October 14, 1893. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
99 
Onions at Chiswick. 
During the past summer a large trial of Onions has 
been carried out at Chiswick, and the different 
varieties grown together under ordinary garden 
cultivation gave a much better idea of their value 
than do the very large examples exhibited from time 
to time at the different shows. Improvement there 
certainly is in some of the new kinds as well as in 
some of the selections of the older varieties; but 
nothing like the advance has been made which one 
is led to believe by the description given in some 
seed catalogues, and the improvement is nothing as 
compared with what has been done with other 
vegetables. Southport Yellow Globe and Southport 
Red Globe are two good varieties, both, I believe, of 
American origin. Deverill’s Main Crop and Sutton's 
Ai were also very good.— G. H. S. 
Sea Kale. 
Where this is expected early those who are for¬ 
tunate enough to have a good stock of crowns to 
draw from should now begin operations by going 
over a portion and partially lifting them with a fork. 
This, by checking further growth, induces early 
ripening in the crowns so treated, and consequently 
they force more readily than those left to mature 
naturally.— W. B. G. 
T urnips. 
The splendid progress these are making in well- 
cultivated soils is a pleasing feature in the kitchen 
garden just now. The soil being warm, combined 
with the showers we have lately had, is benefiting 
this crop amazingly, so much so that market men 
are complaining about the low prices obtainable. 
The superabundance has,of cour3e,been brought about 
by the failure of other crops, causing larger breadths 
of Turnips to be sown by many than has been their 
wont.— IV. B. G. 
SIGNS OF RAIN. 
In view of the Jenner relics shown in the Bristol 
Exhibition (says the Bristol Mercury), a correspondent 
sends us" Forty reasons for not accepting the invita¬ 
tion of a friend to make an excursion with him,” by 
Dr. Edward Jenner, of Berkeley. 
1 The hollow winds begin to blow, 
2 The clouds look black, the glass is low ; 
3 The soot falls down, the spaniels sleep, 
4 And spiders from their cobwebs peep, 
5 Last night the sun went pale to bed, 
6 The moon in haloes hid her head : 
7 The boding shepherd heaves a sigh, 
8 For see, a rainbow spans the sky : 
g The walls are damp, the ditches smell, 
10 Closed is the pink-eyed pimpernel. 
11 Hark ! How the chairs and tables crack ! 
12 Old Betty's joints are on the rack. 
13 Loud quack the ducks, the peacocks cry ; 
14 The distant hills are seeming nigh. 
15 How restless are the snorting swine ! 
16 The busy fly disturbs the kine. 
17 Low o'er the grass the swallow wings ; 
18 The cricket, too, how sharp he sings ! 
19 Puss on the hearth with velvet paws 
20 Sits wiping o'er her whiskered jaws. 
21 Through the clear stream the fishes rise 
22 And nimbly catch the incautious flies. 
23 The glowworms, numerous and bright, 
24 Illumed the dewy dell last night, 
23 At dark the squalid toad was seen 
26 Hopping and crawling o'er the green; 
27 The whirling wind the dust obeys, 
28 And in the rapid eddy plays. 
29 The frog has changed his yellow vest, 
30 And in a russet coat is drest. 
31 Though June the air is cold and still, 
32 The mellow blackbird's voice is shrill, 
33 My dog, so altered is his taste, 
34 Quits mutton-bones on grass to feast ; 
35 And see yon rooks, how odd their flight! 
36 They imitate the gliding kite, 
37 And seem precipitate to fall, 
38 As if they felt the piercing ball. 
39 'Twill surely rain ; I see with sorrow, 
40 Our jaunt must be put off to-morrow. 
Vines and Vine Culture. The best book on Grapes. By 
Archibald s. Barron, Superintendent of the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society's Garden, Chiswick. Secretary of the Fruit 
Committee.—A New and Cheaper Edition, Revised and 
Enlarged. Demy 8vo, Handsomely Bound in cloth. Price, 
5s. ; post free, 5s. 3d. Publisher, Gardening World, i, 
Clement s Inn, Strand, London, W.C. 
BERTOLONIAS AT FALK¬ 
LAND PARK. 
The softness of the tissue of the leaves of Bertolo- 
nias and their peculiar constitution necessitates their 
being grown under warm and moist conditions to 
maintain the foliage in a healthy condition. They 
have therefore not only to be grown in the stove, 
but under the protection of frames, hand-lights or 
bell-glasses there. Occasionally some bold cultivator 
or successful grower demonstrates before the public 
that Bertolonias are not so delicate as we generally 
imagine; and in showing them at public exhibitions 
without any protection whatever, it should point to 
the fact, if to nothing else, that the plants have 
been grown with less coddling than is generally given 
them. If the fact could be established that Bertolo¬ 
nias can be grown under similar treatment as stove 
plants generally, we should soon see their culture in 
this country greatly extended, for they are really 
very handsome subjects, constituting bright bits of 
colour amongst other stove plants. The under¬ 
mentioned varieties are grown in one of the houses 
at Falkland Park, South Norwood, the residence of 
John McMeekin, Esq. 
There are several of the very best varieties in cul¬ 
tivation, including Souvenir de Gand, Comte de 
Kerchove, and Van Houttei. The first-named has 
velvety olive-green leaves, with five to seven bright 
rosy-purple nerves, with a few lateral connecting 
veins and numerous spots of the same colour. A free- 
growing variety is Comte de Kerchove, which has 
similar or slightly smaller leaves than Souvenir de 
Gand, with more numerous lateral connecting lines, 
all of which, with the spotting, are of a beautiful 
pink colour instead of rosy-purple. The colour of 
Van Houttei is of an intermediate shade between 
the other two, but the leaves are very hairy, giving 
quite a different effect. The leaves of Marmorata 
are olive-green, with four rows of white spots, two 
rows on each side towards the margin. 
Quite of another kind, and one of the most 
beautiful is Madame Auguste Van Geert, having five 
to seven silvery nerves and connecting lines of the 
same, or they may sometimes acquire a pink hue. 
The numerous spots are also silvery or pink in differ¬ 
ent stages. Something in the same way, but altogether 
more clearly defined, is Argyroneura, with five to 
nine silvery nerves, as the name indicates, and num¬ 
erous white spots. The leaves of Margaritacea are 
of a deep olive-green, with five pearly bands, and 
somewhat mottled towards the margin. Punctatis- 
sima has pale olive-green leaves, with numerous 
white spots. The above list constitutes a fair sample 
of the different types of Bertolonias now in cultiva¬ 
tion. The least ornamental of the varieties enu¬ 
merated are Punctatissima and Marmorata, but even 
they are not devoid of ornament. 
Associated with them are some Orchids, which, 
although belonging to an entirely different family, 
have beautiful foliage, and require similar treatment 
to ensure proper development. One of the prettiest 
and most interesting is Macodes Petola, generally 
known as Anoectochilus Petola. The deep, velvety, 
olive-green leaves have a most charming network of 
transverse slender gold lines. Anoectochilus Lowii 
has leaves of a rich velvety-brov/n, almost black, 
with seven bright brown nerves and other lines. It 
is considered the best of the genus to which it be¬ 
longs, and in its native country is known as Wana- 
rajah, or King of the Woods. 
-- 
DOSORIS, GLEN COVE. 
I RECENTLY Spent an afternoon at the Long Island 
home of Mr. Charles A. Dana, editor of the New 
York Sun, and what a treat it was to meet there, in 
the able superintendent, and editor of American 
Gardening, Mr. William Falconer, formerly of Kew, 
and subsequently a member of the staff of The 
Garden. Dosoris is a magnificent family residence 
standing in its own grounds, and unique in itself, 
inasmuch as it occupies an entire island some forty- 
acres in extent. The view of Long Island Sound is 
magnificent, alive as it appears to be with yachts 
and other craft, and I can quite imagine that 
Dosoris is the envy of many a wealthy yachtsman, 
for on the whole there are very few places on the 
American Continent at which can be found such a 
really beautiful collection of trees and shrubs. Here 
are many hundreds of perfect specimens of things 
not generally grown, and many indeed which it has 
been thought almost impossible to grow out-doors 
in this Eastern latitude. 
Under Mr. Falconer's loving care most things 
seem to thrive, and at Glen Cove there are to be seen 
such perfect European Limes as are not often to be 
met with in Europe even ; such well-formed speci¬ 
mens of Conifers, a pleasant sight to see, and either 
in large or small examples almost every known 
variety is in the collection. As one wanders round, 
visions of an old English garden seem to flit across 
one's memory, for here are the Oaks, the Chestnuts, 
the Walnuts, the Cobs, and the Filberts, and away 
in the kitchen garden are the well-remembered 
espalier trained Apple and Pear trees, also four square, 
diagonal, cordon and half cordon trained, all laden 
with handsome fruit. Here are glass houses filled 
to repletion, and everywhere neatness and good order 
prevails. What a luxury, after the bustle of the 
City, to drop into this quiet spot, where all is peace 
and everything so beautiful! Such indeed is Dosoris, 
and next spring, when the shrubs and trees are in 
bloom, I hope to be there again, and to note with 
some detail the treasures of this charming place.— 
Am. Cor. 
-- 
©leanings fttom th^ 
tjf SctEncE. 
Origin of Endogens. —A paper entitled "A 
Theoretical Origin of Endogens from Exogens, 
through Self-adaptation to an Aquatic Habit," by 
the Rev. Geo. Henslow, M. A , F. L.S., appeared in 
the Journal of the Linnean Society, Vol. xxix. No. 204. 
He says that geology affords very little information 
on the point, and that true endogens have not been 
found in earlier strata than the Trias or Permian. 
Although endogens are believed to be of very early 
origin, he believes they were not antecedent to 
exogens. One important fact relating to the latter 
is that so many natural orders belonging to the 
class include very few genera. When such is the 
case they are by general consent considered as 
survivals of a lost ancestry. He supposes that 
endogens were derived from exogens in order to fit 
them for an aquatic habit of life, and that they 
afterwards became terrestrial. On the strength of 
such a supposition, one would expect to find many 
that still retain their aquatic habit and such is 
found to be the case. This can be demonstrated by 
reference to the British flora alone, in which there 
are seventy-four orders of exogens of which only five 
orders are entirely of aquatic habits. Of the fifteen 
British orders of endogens, eight of them consist of 
aquatic plants, or 53 per cent. He then goes on to 
point out the points of similarity, and the points of 
difference between the members of the two great 
classes. Amongst other points of agreement is that 
the embryo of Asparagus has its first leaf exactly 
opposite to the cotyledon, a case which is paralleled 
by Tamus communis. In the latter case Dutrochet 
had no hesitation in calling this first leaf a second 
cotyledon. It is very delicate in texture and soon 
dies away. A small appendage opposite the cotyledon 
also occurs in certain grasses such as in ^gilops. 
Oat, Lolium temulentum, etc. There are also, as is 
now well known, several of the exogens which have 
only one cotyledon. Various forms of leaves are 
next considered, showing that submersed leaves 
have become adapted to aquatic habits acquiring 
forms suitable to an aquatic environment. The 
marginal weakness of the leaves of many endogens, 
such as that of Musa, rendering them liable to be 
torn, also points to conditions to be met with 
amongst the aquatic members of the same class, 
and is due to the fact that the marginal ribs or veins 
are very slender. In truly land plants the leaves 
are usually well fortified against this danger. The 
fenestrated condition of the leaves of Ouvrirandra 
fenestralis, or Lattice Leaf Plant, is due to the arrest 
of the growth of cellular tissue between the ribs and 
veins, by the agency of the watery medium in which 
they are submerged. Whether there was only one 
or several originally aquatic ancestors it would be 
difficult to determine, but the probability is that 
there were several. 
The National Chrysanthemum Society's Catalogue.— 
Centenary Edition. Containing i.ooo new varieties. All the 
novelties. A history and complete bibliography of the Chrysan¬ 
themum, by Mr. C. Harman Payne. Price, is.; post free, 
IS. ijd. Publisher, Gardening World, i, Clement's Inn, 
Strand, London, W.C. 
