THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



11 



presents an unbroken surface of large, 

 beautifully white blossoms. 



Messks. Cutbush and Soxs' Ex- 

 hibition OF Spring Flowers. — 

 Diirinii: the last few weeks Messrs. 

 Cutbush and Sons' establishment at 

 Hii^hgate has been besieged by the 

 great numbers of visitors who were 

 anxious to obtain a view of their ex- 

 cellent disphiy of flowers. Great 

 public shows at Kensington, Regent's 

 Park, Crystal Palace, and elsewiiere, 

 have their several merits ; they dazzle 

 the senses, and quicken that sense of 

 enjoyment which is peculiar to sight- 

 seeing where there are great crowds. 

 But in a well got up nursery show- 

 there is enjoyment of another sort ; 

 if we see less as to quantity, we see 

 with much greater advantage for the 

 improvinij of our notions and for put- 

 ting to the proof the respective claims 

 of varieties and modes of culture. 

 Messrs. Cutbush mariHge, very 

 happily, to combine the elegancies of 

 drawing-room entertainment with a 

 real le.-son of inestimable value to the 

 praeticals. for they illustrate the best 

 styles of grouping as well as of grow- 

 ing the flowers, and every year bring 

 forward some novelties which have, at 

 least, tliis value, that nobody else 

 possesses them. The hyacinth house 

 was for a fortnight, as bright as the 

 Alhanibra, and the colours of the 

 pyramids of bloom as skilfully har- 



moQ'zed for genenil effect, as in the 

 best works of the best days of 

 arabesque. The roof of the house 

 wa^ clouded with the thinnest of 

 tifi'any, the front lights were quite 

 darkened with green baize, and the 

 floor comfortably matted, so that 

 there was not a shadow of the com- 

 monplace to mar the exquisite picture 

 produced by myriads of the best 

 spHng flowers. At the extreme end 

 was a stage of amaryllis, unequalled 

 for rarity, quality, and growth in the 

 three kiuifdoms. On the flat trellis, 

 next the side-liglits, were staged the 

 hyacinths, neatly tallied, the pots 

 dret'sed with green moss, and the 

 perfume of the flowers putting it 

 quite out of our minds that the east 

 winds were piping, and that as yet 

 there was not a leaf to be seen upon, 

 the trees. A great stage running up 

 on the other side of the roof, was 

 systematically furnished with plants 

 it) bloom. Tiie front line consisting of 

 double primroses, the next of migno- 

 nette, then fairy roses in full bloom, 

 then a row all round of Cyclamen per- 

 sicum, smothered with their lovely 

 blooms, and five tiers to follow of 

 tulips, rytisus, azaleas, camellias, and 

 acacias, all packed so close that the 

 pots were invisible, and the mass 

 formed a rich bank of foliage and 

 flowers. Visitors will still find plenty 

 worth seeing at Highgate JS^ursery. 



ANTENNAEIA MAEGAEITACEA. 



By this time my stock of Anten- 

 naria has gone to as many distant 

 parts as the seed of the blue hearts- 

 ease, and I hope it will be found as 

 useful as that very common but very 

 beautiful plant for ribbon lines and 

 masf^es. The mention of the blue 

 heartsease reminds me that a few 

 correspondents have asked about the 

 best way to manage it, and so having 

 disposea of the Antennaria, the other 

 must have a i^-^ words. Antennaria 

 margaritacea is neither a new nor a 

 rare plant. It is in fact a British 

 weed, the value of which for garden 

 decoration is derived from the sil- 

 very character of its foliage.* Like 



Cerastium tomentosum, it depends 

 entirely on how it is used, whether 

 it makes a good efi'ect or no effect at 

 all. To do it justice it will suffice to 

 say that it makes a denser line of 

 glittering silver than even Cineraria 

 maritima, but for that purpose it 

 must be planted thick, and be nipped 

 back all the season to prevent it 

 rising above the height needful for 

 its place in a bed or ribbon. To use 

 it, therefore, there must be as much 

 skill as with a bedder of any other 

 kind; in fact, the training and the 

 nipping are the processes which de- 

 termine more than aught else the 

 perfection of masses of all kinds. 



