September 21, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
47 
down by hundreds over certain areas. Their own 
excessive vigour no doubt contributed to their 
destruction, and it may be that the made soil soon 
gets exhausted of its nourishment by supporting 
such a crop of one thing. In any case an incon¬ 
spicuous weed, Atriplex littoralis by name, has 
monopolised acres of the ground in place of the 
Asters which were so predominant last year. 
Isolated and vigorous colonies of Chenopodium 
album and C. rubrum, so different from their usual 
forms as almost to belie their name, stand out con¬ 
spicuously from the sea of weedy vegetation. 
A large proportion of the Asters must be seedlings, 
otherwise they could not have taken possession of 
the ground so rapidly. Other proof, however, amply 
justifies this conclusion, for the varieties are very 
numerous. Some have large flowers of a bright 
mauve, sometimes approaching to blue. Others are 
smaller, and vary from mauve and lilac to blush and 
pure white, with a yellow disc. Stray plants exhibit 
a great poverty of rays, as if they were in the process 
of becoming obsolete, and in other plants the process 
is complete, leaving nothing but a great golden disc, 
which becomes purple and brown with age. The 
character of the plant is entirely altered, but bees 
and other insects are doubtlessly attracted by the 
delicate and agreeable fragrance emanating from 
them. The scent becomes decidedly strong as one 
walks through a forest of Asters with the sun shining 
upon them .—Ad rem. 
-— » »- — 
Hardening Miscellany. 
BANANAS. 
These are well grown in the gardens of H. T. Parke, 
Esq., C.C., Withnell Fold, Chorley. One bunch 
approaching maturity was 4 ft. long, consisting of 
286 pips of great size. At the opposite end was 
another not quite so long, but containing pips 8 in. 
long and proportionately thick. The plants were 
turned out of pots into a shallow enclosure in July, 
189-1. Amongst other good things growing in the 
same house I noticed several specimens of Gymno- 
gramma schizophylla gloriosa, a most elegant Fern 
suitable for baskets.— W. P. R. 
BEGONIA GOLIATH. 
The leaves of this remarkable Begonia vary from 
6 in. to 16 in. in length, are drawn out to a long 
point, and bronzy-olive with silvery veins. They 
hang down much like those of a fine foliaged Anthur- 
ium to which they may be compared, and the 
variety may be made to serve the same purpose in 
the conservatory as Anthuriums do in the stove. 
Flowering does not impair the beauty of the foliage. 
There can be little doubt but that this variety is a 
descendant from B. Pearcei with a slight admixture 
f other blood. The flowers are bronzy-orange, 
circular, of great size, and borne on plants about 
2 ft. high when fully developed. It may be seen in 
Mr. T. S. Ware's Begonia Nursery, at Bexley Heath 
Kent. 
PORTULACA GRANDIFLORA. 
The Portulacas are not so well known as they 
deserve to be. There is a reason for that—they are 
not so easily managed as many other succulent 
plants. Moreover, as they are "sun-plants," and 
as our climate is often sunless, it follows that it is 
only occasionally one sees them in the best con¬ 
dition. The flowers—especially of the above 
species—when they are with us are of the most 
lovely colours. They are produced in terminal 
clusters, three or four together, surrounded by 
whorls of acute, cylindrical leaves, and the colours 
range through shades of yellow and rose to dark 
rich purple. The whole plant is prostrate and 
dwarf, and is best treated with us as a half-hardy 
annual. At Kew the plants occupy one of the large 
beds, which are devoted in the spring to species of 
Crocus. These having long since matured their 
corms, the Portulacas now cover the ground 
instead, with their bright and showy blossoms, 
which will in turn be again replaced by the right¬ 
ful owners of the flowerful soil .—Le Vert. 
HIBISCUS CAMERONI. 
A large specimen of this comparatively little-known 
Hibiscus has been flowering in the Palm house at 
Kew for some weeks past, and at the time of writing 
there are four or five of the large showy flowers 
open upon it, whilst the large numbers of buds, with 
which every shoot appears to be crowded, afford 
pretty clear evidence that the blooming season will 
be extended over a considerable period. The 
flowers are large, being fully 4 in, or 5 in. in diameter, 
and of a vivid rose colour, whilst the crimson blotch 
apparent at the base of each petal gives the flower a 
dark central ring. The leaves are five lobed, very 
deeply serrated, and of a bright green hue. The 
plant, which is a native of Madagascar, was intro¬ 
duced into this country about the year 1S37, but has 
evidently not made much use of its time, seeing that 
it is but seldom met with outside the bounds of 
botanic gardens. 
SEEDLING ROSES. 
A box of blooms of seedling Roses has recently been 
sent to us by Mr. James Bryson, Helensburgh, N.B., 
who informs us that they are raised from seed saved 
from Madam Isaac Periere. Despite the long 
journey the blooms had travelled well, and came out 
fresh and smiling. In hue they are a bright rosy- 
pink, shading rather lighter as they get older. The 
plants, judging from the specimens sent us, are 
exceedingly floriferous, as upon one small spray four 
large blooms were to be seen. The flowers themselves 
are of extra large size (4! in), nicely semi-double, and 
the petals of fine substance, a notch being visible in 
the middle of each. The foliage is strong and healthy, 
and very dark green in colour. Bearing in mind the 
fact that semi-double Roses are at the present time 
highly thought of for planting in the flower garden, 
Mr Bryson’s seedlings, provided they possessagood 
constitution in addition to their other good qualities, 
should prove great acquisitions to lovers of Roses of 
this class, and will, we doubt not, be accorded a very 
cordial reception when sent out. 
DANGER OF NICOTINE FOR FUMIGATING 
VINES. 
“ This bottle contains the pure nicotine of tobacco 
in a highly concentrated form." Such is the descrip¬ 
tion on the label of the contents of a bottle recently 
handed to me. The nicotine had been used for 
fumigating'a vinery with the apparent result of killing 
the insects and poisoning the Grapes, for six people 
after partaking of the bunches on different occasions 
rapidly became ill, exhibiting the well-known 
symptoms of an overdose of tobacco. Three of the 
cases were for a time alarming, and all suffered con¬ 
siderably. I have reason to believe that this pure 
nicotine has recently found great favour with gar¬ 
deners and others on account of its great insecticide 
powers, and I daresay it may be safely used (the 
user taking great care not to inhale the fumes him¬ 
self in greenhouses containing only flowers), but it is 
evident it must not be used in houses where anything 
eatable is growing. It cannot be too widely known that 
pure nicotine is as deadly a poison as prussic acid. 
Thinking the publication of these facts might possibly 
prevent some further mishaps, I venture to bring 
them to your notice.— Fred. B. Fisher, M.R.C.S., 
Dorchester, September 4th, 1895. 
LAG ERST RO EM IA INDICA. 
The fine specimen cf this beautiful subject that is 
planted out in the greenhouse at Kew, is once again 
in full bloom, and is certainly one of the most note¬ 
worthy features of the house. Although the plant 
does well enough when grown in pots in the ordinary 
way, it seems to thrive even better when given a 
longer root-run in a specially prepared bed. The 
flowers are bright rosy-pink in colour, and are pro¬ 
duced in a large terminal panicles that show up re¬ 
markably well against the deep green of the 
roundish-ovate leaves. It is a very accommodating 
subject with regard to temperature, although an 
intermediate house appears to suit it best. Although 
given the specific name of indica the plant really 
hails from China, having been brought from thence 
about the year 1816. Another good example this 
of the misleading nature of some specific names. 
STANDARD CURRANTS AND GOOSEBERRIES. 
When looking round Messrs. W. Cutbush & Sons’ 
nursery at Highgate a short time ago, we noticed a 
number of standard Gooseberries and Red and White 
Currants which struck us as being somewhat of a 
novelty. The trees in question had fairly large 
heads, borne upon stout stems about four feet in 
height, and to those accustomed to the ordinary 
methods of training small fruits they presented a 
decidedly novel appearance. But we discovered a 
useful side to them as well as a curious, for it is 
urged that they can be planted among dwarf grow¬ 
ing plants without injury to the latter in any way, as 
being so tall they do not intercept the light to any 
appreciable extent, and the advantage is thus gained 
of having an extra crop off the same ground without 
increased risk or trouble. The trees in question had 
borne heavy crops of good fruit this year and looked 
strong and healthy. The space beneath them was 
planted with tuberous Begonias in full flower, a 
happy union of the useful and the ornamental. 
TACSONIAS DROPPING THEIR BUDS. 
Would some of the readers of The Gardening 
World kindly inform me what is the best thing to 
do, through your pages. I have a Tacsonia which 
was planted last year in a conservatory ; it has made 
a lot of wood growth, also bloom buds, but just as 
they ought to open they drop off. I have stopped 
the leaders and given them liquid manure, but of no 
avail; if you could give me some information through 
your pages I should be very pleased.— W. Hayward, 
September 10th. 
BEGONIA WORTHIANA. 
The above subject is now making an effective display 
in the herbaceous border at Kew, and by reason of 
its brilliant colouring is distinctly attractive. It 
occupies a prominent place because it is dwarf, and 
it is planted in a little group—an admirable feature 
here—sufficientlyjfar apart to show off to the greatest 
advantage its bright orange-scarlet or rich coral- 
coloured pendulous blooms. It is a most useful 
bedder ; in fact, it is, according to my standard of 
taste, the best of its class, for it is refined, though 
showy, and elegant though unique .—Le Vert. 
■-—- 
GUNNERSBURY PARK. 
That a well-managed garden possesses an in¬ 
exhaustible fund of attraction and charm to those 
who can understand and are thus able to appreciate 
the various phases of plant life is an irrevocable fact. 
From its reputation we should imagine that most of 
our readers are aware that the appellation “ well- 
managed " is extremely applicable to the gardens at 
Gunnersbury House. Carnations, as is well known, 
have been a speciality here for long, and certain it is 
that Mr. Reynolds and those in authority under him 
have abundantly succeeded in mastering the 
peculiarities of the Carnation as a pot plant : that is 
to say if we may judge from the results of their skill 
and labour now on view—and to judge from results 
is certainly the most fair and equitable of methods in 
dealing with things horticultural as with anything 
else. When looking round recently we noticed a 
houseful of splendid plants in full bloom. They 
commenced to flower about the beginning of August, 
and have been a blaze of bloom ever since. Even at 
the present time there are large quantities of un¬ 
opened buds to be seen in addition to the numerous 
flowers in all stages of development that have proved 
so exceedingly useful for cutting from. There are 
about 500 plants in this batch. They are most of 
them nearly two years old, having been cut back 
fairly hard last November and subsequently suffered 
to break into growth. This system of culture 
evidently suits them to perfection, for the grass, 
although not rank enough to be termed gross, is still 
healthy and vigorous and entirely free from traces of 
the all-disfiguring disease. Mrs. Leopold de Roths¬ 
child is the favourite variety, and a splendid thing it is, 
being of strong constitution and a free and profuse 
flowerer. The blooms are rather above medium 
size, delicate rosy-pmk in colour, and with the petals 
more or less fimbriated. Its great fault, however, is 
that it is somewhat given to calyx-bursting. 
A second batch, somewhat smaller than the first, 
is just now commencing to bloom, and will thus 
form a suitable succession to the earliest plants. 
These were all obtained from cuttings struck in a 
gentle heat last November, potted into small sixties 
to pass through the winter, and subsequently shifted 
on into their flowering pots as growth required. 
Here, in addition to Mrs. Leopold de Rothschild, we 
noticed well-grown little plants of the bright Winter 
Cheer, the well-known Miss Joliffe, Baron Roths- 
