September  26, 1895 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
305 
without  minute  description,  as  I  have  yet  many  things  to  treat  of.  I 
must,  however,  not  forget  to  mention  a  new  variety  of  Asparagus  which 
struck  me  as  being  a  very  promising  one,  entirely  distinct  from  the  older 
introductions  ;  it  is  named  arborea  refracta.  Those  showy  old  plants, 
Imantophyllums,  are  largely  and  well  grown  ;  though  not  in  flower  their 
vigorous  healthy  leaves  were  quite  attractive.  Finely  grown  plants  of 
Show  and  Fancy  Pelargoniums  were  thinly  arranged  in  long,  light 
structures,  where  they  will  doubtless  make  a  grand  display  next  spring. 
Growing  in  the  open  air  near  the  houses  I  noticed  a  form  of 
Cupressus  quite  new  to  me.  The  inquiry  was  soon  made,  “  Oh!  what 
have  you  here?  something  good  I  presume?”  “Yes,”  was  the  reply, 
“  that  is  Cupressus  macrocarpa  lutea,  which  we  are  sending  out  this  year, 
and  consider  it  a  splendid  plant  for  conservatory  and  house  decoration, 
but  here  we  find  it  requires  a  little  protection  in  winter  if  planted  in 
the  open  air.”  The  colour  of  this  fine  shrub  is  good,  its  habit  light  and 
graceful,  but  to  my  mind  the  chief  feature  about  it  is  that  the  stem 
is  wonderfully  clean  and  straight,  and  the  outline  of  the  plant  even 
from  top  to  bottom.  The  geometrical  flower  garden  near  by  was  quite 
shorn  of  its  beauty,  as  the  Pelargonium  shoots  had  just  been  cut  to 
the  ground  and  inserted  as  cuttings  for  next  year’s  supply.  A  long 
drive  from  the  entrance  to  the  nursery  was,  however,  gay  on  both  sides 
with  lines  of  Tuberous  Begonias  of  distinct  shades  of  colour,  producing 
a  novel  and  beautiful  effect. 
In  the  quarters  devoted  to  herbaceous  and  other  hardy  flowering  plants 
there  was  abundant  material  to  provide  a  feast  of  beauty  to  the  eye 
and  interest  to  the  mind.  How  showy  and  unique  in  appearance  the 
Montbretias  were — gems  indeed  for  any  garden.  Then  the  Liliums  of  the 
speciosum  type  were  in  full  beauty.  Helianthuses  were  there  in  all  their 
glory,  a  noteworthy  variety  being  H.  rigidus,  Miss  Mellish’s  variety,  this 
was  fully  7  feet  high,  the  flowers  being  large  and  of  fine  colour.  The 
Achilleas,  Alliums,  Aubrietias,  Anemones,  Michaelmas  Daisies,  Eryn- 
giums,  Gaillardias,  and  hosts  of  other  popular  garden  flowers  I  must 
leave  and  pass  on  to  hardy  shrubs  both  flowering  and  otherwise.  In 
wending  our  way  to  some  choice  kinds  of  these  we  come  upon  a  fine 
example  of  the  Weeping  Copper  Beech,  so  graceful  the  spread  and  droop 
of  its  branches  that  no  garden  of  pretension  should  be  without  a 
specimen.  Numbers  of  the  hardy  Hibiscus  were  noted  just  opening 
their  flowers,  and  the  sight  of  them  reminded  us  how  little  they  are 
grown  ;  we  might  also  add  how  little  known. 
Among  the  Berberis  I  singled  out  Thunbergi  as  being  an  exceeding 
good  variety,  producing  in  autumn  leaves  of  most  brilliant  colour. 
How  showy,  too,  large  masses  of  Hippophae  rhamnoides  (the  Sea  Buck¬ 
thorn)  appeared,  tbe  bright  orange  coloured  berries  contrasting  well 
with  the  silvery  grey  leaves.  The  numerous  family  of  Spiraeas  were 
represented  by  large  breadths  of  fine  healthy  plants.  Reevesiana  flore- 
pleno  are  spoken  well  of,  and  I  might  go  on  enumerating  by  the  score 
the  names  of  shrubs  noted,  but  I  have  rather  endeavoured  to  pick  out  a 
few  species  and  varieties  which,  among  the  many  good  things,  do  not 
seem  to  receive  the  attention  they  deserve.  One  other  that  comes  under 
this  head  is  Acacia  rosea,  an  uncommon  and  beautiful  variety,  of  which 
I  noticed  clean,  shapely  standards.  Fine,  healthy  looking  Rhododendrons, 
grown  in  loam,  may  be  seen  by  the  thousands,  and  Azaleas  of  the  Mollis 
and  Ghent  types  seem  to  thrive  equally  w’ell  in  the  same  soil.  Forest 
trees  by  the  million,  and  Coniferre  in  infinite  variety,  covering  many 
acres,  all  help  to  supply  an  ever-growing  trade. 
These  things  strike  the  visitor  with  wonder,  but  the  climax  is  reached 
when  we  come  to  the  fruit  trees.  Here  we  find  Apples  and  Pears 
trained  in  every  conceivable  form,  and  grown  by  thousands  ;  pyramids 
in  great  variety  and  sizes,  grafted  on  both  Pear  and  Quince  stocks, 
cordons  literally  wreathed  with  fruit  ;  fan  and  horizontal-trained 
trees,  and  palmette  verriers  in  splendid  condition,  the  wood  being 
short  jointed,  well  ripened,  and  bristling  with  fruit  buds.  It  is  an 
interesting  sight  to  see  how  much  ingenuity  is  displayed  in  facing  these 
trained  trees  in  various  directions,  so  as  to  make  the  most  of  every 
inch  of  space,  and  secure  thorough  exposure  to  each  branch. 
A  very  conspicuous  variety  among  Apples  is  The  Queen,  which  is 
coming  rapidly  to  the  front,  and  deservedly  so,  as  quite  small  bushes 
were  carrying  grand  fruit  of  a  streaked  rosy  colour.  An  early  variety, 
bright  red  in  colour,  which  struck  me  as  being  a  particularly  good  one, 
is  known  as  Christie’s  Pippin.  Hormead  Pearmain,  Melon  Apple, 
Fearn’s  Pippin,  Irish  Peach,  Scarlet  Nonpareil,  and  Cox’s  Orange 
Pippin,  all  represent  varieties  of  good  quality  for  which  there  is  graat 
demand,  and  the  Bismarcks,  SufiSelds,  Codlins,  and  Nonesuch  are 
making  the  fruit  quarters  look  imposing  with  their  weighty  fruits. 
Magnate  is  a  most  promising  Pear.  The  fruits  as  seen  here  were  of 
exceptional  size.  Clapp’s  Favourite  was  in  extra  good  condition,  and 
Swan’s  Egg  was,  wherever  seen,  loaded  with  fruit.  There  is,  I  am  sure, 
no  occasion  for  me  to  encumber  these  notes  with  mere  lists  of  varieties, 
nor  to  enlarge  on  the  fine  condition  of  the  trees,  whether  they  be 
Peaches,  Plums,  Apples,  Pears,  or  small  fruits.  All  are  transplanted 
frequently,  and  noted  for  their  sturdy  wood  and  network  of  fibrous 
roots,  such  trees  as  will  carry  the  hall  maik  of  excellence  wherever 
they  are  sent  throughout  the  land,  and  the  work  of  doing  this  will  soon 
be  commenced  in  earnest,  as  the  demand  for  Chester  fruit  trees  seems  to 
he  ever  on  the  increase,  and  I  opine  there  will  be  no  falling  off  for  some 
time  to  come.  The  fruit  growing  industry  of  Britain  is  a  great  one, 
annually  becoming  greater  still,  for  the  multitudes  who  inhabit  these 
isles  have  now  commenced  to  look  on  fruit  as  a  wholesome  health¬ 
giving  food.  When  they  have  learned  to  utilise  it  to  its  full  extent  in 
their  daily  dietary,  then  the  Apple  will  become  almost  as  universally 
eaten  as  bread, — Roveb. 
CUPHEA  LLAViE. 
Most  of  the  Cupheas  are  singularly  attractive  owing  to  the  peculiar 
form  of  their  flowers  and  the  distinct  colouring.  Some  also  are  useful 
plants  for  pots  and  borders,  notably  C.  platycentra,  which  is  still  a 
favourite  with  many.  The  species,  of  which  a  flowering  spray  is 
depicted  in  the  engraving  (fig.  50),  has  been  brought  into  notice 
more  recently,  but  is  well  worthy  of  a  place  amongst  interesting  plants 
of  this  character.  As  occasionally  seen  the  plants  grow  9  or  10  inches 
high,  with  elliptical  acute  leaves  ;  the  flowers  have  long  green  and 
reddish-ribbed  tubular  calyxes,  covered  with  dark  hairs;  the  petals 
relatively  small,  brilliant  scarlet,  each  with  a  black  spot  at  the  base  ; 
and  the  stamens  are  covered  with  long  purple  hairs.  The  plant  seems 
well  adapted  for  culture  in  pots  in  a  cool  house. 
ANTHURIUM  SCHERZERIANUM. 
Unless  potted  in  much  too  close  and  heavy  soil  this  popular  stove 
plant  thrives  fairly  well  ;  but  we  think  even  the  orthodox  mixture  of 
fibry  peat  and  charcoal  too  close  for  first-class  results.  To  be  sure,  if 
the  peat  be  fibry  enough,  and  abundance  of  charcoal  or  crocks  be 
added,  the  plant  not  overpotted,  is  carefully  watered,  very  satisfactory 
success  will  attend  the  cultivator  if  the  other  necessary  conditions — 
heat  and  cleanliness — be  insured.  But  we  would  recommend  a  mixture 
of  sphagnum  and  charcoal  alone. 
It  is  perfectly  evident  that  in  its  native  home  this  plant  does  not 
bury  its  roots  in  soil,  but  is  a  true  epiphyte,  which  delights  in  moist 
air  such  as  exists  among  growing  mosses.  It  is,  in  fact,  very  much 
of  the  nature  of  an  epiphytal  Orchid,  the  roots  of  which  will  thrive 
and  find  sustenance  enough  in  air  alone  if  moist.  Such  conditions 
may  not  be  very  easily  imitated,  but  a  porous  potful  of  clean  fresh 
sphagnum  and  charcoal  alone  offers  a  medium  in  which  Anthuriums 
thrive  surprisingly. 
Half  filling  the  pots  with  crocks  we  consider  a  mistake.  Ample 
drainage  is  decidedly  necessary,  for  stagnant  water  is  sure  to  cause  the 
roots  to  decay,  and  then  sickly  plants  must  result.  At  the  same  time 
we  recommend  tilling  the  pot  with  moss  and  charcoal  from  the  bottom, 
with  the  exception  of  a  concave  crock  over  the  drainage  hole.  When 
the  pots  are  half,  or  even  one-fourth,  filled  with  crocks  the  best  roots 
are  starved,  for  to  the  bottoms  of  the  pots  they  go,  and  when  there 
they  should  find  something  to  live  on,  I  can  fancy  someone  exclaiming 
