November 24, 1888. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
199 
Hardening Jiscellany. 
The Mulberry in the Old Testament. 
“ C. S.” of Castle Menzies, is too hasty in remarking 
on p. 183 (Nov. 17th), that if “R. D.” studied his 
Bible only half as much as he does plant lore he would 
not have said there is no reference to the Mulberry in 
the Old Testament. “R. D.” is quite right, it is 
“ C. S.” who is deficient in true Biblical knowledge. 
“R. D.” is no doubt well acquainted with all the 
facts of the case, as set forth in Mr. Leo. Grindon’s 
admirable and exhaustive volume, Scripture Botany , 
pp. 122 and 252, which volume “ C. S.’’’ would do 
well to consult before venturing upon any other such 
rash assertion. He evidently does not know the 
difference between the Bible and erroneous renderings 
in the English version. The word Mulberry is one of 
the class to which belong Apple, Mallow, Chestnut, 
Hemlock, Elm, and some other botanical names found 
in the Authorised version. It represents a mere guess 
of the translators, and plainly denotes something very 
different. The Hebrew term, Mr. Grindon points out, 
is bekha’im, and so far from designating the Mulberry, 
signifies in all likelihood one of the Poplars, the 
trembling leaves of which tree exactly suit the 
requirements of the narrative, which Mulberry leaves 
would in no case do. The ‘ 1 Revised” thinks that perhaps 
Balsam Trees (whatever is meant by this appellation) 
may be intended by bekha'im, thus leaving the question 
open. Everything, however, both historical and 
botanical, is opposed to the idea of the Mulberry. 
People who are interested in the question should refer 
to the volume above mentioned, especially if they 
think, as “ C. S.” does, that they know all about a 
matter, when in reality they know nothing.— 
Scrutineer. 
Boussingaultia baselloides. 
Many growers possess this plant, but although they 
succeed very well as a rule in getting it to grow, it 
seldom flowers. Like all other fleshy-leaved and 
tuberous subjects it delights in a dry, sunny aspect, 
and to he planted in light sandy well-drained loam. 
After growth has been completed it should he partly 
ripened off by withholding water to induce it to flower, 
which it does late in autumn as a rule. The flowers 
are small, white, agreeably scented, and closely arranged 
on long, slender, axillary racemes towards the tips of 
the slender branches. Owing to the fleshy character 
of the leaves, sprays, if cut, remain in a fresh condition 
for a long time. Ultimately the little star-like flowers 
drop off from their pedicels, with which they are 
jointed, or they become black. The species under 
notice is a native of South America, and develops not 
only a tuberous root-stock, but fleshy, brittle tubers in 
the axils of the leaves. We had specimens of it from 
Mr. Merriden, The Gardens, Camberwell House, 
Camberwell, who has succeeded in flowering it. 
Rhododendron dahuricum. 
Considering that this plant is a native of Siberia, it is 
rather surprising that its flowering season should 
extend over our winter and into spring, as it is stated 
from December to March. This would, no doubt, 
depend largely upon the character and mildness of the 
winter. But what is more, it has commenced much 
earlier this year, as we noticed it flowering in September 
at Glenbervie, Kincardineshire, and that too after the 
past dull and sunless summer, so that its much greater 
earliness would not seem to depend upon the amount 
of sunshine. The greatest quantity of bloom is, how¬ 
ever, produced in March, which would seem to be its 
most natural season of flowering. The stray flowers that 
occur at other times are dependent upon the temporary 
mildness of the weather, which induces some of the 
buds, which are in a very advanced state, to expand. 
The typical form of the plant is deciduous, or very 
nearly so ; but there is a form in cultivation, namely, 
R. d. sempervirens, which retains its leaves all the 
winter. Both like a good quantity of peat in the soil. 
The Mountain Bladder Fern. 
Although this beautiful Fern (the Cystopteris montana 
of botanists) enjoys a wide distribution in the moun¬ 
tains of the northern hemisphere, it is nevertheless a 
rare plant, and is confined to a few places on the 
Grampian and Breadalbane ranges of mountains in 
Scotland. When discovered by botanists or collectors 
generally, it is a pity to grub it up ruthlessly, and so 
hasten the extermination of one of the rarest of British 
Ferns. It would be better that small specimens only 
should be taken and increased by cultural skill, so that 
cultivators throughout the country who desire to add 
it to their collections may do so by encouraging its 
dissemination from specimens already in cultivation 
and propagated by artificial means. At East Dud- 
dingston Lodge, Joppa, near Edinburgh, four lights of 
a frame are occupied by this Fern alone, the original 
specimens of which were collected in Perthshire about 
twenty years ago. A compost has been made up for it, 
and in this it is planted and allowed to ramble at will, 
which it does with much greater readiness than our 
other natives on account of its strong, rambling, under¬ 
ground, rhizomatous stems. 
Callicarpa purpurea. 
Several species of Callicarpa have been introduced 
from time to time, and are or were in cultivation ; but 
the most popular and most frequently cultivated is 
that under notice, and which was introduced from 
India in 1822. Although a member of the Verbena 
family, it has small insignificant flowers, perfectly 
unlike those of a Verbena, a Clerodendron or an 
Oxera. The generic name refers to the beauty of the 
fruit, and for that alone is it worth cultivating. The 
small rosy violet berries are borne in small axillary 
clusters along the greater part of the length of the 
stem, and remain in beautiful condition during the 
winter months. A compost of peat and loam in equal 
parts, with a quantity of silver sand, and a temperature 
ranging from 60° to 70°, or even higher with sun-heat 
in summer, are all that the plant requires to grow it to 
perfection. There is a fine well-berried specimen at 
Tower House, Chiswick. 
Veronica lycopodioides. 
We have in this New Zealand species a very striking 
instance of an entire dissimilarity between the juvenile 
and adult leaves, as seen in a few species of this genus, 
as well as in many other widely separated families of 
plants occurring in different parts of the world, and all 
dependent upon the external conditions to which they 
are subjected for the forms their leaves assume, or 
their absence altogether. In the latter case the stem, or 
some modification of it, performs the function of leaves. 
In the juvenile or seedling state of the species under 
notice the leaves are very numerous, densely arranged, 
subulate or linear, and greatly resembling those of the 
common hair moss (Polytricum commune). In the 
adult state, however, the leaves become thick, leathery, 
very much broader than long, and densely overlap one 
another in four rows, giving the plant a Lycopod-like 
appearance. These forms we noticed recently in the 
Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh. 
Ardisia mamillata. 
A great advantage of this plant is that it can be finely 
fruited in two years’ time from seed. The plant grows 
so slowly that its propagation and dissemination would 
take a long time to accomplish, provided the readier 
means just mentioned could not be resorted to. We 
noticed a large batch of seedlings in the nurseries of 
Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, and which do 
not exceed 4 ins. in height, although finely berried. 
They form shapely little plants very suitable for 
decorative and conservatory purposes, although they 
are yet hut two years old. The leaves are not less 
curious than the plant is ornamental, and are densely 
covered all over the upper surface with little tuberous 
elevations, which support a long, whitish, coarse, or 
bristly hair. The plant is altogether unlike others 
under cultivation, and derives its name from the upper 
surface of the leaves being covered with the little 
protuberances just mentioned. 
Lobelia syphilitica alba. 
A very effective plant is the white form of L. syphili¬ 
tica when grown in company with other hardy Lobelias. 
Like the typical plant, it is far more vigorous and 
ornamental when grown as a bog plant. Not the least 
point in its favour is the late flowering habit ; a few 
shoots sent you show this character. The plants 
from which they were cut were raised from seed in the 
spring.— J. IV. 0. [Should it prove constant, the 
white forms of L. syphilitica (specimens of which 
reached us) will be a decided acquisition to this 
section of hardy Lobelias, because quite an uncommon 
colour here, notwithstanding that there is no lack of 
white varieties amongst the summer bedding kinds, 
which are all varieties of L. erinus. If you increase 
it by sowing seeds, you will have ample opportunity of 
improving upon the variety by selection.—E d.] 
Birds and the Fruit Crops. 
I do not wish to enter into a controversy on this 
subject, but I am rather curious to see how it can be 
made out that more destruction must necessarily be 
caused to fruit in a wet season than in a dry one, as 
is attempted to be shown by your correspondent 
“Scarecrow” (p. 183). Of course, the remarks made 
are quite plausible enough, but taking into consideration 
the birds mentioned in my note as doing the damage, 
the remarks are not applicable to them. Of the three 
birds the sparrow is the only one that can be an 
insectivorous as well as a grain-feeding bird ; and then 
no damage is done by it at the fruit-ripening season, as 
I never observed them touch a fruit, although busy 
searching amongst the foliage for grubs and insects 
during that time. With reference to blackbirds and 
thrashes, of which I have had a pretty lengthened 
experience and good chances of observation, their 
natural food consists of worms, grubs of all kinds, 
snails, &c., but I may truly say that I never yet 
observed either of them engaged in hunting or catching 
insects. These are the two principal offenders in 
taking the fruit, and the want of an insect supply 
cannot be the reason for their doing so. “ Scarecrow ” 
cannot have the advantage of a country life for bird 
observations, or his first sentence would have been 
expressed somewhat differently ; indeed, it seems to 
be rather paradoxical in its application to the birds 
mentioned.— R. Stevens, Poston. 
Begonia Octavia. 
Your correspondent, Mr. J. Horsfield, is mistaken in 
describing Begonia Octavia as a novelty. It was raised 
by M. Malet, Plessis Piquet, near Paris, and sent into 
commerce five or six years ago, and is, like most of 
his seedlings, dwarf and very full, but too small for a 
specimen. It will not flower in the autumn in the 
London fogs.— Alpha. 
-- 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
Cattleya Bowringiana. 
Having seen the note that appeared in your issue for 
November 3rd (p. 152) in reference to a spike of sixteen 
flowers on a plant of this lovely Orchid in the gardens 
of Captain Maxwell, Terregles, Dumfries, perhaps I 
may be allowed to say that amongst the many good 
things to he seen in the Orchid houses of J. F. 
Bannatyne, Esq., Summerville, Limerick, there is also 
a plant of the above with the like number of flowers 
on a single spike, which would lead one to imagine 
that some of your readers might have had even a larger 
number. It would be very interesting to learn if such 
is the case. Mr. E. Dumper, the well-known gardener 
at Summerville, thinks very highly of it, not only on 
account of its free-flowering habit, but for its beautiful 
rose-coloured flowers, which are appreciated by all who 
see them.— S. C. 
Double Flower of Vanda ccerulea. 
A singular and striking instance of doubling in this 
Orchid has just been sent us by Mr. E. Dumper, Summer¬ 
ville Gardens, Limerick. It consists of two flowers with 
the pedicels and ovaries completely grown together or 
amalgamated, and in the absence of the segments it 
could not readily be determined that any fusion had 
taken place at all. There were ten segments, and ten 
ridges on the ovary corresponding to them. These 
segments did not, however, represent a mere separation 
of parts, as there were two distinct columns, hut 
completely grown together by their contiguous sides up 
to the base of the two anther caps, which were quite 
free. The whole flower resembled a pale lavender 
Clematis bloom with numerous segments, such as we 
see in many improved garden varieties. Five of the 
segments were almost white, except on the back, and 
resembled sepals, while there were three petals and two 
lips. Even the yellow and blue spot seen at the base 
of the lip of the normal flower was represented. The 
flower measured just over 4 ins. in diameter when 
spread out. 
A New Yellow Odontoglossum crispum. 
Several yellow varieties of this popular Odontoglossum 
have received distinctive names from time to time, 
but the varieties with a yellow ground, although not 
so numerous as those with a rose or white ground, yet 
nevertheless vary considerably in the spotting, and in 
the relative breadth of the segments. A variety has 
cropped up in the collection at Devonhurst, Chiswick, 
in which the ground colour is of a uniform, pale, but 
