January 26, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
841 
fruits of the common Cranberry were conveyed to 
Norwich and sold by the cartload. Likewise in 
Cumberland the poor people used to sell from £20 to 
£30 worth of fruit, in the town of Longton, every 
market day for a period of six weeks. Home-grown 
Cranberries can also be bought in some of the northern 
towns yet during the season. Some prefer the fruit of 
the common to the American Cranberry, and vice vcrsd ; 
but the quality of the former is said to be improved by 
growing it in dry sandy peat, when, however, the 
quantity is smaller than when grown in a bog bed. 
The American Cranberry is more frequently planted 
in artificial bog beds than is our native species, as the 
berries are larger and produced in greater quantity. 
They are globular, crimson, ripening in October, pro¬ 
ducing a succession, and remaining on the plants all 
the winter ; frost even improves them. The shoots are 
similar to those of the common Cranberry, but more 
vigorous, and the leaves are oblong, leathery, and not 
the means of turning off the water after that time, and 
allowing the beds to become dry—a process which 
hastens the maturity of the fruit, and improves its 
flavour as well as the keeping properties of the same 
while it is allowed to remain on the bushes. 
The American species is used largely for tarts while 
fresh ; but a large quantity is bottled or put into 
barrels for exportation to Britain as well as continental 
Europe. That our climate and boggy waste lands are 
capable of producing what we want for home 
consumption the above-mentioned instances show. 
Bottling of the fruit of the common Cranberry for 
future use is practised in some parts of this country— 
perhaps more so formerly than at present. One recipe 
for cooking Cranberries in this country is to add $ lb. 
of granulated sugar to 1 pint of fruit, also \ pint of 
water. Cook for ten minutes, shake the vessel, and do 
not stir. For tarts the same mixture is used, baking 
in an earthenware dish, having the fruit surmounted 
macrantha. Our illustration of it show 3 the flowers 
natural size. They are of a bright rosy purple colour, 
beautifully lined with darker somewhat branching 
veins, shown off to great advantage on the paler ground 
colour of the throat. 
The species was introduced from Brazil as recently 
as 1883 ; it grows there in shady woods and forests. 
In this country it responds readily to the temperature 
of an intermediate house, and flowers freely from 
December to February. The individual flowers are 
very durable for a member of this family, and remain 
in good condition for the space of a fortnight, while a 
succession is kept up during the time stated. After 
the plants have done flowering, they should be cut 
back to encourage the development of young wood for 
cuttings. The latter strike readily with a bottom heat 
of 80° in a compost consisting of loam, peat and leaf- 
soil, with a good dash of sand. After the cuttings are 
rooted, they may be grown on for next winter’s work, 
Ruellia macrantha. 
turned back at the edges. Many years ago this species 
grew so plentifully in Longton Bog, Mould, Flintshire, 
that it was considered worth recording in works on 
British botany as an American plant that had been 
sown (planted) there. 
It is rather surprising that the resources of this plant 
are not developed in this country in these times of 
depression in agriculture, seeing that there are many 
waste boggy places both in Britain and Ireland that 
might profitably be occupied by this plant, for which 
there is already a good market. There is a constant 
supply in Covent Garden Market throughout the 
winter, ootained from America, where they have given 
rise to a considerable industry. It is cultivated to 
some extent in this country in private establishments, 
where it affords a constant supply of wholesome and 
delicious fruit, which is gathered as required throughout 
the winter months. The plant may be grown in boggy 
places, or on the margin of a pond in beds of peat, 
where the surface of the latter is 1 in. or 2 ins. above 
the level of the water. It is more profitable, perhaps, 
to grow the plant in artificially-made beds of peat, 
which can be irrigated from April to September, with 
by a covering of wheaten flour. To preserve the fruit, 
the following recipe is given To every lb. of fruit 
allow 1 lb. of loaf-sugar ; carefully pick the fruit, put 
it in a preserving-pan with the sugar, and boil for half 
an hour, keeping the whole well stirred, and carefully 
removing all the scum as it rises. Put the jam into 
jars, and when cold cover down.— F. 
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RUELLIA MACRANTHA. 
The Acanthus family includes a vast number of plants 
mostly confined to the tropics, Acanthus itself, the 
type of the order, being an exception, and represented 
by several European species. A great number of the 
members of the family are of a weedy character ; but a 
considerable number of the showiest have now found 
their way into our stoves and greenhouses, where they 
prove valuable from the fact that they flower in winter, 
furnishing considerable variety with other subjects. It 
must not, however, be overlooked that the Aphelandra, 
and others, have handsome and ornamental foliage. 
There are several species of Ruellia in cultivation, but 
their flowers are small compared with those of R. 
and the old plants thrown away. The plant would 
ultimately attain a height of 4 ft. or 6 ft., but by 
annual propagation it can be kept low and bushy. 
-->e£<-- 
ACACIA DRUMMONDI. 
This is perhaps one of the best-habited greenhouse 
Acacias grown. It usually, when under good cultiva¬ 
tion, keeps in the form of a close and compact bush, 
without the necessity of having to use the knife to 
make it so. It flowers in a very small state, but it is 
not advisable to allow it to bloom in a very young 
condition. The energy of the root-action should be 
encouraged, to cause the little plants to develop and 
make themselves as large as possible in a season. 
The young plants, which may be obtained from 
cuttings, require a few seasons’ good growth to make 
them into nice shapely plants fit for grouping or for 
single specimens. 
The plant shows best when about 18 ins. high and 
proportionately bushy, and from this size up to plants 
3 ft. to 4 ft. in height. This size of plants, when well 
furnished with healthy shoots and in full bloom, makes 
