842 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 26, 1889. 
charming specimens for arranging singly in large 
conservatories, or for standing separately on pedestals 
in winter-garden arrangements. 
The flowers are pale yellow in colour, and the spikes 
are cylindrical, or somewhat resembling a bottle brush 
and come from the axil of the leaf, which is short and 
close set with pinnate leaflets, the flowers when fully 
developed almost hiding the entire foliage. 
It is one of the old-fashioned greenhouse plants of days 
gone by, but nevertheless a good showy useful plant, 
and well worthy of a place in any collection. 
The soil most suitable for it to grow in during the 
first few years from the cutting pot should be good 
sandy peat, but as the plant advances in years a little 
good loam may be added. The compost for larger 
plants is composed of equal parts of peat and loam, 
with good sharp sand to keep it open, at all times 
being careful to drain well. — W. G. 
-=***.- 
The Amateurs' Garden. 
Bedding Plants. 
The dull, dark days of winter, together with damp, is 
now telling pretty severely on such things as Pelar¬ 
goniums, Lobelias, and other soft-wooded or succulent¬ 
stemmed plants. The grower will note that all those 
subjects which were early and well rooted before it was 
necessary to house them for the winter, have stood the 
test better than those that were imperfectly rooted on 
the approach of the cold weather. This should press 
itself on the attention of those who have difficulty in 
keeping their bedding stuff healthy during the winter 
months. The only thing that can be done now is 
simply to keep them as dry as possible consistent with 
their needs ; for if water is withheld till the soil is 
dust dry, what roots the plants have must inevitably 
be killed, an occurrence which is highly undesirable. 
Give water when required early in the morning, and 
ventilate well during the day, using a little fire-heat 
occasionally during wet weather to dispel damp. 
Calceolarias, Violas and Pansies should have the lights 
thrown off during mild weather when it is not raining. 
Edgings. 
The present is a suitable season to plant fresh edgings, 
to lift and re-lay those already existing, or to make good 
whatever blanks occur in them. In the case of Box 
edgings, the better plan is to lift and re-lay the whole, 
rather than to patch and mend the gaps. Unless the 
edgings have recently been laid, and the plants quite 
dwarf, mending the gaps will always present a patchy 
appearance. 
In villa gardens a great many other subjects than 
Box may be used to much advantage. Where there is 
much traffic along the walks, a low tile edging may be 
used to maintain an even outline to the walk. Im¬ 
mediately inside of this the soil should be dug or made 
up close to the tiles, and planted with a line or band of 
something to hang over and hide the latter from view. 
Crocuses are often used for this purpose, and look very 
well indeed during the time they are in flower, but the 
ground ought to be carpeted with something else to 
take off its bare appearance. For this purpose 
Herniaria glabra, Veronica repens, Sedum lydium, S. 
acre, or even grass might be used with good effect. 
The grass would, however, require frequent mowing 
or clipping to preserve a neat appearance. Leaving 
Crocuses out of the question, any of the above may be 
used alone, or flowering plants of various kinds may 
be used with good effect. For this purpose Daisies 
may be used, or Aubrietias in various shades of purple, 
violet or lilac, also Veronica prostrata, V. rupestris, 
Thrift (Armeria vulgaris), some of the many beautiful 
varieties of Thyme, green or variegated, and several 
others, all of which form beautiful edgings, carpeting 
the ground. 
Snowdrops. 
These are often planted in the ordinary herbaceous 
border, where they are pretty enough while they last 
in flower ; but they never appear to better effect than 
when they spring up in clumps under the spreading 
branches of deciduous trees, or even peeping from under 
a hedge that is leafless in winter. In out-of-the-way 
corners of the garden, or on gras3 which is not closely 
cut in spring, Snowdrops also look uncommonly well ■ 
in fact, any position will suit them if the bulbs are not 
subject to be disturbed by digging and planting for 
the sake of other plants. Cultivators would do well to 
bear this in mind when putting in fresh bulbs—the 
single form is far more graceful and pretty than the 
double variety. Snowdrops are sometimes grown in 
pots for the decoration of the greenhouse. They do 
not, however, force well, and must simply be allowed 
to come on gradually in a cold frame, which they will 
do sooner than those grown in the open border. 
Winter Aconite and Anemone fulgens. 
The yellow-flowered Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) 
is here meant, not the true Aconites which flower in 
summer and autumn. The Winter Aconite really 
flowers in spring, but is always ready to utilise the 
first few warm days of that period, which may be in 
February or March, according to the nature of the time. 
Frequently it may be noticed that the yellow buds peer 
above ground soon after the thawing of snow or of the 
frozen soil. They are really in a forward state, and 
therefore must be reckoned amongst the earliest flowers 
we have. A sheltered place should be given them, so 
that their flowers may not be driven about by the wind 
or bespattered with rain. The scarlet-flowered Anemone 
fulgens in mild winters also comes very early in places 
that are sheltered by a wall or hedge on the northern 
exposure. The double form is not so pretty as the 
single. -- 
rARDENING tlllSCELLANY. 
Davallia elegans. 
Of the smaller-growing species of Davallia, that under 
notice is one of the most useful for general purposes, 
and one of those most frequently met with in gardens. 
It is very accommodating, inasmuch as it can be 
grown either in a stove or greenhouse. It is prac¬ 
tically deciduous, but under favourable circum¬ 
stances of heat and moisture, it retains its foliage 
till the new is about to develop. The fronds are tri¬ 
angular, 6 ins. to 10 ins. long according to the vigour 
of the plant, deep green, and finely divided. The 
creeping rhizomes are as much an object of interest as 
the foliage, when grown in baskets so as to display them 
to best advantage. At Parkside, Bavenscourt Park, 
the plants are grown in baskets, the rhizomes being 
allowed to ramble over the sides and attach themselves, 
so that by interlacing with one another the soil is 
almost concealed when the foliage is in good condition. 
The rhizomes are densely covered with rusty brown 
chaffy scales. —*— 
Capsicum, Little Gem. 
Capsicums are most frequently grown for economic 
purposes, although not a few of them are very orna¬ 
mental. Little Gem, as this particular variety is 
called, has been in cultivation for a number of years, 
and was honoured with a Certificate some six or seven 
years ago. Although the Capsicums are closely allied 
to the Solanums, they have a characteristic appearance 
which no practised eye can mistake, and therefore, 
although this plant has small scarlet fruits, it has quite 
a distinct habit of growth, and is perfectly different in 
general appearance from Solanum capsicastrum, now so 
popular as a greenhouse decorative plant. It branches 
very freely, but in such a way that the twigs are 
nearly on the same level, making the plant flat-topped. 
As the twigs all terminate in fruit, the berries are 
uppermost, and therefore more conspicuously situated 
than in Solanum capsicastrum. The plants, too, are 
annually grown from seed, so that they occasion no 
trouble, so far as propagation is concerned, and if 
grown in heat they may afterwards be transferred to 
the greenhouse in winter. 
Euphorbia fulgens. 
The above is the older name of the plant better known 
in gardens under the name of E. Jacquiniseflora, and it 
has therefore the right of priority. It is a native 
of Mexico, like the Poinsettia, and like that subject, 
enjoys a stove temperature—at least in winter. As far 
ns cultural treatment is concerned, it is even more 
accommodating than the Poinsettia, and when the upper 
or terminal part is cut away, the side shoots elongate, 
producing another crop of flowers, which although not 
so fine as the first lot, are nevertheless serviceable in 
many ways. By this means the flowering season is 
practically extended over the greater part of winter. 
A quantity of it was planted out in the Melon house at 
Tower House, Chiswick, after the Melons were cut last 
summer, and the plants are now 4 ft. or 5 ft. high and 
laden with their scarlet bracts, popularly spoken of as 
flowers. ■ ♦ - 
The Australian Banyan. 
Botanically this is Ficus maerophylla, a native of 
Queensland and New South Wales. It is also known 
as the Moreton Bay Fig, and may be met with in 
gardens, under the name of Ficus australis, probably 
because it comes from Australia. The true Banyan 
Tree is Ficus Bengalensis, a native of India, and it 
requires a stove temperature, whereas F. maerophylla 
is a greenhouse plant and seems to grow more freely 
than F. elastica ; at all events it branches much more 
freely. The leaves are thinner than those of the 
latter but are decidedly of a leathery character, 
ovate, oblong, cordate at the base, and deep green. 
They are, therefore, proportionately shorter and 
broader than those of F. elastica, and the plant is so 
hardy that it might well be used as a window subject 
instead of or in conjunction with the latter. It is as 
easily propagated, and grows faster under the same 
conditions. Several plants of it are dotted about the 
conservatory and greenhouses at Parkside, Bavenscourt 
Park. t 
Cornish Moneywort. 
Of the half dozen known species of Sibthorpia, the 
most common in gardens is S. europaea, the variegated 
variety being the most popular and prettiest. The 
green form is, perhaps, most frequently to be met with 
because it is less difficult to grow than S. e. variegata. 
The latter is, moreover, a beautiful plant when well 
grown. The species is a native of England as well as 
of the Continent, but is rare as far as the first-named 
place is concerned, being found chiefly in Cornwall, as 
the name implies. Moneywort—as well as Penny leaf 
and Pennywort, all applied to it—refers to the round 
shape of the leaf, which is about the size of the silver 
penny. It likes an abundance of moisture, both at 
the root and in the atmosphere, and succeeds best in 
a partially shaded place, and would therefore prove 
suitable for a cool Orchid house or cool fernery, grown 
either in small pots or pans. We noticed a quantity of 
it in healthy condition at Tower House, Chiswick. 
Mushroom Culture. 
I note that on p. 307, second column, Mr. Murray- 
Garden, of Aberdeen, is reported to have said that from 
l-16th of an acre in this neighbourhood “ Mushrooms 
were produced at the rate of £1,600 to the acre.” As I 
like to see good results, if Mr. Murray-Garden will 
kindly state where this sixteenth of an acre is, I will 
(all being well) go and view it. This is £100 a year off 
300 square yards.— J. C., Leeds. 
Azalea Deutsche Perle. 
Those who have to supply plants for the dining tables 
during winter, will find small plants of this grand 
Azalea admirably adapted for the purpose. The 
temperature in the rooms, however, should not be 
allowed to fall below 40°, or the pure white flowers 
will soon assume a sickly tint. When fully expanded 
and kept in a temperature ranging between 45° to 50°, 
the flowers remain fresh for a considerable time, 
provided there be no gas in the room.— R. T. Humphris, 
Childe Okeford Rectory, Rlandford. 
Cotoneaster Simonsii and the Effects 
of Smoke. 
In the suburbs of London and other large towns where 
a smoky atmosphere is prevalent, the effect on many 
trees and shrubs, both evergreen and deciduous, is 
both considerable and often but too conspicuously 
evident. The nearer we approach those great centres 
of industry the effects of the smoke become more 
visible. In some of the London gardens Cotoneaster 
Simonsii becomes perfectly deciduous in autumn or 
in winter, although under more favourable conditions 
it is strictly evergreen. The red fruits still remain on 
the bushes, however, and the effect is certainly peculiar, 
especially to those who are familiar with the plant 
under more favourable circumstances. In a similar 
way Berberis dulcis, although ordinarily evergreen, 
loses its leaves during the winter season. Both these 
subjects are naturally so hardy that the fall of the 
leaves cannot be due to the influence of frost, seeing 
that there have been no particularly severe frosts this 
winter, nor any of long duration. 
Dwarf Poinsettias. 
As one who has had some experience in the cultivation 
of this gorgeous Mexican plant, and also having on more 
than one occasion offered a few remarks on its cultivation, 
I must confess that I was somewhat taken aback 
on reading the remarks of “ S. P.” (p. 326), on the 
production of dwarf plants. We hear of the starving 
method with Cockscombs, that is, keeping them in 
small pots until they show their combs, and then 
forcing them along by heat and potting, but I have 
