May  28,  1896. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
487 
pubescens)  pleases  us  with  its  bright  sabot-like  flower,  and  has  for 
it»  companion  in  bloom  the  old  fashioned  Saxifraga  granulata  fl.-pl., 
the  white  flowers  of  which  are  welcome  even  among  so  many  other 
Rockfoils.  The  Anbrietias  are  standing  the  drought  well,  and  there 
is  a  great  variety  of  shade  of  lilac,  and  purple,  and  rose  among 
them.  They  seed  freely,  and  inferior  ones  need  weeding  out. 
Then  there  are  the  Golden  Drop  (Onosma  echioides),  best  known 
as  O.  tauricum,  with  its  almond-scented  flowers,  white  Candytufts, 
Pyrethrums  of  many  hues,  and  both  single  and  double,  delightful 
Violas,  drooping  Squills,  with  the  bonaie  little  Hyacinthus  amethys- 
tinus  albus,  and  the  less  refined  Scilla  lilio-hyacinthus  albus.  The 
later  Forget-me-nots  still  give  their  gentle-looking  little  flowers  of 
daintiest  colouring,  and  another  one,  a  little  plant  with  a  great 
name,  Myosotis  VVelwitschia,  will  follow  in  a  day  or  two.  But 
one  must  not  run  on  like  this,  though  the  garden’s  blossoms  are 
numerous  enough  to  induce  me  to  linger  in  this  strain. 
There  is  a  plant  here  which  I  should  not  place  in  the  first  rank 
of  hardy  flowers,  but  which,  all  the  same,  I  should  not  like  to 
discard.  This  is  what  I  have  as  Sobolewskya  clavata — a  name  not 
to  be  found  in  the  “  Kew  Hand  List,”  but  which  is  probably  correct 
if  one  may  judge  from  the  clavate  or  club-shaped  leaves.  At  Kew 
there  is  one  named  S.  lithophylla,  which  in  “  Paxton  ”  is  given  as  a 
biennial.  That  I  have  as  S.  clavata  is  a  true  hardy  perennial,  but 
I  cannot  recollect  of  having  met  with  it  in  more  than  a  few  gardens, 
and  what  I  have  was  raised  from  seed.  Like  many  other  cruci¬ 
ferous  plants  it  has  small  and  rather  insignificant  flowers,  but  these 
are  freely  produced  in  nice  little  heads,  and  are  of  better  form  than 
many  belonging  to  the  same  natural  order.  They  are  aho  of  a  very 
pure  white,  and  the  whole  general  effect  of  the  plant  is  silvery 
looking  and  rather  attractive.  What  is  more  it  does  not  appear  to 
be  too  particular  as  to  situation,  as  I  have  seen  it  growing  in  a 
rockery  partly  overshadowed  by  trees,  and  I  have  it  here  in  a  half- 
shaded  position  at  one  side  of  a  rockery,  where  it  is  much  exposed 
to  a  strong  current  of  air.  I  am  beginning  to  think  it  should  have 
a  more  favourable  position,  and  think  of  planting  this  Sobolewskya 
in  a  more  open  place.  It  is  about  a  foot  high  in  my  garden,  but  I 
have  seen  it  a  little  taller,  and  also  not  quite  so  high.  It  has  not 
the  most  agreeable  perfume,  but  is  not  at  all  obtrusive  in  this 
respect,  as  it  is  only  when  placed  near  the  nose  that  this  is 
perceived.  I  understand  that  it  is  a  native  of  the  Caucasus,  and 
that  Bieberstein  is  responsible  for  the  unharmonious  name  of  the 
genus,  which  is  a  little  difficult  to  remember  at  first,  but  after 
a  time  becomes  fairly  familiar  and  comparatively  easy  to  articulate. 
S.  clavata  comes  freely  from  seed,  which  I  have  seen  offered 
occasionally. 
About  two  or  three  years  ago  I  received  from  a  correspondent 
at  Broussa  seed  which  was  said  to  be  that  of  Geum  coccineum, 
which,  as  not  very  many  are  aware,  grows  on  the  Bithynian 
Olympus,  and  is  distinct  from  the  plant  generally  grown  in  gardens 
under  that  name,  but  which  is  really  G.  cbiloense.  C;rcumstances 
prevented  me  from  flowering  the  only  two  plants  produced  from 
the  seed  until  this  year,  and,  as  I  was  doubtful  from  the  colour  and 
other  points  of  the  correctness  of  the  plant,  I  sent  a  flower  to  the 
Rev.  C,  Wolley  Dod,  who,  with  his  wonted  kindness,  told  me  it 
was  G.  Heldreichi,  or,  perhaps  more  correctly,  G-.  montanum  var. 
Heldreichi. 
This  plant  is  very  highly  praised  by  various  seedsmen  and 
nurserymen  who  are  offering  seeds  or  plants,  and  it  will  in  most 
cases  be  an  acceptable  addition  to  any  collection  of  hardy  flowers. 
In  its  habit  and  foliage  it  resembles  G.  montanum,  but  is  of  rather 
more  vigorous  growth,  and  varies  a  good  deal  in  the  colouring.  One 
of  my  plants  is  a  deep  orange  red,  and  the  other  a  lighter  shade, 
nearer  orange  colour.  One  specialist  in  hardy  plants  who  is 
enthusiastic  in  his  praisea  of  G.  Heldreichi,  in  his  catalogue  says  he 
has  also  secured  a  double  variety.  G.  Heldreichi  appears  to  have 
been  introduced  from  Greece  by  some  of  the  trade,  but,  as  I  have 
already  said,  my  seed  came  from  Broussa,  having  been  gathered  on 
Mount  Olympus  There  is  little  difficulty  in  growing  this  Geum, 
and  as  seed  is  rather  widely  offered  and  plants  are  comparatively 
low  in  price,  this  desirable  flower  should  be  secured.  It  is  of 
much  better  habit  than  G.  miniatum,  and  the  same  colour  will  be 
secured  among  a  few  plants. 
I  saw  lately  a  flower  of  that  very  beautiful  and  as  yet  rare 
Paeony,  Witimanniana,  which  would  soon  be  much  more  widely 
grown  were  it  more  moderate  in  price.  There  has,  however, 
within  recent  years  been  a  considerable  reduction  in  the  quotations 
at  which  it  is  offered,  and  although  still  expensive  devotees  of  hardy 
flowers  cannot  afford  to  be  long  without  such  a  fine  plant.  Pteonia 
Wittmanniana,  which  grows  over  2  feet  high,  has  large,  single, 
delicate  primrose  yellow  flowers,  called  “yellowish  white”  in  the 
“  Dictionary  of  Gardening,”  but  this  is  hardly  descriptive  of  the 
delicate  colouring  of  the  flower,  which  is  quite  in  keeping  with  that 
of  the  leaves.  It  is  said  to  have  been  introduced  in  1842,  and  to 
come  from  the  Caucasus  and  North  Persia.  f1.  Wittmaqmana  grows 
in  a  good  loamy  soil,  and  is  hardy  in  this  neighbourhood.  The 
Paeonies  are  such  brilliant  and  effective  flowers  in  the  garden, 
where  used  with  discretion,  that  those  who  have  sufficient  space 
should  grow  a  representative  collection  of  the  various  single  and 
double  species  and  varieties.  They  are  now  exceedingly  numerous, 
and  a  study  of  the  catalogues  of  tho«e  who  make  a  speciality  of 
these  brilliant  flowers,  whose  beauty  is  unfortunately  too  short¬ 
lived,  will  be  quite  a  revelation  to  many. 
This  year  I  have  again  been  successful  in  flowering  Iris  lupina, 
the  Wolf’s-fur  Iris,  although  I  scarcely  expected  this  through 
having  to  remove  it  at  an  unfavourable  time  to  a  new  rockery.  I 
hope  again  to  say  something  more  about  it  when  referring  to  one 
of  Professor  Michael  Foster's  hybrids,  I.  paravar,  which  is  in  bud 
as  I  write.  These  hybrids  are  more  easily  grown  than  those  solely 
belonging  to  the  Oncocyclus  section,  and  we  may  hope  to  have 
through  these  the  curious  yet  attractive  colouring  of  the  Cushion 
Irises  with  the  free  habit  of  those  less  difficult  to  cultivate. — 
S.  Arnott. 
EFFECTS  OF  IRON  ON  VEGETATION. 
I  have  just  had  an  artesian  bored  well  sunk,  and  at  about  55  feet 
a  plentiful  supply  of  water  was  struck,  but  it  contains  a  considerable 
quantity  of  iron.  Will  you  be  good  enough  to  inform  me  what 
quantity  of  iron  in  water  is  injurious  to  plants  in  general,  and  will 
Vines  stand  being  watered  with  water  containing  the  slightest 
traces  of  iron  ?  If  possible  1  want  to  use  the  water  entirely  for 
garden  and  greenhouse  work,  but  I  am  doubtful  about  the  iron. 
I  append  a  copy  of  the  analyst’s  report. 
Total  solids,  22  0  grains  per  gallon  ;  chlorine,  2  2  ;  ammonia, 
0  0028  ;  albuminoid  ammonia,  0  0021  ;  nitrogen  as  nitrites,  small 
trace  ;  nitrogen  as  nitrates,  merest  trace  ;  iron,  large  traces  ;  total 
hardness,  110;  microscopic  examination  satisfactory. — B.  B.  H. 
[On  this  subject  Mr.  G.  Abbey  writes  : — I  have  used  water 
containing  2  grains  of  iron  oxide  per  imperial  gallon  for  many 
years  in  every  kind  of  plant  and  fruit  house,  without  any  injurious 
effects  on  plants  and  fruit  trees.  The  water  proved,  after  being 
aerated  and  duly  warmed  in  open  slate  cisterns  in  the  respective 
structures,  quite  as  innocuous  and,  in  some  cases,  superior  to  rain 
water  for  watering  purposes. 
For  syringing  use  it  was  not  nearly  so  serviceable  as  rain  water, 
leaving  an  incrustation  on  foliage  and  fruit,  greatly  detracting  from 
the  appearance  of  both,  and  in  some  cases  proving  injurious  to  the 
foliage  of  plants  with  fiairy  leaves,  such  as  Gloxinias.  This  I 
found  quite  as  much  due  to  the  lime,  carbonate  0  560,  sulphate 
3185  grains  per  gallon,  as  to  the  iron  and  alumina  oxides,  2-175 
grains  per  gallon,  but  even  that  amount  of  lime  was  not  injurious 
to  Heaths,  Rhododendrons,  and  other  plants.  This  immunity  was 
due  to  the  iron,  for  without  it  the  water  containing  a  similar 
amount  of  lime  was  positively  injurious  to  this  class  of  plants. 
The  many  acres  of  Rhododendrons  referred  to  are  now  a  grand 
sight",  and  several  acres  of  hardy  Heaths  are  in  a  flourishing  con¬ 
dition,  the  soil  being  of  a  peaty  nature  overlying  a  pan  of  iron, 
lime,  sand,  and  alumina,  the  springs  from  which  being  quite  red 
where  the  water  issues  forth  through  the  presence  of  iron.  Such 
water,  when  allowed  to  settle,  was  used  for  thirteen  years  for 
every  purpose,  both  indoors  and  outdoors,  without  any  injurious 
effects,  except,  as  before  stated,  when  applied  to  the  foliage. 
As  showing  the  little  danger  of  iron  in  well  water,  it  is  notice¬ 
able  that  the  Grapes  taking  the  most  prizes  in  England  during  the 
past  twenty-five  years  have  been  produced  by  Vines  watered  with 
aerated  and  warmed  well  water  containing  0175  grain  of  iron  per 
imperial  gallon  ;  the  said  water  also  contains  0  420  grain  of  soluble 
silica,  and  0  240  grain  sulphate  of  magnesia.  The  Vines  are 
singularly  healthy,  and  the  Grapes  clear  in  the  skin. 
Iron  represented  by  “  large  traces  ”  in  analyses  means  not  a 
measurable  amount,  and  is  not  likely  to  prove  injurious  to  any  kind 
of  plant  to  which  the  water  may  be  applied,  as  the  iron,  even  if  in 
oxide  form,  is  sure  to  meet  with  ammonia  or  sulphuric  acid  in  the 
soil,  and  must  become  ammoniated,  or  combine  with  the  sulphuric 
acid,  and  become  sulphate  of  iron.  This  is,  in  some  cases,  a  valuable 
plant  food,  and  in  all  instances  iron  in  some  form — sulphate, 
phosphate,  nitrate  or  chloride — is  essential  to  the  formation  of 
chlorophyll,  and  the  healthful  development  of  the  chlorophyll 
granules. 
If  a  portion  of  grass  land  be  divided  into  three  plots,  and  one 
is  watered  with  sewage  containing  2£  grains  of  iron  sulphate  to  the 
gallon,  another  with  water  containing  5  grains  of  iron  sulphate,  and 
the  third  with  water  holding  10  grains  of  the  same  salt  in  solution 
with  a  gal'on  of  water,  it  will  be  found  that  there  is  a  marked 
difference  between  the  growth  of  the  grass  on  the  treated  plots  and 
that  receiving  water  only  from  the  clouds  or  by  watering.  Mr. 
Tonks  demon9tated  this  in  1871,  or  in  his  own  words,  “  When  the 
writer  (Mr.  Tonks)  was  a  member  of  the  Sewage  Inquiry  Com- 
