June 1, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
027 
were scarcely out of bloom. They are mostly grown as 
standards in both gardens, and some of the trees are 
very old. Strawberries in the larger garden promise 
well, and are now well furnished with bloom. Beans 
are in full bloom, and the earlier crops of Peas are also 
advancing rapidly. The earliest sowing suffered con¬ 
siderably from the ravages of sparrows, which find 
plenty of shelter amongst the surrounding trees. 
Herbaceous plants are not as yet largely grown ; but 
we noticed healthy pieces of Galtonia candicans, and 
along the borders of the kitchen garden were clumps of 
Limnanthes Douglasi, with its yellow and white Butter¬ 
cup-like flowers, also Lupinus polyphyllus, Star of 
Bethlehem, and Forget-me-not. 
The American Grounds. 
These occupy a shady, irregularly, undulating valley, 
rising slightly on each side, and moistened by a tiny 
brooklet winding down the middle, but mostly 
concealed by a luxuriant growth of Rhododendrons. 
It is fed from three ponds or pieces of ornamental 
water situated on higher ground, and of which the 
uppermost one is near the house, and contains luxuriant 
masses of Water Lilies. All are fed from the spring 
already mentioned on the top of a neighbouring hill. 
The sides of the valley are naturally moist at all times, 
and give rise to several springs. 
The Rhododendrons and Azaleas amply testify to the 
suitability of the soil by the size they have attained. 
Some of them are of great age, and consist of the early 
hybrids of R. ponticum and R. Catawbiense, with an 
intermixture of R. maximum, R. arboreum, and others 
possibly. Few, if any, of the kinds presumably are 
to be found in nurserymen’s catalogues of the 
present day. There are several Himalayan species, 
including large plants of R. campanulatum and R. 
Thomsoni. The latter is still in flower, and forms a 
handsome bush about 12 ft. high and 15 ft. through. 
No protection whatever is afforded them. 
Hybrid kinds are very numerous, and no doubt 
represented the best varieties in their day. A large 
proportion would be considered fine even yet. One 
tree, from 15 ft. to 20 ft. in height, with stems from 
6 ins. to 9 ins. in diameter, was a mass of deep red 
bloom, resembling R. arboreum at a short distance ; 
many of them were from 8 ft. to 15 ft. in height, and 
showed lilac, purple, rosy purple, blush with rich 
spotting on the upper segments, and pink flowers with 
a rose margin resembling a Picotee. Some of the white 
kinds, with numerous dark reddish purple spots, were 
very handsome. A double violet-purple and very hand¬ 
some kind with large flowers seems to be the old 
Punicea plena. 
The Azaleas were simply grand, and filled the air 
with their powerful yet delicious perfume. A fine old 
bush of Rhododendron (Azalea) indicum album was 
well set with bloom just expanding. The other kinds 
consisted of Rhododendron (Azalea) flavum, R. (A.) 
viscosum, and R. (A.) nudiflorum, with their varieties. 
Popularly of course they are known as Azaleas, and 
with the exception of the first mentioned are deciduous. 
R. flavum was literally a mass of rich yellow, and its 
odour was very powerful. Of R. nudiflorum there was 
the splendid scarlet variety R. n. coceineum. Others 
of the varieties had white, double white, orange, red, 
rose, blush, salmon and yellow, and salmon and pink 
flowers in various combinations. The whole forms a 
picture well worth seeing. 
-->$<-- 
THE MERTENSIAS.— II. 
M. rivularis. —The blue flowers of this species are 
borne on two-branched racemes, while the strong stems 
are well furnished with ovate, glaucous leaves. It has 
several synonyms, and appears closely related to 
M. sibirica. 
M. stylosum. —The deep blue flowers of this plant 
are borne in a bifid raceme on comparatively dwarf 
stems furnished with lance-shaped, glaucous leaves. It 
is an Asiatic species, but has not yet been introduced. 
M. Kamtschatica. —We have in this further illustra¬ 
tion of the arctic or Alpine character of the genus from 
Kamtschatka. It is a very vigorous species, growing 
from 12 ins. to 18 ins. in height, furnished with 
elliptic or lanceolate, glaucous leaves and blue flowers. 
As a garden plant, however, it would be inferior to 
M. sibirica. 
M. davurica. —In its native home in Dahuria this 
species has been collected in sub-Alpine meadows, but, 
notwithstanding, proves somewhat tender in our 
changeable climate, and does best when afforded a 
little protection. The decumbent slender stems grow 
from 12 ins. to 18 ins. in length, and terminate in more 
or less branching cymes, bearing blue flowers. The 
plant is graceful and pretty. 
M. maritima. —The most striking peculiarity of this 
plant is its extensive distribution. It is popularly 
known as the Oyster Plant in this country, and is often 
grown out of curiosity. Specimens have been collected 
from time to time, both on the east and west coasts of 
Scotland ; while it also occurs on the coasts of Norway, 
the Island of Spitzbergen, Japan, Canada, Labrador, 
Greenland, Behring’s Straits, and other arctic shores. 
The prostrate stems are thickly furnished with ovate 
or oblong, deeply-glaucous leaves, and terminate in 
corymbose racemes of blue flowers. It is a distinct 
and striking plant when seen in broad patches spreading 
over the sands of the seashore. Lithospermum serru- 
latum seems to be the only synonym with which it is 
hampered. 
M. paniculata. —Occasionally this North American 
species makes its appearance in gardens, and in stature 
and habit may be compared to M. sibirica, but the 
leaves instead of being glaucous are green, hairy, and 
ovate or lanceolate. The stems grow from 1 ft. to 2 ft. 
in height, branching at the top, and bearing a pro¬ 
fusion of large bright blue flowers, or sometimes a light 
litmus-blue. There is no difficulty in its cultivation, 
and it might with great advantage be more extensively 
planted in borders. Other names are sometimes given 
it, such as M. denticulata and Pulmonaria paniculata. 
M. pilosa is a name given to a plant similar to M. panicu¬ 
lata, and may be a form of that species having narrower 
lance-shaped stem-leaves. 
M. Fexdleri. —Such is the name given to a pretty 
new Mexican species by the late Asa Gray. The stems 
are of no great height, but closely furnished with 
somewhat glaucous leaves, spathulate in the lower part 
of the plant, passing to linear and lanceolate upwards. 
The flowers are small and pale blue, produced in 
terminal leafy racemes. It would be well worthy of 
cultivation in pots, even should it not prove hardy. 
M. lanceolata. —In this we have another exceed¬ 
ingly pretty species, which although it was introduced 
from the Rocky Mountains in 1874, must yet be con¬ 
sidered a rare plant. Generally wild specimens vary 
from 3 ins. to 6 ins. in height, the stems being fur¬ 
nished with linear spathulate leaves. The blue flowers 
are produced in dense capitate heads. It has been 
picked up in various parts of the United States, some¬ 
times in light sandy soil. A form of it, with much 
taller stems, well furnished with narrow leaves, and 
resembling a Forget-me-not in habit, has been picked 
up in both damp and dry shaded positions in Colorado 
at elevations ranging from 11,000 ft. to 12,000 ft. 
M. oblongifoliA. —In some instances this would 
appear to approach M. lanceolata in general appearance, 
but in the majority of cases it is characterised by much 
broader, oblong or spathulate glaucous leaves. The 
flowers are also larger, of a beautiful blue, and produced 
in large capitate heads. Its home is in the United 
States, but particularly in the Rocky Mountains, 
where it ascends to 12,000 ft. or 13,000 ft., and is 
abundant in Upper Oregon on wet rocks in company 
with small Fritillarias and Claytonias. 
M. alpina.— The stems of this plantvary from 6 ins. 
to 10 ins. in height, bearing spathulate or lanceolate 
glaucous leaves. The flowers are deep blue, and borne 
in dense terminal heads. Wild specimens vary im¬ 
mensely in size and general appearance, some having 
taller stems, others larger flowers and leaves, while 
again it dwindles till it greatly resembles a Myosotis. 
In this country it succeeds very well on a rockery, 
where it proves a most attractive little Alpine. From 
its native home on the Rocky Mountains it was 
introduced in 1875. Specimens of M. a. hirsuta from 
the Platte Valley, where it grows in shady, grassy 
places, as well as fertile meadows, are taller, and well 
clothed with hairy leaves. In Colorado it ascends to 
an elevation of from 11,000 ft. to 14,000 ft. 
M. virginica. —The three tallest and most suitable 
kinds for border decoration that have been introduced 
would include M. virginica, M. sibirica, and M. 
paniculata, of which the first two are certainly the best. 
M. virginica enjoys a wide distribution in the United 
States, including the Alleghany Mountains, and goes 
under the name of the American Cowslip, just as 
Pulmonaria augustifolia is known as the Blue Cowslip 
in this country. In its native home it delights to grow 
on the banks of brooks. The stems attain a height of 
from 1 ft. to 2 ft., and are rather thinly furnished with 
large, oval, blunt, glaucous, very distinct-looking 
leaves. The flowers are large, showy, freely produced 
in terminal panicles or cymes, and vary in colour from 
pale rose to violet and blue. It was introduced to 
Britain nearly a hundred years ago—namely, in 1799 — 
but is yet comparatively rarely rnet with, although an 
exceedingly handsome herbaceous plant. There is a 
figure of it in the Botanical Magazine, t. 100, under the 
name of Pulmonaria virginica. — F. 
-- 
JfoTES from Scotland. 
-- 
Fruit Prospects in the North.—I see by your 
last issue that the fruit crops in the south promise to 
be of a satisfactory nature. Here, in the Isle of 
Raasay, I may say that I have seldom seen the fruit 
trees look better, and the Apples especially. The 
blossoms were so thick, and the individual flowers so 
large, that the foliage was almost completely hidden 
from view. Plums have set abundantly, and also 
Cherries, but Pears are very poor indeed. The small 
fruits look very well, and we expect a good fruit 
harvest, as, practically speaking, we have had no frost 
to hurt the blossoms for the last seven weeks. Rain is 
the greatest bugbear in this district. 
Syringing 1 Vines. —I cannot altogether concur 
in your correspondent’s (Mr. Gaut’s) idea that it is an¬ 
tagonistic to the laws of nature to dash water on the 
under-side of the leaves. What do we syringe Vines 
and other plants for but to keep down the insect pests, 
which are found most generally on the under-side of 
the leav.es. Water carefully applied through the 
syringe to Vines up to the time of colouring is in 
many cases very beneficial, and if perfectly clean water 
be used there is little fear of the foliage or berries being 
spotted. I do not uphold syringiug Vines if the foliage 
is not attacked by red spider, and it is not the practice 
of the leading grape growers to syringe them under 
such circumstances.— William Minty, The Gardens, 
Baasay Rouse, Slromc/ernj, May ‘12nd. 
Royal Horticultural Society of Aber¬ 
deen.—The acting directors of this society met the 
other day, Mr. Alex. Robson (of Messrs. William Smith 
& Son), vice-president, occupying the chair, to discuss 
the estimates for the various works in connection with 
the grand floral fete to be held under the auspices of the 
society in the Duthie Public Park, on the 22nd, 23rd, 
and 24th August next. Additional marquee accommo¬ 
dation is to be provided, and the grounds are to be 
illuminated in the evenings on an extensive scale ; 
indeed, the programme of fireworks and illuminations 
promises to be one of the most elaborate ever witnessed 
in the north of Scotland. Altogether the fete promises 
to be the largest and most successful held under the 
auspices of the society. It was agreed to recommend 
to the annual meeting that a spring show be held by 
the society in April next year. A cordial vote of 
thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings. 
Sciadium arbuscula. —At a well-attended meet¬ 
ing of the members of the Natural History Society of 
Aberdeen, held in the University Buildings some weeks 
ago, Mr. John Roy, president of the society, communi¬ 
cated the occurrence of the Sciadium arbuscula (Braun), 
discovered for the first time in the British Isles in the 
month of November last by himself. The finding of 
the plant is somewhat interesting. Mrs. Farqnharson, 
of Haughton, forwarded to Mr. Roy, with other plants, 
a specimen she found glowing amoDgst leaves in a pool 
near Haughton (Aberdeenshire), and that gentleman 
was enabled from descriptions given by Dr. Braun to 
make the plant out to be the Sciadium arbuscula, 
which is found in Germany and other parts of the 
Continent. In his communication on the plant to the 
society, Mr. Roy in a very instructive manner described 
its growth in its various stages, and illustrated his 
remarks by drawings executed by Dr. Braun. Prof. 
J. W. H. Trail (Botany Chair), Aberdeen University, 
proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Roy for his 
interesting contribution to the science of botany, which 
was warmly accorded. [An individual specimen of 
this singular and interesting Protophyte is a very 
simple plant indeed, consisting of a single elongated 
cylindrical cell of no great length. The specific name 
arbuscula means a little tree, and the name is really 
applied to, and descriptive of a colony of individuals. 
The contents of the primitive cell constituting the 
organism break up into a number of ciliated zoospores, 
which do not, however, escape from the mother cell, but 
germinate there, and commence throwing out cells 
similar to that of the parent, but smaller. These in 
their turn do the same as the first, and so on for three 
or four generations, until the colony assumes the 
appearance of a small branching shrub or tree. The 
cells of the third and fourth generation are very much 
smaller than those of the primary one, and all resemble 
branches of a common plant, whereas the whole four 
series simply form a colony surmounting one another, 
with the base of the younger individuals springing from 
the apex of the older ones.—E d ] 
