March 9, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
443 
with regard to the presence of insects, and thus after 
pruning it is often necessary to sponge any of the 
leaves that are in an uncleanly condition, although 
this operation requires the greatest of care or many 
of the leaves will be broken off. 
Slugs. 
A sharp eye must also be kept upon the doings of 
these little animals, as they evince a decided predic¬ 
tion for the young, tender, succulent shoots, especially 
those thrown up from the ground. A good plan is 
to encircle the stems at the point of contact with the 
soil with a piece of cotton wool which will effectually 
bar the progress of the enterprising slug. Another 
dodge that will also achieve the same end, viz., to 
enclose the stem by sprinkling a ring of salt an inch 
or so away from it upon the soil is worth knowing. 
Propagation. 
The most general method of propagating Lapagerias 
is by layering, which is both a safe and an expeditious 
plan of securing a stock of young material. The 
plants which are to be operated on are usually 
removed to specially prepared beds, and the shoots 
layered down into them. A somewhat higher tem¬ 
perature than suffices for the plants under ordinary 
conditions is maintained with a fairly moist atmos¬ 
phere, the young plants being detached and potted 
up in the usual way when rooted. Where the raising 
of seedlings is practised, the seed should be sown 
soon after it is ripe and the seed pans placed in a 
gentle heat to assist germination. 
It is important when arrangements are being made 
to grow Lapagerias that a good variety should be 
chosen. The genus only contains one good species, 
L. rosea, a native of Chili, although there are 
numerous forms and varieties upon the market, ex¬ 
hibiting a considerable variation in depth of colour¬ 
ing and substance of bloom. The well-known L. r. 
alba, also a Chilian plant, is held in even greater 
favour than its type, and its pure white flowers pre¬ 
sent an agreeable and effective contrast to the red 
ones when grown side by side. L. r. superba is also 
well named, and is a really good variety, its flowers 
being of large size, good substance, and of a rich 
crimson colour. L. r. Nash Court var. is one of the very 
best red-flowered varieties in cultivation, and is well 
worthy of all the praise that has been bestowed upon 
it from time to time. Not only is it a most profuse 
bloomer, but the individual flowers will compare 
favourably for size with those of any other form. 
The segments of the flowers are of great length, of 
excellent substance and a rich purple-red in colour. 
The leaves, too, are rather larger than ordinary, ovate 
in shape, very leathery, and of an intensely dark 
green colour. It is certainly one of the most vigor¬ 
ously constitutioned and strongest growing varieties 
we have. 
L. r. maculata is also a very pretty and note¬ 
worthy variety, having flowers almost.as large as 
those of the Nash Court, but pale rose in colour and 
spotted with white. The segments of the perianth, 
too, are spreading at the mouth, another peculiarity 
which marks it as distinct from the latter variety, 
which does not exhibit this tendency. There are 
numbers of other forms in cultivation, but those 
mentioned will suffice as examples of an exceedingly 
beautiful and favourite climber, that in the person 
of one or other of its varieties deserves to be repre¬ 
sented in every cool greenhouse where the necessary 
conveniences exist. 
-*+■-- 
Hardening Miscellany. 
CAPSICUM SIRIUS. 
This appears to be a variety of Capsicum anntsum 
or other allied species which frequently pass under 
the name of Chillies. The plant gets rather tall, 
very much branched, and bears fruit in great abun¬ 
dance. The fruits are oblong and widest at the 
base, or they are narrowly conical, and green at 
first, but as they approach maturity they become 
white, passing into waxy-yellow, from which they 
gradually become orange-yellow and finally scarlet. 
The variety originated in Japan, where it is culti¬ 
vated as an ornamental plant, and has reached Italy, 
to which it is new. There is a figure in the Bulletino 
della R. Societa Toscana di Ovticultura for February. 
Where berried plants are much in request in this 
country, it might be grown for the sake of variety 
and the ornamental character of the fruits, which. 
before becoming perfectly ripe, would present all 
their progressive colours upon one plant by reason 
of their differences in age. For purely ornamental 
purposes they should be grown in warm pits well 
exposed to light and ventilated rather freely during 
the day to keep the plants close, bushy and sturdy. 
LILAC MADAME LEMOINE. 
For some years past a considerable number of new 
varieties of the common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) 
have been raised, and last May a considerable 
number of them were brought before the public, 
testifying by their names that the French cultivators 
have been the most active in the improvement of this 
class of plants. Lilac Madame Lemoine was 
honoured with a First-class Certificate from the 
Royal Horticultural Society on the 8th of May last 
year. The panicles of bloom are dense and vary 
from 4 in. to io in. in length. The flowers are of the 
purest white, double, and consist of two or three 
corollas one within the other. They should be more 
durable than the single white varieties, but in any 
case they look tar more massive, and will doubtless 
find many admirers for cut flower purposes. A 
double-page illustration of it, prepared from a photo¬ 
graph is given in the February number of the 
Bulletino della R. Societa Toscana di Orticultum. This 
shows the massive and pyramidal character of the 
inflorescence, but the picture is much too dark owing 
either to the photographer or to those who prepared 
the block. The massive character of the flower 
trusses makes them difficult to represent with any 
degree of clearness. The references to the variety in 
the horticultural journals of different nations, show 
how quickly a showy and useful subject gets 
distributed over the world. 
HAEMANTHUS KATHERINAE. 
Something like thirty-eight species of Haemanthus 
are known to science, but owing to their being 
scattered over a wide area, and under different 
climatic conditions, they differ considerably in habit, 
and require peculiar treatment in many cases to 
flower them with any degree of success. Another 
peculiarity with many of them is that they develop 
their flowers at one season, and throw up their leaves 
at another. This is a disadvantage as far as orna¬ 
mental effect is concerned. It does not, however, 
apply to H. Katherinae, which develops its flowers 
and foliage simultaneously. The leaves are borne 
upon a specially produced and annual stem, dying 
away as the bulb matures. As in the case of Hip- 
peastrum, the flower scapes are not produced from 
the centre of the tuft of leaves, but from amongst 
the older scales of the bulb. The naked scape bears 
on the top of it a dense umbel of bright red flowers, 
which some would describe as scarlet, owing to the 
rich effect produced by the large, brush-like mass of 
stamens which project beyond the reflexed segments 
of the flowers. Each individual bloom is moderate 
in dimensions or even small, but the whole in a mass 
are very effective. The species is a native of Natal, 
and succeeds well with stove treatment; it fact, it is 
one of the most easily managed in the genus. 
CYCLAMEN COUM. 
Among the children of early spring which condescend 
to produce their flowers at a season when they are 
often greeted by anything but kindly or propitious 
weather, Cyclamen Coum must be awarded a con¬ 
spicuous position. It is remarkably easy of cultiva¬ 
tion, and once planted only needs to be let alone 
and thus should be a great favourite with all who 
love hardy flowers, whether they rejoice in the name 
of amateur or professional gardeners. The flower 
is usually deep red in colour, although its tint will in 
a great measure depend upon the situation in which 
the plant is growing, whether comparatively shaded 
or exposed to the sun. As a rule, the more light the 
plant receives the richer will be the colour of the 
flowers. The corolla is smaller than that of any of 
the other species of Cyclamen, and the leaves, 
which are produced at the same time as the flowers, 
are coloured purple on the under surface, and are 
quite orbicular in shape. The soil in which the 
tubers are to be planted should be well drained, and 
if a little mortar rubbish is mixed with it so much 
the better. There are several varieties of C. Coum 
in cultivation, C. C. album with its white and C. C. 
carneum with its rosy-red corolla segments, being 
the most noteworthy. 
SOCIETIES. 
Ealing & District Gardeners’ Mutual Improvement.— 
On Tuesday, the 26th ult., an ordinary weekly meet¬ 
ing of this Society was held in the Victoria Buildings, 
when Mr. J. Hudson, of Gunnersbury House, Acton, 
delivered a lecture on “ Decorative Plants in Small 
Pots." The audience was large and appreciative, 
and, as Mr Hudson unfolded his views and gave 
practical evidence of his thorough knowledge of his 
subject, he was well received. Most gardeners, he 
said, were called upon to do something in the way of 
furnishing, and if that could be done in small pots 
the advantage would be distinct and real, not only 
in the matter of less room being required for the 
receptacles of the plant, but also for the plants them¬ 
selves ; as, if the plants were profusely grown and 
not subject to too high a temperature, they would 
be better able to withstand the altered conditions of 
their existence. In illustration of what could be 
done in small pots, Mr. Hudson exhibited a well- 
grown specimen of Cocos Weddeliana in a 60-sized 
pot, and otherwise afforded much valuable informa¬ 
tion. Mr. Geo. Cannon, who occupied the chair, 
attested the importance of the paper; and several 
other members took a similar line of thought, which 
resulted in a very hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Hud¬ 
son being recorded. 
The interest of the meeting was considerably 
enhanced by an exhibition of spring-flowering plants, 
and although two groups were staged, these were 
well done, and deserved much commendation. The 
first prize went to Mr. C. Edwards, gardener to W. 
Owen, Esq., Castlebar; and the second to Mr. 
Woods, gardener to Mrs. Willey, Aston Road, Ealing. 
Both groups displayed taste in arrangement and 
evidence of good culture. Mr. Edwards had Hya¬ 
cinths, Tulips, Cinerarias, Lachenalias, Polyanthus, 
Narcissus, Primulas, &c., the latter being very good. 
A Cocos Weddeliana occupied the centre, while 
Triteleia uniflora fringed the front. Mr. Woods, on 
the other hand, was strong in Narcissus Horsefieldii, 
Freesia refracta alba, Cyclamen, &c. His centre¬ 
piece was Richardia aethiopica; and his front line 
consisted of Panicum variegatum, Scilla sibirica, 
and other miscellaneous plants. This rather de¬ 
tracted from the effectiveness of the group as a 
whole, and probably gave his rival the advantage. 
Mr. A. Pentney exhibited the new Carnation Mary 
Godfrey, the flowers of which are pure white and of 
good average size. For this he received a vote of 
thanks. 
—-f- 
LAW NOTES. 
Important to Seed Merchants and Growers. 
At the Southwark Police Court, on the 20th ult., 
before Mr. Slade, C. S. Robinson, late of Pinchbeck, 
near Spalding, farmer, was charged with having by 
false and fraudulent pretences obtained the sum of 
£73 14s. 2d. from Messrs. Cooper, Taber & Co., 
Limited, seed merchants, Southwark Street, S.E, 
Mr. Grain, instructed by Mr. Charles Butcher, 
solicitor to the Nursery and Seed Trade Association, 
Limited, prosecuted, and the prisoner was defended 
by Mr. Stile, solicitor, Spalding. It appeared that 
the prosecutors, like other wholesale seed merchants, 
get seed grown for them by farmers under a written 
agreement, the merchant supplying the stock seed 
and agreeing to take the produce thereof at a fixed 
price, an arrangement which has its advantages to 
both merchant and grower, inasmuch as that it 
enables the farmer to sell his seed at a price fixed 
beforehand, and the merchant to properly estimate 
what seed he will have for sale without being 
■subject to market fluctuations in price in case of bad 
seasons. 
From the evidence given by Mr. Henry Thomas 
Huggins, manager of Messrs. Cooper, Taber & Co., 
Limited, it appeared that in July, 1892, the accused 
wrote to the Company asking whether they wanted 
any Turnip seed grown that year, and stating that 
he had got twenty acres of land ready. After some 
correspondence it was ultimately agreed that he 
should grow twenty acres of Purple-top Swede 
Turnip for the Company, and supply the produce 
to them at the agreed price of 14s. 6d. per bushel. 
In July, 1893, when the seed was ready, the accused 
called at their warehouses and stated that he had 
sub-let part of his contract to another farmer, who 
had agreed to sell the seed to him at 13s. gd. per 
