786 THE 
GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
[DECEMBER 19, 1874, 
Reports of Societies. 
-Linnean : Mov. 19.—Dr. G. J. Allman, F.R.S., 
President, in the chair. Mr, D. Hanbury exhibited 
obtained. Mr. 
on this point. It appears that several varieties 
are cultivated for this purpose. 
President read a paper ‘‘ On the Structure of 
Stephanoscyphus mirabilis, the type of a new order 
ded 
be Sexo composite colonies which 
ve a eral mblance to a campanularian 
hydroid with its + eup-like hydrothecz, or so-called 
polype cells, opening o 
and, when the ani 
mar- 
ginal tentacles of a Medusa urther provided 
with the radiating and cir a true 
Medu he a is essentially a 
composite 
colony of medusiform zooids included ina system of 
itinous tubes, from whi cain 
: to his previously expressed 
paraa rora supported by Payer, 
Baillon, Van Tieghem, and others. The nature 
of the petals in Malvales in general is ats touched on. 
Sometimes these a 
ıppear be mous organs, 
while in other cases wot seem to form tia and parcel 
of the staminal phalan 
De. 3.—The President in the chair. 
Ses Professor 
Hu a. paper e f 
: sh oaa aii 
lassification o 
ion. 
to is designati on might fittingly era given ; and 
the same holds good of o towns populous 
centres, Some of these iaaiiai others large, 
aj : the size of the house and the s pace of 
gale ner they also vary in situation as 
they must be looked for ) i ; 
secluded parts of Fondon kind of halo of 
respectability surrounds the die and a somewhat 
_ Oppressive sense of rigid genteel observance is felt by 
the visitor to such highly proper quarters, 
to many of these gardens it may be re- 
ed ge merally, is a most material 
el Seet ae SSN the extent 
of ground enclosed in front of town residences 
is, in most cases, too narrow in dimensions, and no 
in proportion to the sme The ground consists 
commonly of a narrow strip, or a small enclosed 
square, in which there may be a few half-starved, 
half-decayed looking plants and shrubs, or a narrow 
steep slope covered with a few scrubby grasses. In 
other cases we see a dark and dismal wall, sometimes 
high enough to enclose a prison, shutting out alike the 
air, the light, and the gleams of the glorious sun. It 
must, however, be admitted thatin constructing modern 
dwellings, the forecourt garden is thrown more open, 
and it is, in Sortie eee more pleasant and airy in 
every respec! 
any a ae garden has been completely 
spoiled by an excessive planting of shrubs and trees, 
all of which have been allowed to grow till their 
one are out of 
to hav 
in our streets and roadways, it must be through the 
means of forecourt gardens, The happy time to come, 
+ when they will be planted at the sides of our road- 
n vestrydo 
too often means the rule of the ignorant—is swallowed 
up in the something better that is to succeed it. 
A good commencement 
Estate, in the Clapham 
There the main streets, at siete are Scpianted 
with tows and the forecourt garden made a 
tasteful bit of handiwork on the part Ea B who 
grow plants. 
What can be done in a forecourt garden depends 
very much upon its locality. A garden of this cha- 
London in 
racter in the Euston or City Roads, in the crowded 
parts of Chelsea and Lambeth, in the Old Kent Road, 
d further east, in the Great rib Road, cannot 
possibly compete with a garden a pleasant part of 
Highgate Hill, or other Avoid. localities. In too 
many of the crowded parts of London the garden 
is left to take care of ‘tse and a dreary-looking 
thing it becomes under the circumstances, In som 
nder comparatively 
favourable circumstances, plants have anything but a 
happy rc sent they may be said to exist — 
grow they do 
Take a ee garden in 2 the Euston Road, for 
instance, and see how. it it arranged. There oy 
darkening what i is pate sites s Pant, on the last ve aas of 
nakedness ; Lilacs, woe-begone i in the extreme ; and 
others equally unhappy in aspect ; th 
attempt at a flower- bed with a 
the gow of 
London, tat In appearance, given over se neglect 
and the undisturbed possession of the es 
among the feline race of animals. ‘* What ca: 
done to improve such gardens?” is a- question wii 
put, but very difficult to answer, . We must trust to 
the gradual development of a taste for gardening or 
of a love for flowers for maintaining these gardens 
pie than they have hitherto been, but it may be 
y years before this growth miatnifeste itself to any 
maiie degree, 
squares and gardens as on the Thames Embankment 
may conduce to this. The praiseworthy efforts now 
being made with so snort in several parts of 
in encouraging w gardening might 
Ree ye also be aiid to the improvement of rte 
court gardens in such of our main streets where ere they 
; it mi e deemed to 
of the Royal Hort - Society 
laudable a work. Ones arouse a spirit 
and cheering results would follow. The difficulty lies 
in so framing a course of action as that birth shall be 
given to this spirit of emulation, and itself be directed 
in a proper manner, 
at can be done, Kowii: to improve one of 
of emulation 
little © 
vardens in 
The planting of our public. 
s : > that 
O nE 
ee 
these gardens ? ? In the first place the 
some improvement. The atte ist undergo 
Privet, emaciated Snowbe 
out, the surface dug “ite 
mingled with it ; and in 
chan 
rearing some diediabie « specimens of lac 
the garden have a 
Pp oer 
i 
E Peg ase SMe fet ie Warnes eam 
aS. a ee 
to mt it at all nice. Even if the 
favourable in point of aspect, it is yet better to dispense 
altogether with turf, if the trees be 
appeara 
If thes dividing aha par two gardens bea 
iron fence, which i mon E it will be 
best to plant a row coke evergreen shrubs against it_ 
not in a crowded or regular line, ‘but sufficiently wide 
apart to admit of each plan 
gr 
ovalifolium will stand well in such a place, it sho 
be included also. It must, however, be bo ue 
i grown in deep PME EZ 
useful 
does n Another 
Sie das of dark green foliage, 
must be included also, T 
t flowers 
early summer, and in the a n it is coved 
— of berries like sitatnre Gra 
e foreg 
and ie beautiful Berberis Ditwinii; which has 
well described as ‘‘ one x x liveliest of flowe 
shrubs,” is ver ndeed in early 
Add to rae Aucuba japonica, the el 
leaved Box 
common Arbor-vitz, &e., and a list i is obtained Pi li 
affords ample choi ; 
might be planted about as specimens, the smaller 
round the garden, and also grouped i 
middle, and the remainder laid down with 
soil about the roots | 
a d 
“ When the 
to decline, and, if -not 
perish. ce or twice a wee 
state of the 
sooty, cl t 
ning of May till the middle of August 
more 
to have a luxu It is 
not shade that kills vegetation under - 
ba i ought to be repeated seit 
underwood. 
