186 
THE OARDEKING WORLD 
chiefly by its narrower petals and sepals, yet sufficiently dis¬ 
tinct to merit its addition to every collection of crispums, on 
account of its purplish-rose-tinted flowers. 
Chorizema cordatum grandiflorum. 
A useful, hard-wooded greenhouse plant of a semi-climbing 
habit, with scattered, evergreen, coriaceous leaves. The small 
Pea-shaped flowers are freely borne on slightly drooping 
racemes. The standard of the flower is yellow and erect, 
whilst the wings, almost equalling the standard in size, are of 
a dull-red colour, semi-pendent, overlapping, so that the small 
keel is almost hidden. A decorative subject when grown as 
bushes in 5 in. to 6 in. pots, or as specimens, trained over wire 
trellises, whilst as cut flowers it furnishes at this season a 
welcome addition. Native of Australia, 
Acacia Drummondii. 
One of the most decorative members of this large family for 
flowering in a small size. It forms a freely-branched hush, 
with small, bipinnate, bright green leaves, producing numerous 
Violet Mrs. .1. J. Astok. 
oblong short racemes of pretty lemon-coloured flowers. A 
showy greenhouse plant, well adapted for furnishing side 
stages. Native of Australia, 
Rhododendron nobleanum. 
Derived from arboreum x caucasicum, and frequently 
classed as a variety of the latter, from which it differs by its 
more oblong leaves. Its corymbs of large, intense, rose- 
coloured flowers are very effective at this season either out of 
doors or under glass. 
Erica carnea. 
More generally known as herbacea var. carnea, this little 
mountain gem illustrates the saying that “ No other thing has 
as great a power as an aggregation of small things,” when 
viewed massed in beds or fronting shrubberies, where its charm¬ 
ing flesh-coloured flowers give tone to the sombre surroundings. 
For cutting it is likewise useful, forming pretty sprays, wreaths, 
etc. 
Prunus davidiana alba. 
By reason of the numerous white flowers produced, this is 
the most effective flowering tree at present. Intermingled 
with Conifers or planted in masses, which might be carpeted 
with Scilla bifolia, it is a desirable adjunct. A native of China, 
it is believed to be the prototype of the cultivated Peach. 
Anemone (Hepatica) angulosa. 
Distinguished from A. Hepatica by its larger flowers, more 
February 28, 1S03 
strap-shaped petals, and more lobulate leaves. A handsome 
species, which, if given a sheltered position, would supply an 
amount of blue flowers more suitable, by reason of their longer 
stalks, than Hepatica for glasses. 
Violet Mrs. J. J. Astor. 
A line clump, or, in other words, a single plant of the Violet 
named Mrs. J. J. Astor, has been sent us by Mr. J. Heath, 
Kingskerswell, Devon, who is a Violet specialist as well as a 
florist. This plant, which we have had photographed, shows the 
character of the material as grown by Mr. Heath, and, being 
very compact, would have been suitable for potting in a 6-in. 
pot. The roots consisted of a dense mass of fibres, and seemed 
to have been lifted either from a frame or from the open 
ground. This is merely a surmise, as the sender does not state 
what is his method of culture, so that whatever his method, we 
are in no doubt as to its success if most of the plants resemble 
that which reached us. We presume it was planted out, but 
must have been under glass, considering the freshness, beauty, 
and florifercus character of the plant. Even in Devon, not¬ 
withstanding the mild character of the weather, we should 
hardly expect to see such clean and fresh flowers and foliage 
unless the plant had been protected by glass in some form or 
of her. 
The variety known as Mrs. J. J. Astor is described as one of 
the Neapolitans, but that is merely a name now applied to 
all the double Violets, including the original and true Neapoli¬ 
tan. The special feature of the variety under notice is that 
the flowers are fully as double as those of Marie Louise*, larger 
if anything, and of a beautiful rosy-heliotrope* colour, with a 
white centre. In the. matter of colour it is distinct from any 
other Violet which we have seen, with the exception of the 
single variety named Amiral Avellan. 
Mr. Heath propagates this variety by division of the old 
stools—a method much condemned by many good cultivators 
as wrong for this class of plants. Most cultivators consider 
that the best and only method of increasing named varieties 
of Violets is to take off the runners and plant them out in 
April, much as one would do with Strawberries after they have 
been rooted. The sample sent us certainly indicates that there 
are exceptions to the general rule, for we could not expect to 
see cleaner, healthier, or better-flowered plants than that which 
reached us last week. 
Propagation is accomplished in April, and after the plants 
have been carefully attended all through the summer months, 
they commence to bloom in August, and continue practically 
all through the autumn and winter till well into spring. Most 
gardeners would be satisfied with a. much shorter display of 
bloom than this. No doubt Mr. Heath is favoured in the matter 
of climate, for even under fairly favourable conditions we could 
hardly expect to see Violets continue a display for such a 
length of time in the neighbourhood of London ; but, indepen¬ 
dently of climate, the filthy condition of the atmosphere of 
London for weeks together is against a clean, healthy growth 
of Violets. Violets are always appreciated in London, how¬ 
ever, at almost any season of the year when procurable. 
Besides the above double variety, Mr. Heath sends us a 
bouquet of cut flowers of the Violet La France, the flowers of 
which are single, very fragrant, and of remarkably large size. 
Some of the blooms which we measured were 11, in. across, and 
slightly more the long wav of the flower. The variety is 
notable, for it deceives some into the belief that it is a Pansy, 
and some, we daresay, would look upon it as a Viola, which 
indeed it is, but not in the sense of a bedding Viola, seeing that 
it is merely a variety of the sweet-scented Violet (Viola 
odorata). The flowers are of a rich purple-violet, with a white 
or pale centre marked with rays and not unlike a good form of 
tire old Viola cornuta : but, of course, the petals here are 
relatively broader and more rounded at the outer ends. The 
flowers are also of good substance, and the leaves of veiy great 
size, showing that the variety altogether is very vigorous and 
. handsome. It is also a perpetual bloomer. 
