550 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 27, 1889. 
The Amateurs' Garden. 
Sweet Peas. 
Ia the warm and dry atmosphere of the southern 
counties it is necessary to make successional sowings of 
this useful annual, in order to ensure a continuous 
supply of flowers, because the latter are liable to come 
into bloom all at once, owing to the stunting of the 
plants in dry soils. Towards the north of England, in 
Scotland, and those districts subject to a heavy rainfall, 
Sweet Peas grow and flower luxuriantly until cut down 
by the autumnal frosts. Sowings may now be made in 
any district, and in private gardens they might be more 
extensively employed to advantage than they are at 
present. Hedges may be made of them, staking them 
neatly, so as to screen those parts of the garden devoted 
to vegetable-growing from the rest. If desirable, a wire 
fence or neat trellis-work of some kind or other may be 
made and covered with Sweet Peas. Such may be 
tolerated in the close vicinity of the dwelling-house, 
and prove very ornamental and effective. In gardens 
where the soil is liable to get very dry during periods 
of drought, a little extra preparation may be made in 
sowing the seeds. Take out a trench about 10 ins. or 
12 ins. deep, and in the bottom of this place some 
manure. Cover with soil, and sow the seeds a little 
below the general level of the ground. As the seedlings 
germinate, they may be gradually earthed up, always, 
however, leaving a channel for applications of water 
which may be necessary during summer. The trench 
will also favour the retention of rain-water there, 
rendering the plants when in full flower less liable to 
suffer from drought. 
Calceolarias. 
“Where frame accommodation is limited, and some lights 
are occupied with bedding kinds, relief can be obtained 
by planting out Calceolarias in the places where they 
are intended to flower. Golden Gem and Eloribunda will 
take no harm now if they have been well hardened off 
by the removal of the lights during the day. Some of 
the dark, and especially the large-flowering kinds used 
for bedding purposes, might be kept under cover for a 
little while longer ; but little danger would accrue to 
them even now, as they are all tolerably hardy. One 
advantage of early planting is that the roots take 
thorough possession of the soil before di-ought sets in, so 
that they are better able to make growth, as well as 
flower. In hot dry soils they are liable to exhaust 
themselves, and to die by excessive flowering, without 
a due proportion of stem and foliage. In the event of 
rough weather intervening after planting them out, a 
Spruce branch or two stuck in amongst the plants 
would afford them sufficient shelter. 
Antirrhinums. 
Eooted cuttings of named plants or those saved from 
last year’s selection should be planted out in beds 
without further delay. They are so nearly hardy that 
no harm will accrue to them now. A lesson might be 
taken from the fact that self-sown seedlings on dry 
banks and old walls outlive the winter in the most 
exposed positions. This is naturally their habit, and 
only the plants cultivated in rich moist soil are liable 
to die out. A similar case may be instanced in 
Carnations, and especially those fine kinds whose 
constitution has been weakened by high-class culture, 
and the selection (from the florist’s point of view) of 
highly improved kinds, and also the coddling in frames 
and greenhouses to which they are generally subjected. 
There is a long season of growth before the plants if 
well-rooted cuttings are planted out now, so that except 
in the case of very dwarf kinds, they should be planted 
1 ft. apart each way in the beds. Seedlings sown in 
July or August last may be treated in the same way. 
They cannot be depended upon to produce fine flowers 
all round, even if the seeds have been selected from the 
finest named kinds, although for ordinary decorative 
purposes a large percentage may be very good. Seed¬ 
lings sown in heat some time ago may also be expected 
to flower this year tolerably well, provided they are 
about ready for planting out now. The best time to 
sow, speaking generally, is in July or August as above 
mentioned. 
Box Edgings. 
In some soils these are liable to get out of order, and 
become blanky by the dying out of pieces unless 
frequently transplanted. The common tree Box 
(Buxus sempervirens) is the best to plant in cold, 
heavy clay soils, as it is less liable to die out than the 
dwarf Box (B. s. suffruticosa), which is the most 
extensively cultivated variety for edgings, not only in 
British, but also in Continental gardens. The present 
is a very good time to lift and relay Box edgings. The 
best plan is to lift the whole along one side of any 
straight or even curved walk, and prepare the ground 
for relaying the Box by digging the soil one spit deep 
and quite evenly, then treading it down equally all 
over. Make up any hollows that may occur with other 
soil off the adjoining borders. Lay down a line, which 
should be stretched till it is perfectly tight. Level the 
soil with the spade, and see that the line rests on it 
equally throughout its length. This will apply where 
the walk is level, or where it slopes in any given 
direction. In going round corners pegs will be 
necessary to make the line follow a true and regular 
curve. Then with the spade cut out an even-sided 
trench, cutting straight down by the side of the line. 
The Box must then be prepared by breaking it up in 
small pieces, preserving some roots to each if possible. 
These pieces should then be laid evenly against the line 
with their roots in the trench. Fill in the soil and 
tread it down evenly. After completing these oper¬ 
ations, a coating of gravel may be given to the walk, 
which should then be rolled. 
-- 
(ARDENING MISCELLANY. 
Primula cortusoides Sieboldii. 
The Japan representative of P. cortusoides is by far 
the finer of the two, and when its hardiness is 
thoroughly recognised, we may expect to see it in every 
garden. There can be no question that the flowers 
come larger and finer when grown under glass than in 
the open air ; but that need not deter any grower from 
having it in his garden, where it will be dwarf, and 
appear as sprightly as the best of spring flowers. 
Whether grown in a greenhouse or in a cold frame, it 
must be kept as cool and as airy as possible while close 
to the glass to prevent the petioles and the flower 
stalks from getting drawn. Being thoroughly de¬ 
ciduous it loses the whole of its leaves early in autumn 
in the southern counties, and remains naked till the 
following spring ; but no fear need be entertained for 
its hardiness. Many improved varieties have been in 
cultivation for some years, but there is still an open 
field for the hybridist to improve old, and evolve new 
kinds. It is essentially a subject that may be grown 
by everybody, as when planted in the open border or 
on the rockery it will take care of itself for years. 
Messrs. Ryder & Son, of Sale, had a splendid collection 
at the Drill Hall on Tuesday. 
Calyptrogy ne ‘ GRiesbreghtiana. 
This beautiful Palm is hampered with several synonyms 
in gardens, including Geonoma Verschaffeltii, G. Ghies- 
breghtiana and G. magnifica. We noticed some young 
specimens of it the other day in the nursery of Messrs. 
J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. It is notable for its 
dwarf habit, even in the adult state. The leaves are 
pinnate, arching, with numerous very unequal-sized 
pinnae when the plant has attained some size. The 
segments are notably unequal in size, and blunt at the 
ends as if artificially cut short. These peculiarities are 
even more conspicuous in the young state, where the 
pinna; are few and broad. The terminal lobe is deeply 
bifid, or divided down the middle, a feature which is 
characteristic of other species ; and in young plants the 
whole leaf may be reduced to this two-lobed state. 
The young expanding leaves, and even till they have 
attained some size, are of a bronzy hue. It is a native 
of Mexico, and a highly ornamental species for stove 
culture. 
Antholyza aethiopica. 
Very little heat is required to grow this South African 
plant to have it in perfection at this season of the year, 
as may be seen in the case of some plants stood in the 
Peach house at Chiswick, where the trees have not yet 
been subjected to forcing. It is a vigorous-growing 
species, with stems ranging from 2 ft. to 3 ft. high, 
bearing at the top racemes of very curious, gaping, 
and highly-coloured flowers. They are tubular, curved, 
with the upper segment scarlet, not only to its base, 
but to the base of the tube ; it is also about twice as 
long as the lower side of the flower, which is greenish 
yellow, and made up of the other five segments. All 
the lower part of the stems is furnished with strong¬ 
growing, sword-shaped, bright green leaves, very 
similar to those of Tritoma aurea ; if anything, they 
are stronger even than those of the plant named. 
There are several species in cultivation, but with the 
exception of that under notice they are seldom seen, 
and A. aethiopica itself is not common. We have 
occasionally seen it grown and flowered in the open 
border, where, however, it is liable to get hurt from 
late spring frosts. 
Hibiscus mutabilis flore pleno. 
It is interesting to know that this plant is still grown 
in Britain, as we had evidence from a specimen sent us 
by a correspondent. The wild plant is a native of the 
East Indies, China and Japan, and was originally in¬ 
troduced in 1690. Before that, in 1632, it was raised 
at Rome from seeds imported from the West Indies, 
where, however, it was not a native, but had been 
largely grown there for the beauty of its flowers, which 
were nearly always double, just as in this country. 
Since 1690 the plant has no doubt been lost and re¬ 
introduced several times. Although double, only a 
few of the great mass of stamens have been transformed 
into petals, and seeds are therefore produced by such 
flowers as readily as by the single one3. Therefore the 
double-flowered form of the plant being the more 
ornamental, is by far the most commonly cultivated. 
The name Mutabilis has been applied to the species on 
account of the curiously changeable character of the 
flowers, which open in the morning of a greenish hue, 
soon changing to white. About noon they become 
pink, and towards evening red. They are not long 
lived. The specimen sent us was pink when it arrived, 
and gradually became red. 
Drosophyllum lusitanicum. 
While most closely allied to the Sundews, this plant 
s q uito distinct in several respects, not only from all 
known Sundews (Drosera), but in the manner of folding 
ts leaves in the bud, in which it differs probably from 
all other members of the vegetable kingdom. They are 
linear, and when unfolding exhibit the peculiar anomaly 
of being rolled backwards, not inwards, as in Ferns, 
some of the Cycads, and other plants of that kind. 
They are densely covered with glandular hairs, fur¬ 
nished at all times with a crystal-like secretion at the 
tips, but they are devoid of the movements exhibited 
by British and other Droseras when irritated. The 
species under notice is the only one known, and is a 
native of Spain, Portugal, and the north of Africa, 
where it inhabits dry sandy places and rocks, both on 
the sea-shore and inland. The bright yellow flowers 
are borne on branching scapes that rise above the 
foliage, which forms a loose rosette on the top of short, 
naked, sub-shrubby-looking stems. A plant has been 
flowering for some time past in the cool porch of the 
Orchid house at Ivew. It is one of the noted insecti¬ 
vorous plants. 
Barlow and Horsefield. 
Among the people I have m;t I may mention “W illiam 
Barlow, of Rooden Lane, who raised Delphinium 
Barlowii, which still holds its own in spite of the great 
influx of Continental Delphiniums, and I think it will 
do so. I shall never forget in 1843 a group of some 
half dozen plants we had in bloom at the same time. 
It was one of those sights we never forget. They 
impress themselves so much upon us that they form 
almost an era in our lives. He also raised a very fine 
Dodecatheon, the very finest I ever saw, which he 
called Barlowii. It was the result of a cross between 
Media and Elegans. In justice to Horsefield we ought 
to mention him. He may be said to have been our 
friend Percival’s tutor to a great extent. He (Percival) 
is well known to most of you. Horsefield raised the 
Narcissus Horsetieldii, which is now, if not the finest, 
at least among the first half dozen, in spite of the 
Narcissus mania which has sprung up. He saw a large 
pod, and in that respect it reminds me of the fluke 
Potato. This pod of seed was on a plant of Narcissus 
bicolor, and he gathered it. He sowed this seed, and 
among the varieties there came the Narcissus bicolor 
Horsetieldii. It was considered to be a sort of N. bicolor 
grandiflora, and no great notice was taken of it, but 
after his death it was sold out at Is. 6 d. a bulb, and it 
raised between £3 and £4 for the widow. It was 
therefore put in circulation, and now all of you can 
tell what a large circulation there has been of it since, 
and that was raised from the humble source of Horse- 
field’s garden. He was a man no one could help but 
like. He was possessed of a very large amount ot 
information, and he had also the capacity of imparting 
that information in an impressive and a very pleasant 
manner. I remember a good man} 7 talks with him 
when I was a big lad. He further raised a Tiger Lily, 
not as we understand it, but Tigridia pavoma. It had 
a yellow ground, which was unique at that time, and 
he sold it to Watkinson, and YVatkinson sent it out 
under the name of Watkinsonia, a thing which ought 
to be deprecated, for whatever may be the future ot a 
novelty, I think if it is worth naming, it ought to bear 
the name of the raiser.—.From a paper on G-arctcn 
Gossip,” by Mr. Barlow. 
