560 THE GARDENER. [Dec. 



40,000 Pinks, 4000 Phloxes, 2000 Pyrethrums, 3000 Auriculas, and 

 many thousands of Dahlias, Pentstemons, Delphiniums, Antirrhinums, 

 etc., Arc. What are known as Herbaceous and Alpine plants, however, 

 form the chief feature of the nursery, and these cover an area of nearly 

 20 acres. Fully an acre of this section is devoted to the cultivation of 

 Herbaceous Paeonias, a class of plants which, considering their easy 

 culture and highly ornamental character, is far too little known. All 

 the really good and distinct sorts are here grown, not only for the 

 supply of nursery orders, but for their showy, variously-coloured, and 

 in many cases sweetly-scented flowers, which, in most seasons, are 

 produced in great profusion, and command a ready sale at good prices. 

 Among the other genera are to be found not only all the old favourites 

 worthy of cultivation, but most of those of recent introduction, the 

 more popular being grown in large numbers. These are cultivated in 

 beds, borders, rockeries, and pits, according to their several require- 

 ments ; while many thousands of the leading sorts are kept in pots, so 

 that they may be sent to customers with perfect safety, even in the 

 growing and flowering seasons. Among the more interesting and 

 showy of these we observed great numbers of Meconopsis nepalense, the 

 rare and beautiful Himalayan Poppy, with pale sulphur flowers and 

 large deeply-lobed leaves ; Veronica longifolia, var. sub-sessilis, a decid- 

 uous species recently introduced from Japan, with rich blue flowers 

 borne on spikes nearly 1 foot high and from 4 to 5 inches round j 

 Geum coccineum plenum, though by no means new, not yet very com- 

 mon, and one of the best of hardy border-plants, its double scarlet 

 blooms lasting a long time, and being available for the choicest bou- 

 quets ; Lychnis vespertina plena, white and red flowered sorts, showy, 

 and much valued in summer and autumn ; Sparaxis pulcherrimum, 

 with flowers varying from light rose to crimson and every shade of 

 purple, and its variety atro-purpurea, purplish crimson, both graceful, 

 free-flowered plants ; Senecio pulcher, a new and strikingly effective 

 species, producing its large purplish-crimson flowers, with a bright 

 golden disc in autumn ; a great variety of Asters, or Michaelmas 

 Daisies, including Townsendii, Sericeus, pyrenaica, and bessarabicus ; 

 Primulas, too, such as rosea, cashmeriana, denticulata, and cortusoides 

 amcena. The latter, in some twenty varieties, are grown by the thou- 

 sand, while all the choicer Alpine species are largely represented. 

 Hosts of other plants, which we cannot here enumerate, were seen in 

 more or less abundance all over the grounds. 



The collection is rich in hardy Orchids, nearly one hundred distinct 

 species and varieties being cultivated in the beds specially set apart 

 for them. Such things as Cypripediums spectabilis, pubescens. acaule, 

 and macranthum; various sorts of Habenarias, Betia hyacinthina, Disa 

 grandiflora, Epipactis, in several species, with their varieties, most of 

 the Ophrys, Orchis, and many others, are grown in large numbers. 

 Though too late in the season to see these fine plants in flower, the 



