314 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GDIDE. 



ballet-girl dressed for her performance might walk through without ruffling or soiling 

 her muslin. A duchess, indeed, might do the same, but might not be so fantasti- 

 cally dressed as to put to a fair test the admirable keeping of this nursery. 



There is one feature amongst the houses that every one of our readers may, 'with 

 advantage, take interest in. It is a long, rather narrow, span-roof house, without 

 stage or heating apparatus. It is filled with pot plants of dracoenas, aucubas 

 smothered with scarlet berries, variegated ivies, round-headed bay-trees, and others 

 of the hardiest and handsomest of conservatory plants, constituting a charmins 

 ■winter garden the keeping of which in perfect trim entails an extremely small 

 amount of labour, as there is no furnace to look after, and even air giving may in 

 ■winter be neglected for days together. 



These nurseries are the homes of the most important of the florists' flowers. 

 Here are extensive collections of show tulips, auriculas, carnations, picotees, pinks, 

 pansies, dahlia?, roses, and the more tender florists' flowers that are necessariiy 

 grown under >:;lass. It is a rare treat to see the collections when in flower, and 

 perhaps the auriculas and roses attract the greatest number of visitors. Tlie out- 

 door roses are mostly budded in the usual way on the brier, and the soil and 

 situation suit them so well that they soon make splendid specimens. The number 

 annually budded is 80,000 ; this number representing, of course, the average 

 annual sale. 



During the past summer a very interesting feature at thij home nursery has been 

 a trial plantation of peas, comprising all the best sorts known. This trial 'was 

 institcted for the purpose of comparing with the most noted of the established kinds 

 Mr. Turner's new pea, called Dr. Maclean. This grows four to five feet high, and 

 produces in the most extravagant profusion large, handsome pods, that contain an 

 average of seven to niue peas each, these being equally remarkable for size and 

 colour as they are for tenderness and flavour when cooked. The trial has confirmed 

 the belief of Mr. Turner and the many practical men who have known this pea for 

 some years past, that it is the very best pea in existence, and as well adapted for 

 the market-grower as for the private garden. 



At Salt Hill there are extensive collections of variegated-leaved plants, more 

 especially of tri-coloured geraniums, which here acquire riclier colours than they do 

 at Slougli, although the two places are only about a mile apart. Here are grown 

 great breadths of the lovely gold and silver-leaved Euonymus of the latif-iUus 

 section, which may be truly described as the grandest of bedding plants for winter 

 display, while they are invaluable for the front of the shrubbery border. There is 

 here, also, a large collection of z mal geraniums, both single and double, and 

 collections also of cinerarias, phloxes, pentstemons, verbenas, and other useful 

 garden flowers. 



Mr. Turner's fame as an exhibitor indicates, of course, unusual skill and pluck, 

 and other high personal qualities, for there must be something in the man, as well 

 as in the plants, to ensure such constant and such brilliant success. Now, any one 

 with a fair perception of men and things might easily divine the secret of the long- 

 sustained triumphal progress of this veteran cultivator in the exhibition tent. He 

 takes in hand no more than he can see his way to do well, and then lays on all the 

 strength possible to ensure success. He is always about, and sees everything ; has 

 a genial word for everybody, and, if anything goes wrong, is ready, and prompt, 

 and sound with his advice. Talent is nothing unless conjoined with perseverance 

 and cheerfulness. It is no small testimony to Mr. Turner's high personal qualities 

 that the heads of departments have been with him for jears, and a change in the 

 establishment is quite a rare occurrence. Very few even amongst amateur horti- 

 culturists can form any idea of the task it is to take and keep the lead in exhibiting 

 at great shows. The work never ceases night or day, and even at that the great 

 pot roses Mr. Turner usually presents at Regent's Park, South Kensington, and the 

 Botanical Gardens, Manchester, seem too perfect to be real, and yet no fabric of 

 man's make could equal, in any one particular — to say notliing of equalling them 

 in all — these marvellous products of nature. When lately conversmg with Mr. 

 Turner on the splendid appearance of a house of specimen roses, he said, " My rose 

 man is like other men here, unremitting in his attentions. All my head men are 

 as proud of their work as I am, and as anxious that ■we should always have first 

 place. I made note on Sunday that the rose man came in and looked round before 

 breakfast, and after breakfast, and on the way to church, and after he came from 



