550 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 29, 1893. 
THE HALESIAS, 
Among the many beautiful trees indigenous to the 
United States, none, possibly, are less known than the 
Halesia. With the exception of our native 
Yellow-Wood, no tree presents a more graceful or 
lovely appearance when in flower than Halesia 
tetraptera. The flowers are similar to the Snow¬ 
drop in their formation, and consequently the 
common name for it is the Snowdrop or Silver-bell 
tree. A medium-sized specimen of H. tetraptera 
when in flower is densely covered with these droop¬ 
ing blossoms from the base to the crown, and the 
general effect produced by this mass of blossoms is 
surpassingly beautiful. 
It is a native of this country, and is found in shady 
woods growing near the banks of rivers, from the 
Carolinas to Texas; notwithstanding this, it is 
entirely hardy in our Northern States, at least as far 
north as Boston. Its congener, H. diptera, is rather 
more tender, but when established stands as 
well as the other species. It forms a medium 
dwarf tree, fifteen to thirty feet high, when full 
grown. 
The wood is hard and brittle, and the bark of a 
dark colour and irregularly fissured; the leaves 
are ovate, lanceolate and sharply serrated. The 
blossoms do not hang long upon the tree, and are 
succeeded by an acid fruit containing a four-winged 
seed of rhomboid form, which resembles in its 
formation a fairly hard-shelled nut, and when 
sown requires at least two years - for germin¬ 
ation. The blooming period of H. tetrap¬ 
tera is in the latter part of May or early 
June. 
The Halesia may be found in a few nurseries 
in the country, for it is yet uncommon and not 
generally grown. It is, however, worth general 
cultivation, and, grown either as a bush or in tree 
form, is a striking object in the shrubbery or as 
isolated specimen.— T. L. Temple, in American 
Gardening. 
- -i— - 
ARDEN1NG fflSCELLANY. 
SAXIFRAGA MILESI. 
There are several white forms and species of 
Himalayan Saxifragas belonging to the Megasea 
section of the genus. The chief distinction of that 
under notice seems to be the elongated character of the 
white petals. They are narrowly-obovate, tapering 
into a long, narrow claw, while those of several 
others of the Himalayan and Siberian forms are 
shorter and rounder. The calyx likewise is green, 
not pink or reddish. The leaves are obovate, 
ciliate, serrate, and notable for the great size they 
attain under favourable conditions. The lamina of 
the leaf of a small plant we measured in the nursery 
of Messrs. Barr & Son, Long Ditton, Surrey, was 
gin. long and 6 in. wide. 
VEGETATION IN CORWALL. 
Another week of drought and burning sunshine has 
done much to hinder the growth of vegetables. 
Nevertheless there is nothing as yet absolutely to 
complain of. Early Potato growers have had a fine 
time of it, and the quantity sent to market has been 
prodigious for April; indeed, “the oldest inhabitant ” 
cannot remember a period corresponding to the 
present. Green vegetables are, of course, much 
parched, but still many scores of tons are daily 
being despatched to the London markets. Growers 
of Potatos are sadly grumbling at the want of 
remunerative prices this season as corresponding to 
those of recent years, but some are under the 
impression that the supply has overleaped the 
demand, or else that the public do not favour the 
consumption of the half-grown vegetable as they 
used to. Perhaps education has something to do 
with this, and the more enlightened and thoughtful 
become the public the greater the change from 
the old order of things. 
SHORTER HOURS FOR GARDENERS. 
Referring to the efforts being made elsewhere to 
secure the later half of Saturday as a half-holiday for 
gardeners, I mention the interesting fact that when 
recently at Claremont, Esher, on a Saturday, I found 
it to be the rule for work in the gardens to cease at 
our o’clock. That may be a rule in some other 
gardens, but I do not think I have met with any 
similar cases. It might be possible perhaps to 
gather information on that point. One thing is cer¬ 
tain, what is possible in one large garden can be 
found equally possible in another, provided there be a 
desire to make the arrangement. As to the lower em¬ 
ployes desiring it, there can be no doubt, and pro¬ 
bably were the head gardener to consent all difficulty 
would be surmounted. It does seem to be very much 
more a case of will than of difficulty.-— A. D. 
MUSCARI FLAVUM. 
We are so much accustomed to the sight of blue- 
flowered Grape Hyacinths, and occasionally white 
ones, that a different shade of colour is quite wel¬ 
come. As the name implies, the flowers of 
M. flavum are yellow. When the sky is overcast 
and cloudy during the spring months the flowers 
are not particularly bright, but that defect can 
hardly apply this year. They are oblong, or almost 
cylindrical, narrowed at the mouth and clear yellow 
with slender, longitudinal green veins and six brown 
teeth at the mouth. The leaves are glaucous, deeply 
grooved and broad compared with those of the 
common M. botryoides. By way of contrast this 
distinct-looking species should find its way into 
every collection where a feature is made of the 
Grape Hyacinths. In the open air, all last much 
longer in good condition than when forced under 
glass. We noted the yellow one in the nursery of 
Messrs. Barr & Son, Long Ditton, Surrey. 
TULIP VAN VONDEL. 
While all the varieties and forms of Tulipa Ges- 
neriana may be grown for bedding purposes, there 
are some which are even more suitable because more 
effective than the rest. The flowers of Van Vondel 
are large and brilliant red, with a white or pinkish 
band along the centre. The segments are pointed, 
so that on the whole the blooms resemble those of 
T. elegans on a somewhat smaller scale ; this is' 
more particularly true of the stems than of the 
flowers, because there is not so much reduction in 
the size of the blooms as there is in the dwarfing of 
the flower stems. This latter feature is no doubt 
due in a measure to the exceptionally dry weather in 
March and the first half of the present month. A 
quantity of this variety planted out in the nursery of 
Messrs. Barr & Son, Long Ditton, was very effective 
the other week when we examined the beds. 
KNIPHQFIA SARMENTOSA. 
There are about sixteen species of Kniphofia, most 
of which have been introduced to cultivation. That 
under notice is new and not perfectly hardy, 
although it may safely be wintered in a cold or un¬ 
heated frame. The plants are, however, amenable 
to pot culture, and, by reason of their flowering in 
autumn and winter, would prove serviceable for the 
decoration of the greenhouse or conservatory. Some 
plants are indeed still in flower in the nursery of 
Messrs. Barr & Son, Long Ditton, Surrey, where 
they have been kept in a cold frame. The flowers 
are tubular, slender, and bright red with yellow 
projecting anthers ; they may be compared to those 
of K. Macowani for size, but they are altogether 
darker in colour. The plant itself is dwarf, with 
narrow, channelled, green leaves of moderate length. 
NARCISSUS NELSONI AURANTIACUS. 
As yet this Daffodil is anything but common in cul¬ 
tivation, although it is certain to find many admirers in 
the future. The segments are broad and pure white,as 
are all those of this type. The corona is about ^Squal 
to the segments in length, or somewhat under it, and 
of a bright orange, whereas in the type it is yellow. 
The effect which a dry season like the present has upon 
it is wonderful. As in the case of all other Daffodils 
where the orange hue predominates in the corona, 
this colour fades so as to be hardly recognisable 
compared with the same thing in other years. Late 
planting has, however, some effect in counteracting 
that of cold and dry weather in early spring. 
Although the flowers are better under the system of 
late planting, the bulbs derive no advantage. We 
noted some of this beautiful variety in the nursery 
of Mr. T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, 
Tottenham. 
GENTIANA ACAULIS. 
Hitherto we have oeen accustomed to look upon 
this species of Gentiana as having only flowers of 
one colour, namely, that of a deep bright blue. An 
exhibit of cut flowers, at a recent meeting of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, by G. F. Wilson, Esq , 
showed a considerable amount of variation ranging 
from a pale bright blue through several shades to 
that of the type. From this again the different 
flowers verged towards a shade of violet-purple. At 
all events there was a considerable amount of purple 
in them, producing a shade of colour one would 
hardly have expected in this species, and which is by 
no means common in any of the cultivated species. 
The exhibitor must have a means of getting these 
rare things which is not open to the general public, 
and also succeed better with their cultivation than 
most cultivators in the rather dry climate of the 
southern counties. 
FRITILLARIA PALLIDIF.LORA. 
Some of the Fritillaries of more recent introduction 
requires a little care in their management, in the 
selection of situation, soil and other matters, but 
such is not the case with F. pallidiflora, which is 
finding its way into many gardens, although it was 
introduced as recently as 1880 from Siberia. The 
stems spring up rapidly during the month of April, 
soon reaching a height of 12 in. to 16 in., and in 
the case of comparatively young or small bulbs^ 
bearing from three to six large, bell-shaped flowers. 
The latter are pale yellow with green nerves and 
tesselated with brown or blagk spots internally. 
The leaves are oblong-elliptic and of a deep glaucous 
hue, giving the plant a characteristic hue indepen¬ 
dently of the flowers. Cold and frosty nights have 
no deterrent effect upon the growth of the plant, 
nor do the flowers receive injury in any way. It is 
therefore a suitable spring-flowering subject for the 
herbaceous border. 
OROBUS VERNUS PURPUREUS. 
This richly-coloured variety owes its appearance to 
the standard or upper petal, which is deep purple. 
The wings are blue as in the ordinary form. It is 
an attractive spring flowering plant and has not 
been checked, apparently, in any way either by the 
drought or frost of the past six weeks. The ordinary 
form is often used for forcing purposes, and its 
flowers come somewhat paler when so treated. By 
using that under notice the flowers would be some¬ 
what darker even under that treatment. A quantity 
of it has been flowering for some time past with Mr. 
T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham. 
TULIPA CILIATA. 
One of the more striking features of this plant is 
the leafy character of the flower stem, which is 
about 14 in. high, and bears four to five leaves at 
different levels, and all at some height from the 
ground. Each stem bears one to three flowers 
according to the strength of the bulb. The flowers 
are of medium size compared with those of T. Greigi 
or some of the forms of T. Gesneriana, but they are 
nevertheless sufficiently large to be useful for bedding 
purposes ; and as the elliptic segments are bright 
scarlet they are very showy. The filaments are 
black, and the ovary bluish in its early stages. The 
leaves are glaucous and very interesting botanic- 
ally, from the fact that they are finely pubescent all 
over and ciliate. We noted it amongst a collection 
of species in the Hale Farm Nurseries of Mr. T. S. 
Ware, Tottenham. The dry weather has been more 
favourable to Tulips generally than to some other 
classes of bulbs. 
A SHOWY BASKET PLANT. 
Although not an Orchid, Utricularia montana to 
the uninitiated looks very much like one when in 
bloom. It also forms an excellent associate with 
Orchids, such as Dendrobiums and Cypripediums, 
where a moist atmosphere is maintained during the 
growing season. The plant may be grown in pots, 
but baskets are far more saitable to allow the plant 
to display its natural habit. As the compost in which 
it should be grown consists largely if not chiefly of 
sphagnum, the open basket allows its being freely 
' aerated, while the flower stems which come out at 
the sides more frequently than at the top are allowed 
free play. The large white flowers, with their yellow 
palate, and the long succession of bloom they keep 
up is ample reward for any trouble that might be in¬ 
curred in growing the plant. In a specimen ws 
