448 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  ™May  30,  1901. 
the  tears  of  Venus,  remarks,  slyly,  it  might  have  been  the  Anemone 
suitably  enough,  since  the  flower  is  fragile,  and  as  brief  as  a  woman’s 
tears.  The  short  duration  of  the  flowers  made  the  Anemone  an 
emblem  of  sickness,  yet  a  plant  of  it  was  supposed  to  have  healing 
powers  if  gathered  while  coming  into  bloom,  then  tied  round  the  neck 
of  a  sick  person.  Again,  the  Wood  Anemone,  A.  nemorosa,  was 
watched  because  the  plant,  by  its  indications,  is  one  of  the  barometers 
supplied  to  us  by  Nature.  When  brought  into  gardens  double  flowers 
were  produced,  and  also  some  variations  of  colour,  but  it  is  a  species 
which  will  not  flourish  in  the  close  atmosphere  of  a  large  town. 
Another,  of  rather  taller  growth,  more  frequently  cultivated,  suitable 
for  the  border  or  rockery,  is  the  Pasque-flower,  A.  Pulsatilla,  easily 
propagated  by  division,  named  by  the  old  botanists  after  the  Easter 
festival;  there  seems  no  truth  in  the  statement  that  the  juice  was 
used  for  staining  Easter  eggs.  There  exist  several  handsome  varieties, 
mostly  recent. 
Rather  rare  and  local  is  the  Mountain  Anemone,  A.  apennina,  a 
western  species,  growing  wild  in  exactly  the  same  positions  where  it 
occurs  on  the  Continent.  Welsh  specimens  might  have  been  planted 
in  gardens  by  admirers  of  the  flower,  but  Loudon  considers  that  it 
was  brought  from  Italy  by  some  Dutch  gardeners  two  centuries  ago. 
Someone  obtained  a  double  variety,  which  is,  however,  little  improve¬ 
ment  on  the  ordinary  form.  The  yellow  Wood  Anemone  is  aptly 
named  A.  ranunculoides,  since  it  has  yellow  flowers,  which  remind  us 
of  the  Buttercup  tribe.  It  has  been  found  near  Wrotham,  Kent,  and 
in  a  few  woods,  “  escaped  from  cultivation  ”  some  assert,  but  this 
theory  will  not  hold,  for  it  bad  never  been  previously  a  garden  plant 
in  England.  Now  it  may  be  seen  occasionally  imported  from  the 
Continent.  There  are  purple  and  white  varieties.  Akin  to  the 
Anemone  group  is  the  little  Pheasant’s  Eye  (Adonis  autumnalis)  ; 
unlike  them  in  its  late  flowering,  the  black  spotted,  crimson  flowers 
are  very  distinctive.  It  used  to  be  found  about  cornfields  near 
London,  and  was  once  commonly  grown  in  gardens,  but  has  almost 
vanished,  leaving  its  foreign  relative,  the  early  and  hardy  A.  vernalis> 
The  Paeony,  I  observe,  is  rather  a  popular  flower  in  some  of  the 
gardens  of  North  Kent,  but  I  question  whether  Pseonia  corallina  ever 
occurred  wild  in  the  district,  though  it  grows  abundantly  on  islands 
upon  the  river  Severn.  It  is  a  doubtful  native.  Doubtless  our 
ancestors  would  have  brought  it  into  gardens  if  they  had  had  the 
chance  to  do  so.  We  need  not  hesitate,  I  think,  about  allowing  the 
Monkshood  (Aconitum  Napellus)  a  place  amongst  British  plants, 
from  its  free  growth  in  some  watery  spots.  I  do  not  think  in  the 
olden  time  people  would  have  encouraged  such  a  frightfully  poisonous 
species,  but  somebody  is  said  to  have  introduced  it  from  France  or 
America.  Whenever  opportunity  offers  I  urge  its  removal  from 
gardens,  every  part  of  the  plant  being  dangerous,  and  the  seeds 
especially  to  be  avoided,  as  they  are  liable  to  lodge  in  the  eyes 
of  children.  Our  British  Larkspur  was  pioneer  of  the  many 
exotic  Delphiniums,  varieties  or  hybrids,  which  are  now  of  great 
importance  in  gardens,  and  receive  much  attention  from  nurserymen. 
The  annual  field  Larkspur  (D.  consolida)  formerly  occurred  at 
Eltham,  near  London,  and  was  not  uncommon  in  several  counties. 
Under  culture  the  plant  became  a  perennial  and  branched,  doubling 
its  usual  height,  and  the  flowers  changed  their  colour. 
J ust  now  the  brilliant  blue  of  some  of  our  May  mornings  has  its 
counterpart  in  the  masses  of  wild  Hyacinth,  popularly  known  as 
“  Bluebell,”  which  are  flowering  in  our  Kentish  woods,  especially 
about  the  clearings.  Clumps  of  it  are  often  noticeable  in  village 
gardens  ;  under  cultivation  it  grows  taller.  Occasionally  the  flowers 
of  wild  specimens  are  pink  and  white;  at  first  they  called  it  the 
“  Unwritten  Hyacinth,”  because  its  leaves  did  not  bear  the  mark  other 
species  had,  and  supposed  to  represent  the  Greek  for  “Alas!” 
Properly,  however,  this  is  ore  of  the  Squills,  being  Scilla  nutans, 
though  so  long  regarded  as  a  Hyacinth.  But  the  plant  of  the  ancients, 
associated  with  Ajax  and  Hyacinthus,  may  have  been  a  Lily  or  a 
Gladiolus  for  aught  we  know.  So  deeply  do  the  bulbs  of  this  plant 
descend  into  the  ground  that  their  removal  gives  some  trouble  when  a 
piece  of  woodland,  which  is  their  abode,  has  to  be  brought  uoder 
cultivation.  The  two-leaved  Squill.  S.  bifolia,  comes  earlier  into  flower 
than  the  preceding  species  ;  it  was  brought  to  our  gardens  from  South 
Europe,  and  likes  sunny  spots.  There  are  several  varieties.  It  is 
admitted  to  the  British  lists,  being  found  apparently  wild  in  the  West 
of  England.  It  is  not  probable  we  should  find  now  the  autumnal 
Squill,  S.  autumnalis,  displaying  its  cluster  of  rose-tinted  flowers  in  a 
London  garden.  Years  ago  the  plant  was  sometimes  transplanted, 
occurring  as  it  did  then  at  Blackbeath,  Kew,  and  elsewhere  near  the 
metropolis.  It  flowered  in  September. 
One  of  our  writers  upon  garden  flowers  remarks  that  Iris 
foetidissima  is  a  well-known  but  undeservedly  neglected  British 
plant ;  the  Latin  name  is  possibly  against  it,  and  the  popular  one  of 
Stinking  Iris  is  also  not  inviting.  I  do  not  tbink  the  flower 
malodorous  even  when  growing  in  damp  woods.  The  leaves,  on  pressure, 
have  a  peculiar  smell,  which  some  compare  to  that  of  cold  roast  beef. 
hence  this  Iris  has  been  called  the  “  Roast  Beef  Plant.”  That  the  heads 
of  this  Iris  have  been  sold  in  bunches  for  decoration  shows  that  it 
cannot  have  been  greatly  disliked.  I  am  not  sure  that  plants  are 
raised  at  present  to  send  into  market.  Formerly  more  abundant  as  a 
wild  flower  than  it  is  now,  it  was  conspicuous  enough  to  be  attractive 
to  admirers  of  flowers,  and  it  was  brought  into  gardens  ;  it  also  came 
to  be  regarded  as  an  English  representative  of  the  Oriental  Iris,  but 
less  varied  in  colour.  It  may  be  inferred  that  the  true  Iris,  if  not 
many-coloured,  showed  at  least  three,  or  it  would  not  have  been  named 
after  the  rainbow,  though  the  ancients  hardly  recognised  its  seven 
colours.  But  it  has  been  said  the  Iris  was  thus  named,  because  it 
flowered  during  the  moist  weather  of  spring,  when  rainbowB  often 
appeared.  This  species  yields  a  variety  with  variegated  leaves,  and 
the  flowers  are  sometimes  yellow ;  the  coral  red  seeds  are  objects  of 
great  attractiveness  in  autumn.* 
A  few  years  since  one  of  my  friends  wanted  particularly  some 
flowers  of  the  Fritillary,  Gerarde’s  “  Chequered  Daffodil,”  which  he 
says  surpasses  Art’s  most  curious  painting,  the  petals  being  marked 
like  a  chess-board.  It  has  given  a  name  to  a  beautiful  and  very 
distinct  group  of  British  butterflies.  Not  having  an  opportunity  for 
seeking  the  plant  in  its  natural  localities,  he  visited  sundry  old  style 
gardens  where  he  might  hope  to  find  it.  For  some  time  he  could  not 
discover  anyone  who  grew  it,  though  several  had  formerly  had 
specimens,  but  gave  up  the  Fritillary  for  more  fashionable  flowers. 
Another  old  name  for  Fritillaria  meleagris  was  the  Snake’s-head,  and, 
yet  more  odd,  that  of  Turkey-hen.  It  is  to  be  found  yet  in  some 
moist  meadows  ;  at  one  time  Londoners  had  no  difficulty  in  getting 
plants  from  the  vicinity  of  the  Thames  and  Lee.  It  really  deserves 
to  be  restored  to  our  gardens,  for  it  is  a  showy  plant,  and  will  thrive 
many  years  in  ordinary  soil., 
Allied  to  the  Lilies  are  some  species  of  Ornithogalum,  bulbs  of 
easy  culture,  of  which  one  in  particular  was  brought  into  gardens, 
being  regarded  as  a  sacred  plant  in  some  way  connected  with  the 
birth  of  Christ.  This  is  0.  umbellatum,  having  flowers  in  corymbs, 
the  petals  brilliant  white  above  and  green  beneath  ;  it  occurs  all  over 
England,  flowering  about  May.  Linnaeus  observes  that  it  is  really  a 
common  plant  in  Syria.  We  notice  it  still  in  cottage  gardens.  It  is 
one  of  the  plants  belonging  to  the  floral  clock,  the  flowers  remaining 
open  usually  between  eleven  and  three.  Then  there  is  the  tall  Star 
of  Bethlehem  (0.  pyramidale),  but  rather  rare;  it  has  been  imported 
from  South  Europe,  sometimes  planted  along  borders,  and  which 
produces  very  fine  spikes  in  rich  loam.  Loudon  remarks  that  the 
yellow  Star  of  Bethlehem  (0.  luteum),  another  native,  and  one  that 
blooms  early,  was  frequently  supposed  to  be  an  exotic  species. 
— J.  R.  S.  C. 
- - 
Book  Notice. 
The  British  Gardener.* 
“The  British  Gardener”  is  a  handy  book,  comprising  410  pages 
of  medium  size,  and  pertains  to  delineate  the  principal  gardening 
operations  of  the  seasons,  and  to  discuss  the  cultural  needs  of  all  the 
more  generally  grown  garden  plants.  The  limited  extent  of  the  space 
at  command  of  course  debars  the  author  from  entering  fully  into 
minutiae  ;  but  he  has  furnished  concise,  reliable,  and  easily  understood 
advice.  Where  lists  of  varieties  have  been  provided,  only  those  that 
have  stood  the  test  of  time  and  trial  have  been  inoluded,  so  that  the 
inexperienced  young  gardener  on  assuming  his  first  head  gardenership, 
or  the  indulgent  amateur  horticulturist,  may  turn  to  the  lists  in  this 
book  with  the  assurance  that  what  is  here  commended  are  the  best  sorts 
for  his  purpose.  The  principles  of  garden  designing  are  briefly  detailed. 
The  inclusion  of  such  a  chapter  is  scarcely  worthy  of  approval  in  such 
a  book  as  this.  There  are  enough  and  to  spare  of  ill-made  and  poorly 
planted  gardens  throughout  the  land,  and  it  seems  to  us  that  those  who 
are  in  no  way  capable  of  undertaking  such  works  may  attempt  garden 
designing  on  the  strength  of  the  guidance  here  given. 
The  more  popular  stove  and  greenhouse  decorative  plants  receive 
attention,  and  chapters  are  devoted  to  fruits  and  vegetables,  and 
another  to  “  Flowers,”  under  which  bedding  is  discussed,  together  with 
notes  on  alpine  and  herbaceous  plants.  The  accuracy  and  reliability  of 
the  publication  as  a  whole  may  be  understood  when  we  state  that  the 
proofs  were  all  revised  by  no  lees  an  authority  than  the  late  Mr. 
Malcolm  Dunn,  Y.M.H.  A  few  illustrations  referring  to  the  training 
and  pruning  of  fruit  trees  are  inoluded  in  the  book.  Paper  and 
printing  are  very  good,  and  besides  having  the  contents  arranged 
alphabetically,  a  concise  index  is  also  provided.  It  is  a  good  book  for 
the  less  proficient  gardeners  or  amateurs. 
*  “  The  British  Gardener,”  by  William  Williamson.  Messrs. 
Methuen  &  Co.,  10s.  6d. 
