S86 
THE GARDENING WORLD. Mayii, 1898. 
BELGIAN NURSERIES. 
XIX.—MM. De Smet, Freres, Ghent. 
Situated at Ledeberg, a north-eastern suburb of 
Ghent, is the horticultural establishment of MM. De 
Smet, Freres, who grow a few specialities, and grow 
them well. As an article of commerce Araucaria 
must be of leading importance, judging by the enor¬ 
mous quantities grown in this establishment alone. 
M. de Smet informed us that 50,000 cuttings are 
rooted on the premises every year. Every cutting is 
inserted singly in sandy soil and covered with a 
miniature bell glass not much larger than a tumbler. 
A houseful of these was an interesting, because 
unusual, sight. In other houses the plants may be 
met with of all sizes, to meet the requirements of 
different customers, and to serve for all purposes to 
which this useful decorative subject may be put. 
There are thirty houses of Araucarias on the 
establishment, which will give some idea of the 
extent of the industry. Some of the houses consist 
of blocks of four, built practically as one. In one 
house we noted three plants grown in a pot, a 
method of culture we sometimes met with in the case 
of Palms in other nurseries. 
Palms constitute another speciality, more impor¬ 
tant in fact than Araucarias, for sixty houses are 
entirely devoted to them. Kentia belmoreana varies 
from 1 ft. to 8 ft. in height, all being clean and well- 
furnished specimens, according to their size. K. 
fosteriaua is the less important of the two, but the 
quantity in stock is nevertheless great. House after 
house is entirely filled with one or both of these 
species, showing that, commercially,they are amongst 
the most important of Palms. One curvilinear 
house was interesting as being a remnant of the old 
nursery of the- well-known house of Verschaffelt, 
which no longer exists. Such plants as Verschaffeltia 
splendida and Fittonia Verschaffeltii, &c., recall the 
name of the old firm at one time established in this 
neighbourhood. M. de Smet requires but a short 
time to show visitors over his nursery, for he can 
open one of the doors of a block of fifteen houses, 
and say " Kentia belmoreana ” when he has given 
the name of all the plants they contain. One house 
is filled with seedlings of Areca sapida. Another is 
filled with species of Cocos, of which C. weddeliana 
seems always to be the most important in Belgium. 
A great curiosity we noted while inspecting the 
houses was one built of cement, not merely the 
walls, but the sash bars large and small on which 
the glass rests. Cement would appear to be more 
durable than wood or iron, but time alone can tell. 
Sweet Bays (Laurus nobilis) constitute the third 
great speciality, for they meet the visitor at every 
turn in the open air at present. They are raised 
from cuttings, and grown in the form of pyramids 
and standards. The pyramidal form we think the 
most interesting, though that may be purely a 
matter of opinion. There is an avenue, 150 yds. in 
length, of shapely and trim pyramids grown in tubs 
stood in the open for the summer. The strength of 
the central stem of young plants gives evidence of 
the vigour of growth, in the earlier stages of the 
specimens at least. During winter they are housed 
in a huge structure, consisting of an iron framework, 
covered with wooden laths, over which additional 
protection may be given in winter, when the weather 
is severe. Hotwater pipes in the interior give suffi¬ 
cient heat to keep frost at bay. 
One house is filled with various flowering 
Anthuriums, including A. scherzerianum, its varie¬ 
ties and allies. Aspidistra lurida and A. 1 . variegata are 
well grown. Tillandsia hieroglyphica is also a note¬ 
worthy plant, whose foliage is covered with peculiar 
bronzy markings comparable to Egyptian or other 
hieroglyphics. Between the blocks of houses, but 
in the open air, is an avenue of large plants of Dra¬ 
caena lineata, which may be put to various useful 
purposes in the flower garden or in house decora¬ 
tions. 
IV.—M. Coppitters, Ghent. 
The horticultural establishment of M. Em. 
Coppitters is situated at 341, Chaussee d’Anvers, 
Mont St. Amand, Ghent, a northern suburb of the 
latter, but beyond the ancient boundary of the city. 
As the name indicates, the nursery is situated on the 
causeway leading to Antwerp, and so thickly are 
similar establishments planted here that the suburb 
might be regarded as a little town of nurseries. 
M. Coppitters grows a great variety of fine foliage 
and decorative plants. One large house is filled with 
Kentia fosteriana, 6 ft. to 12 ft. in height, and 
Latania borbonica, in well-furnished specimens. In 
another house Kentia belmoreana occupies the 
prominent position. Dracaenas may be regarded as 
a speciality here, for several houses are more or less 
completely filled with a great number of varieties, 
both green, variegated and highly coloured. 
Amongst the former were fine specimens of D. 
lineata and D. australis aurea striata. Seedlings of 
Clivias are raised in some quantity. Aspidistra 
lurida, A. 1 . variegata, Araucaria excelsa and A. e. 
glauca are plants continually in request for decora¬ 
tive purposes. 
Another house contains a collection of many 
named varieties of Dracaena with highly-coloured 
foliage, amongst which we should mention D. 
Lindeni, D.massangeana, D. Doucetti and D.Bruanti 
all well known and generally useful. The last named 
is notable for the bronzy hue of its younger leaves. D. 
Dannalli would come into the same category, but the 
leaves are merely tipped with bronze. The younger 
leaves of D. terminalis are bright red ; while the broad 
leaves of D. stricta are much variegated with that 
colour. A large batch of Cypripedium insigne is 
grown for the sake of cut flowers. 
Several other houses are filled with fine-leaved 
Dracaenas,which M.Coppitters knows how to turn out 
in clean, healthy condition. We could only note the 
finer and more distinct varieties. Very fineisMme. 
Fred. Bergmann, with short, broad, bronzy leaves, 
having red edges. On the contrary Lord Wolseley is 
characterised by its long, narrow, spreading leaves of 
a rich bronzy hue, margined with red. A handsome 
variety is Prince Manouq Bay, with large reddish- 
bronze leaves, which, when young, have quite a 
reddish-purple hue, and stand out quite conspiciously 
amongst a collection. De Smetiana is equally if 
not more beautiful, for the young foliage is of a 
beautiful dark rose, the undersurface being more 
intensified, and some of the young leaves are pale. 
The plant is of good habit, grows vigorously, and 
might be grown as a substitute for D. amabilis, which 
is well known in Britain, and shows a similar range 
of colour. We noted, however, a fine batch of the 
last named, in specimens 3ft. to 3$ ft. in height. The 
plants were quite small and young in January last, so 
that they have made splendid growth, plunged in leaf 
soil. Several of the leading commercial varieties 
are grown in batches of several hundreds. 
The vigorous growth and clear variegation of 
Phrynium variegatum is also noteworthy. Here it 
seems to get taller than we are accustomed to seeing 
this handsome plant. In other parts of the nursery 
Palms again take prominence, including Latania 
borbonica and Kentias in plants of useful size, and 
well furnished with foliage. Along with them, but 
occupying the side benches, are small plants of 
Ficus elastica (propagated from cuttings of the tops 
of shoots, which, when rooted, form useful plants), 
small trees of Araucaria excelsa, Aspidistra lurida 
variegata, Dracaena Bruanti, and others. 
Palms, Dracaenas, and Indian Azaleas may be 
considered the specialities of this establishment 
being abundantly represented by various species and 
varieties. Several frames were already filled with 
varieties of Indian Azaleas, put out to make their 
growth during the summer months. The rest were 
still growing in leaf soil upon the benches of 
numerous houses, except a quantity of plants of 
market size, which were in pots. 
-H*- 
THYRSACANTHUS RUTILANS. 
This handsome stove subject seems to have fallen upon 
evil days of late years and to a very large extent to 
have been consigned to the regions of oblivion, to which 
many a pretty plant has preceded it. A t one time it 
was almost a constant occupant of collections of stove 
plants ; now it is but comparatively rarely met with. 
This is all the more to be regretted when we con¬ 
sider its extreme beauty and usefulness, as well as 
the great easiness with which it may be grown. It 
is perfectly safe to assert that there are numbers of 
plants that one meets frequently in various parts of 
the country to which Thyrsacanthus rutilans can 
give points. Visitors to the Drill Hall recently 
could scarce help noticing the brave display that a 
batch of it made in the group of miscellaneous 
plants put up by Messrs. Wm. Cutbush & Son, of 
Highgate, N. 
Propagation may be easily effected by cuttings, 
and the time of the year is now with us when these 
cuttings should be inserted. After the old plants 
have done flowering the points of the young shoots 
should be taken off at a length of three or 
four inches. In order to facilitate subsequent 
shifting these cuttings are best put only one in a 
thumb pot, the soil being rather sandy. Place these 
cuttings in a propagating frame having a tempera¬ 
ture of not less than 65° Fahr.—if 68° so much the 
better—and keep them moist and well shaded. In a 
very few weeks they will have made plenty of roots 
to warrant them being taken out of the frame and 
stood on a shelf near the glass. As soon as the roots 
touch the sides of the pots they should be given the 
first shift—into 4 in. pots. 
The plants we usually see are grown with a single 
stem only, but if stopping is practised they may be 
obtained having a bushy head of several branches. 
A good specimen of this kind in a 10 or even a 12-in. 
pot is a fine sight, although the single stemmed 
plants lose nothing of their elegance by comparison. 
When large specimens such as this are desired, the 
plants should be in their flowering pots by the 
beginning of July. 
Ordinary plants should receive their final shift 
into 6-in. pots not later than the middle of July. 
The soil in each case should be composed in staple 
of good loam with a fifth part each of cow manure 
and leaf soil, with sand. 
During the summer months the plants may be 
accommodated in frames, but as the year wears on 
and the temperatures begin to fall all round they 
should be removed to a warm pit or stove. Red- 
spider is somewhat partial to the plants, but this may 
be kept down by frequent and copious syringings. 
Mealy bug, too, will have to be watched for and kept 
down. After the pots have become filled with roots 
liquid manure may be freely given, an application of 
soot-water once a week being of the greatest value. 
Liberal feeding is naturally of the greatest import¬ 
ance to those plants which have to flower in rather 
small pots, but the usefulness of such planls for 
decorative purposes well repays any trouble that 
may be bestowed upon them. 
-,g— - 
HOW A KNOWLEDGE OF BOTANY IS 
A HELP TO GARDENING. 
{Concluded from p. 572.) 
Now we will pass from the organs of nutrition, and 
look at the organs of reproduction. These consist 
entirely of the flower. 
It often happens that a flower has only one coat or 
one set of floral leaves, and in all instances where 
this cccurs you will find that it is the calyx that is 
present, and the corolla absent. These form a sub¬ 
class known as the monochlamydeous, which means 
one coat; and where this happens the calyx some¬ 
times becomes coloured ; take the Begonia as an in¬ 
stance. Then, again, in the case of Lilies both the 
calyx and corolla are coloured. The Tulip is 
another instance. 
Then in speaking of flowers without a knowledge 
of botany, can we define these different forms so 
easily as one can do that has a knowledge of botany ? 
If one is speaking of complete flowers botanically it 
usually means those which have the calyx usually 
green, and the corolla coloured. On the other hand, 
if you speak of those flowers which have a calyx 
only, or both coats and coloured, as in the Tulip, 
Arum, and Poinsettia, you would call such struc¬ 
tures a perianth from a botanical point of view. 
Now we will look for a moment at the symmetry of 
the flower. You will always find that the different 
parts of a flower are arranged in twos, threes, fours, 
fives, or multiples of those numbers. In mono¬ 
cotyledons there are the threes; in the dicotyledons, 
twos, fours, and fives. So you see that if a plant has 
five sepals it may have ten, twenty, thirty, forty, or 
fifty stamens. 
Then, again, the situatiop of the stamens plays a 
very important part in connection with the classifi¬ 
cation of plants. Now in the dicotyledons the 
stamens occupy three different positions. Some¬ 
times they grow upon the thalamus when they are 
called hypogynous. When they grow on the calyx 
they are called perigynous ; thirdly, on the ovary 
they are called epigynons. In the case of the Orchid 
tribe, where the stamens and pistil are united, the 
flower is called gynandrous, forming a column. 
The pistil, as you all know, is the innermost part, 
