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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  18,  1903. 
Paeonia  lutea. 
Tliis  neu'  species  has  been  cultivated  at  Kew  for  seven  or 
eight  years,  the  original  plant  having  been  received  from  the 
Jardin'des  Plantes,  and  Messrs.  Lemoine,  of  Nancy,  France,  in¬ 
troduced  it  to  Paris  from  Yunnan  in  1887.  The  Kev  plant  v  as 
first  planted  in  the  open,  but  some  time  ago  it  was  transferred  to 
the  Himalayan  division  of  the  Temperate  House.  There  it  now 
is,  healthy  '  and  thriving,  yet  seeming  to  develop  in  size  very 
slowly.  For  one  thing,  it  is  too  much  crowded.  It  is  a  true 
Tree  Pieony,  with  orange  yellow  flowers. 
“Percentages”  in  Liquid  Solutions. 
“The  strength  of  a  solution  is  very  conveniently  expressed 
in  percentages,  thu.s  a  5  per  cent,  solution  means  that  100  pait,s 
of  the  solution  will  contain  5  per  cent,  of  the  chemical.  As 
lOgals  of  water  weigh  1001b,  it  follows  that  if  1,  2,  or  31b  of  any 
chemical  is  dissolved  in  sufficient  water  to  make  1001b  the  result 
will  be  a  1,  2,  or  3  per  cent  solution  of  such  chemical,  and  so  on. 
When  formulse  are  given  in  10-gal  quantities  the  percentages 
are  expressed  without  any  further  calculation.  It  is  both  con¬ 
venient  and  accurate  (says  the  author  of  “  Standard  Fungicides 
and  Insecticides  in  Agriculture  ”)  to  express  strength  of  solution 
by  percentage,  and  I  think  it  would  be  a  good  plan,  where  it  is 
necessary  to  diminish  or  increase  the  strength,  if  this  were  done 
as  often  as  possible  in  10  per  cent,  units,  which  are  convenient 
for  reference  and  comparison.” 
Jefferies’  Hybrid  Calceolarias. 
On  a  visit  to  the  Eoyal  Gardens  at  Kew  on  Sunday  last,  I  was 
much  impressed  with  the  elegant  and  exceedingly  fine  decorative 
qualities  of  a  new  type  of  greenhouse  Calceolarias.  These  are 
collectively  named  as  in  my  headline,  the  distinctive  varieties 
having  a  particular  nonien,  and  the  plants  are  semi-herbaceous, 
semi-.shrubby.  Growing  nearly,  or  quite  2ft  high,,  with  slender, 
much-branching,  freely  produced  inflorescences,  the  flowers  of 
which  are  intermediate  in  size  between  those  of  the  bedding 
Calceolarias  and  the  large  greenhouse  present-day  types,  one  may 
imagine  how  pleasing  they  are  to  those  who  most  appreciate 
gracefulness.  The  leaves  are  typically  of  the  shrubby-section 
character.  What  the  cross  is  I  am  not  able  to  say,  but  it  must 
be  an  ally  of  C.  Burbidgei  Avith  the  ordinary  florist’s  Calceolaria. 
— H. 
Planting  Hardy  Water  Lilies. 
A  question  is,  “  How  shall  I  plant  the  Water  Lilies?  ”  Truly, 
this  is  a  perplexing  problem  to  the  beginner.  It  is  an  easy 
matter  to  plant  a  Geranium  or  a  Gladiolus  but  to  plant  under 
Avater  is  someAvhat  a  difficult  task,  especially  for  the  fair  sex.  The 
best  method  to  adopt  is  to  furnish  oneself  Avith  rubber  hip  or 
sporting  boots  and  get  into  the  pond.  In,  an  artificial  pond,  the 
Avater  need  not  be  more  than  a  foot  above  the  surface  of  the 
boxes  or  the  soil  for  planting;  but  at  least  that  much  is  needed 
for  all  parts  of  leaves  and  stalks  toi  assume  their  natural  condi¬ 
tion.  The  rhizomes,  Avhich  vary  in  size,  may  be  planted  sloping, 
the  croAvns  but  slightly  covered,  so  that  the  loAver  part  may  be 
made  as  firm  as  possible.  The  natural  habit  of  the -native 
(American)  species  is  trailing  and  spreading.  In  new  groAvth 
both  leaves  and  roots  start  from  the  croAAn,  and  the  leading  shoot 
or  tip  of  the  odorata  or  tubero.sa  section  is  better  than  a  side 
shoot  for  planting ;  a  single  moderate-sized  croAAii  of  .such  as 
the  European  species  and  hybrids.  When  it  is  desired  to  estab¬ 
lish  hardy  Nymphreas  in  a  pond  Avhere  the  Avater  is  tAvo  or  more 
feet  deep,  it  is  Avell  to  start  the  rhizomes  in  pots  or  .seed  jAans, 
and  after  they  are  Avell  rooted  turn  them  out  and  deposit  them 
in  deep  Avater.  The  Aveight  of  soil  held  together  by  the  roots 
Avill  keep  the  plants  in  position,  and  they  are  sure  to  be  right 
side  up  Avhen  dropped  into  the  Avater.  If  pots  are  not  convenient, 
plant  the  rhizomes  in  shalloAV  Avater,  Avhen  after  the  plants  have 
made  some  progress  they  can  be  dug  up  Avith  the  soil  adhering 
to  them  and  deposited  in  deeper  Avater.  In  planting  a  small 
pond  or  tank  it  Avould  be  unnecessary  for  a  person  to  get  into  it, 
as  a  plank  can  be  laid  across,  to  stand  upon. 
French  Flower  Culture. 
It  is  stated  that  90  per  cent,  of  the  perfume  used  in  the  AA'orld 
comes  from  the  .strip  of  mountainous  .country  Avhich  lies  along 
the  Mediterranean,  east  of  Marseilles.  The  annual  harvest  of 
floAA'ers  is  about  6.000,0001b  of  Roses,  5,000,0001b  "of  Orange 
blossoms,  3,000,0001b  of  Carnations,  l,000,006lb  of  Violets, 
9,(X)01b  of  Lilies,  600,0001b  of  Tuberoses,  and  other  floAvers  in 
proiAortion.  These  floAAers  are  mostly  raised  by  iDcasants,”  Avho 
OAvn  small  farms  and  do  their  oAvn  work. 
Spiraea  confusa. 
From  a  photograph  sent  bj^  Mr.  C.  Jones,  of  Ote  Hall,  Burgess 
Hill,  Su.ssex,  AAe  figure  on  page  533  a  typical  specimen  of  this 
favourite  shrubby  Spiraea.  It  is  quite  a  form  by  itself  in  the 
genus,  which,  however,  contains  species  of  very  varied  characters,, 
as  Avitness  S.  Thunbergia,  S.  prunifolia,  S.  Aruncus,  S.  Davi- 
diana,  and  S.  japonica.  As  a  forcing  subject  for  spring  employ¬ 
ment  in  greenhouses  and  conservatories  it  is  commendable  and 
much  used ;  Avhile  for  small  beds  in  the  most  burnished  parts  of 
the  pleasure  grounds,  the  grace  of  it  “  trimly  agrees.”  Growing 
3ft  to  5ft  high,  the  slender  branches  are  erect,  though  branching 
at  the  ends,  and  these  bear  clusters  of  milk-Avhite  floAvers.  As  a 
rule  it  floAvers  freely  and  grows  well  in  all  open  areas,  preferring 
a  sandy  loam  as  a  rooting  medium. 
Romneya  Coulter!  at  Chester. 
Noav  that  a  sense  for  what  is  meritorious  in  floAvering  shrubs 
has  been  quickened  in  most  of  us,  it  is  felt  that  before  long  the 
handsome  Californian  Poppy — rather  a  misleading  name,  by  the 
AA’ay — Avill  be  represented  more  liberally  in  gardens.  Wherever 
there  exists  a  doubt  as  to  the  perfect  hardiness  of  Buddleias  or 
some  of  the  Ceanothuses,  it  Avoidd  be  Avell  to  cultivate  R.  Coulteri 
under  glass  in  a  cool  house;  but  it  Avill  generally  be  found  to  groAV 
and  floAver  Avell  in  Avell  sheltered  positions  everyAvhere  ;  at  all' 
events,  south  of  the  Forth.  Messrs.  Hicksons,  of  Chester,  have 
a  large  span-roofed  house  filled  with  splendid  pot  plants  of  it, 
and  each  one  is  a  fit  subject  for  planting  at  this  time  of  year. 
Carefully  tended,  the  plants  AA'ill  have  made  a  start  before  the 
Avinter,  and  Avill  be  sufficiently  established  to  pass  through  un- 
.scathed,  given  a  slight  protection. 
Geranium  argenteum. 
It  would  almost  appear  as  if  the  hardy,  or  true,  Geraniums 
or  Cranesbills  Avere  about  to  enter  upon  a  new  lease  of  popularity. 
Many  of  them  have  been  known  in  gardens  for  generations,  but 
it  is  no  ra.sh  statement  to  make  when  one  asserts  confidently 
that  they  deserve  greater  consideration  at  the  hands  of  all  lovers 
of  hardy  floAvers.  Occasionally  I  have  referred  to  some  of  them' 
in  the  pages  of  our  Journal,  and  some  day  I  hope  to  speak  of 
them  in  a  more  systematic  way,  but  for  the  present  I  desire  to 
give  a  meed  of  praise  to  and  a  note  upon  the  cultivation  of 
one  of  the  most  charming  of  an  attractive  and  valuable  genus 
of  floAvers.  This  is  Geranium  argenteum,  the  Silveiy  Crane.s- 
bill,  one  of  the  most  exquisite  little  plants  which  can  grace  a 
rock  garden,  and  one  which  is  delightful  to  examine,  alike  Avhen 
in  bloom  and  AA'hen  it  is  simply  attractive  because  of  its  silvery 
leaves.  I  have  seen  illustrations  of  this  plant  which  are  naught 
but  travesties  of  its  beauty,  and  which  give  no  idea  of  its  delight¬ 
ful  habit  and  its  c^uiet  but  undoubted  loveliness.  If  an  illu.stra- 
tion  often  fails,  it  seems  almost  vain  to  attempt  to  do  justice 
to  it  in  words.  Yet  it  niu.st  be  essayed.  Here,  then,  is  a  little 
plant  with  silvery  leaves,  on  either  side  all  soft  and  silky  to  the 
touch,  almost  all  of  them  coming  directly  from  the  root,  raised 
on  long  leafstalks,  only  a  few  inches  higher  hoAvever,  and  with 
from  fiA-e  to  seven  divisions,  each,  again,  being  more  or  less 
divided.  From  this  tuft  of  leaves  there  spring  lovely  pale  rose, 
deeper-veined  floAvers,  large  for  the  size  of  the  plant,  and  often 
almost  lying  on  the  soil,  or  only  an  inch  or  two  above  it.  These 
blooms  are  exquisitely  veined,  and  the  Avhole  plant  has  a  refine¬ 
ment  such  as  Ave  often  find  only  in  the  choicer  alpine  floAvers. 
The  Silvery  Cranesbill  is  only  truly  happy  in  a  dry,  calcareous, 
and  sandy  soil  and  in  a  sunny  position,  and  there  it  reveals  its 
full  beauty.  It  is  a  trouble.some  plant  to  divide,  and  it  is  thu'i 
better  to  raise  it  from  seeds,  sowm  if  possible  as  soon  as  ripe. 
It  is  said  to  have  been  introduced  for  more  than  200  years,  its 
native  habitats  being  the  SAviss  Alps,  Northern  Italy,  the 
Pyrenees,  and  the  Alps  of  Dauphiny,  though  Mrs.  Loudon,  in 
her  “  British  FloAver  Garden,”  tells  us  also  that  it  comes  from 
Germany. — S.  Arnott. 
