516 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
June  16,  1904, 
Iris  plicata  vai’.  Madame  Chereau. 
The  “  plicata  ”  Irises  (syn.  I.  aphylia  of  gardens)  are  charac- 
forised  by  tlie  flowers  all  having  a  beautifully  coloui’ed,  frill¬ 
like  margin  on  a  white  ground.  The  variety  of  Avhich  a  flower  is 
figured  on  page  515,  is  one  of  the  best.  It  is  white,  elegantly 
frilled  with  azure  blue — a  most  charming  Iris.  In  height,  it 
grows  32in  or  thereabouts,  and  succeeds  under  the  same  treat¬ 
ment  as  that  given  to  the  German  Irises. 
Carteps’  Invincible  Prize  Gloxinia. 
This  title  applies  to  a  strain  which  comprises  varieties  of 
many  coiours,  and  not  necessarily  white  alone,  like  the  one 
shown  on  page  519,  which  is  from  a  photograph  sent  by  Messrs. 
.1.  Carter  and  Co.,  of  High  Holborn,  London.  The  firm  is 
proud  of  this  strain,  and  deserves  to  be,  for  all  who  saw  the 
excellent  plants — bushy,  vigorous,  and  free  flowering — at  the 
Temple  Show,  were  convinced  that  they  could  not  be  bettered. 
New  Hybrid  Dianthus,  Lady  Dixon. 
This  fine  garden  plant  is  the  production  of  an  amateur,  who 
requests  that  the  profits  arising  from  the  sale  of  the  plants  are 
to  be  given  to  the  fund  for  the  payment  of  the  new  Horticul¬ 
tural  Hall  in  \  incent  Square.  It  obtained  the  award  of  merit 
of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society  on  May  7th,  1901.  It  is  the 
result  of  crossing  a  Sweet  MTlIiam  (Dianthus  barbatus)  with  the 
])ollen  of  Uriah  Pike  Carnation  (Dianthus  Caryophyllus).  The 
flowers  are  quite  double,  and  of  a  rich  deep  cerise  colour,  the 
foliage  and  appearance  of  the  plant  being  that  of  a  Sweet 
illiam,  while  the  flowers  are  like  those  of  a  Carnation. 
The  Puceinia  of  Hollyhocks. 
This  paragraph  concluded  the  article  on  the  Hollyhock,  page 
With  regard  to  the  Puceinia  of  to-day,  I  much  question 
whether  any  specific  in  the  way  of  dressing,  itc.,  has  yet  been 
discovered  that  has  proved  effectual  in  eradicating  it,  but  as  a 
pi-eventive  I  have  found  nothing  to  equal  a  preparation  sold  by 
chemists  to  farmers  for  dipping  sheep,  which  appears  to  be  a 
mixture  of  tobacco  powder  and  carbolic  acid.  A  sprinkling  of 
this  on  the  under  surface  of  the  leaf  in  the  early  stages  of 
giowth  is  a  gieat  help  in  warding  off  the  attacks  of  the  fungus 
in  question.  It  acts  also  as  a  means  of  keeping  down  the  red 
spider,  to  which  Hollyhocks  are  very  subject  in  dry  seasons  ; 
but  if  the  hardy  treatment  is  adopted  in  all  its  particulars,  both 
in  the  raising  of  the  plants  and  in  their  after  cultivation, 
Puceinia  need  not  cause  any  terror.  ’ 
Beauty  of  the  Flowering  or  Manna  Ash. 
An  ornamental  tree  in  cultivation  is  the  flowering  Ash,  or 
Manna  tree.  It  is  extiemely  pretty  when  in  flower,  which,  with 
us,  is  at  this  time,  the  close  of  May.  It  is  not  known  as  it 
should  he.  Even  nurserymen  are  apt  to  underrate  it,  and 
others,  never  thinking  of  an  Ash  as  a  flowering  tree,  pass  it  by 
without  a  thought  of  its  utility  as  a  flowering  tree  of  beauty.  I 
have  admired  it  before,  but  to-day  (writes  Mr.  Meehan  in  an 
exchange),  passing  some  trees  which  were  transplanted  last 
year,  and  which,  as  a  consequence,  are  blooming  while  still  quite 
young,  their  nice  appearance  led  me  to  pen  these  notes  con- 
oerning  them.  The  flowers  are  in  good-sized  clusters,  greenish 
white,  with  yellow  stamens,  the  cluster  almost  fringe-like  in 
appearance,  and  of  much  beauty.  Looking  in  Nicholson,  to  see 
if  its  old  name,  Ornus  eiiropma,  was  still  retained,  or  whether 
It  was  now  classed  with  the  true  Ashes,  I  found  a  very  life-like 
illpstration  of  the  cluster  of  flowers,  which  those  having  this 
work  would  do  well  to  examine.  The  name,  it  seems,  is  now 
piopeily,  as  most  nurserymen  have  it,  Fraxinus  Ornus.  As  I 
have  before  remarked  in  connection  with  other  trees,  it  is  well 
to  head  back  those  of  a  flowering  nature,  to  keep  them  loiv 
blanched,  to  enjoy  their  flowers.  The  large  growing  Magnolias, 
the  Catalpa,  Tulip  tree,  and  other  liandsome  flowered  trees,  in¬ 
cluding  the  flowering  Asii,  should  be  kept  low  branched,  if  no 
special  reason  for  tall  trees  exists. 
New  Garden  Pink,  Snowdrift. 
This  is  a  very  lovely  garden  Pink.  The  flowers  are  of  large 
size  and  fine  form  ;  they  are  pure  white,  with  a  slight  tinge  of 
pale  rose  in  the  centre.  It  received  the  order  of  merit  of  the 
Royal  Horticultural  Society  on  the  9th  day  of  June,  1903,  as  a 
hardy  garden  Pink. 
Fruiting  of  the  Hazel  Nut. 
To  the  ordinary  observer,  the  catkins  seen  on  Hazel  bushes 
in  early  spring  are  the  only  flowers  borne,  but  this  is  not  the 
case.  These  are  the  male  flowers,  and,  usually,  are  situated 
higher  up  the  stems  than  the  female  ones,  which  are  small,  red 
in  colour,  making  so  little  display  that  they  are  not  observed 
unless  one  is  close  to  the  bush.  It  often  happens  that  the  male 
flowers  are  forced  out  under  peculiar  conditions  of  the  weather 
in  advance  of  the  female  ones,  and  then  no  crop  of  nuts  results. 
In  fact,  this  is  the  chief  reason  why  disappointment  in  the  crop 
often  occurs.  When  grown  for  commercial  purposes,  as  they 
are  to  a  great^extent  in  Europe,  the  bushes  are  not  pruned 
until  after  the  flowering  is  over,  because  the  tops  of  the  shoots, 
the  portions  usually  pruned  away,  are  those  on  which  the  male 
flowers  are,  and  to  cut  them  off  too  soon  means,  of  course,  that 
the  female  flowei’s  cannot  become  fertilised. 
Floral  Decorations. 
An  illustration  representing  a  broken  column  made  recently 
by  Paul  Niehoff,  florist,  at  Lehighton,  Pa.,  is  given  in  the 
current  issue  of  the  “Florists’  Exchange.”  The  design  stood 
4ft  Gin  high.  The  base  was  first,  filled  with  Smilax,  then 
covered  with  Lily  flowers  and  buds,  Roses,  and  Swainsonia.  The 
column  was  enveloped  in  white  .Carnations  and  garlanded  with 
pink  Roses  and  white  Swainsonia.  The  Rose  used  is  a  seedling 
of  Mr.  Niehoff’s,  being  of  a  light  pink  colour,  deepening  toward 
the  centre.  It  has  not  yet  been  named. 
Hymenanthera  crassifolia. 
In  general  appearance  this  low-growing  hardy  evergreen 
shruh  is  not  unlike  a  Cotoneaster.  It  has  the  same  sub-procum¬ 
bent  growth  as  C.  microphylla,  the  same  small,  closely-arranged 
leaves,  the  same  profusion  of  berries ;  yet  it  is  very  distinct  both 
botanically  and  ornamentally  from  the  familiar  evergreen 
alluded  to.  Hymenanthera  crassifolia  is  conspicuous  by  its 
pearly-white  berries,  which  are  freely  produced  during  the 
autumn' and  winter  months.  They  are  of  the  same  size  as 
Mistletoe  berries,  but  are  more  elongated,  and  are  chiefly  borne 
at  the  base  of  the  branchlets.  This  shrub  is  suitable  for  planting 
near  the  sides  of  walks,  or  preferably  on  mounds,  rock-work,  or 
the  sides  of  steep  declivities,  from  whence  it  can  be  viewed  from 
below,  and  its  numerous  and  curious  berries  be  seen  to  the  best 
advantage ;  generally  speaking,  however,  positions  that  are  suit¬ 
able  for  Cotoneasters  are  suitable  also  to  this  distinct,  white- 
berried  shrub,  which  is  a  fine  companion  to  the  Cotoneasters. 
Hymenanthera  crassifolia  is  a  native  of  New  Zealand.  It  is 
quite  hardy,  grows  freely,  and  flowers  and  fruits  profusely  in 
the  Coombe  AVood  Nursery  of  Messrs.  James  Veitch  and  Sons. 
It  is  (tne  of  the  most  novel  and  chastely  ornamental  of  low- 
growing  evergreen  shrubs. 
n  w  cranaen  scene. 
The  fantastic  drawing  on  the  opposite  page  concisely 
presents  before  us  the  results  of  effective  planting.  To  achieve 
similar  scenes  is  only  a  matter  of  careful  labour.  The  plants 
must  be  judiciously  chosen  and  planted  according  to  their 
several  requirements.  The  AVater  Lilies  may  first  be  set  in 
baskets  (hampers),  which  are  then  lowered  2ft,  more  or  less 
into  the  water.  The  Cape  Pondweed  (Aponogeton  distachyon) 
ought  also  to  be  included  for  the  sake  of  its  white  blossom,  and 
around  the  edges  there  may  be  Typhas,  Rushes,  Sagittarias, 
Irises  Mood  Lilies,  Gunneras,  Fennels,  Sparganium  ramosum, 
and  R.utomiis  umbellatus.  Those  requiring  a  longer  list  miglit 
choose  also  the  following:  Caltha  palustris  and  C.  polypetala 
Iris  albo-purpurea,  I.  laevigata  I.  siberica  varieties.  Ranunculus 
Lingua,  Myosotis  palustris,  Alisma  Plantago,  and  A.  P. 
knceolata,  Aconis  calamus  variegatus,  Typha  Shiittleworthi 
T.  stenophylla,  T.  latifolia,  Pentandra  virginica,  Hippuris  vul¬ 
garis,  Slum  latifolium,  Equisetum  fluviatilis,  Nuphar  lutea 
Scirpus  lacustris.  Ranunculus  aquatilis,  Glyceria  plicatus^ 
Acorus  gi-amineiis,  Mentha  piperita  and  M.  sativa,  Junciis 
offusiis,  Potamogeton  lucens  and  P.  crispus,  Zizania  aquatica, 
Sagittana  variabihs,  and  Myriophyllum  proserpinacoides. 
