232 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 14, 1903. 
One of the most common forms of the White Willow is the are desired in addition to the beauty of the foliage, because 
Blue Variety (S. a. caerulea), which some might object to on the bright yellow catkins are; more conspicuous and attractive, 
account of its being common, but what could be more common mdeed, there are no more cheerful trees in spring than the 
than the London Plane or the English Elm 1 The twigs of male plants of this latter group which we have just mentioned, 
phis variety are more deeply coloured than those of the typical Mr. G. D. Leslie, the painter, considered the Goat Willow the 
form and the whole plant has a bluish tinge. Very little most ornamental of the Thames Willows. 
known outside botanical gardens is the variety S. a. argentea, 
the leaves of which are whiter on both surfaces than any other 
form, and retain this character till they drop. Ihis mignt be 
planted more generally with advantage. The Golden Osier 
(S. a. vitellina) is noteworthy on account of its golden bark in 
winter, but more particularly the young shoots, and specially 
when the tree has been stooled, pollarded, or pruned in any 
way so as to encourage a wealth of young shoots. Propeily 
manipulated, this would make a decided ornament by 
the sides of streets, but more particularly in parks and gardens. 
There are weeping forms of both the last named varieties. It 
is recorded that a cutting of S. a. caerulea has developed to 
a tree 35 ft. high and 5 ft. 2 in. in girth of trunk in the course 
of ten years. On the score of growth, therefore, no complaint 
need be made with regard to these types of tree. Mr. G. D. 
Leslie’s picture, entitled “ Willow Willow,’ shows apprecia¬ 
tion for this tree on the part of the artist. At one time tlieie 
was a splendid tree of S. alba on the common at Tumham 
Green, standing 65 ft. high, with a spread of 60 ft., and break¬ 
ing into three main branches about 9 ft. from the ground. 
The celebrated tree which recently collapsed at Newhaven, 
near Edinburgh, was of this species. It had a tremendous 
trunk, and was supposed to be about two hundred years old, 
and the local poet wrote a legend concerning it. 
Next in importance to the White Willow for town planting 
we should place S. fragilis, which, on account of its spreading 
habit, would require to be planted either in the broader streets 
or in parks or gardens, where it would have plenty of room 
to spread. A tree of this species at the bottom of the old Bury 
Botanical Gardens, in Suffolk, had attained the enormous size 
of 80 ft. to 90 ft., with.a diameter of 7} ft. to the trunk, but 
that must have been a giant of rare occurrence. The Duke of 
Bedford’s Willow is identical with this species. A reference to 
the Salictum Woburnense t. 28 shows that the tree described 
under S. russelliana was merely the ordinary form of S. fragilis. 
That named S. fragilis on the previous page of the same work 
is a hybrid between S. alba and S. fragilis, and properly named 
S. viridis. Dr. Johnson’s celebrated Willow at Lichfield was 
also the ordinary British form of S. fragilis—the S. f. britan- 
nica of the late Dr. White. 
The Weeping Willow, S. babylonica, is well known as being 
one of the finest features of the Thames Valley, particularly 
where the tree is close on the banks of the river, but it is 
equally suitable as S. alba for dry situations, such as ordinaly 
garden soil, and the chief requisite is a fair amount of space 
for the tree to develop its natural spreading habit. Even 
small gardens, however, are made to accommodate a tree of 
good size. It is one of the very last of the deciduous trees to 
part with its foliage, and one of the first to resume it, for 
the tree has been a picture of light green and golden drapery 
for some weeks past, as if the twigs were laced with golden 
filigree. Pope’s Willow was a specimen of this Japanese tree, 
and the possessor of Pope’s villa became so annoyed by persons 
wishing to see the tree that he had it cut down. Surely that 
was fame enough, and a sufficient recommendation for planting 
this Willow. It was a favourite with the Chinese, who often 
had it depicted on porcelain, tea-chests, and stoneware, the 
latter being now named the Willow pattern, and much sought 
after by collectors. Napoleon’s Willow is also referable to 
this tree, which has been planted in all the principal coun¬ 
tries of the world, though Japan was its original home. 
If other Willows might be recommended more particularly 
for the parks and gardens of London, we might mention the 
Bay Willow (S. pentandra), the American Weeping Willow (S. 
purpurea pendula), S. daphnoides, the Goat Willow (S. Caprea), 
and S. incana, with very fine Rosemarv-like leaves, often erro¬ 
neously named S. rosemarinifolia in some collections. The 
male trees of most of these should be planted where the flowers 
New Chinese Primulas. 
(See Coloured Plate.) 
On January 31st last, p. 91, we mentioned three grand new 
varieties of Chinese Primulas which we saw in the trial grounds 
of Messrs. Sutton and Sons, Reading, where they were located 
in the splendid new range of glass-houses. We are now in a 
position to give a coloured plate of these three new varieties, 
and take the opportunity of making a few remarks concerning 
them. 
That named The Duchess is by far. the finest and most dis¬ 
tinct introduction that has been accomplished in the way of 
new Chinese Primulas for many years past. We had the 
variety under observation for some years past at Reading, and 
when it first turned up at the Drill Hall meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society on January 28th, 1902, .it-caused quite a 
sensation, and had no difficulty in securing ah Award of Merit 
•—the highest honour that could be awarded for. a purely 
florists’ flower. Its'beauty and distinctness, were admitted on 
all hands. . 
The variety is of the plain-leaved type, ’and of robust 
growth, so that when in full bloom it is an object of great 
beauty. The flowers are large and pure white, with a lively, 
rosy-crimson zone round the bright yellow eye. The variety 
is catalogued as a novelty for this year, so that our readers 
may.be able to secure it if the supply of seed is sufficient to 
meet the demand that is certain to be made for it. Evidently 
it seeds freely, however, for we witnessed a magnificent display 
of it in January last. Half of one house.and part of another 
were occupied with The Duchess, and, needless to say, the dis¬ 
play was both unique and imposing, though the plants were 
not at their best development at that time. 
Scarcely less important to those who favour dark flowers is 
the Improved Crimson King, only yet. on trial for the purpose 
of working up a stock. It will be put into commerce, how¬ 
ever, next year as a novelty. There are already two forms 
of Crimson King in the collection at Reading—a plain-leaved 
and a Fern-leaved form. The flowers are of large size and 
glowing crimson or vermilion, with a. maroon zone round the 
eye. In most other respects they are all three alike, except 
that Improved Crimson King is a much larger flower, and cer¬ 
tain to replace the older type when a stock of seed has been 
worked up. This also appears in our coloured plate. 
The third variety represented in the supplement is Stellata 
Ruby, otherwise designated Ruby Star, being one of the Star 
Primulas, characterised by a graceful habit of growth, with 
starry flowers elevated tier above tier on slender stems. It 
originated as a cross between Star Pink and Crimson King, 
with the habit of the former and the colour of the latter. 
Being quite new, it is not yet in commerce, but will be offered 
in the novelty list for 1904. The flowers are of a brilliant 
carmine crimson, quite dazzling to the eye when the sun shines 
on a mass of it. Of all the Star Primulas it is the darkest, and, 
to those who favour dark flowers, the finest. 
Chionodoxa Luciliae sardensis. 
The most mundane soul cannot fail to be charmed with the 
effect produced by the pretty liliaceous plant in. large beds, 
where at present it is the most conspicuous object in the garden. 
This, the best, form, differs from the type and the variety, 
gigantea, by the more intense blue of its flowers, its redder 
scape, and the absence of the large white eye. so noticeable 
in the flowers of the other two-forms. Forming a ground-work 
for beds of such shrubs as Forsythia suspensa and Pvrus tomen- 
tosa, it is very effective. 
