& 
Cannell & Sons’ Complete Seed Guide. 
A KENTISH FLOaiBA. 
Kiftecn mile« jiway from town, in a fold of tlie Kentish hills, well 
sheltered from the wind.s, is the '• Home of l''lowers” — well named, for there 
the dowers are not merely displayed, hut bred and nursed. At divers 
e.xhihitions we had admired the marvellous prodiietions that hail from 
Swanley, and had often wished to see their birthplace ; so, in the glorious 
sunshine of Monday we sped thither, and spent a couide of delightful houm, 
as the hospitable proprietor made us free of the place, and his son inducted 
us into its wonders. The explanations which young Mr. Cannell so good- 
naturedly gave fell on unlearned ears, and we will not attempt to unveil the 
mysteries of oross-breeding and propagation by which such remarkable i 
results are achieved, nor to describe the varieties of choice, yet unnamed, ! 
seedlings which we saw. Messrs. Caunell & Sons’ catalogue will supply | 
details to those who are curious. Let it suffice to say that, like everything ! 
else which is worth doing, the breeding of new varieties of plants must be 
done well, and implies much trouble, care, and judgment, and not a few 
disap|)ointments. Out of 2,700 seedlings, if there are six showing improve- 
ment the breeder is thankful. It is hard to know where to begin to convey 
an impression of that many-hued vision we saw at Swanley. Perhaps the 
Begonias are most in evidence just now. There arc 200,000 of them in 
boxes, thumb pots, and cuttings, and regiments of matured plants in bloom, 
of nearly every hue and shade save blue. The princi))al aims in Begonia- 
rearing at Swanley are directness and free-blooming, directness being the 
overcoming of the tendency to drooii. The expert knows which is rarest, 
hut it would be hard to .<ay which is fairest amid such varied beauty. If one 
inclines to give the jialm to the rich crimson of Leu/iold linthschUei, the 
superb yellow of Mi-m Fulcouer catches the eye, and hesitation is born of 
the exquisite blending of the pink and orange of Marij Cornell ■, whilst j 
the sweetness of the jiure white Oetavia appeals against thi' sulphur 
splendours of the AVc. Anscef/cs, and a moment later we saj', Can anything 
be finer than those rich luonze-ycllows, more magnificent than the rose- ; 
like flowers of Jiom lmd Here are the Puchsias. and among them one , 
of the most remarkable sights that Swanley has to show to horticulturists — ] 
namely, a “ sport ” thrown off by a Fuchsia. The variety named P/icno/ne/ai/, j 
produced some years ago by Messrs. Cannell, has a purple corolla. I 
One of the plants, not at Swanley, bore Howers with red and then with ' 
white corolla. The plant was re-purchased and is being propagated. We 
believe that the throwing off a “sport” by a Fuchsia is almost unprece- 
dented. Very lovely are the Ivy-leaf Geraniums— there are 40 varieties — 
j and we noted unwonted colours among the Pelargoniums, purple, ]>inks. 
I white centres with crimson edges, and the still stranger Btuehenrd, but the 
most brilliant mass of colour just now at Swanley is yielded by the Cuntuis, 
the orange am! scarlet spikes of KUniyin Charlotte flame in contrast to the 
more subdued tones of the JJurhexs of Yorh, powdered with minute crimson 
spots. Hard by are the Gloxinias with their deep bells of velvet 
texture. One rich crimson variety, the Beacon, had subtle tones and 
reflections, and an intensity which gave it a peculiar charm. Outside 
Kew. the Cacti at Swanley have no rivals. Every corner of the globe has 
been ransacked for specimens of the grotesque vegetable forms through 
which nature seems to have indulgeil in a i|uiet humour as a relief to her 
labours. T^ere are the Old Man Cactns, with his grey poll, the Candle 
Tree, Aloes, Agaves, prickly Pears, and last but not least the crowns of the 
Eesurrectiou Plant, which rolls itself up into a tuft ball and is blown and 
rolled from one side of the vast desert to the other, waiting for the rainy 
season ; it immediately then becomes green, roots into the sand, and remains 
a verdant green until the hot season sets in again and hundreds of species of 
which we know not the names, smooth, thorny, stiff, or trailing, some tiny 
ones, cushion-shajied and reticulated with exqnisite patterns as if the fairies 
had been making jiillowlace; and among them are the mysterions night 
flowers, that bloom for a few hours in the darkness once only — weinl, 
uncanny members of the floral kingdom, shunning the society of their kind. 
One opened its great sun-like petals recently, but it reipiires careful 
watching not to miss them, for they bloom sometimes earlier than appear- 
ances indicate. Through the rockery, with its Satfifragas and Alpine 
growths, we come to the aquatic garden, a series of three tanks connected 
with each other, and devoted to the cultii ation of the rarer water plants 
like Ni/midia’a rosea. Why are water gardens not more general ajuoug us ? 
The want of water may be the cause in some cases, but not in most. They 
have a charm which is certainly not exceeded by lawn, parterre, or 
shrubbery. We had intended to say something about the yellow Arum 
Lilies — there will be pink ones soon at Swanley — and the general aspect of 
the gardens, with their tall hedges of copper Beech — nipped like much else, 
including, alas! the Strawberries by the May frost. But we must renounce 
the task. We have lifted the corner of the veil. Perhaps the glimpse 
aflorded will serve to convey some idea of the floral wealth hidden in the 
hollow below Swanley Junction. — The Echo, June 29t/i, 1894. 
VALUE OF THE GAflBBN. &c. 
Perfect health is more precious than wealth ; the sun shines bright 
where both arc combined and judiciously managed. To continue this, the 
garden with all its produc(ions is absolutely necessary for every pang of 
hunger and thirst ; nearly every want for the cheerfulue.«s of the body, eye. 
or iutellccl emanates from either vegetables, fruits, or flowers. How 
readily they relieve our wants and bring light and hajipincss to every 
family I I) is of flie utmost imjiortaucc that the most modern and improved 
varieties should be puiclia/sed ami partaken of, avoiding the wild inferior 
kinds of tlie heathpus- It is wo who possess the most modern and best 
forms ; it ii< oar art in business- Heiacmberiqg tint enormous number of 
plants nature has provided ioi us— probably nut less than 100,000 — it can 
readily be cojnpreheuded thp study and the heavy responsibility resting on 
our mind aijd shoulders to keep all in good aud correct order at auy chance 
time they niay bp asked for, for all the best of everything needed for the 
garden is Our sole everyday calling and existence, and all our departments 
are always in readiness, particularly seeds, to be sent safely to all parts of 
the globe by post. 
I We need hardly say we are grateful for past favours. We have striven 
I our utmost for thirty years, feeling that we have hitherto given one and all 
of our patrons the greatest satisfaction, aud trust we may be favoureil with a 
much larger share of your patronage ; when so, we guarantee that nothing 
shall be wanting on our i)urt, anil hope to secure continued recommendations 
amongst friends. 
Everything necessary for the garden is propagated, grown, andl supplied 
in the bet possible order. Our E'irin is a large one, divided into fourteen 
departments (w'e are reallv wholesale growers selling retail), with expert 
foremen iu each, so that whatever is wanted is at hand, and quickly de- 
: spatched at a iiriee certaijily not more, but in nearly all eases lower, than 
I other firms. Our faeiUtios we grant, and being ae it we«a the actual manu- 
' facturers, together with our naturally favoured spot in England, we are 
able to grow ami supply nearly everything ourselves uikect ; if not, tliey 
are procured from the best sources, no matter where or at wlmt cost, so that 
we supply the best. We are determined that our reputation shall extend, 
and onr name become a household word. 
