466 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
June  5,  19(2. 
civilising  tendencies  of  our  age  are  gradually  transforming  it 
into  a  suburban  retreat),  tbe  distinctive  charm  of  the  “  Irish 
Kev  ”  is  unimpair^,  and,  fortunately,  the  modern  builder  has 
scarcely  any  opportunities  to  disfigure  it  by  his  grotesque  con¬ 
ceptions  of  architecture,  whose  claim  to  fame  is  the  ephemeral 
duration  of  his  buildings,  so  that  it  can  pursue  its  good  work 
without  any  fear. 
The  Mountain  Sandwort,  as  Arenaria  montana  is  often  called, 
is  a  very  ornamental  plant,  with  large,  waxy-looking  flowers. 
The  pureness  of  its  petals  is  an  unquestioned  white,  whilst  its 
habit  is  all  that  can  be  desired.  It  is  a  native  of  France.  In 
tlie  herbaceous  borders,  the  tall  Eremurus  robustus  commanded 
attention,  and  is  blooming  profusely.  On  the  rockery  was  a 
fine  plant  of  Spiraea  arguta,  and  situated  further  down  Cel- 
misia  ooriacea  had  bloomed  with  at  least  five  flowers.  This 
Celmisia  is  a  garden  hybrid,  probably  from  spectabilis,  a  native 
of  New  Zealand,  and  is  a  decided  improvement  on  spectabilis. 
The  flowers  are  pure  white,  with  a  clear  yellow  eye,  and 
measure  at  least  2in  in  diameter.  The  old  variety  spectabilis 
looked  equally  well,  although  its  period  of  flowering  is  a  little 
later,  as  it  is  a  greenhouse  plant,  and  in  many  cases  where  in 
a  warm  position,  sheltered  from  blasts,  it  has  been  able  to  with¬ 
stand  our  winters  with  a  little  attention.  However,  those  sites 
are  nearer  the  south  of  this  country,  and  I  am  unaware  of  its 
becoming  established  and  flowering  so  free  so  near  the  centre 
as  at  Glasnevin.  It  would  be  interesting,  if  our  gardeners  would 
take  the  matter  up  and  see  if  the  area  of  its  outdoor  cultiva¬ 
tion  could  be  appreciably  increased ;  if  so,  it  would  be  a  decided 
acquisition  amongst  our  spring  flowering  rock  plants.  A  good 
ordinary  garden  soil  would  be  a  suitable  compost.  Another 
handsome  subject  was  Cypripedium  calceolus,  although  the  plant 
was  yet  small.— A.  O’N. 
- - 
V.— Botany  in  the  Garden. 
{Continued  from  page  395.) 
The  stem  may  be  described  as  the  ascending  portion  of  the 
axis  of  a  plant.  In  the  very  lowest  forms  of  plant  life  no  stem 
is  present.  Stems  differ  from  roots  in  generally  growing  up¬ 
ward,  in  not  having  a  cap  of  dead  cells  at  the  growing  point, 
but  instead  generally  a  bud,  in  bearing  leaves,  and  in  giving  off 
their  branches  exogenously,  i.e.,  from  more  supei-ficial  layers 
of  tissue  than  roots  do.  In  some  cases  branches  grow  horizon¬ 
tally,  or  even  droopj  but  even  then  there  is  generally  a  tendency 
to  grow  upward  at  the  apex. 
The  functions  of  the  stem  are  (1)  To  support  leaves  and  flowers, 
and  to  connect  the  former  with,  the  roots;  (2)  When  young  and 
still  green  to  assimilate,  as  do  the  leaves;  (3)  To  act  as  reservoirs 
for  food.  Apparently  the  chief  object  in  branching  is  to  expose 
the  leaves  and  flowers  to  as  much  light  and  air  as  possible.  (Here 
is  an  important  lesson  gardeners  may  learn  from  Nature’s  ways.)' 
Not  only  do  stems  act  as  channels  by  whicli  food  passes  from 
the  assimilating  organs  to  the  growing  parts,  but,  also,  the 
elaboration  of  the  food  is  to  a  great  extent  carried  on  in  them. 
The  young  wood  (alburnum)  of  trees  and  underground  stems  (as 
Potatoes)  contain  much  sugar  in  autumn,  which  is  converted  into 
starch  and  stored  for  the  winter.  When  growth  recommences  in 
spring  the  starch  passes  again  into  a  soluble  condition  by  the 
action  of  an  acid  called  diastase,  and  is  conveyed  to  the  groAving 
parts. 
Tke  stem  originates  in  a  bud  called  in  the  seedling  plant  the 
plumule,  and,  so  long  as  groAvth  continues,  remains  terminated 
by  a  bud.  The  points  from  Avhich  leaves  spring  from  a  .stem  are 
called  the  nodes,  and  the  lengths  between  internodes. 
The  internal  arrangement  of  the  stems  of  the  two  great 
groups  of  higher  plants  differ  markedly.  In  Monocotyledons 
(Grasses,  Palms,  &c.)  they  are  usually  cylindrical  in  .section  and 
unbranchetl,  Avith  no  separable  bark,  and  hardest  at  the  outside. 
The  internodes  are  often  holloAV.  The  Dicotyledons  have  at  first 
generally  green  succulent  stems,  Avith  a  distinct  epidermis,  Avhich 
in  Avoody  plants  is  throAvn  off.  The  bulk  of  the  .stem  is  made  up 
of  1.  iio-vascular  bundles,  separated  by  the  medullary  rays.  If  a 
plant  has  a  stem  10ft  or  more  high  it  is  usually  called  a  tree.  If 
le.ss  tiiau  this  height,  and  much  branched  near  the  ground,  a 
shrub. 
Steins  are  generally  round  in  section,  though  sometimes 
angular,  as  in  tlie  natural  order  Labiatse.  The  outer  surface  may 
be  smooth  (glabi’ou.s),  furi.iAved,  hairy,  doAA’uy,  bristly  (.setose)  or 
prickly.  Stems  may  be  aiuiual,  biennial,  or  perennial. 
Herbaceous  perennials  have  perennial  underground  stems,  Avhich 
send  up  annually  branches  above  ground. 
All  branches  originate  from  a  latei'al  bud,  and  .spring  from 
the  angle  (axil)  betAyeen  the  ba.se  of  a  leaf  and  the  stem.  One 
or  more  buds  may  spring  from  each  axil,  and  are  called  axillary. 
Buds  may  groAv  from  a  cut  or  Avounded  surface  in  no  regular  order, 
and  are  then  termed  adventitious.  When  buds  remain  dormant 
during  Avinter  they  are  protected  by  an  outer  covering  of  scales, 
aaIucIi  are  sometimes  hairy  (WilloAv)  or  sticky  (Horse  Chestnut). 
These  scales  are  throAAUi  off  as  the  bud  biu'sts  in  spring. 
Stems  may  be  erect,  prostrate  on  the  ground,  ascending 
(groAving  upwards  at  the  point),  floating  on  AAater,  tAvining,  or 
climbing.  TAvining  plants  turn  in  particular  directions  in  different 
species.  Plants  climb  by  adAmntitious  roots,  as  Hy,  by  hooked 
prickles  (Bramble),  by  a  rough  surface  (Galium  Aparine),  by 
tAvisting  leafstalks  (Canary  Creeper),  or  by  tendrils,  as  in  the 
Vetch. 
Different  kinds  of  stems  have  various  names.  The  unbranched 
stem  of  a  Palm  is  called  a  caudex.  The  runner,  or  flagellum,  is 
an  axillary  prostrate  branch  producing  at  its  nodes  buds  that 
dev'elop  into  plants.  The  offset  differs  from  a  runner  only  in 
being  shorter  and  producing  only  a  terminal  bud.  The  sucker 
is  a  branch  given  off  horizontally  underground  and  then  rising 
above  the  surface. — Wm.  R.  R. 
(To  be  continued.) 
Gadding  and  Gathering. 
liaing’s  of  Forest  Hill. 
The  name  and  standing  that  the  late  John  Laing,  founder  of 
this  Forest  Hill  nursery  firm,  Avon  for  it,  Avould  seem  to  be  most 
creditably  maintained  by  his  two  sons,  Avho  are  noAV  the  repre¬ 
sentatives  of  it.  The  business  is  a  large  one,  and  competently 
managed.  It  is  a  good  .sign  to  see  neAV  houses  being  erected  m 
place  of  old  ones,  and  the  visitor  to  the  plant  houses  and  fruit 
tree  nursery  Avill  be  gratified  to  find  cleanliness  and  progress  the 
ruling  watcliAvords.  In  a  passing  visit  a  feAv  Aveeks  ago,  Clivias 
engaged  my  .special  notice  and  at  Forest  Hall  a  large  span- 
roofed  house  is  Avholly  devoted  to  them.  The  Laings  have 
improved  and  produced  variety  amongst  these  handsome  and 
early  greenhouse  flowering  plants,  as  much  as  any  other  firm; 
and;  in  fact,  feAV  nurserymen  hav'e  attempted  to  manipulate  the 
Clivias,  or  Imantophyllums,  as  they  are  sometimes  named.  Some 
of  the  varieties  are  quite  distinct  in  colour  or  in  form,  yet  the 
difference  in  the  great  majority  of  them  is  very  slight.  The  aim 
Avith  Mr.  Leech,  the  groAver,  is  to  deepen  the  crimson  colouring,  as 
it  seemed  to  me;  yet  Avhy  not  u.se  the  yelloAv  floAvered  Clivia 
(C.  citrina)  to  get  varying  shades  of  gold,  orange,  primrose,  and 
salmon  ?  Pure  Avhites,  or  Avhite  and  red  mixed,  might  also  in 
time  be  hoped  for.  It  is  Luther  Burbank,  “  The  Wizard  of 
Horticulture,”  “  on  the  other  side,”  Avho  said  “  species  of  plants, 
once  thought  to  be  fixed  and  unchangeable,  are  as  plastic  in  our 
hands  as  clay  in  the  hands  of  the  potter  or  colour  on  the  artist’s 
canvas,  and  can  readily  be  moulded  into  more  beautiful  forms 
and  colours  than  any  painter  or  sculptor  can  hope  to  bring  forth.” 
This  being  so,  Ave  Avill  possess  our  souls  in  patience  and  expect 
much  greater  variety  from  among  the  Clivias  yet.  The  sort^ 
deserving  notice  at  Laing’s  are:  Lord  Rosebery,  Avith  large  floAvers 
and  trusses,  and  lighter  in  colour  than  Lord  Kitchener,  which  is 
rich  crimson  Avith  an  orange  throat.  Mrs.  Davidson  is  orange- 
carmine,  and  is  distinct  in  having  long,  tubular  flowers.  Brilliant 
is  much  like  the  latter  in  colour,  but  King  EdAA’ard  VII.  is 
perhaps  peerle.ss  amid  all.  The  rather  short,  open,  bell-shaped 
corollas  are  rich  gloAving  crimson  or  cerise  carmine,  with  a 
splendid  orange  throat.  Lady  Sarah  Wilson  has  pretty  floAvers, 
rounded  in  form.  A  variety  Avith  A^ery  long  peduncles  has  been 
named  longiflora,  the  floAvers,  too,  possessing  the  attenuated 
character.  It  is  reconimended  on  account  of  its  adaptability  for 
cut  floAver  uses,  as  iri  bouquet  making.  Standi sh  Beauty  and 
Duke  of  Teck  are  good  in  their  Avay,  and  the  variety  Mrs.  J.  Laing 
is  also  of  merit.  Lady  Donnington  Avas  enthusiastically  shown 
to  me,  and  its  massiveness  pointed  to.  The  colour  of  the  floAvers 
is  brick  red,  suffused  with  orange.  Lady  White,  Avith  reflexed 
segments;  Beauty  of  Kent,  brick  red  and  pink:  and  King  of 
Denmark  Avith  A-ery  large,  rich  salmon-orange  trusses,  Avere 
amongst  many  others  that  one  found  something  of  interest  in, 
and  beauty  to  enjoy.  The  unfloAvered  seedlings  are  as  numerous 
as  the  named  cross-bi’eds,  and  time  Avill  prove  their  qualities. 
I  must  A^eiy  briefly  refer  to  Laing’s  multifloi'a  hybrid  Strepto- 
carpuses,  in  a  AA'hole  range  of  colours  from  spotless  Avhite  to  royal 
purple  and  richest  blue.  The  Gloxinias,  Begonias,  and  Caladiuins 
AA'ere  other  leading  features.  I  Avill  append  a  list  of  Caladiuins, 
and  meanAvhile  Avould  name  among  the  many  choice  stove  plants 
here  cultivated  the  handsome  Leea  amabilis  splendens,  Dracaena 
Veitchi  (most  graceful),  and  D.  cannaefolia  variegata.  The  neAv 
Asparagus  Duchnesi,  somewhat  like  A.  Sprengeri,  from  Linden’s, 
is  also  here,  as  also  a  capital  selection  of  hybrid  Anthuriums, 
floAvering  Avell.  Ficus  repens  variegatus  is  useful  for  indoor 
rockeries,  or  for  adorning  plant  stages  in  any  Avarm  house. 
Adiantum  Farleyense.  and  many  other  Ferns,  are  cultivated,  as 
well  as  some  Cypripediums.  Palms  for  decorative  purposes,  in  all 
sizes,  occupy  a  large  span-house  by  themselves,  and  a  great 
variety  of  plants,  indeed,  occupy  adjoining  compartments. 
Dahlias  and  bedding  plants  fill  many  pits  and  frames,  Avhile,  in 
the  large  tAA-enty-acre  fruit,  tree,  and  shrub  nursery  there  is  an 
unlimited  selection  of  forced  plants  noAv  in  floAver,  Avhile  in  the 
open  quarters  the  Iaucs,  Hollies,  Roses,  Laurels  of  all  sorts, 
Almond  trees,  and  extensive  brakes  of  youns  trained  Peach,  Pear, 
Apple,  and  Plum  trees  are  represented. — Wandering  Willie. 
