90 GARDENS OF ENGLAND 



formed the essence of the sweet flower's charm is 

 entirely gone, and in its place we are offered a 

 thing that has lost all beauty and has only gained a 

 look of coarseness. Their broad thick blooms have 

 also a suspicion of rank quality about their scent 

 that was never apparent in the older forms. 



All honour and grateful acknowledgment are 

 due to seed growers both at home and abroad for 

 the many grand plants that we owe to their careAil 

 labours, and one feels assured that these remarks 

 will be taken in good part. 



When writing of the modern development in 

 gardening, the enthusiasm of the collector must 

 not be forgotten, and one name will at once occur 

 to mind, Mr. E. H. Wilson, who through the 

 enterprise of the Messrs. Veitch of Chelsea has 

 travelled Western China in search of new species 

 and varieties with unbounded success. We who 

 love our gardens owe a deep debt of gratitude to the 

 Messrs. Veitch for their good work in sending out 

 Mr. Wilson to collect new plants for the adornment 

 of European gardens. Lecturing in 1903 the late 

 Mr. J. H. Veitch spoke then of Mr. Wilson, whom 

 we number amongst the greatest of recent plant 

 collectors, and reference is made also to Dr. Henry, 

 to whom we are indebted for many beautiful intro- 



