Kovember 2, 1889. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
189 
Solanum capsicastrum, Empress. 
The fruits of this variety are twice the size of those of 
the ordinary form of this well-known plant. Now that 
flowering plants are less plentiful Solanums are largely 
used for decorative purposes. Amongst those now 
finding their way into market are quantities of the 
above, with its large scarlet fruits. Possibly the berries 
are fewer than in the case of the ordinary kind, but 
their handsome size more than compensates for the 
numerical deficiency, as they render the plants quite 
gay. The plants are, however, quite dwarf, compact, 
and as easily propagated and managed as the common 
one. 
The Kaffir Lily, Schizostylis coccinea. 
“We have a quantity of this very beautiful, and what is 
generally considered, half-hardy Iridaceous plant in 
flower just now in pots in the greenhouse. I say 
“half-hardy ” because I see in some catalogues, notably 
that of Messrs. Ant. Roozen & Son, it is spoken of as a 
“hardy bulb.” I think it can scarcely be called so, 
because whenever the roots are left in the ground all 
through the winter they are generally treated to a 
heavy mulching to preserve them from frost, as it is 
understood that they will not withstand frost. Perhaps 
we may have been too careful; at all events, where they 
are successfully treated they are very pretty flowers. 
For late autumn and winter work in pots they are very 
acceptable, as they are of easy cultivation, free flower¬ 
ing, and the scarlet spikes have a striking effect, more 
especially at this season of the year, when that colour 
does not predominate. Roots which are kept in pots 
all through the year will flower with little or no arti¬ 
ficial heat, but it is best to plant out a portion in the 
open ground in spring and pot them up in the following 
September, shade and keep close for a few days in cool 
pits until the plants are established, and introduce to 
gentle heat in batches as required ; those taken from 
the open ground will flower later than those kept in 
pots, so that in this way a long flowering period will be 
the result. The flowers are produced in spikes like the 
Gladiolus, the lower opening first, followed by those 
above them in succession, so that each individual spike 
remains for a long time in bloom. It cannot be too 
strongly lecommended as an autumn and winter-flower¬ 
ing plant, and if better known would be more generally 
grown.— Alfred Gaut, The Gardens, Berwick, Shrews¬ 
bury. [This plant is perfectly hardy in all parts of the 
country, but as it flowers somewhat late in the open 
borders, the flowers are occasionally injured, and are 
seen at their best only when opened under glass.—E d.] 
Datura suaveolens. 
Undoubtedly the species here mentioned is the most 
widely disseminated in British gardens, and the most 
generally appreciated, on account of the great size and 
the purity of its deliciously-scented white flowers. 
Old plants flower best, and the ease with which this 
can be effected at various periods of the year is one of 
its chief recommendations. At present it is simply 
laden with its long trumpet-like flowers in a cool con¬ 
servatory at High Elms, Kent, where it was equally 
floriferous about the same period last year. The stems 
are woody, and the whole plant stands about 8 ft. or 
9 ft. high. After it has flowered at any given period 
the shoots are hard cut back, with the object of getting 
fresh wood, which in its turn flowers as freely as ever. 
The species may be grown in a large pot or planted out, 
and has an advantage over D. sanguinea, which flowers 
only once a year. The shrubby species are generally 
known under the name of Brugmansias in gardens. 
Gardeners’ Improvement Associations. 
I was pleased to read your comments at p. 100 on 
these associations, which are being established in 
various parts of the United Kingdom, and from which 
only good can result. "When well and spiritedly conducted 
they must help to brighten the lives of many a hard- 
working man, expand the minds of all who attend their 
meetings, and be the means of cementing friendships 
which in no other way can be brought about. There 
are “weeds” in the gardening as well as in all other 
professions, but not many, I am glad to say. The rising 
generation of gardeners have a great many things to 
be thankful for, and the chances of preferment open to 
young men of ability are much greater now than in 
years gone by, while owing to modern improvements in 
heating and ventilating alone, the hours of labour all 
round have been sensibly reduced. For many years 
past I have travelled the United Kingdom, and have 
accepted invitations innumerable to attend meetings of 
improvement associations, and it is gratifying to me 
to be able to state that much good practical knowledge 
have I gained—indeed, something may be learnt from 
them by everyone. Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, 
Aberdeen, Birmingham, Reading, and many other 
towns have thoroughly established associations of this 
kind, which are doing a great amount of good in their 
respective districts. The various papers which are read 
and the good-natured discussions that follow are indeed 
a valuable means of spreading useful knowledge. Only the 
other week I had the pleasure of attending one of these 
meetings in Birmingham, at which Mr. Jones, of Messrs. 
Sutton & Sons, Reading, read a paper upon the Potato, 
which contained the results of many years of practical 
experience ; and as examples were exhibited of ancient 
and modern sorts, those who had the good fortune to 
be present must have gone away as highly pleased as I 
did. The Birmingham and some other societies possess 
libraries from which practical books relating to the 
profession are lent to the members, and which are 
regularly added to as funds permit. Every town in the 
kingdom should have a society for promoting the same 
objects. Only the combination of a few good practical 
gardeners is required to start such an association, and 
with energetic management success is certain.— Rusticus. 
Trachelospsrmum jasminoicle3. 
This, which is commonly called Rhynchospermum, is a 
handsome green-leaved evergreen climber, admirably 
adapted for training to pillars and trellises in the 
conservatory. There is also a variety, Variegatum, 
with ornamental foliage, and both require a night 
temperature of 40° or 50°, with, of course, a proportion¬ 
ate rise during the day. "Where circumstances will 
permit it ought to be planted out as a permanent rafter 
plant, as it gives greater satisfaction when grown in 
this way than in pots. The white Jasmine-like flowers, 
which are produced in great profusion during the spring 
and early summer months, literally fill the house or 
room with a fragrance that is appreciated by all, and 
they are specially desirable for wreaths and bouquet 
making. It also constitutes an important feature as 
a specimen plant, and frequently figure# conspicuously 
in the group of specimen flowering plants in the 
exhibition marquee.— J. Peebles. 
Vine Leaves for Decoration. 
There are few gardeners probably who are not familiar 
with th 9 beauty of Vine leaves just as they are decay¬ 
ing, but we were hardly prepared for such an assortment 
of leaves as we have received from Mr. D. P. Bell, Clive 
House, Alnwick. They were gathered from the 
Alnwick Seedling Vine, a variety which originated, as 
many of our readers will remember, at Alnwick Castle. 
It was first brought under the notice of the Fruit 
Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society as 
recently as 1876 by Mr. Bell, when its merits as a 
beautiful black, vinous, and late-keeping Grape were 
fully recognised. The leaves are large, five lobed, 
deeply serrated, and stated to die off a bright yellow 
colour, which they do ; but the intermediate changes 
are of varying and brilliant hues, such as to render 
them very important for indoor decoration, for which 
purpose they are much in request at Clive House. 
One of the leaves sent was of a dark bronzy green, 
with the principal veins red, bordered with yellow, and 
fading to a bright yellow in blotches towards the 
margin. Another was closely reticulated with a bright 
carmine-red all over on a groundwork of yellow. 
Others were wholly suffused with crimson of varying 
shades, fading to yellow in places, while still another 
was variegated with heavy crimson blotches passing 
inwards from the lobes and teeth of the margin. The 
central portion of this leaf was a mixture of green, red 
and yellow. In most cases the underside of the leaves 
was of a beautiful pink, with the midrib and stronger 
nerves paler, and the smaller ramifications darker. 
Hymenoeallis macrostepliana. 
At Syon House, Brentford, where this is grown in 
quantity, Mr. Geo. "VVythes, the gardener to the Duke 
of Northumberland, devotes the whole of the central 
bed of a stove to it, obtaining therefrom a large quantity 
of bloom which is much valued for cutting purposes, 
both on account of the pure white flowers and their 
fragrance. The long tube is greenish, but that is of no 
consequence, because the six rays of the perianth and 
the great expanded corona are so conspicuous. The 
method of treatment is to plunge the pots in the 
material of which the bed is composed, so that the roots 
may be stimulated by bottom heat. The foliage is 
bulky, but then the flowers are something quite out of 
the usual kind, and well repay for their cultivation. 
The plant was introduced only ten years ago, and is yet 
quite uncommon. 
Polygonum vaccinifolium. 
I do not see Polygonum vaccinifolium often in gardens. 
We have in the cottage garden a mound bed about 6 
yards long and 3 yards wide, now covered with the 
pretty pink flowers. Its late blooming is valuable, and 
it stands rough weather. I have to-day picked about 
the last of the Lilium speciosum. The open bloom3 
are somewhat battered by wind and rain, but the buds 
come out well in water, and in one of Powell’s tall 
green glasses have a very good effect on the dinner 
table. —George F. Wilson, Heatherbank, Weybridge 
Heath. 
Billbargia thyrsoidea. 
One of the most regular flowering species is that here 
mentioned, throwing up at various time3 of the year a 
stout erect scape, bearing a dense thyrsoid head of 
flowers. The bracts are of considerable size, and when 
they first expand are of a warm red colour. The petals 
are somewhat similar, but more inclined to scarlet, and 
tipped with violet or blue. Before expansion they are 
rolled up with a sort of twist, and after flowering they 
twist up exactly in the same fashion, and remain in 
this position for some time before fading. The stigmas 
are bright blue, and spirally coiled up in a mass. In 
contrast to the yellow stamens surrounding them, they 
are very curious, and add to the interest of the flower. 
The stiflhh, ligulate leaves are nearly erect, and ar¬ 
ranged in a narrow, vasiform tuft. The species is a 
native of Brazil, and was introduced in 1850. Some 
specimens are flowering freely in the garden of Sir John 
Lubbock, Bart., M.P., High Elms, Kent. 
Salvia splendens from Sesd. 
It seems a loss of time to grow on a fresh stock of 
plants from cuttings every year, and a waste of space 
to accommodate old plants as stock until cuttings can 
be taken, when seedlings can be raised in spring and 
fljwered in the autumn following. A batch of plants 
may now be seen in the conservatory at High Elms, 
Kent, under the care of Mr. Taylor. They are now in 
full bloom, and seem to carry their flowers much better 
than when plants have been grown in a warm pit and 
then transferred to the temperature of a greenhouse 
when making a display. The seedlings grow vigorously 
enough, and make bushy plants about 18 ins. high, 
each branch terminating in a raceme of flowers that 
keeps elongating as the blooms expand. The bracts 
subtending the flowers are highly coloured, as also 
is the calyx, while the corollas are bright scarlet. In 
foggy weather, or when the plants have been checked 
by a sudden lowering of the temperature, the flowers of 
this species often drop, leaving only the bracts. "When 
grown under cool conditions, however, and in a clear 
atmosphere, they are much more lasting. 
Salvia patens. 
Seedlings of this species are rather delicate, and 
require careful handling and attention to nurse them 
into health and vigour. This may arise in the first 
place by the seeds themselves being weak and im¬ 
perfectly matured, for out of a packet of seed very few 
germinate. Mr. Taylor, gardener at High Elms, Kent, 
finds it convenient to fall back upon an old stock 
plant for cuttings if a large quantity is required, as 
seeds cannot always be depended upon. His seedlings 
of it are just now, however, in full bloom, and the 
bright blue of the corolla is very handsome at this 
season. Near the base of the lip are two oblique pairs 
of white lines, and there are two more at the mouth of 
the tube. 
Eupatorium aromaticum. 
In general appearance this species resembles the now 
well-known E. "Weinmannianum, and is used for the 
decoration of greenhouses and conservatories during 
winter, but more especially in early spring. The 
species under notice is, however, a native of North, not 
South America, and is therefore hardy and a suitable 
subject for the herbaceous border. Most of the 
Eupatoriums are unpretentious-looking plants, par¬ 
ticularly those with white flowers, and seem to be less 
appreciated when hardy than when they require hot¬ 
house accommodation for their preservation. It seems 
strange that this should be the case, and yet it is so. 
The leaves of this species are broadly ovate or sub- 
cordate, and the stems do not much exceed 2 ft. in 
height, bearing terminal corymbs of white flowers that 
come into bloom late in summer and autumn, and even 
now are in perfection. The plant might therefore be 
grown for cut-flower purposes, bringing them into a 
house to regain their freshness somewhat if soaked and 
knocked about by the heavy autumnal rains. 
