December  9,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTIGULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
5G1 
single  white,  floriferons  variety  which — which  we  think  somewhat  weedy, 
bnt  do  not  say  so.  Poinsettias  in  their  two  forms,  P.  pulcherrima  and 
P.  pulcherrima  rosea,  show  well  in  a  good  batch  of  late  spring- rooted 
plants  with  good  heads  of  bracts  over  the  average  size.  In  the  Orchid 
department  Cattleyas  and  Ijselias  are  clean  and  healthy,  and  amongst  a 
good  general  collection  we  notice  a  fourteen- flowered  spike  of  Vanda 
coerulea,  a  variety  of  Odontoglossum  Harryanura  in  bloom,  with  good 
flowers  also  of  Cypripedium  Charlesworthi,  C.  insignis  montanum, 
among  the  type  which  are  in  strong  force,  0.  Lawrenceanum,  and  a  nice 
lot  of  Lycaste  Skinneri. 
A  special  house  has  lately  been  built  and  devoted  to  the  requirements 
of  the  cool  Odontoglossuras,  and  here  are  some  large  specimens  of  the 
remarkable  looking  Streptocarpus  Lelandi  flourishing  with  the  rightful 
occupants.  Passing  through  the  vineries,  in  which  some  serviceable 
bunches  are  still  hanging,  a  large  collection  of  Amaryllis  are  resting,  and 
among  them  a  number  of  seedlings  of  Mr.  Campbell’s  own  raising.  These 
were  interbred  with  a  distant  relative  of  that  fimily,  Griffinia  hyacinthina, 
and  he  awaits  results  with  some  interest.  That  little  gem,  Saintpaulia 
ionantha,  has  beer^seen  in  various  houses  en  route,  and  the  results  of  Mr. 
Campbell’s  selection  are  to  be  seen  in  a  remarkably  fine  type  of  this 
charming  wee  flowering  plant. 
Practically,  my  notes  finish  with  the  fine  conservatory  attached  to  the 
mansion,  where  a  grand  pair  of  Dicksonia  antarctica,  the  pride  of  the 
noble  master.  Lord  Ardilaun,  arc,  perhaps,  the  principal  feature,  although 
the  gi’aceful  pendulous  growths  of  Grevillea  Manglesi  hanging  from  a 
cross  rod  are  much  admired.  Lady  Ardilaun’s  cultured  taste  is  evident 
in  a  device  employed  on  the  side  stages  to  minimise  the  stiffness  of  pot 
plants  generally  used.  Pulham’s  famous  rockwork  in  the  grounds,  the 
picturesque  treatment  of  the  water  scene,  the  thousands  of  hardy  plants, 
and  the  hundreds  of  others  which  are  naturalised  by  thousands  on  the 
grass  or  in  the  glen  -  all  of  these  have  been  noticed  by  my  forerunner 
under  more  favourable  conditions  than  a  chill  nor’-easter  on  a  late 
November  day. — K, 
PALMS. 
I  KNOW  of  nothing  so  suitable  for  general  decorative  purposes  as  the 
beautiful  and  much-enduring  Palms,  which  are  coming  into  more  notice 
every  year.  There  is  a  peculiar  interest  about  them,  arising  to  a  great 
extent  from  the  associations  connected  with  warm  eastern  and  southern 
climes,  which  the  very  name  of  Palm  seems  to  call  up  immediately  before 
our  minds.  In  almost  all,  or  perhaps  I  might  say  in  all,  hot  climates 
Palms  of  some  sort  form  a  conspicuous  feature  of  the  prevailing  vegeta¬ 
tion.  In  the  midst  of  our  own  dark  cheerless  winter,  when  we  are 
enduring  bitter  east  winds  and  the  early  Snowdrops  are  shivering  in  the 
blast,  we  hear  from  our  consumptive  friends  in  their  voluntary  exile  in 
Algeria  or  ^lentone  of  the  warm  sunshine  lighting  up  Palms  and  Citrons 
and  Olives,  and  the  ground  being  already  bright  with  Hepaticas, 
Cyclamens,  and  wild  Hyacinths,  and  we  seem  to  be  in  a  warm  climate 
ourselves  for  a  moment  when  we  read  of  the  many  charms  of  the  sunny 
south.  Not  that  I  for  one  would  wish  to  change  our  English  climate, 
capricious  though  it  may  be,  for  any  other  which  I  have  met  with  or  read 
of  in  other  lands.  We  cannot  have  the  warmth  of  their  delicious  winters, 
but  neither  have  we  the  intolerable  heat  of  their  parching  summers.  If 
your  business  requires  you  to  stay  in  one  place  all  the  year  round,  depend 
upon  it  there  are  few  countries  which  can  equal  in  climatic  advantages 
our  own  sea-girt  isle. 
It  is  wonderful  how  long  some  of  those  Palms  which  do  not  require 
much  heat  will  stand  the  dry  air  and  the  occasional  draughts  in  drawing¬ 
rooms.  I  had  a  fine  specimen  of  Phoenix  dactylifera  in  the  drawing-room 
the  whole  of  last  winter  and  far  into  the  late  spring,  when  it  was  sent  out 
into  the  vinery  to  recruit.  This  plant,  with  many  others,  I  raised  from 
seed,  which  makes  all  the  difference  in  point  of  interest.  If  seeds  are 
sown  in  heat  in  a  comparatively  short  time  fine  young  plants,  capable  of 
bearing  a  good  deal  of  cold  and  draught,  and  making  a  beautiful  ornament 
for  the  drawing-room  or  the  study,  will  be  produced.  The  first  two 
or  three  leaves  are  simply  broad  grass-like  fronds,  buj  even  these  are 
graceful ;  the  divided  fronds,  which  come  afterwards,  are  really  most 
charming  in  their  effect,  either  separate  or  grouped  with  other  Palms. 
Seaforthia  elegans  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  Palms  where  there  is 
room  for  it.  It  requires  space  and  generous  treatment,  and  then  few 
things  can  come  up  to  the  graceful  beauty  of  a  large  plant  of  it  with  the 
older  fronds  bending  down  in  a  fine  curve  and  the  new  fronds  pushing 
straight  up  the  centre.  This  is  the  Palm  now  generally  used  on  Palm 
Sunday,  and  tied  up  in  an  ornamental  fashion  by  the  natives  of  Madeira 
and  along  the  coast  of  the  Mediterranean  for  that  purpose.  I  should  like 
to  know  how  the  fronds  are  made  so  beautifully  white  in  their  dried 
condition.  They  are  frequently  brought  home  and  made  use  of  as  a  room 
ornament  hung  upon  the  wall.  I  have  tried  the  Seaforthia  out  of  doors 
in  summer,  but  it  spoils  the  beauty  of  the  plant,  which  is  nothing  once 
the  green  symmetry  of  the  whole  is  injured. 
For  table  decoration  it  is  necessary  to  have  kinds  which  grow  in'  a 
smaller  way,  and  of  these,  so  far  as  my  experience  goes.  Cocos  Weddelliana 
is  facile  princeps.  It  is  a  beautiful  light  feathery-looking  Palm  with 
graceful  arching  fronds,  which  are  minutely  divided.  It  is  one  of  the 
slow-growing  Palms,  and  therefore  it  is  necessary  to  be  patient  with  it. 
But  even  in  its  babyhood  it  is  beautiful.  It  makes  an  excellent  plant 
for  the  dinner  table  whether  small  or  large.  In  the  small  state  five  or 
six  of  them  in  small  silver  stands  look  exceedingly  well  ;  in  a  larger 
state  of  course  they  must  take  a  more  central  position.  Their  great 
recommendation  is,  that  in  common  with  the  whole  tribe  they  will  bear  so 
much  knocking  about.  Cocos  Weddelliana  is,  however,  a  Palm  which 
likes  a  warm  house.  Areca  monostachya,  or  the  Cabbage  Palm,  though 
not  so  beautiful  as  many,  is  a  singular  j)lant;  the  knotted  stem  is  peculiar, 
and  gives  it  the  character  of  a  small  tree,  Areca  sapida  is  somewhat 
tender ;  its  spiral  mode  of  growth  is  pretty,  and  well  grown  it  makes  a 
fine  specimen.  I  have  found  it  too  delicate  to  associate  with  Cory'pha 
australis. 
It  is  by  no  means  necessary  to  have  even  a  cool  greenhouse  to  grow 
the  hardier  Palms.  With  a  little  care  and  attention  they  will  be  found 
to  accommodate  themselves  to  the  sitting-room.  Those  who  have  rooms 
large  enough  cannot  introduce  any  ornament  more  graceful  than  a  fine 
specimen  of  Latania  borbonica  or  Corypha  australis  ;  and  those  who  have 
less  space  in  their  rooms  may  rejoice  in  the  more  upright  growth  of  the 
beautiful  genus  Phoenix,  which  includes  several  good  species.  The  genus 
Chammrops  is  another  of  the  more  hardy  race.  They  will  stand  out  of 
doors  well  in  the  west  country.  It  is  wonderful  how  a  Palm  starts  into 
growth  as  soon  as  it  is  taken  out  of  its  pot  and  put  out  with  a  depth  of 
cool  damp  soil  beneath  it.  I  have  no  doubt  with  a  little  wrapping  up 
Palms  could  be  easily  kept  alive  through  our  mildest  winters  ;  but  I 
always  think  it  is  a  pity  to  spoil  the  look  of  a  winter  garden  for  the  sake 
of  preserving  a  specimen  which  would  do  much  better  indoors.  A  mat 
against  the  wall  is  not  so  conspicuous,  nor  does  it  spoil  the  gener/al 
appearance  of  other  things,  but  even  that  is  bad  enough.  Gn  the  whole, 
it  is  better  to  be  satisfied  with  things  which  can  really  bear  our  climate, 
tlioiigh  attempts  at  ac(dimatisation  are  always  interesting.— P,  A, 
THE  YOUNG  GARDENERS’  DOMAIN. 
PRIMUr.AS. 
This  genus  is  a  very  large  one,  including  some  of  the  most  popular 
florists’  flowers — namely,  the  Auricula,  the  Polyanthus,  and  the  Primrose. 
It  is  of  the  greenhouse  varieties,  however,  that  I  intend  to  write.  The 
chief  of  these  is  Primula  sinensis,  of  which  the  value  is  so  well  known  to 
those  who  have  to  provide  bloom  for  conservatory  and  table  decorations 
when  the  flush  of  Chi’ysanthemums  is  over.  At  that  season  there  are  few 
plants  in  bloom,  and  the  cheerful  colours  of  the  Primula  brighten  and 
lighten  the  conservatory  wonderfully  during  the  dull  winter  months. 
To  grow  these  plants  well  the  seed  should  be  sown  at  intervals  from 
early  in  .Tanuary  until  April,  thereby  having  a  long  succession  of  flowers. 
Sow  the  seeds  in  pans  containing  light,  rich  soil,  which  has  been  previously 
damped,  cover  with  a  piece  of  glass,  and  place  on  a  warm  hotbed.  When 
the  seedlings  are  through  and  large  enough  prick  out  into  boxes  or  pans, 
and  when  sufficiently  rooted  place  in  2^-iuch  pots,  and  arrange  them  on  a 
shelf  near  the  glass  to  keep  them  sturdy.  When  the  pots  become  full  of 
roots  transfer  the  jdants  to  5-inch  pots,  in  which  size  they  may 
flower.  If,  however,  large  plants  are  required,  another  shift  will  be 
found  necessary.  The  best  soil  will  be  found  in  equal  parts  of  fibrous  turf 
and  leaf  soil,  silver  sand  and  charcoal  added.  Careful  watering  is 
necessary,  as  if  the  soil  becomes  in  any  way  sour  the  plants  soon 
present  a  sickly  appearance. 
During  the  summer  months  they  may  be  grown  in  a  cold  frame,  but 
shading  will  be  necessary  on  hot  days,  and  premature  blooms  must  be 
pinched  out.  The  same  treatment  is  also  applied  in  the  culture  of 
Primula  obconica,  a  charming  free-flowering  species,  which  is  also  found 
useful  during  the  winter.  If  used  with  the  bright  scarlet  flowers  of 
Raspail  “  Geranium,”  or  Poinsettias,  or  flo  vers  of  any  description  used  in 
table  decoration,  it  is  very  lovely,  while  for  conservatory  and  house 
decoration  it  is  one  of  the  best  plants  that  can  be  grown. — E.  J.  B, 
Tomato  Culture. 
The  fruit  of  the  Tomato  is  a  universal  favourite,  and  as  such  is  used 
in  many  and  various  ways.  Perhaps  a  few  notes  on  the  cultivation  of 
the  Tomato  may  prove  interesting  to  readers  of  “  The  Domain.”  Plants 
may  either  be  raised  from  seeds  or  by  cuttings.  In  the  latter  case  the 
plants  commence  fruiting  earlier,  but  the  constitution  of  the  plant  is  not 
generally  so  robust  as  in  those  raised  from  seeds. 
Seeds  should  be  sown  thinly  in  clean  well  drained  4  or  5- inch  pots 
in  a  compost  consisting  of  fine  loam  and  leaf  mould  in  equal  propor¬ 
tions,  adding  coarse  silver  sind  to  keep  the  mixture  open.  The  pots 
should  be  tilled  to  within  an  inch  of  the  top,  and  when  the  seeds  are  sown 
they  must  be  just  covered  with  a  little  of  the  compost.  Place  the  pots 
in  a  temperature  of  65°  by  night,  and  as  soon  as  germination  takes  place 
raise  the  pots  to  quite  near  the  glass.  Seeds  to  produce  plants  for  early 
fruiting  must  be  sown  at  the  beginning  of  December,  making  successions 
until  about  the  last  week  in  May. 
As  soon  as  the  seedlings  are  large  enough  to  handle,  they  should  be 
pricked  off  singly  into  3-inch  pots,  using  a  compost  as  before.  Stand  the 
pots  on  a  shelf  close  to  the  glass  in  a  growing  atmosphere,  being  careful 
with  water,  as  if  given  too  freely  the  young  plants  will  damp  rapidly. 
When  these  pots  are  filled  with  roots,  transfer  to  6-inch,  using  as  a  com¬ 
post  fibrous  loam,  leaf  mould,  and  a  little  old  IMushroom  bed  refuse.  Pot 
rather  firmly,  fastening  the  plant  to  a  neat  stick.  As  growth  advances,  the 
plants  may  be  gradually  hardened,  but  at  all  times  it  must  be  the  aim  of 
the  cultivator  to  get  a  dwarf,  sturdy  growth.  Remove  all  the  side  growths, 
leaving  the  flower  spikes  as  they  appear,  and  not  stopping  the  leader. 
Having  filled  the  6-inch  pots  with  roots,  the  plants  may  either  be 
placed  in  beds  or  in  well-drained  11  or  12-inch  pots.  The  compost  for  this 
operation  should  consist  of  four  parts  good  loam,  one  part  Mushroom  bed 
refuse,  half  a  part  old  mortar  rubble,  with  a  little  soot  added.  In  either 
case  the  soil  must  be  made  quite  firm.  Continue  to  grow  as  advised  for  the 
