July  29,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
105 
well-kept  stables,  also  the  electric  machinery  department  for  producing 
light  for  the  establishment,  and  other  works,  was  also  much  appreciated 
by  the  visitors. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  tea  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  sent  by 
telegram  to  Mr.  Rothschild  in  acknowledgment  of  his  kindness  and 
hospitality,  also  an  equally  hearty  one  was  accorded  to  Mr.  Jennings 
for  his  courtesy  and  untiring  attention.  Altogether  the  day’s  outing 
can  be  regarded  as  a  red-letter  one  in  the  annals  of  the  Society. — W.  G. 
BORONIA  POLYGALTFOLTA. 
Though  many  of  the  Boronias  are  largely  cultivated,  this  one  (fig.  16) 
is  very  seldom  seen,  though  it  ii  one  of  the  most  useful  of  the  genas. 
Wherever  it  has  been  fairly  tried,  the  highest  opinion  is  held  of  its 
merits  as  a  greenhouse  or  conservatory  plant.  During  the  spring  and 
early  summer  months  plants  are  quite  masses  of  flowers.  These  are  borne 
on  corymbose  heads,  are  of  a  bright  rosy-lilac  hue,  and  last  a  consider¬ 
able  time  either  upon  the  plant  or  when  cut.  The  growth  being  very 
free,  the  plant  will  endure  hard  cutting,  a  valaable  quality  in  these  days 
when  flowers  are  so  largely  in  demand ;  and  though  the  colour  is  not 
so  brilliant  or  startling  as  that  of  some  plants,  it  is  a  shade  that  can  be 
readily  associated  with  many  others  without  producing  any  unpleasant 
discord.  It  requires  similar  treatment  to  other  species  of  the  genus. 
COLOUR  IN  WILD  FLOWERS. 
As  we  walk  through  the  fields,  the  country  lanes,  and  the  woods  in 
spring,  summer,  and  autumn,  and  notice  the  variety  of  colour  in  the 
wild  flowers,  the  question  very  often  arises  in  our  minds,  “  What  is  the 
commonest  colour  ?  ”  We  see  fields  a  perfect  blaze  of  yellow  Buttercups, 
a  waving  sea  of  Ox-eye  Daisies  or  a  gorgeous  carpet  of  purple  Clover,  the 
hedges  pink  and  white  with  wild  Roses  varied  by  the  white  cymes  of  the 
Elder,  the  green  and  white  of  the  Guelder  Rose,  and  the  pink,  yellow,  and 
white  of  the  Woodbine,  the  banks  gay  with  the  pink  of  the  wild 
Geranium,  the  white  stars  of  the  Stitchwort  and  the  “  darling  blue  ”  of 
the  Speedwell,  and  the  paths  by  the  roadside  thickly  matted  with  the 
grey  leaves  and  golden  cups  of  the  Silverweed. 
In  the  natural  ..order  Compositas,  which  contains  the  largest 
number  of  genera,  out  of  forty-five  different  species  twenty-five  are 
yellow,  nine  purple,  six  white,  and  two  blue,  the  Chicory  or  Succory 
and  the  Cornflower  or  Bluebottle.  In  the  next  largest  order,  Umbelli- 
feras,  out  of  thirty-six  species  twenty-four  are  white,  three  yellow,  one 
(the  Sea  Holly)  blue,  and  the  remainder  greenish  or  pinky  white. 
In  the  CruciferEe  out  of  twenty-six  species  we  find  fourteen  white, 
seven  yellow,  one  (the  Cuckoo  Flower  or  Lady’s  Smock)  lilac,  and  the 
Hedge  Mustard,  “  Jack-in-the-Hedge,”  white  and  yellow.  Dyer’s  Woad, 
now  seldom  found,  is  yellow.  In  the  Labiatse  the  colours  vary  very 
much  ;  white  Dead  Nettle,  yellow  Archangel,  lilac  Mints,  purple  Thyme' 
and  Betony,  rose  Hemp  Nettle,  blue  Skull-cap,  and  violet  Prunella  or 
Self-heal. 
Ib  the  Rosaceae,  which  includes  a  great  variety  of  plants,  such  as 
wild  Roses,  Plum,  Cherry,  Bramble,  Hawthorn,  Meadowsweet,  Straw¬ 
berry,  Cinquefoil,  Agrimony,  Mountain  Ash,  Willow  Herb,  and 
Enchanter’s  Nightshade,  we  find  wRite,  yellow,  pink,  rose,  red,  purple, 
and  one,  the  Isnardia,  green.  In  the  Leguminosae,  again,  we  find 
variety  of  colour ;  yellow  Broom  and  Gorse,  purple  Medick  or  Lucerne 
and  Clover,  white  Clover  and  Melilot,  and  the  rose  and  pink  of  Rest- 
harrow  and  Sainfoin. 
In  the  almost  universal  yellow  of  the  Ranunculaceae  the  gorgeous 
crimson  of  the  Pheasant’s  Eye  is  very  conspicuous.  Poppies  are  brilliant 
in  scarlet  and  yellow,  our  only  other  really  scarlet  wild  flower  being  the 
little  Pimpernel,  or  “  Poor  Man’s  Weather  Glass.”  The  wild  Geraniums 
are  mostly  pink,  though  there  is  a  beautiful  exception  in  the  large,  bluish 
purple  flowers  of  the  Meadow  Cranesbill.  The  Thistles,  of  which  plant 
we  have  twelve  species,  are  all  purple.  The  common  Germander  Speed¬ 
well  has  flowers  of  the  most  perfect  blue. 
We  have  seventeen  varieties  of  the  Speedwell,  and  they  are  blue  with 
three  exceptions,  the  Thyme-leaved  Speedwell,  the  Water  Speedwell, 
and  the  Ivy-leaved,  which  are  lilac.  The  Germander  Speedwell  is  some¬ 
times  called  the  Eyebright,  but  the  true  Eyebright  which  grows  on  downs 
and  heaths  has  a  reddish-white  flower.  We  get  a  good  example  of  a 
lilac  family  in  the  Mints.  While  the  Scorpion  Grasses  are  all  blue — and 
there  are  eight  of  them,  the  best  known  being  the  Water  Scorpion 
Grass  or  Forget-me-not — one  of  them,  the  versicolor,  is  a  yellowish  blue. 
The  flowers  of  early  spring  are  yellow,  the  Celandine,  Primrose, 
Cowslip,  Daffodil,  and  Marsh  Marigold,  varied  by  the  blue  Hyacinth,  white 
Anemone,  lilac  Cuckoo  Flower,  and  purple  Violet,  followed  a  little 
later  by  the  white  stars  of  the  Stitchwort,  the  blue  eyes  of  the  Speedwell, 
and  the  pink  of  the  Cranesbill.  The  hedges  are  white  with  Blackthorn 
and  May,  the  copses  and  plantations  fresh  and  beautiful  with  the  pink 
and  white  blossoms  of  the  wild  Cherry,  Apple,  and  Pear,  and  the 
emerald  green  of  the  Larch. 
Early  summer  delights  us  with  wild  Roses  and  Honeysuckle,  and 
paints  the  river  banks  with  the  flaming  gold  of  the  Iris,  while  it  spangles 
the  waters  with  yellow  and  white  Water  Lilies.  Later  summer  gives  us 
the  rich  purple  of  the  Loosestrife,  the  yellow  of  the  St.  John’s  Wort, 
yellow  Loosestrife,  Corn  Marigold,  Great  Mullein,  Toadflax,  Ragwort, 
and  a  host  of  others,  the  pink  of  the  Willow  Herb,  Ragged  Robin,  and 
red  Campion. 
Autumn’s  cornfields  bring  with  them  the  purple  Corncockle,  the 
pale  purple  Field  Scabious,  and  the  scarlet  of  the  Poppy.  Spring  might 
be  painted  yellow  and  blue  and  white,  summer  yellow  and  pink,iand 
autumn  purple  and  scarlet  and  gold. — (“  Pall  Mall  Gazette.”) 
HORTICULTURAL  SHOWS. 
PRESCOT. — July  22nd. 
On  Thursday  last  the  thirteenth  annual  show  of  the  Prescot  and 
District  Horticultural  Society  was  held  in  a  portion  of  JKnowsley 
Park,  set  apart  by  the  kindness  of  the  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of 
Derby,  K.G.  The  Park  is  a  charming  place  in  which  to  hold  a  show, 
and  with  an  absolutely  perfect  day  the  throng  of  sightseers  was  of  a 
very  striking  character,  the  day  ending  by  some  hundreds  of  people 
enjoying  themselves  by  dancing  on  the  green  to  the  strains  of^the  band 
of  the  2nd  S.L.V.B.,  under  Bandmaster  Hall. 
Considering  the  precarious  season  the  exhibits  were  of  a  high* order, 
the  groups  put  up  by  Mr.  McFall,  gardener  to  E.  C.  Leventon,VEsq., 
Roby  ;  Mr.  Ogden,  West  Derby,  and  Mr.  W.  Lyon,  gardenerj  to 
A.  M.  Smith,  Esq.,  Bolton  Hey,  Roby,  for  first,  second,  and  third  prizes 
Fig.  16.— Bokonia  polygalifolia. 
displaying  much  diversity,  and  forming  a  charming  feature  of  the  show. 
So,  too,  were  the  stove  and  greenhouse  plants  exhibited  by  Mr.  R. 
Pinnington,  gardener  to  Mrs.  Banner,  Blacklow  House,  Roby,  Mr. 
Pinnington  securing  the  prize  for  six,  in  which  were  noticeable  a  good 
Croton  Queen  Victoria,  Cycas  revoluta,  Allamanda  Hendersoni,  and 
Clerodendron  Balfourianum.  Mr.  McFall  was  second,  his  foliage  plants 
being  good.  The  order  was  reversed  in  class  for  four  greenhouse  plants 
in  flower.  For  four  Ferns  Mr.  Pinnington  easily  secured  first  position, 
Mr.  Field,  gardener  to  J.  H.  Wilson,  Esq.,  Allerton,  being  second. 
The  prizes  for  one  stove  or  greenhouse  plant  in  bloom,  two  Liliums 
and  six  Cockscombs,  were  also  taken  by  Mr.  Pinnington.  Mr.  Lyon  won 
with  handsome  tuberous  Begonias,  also  for  four  Coleus.  For  Fuchsias, 
single  Begonias,  and  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  Mr.  E.  Bridge,  gardener  to  Mrs. 
Jowett,  Greenhill,  Huyton,  staged  some  remarkably  good  specimens, 
taking  all  the  prizes.  The  Gloxinias  were  excellent,  Mr.  W.  J.  Barnes, 
gardener  to  J.  C.  Gamble,  Esq.,  St.  Helens,  taking  honours. 
For  eighteen  cut  Roses,  distinct,  twelve  distinct,  and  six  distinct, 
Mr.  P.  Greene,  gardener  to  Thos.  Gee,  Esq.,  Allerton,  won  in  each  class, 
his  blooms  being  fine  in  form,  colour,  and  effectively  arranged.  Mr. 
W.  Rigby  was  a  good  second  in  the  former,  and  Mr.  G.  Berry  in  the  two 
latter  with  fine  fiowers.  Mr.  Greene  also  won  with  twelve  fine  her¬ 
baceous  flowers,  ^  and  Messrs.  J.  Appleton  and  McFall  with  double  and 
Cactus  Dahlias. 
For  a  collection  of  four  dishes  of  fruit  Mr.  W.  Oldham,  gardener  to 
Joseph  Beecham,  Esq.,  Ewanville,  Huyton,  was  a  capital  first,  staging 
Black  Hamburgh  and  Buckland  Sweetwater  Grapes,  Groase  Mignonne 
Peaches,  and  good  Queen  Pine  Apple.  Mr.  R.  Pinnington  followed. 
Mr.  Oldham  was  again  first  for  two  bunches  Black  Hamburgh,  large  in 
bunch  and  berry,  faultless  in  form,  and  one  of  the  best  examples  of 
thorough  culture  we  remember  seeing.  Mr.  James  Rose  exhibited  well 
