52i THE GARDENER. [Nov. 



TWO LONDON" SUBURBAN NURSERIES. 



One forenoon, early in September, we found ourselves in the London establish- 

 ment of Messrs Downie, Laird, & Laing at Forest Hill, which, under the per- 

 sonal direction of Mr Laing, has gained as much prestige with the gardening 

 world of the south, as the parent nurseries at Edinburgh have gained for the 

 lirm in the north. This firm is noted imr excellence for hardy florist-flowers, 

 such as Phloxes, Pansies, Pentstemons, &c., some sections of the Pelargonium 

 — the Nosegay, bronze, and silver tricolors especially. A walk through the 

 nurseries gives ocular demonstration, however, that although every means 

 are taken to be A 1 amongst these things, yet there are other subjects which 

 have Mr Laiug's best attention. We will point out a few of the special things 

 to be seen at the Stanstead Park Nursery, Unfortunately, the day of our visit 

 happened to be one of the days the Crystal Palace Company had set apart for 

 their Autumn Fruit Show. To this show many of the occupants of the hot- 

 houses had been taken, causing some of them to look a little thin. With this 

 understanding, we commence our tour of inspection with a stove, where, besides 

 other things. Cucumbers in variety were growing. The "Luton Hoo " Mr 

 Laing considers one of the finest sorts in cultivation, and in fact is his pet 

 sort. Though not belonging to the giants of the Cucumber race, it is most 

 certainly a perfectly-shaped and pretty sort, being wanting in none of the 

 points which constitute a good Cucumber. Passing through another stove, we 

 find a large collection of those most beautiful of beautiful-leaved plants : Cala- 

 diums in rich variety : Laingii, Prince Albert Edward, Auguste Ptivifere, Due 

 de Pi.atibo, Triomphe de I'Exposition, and Baraquinii, we note as being most 

 distinct and fine. A large quantity of Epiphyllums are growing in the same 

 house. In other pits we found exotic Ferns in fine variety and Palms pre- 

 dominate. A good-sized span-roof house is filled with Camellias of all sizes, 

 and all in the best possible health. An adjoining house is devoted to pot- Vines. 

 These are ripening famously, with great brown buds starting out of the axils of 

 every stem-leaf. These have been grown quietly on, without attempting to 

 stimulate them in any way, and will doubtless give good results, under as 

 good management as they have been so far grown. In a greenhouse we 

 noticed an exceedingly fine salmon-coloured Geranium with a foreign name. 

 Unfortunately it was not noted down, and we dare not venture to say what it 

 is. Tricolor and bicolor Pelargoniums are grown extensively here, the best of 

 the latter class in cultivation emanating from time to time from this nursery. 

 Unfortunately for us, the plants were represented by a lot of nearly bare 

 stumps ; the propagator had done his work to perfection amongst them. We 

 were shown a seedling which, if it retains its character, will astonish the 

 lovers of this section of beautiful-leaved plants ; the leaf looked more the work 

 of a painter than of a hybridist. We saw a large collection of Pentstemons, 

 but with rare exceptions they had done flowering. One of the features of the 

 nursery is the collection of Phloxes grown in pots, which deserve the word 

 most expressive of grand heauty applied to them. They will certainly repay a 

 journey to see them, even should it be a long one. To make a selection is a 

 hopeless case, where each variety is so near perfection. We will just mention a 

 few which are most distinct, though there are many quite as beautiful. J. K. 

 Lord, Lothair, pure scarlet. Queen of Whites, Miss Macrae, Princess Louise, 

 Comte de Lambertye, Ange Gardien, Edith, La Candeur, Liervallii (the red 

 variety), Mesdames Autin, Billy, Domage, Moisset and Andry, Mons. W. 

 Bull, Marin Saison, Menottii, Souvenir des Femes, and Vierge Marie. These 



