June  10,  1597. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
503 
■January.  The  soil  should  be  half  fibrous  loam,  a  quarter  leaf  soil, 
and  a  quarter  rotted  cow  manure,  to  which  should  be  added  about 
one-third  sand  when  about  to  use  it,  for  it  is  well  to  lay  up  the 
soil  some  two  months  before  using  it.  Take  care  to  bring  the  soil 
into  the  bouse  to  warm  before  using  it,  so  the  roots  may  be 
promptly  encouraged  to  at  once  throw  themselves  out. 
Best  House  for  Amaryllis. 
Just  a  remark  or  two  about  the  best  house  for  Amaryllis. 
They  seem  to  do  well  in  any  light  airy  structure  ;  at  Lady 
Hambledon’s  Mr.  Perkins  had  them  on  the  Peach  house  shelves, 
where  Strawberries  are  placed  for  fruiting.  Most  of  the  growers  have 
■followed  M.  Da  Graaf  in  placing  them  in  a  span-roofed  house, 
running  north  and  south,  with  a  central  bed,  for  flowering  the 
collection,  and  a  bed  on  either  side  for  the  seedling  plants.  I  do 
not  grow  on  artificial  bottom  heat,  but  had  on  raised  beds  some  2  feet 
deep,  filled  with  fresh  tan,  in  which  the  pots  are  plunged  into  the  rims. 
No  water  is  given  until  the  leaves  or  spikes  begin  to  throw  up, 
showing  root  action,  when  a  good  watering  may  be  given.  An 
occasional  syringe  of  the  leaves  is  good.  As  the  spikes  throw  up 
stake  them.  I  grow  in  a  somewhat  lower  temperature  than  many 
growers,  though  my  Hippeastrum  house  varies  in  temperature  at 
the  two  ends,  one-half  has  six  pipes,  another  only  four,  so  that  the 
time  of  flowering  is  thereby  prolonged.  A  temperature  of  about 
60°  is  quite  high  enough,  sinking  to  45°,  or  even  lower,  at  night. 
On  sunny  days  air  may  be  given,  sparingly  at  first,  and  more  when 
the  foliage  is  well  up.  Move  the  plants  when  in  flower  under  a 
shady  part,  or  to  the  conservatory  or  a  cool  house. 
After  the  flowering  is  past  encourage  the  growth  by  continuous 
watering  and  some  gentle  stimulant  until  September,  then  they 
may  be  gradually  dried  off,  and  put  away — pots,  soil,  and  all — on  to 
a  dry  frost-proof  shelf,  or  under  dry  drip-proof  stages,  being  after 
this  stage  kept  without  water  until  the  time  of  repotting  comes. 
Seeding. 
All  flowers  should  be  cross-fertilised,  either  with  the  other 
flower  on  the  spike  or  with  good  other  sorts  in  flower  at  the  same 
time.  Remove  the  anthers  from  the  plants  to  be  seeded,  apply  the 
pollen,  and  a  certain  number  of  seed  pods  usually  result.  The 
seed  ripening,  in  some  six  weeks’  time,  I  prefer  to  sow  at  once,  and 
to  keep  the  seedlings  growing  a#  evergreens  for  the  next  two  years. 
They  may  be  propagated  by  the  removal  and  repotting  in  small 
pots  of  the  side  offsets.  These  are  not  numerous,  and  only  worth 
securing  in  the  case  of  very  choice  kinds.  Seed  is  easily  secured, 
and  the  seedlings  usually  produce  a  proportion  of  good  kinds.  If 
hybridised  the  chances  of  stronger  progeny  is  better,  care  being 
taken  to  have  good  vigorous  seed- bearers.  As  to  whether  they  are 
worth  the  culture  (it  is  simple)  I  think,  looking  at  the  beautiful 
flowers  we  have,  it  is.  They  are  very  showy,  bloom  at  a  time  of 
year  we  welcome  all  flowers,  are  useful  for  home  decoration  as 
plants  or  cut  flowers,  and  have  at  least  an  interesting  history. — 
I Read  by  Mr.  Geo.  Paul  at  a  meeting  of  the  Horticultural  Club.) 
ACROSS  THE  CHANNEL. 
Anyone  interested  in  gardening,  who  may  happen  to  visit 
Paris  in  the  month  of  April,  should  not  fail  to  have  a  run  through 
the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  for  I  think  its  aspect  is  then  more  beautiful 
and  varied  than  at  any  other  period.  A  very  delightful  way  of 
seeing  the  "‘Bois  ”  is  to  take  a  “  fiacre,”  and  go  for  an  hour  or  two’s 
drive  along  its  fine  avenues  of  Chestnuts  and  Planes,  and  through 
the  woods  of  Poplars,  Limes,  Oaks,  and  Beeches  then  just  budding 
into  new  growth.  A  further  charm  is  added  by  the  wild  plants 
in  flower — Polyanthus,  Lychnis,  and  Periwinkle. 
The  lakes  and  the  several  small,  well-wooded  islands  form  an 
attractive  feature  of  this  park.  Their  banks  are  clothed  with  the 
Weeping  Willow,  Ash,  and  Beech,  and  many  specimens  in  flower 
of  Magnolia  conspicua,  Forsythias,  Prunus,  Ribes,  and  Berberis. 
The  islands  are  chiefly  planted  with  evergreen  trees  and  shrubs 
interspersed  with  Magnolias,  Acers,  and  the  deciduous  Cypress. 
If  we  follow  the  road  by  the  side  of  the  lake  in  the  direction  of 
Longchamps  racecourse,  we  shall  pass  several  effective  waterfalls 
pursuing  their  course  between  rocks  clad  with  Ivy  or  other 
creepers,  and  surrounded  and  shaded  by  the  Birch,  Ash,  Pine, 
and  Willow. 
Bearing  to  the  right  we  presently  emerge  from  the  wood  to  find 
a  fine  panorama  of  sylvan  scenery  stretched  before  us.  Nestling 
on  the.wooded  slopes  of  the  distant  hills,  Sevres  and  Saint  Cloud 
may  be  distinguished,  while  to  the  right  of  these  Mont  Yalerien 
stands  out  clearly  above  the  village  of  Auteuiland  the  Seine  valley. 
On  our  return  journey  we  pass  “  La  Grande  Cascade,”  where  the 
water  falls  from  a  height  of  perhaps  50  feet  over  rocks,  clothed 
qvith  luxuriant  vegetation. 
The  “Jardin  d’Aeclimatation  ” — the  Regent’s  Park  of  Paris — is 
situated  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne.  It  is  interesting  to  the  lover  of 
horticulture  and  zoology  alike,  and  a  short  time  may  be  very 
pleasantly  spent  there.  A  novel  and  enjoyable  way  to  reach  it  is 
to  take  the  miniature  pony  tram  from  the  entrance  gate  of  the 
park.  The  journey,  which  occupies  about  ten  minutes,  takes  one 
right  through  the  dells  and  glades  of  the  “Bois.”  Inside  the 
Jardin  d’Acclimatation  the  grounds  are  of  a  different  nature.  The 
flower  beds  are  bright  with  Wallflowers,  Aubrietias,  Polyanthus, 
Myosotis,  Tulips,  and  Hyacinths.  These,  together  with  the  various 
flowering  shrubs  of  Prunus,  Forsythias,  and  Pyrus  contrasting 
pleasingly  with  the  many  tints  of  foliage  in  the  background. 
As  one  enters  the  gardens,  on  the  right  is  a  block  of  houses 
devoted  to  the  culture  of  Palms.  These  contain  quantities  of 
fine  healthy  looking  plants  of  Phoenix  reclinata,  Latania  bor- 
bonica.  Iventia  Belmoreana,  Areca  lutescens,  Rhaphis  flabelliformis, 
Geonoma  gracilis,  Cocos  Weddelliana,  and  others. 
But  the  chief  horticultural  feature  of  the  Jardin  d’Acclimata¬ 
tion  is  the  large  “Jardin  d’Hiver,”  situated  to  the  left  of  the  main 
entrance.  It  may  be  described  as  an  oblong  building,  about 
50  yards  long,  by  20  yards  wide,  and  30  yards  high.  It  has  a 
curiously  shaped  roof,  consisting  of  a  series  of  semicircular  ridges. 
Adjoining  one  side  of  the  house,  and  running  the  full  length  of  it,  is 
a  conservatory.  On  the  opposite  side  there  are  several  small  span- 
roofed  stoves,  all  opening  into  the  larger  house.  The  centre  beds 
of  the  conservatory  are  planted  with  fine  pyramidal  shaped  speci¬ 
mens  of  Camellia  reticulata,  C.  Spoffortiana,  and  C.  Ivilvingtonia  ; 
graceful  Grevilleas,  sweetly  scented  Indian  Rhododendrons,  and 
Acacias  adorn  the  sides.  The  groundwork  of  Selaginella  is 
relieved  by  various  flowering  plants  in  pots  plunged  in  the  bed, 
the  distinct  blue  and  rose-coloured  Cineraria  being  especially 
striking. 
The  stoves  contain  collections  of  ornamental  foliage  plants, 
Orchids  and  Bromeliads.  The  interior  of  the  large  glass  house 
into  which  the  others  mentioned  converge  is  very  tastefully  laid 
out.  A  broad  raised  walk  skirts  the  outer  edge  of  it,  and  below 
smaller  walks  with  graceful  curves  run  a’ongside,  or  sometimes 
cross  the  pretty  winding  stream  in  the  centre.  Clumps  of  Bamboos 
and  large  Strelitzias  are  planted  at  intervals  in  the  side  beds,  the 
spaces  between  being  filled  with  Bsgonias,  Aspidistras  and 
Tradescantias.  The  water  is  flanked  on  each  side  by  a  beautiful 
green  carpet  of  Lycopodium,  dotted  here  and  there  with  Primula 
obconica,  Cinerarias,  Genistas,  Clivias,  Azileas,  Begonias,  and  other 
plants  in  flower. 
Palms  succeed  here  admirably.  The  specimens  of  Seaforthia 
elegans,  Areca  sapida,  Sabal  umbraculifera,  Cocos  australis, 
C.  Romanzoffiana,  and  Rhaphis  flabelliformis  are  really  fine. 
Other  noticeable  plants  growing  luxuriantly  are  Acanthus  lusi- 
tanicus,  Ruscus  androgynus,  Caladium  esculentum,  Oreopanax 
dactylifolium,  and  Hebeclinium  ianthinum. 
The  rock  garden  and  dell  of  Tree  Ferns  at  one  end  of  the 
house  form  a  pretty  feature.  The  handsome  clumps  of  Dick- 
sonias,  Cyatheas,  and  Alsophilas  give  quite  a  tropical  aspect  to 
this  corner.  The  rock  work  is  almost  hidden  beneath  the  growths 
of  Begonias,  Panicum,  and  small  Ferns. 
Close  by  a  rustic  bridge  which  crosses  the  stream  is  a  splendid 
mass  of  Asparagus  plumosus  growing  in  great  profusion.  In  a 
large  corridor  leading  from  this  end  of  the  Jardin  d  Hiver  there 
are  some  remarkably  fine  specimens  of  Cocos  plumnsa  growing  in 
tubs,  and  certainly  not  less  than  40  feet  high. — H.  T. 
NON-PRODUCTIVE  STRAWBERRY  PLANTS. 
When  on  a  recent  vi»it  to  Tamworth  my  attention  wa3  drawn  to  a 
large  quarter  of  President  Strawberry  plants  in  a  most  vigorous  state  of 
health,  but  not  a  single  truss  of  flower  was  to  be  seen  ;  whilst  several 
other  varieties,  including  Royal  Sovereign,  growing  close  by  under  the 
same  treatment  were  in  abundant  bloom.  The  owner  contemplated 
preserving  them  (th®  plants  in  question)  for  another  season  in  the  hope 
that  they  might  prove  productive  of  fruit,  but  on  my  recommendation 
purposes  to  chop  them  up  at  once  and  plant  the  space  with  \  iolas  for 
sale  when  established. 
So  far  as  I  am  cognisant  the  real  cause  of  this  abnormal  condition  so 
frequently  observed  amongst  Strawberry  plants  remains  a  mystery, 
though  more  than  one  theory  has  been  hazarded  by  growers  and  physio¬ 
logists  towards  a  solution  of  the  problem. 
Apparently  this  lack  of  fructification  is  a  constitutional  defect  pos¬ 
sessed  by  certain  varieties,  and  which  is  augmented  by  over-feeding 
whilst  in  the  growing  state.  The  matter  is  worthy  of  the  serious 
attention  of  the  scientist,  though  the  most  drastic  measure  would  be  iO 
destroy  such  plants  at  once.  ,  T 
Cows  appear  to  be  very  fond  of  the  foliage  of  btrawbeines,  and  1 
recommended  my  Tamworth  friend  to  fodder  his  own  cows  with  that  of 
the  blind  plants,  jocosely  remarking  that  thereby  the  cow’s  ’aboratory 
might  produce  him  “Strawberries  and  cream”  ad  libitum  without 
further  trouble. — Querist. 
