September 19, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
37 
SPIR/EA JAPONXCA COM- 
PACTA MULTIFLORA. 
Under this somewhat cumbrous name, we have the^ 
pleasure, thanks to the courtesy of Mr. T. S. Ware, 
to bring under the notice of our readers a variety of 
the old Spiraea japonica which promises to become 
as great a garden favourite as that most useful plant. 
Spiraea japonica, sometimes also called Astilbe bar- 
bata, and Hoteia japonica, was first introduced into 
Germany from Japan by the celebrated botanist, 
Siebold, some fifty years ago. From Germany it 
came to this country, and we believe was first grown 
in the Chiswick garden—at all events the first record 
As to the origin of the new variety, so far as we 
have been able to ascertain, about ten years ago a 
golden-variegated form was introduced, and which is 
still occasionally seen. It, however, frequently 
reverts to the green leaved form, and from one of 
these reversions came the variety now illustrated, and 
known as compacta multiflora. Its habit of growth 
is in all respects the same as the typical Spirsea 
japonica, but the individual blooms are larger, and 
consequently the feathery plumes of white flowers 
are both larger and denser. It is a valuable acquisi¬ 
tion, and as the roots are becoming cheaper as the 
stock increases, at no distant date it must command 
a large sale. In any case we can strongly recommend 
week or two's fruit, and I think it important to decide 
which of the four is most valuable for that purpose. 
The Black Prince is the oldest of the lot. I can 
remember its introduction over fifty years ago, 
when we were rather proud of our first gathering. 
But I think it has fallen off considerably since then, 
but even then only one gathering was really good, 
large fruit, and following gatherings became so small 
as scarcely to be worth picking. On this account I 
have discontinued its growth for over twenty years 
past until three years ago, when I planted a little plot 
of it along with the other sorts named, but find that 
it does not deserve a place, as others more fertile and 
equally as early are preferable. The King of the 
we have of the plant being exhibited was at a 
meeting of the Horticultural Society of London 
(now the R. H. S.), held in Regent Street, on May 
4th, 1841, when it was shown under the name 
of Hoteia japonica, and described in the 
Gardener's Chronicle as “ a plant with the appear¬ 
ance of the Meadow-sweet, but prettier.” We men¬ 
tion this circumstance, because it leads up to another 
interesting fact in connection with its history which 
is not generally known, viz., that the late Mr. McNab 
ajso obtained a plant from Siebold for the Edinburgh 
Botanic Garden, and at the March Exhibition of the 
Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society in 1842, ex¬ 
hibited the first forced specimen seen in Great 
-Britain. As to the number which has been forced 
^tnce in this country we nge<J not now stop to 
speculate, j ' , \ . 
it to all who have to grow good subjects for decora¬ 
tion. 
STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 
Now that the Strawberry season is nearly finished I 
have thought of giving you my opinion of the diffe¬ 
rent sorts that we have had in growth here during the 
past few years, taking into consideration the sorts 
most suitable for keeping up a constant supply of 
fresh fruit during the season. With this object in 
view I will deal with the earlier sorts first, namely, 
Black Prince, King of the Earlies, and Early Gem. 
Among these three, grown side by side, scarcely a 
day of difference occurred in picking the first fruit 
from each, and two days later we had the Early 
Princess, .These four must be looked to for the first 
Earlies is altogether too insignificant to be worth 
cultivating, although in point of earliness it is equal 
to the others. It is small from the beginning, a poor 
cropper, and scarcely colours to be very suitable for 
table use. The Early Gem is very much preferable 
to any of the other two, being a fair-sized fruit and 
maintaining its size from beginning to end of a 
season extending over four weeks or so. The amount 
of fruit gathered from it would be fully three times 
that of Black Prince; the colour being a bright 
scarlet is preferable to even the first of Black Prince. 
The flavour, although somewhat peculiar, is very 
gratifying. Next in order we mention the Early Prin¬ 
cess, as coming only a day or two behind the others. It 
crops fairly well, fruit of moderate size, but nof so 
equally large as the Gem, The colour is fairlygood, 
and a basket of them looks well in the market, bo,f 
