108 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 19, 1889. 
root them in the same manner as a Carnation—layer 
them, in fact. By the time the tips have developed 
flower buds and come into bloom, the stems are rooted 
at the points layered, and may be lifted and potted. 
The layers then constitute beautiful dwarf plants about 
1 ft. in height or even less, and are suitable either for 
conservatory or window decoration. The flower heads 
being of the natural size and fineness, appear very much 
like those of a new Marguerite, as the Parisians would 
call it. This practice should give a greater incentive 
to the cultivation of this already popular hardy autumn 
plant. It is also known under the name of Pyrethrum 
uliginosum. 
The Myrtle-leaved Eugenia. 
Botanically this is Eugenia myrtifolia, a very beau¬ 
tiful member of the Myrtle family, and not half so well 
known as it ought to be. It is a shrub or small tree, 
varying in height from 6 ft. to 12 ft., according to 
circumstances, and is a native of Queensland and New 
South TV ales. A considerable number of Eugenias are 
grown in this country, some of which are ornamental 
for their leaves, and others for their fruit ; hut a great 
many of them require a stove temperature, and are 
oftener grown in botanic gardens than elsewhere. The 
greenhouse species, however, find their way more 
frequently into private establishments all over the 
country, and from their resemblance to Myrtles, are 
beautiful for their foliage, flowers or fruit. The leaves 
of E. myrtifolia are lanceolate or elliptic, deep shining 
green, and so like those of the common Myrtle, except 
in being somewhat larger, that the specific name is very 
appropriate. The flowers are white, the large mass of 
stamens being very prominent, and they are borne in 
axillary or terminal panicles of no great size, but very 
numerous. The fruits are oblong, terminated by the 
calyx, berry like, bright shining reddish purple, and 
about the size of a large black Currant. The young 
foliage is red. The plant is grown by Mr. George 
AVythes at Syon House, Brentford, who stands it out of 
doors during summer and takes it into the conservatory 
in autumn when laden with flowers and fruit. 
G-ypsopliila muralis. 
There is a considerable range of variety amongst the 
different species of Gypsophila, hut none of them, 
possibly, are more finely branched or the ramifications 
more intricately interlaced with one another than in 
the case of G. muralis, an annual species, which was 
grown along with the collection on trial at Chiswick, 
in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society. 
Not only are the ramifications fine, but the leaves are 
very short, slender, and light green, giving the plant 
very much the appearance of Mcerhingia muscosa, with 
the exception that the latter is a perennial, and the 
flowers are white, whereas in the Gypsophila under 
notice the star-like myriads of flowers are rose and pink. 
Many of the species naturally inhabit dry, chalky, or 
rocky places, and that under notice would evidently 
prove more suitable for a rockery or some similar 
position where it would be elevated above tall-growing 
subjects, and evidently be more at home amongst plants 
of an alpine character. 
Chrysanthemum frutescens for Winter- 
flowering. 
The usual custom is to propagate and grow on small 
plants for this kind of work ; but as the species is an 
ever-flowering subject, fine effects can be produced at 
various seasons of the year by the use of large plants. 
TVe noticed some specimens at High Elms, Eamborough, 
Kent, about a yard iu height and the same in diameter. 
They are now in pots, and showing a large amount of 
bloom ; hut during summer were planted out. TVhen 
young subjects are treated in this way, they grow so 
rampantly that they are of no further use, except when 
hard cut back and grown on again. Old plants, how¬ 
ever, become firm and woody, producing short-jointed 
shoots only and flowers in great abundance, so that 
when lifted in the autumn there is no difficulty in 
establishing them. Of course, such specimens would 
be of no value to the market gardener except for cut 
blooms, and there is a limited number of private places 
where they could he accommodated ; but where there 
are extensive conservatories to fill, the value of large, 
shapely, and well-flowered specimens cannot be over¬ 
estimated. 
Tropseolum, Ball of Fire. 
Occasionally this gets noted as a fine thing for 
indoor flowering in winter, but its merits for outdoor 
work in summer are of no ordinary kind. The stems 
attain incredible length when grown alongside a fence 
or chains, so that it may extend horizontally after 
being raised from the ground. It is used in this way 
at High Elms, Farnborough, Kent, and the amount of 
bloom it has produced is simply extraordinary. Even 
now it is a blaze of the brighest scarlet, while its dark 
foliage forms a fine background to the bloom. Although 
the stems attain great length, the plant never becomes 
coarse, but gives off short laterals from the top to near 
the base, and these produce flowers in great profusion 
apparently at any time of the year. Mr. Taylor, the 
gardener, has young plants coming on in the houses, 
and when they have filled the pots with roots, they 
will commence flowering. 
Iris fcetidissima. 
The flowers of this species are neither very showy nor 
much appreciated. Nevertheless the plant is getting 
more or less widely distributed in gardens for the sake 
of its fruits, or more strictly speaking, its globular 
bright scarlet seeds. The capsules burst open when 
mature, disclosing these seeds, and are frequently 
employed in this state for decorative purposes. When 
employed along with autumn-tinted leaves, berries and 
other fruit, they constitute a very appropriate and 
seasonable ornament. The seeds of our other British 
species are much flattened, angled, and far less showy in 
the mature condition. I. fcetidissima grows naturally 
in thickets, as well as in partly-shaded situations upon 
a chalky soil, and is therefore chiefly found in the 
southern counties of England. It takes to cultivation 
in gardens readily enough. A variegated variety has 
long been grown in the herbaceous border, where, 
however, it seldom flowers—at least in northern gardens. 
The Red-flowered Strawberry Tree. 
The usual colour of the flowers of Arbutus Unedo is 
white, or yellowish white, or slightly tinted with red. 
A. U. rubra constantly bears flowers deeply flushed 
with red, and is the best form of the species in 
cultivation. Although a very old variety it is not so 
widely grown as it ought to be, for a well-grown 
specimen isolated on the lawn is a handsome object, 
especially in autumn when ripe fruits and flowers are 
present at the same time. The beautifully granular 
fruit earns for it the name of the Strawberry Tree, and 
those that ripen in autumn, assuming a bright scarlet 
colour, are just a twelvemonth old, so that there are 
really two generations on the tree at the same time. 
The foliage is leathery, of a rich dark colour, and ever¬ 
green ; while a bush of it is quite distinct in appearance 
from other hardy evergreen subjects in cultivation. 
The species is a native of southern Europe, Asia Minor 
and Ireland, where it is found growing on limestone 
rocks near the Lake of Killarney. It succeeds, however, 
in any good garden soil, if moderately friable and well 
drained. The country people of Ireland in the district 
where it grows eat the fruit, which, however, proves 
rather austere to the “ palate depraved by culinary art,” 
as the poet would put it. 
-- >X< «- 
CHRYSANTHEMUM NOTES. 
The Chiswick Conference. —The following com¬ 
munication from the Royal Horticultural Society 
reached us too late for insertion in our last issue :—At 
a meeting of the Executive Committee, October 8th, 
1889,present, Mr. Shirley Hibberd (in the chair;, Messrs. 
R. F. Jameson, L. Castle, C. A. Pearson, J. Douglas, 
N. Davis, G. Paul, AV. Holmes, W. Wilks, T. B. 
Haywood, H. J. Yeitch, J. Wright, C. Orchard, and 
W. Wildsmith. The chairman suggested that the 
exhibition should comprehend six groups of subjects, 
and that these should be examined by Committees of 
Selection, who would award Certificates of Merit to the 
best varieties in each group on the plan in operation at 
the late Vegetable Conference. The foregoing being 
agreed to, groups and committees were arranged as 
follows: A.—Varieties adapted for garden decoration. 
Committee: Messrs. H. Cannell, W. Wildsmith, H. 
M. Pollett. B.—Varieties incurved for specimen 
blooms. Committee : Messrs. J. Wright, D. Donald, 
W. Mease. C.—Varieties of Japanese for specimen 
blooms. Committee :—Messrs. W. Holmes, E. Wills, 
R. F. Jameson. D.—Reflexed, Anemone, Pompon, 
Pompon-Anemone, and single varieties of cut blooms. 
Committee : Messrs. C. Orchard, L. Castle, N. Davis. 
E. —Varieties of all classes for trained specimen plants. 
Committee: Messrs. E. Beckett, E. Berry, J. Laing. 
F. —Varieties of all classes for decorative plants. Com¬ 
mittee : Messrs. C. Herrin, R. Owen, W. Furze. 
Referees :—Messrs. H. J. Veitch (chairman), F. W. 
Burbidge, J. Doughty, R. Parker, J. Lyne, E. Molyneux 
(Secretary of the Conference), C. H. Payne, and W. 
Piercy. It was finally arranged that the Executive 
Committee and Committees of Selection should meet 
in the Vinery at Chiswick at 11 a.m. on November 5th. 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE STOVE. 
P and anus Veitchii, &c. —Cuttings of this useful table 
plant may he taken and struck at any time. If there 
is a choice at command, the best variegated shoots 
should always be selected and grown into usable size. 
Five-inch pots are large enough until the plants get at 
least two years old, because if they are over-potted 
they grow too fast and soon get too large for the 
purpose for which they are most in request, and 
generally or frequently return in part to their normal 
green colouration. Keeping them on the dry side has 
the effect of retaining the variegation as long as any¬ 
thing will. Alocasia macrorhiza variegata requires 
selection in the same way in order to secure well- 
coloured plants. 
Palms. —-During winter Palms are not so extensively 
used for decorative purposes as in summer and autumn. 
They will, therefore, less frequently come under the 
eye or be subjected to that scrutiny which they receive 
when constantly in use. It will, therefore, be well 
to go over them now to see that they are perfectly free 
from bug and scale, especially the white kind, which is 
difficult to clean off. If carefully sponged now with 
Fir Tree Oil, soft soap, or Gishurst C impound, there 
will be fewer colonies to spread the pest rapidly on the 
approach of spring. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Plants for Forcing. —A stock of all such plants as 
are grown in the open ground for forcing should now 
he lifted and stored away in some sheltered place, or in 
pits or frames till required. Those things that die 
down in winter had better be plungel in coco-nut fibre 
or ashes as may be most convenient, while Roses, 
Deutzias, StapUylea colchica, Lilacs, double dwarf 
Peaches, and such things should also be plunged, or if 
the pots are large have a layer of dry bracken fern put 
round them so as to exclude frost. Amongst the her¬ 
baceous subjects that now require attention are Dielytra 
spectabilis, winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis), Spiraea 
palmata, and Astilbe japonica, better known under the 
name of Spirsea japoniea. "When put into the forcing 
pit a little bottom heat should be given the Spiraeas. 
Hyacinths. —The earliest potted batches of these 
should now be examined to see that the leaves are not 
becoming drawn by the coco-nut fibre, and if so, have 
them uncovered. Before putting any into heat it will 
be necessary at least to see that the pots are getting 
well filled with roots, otherwise harmful results will 
follow if they are put into heat under those conditions. 
Roman and other early varieties will naturally be the 
first to start into growth, and should be attended to, 
transferring them to heat in batches as they become 
ready. Beware of bottom-heat for these in any form. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
Peaches. —As soon as the trees in the earliest house 
have shed their leaves they may be pruned, cleaned, 
and the shoots tied into position ready for starting next 
month. If the pruning has been properly attended to 
during summer there will be little in that way to be 
done, except in foreshortening such shoots as are too long, 
or when they are too slender for hearing. Execute 
what painting is necessary. It should have been done 
while the weather was more favourable to the drying of 
paint, but if press of other work prevented its being 
done, no time should now he lost in completing it. 
The sashes may best be done in a shed where they can 
he kept dry. The rafters on which they rest can better 
he got at while they are off. 
Cucumbers. —Plants that were put in the beds 
during the early part of August will now be carrying a 
crop of usable fruits. Should these be depended upon 
for a supply during the winter months, they should 
never be allowed to carry a heavy crop, hut have their 
energy conserved by removing all fruits as soon as they 
become fit for use. Plants in later houses should be 
urged to make as vigorous and robust a growth as 
possible by generous treatment, closing the houses early, 
to make the most of sun heat, and giving rich top- 
dressings to encourage root action. 
THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 
Carrots and Beet. —These may be lifted and treated 
in various ways ; but the object to he obtained is the 
keeping of the roots safe from severe frost, while a 
sufficient amount of moisture is retained about them to 
prevent their losing in quality and freshness by ab- 
