May 1, 1903. 
THE -AUSTRALIAN GARDENER, 
15 
ard removal gives an opportunity of in- 
dulging in a yearly digging and manur- 
ing. 
CAMPANULA PRYRAMIDALIS. 
Tobacco Plants, Calceolarias, Mignon- 
ette, Night-scented Stocks, Candytuft, 
Godetias, Limnanthes Douglasii, Phlox 
Drummondii, Pansies, Forget-me-Nots, 
Violets, Lilies of the Valley, Solomon’s 
Seal, Dielytras, Asperula odorata, Soli- 
dugos, Foxgloves and Canterbury Bells are 
eighteen kinds of plants which have proved 
successful under this treatment. The 
perennials were replanted every two years 
after the leaves had fallen from the trees, 
which in the particular instance I have in 
mind were Limes.—E. J. C. 
PECCE SESS SE > 
THE CANDLEBERRY GALE. 
Growing in the Melbourne Botanic 
Gardens, also to be found occasionally in 
private gardens, is the Candleberry Gale, 
or Myrica cerifera, a dwarf deciduous 
strub, not of striking appearance, but well 
worth a place in the shrubbery, on account 
of the delightful fragrance its leaves give 
off when slightly bruised. The bush does 
kest. in.a moist peaty soil. , It bears in 
profusion wax-like berries, which in parts 
of the United States of America are 
made into candles which burn with a 
sweet smell. Kalm, a Swedish naturalist, 
wiote of the Candleberry bush as follows: 
—-“There is a plant from which. a kind of 
wax or tallow is made, and for that rea- 
gon it is called the ‘tallow shrub. The 
berries look as if flour had been strewd 
on them. ‘They are gathered late in 
autumn, being ripe about that time, and 
are thrown into a kettle or potful of boil- 
ing water. By this means their fat melts 
out, floats at the top of the water, and may 
he skimmed off into a vessel; with the 
skimming they go on till there is no tallow 
left. The tallow, as soon as it is con- 
gcaled, looks like common tallow or wax, 
but has a dirty green color.’ By being 
melted over and refined it acquires a fine 
and transparent green color. This tallow 
is dearer than common tallow,’ but cheaper 
than wax. Candles of this do not easily 
bend or melt in summer, as common can- 
dle: do. They burn better and slower. 
nor do they cause any smoke, but yield 
rather an agreeable smell when they are 
extinguished. In Carolina they not only 
make candles out of the wax of the berries, 
but likewise sealing-wax.’’ Some persons 
put the candles out on purpose that they 
may have the incense of the expiring 
snuff. The plant is propagated by seeds 
and by layers—‘“Australasian.”? — 
= GEO 5SEO26 = 
Pope Leo XIII. does not mind how 
strong are the perfumes of flowers, and 
annually delights in the Narcissi, Hyacin- 
thus, and Lilies of the Vatican garden. 
Having had during the past summer 
sume unusually fine plants of Campanula 
pyramidalis, I have pleasure in giving a 
few details as to the method of culture fol- 
lowed. 
The seeds were sown at the end of March 
in shallow boxes, only slightly covered 
wiih fine.soil, and placed in a warm house. 
413 soon as the young seedlings were large 
eucugh to handle they were pricked off 
intu larger boxes. After becoming estab- 
lished in the boxés they were subjected to 
ccoler treatment, and finally towards the 
end of autumn were planted in a cold 
frame, in which they were wintered, the 
lights being off on all possible occasions. . 
About the end of the following August 
they were planted out in the garden on 
a piece of spare. ground, and received no 
further attention than an occasional hoe- 
ing. In December and January some of 
the stronger plants threw up flower spikes, 
hut owing to the late sowing they were 
not very fine. About forty of the weakest 
of them were allowed to remain in their 
position, where they made fine clumps and 
stood the winter. In the following March 
tl.ey were dug up and potted in 6-in., 7-in., 
and 8-in. pots. Many of the large roots 
had to be cut off to get them into the 
pots, but they appeared to suffer but little 
from: it. 
After potting, the plants were stood out- 
side in a sheltered position until the color 
of the flower could be seen, when they 
were placed under glass. I should say 
that as soon as the flower spikes began, to 
appear they were frequently fed with 
manure water. When fully developed 
they made grand objects for house and 
conservatory decoration. The best plants 
liad twenty-seven fully developed spikes in 
an, 8-in. pot, and the smallest out of forty 
plants had twelve/spikes in a 6-in—average 
for the lot more than twenty. The strain 
was Suttons’ white and blue. 4 
It may be said that they were on the 
ground a long time, but by sowing every 
March a succession of fine plants may be 
had every season; and, further, this 
method of culture is well within the means 
of most amateurs. We have, of course, 
grcwn them in a quicker way, but we find 
it necessary to sow very early in the gea- 
scn and. grow in heat for some time to get 
good plants for flowering the following 
summer, and then we do not get them with 
twenty-seven spikes. Further, during the 
early part of the year most of our boxes, 
pans, hothouses, &c., are full up with bed- 
ding stuff, whereas in March plenty ot 
bexes and pans are lying empty, and can 
be utilised for seed sowing.—H. W. 
+ BQeesesee 
The children of HR. the Duchess of 
Fife, are busy growing Hyacinths in glasses 
ou their nursery window sills. 
EURYA JAPONICA LATIFOLIA 
VARIEGATA. 
A BEAUTIFUL FOLIAGE PLaN at 
FOR THE COLD GREENHOUSE. 
I seldom see this plant without wishing 
that its merits were better known to thé 
large class of gardeners styled amateurs. 
- The professional gardener, as a rule, xnows 
it’ well, and does not hesitate to take full 
advantage of its useful qualities: For 
decorating halls and corridors, dwelling 
rooms and cold conservatories, this plant is 
very hard to beat, and it may be employed 
in all sizes, from the pigmy in the 3-inch 
pot to the specimen plant in the 12-:nch 
size. 
Cuttings strike freely, although, perhaps, 
a little slowly, as the plant is hard-wooded. 
Young shoots, about half ripe, are the best. 
to use, and they should have the assistance 
of the propagating case until roots are 
emitted. Several may be inserted around 
the edges of a pot, but they should be each 
given a receptacle to itself when well 
rooted. f 
A, quite cool house will grow the plants 
well when they are established, and they 
may be pinched into any shape desired. 
Syringings are helpful in promoting 
growth and keeping down red spider, which 
sometimes attacks plants in hot, dry places. 
A. light, sandy loam suits this Eurya very 
well; but many growers give it peat in 
order to save frequent repotting, and in- 
crease the variegation of the leaves. 
Reais. 
FEOSEOOSE = 
NUTRITIVE BANANAS, 
Alexander Von Humboldt estimated 
that a banana plantation will feed 25 
human beings where a potato field of the 
same size would support but two, and a 
wheat farm only one. He also ascertained 
that chestnut groves, wiu full-grown 
trees, produce six times as much food per 
acre as any cereal crop. In view of these 
facts it has been suggested, says the 
“Family Doctor,” that a time may come 
when the staples of human food will be 
mainly derived from trees, greatly to the 
advantage of the race. 
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