September  29.  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
251 
NOTES  ON  ALPINE  FLOWERS. 
(Continued  from  page  190.) 
CORNUS  CANADENSIS. 
The  Canadian  Dogwood  is  a  neat  little  plant  possessing  distinct 
beauties  of  its  own,  although  not  of  a  brilliant  character.  The  flowers 
are  purplish  white,  and  the  longer  involucres  white,  giving  the  plant  a 
distinct  and  pretty  appearance  when  in  bloom.  The  sterna  are  herbaceous, 
and  the  ovate  and  pointed  leaves  are  on  short  footstalks.  As  has  been 
already  said,  the  plant  is  neat  and  only  grows  about  6  inches  high.  It  is 
of  a  creeping  habit  at  the  roots,  and  may  be  increased  by  division.  A 
rather  shady  position  in  sandy  peat  is  the  most  suitable  for  the  Bunch 
Berry  or  Dwarf  Cornel,  as  C.  canadensis  is  also  called.  It  is  a  native  of 
northern  North  America,  and  was  introduced  about  1774.  As  a  plant 
for  the  rock  garden  it  is  very  suitable,  and  can  be  easily  kept  within 
bounds  by  means  of  a  little  attention. 
Convolvulus  cneorum. 
A  note  on  this  exquisite  Convolvulus  will  serve  a  double  purpose  in 
perhaps  inducing  those  with  favoured  gardens  to  try  its  cultivation,  and 
in  dissuading  those  whose  positions  are  less  suitable  from  embarking 
upon  an  attempt  to  grow  it.  So  lovely  a  plant  is  worth  a  good  deal  of 
study  and  care  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  undoubtedly  tender,  and 
only  suitable  for  mild  localities— say,  in  the  South  of  England  and  the  South 
of  Ireland,  with  perhaps  a  few  exceptional  places  in  the  three  kingdoms. 
Few  who  have  ever  seen  it  fail  to  be  ecstatic  over  its  beauty,  with  its 
pinkish  flowers  and  lanceolate  leaves  so  exquisitely  covered  with  silvery 
silk  tomentum.  Tt  is  of  a  shrubby  nature,  and  is  said  to  grow  from  1  foot 
to  3  feet  high.  The  writer  has  never  seen  C.  cneorum  attain  anything 
like  the  latter  height  outdoors  in  this  country,  and  when  seen  in  rock 
gardens,  which  is  very  seldom,  it  has  generally  been  under  the  lower  of 
the  two  heights  given  in  works  of  reference.  C.  cneorum  comes  from 
South  Europe,  being  introduced  into  gardens  about  1640.  It  is  propa¬ 
gated  by  means  of  cuttings. 
Polygonum  vacciniifolium. 
Alpine  growers  are  often  troubled  by  reason  of  the  unnegotiable 
names  of  some  of  the  plants  they  admire,  and  that  of  the  Knotweed  now 
under  notice  proves  a  stumblingblock  to  many.  It  takes  away  some  of 
the  interest  of  a  plant  to  many  when  they  are  unable  to  talk  of  it  by 
name,  and  were  many  botanists  as  familiar  as  the  writer  with  the 
difficulties  of  gardeners — amateur  and  professional  -  with  such  things 
they  would  be  more  considerate  in  naming  their  plants.  The  Vaccinium- 
leaved,  or  if  the  reader  prefers,  Whortleberry-leaved  Knotweed,  is,  how¬ 
ever,  one  of  the  best  rock  plants.  Onco  the  initial  difficulty  of  establishing 
it  is  overcome  the  rest  may  be  said  to  be  “plain  sailing.”  The  writer 
ha3  lost  plants,  and  has  seen  many  more  lost,  the  first  season  after  plant¬ 
ing,  but  when  P.  vacciniifolium  once  gets  a  proper  hold  it  grows  well  and 
flowers  freely.  Although  one  of  the  best  rook  plants  it  should  not  be 
p'anted  with  the  smaller  gems  of  the  rock  garden,  but  ought  to  be  reserved 
for  spots  where  it  would  have  room  to  develop  without  overrunning  more 
minute  plants. 
This  Himalayan  Knotweed  likes  a  rather  moist  soil,  and  if  well 
established  in  such  will  trail  freely  over  rocks  and  down  crevices,  forming 
a  pretty  picture  with  its  curtain  of  spikes  of  rose-coloured  flowers.  I  have 
seen  it  nowhere  better  than  in  moist  peat  trailing  down  an  almost  perpen¬ 
dicular  piece  of  rockwork.  I  believe  it  requires  firm  planting  at  first,  and 
now  practise  this  with  considerable  advantage,  well  ramming  the  soil 
down  on  the  roots.  It  is  propagated  by  division.  It  is  a  better  plant  in 
some  respects  than  P.  affine,  also  from  the  Himalayas,  and  has  a  less 
aggressive  habit  than  that  useful  species,  which  has  merits  as  well  as 
failings  too. 
Ranunculus  rutjefolius. 
We  have  in  cultivation  a  large  number  of  Ranunculuses  of  much 
variety  of  habit  and  appearance.  Some  are  very  well  adapted  for  the 
border,  others  for  the  wild  garden,  and  a  fair  number  for  the  rock  garden. 
Among  the  last  we  have  R.  rutsefolius,  the  Rue-leaved  Buttercup.  This 
name  hardly  depicts  to  us  the  flat  white  flower  with  yellowish  centre 
yielded  by  this  alpine  plant.  It  is,  indeed,  more  like  a  Marguerite  than  a 
Buttercup,  although  plainly  one  of  the  Ranunculus  family. 
R.  rutaefolius  is  far  from  being  showy,  but  this  doe3  not  detract  from 
its  beauty  in  the  eyes  of  an  enthusiast  in  such  flowers.  The  flowers  are 
about  an  inch  across,  and  are  almost  stemless,  among  the  cool-looking, 
glaucous,  finely  divided  leaves,  which  have  given  it,  not  inappropriately, 
the  name  of  Rue-leaved  Buttercup.  I  have  found  it  do  well  in  moist  peat 
near  the  base  of  the  rockery.  It  ought  to  be  kept  clear  of  other  plants, 
and  well  supplied  with  water  in  dry  weather.  It  flowers  about  April  and 
May  with  the  writer.  It  may  be  increased  by  seeds  or  division  of  large 
plants. — ALPINUS. 
(To  be  continued.) 
Russian  Viticulture.— Unfavourable  weather  and  the  ravages 
of  phylloxera  last  year  made  the  results  of  the  Grape  harvest  in 
Russia  exceedingly  disappointing.  But  despite  this  the  industry,  which 
has  during  the  last  fifteen  years  made  enormous  strides,  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  permznently  injured  ;  in  fact,  it  is  believed  in  some 
quarters  that  in  course  of  time  Russian  wine  will  successfully  compete 
with  the  products  of  France  and  Spain  upon  the  markets  of  Europe.  In 
the  province  of  Odessa  alone  175,000  acres  are  devoted  to  Vines. 
EXPERIENCE  WITH  PEAS. 
Our  Peas  are  finished,  the  last  dish  having  been  gathered  from  a  row 
of  Veiteh’a  Perfection.  This  and  Ne  Plus  Ultra  were  sown  at  the  same 
time,  but  the  first-named  afforded  a  supply  about  a  fortnight  the  longer. 
For  sowing  a  trench  was  dug  out,  manure  added,  and  about  2  lbs.  of 
superphosphate  spread  along  each  3  yards  of  trench.  This  was  mixed  with 
the  manure,  which  was  then  trodden  well  down,  and  about  6  inches  of 
soil  placed  on  the  manure,  the  soil  being  also  made  firm.  The  Peas  were 
sown  on  the  firm  base  and  covered  with  3  inches  of  soil,  the  trench  being 
about  3  inches  deep.  The  Peas  while  growing  were  admired  by  all  who 
saw  them. 
One  row  of  Ne  Plus  Ultra  was,  how-ever,  sown  without  the  super¬ 
phosphate.  This  row  of  Peas  did  not  stand  up  like  those  which  had  the 
phosphate  ;  the  young  plants  were  pale  in  colour,  and  fell  between  the 
rods  ;  they  had,  in  fact,  to  be  tied  up — a  trouble  that  the  other  rows  did 
not  give,  while  these  produced  large  dark  green  leaves.  Row  for  row 
those  treated  with  phosphate  gave  about  20  per  cent,  the  more  pods,  but 
there  was  very  little  difference  in  height  between  the  rows  that  had  the 
superphosphate  and  those  which  had  none. 
I  fear  that  some  of  our  differently  named  Peas  are  distinct  in  name 
only.  I  have  a  case  that  I  should  like  explained.  Ne  Plus  Ultra  is  said 
to  grow  6  or  7  feet  high,  which  is  right ;  Ebor  is  described  as  a  dwarf 
and  earlier  form  of  Ne  Plus,  growing  3  to  5  feet.  I  sowed  the  supposed 
varieties  side  by  side  on  the  same  day  on  two  occasions.  There  was  not 
an  inch  of  difference  in  their  heights  nor  the  time  that  the  flowers  opened. 
All  the  difference  I  could  find  was  in  one  bag  of  seed  having  the  name  of 
Ebor  on  it,  the  other  Ne  Plus  Ultra.  I  asked  several  people  who  saw 
the  rows  in  bearing  which  was  Ebor  and  which  Ne  Plus  Ultra  1  The 
replies  were  all  alike — namely,  “Both  one  and  the  same  thing.”  Trade 
marks  are  employed  for  manufactured  goods  ;  I  think  that  we  want 
something  similar  for  horticultural  produce.  It  is  a  little  “  off  the  mark  ” 
when  you  order  what  you  expect  to  be  two  varieties,  one  about  a  fortnight 
earlier  than  the  other,  both  to  turn  out  “  ono  and  the  same  thing.” 
— Geo.  Picker,  Hesslevcood  Gardens. 
BRAMLEY’S  SEEDLING  AT  HOME. 
I  AM  not  much  of  a  visitor,  as  you  are  aware  ;  my  place  demands  all 
my  time  and  all  my  powers.  I  could  not  write  one  of  the  usual  graphic 
descriptive  notices  of  places  as  II.  J.  Wright  does  for  all  that  you  would 
give  me';  but  when  a  gardening  friend  who  knows  all  about  fruit, 
especially  of  local  fruit,  says,  “  Come  with  me  down  to  Southwell,  and  see 
Merryweather’s  Bramley’s,  you’ll  be  delighted,”  I  find  that  I  can  do  it, 
and  what  I  saw  compels  me  to  write  something,  however  poor  that 
something  may  be. 
One  fine  afternoon,  then,  last  week  we  went  down  to  Southwell  and 
introduced  ourselves  to  the  young  representatives  of  the  firm  of  Henry 
Merry  weather.  The  senior  heads,  masculine  and  feminine,  of  the  firm 
were  away  from  home  holidaying.  We  said  that  we  had  come  to  see 
their  Bramley’s,  and  they  cheerfully  and  courteously  said  we  should. 
One  of  them  took  us  in  charge,  and  walked  us  off  to  the  Westgate  portion 
of  the  nurseries  to  see  the  bushes.  Whilst  we  are  walking  thither, 
I  beg  to  explain  that  these  notes  will  not  include  any  mention  of 
other  things  in  the  nurseries,  Roses  or  shrubs,  or  herbaceous  plants, 
or  anything  ;  that  is  beyond  me.  It  would  require  a  “  II.  J.  W„”  a 
“H.  D.,”  or  a“W.  Pea”  to  do  that  duty  adequately.  We  went  to 
see  Bramley’s  Seedlings  at  the  home  and  on  the  spot  where  it  originated, 
and  we  saw  them. 
The  Westgate  nurseries  lie  away  from  the  home  nurseries  on  a  breezy 
hillside.  We  soon  had  evidences  that  the  soil  of  Southwell — a  strong 
holding  loam — has  power  in  it,  as  even  the  smaller  growing  Apples  showed 
extraordinary  vigour,  size,  and  colour  ;  whilst  such  sorts  as  Bismarck, 
Maltster,  Potts’  Seedling,  Warner’s  King,  Gascoigne’s  Scarlet,  Lane’s 
Prince  Albert,  and  others  were  conspicuously  large  and  sound.  It  was 
when  we  got  amongst  the  Bramley’s  that  one’s  wonder  and  surprise  was 
awakened — Bramley’s  here,  Bramley’s  there,  Bramley’s  everywhere,  and  all 
good.  Just  fancy  bushes  3,  4,  and  5  feet  high  literally  weighed  down 
with  fruit — fruit  produced  in  couples  and  triplets,  and  every  fruit  a  fine 
one,  sound  and  good,  and  this  not  on  one  bush  here  and  there,  but  with 
scarcely  an  exception.  We  began  to  realise  that  to  call  Bramley’s  “  the 
finest  Apple  on  earth”  was  no  misnomer. 
Of  course,  in  our  superior  way,  we  have  often  smiled  on  seeing  this 
dogmatic  declaration  in  Mr.  Merryweather’s  catalogue,  and  said,  “  Ah, 
an  extra  bit  of  brag  that,  just  like  Merryweather  1  ”  But,  on  seeing  what 
we  saw  amongst  the  bushes,  and  after  on  the  orchard  trees,  wo  were 
anxious  to  withdraw  the  charge  of  “brag,”  and  declare  that  to  call 
Bramley’s  “the  finest  Apple  on  Southwell  earth”  is  but  the  simple  truth. 
On  getting  back  to  the  nurseries,  we  found  that,  like  the  Queen  of  Sheba 
on  the  wonders  of  Solomon’s  Court,  “  the  half  had  not  been  told  us,”  for 
we  were  taken  in  hand  by  the  other  Mr.  Merryweather,  and  walked  off 
to  the  orchards.  Here  again  it  is  all  Bramley’s — Bramley’s  out  of  the 
dyke,  Bramley’s  out  of  hedgerows,  Bramley’s  in  this  corner,  and  Bram¬ 
ley’s  in  that,  up  to  Bramley’s  on  large  standard  orchard  trees,  twenty, 
thirty  years  old,  every  single  bush  and  tree  heavily  laden  with  fruit, 
some  of  it  hanging  like  ropes  of  Onions,  large,  clean,  sound  fruit,  and  this 
on  every  tree  without  exception,  though  trees  of  other  Apples  in  this 
generally  Appleless  season  in  the  Midlands  were  empty,  or  with  only  a 
