Octobeb 13 1888.] 



TEE GA B DENE B S' CEB ONI CL E. 



417 



ing pictures, and moreover they form a framework 

 for objects of interest in or beyond the garden. The 

 arches are gayest in the time of Roses, but till quite 

 lately old Gloire de Dijon has been a splendid feature 

 combined with the deep purple of Jackman's Clematis. 

 To beds of light colours the larger leaved Ivies are a 

 suitable foil, and furnish a scries of pretty vignettes. 



Another interesting feature is the rock garden 

 (fig. 58, p. 415). A few years ago this was one of the 

 weedy and neglected spots that is seen frequently on 

 the outskirts of large gardens, the receptacle for the 

 garden debris or an ever-smuking Valley of Hinnom. 

 How such an unsavoury corner may be made, not only 

 innocuousbut interesting and even beautiful, may here 

 be seen. A few Elms and Ashes served as a nucleus 

 Tound about which channels were excavated and the 

 soil, chiefly clay, thrown into irregular heaps ; pleasant 

 shady walks wind to and fro through the little wilder- 

 ness of pretty wildings, among which the Fern family 

 thrive amazingly. Many loads of burrs and 6tumps 

 of trees gave further relief; soil was distributed over 

 these, and the whole planted with suitable shrubs, 

 hardy plants, bog plants, and alpines ; while the 

 ■water margin affords room for Lilies, Rushes, Caltha, 

 and other aquatic plants. A rustic bridge spans the 

 water, where one may stand and watch the gambols 

 of the fish, and occasionally catch a glimpse of the 

 kingfisher as he darts past. 



Among the most conspicuous of the occupants of 

 the rock-garden are several species of Mullein, 

 Lvthrum, Polygonum, Rosa rugosa, Helianthe- 

 mum, Malva moschata, Foxgloves, Campanulas, 

 Day Lilies, Golden Catalpa, Globe Thistle, Lobelia 

 fulgens ; and on the lower slopes, Arabis, Silenes, 

 <lwarf Phloxes, Saxifrages, and a host of pretty 

 things which in spring produce masses of bright 

 colour. One might get a dozen " bits " equally 

 interesting with that here shown. We must not 

 forget to note that several species of British Ferns 

 are plentifully distributed, and with admirable 

 effect. 



Perhaps these gardens are at their best in May on 

 account of the fine collection of alpines and the 

 large number of Polyanthus and hardy Primulas 

 planted out. Among these we noticed rosea, 

 <lenticulata, cortusoides, and nivalis. Poppies 

 make a brave show, from the huge brilliant orange- 

 scarlet P. orientale to the varying shades of P. 

 nudicaule, and the still more chaste and delicate 

 alpine Poppies, yellow, white, and terra cotta. 

 Latterly the most showy flowers were the Helianthe- 

 mum, Rudbeckia, Pyrethrums, Scabious, Olearia 

 Haastii, Lychnis Flos-JoTis,Pent8temons,Gaillardias, 

 Olobe Ranunculus, the Peach-leaved Campanula, 

 Lychnis Sieboldi and L. Haageana, the herbaceous 

 Phlox of several varieties, Tritoma uvaria, and 

 several fine clumps of Pampas-grass. One little 

 bed of hardy Orchids was most interesting six weeks 

 ago. Among them we noticed Cypripedium spec- 

 tabile, C. rubescens, and C. arachnites ; these were 

 grown in shade, facing north. 



Lilies are grown along a border on the left of a 

 bed, near to the house ; among them are L. gigan- 

 teum, now bearing eight pods of seed ; L. auratum, 

 L. longiflorum, L. pardalinum, L. canadense spe- 

 •ciosum, several varieties; L. candidum, L. colchi- 

 •cum, L. testaceum, and L. tigrinum. They 

 show to great advantage against a background of 

 evergreen shrubs. With these, too, and scattered 

 about the various borders, are some of the finest 

 varieties of Iris, among them being I. fimbriata 

 reticulata and the chaste dark beauty, I. susiana. 



Perhaps the most interesting part of garden work 

 is the raising of seedlings of the choicer kinds of 

 hardy flowering plants. Easily accessible from the 

 house, and by the side of a pretty mixed border 

 edged with dwarf cordon Apple trees, there is a 

 series of nursery beds, which for months in the 

 autumn furnish daily new delights. Amon« the 

 species were Carnations, Pyrethrums, Polyanthus, 

 Delphiniums, Campanulas, Antirrhinums, Pentste- 

 mons, and Gaillardias. Only the best specimens 

 are promoted to the borders, and the remainder 

 discarded or given away. A broad belt of Nicotiana 



afh'nis is not only effective with a background of 

 shrubs, but remarkably fragrant. One of the most 

 brilliant bits of colour is that of a scarlet Tropaio- 

 lum, which was planted at the foot of a dead Apricot 

 tree, facing south. It is now a broad sheet of green, 

 thickly spattered over with the brilliant flowers. 

 Less striking in colour, though equally beautiful, and 

 far more tempting and tasteful, was a splendid crop 

 of the old Moor Park Apricot. The mixed borders, 

 of which there are several, have backgrounds of 

 flowering shrubs and Conifers. Briefly, it may be 

 said that the gardens of Mr. Barber are a fine 

 example of what intelligent effort can accomplish in 

 beautifying the scene in a short time. T. W., Harrow. 



REPORT 



OF THE SEED 

 VEST OF 1888. 



HAR- 



Red Clover (Trifolium pratense perenne). — Con- 

 tinental reports speak generally of very bad crops, 

 more or less damaged by wet weather. American 

 reports are also unsatisfactory, the shortness of crop 

 in that country arising from the extreme drought at 

 a critical period of the development of the plant. 

 Very little English seed is coming forward at present, 

 and there are no expectations of large outputs in the 

 future. 



White Clover (Trifolium repens). — The crop of this 

 seed in Germany and Poland is reported to be one 

 of the worst on record, and samples show very great 

 damage by rain. Reports from France are some- 

 what similar, whilst America only expects moderate 

 crops, the plant being more or less burnt up. 



Alsike Clover (Trifolium hybridum). — It is expected 

 that some fair samples of English seed, but in very 

 small quantities, may come forward later. In Ger- 

 many, Poland, Sweden, and other Continental pro- 

 ducing districts of this article, the reports are 

 exceedingly unfavourable, and it is almost impossible 

 at present to estimate the extent of the damage 

 done to the Alsike crop and to the Clover harvest 

 generally by the wet season. It is full early yet for 

 reliable information as to the American and Cana- 

 dian crop, but the production of this article in the 

 States is only limited in quantity. 



Trefoil (Medicago lupulina). — This seed has suf- 

 fered in the same disastrous manner, and high prices 

 are easily made for good average samples. 



Lucerne (Medicago sativa). — Crop is small, and 

 higher prices than last year are being asked. 



Timothy (Phleum pratense). — Promises to be 

 better and cheaper than last year. The crop is large, 

 and well harvested in the producing districts. 



Rape. — Is a fair average crop ; but in consequence 

 of the wet weather there are very few samples coming 

 forward in a suitable condition for export. 



Mustard. — Fair average crop. 



Swedes and Turnips. — These, notwithstanding the 

 wet summer, were harvested generally in very good 

 condition ; the prices at the present time being 

 favourable to buyers. 



Rye Grasses (Lolium perenne and italicum). — The 

 crops in Scotland, Ireland, and France have been 

 seriously damaged by rains, and samples are darker 

 in colour than last year. We find the germination 

 of the samples well up to the average. Prices will 

 be certain to rule higher than last year. 



Natural Grasses. 



Aiithoxanthum odoratum (Sweet Vernal). — A very 

 fair crop, again showing high standard of germina- 

 tion. 



Ayrostis stolonifera (Fiorin). — A good average 

 crop ; but, as this grass is very subject to ergot, 

 samples free from the impurity always command 

 good prices. 



Alopecurus pratensis (Meadow Foxtail). — This is 

 again one of the short harvests, and few samples 

 give the average germination of the past two or 

 three years. 



Cyiwsurus cristatus (Crested Dogstail). — Is a fair 

 crop in England, Ireland, Holland, and Germany, 

 but the colour is affected by the continuous rains. 



Dactylis glomerata (Cocksfoot). — Very large im- 

 portations have arrived from New Zealand, and as 

 European samples have again high vitality, low 

 values are reached. 



Festuca tenuifolia (Fine-leaved Fescue). — This crop 

 is again very light, but as its principal use is for the 

 formation of lawns and pleasure grounds, it is not 

 an important factor in the supply. 



Festuca duriuscula (Hard Fescue). — Is a good aver- 

 age crop, the seed is again of high germination. 



F. pratensis (Meadow Fescue). — Crop plentiful, 

 and quality very fine, with high germination. 



F. elatior (Tall Fescue). — This grass becomes 

 more plentiful every year ; still fine samples com- 

 mand good prices. 



Poa trivialia and P. nemoralis (Rough-stalk Mea- 

 dow-grass and Wood Meadow-grass). — Are fair 

 average crops. 



P. pratensis (Smooth-stalk Meadow-grass).— Re- 

 ports speak of fair average crops, but, as usual, 

 American samples prove, under test, to be very de- 

 ficient in vitality. 



As usual, there is no scarcity of inferior grass 

 seeds in the market at all sorts of prices. James 

 Carter <f Co., High Holborn, London, and Mark Lane. 



Trade Notice. 



SAM. DEARDS & CO. 

 A company, of which the Secretary, pro. tern., is 

 Mr. W. E. Deards, Dashwood House, 16, New Broad 

 Street, London, E.C., has been formed for the pur- 

 chase and development of the business of hot-water 

 engineers, heretofore carried on by Mr. S. Deards. 

 The share capital is fixed at £25,000. 



Home Correspondence. 



HARPALIUM RIGIDUM SEMI-PLENUM.— In your 

 issue of the 6th inst., p. 391, the Rev. C. Wolley 

 Dod gives us some useful information as to the 

 history of this beautiful hardy Sunflower. There is 

 no doubt that the plant certificated is identical with 

 the one distributed by the Rev. C. Wolley Dod as 

 Helianthus lajtiflorus. The huge bunch of cut flowers 

 placed before the Royal Horticultural Society by Mr. 

 Ware, of Tottenham, was labelled Harpalium rigidum 

 semi-plenum(Baker), Helianthus lastiflorus (Wolley 

 Dod). The Floral Committee evidently adopted the 

 nomenclature of the new authority in preference to the 

 name given by the Rev. Wolley Dod, who has 

 undoubtedly been misinformed by his correspondent. 

 Harpalium rigidum is a very valuable plant. I had 

 a bed of them in flower this autumn, from which 

 might have been selected several varieties. Although 

 similar in habit and time of flowering, the flowers 

 differed very much in form, some having only a 

 single row of ray-florets, while others had two, 

 three, and some even having an appearance of being 

 double. C. S. 



PROLIFEROUS SPIKE OF PHAL^ENOPSIS.— The 

 figure of this in last , week's Gardeners' Chronicle 

 (p. 389) represents a much more interesting fact 

 than the short note which accompanied it would 

 lead one to suppose. It is of course usual for Pha- 

 laenopsis to develope young plants on the tips of the 

 old flower-spikes, if these are allowed to remain long 

 enough on the plants ; but the spike shown in the 

 figure was one which had been cut off the plant 

 soon after the flower-buds began to expand, a heavy 

 fog having almost denuded the spike — a very fine 

 one — of almost all its buds. Instead of throwing 

 the spike away it was left standing with its base in 

 water in the house, where it had been grown, and in 

 time it developed young plants in the axils of the 

 branches of the spike, not on the ends. There were 

 three young plants originally, but only two attained 

 any size. Growers of Phalsenopsis will see the 

 difference between leaving the flower-spike on the 

 plants in the hope of getting young ones, and 

 removing the spike as soon as the flowers are over 

 and placing it in water. As a means of propagating 

 these plants, the flower-spikes may be turned to good 

 account. As an instance, I may mention that we 

 have only one small plant of P. gloriosa, which 



