December  i,  iso!  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER* 
ones  must  be  carefully  gathered,  some  varieties  producing  many  more 
than  others,  and  placed  in  small  boxes  or  paper  bags  with  a  little  sand, 
and  kept  in  a  dry  place  till  planting  time  next  year.  I  know  of  no  better 
way  of  keeping  the  parent  bulbs  than  that  of  placing  them  out  in  an 
open  tray  where  they  can  be  moved  about  but  kept  entirely  free  from 
frost.  I  think,  however,  that  a  change  is  likely  to  take  place  with  regard 
to  them.  The  two  or  three  growers  for  sale  in  England  have,  by  careful 
hybridising  and  selection,  obtained  such  fine  strains  of  seedlings,  that  I 
think  anyone  commencing  their  culture  might  be  well  satisfied  with  some 
of  the  mixed  seedlings  that  are  offered  for  sale.  I  have  compared  some 
of  those  seedlings  with  several  of  the  newer  French  varieties,  and  for  size, 
substance,  and  variation  of  colour,  have  found  little  to  choose  between 
them. 
Some  novelties  of  the  Lemoinei  type  have  been  recently  introduced,  and 
although  I  do  not  think  that  they  will  ever  equal  in  beauty  those  of  the 
gandavensis  section,  yet  they  seem  to  have  a  greater  vigour  of  con¬ 
stitution  ;  and,  judging  from  my  own  collection,  they  are  much  more  able 
to  bear  the  severity  of  our  winters  than  the  gandavensis  section.  They 
may  be,  I  think,  with  safety  left  in  the  ground,  provided  they  are  covered 
with  ashes  or  cocoa-nut  fibre  refuse.  Lemoine  himself  never  pretended 
that  they  were  perfectly  hardy  at  Nancy,  and  always  recommended  slight 
protection. 
Pansies. 
These  ought  by  now  to  be  safe  in  their  winter  quarters.  They  are 
best  wintered  in  small  pots  in  cold  frames.  An  attempt  has  been  lately 
made — not  very  successfully,  I  think—  to  revive  an  interest  in  these  in 
the  South  of  England,  but  our  climate  is  too  dr)’,  and  our  plants  are  too 
subject  to  mildew,  to  admit  of  their  very  successful  cultivation  here  ;  they 
require  the  moist  climate  of  the  North  of  England  or  Scotland,  where 
they  can  be  reen  to  perfection. 
Tulips. 
There  was  probably  never  a  more  favourable  season  for  the  planting 
of  these  showy  bulbs  than  the  present  one.  After  the  long  spell  of 
drought,  the  week’s  rain  which  we  had  in  October  put  the  ground  into 
the  very  best  condition  for  planting  them.  Here,  again,  is  another 
florist  flower  of  whose  glories  in  past  years  I  have  a  vivid  recollection. 
Gradually,  however,  the  cultivation  of  it  in  the  South  of  England 
decreased,  and  although  a  gallant  attempt  was  made  by  some  enthusiasts 
to  revive  it,  I  am  afraid  it  has  been  attended  with  little  success.  It  was  a 
great  trouble  to  grow  them  successfully  ;  to  keep  ail  the  bulbs  distinct  ; 
to  arrange  the  rows  in  the  beds  in  the  right  order  and  height.  They 
were  expensive,  too,  because  they  could  not  be  properly  grown  unless  a 
regular  tent  was  made  over  the  bed,  so  as  to  keep  them  from  the  sinister 
influence  of  damp  weather.  I  think  it  was  a  great  pity,  for  a  good  bed  of 
rectified  Tulips  was  unquestionably  a  gorgeous  sight.  But  that  curious 
thing  fashion — for  which  no  one  can  quite  account — has  exerted  its 
influence,  and  the  florist  Tulip  no  longer  holds  the  high  place  it  used 
to  do. — D.,  Deal. 
THE  WATER  SOLDIER. 
Most  certainly,  “Journeyman,”  there  is  a  native  plant  known  by  the 
above  name,  and  botanically  termed  Stratiotes  aloides.  It  is  found  in  the 
fens  of  Lincolnshire  and  Cambridgeshire,  and  is  one  of  our  handsomest 
native  aquatics.  It  is  a  perennial  stoloniferous  plant.  The  flower  stalk 
rises  from  a  sheath  amid  the  Aloc-like  leaves  ;  hence  its  name.  It  flowers 
in  June  and  July,  sometimes  ripening  seeds,  which  always  produce  plants 
of  the  original  type.  It  is  a  singular-looking  plant,  having  a  star-like  tuft 
of  leaves,  the  edges  of  which  are  armed  with  teeth  like  prickles,  that  are 
very  sharp.  It  may  be  cultivated  in  ponds  where  there  is  a  moderate 
depth  of  water  and  mud  for  the  plants  to  root  in,  and  when  once  established 
they  are  well  able  to  take  care  of  themselves.  They  appear  to  prefer 
rather  stagnant  water  than  otherwise. 
EP1PHYLLUM  TRUNCATUM. 
The  small  plants  which  are  seen  in  most  gardens  of  this  species  and 
its  varieties  give  one  a  very  poor  idea  of  its  real  worth  as  a  winter¬ 
flowering  plant,  but  when  such  specimens  are  grown  as  are  turned  (.n't  by 
Mr.  Wallis,  the  head  gardener  at  Orwell  Park,  Ipswich,  its  full  value  is 
apparent. 
Mr.  Wallis  grows  his  plants  in  two  ways — as  pyramids  and  bushy 
headed  standards.  The  pyramids  vary  in  size  from  5  to  7  feet  in  heigh t 
and  from  2  to  4  feet  in  diameter  ;  the  standards  are  grafted  on  stocks 
3  to  4  feet  in  height,  and  are  of  various  sizes,  the  heads  of  the.  largest 
being  4  feet  through  and  from  2  to  3  feet  deep,  and  sometimes  plants  have 
been  had  the  branches  of  which  drooped  so  as  to  partly  hide  the  pot. 
At  the  time  of  my  visit,  November  1st,  the  plants  were  thickly 
covered  with  bads  which  were  just  commencing  to  burst  into  blossom, 
and  they  looked  a  magnificent  picture,  the  shape  of  each  plant  being 
perfect,  and  all  in  splendid  health.  Most  of  the  plants  are  seedling  forms 
raised  at  Orwell  Park.  They  are  grafted  on  Pereskia  stocks. 
As  soon  as  they  are  growing  well  after  grafting  they  are  potted  into 
8  or  10-inch  pots,  a  good  mixture  of  lightish  soil,  with  brick  rubbish 
added,  being  used.  Each  plant  is  given  an  iron  stake  when  potted,  and 
from  this  the  foundation  of  the  plant  is  laid.  This  is  the  only  potting, 
feeding  being  resorted  to  to  keep  the  plants  going  afterwards.  When 
425 
they  have  attained  the  necessary  dimensions  they  are  pruned  annually, 
after  flowering,  to  keep  them  within  bounds.  They  are  grown  in  a  moist 
intermediate  house,  in  full  sun,  and  this  is  evidently  what  they  require. 
— W.  D. 
[  Wo  regret  that  the  photograph  sent  by  our  contributor  is  unsuitable 
for  reproduction,  as  it  represents  most  excellent  culture— a  floral  pyramid 
apparently  nearly  6  feet  high.  The  growing  beauty  of  such  plants  can 
well  be  imagined,  and  we  congratulate  Mr.  Wallis  on  the  success  he 
achieves.] 
WOKINGHAM  CHRYSANTHEMUM  SHOW. 
November  22nd  and  23rd. 
The  Wokingham  and  District  Chrysanthemum  Society  held  its* 
fourteenth  annual  show  in  the  Drill  Hall  on  the  above  dates.  Tho  chief 
feature  of  this  show  was  the  grouos,  and  tho  four  classes  provided  brought 
a  spirited  competition. 
The  chief  class  was  for  a  group  of  Chrysanthemums  and  foliage  plants, 
arranged  for  effect,  and  this  was  well  won  by  Mr.  W.  P.  Bound,  gardener 
to  Mrs.  Leveson  Gower,  Bill  Hill,  with  a  very  tasteful  arrangement.  The 
Fig..  72.— The  Water  Soldier  (Stratiotes  aloides). 
second  prize  was  taken  by  Mr.  J.  Cowie,  gardener  to  Sir  Thos.  Lucas. 
Another  important  class  was  for  a  group  of  Chrysanthemums,  not  dis¬ 
budded,  and  this  was  easily  won  by  Mr.  W.  C.  Malm,  gardener  to  W.  H. 
Palmer,  Esq.,  Wokingham,  with  excellent  plants,  well  furnished  with 
foliage  and  plenty  of  bright  fresh  flowers.  This  group  was  also  awarded 
a  certificate  of  merit. 
In  the  cut  bloom  class  the  competition  was  not  very  keen,  and  for 
twelve  incurved  the  first  prize  went  to  Mr.  G.  Lane,  gardener  to  Miss 
Bid  Ivjng’s  Ride,  Ascot,  who  had  good  blooms  of  Mdlle.  Lucie  Faure, 
Miss  ’Dorothy  Foster,  C.  H.  Curtis,  Ma  Perfection,  King  of  Orange, 
Empress  of  India,  Mrs.  R.  C.  Kingston,  The  Egyptian  (good),  Violet 
Foster,  John  Fulford,  and  Bonnie  Dundee.  The  second  prizetaker  was 
Mr.  Bassil,  gardener  to  H.  D.  Evans,  Esq.,  Shooter’s  Hill,  Pangbournc. 
For  twelve  Japanese  blooms,  Mr.  Bassil  was  first  with  fine  examples  of 
Lady  Ilanham,  Edith  Tabor,  Australie,  Ella  Curtis,  Charles  Davis. 
Baroness  Rothschild,  Mrs.  W.  G.  Palmer,  International,  Van  den  Heede, 
Miss  M.  Blenkiror,  Miss  Nellie  Poekett,  and  Mrs.  Maling  Grant.  Second, 
Mr.  Chamberlain,  gardener  to  F.  M.  Lonergan,  Esq.,  Cressingham  Park, 
Reading. 
For  six  blooms  of  one  variety,  incurved,  Mr.  Lane  was  first  with  fine 
blooms  of  C.  II.  Curtis  ;  and  for  a  similar  class  of  Japanese,  Mr.  Bassil 
was  first  for  good  blooms  of  Australie.  Apples  and  Pears  were  well  shown, 
the  chief  prizewinners  being  Messrs.  Chamberlain  and  Bound. 
_  Potato  Syon  House.  —  In  Mr.  Bannister’s  collection  of 
vegetables  at  the  recent  Bristol  Show  this  variety  made  a  striking  and^ 
a  strong  dish.  Its  handsome  shape,  smooth  skin,  with  little  suspicion  of 
eyes,  and  its  medium  size,  to  my  mind  stamp  it  as  an  ideal  exhibition 
Potato.  I  have  noted  that  it  has  had  frequent  reference  made  to  it  this 
season,  so  that  to  those  who  may  not  happen  to  be  acquainted  with  it  the 
coming  seed  time  will  give  them  the  opportunity  for  next  year's  planting. 
Apart  from  its  exhibition  value  it  is  a  good  maincrop  sort  for  the  garden, 
and  has  the  reputation  of  being  of  the  best  quality  when  cooked— this 
perhaps  the  only  practical  test  of  what  a  good  Potato  is. — W.  S. 
