April 29, 1893. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
545 
and did a good work. The sum of /20 a year, at 
which old-age pensions were fixed, meant 8s. a week; 
and the majority of societies in Bristol, some of 
which had been in existence for 150 years, rarely 
apportioned to a man or woman who had reached 
the eligible age a larger amount than this. If this 
society could be induced to open a branch in Bristol 
and the neighbourhood he felt quite sure of this— 
that by the gardeners themselves showing they had 
an interest in the institution, which was established 
for themselves, there would be no lack of outside 
interest to help them. Mr. George J. Ingram 
(secretary), followed with an address on the 
principles, objects, and needs of the institution, 
after which it was unanimously resolved, on the 
notion of T. Walls, Esq., seconded by Dr. Shaw, 
that an auxilliary of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent 
Institution be formed for Bristol, Bath, and neigh¬ 
bourhood, and that J. H. Lockley, Esq., be its 
president. Messrs. Garraway, Wetley, Parsons, 
and Vallance also addressed the meeting, and after 
hearty votes of thanks had been accorded to Mr. 
George J. Ingram for his address, and to J. H. 
Lockley, Esq., for presiding, the proceedings 
terminated. We are pleased to state that Mr. 
Lockley has intimated his intention to become a 
life member and an annual subscriber to the funds, 
and that many other annual subscribers have handed 
in their names, so that this new branch of the Insti¬ 
tution starts under good auspices. 
Electrical Potato culture.—In order to test the con¬ 
clusions of M. Spechnew, a French horticulturist, 
M. E. Lagrange, has cultivated Potatos in a field 
divided into three parts, all of the same soil and ex¬ 
posure. One section was cultivated after the 
ipanner of Spechnew, the Potatos being planted be¬ 
tween plates of zince and copper connected above 
the soil by wires so as to form earth batteries, with 
a current through the ground where the Potatos 
were growing. The second section was cultivated in 
the ordinary way, without electricity. The third 
section was provided with small lightning rods 
thrust into the soil between the Potatos until their 
ends were on a level with the tubers. The yield of 
the third section was much better than that of the 
other two sections, and was obtained fifteen days 
sooner. The ratio of the crops in the different 
sections were as 78, 80, and 103. The first section, 
although poor in roots, gave an exceptionally 
vigorous foliage .—Mark Lane Express. 
Fruit Trees along the Waysides.—The administration 
of public works in France, after much advising and 
solicitation, at length in May, 1880, invited the sur¬ 
veyors to make trials of fruit trees along the sides of 
the national highways in twenty-three departments 
of east and south-east region principally. As stated 
by the Bulletin d'Arboriculture, the Minister of Public 
Works now gives his evidence as to the value of 
such plantations. The trials have been conclusive. 
The fruit trees not only have not always succeeded, 
where multilated and robbed by marauders, not 
producing sufficient to be remunerative, but further¬ 
more, by their too dense shade, they have contri¬ 
buted to the deterioration of the roads by main¬ 
taining too much humidity. It is necessary that the 
trees should be grown quite isolated and be kept in 
proper form so as to avoid excessive shade. The 
admistration has therefore renounced the generalising 
of plantations of fruit trees, save in one or two 
departments (Meuse and Sarthe), where Medlars and 
Nuts only are admissable. 
The Birmingham and District Amateur Gardeners’ 
Association is, we learn, rapidly becoming a strong 
and popular organisation. During the four months 
of its existence it has enrolled 120 or more members. 
In June and July the members have arranged for 
trips to Kenilworth and vicinity, and to the grounds 
of a distinguished amateur gardener in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of Tamworth. At a recent meeting Mr. 
F. T. Poulson, sanitary inspector under the Stafford¬ 
shire County Council, read a paper on “ The Alpine 
Auricula,” than which no plant lends itself better to 
town culture. Mr. Poulson produced the original 
type, and several of the finest varieties of the 
Auricula now in cultivation, illustrating what has 
been done by careful selection and crossing, to evolve 
a floral gem from a plain-featured and unpretentious 
parent. He described the Alpine section as the 
companions of the poor, and said that many excel¬ 
lent varieties had been reared in the homes of the 
poorest classes. 
Olivia with striped leaves—In 1889, as stated by 
L'Illustration Horticole, M. F. Collumbien, a Ghent 
horticulturist, observed that the leaves of one of his 
Clivias were lightly striated throughout their length 
with pale yellowish-green upon a dark green ground. 
The flowers of this plant were of the ordinary or 
common type, and he fertilised them with the pollen of 
another flower. The first sowing was made in 1890, 
and gave three plants better, but still imperfectly, 
variegated. The same mother plant having flowered 
in 1891, the flowers were fertilsed with their own 
pollen, and the seeds sown early in 1892. A more 
decided variegation soon showed itself, and a dozen 
young plants at the present time have their leaves 
variegated throughout their length with yellow and 
white bands of greater or. less width. The variega¬ 
tion has been compared to that of Phormium or 
New Zealand Flax, and all the plants are healthy 
and robust, with broader and shorter leaves than 
those of the mother plant. 
HERBACEOUS PLANTS IN FLOWER. 
Androsace sarmentosa. —Where the pots or pans 
containing this interesting Himalayan species have 
been kept under the protection of a frame during 
winter, the plants are now in flower. They form 
dense rosettes of leaves, from amongst which the 
flower stems arise to the height of three inches or 
thereby, bearing an umbel of warm rosy purple 
flowers with a small yellow eye. The specific name 
of the plant refers to its habit of sending out short 
stolons or runners producing rosettes of leaves at 
their ends, which, rooting in the soil, form 
young plants which may be detached from the old 
ones. 
Dracocephalum grandiflorum. —The flowers of 
this species are large relatively to the size of the 
plant, reminding one of Salvia patens at a little 
distance ; but they are of a different shade of blue, 
apparently somewhat tinted with grey and 
structurally different. The ^crumpled leaves are also 
somewhat hoary and closely set upon the stems, 
which rise to a height of 6 in. or 8 in. by the time 
the plant comes into bloom. It is not so common 
as its merits deserve. 
Phlox canadensis.— The habit of this plant is 
closely similar to that of P. amoena, but it is twice 
as large in all its parts, except, perhaps, in the 
flowers. The latter, however, are both distinct, 
showy, and well worthy of the cultivator's attention. 
Their bluish-purple colour is of a shade that is 
seldom seen, except, perhaps, in the genus Phlox, 
where it may be detected in the garden forms of P. 
panniculata, P. suffruticosa, also in P. divaricata, 
and occasionally in P. stolonifera. The leaves of 
P. canadensis are lanceolate, hairy, and sessile, and 
the whole plant does not much exceed 9 in in height. 
It would prove suitable for rockwork or in the 
ordinary border if the soil is friable and well drained. 
Trillium grandiflorum.— Apparently this is the 
most widely planted species of American Wood 
Lily in British gardens, although there is still plenty 
of room for its extension. In half-shady, moist 
peaty borders it succeeds well in the more southern 
counties; but it thrives equally well in borders of 
friable soil in the north, quite independently of 
peat. It would also be very suitable for planting 
under the shade of deciduous trees where the ground 
is naturally tolerably or moderately moist in summer. 
Geum chiloense.— -Already the flowering season 
of this plant has commenced, and where there is 
freedom for continued growth all through the 
summer, a succession of bloom will be kept up. 
The warm moist weather of autumn often has the 
effect of starting it into a second growth, and like¬ 
wise flowering. The flowers are scarlet, as those 
cultivators well know who grow it under the name 
of G. coccineum. There is a double form, which 
flowers as freely as the single one. The pinnate 
leaves are similar to those of G. montanum. The 
true G. coccineum is a European plant, a native of 
Greece, whereas G. chiloense comes from Chili. 
Scilla amcena.— The flowers of this species are 
similar in colour to those of S. sibirica, but they be¬ 
have in a different manner. The segments are flat 
and spread widely, while a greater number of flowers 
are produced upon a stem. S. sibirica is quite out 
of season, however, before that under notice comes 
into bloom, and which forms therefore a natural 
succession to the early species. There is ample 
room therefore for both species in gardens, as S. 
amcena is now at its best. 
Saxifraga muscosa atropurpurea.— The bright 
red flowers of this variety are now beginning to be 
very attractive where the plant forms a close carpet 
upon the rockery. Like the type, it is always very 
dwarf, but owing to its compact habit it does best 
when allowed to ramble somewhat, or fresh patches 
may be formed every year, or every second year, 
either in spring before the plant comes into bloom, 
or later on when the flowering season is past. As 
the trailing shoots root freely, all that is necessary is 
to break up the patches into little tufts, and water 
till established should the weather prove dry. 
Gentiana acaulis.— After all this is evidently 
the most easily managed of the dwarf-growing species 
in the dry atmosphere of the southern counties. 
The clear atmosphere appears to have been favour¬ 
able to it notwithstanding the dryness of the spring. 
When once established the best plan evidently is to 
leave it alone, as it apparently likes the ground 
about it to be firm, as would naturally be the case in 
the pastures, where it grows in a wild state. The 
flowers are also the largest of the dwarf kinds and 
also of a large proportion of the tall ones. 
Helonias bullata.— The heads of rosy-purple 
flowers of this species are very attractive during the 
months of April and May. Although the blooms 
are small individually, they form dense pyramidal 
masses on stems arising from the centre of an 
equally dense rosette of leaves. It likes a cool peaty 
border, and proves perfectly hardy, while it is by no 
means common. 
Arnebia echioides.— Amongst early-flowering 
Borageworts few are more choice or attractive than 
this plant with its large, clear yellow flowers and 
five, quaint, black or maroon spots that disappear 
gradually as the flowers get old. It is hardy, easily 
propagated from cuttings, an 1 should have a fairly 
moist but well-drained, position on the rockery. 
-- 
THE ROSE GARDEN. 
I commenced pruning on March 2nd, but mine is a 
warm and sheltered position in the south, and, unless 
under similar circumstances, I would not advise 
others to begin so soon. I commenced with some 
Chinas on a wall. These were very early, and are 
also more hardy in their young growth than many 
other classes of Rose. They need very little prun¬ 
ing, simply cutting out the weakest wood where it 
is too abundant, and slightly shortening back the 
remainder. Roses to bloom early, and be of most 
service, should not be too double in form, or they 
are apt to open badly. Thin varieties, like the 
Chinas, burst quickly, and are not so much affected 
by the showers usually so prevalent early and late 
in the season. 
The Banksians and hybrid Chinas, like Sir J. 
Paxton and Charles Lawson, are among our most 
showy early Roses, and are already somewhat for¬ 
ward in growth upon walls. Like the Chinas, they 
are very hardy during the cold weather we often 
experience in spring. Frost does not harm them 
nearly so much as in the case of early Teas on walls, 
I know a house where these two varieties have been 
perfect pictures, year after year. Last season, on 
June 17th, when we had a very severe frost, these 
plants were in full growth, and the first of the 
blooms were expanding; nevertheless, the house 
was completely clothed in Roses as usual. Gloire 
de Dijon, Cheshunt Hybrid, and Marcchal Niel, 
growing upon a more sheltered part of the same 
house, were much injured. 
Although these hybrids of Chinas and Bourbons 
are s^ong growers, they do not need the same 
pruning as other extra vigorous varieties. I find 
these are best if the whole of the wood be left each 
summer, and somewhat thinned out at the present 
time. Under these conditions they will form a large 
quantity of well-ripened shoots, about 1^ to 2 ft. 
long, and I prefer this upon these varieties to the 
more lengthy shoots they would otherwise throw. 
Pruning of these should now be finished and the 
young shoots loosely tacked into their place, having 
previously removed about a third of their length. 
You can clothe your wall more evenly with young 
wood of this description than when it consists of a 
few extra strong growths. 
The Banksians, such strong growing Teas and 
Ncisettes as Marechal Neil, Reve d'Or, Reine Marie 
Henriette, &c., on the other hand, do better when 
grown upon the long-rod system. This is best 
attained by removing the bulk of the flowering wood 
as soon as the blooms have been secured. You thus 
