284 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[September, 



around, among gorgeous foliage and beautiful 

 flowers. It will be futile to attempt to describe 

 the marvellous effect of such a multiform as- 

 semblage of choice plants as are here presented in 

 the many well filled glass-houses. So I will single 

 out but a few of the most conspicuous. And what 

 can be more so than the regal Croton Queen Vic- 

 toria ? Among this superb collection C. Earl of 

 Derby seems to be the most singular of all ; then 

 comes a group of Dracenas, with D. Goldieana 

 and D. Guilfoylei, as principal representatives of 

 this brilliant tribe of tropical plants. Next to de- 

 scribe are the peculiar foliaged Caladiums, whose 

 rich and many colored markings are very attrac- 

 tive. C. Chantini, with its rose- and crimson ban- 

 ners, though somewhat old, is still as beautiful as 

 any of its younger compeers. 



Among a cabinet of exquisite leafy gems, none 

 looked more lovely than the little Bertolonia Van 

 Houttei, so grandly spotted. B. marmorata with 

 its glittering golden stripes, and Sonerila margari- 

 tacea, S. argentea, and S. Hendersonii, with its 

 beautiful maculation and rich variegation were also 

 good, and altogether defy my powers of delinea- 

 tion. And the same may be said of Fittonias, 

 Echiteses, Anthuriums, and such-like pretty things. 

 And similar remarks apply to the handsome 

 Marantas, than which there is nothing more effect- 

 ive among remarkable foliaged plants. 



Conspicuous among the many flowering plants 

 were Gloxinias, Eucharises, Begonias, Gardenias, 

 Abutilons, Fuchsias, Jasminums, Torenias, Pelar- 

 goniums, Petunias, double and single, of which a 

 set of twelve were remarkably handsome. But 

 the many interesting flowering plants with which 

 the houses were made most pleasant to ramble 

 through, are too numerous for special notice. 



Ferns and mosses, always attractive, were as 

 dehcately beautiful and graceful as they always 

 are. The collection of Orchids, though not so 

 numerous, was very good. There were full ranks 

 of noble Palms, so striking in tropical scenery, 

 and so necessary in the decoration of the hot-house, 

 greenhouse or conservatory. The stock (groves I 

 might say) of thrifty Camellias, was both great and 

 good; over which some magnificent specimens 

 reared their shapely forms above the many thous- 

 ands around. And a mass of Azaleas were equally 

 good. 



The contents of the large rose-house, in which 

 the roses for winter forcing are planted in well 

 prepared borders, are as healthy and vigorous as 

 it is possible for them to be. Immense quantities 



of plants for bouquet and decorative purposes are 

 grown indoors and out. 



Tempted as I am to continue, I must neverthe- 

 less close the pleasing subject, and for a moment 

 turn to sadder scenes. But a few steps from the 

 nursery to the cemetery close by, brought me to 

 where Mr. Robert Buist, my first patron on this 

 side the sea, calmly rests, " after labor's long tur- 

 moil," in the narrow house of clay. As I gazed 

 upon the green sod, where side by side, husband 

 and wife serenely slumber, I was forcibly re- 

 minded of the past, with the poet's words: 



"Sweet memory, wafted by the gentle gale, 

 Oft up the stream of time I turn my sail ;" 



and think of what occurred happily, or otherwise, 

 " In the days Auld Lang Syne." 



Passing by poor Fechter's resting place, who 

 " after securing the world's applause," there " sleeps 

 the sleep that knows no waking," I was shocked 

 at the neglected condition of his burial lot. Rank 

 weeds almost hid the striking bust of the late la- 

 mented dramatist, who was well favored with ap- 

 preciative smiles and fragrant flowers when living 

 and acting his part as a man and a brother. 



NEW FACTS WANTED. 



BY N. ROBERTSON, SUPT. GOVERNTMENT 

 GROUNDS, OTTAWA, CANADA. 



It is often tiresome to wait for the ending of 

 controversies, in horticultural papers. There is 

 often so much written that it becomes confusing to 

 decide which writer's views to take. The 

 Monthly has the least disposition of any paper, 

 to allow this sort of thing to go too far. Steam 

 heating has had the most freedom of its pages of 

 anything I have ever noticed. No doubt it is a 

 subject embracing a very wide range of thought, 

 requiring 'much explanation. Like all newly intro- 

 duced things, it has always old practices to con- 

 tend with, which to many, appear as if they could 

 never be superseded. 



Take the grape-vine as an instance, page after 

 page will be taken up with the various methods of 

 pruning it. There is too much writing, and the 

 ideas expressed are too few to be satisfactory to 

 the amateur. To practical men the difficulty will 

 be less, because they g||et at the practical parts of 

 the article quickly, and are better able to grasp 

 them; but to the less experienced in such matters 

 it is most confusing. I would never think of curb- 

 ing any reasonable discussion, for this often brings 

 to the surface many sound, practical points. But 



