August  18,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  131 
T* _ 
experiments  at  Hitchu..  it  the  plants  grew  erect  afterwards.  Mr. 
Wilks  observed,  on  the  other  hand,  that  a  young  tree  a  few  years  old  at 
Shirley  had  begun  to  show  a  tendency  to  weep. 
Crassulaceous  Hybrid. — Mr.  Veitch  sent  trusses  of  flowers  of  a  new 
hybrid,  raised  by  Mr.  Seden,  between  Kalosanthes  coccinea  (female)  and 
Rochea  falcata  (male).  The  flowers  of  the  hybrid  were  small,  as  in  the 
female  parent,  but  the  colour  approached  that  of  the  male.  In  many 
points  it  was  intermediate  between  the  two  parents. 
Cattleya  granulosa,  Dimerous. — Dr.  Masters  exhibited  a  blossom  with 
its  parts  in  twos,  there  being  two  large  sepals,  two  lips,  &c. — not  a  rare 
phenomenon  in  trimerous  flowers,  as  Iris,  &c. 
Hybrid  Nymphaias.—  Dr.  Masters  exhibited  several  kinds,  with  the 
purpose  of  calling  attention  to  tho  different  arrangements  and  numbers 
of  the  lacunas  in  the  stems  of  the  flowers  and  in  the  petioles.  He 
observed  that  the  Nymphaeas  could  be  grouped  by  means  of  them,  and 
proposed  to  make  a  further  examinUion. 
Plymouth  Strawberry. — A  specimen  was  received  from  Mr.  J.  Arrow- 
smith,  of  Bank  Road,  Glazebrook,  Manchester.  It  is  a  monstrous  con¬ 
dition  of  the  ordinary  fruit,  in  which  some  of  the  achenes  are  replaced 
by  leaves,  as  in  the  well-known  Alpine  Strawberry,  of  which  the  present 
case  is  a  variety.  It  was  described  by  Ray,  who  gave  the  name,  having 
received  it  from  Plymouth.  It  resembles  the  green  Rose,  in  thus  having 
its  floral  organs  more  or  less  in  a  state  of  reversion  to  leaves. 
Strawberry  Plants  Defective. — Some  plants  were  received  from  Mr.  J. 
Lyne  of  the  Gardens,  Foxbury,  Chislehurst,  in  which  the  crowns  were 
generally  blind.  The  variety  is  Royal  Sovereign.  Mr.  Lyne  writes  : — 
“  Last  autumn  we  planted  a  bed  of  last  season's  runners,  with  the  object 
of  getting  early  runners  this  year.  They  grew  well,  and  made  a  fine  lot 
of  early  runners.  All  trusses  of  bloom  were  picked  off  the  parent  plants 
as  soon  as  they  appeared.  The  runners  were  layered  four  in  a  6-inch 
pot,  and  all  rooted  weT  ;  but  last  week,  when  transferring  them  into 
single  pots,  we  found  about  half  were  blind,  the  crowns  being  brown 
within.  A  healthy  plant  would  be  often  growing  in  the  same  pot  with 
defective  ones.”  Perhaps  some  growers  of  Strawberries  may  have  had  a 
similar  experience,  and  can  throw  some  light  on  the  mystery.  Sections 
of  the  crown  buds  revealed  no  visible  fungi  nor  insects,  but  the  scales 
were  turning  brown  from  the  exterior  part  inwards,  apparently  suggestive 
of  an  external  source  of  the  mischief. 
AUTUMN-SOWN  ANNUALS. 
From  the  middle  of  April  to  the  middle  of  June  is  always  my  worst 
time  in  the  flower  garden,  whether  its  ornaments  be  planted  in  masses 
or  in  the  m'xed  way.  Annuals  are  uncertain  in  the  summer,  as  we  all 
know,  and  few  people  like  to  trust  to  more  than  a  very  few  kinds  of  them 
for  keeping  the  beds  full  for  any  length  of  time.  When  the  beds  and 
borders  of  a  mixed  flower  garden  are  renovated  in  the  spring,  and  all  the 
established  plants  have  sticks  or  labels  set  to  mark  the  places,  spare 
ground  ought  to  be  immediately  filled  with  the  different  kinds  of  annuals 
that  were  sown  in  September.  They  are  easily  removed  and  replanted, 
and  coming  into  flower  just  at  the  time  we  are  most  in  need  of  their  aid, 
it  is  our  own  fault  if  we  do  rot  take  advantage  of  them. 
Like  all  other  plants,  annuals  sown  in  the  autumn  are  liable  to  be  injured 
by  the  weather.  A  very  mild  and  late  autumn  is  much  against  them, 
because  they  grow  too  rank,  and  are  liable  to  be  cut  off  by  a  very  severe 
winter.  The  soil  should  be  light  and  poor,  and  the  situation  an  open  airy 
spot,  away  from  where  fallen  leaves  are  likely  to  gather  in  heaps  by  the 
wind.  This  gathering  together  is  the  very  worst  thing  I  know  for  any 
seedlings  ;  for  if  such  quantities  of  leaves  rest  on  the  seed  bed  for  a  week, 
the  seedlings  are  either  smothered  or  made  so  tender  and  blanched  that 
the  first  dry  wind  or  cold  night  finishes  them.  The  soil  should  not  be 
dug  more  than  3  inches  deep,  and  the  seed  must  be  sown  thinly  ;  a  rich  soil 
is  likely  to  eucourage  the  seedlings  to  grow  too  fast  and  bulky,  and  so 
make  them  more  liable  to  be  cut  with  frost  ;  and  if  they  are  thick  in  the 
bed,  the  one  helps  to  draw  up  the  other  too  weak  and  spindly.  Like  many 
other  causes  of  success  in  gardening,  attention  to  these  little  matters  is 
more  essential  than  great  skill  or  practical  knowledge. 
The  best  thing  to  cover  seed  beds  in  the  autumn  is  one-half  light  soil 
and  one-half  finely  sifted  coal  ashes,  from  which  the  very  fine  dust  and 
the  rough  cinders  are  taken  ;  the  first  few  rains  will  wash  down  all  the 
finer  particles  of  this  compost  for  the  roots  to  work  in,  and  the  surface  is 
left  gritty  and  porous,  so  that  the  stems  and  collars  of  the  seedlings  have 
free  air  and  elbow  room,  instead  of  being  packed  in  a  sour  crust  of  rank 
earth,  as  would  be  their  condition  if  they  were  sown  on  a  rich,  strong  soil. 
A  west  aspect  is  by  far  the  best  for  them,  as  then  they  are  less  liable  to 
suffer  from  hard  frosty  nights,  followed  by  very  sunny  mornings,  or 
what  we  call  extremes  of  weather.  New  seed  of  many  kinds  of  annuals 
is  not  so  good  to  sow  in  the  autumn  as  old  seeds,  because  the  newer  the 
seeds  the  stronger  and  healthier  the  seedlings,  and  therefore  the  more 
liable  to  suffer  from  a  hard  or  long  winter. 
lied  and  white  Clarklas  are  well  worth  growing,  and  no  winter  kills 
them  when  self-sown.  Collinsia  bicolor  and  C.  grandiflora  are  the  two 
best  of  that  family  ;  they  also  are  hardy  enough  to  stand  most  winters. 
The  yellow  Escbscholtzias  are  perfectly  hardy  if  sown  in  September  ; 
if  they  are  to  be  transplanted,  it  should  be  done  when  they  are  quite 
young.  The  blue  and  spotted  Nemophila  insignis  and  N.  maculata,  also 
N.  atomaria,  pass  over  almost  any  winter,  and  come  into  bloom  before 
April  is  out.  Eucharidium  grandiflorum  ought  to  be  grown,  and  the 
plants  stand  a  severe  winter.  Godetias  are  as  good  as  they  are  gay,  and 
they  will  be  the  brighter  in  flower,  and  more  manageable  if  they  are 
planted  in  poor  soil  rather  than  rich  ;  but,  recollect,  it  poor,  it  must  b« 
deep  and  well  worked.  Stunted  growth  is  quite  a  different  thing  from 
subdued  growth  caused  by  sandy  soil  well  tilled.  The  flowers  of  all  the 
Godetias  show  brighter  when  the  plants  are  in  this  subdued  growth. 
Gilia  tricolor  is  hardy  und  very  attractive  ;  this  and  Collinsia  bicolor 
are  the  two  best  lilac  flowers. 
Erysimum  Peroffskianum,  when  sown  in  September,  planted  out  in  the 
beginning  of  March,  and  trained  down  to  the  surface  of  the  bed  as  it  grows, 
comes  into  bloom  at  the  beginning  of  May,  and  lasts  till  midsummer  or 
longer,  and  so  treated  makes  one  of  the  finest  beds  ever  seen  in  May.  A 
second  sowing  of  it  the  first  week  in  April,  and  again  about  the  end  of 
May,  would  carry  it  right  through  the  season  till  the  frost  came.  Six  or 
seven  plants  of  it  put  into  pots  about  the  new  year  would  come  in  finely 
for  the  greenhouse  in  April ;  but  it  will  not  stand  forcing— the  protection 
of  a  greenhouse  or  pit  is  as  much  as  it  can  safely  endure.  Lastheria 
californica  and  Limnanthes  Douglasi  are  two  yellowish  kinds,  which  are 
grown  for  making  up  this  colour  in  May.  Bartonia  aurea,  a  beautiful 
clear  yellow  flower  on  a  weedy  looking  plant,  sown  now,  and  transplanted 
into  very  poor,  light  soil  early  in  April,  will  flower  in  May,  and  be  much 
better  than  under  any  other  treatment.  Leptosiphon  dcnsiflorus,  a  very 
dwarf  lilac,  or  purple-and-white-mixed  flower,  stands  the  winter  well. 
Lupinus  nanus  has  quite  a  different  character  when  allowed  to  grow  on 
slowly  all  the  winter.  It  blooms  from  May  to  the  middle  or  end  of  August 
from  seeds  sown  about  the  middle  or  end  of  September,  provided  the 
plants  are  not  allowed  to  ripen  any  seeds.  Another  sowing,  about  tho 
first  week  in  May,  would  carry  it  on  to  the  middle  of  October.  Silene 
pendula,  S.  compacta,  S.  Schafta  are  tho  pick  of  the  Catchflies,  and  are 
always  best  from  autumn  sowing.  The  Virginian  Stock  flowers  in  April 
if  sown  now,  and  all  the  varieties  of  the  branching  Larkspur  will  bloom 
most  part  of  the  summer  if  sown  earlier  in  Septembei.  Cornflowers 
(Centaurea  cyanus)  should  be  sown  now  for  cut  flowers. — F.  G. 
BATTERSEA  PARK. 
My  visit  to  this  park  happened  to  fall  on  a  somewhat  cold  and  dreary 
day  for  the  holiday  month.  It  was  evidently  holiday  time  with  the 
children,  judging  from  the  numbers  disporting  themselves  there.  One 
would  have  thought  all  the  younger  generation  of  London  was  at  play. 
The  whole  place  seemed  one  seething  mass  of  small  humanity,  bent  on 
making  as  much  noise  as  possible,  and  enjoying  itself  in  every  conceivable 
way.  But  my  object  was  not  to  study  the  youngsters,  but  to  inspect  the 
plants  and  flowers  growing  for  the  edification  and  education  of  the  people. 
This  park  has  long  been  celebrated  for  its  subtropical  gardening,  and 
the  arrangement  leaves  little  to  be  desired.  Although  this  section 
occupies  premier  position,  it  must  not  be  supposed  it  does  so  to  the  detii- 
ment  of  other  classes  of  flower  and  ornamental  gardening.  The  huge 
borders  forming  a  facing  to  the  shrubberies  are  tilled  with  a  variety  of 
flowering  and  foliage  plants,  giving  the  whole  place  a  very  bright  and 
attractive  appearance.  The  large  beds  of  succulents  arrested  my  atten¬ 
tion,  for  it  is  seldom  they  are  seen  now  in  gardens.  To  say  the  least  of 
them,  they  form  a  very  pleasing  change,  especially  when  large  collections 
are  employed,  as  they  are  here,  all  looking  the  picture  of  health. 
As  in  the  other  parks,  the  pyramid  Fuchsia  plays  an  important  part 
in  the  display.  The  plants  seem  to  adapt  themselves  to  the  London 
atmosphere  to  an  astonishing  degree,  the  foliage  looks  well,  and  they 
flower  freely.  Heliotropes  and  dwarf  Lobelias  form  a  pleasing  combina¬ 
tion,  and  hide  the  lower  part  of  the  Fuchsias.  Celosias  are  effectively 
employed  to  brighten  up  beds  of  variegated  “Geraniums”  and  Eucalyptus 
globulus.  Beds  of  tall  Heliotrope,  with  bright  Coleuses  for  a  groundwork, 
were  also  admired. 
Cannas  are  largely  used  in  beds  alone,  and  in  association  with  other 
plants  ;  they  are  not  flowering  yet,  but  the  handsomo  foliage  and  strong 
growth  give  promise  of  something  good  to  follow.  Castor-oil  plants  are 
in  great  evidence,  the  coloured  form  of  Ricinus  Gibsoni  being  very 
attractive.  Near  the  Embankment  entrance  we  meet  with  a  very  bright 
piece  of  conventional  bedding,  consisting  of  red  Zonal  Pelargoniums, 
yellow  Calceolarias,  Iresino,  Lobelia,  Pyrethrum,  and  Echeveria,  and  a 
very  gay  appearance  it  presented.  Carpet  bedding  does  not  form  a  large 
feature,  still  there  are  some  fine  beds,  as  monuments  of  patience  and 
industry. 
The  subtropical  garden  fully  maintains  the  reputation  gained  so 
many  years  ago,  and  the  visitor  may  rest  assured  he  will  find  much  to 
interest  him  in  this  delightful  part  ol  the  park.  Its  immense  size  naturally 
strikes  one,  yet  everywhere  we  turn  the  Palms,  Ferns,  and  other  foliage 
plants  crop  up  in  wonderful  profusion.  Gigantic  Palms,  huge  Ferns  and 
Dracasnas  seem  numberless  ;  while  ever}'  miniature  glade  is  filled  with 
greenhouse  Ferns,  looking  so  cool  and  refreshing.  Here  and  there  Giant 
Bananas  tower  above  a  rich  growth  of  Solanums,  Ricinus,  and  other  foliage 
plants.  Wandering  round  the  lake  fresh  features  meet  the  eye,  till  one 
almost  forgets  one  is  in  London — in  fact,  it  would  De  an  easy  matter  to  do 
so  if  it  were  not  for  the  continual  stream  of  children.  The  walks,  lawns, 
and  plants  are  all  beautifully  kept  and  cared  for,  which  must  involve  an 
immense  amount  of  labour  on  the  part  of  Mr.  F.  J.  Coppin  and  his 
assistants. 
The  several  notice  boards  displease  the  eye  of  the  visitor.  They  set 
forth  the  penalties  that  follow  the  plucking  of  flowers,  foliage,  and  so  on. 
We  do  not  find  such  objectionable  boards  in  Hyde  Park  or  Regent’s  Park. 
But  I  suppose  it  is  necessary  here,  or  they  would  not  be  so  prominently 
exhibited.  Probably  the  time  will  come  when  young  Battersea  will  have 
learned  to  leave  the  flowers  and  foliage  in  their  proper  places,  and  so  pave 
the  way  for  the  removal  of  these  notice  boards. — J.  B.  R. 
