September 12, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
23 
at any time seen out of doors, even at Forest Hill. 
Mr. Spinks, the manager, has gone in thoroughly for 
Begonias, and many thousands are in bloom in the 
houses. In one long house the young plants are in 
large batches of colours, and the effect on entering is 
striking. Another long house, with a centre and side 
stages, contains specimen plants staged amongst 
Ferns, Maidenhair especially, and other pretty orna¬ 
mental plants, including the bright variegated 
Ophiopogon and the variegated Eulalie. A charm¬ 
ing arrangement of this character makes a house of 
Begonias a very beautiful object. Many are of high 
class quality, and attention is given more to the pro¬ 
duction of medium-sized flowers of greatly improved 
form and substance, rather than the large petaled 
flowers which are wanting in form and substance we 
so frequently see. In the yellow section, many 
lovely shades of deep yellow and of salmon tints 
were plentiful. Doubles also receive a good deal of 
attention. 
Many other objects of interest struck me, two or 
three of which I will with your permission refer to. 
The best Golden tricolor Pelargonium known is Mrs. 
Henry Cox, the foliage of great beauty and form, and 
such a good grower, and it is to be seen by hundreds 
here. In one of the houses I saw a row of the lovely 
white drooping Campanula fragilis alba, a little 
gem for basket work, boxes, or margins of plant 
groups, and Coleus Cleopatra raised here is a fine and 
distinct variety. 
The demand for cut blooms here is so great that 
anything likely to be truly useful, especially in white 
flowers, is sought after, and I was pleased to see a 
fine lot of plants in large 48-pots of the beautiful old 
Swainsonia galegifolia alba grown in close pyra¬ 
midal form and blooming nicely. What a lovely 
thing it is with its clusters of snow white pea-shaped 
flowers on long stems, for wreaths, bouquets, or 
glasses. Early Pompon Chrysanthums are also well 
done. Here are three charming early sorts, Piercy’s 
seedling, bright orange, good habit ; L’ami Conder- 
chet, creamy-yellow and so free blooming; and 
Canary, a flower of exquisite form. 
Herbaceous plants are extensively cultivated, and 
a fine collection. A long bed of Solidago nana, about 
21 in. high, was a bed of golden colour ; and beds of 
Tom Thumb Antirrhinum in colours from seed, the 
plants ranging from six to twelve or fifteen inches 
high, and an abundance of blooms, gave clear proof 
that such a common flower in general estimation is 
not too widely cultivated. — TV. D. 
DOMESTIC APHIDES. 
There are several of our British species of Aphides, 
which although more or less frequent on plants in 
the open air, yet seem to be more at home in our 
hothouses, judging by the rapidity with which they 
increase, and the number of different plants which 
they affect under the protection of glass. Of course, 
under the protective influence of artificial heat 
Aphides can not only survive, but breed all through 
the winter, and if left undisturbed till spring they 
then multiply at a great rate, spreading their colonies 
far and wide on the advent of finer weather. The 
Carnation Aphis (Rhopalosiphum Dianthi) may be 
described as a universal feeder, both under glass 
and in the open air. Amongst the plants which it 
infests in hothouses are Peaches, Fuchsias, Verbe¬ 
nas, Tobacco, Chrysanthemums, Hyacinths, Tulips 
and others, down to the weeds which may spring 
up amongst them, including Senecis vulgaris. The 
beautiful Aphis known as Siphonophora circumflexa 
thrives much better under glass than out of doors, 
and increases rapidly upon the stems and flowers of 
Liliums in pots, including L. auratum, L. speciosum 
and L. longiflorum. It also increased rapidly on 
some cut flowers of L. chalcedonicum brought indoors. 
In the stove it increases rapidly on various plants be¬ 
longing to the most diverse orders ; and in the Orchid 
houses it is equally at home with Siphonophora 
lutea, which is more strictly confined to Orchid's and 
may be considered the Orchid Aphis. More curious 
than either, S. circumflexa can also make a living on 
the fronds of Aspleniums and other Ferns. Melons 
in pits and houses are often greatly infested with 
Aphis Scabiosse, w-hich varies remarkably in colour 
according to its age, at first being pale green and 
then deepening to a dark green, and ultimately often 
appearing black to the naked eye. It must also find 
suitable plants out of doors on which to live. Aphi% 
Amygdali is a great scourge to Peach growers, 
whether under glass or on the open wall. It is often 
spoken of as black fly, but under the microscope it ' 
is seen to be covered with transverse bars of rusty 
brown The Pelargonium Aphis (Siphonophora 
Pelargonii) is also most abundant under glass, as the 
gf&vi'ifs of those plants well keew.— F, 
Gardening Miscellany. 
LI LI U M PARDALINUM. 
This fine North American Lily is extremely variable 
both in the size and colour of its flowers, and several 
forms have received varietal names. Some large 
beds of Rhododendrons at Kew are planted with the 
species in a mixture of many varieties, and so 
distinct are some of them that they might readily be 
taken for distinct species by a casual observer. The 
typical form is orange in the lower half spotted with 
crimson, while the upper portion of each segment is 
of a deep nearly uniform red. Some of the varieties 
have a yellow ground suffused with orange and 
spotted with crimson, with the red of the upper 
portion of the segments nearly washed out. Others 
have flowers of small size, almost resembling those 
of L. Martagon, with the upper portion of each 
segment of a brilliant reddish-crimson. This type is 
usually of dwarf stature. Another variety has very 
large flowers spotted with crimson on a yellow 
ground, while the upper portion of the segments is 
of a bright orange scarlet. This plant stands about 
6 ft. high. In a bed behind the Palm-house 
amongst others is a giant specimen 8 ft. high, with a 
pyramidal raceme of three dozen flowers. Others 
have flowers that are almost wholly of a crimson- 
red, and the different shades of colour in the 
collection are almost endless. 
HEAVY CROP OF MORELLO CHERRIES. 
About six years ago thirty trees of the Morello 
Cherry were planted on a north aspect wall at Syon 
House. Half of them were worked low and the rest 
planted as riders between them so as to profitably 
occupy the space. After a time the riders had to be 
removed, and were planted on the back wall of a 
vinery on a north aspect. The heat of the walls 
had the effect of hastening the maturity of the fruit, 
which had mostly all been gathered by the third 
week in August. The dwarf fan trees at the same 
time were simply loaded with fruit, the greater part 
of which was dark red or black, and so thickly set 
upon the branches as to give a distinctive appearance 
to the wall, notwithstanding the fact that the foliage 
■was both good and plentiful. A curious phenomenon 
presented itself in the case of one tree the fruit of 
which on the central branches was red and far from 
ripe, while that on each side was nearly black. The 
other side of the wall being occupied with Peach trees, 
makes it difficult to account for the difference in 
ripening as the wall at that place is entirely unheated. 
It is usual to reckon that the individual fruits will be 
small when the crop is heavy, but here there is no 
diminution in that respect, for the fruits are large and 
handsome. The young and vigorous character of the 
trees must to some extent be held accountable for the 
size of the fruit. Some regard the Morello as only 
fit for preserving purposes, but when perfectly ripe 
the abundant juice audits slight acidity renders it 
very acceptable to some tastes. It is only necessary 
to net the trees from birds, in order to secure a supply 
extending over a long season. 
ROMAN HYACINTHS. 
In reply to the question asked by a " Young Seeds¬ 
man ” (p. 808) concerning the irritation caused to his 
hands when working amongst Hyacinth bulbs, I may 
state that it is produced by the Bulb Mite, often 
spoken of as the Eucharis Mite (Rhizoglyphus 
Robini). It is by no means confined to Eucharis 
bulbs, but has been found also upon Hyacinth, 
Amaryllis, Hippeastrum, Pancratium, Nerine, 
Galanthus and Scilla bulbs, as well as upon the 
tubers of Dahlias and Potatos. The mite was first 
named and described in 1868 by Claparede ; and 
Boisduval, who noticed it and described it under the 
name of Acarus hyacinthi, stated that when 
abundant on the bulbs in autumn it caused itching 
and irritation to those who handled the bulbs. 
This then will explain the experience of a “ Young 
Seedsman ” as related by him.— 5 . 
. . .. ■, 
BEGONIA FRCEBELLII. 
The flowers of this species are small compared with 
those of the improved' rarce c1 of summer-flowering 
kinds, but they are nevertheless showy, and coming 
as they do in the autumn and winter months greatly 
enhances -their value.- The leafy portion of the plant 
15 <J$t§ tlwsrf. tT d obliquely heart-shaped lesvej 
are of large size, light green and felted beneath. The 
naked or leafless flower scapes rise to a height of 
12 in., or 18 in. when the plants have been well grown, 
and terminate in cymes of bright scarlet flowers. 
The male blooms have four sepals and the females 
five sepals ; the ovary or fruit is felted or woolly, and 
therefore very different from that of the summer¬ 
flowering types. It is to be hoped that hybridisation 
will yet greatly improve the size of the flowers of 
this species. A small group of plants in full blcom 
may be seen in the stove at Kew. 
DWARF CASTOR-OIL PLANTS. 
There is only one species of Castor-oil Plant, namely 
Ricinus communis, but of this there are numerous 
varieties in cultivation either for economical purposes 
or for ornament. In this country the species is 
treated as a half-hardy annual, but in tropical 
countries it assumes the form of an arborescent shrub, 
or small tree. Its native home is supposed to have 
been tropical Africa, but it is now widely dispersed 
in various tropical countries. The larger varieties 
are useful in this country for sub-tropical gardening, 
but it is desirable in many cases to have dwarf sorts 
for small beds and also for pot work. The bronzy¬ 
leaved sorts are useful for greenhouse or conservatory 
decoration in winter, w-hen colour in foliage is by no 
means plentiful. The variety Gibsoni was formerly 
relied upon for this purpose. When planted in the 
open ground, the stems, petioles, and nerves of the 
leaves are red, while the general ground colour of 
the leaves themselves is of a bronzy-red, especially 
when young. The plant is altogether dwarfer 
in stature than the green forms. A less known 
variety named Cambodgensis is only about half the 
height of Gibsoni when planted under similar 
conditions in the open air, and seems altogether finer 
for small beds or pot work. The whole of the leaves 
are of a deep bronzy-red, and attractive. Both may 
be seen in the trial grounds of Messrs. J. Yeitch & 
Sons at Chiswick. 
THE DOUBLE OR PROLIFEROUS 
HYDRANGEA. 
Different names have been applied to this garden 
form of Hydrangea, such as H. hortensis stellata pro- 
lifera and H. stellata rubro pleno, the former being 
the more correct one. The leaves are ovate and 
more sharply serrate than in the common form, with 
reddish nerves and thinly downy beneath. The 
segments of the primary calyx are large and once or 
twice proliferated, for smaller flowers, borne on short 
pedicels, spring from their axils, making a mass of 
bloom, if such it may be called. The calyx is 
yellowish-green at first, becoming ultimately of a 
rosy-red. The smaller and younger flowers are 
double, with numerous stellate segments of a pink 
colour in the early stages. The flowers last a long 
time in perfection, for a plant in the nursery at Kew 
has been in bloom for a month past, and is likely to 
keep good for some time to come. It is without 
stamens or pistil and completely sterile. 
THE GUELDER ROSE IN FRUIT. 
During the flowering season the Snowball (Vibur¬ 
num Opulus sterilis) is the favourite on account of 
its large and showy flowers, which are of course per¬ 
fectly sterile, and when the bloom is over the beauty 
of the plant is gone. The typical V. Opulus, or 
Guelder Rose, has small and inconspicuous fertile 
flowers with exception of those on the circumference 
of the cyme, which are enlarged and sterile. The 
fertile ones pass into fruit, which is developed in the 
greatest abundance and ripens to a bright scarlet-red 
of imposing appearance, even as seen upon the wild 
plants in the thickets or copses at the foot of the 
Brecknock Beacons. The ornamental value of the 
fruit when cut and placed in vases with its own 
foliage is great, and the scarlet trusses associate very 
well with cut flowers of other hardy autumn flower¬ 
ing subjects.— Taxus. 
HIPPEASTRUM RETICULATUM. 
The dark green leaves, with their ivory white midrib> 
of this old fashioned stove plant are familiar in many 
an establishment, but like a great many other plants 
of the same class, this species gets neglected in the 
matter of potting and attention and seldcni flowers. 
The flowers cannot be compared with the hugo 
specimens of the improved garden Hippeastrum, but 
th§y are nevertheless very attractive and deserving 
of attention, tji? more so as the foliage is qyergre;^ 
