394 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 22, 1890. 
out exception, the largest-flowered and best-habited of 
all the dark reds we have seen. Our notes to-day, 
however, chiefly relate to Primulas, which seem to 
exhibit colours so clear and beautiful out in the country 
light. Just as was remarked of the Blue Primula at 
Reading last week, so is the case at Farnham Royal, 
the colour coming out with remarkable brightness and 
beauty. Londoners never see the blue Primula in that 
exquisite form found in such light as exists at Farnham 
Royal. The strain is of the very best. Double Crimson 
and Double White—really semi-double forms, wonder¬ 
fully free—are both strikingly effective for house 
decoration. Some of the blooms of the former have a 
colour which resembles port wine, it is so deep. Single 
blooms of these gathered and wired are of the greatest 
value for bouquets, as also are the whites. For pure 
whiteness the Fern-leaved forms are not to be excelled. 
It does seem as if greater purity of colour and size of 
bloom, allied to the finest quality, are to be found in 
the Fern-leaved section. 
The old Market White, still largely grown, gives some 
tinted blooms ; but the greatest purity is to be found 
in Fern-leaved flowers. Of these Cannell’s White 
Perfection, Sutton’s Purity, and Veitch’s Snowflake are 
truly beautiful. We put them in this order because 
the first has the deepest coloured foliage ; the second 
intermediate coloured foliage ; and the latter pale green 
foliage, and yet all are so fine and good that it seems 
impossible to say which is best. Woodside Rose is a 
charming variety, the flowers large and self-coloured, 
deep rosy carmine ; the white does not fade. Advance 
is one of the best of the red section, and Sutton’s Ruby 
King, so dwarf and compact, gives exceeding rich deep 
magenta hue. The deep hued Madder, or blood-red 
forms of the original Chiswick Red are of the very best 
—deeper coloured and more densely laid with perfect 
lemon eyes we have not seen elsewhere, showing that 
the greatest care is exercised to secure strains of the 
best only. 
One novelty, a huge-flowered, white, Fern-leaved 
kind, named Woodside Giant, bids fair to become the 
progenitor of a wonderful strain in a few years. Mary 
James is one of the best of the lilac-tinted flowers. 
There are numerous forms, and many out of seedling 
crosses which will bloom even later, all indicating fine 
and varied flowers. The Woodside Primulas are both 
of the best strains, and are well grown. It is a pity 
the plaoe lies so far out of. the ordinary track, but 
when visited early in April, the Cinerarias would 
furnish an ample reward to visitors. 
•--=•»£<-*- 
ARDENING 9’lSCELLANY. 
Eucharis. 
Will you kindly state in your valuable paper how 
loig it would take the Eucharis Lily to make its 
growth in bottom-heat after being potted, and how 
long it would require in the bottom-heat again to bring 
it into flower after being rested!— J. P. [You do not 
state the present condition of your plant. Taking it, 
however, for granted that it is in good condition at the 
time of being re-potted, with a fair amount of foliage 
upon it, it would, after receiving a shift, require three 
or four months to make a good substantial growth in a 
moderate bottom-heat of about 80°. I do not advise 
a higher average for bottom-heat; it would be injurious 
rather than otherwise, conducive, probably, to rapid 
but not substantial root development. I have grown 
Eucharis myself for many years in a most successful 
manner without any bottom-heat at all, and but little 
resting either, the greatest rest being given after the 
plant has done the hardest work—viz , that of pro¬ 
ducing its flower-spikes. When the leaf-growth is 
made, with no appearance of others pushing up, a rather 
drier atmosphere and less water at the root (but not a 
lower temperature) would tend to encourage the for¬ 
mation of flower-spikes. Let this change go on for 
four or five weeks, then water more freely, using the 
syringe also, and in about a fortnight (if the plant is 
healthy) the flower-spikes will show ; add four more 
weeks to that time and they should be in flower. As a 
caution, I would add, do not fall into the too frequent 
error of keeping the plant in a colder house than an 
ordinary stove, nor in that of drying it up at the roots 
till it is dust-dry. I can almost fancy seeing it 
growing on the banks of its native stream, the Amazon— 
a very humid atmosphere, the temperature never below 
that of our ordinary stoves, but often much above, nor 
dry at the root either. I imagine the atmospheric 
condition would compensate for that even if it were so. 
If the plant were more studied as to its requirements, 
with less of the resting, &c., which some accord to it, 
we should hear far less of that present dread of 
Eucharis growers—the bulb mite. In my opinion, bad 
cultivation has had more to do with it than anything 
else.— Grapho.~\ 
Short-Top Potatos. 
A correspondent enquired the other day with respect 
to good sorts of short-top Potatos in small gardens. I 
have found a white round, named Snowball, to be one of 
the very best of this type I have seen. The tubers are 
large, of first-quality, but somehow it does not seem to 
have become widely known, and there is very little of 
it about, and yet for height of top I think I could back 
it against any other early short-top kind in cultivation. 
Sharp’s Albert Victor is, I think, another short-top 
variety, but I am not very familiar with it. The fact 
is, such is the craze for large crops of big Potatos, 
gardeners will grow only what sorts are productive. 
A variety like Snowball maybe well grown in rows from 
20 ins. to 24 ins. apart, and will in small gardens give a 
fine crop, whilst coarse growers would smother every¬ 
thing else with their tall haulm. — A. D. 
Helleborus colchicus coccineus. 
The flowers of this hardy Hellebore are about the size 
of the well-known and beautiful Helleborus colchicus. 
The broadly ovate and bluntish sepals are dark purple, 
more intensified than the parent, but devoid of the 
glaucous bloom to be seen on the parent, and which 
may be likened to that of some varieties of Plums. A 
plant of it was shown by Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, 
at the Drill Hall on the 11th inst., and received an 
Award of Merit. 
The French Gardeners’ Society in London. 
A number of French gardeners in England some time 
ago formed themselves into a society with the object of 
establishing cordial relations between the gardeners in 
France and their English confreres. The results 
obtained up to the present are highly satisfactory, for 
young men have already been placed in both countries. 
Believing that many English gardeners are desirous of 
sending their sons to the Continent to learn different 
modes of culture, -etc., while we know that many 
French nurserymen and gardeners are equally desirous 
to send their sons to England, we decided at our last 
meeting to proceed by way of exchange, thus—This 
society will undertake to place, in France, a young 
Englishman, provided that some one in England will 
take in exchange a young Frenchman. We beg of you 
to insert in your next issue this note, which is intended 
to show the mutual advantages of the system. Our office 
is at 27, Gerrard Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, W.C. 
where all communications should be addressed.— 
A. Welker, T. F. G. Goemans, G. Truffaut, Secretary. 
A Chain Pump for Gardens. 
I dare say that other owners of gardens have been 
bothered as I have been in getting cesspools or manure 
tanks emptied to the bottom. A short time back I was 
in the garden of an experienced friend, when he showed 
me a chain pump he had bought at the Auxiliary Stores, 
and had found it answer its purpose perfectly. I 
bought one for Oakwood Garden ; my people there at 
first sight seemed not much taken with it, but now that 
it is in operation they speak highly of it. It is simple 
in construction, and seems to pump everything up. It 
was new to me, so perhaps it may be so to others. I 
suppose that it can be had from any horticultural 
implement dealer. The rats and mice ate our flowers 
in the wild garden, we had therefore to wage war 
against them, and since October 9th have caught 
66 rats and 321 mice.— George F. Wilson, Heatherbank, 
Weybriclge. 
Charles X. Lilac. 
It is frequently stated that flowers when forced, even in 
the dark, will exhibit their normal colours as they 
expand. Though this is true to a certain extent, it is 
not entirely so in all cases. Coloured Hyacinths for 
instance, or, at least, the red kinds, will come somewhat 
paler if forced in the dark. Some purple or lilac 
varieties of Syringa vulgaris show the peculiarity in a 
marked manner, inasmuch as they come white when 
forced in darkness. The variety under notice is an 
instance. When brought into bloom on the stages of a 
house and exposed to light, the flowers for all practical 
purposes may still be considered white, especially if 
viewed from a short distance. • Examined closely, how¬ 
ever, they are seen to be tinted with a pale blush-lilac- 
Notwithstanding this, it is a floriferous and free-growing 
sort that is largely cultivated for forcing purposes. We 
noted it recently at Gunnersbury House, Acton, where 
we have seen Mr. Hudson growing the snowy white 
Alba Yirginalis. 
Medinilla magnifica. 
How long would Medinilla magnifica require to be 
placed in heat, after resting, to bring it into flower ?— 
J. P. [Assuming that the plant is in good health, and 
still in a moderate temperature, with 55° as a minimum 
(lower than which we would not advise it to be kept), 
it would, if subjected to a higher temperature—say 60° 
as the lowest, gradually advancing to 65°—take about 
sixteen or seventeen weeks to bring it into flower. It 
could be done in less time with a more brisk heat, but 
we do not advise it, or the probability would be that the 
spikes would come much weaker and more elongated. 
The above figures are given as the night temperature, but 
a rise of 10° to 15° or even 20° would not do any harm 
in the day-time, according to the weather. Every 
advantage should be taken of the beneficial effects of the 
sun’s rays doing most of the forcing in the daylight 
rather than at night. If the plant has well filled its 
pot with roots and is of good size, some assistance 
later on in the way of a stimulating manure will be 
an advantage after the spikes have shown and are 
advancing. Do not pot now, or the possibility is, 
woody growth might be made rather than flower spikes 
developed. With the first increase of temperature, and 
until the spikes show, do not subject the plant to any 
very great amount of moisture, or the result would be 
the same as in re-potting.— Grapho.~\ 
Eupatorium Weinmannianum. 
When grown vigorously the stems of this plant attain 
a height of 3 ft. or 4 ft. But to do this they must be 
propagated after they have done flowering, and shifted 
on into larger pots as they require it, putting them 
finally into 24-size pots or even larger. Mr. Reynolds, 
gardener to the Messrs, de Rothschild, at Gunnersbury 
Park, Acton, has improved upon the old method by 
propagating as late as July, so that the plants have a 
much shorter season in which to make growth. He 
finally puts three plants in a 32-size pot, and the plants 
are now from 18 ins. to 2 ft. in height, and 
abundantly furnished with their clusters of flower 
buds, and leafy to the surface of the pot. The stems 
branch freely from the axils of all the upper leaves, 
and each little shoot bears a cluster of flowers. Tall 
plants are useful chiefly for cut flowers, which are white 
and fragrant, but the plants in this case may be used 
for decorative purposes, or the flowers may be cut 
according to requirements. When first rooted they 
were put into 3-in. pots, and placed in a cool frame. 
They were pinched back only once. 
African Hemp. 
Such is the popular appellation given to Sparmannia 
africana, a well-known old-fashioned plant suitable 
either for pot culture or for planting out in cool 
conservatories. The popular name applies to the use 
to which it is put. Many plants belonging to the same 
order, namely, the Lime tree family, possess a considerable 
amount of fibre in the bark, used for rope making and 
coarse textile fabrics. The leaves of the Sparmannia 
bear a considerable resemblance to those of the Lime, 
but are closely covered with soft hairs, giving them a 
light green hue. The sepals and petals are white, 
while the whole centre of the flower is occupied with a 
mass of discoloured stamens, the outer ones of which 
are purplish brown at the base, carry no anthers, and 
all are sensitive at certain stages of the flower, and 
fall down or spread away from the style when disturbed. 
A well-grown plant covered with bloom is an interesting 
object during the winter months. 
Boronia megastigma. 
This naturally forms a small twiggy bush, and is a 
native of Western Australia ; but although introduced 
to this country as long ago as 1873, it is seldom seen of 
any size in this country. The reason is, no doubt, on 
account of its habit of getting bare at the bottom, when 
propagation is resorted to in order to rear up young 
plants. Large bushes may, however, be grown for 
standing amongst other subjects in the conservatory. 
One foot is said to be the usual height of this plant, 
but there is a specimen at Gunnersbury House, Acton, 
under the charge of Mr. Hudson, gardener to the 
Messrs, de Rothschild, and which is 18 ins. or 2 ft. in 
height, and at the present time flowering freely. The 
