50 
JOURNAL  OP'  HORTWalJOURE  AND  GOTfAGE  GAlWENEk. 
July  16.  199S. 
of  muriate  of  potash  and  superphosphate  of  lime  esetting  its 
influence  on  the  stonea,  are  moot  points,  and  each  factor  may 
have  contributed  its  share  to  the  satisfactory  result. 
There  is  as  usual  no  Tomato  disease  at  Chiswick  to  eat  up  the 
plants  ;  neither  the  black  stripe  (Fusarium)  nor  Potato  disease 
fungus  (Phytopthora)  have  ever  taken  possession  of  them.  Now 
and  then  a  variety  may  have  its  fruits  specked  by  Cladosporium, 
but  that  is  all.  Why  this  immunity  ? 
Seeds  of  nearly  all  varieties  are  sent  from  various  sources,  yet 
the  plants  remain  clean,  healthy,  and  fruitful.  Can  their  apparent 
invulnerability  be  due  to  cultural  methods  ?  They  have  always 
been  grown  fiirmly — that  is,  have  been  induced  to  produce  firm 
“  woody  ”  stems  and  hard  leaves  in  firm  soil — never  coddled* 
pampered,  forced,  and  made  succulent,  but  built  up  in  a  substantial 
way  in  a  dry  rather  than  damp,  and  fully  ventilated  rather  than 
close  atmosphere.  It  is  too  soon  to  say  much  about  the  varieties 
on  trial,  but  one  of  them  (Comet)  shows  to  advantage  by  its  long 
clusters  of  attractive  fruits.  One  can  almost  see  it  is  somewhat 
of  a  favourite  with  the  Superintendent,  though  Mr.  S.  T.  Wright 
is  evidently  a  cautious  man,  and  about  all  that  could  be  elicited  by 
an  attempt  to  (^aw  him  was,  “  The  Committee  has  not  yet 
been  round.”  He  will  drop  a  cultural  hint  readily  enough,  but  as 
to  extracting  his  personal  opinion  on  varieties  on  trial  it  is  clearly 
no  use  attempting,  and  he  is  very  apt  in  taking  shelter  under  the 
Committee  umbrella.  He  is  a  good  deal  like  his  predecessor  in 
one  thing,  and  that  is  in  the  possession  of  skill  in  “  not  knowing,” 
Outdoors  an  enormous  collection  of  Phloxes  would  be  making 
a  grand  display  but  for  the  drought  ;  as  it  is  they  are  in  a  state 
of  almost  pitiable  prostration  under  the  burning  sun.  There  are 
some  splendid  varieties  amongst  them,  but  apparently  dozens  of 
others  not  worth  the  space  they  occupy.  Presumably  land  is 
plentiful,  and  it  may  be  thought  better  to  occupy  it  with  some¬ 
thing  than  nothing,  and  hence  so  many  commonplace  Phloxes. 
The  fruit  crop  appears  scant,  numbers  of  trees  having  “  nothing 
on  them,”  and  flowers  in  the  beds  refuse  to  grow,  while  the  lawn 
is  brown  and  sere.  In  a  word  Chiswick  outdoors  appears 
exhausted  ;  under  glass  flourishing,  much  the  same  as  in  a  host  of 
other  gardens  in  the  south  at  the  present  time.  Many  Limes  are 
practically  destitute  of  foliage  in  the  South  of  London,  and  the 
ground  is  thickly  littered  with  leaves  under  these  and  many 
Chestnut  trees  as  in  the  autumn  ;  but  the  trees  in  the  Chiswick 
Acacia  avenue  are  much  greener  than  the  grass.  This  would  be  a 
grand  avenue  but  for  the  barbarous  pruning  to  which  the  trees  are 
subjected  by  the  parochial  authorities. — A  Countryman. 
HARDY  FLOWER  NOTES. 
From  midsummer  the  garden  of  purely  hardy  perennial  flowers 
begins  to  lose  much  of  its  early  brilliancy,  and  to  show  us  less 
colour  and  more  foliage  than  before.  Not  that  it  need  be 
flowerless,  for  in  addition  to  various  fl  >wers  there  are  the  hosts  of 
composites  which  are  at  their  btst  after  the  days  shorten. 
Sunflowers  and  A.sters  are  numerous  enough  to  fill  a  large  garden, 
and  the  allies  of  the  former  are  so  many  as  to  make  a  large  accession 
of  strength.  Among  these  Gladioli,  Galtonia  candicans,  Lilies, 
and  Kniphofias  give  a  welcome  relief  in  form  and  colour. 
As  yet,  however,  we  are  not  confined  almost  entirely  to  th.se 
large  families,  but  have  many  others  left  still  to  engage  our 
attention.  We  could  still  glance  over  them  and  tell  of  their 
loveliness,  but  more  profitably,  perhaps,  we  can  devote  our  attention 
to  some  individual  plants  now  in  bloom  or  which  are  just  passing 
away  for  the  season. 
The  Aquilegias  have  recently  been  highly — but  not  too  highl' 
—  praised  in  these  columns  by  the  Rev.  D.  R.  Williamson,  who, 
with  the  true  poetic  sense  of  beauty,  has  fittingly  told  us  of  some 
o'^  their  characteristic  charms.  “  Sajnor,”  too,  has  joined  in 
fxpressing  admiration  of  their  beanty,  and  when  flow'ers  receive  the 
homage  of  two  such  diverse  bu*’  able  intellects  as  those,  of  so 
poetical  a  mind  as  that  of  Mr.  Williamson  and  one  so  critical  as 
that  of  “  Saynor,”  I  need  not  appropriate  space  by  further  praise 
The  Columbines,  old  and  new  species  and  hybrids,  are  acceptable 
to  me,  and  I  crave  now  for  a  little  space  to  tell  a  little  about  a 
bonnie  little  species  not  too  frequently  seen. 
This  is  Aquilegia  pyrenaiea,  the  Pyrenean  Columbine,  -  a  very 
attractive  little  plant,  apparently  still  recognised  by  botanists  as  a 
distinct  species,  but  which  in  general  appearance  bears  a  considerable 
resemblance  to  A.  alpina,  differing  slightly,  of  course,  in  some 
respects,  and  of  a  dwarfer  character.  I  saw  several  plants  while  in 
Ireland,  and  before  beginning  this  note  have  just  looked  at  some 
now  in  flower  on  one  of  my  rockeries.  Beautiful  do  they  look 
with  their  bright  lilac-blue  flowers  associated  with  Linum  flavum, 
which  is  growing  beside  them.  Before  they  open  fully  they  droop 
their  blooms,  but  when  at  their  full  size  these  are  turned  to  one 
side,  and  if  planted  on  the  upper  part  of  a  rockery  seem  to  look 
you  in  the  face.  The  spurs  are  of  a  good  length,  and  the  flowers 
are  large  for  the  size  of  the  plant,  which  very  rarely  exceeds  1 0  or 
12  inches  in  height,  9  inches  being  a  .common  height  for  them  to 
attain  here.  The  small,  deep  green  leaves  are  very  pretty,  and  the 
whole  appearance  of  this  little  Columbine  is  such  as  to  render  it 
very  welcome.  It  wai  introduced  from  the  Pyrenees  in  1818,  and 
may  be  grown  with  facility  from  seed.  I  grow  it  on  a  rookery 
with  an  eastern  exposure,  and  in  light  soil.  I  have  seen  this  pretty 
Aquilegia  die  out  after  flowering,  and  it  is  desirable  to  allow  it  to 
seed.  A  small  colony  of  self-sown  plants  is  a  very  interesting  and 
pleasing  feature. 
Iris  Kaempferi,  flowering  in  a  dry  border,  reminds  me  of  the 
possible  useiulness  of  a  few  words  regarding  the  cultural  require¬ 
ments  of  these  exquisite  flowers.  The  advice  is  frequently  given 
to  provide  for  these  Irises  semi-aquatic  treatment  in  summer,  with 
a  dry  position  in  winter.  This  may  be,  and  likely  is,  necessary  in 
some  gardens  ;  but  advice  of  this  kind  given  as  almost  necessarily 
required  in  order  to  achieve  success  is  calculated  to  retard  rather 
than  to  further  the  cultivation  of  these  beautiful  representatives 
of  the  Iris  family.  I  tee  them  often  do  well  in  dry  borders  without 
any  special  treatment,  but  by  far  the  finest  I  have  seen  were  the 
plants  in  the  Glasnevin  Botanic  Gardens  at  Dublin.  These  were 
not  only  not  dry  in  winter  but  bad  actually  b^en  flooded,  their 
crowns  having  been  covered  with  a  considerable  depth  of  water  for 
some  time.  They  were  grown  in  an  artificial  bog,  and  for  strength, 
healthy  appearance,  and  profusion  of  bloom  were  all  that  could  be 
desired. 
The  moral  I  wish  to  impress  upon  my  readers  is  that  Kasmpfer’s 
Irises  should  be  tried  even  in  a  situation,  and  under  conditions  not 
ideally  perfect.  There  will  be  failures  doubtle.s8,  for  a  good  friend 
of  mine  considers  they  should  be  treated  as  biennials,  as  with  him 
they  are  said  to  die  after  flowering  I  The  experience  of  others 
besides  myself  is  directly  opposed  to  this,  and  those  wbo  have  not 
attempted  to  grow  these  Irises  are  urged  to  do  so,  and  if  failure  at 
first  result  the  sound  advice  to  “  try  again  ”  may  finally  give 
success. 
How  many  charming  things  are  included  among  bulbous  flowers 
few  people  know.  Hardy  bulbs  alone  embrace  many  exquisitely 
beautiful  flowers  unknown  to  the  vast  majority  of  garden  owners. 
There  are  some,  again,  which  are  thought  little  of  because  planted 
in  positions  where  their  full  beauty  is  not  displayed.  8o  did  I 
think  when  I  saw  once  more  Anomathecacruentain  Trinity  College 
Botanic  Gardens.  The  regulation  treatment  for  this  brilliant  little 
Snuth  African  bulb  in  the  open  air  is  a  warm  sunny  position. 
While  the  warmth  may  be  a  necessary  condition  to  be  secured  the 
sun  is,  on  the  othf^r  hand,  an  absolute  disadvantage.  There  is  no 
possibility  for  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  greater  beauty  of  the 
blood-stained  Anomatheca  when  grown  in  the  shade  as  compared 
with  the  same  plant  when  grown  in  full  sun.  In  the  shade  the 
flowers  are  much  richer  in  colour,  and  the  plant  seems  far  happier. 
A  dry  and  shady  place  should  be  tried  by  those  wbo  attempt  to 
grow  this  exquisite  little  flower  outside.  The  flowers  are  of  a  rich 
carmine  crimson  in  the  shade,  and  look  very  bright  and  beautiful 
rising  from  the  pretty  sword-shaped  leaves.  In  cold  situations  in 
addition  to  planting  on  a  dry  subsoil  a  little  litter  should  be  placed 
over  the  bulbs  in  winter. 
The  Anthemises  or  Chamomiles,  as  represented  by  A  tinctoria, 
the  Dyer’s  Chamomile  and  its  varieties,  are  apparently  becoming 
increasingly  sought  after  by  growers  of  hardy  flowers,  at  least  if 
we  are  to  judge  from  the  new  varieties  being  offered  in  catalogues. 
I  daresay  their  usefulness  for  cutting  is  appreciated  by  many,  and 
at  the  same  time  a  good  bush  covered  with  its  Marg;  erite-iike 
flowers  is  not  to  be  despised  in  the  border.  I  grow  A.  tinctoria 
pallida  and  A.  Kelwayi,  but,  as  I  see  the  variety  given  by  self-sown 
seedling.s  from  an  old  plant  of  the  typical  tinctoria,  I  begin  to  think 
that  naming  the  varieties  worthy  of  selection  is  a  needless  task. 
They  must  occur  in  many  gardens,  and  I  have  seen  them  in  others 
in  addition  to  my  own.  Some  of  these  seedlings  are  much  superior 
to  the  type,  and  among  them  are  several  pretty  creamy  ones  with 
fine  and  well-formed  flowers.  A  little  time  and  selection  would 
give  us  flowers  which  might  supertede  the  bedding  “  Marguerites,” 
such  as  Alice  Crousse  and  others. 
The  reservation,  cum  grano  sails,  is  one  we  find  useful  at  times 
