May  16,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
411 
Everlasting  or  Immortelle  Flowers. 
peat  and  sand.  They  enjoy  plenty  of  water,  therefore  ample  drainage 
should  be  given.  Towards  the  end  of  summer  remove  them  outside, 
but  do  not  expose  to  the  full  power  of  the  sun.  Correa  cardinalis  is 
one  of  the  best,  the  flowers  being  bright  scarlet  tipped  with  green. 
C.  ventricosa,  C.  pulchella,  and  speciosa  are  other  good  sorts. 
Leschenaultla  and  Chorizema. 
Leschenaultias  are  perhaps  the  most  difficult  of  all  to  grow.  They 
succeed  with  treatment  recommended  for  Ericas,  but  should  not  be 
placed  outside  during  summer,  as  t*  ey  will  not  bear  exposure  to  the 
sun.  During  winter  they  should  be  kept  well  up  to  the  glass,  and 
the  greatest  care  taken  in  watering  them  ;  even  then  they  die  off 
without  any  apparent  reason.  L.  biloba  major  (or  grandiflora)  has 
rich  blue,  while  L.  splendens  has  bright  scarlet  flowers.  Chorizemas 
remain  in  flower  for  a  very  long  time,  and  they  at  least  have  the 
merit  of  being  easier  of  cultivation  than  a  great  many  hardweodea 
plants.  They  are  easily 
raised  from  cuttings  put  in 
during  spring,  and  succeed 
well  under  the  treatment 
accorded  other  hard  wooded 
plants.  The  habit  is  loose 
and  straggling,  and  to  get 
well-furnished  bushy  plants 
they  require  strict  attention  as 
regards  stopping.  They  also 
make  excellent  pillar  plants, 
and  flower  during  winter  and 
early  spring.  C.  Henchmani 
was  the  first  species  dis¬ 
covered.  C.  varium  includes 
Chandleri  elegans,  and  this  I 
think  is  one  of  the  best. 
The  Grevilleaa. 
Grevillea  robusta  is  so  well 
known  and  so  popular  that  I 
need  say  nothing  about  it. 
There  are,  however,  two  other 
species  less  commonly  met 
with,  but  which  are  worthy 
of  more  consideration.  I  refer 
to  G.  rosmarinifolia  and  G. 
Thelmanniana.  These  are 
both  easily  grown  from  cut¬ 
tings.  The  former,  as  its 
name  indicates,  has  leaves  like 
Rosemary,  is  a  strong  grower, 
and  has  quite  a  decorative 
appearance,  apart  from  its 
curious  red  flowers,  which  are 
produced  at  the  ends  of  the 
branches.  In  Devon  I  expect 
this  plant  is  capable  of  stand¬ 
ing  out  most  winters.  G. 
Thelmanniana  is  the  best  plant 
of  the  two,  being  well  worth 
growing  for  its  graceful  habit 
and  foliage,  which  is  of  that 
peculiar  greyish  colour  so 
common  with  Australian  plants. 
It  has  also  the  additional  recom¬ 
mendation  of  flowering  freely  in  a  small  state. 
Boroniaa. 
No  essay  on  the  subject  of  greenhouse  hardwooded  plants  would 
be  complete  without  si  me  refertnce  to  the  Boronias,  which  are 
admitted  to  be  among  the  most  graceful  and  useful  of  all  plants,  and, 
with  proper  attention,  will  grow  and  flower  very  freely.  Cuttings 
are  again  resorted  to,  and  they  do  well  in  peat  and  sand,  with  the 
addition  of  a  little  light  loam.  Let  the  drainage  be  good,  for  they 
enjoy  a  plentiful  supply  of  water.  Boronia  elatior  is  a  strong¬ 
growing  species,  also  free  flowering,  so  also  is  B.  heterophvlla,  whose 
scarlet  flowers  are  produced  in  great  profusion.  B.  megastigma  should 
on  no  account  be  done  without,  for,  though  it  has  curious  dull  purple 
and  yellow  coloured  flowers,  they  have  a  delicious  scent,  and  in  habit 
it  is  the  most  slender  and  graceful  of  them  all.  If  space  permitted 
there  are  a  great  many  more  interesting  plants  I  should  have  liked  to 
touch  od,  such  as  Aphelexis,  Aotus  gracdlima,  Darwinia  macrostegia 
or  tulipifera,  with  its  curious  bracts  ;  Citrus,  Lomatia,  Kennedyas, 
which  make  fine  pillar  plants  ;  Platytheca  galioides,  which  is  a 
beautiful  and  free-flowering  subject ;  Polygalas,  and  also  Pimeleas, 
which  are  so  very  useful.  Be'ore  concluding  I  must  mention  that 
beautiful  plant  Aristea  (Witsenia)  corymbosa,  which  curiously  enough 
belongs  to  the  natural  order  Iride®.  I  have  found  it  most  difficult  to 
propagate,  taking  some  six  months  to  root. — J.  Coutts,  Devon. 
Horticulture  In  Natal. — Gardening  in  Natal,  says  “Meehans 
Monthly,”  is  akin  to  gardening  in  Florida,  in  the  United  States.  The 
fruits  and  vegetables  popular  there  are  Oranges,  Lemons,  Pine  Apples, 
and  Bananas. 
Pretty  and  interesting  as  these  flowers  are,  they  are  not  very 
largely  grown,  though  they  merit  attention  and  amply  repay  good 
cultivation.  The  best  known  and  most  easily  grown  is  perhaps  the 
Helichry  sum.  Acroclininms  are  not  so  common,  nor  are  Xeranthemums. 
The  latter  is  a  hardy  annual,  the  other  half-hardy  Rhodanthes,  also 
half-hardy  annuals,  are  extremely  pretty  when  grown  in  pots,  and  for 
this  purpose  are  extensively  grown  in  some  districts  in  the  north  of 
England,  5-inch  pots  of  plants  comminding  a  ready  sale  in  the  large 
manufacturing  towns  during  the  present  month. 
Ilelichrysums  are  extremely  useful  towards  autumn,  when  they 
flower  freely.  The  fully  expanded  blooms  may  be  cut  and  used  with 
other  flowers,  while  the  half-expanded  flowers  can  be  gathered,  drying 
them  in  an  airy  dark  shed. 
They  should  be  tied  together 
in  bunches  and  hung  down¬ 
wards.  The  colours  are  various, 
comprising  yellow,  white, 
crimson,  purple,  scarlet,  rose. 
Being  half-hardy  the  best  plan 
is  to  raise  the  plants  in  pans 
or  box^s,  or  thinly  in  a  cold 
frame,  from  which  they  may 
be  transferred  to  positions  in 
flower  borders  or  beds.  At 
this  season,  too,  the  seed  may 
be  sown  outdoors,  where  with 
a  little  protection,  moisture, 
and  shading  it  will  soon  ger¬ 
minate.  The  seedlings  may  1  e 
gradually  thinned  until  they 
stand  a  few  inches  apart.  A 
strong  central  stem  is  pro¬ 
duced,  which  branches  and 
bears  the  flowers. 
The  next  most  popular 
everlasting  flower  is  the  Rho- 
danthe,  which  has  flowers  of 
white,  crimson,  rose,  and  yel¬ 
low.  Seed  may  be  sown  for 
outdoor  culture  now  in  a  sunny 
position.  Make  a  fine  seed 
bed  and  scatter  the  seed  upon 
it,  merely  covering  with  fine 
soil.  Cover  with  a  hand-light 
or  some  contrivance  which 
will  retain  moisture  in  the  soil, 
and  thin  the  seedlings  to  an 
inch  apart.  The  Rhodanthe 
is  perhaps  more  appreciated 
for  pot  culture,  and  may  be 
sown  in  the  pots  in  which  it 
is  to  flower,  or  sown  in  pans 
and  transplanted  ;  5-inch  pots 
are  the  best  size,  and  the  seed¬ 
lings  ought  to  be  thinned  to, 
or  pricked  out,  an  inch  apart. 
Grow  on  a  light  shelf,  carefully  watering,  and  not  shading  from 
sun  after  they  are  established.  A  few  light  sticks  may  be 
placed  round  the  edge  of  the  pots,  winding  round  these  s  ender  slips 
of  matting  (raffia  grass)  to  prevent  the  plants  falling  about.  I  he 
pots  must  be  well  drained,  the  soil  light,  rich,  and  porous,  consisting 
of  peat,  leaf  soil,  loam,  and  dried  cow  manure  rubbed  through  a  sieve, 
also  mixing  with  6and.  The  stems  of  the  plants  are  wiry  and  the 
flowers  small.  ,  ,  ,  ,,  , 
Acroliniums  grow  about  a  foot  high,  and  produce  double  an 
single  flowers  in  rose  and  white  colours.  Sow  outdoors  now  in  a  very 
warm,  sunny  position  ;  it  is,  however,  best  grown  as  a  greenhoute 
annual.  Xeranthemums  are  hardy  annuals,  and  may  be  sown  now  on 
a  warm  sunny  bed.  Thin  the  seedlings  to  a  few  inches  apart  when 
large  enough.  Flowers  are  double,  and  of  a  globular  shape,  and 
produced  freely;  the  colours  are  violet,  purple,  and  pure  white.  Life 
other  everlastings,  the  blooms  may  be  cut  just  before  fully  opening, 
and  dried.  Their  chief  value  lies  in  their  being  useful  for  winter 
decoration. — E.  D.  S. 
A  Cactus  Cineraria. 
