612 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 25, 1889. 
FhO^idi/LTiff^. 
Potting Auriculas. 
It would, perhaps, be best if I used the term re-potting 
Auriculas, for this is an annual operation of the first 
importance. It means giving the plants new soil and 
clean pots as soon as possible after the flowering season. 
The earlier it can be done the better, because almost 
immediately the plants find themselves in fresh soil 
they put forth their summer growth, and this growth 
has much to do with the production of a fine head of 
bloom the following season. The Auricula growers of 
our day—meaning thereby the men who are the leading 
exhibitors at our Auricula shows—now adopt the 
practice of potting early, as soon, indeed, as the plants 
pass out of bloom ; we may say about the middle of 
May. Those who save seed prefer to re-pot at a later 
period of the year, because they do not wish to peril the 
chances of the seed ripening ; but the generality of 
those who grow for shows do not distress their plants 
in this way. 
It is sometimes objected, in respect to early potting, 
that it is said to encourage what the Rev. F. D. Horner 
terms “ that untoward Primulaceous trick the Auricula 
has of blooming in the autumn ” ; but he adds—he who 
adopts the practice of early potting—“I do not find 
this true autumn blooming is a family feature among 
the Primulas (of which the Auricula is one), and in a 
great measure it is beyond our control. Some varieties 
are more constitutionally given to it than others, and 
if the untimely display be unusually wide-spread, it is 
due either to existing causes in the autumn weather, or 
to some check the plants have suffered in the summer, 
inducing them to throw up their flower-stems pre¬ 
maturely, as if in an effort to save their species by 
attempting seed.” 
But there is another objection to early potting—viz., 
that the effect of early potting is for the soil to become 
impoverished by the following spring, thus losing its 
richness and therefore its ability to keep the plants in 
full vigour by repeated waterings. Our premier Auri¬ 
cula grower combats this reasoning in the following 
way:—“The plants themselves refute this by their 
unabated vigour, and the fact is ignored that rain¬ 
water is no barren liquid that can bring no refreshment 
to the soil; and further, that the Auricula is not a 
plant that ever requires heavy water treatment. On 
the other hand, early potting is distinctly grateful to 
the plant after its exertions of flower-bearing. It 
responds with greater readiness to the gentle stimulus 
of fresh sweet soil, and there are many of the best new 
roots just in the condition for being disturbed without 
being broken off. 
“By the time of autumn growth the plant is 
completely re-established, and can devote itself to its 
work in a frame of mind not anxious, nervous, nor 
disturbed. However, both ‘ late ’ and ‘ early ’ potting 
are successful methods, and new growers must make 
choice for themselves, remembering always these two 
points—to plant Auriculas firmly, and not to water 
newly-potted plants until they plainly ask for it. The 
soil should be genially moist, friable, not wet, and no 
earth allowed to cover the base of any leaves.” 
Mr. T. E. Henwood thinks that the Auricula would 
be benefited by two re-pottings—one in May, and one 
in October, or even a little earlier. I think it would 
greatly benefit the plants ; but this operation twice in 
the year might be objected to on the ground of the 
trouble it entails.— R. D. 
New Tuberous Begonias. 
Magnifica.— Improvements are still being effected in 
the roundness and regularity of the flowers of this 
beautiful class of plants. In the wild species the two 
inner sepals of the male flowers are very small, causing 
the bloom to be irregular and disproportionate. Here 
the inner ones approach the others in size, so that the 
whole flower is nearly or quite orbicular. It is a single 
rich scarlet variety. Gigantea. —The flowers of this 
variety are very much larger than those of Magnifica, 
equally regular, but paler in colour, being of a soft 
rosy red. Both male and female blooms are large and 
worthy of retention, the former having four, and the 
latter five sepals of great breadth. The stems are tall 
and stout. These with Stanstead Gem already 
described were exhibited by Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, 
Forest Hill, at the Royal Botanic Society’s show on the 
15th inst., when they were awarded Floricultural 
Certificates. 
Imogen.—T he flowers of this variety are large and 
fully double, but the sepals are broad and nearly flat, 
not too densely crowded, as is the case with some of 
the earlier kinds. The whole is of a uniform soft pink. 
The Hon. Mrs. Goschen. —A double flower of large 
size and of a beautiful creamy white tinted with blush. 
It is made up of numerous rosettes, possessing broad 
sepals, moderately loosely arranged so as to allow of 
their perfect development. J. Douglas.— The flowers 
of this form are equally large, if not larger, than those 
of the two last mentioned double, and made up of 
numerous rosettes of soft rosy red sepals, somewhat 
undulated, like those of a Hollyhock, and not too 
crowded. The foliage is ample and good. J. Marshal.— 
Flowers large, bright scarlet, made up of numerous small 
rosettes, as is most frequently the case in double flowers. 
The individual sepals are beautifully undulated. All 
the four were exhibited by Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, 
Swanley, Kent, at the Royal Botanic Society’s show, 
Regent’s Park, on the 15th inst., and received Flori¬ 
cultural Certificates. 
Gold-laced Polyanthuses. 
I have just received from Mr. John Pope, of the King’s 
Norton Nurseries, Birmingham, blooms of George IV. 
and Cheshire Favourite, with the following note :—“I 
enclose blooms of George IV. and Cheshire Favourite, 
from plants that have been out of doors two winters, 
and for one year absolutely without protection. My 
belief is that by having them planted out and not 
disturbed we may get the old constitution back again 
into these plants.” The blooms sent were in fine form. 
The late Charles Bullock, of Wolverhampton, grew his 
out of doors winter and summer, but the garden was in 
an elevated position, with good natural drainage. The 
same condition of things exists at King’s Norton. I 
have seen in Charles Bullock’s garden in the summer¬ 
time sturdy plants of Lancer and other kinds 
which had been grown without any protection in 
winter, and since I began writing these few notes a 
grower has dropped in, who says that the pips of 
George IV. just sent to me are very much larger than 
on any plants he has in pots, remarking that he shall 
give up “coddling” them as he has done, and go in 
for more hardy treatment. I have also received from 
Mr. Pope a flower of the new fancy Pansy, John Pope, 
named after him by one of the Scotch florists. It 
is a grand variety, being a great improvement upon 
W. Dean, Alexander Barrie and others of that class. 
Lower petals rich gold, with an immense black-violet 
blotch and richly-marked upper petals. — TV. Dean, 
Solihull. 
The Carnation Maggot. 
In compliance with your request (p. 696), I forward 
some leaves of a plant which is badly affected with 
some kind of maggot, which I am led to believe is 
somewhat different to the pest that usually infests these 
plants, as its effect is contrary to what I have usually 
observed. The plant has grown to good dimensions 
laterally, but not at all vertically, and is the only one 
affected in this way out of some 200 plants .—Richard 
Vesey, Clapham. [The base of the leaves bears evidence 
of the larva of some insect having been at work, and 
which we believe to be the one so much complained of, 
but there were none present.— Ed.] 
--- 
TOWN SHRUBS. 
Osmanthus ilicifolius is not only one of our hand¬ 
some evergreen shrubs but is likewise one of the few 
that succeeds in a really satisfactory way when con¬ 
stantly subjected to the impurities of a town atmosphere. 
Both in London and Liverpool, and in the smokiest 
districts too, it is unquestionably the best all-round 
shrub, and seems to succeed there in almost as com¬ 
mendable a way as it does in the most sheltered and 
pure-atmosphered country park or garden. The leaves 
are thick and of firm substance, and resemble those of 
the common Holly in a marked degree ; while the tiny 
flowers are not at all conspicuous, being of a dirty white 
or yellowish green. 
Ligustrum cokiaceum is a fitting companion to the 
latter, so far at least as its powers of withstanding the 
effects of an impure and smoke-laden atmosphere are 
concerned. Being an evergreen species it is, in 
conjunction with its smoke-dofying quality, peculiarly 
well suited for planting in the town garden, where 
it grows with a freedom that is excelled by few other 
hardy shrubs. Judging from the behaviour of a number 
of specimens that were experimentally planted in one 
of the most smoky of our town thoroughfares, this 
Privet will yet become a valuable adjunct to the some¬ 
what meagre list of suitable subjects for planting in 
such situations, but it is at present not half so well 
known as its merits deserve. Then it is easily managed, 
a non-fastidious plant as regards choice of soil, one 
that is of the readiest increase, and bears hard 
thinning in with perfect impunity. 
Aucuba japonica.— This well-known shrub has been 
found of great value for planting in urban districts, it 
being able to do battle with a more than ordinary 
amount of atmospheric impurities. For this reason it 
has been largely planted in town squares and gardens, 
and there, indeed, in the most crowded and densely 
populated parts, As an ornamental shrub, too, the 
Aucuba is well worthy of extensive culture, its fine, 
large, glossy, and beautifully mottled leaves being at 
all times objects of admiration. It is readily raised 
from cuttings, grows with great freedom in any soil of 
ordinary quality, and as an ornamental hardy shrub is 
one of great value. 
Griselinia littoralis. —Although a little-known 
shrub as yet, this is peculiarly fitted for town planting, 
experiments on a somewhat large scale in a smoky 
garden in the midst of one of our largest centres of 
industry having proved that it is a most valuable 
adjunct to our rather sparse collection of shrubs suited 
for such a purpose. The appearance of the plant, with 
its deep green, glossy and somewhat succulent leaves, is 
most pleasing, and as it grows freely in soil of ordinary 
texture, and is readily enough propagated, it is to be 
hoped that before long it will meet with that notice 
that as a valuable hardy shrub it is fairly entitled to.— 
A. D. TV. 
-- 
THE MERTENSIAS.—I. 
The species of Mertensia are closely allied to the 
Pulmonarias, under which name many of them were 
formerly included by Linnreus, and other old authors ; 
and even in gardens at the present day they are fre¬ 
quently met with under that name. Various other 
species have been classed under Lithospermum, Steen- 
hammera, Oreocharis, Eritrichum, and even Myosotis 
(the Forget-me-not). It will be recognised at a glance, 
however, that they are closely allied to the Pulmonarias, 
but the calyx of the latter is tubular and shallowly 
divided, while that of the Mertensias is separated 
almost to the base. The length of the corolla tube 
varies immensely. Those of them which are perfectly 
hardy are easily grown in any good garden soil, and 
some of them delight in partial shade. Propagation is 
easily effected by division of the rootstock. Most of 
them may be grown as pot plants, for which they are 
well adapted, especially the erect-growing ones ; while 
some of the smaller kinds are extremely pretty. They 
are natives of the old and new worlds, chiefly in moist 
places on the mountains, or in their valleys and defiles. 
Our native species, M. maritima, is scattered all round 
the northern hemisphere, chiefly on sandy and muddy 
seashores, and extends into the arctic regions. There 
seems to be two head-quarters of the genus—namely, 
the Himalayas and the Rocky Mountains, where they 
occur in abundance, but are not exclusively confined to 
those places. 
M.tibetica. —The habit of this plant is very much 
like that of a Forget-me-not, and one author names it 
Myosotis tibetica. The spathulate leaves are arranged 
in a tuft at the base of the stem, which rises up to a 
height of from 3 ins. to 6 ins., bearing a one-sided 
raceme of blue flowers, with a tube about J in. to 1 in. 
long. It occurs at Karakorum, on the Tibetan side of 
the Himalayas, at an elevation of 14,003 ft. It has not 
been introduced. 
M. elongata. —The stems of this plant are leafy, 
and 6 ins. to 12 ins. high, bearing a terminal raceme of 
blue flowers. As it occurs in the Kashmir Territory at 
an elevation of 10,000 ft., it would probably prove 
pretty hardy in this country. 
M. Moltkoides.— Short upright-flowering shoots 
are given off from the prostrate main stems of this 
plant, and bear dense unilateral racemes of blue or 
purplish blue flowers, with a short tube, but com¬ 
paratively large limb. It inhabits the western and 
north-western Himalayas, ranging from 5,000 to 
7,000 ft. elevation. 
M. echioides. —The stems of this pretty species 
rise to a height of 6 ins. or 10 ins., clothed with 
spathulate hairy leaves, and terminate in short dense 
racemes of blue flowers with a short tube. The plant 
has not inaptly been compared to an Echium or Bugloss, 
as the specific name implies. It occurs in the Pangi 
Valley and Chumba, on the Himalayas, at an altitude 
of 7,600 ft. 
M. rrimuloides. —Although compared to a Primula, 
it might as happily have been compared to a Gentian, 
