July 6, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
705 
may be considered a comparatively neglected plant. 
Now and again it crops up under a new name, but 
does not get so widely disseminated in gardens as its 
merits deserve. The individual flowers droop on their 
pedicels, showing the exterior, which is the most 
highly coloured. As a plant for the shrubbery or 
mixed beds on the lawn by the side of the double white 
variety it is really charming, and should be rescued 
from the unmerited neglect it now suffers. 
Spiuaia japonica. —This must not be confused with 
the plant so extensively grown for forcing purposes, 
and known under the names of Spiraea japonica and 
Hoteia japonica, the true name of which is Astilbe 
japonica. The shrubby species under notice is also 
known as Spirma callosa and S. Fortunei. It is a 
native of China and Japan, from which it was originally 
introduced in 1859. The typical form has bright rosy 
red flowers, produced in large, flat, branched corymbs, 
and grows from 3 ft. to 6 ft. in height. The white 
form (S. j. alba) is a choice and handsome little shrub, 
seldom exceeding 1 ft. in height, and bearing a great 
profusion of pure white flowers. S. j. splendens is also 
a dwarf variety, with peach-coloured flowers, and 
eminently adapted for forcing. S. j. rubra has deep 
red flowers, and forms a highly desirable plant for the 
shrubbery. As a species S. japonica is extremely 
liable to variation, more especially in the colour of the 
flowers. 
Cistus LADANIFEP-US. —Like the rest of its congeners, 
the flowers of this species are very striking and showy, 
but they are at the same time very fugacious. The 
flowers are large, solitary, terminating the branches, 
and when fully expanded measure 3 ins. or more in 
diameter. In the month of June they suddenly ex¬ 
pand in batches during the prevalence of bright 
weather ; but in a day or so thereafter they complete 
their maturation and drop, to be succeeded by others 
if the plant is a large one. The typical form has pure 
white flowers, but C. 1. maculatus has a black or dark 
blood-coloured blotch at the base of each petal, and 
besides being the showiest form, is the commonest in 
gardens. A large plant of this variety has been 
flowering freely for some time at The Grange, Wall- 
ington. The leaves are narrowly oblong, very dark in 
colour, and evergreen. 
Rosa moschata. —Our native field Rose (R. arvensis) 
belongs to the same group as the Himalayan species, 
and the two are similar in habit, inasmuch as the 
stems are long, slender, and sprawl on the ground or 
scramble over bushes with which they come in contact. 
There is a large old specimen of Rosa moschata 
near the succulent house at Kew, which annually 
makes as grand a display as any single wild Rose 
can well do. The flowers are of large size, white, 
or blush tinted, and are produced in large terminal 
corymbs or clusters. The long rambling stems clamber 
over an old Yew hedge and are 12 ft. or 15 ft. in 
length. Such a plant would be an acquisition in the 
wild garden, for it is showier and more floriferous than 
our native field Rose, and has larger leaves with long 
lanceolate leaflets. For horticultural purposes it ranks 
next to R. multiflora in the class to which all the 
above-mentioned kinds belong, and which may be 
described as climbing Roses. June and July are the 
months during which R. moschata, sometimes called 
Brown’s Rose, is at its best. 
Styrax serrulata. —There are several forms of 
this, both in a wild and cultivated state. The species 
as a whole is a native of Eastern Asia from India to 
Japan. From the latter country comes a dwarf and 
free-floweriDg form, which is to be found in some 
gardens under the name of S. japonica. The latter is 
a fine plant, but is only a sub-variety of S. serrulata 
virgata. It produces its large, pure white, and Phil- 
adelphus-like flowers in racemes terminating the short 
lateral branches, and during June and July con¬ 
stitutes a very ornamental bush for the shrubbery 
or pleasure grounds. Like other Japanese shrubs, it 
proves quite hardy in the climatically more favoured 
parts of this country at least, but as yet is not very 
common. 
Zexobia speciosa.— Formerly and frequently even 
yet do we find this plant under the names of Andro¬ 
meda speciosa and A. cassinimfolia. The flowers, how¬ 
ever, are large, bell-shaped, and open—quite different 
in appearance from a true Andromeda. They are pure 
white, and produced in such abundance on healthy 
subjects that they constitute the plant an object of 
great beauty. The leaves are green, but those of the 
variety Z. s. pulverulenta are covered on the under 
surface with a white powdery-looking material. This 
form is also very floriferous. 
HELIOHRYSUM BRACTEATUM. 
The flower heads of this Australian annual are large 
compared with those of most species of plants coming 
under the designation of everlastings, and have been 
greatly improved in gardens with respect to size, but 
more especially colour. A considerable number of 
forms have received varietal names, but a packet of 
seed from a good strain will afford a large amount of 
variation in all the leading colours. The value of the 
flower heads and their durable properties depend on 
the dry coloured bracts which surround the true 
flowers. The primary or typical colour of the species 
would seem to have been yellow, but they are now 
golden yellow, pale yellow, orange, crimson, rose, pink, 
and other shades of colour in endless variety ; and 
some are said to be double on account of the great size 
of the heads and the greatly increased number of bracts. 
The larger illustration accompanying this shows the 
form and appearance of the flowers, while the smaller 
figure illustrates the habit. Treated as half-hardy 
annuals the various colour varieties are excellent as 
bedding plants for planting in clumps or as cut flowers 
either in the fresh or dried state. 
HELIOHRYSUM BRAGTEATUM. 
--- 
THE NATIONAL ROSE CON¬ 
FERENCE AT CHISWICK. 
There is but little to say of a complimentary char¬ 
acter respecting this event, which came off at Chiswick 
on Tuesday and Wednesda}'. It was a dismal failure 
from beginning to end, and had only one redeeming 
feature—the singularly interesting collections of old- 
fashioned Roses, and of species and varieties not often 
seen at exhibitions, which were contributed by a few 
of the leading trade growers. Beyond these the display 
of Roses about equalled the attendance of Rosarians— 
there was a handful of both—and no more. Of the 
why and the wherefore of this poor return for a moun¬ 
tain of labour we shall not now stay to inquire, suffice 
it for the moment to express our sorrow that such a 
failure should at this time have to be associated with 
Chiswick, and our hope that the garden, now looking 
at its best and full of interest, will in no way suffer 
through this unfortunate venture. 
The largest collection of Roses of all kinds grouped 
in their several families or classes was that shown by 
Messrs. Wm. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross. It con¬ 
tained 350 sorts, and was awarded a Silver-gilt Flora 
Medal. They were grouped according to their affinities, 
arranged in boxes to the number of nineteen, and 
occupied a large extent of table space. There were 
varieties of Musk Roses (Rosa moschata), Ayrshire, 
Moss, Perpetual, Provence, Polyantha, Tea, Climbing 
Tea, Noisette, Bourbon, and H.P. Roses in large 
quantities. A similar award was made to Messrs. Paul 
& Son, Cheshunt, for a meritorious, but less extensive 
group or collection similarly classified. Single and 
Polyantha Roses were very prominent in this collection. 
Other exhibits were made in Class 1 by Mr. W. 
Rumsey, Joynings Nurseries, AValtham Cross, who was 
awarded a Silver Banksian Medal, and by Mr. C. 
Turner, Slough, whose collection consisted largely of 
H.P. Roses. 
Class 2 was for a collection of Moss and Provence 
Roses, and that of Messrs. G. Bunyard & Co., Maidstone, 
being the most meritorious, was awarded a Silver 
Banksian Medal. The common crested and various 
white Moss Roses were very prominent in the collection. 
Messrs. William Paul & Son, and Messrs. J. Cranston, 
King’s Acre, Hereford, also exhibited in this class. 
Amongst old kinds that one misses at modern exhibi¬ 
tions are Lanei, rose ; White Bath, and Blairii No. 2, 
another beautiful rose kind. The third class was for 
hybrid Chinas, hybrid Bourbons, hybrid Noisettes, 
Gallicas, and Albas. Messrs. William Paul & Son, 
Messrs. G. Bunyard & Co., and Messrs. J. Cranston & 
Co. exhibited in this class. 
The space at our command does not permit of detail, 
otherwise much might be said of these beautiful garden 
Roses. A deep red variety named Ohl, a variety of R. 
gallica, reminds us of the old-fashioned cottage garden 
Roses of many years ago. A very pretty pink-coloured 
and wavy-margined Rose named Princess Louise 
Victoria, was very handsome. Single Roses of decora¬ 
tive value were shown by the Rev. J. H. Pemberton, 
Havenng-atte-Bower, Essex. They were, however, 
mostly double or somewhat improved garden forms, 
including the striped Damask, Scotch Blush, Crimson 
Damask, and R. cinnamomea plena. Climbing Roses 
were shown by Messrs. Wm. Paul & Son, Messrs. 
Paul & Son, and by Messrs. G. Bunyard & Co. They 
consisted of Ayrshire Roses, hybrid Chinas, varieties 
of R. sempervirens, Noisettes, such as W. A. Richard¬ 
son, with charming orange buds ; Celine Forestier, 
white; Marechal Niel, yellow; and various climbing 
Teas, such as Bouquet d’Or ; climbing Devoniensis, 
blush-white ; Beaute de l’Europe, and others. Other 
summer-flowering Roses were shown by Messrs. 
G. Bunyard & Co., and by Messrs. Paul & Son. 
Amongst these Rosa Mundi, rose striped with pink ; 
Perle des Panachees, handsomely striped and marked 
with purple, rose, and white ; Persian Yellow, double ; 
Austrian Briar, single yellow ; Alba, single white ; and 
R. indica, single and white, were very noticeable and 
pretty. 
The autumn-flowering Roses, so called, consisted 
mainly of H.P.’s and Tea Roses, as well as Polyanthas, 
the single or typical form of which has four or five 
white petals, greatly resembling a large-flowered 
Bramble, and China Roses. As might be expected, 
there was a good competition in the classes for H.P.’s 
and Teas, which are at present the most popular kinds, 
and greatly encouraged at all the principal shows. A 
Silver Banksian Medal was awarded to Messrs. J. 
Cranston & Co. for a collection of H.P.’s not exceeding 
forty-eight varieties, and a similar award was made to 
Messrs. Keynes, Williams & Co., Salisbury. Her 
Majesty, rose-pink, Merveille de Lyon, white, and 
Marquise de Castellane were very choice and often re¬ 
presented. Messrs. J. Burrell & Co., Cambridge, also 
showed in this class. A Silver Banksian Medal was 
awarded to Mr. Frank Cant, Colchester, for twenty- 
four varieties of H.P. Roses. Other exhibitors here 
were Messrs. Keynes, Williams & Co., Messrs. J. 
Cranston & Co., Messrs. G. Bunyard & Co., and 
Messrs. J. Cheal & Sons, Crawley, Sussex. Nearly all 
the same exhibitors competed again in the class for ten 
varieties, together with E. Mawley, Esq., Rose 
Bank, Berkhamstead. Teas and Noisettes were very 
fine, and attracted a large share of the attention of the 
public. The champion growers, Mr. Geo. Prince, 
Oxford, and Mr. F. Cant were each awarded a Silver 
Banksian Medal in the class for twenty-four varieties. 
