July 18, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
787 
plants may be obtained during a single year’s growth. 
The blooms borne by these young and vigorous 
specimens are larger and finer, as well as being quite as 
numerous. At one time the practice widely obtained 
of growing on the old corms year after year, until 
they became practically valueless from old age. It 
was not an infrequent occurrence for quantities of the 
old corms when potted up to fail to come up to the 
scratch. A famous gardener, since dead, who had, 
when alive, the charge of one of the finest gardens in 
this country, used to be fond of saying that private 
gardeners did not know how to grow Cyclamen. 
Since the practice of growing on old plants for a 
a number of years, has in a great measure fallen in¬ 
to abeyance a great improvement is manifest. It 
you wish to pot your plants up again, S. Sanderson, 
you may do so, but we should not advise you to 
grow them for more than three years at the outside. 
You will get better results by raising a stock of 
young ones. 
-- 
A FLORAL ISLE. 
Not a hundred miles from Shiplake, and only sixty- 
nine—as the river runs—from London Bridge there 
is a charming little eyot which Dame Nature seems 
to have given more than ordinary attention to, and 
which I thought proper to designate as above, on 
account of the large number of wild plants which are 
found there. 
has so well represented. The grasses and sedges in 
the immediate foreground of the picture are part and 
parcel of our little isle, and the water which lies 
between is known as the “ Tumbling Bay," inasmuch 
as it receives the overflow of the noisy weir, and is, 
therefore, often somewhat agitated and perturbed. 
But let us " explore ” the isle, otherwise we cannot 
become acquainted with its Flora; and we do not 
want to use the language of a French map-maker of the 
i8th century, who (not having been to Aberdeen or 
Elgin), leaves all the country north of the Tay a 
blank with the inscription : — " Tene inculte et sauvage, 
habitee par les Highlanders." The former portion of 
this humourous description, however, will apply 
here as the isle is practically uncultivated and savage, 
although the " islanders ’’ themselves are neither the 
one nor the other, unless it be considered rude to 
camp out and eschew the fair. 
Who would not be a celibate, 
And live in single blessed state ? 
Camp out at night by glowworm’s light ? 
And court the dreaded earwig’s bite ! 
However, this camping out, this hankering after 
It naturel, has its butterfly side, as well as its earwig 
one ; and speaking generally, the resulting advan¬ 
tages are all in favour of the camping race, for 
campers-out may be compared to gardeners—they 
love the sweet, fresh air, the ruddy glow of the early 
morn, the subsequent glories of the meridian day, 
shade (Solanum Dulcamara) has attached itself for 
support. Its numerous drooping, dark purple, 
potato-like flowers with bright yellow, cone-shape 
centres, on slender pedicels, bespeak the present 
weather, and one can almost see the future, when 
these same doubtful-looking little flowers will have 
passed away, and in their stead a host of bright, rich, 
tempting-looking berries, which, for some reason or 
other, children may not touch without fatal effects, 
but which the feathered tribe can feast on with 
impunity. 
Just outside the doors of the tents the most con¬ 
spicuous grasses just now are the nodding panicles of 
the tall Fescue (Festuca elatior); the large open 
feathery-looking panicles of the soft creeping grass 
(Holcus mollis) ; and the glomerated spikelets of the 
Cock’s-foot grass (Dactylis glomerata) ; while again, 
amongst the grass, we have many flowers that do not 
come far behind the imported species or varieties. 
Take the Ox eye, or great Moon Daisy (Chrysanthe¬ 
mum Leucanthemum), whose pure white rays and 
yellow eye will bear comparison with the 
“ Marguerite’’ of the florist’s shops, or the Meadow 
Crane's-bill, (Geranium pratense), which hath a 
better blue and a purer tint than any other 
"Geranium ” you are likely to obtain in the same 
way. And so with the common scarlet Poppy 
(Papaver Rhoeas) with flowers 4 in. in diameter and 
of the intensest hue, with which few things in the 
A Floral Isle on the Thames. 
It is a quiet, secluded spot, full of peaceful repose 
and restful ease, and much sought after by a very 
special few, who resort thither to follow gentle 
Isaac Walton's art, to go in for natation or pursue the 
pleasant pastime of boating and all that that implies- 
Here also, those who love the river do often con¬ 
gregate, camp out, cook, imitate Cruso, court the 
sunshine, and otherwise employ their leisure hours 
to the advantage of their mental and corporeal 
states. 
Moreover, this sweet little isle—about an acre in 
extent—is not only charming in itself, laved and 
caressed as it is by the Queen of English rivers, but 
it is surrounded by pastoral and undulating scenery 
of the most enchanting order. It is the middle 
of June; the hay-makers are busy, and the scent that 
is so much sought after is there in all its redolence 
and freshness. Add to this the perfume of the 
Water Elder or common Guelder Rose (Viburnum 
Opulus); the ordinary Elder (Sambucus nigra) ; or 
the less intense odour of the Wild Cornel or Dogwood 
tree (Gornus sanguinea); and it must be admitted 
that the sweets of the country do much abound. 
The wild Roses, too, are just now full of glory; and 
if their perfume cannot be detected from afar, the 
very sight conjures up agreeable thoughts and pleasant 
memories. 
But these are outside our little isle, part of which 
the amateur artist, Mr Chas. Dunk, of Stroud Green, 
and the evening splendours of the setting sun. Add 
to these things that peculiar independency of feeling 
begotten of the open air, and the freedom from 
fashion and folly, which mark the town, and the 
"union of hearts,” is not only apparent but real, for 
what can either do without water, or how can Fiora 
bej'otherwise than happy in the presence of those 
who go out of'their way to pay her court. There is 
a certain amount of affinity between gardeners, and 
boating men; both believe in the occult-power of 
water, and both bow down in adoration to the glories 
of Sol. 
With men and manners, however, we are not now 
immediately concerned, so we will ignore men and 
things, and proceed to deal with the trees, and 
flowers, which are sufficiently distinct to warrant 
survey. 
Of the former it cannot be said that variety is 
charming, for Willows do abound, and yet, on the 
left-hand side of the illustration, there is a particu¬ 
larly fine white, or silver-leaved Willow, with long, 
narrow, lanceolate leaves, silky on both sides, and 
which, by reason of their fragility, quiver gracefully 
in the gentlest breeze. The botanical name of this 
tree is Salix alba. On the other hand, in addition 
to some less elegant trees of the - same genus, there 
are Alders (Alnus glutinosa), and Hawthorns 
(Crataegus Oxyacantha) ; while around one of the 
latter a very fine specimen of the Woody Night- 
garden can compare. But all these wildings have a 
common fault—they do not require artificial heat, or 
cultural skill. Here, also, may be found the Bladder 
Campion or White Bottle (Silene inflata), and not 
far off, a near ally, the Ragged Robin (Lychnis Flos- 
cuculi), or Cuckoo Flower. Both are members of the 
same natural order as the Pink and Carnation— 
sweetest of all flowers. There are two Convolvuli; 
one with pretty little pink or white flowers on slender 
trailing stems (C. arvensis), -and one with larger 
leaves and stronger twining stems, (C. sepium) not 
yet in flower, but which will, in the fulness of time, 
produce large white or<pale pink funnel-shaped 
blossoms in abundance ; and two Clovers, Trifolium 
pratense the sweet scented purple Clover; and 
T. repens, the white Trefoil or Dutch Clover. 
Other land plants that must be noticed are 
Lathyrus pratensis, a bright yellow leguminous 
flower; Medicago sativa, a bluish-purple Vetch, not 
indigenous ; M. lupulina, an annual plant with small 
yellow flower-heads, and procumbent stems; 
Melilotus officinalis, the common Melilot, also with 
small yellow flowers, but in axillary clusters, which 
have a faint odour of honey, or according to some, 
new-mown hay; Potentilla reptans, the creeping 
Cinquefoil, with rich yellow flowers on long creeping 
stems; Centaurea nigra, the black Knapweed, the 
specific name of which, however, has reference to the 
scales of the involucre,and not the colour of the purple 
