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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  10,  1904. 
Caladiums. 
The  tubers  of  these  handsome  foliage  plants  should  be 
shaken  out  and  repotted  now.  Some  people  advise  potting  them 
straight  away  into  the  pots  in  whioh  they  are  to  remain  all  the 
season.  I  think  the  best  plan  is  to  start  them  in  small' pots  of 
3in  or  Sin  diameter,  according  to  the  size  of  the  tuber,  and 
when  nicely  growing  and  well  rooted,  to  shift  them  into  larger 
pots,  as  the  soil  is  not  so  liable  to  become  soirred  through  water¬ 
ing.  It  is  advisable  to  warm  the  soil  befoi-e  potting,  and  to  pot 
them,  if  possible,  in  the  house  in  which  they  are  growing,  with¬ 
out  subjecting  them  to  a  lower  temperature.  Equal  portions 
of  loam  and  peat,  with  a  sprinkling  of  sand  and  bonemeal,  forms 
a  good  potting  compost,  and  they  should  be  given  a  place  in  the 
stove  house,  where  they  can  be  shaded  from  the  direct  rays  of 
the  sun. — E.  B.,  South  Berks. 
Coleus  Thyrsoideus. 
Coleus  thyr.soideus  has  within  three  years  found  a  place 
in  practically  every  well-equipiied  garden  of  the  country.  The 
latest  form  of  growing  it  was  noted  at  Kew,  where  young 
flowering  shoots  had  been  rooted  in  3in  and  Tin  pots,  these, 
with  the  racemes  of  blue  flowers,  making  effective  objects  at 
the  edges  of  stages.  IMessrs.  Veitch  (to  whom  we  owe  our 
illustration)  describe  it  at  length  thus; — A  robust  and  exceed¬ 
ingly  handsome  species  of  Coleus,  recently  introduced  from 
South  Central  Africa.  It  forms  a  rather  tall,  much-branched 
lierennial  undei'shrub  2ft  to  3ft  high,  the  branches  terminating 
in  erect  panicle-like  racemes  of  ten  to  fifteen  bright  blue 
flowers  with  a  short  throat  compressed  laterally  and  a  two¬ 
lipped  mouth.  Its  merits  as  a  horticultural  plant  consist  in  its 
panicle-like  (thyrsoid)  racemes  of  flowers  produced  from  Novem¬ 
ber  to  Februaiy,  and  in  the  facility  with  which  it  can  be  culti¬ 
vated.  It  grows  freely  in  an  intermediate  temperature,  in 
other  respects  requiring  the  same  treatment  as  the  varieties  of 
Coleus  Blumei  grown  for  their  foliage. 
Cedrus  Liibani. 
An  interesting  item  of  information  with  regard  to  forestry 
is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  the  Cedar  of  Lebanon  was  not 
introduced  into  England  until  it  was  iflanted  in  Bretby  Park, 
South  Derbyshire,  in  February,  1676,  as  appears  by  the  gar¬ 
dener’s  bill,  still  in  the  possession  of  the  Earl  of  Chesterfield. 
The  famous  Enfield  Cedar  was  planted  at  a  later  date  than  that 
at  Bretby,  and  those  in  the  Botanical  Gardems  at  Chelsea  in 
1685.  The  Bretby  Cedar  is  13ft  9in  in  circumference.  But  the 
Bretby  Cedar  is  a  stripling,  both  in  age  and  girth,  when  com¬ 
pared  with  the  magnificent  Yew  in  Darley  Dale  Churchyard. 
This  Yew,  although  it  has  lost  some  of  its  limbs  in  recent  years, 
is  undoubtedly  the  largest  and  most  luxuriant  in  the  United 
Kingdom.  Its  girth,  4ft  from  the  ground,  i.s  32ft,  and  its  pro¬ 
bable  age  over  2,000  years.  Perhaps  the  only  visit  paid  by 
Lord  Beaconsfield  to  Derbyshire  was  on  the  occasion  when  he 
was  entertained  (not  long  before  his  lamented  death)  at  Bretby 
by  the  Countess  of  Chesterfield.  We  can  imagine  him  being 
impressed  by  the  stately  Cedar  and  the  other  trees  in  the 
ancestral  seat  of  the  Stanhopes — trees  that  .suggest  poetry  whilst 
thev  contribute  shade,  •  and  recall  Tenny.son’s  “  Talking  Oak.” 
For  Lord  Beaconsfield  was  a  true  lover  of  trees.  He  once  wrote 
that  he  “  was  not  surprised  that  the  ancients  worshipped  them. 
Lakes  and  mountains,  however  gloiuous  for  a  time,  in  time 
weary ;  sylvan  scenery  never  palls.”  He  lived  and  died  in  what 
he  described  “  his  own  green  retreats.”  Mr.  Ruskin  somewhere 
praises  the  heart  and  moral  nature,  sure  tO'  be  sound,  he  thinks, 
of  the  man  who  is  fond  of  trees.  His  detractors  called  Lord 
Beaconsfield  “  un-English.”  Yet  he  liked  best  precisely  that 
form  of  nature  which  is  most  English  of  all,  a  nature  clothed 
in  Oak,  and  Ash,  and  Beech,  that  “flourish  best  at  home  in  the 
north  count rie.” 
Picea  Nordmanniana. 
This  is  ver.y  often  called  Abies  Nordmanniana  for  the  reason 
that  most  of  the  Firs  are  classed  under  this  name,  with  a  few  of 
the  Spruces.  Piceas  are  nearly  related  to  Abies,  and  have  flat, 
linear  leaves,  like  a  number  of  species  in  that  genus.  Nord- 
mann’s  Silver  Fir  is  of  majestic  habit  and  symmetrical  form,  with 
massive  plump  branches  of  shining,  dark  green  foliage,  showing 
its  light  under  surface  in  silvery  ripples.  Picea  N.  Veitchi  re¬ 
sembles  P.  Nordmanniana,  but  is  of  freer  growth,  and  the  under 
side  of  the  leaves  is  of  a  bluish  tint.  Both  trees,  says  “  Ameri¬ 
can  Gardening,”  are  exceedingly  hardy,  and  deserve  attention. 
Smilax. 
If  the  Smilax  bed  is  to  be  renewed  next  summer  the  seed 
should  be  sown  at  once.  Keep  the  seed  boxes  in  a  rather  warm 
place  until  it  germinates,  and  pot  off  as  soon  as  two  or  three 
leaves  have  been  developed.  A  liftle  later,  if  pressed  for  room, 
the  small  i^lants  can  be  shifted  to  3in  pots  and  placed,  in  a  mild 
hotbed,  where  they  may  remain  until  they  are  planted  out  in 
June  or  July.  Keep  the  plants  in  the  beds  well  syringed  to 
hold  red  spider  and  thrip  in  check,  and  do  not  subject  them 
to  heavy  tobacco  smoke,  for  it  burns  the  stems.  A  few  weeks 
after  a  section  of  a  bed  has  been  cut,  cleaned  off,  and  started 
into  growth,  a  light  mulch  of  well  rotted  cow  manure  will  be 
beneficial. 
Azalea  amcena. 
Because  of  its  ease  of  propagation  from  cuttings.  Azalea 
amcena  (says  Mr.  Meehan  in  the  “  Florists’  Exchange  ”)  is  a 
popular  plant  for  both  florists  and  nurserymen,  possessing  many 
merits,  and  being  obtainable  at  reasonable  prices.  All  Azaleas 
are  propagated  from  cuttings  without  difficulty,  and  in  this 
way  a  stock  is  soon  acquired.  The  A.  amcena  proves  a  good  sell¬ 
ing  sort  as  a  pot  plant,  and  it  is  one  which  can  easily  be  had  in 
flower  for  Easter.  It  needs  a  year  or  two’s  growth  in  a  pot 
to  do  its  best,  and  being  well  established  in  the  pot  it  flowers 
nicely  every  year.  Being  of  a  compact  growth,  it  is  a  good 
plant  for  edging  beds  of  shrubs,  evergreen  or  deciduous.  It  -is 
an  evergreen,  but  its  leaves  are  ve^^  small,  and  being  of  a  dark 
brown  colour  in  spring,  it  does  not  strike  everyone  at  first  sight 
as  being  evergreen.  But  it  is,  and  its  hardiness  is  unquestioned. 
It  makes  a  spreading  growth  rather  than  an  upright  one,  form¬ 
ing  a  broad,  spreading  bu.sh  as  it  grows,  and  when  its  dark 
rose-coloured  flowers  expand  in  early  spring  it  makes  a  great 
display. 
A  Wedding  Decoration. 
At  a  recent  American  wedding  the  floral  decorations  were 
amongst  the  most  elaborate  and  costly  ever  attemj)ted.  The 
background  for  the  wedding  party  was  a  broad  panel,  reaching 
from  floor  to  ceiling,  and  built  entirely  of  Lilium  Harris!,  white 
Roses,  and  ferns.  The  decorations  in  the  dining-room  were  pink, 
the  window  sills  and  ledges  supporting  vases  of  La  France  Roses, 
on  the  mantel  Smilax  ropes,  dotted  with  pink  rosebuds,  radi¬ 
ated  from  a  cluster  of  pink  Roses  above  to  garlands  of  Smilax 
below.  Red  blossoms  alone  were  used,  with  masses  of  ferns,  in 
the  library.  Great  bouquets  of  Meteor  Roses  and  rose  red 
Azaleas  were  ranged  around  the  low  book  shelves,  large  hanging 
baskets  of  ferns  hung  over  the  doorway,  while  bunches  of  Meteor 
Roses  intertwined  the  side  arches.  A  tall  vase  of  exquisite  long 
stemmed  American  Beauty  graced  the  table.  Another  apart¬ 
ment  was  red  in  tone,  with  glowing  masses  of  Meteor  Roses 
banked  half-way  up  the  walls,  which  also  bore  a  graceful  tracery 
df  Smilax  near  the  ceiling.  Over  the  foot  of  the  stairway  was 
suspended  a  large  wedding  bell  of  white  Carnations  and  ferns, 
with  clapper  of  Lily  of  the  Valley.  Another  wedding  bell,  on 
the  third  floor,  was  composed  of  white  Hyacinths  and  Lily  of  the 
Valley.  A  circular  light  shade,  suspended  above  the  bridal 
table,  was  wreathed  in  pink  Roses,  from  which  fell  an  exquisite 
shower  of  pink  Roses  and  Lily  of  the  Valley,  tied  with  narrow' 
pink  ribbons  and  tiny  fern  leaves.  Small  pink  tulle  baskets, 
holding  pink  Roses,  were  also  used  in  the  table.  The  bridal 
bouquet  was  a  shower  of  white  orchids  and  white  Violets.  The 
maid  of  honour  carried  a  shower  of  Golden  Gate  Roses  tied  with 
white  ribbons,  and  the  bridesmaids  carried  shower  bouc£uets  of 
Bon  Silene  buds  and  Lily  of  the  Valley  tied  with  pink 
ribbons. 
