April  12,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
311 
CARDEH.Cl£EANINCS 
Corylopsls. — A  common  failing  among  many  of  the  earliest  of 
our  shrubs  is  their  inability  to  withstand  a  sharp  night’s  frost  when  in 
flower.  The  subject  of  this  note  is  among  the  number  of  genera 
which  exhibit  this  shortcoming  ;  yet  when  a  plant  of  either  of  the 
species  is  seen  at  its  best  it  commands  a  large  amount  of  attention. 
To  be  sure  of  saving  the  flowers  a  few  plants  should  be  lifted  and  put 
in  a  cool  house  or  frame  from  which  frost  is  excluded.  Early  in 
March  they  will  commence  to  flower  and  form  most  useful  plants  for 
decoration  of  room  or  conservatory.  There  are  several  species,  but 
two  only  can  be  obtained  in  quantity.  Those  are  C.  pauciflora  and 
C.  spicata.  The  first  named  is  a  good  example  of  bad  naming,  as  it  is 
one  of  the  most  profuse  flowering  plants  imaginable.  The  flowers  are 
primrose  yellow  and  borne  in  drooping  catkins  of  two  or  three  flowers, 
each  from  every  bud  on  the  previous  year’s  wood.  Altogether  it  makes 
a  charming  picture.  C.  spicata  is  a  stronger,  stiffer  growing  plant, 
bearing  catkins,  often  3  inches  long,  of  yellow  flowers  with  prominent 
red  anthers.  Both  are  Japanese  plants. — W.  D. 
Sphaeralcea  abutlloldes. — There  are  large  numbers  of  very 
beautiful  flowering  plants  included  in  the  Malva  family  which  are 
well  known  in  gardens ;  the  one  under  notice,  however,  is  seldom 
seen.  It  is  a  native  of  the  Bahamas,  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  of  our 
indoor  exotic  plants,  having  been  introduced  nearly  two  centuries 
ago.  If  left  alone  it  makes  a  tall,  straggling  plant,  with  a  few  leaves, 
the  branches  being  terminated  by  large  heads  of  flowers.  If,  how¬ 
ever,  when  young,  it  is  kept  well  pinched,  four  or  five  good  shoots 
may  be  had  which  will  each  bear  a  large  quantity  of  blossom.  The 
leaves  are  very  like  those  of  the  Abutilon  in  shape,  but  are  whitish, 
through  the  presence  of  a  large  quantity  of  downy  hairs.  The  flowers 
are  rose-coloured,  1  to  Ij  inch  across,  and  produced  several  together 
on  fairly  long  stalks  from  each  leaf  axil  near  the  apex  of  the  shoot. 
Its  usual  flowering  period  is  summer,  but  by  starting  late  in  the 
spring  and  keeping  well  stopped,  it  may  be  had  in  flower  in  March,  a 
time  when  indoor  flowers  are  more  appreciated.  Capital  little  pot 
plants  9  inches  high  bearing  large  quantities  of  flowers  may  be  had  by 
rooting  cuttings  in  July  and  growing  them  in  4  or  5-inch  pots  through 
the  winter.  An  intermediate  temperature,  and  a  compost  similar  to 
that  used  for  Abutilons,  will  suit  its  requirements. — R.  G.  K. 
“  The  Flora  of  PTount  Kosciusko,” — Such  was  the  title  of  a 
lecture  given  in  Sydney  by  Mr.  J.  H,  Maiden,  Director  of  the  Botanic 
Gardens  of  that  city.  The  highest  mountain  in  Australia  does  not 
boast  of  flowers  which  may  be  termed  showy,  but  many  of  them  possess 
a  beauty  and  a  sweetness  particularly  their  own,  so  that  it  did  not 
seem  an  exaggeration  to  call  them  gems.  Vegetation  on  the  mountain 
ceased  at  an  altitude  of  6500  feet.  For  some  distance  only  one  kind  of 
tree  was  seen,  the  Snow  Gum  (Eucalyptus  coriacea),  and  it  gradually 
diminished  in  size.  Above  were  wind-swept  plains,  plentitully  bestrewn 
with  dwarf  shrubs  and  tiny  herbs.  These  plains  are  dotted  over  with 
granite  masses,  in  the  interstices  of  which  a  number  of  interesting 
plants  thrived  in  addition  to  those  found  in  the  more  open  country.  By 
far  the  greater  number  of  the  flowers  were  white  in  colour,  yellow 
ranking  next.  There  was  only  one  plant  bearing  a  blue  flower — namely, 
Dianella  tasmanica.  Red  flowers  seem  to  be  entirely  absent  from  the 
plains.  That  was  different  from  what  obtained  in  the  Alps  of  Europe, 
where  flowers  of  many  colours  were  represented  in  a  space  little  more 
extensive  than  a  hand’s  breadth.  Not  many  plants  on  Kosciusko 
exhaled  perfumes.  Excluding  the  few  Rutacese  and  Myrtaceae,  whose 
leaves  only  emitted  an  odour  when  crushed,  the  notable  perfumes 
appeared  to  be  confined  to  the  genera  Epacris  and  Stackhousia.  Some 
specimens  of  the  former  on  the  mountain  exhaled  a  most  powerful 
odour  of  cloves,  which  was  observed  at  long  distances  from  the  blossoms. 
A  powerful  and  sweet  perfume  was  emitted  from  the  little  mats  formed 
by  the  Stackhousia  pulvinaris,  a  yellow  flowering  plant.  Many  of  the 
plants  exhibited  a  dwarfing  in  size.  Less  than  half  a  dozen  Ferns  were 
found.  There  were  no  epiphytal  Orchids,  and  only  few  terrestrial  ones. 
A  number  of  the  plant-gems  should  be  transferred  to  the  rockeries  and 
other  places  in  the  colder  parts  of  the  colony. — (“  Indian  Gardening.”) 
Gardeners  In  the  Olden  Time. — The  following  may  be  interest, 
ing,  as  illustrative  of  the  manners  of  the  gardeners  of  the  olden  time. 
In  1345  (19  Edw.  III.)  ”  the  gardeners  of  the  earls,  barons,  and  bishops, 
and  of  the  citizens  of  the  city  of  London”  petitioned  the  mayor,  John 
Hammond,  that  they  might  “  stand  in  peace  in  the  same  place  where 
they  had  been  wont  in  times  of  old,  in  front  of  the  church  of  St.  Austin, 
at  the  side  of  the  gate  of  St.  Paul’s  Churchyard,  there  to  sell  the  garden 
produce  of  their  said  masters,  and  make  their  profit.”  But  the  mayor, 
finding  that  “  the  scurrility,  clamour,  and  nuisance  of  the  gardeners  and 
their  Servants  there  selling  pods.  Cherries,  vegetables,  and  other  wares 
to  their  trade  pertaining Maily,  disturbed  ”  the  priests  in  the  church  of 
St.  Austin,  as  well  as  the  reputable  inhabitants,  ordered  that  henceforth 
the  gardeners  “  should  have  as  their  place,  the  space  between  the  south 
gate  of  the  churchyard  of  the  said  church  and  the  garden  wall  of  the 
Friars  Preachers  (Black  Friars)  at  Baynard’s  Castle.” 
Garden  Edgings. — The  mention  of  old  gas  piping,  in  the  note  on 
page  298,  as  posts  for  wire  fencing,  reminds  me  of  another  way  in 
which  it  can  be  utilised,  and  where  it  proves  very  neat  and  serviceable 
— namely,  as  an  edging  to  garden  paths.  When  I  took  my  present 
charge  some  eighteen  years  ago  the  Box  edging  in  the  kitchen  garden 
was  in  such  a  state  as  to  be  practically  useless.  Tiles  were  first 
suggested  as  a  substitute,  but  as  the  time  of  fixing,  labour,  and  cost  of 
material  were  all  considered,  and  there  were  something  over  1200  yards 
to  be  done,  I  decided  to  employ  old  1-inch  gas  piping,  of  which  a 
considerable  amount  could  be  purchased  cheaply,  and  which  could  be 
fixed  in  quite  one -twentieth  the  time.  The  ground  having  been  levelled 
and  made  firm,  the  lengths  were  laid  in  position,  joined  together  by 
round  blocks  of  wood  inserted  in  the  ends,  and  the  whole  made  firm 
with  neat  iron  staples  driven  in  at  intervals,  made  flat  at  the  top,  and 
with  round  sides  sufficiently  long  to  get  a  firm  grip. — A.  G.  B. 
Rhododendron  Shllsonl.  —  A  large  specimen  of  this  was 
presented  to  Kew  in  1898  by  the  raiser,  D.  H.  Shilson,  Esq.,  of 
Tremough,  Cornwall,  and  is  now  flowering  grandly  in  the  Himalayan 
house.  A  hybrid  between  two  of  the  showiest  Himalayan  species, 
R.  Thomsoni  and  R.  barbatum,  it  inherits  good  qualities  from  both. 
The  Kew  plant  is  9  feet  high,  by  the  same  in  diameter.  The  leaves 
1  are  about  the  same  in  size  and  colour  as  those  of  R.  Thomsoni,  but 
have  not  the  blunt  apex  of  that  species,  inclining  rather  to  the  more 
pointed  termination  of  R.  barbatum.  The  flowers  are  blood  red,  and 
borne  twelve  to  eighteen  together  in  the  conical  compact  truss  of 
barbatum.  In  size  they  are  much  larger  than  those  of  R.  barbatum, 
and  possess  the  waxy  texture  of  R.  Thomsoni.  The  chief  defect  of  the 
plant  is  its  earliness  of  flowering,  for  although  perfectly  hardy,  the 
flowers  are  apt  to  be  injured  by  late  spring  frosts  in  the  more  northern 
counties.  In  the  south-west  of  England  it  is  considered  one  of  the 
very  best  of  outdoor  hybrids. — Kewite. 
Early  Seed  Sowlngr.— I  have  often  met  with  gardeners,  though 
chiefly  of  the  amateur  element ,  who  like  to  boast  that  they  have  sown 
seeds,  planted  Potatoes,  and  done  many  things  a  month  before  sensible 
practical  gardeners  would  do  so.  That  may  seem  odd  cause  for  boasting, 
but  the  weaknesses  of  human  nature  descend  even  so  low  as  that.  It 
is  just  possible  that  the  present  season,  I  can  hardly  term  it  “spring  ” 
yet,  will  serve  to  open  the  eyes  of  some  who  want  teaching  as  to  the 
worthlessness  of  such  early  sowing,  whilst  soil  is  cold,  and  possibly 
wet,  the  sky  is  sunless,  and  the  air  cold  and  cheerless.  As  between 
sowing  seeds  in  March  and  April,  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  in 
securing  better  germination  and  quicker  and  more  robust  growth  the 
latter  month  has  the  advantage.  I  have  heard  this  season  so  many 
remarks  as  to  the  long  time  seeds  have  taken  to  germinate.  The  fault 
does  not  lie  in  the  seeds,  for  last  year’s  produce  was  of  the  very  best. 
It  lies  rather  in  the  committal  of  the  seeds  to  soil  that  is  yet  so 
incapable  of  promoting  growth,  and  with  an  atmospheric  temperature 
that  is  winterly  in  character.  The  hardiest  and  earliest  of  seeds  to 
make  growth  in  the  spring  time  are  those  of  weeds,  yet  I  have  not  seen 
growth  on  these  yet.  Early  sowing  has  been  aided  no  doubt  by  the 
admirable  condition  of  the  soil  generally  for  their  reception  except  on 
stiff  clays,  and  thus  many  persona  have  been  tempted  to  sow  too 
early.  A  few  mild  open  days  in  March  naturally  tempt  men  to 
get  in  many  crops,  but  almost  ere  committed  to  earth  cold  again 
returns  with  sharp  frosts  at  night,  and  possibly  keen  north  or  east 
winds,  hence  the  early  sowing  finds  no  gain.  Happy  are  those 
gardeners  who  have  plenty  of  movable  frames  at  their  disposal,  as  then 
so  many  things  can  be  raised  quickly  that  would,  in  the  ground  outside, 
simply  linger  in  the  soil  or  perhaps  die. — A.  D. 
