480 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 3,-1900- 
LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
The undermentioned subjects were discussed at 
the meeting of the Linnean Society of London, on 
Feb. 15th, 1900 :— 
Variability of Asplenium Bradleyi. — Mr. 
R. Morton Middleton, F.L.S., exhibited a series of 
specimens of Asplenium Bradleyi, Eaton, one of the 
rarer rock Ferns from Tennessee,to show its extreme 
variability. The simplest fronds exhibited were 
found in a damp, cold, perpendicular rift, which no 
sunshine could enter, at an elevation of about 1,700 
feet; these fronds had the simple pinnate structure, 
with green rhachis and rounded, toothed pinnae of 
A. viride, Hudson, but were more coriaceous than in 
that species. Dr. Gattinger, author of the Tennessee 
Flora, was satisfied that the plant was A. viride ; and 
Gen. Kirby Smith, who had had ample opportunity 
of studying A. Bradleyi on the eastern slopes of the 
Cumberland Plateau, remarked that A. viride and 
A. Bradleyi were so much alike that they might be 
varieties. The other plants exhibited, however, 
showed a gradual tendency to become more and 
more compound, culminating in a luxuriant speci¬ 
men with pinnatifid fronds 10 inches long, the green 
ihachis becoming purple and shining in all the 
plants exposed to the sun's rays. 
The affinities of so variable a fern are naturally of 
interest. Eaton (‘Ferns of North America’) re¬ 
marked: “If there could be a hybrid between 
A. ebeneum and A. montanum, it would be much like 
our plant.’’ Asa Gray, following Eaton, said, “ Inter¬ 
mediate between A. ebeneum and A. montanum " 
Baker, in the ‘Synopsis Ftlicum,' saj s, “ Between 
montanum and lanceolatum.” Mr. Middleton 
believed it to be very near to A. viride, and perhaps 
intermediate (though not a hybrid) between A. viride 
and A. lanceolatum. A. viride, identical with the 
species of Europe and Asia, is essentially boreal, 
and occurs in British America from New Brunswick 
to British Columbia, as well as in the State of 
Vermont. A. Bradleyi then takes its place, extend¬ 
ing south from New York to Georgia and Alabama, 
and west to Arkansas. A. lanceolatum, Huds., is not 
American at all, but is found in Europe, North 
Africa, and some of the Atlantic islands (Madeira, 
Azores, and St. Helena). The exhibitor did not 
consider that A. Bradleyi had any special affinity 
either with A. montanum or A. ebeneum, which are 
entirely American except that the latter appears in 
Cape Colony. Britton and Brown, in their new 
' Illustrated Flora,’ state that A. Bradleyi prefers a 
limestone soil, but Mr. Middleton had found it 
strictly confined to sandstone, although the carbon¬ 
iferous limestone was immediately adjacent. Critical 
remarks were made by Mr. C. B. Clarke and 
Mr. Carruthers. 
Vegetable Canker. — Mr. J. B. Carruthers, 
F.L.S., exhibited specimens and lantern-slides to 
illustrate the growth of the vegetable canker Nectria 
ditissima on the Cocoa-plant, and gave an account 
of certain experiments which he had made to destroy 
it without injury to the tree which it attacked. 
Additional remarks on the subject were made by 
Prof. Farmer. 
Questions add adsidgrs. 
%* Will our friends who send us newspapers be so good 
as to mark the paragraphs or articles they wish us to see. 
We shall be greatly obliged by their so doing. 
[ Correspondents , please note that we cannot undertake to 
name florists' flowers such as Carnations, Pelargonium !. 
Chrysanthemums, Roses, nor such as are mere garden 
varieties, differing only in the colour of the flower. 
Florists' flowers, as a rule, can only be named by those who 
grow collections of them.'] 
Onions for Seed.— A. G. B. : The present is a good 
time 10 plant our the bulbs you have selected with 
the view of testing the permanency of those you 
fane’ed last summer. The continued rain has, of 
course, made the soil wet and unsuitable for working 
upon it; but all you have to do is to wait for a dry 
day or two that will sufficiently harden the soil to 
enable you to get upon it without puddling the 
same. Put the bulbs sufficiently deeply in the soil 
to just cover the bulb, leaving the neck or the upper 
portion of the same exposed. Only moderately rich 
soil is necessary, as early maturity of the seeds is 
desirable. 
When Will Poppy Anemones Bloom, if Planted 
Now? A.M.: Ail being favourable to tteir growth, 
Poppy Anemones, put iDto the soil in the open air 
now, will come into bloom about the second week of 
May, and continue for a month if you make a good 
sized plantation of them. When the soil is in 
proper working order rake it smooth, and mark cut 
the ground in lines about 6 in. asunder. Then with 
the trowel plant a good crown at every 6 in. apart, 
putting them 2 in. or 3 in. below the surface. 
Climbers for a Verandah.— Ed. Wood : For the 
purpose of keeping the place cool in summer no plant 
is better adapted for the purpose than Aristolochia 
Sipho. Well established and thriving old plants 
produce large leaves in great quantity and quite 
sufficient to thoroughly break the force of the sun’s 
rays. Other plants more or less suitable are Wis¬ 
taria chinensis, Jasminum officinale, Virginian 
Creeper and Ampelopsis Veitchii. The foliage is the 
most important feature of the Aristolochia, for 
although the flowers are curious they are incon¬ 
spicuous. The same may be said of the Virginian 
Creeper and Ampelopsis, whose long, rambling 
shoots hang suspended from the eaves of the house 
and round the tops of doors and windows thus afford¬ 
ing a great amount of shade after the walls have 
been well covered by them. The mauve flowers of 
the Wistaria in late spring, and the fragrant white 
flowers of the Jasmine in summer are highly orna¬ 
mental, independently of the foliage in furnishing 
shade. 
Sowing Early Peas without the Use of Pots.— 
T. M. Davis: Ihere are two methods that may be 
recommended. The first is to get a number of rough 
boards of moderate width that may be lightly nailed 
together, so 3s to form a long V, so to speak. A 
nail here and there will be sufficient to hold them 
together, even if not driven home. You can easily 
make them stand upon the angle, so to speak, by 
nailing a short piece across each end. Then put the 
rougher portions of the soil (old potting soil from 
beneath the benches will do) in the bottom. Sow 
the Peas upon this, and cover them up with soil. 
These boxes may be placed in a Peach house or 
vinery at work, so as to afford a little heat to give 
them a start. After the Peas are well up the boxes 
may be transferred to pits or frames, and kept near 
the glass, at the same time affording them plenty of 
air to keep them dwarf and sturdy. The other 
method is to get long strips of tough turf; lay them 
grass side downwards, and cut a furrow along the 
top with an old knife or trowel. Sow the Peas in 
these furrows, and cover them with soil. This 
batch may be treated in the same way as advised 
for the boxes. Later on, when the weather is get¬ 
ting more favourable for growth out of doors, the 
the Peas should be hardened off for a week or ten 
days, then transferred to their permanent trenches 
in the open ground. The boxes may be put in pre¬ 
pared trenches, and the boards separated by gently 
drawing the nails and letting the soil slip into the 
trenches. 
Cyclamens Refusing to Grow.— E. A. Adcock: 
We have carefully examined the corms or, as you term 
! them, bulbs, aud found a few mites upon them, 
different from the bulb mite, and not likely to be the 
cause of the mischief. A very young wireworm was 
also present. By examination of the roots under 
the microscope we found them full of nests of the 
eggs of Eelworms (Tylenchus), with some of them 
liberated and moving about. We have no doubt 
this is the full explanation of the decay of roots, 
leaves and flower buds soon after they develop. 
The roots are in fact completely crippled, and quite 
unable to occupy the large ball of soil you sent, as 
turned out of a pot. If you examine the roots you 
will find nodules or unnatural swellings upon them. 
Sections of these put under the microscope show 
them to be riddled with holes and filled with eggs of 
Eelworms in great numbers. It is quite hopeless to 
try and restore the plants to vigour, as those you 
sent were utterly ruined. The only thing you can 
do is to burn all the plants and char the soil, or tak>7: 
it to a distance from the garden and empty it down 
or bury it deeply. You will have to begin again by 
sowing fresh seeds at the proper season. You must 
get fresh soil from another source before attempting 
to make a fresh start. The pots should be 
thoroughly washed and allowed to dry for some 
days before using them for other plants. It must be 
a great loss to you ; but there is no help for it seeing 
that the Eelworms live inside the roots and cannot 
be destroyed without at the same time killing the 
plaDts. 
Names of Plants. — E.C.H.D.: 1, Glauc.um 
luteum, 2, Crithmum maritimum (Samphire) ; 3, 
Silene maritima ; 4, Cardamine hirsuta ; 5, Arabis 
albida variegata (not a British plant, though 
occasionally establishing itself in rocky places near 
gardens).— W.R.: 1, Anemone Hepatica rubra; 2, 
Crocus aureus luteus; 3, Chionodoxa sardensis; 
4, Arabis albida—Ed. Wood : 1, Adiantum 
formosum ; 2, Adiantum cultratum ; 3, Asplenium 
Adiantum-nigrum; 4, Polystichum angulare; 5, 
Coronilla glauca; 6, Cjtisus racemosus.— R M. : 
1, Doodia aspera; 2, Asplenium Hemionitis; 
3, Selaginella emiliana ; 4,Begonia incarnata insignis ; 
5, Acacia verticillata. — A L : 1, Dendrobium 
wardianum ; 2, Cypripedium callosum ; 3, Cattleya 
Trianaei; 4, Primula floribunda; 5, Cyperus laxus 
variegatus; 6, Ficus falcatus. 
■--*•- 
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5 & 6, CLEMENTS INN. 
STRING, LONDON, W.O. 
THOMSON’S 
VINE & PLAIT MANURE. 
SPLENDID FOR ALL PURPOSES. 
Largely used both at Home and Abroad. 
SOLD BY ALL SEEDSMEN. 
Agent for LondonJ. GEORGE, 14, Redgrave Road 
Putney, S.W. 
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Place, Guernsey. 
SOLE MAKERS:— 
m . mouse! & sons, ltd., 
TWEED YIMEYARD, CLOVENFORDS, I.B. 
Price Lists and Testimonials on application. 
Abacysis sebt with OtDEss op J Cwt. and UpwARrs. 
1,5s.; No. 2, 6s. 6d.; No. 3, 9s. per Roll. 
Nails, Is. per 1,000. 
Carriage Paid for Three Rolls and Upwards. 
WARM IN WINTER, COOL IN SUMMER. 
GOLD MEDAL AWARDED. 
The best general Manure for Vegetables and Flowers. 
1 lb., 1/-; 3 lb., 2 / 6 ; 7 lb„ 51 -; 28 lb., 13/-. 
Reduced Rates for Large Quantities on Application. 
WEBBS' GARDEN FERTILISERS. 
For VINES, per bag ol 28 lbs. . 6 /- 
For PO TATOS, ditto . 5/- 
For TOMATOS, ditto . 6/- 
For CHRYSANTHEMUMS, per bag of 28 lbs. ... 7/6 
For LAWNS. ditto ... 61 - 
Webb's Manure Works at SALTNEY, CHESTER, 
are 5 acres in extpnt. 
WEBB & SONS, 
The Queen’s Seedsmen, WORDSLEY, STOURBRIDGE. 
Successful Exhibitors of 
Vegetables & Flowers use 
