450 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
May 23, 1893. 
Insectivorous Plants. 
The ordinary monthly meeting of the Dundee Horticultural 
Association was held in the Technical Institute on the evening 
of the 5th inst. Mr. James Reid, Dudhope Gardens, presided, 
when Mr. Thomas Wilson, head gardener to the Right Hon. 
the Earl of Strathmore, Glamis Castle, Forfar, read a-very in¬ 
structive and interesting paper on “ Pitcher Plants. ’ The 
essayist described four genera, which were commonly con¬ 
sidered as Pitcher Plants. Nepenthes gave by far the greatest 
number of species, and required to be grown in a moist, humid 
atmosphere. In the absence of a specially constructed build¬ 
ing, they could be grown successfully in a, stove with a 
minimum temperature of 65 deg. in winter and (5 deg. to 80 
deg. in summer. During the growing season abundance of 
moisture' was essential to the successful development of the 
Pitchers. Being suifacenroot! ng plants and not requiring much 
root space, he found them to thrive best and display their 
singular beauty to the best advantage when grown in baskets 
suspended from the roof, compost used being brown fibrous 
peat and sphagnum moss, two parts of the former to one of the 
latter. 
After minutely describing the interesting method of raising 
seedlings, the essayist explained his methods of propagating by 
cuttings, which might be anything' from a shoot 1 ft. in. length 
to an eye with a leaf attached. In the case of some species and 
some hybrids of recent origin, it was advisable to resort to the 
practice of mossing the stem after having severed it half 
through. It, all cases it was necessary to have a close, humid 
atmosphere, with a temperature of 80 deg. 
With his usual characteristic humour, Mr. Wilson pointed 
out that the home of this curious form of plant-life was not, as 
sometimes stated, on the burning sands of Africa, but in the 
tropical, marshy jungles of the islands of the Indian Archi¬ 
pelago ; while two' or .three species were to be found in Mada¬ 
gascar and the Philippine Islands. Borneo seemed to be their 
real home, as the greatest number of species were to' be found 
• on that island. After enumerating a number of the most 
meritorious species and some of Messrs. Veitch s beautiful 
hybrids, some of which he exhibited, some well-grown beauti¬ 
fully-marked Pitchers of notably N. rafflesiana, N. hookeriana, 
N. ma-stersiana, N. Dicksoniana, N. intermedia, N. mixta, N. 
outramiana, N. Burkei, N. ampullaria, N. coccinea, etc., were 
shown. 
The essayist then dealt with the genus Sarracenia, sometimes 
known by the common name of “ Huntsman’s Horn, ’ “ Cap, 
“ Side-saddle Plant,” and North American “ Pitcher Plant.” 
Although the species are all natives of North America,, with 
one exception, none could be considered hardy in this, country. 
Them home was in boggy, marshy lands—a fact to be remem¬ 
bered by cultivators. They were generally looked on as green¬ 
house plants, but, being subjected to almost tropical heat in 
their natural home in summer, they do' best when grown in a. 
stove in summer, with plenty of moisture and an intermediate 
house in winter, when water may be more spar ingly used. They 
are chiefly propagated by divisions. Another genus of the 
same order (Sarraceniae) containing but a single known species 
was Darlingtoinia califomica (Californian Pitcher Plant), found) 
at the head of the Sacramento River, in appearance resembling 
Sarracena, variolaris, requires similar treatment and mode of 
propagation. 
Cephalotus follicularis (New Holland Pitcher Plant) was next 
described as belonging to the order Saxifrageae, and although 
usually seen growing underneath a, bell-glass, it- might be suc¬ 
cessfully grown, in the same structure and under same condi¬ 
tions as the two last-named genera. 
A quotation was afterwards made from “ The World of 
Gardening ” by Mr. F. W. Burbidge, with whose pen readers of 
The Gardening World are familiar, in reference to the in¬ 
sectivorous propensities of Pitcher Plants, and how they turn 
their prey into food. 
A discussion followed; most of the speakers expressed their 
delight and appreciation of the essay. On the call of Mr. 
Grant, Mr. Wilson was cordially thanked. 
A well-flowered plant of Dendrobium thyrsiflorum was ex¬ 
hibited by Mr. Win. Dickson, Adderley Gardens, and another 
well-flowered specimen of Dendrobium fimbriatum oculatum 
from Mr. Wm. Kennedy, Ardarroch Gardens, was very much 
admired by the members. Vote® of thanks to exhibitors and 
chairman terminated the meeting. James Bethel. 
Secretary. 
Westwood Gardens, Newport-on-Tay. 
Cytisus praecox. 
Among spring flowering shrubs this early flowering Cytisus 
stands out prominently as being one of the freest flowering, 
most showy, and most useful of all. This year its value is 
perhaps more apparent than at most times, for whilst a large 
proportion of the shrubs which flower in April have had their 
flowers damaged or altogether ruined by the succession of 
sharp frosts and cold winds experienced from Easter onwards, 
this plant, in full flower, has been practically uninjured. The 
plant is of garden origin, having arisen through the crossing 
cf C. purgans and C. albus. In habit and flowers it is inter¬ 
mediate between the two- species, being looser in habit and 
taller than C. purgans and not so loose or so tall as C. albus. 
The flowers are borne with remarkable freedom, and are sul¬ 
phur coloured. 
Like other members- of the genus, plants of this must be cut 
back after flowering for the first few years of their life, so as to 
ensure sturdy, well-furnished bushes. When planting it is a 
good plan to stake each plant until it- is established, as the 
roots are few in number, and are often quite out. of proportion 
10 ' the size of the head. Unstaked plants are often badly in¬ 
jured by wind, the head being too- heavy for the roots. In 
some places it- is the practice to increase this plant by grafting 
on roots of the common Laburnum, but it is- a much better plan 
to root it from cuttings, taking the cuttings in July and placing 
them in sandy soil in a cold frame. If grown in pots it makes 
a useful subject for greenhouse decoration in early spring. 
W. D. 
The Golden-flowered Currant. 
1 lie ornamental flowered species of Ribes are all worth grow¬ 
ing in gardens, for they are among the most useful of all flower¬ 
ing shrubs for massing in shrubberies, for specimen plants, or 
for beds. Next to the common “ Flowering Currant,” Ribes 
sanguineum, the subject, of this note, Ribes aureum is the most 
popular; and it is specially useful to those people whose means 
are limited, for it can be purchased cheaply in the first place, 
and can be afterwards propagated in the open ground as easily 
as a Red or Black Cun-ant, and may be depended on to flower 
freely annually. It is a native of North-West America, from 
whence it was introduced in 1812. When at its full size it 
makes a. dense twiggy bush 7 ft. or 8 ft. high, but it is more 
often met with from 4 ft. to 6 ft. in height. The flowers are 
of a. deep golden colour, and are borne in racemes from the 
buds of the previous year’s shoots. In addition to the flowers 
being of a. pleasing colour, they are veiy fragrant, which adds 
considerably to its usefulness. 
Several varieties are in cultivation, of which aurantiacum, a 
dwarfer plant than the type, flowering with exceptional free¬ 
dom ; praecox, a form which flowers a little in advance of the 
type ; serotinum, a 1 ate-flowenng form ; and tenuiflorum, a 
variety with longer and looser racemes- than the type, are the 
best. With the type and these varieties a succession of flowers 
can be had from March until the end of May. In addition 
to- the common name which heads this note, the names Buffalo 
and Missouri Currant are applied to Ribes aureum. W. D. 
