June 27th, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
679 
marguerites. 
Now, let us look at a few of the best of the imported 
species. There is A. alpina, from the higher parts 
of the Alps of Europe ; it grows from 1 ft. to 2 ft. 
in height, and bears showy blue flowers. There 
is a lovely variety of this having white centres to the 
flowers ; but this needs to be planted in a good free 
soil in moist districts, and then it makes an admirable 
border-plant. A. Canadensis is the American Wild 
Columbine, and bears nodding scarlet flowers, 2 ins. 
in length and of a scarlet hue, with white inside. 
This does well on roekwork in sunny positions. A. 
caryophylloides is a handsome striped form, very 
striking and showy. A. ccerulea is a beautiful and 
distinct species from the Eocky Mountains of North¬ 
west America, and produces great blue and white 
flowers. It is a true hardy herbaceous perennial, 
blooming rather early in summer and continuing a 
long time in flower, and flourishes were the soil is 
sandy and deep, and not too wet in winter. This is 
a point that should be borne in mind, for while the 
vigorous-growing varieties of A. vulgaris will grow in 
heavy soil and almost perish in a light, dry one, it 
is different with some of the fine species, and they 
need careful culture in the matter of soil. A. glan- 
dulosa is one of the most beautiful forms of the genus, 
very dwarf in growth, the flowers blue with a white 
centre, and fully 3 ins. across. It should be grown in 
a well-drained, deep, sandy soil, and it is found to do 
best on roekwork. This species appears to do well in 
Scotland, where it is cool and moist; the southern 
parts of England appear to be too hot and dry for it 
to do well. Seeds of this can be obtained, and they 
are found to come true in this way, but if root division 
is attempted it should be done when the plant is in 
full leaf. A. Skinneri is a very attractive scarlet and 
yellow-flowered species, and should have a place in 
every collection, but it cannot be depended upon to 
come true from seed, as they appear to vary very 
much in character. Two fine hybrids, raised by Mr. 
Douglas, both single forms, are well worthy of atten¬ 
tion, viz., A. Californiea hybrida and A. ccerulea 
hybrida—they are both very fine and distinct. But I 
find I have forgotten the golden A. chrysantha. This 
is a beautiful form, producing a large number of pale 
golden flowers, a strong grower and very fine, and 
reproduces itself from seed. 
Let me advise your readers by all means to grow a 
few Aquilegias, and let them endeavour to improve 
them too, for the capacities of improvement in the 
flower are great, and who shall attempt to limit the 
power of change and development in Nature.— B. I). 
— ■ • r rx >-g v - — 
SELECT HARDY PERENNIALS. 
(Continued fromp. 663.) 
Calandeinia umbellata.- —This is one of the most 
charming of dwarf evergreen or shrubby perennials, 
and a strikingly effective plant with its intense 
majenta-crimson coloured flowers so freely produced 
in early summer. It rarely exceeds 3 ins. in height, 
is of trailing habit, and the fact of its being so freely 
reproduced from seed should favour its more general 
use. Owing to its dwarf habit, it is suited for the 
rockery or the front row of the border. 
The Mabsh Maeigolds, op. Calthas, next claim atten¬ 
tion, and the popular name of the plant gives a clue 
to its cultural requirements. These all delight in 
abundant moisture, and soon become miserable if they 
cannot be accommodated with it, but when situate 
in marshy land they grow vigorously and flower with 
surprising freedom. Caltha palustris when seen 
covering a moist meadow a few acres in extent has 
no equal among the golden British flowers of spring. 
The best double forms are C. palustris fiore pleno, 
C. palustris minor flore pleno, which has flowers of a 
deeper golden colour than any other kind, and as the 
varietal name implies it is of dwarf stature; and 
lastly, the monster flowered kind, C. palustris mon- 
strosa flore pleno. All are of easy culture ; plant them 
in stiff soil, if somewhat holding so much the better, 
and give abundant supplies of moisture. 
Campanulas. —I now venture on to the Bell-flowers, 
or Campanulas, which include some of the rarest of 
Alpine gems as well as some of the showiest of 
perennials. It is a most extensive and valuable 
group, furnishing flowers from the later days of 
spring, through summer, and well into the autumn 
months, so that them season of flowering is of con* 
siderable extent, and their height varies from 3 ins. 
to 4 ft. To do them full justice would occupy too 
much of your space, so I will content myself by 
indicating only the very best, and at the same time 
those only whose requirements may be met in almost 
any cottage garden soil. First then we have 
Campanula caepatica, growing about 1 ft. high and 
forming compact cushions which are completely 
covered with erect blue flowers. It makes an excellent 
edging plant, and there is a pure white kind equally 
as free as the preceding, and both are strongly recom¬ 
mended, being of free growth and quite hardy. 
C. glomeeata is a most useful kind, but is con¬ 
siderably inferior to the variety known as Dahurica, 
which is without exception one of the finest perennials 
in existence; it grows about 18 ins. high, and pro¬ 
duces numerous stems having axillary clusters of 
flowers and terminating with large handsome heads 
of rich purple blossoms. It is, in short, one of those 
good plants whose value it is impossible to over¬ 
estimate. 
C. geandis is a very showy, old-fashioned perennial, 
a plant of free growth, growing 3 ft. high, and pro¬ 
ducing numerous spikes thickly set with blue salver¬ 
shaped flowers. It is more generally met with now 
in cottage gardens, where some few hardy plants 
would seem to have found a refuge during the time 
of their almost universal destruction. C. grandis 
alba is a pure white form of the preceding, and a 
most useful plant. 
C. Hexdeesoni. —One of the most distinct and beau¬ 
tiful of all Campanulas; it grows 1 ft. high, forming 
compact pyramidal tufts, which are almost hidden by 
its numerous flowers of a bluish-mauve. I know of none 
having erect flowers which are capable of equalling 
this for beauty and usefulness for decorative purposes 
generally. It is an hybrid, but of its origin I cannot 
speak with certainty; it appears, however, to be the 
result of a cross between C. turbinata and C. pyra- 
midalis. Be this as it may, its value as a hardy 
perennial is considerable. 
C. macbantea.— For a bold striking plant for the 
shrubbery border, or for naturalizing, this is un¬ 
equalled ; it grows 4 ft. high, the flower stems being 
furnished with large drooping bells of a purple-blue 
colour. 
C. peesicifolia (the Beach-leaved Bellflower).—Of 
this species there are several forms, single and double, 
growing about 2 ft. high, and having for the most 
part long spikes thickly set with flowers. The best 
kinds are C. persicifolia coronata alba, which is a 
most useful single pure white kind, and C. persici¬ 
folia alba plena, the last named having pure white 
very double flowers, most useful in a cut state, and 
highly valuable as a decorative border perennial; 
these two attain a height of 2 ft. 6 ins., or there¬ 
abouts. 
C. pumila.— A dwarf-growing kind from 4 ins. to 
6 ins. high, having numerous drooping flowers of a 
light blue colour; C. pumila alba differs only in its 
white flowers. These admirably adapt themselves for 
massing, or for edgings or lines, the effect of them in 
flower being very pleasing. 
C. pulla. —Of all the dwarf Harebells this is the 
most lovely. It prefers a cool and somewhat shady 
spot, and in such a position it carpets the ground 
completely. It is readily distinguished from all the 
other dwarf kinds by its deep purple drooping flowers, 
which are borne solitary on slender stems from 3 ins. 
to 6 ins. high. When once well planted, allow' it to 
remain for years undisturbed, as when seen in a mass 
it is most charming. 
C. pykamidalis, and its white form, are the so- 
called “Chimney Campanulas,” probably owing to their 
towering flower spikes, which often attain a height 
of 6 ft. When • seen in good condition they are 
extremely handsome, and equally as valuable as pot 
plants for the conservatory as for the back row in the 
herbaceous border. 
C. Van Houttei.— A handsome hybrid growing 
2 ft. 6 ins. high, which takes a first place among 
good hardy plants, and is among the best of this 
extensive group; the drooping flowers are of a dark 
blue colour, and are upwards of 3 ins. in length; it 
should be in all collections of hardy plants. It will 
be seen that, for the most part, I have confined my 
remarks to the taller growing kinds, all of which, 
however, will be found to grow well in any ordinary 
soil, and are easily increased by division.—./, 
I was rather surprised, yet pleased, to see Mr. 
Dunkin’s reply to my remarks on his system of 
planting out Marguerites, and feel that if my note 
served no other good purpose, it at least elicited from 
Mr. Dunkin some remarks which I think embody the 
most important part of his cultural details, viz., that 
of lifting and establishing his plants under a north 
wall, whereas in his former note he said “ lift in 
September, and grow on in vineries or other cool 
houses during the winter months.” Now I know 
from experience that the latter details were wholly 
insufficient to ensure success, as I well remember 
lifting some that had been planted out during the 
summer, and sufficient care was not taken to cut 
round the roots of the plants a few days prior to 
lifting them, neither was another very necessary 
precaution taken, that is to see that they had a good 
soaking of water before they were lifted, and the 
result was partial failure, notwithstanding their being 
placed under the shade of a wall, and kept syringed. 
No one more than myself more heartily welcomes 
any method of culture that will save labour, providing 
the results are equal, and it is with Marguerites as 
with the other forms of Chrysanthemums—to produce 
the best results they must be grown in pots. 
I remember some five years ago going round a 
garden where some of these plants were used for 
bedding purposes, being planted in the middle of a 
bed with a few rows of Zonal Pelargoniums around 
them. Unfortunately we were not favoured during 
that year with so much sunshine as we could wish, 
and a quantity of rain fell during August, and the con¬ 
sequence was the plants grew rapidly and were soon 
too tall to be in harmony with the surroundings, and 
so had to be cut down, winch resulted in a second 
crop of shoots, but no flowers. A year or so after¬ 
wards I was instructed to plant some Marguerites in 
beds in the flower-garden, and to obviate the evil 
which my neighbour suffered from, I planted them 
out without turning them out of their pots, and the 
result W'as everything that could be desired, an 
abundance of flowers without exuberant growth. 
Still another instance in support of restricted root 
action. On looking through the houses of another 
neighbouring gardener last February, I had pointed 
out to me a splendid specimen or two of these plants in 
8-in. pots, and which were one mass of flower, and the 
remark made was, “ I intend to have a lot of these 
another winter ; they are some plants I had set in 
some vases.” 
E. D., on p. 586, speaks in high praise of these 
plants. It would be interesting to know that gentle¬ 
man’s cultural details. 
I think it was scarcely necessary for Mr. Dunkin to 
tell me what he did not recommend, as he must have 
known that I was as well aware of that as he 
himself. 
In conclusion, I may say that it is not every lover 
of Marguerites who is content to wait till May for 
their first blooms, and here, as in many other districts, 
flowers may be had of the common Ox-eye Daisy by 
tne middle of that month in ordinary seasons ; and 
foi diessing lases and all cut purposes these will vie 
with any of the cultivated kinds.— Beilis. 
- ''TS -O -wP * ■—p — 
THE TAM O’SHANTER HONE. 
We have received from Mr. John C. Montgomerie, 
of Dalmore, Stair, Tarbolton Station, Ayrshire, a 
sample of his famous Tam O’Sliauter Hones, with the 
quality of which we have been agreeably surprised. 
V e expected, as a matter of course, that these 
sharpening stones w'ould prove of good average quality, 
but a few trials quickly convinced us that they are 
leal treasures, putting a keen and lasting edge on a 
knife in a few moments, and that, too, without the 
use of oil. 
Every expert “ knifeman” knows that nothing pays 
better, or gives more pleasure when at work, than 
keeping a good edge on his knife, and it is surprising 
what blunt tools are often found in the hands of 
gardeners, and young gardeners especially. Such 
tools, too surely mean bad cuts, bad work, and very 
frequently bad temper also. The Tam O’Shanter 
Hone has stood the test of a century; it is the best 
stone we have ever used, and is so cheap that every 
potting-shed ought to contain one for the use of those 
employed in it. 
