520 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 14, 1894. 
an extent that all moisture was extracted for 
three or four inches in depth ; they would then 
sow the seed on the surface and expect a crop. 
How such manage to exist it is difficult to under¬ 
stand, yet we often see it done, and, in fact, it is the 
general practice. Gardeners as a rule, however, 
know better than to sow their seed on such ground, 
they either water it previous to sowing or see that 
it is moistened directly afterwards so that they do 
not suffer to the same extent as the farmers. Some¬ 
thing more than watering, however, is needed in 
such weather as we experienced last season, 
particularly in districts where water is scarce. 
After a piece of ground has had a good soaking it 
should be covered with mats or something of the 
kind to prevent it from becoming dry again too soon. 
It is useless to just sprinkle the surface, give a 
thorough soaking so that every particle of soil may be 
thoroughly moistened, otherwise more harm than 
good will be the result. 
Let us hope that we may not have to pass through 
another such a season, but in case we may have it 
is well to take a lesson by past experience, and be 
prepared in time, as many failed to secure good 
crops of Onions and Carrots through not being 
prepared in time, while more failed to secure plants 
of various kinds of winter greens and cauliflowers.— 
Kitchen Gardener. 
-«*•- 
.|aRDEN1NG ^ISCELLANY. 
PAVETTA BORBONICA. 
For many years a plant has been grown under this 
name in gardens, but has never yet flowered so as to 
show what it really is. The fact remains that it is 
a plant of great ornamental value, with oblong leaves 
of a deep, shining, olive green marbled with 
numerous greenish yellow spots. The midrib is of a 
bright red on the upper surface, with two lines of 
that colour beneath. The leaves are about 6in. or 
Sin. long and evergreen. If rightly placed in the 
genus Pavetta, it would be as closely allied to Ixora 
as possible, but derives its ornamental character 
solely from the beautiful markings and rich colour 
of the leaves. As it comes from the Isle of Bourbon, 
it likes a stove temperature, in fact similar to that 
gixen the Ixoras. Plants may be seen in the nursery 
of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. 
DIMDRPHOTHECA GRAMINIFOLIA 
NUDICAULIS. 
The second of these names refers to the grass like 
leaves with which the plant is furnished, covering 
the ground or soil in which it is growing. The third 
name refers to the leafless flower stalks, which are 
about 8 in. to lo in. long and bear a single head each. 
The heads have long white rays with a purple blotch 
at the base of each ray, and in the aggregate forming 
a zone. The under side of the rays is of a coppery 
brown and often prominent when the flowers are in 
bud or when they fold up at night. The disc is 
brownish, but not very prominent. A large pan of 
this South African perennial has been in flower for 
some time past in the Heath house at Kew. Of the 
other species grown in gardens the annual D. 
pluvialis is the best known, and has within the last 
few years attained some popularity as a border 
annual. 
EPIPHYL.LUM MAKOYANUM. 
The varieties of E. truncatum are better known 
than the subject of this note, and which appears to 
be a hybrid, with less tubular and more spreading 
segments. The latter are very numerous, of 
different sizes, but in all cases narrow and of a 
bright scarlet, but considerably tinted with orange 
on the inner face. The numerous drooping, jointed 
and truncate branches flower very abundantly. For 
instance, one to four flowers are developed at the 
apex of the end joints, and from two to six are 
developed round the upper end of the other joints, 
so that a good-sized plant is both floriferous and 
pretty. The habit of the plant is similar to that of 
E. truncatum, so that it requires to be grafted on 
the stems of something else, if it is desired to grow 
it in standard form as is the case in the Begonia 
house at Kew. 
CYSTACANTHUS TURGIDUS. 
A CONSIDERABLE number of the Acanthads are now 
grown as winter-flowering plants, including Thyrsa- 
canthus, Eranthemum, Aphelandra, Sericographis, 
Peristrophe, Ruellia, and many others, besides 
species that are grown for the sake of their foliage. 
That under notice is little known, but possesses 
some ornamental value for the sake of its flowers, 
which are both curious and pretty, resembling, in 
fact, some of the species of Digitalis both in colour 
and form of the upper part of the flower, which is 
inflated, five-lobed, and heavily netted with pink, 
while the interior is white with exception of the 
lower side, which is fuscous yellow netted with 
brownish-purple. The flowers are produced in 
dense terminal spikes on plants about 15 in. high, 
and the plant is furnished with lanceolate-elliptic 
leaves. The species is flowering in the Begonia 
house at Kew. 
THE BLUE PRIMROSES. 
People are saying that such good things as the 
blue Primroses should not be kept so much to one 
garden ; at the last fortnightly meeting of the 
R.H.S., one of Messrs. Veitch's people spoke to me 
about them, so I made an offer to the firm, which has 
been accepted. All that I could spare from my 
garden are now at one of the Messrs. Veitch's 
nurseries, and will be distributed from there pro¬ 
bably next year. It has been a great pleasure watching 
the development of the blues and purples from the 
original “ Scott Wilson,” and fora big wild garden, 
I think that ours has been successful. I hope that 
in the hands of Messrs. Veitch’s skilful hybridisers, 
the full sky blue which has hitherto beaten us may 
be attained .—George F. Wilson, Heailierbanh, Wey- 
bridge Heath, April 'jth. 
COLEUS DISTINCTION. 
This new Coleus is considered to be the best of its 
class for bedding purposes on account of the 
intensity of its colour. The leaves are large, ovate, 
rugose or wrinkled, and of an intense velvety purple 
at present and paler beneath ; but under the 
influence of summer sunshine they become almost 
black. . At all events they approach that hue as 
understood amongst beddings plants. In any case 
the colour is more intense than that seen in Perilla 
nankinensis. Begonia incarnata atropurpurea, or any 
of the Iresines ; and the general appearance of the 
plant is most like that of Perilla. We noted it in 
the nursery of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. 
CLEMATIS INDIVISA. 
No one can conceive of the beauty of this plant, until 
he has seen a large and healthy vigorous plant in 
full bloom. Such a specimen has now been in bloom 
for some time past in the long corridor connecting 
the new range of houses at Falkland Park, South 
Norwood Hill, the residence of J. McMeekin, Esq. 
The long stems are trained over the back wall and 
the roof, and are covered with thousands of blooms 
of snowy purity, with exception of the pink anthers 
which do not show themselves very prominently. 
The secret of success is no doubt the method of 
treatment to which Mr. Wright subjects the plant. 
After it goes out of bloom it is hard pruned back and 
taken outside through one of the bottom ventilators, 
the roots being inside and planted in the narrow 
border of the corridor. The stems are then fastened 
to the low brick wall of one of the span-roofed 
houses that stand at right angles to the corridor. 
Here the plant makes its growth and ripens its wood 
entirely in the open air, and is then taken inside in 
autumn. One plant that flowered early has been 
pruned back and put outside some time ago. Other 
kinds of plants are to be treated in the same way. 
SARRACENIA CHELSONI. 
The leaves or pitchers of the Sarracenias constitute 
the most attractive, or ac least the most lasting, 
feature of this class of plants. The flowers, 
however, are both singular and highly ornamental. 
The plant under notice is a hybrid, and has its 
pitchers, especially towards the top and the lid, 
very much netted and coloured with crimson. The 
flowers are well thrown above the foliage, and hang 
with their face downwards. The large sepals are 
large and green tinted with crimson on the inner 
face, but more decidedly of a deep crimson-red 
externally, the latter surface being the most exposed 
to the eye unless the plant is stood on a high staging. 
The petals are unfolded over the ovary, and then 
recurved outward so as to fall over the edges of 
and between the lobes of the large and curiously 
umbrella-like stigma. They are of a deep crimson 
on the back, the inner face being paler and mostly 
concealed. Both this hybrid and S. Drummondi 
alba are now flowering in the nursery of Messrs. 
J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. The flowers of the 
last named variety are more intensely and brightly 
coloured than the previous one. The sepals are 
dark crimson red, and the petals intense crimson. 
^ 
SOCIETIES. 
Royal Caledonian Horticultural. — The annual 
spring show of this Society was held in the 
Waverley Market, Edinburgh, on the 4th and 5th 
inst. The entries were not so numerous as usual, but 
this did not in the least detract from the excellence 
and success of the exhibition. Exhibitors had been 
favoured with superb weather during the previous 
weeks, and this benign influence had a telling effect 
on the exhibits, many being superfine, and generally 
speaking all were highly meritorious. We still missed, 
however, the fine specimen Azaleas that used to be 
staged by that skilful grower, Mr. John Paterson, of 
Millbank, but although these were absent, others 
less gigantic and greater in number had taken their 
place. 
Starting on our inspection from the west end 
of the market, we noted that three gardeners were 
in the field for a table of plants, Mr. P. MacIntyre, 
The Glen, taking the lead, being strong in Orchids, 
Azaleas, Cyclamens, and an effective arrangement; 
following him came Mr. G. Wood, Oswald House, 
with a very gracefully arranged table, and superior 
in finish round the edges; and close up, strong in 
foliage, came Mr. A. Crichton, Southfield. Over 
against these was a splendid table of foliage and 
flowering plants from Messrs. Methven & Sons ; and 
next came a table divided up the centre with a 
screen of dark green draperies from Mr. John 
Downie, on one side of which were choice foliage 
and flowering plants, and on the other an exhibit 
from his floral department, in the centre being a 
novelty called a ” Triumphal Roman Car,” beauti¬ 
fully decorated with flowers and drawn by doves. 
Over on our right was a grand show of Amaryllis, 
Clivias, and Japanese Maples from Messrs. R. B. 
Laird & Sons. The Clivias were in the pink of per¬ 
fection, being clean, healthy, and well flowered. 
From this valuable display we pass to the next 
table, which comprised an array of forced plants, 
etc., in the centre of which was a notable exhibit 
from Mr. P. MacIntyre of a huge specimen Rhodo¬ 
dendron, Countess of Haddington, in full flower, and 
deservedly awarded a Silver Medal. 
The competition on the same table for bouquets 
and sprays was keen. A graceful bride’s bouquet 
from Mr. Napier, Rockville, was first, and Mr. C. 
Carnegie, Gartshore, came in first for the hand 
bouquet. The table of Roses was a charming sight, 
the Roses in pots being loaded with blooms, while 
the cut blooms were very fine. For twenty-four, not 
less than eight varieties, Mr. W. Parlane, Rosslea 
Row, got the ticket, his Catherine Mermet, 
Niphetos, and La France blooms being perfect. Mr. 
Sharp, Freelands, was first for cut Orchids, and 
Mr. Grossart, Binrock, first for stove or greenhouse 
flowers. Mr. Jas. Bald, Canaan House, and Mr. G. 
Wood were awarded first tickets for Azalea indica, 
and Mr. Wood had the ticket for six Palms, two 
exotic Ferns, one Palm, six pots of Tulips, six pots 
of Polyanthus, Narcissus, etc. Mr. Crichton was 
first for six foliage plants—-two Dracaenas, two 
Crotons, and six Spireas, Mr. MacIntyre taking the 
ticket for six Orchids. Ten forced plants, six forced 
plants, six stove or greenhouse, and a number of his 
other exhibits were first. 
A table of Auriculas, Primula obconica, etc., was 
a fine sight, and a Silver Medal was awarded to a 
fine table of Malmaison Carnations in flower, and a 
basket of plants of Carnation Lady Nina Balfour. 
This table was a credit to the exhibitors, Messrs. 
Laing & Mather, Kelso.' Magnificent Cyclamens 
from Mr. Lunt, Keir, and Mr. Kirk, Alloa, attracted 
our attention, Mr. Lunt getting the ticket for the 
twelve, and Mr. Kirk had it with ease for the six, 
some of them being very large and a perfect mass of 
flower. A dazzling table of Cinerarias, and next to 
it a beautiful table of Spiraea, with a table in front 
from Mr. Phillips, Granton Road, led up to the 
