360 
THE GARDENING WORLD; 
February 3, 1894. 
seed ought to be sown shortly, either in a warm house 
or on a moderate hotbed. As soon as the young plants 
get strong enough, pot them off singly and treat them 
liberally with heat and moisture till the end of March, 
when they should be gradually hardened off and 
planted out during April. The state of the weather 
must necessarily govern the time of planting, but if 
genial about the middle of the month, do it then ; if 
unfavourable it will be better to wait a week or 
so rather than have the plants crippled at the first 
onset. Properly speaking the Hollyhock is biennial, 
but by this treatment most of them if well attended 
to will bloom the first season. They delight in a 
rich deep soil, which cannot well be made too good 
for them, and an abundant supply of water during 
dry weather.— W.B.G. 
DERMATOBOTRYS SAUNDERSIAE. 
The habit of this plant is somewhat singular, 
although the flowers themselves show nothing 
remarkable. The leaves are opposite, ovate, 
serrate, stalked, and fleshy. The flowers are 
borne in clusters of one to three, but the clusters 
are crowded in a group upon the old wood 
surrounding the stems and branches immediately 
beneath the tuft of leaves. They are tubular and 
curved in a manner reminding us of some of the 
species of Cyrtanthus, but they have a short five- 
lobed lamina instead of six lobes. The tube 
externally is orange-red or scarlet, while the interior 
is yellow; the five lobes of the lamina are lightly 
suffused with red overlying yellow. The plant was 
received at Kew in 1892, and may now be seen 
flowering in the stove. It is evidently adapted for a 
dry climate, such as that of South Africa or Mexico, 
and is certainly pretty when in flower, although 
rather ungainly in habit owing to its custom 
evidently of losing the previous year’s leaves, so 
that the lower part of the plant is bare. The stems 
and branches bear a new set of leaves, however, at 
their tops by the time the plant comes into flower. 
THE DROPPING OF PEACH BUDS. 
I HAVE recently read some correspondence anent 
this subject, which by-the-bye often crops up in the 
columns of the gardening papers, with very varied 
results. No doubt want of moisture at the roots is 
more frequently the cause of the buds dropping than 
not, but according to my experience it is not always 
so. In a long cold Peach case under my charge, 
there are two trees that drop their buds more or 
less every year. Now the curious thing is that they 
are in different parts of the house, and that the trees 
on either side of them never display the same weak¬ 
ness, though all alike receive the same quantity of 
water, and plenty of it. Who can say then why these 
two trees drop their buds, and none of the others in 
the same house ?— Con. 
RHODODENDRON PRAECOX. 
Those who like a plant that is easily forced, and as 
easily managed all the year round, could do worse 
than grow a batch of this early-flowering Rhodo¬ 
dendron. It is a hybrid between the ordinary 
Rhododendron ponticum and R. dahuricum. The 
latter naturally flowers early, as a rule in March or 
even in autumn if the weather has been favourable ’ 
for early development, and no doubt owing largely 
to that circumstance, R. praecox owes its early- 
flowering character to R. dahuricum. The flowers 
are intermediate between those of the parents as far 
as size is concerned, and very abundantly produced; 
they are of a pale lilac when forced, and not very 
much darker when grown in the open air. But 
plants in the open air are liable to accident through 
late spring frosts—a danger which does not apply to 
forced plants, which may be seen in perfection in 
the greenhouse and enjoyed at any time from 
January to March. The plant is perfectly hardy 
even if the flowers should get destroyed by untimely 
frosts, for the same thing would happen to R. 
ponticum or its varieties should they happen to 
bloom before the proper time. The small leaves are 
even more attractive than those of the common 
varieties, and render the plant more graceful and 
gainly .—De facto. 
FREESIA REFRACTA ALBA. 
Some growers keep the bulbs of this plant for 
several years in the same pots, and by careful treat¬ 
ment reckon that they get perfect satisfaction in the 
way of flowers. There are reasons why this should 
not be the case. For instance the offsets always 
tend to keep the full-sized bulbs in a crowded con¬ 
dition, consequently the leaves and stems cannot be 
so strong, nor attain that development which they 
would if always kept at a proper distance apart. It 
stands to reason, that if the bulbs are at the proper 
distance apart originally, they must be greatly over¬ 
crowded at the end of three or four years, otherwise 
their growth cannot have been anything like satis¬ 
factory. On the other hand it is a better plan to 
repot annually in August or September, shaking the 
old bulbs clean out of the soil and repotting them 
firmly in fresh material. Full-sized bulbs are kept 
by themselves and the smaller ones in other pots to 
be grown on. Some of the latter will flower the 
first year, but not so finely as healthy, well-grown 
old ones. A more equal height of the stems is also 
maintained by this method of procedure. Another 
point to be borne in mind, is that although the 
plants may be hurried to some extent by a high 
temperature to get them into flower, they must enjoy 
sufficient ventilation and be kept as near the glass as 
possible to prevent the stems and leaves from getting 
unduly drawn. I always consider that dwarf, 
sturdy plants are always superior to tall, drawn 
ones, both in appearance and in the duration of the 
flowers. A shelf near the glass will suffice if no 
better accommodation can be given .—De facto'. 
DIEFFENBACHIA JENMANNI. 
Many of the species or forms of Dieftenbachia under 
cultivation bear a certain amount of sameness in 
their markings. D. Jenmanni differs from all others 
coming under our notice, in the form and arrange¬ 
ment of its markings recalling those of Calathea 
ornata albo-lineata. The stems are moderately 
dwarf and can always be kept down to any required 
height by propagation. The fleshy stems emit roots 
readily, and besides the terminal crown, other shoots 
are produced from the sides of the main stems, from 
which the stock may be increased. The leaves are 
oblong and light green with silvery white bands or 
blotches arranged in a series of ascending, parallel 
lines on either side of the midrib. They are prac¬ 
tically striped, but the particular arrangement of the 
broad lines or bands just mentioned precludes them 
from attaining any greater length than that deter¬ 
mined by the width of the leaf, or rather by the 
direction of the obliquely ascending lateral veins. 
Old plants get leggy in course of time by the loss of 
the lower leaves, but where plants are grown for 
purely decorative purposes, they should never be 
kept till they get unsightly for the mere want of 
timely propagation. The plants are of the easiest 
culture with stove treatment, and require an abund¬ 
ance of water during the growing season with a more 
limited supply in winter. 
AGLAONEMA COSTATUM. 
We are indebted to the Aroideae family for many 
beautiful and interesting plants that rank amongst 
the more popular occupants of stoves and green¬ 
houses. In some cases the floral spathe constitutes 
the ornamental part as in the case of Richardia 
africana, Anthurium Andreanum, A. Scherzerianum, 
and a numerous progeny of garden hybrids. The 
greater bulk of the Aroids, where they possess any 
decorative value at all, are appreciated for the 
beauty of their foliage. Many of them possess 
velvety foliage, with or without silvery veins and 
markings, while others are distinctly variegated even 
in their natural wild state. Such apparently is the 
case with the plant under notice, which may be con¬ 
sidered as new, for it has only been a few years in 
cultivation and is gradually working its way into 
gardening establishments. Its dwarf habit is cer¬ 
tainly a recommendation, inasmuch as some other 
species or allied plants in gardens are rambling sub¬ 
jects, climbing by means of roots on one side of 
their slender stems. A. costatum appears quite 
stemless so that the leaves rise only a few inches 
above the soil, and the plant can therefore be grown 
in pans to great advantage, and stood about upon 
the front benches of the stove. The leaves are 
ovate, with a heart-shaped base and very short stalks. 
The lamina is of a rich, dark green with a broad, 
silvery-white band along the mid-rib, with similarly 
coloured blotches irregularly scattered over the sur¬ 
face. The specific name refers, doubtless, to the 
white costa or mid-rib. A pan of it may be seen in 
the stove at Kew. 
NOTES ON HARDY PLANTS. 
OmPHALODES VERNA. 
Among spring flowering plants, this is entitled to 
the first place in every garden, as its easy culture 
and extremely pretty flowers provide a rich display 
during the months of March and April. Being of 
dwarf habit, only growing 6 in. in height, it forms an 
admirable rock plant, while it can also be grown in 
the border, where planted in a mass it produces its 
flowers in great profusion. The flowers, somewhat 
resembling in appearance the well known Forget-me- 
not, are borne on slender racemes of a beautiful 
bright blue colour, and a conspicuous white throat ; 
the leaves are ovate-cordate in shape, and deep 
green. It is easily grown in good garden soil and 
increased by seeds and division in spring. Although 
an old inhabitant of gardens, having been intro¬ 
duced from South Europe in 1633, it is rarely seen 
except in collections, but when more fully known 
among lovers of hardy plants, it wflll be sure to be¬ 
come a great favourite. A white variety of this 
plant is in existence and forms a fine companion, 
but as yet it is scarce, while Omphalodes Luciliae, 
another species with larger flow'ers which often 
measure half-an-inch across, is another plant well 
worth growing, but this is scarcer than the pre¬ 
ceding sorts and rather more difficult to manage. 
This is a native of the Greek Mountains and Asia 
Minor, and was introduced in 1873.—E. Scaplehorn. 
MARRAM GRASS. 
The Marram Grass (Psamma arenaria), the seed of 
which was first introduced into the colony of Victoria 
by the Government botanist, Baron von Mueller, in 
1S83 (and by him entrusted to the Borough Council 
of Port Fairy for experiment on the barren shifting 
sand hummocks fronting the coast line of Port 
Fairy), has been proved to be the most effective sand 
stay ever planted. Practical evidence of its value 
can be seen in the fifty miles of sandhills extending 
between Warrnambool and Port Fairy, now’ re¬ 
claimed by the Marram plantations, sown under the 
direction of Mr. S. Avery, the park ranger. So 
complete has been the reclamation of the lands that, 
where a few years ago not a sign of vegetation was 
to be seen, there new exists a succulent grass, 
eagerly devoured by cattle, and growing to the 
height of 4 ft. Marram Grass is practically inde¬ 
structible—burning, cutting, or eating off only makes 
it thrive—whilst, in exposed, shifting sand, it pro¬ 
pagates as surely as in the most sheltered position. 
The grass for transplanting has been supplied by 
the Port Fairy Borough Council, not only to the 
Governments of Victoria and New South Wales, but 
to numerous municipal bodies and private individuals 
in all the Australian colonies. New Zealand, and 
Tasmania, and in no single instance has it failed to 
thrive. The grass is supplied at the actual cost of 
digging, packing, and carting to the wharf or railway 
station. Port Fairy, which does not exceed 25s. per 
ton. The grass is planted in rows, at a distance of 
6 ft. apart, the space between the plants at least 2 ft. 
The depth to which each plant is put into the sand 
depends upon the nature of the sand. If in sand 
not likely to drift for two or three months, 9 in. is 
deep enough ; but, if very loose and shifting, the 
grass should be placed from 12 in. to 15 in. deep. 
A ■' plant ” consists of as much grass as a man can 
conveniently hold in his hand, and care is taken to 
have the roots regular. Ihe system adopted in 
planting is for one man to dig the hole, and another 
puts in the “plant.” and well treads round the 
same. After twelve months’ growth, the plants are 
fit for thinning out and transplanting. It takes 
3,630 “plants" to the acre, and there are about 
2,800 " plants ” to the ton ; thus, i ton 6 cwt. covers 
one acre. The most favourable time for planting is 
from the ist May to the end of July. The grass 
retains its vitality, and strikes root after being out 
of its sand bed for three months or more. 
In a report upon the grazing capabilities of the 
grass, furnished to Baron von Mueller by Mr. Avery, 
from Port Fairy, under date the i8th inst., he says ; 
—“ I generally put the cattleinto the Marram Grass 
enclosure after the first rains we get in April, and 
then allow them to graze there until the season 
begins to get too dry, when they are taken out and 
kept off till next season. I have been able to keep 
them in longer this season on account of the late 
