540 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  11,  1902 
Arbutos  Berries  in  Decoration. 
The  berries  of  the  Arbutos  or  Strawberry-tree,  when  obtain¬ 
able  in  clusters,  are  very  handsome  for  use  in  floral  decorations. 
In  Regent  Street  they  are  used  in  a  setting  of  Asparagus 
Sprengeri  in  baskets.  Within  two  years  these  fruits  have  been 
offered  as  edible  commodities  by  certain  fruiterers,  but  they  are 
more  attractive  to  look  at  than  to  eat. 
The  Osage  Orange. 
A  tree  of  the  above,  about  ISft  to  20ft  high,  is  growing  on 
rising  ground  by  the  road  side  at  a  place  called  Bailey  wick, 
between  Petwortli  and  Pulborough,  Sussex.  It  has  not  so  many 
fruits  this  year  as  last  year,  nor  are  they  so  large.  A  large 
Horse  Chestnut  tree  is  growing  close  beside  it,  shelterin'-  from 
north-east  wdnds.  This  “  Orange  ”  (Madura  aurantiaca)  is  very 
interesting. — J.  B.,  Petwortli  Park,  Sussex. 
Chrysanthemums  in  the  Cast  Analysis, 
In  the  audit  of  last  season,  of  the  Japanese  section  it  is  in¬ 
teresting  to  note  that  of  those  varieties  which  were  placed  in 
the  first,  or  “best  fifty,”  the  following  were  not  to  be  found 
in  either  of  the  first  or  second  prize  sets  in  the  great  vase  class, 
nor  the  first  prize  “forty-eight”  in  the  N.C.S.  exhibits,  viz., 
Edith  Tabor,  Lord  Ludlow,  Phoebus,  Mutual  Friend,  Viviand 
Morel,  Chas.  Davis,  and  Lady  Hanham,  nor  Florence  Molyneux, 
which  leads  the  list  of  the  best  fifty  in  the  audit  named.  Of 
course,  the  season  may  be  responsible  for  some  of  the  missing 
ones.  On  the>  other  hand,  the  following,  which  were  not  placed 
among  the  “best  fifty,”  were  shown  in  the  first  and  second 
prize  “forty-eight”  :  Sensation,  Madame  P.  Radaelli,  Madame  B. 
Wilde,  Mrs.  G.  Golder,  Bessie  Godfrey,  Ethel  Fitzroy,  Mrs.  T.  W. 
Pookett,  Duchess  of  Sutherland,  Kimberley,  Mrs.  R.  Darby, 
Mafeking  Hero,  Mrs.  E.  Hummel,  Miss  Elsie  Fulton,  and  Nellie 
Bean,  whilst  the  following  found  a  place  in  the  first  and  second 
prize  exhibits  in  the  vase  class,  although  omitted  in  the  best 
fifty  of  the  audit:  Madame  P.  Radaelli,  Sensation,  Godfrey’s 
Pride,  and  Loveliness.  The  audit  is  sufficient  to  prove  that  a 
great  change  has  taken  place  in  only  one  season. — W.  J.  Godfrey, 
Exmouth. 
Jottings  on  Pines. 
Young  plants  need  liberal  ventilation  at  this  time  of  year 
to  prevent  a  soft  attenuated  growth  ;  therefore,  afford  fresh  air 
whenever  the  weather  be  favourable,  and  avoid  damping,  as 
keeping  the  housesi  saturated  is  more  injuriousi  than  beneficial. 
Water  will  be  little  required,  yet  the  plants  should  be  examined 
about  every  ten  days,  affording  a  supply  to  such  as  need  it,  and 
those  only;  yet  extreme  dryness  is  injurious,  for  any  limpness 
is  had  at  the  expense  of  the  tissues,  the  cells  being  more  or  less 
impaired  for  growing  activity  on  a  recurrence  of  favourable  con¬ 
ditions  for  development.  Lose  no  opportunity  in  the  fruiting 
department  of  closing  the  house  at  8odeg,  keeping  the  night 
temperature  at  70deg,  or  a  few  degrees  less  in  severe  weather. 
Remove  all  superfluous  suckers,  retaining  one  only,  or,  at  most, 
two,  if  stock  be  required,  and  then  the  fruit  is  more  or  less 
sacrificed  in  favour  of  the  suckers.  Such  stock,  however,  is 
not  desirable,  for  the  plants  are  likely  to  have  the  same  pro¬ 
clivities  as  the  parent  ones.  At  this  time  of  year  it  is  usual 
to  make  new  beds  of  fermenting  materials  for  the  young  plants. 
Tan  is  the  best,  but  it  is  difficult  to  procure  in  some  places, 
more  so  now  than  formerly,  when  less  chemicals  were  used.  In 
most  country  places  Oak  or  Beech  leaves  can  be  had  for  the* 
collecting,  and  this  being  done  whilst  they  are  fairly  dry,  they 
form  an  excellent  substitute.  Those  intended  for  use  later  on 
cannot  be  too  dry,  placing  them  in  stacks,  forming  a  span-roof 
and  thatching  roughly  with  coarse  material,  or  bracken,  reeds, 
coarse  hay  or  straw.  In  forming  beds  of  leaves  they  must  be 
put  together  as  firmly  as  possible,  treading  well  after  placing  in 
a  layer  of  leaves  evenly  shook  out,  and  so  on.  Thrown  in  any  way 
the  material  settles  very  unevenly,  and  gives  far  more  trouble 
afterwards  than  needed  to  do  the  work  properly  at  first. — • 
Practice. 
Poterium  canadense. 
One  of  the  best  of  herbaceous  plants  that  flower  during 
August  is  found  in  this  Poterium.  It  may  be  likened  to  a 
Cimicifuga  reduced.  These  plants,  together  with  the  pretty 
Veronica  longifolia,  its  varieties  and  its  allies,  constitute, 
when  grouped,  a  novel  feature  when  flowering  in  the  herbaceous 
border,  because  of  their  long  spikes.  Poterium  canadense  is  a 
very  suitable  subject  to  associate  with  marsh  plants,  as  it  grows 
and  flowers  very  well  in  a  moist  situation.  Where  the  practice 
of  growing  herbaceous  plants  in  the  kitchen  garden  is  carried  out, 
the  writer  has  occasionally  seen  very  large  and  luxuriant  plants 
of  Poterium  canadense,  the  liberal  treatment  bringing  it  to 
perfection.  In  some  gardens  its  name  is  unknown ;  in  others  it 
may  be  found  labelled  Sanguisorba  canadense,  which  is  perhaps 
its  best-known  appellation. — D.  S.  Fish. 
Crocus  caspius. 
Everyone  loves  the  Crocus,  but  it  is  not  all  who  venture  to 
leave  the  beaten  track  and  grow  any  but  the  large  Dutch 
spring  Crocuses.  There  is  an  increasing  band  of  enthusiasts  who 
prize  the  different  species,  which  are  particularly  suited  for 
those  who  possess  rock  gardens,  where  the  autumn  and  winter 
flowering  species  can  be  better  protected  than  in  the  open  border. 
The  readers  of  our  Journal  who  are  among  the  number  will  no 
doubt  be  gratified  to  learn  that  Crocus  caspius,  which  has  been 
awaiting  introduction  for  many  years,  has  at  length  found  its 
way  into  cultivation,  and  will  probably  soon  be  offered  by  a  few 
specialists  in  the  bulb  line.  It  comes  from  the  borders  of  the 
Caspian  Sea,  and  has  been  sent  by  the  collector  employed  by 
a  small  syndicate.  Two  well-known  amateurs  were  members, 
and  they  have  received  their  share  of  the  collection  in  capital 
condition.  This  Crocus  flowers  in  October  and  November,  the 
blooms  being  white,  tinged  with  yellow  on  the  exterior  of  the 
petals.  Crocus  caspius  is  likely  to>  be  hardy  in  this  country. 
— S.  A. 
Carnation,  Lady  Nora  Fitzherbert. 
This  new  Carnation,  which  received  a  first-class  certificate 
at  the  autumn  showr  of  the  Royal  Caledonian  Horticultural 
Society  in  September  last,  is  probably  one  of  those  which  will 
give  us  a  number  of  useful  varieties  on  account  of  its  floriferous- 
ness  and  the  dwarf  habit  it  possesses.  It  is,  I  believe,  a  seedling 
from  Germania,  a  yellow  which  lias  not  yet  been  superseded,  and 
it  has  retained  the  fine  colour  and  floriferous  habit  of  its  parent . 
with  a  new  habit  in  the  shape  of  dwarfness.  It  grows  only  some 
8in  or  9in  high,  and  is  so  sturdy  in  its  growth  that  it  requires 
no  staking.  If  Messrs.  Laing  and  Mather,  of  Kelso,  who  raised 
the  plant,  can  only  give  us  a  number  of  varieties  of  the  same 
habit  we  shall  be  greatly  indebted  to  them.  Exquisite  as  are 
the  Carnations  of  the  time  for  cutting,  a  bed  disfigured  by  wire 
or  other  supports  is  not  so  .  pleasing  as  it  should  be  with  such 
lovely  blooms  as  the  Carnation  gives.  With  Lady  Nora  Fitz¬ 
herbert,  however, '  one  might  have  a  splendid  bed  or  edging, 
while  for  a  front  row  in  the  Carnation  house  we  could  hardly 
have  anything  better.  The  plants  appear  all  that  we  can  desire 
for  vigour  and  for  freedom  in  producing  “  grass. ”• — S.  Arnott. 
Floral  Variety  in  November. 
The  following  list  of  flowers  were  in  full  bloom  in  Westley 
Hall  Gardens,  Bury  St.  Edmund’s,  on  November  11,  1902  : 
Achilliea  tomentosa,  Ageratums  (in  profusion),  Agrostemma, 
Autirrliinums,  Alyssum,  Anenomes,  Auriculas,  perennial  Asters 
in  variety,  Aubretias,  Japanese  Anemones,  Calceolarias,  Core¬ 
opsis  (in  profusion),  Canterbury  Bells,  Chrysanthemums  (in  pro¬ 
fusion),  Clematis  (purple),  Chrysanthemum  maximum,  Corn¬ 
flowers,  Dahlias  (in  varieties),  Dianthi,  Eschscholtzias  (yellow  and 
white),  Erigeron  philadelpliicus,  E.  mucronatus,  Fuchsias, 
Geums,  Godetias,  Gazanias,  Gladioli,  Helenium  pumilum,  H. 
autumnale,  H.  striatum,  Heliotrope,  Jacobsea,  Lavender,  Love- 
in-the-Mist  (Nigella),  Leycesteria  formosa  (small  bushes),  Mig¬ 
nonette,  Nicotiana  affinis,  Nemesia  strumosa  Suttoni,  Marigolds. 
Tropseolums  (Nasturtiums),  Montbretias,  (Enothera  taraxacifolia. 
(E.  Youngi,  Pentstemons,  Phlox  Drummondi,  Iceland  Poppies. 
Plumbago  Larpentse,  Pyrethrums,  Prunella  vulgaris,  Pansies, 
Roses,  Sweet  Peas,  Scabious,  Sunflowers  (miniature),  Trollius 
europseus,  Rudbeckia  Newmanni,  Spirseas  (shrubby),  St.  John’s 
Wort,  Tropseolum  tuberosum,  Violets,  Verbena  (sweet-scented), 
Valerian  (red  and  white),  Veronica  repens,  Wallflowers,  scarlet 
Pelargoniums,  bedding  and  Ivy-leaved.  Our  place  is  very  high. 
