59G 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
■July 23, 1904. 
the growing of all the Pelargonium family, as they give the 
foliage a fine, dark green, healthy colour. In some varieties the 
marvellous effects that are produced when these crude, simple 
materials' are added to the soil are almost indescribable. For 
all kinds of cuttings that have a, tendency to damp off, one 
part pounded charcoal, one leaf mould, half loam, and half 
silver sand, put through a sieve or J-in. riddle, makes a splendid 
mixture in which to root them, and failures would be few if this 
mixture was used oftener for cuttings. The best foliage 
Begonias I have ever grown were planted in a. mixture of two 
parts sphagnum, one charcoal, and one peat and well-rotted 
manure. In this one can give them the quantity of moisture 
they “ dearly love,” without giving them indigestion, or, in 
other words, souring them. J. C. Dick, 
The Gardens, Champfleurie, Linlithgow. 
Botany as a Helpful Study. 
The study of botany as a meansi of encouraging intelligent 
observation, as well as adding to hisi knowledge, and thereby 
improving a, young gardener’s' chances of a good position, hasi 
often been advocated. Plant anatomy, I think, might with 
advantage be left to the professors, but everyone may make 
himself acquainted with the physiology of plants, embracing 
as it does absorption, respiration, growth, reproduction, etc., 
while systematic botany enters so much into the work of a 
plant grower that, only a. duffer would fail to appreciate its 
value. Admitting, then, the advantage of a. knowledge of 
these departments of the science, I think the winter evenings 
the best time to study, and during summer a course of field 
botany could be followed, so without more ado I will describe 
an evening amongst wild flowers in June. A notebook and 
pocket lens, with a. few labels, complete the outfit. 
As we walk along the road we are struck with the beauty 
of the wild Rose, growing so clbis'e to: the stone dykes that they 
have the appearance of growing out of them. In, the ditches 
are Foxgloves, Spiraea Ulmaria, Lathyrusi pr&tensis, and L. 
palusbris growing up the sides; while a little farther on, under 
the shade of a Spruce wood, is noticed a, large colony of 
Geranium pratense. Opposite, in a cornfield, are noticed 
some large white flowers;, showing up to advantage amongst 
the growing Oats. We must see it, so chance being pulled 
for trespass, and find two plants presumed to be a, Silene, with 
flowers pure white as large as a shilling and a delicious scent, 
and on arrival at home reference to Nicholson's Dictionary 
proves it to be' Lychnis vespertina. In the wood may be 
seen an Asperula and Myosotis sylvatica. 
A walk of half a mile brings us to a. swift-running stream, 
which has a surprise, it' being a mass of green, and white— 
Ranunculus aquatilis—while a little farther up the stream is 
the same species growing on, the rocks in about half an inch 
of water, looking like a, Saxifrage, so different is the foliage. 
On the banks', .are Lychnis Flos-cuculi, and Habenaria, bifolia, 
the spikes being extra fine. One spike carried twenty-one 
flowers, the lip an inch long, and the spur nearly twice that! 
length, deliciously scented. Going up-stream we come to a, 
tangled wood, in going through which we; startle all kinds of 
game to such good purpose that wei tremble for the keeper’s 
vengeance in the morning. A belt of Bracken, and then, we 
step on to the Heather, not in bloom yet. The heron, curlew, 
and peewit, greet us with discordant cries, and an old grouse 
gees off with a “yaw, haw, haw,” as If lie were laughing at us. 
Flowers are in profusion:—Orchis- macula,ta, 0. latifolia ini 
amongst the Bulrushes, and it has fer companions Menyanthes 
trifolia,ta, Eriopborum polys,tachycn, Pinguicula vulgaris, 
Caltha, palustris, Ranunculus Lingua, and others. On, the' tops 
of the rocks are Lotus corniculatus, a small Potentilla, the 
Wood Violet and Violas. 
The evening is fast closing in, and it is time to be getting 
home. “ What have you got for your trouble? ” asks the idle 
one. “A handful of flowers?” No, ray friend; the flowers 
are left, but we have taken notes; of the character of the soil 
and situation of the plants seen, written botanical descriptions 
of them, to he compared with Nicholson’s Dictionary and any 
errors set right. We are also better able to distinguish dii' 
ferent genera, even though they belong to the same order 
We have found a new plant to. us in Lychnis vespertina, an< 
have seen, many plants suitable for garden ornamentation. 
H. Arnold. 
Rose Frau Karl Druschki. 
The above new Hybrid Perpetual Rose has quickly come t 
the front as, a. useful subject for various purposes. The flowe 
which we illustrate on this: occasion was the premier H.F 
bloom in the amateurs’ section of the National Rose Society 
Show on, the 6th inst., and was 1 shown by E. B. Lindsell, Esq 
Beanon, Hit,chin, Herts. We represent it just as it was show: 
in the stand, except that the bloom is very much reduced 
Without actually taking measurement®, we believe it was th 
largest of all the premier blooms in the show, owing til 
Hybrid Perretual Rose Frau Karl Drusciiki, 
the great spread of the broad, reflex,ed petals. When full; 
expanded, this, variety is, not so solid in the centre as eithe; 
of the other premier blooms, but, the broad, snow-white petal 
make it the best, pure white ini the Hybrid Perpetual sectionl 
the other whites, so-called, being more or less tinted witl] 
pink. 
The var iety is of German origin, and came before the Royal 
Horticultural Society for the first time on July 8th, 1902, s 
that it has only had two years’ probation, in. this country 
When it first bloomed in the country of its origin, after Severn 
years’ waiting, the plant made a, tall and rather imwieldj 
bush, and not till it wa® propagated did it show its suitability 
for general cultivation!. In The Gardening World, Vol. XX. 
p. 573, we gave an illustration of the Rose as a pot plant tlia 
flowered under glass about the end of May. Since 1902 i 
has frequently beam shown in the form of blooms cut fronl 
the, open ground, while an expert, amateur Rose-grower ha 
shown that it is capable of taking first rank in the exhibitioi 
stand. New that, the raisers have a pure white variety in thi,, 
section, possibly improved forms can be raised from it. 
