May  23,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
429 
EANINCS  \ 
Soot  Pressure. — Prof.  S.  H.  Vines,  president  of  the  Section  of 
Botany  in  the  British  Association,  referred  in  a  recent  address  to  the 
force  by  which  water  is  raised  from  the  roots  to  the  topmost  leaf  of 
a  lofty  tree,  and  remarked  that  it  must  be  regretfully  confessed  that 
one  more  century  has  closed  without  bringing  a  solution  of  the  old 
problem  of  the  ascent  of  the  sap.  One  of  the  suggested  explanations 
requires  that  in  a  tree  120  feet  tall  the  transpiration  force  must  equal 
a  pressure  of  360  lbs.  to  the  square  inch  ;  but  Prof.  Vines  says  there 
is  no  evidence  that  a  tension  of  anything  like  such  an  amount  exists 
in  a  transpiring  tree. 
Caladlums. — The  following  are  choice  varieties  : — Alexander  III., 
large,  bright  red,  with  a  green  margin  ;  oandidum,  white  ground,  veined 
with  green ;  Exquisite,  carmine,  edged  green ;  Fairy  Queen,  small 
leaves,  white,  bordered  green  ;  Gartendirector  Gireaud,  greenish  yellow, 
ivory  white  ribs,  speckled  with  reddish  pink ;  Gaspard  Crayer,  red 
oentre,  green  margin.  The  variety  named  Illustrious,  with  a  yellowish 
white  ground,  splashed  carmine,  is  a  splendid  sort.  Golden  Queen  is 
pale  golden  yellow  ;  Gurupa,  blood  red  ;  Her  Majesty,  veins  apple  green, 
interspaces  silvery  white,  with  some  carmine  stains ;  Lord  Derby  is  a 
beautiful  tricolor  variety  ;  Lord  Penrhyn,  dark  crimson,  and  green  and 
white;  Louis  A.  Van  Houtte,  red,  shaded  faintly  with  bronzy  green ; 
Reine  de  Danemark,  delicate  rose  and  network  of  green;  Rose  Laing, 
white  ground,  blush  veins  ;  and  Silver  Cloud,  silvery  white,  green 
spots,  carmine  veins. 
Exhibition  Phyllo cacti. —  Only  those,  suoh  as  Mr.  J.  Heal  of 
Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  who  have  performed  the  feat  of 
staging  a  Temple  Show  group  of  Phyllocacti,  understand  how  much  the 
task  demands.  For  weeks  past — to  go  no  further — Mr.  Heal  and  his 
assistants  had  been  manipulating  the  plants  which  eventually  they 
showed  in  such  creditable  condition  at  the  Temple  Exhibition  this  week. 
Incessant  care  and  consideration  is  required.  The  buds  are  measured 
almost  every  day,  for  the  expert  knowledge  can  decide  if  a  little  extra 
heat,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  cooler  conditions,  will  be  required,  so 
that  the  ephemeral  but  exquisitely  beautiful  blossoms  may  open 
almost  to  an  hour,  and  certainly  to  a  day.  If  a  few  plants  are  too 
forward  they  have  to  be  carried  to  cooler  quarters  and  shaded,  and 
this  alternate  forcing  and  retarding  constitutes  the  neoessary  work 
that  is  ultimately  crowned  with  the  'success  we  are  all  well  acquainted 
with.  The  illustration  on  page  433  in  no  exaggerated  degree  shows  the 
Chelsea  Phyllocacti  as  they  appeared  at  the  Temple  Show.  Few  plants 
produce  more  beautiful  flowers,  and  we  are  pleased  to  say  that  the 
Chelsea  firm  is  now  evolving  a  strain  of  plants  whose  flowers  last  longer 
in  a  fresh  condition. 
Strawberries  In  Barrels. — The  first  appearance  of  this  novel 
system  of  cultivating  Strawberry  plants  on  any  pretentious  soale  was 
something  over  a  year  ago.  A  firm  of  sundriesmen  who  manufacture 
barrels  for  Strawberries  exhibited  these  conveniences  at  successive 
meetings  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  in  the  Drill  Hall.  Since 
then  a  good  deal  has  been  both  said  and  written  upon  the  subject. 
That  Strawberries  can  be  successfully  cultivated  under  the  novel 
conditions  of  growth  (from  a  vertical  surface)  is  surely  proven  by  the 
splendidly -fruited  examples  shown  in  the  illustration  on  page  439.  The 
photograph  was  taken  at  Gunnersbury  House,  Acton,  W.,  where  Mr. 
James  Hudson  has  given  the  system  a  trial  in  his  usual  thorough 
manner.  Any  barrels  are  suitable  so  long  as  they  are  perfectly  clean 
and  free  from  injurious  taint  inside.  Three-inch  holes  are  drilled  over 
the  surface-sides  of  the  barrels,  and  through  these  the  Strawberries  are 
drawn  at  planting  time.  The  centre  of  the  barrel  (say  a  foot  square) 
is  left  free  for  stuffing  fermenting  material  into.  About  1  foot  or  less 
of  soil  is  thus  left  all  round  the  sides  for  rootage.  One  of  the  main 
points  to  observe  in  culture  under  these  conditions  is  to  maintain  an 
equable  moistness  of  the  whole  bulk  of  the  soil.  The  barrels  must 
constantly  be  kept  turned  so  as  to  expose  the  plants  to  the  different 
conditions  of  light.  As  a  rule  the  uppermost  plants  are  the  healthiest 
Electrifying  Seeds. — Eleotrified  seeds  germinate  more  rapidly 
thau  others,  and  by  bdrying  in  the  soil  one  zinc  plate  and  one  oopper 
plate,  placed  vertically  and  connected  by  a  wire,  Potatoes  and  other 
roots  grown  in  an  eleotrified  spaoe  have  secured  or  produced  about  three 
times  the  crop  that  others  do  in  similar  soil  close  by,  but  without  the 
electricity.  It  is  also  applied  to  the  ripening  process,  and  found  to  be 
successful. 
Viola  cornula  paplllo. — Here  we  have  a  new  type  of  Viola  so 
persistent  in  its  blooming  that  even  till  November  one  can  pluck 
flowers  from  it,  and  in  the  first  week  of  May  the  same  plants  will 
again  be  as  floriferous  and  fresh  as  ever.  It  blooms  continuously  the 
whole  season.  The  flowers  very  nearly  approach  to  the  likeness  of 
the  old  and  well  known  V.  cornuta — that  is,  bright  blue,  though  in 
size  they  are  larger.  A  bed  or  an  edging  of  the  above  is,  indeed, 
very  showy. 
Tullpa  Plcotee. — A  correspondent  writes  : — “  I  see  in  your  issue 
of  last  week  that  ‘  Wandering  Willie  ’  has  made  an  error  by  placing 
Tulips  elegans  alba  and  Picotee  as  synonymous  in  his  artiole,  re  ‘  Tulips,’ 
on  page  418.  The  two  are  quite  distinct,  although  when  in  a  young 
stage,  or  before  they  have  fully  developed,  they  may  be  taken  for  the 
same  variety.  T.  Picotee  is  a  reflexed  white  flower,  with  a  deep  rose 
colour  on  the  edges,  which  colour,  as  the  flower  ages,  sometimes  runs 
almost  through  the  petals,  while  in  T.  elegans  alba  the  carmine  edge 
is  regular  and  very  narrow,  and  remains  distinctly  defined  until 
the  end.” 
Double-flowered  Arabis. — A  splendid  plant,  as  hardy  as  any 
one  could  desire,  and  literally  smothered  with  its  beautiful  snow-white, 
double,  rosette  flowers.  It  reminds  one  of  nothing  so  much  as  a  slender 
double  Stock  in  full  flower.  The  common  Arabis  albida  with  single 
flowers  is  not  to  be  compared  with  its  double-flowered  variety.  Plants 
of  the  latter  grow  9  inches  high,  and  bear  long  raoemes,  well  studded 
with  flowers.  No  one  in  searoh  of  an  all-round,  useful  little  border 
plant  should  omit  this  double  Arabis  from  the  garden.  It  can  be 
planted  now. 
landscape  Gardening. — The  perfection  of  landscape  gardening 
oonsists  in  the  four  following  requisites  : — First,  it  must  display  the 
natural  beauties  and  hide  the  natural  defects  of  every  situation ; 
seoondly,  it  should  give  the  appearance  of  extent  and  freedom,  by 
carefully  disguising  or  hiding  the  boundary  ;  thirdly,  it  must  studiously 
conceal  every  interference  of  art,  however  expensive,  by  which  the 
scenery  is  improved,  making  the  whole  appear  the  production  of  Nature 
only;  and  fourthly,  all  objects  of  mere  convenience  or  comfort,  if 
capable  of  being  made  ornamental,  or  of  becoming  proper  parts  of  the 
general  scenery,  must  be  removed  or  concealed. — (Repton).  Surely  we 
may  differ  from  Repton’s  views  on  the  point  that  art  must  be  “  studiously 
concealed.”  There  is  no  absolute  necessity  for  this,  indeed  it  is  not 
desirable. 
Bose  Lady  Battersea. — This  lovely  new  Hybrid  Tea  Rose  is 
admitted  to  be  a  seedling  variety  o  great  distinctness  of  character. 
It  has  been  shown  frequently  at  the  Drill  Hall,  and  was  seen  again  at 
the  Temple  Show,  from  Messrs.  Paul  &  Son,  The  “Old”  Nurseries, 
Chesnunt,  Herts,  by  whom  it  was  introduced  to  commerce.  The 
variety  should  prove  of  value  to  both  florists  and  gardeners  for  early 
forcing,  this  being  a  quality  for  which  it  is  distinguished.  The  flowers 
are  borne  on  long  vigorous  shoots,  the  foliage  is  of  a  pleasing  shade  of 
green,  and  the  floriferous  character  of  the  plant  has  more  than  once 
been  remarked.  The  flower  buds  are  long,  oval,  and  pointed,  and  of  a 
beautiful  cherry  crimson  permeated  with  an  orange  shade.  The  flowers 
are  of  moderate  size  and  almost  full,  with  the  petals  so  well  together  as 
to  retain  their  form  for  a  long  time.  When  first  open,  the  blooms  are 
light  rosy  crimson,  still  keeping  the  sub-orange  tinge  of  the  bud, 
brilliant  in  the  extreme — then  passing  to  pure  soft  rose,  the  colour  c’ear 
and  attractive  to  the  last.  The  illustration  on  page  436  very 
effectively  depicts  the  Rose,  and  better  than  a  page  of  descriptive  text. 
It  has  received  an  award  of  merit  from  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society. 
The  variety,  as  a  pot  plant,  can  be  had  in  flower  till  November,  and 
with  a  short  rest  the  same  plants  will  produce  foroed  flowers  in 
February.  As  a  variety  for  massing  it  is  recommended.  The  plants 
will  be  sent  out  at  the  end  of  this  month  in  (48’s)  5-inch  pots.  They 
may  be  planted  out  at  once  in  a  properly  prepared  bed,  and,  if  watered 
carefully  for  the  first  fortnight,  will  bloom  towards  the  autumn,  and 
establish  themselves  thoroughly  for  the  next  season. 
