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JOUBNAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 22, 1877. 



slender tapering stems of the Bamboo were 20 feet in height — 

 some standing almost erect, others bending gracefully outwards, 

 all having numerous branchlets pendant with heavy panicles of 

 seed. Other fine trees and shrubs might be enumerated, for 

 the gardens are rich in them, and they impart tone and 

 character nothing else can do, and I may be pardoned for 

 not dwelling upon snch trivial matters as flower beds and 

 bedding plants — all very good in their way. Rather would I 

 seek to point a lesson here by showing that while there can be 

 oniy one Mount Edgcumbe, yet in every garden more may be 

 done to establish permanently such objects of perennial-grow- 

 ing beauty as abound here — not a crowd, but a few well chosen, 

 well placed, and in keeping with the position and extent of the 

 garden. 



I hope next to take the reader through the more picturesque 

 parts of the gardens and woods, and to explain certain other use- 

 ful lessons worthy of general application. — Edwaed Luckhuk;t. 

 (To be continued.) 



CHRYSANTHEMUMS AT SLOUGH. 



Dceing the last few years some examples of this beautiful 

 flower have found their way from the Royal Nurseries to the 

 exhibitions at South Kensington. This year no good oppor- 

 tunity has been afforded to exhibit Chrysanthemums, and Mr. 

 Turner wisely decided to make an exhibition at his own nur- 

 sery. As a general rule the flowers are late this season, and 

 some of the exhibitions have had to be postponed. Now, how- 

 ever, the flowers at Slough are at their best, yet the exhibition 

 will be continued for some considerable time, as the plan 

 adopted here is different from that we used to see either at 

 Mr. Salter's nursery, Hammersmith, or at Stoke Newington 

 by Mr. Forsyth. At both those places the whole, or nearly 

 the whole, collection was in flower at one time, except in so 

 far as some sorts were naturally earlier than others, and, as a 

 rule, but very few varieties were in flower at Christmas, and 

 those not of the sorts most valuable for cutting. 



The accommodation at Slough for Euch plants is very much 

 greater than that of the celebrated growers mentioned above, 

 and not the least valuable is a long house facing north, where 

 the plants are yet in bud and promise to make a grand display 

 after those in flower have been removed from the show house. 

 This is a span-roofed structure 100 feet long and 14 feet wide, 

 entirely filled with plants in flower. The arrangement is ex- 

 ceedingly effective. The plants are in such a position that the 

 flowers are just under the eyes of the visitors, so that they can 

 be examined without any inconvenience — a great advantage 

 this, as we have seen the stems grown so tall that it was 

 necessary to mount a short ladder to minutely examine the 

 flowers. 



Mr. Turner grows his plants in G, 7, and 8 inch pots, and 

 they are not grown too strongly, but strong enough to produce 

 abundance of useful flowers either for deoorative purposes, to 

 cut for bouquets, or to place in glasses to decorate rooms. His 

 object has evidently been to make an effective exhibition, and 

 he has succeeded. The largest proportion of the plants have 

 been grown on the natural system without any attempt at 

 artificial training. And after all the most natural way is the 

 best ; it is more pleasing and better appreciated bythe general 

 public than is formal training. Better half a dozen good 

 flowers than half a hundred flowered out of character either 

 from bad training or unskilful culture. 



All the new varieties are here, but — and we are sorry there 

 Bhould be a " but " in the case — evidently the mantle of Mr. 

 John Salter has fallen on no one. What a treat it was to go 

 to Hammersmith and see the new varieties intended to b9 sent 

 ont the following season, especially afterthe Japanese came in, 

 when there used to be about a dozen distinct varieties annually. 

 Anything new arnoDgst the large-flowered Chinese sorts now 

 seem merely to be sports of a different colour from well-known 

 sorts. Mrs. George Rundle, for instance, is grown here by the 

 hundred, and because it is grown everywhere so extensively 

 we are the more likely to obtain sports from it. The first 

 sport, a pale yellow or sulphur flower, was named George 

 Glenny, and from this was obtained a variety of a deep yellow 

 colour, which was named Mrs. Dixon. These three sorts are 

 well grown here. There is a primrose-coloured sport from 

 Empress of India, which will be very popular, as it is a good 

 sport from the largest and purest white in existence. The best 

 white flowers beside the above are White Globe, Isabella Bott, 

 Eve, White Venus, and a very late-flowering variety named 

 Mrs. Wood. The best amongst yellow sorts are Jardin des 



Plantes, a superb flower, raised probably thirty years ago, but 

 not yet equalled ; we would place Golden Beverley next to it. 

 Golden Dr. Brock is also a fine golden yellow, and when well 

 grown Iona may be placed in the highest position. Aurea 

 multiflora, though not large, is the neatest flower in cultiva- 

 tion. Annie Salter is what is termed a reflexed flower, but it 

 is clear yellow and makes a handsome specimen plant. There 

 are some grand flowers of the various shades of pink and rose 

 colours. One of the best is Princess of Teck, a noble flower, 

 blush tinged with rose, the petals broad and beautifully in- 

 curved. It is one of the more recent of Mr. Salter's flowers, 

 but was sent out a year or two ago under another name. Pink 

 Perfection, syn. Miss Mary Morgan, ought to be in every col- 

 lection. Lady Hardinge, Her Majesty, Hero of Stoke New- 

 ington, Princess Beatrice, Princess of Wales, Lady Slade, and 

 Venus are the cream of theEe colours. 



More good flowers than we already possess are wanted in the 

 purple and rose-crimson Ehades of colour. The best at preEent 

 in cultivation are Prince Alfred, a noble flower, but the outer 

 petals soon decay ; Prince of Wales, and Dr. Sharps. The 

 last has beautifully reflexed flowers and makes a handsome 

 specimen. Amongst Indian reds or chestnut reds there are 

 John Salter (this sort ought to be placed near the glass, else 

 the flowers come loose, when well done it is the beBt in this 

 colour) ; Mr. Gladstone, dark red, the reverse of the petals 

 looking as if they were polished ; Golden Eagle, General Bain- 

 bridge, General Slade, Sam Weller, St. Patrick, and Antonelli 

 (the last named, though a perfectly formed flower, is not large 

 enough nnless very well grown) ; Comte de Morny is a useful 

 decorative flower we had not seen before ; Caractacus is white 

 tinged with pink ; Triomphe de Nord a dull crimson-coloured 

 flower. 



In the Japanese class there are a few good new flowers, 

 notably a golden yellow, earlier to bloom than Grandiflorum 

 and equal to it, named Fulton. To Kio is a brilliant crimson 

 scarlet flower, the reverse of the petals orange. The- best of 

 the older Japanese sorts are Bronze Dragon, Duchess of Edin- 

 burgh, a peculiar rosy lilac-coloured flower, a hybrid from the 

 Anemone section ; Elaine, Fair Maid of Guernsey, James 

 Salter, very early ; Purpureum album, Red Dragon, The Cos- 

 sack, and The Sultan. 



The small Chusan Daisy or Pompons are very pretty and 

 UEeful for cut flowers. Amongst the best and most distinct 

 are Bob, Cedo Nulli, and the golden and lilac varieties of it ; 

 Dick Turpin, General Canrobert, Marabout, Mdlle. Marthe, 

 a very fine pure white-flowered variety ; Mr. Astie, Mustapha, 

 St. Michael, St. Thais, and Salamon. All the above, besides 

 having the best flowers, are best adapted for forming specimens. 



An interesting feature in Mr. Turner's collection is about 

 150 standards of the large-flowered and Pompon varieties. 

 The stems are about a yard high ; each head , which is semi- 

 globular in form, is composed of three or four varieties, distinct 

 in colour. They were grafted on after the stem had attained 

 the desired height. The operation is easily performed ; hardly 

 one of the grafts missed taking, and they were merely tied on 

 with a strip of matting, the plants at the time being in a green- 

 house kept rather close. Exhibitors might take a note of this, 

 and try to graft a difficult sort on a free-growing standard. 



In looking through the other houses there is something to 

 interest every class of gardener. The immense stock of Car- 

 nations and Picotees is rapidly being dispersed over the 

 country, and the plants seem to be thoroughly well rooted. 

 Auriculas are in gieat demand; indeed, the supply is quite 

 inadequate to meet it — a sure sign of the increasing taste for 

 this old favourite. Pinks a year or two ago were getting into 

 a weak state, and growers could scarcely obtain plants ; now 

 the supply seems equal to the demand for them. 



Looking through the greenhouses we noted a few plants 

 that wonld be useful for supplying cut flowers. There were 

 several hundred 5 and 6-inch pots of a very pretty Scrophu- 

 lariaceous plant with pale blue flowers named Browallia elata. 

 It is a Peruvian species, but succeeds well in a greenhouse 

 temperature. In juxtaposition to it were many small pots 

 containing nicely-grown plants of Salvia splendens. Its beauti- 

 ful bright Ecarlet flowers were very eftVctive. Amongst Bouvar- 

 dias the most useful seems to be B. Hogarth and the white or 

 blush sport from it, B. Vreelandii. 



Tree Carra'ions are in thousands, and although they are 

 looked upon with disdain by the genuine florist they are justly 

 esteemed by the general public. We noted Osman Pasha as 

 the best in its class. It fairly beats Proserpine and La 

 Grenade. Its rich, crimson ecarlet flowers are superbly finished. 



