THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 
virginianum, Dicentra eximia, Betonica grandiflora, 
Polemonium Richardsoni, Nepeta Mussoni (unwar- 
rantedly neglected), Dianthus plumarius, Corydalis 
cheilanthfolia, Geum Heldreichi, Phlox amoena, 
Helenium pumila, and lastly, Oenothera Youngi. Now 
for criticisms. 
Must of the greenhouses one sees are not adapted 
for the planting out in a permanent way of the plants 
in them. Even the big conservatories mostly have 
benches. This is not an unmixed blessing, although 
it allows the grower more readily to alter the aspect 
of things. For the sake of the plants, however, the 
planting out is perhaps best : albeit there are draw- 
backs. The watering is a difficulty, especially if un- 
skilled or careless men are left in charge. But does 
this not also apply in the case of benches? It cer- 
tainly does. With moderately vigorous plants, such 
as most of the palms and many ferns, also such flower- 
ing subjects as Brunfelsias, Lagerstroemias, the taller 
Begonias, particularly manicata, and others, planting 
out is all right. The Acacias likewise flourish, as do 
the more tender Rhododendrons, Strelitzia, Liliums, 
Eriostemons, the ever-flowering Impatiens Oliveri, and 
a goodly lot of climbing plants which can be employed 
on the pillars or walls. Those I have mentioned thus 
indiscriminately each and all do well in an intermediate 
temperature : the Rhododendrons alone might be ex- 
cepted. And just as we move our shrubbery plants 
about, so can the indoor plants be moved. There is 
much in favor of permanent setting out, especially in 
the large conservatories. It is a natural way of grow- 
ing the plants. 
H= * * * * * 
I 
At this winter season of the year we appreciate the 
smaller cacti and succulents more than when there 
are objects to interest us in the open air. Beds of 
cacti are a common enough sight in summer, but the 
Old Man Cactus (Pilocereus senilis), the Rat's-tail 
Cactus (Cereus flagelliformis), the cone-shaped green 
and pinkish tinted Haworthia, the Mistletoe-like Rhip- 
salis, the geometrically proportioned Mamillarias and 
many another, are all welcome, and no good garden 
should be without at least a small assortment of the 
more remarkable of them since they represent such a 
distinctive type of world vegetation. Among the cacti, 
too, there are some of the best of our showy flower- 
ing plants, as for instance the Epiphyllums, Phyllo- 
cactus, and the georgeous but fugacious Cereus, of 
which grandiflora, called Queen of the Night, and C. 
triangularis may be mentioned. Epiphyllum Gaert- 
neri is very popular with florists, commonly called 
Christmas Cactus. Tike ferns, cacti have their special 
devotees who spend endless days studying and ad- 
miring them. They are easy to cultivate but are not 
all cast iron. The more one knows about them and 
their ways the better they are liked, which is what 
is to be expected, and what happens in the case of 
most studies and hobbies. The amateur who is the 
proud possessor of a Night Flowering Cactus that is 
showing patent signs of coming into bloom is very 
much in the same state of mind as the poor woman 
who found the coin she had lost, as mentioned in the 
Scriptures, and who called her friends together to 
rejoice with her. What would the newspaper reporter 
do, too, without the Century Plant whose ineradicable 
tendency, according to him, to flower only once in a 
hundred years is so often brought to the notice of his 
readers? Opuntias furnish us with about the only 
truly hardy members of the family. The finest indoor 
collection of these interesting plants in the world is, 
curiously enough, at Alexandra Park, in smoky, rainy 
Manchester, England. If there is a better, more com- 
plete, or more skilfully arranged collection anywhere, 
I would be very glad to hear of it. In this case a 
whole range of large and lofty modern houses is de- 
voted to the plants, which are planted out in beds 
amid sandstone rocks and boulders, the climbing kinds 
being finely used for sprawling over these and for 
training to the pillars and rafters. No description 
would do justice to the planting and arrangement, the 
whole collection being a revelation as to the possi- 
bilities of these plants when put to the best use. It is 
no exaggeration to say that this cactus collection is 
artistic, while over a large part of the year there are 
plants in bloom. The collection was gathered from all 
sources during his lifetime by Charles Darrah, a Man- 
chester merchant, and at his death presented to the 
city, which then built the present noble range of glass 
to shelter them. They are well worthy of a visit by 
anyone travelling in England. 
^ H* * ^ * # 
After having read the papers that were delivered 
at the Boston conference of our societv in Decem- 
ber, I am more convinced than ever that before we 
can accomplish much for the advancement of our- 
selves as gardeners we must devise a scheme whereby 
bona-fide gardeners, men who have been carefully and 
broadly trained, shall be protected from the interloper, 
the untrained fellow. I know quite well what the 
difficulties are and some of the arguments advanced 
against trying to regulate the supply of gardeners. 
It is said that many good men have entered the calling 
long after the age of apprenticeship, that intelligent 
laborers once in a while "go up," and that in the pres- 
ent state of gardening as a profession many employers 
would and could get along without the certificated 
professional. Before the present war broke out the 
Royal Horticultural Society in England had instituted 
an examination by which all who passed received a 
diploma, which was to be the sign of a well-educated, 
scientific and practical gardener. Demonstrations of 
the practical ability of the candidates was a special 
feature of the test for the diploma. At our own col- 
leges here, the young men, of course, qualify on the 
theoretical side of the business and, as was pointed 
out at the conference, their practical training is better 
than it was and is improving. 
* * * * * * 
There is a disposition to belittle the college man, 
and certainly he does not always compare favorably 
with the horney-handed chap. All the same, we who 
had to get our theoretical knowdedge without the as- 
sistance of a regular course are the very ones who 
envy him that part of his training. One of the most 
successful practical men I knew, now dead, recog- 
nizing his skill on the practical side, expressed his 
strong desire for a far better knowledge of "theory." 
He felt handicapped and believed that his success, 
great as it was, would have been more unqualified still 
had he had a deeper insight into the science of garden- 
ing. But the knowledge acquired in learning botany, 
chemistry, geology, entomology, surveying, physics 
and what-not, is surely good in itself. It gives us new 
eyes to see with ; it opens up hidden things ; it shows 
us the inner working of the plants, comprehension 
of soils and strata, etc., and surely that ought to be 
desirable. Whether it is an actual fact or not I cannot 
say, but I was told by one who worked under him, 
(Continued on page 75) 
