848 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 28, 18S9. 
Roses belonging to various sections are grown in 
considerable quantity, hybrid perpetual and Tea 
varieties being the most fully represented. Late as 
it was many of them continued to develop fine 
flowers. Garden Roses are represented by Rosa 
rugosa, R. r. alba. Crimson Rambler, and Lord 
Penzance’s Sweet Briers, including the best of the 
well known named varieties of the latter. The 
Crimson Rambler is grown upon arches, while Tea 
Roses and other climbing sorts are grown on 
pillars. 
A large and ever increasing collection of herbace¬ 
ous plants, at one time confined to a long border, is 
now being extended alongside the main walks of the 
nursery,as they continue to be made. The climate of 
Rothesay is well adapted for the cultivation of this 
class of plants, the abundant rainfall causing the 
plants to grow and bloom till well into autumn. 
Some there are, of course, that flower early, and 
others have only a limited duration; while another 
class consists of autumn flowers, properly so-called. 
The last named were in no way out of season, and 
included such fine things as Anemone japonica, A. j. 
alba, A. j. elegans, perennial Sunflowers, perennial 
Asters or Michaelmas Daisies, and Phloxes of the 
hybrid paniculata type, the latter being grown in 
quantities by themselves. 
Rudbeckia speciosa was in full beauty, and the 
same might be said of R. Golden Glow, the double 
golden-yellow variety that has found its way every¬ 
where during the last couple of years. The double 
white Lychnis vespertina fl. pi. continued in the 
height of its glory. Double Rock Roses are not to 
be despised, for they are very showy when in full 
bloom, as was Helianthemum vulgare coccineum fl. 
pi. Oswego Tea or Monarda didyma is the most 
highly-coloured and best of the species of Monarda, 
and is frequently grown in herbaceous borders. The 
glowing scarlet of Lobelia Queen Victoria commands 
admiration under various conditions of cultivation. 
The dark purple flowers and bronzy foliage of 
Lobelia cardinalis nanseniana are also handsome, 
but particularly when contrasted with the fiery 
scarlet of that just mentioned. The normal blue 
form of L. syphilitica, often used as a parent for 
hybridising purposes, also finds a place in the broad 
borders. 
Some species are well adapted for culture either 
in flat borders or on rockeries of considerable eleva¬ 
tion, particularly where moisture is sufficient. This 
applies to Linaria pallida, which forms broad 
patches thickly studded with purple flowers; and to 
the slender, upright L. purpurea, which may often 
be seen upon old walls, having established itself in 
the crevices by means of seeds. It grows more 
luxuriantly, of course, in borders, producing its dark 
purple flowers in abundance. Sedum reflexum 
monstrosum (Cockscomb) is also adapted for a 
variety of situations, including dry banks, and 
rockeries. The hardiness and late flowering habit 
of Saxifragra Fortunei often makes us wonder why it 
is not more frequently planted. Its graceful panicles 
of starry, irregular, white flowers and dark green, 
sub-fleshy leaves are really very pretty. In the 
South it blooms during August and. September, 
earlier or later, according to the season, but in Scot¬ 
land its season is prolonged into October. The 
Prophet Flower (Arnebia echioides) and Oenothera 
missouriensis, with its huge yellow flowers, continue 
to bloom well into autumn. The double Tiger 
Lily (Lilium tigrinum flore pleno) also prolongs its 
flowering season till a late period. A host of other 
hardy border plants had finished flowering ; but in¬ 
stead of going to rest, were making vigorous growth 
as herbaceous subjects generally do when moisture 
is abundant and the temperature fairly high. 
In another part of the nursery we came upon a 
heavy crop of Dobbie’s Champion Long Pod Bean, 
the Pods of which were 9 in. to 12 in. long. A large 
sowing of The Gladstone Pea was even more in¬ 
teresting, and matter for surprise that it is not more 
extensively grown either for exhibition or kitchen 
use. The straw was 4 ft. to 6 ft. high, and carried 
an enormous crop of long pods, that had lost their 
rich dark green colour, as they were ripening oft. 
- -*#»- 
Flowers are all the rage in the hats and bonnets of 
ladies this year, borrowed feathers being discarded, 
and ribbons out of favour. 
CAN IVY LIVE AFTER THE STEM 
IS CUT? 
I believe, under suitable conditions, it is quite 
possible that the Ivy is often an aerial as well as 
a terrestrial plant. " Sigma’s ” observations and 
questions to you on pp. 302 and 317 are quite in ac¬ 
cordance with facts and observations elsewhere ; for 
many examples can be found in our rambles when 
viewing old historical places that abound in the 
country. Undoubtedly, the hair-like roots are 
capable of extension, penetrating and gathering sus¬ 
tenance when favourable opportunities occur, inde¬ 
pendently of support from the ground. 
For botanists to assert, that when the stem is cut, 
the plant will die sooner or later, is simply providing 
themselves with a back-door, through which they 
may effect a possible escape, as I know of a living 
example, to this day, of a severance of nearly forty 
years' standing, done by the writer on a plant at the 
“ Old House at Home," the plant now hanging, as 
it were, by the hair of its head from the top stories. 
Rather late, certainly, no botanical limit, as, sooner 
or later, all must die. 
I have very good reasons for recollecting the 
incident spoken of. The plant was, and now is, one 
of four covering the house front, two on each side 
the door, the windows intervening between each 
plant. 
It was this : I had just got into my first " breeks,” 
and,very much like the modern new woman,thought 
I had emerged into a blooming man, and by way of 
showing off myself, my dexterity at using a pruning 
knife, and the first principles of the art, I hacked 
away upon the stem of that Ivy. Of course, the 
knife was missed, for I had taken that out of the 
seed drawer, and was also requested to show what I 
had been doing with it. But but—well, you needn’t 
ask.Depend upon it, after that 1 never 
cut another plant in two under similar conditions. 
The after results cling to my memory with the same 
tenacity as the Ivy to a wall, and is quite as ever¬ 
green, or more so. 
With regard to spreading sheets of Ivy on the 
ground, which has been torn from buildings, with 
the expectation of its taking further root, that is not 
likely, as the rootlets and claws are wanting in ten¬ 
derness, are tough, shrunk and dry. Having such a 
large leaf surface it would be impossible for the 
claws to supply sustenance from the first. In fact, 
it would be much like planting any heavy-topped 
tree, with few roots attached. 
There was one thing I specially noticed, namely, 
the window sills, being of smooth Oak, the 
rootlets would never touch, snapping off by their 
own weight if not able to reach the stone above the 
sills. So by this it would appear that the Ivy is 
fond of grit, and plenty of it, and also, that life would 
be much shorter upon trees than upon old buildings 
when disconnected with the ground.— Benj. Lock- 
wood, Lindley, Jan. 16th, 1899. 
--- 
ARDENING jjlSCELLANY. 
ERIANTHUS _ RAVENNAE. 
This very handsome grass is not often seen in culti¬ 
vation in this country, as it is overshadowed in 
attainmentsby the popular Pampas Grass, Gynerium 
argenteum. In parts of the United States, however, 
it is highly thought of and is found to do well in 
places with a little protection during the winter 
where the Pampas Grass will not do. When well 
grown it reaches a height of 10 feet or more and 
produces long feathery-like plumes that are highly 
ornamental. It comes into bloom the first week in 
September and this early blooming is also an advan¬ 
tage. The plant, as the specific name suggests, is a 
native of Ravenna, on the Italian coast of the Adri¬ 
atic Sea. 
A DOUBLE ALLAMANDA WILLIAMSII 
The issue of The Florists' Exchange for the 7th inst. 
makes mention of a double flowering variety of the 
well-known stove plant Allamanda Williamsii. It 
originated with Messrs. Lambert Bros., Atlanta, Ga., 
as a sport from the type. The habit of the two 
plants is said to be identical, but the double flower 
lasts longer in water when cut, and has moreover lost 
the bronzy carmine flushing that is to be seen in 
the throat of the original, being of a clear lemon 
yellow. 
NEMESIA STRUMOSA SUTTONI NANA 
COMPACTA. 
In the description of this new variety of Nemesia on 
page 316, the dates of introduction of the several 
forms have got somewhat mixed. Nemesia strumosa 
was introduced by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, 
in 18S8. A showy little group of colour varieties 
was shown by the firm at the meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, on the 26th July, 1892, under 
the name of N. s. Suttoni, when a First-class Certifi¬ 
cate was awarded it. On the 15th October, of the 
same year, it was still flowering freely in the open 
ground at Reading, and looked as if it would continue 
till cut down by frost. In the following year (1893) 
N. s. Suttoni was put into commerce by the Messrs 
Sutton, in mixed colours; and in 1895 they were able 
to offer the following distinct shades:—Pale Yellow, 
Rose Pink and Rich Orange. This year they are 
offering for the first time a compact form, namely, 
N. strumosa Suttoni nana compacta. 
LONICERA FRAGRANT1SSIMA. 
This pretty little Chinese shrub has been in flower 
on the rockery at Kew for some weeks past. The 
flowers are small and white, with large, and very 
prominent yellow anthers, which constitute an addi¬ 
tional attraction. The flowers are usually very 
fragrant, as the specific name implies, but this year 
the heavy rains which have visited us during 
January have washed a great deal of the perfume 
away. The leaves are ovate in shape, deep green, 
and very leathery in texture. They keep their colour 
through the winter, so that the plant is an ever¬ 
green, although in localities close to large towns 
many of them drop. This is not altogether a dis¬ 
advantage, since it brings into greater prominence the 
flowers. The maximum height of the shrub is 6 ft., 
but as it is rather slow growing, it is many years be¬ 
fore it reaches that height. 
-- c— — 
OBITUARY. 
Mr. John Lee. 
We sincerely regret to announce the death of Mr. 
John Lee, one of the founders of the Gardeners’ 
Royal Benevolent Institution, and usually regarded 
as the father of it. He was also for about 45 years the 
chairman of the committee of management; an audi¬ 
tor and one of the trustees of the institution for 
many years, until failing health compelled him to 
resign the latter responsible duty about this time 
last year. On Thursday, the 19th inst., the after¬ 
noon of the annual general meeting of the members 
of the institution, the chairman, Mr. Harry J. Veitch 
read a letter from Mr. Lee's son, stating that his 
father was in a very feeble condition He passed 
away at 12.1 a m., on Friday the 20th, at his re¬ 
sidence in Warwick Gardens, Kensington, in the 
94th year of his age. His death took place three hours 
after the break up of the party assembled at the annual 
friendly supper, and practically on the anniversary 
of the founding of the Gardeners’ Royal Benevo¬ 
lent Institution. 
Mr. James Lee, the grandfather of the subject of 
this notice, was born in Selkirk, about 1715, and 
coming southward obtained employment as a gar¬ 
dener, first at Syon House, and next at the Duke of 
Argyll’s place at Whitton, near Hounslow. In 1745, 
in conjunction with Mr. Lewis Kennedy, then gar¬ 
dener to Lord Bolton, at Chiswick, he founded 
the Vineyard Nurseries at Hammersmith, which was 
soon to become famous all over the world. Mr. 
James Lee died in 1795, and his partner having died 
previously, the nursery was carried on by their sons 
till Mr. Kennedy, the younger, retired in 2817, when 
Mr. James Lee, the father of the subject of this 
sketch, became the sole proprietor. The latter died 
in 1824, and was succeeded by his son John. 
Mr. John Lee was born on October 31st, 1805, the 
day on which the news of the victory at Trafalgar 
first reached England. On the death of his father in 
1824 he succeeded to an extensive and lucrative 
business, and though only then 18 years of age, the 
few years of previous training he had served him in 
g3od stead, enabling him to cope with the details of 
management. Some time afterwards he was joined 
in the partnership by a younger brother, Charles, 
