364 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 2, 1895. 
Gardening |$iscellany. 
THE LATE MR. WILLIAM THOMSON. 
So many members of the horticultural community, 
in all parts of the country and also abroad, have 
written expressing their sympathy with my sisters 
and myself in our recent bereavement, that, with the 
editor’s kind permission, I would like to thank them 
in the columns of The Gardening World. We 
would have liked to have thanked all personally, but 
we find that impossible, and would feel grateful to 
the editor if he will kindly permit this to appear in 
The Gardening World. We have been much 
comforted by the many beautiful tributes to my 
father’s memory that we have received from all 
quarters, and we also have read with the deepest 
interest and gratitude the generous tributes paid him 
by the Horticultural Press.— John Thomson, Cloven¬ 
fords, N.B. 
IRIS JAPCNICA. 
Two fine specimen clumps of this beautiful Iris are 
forming exceedingly attractive objects in the succulent 
house at Kew at the present time. The plants in 
question are growing in shallow pans, and are pro¬ 
ducing a profusion of their exquisitely marked 
flowers that will for beauty of colouring and dis¬ 
tinctness and vividness of marking vie favourably 
with the gorgeous blooms of many a high-priced 
Orchid. Like most of the Irids, I. japonica exhibits 
a great dislike to being disturbed at the roots, and 
the plants in question illustrated this dislike by the 
reluctance with which they flowered during the 
season immediately following their potting. At the 
present moment, however, they are pictures of 
health and beauty. The plant is rather dwarf in 
habit, for the bright green leaves, although quite 
2 ft. in length, droop considerably. The flowers are 
produced upon a lax panicle, and, like most of the 
rest of the members of the family, are extremely 
fugacious. In colour they are lilac, the falls being 
spotted bright yellow in the centre, and prettily 
fimbriated at the edges. The plant has been known 
both as I. fimbriata and I. chinensis, under which 
latter name it was figured in the Botanical Magazine. 
A native of China and Japan. To judge from the 
Kew specimens, the plant has much to recommend it 
to the favourable notice of cultivators, and it will 
no doubt become a favourite when its good qualities 
become better known. 
THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE. 
It is passing strange that so correct a writer as Mr. 
Stogdon should, in reviewing what another has written 
with special reference to accuracy in quoting from 
Scripture—have fallen himself somewhat into a similar 
deviation from the truth. But the mis-quotation in 
his case is one of authorship rather than substance, 
for the question of gender is immaterial, and the 
adverbs “nigh” and “near” do not in the least 
affect the sound or sense of the passage cited. When 
I read the original article by the most excellent 
“ Z,” in which the said mis-quotation occurred, I 
took it as, indeed, I believe he intended it to be 
taken—in a proverbial sense. Moreover, “ Z ” spells 
his “ proverb ” with a small p., and uses it in a 
general sense, while his critic adopts a capital letter, 
and employs it in a special manner. Again, “ De- 
voniensis ” contends for masculinity in the matter 
under consideration, while Mr. Stogdon suggests 
“that the translators substituted ‘her’ for ‘his’ 
under the mistaken idea that the Fig tree was 
dioecious! ” But why quibble about non- 
essentials ? Both are right, and both are wrong, as 
a consultation of the Revised Version of the New 
Testament will reveal. I could say something about 
that mythological personage who is said to quote 
—I beg pardon, “ cite”—Scripture for his own pur¬ 
pose, but I won’t, except to remark that it seems 
unwise to go to the Bible for a clinching argument, 
inasmuch as the language of the East is certainly not 
synonymous with the strict requirements of modern 
accuracy, but is rather of an inflated and ambiguous 
character. However, I, like " Devoniensis,” do much 
appreciate Mr. Stogdon’s “discursive, botanical 
epistles; ’’ and, therefore, if he will permit me, 
although he is only known to me through those 
“ epistles,” I would add a hope that he may long be 
able to sit (figuratively, of course), under his own Fig 
tree, and enjoy all the blessings which are allegori¬ 
cally said to proceed therefrom.— C. B. G., Acton, 
IV. 
G REVll.LEA THELEMANI ANA. 
Although the genus Grevillea is a large one, and 
upwards of a hundred and sixty of the species it 
contains have at various times been described, the 
average gardener’s acquaintance with the genus is, 
as a rule, limited to his knowledge of that well-known 
and popular decorative subject G. robusta. Still, 
the presence of such a valuable plant in the genus 
might of itself lead us to suppose that there were 
others almost if not quite as valuable and note¬ 
worthy. The above plant is an instance of a good 
but as yet little known subject. It is of elegant 
habit, the branches being slender and drooping, 
while the ultimate divisions are linear in shape and 
bright green in colour. The flowers are red tipped 
with yellow, and are produced in pendulous racemes 
some four or five inches in length. As a greenhouse 
subject there are few to surpass it, and it is well 
deserving the gardener’s notice. A mixture of loam 
and peat with sufficient sand to keep the soil open 
will suit them very well. If potted firmly good- 
sized plants some three feet in height can be had in 
comparatively small pots, which renders them all 
the more valuable where numbers of plants are 
required for indoor decoration.— G. 
CYPERUS PAPYRUS. 
Many people seeing this splendidly ornamental 
plant growing luxuriantly in a stove heat, run away 
with the idea that it will not succeed in a lower 
temperature. This, however, is by no means the 
case, for although it certainly grows more freely in 
the higher temperature it also thrives fairly well in 
a comparatively cool one. We see no reason, more¬ 
over, why it should not be used as a sub-tropical 
plant for placing round the margins of streams or 
lakes during the summer, in which position its tall 
and stately heads would appear to great advantage. 
When grown in a greenhouse, as in the stove, it 
needs an abundance of water at all times. At Kew 
it is accorded sub-aquatic treatment with the best 
of results, as visitors there who have seen it growing 
in a corner of the tank in the Water Lily house can 
testify. A deep rich soil is needed for it to grow in, 
as the plant is a heavy feeder. Mealy bug, too, will 
take a deal of watching, as the gigantic heads afford 
every inducement for this little pest to take up its 
abode there, which it often does to a considerable 
extent, the appearance of the plant certainly not 
being improved thereby, and once it gets a fair hold 
it becomes a matter of great difficulty to get rid of 
it. 
TROPAEOLUMS IN WINTER. 
These common old favourites, when well handled, 
are capable of yielding a good supply of cut flowers 
during the dull months of the year. The best among 
them for the purpose are those of a slender climbing 
habit, and these trained under the rafters of a 
temperate house will flower very freely and enliven 
the whole house for a long period, and afford a 
plentiful supply of cut flowers. To be successful in 
this a start should be made by striking a batch of 
cuttings in April; shift them on as required, using a 
free, rich compost, and expose them well to the sun. 
Have them well established in their flowering pots 
by September, and attend well to watering. Keep 
all flower buds picked off till October, when they 
must be taken in, if not previously done, but as a 
very few degrees of frost will destroy the labours of 
a summer, it will frequently happen that they have 
to be taken in early in September. 
To flower them through the winter they must be 
kept growing gently, as if kept too cold for any 
length of time stagnation of growth follows, and the 
plants will rot off. On any situation with moderate 
warmth is the best; if kept too close they will 
become spindly and too weak to flower in a satisfac¬ 
tory manner. They are dwarf growing varieties 
with double flowers, and these merit more attention 
than is generally accorded them. Those who know 
their value, and grow them for conservatory decora¬ 
tion, are often able to add considerably to their 
supplies of cut flowers from them. Standing up on 
shelves, with flowers and foliage almost hiding their 
pots, they look very pretty, and when arranged 
among other plants are very decorative. The same 
course of treatment is suitable to them as that 
advocated for their more aspiring compeers, only no 
training is required.—IF. B. G. 
COTONEASTER SIMONDSII. 
Among winter berried plants which are quite hardy, 
I deem this worthy of more attention from those 
who take an interest in berried plants generally. 
There are times when Holly berries are exceedingly 
scarce and when very many will gladly avail themselves 
at the festive season of Christmas of any material as 
a substitute, or which can be used in conjunction 
with it, to eke out the meagre supply of Holly 
berries. I must confess that till recently this plant 
stood rather low in my estimation owing to its loose 
straggling habit of growth, on account of which when 
planted under similar conditions to C. microphylla 
either against a wall or as a single specimen it con¬ 
trasts most unfavourably with that variety. Neither of 
these positions are suitable for this plant, and my 
own observations have led me to the conclusion that 
its proper place is among Laurels and other ever¬ 
green shrubs, where it should be permitted to grow 
up above them. Here it is seen to the best advan¬ 
tage, forming sprays from cne to two or more feet 
long densely studded with deep red berries. These, 
with the sun shining on them against a background 
of Laurel foliage, look very gay and beautiful during 
the dull winter months; and a few of the richly 
berry laden sprays would prove most decorative in 
any floral arrangement at this season.—IF. B. G. 
Qaescions add ansmeFS- 
%* Will our friends who send us newspapers be so good 
as to mark the paragraphs or articles they wish tis to see. 
We shall be greatly obliged by their so doing. 
Magnolias. —Sandy : There are several so hardy 
that we think they would succeed with you. First 
on the list we should place Magnolia conspicua and 
its varieties. The closely allied or hybrid M. Lennei 
and M. Soulangeana, perhaps correctly regarded as 
varieties, might also be tried, as they are both very 
beautiful, especially the former of the two. M. 
glauca is a small-leaved and very hardy species that 
flowers freely during a good part of summer. M. 
obovata is a dwarf growing, summer flowering 
species not unlike M. Soulangeana in the colour of 
the flowers, being white, heavily suffused with 
purple. The evergreen M. grandiflora might be 
trained against a wall, because, though very hardy, 
it is liable to have the leaves destroyed by gales of 
wind, and by wind in winter when the stalks are 
frozen and brittle. There are others, but the flowers 
are less showy in most cases. Sweet Bays are rather 
tender, but when once established they come up 
again from the roots every year, although they may 
be cut down by frost in winter. They would then 
form low bushes. 
Odontoglossum crispum.— T. H. : There are 
many worse and many better varieties in cultivation. 
We think it very pretty in being pure white with 
exception of a spot on the lip and some on the 
column, and in the beautifully crisped characters of 
the segments. If the latter had been broader it 
would have greatly increased the value of the variety. 
It is well worth growing till you get better, but in 
the meantime you may regard it as of medium 
value. 
Carnation Diseased. — H. Louth ; Your Carna¬ 
tions are affected with the Carnation Spot, a disease 
which is incurable as far as our present knowledge 
goes. You can do much, however, to destroy and 
prevent it. Take a close bottomed basket or put a 
sheet of paper over it; then carefully cut off the 
worst of the shoots and every leaf that is affected 
with the fungus. Put them into the basket as you 
cut them ; cover them with paper to prevent the 
spores from blowdng about; take them away and 
burn them at once to prevent the healthy plants 
from being affected. The disease should not spread 
very rapidly, seeing that you have the plants in a 
cool airy vinery, for a dry, airy atmosphere is un¬ 
favourable to the fungus. Possibly they became 
affected before they were put in the vinery. Some 
varieties are more liable to spot than others, and 
might be kept apart from the rest. See that the 
drainage is good, and keep the foliage dry, and the 
plants near the glass. By persevering in this manner 
you should ultimately get rid of the pest. 
Calanthes Diseased.— R : Both the pseudo¬ 
bulbs and flowers of the Calanthes you sent us 
showed evidence of good cultivation, but the plants 
have to contend against a swarm of mites by which 
they are being destroyed. They exist inside the 
dead sheaths on the tops of the pseudo-bulbs, so 
that the first thing you should do is to clear away 
every particle of the same with a sharp knife or 
scissors. The decayed portion of the pseudo-bulbs 
should also be cut clean away and rubbed over with 
powdered charcoal to dry up the cut portion. 
Sulphur is inimical to the mite, and we do not 
suppose that you have done any harm, but rather 
good, in applying it. Wash the whole of the 
pseudo-bulbs, including the roots, with a strong 
solution of soft soap or Gishurst compound mixed 
with sulphur would even be more effectual, and 
perhaps enable you to get rid of the pest. This 
