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JOURNAL  OP  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
tfarct  19,  1893. 
Ranunculus  rutaofolius,  and  Saxifrages  Boydi,  Sancta,  apiculata, 
and  others.  Primula  denticulata  and  some  other  gems  which  have 
dared  the  storms  are  also  in  bloom,  and  may,  long  ere  this  is  in 
type,  be  basking  in  the  soft  sunshine  of  spring. 
May  it  be  so,  and  may  the  many  admirers  of  these  hardy 
flowers  have  cause  to  remember  with  delight  this  present  month 
of  March,  which  brings  with  it  many  bright  blossoms  of  more  than 
common  beauty. — S.  Arnott. 
FLORAL  FACTS  AND  FANCIES.— 17. 
Though  not,  perhaps,  frequently  noted  by  those  who  watch 
for  Nature’s  signs  of  spring,  some  species  of  Speedwell  is  one  of  the 
earliest  wild  flowers.  During  a  winter  that  is  mild,  such  as  the  one 
now  taking  leave,  it  is  not  difficult  to  find  a  Speedwell  blooming  in 
February,  or  even  in  January,  along  fields  and  lanes.  Indeed,  it  is 
almost  a  plant  of  every  season,  for  in  the  country  some  kind  or 
other  seems  constantly  in  leaf  at  least,  if  it  is  not  displaying  flowers. 
Then,  amongst  our  garden  Speedwells,  the  Veronicas,  we  have 
evergreen  varieties,  and  several  that,  when  sheltered,  will  continue 
in  flower  through  the  autumn. 
Fora  long  period  the  more  conspicuous  wild  species  have  borne 
that  familiar  English  name,  because  it  was  supposed  that  they 
afforded  encouragement  to  the  traveller,  who,  seeing  them,  would 
be  likely  to  speed  well  on  his  jourmy.  He  might  feel  glad  of  a 
hopeful  omen  in  the  olden  time,  for  dangers  and  difficulties  were 
common  then  along  English  roads.  Possibly  the  plants  acquired 
this  meaning  from  their  being  named  after  St.  Veronica  ;  it  has  also 
been  remarked  that  their  fragile  and  graceful  aspect  justifies  their 
association  with  a  woman  who  is  said  to  have  acted  a  compassionate 
part  during  a  great  event  of  our  world’s  history.  For  this  reason, 
too,  in  some  countries,  all  Veronicas  are  thought  to  represent 
“  female  fidelity,”  yet  it  must  remain  doubtful  whether  this  saint 
was  a  real  or  a  fabled  personage.  One  of  the  earliest  to  flower  of 
our  wildings  is  the  green  recumbent  Speedwell  (V.  agrestis),  though 
it  is  run  closely  by  the  Ivy-leaved  (V.  hederifolia)  which,  from  the 
shape  of  its  leaves,  became  one  of  the  many  floral  symbols  of 
“  friendship.”  Indeed,  the  Norfolk  people  used  to  call  it  “  Winter- 
weed,”  and  another  name  for  it  was  Henbit,  on  the  supposition  that 
poultry  liked  its  succulent  leaves.  Of  some  spring  species,  which 
seemed  to  be  peering  up  from  the  brown  earth,  a  poet  wrote — 
“  On  arching  stalk,  of  bright  blue  dye, 
And  with  a  round  and  pearl-like  eye, 
Distinct  it  shows.” 
But  the  comparison  of  a  Speedwell  to  an  eye  is  not  uncommon. 
Country  children  call  several  species  “  Cat’s  Eyes,”  and  some  of 
their  flowers  have  been  thought  to  resemble  the  eyes  of  birds. 
Ebenezer  Elliott  fancied  the  Germander  Speedwell  had  just  the 
tint  to  be  seen  in  the  eyes  of  some  infants  ;  in  fact,  one  of  the  old 
names  for  it  was  Eyebright,  though  that  rightly  belongs  to  the 
Euphrasia,  Milton’s  “  euphrasy,”  greatly  valued  as  a  remedy  in  eye 
diseases,  and  which  has  by  recent  experiments  been  proved  to  have 
a  slight  efficacy.  It  is  supposed  that  the  name  of  “  Germander  ” 
given  to  V.  chammdrys  is  an  allusion  to  the  aromatic  qualities 
possessed  by  thi*  and  other  Speedwells.  The  officinal  species  in 
particular  has  been  frequently  used  for  tea  on  the  Continent,  though 
its  bitterness  is  not  a  recommendation.  Possibly  the  freedom  with 
which  it  grows,  spreading  over  the  banks  its  masses  of  flowers  and 
fo’iage,  made  the  Germander  an  emblem  of  “facility.”  Paul’s 
Betony  was  an  old  name  for  V.  serpyllifolia,  and  the  pretty  aquatic  V. 
Beccabunga  takes  its  odd  Latin  name  from  the  German  bach-pungen , 
somewhat  perverted,  referring  to  its  pungency  and  growing  along 
a  beck  or  brook,  which  is  also  expressed  by  the  English  one  of 
Brooklime  ;  our  ancestors  picked  it  for  salads,  whereat  we  wonder. 
Few  would  imagine  that  the  stately  Mullein  or  Verbascum  is  akin  to 
the  Speedwells,  yet  the  structure  of  the  flowers  associates  them. 
Symbolic  of  “  good  nature,”  it  is  a  flower  increasingly  cultivated, 
some  of  the  yellow,  white,  and  purple  varieties  being  attractive. 
The  word  Verbascum  seems  to  have  been  originally  Barbascum, 
referring  to  the  shaggy  hairs  which  clothe  most  species;  hence,  too, 
the  popular  name  of  Blanket  Plant.  The  flower  heads  are  in  some 
parts  of  Switzerland  carefully  picked  while  the  dew  is  upon  them, 
and  preserved  for  use  as  applications  to  the  skin.  Our  native 
V.  Thapsus  was  formerly  called  High  Toper,  and  the  White 
Mullein  was  the  “Candleweek  flower,”  but  whether  the  plants  at 
one  time  served  as  torches  or  tapers  when  dried  is  uncertain.  I 
do  not  know  that  the  Moth  Mullein  (V.  blattaria)  has  more 
visitors  of  the  moth  tribe  than  other  species,  and  the  idea  that  it 
has  a  repelling  effect  upon  cockroaches  or  blattse  seems  a  mere 
fancy,  though  it  is  still  placed  in  country  kitchens  for  this  purpose. 
No  great  stretch  of  fancy  was  required  to  see  in  the  flowers  of 
Antirrhinums  and  Linarias  a  resemblance  to  the  heads  or  mouths 
of  some  animals,  and  the  ringent  corolla  of  some  of  the  apecies 
Beems  to  have  suggested  the  idea  of  “  presumption.”  Besides  the 
common  name  of  Snapdragon,  we  have  others  of  like  meaning  given 
to  this  tribe,  such  as  Bull  Dog,  Lion  Snap,  and  Rabbit’s  Mouth. 
That  of  Toadflax  belongs  specially  to  those  species  that  have  finely 
cut  leaves  resembling  those  of  the  Flax  or  Linum;  a  notable 
example  is  the  yellow  Toadflax  or  Snapdragon  (Linaria  vulgaris), 
the  flower  being  light  yellow  at  the  lip,  while  the  centre  is  deep 
orange,  is  called  by  some  villagers  “  Butter  and  Eggs.”  The  juice 
of  this  species  is  somewhat  acrid,  and  it  has  been  expressed  to  be 
mixed  with  milk  for  a  fly  poison.  Anne  Pratt  addresses  the 
plant  in  verse — 
“  And  thou,  Linaria,  mingle  in  my  wreath 
Thy  golden  dragons,  for  though  perfumed  breath 
Escapes  not  from  thy  yellow  petals,  yet 
Glad  thoughts  bring’st  thou  of  hedgerow  foliage,  wet 
With  tears  and  dew.” 
Though  our  ancestors  did  not  know  how  to  obtain  varieties  of 
Antirrhinums,  they  brought  from  the  Continent  A.  majus,  which 
now  grows  seemingly  wild  in  several  counties.  It  was  known  to 
the  Greeks  by  the  name  of  “  Dog’s  Head,”  some  think,  and  is  the 
parent  of  many  garden  sorts  ;  also  they  imported  from  Italy  the 
pretty  creeping  Linaria  Cymbalaria,  the  “  Mother  o’  Millions,” 
which  has  also  been  called  “  Roving  Sailor,”  and  spreads  so  freely 
upon  walls.  Its  leaves  are  pungent  and  fleshy  in  shape,  approaching 
those  of  Ivy.  Possibly,  too,  the  L.  repens,  with  pale  blue  flowers, 
which  have  slight  fragrance,  is  not  a  native ;  it  occurs  chiefly  on  chalk 
near  the  sea  and  is  rare,  but  found  in  places  as  remote  as  Kent  and 
Cornwall.  A  curious  peculiarity  marks  the  capsule  or  fruit  of  the 
Lesser  Snapdragon  (L.  minor),  it  rather  resembles  the  face  of  a 
monkey.  Some  of  these  plants  were  occasionally  called  “  Fluellins,” 
which  was  applied  vaguely  to  very  different  species. 
Spiraeas  are  plants  that  are  certainly  popular,  for  we  frequently 
see  them  carried  by  the  street  hawkers  of  flowers.  The  scientific 
name  alludes  to  the  manner  in  which  they  expand,  appearing  like 
wreaths  ;  the  name  of  Italian  May  is  less  suitable.  ’Tis  &  flower, 
that  reminds  one  of  embroidered  lace,  says  an  author,  of  our  wild 
Meadow  Sweet,  or  Queen  of  the  Meadow  (S.  Ulmaria),  yet  though 
thus  titled  it  is  symbolic  of  “  uselessness,”  and  it  may  be  dangerous, 
for  the  fragrant  and  peculiar  perfume  of  the  plant  has  been  known 
to  cause  faintness  or  nausea  when  persons  have  inhaled  it  in  a 
confined  atmosphere.  It  was  thought  formerly  that  the  flavour  of 
some  kinds  of  green  tea  was  obtained  from  the  blossoms  or  leaves 
of  a  Spiraea,  but  this  seems  to  have  been  a  mistake.  The  Dropwort 
(S.  filipendula)  has  not  much  scent.  A  double  white  variety  of 
this  is  much  cultivated,  and  at  one  time  the  Willow-leaved  species 
(S.  salicifolia)  was  often  planted  about  shrubberies,  as  it  will  stand 
any  amount  of  moisture  ;  some  new  species  have  been  introduced 
with  crimson  or  purple  flowers. 
Yearly  the  demand  for  Potentillas  increases,  many  double 
varieties  being  grown  of  these  hardy  plants,  which  so  well  suit  the 
mixed  border,  and  remind  us  of  the  Roses  to  which  they  are 
related.  In  floral  language  they  speak  of  “  parental  affection,” 
perhaps  because  in  the  common  Silverweed  (P.  anserina)  of 
marshes  and  roadsides,  a  silky  down  enwraps  the  expanding  foliage. 
Though  called  Cinquefoils,  a  few  of  them  have  ternate  leave*. 
Some  years  ago  it  was  not  unusual  to  see  in  London  suburban 
gardens  a  Judas  Tree  (Cerci*  siliquastrum)  flowering  freely,  these 
appearing  before  the  leaves  from  old  branches  as  well  as  young 
wood,  and  even  from  the  trunk  ;  they  are  purplish  pink,  followed 
by  flat  pods  5  inches  long.  It  was  introduced  in  1596,  and,  being 
somehow  associated  with  a  traitor,  is  an  emblem  of  “  betrayal.” — 
J.  R.  S.  C.  _ 
CANON  HALL  MUSCAT. 
In  Mr.  Taylor’s  paper  on  “  Modern  Grape  Growing  ”  in  the  Journal 
for  February  20th  (page  165)  it  is  there  state!  that  Canon  Hall  Muscat 
is  perfectly  round  in  berry.  If  this  is  so,  the  Grape  I  know  under  the 
above  name  cannot  be  the  true  Canon  Hall.  I  have  always  regarded 
this  variety  as  having  roundish  oval  Bhaped  berries,  but  it  seems  this  is 
not  the  case.  Then,  surely,  this  must  be  the  variety  that  used  to  be 
known  as  Escholata,  as  Mr.  Taylor  says.  A  Grape  that  i*  not  known  by 
this  name  at  the  present  day. 
Can  any  reader  of  the  Journal  oblige  by  giving  the  history  and 
origin  of  these  two  Grapes  ?  I  remember  many  years  ago  Muscat 
Escholata  being  purchased  from  the  firm  of  Messrs.  J.  &  C.  Lee, 
Hammersmith.  I  assisted  in  the  planting,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
the  Vine  produce  a  noble  bunch  of  fruit,  and  when  speaking  to  anyone 
about  Muscat  Grapes  the  picture  of  this  bunch  with  its  huge  oval 
shaped  berries  always  crops  up  before  me,  and  I  seldom  fail  to  make 
inquiries  about  it.  Few  persons,  however,  have  heard  the  name,  though 
I  have  occasionally  been  told  it  is  synonymous  with  Canon  Hall,  and 
had  come  to  this  conclusion  myself  until  I  read  Mr.  Taylor’s  remarks. 
Is  it  too  much  to  ask  if  anyone  has  this  Vine  growing  under  the 
name  of  Escholata,  will  they  oblige  by  giving  a  description,  and  its 
behaviour  as  regards  its  setting  qualities?  I  am  about  to  plant  some 
Muscats,  and  if  I  find  there  are  two  distinct  varieties  I  shall  be  inclined 
to  try  them  with  Alexandras.  The  Vine  I  assisted  to  plant  has  been 
done  away  several  years  ago. — J.  Easter,  Nostell  Priory  Gardens, 
