276 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 2, 1904. 
the dry atmosphere of Mexico, its native country, from, whence 
also come® the Dahlia. We are able to give an illustration of 
this handsome plant through the courtesy of Messrs. Sutton 
and Sons, Reading. 
Eryngium alpinum. 
The Alpine Sea Holly seems a contradiction in terms, but 
the first part of the name was derived from the well-known 
plant of our seashores. That under notice evidently comes 
from a considerable elevation on the Alps or uplands of Europe', 
where it is subjected to a cooler and modster atmosphere than 
it is likely to get in the neighbourhood of London during warm 
and dry seasons. For this reason we have seen. E. alpinum 
doing better in several Scotch counties than in the South. 
Even in farm gardens we have seen it make such rampant 
oxowth that the roots had to be greatly reduced and cast out¬ 
side the garden. Nevertheless, those who select for it a fairly 
Polyanthuses or Cluster Primroses. 
Old-fashioned flowers appeal to the sentiment more strongly, 
perhaps, than any novelty can, but such old plants may be in 
improved and modern form. Such would apply to the Polyan¬ 
thuses, which have been raised and utilised in several of the 
London parks during the past ten or fifteen years, and nowhere 
with better results, perhaps, than at Hampton Court. Gar¬ 
deners, however, have taken, to growing them very successfully 
in private establishments. The best result® are obtained when 
seeds are' sown in gentle heat in spring, and then placed in cooler 
conditions as soon as they are well up, and afterwards planted 
in the open in some shady and moist position for the rest, of the 
summer. If these seedlings are well watered during dry weather 
they make very robust growth, consisting of numerous crowns 
that very often begin to bloom in, October or November, and 
continue more or less at intervals during the winter, provided 
moist and good soil will have no difficulty in growing it in most 
parts of the British Isles. The particular point, is to see that 
it is not planted in a soil that gets dry and baked for long 
periods during dry summers 1 . The careful cultivator who has 
a choice of positions at command will, however, see that the 
roots are planted in situations where a, continuous supply of 
moisture will be present to support the plant at its most 
critical period—namely, when approaching the flowering state. 
The flower heads are of a. soft lavender-blue, but the bracts, 
and more especially the. stems and branches supporting them, 
are of a bright steel-blue colour-—a very unusual shade amongst, 
plants. Some of the species have rather disagreeably strong 
spine® to the bracts, but that does not apply to E. alpinum, in 
which the bracts are more numerous, perhaps, than in, any 
other, and unusually soft. Those who like bold and character¬ 
istic flowers for decorative purposes in winter could cut the 
flower-heads of this species, with long stems when in full bloom, 
and dry them, so that they could be used in a, variety of ways 
during winter in conjunction with everlastings. 
The illustration accompanying these notes was put; at our 
disposal by Messrs. Barr and Sons-, King Street, Covent; Garden, 
who have always grown hardy plants very largely. 
the weather is open. April and early May are, however, the 
months when they come into perfection, and when'they make 
their presence felt unmistakably in garden scenery. 
There is another point to which we would call the attention 
of readers, and that is to get a good strain either in distinct 
colours or mixed, but, at all event® good varieties should be 
aimed at by getting seeds of a well-selected strain. By rear¬ 
ing plants, annually of high quality the best effects are obtain¬ 
able. Those who like to select the very best, of their plants 
and propagate them by division after they come into bloom 
can, even improve their collections. The strain could also he. 
improved by collecting seeds 1 from tliei very best marked 
varieties which make their appearance in the beds. Needless 
to 1 say, a. fairh r rich and good holding soil gives the best results 
with this old-fashioned and popular class of flowers. They are 
variously termed Polyanthuses and Cluster Primrose®, because 
the main stem rises, up' from the soil, carrying the flowers in an 
umbel in contradistinction to thei Primrose, where the flowers 
appear to be produced singly amongst the leaves. 
The accompanying illustration of a bed of Polyanthuses was 
placed at our disposal by Messrs. J. Carter and Co 1 ., High Hoi* 
born, London. 
