May 13, 1905. 
The Gardening World 
MOTTO FOR THE WEEK : 
“A dewy splendour falls on the little flower that clings to the turrets and the walls.”— Tennyson. 
WEEKLY PRIZES 
FOR 
SHORT ARTICLES. 
The Proprietors of The Gardening World 
will give a cash prize of Seven Shillings and 
SIXPENCE FOR THE BEST PARAGRAPH, OR SHORT 
' article, sent by readers during the week, and 
Two Shillings and Sixpence as a second 
prize. The Editor’s judgment must be con- 
> sidered final, and he wilt be at liberty to use 
any of the contributions sent in. The para¬ 
graph, or article, xitjst not exceed one 
column in length, but the value, rather than 
the length, of the article will he' considered in 
making the award. Competitors may send in 
items of news or comments on news; hints of 
practical interest to gardeners or growers of 
plants, fruits, or flowers; successful methods of 
propagating plants usually considered difficult; 
or contributions on any subject coming 
WITHIN THE SPHERE OF GARDENING PROPER. 
Letters should be addressed to Thu Editor, 
marked “Competition,” and posted not later 
than Friday night to ensure insertion in the 
issue of next week. 
num- 
Thc following Coloured Plates 
have appeared in recent 
bers:— 
September 12.— SIX NEW DAFFODILS. 
October 3 — LILIUM AURATUM PLA- 
TYPHYLLUM SHIRLEY VAR. 
Novnmbei 14.—ROSE MME. N. LEVA- 
VASSEUR. 
January 2.— HYBRID TEA-SCENTED 
ROSE IRENE. 
January 30. — TUBEROUS BEGONIA 
COUNTESS OF WARWICK. 
February 27. -A FINE STRAIN OF 
GLOXINIAS. 
April 2. — WISTARIA MULTIJUGA 
RUSSELLIANA. 
May 7 -CACTUS DAHLIA DAINTY. 
June 4. —CACTUS DAHLIA SPITFIRE. 
July 16. —ROSE LADY BATTERSEA. 
superb™!' “ GEUM MELI>REICHI 
October 15 —ROSE HUGH DICKSON. 
hack numbers may be obtained from the 
"iblishers, price 2£d. post free. 
This week we present a Half-tone 
Plate of 
magnolia campbellii. 
Next week we shall give a Coloured 
Plate of 
eremurus WAREI. 
The first prize last week in the 
Readers Competition was awarded to 
Heather Bell,” for his article on 
0des Nitida ’” p. 372 ; and the 
“ w n + ^ f° r article on 
watering Vine Borders,” p. 374 . 
Views and Reviews. 
Plants from Japan. 
Possibly few of our readers have ever con¬ 
sidered how much we are indebted to Japan 
for a large number of plants which adorn our 
gardens, but particularly hardy subjects 
which we are able to grow in the open air. 
About the middle of the last century, when 
the late Robert Fortune was collecting plants 
for the Royal Horticultural Society, and 
afterwards on his own account, new plants 
reached our shores in large numbers under 
the name of japonica, as a specific name, 
indicating that such jilants were natives of 
that country. Truly, he did not confine 
his attention to Japan, as a good deal of his 
time was spent in China. Many of the 
plants, however, which have been sent home 
are natives of both countries. When those 
Japanese plants were frequently arriving 
at the R.H.S. Gardens at Chiswick, 
the young men there gave frequent 
vent to their surprise by saying 
“ Oh, that is another japonica.” So fre¬ 
quent were those statements that the word 
came to be applied to the gardeners them¬ 
selves as a nickname. Before our advent in 
London, however, that name bad already 
become corrupted into “ ponicker,” and that 
nickname is frequently applied to the young 
men in gardens at the present day. 
It is not our intention to enumerate all 
the plants which have been introduced to 
British and other European gardens from 
Japan, but we shall content ourselves by 
alluding to a number of the more prominent 
groups. Some of the genera contain a 
number of Japanese species, so that when 
the word japonica lias been used, it would 
apply to one species only, and therefore 
does not give us evidence of half the number 
of plants that have been introduced from 
Japan. The reason why so many Japanese 
plants have found a permanent home here 
is because the Japanese islands enjoy a great 
range of climate, like that of our British 
Islands, or even greater. Consequently, that, 
portion of Japan which enjoys a climate 
similar to our own has furnished us with 
many hardy plants, though in other cases 
we are able to grow them in the open, 
because they are mountain plants coming 
from high elevations, and therefore corre¬ 
spondingly hardy. 
These plants may roughly be grouped into 
trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, including 
many bulbs, alpines and aquatics. It will 
thus be seen that they take a place in 
almost every phase of British gardens, both 
out of doors and under glass. These facts 
’have been called to mind by the paper which 
was read by Mr. James Hudson at a meeting 
of the R.H.S. on the 25th ult. Mr. Hudson 
has been instrumental in producing a very 
interesting Japanese garden at Gunnersbury 
House, Acton, one of the seats of Leopold 
de Rothschild, Esq., who is an enthusiastic 
gardener and plantsman. Japanese gardens 
in this country must necessarily vary, but 
that under notice is planted with the object 
of getting the finest display during the 
autumn months, when the family take up 
their residence at Gunnersbury House. 
Amongst strictly hardy herbaceous plants 
we cannot forget Primula japonica, which 
created some difficulty at first in introduc¬ 
ing the seeds in a live state from Japan, 
because, having to cross the equator twice 
on their journey, they have difficulty in sur¬ 
viving. This is readily accounted for when 
we remember that they must be sown imme¬ 
diately they ripen, and not allowed to become 
dry, otherwise success is uncertain. A 
number of fine varieties have been raised 
from it in this country, but a much greater 
number of splendid varieties of P. Sieboldi, 
and the wonder is that these fine varieties 
are not more frequently met with in gardens 
considering their hardiness. Owing to the 
fact that cultivators have most frequently 
brought them before the public in pots and 
pans, the idea has been fostered that these 
Japanese Primulas are not hardy. Another 
race with similar flowers' lias been 
raised from P. cortusoides. The first two 
have, however, given rise to a race of plants 
that deserve as much attention as a hardy 
florist’s flower. We see no reason why the 
varieties of P. Sieboldi should not be grown 
to advantage in eveiy villa garden. 
The Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra spec- 
tabilis) supplies us with a very handsome 
hardy border plant, which is equally suitable 
for forcing purposes, aud is largely grown 
for these two objects. Recently a white- 
flowered variety has turned up, and possibly 
in the near future raisers will give us more. 
Two veiy beautiful mountain plants are Die 
one-flowered Shortia, and another plant- 
belonging to the same order, having bell¬ 
shaped, deeply cut flowers, resembling those 
of the European Soldanella. A few Orchids 
have reached us from Japan, two of which 
are very nearly hardy, namely, Dendrobium 
japonicum and Bletia hyacinthina, both of 
which are more or less .cultivated in this 
country. The first-named has white, very 
