May 13, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
3C7 
Meconopsis raccmosa. 
Our gardens liave of late been greatly enriched by the intro¬ 
duction of several exceedingly tine Himalayan species of 
Meconopsis, and a complete collection of these, together with 
the varieties and forms of the Welsh Poppy, would, if afforded a 
suitable situation and soil, prove to be an exceptionally in¬ 
teresting and beautiful feature of any garden. In the matter 
of soil and site all the Meconopsis seem to join hands, and 
therefore it is a commendable practice to devote one quarter 
to them entirely, or at all events to so arrange that they shall 
he the principal subjects in their appointed bay or recess. An 
ideal spot is one where moisture abounds, but with facilities 
for draining away the excess of water during the resting 
season, a recess or bay at the base of the rockery being 
most convenient, on account of the shelter from winds that 
bruise the delicate petals of the flowers. Soil, of course, can 
be made up, and a capital mixture is peat and fibrous loam, 
with a liberal supply of sand and charcoal, while if the spot 
is inclined to be a bit too dry moss may also be worked in 
with advantage. 
In every Meconopsis bed a few plants of M. racemosa should 
lie included, its striking characteristics and real beauty being 
such as to render it quite indispensable where the best of things 
are desired. M. racemosa has not long been in cultivation in 
this country, and is at present scarce, but it will undoubtedly 
spread rapidly through the land, for its charms will create 
a big demand for it, and in these days big demands soon bring 
big supplies. 
To say that the colour of the flowers is blue conveys but a 
faint idea of the exquisite beauty of the rare tint that is seen 
in this, but in few other blue flowers ; nor is it easy to express 
in words one’s true conception of this fine shade of colour. It 
is brighter than “ Cambridge blue,” yet not such a tint as is 
usually associated with the “ bright blue sky,” but might claim 
to be about midway between the two. The lustre or sheen 
that overlays the petals adds enchantment to the colour, for, in 
common with all the Meconopsis, the petals are, so to speak, 
like glistening crumpled silk. The stamens and filaments vary 
somewhat in colour, but may be generally termed yellow. The 
individual blooms are of good size, and borne in a branching 
raceme, that, of course, accounting for the specific name of the 
plant. The leaves are long and-narrow, lying almost prostrate. 
These and the flower stems are furnished with an abundance 
of long bristly hairs of a creamy or very pale green. These 
bristles give to the plant a novel and attractive appearance 
even before the flowers appear. Heather Bell. 
Cantua dependens. 
This plant is not often met with, although when well grown 
it is a grand sight. It has been shown quite recently at one 
of the R.H.S. meetings and received an award of merit, which 
should help to make it better known. Coming from the 
Peruvian Andes, it doe® not require any fire-heat; in fact, in 
some parts of England it can be seen growing out of doors. 
But the best place to grow it well is a cool greenhouse, and it 
does best when planted out and the growth trained up the roof 
of the house, so that when in flower it is seen to best advan¬ 
tage. The flowers are funnel-shaped, and the tube quite 2 in. 
long, while the colour being of pale red makes it admired by 
everyone that sees it. After it has done flowering it should 
be pruned hard back to two' or three eyes, and when it starts 
into growth again it should be top-dressed with a mixture of 
loam and well-rotted manure, or, if grown in pots, shaken out 
and repotted. When well established it requires plenty of 
feeding, but care should be taken not to give it too strong; 
weak and often is much the best way, and the' food should be 
changed occasionally, for plants, like human beings, soon tire of 
one thing. Red spider is its worst enemy, and unless kept clean 
it cannot be expected to do well ; a weekly syringing with an 
insecticide is a good preventive against this pest. Cuttings 
loot freely af any time if kept close for a few days ; and if 
struck in the spring they make nice plants by the next 
s P™g- ' J. 0. 
The Alleged Deterioration of Potatos. 
The special question under consideration is how far, if at 
all, varieties of Potato® deteriorate in quality or productiveness 
during the years which follow their first introduction. From 
the report of the meeting of the Scientific Committee of the 
Royal Horticultural Society on March 28th, published in the 
" Gardeners’ Chronicle ” on April 8th, it appears that opinion 
was then very much divided as to whether any such deteriora¬ 
tion occurred or not, and this divergence of opinion was also 
apparent in the letters read to the committee-on the lltli inst. 
One writer, I think, even went so far as to- say that because 
varieties of A ine®, such as Black Hamburgh, or varieties of 
Bananas, etc., never vary or deteriorate from year to year, 
therefore no deterioration could take place in other plants, 
such as Potatos. Another expressed the opinion that because 
certain varieties of Potato®, such as the Ashleaf, may be as 
[Photo. Maclaren and Sons 
Saxifraga porophylla. (Seep. 395.) 
good now as when first introduced, this in itself proved that 
the same was true of all other Potato®. 
It was even suggested that one' reason why the- deterioration 
of Potatos was so much spoken of was in order to create a 
demand for newly introduced varieties at much higher prices 
than the older sorts, which, according to the wifter (or speaker), 
would have been as good now as they were at first if they had 
received the same careful and liberal treatment always 
accorded to high-priced novelties. It is not conceivable that 
any merchant whose reputation depended upon the introduc¬ 
tion of Potatos of sterling merit would discard a sort which 
continued to maintain its original quality and productiveness 
in view of the fact that many seedlings do certainly deteriorate 
rapidly. There are, however, noteworthy exceptions. The 
Ashleaf is certainly one that has “ come to stay." and the 
“ Early Rose ” is perhaps more widely grown in Europe now 
than at any period of its existence. “ Magnum Bonum ’ has 
also a record almost unequalled, "and under certain aliases may 
have continued longer in general cultivation than has been 
supposed. The old “ Redskin Flourball ” is another notable 
case of long-continued productiveness; the " Maincrop 
Potato, a beautifully formed white' kidney, raised by Air. James 
Clark, of Christchurch, Hants, about thirty years ago, still i® 
