August 8. 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
681 
Royal Horticultural Society a few years ago, and is now rapidly 
finding its way into cultivation everywhere. 
To' give an idea of the variations of this species, we may 
mention a number of the types which have been cultivated for 
many years in gardens, together with a, few of the more recent 
additions. The type C. persicifolia is considered a British 
plant because it is at. least well established, and takes care of 
itself in some parts of Scotland and the north of England. 
This form has clear blue flowers of ordinary size, and is well 
worthy of a little attention by its freedom of flower and re¬ 
liability. Of this there is a white form, C. p. alba. 
There is a so-called semi-double form variously named C. p. 
alba coronata or C. p. calycanthema alba. It is a cup-and- 
sancer form of the species, reminding one of a similar variety 
of the Canterbury Bell. The calyx has become greatly en¬ 
larged, spreading out flat like a saucer, and white : the ordinary 
corolla is inside this saucer. This form, although an, old one, 
is still largely cultivated in villa gardens. A perfectly double 
form is known as C. p. alba. fl. pi., in which the flowers are 
white, and the centre is. perfectly filled up with smaller petals. 
This we used to consider one of the best varieties away from the 
type. The flowers were of moderate size, but very useful for 
cut-flower purposes, and we regret it is so muclr neglected. 
There is a blue form of the cup-and-saucer—namely, C. p. 
ccerulea coronata., and a, semi-double form named C. p. caerrtlea 
fl. pi., which has blue flowers. 
More recently we have been favoured with larger forms, 
including C. p. grandiflora, with very large blue flowers. The 
white form of tliis is named C. p. grandiflora alba, and is very 
useful for cut-flower purposes. Still another is named C. p. 
maxima, with the largest flowers of all. 
Angelica (Angelica Archangelica). 
As some interest has been aroused with regard to the culture 
of Angelica near London (Tire Gardening World, July 18tlr, 
1903, page 619), and as the facts regarding its position as a 
native plant would appear not to be clearly stated, a few notes 
on this plant and its uses may be acceptable. First., Hooker in 
“The Students’ Flora” places it amongst “excluded species,” 
and calls it a “ garden escape ” ; and Barton and Castle in their 
“British Flora. Medica” say it was “cultivated in English 
gardens prior to 1568, and is now naturalised in some locali¬ 
ties ” ; so that the plant can in no way be considered a, native 
of this country. It is widely distributed through Norway, 
Sweden, Austria, Silesia, and on the Alps and Pyrenees. Though 
the plant is now valued economically only for the candied 
stalks which are used as. a sweetmeat, it formerly had a. reputa¬ 
tion for its supposed medicinal properties, and its imposing 
generic name of Angelica is derived from this once-import ant 
fact, as the specific name has reference to its pre-eminence over 
other species. 
Gerard had a high opinion as to its many virtues when he 
wrote thus: “ Tire roote of Garden Angelica is a singular 
remedie against poison and against the plague, and all in¬ 
fections taken by evill and corrupt aire, if you do but take 
a peece of the roote and holde it in your mouth, it doth most 
certainly drive away the pestilentiall aire, yea, although that 
con-up aire have possessed the hart, yet it driveth it out again 
by urine and sweate . . . It is a most singular medicine 
against surfeiting and lotlrscmenes to meate; it helpeth con¬ 
coction in the sto-macke, and is right beneficial to the hart; 
it eureth the bitings of mad dogs, and all other venomous 
beasts.” 
In the old pharmacopoeias a compound spirit, of Angelica was 
administered to persons suffering from indigestion or hysteria. 
The use of the fresh stalks for candying, and so> converting into 
an agreeable sweetmeat is one of veiy old standing. The fol¬ 
lowing recipe for preparing it is. given in an old French phar¬ 
macopoeia :—“ Take of young stalks of Angelica any quantity, 
llemove from them the outer rind, cut them in pieces 3 in. or 
f in. long, whiten them in boiling water, and lay them on a 
sieve that the water may drain from them. Then put them 
into a syrup made of purified sugar, boil till aqueous vapour 
ceases to ascend, and leave them to dry in a stove chamber on 
a wooden frame.” For the purpose of candying, the young 
stems are recommended to be gathered in May. Formerly the 
stalks were blanched and used in salads or as Celery. The 
Icelanders eat the stems and roots raw with butter. 
With regard to the use of English-grown Angelica, it would 
seem to be not so much a question of the cultivation of the 
plant as it is that of the operation of converting it into a sweet¬ 
meat, the French excelling in the art of fruit crystallisation. 
At one time large quantities of the raw root were imported to 
this country from Hamburg, and used chiefly by distillers and 
rectifiers of gin in giving a spurious strength to that and other 
spirits. Whether if is still so used I am not. aware. 
John R. Jackson. 
Claremont, Lympstone, Devon. 
Roots. 
There is an old saying that it is an ill wind that blows 
nobody good; and the following few lines may, I think, be of 
use to many readers of this journal, and an eye-opener to. 
them, as it was to me. I had always known that plants freshly 
planted in the open ground always made root far quicker than 
top growth, but to what extent I now find I had not the least 
idea.. 
A few days, ago, however, we had a. terrific storm, during 
which the rain poured in torrents, and a piece of land planted 
with Dahlias was so situated in the hollow of two hills that a. 
surging stream of water ran, across it and gradually washed the 
soil away, making a deep channel. Now, these plants had 
been planted a day or two more than six weeks, and several 
of them were practically washed out of the ground, but the 
interesting part of it was, the roots had been so cleverly washed 
in several cases that they laid on, the surface intact, like a 
bunch of string, many of them over a yard long, and, possibly, 
to the extreme tip of the fibre they were more. Thus, the 
roots of each one of these plants were searching the soil over 
a space of 6 ft,, in less than seven weeks. Where the roots 
would be by next November would be worth another storm to 
ascertain,. 
The fact of finding these roots has taught me a lesson on 
watering a, Dahlia close, to stem, even when comparatively 
young, and also on the distance apart they should be planted, 
as the roots in question were not isolated ones,, but a good 
number per plant were quite a, yard long. I might, mention 
that thei soil is a, moderately heavy one, not of a sandy nature, 
and one plant I noticed had a single upright stem about 18 in. 
high, and at the time of writing is only just beginning to throw 
the side laterals. C. 
New Park for Darlington. —On the 4th ult. many of the 
leading members of the Darlington Corporation attended at the 
opening of the North Lodge Park, which has been purchased, 
and will cost, with the laying out, including a bowling green 
and grand stand, rather over £13,000. At present the Corpora¬ 
tion only come into possession of 7 acres out of the 9g acres com¬ 
prising the property, the North Lodge mansion and 2g acres 
of pleasure grounds adjoining coming into hand in two years’ 
time. There is some talk of making a museum of North Lodge. 
Fine trees and a small lake already exist on the property, which, 
therefore, admirably lent itself to the purpose of a park. The 
chairman of the Parks Committee, Councillor Benson, was 
handed a key by Alderman Sedgwick, opened the gates, and 
declared the park open. Speeches were then delivered from 
the bandstand, where the Volunteer band played selections, 
Alderman Sedgwick, Alderman Barron, Councillors Benson, 
Imeson, Stairwand, Leach, and others taking part in the pro¬ 
ceedings. Councillor Benson stated that this made the eighth 
public park or recreation grounds provided for the people of the 
town, the cost in keeping up of the whole being 3£d. in the 
pound on the rates. The place has been laid out from the plans 
of Mr. Winter, Borough Engineer, Messrs. Mack and Milne 
having done the planting. There are now 83g acres of public 
parks in the town. 
