953 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 16, 1905. 
Notes on . . . 
Our Illustrations. 
ON CENTRE SHEET (pages 956 and 957). 
Dierama pulcheriminn. 
The first illustration on the top left hand 
corner represents a very interesting plant 
belonging to the Iris family. It is allied to 
Sparaxis and more distantly to Ixia, with 
w hich many of our readers will be familiar who 
grow' some of the plants in pots or attend the 
early summer shows where cut flowers are often 
exhibited in large numbers. 
The plant in question is quite hardy in many 
parts of the country, and in other places with 
a more severe climate it may be growm planted 
in a border at the foot of a wall. It is by no 
means so common as the Ixias, possibly because 
too tail to be conveniently grown in pots under 
the same treatment given to those plants. In 
its native habitats (South Africa) it grows to a 
height of 6 ft., but in this country about half 
that height or a little over would be the 
stature of the plant shown. The leaves are 
sword-shaped but very narrow, and form a tuft 
at the base of the stem. The latter requires 
staking if planted in a border, but under the 
conditions represented it will appear far more 
graceful than if formally tied to stakes. It was 
grown in Ireland, and has been allowed to 
assume its own arching and graceful habit. 
The flowers are narrowly bell-shaped, of a 
rich dark reddish-purple, and about li in. 
long. These flowers are produced in succession 
from the clusters of bracts which may be seen 
suspended from the under-side of the stems, and 
as the latter produce a loosely-panicled inflores¬ 
cence the plant has a very graceful appearance. 
Only those living in mild districts should 
attempt its cultivation in the open air, but it is 
well worth any trouble incurred to get it to 
flower like the plant showm. It may also be 
grown in cool conservatories where there is con¬ 
venience for planting it out, but does not require 
a high temperature. The best plants, however, 
are grown out of doors, because then better 
subjected to light and air. 
In choosing situations for it, let them be well 
drained while exposed to sunshine and as 
nearly as possible facing the south. The bulbs 
should be planted some time in the autumn, 
and if put in at present they would be less 
likely to start into growth too early than if 
planted in September or October. Take out 
an opening for them 6 in. deep, place the bulbs 
about 4 in. apart and cover them with sand. 
This will help to keep them dry in winter. 
The alternate freezing and thawing are un¬ 
favourable to them. The object is to get them 
to start into growth as late in spring as possible 
to prevent the young leaves from being injured 
by late frosts. Under varying conditions it 
flowers in August or September. 
The Ma’.tagon Lily (Lilimn Martagon). 
The above Lily gives its name to a section of 
the genus, of which it is therefore the type. 
The flowers are characterised by the petals 
spreading almost from the base and being 
strongly revolute or rolled back. Some of the 
species belonging to the section have very 
much larger flowers, but the Martagon Lily is 
well worthy of introduction to the garden, 
because when once established in well-drained 
soil it continues to improve year after year 
until the bulbs get crowded, wlien it would be 
advantageous to lift them and find a fresh 
locality and fresh soil to increase their vigour. 
The flowers are of a light rosy-purple, spotted 
all over with dark purple. 
There are, however, varieties of it which are 
greatly intensified in colour, and, if anything, 
they grow stronger than the type. Under 
ordinary border cultivation the average height 
of the Martagon Lily is ft., though when 
grown strongly it may reach a height of 5 ft. or 
fi ft., and the varieties easily attain these 
dimensions. It would be advantageous in 
selecting a situation for it in the southern and 
warmer parts of England to plant it between 
shrubs, where the soil will be more or less 
shaded during the hottest part of the day. 
This will be greatly to the advantage of the 
leaves, w'hich soon fade if they are crowded 
with other vegetation. It is therefore advan¬ 
tageous to look over the shrubs occasionally 
where Lilies are planted amongst them in order 
to prune back the shrubs or else lift the Lilies 
to some quarter where they wall get more 
advantage of the light. 
The Apple-shaped Quince (Cydoniavulgaris). 
The Quince is very extensively used in this 
country and on the Continent as a stock on 
which to bud or graft different varieties of 
Pear. When grown in this country, however, 
the owners of gardens seldom have an oppor¬ 
tunity of seeing it, as the propagation is effected 
in the nursery, and experienced gardeners 
would at once cut away any shoots that come 
up from the root or below the graft. 
The Apple-shaped Quince takes its name 
from the shape of the fruit. In a fresh state 
it can hardly be described as useful either for 
cooking or dessert purposes when used alone. 
The flesh is very acid in the raw state, and 
gives out a peculiar and rather strong perfume. 
When used in small quantities with Apples 
that are being cooked it gives them additional 
briskness and fresh flavour. The fruits are 
also used for making Quince marmalade and 
other preserves. A small proportion of the 
fruit may, of course, be added to Apples and 
Pears that may be cooked for preserving. 
The leaves are ovate, blunt at both ends and 
very woolly in the young stages, but later 
in the season they become nearly bare, and the 
shining leaves, together with the white or pink 
flowers earlier in the season, might entitle this 
plant to a place in the shrubbery. It is quite 
distinct in general appearance either from the 
Apple or Pear, and would certainly serve 
to give variety. At present it is seldom used 
for such a purpose, although we have seen 
it grow up from the root of a Pear and allowed 
to form a large bush. 
Besides the Apple-shaped Quince, which has 
golden-yellow fruits when ripe, there are two 
others quite different in form. The Pear-shaped 
Quince resembles a Pear, and is paler yellow 
w T hen ripe. This variety is more often culti¬ 
vated than the Apple-shaped variety. The 
Portugal Quince as a fruit is thickest in the 
middle and is larger than the two better-known 
varieties above named. Some fruits measure 
4 in. long. The flavour in this variety is 
also better than either of the other two, but 
it does not fruit so freely. At present the 
Quince is only known as a cultivated plant. 
In the wild state it is either exterminated or 
its habitats are unknowm. 
The Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris). 
At the present day the common Thyme is 
chiefly used in cookery for the flavouring of 
dishes, and takes its place as one of the herbs 
which are not used in any way as food, apart 
from that we mention. It is readily raised from 
seeds, which may be sown in the open garden 
in April. Cuttings may also be taken, but this 
is hardly necessary, seeing that seeds are 
obtained so plentifully, and plants are easily 
raised in this country. In olden times it was 
much more valued for its rather pungent yet 
agreeable odour, and in the time of our grand¬ 
mothers was almost certain to form part of a 
nosegay of flowers on account of its agreeable 
scent. 
Peppermint (Mentha piperita). 
Our illustration of this represents the wild 
form of the Mint known as Peppe-mint, and 
differs chiefly from the garden one by having 
much narrower lanceolate leaves serrated on 
the margins. We desire to call the attention 
of our readers to the distinction between 
Peppermint and Spearmint. Those w'ho have 
to do with cookery stoutly maintain their pre¬ 
dilection for a certain kind for Mint sauce and 
for flavouring new Peas. Others again would 
argue that Spearmint is the proper one to use. 
In our experience we have seen three species of 
Mint grown in private gardens for use in the 
mansion or house, and apparently the owners 
were quite contented with it. It will be seen 
that the Peppermint we have figured has short 
yet decided stalks to the leaves ; whereas the 
leaves of Spearmint have no stalks and are 
much greener. Our readers might tell us 
which they consider the proper Mint to grow 
for culinary purposes. 
In olden times this plant was also a great 
favourite for a variety of purposes, such as 
mixing with flowers, independently of flavour¬ 
ing and medicinal purposes. At least two 
varieties of it are yet extensively growm at 
Mitcham and other places in Surrey for the 
purposes of distilling in order to get the 
essential oil of peppermint. As our readers 
are no doubt aware, this essence is largely used 
in confectionery as well as in medicine. 
Although recorded in all British floras Pepper¬ 
mint is a doubtful native of this country, 
appearing always to be an escape from some 
neighbouring garden. 
Rose-coloured. Hydrangea (Hydrangea hor- 
tensis rosea). 
It is unfortunate that the common Hydran¬ 
gea should not be hardy, as it would add an 
immense boon to many a garden, where a rich 
display of flowers could be had in the shrubbery 
extending over several weeks or even months 
of the year. In London it is just sufficiently 
tender to get the tips of the shoots and flower 
buds destroyed in winter. It is, therefore, 
necessary to keep it in a greenhouse or any 
other cool structure from which frost is just 
excluded. 
In calling attention to this variety we think 
it worth while for readers w'ho have large 
Hydrangeas that cannot well be accommodated 
in glasshouses to plant them out in prominent 
positions in the shrubbery during summer, and 
in - winter to dig out a hole on one side of the 
plant in order that the w'hole bush may be laid 
down on its side in this opening made in the 
soil. The branches could be tied together so 
as to occupy as little space as possible, and 
then the soil heaped over the top of them. By 
this means our cousins in America are able to 
preserve the Hydrangea as well as Fig and 
many other plants in winter. Their climate is 
much more severe than ours and the frost is of 
longer duration, yet they manage by a simple 
contrivance like this to keep plants in the open 
