September  10,  19C3.  JOURNAL  OF  BO RTinULTU'RE  AND  COTtA^E  GARDENER.- 
25  i 
Neglected  Lines  in  Hardy  Bulbs. 
other  allied  plants  we  might  have  results  which  vouhl 
amount  almost  to  a  revolution  among  our  hardy  bulbous 
flowers. 
That  fickle  mistress — fashion — at  whose  slightest  nod  so 
many  are  ready  to  pay  obeisance,  exerts  an  enormous  influence 
upon  gardening  as  well  as  in  other  things.  Styles  of  garden¬ 
ing  come  and  go  ;  plants  come  into  popularity  and  then  pass 
into  obscurity.  Opinions  differ  as  to  whether  this  is  a  benefit 
or  no.  but  it  must  be  admitted  that  fashion  has  done  much  to 
stimulate  the  improvement  of  a  flower,  and  has  led  to  vast  addi¬ 
tions  to  its  beauties.  Even  the  movements  of  fashion  when 
cajried  to  excess  have  brought,  in  their  train  benefits  which 
have  been  handed  down  to  distant  generations.  One  need  only 
cite  a  familiar  example  in  the  craze  for  Tulips  which  raged  in 
the  time  of  the  tulipomania  of  past  days,  which,  with  all  its 
extravagance  and  folly,,  led  to  an  advance  in  and  the  improve¬ 
ment  of  this  fine  flower.  On  the  other  hand,  these  changes  of 
fashion  have  had  an  evil  influence  as  well.  Plants  of  equal 
beauty  to  those  which  have  become  fashionable  have  been  thrust 
into  the  cold  shades  of  neglect,  some  to  become  lost  to  cultiva¬ 
tion,  but  still  more  to  linger 
almost  unseen  in  out-of-the- 
way  places  or  in  botanic 
gardens,  visited  only  by  a 
few  of  the  great  populace  of 
our  country.  Then  some 
plants  as  susceptible  of 
improvement  as  the  flowers 
which  become  the  favourites 
of  fashion  have  remained  as 
they  came  from  Nature’s 
laboratory,  beautiful  enough, 
but  not  perfected  by  the  skil¬ 
ful  culture  and  work  of  the 
florist.  What  has  been  done 
with  the  Hyacinth,  the  Tulip, 
the  Iris,  the  Crocus,  or  the 
Gladiolus  by  means  of  the 
hybridisation  of  a  few 
species,  might  have  been  per¬ 
formed  and  may  still  be 
done  with  many  other  lovely 
bulbous  flowers  which  await  a 
like  share  of  attention.  The 
results  yet  to  be  achieved 
may  absolutely  revolutionise 
our  gardens. 
Apart,  however,  from  these 
phases  of  the  subject,  a  still 
simpler  one  calls  for  notice. 
This  is  the  manner  in  whieh 
the  average  gardener — 
amateur  and  professional — 
fails  to  utilise  many  of  the 
bulbous,  cormous,  or  tuberous 
plants  ready  for  him,  afid 
contents  himself  with  work¬ 
ing  upon  the  old  and  stereo¬ 
typed  lines.  Let  us  look  rt  a 
few  of  the  plants  which  occur 
to  one  in  thinking  over  the 
subject,  and  a  rapid  alpha¬ 
betical  survey  brings  us 
almost  at  once  to  a  genus  of 
flowers,  many  almost  worth¬ 
less  for  the  garden,  but  many 
again  of  great  beauty.  This 
is  the  genus  Allium,  compris¬ 
ing  a  number  of  summer¬ 
flowering  bulbs  which  are  not 
well  enough  known  either  for  planting  in  grass  or,  the  choicer 
members  alone,  in  the  border  or  rockery.  How  many  know  the 
pure  white,  drooping  flowers  of  Allium  triquetrum,  or  the  pretty 
blooms,  equally  white,  but  closer  heads,  of  A.  sub-villosum,  not 
to  take  account  of  the  many  others  never  seen  except  in  thq 
garden  of  the  enthusia.st.  Then  one  might  think  that  tho 
Anemones  would  be  sufficiently  appreciated,  but,  while  this  is 
true  of  such  flowers  as  A.  coronaria  and  A.  hortensis  and  their 
varietie.s.  there  are  thousands  of  gardens  where  the  lovely  early 
A.  blanda,  flowering  often  in  the  south  with  the  dawn  of  the 
year,  or  even  the  cheap  A.  apennina,  as  hardy  as  our  common 
Wood  Anemone,  i.s  quite  unknown.  Then  how  many  know  even 
the  yellow  A.  ranunculoides,  with  its  sulphur-coloured  variety, 
pallida?  Not  one  in  a  thousand,  I  venture  to  affirm. 
Then  we  have  another  class  of  bulbous  or  cormous  flowers  in 
the  Antholyzas,  almost  of  barbaric  beauty  in  their  colouring, 
and  among  the  best  of  our  autumn  bulbs.  Such  fine  species  as 
A.  paniculata  is  of  great  value,  with  its  handsome  leaves  and 
fine  scarlet  and  yellow  flowers.  Were  it  taken  in  hand  and  ap 
effort  made  to  liybridise  it  with  some  of  the  Montbretia.s"  or 
Much  has  been  done  of  late  by  various  firms  of  note,  to 
popularise  the  Brodifeas  and  Bloomerias.  but  the  leaven  has  not 
yet  permeated  tlie  world  of  gardens  as  a  whole.  Such  summer- 
flowering  bulbs  are  of  inestimable  value,  and  the  time  ought  to 
come  when  they  will  be  largely  used  either  in  beds  alone  or  in 
groups.  How  far  some  of  these  are  suited  to  planting  in  grass- 
is  not  properly  known,  but  could  Ave  .succeed  with  a  mass  of 
Brodi.pea  ixioides  or  others  of  the  genus  groAving  in  the  grass 
we  should  obtain  a  neAv  feature  altogether  in  our  gardens.  Or 
this  and  others  might  be  carpeted  Avith  some  surface  rooting 
annuals,  through  which  the  floAvers  Avould  spring,  and  which 
would  compensate  for  the  leaves  of  the.  bulbs,  Avhich  pass  away 
ere  the  floAvering  is  over.  Then  the  lovely  Calochorti,  though 
they  require  some  care  in  the  open,  should  be  far  more  Avidely 
grown. 
Bulbocodiums  and  Colchicums  afford  much  room  for  greater 
regard,  the  former  mainly  for  spring  and  the  latter  for  autumn. 
The  old  purple-coloured  Bulbocodium  vernum  makes  a  fine  show 
in  early  spring  before  the 
Crocus,  while  the  best  of  the 
Colchicums  are  far  superior  to 
the  old  C.  autumnale.  Such 
.species  as  C.  speciosum  or  C. 
Bornmuelleri  may  well  be 
called  the  Tulips  of  the 
autumn,  and  ought  to  be  more 
largely  groAvn.  Then  the 
double  Meadow  Saffrons  are 
such  free-floAvering  and  lasting 
things  that  .their  neglect  is 
almost  inexplicable.  The  Cro- 
cosmias  and  Montbretias  can¬ 
not  be  said  to  be  “  neglected 
lines,”  but  many  of  the  Cro¬ 
cuses  Avould  come  correctly 
under  the  category.  Who 
that  has  seen  thousands  of  the 
autumn-floAvering  C.  speciosus, 
of  C.  zonatus,  of  C.  iridiflorus, 
or  of  the  beautiful  C.  Imperati 
of  the  earliest  days  of  the 
year,  and  Avill  not  include 
many  of  the  Crocus  species 
among.the  “  neglected  lines  ”  ? 
Steady '  work  on  these  and 
other  Crocuses  Avould  yield  a 
Avondrous  result,  greater  it 
may  be  than  that  which  has 
folloAved  from  the  cultivation 
of  the  favourite  Dutch  Cro¬ 
cuses. 
Polyanthus  Narcissus,  Her  Majesty. 
Among  the  smaller  bulbous 
or  tuberous  plants  compara¬ 
tively  neglected  are  the 
Erythroniums,  or  Dogs’-tooth 
Violets,  in  their  numerous 
species,  the  hardy  spring  and 
autumn  Cyclamens,  and  ev(  n 
the  old  and  cheap  Eranthis 
hyemalis,  the  Winter  Aconite, 
I  knoAv  many,  many  gardens 
Avhere  this  so-called  “  com¬ 
mon  ”  plant  is  absolutely  un- 
knoAvn,  Avhile  its  congener,  E. 
cilicicus,  has  only  found  its 
Avay  into  a  mere  handful  of 
gardens  where  hardy  flowers 
are  especial  favourites. 
Fritillarias,  except,  perhaps,  the  noble  F.  imperialis,  appeal 
mainly  to  the  esoteric  few,  but  some  on  whom  the  mantle  of  old 
James  Justice  may  have  fallen  might  with  gain  to  gardening 
operate  among  the  numerous  species,  and  give  us  a  new  race  of 
these  chequered  and  euriomsly  interesting  floAvers.  In  them¬ 
selves,  even  as  they  are,  the  .species  repay  the  little  care  the 
majority  of  them  require  at  our  hands. 
One  may  pass  over  the  Galanthus  or  Snowdrop  with  the 
remark  that  the  last  Avord  has  not  been  spoken  in  the  way  of 
improvement  here.  Then  the  Galtonia  is  not  neglected  by  some, 
but  many  more  might  use  with  great  benefit  the  noble  G.  candi- 
cans  for  their  autumn  gardens.  VieAving  the  glorious  spikes  of 
the  Gladioli  of  the  present  time,  Ave  dare  hardly  include  it  among 
the  “neglected”  bulbs,  but  one  may  point  out  that  there  are 
many  charming  species  among  the  plants  of  the  genus,  and  that 
the  good  old  border  flower,  G.  communis,  and  the  cheap  G. 
segetum,  are  unworthy  of  neglect  in  themselves,  and  afford  a 
profitable  field  of  Avork  for  those  Avho  seek  to  raise  a  new  and 
hardier  race.  One  may  also  mention  as  worth  some  notice 
now  the  ncAv  Dracocephalus  hybrids,  or  G.  princeps,  as  flowers 
