812 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 11, 1883. 
tion of most of the leading horticulturists in this country ; and a few- 
large establishments, notably Kew, have already made a move in the 
matter, and from what we have seen are likely to prove successful. In 
planting the wild garden much care and management are required to 
successfully imitate Nature, and, before attempting it, it is necessary to 
have at hand a large and varied collection of plants from which to choose. 
A few of the stronger-growing Asters are very desirable for isolating ; 
and the following, which grow from 5 to 6 feet high, are useful — 
A. Novse-Anglise and its varieties ; large heads of very showy rose and 
purple flowers. A. Novi-Belgii, very attractive, purplish. A. cordifolius, 
large spikes of lavender flowers ; effective. A. lsevigatus, much-branched, 
purplish mauve. A. multiflorus, dense spikes of small white ; most 
attractive of this section. 
In favour of planting such bold and attractive plants in the shrubbery 
little need be said. The following will be found suitable, the plants 
growing from 3J to 4 feet high. A. amethystinus, rosy. A. polyphyllus, 
white. A. turbinellus, loose-panicled, large, light purple flowers; very 
pretty. A. patens, bluish purple ; good. A. ericoides, pure white. A. 
diffusus and its variety horizontalis ; very bushy, densely branched, 
whitish. A. vimineus, white. A. versicolor, various-coloured. 
Plants suitable for the flower border, from 2 to 3 feet:—A. punctatus 
and A. dracunculoides, corymbose heads, blue. A. oblongifolius, dense 
heads of large pretty blue flowers. A. discolor, one of the most beautiful 
varied-coloured Asters ; we have all shades from rose to pure white. 
A. lacvigatus, var. minimus, fine rose. A. Amellus, large purple. Suit¬ 
able for rockery, 1 to 2 feet:—A. dumosus, dense head, pinkish. A. spec- 
tabilis, purplish. A. ericoides var. Reevesii, pure white. A. linarifolius, 
purplish ; very good. A. sericeus, very beautiful ; glaucous leaves, 
purplish rose flowers.—D. D. 
GARDENERS’ ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. 
I am a country gardener, and wished to subscribe £10 10.9. (or 
£1 1$. annually) to the Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. Before 
doing so I asked a few questions respecting its benefit to me if wanted, 
or to my widow if left. The following is a copy of a letter I received 
at the time, and may possibly help some of my fellow gardeners. 
“ 24th Oct., 1876. 
“ 14, Tavistock Row, Covent Garden, W.C. 
“ Dear Sir, —Your note to hand. In reply, I beg to inform you that by 
a payment of £10 10s. at once you become a life subscriber, and that when 
your attaining the age of sixty, provided such subscription had been paid 
for fifteen years, you would in the event of requiring the assistance of the 
charity have a prior claim over those who had not subscribed so long, or 
not at all, and that in the event of your death before that time your widow 
would, upon attaining the same age, stand in the same position, but in 
either case you would be required to conform to the rules. I am happy to 
say that our Society is in a very flourishing state, having a nice nest-egg 
of £10,750* put by in the funds. I shall be happy to hear from you, and 
would certainly suggest your paying £10 10s. at once, but, of course, you 
are the better judge of youi- own means.—Yours faithfully, 
“ Edw. R. Cutler, Secy.” 
* The “nest-egg” on December 31st, 1882, was £14,750.—J., Sussex. 
[Mr. Cutler writes to say that he never notices anonymous letters, 
but if any of our correspondents will favour him with their names and 
addresses he will be pleased to afford them any information in his power. 
We hope Mr. Cutler will not object to the anonymous letter from 
“ J., Sussex," to whom we are obliged for his readiness to afford the 
information that is undoubtedly sought for in reference to this Institution, 
and which it appears the Secretary declines to supply in the manner in 
which it would be the most useful—namely, publicly.] 
HOW ARE WE TO KEEP OUR APPLES? 
By doing what Mr. Taylor suggests on page 299. Store them, as I 
have done for years, in a damp airy cellar. Handle them as lightly as 
possible, and place in crates, hampers, or old cases with holes bored in 
the sides, so as to prevent the fruit from heating. On the approach of 
frost cover as directed by Mr. Taylor. Fruit treated thus will remain 
plump and good at least two or three months longer than if stored in 
a high and dry temperature. Before use develope the flavour by placing 
in a high temperature for twenty-four hours at least.—A. M. B. 
PASSING NOTES. 
Pansies and Violas .—I think it may be said with much truth that the 
bulk of English gardeners do not know or do not indulge in the wealth of 
beauty that our Scotch brothers do in the matter of Pansies and Violas, 
to say nothing of other plants. The drier climate of the south is against 
growing these flowers to the fullest development, and they are not 
sought after to any very great extent. It is a pity that this is so, for 
there are few hardy plants that can and do give such sweet and abiding 
satisfaction as do Pansies and Violas. A year or two ago I saw a cata¬ 
logue of these plants fr< m Messrs. Dickson & Co. of Edinburgh, and was 
somewhat astounded at the enormous quantity of both Pansies and Violas 
they were sending out. To know of them was in my case to have; 
and this year I have had from the plants I had from them, to the great 
pleasure and satisfaction of my young lady employers, plenty of most 
rare and beautiful blooms of both Pansies and Violas. I hardly know 
which of the two kindred families of flowers to give preference to, but 
this I know, that Viola alba odorata was not allowed to carry a flower 
long. They were picked as fast as they showed, “ Because, you see, 
gardener, it’s the first time we have had a Pansy-like flower with the 
scent of Violets.” That was the explanation to me by one of the young 
ladies on my observing that they seemed very fond of them. I say, then, 
to all gardeners who grow special flowers for the ladies of their house, 
and it is the pleasantest of all duties, Grow plenty of Viola alba odorata. 
Blue Stone, a Pansy-Viola as it is caRed, being a hybrid between some 
of the varieties of Viola cornuta and some of the Pansies, I like so well 
that I have propagated it as largely as I could, and it will figure con¬ 
spicuously in my spring flower garden next season all being well. 
Countess of Kintore is a blue with light-coloured edges, a capital grower 
and most attractive and interesting variety. I need not catalogue them, 
however; that is better done by vendors in their trade catalogues, which 
include all the best varieties of hardy border and florists’ flowers. 
Chou de Burghley. —As I have been cutting splendid heads of this new 
and most admirable vegetable during the past month I desire to record 
my testimony in its favour. “ It is most excellent.” That, however, is 
the testimony of the cook that I have to serve, and I can safely say that 
few know what good vegetables are better than she does. “ But what is 
it ? ” she went on to ask; and before I could reply she added, “ It’s like a 
Cabbage and yet it isn’t a Cabbage. It’s like a Cos Lettuce almost in form, 
and boils just like a good Broccoli. I am sure it isn’t a Cabbage because 
the water doesn’t smell as Cabbage water does. What is it ? ” Then I 
said that it was Chou de Burghley, a new vegetable raised by Mr. Gilbert, 
gardener to the Marquis of Exeter of Burghley Park, and was the result of a 
cross between the Cabbage and a Broccoli, and as I had a lot growing I was 
glad to hear so good an account of it from her, “ But,” I said, “how do 
they like it in the dining-room ? ” “I have not asked,” she said, “ but I 
argue that they like it much, for there was not a scrap came out.” So 
much for Chou de Burghley. 
Potatoes ( vide page 267).—“ Amateur, Cirencester ,” is just the cor¬ 
respondent that I hoped would take up this Potato question. His is a very 
fair letter, the letter of a man with a mind of his own. Mine was not, I am 
bound to admit that, because, unfortunately, I write as I feel at the time, 
and being somewhat impetuous of disposition and temperament I rush in 
lielter skelter, reckless of consequences. By this I lay myself open to the 
pens of such calm thoughtful men as “Amateur, Cirencester .” I do not mind 
this when it is resultful of such communications, present and prospective, 
as his. I shall look out for his promised letter containing the outcome of 
his Potato experiment with considerable eagerness. I am delighted to 
hear that he intends to stick to Potatoes; so indeed do I in my way if I 
can keep my resolutions, and still gladder to know that he is trying to 
improve our great esculent by the raising of new varieties. I should 
like to make a personal appeal to him and say, Dear brother Potato lover, 
please remember we short-top people, we that must have two crops off 
the same piece of ground the same season, and not give a yard between 
each row either, we that want our Potatoes to be ready for the table and 
of first quality the very day they are lifted out of the ground and onwards, 
we that desire and strive to get a great crop of Potatoes off a small piece 
of ground. Just keep these ideas in mind, dear brother, and raise new 
varieties of Potatoes, and we will bless you -with a deep and overflowing 
blessing.—H., Notts. 
MR. HENRY HOOPER. 
A well-known form will be missed, not only from our metropolitan, 
but from many of our provincial exhibitions, for I have just heard of the 
death of this well-known florist. Wherever there was an opportunity he 
was always anxious to display the results of his culture, and to show that 
in a quiet way he was doing his share in making horticulture popular. 
He did not pose as one who was doing it all for the good of the public, 
nor claim credit for disinterested labours ; at the same time he was none 
the less a benefactor to horticulturists, for he has introduced in various 
classes of flowers, but more especially in Pansies, Picotees, and Pinks, 
some valuable varieties. 
I have never, until this year, had the opportunity of seeing him at 
home. His nursery was indeed a strange one—rough and untidy, but 
containing a valuable collection, and the plants he sent out from it were 
always good and healthy ; in fact, the garden was like the man himself, 
one of the old type of florists, no kid-glove gardener, but plain and bluff 
and honest—the very embodiment of good nature and kindness, and like 
his garden there was “ good stuff in him ;” fair and upright in his deal¬ 
ings ; a good husband and father, and respected by the citizens of Bath 
who were interested in horticulture. His son, whom I saw, is an intelli¬ 
gent young man, and although I know nothing positively, yet I should 
imagine that the business will be carried on as usual, and the name of 
Henry Hooper will, I hope, still continue to remind us of his labours and 
successes.—D., Beal. 
SINGLE DAHLIAS. 
So numerous have the varieties of single Dahlias now become that 
it is evident some method of classification is necessary, especially as 
several very distinct types have been gradually formed. Mr. T. S. Ware, 
Tottenham, has paid much attention to these popular plants, and has 
raised some thousands of seedlings during the past three or four years, 
and after a careful examination of these he has formed four groups, 
founded on obvious characters. The first of these includes those with 
“star-shaped flowers,” a new section, of which about a dozen varieties 
have been raised at Tottenham. They are distinguished by neat, pointed, 
