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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  April  so,  me. 
desirable  of  the  section  to  which  it  belongs,  and  with  reasonable 
care  soon  makes  fine  specimens.  Plenty  of  heat  should  be  afforded 
the  plants,  otherwise  progress  will  be  slow  ;  and  a  shady  moist 
corner  in  the  East  Indian  house,  if  possible,  ought  to  be  allotted 
them.  We  grow  the  plants  in  a  mixture  of  two-thirds  of  loam  to 
one  of  peat,  and  to  keep  this  from  settling  down  too  closely  a  little 
chopped  sphagnum  and  a  sprinkling  of  small  crocks  are  added. 
Most  growers  are  in  the  habit  of  using  pieces  of  limestone  in  the 
compost,  and  where  the  treatment  is  found  to  suit  the  plants  it 
should  not  be  discontinued,  though  from  my  own  experience 
C.  bellatulum,  at  least  of  this  section,  can  be  capitally  grown  without 
it  in  certain  classes  of  loam.  The  soil  we  procure  is  strongly 
impregnated  with  lime,  and  this  probably  accounts  for  our  success 
with  a  plant  that  some  other  growers  have  found  the  limestone 
indispensable  for.  In  any  case  a  few  nodules  of  the  stone  can 
do  no  harm,  and  as  above  mentioned  those  who  have  been  successful 
with  it  should  continue  its  use. 
Like  all  in  the  genus  C.  bellatulum  abhors  a  close  and  heavy 
rooting  medium,  and  anything  sour  about  the  rootB  is  certain  to  be 
fruitful  of  mischief.  In  repotting,  then,  be  careful  to  remove 
everything  of  this  kind,  all  decayed  roots,  sour  peat,  or  other 
material,  and  have  the  new  pots  thoroughly  clean.  Water  may 
then  be  given  unstintingly  with  no  fear  as  to  the  results,  even  just 
after  repotting,  always  provided  of  course  that  the  plants  are 
healthy  and  well  rooted.  Winter  and  summer  these  plants  must  be 
kept  moist,  the  application  of  water  being  naturally  more  frequent 
during  the  latter  season.  Sprinkling  is  not  advisable  as  a  rule,  an 
occasional  bath  to  remove  any  dust  that  may  have  collected  on 
the  leaves  doing  no  harm.  The  plants  should  be  looked  to  shortly 
afterwards  to  see  that  no  water  i*  lodging  about  the  heads  or  in 
the  axils  of  the  leaves,  inverting  the  pots  to  allow  it  to  escape  if 
any  is  seen. — H.  R.  R. 
HARDY  FLOWER  NOTES. 
From  what  we  see  and  hear  it  is  highly  probable  that  the 
Daffodil  is  about  to  suffer  a  temporary  eclipse  in  the  eyes  of  those 
who  follow  the  fashion  in  flowers,  and  I  was  not  at  all  surprised  to 
see  the  remarks  to  this  effect  made  by  “K.,  Dublin ,”  in  his 
eminently  readable  article  headed  “Daffodils  in  Dublin.”  While 
this  may  be  so,  the  eclipse  will  never  become  a  total  one,  or,  at 
least,  will  be  only  such  in  certain  quarters,  as  many  of  us  will  be 
disposed  to  note  that  it  is  “invisible  in  my  garden.”  Indeed,  I  am 
not  certain  (although  we  dare  hardly  say  it)  that  some  of  us  who 
are  not  growers  for  profit  may  not  view  a  slight  falling  off  in  the 
popularity  of  the  Narcissi  with  some  secret  satisfaction,  knowing  as 
we  do  that  this  will  lead  to  a  reduction  in  the  price  of  some  of  the 
newer  varieties.  We  may  go  on  adding  to  our  collections  of  the 
choicer  flowers  in  full  confidence  that  it  will  not  be  long  before 
fashion  again  favours  the  Daffodil.  As  it  is,  we  have  now  a 
long  season  from  the  time  when  the  tiny  minimus  ushers  in  the 
season  till  the  Gardenia- flowered  double  poeticus  shrivels  before 
the  summer  sun.  As  I  write  many  are  over,  and  before  this  appears 
only  the  later  ones  will  be  left  to  charm  us  with  their  snowy 
perianths  and  their  crimson  or  saffron-tinged  cups. 
If,  then,  the  Daffodil  is  waning  in  popularity,  does  it  not  appear 
as  if  the  Tulip  is  about  to  have  its  renaissance?  Those  who  have 
upheld  its  banner  amid  the  crowd  of  indifferent  or  hostile  on-lookers 
will  rejoice  to  see  it,  and  many  gardens  will  be  greatly  enriched  by 
growing  more  of  these  flowers,  which  have  enamelled  on  their 
petals  the  bright  tines  of  the  East,  whence  they  derived  their  birth. 
I  am  not  goiug  to  say  anything  in  favour  of  Tulip  beds.  These  are 
well  enough  in  their  way  ;  but  even  the  cheaper  Tulips,  such  as 
Crimson  King,  Chrysolora,  and  others  as  cheap,  are  charming 
when  their  shapely  flowers  rise  among  the  young  leaves  of  the 
hardy  flowers,  or  carpeted  by  Arabis,  Myosotis,  Aubrietia,  or  other 
dwarf  plants. 
Then  there  are  the  species  of  Tulip*,  many  and  varied  as  they 
are.  There  is  no  lack  of  yellow  in  the  middle  or  end  of  April, 
and  yet  welcome  among  it  all  are  the  flowers  of  Tulipa  australis, 
called  also  T.  Breyniana,  but  most  frequently  known  as  T.  Celsiana. 
Bright  and  cheery  are  they  when  their  yellow  segments  open  out 
almost  flat  in  the  mid-day  sun  ;  but  attractive,  too,  are  they  when 
in  bud,  and  when  as  yet  they  are  not  erect  but  droop  sideways.  A 
goodly  number  of  Tulips  come  at  first  with  bent  stems  which  lead 
the  uninitiated  to  think  they  will  never  hold  their  heads  erect,  and 
this  habit  is  among  the  interesting  ways  of  plants,  a  reason  for 
many  of  which  we  would  fain  discover.  The  Southern  Tulip  is 
related  to  our  native  T.  sylvestris,  and  resembles  it  to  some  extent, 
having,  however,  its  perianth  flushed  with  red  on  the  outside. 
Very  pretty,  too,  is  T.  Biebersteiniana,  a  variety  of  T.  australis 
coming  from  Asia  Minor,  whence  I  had  it  from  near  Browssa,  and 
g>me  bulbs  which  came  last  year  from  Mr.  E.  Whittall  from  the 
neighbourhood  of  Smyrna,  appear  to  be  the  same.  T.  australis  is 
said  to  be  a  native  of  Savoy. 
A  charming  little  plant  for  the  rock  garden  is  Alyssum  pyrenai- 
cum,  which  has  been  in  flower  for  some  time.  To  me,  at  least,  the 
name  of  Alyssum  almost  invariably  recalls  the  Rock  Madwort, 
Alyssum  saxatile,  with  its  masses  of  small  golden  flowers,  but  the 
Pyrenean  Madwort  is  different  in  some  ways,  the  principal  being 
that  of  colour,  which  is  pure  white.  It  is  alsr  more  exclusively  a 
plant  for  rockwork,  where  its  bushy  habit,  dwarf  growth,  whitish 
leaves,  and  profusion  of  flowering  make  it  much  admired.  It 
seems  to  flower  earlier  with  us  than  in  its  native  habitats,  as 
Monsieur  H.  Correvon  gives  its  flowering  period  as  June  to  July 
in  his  useful  little  work  “  Flore  Coloriee  de  Poche,”  and  in  “  Les 
Plantes  Alpines,”  of  the  same  writer,  June  is  given.  It  flowers 
here  in  April,  and  would  perhaps  be  even  more  appreciated  a  little 
later  in  the  season.  It  grows  only  a  few  inches  high,  and  should 
have  full  exposure  to  the  sun,  thriving  best  also  in  a  crevice  or 
between  two  stones  where  perfect  drainage  is  secured.  The  ideal 
compost  prescribed  for  it  is  oue-half  sand,  one-fourth  loam,  an 
eighth  of  peat  with  a  little  leaf  mould,  and  an  eighth  of  broken 
stones.  A  little  variation  in  these  quantities  will  not  injure  the 
plant,  however,  and,  although  not  indispensable,  this  little  Pyrenean 
Madwort  appears  to  be  the  better  of  the  addition  of  a  little  lime¬ 
stone,  or  of  being  placed  between  two  pieces  of  that  stone. 
A.  pyreDaicum  is  not  very  easily  procured,  but  when  obtained  it 
may  be  increased  by  cuttings  or  seeds.  It  is  a  native  of  the 
Eastern  Pyrenees. 
Another  charming  rock  garden  plant  is  the  little  Saxifraga 
Rocheliana  coriophylla,  generally  known  simply  as  S.  coriopbylla, 
but  recognised  in  the  Kew  Hand-List  as  a  variety  of  S.  Rocheliana, 
and  named  by  Gri*ebach.  It  is  one  of  the  tiny  plants  over  which 
the  lover  of  alpines  waxes  ecstatic,  unassuming  and  free  from 
brilliant  colour  as  is  this  Coris-leaved  Rockfoil.  The  smooth  leaves 
are  rather  thickish,  with  white  edges,  belonging  as  it  does  to  the 
encrusted  section.  The  flowers  are  pure  white,  and  are  freely 
produced,  as  a  rule,  in  my  garden,  and  this  year  forms  no  excep¬ 
tion.  S.  coriophylla  is  frequently  grown  in  a  crevice  between  two 
stones,  but  I  grow  it  in  sandy  peat  and  grit  in  a  small  level  pocket 
of  a  rockery  facing  south-west.  It  grows  readily,  but  does  not 
increase  quickly,  unless  divided  or  opportunity  offers  for  raising 
from  seeds. 
Saxifraga  Boydi  seems  to  be  becoming  a  general  favourite,  and 
its  bright  yellow  flowers  and  good  growing  habit  are  points  in 
its  favour  which  commend  it  to  many.  The  white  variety  is  also 
becoming  fairly  well  known,  and  is  more  easily  grown  than 
S.  Burseriana,  although  the  latter  has  some  advantages.  Seedlings 
present  some  variation,  and  Mr.  Boyd  of  Faldonside,  a  brother  of 
the  raiser  of  the  typical  S.  Boydi.  lately  sent  me  a  very  pretty 
straw  coloured  variety,  which,  when  it  increases  in  size,  will  make 
a  very  attractive  little  plant. 
Now  that  we  have  such  flue  Yiolets  as  California  and  Princess 
of  Wales  and  the  charming  Yiolas  now  in  bloom,  it  seems  to 
require  some  courage  to  commend  such  a  tiny  little  Violet  as  Yiola 
biflora.  Works  of  reference  describe  the  flower  as  “  small,”  and  it 
'  is  hardly  hypercritical  to  say  that  this  adjective  is  not  expressive 
enough  to  reveal  the  diminutive  size  of  the  little  yellow  flowers 
with  their  lips  streaked  with  black,  which  form  the  floral  attrac¬ 
tions  of  the  plant.  Yet  it  is  a  pretty  little  Violet,  with  erect  stems 
and  kidney-shaped  leaves  of  a  pretty  green.  It  creeps  at  the  roots 
and  sows  itself,  so  should  be  a  cheaper  plant  than  it  is.  It  is  an 
ideal  one  for  the  edges  of  the  walks,  for  rambling  among  larger 
plants,  or  for  growing  between  the  steps  of  the  rock  garden.  With 
me  it  suffers  somewhat  by  the  ubiquity  of  Saxifraga  Huetti,  which  is 
here,  there,  aud  everywhere,  and  among  its  yellow  flowers  those  of 
the  Two-flowered  Violet  are  not  easily  seen.  When  pointed  out  to 
the  garden  visitors  they  are  greatly  pleased  with  the  tiny  Violet, 
which  from  its  very  insignificance  is  pleasant  to  see. 
A  few  lines  must  be  given  to  the  several  Wood  Anemones  now 
in  flower.  Graceful  and  beautiful  they  are,  and  as  they  open 
their  blossoms  to  view  we  linger  to  admire  their  form,  their 
texture,  and  their  colour.  Of  snowy  white  are  some,  such  as  the 
well-known  single  one  of  the  woods  or  the  pretty  double  variety 
with  its  button-like  flowers.  Very  charming,  too,  is  the  fine 
variety,  coerulescens,  supposed  originally  to  have  come  from  the 
Emerald  Isle,  with  its  pretty  blue  flowers.  Inferior  to  it  is 
coerulea,  with  smaller  and  lighter  coloured  flowers  ;  while  a  pretty 
one  of  d  stinct  purplish  shade,  found  by  Mr.  James  Allen  near 
Pan,  is  remarkably  pleasing  at  the  time  of  writing. 
Many  and  varied  are  the  gems  of  the  garden  now,  and  of  love¬ 
liness  inexpressible.  Adonis  vernalis,  with  flowers  like  yellow 
satin,  opens  to  the  April  sun,  a  good  plant  covered  with  bloom 
being  a  charming  sight.  The  little  Polygala  chammbuxus  is 
covered  with  its  little  pea-shaped  flowers.  Primula  species  many, 
and  Primroses  and  Polyanthuses  in  still  greater  number  delight  us 
