546 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 30, 1892. 
Leedsi (see figure) section is notable for the chaste 
tints of colour that pervade the different varieties, 
which are separable chiefly by the varying lengths 
of the crown, while the segments are white. A very 
choice one is M.M. de Graaff, the crown of which 
when it first expands is orange, but fades off almost 
white. Minnie Hume is another which is notable for 
its long white segments and large, pale yellow crown 
fading off almost white. N. Burbidgei Princess 
Louise has segments of the palest sulphur-yellow 
and a short spreading orange crown. Angels’ Tears 
(N. triandrus) has been flowering for a long time 
past; N. Nelsoni is in perfection, and N. poeticus 
will soon be so. (See the accompanying figures.) 
Most of the above succeed well when planted out 
on the grass, as they are then under more natural 
conditions than when grown on bare, loose soil in 
the better kept part of the garden. They are not 
then subjected to frequent disturbance, and they look 
charming when planted in large irregular masses 
either in sunny or in half shady situations. Those 
who would enjoy the beauty of Daffodils in the cut 
state should collect them just when opening, and take 
them indoors, where they will expand in all their 
freshness and beauty, lasting a long time in perfec¬ 
tion. Those who live in the neighbourhood of large 
towns, where the atmosphere is always laden with 
smoke and dirt, w'ould do well to take this precaution. 
EUPHORBIA JACQUINLEFLORA. 
Although later botanical works describe this plant 
under the name of Euphorbia fulgens, I expect it 
will be many years before it is generally known by 
any other than the name heading these few notes. 
It belongs to a very large genus, comprising some 
six hundred species; these are of very wide 
geographical distribution, and are also of various 
sizes, some being mere weeds while others are lofty 
trees. It is of the variety already named that I 
intend treating, as this is one of the most showy 
and easily grown stove or warm greenhouse plants 
we have. It also possesses the great value of 
producing quantities of glowing scarlet blossoms 
during the winter and early spring months. Its 
flowers are particularly useful for placing in vases, 
etc., or for sprays for the hair; while well-grown 
plants are invaluable for giving life and colour to 
groups of plants during the winter. 
Propagation is easily effected at the end of February 
and throughout March. Cuttings of the ripened 
wood, taken off as soon as the plants have finished 
flowering, and made up into two-and-a-half or three 
inch lengths in much the same manner as vines, will 
strike root very freely if placed in a compost of leaf- 
soil and sharp sand. As the wood of these contains 
a large amount of milky sap, it is much best to let 
the cuttings lie up to the air for a day or two, until 
the wound has dried somewhat ; otherwise the sap 
exudes so freely as to greatly weaken the cutting and 
subsequent plant. 
Place the cuttings into well-drained y-in. pots and 
plunge into a brisk bottom heat of 70° to 75 0 , keep¬ 
ing the atmosphere moist and close. They will soon 
root, and when this is the case they may be potted 
off into 3-in. pots, and in the course of time shifted 
on into 5-in. or 6-in. sizes as they require it. The 
plants will flower well in these sizes, but if extra 
large specimens are desired they may have a further 
shift into 8-in. pots. Good drainage is essential, and 
they do much better in a rich loamy compost with a 
little peat and coarse sand. 
Let the plants grow as they choose after the first 
stopping. It is very difficult to produce shapeable 
specimens, and as they are generally used for cut 
flowers or for intermixing in and enlivening a group, 
their straggly disposition is of no consequence. 
Another method of propagation is to take slips of 
the young wood which shoots out from every eye 
upon the older growths of the previous year. The 
plants may be placed on one side for a time after 
flowering and kept dry at the roots. They must 
still remain in a warm temperature, however ; in fact 
they should never be subject to cold treatment. 
After they have rested in this manner until the end 
of April, or early in May, they may be introduced to 
a warmer and moist heat, and frequently syringed 
overhead. Under these conditions they will soon 
throw out the side growths required for cuttings. 
Early in June these will be some 3 in. long, and are 
then ready for use. Remove them with a slight heel 
of the older wood, place three in a small pot and 
plunge in a warm propagating frame, keeping them 
close until they have rooted. 
Plants resulting from the former mode of striking 
had better be headed once soon after starting, but 
those produced from the young side shoots later on 
do not require any heading, and should be grown on 
as rapidly as possible. Sudden changes in tempera¬ 
ture must be avoided, and the plants require plenty 
of light. A little liquid manure during full growth 
will help them very much. 
Duiing the warmer summer months the plants 
may be placed in a frame or pit, and must receive an 
abundance of air during all fine days, syringing them 
liberally, and closing the frame at night. Partial 
shading during fierce sunshine is necessary, but other¬ 
wise they should have the full benefit of all sunny 
days. The flowers are small, and are produced upon 
the upper parts of the shoots, so that the proper 
ripening of these is important. Let the plants re¬ 
main in the frame or pit until September, when they 
should be removed to the warm greenhouse or stove 
where they are to flower. This they will commence 
to do early in November, and if your plants were 
struck and grown in two batches, they will continue 
to flower until the end of February or early in March. 
Let the plants become somewhat dry after their 
flowering is over, and stand them on one side for a 
few weeks. Now cut them down to -within two or 
three inches of their base, and place in a tempera¬ 
ture of 55°. Let them come on steadily until the 
young shoots are about an inch long, when they may 
be shaken out of their pots, their balls of soil re¬ 
duced, and repotted into fresh compost. Plunge the 
pots into a brisk bottom heat, and grow them on in 
a moist temperature of 70° to 75 Pot on into larger 
sizes when well established in the smaller pots, and 
grow on similar to the previous season. — Experience. 
new § mm pii?jpg. 
The subjects mentioned below were exhibited at the 
meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on the 
19th inst., and were awarded certificates according 
to merit. For Orchids certificated see under " Orchid 
Notes and Gleanings.” 
Astilbe Thunbergii. —In habit this plant very 
much resembles a Spiraea, intermediate between S. 
Aruncusand S. astilboides. The leaves are triternate, 
that is, three times ternately divided, with lanceolate, 
ovate or wedge-shaped leaflets, the terminal one of 
which is generally larger and sometimes three-lobed, 
while the larger ones are cordate at the base, and 
all are serrate. The flowers are small, creamy-white 
and densely arranged in branching panicles on stems 
about 2 ft. high. The species is a native of Japan, 
from whence it was introduced in 1878. It is 
employed to some extent on the Continent for forcing 
purposes, and might so be employed here in the same 
way as Spiraea astilboides. 
Grevillea robusta elegantissima. —This name 
is applied to a variety with very graceful foliage, and 
which has turned up in a batch of seedlings. The 
leaves are longer than in the typical form, with more 
slender, drooping stalks, and the spaces between the 
different divisions are more elongated, so that on the 
whole they are much opener with a lighter appear¬ 
ance than in the better known form. The ultimate 
divisions or segments are also very narrow and 
lanceolate or subulate. A young specimen about 
2 ft. to 2\ ft. high, with two or three times pinnatisect 
leaves, was shown. 
Rhododendron racemosum. —A basket of small 
plants, ranging from 2 in. to 8 in. high and lifted 
from the open ground about ten days previous to 
their being brought before the public, would indicate 
that this pretty little Rhododendron might be grown 
as a hardy plant upon the rockery or used for forcing 
purposes. It was raised from seeds brought home 
from China. The leaves are leathery, evergreen, 
and small, in conformity with the size of the plant, 
and obovate-oblong, revolute at the margin, dark 
green above and silvery beneath, thickly dotted with 
small brown scales. The flowers are bell-shaped, 
five-lobed, of a pale pink and bright rose at the edges, 
reminding one of an edged flower like the Picotee. 
They are produced in corymbs or trusses terminating 
the short stems, and also in the axils of the leaves 
along the sides of the shoots. The stamens and 
styles are pink and the anthers rose. All of the 
above three plants were exhibited by Messrs. J. 
Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, and received First-class 
Certificates. 
Amaryllis Sylvia. —This variety' gives promise 
of a new strain of Amaryllis, not strikingly different 
from those already in cultivation, but of rather 
dwarfer habit, with large flowers, lively and pleasing 
colours, and beautifully crisped at the edges. The 
seed parent was Bernard, one of the old types haring 
rich scarlet flowers, crossed with the pollen of the 
beautiful, old-fashioned Amaryllis reticulata often 
seen in gardens, where it seldom flowers, but is 
recognisable by' the white stripe down the centre of 
the leaf. Both parents were shown alongside of the 
progeny, but only the seed bearer was in bloom. 
The flowers of Sylvia are funnel-shaped, and heavily 
suffused and lined with red on a white ground. The 
crisping of the edges adds much to the effect. The 
scape is about 18 in. high. An Award of Merit was 
accorded it when shown by Messrs. J. A eitch & Sons. 
Amaryllis Charles Penny. —The flowers of this 
variety are obliquely funnel-shaped, and somewhat 
out of the usual form in that respect. All the 
segments are very broad and overlapping, but 
particularly the outer three, and all are revolute or 
recurved towards the apex. They are of a deep 
crimson-scarlet and somewhat darker in the throat, 
so that on the whole they have a bold and telling 
appearance. It was exhibited by Mr. Perkins, 
gardener to Viscountess Hambledon, Henley-on- 
Thames, and received an Award of Merit. 
-- 
GAMBIR CULTIVATION IN THE 
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS. 
Of all the vegetable products of the Malay Penin¬ 
sula, Gambir takes the second place only in 
importance. In the tanning and silk trades it is 
well know-n to be indispensable, and it is also used 
to a small extent in medicine. The larger portion of 
the drug which finds its way into the market is ex¬ 
ported from Singapore, and the average value of the 
annual export for the last five y'ears is $4,682,333. 
The import into the British Islands in 1889 was, 
roughly speaking, of the value of ^460,000, and the 
United States took in the same year nearly /i8o,ooo 
worth. Nevertheless hitherto this important culti¬ 
vation has been in the hands of the Chinese and 
Malays only. Europeans as yet have hardly began 
to think seriously of undertaking it, and yet it is 
certain that a properly treated estate would bring a 
good profit. The reason of this neglect is, it seems, 
that the Malay Peninsula with the adjoining islands 
of Rhio, Lingga, Banka, and some others, where alone 
the plant seems to thrive, has not yet come under 
the hands of European planters to any large extent, 
and the few planters who have settled down in the 
Straits Settlements and Malay Peninsula have de¬ 
voted themselves almost exclusively to coffee and tea 
cultivation. 
There are signs, however, of an increasing interest 
in planting, and the attention of the planter is turn¬ 
ing to other products than these, and, among them, 
to Gambir ; and, indeed, there is no reason why this 
plant should not be grown on a large scale. In the 
Malay Peninsula there is plenty of suitable land, the 
cultivation is easy and not expensive, the plant is 
quick growing and will bring a return within a year 
and-a-half after sowing, and the demand for the 
product is steady and constant. 
It is true that, on the whole, the price of Gambir 
has fallen in the last few years, but this is due entirely 
I believe, to deterioration of the quality. The native, 
working with rough apparatus and being very care¬ 
less as to result, supplies the market with an 
inferior article unnecessarily loaded with water, 
often containing as much as from 30 to 50 per cent. 
In the hands of Europeans, with the aid of better 
methods of cultivation and of improved machinery, 
a much superior class of Gambir might easily be 
produced, while at the same time by doing away 
with the middleman, represented here by the Chinese 
towkay, the expenses of the product would be 
lessened. 
Nor is the interest in the Gambir cultivation con¬ 
fined to the Straits planter. Requests for seed and 
young plants have been addressed to the Botanic 
Gardens at Singapore from all parts of the world. 
To Borneo, India, Australia, Africa, the W est Indies 
and other tropical colonies of the empire, seed has 
been sent in quantity. In some of these countries it 
is probable that the Gambir will not thrive well 
enough to bring profit by its cultivation, owing to 
the difference in climate, but this is impossible to 
decide till the experiment has been tried. — H. N. 
Ridley, in the Straits Times. 
