June 8, 1912.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



a 



[supplement.] xxxix. 



Asparagus and Globe Artichokes evoked surprise 



from visitors. 



Fruits were not remarkable, except the Cher- 

 ries, and were not comparable with English 

 produce. 



BELGIUM. 



The section for Belgium, which may be con- 

 sidered the headquarters of Continental horticul- 

 ture, was very disappointing, but owing to 

 some mischance many intending exhibitors were 

 prevented from contributing to their section. 

 As it was, the court was poorly furnished 

 with exhibits, there being only one group 

 of greenhouse Azaleas, that particular class 

 of spring flowers for which the Belgian 

 growers are famous. Among the most note- 

 worthy of the exhibits was a very fine group of 

 seedling Adiantum farleyense from the nurseries 

 of M. Draps, Brussels. These seedlings com- 



f>rised some beautiful forms, differing more or 

 ess from the type; one named Glory of Moor- 



drecht (illustrated in our issue for February 4, 

 1911, p. 73), represented by finely-grown plants 

 3 or 4 feet across, was the pick of the collection. 



comprised all shades of colours of deep pinks 

 and mauves, besides the more familiar tones in 

 the variety Laphamii. 



Bromeliads, for which the Ghent nurseries are 

 famous, were represented only by a small 

 group of Tillandsia splendens, with a few varia- 

 tions from the type. 



Pteris Parkeri was noted as a robust though 

 elegant greenhouse Fern, which 

 valuable for room decoration. 



may prove 



JAPAN. 



The Japanese section, for which a special tent 

 was provided, attracted many admiring visitors, 

 for whom the weird little dwarfed trees have 

 a fascination. 



The chief exhibitors in this section were the 

 Yokohama Nursery Co., Yokohama, who made 

 a special display of dwarfed trees, which were 

 sent to this country in excellent condition by 

 the Canadian route, so as to shorten the period 

 of transit. They constituted the finest display 



yet seen in this country, and comprised mar- 



The porcelain vases were scarcely less remark- 

 able than the plants they hold, and some are 

 beautiful in shape and colour 



A feature was made of screens composed of 

 Bamboo stems of varied and curious shapes, and 

 there were poles of Bamboos over 20 feet high 

 suitable for pergelas and tea houses. 



The Japanese Horticultural Society had a- 

 good display of similar dwarf trees and samples 

 of dried fruits, remarkable among which were- 

 dried Kaki fruits, which are very nice eating, 

 like a mixture of Dates and Figs, a good addition 

 to preserved dried fruits. This society also- 

 showed very fine photographs of Japanese gar- 

 dens and scenery, which were much admired. 



BRITISH MOSSES. 



Lovers of these minute forms of vegetable life- 

 were especially pleased with the collection ex- 

 hibited by Mr. Hugh Danton, Beninghoe, Hert- 

 ford. The 53 pans of growing mosses shown in- 

 cluded some of the more interesting species and 

 varieties. Torluta angustina, the narrow -leaved' 

 screw Moss, which grows on clay banks in shady 

















l 







■ 





* 

 * 



FlG* 34. — A CORNER OF AN OUT-DOOR EXHIBIT BY MESSRS, W. CUTBUSH AND SON# 



The group was the more remarkable as seedlings 

 of this Fern are so uncommon. This group 

 showed well what a lovely Fern this is with its 

 tinted fronds when so admirably grown. 



A group of about a score of variegated Aspi- 

 distras from M. Boudry Draps, comprised of 

 plants more than 3 feet high, with effective varie- 

 gation, afforded an example of the results of high 

 cultivation achieved by our Belgian friends. 



Primula obconica appears to be receiving a 

 great deal of attention in Belgium in the way 

 of selection, as there was a large group of 

 named varieties of this flower, ranging from 

 the purest white through delicate shades 

 of pinks and purples to the richest crimsons 

 bordering on to scarlet. These formed a most 

 attractive group, and standing out conspicuously 

 was a double-flowered variety, which no doubt 

 will be the forerunner of a race of doubles ; but 

 whether the doubling of the flowers of this beauti- 

 ful Japanese Primrose is an advantage is doubt- 

 ful.. Another group of seedling varieties of Phlox 

 canadensis and pilosa was also interesting, as it 



(See p. xiv. of First Supplement.) 



vellous specimens of very old, pigmy trees; 

 one particularly, of Thuya obtusa, stated to be 

 130 years old, and its thick, gnarled stems 

 seem to justify its alleged age. All the kinds 

 of trees that are subject to this dwarfing were 

 represented, the chief being Pinus pentaphylla, 

 P. parviflora and other Pines, Podocarpus, 

 Oaks, Cherries, Cryptomeria, Larix leptolepis 

 (very fine specimens), and Maples, which lend 

 themselves to this treatment in a remarkable 

 way. The tent was bright with flowering 

 Japanese Lilies and Wistarias, the most remark- 

 able among which w T as the white W. brachy- 

 botrys, which is apparently a variety of W. 

 chinensis. The racemes ^ are short, the flowers 

 large and of snowy whiteness. W. multijuga 

 and its white variety were well represented.. 

 The fantastically-trained Japanese Fern (Daval- 

 lia Mariesii) was represented in all forms simu- 

 lating animals, from monkeys, birds, turtles, 

 fishes, to other quaint conceits that the Japanese 

 love to fashion from the pliable rhizomes of this 

 i ern. 



places, was alongside T. subulata, which is very 

 similar, but differs in that it has slightly broader 

 leaves, and grows in sunny spots. T. muralis is 



1 w r as here showm 

 rock chiooines. The Sphagnum-moss, 00 



which thrive* 



on 



chippings. 

 to Orchid 



necessary to urcnid growers, 

 luxuriantly in many of the western counties of our 

 islands, is rare in Hertfordshire, and even im- 

 ported specimens show their aversion to the 

 climate, for no matter how he may coax it, Mr. 

 Danton cannot induce the Sphagnum to grow 

 robustly. Physcomitrium pyriforme bore numben 

 of its interesting capsules, which are so like tiny 

 inverted Pears. Whilst this Pear-shaped Moss 

 grows on the banks and ditches, the species afin« 

 flourishes on the bark of trees and has not been 

 found on the ground. There were also healthy 

 examples of Fumaria hygrometrica, which bo fre- 

 quently carpets the site of bonfires, and ls inter- 

 esting in that the stalk becomes erect on the ap- 

 f>roach of rain ; Hypnum molluscum, which love#- 

 ime, stone, or chalk; Aulacomnion paluatre, 

 which but rarely produces spores, and . Uh 



