424 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 5 , 1892. 
wise the flowers produce a green eye and come de¬ 
formed. Marie Louise, deep blue; the best and 
finest variety of this class, being a good grower and 
a great favourite with private and market growers. 
De Parma, a beautiful lavender colour ; an extremely 
free flowering and very compact grower ; it does not 
produce runners like the other double varieties ; the 
very best for pot culture, and the finest of all for 
frame culture and for market ; it produces more 
bloom in a given space than any other variety I am 
acquainted with. 
-- 
DEUTZIA. 
Years ago a good stock of Deutzia gracilis to supply 
white flowers from Christmas onwards was in most 
English gardens considered indespensible, and a 
goodly supply of well-prepared plants finely grown 
and well reflexed during early autumn is still valued 
as an adjunct of no mean order for decorative pur¬ 
poses during the festive season and onward in to 
spring. But plants which have been grown strong 
and ripened early are not easily purchased. We 
can, however, by very simple means raise a stock 
ourselves, and grow them on from cuttings. 
We have some three or four successions. The 
first flowers, just as they were opening, were forced 
in an early vinery, and the second in a Peach house, 
started in December which are just turning in for 
use—others (all prepared in pots plunged in soil to 
curtail root growth) are in mild heat, while a fourth lot 
(previously forced) are in the open ground and will 
be lifted and potted firmly into sandy loam. An evil 
attending the use of these flowers is allowing them 
to fully develope in a warm moist atmosphere so 
that when cut they soon droop and become useless. 
The same may be said of Dielytras, Azaleas, Spiraeas, 
and many other things. They should be a'lowed to 
open in an airy greenhouse, and be cut for transit or 
home use before they are quite fully open. 
Reverting to Deutzias, gracilis, or scabia, a 
practice of growing them which I have often 
practised satisfactorily is to grow them to a height 
of 15 in. to 18 in. in pots of sandy loam and stopping 
each shoot, say in June, which is followed by a 
bunch of bushy growths. These ripen and prepare 
for flowering early and are excellent for decorative 
purposes, especially for cutting. This method of 
growing them I learned in a London nursery many 
years ago.— Stirling. 
-—- 
,'g-’ 
Gardening Miscellany. 
Cjo 
CENTROPOGON LUCIAftUS. 
This plant, which is a decided acquisition for winter 
flowering, is not nearly so largely grown as it 
deserves to be, its beautiful bright red flowers being 
quite a charm in the long dull months of winter. 
Cuttings taken in early spring will soon root if 
plunged in a sharp bottom heat. When rooted, they 
should be potted on in a compost of three parts loam 
and one of peat, with a sufficient sprinkling of sand to 
keep the soil porous. 6 in. and 8-in. pots are quite large 
enough for the final potting, and given a cool green¬ 
house treatment during the summer months they 
will make luxuriant growths. They are gross rooting 
plants and in the autumn should be given frequent 
waterings with liquid manure. About October the 
plants, should be removed to a warm greenhouse, 
where they will soon display' their bright red flowers 
and form a pleasing feature when grouped with 
other plants in the conservatory. They last also in a 
cut state for two or three days, and the flowers being 
borne on the points of long shoots, they are very effective 
when mixed with cut flowers of Chrysanthemums 
in large vases.— H. IV. 
HARDY ANNUALS FOR CUT FLOWERS. 
An amateur asks us for a list of about two dozen of 
the most showy border annuals suitable for cut 
flowers, omitting those such as Stocks and Asters 
which are known to everyone. The undermentioned 
species include those which we should certainly 
grow for the purpose, and we may state that of some 
of them there are numerous fine varieties, which 
need not be named separately, but which add 
greatly to the interest of a collection. For instance, 
there are many fine varieties of Chrysanthemum 
carinatum, C. coronarium, Clarkia elegans, C. 
pulchella, Helichrysum bracteatum, Lathyrus odo- 
ratus (Sweet Pea), a very choice subject, CEnothera 
Whitneyi, Scabiosa atropurpurea, Centaurea Cyanus, 
Schizanthus pinnatus, Convolvulus tricolor, Lychnis 
or Agrostemma coeli-rosa, usually called Viscaria in 
gardens, also Tagetes patula (French Marigold) 
Tropaeolum majus, T. minus, Delphinium Ajacis 
(Larkspur), Iberis umbellata, and others. For cut 
flowers the following are also suitable, namely, 
Malope trifida grandiflora, Centaurea suaveolens 
(Yellow Sultan), Coreopsis Drummondi, Lavatera 
• trimestris, Erysimum Perofskianum, Statice Su- 
worowi, and Ursinia speciosa. There are also many 
other beautiful and ornamental kinds, but which we 
are afraid would give less satisfaction for cut flower 
purposes. 
A DOUBLE AMARYLLIS. 
We have been favoured with a double flewer of a 
Hippeastrum, popularly known as Amaryllis, from 
Mr. E. Chadwick, gardener to E. M. Nelson, Esq., 
Hanger Hill House, Ealing. From what we can 
learn it is not entirely new, and is said to have been 
brought from the Cape, but does not readily take the 
public fancy, as few double flowers belonging to the 
same natural order do. An idea seems to be pre¬ 
valent that the flowers do not always come quite full. 
That which we received was certainly quite double, 
with numerous segments filling up the centre of the 
flower, without being at all crowded. The central 
ones were certainly narrower than the outside and 
true ones, but they were for the most part regularly 
formed and more or less crisped or wavy at the 
margin. Only one stamen was perfect and con¬ 
tained pollen ; two or three others were present in a 
more or less imperfect condition, while the rest were 
enlarged, flattened, and transformed into segments. 
All the inner ones were of a clear orange-red, and 
while at the base, while the outer ones were paler in 
hue. On the whole, the colours of the flower re¬ 
minded us very much of those seen in a Clivia. 
The flower itself might be compared to that of a 
Cereus or Phyllocactus without the great brush of 
stamens in the centre. Those who like double 
flowers would certainly find in this a beautiful and 
interesting subject if it remains true to character. 
PRODIGIOUS 
A clergyman sends the following tall story to a corn- 
temporary :—"A lady of my acquaintance, who plays 
the instrument in church, always takes with her a hot 
Potato in her muff, in order to keep some feeling in 
the tips of her fingers during the service on cold win¬ 
ter Sundays. As spring came on she put away her 
muff, and with it the baked tuber (forgetting to 
remove it), until the next winter. Imagine her sur¬ 
prise to find the muff full of Potaios. The baked 
parent had produced a family of seventeen little 
ones !” What a singular circumstance it is there 
was not a crop of young muffs also. Were the 
seventeen little ones planted, and what did they pro¬ 
duce ! We really ought to know this. The pro¬ 
geny should have been baked when dug. We must 
see to this matter ; it is worthy the attention of the 
authorities at Kew, or the Scientific Committee. 
—Little Faith. 
SCARLET LOBEL'AS. 
As the working up of stock for flower garden work 
is now in full swing, I wish to draw attention to this 
beautiful out-door decorative plant, which I have 
seen extensively used in a large flower garden in 
various ways. Mixed with the Silver-leaved Cen- 
tauria, or Silver variegated Pelargoniums, or dwarf 
Ageratum, or rising out of a carpet of white, pale 
yellow, or other light-coloured Violas, the effect is 
both striking and most pleasing, but it does best in a 
generous soil and when moisture can be given. The 
dark foliage alone is a feature, and when in bloom, 
with its rich deep, bright crimson flowers, it is a most 
valuable object in flower gardens. The wintering of 
the roots and propagation is easy enough. The old 
plants keep well in a cold frame with protection in 
severe weather, but not too wet, and are readily 
divided in March and potted or planted in a frame 
to make strong plants for planting out in May or 
June, and young plants are not expensive to start 
with.— IV. D. 
GROWING TURNIPS FOR EXHIBITION. 
I have read with great interest the observations on 
the growing and showing of Turnips by Mr. 
Cuthberston, at p. 388. They are certainly the most 
complete of the kind I have ever read. It is quite 
evident that the writer is one of those who draw 
their inspiration from the pages of experience, and 
these are the men who can reveal the secret of how 
to attain success if they could only be induced 
oftener to put pen to paper. But how few are 
inclined to do so. Some prefer to selfishly keep to 
themselves the results of their patient experiments, 
while others of the competing class, as far as 
literary inclinations is concerned, are not “ built that 
way,” they would rather walk a five-mile journey 
than sit down to the writing desk. I admire the 
minuteness of detail into which your correspondent 
entered—it is just what is wanted, and I hope we may 
have more such articles.— A. Life Gardener. 
TABLE PLANTS. 
The present time is a very suitable one for getting 
up a young stock of plants for table decoration, and 
all w ho have much work of this kind should grow 
plants of a hardy nature, and such as do not suffer 
readily from the effects of gas or cold. Associated 
with Palms, winter-flowering Heaths, dwarf double 
Azaleas, we use largely Ficus elastica (especially the 
variegated variety). At present we take off the tops 
and stick them in small pots of sand in a warm house 
or frame and they root very quickly. All the wood 
which can be spared is cut up into pieces with a 
joint to each and placed in sand on strong heat, and 
always kept moist; growth and roots are soon formed, 
and in the course of a few months neat bushy plants 
are plentiful. Aspidistras when distinctly variegated 
are of much value; they are divided and grown in 
sandy loam. Greenhouse Dracaenas are increased 
rapidly from eyes, and when a fine stock of these are 
secured the leaves may be thinned out to send in 
with cut flowers. Variegated Euryias are very 
handsome and also stand much rough treatmeant.— 
Stirling. 
ACACIA OVATA. 
More use might be made of several of the numerous 
species of Acacia than is at present the case, 
especially those of which flower in pots while still in 
a small state. A. ovata is both dwarf, freely flowered 
and highly ornamental. Some specimens about 
18 in. high are now very ornamental in one of the 
cool houses at Falkland Park, South Norwood Hill. 
The branches are closely arranged, and arch beauti¬ 
fully, while they are closely covered with small, oval, 
apiculated, dark green phyllodia, popularly termed 
leaves. The specific name would indicate that the 
leaves were ovate, but it is to some extent impressive, 
as few if any other species of this genus have phyllo¬ 
dia at all approaching this one, which is therefore 
very distinct. The flowers are golden yellow, and 
are produced in small globular heads that arise 
singly from the axils of the leaves, but are neverthe¬ 
less produced in great abundance. The plant may 
be flowered in quite a small state, say from 9 in. to 
12 in. high, and a few specimens stood about a house 
amongst other hard-wooded plants is productive of 
a striking effect. As yet the plant is by no means 
common either in public or private establishments. 
SOLANUM JASMINOIDES. 
So nearly hardy is this species that it may be grown 
in warm sheltered places in front of a wall even in 
the far north. Exceptionally severe winters how¬ 
ever destroy it. Could it be induced to become 
deciduous and ripen its wood, we could then rank it 
amongst hardy wall climbers. The long trailing or 
twining stems keep on growing and producing 
flowers so long as the weather remains fine. The 
flowers are white or have the faintest tint of blue in 
them, and they bear considerable resemblance to 
those of a Jasmine as indicated by the specific name. 
The leaves likewise may be compared to those of 
some species of Jasmine, and are narrowly heart- 
shaped or scolloped at the base, or in the larger 
ones cut down into segments, according to their size. 
People who are fond of making experiments might 
well try this species out of doors to test its hardiness 
in this part of the country. A large plant of it on 
the back wall of a corridor connecting the hot¬ 
houses at Falkland Park, South Norwood Hill, has 
been kept growing all the winter by the shelter 
afforded, and is still in bloom. 
PITTOSPCRUM TOBIRA. 
The fragrant white flowers of the species are pro¬ 
duced in clusters nestling amongst the obovate, dark 
shining green and leathery leaves. The plant is 
half hardy in this country, but when treated as a 
greenhouse plant in winter it gives greater satis¬ 
faction, comes into bloom during March, and if 
large size keeps blooming on all through the summer 
months. It is hardy in the Channel Islands, and 
may be seen flowering there in the open air during 
October. Like other hard-wooded plants it may be 
stood in the open air during summer to make fresh 
growth and ripen its wood. We noted it in dwarf 
and bushy condition in one of the houses at Falkland 
Park, South Norwood Hill. 
