Octobeu 27, 1888.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



479 



plants imported into this country with another sent 

 by IvEnn from China to the Royal Gardens, Kew, in 

 1807. The estate has been purchased by Andbew 

 Peaks, Esq., of the firm of A. & F. Pears. Exten- 

 sive alterations and improvements are being made 

 as to replanting, &c, under the superintendence of 

 Mr. Micklewekiht, the able head of affairs horti- 

 cultural here. When completed, we hope to refer 

 more fully to this interesting place. 



Gardeners' Orphan Fund.— We are pleased 

 to learn that the soiree recently held by the Chiswick 

 gardeners, and which gave great satisfaction to those 

 present, has resulted in a balance of £10, which 

 will be handed over to the Fund. 



Mr. John Lee. — It will be a matter of deep con- 

 cern to all acquainted with this gentleman, the 

 "Father" of the Hardeners' Benevolent Institution. 

 Chairman of its committee, and President of the 

 Horticultural Club, to learn that he is dangerously 

 ill — a fact that, in consideration of his advanced 

 years, gives rise to serious apprehension. 



Chiswick Horticultural Society.— We 



are requested to state that the Chrysanthemum show 

 of this Society will be held on Friday, November 16, 

 instead of on November 15, as previously arranged 

 and announced. 



Nursery Notes. 



MESSRS. CANNELL & SONS, SWANLEY. 



The oft-repeated public invitation to " Come and 

 see," has acted on me, being by nature of a retiring dis- 

 position, rather as a deterrent than otherwise. It is 

 only right to say, that having screwed up my courage, 

 I have been to see, that I am more than satisfied 

 with the result, and that I decidedly recommend 

 others to go likewise and see what Messrs. Cannell 

 have to show at the " Home of Flowers." Moreover, 

 from what I saw just after the nipping frosts we had 

 in the early part of this month, I do not think it will 

 much matter what time of the year the visit be paid, 

 as there is sure to be a blaze of bloom in some of 

 the houses, and sure to be something to please the 

 visitor interested in flowers. 



Situate a few miles out of the smoke and fogs of 

 London, on a sandy loam, overlying the chalk, in a 

 famous fruit growing district, and with an undulating 

 surface that admits of varying aspects and exposures, 

 it will be seen that Messrs. Cannell's nursery is well 

 placed ; but a second and still larger one is to be 

 found at Eynsford, a few miles off. 



Perhaps because of my retiring disposition, perhaps 

 because of some natural perversity, but most pro- 

 bably because it was the nearest way, I entered the 

 nursery from the adjacent railway station, by an 

 entrance made terrible to idle beholders by the 

 announcement that there was no admission except 

 on business. On consideration, assuring myself that I 

 had some business, I entered the nursery by a 

 gateway evidently intended more particularly for the 

 egress of goods to the adjoining railway, and found 

 myself to my surprise among a large and repre- 

 sentative collection of herbaceous plants. This was 

 more than I had anticipated ; particularly so as 

 judicious selection had been exercised, and the plants 

 cultivated were good of their kind, with very little 

 rubbish among them. Having said that the selection 

 was good, it will be readily understood that the 

 plants were among the best of their kind, 

 and anything like enumeration is unnecessary. 

 Rut as a matter of physiological interest it may be 

 worth while to note a few facts as to the action of 

 frost. AVhile the Dahlias presented a sorry sight 

 indeed, and the young shoots of some pot- Vines 

 placed in the open air were destroyed, some plants 

 of Abutilon in flower and fruit were uninjured, as 

 were Galtonia candicans, tall Lobelias, Pentstemons, 

 Antirrhinums, Everlastings, Ammobium, and the 

 showy Senecio pulcher. The allusion to Senecio 

 pulcher leads one to suggest to Mr. Caanell, who 



has " improved " so many flowers, that he should 

 try his hand at this, and secure a little more refine- 

 ment and compactness of growth in this plant, and a 

 little less ' rough " appearance in the flowers. 

 Autumn Crocuses, like speciosus and longiflorus, 

 and Colchicums of various kinds, gave wonderful 

 brilliancy to the beds. A grand bank of Indian 

 Pinks scarcely showed a trace of the ordeal, 

 to which they had been subjected. Much of the 

 immunity noticed was no doubt attributable to the 

 fine Hornbeam and Poplar hedges which traverse the 

 nursery, and afford shelter from wind and cold. The 

 poor Dahlias in the open suffered, apparently, one 

 and all ; had they been more sheltered, it is possible 

 some might have been saved, and these might have 

 been selected as the progenitors of a hardy race of 

 Dahlias. Why not? Mr. Cannell has effected as 

 wonderful things as that in his time. If you want a 

 proof, just look into some of those serried ranks of 

 low double span houses, filled to repletion with 

 Begonias and Pelargoniums. Oh, the colours ! Could 

 this have been October 8?— the almanac said so, 

 and I incline to think from what I saw that the 

 aspect of Mr. Cannell's houses and the dates of the 

 almanac will be similarly incongruous, only more 

 so (!), on November 8 or December 8. 



To attempt anything like description of the 

 Begonias is out of the question. " Go and see," is 

 really the best recommendation we can give. It is, 

 however, remarkable to see how these new creations 

 emulate in the delicacy and variety of their tints, 

 now the Oleander, now the Camellia, at another 

 time the Gloire de Dijon Rose, while Piconies and 

 Hollyhocks find their colours and even their 

 forms closely imitated. Sturdiness of habit, size 

 of flower, purity of colour — these are what is 

 sought after and sought for not in vain. One sort 

 with orange-scarlet flowers is appropriately named 

 Mr. Upright on account of its stout erect peduncle. 

 Novelties in stripes may be expected and if thefashion 

 sets in in that direction Messrs. Cannell will know 

 how to fall in with the popular taste. In the mean- 

 time, in a Begonia named Octavia, they have a 

 dwarf variety with small, double white flowers, like 

 a small Camellia, which may be called the plant for 

 every one. Its compact habit, profusion and con- 

 tinuity of bloom will secure for it admirers among 

 all classes. The flowers, indeed, are not as large as 

 cheese-plates, as some of the modern Begonias are, 

 but they are none the less beautiful, while their neat, 

 imbricating, rounded petals, may satisfy even an 

 exacting florist. 



Scarcely less remarkable are the zonal Pelar- 

 goniums, single and double, but they are not quite 

 so novel ; their ancestry dates back to a little 

 more remote time than the Begonias, which, whether 

 double or single, are, as it were, of yesterday. 

 There is almost the same diversity of colour in the 

 Pelargoniums as in Begonias, but clear yellow is 

 wanting in the Pelargoniums, though many gleam 

 with orange, and the Begonias do not at present 

 show so near an approach to purple as the Pelar- 

 goniums do. Moreover, the Begonias are trans- 

 lucent, while the Pelargoniums, though equally pure 

 and brilliant in colouring, are more opaque. Here, 

 again, I refrain, of set purpose, from quoting individual 

 varieties (send for a catalogue), but a notice of one 

 or two must suffice. Swanley Double White, is a 

 most useful plant, with the peduncles not too high 

 above the leaves, the flowers, in compact trusses, 

 white, and what they lack in : ' properties," is 

 more than made up for by the prolusion and con- 

 tinuity of bloom ; Goldfmder is a rich orange, and 

 Golden Brilliantissima is of a similar hue ; Venus, 

 one of the show varieties, has pure white flowers 

 all of regular pelorian shape, interesting botanically 

 and certainly very serviceable for decorative purposes. 

 Bronzes are going out of fashion, but the tartan- 

 plaid varieties, like Mrs. Pollock and her imitators, 

 such as Henry Cox, still hold their ground. 



It was rather consoling to find that the Chrysan- 

 themums were not out, as more than 1200 sorts are 

 grown here ! The blaze of bloom in Begonias and 

 Pelargoniums was quite enough for one day, and I 



was amply satisfied that there will be no falling off 

 next year when I saw the tubers of Dahlias, Be- 

 gonias and Cannas being carefully put to bed to 

 prepare them for next year, just as children used to 

 be (query are they now?), before being taken to the 

 theatre. 



Seed stores and drying-sheds were visited, the 

 latter unfortunately in request this autumn, as the 

 rainy summer aud sunless skies delayed progress 

 at one end of the season, while cold frosts arrested 

 it at the other. No doubt, however, Mr. Cannell 

 will be able, as usual, to hold out his hand and show 

 his seeds in his palm with as much well justified con- 

 fidence as ever. The Rambler, 



Foreign Correspondence. 



FLOWERS, &c, IN BERLIN NURSERIES. 



The cultivation of pot plants has not retrogressed, 

 and during the spring and autumn the market was a 

 good one. Large decorative foliage plants fetched 

 higher prices in spring than in autumn ; Rhododendrons 

 were readily sold off, Azaleas end Camellias became 

 difficult to obtain, and Hydrangeas were much wanted. 

 Double Primula chinensis are losing favour, but the 

 single varieties sell better ; Cinerarias are less cul- 

 tivated. Roses, Lilacs, and other forced shrubs 

 found purchasers at good prices and were much in 

 request, especially Roses in pots. The summer 

 market for Roses gets worse yearly ; but Orchid 

 cultivation increases. The export of bulbs diminishes, 

 but that of Lily of the Valley increases with lower 

 prices. The import of vegetables from the south and 

 west, and also from the north, of Cauliflower,keeps down 

 the prices ; also the great quantities from the urban irri- 

 gation fields influence the market prices ; the forcing of 

 vegetables gives, inconsequence of the large import, but 

 little returns. Mushroom growing has much increased. 

 The w eather at the time for sending out trees and 

 shrubs was good, but the orders had diminished 

 in value. Fruit trees still hold the low prices that 

 prevailed last year, notwithstanding a great many 

 chausseeswere constructed, and large quantities of trees 

 were employed. Roses held for some time a very low 

 price, owing to auction sales of produce from central 

 and south-west Germany, but better prices now 

 prevail. Park trees in large quantities were sold, 

 but on low terms. Export was good only in early 

 autumn, but it retrograded, in so far as Russia is 

 concerned, owing to the heavy import duty on those 

 articles, and the export to Russia will cease, the duty 

 being 1», 6<'. per cwt. In seeds and seed cultivation 

 no change has taken place, except that the seeds of 

 Cyclamen persicum are much more grown and sold. 

 The prices for flowers are low. Those of Italian 

 flowers somewhat higher because of the dry season 

 there. The importation of flowers is a little better 

 than last year. The prices for dried flowers and 

 grasses ruled about the same as last year, but those 

 for Pampas-grass are higher. French immortelles 

 are backward, German straw flowers — viz., Xeran- 

 themum, Rhodanthe, and Acrolinium — are much 

 wanted. 



Picea OBOVATA. 



It may be interesting to some of your readers to 

 hear that the Siberian Fir tree (Picea obovata, 

 Lindl.), is, as I supposed a long time ago, indeed, 

 only a climatic variety of the common Fir tree (Picea 

 excelsa, L.) I found the first transitional forms near 

 St. Petersburg, in 1883, where long before, in 1863, 

 E. Regel described them under the name Picea 

 excelsa var. fennica. Teplouchoff found them also 

 in the Ural and Altai. Now I can add to these 

 another spontaneous growth at Oberhof, in Thu- 

 ringia, where it grows abundantly. If the opinion 

 of Dr. E. Regel should be correct — viz., that these 

 forms are hybrids of P. excelsa and P. obovata — this 

 distribution would with difficulty find any explana- 

 tion. But, if as I suppose, in accordance with Mr. 

 Teplouchoff and others, that the P. obovata is only 

 a climatic variety of the common Spruce adapted 

 to the cold northern and eastern continental climate, 



