July 21, 18*!. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



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made in tlio prize list. Those who aro in any doubt as to the plants 

 which will best stand London air may learn much at theie exhibitions. 

 To jade,.' from what came under our notico on Tuesday last, we should 

 say that no plant nourishes mora than the Flench Marigold, of which 

 wo saw several boxes filled with most healthy plants. It is worthy of 

 mention, that in the class for sonants Susan Hyde has carried off the 

 first prize for Fuchsias in four consecutive years with the same plant. 

 Leaving out of consideration tho class for plants which had not beem 

 kopt in the possession of tho exhibitors, thero scarcely seemed to be as 

 many plants on the tables as in provious years ; hut there was certainly 

 a loss number of those unhappy specimens which only servo to set 

 off their more flourishing neighbours. 



Tho prizes were distributed by Lord Shaftesbury in the evening. 

 We think this ceremony would he less tedious if his Lordship presented 

 tho first prizes only. As at present arranged, tho patience of those 

 Mho aro anxious to hear tho speeches is most sorely tried. The 

 weather was most favourable, and all who were present seomed tho- 

 roughly to enjoy the gardens and music. 



BEDDING PLANTS AT THE ROYAL NURSERIES, 

 SLOUGH. 



Every one who has been in the habit of attending the London 

 shows knows the magnificent Azaleas which Mr. Turner ex- 

 hibits — masses of bloom which are wonderful even to us, and 

 which strike foreigners with amazement ; but the Azalea season 

 is over, the plants have been divested of their gay attire, and 

 they are now going to rest preparatory to a fresh campaign ; 

 the visitor, therefore, must not, and, if a i>ractical man, will not, 

 expect to feast his eyes on their beauties. Auriculas, too, 

 -another flower with which Mr. Turner holds a leading position, 

 are likewise over ; Dahlias not commenced, and those gorgeous 

 specimens of show Pelargoniums and charming Fancies are 

 also at rest, or just beginning to start. What, then, is there 

 to be seen at the Royal Nurseries ? is a question which will 

 naturally be asked ; but it admits of a very simple answer — The 

 bedding plants ; and it is with respect to these and not the 

 general features of the nursery (although there is much in it 

 to interest), that we propose giving a few notes. 



At the present time certainly no plant is more popular or 

 more extensively planted for flower garden decoration than the 

 Pelargonium, and within the last few years the improvements 

 which have been effected in the size and colours of its flowers 

 have been so great as to throw most of the old varieties far into 

 the shade. Not a year passes in which dozens at least of new 

 kinds are not brought before the public, all with the character 

 of being more or less an advance on existing sorts ; and indeed 

 many of them are so to a slight extent, though not equal to 

 others which appear contemporaneously, whilst others again 

 are really striking improvements. Owing to this continual 

 succession of novelties the difficulty of selection is very great ; 

 and it is rendered all the more so, because, to judge of the 

 value of a plant for bedding-purposes, it is not sufficient to see 

 a single plant in a pot, but its effect in a mass must be looked 

 to. The opportunities of doing this are rare, hence varieties 

 totally unsuitable in habit, or only fit for pot-culture, are often 

 planted, and disappointment is the result. Mr. Turner, how- 

 ever, both for his own information and that of his customers, 

 has this year planted a very extensive collection of the newest 

 and best bedding Pelargoniums, and that, too, in the case of 

 the great majority of the varieties' in such numbers that their 

 value for flower garden decoration can be judged with a con- 

 siderable degree of certainty. The collection, then, in a utili- 

 tarian point of view, is well worthy of inspection, and it is 

 equally so on account of its ornamental effect. 



Am ong Nosegay Pelargoniums, Dowager Duchess of Suther- 

 land, raised by Mr. Fleming, of Cliveden, and which has on 

 more than one occasion been noticed in these pages in terms 

 of high commendation, was remarkable for its magnificent 

 trusses of magenta rose-coloured flowers, having a scarlet shade 

 on the upper petals. The habit is vigorous, the leaves faintly 

 zonate, the trusses much larger than those of either Stella or 

 Cybister, and when bedded-out the plant is very showy and 

 effective. Even in pots, though Nosegays are not generally 

 considered eligible for that mode of culture, owing to the large 

 size of its trusses and their profusion, this variety has a fine 

 effect. Last year it received a first-cla3s certificate from the 

 Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society, and at a 

 meeting held in June last a superb specimen of it, exhibited 

 by Mr. Turner, excited much admiration. Altogether it is of 

 first-class merit. Of other varieties of the same class, Cybister 

 was producing immense trusses ; and of its prototype Stella, 



wluch is numerously planted, it would be superfluous to speak, 

 its value for bodding being now so generally recognised, 

 lilack Dwarf is very good, so is International, which is more 

 of a crimson shade, and Surpasse Stella, a fine orange salmon, 

 has trusses quito as largo as Stella. Amy Hogg is produoing 

 trusses of remarkable sizo, and the colour is most beautiful, 

 and Orange Nosegay is also remarkably fine. Other kinds, 

 particularly good wero Black Dwarf ; Waltham Seedling, inter- 

 mediate between tho latter and Cybistor ; CounteBS of Sefton, 

 a plain-leaved kind with beautiful soft rose-coloured flowers, 

 very bright and effective, especially when viewed at a distance ; 

 and Multillora, bright scarlet, very dwarf and freoblooming. 



Of Zonale varieties not being Nosegays the most remarkable 

 wore Mrs. William Paul, rosy pink, white eyo, very dwarf and 

 free-flowering ; Rose Rendatler, producing fine large globular 

 trusses ; Madame Barre, deep pink, with plain foliage, and the 

 habit of Tom Thumb, apparently a desirable free-flowering 

 kind for small beds. Souvenir de Brassevillo is a very attrac- 

 tive soft salmon rose, either for pots or beds ; and Wilton 

 Seedling is a large, soft, rose-coloured flower, and the plant is 

 free-flowering and more dwarf than Beauty of Suresnes ; the 

 leaves are of a light green and faintly zonate. Among salmon 

 varieties the most noticeable were Emile Licau, deep salmon ; 

 La Prophete, very dwarf and upright, deep salmon, bordered 

 with white ; Madame Rougiere, pale salmon, shading off to 

 white, very free ; Mathilde Moret, distinct salmon centre edged 1 

 with white ; St. Fiacre, salmon, of a very free rather dwarf 

 habit ; Madame Rudersdorff, very compact in habit, salmon, 

 edged with white, and more deeply than in Madame Rougiere. 



Various shades of scarlet were best represented in Roi 

 d'ltalie, Herald of Spring, Prince Imperial, a dwarf free-flower- 

 ing brilliant orange scarlet, with dark-zoned leaves ; Monsieur 

 Mangenet, clear orange scarlet, dark-zoned foliage ; Lucius, 

 immense globular trusses of rosy scarlet, darkly zonate 

 foliage ; La Peyrouse, very large trusses, and apparently a con- 

 tinuous bloomer, plain foliage; Mr. G. Natehet, a first-rate 

 dwarf orange scarlet, with large globular heads and zonate 

 foliage ; Monsieur Thiers, dwarf, with darkly-zoned leaves, and 

 the individual flowers large; Sobieski, of similar habit, but 

 deeper in colour ; La Niagra, orange scarlet, large trusses borne 

 high above the foliage, suitable for the centres of chunps ; 

 Prime Minister, very dwarf, producing large trusses of bright 

 scarlet flowers with a white eye, very attractive ; Magnet, very 

 small and compact, with small plain foliage, and small trusses 

 of orange scarlet flowers, but freely produced ; Clipper, a first- 

 rate sort, with large trusses of bright scarlet flowers, indi- 

 vidually large, and of fine form ; Victoria de Puebla, very large, 

 globular, stiff trusses of salmon scarlet flowers, freely produced ; 

 and Dr. Lindley, with very large scarlet flowers of fine form 

 and substance, but not produced in large trusses. Especial 

 mention must also be made of Nosegay Lady Constance 

 Grosvenor, a most brilliant scarlet, brighter than Cybister, 

 having dark-zoned leaves, and closely covering the ground as 

 if pegged down. Beauty of Oulton, noticed in another page, 

 was very fine, both in flowers and foliage, and will doubtless 

 become a general favourite ; and Duchess (Paul) was also no- 

 ticeable for its large globular heads and free-flowering. 



Of white kinds the best were Bull's Purity, pure white, 

 vigorous, and a free bloomer ; Madame Werle, with a delicate 

 pink centre shading off to white ; Snowball, very dwarf ; and 

 Marie Virgo, a very free bloomer, with the trusses thrown well 

 above the foliage, which is deeply zoned. 



Verbenas are also grown in considerable numbers, and among 

 these we noticed King of Lilacs, with fine trusses of pale lilac 

 flowers ; Champion, the colour of Gcaut des Batailles, but with 

 a white eye ; and La Grande Boule de Neige, a very fine white, 

 forming an excellent companion as regards height to Purple 

 King. A dwarf Tropreolum called Slough Pet, a light orange 

 scarlet, with small foliage, and flowering very profusely, made 

 an excellent line near the margin of a large bed, and would be 

 very effective in parks and other large places. 



Although the bedding plants are the principal object to which 

 we wished to direct attention, a few remarks on the other 

 features of the nursery may be made. Mr. Turner's home 

 ground at Slough altogether amounts to twenty acres, and his 

 nurseries at Salt Hill and Uxbridge to as much more. In 

 various parts of the ground, and especially near the entrance, 

 are several fine specimens of Araucaria imbricata, Wellingtons 

 gigantea, and Picea Nordmanniaua ; and of the latter, as well 

 as of Picea nobilis, we observed fine quarters of seedling plants 

 in the best of health, and of a size fit for planting. Picea 

 Nordmauniana and nobilis are somewhat of a speciality with 



