72 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
September 29, 1888. 
A New Decorative Beet. 
A vert pretty Beet for general decorative purposes 
was exhibited by Mr. B. S. Williams at the Floral 
Committee meeting on Tuesday, under the name of 
McGregor’s Favourite. It grows from 6 ins. to 8 ins. 
high, and has narrow arching leaves of a rich rosy 
bronze colour ; it is neat in habit, fairly compact, and 
much resembles a small dark-coloured Dractena. It 
will make a capital bedding plant, and with many 
would be useful in pots also, for its colour. A First 
Class Certificate was awarded to it. 
Cornish Moneywort. 
The variegated form of this, namely, Sibthorpia 
europtea variegata, is not so frequently grown as its 
beauty would warrant, for when thriving freely its 
trailing shoots covered with orbicular leaves having a 
silvery white margin arc very elegant indeed. Some 
have tried and failed in its culture, giving it up in 
despair, owing in most cases to the plant being grown 
in the dry airy atmosphere of a greenhouse or 
some similar place. Unless protected with a hand¬ 
glass it should be grown in an atmosphere that is 
continuously moist and cool, associated with Ferns or 
Orchids, as we saw it the other day in Messrs. Shuttle- 
worth, Carder & Co.’s Nursery at Park Road, Clapham. 
Under these conditions it grows freely, and the contrast 
between the silvery white margin and the green centre 
is very marked. It is a rare British plant, the green 
form being found in a few places only where the rocks 
are continuously moist. S. peregrina, better known 
under the name of Disandra prostrata, is an old- 
fashioned greenhouse trailer or basket plant of much 
stronger habit than the Cornish Moneywort, and comes 
from Madeira. The latter is more adapted for a dry 
atmosphere. 
Nerine excellens. 
This very pretty form of N. flexuosa was well shown at 
the Floral Committee on Tuesday, by Mr. T. S. Ware, 
and notwithstanding what it lost by comparison with 
Baron Schroder’s grand specimens of A. Fothergillii, it 
was awarded a First Class Certificate. It is a small- 
growing, free-flowering plant, with bright rose-pink 
blossoms, having crimson bars down each segment. 
For autumn blooming it is surprising that the members 
of this handsome and easily grown genus are not more 
generally cultivated. 
Germinating' Primula sinensis in Coke 
Ashes. 
Experiments have recently been made by Messrs. J. 
Carter & Co. at their Perry Vale Nurseries with the 
view of testing what percentage of the seeds of Primula 
sinensis would germinate if sown in coke ashes. The 
latter are sifted and pans filled with them entirely, no 
drainage being needed. The seeds are sown, lightly 
covered, and kept watered regularly every morning. 
Under this treatment nearly the whole of them 
germinated, that is nearly 100 per cent. Amateurs 
frequently fail in raising seeds of this useful Primula 
through lack of knowledge in the matter of soil, 
watering and other cultural matters which it is neces¬ 
sary should be understood more or less in order to be 
successful. To such the plan above described might 
prove useful, inasmuch as water is not given merely 
when the state of the ashes actually show that it is 
wanted, but the rule is to give water at a stated period 
that is, every morning. Temperature is, however, 
another important matter ; but with a little knowledge 
of stoking, and a good thermometer, the amateur can 
easily surmount the difficulty. The seedlings must be 
potted off, however, as soon as they can be handled 
easily. 
Agapanthus umbellatus maximus. 
This is probably the largest of the many forms of the 
African Lily, and bears huge umbels of flowers, ranging 
in number from twenty to fifty-four on specimens 
which we noted in the nurseries of Messrs. J. Carter & 
Co., at Perry Vale. They were of a light blue, with a 
dark blue midrib to each segment. The flower scapes 
of this giant form were 3 ft. and 4 ft. in height. 
Seeing that the type is a useful plant for outdoor work 
and becoming more and more popular, the larger form 
would be even more acceptable for outdoor work, on 
account of the huge size of the umbels of well-grown 
plants. The flowers are also darker in colour when 
thus exposed. For balconies, terrace gardens, and 
similar places the Agapanthus is not only suitable, but 
flowers grandly during the summer months. 
Lilium Wallichianum. 
This fine central Himalayan species was exhibited 
before the Floral Committee on Tuesday last, and 
received a First Class Certificate. Its long narrow 
leaves, resembling those of L. Philippinense, are borne 
on a slender stem about 3 ft. high, surmounted by a 
solitary flower, which is large, about 8 ins. long, white, 
but greenish towards the base ; fragrant, and much 
resembling L. neilgherrense in general appearance. 
Crinum Powelli. 
In the beautiful gardens of Leopold de Bothschild, 
Esq., Ascot, Leighton Buzzard, an illustration of which 
we gave in our issue of January 24th, 1885, a fine lot 
of this handsome out-door Crinum goes far to confirm 
the character advanced for it, viz., that it is the 
handsomest and most stately of hardy bulbs. The 
numerous tall spikes of delicate pink or blush flowers 
give a telling effect wherever they appear. The very 
rare pure white variety is also in flower in the same 
garden, along with many other good hardy plants, the 
whole garden being under the good management of Mr. 
John Jennings, and which has always been a model of 
what an enjoyable garden should be, improving steadily 
every year. Crinum Powelli is perfectly hardy in any 
part of Great Britain and Ireland if properly planted 
deep in some good rich soil. So planted it needs no 
protection of any kind—mulching nor anything else. 
Lobelia Tupa. 
This is a most stately growing Lobelia of the herbaceous 
section, attaining in favourable seasons a height of 
quite 10 ft. A large clump in the herbaceous grounds 
at Kew is now in full bloom, but the plant is not so 
largely developed as it was last year, when the summer 
climate approximated more closely to the climate of its 
natural habitat (South America) than it has done this 
summer. The flowers are of a dull red, somewRat 
resembling a Clianthus, the foliage being large, bold, 
and rather pubescent. Outside Kew I do not know 
where to find the plant; after looking through many 
lists, I found it in the catalogue of a well-known 
nurseryman, but only in time to learn that they had 
no stock of it for sale. For large herbaceous borders, 
or clumps on grass, it would be a useful and effective 
plant, and one that should not be lost sight of. 
Perhaps some readers may know where to find it; if so, 
I should esteem it a favour if they would kindly give 
the information in these columns. — J. W. 0. 
Dimorphic Conifer. 
There is a great amount of dimorphism in Conifers, 
especially amongst the species of Juniper, Thuja, 
Retinospora, and even in some of the Pines, or, rather, 
in all of them when in a seedling state ; but we 
occasionally find instances of a very striking nature, 
such as that we noted recently in Messrs. Wm. 
Cutbush & Sons’ nurseries at High Barnet. In a bed 
or square planted with Chamscyparis squarrosa, 
generally recognised under the name of Retinospora 
squarrosa (which according to some authorities is con¬ 
sidered a true species), one plant has given rise at its 
apex to a large branch of Chamsecyparis pisifera. Both 
are natives of Japan, and although considered distinct, 
it is evident that one is only a juvenile form of the 
other. It would appear that C. squarrosa is the 
juvenile form, as seedlings in this tribe of Conifers 
have linear, spreading leaves that give place to others 
that are almost wholly adnate to the stems and 
branches before the plant gets to any size. The leaves 
of C. squarrosa are glaucous, linear and spreading, 
while those of C. pisifera at its apex are green, and 
almost wholly adnate to the shoots. It constitutes 
about a third of the whole of the plant, and the lower 
portion shows a gradual transformation of the leaves. 
Galtonia candicans. 
The beauty of this hardy bulbous plant can hardly be 
over-estimated, whether planted in a bed by itself, 
amongst the occupants of the hardy herbaceous border, 
or mixed with various bedding subjects of a shrubby 
nature, such as Fuchsias, Abutilons, "Wigandias, and 
others used in the sub-tropical garden. It is seen to 
best effect when rising above, or showing itself very 
prominently amongst the subjects mentioned. The 
leaves are usually about half the length of the flower 
stem. "We noted a fine mass of this Cape Hyacinth in 
the Perry Yale Nurseries of Messrs. J. Carter & Co. 
The Cold Storage of Fruit. 
As the experiments continue, it may not be without 
interest to briefly report progress. At the last meeting 
of the committee, held on the 13th inst., Mr. John 
Lee presiding, examples previously placed in the chill 
room were examined. The temperature of this room 
ranges about 35°. Figs, quite ripe when placed in 
store on August 30th, had kept surprisingly weU ; the 
dark-coloured fruits appeared quite unaltered, but two 
of the lighter coloured were spoilt. Plums from Chis¬ 
wick, stored at the same time, were as good as ever. 
Of a dozen out-door Peaches, eight were in good condi¬ 
tion, two fair, and two spoiled. Peaches and 
Nectarines grown under glass at Sawbridgworth, also 
Oullin’s Golden Plums, placed in store at the same time 
—the 30th ult.—were in fine condition. Peaches from 
Messrs. Cheal & Sons, stored on August -31st, were in 
good condition, but a Melon with them was quite 
spoiled. Bradshaw Plums from Chiswick, placed in 
store at the same time, were unaltered, but Tomatos, 
except a few yellow fruits, were spoiled. This is the 
second failure with Tomatos, and they do not appear 
to be able to endure the cold. Many of the Cherries— 
a bad sample stored wet on August 8th—were still 
sound, and it was thought that those which faded were 
crushed or injured at the outset. It is the opinion of 
the committee that for keeping purposes the fruit must 
be free from blemish. Some of the Cherries (red) in 
the freezing-room—temperature 21°—-were quite hard, 
others (black) being yielding to the touch but frozen 
inside. Some Cherries taken from the chill-room a 
fortnight ago and steadily thawed were good and well 
flavoured the following day, after a cool sojourn of 
twenty-three days, and there are doubtless others that 
have now been in the chamber forty days equally good. 
Can northern friends oblige by posting a few Gooseberries 
and Currants to Mr. D. Tallerman, Cold Storage Com¬ 
pany, Leadenhall Market, 79 £, Gracechurch Street, 
London ? They will be gladly accepted and fairly 
tried. They should not be over-ripe, and packed to 
arrive without being bruised if possible. Peaches are 
best enclosed in tissue paper before being packed in 
boxes with wadding. All fruit is best stored in closed 
boxes as if for transit, as when exposed Cherries at 
least lose their bright, fresh colour, and it would pro¬ 
bably be the same with other fruits.— J. Wright. 
-«»$*•- 
The Gar deners’ Calendar. 
THE STOVE. 
Climbers. —Fresh arrangements will soon have to be 
made in the stove for the winter season, but in¬ 
dependently of that, the occupants now want more 
light, and especially so as the days get shorter. 
Therefore, with that end in view, it will be necessary 
to prune back to the old wood such as flower from the 
current season’s growth, and to thin out the rest. 
Clerodendron Thompsoni and Plumbago capensis may 
be cut hard back, so that they may have time by 
spring to break again vigorously. This will also 
facilitate the work of cleaning them greatly, especially 
if they have become infested with mealy bug. The 
Stephanotis is particularly subject to that pest, and 
before cleaning is attempted the young shoots should 
be thinned out, removing old wood, of course, where 
that can be done without leaving any place absolutely 
naked. Most thinning will be required where space is 
restricted owing to the small dimensions of the house. 
From the shoots that are left a crop of bloom may be 
expected in spring. Thin out the shoots of Allamanda, 
so that those left may be better exposed to light, and 
also admit more light to the interior of the house. 
Climbers in pots should also be reduced in size, and 
they may even be removed from the stove altogether 
where a pit can be placed at their disposal. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Hard-wooded Plants. —Such things as Boronias, 
Heaths, Epacris, Cytisus and Camellias will have to be 
removed indoors K efore long, as they cannot safely be 
left out much longer. In the meantime due prepara¬ 
tions should be made for their reception by thoroughly 
cleaning and repairing the pits and houses in which 
they are to be wintered. Keep the houses well 
ventilated night and day should the weather prove 
mild after they have been taken indoors. Should 
mildew make its appearance on the Heaths either 
before or after being housed, dust the affected parts 
with flowers of sulphur, which will soon check the 
disease. 
