depopulation exodus. — TV. J. Murphy, 
Clonmel. 
Chrysanthemums in Small Pots at 
Dalkeith Gardens. 
After returning from a holiday run through Ireland 
north and south, and much of Scotland, including the 
splendidly maintained gardens of the Duke of 
Buccleuch attached to Dalkeith Palace, there are few 
of my many notes made en route that recur more fre¬ 
quently to my mind than the really fine collection of 
upwards of 1,000 Chrysanthemums in the various 
sections—very pictures of health—shown me by Mr. 
Malcolm Dunn and his intelligent foreman, Mr. 
Brough. I noticed none in pots exceeding 6 ins. in 
diameter, and many were in 3^-in. and 4|-in. pots. I 
understand a party of Yorkshire gardeners the previous 
day had a similar surprise. Of course, the plants were 
regularly fed with different manures and stimulants, 
but still this is a new departure—a very important 
consideration at housing time next October.— JV. J. 
Murphy, Clonmel. 
Seedling Gaillardia. 
A NEW Gaillardia, a seedling of the G. aristata grandi- 
flora type, has been sent us by Mr. "Wm. Caudwell, The 
Ivies, Wantage. Some idea of the vigour of the 
plant may be gleaned from the fact that the stems 
attain the height of 5 ft., which for a Gaillardia is 
rather extraordinary. Of course, for bedding purposes 
it would be out of the question, but for isolated clumps 
on the lawn, or even for the back line in an herbaceous 
border its effect would be grand when covered with its 
flower-heads, as Gaillardias are, for the greater part of 
the season. We are assured also that it flowers with 
great freedom, notwithstanding its gigantic size. The 
flower-heads measure from 3 J ins. to 4 J ins. in diameter, 
thus showing that although the stems have attained 
such unusual dimensions the heads have in no way 
suffered a diminution in size. The disk is of a dark 
chestnut-brown, while the greater portion of the broad 
ray is of a deep crimson-red, the tips being bright 
yellow. The foliage also seems to be ample and good. 
The Botanical Syllabus of the Department 
of Science and Art. 
Your correspondent, “J. W. 0.,” p. 11, speaks truly 
when he says that considerable improvements have 
been effected in the syllabus in question, which deals 
with the question of what natural orders students in 
the elementary stage of botany are required to make 
themselves familiar with. The Chenopods are not 
only difficult to examine on account of the small size 
and crowded nature of the flowers, but few, if any, of 
them are to be found in flower before the examination 
in May. Although this latter complaint cannot be 
made with regard to the grasses, yet they are even less 
popular with students, not only in the elementary, but 
also in the advanced stage of botany on account of the 
difficulty experienced in the examination of the flowers 
and their minute organs. With the exception of 
Orchis mascula and O. Morio, few, if any, others of 
the British Orchids are in flower by May, and they are 
generally very inaccessible, especially to town students. 
Nor is it desirable to encourage them in this wholesale 
fashion to despoil the meadows and pastures of such 
choice and important members of the British flora. In 
view of the importance of a knowledge of botany to 
gardeners as a class your correspondent does not 
mention the comparative indifference with which 
young gardeners generally regard the whole subject of 
botany. Systematic botany is on the whole the most 
favourably received ; but important branches such as 
morphology, histology, and physiology, they almost 
ignore. The per-centage who avail themselves of the 
opportunities afforded by evening classes of gaining a 
knowledge of the subject is deplorably small, and 
greater enthusiasm is exhibited by clerks, carpenters, 
painters, and others of a nondescript class in the 
matter than by gardeners.- Gardener. 
A Monstrous Sunflower. 
It would appear that the season must he answerable 
for many and curious anomalies in the vegetable world. 
A specimen has been sent us by Mr. Charles B. Green, 
Acton, who does not say whether the seed from which 
it was grown was collected from a plant bearing so- 
called double flowers or not. It would seem to have 
been meant for a single flower, as the outer and ray 
florets are quite normal. Inside these there is a zone 
of yellow and tubular florets, hut all beyond them 
towards the centre of the head the bracts have grown 
so excessively as to entirely conceal the florets in their 
axils. About half-way between the ray florets and the 
centre the bracts are the largest, and bear, not a 
single floret in their axils, but a bundle of them, so 
that really we have a series of short branches in their 
axils. The central portion of the head, measuring 
about 2 ins. in diameter, is quite bald, fleshy, and pale 
yellow in colour, resembling a Polyporus or some other 
fungus. The whole resembles a cushion of green moss 
surrounded by a yellow fringe, and having the fungus¬ 
like portion in the centre. If the peculiarity could be 
perpetuated, it might well be named Helianthu3 
annuus viridiflora, and grown as a curiosity like the 
green Dahlia. 
Crinum Powelli. 
This showy Crinum is flowering here in the herbaceou 
border, with us, having stood 17° of frost without 
injury. As the plants die back I cover them over with 
ashes or tan, as a protection from frost. It fully 
deserves everything that has been written in its favour. 
On one occasion a good illustration was made of it in 
The Gardening "World, which, doubtless, many of 
your readers remember. The present summer having 
been so unfavourable, one is all the more pleased to be 
able to bear their humble testimony in support of so 
good a thing. Being so pleasantly scented the indi¬ 
vidual flowers are appreciated in a cut state. The 
colour is pale rose, and to those who do not know it I 
may say it reminds one very much of the lovely Bella¬ 
donna Lily.— E. Dumper, Limerick. 
Yucca fllamentosa. 
This dwarf-growing Adam’s Needle at the present time 
forms a handsome subject ; where flowering, its large 
showy spikes of 4 ft. to 5 ft. in height are attractive 
objects amongst the most select of hardy blooming plants. 
I was very much struck with a clump of it in the old- 
fashioned flower garden of E. Hosford, Esq., Eglantine, 
Corbally, Limerick, bearing six medium-sized spikes, a 
good example of what maybe done by leaving this semi- 
arborescent plant alone, as it had evidently not been 
disturbed for some years. The somewhat shy-flowering 
propensities of the members of the Yucca family keep 
them from general cultivation in the herbaceous border, 
but considering we have to wait for the flowers they 
amply repay our patience when they do flower. They 
make suitable plants for rockwork, or for planting on 
a lawn, or even the front of a shrubbery. —E. Dumper, 
Limerick, —«— 
Lasiandra macrantha fioribunda. 
The most healthy plant of this fine Melastomad I have 
yet met with in this country is at the present time in 
fine flower, and likely to be so for some time to come 
in a greenhouse at Glenstal Castle. In this case the 
plant is grown as a climber under the roof. I was 
surprised to see how well adapted it is for the purpose, 
never having previously to my knowledge thus seen it. 
By keeping it loosely tied in, the flowers show to 
advantage. I have never seen it in a more luxuriant 
state than this. Having always grown it as an inter¬ 
mediate or stove plant, it was somewhat of a novelty 
to me. As a stove subject, it is often met with in a 
shabby state ; its somewhat straggling habit not being 
very amenable to training may, perhaps, have caused it 
to be neglected to a certain extent. I can plainly see 
that the extra heat afforded it in many places is un¬ 
necessary, if not positively harmful. I am afraid that 
I envied Mr. "Weller's possession of this showy plant.— 
E. Dumper. —«— 
Plumbago capensis alba. 
In an opposite corner to the subject above referred to 
is a good plant of this pretty Leadwort, also tied loosely 
to the roof so as to show ofl its straggling habit of 
growth to the fullest advantage. The older P. capensis 
is also grown close by, and the plants are so trained 
that next season they will be thoroughly intermixed 
with each other. They are just commencing to inter¬ 
lace, thus enhancing the beauty of each. Mr. Weller 
grows both the plants in large pots, and right well 
they do, as present results abundantly prove, thus 
practising what he recommended in the pages of The 
Gardening World a year or so ago. I may here be 
allowed, without digressing too much, to say that I 
have grown it in pots 5 ins. to 8 ins. in diameter for 
house decoration, and for which purpose it is much 
appreciated. I am now referring to the type P. capensis. 
—E. Dumper. 
