February  27,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
187 
Flowering  Almonds. 
The  flowering  Almonds  of  the  present  day  are  nearly  all  budded 
on  the  Peach.  It  is  the  only  practicable  way  to  increase  them 
fa.st  enough  for  the  ever-growing  demand  for  them.  They  are 
bought  by  the  hundreds  at  the  present  day,  as  against  a  dozen  of 
a  few  years  ago.  Early  spring  flowers,  such  as  are  Almonds,  will 
ever  be  desired.  The  shrubs  which  bloom  lirst  are  tho.se  which 
sell  best,  and  this  insures  a  steady  call  for  them.  Even  though 
not  as  beautiful  as  is  the  Almond,  the  Cornus  Mas  and  Daphne 
Mezereon  are  also  always  in  demand,  because  of  their  early 
flowers.  Almonds  force  easily,  and  pretty  little  bushes  in  pots 
make  a  lovely  display.  Outdoors  they  take  about  a  month  of 
growing  weather  to  bring  out  the  flowers.  The  season  opening 
the  l.st  of  April  would  see  the  Almonds  in  bloom  a  month  later. 
There  are  two  sorts,  pink  and  white,  and  it  is  hard  to  say  which  is 
the  better  one. — (“  Florist.s’  Exchange.”) 
Galanthus  Imperati  var.  Atkinsi. 
This  is  one  of  the  noblest  of  our  Snowdrops,  and  is  now 
(February  4)  in  bloom,  although  not  yet  at  its  best,  and  one  Avaits 
Avith  some  impatience  for  it  shoAving  its  true  nobility,  as  it  AA  ill  do 
in  a  short  time.  Tall  and  imposing — for  a  SnoAA’drop — it  is  Avorth 
trying  to  obtain,  and  to  give  it  a  place  Avhere  it  Avill  have  some 
shelter^  to  prevent  its  tall  stems  from  being  broken  doAA  n  by  high 
AA'inds.  Its  only  defect,  and  not  everyone  Avill  consider  iti  one,  is 
that  of  often  producing  additional  segments,  which  give  it  a 
curious  appearance  Avhen  its  blooms  are  at  an  advanced  stage  of 
their  career,  and  open  out  to  the  early  sun  of  the  year.  They 
then  remind  one  of  AA'hite  butterflies  “poised  for  a  flight,”  and 
certainly  look  at  that  time  unique  in  their  AA’ay.  Atkins’s  SnoAv- 
drop  is,  like  all  the  Imperati  forms,  only  botanically  a  variety  of 
nivalis,  but  it  has  a  right  to  bear  the  name  of  both  Imperati  and 
Atkinsi,  the  former  because  it  has  the  characteristic  features  of 
this  fine  southern  form  of  nivalis,  and  the  latter  because  of  its 
distinctness,  and  because  it  Avas  introduced  by  the  late  Mr.  James 
Atkins,  of  PainsAA-ick,  Avho  received  it  “  from  .someAvhere  in  the 
kingdom  of  Naples.”  It  has  been  distributed  as  G.  Imperati,  but 
it  is  different  from  the  ordinary  G.  Imperati  of  gardens.  A  fine 
SnoAA'drop,  it  is  mo.st  effective  in  the  garden. — S.  A. 
Early  Muscat  Grapes. 
Although  Muscats  are  frequently  groAvn  Avith  Black  Hamburgh 
and  other  vinous  or  SAveetwater  varieties,  they  are  far  from  .satis¬ 
factory,  indeed  it  is  commonly  a  matter  of  means,  for  experienced 
growers  are  alive  to  the  facts  that  they  cannot  be  groAA’n  AA’ell 
together,  as  neither  can  have  full  justice.  Muscats,  especially 
early  forced,  require  inside  borders,  and  even  very  early  forced 
are  better  AA’ith  bottom  heat,  for  AA'hich  they  pay  Avell,  as  Muscat 
of  Alexandria,  and  particularly  Canon  Hall,  in  June  bring  far 
better  prices  than  any  other,  and  it  is  the  quality  of  the  Grapes, 
not  the  quantity,  that  pays  the  groAver,  for  the  easily  grown  are 
produced  in  .such  quantities  as  to  glut  the  markets.  The  houses 
that  Avere  set  to  Avork  by  the  middle  of  December,  have  the 
bunches  about  floAvering,  and  require  a  temperature  at  night  of 
65deg  to  70deg,  Avith  Todeg  to  80deg  by  day,  closing  at  80deg  to 
85deg,  Avhen  bright  Aveather  prevails.  When  they  commence 
flowering  every  bunch  should  be  gone  over  Avith  a  large  camel’s- 
hair  brush  for  the  purpose  of  removing  the  “  caps,”  and  then 
fertilise  the  same  Avith  Black  Hamburgh  pollen,  or  preferably 
Alicante,  as  the  cross  of  the  thick-skinned  on  the  thin-.skinned 
varieties  improves  the  cuticle  of  the  berries,  and  the  oval-shaped 
.sorts  better  suit  the  conformation  of  Mu.scat  of  Alexandria  and 
Canon  Hall,  unquestionably  the  finest  of  all  Grapes  in  respect  of 
appearance  and  quality  AA’hen  AA'ell  done,  than  the  round  berried 
varieties,  which  is  apt  to  induce  a  rounded  and  somewhat  irregular 
form  to  oval  berried  sorts.  Cross  fertili.sation  also  has  good  re¬ 
sults  as  regards  the  SAA'elling  of  the  berries,  being  a  matter  much 
attended  to  by  Nature  by  the  agency  of  wind  and  winged 
creatures,  and  is  Avell  worth  practi.sing  under  artificial  conditions 
of  cultivation. — G.  A. 
The  Coronation  Flower. 
The  President  of  the  National  Rose  Society  Avrites  to  the 
“Times”  of  February  13: — “I  venture  to.  express  the  hope  that 
the  Rose,  Avliich  is  the  national  emblem  of  England,  and  the 
queen  of  floAvers,  may  be  Avorn  in  preference,  not  only  at  the  time 
of  His  Majesty’s  Coronation,  but  on  the  anniversaries  hereafter. 
At  the  date  of  the  ceremony  the  Rose  Avill  be  in  its  most  abundant 
beauty  in  all  the  gardens  of  the  land.” 
Petunias. 
For  pot  culture  quite  as  Avell  as  for  laAA  U  decoration,  both  the 
single  and  double  Petunias  are  very  suitable.  Considering  the 
ease  Avith  which  they  may  be  groAAn,  the  beauty  and  freedom  of 
their  bloom,  especially  in  the  single  A^arieties,  and  their  long 
season,  it  is  indeed  hard  to  find  any  plants  better  suited  to  the 
amateur’s  needs.  To  raise  pot  plants  from  .seeds  select  your  seeds 
in  January  and  soav  at  any  time  up  to  March.  Petunias  have  the 
.smallest  seeds,  and  in  soAA'ing  should  be  covered  very  lightly.  It  is 
a  good  plan  to  .soav  in  a  pot,  covering  the  pot  Avith  gla,s.s  until  the 
.seedlings  are  up.  With  the  use  of  the  glass  less  AA-ater  is 
necessary,  Avhich  is  an  advantage  in  the  case  of  such  fine  seed. 
So  soon  as  the  seedlings  are  up  so  that  they  can  be  handled,  they 
should  be  pricked  out,  observes  “Vick’s  Magazine,”  into  a  pan, 
afterAA'ards  giA'ing  each  plant  a  2in  pot  to  itself,  later  shifting  on 
as  groAA'th  demands. 
Hardy  Jasmine. 
For  many  years  the  Jasmine  knoAvn  as  “  hardy  ”  AA’as  the  Avhite- 
floAvered  one,  Jasminum  officinale  ;  but  of  late  years,  observes  the 
“  Florists’  Exchange,”  the  name  is  applied  to  the  Ja.sminum 
nudiflorum.  The  appellation  better  fits  the  la.st  than  the  first- 
named,  as  J.  nudfflorum  is  perfectly  hardy,  AAdiich  cannot  alAAays 
be  said  of  J.  officinale.  The  latter  needs  a  sheltered  place,  or  its 
shoots  are  injured,  in  Avhich  case  it  does  not  floAver.  When 
protected,  the  floAvers  come  on  the  groAvth  of  the  previous  season. 
They  are  Avliite  and  slightly  fragrant,  but  not  nearly  as  much  so  as 
the  greenhouse  one,  J.  grandiflorum.  The  other  species,  J. 
nudiflorum,  is  quite  hardy.  It  is  Avell  named,  as  it  floAvers  early 
in  spring,  before  the  leaves ;  so  early,  in  fact,  that  late  frosts 
often  catch  the  blooms.  The  shoots,  cut  off  and  placed  in  a  vase 
of  AAater  at  any  time  in  Avinter,  expand  their  flowers  quickly,  in 
the  AA’ay  the  Golden  Bell  does,  and,  like  it,  it  has  yelloAv  floAvers. 
There  is  another  one  of  yelloAv  colour,  often  met  Avith  in  green¬ 
houses,  the  J.  reA’olutum.  This  sort  is  hardy  at  Virginia,  it  is 
said.  It  comes  from  Northern  India,  as  does  J.  officinale,  Avhile 
J.  nudiflorum  is  from  China.  All  these  Jasmines  root  readily 
'from  cuttings. 
The  Food  Value  of  Vegetables. 
Tomatoes  rouse  torpid  liver  and  do  the  Avork,  ordinarily  of  a 
doctor’s  prescription. 
Lettuce  has  a  soothing  quieting  effect  upon  the  nerves,  and  is 
an  insomnia  remedy. 
Celery  is  an  acknoAvledged  nerve  tonic,  and  is  more  and  more 
used  in  medicinal  prescriptions. 
Onions  are  also  a  tonic  for  the  nerves,  but  people  will  be  for 
ever  prejudiced  because  of  their  odour. 
Potatoes  should  be  escheAA-ed  by  those  who  “  have  a  horror  of 
getting  fat,”  as  that  is  one  penalty  of  eating  them. 
Parsnips,  it  is  noAv  contended  by  scientists,  possess  almost  the 
same  virtues  that  are  claimed  for  sarsaparilla. 
Beets  are  fattening,  and  even  a  moderately  learned  man  Avill 
understand  that  it  is  because  of  the  sugar  they  contain. 
Ordinary  Lima  Beans,  someone  has  said,  are  good  to  allay 
thirst,  but  the  same  can  be  said,  Avith  equal  truth,  of  a  pitcher  of 
AA’ater. 
Asparagus  is  efficacious  in  kidney  ailments  to  an  extent  that  it 
is  not  yet,  perhaps,  thoroughly  appreciated. 
Cucumbers,  aside  from  sunbeam  emitting  properties  knoAvn  to 
readers  of  facetious  paragraphs,  contain  an  acid  that  is  helpful 
in  some  ca.ses  of  dyspepsia. 
Parsley  Avill  assist  good  digestion,  like  cheese  and  nuts,  but 
a  quantity  in  excess  of  ordinary  capacity  has  to  be  consumed. 
Therein  lies  the  joke. 
Pumpkins  are  an  ingredient  in  a  patent  medicine  that  is 
guaranteed  to  cure  quite  a  variety  of  ailments  flesh  is  heir  to,  but 
the  Avorld  is  increasing  in  inhabitants  aa  Iio  do  not  believe  all  they 
hear. — E.  N.  Noyes  (in  “  What  to  Eat,”  in  the  “  Queensland 
Agricultural  Journal.”) 
