May 20, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
425 
Blechnum Spicant Variegated. 
This variety of British. Fern has not been recorded in any of 
{lie Fern books as having been previously found by anyone 
except tbe writer, who discovered it on the Mourns range of 
mountains in the county Down, first at ltostrevor in 1876, and 
aouin in 1885 and 1904 at Newcastle.. It may therefore lie 
considered as exceedingly rare. 
The writer, along with Mr. W. Porter, made an excursion to 
the Mourne Mountains on April 22nd, 1905, specially to hunt 
among Blechnum Spicant which grows there in abundance. 
After a rapid railway journey to Newcastle, we walked to 
Bloody Bridge, and ascended the- mountain at Glen Fofany 
about 500 ft., working along the slopes towards Newcastle, 
closely examining everything we saw. Several very good forms 
were observed, such as Crispate, Trinerve, Pectinate, and Mul- 
titid. But the reward of our labour came later on, when on 
the way to the railway station, walking together, the keen eye 
of Mr. Porter detected a fine plant of Blechnum Spicant beau¬ 
tifully variegated. 
On examining it carefully it became evident he had indeed 
been fortunate in finding a great prize. It was dug out ten¬ 
derly, and after careful packing, so as to avoid damage, we 
proceeded on our homeward way rejoicing. 
The fronds, about thirty in number, were of normal outline, 
length 14 in., breadth lj in., the colour a dark green, with 
diagonal yellow stripes running from the midrib of the pin¬ 
nules to the margin, sharply defined. This plant was growing 
by itself in a large clump quite separate from the surrounding 
normal forms. W. H. Phillips 
(President, Belfast Naturalists’ Field Club, 
and of the British Pteridological Society). 
The Oldest Bouquet ox Earth. —There has been placed in 
tile museum at Cairo, Egypt, a nosegay or bunch of flowers found 
in the coffin of a mummy, in which tfow-ers of Corydalis, Poppies, 
Pomegranate, Chrysanthemum, etc., are plainly discernible. 
* * * 
A Fixe Orchid of Dendrobium thyrsiflomm, grown in a six- 
inch pot, has been cultivated by Mr. H. Harris, gardener to 
Mr. G. F. Barrell, J.P., of Mercia Lodge, Spalding. The plant 
carries six trusses of bloom, each bearing 33, 31, 3l, 30, 27, and 
26 blooms respectively, or 178 blooms in all. 
* * * 
Mr. Joseph Lewis, of Dyke Road Drive, Brighton, who died 
on the last day of April, at tbe age of sixty-four, was for some 
years secretary of the Brighton and Sussex Horticultural 
Society. He was a great lover of floriculture, and an ardent 
student of wild flora, on which he lectured from time to time in 
an entertaining and instructive manner 
* * * 
Hull Museum is to be the scene again this year of a further 
experiment in displaying under their scientific and common 
names local wild flowers, as they appear in their due course. 
The first exhibition of thirty species of spring flowers, collected 
by Miss Jackson, of Tlieame, include the Marsh Marigold, Prim¬ 
rose, Ground Ivy, Avens, Lesser Celandine, Cowslip, Violets, 
Dogs Mercury, Greater Periwinkle. These exhibitions have 
proved very popular, and are a useful means of instruction. 
*' * * 
Ravaging the Fruit Trees.— A writer in the “Times’ - says 
a feature of the season is the long period during which the petals 
cf Pear and other fruit blossoms continue to persist. Even the 
gales of May Day failed to dislodge them, though their violence 
served to injure much young fruit, notably stone-fruit, that had 
already set. Aphides have begun to infest the leaves of Plum 
and Currant trees, whilst the larvae of that notorious pest the 
Gooseberry saw-fly (Nematus Ribesii) have begun to defoliate 
Gooseberry bushes, especially where the ground beneath was not 
waiter-worked. 
A Gakiiexkk near Algiers claims to have received from hoaw n 
the gift of curing all diseases, with the result that crowds of 
afflicted persons are flocking to his house. 
* * * 
Correction. —On page391, under the heading of The Flower 
Garden,” in the 28th and 35th lines irom the top of th first 
column, far “ Viola. James Grieve” read “ Viola Peter Grieve. 
* * * 
Form and Colour ix the Garden.—W riting on the subject 
of form and colour in tbe garden, our contemporary the " Field 
observes that the whole question is difficult, since e .jous, like 
perfumes, appeal to different individuals in different ways. One 
golden rule to remember is that violent contrasts of colour, 
such as purple and yellow, blue and orange, or scarlet and white, 
which are irritating seen near at hand, are often very effective 
as seen at a distance, say across a green lawn, or in groups among 
shrubs .and trees. In the case of all strong colours distance 
lends enchantment, because the angle of vision is so widened 
that countless shades of green and grey are presented to the eye 
in addition to the bright flower colour. 
* * * 
£1,000 a Year erum Ruses.—A well-known gardener, writing 
in, “ Answers,” observes rhat most people despise gardening as 
a trade for their boys, but one branch of it, that of Rose-growing, 
is he maintains, as interesting and profitable as that of the 
average professional man. “ By a Rose-grower,” he says, “ 1 mean 
a specialist who can produce heavy-headed beauties with strong, 
yard-long stems. Growing Roses in pot or in the open is another 
matter. It requires skill to grow them well, bub it requires some¬ 
thing more to show cut-flowers of the quality that has come to 
be considered tile first grade. Good Rose-growers of this cha¬ 
racter get from £400 to £1,000 a year, and some of them receive 
much more, notably a few who cater for the London market.” 
* * * 
The Henry Eckford Testimonial. —The “ Florists’ Exchange ” 
has opened a subscription list in America for the benefit of this 
fund, and doubtless tbe amount will receive considerable aug¬ 
mentation from this source, as tlie Americans are great lovers of 
the Sweet Pea and admirers of Henry Eckford. The contribu¬ 
tions to Saturday evening, May 13tli, are as follow:—Previ¬ 
ously acknowledged, 6434s. ; Mr. T. Bevan, 24s. ; Air. H. G. 
Cove, 5s.; Air. H. G. Cox, Is. ; Air. A. Dean, 2s. ; Mr. J. 
Douglas, 24s. ; Air. J. Douglas, jun., 24s. ; Air. A. LI. Gwillim, 
5s. ; Air. S. Hibbin, Is.; Air. AY. Howe, Is.; Air. J. A. Laing, 
2s. ; Mr. R. Lye, 5s. ; Messrs. Maclaren and Sons, 10s. : Air. 
J. W. Moorman, 2s. ; Air. H. Parr, 2s.; Air. W. Poupart, Is. ; 
Dr. Shelswell, 2s. ; Mr. H. H. Thomas, Is. ; Alessrs. Vilmorin- 
Andrieux et Cie., 10s. ; Air. J. H. AVitty, Is. 
* * * 
Classification. --The National Sweet Pea Society recommend 
that Sweet Peas should be classified under acknowledged colour- 
headings, and amongst the most popular at present in cultiva¬ 
tion the following suggestions are made, namely:—AA bite, 
Dorothy Eckford ; crimson and scarlet, King Edward A II. ; 
cerise, Cocoinea. ; rose and carmine, Prince of Wales ; pink 
shades, Prirria Donna; blush, Duchess of Sutherland; blue, 
Navy Blue; yellow and buff shades, Hon. Airs. E. Kenyon; 
orange shades, Miss Willmotb; lavender. Lady Grizel Hamilton ; 
mauve, Airs. Walter Wright ; violet and purple, Duke of AA est- 
minster ; magenta, George Gordon ; maroon and bronze, Black 
Knight ; picote© edged, Dainty ; striped and flaked (red and 
rose), America ; striped and flaked (purple and blue), Princess 
of AVales ; bicolors, Jeannie Gordon ; fancies (those with more 
than two distinct shades), Agnes Johnston. 
* * * 
Plant Hybrids. —Experiments in the production of plant 
hybrids are being pursued by horticulturists, who have recog¬ 
nised that, as time goes on, they must look more and more to 
hybridisation for new plants. In the attempts made to obtain a 
hybrid from a Gooseberry and a Red Currant tree, several ex¬ 
periment's have obtained thei cross and the fruit from it, but 
curiously enough there has never been obtained a hybrid with 
seed. It has also been noticed that the individuals of a species 
which is propagated vegetatively may, in a particular neigh¬ 
bourhood, be practically the same plant, but quite incapable 
of fertilising one another. It is this fact which makes it so 
important that pollen should he brought from plants at a dis¬ 
tance. The influence of each parent plant lias' been closely 
watched, and it has been found that apparently the mother has 
more influence upon the habit, the father more upon the in¬ 
florescence. Artificially produced offspring give, as a rule, larger 
flowers than either of the parents. If the form of the flowers of 
their parent plants be widely different in shape and outline the 
offspring become-infertile and delicate. 
