THE GARDENING WORLD 
469 
July 13, 1907. 
-A Hardy- 
Slipperwort 
(Cypripedium hirsutum). 
The accompanying illustration shows 
an easily grown and rather showy hardy 
Cypripedium. The stems are leafy and 
usually about 10 in. to 12 in. in height. 
They, as well as the ribbed leaves, are 
downy, as the specific name is intended 
to indicate. They make their growth 
in spring, and each stem ends in a single 
flower of good size. The upper sepal is 
deep brown when it first expands, but 
fades a little with age. The petals are 
similar in colour, but lighter, and soon 
change to a dusky yellow, spotted with 
purple, and are beautifully twisted. The 
much inflated lip is bright yellow, and' 
makes a fine contrast to the sepals and 
petals. The species is most nearly 
allied to C. pubescens and our native C. 
Calceolus. 
Although these hairy Slipperworts may 
be grown upon the rockery, it is seldom 
that they are placed under suitable con¬ 
ditions to enable them to pass through 
the summer in our climate. They should 
be planted in a peaty soil that keeps 
moist during the summer. Possibly a 
little sphagnum in the soil would help 
to retain moisture where the situation is 
inclined to be dry. Under pot culture 
they are more tractable, because proper 
conditions can be given them and plenty 
of water, together with shade, if neces¬ 
sary, when they are making their growth 
and flowering, if the weather should hap¬ 
pen to be dry and hot at the time. 
A Dwarf 
Hock Alyssum 
(Alyssum saxatile Tom Thumb). 
The ordinary form of the Rock 
Alyssum is fairly well known in gardens, 
but there is still room for extended cul¬ 
tivation in every garden which possesses 
a rockery or even narrow border or edg¬ 
ing where this rock plant would be seen 
:o best advantage. 
The dwarf variety under notice is 
much more compact than the ordinary 
form, being truly a pygmy, with smaller, 
silvery-grey leaves and shorter stems. 
The latter, when in bloom, are only 
1% in. to 3 in. high, while they are - 
freely branched, producing a wealth of 
deep yellow flowers. It is much more 
suitable for small rockeries than the 
common form. Propagation may be 
effected by seeds or cuttings, but the 
latter would perpetuate the plant true to 
its dwarf habit, whereas some of the seed¬ 
lings might be inclined to grow taller, 
that is, to revert to the original. This 
remains to be proved, however, and it is 
Always interesting to ascertain what can 
ae produced from the seeds of plants that 
are inclined to vary. Propagation may 
be effected at the present time by taking 
aff short leafy shoots ana inserting them 
Cypripedium hirsutum. Madaren and Sons. 
Iris Mr. W. S. Ware. 
The above is a Spanish Iris with soft 
yellow falls having a rounded blade and 
an orange blotch in the centre. The 
standards are paler. Award of Merit by 
the R.H.S. on the 25th ult. when shown 
by Messrs. H. Homan and Sons. 
Destructive Insects and Pests Bill. 
On June 18th the House of Commons 
went into Committee on this Bill. On 
Clause 1 Sir E. Strachey said the Bill 
gave protection against disease. It gave 
power to the Board of Agriculture to make 
orders to enable county councils to take 
steps to prevent Gooseberry mildew. 
There was a serious outbreak in Worces¬ 
tershire. This clause and the remaining 
clauses were agreed to, and the Bill 
passed through Committee. 
firmly in pots of very sandy soil, placing 
them in a cold frame, or under a hand- 
light, to be kept close until they show 
signs of having rooted. During very 
bright sunshine shade would be advan¬ 
tageous to prevent the leaves from flag¬ 
ging until the cuttings have callused and 
commenced to absorb a sufficiency of 
moisture. 
Fruit from Natal. 
The first serious attempt to place Natal 
fruits on the English market has just 
been made. During the present year 
30,000 cases of Citrus fruits--Naartjes, 
Mandarins, Mandarin Oranges, etc.—will 
arrive in London, representing 1,500,000 
fruits; while there will also be a large 
quantity of Natal Pineapples. 
Madaren and Sons. 
Tom Thumb Rock Alyssum (Alyssum saxatile Tom Thumb). 
