August 17, 1901. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
817 
ROCK CISTOS IN NORTHERNHAY 
PARK, EXETER. 
In very few of our public parks is any attempt 
made to grow the species of Cistus. This is no 
doubt owing to their being somewhat tender, or at 
least some of them, even in the London district. 
Several of them can be grown with tolerable success, 
however, even much further north than that, 
especially in the vicinity of the sea, where the 
rigours of our winter are tempered by proximity to 
deep water. 
Such being the case on the east coast of this 
country, it is more particularly so on the west coast 
where the climate is tempered by the Gulf Stream. 
The tenderness of the plants is largely due to the 
evergreen character of the foliage, as the plants are 
natives mostly of the southern coasts of continental 
Europe, and the Levant. Several of them, such as 
Cistus albidus, C. ladaniferus, C. laurifolius, &c., 
are tolerably hardy in the northern parts of Britain; 
and their beauty is such that they merit more 
extended cultivation. Most of them have white 
flowers; and some are spotted or have blotched 
varieties. The flowers are prod need in such 
enormous numbers that, although the individuals 
are ephemeral, a great sucession is kept up during 
the best months of summer. The individuals 
are practically flowers of a day, so that the bushes 
may be white till the day is far advanced, and then 
the ground may be covered with the fallen p.tals. 
Next day the process is repeated, and so on for 
weeks. 
The accompanying illustration shows a fine 
plantation of bushes at home in the more elevated 
portion cf Northernhay Park, Exeter. A few years 
ago this park was a very rough place until it was 
put in order, and some rockwork constructed by 
Messrs. R. Veitch & Son, Exeter, and taken in 
charge by Mr. W. Andrews, the park superintendent, 
who appears in the foreground of that portion 
planted with the Rock Cistus. 
About five and a half years ago we had the 
pleasure of inspecting Northernhay Park, when the 
park was being laid out in its present fashion, and 
the rockwork was being constructed. Planting was 
then being executed, and we must admit that the 
species of Rock Cistus have made wonderful pro¬ 
gress, and are now in a vigorous and thriving con¬ 
dition as the illustration will show. 
The elevated position suits them, and that, 
together with the relatively mild climate of Devon, 
has contributed to the present excellent results. 
One great secret of success with these Rock Cistus 
is full exposure to sun and air to ripen the wood, 
and a relatively dry position for their roots in 
winter. 
The species of Cistus are the nearest relatives of 
the Rock Roses (Helianthemum) we have, and 
similar conditions contribute to the welfare of both. 
Both are equally prolific in flowering; but the 
flowers of the species of Cistus in most cases are 
the larger. The example we give is one that might 
well be followed by other bodies having public parks 
under their charge. 
-—go- 
THE PROPERTIES OF THE SWEET 
PEA. 
The committee of the National Sweet Pea Society 
have had under consideration the necessity for draw¬ 
ing up some regulations in regard to granting by the 
society of Certificates of Merit to any new varieties 
which may be deemed worthy of such an honour, 
and they have adopted as a basis for future action a 
schedule of properties as constituting quality in the 
Sweet Pea as under :— 
1. Form. —The standard must be erect, waved, 
or only slightly hooded. The standard, wings and 
Rock Cistus in Northernhay Park, Exeter. 
keel to be in such proportion to each other as will 
constitute a harmonious and well balanced whole. 
2. Number of Blooms on a Stem.— 
No variety shall be recognised that has not at least 
three blooms on a stem gracefully disposed. 
3. Colour. —Distinct and clear self colours 
are most to be desired, and therefore striped, 
watered, and edged flowers will rot be awarded 
Certificates of Merit, unless they present quite 
new or remarkable combinations. 
4. Exceptions. —Perfectly distinct new colours 
such as approaching the blue of Salvia patens, the 
yellow of Coreopsis grandiflora, or the scarlet of the 
zonal Pelargonium shall be recognised even if the 
variety should fall short of the foregoing properties. 
— R. Dean, Exhibition Secretary. 
NERIUMS. 
Perhaps these old-fashioned greenhouse evergreens 
are better known to gardeners as Oleanders. They 
are at this time making a grand display in those 
gardens which are fortunate enough or sufficiently 
behind the times to possess them. We say behind 
the times, for the fact cannot be hidden, that, like 
hundreds of other plants which decorated our green¬ 
houses a generation back, they have been turned 
out of their old places and replaced by more recent 
introductions. With some plants this may be 
excusable, but in our opinion there are no plants to 
be obtained yet which are worthy of replacing the 
Neriums. 
No descriptions of their merits and beauty are 
necessary as they are too well known to all gardeners, 
but a few cultural details may be of some service to 
those whose career is yet young, and possibly to 
those who have been long at the work, as some 
establishments where they profess to grow them can 
only boast of very indifferent plants. When culti¬ 
vating Neriums the grower must decide which he 
requires most, the foliage or the flowers, as to a 
great extent he can control this by the treatment 
given to them. 
Much depends upon the soil in which they are 
grown. They differ from most other plants in being 
capable of adapting themselves to almost any kind 
of soil. Loamy soil should be favoured by those 
who wish to flower them well and keep the plants 
within bounds, as the growth is more compact when 
grown in a heavy compost. Peaty soil induces 
them to grow quickly and the leaves are much 
larger and deeper in colour, but the flowers are 
generally smaller, and, as a rule, very few in 
number compared with those produced on plants 
grown in loam. 
They are natives of the" Sunny South,” and are 
very plentiful along the shores of the Mediterranean. 
As they are natives of sunny countries it can be 
easily understood that much shade when grown 
under cultivation is not conducive to obtaining the 
best results, and we think that this, more than any 
other, is the cause of the wretched look of many 
plants in various establishments. 
The time at which they are brought into bloom 
varies much with ihe different methods of treat¬ 
ment. When we mentioned this as being the period 
at which there are many in bloom we referred 
chiefly to those which are planted out in permanent 
positions; but many people cannot accommodate 
them in this way and consequently grow them in 
pots. 
The general method of pot culture is to encourage 
growth during the early part of the year, and then 
turn them out, in the same way that Azaleas and 
other plants are, into the full sun to ripen their 
wood and set their buds. By the middle of 
September they will have brought up their buds, 
and it is time then that they were sheltered in a 
light airy house. When treated thus they will 
