442 
THE GARDENING WORLD. March 15 ,1890. 
practical, as also highly beneficial, both to the working 
of the soil at seed time and also to the seed and plants 
committed to it. 
Trampling the soil, both before and after the sowing, 
is practised very indiscriminately in many cases, and 
is often attended with bad results. For instance, a 
heavy clay soil is sometimes trampled hard before 
sowing, with the view of breaking down the lumpy 
portions of it so that it may work all the better for 
drawing the seed drills, &c., and after sowing it is 
subjected to a like process to further secure a fine finish ; 
and this all done with the soil rather too wet than too 
dry. It is better in such a case to do all the sowing 
with boards under the feet, not even putting a foot on 
the ground. Soil of a like nature to the above is better 
worked in a medium state, as if too dry it becomes 
hard, and if too wet it is pasty. Soil of an opposite 
nature can be worked easier and with more satisfaction, 
indeed, might be said to be always approachable. In 
any case, the soil immediately before sowing should be 
turned up with a digging fork, and any lumpy portions 
broken up. This is an operation almost imperative in 
the preparation of the soil for all sorts of seeds, and, 
indeed, plants. With the prospect of sun or wind to 
dry a few hours before sowing, nothing suits better than 
a good forking, and if in condition after that by all 
means trample, and rake, and thus an even surface and 
comfortable seed-bed is made. With heavy clay soils 
nothing suits better than simply to draw the drills 
with as little trampling as possible, and afterwards run 
a quantity of old potting soil from the potting shed or 
such-like along the drills, then sow the seeds and cover 
with the same or similar material. 
No soil of whatever texture should be finely raked 
after sowing. If clay soils are finely raked, the first 
shower of rain bakes them, and when dried are found 
full of fissures, in many cases exposing the seeds. 
Sandy soils finely raked, the sun and wind scorch and 
dry ; and thus the seeds are in danger of being dried 
up. I never covet anything finer than an ordinary 
wooden rake for free or sandy soils, and an ordinary 
wide-toothed iron rake for clay soils. Practically 
speaking, in finely raked soils the chances of success 
are reduced alarmingly, and the coveted even braird 
(especially of small seeds) is in many cases more 
imaginary than a realisation. In fact, the main road 
to success in the garden is a well-prepared soil, sown 
or planted when in proper condition, kept free and 
open by a diligent use of the hoe, and in some cases 
the digging fork ; after sowing or planting, dispensing 
with the rake, and thus leaving small stones on the 
ground, as they are preservers of moisture in dry 
weather, and in wet weather keep the soil free and 
open.— J. Proctor, Glenjinart. 
-- 
NOTES ON COLLINSIAS. 
I think the Collinsias make a group of exceedingly 
pretty hardy annuals. They are mainly indigenous to 
North America, natives of the north-western region. C. 
bicolor is one of the best known—so pretty and pleasing 
as to deserve a place among the six choicest hardy 
annuals. It grows to about 1 ft. in height, is early, 
singularly profuse of bloom, the flowers purple and 
white. In the days when the late Mr. John Fleming 
made Clevedon so famous for its spring gardening, 
C. bicolor was one of the subjects employed in filling 
his large beds, using C. grandi flora and C. verna also 
for the purpose. He either sowed the seeds in the 
open air in August or September, placing the plants 
out permanently in November, or he sowed the seeds in 
a little heat in January, placing a few in 60’s, and 
planting them out when large enough and sufficiently 
hardened off. There is a white variety, C. bicolor, 
equally attractive and useful. 
C. grandiflora is a robust-growing form, producing 
whorls of dark purple flowers. It is regarded as a 
species, and is most effective. By some it is thought to 
be simply a variety of C. bicolor. C. corymbosa I take 
to be simply a garden variety, producing its flowers in 
corymbs of a closer and more dense form than in the 
case of the others. C. multicolor I take to be also a 
form of C. bicolor, the flowers rose-lilac and white, but 
very changeable. There is a very fine and distinct 
variety named C. violacea, which I think to be a 
selection from C. grandiflora ; very pretty indeed, and 
very free, the flowers of a pleasing shade of lilac-blue, 
and particularly charming when grown in a mass. 
But the most delightful form of all is C. verna, of 
Nuttall. I think it is not at all improbable that 
C. violacea is often sent for this, because it most nearly 
resembles it in colour. C. verna is a dwarf early- 
flowering species, and has more of blue in the flowers 
than any other. Some years ago it was introduced 
from Kentucky, U.S.A., by Mr. William Thompson, 
seedsman, Ipswich ; but beautiful as it is, it is rarely 
met with. The fact is, seeds must be sown as soon 
as ripe ; if held over until another season they rarely 
germinate. Messrs. Barr & Son used to grow it very 
well at their trial grounds at Tooting, using it as an 
edging to beds, and very pretty indeed it was in the 
month of May. It is worthy a place in every garden, 
but no doubt some difficulty is experienced in getting 
the seed true. 
C. bicolor makes a pretty subject for market-work. 
The seeds can be sown in August and September, and 
the plants treated just as the market-growers do 
Mignonette ; or the seeds may be sown in January, as 
Mr. Fleming did his, and grown on in the pots. But 
whether grown in pots or in the open, the Collinsias 
deserve and repay the labour of attention and good 
soil. The plants should be thinned out in order to 
give them room in which to develop ; and then it is 
surprising how much flower a single plant will furnish 
when it has ample room in which to develop itself. 
—It. D. 
-- 
ARDENING fflSCELLANY. 
Unusually Severe Weather on March 4th. 
March 4th, 1890, is not likely to be soon forgotten in 
this district on account of the severe frost which 
occurred on that morning. Our thermometers at 3 ft. 
from the ground registered 34° of frost, and showed 30° 
of frost at 6 a.m. ; while at “Southwood,” 35° were 
registered ; at “ The Pines,” 31°. All the above gardens 
are in exposed situations, but even in less exposed 
gardens near, 23°, 29°, and 30° were the rule. These 
are all gardens in Bickley Park, and I believe the 
readings to be reliable. Exposed gardens at Chislehurst 
were as cold, but it is not my intention to give any 
figures concerning them. We had only 1S° of frost at 
12 p.m. on the 3rd, but it is a curious coincidence that 
on March 4th last year we had 20° of frost, and 12° on 
March 4th, 1S86. — TV. Parks, Fernsiclc, Bickley. 
Lily-white Seakale. 
After giving this Seakale a fair trial, I must own that 
it more than fulfils my expectations of it. Planting 
it on the same ground as the old sort, lifting and forcing 
it at the same time, and in the same place, Lily-white 
is a decided and great improvement on the old sort ; 
and when I can get enough stock of it I shall grow no 
more of the old one. It is also preferred in the kitchen, 
not beiug so hard and stringy, while the flavour is far 
superior. Those who have not yet given it a good 
trial need have no hesitation in doing so. —John Lam¬ 
bert, Onslow, Shrewsbury. 
Phoenix Roabelenii. 
Wiiat appeared to be aged specimens of this plant 
were shown at the Drill Hall on Tuesday by Messrs. B. 
S. Williams & Son, and Messrs. J. Laing & Sons. The 
taller plant was 18 ins. high, and the dwarfer one 
1 ft., each resembling a miniature tree Fern, bearing 
on the top a gracefull}' arching tuft of leaves. The 
leaves were short, and small for a Phcenix, with 
numerous linear, channelled, dark, shining green 
pinnfe. It is pretty, and amongst the species of 
Phamix, certainly a novelty. For table decoration it 
might be used like a dwarf tree Fern. It was awarded 
a First Class Certificate by the Boyal Horticultural 
Society. 
Camellia La Vestale. 
Under this name a beautiful white Camellia was 
shown by Mr. C. Turner at the last meeting of the 
Pmyal Horticultural Society. The flowers are large 
with closely imbricating and reflexed rounded petals. 
Before they are fully expanded the central petals form 
an erect and close rosette. The leaves are large, ovate, 
bright green, reticulated with paler veins, and hand¬ 
some. A First Class Certificate was awarded it. 
Antliurium Laingi. 
In habit this plant bears a close resemblance to the 
better-knov'n A. ferrierense, but is different in the 
colour and shape of the spathe. The latter is oblong- 
ovate, and pure white. Some seedlings maybe slightly 
tinted with rose, or the whole spathe might assume 
that hue after being expanded for some time. The 
spadix is straight, cylindrical, about 3 ins. or 4 ins. 
long, and of a soft violet-red hue. The long-stalked 
leaves are heart-shaped, with a deep sinus at the base, 
as happens in A. ferrierense, which is hybrid between 
A. ornatum and the well-known A. Andreanum. It 
seems to have no particular season of flowering, for we 
noted a specimen in this condition the other day in 
the nursery of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. 
Carex pilulifera aurea variegata. 
Although one of our native wildings in the typical 
state, the variegated form may be turned to good 
account for decorative purposes under glass in the same 
way as Scirpus riparius or Oplismenus Burmanni 
variegatus. The narrow, spreading and grass-like 
leaves are striped with yellow along the centre, some¬ 
times almost wholly of a creamy yellow, or variously 
striped with yellow. It is of easy cultivation, and may 
be increased rapidly by division. 
Prunus triloba. 
Altogether this must be considered a neglected plant, 
considering its passing beauty and its comparative 
scarcity in gardens. It is a native of China, from whence 
it was introduced in 1851, and proves hardy at least in 
the south. Out of doors the best effect is obtained, 
perhaps, by planting it against a wall, for the reason 
that the wood of the annual shoots gets better ripened 
than when grown as a bush in the open. To prune the 
plant in winter would mean the destruction of the 
greater part of the bloom, because it is produced on the 
previous season’s wood. The operation must therefore 
be deferred till after flowering is over, so that when 
growth recommences it would be late unless hurried on 
by the influence of the greater amount of heat radiated 
from the wall. The flowers are white or rose, and 
single or double, the form of most frequent occurrence 
being the double rose, which is exceedingly handsome 
when in full bloom. The plant is amenable to pot 
culture and forcing purposes indoors, and we recently 
saw it grown as a standard grafted on the stem of 
another species, and flowering amongst a collection of 
greenhouse and forced plants in the nursery of Messrs. 
John Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. 
Fuchsia Dorothy Fry.- 
Fuchsias, as a rule, do not readily submit to forcing, 
although they may be hastened by the application of 
artificial heat early in spring. The variety under 
notice seems naturally to flower earlier than most kinds, 
for we noted a large number of plants flowering freely 
in the nursery of Messrs. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. 
Strictly speaking, they were not being forced, but 
simply stood in a warm greenhouse. The flowers are 
of medium size (at least the early ones), with the 
spreading sepals and the tube of a bright red. The 
petals are broad, white, with branching and beautifully 
rose-coloured veins on their basal half. 
Hippeastrum Prince of Orange. 
Flowers of this class will soon be in season, but that 
under notice seems to have taken time by the forelock, 
as it came into bloom during the latter part of last 
month, in the Stanstead Nursery at Forest Hill. The 
scape stood about 2 ft. high, and bore four flowers of a 
bright cherry-red with a somewhat elongated tube. 
Along the centre of each segment a broad white band, 
running nearly to the apex, certainly added greatly to 
the attraction of the flower. 
Aralia gracillima. 
There was a well-grown plant of Aralia gracillima, 
having two leads well furnished with leaves down to 
the pot, exhibited by Mr. Griggs, gardener to A. G. 
Dixon, Esq., at the weekly meeting of the Ealing and 
District Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement Society, on 
the 6 th inst. The top of the plant had previously 
been taken off and rooted, as well as a side shoot then 
growing on the plant; Mr. Griggs stated that the 
cuttings were well rooted in six weeks, having been 
plunged in a brisk bottom-heat. I feel certain that 
many gardeners throughout the country will be glad to 
learn that this graceful and useful decorative plant can 
be so readily propagated. The plant in appearance 
closely resembles A. Yeitchii, but is more slender in 
growth and foliage. A. Yeitchii is not readily 
propagated from cuttings, and when it can be done 
it takes the plant a long time to form roots, so that 
recourse is had to grafting on another stock to keep up 
the supply of plants. It seems to have been taken for 
granted by gardeners generally, that A. gracillima 
would be as difficult to propagate from cuttings as A. 
Yeitchii, the close resemblance between the two plants 
