August  3,  1899. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
HYPERICUM  MOSERIANUM. 
THIS  is  a  charming  little  hardy  plant  for  late  summer  and  autumn 
flowering,  c-.mmencing  in  July  and  lasting  well  on  into  September.  It  is 
the  result  of  a  cross  between  H.  calycinum,  an  Oriental  species,  and 
II.  patulum,  a  native  of  China  and  India.  In  constitution  II.  Moserianum 
resembles  II.  patulum,  and  is  therefore  rather  tender  and  liable  to  be 
hilled  to  the  ground-lino  by  frost,  though  the  roots  are  seldom  injured. 
Such  cutting-hack,  however,  tends  in  a  few  years  to  so  weaken  it  that 
young  plants  should  be  raised  to  replace  any  that  are  worn  out.  Cuttings 
taken  in  August  or  September,  inserted  in  sandy  soil,  and  kept  shaded, 
will  root  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  weeks.  They  should  be  left  in  the 
cutting  pots  through  the  winter,  and  in  spring  be  potted  and  placed  in  a 
cold  frame,  and  planted  out  the  following  season. 
The  flowers  of  II.  Moserianum  (fig.  25;  are  of  a  bright  yellow  colour, 
2  inches  or  more  across,  with  a  cluster  of  stamens  bearing  bright  red 
anthers  in  the  centre.  I  do  not  know  if  it  has  ever  been  raised  from  seed, 
which  is  produced  very  sparingly,  a  few  only  being  found  in  an  occasional 
pod.  If  it  could  be  raised  from  seed,  and  be  obtained  true,  a  hardier  form 
might  result,  which  would  be  a  decided  acquisition.  There  is  a  supposed 
variety  with  variegated  leaves  named  tricolor,  which  is  very  useful  for 
conservatory  and  house  decoration.  It  can  also  be  used  with  good  effect 
in  vases  outdoors. — C. 
EYNSFORD  via  SWAN  LEY. 
To  some  men  of  Kent  it  will  seem  unnecessary  to  go  through  Swanley 
to  reach  Eynsford,  but  though  it  may  increase  the  actual  mileage  to  lie 
covered,  and  take  up  a  little  more  time,  the  extra  exertion  will  have  been 
well  expended.  At  Swanley  may  be  seen  much  that  the  most  assiduous 
searcher  will  not  find  at  Eynsford,  and  let  us  add  vice  versa.  It  is  possible 
that  every  ardent  horticulturist  within  a  fifty-mile  radius  of  London  will 
have,  at  one  time  or  another,  included  Swanley  in  his  peregrinations  in 
search  of  the  wherewithal  to  adorn  either  his  greenhouses  or  his  garden, 
or  both.  Of  course  people  without  that  imaginary  circle  have  been 
gratified  by  the  vidt,  while  those  whose  homes  are  across  the  seas  keep 
in  touch  with  the  “  Home  of  Flowers’’  by  the  medium  of  the  post,  which 
now  almost  extends  to  the  “uttermost  ends  of  the  earth.”  Certain  it  is 
that  the  products  of  the  Cunnellian  emporium  have  fojnd  their  sometimes 
devious  ways  to  every  country  where  the  love  of  gardening  finds  a  place. 
Swanley  Chrysanthemums  in  Australia  and  New  Zealand  have  quite  a 
vogue  amongst  our  cousins,  who,  if  they  are  prominent  as  cricketers,  are 
also  strong  as  ’Mummers,  though  in  this  respect  it  is  probable  our  Meases 
and  our  Lees  would  be  more  than  a  match  for  the  lions  of  the  Australasian 
Continent.  However,  we  are  not  likely  to  have  a  test  match  in  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  growing  within  the  next  few  years,  so  let  us  pass  on. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  what  the  visitor  s  first  words  will  be 
when  he  enters  the  precincts  of  the  nursery.  He  will  demand  of  the  first 
person  he  sees,  Where  is  Mr.  Henry  Cannell  ?  And  when  he  has  found 
him,  he  may  prepare  to  make  mental  or  other  notes  of  the  interesting 
facts  relating  to  horticulture  that  have  arisen  during  the  last  half  century 
or  so.  Mr.  Cannell  is  generally  easy  to  find,  as  he  is  not  a  great  holiday 
maker  ;  but  he  has  this  year  so  far  neglected  his  business  a3  to  go  for  one 
week  to  his  natal  home  near  Norwich.  He  left  the  place  in  good  hands, 
for  his  three  sons  have  attained  to  man’s  estate,  and  are  keen  in  watching 
the  departments  under  their  control.  This,  Mr.  Cannell  informed  the 
writer,  was  the  first  real  holiday  for  twenty-five  years.  So  staunch  a 
supporter  of  matters  horticultural  is  he  that  he  has  become  a  fruitarian 
and  a  vegetarian,  presumably  because  business  is  so  pressing  that  he  has 
not  time  to  digest  meat  ;  and  it  is  pleasant  to  be  able  to  say  that  he  looks 
thoroughlj'  well  on  his  diet.  Hut  this  is  somewhat  of  digression,  as  the 
object  in  view  when  the  pen  was  taken  in  hand  was  to  conduct  the  reader 
as  expeditiously  as  possible  to  Eynsford  via  Swanley,  and  as  our  French 
neighbours  have  it,  revenons  a  nos  moutons,  which  is  not  perhaps  a  trite 
saying  when  a  vegetarian  is  within  hearing. 
Brilliant  Beauty. 
Though  this  is  by  no  means  the  best  time  of  the  year  to  see  the  Zonal 
Pelargoniums,  they  are  thoroughly  worthy  of  inspection.  The  grand 
plants,  ruddy  with  the  glow  of  health,  are  still  producing  trusses  of  finely 
formed  pips,  but  the  flowers  have  neither  the  colour  nor  the  substance 
that  are  their  most  conspicuous  attributes  early  in  theyrar.  Almost  every 
variety  that  is  put  in  commerce  finds  its  way  to  Swanley,  and  is  tried 
under  the  best  cultural  conditions,  and  those  that  come  up  to  the  standard 
are  retained,  while  the  inferior  ones  are  relegated  to  the  rubbish  heap. 
Thus  in  the  regular  collection  one  cannot  find  a  poor  form  either  amidst 
the  singles,  the  doubles,  or  the  ever  admired  Ivy-leaved  varieties.  It  is, 
however,  in  the  dull  days  of  the  winter  that  Zonals  are  most  acceptable 
for  that  brilliance  of  colour  that  goes  far  to  brighten  and  make  enjoyable 
many  a  cheerless  day.  The  flowers,  too,  stand  much  longer  at  that  time 
of  the  year  than  they  do  now.  because  of  the  much  greater  substance 
they  possess. 
Perhaps  equa  ly  as  bright,  and  certainly  covering  a  far  wider  range 
of  colouration,  are  the  tuber.us-rooted  Begonias,  of  which  there  are 
many  hundreds  of  plants  in  flower.  A  brief  inspection  suffices  to  prove 
the  excellence  of  the  strain,  both  with  regard  to  colour,  stoutness  of 
Wo 
petal,  and  floriferousness  of  all  the  plants.  In  the  case  of  double  and 
single  varieties  alike  the  flowers  average  of  considerable  size,  and  in 
Bhades  of  yellow,  orange,  and  apricot  the  colours  are  surprisingly  lovelj’ 
Begonia  Gloire  de  Lorraine  is  represented  by  an  immense  number  of 
small  plants,  that  will  come  forth  in  the  winter  to  astonish  and  delight 
many  observers.  These,  when  they  are  exhibited,  are  shown  in  pots, 
while  the  Pelargoniums  are  staged  in  handsome  bunches.  Nor  must  wo 
omit  mention  of  the  Carinas,  towards  the  popularisation  of  which  Mr. 
Cannell  has  done  so  much — indeed,  he  was  one  of  the  first  nurserymen 
to  give  them  a  regular  place  in  his  catalogue.  The  varieties  of  to-day 
are  vastly  different  from  those  of  ten  or  twelve  years  ago,  and  they  are 
now  sure  of  the  admiration  of  everyone. 
Beauty  of  Leakage  and  of  Structure. 
Fortunately  for  the  tastes  of  many  people  there  are  forms  of  beauty 
other  than  those  provided  by  the  plants  producing  brilliant  flowers 
Fig.  25.— Hypericum  Moserianum. 
like  these  that  have  been  named  as  well  us  others  that  will  occur 
naturally  to  the  mind.  As  a  matter  of  fact  such  attractions  do  not 
appeal  to  some  in  the  slightest  degree,  for  they  seek  their  ideals  among 
the  stately  Palms,  the  elegant  Ferns,  or  the  quaintly  formed  members- 
of  the  great  Cactus  family.  Of  these  last  named  plants  the  collection 
is  very  comprehensive,  ineluding  as  it  does  all  the  best  known  forms, 
as  well  as  others  that  are  comparatively  rare.  Some  of  them  certainly 
have  slight  pretensions  to  beauty,  but  others  possess  a  singular  charm, 
and  appeal  to  almost  everyone.  After  the  blaze  of  Pelargoniums  and 
Begonias  the  cactaceous  plants  came  as  a  welcome  relief,  and  found  the 
writer  in  a  better  frame  of  mind  to  appreciate  their  quaintness  than  in 
his  normal  state.  There  are  pigmies  of  inches  in  height  that  of  their 
kind  are  grown  rnen,  and  there  are,  relatively  speaking,  giants,  for  the 
accommodation  of  which,  if  they  become  much  loftier,  it  will  be  necessary 
either  to  raise  the  roof  or  lower  the  floor.  Some  are  clothed  with  hair¬ 
like  threads,  and  remind  one  of  white-woolly-headed  niggers,  and  others- 
