January  30,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
93 
and  is  named  Aurora.  It  is  a  very  handsome  variety  of  rather 
dwarf  habit,  but  with  large  and  perfectly  formed  flowers.  I  am 
sorry  to  say  the  Snowdrop  disease  has  again  made  its  appearance 
among  some  bulbs  of  G.  nivalis  which  were  collected  in  a  wood  in 
the  locality,  and  among  some  G-.  byzantinus  imported  from  Bithynia 
about  three  years  ago.  I  am  dusting  about  the  plants  with  flowers 
of  sulphur  to  see  if  that  will  prevent  it  from  spreading.  This 
annoying  and  destructive  disease  did  not  appear  in  my  garden 
until  about  three  years  ago,  and  fortunately  is  as  yet  confined  to 
two  small  areas. 
The  little  Winter  Aconite,  Eranthis  hyemalis,  has  once  more 
appeared  with  its  bright  green  leaves  and  yellow  flowers.  Common 
and  cheap  as  it  is  it  is  ever-looked  for  with  pleasure,  and  prized  for 
its  bright  colour  in  the  early  days  of  the  year.  E.  cilicicus  will  not 
be  much  later  this  year  than  E.  hyemalis.  Hyacinthus  azureus  or 
Muscari  azureum  is  showing  its  pretty  blue  colour,  and  will  soon  be 
in  full  beauty,  when  I  hope  to  return  to  it,  and  say  a  little  more 
concerning  it  than  I  have  hitherto  done. 
None  of  the  Scillas  is  as  yet  showing  flower,  but  S.  bifolia 
Whittalli  and  two  or  three  other  varieties  of  bifolia  are  coming  on 
rapidly,  and  should  soon  be  in  bloom.  I  had  expected  to  have  a 
few  stray  Hepatica  flowers  ere  this,  but  they  still  delay.  A  white 
seedling  of  my  own  raising  is  almost  ready  to  open,  however,  and 
as  it  is  its  first  flower  I  am  waiting  anxiously  for  a  sight  of  its 
bloom. 
No  Daffodils  are  yet  in  bloom,  but  several  have  the  bud  visible, 
and  N.  minor,  N.  minimus,  and  N.  pallidus  praecox  should  not  be 
long.  A  considerable  number  of  Primroses  are  in  bloom,  and  the 
yellow  forms  of  these  with  Jasminum  nudiflorum  on  the  walls,  and 
the  several  yellow  Crocuses,  such  as  C.  aureus,  C.  gargaricus,  and 
C.  ancyrensis  help  to  lighten  up  the  garden,  and  to  give  a  change 
from  the  'pure  snowy  whiteness  of  the  Snowdrops.  Saxifraga 
apiculata  has  just  begun  to  open  its  primrose  coloured  flowers,  and 
very  soon  quite  a  galaxy  of  gems  will  adorn  the  slopes  of  the  rock 
garden  and  the  beds  and  borders.  Meanwhile  we  need  not  weary, 
finding  daily  some  fresh  beauty  in  the  flowers  in  bloom,  or  seeing 
the  progress  of  the  others  which  shall  follow  with  their  bright,  yet 
delicate  loveliness. — S.  Arnott. 
FLORAL  FACTS  AND  FANCIES.— 16. 
Our  greatest  of  dramatists  has,  in  a  familiar  passage,  connected 
the  work  of  the  Samphire  gatherer  with  the  lofty  cliffs  of  Dover, 
and  for  centuries  this  plant  was  obtained  at  much  risk  ;  there,  and 
in  other  places,  it  seems  to  have  been  thought  more  valuable 
because  of  the  peril  occurred.  From  the  narrow  escapes  of  life 
and  limb  through  which  its  hunters  had  to  pass  the  Samphire 
might  well  be  a  symbol  of  “  danger.”  Its  greenish  flowers  open  in 
August ;  but  it  has  vanished  from  many  places  where  once  it  was 
common.  The  pickle  was  very  highly  esteemed  for  its  aromatic, 
pungent  flavour  ;  the  plant  was  also  eaten  uncooked.  Attempts 
were  made  sometimes  to  sell  for  Samphire  the  ‘Jointed  Glasswort 
(Salicornia  sp.),  a  species  more  accessible  on  the  coast,  yet  in  flavour 
quite  different.  Evidently  the  name  of  Samphire  comes  from  a 
French  word,  which  connects  the  plant  with  St.  Peter.  It  would 
have  been  a  good  thing  had  our  worthy  ancestors  tried  to  cultivate 
this  plant  upon  rocks  or  cliffs  within  easy  reach,  so  as  to  have  a 
supply  at  hand,  but  the  idea  did  not  occur  to  them. 
There  was  less  difficulty  in  obtaining  the  Tamarisk,  which, 
though  it  has  been  called  the  Sea  Cypress,  is  not  a  mournful  plant, 
for  the  feathery  foliage  on  its  red  stem,  and  clustering  pinkish 
flowers,  are  pleasant  to  see.  Still,  it  is  a  reminder  of  “  crime,” 
because  the  ancient  Romans  disliked  the  plant,  and  they  were 
accustomed  to  place  a  wreath  of  Tamarisk  round  the  head  of  an 
offender.  This  did  not  influence  its  repute  during  the  Middle 
Ages,  when  it  was  esteemed  as  a  bitter  and  astringent,  being 
probably  brought  over  here  from  France  or  Spain,  some  state  by 
Archbishop  Grindal.  One  might  naturally  suppose  there  is  some 
connection  between  “  Tamarisk  ”  and  “  Tamarind,”  but  the  former 
appears  to  have  had  its  origin  in  the  name  of  a  Spanish  river,  upon 
which  the  plant  grew  abundantly,  and  the  latter  comes  from  an 
Arab  word  meaning  the  “  Indian  Date.” 
Even  in  winter  the  Sea  Cabbage  attracts  notice,  exhibiting  some 
richly  tinted  leaves  on  the  lofty  heights  where  it  flourishes,  and 
during  the  summer  its  long  stalks  of  yellow  flowers  are  very  con¬ 
spicuous.  It  reminds  us  of  an  old  belief,  that  there  was  such  an 
antipathy  between  this  plant  and  the  Vine,  that  if  placed  near  one 
growing  any  Vine  would  speedily  die  ;  also,  we  think  of  the  singular 
fact,  for  fact  it  is,  that  the  Romans  bad  a  sort  of  admiration  or 
reverence  for  the  Cabbage,  even  as  the  Egyptians  held  the  Onion 
in  honour,  though  the  Cabbage  and  sentiment  do  not  seem  to  be 
allied.  Indeed,  one  author  remarks  that  they  must  surely  have 
known  the  Cauliflower,  or  they  would  not  have  felt  this  enthusiasm 
about  any  kind  of  Brassica,  but  it  is  thought  the  first  of  these  was 
produced  in  Cyprus,  not  till  about  the  twelfth  century. 
A  shrubby  plant  fond  of  inland  hills,  and  also  of  dry  heaths, 
the  Whortleberry  or  Bilberry  (Yaccinium  Myrtillus)  suggests 
“  treason,”  by  its  pink  drooping  bells,  for,  as  the  Latin  name  tells, 
it  was  into  this  little  shrub  Myrtillus  was  changed  as  a  punishment 
for  his  treachery.  He  was,  so  says  the  story,  charioteer  to 
iEnomaus,  who  lost  his  daughter,  his  kingdom,  and  life  because  he 
was  beaten  in  a  race  with  Pelops,  who  bribed  Myrtillus  to  remove 
the  pin  from  one  of  the  chariot  wheels.  Though  all  the  species  in 
the  genus  have  a  name  associating  them  with  cows,  the  red-fruited 
Y.  Yitis  Idaea  is  specially  the  Cowberry  if  for  no  particular  reason. 
In  North  Europe  the  people  utilise  this  specie3  by  setting  it  for 
garden  edgings,  as  the  leaves  are  evergreen,  and  it  flourishes  quite 
equal  to  Box  when  well  trimmed. 
Another  historic  plant,  however,  might  well  have  been  named 
after  cows,  since  by  feeding  upon  it  upon  northern  pastures  they 
convey  its  flavour  to  milk,  butter,  and  cheese.  It  is  akin  to  our 
garden  Fennel,  like  that  aromatic ;  folks  call  it  Spignel,  or  in  the 
Highlands  Bald-money,  in  science  Meum  athamanticum.  The 
finely  cut  hair-like  leaves  and  yellow  flower  heads  have  been  worn 
as  a  token  of  “  courage,”  for  one  name  links  it  to  the  Scandinavian 
hero,  Balder  of  old.  The  Fennel,  also,  which  we  nowadays  think 
of  chiefly  in  connection  with  salmon  and  garnishing  dishes,  has  had 
its  higher  value  in  the  past  as  a  plant  significant  of  “  strength  ”  or 
“  victory,”  and,  besides,  it  was  believed  that  a  decoction  of  the 
flowers  would  restore  the  sight  when  it  was  failing.  One  of  our 
poets  says  of  the  Fennel — 
“It  gave  new  strength  and  daring  mood, 
And  gladiators  fierce  and  rude 
Mingled  it  in  their  daily  food. 
And  he  who  battled  and  subdued 
A  wreath  of  Fennel  wore.” 
Even  during  the  days  of  the  Tudors  and  Stuarts  the  ladies  of 
our  land  wore  its  leaves  in  their  hair,  or  placed  its  flowers  in  the 
posies  they  carried.  Some  of  the  umbelliferous  plants  appear  green 
and  flourishing  through  the  winter,  and  one  of  these  that  we  notice, 
from  its  spreading  mode  of  growth,  is  the  Alexanders  (Smyrnium 
Olusatrum),  most  frequent  on  rough  ground  near  the  sea,  but 
occurring  sometimes  elsewhere.  Upon  the  supposition  that  its 
old  name  bears  reference  to  the  greatest  of  Alexanders,  the  plant 
has  been  taken  to  signify  1  ‘  hope,”  because  the  conqueror  of  the 
world,  before  he  entered  upon  his  great  enterprises,  renounced 
everything  but  hope.  The  meaning  of  another  name,  “  Stand- 
marche,”  is  not  so  intelligible.  This  was  a  plant  that  gardeners 
cultivated  during  the  Middle  Ages  and  later,  hence  it  even  now 
frequently  occurs  upon  ground  near  the  site  of  some  old  mansion  or 
castle.  When  Celery  was  unknown  the  leaves  and  shoots  of 
Alexanders  were  commonly  boiled  in  soups,  though  they  made 
the  liquid  blackish,  and  the  pungencv  would  require  a  strong 
palate  to  bear  its  flavour.  Many  of  our  Kentish  folk  can  remember 
that  on  the  arrival  of  the  Princess  of  Wales  bunches  of  Alexanders 
were  put  with  the  white  favours  worn  in  her  honour  by  some  of 
the  people  along  the  coast. 
Much  perplexity  has  arisen  from  the  uncertainty  as  to  which 
of  the  species  called  Purslane  that  name  strictly  belongs.  We 
might  know  better  if  we  had  the  exact  meaning  of  the  word. 
Probably  it  refers  to  something  purse-like  in  a  plant,  but  some 
have  thought  it  contains  an  allusion  to  a  pig  !  Of  course  the 
garden  Purslane,  of  the  Portulaceous  order,  has  a  good  claim 
to  the  title  ;  a  plant  brought  from  South  America  about  1G52, 
little  esteemed  or  grown  now,  but  at  one  time  cultivated  to  use 
in  salads  and  pickles.  Several  African  species  of  the  tribe,  also 
succulent,  with  blue  or  scarlet  flowers,  are  to  be  seen  in  con¬ 
servatories  ;  and  we  have  a  small  native  species  (Montia  fontana), 
formerly  not  uncommon  in  little  brooks  near  London,  which  has 
white  flowers,  and  is  the  Water  Purslane  or  “Blinks.”  A.  plant 
still  less  in  size,  of  another  family,  that  occurs  in  shallow  water 
occasionally,  having  red  stems  and  broad  glossy  leaves,  has  the 
same  English  name— this  is  Peptis  portula  ;  and  yet  another 
species,  allied  to  the  Sandworts,  i»  called  the  Sea  Purslane 
(Honkneya  peploides).  It  has  a  very  curious  arrangement  of 
leave*,  which  spring  from  the  stem  in  four  distinct  rows,  and  when 
the  plant  is  vigorous  they  are  of  a  bright  green,  glossy,  and  thick. 
Some  believe  this  was  the  original  Purslane  of  our  ancestors. 
One  of  spring’s  pioneers,  yet  a  species  that  is  seen  in  flower 
somewhere  or  other  all  through  the  year,  is  the  common  Dandelion  ; 
apparently  it  is  in  some  districts  a  weed  even  more  abundant 
than  it  used  to  be.  Objectionable  upon  cultivated  ground,  it 
is  undoubtedly  wholesome  food  for  sheep,  horses,  and  other 
quadrupeds.  The  flower  means  an  “oracle,”  because,  like  the 
Hawkweeds  and  others  of  the  Composite  order,  it  is  employed  in 
divination,  by  blowing  off  the  feathery  seeds  people  have  sought 
