July  17,  1902. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  ASD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
55 
Improvements  ill  Hardy  Plants. 
[Concluded  from  page  27.) 
Among  the  Heucheras  there  is  a  possibility  of  very  great 
improvement.  A  crimson  H.  erubescens  would  make  a  charming 
plant,  and  as  these  are  easily  crossed  and  the  results  quickly 
seen  would  be  a  nice  family  for  some  impatient  enthusiast  to 
take  up.  H.  zabehana,  a  Continental  introduction,  is  one  of  the 
first  hybrids  we  have,  and  a  very  good  plant  it  is.  H.  sanguinea 
appears  to  be  degenerating.  Even  the  variety  splendens  does  not 
come  up  to  the  standard  of  what  I  grew  in  my  private  garden  at 
Tottenham.  Originally  there  were  six  plants — one  died  on  the 
road — brought  by  I)r.  Murray  from  Lower  Mexico,  which  he 
gave  to  me.  The  description  he  gave  of  this  species  growing  wild 
was  of  a  plant  3ft  or  4ft  high,  with  flowers  more  than  double  the 
size,  and  scores  of  branching  spikes  emanating  from  quite  small 
clumps,  and  when  he  saw  them  at  Tottenham  for  the  first  time 
he  was  more  than  disappointed,  and  did  not  consider  the  plant  I 
worth  the  trouble  he  had 
bestowed  upon  it.  The 
spikes  he  saw  at  Totten¬ 
ham  were  far  more  beauti¬ 
ful  than  those  usually  seen 
in  English  gardens. 
The  Iris  present  a  fine 
field  for  the  hybridiser, 
although  they  are  not  so 
easily  managed  as  one 
might  suppose.  They  have 
always  been  popular.  We 
have  had  a  few  new  varie¬ 
ties  of  Germanica,  a  good 
many  new  varieties  of  the 
olbiensis,  and  a  few  hybrids 
of  Max  Leichtlin  and  Sir 
Michael  Foster,  and  a  few 
others  are  the  nett  pro¬ 
ceeds  of  the  last  twenty 
years.  There  has  never 
been  much  done  in  the  way 
of  hybridising,  Max  Leicht¬ 
lin  being  one  of  the  first. 
One  of  the  best  of  his  was 
Warei,  a  cross  between  I. 
susiana  and  one  of  the 
Germanica  sections,  but  he 
does  not  appear  to  have 
been  very  successful  with 
them.  Sir  Michael  Foster 
has  many  hybrids,  some 
most  charming,  and  he  ap¬ 
pears  to  be  crossing  every¬ 
thing.  His  monspur  sec¬ 
tions  are  good,  the  result 
of  crossing  Monnieri  and 
spuria.  Parsam,  a  cross 
between  paradoxa  and  sam- 
bucina,  is  very  pretty,  and 
there  are  many  others  that 
we  know  little  about.  I 
had  almost  forgotten  the 
Iris  Kaempferi.  A  marvel¬ 
lous  change  has  taken 
place  in  these  since  the 
late  Baron  von  Siebold  in¬ 
troduced  his  first  set  from 
Japan.  These  had  quite 
small  flowers,  and  were  not 
worth  growing  by  the  side  _  ... 
of  those  now  in  cultivation.  I  believe  the  first  information  we 
had  of  these  large  ones  was  at  Tokenhouse  Yard,  when  Messrs. 
Protheroe  and  Morris  offered  some  thirty  or  forty  clumps,  one 
or  two  plants  of  each  variety,  accompanied  with  the  usual 
Japanese  drawings.  These  caused  quite  a  sensation,  and  realised 
several  pounds  a  clump.  The  Japanese  were  not  slow  in  sending 
over  many  more,  and  for  the  last  twenty  years  a  regular  trade 
lias  been  done  in  them,  but  I  do  not  think  we  have  any  more 
varieties  now  than  then.  Iberis,  Inulas,  Lathyrus,  Linums,  and 
Linarias  we  must  pass.  All  are  good  popular  families,  from 
which  improved  varieties  could  be  obtained. 
The  Megasea  has  received  a  fair  share  of  attention,  Mr.  Smith 
of  iNewry,  Having  raised  a  great  number  of  seedlings,  some  very 
interesting,  but  there  are  not  enough  whites  and  light  shades  of 
colour.  Unfortunately,  this  family  lias  never  been  very  popular 
with  the  public. 
The  Evening  Primroses  present  many  opportunities  for 
hybridising  and  selection.  Sooner  or  later  we  shall  have  some 
one  finding  a  white  microcarpa  or  fruticosa,  both  of  which  would 
be  eagerly  sought  after,  and  if  whites,  why  not  roses  and  reds? 
Has  anyone  seriously  attempted  to  cross  this  family?  I  have 
never  heard  of  one,  and  I  feel  sure  they  would  pay  well  for  a 
little  attention. 
I  must  not  pass  the  Pentstemons  without  mentioning 
P.  heterophylla,  a  lovely  Californian  species  of  a  beautiful  blue 
colour.  I  see  no  reason  why  we  could  not  get  blue  ones  among 
the  hybrids,  seeing  both  are  very  similar  in  growth. 
Potentillas'. — What  a  wealth  of  colour  we  have  in  the  hybrid 
Botentillas.  The  combinations  are  marvellous,  but  all  spoilt  by 
the  lazy  habit  of  the  plant.  Could  we  not  obtain  a  new  set,  less 
rampant  in  growth  and  erect?  If  we  could  it  would  be  a  great 
boon,  for  we  have  no  other  family  possessing  so  much  brilliancy 
of  colour  as  these. 
Scabiosa  eaucasica  is  now  producing  a  nice  range  of  colour, 
and,  as  they  can  be  propagated  by  division,  will  become  very 
useful.  Unfortunately,  they  are  slow  in  increasing,  and  it  will 
be  some  years  before  we  see  much  of  them.  Some  of  the  new 
shades  are  delightful. 
The  Spiraeas  are  an  important  family  and  great  favourites,  and 
there  is  no  question  that  many  improvements  can  be  made  in 
them,  especially  in  point  of 
colour.  A  coloured  variety 
of  S.  japonica  or  S.  Aruncus 
would  cause  quite  a  sensa¬ 
tion.  I  would  not  say  they 
can  be  obtained,  but  I 
know  they  are  well  worth 
trying. 
We  have  a  good  pink 
variety  of  Spiraea  gigantea, 
and  I  remember  having 
offered  to  me  a  bright  pink 
variety  of  S.  filipendula, 
but  such  a  fabulcus  price 
was  asked  that  it  was  im¬ 
possible  to  secure  it. 
Twenty-five  years  ago  this 
class  of  plant  was  at  a  very 
low  ebb.  What  became  of 
it  I  never  knew,  but  I  can 
see  it  in  my  mind’s  eye 
now,  and  should  like  an  op¬ 
portunity  of  obtaining  it. 
Sedum  spectabile  con¬ 
tains  many  points  of  great 
merit,  and  if  we  could  get 
a  batch  of  seedlings,  im¬ 
provement  only  in  colour 
would  be  a  great  commer¬ 
cial  success. 
The  Statices  are  becom¬ 
ing  more  popular  now  at¬ 
tention  has  been  given  to 
selection,  Ac.  in  S. 
limonUm  we  have  a  very 
variable  species,  varying 
from  the  purest  wdiite  to 
all  shades  of  blue  and  pink, 
with  dense  heads  of  flower 
2ft  across.  The  individual 
flowers  are  smaller  than 
those  of  S.  latifolia,  but  far 
more  graceful  for  cutting. 
These  are  much  sought 
after  for  this  purpose. 
There  are  hundreds  of 
other  families  that  could 
be  mentioned,  all  of  more 
or  less  interest,  and  from 
past  experience  with  other 
families  feel  sure  similar 
results  could  be  obtained.  It  will  be  useless  for  anyone  to  take 
up  this  matter  unless  it  is  done  systematically,  keeping  to  the 
object  in  view  and  working  to  obtain  it. 
There  must  be  nothing  left  to  chance,  as  the  cost  of  planting 
out,  say,  1,000  Aster  chance  seedlings  is  great,  especially  if  you 
get  no  results;  whereas  twenty  carefully  selected  might  produce 
one  or  two  worth  keeping,  if  only  for  further  trial.  One  is  not 
going  to  get  novelties  the  first  time  of  asking.  It  is  a  question 
of  close  watching  and  perseverance,  and  if  only  one  or  two  are 
taken  up  b~  anyone  here  to-night  with  an  idea  of  improvement, 
my  work  this  evening  will  not  have  been  thrown  away.- — (A 
paper  read  by  Mr.  Amos  Perry,  of  Winchmore  Hill,  London,  N., 
before  the  Horticultural  Club.) 
Nostell  Priory,  near  Wakefield. 
“  Since  you  visited  here,”  writes  Mr.  Easter.  “  our  old  range 
of  glass  houses  is  all  cleared  away,  and  the  new  range  in  its  place 
is  nearly  completed,  by  Boulton  and  Paul.  There  are  eight 
housies  in  all — two  Palm  houses,  two  Melon  houses,  forcing  house, 
vinery.  Carnation,  and  plant  house.” 
Conservatory  wall  clothed  with  Ferns. 
