May 27, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
441 
On the Editor’s Table. 
>t' Sweet Peas iu several 
Sweet Peas from boghead. 
We are favoured with a lovely box o 
■of the choice named varieties from Mr. David Mitchell, gar¬ 
dener to J. A. Robertson Durham, Esq., Boghead, Bathgate, 
Linlithgowshire, the particulars of which we may give in his 
own words as far as they relate to culture. 
" I am sending this box of Sweet Peas for your table. I 
have them trained up the back wall of a house 15-i ft. high. 
The plants are at present 8 ft. high, and they showed their 
first flower-buds about the third week in April, but owing to 
t he want of sunshine they turned yellow and dropped off. This 
last week has been more favourable. With me they are not 
at. their best until the end of May, and I think the colours are 
much finer than the outside ones, especially so in this district, 
where even in summer the nights are chilly. They are very 
acceptable for table work at this time of the year. The size 
and colours, etc., of the flowers will be much better in a week 
or two. I sent, you some last year, but those sent on this occa¬ 
sion are also from named varieties—Salopian, Triumph, Lady 
Crizel Hamilton, Prince Edward of York, Queen Victoria, 
Shalizada, and Blanche Burpee." 
As our correspondent says, the colour of the flowers was cer¬ 
tainly clean, sprightly, handsome, and particularly eft'ective. 
Under artificial light, we have no doubt that these Sweet Peas 
would show themselves up admirably, with exception, perhaps, 
of the dark one named Shalizada. ' The colours of Triumph 
and Prince Edward of York were certainly paler than they 
would be out of doors, but, as our correspondent says, they will 
intensify even under glass. In any case we must admit that 
the colours were immensely superior to. the last blooms we got 
from the open in October. Salopian was also paler, but cer- 
tainlv very much brighter, and the crimson standards, were 
clearer, owing to the absence of the dark or almO'St black vein- 
inu which often appears there under the influence of bright 
sunlight in the- open. Lady Giizel Hamilton was lighter in 
colour than it would have been out of doors, but clear, distinct 
and handsome. This method of cultivating the Sweet Pea does 
not seem to. destroy the scent in any way, as these flowers 
were deliciously scented both when taken out of the box and 
after having been kept for some time in water. When fully 
expanded the flowers of Queen Victoria were practically pure 
white. A second bunch sent us this week showed much finer 
colour. 
A Hardy Terrestrial Orchid. 
Calypso borealis. 
Quite a number of terrestrial Orchids could be grown in the 
rock garden, provided the planter could find out a suitable 
situation and soil for them. In the future possibly science 
might overcome some of the difficulties which at present beset 
the cultivator. We have already learned that many plants can 
only grow in company with some fungus or soil organism, 
which we should speak of as a messmate rather than a parasite. 
It is now well known that Fir trees and Beech trees have not a 
very elaborate root system, but are able to carry out a splendid 
existence with the aid of their respective fungoid messmates. 
It has also been hinted more than once that this is at the root 
of the difficulty which previously existed in cultivating or rear¬ 
ing seedling Orchids. 
In like manner we know that Rhododendron, and more par¬ 
ticularly some other members of the Heath family, thrive best 
in peak and at all events require a soil which contains no lime 
in its composition for their successful management under arti¬ 
ficial cultivation. It is just possible that many of the terres¬ 
trial Orchids could be successfully grown in the rock garden, 
provided they were supplied with soil or material in which 
their own particular messmates can live and thrive. 
In 1820 a tiny Orchid was introduced from high latitudes of 
the northern hemisphere and named Calypso borealis, the 
latter name indicating its northern habitat. Probably since 
then it lias several times been lost to gardens and re-imported. 
Some pans of it are now flowering at Kew from roots obtained 
last year. The little plant is about G in. high or under, and 
consists of one or two ovate leaves close to the ground and a 
short raceme of flowers which bear no small resemblance- to a 
Cypripediurn. 'the sepals and petals are lanceolate, dire i d 
upwards, and light purple. The lip has a large sack at the 
base, heavily striped with brown inside; right on the middle 
is a beard of wdiite hairs, above which there is an orbicular 
concave lamina spotted with brown on a white ground. These 
flowers are of appreciable size, and the plant might be de¬ 
scribed as both interesting and pretty. 
The Yellow Crown Imperial. 
(Fritillaria Imperialis lutea). 
There can be no doubt about the beauty of the Crown Im¬ 
perial and its varieties in the garden during April and May. 
The chestnut-red colour of the ordinary form seems to be less 
conspicuous than the yellow one, which differs in no other 
respect, except in colour. Of the several varieties which are 
in cultivation, the ordinary one and the yellow variety find 
most favour with people generally, and are found in villa and 
cottage gardens much the same as in the case of the White 
Lily. For some weeks past, a very good instance of this might 
have been seen in a villa garden at Thorpe, Surrey, where the 
spring gardening was very largely emphasised by means of the 
Yellow Crown Imperial. The ordinaiy chestnut-red form was 
there as well, but only in small quantity by comparison with 
its yellow variety. The plants stood about 2 J- ft. high, and 
having made strong growth, were quite a feature of the place, 
and could hardly fail to take the eye of those passing along 
the streets. The weather had been veiy trying for some time 
previously t 0 ‘ all early flowering subjects, but in this instance 
the house on one side and trees as well as the garden walls 
gave sufficient shelter for the plants to make perfect growth 
and flower abundantly. 
Corokia Cotoneaster. 
The flowering of this shrub just now appeals to many, with 
its pretty yellow star-shaped flowers. Though small, they are 
veiy effective seen against a. wall. The flowers are borne singly 
on short pedicels springing from the base of a tuft of leaves. 
Tliis shrub is one of the few genera we have of Cornaceae 
which come from New Zealand. " It should therefore be given 
a warm and sheltered position on a wall. A fairly retentive 
yet well-drained soil suits it admirably. It' needs little atten¬ 
tion as regards pruning and training. The manner in which 
the branches interlace one another is veiy peculiar. The 
leave®, which are small and obcorda.te, have a smooth upper 
surface. The contrast of the flowers with the greyish leaves 
beneath adds to their charm. In warm districts it would be 
found very useful for covering large slabs or wood butts in the 
rockery. ‘ The fact that it does not do well in some districts 
accounts for it being little known. It certainly deserves a 
trial. • ___ A - 
The Ranunculus glacialis.— A writer m the " Ladies Field 
escribes how, with a view to growing that desirable but veiy 
ifficult “high alpine” Ranunculus glacialis, a mimatme 
roraine was aimed at. Moraines m nature are found m the 
rack of the glaciers, and consist to a large extent ot fiiable 
rit Burnt earth was employed as a- substitute, and, tieely 
fixed with small stones and gravel, was thrown up m a sorne- 
rhat abrupt slope over some large rockery stones or boulders 
hat stood well up out of the ground. The depth of this rubble 
naterial at the top of the heap was about 2ft., and, of course, it 
Ited down into numerous deep crevices between the large stones. 
l thin surfacing of loam and leaf mould, mixed with a huge 
noportion of sand, was put on to a depth of about 2m., an. some 
if the lovely little Narcissus triandrus planted halfway up the 
lope, the lower edge of which was intended for the Ranunculi 
ml other glacial bed plants. The aspect is north, but a fan- 
mount of sunshine visits the miniature moraine, and even thing 
danted on it has done well, the lovely little ancel s tears (Nai- 
issus triandrus) not only flowering well, but increasing year by 
vear. 
