August 1st, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
759 
potted on as required, according to size; it is very 
easily grown, and all who possess a cool greenhouse 
should possess this plant too; it also comes freely 
from seed. F. sonchifolia is in general appearance 
similar, but having rose-coloured flowers. 
Funkias or Plantain Lilies.— These constitute a 
beautiful genus of handsome foliage plants, specially 
adapted for isolated positions, for massing, or for 
exhibition purposes. Commencing with the small, 
though extremely beautiful variegated form of F. un- 
dulata, we have in early spring an exceedingly 
attractive plant, growing only a few inches high ; this 
is specially adapted for pot-culture under glass for 
the sake of its foliage; the flowers are blue, though 
not attractive. There are two other kinds which are 
good for forcing, and for this purpose are strongly 
recommended ; these are F. speciosa and F. grandi- 
flora. In the case of the former the spikes are 
slender, and the flowers pure white, and abundantly 
produced. In the latter case we have an exceedingly 
handsome summer foliage plant, and a fine plant for 
late autumn flowering, too late, in fact, to come to 
perfection out-of-doors, so that it is well to lift it, and 
place it in a cool-house till required for use ; the 
pendant blossoms are large, pure white, and, as an 
additional point in their favour, are sweetly scented. 
This plant cannot be too highly recommended. Then, 
among the finest for general effect are Fortunei, and 
its variegated form, with broad handsome foliage, and 
Sieboldi, a noble plant, with large, broadly-ovate 
glaucous leaves. This is probably the best for pro¬ 
ducing a subtropical effect. The whole of the 
members of this genus delight in a deep rich, rather 
stiff soil, for they make a great quantity of roots, and 
all are readily increased by division. 
Gaillarmas. —In the whole host of hardy-flowering 
perennials we have none which produce a more bril¬ 
liant display than these. They attain a height of from 
2 ft. to 3 ft., and are of compact habit of growth; the 
flowers, which in colour are exceedingly varied, range 
from 2 ins. to 4 ins. across, and are exceedingly 
effective, with their crimson, orange, and yellow 
flowers; these are produced in great profusion from 
the early part of July till checked by autumn frosts. 
They are well adapted for cut-flowers, and last a long 
time in a cut state. Their culture is simple in the 
extreme, being reproduced from seed, in freedom 
equalling many annuals. As might be expected, the 
seedlings vary considerably, and many very fine forms 
are now in commerce, the following being the best:— 
Grandiflora, 3 ft., with large handsome flowers, 2 ins. 
to 3 ins. across, of crimson, orange, and yellow ; this 
makes a most splendid bed. Some two or three 
years since, I planted two or three beds of seedlings, 
which were alike remarkable for the great variety of 
colour, as well as for general effect. The largest- 
flowered kind I know is grandiflora maxima, the 
individual flowers being 4 ins. across, a graml plant. 
G.hybrida splendida, too, is very fine, growing 2 ft. high, 
producing in great profusion effective flowers 3 ins. 
across, the colour being bright red and golden-yellow. 
Some other fine kinds are Hybrida Telemsquei and 
Loiseli, both sufficiently distinct for garden purposes. 
Seeing that single flowers of the Marguerite type are 
now so much in public favour, these plants should be 
among the most popular, for I know of no others 
calculated to produce such a brilliant effect during 
the autumn months.— J. 
NOTES FROM GARDENS. 
Summerhill, Pendleton, the residence of W. 
Agnew, Esq., M.P., although so near the smoke of 
Salford, Pendleton, and Manchester, is a pretty sight 
just now. The house is most pleasantly situated upon 
a rising sand bank, and fronts the S.S.E., over¬ 
looking a fine stretch of lawn, beds of shrubs, herba¬ 
ceous borders and Rose beds, and the whole is well 
enclosed and sheltered with trees. The house is of 
a more modern date than many of those to be seen 
along the old road to Eccles, but there is much from 
a gardening point of view that is interesting about 
the place, which reflects great credit on Mr. J. Bradley, 
the head gardener, whose first charge this is of a 
garden of any pretensions. Mr. Bradley has evidently 
learned much from his former teacher, Mr. Elkin, 
who will have to look out or he will be overtaken by 
his late foreman. There is a nice collection of hardy 
flowers here as well as shrubs, and from early spring 
till late in autumn there is always something of 
interest to be seen out-of-doors here; just now the 
Boses are grand, the colours bright and clear, even 
the Baroness Rothschild and Duke of Edinburgh 
have not a speck of soot or smoke stain upon them. 
The garden is all aglow with such things as Lilies, 
Delphiniums, Sweet Peas, Columbines, and many 
others, and redolent of the odours of sweet-smelling 
plants. 
Of houses there are several, and some of them 
new ones. In one there had been a grand crop of 
Melons, and a second crop is running over the 
wires very strong. In the same house are some 
Cucumbers, which have been in bearing several 
months. In the next house is a grand lot of young 
Show and Zonal Pelargoniums and other things in 
bloom, and some standard Heliotropes, which have a 
good effect. Another structure contains a collection 
of cool Orchids, which are doing well, some good 
Maiden-hair Ferns of various kinds, chiefly used for 
cutting, and on some shelves are a number of Primulas 
which will render a good account of themselves by- 
and-bye. Next we come to the Rose-house, in which 
the plants have been in flower since February last, 
and are still throwing flowers from every lateral. 
Formerly there was great complaint of mildew in 
this house, but we saw no signs of any, neither has 
Mr. Bradley been troubled with it this year. In 
front of these houses are numerous frames heated 
with hot water, in which are grown a number of 
useful plants. 
Passing through the potting-shed we enter the 
Orchid-house, on the roof of which we noted 
grand baskets of Calanthes, while in pots were 
numbers of vigorous Pleiones, fine plants of Vanda 
tricolor and V. insignis superba, with good spikes of 
flower, Angrfecums, Dendrobiums and others, while 
overhead Stephanotis is trained on wires ; the plants 
are pictures of good health. In another house is a 
miscellaneous collection of stove plants, and from 
here we are suddenly introduced to a pretty piece of 
natural rustic work, which comes as a surprise. 
Imagine a house, perhaps 20 ft. long, three-quarter 
span, with a walk under the apex. On the right 
hand the house is a deep hollow, to reach the bottom 
of which you descend some steps. In this hollow are 
growing variegated Begonias, Ferns, dwarf Tree Ferns, 
with their stems clothed with Hypnum and other 
British Mosses, while on the left hand are growing, in 
Nature’s own way, Ferns, Lycopodiums, Begonias, &c. 
On the pillars of the house is Ficus repens, hanging 
as naturally as if untouched by the hands of the man- 
milliner gardener; and to complete the picture, 
and harmonize the whole, the walls are clothed 
with Ampelopsis tricuspidata. This is one of the 
prettiest pieces of gardening we have seen for some 
time. 
In another house are some pans of Ccelogynes, 
making a fine growth, and also a lot of Bouvardias, 
including the double white one, a most useful plant. 
Two of the vineries had only been planted some three 
months, yet the canes had run the length of the 
rafters. 
The last house is an old-fashioned conservatory, 
containing some large Camellias, wonderfully well set 
with flower-buds. From the doorway of this house 
runs a walk to the mansion, with some good Ivy 
arches over it, and on either hand beds of Roses, 
yellow Paris Daisy, “ Etoile d’Or,” a plant in great 
favour here for cutting. 
The kitchen garden is small but well cropped. 
Chrysanthemums, Roses, and other things for winter 
flowering are standing about in various places in 
great quantities, and when one looked at the houses 
as they are at present, one could but wonder wherever 
all were to be housed during winter. One thing 
seemed to strike us as very strange round this 
district—no one seems at present to be able to grow 
Violets successfully, for what reason we cannot tell, 
as they would most certainly prove an exceedingly 
useful adjunct to the flower-basket, and we hope some 
day to be able to report that this difficulty has been 
overcome. 
Gloxinias are found to be very useful for cutting 
for vase decoration in the house during the winter 
months, and a good number of them are grown for the 
purpose. They come in with the Chrysanthemums, 
and last till spring here.— N. J. D. 
BULB CULTURE. 
The season is close at hand for potting and planting 
bulbs intended for early forcing, or for culture under 
glass between now and next May, and the subject, says 
a writer in The Field, that first engages the attention 
of cultivators is the selection of sorts, and how to pro¬ 
cure them. For early forcing—that is, to have flowers 
from November till March—certain species and 
varieties only are suitable. Great mistakes are often 
made by injudicious selection. Among Hyacinths, 
only the single varieties are fit for early forcing. 
Double sorts never develop their flowers or spikes 
half so well as the single kinds do, and it is waste of 
time and material to try them. Besides, single 
Hyacinths are just as attractive as the double, and in 
the matter of size of flower and spike they are superior. 
For the first batch, then, we recommend single kinds, 
and to insure an early start they should be had and 
potted early in September. This is of far more 
importance and far better than pushing the plants 
forward in a high temperature afterwards. Bulbs 
to force must first have roots; to have roots 
they must be potted in time; and to be potted 
in time they must be ordered early. After potting, 
the bulbs should be covered over with sifted ashes or 
dry soil, out-of-doors, behind a wall or in some sheltered 
corner, and left there till the leaves push up about 
2 ins., by which time roots will also have grown; and 
they should then be transferred to a perfectly cold 
frame, gradually exposed to the light, and after that 
gently forced as required in a temperature of from 
55 degs. to 60 degs., till they come into flower. The 
compost for Hyacinths should consist of loam as the 
staple, leaf-mould, and sand. Any ordinary light 
soil will answer. In forcing, it may just be mentioned 
that many Hyacinths are spoiled by too much heat, 
which causes the leaves to grow too long, at the 
expense of the flower spike, which requires more 
time, and hence, under such circumstances, never 
pushes out of the socket. Whenever the leaves are 
noticed to be growing too fast, the temperature 
should be moderated. In a properly developed 
Hyacinth the leaves stand up stiffly, and do not 
reach above the middle of the flower-spike, which 
should always project well above the foliage. 
Tulips. —As in the case of Hyacinths, the single 
varieties of these force earlier and better than the 
double ones. Tulips require the same soil and treat¬ 
ment as Hyacinths, only that several roots should be 
potted together in one small pot, in order to form a 
good group. Roman Hyacinths are valuable on 
account of their earliness, as they can, if potted in 
September or August, be easily had in flower in 
November. They are useful for decorative purposes 
if potted or planted pretty thickly, but being scent¬ 
less, and otherwise much inferior to the common 
Hyacinth, they are seldom grown after the latter 
comes in. Both Snowdrops and Crocuses force early 
and freely, and should be potted thickly in pots or 
pans, in about 4 ins. of soil, and forced very gently 
as soon as rooted, under the same treatment as 
Hyacinths before potting. They make an effective 
display in a cool-house between Christmas and April, 
during which period they may be had in flower, by 
introducing batches from the cool-frame every ten 
days or so. 
The Polyanthus Narcissus of different sorts have 
always been favourites for forcing, but of late the 
Daffodil section has become popular for this purpose, 
and very handsome pot plants they make ; and the 
beautiful N. bulbocodium, or small Hoop-petticoat 
Daffodil, is one of the best. It does better in pots 
than out-of-doors, as a rule, and stands a good while 
in perfection. There are no neater subjects for pot- 
culture, and those who grow it once will grow it always. 
The small bulbs should be potted early in the autumn 
—say August or September—kept cool till rooted, and 
then forced into flower in a gentle heat. The whole 
of the Daffodils force in this way. N. Horsfieldi is 
one of the best large-flowered sorts for the purpose, 
as it flowers very freely, does not grow tall, and is one 
of the very best of its class. The large-flowered 
single N. maximus is also good, so is the common 
double Daffodil; and the little N. nanus makes almost 
as neat a specimen as N. bulbocodium. The larger 
kinds must have pots of from 6 ins. to 8 ins. in size, 
and the small varieties will succeed well in 4 in. to 5 in. 
ones, and in any common soil that is light and sandy. 
