May 30th, 1885. 
619 
Tulipa Gesnbriana Major must not be overlooked, 
so showy and useful is it in the open borders; although 
late in blooming, this is no drawback, as it comes in 
when the early sorts are past. It is a most pleasing 
shade of red, and is rather a tall grower, so that 
it must be placed in the border accordingly. 
Ibebis, or Evergreen Candytuft.— These are good 
border-plants, but my three favourites are corifolia, 
Gibraltarica, and semperflorens; the first and last 
are white, and the former is the best, according to my 
observation. No border-plant is more beautiful just 
now than this, it is as white as driven snow, and 
quite hardy, but I find it does not bear cutting close 
back so well as some others. Semperflorens is a more 
free grower, and stands the knife better, but the heads 
of bloom are not so good as those of corifolia. Gibral¬ 
tarica is the largest of the group, it growing to the 
size of a bush. It has very large heads of white and 
lilac-coloured flowers, but, not so hardy as the others, 
it gets killed in severe weather in the open border, 
but deserves the shelter of a pit.— John Crook, Farn- 
boro ’ Grange. 
f 
Petraea volubilis. —The handsome specimen o 
this trained over the roof of the warm end of the 
conservatory at the Eoyal Botanic Society’s Gardens, 
Regent’s Park, where it puts forth its pretty sprays of 
flowers in such profusion every May and June, is now 
in great beauty and bearing thousands of its showy 
flowers. The flowers are borne in sprays of twenty or 
thirty, the showiest part being the star-like lavender- 
coloured calyx, which measures about l-£ ins. across. 
The flowers, which are like small dark Violets in 
colour and appearance, being set in the centres of the 
star-like calices give an admirable effect, and cause one 
to regret that the undoubted stubbornness of the plant 
should render it much rarer than the very many years 
it has been with us should warrant. There is also a 
white variety which is equally pretty.— J. B. 
Streptocarpus caulescens.— This singular little 
plant, which is a native of East Tropical Africa, 
is figured in the May number of The Botanical 
Magazine. It is not so handsome as many other 
members of the genus, the flowers being of a very pale 
lilac tint, but a curious feature of the plant is the 
production of a gouty tuberous stem. It forms a 
small bush from 6 ins. to 1 ft. high. The germination 
of the seeds of this genus is of a singular character. 
When the plant begins to grow two minute cotyledons 
are seen (as in other plants), one of which remains 
dormant, but the other grows and becomes leaf-like, 
a considerable distance separating the two cotyledons 
at this stage. The first leaf thus stands by itself, but 
all the successive leaves are borne in opposite pairs. 
Herbaceous Calceolarias. — I think that the 
finest lot of Herbaceous Calceolarias I ever saw were 
those shown by Mr. Hatch, gardener to S. B. Stevens, 
Esq., at the Reading Show on the 21st inst. They 
were what is known as Sutton’s Strain, the plants 
dwarf, the foliage robust and in the very best condition, 
the heads of bloom dense in the extreme, and such 
flowers, of a quality that could scarcely be surpassed. 
Some of the rich dark colours were particularly 
striking. It is not to be wondered at that such 
splendid plants commanded general admiration. In 
the Reading district Calceolarias are remarkably well 
grown, and a close competition always takes place for 
the prizes offered for them. The second prize went 
to Mr. Tarry, gardener to C. Stibbens, Esq., Reading, 
with some very good plants indeed, only a little 
inferior to the first prize lot; and the exhibitor that 
took the third prize had plants that at many a 
provincial show would take the first prize, and then 
be some way ahead of what one is accustomed to see 
there. I think that the reason why some things are 
done so surprisingly well in certain parts of the 
country is that certain exhibitors do their utmost to 
excel with them ; this begets a very keen competition, 
and on this ground remarkably fine Calceolarias at 
Reading are accounted for.— B. D. 
Exochorda grandiflora. —This fine rosaceous 
shrub is flowering with unwonted freedom this season, 
every shoot apparently producing a spike of its lovely 
white blossoms. It is a hardy plant with handsome 
glaucous foliage, and should find a place on every 
lawn. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
The Kitchen Gardener’s Calendar.— Planting : 
The beautiful rains with which we have been favoured 
during the last week or two have enabled us to make 
good plantings of Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflowers, 
Cabbages, Snow’s Winter-white Broccolis, and 
Lettuces, and to prick out into nursery-beds, 4 ins. 
or 5 ins. apart every way, young plants from later 
sowings to grow on for transplanting later on in the 
season. If Winter Greens are not already pulled up, 
the soil shook off from their roots, and removed to 
the refuse-heap, no time should now be lost in doing 
so, and in getting the ground manured and dug, so 
as to be in readiness for other crops, such, for 
instance, as Peas, of which a good sowing of the 
Ne Plus Ultra and British Queen type should be made 
forthwith, and again in ten days’ time, for use in 
September and October, Broad Beans, Spinach, &c. 
Leeks.— This, in some places, is an important 
vegetable, and in many gardens it might be rendered 
so by giving it more attention than it generally 
receives, and which its merits, as a culinary plant, 
unquestionably entitle it to. The plant delights in a 
rich, stiff, loamy soil, and we practice the following 
method as to transplanting, which we have found 
answer very well indeed, viz.: in an open situation, 
and in well-manured and deeply-dug ground, 
drills are drawn 3 ins. deep and about 1,8 ins. apart, 
and in these holes, 2 ins. or 3 ins. in diameter, are 
made 9 ins. or 10 ins. asunder in the rows, in which 
the plants are placed upright, allowing sufficient soil 
to cover the roots to fall into the holes in the process 
of planting, and subsequently the earth is gradually 
filled in either by the rain or by the use of the hoe 
between the rows, care being taken not to bury the 
hearts of the plants. When the Leeks are planted, 
water (in the absence of rain) should be given them, 
and occasionally afterwards until the plants have 
taken to the soil, after which—if the best possible 
results in the way of large well-blanched Leeks are 
aimed at—they should have an occasional watering of 
liquid manure. Leeks may be also grown satisfactorily 
in trenches prepared as for Celery, and the soil drawn 
to the plants as they increase in growth, and until the 
trenches are made level with the rest of the ground. 
General Work.— Make a sowing of Colewort and 
Veitch’s Autumn Giant Cauliflower for winter use, and 
as soon as Celery plants from the second sowing 
become fit for planting out, let them be transferred to 
the trenches which have been prepared as recommended 
at p. 539. Attend to the weeding and thinning of 
young crops. Asparagus beds should also be hand- 
weeded, removing at the same time all seedling plants 
resulting from seed which dropped from the plants 
last October, and which, if allowed to grow, would 
impede the growth of the permanent plants.— H. W. 
Ward. 
Two Good Cabbage Lettuces. —Having tried 
several Cabbage Lettuces this season, I must give the 
palm to Veitch’s Perfect Gem, which is the most firm 
eating Cabbage Lettuce I ever grew. It also comes 
in quickly, and is good for summer culture as well as for 
winter. Green Globe has been good ; it is a nice close¬ 
folding kind, but paler in colour than the above. These 
planted at the foot of a vinery wall came into use early. 
They were planted with three others, and proved 
most valuable till Cos Lettuces came in. We have 
to make all sorts of shifts to keep up our daily salad 
supply, our pits being wanted for so many other 
things.— John Crook, Farnborough. 
Cucumbers. —The merits of the Cucumber raised 
by Mr. Mortimer, the late gardener at Purley Park, 
Reading, and named Purley Park Hero, were well 
brought out in a competition instituted by Messrs. 
Sutton & Sons, at South Kensington, on Tuesday, 
when several good brace of fruits were exhibited in 
competition in a class open to that variety and 
Sutton’s Cluster. The Purley Park Hero is a white 
spine variety of the Telegraph type, and a handsome 
show fruit, being of an even and medium thickness 
throughout, 14 ins. to 16 ins. long, and short at the 
shoulder. Sutton’s Cluster, on the other hand, is 
a much shorter fruit, of the old Syon House type, 
and, though a free bearer, was nowhere in the com¬ 
petition with the first-named. The prize winners 
were Mr. S. Haines, gardener, Coleshill; Mr. Howe, 
gardener, Benham Park, and Mr. Waite, gardener to 
Col. the Hon. W. P. Talbot, Glenhurst, Esher. Mr. 
C. Howe also exhibited a seedling named Benham 
Park Hero, a handsome white-spined variety, some 
16 ins. long, raised from a cross between Challenger 
and Telegraph. 
Sutton’s Late Queen Broccoli. —This very fine 
late white Broccoli was shown in excellent form at the 
Reading Horticultural Society’s Show on the 21st 
inst., and awarded a First-Class Certificate of Merit. 
It is so late as to fill up the gap which exists between 
the hitherto late Broccolis and the Cauliflowers. It 
produces very fine white heads, set within a thick 
margin of leaves, which protect it from the sun and 
rain; it is of dwarf growth, and well suited to small 
as well as large gardens. It is a variety that should 
have a note made of it. 
— g^~T5 <> cr-^-p —- 
THEVERNAL GENTIANS. 
Among the many interesting hardy flowers shown in 
the fine collections seen at the Manchester Whitsun 
Show, nothing pleased me more than the beautiful 
spring Gentians, G. acaulis and G. verna. Pans of 
these were shown carrying many beautiful flowers, 
and the richness of the shades of blue commanded 
much attention. G. acaulis is a well - known 
old inhabitant of our gardens, and it is the Gentianella 
of Wales. It is said that the Gentian was so-called 
after Gentius, King of Illyria, who first discovered the 
medicinal virtues of this bitter plant. Gentius 
having imprisoned the ambassadors sent to his 
Court by the Romans, they invaded his kingdom, 
conquered it, and led the royal botanist and his 
family in triumph through the streets of Rome. The 
old name of this flower was Gentiana cruciata, which 
is the dark blue Austrian Gentianella, and it was also 
called S. Ladislai Regis herba, in regard to which 
latter appellation there is a curious legend ;—During 
the reign of King Ladislas the whole of Hungary was 
afflicted with the plague. Compassionating his un¬ 
fortunate subjects who were dying by thousands, the 
pious King prayed that if he shot an arrow into the air 
the Almighty would vouchsafe to guide it to the root 
of some herb that might be employed efficaciously in 
arresting the terrible plague. The King discharged 
an arrow, and, in falling, it cleft in twain the root of 
the Cruciata (Gentian), which was at once tried, and 
found to possess the most astonishing curative powers 
when administered to sufferers from the plague. 
In order to do well, G. acaulis should be grown in 
a moist sandy loam, and as it is sometimes employed 
for edging beds, this is the kind of soil in which it 
should be planted. In Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, 
and other moist counties, it is not unusual to find it 
edging walks, and there it is very effective. It is at 
home on rock-work where there is a depth of moist 
loam to root into ; and it is particularly well suited for 
those spots of depressed rock-ivork where the stone 
is suggested here and there rather than exposed. It 
is a plant that can be successfully grown in pots, and 
that is worth the trouble in cases where the Gentiana 
will not grow in the open air, from a very dry soil or 
other cause. It flowers generally in April and May. 
G. verna is the English Vernal Gentian. In a wild 
state this plant is abundantly distributed over moun¬ 
tain pastures on the Alps of Southern and Central 
Europe, and those of like latitudes in Asia. This 
beautiful species is very rarely seen in good health in 
gardens, but is known to many as the type of all that 
is beautiful in Alpine vegetation. 
A few things are essential to the successful cultiva¬ 
tion of this flower; they are—a good, deep, sandy loam 
on a level spot on rock-work, perfect drainage, 
abundance of water during the warm dry months, and 
perfect exposure to the sun. Grit and broken lime¬ 
stone may be advantageously mingled with the soil, 
but if there be plenty of sand they are not essential; 
a few pieces bruised on the surface of the ground will 
tend to prevent evaporation, and guard the plant till 
it has taken root and begun to spread about. It may 
also be grown in pots with loam and plenty of rough 
sand, well drained and plunged in beds of coal-ashes 
or sand, thoroughly exposed to the sun, and well 
watered from the first dry days of March onwards 
till the moist autumn days return.— Quo, 
