Match 16, 1907. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
197 
PERPETUAL STRAWBERRY. 
Merveille de France. 
The race of perpetual Strawberries con¬ 
tinues to be improved judging by a speci¬ 
men which is illustrated in "La Tribune 
Horticole,” a new journal recently issued 
at Brussels and described as the official 
organ of the Royal Linnaean Society .and 
the Floral Society of Brussels. M. H. 
Gilson, the King’s horticultural chief at 
Ciergnon, Belgium, recently gave an 
article about perpetual Strawberries, and 
mentioned a new one under the above 
name. A coloured plate of this variety 
appeared in "La Tribune Horticole for 
Nov. 24th. The variety is distinguished 
bv having very large fruits produced on 
stout flower stems carried well above the 
foliage and bearing twelve to fifteen fruits 
of a beautiful lively red with tirm flesh 
and larger than any other perpetual 
Strawberry. Judged by the size of its 
fruits, the firmness of the flesh, and the 
beautiful red colour, it will be an excel¬ 
lent acquisition for market purposes, see¬ 
ing that it withstands transit well for a 
long time. It fruits freely on the runners. 
It was raised from St. Antoine de Padoue 
and another one named Louis Gauthier. 
Amateurs in the valley of the Meuse have 
gathered fruits on the 14th November, but 
M. Gilson in 1905, during a fine autumn, 
gathered them as late as November 24th. 
FRAGRANT HONEYSUCKLES. 
The fragrant Honeysuckles or Loni- 
ceras .may be said to rank amongst the 
most cherished of our climbing plants. 
When judiciously employed, for covering 
trellises, arbours, wails, fences, etc., or 
allowed to twine themselves over dead 
trees, the pleasing results achieved will 
greatly enhance the picturesque effects of 
the garden. 
To fully appreciate the beauty of these 
delightful climbers, they require to be 
allowed to grow somewhat rampantly, it 
only being necessary to occasionally thin 
out" old and decaying shoots. 
The long trailing shoots and sweetly 
perfumed clusters of flowers of our native 
species, L. Periclymenum, when found 
growing in the wayside hedge, are aiways 
a source of delight to lovers of our native 
plants. Among the numerous species of 
the genus in cultivation, I may ment.on 
L. flava, a native of the Northern United 
States, having smooth, oval leaves, pale 
and glaucous on both sides, and light 
yellow fragrant flowers. L. japonica 
fleNuosa, a Japanese variety with ovate- 
Beautiful Varieties. 
lanceolate leaves, has very fragrant 
flowers, which are borne in pairs, of a 
pink and yellow colour. L. japonica has 
flowers, opening a creamy white, which, 
with age assume an almost golden tint. 
L. sempervirens is a very distinct species, 
having large clusters of flowers, which 
are a beautiful scarlet on the outside and 
vellow within. L. Caprifolium is a South 
European species, but has become natur¬ 
alised in some parts of England; its 
flowers are very fragrant, of a yellowish 
colour. L. fragrantissima, a Chinese 
species, is one of the earliest of spring 
flowering shrubs. It may be readily 
characterised by its erect growth; its 
flowers are small, but as its name implies, 
very fragrant. L. Standishii is another 
earlv flowering species, and, like the last- 
mentioned, succeeds admirably on a wall. 
L. etrusca is an ideal subject for a cool 
greenhouse, providing it can be allowed 
to make plenty of growth ; it has orange- 
veilow flowers, and stalked flower heads. 
F. G. Tutcher. 
SANTOLINA INCANA. 
There are certain plants which we al¬ 
ways associated with the oid-fashioned 
country cottage garden, and they are 
things which we never look upon without 
a feeling of warm affection. Lavender, 
Rosemary, and Artemesia are instances, 
they were favourites with our grand¬ 
parents ; and among all the glorious 
things that enrich the gardens of to-day 
we still hold them in fond esteem. 
Santolina incana is another such plant, 
and it is worthy our affection, for it pos¬ 
sesses many points of merit. It is one 
of those things, by no means too numer¬ 
ous, which will grow well in poor, sandv 
soil, and which, moreover, is effective 
and pleasing the whole year round. How- 
cheerful it looks on a dark, dull Novem¬ 
ber day, when all the bright array of 
summer flowers has disappeared. The 
bushy growths, and finely-cut foliage 
thickly overlain with the white tomentum 
are strikingly cheerful, and the aroma of 
the plant is invigorating and refreshing. 
It seems to me we might make greater 
use of the plant than is at present done, 
for it is useful for a number of purposes. 
I have seen fine, big bushes growing 
Suitable for Gr-ves. 
beside the porches or doorways of cot¬ 
tages, and their presence seems to be¬ 
token a homely welcome to approaching 
visitors. A good bush is by no means 
out of place upon a rockery, or even in 
the herbaceous border. Not many things 
are more suitable for planting on the 
graves of departed friends, the white foli¬ 
age and stems being so peaceful and rest¬ 
ful in appearance. 
I have already said Santolina incana 
will thrive in almost any soil, and I may- 
add that it is a simple thing to propagate. 
Cuttings of hard, ripened wood may be 
put in a shady place in autumn, and they 
will make nice plants for removal the 
following autumn. 
Half-ripened shoots will root freely if 
put into gritty compost in August, keep¬ 
ing them close under a handlight, bell- 
glass, or, failing these, a glass jam jar or 
"two may be utilised with excellent results. 
The fortunate owner of a heated green¬ 
house or propagating case can do better 
still by inserting young shoots in open, 
gritty, or sandy soil, keeping them warm 
and just moist until roots appear. 
Heather Bell. 
The highest trees beat the most 
pointed leaves. 
Germination oe Seeds. Barley takes 
seven days to germinate, and Peach ker¬ 
nels lequire about twelve months. 
Mr. D. Grant MTver, lately of The 
Gardens, Waterfoot, Penrith, has been ap¬ 
pointed head gardener to Carl Grabowsky. 
Esq., Linnburn Hall, Shandon, Dumbar¬ 
tonshire. 
The Substance of Plants.— If we 
want to know how much substance a 
plant gets from the air and how- much 
from the soil we have but to weigh the 
plant, bum it, and weigh the ashes. The 
ash is what came out of the earth. With 
most plants this is a very small proportion 
of the whole plant. 
Odontoglossum crispum Mossae. — 
The flowers of this variety are very hand¬ 
some indeed, being heavily blotched and 
marbled with dark purple on a white 
ground, the markings forming a very in¬ 
tricate pattern. A First-class Certificate 
was accorded at the meeting of the R.H.S. 
on the 5th in s t. to J. S. Moss, Esq. (gar¬ 
dener, Mr. C. Rench), Wmtershill Hail, 
.Bishop’s Waltham. 
The “New Poisons Bill. - ’— Clause 2 
of the “'New Poisons Bill,” read a first 
time in the House of Commons on Febru¬ 
ary 22nd, will make it legal for the hor¬ 
ticultural and agricultural trades to retail 
poisonous preparations. The new regu¬ 
lations proposed in this clause practically 
contain the amendment of the law for 
which the Traders in Poisons Society 
has been agitating for the past four 
years. The Government, it is expected, 
will push the Bill forward ; it has already 
passed the House of Lords, and is stiongly 
advocated as a necessity by the Board of 
Agriculture, so that there is very little 
doubt about it passing. 
Lady-Birds and Aphides.— Reaumur 
calculated that the progeny of a single 
aphis, reckoned to the fifth generation only 
would, if unchecked, amount to no fewer 
than 5,904,900,000 specimens. There is 
scarcelv a plant which is not attacked by 
some varieties of aphis—leaves, stem, 
fruit, and even roots being alike the scene 
of their destructive operations. Rose 
trees and other garden plants are blighted 
by them, whilst we read of \\ Mow and 
Poplar trees, 30ft. or 40ft. high, being 
utterly destroved by their attacks. The 
lady-birds (Coccinefla), a genus of pretty 
little beetles, feed entirely on the aphides, 
both adults and larvae attacking and de¬ 
vouring these most destructive insects. 
Dr. Johnson and Scotch Gardeners. 
—The immortal Boswell, in his life of 
Johnson, says, “He (Dr. Johnson) played 
off his wit against Scotland with a good- 
humoured pleasantry, which gave me, 
though no bigot to national prejudices, 
an opportunity for a little contest with 
him. I having said that England was 
obliged to us for gardeners, almost all 
their good gardeners being Scotchmen— 
Johnson : • Why, Sir, that is because gar¬ 
dening is much more necessary amongst 
you than with us, which makes so man} 
of your people learn it. It is all garden¬ 
ing with you. Things which grow 7 wild 
here, must be cultivated with great care 
in Scotland. Pray now,' throwing him¬ 
self back in his chair, and laughing, ‘ are 
vou ever able to bring the sloe to perfec¬ 
tion?”’ 
