May 19, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
599 
germinated very inferior to home saved. Continental 
growers are greatly in favour of home grown seed, 
and were the chief purchasers of our crops. 
It is not necessary to sow in heat, as so frequently 
advised, a cool pit or frame being ample protection. 
Sow them in peaty loam of considerable depth, 
pressing each seed into the soil point downwards, 
and just deep enough to cover the whole. They will 
soon germinate, and the following spring will push 
the upper part of the seed above ground. At this 
stage, generally during April and May, it is well to 
see that the tops of the seeds are well moistened 
occasionally, otherwise they cling to the young 
plant too tightly to be cast off in a natural manner. 
From this period full air and light should be given. 
Two years in the seed bed is sufficiently long, as if 
not moved early the strong top root, which is 
particularly prominent in seedlings of all Pines, 
renders it rather risky to transplant. After the first 
transplantation they move very readily, and owing 
to their peculiarity of growing equally fast at all 
seasons, there is no time more suitable for their 
removal than another. Experience and observation 
have proved the truth of the foregoing sentence. 
On an average the seedlings will reach about a foot 
.m height during the first six years, after which they 
grow more rapidly. When three to four feet high 
they frequently make two or three feet of growth 
during a season. 
Hardly any tree is more, handsome in the park or 
centre of a large lawn than this Chilian Pine; but 
it is necessary that the soil, particularly the subsoil, 
be of a suitable character, otherwise the trees 
deteriorate very rapidly after having attained fair 
proportions. Araucaria imbricata is frequently met 
with in front of villa residences. Probably no 
worse position could be found, the close surround¬ 
ings of other trees giving them a heavy and by no 
means so pleasing an appearance as when seen at a 
little distance. Town atmosphere is also against 
them. A deep loam of a moist and cool nature, 
with a gravelly subsoil, suits them admirably, but 
unless the subsoil be congenial, the branches soon 
put on a starved and rusty appearance, while the 
lower branches die and entirely destroy the perfect 
and handsome contour of this Pine. Unsuitable 
soil is the sole cause of the wretchedly gaunt 
specimens so frequently found after a height of some 
20 ft. is reached. 
No frosts of the last thirty years have affected our 
Araucarias ; and one of the grandest sights I have 
seen was the whole avenue clothed with frozen snow 
and icicles glittering in the moonlight. The graceful 
sweep of the lower branches of a quantity of well- 
furnished specimens is very different to the unhappy 
appearance this noble plant so often presents.— P.R. 
rARDENING MISCELLANY. 
MAGNOLIA LENNEI. 
The beauty of this hybrid is now being recognised 
by many planters, and the shrub can hardly fail to 
get more popularly and extensively planted in the 
near future. Planted on the grass in the botanical 
grounds at Kew it has been very interesting for some 
time past. For size and the peculiar shape of the 
flowers, there is nothing more distinct at this season 
of the year. The three sepals are relatively small, 
oblong, white and tinted with pale purple externally . 
After a time they become reflexed, but the six large 
petals remain erect, forming a globular or balloon¬ 
shaped flower of great beauty. The three outer ones 
are the largest and deep purple externally ; the three 
nner ones are smaller, but even richer in colour. 
The plant is a hybrid between M. obovata discolor 
and M. conspicua, and is a decided acquisition for 
gardens even of limited extent. 
GARDEN AND WATERING HOSE. 
When a drought sets in, watering hoses are 
immediately in demand, and should it have to be 
purchased, the question naturally arises as to which 
kind is the best for the purpose. When so many 
hoses are advertised, each claiming their respective 
advantages, it seems difficult to make a selection ; 
but on one point there is no doubt, and that is the 
advantage of a non-kinkable hose pipe over those in 
which a bend in the pipe causes a stoppage in the 
flow of water. If this pipe is to be dragged over 
rough pathways a non-kinkable hose with a good 
stout outer covering of rubber will stand a large 
amount of rough usage. The strongest of all is 
undoubtedly armoured hose ; but it is well to define 
its characteristics. It should be a hose of the best 
quality rubber protected by a coil of galvanised 
steel wire so wound that the wire should grip the, 
hose. Many imitations of this spring steel armour¬ 
ing are now on the market; but these hoses are 
bound with soft wire, which if trodden upon flattens 
down and permanently destroys the water way, 
rendering the hose pipe useless. Amongst the 
worst imitators of the genuine article are the 
Germans, who are sending over a large quantity of 
inferior hose bound with wire which has no gripping 
qualities and which therefore readily comes to grief. 
The introduction of the original Sphincter Grip 
Amoured Hose must undoubtedly be credited to 
Messrs. Merryweather, who have, we understand, 
recently erected new steam machinery for its manu¬ 
facture, and who inform us that they will be happy 
to show this apparatus to those interested, at their 
Greenwich works. The method of making the 
genuine Sphincter Grip Hose is covered by a number 
of patents, which appear to be in the hands of 
Messrs. Merryweather, of London, and Messrs. 
Reddaway & Co., of Manchester, both of which 
firms are well known in their respective trades. 
object when in bloom, on account of the remarkable 
nature of the bracts. Two ovate or triangular, 
bronzy-purple ones occupy the lower or outer por¬ 
tion of the strange inflorescence. Two much larger 
obovate-elliptic ones stand up at the back like the 
ears of some animals. They are bronzy-purple at the 
base and pale, greenish straw-coloured upwards, 
netted with green and purple. Numerous long, 
thread-like processes of a bronzy-purple at the base 
and white upwards, hang down from amongst the 
flowers. The latter are deep maroon-purple, and 
six-lobed with reflexed segments. The pedun¬ 
cles and petioles are of a blackish, metallic purple, 
and add considerably to the weird aspect of the 
plant. It is certainly a novel and conspicuous sub¬ 
ject to have in a collection of stove plants. A well 
flowered specimen may be seen in the Stove at Kew. 
It is about i8 in. high. 
THE APPLE OF THE BIBLE. 
It is generally conceded now that our Apple cannot 
be the tree spoken off, because it neither answers the 
description given of it, neither is it met with in 
Palestine in a flourishing condition, the climate being 
quite unsuitable to it. Some lay claim for the 
Apricot; now this again will not succeed in southern 
Palestine, and how can the description of Apples of 
Gold in Pictures of Silver be applied to it. The 
flowers are not white or silvery, and they precede for 
some months the fruit; surely it must have been the 
Orange Tree which was in the mind of the writer 
when he penned the phrase—most accurate descrip¬ 
tion of the Orange with its bright golden fruit em¬ 
bedded among dense masses of foliage and bespangled 
with its white flowers in abundance. At the present 
time the Orange flourishes in Palestine. We are 
aware of the contention respecting the time of its 
introduction into western Asia, but there are many 
things yet to learn respecting the Bible, and among 
them this may yet have fresh light thrown upon it by 
modern research.— IV.B.G. 
RICHARDIA PENTLANDII. 
Of all the yellow Richardias that have turned up in 
this country recently, this seems to be the best 
yellow amongst them. The spathe possesses very 
little green, not so much in fact as may sometimes 
be seen in the common white one. The spathe is 
much convolute at the base, with a short, spreading 
lamina and a short, cuspidate point. The inner 
face is slightly wrinkled, but that may, perhaps, not 
be a permanent character. The whole is golden- 
yellow externally and internally, with exception of a 
large black blotch at the base and nearly surround¬ 
ing the spadix. A flowering plant may be seen in 
the Begonia house at Kew. It is certainly an acqui¬ 
sition to garden plants. 
SENECIO SAGITTIFOLIUS. 
In this we have a species which is very unlike any 
of our common Ragworts, whether annual or 
perennial. It is new to this country, having only 
flowered at Kew for the first time last year. A 
plant has been flowering freely in the Cape House at 
Kew for sometime past, while others may be seen in 
the Succulent and Temperate houses. The stems 
are 5ft. to 6ft. high corymbosely branched on the 
top and bearing numerous heads, each about as 
broad as a florin. The disc is golden yellow and 
the rays milk white. They have the unmistakable 
smell of a Ragwort, but independently of that are dis¬ 
tinct and even showy. The species comes from 
Monte Video, and no doubt grows much taller there 
under favourable conditions. The plants at Kew 
are in pots. The specific name applies to the 
leaves, which, if not exactly arrow-shaped, are 
something approaching it. The lamina is ovate, 
suddenly contracted at the base, and slightly auricled, 
while the petiole is winged in the upper portion 
with a toothed or lacerated wing. The stem leaves 
gradually become sessile towards the top of the 
stem. All are thinly cottony on the surface, while 
the stems are even more so and hoary. 
ROUPELLIA GRATA. 
A flowering specimen of this fragant, shrubby 
climber may be see in the Stove at Kew, trained up 
a rafter. The flowers^ are tubular with a five-lobed 
recurved lamina, and are borne in terminal cymes. 
The calyx and corolla are deep purple red while 
still in bud, but when expanded the tube is rose 
externally and the lamina pink, washed or suffused 
with white. The leaves are broadly oblong, leathery, 
evergreen and shiny. As the species comes from 
Sierra Leone, it requires a stove temperature. 
MESEMBRYANTHUM CRYSTALINUM 
AS A VEGETABLE. 
The Ice plant, very generally grown in large gardens 
for garnishing purposes, is just one of those things 
which will do well in a dry season, and very refresh¬ 
ing it is to look upon it when all around is more or less 
parched up, to see it luxuriating in the bright sun¬ 
light bespangled as if with so many icicles. There 
is yet another use to which it may often be put to 
advantage, and in view of its being done we would 
urge upon those who grow a little either out of 
curiosity or for garnishing, to grow more of it, 
because it is a most excellent substitute for Spinach, 
and can be easily had in plenty when that most ex¬ 
cellent vegetable is difficult to obtain. Some even 
prefer the Ice plant to the New Zealand Spinach. 
We have used both at the same time largely, and 
found that the one was as well liked by most of 
those who tasted it as the other, so that where space 
is limited and the Ice plant is in request for other 
purposes it might be grown for Spinach, and the 
New Zealand Spinach may be dispensed with.— 
IF. B. G. 
PEARS UNDER GLASS. 
I noted your remarks in a recent number of your 
paper regarding River’s Pear Fertility. I have 
grown it for several years in a cold Orchard House, 
and find it very good in every way. It is true to its 
name, being a splendid cropper, and it has very good 
flavour, grown and ripened under glass. This was 
particularly noticeable last year. It is very odd how 
some varieties of Pears ripened under glass come 
quite flavourless, e.g., Williams’ Bon Chretien- 
When I commenced Orchard House culture, I grew 
very fine specimens of the Pear to look at, but they 
were quite destitute of flavour or sweetness. By re¬ 
moving the pot trees out of doors when the fruits 
are partly grown and ripening, they come very good. 
Olivier de Serres ripened under glass has a strong 
and very fine flavour and is sweet. Josephine de 
Malines also is very good.— M. McLaven, Feynielee, 
MuvtU, Aberdeen. 
THE WITCH PLANT. 
Such is the appellation sometimes given to Lacca 
cristata, which is a singular as well as a striking 
THE RIPENING OF FRUIT. 
There are three stages in fruit-growing. Young 
fruit is .ike leaves, it takes up carbonic acid and 
gives out oxygen, being helped somewhat by the 
leaves. In ripening it ceases w'orking for itself, and 
reverse its action, taking up oxygen and giving off 
carbonic acid. The fruit flavours are acquired in 
ripening ; of them, or what goes to produce them, 
we know little. There is another change, that of 
acid to sugar; this occurs mostly after growth 
ceases. In some fruits, however, considerable 
change occurs at the same time that the size is 
rapidly increasing. In Grapes, the acid decreases 
constantly in proportion to the sugar ; it is thought 
it does not turn into sugar, but that the sugar is 
