LOVEHS OF FEOWEHS, 
Both Foreigners and Englisl^wlien in or near Loudon, evidently make the “Home for Flowers” one 
ef their lirst calls, where tlireo salesmen are at all times in readiness from 6 a.ra. until 6 p.m (Sundays 
•xcepted) to conduet customers. As a proof of the above, the School of Horticulture from Belgium, 
Juno 2(Jth, 1882, of which Count Oswald de Kerchove (the Governor of the Province of Hainaut), 
President of the party (conducted hy Mr. Baines), hououn'd us with a visit, the Daily News, of June 
27th, 1882, in an article, says thus ; — 
“A ‘Ho.mk KOI; Fr.owEu.s.’ — Looking out of the earria"e window, as the train rattles onward 
through the little station at Swanley Junction, the traveller by the London, Chatham and Dover 
line perceives at a glance that he is in the midst of the Kentish fruit farms— a country with hero and 
there a patch of hop plantation, but for the most part given u)) to the cultivation of strawberries and 
raspberries. Not fruit, however, but ilcwcrs i'urnished the topic of conversation among a party of 
visitors, some fifty strong,*- who alighted at this spot yesterday morning. The strangers consi.stcd 
ehiefiy of students of the Belgian School of Horticulture and members of horticultural societies in that 
country — so long renowned both for fruit and llowers — conspicuous among them being Dr. Hulin and 
Count Osw.ald do Kerchove, who are well known in' Belgium for their devotion to this iuiportant and 
delightful study. Our ■visitors are understood to be in England for the express purpo.se of in^ccting^ 
the most advanced of our Hower gardens ; and the motive of their journey to Swanley yesterday- 
their first excuraion, we believe, since their arrival in Loudon with this object — was» to see the estab- 
lishment of Messrs. Cannell & Sons, whoso name is familiar to all who lake an interest in flowers. 
The establishment in question bears the appropriate name of ‘ The Home for Flowers,’ with a com- 
fortable house attached, and with all arrangements of a scientific character, producing results which 
were sufEcient to extort exclamations of surprise and sati.sfaetion from the party of experts who visiteil 
the place yesterday. The striking number of v.aricties in the case of each popular flower is of coursa 
duo to that marvellous system of hybridisation, or crossing one bloom with another, which gia-es to the 
experimental gardeners’ operations a practic.ally infinite field. The house of Gloxinias, erect and 
drooping and rich in hues, also attracted much attention. Having partaken of a feast of Strawberries 
and Honey, spread on white cloths upon tables in the grounds, and served by two jiretty little 
maidens who seemed proud of the task, the guests visited the jiropagating house with its multitude of 
iulinitessimally minute ]dauts ; and having seen the entensivc ranges of pits filled with choice jilauts, 
the Rose garden and the brilliant beds of hardy and bedding llowers, which are just now in 
bright bloom after the refreshing showers, the Belgian and other ^ests were hospitalJy enter- 
tained at a dejcAncr given at the adjacent Lullingstone Ga.stlc Hotel. The chair was occujiied by 
G. F. AVilson, Esq., F.K.S., andr member of the Royal Horticultural Society of London, who, in 
felicitous terms proposed two toasts — ‘The United Royal Families of England ami Bi-lgium ’ and 
'Belgian Horticulturists.’ For the latter. Count Oswalil de Kerchove responded in English and 
French, and w.as much cheered. After many complimentary .speeches by Dr. Hulin, M. Van Hulle, 
kc., &c., the rather large assemblage, taking to open carriages, already in waiting, paid a visit to 
Mr. Ladd’s establishment at Bexley, involving a drive of some eighteen miles tliroiigh one of the 
prettiest of Kentish rural districts, returning and partaking of tea, the party, deliglited with thenr 
visit, repaired to the station, where special saloon carriages were in readiness for the return journey 
to London.” 
As a further proof how absolutely necessaiy it is that all lovers of flowers should visit Swanley to 
e our va.st collections and best varieties, and the order in which they are kept, all the novelties, 
ew, and best older varieties are grown and flowered. At all seasons we have some striking floral 
display of the very choicest production. Five jirinciji.als of the firm are daily engaged, and every 
ilepartment is conducted on the best possible system, so much so that tho Eilitor of the Gardeners' 
Maijazine, August 12th, 1882, says that ‘‘Cannell’s Home for Flowers, Sw.anlcy, is fast becoming the 
floral centre of the terrestrial globe.” AVe are proud to say visitors incrc.aac yearly, and tlie general 
exclamation is, “I am deliglited, and never expected to see such flowers.” Even as late as Novembei. 
the Rev. Canon Hole describes our Homo for Flowers thus ; — 
“ AVhen in Kent, not many days ago, I visited the nurseries at Swanley. There was little externally 
ic attract-!— beds and frames full of healthy little scions, tho babies of the nursery, not long weaned 
from tho maternal pl.ant, but no brightness of bloom, and the gla.ss houses (there must be a score, each 
100 feet in length) looking white and cold on that dull, cloudy day. If this is the ‘ Home of the 
Flowers,’ 1 thought, as it had been publicly declared to be, the inmatc.s, like Irish landlords, and ti- 
speak more Jlihernico, must now bo absentees. But Afr. Cannell met me with a .smiling face, and with 
none of those apologies which are not unfrequent in tho horticultural world — ‘A'ou have just come at 
the very worst time of all ; we were m.agnificent, grand, glorious, ten days ago. Air. Ahui TlioFs agent 
happened to call, and said there was nothing like it in England or on tho Continent ; but now all is a 
blank.’ No : he led mo with a cpiiet confidence to one of the long houses aforesaid, and 1 should have 
started, were i* not that seventeen stone takes a deal of starting, to see", as he opened the door, the 
stages on either side the central path covered every inch of them from end to end with a glowing display 
of Zonal Pelargoniums, double and single, white, pink, rose and rosy purple, red and orangc-red, scarlef 
and crimson, which came upon me with such a sudden vivid beauty that 1 could scarcely believe my eyes. 
“Nor waythis tho only surprise ; four others of these spacious structures were filled with Primulas, 
cJiarmiiig as tho Geraniums, though not so varied in their colours, these being white, pink, mauve and 
sarmine, the prettiest of all (except in its appellation) being tho Swanley lied. Aloreovcr, there was a 
large and brilliant collection of Begonias, pale yellow, deep rich gold, and flaming red, and amougthem 
the largest, lofeliest, specimen which I have as yet seen of this most interesting class, a blush double 
flower, Rko an Oleander. T must now take leave of Swanley .” — The Garden, Nov. 12. 
