July;16, 1892. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
?27 
Speaking of Chrysanthemum shows, one is re¬ 
minded how much we owe to the amateur growers. 
Although purely trade organisations are an absolute 
necessity, both for protection and comparison, any 
horticultural society bent on securing fine shows will 
find the co-operation of the amateur an imperative 
necessity. Not only do they give aid, both financially 
and in plants, but the shows thus appeal more heart¬ 
ily to the general public. When a show is managed 
entirely by men in the trade, people often look on it 
much in the light of an advertisement, whereas the 
assistance of outsiders prominent in the social or 
business world removes that suspicion. The most 
successful shows given in this country have owed 
much to the generous aid of the amateurs. The 
taste for horticulture is growing too, although 
wealthy Americans rarely take so warm an interest 
in gardening generally as the representatives of a 
similar class abroad. Still, there are plenty of flower 
lovers, especially among people of moderate means, 
and they form a class we should endeavour to interest 
in horticultural societies. When every town has a 
horticultural society that gives an annual show of 
some sort, we shall feel that the florists’ millennium is 
not very far off. 
Another requirement, which we still hope to see 
filled, is the establishment of proper flower markets. 
New York is woefully deficient in this requirement. 
It is true there is the open-air market in Union 
Square, where plants are sold, but wholesalers and re¬ 
tailers alike want areal market for thecut-flower trade. 
They want to do away with the middleman for one 
thing ; and they want to arrange sales on a business 
basis, in the hope of avoiding some of the extra¬ 
ordinary fluctuations now equally disastrous to buyer 
and seller. There is no reason why flowers should 
not be sold under the same rules as any other 
perishable commodity, but at present the lack of a 
central market, which would regulate prices by giving 
a just idea of supply and demand, frequently causes 
heavy loss to the grower, and annoyance to the re¬ 
tailer. Many and varied are the complaints 
against the commission man and his exactions, 
though it is not likely his lot is altogether a happy 
one. 
A question often debated in the trade is the need 
of the apprentice system. A very large proportion 
of the leading men in the trade, especially the elder 
ones, learned their business abroad, either in Great 
Britain or on the continent. With few exceptions, 
they began to learn the business when mere boys ; 
they were expected to study all branches of the trade, 
instead of confining themselves merely to Roses, or 
Carnations, or some other speciality. Consequently 
they are what may be called " all round plantsmen,” 
especially when their education has been finished in 
some place famous for shows. It is really difficult to 
get the same class of help here. Growers often com¬ 
plain that it really does not pay to teach a boy, be¬ 
cause you cannot bind him for any length of time, 
and as soon as he knows enough to pay for the in¬ 
struction given him he is sure to leave. There is a pre¬ 
judice against employing boys in greenhouses, too ; it 
is all very well to have one, but where several are em¬ 
ployed there is usually so much “ larking ” that the 
amount of work done is reduced to a minimum. 
Some of the'most prominent men in the trade, how¬ 
ever, are disposed to make good openings for intelli¬ 
gent boys possessing at least a good common school 
.education, thinking rightly that such material will 
continue to raise the standard of the trade. At 
present the number of foreigners holding good posi¬ 
tions in the trade is rather discouraging to anyone 
who believes essentially in America for Americans. 
There is no doubt that great benefit has accrued 
from the founding of the Society of American 
Florists. It has brought the trade together in a 
variety of ways, producing an esprit du corps before 
lacking, and the conventions give an opportunity for 
the interchange of ideas which would be impossible 
in any other way. The other protective societies 
which are connected with it are not only beneficial, 
but give the trade a commercial footing similar to 
that of other large industries. 
The trade will have an opportunity to distinguish 
itself greatly at the approaching Columbian Exposi¬ 
tion, and it is to be hoped that the chance will be 
taken. The centennial did a great deal in that way, 
moving us out of the old ruts, and this later affair 
should show plenty of improvement. There will be 
a fine opportunity for out-door effects, of which Mr. 
Thorpe will doubtless avail himself to the utmost, 
but he would be greatly hampered without the free 
co-operation of the trade. It is to be earnestly 
hoped that this will be made an epoch in the gar¬ 
dening world .—Emilv Louise Taplin, in American Gar¬ 
dening. 
-- 5 —- 
Gardening $1iscellany. 
MELON KNOWSLEY FAVOURITE. 
A fine fruit of a reasonable size, of the above Melon, 
reached us the other day from Mr. F. Harrison, 
Knowsley Gardens, Prescot. Judging from its size 
we should say it weighed about four pounds, and was 
roundly oval, yellowish green, and heavily netted 
with grey ridges' or lines. It is a cross between 
Knowsley Green Flesh and William Tillery, and is of 
course a green-fleshed variety. The rind is of 
moderate thickness, and the dark green flesh about 
ij in. in depth and eatable almost to the rind. It is 
rich and sugary in flavour, very juicy and melting. 
The plant, says our correspondent, is of robust con¬ 
stitution and sets its fruit freely. Given good 
cultural treatment we should describe the variety as 
a richly flavoured and highly desirable one. 
PRIMULA IMPERIALIS. 
Seeing that this is so closely allied to P. japonica it 
seems possible for hybridists to obtain a useful race 
of garden plants by hybridising the two. If it could 
be effected and the progeny not too weak, the golden 
yellow flowers of the plant under notice ought to 
give some interesting variations of colour with the 
rose, purple, white and crimson varieties of P. 
japonica. Where the soil is moderately rich and 
fairly moist, the flower stems of P. japonica, bearing 
tier above tier of bloom, are highly ornamental 
during the spring and early summer months, whether 
in the garden of the cottager or peer, so that if by 
crossing the two above-named, a varied race of 
garden plants could be obtained, they would meet 
with a hearty reception from the flower-loving 
public. 
TRACHELOSPERMUM JASMINOIDES 
ANGUSTIFOLIUM. 
The typical form of this species is best known as a 
greenhouse plant under the name of Rhyncho- 
spermum jasminoides. The variety under notice is 
smaller in all its parts, and hardier. In fact it will 
live against a wall outside in the south of England at 
least, as may be seen at Kew, where it has been 
flowering for some time past on a west aspect wall. 
The leaves are lanceolate, leathery and remain green 
all the winter, and probably for more than a year. 
The flowers are creamy white with a yellow eye, but 
would probably be whiter under glass. The plant in 
question is about 3 ft. or 4 ft. high. 
SILENE COLORATA. 
Very seldom do any of the annual species of Silene 
find their way into private gardens, with exception of 
the universally grown S. pendula. There are others, 
however, which seem almost equally deserving of at¬ 
tention and improvement at the hand of the amateur. 
The upright, branching stems grow about a foot 
high, and bear a profusion of flowers that are smaller 
than those of S. pendula, but of a darker and brighter 
rose colour. The lamina of the petals is so deeply 
bifid, that there seems to be ten instead of five, and 
although the flowers look less solid, they are certainly 
very graceful and pretty, while they are sufficiently 
large and numerous to be quite conspicuous even 
from a distance. 
EUCHARIS SANDERIANA. 
The almost complete absence of a cup or corona to 
the flowers of this species, is one of its most notice¬ 
able features. This structure is reduced to a mere 
rim, with some green lines extending down from it. 
The flowers themselves are smaller than those of E. 
grandiflora, with more ascending segments, giving 
the flower an appearance which reminds one of some 
species of Crinum. The leaves are strong and 
vigorous, and present a somewhat ribbed character, 
a feature differing from the other species in cultiva¬ 
tion. It flowers very freely, but will probably never 
become so popular as E. grandiflora; the relatively 
small size of the flowers is against it; but great size 
is too much dwelt upon. A large plant in a pot at 
Falkland Park, South Norwood Hill, is flowering 
very freely. ^ 
WAHLENBERGIA GRACILIS. 
The specific name here refers no doubt to the 
slender character of the flower stems, which are 
slender, 6 in. to 8 in. high, and covered with lanceo¬ 
late, oblong, or linear leaves. Each shoot or stem 
ends in a solitary, terminal, shortly bell-shaped 
flower of a pale blue colour. The species of Wah- 
lenbergia are usually either very dwarf, or are pro¬ 
cumbent upon the ground ; in this case the stems are 
erect, and about twice the height of those of W. 
saxicola or more. A small plant may be seen on the 
rockery at Kew. 
CALOCHORTUS KENNEDYI. 
There is a considerable amount of diversityin colour 
amongst the species of Calochortus generally known 
as Mariposa Lilies from California, but that above 
noted is strikingly distinct in several ways, but 
particularly in the matter of colour. The outer 
three segments are small, ovate, and green as usual, 
but the inner three are broadly obovate, bright 
orange-scarlet, slightly concave at the base and 
hairy there. The stamens are short with violet 
anthers. The stem grows 12 in. to 15 in. high, 
bearing three to four flowers in an umbel upon long 
stalks. The leaves are small, linear, and channelled. 
Hitherto no species has appeared in this country 
with orange-scarlet flowers, and it is to be hoped it will 
prove more easy of cultivation than the bulk of the 
others. It has been flowering for some time past at 
Kew. 
ACANTHOLIMON GLUMACEUM. 
The species of Acantholimon are distinguished from 
the Statices and Armerias to which they are closely 
allied by their narrow, densely arranged, and spiny 
pointed leaves. The flowers of A. glumaceum are 
of a bright rose colour, and arranged in short uni¬ 
lateral spikes. The leaves form small and dense 
rosettes that in plants of some size are aggregated so 
as to form a cushion or carpet resembling turf, save 
for the sharp spiny character of their tips. There is 
no difficulty in getting up a stock of plants from cut¬ 
tings of the short shoots inserted in pots of sandy soil 
and placed in a cold frame about the end of this 
month, and left there till the following spring. Old 
plants may also be divided in spring if lifted, and 
pieces bearing a few roots pulled away from the 
mother plant. A fine patch of it may be seen 
flowering freely on the rockery at Chiswick, in the 
gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society. 
ANEMONE RIVULARIS. 
The usual time for this Anemone to bloom is April, 
but a large bed of plants in full flower may be seen 
in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society at 
Chiswick. They had been raised from seeds and the 
seedlings were too small to flower at the proper 
period, but they have amply made up for it since 
then. The leaves are tripartate, lobed, and hairy. 
The stems vary from 12 in. to 18 in. in height, and 
are often much branched above the involucral leaves 
so that they bear a large number of flowers. The 
latter consist of five sepals which are white, more or 
less of a deep purple on the outer face. The anthers 
are also purple and serve to increase the beauty and 
interest of the flowers. The soil in which they are 
grown is by no means very moist, otherwise they 
would be even more robust than they are. In its 
native habitat it grows on river banks, and in this 
country it might be cultivated on the banks of 
ponds or streams to great advantage. Where this 
cannot conveniently be done and the soil of the 
garden is naturally dry, some of the soil might be 
taken out and a goodly proportion of peat mixed with 
the remainder so as to form a specially prepared bed. 
In this the North Indian Anemone of the river banks 
will find a congenial home. 
--*»- 
THE ADDER’S TONGUE 
FERN. 
I enclose a forked fertile frond of the Adder’s 
Tongue Fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum) found in one 
of the fields here. This is the first variation in this 
species that I have come across. Here it grows plenti¬ 
fully, and is to be found more frequently throughout 
the country than many people suppose. It is 
generally found growing on rather heavy soil, and 
growing amongst grass and other plants is difficult 
to detect. I have lifted this forked variety and 
planted it in the fernery, and it will be curious to 
watch if it is constant.— Simplex. 
