August  3,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
99 
Recent  Weather  in  London.  —  The  heat  in  London  on 
'Sunday  and  Monday  was  again  intense,  over  80°  being  registered  iu  the 
-shade  on  both  days.  Fortunately  there  was  a  light  breeze.  On  Tuesday 
it  was  less  oppressive,  and  at  the  time  of  going  to  press  on  Wednesday 
it  was  bright  with  a  light  wind. 
-  Campanula  persicifolia  Mont  Blanc.— This  is  a  selected 
form  from  seedlings  raised  by  Mr.  B.  Ladhams,  Shirley,  and  is  an 
improvement  even  on  Backhouse’s  form  of  C.  p.  alba  grandiflora  in  that 
the  habit  of  growth  is  more  compact  and  the  blossoms  are  much  larger, 
and  more  double.  Single  blooms  of  this  new  variety  measure  fully 
•3  inches  across,  and  are  of  pure  white.  It  is  a  magnificent  border  plant 
that  all  should  add  to  their  collection. — S.  P. 
-  ClSTUS  Florentines.  —  It  would  be  difficult  to  imagine  a 
more  charming  plant  for  the  rockery  in  the  month  of  June  than  this 
variety  of  Gum  Cietus.  In  height  it  grows  but  9  inches,  producing  a 
thick  spreading  mass  of  greenery,  and  when  in  bloom  a  dense  sheet  of 
pure  white.  The  blossoms  are  of  the  size  of  a  florin,  each  having  five 
rounded  petals  ;  the  centre  of  the  flower  is  thickly  studded  with  yellow 
anthers.  Cuttings  of  the  half-ripened  shoots,  inserted  in  a  cold  frame  in 
August,  should  make  bushy  plants  that  would  give  some  flower  the 
•following  season. — E.  M. 
-  Lathyrus  grandiflorus.— This  is  one  of  the  finest  varieties 
of  a  popular  flower  which  are  not  nearly  enough  cultivated.  Too  often 
they  are  planted  in  any  out  of  the  way  corner,  and  allowed  to  struggle 
for  existence.  I  rescued  a  tiny  scrap  of  the  above  variety  from  a  huge 
bed  of  common  Laurels  twenty  years  since  in  remaking  our  garden.  An 
open  position  on  a  south  border  was  given  it,  and  now  we  annually 
have  a  clump  from  8  to  10  feet  high,  and  6  feet  through.  Those  who  know 
and  appreciate  this  class  of  Lathyrus  will  readily  understand  what  a 
-display  of  bloom  is  annually  produced.  Tho  flo/vers  are  quite  large,  rose 
colour,  tinged  with  purple.  Cut  in  pieces  10  inches  long  they  are  attractive 
w  ith  nothing  but  their  own  foliage. — E. 
-  Day  Lilies. — These  have  been  remarkably  good  this  season, 
the  frequent  showers  having  suited  them,  while  there  has  been  plenty  of 
sun  to  open  the  flowers  properly.  Hemerocallis  flava,  tho  yellow  Day 
Lily,  is  perhaps  the  best  known,  but  there  are  others  equally  beautiful, 
-though  none  possesses  that  delightful  clear  yellow  tint  as  seen  in  this 
kind.  H.  fulva  has  large  flowers  of  a  tawny  brownish  hue  that  is  not 
unattractive,  and  a  finely  grown  plant  of  this  species  ha3  a  noble  appear¬ 
ance  in  the  herbaceous  border.  II.  Kwanso  fl.-pl.  is  very  like  it  in 
colour.  I  am  not  aware  if  there  is  a  single  H.  Kwanso.  If  so  I  should 
uav  it  must  be  very  like  H.  fulva  The  newer  H.  aurantiaca  major  came 
along  with  a  big  purpose,  but  I  must  confess  to  being  a  good  deal  dis¬ 
appointed  in  it.  As  a  pretty  garden  plant  I  much  prefer  the  dainty  little 
H.  graminea,  with  its  bright  green  foliage  and  graceful  spikes  of  yellow 
flowers.  It  requires  more  care  than  the  larger  growers  mentioned  above, 
and  a  lighter  soil,  but  is  very  pretty  when  well  grown.  II.  rutilans  is 
another  pretty  and  very  hardy  kind  that  has  a  fine  appearance  in  the 
■front  of  an  herbaceous  border  after  manyjof  the  dwarf  plants  are  over. — II 
-  Bristol  Gardeners’  Association. — A  large  number  of 
■members  assembled  on  Thursday  at  St.John’s  Parish  Room,  Redland,  to 
hear  a  paper  by  Mr.  W.  Staddon  on  the  History  and  Cultivation  of  the 
Apple.  Mr.  W.  Lock,  the  Society’s  Chairman,  some  time  ago  offered  a 
prize  of  20s.  to  under  gardeners  for  tho  best  essay  on  any  subject  con¬ 
nected  w  ith  horticulture.  The  competing  essays  were  judged  by  Mr.  W.  W. 
■Pettigrew,  of  Cardiff,  who  gave  the  premier  honours  to  Mr.  Staddon  for 
the  essay  with  wh  ch  he  favoured  the  Society  on  Thursday.  The  subject, 
which  is  full  of  interest  to  gardeners,  was  dealt  with  in  a  manner  that 
showed  the  writer  quite  at  home  in  his  treatment  of  it,  giving  his  views 
Alike  upon  planting,  propagating,  pruning,  trainirg,  feeding,  and  the  value 
of  the  Apple,  which  he  characterised  as  the  king  of  fruits.  A  short 
discussion  followed,  and  a  very  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  given 
Mr.  Staddon  for  his  effort.  Prizes  for  Carnation  blooms  (six)  were 
Awarded  Messrs.  Ross  and  McCullock,  and  the  Society’s  certificate  of 
merit  given  to  Mr.  Ross  for  a  bunch  of  Grapes  and  Mr.  Binfield  for  a 
plant  of  Cattleya  Rex. 
-  Delphinium  belladonna. — This  old  yet  valuable  variety  cf 
perern’al  Larkspur  is  not  cultivated  nearly  as  much  as  it  deserves  to  be. 
The  colour  of  the  flowers  (pale  blue)  is  almost  unique  in  the  garden  at  this 
season  of  the  year.  In  height  it  grows  3  feet,  and  flowers  profusely. — M. 
-  PiEONY  Albert  Crousse. — Now  that  the  family  of  herbaceous 
Pmonies  is  becoming  so  large  we  shall  be  better  able  to  select  such  as  are 
required  for  any  special  purpose.  The  above  will  certainly  take  a  high 
position  where  delicate  colours  are  preferred.  The  flowers  are  quite 
double  and  of  a  pleasing  salmon  pink,  and  like  many  more  of  this  class 
deliciously  scented. — B.  W. 
-  Peas  on  Strike. — Whilst  round  Pontefract  district  recently, 
I  came  across  a  noted  local  gardener,  who  pointed  out  to  me  several  rows 
of  Peis  that  were  affected  as  if  by  a  severe  blight — the  growth  being  com¬ 
pletely  arrested — and  the  crop  a  failure.  Other  good- gardeners  in  the 
district,  he  told  me,  are  similarly  affected.  The  whole  mischief  appears 
to  have  been  done  (at  all  events  in  one  instance)  in  a  single  night.  Gan 
any  reader  suggest  the  cause  ?  —  ANON. 
-  The  New  V.M.II. — We  understand,  though  we  have  not  been 
officially  informed,  that  Mr.  James  Douglas  has  been  placed  on  the  roll 
of  Victorian  medallists  in  horticulture,  filling  the  vacancy  that  was 
caused  by  the  lamented  death  of  Mr.  M.  Dunn.  That  Mr.  Douglas  is 
fully  entitled  to  the  honour  few  will  dispute.  lie  long  since  won  his 
spurs  as  a  successful  cultivator  in  all  departments  of  gardening,  while 
he  is  the  raiser  of  sterling  varieties  of  fruits  and  flowers,  and  has 
freely  communicated  his  knowledge  to  others  through  tho  agency  of 
the  Press. 
-  CYPERUS. — “  II.  D.,”  in  his  article  on  Cyperus,  page  71,  appears 
to  be  a  little  mixed,  so  far  a3  the  Egyptian  Papyrus  is  concerned, 
apparently  confounding  this  gigantic  species  of  the  Cyperaceae  with  the 
ornamental  Cyperu3  in  common  cultivation.  However,  one  is  again 
afforded  an  opportunity  cf  advocating  the  claims  of  that  truly  noble 
plant,  Papyrus  antiquorum,  which  is  in  its  way  unique  as  a  decorative 
plant  for  a  lofty  tropical  house.  Again,  it  wa3  from  the  stem  (not  the 
leaves)  of  this  huge  Cyperus  that  the  Egyptians  made  their  papyri — 
presumably  by  unrolling  the  layers  of  tissue,  in  a  similar  manner  to  that 
employed  by  the  North  American  Indians  when  converting  the  delicate 
bark  of  the  Paper  Birch  to  corresponding  purposes.— K.,  Dublin. 
-  Globe  Artichokes.— Mr.  J.  S.  Upex  sends  us  from  Wig- 
ganthorpe  samples  of  what  is  considered  there  a  good  strain  of  this 
much-differing  vegetable.  In  the  R.H.S,  rules  for  judging  the  require¬ 
ments  of  Globe  Artichokes  are  “  even  size,  rounded,  scales  well  closed 
and  fleshy,”  and  in  awarding  points  twice  as  many  should  be  given  to 
“  solidity  ”  as  for  any  other  property.  Judged  by  the  above  standard 
the  Wigganthorpe  specimens  would  seem  good  enough  for  winning  a 
prize  in  the  best  of  competition.  Mr.  Upex  described  his  method  of 
culture  on  page  485,  last  vol. 
-  Tacsonia  exoniensis. — For  covering  a  glass  roof  quickly 
and  making  a  fine  display  I  know  of  nothing  in  the  way  of  greenhouse 
climbers  to  beat  this  hybrid  Tacsonia.  On  the  roof  of  a  glass  corridor 
where  it  is  very  difficult  to  get  anything  to  grow,  this  plant 
flourishes,  and  for  at  least  six  months  in  the  year  is  more  or  less  heavily 
laden  with  the  fine  showy  flowers.  As  to  culture  it  is  simply  a  matter 
of  planting  in  a  good  bed  of  prepared  soil  and  letting  it  go.  It  must 
not  bo  planted  where  space  is  limited,  but  in  large  conservatories  or 
winter  gardens  it  will  clothe  pillars  and  arches,  the  roof  tie-rods  or 
whatever  else  it  is  necessary  to  hide,  and  when  in  flower  is  strikingly 
beautiful.  It  may  easily  be  raised  from  cuttings  on  a  slight  bottom 
heat. — B. 
_  Southern  Counties  Carnation  Society.— The  second 
annual  exhibition  under  the  auspices  of  the  Southern  Counties  Carnation 
Society,  held  on  the  Pier  at  Southampton,  on  July  25th,  quite  put  its 
forerunner  into  the  shade.  Indeed,  considering  tho  brief  time  that  has 
elapsed  since  the  Society  was  formed  the  Show  was  little  short  of 
wonderful.  No  fitter  place  could  have  been  chosen  for  tho  exhibition 
than  the  spacious  Pavilion  which  adorns  the  Pier  head,  for  iho  visitors 
were  not  only  permitted  to  gaze  upon  the  beautiful  blooms  within  doors, 
but  to  enjoy  a  pleasant  promenade  or  sheltered  seat  outside.  Tho  date 
of  the  Show  was  most  convenient  for  many  of  the  big  showmen  in 
Birmingham  and  elsewhere,  and  thus  the  quality  of  the  exhibits  was  of 
the  very  highest  standard.  All  were  excellent,  and  to  make  distinctions 
would  be  quite  invidious.  In  most  of  the  classes  six  prizes  were  awarded, 
and  the  competition  was  most  severe.  These  notes,  with  tho  prize  list, 
have  been  forwarded  to  us,  but  we  are  quite  unable  to  give  a  detailed 
report. 
