516 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 15, 1893. 
BERTOLONIAS AND 
SONERILLAS. 
The cultivation of this class of plants is likely to be 
more extended in the near future than it is at present. 
Cultivators are also beginning to find out that they 
can be grown without the close, moist atmosphere 
generally given them, and without hand-lights or 
bell-glasses. The leaves, when grown with a fair 
amount of ventilation, are more durable when in 
perfection, and can be taken into dwelling rooms or 
placed on the exhibition table with less danger of 
being injured than when they have been previously 
subjected to close treatment. 
A considerable number of varieties are grown in 
the nursery of Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill. 
The Bertolonias have the boldest and most showy 
foliage. B. Leon Pynaert has green leaves with five 
red nerves and dotted all over with the same hue, 
interspersed as well with olive green blotches. B. 
argyroneura has large ovate leaves closely covered 
with white spots. Those of Madame August van 
Geert have five silvery nerves running through 
them. The markings of the leaves of B. Souvenir 
de Gand are more intricate and as beautiful as they 
are complicated. The five principal nerves are con¬ 
nected by means of short lateral ones all of a warm 
carmine colour. The interspaces are olive green 
spotted with carmine. The leaves of B. van Houttei 
are very large and ovate, with seven red nerves 
fading to pink when old, and are likewise spotted 
with carmine on an olive ground. The large leaves 
of B. albo-punctatissima are spotted all over with 
circular, pale pink blotches fading to white as the 
leaves mature. A strong growing plant is B. 
marmorata, with five longitudinal silvery bands on 
an olive green ground. 
The Sonerillas have smaller or narrower leaves 
than the Bertolonias, and are as a rule more freely 
branched and even less particular as to treatment. 
They are usually grown in stoves without any extra 
covering. The leaves of S. M. Chibaut are small 
and so closely blotched with pearly white blotches 
as to present a marbled appearance. The leaves of 
Petit Leon are oval and deep green with pearly white 
blotches The old leaves of M. de Warelles are 
elongated and of a silvery hue slightly marbled with 
green, but the young ones are more decidedly marked 
with pearly blotches. In company with the above was 
the charming little Orchid Macodes petola, generally 
spoken of as Ancectochilus. The leaves are of a 
velvety olive green curiously marked with wavy 
yellow lines like golden, silken threads fancifully laid 
over the leaf, forming a beautiful tracery. Being in 
the early part of the season all of the above plants 
are grown in a frame in the stove to start them into 
growth. 
-- 4 -- 
PRIMROSES FROM SEED. 
Alas ! the poor little Primroses! What with 
burning sun by day, nipping winds and frosts by 
night, and an almost unprecedented drought at this 
time of the year, the pretty Primroses are having a 
rough time of it, though they may be credited with 
a loyal effort to beautify the earth in the spring 
time. The flowers are small, and wanting in colour ; 
they are seared by frost and curled by the sun, and 
one can but regret that so much beauty and win¬ 
someness should be subject to such a grievous trial. 
I am just now planting out some thousands of 
plants raised from seed sown in the early autumn. 
The seeds were sown in light soil in shallow boxes, 
the plants as soon as large enough pricked off into 
other boxes, or on to a border in a cold house, and 
now they are being placed in the open air, it is 
necessary to water the earth in order that it may be 
sufficiently pulverised and rendered fit to take the 
plants, and when the April showers come—as come 
they must, and will—the plants will grow merrily 
and make rare stuff by the autumn : and this is why 
it is I advocate sowing the seeds of Auriculas, 
Polyanthus, and Primroses as soon as gathered, 
because of the gain in point of time. To have good 
plants to flower a year hence, the seeds should be 
sown early in spring, if not in autumn, so as to afford 
time to develop. I sow in early spring as well as in 
autumn in order to keep up a succession of plants, as 
they are wanted almost at all seasons of the year. 
Let me advise anyone who is contemplating 
arranging for a good display of Primroses and Poly¬ 
anthus next spring to sow at once, so as to afford 
time for the plants to grow well into size. It is 
because I like to have good strong plants, that 
will bear fine heads of bloom in spring, that 
I like to give them eighteen months’ pro- 
bati >n. Such plants are always very satis¬ 
factory, and with matured strength comes fine 
quality of bloom. But plants raised from seeds sown 
now will need to be constantly looked after to have 
them in goad size by the autumn A fine sandy 
soil,with which is mixed well sifted leaf mould or cocoa 
fibre refuse, should De put into well drained pots or 
boxes and fairly well pressed down and made level 
upon the surface. A slight sprinkling of silver sand 
added, the seeds sown on this as thinly as possible, 
and pressed down into the soil, adding a slight dust¬ 
ing of silver-sand to cover them. Then a sprinkling 
through a fine rose watering pot may be given and 
the boxes or pans placed in a cold frame, and if 
possible pieces of glass placed over them to assist 
germination. I raise a good many seedling Auriculas, 
Polyanthus, and Primroses by placing the boxes or 
pans on shelves in a greenhouse in full exposure 
to the sun, but taking care to keep the soil nicely 
moist, but not soddened. As a matter of course some 
shading is given by day while the sun is shining 
fiercely. 
In the case of rapid development being required, 
it is a great advantage to get the earliest developed 
plants pricked off as soon as possible. Not only are 
they helped on into growth, but room is left for the 
remainder to develop. A little care is necessary in 
taking out of the seed boxes the earliest plants. A 
slight sprinkling may be given overhead, then a little 
time allowed for the water to drain off, and then if a 
small pointed stick be inserted under the plants and 
the soil gently raised the tiny plants may be drawn 
out with some grains of soil adhering to the roots, 
and then pricked off into other pots or boxes, kept 
close and shaded for a few days after they have had 
a gentle sprinkling and they quickly make growth. It 
is risky to attempt to extract the small seedlings with¬ 
out gently loosening the soil beneath them ; when 
this is done the head will sometimes part from the 
roots, or some of the roots will be left behind in the 
soil, and then longer time is required for them to be¬ 
come established in their new quarters. 
Boxes are most useful for seedling raising; they 
are easily procured, portable and cheap, and with 
care can be used for some time. I prefer them to 
pots for raising seeds of Auriculas, Polyanthus, and 
Primroses.— R. D. 
-- 
CHIONODOXA, 
OR GLORY OF THE SNOW. 
There are something like four species of Chiono- 
doxa, all very closely allied it is true, and several 
varieties. Some botanists would probably reduce 
them to two, or three at the most—namely C. Lucilae, 
C. nana, and C. cretica. The last-named is closely 
similar to C. nana, and C. sardensis might be con¬ 
sidered a form of C. Luciliae. This and C. nana might 
be looked upon as the extreme forms of the genus, 
differing chiefly in size, the latter being a miniature 
form. C. Luciliae, and the forms that may be 
grouped under it, are certainly the best and amongst 
the most charming of spring-flowering bulbs. They 
are all perfectly hardy and appear in all their 
beauty in spring, often just after the melting of the 
snow or the departure of frost from the ground ; 
hence the name, which is a translation or English 
rendering of the generic one. They may be grown 
in beds, borders, in parches on the rockery, or 
planted out upon the grass. The leaves gradually 
ripen and die away during the early part of summer, 
after which no further notice need be given the bulbs 
till the flowers appear in all their beauty the 
following spring. The flowers may be compared to 
those of the spring-flowering Squills, such as Scilla 
bifolia and S. sibirica, to which they are closely 
allied, but the larger flowered forms are superior to 
either. All of them may be used for forcing pur¬ 
poses to be placed in the greenhouse or conservatory 
during February and March ; but they dislike warm 
treatment and soon get so drawn and lanky that they 
look shabby. They cannot be grown too cool and 
airy, hence their value for outdoor decoration, where 
they always appear to best advantage. 
lhe most important and showiest species is 
C. Luciliae and its forms, by reason of their large and 
lively blue flowers with a bold and conspicuous 
white eye. The type was introduced from Asia 
Minor in 1877, and is also a native of Crete, one of 
the islands of Greece. It has a synonym in C. For- 
besii. As far as colour is concerned the white 
variety (C. L. alba) is the most distinct. C. L. 
gigantea may, however, be considered more impor¬ 
tant on account of the greater size of the flowers 
which are light blue, with a very large white eye 
occupying nearly half of the flower. Each scape 
bears from one to four flowers, two being the average 
number, and anything beyond that exceptional.- 
The blooms of C. L. Tmolusii are as large as those 
of the type, but the blue is brighter with a larger 
eye often shaded with purple at the edge of the blue ; 
the segments are likewise somewhat narrower. 
The next in importance is C. sardensis, which is 
notable for the intense blue colour of the flowers 
the stamens only being white. The whole plant 
bears a close resemblance to Scilla sibirica, both in 
stature, size, and colour of the flowers, and in the 
drooping habit of the latter. It was introduced 
from Sardis in 1887, and appears to meet with as 
much, if not more, favour for forcing purposes than 
any of the rest. The flowers are of course smaller 
than those of C. Luciliae. 
The earliest species to flower in the open border is 
C. cretensis, sometimes called C. cretica. It seldom 
produces more than tw 7 o flowers on a scape, and 
which are pale blue varying to white. They are 
about the size of those of C. sardensis, but fade to 
white in the centre, and were at their best early in 
March, and completely withered up by the end of 
the month, while all the others were still in good 
condition. Of course, like other things, it would vary 
from year to year according to the season. It is a 
native of the mountains of Crete. The smallest 
flowered and dwarfest of all is C. nana, which seldom 
or never exceeds 3 in. or 4 m. in height The small 
flowers are white or a porcelain hue, with a pale blue 
or lilac midrib and tip to the segments. The leaves 
lie almost flat on the ground. It was introduced 
from Crete in 1879, but is only grown when a 
collection of all the species is desired. When 
collected together they form, however, a very 
interesting group. 
--4-- 
PLANTS IN POTS. 
The soil of these, whether they be standing in the 
greenhouse, in the window, or in the open, dries very 
rapidly during the prevalence of dry sunny weather 
and parching winds, and so constant care and watch¬ 
fulness is necessary. To fancy, as some amateur 
gardeners appear to do, that plants need regular and . 
periodical supplies of water, just as human beings 
take their meals, is amusing, but it is nevertheless a 
fact. How often is the question put, “ How many 
times a day will this plant need water ? ” and the 
humour lies in that it is put seriously and not as a 
melancholy joke. According to these a plant is 
looked upon in the light of a vegetable ogre, with a 
capacious receptivity, and needing several hearty 
meals a day, to be taken at regular intervals. You 
may gorge a turkey till its crop becomes as big as a 
balloon and its body emaciated through indigestion, 
but no sensible man, other than a heartless practical 
joker, would send such a bird to his clergyman at 
Christmas time ; and you can turn a healthy plant 
into a shrivelled framework of vegetable design by 
gorging it with moisture. 
One indication of a plant needing water is seen in 
the dryness of the surface of the soil, but there are 
some persons who cannot distinguish between a state 
of dryness or undue moisture in a plant, though with 
extreme quickness in their own case, inwardly 
especially. Where the surface is dry it takes on a 
dusty appearance, and if the finger be pressed upon 
the surface and particles of the soil adhere to it then 
the soil is dry, too dry. Or, if the pot in which the 
plant is growing be tapped on the side with the 
knuckles a hollow sound is heard, and that will 
indicate moisture is absent and air has taken its 
place, and consequently water is needed. On the 
other hand plants in pots, when the soil is saturated 
with moisture, emit a heavy dull sound when rapped, 
indicating the soil is moist enough. 
In respect of plants in pots, experience is a good 
teacher. Plants in pots when the soil becomes dry 
about the roots, show they are in a parlous state by 
the leaves flagging and when this is the case, it is at 
once made known, the ball of soil is dry right 
through. It is an unfortunate predicament for a 
plant to get into, because in many cases the leaves 
