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November  5,  1903.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE 
Spring  Bedding. 
Where  preparations  have  to  be  made  for  a  display  of  bloom 
next  spring,  it  will  be  advisable  to  lift  the  plants  which  have 
done  duty  throughout  the  summer  as  early  as  possible.  The  soil 
should  then  he  dug  and  the  bed.s  made  ready  to  receive  the  plants. 
These  will  include  such  as  Myosotis,  Wallflowers,  Polyanthus, 
Aubrietias,  spring  flowering  Phloxes,  Arabis,  especially  the  double 
variety,  A.  albida  plena,  which  is  very  effective  used  in  this  way. 
Primroses,  cfec.  Any  surplus  plants  which  are  not  required  in 
the  beds  can  be  placed  about  in  the  shrubberies  or  flower  borders, 
where  they  have  a  very  pleasing  effect,  Myosotis  especially,  and 
if  planted  in  good  patches  by  the  side  of  w'ater  or  in  a  damp  spot 
these  will  succeed  admirably. 
Choice  Bouvardias. 
At  the  latest  Drill  Hall  meeting  Mr.  H.  B.  May  contributed  a 
beautiful  display  of  autumn  flowering  plants  in  which  the  Bou¬ 
vardias  were,  perhaps,  most  interesting.  These  were  arranged  in 
blocks  of  each  colour,  the  best  being  Mrs.  R.  Green  (pink).  Presi¬ 
dent  Cleveland  (scarlet).  President  Garfield  (double  pink),  Alfred 
Neuner  (double  white).  Bridesmaid  (double  light  pink),  King  of 
Scarlets  (the  best  single  scarlet),  and  Pride  of  Brooklyn  (white). 
He  had  also  good  plants  of  Begonias — Gloire  de  Lorraine  and  Mrs. 
L.  de  Rothschild,  while  the  shrubby  Veronicas  were  excellent. 
The  best  forms  w'ere  Diament  (red),  Reine  des  Blanches  (white). 
Risks  in  Gathering  Plants. 
The  white  blossoms  of  the  Eidelwei.ss  frequently  lure  even 
experienced  mountaineers  to  their  doom,  as  it  generally  grows  in 
most  inaccessible  places,  with  the  result  that  an  attempt  to 
pluck  it  is  often  fraught  with  disaster.  Only  last  .summer  a 
well-known  German  professor  of  the  University  of  Leip.sic  lost 
his  life  on  Mont  Rosa  while  gathering  this  plant.  The  mountain 
Saxifrage  has  cost  numerous  lives,  and  the  Alpine  Pink  is  re¬ 
sponsible  for  a  heavy  death  toll.  We  need  not,  however,  go 
outside  our  own  island  to  find  instances  of  human  lives  that  have 
been  sacrificed  for  flowers.  In  Ireland  there  is  a  little  flower 
that  blos.soms  in  bogs,  which  is  greatly  prized  by  the  peasantry 
to  dye  their  homespun  garments  with.  The  neighbourhood  of 
the  Bog  of  Allen  teems  with  stories  of  women  and  children  who 
have  been  lost  on  the  lonely  bog  while  gathering  this  plant ;  and 
in  the  Highlands  of  Scotland  the  White  Heather  is  frequently 
referred  to  by  the  Gaelic-speaking  inhabitants  as  the  “  white 
flower  of  death,”  on  account  of  the  number  of  people  who  have 
lost  their  lives  while  gathering  it  in  the  mountains. 
Agathaea  ccelestis. 
Agathaea  ccelestis  or,  as  it  is  generally  called,  the  Blue 
Marguerite,  is  a  small  evergreen  shrub,  vei'y  useful  for  furnish¬ 
ing  in  the  conservatory.  Its  silver-like  leaves  show  to  advantage 
Avhen  placed  among  other  Ferns  or  other  green-foliaged  plants. 
The  flower  which  it  produces  is  of  a  very  bright  blue.  Propaga¬ 
tion  is  effected  by  means  of  cuttings.  They  can  be  raised  from 
seed,  but  to  obtain,  .serviceable  plants  in  the  shortest  time  pro¬ 
pagation  by  cuttings  is  advised.  These  should  be  taken  in  March 
and  inserted  round  the  sides  of  3in  pots  filled  with  a  sandy  soil. 
Wdien  the  cuttings  are  nicely  rooted  pot  them  off  singly  into 
small  pots,  using  good  sandy  loam  and  a  little  peat.  As  the 
plants  grow  keep  the  shoots  pinched  in  order  to  form  bushy 
plants.  Shift  on  into  54  and  48  size  pots  wdien  they  are  well 
rooted  ;  the  latter  size  pot  is  quite  large  enough  in  which  to  grow 
this  plant  in.  If  required  to  bloom  in  the  winteiq  the  flower 
buds  should  be  picked  out  as  they  appear,  until  the  end  of 
September,  and  then  allow  them  to  develop.  As  a  bedding  plant 
the  Agathaea  might  be  employed  more  extemsively  than  it  is  at 
present.  Given  a  somewhat  dry  and  .sunny  aspect  it  does  exceed¬ 
ingly  well ;  it  is  especially  serviceable  u.sed  as  a  carpet  to  taller 
growing  plants.  For  bedding  pmqDoses  the  cuttings  .should  be 
put  in  some  time  in  August. — G.  R.,  Waddesden. 
AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
The  Orchid  League. 
A  West  End  florist  was  quick  to  turn  to  advantage  the  sug¬ 
gested  Orchid  League.  He  displayed  a  notice  intimating  that 
a  sympathiser  with  the  movement  ought  to  wear  an  Orchid, 
indicative  of  his  appreciation  of  Mr.  Chamberlain.  He  “  could 
.supply  the  same  in  infinite  variety  fre.sh  daily.” 
The  Liverpool  Bctanic  Garden. 
Amongst  the  flowers  showing  strongly  are  Salvia  splendens. 
Begonias  Gloire  de  Lorraine,  Mrs.  Leopold  de  Rothschild,  and 
Turnford  Hall.  They  are  arranged  in  groups  of  twenty  plants 
each,  interspersed  with  greenery.  Cattleya  labiata  autumnali.s 
is  well  repre.sented,  and  several  groups  are  arranged  at  intervals 
in  the  warm  houses.  The  fine  specimens  of  economic  plants  are 
gaining  interest  here.  Coffea  arabica  (the  coffee  tree)  is  carry¬ 
ing  large  clusters  of  fruits,  and  so  is  the  Cotton  plant  (Gossy- 
piuni).  A  fine  specimen  of  the  Gamboge  tree  (Xanthochymus 
pictoi’ius)  is  carrying  over  100  green  fruit.  There  is  also  a  fine 
crop  of  those  curious  looking  Cucurbitaceous  fruits,  the  plants 
trained  and  suspended  on  the  roofs  in  the  intermediate  house. 
The  Bottle  Gourd  (Lagenaria  vulgaris)  and  the  Luffas  attract 
a  good  deal  of  attention.  The  Aristolochias  are  flowering  un- 
u.sually  free  this  season,  especially  A.  gigas,  the  Pelican  Flower. 
There  are  many  other  subjects  which  are  equally  interesting, 
and  young  gardeners  in  the  neighbourhood  who  have  not  yet 
seen  these  gardens  would  spend  a  few  hours  there  with  profit  and 
plea.sure.— S. 
Mitraria  coccinea. 
This  beautiful  plant  is,  like  not  a  few  of  our  old  friends,, 
nowadays  little  seen  in  the  ordinary  garden  colllections  of  plants. 
Like  the  Heath  and  the  hardwooded  race  of  greenhou.se  plants 
this  one  has  been  bundled  “  doon  the  burn  ”  by  an  inexorable 
law  of  fashion.  The  scarlet,  pendant  flowers  of  the  Mitraria 
give  a  characteristic  effect  to  the  plant,  either  when  grown  as 
a  pofi  or  climbing  plant.  Though  properly  speaking  a  climber, 
it  can  be  equally  grown  as  a  low  pot  shrub.  Perhaps  the  fact 
that  it  does  not  thrive  well  in  an  arid  temperature  has  done 
much  to  oust  it  to  obscurity.  In  such  circumstances  it  is  very 
liable  to  attacks  of  thrips,  which  cause  the  foliage  to  fall  off 
at  the  expense  of  the  beauty  and  health  of  the  plant. 
The  small  leaves  are  covered  wth  minute  hairs,  and  the 
colour  is  of  a  deep  shining  green,  and  the  whole  plant  re¬ 
sembles,  in  a  very  marked  degree.  Fuchsia  microphylla — itself 
an  old-fashioned  ijlant.  Potted  in  fibrous  peat  and  sandy  loam, 
with  good  drainage,  it  ought  to  give  a  fair  account  of  itself, 
and  can  either  bo  propagated  by  cuttings  or  divisions.  It  is  a 
native  of  Chiloe,  and  is  sufficiently  hardy  to  admit  of  cultiva¬ 
tion  out  of  doors  in  some  parts  of  Britain.  It  belongs  to  the 
family  of  Gesnerworts,  and  is  evergreen. — D.  C. 
Calceolaria  Burbidgei. 
For  winter  and  spring  blooming  this  shrubby  species  has  a 
strong  claim  for  notice  from  those  who  require  decorative  plants 
in  the  conservatory  or  the  dwelling  room,  and  particularly  where 
yellow  flowers  are  appreciated.  It  is  best  propagated  by  cuttings 
taken  about  April,  employing  a  gentle  bottom  heat  to  assist  an 
early  root  callus;  aTid  later  they  can  be  shifted,  as  they  require 
more  root-room,  into  pots  of  progressive  sizes,  until  those  of 
8in  are  occupied.  These  pots  give  large,  freely-flowered  bushes 
that,  when  in  the  height  of  floral  beauty,  are  striking  objects; 
more  so  because  of  their  out-of-season,  character,  and  the  pleas¬ 
ing  pale  yellow  colour  of  the  flowers.  Judging  from  the  infre¬ 
quency  with  which  one  meets  with  it  in  gardens,  this  species, 
unlike  tho  ordinary  bedding  kinds,  is  not  so  well  known  or  so 
familiar.  That  there  are  many  species  of  plants  cultivated  in 
our  greenhouses  less  deserving  of  space  must  be  admitted  by  any¬ 
one  privileged  to  see  or  grow  C.  Burbidgei.  At  Leighton,  West- 
bury,  Mr.  Bound  has  for  several  years  possessed  a  stock  which 
in  its  season  finds  admirers  ameng  the  many  visitors  to  W.  H. 
Laverton,  Esq.  In  their  season  they  have  the  useful  trait  of 
maintaining  a  succession  of  golden  flower  trusses,  and  are  thus 
not  so  fleeting  as  many  greenhouse  plants  commonly  cultivated. 
Soft  succulent  shoots  are  the  best  for  rooting  ;  with  any  tendency 
towards  woodiness  they  are  stubborn  of  root,  but  with  suitable 
frame  accommodation  and  good  cuttings  this  is  not  so  marked. — 
W.  S. 
