December 10, 1904. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
993 
size. It. grows, about 3 ft. high and flo wers all up the stems. 
A very free grower and! a valuable acquisition to this class. A 
fine addition recently appealed’ in the dwarfer sorts—namely, 
C. turbiaata Isabel, which grows about 1 ft. high, and has dark, 
blue., large flowers. 
For the front of the border or bedding, Dianthusi Napoleon 
III. isi hardly surpassed by any other plant; the dazzling crim¬ 
son double tiowers are produced in tire greatest profusion, and 
it flowers over a long period. Among single varieties D. Atkin- 
sonii is quite one of the best, having dark crimson, flowers an 
inch or more in diameter. One seldom sees that fine Dragon s 
Head, Dracocephalum speoiosum, and yet it is the. best of the 
family. Ini good soil it grows fully 3 ft. high, the erect spikes 
carrying a. profusion of large violet-purple flowers: which are 
most effective in, a, group. It is easily propagated by division 
of the root stock. Another very pleasing variety for a select 
collection is D. virginiannm album, with branching spiikes of 
pure white flowers. Some growers:, I believe, have not found 
this variety soi satisfactory as the commoner sorts, but in a 
well-tilled soil it leaves nothing to be desired. 
A distinct, addition to the Delphiniums is D. Albion, which 
grows about 3 ft, high and has flowers of the purest white. D. 
Belladonna, is also a most pleasing border plant with palei blue 
flowers which are produced freely all through the summer. 
It has, unfortunately, become somewhat scarce, and, like the 
above, should have a well-drained soil and’ the, protection of 
some fine ashes in winter, as slugs are very partial to them. 
Inula glandulosa fimbriata is, a distinct and pleasing form 
and quite one of the best of the family. As the name implies, 
the petals! are elegantly divided and recurved, so that a fim¬ 
briated edge results'. It grows about 1 ft, high, and the stems 
are produced with much greater freedom than is the case with 
the type. 
Many other* plants equally desirable and beautiful, which I 
have not space here to mention,, deserve to become better 
known,, and I shall hope to be able to refer to them at some 
future date. A. E. Thatcher. 
Aldeoham House, Hardens, Elstree. 
Among the Orchids. 
The Cool House — Odontogloseum crispum, at the pr esent 
season of the year, is found in various stage® of growth, the 
late-flowering ones having just commenced growth, while, the 
early spring-flowering plants will have developed their pseudo- 
bulbs and the flower-scapes will be observed in the sheaths, of 
the leaves; the majority of the plants, however, will be more 
backward in growth, and the new pseudo-bulb will be com¬ 
mencing to form. While there is little to be done in mo,st 
of the departments of our Orchid houses, the opportunity 
should be taken to cleanse the plants by carefully sponging 
each leaf, using only clean water for the purpose. While 
doing so, it, is 1 well to, keep a, sharp look out, in the; sheathsi of 
the leaves, and when the flower-scapes are found developing, a, 
piece of cottonwool may be wrapped round the base of the leaf 
close to the bulb. Although tlxisi will not absolutely protect 
the tender young flower-scape from attacks 1 of slugs;, it gives 
some protection, for when new and clean it, is with difficulty 
that the slugs can crawl over it; where the scapes are more 
advanced a piece of wool should be also wrapped around them. 
Little patches of bran or brewers/ 1 grains should be, put on 
pieces of broken crocks and laid about the stage and on, the 
surface, of the potting compost. With the aid of a, light, these 
pests may be easily caught at night feeding on the bran, and 
destroyed. Every precaution should be taken now to, destroy 
these pests'; even in a minute state they are capable of pene¬ 
trating the flower-scapes;, and the harvest of a seasons work is 
destroyed in a single night. _ 
There is nothing more beautiful or graceful among Orchids 
than the expanded flower-scapes of Odontcglossum crispum , 
beautiful and useful as they are during the brighter month® of 
the year, they are never so much appreciated as when they 
flower during the dull winter months. Plants, therefore, that 
have their flower-buds in a,n advanced state should be placed 
under the most favourable condition® possible to be afforded 
in the house and every encouragement given to, enable them to 
expand their flowers to the best, advantage at this dull season, 
when little assistance is afforded from the activity of light to 
enable them to procure both form, and substance when the 
flowers have become expanded. 
Last season we had many of our finest 0. crispunis so far 
forward that they were expanding their flowers at the end of 
January and the beginning of February. I found a consider¬ 
able advantage derived in the quality of the flowers produced 
by placing the plants a,t the cool end of the Cattleya, house a 
few days before the flowers expanded, suspending them from 
the roof. In this slightly warmer house care must be taken 
to prevent the plants becoming dry at the roots. Although 
ill-effects may not be apparent at the time, there will possibly 
occur shrivelling of the pseudo-bulb, perhaps before the flower- 
scape has become fully expanded. The plants should be re¬ 
moved to tire cool house immediately the flowers have 
expanded. 
0. Peseatorer (I omit the name 0. mobile because if, is not s r 
easily identified by the latter name hr gardens) is, a species 
that is far too little grown in collections. It, flowers during the 
winter months a® a, rule, and is one of the best const it utioned 
plants we have. I was recently told that the flowers' do not 
■last so long a® 0. crispum when, used for cut-flower purposes. 
I find the reverse is the case with us, the durability either as 
cut flowers or remaining on the plants far exceeds that of 0. 
crispum, while the utility has no comparison where light and 
decorative work is required in the house. It does best un¬ 
doubtedly where it, can be placed under a few degrees warmer 
treatment during the winter months than that, usually pro¬ 
vided in the ordinary cool house; this is particular ly desirable 
where plants are producing their flower-scapes or expanding 
their flowers;. H. J. 
The Flower Garden. 
Erica carnea. — Already the expanding buds of this charming 
Heath are showing colour, giving promise of a welcome display 
during the early part of the new year. This is a, most valuable 
plant in, the flower garden, from its neat compact habit forming 
a useful edging for beds laid out, on gravel. Tire flowers when 
fully open are pale red in colour and continue in, bloom for 
quite two months. Frost seems to have no ill-effect on the 
flowers, they continuing to open whenever a mild spell occurs. 
Several other early flowering species are well worth growing, 
viz., Erica mediterranea, a species having red flowers which, in 
mild weather, begin, to open in February or later, according to 
locality ; this is a free-growing species of great, merit, but the 
variety E. m. hybrida is even better, being, if anything, 
stronger-growing and earlier-flowering. Among the Callunas 
I have seen the common Ling, Calluna Erica,, used as an 
effective edging to Rose-beds with gravel walks between;. of 
other varieties, the common white Heather is very charming 
but does, not always succeed ; a more satisfactory variety is 
C. E. alba rigida, which usually does well. The variety Ham- 
mo,ndi is also, popular and may be depended on, to flower well. 
Of purple varieties' that, known as C. E. Alportii is one of the 
best, and may be used as above suggested. The majority of 
hardy Heaths, with, the exception' of a few rather weak-growing 
varieties, seem to, grow and flower freely in any good garden, 
soil which is free from lime, but should any difficulty be expe¬ 
rienced in their successful culture the, addition ot a, little peat 
or good leiaf-soil will prove beneficial. The plant® may be kept 
to a suitable size and rendered more ftoriferous, by cutting back 
when the flowers are over. In, some gardens collections, of 
hardy Heaths are now main tamed with a view to having one 
or other in flower throughout the year. Where, this is done, a 
small or large bed according- to taste is; usually devoted to one 
kind, as in, this, way shy growing varieties can receive addi¬ 
tional attention and all will form a, charming- feature of the 
flower-garden, revealing their true beauty better than if 
relegated to obscure' places in shrubberies. 
