June 1, 1896. 
The gardening world. 
635 
Caladium Rose Laing.— The leaves of this Cala- 
dium are of large size, rendering it particularly suit¬ 
able for exhibition purposes, and their soft colours 
contrast well with those of the darker sorts. The 
greater portion of the surface is creamy yellow 
marbled with soft red along the centre, and bounded 
with a narrow green margin. It is easily grown, 
and seems to withstand the atmosphere of the exhi¬ 
bition tent very well. Award of Merit. Messrs. 
John Peed & Sons.Roupell Park Nurseries, Norwood. 
Paeony Lord Iveagh.— The number of beautiful 
varieties of Tree Paeonies continues to be increased; 
that here named is semi-double, with very long 
scarlet petals, intensified to crimson at the base, and 
when fully expanded show a great brush of yellow 
stamens and a red ovary in the centre. It will con¬ 
stitute an acquisition to its class, which adorns the 
garden in a most conspicuous way during the months 
of April and May, earlier or later according to lati¬ 
tude and local surroundings. Award of Merit. 
Messrs. Kelway & Son, Langport, Somerset. 
Sibthorpia europaea aurea.— Now that the 
cultivation of this native plant is better understood 
we may expect to see its distribution in gardens 
greatly extended. Messrs. J. Backhouse and Son, 
York, showed how this yellow-leaved variety could 
be most effectively displayed by contrast with the 
silvery-edged variety, S. e. variegata. The golden 
one was planted in the centre of a large pan, and 
the variegated sort round the circumference of the 
same. We have never seen the Cornish Moneywort 
do better anywhere than in the moist atmosphere of 
a cool Orchid house in shady situations, where the 
sun will not strike fiercely upon it. Shade and 
moisture are the principal elements of success in the 
growth of this dwarf and interesting subject; and, 
by observing them, no bell glasses or other covering 
is needed. Award of Merit. 
Gloxinia Prince of Wales.— The flowers of 
this choice variety are of large size, flunnel-shaped, 
and erect, as are those of the most favoured strains 
of the present day. The wide lamina is of an intense 
scarlet, deepening towards the throat, and fading to 
a paler or almost rose hue at the extreme margin. 
It is of the same type as Monarch, and though 
paler at the very margin like an Alpine Auricula, yet 
it may be correctly described as self-coloured. 
Award of Merit. Messrs. H. Cannell and Sons, 
Swanley, Kent. 
Pelargonium Duchess of York.— A new tri¬ 
colour Pelargonium has been a rather rare phe¬ 
nomenon for some years past, at least as far as 
London shows are concerned. The leaves of that 
under notice are moderate in size, with a green centre 
often broken up or variegated with creamy blotches. 
This is surrounded by a bright red zone of greater 
or less intensity and more or less bronzed with a 
dark hue in places The margin is creamy yellow, 
so that there are four pretty well marked colours 
instead of three, and the variety is certainly beautiful. 
Award of Merit. Mr. J. Prewett, Swiss Nursery 
Hammersmith. 
--*»- 
ALPINE HOUSE AT KEW. 
This little house is always particularly interesting 
during the spring and early summer months, for it 
usually then contains so varied a collection of Alpine 
plants in flower that apart from the intrinsic beauty 
of the plants themselves with their vividly tinted 
flowers the charm of variety is so great that one 
could scarcely weary of the feast of good things so 
charmingly displayed to appreciative eyes. But 
while the interest attaching to this little house and 
its contents during the time that it is open to the 
public is exceedingly well sustained throughout, at 
no one period perhaps may so comprehensive a 
collection of floral gems be seen as at the present. 
The plant that first catches the visitors’ eye upon 
entering the house is Saxifraga cotyledon pyra- 
midalis, for here it is in all its glory dotted here and 
there amongst other dwarfer subjects on either side 
of the house, the silvery sheen of its huge pyramids 
of white flowers being conspicuous enough. S. C. 
pyramidalis differs from its type in being of a much 
stronger growing habit. We turn from these 
gorgeous trusses of dazzling white flowers to see the 
lovely little Lithospermum prostratum meekly 
inviting our attention. What a vivid blue the 
flowers of this humble little plant exhibit, and yet 
when we take a closer peep at them, and notice the 
reddish-violet stripes or markings which might pass 
unnoticed to the careless eye how beautiful they are, 
the prostrate stems trailing over the surface of the 
soil in all directions. This plant is also sometimes 
met with under the name of L fruticosum. Dianthus 
coesius, too, makes up what it wants in its height 
by the showiness of its bright rosy flowers, which 
are very large in proportion to the height of the 
plant itself. We look at some pots filled with 
fine specimens of Ornithogalum umbellatum, and 
admiring the large umbels of white flowers striped 
green and white on the outer side of the segments 
do not wonder that the name of ‘' Star of Bethlehem '’ 
has been applied to them, so star-like are they. 
This plant is now naturalised in Great Britain, and 
may now and again be met with growing wild in all 
its beauty, nathless the fact that the hand of man 
has not attended to its wants. Last year a beautiful 
little clump of it was found growing apparently wild 
in a hedgerow close to the towing path at Teddington 
Lock, and this although scores of people were 
passing it hourly, and yet it had apparently until 
then escaped discovery. 
But as it is not with British wildlings that we 
intend particularly to deal we must e'en revert to our 
test again and notice a few other pretty pot plants. 
Several fine varieties of the Dodecatheons or 
American Cowslips, as they are popularly called, are 
worthy of all praise. Certainly our own Cowslips 
are quite put in the shade by the gorgeous blooms of 
the American. D. Meadia spendidum and D. M. 
macrocarpum well sustain the credit of the genus. 
The rich yellow flowers of Erysimum ochroleucum 
are very striking and effective, and we may well tarry 
a moment to observe the curiously two coloured 
blooms of Cheiranthes mutabilis a native of Madeira. 
When first they open, the flowers are cream coloured, 
but as they age they change to purple. Armeria 
juncea, barely three inches in height has small erect 
pointed leaves and bright rosy pink flowers whilst A. 
maritima var. alba is more vigorously growing and 
produces rather large flowers. One of the most 
interesting inmates of the house is Campanula 
thyrsoidea. The plants are about a foot in height, 
the dense flower spike being at least seven or eight 
inches in length. The leaves and inflorescence are 
crowded with long silky like hairs from amongst 
which the green stigmas peep in a curious manner. 
The corolla is of a peculiar sulphur-like colour, and the 
plant is altogether a most distinct and interesting one. 
The first flowers of Ramondia pyrenaica are also 
making their appearance, being thus somewhat 
earlier than their friends, which have had to brave 
the long cold winter outside. This subject does not, 
however, appear to nearly such great advantage when 
grown in pots as it does when it inhabits some snug 
little corner in the hardy rockery. Of Orchids, 
quite a little collection met our gaze, amongst which 
the broad-leaved Marsh Orchis O. latifolia is well 
represented, several of the plants carrying large 
spikes of the reddish-purple flowers. A compara¬ 
tively little known plant, Cypripedium macranthum, 
a native of Siberia, is likewise now in bloom. The 
flower is of a rich dark purple colour, and the lip 
large and much inflated. C. montana, a more com¬ 
monly met with species, is also to be seen. This 
plant has of late years become exceedingly popular, 
and is a regular attendant in the groups of hairy 
spring flowers of more than one leading nurseryman. 
What a pretty little thing is Oxalis enneaphylla 
with its large white or pinkish-white flowers. 
Lychnis Lagascae is likewise a gem among its kind 
with its bright rose flowers and exceedingly dwarf 
habit, it usually being not more than 3 in. in height. 
L. pyrenaica, which, like L. Lagascae, hails from 
the Pyrenees, is also very dwarf in stature, although 
the flowers, a very pale pink or flesh colours, are 
considerably smaller, generally being about three 
eighths of an inch in diameter. 
The scapes of Achillea rupestris are from three to 
four flowered, the bright yellow anthers being 
bright and pretty against the pinkish-white 
corolla. Wahlenbergia Kitailbelii has nothing in its 
appearance to warrant it being burdened with such 
a jaw-breaking name ; for it is a most unpretentious 
looking little plant, barely 6 in. in height, with large 
Bluebell-shaped flowers that seem out of all propor¬ 
tion to the size of the plant. Symphyandra Warneri, 
another Campanulaceous subject, should be of not a 
little horticultural value to judge from the Kew 
specimens. It is from 6 in. to 1 ft. in height, forms 
a symmetrical bushy little specimen, and produces 
its bright blue flowers very freely. Indeed, at first 
sight, it might well be taken for a Campanula, and 
is, in fact, met with under that name at various 
times. Viola pedata is another curious and pretty 
little thing of which mention must be made. As the 
name signifies, the leaves are pedate, usually divided 
into seven linear-lanceolate segments. The flowers 
are rather large, bright blue in colour, and the 
corolla is furnished with a very short spur. V. 
pedata is a native of North America, being intro¬ 
duced from thence as early as the year 1759. 
Other plants that largely contributed to the dis¬ 
play in addition to those already mentioned, are 
Anthemis carpatica, Crepis aurea, Asperula 
suberosa, Erigeron Roylei, Linum capitulum, L. 
arboreum, Cytisus decumbens, Calamintha alpina, 
Veronica taurica, Silene octopetala, and a host of 
others of which a great deal more might be written 
in commendation, for they furnish a wealth of floral 
variety among them that might be sought for in vain 
in any space of similar size devoted to the culture of 
other classes of plants. 
ATTAR OF ROSES. 
Although the art of making attar of Roses was 
originally discovered in Persia, its manufacture is now 
mainly confined to a tract of land about seventy 
miles in length and ten in breadth, in the immediate 
neighbourhood of the famous Shipka Pass. On this 
ground it is estimated that from five to six thousand 
millions of Rose blossoms are grown annually, nine- 
tenths of them coming from a bushy variety of the 
Damask Rose. In order to obtain the precious per¬ 
fume in the largest quantity and best condition, the 
flowers must be cut while the dew is still on them. 
Every morning, therefore, during the season of 
bloom, which lasts from about May 20th to June 
20th, troops of boys and girls climb the mountain 
slopes, long before sunrise, to gather the freshly- 
opened flowers, which are thrown into baskets and 
immediately taken to the distillery, it being impor¬ 
tant to finish the operation on the day that the 
flowers are gathered. As the baskets are received, 
their contents are piled in cool, ]dark store-rooms, 
from which they are taken for distillation. 
The stills are made of tinned copper, and of the 
simplest construction. About twenty-five pounds of 
Roses are put in each still, which is then filled about 
three-quarters full of water. The top is then put 
on and the fire lighted. The worm is cooled with 
running water, and in forty-five minutes, when about 
one-fifth of the contents of the still has been drawn 
over, the distillation is stopped, the still emptied, 
and the process repeated with a fresh charge until 
all the morning’s crop of Roses has been treated. 
The product of this first distillation is Rose-water, 
and in order to separate the attar a second distillation 
is necessary. The Rose-water is put again into the 
stills, and about one-third its bulk of what is called 
“ second Rose-water ” is drawn over. This is now a 
highly-perfumed liquid, turbid with suspended 
globules of an oily substance, which gradually be¬ 
come filled with the essence. When the separation 
is complete the attar is removed with a spoon, having 
a small hole in the bowl. Through this the water 
runs off, leaving the oil, which is now put into the 
well-known ornamental bottles in which we see it 
offered for sale.— Cassell's Saturday Journal. 
--J*- 
Gardening Miscellany. 
TIDY'S WATER SPREADER. 
Seeing an article on p. 500 of the issue of The 
Gardening World for May nth, in which very 
favourable mention was made of “ Tidy’s Water 
Spreader,’’ I am very glad indeed to be able to add 
my testimony to its usefulness, as I have used it a 
good deal of late. Watering at this time of the year 
is heavy work, and, taking up so much time as it 
does, becomes a serious item in the labour bill 
Anything, therefore, that will make the task of 
watering easier, as Tidy's Water Spreader un¬ 
doubtedly does, can scarcely fail to be of great 
service. I find that it may be used to great advan¬ 
tage in applying water to any plants that will stand 
watering overhead.— J. G. Petlinger. 
JADOO FIBRE. 
I have been asked by several persons whether 
washing plants prior to transplanting them into 
Jadoo Fibre is a necessity, and should be glad if 
you would give me an opportunity of saying it is not ; 
in fact I have decided not to recommend amateurs 
to attempt washing the plants at all, but to use Jadoo 
just as they would ordinary soil. I have myself usually 
washed plants when I transplanted them into Jadoo, 
