January  10,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
37 
The  Seed  Supply. — The  time  will  soon  arrive  when  growers  will 
be  making  out  their  seed  list  for  the  kitchen  and  flower  garden  and 
greenhouse.  In  this,  like  many  other  gardening  operations,  nothing  is 
gained  by  delay,  and  many  make  it  a  rule  to  order  their  seeds  during 
the  present  month  even  if  the  order,  through  pressure  of  work,  cannot 
be  fulfilled  for  several  weeks.  By  obtaining  the  supply  early  perhaps 
the  cost  may  be  slightly  heavier,  but  there  is  a  greater  certainty  of 
obtaining  the  highest  quality. — S. 
Outdoor  Camellias  at  the  New  Year. — I  am  sending  you  a 
Camellia  bloom,  cut  to-day  (January  4th),  from  a  plant  standing  out  in 
the  open — not  a  shrub  as  high  as  itself  within  20  yards.  It  is  a 
seedling,  about  fifteen  years  old,  and  is  4  feet  6  inches  high,  and 
about  6  feet  through.  Sir  Francis  Barry  cut  a  much  finer  bloom  on 
Wednesday  the  2nd.  It  shows  the  mildness  of  the  season,  also  that 
both  wood  and  buds  were  well  ripened  last  summer. — Robert  Brown, 
The  Gardens,  St.  Leonard’s  Hill,  Windsor.  [The  flower  was  per¬ 
fectly  developed,  and  the  leaves  of  remarkable  substance.  In 
addition  to  the  mildness  of  the  season  it  demonstrates  the  suitability 
of  the  soil  in  Sir  Francis  Barry’s  beautiful  garden  near  Windsor 
for  Camellia  culture. 
House  Culture  of  the  Foreign  Crape. — The  time  will  probably 
come  in  America  when  the  European  Grape  will  again  be  a  valuable 
commercial  fruit.  It  was  at  one  time,  the  fruit  selling  readily  at 
1  dollar  50  cents  a  pound.  The  cultivation  went  down  for  several 
reasons,  among  them  the  fear  of  competition  with  the  outdoor-grown 
European  Grapes  from  California,  the  injury  to  the  roots  by  the 
phylloxera,  and  the  difficulty  of  getting  the  intelligent  labour  to  manage 
the  Vines  properly.  It  is  clear,  however,  that  no  more  fear  of 
competition  with  the  Californian  product  need  be  feared  than  with  the 
Spanish  Grapes  that  come  in  barrels  of  cork  dust  from  the  Old  World. 
These  are  very  good  in  their  way,  and  will  usually  bring  remunerative 
returns,  though  the  figures  be  small.  There  is  no  comparison  between 
these  in  quality  as  compared  with  those  grown  under  glass  by  one  who 
knows  his  business.  This  has  been  abundantly  proved  in  England. 
The  Spanish  Grapes  in  England  bring  no  more  than  6d.  or  9d.  a  pound ; 
while  the  Muscats  and  Black  Hamburghs  bring  comparatively 
enormous  prices. —  (“  Meehan’s  Monthly.”) 
Germination. — Apart  from  the  primitive  germination  which  takes 
place  when  seeds  are  committed  to  the  soil,  there  is  the  annual 
germination  which,  under  certain  conditions,  exists  in  vegetation  of  all 
descriptions,  when,  having  passed  through  a  dormant  or  restful  period, 
either  terrestrial  or  atmospheric  warmth  causes  activity,  and  germination 
in  bud  of  flower  and  leaf  rapidly  ensues.  It  would  be  interesting  to 
learn  which  force  exercises  the  more  potent  influence  in  promoting  this 
germination,  whether  it  be  earth  or  air  warmth.  There  is,  consequent 
upon  the  continued  mildness  of  the  winter,  a  good  deal  of  alarm 
existing  lest  this  comparative  warmth  should  generate  bud  activity  in 
all  things  that  properly  should  be  resting.  The  assumption  in  all  such 
cases,  therefore,  naturally  is  that  the  atmospheric  warmth  is  the  greatest 
factor  in  thus  promoting  premature  growth.  But  then  this  comparative 
mildness  has  not  been  without  its  influence  on  the  soil,  for  that  is 
relatively  of  a  much  higher  temperature  than  is  the  case  where  froBts 
prevail,  hence  it  would  seem  as  if  both  earth  and  air  furnished  undue 
warmth  in  unison.  But  what  must  be  the  condition  of  things  existing 
when,  as  in  northern  regions,  the  dense  body  of  snow  covering  the 
earth,  whilst  showing  how  very  cold  is  the  air,  yet  serves  to  keep  the 
earth  on  which  it  rests  so  warm  that  growth  proceeds  rapidly  beneath, 
and  as  the  snow  disappears  the  soil  is  found  to  be  carpeted  with  flowers  ? 
It  would  in  such  case  seem  as  if  the  one  factor  in  promoting  growth  was 
the  warmth  in  the  protected  soil.  When  we  proceed  to  force  in  the 
winter  Vines  and  Peaches,  planted  in  outside  borders,  it  is  the 
atmospheric  warmth  which  becomes  the  germinative  force.  Probably  it 
will  be  found  that  it  is  air  warmth  whioh  is  the  greater  force  of  the 
two  elements.  With  a  due  proportion  of  air,  warmth,  moisture  and 
soil  all  growth  seems  easily  possible,  but  in  premature  growth  all  these 
requirements  are  not  equally  present. — A .  D. 
Felixstowe  Flowers. — A  correspondent  enumerates  the  following 
plants  as  flowering  at  Felixstowe  on  New  Year’s  day  : — “  Geraniums, 
Snapdragons,  Mignonette,  Alyssum  maritimum,  white  Periwinkle, 
blue,  red,  and  common  Primroses,  Polyanthus,  Wallflower,  yellow, 
crimson,  and  purple  Mesembryanthemum,  single  Hollyhock,  Veronicas^ 
Snowdrops,  Iris  stylosa,  Tritoma,  Japanese  Anemone,  Escallonia, 
Nasturtium,  Potentilla,  H.P.  Roses,  Tea  and  Polyantha  Roses, 
Carnations,  Aubrietias,  Morina  longifolia,  Chrysanthemums,  Christmas 
Roses,  Armeria,  Gentian,  Cineraria  maritima,  Omphalodes  verna, 
Campanula  garganica,  Hydrangea,  Ceanothus,  Lithospermum  pro¬ 
stratum,  and  Brompton  Stocks.” 
Watsonla  lrldifolla  Ardernel. — It  is  surprising  that  this  grand 
new  Cape  bulbous  plant  is  not  oftener  met  with.  Introduced  in  1896,  it  has 
not  received  the  attention  which  its  merits  deserve.  In  habit  of  growth 
it  resembles  the  Gladiolus,  and  its  strong  branching  stems,  carrying 
from  fifty  to  eighty  flowers  of  the  purest  white,  and  from  to  2  inches 
across,  make  it  a  welcome  addition  to  the  conservatory,  and  one  which  > 
if  seen,  is  sure  to  be  admired.  Although  treated  like  a  Gladiolus,  it 
succeeds  moderately  well  outside  ;  it  is,  however,  as  a  greenhouse  plant 
that  the  grower  will  have  the  best  results.  If  started  into  growth  in 
April  it  will  be  in  flower  in  August,  but  instead  of  drying  off  in  the 
autumn  I  find  it  sucoeeds  better  if  it  be  kept  growing  slowly  in  a 
frost-proof  house  through  the  winter ;  it  should  be  placed  in  a 
temperature  of  about  55°  in  March,  when  it  will  be  in  full  flower  in 
May.  It  likes  a  light  turfy  loam,  with  a  good  sprinkling  of  sand  and 
leaf  mould,  and  a  little  refuse  from  an  old  Mushroom  bed.  The  plant 
must  be  thoroughly  ripened  in  the  sun  after  flowering  to  insure  future 
success. — T.  H.  W.,  Staunton  Park. 
Jacoblnla  chrysostephana. — About  thirty  years  ago  Mr.  Bull 
of  Chelsea  introduced  this  plant  to  our  gardens  from  Mexioo,  and  in 
1871  it  was  figured  in  the  “  Botanical  Magaziue,”  t.  5887,  under  the 
name  of  Cyrtanthera  chrysostephana.  It  differs  somewhat  from  the 
majority  of  species  of  Jacobinia  in  the  way  in  which  its  flowers  are 
borne.  As  a  rule  they  are  borne  in  large  loose  terminal  panicles,  as  in 
J.  Ghiesbrehtiana,  or  in  long  dense  terminal  heads,  as  in  J.  magnifica. 
In  the  case  under  notice,  however,  they  are  crowded  together  into 
dense  flattened  corymbs,  which  crown  each  branch.  Like  the  majority 
of  winter  flowering  Acanthads  it  shou'd  be  treated  as  an  annual, 
cuttings  being  rooted  in  February  or  March  and  grown  all  the  summer, 
pinching  out  the  points  several  times  to  induce  a  bushy  habit. 
Throughout  summer  little  or  no  fire  heat  should  be  given,  and  a  free 
circulation  of  air  ought  to  be  allowed.  When  the  flower  heads  begin  to 
appear  a  little  extra  warmth  is  beneficial  to  assist  in  the  development ; 
at  other  times  an  intermediate  temperature  will  be  found  suitable.  In 
general  appearance  this  species  makes  a  sturdy  bush  with  large  ovate 
aouminate  leaves,  and  bears  dense  flattened  heads  of  bright  golden 
yellow  blossoms.  As  the  flowers  are  produced  in  November  and 
December,  and  in  places  not  troubled  with  fog  last  several  weeks  in 
good  condition,  it  is  a  subject  worth  remembering  when  making  a 
selection  of  winter  flowering  plants. — W.  D. 
Violets  and  Anemones. — “A.  F.,”  writing  to  the  “Morning 
Post  ”  from  Pembroke,  says  :  “  The  Post  Office  declines  to  forward 
decayed  vegetable  matter  from  Cannes  and  the  Riviera  at  a  loss,  and 
we  are  all  the  time  perfectly  able  to  supply  ourselves  with  most  of  the 
flowers  usually  sent  from  that  quarter — viz.,  Violets  and  Anemones. 
With  regard  to  Violets,  a  new  bed  made  up  in  May  will  supply  us  with 
that  flower  all  the  winter  according  to  the  season,  changing  the  ground 
year  by  year.  Anemones  in  well-prepared  ground,  seed  (not  bulbs) 
sown  in  March  and  April,  flower  from  October  till  they  are  out  down 
by  frost,  and  make  fresh  growth  again  in  May  and  June,  when  the  seed 
can  be  collected.  On  Christmas  Day  we  had  in  the  drawing-room 
three  dozen  Anemones  of  all  the  most  beautiful  colours,  fully  opened, 
and  just  as  good  as  any  grown  abroad,  A.  fulgens  being  especially 
beautiful.  The  picking  began  early  in  the  autumn,  and  will  go  on  till 
checked  by  frost.  I  have  two  beds  about  16  feet  square,  seed  put  in 
lines  IS  inches  apart,  as  thin  as  possible,  well  weeded  during  the 
summer,  and  occasionally  watered  if  the  ground  is  very  dry,  and  I 
should  recommend  light  branches  or  paper  loosely  scattered  over  the 
beds  during  the  summer  till  the  lines  are  very  clearly  seen,  and 
showing  strong  growth.  One  word  more,  which  is  half  the  battle, 
when  you  receive  the  flowers  cut  their  stalks,  and  put  them  in  warm 
water,  and  expose  them  to  the  sun,  if  any ;  if  not,  place  the  glasses 
!  under  the  warmth  of  your  reading  lamp.” 
