296 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 5, 1889. 
can be no question, and trees in tbe flowering and 
fruiting state bear shorter and broader leaves of various 
shapes, but altogether devoid of the beauty of the 
juvenile stage of the tree. The plants alluded to are 
furnished with short lateral branches down to the pot, 
bearing long, drooping, linear leaves of a dark shining 
green, with a crimson midrib. The branches were at 
first described as pinnate leaves giving off so many 
pairs of leaflets, but that idea must now be abandoned, 
just as in the case of Phyllanthus pallidifolius and 
several other species. 
G-reyia Sutherland!. 
In its native country, Natal, this plant flowers very 
profusely; but hitherto a difficulty has been experienced 
in flowering it regularly in this country. It is a 
member of the Soapwort family, but more nearly allied 
to Melianthus, often grown for the heauty of its 
foliage, than to the Maples with which we are most 
familiar. The leaves are roundly ovate, and shallowly 
lobed or coarsely toothed, and the flowers are produced 
in terminal racemes at the end of the shoots. Indi¬ 
vidually they are not large, but being crimson, with 
long projecting stamens, and styles of the same colour, 
they are rather conspicuous in the aggregate. It is a 
tree of some size in its native home, and delights in 
rocky mountainous places, and therefore requires a 
period of rest corresponding to the dry season, in order 
to flower it. A plant about 4 ft. in height is now 
flowering at Kew in the succulent house, where it is 
subjected to a dry warm atmosphere during the winter 
months. 
Lachenalia pendula. 
The flowers of this species are larger, perhaps, than any 
other of the genus, yet there are several others which 
are more extensively cultivated—to wit, L. Nelsoni, 
a garden hybrid, and various forms of L. tricolor, in¬ 
cluding the type. The latter is most extensively 
cultivated of any ; but there seems no reason why that 
under notice should not eujoy the same popularity. 
The flowers are borne on purple-spotted stems, rising 
clear above the foliage, and yellow tinted with scarlet, 
and deep purple at the mouth. It is, perhaps, less 
suitable for basket-work than L. tricolor, but for 
cultivation in pots it certainly makes an effective plant 
for conservatory decoration at this season of the year. 
The best time to re-pot the bulbs is in August, or before 
they commence to make fresh growth. They are very 
impatient of a close, stagnant atmosphere, and should 
be ventilated freely on all occasions when the weather 
is sufficiently mild, excluding frosts and cold winds, 
which injure the foliage, not only spoiling the ap¬ 
pearance of the plants, but preventing the bulbs from 
attaining their proper development. — J. 
Solomon’s Seal. 
Polygonatuh mtjltiflorttm is useful as a forced plant 
in pots, and should be in every collection. It is pretty 
and graceful either grown from a single crown in small 
pots, or from several together in larger ones, according 
to taste, or to the uses required of them. For large 
vases a good bunch of these in large pots, well grown, 
has a very pretty effect, but for grouping in masses 
with other plants the single stems are the best. For 
early forced plants the crowns will require to be well 
covered with ashes or coco-nut fibre until they have 
well started, or they may be difficult to start at all.— 
Alfred Gant. 
Datura suaveolens. 
The value of this plant is greatly enhanced from the 
fact that it may be had in flower almost at any time, 
summer or winter, according to treatment. If grown 
in pots it need only be hard-pruned back and re-started. 
The roots should be kept rather dry until growth has 
recommenced, and at this time re-potting should be done 
if considered necessary. Being rather gross in growth, 
they soon exhaust the soil, and to secure the best 
results with regard to the number and size of the 
blooms, they must have liberal treatment. The 
individual flowers are pendent, trumpet-shaped, and 
not unfrequently 1 ft. in length, pure white, and sweet 
scented, as the specific name implies. It is, perhaps, 
better known in this country under the names of 
Brugmansia arborea and B. alba, as they belong to 
this section of the genus. From the true Daturas they 
are distinguished by the ovary being two- (not four) 
celled, by the fruit being smooth (not spiny as seen in 
D. Stramonium), and by the shrubby habit. The 
characters of the fruit remind us of the differences 
between disculus and Pavia amongst trees. 
Lilium giganteum Seed. 
An experiment here with the seed of Lilium giganteum 
seems worthy of publication. In July, a Lily blooming 
in a bed at Wisley had much richer-coloured flowers 
than I had ever before seen, so I cut the stem and took 
it up to the Royal Horticultural Society’s Show on the 
24th of that month. Some good authorities there 
were as much struck with the colour as I had been, so 
I regretted that all the flowers had been cut, and the 
chance of seed lost. I brought the stem home, and as 
a forlorn hope set it in a pickle-bottle full of water in 
our porch. The seed pods formed and swelled, and 
though not so large as usual, some of them were 
plump. When cold weather came and the pods seemed 
damping they were cut off, and the ripening process 
continued in my den. On the 24th of last month I 
had the pleasure of sowing a fair lot of what appeared 
to be good seed. — George F. Wilson, Heatherbank, 
Weybridge Heath, December 28 th, 1888. 
Lilium neilgherrense. 
Not the least recommendable feature of this Lily is 
that it may be flowered at various times during the 
winter by varying the treatment, so as to forward or 
retard it. Another important property is its fragrance, 
resembling in this respect L. longiflorum and its more 
popular variety, L. 1. eximium, best known in gardens 
under the name of L. Harrisii. They seem to be 
intimately allied, and to form geographical varieties of 
one type. On an average, however, L. neilgherrense 
is considerably taller than its congener, but the height 
of 6 ft. given by Mr. G. F. Wilson (p. 262) is very 
unusual, in fact, almost twice the usual stature. Five 
flowers on a stem is also much above the usual average. 
As a rule (on newly imported bulbs especially) one or 
two flowers are produced on a stem. The tube is much 
longer and more slender than that of L. longiflorum, 
say about 4 ins. or 5 ins , and pale greenish yellow, 
while the limb is almost as white as in the other Lilies 
mentioned.— J. 
Sericographis Ghiesbreghtiana. 
It is a great pity this plant is not more generally 
grown. It is a beautiful winter-flowering subject, with 
deep rich scarlet blossoms, and useful either as a 
decorative plant or for cut flowers. Cuttings should be 
struck in spring, and they root very freely in good 
bottom heat, either one in a pot or several in a 48, 
according to taste, and potted on to 48’s as they 
require it. They should be grown in a stove tempera¬ 
ture until about July or the beginning of August, when 
they should be ripened off in cool pits, and placed 
again in a temperature not lower that 50° about 
the middle or end of September, according to the 
weather. Under such treatment they flower pretty 
freely in mid-winter. Small plants are best, and, 
therefore, should be struck every year ; old plants in 
pots get very shabby if grown on after the first year. 
They will do very well if planted out in an inter¬ 
mediate house. The soil required is an admixture of 
loam, peat and leaf-soil, with a little well decom¬ 
posed cow manure and silver sand. They also like a 
little manure water as the pots get filled with roots.— 
Alfred Gaul. 
Jasminum gracillimum. 
Whoever possesses a few plants of this lovely stove 
subject will not be short of a few clusters of beautiful 
white, sweet-scented flowers for several weeks to come. 
It is one of the best winter-flowering plants that any 
one can possess, provided that it can be given a tempera¬ 
ture of not less than 00°. Several plants under my charge 
are at present flowering profusely, and we find them 
exceedingly useful for cutting from, as white flowers 
are not at all too plentiful at this season of the year. 
The plants are very free-growing, and if treated 
liberally and given an occasional watering with liquid 
manure will produce flowers freely and continuously 
from all the young growths for a length of time. The 
plant can be grown as a bush or climber—either way 
will suit it ; but if tied loosely to string or wires up 
the roof, and the young wood allowed to hang down, it 
will add greatly to its effectiveness. Cuttings of young 
side shoots strike quickly if given a little bottom heat, 
or a better plan is to take up any of the suckers (plenty 
of which are generally to be found around the stem 
of the plant) with a few roots attached, and which, if 
potted carefully and grown on briskly, will not fail to 
give a good quantity of flowers the following winter and 
spring.— S. C., L. 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE STOVE. 
Gardenias. —Should there be any lack of flowers at 
this period—an occurrence which is very likely after 
the demands for decorative purposes at this festive 
season—a few of the more forward plants in stock 
should be put into strong bottom-heat in order to hasten 
them into bloom. Their near ally, Tabemaemontana 
coronaria flore pleno, may also be treated in the same 
way. Not oniy are white flowers held in high esti¬ 
mation, but the fragrance of the above-mentioned 
flowers is a quality that is unhappily absent in many 
otherwise valuable and most popular subjects, such as 
Eucharis, Camellias, Azaleas, and Richardias. 
Euphorbias. —The plants of Euphorbia (Poinsettia) 
pulcherrima which have had their tops removed may be 
placed on a shelf, or as many of the best of them as 
may be required for stock, in order to ripen their wood. 
Gradually withhold water till they shed their leaves, 
and when this has happened watering may be discon¬ 
tinued altogether till the buds commence to move 
again. After the leaves fall, remove the plants to a 
lower temperature—say, 55°—which will be more con¬ 
genial to their welfare than a cooler house. E. fulgens 
(Jacquiniseflora), after having their tops removed for 
cut-flower purposes, need not be dispensed with, as 
they are capable, under generous treatment, of pro¬ 
ducing a second supply of blooms by throwing out 
smaller side-shoots that will be found useful. Place 
them near the light, and water very sparingly till 
growth recommences ; and the less foliage they have 
at present, the less moisture will they require. They 
will furnish small but useful sprays till April. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Camellias. —In the matter of watering these must 
not be overlooked during any period of the year, but 
particularly so during the flowering period, otherwise 
the buds will drop, causing disappointment. Manure 
and occasionally soot-water will be of great benefit to 
them. Plants in pots or tubs will require more careful 
attention than those that are placed out. 
Richardias. —It is usual to keep these entirely in 
a greenhouse temperature, in which moreover they do 
well enough, but they are much later in coming into 
bloom. Growth is, however, more rapid, and a much 
greater quantity of flowers is produced if kept in a 
temperature of 60° to 65°. For cut-flower purposes a 
supply can thus be kept up throughout the winter, 
and plants may also be introduced to the show house 
or conservatory as required. 
THE FORCING HOUSES. 
Melons. —The earliest sowing of Melons may now be 
made, giving preference to some well-tried kind upon 
which reliance can be placed. Sow the seeds singly 
in small pots so as to avoid potting during the dull 
and sunless weather we may yet experience, and while 
vegetative vigour is at a low ebb. Plunge the pots in 
a brisk bottom heat so that the seedlings may be 
induced to germinate freely. 
Strawberries. —-If ripe fruit is required by the 
beginning of April, a batch of plants may be prepared 
and placed in a vinery or Peach house that has just 
been started, and where the temperature is about 40® or 
45°. Examine the pots to see that the drainage is 
perfect, and that they contain no worms. Then the 
surface soil may be picked off, and a top-dressing of 
horse-droppings that have been kept for some time 
applied in its stead. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Rubbish Heaps. —Whenever a dry or a frosty day 
occurs, so that the material is somewhat dry, have a 
pile got ready and set fire to, adding fresh fuel as the 
tire kindles up Then all the prunings, hedge- 
clippings and old fruit trees that have been rooted up 
should be collected together and reduced to ashes. If 
there are large roots, or the material is wet, the fire 
may smoulder for a day or two ; but the smoke given 
off the first day only will cause any inconvenience. 
‘The residue will prove a most valuable manure, and 
may be spread on the surface of newly trenched ground, 
or slightly forked in before sowing or planting. All 
the nodular pieces of charcoal should be kept for 
potting purposes, and will be found useful. 
Peas and Beans. —Sowings of these should be 
made on warm, dry borders to succeed those sown in 
pots or boxes indoors. William I., Little Gem, 
Chelsea Gem, and American Wonder are suitable 
kinds. An early sowing of Beans should also be 
made. A covering of wood-ashes is sometimes given 
to Peas, and ivould be beneficial if the soil is wet, and 
also from a manurial point of view. 
