381 



journaij of hortiodltobe and cottage qabdeneb. 



t May 18, 1376. 



3. Requiring 'a North-east Screen. — Cheiranthna alpinua, 

 Golden Tbyme/Paney, and Stocks. 



I fear that Golden Feather must be placed in the third class, 

 though the snow has saved it this season, which spoiled Ajuga. 

 Which class do variegated Cress and dwarf Veronica glauca 

 belong to ? 



AU annuals such as Saponaria, Nemophila, &e., belong to 

 the third claES, unless I except Limnanthes. 



Bulbs have to be considered with respect to saving the flower 

 from winds, as well as with respect to hardiness, and these 

 I must leave unnoticed. — C. S. B. 



BITS ABOUT BELGIUM.— No. 1. 



A VISIT to £ee the Great International Exhibition at Brussels 

 and nothing more was well worthy of the journey; but few 

 visitors let that sufEce, and sundry horticultural pilgrimages 

 were made to points of interest in or near to Brussels, Ghent, 

 or Antwerp. 



Of the Exhibition much has been said, but neither time nor 

 space permitted a critique on the arrangement of the plants 

 "for effect" — an eiJect for which " M. I'architecte Fuohs " 

 was awarded a special grand gold medal. 



There is no doubt whatever but that the Exhibition was 

 effective, but there is a very grave doubt that a gold medal 

 would have been awarded to Mr. Barron had he created the 

 same effect with the same plants in the gardens of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society of England. That sentence contains two 

 suggestions — first, that the arrangements of the plants were 

 not startling by any novel treatment, as conveying an idea of 

 exalted taste ; and secondly, that the Belgian authorities are 

 more liberal in bestowing medals than are horticultural councils 

 in England. Let us take the first suggestion of " taste," 

 passing on to " medals." 



In the arrangements of the plants at Brussels it was not 

 difficult to perceive errors of taste. The disposition of the 

 plants was not a triumph of decorative art, and it may be 

 stated unhesitatingly that there were at least two Englishmen 

 in the Exhibition who could, if they had an army of obedient 

 helpers, have achieved a better effect. Given to Messrs. Wills 

 and Barron the same plants and appliances, and no doubt 

 need be entertained as to the result — indeed of two results : 

 That they would have created a better effect in England, and 

 would not have obtained a gold medal between them. 



But we must not be hypercritical. If there were faulty 

 associations of plants, the building was so crowded that it was 

 not easy to re-arrange the whole of the collections. Undoubt- 

 edly the most superior example of taste in arrangement was 

 displayed in the splendid group of the Messrs. Veitch, and this 

 was done by Englishmen. As was remarked by many compe- 

 tent judges, this collection was faultless. If the same taste 

 that was there exemplified had prevailed throughout the Show 

 the effect would have been infinitely greater than that which 

 was produced. 



As a rule, and speaking generally, the plants with green 

 foliage, as Palms, were grouped in one part of the building; 

 plants with ornamental foliage — Aroids, Marantas, &c., in 

 another part; and massive flowering plants, Azaleas, Rhodo- 

 dendrons, and Roses, in a third part. True, there were some 

 exceptions to this rule. Some small Azaleas were associated 

 with Ferns, strings of Spirosaa encircled groups of Roses, and 

 Lilies of the Valley fringed the fine- foliage plants ; jet never- 

 theless the great mass gf Palms were grouped together, the 

 highest at the back, and ditto may be said in reference to the 

 Azaleas, Roses, and Bhcdodendrons. These were arranged 

 according to the same stereotyped rule^Mass them together, 

 the highest plants at the back, the lowest in front. 



But that was not the worst of it. There is not so much 

 room for taking objection to the formal grouping as to the 

 incongruous juxtaposition of the most prominent collections 

 of flowering plants. The marvellous Azaleas were overpower- 

 ing — overpowering the Rhododendrons on one side and making 

 even them look dingy, and on the other the really great con- 

 signment of Roses from Messrs. W. Paul & Son looked small 

 by the side of M. Ghellinck de Walle'a gorgeous masses of 

 Azaleas. As to the Orchids and plants from Holloway and 

 from the establishments of Mr. Bull, Mr. Wills, and Mr. Linden 

 nothing could overpower them ; but the Roses especially were 

 placed at a great disadvantage. 



The brightness and glitter of one part of the Show was 

 tiring, while the unrelieved greenery of another part was tame. 

 Had the Roses especially, and a few of the Azaleas, been made 



to enliven the sombre corners of the structure, and had some 

 of the fine specimens which were hidden in the background 

 been brought boldly forward, the effect would have been infi- 

 nitely more impoEing. The winding promenades were certainly 

 picturesque, and some points highly artistic ; but the fact 

 remains that not a single vista of grandeur was to be found in 

 the Exhibition. The grouping for effect may have conveyed 

 an idea upon which English decorators may improve when an 

 opportunity is afforded them, but by no means can it be re- 

 garded as a finished example for them to copy if they wish to 

 win a medal in England. 



So much for taste, and now to the medals. These honours 

 were provided with unparalleled liberality. They were offered 

 for nearly all sorts of plants and products, and for all classes 

 of horticulturists save one. Is the omission a studied omission, 

 or is it an oversight ? It is not surprising to find the same 

 omission in England, a land chary of honours to the living, 

 liberal towards the dead, but in advanced horticultural Belgium 

 the blank becomes noticeable. There was no medal for the 

 actual hybridisers and raisers of new and important plants, 

 the working bees of the horticultural hive. Surely a man who 

 by original conceptions and delicate and successful manipula- 

 tiona creates, as it were, new plants which enrich their ownera 

 and unfold new beauties to an admiring world — surely such a 

 man should have some tangible recognition of his skill and 

 some official reward for his achievement. 



Changing the theme for a moment to " a bit about England," 

 who will eay that such men as Mr. Dominy and others who 

 have wrought so successfully in raising new plants in the 

 renowned establishment of Messrs. Veitch, and Mr. Bause in 

 that of Mr. Wills — who will say that such men are not deserving 

 of Borne public token of appreciation, some medal embodying 

 their work and recognising its importance ? Would it be mis- 

 placed honour also to concede a memento to those explorers 

 who " carry their lives in their hands " into tropical junglea 

 and enrich the world by their discoveries ? Let those who 

 send the men and receive the plants have all the honour to 

 which their enterprise entitles them ; but let not the actual 

 workers, abroad as discoverers, and at home as originators of 

 new and valuable plants, be altogether ignored. The honour 

 awarded to one would not detract from the other. If any 

 valid and substantial objections can be established against re- 

 warding acknowledged merits of this nature let them be forth- 

 coming, for at present no such objections are generally appre- 

 ciated. That the omission is not one of mere sentiment was 

 admitted last year by Mr. Wills, who generously made over 

 the gold medal awarded to him by the Royal Horticultural 

 Society for his Dracaiuas to the actual raiser of them, Mr. 

 Bause. The owner of the plants felt that the skill cf the 

 raiser was ignored, and he made the sacrifice of relinquishing 

 the medal. It does not seem meet and right that men of ex- 

 ceptional skill should be altogether dependant on private 

 generosity when societies are established to stimulate horticul- 

 tural progress, to acknowledge enterprise and merit, and re- 

 ward success. Such men as those alluded to (and there are 

 many others equally worthy of reward), the real workers, the 

 very bone and sinew of horticulture, and by whose hands and 

 heads the science is so practically supported, are " left out in the 

 cold " in England, and they were " left out in the cold " at 

 Brussels. 



The subject is one requiring consideration. It was suggested, 

 or rather " brought to a head," by the omission referred to : 

 hence its claim to be included under the heading of this com- 

 munication. The subject has occupied so much space that 

 some descriptive notes of plants and places must be postponed 

 to future " bits."— J. W. 



VIOLETS. 



Me. Lee is perfectly correct in stating that I have no red 

 spider. I grow my Violets on a north aspect to avoid it. Violets 

 like moisture, coolness, and shade, yet withal as much air as a 

 mouutain Daisy. It is of no use, of course, to expect Violets 

 in winter from plants on a north border. Those who have not 

 frames to spare may take up the plants with balls in late Sep- 

 tember, and plant them in the full sun in the most sheltered 

 position at command in front of a south wall, watering well if 

 the autumn be dry, and flowers will be forthcoming in such a 

 position when they are not from plants on a north border, and 

 especially if protection be given, as that of mats over hoops, in 

 severe weather. I do not, however, care about Violets outdoors 

 until March or April to follow those in frames, bnt I may say 



