581 
May 13," 1893. THE GARDENING WORLD. 
very clear. The flowers show a considerable amount 
of variation, and some are still only in the breeder 
stage. Both feathered and flamed flowers of Mrs. 
Jackson may be noted, the feather consisting of 
purple and almost black stripes. Good also is Geo. 
Hardwick, a flamed flower with almost black edges. 
Rubicon, is flamed with purple, and shows a con¬ 
siderable amount of the white ground colour. 
David Jackson is a very heavily-flamed flower, almost 
black at the edges, of large size with a clear pearly 
white bottom. We have said nothing about the 
breeders which are also very numerous, and many of 
them particularly fine. 
-*t—- 
CHOICE ROCK PLANTS 
IN FLOWER. 
Hutchinsia gracilis. —The dark green pinnatisect 
leaves of this beautiful Alpine Crucifer lie close upon 
the stones or ledges of rockwork, while the corym¬ 
bose racemes of flowers only rise to a height of 2 in. 
to 3 in. The quantity of flowers produced and their 
purity at once establish this plant as a desirable 
subject for the rockwork.in spring and early summer. 
much in the way of the garden Polyanthus, but 
neater. 
Cerastium viscosum villosum. —The leaves of 
this Alpine Mouse-ear as the name implies, are quite 
woolly, and in fact shaggy, with long grey hairs. The 
stems are procumbent as in most other species, 
while the flowering shoots rise to a height of 3 in., 
bearing numerous white flowers almost as large as 
those of C. arvense. 
Erysimum pulchellum. —The habit of this 
plant is very similar to that of E. ochroleucum, but 
the flowers are smaller and more numerous, so that 
the plant presents quite a gay appearance during the 
late spring and early summer months. They are 
clear yellow, conspicuous and graceful. 
Valeriana rotundifolia.— A number of species 
of Valeriana are cultivated in herbaceous borders, 
but the plant under notice would be lost if so treated. 
It resembles a miniature V. dioica, with the stems 
procumbent at the base, and rising to a height of 3 
in. to 6 in, at the flowering points. The flowers are 
produced in flat-topped cymes, and are bright pink 
in bud, becoming flesh-coloured as they expand. 
Schivereckia podolica.— Crucifers are always 
Iberis correjefolia.— Of the perennial Candy¬ 
tufts this is one of the latest to flower as well as the 
finest. It has commenced to bloom earlier than 
usual; but May and June are really its months, 
although we can hardly expect it to be prolonged far 
into June, unless in the cooler and more northern 
parts of the country. The flowers are large, pure 
white and produced in large racemes that ultimately 
become oblong like those of I. amara. 
--i.- 
A SPINELESS PANDANUS. 
Those who object to the broad and somewhat stiff, 
spiny leaves of P. Veitchii may find in the new Pan- 
danus Baptisti a subject more to their liking. The 
leaves of P. Baptisti vary from one to two feet in 
length or more according to the size of the plant, 
and are linear, channelled, and deep shining green, 
with or without one to four milk-white lines running 
along the centre. They are entirely without spines, 
and therefore not objectionable to handle, as is the 
case with many of the other cultivated species of 
Pandanus. 
The plant is almost sure to become popular on 
Pandanus Baptisti 
Phlox amcena. —The profusion of rosy purple 
flowers which this plant produces in spring is re¬ 
markable. The stems are about 3 in. to 4 in. high, 
according to the dryness of the season or otherwise, 
and mostly all terminate in a truss of flowers, so 
that the leaves are practically hidden with bloom. 
The plant never trails so extensively as P. stolonifera 
nor P. subulata. 
Veronica Guthrieana. —This is described as a 
garden hybrid, although it closely resembles a pro¬ 
cumbent form of V. fruticosa. The flowers are re¬ 
latively large and of a rich dark blue, somewhat 
tinted with purple. The stems trail upon the ground, 
while the flowering shoots do not rise much above it, 
and are clothed with small dark green leaves. The 
plant does not spread rapidly, but can readily be 
propagated from cuttings during the summer months 
by inserting them in sandy soil in pots under a 
hand-light. 
Primula involucrata.— The season is three or 
four weeks in advance of what it was last year, hence 
this Himalayan Primula is so much before its usual 
time. The oblong-lanceolate leaves are very neat, 
never attaining a great size, and the scapes rise to a 
height of 6 in., bearing an umbel of white flowers 
plentiful in spring, but the different habits of the 
plants, their general aspect, and the colour of the 
flowers all serve to give variety. The plant under 
notice is closely allied to Alyssum, and is frequently 
placed there by botanists. The small leaves are 
hoary, and the stems are 3 in. to 5 in. high, bearing 
white flowers. It is therefore a select Crucifer and 
very suitable for rockwork. It may be increased by 
cuttings, but much more extensively and rapidly 
from seeds. 
Veronica gentianoides pumila. —The ordinary 
form of this Speedwell generally grows about a foot 
high, and is a quaint old-fashioned cottage garden 
plant. That under notice is quite a pigmy, being 
only 2 in. to 3 in. high, at least under the influence 
of this dry season. The large blue flowers do not 
differ from those of the type, and the plant is easily 
grown. 
Antennaria dioica rosea. —This has all the 
characteristic dwarfness and the small leaves of the 
typical wild Cat's-ear, and hugs the ground very 
closely. It differs from the type in the inner bracts 
of the head, the florets themselves being rose 
coloured, the styles, perhaps, being darkest. It is 
certainly pretty and well adapted for rockwork. 
account of its gracefulness, as the leaves afe never 
more than an inch in breadth, but generally much 
narrower, and droop regularly on all sides. It was 
received quite recently by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Chelsea, from Mr. Charles Moore, of the Sydney 
Botanic Gardens, N.S. Wales, and the Chelsea firm 
received a Certificate for it from the Royal Botanic 
Society on the 23rd of March, as recorded in our 
columns p. 483. We are indebted to Messrs. Veitch 
for this opportunity of illustrating the new plant. 
-- 5 -- 
THE WEATHER AND THE FRUIT 
CROPS IN LANCASHIRE. 
Here (Preston) we have been having exceptionally 
fine weather, such I am told that has not been ex¬ 
perienced for the past twenty-seven years. There 
has been brilliant sunshine daily for weeks, and no 
rain except a slight shower since the second week in 
March. Our last frost to do any injury was on the 
12th of April, when we had 8°, but everything was 
perfectly dry, consequently only the tips of the 
Potato tops and some beds of Spiraeas suffered. 
Last year our beds of these and Lily of the Valley 
were so injured on Whit-Monday, that we did not 
get a flower from them; the latter at the present- 
