March  5,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
215 
Harrison’s  Musk,  from  which  rises  plants  of  Heliotrope  Swanley  Giant 
at  a  distance  of  not  less  than  2  feet  apart,  with  here  and  there  a  plant  or 
two  of  Ricinus  cambodgensis,  Zea  gracillima,  and  several  clumps  of 
Gladiolus  brenchleyensis,  insures  a  pleasing  combination  of  colour  and 
fragrance.  Lavatera  trimestris  growing  above  a  groundwork  of 
Calceolaria  amplexicaulis,  with  an  edging  of  Chamsepeuce  diacantha, 
alternated  with  tufts  of  Agrostis  elegans,  is  worth  noting. 
Tuberous  Begonias  in  the  flower  garden  are  often  spoilt  for  wantof  space 
to  enable  the  foliage  and  blooms  to  develop  fully.  Among  the  Begonias 
I  arrange  here  and  there  single  stemmed  plants  of  Eucalyptus  globulus, 
Ricinus  cambodgensis,  Abutilon  Thompsoni  variegata,  and  Zea  japonica. 
Not  only  do  these  tall  growing  plants  aid  the  growth  of  the  Begonias 
during  hot  and  dry  weather  by  affording  some  slight  shade,  but  they 
relieve  the  otherwise  flat  appearance.  All  Begonia  beds  should  have  the 
soil  covered  with  some  low  growing  plant,  such  as'  Sedum  glaucum, 
Herniaria  glabra,  Poa  trivialis  variegata,  Lysimachia  nummularia  aurea, 
Mesembryanthemum  cordifolium  variegatum,  or  Veronica  repens.  Not 
only  are  such  useful  in  hiding  the  soil,  but  they  effect  a  pleasing  contrast 
to  the  blooms  above,  as  well  as  preventing  the  blooms  being  splashed  by 
the  soil  during  heavy  rains. 
Celosias  are  somewhat  uncommon  in  the  flower  garden,  yet  when 
well  managed  they  create  a  pleasing  effect.  Planted  in  groupR  of  three 
or  five  amongst  Fuchsias,  for  instance,  they  look  charming.  For  a  bold 
sub-tropical  effect  Gymnothrix  latifolia  is  a  capital  plant.  The  deep 
green  of  its  leaves  is  most  pleasing.  Strong  plants  put  out  in  good  soil 
will  grow  6  feet  high  in  a  season.  A  circular  bed  3  feet  to  4  feet  in 
diameter,  the  raised  edging  planted  with  Mesembryanthemum  cordifolium 
variegatum,  with  a  3  feet  high  centre  plant  of  Dracaena  australis  and 
the  remainder  of  the  bed  filled  with  Coleus  Verschaffelti  is  a  most 
effective  colour  combination  with  simple  plants. 
Solanum  marginatum,  silvery,  S.  pyracanthum,  brown,  are  varieties 
of  this  family  of  foliage  plants  always  welcome  in  a  garden  where  a 
subtropical  effect  is  prized.  Melianthus  major  with  its  glaucous  coloured 
leaves  is  another  useful  foliage  plant.  Well-grown  Balsams  are  seldom 
seen  in  the  flower  garden,  yet  they  are  deserving  of  some  attention  as 
they  give  a  profusion  of  various  coloured  blossoms.  Salvia  patens  and 
Gladiolius  brenchleyensis  over  a  carpet  of  white  Violas  is  a  combination 
that  is  generally  appreciated. — E.  Molyneux. 
NERINES. 
The  success  in  the  cultivation  of  Nerinea,  or  at  least  of  the  garden 
kinds,  depends  almost  entirely  on  their  being  grown  in  a  little  warmth 
during  the  winter,  resting  through  the  summer,  and  allowed  to  flower  in 
the  autumn  It  will  be  perceived  that  in  this  respect  Nerines  differ 
from  the  majority  of  popular  bulbous  plants,  which  make  their  growth 
in  the  summer  are  rested  in  the  winter,  and  brought  into  flower  in  spring 
and  summer.  This  latter  fact  has,  no  doubt,  caused  many  to  treat 
their  Nerines  along  with  such  plants  as  Hippeastrum  and  Cobnrghia, 
with  the  result  that  the  Nerines  were  a  failure.  When  it  is  remembered 
that  the  Nerines  are  all  natives  of  the  Cape,  about  Table  Mountain,  the 
difference  between  the  time  when  they  are  most  active  and  the  growing 
season  of  Hippeastrum  and  other  New  World  bulbs  will  be  easily  under¬ 
stood.  The  same  rule  applies  to  the  majority  of  Cape  bulbous  plants 
when  grown  in  this  country,  and  although  some  of  them  are  not  so 
particular  as  regards  the  time  of  growth  as  others,  yet  better  results  are 
obtained  where  these  plants  are  allowed  to  rest  in  summer  and  started 
into  active  growth  again  either  in  winter  or  very  early  in  spring. 
After  a  Nerine  has  flowered  its  roots  should  be  examined,  and  should 
they  be  healthy  and  the  soil  and  the  drainage  good,  it  will  not  be  neces¬ 
sary  to  repot  them  into  larger  pots.  Many  bulbous  plants  thrive  best 
when  root-bound,  food  being  supplied  in  the  form  of  liquid  manure  or 
guano  when  fresh  growth  is  being  made.  As  the  cold  weather  approaches, 
or,  say,  in  October,  a  hotbed  should  be  made  up  in  a  frame,  dung  and 
leaves  being  the  usual  material  employed.  A  layer  of  cocoa-nut  fibre 
refuse  or  ashes  should  be  placed  on  the  too  of  the  bed,  and  into  this  the 
Nerine  pots  should  be  partly  plunged.  The  sunniest  possible  position 
should  be  chosen,  so  that  the  plants  may  have  the  full  benefit  of  what 
little  sunlight  there  is  in  winter.  A  temperature  of  about  55°  will  be 
quite  high  enough,  though  on  bright  mild  days  it  might  rise  to  60°. 
Ventilation  sufficient  to  keep  the  atmosphere  in  the  frame  fresh,  and  to 
allow  excessive  moisture  to  escape,  will  be  necessary. 
Keep  the  soil  moist  without  watering  it  to  soddenness,  and  for  strong 
bulbs  in  small  pots,  or  which  have  not  been  repotted  for  some  time, 
liquid  manure,  or  a  top-dressing  with  some  of  the  patent  manures,  will 
be  found  helpful  to  vigorous  growth.  By  the  time  winter  is  over 
growth  should  have  been  completed,  so  that  the  plants  may  be  then 
gradually  baidened  by  exposure  and  withholding  water.  This  will 
cause  the  leaves  to  wither.  During  the  summer  the  plants  may  be  placed 
on  a  shelf  near  the  glass  in  a  cool  greenhouse  or  frame,  and  allowed 
all  the  sunshine  possible.  Water  must  be  entirely  withheld.  By  the 
end  of  July  the  flower  scapes  should  begin  to  appear,  when  water  will 
be  again  necessary,  after  which  the  soil  may  be  kept  moist  and  the 
flowers  assisted  by  supplies  of  weak  liquid  manure. 
It  will  be  seen  that  at  no  period  of  the  year  is  shade  required  by 
Nerines  ;  they  enjoy  all  the  sunlight  they  can  get,  both  when  growing 
and  when  at  rest.  The  soil  preferred  by  Nerines  is  a  rich  light  loam 
without  either  sand  or  leaf  mould.  The  pure  loam  lasts  longer,  and 
preserves  the  roots  and  bulbs  better  when  at  rest  than  any  other  mixture 
would.  Mealy  bug  sometimes  attacks  Nerines,  as  it  does  most  bulbous 
plants,  and  it  is  no  easy  task  to  free  bulbs  of  any  kind  from  this  pest 
when  once  it  has  gained  a  footing  upon  them.  The  only  cure  is  by 
removing  all  the  dead  scales  from  the  bulbs,  and  especially  from  the 
necks  of  the  bulbs,  where  the  bug  lurks  in  waiting  for  the  appearance  of 
young  leaves.  A  weak  solution  of  petroleum  may  be  used,  but  care  must 
be  taken  to  prevent  it  running  into  the  hearts  of  the  bulbs. 
The  one  popularly  known  as  N.  Fothergilli  is  a  variety  of  the  well- 
known  N.  sarniensis,  or  Guernsey  Lily,  of  which,  in  addition  to  the 
above,  we  have  several  distinct  and  beautiful  forms,  almost  all  of  which 
are,  in  all  respects,  worthy  of  cultivation.  N.  pudica  is  a  handsome- 
flowered  species,  the  flowers  being  large,  pure  white,  except  for  a  streak 
of  red  down  the  middle  of  each  segment.  There  are  several  pretty  and 
distinct  hybrids  in  cultivation,  *o  that  altogether  the  genus  Nerine  com¬ 
prises  a  goodly  collection  of  extremely  useful  greenhouse  bulbs,  which 
by  attention  to  the  particulars  mentioned  above  may  be  successfully 
managed  by  anyone  possessing  a  greenhouse  and  frame. — Grower. 
CURIOUS  FACTS  IN  PLANT  DISTRIBUTION. 
Mr.  W.  Botting  Hemsley,  F.R  S.,  writing  in  “  Knowledge,” 
points  out  that  the  present  distribution  of  plants,  apart,  from  those  low 
in  the  scale  of  organisms,  exhibits  some  very  curious  phenomena. 
Perhaps  those  most  obvious  to  the  majority  of  persons  are  consequent 
upon  the  spread  of  European  peoples  over  other  parts  of  the  globe.  The 
domestic  weeds  of  ancient  civilisation,  the  roadside  weeds  and  the  corn¬ 
field  weeds,  have  accompanied  man  in  his  most  distant  wanderings,  and 
in  many  instances  have  developed  increased  vigour  and  a  power  of 
colonisation  unsurpa°sed  by  man  himself.  In  some  instances  the  repro¬ 
duction  and  spread  of  these  weeds  is  so  rapid  as  to  become  a  great 
scourge  to  agriculture,  oveirunning  and  destroying  crops  almost  as 
effectually  as  swarms  of  locusts  ;  and  law*  have  been  framed  making  it 
compulsory  on  farmers  to  keep  their  land  free  of  these  prolific  strangers. 
Sometimes  it  is  a  new  weed  that  makes  its  appearance  and  propagates 
itself  in  this  extraordinary  manner,  advancing  from  field  to  field,  farm 
to  farm,  county  to  county,  and  state  to  state,  at  an  almost  incredible 
pace. 
During  the  last  three  or  four  years  the  so-called  Russian  Thistle 
(Salsola  Kali,  var.  tragus)  has  been  occupying  the  serious  attention  of 
the  farmers  and  legislators  of  the  Eastern  and  Central  States  of  North 
America,  and  it  is  already  the  subject  of  a  considerable  literature. 
Thousands  of  square  miles  are  infested,  and  the  loss  resulting  therefrom 
in  1892  was  estimated  to  exceed  2,000,000  dollars.  But  the  object  of 
this  article  is  to  direct  attention  to  some  of  the  phenomena  of  the  distri¬ 
bution  and  existence  of  plants  in  nature,  uninfluenced  and  unaffected  by 
man,  either  directly  or  indirectly — that  is  to  say,  to  the  latitudinal 
limits,  the  altitudinal  limits,  and  other  interesting  facts  of  the  present 
distribution  of  flowering  plants. 
In  the  highest  latitudes  yet.  reacted  in  the  West,  in  Ellesmere  Land 
and  Grinnell  Land,  between  80°  and  83°  6'  north  latitude,  the  ground  in 
localities  the  most  favourable  to  the  development  of  vegetation  is 
carpeted  with  plants,  many  of  them  having  brilliantly  coloured  flowers, 
produced  in  great  profusion  during  the  short  but  continuous  summer  that 
there  obtains.  About  seventy  species  were  collected  within  the 
latitudes  named  by  the  naturalists  of  the  last  British  Polar  expedition, 
and  they  included  such  familiar  showy  plants  as  Papaver  alpinum, 
Silene  acaulis,  Drya3  octopetala,  Saxifraga  oppositifolia,  and  Epilobium 
latifolium. 
The  Austrians  found  a  very  different  condition  of  things  in  the  same 
latitudes  in  Franz  Josef  Land,  eastward  of  Spitzbergen.  Plants  were 
found,  and  of  the  same  species,  but  in  an  extremely  stunted  a* ate,  with 
scarcely  a  flower  to  be  seen,  and  nowhere  was  there  cod  tit  u  )us  vegeta¬ 
tion  a  few  square  feet  in  extent.  In  these  very  high  latitudes  seed  is 
rarely,  if  ever,  perfected,  and  plants  increase  only  by  vegetative  develop¬ 
ment — suckers,  underground  stems,  and  trailing  rooting  stems.  Yet  the 
greatest  cold  experienced — upwards  of  100°  (Fahrenheit)  of  frost — did 
not  impair  the  vitality  of  Wheat  that  had  been  fully  exposed  for  four 
winters  and  four  summers.  It  should  be  mentioned  that  none  of  the 
plants  inhabiting  these  high  latitudes  is  peculiar  to  the  region  ;  that 
very  few  species  are  confined  to  the  Arctic  regions  ;  and  that  many  of 
them  are  widely  spread  in  alpine  regions  of  lower  latitudes,  some  even 
recurriug  on  the  mountains  within  the  tropics,  and  a  few  reach  the 
southern  limits  of  vegetation. 
In  the  southern  hemisphere  there  are  now  no  flowering  (“  phanero¬ 
gamic  ”)  plants  growing  within  35°  of  the  Pole,  and  ccuutries  in  as  high 
a  latitude  as  Scotland  are  absolutely  ice-bound.  Should  there  be  no 
error  in  locality,  there  is  a  single  known  exception.  In  the  Kew 
Herbarium  is  a  specimen  of  a  Grass  (Aira  antarctica)  labelled,  “New 
South  Shetland,  Dr.  Eights.”  South  Georgia,  in  the  American  region, 
and  Macquarie  Island,  in  the  New  Zealand  region,  may  serve  to  illustrate 
the  Antarctic  flora  and  the  southern  limits  of  flowering  plants.  They 
are  small  islands  of  comparatively  slight  elevation,  and  both  situated 
in  54°  south  latitude.  South  Georgia  is  about  1000  miles  east  of  Gape 
Horn,  and  nearly  as  far  from  the  Falklaud  Is'ands,  the  nearest  land, 
except  some  very  small  islands  concerning  the  vegelation  of  which 
nothing  is  known.  Its  exceedingly  meagre  flora  has  probably  been 
exhaustively  investigated,  and  the  result  is  a  list  of  thirteen  species  of 
flowering  plants  and  no  Ferns.  Not  one  of  these  spicies  is  peculiar  to 
the  island,  and  nine  out  of  the  thirteen  inhabit  beth  the  American  and 
Australasian  or  New  Zealand  regions. 
