784 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
August 10, 1889. 
and the fungus are both dead. But even 
with a disease visitation, we have little to fear. 
Last year, when the attack was a very had 
one, it was all the same—never were Potatos 
cheaper, and now there is such a splendid 
crop that thousands of bushels may presently 
be purchased at literally absurd prices. It is 
the knowledge that, somehow or other, there 
will always be plenty of Potatos, in spite 
of the ravages of the disease, which leads 
us to regard its attacks with considerable 
O 
philosophy. 
On the whole, perhaps, it will be found 
that the raiser of new robust kinds has proved 
to be the saviour of our Potato crops. But 
for those who have laboured in that direction, 
we might not have had a variety which could 
have withstood the effects of the fungus for 
a season ; now we have plenty of robust kinds, 
and, as seen everywhere, plenty of Potatos. 
Thus all attacks of the Potato disease give 
us no cause to despair. 
f MPORTED Apples. — It will comfort home 
growers of Apples but little to learn, on 
the authority of Canadian papers, that Apples 
in that colony are thin—indeed, comparatively 
a small crop. In such case it seems probable, 
unless the American States are better provided, 
that imported Apples will presently be dear, 
and if we had a good crop at home an addi¬ 
tional couple of shillings per bushel at least, 
if not more, might have been possible. As it 
is, we have a very thin crop of Apples at home, 
and those we have are chiefly of the early 
kinds. A good price in the autumn will lead 
to early gatherings and marketing, therefore 
it looks as if we should find Apples scarce and 
dear during the winter. It is not infrequently 
said that no matter how short our crops at 
home, we shall always find an ample supply 
coming from somewhere ; but, so far as Apples 
are concerned, it does seem as if all the 
world over the crop is a short one. 
ate Peas.— Those who took the trouble to 
make late sowings of Peas are this year 
being rewarded. Sowings made so late as June 
will this year give a good supply up to the end 
of the month, and even later if of late sorts, 
although it is wisest on the whole to sow for 
the latest cropping, kinds which are rather 
precocious, because less liable to mildew. 
Still, this season the heavy rains which fell so 
liberally a few weeks ago so thororrghly 
moistened the soil, and established the plants, 
that they can hardly suffer, especially as any 
appreciable return of drought is no longer 
probable. As Runner Beans, which next to 
Peas constitute the best pulse crop, are shorter 
than usual this year, late Peas will prove more 
than ordinarily useful, whilst the cooler 
weather will render the crop sweet and good. 
-- 
Wolverhampton Horticultural Society.—We are 
pleased to hear that the recent flower show in the 
Public Park, at Wolverhampton, noticed in our issue 
for July 27th, and which was the first held by the 
newly-constituted society, resulted in a net profit of 
£600. 
Lobelia, Granite City.—This is a very fine white 
of the Pumila type, a neat compact grower, very free, 
and the flowers a fine clear white. 
Phlox, Joan of Arc.—In the Swanley collection 
this proves to he the finest of all the whites as a bedder, 
growing only to the height of about 2 ft., and pro¬ 
ducing grand heads of bloom. 
Zonal Pelargonium, Minuit. — This fine French- 
raised variety, as seen at Swanley, is a grand beat in 
colour on Henry Jacob}', being of a much darker shade 
of crimson, while of the same free-growing and flori- 
ferous habit. The Jacobys, Sam, William, and Henry, 
all dark-coloured varieties, have proved such useful 
bedding plants, on account of their fine deep colours, 
that it seemed well nigh impossible to get anything to 
surpass them, but Minuit ( Anglice , Midnight) is a 
decided step in advance. 
Paris Universal Exhibition.—It has been decided 
that the awards which will be made in connection with 
the International Horticultural and Flower Shows to 
be held between August 2nd and September in connec¬ 
tion with classes eighty and eighty-one of the Paris 
Exhibition will be included in the general distribution 
of awards to be made at the end of September. These 
shows include fruits and flowers, either cut, in pots, or 
planted out. 
The Dutch Bulb Growers Union.—The General 
Eoyal Union for promoting the cultivation of flower 
roots at Haarlem has just issued a schedule of prizes 
for its sixteenth flower show, and the fourth large 
exhibition held at Haarlem. These larger displays are 
held every five years on the same system as obtains at 
Ghent. The show promises to be even more attractive 
than the last, which was held in 1885. The prizes 
offered number 253, consisting of gold, gilt, silver, and 
bronze medals offered in 105 classes for Hyacinths, 
Tulips, Narcissus, Crocus, Amaryllis, and all sorts of 
miscellaneous bulbs and roots, as well as for bouquets, 
&c., consisting of flowers of the same class of plants. 
The show is organised to promote the cultivation of 
bulbs in the Haarlem country, and will doubtless prove 
a great attraction for foreign horticulturists and amateur 
growers of bulbous flowering plants. It will be open 
from the 21st to 25th March, 1890. Further informa¬ 
tion can be had from the general secretary, Mr. D. 
Bakker, Gedempte Oude Gracht No. 110, Haarlem, 
Holland. 
Show of Workmen’s Flowers at the Crystal 
Palace.—The show of flowers, fruit and vegetables, the 
produce of cottagers’ gardens, which is to be held in 
connection with the Great National Co-operative 
Festival at the Crystal Palace, on August 17th, appears 
likely to be the largest exhibition of the kind ever held. 
Last year, with a much more limited schedulo, the 
exhibits numbered over 3,500, and filled the long 
central nave of the Palace from end to end. This year, 
in accordance with suggestions made by the judges and 
stewards, the prize list has been very greatly extended, 
both in number and value of rewards. The prize list 
amounts to about £500 in money, besides medals and 
honorary certificates, and this sum is divided into about 
700 prizes, in 245 classes. The prizes vary in amount 
from 2s. up to three guineas each. It is expected that, 
at the close of this remarkable show, there will be from 
twenty to thirty van-loads of choice flowers, fruit and 
vegetables, to be given to the London hospitals. 
Veronica spicata alba.—A rather robust variety, 
seemingly intermediate between V. spicata and V. 
longifolia, and is occasionally seen in nurseries and 
private gardens under the name of V. amoena. When 
well grown the stems reach the height of 12 ins. or 
15 ins., and when seen in mass it is very pretty and 
well deserving of the name Amcena, which means lovely. 
The flowers are pure white, a very unusual occurrence 
in the genus, blue being the most frequent or constant 
colour in the genus, while purple and rose are less 
common. There is, however, a rose-coloured variety 
of V. longifolia, an old and rather widely distributed 
plant, having a pleasing effect when grown in association 
with the ordinary kind. Owing to its dwarf habit, 
V. spicata alba is suitable for cultivation in the rock 
garden. 
Claytonia alsinoides in Edensor Wood.—In the 
Edensor Wood (Chatsworth) there was lately a sight of 
remarkable novelty. Wherever the ground is not 
occupied by bracken, it is thickly covered by a pretty 
little plant with white flowers, the Claytonia alsinoides 
of the catalogues. The interest of the occurrence 
consists in the Claytonia being no Briton by birthright, 
but a native of Nootka Sound, whence it was introduced 
as a garden curiosity in 1794. How it got into the 
Edensor Woods is not known. Whatever the story 
may be, the little foreigner took so lovingly to the 
spot that by 1835 it was thoroughly naturalised, and 
so plentiful that Mr. (afterwards Sir Joseph) Paxton, 
head gardener to the Duke of Devonshire, sent it to 
Oxford as a new claimant to be considered one of the 
proper flora of our islands, and Mr. Baxter at once 
figured it, abreast of the Cowslip and the Bluebell, in 
that beautiful work, the British Flowering Plants, as 
may be seen at the City Library (Manchester). Every¬ 
where in and about the villages of North-western 
America the Claytonia grows like Chickweed in England, 
producing seed beyond calculation, as would be expected 
of so near a relative of “ pusley” (one of the Portulacas), 
the irrepressible weed to which so many facetious 
allusions are made in that charming little American 
book, My Summer in a Garden. Several other 
American plants have similarly established themselves 
in England, the Claytonia perfoliata and the Impatiens 
parviflora being particularly noted. Seeing that the 
“collectors ” (not the botanists, who, with all their 
failings, are never selfish), are rapidly exterminating 
so many of our prettiest and rarest native wild-flowers, 
there is solace in the fact that others come from the 
uttermost parts of the earth to take their places. 
Nature, the incomparably patient, always smiles through 
her tears and finds balm for every hurt.— Manchester 
City News. 
Prunus semperflorens.—The name of Ever-flowering 
Cherry is given on account of its flowers being developed 
much later in the season than are those of other species, 
which mostly flower in spring before and during the 
development of the leaves. The flowers are produced 
singly in the axils of the leaves of a shoot produced in 
summer, and the inflorescence then resembles a leafy 
raceme, and as such it may well be considered. The 
flowering is therefore continued over several weeks, 
and the fruit continues to ripen over a lengthened 
period of time. The latter is globular, of good size, 
deep red when ripe, sweet and agreeable to the palate. 
When grafted standard high the tree forms a round 
head, with numerous slender drooping branches abun¬ 
dantly hung with its brightly coloured fruit, constituting 
a handsome object for the lawn. If planted near 
dwelling houses, birds which are very fond of the fruit 
will be scared away for a time. Under favourable 
conditions it will prove highly ornamental for the 
greater part of the summer, from the time the flowers 
commence to open till the last of the fruits drop from 
the tree or are eaten by birds. It is believed to be a 
garden production, and was cultivated as early as 1700. 
Lysimacliia Clethroides.—There are several white- 
flowered species of Lysimachia, but this plant may be 
considered the most generally useful. It is certainly 
an ornamental species, both for the decoration of the 
herbaceous border or for cut flowers, and commences 
flowering in July. Under favourable conditions as to 
soil and moisture it will continue in bloom to Septem¬ 
ber. The stems are erect, 12 ins. to 18 ins. high, 
bearing a terminal raceme of flowers, varying from 
6 ins. to 12 ins. in length. Before the expansion of 
the flowers, the apex of the racemes droops and 
gradually straightens itself, as the blooms open from 
below upwards. The leafage is ample, the lower leaves 
being the largest. The flowers are perceptibly and 
agreeably fragrant, and for that reason, as well as for 
their purity, are to be recommended for cut-flower 
purposes. In order to get the best results from the 
plant, it should be grown in moderately rich and 
tolerably moist soil. All the Lysimachias are moisture- 
loving plants, and although comparatively few of them 
are decidedly aquatic in their habits, yet in a state of 
nature they are generally or nearly always found in 
tolerably moist localities. 
Anthuriam Dickii.—A very curious species is grown 
under this name by Mr. B. S. Williams, The leaves 
are of considerable length and pointed, but otherwise 
greatly resembling a bat, such as is used by cricket 
players. The petiole may be considered the handle of 
the bat, and owing to its curious structure the re¬ 
semblance is not inapt nor far-fetched. It is lanceolate 
in outline, semi-cylindrical—that is, flat above and 
rounded on the back and of great thickness, while the 
long blade itself is quite flat. It would be an interesting 
plant to grow in a collection of others, and would even 
find many admirers on account of the singularity of its 
thick and curiously-shaped petioles. 
Beaufortia purpurea. — The old-fashioned hard- 
wooded subjects are at a discount at present, a fact 
which is rather to be regretted for more reasons than 
one. Many of the plants are, indeed, beautiful objects 
when in flower, and are at all times very distinct from 
the soft-wooded subjects with which the greenhouses 
everywhere are mostly filled. Then another fact that 
must not be lost sight of is, that young gardeners now 
have seldom an opportunity of making themselves 
acquainted with the culture of this class of plants, 
which is entirely distinct from that of the many soft- 
wooded subjects which have now usurped their place. 
Beaufortia purpurea belongs to the Myrtle family, and 
has a slender, branching, somewhat Heath-like habit, 
and the stems are densely clothed with small lanceolate 
leaves, not unlike those of an Epacris. The flowers 
are individually very small, but are aggregated in dense 
heads or spikes close to the apex of the shoots, and are 
purple, with long exserted stamens of the same colour. 
The axis continues to grow after a time, so that the 
spikes of fruit or flowers get left behind, encircling the 
axis, as in the case of Oallistemon, Metrosideros, and 
other's. The plant forms a dwarf, compact bush, and 
is very floriferous, even in a small state. 
