HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3019, 24 January 1912, Page 12

HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

B? J. Gebbib.

THE OLEANDER. Tlie oleander (Neriuni splendens) is a handsome flowering shrub; but though hiwdy enough to stand our winters in Otago and produce flower buds in abundance, it is only under glass that these will develop and open. It is of an accommodating nature, but will thrive best when its roots can avail themselves of moisture. Being of a very free-flowering nature, handsome specimens can be grown in sin or 6in pots, are very useful for decorative purposes. In large pots or tubs magnificent specimens may be grown for conservatory decoration There are several varieties, but the common pink-flowered, is the most useful The plant is a native of Southern Europe, the Levant, Persia, and India. It is supposed to be one of ’the willows c«f the brook mentioned in the Bible, as in some parts of the Valley of the’ Jordan and in some of the streams of Moab it forms a complete screen, which the sun’s rays can never penetrate. The flowers, which resemble those of camellias, are useful lijar cutting, but they are said to ex hale a perfume which is, injurious if tihev are confined in a close room for any length of time. COREOPSIS. The genus coreopsis contains 30 or more species, but as far as cur flower gardens are concerned, only a few ur© adapted for genera! cultivation. They are well known as amongst the brightest ornaments of our flowers during summer. Coreopsis is now made to include cailiopsis, by which name the annual forms are generally called. One of tho best perennial species is Coreopsis lanceolata. It grows about 2ft high, and at this time is bearing in profusion largo golden-yellow flowers on stifli, slender stalks well adapted’ for cutting. It likes a warm, sunny, well-drained position, and in dry weather, as it comes into flower, should receive a good watering. It is easily increased by seeds or by lifting the plant in autumn and pulling it to pieces carefully. By planting small pieces separately in rich soil, a larger crop of finer flowers is obtained than by allowing the heads to become crowded for want of frequent division. The plant is a native of North America, where it has a wide range extending to Upper Canada, so that it is perfectly hardy, and • cosy of cultivation. C. grandiflora differs in having more finelydivided leaves and bearing larger flowers; hut of tho two species C. lanceolata is the most useful. Tho former, (however, iis worth growing. When well grown jt bears flowers nearly as largo and as bright jas those of C. lanceolata, mostly varied with dark markings. C. eoronata is bright yellow, with deep orange in the centre, marked delicately with dark brown. C. tinetorja is a tall grower, sometimj's 3ft high, with golden flowers more or less marked in the centre with crimson brown. C. Drummondi is not nearly as tall as the last, but with larger flowers, having dark crimson marks at the base of the petals. C. nana and its varieties are all worth growing, being free-flowering, and continuing long in bloom." They do well in any ordinary garden soil; but to obtain the best results the plants should be thinned out so that they may have room to develop. Annuals, as a rule, are allowed to grow up and bloom without any attention being given to thinning, and in this condition the plants produce only sickly blooms, and are short-lived. LEMON-SCENTED GUM. -

The lemon-scented gum (Euoalytpus oitriodora), being a native of Queensland, is of no use in this Dominion for open* air planting. It, is a tall, slender-growing free, with a smooth white bark, which renders it very conspicuous. Its foliage is of a refreshing lemon-like fragrance, and a valuable oil is extracted from it. It may he grown in pots in the greenhouse, and in Australia it is valued for window-culture, as it exhales such a refreshing odour, and the fresh leaves are sometimes strewed i-bout rooms for sanitary purposes. It is easily grown from seed. lIANDSOME EUCALYPTUS.

Tin* handsomest of all eucalyptus as reirardfi its flower is undoubtedly E. fieifolia, often known as the crimson-flowered gum. Although it has hroadish leaves, its specific name of fieifolia, or fig-leaved, is misleading'. It. is of a shrubby nature, and flowers in a small state while quite young. ft is rather tender in Otago, and will only grow and flower in warm, sheltered situations. I have seen it blooming in some Dunedin gardens, also in Oamaru. It blooms during summer, and the blooms are born© in magnificent trusses of brilliant crimson, which are very showy. There are varieties of the species, and unless the plants have been raised from carefullyselected seed one may not obtain the best crimson-flowered type. Another handsome flowering gum. and one which does well in the Oamaru district, is E. lencoxylon fl.pl. rosea, the double rose-coloured variety of the ironhark. This gum attains a good height, bu't is befit kept down to 20ft. or 30ft by yearly primings. It makes a beautiful specimen, being verv showy when in bloom. Its attractive blossoms begin to open during winter or very early in spring, and continue to develop for a considerable time. Two fine examples may bo seen in the garden of Air W. 11. S. Roberts, and! these when in bloom attract considerable attention. The wonder is that such handsome flowering trees are not more frequently met with, especially as thev do so well in coastal districts. RAFFIA FIBRE.

The fib to named raffia, so largely used by gardeners for tying purposes, is the product of a species of palm. There are several kinds of raffia. R. tcedlgera is

found only on the banks of the Lower Amazon and Para Rivers in Brazil. It has cylindrical leaf stalks, which measure 12ft to 15ft in length, and are used for a variety of purposes. The walls and partitions of houses are often constructed of them, while baskets, boxes, etc., are made of strips of th© smooth outer portion, A Madagascar variety bears gigantic spiry leaves, often 50ft or more in height. The fruit spikes sometimes weigh as much as 3001 b. and bear a. largo number of oneseeded fruits rather larger than eggs. Raphia vinifera, the bamboo palm, produces a valuable fibre, and i-s found in great abundance in Siberia- The fronds or branches of the tree are cut up into the desired lengths and placed in water till all the substance except the fibre has decayed. When sufficiently decayed the branches are beaten until th© fibre is free of all extraneous matter, then cleaned by being drawn through nails closely driven in a board rack. After being dried the fibtv is ready for market. The value of this fibre in Liverpool is about £2l per ton, and is chiefly used in making brushes, brooms, also for baskets, cordage, bottoms of chairs, as well as for tying. The fibro is very strong, and well resists decay. A NEW ROSE. Rayon d’Or is the name of a new rose, a coloured plate of which appears in a late issue of the Garden. It is a strong grower, with branching habit, and the foliage is said to bo almost immune from mildew, being a rich bronzy green, glossy and beautiful. The colour is described .as a beautiful cadmium yellow as it opens, toning to sunflower yellow when fully expanded. Its groat charm consists in streaks and blotches of scarlet crimson on the outer petals, producing a most unique coolur-blending in the bud stag®. This rose has gained considerable notoriety in England as a garden variety, and will soon be introduced into this Dominion by some of our enterprising rosnrians, who lose no time in introducing novelties as they mai*» their appearance.

Blackbirds are do in# a considerable amount of damage to orchards in Masterton this ecttison —more so than minahs. Between the birds and the weather orchardists have had a very trying time in their efforts to grow fruit.