June 2, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
631 
The leaves are half cordate and of a deep green. 
Award of Merit. Exhibited by Messrs. J. Laing & 
Sons, Forest Hill. 
Begonia Marchioness of Salisbury. —The 
flowers of this tuberous variety are of large size and 
perfectly double, with broad petals loosely arranged 
round a single centre as a rule, and pale yellow, 
deepening towards the base. The half cordate 
leaves are of a deep bronzy olive, and moderate in 
size. Award of Merit. Exhibited by Messrs. J. 
Laing & Sons. 
Begonia Lady Theodora Guest. —This belongs 
to the same class as the previous ones and has 
small very dark green leaves. The flowers are 
large, double and of a delicate flesh colour, deepen¬ 
ing at the edges of the petals. It is a charming variety 
with the wavy petals arranged round a single centre. 
Award of Merit. Exhibited by Messrs. J. Laing & 
Sons. 
Pelargonium Imogene. —The flowers of this 
show variety are pure white or sometimes of a 
delicate blush with a spathulate or obovate feathered 
crimson blotch on each petal. Award of Merit. 
Exhibited by Mr. C. Turner. 
Tea Rose Eugene Verdier. —The flowers of 
this Rose are large with broad petals of a beautiful 
buff yellow and revolute at the edges. It is 
moderately fragrant, but liable to be open in the 
centre when past its best. Award of Merit. Ex¬ 
hibited by J. T, Bennett-Poe, Esq. 
NEW FRUITS. 
Melon Centre of England. —The fruit is oval 
in shape, and judging from the specimen shown 
(about four pounds) it is moderate in size, and 
suitable for private culture. The skin is deep yellow 
netted with gray. The flesh is scarlet, of great 
depth, juicy, and highly flavoured. Award of Merit. 
Exhibited by Andrew Pears, Esq. (gardener, Mr. 
Farr), Isleworth. 
Apple Oakland’s Seedling.— The fruit of this 
late keeping Apple is of large size, oblate, with five 
shallow ridges round the plaited cavity in which the 
half open eye is situated. The skin is yellow with a 
deep crimson-red side next the sun. The flesh is 
greenish-white, firm, but tender, sweet, and might 
be used for desert purposes now. Award of Merit. 
Exhibited by Messrs. H. Lane & Son, Berkham- 
stead. 
■ I »- 
THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS. 
Next to the coming of the last hour, is there any 
thing more uncertain with us than the weather, 
which in our unstable climate often brings disaster 
and annoyance in its train to those who handle 
either the plough or spade. The recent severe frost 
is a case in point, and has, we fear, left but few of 
your readers without some memento of its visit. 
Many have suffered severely within our own know¬ 
ledge. The market gardeners are hit very hard, 
having lost not only Potatos but Scarlet Runners and 
Vegetable Marrows by acres. Losses of this kind to 
them are unavoidable, for to protect an acre of either 
of these or any considerable portion of one would 
entail a somewhat heavy expenditure and the amount 
realised by the produce would we fear never cover 
the cost, on the other hand, we maintain that 
in private gardens the necessary means to protect 
tender crops up to the end of May should be provided, 
and that to effect this no very heavy expenditure 
need be incurred. Of this we have very good 
evidence before us in the case of two rows of French 
Beans, which in a garden where on the morning of 
the 2ist ult. the thermometer indicated g"* of frost 
and on the 22nd 7® have escaped almost unscathed 
with only the protection of boards resting on No. 24 
pots placed over them. The boards measured from 
6 to 9 in. in width, but where a few odd pieces of 
narrower width were used some of the Beans were 
touched. They were perfectly open at the sides. 
This sowing was made unusually early, and had the 
weather remained as genial as it was when they first 
came above ground they would have been in bearing 
very shortly from this time, but latterly they have 
made slow progress.— IF. B. G. 
After such a spell of summer-like weather it is no 
wonder that the late severe frost should have 
wrought so much mischief the country through, 
although it might have been worse in many districts. 
Around here, Harrogate, the few cold days 
experienced before the frost came caused bedding 
out to be put off until more seasonable weather set 
in, but I fear further south the same caution vas 
not displayed and disastrous results have followed. 
Some Dahlias that we were obliged to put out are 
as black as if they had been burnt, but all our things 
in cold frames escaped except a batch of Heliotropes' 
in a frame with a few broken squares, which were 
cut to the bottom. Calceolarias have stood very 
well, but the cold has checked the growth of the 
grass for a time, and in some places it is looking 
quite black, the showery weather preceding the frost 
having increased the mischief,—y. G. Bellinger, 
Strawberry Dale Nursery, Harrogate. 
In the literature of the present day the charge is 
often made that the English are devoid of conversa¬ 
tional powers, and that their chief topic is the 
weather 1 When I read such effusions I think they 
are made by individuals whose livelihood dependeth 
not on horticulture or agriculture, and whose 
sympathies do not lie in that direction, but rather in 
the mercantile world, where they can transact a lot 
of business and realise a good turn-over in a cosy 
office. The weather we have had lately is serious 
and ruinous to many market growers. The frost we 
had a week ago destroyed all the Strawberry blossom 
that was then open, and Currants, I notice, have 
suffered lately. And judging from the papers it has 
been more severe in other parts of the country than 
here. It makes anyone afraid to start bedding out, 
as this morning I registered 3° of frost. Fancy that 
on the 29th of May, and the so-called “ merrie 
month 1 ” It makes people talk about the weather, 
particularly those whose livelihood depends on 
gardening or farming.—G«o. Potts, The Gardens, 
Farming Woods, Brigstock, Thrapston. 
THE VIHiTABLi 
Cauliflower. 
As a summer vegetable this is by no means the easiest 
crop to grow, and on that account in dry seasons 
is not to be had in the best possible conditions, 
particularly if the soil be at all poor. There should, 
however, be no difficulty in obtaining nice heads 
during ordinary seasons if due care be taken in se¬ 
lecting the varieties and sowing the seed so as to 
give successional supplies. For a first lot there is 
none that I have tried to equal Early Forcing or 
Sutton's First Crop. These two, in my opinion, are 
one and the same kind under different names. To 
test their qualities they were sown on the same day 
side by side, planted out at the same time, and 
received the most careful attention as to treatment, 
the result being when ready for use there was no 
perceptible difference, so that those growing the one 
need not trouble about the other. Seed of this 
variety sown the third week in January, either on a 
slight hot-bed, or in a pan which is afterwards 
placed in a gentle heat near the glass, will, with due 
care, produce nice plants by the first week in April, 
by which time the weather will be suitable for them 
to be planted out. 
From such sowings good heads may be cut the 
latter part of May, or early in June, from plants on 
the open borders, so that much time is thus saved 
over the old way of sowing in the autumn and pro¬ 
tecting in cold frames during winter. But these 
autumn sowings must not on any account be 
dispensed with, as by them successional supplies are 
had. If both the Walcheran and Autumn Giant be 
sown then and the plants protected with cold frames 
these will be found most serviceable, particularly in 
hot, dry seasons, as they will be thoroughly 
established if planted out early in April before the 
soil becomes too dry or the weather has got very 
hot. The former named of the two will succeed 
those sown in spring, while the latter will, if attention 
be paid them, give fine heads later on. It is, however, 
from the sowings made early in the season that the 
greatest difficulty is experienced, as plants from 
these have not time to establish themselves before 
the very hot weather sets in, so that unless special 
attention be paid them, they button, as it is termed, 
that is, turn in too early, so are useless. In order to 
have fine heads from these during August the plants 
should be put out into their permanent quarters when 
quite small. 
The ground should have been previously well 
manured and deeply dug. Lime, too, should have 
been added in the winter and well worked into the 
soil. The ground should not be too loose, otherwise 
the roots will not be able to take hold so quickly, 
and if this happens the plants receive a check at the 
start. Planting does not always receive the atten¬ 
tion necessary to ensure success ; it is often done in 
the heat of the day, when the sun so evaporates the 
moisture from the foliage that it is with difficulty 
the plants recover. During hot weather always 
choose the evening for such work, and if this cannot 
be done in the ordinary day’s time, it is far better 
that the men be paid to stay at night and do it. 
After planting, water should be given through a 
rosed watering pot, and early the following morning, 
before the dew is off the leaves, cover them with an 
inverted flower pot. This may, to some, seem a 
lot of trouble, but if such things are to be had some 
expedient must be resorted to. The covering should 
be removed in the evening and put on again in the 
morning for a few days, by which time new roots 
will have formed so that they will be able to take 
care of themselves. Cauliflowers should never be 
cut when the sun is on them, or they will not be so 
tender and crisp as if cut while the dew is hanging 
to the foliage. Cut in this state and taken to a cool 
dark cellar they will keep quite fresh for a couple of 
days. 
Where such things have to be packed for the town 
house, the leaves should be tied round the hearts to 
keep them clean and prevent them from coming in 
contact with other things. Most gardeners have 
special varieties that they prefer, but where a con¬ 
stant supply must be had it is well to grow several, 
as if one fails the other may be of service. In 
addition to those enumerated above. Pearl and 
Magnum Bonum are good summer kinds, while I 
have found none so serviceable for autumn as 
Mammoth. This variety makes but few leaves, is 
dwarf, and produces an enormous head of delicate 
texture,— Kitchen Gardener. 
-- 
ARDENING UlSCELLANY. 
SILENE ZAWADSKII. 
Though comparatively a recent introduction, this 
species is already finding its way into various 
collections of herbaceous plants. It is dwarf and 
perennial, with a carpet of spathulate leaves cover¬ 
ing the ground, while the flowering stems are com¬ 
paratively leafless, and 6 in. to 12 in. high, according 
to vigour. The flowers are large and white, with 
bifid petals of good substance. The inflated and 
bronzed calyx remind us to some extent of our 
native Silene inflata and S. maritima; but the 
leaves are very different in either case. The plant 
increases at a moderate rate, and appears to with- 
> stand the vicissitudes of our climate easily enough to 
be planted out in any moderately good garden soil 
so long as it is well drained. 
ERYSIMUM OCHROLEUCUM. 
When the Wallflowers are getting past their best, 
their place is taken by the above showy Crucifer, 
which will keep up a display till midsummer or 
later. The unopened buds are beautifully bronzed, 
and are brought into more prominence when the 
first few flowers are opened. The petals are of a 
bright yellow when they first expand, but gradually 
fade to a clear pale yellow. The stems of old plants 
are much branched and decumbent with the flower¬ 
ing stems erect. 1 he plant is more often grown 
under the name of Cheiranthus alpinus than other¬ 
wise, notwithstanding the frequent corrections 
which are made regarding it. Cheiranthus alpinus 
is more correctly named Erysimum alpinum, which 
is an erect plant with unbranched stems, and there¬ 
fore distinct from the procumbent and branching 
stems of E. ochroleucum. 
STREPTOCARPUS DYERI. 
This name has been given to the hybrid mentioned 
in our columns some weeks ago. It was obtained by 
crossing S. Dunnii with S. Wendlandii. Since we 
gave the previous account of it, a pot of three plants 
has been brought before the public, which greatly 
admired the hybrid both for its distinct character 
and the wealth of bloom it produces. The lamina 
is deep, bluish-purple, with a paler tube, and there 
are crimson spots on each side of a medium white 
band along the the tube. Each plant produces only 
one leaf, but by putting three plants in a pot a 
balanced appearance is effected, while the quantity 
of bloom produced is enormous. As a stove plant 
it is both handsome and effective, and has been 
flowering for weeks past in the Begonia house at 
Kew. 
