THE GARDEN/NO WORLD 
277 
April 2, 1904. 
iaillardia, Veitch’s Compact Strain. 
The accompanying illustration, represents a strain of Gail- 
jardia that is characterised by its relatively dwarf habit and 
he stiff erect character of the stems. The name has been 
'riven by Messrs. Robert Veitch and Son, 54, High Street., 
Neter, who placed the illustration at our service. 
It is well known that the old Gaillardia bybrida grandiflora. 
vas very liable to ; tumble about on the borders if not carefully 
takedln time. This was the more likely to happen in fairly 
hoist and rich garden soils where the plants attain unusual 
dgour, especially in wet seasons. The strain under notice has 
been selected for its tidy, compact uniform height, which is 
isually about 12 in. or 15 in. Such plants flower more freely 
han those of gross growth. The' species also thrives unusually 
veil by comparison with other plants in dry seasons, and for 
hat reason the cultivator would do well, perhaps, to select 
L,il that is not too rich in leaf-mould and decayed manure. 
Mo herbaceous plants look more untidy than those that tumble 
xbout all over the place, so that in a dwarf and erect-habited 
Gaillardia one lias a plant that may be set out in masses or in 
beds without the necessity of having to. resort to staking. 
If the plants are reared under glass' like: half-hardy annuals 
and pricked off once or twice into other pans or boxes, they 
can bei hardened off and planted in their permanent positions 
in May. Such plants commence 1 to bloom fairly early, and if 
not too thickly planted they continue to throw up fresh flower¬ 
ing Hems from the new growths that are developed and thereby 
keep up a succession during summer and autumn. 
Picea lowiana. 
There are several species of Silver Firs which are closely 
allied to one another and characterised by long leaves arranged 
in two ranks or rows and feather-iike. That under notice is 
one of the most handsome on account of its dark green foliage 
and the stately pyramidal habit of the tree. Here we may 
■state that the Silver Firs are more correctly known by the 
name of Abies 1 , that having been, first, given to a Silver Fir. In, 
this instance we are more concerned with the beauty of the 
tree than, the differences of opinion amongst botanists as to 
the antiquity of the name. 
About, twenty or thirty years ago coniferous trees were more 
largely planted than they have been for some years past. It 
is 1 just, possible that owing to the introduction of many new 
and beautiful species people planted them too, largely in their 
pleasure grounds, thereby giving them the appearance of a, 
pinetuin than a well-ordered park. At the same time we think 
that planters sincei have gone to the opposite extreme and have 
neglected Conifers, especially of the Silver Fir and Spruce 
typ.es, in suitable and well-selected situations'. In summer, 
when everything is green, the Conifers are liable to be over¬ 
looked on account of their sombre colours when other trees 
are of a beautiful a.nd fresh light green. 
After the fall of the leaf, however, the Conifers stand out 
with all due prominence, giving the grounds a sheltered aspect 
where they would look bare and wintry if occupied only by 
deciduous trees and shrubs. At the same time, there is a 
beauty in these Silver Firs, not only in. winter but at all 
■ periods of the year. In late spring they make their young 
growth, which by contrast with the old leaves has quitei a 
beauty of its own" Then, again, many of these coniferous trees 
produce a wealth of male catkins during summer and givei the 
trees a decidedly ornamental aspect. 
Furthermore, when these tree® get furnished with the seed- 
bearing cones they cert,a,inly excite delight and a deal of atten¬ 
tion, from their owners, and those who have the privilege of 
seeing them. These cones are best, seen on trees of moderate 
height for the reason that moist of them are produced near the 
top of the tree', and they stand upright on the branches; instead 
of hanging downwards, as in the case of the Spruces;. The 
species under notice is a native of the Sierra Nevada, and con¬ 
stitutes one of the most stately of all of them when the speci¬ 
men, has been planted in a suitable situation and attained some 
height, like that in the illustration put at our disposal by 
Messrs. Dicksons, The Nurseries, Chester. 
Epiphyllum delicatum. 
The species of Epiphyllum known to science are,really very 
few, but the gardener, as usual, has chiefly taken to- that known 
as E. trun,ca,turn and its numerous garden varieties. The plant 
under notice is a, native of Brazil, and at first sight would 
appear' to he a, pale variety of the well-known E. truncatum. 
It has several very distinct traits of difference, however, that 
we may here relate. Thei segments of the flower are longer 
and much less reflexed, consequently the flowers appear much 
larger, as. in reality they are. The tube of the corolla and 
thei style a,rei less sharply bent at the base than in the better- 
known species., the plant is. of morel erect habit, with broad 
flattened oval branches, and these branches have three; to* four 
acute teeth on each edge. The; flowers are produced at the 
apex of these short-jointed branches and are white', more or less 
Copyright , Messrs. Sutton & Sons. 
Cosmea BIPINNATA. (See p. 275.) 
tinted with delicate rose or pink. There is.also a carmine 
zone or ring round the mouth of the tube, which gives character 
to the whole flower. The style and stamens are protruded 
from the tube in a curved bundle sumo unted by the yellow 
anthers. 
It will be seen from the accompanying illustration put at 
our disposal by Messrs. Wm. Bull and Sons, King’s Road, 
Chelsea,, that the; petals and parts, of the flower are arranged 
in two; bundles with a distinct tube between. The lower 
bundle consists, of those parts usually termed the sepals, but 
the larger ones are liable to. be as highly coloured as the petals, 
proper. It will be seen that the flowers; look quite as natural 
if turned upside down from the way they have been employed, 
and that is the case because they are usually produced at the 
ends of branches which assume; a, drooping or pendent habit, 
and the flowers; then turn upwards as; if to the light. 
The. plant is; well adapted for greenhouse; or conservatory 
decoration, requiring only a cool though genial atmosphere in 
which to expand its flowers. By the employment of heat it 
can be bloomed earlier than if grown entirely without artificial 
heat. Those who. have not yet undertaken the cultivation of 
