9 n 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 30, 1905. 
Notes on . . . 
Our Illustrations. 
ON CENTRE 
Ficus pandurata. 
The species of Ficus are very numerous, 
but although all have flowers and fruits that 
are structurally the same, they differ in deve¬ 
lopment in a remarkable degree, and very feu 
of them are eaten. The common Fig is the 
most widely cultivated of all, for the sake of 
its edible fruit, and the Fig tree of Scripture 
enjoys a certain amount of repute on the 
eastern shores of the Mediterranean. Except 
the first named, however, all are grown in 
this country purely for the ornamental 
character of their foliage, and some of the 
climbing ones are the most popular of all. 
Fic-us pandurata was so named by the 
botanists on account of the fancied resem¬ 
blance of the leaves to the shape of a fiddle. 
These leaves are amongst the largest of the 
cultivated species of Ficus, and are remark¬ 
ably leathery in character. Taking this into 
consideration, and the fact that the tree 
comes from China, it is just possible that it 
mav yet be grown under cooler conditions in 
this country than it usually is. Most 
gardeners grow it in the stove, but during 
the summer time at least we think it could 
be grown in a dwelling-house, as the leathery 
character of the leaves should enable it to 
withstand a deal of bad treatment and a dry 
atmosphere. It must be remembered, how¬ 
ever, that if these leaves get destroyed 
through bad treatment or keeping it too long 
under unfavourable conditions, the plant 
would then be leggy and have to be propa¬ 
gated and grown on afresh as a young plant, 
unless it could be induced to throw out side 
branches and thus form a bushy plant for 
halls or corridors to dwelling-houses. 
At present we do not see why this bold and 
striking Ficus should not be used as freely for 
decorative purposes as the better known 
Indiarubber plant (F. elastica). It would 
ceidainlv make a great change from the old- 
fashioned and popular favourite. Although 
shown for the first time as a new plant in 
1903, it has now found its way into manv 
ertablishments and many countries. 
Anemone japonica hybrida. 
The author of the above name has evidently 
been of opinion that this plant is a hybrid, 
and probably supposed A. japonica and A. 
vitifolia to be parents. Since Japan has been 
more perfectly ransacked, other forms of the 
species have been found that would seem to 
preclude the idea of this being a hybrid. The 
sepals are five in number, pink in colour, and 
produced in great quantity on plants about 
3ft. to 5ft. high, according to the character of 
the soil. One may remember that A. japonica 
alba has also five petals, while another rosy- 
purple variety that was long believed to he 
the typical japonica has ten or fifteen sepals, 
being practically semi-double. Some varieties 
recently introduced have only five petals, and 
their flowers are nearly white, so that we 
have in the Japanese Anemone a variable 
plant without any intercrossing with other 
species. A. japonica alba is often used for 
filling beds, and this one might be employed 
for the same purpose, and serve to give variety 
by reason of its greater height and profusion 
of pink flowers. 
SHEET (pages 990 and 99D. 
White-flowered Mignonette (Reseda alba). 
In most gardens Reseda odorata is grown 
to the exclusion of all other species until we 
begin to think there is no other Mignonette 
worth cultivating. That under notice was 
originally introduced in 1596, but until re¬ 
cently had been lost sight of. Even now there 
are relatively few growers of this plant which 
can be made serviceable in various parts of 
the outdoor garden. The flowers are wnite, 
produced in long racemes that continue a 
succession for many weeks together. The side 
branches bloom later and continue the dis¬ 
play. The flowers are not scented, but in the 
mass they are sufficiently conspicuous to be 
seen from a considerable distance. The 
plant grows about 2ft. high, and if sown or 
planted at 9in. to 12in. apart it forms 
branching and bushy specimens that are 
highly ornamental. 
In this particular instance the plants are 
grown in a border, where they were photo¬ 
graphed about the middle of August last. If 
sown in August of one year in the open 
ground they would commence flowering in 
May and continue till September. They might 
also be grown ui clumps amongst shrubbery 
or in mixed borders of herbaceous perennials, 
and small beds might be filled with them in 
the flower garden or pleasure grounds. 
A Fine Monk’s-hood (Aconitum stoerk- 
ianum). 
The illustration of this Monk’s-hood repre¬ 
sents a plant 6ft. high. It has long been 
cultivated in gardens, but evidently under a 
wrong name, in the belief that it was mei’ely 
a- variety of the common Monk’s-hood. A 
large number of them are certainly very 
closely allied and very difficult to distinguish, 
and while this one has a general resemblance 
to the commou Monk’s-hood, it flowers much 
later and serves to keep up a display in the 
open garden. The clump in question was 
photographed in the second week of August, 
when in full bloom, but the same species was 
still in fine condition in various parts of Scot¬ 
land till well into September. 
The flowers are produced in a panicle Hft. 
to 2Tft. long, according to the vigour of the 
plants, and if not too crowded. The flowers 
commence to expand first on the main spike, 
and the side branches keep up the display for 
some weeks longer. They are of a rich dark 
blue, but sufficiently bright to be conspicuous 
from a great distance. During September we 
noticed many plants of it in various Highland 
gardens, where they had a most enlivening 
effect amongst the late-flowering pink, rose, 
and yellow subjects. The leaves are very 
similar to those of the common Monk’s-hood, 
but are rather larger, and the time of flower¬ 
ing gives value to the plant. 
The species of Aconite require close investi¬ 
gation to make out their differences, because, 
apart from the time of flowering, some of 
them have a very much branched inflores¬ 
cence, w T hile others are scarcely at all 
branched. The structure of the petals inside 
the hood have also to be taken into account. 
In the way of cultivation this fine Monk’s- 
hood requires no special treatment. It is 
perfectly hardy, and will give every satisfac¬ 
tion in any well-drained garden soil. 
The Chinese Bellflower (Piatycodon grandi 
florum Mariesii). 
The accompanying illustration represents a 
dwarf variety of the Chinese Bellflower, being 
only about 6in. high under ordinary condi¬ 
tions, whereas the typical form grows 12in. to 
16in. high. The erect or nodding bell-shaped 
flowers are deep blue and of wonderful tex¬ 
ture. The leaves axe of a rich dark blue- 
green, so that altogether the plant is both 
intei'esting and effective. The picture shows 
a plaixt several years old gi'owing amongst 
stones on the rockery at Kew. It is perfectly 
hardy, and most at home on the rockery, as 
the dwarf stems would be perfectly lost in a 
herbaceous bolder, except at the very front. 
Ordinary garden soil suits its requirements 
provided it is well drained. 
The plant is very closely allied to the Cam¬ 
panula, and indeed is placed in that genus by 
some botanists. Of the typical form there are 
pale blue, neaidy white, and a semi-double 
variety. 
Aster Novi-Belgii niveus. 
On the lower half of page 991 a white 
variety of the New York Starwoi*t is repi'e- 
sented. Several white varieties are now in 
cultivation, being the result of seed sowing, 
but that under notice is very free flowering, 
and practically introduces the season for the 
varieties of A. Novi-Belgii eaidy in Octobei - . 
It grows about 5ft. or 6ft. high in really well- 
tilled soil, and produces a panicle of flowers 
on each stem. When not too rigidly tied up' 
some of these panicles bend over and appear 
as if flowering near to the base of the plant. 
This effect could be heightened at pleasuie by 
staking the stems as they grow, by taking 
some of them ixpright and bendiixg others out¬ 
ward, so as to produce a floidferous bush of 
any given shape. The propagation of this 
variety is practically the same as others we 
have been describing in recent issues. 
Some of the varieties of A. Novi-Belgii are 
amongst the most popular in small gardens, 
but there is one fault we should place at the 
door of cultivators, and that is, the stems are 
allowed to grow far too thickly, and fewer 
flowers are produced than would otherwise be 
the case. Where too many stems are pro¬ 
duced for their mutual benefit it is advisable 
to cut out some of them at an eaidy stage of 
growth so as to give the remaining ones the 
benefit of light and air. 
Astilbe japonica compacta. 
The above is a variety of the plant that has 
been disseminated throughout the country 
under the en-oneous name of Spii'aea japonica. 
It belongs to a different natural order, how¬ 
ever—namely, Saxifragaceae. The Astilbes, 
therefore, differ from the Spiraeas in a minute 
but very important botanical particular which 
need not be i-ecounted here. At the same 
time we wish our readers would be explicit on 
the point when speaking of this plant, because 
there is a shrub named Spiraea japonica with 
which it can easily be confused in writing or 
speaking of it. 
The plant under notice has its leaves divided 
in a ternate manner, usually twice divided in 
this fashion, whereas the leaves of Spii'aea 
japonica are merely serrate on the edges and' 
not divided at all. The variety compacta 
merely differs from the type in having a lai'ger 
feathery looking panicle of white flowei'S, and 
in their being more closely placed upon the 
branches of the infloi'escence. The plant is 
