794 
August 15th, 1885. 
J. Morris, Esq., was successful with a dish of Peaches, 
also with a dish of Nectarines. Mr. J. Dommet staged 
a collection of fruit, not for competition; and Mr. J. 
Pridgen also showed some fine black Grapes. Bou¬ 
quets, cut - flowers, and also wild flowers were 
numerous and good, model gardens having a space 
devoted to themselves. Vegetables were shown by 
J. Bolland, Esq., and J. G. Silkenstadt, who were 
awarded first prizes for an equal number of varieties. 
Messrs. W. G. Caldwell & Sons, Mr. J. Horley, and 
Mr. E. Mellor staged groups of plants, including some 
fine Crotons, Begonias, and small Conifers. The 
weather was all that could have been desired. 
Seasonable Work in the Plant-houses.— 
Autumn - Pbopagatixg : Attention must now be paid 
to any plants that are to be propagated from cuttings 
during the autumn, and the sooner the cuttings can 
be got in the better, as they not only root more freely 
than they will later on, but they will not be so liable 
to damp off. Many of the herbaceous and other 
hardy plants will strike best in hand-glasses, under a 
north wall. To succeed well, it is necessary that 
the following points should be carefully studied :— 
In the first place, the frames should be got ready, 
some clean ashes should be used for plunging or 
standing the pots on, and the mats or other material 
for shading should be at hand. The next thing is 
to have a lot of pots filled ready for use, and these 
should be well drained and filled with light sandy soil, 
with a little extra sand on the surface. In taking the 
cuttings off, care should be taken that they are not 
exposed long enough to get withered before they are 
put in. With many plants, if the cuttings are allowed 
to get withered, although they may root eventually, 
yet they will take much longer than if kept fresh, 
and will not start off into growth so freely after¬ 
wards. After the cuttings are put in, they must have 
regular attention with regard to watering, shading, 
and ventilation ; the shading should always be put on 
before the sun is too strong, and taken off as soon 
as the sun is well off; the frames should be kept 
quite close during the day, but should always be 
opened for an hour or so in the morning, or in some 
cases the glasses may be left off all night during 
favourable weather. Water should not be used too 
liberally, especially for the first few days. 
Chkysakthemuh fbutescens. — Plants that are 
intended for winter-flowering should now have a little 
encouragement. If the pots are well filled with roots 
and the plants already begin to show flower, they 
should have a little liquid manure occasionally, or 
any that require it may be potted on, and any old 
plants that have been flowering may be cut back, 
as these will give good cuttings, which, if struck any 
time during September, will make good plants for early 
Spring work. We should add that for winter flower¬ 
ing the plants must not be grown on too vigorously or 
they will not flower well; and in cutting back the 
stock plants of the yellow variety (C. Etoile d’Or) the 
flower stems only should be taken off, as this does not 
break freely from the old wood ; the white varieties, 
however, may be cut back to the bare stems, and will 
start again freely. 
Clove Carnations.—The old crimson Clove may 
be included among the most useful spring-flowering 
plants. It will force well, and may be had in flower 
by the beginning of March. For early forcing, good 
strong plants must be secured, and they require a 
light, airy position, and careful attention with regard 
to watering. To get good plants, the layers should 
be taken off as soon as they have made sufficient root, 
and potted in 60-size pots. If potted in good light 
soil, they will very quickly root round the pots, and 
they should be potted on before they have become 
pot-bound; 48-sized pots will be large enough for 
flowering them in, except in the case of extra strong 
plants, which should have 32’s. The plants may be 
grown on out-of-doors and introduced into warmth 
after they are well established ; they will not require 
much heat to start them into growth, and after the 
flower buds show, the chief thing is to give them the 
benefit of all the sun and light that can be obtained. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Besides the old crimson Clove, there are two other 
useful varieties, one a pale pink or flesh colour, which 
is a sport from the crimson, and Gloire de Nancy, a 
pure white; both for purity and size of flowers, this 
is one of the finest Carnations we have seen ; it is 
also highly-scented.— H. 
Chionodoxa Luciliae.—This, the Glory of the 
Snow, has been denominated one of the most beautiful 
of hardy spring flowers. One realizes this fact when 
they see it at Belvoir Castle, Grantham, where Mr. 
Ingram uses it largely, and with the most charming 
effect, in his wonderful spring garden. In the rich 
vegetable mould with which Belvoir abounds, the 
bulbs take deep and firm root, and send up very fine 
spikes of blossoms of a very showy and charming 
character. Mr. Maw, describing the circumstances 
under which he found the Chionodoxa Lucili®, says, 
“ At the lower level it -was out of flower, but near the 
summit of the mountain a mass was met with in full 
splendour, forming one of the most sumptuous displays 
of floral beauty I ever beheld; a mass of blue and 
white, resembling Nemophila insignis in colour, but 
more intense and brilliant.” I see that Messrs. Barr 
& Son. of King Street, Covent Garden, are offering 
collected roots of the Chionodoxa, and they state that 
“ amongst them will be found a beautiful dark variety 
of Scilla bifolia. This admixture is unavoidable, as 
Scilla bifolia and Chionodoxa grow together.”— B. D. 
Phormium tenax flowering’ at Dunrobin 
Castle.—A large, handsome specimen of the New 
Zealand Flax is now in flower in the Duke of Suther¬ 
land’s garden at Dunrobin. The plant occupies a 
prominent position in the ornamental grounds facing 
the sea, and has seven spikes of flowers ranging from 
12 ft. to 14 ft. in height. It has flowered once before, 
but not so finely as now. Mr. Melville, who so ably 
conducts the gardening operations here, informed me 
that the plant has been in its present position for six 
years, and has received no protection. When we 
consider that Sutherland is one of Scotland’s most 
northern counties, the flowering of this plant in such 
a position says much for the salubriety of the 
climate.—D. P. L. 
Allium giganteum.—In the August number of 
The Botanical Magazine is a figure of this large and 
striking species. It was collected by the well-known 
explorer and war correspondent, O’Donovan, during 
his adventurous expedition to Merv. The plant 
flowered in the herbaceous ground at Kew in June, 
1883. The bulb is 2 ins. to 3 ins. in diameter; the 
leaves are 1 ft. 6 ins. long and 2 ins. wide, and the 
peduncle, which is 3 ft. to 4 ft. long, bears a dense 
globose head, some 4 ins. in diameter, of bright lilac 
flowers. 
->-*-«-- 
Sisyrinchium filifolium.—This elegant little 
plant is figured in the August number of The Botanical 
Magazine. It is a native of the Falkland Islands, 
perhaps one of the bleakest spots on the globe, con¬ 
sidering the position of the islands. No tree grows 
there, and the only shrub which attains a few feet in 
height is the Veronica decussata of our greenhouses. 
The Sisyrinchium rears its head from out of the 
heather-like massess of Crowberry which cover the 
ground, exposing its lovely white bells to the bitter 
blasts from over the Antarctic ice. Each segment of 
the flower has three pink veins and a yellow blotch 
at the base. In the colony it is known as the “ Pale 
Maiden.” The bulbs were received by Mr. Burbidge 
in a sod of Lomaria alpina collected by Mrs. Brandon 
in the Falkland Islands, and flowered in April last. 
Gaillardias.—Those who may desire to fill a large 
bed with free-blooming plants that will not only give 
a good display of varied bloom, but also a good 
quantity of flowers for cutting, should plant Gaillar¬ 
dias. These are easily raised from seed sown in the 
spring, and in gentle warmth to assist germination, 
or may be raised by means of cuttings, for these will 
root most freely if made properly and put in in the 
autumn. Whilst most of the single kinds favour 
orange and yellow hues, with bright reddish margins, 
he best are those having rich chestnut colours, or 
combinations of chestnut and yellow, with the former 
largely predominating. Some of these latter are very 
striking, and give hues not at all common in flowers, 
and as all have long stems these work into nosegays 
admirably. One of the most striking of all the family, 
however, is the dense double form known as Loren- 
ziana. This is found also under several hues and 
combinations, but the very best is one of a rich chest¬ 
nut hue, tinted or edged with yellow. The flowers 
are full, rounded, and very striking, and most valuable 
for cutting. Any gardener who has to supply the 
house with flowers will do well to get some of this 
double Gaillardia, and find in it 'a most valuable 
adjunct to the garden flowers. It seeds freely, comes 
very true, and may be propagated by means of cut¬ 
tings easily. Plants so obtained show most even 
growth, and perhaps bloom the most abundantly. No 
doubt all kinds so increased show similar results. As 
the plants are fairly hardy, seed sown in a pan in 
September will give plants to dibble out into a cold 
frame in December, to stand the winter, and these 
transplanted with balls of soil make extra fine plants 
for summer blooming. Gaillardias are not at all 
common, hence they have the merit, as cut flowers, of 
furnishing something that is novel in floral combina¬ 
tions.— A. D. 
Delphinium cashmirianum, var. Walkeri.— 
Most of our garden Larkspurs are rather tall plants, 
but here is a tiny little gem from the Himalayas 
which only grows a few inches high. The leaves are 
small and very hairy, and the flowers are pushed up 
from the leaf-axils, each on a separate stalk some 
2 ins. to 3 ins. long. The colour is bluish-violet. 
The plant figured was raised by Mrs. Walker, of Ckace 
Cottage, Enfield, from seeds sent from Rawul Pindee 
by her son, Colonel Walker. It is believed to be a 
high Alpine variety of D. cashmirianum, though not 
sufficiently distinct to be regarded as a true species, 
in spite of its dwarf habit. 
Alpinia pumila.—This is a new species from the 
Lo-fau-shan Mountains of China, and is figured in the 
August number of The Botanical Magazine. One of its 
chief peculiarities is that it does not quite agree with 
any published genus of the order. It is doubtfully 
referred to Alpinia, of which it may prove to be a 
new section, though it may also prove to be a new 
genus altogether. It is a dwarf plant, some 6 ins. 
high, with ginger-like leaves and dwarf scapes of 
pale pink flowers. It flowered in the stove at Kew in 
April of this year. It was sent by Mr. C. Ford, of 
the Hong Kong Botanical Gardens, and was obtained 
by him during an exploration of this range of moun¬ 
tains, in common with several other totally new 
plants. 
Fruit Culture under Glass.— Melons : Plants 
intended for supplying fruit during the months of 
November and December should, like plants intended 
for fruiting in spring and throughout the summer 
and autumn months, be planted on the mounds 
before their roots become cramped in the seedling 
(3-in.) pots, but should the house, in which they are 
to be fruited not be ready for their reception, shift 
the plants into pots a size or two larger than those in 
which they are growing, so as to prevent them from 
experiencing a check, which would assuredly follow 
a stunted growth. Plants now coming into flower 
should have their flowers impregnated with the small 
blossoms when the pollen is dry and a more airy and 
dry atmosphere is given to them, until the desired 
number of fruits from the crop is secured. 
As soon as it can be ascertained which are going 
to swell, reduce the number to four or five—according 
to the condition of the plants and the size which the 
variety grown attains to—on each plant. In houses 
and pits in which the fruits are ripe and ripening, 
maintain a free circulation of fresh dry air so as to 
give flavour to them. The fruits of some varieties 
require to be left longer on the plants after they 
appear to be ripe than others, otherwise they will 
be wanting in flavour when cut. Cox’s Golden Gem 
is one of these. Plants swelling their fruits should 
