April  8,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
289 
-of  his  rather  curious  works  was  a  treatise  upon  raising  trees  from 
leaves,  another  was  upon  the  modes  of  developing  double  flowers. 
His  “Eden,  a  Complete  Body  of  Gardening,”  was  a  handsome  folio 
with  coloured  plates. 
People  thought  themselves  fortunate  who  obtained  leave  to 
visit  the  garden  of  Comte  de  Yande  at  Bayswater,  for  though  the 
extent  was  only  2  acres,  it  had  a  number  of  plants  representing  the 
Flora  of  every  known  country,  and  a  special  collection  of  Roses. 
One  of  the  oldest  nurseries  at  Bayswater  was  upon  Craven  Hill, 
go  named  from  Lord  Craven,  who  had  a  mansion  in  Drury  Lane 
during  the  seventeenth  century,  and  gave  a  plot  of  ground  outside 
London  to  be  used  as  a  “pest  field”  should  the  plague  break  out 
again.  No  burials  took  place  there,  and  after  the  nursery  aDd 
market  garden  had  for  some  years  occupied  the  spot,  the  last 
possessors,  Hopgood  &  Co.,  removed  westward  about  1844,  and 
houses  were  built  on  the  slope.  Twenty  years  ago  Mr.  Burley’s 
establishment  at  Hereford  Road  had  some  remarkable  plants, 
amongst  them  Aspidistra  punctata,  the  purplish  flowers  of  which 
are  developed  under  the  soil,  where  they  usually  mature  without 
coming  to  the  daylight.  This  suburb  afforded  a  home  to  the 
illustrious  J.  C.  Loudon  during  the  later  years  of  his  life. — 
J  R.  S.  C. 
SCOPOLIA  FLADNICHIANA. 
“  F.  D.  B.”  is  perfectly  correct  in  surmising  that  this  plant  is 
comparatively  little  known  or  grown.  It  was,  however,  exhibited  some 
years  ago  by  Messrs.  G.  Paul  &  Son,  The  Old  Nurseries,  Cheshunt,  and 
was  adjudged  an  a^ard  of  merit  by  the  Floral  Committee  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society  at  the  Drill  Hall.  It  is  rather  a  robust  growing 
herbaceous  plant,  wifh  bright  green  leaves,  and  pretty  bell-shaped  pale 
yellow  flowers.  This  plant  seems  perfectly  hardy  on  the  summit  of  the 
rockwork  at  Cheshunt.  It  is  a  Central  European  plant — Hungarian  or 
Bohemian — and  blooming  as  it  does  early  in  March  with  flowers 
apparently  frost-proof  it  looks  like  a  valuable  addition  to  the  hardy 
spring  flower  garden.  Fig.  63  represents  the  flowers  and  foliage. 
HELIOTROPES. 
These  deliciously  scented  flowers  have  long  been  great  favourites 
by  all  who  have  a  garden,  and  thousands  who  cannot  boast  of  a 
garden  plot  cherish  and  tend  with  assiduous  care  a  few  plants  in 
pots.  Like  the  Fuchsia,  the  Heliotrope  when  first  introduced  into 
this  country  rapidly  became  a  general  favourite.  Although  the 
flowers  of  the  original  form  of  peruviauum  were  not  particularly 
showy  the  odour  they  emitted  was  *o  exquisite  that  many  a 
gorgeou*  scentless  bloisom  was  rejected  for  a  spray  of  “  Cherry 
Pie.” 
As  a  nation  we  Britishers  are  by  no  means  devoid  of  a  love  of 
display,  but  in  the  matter  of  flowers  the  majority  show  good  ta»te 
in  considering  no  blossom  perfect,  however  beautiful  it  may  be,  if 
it  lack  perfume  ;  but  fortunately  there  are  many  flowers  which 
are  delightful  in  colour,  almost  perfect  in  form,  as  well  as 
delicious  in  scent — a  combination  of  good  qualities  to  be  found  in 
the  Rose.  In  selecting  this  for  their  national  emblem,  I  often 
think  the  English  showed  that  marked  amount  of  shrewdness  which 
is  generally  associated  with  the  canny  Scot  ;  but  I  doubt  not  that 
some  of  our  friends  across  the  border  will  be  prepared  to  stand  up 
as  champions  of  the  “  Thistle,”  though  perhaps  scarcely  to  claim  for 
it  the  beauty  of  the  Rose. 
It  is  now  the  order  of  the  day  to  utilise  a  great  variety  of 
plants  for  summer  bedding,  and  those  which  produce  fragrant 
•flowers  are  perhaps  more  popular  than  ever.  Heliotropes  are 
well  adapted  for  this  style  of  bedding,  and  many  of  the  newer 
varieties  have  really  attractive  flowers  in  shades  of  colour  peculiarly 
their  own.  What  can  be  more  beautiful  in  its  way  than  a  large 
bed  planted  alternately  with  yellow  Calceolarias  and  Heliotrope 
Madame  D  iurel  ?  I  know  of  no  other  summer-flowering  plant 
adapted  for  bedding  which  produces  flowers  of  so  fine  a  shade 
of  violet  blue  as  does  the  first-named  Heliotrope.  Another 
good  method  of  arrangement  is  to  confine  the  plants  to  a  single 
stem  till  they  are  about  2  feet  in  height,  then  remove  the  point, 
which  will  cause  them  to  branch  freely.  If  these  are  disposed 
3  feet  apart  in  beds,  and  the  groundwork  filled  in  with  dwarf 
yellow  Antirrhinums  or  Calceolarias  an  excellent  effect  is  obtained 
to  please  the  eye,  and  a  delicious  odour  to  gratify  the  smell.  Well- 
grown  standards  might  also  more  frequently  be  used  with  advantage 
in  the  same  way  that  standard  Pelargoniums  are. 
When  once  grown  into  the  requisite  size  and  form  they  can 
be  easily  potted  up  in  the  early  autumn,  and  kept  as  cool  as  safety 
permits  throughout  the  winter,  to  enable  them  to  recoup  their 
energies  for  another  season’s  work.  These  are  only  a  few  of  the 
many  ways  by  which  the  scent  of  “  Cherry  Pie  ”  may  become  more 
plentiful  in  our  gardens.  The  chief  point  to  consider  now  is  to 
provide  an  ample  stock  of  plants  ready  for  planting  out  during  the 
first  week  in  June. 
Good  cuttings  inserted  now  in  propagating  houses,  vineries,  or 
pits  will,  with  proper  attention,  make  good  plants  by  that  time. 
A  simple  method  of  propagating  is  to  insert  the  cuttings  in  boxes 
6  inches  in  depth.  An  inch  of  finely  broken  crocks  placed  in  the 
bottom  insures  ample  drainage.  Over  this  place  3  inches  of  light 
sandy  soil  pressed  firmly,  then  dibble  in  the  cuttings,  water 
thoroughly,  and  cover  the  boxes  with  squares  of  glass.  In  these 
close  miniature  frames  the  cuttings  root  quickly,  either  when 
placed  in  full  sunshine  or  in  a  partially  shaded  position.  Some- 
FIG-.  63.— SCOPOLIA  FLADNICHIANA. 
times,  ho  ivever,  if  too  much  shade  is  given  the  cuttings  show  a 
tendency  to  “  damp  off.”  When  this  state  of  affair*  is  discovered 
the  boxes  should;  be  at  once  placed  in  a  sunny  position  near  the 
glass,  or  on  the;  hot- water  pipes,  and  no  further  loss  need  be 
feared. 
When  the  cuttings  begin  to  grow  the  glass  must  be  removed, 
and  a  week  later  each  young  plant  transferred  to  a  3-inch  pot, 
using  a  compost  of  two  parts  loam  and  one  of  leaf  soil.  Ten  days 
after  this  operation  has  been  performed  the  points  ought  to  be 
removed  from  those  intended  for  growing  in  the  form  of  bushes, 
and  a  stake  placed  to  others  which  are  to  be  confined  to  a  single 
stem.  At  this  season  the  young  plants  make  rapid  progress,  and 
will  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks  be  ready  for  a  shift  into  6-inch 
pots.  At  this  potting  a  little  refuse  from  a  spent  Mushroom  bed 
should  be  mixed  with  the  soil,  which  ought  to  be  pressed  very 
firmly,  with  the  object  of  inducing  sturdy  growth.  In  order  to 
obtain  good  sized  plant*  they  should  be  kept  in  an  intermediate 
house  or  vinery  till  the  middle  of  May  and  then  be  gradually 
hardened  by  placing  them  in  cold  pits.  If  numbers  of  old  plants 
in  5  or  6-inch  pots  are  now  at  command  they  should  be  repotted, 
removing  at  the  same  time  all  but  the  two  *trongest  shoots,  and 
securing  these  to  a  neat  stake.  Examples  of  this  de»cription  will 
